#and also tragic love stories that will decide on the world’s fate... how do you guys not like that 😭
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TOA 01
✮⋆apollo x male!reader
!warnings!: angst, mentions of blood, anything else anyone sees and is uncomfortable with please let me know!
✮⋆˙ woo chapter two!! I'm excited to release this but also super nervous because I added a twist that I'm not sure everyone will love but I mean, it's a story about mythical beings so I decided to just have fun with it!
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“What did you do?” Anger seethed through the ex-god, his shaky breath competed with the rapid thump of his heart against his chest. Apollo’s eyes snapped to the now smug smiling emperor, the fury in his chest growing.
“Oh? Are you not happy with what you see?” Caligula asked, voice laced with fake concern. He clicked his tongue, his eyes surveying his servants in dissatisfaction. “The gods,” he sighed, shaking his head. “So hard to please. You surprise them with the dead love of their life, and still, it’s not enough for them to say thank you. Such egos, it’s a shame, really.”
Apollo swallowed, an attempt at soothing the dryness that was now overtaking his throat. “That’s not possible. It’s an illusion. It has to be…” he faltered, his body deflating as he dropped onto the ground.
Apollo was a god turned mortal. He was from the mythical world and saw many things, things that one alone could not comprehend, things that don’t make sense, that shouldn’t be able to happen because it went beyond the natural order of the mortal and mythical world. Yet, somehow, you being brought back from the dead was not an acceptance that came easily to him.
It’d been years, years, since your death, but you lived. Alive in Apollo’s mind. There was not a day, not a century, not even a millennium, that Apollo did not think of you and the bittersweet memories you two shared. Your grace and your beauty, along with the essence of your soul, were immortalized for eternity in his heart, where he could forever nourish your memory and honor your legacy.
Please… Who was he kidding? Honoring your legacy? Him? Apollo had done nothing but trash on everything you stood behind! If anything, he went against what you fought so desperately for. There was blood on his hands. The blood of many innocent lives he so easily discarded with no regard for their being. The option of others having a choice was previously nonexistent in the ex-god’s mind. He’d force many people to do his bidding and castigate them if they rejected.
Including those he loved after your time.
His heart clenched as Daphne’s horrified face filled his mind. Her expression contrasting his hopeful one as he chased her through the forest surrounding mount Olympus. It was Eros who, so full of spite, caused her to hate the mere thought of Apollo’s face. So much so that she begged her father, Peneus, desperate for help. He’d heard her prayers and granted her salvation.
But even after the last branch formed from Daphne’s outstretched arm and she had fully become a prospering laurel tree, Apollo did not allow her to rest peacefully. He had plucked the leaves from her branches and formed what was now known to be one of his most notable symbols. The laurel reef.
Daphne didn’t love Apollo. No, she despised him so much that she believed death was better than remaining on earth with him, but even that he had stolen from her.
Just like you, Daphne was immortalized in the memories and stories of people but met the tragic fate of being forever tied to the very god that she had died escaping, tainting her name with his own and taking away her right to a peaceful death. Apollo may not have been the one that forced her to take her last breath, but it was he who pushed her to such a state of helplessness that she felt there was no other option.
Perhaps that was why the thought of you being alive was so agonizing to him, because then you would learn about the monster he had become and how all of those promises he made to you under the moonlight had become nothing but empty words he spewed under the drunken spell of love.
How could he look you in your eyes now? Eyes that always glimmered with determination as you spouted your ideals and all the great you planned to do in the world…how could he look at those same eyes and say that he failed to do what you had dreamed, what you both dreamed. Even if that dream died for Apollo a long time ago.
Caligula considered Apollo for a moment before grabbing your arm and moving you back into his line of sight. He turned back to the ex god, his smile now wicked and sadistic, vastly enjoying the conflicting grief in his eyes.
“You haven’t taken a proper look at him. As he was once your lover, there’s no doubt in my mind you’ve memorized his body. You should have no trouble deducing if he’s a fake or not.”
How odd was it that Apollo, who had been literally fighting for his life these past few months and wanted nothing more but to evade conflict, wished he was dodging swinging swords, and running from giant monsters that chased him and his friends instead of being here, simply standing and being forced to stare at the person most precious to him.
Yet, he had succumbed to the small part of him that was a tad curious if it truly was you.
His breath staggered, and he stood on wobbly legs, anxiously meeting your stare, only to regret it immediately.
There they were, those eyes. Hypnotic as they had willed Apollo into your grasp, and enchanted him with an infatuation that ran deep in his blood. The same hunger swirled within them in a way that could only be described as honest passion. The intensity made Apollo’s heart skip a beat, and he trembled under your gaze.
It was said that one’s eyes were the window into their soul, a quote which honestly was quite dated and overused, but as you searched deep within Apollo, he felt his own soul stir in response. His body had recognized its missing piece and, like a magnet, it fought to connect again.
Your souls were bound to each other. The fates decreed that the moment you two met. There was no way Apollo wouldn’t have known if you were a fake.
In case he was completely wrong and in over his head, he took action to make sure he was absolute in his observation. It hurt to tear his sight away from your face, but he allowed himself to survey the rest of you, as Caligula suggested.
His eyes roamed your body with a frown.
How strange. You appeared to be… out of this world.
Your aura, although it had always been charming, was different in a way Apollo could not put his finger on. Something about you filled him with an irresistible sensation he had never felt with you before.
Could it be Lester’s human hormones could not handle the gorgeous sight of his past lover and therefore appeared to be more appetizing than usual?
No, that couldn’t be it. Yes, mortals could definitely be extremely tempting creatures, but they didn’t hold the same weight and power as they did with gods. Many felt enchanted just by the mere sight of one. It was not a simple task to break away from their inviting aura and fight the urge to give in to their desires.
Your aura was similar; An inviting force emitting from you. But how? You weren’t a god… were you?
Apollo gagged internally at the thought, his insides twisting at the possibility of you being a deity.
Being mortal was the very essence of your existence. It was nauseating how you nurtured the role like it was your life’s purpose, facing no fear towards things such as death or illness, claiming that these tragedies were simply just a part of being human and running from it would do nothing but force you to live in a world of clouds where you’d constantly be lost amongst the fog.
Becoming a deity would’ve made your death a vain sacrifice for what you believed and enduring an eternity of grief would’ve been for nothing. Days of forcing the sun to shine upon the earth when Apollo himself was lost in the overwhelming darkness of his heart as his guiding light, his sun, was gone. Constantly, he searched for another you because the void left in him hurt too much, but of course, none had come as close to his heart as you did because in the end, all he wanted was you and he caged his heart behind iron bars out of fear of experiencing grief on that level ever again.
There was only one who had been close to unlocking his heart again after you. His dear Hyacinthus. Oh, how the boy had reminded Apollo of you in so, so, many ways. The both of you were graceful, heads held high as you smiled at all that you loved. Adored by many as anyone who came to meet you was always enthralled by your allure and hearts of gold. But alas, love was never in Apollo’s favor, and his precious Hyacinthus met a tragic fate when he was murdered by the conniving and envious wind god, Zephyrus.
It was almost comical how similar your deaths were. A sadistic joke played on Apollo. All hope he ever had for another love as great as you and Hyacinthus went out the window and following that was a now numb and manipulative god who allowed himself to know his lovers but never allowed them to know him.
All of that guilt he felt for abusing his authority and refusing to see his lover’s as equals, all the shame for not living up to par with what you wanted, would’ve been for nothing. Along with the stab of knowing that you didn’t choose HIM over your ideals when he would’ve burned the world for you, was all too much. No, you couldn’t be a deity because then Apollo would never forgive you.
He could not bear these thoughts and, for once, Apollo was glad when Caligula spoke to him as he had distracted him from the fogginess building up in his eyes.
Caligula waved his hand in the ex-god’s face, surveying him. “I’ll take the dumb look on your already idiotic face as confirmation that you’ve recognized that this is the real deal.” He turned to you, “I know how, uh… different…Apollo must look to you. Surely, it must be traumatic to come back from the dead and your once powerful and radiant lover is now pathetic, weak, and ugly. Do you believe this to be the god you once loved?”
Apollo huffed, once because he could not deny that Lester’s face was, in fact, idiotic and again because of Caligula’s question. Your eyes were good, but they weren’t that good. Unfortunately, you hadn’t been blessed with seeing beyond the mist, a trait that could’ve saved your life.
“You ask him a question he cannot answer. He would not recognize me in such a body—“
“Yes.” You cut him off and stepped closer. Apollo sucked in his bottom lip as your hands had come up to run your fingers through his hair. Oh, how he missed your touch. The way you handled him like he was a piece of glass. Then you spoke again, your voice being in that delicious and melodic tone that made heat travel up Apollo’s neck to the tips of his ears. Damn this body.
“Although in a different body, your scent remains the same… how bizarre. Might it be your soul I smell?” You muttered, your fingers dragging down Apollo’s cheek.
Apollo shuttered at your touch, the coolness of your finger soothing his warm face. But as much as he wanted to allow you to continue your exploration of his body, he could not shake off what you had said. “My scent—- What does that mean? — How is your nose even that good?—“
“Bravo! It appears love truly conquers all!” Caligula clapped, pulling you away from Apollo and making the ex-god frown. Something wasn’t right about you, besides being a walking corpse. Death was not his domain, but as far as Apollo was aware, coming back from the dead did not include the nose of a hellhound.
“What did you do to him?” He asked Caligula, pinning his arms to his side as they had once again trembled.
Caligula stared at Apollo questioningly. “What did I do?” He laughed. “You are funny, dear. This fiasco was not my idea. All I want from you is to squeeze out the final essence of godhood that’s left in that lanky vessel. If you were smart, you would’ve directed your attention to the only witch in the room.”
Apollo’s eyes swiftly met Medea’s sadistic ones. She had silently been watching the previous conversation from the side. Gods, he was so caught up in the sight of you he had forgotten all about the Wicked Witch of the East.
“How rude of you to put me on the spot. I haven’t prepared my speech.” Medea purrs and approaches, circling around you before landing her hands on your shoulders. “On the contrary, love does not, in fact, conquer all.” She said, referring to Caligula’s earlier comment.
“Instead, it leads people to their doom. It makes them think with their hearts and not their heads. The most powerful beings,” Apollo cursed himself for flinching after she had eyed him with a knowing look. “Have been brought down onto their knees in the name of love. As you all know, I, myself, have been a victim of this. After Jason betrayed me.”
“I don’t understand.” Apollo interjected. “I had nothing to do with Jason’s betrayal against you.”
“Oh, I am aware. But that is not why I brought him up.”
“You see, my heart had never bled as much as it did when I was in love. I yearned to serve Jason. To become half of his soul as his life, his goals, had become my own. I was high on that feeling. A feeling you must know well, yes?” The smile on her face was one Apollo did indeed recognize.
A smile that did not reach one’s eyes, that was all for show to hide your true misery. He hated sympathizing with the witch, but he knew exactly what she meant.
It seemed his face wasn’t so good at hiding his feelings either, as Madea had nodded to herself in what seemed to be satisfaction. “I needed something against you, Apollo. But what was something that would hold such great power over an ex-Olympian God? It couldn't be physical, no, that would be too merciful. I needed something, or someone, that could cause such turmoil within you that the thought of even fighting against it would cause you great sorrow.”
“Well, isn’t that thoughtful? Putting in all that effort into destroying little ol’me.”
She sneered, her eyes narrowing. “I studied you. Studied how I could control you, and imagine my surprise when I found out about an unclaimed lover of yours.” Her hands go to you, caressing your arms and making Apollo livid. “It seems not everything made it into the history books.”
Grime stained Apollo’s face, becoming one with the hot tears sliding down his cheeks. His hands ached as he pulled apart dirt from the ground with none other than his fingers. He could’ve called someone and ordered them to do the laboring task on their own. But he refused. He had to do this alone. He had to bury you himself.
No one should be able to see you, to touch you, to be around you. Not anymore. You were too sacred, too precious for this cursed world. But Apollo was selfish. He took you away from the earth, took you away from the rest of your family, just to have you rest under his domain.
The god’s choked cries turned into loud sobs as his fingers dug deeper into the sacred dirt of Delos, shimmering gold tainting the soil. He welcomed the blood seeping from his hand; the pain was deserved. It was nothing compared to what you must’ve felt when his father had struck you down, but he needed to feel something. Anything that would compensate for the agony you went through before drawing your final breath.
Delos, where he and Artemis were born. The land that had once been his aunt, Asteria, who had transformed herself into a floating island to get away from the advances of Zeus. Where she provided sanctuary for his mother as she ran from the wrath of Hera on earth. This is where Apollo would bury you, a place that would now provide you sanctuary as it did for his family. A place where you could rest unbothered by the world.
The hole was deep enough now, and Apollo had pulled himself out of it. A coffin waited for him and he involuntarily walked towards it, dragging his hand against it. The coffin had been turned from a simple block of stone to a grand piece of imagery. All along its sides had Apollo carved into it, creating depictions of milestones in your relationship. The first time you met, along with the time he revealed to you he was a god followed by the countless times he’d let you play on his lyre and of course, the first ‘I love you.’ Amongst many more.
He was gentle with the coffin when he picked it up, moving slowly when he brought it over to the open ground. Apollo bit his lip, holding back his weeping so that he could focus on lowering you into the hole.
It was done. You were really gone, and Apollo would never be yours again.
“What are you doing here?” Apollo asked, his voice hoarse and his eyes bleak. He was sitting on the ground, painting a gravestone.
Grass crunched behind him as someone approached. “You’re burying him here?”
Apollo’s wrist kept moving, his brush creating faces on the gravestone. Still, he answered, “Cut the crap, Artemis.”
Artemis crossed her arms, frowning at her brother’s words. “I was born here too, Apollo. I have just as much right to be here as you do.”
“You knew, didn’t you?” Apollo snapped, the brush falling from his fingers.
“Knew what?” Artemis asked.
“Don’t lie to me Artemis.” Apollo stood, finally facing his twin. “You knew father would kill him!”
Artemis flinched as she caught wind of Apollo’s face, the puffiness under his eyes red and throbbing. Yet she recovered quickly, shaking Apollo’s arm away. “Don’t touch me.”
He placed his hands back onto her, gripping her in more of a desperate plea than before. “Please, sister, tell me the truth. Did you know that father would kill him?”
. “I…” she started, her chest growing heavy as she felt Apollo’s fingers shake against her. Swallowing carefully, she moved her eyes to your grave. “Yes, I knew… we all did.”
Apollo’s grip on her tightened, his eyes becoming glassy at the revelation. “Why didn’t you tell me? Were you sworn to secrecy? Is that why you didn’t tell me? Father is frightening. I understand if he forced you to swear on the River Styx—”
“He didn’t force me to do anything.”
“What…?”
“Oath did not bind me to not say anything to you. I simply chose not to.” Artemis stated, throwing Apollo off of her once again. Her head held high as she watched for his reaction.
Apollo stared at her, his eyes widening in disbelief. He shook his head. “You knew how much I loved him, you knew father was going to kill him and you didn’t tell me! I don’t understand, Artemis. You are my sister, my twin, my blood. How… how could you?”
“That is exactly why! Apollo, you are my other half. We are two sides of the same coin. We might be related to the others, but their bond is not like ours. That boy was leading you to your demise. I have nothing against him, but you are who I care about most. I didn’t want to see him dead, but I didn’t want to see my brother subjected to an eternal punishment, either.” Artemis finished, her own resolve fading as she too shook at the thought of Apollo being hurt.
Apollo’s jaw clenched. “Well, sister,” he started, malice seeping into his voice, “It seems you’ve failed anyway because a life without him is the worst punishment I could ever endure.”
“Demigods!” Medea yelled out, bringing awareness to Meg and Jason’s presence in the room. They couldn’t speak anyway, not while they were stuck in the wind tornadoes Medea had stuck them in. “This is important. Pay attention.”
“Delphi was a known city-state of ancient Greece. A city state where you, Apollo, were the patron god of. But the Delphi that lives in myths, the one that we know, is not the Delphi that has always been.”
Through the corner of his eye, Apollo watched as both Meg and Jason’s expressions formed into one of confusion.
“Once upon a time ago, Apollo betrayed Zeus. However, that’s not a surprise, that is a story that still lives. What didn’t make it, though, was the entire punishment your father had you experience. The gods said you were forced to build the gates of Troy alongside Poseidon. But what they failed to mention was the part where Zeus took everything from you. Your lover and your city. Isn’t that right?”
Apollo opened his mouth to speak, eager to defend his story. He knew where this was going and dread filled his stomach.
Medea spoke before he could. “Oh, but that’s not even the best part! The original Delphi had its own royal family, a family that your boy-toy had been born to.” She comes to your side, raising your hand up. “Here stands the last prince of Delphi before its initial destruction. After a few years, Apollo rebuilt Delphi and got rid of all the evidence of its history. But thanks to my digging, I could uncover all of this.”
Behind him, the Pandai were ready to lunge forward and capture Apollo as he had taken on a defensive stance against Medea. “Who told you this? The only person who knew about where I buried him was my sister.”
Medea scoffed. “Oh, please, if you want to hide the body of your dead lover, do it somewhere that’s not your famous birthplace that everyone knows about. It was the first place I checked.”
Apollo’s eyes ripped away from hers as blood rushed to his head. She was right, and he was an idiot to think that if someone wanted to find your body, they wouldn’t look on Delos. In his defense, it had been four thousand years since your death.
Medea smirked at the red dusting Apollo’s cheeks.
“Everything fell into place for me after that. You preserved his body well, I expected dust only to find that his body was enchanted to stay in good shape. It was perfect for my plan. I needed to bring him back from the dead without actually bringing him back, as I did not want to deal with Hades. He needed to be undead. I looked for spells beyond Ancient Greece and came upon the perfect solution within the dark arts—
“I’ve had enough of your talking,” Apollo sneered, glaring at the witch. “What have you turned him into?”
“Patience.” She hissed, “I sacrificed my rarest properties along with human blood to create an elixir that would wake up this sleeping beauty. It took days to restore him to full health. But finally, when he did wake, he was radiant. No longer was he a meek mortal. His senses had heightened as he was now strong and blessed with speed, his ears picked up on sounds from miles away, and a nose made for hunting. There’s more, I'm sure of it, but he is still fresh and needs time to develop. So what did I turn him into, you ask?”
Medea sent Apollo one last wicked smile before dropping information that made the ex-god wish he was dead.
“I have turned the long-lost Prince of Delphi into a vampire.”
#pjo x reader#pjo x male reader#trials of apollo x reader#apollo x male reader#apollo x reader#trials of apollo#pjo hoo toa#heroes of olympus
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Option 1: You've saved your friend from a magical disability that unmoors their body from your existence, and a powerful enemy has just destroyed the artifact you created to anchor her here, and if you don't get out of the battle quick, you might lose her forever.
Option 2: You discover you have an unwanted magical destiny that you can't avoid. The girl of your dreams could also share this magical destiny with you, but only if you recruit her yourself, irreversibly tying her to that destiny which she otherwise could have been saved from and you wish you yourself could be saved from.
Option 3: You're in a Groundhog Day cycle that you started and could end at any time full of grief and pain, but you went into this to save your friend from an inevitable decision to help others; however, each time your 'day' starts, it makes the consequences you're trying to avoid that much worse if it comes to pass
Option 4: You've found the spirit of the dead man who is most important to you in the world, who you spent your life with. You can give him a semblance of a life, but the caveat is that he will experience it through you, sharing your body, meaning you can't ever be sentient/conscious at the same time - sharing an existence but never able to interact
Option 5: You are fated to die, but your lover takes your place, and you're so scared you don't stop them. In a twist, she is returned, brought back from the dead, but she never speaks again despite continuing on in her life with you.
Option 6: You die saving the world for the second time after hard battles and tragic losses. Death brings paradise and peace, and you are happy, but your party hasn't been able to live with the death and resurrect you back into life where you have to continue the fight that caused all the losses.
Option 7: You've fallen in love with a girl caught in space. There is a limited corridor of physical space she exists within that doesn't allow for her to feel the rain falling or the comforts of a cozy bed. You've never known actual magic or sci fi to exist in the real world, and yet you may perhaps be the only person who can puzzle out how to free her from this reality unmoored from any existing known occurrences.
Option 8: You've found love and a life with the woman of your dreams, but it is a taboo love, and she is too afraid of her deep feelings for you. She decides to marry someone who will be kind to her and help her advance in her goals in life, but she wants to keep you too, have you live with them in a seemingly respectable role while you are her mistress. You know there is no world in which you will be happy with that arrangement.
There was never going to be enough space for these and they were kind of hard to come up with / remember, so only 8 options for this one! XD
After results are in, I'll say what they are from but I will do it in a way to avoid spoilers for the most part! Or you can just block the 'tragic story poll'
#poll spam#tragic story poll#polls#narratives#summaries#la de da#don't mind me#looks like i forgot to add a 'see results' option#oh well#guess you HAVE TO PICK if you want to see results before a week!!#q#original furi poll
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𝖿𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽: 𝖺 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽.
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𝗇𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗌&𝗐𝖺𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌.bradley bradshaw x unnamed, sad??
𝖽𝖾𝗌𝖼𝗋𝗂𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇.bradley bradshaw. a tormented, grief-stricken, lovesick soul. this is the story, of the love of his life. how they began, the lessons she taught him and the tragic ending, that seemed as if it was fated by the Gods
𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗆𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍.
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AUGUST 13TH 2017.
My name is Bradley Bradshaw, and this is the story of the greatest love of my life. For the sake of privacy, she will remain nameless. Her name isn’t important anyway, as I do not believe our story is individual to us, or unique in any way. Our love was born from grief and pain, built to fall apart, crafted as a cruel lesson; allegorical. Our love was seemingly written in the stars, fated. The ending, also fated, but perhaps written by Shakespeare instead, as a great tragedy of the 17th century.
Yesterday, August 12th 2017, I attended the funeral of my sweet, darling girl. It was open invitation, and I am thankful it was, as I am certain not many people knew about us. Sometimes, it makes me angry to think that she did not want people to know of us. But most of the time, I am grateful. I am grateful because our love, was ours. In a world, where no-one owns anything, our love was truly ours, because no-one knew. It didn’t need to be shouted from the rooftops. People didn’t have to know about our love for it to be real. We knew, every morning that we awoke in each-other’s arms that it was real. Every laugh we shared, every time we danced together, every time we made love, every everything we ever did together made our love real. She taught me that.
Which is, coincidentally, the reason I am writing this. My love, was never one to succumb to unrealistic standards for herself. She knew who she was, she deeply understood herself, and she knew her place in life. She seemed to understand the universe’s darkest secrets. I wouldn’t have been surprised to find out, that God told them to her Himself.
My point is she knew a lot. She taught me a lot. And the older I become, I realise the more I am bound to forget. Over time my memory will fade, and the memories of the lessons she taught me, will become dusty books on the shelves of my mind. I cannot let it become that. I could remember her face until my dying day. But I know the day I forget the things she taught me, what we went through together, is the day I lose myself. So I will preserve these memories, cement them in my skull, the only way I know how; the written word.
I once promised her, that no matter what happened, no matter if she died, or I died, no matter if there was a nuclear war or if the sun swallowed the Earth, our souls would stay entwined, and I would never, ever forget the time we shared. I cannot break that promise.
I am a weak man. My life has shaped me into one. But I am strong-willed in one way. I am strong-willed in the sense that my promise to her will stay strong, above anything else.
That is what this is, for context, I suppose. A dying man’s last-ditch attempt, to keep a dead girl’s sacred promise. A dying man, reliving his glory days, the days when he was in love with the most spine-crushingly, beautiful soul, this planet has ever seen. A dying man, telling his love story. A love story that may be like every other one that has ever been fathomed, one that you may have heard a thousand times before. But I think I will write it anyway. And if you decide to read it, I’m certain you will end up like me. Inescapably, hopelessly, painfully, in love. With her.
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EEEK!! im so proud of myself for actually finishing something for once. i quite like how this turned out, although it is short. i just wanted to preface this by saying this series was inspired by: lolita by vladimir nabokov (not in a pedo way), norwegian wood by murakami, the fault in our stars by john green, 500 days of summer and a series of unfortunate events! playlist coming soon. also this is written in the chat font because it is supposed to be bradley writing on a typewriter!
tagging mutuals:
@mak-32 @waklman @cruelmissdior @sebsxphia @southpawbitch @roosterbruiser @roosterforme @hangmans-wingman @teacupsandtopgun @tongue-like-a-razor
#bradley bradshaw#bradley rooster bradshaw#rooster bradshaw#bradley bradshaw imagine#bradley bradshaw x reader#bradley rooster bradshaw x reader#rooster x reader#rooster x you#bradley bradshaw fanfiction#rooster fanfic#bradley bradshaw x female reader#bradley bradshaw x you#bradley bradshaw x oc#bradley bradshaw x y/n#bradley bradshaw fic#top gun#rooster series#rooster top gun#top gun maverick#tgm#tgm fic
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Second and final part of this thing I wrote about the Storyteller showing itself to Jaskier as Geralt. TW for hurt character, but they're fine! Thank you very much for such a positive feedback! I'm very insecure about my writing, but I really love putting these little stories in the world and knowing you're enjoying them makes everything better!
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Jaskier sits on the stool letting out a low groan of pain. He holds his chemise over his lap with both hands and keeps his eyes there, missing the warmth of it as a cold breeze invades the room and touches his exposed injured back.
It's been two months since Jaskier met the Storyteller. Two months of new poetry and ballads he has still not sang to anyone and which are fated to remain only as a collection of words in his notebook, ready to feed the fire.
"Jaskier?" Geralt's voice fills his ears with kindness, and Jaskier looks up as the witcher walks closer and touches his shoulder. He holds a wet towel and a bowl of salve, but Jaskier's attention goes to the blood stains on his black shirt. "Are you alright?"
Jaskier gives an insincere, almost inaudible positive answer and looks away. He remembers the monster's claws hurting his skin and the terror in Geralt's voice when he called his name. The singer had saved the witcher that morning, decided to give his life for him in his foolisher impulsive act of the season. But, together with the pain, Jaskier found a mad and surprising bit of relief when he realized there, again on a bloody floor, that whatever the Storyteller had meant when comparing him to Éile, his story would never follow the same tragic path, for Jaskier would never, in any reality, have the bravery to be the one killing the man he loved instead of letting himself be killed.
"Jaskier."
"Yes! Yes, I am fine." Geralt doesn't buy it. He slips his hand from Jaskier's shoulder to his neck and gives him an unpleased look. He can tell he has a fever by now, although the touch also leaves his cheeks warmer.
Touch. That's something Geralt only offers him every now and then, and Jaskier appreciates the attention now.
While Geralt starts taking care of his wounds, he thinks about the ballads he composed about the bard and her witcher, and how the simple act of writing those two words together in a song made him feel exposed. Every verse of fear, of desire or sorrow, spoke about his own heart. Forbidden to be heard, those words burn in his chest just like the soft touch of Geralt's calloused fingertips do now; like the wood that burned between them during the cold nights among trees and starry skies.
He closes his eyes, wanting to lean into the touch, clutching the fabric in his hands.
"I read your new songs."
The confession comes to wake him up like a bucket of cold water. His blue eyes go wide, his face is molded in shock and the world stops for a second, almost making him wonder if the Storyteller has frozen time again.
"What"
"Some days ago. Didn't mean to." Geralt continues. There's a bit of guilt and discomfort in his voice this time. Done cleaning Jaskier's wounds, he now applies salve to them, lessen the pain; his fingers now travelling the bard's lower back. Jaskier wishes he could still focus on them. "Witchers don't lose control like that. In case you've ever wondered."
"What- shut up"
"The stabbing bit was concerning, though."
"Shut the fuck up!" For Geralt's surprise, Jaskier's tone rises with rage, and, enduring the sharp pain of his damaged flesh, the bard stands up and finally faces him. Geralt stands still, a perfect portrait of regret. He still holds the bowl, unsure about what he should do with it. Now, it's Jaskier's eyes that burn. "You didn't have the right! You weren't- you-"
For a moment, Jaskier's own screams reminds him of their last major fight.
Caingorn.
He remembers letting out a confession when not even him knew what it was. He remembers Geralt's words stabbing him and pushing him away, and how he wished something would come from the woods and eat him alive while he walked down the mountain alone, feeling like he was leaving shards of his heart behind.
"Jaskier, look at me!"
Jaskier doesn't notice the tears rolling down his chin. Panic has now invaded him, bringing all his worst fears into his mind like a sadistic devil and enjoying his shivers when making him travel between all the reasons why he could now lose the little he had and was grateful for.
Not again, he mourns.
Geralt finally leaves the bowl aside and approaches him, too unsettled for a supposed emotionless man. Although the bard takes a step back, he doesn't want to avoid Geralt's closeness. Never really did.
Don't leave me alone again.
"I'm sorry, bard." Geralt's embrace is loose, careful not to touch him on the wrong spots. Jaskier groans in frustration when he sees himself hiding his face on the pale neck of the man who now caresses his hair.
"I didn't want this", Jaskier murmurs.
"I know."
He punches Geralt's chest softly. His eyes shut. Fear now gives space to shame, although he doesn't know exactly what he is ashamed of. I hate you, he thinks. A silly thing to say. Just like the Storyteller, Geralt has already known his truth for a long time.
"I love the fuck out of you, too."
Saying that, Geralt breaks the embrace to cup his face, presses their foreheads together and smiles. Gets lost in the eyes that stare back at him. A love song in blue and golden shades.
It doesn't take much for their lips to meet in an intense, rushed act. Jaskier digs his nails into the other man's skin and every bite, every touch on his exposed skin after that is like a fever dream.
"I should've done this a long time ago" the witcher would whisper breathless into his ear after a while; his hand slipping into Jaskier's now unbuttoned trousers, "right in the first time I heard your heartbeat run. Right in the first time the temperature of your body rose and you smelled like this."
That day, having Geralt with, on, in him; being allowed to taste his sweat, smiling against his lips, feeling his scars under his fingers and laughing of his concerned expressions when he'd touch the wrong places, Jaskier found himself alive for the first time in a long while. And in Geralt's arms, he contemplated in awe his own story, the most fascinating poem he had ever written.
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Creating Healthy Relationships in an Enemies to Lovers Romance
Making the bad boys be good boys.
So this might sound silly coming from someone who made an assassin dating sim but I wanted to share my opinion on this. There's healthy relationship stuff that I tried to keep in mind when writing the story, because I think it's important to write the good things you want to see in the world. When I was writing Garden of Seif, I wanted to tell a story about people who were fated to be enemies, yet somehow weave them into a romance story where despite all odds that try to pull them apart, they fall madly in love with each other.
When is comes to the romantic good endings, I want to send the message across that love should be healthy. This is tricky when it comes to nurturing the bad boy stereotypes or an offshoot of the yandere trope, as some people may expect or enjoy a love interest that's not quite nice to MC, and it's natural that people have varying comfort levels of what they are okay with. I wrote what I was comfortable with and what I think is acceptable, and a few players have even described the romance as very sweet. So let's dive into what sweet and bad looks like for both of Garden of Seif the guys:
Seth, aka The Deathstalker
Seth and MC bicker quite a bit, and I think that's partially due to Seth's devil's advocate personality type, but this also mirrors the tension between he and MC as enemies. Readers quickly learn that Seth's main motives are money and stuff, however if you read on, you'll find he does have a caring side that he tries very hard to hide. When you dive into further into the story, you'll learn why he built walls around himself and may even sympathize with him. I won't deny that I injected a little bit of Flynn Ryder into Seth's persona.
Seth plays dirty when it comes to his job, mostly out of boredom, but also because it's a dog eat dog world and that's how he's survived. It's easy to be this way when he doesn't care about someone, but it isn't easy to when he does care for someone.
I've seen a few assume that Seth is a gaslighter prior to the game's release, and that's not something I am comfortable with nor did I intentionally write Seth as one. Seth is extroverted and cocky. This self assured manner of being is something I expect from an enemies to lovers story, and I would personally not feel satisfied without that. That's not to say that Seth doesn't manipulate people, including Iris, but again this is part of how he survives as an assassin. This is something that happens when you're tragically in love with the mark.
So in order to tread carefully without Seth coming off as a gaslighter in romantic relationship or toxically masculine, Seth reaffirms a few important things that often get overlooked IRL.
1. It's okay for men to cry, meaning he thinks it's okay for men to have feelings, even if he isn't excellent at displaying his own emotions. Seth has a difficult time expressing his love for MC, and even tells her he's just joking when he flirts with her, which is not because he wants to manipulate her, but because he's peeking over those walls he built--mentioned earlier--and deciding to retreat behind them instead of pursuing a romance where he might get hurt.
2. He believes women and men are equals. Even though he has "cheated" to win at times, he respects Iris as an individual and truly believes she's a formidable opponent.
The Dust Hunter
With his character, you won't find as much bickering with him as you do with Seth, as the enemies to lovers dynamic between Dusty and MC is much more hidden beneath the surface than that. Even so, there's things Dusty hides from MC that's something a partner shouldn't hide. What makes Dusty an antagonist is something I won't spoil, but he certainly has a lust for power that can make his moral compass rather gray.
The important part is that he wants what's best for Iris and he makes an effort to guide her through her character arc in becoming a better person, which she eventually confronts on her own (if you reach the true end) by making amends with all of the people she has wronged, mainly her friends. I think this is the most beautiful thing about their relationship. Both Iris and Dusty have been pretty bad people, but they openly address this and push each other to be the best version of themselves.
Like many many LIs, Dusty is desirable. And other characters seem to think so too, including a fellow assassin known as The Emerald Huntress. She is head over heels in love with him, and unfortunately he isn't able to return her feelings. In his POV chapter, she confesses her love to him and his response is something I put a lot of thought into, especially for women (or anyone really) who have ever suffered the pain of rejection, which can often make us lose sight of everything else and focus on feeling like they aren't good enough because one person does not love them.
Now, for the main reason why I'd humbly name Dusty as Love Interest of the Year:
“You are enough. Never make the mistake of thinking otherwise just because a man, or woman, is unable to love you.” -Dust Hunter
Thanks for reading about my boys, hopefully it gives people insight on what to expect from them <3
#garden of seif#enemies to lovers#assassin dating sim#otome#dating sim#killer dating sim#romance tropes#bad boy
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Catharsis is a very important part of storytelling. Watching 1.13 finally handed me the cathartic note I needed.
And it gave me Dean back and freed him from the narrative trap 15.20 left him in. Opened up on context and pov, used a different tone and execution and took a different route into Dean’s story. Without changing the plot tent poles. TW 1.13 is a transformative, recontextualized, and widened and deepened response. And I cried like I couldn’t with 15.20 and it was the cathartic kind of crying, it was joy and sadness. It was what 15.20 promised me it would be yet wasn’t, not for me, and I don’t think ever will be. Now it’s just a stumble in a longer, much bigger story, for Dean’s emotional journey, and for the spn universe.
THERE’S SO MUCH TO UNPACK HERE
So I’m going to be making a bunch of posts. Let me start with Dean.
So Dean makes it Heaven after the rebar, however he’s still full of sadness and regrets, about his own death about things left unsaid and the fates of himself and his closest people, and those relationships, and not just that, the cumulative sadness of his family’s tragic history, I think, hit him all at once there. TW has been about trauma all along and especially as a reflection on Dean’s trauma. We don’t have all the answers to all the mysteries so “why not rebar undo” is something that we should get answers on later. I was right about how important context is. This is only the beginning of the continuing story. We don’t have all the context on that so I’m sticking a pin in it and asking people to stay open-minded on how undoing that is not the only path out of the dark forest 15.20 left many of us in, I also don’t know what outcomes are going to be.
So Dean, restless and despairing and with his emotional journey not complete, decides if he can’t have his happy ending, he’ll find a universe where his family does. Since Chuck’s shitty drafts pretty much all implode and end up in destruction and even worse scenarios than spn prime, Dean HAS TO MAKE HIS OWN DRAFT.
HE TAKES CONTROL OF THE NARRATIVE.
This full on loudly acknowledged the immense sadness of the spn prime ending, in an spn universe show, and its sadness to Dean and that is also immensely cathartic. Jensen, being an EP and the spn universe boss rn, wants people to know, he gets it. While he doesn’t trash the finale on con stages, doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand.
I’m listening to what the story’s singing to me.
And we get more Dean pov and Dean’s story now. He’s got almost everyone he’s ever loved and instead of just driving around aimlessly for 40 years he finds a new mission, to protect the world of spn prime, where Sam’s trying to live a life. Of course he’s going to safeguard that, just like he went and made his own better draft in an AU world to give some version of his family and their found family a better chance. It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of Dean and who he is to reduce this to “did it all for Sam.” Of course he’s going to safeguard Sam, as he has since they were children. There are wider deeper reasons he did this. He didn’t do this just for Sam and everyone else he cares about on earth prime (& you can miss me pretending he wouldn’t care about safeguarding Garth’s family, or Jody and Donna’s), he also did this due to his own pain, his own hurt, his own need for comfort.
Dean matters. And there’s a whole PLOT here born from Dean acting on that sadness.
This next stage of his arc is just BEGINNING THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. Because while Dean’s viewpoint that if he can’t have a happy ending, everyone else will, Sam will have it, AU John and Mary will have it, is very Dean, him actually going around to other worlds to save people to others can be happy, is a way he copes, he still hasn’t addressed within himself his own need for a happy ending and that he can find one for himself. And no, that isn’t about Sam and Dean on the bridge.
What TW did here was acknowledge the Sam and Dean bond while it’s also showing how Dean can exist without Sam beside him, so long as he knows Sam is safe. This is not a hypothetical or speculation. That is what TW just showed us and that is really important for Dean’s arc. His people are important to him. But his trauma was never just about Sam. The reason he is the way he is about Sam isn’t about Sam, it’s about trauma. We’ve seen Dean hit those same points with his very closest people—over John, over Cas, over Sam, it’s reflection on how deep those relationships go it’s also a reflection on Dean. It’s about Dean. It’s about him and his big heart and his trauma and how he deal with loss and trauma.
Dean’s motivations may be to protect others, that’s part of who he is, that’s also—I feel like far too many people don’t stop to ask WHY. What makes Dean tick. There are different ways to react to loss, grief, or show love, why is Dean the way he is.
This is exactly what I needed to see, this kind of exploration of Dean after 15.20. No it’s not done yet, it’s not going to repair all the wounds all at once. So for those still hurting, I’m just going to beg them to remember this is just the start of a new stage of Dean’s story and the TW finale just blew his story wide open.
That 40 year gap.
We are in the [OMMITTED]
This is Dean’s story. I AM GOING TO START CRYING AGAIN.
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My Breath of the Wild Spread!! Only one week until Tears of the Kingdom!! I had such a fun time playing it last year but I would change my rating on the game after playing more of the Zelda games and watching the Tears of the Kingdom trailers. It's a gorgeous game but it definitely lacks elements that Tears of the Kingdom promises to provide. It's still a great game nonetheless!
I'm currently playing through the DLCs and will post that spread later on! The official BOTW stickers can be found here on amazon and the dragon stickers were a limited run by KellCarr!
Writing typed below!
Rating: 9.7
Played: Spr 2022
Port: Switch + DLC
Comments:
Encountering the dragons is so beautiful
I beat all 120 shrines!
The architecture is so well thought out I hope to study it more
I hope to tame the Lord of the Mountain -> I did!
The paraglider is so fun :)
The music is so incredibly beautiful
Exploring the new land was a unique experience that I am excited for in TOTK/BOTW 2
I wish there were more varied enemies
FUCK the colosseum
Ganon was so hard, once again I wanted to cry (my friend told me it was so easy that she beat phase 1 without clothes and that messed me up so bad lol)
One of my favorite memories is encountering Kass for the first time outside of Zora's Domain
I can't believe the fairy clothes are TINGLE AHHHHH
I really love the new zora designs
I like how the gorons are genderless
I don't love Zelda's design because her hair is so solid. I love it when she cuts it [in TOTK]
<3 you Sidon
I hope he's in BOTW 2...
Summary:
An unbelievably beautiful game and story. I think it is a game that illustrates the weight of duty and the harm that can put one under. Both Link and Zelda faced different symptom of depression after Fate and the world dictated who they should be. I am so glad in the end Link and Zelda try to become their own people in these roles and rely on each other as friends. The exploration aspect was truly magical. The music, the art, the architecture, the memories, all of it cultivated in to such a special game and I am so excited for its sequel.
I also want to say I played this game when I was going through the some of the worst experiences I've ever had and the summary reflects that. To this day I still view this as a very tragic but hopeful game. I have very strong interpretations of this game that contrasts a lot with how others view the game as a result of what I went through, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. I'm very grateful I decided to play Zelda when I did because it really helped me understand what I was going through and led me to start journaling. Although I still have opinions on how this game could've been better, I do appreciate what it's done for me. (And don't worry I'm doing a lot better now ^_^)
#journalsouppe#bullet journal#journal#tloz#legend of zelda#loz#the legend of zelda#Zelda journal#botw#breath of the wild
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I'm about 60 chapters into this manhwa called "I Married The Male Lead's Dad." Ridiculous title, right?
Well here's the premise: a young woman, who is a self-described "simp" for her favorite character Able from a novel called Pandora, dies. She wakes up in the body of Aisha Heathcliff, a woman who lives in the world the book takes place in, years prior to the events of the book. Able is a child at this time, and Aisha winds up catching the attention of his father Hades. She jumps at the opportunity to become the mother of her favorite character. Shenanighans ensue.
Absolutely ridiculous premise, right? Like, if I described the initial premise of this story to anyone I know in real life, I think I'd die of shame just talking about it, and they would never look at me the same.
But here's the thing y'all:
That initial premise gives you NO hints about where this story is going, and where it's going is GOOD.
Like "I can't sleep because I'm lying awake thinking about it" type of good. Like "I'm cursing like a sailor and giggling and kicking my feet while reading" kind of good.
I'm gonna ramble on for a WHILE. So here's a cut. Feel free to read on if you care to know more.
Okay so let me give you some background first in case you've never resd this type of story before and also because I just like explaining things.
I like reading this particular type of isekai manhwa where the general trope is that a woman from our world dies tragically and then wakes up in the life of a character from a novel she'd recently read.
Sometimes the exact flavor of this trope is a little different, like maybe the MC (main character) wakes up in the life of a character from a dating sim, and a common subtrope is the MC waking up as the villainess of whatever work. (Actually the villainess subtrope is possibly more common than anything else in this type of plot...)
Usually the world the story takes place in is some kind of magical nobility fantasyland where everyone dresses in the fanciest possible clothing and absolutely everything is pretty all the time and the slightest little cut is treated like a dire emergency because no one you care about is ever going to be hurt to the degree of there being long-term consequences, especially not scarring on our female protagonist. (I love how pretty everything is, but I do feel a little embarrassed for the protagonist when she gets a cut on her finger and it's considered a medical emergency...)
The MC is usually isekai'd into a position where she must use her knowledge of the plot to fix events into a happy ending or else face dire consequences. She is usually a bit bumbling about it and often oblivious of the fact that she can or is actively changing things for the better, even if things get temporarily dark.
Oh, and absolutely everyone falls in love with the MC not long after meeting her. Always. Inevitably. If a classically pretty character is introduced? They are going to fall in love with the MC.
Shameless wish fulfillment fantasy stuff. Lots of fun to read, but usually I've forgotten the entire thing a day after reading it because they're all kind of the same really.
With a few notable exceptions. This being one of them.
Now that I've given you the general shape of this type of story, let's begin examining how IMtMLD breaks that mold.
1. First, our MC has not been isekai'd into any character recognizable from the novel of Pandora, so she has no extra knowledge to go on about her own character's fate. She's free to live as she chooses, completely outside of the events of the novel unless she decides to get involved. There are no dire consequences if she doesn't get involved. At least, not for her.
No, she gets involved because she, the self-described "simp," just wanted to catch a look at and give gifts to her obsession, little Able. Creepy, but whatever. People get weird about celebrities and fictional characters. What else is new.
2. Secondly, Hades is not an asshole. It really, really cannot be overstated how much this type of work uses the appearances of characters as shorthand for their personalities. Most drawn media does this of course, but I feel like this particular genre is worse about it. It's one reason they all sort of blend together in my head after a while.
For example, Hades is a handsome man with sharp features and red eyes. He has dark hair and a way of moving and gesturing that screams of arrogance and competency. His smile is always more of a smug smirk. Usually, this sort of appearance would be shorthand for a character that is harsh and aloof and somewhere on a sliding scale ranging from anti-social to sociopathic.
Instead, Hades is a loving father and devoted fiance and encourages open communication and honesty with Aisha and with Able. He does this incredibly cute thing where he'll confidently name his own good qualities, yet still act surprised and get flustered when Aisha flirts with him. Overall he's just very sweet and honest and devoted, with a good sense of humor.
Oh he still breaks out that "anime boyfriend" temper where he will happily cremate his enemies (i.e. anyone who threaten/disrespects his wife or child) but otherwise he is astonishingly reasonable and likeable.
(By the way, this method of appearance shorthand being not quite entirely subverted... Sidestepped? Anyway, Hades is not the only character for whom this gets played with.)
3. Thirdly, Aisha has an identity crisis. Pals, I cannot tell you how long I've waited for one of these isekai protagonists to go through this. Somehow they never do? They always just wake up in a new and prettier body and move on with their lives! And like honestly Aisha is still not having the identity crisis I feel like most isekai protagonists should be having. No, Aisha's having an even WORSE one. Aisha is having the identity crisis to end all crises. Honestly I can't even blame her for latching onto her self-description as a simp because what else does she even have at this point? Like hotdamn.
4. Fourthly, it has Actual Fucking Plot. The story may technically be primarily a romance, but the author did not take that as an excuse to just write random scenarios connected only by two people learning to tolerate each other. No, the author instead decided to play fuck, marry, kill with god, fate, and the very concept of isekai itself - not necessarily in that order.
5. Fifthly, I'm not sure how to word this properly. The romance is a motivation for our dual protagonists, not just a plot device to hang misunderstandings and shenanighans off of. Aisha and Hades are engaged basically day one, he falls for her within like, 10 chapters (partially because he thinks she's in love with him) and Aisha takes a little longer (chapter 40? 50?) but she's also totally gone on him at that point, like from one moment to the next. Honestly it's a little awe-inspiring how quickly these two decide to devote themselves to each other. The awe-inspiring part is that it doesn't feel forced or fake. Instead it's a natural progression of their characters that they would fall like that. That's the sort of people they each are.
The two quickly fall for each other, and the focus is on staying together, rather than slowly falling in love. Is it just me or is that rare for a romance story?
6. Sixthly, we actually get lore??
In short, the main characters are all actually quite lovable and interesting, and the plot very quickly evolves into something far more than just another run of the mill "isekai'd noble" story. Highly recommend, have very much enjoyed.
✨8/10✨
(2 points deducted for simping. Because that's just awkward, bro.)
#reading ratings#i married the male lead's dad#I've not finished the available chapters yet#so i might come back and change this#but right now it's an ✨8/10✨ sparkle rating#sparkle ratings
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Chae Yul: He had it coming... Or did he?
Warning: mild spoilers, disorganized thoughts, a bit of a rant-ish, flowery essay because I can only speak in metaphors, talks on who deserves redemption and who doesn’t.
--
Just finished Secret Alliance, and as someone who needs conversation after a satisfying, cathartic read, I decided to head to the manwha’s trailer to look at the comments, and, to no one’s surprise, saw a crowd of readers with divisive opinions (I always love this. It means the story was provoking enough to inspire different insights.) Of course, when you have a tragic, pretty boy with a murderous streak, you’d get an interesting crowd, and I found it quite easily. This crowd was divided between two factions— one that sympathized and exonerated Chae Yul from his actions, and the one who believed that he had everything coming to him.
Personally, I’m part of the latter.
Legally speaking, he committed criminal acts against Eun that deserved to be penalized. In fact, he was extremely lucky that she didn’t press any charges at all, that much I can agree with. The fate he received in the end was much more benign than what he was setting himself up for; but, at the same time, I’m happy that he was given that chance for redemption. To carry the burden of guilt, regret, and remorse is the punishment of those who sobered from delusion, as they will carry sins of their former selves with them for the rest of their lives.
Obviously, I sympathized a lot with Yul, but to sympathize doesn’t mean to exonerate one from their actions. As I read through the story, I wasn’t hoping for a happy ending. In fact, I felt dread each time he dug a deeper hole for himself. (You could even say that he was already deep inside it before the story even began.) I was half-expecting that he’d end up behind bars, or dead. It’s how a lot of yandere stories would end, as if stamping the message on our heads that people who are this far gone do not deserve to carry on as they are. How would you even hope to redeem a character like Chae Yul? Sad backstory aside, does his character deserve to be redeemed?
I think that a chance for redemption comes when a character could have chosen the path that their circumstances molded them to be, but instead chose the one that allowed the first step to break away from that mold. (Arguably, Chae Yul was halfway down the first path, but sobered by Eun’s harsh reality check where he no longer had a place in her life, he was allowed a glimpse of the other path through the brambles, and he chose to tear his way through to get on the other side.) The more his past was divulged, the more I wished that he had a better “everything” before his nosedive in the story. Chae Yul was just a product of his circumstances. Mocked and objectified for his beauty (Why is conventional feminine beauty somehow always objectified... deserves another mini essay methinks), resented by his father who likely mistreated him because he lacked the masculinity he expected from a son he sired, he turned up bitter and resentful without a single ounce of faith in the world that had done nothing but consume what it desired of him only to spit him out right after.
It came as no surprise that he clung onto the first person who saw him as a human being, something other than an amalgamation. It also came as no surprise that without anyone to derive any form of healthy attachment from (My god, everyone either mocked him, or wanted to get rid of him or defile him), all he knew was that he’d be hard-pressed to release who he thought was the only person who could ever see him for who he could be behind his face.
Cue the stalking, gaslighting, and blackmailing, and the terrible, no good, terrorizing of Eun.
And yet, two years later, he was able to let go. Even though his heart “shattered to a million pieces, the sun still rose the next morning and he was still breathing.” When he realized that he no longer had a place in Eun’s life, the one person who his life revolved around, he pieced himself back together, perhaps alone, perhaps slightly cushioned by his tentative reconciliation with his sister. Drifting in space with nothing but the sobering pain of his heartbreak, he chose to honor Eun’s wishes and made himself scarce in her life, living the life she decided to spare instead of end in court trial that Yul would have lost. It’s true that he was a cruel, selfish, delusional egomaniac who terrorized Eun for most of her adolescent and young adult years with the sad hope of keeping her in his life. But, in time, he accepted the grave error of his ways—carrying with this the pain of knowing that he had hurt the only person he would ever love, the pain that he was a monster—and he would wear this truth around his neck as he presses forward.
Did he deserve this ending? I believe he does. Does he deserve something worse? I believe he does so as well. What made the difference is that he chose to end it before it got worse. He chose to own up to his mistakes, and he so he lived by its consequences. He chose to carry his love for Eun as penance, afraid to ever forget her, and enacting it by leaving it unrealized. Perhaps without even knowing it, he’s performed his first pure act of love, a feat given that he was never spared some of it for even just a bit.
#secret alliance#the secret alliance#chae yul#spoilers#cw spoilers#tw spoilers#if you disagree i'd love to hear your insights first before you call me names
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Hiii arr u willing to answer all the TES months asks for Aneis and Murza and Dire please please please :} I know that's a Lot so if u want to skip over some that is totally understandable hehe
Morning Star - What was the first thing you gave your OC? Name, backstory, design, etc
Aneis: I guess technically the first thing I gave her was her name, even though I've since changed the spelling. I had liked the name Anais before picking up Skyrim (even though I was pronouncing it wrong lol) and had used it for my PC in Pokémon Sword and one of my SDV saves so I just used it again when I started Skyrim. Also side note, I've never watched The Amazing World of Gumball before today while babysitting and I had no clue that was the little sister's name.
Murza: The first thing I came up with for her was just a vague concept. I wanted to play around with mismatched race/class, so of course the first thing I wanted was an orc mage. The second thing I decided for her was that she was gonna be trans because hell yeah.
Dire: The first thing I came up with for him was also a vague concept. I had wanted to make a chaotic evil demigod type character and even though he's changed a lot since initial concept I figured the best way to achieve that would be to make him a demiprince. I wanted him to be kind of conniving and sly and settled on making him the son of Clavicus to get there. Originally he was going to be another one of Aneis' companions who was tagging along just for the vain glory of being a part of the dragonborn's adventures but you know how OCs sometimes seem to have a mind of their own and he eventually got to where he is now :)
Sun's Dawn - Does your OC have a love interest? What is their relationship like?
Aneis: Aneis was always a pretty promiscuous person. She knew she'd have to make Teldryn another one of her conquests from the first moment she saw him without the helmet. They hooked up a few times while traveling on Solstheim, but while going through Nchardak trying to get to the Black Book, he used his whole body to shield her from an automaton that had caught her off guard and that was it, she was done. That night in Severin Manor she sits him down and is like. Look, don't be alarmed and please don't leave because I still need you to guide me around this gods forsaken island. But I think I'm in love with you. To which Teldryn is like
Murza: You know the "me doing whatever my hot witch wife wants" meme? That's Murza and Endurys. However before they were married they were the epitome of idiots in love. Just stupid long stares and longing sighs in camp at night until one day Aneis snaps and shoves them in an inn room together and yells at them to not come out until they've fucked all the yearning out.
Dire: Dire is aroace do no romantic interests for him! But his absolute favorite people in the world are his little cousins and his little brother
First Seed - Does your OC have any enemies or rivals? How did these rivalries start?
Aneis: I know there's lots of people who read into the LDB's relationship to Miraak and how tragic his story is and blah blah blah, he makes my blood boil so Aneis feels the exact same way. As opposed to any other big bad she faces, (Harkon is Serana's White Whale before anyone else, Ulfric had to go for the well-being of the people in her opinion, and defeating Alduin was more for the people she loved and needed to protect than anything else) Miraak makes it personal for her, acting like some sort of sibling rival to her when Akatosh is nothing more to her than a perverted puppet master playing with her fate. She actually loathes any of the Dovah who call her sister without having earned that respect from her first (like Paarthurnax and Odahviing have). As far as she's concerned she only has one father and he never used her to clean up his messes, he gave his life trying to protect his homeland from the Dominion.
Murza: I've been wanting to play around with the concept of Savos Aren being the big bad of the College Quest line as opposed to Ancano. Like Ancano is still evil and shit, but like, Aren was actually in league with him the whole time. He needed the Thalmor's resources to get him to the Eye and the Staff and the second he has what he needs he betrays their shaky alliance. Anyway yeah I think Murza would kinda always be wary of Savos and it would also legitimize her succeeding him as opposed to any other member of the staff if she's the one who was able to fell him.
Dire: I wouldn't say Dire had any real enemies or rivals. I'm kinda keeping his story once he goes adventuring on his own open because of TES:VI supposedly being eminent and I might want to use him in that game. So as of right now, in the Skyrim timeline, he's just a lil guy? Who could hate that?
Rain's Hand - Can your OC use magic? If so what Schools?
Aneis: Aneis knows three spells: close wounds, clairvoyance, and muffle. All taught to her by her father as they're the most useful out in the wild while tracking prey. She can also do a bit of fire magic, but nothing more than just enough to light a campfire. She might later learn heal undead for the sake of Serana though.
Murza: I'm not sure what to say for her. She's the arch mage of course she uses magic. I guess she is particularly adept at conjuration, being a follower of Malacath and having a half daedric son
Dire: Dire would mostly be adept with alteration and illusion, but also conjuration because duh. I could see him as a very small child, using alteration to make his toys move without touching them, a slightly older child summoning small beasts from oblivion to play with (maybe even Uncle Barbas), and when his cousins are babies, using illusion to calm them down and keep them entertained.
Second Seed - Is your OC an alchemist? What do they excel at making?
Aneis: Araneth, Aneis' mother, was an apothecary. In the same way her father passed his hunting prowess to her, her mother also tried to give her as much of her knowledge as she could as well. She didn't much get it or appreciate it while her mother was alive, but later in life she put the effort into actually trying to understand her mother's teachings. She eventually becomes about as skilled as your average professional alchemist.
Murza: Gonna preface this with the fact that I still consider alchemy a school of magic even though it counts as a thief's skill in Skyrim. Anyway I think it would be the one school to slip her grasp. It's just too... material. Breaking an enemy's mind with a flick of her wrist? Summoning a sword from Oblivion that weighs nothing in hand but can slice through trees? Those are the kinds of esoteric things that Murza understands. Plants that need to be boiled at a certain temperature and creatures' innards that need to be removed in an exact precise manner? May as well be Dwemeris to her.
Dire: Dire is like his mother in that alchemy is just too far over his head. But he isn't as frustrated about his lack of comprehension as she is. Why would he need to worry about mixing potions when he can just find them well and good for the taking in every dungeon in Tamriel?
Mid Year - Does your OC have a favourite celebration? Do they celebrate holidays?
Aneis: Hircine's summoning day is a very special time for her. She always spends days hunting before hand, trying to gather as much a variety of pelts and trophies as she can for her offering. This is even though, as his champion, they are definitely not necessary, the woman fells dragons in his name. However she always prepares as much as she can for him, and once summoned she always has the same simple request for him. To deliver a message to her family in the Hunting Grounds, that she loves them, and misses them, and hopes she is making them proud.
Murza: Murza always tries to make it a point to be home at Lakeview Manor for the Witches Fest. She loves seeing the children dressed up and doing little tricks to entertain them. (This goes along with the headcanon that Lakeview Manor would eventually have a little village crop up around it)
Dire: He would very much enjoy the Jester's Festival, but his absolute favorite is Clavicus' summoning day. I've joked before that it's the only time he gets to play catch with his dad, but since he is also a small aspect of Vile in and of himself, I think the whole day he'd just feel a little closer to Oblivion and it makes him feel whole.
Sun's Height - What is your OC's favourite shop, in any of the games; what do they buy the most of?
Aneis: Aneis adores The Drunken Huntsman. Anoriath is a very talented fletcher and Elrindir is always game to swap hunting stories. They make the whole establishment feel like what she's been missing from Valenwood all these years away, even as a wooded building. They're probably the only people in Tamriel she trusts to service her family bow.
Murza: Murza actually likes hanging around Tel Mithryn. Neloth always has interesting, useful things to sell to her and she suspects he likes her company as she's much quicker to catch onto his teachings than his actual apprentice (sorry, Talvas).
Dire: Even though Enthir's displeasure at having a child on college grounds was always well known to Dire, he still likes bugging him to show him all the weird, cool things he has for sale, which he has no intention of buying. Just looking and maybe a little swiping to play with later.
Last Seed - What weapon does your OC use? Who taught them how to use it?
Aneis: Aneis' main weapons are her family's heirloom bow and the battleaxe gifted to her by Balgruuf. Her father taught her how to shoot and she's self taught with the axe. She'd honestly never touched a two handed weapon in her life before but she thought the nords might think it a great insult for her to not use a weapon gifted to her by the Jarl, so she just swung it around until she found what felt good and did the most damage.
Murza: Murza got her base knowledge of magic from Atub, but growing up in the stronghold she was also expected to learn to swing a sword. Though the swords she uses now are less... mundane. She uses summoned weapons. Idk if that got across lol.
Dire: Dire has had a natural affinity for magic since birth but he hones his craft under the tutelage of his mother and the other professors of Winterhold.
Hearthfire - Does your OC have a family (blood or found)? Who are they closest to?
I can answer this generally for all three characters. The whole of the found family (the people who live at Lakeview Manor) are Aneis, Murza, Teldryn, Endurys, Dire, Hab, Cinuri, Braiel, and the dogs, Sable and Merc. Aneis and Murza are closest to each other platonically, and though he'd never admit it, Dire is closest to Cinuri, she's his best friend.
Frost Fall - Where is your OC's primary residence? What city is there favourite?
Aneis: Aneis knows most of the Bosmer living in Skyrim find The Rift to be the closest approximate to their homeland, she finds the quite, backwoods nature of Falkreath reminds her much more of the area she grew up in. Of course she loves her quite little life on the homestead, surrounded by all her loved ones.
Murza: Technically, Murza's main residence is the college, but she tends not to spend much time there, mainly because she gets lonely. Endurys hates the cold having grown up in the shit hole of Eastmarch and avoids the college as much as possible and Aneis only goes if she's asked to specifically by Murza. So she ends up spending most of her year in Lakeview.
Dire: His parents have determined its much better for him to grow up in an actual stable home surrounded by actual stable adults, so most of his childhood is spent in Lakeview. However, once in a while, Murza will bring him with her on her trips to the college and he loves it. So many places to explore and get into trouble and so many people to bug until they relent and teach him something new.
Sun's Dusk - Is your OC religious? If so, who do they follow?
Aneis: Aneis' grandmother was a priestess of Hircine, her father a priest, and the rest of her family devotees. Their whole devotion is based on having such hunting prowess on their own, they have no need for the gift of the beast blood. This of course culminated in Aneis literally being born to be the greatest hunter of the greatest prey, the Last Dragonborn.
Murza: Murza has always felt like an outsider, even within her own tribe growing up, so she finds a lot of solace in the tenants of Malacath. She also keeps a quiet reverence for Dibella, as her priestesses were the ones who helped her become her most true self.
Dire: Dire doesn't really necessarily worship Clavicus Vile, he just kinda has this air of thankfulness around the subject of his daedric parent. After all it is through his connection to Oblivion that he is able to help so many people and keep his family together in the afterlife.
Evening Star - When is your OC's birthday?
Aneis: 27th of Hearthfire, 4E 153
Murza: 21st of Sun's Dusk, 4E 165
Dire: 30th of Mid Year, 4E 206
#wow i havent written in a while that really hit the spot#thanks stars!!!#rikke.txt#oc: aneis#oc: murza#oc: dire#asks#ask game#long post
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oough i read through the summary just now and im just collecting my thoughts... i just feel on one hand terribly sorry for seiya because like through and through he's a person u know? i just feel bad that throughout his life he just... never truly escaped that cycle of abuse. like sure ryuzaki is killed at the end of the story and by his hand or otherwise odile at least sort of grows into someone strong but he dies and is desecrated and he never really escaped a world of exploitation.
i dont think he was just like his mom either and idk like i dont really think the point is how Moral seiya is but he does harm people even though he clearly tried hard to live with some conviction. contrasting the ignorant teenage seiya with the puppet leader he's become who is disgusted by others but also sympathetic to some like him, i feel real ambivalent
just think it's kind of curious the most meaningful relationships (it seems) he has are with a bright girl who can be what he no longer can be and who i think he never keeps too close to his world, a turbulent one with a young man he sees like a son and like jiang bin who is not an idealist but appears trying to live holding onto his art.. idk it's like theres a weird distant in everything
i do kind of like that like honestly we dont know exactly how did seiya's mother end up in this situation. the exact circumstances that heavily complicate each person's personal narrative change but there are things that stay consistent individuals who corrupt, who seek and hold power and the people they bend who lose their ability to be fully autonomous.
anyways it's kind of weird to say cuz junpei wasnt mentioned much but im even more interested in his role now and if he differs at all from those around him.
LABBBB thank you so much for reading and sharing these thoughts I am so happy ♡ you perfectly described the main points in your second to last paragraph - Seiya's predecessors and heirs are definitely all a sort of a predatory chain. I'm glad you didn't glaze over Izumi... it's true that she was saved from a similar fate precisely because Seiya refused her attempts to get closer to him. Izumi tried to extend Seiya a helping, compassionate hand and repay his mercy many times through the years but it seems that refusing her loving influence was the kindest thing Seiya could have done for her. Odile did become a strong person who can love earnestly, but his youth was still stolen away by Seiya - Odile breaks the cycle, but Seiya can only gnaw at it without ever breaking free much like his futile attempts to eat through Ryuzaki's flesh. Seiya is a very tragic character and I personally feel strongly for him (not only because he is my creation) but I truly don't think he could be free even in death. He is simply desperately tethered to the circle of being harmed and harming others in return. I think his fate was decided the moment that he stabbed through Smith's eye with a weapon intended for self harm, the moment when he resigned himself to allow his infection to spread beyond him. Did Smith deserve to die? Certainly. But did Seiya have to be the one to exact revenge? Debatable. I don't think theres as much honor in tearing apart your abuser as many think there is. You'll stuff yourself full of tasteless food, and hunger after the flavor of honey for life. Seiya spent his entire life eating wood shavings and choked on them in the end.
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Happy STS!
Which OC has been taking over your mind recently? What excites you about them?
~ @tabswrites
Happy Storyteller Saturday! Thank you so much for the ask, @tabswrites!
Which OC has been taking over your mind recently? What excites you about them?
Cailean Telkerly from Enchanted Illusions, Ahren Ellara from Tales of Wilted Flowers, and Adaria Vytris from Realms of Loss. Lemme explain (:
CAILEAN TELKERLY -
Cailean is one of my favorite characters in that book, being the rogue with a heart of gold archetype that I really, really love in fiction! Since I've been working on his POV backstory a lot lately, I've gotten to know his history a lot better, which only made me love this character even more. I'm excited about quite a lot of things about him, from his intricate past to his personality. He is a classy and witty con man/thief who specializes in stealing from the nobility and overall big targets. To make a very long story short, he agrees to help one of the protagonists (Agatha) because he believes using this partnership will get him rich (and because they have a common enemy), but ends up really falling in love with her in the process (which complicates and screws up his "this partnership is strictly business" plan quite a lot), which leads to a very much "star-crossed lovers" situation sometimes. Plus, he is really adorable in personality, because even though he is a petty criminal, he is also a really good person deep down beneath the opportunistic exterior he carefully crafted throughout the years - and is someone very charmingly sarcastic at that. Writing the growth of his relationship with Agatha, from strangers to partners/friends to lovers, is really, really rewarding, especially given their vastly different worldviews and experiences (and how much they fall in love with each other).
AHREN ELLARA -
I really like writing about Ahren because of his complexity, and his character arc in the first book - which goes from a hesitant good character to a morally grey character, as he ends up doing the wrong things for good reasons (as he was led to believe he had no other choice). He's a really tragic character and a good example of how a chaotic environment and constant pressure can change even the most resilient of people. Ahren had everything, and in the matter of one fateful night, he lost it all. He would do anything to restore his family name and keep his cousin safe, even if it takes making not-so-great choices and morally convoluted deals. The impact of the losses he suffered and the hardships he endured turned Ahren into someone slightly bitter and paranoid, certain that everyone was "out to get him" and that he had to be ruthless before the world has the chance to be ruthless to him - having a "the world was never fair to me, why should I be?" mindset. He is a good person and tried with every fiber of his being to remain so, but eventually, it all becomes too much for him to handle alone, which defines a turning point for his character in Book 1. Overall, a very compelling POV that has taken over a lot of my mind these days!
ADARIA VYTRIS -
There's something I really like about her backstory and motivations throughout the book, they feel very specific and genuine to her. I love writing about underdog characters who beat the odds and decide to take a stand about a system that has wronged them. Adaria is also incredibly loyal and protective of her family, which is the whole reason she embarks on this journey in the first place - to save her siblings. Her relationship with them is also a huge part of why I love her backstory so much! Adaria is a very hopeful character, preferring to believe that one day the future will be brighter - and she will fight to make sure that happens. The odds were always against her - she was just another street kid from the freezing outer cities, probably destined to starve or vanish, like so many before her, but she wanted more than that world could give her, she wanted to be more. To live, not just survive. She decided to challenge her destiny, with what tools she was given and will do whatever it takes to ensure this future for herself and those she loves. Another thing I really like about her is her friendship with Kassien Vann, a knight from Sarythea tasked with protecting a weapon she sets out to steal - their relationship goes from rivals to hesitant allies and finally friends, I really like it!
#writing#writeblr#writers#writerblr#character writing#my wips#my characters#my writing#writers on tumblr#STS Asks#asked and answered#wip enchanted illusions#wip tales of wilted flowers#wip realms of loss
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snow analysis
Imagine starting a book with a character who has been through the worst of times. He has survived war, hunger, and poverty, and all he wants is to provide for his family. Sounds like someone we know, right? That's right, he's like Katniss, but with a twist. This guy is power-hungry, and he cares about reputation and status more than anything else. At first, you sympathize with him, but as you read on, you realize that he's not as innocent as he seems. He looks down on the districts and blames them for his misfortunes, and all he wants is to rise to the top. As you follow his journey in the book, you start to see how he becomes the villain we all know. But the question remains: can he be redeemed? Dive into the Hunger Games universe and find out.
Amid the intense Games, something unexpected happens. Coryo and a few of his classmates begin to question the morality of the Games and sympathize with the oppressed districts. At first glance, it seems like Coryo might have a change of heart and join the rebellion against the Games. However, as we all know, things are not always what they seem.
The story of a forbidden love that transcends the boundaries of social status and defies the rules is always intriguing. And that's precisely what makes the story of Lucy Grey and her lover so captivating. He's a peacekeeper, tasked with enforcing the Capitol's rule on the districts. But he never fully lets himself sympathize with his duty. Instead, he finds himself drawn to Lucy Grey, a girl from the district whom he loves deeply. He's willing to break the rules, to do whatever it takes to keep her alive, to prove his love. However, he's torn between his desire for love and his ambition. He dreams of being with Lucy Grey in the Capitol, where he doesn't have to give up anything for her. He never planned on falling for a girl from the district and definitely didn't intend to give up his ambitions for her. But fate has other plans. When he's sent to District 12 as a peacekeeper, he decides to make the most of it and breaks the rules to be with her. Deep down, he knows that he wants to run away with her, but his ambition sometimes gets in the way. The story of Lucy Grey and her lover is a tale of love, ambition, and the struggle to do the right thing. It's a story that will leave you pondering about the choices we make for love and the sacrifices we're willing to make for it.
Imagine living a simple life, free from the chaos and stress of the modern world. In a captivating novel, the protagonist faces a tough decision between following his heart and pursuing his ambitions. He chooses love only when he feels like there's no other way out, and when he believes there's no future without it. But when he sees another option that promises power and prestige, he's torn between his heart and his ambitions. In a sudden twist, he starts to view the girl he loves in a negative light, even going as far as contemplating harming her. Will he come to his senses and choose love, or will he let his ambitions cloud his judgment and make a terrible mistake?
Imagine being haunted by the memories of betraying the one person you truly loved. That's exactly what happened to this man who, at the time, was convinced that the girl he loved was bad and untrustworthy. But now, years later, the haunting melody of the rebels' hanging tree song reminds him of what he did and the pain that he caused. The memory of his betrayal consumes him, and he's determined to never let love lead him astray again. He's decided that power is more important than love, and so, he vows to marry someone he doesn't love. It's a tragic story of a man who lost everything he held dear, and now, all he has left is the weight of his regret.
also include the dynamic with Sejanus is the most interesting aspect of the book Sejanus was always causing problems for Coryo, which leads Coryo to almost get killed in the arena despite no matter what he develops a sense of caring for Sejanus I believe truly he believes what he say near the end that "sejanus wasn't bad but confused" he sees Sejanus a good person but misguide snow disagrees with sejanus "ideals" his empathy with the rebels. Coryo's attitude towards his friend reminds me of Judas as Jesus Christ Superstar. He cares about his friend and wants to stop him from causing problems for his own good...at first. It shifts from wanting to protect Sejanus to mostly wanting to protect himself. He is conflicted about betraying Sejanus and tries to convince himself it was for Sejanus' own good but it was really for himself, he needed Sejanus out of his life to protect his own skin One of the factors that transform Coryo into the villain
we see in the original trilogy is Dr Gaul's influence. Although he dislikes and fears her, he comes to see her as someone who will help him get ahead in life if he says what she wants him to. So he develops the ideals she wants from him. On some level he already believed that control was needed to prevent chaos, but she helps him articulate and solidify these beliefs.
In the end, I think Snow still considers himself a good person. He sees himself as having sacrificed love and friendship for what he believes is the greater good. He eventually restores the Capitol to its former glory and convinces himself that oppressing the districts and forcing them into the Hunger Games is what is best for them. He rules with an iron fist because he fears chaos and must retain control.
I was really impressed with how the character transformed from a mostly good person to a power-hungry villain. The way the story showed all the little steps that led him down that path felt so realistic and believable. He wasn't just a one-dimensional, always-evil bad guy like some villains - he had the potential to be a hero, but ultimately chose the wrong path. It reminded me of Cora from Once Upon A Time, who had a similar backstory of struggle and hardship. Even though she wasn't a good person, you could understand why she made the choices she did. It's fascinating to see how characters can be both sympathetic and yet so flawed at the same time.
#snow#character analysis#who next#reblog if you agree#comment down below who should i do next?#or dm me#sonic
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Title: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Mo Dao Zu Shi) Vol. 5
Author: Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Genre/s: danmei, xianxia, historical, horror, fantasy, queer romance, romance
Content/Trigger Warnings: physical and emotional abuse, rape (mentioned), body horror, death, violence
Summary (from publisher’s website): Foes, allies, and one reassembled fierce corpse converge on the Guanyin Temple for a climactic showdown. With decades-long schemes finally unveiled, and dark secrets unearthed, the events of this rain-battered night will decide not just the fate of the entire cultivation world–but also that of a love story two lifetimes in the making.
Also included are eight short stories that focus on the future and the past. From magical incense burners to tense banquets, to lotus-pod hunting and nighttime expeditions with the juniors, these stories span from dawn to dusk and so much more!
Buy Here: https://sevenseasentertainment.com/books/grandmaster-of-demonic-cultivation-mo-dao-zu-shi-novel-vol-5/
Spoiler-Free Review: So I’ve had this last volume for a while now, but it took me some time to get to it because life and work and blah blah blah. But now I’m finished reading it, and WHOO BOY WAS IT A RIDE!
First of all, it was nice to read how everything was finally, FINALLY wrapped up - not always happily or tidily, but in a way that made sense, given everything that had already happened in the previous four volumes. I will admit that the final unraveling of the villain’s schemes and motivations was a bit info-dumpy, given how it was all set up, but at the same time I don’t really know how else all of that could have been revealed in a more subtle way without doing so in another four or five chapters, so all in all it’s not so bad.
But what this volume focuses on is a theme that tracks across the entire series: the cyclical nature of vengeance. While that cycle is now closed (or is it?) for Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, the ending shows that the cycle can potentially continue. I can’t really talk about the details because it would be a MASSIVE spoiler to do so, but regardless: I find it interesting that it’s mostly Wei Wuxian who notices what’s going on with the character in question, and it is his musings that point all of this out to the reader. After all, he was a major contributor to the momentous events that led to this ending: events that, when you really get down to it, sprang from someone, somewhere, wanting to avenge themselves on a person, or people, or the entire world.
I also find the inconclusiveness of the cycle’s perpetuation in the form of a certain character to be very interesting too. I know some people might find this annoying or frustrating, but I’m not the sort of reader who expects every single plot thread to be tied up in a nice bow, so I’m honestly fine with the way this particular thread has been left up to the reader’s imagination. Will that character go on to perpetuate tragedy in the same way the series’ primary villain did? Or will they take a different path? Will that path be more or less wicked, more or less tragic? No one can say, because the author’s declined to write that story, and it’s up to the readers to decide whether or not this character will turn out for better, or for worse - though I’m sure there are fanfic writers who’ve got ideas of their own, and are probably churning out epics as I write this.
Speaking of extra writing, the Extras included in this volume were lovely to read. Now that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji FINALLY know how they feel for each other (after the intervention of OTHER CHARACTERS, it must be noted), the Extras show what life’s like for them in the wake of everything that’s gone before. The tone taken is mostly bittersweet, but there’s plenty of spice there too. If the one spicy scene in Volume 4 was just a little taste of what could happen between these two characters, then the Extras in this volume show ALL THE OTHER THINGS they get up to after the main story’s ending.
But the Extras aren’t all just smutty scenes (though there are those too). In fact, my favorite stories are the ones where the plot is built around a Night Hunt, and Wei Wuxian and/or Lan Wangji and/or the Lan juniors try to get to the bottom of it. I’m very fond of mysteries, and even more fond of those with supernatural/urban fantasy leanings, and these specific Extras really hit the right notes for me in that regard. It was also an interesting bit of worldbuilding, in that the reader gets insight into how “regular” Night Hunts work, as compared to the very grand and dangerous ones that were featured in the main story.
Overall, this volume was a great wrap-up for this epic and emotional series. The current cycle of vengeance has come to an end for most of the characters involved, but whether or not it’s ended for good is up in the air, given what happens with a certain character during this volume. But in the space between the ending of this cycle and the beginning of the next, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji get to have the best fate of all: time to build a life with each other and their loved ones. After everything that’s happened to them, I can’t think of a better ending for them both.
Rating: four lotus pods
#book review#book reviews#grandmaster of demonic cultivation#mo dao zu shi#mo xiang tong xiu#mdzs#mxtx#danmei#xianxia#fantasy#mystery#horror#queer romance#romance#books#historical
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tell us more about the au :]
OKAY!!! But one thing I gotta disclaim before I say anything, this entire au is born from my unmoving loz hyperfix and me having a thing for twinks so ^-^ also me wanting to torment the links so um....
ANYWAY!!! So this au majorly only involves ocarina of time, hyrule warriors, twilight princess, botw/totk, and skyward sword! And kicks off with the events of hyrule warriors and Cia gaining the triforce of power after stealing it from Ganondorf. One thing that you really need to know about Cia is that she is a tragic villain, but her actions afterwards are so abhorrent and just all around awful that she serves as more of a cautionary tale, or a warning to me.
Originally Cia was supposed to be more of a spectator, a protector, someone who watches all of the different time periods of the triforce and makes sure no harm comes to pass to the triforce. Cia is the embodiment of all of the loneliness, the anger, the resentment, every negative emotion that Cia and Lana had ever felt was forced into Cia and that's how she ultimately became one of the most terrifying villains of the greater loz sphere. Cia had been forced to live an eternal life where she would always be alone, always be the guardian, and could not under any circumstances- interact with any of the hands of fate that she was forced to spectate. Over time, she began... to develop a fixation of the heroes spirit, or on the Links.
The hero of courage is just that, a hero, and one of the only things that comforted Cia at all during this eternal isolation was the thought that she would eventually be saved. She would have her hero, she would have some kind of control, a life outside of these walls, but she knew it was never going to happen as simply-
She was never supposed to be part of their stories, she was never going to be the princess, she was never going to be the one chosen above all else. Cia is as much of a victim by fate and the goddesses as the holders are, but the main difference is that she doesn't even have the mercy of being part of the story. She was always supposed to be the invisible pillar, the support, she was always there to just watch everything she ever wanted slip through her fingers.
But... Cia refused to live like that, if the goddesses wanted to dangle what she wanted right in front of her face, if they simply expected her to stay in her place- they were wrong. And that's how Cia and Lana split in half and how Cia lost whatever hope or love left over for the goddesses and the fate they were all damned to. That's when she decided that she would simply hurt the goddesses where it hurt the most and sooth the part of her that was still in agony.
She would have her salvation, she would have her heroes, even if it meant burning down every single string of fate and dragging down the world with her.
Even if the heroes didn't want it, even if they ran and fought, she would have them and no one else would have them.
After all, the goddesses never cared for her and they had damned all of the heroes with a curse disguised as a blessing. What was she doing besides balancing the fates? Tearing the gods down from their gilded perches while taking what she always wanted. Damn the consequences, damn the panic and pain, she would have what she desired no matter what any of the world's had to say.
That's how this au's conflict kicks off ^-^ with a very, very vengeful woman who manages to bring down hyrule to its knees and yet wants more. In the game itself she actually does have the power to go into all the separate time periods! But one thing that is different from the main game is that the war against hyrule is more... of a siege, a much longer war that drags the death count for hyrule into the thousands upon thousands, while Cia? Similar to botw/totk Ganondorf, she can just resurrect her armies so it's no life lost to her.
With the war being a much longer, costly one, I imagine that Cia makes it no secret what exactly she wants: Link. I mean... in game she nearly manages to kidnap him and has fucking statues, paintings, and imagery of all the different Link's- she's not a good person and is breaking every boundary in existence SJSJSJ
She'll stop everything! She'll stop the war! She'll end the death, the misery, she'll pull back her armies and hyrule can glower at its humiliating defeat when they prayed so hard to their meaningless goddesses. Everything will stop... if she's given what she wants. But Zelda is furiously against this and refuses to subject them to such demands, so the war continues. At first spirits are muted but still high, but as the death count continues and as everyone just wants the war to be over... people begin calling for a sacrifice.
But Zelda refuses for Link to be that sacrifice, so soldiers begin to become traitors and switch to Cia's side as she seems so much nobler, so much more of a leader compared to their weak princess. Link. or Warriors, is so fucking interesting to me here but THAT'S a whole separate post but rest assured!! He's having a very, very bad time on all sides and he's been betrayed so many times that he's starting to develop an anxiety disorder!
But skipping ahead a bit to when the actual serious plot kicks in- Cia decides that she's not done, nowhere close to done, and wielding the triforce of power only makes everything that much worse. Suddenly she has the power to cross time periods with ease and has so much power, so much nobility, at her fingertips that she begins to attract those likeminded to her like a flame. This is majorly seen with the yiga but also: Zant, Volga, and Ghirahim. This makes things very easy to start planning to capture all of the heroes once and for all and effectively kneecap each kingdoms ability to protect themselves cause Cia knows better than anyone else just how much hyrule relies on each of its heroes.
From here it gets even more fucking insane as I have plans for how each of the Link's get captured and how Time and Wild <- oot and botw/totk link, are the only ones not captured for a time and they're desperately on the run. On the way they somehow manage to rescue the rest of the them and its like a lil family of very mentally ill, scared twinks! They all become dangerously protective over each other and are borderline dependent! I can even explain each of the Link's issues and personalities, as well with how they get kidnapped and tricked so badly that it triggers each of their fears in new, fun ways!!! But that's,,, a whole other separate thing and I think this is a long enough explanation for this damn au sjsjsj
Random details about this au: Time is the long lost prince of hyrule and only his Zelda knows about this, or aka his older sister. Sky is haunted by Hylia and visions during alot of the time during his adventure but it calms down afterwards, expect for the day before the downfall of skyloft. Twilight can still transform into a wolf as he kept the twili crystal but also he's sorta... part twili now. Warriors actually isn't originally from hyrule, he escaped from a kingdom a couple of countries away that successfully fucked with him mentally. Wild's memories are shot and he doesn't remember much pre-calamity death, but he does remember snapshots of it and the resentment he had for his own Zelda.
#thebleedingeffect talks#genuinely I may try to write some of the kidnapping scenes I have for all of the links cause I get MEEEAANNNNN LMAO#BUT THANK YOU FOR THIS I'M LOSING MY MIND OVER THIS DAMN AU !!!!#hyrules curse#<- thats the official tag for this au. I need this post for reference
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Hey, hope you're doing well!
I wanted to ask what you think of Criston's death? I know he's disliked by the majority even though if you were to rank from most to least "problematic" he's towards the very bottom - only the babies and Helaena have him beat.
I've seen people hope he's given a disgraceful death which....from what we've seen of him so far, could probably happen, which would be very disappointing.
Maybe I'm being too harsh but some of the messaging given the show's theme(s) confuses me. I agree with you when you said that Viserys got a tragic and sympathetic death despite his unacknowledged awfulness. We obviously don't know how the other deaths will go down but bookwise, Daemon (who is the Problematic King) gets a cool duel at the end. And if Criston, who's nowhere near as bad as others and is underprivileged socially and politically, gets a send-off that narratively paints him as the main instigator or a disgraced knight, I really do think I would side-eye this show.
Not saying he's the best, but there's something pretty tragic about a knight who has no choice (because otherwise he's stuck in the marches or something) but to protect the most corrupt system in the show choosing to swear himself first and foremost to a child-bride who also has no choice but to serve the crown lest her family dies. They're both working within the system to protect themselves and their loved ones, not seeking power, compared to the opposition who believe they're entitled to the throne and have more power.
Thanks!
Thanks so much anon for the well wishes anon! I'm doing good, my birthday's next week so I'm having a banner time being my parents' precious little girl in the build up to that, my mom gets very affectionate around birthdays and likes to show that affection by buying me food.
I think Criston's death kinda depends on what you're looking for from the narrative, because, as I've mentioned many times, F&B is meant to be read as a history. And in history, sometimes people have these ignominious deaths. Mark Antony had a moment quite like Criston's where he attempted to challenge Augustus/Octavian to some sort of single combat, and Octavian said no because he was on the winning side and it wouldn't make any sense for him to give up his advantages in military combat when he clearly would lose in one-on-one. Sometimes that's just how life works. You can try to organize a grand and glorious death for yourself but if the other side doesn't see any profit in it for them, they're not going to acquiesce, and in war they're going to try and get rid of you as soon as possible. And in a world like ASOIAF, which prides itself on the fact that there are real consequences to actions and that it doesn't lean into certain clichés (which one-on-one single combat for the fate of the war would be), Criston dying because he was outgunned, outmanned, outnumbered, outplanned and the people he was fighting against decided to just get him out of the way makes sense. That doesn't necessarily make it a bad sendoff. I actually find Criston's death, as it was written in the book, as quite noble. He tries to negotiate, literally says he'll surrender without a fight as long as his men aren't harmed, and he's the one who was refused, and even if you look at it from a neutral eye Longleaf comes off as a bastard in his ordering of Criston's death. I'm also not a fan of those takes that, if a character checks a certain number of boxes on the Disprivileged Checklist, they cannot have anything bad happen to them ever because It Sends A Bad Message because it can feel infantalizing and also people who tend to view fiction like that range from boring to annoying half the time because their reasoning doesn't go any further beyond just that sort of YA book type of view without any thought to history or context or just how fiction works and how trends work and why certain things exist. So while it may be a bit of a letdown from a story perspective, it does make sense for the rules of the world as well as how we're meant to be looking at the tale, and it does still give Criston something of a sendoff, in my opinion.
(daemon's death is just dumb tho, this man is pushing fifty and he's somehow making these anime moves and flying off of dragons to land on another dragon and stab someone in the middle of the air while the dragons are fighting? no, he's not, it's just there because george likes daemon and wanted him to have a cool sendoff, no shade to grrm i've done my fair share of twisting the narrative for my faves but that's what happened here)
We'll see what the show does with Criston, because that's like a couple seasons off (if the show really is going for four seasons, I think this'll be a season 3 thing) and the circumstances have changed. Criston gets a sendoff where he's taunted for starting this war and being a "Kingmaker" in the book, but in the show he's not. He's not the Kingmaker, and had much less of a role in putting Aegon on the throne than in the book, both publicly and privately. So they can't do that, and the show might do something to counterbalance any narrative that they're disproportionately punishing someone societally disadvantaged (especially when a lot of Criston's disadvantaged background, being an out and out commoner and being an ethnic minority in Westeros due to being Dornish, etc, are literally from the show as the book just says he was the son of a steward), since they decided to avoid any "bury your gays" backlash or anger at only killing off characters of color by faking Laenor's death (while still not doing great by the rest of the black characters and also creating a mountain of plotholes and still killing off some poor random black dude anyway for it to work but since he's not named it's fine I guess?). It really depends on what they want to do with Criston throughout the rest of the show, what else they'll give him to do, and how they'll build up his relationships and the circumstances behind things like the Butcher's Ball. Hopefully he gets a good goodbye scene with Alicent before he and Aemond leave King's Landing, at least, for all of our fragile hearts.
#personal#answered#anonymous#yeah i think criston's death is fine#it makes sense for the world and of course it's far off enough that we really don't have a firm grasp to even guess how they'll handle it#it's a very 'wait and see' thing for me
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