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larluce · 22 days ago

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Rules: you will be given a word. Then you share one sentence/excerpt from your wip(s) that starts with each letter of your word!

I was given the word TIME by @tansyuduri . Thank you SO much for the tag! ❤️

The first one is a fragment of the next chapter of my fic From the Grave to the Craddle

The second one, a fragment of the next chapter of my fic Protecting the Dragonlord's Son

The third one, a very future scene that will happen on my Merlin as Arthur's familiar/Arthur's shapeshifter falcon AU

And the fourth one, a scene from Arthur and Merlin travel back in time without knowing the other is from the future too AU that will appear once is fic (Yes I'm working on that too) , which I'm co-writing with @evadne01 and @rubinaitoart by the way!

- T -

The wooden dummy falls to the ground, the sound of the impact muffled by the grass. Arthur gasps, sweat running down his forehead and nose. He's exhausted, he had to defeat ten 'bandits' today, but the adrenaline is still strong in his veins, so he doesn't abandon his defensive stance. He's sure this is the last one, but there was always the possibility that he had miscounted or that his master had added more hidden dummies to take him by surprise.

“Boo!” a voice shouts behind him and Arthur turns quickly, almost dropping the handle of his sword, startled. Those electrifying blue eyes he knows so well look at him mischievously accompanied by a big smile worthy of someone very pleased with himself.

“By the gods, Merlin!” exclaims Arthur. “One of these days I'm going to stab you by accident if you keep doing that.”

“With a wooden sword?” Merlin looks at him with a raised eyebrow. Arthur looks at his sword.

“It's more dangerous than it looks,” the blond defends his trusty weapon, stubborn and proud as only a fourteen-year-old can be.

Besides, I'll soon have a real one, Arthur thinks with excitement, Emrys promised me.

“Your reflexes have improved, Arthur, good job,” as if he had summoned him with his thoughts, his mentor emerges from the shadows. He has a slight smile on his face, just a hint of a smile, and yet it is the widest smile he has seen in years. “Merlin, what did I tell you about butting in on your partner's training?” the old man scolds his other pupil.

“Oh, but he was done!” Merlin retorts, but when he sees that his master does not take his disapproving look away, he sighs. “I'm sorry, I won't do it again.” Emrys just shakes his head.

“Help Arthur out of his armor and we’ll start your training,” the old man turns around and, with a movement of his hand, makes the wooden and straw dolls scattered on the floor stand up, as if they had a life of their own, and follow him in a row behind him, marching.

“You see that?!” exclaims the twelve-year-old warlock, between impressed and irritated, pointing in the direction his mentor went with the fake bandits. “He didn’t even use a spell or anything. He just…” he imitates the movement with his hand in an exaggerated manner. “That!”

“You can also move things without casting any spells, Merlin,” says Arthur as if it were no big deal, while trying to undo the straps of the armguard. “Ow!” he complains when his friend removes the shoulder pad with his arm in the wrong position.

“Don't move,” Merlin warns. “Moving objects is one thing, Arthur, animating them is another. Even with spells it’s hard to achieve-Stop moving!”

- I -

“I’m fine now. Really.”

Arthur stares at his servant’s face for a few seconds to make sure he’s not lying. Merlin knows this, so he holds his gaze, even though he feels self-conscious at the intensity in the prince’s eyes. He understands that after so many lies Arthur doesn’t believe him right away and that they have to rebuild the trust between them.

Merlin understands that, but… Is it necessary that Arthur looks at him straight in the eyes like that?

“Very well,” the prince finally agrees. “Since we have that settled. We need to talk about the dragon.”

“Oh…” Merlin gets nervous again. “Can’t we start with something else?”

The young warlock doesn’t feel comfortable talking about the dragon right now. Not when the worst mistakes he’s made are related to it.

“No, Merlin,” Arthur says in a tone that almost sounds apologetic. “We have to start with this. My father is going to question you about the dragon.”

“What?!” Merlin screams in panic. What does he mean Uther is going to interrogate him again? He barely survived the first interrogation!

Noticing his distress, Arthur quickly grabs his arm with one hand. Merlin is puzzled for a moment. Does he think he's going to run away?

“It's just a routine investigation,” the prince reassures him, and the hand on his arm begins to gently caress him with his thumb. “You were the last to interact with the dragon and the dragonlord, so he wants to know if you have any information that could help stop them.”

Merlin looks away and blushes helplessly. It's absurd, it's not like it was the first time Arthur grabbed his arm or held him this close, but it was always rough and in a camaraderie-like manner. This… this feels more intimate somehow. It's…

As his anxious hands begin to play with the sheet he remembers that he's sitting on Arthur's bed. Right, Arthur has sat him on his bed! Since when does he do that?

“Merlin?” the prince snaps his fingers, bringing his servant out of his thoughts.

- M -

Much to his dismay, Carleon realises how doomed his nephew actually is.

It was no secret that the King of Camelot was a falcon lover, especially merlins. They were the national bird par excellence and their hunting was forbidden throughout Camelot kingdom. He's been informed its King has 6 pet merlins, 1 that turned out to be a magical creature and 5 common merlins that he has entrusted to his most trusted knights and they are better trained than any domesticated bird ever seen in all Albion. Everyone knows that Arthur Pendragon loves those merlins with his life.

And his nephew, his nephew had...

Arthur: (barely contained rage) He shot him with an arrow that went through his wing and chest. (His voice breaks a bit) He was just two years old.

Carleon: I'm sure my nephew didn't mean to... I mean, I don't think he knew it was one of your merlins. He's still not aware of all the new customs of your kingdom. Where we come from, bird hunting is very common-

Arthur: In other words, he didn't even want to kill my merlin in an act of defense or attack, but just for the fun of it.

Carleon: You have to understand. He's young, immature.

Arthur: We're the same age. Are you implying that I'm not mature enough to be king?

Carleon: ...

Arthur: Of course you are. That's why you keep sending raiders to my borders. That's why you haven't wanted to sign a peace treaty or negotiate with me in my nearly two years of reign. You think me incompetent, an easy target, and what word did you use? Immature.

Carleon: Well, you risking your kingdom to go to war with another just because your bird pet was shot doesn't exactly help my image of you.

Arthur: (pauses dangerously, and says in a low voice) "just because your bird pet was shot." (Repeats, raising his voice, furious) Just because your bird pet was shot!

Carleon: We have several falcons in Gwynedd too, I'm sure we can come to an agreement-

Arthur: Blizzard.

Carleon: ... Pardon?

Arthur: My merlin, the one your nephew injured, is called Blizzard. I took care of him since he was an egg, I saw him hatch, I fed him myself, I saw him grow, molt his feathers, he was the first of my merlins to learn to fly. My merlins were one of the few joys and comforts I had after my father passed away and my home was almost burned to the ground, King Carleon. My merlins are not my pets, they are my children and you are offering to replace him?

Carleon: (shocked) No... I mean...

Arthur: Well, I'll give you the same solution. You replace your nephew.

Carleon: (furious and offended) You little brat-

Arthur: Be careful with your words, I think you forget that I still have your prince's life in my hands.

Carleon: (sighs to calm down) If you kill him there will be war. Be reasonable.

Arthur: I tried to be reasonable with you several times in the past and you rejected each opportunity. Don't call me unreasonable now. Your prince committed a crime in my kingdom. If it had been anyone else, the sentence would have been the same. I'm just enforcing the law, it's not my fault that the prince wasn't aware of the laws of the lands he was trying to steal from me. Besides, weren't you looking for the perfect excuse to go to war with me? Well, here it is. Aren't you happy?

Carleon: (threatening) If you execute him, I'll have no mercy when these lands are mine.

Arthur: I admire your optimism, as if Camelot's army wasn't as strong and large as yours. But guess what? Even if you left a river of blood in your wake, nothing, absolutely nothing, will bring you back your beloved nephew.

Carleon: ....

Arthur: (laughs humorlessly, his eyes glazed over) It hurts, doesn't it? You won't see your nephew again and I won't see my Blizzard again. Nothing will bring him back to me.

Carleon: (sighs) Alright, I underestimated you and I was greedy and for that I ask for your forgiveness. I'm willing to negotiate now.

Arthur: I don't want to negotiate. I want justice.

- E -

Everyone eyes are on the sapling now. Horrible realization in their eyes. Gwen gasps and covers her mouth, her eyes watering. Leon pales so much it's almost funny. Percival, who seems dead inside, hardly responsive, opens his eyes wide as the only reaction to the news. Gaius… Gaius already suspected, of course, but it doesn't make him look less devasted.

Gwen: Why? Why would they…?

Arthur: They wanted to punish him. Something about him doing more wrongs than rights with his power, I don't know. (Thinks) And honestly I don't care. Who are they to decide? What right do they have?

Gaius: Rather Merlin wronged them. They’ve meddled in Camelot’s affairs twice before. Lady Sofia and Lord Aulfric. Princess Elena. Merlin stopped them every time.

Arthur: (Thinking) Nobody thought to tell me any of this until now? (Bitterly) So it was personal?

Gaius: I… wouldn't be able to tell.

Arthur: (about to lash out) You knew that and you thought going for them for help was the best idea?!

Gaius: I…

Gwen: (scolds) Arthur! (rests her hand against his arm, and both Leon and Percival bow their heads a little.) I know you're hurt. We are all hurting. But don’t You dare blame Gaius for this. Don't You dare!

Arthur: (composes himself) You’re right. My apologies, Gaius. You are not at fault, lets focus in what we can do to get him back to normal.

....

That would be all.

The word I choose is LATE.

I tag: @evadne01 , @rubinaitoart , @theroundbartable , @ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral .

#bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merlin #merthur #Arthur and Merlin travel back in time without knowing the other is from the future too AU #The Dragonlord's Son series #Merlin as Arthur's familiar/Arthur's shapeshifter falcon AU #From the Grave to the Cradle

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cyberdragoninfinity · 2 months ago

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some other bits of interest about dimensionswap (prime) AU dennis since he's my extra special poodle with a bite history ive been rotating at top speed in my brain this last week and i wanna throw some notes in my tag:

he runs ice barriers 💙 well. mostly. his ace is trishula but there might be another scary ice dragon lurking in his extra deck

his post-synchro arc duel academy Mini Boss outfit with the big crazy cape is inspired by Lancea, Ancestral Dragon of the Ice Mountain, which ended up working delightfully since in dswap Fusion dimension's associated color is white instead of purple

his ACTUAL secret second ace monster is one i made up <3 The miraculous merciless Mercury Mirror Magician!

shoutout to my buddy @/rampantlytyping for helping me iron out MMM's effects <3 i need to draw it sometime but it's this freaky weird warlock made of drippy quicksilver with solid 'mirror' masks that reflect monsters' faces back at them/cracks when it gets attacked. The card itself is super old and weathered but for a very long time Dennis never had the materials to actually summon it (since Ancient Gears are EARTH-based) :<

He trained in spycraft under one of Duel Academy's best students (Atticus <3) until something went really sideways on a mission and Dennis bungled something Big Time. But Atticus took the blame for the incident and ended up getting carded for it, and Dennis has been so deeply fucked up by the whole instance he can't even bear to think about it without slipping into a panic attack. He coped by swallowing Atticus's personality and using it as one of his many facades (it's like 90% of the outward persona he carries as Yuri's manager in Synchro. All cheery smiles. Laidback. Friendly)

(Alexis knows the truth of what happened, that Dennis's screw up was what ultimately got her brother carded, and she fucking haaaaaates Dennis for that. She had a chance to card him during a hunting game drill and the only thing that held her back was an adamant desire to Not be like the teachers who effectively killed her brother. and also to make dennis sit and stew in his own guilt lol. she ended up fleeing off to Yusho's resistance not long after)

He's just like. a Really a deeply dangerous and violent person and also still a massive liar and coward. he holds the nastiest grudges and never developed a creative outlet (dueltaining) so duels are just tools of power and destruction and survival to him. his demeanor can go icy in a heartbeat. Yugo has a scar on his shoulder from where Dennis once bit him hard enough to draw blood. HE IS UNWELL 😊

sorry mom i got attached to the AU dynamic between two characters who like barely interact in canon but dswap yugo and dennis have a bit of a winding history of interactions that go all the way back to when they were like eight and they make my chest hurt. duel academy's last and most lethal hunting hounds with no home to go back to. pain and agony on planet earth

#ygo posting #dimensionswap au #lord help me finish this ficlet about the two of them its been kickin my ass for like 8 DAYS!!!

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chloe-spade · 14 days ago

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The Swan Prince: Love Found A Way

The moon shined upon a beautiful lake, complimenting its reflection. A swan with primarily white feathers floated. Red marked his left. He floated sadly to the shoreline, Dabi standing there, arms crossed, and his face hard to read. Cold cyan eyes stared down at the Swan before him, but he knew he couldn't harm him.

"Don't be sad, Shoto," Dabi mocked with a grin. "This is only temporary. I don't intend to keep you like this, but we need you for our plan." He looked up at the moon. "And besides, the moon is rising. You'll be human once again."

The Swan looked up at the moon as water surrounded him, freeing him from his swan prison. Prince Shoto looked down at his hands for a moment and the rest of himself before slowly walking towards the grasslands, refusing to keep contact with Dabi.

"Oh, don't be like that," Dabi groaned, "I didn't kill that old man, but oh, I desperately wanted to. But I had to stick to the plan, like my boss had told me. You're part of that plan."

Shoto still wasn't responding.

"You little brat," Dabi hissed, raising his hand, summoning fire. "You better talk, or else I will-"

"Don't even think about it." Warned a voice from behind, "You know what he wants. One of them is not killing the prince."

"Who is my brother," Dabi reminded. "Who King Endeavor almost died protecting? Shigaragi, you honestly believe that man can keep his word?"

"Yes," Shigaragi answered. "But we need to keep your anger in check if this plan were to work. Meaning, we need him alive."

Dabi scoffed and walked away, leaving Shigaragi and Shoto alone.

"Pardon my partner," Shigaragi chuckled evilly. "He became a hothead after his presumed death and hadn't exactly let go of the past as some hoped. No matter, he did his part."

"…what part?" Shoto whispered.

"Oh, the little swan is now speaking," Shigaragi mocked but frowned. "He collected you and you only. And I suppose, keeping Endeavor alive, as he would be devastated knowing his favorite child was held captive. It makes us laugh at how freaked out he is, just like our leader wants."

"…should I know who your leader is?" Shoto mumbled.

"You should. All For One would be quite pleased when he finds out we have the young prince of Selene."

Shoto's eyes widen slightly at the name, releasing a small gasp.

All For One is known as the most potent warlock for using every single spell, stealing magic from other warlocks, and leaving them powerless against him. He leaves bodies in his path, from those who try to fight him to those who betray him.

Many stories were told about him. But only one sparked hope, a light in the darkness. One is about All Might, another powerful warlock who would use his magic for good, unlike All For One's evil. One day, All Might and All For One fought for many years, leading to All Night's victory and All For One's capture once and for all.

All Might continue to be a ray of hope for people worldwide. Shoto even remembered Izuku talking about him and admiring him.

"..what does he want with me?" Shoto asked.

"Not for much," Shigaragi answered. "But it might be a while until you officially meet him. He's still imprisoned, after all."

Shoto was about to protest, but Shigaragi was already gone after he finished his sentence.

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Shoto screamed into the air.

But no one was there to listen to him. He was alone, and he knew that, so he just…sank sadly and started to cry for the first time in years. The only comfort he seemed to get was the bright moon, which made him human for the night.

🦢A Year Later🦢

Izuku was training in the training yard, regardless of the people watching during tea time, including his mother, Inko. But she couldn't blame her son, especially what happened.

"Day after day, all the prince ever does is practice, practice, practice." Inko sighed, looking at Izuku, "Thinking of him and the way that it as he practice, practice, practice."

Izuku managed another bullseye from his arrow after consulting with All Might about his need to get stronger. He was supported by almost everyone else, who watched mainly with boredom but with support.

"This is so useless," Groaned Katsuki, "I mean, that boy is dead. He should be moving on by now."

"Don't say that!!" Huffed Ochaco, who was cleaning her staff. "Clearly, you don't see how much Shoto means to him and everyone else here. I mean, Izuku wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for Shoto."

"And we don't have the exact evidence that Shoto died," Tenya added, "who knows? Maybe he was simply held prisoner somewhere. And if that's the case, we should be prepared for anything."

"All I'm saying is that this is just…unnecessary," Katsuki sneered. "That prince caused nothing but trouble, and Selene is close to starting a whole damn war because of this. I say we cut out losses."

"I'm surprised that Izuku managed to convince the king not to," Tsuyu said. "We saw how he acted, and yet he didn't start one. We should be grateful. Blessed, even."

"Heh, you guys make me sound like a hardened soldier," Izuku chuckled nervously. "I'm still old me, remember?"

"Oh, we know!" Ochaco giggled. "But watching you practice gets tiring when we don't have conversations. And well, it's time for a break!"

Izuku sighed and sat down, "You're right, I've been up all morning for this."

"I'd say you'd done well, young prince," All Might grinned, "If this continues, you'll be a strong warrior."

"That's not my goal…well, it is, but I mean. I want to find Shoto and save him from whatever happens to him," Izuku admitted. "Having him back is my wish."

"Having a goal also helps you succeed," added Aizawa, the very silent tutor. "Though I am afirad, this is a very unrealistic one."

"I want to succeed, and I won't stop from achieving it."

Izuku sighed and looked down at the locket again, a reminder of Shoto. He remembered Shoto's happiness when he saw it for the first time and the hug afterward, thanking him for such a generous gift.

"I know he's alive," Izuku grins, "Shoto's a survivor, and he wouldn't let this drag him down, nor should I."

Katsuki scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Can we just eat some lunch already? I'm starving."

"True," Eijirou nodded, "let's eat!"

Everyone got up and walked up to join Inko to eat lunch, with Izuku following behind. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a beautiful swan who watched from the tree with an oddly red stroke of feathers on his left. His look reminded him of Shoto, and as he went closer, the Swan flew away as far as he could.

"What a…beautiful swan," Izuku mumbled softly, looking at the Swan flying away. "Maybe I'll see it again." 🦢 Shoto panted as he looked back at the castle. It was a miracle that he could watch Izuku during the day as a swan. It was a way to be still involved, though from a distance. He also liked that Izuku still adored him and wanted to save him from the fate he was trapped in.

"Oh, look who's back," shouted Yuga, a young frog, as Shoto landed at the lake. "So, tell me all the details."

"Oh, please," Shoto flushed. "He's just the same as ever. Kind, determined, and always ready to help others if they are in danger. What else is new to say other than that?"

"Well, a proclamation of love?" Yuga teased.

"Always," Shoto giggled.

"I should be jealous, but oh, the sound of your love makes my day." Yuga hummed happily.

Shoto blushed with his feathers.

"Oh, good morning," said Momo, a hummingbird, "I didn't think you would sneak off this early, but you always find a way to surprise me."

"I cannot help myself," Shoto blushed. "I am way too deep in love with him, and I don't want to lose that love now. But I always fear that he will one day love another, and I cannot stop him. I am trapped here after all, and who knows when I'll be able to be human again."

"That's bad," Yaomomo sighed sadly. "But Izuku is strong-willed. I do not think that day will be arriving anytime soon."

"You think?"

"I hope," Momo grinned.

"I hope so too," Shoto beamed. "But I don't know what I am supposed to do. And with that…creature wants from me. Marriage, do you realize how wrong and absurd it is? I can't possibly do this, even if it was for my kingdom."

"I also shudder at the thought," Yuga laughed. "I mean, at his age, he should be dead."

"Deceased," Shoto added. "But I can't really be surprised. Well, half-way surprised."

They talked for most of the day, but after a while, Shoto watched as the moon rose above. He slowly shuffled his way and swam around the lake, watching the water surround him again. Finally, he was human again, like how it's been.

"And maybe one day, I can break this curse," Shoto softly spoke, walking towards the shore. "But I know today is not the day. If only…"

"Shoto!"

Shoto gasped as he heard the All-For-One approach. He couldn't help but shiver when the wizard made his appearance. His face was deformed to the point that his eyes were the only things shown, and they showed a lot of emotions: Pride, Greed, and Anger, but softness for Shoto as if he wanted to spare the poor boy, but his wicked heart wouldn't allow him.

"You again," Shoto managed to hiss. "What is this about?"

"Oh, you know dear prince," AFO laughed, his fingers snapping.

Shoto saw the old scenery around him transform into a beautiful and familiar ballroom, and people stared at him. He found himself in a wedding suit, with AFO wearing a similar attire, and crowns were put on their heads.

"You know, there are reasons I cannot take over Helios," AFO chuckled. "But Selene is a fair game that I want to win, but to take over, I need to get married within the royal bloodline. And considering how Enji considers you such a pinnacle of human existence, I choose you as my bride. Think about it, Shoto," AFO's eyes wickedly flashed as he used his magic to show a shadow of Enji hanged on the post. Dead.

"Don't you want revenge? For the way he treated you in the past? You have been harmed, abused, belittled and yet shown so much love, that he risked your own brother's life to save yours! I can feel your anger within your heart. You want this."

"Not as bad as you," Shoto whispered. "Sure, I want my revenge but I refuse to marry someone I do not love and I will not kill anyone!"

Shoto turned as the scenery dissolved around him.

"Even if I wanted to that badly, I would've let that man rot in the dungeon for all I care," Shoto said. "But even if I could…I could never kill him. As much as I hated him, he was still my father."

"Suit yourself, but listen to me when I tell you this," AFO laughed. "You will stay here forever until you say yes. And who knows how long that could be."

AFO disappeared into a red smoke with an evil laugh, leaving Shoto coughing after the mess.

"Ugh, so persistent," Yuga groaned. "You think he learned the hint."

"Tell me about it," Shoto scoffed and sat down at the stairs. "He wants me. And wants me to kill my own father, that monster."

Shoto yawns and looks up at the moon. "This curse does have multiple disadvantages, but one that I could name? I can't sleep by the lake. I wish I didn't sleep on the ground."

"Go rest, Shoto," Momo whispered in his ear. "I can hum to you, if you like?"

"You don't mind?"

"Of course not," Momo grinned, sat down on his shoulder, and started humming in his ear.

Shoto yawns and rests against the tree, slowly falling asleep, dreaming about escaping again. 🦢 "Hmm, a lot of people really want to marry my son," Inko hummed, looking at the letters. "I mean, Izuku is a great man, but how do I let them down gently?"

"Perhaps just write," Aizawa suggested. "We know where Izuku's heart lies and who it belongs to. I'm not surprised."

"You are right, but I am worried about him," Inko admitted. "He's about to be king and I know a king doesn't need a wife, but I would feel a little bit more safer if he wasn't alone."

"I understand, but rest assured, I am available," Aizawa mentioned. "I do worry about him as well, especially when he trains with All Might and had several broken bones last year. It's incredible worrying."

"I think All Might is a good influence," Inko laughed. "If not a little odd, but he's been the hero of our lands for years now, and I think he has such great advice for Izuku. If he still thinks it's a big bird that took Shoto."

"I am surprised that Enji listened to Izuku and backed off on starting a war. Surely, he would've been in the same house he put his own wife in if that was the case." Aizawa chuckled.

"Shota.."

"It's true, and we can't avoid it much longer," sighed Aizawa as he walked towards the window. "He was a bad man and a worse king. His pride only caused more harm than good, and that night resulted from his actions. Yet, once again, he blames it on Helios, which makes me feel ashamed to from Selene occasionally."

"I know, but," Inko gulped.

"But nothing, Inko."

Inko sighed as Aizawa watched Izuku train with a bow and arrow with All Might.

"Ah, amazing work!" All Might cheered happily. "At this rate, you don't even need my help."

"Thanks, All Might, but I want to do better. If one day I see Shoto again, I have to be stronger," Izuku lamented. "I know this isn't healthy, but I promised myself that I would save him, even if it's years later. I want to be with him, and this is my mission."

"I know, Young Prince," All Might comforted. "I understand why your heart. And it's a great thing you have a reason to train, it means you are willing to be your best selves."

"I know, you taught me that," Izuku chuckled. "You taught me what it would be to be a hero like yourself, and I will train to be a better prince and a great king one day."

"I'm impressed, Young Prince," All Might said with a smile. "Let's go and eat some lunch, and then we can practice some more training, but specifically with your magic."

"Ah, I am getting a little better," Izuku blushed. "I didn't even set things on fire yesterday!"

"I hope that you might get better before your midsummer birthday ball!" All Might cheered happily. "Lets go, Young Prince!"

Inko smiles happily. "See? All Might may be a better teacher than you give them credit for, Shota. Although I appreciate your concern, I trust him. Let's get these letters out and maybe think of a response."

"You're right," sighed Aizawa. "But lets deal with the Midsummer Ball."

"Yes! I can't believe I forgot about that." 🦢 Izuku sighed as he read another letter. He was annoyed but didn't exactly mind it, especially being a prince. He wanted to read all those old letters from Shoto, and it reminded him of their love. It was strange. He never thought he wanted to marry Shoto, but ever since they met, it's been his goal, which has made him feel better.

He wanted to be with Shoto again, even when many thought it was impossible. Izuku and Shoto were from different kingdoms that hated each other, but those two loved each other, which he saw when he was younger.

He continued to daydream until he heard the door knock.

"Hmm?" Izuku looked over.

"Hey, Deku! Inko wants to you at the dinner table!" called out Katsuki.

"Already? But it's like 5:00?" Izuku opened the door. "I guess she wanted to talk about something very important."

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Come on!"

Izuku sighed and followed Katsuki toward the dining area, now a little nervous. He saw his mother delightfully chatting with Mitsuki and Masuru, Katsuki's parents, and Izuku felt slightly better. It was familiar faces that made him calm down.

"Good Afternoon, Madam and Sire," Izuku greeted. "How was your day?"

"Ah, that's the little man I want to see!" Mitsuki cheered happily. "Look at ya, still have the same babyface huh?"

"I-I guess so, Madam," Izuku gulped a little. "It's nice to see you visiting us."

"It is, indeed," Masaru added. "We also have some grand news once dinner arrives,"

"Eh, I don't want to wait,"

"We can tell him now," Inko offered. "And besides, this is going to be a special occasion."

"You mean my midsummer birthday ball in a week?" Izuku questioned, sitting down. "I mean, I don't know why that would be a secret, but I also know why, you always do something grand like a big birthday gift."

"You mean every year?" Katsuki slumped.

"Hush your mouth, boy! Yeah, and we do have some for you," exclaimed Mitsuki. "We actually have a great gift for you."

"You do?"

"Well, I am getting worried about you, Izuku," Inko admitted. "Your birthday is in a week, and after that, you will be king, but you…you don't technically have anyone by your side. You know I would never do this, but Izuku, I can't fathom you having the same problems I had when I was Queen. So…I ask if you could consider Katsuki Bakugo as a betrothed?"

"Bethroated? L-Like as in..?"

"Yes, we get wed," Katsuki groaned. "Ma thinks it'll be best."

"I…well, I suppose I…could consider it," Izuku blubbered. "But wait until the ball for my answer. I mean, I do care for you, Ka-Chan, but I want to be sure of my choice."

"Ah, that's all I ask for, Izuku," Inko smiles softly. "Thank you for understanding."

"Yeah, just to think about it.." Izuku muttered to himself. 🦢 That was a no. It was an obvious no. But why?

Izuku already loved someone else, so that was already a main factor. But he also knows Kirishima loved Katsuki, so why take that chance away? But now he needs to find Shoto before the end of his birthday, and he needs to be quick, or else that marriage is happening.

"Hey! Why are you spacing out?" Katsuki yelled, causing Izuku to jolt up.

"S-sorry, it's just that I was thinking about that swan again," Izuku lied. "It came by this morning again, and since we are in the woods together, I think it would be nice to try to find it."

"Oh? So you want swan meat?" Bakugo grinned maliciously.

"No! Absolutely not!" Izuku gasped. "I just…I see something every time I see that Swan. It's so oddly beautiful, and I just wanted to see where it goes. That's all."

Katsuki raised an eyebrow at Izuku's statement but let it slide.

Izuku looked over at the skies again and saw the Swan again. It was like the gods had listened to him, and it appeared right before him, flying high above them.

"There it is," Izuku pointed out. "I never seen a swan with red feathers like that before, don't you see, Kachan?'

"Meh, it's not as a cool as a dragon," Katsuki boasted. "But now I'm starving!…Want to go swan hunting?"

"No! Didn't you listen to me? I said no," Izuku answered.

But his words were ignored as Katsuki grabbed his hunting bow and arrow and chased after the Swan. Izuku groaned and started to follow him in an attempt to stop his friend from killing the Swan, but Katsuki wasn't listening to him. Izuku got concerned as the sun set down the forest, and he knew how his mother would react if they weren't home by the moon's rising.

"Kacchan, please, let's go," pleaded Izuku. "That Swan did nothing. Come on."

"No way! I never hunted down a swan before!" Laughed Katsuki. "It's a rare bird to hunt, Deku! This is a one in a chance!"

"Then you can have that chance another day. It's getting dark, and I am pretty sure that we might be lost," Izuku snapped. "Can we go home now?"

"What?! I can't believe you! You used to be a very prominant future hunter."

"Ugh, I can't be arguing about this." Izuku groaned. "Also, I think we are in a garden? I hope we aren't trespassing. It's beautiful here though."

"Beautifully tragic," scoffed Katsuki.

Izuku gulped before he started to look around. Katsuki was right; the place was beautiful, but it had ruined architecture and crumbling statues. It was a mess, but the flowers and the beautiful lake made it eye-catching. Izuku continued towards the lake and saw the Swan landing on the lake with a scared expression.

"Hey…" Izuku whispered as he tiptoed forward. "I'm so sorry for my friend."

"Haha! Swan Meat!" Katsuki laughed.

"Kacchan! No!"

As Izuku turned around, a slimmer of blue light caught his attention. Izuku slowly turned back to see the Swan surrounded by the lake's water, and the sight when the water settled down took his breath away.

It was Shoto, the same Shoto with whom he fell in love, the same Shoto who always wrote the most breathtaking letters to him, and the same Shoto who everyone thought tragically died. He was right in front of them, alive and surprisingly happy.

No words were spoken as Izuku rushed over to the Selene Prince and quickly embraced him tightly, kissing him passionately. He didn't care if his clothes were wet; he was overjoyed to be with his fiance again.

"I thought I was never going to see you again," Izuku whimpered, crying.

"Same as I," Shoto whispered. "Visiting you everyday payed off, didn't it?"

"That was you?" Izuku chuckled. "I could tell by the beautiful red feathers. It reminded me of you, so much."

Shoto laughs and hugs Izuku tightly. "Thank you."

Izuku grinned as he stared at Shoto. It was like he had barely changed at all, his eyes looking like skies and his two-toned hair that Izuku always thought was beautiful. Izuku kissed him again, so scared that if he let go, Shoto would disappear.

"I'm still here," Shoto reassured, somehow knowing what Izuky was thinking. "I'm so glad that you are here."

"So am I, but why are you here?"

"It's a long story," Shoto sighed sadly.

Izuku listened as Shoto recounted his tale, including the kidnapping, transformation, and constant proposals. Knowing how much Shoto had suffered throughout the year, Izuku started to worry. All Shoto still hoped was that Izuku could still come to him.

Izuku felt so guilty.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, I am fine. I just missed you so much," Izuku answered.

"I missed you to."

"…how do I break it?"

"Pardon?"

"How do I break the spell?" Izuku answered.

"Even I don't know," Shoto sighed. "I want to see, but I am scared. I also lost most of my faith in myself after what had happened. And All-For-One is smart. He would know if I did come up there and sneaked around. I wished that I had the courage to."

Izuku looked up at the decrypted castle in front of him. The light was on, but it also seemed incredibly empty, and the wheels in Izuku's head started to run intensely.

"Do you think we can find it?" Izuku asked. "Like sneak in?"

"Are you sure? I mean, no one is here, but are you sure?" Shoto asked, concerned. "You would so that for me?"

"Of course," Izuku answered, grabbing Shoto and pulling him forward. "Let's go before anyone notices."

"Izuku!" 🦢 As Shoto and Izuku entered the castle, it was empty. But that didn't make the inside scared and decrepit. Holes in stone walls and rust appeared on armor when they walked forward to the stairs. The red carpets were more burgundy under the moonlight.

"So this was All-For-One's quarters?" Izuku asked.

"Not often. He's a criminal, Izuku, and would never stay in one place forever." Shoto explained. "But we should still keep an eye out; he must still have henchmen around?"

"A-alright," gulped Izuku. "Let's just keep walking and don't stop."

Shoto and Izuku agreed and started to walk up the stairs. The windows illuminated the area, and no candle had a flicker of fire, making the castle cold. They knew they had to find that cure before it's too late.

They had been searching for hours, so when they saw the dark indigo sky transform into a blue, they knew they had little time. They began to check every room with a quick-nack place, but nothing was helping them with their search.

"We should leave," Shoto sighed. "They could be here at any moment, and I loathed to think what could happen to you if they found you."

"Not until I find that spell book," Izuku declared. "I just want to save you and now I have a chance. Please, just a little longer?"

"Fine," Shoto relented. "Let us find that book."

Izuku smiled and rushed over to a library they had never seen before. The couple started to search for it, every little book, paper, scroll, anything that they needed, but nothing could give them the answers.

But they stopped their search when they heard the door burst open, and a gust of wind caused the books to collapse around them. Izuku and Shoto managed to hide under some books and tried to sneak past them as they heard the conversation.

"He's stalling!" Shoto heard Dabi curse as their footsteps echoed throughout the room. "He's starting to remind me of that old bastard."

"Don't you worry, Dabi," Shigaragi chuckled. All-For-One knows what he is doing. Shoto has no choice but to submit one day. Who knows what'll happen if another year happens? Perhaps Shoto might be desperate."

"Shoto is never desperate." Dabi corrected. "Even at such a young age. He was never asked for anyone approval, that was our bastard of a father. Shoto is much stronger than one thinks."

"So you say we should torture him?"

"Hmm, that's not a bad idea, but I have some standards for my family. But if it's what he wants, I'll do it."

"Well, fine."

"But he has said that we should be keeping an eye on him during the day," Shigaragi explained. "Not that bad, right?"

"Why? I couldn't care less," Dabi rolled his eyes.

"Beats me. But I have my suspicions it's because of the Prince of Helios. Turns out that they two were engaged when you attacked, and if my theory is correct, if that prince finds him, then the spell could be broken by a vow of true love."

"A bit corny, don't you think?"

"Yes, but All-For-One's magical weakness is love, regardless of what is it," Shigaragi explained. "So, we should be wary, at the very best."

"Fine, but I ain't gonna be excited about this. That means more work for me."

"Oh my goodness, you are sluggish to the point of insufferably."

"Get used to it, sweetheart."

Izuku and Shoto managed to escape to their room and saw the sun rising. The sun's appearance was important as Shoto immediately transformed into a Swan before Izuku's eyes. But that didn't deter Izuku from opening a nearby window and looking down.

"You can't be possibly think of jumping out of the window?" Shoto gasped, looking at Izuku.

"Well, I have not much of a choice, now do I?" Izuku shuddered.

Izuku looked back for a moment before jumping down, expecting to hit the moat below. Instead, he grunted as he hit the back of a familiar red dragon, which quickly ascended towards the sky.

"Woah!" Izuku gasped. "Kiri? How did you found us?"

"What the hell do you mean, Deku? Guess who told him?" Katsuki growled in annoyance.

"Oh, thank you, but what happened?"

"Well, the memories are fuzzy myself, so just be grateful that I saved you!"

"Of course, thank you." Izuku thanked and looked at Shoto, who was flying beside them. "Shoto! Can I ask you something?"

Shoto nodded and flew down towards Izuku and landed on his lap.

"You are just as beautiful as a swan," Izuku grinned. "I just wish you could come with us. But I guess that isn't the case."

"No, but I am happy that you came to see me," Shoto answered.

"…A TALKING SWAN?" Katsuki gasped.

"It's Shoto, Kacchan! He's been alive, but a swan! I'll tell everyone later! Trust me," Izuku answered. "It's a long story. But, Shoto, I have a proposal for you."

"Like what?" Shoto pondered.

"Well, my birthday is coming soon, and my mother is hosting a midsummer ball in my honor. I will be there. If you can join me so I can profess my everlasting love for you, it will be my honor to have you as a guest."

"When is it?"

"Um, just tomorrow night," Izuku answered. "Please. Please tell me that you would join me in this?"

"….I promise."

Izuku grinned and hugged the Swan before letting Shoto fly away. Izuku couldn't help but smile and happily watch him fly away.

"I love you so much. That's a promise." 🦢 "What? Shoto's alive!" Ochaco gasped happily. "That's fantastic news! I can't wait to see him again. I wonder what happens when we do?"

"I'm sure he'll be just as happy to see us," Tenya grinned. "But we shouldn't overlook at that Izuku was gone for the entire night!!"

"I said I was sorry," Izuku sighed. "I lost track of time when I was Shoto. And I found a way to break the spell, so I had a very productive night. Today is when I plan to help him become human again. And I promised."

"Ugh, it's so sweet," Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Can we change the subject?"

"I wish that we could see him again," Ochaco wished. "I would break that curse. Probably anyways."

"Hm, just keep dreaming."

"I don't know why you are being so pessimistic," Tsuyu pointed out. "It's like you aren't happy for Deku."

"Do I have to pretend a smile to show I'm happy?" Katsuki groaned. "Because even if I'm happy, I just don't show it."

"Unless it involves you," Tsuyu muttered. "Just understand that Izuku wants to be with his lover again. So I suggest helping us, please?"

Katsuki snarled before walking away, leaving the group to their antics. He waited until he heard nothing before revealing a golden necklace that All-For-One showed him that night. He knew Katsuki was jealous from the very beginning when Izuku proclaimed his love for Shoto a year ago, and he was the one who convinced his mother to get them wed after Ikuku's Midsummer Ball, everything. He was suspicious of the Swan, but when he realized that it was Shoto, he had to step away until All-For-One approached him and gave him this necklace and said:

"Wear this at the Midsummer Ball so that the prince mistakes you for the Swan. He will vow his love for you, and Shoto will die of a broken heart."

Katsuki didn't consider it until Izuku promised to vow his love for Shoto.

So Katsuki grinned as he lifted the necklace, staring into his reflection.

"..Wear this, eh?…Why not? A piece of jewelry won't kill me anyway."

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bbubblerum · 7 months ago

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BBED: Big Bad Evil Dudes

Hello I'm Ana and this is the third in the BBED series! Each installment is a different Homebrew BBEG of a different Challenge Rating that is as fleshed out(And hopefully cool and fun!) as I can make it. The art and statblock for each is made by me and I hope you have fun using them, either as they are or reflavouring them. Remember the lore info and stats are there to inspire you to do what you want to do, not as hard rules!

Lore: Xvarts are all servants of the demigod Raxivort. Acting as decoys for him as he is chased by servants of the demon lord Graz'zt after he stole a valuable object called the Infinity Spindle.

A Xvart Lord is a particularly favored servant of Raxivort, blessed with a powerful weapon known as a Raxivortian Blade that grants them abilities beyond a normal Xvart such as teleporting and summoning. A Xvart Lord is usually a leader of other Xvarts who worship them as high priests and even demigods.

Xvart Lords are noted as having a very notable stench, which is thought to be the reason why Rats and Bats seemingly flock to them and make nests on top of the Xvart's body. Xvart Lords are given the important task of sacrificing people to their god, which is the primary purpose of their blade. The Raxivortian Blade has the special property of transporting someone stabbed with it to Raxivorts domain in Pandemonium, in the hope that he will transform the sacrifice into a new Xvart. Gnomes are most easily transformed, so they tend to prefer sacrificing them.

Any Xvart that steals a Raxivortian Blade successfully becomes the new Xvart Lord, so Xvart Lords tend to be extremely paranoid.

Running a Xvart Lord: A Xvart Lord is still a Xvart, meaning that they will tend towards running away from a fight if it starts to look bad. This also means they will employ vast amounts of creatures to protect them.

I would recommend using a number of other Xvarts, Xvart Warlocks of Raxivort, Giant Rats, Rat Swarms and Giant Bats when planning an encounter with the Xvart Lord. I would also not say it is unrealistic for the Xvarts to have captured something like an Ogre, or to ride Worgs, but keep in mind Xvarts tend to dislike anyone larger than them.

I don't think the Xvart Lord is powerful enough to have lair actions, but in its place I made the stats for their weapon in case your players take it!

Raxivortian Blade: Uncommon Scimitar(Requires Attunement)

This short and jagged blade is embedded with crystals similar to those of Slaad Control Gems. When attuned, the wielder gains a +1 to attack and damage rolls with this weapon.

This weapon has 3 charges. It regains 1d4-1 at dawn.

This charge can be expended on a hit to cause the target creature to make a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or be banished. While banished in this way, its speed is 0, and it is incapacitated. At the end of its next turn, the target reappears in the space it vacated or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied.

Alternatively as a bonus action you can expend a charge to teleport to a location you can see within 60ft. Alternatively you can switch places with a willing creature within 60ft, or an unwilling creature if the target fails a DC 14 Charisma saving throw.

If the attuned creature is a Xvart, neither option expends a charge.

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utilitycaster · 2 years ago

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Bells Hells, Level 9

Disclaimers as per usual: If I said something incorrect or left out something significant, corrections are welcome and encouraged. If I simply did not expound upon every single possible choice open to a character; if my opinions on mechanics differ from yours; or if you have wild speculation, please make your own post.

Blood hunter info is taken from the D&D Beyond content, which is subject to change, so don’t @ me if it does.

Everyone's proficiency bonus is now +4, which affects skill checks, proficient saves, and attacks. Non-multiclassed full spellcasters (FCG and Imogen, assuming neither multiclass) get fifth level spells.

In general, ninth level is an important but not terribly exciting one, in that 5th level spells are a big leap up and it's a proficiency bonus increase level, but it's fairly quiet in terms of class or subclass features. The multiclassers are the most interesting part here.

Also: now that level ups are done as separate little bits rather than teasers at the end of episodes, I'm introducing a "Looking forward" note at the end to speculate on L10 and beyond, since, for example, the version of this post in my drafts had my recommended ASIs for Chet and Fearne but no one got to see them until after the fact.

Chetney: By taking a level in blood hunter - his 8th in that class - he gets an ASI, which Travis took as stat bonuses to INT and STR. This is honestly what I would have recommended; he's now got a +3 to intelligence, easily the smartest in the group; and a respectable +4 to strength, his main attack stat. Looking forward: Honestly, who knows what the story will bring narratively...but blood hunter is a really good class and higher level rogue abilities just don't do a ton for Chet. Anyway, Blood Hunter 9 gives you one of my favorite abilities ever, Grim Psychometry, in which you have advantage on knowledge checks (and possibly even cool visions) for places and objects with tragic or dark pasts.

Laudna: Laudna took a level in sorcerer, which means she gets a Hound of Ill Omen, a dire wolf-like beast of darkness she can summon to attack a particular person. She also learns 2 more spells and gains another sorcery point. I would strongly advise she take Counterspell, given that she tends to lean more towards low-level utility than Imogen's attacks (and, let's face it, eldritch blast is better than most sorcerer damage spells). Looking forward: Personally, from a purely mechanics perspective, I think leveling in warlock would be more interesting from here on out. Sorcerers just...don't get much outside of spells from levels 7-14, and Laudna's feats and existing metamagic and the fact that there's another sorcerer in the party mean some variety would be fun and welcome (and warlock levels 4-6 are really good), but I get the appeal of Hound of Ill Omen for sure.

FCG: FCG gains access to 5th level spells and can prepare one more spell! Greater Restoration and Raise Dead are now available to them, which is pretty game-changing, and I'd love to see Sam try out Commune to get some actual answers from the Changebringer. He also gets two domain spells, which are unknown since it's a homebrew class. Looking forward: Cleric's just a really solid class! I'm interested to see how divine intervention works on a cleric who is still finding their god, and please get that WIS score up to a +4 at L12.

Fearne: Fearne leveled in druid, which means she also gets an ASI and has maxed out her casting stat of wisdom - this in turn means she can prepare two more spells than before (one from the higher druid level and one from the higher casting stat). She also gets the ability to wildshape into flying creatures, up to challenge rating 1. Looking forward: I would really not pursue rogue any further; Wildfire druid is just such a great class. Things to look forward to: at L9 druid (L10 overall) she'll get 5th level spells including Mass Cure Wounds as a circle spell; at L10 druid she'll get a cool bonus to damage or healing as a class feature; and at L11? Pick a tree.

Imogen: Imogen learns one new spell, which can be up to 5th level, and gains a 5th level spell slot and a sorcery point. She gets Telekinesis and Rary's Telepathic Bond as subclass features. As for her new spells: given the loss of the skyship, teleportation circle would be a good one to have on hand. Greater Invisibility would also be a strong choice. Looking forward: As noted with Laudna, there's not a ton going on until L14, but she does get a new metamagic ability next level (subtle spell feels very thematically appropriate), and I would in fact enjoy seeing Imogen cast Chain Lightning very much when she gets 6th level spells at L11.

Orym: Orym gets Indomitable, which allows him to reroll a failed saving throw and use the new number. Looking forward: 9's a quiet level for him but the next few are big ones. He gets two more battle master moves and his superiority dice go up to d10s from their current d8s; 3rd attack is at L11; and he gets another feat at L12, and I would love to see Mage Slayer.

Ashton: Ashton gains brutal critical, meaning that they can roll an additional weapon damage die when they crit. Looking forward: level 10 is a subclass level, so who knows, but I'm excited to find out!

#critical role #bells hells

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scuttlingcrab · 7 months ago

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Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love ❤️

Ahhh! Thank you so much for sending this to me! I am honoured! ❤️

I'm proud of all my pieces, but I think these are my favourite ones (it might change later though, haha):

1) A Warlock is Born & A Warlock's Sacrifice

This is part of the same story, so I count them as one fic. I just had to split them up into two parts as it was taking me 12 years to write them, haha.

Warlock is Born: Korrilla summons Raphael to aid her in a fight at the Devil’s Fee. Raphael recruits a new warlock to his cause.

Warlock's Sacrifice: Raphael seeks the aid of his prized warlock after he finds an intruder has broken into his House of Hope. Raphael confronts Tav in the aftermath of combat.

2) In Search of a Hammer

Raphael learns from Korrilla that Tav foolishly sold the Orphic Hammer in an attempt to earn some last minute gold. Raphael hunts down the Hammer before his dreams are destroyed forever. (I will be posting Chapter 2 this weekend BTW! FINALLY!)

3) Fiendish Rewards

Raphael appears at Withers' party, hoping to finally collect the Crown of Karsus from Tav. However, an unexpected turn of events causes Raphael to re-think his plans.

4) A Perfect Fit

Raphael receives an unexpected gift from Tav.

5) The Devil's Muse

Raphael gives Tav, his very favourite client, a generous gift after she signs his contract.

And... I know it said 5, but I wanted to highlight this one about Minthara!

I have grown obsessed with Minthara as of late. I'm making my way through playing the Dark Urge for the first time, which means I've finally been able to romance her and have her in my party. Her story, her character, it's all so unexpected, so beautiful, and so deep. And I am in love. So I will hopefully be writing more about her soon! BUT I wrote my first fic last weekend that I'm just so smitten about. It was basic and lots of fun - hopefully a great starting point on my Minthara fic journey, haha.

Bonus: Badges of Honour

After another successful fight against the Absolute, Minthara and Jaheira cosy up by the campfire, exchanging stories about their various scars.

#baldurs gate 3 raphael #bg3 raphael #raphael the cambion #raphael bg3 #raphael baldur's gate 3 #minthara baenre #minthara #nightwarden minthara #bg3 fanfiction

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alexanderlightweight · 2 years ago

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Good morning!

For writing Wednesday: The spiral labyrinth holds events (or rituals) that require the presence of all high warlocks and their consorts. Magnus getting Alec magically/physically ready

so this is part of the spoils of war and Magnus is going to bind Alec to him as a magical consort in the way of warlocks and the labyrinth

i hope you enjoy!

<3 lumine

“Is this really necessary?” Alexander asks and Magnus smirks, because Alexander still avoids asking questions but this one was asked without hesitation and is almost… snarky.

Magnus likes it and he holds out a hand, raising a brow demandingly and Alexander goes so far as to sigh, sulking at him with just the slightest pout of his plush mouth. It tempts Magnus too much and instead finishing dressing him, Magnus pulls his boy to him. Alexander resists for only a moment — the instinct of battle still not yet coaxed from him — and then willingly submits.

Alexander tastes like moonlilies and Magnus’ own magic and he whimpers when Magnus bites his lower lip. Magnus knew that Alexander was temptation incarnate, but he didn’t realize that once he started to get comfortable, that he’d see glimpses of the truth.

Alexander is a brat.

A stubborn, delicious, tempting and incredibly subdued brat.

Which means that if Magnus wants to gentle him, he first has to find out how the clave tried to break Alexander and fix it.

Magnus pulls away and then — because the shiny bruise of Alexander’s mouth is irresistible — claims another taste.

“Was the clave sincere in their treaty?” Magnus asks mockingly when he finally pulls himself away.

“Of course.” Alexander rasps out, voice so wrecked from such a little kiss that Magnus is tempted to rip it from him completely with his own mouth.

“Then yes, darling. This is necessary.” Magnus trails his gaze down Alexander’s body and the loose, dark blue pants he’s wearing. It’s the color of magic and warlocks and Magnus licks his lips, greedy but reminding himself that it’s not yet time. “The clave didn’t change any of the concessions I demanded, only the language. They call you my spouse, but gave you to me a hostage. I intend to fulfill the actual contract, Alexander. Which means that you are my husband, my consort, a new prince of Edom.” Magnus croons when Alexander’s eyes widen and Magnus just lets his magic caress Alexander’s jaw, flames on his palm as he cups his boy’s face. “It means treasure, that you are mine.”

Alexander still seems to think it a ruse, no matter how many times Magnus has told him so.

That will change tonight, when Alexander is bound to him with magic in a way that will be undeniable.

Magnus summons an outer robe, helping Alexander into the thin layer of abyssal silk that is the same shimmering twist of blue and then he pauses, admiring the image of his boy.

Alexander is draped in blue and his face dusted with gold and painted with magic in a gorgeous and hidden array. Magnus smudged the dust of gold on his lips so he rubs his thumb over them — spreading gold freshly across his boy’s mouth.

Alexander makes a noise of protest but otherwise stays still.

“There we are.” Magnus murmurs and he lets his fingers dance across Alexander’s face, “my beautiful boy.”

Alexander’s lips twitch, as if he’s hiding how pleased he is by the compliment and Magnus smirks even as he summons the final pieces. Alexander is draped in layers of silk and lace so delicate that they were spun with Magnus’ own magic. Each piece creates a layer, a warning and a declaration of just who Alexander belongs to.

The last piece isn’t necessary, but Magnus isn’t about to show Alexander off completely to all those around him. It’s the first time Alexander has reached out to touch him without any influence and Magnus bites back a scowl that his boy is tightly gripping Magnus’ wrist, not wanting him to continue.

“Magnus—” there is a breathless plea, a desperate warning and Magnus understands.

“Oh lovely, this isn’t to keep you from seeing. Magnus promises as he lifts the mask up. “This is to keep others from seeing you. This face—” and Magnus gives a lustful sigh, “why on earth would I ever want to share it? You’ll be able to see just fine.”

Alexander’s grip loosens but his fingers tremble against Magnus’ pulse and he doesn’t pull away, even as he lets Magnus move their hands up and he gently lets magic wrap the mask and headpiece around Alexander.

It will be light enough that it won’t bother his boy and well, if Magnus is using one of the corrupted nephilim relics he has in Edom, then all the better.

Alexander will barely be able to be seen and while everyone knows his identity, it’s the principle of the thing. Rarely are the consorts of powerful warlocks made known to the rest of the world, not even in the Labyrinth. Bringing a consort is enough of a show of respect and power but each consort is guarded viciously, including any morsel of information regarding them.

The world knows that Alexander belongs to him, but that doesn’t mean Magnus is willing to let them look at his boy.

There is no need for a collar but Magnus picks one to match the mask, though he doesn’t add a leash. The outfit and his magic will be enough that Alexander won’t be able to step more than a few feet away and Magnus plans to have a hand on him at all times anyway.

Alexander’s said nothing, no protest and no admission that he can see and Magnus wishes he had more time, but he’s already spent enough of it distracted by Alexander.

the specific mask magnus is using here because he likes to flaunt that he has a winged nephilim as his consort

the sword in the center is actually a replica of the soulsword because again, its a corrupted nephilim relic from when they more intense had formalities and ceremonies

#lumine writes #writing wednesday #writing wednesdays #spoils of war #malec #shadwhunters #magnus bane #alec lightwood

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theenpcbracket · 1 year ago

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The TTRPG NPC Tournament Semifinals (Round 4): Mary Byram vs. HE

Images are in the order of the poll! Image ID included, click to see the full image please!

More about each NPC below the cut!

Character 1

Name: Mary Byram Party: Ambiscade Gang Relationship to party: Coworker, divorcee

What makes them the best NPC: Mary Byram is living proof that the song “No Children” by The Mountain Goats doesn’t just have to be about romantic relationships gone wrong. She’s a bright red tiefling rogue with a storied past, currently working for a guild called the Thinfingers alongside one of the party members. Previously, she worked with a tiefling rights movement called Hellflame, but something happened there that she doesn’t really talk about. She’s still passionate about both the movement and the group, though.

Our bard lovingly calls her “Mare-Bear.” She hates this. She’s a day drinker. She’s exhausted always. She cares so much but will never admit it unless under duress. I think she genuinely thinks that god cursed her by metaphorically putting her in a get-along shirt with our rogue PC. Their dynamic allowed our party to coin the term “Coworker Divorce” except they’re literally not allowed to actually get rid of each other. She is also constantly saddled with the skater-pilled rogue who was also submitted to the bracket, so she’s usually outnumbered when it comes to harebrained schemes. She’s largely anti-antics, but is down for some antics if she's in control of them. She’s a mastermind and usually gives the help bonus action either by telling people what they fucked up or by telling them NOT to fuck something up. She deserves a break she’ll simply never get.

Quote: "Thoughts?" -the warlock, asking Mary about a proposed plan. "...More than you. Apparently." -Mary

To learn more about Mary, check out the extra propaganda in her tag here!

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Character 2

Name: HE Party: The Misdemeanor Mateys Relationship to party: Businessman, aggravating party stalker, final boss

What makes them the best NPC: Mysterious tiny man with static for a head, and the loudest screechiest voice you can imagine (DM once blew out their vocal chords because of him). Levitates and teleports at will, and can pop objects in and out of existence. Runs a business granting magical favors. Originally tried to hire the party to help his business but the group said "fuck no". Now regularly pops in to nag, cause trouble, or play meme songs on a calliope, and occasionally provides useful information. HE controls an alternate dimension called the Mercantile Pile full of items from different times and places, including lots of modern-day technology (unlike the D&D campaign setting). He can be summoned by writing out his name. His calling card is a 7 of Spades, which he can also use to influence the world & cast spells remotely. HE mainly wears business suits & suspenders, but has also appeared in a hazmat suit (riding a tricycle), turtleneck sweater and thigh holster, wetsuit with suspenders painted on, sequin jacket with '69' on the back, peacock burlesque, and nurse drag outfit. He once killed 20 guards with a snap of his fingers. He also destroyed a walkman with a flamethrower. Implied to be the father of the ultra-powerful kid whose primary pastime is handing out enchanted "friendship nuggets" [chicken]. His #1 business competitor is Michael's Wonder Emporium. Eventually turns out to be one of the most central characters to the story.

Quote: "STAY OFF MY THRONE!"

"You're going to call me when you need me!"

To learn more about HE, check out the extra propaganda in his tag here!

#mary byram #he #round 4 #polls #dungeons and dragons #d&d #dnd #dnd oc #dnd npc #ttrpg #pathfinder #powered by the apocalypse #dnd stuff #dnd character #character tournament #oc tournament #homebrew #d&d 5e #semifinals

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b0amagination · 4 months ago

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Tastes of Whumptober: Day 7

Everybody thank @brutal-nemesis for her cave knowledge and help today!

If you've been sitting here saying "wow boa, this stuff is great, but I really need a character based off the warlock class of DND struggling to serve their patron!" then you're really gonna like today's writing and you should buy a lottery ticket.

Content warning: Claustrophobia in the form of a very narrow cave. Take care of yourselves!

Magic with a Cost

The walls of the cave were definitely getting narrower now. Where there had once been enough room to stretch out his arms, his fingertips now brushed against the rough, stone walls on either side.

The adventurer sent the shadows of these depths away, leaving an otherworldly light. Controlling the darkness was strange in that way. If he banished it, there could only be light in its absence.

He unfurled the parchment on which a very drunk bar customer had scribbled the map of this cave system. It occurred to him that he should’ve tried harder to persuade them, rather than simply buying drinks until he got what he wanted. But it wasn’t his fault his patron had been so stingy with their powers recently.

Well. Not entirely his fault.

If he’d read the disjointed scribbles of ink correctly, this crevice would lead to a wider cavern housing the element his patron was after.

Pushing forward the walls narrowed further, just as promised, until they were pushing against his sides. They were moist, wetting his cloak just enough to feel the clammy chill this far underground, but the grainy texture still chafed against bare arms. He wrapped his cloak around himself, sliding further into the crevice, finally able to spot an opening just ahead.

His shoulders were too wide after a while and he sidled ahead instead, but then even the cloak was too thick to pass through. Reluctantly, he unclasped it and regretted his sleeveless style. Though usually functional in conflict to avoid overheating, his teeth were now chattering and his arms and shoulders were being scraped raw.

With one final lunge, he emerged in a round cavern. It still felt remarkably like a hallway, longer than it was wide, but he could finally breathe again. He summoned a fire for light this time, remembering his instructions.

Call me when you arrive. I don’t need you messing about with what’s rightfully mine.

He hadn’t quite understood the explanation of why his patron couldn’t travel here themself. The pitch dark of a cave was, naturally, suited to them. But they’d chastised him with explanations about natural light sources, potency of shadows, and how his humanity allowed him to ignore such discrepancies.

But fire, as a sister to the sun, was a suitable replacement for her.

Flames danced along the walls revealing what he hadn’t paid attention to before: sloped floors dipping down to a pool in the middle of the room. It couldn’t have been more than a meter deep, and the water was clear all the way to the bottom.

And then he was pulled away from it by a familiar dizziness as his own shadow lurched and twisted. Of course, rather than possessing one of the many eligible shadows around him, his patron had to make their entrance unsettling. His consciousness blurred at the edges until they’d adjusted their physical form to their liking, towering over him with a grin.

“Ahhhhh… and here I was thinking you’d never call me, baby!” They stretched dramatically, hissing sounds and tendrils of smoke imitating the cracking of joints.

“I would never call you that. And you’d be much grumpier if you just made the journey I did.” He was having trouble hiding the goosebumps and smeared blood on his arms.

“You are my spiritual sugar baby if we’re being technical. You’d call me that if it meant I restored your full access to my power.” Their patron laughed, knowing he had no good response to that.

“Well, get going with your thing then. I’d like to stop begging for every miniscule bit of help.”

“Yes, about that. Where the hells have you brought me?”

“Where ol’ drunkie told me the Treasure of Elmstern Cave is,” he enunciated sarcastically.

“I told you what to do if you wanted my powers of persuasion.”

“And I wasn’t going to give a sermon on a demonic entity to the whole bar, including the guy I needed details from.”

When his patron touched him in this plane of reality, it was delayed. Their touches were firm and cold, but disconnected from their body. The movement simply happened faster than this realm could process.

All that to say: when they slapped him, he couldn’t see it coming. A chilly wind preceded harsh contact, only after which did he see the followthrough of their hand before tumbling to the ground.

“I am not demonic.”

“Yeah? You’re definitely acting like it!” He pushed himself back up, only to find his patron’s manifestation standing directly against him. “I know you’re not a demon, but those without pacts aren’t very understanding.”

“That doesn’t excuse you speaking in such a way.”

“Then just take your fucking treasure and leave me be!” He pushed them back, tired of the cheap intimidation tactics.

“Oh, I would have.” Their tone dropped.

That made their beneficiary freeze.

“And why not?”

“It’s not here.” A flinch.

“But they said-”

“I don’t care what story the town gossip spun for you,” they interrupted, their voice booming and echoing off the walls. “I’ve warned you. Continuous failures prove to me that the essence of your soul may be much more useful than your precious little mortal existence.”

“I-I-” They stalked forward, forcing him to wade into the pool. “I didn’t anticipate the difficulty of your tasks. I’m not useless just because I’m not some… some hotshot who’s been doing nothing since the birth of the universe.” Frustration bit into his words. If they wanted to play rough, he’d do the same.

“Be careful what you say, human.”

He was choking, and then a hand wrapped around his throat to add the pressure that cut off his words. They were standing in the middle of the pool now, and adrenaline couldn’t stop him tensing up from the freezing cold.

“Prove to me that your pathetic life is worthy of preservation.”

Their hand plunged him into darkness.

The water was all encompassing, seeping into each crevice of his being. The grip of his patron loosened and his body breathed before he could stop it, forcing liquid down his throat and up his nose. His feet had left the shallow floor at some point during the struggle, and he couldn’t orient himself. Desperate hands clawed at rocks and his movements kicked up silt, making his eyes absolutely useless.

Somehow, his grip found purchase and his head met air, desperately coughing up water so he could breathe it in again. How much had he swallowed? He didn’t even remember doing so.

Tears came next: relief, horror, exhaustion, all of it wracking his body as if he had energy to be wasting on this.

Then the water rippled behind him and a hand found his shoulder.

“Oh, you think you’re done already. How cute.”

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flower-me-not · 2 months ago

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My first D&D experience… a new player rises from the dead.

So yesterday was my first time playing D&D with me and my friends. And for context, we have no idea what we are doing, so our DM “helped us” (Literally made it for us) our character sheet, bless his heart.

To give you a rundown, I am a Tabaxi named Luuna Koneko. I'm also a Bard. She is 15 years old. My highest stat is charisma with a +3, and my lowest stat is wisdom with a -1. In other words, I am an illiterate country bumpkin with rizz. Luuna is also 3'6"

Then we have my friend, who is a 13 yr old warlock goblin named Gorbo (Pronounce Johnathan) whose highest stat is constitution and charisma at a solid +2 and his lowest stat being dexterity and wisdom at 0. Gorbo is also 2'4".

Both of us are given 10 gold each. This is important, remember this.

The story starts with Luuna being kicked out of my third inn after being a freeloader. Thats when Gorbo, the little guy he is, waddles over to see the commotion as I try to persuade him to lower my debt of 20 silver. Which ends so bad, That I almost get thrown out for the second time.

So needless to say, I did not successfully persuade, but the innkeeper did tell me that I could take a quest from the board. Which is where I swiftly take the goblin kid, Gorbo with me. He chooses the quest for me, since I can’t read, and we go off. The quest is to exterminate bats and rats. Easy enough, I'm a cat, I eat these little shits for breakfast.

As we go, Luuna is talking to Gorbo, who seems just as dumb as her since when Luuna asked why he let himself get kidnapped by me, Gorbo responded with “Cuz I can.”

So we arrive at the inn, and talk to the innkeeper, he tells us that they are in the basement and attic, I push Gorbo into the basement, thinking that the rats are in the attic, the innkeeper tells me Im stupid and the rats are in the basement.

I kick this goblin awake, and make my way to the wine. I steal the wine, hiding the bottles behind my back with my tail. So I managed to steal it without getting caught. Thats when the first fight happens. A giant rat and his two normal rats. I attack the Giant rat, leaving it hurt, the rat then attacks Gorbo, but does minimal damage. The Giant rat then attacks me, leaving me heavily wounded (near death experience), and in need of healing. So I heal myself. Then Gorbo, summons the power of his god and anime and kamehameha’s him to the next fucking afterlife.

Luuna, who was shit talking this Goblin, saves her.

They talk to the innkeeper, with Luuna taking what was left of the rat corpse and eats them on the floor, the inn keeper then tells her to take it outside. Gorbo taking 10 silver and meeting outside. It's almost midnight. We go back inside to finish the job, and the innkeeper lets us say the night for free, if we finish the quest in the morning. We happily agree, once we subtle in the room, I try to make small talk with this goblin. As we chat I take ou the wine I stole and drink half of it. Passing out.

The goblin cleans up after me and also goes to sleep. I wake up, feeling hungover just a bit. We then talk to the Innkeeper and he suggested we eat, I hand Gorbo some of my rations, a thank you for him saving me. We then go to the attic to exterminate the bats and start to attack, I kill one of the bats with my crossbow, and try to aim for the giant bat that Gorbo already did great damage too. I almost hit him (the giant bat), but missed my hair.

I then choose to get behind Gorbo, and the bat attacks me, knocking me out, and leaving me almost dead. The goblin then congures the sun and eradicates all life, minus me. I spring back, the light trying to guide me. I heal myself and Gorbo. We leave quickly after that, since we are ashamed of almost dying to rodents. But due to me almost dying twice and using all my energy, I passed out in the middle of the road.

End epilogue (Ig idk.)

TLTR: Stupid cat kidnaps Goblin child, the cat then almost dies twice and gets shitfaced drunk.

#dnd character #dnd art #dnd shenanigans #d&d character #d&d art #d&d shenanigans #d&d story #d&d bard #d&d #d&d warlock #dnd #how do you tag #im trying my best #stupid post #the brainrot is real #ramblings

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glitter-lisp · 1 year ago

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AU ask game question! (You're getting a D20 one from me because it's where we overlap, though I know it's not your main fandom):

An AU where the corn cuties fight didn't go quite so bad and Arthur Aguefort lives the first day but is being poisoned through his tea - the fight still happens, Kristen and Gorgug just don't die.

HELP ME THIS IS MY FOURTH ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THIS LETS GO

First and probably most obvious it takes Kristen a while longer to split from Helio, since before meeting him most of her doubts seemed to revolve around her family and other people in the church and how they worshipped instead of who they worshipped. THAT SAID for no real reason i think she switches from a cleric to a celestial warlock. Like aight fuckboi I'll still be your chosen but me and my new friends all just almost died and the principal of our school is clearly losing his marbles, so we're gonna do things a little differently to make sure I can actually protect the people I care about

Aguefort is CLEARLY losing his marbles but he's got so few marbles to begin with that not many people can tell the difference. The bad kids are probably some of the only ones who can, mostly because Aguefort keeps trying to talk to them about what happened in the cafeteria and then getting distracted by nothing and starting to ramble about phoenixes and pirate libraries before wandering off

I think Doreen survives too!! Like my Pitch for this au is that Fig doesn't drop during the fight, which turns the tides and means having another healer on hand (could Fig heal at level 1 I don't remember but I'm gonna say yes), and let's be totally real with ourselves here that early in the campaign Fig would absolutely choose Doreen to save over the bad kids

THAT SAID I don't think Doreen actually sticks around. Both because wow what a horrifying start to the school year, and because she knows something she's not supposed to know, and she doesn't want to stick around and wait to see what happens if Daybreak realizes she knows who brought the corn cuties to life. She drops her "don't trust the faculty" hint and goes into hiding, starts training as a rogue for safety's sake, and comes back as a one off character during a live show or smth to mentor Riz

I don't have a real reason for it or way to make it happen easily but I think Zayn becomes friendly with the squad before he beefs it, both because I love him and want him around more and because I think his death would hit a lot harder if they had known him as more than just an occasional villain. Adaine finds out Edgar is a registered emotional support familiar and goes "oh my god that's brilliant" and ends up summoning Boggy back in season 1

#remidyal #fantasy high #dimension 20 #you're timing is so funny I got this ask 10 minutes after screaming at a friend about lunacy

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muttmoxley · 1 year ago

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oooooooo im. im wavibg my fingers tell me about juno

ooooooo

ooohhhhhh noooooo… ive been hypnotized by your finger wibbling…. i guess i have to talk about hiiimmmm……

@ my fellow players in the d4 campaign DONT READ THIS. none of them actively use tumblr but jic

(LOTS of text under cut)

the first thing i always always always say about him is that he fucking SUCKS. hes the worst man alive i hope he dies im literally obsessed with him. juno infyris is a tiefling celestial warlock :3 his patron god is homebrew that i made myself! basically he grew up in the underdark (gracklstugh to be specific) doing odd jobs to make enough money to leave. since almost all of the underdark is under lolth, he genuinely just didnt. think gods were real. he was an atheist he just thought everyone else was in a cult on something LMFAO once he was old enough he started a little shop of his own selling fake magic items (most of which he stole). like spamton but not actually like spamton at all. now while setting up his window display for candlenights he ACCIDENTALLY SUMMONED A DEITY. shes like ohhh brave one you have summoned me….. your wish is my command… i shall aid you in your journeys…. and hes like Uh Um Uhhh Can You Help Me Out. (<- INCREDIBLY UNSPECIFIC THING TO SAY TO A LITERAL GOD.) she takes this and fuckinf runs with it hes now soulbound to this deity thats trying to make him a better person and have him do good deeds and stuff amd he HATES IT. as aforementioned he is the worst fucking guy alive hes greedy and selfish and an all around bastard who literally scams people for a living and now all of a sudden hes forced to be a good person or else god will kill him and its the funniest dynamic ive ever written. anyways he escapes his master and leaves the underdark and meets up with the party etc etc etc BUT i wanna talk more about his life before then. see the underdark is a really shitty fuckinf place to live for like 90% of the population and basically anyone that isnt a drow or duergar. SO. you can imagine his life kind of sucks. he is forever in servitude of at least one master at all times & is FOREVER trying to convince everyone he meets to let him live. he used to have wings, in fact! however when they grew in, his master used him for his wings & made him do a bunch of shady shit for him before cutting them off, not wanting juno to seem too valuable to others and have him stolen. juno currently doesn’t remember ever having wings & is convinced hes just naturally discoordinated and clumsy but in reality he’ll never fully acclimate to living without his wings. for all of the 18 years he lived in gracklstugh he spent every day trying to be good enough so that he wouldn’t be deemed useless and killed. his main tactic for this is flirting. see, he knows he’s fucking annoying, and he’s spent years trying to ‘fix it’, and he just can’t. so if he cant change his personality, he believes his only use is his looks. he’ll flash a charming smile and a kiss on the cheek to the vendor he’s currently robbing, distracting them so that he can steal just enough to get by. he’s fucking pretty, and he knows it, so he uses it to his advantage. he exists as an accessory, something to be used, and believes that’s the entirety of his worth. when he escapes the underdark by killing his master (with the help of angel, another pc in our campaign), he takes his left eye out. the scar changes everything. if he’s not pretty, not appealing enough, then he’s fucking useless. he finally got his chance to escape the underdark and now he’s going to be left to die as soon as he sees the sun for the first time. OBVIOUSLY THIS ISNT WHAT HAPPENS. throughout the campaign, one of the other pcs, rpck (no that’s not a typo his name is rpck) falls in love with him. this shit changes EVERYTHING his entire worldview begins to crumble as he learns he can finally be loved and. Yeaghf. im fucking normal about him. theres ALWAYS more i can say abt him but this is long enough already LMFAO thank u for letting me ramble jack :-)

#d&d #oc tag #d4 campaign #juno infyris #ocs #frog answers

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voxofthevoid · 1 year ago

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Hello! So I started following you because of your wonderful jjk stories but am curious;

In all your WIPs, do they all juggle canon? Or are there a few fantasy types like werewolf!yuuji and vampire!gojo or No-Curses!AU or Medieval-Kingdoms!AU?

Mer!AU? Yokai!AU? Magic-Schoolbus!AU? Superhero!AU? (tryna think of all the different AUs I can) daemon!AU? warlock!AU? Steven-Universe-fusion!AU? Soul-Eater!AU?

Admittingly so much potential but I know there are authors who like to use Canon more than bringing totally new elements.

Thank you, anon 💗

I am indeed a canon juggler. Canon Frankenstein even.

Primarily that is. I do dip into full-on AUs, but my main preference is for canon divergence, plus other types of canon-based AUs like role reversal or time travel. Sometimes, I introduce new elements into canon—like somebody being a vampire in a setting that's otherwise adherent to canon or omegaverse set within canonverse. This tends to be the case for me across fandoms; the only exception I can think of is Yuri on Ice, and that's because I wasn't very confident about handling the canon setting (sports aspects that were a little more grounded in reality than your typical sports anime).

But, like I said, I do dabble in non-canon AUs. They just tend to be a tiny proportion of my total. This ask made me curious enough to go and count. At present, I have 88 plot bunniesdemons, of which 15 are fully written and 2 are WIPs. Those 17 are all canon-based. Of the rest, we have the following non-canon AUs (consider them to have every content warning you can think of):

Modern AU where Gojou is Megumi's adoptive father and Yuuji is Megumi's highschool best friend, and he comes to regret introducing Yuuji and Gojou (aka DILF Gojou AU, where he's a decade older than canon and Yuuji's his canon age).

Modern AU where Gojou used to be Yuuji's babysitter, took some liberties and kickstarted a less-than-healthy sexual awakening, and the two meeting again when Yuuji's a teen, this time with Gojou as his bodyguard.

Fantasy AU where Gojou and Sukuna are both gods and Yuuji's a dragon-human hybrid who semi-accidentally tumbles into both their beds, separately. Pure monsterfucking pornfest.

Modern AU where Gojou's a rich teen brat, Yuuji's his bodyguard, and Gojou's attempts at "seducing" Yuuji devolve predictably into some D/s fuckery.

Fantasy AU where Gojou's the devil and Nanami's the angel on Yuuji's shoulders, in a world where that's the norm. Fucking said devils and angels isn't so common, but Yuuji's adventurous that way. Macro/micro mostly.

Modern reincarnation AU where Sukuna's reborn as Yuuji's younger brother, and it takes everything Yuuji has not to smother him in his bed; it escalates into something very different. Then Gojou's thrown into the mix as Yuuji's high school upperclassman.

Fate-based AU with a Holy Grail War–Culling Games fusion where Yuuji summons Gojou, it turns out to be a weird causality loop, and Yuuji spends the bulk of his life trying to figure it out, summoning a Gojou who doesn't remember him over and over and over.

Youkai AU drawing on Natsume Yuujinchou for the vibes—something slow, quiet, and warm. Yuuji moves into a rundown mountain house in a sleepy village and makes friends he probably shouldn't.

That's it! A total of 8 out of 88. That's a far lower number than I expected, honestly. Some of the canon AUs are heavily divergent but still solidly set in canon as we know it. I guess I really love JJK's sandbox.

The shared ideas @nearalways and I develop together have a lot more non-canon AUs in them, but most of those won't be written by either of us.

#anon #i love my anons #goyuu #nanaita #sukuita #jjk

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musurvivalistguide · 1 year ago

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Bionicle: Dungeons and Shadows (Fantasy AU) Worldbuilding Thoughts

Because I have no self-control when it comes to the plot bunnies that bite me, here’s a brain dump of ideas for a Fantasy AU inspired by the various Isekai manga/anime I’ve watched and various tabletop games. If anyone has any ideas to contribute to this AU or help flesh it out more or have any questions that'll help me think on how to develop it better, I’d love to hear it!

Also, if it feels like it’s all over the place, blame the fact that I wrote all this on a Monday when my brain was fried from work and I didn’t want to lose the thoughts I had. Things are bound to change the next time I look at this idea. 😂

In this AU, Mata Nui is considered a deity, but is actually a Titan created by the Great Beings. The Great Beings are a pantheon of mortals known as Glatorian who rose to godhood status, though they prefer not to trifle with petty squabbles and focus on creating. Another name to refer to the Great Beings is “the Divines”.

Energized protodermis is a great source of magic that transformed Spherus Magna, imbuing organic and inorganic materials with powerful magic. These very materials were used to create the beings of the Matoran Universe, with many non-Toa possessing the capability to perform magic to varying degrees. (Note: Conjurer may or may not possess actual magic and may be using an enchanted weapon in this AU, though he claims he does like in the Prime Universe)

Toa—alongside their element—can either learn magic to augment their natural element or may learn other classes of magic to increase the range of their capabilities. Typically some classes are chosen based on a Toa’s element, such as a Toa of Plantlife choosing the druid class specialty while a Toa of Water chooses the cleric or priest class or a Toa of Stone chooses the paladin class. However, it’s not unheard of for a Toa to choose a different class outside their typical range, such as a Toa of Fire learning the druid class while a Toa of Water learns the barbarian/destructive “warlock” class. *cough*JallerandHahli*cough*

Note: Undecided if the warlock class would actually involve summoning demons or if demons would even be a thing in the Matoran Universe’s AU here. If demons are a thing, it’s possible that they may closely resemble the concept of the Skakdi myth Irnakk, or they may be more monstrous. Again, up for debate and may focus more on the destructive capabilities. The summoning aspect of being a warlock may only be for those who prefer subservient pawns like the Shadowed One/anyone from the Makuta species.

Aside from rahi that were created by the Makuta, monsters also exist in this AU that take on quite a few familiar concepts that we’re familiar with in MMORPGs or typical isekai stories. These monsters were not created by the Makuta nor the Great Beings, but were formed by the amount of magic that was stored and built up by the Mata Nui robot as he traveled the galaxy. Some places possess more magic than others, noted by many inhabitants to make the air “heavy and dense yet charged like an impending storm”.

To a degree, these monsters are more “organic” than their rahi and Matoran neighbors, being creatures made of pure magic or “energy” given mass. (The complete opposite of the Makuta species now that I think about it!)

Compared to the Prime Universe, the Toa Code’s “no kill” rule is more lax on a case-by-case basis. For particularly problematic monsters that can’t be captured or deterred, a Toa may destroy its form and release the magic back into the environment. After a while, the creature will return and it will be like a blank slate from which the residents of the nearest village/city may deter them from repeating past aggressive behaviors. If too many monsters are in one area, a dungeon will form until someone conquers it and claims the treasure hidden within.

Dungeons in the Bionicle Universe’s AU are unique in that they come in two forms: natural and unnatural. Natural dungeons are places that are a natural part of the environment that anyone can enter and train or harvest materials from within, while unnatural ones are those formed by the density of magic of monster hordes congregating in one space. For example, Metru Nui’s districts each have one or two natural dungeons spread across each Metru, with Matoran being able to venture in and harvest materials to craft with or study the formations. Higher level dungeons reset their maps after a certain period of time has passed, while lower leveled dungeons meant for Matoran remain the same. The number of floors each dungeon possesses varies based on the danger levels and the quality of treasures or materials that can be harvested within.

When an unnatural dungeon forms, it creates a “dungeon master” that must be defeated in order to dispel it or make it “safe” for Matoran to enter. The more floors a dungeon has as noted by the number of stars outside the entrance of each floor (ie: 1 star equals 4 floors, 7 stars equals 28+ floors. Considering how often the number “seven” seems to follow chaos or darkness in the Bionicle Universe, I think it’s safe to say that seven stars means this dungeon is going to be very dangerous!). The higher ranking the dungeon, the more Toa are required to complete the dungeon, but the greater the reward and materials to be found and brought back, including Great Kanohi and powerful enchanted artifacts and weapons.

Random musing: should the dungeon master be transformed from the Toa Mata’s Great Masks/Toa Metru’s Great Kanoka Disks? Or should they just be intelligent monsters that are simply guarding the them as treasure?

Time magic does exist in this AU, but it is incredibly difficult to learn or wield even for a Makuta, leading many to believe it’s near impossible. Typically this magic can only be found within dungeons, used in traps or by boss monsters. Very, very few beings outside the dungeons (such as Voporak) can utilize it in some form or another, but not very well. Vakama is the only notable Toa who learned to wield it, which initially began as visions when he was a Matoran and became an unlocked ability after he became a Toa. He was initially limited to being able to rewind time by a few seconds at a time (think Prince of Persia and the Sands of Time), though using this too often will drain his mana faster than normal spells and runs the risk of suffering from mana drainage and possibly dying. He keeps this in reserve as a last resort, but he cannot alter specific instances that are unavoidable (such as Turaga Lhikan's death).

The Mask of Time is a legendary item that must be crafted, and wearing it will grant others mastery over time or act as a focus for those with time magic. Note that Vakama only uses it as a last resort to avoid damaging the timelines.

Monster parts can be used to forge equipment or enhance armor and weapons for Toa, the quality needing to be higher and higher as they progress and face stronger monsters and beings. Depending on the type of monster, these materials can grant enhancements to a Toa’s abilities such as increasing their speed or strength—though nowhere near the same extent as a Pakari or a Kakama.

Vakama was well known as a Matoran for being able to craft weapons and armor for Toa. When he became a Toa himself, the others relied on him to upgrade their armor and weapons using the materials they farmed from dungeons. Unlike crafting regular tools and masks from protodermis or disks, monster materials require a special technique that follows a certain rhythm, meaning Vakama (and any other Matoran crafter) must sing songs to keep time with each hammer strike. (Inspiration comes from this song here, which inspired this whole AU idea).

#bionicle #matoran universe #vakama #matoran #makuta #jaller #hahli

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