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mar-the-magician · 2 years ago

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Studying For Entry Exams With A Sweet Fae Friend

I’m alive, I swear I’m alive!!!!! It has been… like, two months since I posted a chapter of Layered Realms. Apologies for that— life decided to kick my ass in every possible way around mid July and things are only just recently settling into place more. But!!!!!!! Now I can actually guarantee at least somewhat regular uploads, because I have a chapter’s worth of buffer! And yes, heheheheh, that does mean I am sitting on an entire chapter that none of you have seen yet 😏

Also, I’m aware that I gained about thirty-odd followers during the period of time that I didn’t post anything about LR, so if you’re reading this thinking “What the fuck is Layered Realms?” Then here’s your explanation! It’s an original story of mine, and here’s where you can get more info about it!

Cw/Tw: Character is depicted kind of spiraling, not really having a panic attack but something along those lines. Other than that, I think we’re good!

Now that all of that is out of the way, I’ll stop talking your ear off and let you get reading! Chapter six, part six of Layered Realms, part five of A Traveler’s Tale.

Studying For Entry Exams With A Sweet Fae Friend

I shoved the books, pamphlets, and articles farther away from me on the table and collapsed my head into my arms. None of this was sticking in my head, and it didn’t make any sense. I was exhausted, my brain was foggy, and I’d been working at this for hours now. These materials all seemed custom-made for people who had grown up knowing about magic, and all they really needed was a light refresher on the basics and to then delve deeper into the more obscure things that would be on the entry exams. I needed much more than a refresher on the basics, I needed an entire mastercourse. There was no way I was going to pass those tests. And then what would happen? I might not get to see Eris or Amir or Hedera ever again, and I would just have this knowledge and these books and materials that I spent way too much money on and time on, and it would all be—

I heard clomping nearby. It sounded like it was right outside my kitchen door.

“What the…” I approached the door and peeked out.

“Eris?!” I swung open the door immediately. Unlike when I’d last seen him in the forest, he had that illusion spell or whatever it was over his legs. Granted, not as bad as a kid with goat or deer or whatever legs standing right out in broad daylight, but they still looked wonky.

“Eris, what are you doing here?” I hissed, dragging him inside. He flashed a silly grin at me.

“I heard Amir and Hedera talking and Hedera was asking him to send you something, but he said you’d probably be stressed with studying so he’d wait. I didn’t want you to be stressed! So I came to find you!”

“How did you even—“ I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“Never mind. Does anyone even know where you are??” His face fell.

“Ooh… I should have thought of that, shouldn’t I…” ‘Oh no you made the child sad, you made the child sad you idiot—‘

“I hope I didn’t worry anybody, I don’t want them to be scared for me—“

“It’s okay, buddy, I can text Amir, remember? And he can tell Hedera and anyone else who needs to know. It’s gonna be fine.” I reassured him, ruffling his curls. I walked back into my main living room, motioning him to follow. His eyes widened at the pile of printed materials on my table and I laughed a little.

“Amir was right about that, I am stressed.” I snatched my phone from on top of a book about how commanders influenced history without being found out as magic users (one of the only ones that had made some semblance of sense), went to messages, and scrolled.

‘Just in case no one knows, Eris is with me. he came to cheer me up lol’

‘Ah, excellent. Thank you for telling me Traveler— I had a pretty good guess, but it’s good to know for sure. Now Hedera won’t bite my head off. 😂’

‘😂

does he need to be back by a certain time?’

‘Just don’t keep him too long. I’ll let you know if Hedera says otherwise, though. I can come pick him up and just teleport home with him when you’re done.’

‘sounds like a plan!’

I turned back to Eris.

“Amir knows where you are now, and he says you can stay for a little bit!”

“Yay!” He scrunched up his cheeks till they nearly closed his eyes, and pulled his shoulders right up next to his ears.

“Amir’ll come get you when it’s time to go. Until then, what do you want to do? I can put off studying for a few hours to destress, I suppose…”

Eris widened his eyes almost comically.

“Oh no Traveler! You still gotta study! You have exams in a couple days! I was just hoping I could make the studying itself less stressful…” I sighed.

“Okay then, buddy. How do you plan on doing that?” I sat back down and patted the seat next to me. He scrambled over to be next to me and had a quick look over the books.

“The way Hedera always tells it to me is like this: when you have an overwhelming project or problem, the first thing you gotta do is break it down to ‘manageable chunks.’ Then you just take the chunks one at a time, and you’re done before you know it! It’s like cutting up your food before you eat it!”

“I guess that makes sense…” I sighed. Eris smiled at me.

“And… this is my wisdom, so don’t take it quite as seriously, but if I can make it pretty and fun, I think it makes it feel better even when you’re doing hard things.”

“How would you suggest we do that?”

“First off, Traveler, you should drink water and get yourself a lil’ snack.” He commanded firmly. “Amir always says he can’t focus with an empty stomach.” I rolled my eyes and barely contained a sigh. ‘Does Eris even know what Amir eats?’

“Okay, little man.” He followed me around the kitchen as I assembled a bowl of fruit and yoghurt, ate it, and filled a canteen with ice and water.

“Yay!” He said as we settled back in at the table.

“Now. Do you have cute stickers and writing pads?” He asked with big, shiny eyes.

“Mm— somewhere…” I remembered one of my friends had given me a bunch of cute office and study supplies back when we thought I was actually going to have enough money to go college right away.

“Hang on.” I got up and began rummaging in one of my drawers. Somewhere in here, maybe at the very bottom—

“Here we go!” I tossed the pack of notecards and stickers onto the table in front of us.

“Yay!” Eris clapped his hands and and eagerly attacked the plastic shrink-wrap.

“These are cute! Okay, now try breaking this problem into chunks?” He looked over the whole stack of materials and singled out the example problems sheets.

“This seems like it’d be important. Is it actually the way that the tests are gonna be?”

“As far as I can tell.” I shrugged. He nodded.

“Okay. Maybe make a list of what’s asked in these questions?” My eyes widened.

“Oh my word, how did I not think of that?” He giggled.

“Sometimes a fresh mind and a fresh pair of eyes are all you need!”

“I’ll say!” I grabbed a gel pen and a lined notepad with rainbow bubbles on it to start making that list. Eris laid a gentle hand on my arm.

“I… I think you should read through all the problems first, then go back to the beginning and start writing things down.” I gave him a grateful smile.

“You’re a lifesaver, in more ways than one.”

“It’s no problem, really! I like to help!” He smiled so big that his eyes closed.

The problems were just as confusing before, but I carefully read through every word, taking note of repeated concepts. I made it to about problem seven before I started breathing heavier, thinking once again of just how out of my depth I was, and how hard it would be to pass those exams, and there might be intimidating people there, and I only had a few days left to prepare and—

Eris gently head-butted me, nuzzling into my shoulder.

“Take a drink of water?” His words were muffled in my sleeve. I stared down at him.

“Why?”

“You’re getting all caught up in your fears. Amir says water distracts you from your thoughts and makes you focus on the action of drinking. Maybe it’ll pull you out of your head. Take a drink of water. For me?” My hand shook a little as I reached for the canteen and brought it up to my mouth. I focused on the cold water moving across my tongue, then into my throat, and how the muscles in my neck and throat felt while I swallowed. It was so cold that I could feel as it went down my esophagus and into my stomach. I slowly set the canteen back down. As soon as I did, Eris locked his arms around my opposite shoulder, going under one arm and over the other.

“You can do it,” he whispered. I felt my heart squeeze.

“Thank you, kiddo.”

I managed to make it to problem nineteen before Eris butted me again and motioned toward the canteen. I huffed at my own sensitivity.

“Don’t feel bad about it! I don’t even understand half of these words! It’s definitely hard, and that makes sense. I’m just tryna help with that.”

“I know, but I wish could just— deal with my problems like a normal person.” Eris turned his head up to me with upturned eyebrows and wide eyes. They were hazel at this angle.

“I don’t think there’s any… normal people. Hedera always tells me there’s no wrong way to deal with your problems as long as you’re not hurting anyone.” I made a helpless face.

“I guess— ugh, I guess you’re right.” He just held me tighter.

“You got this.”

Every so many problems, Eris had to remind me to drink or take some breaths. By the fifth correction, I was getting used to it, and the next time I felt overwhelmed, I did it without him asking me. He smiled and nuzzled further into my shoulder.

“How many are there?”

“Forty-five.” I said, a miserable undertone in my voice.

“Hey, you’re gonna be good! Don’t worry! I’m here to be your friend, and you can start on the list as soon you get there. You just wanna read it twice so that you makes sure you don’t miss anything important.”

“I know, little guy. Thank you.” It took us a while, but we finally, finally made it to question forty-five. I already had about five themes and concepts that had stuck out to me because of how often they were repeated, so I put those first at the top of the list.

“1. All human magic users are classified as one race, “commanders”, regardless of affiliation.

2. Humans without natural command who practice manufactured command are called “practitioners” (and that’s what I am)

3. Since I’m gunning for the practitioners’ classes, I’ll mainly need to know about their methods. The main methods are; specific, complex hand movements; drawing diagrams, sigils, transmutation circles, glyphs, and runes; combining reagents as components, sort of like a potion; and the spoken word.

4. All the other types of visual magic are made up of runes, which originate from the demon and fae written languages, as well as drawing from draconic, aquatic (which is apparently mermaid language), and the ‘evocative languages’ of other magical races. The spoken word magic also draws on these resources.

5. Commanders, fae, demons, and other beings with a natural command over a magical force, all draw magic from their own realm. No matter where they currently are, their energy is intertwined with the magic of their own realm, and they channel it through themselves by directing their energy. Practitioners use outside methods of channeling the energy around them. That means whatever realm they’re in, that is what they are drawing magic from.”

I looked down at my handiwork with at least some measure of satisfaction.

“I’d say that covers the most important bits. Now I can try to work on some nuances…” Eris shook his head vigorously.

“You should find where these facts are talked about in your books and articles and stuff and go back over those parts. Highlight them with something pretty! Copy them off onto your notes! Make sure you know all those parts really well! Then you can try to work on some— smaller thingies.” I sighed.

“I guess so…”

“Take a drink of water now— in fact, maybe you should have some sweet drink to celebrate!” I smiled.

“That sounds nice.” He grinned big and pretty at me.

“Hang on, I can make you some tea! Meantimes, maybe work on your five facts. You could give yourself a sticker you like for each one you feel like you really learn!”

“Will do, captain!” I flashed him a grin. The hopeless, emotionally dead feeling in my chest and the pit of my stomach was conspicuously lacking.

“Just don’t burn the kitchen down,” I remembered to caution as I turned back to the books.

“I’m not gonna!” He protested.

“I know how to make tea, Hedera and I pretty much live off it.”

“But do you know how to work a stove?” He fumbled for a second.

“We-ell, no, n-not exactly… but Amir has told me how they work before!”

“I do not trust you not to hurt yourself, my friend—“ I got up and dragged the book I was working on with me to the kitchen, supervising Eris as he very exaggeratedly and slowly, to prove that he knew exactly what he was doing, set my little heat-proof glass kettle on the stove, filled it with water, and started it. Then he pulled from his brown leather satchel at his waist, which I hadn’t even noticed he still had on him, a little pouch of dried leaves.

“Hedera and I grow these as magic practice, so some of them are a little funny sometimes, but these are the nice ones.” He informed me as he got down two mugs for us. He swiveled his head around the kitchen and then asked

“Do you have any cloths that you don’t mind getting a lil’ bit stained?”

“Sure,” I motioned to the cupboard where I kept my rags. “Just pick the most beat-up looking ones.”

He lined the mugs with two raggedy cloths and crushed the leaves into the bottoms of them.

“There we go! Now we can drain the tea leaves out when they’re done steeping.”

“Mmm.” I smiled at him.

“Thank you.” He grinned, silly and sideways.

“You don’t have to thank me, Traveler! I wanted to do it!”

“I know but—“ the water for the tea started boiling. Eris placed a finger over my lips, effectively shutting me up.

“Shhh! Okay, now I gotta take care of this.”

Careful not to touch the hot parts, he took the kettle by the handle and poured the hot water into the mugs.

Once the tea leaf fragments were drained, Eris had somehow managed to turn the bitter leaf water into something delectable with sweetener and cream, and we sat at the table sipping our little “health potions” as I began thinking of them. (Though to be honest, I thought it might actually be a health potion at first— it made me feel that much better.) After he finished his warm drink, Eris got even more cuddly than before, squishing his cheek against me and closing his eyes. Soon enough, I heard his breathing grow more and more slow and even until he was almost snoring softly. He’d fallen asleep with his arms locked around me. I looked down at his calm, peaceful face and smiled, pressing a small kiss to the top of his head. It helped to have him close, breathing a slow, calming rhythm against my side, his warmth almost like a constant reminder to slow down and take it a little easier. Take a breath and a step back if need be. For the first time that day, I actually got into the zone. Time didn’t seem real as I lost myself in the materials, taking pages after pages of notes, marking down and tabling for later the things that didn’t make sense at first so as not to lose my rhythm.

It was quite the shock when I finally set down my pen and looked at the time. And looking out the window I saw that it was already getting dark. Careful not to wake Eris, I reached over half the table with my ink-covered dominant hand and grabbed my phone.

‘Eris is asleep— think it’s about time to come get him?’

It took a few minutes to get a response. As I waited I gently stroked Eris’ hair and stared pensively out the window, and then a notification with Amir’s nickname popped up on my locked screen again.

‘I think so

Hedera would probably prefer him back before the sun goes down completely’

‘Seems reasonable’

‘I’ll just teleport to you, if that’s alright— address?’

I sent him my address.

I gently shook Eris’ shoulder to wake him.

“Amir’s gonna be here soon to take you home, buddy…” he blinked hazily and continued clinging to my arm as I stood up.

“Mm, okay…” I grabbed my phone and half-led, half-dragged Eris through my kitchen. Whipping out the phone, I texted

‘I’ll just come out to the front with him’ to Amir and opened the door to find him standing there. Despite the recent less-than-autumnal weather, he was wearing a pair of black leggings and a warm maroon sweater that had glittery strands woven into the rest of the fabric, a heart cutout, and sleeves that billowed out before being sharply cut off by a wrist cuff of fabric. He tapped his ankle-length boot.

“Well, aren’t you going to come out to the front?” I rolled my eyes.

“Front, I’m gay.” I said in a monotone. He golf-clapped at me. Smug bastard.

“Very good, very good.” He held out his arms for the still half-asleep Eris, and his whole snarky demeanor changed. He leaned down and cocked his head.

“Hey buddy… you ready to go home? Did you have a nice time with our Traveler?” Eris nodded drowsily.

“They did so good… I think I helped a lil’ bit…”

“You helped bunches, kiddo.” I reassured him, awkwardly snaking my arm out from his grip and allowing Amir to wrap his arms around him and hold him close. He looked so peaceful, cheek squished and hands nestled against Amir’s side.

“You’re a lifesaver.” I whispered to him.

“Get much done?” Amir smiled at us both. I laughed softly.

“I think I absorbed more actual knowledge in the time he was here than I did in the whole day and half I tried to study before.”

“He took a looooong nap, huh?” He said, looking at how out-of-it Eris was. I nodded, smiling at him.

“Almost three hours.”

“He’s really taken a liking to you,” he slid an arm under Eris’ legs, which looked significantly less human than they had when he arrived. I waved.

“Bye, little friend!”

“Eris, oh Eris… your glamour could use some work,” he clicked his tongue.

“So that’s what his illusion spell is called!”

“Mhm,” Amir nodded, seeming distracted. He drew a circle in the ground with his toe, like he was planning something out— then he nodded and a low, nasal hum emanated from him. It felt like a solid something passed through me, and I cocked my head at Amir.

“What was that?” Amir winked at me.

“Demons are oft purported to be uncannily good at warding. I just warded this whole area— after all, if you’re going to be learning magic, you may have a mishap or two, and it would be awful if a neighbor were to hear of it or see it.”

“I haven’t even gotten in yet…” I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Oh, but you will~!” He and Eris disappeared, the dim light revealing a small spark left in their wake. I watched as it dissipated with the last of the day’s sun. The sunsets were coming earlier and earlier these days. Finally, I went back inside and closed my door. I still had work to do.

…Apologies for the lore dump… anyway…

I’m not gonna lie, I had some trouble with this one! Big shoutout to BFF for helping me figure out what felt so wrong about the writing at first and thus leading me to fix it! Also she wants me to remind all of you that she has laid a claim on all of the LR characters and they are all hers! 😂

Thank you very much for reading! Next upload will be exactly one week from now! And I can actually guarantee that this time! 😅

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the-realms-master · 2 years ago

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Studying For Entry Exams With A Sweet Fae Friend

My Original Story— What’s Going On?!

Hi, I’m Mar! Nice to meet you all! If you’re reading this, it’s probably because of my recent Layered Realms post. You’re here for an explan

TUMBLR

Cw/Tw: Character is depicted kind of spiraling, not really having a panic attack but something along those lines. Other than that, I think we’re good!

Now that all of that is out of the way, I’ll stop talking your ear off and let you get reading! Chapter six, part six of Layered Realms, part five of A Traveler’s Tale.

Studying For Entry Exams With A Sweet Fae Friend

I heard clomping nearby. It sounded like it was right outside my kitchen door.

“What the…” I approached the door and peeked out.

“Eris, what are you doing here?” I hissed, dragging him inside. He flashed a silly grin at me.

“How did you even—“ I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“Never mind. Does anyone even know where you are??” His face fell.

“Ooh… I should have thought of that, shouldn’t I…” ‘Oh no you made the child sad, you made the child sad you idiot—‘

“I hope I didn’t worry anybody, I don’t want them to be scared for me—“

‘Just in case no one knows, Eris is with me. he came to cheer me up lol’

‘Ah, excellent. Thank you for telling me Traveler— I had a pretty good guess, but it’s good to know for sure. Now Hedera won’t bite my head off. 😂’

‘😂

does he need to be back by a certain time?’

‘Just don’t keep him too long. I’ll let you know if Hedera says otherwise, though. I can come pick him up and just teleport home with him when you’re done.’

‘sounds like a plan!’

I turned back to Eris.

“Amir knows where you are now, and he says you can stay for a little bit!”

“Yay!” He scrunched up his cheeks till they nearly closed his eyes, and pulled his shoulders right up next to his ears.

“Amir’ll come get you when it’s time to go. Until then, what do you want to do? I can put off studying for a few hours to destress, I suppose…”

Eris widened his eyes almost comically.

“Oh no Traveler! You still gotta study! You have exams in a couple days! I was just hoping I could make the studying itself less stressful…” I sighed.

“Okay then, buddy. How do you plan on doing that?” I sat back down and patted the seat next to me. He scrambled over to be next to me and had a quick look over the books.

“I guess that makes sense…” I sighed. Eris smiled at me.

“And… this is my wisdom, so don’t take it quite as seriously, but if I can make it pretty and fun, I think it makes it feel better even when you’re doing hard things.”

“How would you suggest we do that?”

“Okay, little man.” He followed me around the kitchen as I assembled a bowl of fruit and yoghurt, ate it, and filled a canteen with ice and water.

“Yay!” He said as we settled back in at the table.

“Now. Do you have cute stickers and writing pads?” He asked with big, shiny eyes.

“Mm— somewhere…” I remembered one of my friends had given me a bunch of cute office and study supplies back when we thought I was actually going to have enough money to go college right away.

“Hang on.” I got up and began rummaging in one of my drawers. Somewhere in here, maybe at the very bottom—

“Here we go!” I tossed the pack of notecards and stickers onto the table in front of us.

“Yay!” Eris clapped his hands and and eagerly attacked the plastic shrink-wrap.

“These are cute! Okay, now try breaking this problem into chunks?” He looked over the whole stack of materials and singled out the example problems sheets.

“This seems like it’d be important. Is it actually the way that the tests are gonna be?”

“As far as I can tell.” I shrugged. He nodded.

“Okay. Maybe make a list of what’s asked in these questions?” My eyes widened.

“Oh my word, how did I not think of that?” He giggled.

“Sometimes a fresh mind and a fresh pair of eyes are all you need!”

“I’ll say!” I grabbed a gel pen and a lined notepad with rainbow bubbles on it to start making that list. Eris laid a gentle hand on my arm.

“I… I think you should read through all the problems first, then go back to the beginning and start writing things down.” I gave him a grateful smile.

“You’re a lifesaver, in more ways than one.”

“It’s no problem, really! I like to help!” He smiled so big that his eyes closed.

Eris gently head-butted me, nuzzling into my shoulder.

“Take a drink of water?” His words were muffled in my sleeve. I stared down at him.

“Why?”

“You can do it,” he whispered. I felt my heart squeeze.

“Thank you, kiddo.”

I managed to make it to problem nineteen before Eris butted me again and motioned toward the canteen. I huffed at my own sensitivity.

“Don’t feel bad about it! I don’t even understand half of these words! It’s definitely hard, and that makes sense. I’m just tryna help with that.”

“I know, but I wish could just— deal with my problems like a normal person.” Eris turned his head up to me with upturned eyebrows and wide eyes. They were hazel at this angle.

“I don’t think there’s any… normal people. Hedera always tells me there’s no wrong way to deal with your problems as long as you’re not hurting anyone.” I made a helpless face.

“I guess— ugh, I guess you’re right.” He just held me tighter.

“You got this.”

“How many are there?”

“Forty-five.” I said, a miserable undertone in my voice.

“1. All human magic users are classified as one race, “commanders”, regardless of affiliation.

2. Humans without natural command who practice manufactured command are called “practitioners” (and that’s what I am)

I looked down at my handiwork with at least some measure of satisfaction.

“I’d say that covers the most important bits. Now I can try to work on some nuances…” Eris shook his head vigorously.

“I guess so…”

“Take a drink of water now— in fact, maybe you should have some sweet drink to celebrate!” I smiled.

“That sounds nice.” He grinned big and pretty at me.

“Hang on, I can make you some tea! Meantimes, maybe work on your five facts. You could give yourself a sticker you like for each one you feel like you really learn!”

“Will do, captain!” I flashed him a grin. The hopeless, emotionally dead feeling in my chest and the pit of my stomach was conspicuously lacking.

“Just don’t burn the kitchen down,” I remembered to caution as I turned back to the books.

“I’m not gonna!” He protested.

“I know how to make tea, Hedera and I pretty much live off it.”

“But do you know how to work a stove?” He fumbled for a second.

“We-ell, no, n-not exactly… but Amir has told me how they work before!”

“Do you have any cloths that you don’t mind getting a lil’ bit stained?”

“Sure,” I motioned to the cupboard where I kept my rags. “Just pick the most beat-up looking ones.”

He lined the mugs with two raggedy cloths and crushed the leaves into the bottoms of them.

“There we go! Now we can drain the tea leaves out when they’re done steeping.”

“Mmm.” I smiled at him.

“Thank you.” He grinned, silly and sideways.

“You don’t have to thank me, Traveler! I wanted to do it!”

“I know but—“ the water for the tea started boiling. Eris placed a finger over my lips, effectively shutting me up.

“Shhh! Okay, now I gotta take care of this.”

Careful not to touch the hot parts, he took the kettle by the handle and poured the hot water into the mugs.

‘Eris is asleep— think it’s about time to come get him?’

‘I think so

Hedera would probably prefer him back before the sun goes down completely’

‘Seems reasonable’

‘I’ll just teleport to you, if that’s alright— address?’

I sent him my address.

I gently shook Eris’ shoulder to wake him.

“Amir’s gonna be here soon to take you home, buddy…” he blinked hazily and continued clinging to my arm as I stood up.

“Mm, okay…” I grabbed my phone and half-led, half-dragged Eris through my kitchen. Whipping out the phone, I texted

“Well, aren’t you going to come out to the front?” I rolled my eyes.

“Front, I’m gay.” I said in a monotone. He golf-clapped at me. Smug bastard.

“Very good, very good.” He held out his arms for the still half-asleep Eris, and his whole snarky demeanor changed. He leaned down and cocked his head.

“Hey buddy… you ready to go home? Did you have a nice time with our Traveler?” Eris nodded drowsily.

“They did so good… I think I helped a lil’ bit…”

“You’re a lifesaver.” I whispered to him.

“Get much done?” Amir smiled at us both. I laughed softly.

“I think I absorbed more actual knowledge in the time he was here than I did in the whole day and half I tried to study before.”

“He took a looooong nap, huh?” He said, looking at how out-of-it Eris was. I nodded, smiling at him.

“Almost three hours.”

“He’s really taken a liking to you,” he slid an arm under Eris’ legs, which looked significantly less human than they had when he arrived. I waved.

“Bye, little friend!”

“Eris, oh Eris… your glamour could use some work,” he clicked his tongue.

“So that’s what his illusion spell is called!”

“What was that?” Amir winked at me.

“I haven’t even gotten in yet…” I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck.

…Apologies for the lore dump… anyway…

Thank you very much for reading! Next upload will be exactly one week from now! And I can actually guarantee that this time! 😅

#eris and traveler #eris #eris (original character)#layered realms chapter six #layered realms #amir #amir amator (original character)#amir amator #amir (original character)#a traveler's tale #a traveler’s tale chapter five #a traveler’s tale

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tashacee · 2 months ago

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Step by Step - Chapter Six

Stepping out of the golden, effervescent realm of that in-between place, the real rushed up at him all at once. In the heartbeat between one step and another, Wild felt reality reassert itself. He was no longer on that gleaming path of water and sunlight, walking in the company of a god: he was back in the temple, stepping through an old stone arch into a room lit by flickering torchlight.

His mask was back in place and tight against his skin. He was once again wearing the fine, kid leather gloves that both hid his hands from view and also protected the fine scar tissue from damage. He was no longer barefoot, though his sturdy boots seemed to be crusted about the sole with a layer of fine, white sand.

Wild couldn’t help but smile at that.

Read the rest on AO3!

#it me #mask!wild #finding family #step by step #linked universe #lu #linked universe fic #linked universe fanfic #fanfic

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danwhobrowses · 16 days ago

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One Piece Chapter 1131 - Initial Thoughts

It wasn't enough to have a 2 week break, the scans also had to come out late XD

But finally, One Piece is back, and Luffy stands before another self-proclaimed Sun God. We can see some writings on the wall but Oda does like a good swerve, so let's see what he has for us

Spoilers for the chapter below, support the Official Release too

Yamato's cover is him on Komachiyo and Tama on Speed running after the katana thief, nothing too big really - and honestly Speed is really fast so this thief shouldn't outrun them

We pick up right where we left off with Luffy reacting with joy that they're in Elbaf

Hahaha Luffy's quickfire questions and observations quickly annoy Loki who's trying to honey his words

Loki yells and it causes the trees to shake and rumble, animals also seem to growl so it wasn't haki

Loki seems to truly believe himself to be the Sun God 'from all the legends', but telling Luffy not to speak unless he commands it isn't a good start

Also Loki has a 'special bounty' of 2.6bn, so above Yonko Commander (And Dorry and Brogy) but not quite on Yonko, wonder why it's special? Maybe it's not imposed by the WG? Maybe it's a Giant's bounty

When he asks Luffy what he thinks of his predicament Luffy just goes 'looks like you got caught' XD blunt as ever

Huh, Loki's only been imprisoned for 6 years? Last chapter they said 'a few years back' he was sentenced to crucifixion? Maybe a mistranslation? Six is more than a few

His chains are Sea Prism but he says he's the pride of Elbaf's strength

And the big tree is as many theorized Treasure Tree Adam, the same wood the Sunny is made out of!

Loki has a proposal for Luffy - who he called Loppy before being corrected - he wants Luffy to release him and in exchange he'll wipe out any pirate crew he wants

Seems pretty confident that he can solo a pirate crew, that or he just really wants to get out

He showed the carrot but here's the stick; he can't force Luffy to agree, but he has some leverage

The snowy lands here is known as the 'Realm of the Dead' (likely a reference to how Loki is Hel's father in Norse Myth) and is the lowest layer of Elbaf: a place for prisoners and executions

You know that kinda gives me the same vibes as Impel Down's level 4

Things have lived on this layer for thousands of years, so they also call it the 'First World' - which could mean we're blending Hel and Niflheim - the realm of primordial ice and cold, which does sometimes get mixed with Helheim

In Norse Myth (Prose Edda mainly) Niflheim and Muspelheim were the first realms of Ginnungagap (the void), fire and ice mixed to make steam which became Hel - but the Norse for fog or mist is 'Nifel' thus the confusion. The icy rivers of Niflheim melted by Muspelheim's fires also unleashed a yeasty venom that birthed Ymir, the ancestor of the Jotnar

Luffy is cornered by giant beasts, with a cute polar bear, and some humans, all of whom are in service of Loki. The beasts at least befriended him while he was a kid

There is the hilarity of Luffy not taking this serious because like, Loki has no fucking idea who he's talking to XD

Like, you threaten him with a bunch of giant animals? The feral forest child who trained with giant animals for 2 years?

The humans below are explained to avoid being eaten by dressing up in foul smelling clothes and being like 'living corpses' but the minions do kinda get their feelings hurt by this

They do scout out Luffy though, hoping he has anything good on him, before apologizing for fainting after Shanks appeared on the island

Mentioning Shanks perks Luffy up though, who has already befriended the giant animals to Loki and the minions' shock

Excited, Luffy asks about Shanks, but Loki sees an opportunity

Annnnnd chose wrong, he calls Shanks a coward and Luffy immediately goes Gear Fourth

The Kong Gun misses - Loki has been blindfolded this whole time, either he can still see a bit or he has his own impressive Observation Haki - hitting the tree instead

Loki's quick to backpedal on 'it's just a joke bro' and to try and throw a sense of honour in the mix by the fact that he's chained up

Luffy however ain't about that, you piss him off he'll be pissed off, Loki meanwhile already seeks to kill him once he's free in a thought bubble

Luffy asks why Shanks was here, but Loki plays coy, the gears are turning again

Back at the castle bridge, the bridge is shaking causing Nami and Usopp to panic

Usopp spots someone behind them running on the bridge

It's Rodo, still smoking from the lightning attack so the crew deduce he's the same guy

They're being chased by Gerd and Goldberg (and Piper the Owl) as Goldberg carries the Sunny

Zoro expects this to be unfriendly, but before he can draw his sword Usopp attempts pragmatism: they may be allies

For now the group agrees to get to the end of the bridge, so they're on solid ground and because a village may be nearby

Somewhere else in the Realm of the Dead, Hajrudin appears! He's been on the hunt and caught a Moose with Stansen

He specifically came down here to hunt for good meat, in order to have good food waiting for the Straw Hats' arrival

Stansen asks how they'll carry it, the translation is iffy since it even has a t/n, but it seems that it snowing prevents them from having an apparatus

There's also a quick recap of Hajrudin's loyalty to Luffy via Dressrosa, with Leo also there

The two giants instead just decide to carry the Moose, while singing a song about their crew - whose layout is also shown to be just those 5 members

Back on the Longboat, Brook has given Robin a haircut

Brook hasn't cut women's hair so he was nervous, also skull joke

Lilith enjoyed the skull joke because it's a scientific impossibility, Bonney, Jinbe and Franky like the hair too

OG HAIRSTYLE ROBIN MY BELOVED

Awwww and she wanted it that way because that's how Saul would remember it!

Franky of course is keeping it very emotionally together for her

Even Oimo and Kashii mention how it's the same style as how they remember in Enies Lobby

The longboat is also right by Elbaf, from this perspective you can see that the greenery we've seen when Shanks was there is more like an elevation, so this Land of the Dead may be the bottom of a cliffside

But we have a cliffhanger, Saul has fallen and can't get up!

Oda don't you fucking dare cause Robin heartbreak after she's gotten so excited about seeing someone from her past she thought was dead! It's not allowed! Forbidden I say! Don't do it!

Other than that, this was a chapter that seemed more dedicated to giving us more on the personality of Loki. He's definitely a little bit devious, but he's both completely unaware of how strong Luffy is and probably overestimates how tricksy he need to be with manipulating his freedom. Definitely has a grand opinion of himself, and over 2 billion berries as a bounty is nothing to scoff at even if it is lower than Luffy's. I do like though how Oda has knotted things up with releasing Loki, there was an obvious easy route but Loki spends more time shooting himself in the foot which makes it less and less likely that Luffy will simply free him. If anything, one Eustass Kid may be more compelled to free Loki than Luffy is - wouldn't put it past the giants fishing him out and throwing him into this Land of the Dead.

Usopp's observation may also work out with the rest of the crew buddying up with Goldberg and Gerd, maybe bullying Rodo a little more, or they'll just end up in the village and befriend some new characters. If the Land of the Dead has humans that betray Elbaf in some way there may be humans still living in Elbaf itself, I do continue to be intrigued as to how Oda will blend more Norse Myth into the story. If we get a character named Snorri you best believe I'm gonna talk about it.

With the Longboat docking into Elbaf too the crew will likely reunite sooner rather than later, there is still a wealth to explore and discover though, but seriously let Robin be happy!

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obsolete-stars-if · 2 years ago

Text

Obsolete Stars

Last Update: 20th/April 2024

Last updated word count: + 19k including code Read time: ~5h 45min Join the discord

Currently available: Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 full

Take me to the demo. Now.

Disclaimer: While I do have an outline, this is a first draft/proof of concept situation. There will be many errors and things like personality options, and further expansion of the world around you, will be expanded once the first draft is done. Thank you for understanding.

Intro

So let’s be real, we all read fanfiction that followed the prompt of “Help, my parents sold me off to [insert boy band/ celebrate crush/ tumblr sexy man of the week)!”, but unlike those fanfictions, you weren’t sold off to your hot crush. After a life in isolation, your father, the king, sells you off to marry the prince of another country. With nothing but two guards, you make your way to meet the dreaded fate of marriage. Along the way, you will make friends, learn the truth about your kingdom, and find yourself in positions much worse than a forced marriage. One can only pray for your survival.

In this game you will explore your kingdom and what happened to the magic realm. It will include sensitive topics, and possible explicit content in the future.

The game focuses on interpersonal relationships.

What else?

Play as Male, Female, Nonbinary (option to customize your pronouns, future trans options planned)

Date one (or more) of your 7 friends

Play as straight, queer, poly, mono, or just be aro or ace

Be a total ass to your spouse or just accept your fate

Have fun seeing your kingdom in ruins!

Get your friends killed

Get yourself killed

Ę̸̱͌̌x̷͖̕p̵̣̰͐̓e̴̡̪̓̇r̸̨̹̉͘i̷͍̮̎͝e̴͇͋̒n̸̢̼͠c̵͎̳̓̈́e̵͙͇̽̄ ̴̼̈́͒j̵̨̢̈́͆ṳ̸͝͠d̶̝̈̇g̴̨͉̀̏e̸͎͒͛m̷̳̪̓ẽ̶̙͉ń̶͕͋t̵̺̾ ̵̘̓́d̵̹̈́å̵͚ȳ̸͓͗

Okay cool, but what about dating?

Tarek/Takischa (he/him; she/her) (Ftm/Mtf) (genderselectable)

Old and grumpy, TK is 15 years your senior and has been serving the palace your entire life. They are stoic and devoted to the crown, they take their job more than serious, sometimes they can even parental or possessive. Underneath their blank face, you know they care for you, and they always will.

They are 6′3 and have ashen honey hair, curly and cutting off just above their eyes. Pale green eyes set deep against their ivory skin. They hide almost all of their skin with layers of clothing.

(Great if you have parental issues.)

Samuel/Samira (he/him; she/her) (Ftm/Mtf) (genderselectable)

Young and curious, Sammy is just a year younger than yourself, they can be naive and easy trusting. They’re optimistic and want to impress you and all their friends. Sammy has a lot to learn, and they’re more than eager to do so. With enough care and time, Sammy will grow into a great protector.

Sammy is 5′9 with very short black hair. Against their warm beige skin tone, their monolidded eyes are a deep reddish brown. They wear simple robust clothes.

Sammy is ace and sex neutral.

(Great if you don’t enjoy angst)

Alia (she/they) (afab)

A quiet person, she keeps to herself, but always stays polite, she is a shrine maiden and TKs friend. She is a peacemaker at heart, and tries to deescalate every situation. She would be considered one of the strongest magic users, if she would ever use it. She is about six years your senior.

Alia is 5′3 and has bronze hair that is cut into a short wolf hairstyle. Blue eyes against satin freckled skin. She wears a lavender dress, with white clothing to cover her arm.

Alia is ace and sex repulsed.

(Great if you like slow burn)

Sascha (He/they) (Ftm)

He is about ten years older, but that can be quickly forgotten by how charming, egotistical and even cowardly he can act. He is not only a danger to you and your friends, but themselves too. He pulls danger from beyond your understanding into your orbit. He is a teasing smart ass that isn’t above blackmailing or hurting anyone. Not to forget that he committed the highest crime there is, stealing a magic companions.

They are 6′1 and have long grey-white hair that falls to his hips. He has very pale skin and ice blue eyes. He wears high quality clothes, and a golden jacket that fades into a deep red.

Sascha is ace and sex positive.

(Great test of your patience.)

Kate (she/her) (Mtf)

Just a few years older than you, she is noble and a healer, she is a loud and loving personality. With teasing smile, she cares deeply about everyone’s well-being, but will never be above calling anyone out.

She is 6′0, her chocolate goddess locs fall beneath her shoulders, the curls fading into a pink color. Dark deep brown eyes against warm yet ashen honey skin tone. She wears pink toned dresses and many accessories.

(Great if you like women.)

Mikhail (he/they) (amab)

The prince of Riag, your spouse, and the second general. His easy going and considerate personality makes it hard to grasp, that he is celebrated by his own soldiers and nobles of his country, deeply feared by anyone outside his country. A war criminal for his country. Beloved warrior, lover of war. He is only a few years your senior.

Mikail is 5′7 and their dark brown hair would fall to his shoulders, if it wasn’t pulled back into a ponytail. The tips of his hair fading into an earthy, almost blueish green tone, matching his eyes against his cool olive skin tone. He wears short clothing due to the heat in Riag and the many training sessions they have daily.

(Great if you believe everyone deserves a second chance.)

Gigi (she/her) (afab)

She promised Judgement Day.

Gigi is 5′6 and with ash blonde hair curling around her soft face frame, cutting off just below her ears, and light brown, almost hazel eyes. She wears primarily black with orange accessories.

Unofficial official RO Art/Ref

Moodboards, color palettes, playlist for each RO here:

Maps and miscellaneous stuff:

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saintgoths · 2 months ago

Text

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱɪx

CHAPTER SIX - THE KING.

WORDS - 6,021.

RATING - 18+. [Self-harm, slut-shaming, dry-humping and kissing]

SUMMARY - as Charlotte and Henry leave for the De Quincey mission, the rest along with Nate stay in the institute guarding the place. Unaware that during the absence of their leaders, secrets and lust are revealed.

"I never walk about after dark, It's my point of view, 'Cause someone could break your neck, Coming up behind you, Always coming and you'd never have a clue, I never look behind all the time, I will wait forever, Always looking straight, Thinking, counting all the hours you wait." - Oblivion by Grimes.

feedback would be appreciated! and i would like to say, this story is a will romance story, but i just want you to be aware that serena is a man-eater...

i also cross-post this fic on wattpad and ao3.

previous chapter - chapter five.

“Dear Lady Evaline,

I miss home, I miss you and I miss my family. The people in the London Institute are kind but they still do not fill the hole that was violently taken from me. I want to go back home, to Venus; I want to go to the ruins of where I used to live, and I want to bury my family the Venusian way.

I am honoured that the Great Families of Venus have moved to the Mortal Realm for me, but it’s not the same, London cannot capture the beauty of Venus and the more I stay away from it the more I feel like I am losing myself and my identity.

Mr. Sapphire has brought me a gift, two, a necklace and the very book of Aphrodite, I have not opened it yet, as for I am anxious, I want to discuss it with you Lady Sapphire---”

“Serena?”

Confused, Serena had turned around. It had been Will who stood under her doorframe, he had a unfamiliar look on his face, one that had many layers, a look that seemed to want to understand her, question her and even find her suspicious. The Venrosa woman had wondered if he had knocked, but he hadn’t given her too much time to think as he began to question her.

“What are you?”

Serena frowned as she gripped the head of her chair. “I didn’t allow you in,” she said and with a quick twisted look on his face Will closed the door behind him.

“I don’t care,” Will responded rudely. “What are you? Tessa said you healed her. You can do the same for Jem, can’t you? Get up.”

Stubborn, Serena crossed her arms as she looked him up and down. “Not with that tone I’m not,” she spat as she rudely pulled a face, aware that Will had almost been shaking out of desperation, the Herondale man dropped his shoulders, clasped his hands together as he walked towards her.

“Serena,” he pleaded. “Please, Jem needs you,” he gently cried out and with her lips sealed, Serena eventually got to her feet, she hadn’t looked back at her letter but reminded herself to resume writing it when she returned from Jem’s room.

Without looking at him, Serena had walked past Will as she aimed to step out of her bedroom, quickly, he had followed her and easily caught up beside her. “I’m not doing this for you,” Serena said as she closed her bedroom door. “Take me to his room.”

“Right,” Will muttered as he led Serena on the pathway to Jem’s chambers. The beginning of the walk had been quiet, Serena had barely looked at him whenever they turned every corner and walked up a step, but there had been a curiosity that had bubbled in Will’s stomach, questions he had wanted answers to, almost each second, Will had flared his fingers as he gathered the confidence to ask. “What did Lyonel want with you?”

With a frown, Serena finally looked at him. “It has nothing to do with you.”

Annoyed, Will held back the need to groan. “Lyonel barely comes here.”

“He wanted to give me something,” Serena said as she focused her gaze forward.

Interested, Will cocked the right of his eyebrow. “Like the book that was on your bed?”

Silent, Serena’s nails dug into her palms, her silence leaving Will in the dark who had clenched his jaw as the two of them arrived to Jem’s room, the Herondale boy pushed the door open. Tessa had been with Jem, and by the way Jem had swayed to the side to see who had accompanied Will, a short smile had stretched against his pale face once he had realised it was Serena. Tessa who had appeared apologetic turned to look at Serena. “I had to tell them---”

“I understand,” Serena whispered and relieved, Tessa had taken a step to the side to allow Serena to pass. She would rather not have Serena not trust her, but she had to take the chances of Serena being able to help Jem.

“So, are you a healing warlock?” Jem had questioned as Serena had sat on a stool beside his bed.

“No,” Serena replied. “This is just one of my abilities,” Serena tightly explained as purple chaos flickered around her hands. They had all watched and listened, a soft ooze noise spread from Serena’s hands and through the entire room, the sound new to the rest, couldn’t help but feel that the noise had somewhat had a calming essence to it.

Intrigued, Jem had watched how the colours swirled around her hands, the purple had a few pink dots in it as it danced around her hands and curled around her fingers. “It looks beautiful,” Jem had complimented, the picture of the chaos having him forget about Will and Tessa who had been behind Serena, both of them compelled by the magic. “Is it magic?”

“More like chaos,” Serena shrugged as she gently moved her hand to Jem’s body, she hadn’t said it, but he had looked terrible. There was still beauty within him but he had looked drained, as if the next breath he was about to take was about to be his last. Focused, Serena had pushed her magic into him and the sensation for Jem had felt like wind passing through him.

He gently gasped at the new feeling; his eyes wide for a second fore they relaxed. “It feels good,” Jem whispered as he softly stood up, his short motion had Tess and Will shortly snap to their feet but Jem had gestured that he was okay.

“I don’t know if this will heal your condition, what you have in you…” Serena whispered, eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated on the movement in his body. “Feels different,” Serena said her sentence had caused Jem and Will to share a sharp look.

“He does look better,” Tessa muttered as she quickly glanced at Will who had briefly shared the same excitement as her. “If it wasn’t for me, you never would have been hurt.”

“Hurt,” Jem spoke the word on an exhale of breath, almost with disgust. “I wasn’t hurt.”

“James,” Will’s tone held a warning note.

“She should know, the both of them should know, William. Otherwise, Tessa will think this was all her fault and Serena would probably wonder why her healing powers aren’t fully working on me---my apologies, I do feel better,” he smiled.

“You were ill,” Will said, not taking his eyes of Jem as he spoke. “It’s nobody’s fault,” he paused, Serena had then let go of Jem, clasped her hands and pulled them to her lap.

Jem had foretold the story, how a demon called Yanluo killed his parents, a demon that held a grudge against his mother, and how the Shanghai Institute was slaughtered by Demons, and how Jem was tortured by them in front of his parents, entities that had injected him with poison, the man had then explained the pain it had brought him.

Jem had then spoke about his sickness, had explained how Mortmain likely made money due to trading Opium, a drug people could easily get addicted to. “In Chinese, we call it foreign mud or black smoke,” Jem had explained his city wouldn’t have existed without it, and empathetic, Serena had remained silent, listened to how he despised people who would do anything to get their hands on it, had thought of them to be weak, but once he had said that, there was a silence.

Serena had learned that drug had meant of a slow death, thus the name. The Silent Brothers, who were the weird men Serena had saw a couple of hours ago attempted to heal Jem’s body when he found, they had experimented on him, for weeks until they understood that there was nothing, nothing they could do to heal him.

The only way Jem could survive was to continuously take the drug until he died.

Serena gently sucked in her teeth; eyebrows furrowed as her hazel eyes wobbled. “I’m so sorry,” Serena had whispered and with a gentle smile, Jem had turned to look at the girl.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” he consoled and as she fiddled with her fingers, Serena returned his kind smile, if only Jem had realised what he had done telling Serena this, Serena who would now put her entire focus on him, the guilt of not being able to save her family, sharply projected onto him.

♡⊹˚₊ ❦ ❀ ₊˚⊹♡

Serena had lost count to what number this attempt to paint her family was. The Book of Aphrodite had still remained unopened and the faces of her family had remained unidentifiable. Serena had grimaced, she put the paint-brush down and moved away from her canvas, her footsteps light but the woman had still felt that she had used every muscle in her body to move herself.

She had given her letter to Thomas, Thomas who would send it to the post office, while Serena would wait for Lady Evaline to return to her apartment and read it.

She sighed; Serena leaned against the chair she had sat on. She had missed her room, though she had been grateful that Charlotte had given her a roof over her head, the room she was in missed the touches of her mother. Her mother loved to design not only clothes but homes, it was Serena who had given her mother Selene the visual she’d want for her room and in a matter of days her mother would bring her style into life.

She needed a drink.

To help her with everything, her thoughts, her sadness and her creativity. Thus, she had planned to go to Myrtle and Doves.

In a matter of minutes, Serena had dressed herself, hated the way Mortal Realm clothing had looked on her, but somehow, it was garment people liked.

Once she closed the door behind her, she had walked down the corridor, her senses aware that someone had walked down the same path as her, her orbs then adjusted onto Tessa who had walked the path of her brother’s room, Nate.

“You look pretty,” Tessa smiled as her steps became slower. “Where are you going?”

“For a walk,” Serena muttered as she passed by her.

“A lady shouldn’t be going out this time, especially alone,” Tessa forwardly stated and as kickback, Serena stopped walking.

She turned around with a sharp smile that silently told Tessa she had provoked her. “I’m not an ordinary lady, I’ll be able to protect myself,” Serena stated.

“So, what are you?” Tessa questioned as she looked at her. She had tried to find out about Serena in the library, read books of Supernatural creatures that were similar to what Serena had been, though, the closest she’d ever got to was Serena being a Warlock.

It frustrated Tessa, because Serena said she was no Warlock, and her argument seemed to be strong as Tessa had tried to compare her to other Warlocks, Serena had no mark. Though, the Gray woman had considered if she examined the rest of her body, one would be there.

With a knowing look, Serena turned on her feet. “I’ll see you later,” Serena bid with a sigh, leaving Tessa in the corridors alone to return to her brother.

Within minutes of making her way to the pub, Serena had taken in how empty the streets had been. Still, she had walked, aware that there had been an essence that had slowly revealed itself to her. So, Serena had halted. “Come out,” Serena commanded and within seconds, a woman had crept out of the darkness.

She was a Vampire.

Red-haired woman, pretty green eyes that reminded Serena of a lake, slim figure and was medium-height, the woman was beautiful, with her curly locks that framed her hair, Serena had learned that women of this time normally wore their hair high due to class. Serena had thought that was stupid.

When the woman had spoken, Serena had briefly focused on the beauty spot above the left side of her lip. She had an accent different to what she had normally heard presently. However, Serena quickly understood that the accent was Russian. “Venusian Spirits…” the woman had whispered with thirst. “It is true, your bloods smell so sweet,” she desperately breathed.

Eyebrows furrowed; Serena’s eyes sharpened at the Vampire. “Just as poisonous to Vampires as sweet,” she clarified and taken back, the red-haired Vampire’s hunter face softened as she bowed to Serena.

“My apologies,” the woman said, but Serena wasn’t sure if she had genuinely been apologetic. “Angelika Ovechkin,” she introduced, and when she stood up straight, she focused on Serena, took her in, shadowed every detail of the Venusian’s body, pleased that she had been one of the first Downworlders in the Mortal Realm to have a clearer look. “There’s been whispers about a Venusian Spirit here, should’ve noticed by the repeating symbols.”

Confused, Serena’s face twisted into a curious expression. “Symbols?” She lightly repeated.

Just as confused but for Serena’s lack of knowledge, Angelika took a step forward, her move swift almost as if she floated. “You don’t know?” Angelika asked. “Whenever a Venusian Spirit appears in the Mortal Realm, Aphrodite’s Symbols appear more, like roses growing everywhere, especially places they do not belong, an excessive number of Swans and Peacocks appear more often.”

“Oh,” Serena said in a tone of inquisitiveness, though, quick, Serena had fixed her sight onto Angelika. “What do you want with me?” The dark-haired woman asked, hand under the cloak she had pulled on fore she left the Institute, underneath her cloak had been her right hand that gently flickered her Chaos powers, ready to defend herself if she needed to.

“Ah,” Angelika said once she had remembered what she had wanted Serena for. Quick, she had retrieved a card she had then given to Serena, unsure, the girl had taken the card from her and read it.

It was an invitation to a party tomorrow. “When word gets out that a Venusian Spirit is coming to my party every Downworlder is going to be there,” Angelika smiled, her eyes bright as the idea of Serena agreeing to come sparkled in her eyes.

Though, without giving Serena the time to respond, Angelika had disappeared the moment Serena looked up from the greeting card, leaving her alone in the streets.

♡⊹˚₊ ❦ ❀ ₊˚⊹♡

Serena had been surprised that the Institute had been so noisy when she returned, the second she stepped through the doors she was surprised by the quick feet that had ran past her, confused, Serena closed the door behind her as she had attempted to take in what the ruckus has been about, and when she focused, the name Nate was thrown around multiple times, and the young lady quickly realised that Nate had gone missing.

Will had been the next person to walk by her, and once he realised that Serena had returned to the Institute, his eyes sharpened. With Nate’s disappearance, Will almost thought Serena had left until Tessa told him she went out for a walk.

“And where have you been?” Will poked. “Of course,” he said before Serena could answer for herself. “Drinking yourself to death.”

With a scoff, Serena looked him up and down. “You’re one to talk,” she snapped as she had then focused on Thomas who had quickly walked towards them.

“They found Nate,” Thomas said and with a thankful smile, Serena beckoned her head at him, both Will and Serena had commenced to follow Thomas to where Nate was. “He was in the drawing room, behind the curtains,” he explained and confused, Serena furrowed her eyebrows as she pondered how did he find himself behind there. “Minute he saw me, he went right off his chump. Started screamin’ and yellin’. Tried to bolt right past me, an’ I nearly had to give him one over the gash to keep him quiet.”

When they arrived to the drawing room, Thomas pushed the door open, there was Nate, with Tessa beside him. “Miss Gray, Master Will and Lady Serena is---”

“Master Will is right here,” said Will, ducking nimbly around Thomas, despite the other boy’s bulk. “Our wanderer found at last,” he said, unaware that Nate’s entire gaze was fixed on Serena, who had been uncomfortable while scratched her elbow and looked away from him. “Thomas tells me you were hiding behind the curtains?”

Offended, Nate finally looked away from Serena. Tessa who had noted the exchange the two of them had nervously bit her lower lip. “Who are you?” Nate said as he looked at Will dully.

Quickly, Tessa introduced both Serena and Will to Nate, though, neither of the boys seemed all that happy to meet the other, and Serena awkwardly brushed off the quick looks Nate would give her. “So, are you a Shadowhunter like the others?” Nate questioned and stiffly, Serena shook her head.

“No, I just have the sight,” Serena responded and in disbelief, Will glanced at her.

“For the moment can the both Nate and I have space?” Tessa questioned and quickly, Serena left the drawing room, without saying a word to Tessa, Will followed Serena.

In the corridor, the both of them walked, Serena ahead of the Herondale boy who she could feel examine every inch of her body. “You reek of alcohol,” Will said and on the defence, Serena turned to look at him, her eyes wide as she thought of what to say to explain herself. “You’re harming yourself.”

Serena’s face immediately twisted. “I cannot be harmed---”

“It appears like you’re trying to,” Will scolded, his usual playful eyes harsh. “I know when someone is trying to self-harm, I’m the self-claimed King of it.”

“It’s just not that,” Serena frowned and confused, Wil tilted his head.

“Then what is it?” Will pushed. His hands now in his pockets as he stared down at her. “You barely tell us anything of yourself, while living under our roof. You lie what you are to Nate---:

Serena had then rudely scoffed; Serena was sure that Will did in-fact not care about her lying to Tessa’s brother. “Nate will be okay not knowing what I am. It’s just you---you want to know everything about me!” Serena snapped heated, aware that Will usually got a rise from seeing people upset, she held her tongue.

“Maybe that’s true,” Will said, his voice no longer harsh and spiked with fire. Serena looked away from him. “I can keep your secret, Serena.”

Dubious, Serena’s nails gently raked against her palms, with the side of her eyes, Serena’s eyes returned to look at Will, Will who usually had a smug look on his face. Who usually had a look that revealed when he was about to make fun of someone, had looked different this time, his expression had been distinctive. Serious but soft as he stared at Serena.

He had always thought her eyes to be very pretty. In truth, they’ve known each other than less than a month, and Will who had believed that it was his eyes that were normally deemed to be the most beautiful others had looked down upon, had believed had been exceeded the magnificence of Serena’s.

“I don’t trust men like you,” Serena truthfully said as she finally looked at him face to face, and when her face finally levelled with his, Serena had immediately saw his usual bright eyes that immediately became duller.

Will hadn’t thought a sentence like that would offend him. People usually said rude things to him, but the more he had stood around Serena, spoke to her. He had been revealed to a side of him that yearned for her acceptance, her validation, thus, Will frowned. “You don’t trust men like me while you busy yourself with men like Davidson?” He questioned as if he had been in disbelief.

“They look down on me for being around you,” Serena said.

Will had frowned even more. “They?” He repeated, his tone of voice had demanded Serena to explain more.

Though, before the Venrosa woman could say anything, quick footsteps interrupted their conversation, Serena sensed it to be Jem, so she had looked to the side, prepared to heal him if he had asked. “Will…” Jem greeted before he had looked at Serena. “Serena,” he smiled. “Charlotte wants to talk to everyone.”

♡⊹˚₊ ❦ ❀ ₊˚⊹♡

For minutes, Serena had sat down through countless of talking, Nate had spoken about his situation with De Quincey and his gambling addiction. Serena sat through Nate’s tale of how De Quincey despises Shadowhunters, not like she cared.

They had spoken about Mortmain, Tessa’s mother and diary pages, and as much as Serena had wanted to be interactive, she couldn’t help but think of what Will had said. How she was intentionally harming herself. Serena had known that she was drinking to numb her pain, but she hadn’t realised, she had drunk so often that if she were a mere mortal she would’ve---

“Well, Charlotte has gone to notify the Enclave,” Tessa said, her voice had snapped Serena out of her day-dreaming.

Serena frowned; how much did she miss?

“That’s all the rest of London’s Shadowhunters---of the location of De Quincey’s hideaway, so they can plan an attack,” said Tessa. “But really Nate, you shouldn’t be worrying about these things. You should be resting.”

“So, it’ll just be us,” Nate’s eyes were closed. “In this big old place. Seems strange.”

“Oh, Will and Jem won’t be going with them,” said Jessamine. “I heard her talking to them in the weapons room when I went to get the blanket.”

Nate’s eyes opened. “They won’t?” He sounded astonished; Serena frowned. “Why not?”

“They’re too young,” said Jessamine. “Shadowhunters are considered adults at eighteen, and for this kind of undertaking----something dangerous that the whole Enclave is participating in---they tend to leave the younger ones at home.”

Serena had looked at Tessa who seemed to be relieved. Bored, Serena looked at her fingernails, Thomas had walked in during their conversation, he had carried a stack of folded clothes that he passed onto Nate who thanked him.

“I’ll ask Agatha to prepare something light, and perhaps a game of cards to keep us occupied after we eat. Sandwiches and tea, I think---Serena join us!” Jessamine suggested and returned back to reality, Serena sat up on her seat and turned to Jessamine, they had all looked at her, Tessa, Nate and Jessamine, as if they were a crowd of curious owls. However, Tessa seemed less likely to join the game. “Won’t that be fun?” She asked while Nate and Thomas exited the room with the clothing.

“Sure,” Serena agreed as she pulled herself closer towards the blonde woman.

“Cards?” Tessa, who had been shocked nearly speechless by Jessamine’s suggestion and Serena’s contribution. “You think we ought to play cards? While Henry and Charlotte are off fighting de Quincey?”

Jessamine tossed her head. “As if our moping around would help them! I’m sure they’d rather we were cheerful and active in their absence rather than idle and morose.”

Tessa frowned. “I really don’t think,” she said, “that suggesting cards to Nate was a kind idea, Jessamine. You know perfectly well he has…trouble…with gambling.”

“We’re not going to gamble,” Jessamine said airily. “Just a friendly game of cards. Really, Tessa, must you be such a wet blanket?”

“Wet blanket?” Tessa repeated out of confusion.

Serena turned to Tessa to explain. “A wet blanket means that you’re not fun.”

Tessa had then glared at Jessamine. “I know you’re only trying to keep Nate happy. But this isn’t the way---”

“And I supposed you’ve mastered the art of winning men’s affection?” Jessamine snapped, Serena raised the both of her eyebrows, she had thought, if they had actually wanted to know how to win men over, they ought to ask her. “You think I haven’t seen you looking at Will with puppy-dog eyes?”

Serena bit her tongue.

“As if he were even---he strips Serena naked with his eyes to even care about you! Oh!” She threw up her hands as Tessa avoided Serena’s look. “Never mind. You make me---"

“This shouldn’t be something we’re arguing about,” Serena frowned in distaste to how Jessamine treated Tessa.

Rudely, Jessamine turned to look at Serena. “And I’ve heard about you!” She rudely pointed, surprised, Serena pointed towards herself. “Don’t even try and get your sticky hands-on Nate and make him impure like you!”

Serena gasped at Jessamine’s sentence, enraged, the woman stood up on her feet and sharply slapped Jessamine. There was a pinching silence as Jessamine held her face. Tessa looked between Serena and Jessamine, silent and surprised on what had just happened, Serena had then gripped her hand before she pulled it back to her side.

“Don’t give me ideas,” she warned Jessamine as she rudely looked at her. Heated, Serena stormed out of the Drawing Room with Tessa behind her.

Tessa was unsure if Serena had wanted anyone to speak to her, so she scrambled towards her own room leaving Serena alone, but the Venrosa woman followed after Tessa. Not only did Serena slap Jessamine for what she had said to Serena, she had also slapped Jessamine for her rudeness towards Tessa.

Tessa had allowed Serena in, the Gray woman had splashed water on her face fore she untangled her hair with a hairbrush. Serena had barely taken in Tessa’s room; it had been plain compared to Serena’s room or even Jessamine’s.

“Are you okay?” Serena asked, hands clasped together she had sat on Tessa’s bed.

“I’m fine,” Tessa muttered, unaware with how much she sounded like she had disregarded Serena’s question, though, Serena did not take it to offence. “A thing inside of me is telling me that Jessamine deserved that slap.”

“She did deserve it. She’s rude to you all the time, it was bound to happen,” Serena explained and by her own surprise, Tessa sourly laughed.

Though, Tessa had wanted to ask Serena what Jessamine had meant. “What did she mean by that?” Tessa curiously questioned; she had wondered how innocent she appeared to the rest of them. “Jessamine calling you sticky hands, what does that mean?”

Awkward, Serena had smiled at Tessa, she had contemplated on how she should explain it to Tessa, and if she did, Serena had wondered if Tessa would not want Nate around her, as she had noted that she was very protective over her brother. “Serena!” She had heard Will call, and confused the darker-haired woman pulled herself to her feet.

“I’ll be seeing you,” Serena promised, and without hearing Tessa speak, Serena left Tessa’s bedroom. There had been a frown on her face the moment she saw Will standing beside Tessa’s door frame. “Step away from the room,” Serena instructed and obedient, he did, which had surprised Serena, however, the smug look on her face made Serena realise that he knew about the slap.

“I never took you for a violent princess,” he said with a playful voice and Serena crossed her arms as she looked at him with disgust.

“Never call me that again,” she commanded and with a chuckle, Will leaned against the wooden walls with his hands stuck into his pockets.

“I wish I saw that,” Will said, his eyes brighter than what she had saw a couple of hours ago.

Serena pulled her face back as Will continued to talk. “I like seeing that fiery side of you, it would’ve riled me up---”

Serena had then slapped his chest. “You are disgusting!” She spat, but Will grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him. He had wanted to do everything to her, and Serena could see it, she had fought back and released herself from Will’s grasp before she scurried back to her room.

♡⊹˚₊ ❦ ❀ ₊˚⊹♡

It had been the next night, Serena had sat in front of her vanity mirror, prepared to leave to Angelika’s party. She had taken out one of her pretty dresses and had completed touch-ups on herself, if the party she was invited to wasn’t secret, she’d ask Sophie or Agatha to help her but they couldn’t know.

The only one who did was Thomas, as he was the one who was going to drive her there. At first, Thomas was unsure to go along, but Serena had promised that she’d return to the Institute safe. She had convinced Thomas to not stay at the destination.

When Serena had stepped out of the bedroom, she had walked into Will. He had looked beautiful; Serena had thought and she had caught the way he had looked at her. “Where are you going?” Will questioned but Serena had not responded and focused to walk by him.

Stubborn, Will caught her wrist. “Let go!” Serena frowned.

“Are you going to drink again?” Will questioned and embarrassed, Serena had shrugged him off.

“No,” she frowned and shook her head. “Not exactly.”

“Drinking is not the best way to mourn, I out of all people will know that,” Will shared and with a twisted face, Serena rubbed the area of her wrist Will once had in his grasp.

She looked him up and down, annoyed he never seemed to mind his business. “What do you know?” Serena rudely questioned and with a rude look, Will shoved his hands in his pockets.

“I know more than you would expect,” Will argued and with pressed lips, Serena had watched Will aim to hold her again.

She had let him. Allowed him to take her back into her bedroom. “I will be late,” Serena complained and with a gentle smile, Will released his free hand from the dents of his trousers.

“They will be okay with you being late, you’re too beautiful to be mad at,” he kindly shared and surprised, Serena had sat back on her bed.

“Who is this and what have you done with Will?” She investigated and with a laugh, Will had sat beside her. Serena looked at him and gently shuddered, this is the first time they have been close with each other without arguing. “Thomas is waiting for me.”

Will curved his eyes. “It’s quite annoying that Thomas,” Will frowned. “Gets to take you to these secret places and I don’t get to know or even come.”

“Well, I tell Thomas because he’s kind and handsome,” Serena said and taken aback, Will knitted his eyebrows.

He stuttered before he asked her. “Do you like…Thomas?” He questioned as he waited for Serena’s response.

“No,” Serena said as she held back her smirk. She had saw the twinkle of jealousy that danced in his eyes. “I’m just stating the facts.”

Will hummed in response as he gently pulled away from her. “You don’t think I’m kind and handsome?” He innocently questioned and Serena stared at him, aware that he had been playing, though she had still spoke to the truth.

“I do think you’re handsome,” Serena shortly clarified, she had thought he was pretty even. “But kind?” She rhetorically questioned and cheekily, Will slid his hand towards hers, she hadn’t done anything to pull away from him, Will had then laughed at her response, aware that there had been a soft grip around her fingers.

“You’ve been drinking every day,” he had brought up again and with her lips gently pinched, Serena sighed through her nose.

She had then accepted that he will never drop it. “Why do you care?”

“Sometimes I hear you cry,” Will said and tense, Serena gently flared her nose. “You cry out for your family…your family died. Do you think it was all your fault?”

Suddenly, everything felt heavy and Serena looked away. “It was,” she said as if it was a fact.

“I know what that feels like,” Will kindly shared, he had then urged her to look back at him. His pretty eyes and calm face, Serena couldn’t help but stare at him, she understood why Tessa felt at such awe whenever she saw him. “I had an older sister Ella,” Will introduced. “She was a warrior, she was…I was attacked by a demon that I released from a Pyxis. She went to protect me and ended up getting poisoned by the demon…” he trailed, his last word almost a whisper, it was as if he had wanted to say something else, but couldn’t.

With empathetic eyes, Serena had saw an emotion in Will she had barely saw, guilt.

“I’m so sorry Will,” she gently apologised, and when the Herondale boy returned to gaze at Serena, there had been a look of encouragement in his eyes, to push her to explain her story. Serena hesitated, but she could feel the way his thumb circled around her knuckles. “What I am, I’m special,” Serena said. “There are people who hunt people like me,” she explained and with anticipation, Will held her hand tighter, aware she had used her strength to not cry.

“The people who tried to hunt me burnt my home, in attempt to find me, but I wasn’t there. I wasn’t there to protect them I---”

Will hugged her, allowed Serena to gently cry against him. “I couldn’t stand not knowing you,” Will said as he hugged her tighter, as if he was afraid that she’ll slip from his grasp, Will inhaled her scent, infatuated by her presence, her story. “I dream of you every night, of you happy, when you’re crying, I cannot bare seeing you upset, Serena.”

Serena had not been aware with how intense Will had felt. “I want to fix it,” he whispered and with her hands against his chest, welcoming his warmth through her palms, Serena shook her head.

“You cannot fix it,” Serena foretold as she pulled away from him. Hands clasped around her face, Will moved his fingers to wipe her tears, wiped them as if someone were to wipe a blurred window. He looked at her, captivated by her essence, if she saw the way she’d look, as if she had been a Siren pulled out of the water, eyes mesmerising, lips soft and pretty. Will could feel his heart want to explode.

He had made her feel things intensely, and he had kept it for too long for his own sake. “I feel silly,” Serena pouted, and Will’s eyes softened. “Making a girl cry?” Serena claimed at Will who had then smiled, his hands still around her face, Will pulled himself closer.

“You’re not just a girl, are you?” Will asked and he stared at her, thus, he had wondered how silly he had looked. As if he were a lone man facing a giant Goddess ready to be claimed by her. “Serena,” he had whispered, not to call her, but to say her name. “Serena,” he repeated again, reminding himself of the times he’d touch himself in thought of her, how he’d cry out her name as he’d reach his bliss, how he’d curl his back and buck his hips again, and again, and again. This woman was compelling. He had wondered how she would feel, how she would taste. “Serena,” he said again before he kissed her, and he gently moaned. It just as he had thought, she had tasted, good.

Shocked, Serena had gasped into his mouth, but had kissed back. Eyes closed as Will leaned her against the bed, he wondered if Serena could feel him, how he had ached to rock against her. He had wanted her so badly, wanted Serena to himself, so he had continued to kiss her, melt into her and yearn to rest his body inside of her.

Serena whined against his lips, she could feel him, and she wanted him so badly. So badly. “No,” she whispered as she had pushed him away, Serena quickly got to her feet. “I need to go,” she blurted before leaving her bedroom without looking back at him.

story masterlist

masterlist

#will x reader #will herondale smut #will herondale fanfiction #will herondale #tessa gray #jem carstairs #shadowhunters #shadowhunters chronicles #the shadowhunter chronicles #greek mythology #aphrodite #will herondale x you #will herondale x oc #the infernal devices #shadowhunter

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johannestevans · 11 months ago

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Rescue Dogs: Chapter Fifteen

Cecil Hobbes finally gets Valorous King to try a new adventure: therapy. Cecil Hobbes, an ex-PE teacher disgraced and looked down on in his hometown, has a new partner: Sir Valorous King, a knight of the realm, once a child of prophecy, and Cecil’s stalker. A few months into their relationship, Cecil finally convinces Valorous to see a therapist, on the condition that Cecil attend one himself.

“You okay?” Cecil asked as they stepped out from the cinema building into the street, leaning toward Valorous and speaking in an undertone, directly into Valorous’ good ear.

“Four people in that room recognised me,” he said. He had his sleeves pulled down over his hands, and he was rubbing the fabric of each of his sleeves between his thumbs and forefingers, and his hood was pulled up. It was one of Cecil’s hoodies, one of his older ones – it wasn’t as if it was all that big on him, but it smelt of Cecil, and it was worn and soft and comfortable, a steel grey that had faded a bit with so many washes. He was wearing it over a light blue blouse, a laced one, and his trousers were dark green and made of a fae plant weave, his dark blue leather boots.

“How many recognised me?” Cecil asked in an even voice, not sounding too stressed about it. Valorous didn’t know if he was hiding the stress, or if it was really something that didn’t matter to him.

“One or two, maybe,” Valorous said. “None of them focused on you after the initial glance and intensified gaze, so they probably recognised you as an old teacher, not necessarily as a nonce. And none of them seemed to recognise us both together.”

They kept walking, and Valorous focused on Cecil’s worn-out trainers – he’d come to the Majoks’ office directly from the gym, and he’d showered and changed, but was basically dressed for work still, in a hoodie, trackies, a vest.

“That was a magical cinema,” Cecil said quietly. “How many people in that theatre? A hundred and fifty seats, let’s say, it was maybe seventy percent full?”

“About a hundred and twenty,” said Valorous. “Give or take.”

“How many active magic users?”

“Thirty or forty.”

“How many blonds?”

“Fifty or sixty.”

“All natural?”

“Four with obviously dyed hair. One with a wig.”

“Any ex-soldiers?”

“Six.”

“How many members of the Lashton Big Five?”

“Three Renns, Two Sorrels, no Laithes, no Kings but me. The usher was a Pike.”

“How—”

Valorous gripped hold of Cecil’s wrist, silently begging the old man to shut the fuck up, and when Cecil turned to meet his gaze Valorous saw the complete comprehension in his face, the knowledge of exactly what he was fucking doing as he asked.

“That why you don’t like cinemas?” he asked softly, raising his eyebrows and looking at Valorous, and Valorous somehow couldn’t handle it, the weight of Cecil’s eyes looking at him like that, looking right at him, inside him, through him. Cecil’s eyes were blue, but they weren’t blue like Valorous’ were.

Valorous’ eyes had always been a paler colour, kind of shiny even before the magic had liquefied the colour and burned out the texture in them – it still felt weird when he looked at photos of himself as a young kid, pictures of him close up, when he could see the flecks and furrows and crypts, all the patterning in his irises. You couldn’t see it anymore – it was still there, you just, you couldn’t see it. There was too much molten magic in them, made his eyes look liquid instead of like human eyes, how they were supposed to look.

Cecil’s eyes were a nice blue, dark, and Valorous liked the patterning in his irises, the layered blues.

“Lad,” rumbled Cecil, and Valorous realised the two of them were standing still in the middle of the street and Cecil’s hands were on him, his palms coming to cup Valorous’ forearms, palms resting over his elbows and keeping him framed in. He’d turned their bodies away from the main street, so that they weren’t as obvious to passers-by, Valorous supposed. “Did he do that with you? Make you go in cinemas for that?”

Read on Ao3 / / Read on Medium / / Read on WorldAnvil

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nevada-wrytes · 1 year ago

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Chapter 6 - Cold Welcome

Content Warnings: mentions of death

link to the previous chapter and link to the next

The portal spit him out six feet above a mausoleum in cold, muddy terrain. Surprised, Raven lost his balance and landed on the ground in a tangle of limbs and fabric. Neroli and Arcane were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they were a little pissed about the money.

He shook off the teleporting lethargy and stretched while the cemetery slowly unfolded around him, almost like a skittish cat. Rolling fog covered the rows of tombstones, which, once bursting with offerings and flowers, now lay barren. He leaned down to pick up a stray, trampled petal from some golden flower. Everything else had been scavenged.

Although the cemetery looked the same, it didn’t feel the same. There was no life, no warmth, and no movement. The once dewy grass was now wilted and limp, succumbing to ankle deep mud. The trees he saw in the distance were nothing more than dark, rotten husks covered in spores.

Funny how the only colors in this place were the unnatural hues of fungi.

If Raven could put a sign that said ‘Welcome to the Underneath’ anywhere, it would be here. Cold. Wet. Grey. Mud sticking to his boots as if trying to pull him under. No sounds besides his own breath.

This was not a place for the living. The Underneath, in all its cold stoic glory, was the realm of the dead: ghosts, lost souls, demons, and now, apparently, Raven.

The Underneath was a mirror dimension, of sorts. It didn’t really exist under the surface of reality, or the Above, but more so occupied the spaces in between.

However, the Underneath was not a perfect replica. Unlike the world above, it consisted of layers of different times and eras, allowing every century to be present in the same location, usually all on top of each other.

Raven could only explain it like this: imagine trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle with thousands of pieces, but there isn't enough time to put the pieces where they’re supposed to fit, so they get thrown together in whatever order where the full picture makes a little bit of sense. Oh, and the puzzle is being put together in a dark cave. Underwater. During an earthquake.

If this sounds like a hot mess, it was, which is why this glorious reality vomit is always covered in thick, rolling fog.

The fog was not placed there for malicious intent. Sometimes fog can feel choking and heavy, but the fog here felt airy and gentile. Almost like stumbling into a laughing relative as a child— it teases you, then gently guides you to turn back, away from what it is hiding, since it's not meant for you to see. Raven wouldn't be surprised, actually, if the fog was one of his relatives.

The fog gave this world a dreamy feel. The only places that truly felt concrete were spots carrying a great burden of death. Graveyards, battlefields, prisons, hospitals, highways, oceans, and forests. These places were called In-Between zones, because there, the barrier between the World of the Living and the World of the Dead were so thin you could even catch a glimpse of green grass or fluorescent lights or clear blue sky.

When he finally made it out of the cemetery, Raven found himself walking down a gravely road, pebbles crunching under his feet. The fog had given him enough room to breathe, but he could still only see the road ahead of him, a straight path that just kept going. Time and space were pretty easy to manipulate in the Underneath, so one just had to think really hard where they desired to go— and if all entities in the Universe didn't feel like fucking with you, a path would appear, just like that.

But Raven found walking down a long, straight road incredibly boring. Maybe if there were some nice views around him it would be more pleasant, but it was all dense, grey fog.

As if sensing his irritation, the fog suddenly closed in around him. Forget what he said about it being nice.

Although choked for air, Raven forced himself to continue walking into the white abyss, until the sound of gravel under his feet turned into the muffled crunch of snow.

៴

The closer he got to the City of the Dead, the colder it became. With a pop of his collar, his studded leather jacket transformed into a warm brown parka, with fur around the hood— a neat trick he picked up from a mage in the Balkans.

The fog, having delivered him to his destination, seemed to be in a playful mood, darting in and out of the corners of his vision, revealing aging stone structures, concrete blocks, or marble columns. Things from ways across the world that shouldn’t be found within six feet of each other appeared side by side as if it were no big deal. The fog seemed to think it was funny, and kept showing him more and more crazy architecture mashups until he finally gave in, the corner of his mouth lifting into a tiny grin.

But the revelry was short-lived. The fog had, at once, disappeared, and Raven soon found the culprit. Huge braziers full of glowing flame that leaped and danced cut through the mist like a knife to flesh. And attached to the braziers was an immense wall, at least the size of a two story building, made out of a shiny black rock.

No one stood by this entrance, it was still a way off from the city center anyways, so no one was there to stop Raven from running his hand over the designs carved into the smooth wall. Pictures too large for him to see up close, but nonetheless intricate and detailed. It was beautiful, but he wished it wasn’t.

Passing through the archway, Raven was at once thrown into the thick of things. The streets really wanted to be cobblestone, but phased into asphalt in the corners and paved dirt in the middle. On his left was a Mayan temple, and on his right a Communist-era apartment building. Some buildings stacked on top of each other, others faded in and out of reality as if they, too, were ghosts.

It felt dizzying, being back here, and he bumped into too many strangers in his effort to reorient himself. Someone cursed at him to get out of the way of a high speed racing car right as he watched a chariot go down the next street. Lanterns flickered by the road, the flames tended by young beings with giant poles, even though electricity buzzed somewhere not that far away. Beings of all different kinds and from all different ages went about their days, some dressed for the cold like him, and others seeming to not even notice the temperature at all.

Mothers pulled their young passed windows of toys, merchants selling ancient goods hawked at street corners, and light and even laughter spilled out of pubs and restaurants, too.

There were open air markets, balconies with hanging minerals and gems carved to look like flowers, squares where musicians played all kinds of music through the eras, and the noise— everyone spoke different languages, some long dead and gone, but they were understood nonetheless.

The bleak, grey landscape of the Underneath was transformed. No longer was death full of sorrow and emptiness, it was a chance for new life.

Raven had to sit down. He felt overwhelmed. Searching for a brief moment of escape, he ducked down an alley and found a quiet garden.

Each flower bed held more precious materials than all the world’s treasuries combined. Stems made out of thin bones held sparkling gems carved into delicate, curving petals. Tiny amber bees lay tucked into blossoms while emerald grasshoppers hid under jeweled leaves. Thousands of finger bones made up the branches of a tree where rubies the size of a fist hung like forbidden fruit. A fountain stood in the center of a paved walkway, decorated with human skulls and femur bones.

Raven sat down at its sides, gazing wistfully into the water flowing through— so crystalline he wondered if it, too, were made of precious minerals. The bubbling sound of the fountain made him realize how thirsty he’d become on his journey here— and the water pooling into the basin looked so clear and refreshing— surely one sip wouldn’t do any harm—

Raven got so close to tilting his head down before he came back to his senses.

The water smelled like rot.

He still had a way to go, Raven could afford no more distractions. He set back on his trek to the inner city, first putting on his hood to avoid the sights and sounds around him.

The plan was simple: hightail it to his boss’s office, don’t talk to anyone on the way there, receive whatever punishment he would get for skipping work, then get out. No need to stay longer than he had to.

But what would he do after that? What's left for him in the Above? Find a new city to cozy up in, find a new partner to date, then anxiously watch and wait as they eventually meet their fate? Could Raven even pretend anymore that things were okay? Could he look into his lover's face without seeing their bloated corpse in front of him?

The inner city was guarded by another set of walls, albeit smaller. Only the right personnel were allowed in, and although Raven didn’t want to, he would have to show his identity there. But after that moment of panic of would they recognize me? Do they know who I am?, it was smooth sailing from there.

The inner city was built like an airport terminal or train station. Guards guided new arrivals to their locations, workers or staff milled about on lunch break in cafes or parks, and beings leaving the realm stood by giant doorways, waiting for their turn to go. There was still the usual chaos of the city, but it felt more contained. Productive, even.

And then there was the pièce de résistance of this entire place. Craning his neck, Raven looked up, passed the jagged cliffs, to the giant fortress carved into them. It towered over the inner city, so high up the black walls disappeared into a fog, but Raven knew what was up there. A sprawling castle, the room and board for most of the workers, and in the center, a tall, imposing skyscraper made entirely of glass. And at the tippy top, the head office: his destination.

There weren’t as many beings walking around compared to the outer city, but those that were could be familiar faces, so Raven hid himself further in his jacket and hiked up his shoulders as if he hated everybody in this world. It was still cold, his breath clouded in front of him. It was always cold.

Thankfully he didn’t have to stay out there for long. One more block and he found a station to duck into. After a long flight of stairs, an underground shuttle waited to take him to the main building. Warm air leaked from these underground tunnels, and he could finally take his jacket off. Some other demons and spirits waited on the platform, business suits and briefcases mixing with period appropriate outfits or giant swords, but no one paid him any mind.

When the train arrived, the light bulb above him flickered. Raven wrinkled his nose. How cliché.

The doors slid open and a throng of beings slid out, chatting amongst each other or completely engrossed in their obsidian tablets.

At last, Raven stepped onto the train. All the seats were taken so he had to hold one of the handlebars. As the car moved into the tunnel, the lights went out. The entire car was illuminated only by the glowing red exit sign. It was silent.

Getting off the train was the same, but this time Raven followed the throng of beings into the first packed elevator. He wanted to go in one by himself, but looking at the crowds, that would never happen. Also, he couldn't afford to waste time, although he couldn't see it, the obsidian tablet in his pocket with the short message from Undesirable No. 1 felt like a chain— and not the cool, decorative kind.

The elevator went up and up and up. Beings got in and out, until the stream slowly ebbed and it was just him and a few others.

Then there was just him and one other guy left.

He looked like a generic office worker, white button up and brown shoes. Probably a spirit, a poor soul who was so good at working in their life that they'll even do it in death. Raven wondered what kind of contract he had. What had been enough to sentence yourself to an eternity of menial labor?

And because the Universe really hated him, the guy turned around. Raven wasn’t sure what he was before, but now it was obvious. The man had burn marks on the entire right side of his body, scars that ran good and deep. Only spirits have marks like that, usually to show how they died. Arcane, for instance, had been jumped and her body picked for parts, which was why her limbs were all sewn together now, like a doll.

This man must have been in some tragic workplace related accident, given his choice of outfit even in death. Raven squinted at his lanyard. It said his name was Dave.

"You come here often?" Dave asks, as if that's a completely normal thing to say in an elevator at work.

Raven thought about not replying, but who knows if this Dave would just keep talking, and that would be even more awkward.

"No."

"Ah, that's what I thought. I haven't seen someone like you on the upper floors a lot, and I've been here twenty two years."

"Thanks."

"Oh- no," Dave flushed, "I didn't mean it like that, I, er, you here for a meeting?"

"Yup." Raven popped the 'p' sound.

"Not much of a talker are you? That's fine, I'm sure you're just silently like ‘why is this old geezer talking to me? I'm just trying to do my job,’ right?" Dave laughed. It was a very self deprecating laugh, and Raven did not join in.

Raven looked at the floor number on the side of the elevator, it was taking its sweet time going up.

"Don't see many kids going up here anymore, just a bunch of office workers you know," he laughed again.

"I'm older than you."

Again, Dave seemed embarrassed, "Oh right, I'm so sorry, ‘don't assume ages, Dave, this isn't like real life, people can be older than they seem,’ that's what I keep telling myself, but you know, it's hard to get used to."

Raven nodded along, although he was silently wishing with all his might, practically willing the elevator to go up faster.

"Uhm, weird question, but can I ask when you died?"

Raven shot him a cool gaze. "I haven't."

"Oh! Oh. Sorry, I just assumed again, with your hand and uhm-"

Raven looked down at his hand. Although one was in his coat pocket, the other was at his side. He was missing his ring finger on his right hand, but that was hardly a spirit mark. Dave didn't really know much, did he.

Raven held up the hand. "I sacrificed my ring finger for the powers to destroy the world." He offered as an explanation.

Dave didn't really know how to come back from that. "Ah, right. Cool, cool."

The elevator finally fell into silence. Until it got to Dave's floor, and he turned around to wave.

"Well, if you ever need anything, I work on this floor, in post-mortem Accounting." He smiled as the doors closed. Raven did a very bad smile back, where he just stretched his mouth into a line. Dave's smile was nice. It didn't belong in this cold place.

The elevator kept going up and up. Luckily they had gotten rid of the cheesy music years ago, at the tearful pleas of the workers who had to listen to it for so long, but somehow the absence of annoying yet cheery tunes made it worse.

Raven hated silence.

Finally, after what felt like another eternity, the elevator doors pinged open. Raven stepped out onto the top floor, which opened up into a small receptionist area in front of two giant doors that Raven knew left into the room of his demise.

Maybe it wasn't too late to go back— he began to back up, but the elevator had already gone down.

Tag list! (ask to be added/removed) @oc-writing-corner (I can do that, right?) @thebonecarver @victorfrankingstein @confused-as-all-hell @iambecomeyourvillain @brekkercookie @purpl-cryptid @reyyya @thecurlychameleon @naz-yalensky @thesexypanda-boo @kazoo-the-demjin @twelve-kinds-of-trouble @irishyacinths

#nevada writes #raven nv #oc writing #writing #realized the last chapter was posted exactly two months ago so I knew I needed to get this one up as well #this was a very difficult chapter to write hope y'all like it #also a pretty long chapter eh? I'm proud of myself #final word if anyone knows any other websites I can post my writing lmk I want to network a bit more

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beeblackburn · 1 year ago

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Top 5 media with trans rep/themes?

Thank you, @xserpx!

Truth be told, this question is actually trickier than you think, because I haven’t read/watched that much medias with explicitly trans rep/themes, I own a lot, but haven’t read them quite yet, and the better stuff I’ve read is sequestered in my writing server via snippets and tidbits from others... or indie/self-published publications and patreons... and, uh, not to oversell my stuff, but my own writing KOFF KOFF.

To be clear, I do have enough to give a list, but given what I’ve heard of Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin (can you believe I bought that damn book six times?) and Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt, this list is liable to change after checking out at least the former.

But without further ado...

Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier and Val Wise - Look, I promise I love pain and violence and self-loathing and feeling like your skin’s a stranger to you, but this was done by a trans writer and artist team and it damn shows. As a whole, it really sings in how the trans experience feels like acceptance in your support network is conditional on how well you act. How well you don’t rock the boat, how well you perform to your preferred gender, and how unstable and insecure you can still be, despite all that and more. It doesn’t wallow in those thorns too long, but in terms of trans rep and theme? It’s my favorite, and it doesn’t hurt that I love the art.

Tangerine, directed by Sean Baker - If the above was the more optimistic take of trans childhood, this is the poignant, if still playful, reality behind a decent chunk of adult trans womanhood, done with a cheap budget, but with verisimilitude intended. It doesn’t pull punches on how shitty trans sex workers are treated, how they’re objectified and abused, but it still allows them agency and personhood in how they go about the tangle of their professions and personal lives. And, more importantly, it doesn’t pull punches of how fellow trans people can hurt each other through their flaws and bad choices... but doesn’t surrender that they can still offer solidarity when the going gets really tough from systemic transphobia.

A Grisly Communion by N.J. Barna - If the first above was trans experience as childhood joy and love, the second was grounded street-walking reality, this is transcendental body horror. It’s a story that understands following our commonplace religious institutions can give you some degree of safety... but it can’t give you peace of mind, nor body. That the (fat) trans experience is conditional on being useful, on not taking up so much space for threadbare tolerance, and it’ll never be enough, given that fatness intersects upon the transness of it all. So, when unusual idols of worship are offered... we take them, because they, at least, would pay respect to our bodies and grant us the power to be on the other side of being meat from judging eyes.

Boys Run the Riot by Keito Gaku - I really wish this wasn’t cancelled before its time. This manga deserves at least a year’s worth of chapters, being an unconventional look into high school adolescence through a trans man’s pen, and a trans boy’s eyes as he navigates through being closeted in Japanese school culture and masculinity, his love life, and especially his daily choices of fashion, and how he eventually tries to gain more friends and allies through opening himself up... with plenty of teeth in how trans privacy must be respected for their safety, and how influencer culture intersects with gender performance and the need for online cache, with no easy answers there.

Realm of the Elderlings - What Hobb lacks a bit in the full understanding of transgression in the trans experience or culture as a whole, she makes up for in allowing a messiness in individual characterization and having one of the best gender nonconforming characters in all of fantasy. I’m not as crazy about the Fool as some fans, but he’s eminently quotable, layered, complex and messy as hell, and when he talks about love and yearning, such concept of malleable bodies, and how he transgresses cultures with utter confidence in his presentation, it’s enough to make one’s heart swell and ache at how there are not more characters like him in fantasy, for when he speaks of such experiences, it feels like he touches a part of you that transcends the physical.

#cheer up! love and pompoms #tangerine #a grisly communion #boys run the riot #realm of the elderlings #crystal frasier #val wise #sean baker #nj barna #keito gaku #robin hobb

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pagebypagereviews · 3 months ago

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Diving into the continuation of Tom Clancy's gripping world of geopolitical intrigue and high-stakes espionage, "Command and Control," the 23rd installment of the Jack Ryan series, further solidifies its place among the pantheon of iconic thrillers. With the Clancy estate entrusting Marc Cameron with the heavy responsibility of carrying the torch, readers are swept once again into the treacherous and cerebral universe of Jack Ryan. It is a realm where the fate of nations hangs by a thread, and it's not just about the thrills—the novel explores the fabric of global security and the razor-thin margins preventing chaos from reigning supreme. "Tom Clancy Command and Control" isn't merely another chapter in the life of its eponymous hero; it's a masterclass in weaving complexity with accessibility, as Jack Ryan navigates the murky waters of modern warfare where the battlefield has no clear lines and enemies wear no uniforms. Marc Cameron adeptly steps into Clancy's shoes, presenting a narrative filled with cutting-edge technology and heart-pounding action that speaks to the anxieties of our time. As agents race against the clock to prevent an international catastrophe, the book underscores the strategic importance of intelligence and the unending struggle for power—a mirror held up to the real-world challenges of command and cyber warfare. This novel doesn't just solve the problem of the reader's thirst for a compelling story; it engages with the reality of our interconnected world's fragility. Plot The plot of "Tom Clancy Command and Control," the 23rd book in the Jack Ryan series, revolves around intricate geopolitical conflicts and showcases a high-stakes narrative involving international espionage, strategic military operations, and the ever-present shadow of potential global warfare. In this installment, readers find Jack Ryan's administration facing off against complex threats that could destabilize the precarious balance of peace. The novel expertly interweaves several subplots, each filled with suspense and action, as characters navigate a world brimming with treachery and unexpected alliances. At the heart of the story, a series of incidents involving nuclear weaponry pose a grave risk to world security, compelling President Ryan and his team to operate on the edge of their abilities. Realistic depictions of cyber warfare, tactical decision-making, and international diplomacy are central to the narrative, ensuring that every twist contributes to a deeply engaging tale of modern warfare. Characters The character ensemble in "Tom Clancy Command and Control" is rich and diverse, with each individual adding depth and complexity to the narrative. At the center is Jack Ryan, whose astute leadership and moral integrity are tested like never before. As President of the United States, Ryan is portrayed as both a strategist and a man of action, who must balance the pressures of his office with the demands of rapid-fire crises. Surrounding him are familiar faces, like John Clark and Ding Chavez, former members of the Rainbow Six counter-terrorism unit, who lend their unparalleled skills to the fray. New characters are also introduced and woven into the universe, such as cyber specialists and foreign operatives, each bringing their own expertise and perspective to the operations at hand. The author provides substantial backstories and motivations for these characters, allowing readers to understand their decision-making processes and personal stakes within the sprawling narrative. Writing Style The writing style of "Tom Clancy Command and Control" stays true to the classic Clancy formula, showcasing meticulous detail, technical precision, and a layered narrative approach. The use of third-person omniscient narration affords a panoramic view of the geopolitical landscape, seamlessly shifting from the inner workings of the White House to clandestine operations in foreign lands. Clancy's prose is heavy with military and technological jargon,

lending authenticity to the story, but it remains accessible due to its well-crafted explanations. Dialogues are sharp, often carrying undertones of political maneuvering and strategy. Moreover, the pacing is deliberate, balancing action-packed sequences with moments of tense deliberation,as if reflecting the real-time urgency of the unfolding global crises. The author employs foreshadowing and suspense to keep readers invested, making "Tom Clancy Command and Control" a compelling read for longtime fans and newcomers alike. Setting The setting in "Tom Clancy Command and Control" is global in scope, transporting readers to various corners of the earth as the story unfolds. From the power corridors of Washington D.C. to covert operations in Eastern Europe, the settings are painted with a realistic brush. Clancy's attention to detail is evident, as he brings to life the environs of each locale, whether it’s the high-security confines of the White House Situation Room or the gritty atmosphere of a war-torn country. Through descriptive narrative, the reader is given a sense of the geopolitical climate, the dangers lurking in the shadows, and the impact of the surroundings on the narrative. Clancy uses the setting not just as a backdrop but as an active element that shapes the events of the story, contributing to the authentic feel that the series is known for. Unique Aspects One of the unique aspects of "Tom Clancy Command and Control" is the incorporation of advanced technology and realistic depictions of modern warfare tactics. Clancy's work often stands out for its prescient take on military innovations, and in this novel, the portrayal of cyber warfare, drone technology, and the latest in espionage gadgets underscores the evolving nature of combat and intelligence gathering. Another hallmark of the Clancy series found in this book is the intricate plotting that mirrors the complexities of the actual world of international relations and defense strategies. Additionally, "Tom Clancy Command and Control" maintains the legacy of moral quandaries and ethical dilemmas that are emblematic of the series, challenging characters and readers alike to consider the weight of decisions made in the name of national security. These elements combined make the book not merely a work of fiction but a contemplative exploration of the themes of power, duty, and the human cost of conflict. Similar to Tom Clancy Command and Control: A Jack Ryan Novel, Book 23 Book Review ```html table width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; th, td border: 1px solid black; padding: 8px; text-align: left; th background-color: #f2f2f2; .pros background-color: #e7f4e4; .cons background-color: #fde2e2; Pros and Cons of Tom Clancy Command and Control: Jack Ryan Novel Analysis of Pros Faithful to Genre The book remains true to the Tom Clancy brand of complex plots and detailed military and technical descriptions, which is highly appreciated by long-time fans. Character Development Returning characters continue to be developed, offering a deeper understanding of their motivations and personal histories, improving reader connection to the story. Action-Packed Filled with intense action sequences that keep readers engaged and contribute to a fast-paced narrative. Geopolitical Insight Provides an intricate look into geopolitical tactics and strategies, which can be educational and thought-provoking for readers interested in global affairs. Analysis of Cons Complexity Overload The very detailed plot and numerous subplots can be overwhelming for some readers, potentially leading to confusion or difficulty in following the storyline. Unoriginal Elements Some readers may find certain tropes and scenarios repetitive, lacking in originality or surprising developments. Pacing Issues The book's pace may feel uneven, with some sections dragging due to extensive descriptions or technical details, which might affect reader engagement.

Accessibility for New Readers Newcomers to the series might struggle with understanding the context or the significance of characters and past events referenced in the book. ``` Understanding the Genre and Author When looking into purchasing "Tom Clancy Command and Control: A Jack Ryan Novel, Book 23," it is crucial to start by acknowledging the genre and the legacy of the author behind these works. Tom Clancy's novels are well-known for their intricate plotting and detailed technical military expertise. As you consider this purchase, recognize that Clancy's books typically appeal to readers who enjoy political thrillers, military drama, and espionage. While Clancy passed away in 2013, his characters and style live on through the writers who continue his series, so evaluate whether the book remains true to the original style and quality you expect from a Jack Ryan novel. Understanding the Series Given that "Tom Clancy Command and Control" is the 23rd installment in the Jack Ryan series, consider how familiar you are with the preceding books. While many of the novels can stand alone, context from previous stories may enhance your understanding and enjoyment. If you appreciate following a character's development over time, you might want to read the earlier books first. Checking the interconnectivity of the novels in the series will help you determine where to begin or if reading in order is essential for you. Reading Reviews and Ratings Delving into reviews and ratings is an excellent strategy for gauging the book's reception amongst readers and critics. Look for consistent points in multiple reviews, as this can indicate central strengths or weaknesses in the book. Pay close attention to what readers say about the book's pacing, character development, and how it compares to other novels in the series. Be mindful that individual taste greatly influences reviews, so focus on finding feedback from reviewers who share your preferences in storytelling and genre. Evaluating the Writing Style and Pacing Tom Clancy's novels are known for their detailed narrative and complex plots. The writing style of Marc Cameron, who continues the series, should complement Clancy's original tone. If you prefer fast-paced action, look for indications of how the book manages to balance description with movement. Conversely, if you enjoy deep dives into the technicalities of military operations or espionage, you’ll want to ensure that "Command and Control" doesn't skim over these aspects. Samples or excerpts can serve as a great tool for assessing the writing style. Considering Book Format and Edition Decide which book format best suits your reading preferences—hardcover, paperback, e-book, or audiobook. Each has its own advantages: hardcovers are durable and collectible, paperbacks are lightweight and often more affordable, e-books provide instant access and portability, and audiobooks offer the convenience of listening on the go. If you are a collector or appreciate the aesthetics of a bookshelf, first editions or hardcovers may be more appealing. If convenience is your primary concern, an e-book or audiobook might be the right choice. Price Comparison and Value Price is an important consideration, and it may vary widely across different retailers and formats. Compare prices across online bookstores, check for discounts, and don't overlook the savings potential of subscriptions or membership services that offer books at reduced prices or included with other purchases. Value is not just in the cost but also in the quality of the entertainment or insight you receive from the book, so weigh the price against the hours of enjoyment and the chance to dive into the beloved world of Jack Ryan. Checking Author Authenticity and Approval Lastly, it is important to ensure the book aligns with the continuity and endorsement of the Tom Clancy brand. Investigate how closely Marc Cameron works with the estate of Tom Clancy and whether the Jack Ryan series is progressing with the approval of those who originally managed the brand.

This can often be a telling sign of the quality and authenticity you can expect from "Tom Clancy Command and Control." FAQ for Tom Clancy Command and Control: A Jack Ryan Novel, Book 23 Book Review Is "Tom Clancy Command and Control" a standalone book, or should I read the series in order? While "Tom Clancy Command and Control" can be enjoyed as a standalone book, it is part of a larger Jack Ryan series. For those who want to follow character development and overarching storylines, it is recommended to read the series in order. Do I need to be familiar with military or political terminology to enjoy this book? While the book does use military and political terminology, it is generally explained within the context of the story. However, readers with an interest or background in these areas may appreciate the authenticity of the details. Can readers new to Tom Clancy's books start with this one? Yes, new readers can start with "Tom Clancy Command and Control." Each Jack Ryan novel is designed to be accessible to newcomers, though previous books provide background that may enhance the experience. How does "Tom Clancy Command and Control" compare to other books in the Jack Ryan series? "Tom Clancy Command and Control" continues the tradition of high-stakes political and military conflict. However, elements such as pacing, character focus, and plot complexity can vary, so reviews can be subjective. Fans often compare new releases to previous highlights in the series. Is there a lot of technical detail in the book? The book does contain technical detail, which is a hallmark of Tom Clancy's writing style. It strives to strike a balance between authenticity and readability for both enthusiasts and casual readers. Are the events in "Tom Clancy Command and Control" based on historical events? While the events in the book are fictional, they are often inspired by real-world politics and military technology. Clancy's work is known for its realistic scenarios and speculative extrapolation from current events. Is this book appropriate for all ages? Tom Clancy's books, including "Command and Control," are generally considered suitable for adult readers. They contain complex themes, violence, and occasionally strong language that may not be appropriate for younger readers. Who has authored "Tom Clancy Command and Control" given that Tom Clancy passed away? Following Tom Clancy's passing, his works have been continued by various authors. "Tom Clancy Command and Control" is authored by Marc Cameron, who has taken up the mantle to contribute to the Jack Ryan series. In conclusion, "Tom Clancy Command and Control," the 23rd installment of the Jack Ryan series, proves once again why Tom Clancy's legacy continues to be a titan in the thriller genre. This gripping narrative not only pulls readers back into the familiar and masterful world of geopolitical intrigue and high-stakes action but also weaves together a tale that remains relevant to today's global challenges. The balance of meticulously researched military strategy and political maneuvering, combined with relatable characters, makes this novel a must-read for both long-time fans and newcomers to the series. The book effortlessly blends thrilling sequences with strategic depth, making it an excellent choice for anyone who appreciates a story that stimulates both the senses and the intellect. As Jack Ryan navigates through a labyrinth of danger and diplomacy, readers gain insight into the complexities of national security and international relations, reflecting Clancy's profound understanding of the world's political landscape. Choosing to delve into "Tom Clancy Command and Control" is not just about enjoying an engaging story; it's about immersing oneself in a journey that captures the essence of the political thriller. It's about understanding the dedication it takes to protect a nation, and the personal sacrifices that come with it. Whether you're seeking escapism, education, or excitement,

this book delivers on all levels, providing valuable insights and numerous benefits to readers who are passionate about the genre. So, if you're looking to add a novel to your collection that offers both a pulse-pounding narrative and thought-provoking themes, "Tom Clancy Command and Control" should not be overlooked. Other Tom Clancy Command and Control: A Jack Ryan Novel, Book 23 Book Review buying options

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