#i'm just a sucker for like nobility and the stories of it

[alexanderwales]

Book Review: The Ministry of Time

I picked up The Ministry of Time when I was in Berkley. It was prominently placed, it had a bold and colorful cover, and I'm a sucker for time travel of any kind. When I brought it up to the counter, the cashier told me that it was one of her recent favorites and really brilliantly realized for being from a debut author. The inside cover promises "an ingeniously imagined, hilarious romp through time, space, and the human heart".

As a veteran of time travel stories, I think they fall into two basic camps. The first camp is the thinky camp, interested in the time travel elements, the layers of cause and effect, the twists and turns that history or characters might have undergone for want of a nail, branching universes and stable loops, the raw matter of causality itself. The second camp is mostly interested in history, whether that's alternate history or historical characters. These are stories where the premise is that modern warship gets transported back to Ancient Greece or whatever and then we just do not interact with time travel in any meaningful way until the end of the book, if that. Sometimes (maybe even often) time travel stories straddle these two camps, but when I read a time travel story I usually immediately clock it as being one or the other.

For the first three quarters of its word count, The Ministry of Time is so firmly in the latter camp that I thought it would just stay there. The basic premise is that the titular ministry has pulled people through time and set them up with "bridges" who are essentially civil servants that live with the temporal "expats" and get them acclimated to the near-future modern world. Our protagonist "bridge" is a British-Cambodian woman, while her "expat" is Graham Gore, a member of the doomed Erebus and Terror mission to explore the Northwest passage. He's very loosely based on a real man about whom so little is known that his character is invented from whole cloth, but there's quite a bit of historical grounding.

Kate & Leopold was a 2001 film about a modern woman who works at an advertising company (Meg Ryan) and gets embroiled in a love affair with an aristocrat from the late 1800s (Hugh Jackman). It's a romcom, and I thought about it a lot when reading this book, which turns out to mostly be a slow-burn romance. It hits a lot of the same beats. Gore is a man out of time and we milk this for entertainment value as we watch him acclimate to the modern world in various ways, seeing the things that he loves and the things that puzzle him. He's also a gentleman from a simpler time, and his nobility stands in contrast to the boorishness of the modern male. A lot of this is stock: I don't read many romance novels, but "man from the past" is a whole genre, whether he's come through to the present or the female protagonist has been sent to the past. I am pretty sure that the first book of Outlander is this, but I only watched half of the first season of the TV show.

(The other piece of media this reminded me of was the Norwegian show Beforeigners, which hits the "past is a different country" and "refugees from the past" theme a lot harder, at least for my money.)

The Ministry of Time does all this far better than Kate & Leopold did. Part of this is simply the writing quality, but there's also at least a little engagement with ideas of colonialism, the horrors of the past, how we assimilate into the dominant culture, and what that means. Gore is well-realized, and our protagonist has a lot of complexity to her, which brings some brushes with identity and living in the wake of someone else's trauma (particularly because the protagonist, like the author, is mostly white-passing half-Cambodian). It's just that this isn't the sort of time travel novel that I like, because it feels like the core premise, traveling through time, gets set to one side while we focus on the relationship between the past and the present, and how fuckable guys from the past are. I appreciate that there's some depth to the female fantasy on display here, but I don't find this particular female fantasy all that interesting on its own. When I realized, about twenty pages in, that this was primarily going to be a well-written romance, I could feel my enthusiasm for it waning.

Aside from the romance between these two, which is the largest chunk of the book, we have a few people from other eras. They're not given nearly enough depth for my taste, but they serve their purpose well enough, and help add another dose of "actually, the past was kind of shit", which I think any work that is flirting with romanticizing the past needs. The two main ones are Arthur, a gay man from World War I who doesn't get enough screen time, and Margaret, a lesbian who comes from the 1600s. I think there's probably a lot to say about identity and queerness, especially because modern notions of these things are not historical, but as with many things, the novel touches lightly on them and then flies off to the next thing like a timid dragonfly.

The best thing about the book, and the reason I kept looking forward to it, is that the prose is really really good. On almost any random page I open up, I can find a passage that delights me. There's a real art to the metaphor and how it's employed, and I really enjoyed most of it, even the ones that maybe made me scratch my head a little bit. Things like "sparrows gusted along the curb" or "I looked into Margaret's face, the sultry peach color of her mouth and her acne glowing with unprinted newness" or "sheepish, excitable expressions, like children caught drawing on the walls". On the prose level, I was a big fan.

The setting for the novel is near-modern London, a city that's suffering the effect of climate change, with blisteringly hot days where they can't do much more than lay on the floor and wait for the heat to pass, and occasional flooding. The ministry itself is a bureaucratic monolith in a way that feels like it's a piss take, but it doesn't go terribly far toward saying anything here. There's a genre that I'm trying to coin a name for called bureaupunk or bureauporn where we focus on huge organizations with matrix management and endless meetings and paper trails, and how that all feels to live with, but this doesn't quite go to that level, even if it gets close. (The ur-example of this is The Laundry Files, for a future post.)

On the plot level ... I hesitate to use the word "sucks", but I had a lot of problems with it even before we get to the last fourth of the novel where it shifts gears from being a slow romance.

To start with, why are they forcing this man to co-habit with this woman in a way they acknowledge to be scandalous from his perspective? Why didn't they select a bridge that would ease him into the 21st century? Why co-habitation rather than, say, a bridge having regular check-ins or something? Actually, why is all this time and effort being expended on getting these people to acclimate to the 21st century in the first place? The novel doesn't really seem to want to engage with this either, and the answers, to the extent we get them, are always pretty vague. Uncharitably, the bulk of the novel is just an excuse plot to get this woman with this man and have them fall in love.

It's not until the last fourth of the novel that it really starts to pick up steam, at least from a plot perspective. There's a mole in the ministry, there are mystery people from the future, there are plots and plans firing off, people are revealed to not be quite who they said they were ... and I enjoyed this part a lot less, in spite of it being ostensibly more toward the type of thinky time travel fiction I'm a fan of. There are two major reveals, and I didn't think that either of them landed, in part because of how weakly they tied into the thing that the novel had mostly been about, which is this central romantic conflict. It's also in this last fourth of the novel that it becomes a type one time travel story instead of a type two one, but the time travel mechanics are never explained, it never matters, and the whole story is worse for it. There's something that a lot of time travel stories sometimes do where they say "well it's time travel, it's confusing, no one really knows" and I fucking despise it because it's lazy shitty writing. Even if you don't have perfectly consistent rules that make sense on a physics level, you need to have rules that make sense on a narrative level, and usually the kinds of authors who write passages like that don't have either.

Prose aside, I think I didn't like this book. I like some of the stock time travel stuff, like a man from the past discovering Spotify, and a woman from the present reveling in a man from the past. I thought the sentence level stuff was great. I thought that some of the recurrent themes of identity and running from the past were interesting, especially the stuff about power dynamics and fitting in with the governmental overstructure ... but I didn't feel like the novel hit all that hard, aside from a single passage midway through the book. The author has some thoughts on growing up with this Cambodian heritage, but I don't think I necessarily got all that much understanding on top of what I could have gotten from trying to write a character like that myself. I got the sense that the author was putting a lot of herself into the novel, sometimes to a degree that felt embarrassing to read, in a way that the novel is explicit about. Sometimes that was embarrassing in a good way, raw and real, and other times it was just confusing, elements of her life put onto the page without enough introspection or background to understand it.

The romance is good and compelling though, I'll give it that. If you like romances, and don't really care about time travel, you might like it.

[grinserabe]

(I'm gonna start doing this from now on uwu)

FE3H 5th Anniversary Countdown Questionnaire

In celebration of FE3H's 5th Anniversary being this month (July) on the 26th, here is a countdown questionnaire for each day until 26th!

When did you hear of FE3H?

When they announced it!

2. What got you interested in FE3H?

I have been a fan of FE for years, so I was already excited before I knew anything about it. When I saw the trailer I had mixed feelings about it, but I still wanted to play it

3. Which was your first House?

Golden Deer. Claude looked the most interesting to me, and he's still my fav of the lords (though not by much). He didn't seem like your typical FE lord, and I was right

4. What is your favourite House and why?

The Black Eagles, because it has Hubert, Edelgard, Linhardt, Petra and Dorothea. I also do like their aesthetic and dynamic. There's something New Wave-y about them

5. What is your favourite story and why?

Crimson Flower for sure, though I like Verdant Wind and Azure Moon too!

I just like how unique CF is. And despite its flaws, I think the ending is the most satisfying for me. Also, the more we see of Hubert, the better

6. Who is your favourite character and why?

Hubert. Because he has not one boring moment. Even when playing Verdant Wind (so my first route) I couldn't wait to look what he has to say during Explore. He just never misses

I love how he talks, his voice acting (both actors did a great job), his sense of humour, his design, and his sadistic streak. I like that it isn't always clear what he's actually thinking, I love what he has to say about nobility and knights, and I appreciate how strategic you have to be with him as a unit

7. Who is a character you think deserves more love and why?

Cyril. I get that he isn't the easiest character to love, but I like his wit, how direct he is, and I'm just a sucker for characters who seem loyal to an unhealthy degree (yes, I love Dedue as well)

Also, he's just a kid, and it's annoying that other characters are more easily forgiven for the same flaws

[townsenddecades]

Storytelling Secrets

Thank you for the tag, @sircesimblr

1. Some musings on my Dudley family with a dash of historical trivia: by 1322, the Dudleys are steering towards a succession crisis because Ralph, the earl, only has a daughter. Noblewomen with no brothers could and did inherit (for an example, see Isabel and Anne Neville, daughters of Warwick the Kingmaker), but if Clement, Ralph's brother, has a son, he might just think his line has the better claim. To avoid this, the obvious solution is that Ralph and Clement have their children marry.

Alas, it's not that simple.

Contrary what the infamous Habsburgs might have you believe, cousins marrying hasn't always been legal. It was actually prohibited for a good while, which means you had to get a papal dispensation for the marriage to be legitimate. Getting one of these was very common for royalty and apparantly not uncommon for the nobility, but I haven't decided what I'll do if that Dudley succession crisis comes to pass.

2. I was initially against having the Townsends get into nectar production because a) I did that in my last go at the UDC and b) everyone has their sims make nectar. But I also really like the idea of Malcolm using his family's nectar to later in life become a merchant. So I might have them do it anyway.

3. I'm toying with the idea of having a family/maybe just a lone sim move into another world, should I think of a fitting story. TS3 doesn't allow having multiple "normal" worlds in one save (there are the vacation and university worlds, though), but if I save the sim as a household, delete them from the save so the story doesn't have two of them running around and plop them down in a new save/world, it would work. The problem is that the sim wouldn't be part of the original save anymore and I would have to play through events in both saves, which sounds like it could get really tedious. And the sims couldn't have inter-save contact.

4. You may have noticed already, but I'm a sucker for romantic drama. The mess that is the Dudley family is probably my favorite storyline at the moment.

5. I don't know if I ever mentioned this, but Robert failed his baby roll initially. I just decided to ignore that because it felt anticlimactic. And I'm glad I did.

This was fun!

I'm tagging @zelenxa, should you have anything you want to share. :)

[himbeereule]

Hii, I'm quite curious and would like to know more about Duke Lebedev - if you're alright with it, that is. I find him middly interesting from what little of him is mentioned, yes I still dislike him and agree he's a despicable person - however, I have a specific fascination about villains like Lebedev - a character already in much power, yet clearly vying for more and has a very troubled past/experience with the mc which ties them to him in some way, whilst also traumatising them.

He also is an older brother of A, one of the Ros, if I'm correct, which makes for a very nice siblings to enemies dynamic if the mc choses to romance A, which is a trope I very much like within media.

Here are some questions I'd like to ask, feel free to answer them I'd you'd like, I'd be very thankful.

1. It's mentioned Duke Lebedev is the head of the nobility. Are the nobles mostly untouched by the coup that happened? How are they holding up after the Royal family died and a new government was established? Is the Duke still in power?

2. If an F!mc had 'that' incident with him when they were younger, would the Duke still have some sort of desire/inappropriate feelings towards them? What would be the current Duke's opinion/view towards them as of now if they had that specific experience with the mc? Also, I'm quite confused as to why the Duke thought it'd be a good a idea to do 'that' to an imperial princess in broad daylight within the palace.

3. Assuming that I'm correct about A and the Duke being siblings ( correct me if I'm wrong ), can you describe what they look like? If it's too soon, I just wanna know if they're considered handsome/good-looking. And do they look alike? Sorry, just a little too curious, I'm a sucker for siblings turned enemies, especially if one is evil :3.

Hi! Thanks for your questions, I'll do my best to answer them :3

1. Yes, the nobles were not directly affected by the coup since it was almost exclusively contained to the Capital. They're mostly just enjoying their quasi-independence and "keeping the peace" in their respective territories - although some have run into issues with local rebels, and others have decided to try and use the situation to expand at the cost of others. You'll meet all types while travelling through the country.

Lebedev is still as important a political figure as ever, and is taking on the role of a mediator between the Republican central government and the noble territories.

2. The answer to the first part is "you'll see". Lebedev plays an important role in the later parts of the story, but finding out what that role actually is will take until the very end.

As for why he thought that would be a good idea - because it's a kind of normal thing to do in his circles, and he knew there would be no consequences. If Lavrentiy hadn't acted first, the Emperor would've just ignored that scene and expected Lebedev to owe him a favour in return.

3. (You are correct about them being siblings.) Detailing character appearances is still sitting on the todo list (but constantly being shoved down by higher priority tasks 🫤), so all I have for now is:

- Arseniy/Amaliya is pretty tall (though not quite as tall as Yakov/Liliya), toned and tanned due to having melee combat as their main hobby, and long, smooth black hair. I'm still torn on the eye colour, but it'll probably be hazel.

- Lebedev is about the same height as his sister, has mostly iron-grey, short hair with some black sections remaining, and a thin moustache and goatee. His skin leans more towards waxy, though he doesn't look as pallid as other older nobles since he travels a lot. He's also on the thinner side, especially his face, and he has a very aristocracy-appropriate aquiline nose.

[wheatbeats]

I did this last time and it got a couple notes, so why not again? Here's my ranking for all the shorts from Star Wars Visions: Volume 2.

Screecher's Reach - holy shit. Holy shit. I knew I would like this one going in because Cartoon Saloon owns my ass, but I never thought I'd see animated Star Wars horror. This one was genuinely creepy and seeing such a poor character fall victim to the lies of the Sith was heartbreaking, and unique for Star Wars content. I loved this short.

Aau's Song - I know the phrase "Ghibli-esque" gets thrown around annoyingly often, but I feel like it actually applies here. The gorgeous natural vistas, the emphasis on the nobility of simple work, a loving family dynamic, the power of a child and the magic of love, it's all here. The character designs are lovely, the music is moving, and I love the vocal performances too. This one is really close to the #1 spot.

The Spy Dancer - I somehow forgot that Studio La Cachette has been responsible for some of the most astounding animation of the past couple years, but oh my god did this short make me remember. Not only is the animation gorgeous, but the characters are so vividly portrayed in such a short amount of time, and it weaves a compelling story completely separate from the lore of the Jedi and the Sith. I'd love more Star Wars content like this.

Sith - the visuals of the painted world in this one are maybe some of the most out-there, artistically, in this whole bunch, and I appreciate such a strong vision. I feel like tumblr is gonna have the hots for our former-Sith protagonist, but I'm always a sucker for droids who are Just a Little Guy.

In the Stars - I love Lilo & Stitch in space. The visuals walk the line where I'm not 100% convinced whether they were cgi or stop-motion, but either way they're extremely impressive. I personally don't vibe with the character archetype that Kichina embodies, but I like her dynamic with Koten, and the arc they go through is pretty rock-solid.

The Bandits of Golak - I have mixed feelings about this one. I like the clear Clone Wars influence in the character designs, and the action staging is pretty great. I also love the sheer Bollywood energy that the Inquisitor brings; I'd love to see more Star Wars villains with this kind of energy instead of more blandly evil bureaucrats. That said, the character models are kind of stiff (especially in the human faces), and Rani is just... so annoying. Chanuk is a good boy, though.

I Am Your Mother - I'm kind of shocked that Aardman even decided to do a short for this volume, but I'm not complaining. When you get Aardman on board you expect a certain tone, and this doesn't disappoint. It's not nearly as funny as Aardman's best work, but it's still a good time and a nice balance with the darker shorts like Screecher's Reach.

The Pit - I really respect this studio and it's unique circumstances, but I feel like this short was missing something. Putting aside the animation, which looked great in still shots but didn't move super well, I feel like this short has nothing that ties it to Star Wars. The stormtroopers could have been any evil army, the kyber crystals could have just been gold or diamonds, the pit itself could have just been on Earth. This short has a good story to tell, but it makes absolutely zero relevant use of Star Wars lore.

Journey to the Dark Head - I'm sad to put the Studio Mir short on the bottom, but here we are. Mir still delivers on some astounding individual cuts of animation that live up to their lauded work on The Legend of Korra and Voltron: Legendary Defender, but I feel like overall the direction of this short was a little chaotic and confused, and the thrills didn't last for more than a few moments each. Moreover, the plot barely made any sense, and failed to sell a convincing story even using a longer runtime than any other short this volume. And I'm sorry, Eugene Lee Yang; I'm happy to see you here, but it just wasn't a very good performance.

[meefy]

Lata Forzeno + The Price of Noble Privilege

Spoilers up to and including Chapter 105 of Akagami no Shirayukihime ahead!

I'm a sucker for side characters, and always have been. I tend to find them particularly mysterious given that we are often not shown many details of their background or motivations, which can sometimes prove to be more interesting than if we were given all these details at all - trying to "fill in the gaps" through a character's minimal words and actions. Speculation breeds curiosity, after all, and one especially curious character in the Akagami no Shirayukihime-verse is the disgruntled aristocrat Lata Forzeno.

One of the main players in the Lyrias arc, Lata is introduced much a mystery, and ends in quite same manner (though since the manga is ongoing, who knows where he'll show up next?). I actually loved Lata a lot; his interactions with Obi are hilarious, for one, but his demeanor is quite different from that of most other AnS characters - he serves as a (reluctant and mostly unwilling) mentor for the Lyrias pharmacists, and gives yet another perspective on the benefits and downsides of noble privilege.

Lata is immediately depicted as a reclusive loner, with Shidan literally saying that, peculiarly, he has no assistants or friends to speak of. He is an aristocrat of sorts, a former knight (one who still carries his sword) turned researcher. But with his distance from the world of the nobility and distaste of being invited to Prince Zen's banquet - at the hands of Shirayuki and Obi - one might assume he rather dislikes his ties to the nobility. I disagree with that (at face value, anyway) - with how much Lata chastises Obi's less-than-formal behaviour, and with his deep respect for Prince Zen, I see Lata as someone who nonetheless appreciates the nobility and its customs - but perhaps not the way others see the nobility and its customs, and perhaps not his own place within it.

When Lata first meets Shirayuki and Obi, he admits that when he first traveled to Lyrias to conduct his research, many other scholars there were put off by his social status and made that fact clear - his research was just "a rich kid's hobby" and he was treated as such. We see Lata as often blunt and curt, or emotionally detached, but I actually think this must have hurt him deeply. There are maybe only two or three panels of him smiling in the entirety of his time in the manga - and they are only when he is looking at the products of his research. He even tells Shirayuki he is flattered by the fact she believes his work holds value and that she considers him an "expert". Clearly, it's important (if not the most important thing) to him - and yet he ended up in Lyrias only to be shunned and ridiculed just because of his noble title. Shirayuki - who treats everyone the same regardless of class - was undoubtedly a rare specimen for Lata indeed.

It's interesting to see how Lata despises being treated differently because of his nobility status (he tells Shirayuki and Obi not to call him by his formal title and surname) when we see characters like Raji (at least, at the beginning of the story) who want the very opposite. Raji wanted to be shown respect as royalty, and given privileges as a result. The contrast here does a wonderful job depicting the two different sides of the noble coin; Lata shows none of this desire for special treatment, instead wanting to blend into the crowd.

I suspect this is a large part of Lata's desire for solitude - if others recognize him and know he is an artistocrat, they will be inclined to rebuff him. Why bother with taking the risk, especially when he is only interested in his research in Lyrias? I think he is a prime example of being hurt so often you just give up on wanting to form bonds with others. Even Zen remarks that one must be careful knowing who to trust - does someone want to gain something from you, because you are a noble/royal? Does someone want to hurt you? Or are they somehow genuine? And why would Lata take the chance, when all he wants to do is study rocks and be left alone?

Still, I don't want to simply write Lata's character off as nothing more than a "poor rejected soul." There is no reason why he may not have preferred to be on his own, with his studies, even if he were welcomed to Lyrias with open arms, and there is nothing inherently wrong with his wanting solitude. Regardless, he came to Lyrias to study - one typically does so with the intention of sharing findings or research methods, and if Lata found himself isolated from everyone because his colleagues hated the nobility, it certainly did not entice him to go out and make friends. It is not surprising he wanted nothing to do with Shirayuki and her team prior to their first meeting - but he must have come around at least somewhat upon hearing her earnest motives, because the reclusive and distant Lata Forzeno agreed to come and meet the Lyrias pharmacists.

My favourite scene of Lata's is where he gives Ryuu advice of how to become a successful pharmacist. I have my own headcanons that Lata himself (in addition to Ryuu) is autistic-coded, but that's for another post and another time. Regardless, Lata may be somewhat cynical, but he isn't intentionally cold or cruel; he sees Ryuu is concerned, and gives him what is honestly pretty solid advice. Did he see his younger self in Ryuu - did a younger Lata once hope to surpass others in his field of mineralogy, only to be treated as an outsider and unable to do so because of his noble status?

In the end, I think Lata's character can be best summed up in what he tells Kirito - he does what he wants and ignores what he doesn't. One might argue he has the privilege of doing so because of his place in the nobility, but I think otherwise. A commoner in his position as a scholar would likely have endured less hardship - they may have felt on equal footing with their colleagues, for instance, instead of like a “noble threat” others needed to bow down to. Lata is yet another intriguing character in the world of AnS, and one of many different perspectives on the benefits of privilege - or, in this case, the cost of it. I hope we see more of him!

[dragonologist-phd]

Fanfiction writing asks: 22, 24, 35, 45 please :)

thank you!

22. Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

For the most part, titles are the last thing I come up with. Sometimes I’ll get hit with a good one before/during writing, but like 85% of the time I have to sit and stare at the finished fic and wrack my brain over what to call it lol. My top methods for when I’m struggling to title something are song lyrics and puns!

24. How do you choose whose POV to write in?

It’s usually based on whose head I want to get into and who I think would have the most interesting perspective on the situation! I always do third person- nothing against reading first person, but I just cannot write in it

35. What’s your favorite fic you’ve posted?

I'm sorry but it’s honestly impossible to choose just one so you’re getting one from each of my top fandoms:

Pillars of Eternity: If The Heavens Ever Did Speak

In another world, Nona left Aedyr for the Dyrwood and was granted the power to change the world. But for all that changes, some things will always remain the same- and Nona Vercae will always, above all else, be loyal in her service to her Queen.

I had a lot fun writing that one because it was pretty different from stuff I’d done before, and all the dynamics at play here are just so intriguing to me. I love Nona a lot to begin with, and I love exploring a characters relationship with the gods in this type of setting, and I love how insanely flirty Woedica canonically is with a Woedican Watcher. I had to write fic about that, and even now it’s still one of my favs

Pathfinder: A Toast to the Luckless

Piper and Woljif reflect on tall tales and strange twists of fate. Wine is drunk. Backstories are shared. Candlesticks are stolen.

I just really really really love the friendship between Piper and Woljif. They are the definition of platonic soulmates and I love it. This was the first thing I really wrote about their friendship and I think it’s such a perfect snapshot of their dynamic

Dragon Age: Of Diamonds and Dust

Marja Aeducan and Darvis Brosca lead lives as different as one could possibly imagine. Marja Aeducan, a member of the nobility and second in line for the throne, has spent her life maneuvering the dangerous political machinations of the Diamond Quarter. Meanwhile, Darvis Brosca, a Casteless dwarf rejected by society, does whatever it takes to survive on the streets of Dust Town.

When a Grey Warden arrives in Orzammar, the lives of Marja and Darvis are forever changed. Driven from the city by misfortune and betrayal, the two must join the ranks of the Wardens in order to save their own lives. But the surface has far greater dangers than they realize. The noble and the thief will need to stand together if they're going to fight against the oncoming Blight, the brewing civil war, and the strange surface malady called "sunburn".

Ok maybe I should change my answer to that other question because this might be my most self indulgent fic. It’s by far the longest thing I’ve ever done, it’s still in progress, and it’s where I put all my Warden Thoughts (of which I have many). Marja and Darvis are my Original Blorbos and even after all this time I have a lot of fondness for their story

45. What genre/trope do you tend to write the most?

Mostly fantasy as far as general genre goes! More specifically, I love stories that focus on really strong friendships, and I’m always a sucker for Angst with a Happy Ending

[kaija-rayne-author]

I’m also new to Dragon Age. I haven’t played the first two but I’m currently playing Inquisition. I should be finished by now but…I keep putting it off because I know the ending and it’ll make me sad XD

Yes…I am very much in Solavellan hell. Ironically I only started playing DAI because I wanted to write an analysis of Solas as a successful Twist Villain. Then the son of a bitch went and got me invested. I’m honestly so impressed with how Weekes handled his character. A weaker writer would have just let him be another MCU Loki Edgelord. Soooo glad that’s not what we ended up with.

I’ve been catching up on lore about the first two games because, thanks to my writer brain, I am an obsessive fan theorist XD

I just can’t not theorize. It’s so much fun. My fiancé and I (he’s played all the games) have been discussing theories left and right and there’s so much juicy potential for Dreadwolf. Like, dang. It’s going to suck waiting another year to see if any of those theories were close.

But mostly I just want to see Solas again and find out if we can save this idiot from himself 🫠

….also maybe from Flemeth.

I started playing DA in Aprilish of '23. I've had them forever, but just have never gotten around to playing them.

I had a friend who played suggest I play them all in order for story reasons and I'm glad I did. I'm debating restarting DAO, because I've read there's references all through the series to The Dread Wolf and I'm a sucker for more Solas anything 😅. (And desperate, not gonna lie.)

Solas really is a masterfully created character, such a fascinating blend of nobility, gentleness, and prideful flaws and gah!

I did the same thing 😅, kept putting off the end. I've actually played DAI 3 times now, my original Dorian Romance, then I got curious about what the big deal was with Solas. So out of curiousity (curiousity absolutely gets me into trouble, frequently) I did a Solavellan run. (Even knowing who Solas was!) And I landed myself on the Solavellan Hell train. I'm a writer and editor so I know all the tropes and can usually see the twists coming from miles out. Sadly, not a lot touches me anymore.

I honestly didn't think Weekes would add my heart to their very notched belt. But they're such a strong writer and made Solas so nuanced and interesting!

Weekes definitely impressed me on a professional level. Very, very few authors manage that anymore. (Do highly suggest reading the Dragon Age books too. Especially Weekes' Masked Empire. They give a lot more depth to the games/world. First book is a bit rough, but Gaider got better in the next two.)

I utterly adore theorizing and analyzing literature, movies, any kind of fiction, really. People sadly don't enjoy that aspect of my brain as often as I'd like.

I keep hoping my partner will play them. I really think he'd enjoy them. And he loves breaking stuff down as much as I do.

I'm trying to keep my hopes low for Dreadwolf, but yessss there's so much potential!

And I'm not buying the game unless I can somehow save Solas' dumb, stubborn, prideful ass.🤣

My third playthrough was 'make Solas hate me', and it was sooooo hard. I played a Qunari so I wouldn't end up Romancing the bugger again 😅. It was somewhat fun to antagonize Solas for a bit. But I was happy to finish it. The angry Solas lines in Trespasser are totally worth it.

TBF I only did the minimal necessary for the hate me run. I really didn't like him hating me 😅.

[andsotheuniverseended]

class, playtest, scheduling, dice AND secret&heart for my grumpy gorls? 👀👀👀

i am delighted every time u pop in for these ask games!

Class: What’s your favorite class to play?

i am a sucker for a druid or a barbarian i can't lie (but i have a tendency to wander so i dabble in pretty much every class)

Playtest: What class (or subclass) do you want to try out?

so many i was not kidding when i said i tend to wander, i wanna try everything

first ones to come to mind at the moment are echo knight fighter, shadow sorcerer, and genie patron warlock

Scheduling: Do you prefer to play in long campaigns, oneshots, or something in between?

hmm... i have done one shots, and i am currently in a couple long campaigns (like 7+ years long mostly due to circumstances). i think i would really enjoy something in the middle, to really be able to stretch out a character but also to be more sure that we will be able to get to an ending yknow?

Dice: Do you have any dice rituals? Preferences? Collections? Does such thing as dice luck really exist?

i like to pick out dice that have a coloring/theme connected to the character i'm playing. i used to do "lets roll all my d20s and see who's doing the best" but i have. a few too many for that now honestly

my dice preference is more

my dice collection is also kinda spread out right now, i have my bag of miscellaneous dice and my two metal sets next to me atm, my case of all my other sets of dice at my friends place, and then i have a couple Extra Large dice that i keep in my room

dice luck doesn't exist but the dice do have a story they wanna tell and you just gotta accept that

Secret: Is there anything that you know about your character but your character doesn’t know? What is it? How did you come up with this secret?

i don't tend to make things that i know that my character doesn't? if my character doesn't know it, i don't either and i leave it up to the DM unless they ask me to do it specifically

Flint: the campaign for her kinda fell apart which is very sad BUT it does mean that i know everything the DM had planned for it and i have absolutely no reason not to share! so you get all the wild juice details and i would say the biggest thing i know that she doesn't (even tho i didn't come up with it) is that she has a sister out there in the world somewhere who came about as a result of cloning experiments that used her mothers' DNA

Wyn: this is a little bit more of a 'she is in full on denial', but a little while ago a false hydra ate one of the party members and erased her from everyone's memories. we got the party member back, but not the memories, and now Wyn is hellbent on getting those memories back at all costs. and the thing is, it's most likely impossible. i know that this quest is almost definitely futile but Wyn doesn't and will not believe it unless literally her deity descends from the heavens to tell her so himself

Heart: What drives your character? Do they have a theme, question, mission, etc. that they’re holding onto? How did you pick it for them?

Flint: the number one thing that drove them was the desire to keep on surviving. Flint's extended family was the ruling nobility of a country, and also the only aasimar in this world, so when most of them were wiped out (by the emperor, a distant cousin of hers and the only other survivor as far as she knows), it left her not only as the sole carrier of her direct family's memory, but also one of the only aasimar left in the world, and that is a responsibility and a burden. they only survived because they had kind of betrayed their family and so they lie and hide their identity and do whatever it takes to survive as kind of an extended apology, hoping for absolution in the act of keeping the remains of their family alive in them.

i picked that mainly because i had already decided on Flint being an aasimar and part of this noble family, and then when i learned about the family deaths i just kind of followed the logic; how do you survive that? and what kind of person do you become afterward?

Wyn: my darling girl is a paladin, of course she has a mission! and it is to protect the world from an interplanar war, and the careless and cruel actions of extraplanar creatures that could wreak havoc without even realizing it. she wants to protect people, and she wants to protect this plane, and she wants to make up for her mistakes (it was partially her actions that led to this war getting started and by golly does she know how to bear a cross about it)

and actually i didn't so much choose this as it happened naturally. first level first session Wyn didn't want to be a paladin. she didn't want to be out in the world doing anything, much less helping people, and her intense desire to escape the fate set out for her by her god led directly to her signing a contract and getting mixed up with things far greater than herself. experiencing the world also made her care about it more, and seeing the consequences of her actions (and the other ways things could have gone), turned all that on its head, and now she is determined to make up for doubting her god and trying to reject her calling

[marblemoovt]

Hi again! This is long but I’m just really into your one shot and wanted to respond to the ramble it it’s ok ❤️

It’s fascinating to hear about your thought process as you wrote this one shot. Your care in psychoanalyzing the characters is what makes it feel so real! Also, if I may I add—as a fellow realist who spends a lot of her time daydreaming about fictional characters living out different scenarios, I totally get why this story needed to take place in a non-eclipse universe. 💔

Which takes me to the next point…that this one shot is a huge what if; as you said, what if Griffith met his equal and thus no longer feels the need to drag himself and everyone he supposedly holds dear down such a harrowing path? I love that you provide glimpses into Griffith’s true nature—both the good and the bad. I specifically keep rereading the parts where Griffith wonders why the princess matters to him so much and when he flat out admits he’s trying to figure her out. And the ending is just…ugh! My heart! The princess has such a hold on Griffith that I’m convinced there’s an actual chance that he won’t later devolve into a complete monster. I love that you humanize Griffith without making him OOC.

I adore Sadie being the one to talk sense into the princess, letting her know that she’s offering an escape if all goes wrong. I commend you for tying all the loose ends together while keeping it realistic :)

Lastly I want to say I fully understand why you’d have mixed feelings toward Griffith. I think many people feel the same. Sometimes you just want to see the good in others and I think that desire can grow when you encounter purely evil, depraved characters like Griffith. Just my thoughts! If you read all this, thank you for doing so! Please don’t feel pressured to respond quickly or at all. I’m just happy to chat with someone about the nuances of Griffith’s character.

Response below:

You are so right about the huge what-if part, anon. I'm a sucker for happy endings--or at least endings where everyone doesn't die. And for that to even be possible, any chances of the eclipse occurring have to be yeeted out the window.

Providing the different glimpses of Griffith stems from my inability to reconcile who I want him to be and who he is lol. I want him to be good, but I know he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice anything for his dreams (as proved by the eclipse). I also just wanted to toy with the idea of what it would be like to be loved by someone but never be their top priority. And could that be changed?

Sadie was a complete accident. I needed a reason for the reader to go into town and Sadie poofed into existence. She was meant to be like an NPC with minimal to no background/personality. But I love a good sassy friend who has your back. I thought that since the majority of the nobility disapprove of the reader's behaviour outside of formal settings, there should be someone who accepts all these aspects and even encourages them in a healthy way. Suffice it to say I love Sadie and her knee-cap-breaking gremlin energy.

I feel like the desire to see the good in evil/depraved characters reminds me of when people say 'I can fix them'. You want to see the good, and so you believe it exists and that you can bring it out of them. But I don't believe that people can change unless they decide for themselves. Because at the end of the day, no matter how much you love someone, that person won't change unless they really want to.

This was something I wanted to be careful about in this oneshot. I didn't want Griffith to 'change' solely because of love. I wanted it to be more nuanced than that. I don't think I got around to it in this oneshot. But hopefully, I can delve further into this whenever I write a continuation.

I think Griffith is a rational person, he's very calculative in everything he does. This is why I wanted him to start developing little impulses that throw him off and cause him to re-evaluate his situation. I think unconditional love would be a foreign concept to him, he would even deny its existence. That's where the reader comes in and shatters everything he believes in, and he realizes that there are other ways to achieve his goal. For once, there's someone he can't bear to trample as a stepping stone even if it moves him closer to his dreams. And this frustrates him to no end. I just think realizing what you wanted might not actually be what you want is such a neat trope. Because how do you account for another person in your future when you're so used to only considering yourself?

Feel free to send any more asks about Griffith or other characters I might know! It's always fun to analyze and see other people's interpretations. It also helps with characterization when writing them.

[kyber-heart]

I have to say that for sheer world building alone, Alderaan is my favourite planet in SWTOR. Like the politics of all the noble houses is so interesting to me. I wish more planets had such an in-depth planetary story.

[insanelydeadlybookcollector]

Heya saw you repost something about ouat I didn’t know you watch the show I am a big hook fan What you like about the show? (snow, charming and them are so boring huh? like that they support hook tho)

Hiya,

I only just recently watched Once Upon a Time for the first (second and third) time. And let me say, I am in love. It hits all my interests - literature appropriations, fairy tales, pretty boy actors who act with their eyes, Scotsmen and Irishmen and a cast who are friends outside of the show as well.

I love a story with good flashbacks and great transitions, and this show delivers. It also delivers on brilliantly appropriated fairy tales. This is the first time I've ever liked Snow White. I love that so many of the Red Riding Hood texts are engaged to create her character. There are so many beautiful and emotional storylines and interesting takes on characters. Any text where characterisation is favoured above plot is a win in my book and this show delivers in spades.

I will never get over how brilliant the casting is and how hard actors like Lana Parrilla worked to make the casting work in her favour. The choice of who plays a young version of Snow and Cora are exceptional. Robbie Kay is perfectly Peter Pan. The costumes are brilliant, especially Elsa's purple Frozen dress.

I love the parallels and callbacks in this show as well. They foreshadow and engage with information retrospectively brilliantly on Once. I love the extended family dynamics, the overall themes of hope and finding people, finding family.

I love Captain Hook too! I love his transformation from good to vengeful - for his brother, for Milah. I'm a sucker for anyone who can love that deeply, that loyally. And I love how hard he tries to return to the side of good, to disentangle the man from the legend of the fearsome pirate, and that while he may be a pirate he never completely lost his faith in "good form." (An episode I could discuss ad nauseum and not even for Captain Swan and Snowing feels but for the brotherhood of it all - that Hook and Charming are the replacements for the brother's they lost, that Hook lost and gained a brother to dreamshade, and that he was probably so scared that what happened to Liam would happen to David especially given that the last time the Jolly Roger flew he lost Liam in much the same way David is in peril). And that doesn't even broach the topic of how much I love Hook and Henry and their relationship over the course of the series. Or his relationship with Snow and how similar they are, how much she and Charming love him, both of which make me smile.

I do wish we had more information about Hook's backstory, in all honesty. Not just Hook, though, I suppose. It's probably the half-season storylines that mean we only get a snippet of the Darlings and Bae and a hug for a reunion but nothing more, a single moment of Tink being proud of Hook and Neal, that sort of thing, and I would have definitely loved more of that Neverland trio - especially because it was so important to Hook and Neal's characters. But then again, the old aphorism comes into play, "leave the audience wanting more."

I'm going to disagree with you on Snowing being boring, though. Although I can see why they may come across that way in the series that is so action-packed. But I don't think the action of domestic life is any less thrilling than the action of battle, and Snowing post-season four get a chance to have that settled down family life, "farm life" as Snow once called her dream for her future, after all the trials of tribulations they'd been through. There's a nobility in the simple life, of not being the cause or even part of the drama (much like Mondler, which is the way I would analogise this pairing given that those two get called "boring" or "uneventful" in much the same way despite living the domestic, quiet life) and Snow and Charming deserve a little bit of peace.

[florentium]

🥺 🤡 ❌ 🎨 🤯 🤲

Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

I'm a sucker for codependency, characters being unhealthily attached, because they find solace in one another. Even when it inevitably results in conflict, the idea of two imperfect people trying to comfort one another is touching.

Specifically for Jon and Theon, anything to do with their individual anxieties about social status in their respective cultures. It's such a unique connection that unites them, and I love to explore it over and over.

What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

Okay I sat for like five minutes trying to think of something and honestly I just don't think I'm all that funny and cannot recall anything I've written that's made me laugh.

What's a trope you will never write?

I honestly don't think I've encountered a trope that I would flat-out refuse to ever write. There's a lot of things that don't interest me or that I possibly wouldn't write well, but if I had the motivation, I would still give it a shot.

How do you feel about fan art of your stories?

This has never happened to me but I would be absolutely honoured.

What's a genre you struggle with as a writer (ex. romance, action, etc.)?

Combat and action, definitely. It's so difficult to make tense and readable, for me. I find the pace of my writing to be plodding at the best of times, so when things call for a fast, tight action scene, I struggle.

Would you please share a snippet of a wip?

King Stannis affixes his judgmental gaze upon Theon. “I will send word to your lord sister about the victory, and you have leave to do the same, lest she disbelieve me. You are dismissed, Lord Greyjoy.”

“Your Grace,” he pleads, “before I am sent away might I beg a favour of you?”

Stannis scowls. “What further reward could a man want for nobility in battle?”

“A chance at vengeance. Let me have Bolton.”

“No.”

“Your Grace—”

“Bolton is my prisoner. The northern lords want vengeance of their own. Each one of them hate Bolton every bit as much as you, have no doubt. Their men perished by the score in this battle as well. They too lost men at the Red Wedding. They each want their pound of flesh from the bastard now that his lord father is dead. And you ask me for the whole sum yourself? What makes your vengeance more worthy than theirs?”

“My loss was greater.”

The king’s face darkens. “You mean Snow.”

“I do.”

[desencante]

oi, march reads! I read a lot this month.

Please, don’t forget to leave a comment or kudos for the authors of these fics!

(The texts aren't the summary, just my ramble thoughts.)

Loving Cannibalism by glittering_git/@glittering-git (Mature, 2 works, 952 words) | Post-War, Angst, Established Relationship

Two marvellous and poetic histories about (loving) cannibalism. This is such a dark and heavy theme but the author does a great job writing and makes me enjoy reading them. (And I'm definitely here for more.)

(Please, read the Author's Tags.)

don’t say you love me, that’s extortion by LowerEastSide/@lower-east-side (Explicit, 1k) | Post-War, Angst, Fluff, Established Relationship

It is a domestic and loving and little sad history – about not saying 'I love you' but acting in that way.

The Pink Paradox by vina_writes/@dracothecupcake (Teen and Up, 1k) | Post-War, Humor, Auror Harry, Unspeakable Draco

Harry Potter Is Obsessed With Draco Malfoy TM. And Draco has pink hair. Have a fun time!

Harry's Promise by JosephineStone (Teen and Up, 2k) | Post-War, Angst, Reunion, Established Relationship

This one it's kind of part two of Circumpolar. The history continues the consequences of Draco's change, after the war – left me with a warm heart.

Burnt Casserole by Samunderthelights/@samunderthelights (General Audiences, 2k) | Post-War, Fluff, Established Relationship

Nervous Draco for Meeting Ron and Hermione. Getting back together and meeting your boyfriend's friends (who may hate you) showing them your (not) great cooking abilities.

Magical Homes, and Where to Find Them (in the arms of your lover) by Erebeus/@erebeus-roxy (General Audiences, 2k) | Post-War, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship

Who doesn't want some fluff established relationship sometimes? Harry has a painful case at work and then comes home to a calm and domestic night with his husband.

Together Like This by shealwaysreads/@shealwaysreads (Explicit, 3k) | Post-War, Getting Back Together

Draco Malfoy in the Muggle World TM. I find it so interesting reading stories where Draco denies Harry's love because of the war, and Harry is there to change his mind. Here we have that and it's written the super talented shealwaysreads.

For Old Times' Sake by thestarryknight/@the-starryknight (Teen and Up, 3k) | Post-War, Drugs, Potioneer Draco, Artist Harry

This one gives me such a cosy and domestic vibe. "'It's Complicated' is their relationship status" resume perfect what this fic is. (There're some cool references too, so pay attention.)

Like Gold by The_Sinking_Ship/@the-sinking-ship (Explicit, 4k) | Post-War, PWP

(It's always good to see.) Harry Has a Motorbike Just Like Sirius! Harry rides a motorbike and Draco rides him.

Harry and Draco's Little Talk by Ladderofyears (Teen and Up, 5k) | Post-War, Angst, Established Relationship, mpreg

Who doesn't hear 'I need to talk to you' by someone you like and run with? Harry thinks Draco will break up with him and freak (a little) out but maybe the subject of Draco's conversation is quite the opposite.

Sugar Sweet by The_Sinking_Ship/@the-sinking-ship (Teen and Up, 5k) | Post-War, Humor, Fluff, Auror Harry, Healer Draco

It is a very sweet story with a surprise party for Draco and Harry getting late but not so late.

Show them the night that they dreamed about before by fluxweed/@fluxweeed (Explicit, 6k) | Post-War, PWP, Threesome, Boss/Employee Relationship, Dubious Consent

(Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter/Percy Weasley)

All I have to say is: 😳😯🤫😈🔥🥵🔥🥵😈😏!

This Is How by bixgirl1/@bixgirl1 (Explicit, 6k) | Post-War, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, a/b/o

Omega Draco has an incident in the ministry Alpha Harry is there to help. After they fall in love! (One more reason to read: it's written by bixgirl1!)

It Never Occurred to Me That I Would Fall in Love With a Frenchman by lamerezouille/@elsalapizza (Teen and Up, 6k) | Post-War, Angst, Humor, Established Relationship

OMG, I never read something like this! The plot was so surprising – you will ever think about the Malfoys meeting the Dursleys? BOOM! Here it's a very awkward dinner that looks funny but has some depth stuff going on.

Litany by thistle_verse/@thistle-verse (Mature, 7k) | Post-War, Angst, Pandemic, Isolation, Touch-Starved, Ghost Draco

Ghost's story isn't my cup of tea, but I give this one a chance and don't regret it. The magic world is passing through a pandemic (just like us!), Harry is doing quarantine at home alone until ghost Draco, directly from Azkaban, shows up. Then, we have fluffy and sad conversations between the two and a turn of events in the end. (And lots of lists.)

As the Crow Flies by thestarryknight/@the-starryknight (Mature, 7k) | Post-War, Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Animagus Draco, Werewolf Harry

Draco helps Harry on a full moon night. Domestic vibes with some angst. 10/10!

Circumpolar by LowerEastSide/@lower-east-side (Teen and Up, 8k) | Hogwarts Era, Angst, Sectumsempra Scars

I see an amazing fanart and spend some days obsessed with Draco having worse scars from Sectumsempra. (There's, in this list, another two fanfics with this concept.) In this one, because of the pretty bad scars Draco's plan about the war change – is interesting to imagine how one incident could put another thing in perspective for him. And Draco and Harry have a touching conversation on the Astronomy Tower! (I'm a sucker for long expressive conversations about feelings.)

if somebody’s there, then tell me who. by kryptidfox/@kryptidfoxwrites (Explicit, 11k) | Post-War, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Housemates

Much more like Idiots to Lovers! Draco has a disastrous way to make Harry notice him – bring every man possible to a one-night stand then call their name very loud – until things go wrong when he brings a guy named Harry. I constantly have a good time reading these two making dumb thing in their path to be together.

Commander by Cassiopeias_shadow/@cassiopeiasshadow (Explicit, 14k) | Post-War, Horror, Suspense, Drugs, Animagi, Auror Harry, Light dom/sub

Almost a case fic with dark things in the plot. Draco is addicted to potions and in a pretty bad place when he has a chance to help the auros in a big case. It turns out that Draco got so much involved with the case he needed Harry, to make him put his feet on the ground – the fine line between doing everything to make up for your past or lost yourself doing things for the great good. Featuring: Harry as a snake and parselmouth kink.

(Please, read the Author's tags.)

Fire and Wonder by Lomonaaeren (Mature, 15k) | Post-War, Dark-ish, Veela

Lomonaaeren written dark Harry, I'm here for! After the war, Harry get wing and has some controversial ideas about The Great Good. So, we see him put these ideas into practice with his mate Draco.

Hold what's dear in your hands (and never let go) by Fae_vorite/@faevorite-main-blog, PollyWeasley/@polly-weasley (Explicit, 16k) | Post-War, Arrange Marriage, a/b/o, mpreg

I was always here for some a/b/o and this story is a chef kiss! Harry can't find a partner; So he goes to an upgrade tinder and matches with Draco, then they live happily ever after. Featuring intersex Draco and a lot of sex kinks.

Keep Me Close (I Need Your Faith) by aviforsrose (Explicit, 23k) | Post-War, Angst, Friends with Benefits, Light dom/sub

Idiots in love! The old same GOOD story: I love him but he loves me? Yes, of course! Man, you two have been pinning each other for years now. Let's do some love confessions.

The Critiquer by dysonrules (Explicit, 24k) | Post-War, Humor, Romance, Secret Identity

Drunk Harry doing dumb stuff with Seamus and Dean, take him a very funny drive to Draco's hearty. Draco and his assistant interactions was another very humorous part. Can't forget to congratulate who made all of the edits, principally the text divisors.

The Nobility of Ascent by Lomonaaeren (Explicit, 27k) | Post-War, Angst, Politics

I love reading Lomonaaeren stories with dark-ish Harry. This is another great example of just not the good or evil side. Harry can't Make a Better World because of pureblood politics so he goes to Draco for help.

Can I tell you something? by GallaPlacidia (Not Rated, 33k) | Post-War, Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Sectumsempra Scars, Drugs, Auror Harry, Burlesquedance Draco

What I can say about this one? It's by GallaPlacidia, go read! The story takes place during a few years, after the war, Harry collides in parties with a drugged Draco, things happen – they lived a very real journey of connecting with someone, learning to love and to be loved and understanding the mistakes of the past... 10/10!

Says The Magpie To The Morning (Sorrow, Take Your Own Advice) by Femme/@femmequixotic (Explicit, 33k) | Post-War, Angst, Getting Back Together

Draco Horrible Sad TM after a breakup with Harry. Featuring so much PDA by Pansy/Ron, angst, miscommunication, angst, sharing a house with your ex and angst. If you are up to a sad time before a happy ending this nice story is here.

Eight Days (to Save the World) by gnarf/@gnarf (Mature, 47k) | Post-War, Friend to Lovers, Housemates, Case Fic, Auror Harry, Unspeakable Draco

Shit happens in The Wizard World again so Harry, Draco and company get together to Save The World Again. What will you do if you receive an order not so right by your superior? A very interesting story begins with the ministry's haunted easy target to blame for the new conspiracy. Enjoy too Protective Harry.

Turning Leaves by Kbrick (Explicit, 112k) | Post-War, Angst, Fluff, Time Travel, Auror Harry, Unspeakable Draco

Draco Tries to Concert His Friendship With Harry by Time Travel. This gives me The Cursed Child vibe but so much better, Draco goes to several scenarios trying to change one important moment in the past to make Harry like-like now. A great story who think about what will happen if Draco acts differently in the Hogwarts years.

Cannot Save You Now by tigrelilje (Mature, 132k) | Hogwart Era, Angst, Horror, Dark, Vampire Harry

Harry dies and comes back (as a vampire) for revenge! If you want to see Harry hating almost everybody this fanfic this here. Featuring: Slytherin Harry.

[thewriterowl]

More Padme and Luke hc's? I'm a sucker for shy boy and his fierce mama.

For some reason I think Luke had difficulty as a baby. Maybe he came out ill or not breathing and it was touch and go for a while. It terrified Padme as she held her healthy daughter to see her baby boy need nurse droids at his side all the time. She loves and is protective over both of them but unable to cradle Luke for a week or two and watching him struggle just made her even more so with him.

Maybe his health was a bit weaker when he was a toddler and had fevers on occasion until he finally got stronger and better when he was around two.

I love four-year old Luke watching Leia take control over the royal playground of the nobility children. He is just clinging to his mother's garments, sucking his thumb, big blue eyes watery, as he felt a bit scared of getting to know the other kids. Padme tries to urge him to go and talk and make friends but he buries his face into her gown, sniffling, and shaking his head. he doesn't want to leave his mama's side.

The nanny droids try to urge him to come and play but his little legs lock up and shake.

Padme doesn't push him and allows him to come to her office. He is so quiet and likes to read in a corner or color. He doesn't like when other people come in, he gets very shy, and hates listening about politics but he doesn't complain. He may stick his tongue out at the politicians behind their back, making his mother smile. The day almost always ends early because Leia has stage a coup and has lead a revolution of the other kids over the daycare.

When they go to actual school Luke tries to hide in the back. he is a bright student, but he struggles understanding how the school system works. Leia is at the front (the droids and teachers have to separate them because they get co-dependant if they're right next to each other) and, of course, she takes over.

He has to get a lot of tutors to keep up and feels very stupid compared to his brilliant sister. he wishes he could be as bright as she is and he works so hard to he can impress his mother but feels that he is lacking a lot. Padme comes in and sits next to him, trying to help him understand that he doesn't have to be exactly like Leia. He is strong and bright boy and is so kind.

Luke just feels bad and slumps. Padme feels so bad for her boy and helps him and then finds out he is very good hands-on learner. She helps him understand how to speak different languages, lets him take things apart and puts them back together, fills his head with fantasy stories that leave him gasping in excitement, and gets him with the best pilots where he picks up the tricks faster than anyone they have ever known (except for Anakin).

Luke is picked on a lot. He is very soft and feminine looking so people poke at him and makes fun of how small he is. Leia usually comes in and socks them in the face for making fun of her brother. Padme will both apologize to the parents of the beaten kid and warn them to tell their children to leave Luke alone or it will keep happening. She won't punish her daughter for defending her brother.

Luke still sucks his thumb at times when he is eight. He gets nervous and overwhelmed easily and he finds it a comfort. Leia only teases him a little and when they are in a good mood. She can reacher brother and knows when he can take it and laugh along with her. Padme is very proud of how strong and smart her daughter is and how she helps look after her meek brother.

Padme is happy to carry Luke as long as possible. she loves that he'd rather sit with her, curled up at her side, as her wild child laughs manically as she destroys the patriarchy or something.

She loves that Luke is a mama's boy and seems proud and fine with it. he is always happy for attention and hugs and she gives it to him in full.

[itsbenedict]

Two-Faced Jewel: Session 1-A

I've been playing tabletop games for TOO LONG without actually playing any D&D, and the time for that to change is now.

Zero and @eternalfarnham are Looseleaf and Saelhen du Fishercrown, a mothfolk animist and a half-elf conwoman whose travels take them to Blacksky University, where the discovery of an unknown magical artifact sets them on the path to discovering the secrets of a shattered world.

Oyashio, 親潮市, is known as the Crossroad City. It sits on the closest point between the two major continents of the world, alongside the swift currents of the fierce river-ocean that separates the two. People from all over the Jewel come here to find their fortunes.

Looseleaf is a new arrival to Blacksky University, the institution of higher learning that terrorizes the city with its warball hooligans and dangerous magical experiments. She's left her reclusive village to learn more about the cultures and peoples of the world, and has enrolled in the School of Natural Arts to pursue her dream.

The Lady Noeru de la Surplus is the down-on-her-luck scion of an elven noble family, here to complete her rite of succession and restore the good name of her clan.

Saelhen du Fishercrown is a half-elf disgrace who fled the stifling elven capital of Kanzentokai to escape its byzantine social order- and strike it rich by pretending to be the down-on-her-luck scion of an elven noble family and conning a bunch of elfaboo suckers out of their hard-earned gold. She's out to get rich and prove that elves can be assholes too, dammit!

*

Looseleaf leaves her room to discover- not her roommate, but a large half-orc woman rummaging through her oven.

She asks where Looseleaf keeps the swords.

It becomes clear that Bud Chestplate, here, is a friend of Oyobi Yamatake, Looseleaf's roommate, and Oyobi sent her to pick up some swords from the dorm. They make some small talk while searching, but Looseleaf fails her Investigation roll and can't find the swords for her. She leaves Bud to her business, since she needs to catch her meeting with the Dean.

Benedict I. (GM): So... you get to the Dean's office. It's a pretty large room- not because the Dean is particularly showoffy, but because Dean Mogher is a loxodon, and his office sort of needs to be big. Them elephant people, y'know. You've been asked to meet for an "academic consultation", and aren't sure what to expect.

Seems like Looseleaf needs to do some sort of independent study- and the Dean has something lined up for her, if she's interested. It's an artifact they recently got their hands on thanks to a rich donor, who wanted to learn more about it. It's super magic, so he had to pull some strings to keep it out of the hands of the School of Arcane Arts.

Looseleaf is excited about this!

Looseleaf: Looseleaf vibrates, shaking her wings kind of in the way that a dog might shake their body to remove dirt. This is moth body language for 'FUCK YES I AM SO READY FOR THIS I WAS BORN FOR THIS'.

Meanwhile... Saelhen has arrived in town. She's set herself up with a room in the city, made some public appearances to sell the story, and...

Saelhen has a plan. She'll pretend that this object is rightfully hers, as part of an arcane elven ritual to succeed the headship of her family- and hopefully badger the school into letting her get her hands on it.

She enters the school grounds via the student village, and meets a half-orc woman carrying a bunch of swords around for some reason- who she asks for directions. Bud obliges, despite being preoccupied.

Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were occupied by all those weapons." She bows at the prescribed angle for a small favor asked from a foreigner. "Your words are as 出鱈目外人向け. Thank you." Benedict I. (GM):出鱈目 is like, nonsense, bullshit, 外人 is gaijin, 向け is a suffix that means "for" bullshit for foreigners i love it

(Elven is Japanese here, for reasons.)

Saelhen follows the directions to the School of Arcane arts, and asks the receptionist- a tired-looking goblin girl named Two-Brains- where the Dean's office is.

Two-Brains directs her to the Moon Annex, a wing of the building identifiable by the river of moon symbols flowing along the floor. She reaches what is clearly the Dean's office, and hears a conversation within, that she opts to sneakily listen in on.

Benedict I. (GM): That'll do- you hear a whispered argument, fairly clearly. "...is he blackmailing you? Bribing you? This is clearly our department!" The voice is old and slightly screechy. A younger but still mature voice replies. "Please don't attack my character, Variable. Is my reasoning really that hard to understand?" "Yes," the older voice says. "It's the most magically powerful artifact that's ever come into our possession! How is this not of immediate concern to our department?" "You're failing to consider Coast's concerns, and those of our continuing research," the younger voice says. "Yes, this object is powerful- but learning its magic will scarcely tell us where it comes from. If we could find its source, we could find many more specimens of its kind for study."

It seems like Dean Variable Velocity of Arcane Arts (an elderly owl aarakocra in a wheelchair) really wanted to get her hands on the magic item, but Dean Coast Mogher of Natural Arts got this person to decide in his favor, instead.

Saelhen eventually opts to knock, and sees in the room with the Dean... an elf. Very tall, adorned in jewels, and wearing a very very large hoop dress that goes all the way down to the floor. This would be a problem for Saelhen, because actual elven nobility would see right through her disguise- but luckily, this woman- the provost of the university- is a drow, and not exactly welcome in the circles of elven high society.

The provost takes her leave, and Saelhen spins her sob story for Dean Velocity:

Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Madam Dean, I am sure that any matter requiring your attention might very well overrule my own. If your affairs require that you delay our discussion of the provenance of your college's recent acquisition, then my honor demands that I comply." Benedict I. (GM): "The provenance of our recent acquisiton?" "Wait- are you here about that thing?" "The bracer?" Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Ah, yes." Saelhen ducks her head a bit sheepishly. "I can come back." "Perhaps I have misunderstood what time I was meant to arrive." Benedict I. (GM): "No, no, come in! Come in, I'm sure we can address your concerns." "What time you were- you mentioned an appointment, who told you there was an appointment?" "Never mind, no, it's- please, come in." Saelhen du Fishercrown: "I spoke with a Madam Two-Brains? But information may have been lost in the shuffle -- I gather it was a busy day." Saelhen sits. Benedict I. (GM): "...The student receptionist? Why would- no, never mind. What's this about the bracer?" Saelhen du Fishercrown: Whoops. "I have neglected to introduce myself, and for that I apologize. I am the Lady Noeru de la Surplus, sixth of her name." Saelhen lowers her head. "Your... bracer is an item of some significance to my family." Benedict I. (GM): Her eyes light up. "Is that so?" "What significance, would you say?"

After a little more bullshitting and some great Deception rolls, she has the dean completely sold on her story. It helps that she quite badly wanted to believe it- since if it were true, her rival wouldn't have legitimate claim to it. Dean Velocity offers to help recover the item, if Lady Noeru would agree to let her study it briefly.

Meanwhile, below the School of Arcane Arts, Looseleaf is shown a special hands-free containment device for the magical item.

Benedict I. (GM): Inside the glass case hovers what looks like a stone bracer. It's inset with thirteen large sapphires, at seemingly random locations, little rhyme or reason. There's one region of the bracer that doesn't have sapphires- a flat, circular raised bit with a symbol engraved on it. It's not one you're familiar with, but matches the pattern of the emblems of the gods. Looseleaf: Is it a divine symbol? Yeeeep. Benedict I. (GM): A circle, with horizontal lines across it, growing denser towards the wearer.

Looseleaf makes some investigation and history checks to find out more about it. She observes that the sapphires are connected to one another, and that its craftsmanship doesn't match anything she's ever seen or read about. She's still taking a look at it when Saelhen and Dean Velocity show up.

Dean Velocity badgers Dean Mogher into hearing Saelhen out, and she continues to knock her deception checks out of the park. He doesn't want to give it up without a fight, but he believes her intentions are true. He proposes a compromise: Looseleaf will represent both schools (as she's taking courses in both and is undecided on a major) and accompany Saelhen on her supposed succession rite, asking lots of questions and writing a report that they might be able to publish.

This compromise is more or less amenable to all, and Saelhen is allowed to touch the bracer.

It immediately jumps onto her arm and sticks there, and projects a holographic wayfinding arrow out of one of the sapphires. The bracer begins pulling her arm in that direction. She can't get it off- and can't just run. She's forced to keep up the charade, and let Looseleaf try some magic on it.

Looseleaf is a homebrew class Zero found called the Animist, a caster themed around the idea that all things have "spirits". One of the things it can do is called Soul Glean, which basically lets you... read the mind of an inanimate object.

Lesser Soul Glean: You may peer into the things the soul of an object has witnessed. Make an int (arcana) check to determine the amount of information gleaned from the object. The more recent or emotionally volatile the event, the easier it is to glean information from, while the more distance the harder it is. Senses of emotions, vague intentions, and the sight of auras of can generally be gleaned from this reading.

And what she gets from that is...

Looseleaf:“It’s lost,” Looseleaf says. “It has a purpose and has been unable to fulfill that purpose for a very long time. It’s not epistemologically correct to assign emotions to items through divinations, I think, but if this thing had an emotion I imagine it would be sad.” ”Most importantly, it does not feel fulfilled. It is not behaving the way that objects reunited with their lost owners would be have.” “Given this, I hope you will forgive me for my indiscretion in this next act.” Looseleaf... shifts her arm, the arm touching the bracer, sliding off it and onto the elvish lady’s arm, and Lesser Soul Reads her.

Now Soul Read is for living things, and only sort of gets you mood and general intentions- for now. Saelhen, though, won't be having any of that- she passes her dex save to pull away before Looseleaf can read her. (This, of course, only makes Looseleaf more suspicious.)

Tumblr has new post restrictions that force me to keep these posts short, so here's:

[Part B]