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vilevenom · 27 days

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Greetings, Anon! Thank you for your prompt! I feel like you probably wanted more interaction between John and the kids, but it sort of became more of a Bruce and JD fic. Whoops! I hope you like it, anyway!

Bruce didn't know exactly when it had begun, but it was certainly becoming hard not to notice just how much his daughter carried around John Dory. When he called the kids for dinner, she had him in hand. When he poked his head outside to check on the kids during the lunch rush, he was sat in her hair. When he was getting the boys ready for bed, she was placing him on the bathroom counter so she could brush her hair.

Honestly, he was beginning to be a bit concerned. Not because he thought John Dory was using LaBreezey as some sort of easy transportation around the large resort (though that had crossed his mind), but because he was a little worried she was looking at her uncle like some sort of living doll.

Despite the fact that LaBreezey was half troll, she and her siblings weren't overly used to being around smaller species. Sure, they were used to Bruce, and he had tried very hard to teach them that no matter someone's size they should be treated with respect, but they had a tendency to let Bruce's life lessons go in one ear and out the other. Put that together with LaBreezey being his only daughter, so Bruce had a bad habit of letting her get away with more, along with the fact that she was his youngest…Well. Bruce had a feeling it was a perfect recipe for potential disaster. Especially when it was topped off with John Dory admitting to, and striving, to be the kids favorite uncle.

Bruce recalled it vividly, the day that John Dory puffed out his chest with a grin and declared in front of his brothers that he was bound and determined to be bestowed with the title 'favorite uncle' by at least one of the kids. He had laughed and then had promptly handed one of his kids a glitter bomb. So, to say that Bruce had a terrible feeling that John was letting his daughter treat him like a toy to earn brownie points was putting it mildly.

And it wasn't like he had much of a chance to pull his brother aside to talk about it, either. Between LaBreezey toting John Dory around, running the restaurant, dealing with the other twelve kids, and trying to make sure he had time to spend with his wife and other brothers when they popped by, it was nearly impossible.

Until finally, one blessed night when all of the boys went to bed without much fuss, Brandy was out with a couple of her friends, and the only one of his brothers currently visiting was John, he had found the opportunity. Well, nearly. LaBreezey had begged to let John Dory tuck her in that night, so Bruce was left standing outside his daughters room while he waited for John to finish reading her a bedtime story.

"…and the princess ran off into the night with the treasure, leaving the stodgy old prince in the dust. The end."

Bruce arched an eyebrow at the ending of the story, not recalling a single book in any of the kids rooms that ended that way.

"That's a much better ending, Uncle John," LaBreezey hummed, her tone letting Bruce know she was already drifting off to sleep.

"Isn't it? I think the princess is much better off without marrying that silly old prince. Who wants to get married after knowing someone for, like, a day?" John chuckled softly. Sometimes Bruce forgot just how good John Dory was with children, right up until he heard this sort of conversation with any of the kids.

"Good night, Uncle John. I love you," LaBreezey murmured, while Bruce peeked through the door to see her struggle to keep her eyes open.

"G'night, pumpkin. Love you, too," John whispered, a soft smile on his face as he blew her a kiss before hopping off her bedside table to flip on her night light.

John Dory quickly exited the room, startling quite badly at finding Bruce waiting for him directly outside the door. "Holy cupcakes," John hissed, clutching at the front of his vest, shooting Bruce a glare, "You're gonna give me a heart attack."

"I very much doubt that," Bruce snorted, arching an eyebrow at noticing the fact that John's hair was coated in glitter, there was a large flower sticker on the back of his vest, and there were bright pink ribbons tied around his wrists. He gestured to the offending decorations, scrunching his nose slightly. "What's with all that?"

John made a quizzical sound as he glanced to the ribbons, his expression turning mildly surprised, as if he had forgotten they were even there. "Oh, yeah," he finally chuckled after a moment, "LaBreezey said pink is my color, but she didn't have any outfits that would suite me, so she found some little ribbons one of her dolls had in their hair. And then she decided my whole look needed a slight adjustment."

"So, you let her coat you in glitter and decorate you with stickers?" Bruce asked, a slight frown on his face.

"I mean, she wanted to play dress up. I wasn't about to tell her 'no'," John snorted as the two began to walk down the hallway, away from the kids rooms.

Bruce sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment, before shooting John a slight glare. "I wish you would have."

John looked affronted for a moment, before returning Bruce's glare full force. "You would prefer that I make your kid sad by telling her 'no'?"

"Yes!" Bruce started, only to shake his head with a groan, "I mean, no! I don't want her to be sad, but I also don't want her thinking it's okay to treat smaller species like play things!"

"Since when is playing dress up teaching her that trolls are play things?" John scoffed, wrinkling his nose.

"It just is!"

"How?! I used to play dress up with you guys when we were kids!"

"It's different!"

"Again, how?!"

Bruce growled in frustration, throwing his hands into the air. "Because they can hurt us!" Bruce slapped a hand over his mouth as soon as the words escaped him, glancing back towards the kids rooms. They both stood in silence for a moment, Bruce letting out a sigh of relief when none of the kids came running into the hall. He glanced back to John to find him giving him an odd look.

"Maybe you shouldn't have decided to marry a vacaytioner if you were afraid of being hurt," John half growled, his fur bristling.

Bruce rolled his eyes, scoffing at John. "I'm not. Not intentionally, anyway. But you seem to forget, John Dory, that you are dealing with children. Big children. Children that don't realize their strength when dealing with smaller species, like us. Children that aren't used to having to be careful, because they're primarily around vacaytioners their own size. It may not be on purpose, and she might not even realize that she's treating you that way, but when you let LaBreezey do whatever she wants with you, you're unintentionally teaching her that it's okay to treat smaller people like that. Like toys. She doesn't realize it's because you're her uncle, and you're trying to earn some stupid arbitrary 'favorite uncle' title. It was hard enough to get the boys to understand, after I made the mistake of rough housing with the oldest ones when they were younger. I don't want her to think that's okay."

John's expression went from defensive, to pensive, then to defeat. "Okay," he finally muttered after a minute, nodding slightly, "okay."

"Daddy, where's Uncle John?" LaBreezey rocked on her heels as she looked up at her father, who was sat on the counter above her drinking a cup of tea.

"I'm sure he's around, sweetheart. Did you check Rhonda?"

"Rhonda's not where Uncle John parked her yesterday," LaBreezey informed. She looked thoughtful for a moment, before she pulled what appeared to be doll clothing out of her hair. She then climbed up onto the stool next to the counter, placing a troll sized pink vest on the counter next to Bruce. She looked eagerly at her father, bouncing slightly in her seat. "Do you think Uncle John will like it?"

Bruce frowned lightly at the vest, clicking his tongue. "Where did you even find that, sweetie?"

"Oh!" LaBreezey kicked her feet, setting her chin in her hands, "Well, yesterday Uncle John and I were gonna play dress up, but the only clothes I had were dresses for my dolls, but Uncle John didn't want to wear any of those, so I found some stuff to make his outfit pretty. But then I remembered that Cove had a doll with other clothes that he never plays with, and it had a pink jacket. And I know Uncle John likes vests, so I cut the sleeves off for him."

Bruce nodded along as his daughter spoke, before letting out a quiet breath. "You know, LaBreezey, sweetheart, you shouldn't dress Uncle JD up like one of your dolls."

LaBreezey cocked her head slightly in confusion, a little frown on her face. "I wasn't?" she said, taking the vest and tucking it back into her hair. "Uncle John offered to play with me when the boys said that playing dress up was a dumb."

"Oh," Bruce blinked a couple of times, brow furrowed as he mulled that over. "Well…Do you mind if I ask why I keep seeing you carrying Uncle JD around the resort?"

LaBreezey snorted and rolled her eyes as if she'd just been asked the dumbest question in the world. "Because Uncle John's legs are tiny. He can't keep up when we play outside, so it's just faster for me to carry him. Like how mom carries you around sometimes. He told me I didn't need to, and that he was okay on his own, but he gets tired faster when he has to run after us. Plus, he tells me fun stories about when he was traveling when I carry him that only I get to hear, because I'm his favorite niece," she said, smile proud.

Bruce suddenly felt like an idiot. He'd been applying adult concepts and thinking to a child's straightforward actions. He also apparently had far too little faith in his daughter. "So…you just like spending time with your Uncle John? It's not because he lets you dress him up and treat him like a doll?"

"Don't be silly, Daddy," LaBreezey scoffed, "Of course that's fun, too!"

Or perhaps Brue had been right to worry.

"But," LaBreezey continued, "Uncle John listens to me, like you do. We had a tea party yesterday and he let me talk about my sparkle princess pony books the whole time. Rainy and Freddy and Bruce Junior don't like it when I talk about my books. They make fun of them and call them 'girly'. But Uncle John listened to me and told me that if I wanted I could read them to him, since they're too big for him to read."

Oh, yes. Bruce was the worst. "That's so nice, sweetheart! I'm glad to hear it. Did you say that Rhonda wasn't parked where she was yesterday?"

LaBreezey shook her head. "Nope! There were tracks going into the jungle, and you told us not to go out there by ourselves, so I came to ask if you knew where Uncle John went."

"Good girl," Bruce hummed, rising from his seat and setting his tea cup aside. "How about I go find Uncle John for you? As soon as I find him, I'll tell him to come find you."

"Thanks, Daddy!" LaBreezey chirped, leaning in to place a kiss on Bruce's cheek before scrambling off her stool and scampering away.

"You better not have gone far, John Dory," Bruce grumbled to himself as he set off to try and find his brother.

Bruce didn't really have too terribly far to go to find John, luckily. He wouldn't have been surprised if his eldest brother had left the island all together, but luckily he was only on the beach on the opposite of the island to the resort. Rhonda was splashing around in the water, while John was sat in the sand, tossing pebbles into the waves.

"There you are!" Bruce huffed as he jogged up to John, placing his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

John looked rightfully startled by his appearance, frowning slightly. "What'd I do now?" he scoffed, throwing another pebble into the water with a bit more force, "You came running out here like a bergen was on your tail. Did I teach the kids that arson is good because I taught Bruce Junior how to build a camp fire the other day?"

Bruce blinked in surprise, finally catching his breath. "You did what? No," he waved his hands through the air, approaching John with a sigh, "That's not important. I mean, well, it is, but that's not why I came to find you."

"The kid was going to light a fire one way or another. At least I taught him a safe way to do it, and that he should always have a bucket of water nearby," John said with a huff, throwing his last handful of pebbles into the water all at once, catching Rhonda's attention. She churred happily, bounding over to poke at the water where the pebbles had landed.

Bruce watched her for a moment before letting out a long breath. "I was wrong."

John visibly perked up at the admission, turning his head sharply to stare up at Bruce. "Excuse me?"

"Yesterday," Bruce stated, folding his arms over his chest and looking distinctly uncomfortable, "When I spoke to you about LaBreezey. I was wrong. I didn't give her enough credit. Or you, for that matter." He glanced down at John Dory, whose expression all but sparkled.

"I wish I had a camera," John said gleefully, getting to his feet, "So I could commemorate they day one of my little brothers finally admitted to me being great."

"I did not say that," Bruce grunted, shoving John once he as on his feet, making him stumble, "I just…I think you are her favorite uncle. Sometimes I forget that she occasionally has a hard time fitting in with her brothers. But you actually listened to her and spent time doing things that she doesn't get to do as often, because her brothers don't like them, and Brandy and I are too busy. That means a lot to her. And to me, too, if I'm being completely honest." Bruce glanced at John to find him wiping at his eyes with a dopey grin on his face.

"I'm her favorite?"

"That is not the take away you should have here, John Dory."

"I know, I know! But, c'mon!" John nudged his brother playfully, "None of you thought I would be any of the kids favorite."

Bruce rolled his eyes before yanking John Dory into a head lock and ruffling his hair. "Definitely the wrong take away, JD!"

"Ack! Let me go! This hurts my back," John whined, smacking at Bruce's arm.

"Yeah, yeah. All right, old man," Bruce snorted, letting John go. "By the way, LaBreezey made you a new vest,"

"Oh, did she?"

"It's pink."

"Of course it is."

#trolls #dreamworks trolls #trolls bruce #trolls labreezey #trolls john dory #trolls fanfic #trolls band together #things that i wrote #prompt fill

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romione-trope-fest · 2 months

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Capture My Heart

Title: Capture My Heart

Author: adenei

Trope: Muggle AU

Brief Summary: Work meets play at a work picnic/team bonding event. Hermione gets a little more than she bargained for when a certain redhead is held captive during a healthy team bonding game of Capture the Flag.

WC: 2,541

TW: n/a unless you count excessive forearm mentions

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What am I, twelve?

Hermione paces back and forth in front of the currently unoccupied ‘jail cell.’ Really, it’s a piece of rope tied around a few trees just off the beaten path of the trail that is her team’s home base. Swiping through her phone, she’d rather be anywhere else than playing this stupid game at the stupid company picnic.

Don’t they realize she still has a ton of work to get done? Cases never end for a public defender, especially not when certain detectives seem to be a little too good at their job, putting deadbeats who can’t afford their own lawyer behind bars.

It’s not his fault. She should be grateful that there’s someone who actually does their job and takes it seriously, but her workload is screaming otherwise. And since her department refuses to hire an additional person, Hermione will continue to aim all of her resentment at him.

Now, if only the other side would just capture her team’s flag so they can be done with this God forsaken children’s game. Then she can get back to the office. Yeah, that’d be great.

Bored out of her mind, Hermione goes back to scrolling the newest set of case files that were emailed to her that morning. It’s the only thing she can do considering she was given the most boring position on her team. Like a group of lawyers and paralegals are going to catch and apprehend a bunch of detectives. And even if they did, what was she going to do? Hold them in contempt? Honestly.

A rustling from nearby catches her attention, and she locks her phone before shoving it into the back pocket of her jeans. At least the fall weather and smattering of dead leaves on the ground prevents anyone from sneaking around too stealthily.

“Oi, Hermione, where are you?” Ernie MacMillan, her desk partner, calls from down the path.

She rolls her eyes, though no one can see her. “Right here, where you left me, remember? To guard an unoccupied makeshift jail cell.”

“Hey, not my fault McGonagall forced you to participate. And lucky for you, it won’t be unoccupied anymore.”

“Yeah, right.” She scoffs. “Like any of you caught one of those egotistical prats.”

“Hey, I take offense to that!” The second voice makes her freeze, a shiver running up her spine.

Of all the people, does it have to be him?

Hermione might not just be resentful of that one particular detective for keeping her overworked. It might also have something to do with the fact that he is extremely attractive, charismatic, and all around swoonworthy. And she’s not the only one who thinks that. He’s also way out of her league given all the single straight women in the county building have a crush on him.

And who wouldn’t? With messy waves of striking auburn hair that’s faded on the sides, piercing ice blue eyes that can spot the assailant in any situation, and a lopsided smile that’s not only welcoming but inherently trusting, it’s hard not to be attracted to him. But that’s nothing to Hermione. Sure, he’s easy on the eyes, but it’s his intelligence that turns her on—that and the infuriating way he always rolls his dress shirts up to his elbows, showing off his perfectly sculpted forearms any time he books a criminal.

If he ever is single, she assumes it’s never for long. There’s probably a line of women waiting to date him. Not that she’d know or anything. She refuses to delve that deep into his personal life—if for the sole fact it’ll kill the tiny shred of hope she has for something as minimal as getting a drink with him sometime.

Screw getting a drink with him. You’re about to be left alone in the woods with nothing to do. Take advantage of the situation!

Oh my god, no. Get it together, Hermione.

Right. Even as images of potential scenarios flow through her mind, she shakes them out of her head. The last thing she needs is for Ron Weasley to see her drooling over him. Especially since he and Ernie are fast approaching.

“Well, it certainly wasn’t meant as a compliment,” she retorts, unwilling to let him get under her skin.

Before the detective can speak again, Ernie cuts in. “Yeah, well, try not to insult him too much. Even holding one hostage increases our chances to win.”

“I thought jailbreaks were against the rules?” Hermione asks. Not that she cares. She’ll willingly let him go in five minutes just to have her peace and quiet again—if only to daydream about him behind his back.

Ernie makes a big show of shoving Ron into the makeshift jail cell then looks back at Hermione. “They are. So make sure he stays there.”

“Or what?” Hermione crosses her arms. “You’ll make me buy coffee for the floor Monday? Sorry, I can’t. I have a full day in court.”

“Again?” Ernie groans.

“Yes, which is the reason I’d prefer to be back at the office and not in the woods for a silly picnic to begin with.”

Ernie grimaces and attempts to placate her, even though they both know it means little to nothing in their field of work. “At least there’s overtime?”

“I suppose. Though it’d be nice to have a weekend to myself once in a while.” Then Hermione turns to the captor and grumbles. “All thanks to you.”

“On that note, I’m going to get back to the rest of the team.” Ernie backs away a few steps, then takes off at a jog.

Hermione side-eyes the bane of her existence—pointedly as she leans against a tree. Ron holds up his hands in defense. “Hey, don’t blame me for doing my job. You’d think crime rates would start to go down eventually.”

“Please, Ron,” she chides. “You of all people should know that crime is always going to exist.”

He saunters—fucking saunters—over to her and props himself against another tree, once again showing off his forearms. Of course he’s still managed to highlight them despite dressing casually with jeans, a heather gray t-shirt, and a dark blue flannel unbuttoned over it. It’s in striking contrast to her jade sweater, jeans, beige peacoat, and brown leather boots.

Ron looks at her through his light blonde lashes. “So what do you suggest, Hermione? That I not do my job? Turn a blind eye to evidence in an investigation or stop asking key questions during interrogations?”

His gaze never falters, and she can’t help but feel like it’s piercing through her, like he’s trying to solve the mystery that she is to him. It’s uncomfortable in all the right ways, sending jolts of energy through her and making her forget where she is and what she’s doing. In all honesty, it’s making her want to jump his bones.

Which would be completely unprofessional.

Ugh. This is why she tries to avoid work functions outside the office. It’s much easier to avoid her attraction in that environment. But here, in the woods with the sun shining through the trees and the foliage creating a warm ambience, it’s hard not to let her imagination run wild. It’d be too easy to let herself believe he’s eyeing her with the same want she’s been harboring for over a year.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she forces herself to say. “Just, I don’t know, try a little harder to suggest other lawyers. I’m only one person, and I can only do so much.”

Ron twists his mouth and cocks his head as he thinks about her suggestion. “I guess I could, but then what excuse would I have to come see you if I’m not delivering cases?”

His playful demeanor hosts an undertone of seriousness that causes Hermione’s breath to hitch. This time, she’s the one to search his eyes for a deeper meaning, but she’s absolutely terrible at reading people. That’s why she took the public defender position—it was meant to be a stepping stone while she strengthened her abilities to read a jury. Then, she’d be able to go after the job she really wanted. One that would help her do some good in the world.

Giving up, she decides to just ask him outright. “Why would you think you need an excuse?”

“Because detectives don’t usually hang around with attorneys.”

“Probably because all they do is pile on more work for us.”

If ‘they’ means Ron and ‘us’ means her, then yes, that would be true.

“So, you’re saying I could drop in to say hi whenever I feel like it?” Ron raises an eyebrow to accompany his question.

“If you want, but then people might think we’re friends…”

He pushes himself off the tree and steps toward the rope separating himself from her. The motion sends an uninvited thrill through her. “Aren’t we?”

“I figured we were closer to work acquaintances.”

She shrugs, attempting to keep things light and breezy while her body is on fire, desperate for her to open herself up to something more. But she won’t. Not yet. Especially when she’s wary of his intentions. After all, the rest of his team is vying for their stupid flag that’s somewhere on the grounds of the park.

His hand claps his chest, and he makes a show of stumbling to his knees. “Oh, you wound me, Hermione.”

“Please, stop being so dramatic.” She lets out an unbecoming snort through her laughter. He grins at her and she rolls her eyes. “This better not be some ploy to distract me in an attempt to get the flag.”

Ron stands back up and places his hands on his hips, once again flexing his forearms. God, she hates it so much. “Come on, Hermione. If I cared about the game, I wouldn’t have let myself get captured.”

She bursts into more laughter. “Yeah, right. There’s no way you got captured on purpose. That’s even more suspicious.”

“Why?”

“Because all I’ve listened to this week is how ‘we have to take down Weasley.’ How you’ve ‘single-handedly won the game for the last three years.’ Who’s to say you’re not distracting me just to get closer to your goal?”

“Maybe my goal isn’t the flag this time.” There’s something about the way he says it that wipes the smile right off her face.

“W-what?” she squeaks.

“Maybe I got captured under the guise of sacrificing myself for a teammate to get closer to the flag when really, I just wanted to spend time with you outside the office.”

Despite the fact that her heart is positively pounding in her chest, she keeps up her front with an eye roll. “Why?”

“Because I like you.”

The words hang between them as she blinks blankly at him. “I—you—” She swallows hard. “You do?”

Tentatively, he lifts the rope and steps underneath it. The tips of his ears are pink, something she’s noticed every once in a while but never thought anything of it.

“Uh, yeah. Thought it was obvious.”

Oh my god, is this actually happening?

For a moment, she’s completely enraptured by the way he inches closer in an almost tentative matter. But then her mind chooses logic and once again blares the warning signs that this is a game.

“Not as obvious as ‘no jailbreaks,’” she reminds him.

He stops and she inwardly kicks herself for ruining the moment—if there’s even a moment to be ruined. But then he grins at her and takes another step forward. “Yeah, well, maybe it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

She can hardly believe it. Hope rushes over her again, and it’s all she can do to try and keep it contained. The last thing she needs is for him to see how completely enamored she is with him. Even still, a little giggle escapes her throat as she volleys a quip. “That’s rather bold, don’t you think?”

“Maybe. But hopefully it’s worth it.”

“Why?” She quirks an eyebrow at him, the unknown meaning behind his words suddenly sobering her.

A million possibilities flood her mind until he offers a sheepish grin and elaborates. “Because maybe I’ve forfeited the game for personal reasons.

“Personal reasons?” she repeats.

“That center around asking you out.”

Asking me—holy shit.

He waits for a beat as Hermione stares, slack-jawed, at him. Then, he adds, “So, uh, any time you want to put me out of my misery and let me know if it was a wise choice would be great.”

He’s serious. He’s actually serious. Ron Weasley came here with the intention of asking her out. He could have any girl he wanted, yet he’s here, alone with her, detailing his plans of asking her out.

She wants to savor every moment. Taking her time, Hermione steps closer to him, memorizing the hope in his eyes, the worry on his browline, the way his cheeks are completely red like he’s embarrassed. Then, a smirk forms on her lips. “That depends.”

“On what?”

“You technically haven’t asked me anything yet.”

“Oh. Oh. Well, uh, would you want to grab dinner or something?”

“Hmm, I don’t know.” Hermione taps her chin. “I’ve got quite the case load right now. I really shouldn’t. Next week is going to be brutal. There’s no possible way I could give up part of my weekend. Unless…well, I suppose I could be persuaded.”

Even though she’s messing with him, she still finds herself succumbing to his gravitational pull. Because despite it all, the last thing she wants to convey is the possibility that she might say no. Of course, she’d have to question his detective skills if he could ever believe that.

Thankfully, she doesn’t have to. She’s not quite sure where the brazenness comes from, but she doesn’t resist the pull urging her even closer. Her hand reaches up, sliding the soft fabric of his flannel between her fingers, which invites him into her personal space, and he grasps her hips.

For a moment, she forgets that there’s even a game going on, and that they’re at a work function—one she’d very much like to leave right now if at all possible. But first, there’s another thing she’d prefer. And luckily, he doesn’t make her wait.

His voice is suddenly husky, filled with lust as his eyes flit down to her lips. “I think that can be arranged.”

She tilts her head up as he leans down. Their first kiss is gentle, tentative, as if he doesn’t believe she’s given him permission. But from the moment their lips meet, the fire within her reignites, and Hermione wants more. Hungrily, she reaches up, fingers combing through his hair, urging even closer and deepens the kiss.

Ron moans, squeezing her hips as he backs her into the nearest tree, and if she’s not careful, she might just let him do whatever he wants to her right then and there.

That thought seems to snap her back to her senses, and she breaks away, her eyes taking a moment to catch up to her mind. Though heavy, she forces her eyelids open and meets his gaze. “So, dinner?”

Ron nods. “Don’t think they’ll miss us if we leave early, do you?”

“Not a chance.”

#submission #muggle au #romione #romione muggle au #romionetropefest

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paradoxcase · 1 month

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Chapter 25 of Nona the Ninth

So this chapter has a broken Gideon skull, which in this book seems to mean people being deceitful, and something is definitely up because Gideon is like 2-3 times as much Gideon as she normally is in this chapter, and I don't think that's an impression I only have because I've recently been through 3/4 of book full of Nona POV

Throughout this chapter, Gideon is referred to as "the corpse" or "the corpse prince" frequently, and I just feel like I should point out that we've gotten to the point where there are actually two different walking and talking corpses in this scene and both of them could plausibly be referred to as a prince. Even though Naberius's body is not currently being controlled by Ianthe, Naberius himself was a prince before he died

Hmm

That's all the definitions, I think Gideon just made this one up. Also, it's not a good day when you learn a new ethnic slur from the dictionary

Pyrrha acts like Gideon said "yes" here, but she didn't. That's like, a combination of "yes" and "nope"

It's hilarious, and I think actually accurate, that she's still terrified of the needle even though she is literally immune to needles now

"Judith Deuteros for some reason" really just sums up Judith's whole role in this story, doesn't it? It also would make a great blog title for a Judith fanblog, someone should get on that

Poor Judith! It's been a hot minute since Judith actually said something in a language that someone other than Nona can understand, so I really do hope it still is Judith in her body, and not someone or something else in there now

Right, so this could potentially mean:

The whole time since she impaled herself on the fence (unlikely since Gideon was stealth-narrating the entirety of Harrow the Ninth)

The whole time since Pyrrha and Nona met up with BOE at the end of Harrow the Ninth (since BOE had Gideon's body at that point, I think it's entirely possible that Gideon's soul transferred back into it from Harrow's body when she came into its proximity)

The whole time since John reacquired Gideon's body and made his modifications to it, and possibly also brought Gideon's soul back to it at that point

She could also just mean "the whole time I've been in New Rho" or "the whole time you've been in the barracks" but obviously she's been awake for longer than that since she was around to receive medals and stuff from John

Wiktionary says a "rusk" is a "weaning food for children" but doesn't give any kind of information on what specific food it is, or if it's just a general word for that kind of food

So Ianthe can "shut her off" somehow. I'm not sure if I buy that it was Gideon's idea to come here. I don't think she likes Ianthe, I don't think she would have thought New Rho would be a fun place to be, and even if she actually wanted to go to Ninth House like she says later I don't think she could have predicted that she'd be in a position for that to happen here and there are much easier and more straightforward ways for her to get to the Ninth House if she'd stayed with John

An interesting question is whether or not she would have won a fight with Ianthe's entropy field. I tend to think not, because a literal bar of metal didn't survive the entropy field, and even though she has some, like, I guess artificial preservation from being John's daughter she wasn't immune to direct physical damage because of that and even John himself wasn't immune to being taken apart into bits by Mercy, and since Mercy made the OG entropy field I'm sure it probably works using the same principle as whatever she did to John. Gideon may still survive the entropy field somehow, but if the entropy field was still functional it would actually be a great way for Palamedes to get a blood sample from her for Tomb-opening purposes, and so I think John would be extremely against having any such thing anywhere near Gideon's body. So I'm sticking with my theory that this was Ianthe's idea. She intentionally showed Gideon's body during the broadcast, she did that on purpose, although I guess if Gideon was "turned off" during that time she might not know that

Man, thanks for nothing, Gideon

Significant things that happened in the River at the end of the last book:

G1deon and a bunch of ghosts scared Number Seven off and it went to New Rho

Augustine was eaten by the Stoma

Harrow's and Palamedes' River bubbles ceased to exist

The Mithraeum was submerged in the River and sank very far down, unknown currently if John and Ianthe managed to save it

I can't think of why any of these things would make it safe for non-Lyctors to travel safely through the River. The ghosts all make themselves scarce around resurrection beasts, but I'm sure Ianthe and Gideon's journey didn't start out in the presence of a resurrection beast and I don't think the ghosts are the reason why River travel is dangerous for non-Lyctors

Blatant lies, lmao

She's so bad at lying, she starts off with "I don't want anything anymore" and finishes with "I want to go to the Ninth House because I have unfinished business there", and I suspect both of those things are at least partly lies. But I think she's right that John would probably give her a medal for killing this collection of people at this point, including Corona I think

But I suspect that she is the one who wants to go back to the Ninth House, for some undisclosed reason, and she's not acting on John or Ianthe's wishes here. If John wanted her to go back to the Ninth House she would already be there yesterday. If Ianthe wanted her to go there, I don't think she would have put up that entropy field, and she might even have tried to do some deal with BOE where she exchanged Gideon for the Sixth House. Also, I don't think Ianthe actually gives a shit about the Ninth House or anything that happened there. And there's no one else left in John's circuit at this point

Man, when Pyrrha said she was heavy, I just thought it was because she was tall and full of muscle. How damn strong is Pyrrha, exactly?

No, hold on, let me math this

A normal adult human has 11 kg of bones. Cortical bone makes up 80% of bone mass and has an average density of 1908 kg/m3, and cancellus bone makes up 20% and has an average density of 1178 kg/m3, so that is an average density of 1762 kg/m3 over all. There are 1,000,000 cm3 in 1 m3, so 11 kg / 1762 kg/m3 * 1,000,000 cm3/m3 is 6,242.9 cm3 of bone. Titanium has a density of 4.506 g/cm3. 6,242.9 cm3 * 4.506 g/cm3 is 28,130.5 g or a little over 28 kg. Since bones usually weigh 11 kg, that's only 17 extra kg of bone, so she only actually weighs about 37 and a half more pounds than usual. She says "titanium plex", which is not a real thing, but I can't imagine that titanium plex would actually be more dense than titanium, so I think it checks out that she would just be somewhat heavier than expected and not ridiculously heavy or something like that

That's a great question that I'd love to see answered. Is the fence also going to turn out to be some kind of holy object infused with a power even higher than John?

Speaking of holes, I remember back a long time ago I reblogged that one poll that mentioned stigmata sex, and people assured me that while the stigmata were actually in the book, the stigmata sex was not. Are Gideon's holes the stigmata? Does that count as stigmata? I think it's in the wrong place, isn't it?

So, thanergy is cell death, but it seems like dead bodies radiate thanergy even if no cell death is occurring, because John's cryo bodies were generating thanergy for him even after he'd completely stopped them from rotting. So Gideon's body is somehow preserved due to being related to John, but in a way that doesn't involve being infused with thalergy as she suggests for the blood sample, because as we know from the last chapter, body + soul + thalergy = living person, and Gideon isn't a living person, so she must be missing one of those, and it's not her body or her soul. The preservation only applies to the bounds of her body, and her body is still radiating thanergy, apparently enough that it would kill the blood sample?

She got her whole childhood fantasy of a famous and powerful parent who gave her everything she wanted, but that person turned out to be John, and now she's stuck with him and Ianthe and being used as figurehead for John's military, and he spent just enough effort on her to make sure that her body can't be used against him but didn't fix the gaping holes in her chest, and the person she sacrificed herself for is missing and possibly dead, and someone else is in her body instead

I mean, Ianthe was keeping her locked up behind the entropy field. I wonder if she's had a lot of that from John, too

#the locked tomb #nona the ninth

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just-antithings · 10 months

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I'm not saying adults insisting they only need to read YA books and watch children's cartoons is leading to this culture wide phobia of sex which in turn is becoming a useful vector for the increasing spread of fascism except that is exactly what I'm saying.

Im not that anon but want to expand on their thought, if they're saying what I think they are.

I thought of this more when seeing an old post of someone saying their English teacher should have let them write a report on Divergent instead making them read 1984. Someone commented supporting the OP, saying that they never read Divergent, but 1984 is problematic. Iirc, the commenter referred to Winston (I think that's the protag in 1984; sorry I haven't reread it in years) as a creep. I can't remember is this specific commenter called Winston a misogynist, but that's a common complaint I hear when people say they don't like 1984.

The screenshot of that post also had other screenshots, including the twt posts of YA authors saying that the classics were problematic. It's a sentiment I keep seeing around book twt before I deactivated my account but still on booktube as well, and it's always booktubers who also read and rant about Colleen Hoover, because they know her name gets clicks. Or booktubers that do those videos titled "I read [old/popular/controversial] series so you don't have to".

Sorry, sliding off topic a bit. Going back to what anon said, YA books tend to be more sanitized. They're supposed to be written for a 15-19 audience, so sex and gore aren't supposed to be explicit. There are YA books with sex scenes. 2 I read recently have sex scenes, but they aren't explicit. One uses mostly poetic language and infers to what's happening, and the other essentially fades to black after they get into bed, as they're touching and then picks up the next morning. (One of these YA books had a big controversy on booktube a few years ago for being problematic, though. Gee, wonder why /s)

But for the most part, often for people who enjoy urban fantasy or romances but not steamy scenes, they may go for YA, since it's usually more "PG". Unfortunately, some people get it in their head that this makes YA inherently "better", that adult books that are being more explicit are only doing it to get more sales, when YA tbh has a tighter hold on it marketing-wise.

Okay, I'm not published (yet), but I've been studying it when I need to take a break from writing to see what course is best for me and what I want to write. YA is becoming oversaturated in the market, so it's not as big a "money making genre" for debut authors as it might have been once (and I'd argue that even in the past when YA was smaller, you still had to be lucky, known, or connected to get that 6-figure check for a debut YA novel). YA is more likely to get scrutinized, considering its supposed to he for a younger audience, so a YA author wanting to push boundaries is going to receive more push-back than an adult lit author.

Now pushback happens in adult lit, too, like Ava Reid saying her editor or publisher (I forget who) told her that Juniper&Thorn might be too dark. (I've read it. Yes, it's dark, but bad reviews I saw for the book blew it way out of proportion. If you (gen) like lyrical/poetic narration and gothic horror, I highly suggest it).

But it feels like there's more of a push to keep YA books "clean". You can find some outliers, but like the YA I mentioned above, those outliers in YA that push boundaries can get wrapped in controversy and called problematic.

And for whatever reason, some people on booktube say this is a good thing and say "think of the children!"

They will say censorship is bad but then advocate for sanitized YA to be read instead of classics, because the classics are "bad" and "teach bad things" and "should be left in the past". They advocate for censorship without realizing they are advocating for censorship. It's exhausting, and as someone who wants to be published and does enjoy a lot of YA, it makes me feel discouraged. I don't think I'm "pushing boundaries" at all in my writing or saying anything new, but I'm very sure it's not sanitized enough for most publishers, especially if I wanted to try for one of the beg houses in the US.

Tl;dr One of the major problems in this anti-intellectualism is capitalism.

#mod erin #ask #posted without comment #fascism mention

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leftduck9986 · 2 months

Text

Magic From The Beyond

The Big Jazz Band version of the main theme played at the end of Good Omens 2 episode 4 is my favourite. I'll only remember to be quick enough with the clicker some of the time, to hear all of it, but even less than that would I be paying attention to actually watching the credits.

So occasionally when I wasn't completely in my head enjoying the music, and my eyes were open, the closing credits would arrive on this screen and I would make a mental note to learn about Anthony Owen.

In Season One Episode One of Good Omens, Anthony Owen is listed as 'Magician' in the closing credits at 50m10-12s.

After an attempt to find out more in the usual places - IMDb and Youtube (Full performance of Oil and Water by Anthony Owen) - the best source was this podcast episode by Vanishing Inc Magic dot com, recorded weeks before his death in 2019:

Excerpt from the transcript:

The Insider: Recently, I don't know how recently actually, but you worked on the mini-series of Good Omens. How did that come about and what did you do for the production? Did you love the book before you started doing it? I can't wait to see it because I've loved the book for ages. That was 14 questions in one, pick any of them and answer it.

Anthony Owen: The answer is, yes I worked on Good Omens.

The Insider: Okay.

Anthony Owen: No, I still haven't read the book. What did I do? I taught Michael Sheen sleight of hand magic.

The Insider: How was he?

Anthony Owen: He's a great fan of magic. He loves magic, he loves going to The Magic Castle, he's a good friend of Derren's. He was a brilliant student of magic and sleight of hand and really got into it and loved the idea of it. The character he plays is quite a fun thing because he's playing a sort of bumbling, not very good magician at a children's party. Teaching someone how to be a bad magician actually was well within my comfort zone and abilities. What was interesting for Michael was because he's a Welsh boy from the valleys he was able to tap into the ... Tommy Cooper [ wikipedia | youtube: Ed Sullivan show | youtube: the best of Tommy Cooper, including the "Indian Rope Trick" ] was a sleight inspiration for him in playing that role. Yeah. It'll be interesting to see how it is in the final cut and what they've done with it, I'll look forward to seeing it.

The Insider: Go and read the book, it's great.

Anthony Owen: I have it on my shelf. I read the relevant pieces that I needed to read to do the job that I did.

Sadly, Anthony's untimely death meant that he didn't get to see Good Omens when it was released on the 31st of May, 2019.

He is honoured here in Good Omens 2, in more ways than one.

Firstly, as there doesn't appear to be another 'Magician' in the credits for this episode, approximately four years later, can it be assumed that Anthony Owen taught Michael Sheen enough sleight of hand to be used across the entire three seasons of the series (and Michael Sheen has kept up his skills with regular practice)? That the skills performed in this episode are Anthony Owen's teachings remembered, and credited with a memorial?

Then, there's this:

If you search 'Anthony Owen' on Prime Video, here's what you will find...

... a treasure trove!

Apart from there being a few "Anthony"s and "Owen"s, it's quite a specific selection for a bunch of titles that don't seem to have any connection to Anthony Owen himself. (edit, Sunday 17th March 2024: and here I was, expecting to see some of the titles listed on IMDb, but no.)

17 titles, presented in the same order every single time (Update, Wednesday 20th March, 2024: the order has changed)

- not alphabetical, nor chronological by release date. Might they be readable in some kind of order though? Also, it kind of feels like there should be an 18th title, for a nice neat 3 x 6, right?

(Update, Saturday 23rd March 2024: well well well, an 18th title has been added. Note the title name, Snapped, and the two items shown in the thumbnail image - a Polaroid and a derringer! specific to S2E4, nice!)

Update, Saturday 30th March 2024: a 19th title added this week - Survivor season 43. If at the end of next week, this playlist maxes out at 20 and does not continue to grow in the weeks afterward, might it be that 6,6,8 is happening; that season three will contain 8 episodes after all?

Update, Thursday 4th April 2024: IF this is the end of the campaign, then they've ended early, adding not one, but two more titles - three, if counting "You Can Go Now" twice as it is shown; the correct year of release, 2022, then the second entry for "2023" with a separate thumbnail image and its description including the title in all-caps as if being shouted at and dismissed, ouch.

Still, a brilliant move, to end "unpredictably" (just as a certain group of two 'sides' had been working together all along, but acting predictably, in order to check-mate their real opponent, for a game of Chess lasting for most of their existence).

Hints, clues, themes and references galore - given in the titles of films or episodes, descriptions (sometimes of a particular season), images or symbols seen and/or lines spoken in the trailers (some have two trailers, for example I highly recommend watching the full trailer for You Hurt My Feelings) - even "special spoilers" star Sadie is in here!

You don't even need to watch any of these titles either. Just do what Anthony did :)

Coincidental that Good Omens 2 was released on Anthony Owen's Birthday?

It's lovely to have included Anthony Owen in what feels like a mentalist-style trick from The Beyond.

#Good Omens #In Memory of Anthony Owen #Magician #Mentalist #good omens clues #Good Omens 2 #Good Omens 3 #Amazon Prime Video

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topazshadowwolf · 4 months

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hello there :D

I’ve never done an ask before so here it goes.

to my favorite creator on tumblr!

I have always had this theory that Dust and Horror are very fidgety and often need to do something with their hands, I have always thought that sometimes Horror, Dust and Error (I know Error isn’t in this story but he is in mine) would just sit by the fire and do their own fidgety crafts, Dust does origami since it is delicate and takes time distracting him from his thoughts, Horror likes to cross stitch, and Error knits. I was just wondering if they do anything like that, maybe a fidgety craft like that could help Dust with his nerves and baby depression (it helps me :D).

Lastly, I saw someone mention the boys coming out to Nightmare, what are your head cannons on their sexualities?

I love your work and can’t wait to read more, take your time and have fun. And here, a sketch, Gooptales and Sky children of the light

Hello!

It's okay, I honestly get nervous sending in asks myself. Welcome to my ask box, and feel free to send in anything anytime. I try to answer most of them I recieve.

And what an honor to have such a title! Thank you!

I love your idea! It is nice for the boys to have hobbies to occupy their minds and hands other than mischief! Really, what you shared is a pleasant scene I could see playing out.

For HNBD, though, it would be mostly Killer with his whittling once he takes up that hobby. Dust just likes reading, and is good at sitting still and letting his mind drift off into space adventures in his book. Maybe one day, he will try writing one. But right now, he just would rather read. Horror, with his hunting that he will start, likes leather working as not being wasteful extends to more than food to him. To him, using 100% of an animal he kills is how he honors and respects the creatures that sustain him. Cross likes training, gaming, and occasionally sketching and journaling. As for the Growing Up

GoopTales offshoot, well, the boys do join clubs which will kind of answer that. Cross joins track and field as he stays fairly active. Horror doesn't join on at the school, Nightmare helps him find a hunters club, and he also decides to be a boy scout. He's an outdoors kind of guy. Killer ends up joining the drama club and taking such classes. He finds a love for Shakespeare, and it makes Nightmare so happy to hear him in his room practicing his lines. Plays are perfect for him, but he can't read them while sitting. Reading has been difficult for him since his soul was mutated, but since lines are split up, and it is meant to be read aloud, with voices, he can focus on it. As for Dust, he didn't want to join any at first, but Killer kept dragging him along. Eventually, he slips away one day and finds the chess club... he also finds out about the creative writing club and joins both since they meet on different days.

I honestly don't feel like discussing that, sorry. Just know, my main ship is Soriel, and if I see a Sans, I want to give them a Toriel, and if I see a Toriel, they should have a Sans. That's the way my brain is programmed. I do actually have a Toriel picked out for Dream. But trying to not spill all my Soriel headcanons all over the UTMV too quickly. XD (After all, there is FuzzyNight, then my fics I am slowly writing when in romance moods: The HouseKeeper for Killer and Soul Fire Blues for Dust. I think that's enough for now)

What an adorable drawing! Thank you so much for sharing this! I will have to add it to my collection of art! I love seeing them following Nightmare like little ducklings. It warms my heart. And love the cape you gave Nightmare!

#answering asks #A long reply for a sweet ask #thank you!

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bohemian-nights · 7 months

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When it comes to relationships Jace, Baela and Rhaena are going to be so f*cked up 🤣 like imagine your parent getting remarried not even six months (which I call Rhaenyra being pretty heated about so why she would not think twice about doing that to not only her children but two other children 🫠) after the death of your other parent. In Jace's case he got screwed over twice because of Harwin who he’s not even allowed to publicly or privately mourn and then again because of Laenor who was the only father he was allowed to ever acknowledge (same thing for Luke but he’s 💀 and Joffrey is six).

And poor Baela and Rhaena who not only have lost their mother, lost their mothers dragon (I mean they didn’t technically loose Vhagar but still that was something binding them to her), they’ve been moved to an entire different country, and to make matters worse they who have always been together are SEPARATED both living with strangers with Rhaena having Daemon who she feels like ignores her 😭

I swear Targaryen parents (especially Targaryen fathers) read the “How To Get My Kid To Hate Me: 101” handbook. Like at least Rhaenyra treated Harwin and Laenor good but if I was Rhaena or Baela I’m never speaking to Daemon again.

Also even though I’m sure someone’s already mentioned it but Rhaena only addressing Rhaenyra as “your grace” or “princess” is odd. Jace and Luke don’t do that with Daemon. So my question is did Rhaenyra ask her to call her that (which is a red flag) or for six years straight did Rhaenyra never correct her and tell her she could call her Rhaenyra or Cousin (also another red flag) 🙃

Like it could’ve been interesting if Rhaena was it saying in a sarcastic way or like as a way of “rebellion” so Rhaenyra (and Daemon) knows she doesn’t like her or isn’t happy but they have her smiling and playing arm candy the entire season. It’s a bit weird and not at all how actual blended families act unless there is some sort of animosity somewhere.

It's all a mess. I really hope that the showrunners don’t actually think they are portraying a normal happy healthy blended family because these are not the faces of happy children🤦🏽‍♀️:

Their parents just died and this is what their remaining parent does to them🫠 Those kids are traumatized. Hell Jace low-key seems like he hates Daemon in episode 10 and that’s totally justified given everything(they could give his boring self personality if they feed into this).

We can not talk about how weird it is that Rhaena calls Rhaenyra “princess” or whatever other formal title. If Rhaenyra never corrected her shame on her and Daemon for allowing that to happen(I love him, but I would have to pelt him with rocks for that).

Rhaena is her stepdaughter and her cousin. She’s not just any girl off the street. She’s family. Future queen or not, in informal settings(I’m talking about the scene where it’s just Rhaena, Rhaenys, and Rhaenyra) she should not be calling her princess.

Putting it in there to as a small act of rebellion is a brilliant idea, but sadly these showrunner’s are short on brilliant ideas(especially when it comes to portraying Rhaenyra as anything, but a saint)🫠

I'm really just disappointed with the storyline for the girls as a whole. The showrunner's idea of characterization for Baela and Rhaena is for them to be pretty puppets.

We better see a change in season two because this is outrageous. Yes, they don’t do much during most of the Dance(Baela’s big moment isn’t until the end of the conflict and Rhaena is tucked away from it all), but if they can come up with plot lines for certain characters they can come up with more for them to do(especially since they are a little bit older than their book counterparts).

#this is why I say team black characters suffer more from lack of character development #Rhaena and baela are literal smiling props when they are in fact final girls #they aged them up and they gave them even less to do than their younger counterparts #baela targaryen #rhaena targaryen #house of the dragon #hotd #bnask #bnasks

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sun-aries · 1 year

Text

Ready or Not

Hey everyone!

I had this in the arsenal for some time! But I thought it was funny so here ya go! This takes place about a year after the finale, when Sol is still just a baby :')

Feel free to leave a request!

Enjoy!

Shad didn't expect to make the offer.

When he'd first met Link years ago, the green clad fellow was just another adventurer, quiet and oddly dressed and always appearing at just the right moment. He'd been indifferent to him at first, if not a tad curious, and yet as Link slowly but surely wormed himself into their group, Shad actually grew quite fond of him. They'd gotten along well enough, especially in the coming years, and more so since he'd started working in the palace.

When Shad first heard the news that his friend was engaged to the sovereign of their kingdom, it already had him second guessing himself and his manners around the then-prince. But it was Link's coronation to king that threw Shad for a loop. To become a prince was one thing, sure, but a king? That was a completely different story.

To be fair, the title hadn't changed Link much at all. He was still the kind and modest fellow he was when they first encountered him in Telma's bar all those years ago, and he was awfully kind about Shad's inherent nervousness when a worse man might've mocked or ridiculed him. But it was a hard line to draw between acting formal with a king and being casual with an old companion.

Now, more often than not, the devoted scholar found himself blubbering in his presence.

One early morning, when Link came along to his study for help with some research, they'd managed to have a relatively casual conversation and he'd done something he'd only later realize was quite stupid. He actually found himself making the offer to babysit his and Queen Zelda's child – the crowned prince of Hyrule - with no expertise nor prior experience.

What's more, Link actually agreed to it. He couldn't decide who was more foolish.

All of that led to that very afternoon in the library. Thankfully, he was able to drag Ashei along so that he wouldn't be completely alone with the prince, though he doubted his partner had any more experience with children than he did.

They found Link on the floor of the library, cross-legged and book in hand with Sol in his lap. When the two approached, his eyes flashed up to theirs and his kind greeting was accompanied by a breezy smile. At least he was far more laidback in comparison to all the other nobility Shad worked with. The reminder of Link's kind and gentle ways was a great relief.

"He's just eaten lunch, so he won't need much," Link explained, pushing himself to his feet with Sol still in his arms. "I told the nursemaids to stick around the halls just in case you need anything. And if something happens, send someone to get me."

"Oi, we'll be fine. He's just a baby," Ashei grumbled. "How much trouble could he be?"

Link exchanged a look with Shad, seemingly unconvinced, and the scholar smartly shook his head. "We will absolutely ask for help if we need it. But we'll take good care of him; of that you can be certain."

"Okay, if you're sure. I've gotta go back to work now: Zelda's expecting me." With utmost care, he held the child out to Shad, who just as carefully took him into his arms. The hero's piercing blue eyes lingered on his son, hesitating for another moment. "If you need me-"

"We know, we know," Ashei said, though there was a hint of amusement in her voice. "Go help your wife already, yeah?"

Link scratched the back of his neck, laughing breathily in spite of himself, and nodded. "Right." He stroked his son's head once more for good measure before leaving the library, and the large door closed behind him with a resounding thud.

The couple turned to each other. "Perhaps we should…sit?"

Ashei rolled her eyes. Without hesitation, she lumbered to the space that the king had previously occupied and made herself comfortable. "Come on." A mess of toys and books were splayed around the plush carpet and she'd camped out in the middle of it. Shad followed her lead, sinking to the ground especially slow next to the warrior.

Amidst all the toys, Shad found the book that Link had been reading to him - of course he'd gravitate to the book - and took it into his free hand. The thick wooden cover was illustrated with simple but adorable barn animals. "It looks like your papa read you a story, didn't he?"

Throwing his little arm up, Sol smacked the cover with his hand and a joyful smile on his face. "Ah, it appears the prince is an avid scholar such as I. What other books do you have, Sol?" He went digging around the pile for more of the children's books. Of course there were many; as big as the library was, there was bound to be a thousand for children at least.

Shad would have gladly gone through them all, and after some time had passed and they'd closed yet another book, it felt like he did. They'd probably read a dozen or so stories about shapes and colors and whatnot before Ashei threw her head back with a groan. "Ugh, this is so boring. What else can we do?"

Shad flashed her a look above his lenses. "If I'm remembering correctly, Sol is only a year old. He's just learning about the things around him. Isn't that right, Sol?"

"There's more to life than just reading and books, yeah?" Grabbing a ball from the assortment of toys, she chucked it down the aisle and it bounced across the carpet with nearly muted thuds. "C'mon Sol, go get the ball."

The scholar grimaced. "You cannot be serious. He's a child, Ashei, not a dog! He won't just-" But then, swiftly interrupting the scholar, Sol perked up. The pair watched as the little prince pushed himself off Shad's lap and toddled across the aisle with impressive speed.

"What'd I tell ya? He wants to play."

"Well, I stand corrected," he assented. "I suppose some exercise couldn't hurt. It'd be good if we could get him to burn some energy so that he might sleep better."

"Or maybe just for fun, y'know? Not everythin' has to be so thought out."

He held her gaze for a moment. "Perhaps."

At the end of the aisle, Sol dropped to his bottom and scooped up the ball with both hands. "Good job, Sol," Ashei encouraged. "Now let's play. Roll it back."

Sol looked up at the two, eying them up and down, and for a moment, it almost appeared as though he understood. And yet, the little prince raised the squishy ball to his mouth. "Oh Sol - no, don't eat it! You have to play! Roll it!" With exaggerated gestures, they waved their arms to try and get his attention, but the child certainly wasn't impressed. He held their gaze with wide-eyed judgment, as if they'd flown off the handle.

Dropping her hands to her lap, Ashei huffed. "I don't think he knows how to play this game."

Shad scratched the side of his face. "No, I suppose not. But it was a good idea." He fixed his spectacles over the bridge of his nose and turned to Ashei. "You're not so bad this."

"What? You thought I would be or somethin'?"

"No! No, it's just…for someone who doesn't want children, you certainly have a way with them."

They'd had this conversation before. Their relationship had progressed rather nicely for two unlikely friends, and one day, when he'd gotten around to asking, she'd absolutely rejected the idea of ever having children. Which was fine for him, considering he hadn't particularly wanted any either; he hadn't even pictured himself with a lady, much less a family. But Ashei had won his heart, someway somehow, with that brutish charm of hers and he rather enjoyed spending his days with her.

They'd decided together to continue adventuring for as long as they could, just as Auru did. There was still so much of the world to see, and it wouldn't really be safe nor easy toting a child around abandoned or uncharted territories.

"They're kinda fun, yeah? All they want is to eat and run around. I respect that." His eyes crinkled with a laugh and he shook his head in amusement. Then, all of sudden, her face fell. "Oh no."

"What?" But he didn't need an answer. Following her line of sight, he quickly saw what spooked her: the place where Sol had been sitting was empty. "Oh no."

The two jumped to their feet. The library was enormous, spanning for dozens of feet on either direction, with countless aisles and thousands of books, and they already saw how surprisingly fast the child could run. At least the door to the library was shut, thankfully, and it was rarely occupied, so he was safe.

Without discussion, they split up, each searching the closest aisles for the royal child. Ashei was throwing up books in an array while Shad was running through the aisles.

A short while later, they clashed halfway through an hall. "Any luck?" Ashei asked. But Shad was doubled over, panting, and he could only shake his head. "Remind me again why you offered to do this?"

"I don't know! I was clearly not in the right state of mind!" He huffed, bringing a fist to his lips to chew his nails. "Link's going to decapitate us, isn't he? I always figured I'd die on our adventures. I never thought a library would betray me!"

Of course, they knew that Link was a kind king, especially towards his friends. Fortunately for them, they'd never really gotten into any quarrels with him, but they'd certainly heard the tales of his battles and even seen how he acted when someone made the mistake of insulting his wife, and neither of them were quite ready to be on the other side of that.

What's worse, it was well known amongst the people that Link was a bit of an overprotective parent. If anything would tick him off, it would be losing his child.

"No, he won't...probably." Shad's eyes bugged out. "But don't wanna piss him off, yeah? So let's find him - fast."

"Okay, okay. You go west; I go east?" She nodded and they split up once more.

From the uncertain call of the scholar and the steady shout of the swordswoman, Sol's name echoed through the library. They peeked through aisles, scattered the books, and overturned cushions. Either the child was lightning fast or had somehow learnt how to turn invisible because he was nowhere to be found.

Eventually, Shad and Ashei plopped to the floor, utterly exhausted, their hair in disarray and breaths heavy and panting. "I'm sure he won't kill us…right?"

As if on cue, the door to the library opened with a tired groan and the king stepped onto the carpeted floor. They tensed, immediately preparing to deliver the blow.

"Papa!"

Wide-eyed, the two adventurers exchanged a look. Small, uneven thuds followed as Sol waddled across the carpet from some unknown corner of the library. He stopped at the toes of his father's worn but polished leather boots.

"Sol!" He bent at the knees before scooping his son up into his arms and resting him against his hip. "What're you up to, buddy?"

Both Shad and Ashei pushed themselves to their feet, and the scholar nervously dusted off his pants while Ashei placed her hands on her hip. Before they could come up with a good enough excuse, Sol chimed in. "Play!"

"Oh?" Link rose his eyes to his friends. "'Play?'"

Ashei's eyes widened. Perhaps she'd been repeating that word enough that he caught on. "Yeah, we were playin'. Y'know, hiding and seeking?"

The moment stood still, his face blank and unreadable, and Shad was near passing out from the anxiety. But after another second, a smile cracked his lips and he looked down at his baby. "You learned to play hide and seek? Already?" He chuckled, noting the way the two babysitters looked positively pooped. "And it looks like you're good at it too." He flashed them an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. He's got a lot of energy."

"'Sorry?'" Shad repeated breathlessly, in disbelief. The king was sorry that they'd lost his child?

But Ashei was quick to elbow him and interjected, "Yeah, it's no problem. We had fun."

"You hear that, Sol?" He bounced the baby in his arms. "They had fun. Maybe you guys can hangout again sometime soon."

"No!"

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magiwou-meowvin · 27 days

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okay @kohakhearts I just used the generator so this is the crack fic you received

fic under the cut

Slade gets a lot of weird contracts. Part of being the Best in the Biz™ is that all the absolutely insane shit that the small fries can't handle gets sent to him—and the shit the small fries can't handle is either way above their paygrade (re: sometimes he gets paid to murder actual gods) or it's just too weird to be taken seriously by those who haven't been around long enough.

Not Slade tho. Slade has seen some shit. Done some shit too, but that's neither here nor there. The point is that that only Slade could be contracted to murder—checks notes—possessed, killer animatronic robots for a childrens pizza joint.

He cannot make this shit up.

But the pay is good, and destroying a robot cant be that different from killing a live target, and he's bored as hell because he hasn't been able to torment a teenager or his kids in a while, so why not?

The pizza joint, Freddy Faxbears Pizza, is downright grody. Is this place still operable? It shouldnt be if it is. It's a walking healthcode violation, and that's not even including the murderbots he's about to turn into murderedbots.

Slade draws his sword and starts sweeping the place. He had to access Freddy's from a skylight in the office, which, according to his blueprints, is furthest from the stage rooms where the animatronics should be, provided they're not wondering around. The office itself is clear, so he moves into the hallway, checks the closet, and then heads into the kitchen.

The kitchen is where things get a little dicey though.

He follows his normal sweeping procedure, but when he walks past one of the counters, he notices a strange book on the counter.

Death Note, it's titled, no author listed.

Idly, Slade picks it up, wondering if maybe there's some intel in it that could be useful. Instead, he finds a long list of overly complicated middle school burn book type instructions.

“Useless,” he mutters and tosses it over his shoulder and onto the ground.

“Well that's rude,” someone says behind him.

Before they can even finish the sentence, he's swinging his sword sword sword, his (not)diamond sword directly at the figure—

Only for his sword to go right through.

“Motherfucking ghosts and shit,” he curses and swings again.

“Now, hey, that's not nice :(“ the goth ghost says. He seems very unperturbed by the whole thing.

“Didn't try to cut your head off to make friends,” Slade points out and tries swinging again. Every strike just goes straight through this guy though. Nothing at all like the animatronics he was contracted to kill.

Probably for the best actually that this thing isn't one of the attractions. It's an absolute horror show.

“You're not what I'm here for,” he moves to go around the thing.

“Hey wait!” it shouts. “You forgor your notebook!”

Slade glances back at the selfproclaimed Death Note, then hefts his sword up so the monster can see it clearly. “Don't need it.”

“B-b-b-b-but—”

Slade doesn’t stick around to listen.

After the kitchen is more hallway. He gets, like, two steps in that fucked up ghost guy materializes through the wall and in his way. “Listen buddy,” it grumbles even as it's face stays pulled in that rigour mortis grin. “You're the first human to actually go through the building in a long time. Do you have any idea how long I've been stuck here?” he shouts.

“Don't care,” he steps around the creature again.

The thing grumbles and follows behind with its massive wings. “You're a killer, yeah? I can tell. I'm a shinigami. Well that notebook will let you kill with nothing but a name and face! Think about it! You could get your jobs done in a fraction of the time!”

Just then, a giant, robot chicken lurches from around the corner with thundering steps. Slade casts the shinigami a look, then calmly asks, “Hey, what's your name?”

The chicken does not respond. Slade holds out his sword and lets it run into it, then disembowel its metal guts.

It falls to the ground easily.

The next three robots go much the same, and not a single one offers up its name.

“There. I dont need your notebook,” he says smugly and saunters towards the exit.

“I'll admit, that was entertaining,” the shinigami says. Slade gets the impression the creature is grinning even wider somehow.

“Happy to help,” he says sarcastically. He reaches the front door and tries to open it, but nothing happens. “Weird.” He turns to go back through the building to use the skylight again.

“Wait, you forgot the notebook!” the shinigami protests as Slade pulls the desk under the light. “Even if you dont use it for killing, you can use it to extort others, or manipulate their every move prior to their death! You could sell it even!”

That…could be useful, he supposes, but it also takes all the fun out of murdering and tormenting. “Eh, I'll pass.”

The shinigami growls like a feral dog. “Fine!” he yells and pulls out his own notebook. “This is the end of you, Slade Wilson!”

“That wont work on me,” Slade points out. He hops on top the desk.

“What?” he yells. “Why not?”

Slade shrugs. “I once came back from the dead because I caught leprosy post-mortem, and this place is a massive healthcode violation. I'll just heal again.”

Then Slade pulls himself out the window before the shinigami realizes that that shit doesn't apply once he's out of the building.

#i think i need to be drunker next time i attempt this lmao #b writes #crack fic #b posts #fic reqs

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raybeansbooks · 6 months

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Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Historical Fiction (Listening to Audio Book) Mildred D. Taylor Originally Published 1967 by Scholastic Inc.

Author Mildred D. Taylor released the historical fiction middle grade book Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry in 1976 and it continues to enrich young readers to this day. I read it initially when I was in middle school over a decade ago and, like many other books I read growing up, I felt I should revisit it and find appreciation for such a stunning book that I didn’t fully recognize when I was younger.

This Newbery Medal winning novel takes place in a country adjusting to the new United States after the civil war, racial tensions still high and potent in the south. We focus on the Logan family and follow along specifically with the daughter Cassie as we witness life and happenings surrounding her family and community over a very turbulent year. We see how the school district treats her and other black students with no buses and poor conditions books passed down until they “weren’t good enough” for white children anymore. We watch as Cassie and her siblings deal with troublesome children in the community as well as adults. We see how far a community will go to get “justice” on a black person who has done them wrong.

In a way, this reminds me a little of Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises. As his title suggests, and how I find some connection between the two, is that they highlight the going ons of everyday life for a time, place, and people. That this is just how life is in this moment, even if unfair and unrewarding as a reader or someone looking for a just and satisfactory ending to their story. Sometimes, that isn’t how it is.

As this novel was introduced to me as a reading in middle school, I can find myself keeping it somewhere between YA and JUV categories in a collection. This transitional period can be hard to place for people and reading materials so perhaps I would work a “middle” category into my catalog and collection to mark transitional pieces for young readers. There are some difficult matters and language addressed in it that make me hesitant for a children’s collection even if put in a higher reading level area so maybe a YA or Middle grade space with proper labeling.

For me, someone reading this in the wake of the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, it feels very potent and disturbing that these feelings and actions towards people of color persist to this day; how people are being brought up and raised in a way to perpetuate an unjust hatred. Considering I have seen this on banned books lists, the prejudice doesn’t surprise me but disappoints me; the company it shares in these thoughts is revealing.

Speaking of Banned Books, I could definitely see Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry joining a display of banned materials recorded by the ALA. In a library that I currently work at, a number of the front line books on this display also come with interests in the form of book marks educating readers on why this material has been contested and recognizing the general history of it and its author. I can see Taylor’s novel taking up valuable space with other stunning and notable works in a Banned Books Display. Let’s also not forget when we highlight pride and appreciation of communities, we could also use it as representation for Black History month in February and recommend it as a quick read considering the page count.

I remember having no complaints about this book in Middle school and I definitely don’t now. It is a beautiful book, though sad. I recommend readers take their time with this one considering what happens to the Logan family and their community, especially in the novel’s conclusion. Be well.

- Ray

11/10/2023

Anonymous. (2020, February 20). Banned & Challenged books. Advocacy, Legislation & Issues. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks

Taylor, M. D. (2004). Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry. Puffin

Books.Taylor, M. D. (n.d.). Roll of thunder, hear my cry (Logans, #4). Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/310459.Roll_of_Thunder_Hear_My_Cry

#book blog #books #literature #ya #mildred d taylor #puffin modern classics #classics #middle grade #newbery medal #roll of thunder #hear my cry #roll of thunder here my cry #own voices #black author #black books #historical fiction #fiction #banned books

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bafflement · 10 months

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Deaged Oz AU - We Need To Talk About Boundaries, Ironwood...

Tip sighed as Qrow reached out to ruffle his hair again. It was always weirdly comforting when he did that, but he was quite happily reading, thank you very much.

"Qrow, stop that. I'm trying to concentrate."

"You're kinda adorable like that, pocketsized, I can't really resist. At least it's me and not Nora?"

"Good point. You know I don't mind you doing that, sometimes, but could you leave me to it for now? The sooner I finish this, the sooner I can give it back to Blake. You know what she gets like when people don't give her books back quickly..."

"... the man with two souls? Really, Oz?"

"I got curious." Tip stated, calmly, turning a page carefully. "It's an interesting tale, though so far I have located no references to worry about, whoever wrote this must have just liked the title."

"... okay, I'll leave you to... it." Qrow stopped, fingers freezing at the base of Tip's hair. Tip raised his head again, staring at Qrow in confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked, hesitantly.

"I'm... not sure. That wasn't hair, pocketsized, uh... could you put the book down for a second? I think I need a closer look."

Tip put the book down, mentally noting the page he was on and let Qrow look deeper. Hopefully whatever it was wasn't catching, at least.

Qrow started to swear above him, which definitely didn't seem good. Whatever he'd found, though, at least it didn't seem to be something like headlice. Tip shuddered slightly at the thought, but snapped out of it quickly enough.

"What is it, Qrow? What's wrong?"

"I think we need a word with Jimmy. Someone put a tracker on ya, Oz and he's the obvious culprit..."

"A tracker? Qrow, what? Why would... oh."

"Oh?" Qrow sounded very angry, though it wasn't at Tip at least.

"He made a huge commotion about my birth identity and the fact that I was kidnapped. Perhaps he's just worried?" Tip's voice was less level than normal though, his fists tight around the arms of the chair.

"Yeah, sorry, pocketsized. If he was that worried, he should have asked. Ya didn't know about it, did ya?"

"... no. No, I did not."

"Right. Come on, we've got a high and mighty moron to yell at..."

"Ah. Qrow, Oz, I wasn't expecting you." James smiled as they entered, though the smile fell as he registered the looks on their faces. "What's wrong?"

"You put a tracker on Oz, Jimmy. Why?" Qrow bit out, Tip looking just as angry behind him.

"It was a huge invasion of privacy, James. I want it out. Now." There was steel in Tip's voice and, to Ironwood's credit, he did look slightly guilty.

James sighed, deeply. "I'm not removing it, Oz and I won't apologise for the necessity of it being there."

"What do you mean, necessity?"

"If Salem snatches you, then this will at least give us a chance of finding you again. Besides, if people find out you're Winter Schnee, they are quite likely to target you."

Tip growled, but could reluctantly see his point. Qrow was rather less polite, though. "And what else are you tracking, Jimmy? If you did it to pocketsized, did you do it to anyone else?"

"Not at present."

"I'll keep the thing on one condition, James. You never, ever do this to anybody else."

"Good. Glad you could see reason, though I really am sorry, Oz."

"Prove it. One question, how long has this thing been in my hair?"

"Since the plane crash. It's standard issue for missing children."

"No. Change that policy, James!"

Ironwood made a note on his scroll, sighing again. "I will attempt to. Again, I'm sorry."

#deaged oz au #professor ozpin #james ironwood #qrow branwen #winter schnee #tracking #control

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randomnameless · 6 months

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About crest removal, I think it's a non issue for humans. the difference is I don't see it as mere blood, I see it as tangible power that was never theirs to begin with.

IMO, This power belongs solely with the Nabateans. We know from Rhea that Sothis' never intended for humans to get crests. This power was either stolen from the Nabateans through violence , forcibly put into people through vile experiments , or given by the saints only out of sheer desperation to stop Nemesis.

Crests that get passed down are just crests that their ancestors stole or got through magictechy means. Either way, they were never meant to have it and the only reason it ever became part of their identity is because of the toxic "Crest System" they created around it due to their obsession with power.

How is a crest all that different from hereditary titles to humans ? in Fodlan, Crests are a valuable commodity that they obsessively collect like land, titles, and relic weapons (Book of Seiros II) . It's a tool, its Power. It's not really part of their natural identity, it never was.

At best, Crests are part of someone's identity like Hereditary Titles and Class is. And i don't really have issues with removing people from the top 1% or stripping titles from people LOL.

Yes they'll probably have an identity crisis, but I suspect it's more a result of having lost access to power rather than losing a piece of their core identity.

Like is Edelgard going to give a damn she lost a crest? I agree, she would be PISSED ! But it has nothing to do with it being part of her identity. It's because it's power she can no longer use to wage her war with.

Hopefully this is making sense cause Ive never been good at voicing my thoughts LOL . I dunno what it is exactly but something about the idea that crests are part of their identity just sounds so... false.

My mind goes to the times when warmongers stole relics from the peoples they genocide and how they claim it as their own and continue to benefit from it years later. The exploitation and greed pisses me off I guess.

(Those are old asks, august and september - I wanted to write something serious, but then forgot, and here we are, in november lol, sorry anon(s)).

So!

To First anon,

I would agree about Crest only being something that doesn't belong to them and not "blood" for the Elites (or first generation crest wielders), but for their children who inherit it?

It's part of who they are (that's not the only part that makes them an invidual, of course) and they were born with this. Should you give away a "part" of yourself, because your ancestor, who ultimately passed it down to you, stole it 1k years ago?

Also, I think that there is something important about how Nabatean blood, thus Crest, can appear in humans : in FE16, we learn Nabateans and Humans can have offsprings together (Flayn and Linhardt's paired ending). Ergo, a being with both bloods (their resulting children have crests of Cethleann!) can "naturally" exist - and I am pretty sure if you exsanguinate said beings from 50% of their blood they die - humans can have Nabatean blood (or Nabateans can have human blood).

Besides, Nabateans can choose to share this "power" with humans to save them (Yuri, Jeralt).

We will never know what were the "rules" if there were any about sharing blood with a human, but both Rhea and Aubin (if he was a Nabatean, but imo, this blood = crest strongly suggests he was!) wished to save a dying human kid. Crests isn't only "power", it's also some sort of powerful "medicine" able to help and heal humans!

I agree though, Humans being humans and greedy would later create some sort of hierarchy using Crests as a mean to discriminate - and what is even more saddening, is how Adrestia, the place where the humans got their crests without "stealing" them from Nabateans - is the place that puts the most value on Crests as someone's identity (whereas the Kingdom values Crests for the power it can bring, Adrestia seems to value Crests just as a social "plus").

In the case of crested families, well, those games being what they are, we have no character who is thankful for their crest because it means they are able to help others or do things other people cannot do (maybe Dimitri?) - but take a person with a crest of Cethleann who prides themselves on being able to heal a flu by snapping their fingers, someone from a family that is well known for being the best healers in the region, if you remove the power of their crest, what are they now? Just healers, who cannot heal life threatening conditions and ailments that they could previously heal with their crest.

So while I agree a crest can be seen as power, and power is ultimately a tool, it can also be part of your identity. Miklan thought he wouldn't be anyone without a Crest, and resented Sylvain for being the person he was supposed to be (the future Margrave Gautier).

For Supreme Leader though, I agree, she'd more pissed at losing "power" and not part of her identity - and yet, the idea of "removing" crests from humans who got them, from the Elites, or from direct blood donation (or because those humans are hybrids!) imo feels wrong.

Annette was born with a crest of Dominic, should she get hers removed to "apologise" for what Dominic did eons ago? Should she lose a part of herself ?

I think the difference between Hereditary Titles and Crests is how Crests are basically part of that someone - yes, Annette technically should never have had a crest, but are we really going to exsanguinate her to remove "part" of her blood? Hereditary Titles are social constructs - Crests, in the Fodlan World, are biological parts of someone.

Oh, and now that I think about it, iirc, Yuri is quite proud to have his crest, because his crest is the proof Aubin existed and helped him, and motivated him to save/help people.

That crest is a part of his identity and what motivates him.

While it's still irksome that what was, at least in the Elites's families, stolen "property" being passed down as their legacy, the children of the Elites just happened to be born with those things - it is irksome, but again, I don't think they should "pay" for what the Elites did by "losing" parts of themselves - that, in any case, cannot return to the one from whom that "property" was stolen!

And again, Fodlan gives us the perfect counter-example with Adrestia - humans got "crests" from willing sources, but with time, they use that same power against the ones who gifted that power to their ancestors!

The Elite's descendants are the ones to protect the Nabateans, when the descendants of the humans favoured by Nabateans are the ones who now want to kill them! Yuri, in his most "canon" routes, sides with the Nabateans. Jerry refuses to work with them. And yet, they both got blood from a Nabatean.

It's almost as if the origin of the property/blood/crests doesn't matter, what matters is now what the current humans are doing with that "power".

I kind of understand your feelings about Crests, anon, even if I disagree! It's such a shame that the Fodlan games basically don't really care much about Nabateans to give, say, reactions to people learning where their relics and crests come from, and how Nabateans would react to that.

Ultimately, Rhea's choice of sparring the families and children born with those crests saves her in the BL routes, and yet, Macuil is ultimately right in GW, with the cruel cutscene from Nopes where we see Goneril oppose Seiros in Tailtean, and GW ends with Rhea opposing Goneril (and her pals)' descendant in the same plains!

Humans being greedy and exploiting something that weren't theirs to begin with is annoying, but put in balance with ultimately, striking children for the sins for their ancestors by depriving said children of parts of themselves feels, imo, as wrong.

Don't worry about voicing your thoughts even if it ends up as a messy ask lol, I always plan to write something coherent, then I remember I forgot a thing, and it ends up in, well, some sort of non-coherent wall of text lol

As for you, second anon -

Not everyone from the cast!

Adrestians got their Crests from, per Nopes, consensual "blood sharing", and then they passed it down to their descendants... who will later turn agains the very Nabateans who blood shared :/

Yuri ultimately got his crest because Aubin wished to save him, and did so by giving him his blood, ditto for Jeralt.

So I wouldn't say it's the worst way possible - but what I feel was the intention of the devs with this question (even if they clearly gave a quarter of a fuck about it!) is not what should befall the playable cast who got their crest from the Elites, but what the playable cast should do now, with that power. Will they use it for "good" reason, or use it for "bad" reasons ?

Like, in Rhea's lines from Nopes to the crest bearers who descend from the Elites :

"The goddess protects those who wield the power of their crest with a righteous heart."

or in JP : 紋章の力を正しく行使する限り, 主はあなた方をお守りくださるでしょう。

Which, googlised is something like " As long as you use the power of the emblem correctly, the Lord will protect you."

Those children cannot do anything about the dead Nabateans they share some blood with, but they can at least make sure "dead Nabatean"'s power isn't used for nefarious stuff.

Tl; Dr : Humans can get crests from 4 different ways (blood transfusion, directly descending from a Nabatean, descending from someone who got a crest or killing a nabatean), and only one is really condemnable, but for the other 3?

Crest "removal" procedures deus ex machina nonsense kind of piss on those differences and is the easy way out to, again, absolve humans of their agency, we go to an easy "well they don't have power so they won't use it for stupid stuff" route instead of going to the moer common and harder "no matter how you got them, use your powers responsibly" route.

#anon #replies #late replies #idk if this post is intelligible lol #FE16 #3 Nopes #Nabatean stuff #sort of since we talk about crests #the crest removal is just imo an easy way out of a larger problem #Humans can get this power through consensual means #and some humans are born with it #I still think it wouldn't solve the issue to remove crests from individuals because like #Flayn's kids would have to get their crest removed? Why? They were born with it!#Just like Annette and Mercie #Yuri is proud of his crest because it means Aubin saved his life #should it be removed too?#I hcd there were some rules for Nabateans about sharing their blood with humans #obviously Rhea never followed that class/lesson maybe because everyone died before they could give her that 'talk'#and it brings Willy and house Hresvelg #Jeralt and the hundred cardinals #All those humans were people she once trusted but ultimately their descendants or even themselves stop trusting her #should she have saved Jerry all those years ago if he ultimately points his i mean her blade at her?#of course!#I feel like Rhea's story is a big betrayal story #each time she trusts a human that human later hates her guts or said human's descendants #take Jerry Aelfie and Willy's descendants

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offantasiesandreams · 1 year

Note

Please can you write Japheth having his feathers stroked and being pampered by the player?

Not to be right or anything, but Japhet is such a good boss, I never would have expected to receive a request for the birdie like that, so hats off to you, anon, for fighting my expectations in the best way possible!

Japhet being Pampered by the Player

In all honesty, this was not what Japhet expected at all. He thought you’d be cruel and unkind towards him, like he deserved for all his inhumane activities, and yet, here you were, cooing at him and stroking his feathers. Certainly, you were worthy of the title of being the Saviour’s Puppeteer with how you show kindness even towards the corrupt like that. It flattered him to some degree, even if it was also humiliating. He had some pride, being the Millenium Bird, after all. He had lived to see a word die, he had lived to see another be born.

So you stroking his feathers, talking about what a good bird he was, it felt like an attack at first, and yet, it made him realise that there were still people out there that appreciated him and all he had done for them, even if you weren’t one of his children. It felt nice, taking him back to when the Elsen looked up to him, singing him praise. But that was long since over now, the past can’t turn into the present anymore.

He’d fluff up eventually, like birds do, and comply, despite his protests at first. It feels nice to him, to be recognised like the creator and guardian he was, and he certainly wouldn’t be against someone showing their appreciation. For some reason, it takes him back to when the Elsen were still young and happy, when the corruption hadn’t spread yet, his heart engulfed by resentment for his own sons. Therefore, once his past sins have caught up to him, he would feel guilty for everything that has happened.

The more you show him kindness, the more he opens up eventually, even if he does believe he should be eliminated like the other two guardians, there’s nothing else he can do for the Elsen anymore. However, if you do decide to spare him and keep pampering him, then he will eventually grow very fond of you. In all his loneliness, he’d see you as a shining ray breaking through the darkness.

When he trusts you enough, he might one day feel confident enough to wrap one of his wings around you during the colder days. He’s rather fluffy and warm, plus it feels like the world can’t get you anymore when he’s holding you like that.

Keep scratching the back of his head and, despite being dignified, he might start biting you if you stop. Plus if he’s tired enough, he might try to bite you anyway without realising it. It’s his way of saying “I care a lot about you.” In reality, he’s trying to preen you, even if he knows there likely isn’t too much that needs such. He just wants to repay you subconsciously, but he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do.

If you hold and cuddle him, read him a book as well, he’ll enjoy it and fall asleep eventually. While he might not put his wing around you, he’ll wrap his entire body around you instead. Good luck getting his head off your lap, however, he’s quite the heavy bird.

If you’re really tired and can barely keep your eyes open anymore, he’ll hold you instead and chirp you a little song. While he might not have the size of one, he could technically count as a songbird, so his chirping is very pleasant to listen to as though you’re surrounded by nature while in a big city.

#off (game)#off x reader #japhet x reader #japhet x player #he is my favourite boss and his theme slaps so hard #zone 2 is also my favourite zone which I think I've made clear by now!#not to be quirky but I've actually ordered a Japhet sticker to put on my laptop because i love him #I just want to tell him that everything will be okay eventually!#and that he did a good job!#even if not all of it was that good!

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saradotpsd · 7 months

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An obsessive girl’s guide to books about obsession

Originally posted on Medium here.

The word obsession and its variations will appear in this piece at an annoying rate for you, I’m sorry in advance.

I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole and I’m enjoying it too much to leave. It is eye opening as much as it is relatable though. Books depicting obsession have been a sort of obsession for me, I’m fascinated by these helpless characters and the situations they end up in because of their intense feelings, and it was delicious losing myself in their plots.

I’ve been looking for these books because I wanted a mirror to my OCD that makes me think “oh.. so this is what my intensity of feelings looks like”, and now that I’ve found a bunch of them, I had to compile a list of every single one I’ve read.

I tried to add as many types of obsessions in these recommendations other than romantic obsession, even though that was the one that held my curiosity the most. This list will be updated as I go through more and more books in the future, but this piece starts with the first 8 books I read, and I’m doing them in the order I read them in.

The first 8 books I read so far

An Apprenticeship or thee Book of Pleasures by Clarice Lispeector

On obsessive love

In this book we follow Clarice, a woman who is trying to bridge the gap between her loneliness and the passion she. harbors for Ulisses, who takes it upon himself to guide her through that path.

This book made me develop an alter ego. It made me kill my old self and create a sexier one out of it. I didn’t plunge into this genre willingly, the interest was sparked by the character portrayal in this book, I was so amused by it that I started seeking more books with similarities to this, from the way the book made me imagine Clarice, to the intense feelings and the way they’re depicted, to the progression of these feelings towards the end, all of this had me hooked and already thinking of what I want my next read to be like (and what I want my next outfit to look like).

My Husband by Maud Ventura

On obsessive & controlling love

A tale of a wife too engulfed by her love for her husband to the point where she doesn’t have more to give to her own kids. The main character loves her husband, a little too much, the cup overflows a little bit and seeps through into her sanity. She keeps notes detailing her husband’s whereabouts, she has a separate notebook where she writes down his “hurtful actions” and the punishment she would give him for each. She’s not exactly the perfect wife otherwise either, with her own shortcomings and her own mishaps, but she still attributes them all to how much she loves him. This gets good when we read the Epilogue.

I was feeling for her the entire time, I didn’t know if I should feel seen or called out because almost the entire time my main thought was “I should probably not love someone ever, because this is how much I’ll love them, to the point where my OCD will push me off the edge”. This book was the first one I read where obsession is a main theme, and it has led me to the rest of the titles in this list.

Read this if you’re interested in these themes: flawed people, detrimental relationships, obsession, unhinged characters. Most importantly read this if you’re okay with books were no one is a good guy, no morals here just obsessive vibes.

New Animal by Ella Baxter

On obsessive grief

Amelia is a cosmetician, at her family’s mortuary. Amelia loses her mom. Amelia goes into a haunting metaphorical journey and a quite literal one to escape that grief. But in her mind that is her way of grieving.

This may not have been a good choice for me to read but only because BDSM is not really an area for me to look into. The book otherwise had a depth that goes beyond it’s main plot. We see parent-children relationships being dissected in a way only all of us would relate to, especially the part where Amelia needs one parent when she’s away from them but she couldn’t stand whichever one she’s around, aren’t we all a little like that?

This book also discusses grief and goes in depth in how it engulfs you within it, so a trigger warning here if you can’t handle this because it does go deep about it. It also details the escapist ways people turn to to escape their grief.

This may not exactly deal with obsession, but I wanted to add it to the list anyway because of the familial attachment aspect and how that itself can be a form of anxious obsession laying dormant in most if not all of us

Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

On obsessive love

Our main character is unnamed, perhaps on purpose. She falls into obsessive love with Cieran, the type of obsessive love where you lose yourself completely into the other person, unknowingly but willingly giving them a hold over you that you can’t escape by the time you notice it.

This is a narrative of the rejection that is breed within a person when the other is obsessed with them, and it is also a narrative of the obsession wee develop with someone when they reject us. It is a big mess of overflowing emotions and how nothing that intense is ever gratified. It encapsulates the disappointing reality of obsession.

My best recommendation on this entire list. I wish I started with it and I wish I ended with it, but it happened to be a little in the middle, fueling me to search for more books that will hopefully match up to the quality and realistic portrayal of obsession this one has. No other book has done it so far, except thee first book maybe.

I’ve seen some contradicting opinions about the ending though, and without any spoilers, I think it was rather realistic and was merely hated because of how it was out of character for those who relate to our unnamed character’s behavior through out the rest of the book.

Wilful Disregard by Lena Andersson

On obsessive love

If I’m being honest, this one blended in with others in my mind and I had to go back and remember the plot.

Our main character, Ester, is a rational woman with a steady career and a steady relationship, or so she thought, until she experienced what the depths of love feel like after she wrote a piece on Hugo Rask.

Would you rather be in an all encapsulating obsessive love with all of its falls, or in a healthy boring relationship devoid of any feelings? This is my most memorable part about reading in this book and it wasn’t really the focus of it. But I think of this often and of whether or not a combination of both is ever attainable. For someone with OOCD or any personality disorder, they mess up the way we feel, display, or even. receive love. And so we wonder if there is ever a happy ending to our undying devotion and borderline unhealthy way of feeling love. It takes over us to the point where good feelings mesh with guilt and shame and a feeling of doom, that it will never be satisfied, and has it ever? Or have we simply gotten bored and moved on to the next obsession because without it, love doesn’t feel real, its not love if it doesn’t completely drown us?

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

On predatory obsessions

In this book we follow Vanessa’s journey, alternating between the past and the present, slowly unraveling to us what happened to her when she was fifteen, her story is uncovered to us simultaneously as she slowly starts to realize the abuse and grooming that she has gone. through. We know it from the start but she doesn’t, she finishes the book along with us although her realization comes later than ours.

There is obsessive love, and then there is predatory obsession (for lack of a better term), and while the latter is in no way related to the types of obsession a normal person would have, but I think it is important to read this book.

Lolita has grown up and is experiencing the realization of what had really happened to her. And it is a tale all too familiar with too many women, even if we were to disregard any age restrictions from it. Too many women have experienced something, that no matter how obviously traumatizing it was, they were still never sure if it was really a bad experience or just a normal thing that happens to all women at some point. Until the day comes when they can’t deny it anymore.

Vanessa does not fit the checklist of what the perfect victim should be like in order to gain the support of the people and to be believed. Vanessa is human. That aspect of this narrative and specifically the flaws of Vanessa are the most important part of the book to me, and what makes it an. necessary read especially for those who don’t believe women. Those who scramble to find a flaw so they can finally find a reason to hate a woman, to unleash all their loathing and have a “reason” for it.

Cursed Bread by Sophie Mackintosh

On obsessive fantasies

You will never guess what is the historic event that served as a launchpad to this novel. But the book has nothing to do with it really, it is just a spin on one possible storyline happening within that event.

Elodie is a baker’s wife who feels so unloved by her husband that when. she is introduced to a new couple, she develops an obsession with the both of them. Does she want to be with them? does she want to embody them? perhaps both. We follow her as she peers into their life, slowly seeping into their daily activities and the way with which their obsession with each other is displayed. She. has no clue how they portray her though, not even when she thinks she does.

I’m trying to have have opinions on this book but I cannot come up with a single one, it was simply an enjoyable read especially because of how peculiar its base story is.

I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel

On an obsession with a parasocial relationship

I’m giving this 4 stars overall because of the themes discussed in this book, ranging from racism to classicism and much more. But I’d give the obsession part 2.5 stars if I’m being real.

The characters in this novel are unnamed, our main character is obsessed with “the man she wants to be with”, who in turn is obsessed with “the woman she’s obsessed with” despite being in a healthy relationship with “her boyfriend” who loves her dearly. She is pushed to the limit because of her obsession. She has a complete disregard to the people in her life and her life’s focus and purpose is to be with the man she wants to be with, as is thee case with most obsessive feelings.

Just like most obsessive feelings, we see glimpses of the unsatisfied craving all over the novel despite the main character being completely oblivious with them, another realistic portrayal of the futility of obsession. You are completely enamored with something or someone, but there’s no happiness when you finally get it. You might obsess over more and more and more. Or you might move on to another obsession that proves this feeling is only folded over itself and is never about the person or thing you direct it to. Or worse, you might get disappointed and plunged into the emptiness of the mundane. What did we think the happy ending of obsession would be anyway?

I inhaled these books all back to back so fast that the more mediocre ones of them became kind of a blur at this point and I had to go back and remind myself of what they were about, so I hope my reviews were not lacking because of this. But some of them were so good they still take a seat at the front of my mind and I compare every similar book to them.

I hope they spark your interest and I’d love to discuss them with you.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading ❤

#literature #mine #my writing #book recommendations #bookblr #book reccs #book tumblr #literary fiction #fiction recommendations #ocd #obsessive compulsive disorder #obsessive love #obsessive #lovesick books

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bligblagblug · 1 year

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Short Story - Lucky for Me

The day dragged on for her, as it always did. Going to school and then going to work immediately after could never be quick and easy for anyone. At least it was her last day of working at that job and also the last school day of the year.

Tomorrow, she had a flight. So it wasn't like she could just lie in bed and pretend like tomorrow wouldn't need preparation.

There was no time for a book, for a show, nothing to wind down. Packing needed to begin, and she would have to pretend that it wasn't already 10 PM. She would be seeing a "close friend" tomorrow, if she could even call him that. Close friends typically don't discuss if they will ever have children, but the title was necessary for everyone except the both of them.

Tomorrow, they would finally share a bed after years of only phone calls. Phone calls which rarely would go beyond a few hours. "We're just busy," they would take turns saying every couple of weeks. "Busy" in this case would mean only getting to call at nights and leave the call running overnight until he would wake, since time zones never did favor her.

There would be a "good morning" and a wait until the next call. But tomorrow, things would be different. It's hard to be busy when you live together.

So, she got up and began to pack what she hadn't already. A suitcase had already been full to the brim, and the second on the way. The burden of packing and carrying them would be worth it. It had to be.

It didn't take long for the time to pass, no idea how many small things had been stuffed in little baggies and shoved in compartments. Already midnight? Getting up in the morning will be very inconvenient.

Given the day she had, falling asleep didn't take long. Though there was no time for settling down, the exhaustion took care of it easily. It would be enough.

The next day, five in the morning, no easy feat. The flight would be at six, and the airport was very close by. Still, it's cutting it close. She had never been on a flight before, so she had no idea of what to expect. It had to be okay.

She hustles down to the airport and after dealing with the hassles of getting to her flight, she barely squeezes into her seat before takeoff. With one last text to the man welcoming her, she's ready.

Whether it's not getting enough sleep the night before or just the nerves of finally meeting a "close friend", she falls asleep as soon as they're in the air.

Hours later, she wakes to a tapping on her shoulder. Checking her watch, she sees about an hour left until her scheduled arrival time. Looking at the person tapping her shoulder, the woman sitting next to her asks what she'll be doing when they arrive.

Her company must have been getting a but stir crazy to go and socialize with a sleeping woman, but the latter supposes that she doesn't mind. She's been going a bit crazy about all this as well.

"Well I'll be seeing someone very close to me for the first time."

"Oh that's wonderful! Who is it?"

The still half-awake woman looks down, having forgotten how embarrassing it can be to gush about these sorts of things.

"I guess you could say he's my partner, it's a bit much but we've been online for two years now." She looks out the window. "We'll actually be living together when I arrive."

The woman next to her grins, and raises her eyebrows. "Oh? So committed already?"

"We have known each other for a couple years now, you should remember," she says with a laugh. "There's also just something about him. You just want to believe that things will work out."

The lady smiles wider. "Seems like you have it all worked out then, I'll leave you to it."

The plane would be landing soon, and that conversation only made her more anxious to get off. She had to see him.

Twiddling her thumbs and thumbing through the pages of her book only helped for so long, but it was good enough, because they were about to land.

Another thing that she hadnt anticipated is how loud a plane can get whenever everyone's finally awake again. She gets out of there as soon as it's open and permitted, about ready to start pacing in anticipation.

He'll be waiting for her when she gets into the airport, he's so sweet like that. It takes a few minutes, but she's finally in an open enough area to be able to look for him.

He had texted her that he'll be wearing blue and have a sign that says her name. Taller than most, he finds her before she does. She hears him before even seeing him. Finally!

In a rush, the sign is dropped and she's scooped up in his arms. "Let's go home," he says.

She looks up at him and kisses his cheek. "I don't wanna let go."

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

#writing prompts #writers #short story

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