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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 2 years

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🎭 masks & meaning 🎭

Thank you, TWST merch, for giving me a clearer view of the masquerade mask designs 😂 Here’s what I noticed…!

Individual Character Masks

Riddle’s mask resembles the collars that appear when he uses his unique magic, Off With Your Head! It is also a recurring motif on his dorm uniform; note that the crown is on the same side on the mask as it is on Riddle’s dorm uniform sprite. Additionally, his lapels and boots have the split heart design incorporated into them. The checkered pattern inside the hearts looks the same as the background of Heartslabyul school uniform cards, which makes sense, as Riddle is their leader.

Deuce’s mask has a spade on it, but it just so happens to look like an inverted heart. This may represent his allegiance to Heartslabyul. The checkered pattern on the bottom half of the mask denotes his status as a card soldier; the checkerboard pattern recurs on his dorm uniform’s right sleeve.

Ruggie’s mask has rough edges, with the black part resembling an animal’s mane (I’m going to assume it’s a hyena’s mane since that’s what Ruggie is, but it could also be a lion’s mane to allude to his dormitory). The lower part of the mask looks like it could be sharp fangs or claws. Finally, the zigzag pattern reminds me of a jester’s hat: the points end in circles, which could be the bells. This would suit Ruggie’s playful but mischevious nature.

Azul’s mask is very intricate, with many swirls and what looks to be white pearls or rhinestones. The design and color are indicative of octopus tentacles and the ink they spill, with the jewels placed to represent the suction cups running along the tentacles. (Fun fact: Azul’s masquerade suit has several tailcoats, which also resemble an octopus’s tentacles. His necklace resembles the seashell one that Ursula wears.)

Jamil’s mask is very obviously a viper (the snake appears to have a hood) curling around one eye, so close to one of his ears... almost like it could turn and whisper to him. The mask also has red diamonds in the viper’s skin and around the eye area, which could be a reference to the infamous “diamond in the rough” quote from Aladdin.

Epel’s mask has a particular shape to it that resembles an apple. It’s also notably more of the color of an apple, rather than the deep violet associated with Pomefiore. (Maybe this is meant to show that Epel is “not like the other boys” in his dorm?) Then, of course, we have white flowers on both sides of the mask, which are likely young apple blossoms.

Rook’s mask has a golden part which forms a bow and an arrow nocked into it. These are items that are associated with his character, as he is a huntsman. Interestingly, his mask also contains the pattern that appears in the background of school uniform Pomefiore cards (the scattered moons and stars). Perhaps this denotes his loyalty to Pomefiore--and, more importantly, to its queen.

Idia’s mask has far less color than those of his peers. This suits him, as both he and the dorm he represents have a gloomy atmosphere about them. (His masquerade suit is also mainly black, with blue as the accent color.) Those skeletal hands that form Idia’s mask may very well be the cold, merciless claws of Death itself, come to claim another soul... which, very understandably, ties in deeply with Idia’s guilt related to his past (see episode 6 of the main story, you’ll know what I mean). The geometric pattern on the fingers resembles the jackets of Ignihyde dorm uniforms, and the prongs that stick up at the top of the mask looks similar to the lower halves of the skull which holds his magical gem.

Malleus’s mask is also predominantly black (as are the masks of his vassals), which, again, is likely associated with dreariness (though in Diasomnia’s case, it may also be tied to mystery or olden times and a lack of change). We’ve got the spikes and the glorious outstretched dragon wings, which are the very same wings that appear on Maleficent’s throne in Sleeping Beauty. The green gem set in the center might as well be Malleus’s crown, representing all the power and the responsibility he holds--and the dragon scales hiding behind his bangs.

Silver’s mask is done up to resemble a rose, true to his princely demeanor. It’s cool that the stem of the flower curves beneath his eye!! There’s exactly three green gems dripping off of the stem, and all three of them seem to be on thorns. These three could represent the fairies in his life: Malleus, Lilia, and Sebek (half fairy). Why do I think this? Because there is also a fourth item on the stem that stands out and doesn’t have a gem on it: the leaf, the one pure human in the Diasomnia quartet, Silver. And it is the leaf, Silver, that opens up to the petals of the rose--like many fan theories speculate that Silver is the key to a happy ending (ie “he is the sword that slays the dragon”).

Sebek’s mask is, perhaps, the harshest of them all. It’s very angular and point, likely to resemble thorns, as the latticework of the mask itself looks like a network of tangled briar. (It makes sense; Sebek is the most openly abrasive and “pointed” of Diasomnia.) The lattice pattern actually works with the solid parts of the mask to form what vaguely looks like a thunderbolt shape (do you see it?), which is Sebek’s motif. His mask tapers into a single green gem that is bigger than any of the gems on Silver’s. That gem? It’s symbolic of the young master that he has sworn to protect and serve.

Shared Dorm Features

Heartslabyul’s additional elements are straight laced and no-nonsense, just like the stern Queen of Hearts. It’s a simple combo of two ribbons in solid colors (with one always being black). Maybe that’s a nod to the “black and white” nature of Riddle’s interpretation of the rules!

Savanaclaw boasts beads and tassels! The beads resemble the ones that its leader, Leona, wears in his dorm uniform. The tassels may seem a little out of place at first, but then you realize that tassels look like a lion’s tail—just like that of the King of Beasts.

Octavinelle’s ribbon is a little twisty and tapers into a point, like the tentacle of a shady deal maker like Azul or the Sea Witch. It has the same white dotted pattern as the actual mask, which, again, mimics suction cups on a tentacle. The holding stick has a segment (where the mask and the ribbon connect) that forms the shape of plumes of ink dispersing through the water. *NOTE: this may just be Azul’s design, not Octavinelle’s design. We don’t have either of the twins to compare. See the final bullet point for more details.

Scarabia’s ribbons are more slim than that of the other dorms; the more serpentine look may be to make the ribbons more closely resemble the Sorcerer of the Desert’s famous staff. The red diamonds also show up again, promising worth and feelings that may not be apparent at first glance—not unlike the twisted story of Kalim and Jamil.

Pomefiore’s ribbons are two very different ones; they’re both done up in bows—a more traditional look befitting of the oldest dorm at NRC—but in very different shades and widths. Notice that one ribbon seems to be inside the other! Perhaps one represents the conventional definition for beauty, and the other represents alternative definitions for beauty. Vil and the Beautiful Queen can have them both: outer beauty and the strong will and to passionately pursue it.

Ignihyde’s holding stick is the most unique shape of all the dorms. It looks less like a holding stick and more like a torch, lighting up the dark path to the Lord of the Underworld’s domain. The sleek look of the ribbon makes me think of a gaming console, especially with the little color it has and the blue dots, true to Ignihyde’s high-tech dorm. The only element I’m not too sure about are the black feathers! I probably just lack knowledge on Hercules and Greek mythology, but all I can think of is maybe it’s pegasus feathers??? *NOTE: this may just be Idia’s design, not Ignihyde’s design. We don’t have Ortho’s to compare. See the final bullet point for more details.

Diasomnia also has two ribbons (simple yet elegant, like the Thorn Witch), one light and one dark. It’s a dorm that is associated with mystery (the dark), which we will soon receive revelations for (the light), particularly with Malleus opening up to others and learning more about the world. And of course a spinning wheel, representative of a pastime that is sacred in Malleus’s kingdom, is incorporated into the design of the holding stick!

I noticed that the characters with SSRs (Azul, Idia, and Malleus) have fancier holding sticks than everyone else. Their holding sticks are entirely different shapes than the SRs and Rs do. In the case of Malleus (who has Sebek and Silver for comparison), his holding stick has additional details (a gem, plus a black pattern snaking up his ribbons, and a ball of thread where the holding stick connects with the mask).

#twst #twisted wonderland #Azul Ashengrotto #Idia Shroud #Malleus Draconia #notes from the writing raven #spoilers #outfit analysis #disney twisted wonderland #Deuce Spade #Ruggie Bucchi #Jamil Viper #Rook Hunt #Epel Felmier #Sebek Zigvolt #Silver

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gatheringbones · 6 months

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[“Terry’s hair was long & thick, bleached blond, perhaps because she wanted to be a princess in a fairy tale instead of real. We wrote letters to one another, passionately declaring our eternal love, which the technicians stole. One night when she was sitting on my bed in the dorm after lights out, as I brushed her hair, they threw on the lights in a frenzy of disgust & separated us for being lesbians. We were too drugged and too frightened to do more than hold hands. The head nurse was a lesbian, who called Terry’s mother, who came the next day to take her home to her psychiatrist father, to whom she had not spoken in over four years. I was sent to the old women’s ward for punishment, where my job was to feed the bed-bound ladies, some of them in restraints all the time. The stench of urine & untreated cancer was overwhelming. I wrote long, intense letters to Terry, which I could not send, hiding them under my green plastic mattress. Terry’s stars are deep burgundy, & I bleed into the other colors when I mourn that we never made love.

Then Maggie was dragged onto our ward, in hot pink tights & purple smock, her teeth glittering with mischief Far from being depressed by the surroundings, she sang bawdy songs to the old ladies she fed, opening our misery with laughter. She was from a wealthy Marin family who sent her there to straighten her up & scare her into agreeing to marry the man they wanted to sell her off to, although they wouldn’t say it like that (she did). Somehow her wedding veil was among her belongings. She liked to wear it to the vast dining barrack because it annoyed the nurses so much. It was very beautiful, expensive lace which she trailed behind her like indifference. One day Maggie & I decided to get married. The guy who thought he was jesus was happy to perform our ceremony, held in the courtyard of our adjoining wards, surrounded by hundreds of old glass windows barred with iron grates. I wore Maggie’s veil & my Napa State Hospital white cardigan tied to make a train. We both carried huge bouquets of lilacs, which were blooming wildly in that hot, dry country. All our patient guests cheered & clapped so loudly that we couldn’t hear what jesus was saying. We only got to stroll down the sidewalk, showered with rice that Edith had filched from the kitchen where she was one of the cooks, before our union was rudely interrupted by burly male guards straining with anger in their white uniforms.

Everyone was locked down, some of us in solitary, & the bells went off for riot alert. Maggie’s poor veil was ripped apart by their feet & rage & arms. The head nurse (another lesbian) called Maggie’s mother that night, & before I had a chance to kiss her hello & goodbye, Maggie was driven away the next morning in her father’s limp-dick limo (her words again), as we ate our powdered eggs, silently depressed.

However, Maggie was a very sneaky & smart girl. She calmly arrived the following day in her VW bug (custom-painted purple, as are her stars) & said she had come back to collect her belongings, which no one had thought to pack up. Her mother, a master materialist (probably hoping for the veil), was very understanding. The hospital wanted to be accommodating in hope of future funds. So Maggie surprised me by returning to busily pack up not very much. We weren’t allowed to talk, & the nurses were watching us sharply until Ursula, understanding our need, threw her tennis shoe at the TV, screaming. Maggie palmed me a note to meet her by the lilac hedge behind the building, where she had conveniently parked. I left as though going to my new job at the dairy (cow shit apparently being a step up from human shit). The other women realized Ursula’s intentions & took off their keds, too. My last sight of that day room (where I had been declared incurably schizophrenic) was of flying sneakers, screaming technicians, breaking glass, & laughing patients—a really lovely melee. Because, of course, Maggie had returned to rescue me. We pulled out the backseat of her bug & I lay down across the battery. She laid a Mexican blanket over me, while I tried to project looking like a backseat. She piled her boxes, mostly empty, on top of me. The guards at the main gate were distracted by another call from the ward where the women who weren’t strapped down could not be contained. Maggie smiled, they gave her back her driver’s license, & off we went. On the other side of town, Maggie freed me from my seat charade & I tasted the wind in my hair for the first time in more than a year. She drove me to Big Sur, where I’d never been & they wouldn’t look for me (I had seven previous escapes, which is why I was on the violent ward so often, a curious juxtaposition—is freedom indeed violence, for lesbians?). In her trunk she had a sleeping bag, some food, money, & clothes that didn’t say Napa State on them for me. She dropped me near an overpass under which fellow fugitives of all kinds were camped, driving back to Marin, where perhaps she did escape marrying him. My belongings & three cartons of writing may still be in a dusty storage room at Napa. I guess I’m AWOL. Freedom’s worth the loss. If not for Maggie, I’d still be in the loony bin, incurable & terrified, not allowed to be a lesbian except with technicians. But I ripped that nurse out of the quilt.

Big Sur was rich with empty summer houses we raided for canned goods as a gang of teenage runaways, Vietnam War deserters, Rez escapees & drug dealers. We caught and roasted a wild pig. We hid out from the park rangers. We flirted with soldiers from the base for bags of potato chips, Hostess lemon pies, & chocolate bars. It was my theory we wouldn’t get scurvy if we ate the pies. We dropped acid & had orgies & stole into the mud baths at night. I was in a fog & detoxing from the nuthouse drugs, until one dusk when my eyes became diamond sharp at the sight of a thin young guy getting out of a hitchhiking ride at the convenience store near the campgrounds. He had black wavy hair cut in a DA falling forward over his face, wearing a leather motorcycle jacket that oozed sex. Our eyes caught across the parking lot & I fell in love like slamming into earth. I walked over, offering my open bag of BBQ pork rinds. Her reaching hand made me laugh & I blurted out, “I thought you were a guy.” She looked me up & down intensely, startled me by stroking my crotch with a quick secret movement, & growled, “Good.”]

chrystos, from cherry picker, from a woman like that: lesbian and bisexual writers tell their coming out stories, 2000

#chrystos #lesbian literature #terra preta #cw abuse #mad pride

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currentfications · 6 months

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Ocean Eyes | Part 2

Pairing: Bada Lee x Producer!Reader

Synopsis: A few days after your unsuccessful attempt to contact your South Korean coworker under Jam Republic Agency, you are called in for a work event.

Warning: Swearing, alcohol, flirting, unwanted advances, some violence involved

AN: Happy October 13th~ Hope y’all enjoy this chapter :)

Previous | Next

Halloween has always been your favourite event, and the Jam Republic Agency have decided to hold it’s company dinner a few weeks before the 31st. You’re not complaining, as Halloween should be a month long event anyways. You spotted Akanen across the room and made your way over, “Hey gorgeous, how’s it going?”

“Ah Y/N you’re here too!” She greeted you with a side hug as Yumeri waved at you. They must’ve been here for the Mnet countdown event later this month, and stopped by for the agency’s dinner on their way. “How are you finding South Korea? Has Bada gotten the chance to show you around with all these filming?”

Recalling the elevator encounter, you sighed, head hung in defeat. “No… I chickened out as soon as I saw them.”

Yumeri threw her head back in laughter and patted your shoulder. “How you look so intimidating but is actually a baby will never fail to astonish me,” she said as she recalled her first encounter with you along with Akanen. The latter nodded and hummed in agreement as they continued to poke fun at you. “You looked like a Doberman when we first met you, took us a second to realise that your actually such a kitten.”

You looked down to try to see what they were talking about - you’ve squeezed yourself into an ankle length black bodycon dress with a side split up your thigh, paired with your 7 inches Pleaser heels. You’ve kept your makeup relatively light tonight, and your split dyed blue hair sitting around your wait in loose waves. “Look at these impractical dresses I’m in, I look dainty as hell. Pretty as hell too,” not seeing what the duo was talking about ‘intimidating’, you argued. “I even wore the shorter heels tonight.”

The duo laughed at your aloof appearance, “Yes yes snow Queen, you look like you’re about to burst into Let It Go at any moment,” Akanen teased.

“More like Ursula,” a voice joined the group. You turned around to see Latrice behind you. “Hey mama, looking fierce. You ready to meet Bada today?”

You groaned as Latrice detailed the elevator incident with the other two dancers. “Stop it I’m gonna be embarrassed,” you complained to your friend.

“Oh come on it makes your more endearing, knowing that you’re all bark and no bite.” Latrice have always flaunted her ‘Scary Dog Privilege’ whenever she was with you, as you have the glare to thwart off unwanted suitors and salesperson alike.

“It’s true,” Akanen chimed in, “the contrast is real cute.” The Japanese dancer winked at you cheekily, you returning with a half-smirk. “Well compare to this scary face of you, Bada is a lot more approachable for sure. She may look look all swaggy and cool on screen, but she’s such a caring team leader with the other girls.”

“It’s not even that,” Latrice is on a roll of putting you on the spot, “I think she’s stunned because Bada smiled at her. She’s hopeless with girls, this one.” Knowing your past history of simping over girls in high school, your school friend tsk’ed at you.

“Damn girl you poker face is awfully good, just like Yumeri,” Akanen astonished. You nodded knowingly at Yumeri, a moment of understanding between sapphics.

You excused yourself to the bar to order a round of drinks for yourself and the girls, watching the dancers mingling and engaging in giddy chatters. Out of the corner of your eyes, you noticed a tall familiar looking blonde entering the establishment. Her long hair tied back in a low ponytail, wearing a cropped blazer and dress pants, accentuating her long legs. A few pieces of jewellery adorning her wrist drew your eyes to her long fingers and you found yourself gulping unconsciously; you were in a trance when the bartender called out your drinks. Taking a deep breath, you balanced the four cocktail glasses skilfully back to the group of girls.

Latrice took over a glass from you, sipping on the smooth foamy alcohol. “Guess who’s here?” Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

You take a big gulp of the Espresso Martini before nodding knowingly at your friend, “Yeah I am not so sure about the caffeine anymore, I am so nervous I might throw up.” Latrice snickered and waved at the tall blonde dancer.

Bada felt a little lost when she first arrived alone, as this Jam Republic Agency work meet up and the other members of BEBE were occupied elsewhere. Noticing Latrice and some familiar faces in the room, her feeling of unease melted away as her outgoing personality returned to take charge. The famous choreographer made her way to the high table surrounded by Akanen, Yumeri, and Latrice, and gave each of them a quick side hug. “I’ve missed you two since the show! It’s nice being able to catch up again.”

As the trio exchanged pleasantries, Latrice was eyeing you to say hello. You quickly chugged the remaining liquid in the glass and turned to your friend. “How do I look?”

“Eh, scary. Remember to smile - and do NOT glare. Oh and do not drool either.” She said with a cheeky smile, gently smacking your bottoms before pushing you in front. “Hey Bada, nice to see you outside of filming. This is Y/N-” she introduced as she continued to push you forward.

A familiar sweet scent caught Bada’s attention before she whipped around, a few feet away from you. Her eyes widen as she recognised the glaring gaze, the stranger from the other day.

“Hiya lovely,” you decided on, playing off the other day’s mishap with a wink.

The dancer smiled bashfully at your confident and flirtatious front. “Hello Y/N. Have we met?” She asked, knowing full well the answer to it.

You shot Latrice a warning look, but it was already too late. The Queenslander had tea ready to spill, and there’s nothing you can do to hold her back. “We sent her to you the other day, but Y/N saw you and got all flustered and ran off.” You raised a brow at Latrice.

Bada glanced at you, looking like a statue towering Latrice. She said you were flustered but judging (wrongfully) by your facial expressions, you seemed too stoic to be so bashful. “Well it’s good finally meeting you!” She smiled warmly at you. Despite Latrice’s warning, you couldn’t help but stare at the dancer’s pretty smile, the way her eyes lit up along with it. She’s so elegant and charming, you thought to yourself, completely understanding the hype surround this woman. JJ’s comment on wanting to bring an engagement ring to the dance show also suddenly made a lot more sense to you, as you made a mental note to yourself to always carry around one in case Bada is around again.

Latrice noticed the lingering gaze as you mentally undressed the tall dancer and pinched your arm. Recognising the dreamy look in your eyes, she pulled you aside. “Sorry about her, she’s pretty much hopeless when it comes to small talks. She’s super personable once you get used to her,” Latrice paused as she noticed that you’re still checking out the fine specimen in front of you. “God what is wrong with you girl?” She sighed and pulled you aside.

Bada was still curious about you but Latrice has yanked you away, schooling you about not heeding her advice and blatantly ogling the choreographer. “What did I tell you about staring?”

“You said to not glare. I was just checking her out.” You said defiantly.

Your friend couldn’t help but to roll her eyes at you, “Keep it in your pants, you’re scaring that poor girl.”

When the remainder of Jam Republic dance crew arrived, Bada was pleasantly surprised that everyone is so comfortable around you, despite your seemingly intimidating aura. After a few drinks, Ling guided the group towards the dance floor. “Go get her,” the Kiwi encouraged. You nodded, lifting a middle finger up at Latrice’s face as she made another jest on how you’ll scare the dancer.

Bada was sipping on her drinks when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Your familiar perfume alerted her of your presence before you opened your mouth. “May I?” You politely asked the choreographer.

“Of course,” the blonde beamed with excitement. She’s starting to see the ‘personable’ aspect the other girls were talking about - despite seeming incredibly aloof, you’re very direct and gentle with your approaches. “So, what’s the deal with them saying that you’re flustered?” Bada asked bemusedly as you two started swaying to the bar music.

“I had a huge crush on you when the show was first aired,” you explained matter-of-factly, “but you’re even prettier in person and I freaked out.” You shrugged. Bada couldn’t help letting out a soft gasp at the bluntness.

“Had?” Bada composed herself and teased. She’s starting to realise why Latrice is so hell bent on teasing you all the time; a faint blush would paint your cheeks slightly rosy when you’re flustered, and she finds it incredibly endearing.

You tilted you head and pretended to ponder, “Have. Not much has changed in the past few days.”

Bada felt her heart skip a beat at your unambiguous advances, her face slowly turning a shade of red. You heart, on the other hand, have been beating faster than usual (you blamed it on the Espresso Martinis) as you watched her grooving to the swinging music. Every now and then she’d habitually bite her lower lips while nodding to the beats, looking absolutely impeccable.

After a few songs, you offered to get her a drink. She gladly accepted and requested for a lemon drop. While you waited for the drinks to be made, you noticed someone approaching the line dancer from behind. Picking up the two drinks, you slowly made your way back to Bada, carefully analysing the situation. You’re usually the protective mom friend in a friend group during outings - and this is no different. Something about the man made you feel uneasy, and your feelings are solidified when you got closer. The usually warm dancer’s brows are furrowed, her lips tightly forming a half smile - the smile that all girls know too often, the politely-declining-unwanted-advances-without-inciting-violence smile. You sped up your pace to close the distance.

“She said she’s not interested,” you said coldly, noticing the stranger’s hand around Bada’s wrist as she tried to pry herself free. Your tone would’ve sent chills down the dancer’s spines if it were under any other context, but in this instance she felt a strong sense of security engulfing her.

The man turned to you, his grip loosened. The blonde managed to get out of his grasp and took a step closer to you. “Oh come on I was just being friendly!” The man pleaded, his tone insincere. You shot the drunk a warning glance and ushered the dancer away from the situation. As soon as you turned around you glimpsed his hand reaching out to the blonde - an unfortunate sixth sense you retained - you swiftly turned around and caught the wandering hand. The man grinned menacingly and tried to make a pass at you.

Still holding onto his wrist, you kicked your oversized platform into the shin of the off putting drunk, tripping the man over. You let go of the clammy hand and allowed the man to stumble onto the floor. Before he had a chance to get up, you squatted down and ‘accidentally’ slammed your knee into his half raised face. His howling finally drawing attention to the scene. You straightened yourself upwards, feigning a tone of concern. “I think someone hurt themself.”

As bystanders begun to flood to the scene, you motioned the dancer towards the exit.

“You okay?” You tentatively asked. She nodded and flashed you a grin. You gave her a tender smile back as you ruffled her silky soft hair. She looked up at you and exchanged a look, before bursted into nervous chuckles.

“I think someone hurt themself,” the dancer mimicked, trying to contain her laughter. “You’re way too smooth with that one. How often do you get into bar fights anyways?”

“Only once or twice a week,” you deadpanned.

“What?!” The dancer paused in her track, only to realised you were just messing with her. “Oh ha ha very funny Ms. Club Woman Fighter.” She rolled her eyes and leaned her back onto the brick wall, closing her eyes for a little. “Seriously though, thanks.”

You shook your head and slip out a ‘don’t worry’, after all it was a fucked up situation that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. The dancer looked up at you - her brown eyes gleaming under the street lights, her cheeks and lips flushed from the alcohol. You had to look away to make sure you don’t gawk, Bada did that little lip bite thing she does again when you turned your head.

Your phone buzzed and it was Latrice, looking for the both of you after the commotion.

Latrice: R u ok?

Latrice: Where are u?

Latrice: Is she w u?

You turned your screen towards Bada, letting her know that Latrice is probably forming a search party as they hid out here.

Y/N: We good i whooped ass and ran

Y/N: She’s here dw

You turned on the front camera to snap a quick selfie of the two of you, sending it to Latrice.

Y/N: [Image Attached] Proof of life

Bada chuckled at the caption and requested for the picture. “Strange way to give me your number, but okay.” You taunted as you handed her your phone. She cackled and put her contact information into your phone, snapping another quick selfie for the contact photo. She handed your phone back to you and you noticed that she’d saved her number under “Lovely 🩵”

“Your turn,” the blonde demanded, offering up her phone. You saved your number with a photo under “Fighter 🖤” The contact name made her grin, and you snapped a picture of her sheepish squint.

#bada lee x reader #bada lee #swf2 x reader #swf2 #fanfic

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cultherent · 1 year

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Caught in the Act [Pt.2]

Word Count: 1815

TW: Anal, Overstimulation, Nipple Play, Female Domination, Tentacles

“I want to hear you cry Katsuki,” you smirked sadistically. “You’ve picked a sadistic dom to fall in love with,” you chimed as you placed a kiss on his cheek.

Pressing your chest against him as you sucked on his neck, you felt his hands travel up and down your spine. His warm hands felt nice on your skin. Breathing him in, that scent, the taste, it was mesmerizing. He tasted so sweet, like sugar, literally because of his quirk. You couldn’t get enough as you moved from his neck to his chest, leaving a trail of saliva from your tongue.

“Y/N,” Bakugou called as you looked at him, your eyes full of desire. You tilted your head, “You’re still being shy, huh?” You could tell he was flustered by the pink tint painting his cheeks. “If you want something, ask. And make sure to address me as master or Y/N.”

For a moment, you thought he’d play nice, you thought he followed instructions. “I’m not doing that shit,” he grumbled as he grabbed your hips and started grinding on your cunt. You were shocked by this and let out a moan. Bakugou smirked at this, his dry humping getting faster. You gripped his shoulders, staring directly into his eyes, having enough.

His pace slowed, “Wait, your eyes are turning yellow. Hey-!” In an instant, he was suspended in the air by your quirk. “This is not fair, Ursula. PUT ME DOWN,” he demanded.

You strolled over to him, your tongue clicking, “Oh, Bakugou… I’m the one who gives orders. You have to ask permission to do anything. So, what you just pulled there, the dry humping, I never said you could do that pervert.” His eyes grew wide at your comment, your eyes still glowing yellow.

You smirked, getting close to his face, “Not unless you say Pineapple, and you haven’t said the word so it seems you want to keep going.” Looking at his body, you grabbed onto his throbbing cock over his boxers, “And it doesn’t seem like you want me to stop either. You’re really a fucking perv.”

“Now, you will do as I say. Unless… you actually want to stop, then say pineapple,” you spoke softer. “Anyways!” You used your quirk, black tentacles that seeped out of your spine, to place him a little suspended on the bed. One of your tentacles held his arms above his head for you; another, spreading his legs.

“Shithead, put me down!”

Ripping the condom wrapper and placing the condom on, you glanced at Bakugou to see him in bliss. “I’m going to fuck the shit out of you, even if you got me tied up with your stupid tentacles,” he smirked, almost like he thought did something. You rolled your eyes as you sat on his abdomen, which made the blondie raise an eyebrow.

You looked around, “You got a condom?”

His eyes lit up, “Um, yeah. It’s in my drawer.” You chuckled to yourself, knowing that you weren’t going to give him what he wanted. “What’s so funny?” He retorted.

“Oh, nothing. You just seem so eager.” Using one of your free tentacles, it went to get the condom. You slowly peeled his boxers off, slowly watching it turn from skin to blonde pubes to shaft. You giggled at his dick wagging like a tail after you tore his briefs off.

You leaned down, leaving kisses around his areola. He gasped, “What the-” You continued your actions, getting similar noises out of him. “Why, why does this feel so good?” He exhaled as you chuckled into his skin. As you kissed one of his nipples, you took your free hand to massage the other. He moaned loudly, his head leaning back.

“Please, keep doing that,” he whined. I grabbed my other hand and pinched his side.

“Please, keep doing that, who?” I began to correct him as I stopped all my motions.

“What the fuck asshole, keep going.”

I slapped him, “You don’t speak to your master like that. Address me properly,” I chastised, my hand pulling at his nipple.

“Ah~-!” He whimpered, feeling the pain of my fingers. “You fuck- Sorry, master.”

I smiled, “Good boy.” I planted a kiss on his cheek, and for a second, he smiled. I went back to his nipple, but this time, I used my tongue to make circles around it.

Katsuki squirmed underneath you, “Fuck, Y/N, that feels so fucking good~” he moaned into the warm air.

You thought about caving, but no, you had to stick with the plan you thought up in only 3 minutes. Your inviting smile turned into a malicious one. You pressed your tongue against his already sore nipple and went to town. He cried out due to the overstimulation. At the same time, you rubbed yourself on his cock and had a tentacle caressing his balls.

As you continued to pleasure his nipples, you took the time to have one of your tentacles hold his dick in place. You slowly backed up and started rubbing your clit against his tip. You both moaned to the feeling of one another.

“Shit, please, master, please ride my dick,” he whined as he looked at you. He gave you a look you’d never thought you’d see from him, puppy dog eyes. You smiled brightly. It was so cute. You advanced further, teasing his tip with your warm and wet entrance.

He moaned, he squirmed, he grunted; wanting some form of release. He wanted to be inside you, feel how warm you were and how tight you were. Those thoughts ran rampant in his mind, and he started to get impatient. “When are you going to do what I asked? You said if I asked, you’d do it, nerd!”

You sat up on him, “I never said I’d grant every wish.” You swiftly turned yourself around, pressing your already wet pussy to his face.

He stopped licking your pussy for a second, “Fuck, Y/N, you really know what you’re doing. Shithe- Master, I could cum any second.”

“Eat me out, Cocksuki,” you ordered as you removed the condom from his dick.

You let spit drip from your lips. The instant the saliva touched his tip, you felt vibrations on your clit. You let his arms free and they wrapped around your waist, holding you in place. You moaned as you put his length into your mouth.

“Gosh, Bakugou, you really know what you’re doing,” you complimented as you caressed his gooch with your fingers.

You paused your actions, “Why thank you. I don’t mean to ruin the mood in any way, but have you ever done anal?”

He raised an eyebrow, “Like fucked someone in the ass?”

I chuckled, “More like a finger up your ass.” His eyes grew big, and he stopped looking at me. “I need an answer, Katsuki.”

“SHUT UP Y/N!! I’ll stop all this right now and blow your fucking face off!!!”

He coughed, “I… I may have….”

“NO WAY, THE Bakugou plays with his ass?”

“No need for that,” I instructed, “I just want to overstimulate you.”

“Oversti-?” His word was cut off by the moans that flew out of his mouth.

You sucked on his dick fast, your tongue swirling around his tip as you did. You, also, used one of your tentacles that you had put lubricant on, that Bakugou had in his drawer while everything was happening, and entered Baugou’s asshole. You had two other tentacles rubbing his nipples as they lifted your body slightly to do so.

The room was filled with both of your moans. Bakugou gripped your waist harder than before. His body soon tensed, but he continued to lick at your clit.

“Hugh~ Y/- Plea- Omg~” he whined, his body feeling every type of overload.

The tentacle that was in his ass kept moving in and out, making sure to hit his prostate every time. Your head doing the same, bobbing up and down. Bakugou’s only goal was to try to withstand it all, even if it was hard, so he could make you cum.

Remembering his arms were free, Bakugou took one of his digits and entered you. You cried out to the unexpected pleasure. You didn’t protest, so he moved his index finger around to find that special spot. He found it when he felt you gripping his sides tightly. He curled his finger towards this spot and wouldn’t give you a break. That’s when you went full force with your tentacles.

“Fuck~” you both moaned. Both your heavy breathing is heard.

“Y/- I-.... I’m. get- I’m close~” he whimpered, tears slowly running down as his whole body locked up.

Grabbing his sides, you breathed, “Me too.”

Coming back into reality, you felt a warm liquid in your mouth and you noticed you both weren’t in the air anymore, but fell onto the bed. Your tentacles disappeared.

You both continued your actions, and you both finally reached your climaxes. “I’m going to cum,” Bakugou exclaimed.

“Me too, let’s cum together,” you said.

You kept your lips on his cock as you felt your body shut down, your eyes rolling back, that amazing feeling of euphoria. For a second, you didn’t even know where you were, you felt completely content.

The both of you rested in his bed for a little, cuddling, trying to come down from your highs. Katsuki cleaned himself off with some tissue and you did the same. After a while, you opened your eyes to find Bakugou asleep. You chuckled quietly to yourself and got up out of his bed, your legs still a little shaky. You put your clothes on to go to the bathroom to properly clean up.

You turned around, Bakugou’s cum still in your mouth, and kissed him. You let go of the cum and spit it into his mouth. His eyes widened.

“Swallow,” you commanded, and he did as told. You smiled, “Good job, Katsu.” You planted a kiss on his cheek. He smiled again at the praise.

“That’s so sweet. But, yeah, no one told me.”

Walking slowly to the bathroom, you see everyone entering the dormitory. “Hey, Y/N! How was being here alone?” Mina asked.

“Where were you guys?” You grumbled.

“Didn’t someone tell you? We went out to the grocery store. We’re going to have a small dinner tonight. We’d thought it’d be a nice surprise for Bakugou since he’s the one always cooking.”

“I’m so sorry, totally did not mean to exclude you!” She frowned.

“It’s all good, I’m just going to use the bathroom. I’ll keep Bakugou distracted for you guys.”

“Aw, thanks Y/N, you’re the best.”

After finishing up in the bathroom, you went back to Bakugou’s room, making sure to close the door, then cuddled up with him.

A/N: I kinda wanna draw Bakugou in this scene with the tentacles 😳

FanArt:

#sub mha #bnha #bnha smut #bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugo #bakugou katuski x reader #bakugou x reader #katsuki x reader #katsuki bakugo x reader #sub bakugou #sub bakugo #sub!bakugou #sub!bakugo #katsuki bakugou smut #katsuki smut #bakugou smut #dom reader

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jinxthejubilee · 21 days

Text

I don't know why the fandom is having such a hard time picturing Azul having a little brother based on Morgana from the second Little Mermaid movie. It could totally work in canon!

Let's break this down for a second:

Azul's parents are divorced. He was raised by his bio mom and his step-dad.

Azul says himself that his step-father is "the father he respects," which could mean that he has absolutely no contact with his bio-dad. He wouldn't know what he was up to or if he had other children.

Azul's bio-dad could've also been a cecaelian (or octo-mermaid) and had another child, or he could've been a normal mermaid who got with another octo-mer after he divorced Azul's mother.

Heck, maybe that was the cause for the divorce in the first place. Maybe he had an affair and destroyed his marriage himself. Or if you want to go a bit deeper, after their marriage fell apart for whatever reason, Azul's bio-dad wanted to recreate the family he lost and got with another cecaelian woman and had his little brother.

This point, in particular, could be a reference to the popular theory that Morgana was Ursula's half-sister. Same mother, different fathers.

The theory goes that Ursula was the result of an affair Triton's father, the former king, had with an octo-mermaid. Such a scandal would bring shame upon the royal family, hence why Ursula lived with her mother away from the prying eyes of the court, but it would also make sense why, in her youth, Ursula still had ties to the castle and lived there from time to time (according to the movie).

A few years later, Ursula's mother had another baby girl with a normal mermaid. He wasn't anyone special like the king, with no royal lineage or special magic of his own, making Morgana "unremarkable" in her mother's eyes. Or maybe their mother truly loved this man, and the relationship didn't work out, so she takes her anger and insecurities out on Morgana.

With all of this in mind, it's possible that Azul's bio-dad could resent Azul's little brother in some way, giving him an inferiority complex a mile wide, just like Morgana. He wouldn't stop talking about Azul and how great he's become, how his brother should strive to be more like him.

It was always: Azul this, or Azul that, or (INSERT NAME) why can't you be more like your brother Azul.

He would grow to despise his Azul, his own brother, who he's never even MET yet. That's sad.

Now you might be asking, how would Azul's bio-dad even know about Azul's accomplishments? Glad you asked!

Either A): Azul's mother is the only one in contact with him and updates him on how Azul's doing from time to time.

Or B): His bio-dad enrolled the Morgana stand-in in Azul's school by chance and heard through the grape vine that Azul became the deal maker non-technical crime boss he is now.

Or both. Honestly, both of these combined would push little male Morgana over the edge. His classmates hear the rumors about an octo-mer who granted devious wishes a few years back and are either scared of or really unimpressed by the little bro's lack of magical prowess.

The bullying and self-hatred haven't skipped a generation, and neither has the body issues. Instead of being insecure about being overweight, Azul's little bro is insecure about being way too skinny.

This went on way longer than I thought, but to wrap up: All this to say, if we got Jamil's sister, who is a reference to Jafar's twin sister from that obscure Aladdin game, I think it's plausible for Azul to have a brother.

Thank you, and goodnight!

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pianostarinwonderland · 2 months

Text

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AZUL

i have nothing prepared for you except my wet soppy thoughts

maybe i might rush write something bc i do have a few ideas on what to write

fucking breathes

the best. fucking. groovy. ever.

like everyone go home right now.

I have tried to think of every way they could make him look good but it ends up being how they could fuck it up because I’m gonna be honest, a lot of Azul’s recent cards are either decent or not hitting that well 🤡🤡

but this. THIS.

HOLLLLYYYYYYYY FUCK IT’S EVERYTHING

THE LIGHTING . THE THE FUCKING FUCK.

TEH ? VMS LISTEN. HE'S THE CHARACTER FOR EVIL SMIRKS, SO OFC THIS SERIES OF EVIL GROOVIES WAS GONNA BE PERFECT FOR HIM BUT BU T BU T

THIS IS SOOOOOO GOOOD. LIKE??????? DEADASS THE BEST ???? SMIRK??????? HE'S EVER MADE?????????? AND HE LOOKS SOOOO MUCH LIKE HIMSELF

THIS IS ALSO THE BEST ANGLE WE'VE EVER GOTTEN THAT SHOWS HIS 'BALD' SIDE AND THAT'S S OGUFKCKNGJ GOOD

AND AND

🧍‍♀️

he hey sir.

your hand looks cold.

m mm mind if i h hh hh hhhh hhol— gunshots are fired

ADN CAN I JUST

CRY ABOUT

PART OF YOUR WORLD BEING THE PAINTING LIKE LEI EK JLGSLKGNLSKDNGOADSNGOAINSAONGOAISNGI0AOHGIOAHGSDHIFGHSDOIGFHNSDINGIDSNJGKVDS

FUCKKKKK THIS WAS WHAT I'VE WANTED FOR THE PAST FWE MONTHS

THE PART OF YOUR WORLD SEGMETJKNJENJKSNGFNDKSJNGKSDKGNSDKLNGLSDGNDSLGS

FUCKGN ISN FCYRING

LISTEN LISTEN.

LISTEN.

I WILL DROP A HOT TAKE RIGHT NOW

THE LITTLE MERMAID SONG THAT DEFINES AZUL IS NOT POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS BUT IT'S PART OF YOUR WORLD

AZUL'S SCHEMING AND CUNNING IS DEFINITELY FROM URSULA AND IS REFLECTED SOOOO MUCH IN POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS

BUT HIS DREAMS

HIS GOALS

HIS AMBITIONS AND DETERMINATION TO MAKE HIS WISHES COME TRUE

PART OF YOUR WORLD REFLECTS THAT.

AZUL WOULD NOT BE AZUL IF IT WASNT FOR PART OF YOUR WORLD

AND THE SPECIFIC PART THEY SHOW OF PART OF YOUR WORLD. IT'S THE PART WHERE ARIEL WAS DETERMINED TO GET TO THE SURFACE

THAT'S LITERALLY AZUL

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

OUGOSHGHSODGHSUGUDSOHGODSGHOSDGDSGOSDHGISDOSDNGDGDSNGNSDOIGNIONAONGNAONSGIOSOGA

ok and can i just

scream about his story

BECAUSE. GOD FUCK THAT STORY LEFT ME DEAD.

loike like AZUL TALKED ABOUT HIS GRANDMA?????

THE SECOND BDAY STORY IN A ROW THAT HE TALKS ABOUT HOW HIS GRANDMA RAISED HIM AND AND HOW SHE'S BEEN SUCH A BIG INFLUENCE IN HIS LIFE

he's a grandma's boy ouhghfohfgf he loves his grandma sm he respects her and cherishes her goddddddddd

i love how he's aware that true compassion comes from not just spoiling someone but also disciplining them and whatnot

it adds to the balanced theme that he has going on

i also just rly love in general that azul loves and respects the maternal figures in his life not only because it makes him more respectable but also because it ties in with the feminism theme that you find in the little mermaid (whether animated or live action)

then then THE WHOLE LIKE,,, PART WHERE AZUL TELLS JAMIL THAT HE WAS SO SURPRISED AT ALL THE NEW SCENTS ON LAND THAT HE WAS SNIFFING AROUND LITERALLY

i first saw that part in an out of context screenshot, where jamil's like "lol haha you were just sniffing around everywhere omg" and i was like HUH?????

@/doom on twt also pointed out that it might be why Azul's into colognes and i think i shuold just be defenestrated at this point from how insane i've been goign

THE BARBEQUE PART THO

IT'S SO CUTE

AZUL, FLOYD, AND JADE DOING A BARBECUE....... WHEN THEY BARELY KNEW ABOUT LAND CULTURE AND PHYSICS................

AND THEY BURNT EVERYTHING LMAOOOO AND THE TWEELS BLEW SMOKE INTO HIS FACE THAT WAS JUST SO CUTE HONESTLY

jamil's like wow that sounds funny haha and honestly same jamil same

AND THEN THE PART WHERE THEY TALK ABOUT THE PR FOR NRC

god typical azul for doing it so that he can boost himself before graduatign

but i also got a lil emotional on that part not gonna lie bc he's Still grabbing opportunities to achieve his goals and he's working hard for them and god honestly that's one of the main reasons why i fell for him and i still love him for it

i also like

fucking died over his voiced line s

wtf

wtf are those lines

azul actually talking about love and crushes in his groovy....... but it's just him saying it's great cause he can exploit it lmaoooo

babe you're gonna be a disaster when you actually like someone i know it

jamil's already bordering on it, but if you actually end up liking Liking someone it's so over

personally what really fucking sent me though was Azul going "I take art as one of my courses so I can explain to you any painting you're interested in" LIKE

CMON.

CMONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN.

lore on NRC courses???

but also the way that's phrased sounds like art is an elective you can opt to take ? ?

and he CHOSE to take art? //? /

hELL O

AHAHFAHSHFOIAHSIOFHIOASHFIAS THE ARTIST IN ME IS GOING AWAOHOAHGOAH

ofc Azul looks at art in a business sense, but i love that he's so wiling to branch out and rly appreciate it

cause how many ppl out there put down art :')) employers in particular are really iffy about this

Azul's also designed mostro lounge so you know he has his own style

also wtf Azul, you have your tentacles in business, in science and maths (science would be chemistry ish because of alchemy and arithmetic is Literally listed as his talent), and now in the arts

just.

just

man

happy birthday ashengrotto. take my tears and my insanity for now until i can writey ou smth better

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst jp #azul ashengrotto

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falcemartello · 2 months

Text

🟡 Breaking I'm pulling your leg News 🟡

(Ti sto prendendo in giro News)

Pare che i partiti siano praticamente tutti d'accordo: avremo altri cinque anni di Ursula von der Leyen in Europa (qualcuno di noi avrà rotto uno specchio?) e probabilmente sette anni di Draghi presidente della Repubblica in Italia. Decisum est.

Chi ha detto che votare non serve?

Io già spunto i giorni sul calendario...

Non vedo l'ora di dare anche il mio appoggio alle scelte della massoneria e della grande finanza mondiale...

Meglio non potevano decidere!

Non fosse che per le vaccinazioni forzate e le migliaia di effetti avversi, il terrorismo climatico e le misure contro gli agricoltori, la guerra in Ucraina, con decine di miliardi spesi e centinaia di migliaia di morti, il genocidio in Palestina, l'inflazione prima e la recessione ora, per tutto il resto quei leader ci hanno assicurato anni felici, tra i migliori della nostra vita. Mancherebbe l'asteroide in rotta di collisione, ma non si può avere tutto!

(Massimo Montanari)

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seaside-werewolf · 1 year

Note

What is your Hogwarts house?

Im not a huge fan of Harry Potter anymore after ms.raging terf (especially because i live in the UK), read Earthsea instead!! : )

Has a magic school (briefly) and is better written imo. Even has a young boy/man scarred by an evil that is intrinsically tied to him that he must eventually face etc etc...

Enjoy this quote by Ursula K. Le Guin about Rowling:

#asks #anon #earthsea #le guin #ursula k. le guin

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slocumjoe · 1 year

Text

A ramble about Preston Garvey and a self-indulgent revision of the entire Minuteman questline

TDLR: The Minutemen faction sacrifices writing and Preston’s character as a means of shoveling errands and busywork at the player.

Preston’s issues as a character are entirely Doylist, meaning the fault of outside forces. His writing, his concept, his themes, those are solid. This is not a racehorse that broke its leg and was still sent down the track, like some characters. This is a horse that was hale and hearty, but they made it run in circles around cars in the parking lot instead of putting it in the race.

This essay is not going to be my most coherent one. Preston’s issues are so apparent, so in your face, it kinda feels like a waste of time explaining it. Just look at him and anyone with two braincells to rub together can see. But a lot of things in Fallout 4 sticks with me, even when I’m not in a Fallout 4 mood. Preston is one of those things. So neglected, so misused in the game, I couldn’t stop thinking about the bastard.

Before we get into what Preston is, in-game...what was he meant to be?

And you know what?

He’s close to Danse, post Blind Betrayal.

Preston Garvey started his military career as a fresh-faced, bright-eyed young man, who wanted to be another gun protecting the Commonwealth against whatever would harm it. He always had his faction’s best interests and ideals in mind. The first to wave the flag, the first to say the motto, the first to pick up a gun for it. He didn’t want heroism, or glory. He wanted to make the world a better place. It sounds cookie cutter, cliche, so sugary-saccharine. But this is the wasteland. This is in a world where everyone else seems content to succumb to futilism, to pretend there is no Better for the world.

Preston Garvey is, inherently, part of a rebel army. The Minutemen were a militia, a guerilla army of farmers and their children, banding together against the oppressive totality of raiders, mercenaries, anyone who would rather gnaw on bones than build to ensure everyone was taken care of. The Minutemen are the fuck you, we want to recover and heal faction, to the raiders’ fuck you, I have a right to wallow in the ruins.

The legend herself, the icon, the Queen, Ursula K. LeGuin once said; “The trouble is that we have a bad habit, encouraged by pedants and sophisticates, of considering happiness as something rather stupid. Only pain is intellectual, only evil interesting. This is the treason of the artist; a refusal to admit the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain.” The MInutemen might look like your average, boring heroes (we’ll get into why), but it is inherently badass to look at the literal End of the World and decide, no, actually, we don’t want to lie down and die.

Preston Garvey is not a boy scout, the Minutemen are not mall cops. They are furious, determined, and most dangerously, optimistic.

A young Preston Garvey joined under a blue banner, served under it for years...and watched as people who saw money, power, glory, took that banner and tied it into a noose.

Joe Becker died, and having not chosen someone to take over as General, all of the colonels squabbled for the position, wanting the fame, the cushy office. These people weren’t Minutemen, not at heart. The faction had grown so large, there was bound to be people looking only at the resources, what was in it for them. Preston, still a young man, but quickly losing his naivety and faith in his fellow Minutemen, watched as these colonels dropped their altruistic acts and demanded they get theirs.

And then Quincy happened.

The Minutemen were in disarray, following the Mirelurk invasion of the Castle, lacking a home base and their radio communications. But Colonel Ezra Hollis, potentially the last Colonel who gave a shit, heard that Quincy was under siege by Gunner forces, and he led his small, out-gunned squad to do whatever the fuck they could, until another Colonel came to provide the needed fire support. Hollis’ Minutemen succeeded in driving the Gunners back, and holding them off, but their help from Colonel Marbury never came. Preston watched as his Colonel refused to give up and let Quincy fall...and he watched as Clint, a ten-year veteran, betrayed everyone, chose money and a winning team over what was right.

Quincy fell. Preston Garvey watched as the refugees fell in a line, running for safety. Watched his comrades, who he had been fighting against impossible odds with for days, dropped with them.

Preston Garvey died, and I can tell you where. At one house, to the right, down the street from the museum, where the last other Minuteman lay dead in a yard. Where he became the Last Minuteman. Even if there were others who would call themselves such...they weren’t Minuteman, not really. The real Minutemen tried to save Quincy. Everyone else, who gave up, never believed at all.

Preston was still fucking furious at the hedonistic cruelty people indulged in and called inevitable. But he was alone, a failure, and had lost any reason to believe that there was a possibility of continuing. A point, a reason, yes. But the optimism...without that, there was no Minuteman army.

Preston is Danse Post BB, because he’s freshly disillusioned from his faction, horrified at the truth and betrayal. He has lost his identity, his values, unsure of where to go, if there’s anywhere to go. And then...salvation walks down the street of Concord, and walks him and his group back up the road to Sanctuary. Sanctuary.

And then comes in the fucking dialogue system (FDS) and the fucking radiant system (FRS), armed with folding chairs, to beat Preston Garvey’s rich character into a bloody, twitching pulp. We cannot talk about Preston without talking about how his faction questline plays. We simply have to, because it’s like a shotgun wedding from hell.

Let’s start with the very first quest in the Minutemen. Preston, while running for his fucking life from gunners, then ferals, then raiders, has somehow heard through the grapevine/radio he doesn’t have that Tenpines has a Corvega raiders issue. He asks you to do it because he’s busy guarding Sanctuary. Okay.

You go to Tenpines, Corvega, and back, and whoop, you are now Minuteman general.

You START THE MINUTEMEN as THE LEADER. Even fucking MAXSON waits for you to at least bump Danse off before making you a Paladin, but nope! Starting at the top, ending at the top. This kills progression in all senses. There is no sense of gaining ground, the Minutemen start with a General. Skyrim gets mocked for making you the leader of all factions, but good god, at least you had to earn it by sticking with them.

So, bad start.

Then you do some settlement stuff...which is handed to you in the worst fucking way. The FRS.

Where is Preston getting this information? How are people sending it out? Ignoring the logistics...it’s just boring. You talk to Preston sometimes, and he always says Go Here, Do This, Come back. Do this enough times, Preston wants to retake the Castle. At this point, you don’t have any men, it’s just you and Preston- wait, who the fuck are these people?! We’ve had soldiers this whole time?! Who hired them?! You take the Castle and it’s admittedly cool, if not a pain to restore for all your- okay, wait, I can only bring settlers? Where are all the men I supposedly have, there’s three soldiers here! Three soldiers, this is just a Clearing the Way radiant quest, but the moving in folks helped me kill the mirelurks!

Ugh, fine. You keep traveling, Preston gives you more- Preston?! I killed a Mirelurk Queen specifically for the radio tower, so I could get quests from the radio! Why is Preston still dispensing quests? It discourages you from talking to him, because you’ll get busywork cluttering your quest log. You can’t talk to Preston Garvey. You can’t fucking talk to him without doing him a favor first.

Y’know what makes this even more abominable? You are said to have soldiers, who could be doing this instead! Why am I going after kidnapped settlers when we have soldiers?! The General still has a kid to find and the Institute to explode! SPEAKING OF...

The Commonwealth Provisional Government was started by the Minutemen, and ended by the Institute. This is never brought up again. And it’s not even Preston who talks about it, it’s Nick. The Minutemen have very real reason to want the Institute gone, and a good excuse to get the player to want to destroy the Institute beyond “grrr synths/they took my baby.”

Anyway, you go get artillery from Ronnie Shaw at some point, build it in your settlements, and...make your farmers man them. Not soldiers. I know you can deck out your settlers with armor and weapons, but the fact that you have maybe 5 constant, non-random encounter soldiers, all at the Castle, is...it makes it feel hollow. Where is my army, Preston? Who am I leading?

So, you do the Main Quest, blow up the Institute. Blah blah. Blow up the Brotherhood, too. Blaaaaah.

Either way, let’s get into fixes. And by fixes, I mean, complete rehaul.

First thing’s first. The entire questline is bad. It’s radiant quests and then boom boom Institute. It starts and ends the exact same way, you being the general. Second thing, we need to go back to the old dialogue system; no more YES, NO, WHAT, SARCASTIC. Actual dialogue. Back to Fallout New Vegas’s system, that relied on all stats and perks. Actual conversations with branching paths.

Saving Preston at Concord is fine. Works. It’s the first radiant quest that sucks ass. Throw that system out entirely, and I do mean entirely. Don’t save it for anything, it needs to go. It cannot remain. No being sent to Tenpines because Preston heard from a little birdie.

Instead, you work with Preston and the survivors to fortify and set up Sanctuary.

First, you work with Preston to shore up Sanctuary’s defenses. As you work with him, he’s polite, but curt. Professional, but not warm, open. He expresses gratitude, but definitely not trust. He doesn��t know you, he doesn’t know what your motives or wants are. You can tell him about Shaun, but he’s still not sure about you. He can’t afford to be and will tell you that outright, but...he needs someone to go see if anyone survived Lexington or Concord. He knows his other Minutemen split up with other survivors, he doesn’t know if they made it out. You can offer to go find them, or stay and protect Sanctuary. If you go, the other survivors will set up Sanctuary on their own without your help.

If you stay and Preston leaves, you plant crops with Marcy, getting to know her and potentially, she cracks and shows some vulnerability. She doesn’t soften right away, she’s still traumatized, but you get to see why she’s the way she is now. She just lost her baby, her home, all of her friends and family. Was just failed by the people who swore they’d protect them all. Betrayed by them.

Then, you work with Sturges to get a water pump/purifier running. Sturges will tell you about Quincy in some detail, explain how it went to shit. He talks about how the Minutemen were needed more than ever, but crapped the bed at the last minute. Sturges says he thinks there’s a place in the world for the group, but with the last living soldier clearly reeling from everything that’s happened, he thinks it’s safe to say the Commonwealth is on it’s own.

Next, it’s the bed situation with Jun. He barely says a word, only quietly thanking you for your help. If you choose the right dialogue options, he’ll say you remind him of Colonel Hollis, very brave and kind, even when it was a bad idea to help. Hollis didn’t survive, but you did. Maybe it’s not all bad, maybe Hollis wasn’t wrong, just of bad luck.

After, no matter who goes to find the bodies of the other Minutemen and Quincy locals, some Corvega raiders attack Sanctuary when they come back. It’s only a small scouting party, looking for Mama Murphy. You kill them, and Preston is freaking out and about to pack up and keep everyone moving farther. It’s up to you to calm him down and offer to go kill them. If you’ve picked certain dialogue choices before and Sanctuary has a high defense score, Preston will join you on the trip to Corvega. It’s on this journey + throughout it you can tell him about the fate of his comrades, or he tells you. If he doesn’t accompany you, you two talk about it when you get back to Sanctuary after killing Jared.

Either way, It’s here that Mama Murphy tells you about Diamond City, not in the museum.

You do the main quest now, and when you get to Diamond City, you overhear people talking about the Quincy massacre, and what a shame that the Minutemen are gone. Someone talks about how McDonough forced all the ghouls out, and they moved up to the Slog, but now the Slog is having mutant troubles. From there, you can go decide for yourself if you want to do the Minuteman questline. The first few quests were just to organically show you the settlement system, dialogue system (the old, good one), and dungeon crawling, the explore-loot-return loop. It’s here that the Minutemen branch off from the main quest.

If you choose to save the Slog, you have the option of saying you’re there on Minuteman business, even if you’re not a Minuteman. Choosing this is what gets you in the faction proper.

You can keep finding settlements and offering help. Doing this, Preston eventually catches word through Diamond City Radio and demands to know what the fuck you’re doing. You have a lot of options to choose from, but only the altruistic, optimistic ones will earn Preston’s trust. Anything else, he might just try to kill you, if you, like, say you’re doing it for money. But if you’re doing this for good reasons, he’s on board. Surprised, unsure this will end well, but...hey, if you want to try, he won’t stop you. If Sanctuary has enough settlers, defense, and you’ve turned enough settlers into guards (which have a different character tag, when assigned to defense posts), Preston will offer to accompany you, and that’s how you get him as a companion.

So, you and Preston wander around, doing quests, and helping out settlements. Help enough settlements, they’ll realize hey, we’re all on good terms with this Minuteman, and this person who’s basically a Minuteman...let’s just get the Minutemen back, yeah? People band together, settlements you’ve provided for will get settlers on their own. Eventually, people at settlements approach you and offer to help, what needs doing? If you have a settlement quest/errand, you can assign them to it, and they’ll complete it for you. This snow-balls until you’re taking over the Castle, for all these guns-for-hope to gather around and manage trade routes and work. You get the radio tower. You get an army. You get artillery, automatically built at every settlement in a designated spawnpoint.

It’s here that, by popular vote, you’re offered the position as General...but you can turn it down. You can hand it to Ronnie, or Preston. Both of of them agree, no, the people and the new Minutemen want you, but they’ll take it if you pass enough dialogue checks. Ronnie will run the Minutemen like a hardass, fierce and cynical to deter a second collapse, but Preston runs it like a community. He believes that cynicism was what killed the first Minutemen, and that constant reminder of who and what they do this for will keep motives pure. No matter the general, the Minutemen are now a solid force in the Commonwealth, stronger than ever, making everyone piss their pants. And it got this way because you wanted to help.

It’s at this point that Preston’s conversation about his depression unlocks, and his romance.

But the fun begins when the Gunners take a modicum of offense to all this.

Sanctuary is put to the sword, the Castle is attacked, and best of all, the old Colonels show their face, either on the side of the Gunners as bosses, or trying to weasel their way into the Minutemen again. Preston loves killing all of them, hates sparing or talking them down. These fuckers left him, Quincy, the Commonwealth to die, they are traitors, they are pure scum.

The Minutemen, they fight back. You take squads into Gunner camps and clear house, take it over. People stop working with or hiring the Gunners because they don’t want to piss off the General, whoever that is. The Gunners aren’t on the ropes yet, but they’re staring down Minutemen barrels and it’s only a matter of time before this explodes into someone getting wiped off the face of the earth.

Somewhere in-between looking for the Institute, you get kidnapped by Gunners and taken to Quincy. They’re using you as either a hostage, intending to kill you to prove a point, or torturing you for fun, taking the piss out of the idea that the puny militia could ever stand up to- hey, why am I hearing gunfire?

Preston and the Minutemen storm Quincy, putting it under a siege not even the Gunners could ever have hoped to accomplish. If the Minutemen were dog food, the Gunners are kitty treats. It’s a swift, brutal execution of every green-wearing bastard. They don’t even have time to prepare before Preston himself kicks the door down and frees you, then runs back out to continue bashing people’s heads in with his rifle. You meet up with Ronnie, and she points you down Preston’s warpath, gently asking if you can go stop before he gets himself killed trying to throttle Clint. As you chase him down, you see Clint up on the highway, looking down, before he walks away, presumably to meet Preston.

You can go find Preston, kill Clint before he gets to him, or go kill Baker first. If Preston gets to Clint, you’ll hear him screaming bloody murder before they start the fight. They’ll fight until you go finish Clint off. Once Clint drops, Preston has something of a nervous breakdown. Ronnie and other Minutemen show up, she takes over and tells you to finish clearing Quincy with the other soldiers while she gets Preston out of the fight. You can listen to her, or insist you stay with Preston. If you stay, you clear the way for Ronnie’s group to get back behind Minutemen lines just outside of Quincy. Baker can be killed by NPC Minutemen, so you don’t have to worry about it too much.

The Minutemen have Quincy again, Preston is recovering from his panic attack, and Ronnie is foaming at the mouth at the idea of going at Gunner HQ. You can agree or disagree. If you’ve been killing the Colonels, Preston will think that the Gunners are in such bad shape, it’s only a matter of time before they kill themselves with infighting, just as the Minutemen did. If you’ve spared the Colonels, he’ll want to finish off the Gunners, as they’re still too organized and armed to leave alive. If Ronnie is General, the Minutemen attack Gunner HQ anyway, no matter what, but if not, the player can influence Preston or make the decision themselves.

Laying siege to Gunner HQ cements the Minutemen’s place as the strongest army in the Commonwealth. With this ending for the Minutemen, non-important/notable raider hideouts will be cleared automatically, either because soldiers killed them, or the Minutemen were so oppressive, they couldn't find anyone to raid. Other factions will speak more carefully to you, be gentler when describing their intentions. Maxson and other BOS soldiers, if you join them, will mention that being so close to the Castle was unintentional, and they’re nervous about the Minutemen turning their artillery on the Airport. You’ll have a harder time getting the Brotherhood to go to war with Minutemen in this ending. Everyone in game will acknowledge what the Minutemen become, through your efforts.

If you let the Gunners dissolve, you’ll see Gunners having left for raider groups, groups of them killing each other, Gunners trying to get in with the Minutemen. Those Gunners, if you’re general, you can take them on, kill them, or turn them away. General Ronnie will kill them, General Preston’s choice depends on if you have been more merciful, or grudge-holding. People will comment on the Gunners wasting away into little more than scavengers, and with enough time, if you go to Gunner HQ, you find it empty and abandoned. People are less scared of the Minutemen this ending, as they didn’t obliterate the most dangerous local army in a show of total force and revenge. The Brotherhood is more likely to go to war with you, less intimidated, but the Railroad will offer their spy network if you agree to help them rehabilitate and save synths, provided you’ve spoken positively of synths.

Either ending, the Institute will try to destroy the Minutemen, as they destroyed the Commonwealth Provisional Government in the past. But now, the Minutemen have the firepower and intel to destroy the Institute, or take it over, if you so choose. Even if you don’t follow Shaun, if you choose to or convince General Ronnie/Preston to spare the Institute and use it for the Commonwealth’s benefit, you are left with it under your control, enforced by the Minutemen.

So. What does this revision do?

I dislike when people portray him as an innocent, gentle little sunshine boy, and not as an army vet who survived where none of his fellow soldiers could. This man has an edge to him. He isn’t a small sad puppy, he has something of a mean streak in canon. In this revision, Preston has opportunities to demonstrate layers of his character, showing how his trauma and guilt has effected him. You get to see it for yourself, rather than hear about it. You can see him break down in Quincy, you can see him resist the idea that strangers can have good intentions, you can see him rebuild his hope for the Minutemen and himself. And you can also see him lose patience for people who have wronged him, want to cut down anyone who would threaten his people, be kind of irrational and lashing out.

I also dislike that the Minutemen have no visible effect on the wasteland, nothing you can actually see. No one else sees it, either. Here, people will acknowledge the Minutemen’s power. And, c’mon, in game, you are the only one doing anything. In this rehaul, you get things started, but people will be active participants in restoring the Minutemen, will build settlements for you. You can go decorate and fiddle around, but you won’t have to worry about water, food, beds, and defense, they’ll get it sorted themselves. The busywork is also passed off to soldiers, who you could potentially catch in the action as they clear out mutants or save kidnapped settlers.

And the finale of facing off against the Gunners, and either destroying them, or brushing them off as a decaying tantrum with guns, gives the Minutemen something to do for themselves, beyond the Institute. You’d have to lock off Quincy and Gunner HQ, so the player can’t clear them without going through the questline, but that’s fine, other quests do that. But the Gunners are never brought up, not really. It also lets Preston confront his greatest trauma and come up victorious, even if it hurt, and when deciding on the fate of Gunner HQ, lets him evolve as a person and take influence from the player, depending on their relationship.

I think, as the de facto companion for his faction, Preston’s arc needs to be directly tied to it. The other companions don’t really have this either, but Preston got the short straw in that he was his faction. Everything came from him and was turned in to him. He became a dispenser for quests instead of one person in this group, with his own ideas about how to run it, his own fears and guilt about how it failed the first time. He doesn’t reflect the Minutemen, their ideals. Who they are as a collective.

Deacon, Danse, and X6 have their own massive writing issues, but it’s clear that they are representations of their factions. Deacon is an all-over-the-place trickster type trying to keep shit together, the Railroad is a clown car trying to smuggle slaves to safety. X6 is a cold, ruthless, logical Terminator, the Institute are cold, sterile, ends-justify-the-means scientists. Danse is a stern, no-nonsense soldier with a good heart under the Power Armor, the Brotherhood is a tight-knit brotherhood, an army with good intentions that often forgets who those good intentions are meant to serve.

Preston...he’s a good guy, a traumatized one. The Minutemen...you have 5 nameless “Minuteman Soldier” NPCs, and Ronnie. So...the Minutemen is Preston, Preston is the Minutemen. He isn’t allowed to be Preston, who is a Minuteman. He’s Preston the Minuteman.

That’s a damn shame.

#preston garvey

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writing-fanics · 11 months

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best day

Jonah Hauer King x Reader

a/n: child uses mommy but it’s you so anyone can read and change

Ava on your shoulders, her tiny legs on both sides of your neck. Her light brown hair tied up into two space afro puffs. Around her neck a seashell necklace that matched, Ursula. She wore a blue dress that you quickly made just for her to match. Halle’s Ariel on land outfit.

“Ava, stop squirming so much.” You said, and Ava not paying attention apologized. Her tiny hands touching the top of your head and ruining your hair do. That took you hours to do.

“You excited to see Ariel?” You asked, and Ava giggled excitedly. Ariel had been her favorite Disney Princess, seemingly from the moment she was born.

One day, around the time Ava was one year old. You turned on The Little Mermaid. Her eyes were immediately glued to the screen, and she started clapping and giggling whenever Ariel was on screen. She would point at the screen, struggling to say Ariel. Which ended up being her first words instead of mama.

“Yep, I’m excited she’s so pretty and looks just like me!” She shouted, excitedly. You were here supporting your boyfriend Jonah, who absolutely loved Ava and her rambunctious manor.

You remembered walking in on them, playing tea party. You couldn’t help but feel betrayed having not been invited. But loved seeing your daughter and your boyfriend, spend time with each other. Time your ex partner didn’t care nor want to give to your daughter.

After fifteen minutes, your shoulders started getting tired and you placed her on the ground for a bit. Holding both her hands, to make sure she doesn’t run off nor get lost.

When the crowd got louder, and the paparazzi as well. Before you knew it, she ran off through the crowd and towards the red carpet. Being so small she ran right past the security, and quickly grabbed onto Jonah’s pant leg.

Jonah froze seeing Ava, and immediately picked her up. “Ava what’re you doing here where’s mommy?” He asked, and the little girl wrapped her arms around Jonah. Some of the crowd letting out an awe.

“I missed you,” she frowned, and he smiled at her. “I missed you too.” And then she turned to look towards Halle and her eyes lit up.

“Ariel!” She shouted, excitedly and Halle couldn’t help but look at Ava in awe. Another child, happy to see themselves in the character always made her day.

“Hi, sweetie.” She said, giving the girl a small wave.

“Ava!”

“Alright, let’s get you back to mommy. Ariel and I have to get back to work.” He said, and she nodded smiling. You rushed towards the front of the crowd and by the rope, “Ava!” You said, smiling as Jonah handed you back your daughter.

“Sorry bout that.” You said, and he smiled, “Good job.” You said, and he smiled.

“Love you.” He said.

“Love you too.” You said smiling, as you looked at him.

“Bye bye daddy!” Ava said, as Jonah walked away and his heart melted as a smile grew across his face as he waved goodbye.

‘She just called me daddy’

#jonah hauer king x you #jonah hauer king fanfiction #jonah hauer king x y/n #Jonah hauer king x reader #Jonah hauer king imagines #Jonah hauer king fanfic #romance

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hayatheauthor · 8 months

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Tips To Consider When Writing A Fantasy Religious Story

This was requested by @saltykidcreation if you want to request something send me an ask!

A fantasy religious story is a fantasy story where, even if a God-like character does not exist, true biblical values are made obvious in the book's theme because of the author's worldview. I personally don’t write fantasy religious stories, however, since this was requested I decided to come up with some tips for this genre.

Establishing a Rich Mythology

At the heart of every captivating fantasy religious story lies a well-crafted mythology that breathes life into the beliefs, deities, and rituals of your fictional world. Just as our world's religions have intricate backstories, your fantasy realm's mythology provides the framework for understanding the spiritual landscape. Here's how to create a mythology that resonates:

Deities and Powers

Develop a pantheon of gods and goddesses, each with distinct personalities, domains, and motivations. Consider drawing inspiration from real-world mythologies or inventing entirely new divine beings. For instance, in Neil Gaiman's "American Gods," gods from various cultures manifest in modern-day America, reflecting changing beliefs.

Rituals and Traditions

Infuse your world with rituals, ceremonies, and festivals that reflect the beliefs of your fictional religion. Whether it's a solemn pilgrimage to a sacred site or a joyful celebration of a deity's favour, these rituals offer opportunities to reveal cultural norms and values. Take the example of "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss, where the University's Archives hold religious significance, connecting knowledge and faith.

Holy Texts and Prophecies

Craft ancient texts, prophecies, or scriptures that guide your characters' beliefs and actions. These texts can hold hidden truths, enigmatic predictions, or moral codes that shape the course of the story. In Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy, a mysterious device called the Alethiometer becomes a tool of divination, echoing themes of destiny and belief.

Cultural Impact

Consider how your fictional religion influences art, architecture, fashion, and daily life in your world. Are there specific symbols associated with the faith? Does the religion inspire grand cathedrals, tranquil monasteries, or vibrant marketplaces? J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series exemplifies this through the majestic Hogwarts Castle and its hidden rooms dedicated to various founders' beliefs.

A well-developed mythology adds depth and authenticity to your fantasy religious story, enriching readers' immersion and emotional engagement. As your characters interact with these elements, their beliefs will take centre stage, shaping their decisions and driving the narrative forward.

Worldbuilding and Cultural Depth

Creating a compelling fantasy religious story extends beyond the spiritual realm—it involves crafting an immersive world where faith intertwines with culture, society, and daily life. As you build your fantastical universe, keep these worldbuilding aspects in mind to ensure a rich and authentic backdrop for your narrative:

Cultural Diversity:

Just as our world hosts a tapestry of cultures, your fantasy realm should embrace diversity. Explore how different regions or communities within your world interpret and practice the same religion. George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series masterfully showcases distinct religious beliefs held by various societies, adding layers of complexity to the narrative.

Social Impact:

Consider how religion shapes social hierarchies, class systems, and power dynamics. Does the priesthood hold political sway? Are certain religious groups marginalized or revered? In Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Left Hand of Darkness," the planet Gethen's religious beliefs are deeply tied to its unique genderless society.

Iconography and Architecture:

Infuse religious symbolism into architecture, art, and everyday objects. Temples, sculptures, and artefacts can embody beliefs and tell stories within your world. The stained glass windows of Notre Dame Cathedral in Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" visually depict biblical narratives while reflecting the spiritual essence of the setting.

Language and Terminology:

Develop specialized terminology, prayers, and phrases specific to your fantasy religion. This linguistic distinctiveness adds authenticity and depth to the faith. J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" features languages like Elvish that enrich the cultures and religions of Middle-earth.

Impact on Conflict and Plot:

Explore how religious differences can drive conflict or cooperation within your story. Religious tensions can lead to political strife, wars, or alliances. In Frank Herbert's "Dune," the complex interplay between the Fremen's religious beliefs and the political landscape fuels the narrative's intrigue.

Remember, effective worldbuilding integrates religious aspects seamlessly into every facet of your fictional world. By intertwining faith with culture, you'll create a vivid and immersive environment that enriches your readers' experience and deepens their connection to your story.

Weaving Themes of Faith and Doubt

Central to any fantasy religious story are the themes of faith, doubt, and the profound quest for meaning. These themes can elevate your narrative, sparking introspection and emotional resonance. Here's how to skillfully weave these threads throughout your story:

Character Beliefs

Explore how characters' beliefs shape their worldviews, actions, and interactions. Does a protagonist's unwavering faith lead them on a heroic journey, while a sceptical character questions the mystical elements surrounding them? In C.S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia," characters' diverse beliefs guide their roles in the unfolding saga.

Spiritual Journeys

Craft character arcs that mirror spiritual journeys, complete with challenges and revelations. Allow characters to grapple with doubts, undergo transformative experiences, and emerge with a deeper connection to their faith. The character Eowyn in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" confronts her inner struggles and finds a newfound purpose.

Crisis of Faith

Introduce moments of crisis where characters' faith is tested to its limits. These moments can lead to internal turmoil, moral dilemmas, and choices that define their paths. In Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" the protagonist questions the nature of humanity, blending themes of religion with questions of identity.

Divine Intervention

Explore the concept of divine intervention and its impact on characters' lives. This can be a source of guidance, trials, or even scepticism. In "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman, the gods' involvement in human affairs raises questions about their true motivations and the nature of belief.

Existential Quests

Delve into existential themes as characters search for meaning beyond the material world. Incorporate quests that transcend physical boundaries, encouraging characters to uncover truths about existence, mortality, and the afterlife. Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's "Good Omens" humorously navigates themes of fate, destiny, and the cosmic battle between good and evil.

By exploring the intricate balance between faith and doubt, you'll create characters who resonate with readers on a deeply human level. These themes not only enrich your narrative but also invite readers to ponder their own beliefs and uncertainties

Utilizing Symbolism and Allegory

In the realm of fantasy religious storytelling, symbolism and allegory serve as potent tools to convey layers of meaning and depth. These literary devices can bridge the gap between the fantastical and the profound, enriching your narrative in powerful ways:

Symbolic Artifacts

Introduce artefacts or objects that hold symbolic significance within your world. A mystical amulet, an ancient tome, or a sacred tree could embody themes of faith, wisdom, or protection. Consider the One Ring in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings," representing the corrupting influence of power.

Allegorical Journeys

Craft allegorical quests that mirror spiritual journeys or moral dilemmas. Characters might embark on physical journeys that parallel inner transformations, mirroring the trials and growth inherent in belief systems. In John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress," the protagonist's journey to the Celestial City mirrors the Christian path.

Metaphorical Creatures

Introduce fantastical creatures that symbolize spiritual concepts. A mythical phoenix representing rebirth or a guardian dragon embodying both danger and enlightenment can add layers of meaning to your narrative. In "The Chronicles of Narnia," Aslan the lion is a symbolic representation of Christ.

Cosmic Forces

Use cosmic events or celestial phenomena as metaphors for divine influence or moral alignments. A comet's appearance could herald significant events, while an eclipse might signify moments of transformation or impending conflict. The Dark Tower series by Stephen King weaves cosmic forces into the fabric of its multiverse narrative.

Subtextual Commentary

Employ allegory to comment on real-world issues or philosophical concepts. By grounding your fantastical narrative in allegorical discussions, you invite readers to reflect on broader themes while engaging with your story. George Orwell's "Animal Farm" is an allegory for political corruption and societal manipulation.

By artfully integrating symbolism and allegory, you add depth and resonance to your narrative. These devices not only enhance the fantastical elements of your story but also invite readers to explore the layers of meaning hidden beneath the surface.

Crafting Moral Dilemmas and Choices

A hallmark of captivating storytelling is the inclusion of moral dilemmas that challenge characters' beliefs, forcing them to confront their convictions and make difficult choices. Within the realm of fantasy religious stories, these dilemmas become even more potent, as characters navigate the intersection of faith, ethics, and personal growth:

Clashes of Belief

Introduce conflicts where characters' divergent beliefs clash, sparking debates and raising questions about the nature of truth and morality. Such clashes can lead to both external conflicts and internal struggles. In "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman, characters' differing beliefs influence their actions in a world with soul-representing daemons.

Test of Principles

Develop scenarios where characters must make choices that challenge their faith or require them to compromise their values. These choices can lead to soul-searching moments that reveal the depths of their character. Guy Gavriel Kay's "Tigana" explores characters' moral choices amid political and religious conflicts.

Consequences of Devotion

Examine the consequences of extreme devotion to a religious cause. Characters who blindly follow their faith might be driven to commit ethically questionable acts, raising questions about the balance between devotion and ethics. In "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell, the characters' missionary zeal leads to unforeseen moral dilemmas on an alien planet.

Doubt and Redemption

Narrate character arcs that involve doubt and eventual redemption. Characters who experience crises of faith might embark on journeys of self-discovery and growth, ultimately finding renewed purpose or understanding. In "The Magicians" by Lev Grossman, the protagonist's journey of doubt and rediscovery aligns with themes of magic and faith.

Personal Growth Through Struggle

Showcase characters who emerge stronger from moral challenges, reflecting personal growth as they navigate the complexities of their beliefs. These experiences can lead to a deeper understanding of faith and a more profound connection to the divine. Jacqueline Carey's "Kushiel's Dart" features a protagonist whose unique perspective challenges and evolves her understanding of religion.

By infusing your narrative with moral dilemmas, you encourage readers to grapple with complex questions, fostering empathy and introspection. These dilemmas illuminate the nuances of faith and the intricate choices that define the paths characters undertake.

I hope this blog on Tips To Consider When Writing A Fantasy Religious Story will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks?

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and publishing tips for authors every Monday and Thursday! And don’t forget to head over to my TikTok and Instagram profiles @hayatheauthor to learn more about my WIP and writing journey!

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