#yet another personal reward for progress on chapter 3 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

urf1lterr · 1 year

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lovesick | pedro pascal [2]

"and on this night and in this light i think im falling, im falling for you."

next chapter: [3] previous chapter: [1] series masterlist

summary: in which a 1975-obsessed film student accidentally falls in love with an older man she can't have.

pairing: actor!pedro x intern!reader

genre: acting world!au, big age-gap!, strangers to friends- maybe lovers?? au | angst, mature, awkward, love- eventually

word count: 6.7k

status: in progress

author's note: this chapter was for fun- i have the 1975 on repeat so i had to lmao. i kinda wanna do a slow burn because i don't want to make anything happen so fast. and pedro was at the oscars a few hours ago so why not post another chapter for him :) not edited.

You hated working weekends.

Something about waking up extremely early on a day that was supposed to be your day off irks you. Why have a scheduled rest day if you're just going to be scheduled to come in? It made zero sense, especially since you were only given a two hour notice before while sleeping.

No pay, clothes, gifts could ever make you happy after being called in at 5am for a 7am shift-

"Venti iced white chocolate mocha with oat milk, vanilla sweet cold foam, caramel drizzle, and light ice as always," Pedro listed as he handed you the coffee.

"Oh my god, I think I love you," you blurted out, staring at the cup in awe.

"That was fast, I see now why you're single," Pedro replied, giving you the side eye. "And soon diabetic."

Rolling your eyes, you take a sip of the coffee before shaking your head. "Not like that, you moron," you scoffed as he glared at you. "I love coffee too much- and who says I'm single."

"Think of it as your reward for waking up to the call," he joked as you just stared at him annoyed. The one time you turn off your do not disturb and this happens. "Your loneliness says otherwise."

"I am not lonely!" you gasp as he shrugs. "I'll have you know I am dating-"

"If you dare say Matty Healy I will personally push you in a bush-," Pedro declares, stopping you as you try to interject. "-and won't help you back up."

Huffing, you cross your arms as he laughs at the sight of your defeat. He knows you too well considering the fact you only met two months ago.

In fact, these two months were probably the best ones you have had all year. Not only did you experience some awesome moments you're sure you'll never get to witness again, but you got along with a lot of special people.

What made things even better was the fact that you got along with your boss because who knows where you would've ended up if Finn was a total douche- which he wasn't. But he did have his moments where he took your kindness for weakness- like asking you to come in for shift on a Saturday.

One thing that definitely advanced would have to be your relationship with Pedro. Nearly best friends is what you two were typically called on a normal day on set by how close you've become.

The nearly part added because nothing could ever come between his relationship with Bella, or Bellie in his own words. And because Jules always made sure to tell the jokesters that she was not giving up her position just yet.

But when it came to work, Pedro was always there for you. Considering he's been in the industry since before you were even born, which he yelled at you once when you joked, he was the best support.

He would even ask you what you were assigned to do and tell you specifically what was wanted without you even asking- even finding ways to physically assist before being caught and sent back to his actual job.

There were also the constant times where he would spam you with iMessage game requests to 8 ball and ignore you after beating him three times in a row, claiming his phone died despite your messages being sent through.

The only thing that made today better was that he was here because who knows how boring the day would have been if you were spent hanging with the technicians who; in fact, did not appreciate the countless times you dropped a mic.

"Why didn't Jules get called in?" you questioned as he turned up the computer brightness you were using. "That girl never wakes up early but I kid you not, she was playing minecraft on her computer when I was leaving."

"I love minecraft," Pedro sighed.

"I do too, but Jules always sends the creepers to my house," you complain. "They always destroy my garden."

"I could only imagine the devastation in your eyes," he dramatically exhales as you nudge him. "But I think it's because you're more...attentive? Not saying that she isn't, but she sure loves to talk about Jersey Shore in between takes."

"She's been binge-watching all the seasons after work."

The conversation ended once he was caught again by one of the producers and lured out of the office you were in. Initially, he searched around the studio and found you to gift the coffee, but he stayed because he did not want to sit on the makeup chair for another round of a drastic look being applied to his face- especially if you weren't there to pester him.

As for you, once clocked in Finn managed to have you scan after emails as a way to apologize for the call in. Apparently, one of his assistants called out so he decided to use you as their replacement since he couldn't find the time to sit down in a cozy office and do so.

But you were totally not complaining.

That only lasted you about two hours before you were finished and terribly bored.

Throwing the empty cup of coffee in the trash, you decided to walk around in hopes of finding something better to do or else you would've fallen asleep on the desk.

You would've if you weren't scared of the thought of a director finding and; consequently, firing you.

Hearing a loud noise, you quickly averted your eyes where your ears were signaling where the noise came from. Lightly jogging behind a curtain, your eyes widened to a sight of a desk on its side and a man hovering over it.

"Joon?!" you exclaim, running over to find him lowly panting, trying to remain his coolness as you began inspecting him to find any injuries.

"I'm fine," he calmly replied, using his dimpled smile as a way to reassure this but you didn't believe him. That was a loud drop.

"Why in the world are you lifting a desk that surely isn't less than 30 pounds?" you glare as he chuckles at the fake anger you poorly tried displaying.

"One of the technicians asked me to bring it out."

"And did you forget that your back would disagree?"

He shuts his mouth for a second, loss for words at your comeback. "I couldn't say no," he shyly replied. "I didn't want to have to pull out my medical forms explaining why I can't lift a table."

Feeling your face sink, you helped him stand straight as he glanced down at the fallen table. "You should have called for help then- everybody would need help for a gigantic table like this."

He only nodded in response, making you feel bad. You felt like you were lecturing him, technically you were, but you didn't want to find out in the future the reason he stopped attending work was because he pulled his back again.

"I'll drag this out," you declare as he tried slapping you hands away from it.

"It's too heavy for you!" he argued.

"Which is why I said drag," you countered back, ignoring his pleas as you somehow managed to lift the table back to its standing positioning.

Walking around it, you bent your back as you began pushing it around the curtain as Joon followed your position, crouching next to you for the extra support.

If it wasn't for the film crew being around the floor, you were sure you would have passed out right then and there. But you couldn't let them know how weak you were.

"And that's how teamwork makes the dream work," you announce, causing Joon to giggle before giving you a high-five as the two of you stand up from your bent posture.

Joon was another person you got along with incredibly well. For one, you guys were the duo out of all the interns. Every job you had that included another person, he was always there.

There was also the many times the two of you, and Jules of course, would carpool together to get home. It turned out Joon was also friends with some of your college classmates so he was always the only person from work who joined you guys for the random nights of cheesy movies and boring games while eating takeout with your other friends.

Despite hanging out for so long, you felt dense when someone called him Namjoon one time, even turning your head around for this Namjoon, completely oblivious to the fact that Joon was connected to Namjoon.

To be fair, he never went by his full name claiming that his nickname sounded more 'chill,' or whatever that meant.

Other than that, you were sure he was your other best friend. Well, after Jules and maybe Pedro. They were probably on the same level if you had to arrange them- not that friends had to ranked.

"Are you ready for this afternoon?" Joon called out as the two of you walked off the stage back to the curtains.

"For what?"

He sent you a surprised look, scaring you because is there something crazy happening that you had to prepare for? "Do you have your phone?"

Patting your back pocket, you shook your head. "I think I left it in my bag. Why? I'm about to cry if you don't tell me," you impatiently whine.

"What kind of fan you are," he simply responds, causing you to widen you eyes.

Immediately jumping on him, you shake his shoulders repeatedly. "What is the 1975 doing?! You must tell me or I swear to the gods I will bust your kneecaps and make you crawl for help."

He bursts out laughing at your threatening begs, trying to calm down your jumps by grabbing your shoulders to hold you. "You're violent."

"And you'll need surgery if you don't hurry it up."

Tapping your shoulder to calm down, you slowly do so. "3 o'clock is when their tickets go on sale for their upcoming tour, one of the dates being in New York City."

You could have sworn you were about to faint if it weren't for Joon pulling out his phone to show you you still had time to mentally prepare for the combat you were about to enter.

That's what ticketmaster was, a war zone.

"How was I not aware of this?!" you cry out, internally panicking about what you were going to do. You can't miss out on this concert, you just had to see these British people in person in order for your life to be complete.

"They did just post the news half an hour ago," he admitted. "Good for you for not being addicted to your phone."

Scowling at him, he quickly closed his mouth as you went over all the things you needed to do to prepare. "Wait, can we go together? None of my guy friends like them."

If you weren't in your own world mentally planning how you were going to beat all these teenage girls online, you would have noticed Pedro walking up to the two to you. But you didn't because your mind couldn't stop thinking about Matty Healy singing 'She's American' because you were indeed American.

"Why does she look deranged?" Pedro questioned, standing a few feet away from you. "Oh no, did Matty Healy die?"

Glaring at him, you ignore his irrelevant comment and face back to Joon. "You and me, my place straight after work. Got it?"

He nods, already in game mode because he knows how bad the two of you need to witness this concert.

Pedro exchanged a crazed look between the two of you, assuming his own ideas as to what you meant. "You're having a party and didn't invite me?" he tried joking to understand the conversation a bit more.

"No time for fooling around, Pedro," you state, grabbing Joon by his arm and making your way back to the office to search for your phone. "We have important business to settle, see you around!"

He watched the way Joon and you walk away hurriedly and wonders if you have a thing for the boy. It would make sense right? Joon was around the same age and he saw you guys work together all the time.

Shaking his head, he walks back to the stage trying to not overthink whatever was flowing in his head. But he couldn't help but question why he was never invited to your place? He instantly rejected that idea, he was twice your age. There's no way that was realistically appropriate.

However, you were friends- so wasn't it hypothetically okay?

No, there was no way he was really debating this. It's completely understandable why he didn't need to be invited over and Joon could.

But how many times did Joon come over?

Stop. His thoughts were confusing him and he needed a distraction. He wasn't going to let another man make him envy of where his friendship stood with you because there is no way he's jealous Joon might take his close friend status.

Because that's who you were to him, a close friend.

After another hour of working with Joon secretly about the tickets while emailing more people who Finn ordered, you two were finally cut for the day.

And luckily you still had two hours before the tickets went on sale.

"I need to grab my coat I left backstage, meet me outside?" Joon asked and you nodded, waving him off as you put on your own coat and bag.

Sprinting out of the office, you didn't expect to fall on the floor by the the person who ran into you. Well, the person fell to the floor while you comfortably landed on top of them, their arms wrapping around you.

"If you missed me that much you should've just texted me sooner to drop by," you heard the culprit chuckle, immediately making you shake their secured hands off your waist to stand.

"That was definitely not the case," you laugh, sticking a hand out to help him get up.

He raises a brow while staring at your hand before taking it, instantly pulling you back down with him. Falling over again, you slowly slip into his arms before finding your balance and giving up on helping him.

"How adorable of you to think you can lift me up," he grins, pulling his own weight up.

"I would love to stay and chat," you start, before looking past him and back again. "But I have something very important to do."

Trying to move around him, he stops you by grabbing your shoulder. "That's why I came to be a generous person and offer you a ride- so you can be home faster and do whatever you needed to do with Josh."

"His name's Joon."

"That's what I said," he ignores you're doubtful glance. "I can take you guys to your apartment."

Thinking it over, it would make it easier and faster to get home and prepare for the sale. If you would've taken a cab and subway it would have been an hour, with him it'll be half that.

"Fine," you spit out and watch as his face lights up. "But I am not owing you anything, you offered."

"Love how two months ago you would've begged the world for me," he placed a hand over his heart. "Oh how comfortable you've gotten with me."

"I don't want to hear it," you shun him, walking past him as he makes a silly face behind your back. "I can feel that!" He immediately stops, surprised you sensed it.

Maybe the two of you gotten a long too well.

"He's gonna drive us to my place, it'll be faster," you quickly explain to Joon who just nods, happily smiling at Pedro who sends him a fast greeting.

Right as you walk through the parking garage and see the familiar black car, Pedro unlocks it before quickly pushing you into the passenger seat, ignoring your protests and slamming the door before you could slip out.

"Not cool," you utter once he buckles inside the driver's seat.

"Don't make me cry," he fake cries before pulling the car out and hitting the road back to your place.

Due to it being the weekend and everybody wanting to be social and outside for some reason, the streets were packed.

It didn't help that Pedro thought starting a deep conversation with Joon about why electric cars annoyed him, knowing damn well Joon loved the environment, was a good idea.

And Pedro's defense being because he loved the smell of gas made you want to slap him.

As if the heavens felt your annoyance, your wish was granted. You were finally in the front of your apartment complex with Pedro pulling up along the red curb. You would've fought him, but you were desperate to get inside as you barely had an hour left.

"Thanks, see you Monday!" you exclaim, jumping out of the car and slamming the door shut. "Let's go, Joon!"

Barely stepping a foot out, you heard Pedro begin talking. "Wait, what are you guys gonna do?"

"Very intense work," Joon stated before turning to you. "But we got this in the bag."

Pedro squints his eyes, curiously scanning your body language because he does not know what this very intense work meant.

Working out? Making out? What the hell was it?

"Of course we do, love has no limits," you declare, making Pedro cough as you grabbed Joon's arm. "Now, let's go!"

"What are you two going to eat?!" Pedro called out, making you heavily sigh and turn back around.

Faking a smile, you gritted your teeth. "Don't know. Maybe we'll cook or make Jules' grab food as we work."

He makes a face, not convinced he wants to let you guys leave. Now that he was here and his day was over with, he didn't want to be alone.

But he also didn't want to tell you he wanted to stay. He wanted you to invite him- but you weren't getting the hint. Or maybe you were, but you couldn't have him in the room while working with Joon.

"That's cool, did you know I make a killer chicken alfredo?" he speaks out, making you pull an interested face as you were very much not. "Especially with garlic bread."

"Make sure to make that once you get home, safe travels," you wave, trying to turn away but was once again stopped by his voice.

You could feel your kindness slowly leaving your body. Was this the day you would be arrested and charged for murder?

"You know what's the secret with making the pasta?" Pedro questions as Joon replies back a curious, "What?"

"The sauce!" he exclaims as you try to control yourself. He was definitely pushing your buttons but you had to stay calm- you had to.

Joon was too interested in the conversation Pedro was beginning, trying to ask what was in this mysterious sauce. You knew you had to interject or you would both be ticketless.

"Maybe you can tell us about this secretive sauce on Monday, when we next see you," you force a laugh, trying to slowly take a few steps back to inch towards the entrance doors. "We really have to g-"

"Why wait till Monday when I can tell you now?" he claps, getting reading to explain his recipe. "For starters, you need a thick, sauce that can sp-"

"Oh my god!" you squeal, causing both men to jump and stare at you in shock as you rambled on. "The parking structure is around the block, my number is 912- just park and come up! Let's go, Joon!"

With that, Joon and you ran inside and Pedro smiled to himself. His planned worked. He guessed the only way to get to you was by speaking nonsense until you gave in- he'll remember that in the future.

Rushing through your door, you took your coat off as Joon pulled his laptop out if his backpack and set it next to your desk.

You looked at it confusingly before asking, "you carry your laptop with you to work?"

"Duh, an intern should always be prepared for computer work," he replies as if it was the obvious rule we should all know.

Shrugging, you turned on your PC and immediately went to ticketmaster, finding that the tickets weren't going on sale until 35 minutes from now. "We still have time to breathe." That was until you heard light knocks on your door. "Spoke too soon."

Walking up to your door, you see that no one was out there.

That was until Pedro decided to jump out from the side and scare the living shit out of you.

"I'm not doing this," you glare, trying to slam the door on his face, but he forced his way in while laughing at the scream you exhaled before.

You stared at him with no expression as he fell to the floor, continuing to laugh as if your fear was the funniest thing in the world. Joon was even silently giggling in the corner, stopping when you made eye-contact with him.

Trying to find a bowl to fill with water so you could throw at him, your plans were interrupted when you heard your roommate's voice boom across the room.

"Who the fuck is making so much noise?! Some of us are trying to sleep- ah! Why is Mr. Boss here?" Jules' gasps, jumping behind the hallway wall and peeking only her head out, too embarrassed to show off her hello kitty pajamas.

"He's gonna make us some pasta with his secret sauce," Joon happily states as she just gives him a confused look.

"Plus, it's almost 3 in the afternoon...," Pedro adds, giving her a baffled look as to why she is barely waking up.

She just gives him an awkward glance before running back to her room, shutting the door. Saturday's were her day off, of course waking up after 5pm was normal.

"The time limit just turned green! Refresh to join the waiting room-" Joon began screeching, doing so on his computer as you jumped around Pedro to do the same on your PC.

Slowly walking up to where Joon was, Pedro began examining the situation you two were in. Reading over your computer screen, his face fell. "The 1975 2022 World Tour...were you guys seriously trying to buy concert tickets this whole time?!"

Joon and you exchanged innocent glances to one another, not sure if he was judging you for your dedication.

"No, we still are trying to buy tickets," you simply reply, pushing him away from your computer.

His negativity was bad luck.

"This is why you were rushing to get home? All for-"

"Be gone, pessimist. Your energy is not it," you frown, moving your game chair to block his view from your screen. "Joon, block your computer, we can't afford his cynical attitude to ruin our chances of making out with Matty Healy."

"Making out with Matty Healy? You still want that? How is he gonna notice you?" Pedro asks, trying hard not to laugh in your face.

You were quiet for a minute. It was just a crazy thing you said because of all the videos you had seen online whenever it was somebody's birthday or they were just a lucky fan in the front.

You weren't actually dedicated to kissing him, but you did wish.

Joon slowly raised his finger, pointing at Pedro. "You're famous, right? Maybe if you went he'll notice us?"

Eyes widening, Pedro quickly shook his head as you placed your hand over your mouth. He was right, maybe he wouldn't kiss you, but he would for sure meet you if he found out a famous actor with over a million followers on Instagram attended his show.

"Not a chance," Pedro declared, ignoring your puppy dog gaze as you just hoped doing it for long would make him so uncomfortable he would give in.

Nudging Joon, he followed your actions with the sad stare, the two of you in front of the poor actor, leaving him really no choice. You were even thinking about calling Jules out to help, but she probably wouldn't appreciate it by her state of looking homeless.

But if it were on a work day she would totally be in.

"You just look like a deformed bull terrier," he says, pulling a disgusted face. "It's kind of unattractive."

"What is that?" you urge, watching Joon hold a laugh.

"The target dog," Joon answers for you.

Shrieking, you smack Pedro in the arm. "My god, woman! You always hit me."

"You're coming with us to the concert," you announce, watching him roll his eyes. Before he could reject your demand, you beat him to it, "if you don't I'm never talking to you again."

"Please, I've been wishing for that for weeks now," he cheers. "Plus, I'm pretty sure I am busy the day they come."

Pulling yourself close to the computer, you check to see the day they were arriving. "So you're saying you aren't free November 7th?"

"Kid, that's basically a year from now. I can't guarantee anything."

"Damn, you're right," you frown, your mood going down. Joon's idea was pretty amazing, but just wrong timing since the concert was so far away. "You can leave now."

"And what about that famous chicken alfredo?" Pedro chuckled, finding your change in demeanor amusing. You must really love these indie boys.

You were about to reply when Joon intervened. "Oh my god! We are in the queue!"

Twisting your head, you could see the clock had hit 3 o'clock exactly. How did time go by that fast?

"Holy shit! Everybody disconnect from the house wifi on your phones! We can not have anything disturbing us!"

Pulling out your phone, you did what you ranted on and made sure Joon did the same. You even ran to Jules' door and banged on it until she confirmed she did so.

Running back to the computer, you could see there was still 983 people in front of you while Joon had 754. "Why is your computer going faster?"

"This laptop-," he sheepishly smiled. "-cost a fortune, but works like a charm."

Turning back to the screen, you saw the purple line move closer. Not even three minutes in and you only had 534 people left while Joon had 312.

You don't know what you did, but God was certainly rewarding you.

"You're honestly really weird," Pedro confessed, staring at your computer screen. "And sad."

"You would be if you were about to buy tickets to see the love of your life."

"I wouldn't pay anything, money can't buy love," Pedro insists, pulling a chair from your table and placing it in between Joon and you.

"That's very romantic," you swipe an imaginary tear from your cheek. "Save it for the cameras."

His jaw drops as you return back to your computer. In a few moments you were about to be inside the room and you were beyond scared. If you did not get these tickets you don't know how much longer you'll have to live.

"I'm in!" Joon shouts, causing you to jump to his screen.

Great, the two of you were going together anyway so it works out.

"Fuck, what's the presale code?!"

Placing your hands on your head as he begins to panic, you die inside. What the fuck were you going to do now? "Go on Twitter and check!"

To say Pedro was not intrigued would be a lie. It was very fascinating seeing how strongly engaged you were just for a damn ticket. To be honest, he thinks you would be great on a reality tv show- your expressions were just off the roof. He wonders if other people genuinely acted like you.

"It's probably something super simple, try 'thesound,'" you exclaim, watching as he typed right away but frowning when it denied it. "try 'somebodyelse.'"

After each attempt of every famous song they had, it was still wrong. What pissed you off even more was that fans were gatekeeping the code no matter how many times Joon and you tweeted for help.

Greedy little shits.

Eventually, your screen allowed you into the room as well. It was no use, you didn't have the code. "I think I'm going to have a panic attack," you clutch your chest as you felt your lips quiver from sadness. "We were so close."

Pedro just stared at you not believing how miserable you suddenly became. Is this how easily young people let concerts take over themselves? Do people really idolize artists that much to the point where they feel depressed if they don't get tickets?

He shivered imagining how BTS fans dealt with this pressure.

"Let me try," Pedro speaks up, pushing you to the side as he began typing away on your keyboard.

It never hurts to try, right?

Innocently clicking away, your face fell as the check mark appeared, unlocking the room for you. "He got in!"

Hurriedly jumping to the screen, Joon urged Pedro to do the same as you began searching through the seats. Instantly clicking on the floor, you hit the continue button for 2 seats.

Feeling your nerves kick in, your hands begin to shake as you typed in the needed information in order to complete your order. But once you pressed 'place your order," your world stopped.

Ignoring your surroundings, you only focused on the screen. Quietly praying, you're sure Joon and Pedro could hear your desperate requests to the ruler of the universe to grant you your biggest wish: these tickets.

You Got The Tickets To The 1975!

Feeling weightless, you screamed so loud you were sure your neighbors were going to call the cops. Joon looked over, doing the same cheers once he realized you two were set for the show.

Jumping out of your chair, you practically tackled Pedro to the ground as you wrapped your arms around his neck and planted him numerous kisses all over his cheeks.

For once, you were happy you managed to outlast his annoying-self.

"I will forever be grateful for your existence!" you cheer, squeezing his poor body in your arms as he tried to remain in balance, laughing at how nice you suddenly became.

Planting a big kiss on his forehead, you turn to Joon and jump together in happiness. You couldn't believe you managed to score tickets, especially floor seats.

"Wait, what was the code?" Joon asked, pulling away from you and turning to Pedro who tried containing his grin.

"The 1975."

You dropped you arms, feeling incredibly stupid. How could you not write their name as a code attempt? It was shorter than 'it's not living if it's not with you.'

"Joon, we are officially the two dumbest people in New York City," you confess as he slowly nods before stopping.

"Not dumber than Jules though."

You heard her door open before her loud yelling appeared, "Well fuck you too!"

Ignoring her, you jump to Pedro who had his gaze on you already. "Welp! Since we got that out of the way, why don't you make some of that chicken alfredo with your sauce."

He smiled before realizing what you were asking. "What sauce?"

You roll your eyes before hitting his side. "The secretive one you were bothering us about."

Pedro bounces up once he understands what he had mentioned earlier. "Oh, right. That one," he chuckles. "I was kidding, I just wanted to see what you guys were dong."

Your face falls as Joon lets out a sad sigh. "Man, I really wanted to taste how thick and creamy that sauce was."

Pedro just tilts his head to Joon before pointing at the door. "It was great hanging with you guys though! Hey, at least we all worked together for those tickets! I'm gonna head out now, have a good rest of your evening!"

With that, he awkwardly backs away and opens the door, quickly running out before you could argue why he would lie about such a thing.

Before you could process what had just happened, he quickly opens the door again and peeps his head inside. "By the way, you don't actually like a deformed bull terrier," he clarifies. "I was kidding, maybe a cavalier king charles spaniel, those are precious."

And again, he runs out. This time, your face was pretty noticeable when it came to how much redness was present. You cringed to yourself, the littlest of compliments always made you blush- it made you sick.

Joon and you exchanged confused looks to each other. Pedro was a very interesting man.

"What is a cavalier king charles spaniel?" you lightly question.

"The dog in the arms of an angel commercial," Joon simply replies.

Reaching his car, Pedro quickly unlocked the door before jumping in. He felt his heart beating fast, not sure why it was doing so.

Was it because he adored how committed you were for those damn tickets? Maybe. Or how your eyes sparkled once you realized you got the right code? Possibly.

How you kissed him and pulled him in close? Most definitely.

But he would never reveal such a thing to anyone. People would take it wrong and believe he had feelings for you. All he had were feelings one would have for another close friend like you.

His heart was beating because he was excited for you, that's all.

Walking around the studio Monday morning was exhausting. Not only did you pull an all-nighter Saturday night because you were too happy to fall asleep, but you only managed to gain a few hours of sleep on Sunday as you were too busy trying to finish homework due that same night.

"Are you alright? Do you need water?" you heard Bella worriedly ask as you pulled a hoodie over your head and walked near the snacks table.

"I need a pill that can wake me up."

"That could be arranged," she joked, stopping when you sent her a serious look. "Not by me, of course."

Bella managed to wake you up a little once she suddenly pulled out her phone and turned the flash on, flashing it all around your face. "Are you trying to make me blind?!"

"It's supposed to wake you up, is it working?" she grinned, still shoving her phone up your face.

Grabbing her wrist, she stops. "No."

"Damn, that sucks."

Somehow you managed to pull yourself together, walking to where the rest of the interns were once you heard all the directors call out for an urgent meeting.

Probably wanting one of you to run to the coffee shop for coffee as usual.

Seeing Pedro waving at you from the side of his cast's group, you smiled and returned it. He then proceeded to make a confused face, wondering why there was an emergency meeting being held.

You sent the same look, adding a shrug because you were feeling the same. You weren't aware about what was going on, but noticing how many people were present- it must be a big deal.

Finn walked in and stood near the director, sending you a smile that didn't look natural.

If anything it looked fake and...sad?

"A lot of you are probably wondering why I called everyone down here on this early morning," you hear one of the directors begin, making some people nod while others just patiently waited for him to continue. "Starting with wonderful news, we have just been given access to explore our visuals and proceed to try out different surroundings in regards to our planned perception for the series."

Hearing a few people clap, you do the same. You were glad that the set was upgrading, but what did they have to do with everyone?

"Unfortunately," you heard him begin, causing your breathe to hitch. "with locations being held in various places like Canada, we are going to have to make cuts."

Feeling your heart drop, you already knew who he was planning to remove. A big series like this can't send interns they don't care about out of the country for help and you sure as hell couldn't afford to pay for the travels yourself if it came down to it.

You didn't want to make eye-contact with Bella or Pedro and feel their condolences through their expressions. All you wanted to do was be cut already so you could go home and cry at home.

To cry over a job was pathetic, but considering how much you learned and loved to manage it for the past couple months, it was sad to let it go.

As the director went down the list of small departments he planned on letting go, he finally made it to yours. "As for the interns, we are especially grateful for the hard work you brought to this set and trying to fill not only our needs but the casts. If we have any open positions in the near future we will make sure to grant you priority, and if you ever need letters of recommendations for your future activities, I am sure Finn would be able to handle that behind closed doors..."

You zoned out after that, not really caring what else was being said. It was the typical its not us excuse, claiming the company couldn't provide for all of their workers yet were able to spend millions of dollars on each location and its visuals.

The meeting was over when you noticed the directors and producers giving a final sympathetic look to the crowd, bowing their heads before walking back to where their offices were located.

"I feel like crying," you heard Jules sniffle, patting her under eye with her sweater. "But I took time on my eye makeup so I can't!"

Rubbing her shoulder, you tried to distract her from her tears coming out as Joon stood next to you guys, telling her funny spongebob jokes that she did not understand.

"Uh oh, Mr. Boss is coming. He's gonna make me cry, I can't hear his sorrow," Jules' explained, turning her back the other way.

"Hey, kids," you heard Pedro lightly say.

"The tears are coming out!" Jules' exclaimed, running away to the nearest bathroom while Joon and you looked at each other, feeling extremely bad for her.

"Sorry about that," Pedro awkwardly started, continuing once you shook off his unnecessary apology. "I just wanted to talk, see how you guys are handling the unfortunate news."

Joon was the first to speak, sounding surprisingly calm for someone who just lost his internship. "It sucks, but at least it was for an understandable reason. Traveling costs money. Plus, we go to school here, we can't just leave."

You nodded, agreeing with what he said. It was true, you should have known this job would've ended sooner than later, there was only so much you could have done inside a film studio.

The series was an apocalypse that needed feature more outside and environmental sets that looked deadly than a building that was only useful for inside takes.

"How about you?" He questions, sincere eyes following yours as you shrug.

"I am sad but that's the industry," you force out a small chuckle. "If you aren't cut at least once, you aren't gaining the full experience."

Right after you said that, you felt tears lining around the inner corner of your eyes. Looking down, you tru to contain yourself. "I'm going to go check up on Jules."

Reaching out for you, Pedro tries to console you but you were out of his reach in seconds. He hated the tears in your eyes and his job being the reason behind it.

He felt as if it were his fault for your departure when he knows he shouldn't.

It also didn't make him feel any better that Joon followed straight after you once you walked away. He knew he had to do something but he wasn't sure.

All he knew was that he would rather see you smile than cry.

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal imagine #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal fanfiction #tlou #joel miller x reader #joel tlou #the last of us #pedro pascal angst #pedro pascal fluff #pedropascaledit #pedro pascal x y/n #joel miller #pascalispunk #fanfiction

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arthenaa · 1 year

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To be or not to be (Prologue)

Auror! Sebastian Sallow x MACUSA Auror! Reader Series

Story Summary: To prevent a war between humans and wizards, you and Sebastian are tasked with your respective agencies to save the fate of the wizarding world from the hands of a dark wizard in the Philippines.

Chapter Summary: The start of it all.

Chapter warnings: subtle hints of discrimination, side character death

Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2

Notes: HEYA just finished finals and as a reward for myself, ive finished the prologue. Will publish chapter 1 soon! For now enjoy hehe <3 also guess the surprise guest in this chapter hihi

Everything was bright.

The shimmer and grandiose of it all could’ve blinded Jose but he remains tucked in the corner, eyes observing as he tries to blend in with people of influence. They glided across the ballroom floor, faces plastered with kind and welcoming facades that hid manipulative and calculating thoughts. This had never been a welcome and comfortable sight for Jose but he must endure in order to pursue his studies. A glass of alcohol in his hand, he takes a glance at the main attraction of the night; Don Manuel Alfonso. The host of the party.

He was a lord who loved the essence of galas, balls and parties. The life of the party. It was hard enough to get in here with his blood lineage; A reason for stares and murmurs of disgust from the elite who have no shame in doing it in front of him. However, no one dares to insult for he was personally invited by the lavish lord who found interest in his great capabilities as a scholar and an artist. It certainly made him feel like some sort of personal entertainment for the noble.

Before he could continue judging the absurdness of this whole gala, a hand on his arm breaks him out of his reverie. He turns sharply to the culprit but sighing in relief at the sight of his companion.

“Taviel,” He smiles as the other nods at him as a greeting. The two had been invited by Don Manuel to the ball after Jose’s overseas trip. ‘An opportunity to catch up,’ the Spaniard had said with a hearty laugh and a rough pat on his back.

“I almost thought Don Alfonso whisked you away to talk your ear off.” Taviel chuckles as he watches yet another dance sequence starts on the dance floor. He glanced at shorter man beside him, taking note of his blank expression. “Not having much fun, I assume?”

“It depends.” Jose replies with nonchalance as he watches a young lord bump into a maiden before flustered cheeks and lingering glances occur. He watches the beauty of a love blossom from across the room, watching as they get absorbed into their own little bubble. Free of care and attention in the world.

The sweet bliss of ignorance.

“It does get me enough material for my works, though.”

“Ah, a great writer’s mind never rests.” Taviel chuckles as he slips his hands inside his pockets. Jose shakes his head as he lets the ambiance of the room answer for him. The artist takes a sip of his drink before resuming his people watching.

“You jest, Taviel.” Jose catches the eye of a young woman across the room. He sends a subtle smile before raising his glass as a greeting. The woman returns his initiation for an interaction before giving him a lingering glance as she blends in with the other ladies. “But I do suppose that holds some truth to it. Explains why women love me so much.”

“Mierda. Keep talking like that and you’ll surely scare them off.” Taviel tries to hide a chuckle as he nudges the writer beside him as a response to his cocky response. The scholar only hums as he hides his smile in his drink. To even progress the night into a far more interesting one, Jose catches the eye of Don Manuel who exaggeratedly points his hand towards their direction. The crowd around him disperses as he makes his way over to the two of them.

“Oh dear, one more step from him and I fear for the safety of the marble floors.” Taviel tries to hide his crud teasing with a stiff smile as the Spaniard approaches with a welcoming smile. Jose only shakes his head at Taviel’s teasing before smiling at the approaching noble.

“Don Taviel de Andrade! And of course, Jose Rizal.” Don Manuel greets them with enthusiasm to which they return with slight bows of respect. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“I suppose that’s a direct reference to our dear friend, Don Alfonso?” Taviel grins innocently to which the host laughs loud at. Jose almost winces at the loudness of his voice but he was too busy trying to send a glare at his companion for the night.

“How was your trip, Doctor?” Don Manuel turns to him with interested eyes. Jose smiles sheepishly as he feels his fingers grip the stem of his wine glass.

“It was wonderful, mi senor. France was lovely and a life-changing experience indeed. An opportunity to learn has always been a welcomed chance to be better.” Jose replies with elegance of a scholar. Taviel thinks he’ll never get tired being in the presence of one of the greatest men the Philippines has seen. The man himself evokes intelligence and elegance. Spaniards may soil his blood but they can never deny his intimidating and alluring presence. Taviel truly admired him.

“You never fail to impress me, Rizal. It’s why you’re one of my favorites.” Don Manuel sneakily tries to whisper to Jose but Taviel only shakes his head in amusement. The hearty Spaniard chuckles at the two before changing the topic. “I suppose you’re wondering why there’s a gala out of the blue.”

“Well, it’s never really an unusual sight for you is it?” Taviel raises his eyebrows as he encourages the man to continue. Don Manuel grins widely as he steps closer to the two.

“Well, there’s actually a reason behind it. Some of my men and some troops sent by the military have secured an area in the north. Now, this would be the usual for us but this was a tip given by an informant of mine and said to hold a relic that grants abilities.” Don Manuel speaks with a crazed look on his face. Jose feels a chill go down his spine as he furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “Informant overheard a few indios and forced it out of them. Definitely worth it, I tell you. I’m celebrating at the chance of becoming Manila's richest man and of course being recognized by his Majesty.”

Jose’s free hand crumples to a fist as he only listens to the old man's laughter. Taviel glances at him before looking back at Don Manuel. The young lord laughs. “Surely, you’re not letting old age affect your state of mind, senor?”

Don Manuel grunts at him in annoyance. “The relic is there but for some reason my men can’t get it. We send one in the forest and they return dazed and lost. Like they’ve got no clue why they went in in the first place. Pendejadas."

The old man turns to look at Jose with a raised eyebrow as he places his hands on his hips. “I suppose you’d know something of this, Rizal? Considering your lineage.”

“No.” Jose replies with no hesitance that it almost made Taviel suspicious. The taller of the two looks at him with concern. The artist only glances at the two with a smile before shaking his head. “None at all. This is news to me.”

“Well, whatever this relic is, it’s crucial that we obtain it. The wonders it'll do for Spain. I’m only letting you two know because I hold you very dearly to my heart.” Don Manuel pats their backs with a harsh motion causing the two to stumble. Then he pauses to grip their shoulders tight before murmuring with hostility and threat. “Do know that I’ll know if you open your mouths. I assume that this is going to stay between us. We don’t want anything bad to happen don’t we, caballeros?”

Jose looks down at the floor with a blank look while Taviel lets out a sigh before nodding. The man smiles once again before patting the two one last time. Jose watches as the old man walks away and buries himself in the attention of the crowd before placing his glass on an empty table and began marching his way out. Taviel stutters as he follows fast behind him.

“Jose? Jose—Wait!”

He must get out now. A target could be placed on his back for all he cares and he knows that Don Manuel is nothing but trouble. He had always allowed his crass deeds to float above his head, avoiding to give it attention. He only nods and smiles in the presence of the noble but he supposes all things must have a limit.

“Where are you going?! It’s not a good time to leave right now.” Taviel tries to catch up to him, a shock considering their heights. Jose grabs his coat and hat from a servant before tugging it on. Taviel stands in front of him in confusion, stopping him from further leaving the place. “This is all too fast, what’s wrong?“

“I apologize my friend but I must leave early tonight. The festivities have rendered me exhausted.” Jose tries to reason as he looks at his friend with a stiff smile. Taviel furrows his eyebrows before leaning closely.

“Is this about what Alfonso said? You do know that things will happen if you leave now. He’s got eyes everywhere, mi amigo.” Taviel places a hand on his shoulder, encouraging him to communicate his worries. “Talk to me, Pepe.”

Jose lets out a shaky breath as he glances around him. About to voice his reasons for worry, he feels a chill presence glide behind and it’s as if everything’s in slow motion. Normally, Jose relates this feeling to moments of love. A sudden meeting of eyes, lingering touches and the gentle dancing of body language around one another. This—This was different. It felt as if he was close yet so far. He was too caught up by the ambiance and the festivities to miss the off signals around him. It was right in front of him and yet he had only watched as it fled from his grasp.

The sweet bliss of ignorance.

The familiar figure stands in front of him, directly in front of the parting in the crowd at the center where Don Manuel continues to speak with his guests. No one pays attention as the woman blends perfectly with the festivities. The woman glances back at the two with a smile.

She was that girl he raised his glass at. Jose is paralyzed with an unspeakable force as he watches the woman pull out an all familiar item. An object he never got the chance to hold.

He only watches as she extends her arm, wand pointed at the man who merely moments ago had threatened to do unlawful crimes towards him. He thinks karma is a befitting mode of justice but he hadn’t expect it to come in this.

He hears the words, a faint reminder of the world beyond him.

“Avada Kedavra.”

The green light emerges from the wand but vanishes quickly from his eyes before he could even process it. It directly hits Don Manuel and sends him flying across the room. Everyone gasps in silence as the lord hits the ground with a loud thud. His wife rushes over immediately to check on him before screams of horror erupt.

“He’s dead!” His wife screams before commotion ensues. The woman in front of him chuckles before using the distraction as a way to escape.

The whole room starts to erupt in panic at the sight of a dead man. They rush to the exits causing the two to move back in shock at what just happened. Jose feels dread fill his gut at the possible consequences of what just happened. Leonor. I have to get back to Leonor.

“Puta, Jose!” Taviel lets out breaths of shock as he grabs his friend’s arm to get his attention. The people have started to fled. Jose sees Don Manuel’s unmoving body surrounded by his men and the still screaming wife. “What the fuck just happened?!”

Jose turns towards Taviel before grabbing his things and Taviel’s arm with haste and rushing outside the building. No one seems to pay them mind, too focused on their own safety as he pulls him to a secluded alleyway, hiding from possible onlookers. Taviel looks at him with a lost look on his face.

“Jose—“

“Taviel. Look, I can’t explain this right now but things are about to get bad.” Jose grasps his friend’s arms tightly. Fear and panic is evident on the doctor’s face before he lets go of him and opens up his case. “That area that Don Manuel discovered will only bring more suffering to my people and I have to let the others know.”

“Others? What do you mean, Jose?”

Jose pulls out a parchment and a pen as he begins to write with haste. Taviel looks out from the alleyway for potential onlookers before looking back at his friend who begins to fold the parchment paper into an origami crane.

“I have to warn them. I’m the least they’ll expect but it’ll work out.” Jose pants as he pulls out a vial of what Taviel assumes to be dust. Jose pours a few ounces of the powder on his palm before placing the crane on top of his briefcase. He takes a breath before placing his palm up with the powder on it in front of the crane before speaking.

“Ihatid, Ipaalam, Babalaan. Ito ang tadhanang pinaparating ko sa iyo sa grasya ng Bathala at dirihi ng mga tala.” Jose murmurs into the powder before blowing against the crane. Taviel watches with confusion and mild amusement before stumbling back with a gasp as the crane transfigures into an eagle. Jose nods at the animal as it returns the gesture before flying off his briefcase and into the sky.

“What did I just—“ Taviel cuts himself off as he stares into the sky before glancing down at Jose who stands up with a sigh before staring at him. “What is happening, Jose?”

Silence engulfs them both before Jose breaks it off.

“Tonight must’ve been a sight, Taviel.” Jose steps close towards Taviel who steps back in apprehension. “I’m sorry but I have to do this. For your sake."

Before Taviel could even defend himself, Jose blows another type of powder towards his face before the man faints to the floor. Jose sighs as he watches his friends take soft breaths in his sleep. He places the vials inside his pocket before grabbing his suitcase.

“PhilMaj must be furious by now. This can only mean worse for us.” Jose tips his hat closer to his head as he leans down to place his briefcase on the ground before grabbing Taviel’s arm off the floor and pulling his body up with difficulty. He slings his arm across his neck, taking a break from the strenuous exercise of hauling an unconscious man. Jose looks up at the sky.

He never knew that he’d once be exposed to that side of the world again. The PhilMaj valued secrecy more than anything and what just happened back at the gala could only result to the fall of what once was a perfect and secured place for people like him. Well, could he even call himself the same as the others?

He looks down at the briefcase as a dreading feeling creeps up his skin. He taps the top of the case three times before it snapped open, pulled them inside and disappearing into thin air. Escape was the only solution for now.

A death of a seromahi at the hands of a wizard meant one thing and one thing only.

That a war was beginning to brew.

Translation:

Mierda - shit

Pendejadas - cowards

Puta - fuck (can also mean bitch)

indios - term used by spaniards to filipinos (usually meant in a derogatory way

“Ihatid, Ipaalam, Babalaan. Ito ang tadhanang pinaparating ko sa iyo sa grasya ng Bathala at dirihi ng mga tala.” - Deliver, Inform, Warn. This is the fate I seal to you by the grace of Bathala and the guidance of the stars.

caballeros - gentlemen

seromahi - (sero (zero) , mahi(ka) (magic) ) muggle version of Filipinos

PhilMaj - Philippine Bureau of Magic and Wizardry

N/A: AND THAT SETS THE PLOT OF THE STORY ACKK !! What do you think will be the main conflict for this series? also jose rizal cameo hihi ,,, sorry if there will be inaccuracies, im doing my best in researching so just count this ver of jose rizal as fictional. also yes jose rizal does have magical lineage in his blood but if you look closely from the hints in the chapter, he's a little difference from others. do you think he'll make a come back in the future chapters? we'll see hehe. (jic some of you dont know who jose rizal is, he's a national figure in the philippines and a figure and symbolism of revolution) check this post out to learn more about the philmaj and the magical community of the Philippines! Chapter 1 will be you and Sebastian's debut

#arthenaa auror seb fic #arthenaa #hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x reader #reader is from macusa #sebastian sallow smut #hogwarts legacy smut

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thecassadilla · 2 years

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✨ Fanfiction Master List ✨

So I never really planned on making a master list for all of my fics, but I figured since it's been almost 3 years since I started sharing my writing on this account, it's probably time that I compress everything to one list (especially since this site can be a bit difficult to navigate).

All of my fics - with the exception of a few that were originally posted on tumblr and have yet to be archived - can be found on my AO3 page and all links posted below will lead to AO3 as well. Descriptions, settings, and ratings all beneath the cut!

Kristanna Multi-Chapter Fics

Still Falling For You - In early 20th century England, Anna, the daughter of an Earl, and Kristoff, a footman employed at her family’s estate, find love in a society where class differences are determined to keep them apart. 1910s/Downton Abbey AU. Rated M. Work in progress.

Change of Pace - With her sister’s blessing, Anna takes a step back from her royal duties and finds herself working for a ski resort nestled in the mountains. A chance encounter with the resort’s maintenance technician leads them down an unexpected path, as they must work together to plan the resort’s annual ball - and maybe fall in love in the process. Modern AU. Rated M. Work in Progress.

In a Crowd of Thousands - When rumors start to swirl that the missing princess is actually alive, two con men convince a naive amnesiac to impersonate the young royal in a plot to deceive the Queen of Arendelle and collect the reward money. Though, their plans are disrupted when Anna and Kristoff begin to fall in love. “In a crowd of thousands, I’d find you again.” 1920s/Anastasia AU. Rated T. Complete.

Written in the Stars - Figuring out how to go on an in-person date during a time of social distancing would be a challenge for anyone. Luckily, it comes easy to Anna and Kristoff, who find a creative way to spend some time with each other amidst a pandemic. Modern AU. Rated T. Work in Progress. (Sequel fic to Serendipity)

Kristanna One Shots

Here's To Us - After agreeing to go to a concert with Sven, Kristoff runs into his high school crush, Anna - who he hasn't seen in years since their friendship ended on a bad note. Modern AU. Rated M. Part of "Kristanna Love Songs Mixtape Volume 1" challenge.

You Hit the Lights and I'll Lock the Doors - The first argument Anna and Kristoff have in their marriage leaves them in uncharted territory, as they each have to decide between their own unrelenting stubbornness and pride over being 'right,' or owning up to their faults and apologizing. Modern AU. Rated T.

The Good Part - Anna and Kristoff have made it to the stage in their relationship where they not only keep each other warm, but where teasing one another has become a regular occurrence. Modern AU. Rated T.

Just Hold Me Close, Don't Ever Let Me Go - Amidst the crime and grime of 1972 New York City, Kristoff's tough, no-nonsense exterior often comes in handy - except when it comes to Anna, who he'll do anything for. 1970s AU. Rated T.

In This Together - Anna is left feeling defeated - and a bit frustrated - when she's ordered to spend the rest of her pregnancy on bed rest. Post-Canon/Canon Compliant. Rated T.

Lightning in a Bottle - The evening had been sold to her as an end of the semester party between friends. But what it actually turned out to be, Anna discovered, was an elaborate set up. Modern AU. Rated T.

We'll Meet Again - Though World War II has temporarily separated them, Anna and Kristoff promise to keep in touch with each other the only way they can - through love letters. 1940S/WWII AU. Rated T.

Let Me Call You Sweetheart - Though class differences are determined to keep Anna away from the man who holds her heart, she decides to take matters into her own hands one evening after a shocking marriage proposal by a suitor she has no feelings for. 1910s/Downton Abbey AU. Rated T.

Make You Feel My Love - Anna has a tendency to tell Kristoff she loves him whenever the opportunity arises - but the way she continues to let the phrase slip out leaves Kristoff wondering whether she actually means it or not. Modern AU. Rated T.

In Search of Silver Linings - After being scolded for breaking yet another unspoken rule, Anna seeks out the one person who always makes her feel better. Canon Compliant. Set between Frozen and Frozen 2. Rated T.

Cloud Nine - Kristoff is certain that the feelings he has for his coworker are unrequited, but he finds out exactly how wrong he is after a conversation with Anna presents him with an opportunity to confront those feelings once and for all. Modern AU. Rated T.

Que Será and Ç'est La Vie - In the midst of celebrating the first anniversaries of their early relationship milestones, Anna and Kristoff reflect on the impending anniversary of the worst moment of their lives. Canon Compliant. Set between Frozen and Frozen 2. Rated T.

Fix You Up - Winding up in the emergency room isn't fun, but it's certainly a bit easier to endure when there's a beautiful doctor taking care of you. Modern/Hospital AU. Rated T.

Pining for the Fjords - Kristoff Bjorgman has the ability to bring the d*ad back to life with the touch of a finger - and only a few rules. After joining forces with a private detective, Kristoff finds himself in a difficult position when he brings his childhood sweetheart, Anna, back from the d*ad. The only condition is that they can never touch each other, or else Anna will d*e, again - but this time, it will be permanent. Pushing Daisies AU. Rated T.

Vices and Virtues - The last thing that Kristoff expected Anna to do after a night of heavy drinking was to go skinny dipping. But, as always, Anna keeps him on his toes. Modern AU. Rated T.

Break In - Anna’s seemingly unrequited feelings for Kristoff comes to a head at a wedding that Kristoff didn’t even want to go to. Modern AU. Rated T.

Serendipity - Apparently, the best way to meet someone during a global pandemic is for their groceries to be delivered to the wrong address. Or, how Anna and Kristoff meet for the first time during a time of social distancing. Modern AU. Rated T. (Prequel to Written in the Stars)

Lacrymosa - And you can blame it on me Just set your guilt free, honey I don’t want to hold you back now, love. Anna shares an incredibly dark secret with Kristoff and is certain that it will change the trajectory of their blossoming relationship. Kristoff disagrees. Modern/Vampire AU. Rated T.

Fall/Halloween Themed Kristanna Fics

Everything Changes - Though she initially wasn't thrilled about going to the annual Arendelle Harvest Day Festival, Anna gets a bit more than she bargained for when she's introduced to Kristoff, a friend of her sister's date. Modern AU. Rated T. Part of "Kristanna Harvest Day 2021" Challenge.

You've Really Got a Hold on Me - After deciding to go to a Halloween party on a whim, Kristoff gets a bit more than he bargained for when his grad school rival - and crush - Anna admits to having feelings for him. Modern AU. Rated T.

Anything For You - Anna agrees to go camping despite her uncertainties, but Kristoff has a few tricks up his sleeve to make their experience more comfortable. Modern AU. Rated T.

Of All the Apples - Though Kristoff is uncertain about his relationship with Anna, he agrees to go apple picking with her, where he is forced to confront his feelings. Modern AU. Rated T.

Bump in the Night - To kick off the start of “spooky season,” Anna plans a scary movie night with Kristoff, but things go awry later that night when their real life begins to imitate conventions of a horror film. Modern AU. Rated T.

Kristanna Week 2020

Bloom - Though their initial meeting was the result of an unfortunate situation, Anna and Kristoff begin to grow something wonderful, together. Modern AU. Rated G.

Thankful - Anna and Kristoff have some special news to share with their family at Thanksgiving - though, the idea of sharing it brings forth some anxiety on Anna's behalf. Modern AU. Rated T.

Preparations - Anna and Kristoff ponder nursery themes and paint colors as they prepare to bring their baby into the world. Modern AU. Rated T.

Somewhere Only We Know - Jealousy rears its ugly head as Anna and Kristoff each bring a date to a charity gala. Modern AU. Rated T.

Don't Look Back - After their separation is prophesied by a strange woman, Kristoff goes on a quest to the underworld to save Anna. Greek Mythology Inspired AU. Rated M.

Perfection - After months of anticipation and preparation, Anna and Kristoff welcome their baby. Modern AU. Rated T.

Rapunzel x Eugene One Shots

New Dream Appreciation Week 2020

In Search of the Stars - Rapunzel and Eugene set off in search of the stars, but they find themselves talking more about the sky’s other inhabitants. Modern AU. Rated G.

Have Love Will Travel - Rapunzel and Eugene spend the first day of their vacation on a beach in Hawaii. Modern AU. Rated G.

The Glass Slipper - Rapunzel is stuck living a miserable life with her stepmother and stepsister. Her Fairy Godmother grants her wish to go to the ball, and once there, she meets a handsome stranger who may help change her life. Cinderella AU. Rated G.

Sick Day - Rapunzel catches a cold and Eugene blows it out of proportion. Modern AU. Rated G.

The Perfect Moment - Eugene tries to find the perfect moment to propose to Rapunzel. Modern AU. Rated G.

Positive - Rapunzel and Eugene get the best news of their lives. Modern AU. Rated T.

Right After - Rapunzel and Eugene reflect on their wedding immediately after it happens. Modern AU. Rated G.

Fall Themed Rapunzel x Eugene Fics

Pumpkin, Pumpkin - There aren’t many things that can shock Eugene anymore, as he’s learned to expect the unexpected with Rapunzel. Though, coming home to an apartment full of pumpkins is always a fun surprise. Modern AU. Rated G.

A Scarf to Keep Him Warm - Rapunzel decides to take matters into her own hands when she notices that Eugene doesn’t have any wintertime accessories. Modern AU. Rated G.

#kristanna #kristanna fanfiction #anna #kristoff bjorgman #frozen #frozen fanfiction #rapunzel x eugene #new dream #rapunzel #eugene fitzherbert #tangled fanfiction #my writing

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fmpnalogirlypop · 3 months

Text

Researching part 4

Chapter 3: Identification

Having come back "successful" from their previous mission, Counters catches the attention of Deputy Chief Andersen, one of the Ark's authority figures. Whatever he sees in the protagonist, it's worth giving another mission to...test him.

When the mission ends in failure due to circumstances beyond Counters' control, Andersen banishes them to the Outpost, a dilapidated backwater teeming with Raptures. There, they find themselves "graced" by an unexpected visitor.

Dropped It A to B:

Counters prepares to fight a running battle, only for a beam to separate Rapi's head from her shoulders, sending it tumbling towards the protagonist. The man can only look in frozen horror, only snapped out of it by Anis. The facility begins to rumble and shake, which Shifty identifies as the presence of a Tyrant-class Rapture. With their combat capability compromised with Rapi's demise, Counters has no choice but to retreat.

The squad is making decent progress, but they're still not out of the facility yet. Seeing the protagonist continue to be catatonic, Anis quite literally slaps some sense into him, reminding him that Rapi isn't completely dead so long as her head is intact. Coming back to reality, the protagonist orders the squad to make a break for it, with Neon passing over Rapi's head so he can carry it while she fights. The head is heavier than he expected...

Humans and Monsters:

In the dorm commons, a short woman immediately begins berating the protagonist for making her wait. Seeing the man not recognize her, she laughs and demands that Counters introduce her to him. Neon reveals that this sassy lost child is none other than Syuen, the CEO of Missilis Industry. For some reason, Syuen's status leads the protagonist to the conclusion that she somehow knows something about the circumstances to Marian's corruption, and he tries to grill her for info. Syuen neither knows anything nor appreciates being interrogated by some fresh commander and commands her subordinate Yuni to deal with him.

Some time later, the protagonist regains consciousness, Counters worriedly fussing over him. Anis berates him for being as reckless as he was, but thanks him for standing up for the squad.

Meanwhile Rapi is trying to get mission details from Wardress. Mihara says she'll only tell once they reach the surface, and that Counters has no choice in the matter. Syuen is a CEO of the Big Three. Whatever she wants, she gets, and if someone tries to get in her way or not give her what she wants, then she has plenty of ways to make them regret it...

Enlightenment:

Having been "commissioned" by Syuen to capture the Rapture known as Chatterbox, Counter undergoes an illegal mission on the surface, accompanied by Syuen's capture squad Wardress. The...unique dynamic of Wardress' members is somewhat off-putting, but they seem pleasant enough to get the mission done.

Codename Chatterbox:

Upon dealing with some more Raptures, Yuni pleads for Mihara to reward her, though the Wardress leader puts it off for later. Yuni apparently found some footprints that belong to Chatterbox, the unique Rapture they're tasked with capturing. Anis is skeptical about such a primitive tracking method, but according to Wardress, Chatterbox is a slippery one they've been chasing for months now.

As to why they're trying to hunt down Chatterbox and take it alive, well, Mihara neither knows nor cares. In fact, for all the time spent chasing Chatterbox, Wardress hasn't even seen their quarry in person before. With Rapi grilling Mihara on the what and why of this operation, the Wardress leader becomes intrigued and asks a seemingly unrelated question; "What's the average fatality rate for commanders on their first battle?"

Ruler of Senses:

Mihara explains that Yuni has the ability to remotely affect a target's senses. This, combined with Mihara's ability to swap senses, is the key to their success in live captures. It doesn't do Rapi's suspicions any favors. How could an ability meant to target Raptures alsoaffect Nikkes and humans? The fact that Mihara and Yuni have such powers when a Nikke's body is made to the host's specifications is...ominous, to say the least.

Mihara concedes that it is suspicious, but there is a reason for their abilities. Syuen personally crafted their bodies and the technology that went into them. Given the CEO's...character, it would be no surprise if she were to install functions without any input or consent from the recipient. With Anis conceding the point, Mihara asserts that Wardress has no agency over their powers or what they do with them. Syuen made them to capture Raptures, and that's what they'll do. Nothing more, nothing less.

Chapter 4: Bouquet

The protagonist manages to warm up to Wardress over the course of the mission to track down Chatterbox. But a run-in with their target, their narrow rescue by a savior in white, and what follows after sets the protagonist on another journey to seek out the truth...

The Ties That Bind Briefly A to B:

From below, the commander notices something shimmering on a nearby rooftop and upon closer inspection, the group notices a sniper taking aim at them. Yuni takes this opportunity to paralyze the protagonist from the legs down which saves him from having his head incinerated by an electron beam. As he is their main target, Rapi orders him to fall behind them as they deal with this new foe. Fully trusting his comrades, he allows them to get into formation. With everyone in position and with weapons drawn, the encounter commences.

The sniper has been eliminated and Mihara and Yuni feel they gel well with the Counters, especially their commander. Anis also likes working with them, but Rapi remains tight-lipped about her thoughts on this arrangement. Anis felt she should be free to share her opinions, and she admitted to not entirely trusting the two yet, a response that puzzled Mihara.

Absolute A to B:

At the runway, Neon is amazed by the wide-open space and feels they are not in any immediate danger. Neon points her squadmates attention to dust forming in the distance. What she attributes to a sandstorm is actually a pack of Raptures heading towards their location, approximately 200 of them. Until the transport ship arrives, the Nikkes will have to fight for their lives. Anis was a little miffed that trouble kept finding them while this was more than what Neon had bargained for during her first trip to the surface. Anis feels that things could always get worse since everyone is still alive which does brighten Neon's mood. With 30 seconds left until a fight breaks out, the Nikkes get into formation.

As the ship descends, a clunking sound rings across the vicinity and thick plumes of dust swirl in the air, making it difficult to see. Once things start to clear, three Nikkes become recognizable. Though they are glad to have made it down safely, it has become clear to them just how many Raptures they are up against. Both Anis and Mihara were pleasantly surprised that they were being rescued by such an esteemed unit. Their leader detected 153 enemy aircraft heading for them, after getting into position, Absolute eliminated every single one of them.

Everyone was left stunned by Absolute's performance. Now that the coast was clear, it was safe for them to land. The commander thanked their leader Eunhwa for saving them, but she was not in the mood to talk to him and only did so since she was following orders. Needless to say, he was taken aback by her rude conduct. The short one named Vestireminds her that she was talking to a commander and while Eunhwa didn't understand her point, after snapping back at her, Vesti decided to keep her mouth shut. The group's final member, Emma, was ecstatic to reunite with her friend and former teammate Rapi, who felt the same way. Emma was a little miffed Rapi left the squad without so much as a goodbye, and while she apologizes for that, Emma was happy enough that she seems to be doing well. Rapid was confused by her comment so Emma elaborates by saying she seems different, in a good way. She takes that to mean Rapi has finally found what she has been looking for and while she doesn't exactly know if she had, Emma was content seeing her friend in higher spirits.

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grandpasdedeux · 2 years

Text

Coda

The variations are brief, and the pas de deux soon moves to the beginning of the end, the coda, the tail that tells the tale of the rest of the opera. [11] Like a deadly ballet dance, in precise formations, they sparked. [10] Though we tremble before uncertain futures may we meet illness, death and adversity with strength may we dance in the face of our fears. [37] Thus the body and the soul are partners in reward and retribution. [38] Both create an illusion, and in both cases the illusion is pleasing. [3] Achievements in relief and perspective have enabled modern sculpture to rise to new heights and to avoid the limitations imposed by the depiction of isolated figures. [15] To this end he has invented a new reason, which is neither the pure and virgin absolute reason, nor the common reason of men living and acting in different periods, but a reason quite apart the reason of the person, Society of the subject, Humanity which under the pen of M. Proudhon figures at times also as “social genius,” “general reason,” or finally as “human reason.” [28] Recently an important change occurred: my feet have not rested on the—full—tomb of any particular body, but on the—empty— cenotaph of humankind in its entirety. [39]

A preceding chapter has treated of Souls in their state of separation from the body and passage to another dwelling place : these are the souls that· have found their rest, that have been taken up into hades or heaven. [40] Further, death ensues from the separation of the soul from the body. [8] This is the second death. [41] I prefaced this separation by an affected coldness during the last day’s journey. [3] And he continued to weep and wail over his separation. [38] It’s a sad dog which can’t learn anymore. I don’t want to be that dog. [1] After one month had expired, the grief of separation and the misery of his condition had again driven him back to the city. [38] I wish we could’ve met in the past. [7] Life is full of so many moments, so many emotions and that you can’t say ‘oh that’s mine, I’d go along with that all the way’ cause that just puts you in the box and you won’t make any further progress. [1] As then we speak of bodies feeling and living, though the feeling and life of the body are from the soul, so also we speak of bodies being pained, though no pain can be suffered by the body apart from the soul. [36] We require of a lighthouse, for instance, that it shall stand firm and carry a light; if it do not this, assuredly it has been ill built; but it may do it to the end of time, and yet not be well built. [22]

Silence surrounds the cenotaph: music, murmuring, shades of colour and scents. [42] My cenotaph, for memory of my lost body. [43]

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ga-yuu · 3 years

Text

~Kurama~Main Story Chapter 13~

Warning! Sexual content below!

Chapter 12

---------Part 1---------

Kurama: “I must have been mistaken in thinking you were in any way interesting.”

(Even though he didn’t use Kotodama.)

(I can’t move.)

No matter how close I feel to him, I’m sure I’ll never get used to the intimidation that Kurama gives off.

I knew it in my bones.

Kurama: “Understanding is an emotion that does not contribute strength. Will you still be able to think like that when you’re overtaken?”

Yoshino: "Wait..."

He's still intimidating, but he also smells dangerous, like an aphrodisiac.

With his voice and his eyes dominating the air, Kurama casually exposes my breasts.

Kurama: "Are you scared now?"

Kurama sneers while watching me tear up in fear and shame.

Yoshino: "....not...scared...."

Kurama: "Really."

My voice was trembling, and I'm sure he can see through me.

As if to prove the point, the red of Kurama's eyes darkened like a beast's ready to catch its prey.

Yoshino: "Mmmm....ahhh....."

A moment later, his lips pressed against my bare breast.

He then pulls away, leaving behind a faint pain and an even sweeter aftertaste.

Yoshino: "Ahh...Haa..."

My eyes watered with shame as I let out a lustful moan.

Kurama: "Reward and punishment are the same to you, isn't it?"

Yoshino: "....This is terrible."

I felt like crawled up the cliff to get as close to Kurama, but then he in turn pushed me back down.

Kurama: "Don't forget this humiliation. I've given you the freedom to speak your mind and listened to your wishes, but you aren’t allowed to enter my heart."

(Mm...)

I wriggled as he traced the skin where he had kissed me earlier.

I saw a red mark glowing right where he sucked and I bit my lips in embarrassment.

Kurama: "This face suits you much better."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Don't say any more....(+4/+4)

2. Don't do this to me again...

3. I'll shout next time...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yoshino: "Don't say any more...."

Kurama: "It would be easier if you'd accept the facts, but if that happens, I won't be rewarding myself with this lovely face of you."

Finally, after stroking my hair, Kurama steps back.

Yoshino: "...! Wait!"

He walks out of my room, without looking back.

(What should I do now?)

................

Kurama: "Benkei, give that sake."

Benkei: "Huh? That makes it the third bottle."

Benkei, who was apparently cooking dinner, looked at Kurama with a scowl as he barged in.

Benkei: "All sake that Sueharu bought for us is now in your stomach."

---------Part 2--------

Benkei: "All sake that Sueharu bought for us is now in your stomach."

Kurama: "I want more. Don't you have any spares? Hurry up. Also makes snacks for me."

Benkei: "Make your own snacks. I’m not your maid. Also, these are Yoshitsune-sama's midnight snacks. Don't steal from these."

Kurama: "Whatever belongs to Yoshitsune, belongs to me too."

Benkei: "Does that logic applies to every single thing? ....Fine, I'll take it with a grain of salt."

Even as he says this, Benkei big hands were moving quickly, sorting out Kurama's portion and also simultaneously making dinner at the same time.

Kurama leaned against the wall, looking sideways at him.

Benkei: ".......? Kurama, what happened?"

Kurama: "What do you mean 'what'? Don't ask vague questions?"

Benkei: "You're not acting like yourself. You look like you're on the edge. Hmmm....perhaps the negotiations with the silversmith didn't go well?"

Kurama: "No, that went well."

Benkei: "Really? That's good. ..................Is it about Yoshino?"

Kurama: "Why does that woman's name keep coming up?"

Benkei: "As expected."

Kurama stares at Benkei, who was chopping the vegetables.

Kurama: "..................Now I get it."

Benkei: "Huh? What?"

Benkei, who was slicing the radishes into chunks, stopped and looked back at Kurama.

Kurama: "That woman is my-----"

Benkei: "......"

Kurama: "My natural enemy."

Benkei: "Are you seriously that clueless!?!?"

Benkei slammed the knife against the chopping board as if he has given up.

.......................

(It's been few days since that night and things have gotten kind of awkward with Kurama.)

While I was watching the small pond in the garden under the sunset...

Yoshino: "Kurama no longer comes to my room or calls me...."

I was hurt and angry that day because I was humiliated.

(But it would be very uncomfortable for me to go to him myself.)

(But if I think calmly, I am a prisoner of the Rebels and it makes sense that I should be keeping my distance.)

(But.....)

Just when my thoughts were going in circles-----

Yoshino: "!!!"

Suddenly black thing comes down from the sky and lands right in front of me.

Kurama: "----Found you!"

----------Part 3--------

Kurama: "----Found you!"

Yoshino: "Kurama!? What's wrong?"

There is a smoldering impatience behind those always cold eyes.

I knew intuitively that something was wrong, and my heart beats fast.

(----What happened?)

Kurama: "Come with me."

Yoshino: "Huh?"

Kurama pulls my hand without giving me an answer and I fell into his chest.

Kurama: "I need you."

...................

(M-m-myyy....head....sp-spinning....!)

(I was also forced to carry my medicine box.)

Yoshino: "Umm...why are we in front of Heikichiro-san's house....?"

Kurama: "Go inside."

When he pushed me, I entered the small hut and-----

Yoshino: "....! Heikichiro-san!?"

Heikichiro: "Nnn....."

I ran up to the slender old man, who was slumped on the floor.

Yoshino: "Please stay strong! Can you hear me?"

Heikichiro: "It's you...."

(His pulse is there. He's a bit dazed, but still responding to my calls....)

Kurama: "When I visited, this man was already lying on the floor."

His expression remained almost unchanged, but an unseen frustration burned in Kurama's eyes.

Kurama: "----You're a pharmacist, right?"

Yoshino: "I-I am."

Kurama: "This man has yet to complete my order. Make sure he lives long enough. If you can't make him, I'll put out the fire off your life."

(......! Under such heavy pressure I have to treat this man?)

The murderous glint in his eyes made me gulp.

(But then again...)

Yoshino: "....First of all, you have to know something."

I replied back, while I untied Heikichiro-san's obi.

Kurama: "What?"

Yoshino: "I can't guarantee a person's life. But I promise I'll do my best. Also Kurama, please help me. Let's work on this together."

Kurama: ".....!"

(Ah......)

Suddenly the air around Kurama became lighter and the tension that had stung my skin was released.

Kurama: "Say what do you want me to do."

Yoshino: "Now, can you build a fire and make some lukewarm water? Also, can you find me a clean towel?

Kurama: "All right."

--------Part 4-------

Yoshino: "Can you find me a clean towel?

Kurama: "All right."

Immediately after nodding, Kurama takes the tub and heads out to the well.

Heikichiro: *Coughs*

Yoshino: “If you feel nauseous, don’t hold back, just throw up....”

I changed his posture and rubbed his back.

Yoshino: “I’ll make the hot water right away, and then we’ll examine your symptoms.”

As I took care of him, I checked for the numbness in his limbs, blurred vision and nausea.

Heikichiro-san’s consciousness slowly becomes clearer.

Yoshino: “Thank god! Looks like now you’re feeling better.”

Kurama: “Did you cure him?”

Kurama, who had finished helping and was watching the treatment intently beside me, leaned forward.

Yoshino: “What happened was that Heikichiro-san’s pre-existing condition got worse due to overwork. It’s not that easy, we have to let him rest over a period of days for him to fully recover.”

Kurama: “.......What a fragile creature.”

Heikichiro: “Wait...you have...”

Heikichiro-san blinked few times and then stared at Kurama.

Heikichiro: “....you have wings....”

(Damn!! I was completely absorbed in treating the old man that I forgot Kurama didn’t hide his wings...)

Heikichiro: “Are you a demon? Are here to take my soul?”

Kurama: “Who wants a soul of a shriveled old man like you?”

Yoshino: “Kurama, No!”

I tried to stop him, while Kurama replied with an annoyed expression. But----

Kurama(glares): “And how dare you overworked? Don’t you fragile creatures know your place?”

Kurama started scolding Heikichiro-san if he couldn’t contain his frustration.

Heikichiro: “I...got strangely overpowered when you said you were looking forward for my work.”

Kurama: “......?”

Heikichiro: “He comes by everyday to see the progress of my work and observe what I do.”

(That’s why Heikichiro-san overworked!?)

Heikichiro: “I am an eccentric craftsman. But the fact that you, in all your arrogance, are so eagerly awaiting my work...makes me irresistible happy. I was happy seeing his red eyes sparkling when he looked at my fingertips.”

(I think I understand what Heikichiro-san is trying to say.)

(Kurama’s words and attitude have nothing impure in them, and that’s why it strikes people’s hearts.)

(Even if you instinctively perceive them to be frightening.)

Heikichiro: “God or demon, it doesn’t matter. For me it’s all about the pride and joy of being a craftsman.”

Kurama: “...........Crazy old man.”

Kurama raises an eyebrows at Heikichiro-san, who breaks off into a few tired words.

Kurama: “If you die, I’ll kill you.”

--------Part 5--------

Kurama: “If you die, I’ll kill you.”

(Kurama...)

(I’ve never seen Kurama looks so confused before.)

Heikichiro: “Haha,,I can’t die that soon. I have to build up quickly. Also, Yoshino-san. Thank you for saving this old man’s life.”

Yoshino: “Thanks to Kurama for bringing me here.”

Kurama(clueless): “............”

Heikichiro-san and I smiled at each other, while Kurama looked at us with a complicated expression.

...............

(It’s already night.)

Kurama: “I think it’s easier to fly back home.”

Yoshino: “It’s not like I’m in a hurry. Also I feel fine walking. I also think it would be a problem if someone notice us.”

Kurama: “How annoying.”

(Maybe it’s Kurama’s way of conceding that he’s still walking.)

Yoshino: “I’m really glad that Heikichiro-san is okay. Thank you for bringing me here, Kurama.”

Kurama: “..........”

(What’s wrong?)

Yoshino: “Anyways, I’m also thinking of asking Yoshitsune-sama if I can continue to make house calls for Heikichiro-san. If he refuses, I’ll tell another pharmacist to check on his condition. So...”

Kurama: “----I see.”

Yoshino: “Is there anything else you want me to do?”

Kurama: “No, it’s enough. It’s just...the reason why that man fell, is still a mystery to me.”

Kurama who spit out the words quietly stares at me.

I gasped at the burning heat in his eyes.

Kurama: “I don’t understand....humans at all.”

Yoshino: “What? But Kurama always visits him, right? You were worried about him and that’s the reason, why you brought me here, right?”

(Kurama placed more value on Heikichiro-san’s life than the unfinshed product. That’s why he brought me here, right?)

Kurama: “I can’t understand warm feelings such as worrying. However, that man’s hand are the hands that create brilliance. It would be a shame to lose them......and today, your hands saved that man.”

Yoshino: “Eh?”

The line of sight that didn’t show contempt or ridicule shoots right through my heart.

Kurama: “Yoshino. I’m reassessing your value. Apparently, you have a strength that I don’t know about.”

(Ah....)

Kurama’s warm fingertips, touches my cheeks, and I slowly slide my face into his palm.

Kurama: “....I’m proud of you.”

Chapter 14

#ikemen series #ikemen genjiden #ikemen mc #otome #cybird #cybird ikemen #cybird otome #main story translations #ikemen genjiden kurama

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akatsuki-shin · 3 years

Text

Review: Scum Villain’s Self-saving System (SVSSS)

Notes:

(Very) long post ahead

Contains spoiler

This is my personal review and does not represent the entire audience, you are free to agree or not agree with what I’ve written here

Feel free to reply/send me a message if there are things you want to discuss

Summary:

SVSSS tells the story of Shen Yuan, an avid web novel reader - particularly the stallion genre - who died suddenly from food-related incident after having just finished reading a famous (yet controversial) web-novel "Proud Immortal Demon Way".

Upon his wake, he discovered that he had been transmigrated into the world of that very novel, moreover into the body of the story's most-hated scum villain, Shen Qingqiu.

In his previous life, Shen Yuan had frequently criticized the "Proud Immortal Demon Way" and its author, "Airplane Shooting towards the Sky", for he found the web novel full of wasted potentials. Now having been sent to live in that novel's story, a mysterious system assigned him with a mission to fix the very plot he had been denouncing - and of course, to save himself from the tragic end of the original Shen Qingqiu, who was fated to be mutilated into a human stick by the story's protagonist, Luo Binghe, his own disciple.

STORY: 7/10

I personally have not read a lot of "isekai" stories. However, what makes SVSSS interesting to me, compared to most transmigration stories I've seen in the past, is because the main character was not thrown into a completely strange, unknown world, but rather into the universe of a novel he had been closely following up until the very last second of his life.

And what's more? He does not have complete freedom in modifying the story however he wants, but supervised by a mysterious system that will reward him for correct decisions, and punish him for wrong choices - with being deported to his original world as the ultimate punishment should his points fall below the set limit (a.k.a. he would really lose his life because he is already dead in his original world).

The fact that Shen Yuan, now living as Shen Qingqiu, possessing complete knowledge of the original story, yet still unable to foresee what butterfly effect his actions will cause to the plot and characters is perhaps the most appealing aspect of this novel.

Shen Qingqiu in his previous life was no different than us - a normal, modern young man from the 21st century. His thoughts and opinions on the situation, the way he reacts on certain matters, his internal monologues are all realistic and easily relatable. It feels as if I myself have partly become Shen Qingqiu, as well, looking at how the story progresses from a first person point of view, because if I were to be in his shoes, I would probably react in the exact same way as a modern person thrown into an ancient fantasy world.

Nevertheless, this "omniscient reader" point of view is not without a flaw. Although Shen Qingqiu himself is gradually blending in, accepting his new life in the ancient cultivation world and no longer seeing the other characters as mere "fictional characters", because his mindset is that of a modern man, I find it difficult for myself as the reader to perceive the world of SVSSS as an actual, stand-alone world. Until the very last page of the story, I still feel like I'm looking at a fictional world, feeling detached to the universe and characters because I'm not "living" in it.

Another aspect that I think could've been improved is the romance development between Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe. I have full confidence that post-story Shen Qingqiu loves Luo Binghe with all his heart, but I seriously have no idea when and how he reached that point.

In the first half of the story, upon having accepted his new life as Shen Qingqiu, his feeling towards Luo Binghe is more like fondness and endearment. Perhaps he does like the character Luo Binghe, and considering that he, along with the rest of the web novel's readers, hated the original Shen Qingqiu to the core, of course he wants to treat Luo Binghe and the other characters better (otherwise, how could he save himself from that nightmarish fate as a human stick).

Later on, he learns of his mistake, how he could've made better decisions, and tried to understand Luo Binghe better, redeeming himself. Perhaps his love towards Luo Binghe began to grow along this path, but I honestly don't see it being told to me, as the reader. All of a sudden he is willing enough to "offer" himself to calm the maddened Luo Binghe. He's been proclaiming himself as a straight man all this time and never once did I see him agreeing with himself that he is going to accept his feelings for Luo Binghe. When I read this later part, I feel like I've just jumped over a huge chunk of development. Because up until that point, Shen Qingqiu still only gives me the feeling of a teacher who adores and cares for a special disciple of his.

All in all, if I were to summarized the plot, I think SVSSS is an interesting, curious story. The fact that Shen Qingqiu was tasked to fix the original novel's flaws makes me want to continue reading for as long as I can. What change is he going to make? What effect will be caused and what chain of events will follow? Furthermore, if you're looking for comedy, then you've come to the right place. With an internet-literate modern man experiencing living in an ancient, fantasy novel, Shen Qingqiu's reactions will never be boring to see. Even the banters and exchanges between characters are so realistic to the point that it is almost possible to imagine them visually.

Also, BingQiu is cute, I take no criticism.

CHARACTERS: 6/10

The distribution of that overall score of "6" is actually as follows:

3 --> Shen Qingqiu

1 --> Shen Jiu

1 --> Luo Binghe + Yue Qingyuan

0.5 --> Liu Qingge

0.5 --> Everybody else

Notice that in the previous section, I barely talk about any other character than Shen Qingqiu? It's not just because he is the main character, but because the other characters are seriously that un-interesting. In fact, I regret to say that personally, I think the characters are this novel's weakest point.

Or to be more precise, the characters' depth.

Shen Qingqiu by himself is a great character. He is calm, logical, knows when and where to put his "omniscient reader" knowledge to good use. He is effortlessly hilarious even if he himself doesn't realize it, but at the same time, despite the mountain of curses he often uses, he is still a good person at heart. I think he is the sole reason that the story could remain interesting until the very end.

But sometimes he is a bit too ideal, almost always having the correct solution and/or countermeasure to every situation even if the plot has changed massively from the original web novel that he knows. Especially when it turns out that he has discovered a way to revive himself after self-destructing at Huayue City, it makes his initially heartbreaking sacrifice less......touching. Because it feels as if he's been scheming this to be freed from the current ordeal, maybe to escape the system, as well.

Furthermore, no matter how much of an expert he was of the "Proud Immortal Demon Way" universe, he still just passed away and was transmigrated into a foreign world. Although the system initially banned him from being OOC, other than some panicky internal monologue, there was almost no trace of him looking distraught when being faced with the unthinkable situation.

Plus, Shen Yuan was different from Airplane Shooting towards the Sky who, even if he were to return to his original world, would have nobody waiting for him. The description of his family was pretty clear. Not only he comes from a well-off household, his family seems to be quite a happy and harmonious one (especially how he used to dote on his younger sister). How come there is not one single moment when he thinks about the family he has left behind and simply carries on with his new life as if nothing happened?

Now Luo Binghe, the second main lead and the one paired with Shen Qingqiu.

Before he fell into the Eternal Abyss, his character actually seems pretty solid. But post-darkening, I don't know why I can't get a good grasp of his character.

The "clingy, crybaby boyfriend" aspect is pretty clear, no complaint there (although the moments of his crying feels too comical for me). Other than that, I don't really feel the "powerful Demon Lord" vibe from him.

Yes, there are descriptions of how powerful he is, how frightening he can be. But it's just not solid enough for me. I understand that he is supposed to be a character with unstable mental, but there are simply not enough part where he is shown to be a proper, powerful Demon Lord because he keeps breaking down each and every single time. The "glass heart maiden" aspect isn't bad, but when it's used in an overly comical way, the character simply loses the charm he's supposed to have.

Even Yue Qingyuan, who's only a minor character, had such a strong charm that slaps you with the biggest plot twist in the whole story when it was revealed (to us, the readers) who he actually is.

Ironically, the original Luo Binghe (Bing-ge) was able to present the character's true image and complexity even if he only appear in less than 10% of the entire story.

And even more ironically, the original Shen Qingqiu a.k.a. Shen Jiu, is probably the most complex character to have ever existed in there (and he only appears in, what, a couple of extra chapters).

(You know what? If MXTX just goes with the original Luo Binghe x Shen Qingqiu, including all of their complexity, I think the development, conflict, and resolution could've been more deep and complex - but yeah, it ain't gonna be "Scum Villain's Self Saving System)

Liu Qingge is okay and actually quite lovable. It's just that I feel it's too easy for him to appear anytime, anywhere there is a problem, as if he's some easy way out.

Other than those I've mentioned above, I literally don't have anything to comment on the other characters because... I don't even know if there's anything to comment. They really come and go just like that and leave no big impression on me.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS: 6/10

This here is basically just some technical things that were a bit unfortunate, because if only they were improved, the story could've been better.

1. The story is clearly written from Shen Qingqiu's point of view, but it will suddenly switch to Luo Binghe's inner thoughts every now and then, making it inconsistent.

2. Description of time and environment. Sometimes it's really difficult to tell in what kind of place the scene is happening, whether it was day or night, whether the characters still remain in the same place or have move elsewhere. Transition when switching locations is also not described enough.

3. As much as I love the story, I feel like it's progressing too fast without any significant crisis. It just ends like that with no massive ordeal or mystery to be solved. I think this is related to Shen Qingqiu's "omniscient reader" point of view because it makes me feel like "hmm yeah, it's just another part of the story, they're going to go through this just fine"

Still, I understand that this is MXTX's first novel. In fact, most of the aforementioned issues (including the characters) have undergone immense improvement in her second novel (MDZS), so I don't think I have anything to worry about.

OVERALL SCORE: 6.3/10

It's worth to read, really. If you just want to enjoy a cool, funny, and cute "isekai" story, I can definitely recommend this. But don't expect some deep philosophical shit, because half of this novel is made of shitpost (I shit you not).

Moral of the story though?

See how market demand kills content creators' freedom and creativity.

Airplane Shooting towards the Sky, the author of the controversial stallion "Proud Immortal Demon Way" literally told Shen Qingqiu at the final chapter of the main story:

He's actually written deep, aesthetic stories before, but they were all unpopular. Only when he wrote this harem novel full of fan-service - disregarding plot depth, plot holes, cheap characterizations - did he finally gain popularity and was able to obtain sufficient income to feed himself.

He was grateful to Shen Qingqiu for "messing" up the plot of his novel, changing it into how it is now, because it allows everything he originally wanted to write - but couldn't - to come true.

In previous chapters, he also said that he actually wanted to make the original Shen Qingqiu into a three-dimensional, more complex characters, but the netizens didn't appreciate it and were complaining instead. Hence he was forced to make the original Shen Qingqiu into a plain old scum villain with no redeeming quality at all - even though in his original script, this character has a complex background that causes his current known personality.

Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua might be talking about it in their usual, funny bantering, but who dares to say that this isn't an issue being faced by almost all content creators in the whole world?

How many content creators have been forced to sacrifice the creativity value and quality of their work in order to satisfy the taste of majority?

How many content creators have been made to revise their works by editors in order to fit into a certain agenda or market trend?

Unless you're a massively popular creator or a powerful individual, chances are you will never have the chance to create a content you truly want to make for a living.

In any case, there may be other authors who are better than MXTX in this world, but I love her works because despite the fictional content, the comedy, the silliness, etc, there are still at least one aspect that reflects the situation of the real, current world, and when you realize it, the realization can be quite a slap to the face like "hey, wait a minute, she's right you know?" See less

#Scum Villains Self Saving System #SVSSS #BingQiu #Shen Qingqiu #Luo Binghe #Review #Danmei #Mo Xiang Tong Xiu #MXTX

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fresh-prince-of-denmark · 3 years

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Literary References in The Sun: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (Pt 3)

CYBERPUNK ENDING SPOILERS AHEAD

If you haven’t read my other two literary analysis pieces please read the analysis of V’s Mikoshi poem here and Johnny’s Mikoshi poem here! This one is a real doosey though. In fact, I think it might even allude to either future DLC or imply the reason V decides to got to the Crystal Palace in the end.

As I play through all the endings, I’ve been on the lookout for all pieces of literature scattered around the world. I found this one downstairs in V’s apartment after (Don’t Fear) the Reaper (hardest level in a video game in my humble opinion, yikes), but I assume it’s the same in any iteration of The Sun’s ending. It comes from the first chapter in The Marriage Between Heaven and Hell called The Argument. If you’ve read my thoughts on V’s poem, this should set off some alarm bells (remember the line “like a tedious argument?).

A bit of a background on out author, William Blake, should also set off some alarm bells. TRUST ME, this is important! I straight up lost my mind when I saw this. William Blake was, as Johnny would say, a true rebel. He challenged a lot of the ideas of organized religion through his art and poetry, such as the simple idea that good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell. Who’s ideas was he responding to exactly? Swedenborg’s. Emmanuel Swedenborg. AKA our mysterious crank philosopher in the side quest Happy Trails, who Johnny complains and disagrees with throughout the entire quest. Blake disagreed that the line between good and evil is clear, and that as humans we can be both good and evil. This really strikes me as such a Johnny poem to pick. After all, Johnny’s an asshole. But his reasoning for his art, his belief system, was noble. Even if he is a dick. Let’s move on to the poem:

Rintrah roars and shakes his fires in the burdened air;

Hungry clouds swag on the deep.

Once meek, and in a perilous path,

The just man kept his course along

The vale of death.

Roses are planted where thorns grow,

And on the barren heath

Sing the honey bees.

Then the perilous path was planted:

And a river and a spring

On every cliff and tomb;

And on the bleached bones

Red clay brought forth.

Till the villain left the paths of ease,

To walk in perilous paths, and drive

The just man into barren climes.

Now the sneaking serpent walks

In mild humility,

And the just man rages in the wilds

Where lions roam.

Rintrah roars and shakes his fires in the burdened air;

Hungry clouds swag on the deep.

So what’s this all about? Rintrah is our main character, meant to personify the righteous anger of a true prophet, walking toward “the vale of death,” a seemingly more painful yet beautiful path to walk. Opposed to him is the “villain”, someone who leaves “the path of ease,” to walk a more difficult path to join our protagonist to “rage in the wilds.” This poem colludes with the passage:

“Without contraries is no progression. Attraction and repulsion, reason and energy, love and hate, are necessary to human existence.

From these contraries spring what the religious call Good and Evil. Good is the passive that obeys reason; Evil is the active springing from Energy. Good is heaven. Evil is hell.”

What is this saying? We all have both good and evil within us, and that’s actually a positive thing. One cannot progress without these contradictions. Being good means to passively obey, while being evil means being active with energy.

Without going too far into the book (we’d be here all day, it’s so long and hard to read. Blake is super interesting but such a blowhard), there’s some other ideas that are interesting in contrast with the story of Cyberpunk. Blake asserts several new ideas in his next chapter, The Voice of the Devil. In this section, the speaker calls the Bible out on contradictory statements; such as the idea that the body and soul are separate, and that The Energy called Evil comes from the body, while The Reason called Good comes from the Soul. Blake argues that the body and soul are one; Energy (Evil) are life, and Reason (good) are what surrounds it. Real complicated way to say that good and evil are no so easily defined. Blake praises Milton’s Paradise Lost in for showing that resisting temptation does not make one strong, and that by giving into desire Milton’s hero is righteous. Who is the hero of Paradise Lost you may ask? Satan. Hmmmm...

The next sections promote the idea of giving into temptation; standing for creativity, art, and fighting against repression. He describes giants who formed the earth, the Prolific (who stand for art, and temptation) and the Devouring (the meek, oppressed and obedient). They are at constant war with one another. This comes right back to our “tedious argument” in V’s poem: the little people, like V, are the Devouring. They don’t have time to disobey, to rise up against oppression. Conformity, whether it’s doing sketchy jobs for fixers or working for Arakaka, is rewarded with survival, often at the cost of one’s soul. It is the easy, the meek, path. Johnny hopes to stand for the Prolific, questioning the status quo, walking the rebel path, using art to “shake the world awake.” Johnny also represents this in the way he gives into temptation, whether that be drugs or his impulsiveness in general. Another interesting thing this brings up is the whole Heaven/Hell/Life/Mikoshi dichotomy. V questions if Mikoshi is “the light of heaven, or the fire of hell.” This loops back to Johnny’s poem again: what is immortality? What does it mean to be alive? According to Blake, the line between heaven and hell aren’t so black and white either, and in fact hell might not be so bad. Why would the Devil punish the true rebels? So which of V’s paths truly chooses life? To walk toward the unknown, or to live in a withering body, one that will one day decay, sooner or later, whether V or Johnny returns to it. Huh. Maybe the Blackwall isn’t so bad. And much like Blake, Johnny doesn’t seem to afraid of Blackwall/Hell. Scared to push V toward the unknown, sure. But at least appearing unafraid, since much like Blake, he’s already faced it once.

So what does this mean for our ending, and for possible future DLC? Is this meant to be the true ending, despite popular (and my personal belief) that The Star seems to be the happiest ending? Why does V go to the crystal palace? Are they continuing to play Night City’s game, where one either “becomes an asshole or is killed by one” (according to Judy)? Or are they the “villain”, leaving their previous path of the meek to join Rintrah/Johnny and rage in the wilds? This game does a lot of work to pit the idea of art vs conformity, survival of the body vs the soul, and for that reason I hope this is saying something about The Sun ending: we’re going to find Johnny. Either in a metaphorical sense, connecting to his legacy…or maybe in a physical sense?

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wonhoemeup · 3 years

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Okay it's time.

Why the events are slowly but surely ruining the gaming experience and push players away

I'd like to clarify first of all that this whole rant is based on my own personal opinion. These are not facts, but merely thoughts of mine, so feel free to disagree with me.

For newer players events might still bring a lot to the game for them. But for older players especially, this is a huge problem. Events genuinely ruin the game, and here's why.

Let's start with the probably worst part: the time span.

The entire game is based off of leveling up cards, for which you need certain materials in order to make them stronger, which then will help you progress further in the story line. The problem is, that a lot of these needed items are on hard levels, and you only get 3 tries a day, and aren't even guaranteed to get an item from those 3 battles at all.

In other words, leveling and ranking up cards already is difficult, but mandatory to further progress in the storyline.

Events will take that away because you spend all your AP on the event stages. That wouldn't be too much of an issue if the event was every now and then. However; events happen with barely even one week between each other.

That is not what events are supposed to be. Events are special occasions, but the way they time them in such a short frame makes them feel less special, and eventually just annoying.

Let alone that some events last half that time. Without VIP, spending real life money on the game, and a level above 200 at the least, Events are more a waste of time and patience than they are actually beneficial.

The reason I can confidentiality say that is because of the rankings. If you check the global rankings, skip to the first few, everyone has a membership, is 200+ in terms of level, and already has half a million event items by the second day of an event.

Which leads me to my second point: Events are simply nothing but a cash grab. They are not meant for players that don't want to spend anything on the game, they're meant for those that pay a lot of money for it (because the monthly membership stacks up, and it is expensive, considering that a majority of the audience isn't even a legal adult yet).

They limit the event time, the time in between, and set goals that are impossible to reach simply for the money it brings. The upsetting part is that the event "rewards" are always high tier cards that would help you a lot for the main storyline, and that aren't obtainable elsewise. The only way to get those cards is through lonely devil once the event is released there, and even then you have to spend a lot of devil points to even get to the third page and obtain those cards.

Of course most games of this nature are pay to win. But the problem with Obey me in particular is that there really isn't anything else to keep players interested, especially those that just started. The levels get so impossibly hard that it just isn't fun anymore.

Another point that I'd like to bring up is the poor execution of said events, and it only gets worse each time. The plots don't make any sense, there isn't enough explanation for it, the twists seem forced and just plain.

Characters are becoming a lot less appealing. We all know how dirty they did Simeon at the Angel event. It feels as if the characters we came to love are switched out and stomped all over.

Speaking of Simeon; ever since they made the side characters dateables, the events are just messy. They force everyone to be a part of it, which gives them even less time to really build up on a plot. Instead of making separate events, one focusing on the Brothers and one on the others, they cramp them all into the same event, which just feels forced and rushed.

We don't get to have chapters anymore where we bond with individual characters. The game is advertised as an otome game, but that aspect has really gotten lost over the past months.

Taking the last event for example: why did we not get to see them dressed up? Why is it only in cards that we can't even get? Why did we not get to have a moment with them where we help them out? The only moment was zipping Lucifer's dress up, and that was what? Less than 10 seconds?

The reason games host events is to draw people in, keep their interest. But these events really have the opposite effect.

I think they should spend much more time planning a single event, make that event last longer, work on a proper plot, the moments we always loved, bring the romantic aspects back, and really work with the characters rather than against them. And yes, you can just sit out events, work on your cards, and progress in the main story line, but that isn't how it is supposed to be. Players shouldn't feel this excluded just because we are given a week to work on the actual game mechanics.

Personally, I really do believe that events ruin the game. They take away time, and just feel forced. I do hope that in the future this changes, or at least a part of it. Up until then I don't know if I have the motivation to work on my cards or participate in events anymore, which sucks because I genuinely adore the characters.

#obey me #swd #obey me event #rant

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sevensided · 3 years

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how did you get into writing fic? i'd love to start but idk even where to begin! I loved adats so I was wondering do you have any advice?

Oh my goodness! I am so flattered you’ve asked me this. Yes, I can absolutely help. I’ll throw a bunch of rambling under the cut.

I started writing fic probably when I was... sixteen years old? A lot of my early works were oneshots. I couldn’t figure out how to do anything plot heavy for the life of me, so I just stuck to AUs or whatever I felt like. I wasn’t in any particular fandom -- I really wrote whatever I had ideas for. I remember I tried once to do a plot-heavy story and I received a review absolutely ripping it to shreds. Like, it was so cruel I cried lol. I ended up deleting the fic. Years later, I get what they were trying to say (basically, more substance, less style), but at the time it cut to the quick. Really, it was only when I was in my twenties that I started writing work that was longer and/or better.

The fandom that helped me actually write plot heavy work was a historical-based fandom. As I’m a historian, it was perfect. I got to use my research skills and knowledge to create works that, above all, aimed to feel authentic. I mainly read historical fiction, so I was familiar with how that genre worked. Miraculously, people loved my work. I think I wrote about ~200k in the period of a year? These were several short stories (20-40k) and a few oneshot filler fics. While I was part of this fandom I also helped organise a Big Bang which was a lot of hard work but was extremely rewarding. Along with that, I interacted mainly with other fic writers, so I spent a lot of time chatting to people about ideas and encouraging other writers, and it just created a lovely medley where no concept was impossible or any line of dialogue too difficult. We supported each other and it was truly like a little commune. I gradually stepped away from the fandom mainly because it was just a part of my life at a very specific time, and almost as soon as that time was over, my love for that story/ship faded, but I firmly believe I figured out a lot of how/what I do now purely through that experience.

Regarding ADATS

With ADATS, it stemmed entirely from wanting to “explain” three months in canon (at the end of season three). I was interested in the idea of season four setting up Will/Mike in canon, and I wanted to test the source material to see if I could draw from what already existed to create something authentic. I began with that simple idea: what happened from July to October in 1985? Then I thought about the major themes I wanted to hit -- family, friendship, coming of age, sexuality -- and I nested them around the bigger concept: how do I get Mike from being ostensibly straight to realising he is gay? That meant thinking of two steps: Mike discovering his attraction to guys; Mike discovering his attraction to Will. Those two concepts were separate “arcs” that needed addressing in different ways. Balance was key to weaving them together and making the reader feel like they knew what was coming (and that they felt smart for putting the pieces together) without just rushing through and going “now kiss!” That’s partly why ADATS needs a sequel, lol: because it’s not finished!

Writing process

The first thing I do when I start to get an idea is I write it down. Sounds obvious. But when you have a killer line of dialogue come to you in the shower and you think “I’ll remember that” -- reader, you will not remember it. You gotta get it down ASAP! I do that the whole way through, as generally I’ll be thinking of scenes I’m stuck on and then it’ll just come to me and I’ll quickly jot it down.

The next thing -- or what I do in the meantime -- is start structuring. I plan. I try to plan a lot. Sometimes it’s okay to write “and something happens here to get them here”, because you’ll figure it out later, but for the most part I’ve discovered that planning is like gold and you can’t get enough of it. I break my work up into generally 3-4 parts/sections, and I treat each section like a mini story. So each part needs a conflict and resolution, and it needs to flow into the next section. You need to have a feeling of things evolving and maturing. Once I’ve planned those little bits, I start thinking about the bigger plot arc and how I can drop in hints along the way. I’m probably not a subtle or skilled enough writer to yet pull off that sort of gasping twist you get in really excellent books, but I’m trying to get there. It’s hard, is what I’m trying to say, but that’s okay, because we’re all learning.

Then I generally do aesthetic stuff. Sounds stupid, probably. But nothing helps me get more into a mood than doing a Pinterest board or -- most of all -- making a Spotify mix. I start thinking about the vibe and the general atmosphere, and then I almost exclusively listen to that mix when I’m working. Sort of like muscle memory? Just to get the creative juices associated with that particular selection of songs.

Another thing I’ll do along with plot structure is character structure. This is a biggie. I mean, a story is nothing without characters. So I’ll just jot down a bunch of bullet points of characters and particular aspects that I want to highlight or remember. I hate continuity errors in fiction. Like, if someone says they work on Maple Street but later in the fic they’re working on Pine Street. I hate that. So I keep note of specific things that my main character might notice at repeated points in the story (colours, places, smells, names, sounds -- so they’re all consistent even as the narrative evolves). That’s another thing -- your characters’ motivations. Not everyone is going to be a huge player, but they all do serve a purpose. The most important character is obviously your main character. I personally think it’s important to let your M.C. be an arse at times. They’re going to be mean, they’re going to misinterpret things or fly off the handle... just let ‘em. Let them be wretched humans, and then bring them back and make them realise what they’ve done. Let them learn! I love consequences in fiction, lol.

At the same time, I’ll probably start writing. We’ve already written down some snippets of neat dialogue or descriptions, but now we should start the actual process. For me, I used to start at the beginning. Usually this was the most fleshed out anyway: I’ll have a clear idea of the beginning and the end, but nothing in the middle. These days, if I have a scene in mind that I can’t forget, I’ll just write it. It will possibly get scrapped or rewritten, but that’s okay, because at least you’ve got it down and now you can devote your brain power to something useful (like figuring out what the middle is supposed to be). I’ll have half a dozen of totally out of context scenes just littered in my Word document that I’ll add to as I go along. Eventually, though, you’re going to start writing properly, and that’s when you write your opening scene.

Opening scenes: super important. Every time I write a scene I think: what is the point of this? What do I want the reader to learn or takeaway? Sometimes you do have filler scenes, but they also serve a different purpose (perhaps to establish a group dynamic or to explore/describe a character’s surroundings). Mainly, though, every scene should push something forward in some way, whether it’s character development or a plot point. So, with an opening scene, I always think you have to establish: where you are; who you are; what they are doing; where they’ve come from (in a philosophical and practical sense); and where they’re going (ditto). That doesn’t have to happen in the first paragraph -- that would be silly. But if you sprinkle that information in over time it’ll gradually build up a picture of your character and that way the reader can get an idea of who they are. You basically need to give a snapshot of what your story is about. This also goes back to the character creator stuff: where they are at the start should be different to where they end up. How that happens is, of course, because of plot, and because you’ve structured everything to the nth degree, we’ve got a very clear progression of that character’s growth (/s easier said than done lol).

General advice

Write down everything: every idea, a bit of dialogue, a description, whatever. Write it down. Doesn’t have to be neat. Just has to be on paper. You can’t remember everything, so if you’re spending time trying to hold those things in your head, it’s taking up space for new ideas to come along.

Structure, plan, structure, plan. Sometimes it’s boring and I hate it. Other times, when I’ve not written in a few days and I open the Word doc and think wtf is this supposed to be, I am very grateful for Past Me for leaving such detailed notes. Seriously, it helps so much. Oneshots don’t really need planning, in my experience. You just get those out there. But multi-chaptered stories really do, even ones that “just” focus on a relationship.

Whatever you want to write, commit to it. Space goblins invade Hawkins? Do it. Eleven and Max find themselves in a cult akin to Midsommar (2019) and must escape? Yes. Just... whatever you want to do, remember that you’re writing it for you. Write what most interests you, what makes you when you reread it go AHHHHH I LOVE THIS!! Because that makes it a thousand times easier to actually get on with the writing when you enjoy what you’re doing.

Write a lot. Every day, if you can, or at least at designated times. Occasionally I have a very specific headspace/vibe I have to be in, but sometimes it just hits me and I’ll say to my partner “I need to write now” and just disappear, lol. The more you write the more you write. It’s so, so, so true. Cannot emphasise this enough. When I wrote that ~200k in twelve months? It was because I literally wrote every. day. Or near enough. Remember that some days you’ll write 200 words, and other days you’ll write 20k (this happened to me with ADATS -- part of the reason I finished it so quickly was because I had sprints of writing 10k+ at a time that only happened because I was in the rhythm of it). Write, write, write. Who cares if it’s crap! No one will see it until you are ready. In the meantime, just write!

Probably last of all (although I could go on and on) is connect with other writers. If you’re struggling to start, sometimes just talking about it can help a huge amount. I hope it goes without saying that you can message me whenever you want, anon or not, and I will talk to you. We can talk about ideas or I can beta stuff, whatever you want! Find like-minded people and talk to them about what you want to do. Another thing this helps is in advertising your work when you do publish. I see a lot of first time fic writers get super down because they publish their magnum opus on AO3 but no one comments. Honestly, it’s because no one knows you’ve published! You don’t have to be tooting your own horn every which way, but just actively talking about your work and even collaborating with other content creators with get you hyped and other people too (and the input and encouragement other fandom members give is just... out of this world. Anon messages helped me finish ADATS when I was really worried I wouldn’t [that’s the truth]. Seriously, support is everything). When you have people excited about your work, you get excited. It’s really as simple as that.

I could go on but this is already horrendously long. I hope even a bit of this helps! If you want to chat or have any more questions, just hit me up any time.

#writing tips #writing help #writing advice #answered #i really hope this helps/answers your question!#i can do something more structured if you want #otherwise here are just my initial thoughts #Anonymous

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ljandersen · 3 years

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More 100 Days of Writing! Yay! I love that I get a hundred days of seeing everyone's writing process on my dash. I’m not strictly following the questions in order or posting every day, but it’s fun to still play along. Thanks, @the-wip-project !

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Question from Day 2 (I know it’s not day two, but I’m erratically cheating, remember?) For your current WIP: Do you have many WIPs? What motivates you to write this specific story? What makes this story special for you? Is there a special twist/trope/setting you wanted to explore? What got you started on this particular story?

My current WIP is “Sideways,” a 5-part fShenko post-war long fic. I’m posting it like a box set, essentially all the parts (books) in one big post on AO3. I have the first draft written for all five parts and am currently posting part 3.

What motivated me to write this story was a string of “what if” questions that haunted me after finishing my 300k fShenko post-war long fic, “Burning Barriers.” My mind kept spinning on questions about human-asari relationships. What would it be like to be with someone who would live a thousand years? You’re just a blip on their radar, while they’re you’re whole life.

What would it be like to have a child who’s another species? Asari have unique abilities like mindmelding, strong biotics, long lifespan, monogendered, not to mention unique culture. Would the child feel less “yours” for being so . . . well, alien (pun intended)? How would it feel knowing your partner and child would live on long after you?

That’s when I started thinking, what if the asari parent died? Whoa. Then my mind was blown by the complexity. Your child would be another species, bound to live a thousand years, and the parent meant to take care of them is gone. Since your partner was going to live hundreds of more years, the human partner probably never even considered the possibility of losing them. Now the human parent is all this alien child has. It had so many implications, my mind kept going.

I wanted to explore these ideas in a story, but I didn’t want to write an AU of my own fanfiction. I didn’t want to write a story that wasn’t fShenko. FemShep and Kaidan are my favorite characters, and it’s their relationship I find compelling.

That’s when I thought, what would Shepard think of this alternate storyline? It’s interesting enough to think of her outside perspective, but what if it was further removed than even that. What if she saw it like I did having this other canon story ending in mind? What if the Shepard who finished my story in “Burning Barriers” and who ended up with Kaidan went to this other AU reality?

I could follow an idea from “Burning Barriers” that wasn’t realized but intrigued me. Kaidan’s asari wife is dead. He has an asari child now. How much better if he and Shepard are even enemies? Maybe Shepard has been a bad person in this timeline. After all, Mass Effect is all about the Paragon and Renegade timelines. Add in this story being told from the POV of the Shepard who’s been happily married to him in the “real” timeline, then the complexity and nuances expanded. How would she reconcile his identity to her, being both the person she knows and loves the best, but also the person she knows the least and who is also an adversary?

Then, I thought . . . What is Bad Shepard took my canon Shepard’s place? I ended “Burning Barriers” with Shepard being human Councilor. She lives on the Pacific with Kaidan and their daughter. That was already there in my post-10 year epilogue. What if this switch went both ways? It’s always a fascinating trope taking someone who’s a maverick loner and dropping them into a family situation. Do they become a better person?

False identities always interest me, and both stories lines would play so well to that interest. How would this imposter function? Both Shepards would be taken as the their altero ego, at least, initially if not longer.

So I started writing “Sideways.” I needed to tell the backstories to fill in the ten years of lost time for both timelines. But how to do it? Just through present-day revelations? A bit boring. Flashbacks are often considered unnecessary and needlessly complicate a story.

What if the flashbacks had more meaning beyond just revealing the past though? What if they provided a ticking clock. I needed a ticking clock, after all, and this was the perfect way to hit two birds with one stone. The present day revelations about the past could provide tantalizing clues and hint toward scenes that aren’t revealed yet. There would be gradual progression of stories from the past connecting to the present storyline. Perfect.

I actually wrote several chapters of “Sideways” and then discarded it. I didn’t want to pour myself into more fanfiction. It was time to move on. Do something original. Who would read a long fShenko fic that jumped off my 300k story? “Burning Barriers” wasn’t read. I think a year after posting, it had 25 kudos, under a thousand hits, and was pretty stagnant with the hit count even moving. I had a few wonderful people who made the process worthwhile through their generous comments and friendship. It would go on to get a lot of great feedback that would change my feelings about it, but at the time, the story’s reception was disappointing. It seemed unwise to take an already abysmal turnout for 300k words and cut the readership even further for a new story +100k story. So I tossed my first few chapters of “Sideways” aside.

I came across the chapters again a while later. I still had these ideas in my head for it that I was trying to squelch while I focused on ideas for an original sci fi series. When I was flipping through a notebook, I came across the story I had abandoned, and I started to read it. By the end, I was left thinking, “But then what happened? This is actually pretty good.” At that point, I decided I had to write it. I had too much passion in the project, and I had to see it through.

I decided for it to be successful (or at least, not catastrophically unsuccessful), it had to stand on its own. Hardly anyone had read the preceding 300 k story, which I had made the mistake of posting all at once. I needed this to be its own story. It had to be less words than “Burning Barriers,” which at 300 k was already too much of an investment.

Then I started writing my new story . . . 800 k words later (or so I estimate), I obviously didn’t meet my goal. But I loved writing every word, and I love how the story progresses and develops. It had a good pace, and I’m proud of it. It lent itself naturally to being divided into a series, since it had mini-arcs with mini-villains and achievements being reached. By editing each part separately, I was able to start posting, which after two years of writing the story was beginning to feel like would never happen.

Now, here I am posting part 3. I have amazing people who support me and have made the experience rewarding by sharing their enthusiasm and thoughts in comments and tags. “Sideways” surpassed “Burning Barriers” initially low turn out and has managed to stand on its own as I hoped. For a story that took so long to make it to this point, it’s been fulfilling to have so many fandom friends who cheer me on. I appreciate everyone who supports “Sideway” and just me in general as part of the fandom community.

And that’s how my supersized story came into being.

#100daysofwriting #not doing my questions in order I know #I feel like day 1 and day 2 were the most important general questions #Which is why I'm doing them now #on writing #my writing #on fanfiction #on mass effect fanfiction

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wisdomrays · 3 years

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TAFAKKUR: Part 376

THE QUR'AN AND ESTABLISHED SCIENTIFIC FACTS: Part 1

It is another argument for the Divine authorship of the Qur’an that it refers to certain facts of creation recently established by modern scientific methods. How, except on account of its Divine authorship, is it possible for the Qur’an to be literally true on matters of which people had not the least inkling at the time when it was revealed? For example, if the Qu’ran were not a Divine Revelation, would it have been possible for it to contain such a verse as this: Do not the unbelievers realize that the heavens and the earth were one unit of creation before we split them asunder? (21.20).

Whether the Qur’an really does refer, explicitly or implicitly, to the kinds of facts the sciences deal with, and the relationship between the Qur’an and modern sciences, are matters of considerable controversy among Muslim intellectuals. We should therefore treat the subject at length.

SCIENCE AND RELIGION

THE CIVILIZATION ISLAM CREATED

The conflict of science and religion in the West dates back as far as the thirteenth century. Due to the essential character of the corrupted Christianity represented by the Catholic Church, which condemns nature as a veil separating man from God and curses the knowledge of nature, any scientific advances were not seen in the West during the middle ages, which are called dark ages in European history. However, during the same period a magnificent civilization was flourishing in the Muslim East. Muslims, obeying the injunctions of the holy Qur’an, studied both the Book of Divine Revelation, that is, the Qur’an, and the Book of Creation, that is, the universe, and founded the most magnificent civilization of human history. Scholars from all over the old world benefited from the centers of higher learning at Damascus, Bukhara, Baghdad, Cairo, Fez, Qairwan, Zeitona, Cordoba, Sicily, Isathan, Delhi, and other great centres throughout the Muslim world. Historians liken the Muslim world of the Middle Ages, dark for the West but bright for Muslims, to a beehive. Roads were full of students, scientists and scholas travelling from one center of learning to another. Many world-renowned figures such as al-Kindi, al-Khwarizrni, alFarabi, Ibn Sina, al-Mas’udi, lbn al-Haytham, al-Biruni, al-Ghazzali, Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, al-Razi and many others shone like stars in the firmament of the sciences. In his multivolume History of Science, George Sarton divided his work into fifty- year periods, naming each chapter after the most eminent scientist of the period in question. For the years from the middle of eighth century (second century after Hijra) to the twelfth century, each of seven fifty- year periods carries the name of a Muslim scientist. Thus we have ‘the Time of al-Khwarizmi, the Time of al-Biruni’, etc. Within these chapters Sarton lists one hundred important Muslim scientists and their principal works.

John Davenport, a leading scientist, observed:

It must be owned that all the knowledge whether of Physics, Astronomy, Philosophy or Mathematics, which flourished in Europe from the 10th century was originally derived from the Arabian schools, and the Spanish Saracen may be looked upon as the father of European philosophy (Quoted by A. Karim in Islamic Contribution to Science and Civilization).

Bertrand Russell, the famous British philosopher, wrote (Pakistan Quarterly, Vol.A, No.3):

The supremacy of the East was not only military. Science, philosophy, poetry, and the arts, all flourished in the Muhammadan world at a time when Europe was sunk in barbarism. Europeans, with unpardonable insularity, call this period ‘the Dark Ages’: but it was only in Europe that it was dark---indeed only in Christian Europe, for Spain, which was Mohammedan, had a brilliant culture.

Robert Briffault, the renowned historian, acknowledges in his book The Making of Humanity:

It is highly probable that but for the Arabs, modem European civilization would have never assumed that character which has enabled it to transcend all previous phases of evolution. For although there is not a single aspect of human growth in which the decisive influence of Islamic culture is not traceable, nowhere is it so clear and momentous as in the genesis of that power which constitutes the paramount distinctive force of the modern world and the supreme course of its victory- natural sciences and the scientific spirit... What we call sciences arose in Europe as a result of a new spirit of inquiry; of new methods of investigation, of the method of experiment, observation, measurement, of the development of Mathematics in a form unknown to the Greeks. That spirit and those methods were introduced into the European world by the Arabs.

For the first five centuries of its existence, the realm of Islam was the most civilized and progressive portion of the world. Studded with splendid cities, gracious mosques and quiet universities, the Muslim East offered a striking contrast to the Christian West, which was sunk in the night of the Dark Ages (L. Stoddard, The New World of Islam).

This bright civilization progressed until it suffered the terrible disasters which came like huge overlapping waves, from the West and Far East one after the other in the form of the Crusades and Mongol invasion. The disasters lasted centuries until the Muslim government in Baghdad collapsed and the history of Islam entered, from the beginning of the fourteenth century, a new phase with the Ottoman Turks. Islamic civilization was still vigorous and remained far ahead of the Christian West in economic and military fields until the eighteenth century, despite (from the sixteenth century onwards) losing ground to it in the sciences.

Cordoba in the tenth century under Muslim rule was the most civilized city in Europe, the wonder and admiration of the world. Travellers from the north heard with something like fear of the city which contained 70 libraries with hundreds of thousands of volumes, and 900 public baths, yet whenever the rulers of Leon Navarre of Barcelona needed a surgeon, an architect, a dressmaker or a musician, it was to Cordoba that they applied (T. Arnold, The Legacy of Islam, p.9). Muslim literary prestige was so great that in Spain, for example, it was found necessary to translate the Bible and liturgy into Arabic for the use of the Christian community. The account given by Alvaro, the Christian zealot and writer, shows vividly how even the non- Muslim Spaniards were attracted to Arab/Muslim literature:

My fellow-Christians delight in the poems and romances of the Arabs.They study the works of Muhammadan theologians and philosophers, not in order to refute them, but to acquire a correct and elegant Arabic style. Where today can a layman be found who reads the Latin commentaries on holy Scriptures? Who is there that studies the Gospels, the Prophets, the Apostles? Alas, the young Christians who are the most conspicuous for their talents have no knowledge of any literature or language save the Arabic; they read and study with avidity Arabian books; they amass whole libraries of them at a vast cost, and they everywhere sing the praises of the Arabian world (Indiculus Luminosus, translated by Dozy).

If the purpose of education and worth of civilization is to raise the sense of pride, dignity, honour in individuals so that they improve their state and consequently the state of society, Islamic civilization is proven to have been a worthy one. There is ample evidence quoted by various writers showing how Islam has succeeded in doing this to various peoples of various regions, e.g. Isaac Taylor, in his speech delivered at the Church Congress of England about the effects and influence of Islam on people, said:

When Muhammadanism is embraced, paganism, fetishism, infanticide and which craft disappear. Filth is replaced by cleanliness and the new convert acquires personal dignity and self-respect. Immodest dances and promiscuous intercourse of the sewes cease; female chastity is rewarded as a virtue; industry replaces idleness; licence gives place to law; order and sobriety prevail; blood feuds, cruelty to animals and slaves are eradicated. Islam swept away corruption and superstitions. Islam was a revolt against empty polemics.. It gave hope to the slave, brotherhood to mankind, and recognition to the fundamental facts of human nature. The virtues which Islam inculcates are temperance, cleanliness, chastity, justice, fortitude, courage, benevolence, hospitality, veracity and resignation.. Islam preaches a practical brotherhood, the social equality of all Muslims. Slavery is not part of the creed of Islam. Polygamy is a more difficult question. Moses did not prohibit it. It was practised by David and it is not directly forbidden in the New Testament. Muhammad limited the unbounded license of polygamy. It is the exception rather than the rule... In resignation to God’s Will, temperance, chastity, veracity and in brotherhood of believers they (the Muslims) set us a pattern which we should well to follow. Islam has abolished drunkenness, gambling and prostitution, the three curses of the Christian lands. Islam has done more for civilization than Christianity. The conquest of one-third of the earth to his (Muhammad’s) creed was a miracle.

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wetalkinboutbooks · 3 years

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New Year, New Review 🤩

A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir

Summary: The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning.

At his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.

Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory--or to an unimaginable doom.

And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life--and love--he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save--or destroy--all that he knows. (Taken from Goodreads)

Our Ratings:

→ Geena: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

→ Kae: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: The final instalment of the Ember Quartet had us crying in the metaphorical club. It’s exciting, terrifying, and probably the horniest book in the series and we loved it!

~Spoiler-full discussion below~

The Good:

→ Elias and Laia

Geena: In the final instalment of the Ember quartet, Sabaa deprives us of an Elias POV and slaps us with the Soulcatcher instead… He’s very much an ‘emotions are bad’ type of dude, the opposite of Elias who always had so many… but both of them are so angsty? The Soulcatcher really likes to beat up trees when his memories from when he was Elias resurface which was so emo to me. Despite being possessed by Mauth he is also such a coward, especially around Laia, because Elias’ feelings for Laia scare him and every single time he is like *running emoji*. We were surprised that Sabaa let him remain the soulcatcher for so long, every chapter I was like ‘Okay, maybe this is where Elias breaks through…’ but no.. Elias remained buried UNTIL their night in the cabin… the Soulcatcher was like ‘k I’m out’ but ONLY for ONE NIGHT and that still makes me scream.. The Soulcatcher was like ‘you kids are too horny for me, I’m gonna take a nap for a bit and let Elias take over bc Jesus.’

Despite it all, the Soulcatcher’s chapters were enjoyable albeit painful because this man was so duty bound, like even Elias wasn’t that dedicated when he was a Mask. But near the end, when we finally get the chapter that starts with Elias…. Ngl I cried a little, and immediately wanted to reread the whole series (I feel like Sabaa did this on purpose to torture us). I want to fight Sabaa though, like she did an amazing job showing how Elias’ conscious and the Soulcatcher’s conscious were constantly fighting one another, and how Elias’ memories of the people he loved ultimately fuelled the Soulcatcher’s actions… even though the Soulcatcher was like ‘I’m doing this for the ghosts’ like okay… no ghost told you to keep protecting and kissing Laia but you still did it…

Kae: Okay, so Geena summed up my boy Ilyaas pretty damn well. Also, we LOVE HIS ETHNIC NAME IN THIS HOUSE. But um, YES. Elias was a sad boy ™ the whole time while fighting his emotions and ultimately losing. It was so PAINFUL as a reader, seeing all of his chapters except the ONE say ‘Soulcatcher’. But when it finally said ELIAS again, I too, started to cry. Because he was BACK.

You can all thank the power of Laia’s determination to seduce Elias back to himself, because our girl was NOT giving up. She said ‘you gonna get this coochie, dammit’ and in the cabin, Elias was like ‘well i’ll be damned. I sure as hell am. I am BACK BAYBEEEEE’

Geena: Sabaa Tahir said horny rights like ksjdnfdsjknfsdk

Kae: AUFVAHLHVKJ. BUT YES. In the end, love won. And so did sex because everyone was doin it or TRYING to do it. I guess when the world is ending, you only get one last time to uhh…. Have a good time. So they made sure they did lmao

Now, let’s get into Laia.

Laia. My sweet little cupcake. My mug of tea with too much honey. This girl has been through literal hell and back, and yet, she kept going. She NEVER gave up. Laia woke up in book 4 like ‘Today i will commit crimes. Helene and I crave violence’ and they both just started kicking ASS and I LOVED THAT. I was really happy to see the progression of Laia and Helen’s friendship and how they genuinely grew to like one another and see each other as besties. They both deserved a girl friend and I’m glad they found a friendship within each other.

Laia is the bravest character in this damn book. She went from poor scholar, to slave, to hero and she was brave because she had to be. Laia is strong and took on their entire world. She had help, but she did a lot of it alone and that takes some real guts. She is the most genuine, sweetest, bravest girl and I love her. <3

Laia also single handedly brought the Ilyaas back from his Soulcatcher shit. During this whole book she was just like ‘You know what? I think I’mma go mess with Elias’ emo ass today to see if I can get him to kiss me or something’ THEN SHE PROCEEDED TO SHOW UP AT THIS MANS HOUSE (realm or whatever) BUTTASS NEKKID. And he saw her and immediately flew the hell out of there it was TOO MUCH and he LIKED IT but couldn’t admit it.

Geena: You know what I love about that whole scene was like earlier she was like ‘He’s a lost cause idc’ and then Darin was like ‘Elias wouldn’t give up on you if that happened’ and Laia was like ‘you’re right, he would show up stark naked and try to seduce me back to my body’ and she did just that...

Kae: SHE DID. SHE SHOWED UP AND SHOWED OUT! Like, her entire mission was to bring Elias back while also planning on taking down the Nightbringer. But she was straight up like ‘okay but not before i get my man back through SEDUCTION’. Ugh, the mango scene? Superb.

Geena: Laia is hands down one of my favourite book characters to exist. Her journey from the first book being a scared girl with a missing brother, to being the face of a revolution… like the GROWTH. Like Kae mentioned, she and Helene end up as BESTIIEESSSS, and I was surprised at how natural they seemed. Because we went from them hating each other to close friends, but despite not seeing their development, it came off so natural? So, I loved that!

Kae covered Laia’s character pretty thoroughly, she was both a horndog and a bad bitch. Like this girl has pretended to be a Slave for the Commandment to travelling a desert by herself and facing off a squad of Jinn… In retrospect, Laia is a unique case, she’s allowed to be kind and caring and doesn’t have to be a fighter type to be strong. She’s not the chosen one, which this book made clear, it could’ve been anyone to fight the Nightbringer… but only Laia was strong enough to love him AND defy him. And I just love her a lot… she was very much an anime protagonist with the power of love, family, and friendship… anyways I love her and that’s all I have to say

→ Helene

Geena: The way I ended up liking and rooting for Helene this book? Came out of left field. To be honest, in previous books I didn’t feel much for her other than ‘stop chasing after Elias and Laia pls.’ But this book I wanted her to win, especially with the fight against the germanic-esque invaders. She goes through substantial development, no longer seeing Scholars as slaves and taking their opinions seriously.. Like Laia, Musa, and Darin were all a part of her crew. A stark difference from Book 1 Helene, who thought Scholars only had one role in the world and that was slaves.

Helene… like Laia… really has the Ember equivalent of hot girl summer with Harper… all the time she spends denying it she is like *jumps on him the chance she gets*. The bath scene… Helene’s power was turning her tortuer into her MAN… But also Sabaa said that ‘yes she has changed, but she has to repent for her sins’ and that’s why Helene is basically left alone at the end (save for Laia, Elias, and Musa).

Kae: So not gonna lie, I never actually disliked Helene. I saw her as the flawed character she was in the beginning. During her cat and mouse chase with Elias and Laia in the beginning, she would piss me OFF because like, that’s your BEST FRIEEEEEND. JUST STAAAAHP. But also, it was him or her and her family's death, so I get it. But I always saw potential in her to be better. And thank GOODNESS she went through all that character development. Because she was a damn menace in the beginning.

Also like Geena mentioned; Helly and Harper finally hooking up? I swear the heavens opened up in that moment because EVERYONE could feel their tension. LIKE JUST DO IT ALREADY. You can’t fight love, baybeeee

Watching Helly grow as a person was really rewarding as a reader. Like Geena said, she went from hating scholars to being like ‘hmm, maybe my opinions are shitty?’ and straight up changed. I also feel for her because she lost her ENTIRE family and like, honestly? I would’ve given up. BUT SHE DIDN’T. She’s a literal fighter, bred for this shit. So she FOUGHT. And I was really scared she was gonna get murked because y’all know Keris’ tiny evil ass doesn’t have a chill button. And when they were fighting? I was like LAWD PLS DON’T TAKE HELLY. But instead he took Harper *upside down smiley face* SO THAT WAS FUCKED UP AND I WASN’T READY FOR IT. But a piece of me knew it was coming.

The Bad:

→ Darin and Harper

Geena: As Kae mentioned… Harper kicked the can in this book :’( His eventual fall came from loving and caring for Helene too much, which left him open and gave Keris the chance to stab him. Harper was basically Helene’s heart outside her body, and when he went down so did Helene. I had had a feeling when Book 3 ended that Harper wouldn’t make it, but I WASN’T HAPPY ABOUT BEING RIGHT FOR ONCE… Harper had finally met his brother (Elias) and hadn’t even had a chance to meet the real Elias and talk to him about their father or other sibling stuff. LIKE OF ALL CHARACTER DEATHS… AND THERE WAS A LOT… The other one that came out of left field was fucking Darin of Serra… DARIN… THE ONE DUDE WE SPENT TWO WHOLE BOOKS SAVING… DEAD WITH A SNAP OF HIS NECK!! I WAS SO MAD

LIKE SABAA HAD US THINKING HE WAS GONNA BE SAFE, SHE GAVE HIM A LIL GIRLFRIEND AND EVERYTHING BUT THEN SHE GOES.. AND KILLS HIM?? JUST LIKE THAT?? Then we had to read the scenes where Elias helps both Darin and Harper pass over into the afterlife and I was just *cries angrily*

Kae: Well, THAT was sad. Have you ever just like, felt your heart break into a million tiny irreparable pieces? That’s how I felt when Darin and Harper died. Because like, they were both trying to save the women they loved. Darin to Laia, (foolishly so against the Nightbringer) but I would do it for my little sister too. And Harper with Helene against evilass Keris. Dude, that shit just sucked. It hurt to read. It hurt to imagine the girls feeling the pain of their deaths. They were both such good men. And DARIIIN.

Darin didn’t have to go out like that, man. It was such a harsh death. No last words. It was just over and his body was just gone. I wish Laia would’ve been able to talk with him at The Waiting Place at least one last time. But it is what it is. I hated to see both of them go. Especially since Darin pretty much sparked this whole series.

Sure, Laia, Helene, and Elias were the main characters. But Darin was the spark that started the fire. And he didn’t even get to see it’s flames extinguished.

Geena: He was the ember in the ashes… literally like Sabaa uses that for Elias and Laia but it applies to Darin the most

Kae: LITCHRALLY gonna get teary eyed over here. Our boys deserved better :(

Conclusion

Geena: This was not at all a disappointing end to the series we’ve followed closely for so long. The different plot points and character arcs were tied up nicely, and Sabaa Tahir showed us once again why she’s one of the best fantasy writers on this side of the Milky Way. We didn’t even bother including a ‘The Ugly’ section because we loved it too much ksfmsd. The only qualm I’d have with the end was the empire remaining, Helene recognized the Scholars as equals but centuries of pain isn’t easily forgotten you know? SO THAT’S WHY I THINK WE DESERVE A SEQUEL SERIES… BUT I DIGRESS… OVERALL, I loved this book and the ending for all the characters ESPECIALLY FOR OUR GIRL LAIA <3

Kae: YES. I AGREE 100% WITH GEENA. It was such a beautiful end to the series. Sabaa is GENIUS and her storytelling is phenomenal. I loved every little surprise she’s hidden in all of the books. ESPECIALLY WITH COOK BEING ALIVE? I DIDN’T SEE THAT SHIT COMING AT ALL. LIKE HOLY SHIT? So Laia had some remaining family afterall, and I think that’s very sweet. I’m really sad to see the series be over with and Geena and I are both *~HOPIIIING~* for an epilogue or some little crumbs or SOMETHING with the gang and how their lives ended up into middle adulthood or something.

Geena: I would literally take a single paragraph… Ms. Tahir…. Blease…

Kae: But yes, in conclusion, Laia has a heart of gold and we LOVE HER. She’s brave and strong and smart, and was the only one out of THOUSANDS to stick for herself and defy the Nightbringer, and save the whole world. Helene has come a long way and she developed beautifully as a character. And Elias. Ohhh, Ilyaas. His continued self sacrifice and bravery and love still helped him live in the end and I think that’s beautiful.

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sunshine-and-symphonies · 3 years

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A Reflection on the Power of Fan Works and Storytelling.

Hello wonderful human!

I just was struck with the need to share a reflection, so here it is!

Somehow, when I sat down to write "Symposium" (my MLB/DCU crossover series on AO3), I managed to delude myself into thinking that the entire story, from start to finish, would be no longer than 5,000 words. This was because, as many of you may know, the first work was intended to be a gift to my very good friend. I had the general plot, sparked from a single scene idea that they had shared with me after listening to a song, and so I sat down to write.

The first draft of the work was over 10,000 words long, and I still wasn't finished. So I split it up into parts, called "The First Part" and "The Second Part", eventually adding "The Second Second Part", before giving up on the singular work. So I split it up into two works, predicting the total word count to be around 40,000 words from the pace that I was writing.

As it stands now, I have nearly 110,000 words written and/or published in this series. A large chunk of this (approximately 33,000) that is waiting to be edited before being published to AO3. Somehow, this story that was never intended to be larger than 5,000 words and published for a singular person, is now looking to be close to 200,000 words total (I have my doubts that that number will stick, quite frankly) and has over 10,000 hits on AO3. This series has subscribers, and followers, and fans. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that this could happen, especially not on this scale. I had, honestly, been a little afraid to publish my first work - writing has inherently been a very personal thing to me, and sharing it to a large audience freaked me out a little bit. Yet the reaction I received was overwhelmingly positive. It made me realize that whatever story you write, someone, somewhere, will likely want (or need) to read that story. Someone will connect with it, find meaning in it, and get excited by it. Goodness knows that I have that in response to several fan works on AO3! Being on the author's side of the screen is so, so rewarding and fun to me, and the comments and feedback I receive on this work (not to mention the nomination(s) - I'm still in shock!) have been such a blessing. Storytelling, regardless of the medium, has such a strong power to unify and connect people from all walks of life, and that, I think, it the true power within it.

The fan community is one that I am proud to be a part of. Having an online creative space that is welcoming and warm is such a joy. Being able to return that welcome and warmth to my readers is so important to me, and so rewarding. So thank you to all who have welcomed me into the fold, and for all who continue to read the series that (really) was never meant to be. Talk about an unexpected brain-child!

Oh, what sparked this post? The "Middle Point" of my current work in progress has surpassed the total word count of the title work "Symposium", in my series. So, to all my readers who know my Tumblr: get ready to see one long chapter soon!

All the best, and lots of love.

-Sunshine_and_Symphonies

P.S. Your story, whether it's written, idea, imagined, true, personal, fun, silly, is worth telling. From one author to another, the most terrifying step is starting, but it is the most rewarding step you can take. Go forth and create! I believe in you! <3

#writing #fanfiction #fan community #personal reflection

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slusheeduck · 4 years

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Binding Resolution

[Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5]

Chapter 6

The dungeon is more of a storage room than a dungeon, but everything is significantly less rusted and dilapidated than when you were in there before. The suits of armor seem to silently discuss which of you goes where, unbothered by your or the Prince’s struggles. Eventually, they split up. You’re chucked into the cell, and as you skid onto the floor, you hear the heavy sound of chains and a lock.

“Release me! Take these off! You’re part of MY house, you stupid tin cans!”

The suits of armor don’t reply, and you hear metal footsteps go back up the stairs.

“No, NO! Come back!” The Prince’s voice becomes steadily more frantic. “Let me go! I’ll fix things! Vanessa! VANESSA!”

You pick yourself up finally, taking a moment to check between two kegs for the shortcut you’d found last time. But the wall’s still in one piece, and you figure it’s going to take a few hundred years of water damage before that passage will show up. For a moment, you simply lean against the wall. You’ve dealt with a lot up to this point—more than probably any of your friends from back home have—but seeing the entirety of Subcon frozen just…

You really miss home.

You look up as you hear the clanging of metal hitting the floor, and you run over to the cell wall. From the back corner, you can see the Prince; he’s flailing hard against the manacles that hold him, trying to push against the walls and twist his way out of them. But with the cuffs so high up on his arms and holding him off the ground, it looks like he’s more likely to dislocate his shoulders than anything else. His crown had hit the ground, apparently, and you watch silently as the contract from inside his coat follows. After a bit more struggling, he finally lets himself fall back, head hitting the wall as he lets out a sound somewhere between a sob and a frustrated yell.

“Stupid, stupid, STUPID!” The words echo against the stone walls. “I should never…what was the point? I try to help you—” He punctuates the word by twisting around to glare at you. “—and all it does is make Vanessa mad at me. And then I try to make it up to her, and she becomes…whatever she is now. I spend my whole life trying to do right by Subcon, only for it to…” He chokes before he can finish the sentence, then shakes his head. “I am through helping anyone! If I survive this, I’m not putting my neck out for a single person ever again!”

The room grows darker, and in the shadows, you swear you can see something edging toward the Prince’s feet. You know what’s about to happen, and you swallow hard.

Then, very softly, you say, “Sorry.”

The Prince looks up at you, surprised, and the room gets a little less dark. He sighs, going limp.

“No, no. You shouldn’t be sorry, kid. You never should’ve been caught up in this.” His head falls back, and he lets out a humorless chuckle. “I really should’ve gotten a jump on that renovation, huh?”

You lean your forehead against the bars for a moment, then walk over to the opposite corner of your cage and pull out your umbrella. The crown is too far to reach, but you just might be able to get the contract and keep a hold of it. You know it won’t change things, but considering how much the Prince wanted it, you feel like it’s at least something nice you can do before the end.

You try once, but the angle’s wrong. You try again, and you’re so close. Your arm’s just a little too short, but maybe if you push just a little harder.

“Leave it, kid.” You can’t see the Prince from this angle, but you can still feel just how sad he is by his voice alone. “It can’t do any good now.”

You move back to your original corner, looking at him curiously as you point at it, and he shakes his head.

“It’s a prenup. That’s…it’s a thing people can get before they get married, that spells out who owns what and how things get divvied up after a death or divorce.” He bites his lip. “I love…loved…Vanessa, but she was never going to care about my forest. She hardly even cared about her domain, and once we were married, it’d just be one more area that’d be ignored. So I thought, if I could get her to sign this, I’d be able to keep control over it.” He sighs, going limp in the manacles. “But it’s a moot point now. All because I bought some stupid flowers.” He makes a noise that’s a very sad excuse for a laugh. “I guess I should’ve paid attention when you were bothering me. Now we’re both screwed.” He goes silent for a moment, brow furrowing, then looks up at you. “You…you knew, didn’t you? About the flowers?”

There’s no point in lying now, so you silently nod.

“But…how? I mean, you just showed up here and…” He shakes his head. “Actually, no. No, I don’t want to know. I don’t know how long we’ll be down here, and I’ve read enough to know that that kind of information makes you go crazy. I don’t need that on top of everything else.”

You figure that’s fair, and you sit down with a sigh. For a moment, the two of you are quiet.

“Actually, no, it’s gonna bother me too much not to know. Tell me.”

You look up at him, then scratch your head. You’re not sure how much he knows about Time Pieces, and explaining the whole thing of how future him was going to trick you into contracts, steal your soul, and attempt to murder you before you contractually obligate him into a very one-sided friendship was…probably not going to go well.

But you still have the storybook, at least. So you dig into your backpack, and a pang goes through you as you see the second Time Piece still sitting there. You could just use it now. Go forward again, and if you clean up the Time Rifts, maybe he won’t remember this. Things will just progress as they did before, but without your crippling failure coloring the scene. Or maybe you could go back and try again…

But what if you fail again, and make things even worse?

“Kid? You okay?”

This is awful. You should have just gone back right away. Because it’s not enough that you failed, but in a way, you were part of this whole thing. You helped turn Vanessa into what she is. You were part of the reason Subcon Forest was frozen. And ultimately, you’re now part of the reason why the Prince becomes Snatcher.

You rub your eyes, then push the Time Piece aside to pull out the storybook. It won’t help. It might make things worse. But…if you’ve already caused all of this trouble, you might as well let the Prince know what he’s in for. So you take a breath, then scoot over as close as you can to him. You stick the storybook outside of the bars of your cage, then flip through the pages.

The Prince is silent as you go through the pages, and he stays silent as you close the book and put it back in your backpack.

“That’s how it ends?” he finally asks. “I just get left down here until…until I’m consumed by darkness or whatever?”

You nod sadly. The prince stares at you, then sighs and lets his head fall forward. You sigh as well, leaning against the cage. What a horrible ending this is.

But then you hear something strange. The Prince starts to laugh—really laugh, not anything like the pained chuckles from a few minutes ago. It grows louder and louder, echoing off the stone walls of the basement, and it starts to sound less like the laugh that accompanies a joke and more like a laugh that’s followed by “FOOOOOOOL!!”

You hop up to your feet, gripping the bars of your cage as the laughing continues, until finally the Prince lets his head fall forward, still chuckling and wearing a smile that is not the least bit reassuring.

“Well, then,” he says in a low voice that sounds all too familiar, “why put off the inevitable?”

The shadows that have been lurking by the Prince’s feet spring up, covering every inch of space in the dungeon. You scramble back, trying to avoid them, but you can’t keep your eyes off the Prince. He stays very still as the darkness wraps around him like a cocoon—climbing up and leaving every bit of him shrouded in shadow except for his dark eyes. They fix on you for one moment, then they close. When they open again, all that’s left are two bright yellow lights, followed by a big yellow grin that splits across his face.

Finally, you force yourself to shut your eyes and back up against the wall. You know this isn’t something you want to see, and you cover your eyes until you hear the manacles clang against the wall. Finally, you peek your eyes open as you hear another laugh.

And Snatcher grins back at you.

“Thanks for the inspiration, kiddo. Sounds like you saved me a lot of time,” he says, making his way in front of your cage. His mouth can’t quite stay put, but you notice the grin growing wider. “In fact, I think I owe you some kind of reward for that.”

It’s been a while since you’ve actually been scared of him, but you feel just as nervous as you did when you first ran across him in Subcon Forest. You run to the door of your cell and try to open it, but unsurprisingly, it’s locked. You move back to the center of the room, watching as Snatcher looks over at the contract still on the floor. It floats up and opens, and the words on the page shift and spin. When it stops, you’re looking at a very, very familiar looking contact.

“Here’s the deal, kid. I said I wanted you to stay, and now here’s your chance!”

You hesitate, then walk over to look at the contract though the bars.

Your eternal servitude and residence in Subcon Forest in exchange for getting out of here.

He hasn’t figured out the soul thing yet, but that’s the least of your worries. You look up at him and shake your head right as you hear a horrible scratching noise from upstairs. You turn to look at the basement door, and your heart races as you see the doorknob start to freeze.

“It’s your choice, but I’d take it if I were you,” Snatcher says with a dark chuckle. “I know Vanessa better than anyone, and she’s furious with you. And when she’s furious, we both know that bad things happen. So you really ought to sign.”

You back away, looking up as you hear the door creak open.

“Better hurry, kiddo!”

“My prince…”

There doesn’t seem to be a way out. Except that there is, and now you realize you probably should have taken it sooner. You dig into your backpack and pull out the Time Piece.

“Is that…you’ve had a Time Piece this whole time?” Snatcher’s smile drops, and he throws himself toward the cage bars, reaching through. “Give it to me!”

You shake your head. He hasn’t figured out he can go through objects yet, apparently.

“You don’t know what that can do, kid! Give it here, I can fix things!’ The desperation in Snatcher’s voice catches you off-guard, and you hesitate just one moment too long.

“What are you doing, my prince?”

The door opens, and Vanessa’s red eyes flash from the doorway just as Snatcher pushes himself through the bars and lunges at you. You’re out of time.

So you throw the Time Piece down, and you hope for the best.

“I’m not giving you anything else, kid. Get lost.”

You’re still shaking from a moment ago, but you’re in a warmly lit hollow tree, staring at a bookshelf. You don’t move a muscle, still catching your breath. It worked. It worked better than it should have, actually, and you’re not sure how you ended up here instead of the basement, but you’ve never cared less about anything in your entire life.

“Legally, I’m not able to kill you right now. But you really should know that I’ve mentally killed you at least eight times in this visit alone.”

Your head starts to spin, and you feel woozy. A time jump is still a time jump, after all, and that was a very big jump forward. You should probably lay down, so you do—face first onto the floor.

“Wait, did it work? And here I thought all those books on the power of positive thinking were a load of crock!”

You stay put on the floor, keeping your eyes shut. You got out safe, but just hearing Snatcher is enough to remind you of how much you messed up. All that work, and things are still the same.

You’re not a crier, as a general rule, but you can feel a big sob threatening to come out. But you swallow it down. Crying doesn’t help, and you still have a lot of clean up to do. And a long way to go before you get back home. You push yourself up, rub your eyes, and take a deep breath before heading out of the house.

“Hey, kid.”

You stop, swallowing hard, then turn back to look back. Snatcher’s gaze is still fixed on his book, but it doesn’t look like he’s reading. Finally, he looks up at you.

“Those Time Pieces you’re looking for, a lot of people are trying to get them from you for a chance to fix their lives, right?”

You nod.

“Thought so.” He closes his book. “Look, I’ve been around a lot longer that most of those dummies you’ve run into, and I know I’ve done a lot more reading.” He lets out a sigh that sounds somewhere between disappointed and irritated. “You can’t change the past with ‘em. No matter how hard you try, whatever happens is always going to happen.”

You wait for him to say something else, but he just opens his book again. You sigh, then turn and make your way out.

“So don’t beat yourself up over it, okay, kiddo?”

You stop in place as, for one moment, you hear the Prince. You turn back around, but Snatcher is still reading. After a minute, he looks up at you.

“Weren’t you leaving?” he asks snidely. “Unless you’re planning on dying like a nice kid would, I want you out of my forest.”

You smile a bit despite yourself, then nod and, for once, leave the forest when he asks. You’ll be back, obviously; there’s a lot of clean up to do to scrub your meddling out of this story. But, for a little bit, you figure it’s okay to keep a friend, even if he’s left in a past you can’t change.

(And then you do Death Wish mode and hate him again.)

Thanks so much for reading! This has been probably the fastest I've ever written a multi-chapter fic, and I'm glad you've joined me for it! Askbox is always open for headcanons and recs and such, but for now I CAN REST.

#a hat in time #ahit #ahit fanfic #hat kid #snatcher #queen vanessa #angst?#I guess a little bit #ANYWAY IT'S DONE #I FINISHED #I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SLEEP OR DO ANYTHING BECAUSE OF THIS FIC SO I REALLY HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED IT #For real though It's been fun #I am very tired but very content

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