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windvexer · 23 days

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How do you feel about using multiple spells for a single goal? Doing wealth spells one after another until you're out of difficulties, for example, versus doing the one and letting it be?

I've got a chapter in a book I'm probably never going to publish about this. It's long. tl;dr: hell yeah cast a lot of spells for one thing, that's a great idea. Upg alert, etc.

Compound Magic: Many Hands Make Light Work

Compound magic is the phrase I’m using to discuss two similar ideas.

The idea is that if working one act of magic can affect our physical world to any degree, then working multiple acts of magic on the same subject can affect it to a greater degree.

This works at both the macro and micro levels.

By “macro,” I mean casting entire spells to influence various situations.

If you’re casting a home prosperity spell, casting multiple prosperity spells tends to be more beneficial than casting only one. Following our Witch-as-Monarch metaphor, you can cast spells that are like geologists seeking resources, like road-builders to strengthen trade routes, or like festival celebrations to revitalize your citizens.

More literally, if there is a situation that is resistant to change or in need of serious transformation, you can build a spellcasting altar dedicated to that single issue.

Spellcasting altars are useful in the practical sense that if you’ve got a whole altar for it, you might not forget that it’s something you wanted to work on.

They’re also very useful in the magical sense that as you dedicate a new “counsel room” to this topic and begin filling it with advisors, knights, heroes, spies, managers, and agents, and then continuously empower your Allies to work on your behalf through dedicated spellwork, all of these powers begin to compound and support each other.

In other words: the action of casting multiple spells can have additive or supportive effect which helps all the spells work better.

Not only this, but spells can begin to file away the rust on a situation and get the gears working - but run out of energy before the mechanism is truly brought to life.

If a single spell didn’t appear to manifest as desired, that doesn’t mean it didn’t do anything. It could mean that the situation was improved behind the scenes, laying a better foundation for success for your next spell.

Therefore, compound magic also means cleverly assigning spells to loosen up a situation and prepare it for change, to banish potential roadblocks, to protect the desired outcome, to empower the desired aspects of the situation, to bind the unwanted aspects, and so forth. In this manner, casting compound magic doesn’t necessarily mean to cast prosperity-generating spells over and over – it can also mean to cast banishings, protections, cleansings, and so forth, in the pursuit of prosperity.

This may all sound like a lot of work, but recall that we’re talking about very resistant situations, or situations in need of a lot of transformation before they suit your tastes. However, I hope you’ll agree with me that this concept in general actually really helps take a load off, because:

If your strategy is to work multiple acts of magic, then no single act of magic you work ever has to be perfect, or even exceptional.

Spellcasting anxiety is very real, and in my opinion boils down to the worry not only that unless everything is perfect then everything is ruined, but furthermore, that if any single spell doesn’t work it means the practitioner is a fraud.

If you instead adopt the mindset that it’s quite alright to need to work three or four acts of magic to influence a sticky situation, each spell feels less like you’re an actor making your debut performance in front of a judgmental audience, and much more like you’re going to try and treat the problem with a vinegar spray first, but if that doesn’t lift the bonds that’s quite alright because you’ve got a baking soda scrub to try next.

This isn’t to say that I think every single situation is going to require multiple spells to make the magic “work.” Far from it. But I don’t find there to be any utility at all in assuming every situation should be fixable by only one spell, and if that spell fails then there’s something wrong.

Overall, I find that the witch who often engages in acts of magic to keep the home safe and prosperous will find that this compound effect begins to work organically, and that over time all acts of magic eventually lead to an enchanted life, to greater or lesser degrees.

On the “micro” side of this concept we can examine the enchantment of a single object or formula.

Instead of considering that we can use multiple spells to influence a situation, we can see that we can work many smaller acts of magic over time to produce a single powerful spell.

Think about woodburning a very hard, difficult piece of wood. During the first session you may only get an outline of the design before you’re exhausted and in need of a break. The wood is still imprinted upon, but it’s far from the completed project you envisioned.

During the next woodburning session, and the next, the design is slowly filled in until it meets your standards of satisfaction.

This is conceptually very similar to re-casting the same enchantment over and over on a single object until desired results are obtained.

This is extremely useful for the pragmatic witch who may not have the ability to plan out spells on specific times and days, or who must act now without every ideal ingredient on hand.

And not only that, but it’s also useful for the witch who would just like to have some fun with magic and doesn’t want to twiddle their thumbs waiting for the most ideal possible moment to act.

If a witch would like to work up a pot of Noontide Shield Oil (pg. 34), but the working felt less than lustrous, the formula can simply be re-enchanted again next Sunday to deepen and solidify the enchantment. Or, suppose the original oil had to be worked in less than ideal conditions, or perhaps even with entire ingredients missing: the missing ingredients can be added later on, the spell re-cast over the same vessel in more ideal conditions, and so forth.

The same goes for any spell vessel, formula, charmed ingredient, or enchanted object.

These things can be fully re-enchanted by performing the original spell over again, switching focus from adding ingredients to empowering and instructing ingredients already added.

But they can also be encouraged in more minor ways, especially through regular feeding (pg. 9).

I think it’s important to note here that we’re basically talking about cooking. A chicken soup where you have to omit the chicken, and then shred up rotisserie leftovers and just add it to the broth when having leftovers, is not going to produce identical results as if you had been able to cook the chicken in the soup.

Either way, you’ve still got chicken soup - it's just that an enchantment made in the most ideal conditions is not going to be identical to an enchantment made in non-ideal conditions and later fortified.

So I don’t believe that it’s correct to say that ideal conditions don’t matter. I think they do matter, and that practitioners will notice an appreciable improvement if they are able to work with ideal circumstances.

But I also believe it’s correct to say that if you continuously re-cast enchantments towards the same objects and formulas over and over again, while supplementing missing or lacking factors, over time that enchantment deepens and becomes more permanent and more powerful.

Just like macro compound magic, I think that this helps reduce the difficulty in working powerful enchantments. You don’t have to work yourself up to exhaustion casting a single powerful enchantment that wipes out your ability to work magic for three days. You can meter your energy and pour out small amounts of your power, when needed or as desired, and slowly build up powerful magics around you.

Then, when an important “macro” situation arises, consider how it would feel to be able to reach for a variety spell vessels and formulas you’ve already been empowering for months, keeping them fresh and alive through periodic attention and feeding. Things begin to feel much less like a witch alone in a room, and much more like an empowered monarch surrounded by Allies.

#answered #long post

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prairiedeath · 10 days

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ON TRANSMISOGYNY AND GENDER COLONIALISM • 1/?

So many leftist spaces have long been gentrified and full of fake-ally cis people, whether it's chauvinistic, plain old misogynistic cis men, or crypto-terfs & trans-misogynistic cis women who may never publicly say "trans women aren't women" but will always treat us with less respect and trust than they would cis women, even many times like predatory men. More often than not, this micro-aggression goes completely unnoticed by cis allies, but the longer a trans woman is out, the more we notice it, the more we realize that in order for us to assimilate, we have to walk on eggshells and make more space for everyone else (despite being given the least space by anyone else) so that we aren't blacklisted and ostracized undeservingly.

Expanding on that, this phenomenon is pervasive in almost any space that claims to be feminist, whether that's explicitly a women's space (in which case the micro-aggressions from cis women are usually even worse), or any other kind of space. It's like a plague in DIY scenes, as an example. It's understandable why trans women want to assimilate and we should take no blame for that, all we usually want is to survive. We ask only for a ceasefire but we never get one. We want to love and to be loved by our communities the way any community should love one another. But our goal should have never been to assimilate. We should never have wanted to accept the bare minimum from cis society. We should all want the space for ourselves, as we all deserve, to live a long life, to have dreams, to want love, to want sex, to be angry, to make mistakes which we grow and learn from, cis people are given more space for all of these very human experiences than trans people and that is a definitive form of dehumanization. For trans women, and trans people in general, to assimilate into cis society, to demand nothing more than tolerance, is in the same vein as a cis woman being forced into submission by the patriarchy; weaponized promises. Transmisogynistic micro-aggressions, and the proceeding witch hunts against trans women, are the perpetuation of gendered violence, the violent enforcement of toxic gender roles, and even further, **𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑚**

cis women participating in this gendered violence is just another case of members of one marginalized group supporting the marginalization of another in order to alleviate their own misery- it's downright wicked. Cis women know what it's like to be the target of constant, ceaseless gendered violence, and yet many jump on the opportunity to dish it out against someone even more marginalized than them. This is why radfeminism is a toothless, watered down form of "feminism", this is why radfeminism is anything but radical. You will not solve the issue of gendered violence against women by dishing it out on people who are raped and murdered by men at a higher rate than anyone else in the world, even cis women.

trans and marxist feminism both demand that trans people, especially transfems, are given the same space to react with hostility to our oppressors as the left would give any other colonized group. And the sad fact is that even most left wing spaces in the west, even what should be spaces of our own, have failed to give trans women the room to react to gender colonizers or to even live our lives to the fullest. transphobia is so much more than bathroom bills and "don't say gay" (though those are absolutely battlegrounds for trans rights), it is also microaggressions, alienation, dehumanization and witch hunts.

These are all things I've had to learn on my own. Nobody ever warned me I would face these specific cryptic forms of discrimination and violence; because so many of us are stuck in a cycle of catering to cis society, while cis society gaslights us about it, that none of the trans women I knew back when I came out 7-8 years ago quite had the language to describe these experiences to me. Every day that passes the urge grows for me to find the words myself. I learn the hard way every day that trans liberation will never come from toothless cries for acceptance, it will only ever come when we turn the barrels of our guns to the gender colonizers.

#writing #transmisogyny #feminism #colonialism #gender #trans liberation #trans pride

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athenasparrow · 1 year

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No. 11 - Jest | March Micros

Read on AO3 | 854 words

Thank you to the lovely @jilymicrofics for the prompt : )

Lily felt the haze of firewhisky lull her as Marlene patted her head and moved to where Dorcas was waiting in the corner.

Lily felt a momentary spike of envy run through her as she watched them.

Merlin, she wished she had someone to love.

“Alright, Evans?” a familiar baritone asked as a tall figure plopped down on the floor next to her.

“I suppose” Lily murmured.

Seems that she’d moved from cheery drunk, to melancholic drunk then. Little she could do about it now.

“That’s no way to spend a party” James said, reaching our his finger to bop her nose.

Lily suddenly felt overwhelmingly confused. Here he was, sitting next to her on the floor, drinking her firewhiskey and touching her nose. Bloody confusing man.

Lily blinked up at him.

“Why do you think it’s funny to ask me out?” she asked tilting her head at him.

Apparently melancholic Lily was brutally honest, too.

“What?” James said frowning at her as he set his bottle down.

“Why do you think it’s funny?” Lily repeated, desperate for him to give her an answer.

“I don’t” James said staring at her.

Lily hiccupped. She hoped her disbelief was portrayed in the sound.

Apparently it was, because James continued.

“Did you…did you think this whole time I was asking in jest?” James said staring at her.

Lily felt herself shrug and scolded herself for being so pathetic.

“It wasn’t you know” James said strongly as if he had to get the idea through her drunken haze and into her brain. “C’mon, let’s get you to bed. I’ll find you tomorrow, okay?”

Lily nodded, allowing him to pull her off the floor and guide her towards the stairs.

Sleep sounded like a nice reprieve from the mess that was life.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

If Lily didn’t have vague memories of the evening before, she may have believed she’d been hit in the head with her bludger.

Perhaps it was better to die from a bludger wound than face James after the pathetic way she’d acted last night.

She groaned, blindly reaching for her wand.

She squinted against the light as her hand knocked over something glass.

After spelling the curtains closed, Lily let her eyes open to observe her room.

A piece of parchment lay under the bottle she'll carelessly knocked over.

She opened it and took a whiff. Hangover potion.

She downed it in one, making a note to thank Alice for leaving it for her.

Only, it turns out it wasn’t Alice.

Lily eyed the parchment warily, recognising the messy scrawl. Perhaps he was telling her they couldn’t be friends after her drunken confession last night.

Might as well rib the bandaid off.

Lily,

I’m deeply apologetic my endeavours to catch your attention have been misconstrued as jest.

It is with utmost sincerity that I tell you that you are the most beautiful witch I have ever laid eyes on.

Lily clenched the parchment in her hand as she stood. Why couldn’t life just be simple?

Her eyes darted to the floor where another three ripped pieces of parchment lay in a line to the door. Her feet quickly padded across the stone floor so she could read them.

I stand in awe of your brilliance on a daily basis

And another.

Your radiance warms me from the inside out.

And another.

Your kindness is an example of what I hope to live up to.

Lily felt the first bit of hope spread throughout her chest. Each parchment she picked up felt like she was mending a crack in her sad heart.

And because he was James, a wizard who didn’t know how to do things by half, that wasn’t the end of it. Lily felt the beginnings of a smile on her face as she noticed three more stuck to her dormitory door.

I love the fierce way you challenge me. You, Lily Evans, make me better.

I think the way you wrinkle your nose when you’re making a difficult potion is adorable.

Your joy is infectious. I want to share it with you, if only you’ll let me.

Without another thought, Lily yanked open the door and nearly tripped over her feet in her haste to get down the stairs.

And then actually tripped over a body sitting at the end.

Warm hands caught her around the waist and the body shifted, standing.

“Sorry, tha– oh” Lily startled as she came face to face with the wizard she’d been searching for.

And then she kissed him.

Lily’s mind was drawn to all the lovely things he’d written about her and how she could find them all in this kiss. The brilliance in the thrill that ran down her spine, the kindness in the tender way he responded and radiant heat that grew as they gained confidence. And the challenge? Well, they wouldn’t be Lily and James if they didn’t challenge each other, even when kissing.

Lily tried to let her joy be contagious. Tried to show him how much he lit her up. And James? He’d always bent fluent in Lily Evans. He understood perfectly.

#jily #jple #lily evans #james potter #jily love #jily fic #jily microfic #athena writes march micros #athenasparrow #athena's library #athena's microfics

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itty-bitty-writes · 10 months

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Bitty's WIPs

(posted stories masterpost)

Surrounded by His Loved One - Chapter 2: Copulation (Shrinky Sanders Sides Smut Series, aka 5S)

summary:

Remus is up Virgil's butt, and Virgil and Logan are heading to Logan's room to… copulate.

status: intro written. vague ideas for what's after that

Prinxiety cock vore [actual title pending] (5S)

summary:

Remus told Roman that Virgil enjoyed their shrinky sex, and now Roman's got a similar proposition for Virgil

(from a prompt)

status: probably half written

LAMP cock vore + sex [actual title pending] (5S)

summary:

Virgil liked Roman in his dick so much that this time he gets to cock vore two boyfriends. And then fuck Patton with them inside.

(from a prompt)

status: outlined

Dark Sides in Balls (5S)

summary:

Remus cock vored the other two dark sides, and then… forgot.

Oops

status: outlined

I Know You Know I'm Here (5S)

summary:

Janus totally didn't see Remus, shrunken and naked, on the bed. Totally. It's absolutely a complete coincidence that Janus, also naked, sat down directly on top of him. Unfortunate positioning, is all.

(pretend unaware)

(Remus is having the time of his life)

status: concept exists. Intro written

Ritual Sacrifice (5S)

summary:

The dragon witch (Janus, wearing cloth wings) has demanded a sacrifice. The unfortunate Roman has been chosen by lot, and now Logan and Virgil must tie him to a tree (Patton's dick) for the dragon witch to claim.

The sides do a fun little roleplay

(Janus has a vagina in this one)

status: outlined

A Game of Cock Vore (Sizeshifter Trio)

summary:

Elliott is often the voice of reason and impulse control for the trio.

This fic does not involve Elliott.

status: opening written

Awkward First Time

summary:

A gt couple decide to try sex for the first time. They're not sure what they're doing, but they find a way to make it good for both of them.

status: outlined, opening written

Insomnia (Josh's Tiny Harem)

summary:

Josh can't sleep. His solution? shove a tiny in his pants, see if that helps

status: barely started

Forgotten Tiny Third

summary:

A couple have been trying out various kinks to see how much they like them, and are trying micro/macro.

They forget there's a tiny involved.

status: outlined

Dick Apartments

summary:

So it turns out that the reason the rent is so low for Gus's new apartment is that the building doubles as a giant dildo.

He really should have read the lease document more thoroughly.

status: barely started

Surprise! Shrunken and Trapped - Part 2 (Poll Story)

summary:

Simon has unexpectedly shrunk, and somehow ended up in an unaware giant's underwear, just before he put it on!

Simon's stuck under the giant's junk, and he's causing an unfortunate itch.

status: about a paragraph written

Tournament

summary:

Several contestants in a large maze, each equipped with a device which will shrink someone to only a few inches tall.

The last person full sized wins.

Everyone else gets fucked.

status: outlined

#my writing #masterpost #wip

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nena-96 · 10 months

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I Almost Do

Pairing: Tedromeda

Era #3: Red

Word Count: 695

Song: I Almost Do

Hiya,

So here is another TSwift inspired story for this years HP Cruel Summer Fic Fest. This time its a Tedromeda fic, where sweet Ted Tonks longs for Andromeda. I simply love this pairing so much, which is why I wrote another fic but beware its not a happy one at all (it wont be included in this fest because its not a micro)

Anyways, here is the link A03 or read down below :)

In my dreams you're touching my face And asking me if I wanna try again with you And I almost do

💠💠💠💠💠

Ted Tonks could only fantasize, because the reality of being with Andromeda Black is too good to be true. Oh where have things gone? All the times they would sneak into empty rooms at St. Mungos for just a quick snog before heading back to work.

Or the times when she’d join him and go to the pub together after a grueling day at work. It was risky, not being able to kiss her in front of everyone, but it didn’t mean that she’d stop teasing him.

When they would sit besides each other while their coworkers ordered drinks and talked about who had a longer shift. Andromeda would “accidentally” brush up against him, when she was ready to order a drink.

Not that he minded, but he wouldn’t be able to leave the bar if she kept trailing her delicate hand over his thigh. A minx, that’s what she was and she relished the effect she had on him. It didn’t have to be something intimate, many times they would end up at his tiny flat and just talk to each other. Listening to her as she talks about her goals and inspirations, the kindness in her eyes.

If only she knew how much he misses her, how much he loves her even though they decided to end things. It’s supposed to be for the best, that’s what she told me that is and like a fool I agreed. I agreed to a false belief that life would be better without Andromeda Black in his life.

It wasn’t, not in the slightest. The moment they ended things was the time Ted realized how painful heartbreak could actually be. When he looked into her eyes, he knew that no matter what happens he’ll never meet someone else. Andromeda was and will always be the love of his life. He would do anything to make her happy even if it meant not being able to see her again.

Ted sits up and looks at the parchment that’s on his desk. If only he could send Andromeda a letter through owl post, except she made him promise to never send a letter. He didn’t have to ask why, because the answer was as clear as day. He’s Muggleborn and she’s from a long line of Purebloods.

I can't say "Hello" to you And risk another goodbye

💠💠💠💠💠

Groaning into his hands, Ted tries to calm himself down. He shouldn’t let his emotions get the best of him, no matter what people say, he belongs in both the Wizard and Muggle world.

He won’t shed a tear, because that would mean that blood supremacy won. This wasn’t the case, because even if he’s not with Andromeda he knows she still thinks of him.

Ted can imagine she’s sittin' in her chair by the window, and looking out in hopes to escape the clutches of her family. Andromeda told him that one day they would be together without having to worry about sneaking around. Maybe it was just the bliss taking over her from a bit of passion, but he hopes it’s true. Even after all this time apart, which is three weeks to be exact, has done nothing but fuel the burning fire that he has for the second daughter of Cygnus Black.

And I wish I could run to you And I hope you know that every time I don't I almost do

💠💠💠💠💠

If times were different maybe he could march straight through the gates of the Black family home and speak with Cygnus himself. Ted would tell him how much he loves Andromeda and no matter what he’ll do whatever it takes to make her the happiest witch in the world.

Except that would never happen, because he isn’t pureblood. Why does that matter anyways? Andromeda has never treated him differently because of his blood status. So why does it matter if her family doesn’t accept him? He doesn’t need anyone’s approval, because regardless of what they believe the only opinion he cares about is Andromeda’s.

#hp cruel summer fic fest 2023 #Tedromeda #ted x andromeda #Ted Tonks #Andromeda Black #Longing #Microfic Mayhem With Us #Era 3: Red #I Almost Do #Don't worry the next Tedromeda fic is the REAL tear jerker

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jamesdavisnicoll · 3 months

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Witch Life in a Micro Room, volume 1 by Akitaka A hard working but old fashioned witch and a modern but lazy witch struggle to survive in a world that no longer has use for them.

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faline-cat444 · 4 months

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Might be everything,might not.Can say the arrangement I went with subconsciously made spaces for where what showed up yesterday would have gone.

#Handyman Saitou in Another World #The Holy Grail of Eris #Bofuri #The Executioner and Her Way of Life #The Deer King #Dead Mount Death Play #Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop #In the Land of Leadale #Hakumei and Mikochi #Modern Dungeon Capture Starting With Broke Skills #Maiden of the Needle #Witch Life in a Micro Room

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siriusmydeer · 3 years

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my pretty witch

james potter x fem!reader

summary: james shows you how beautiful your body is.

word count: 2.8k

warnings: soft dom!james, sub!reader, fingering, fem!receiving oral, body insecurities, self doubt, missionary, penetration, marking, daddy kink, kissing, praise, mentions of sickness, wolfstar mention <3

note; requested.

the birds were singing, the sun was glowing, it was the most memorable saturday of the spring season.

students were speaking amongst themselves as the birds were increasingly chirping and the glinting sun that was only visible hanging planet in the sky that was emitting shimmering rays upon the two girls sitting amongst themselves. the faint gust of wind peering as subtle background noise whilst the rest of the courtyard was trifling around on the weekend.

“'m not sure lils, i just feel— it’s hard to explain.” you began to explain with an expression of embarrassment starting to linger on your face, a simple yet prying conversation amongst the ginger whilst you both sat upon the fresh-cut grass upon the millions of acres that belonged to hogwarts.

students of hogwarts were fairly spaced out upon the yard, as well as corridors and the library with madame pince no doubt hurrying them away to keep the tranquility rather in unbroken, as it was one of the first warm days for weather since the scotland air was filled with ivory flecks that completely covered the viridescent grounds.

almost no gryffindor peers around only the two of you insight. james, remus, peter, and sirius had all made their way closer to the quidditch pitch the minute they left breakfast; mainly so james could practice alongside sirius, and they could prance around the pitch on their brooms like first years who had just learned how to fly, as remus and peter watched. mainly peter, remus had cracked open his most latest read as soon as he sat upon the stands whilst faintly blushing from time to time at sirius’ winks and irritatingly pleasant wolf whistles.

what you hadn’t known was james leaving his mates with each other slightly earlier than expected in a quest for his girlfriend.

he had a glistering grin formed on his lips after catching sight of you speaking amongst lily. he was ready to parade over to you and boast about his newest quidditch tricks he had learned whilst sitting upon your lap ruining the serene aura that swarmed around your conversation with the ginger.

the deviant sun flickered delicate rays over your figure, to james you were effortlessly gleaming in the golden hues that radiated upon your skin.

his girl.

how could someone be so utterly beautiful?

the only thing diminishing his smile from the apex of his lips was when he was close enough to catch wind of your conversation with the gryffindor.

“i don't want him to think ‘m disgusting or anything! i just— i have stretch marks and stuff. i don't wanna be unappealing or something.” you whined following a groan whilst tilting your head back, covering your eyes at the slowly sinking sun radiating into your irises.

lily gaped at you befuddled before speaking, “but i mean, you’ve had sex before—” she spoke rather boisterously, you rapidly took the palm of your hand, clutching it over her mouth before she removed it and continued speaking, “and he's never been ‘disgusted’ or anything prior.” she finished in a whisper at your widen eyes; your face contorting into fear, afraid someone had heard what she said.

“’m just nervous that just because he doesn't express anything, doesn't mean he doesn't think it.” you chewed heavily at the skin of your peeling lips before applying a fresh layer of chapstick to the chapped cushions.

the awareness of your pending stress began to become overwhelming in your veins as you expressed your concerns to lily.

the bespectacled boy less than ten feet away from you tremendously creased his features in bewilderment, his face almost permanently contorting into a grueling grimace. did he ever do anything to make you think you were undesirable to him? you were quite literally an angelic essence that roamed the acres of hogwart’s at every waking moment of the day, it was like he had won the lottery, (something muggle-like you had mentioned to him) when you had agreed to go on a date with him.

and now you suspected something he couldn't even imagine in a nightmare.

he stayed a moment longer, listening to you drone on upon the fact he might've found you horrid or repelling. his psyche opting to trudge back to the gryffindor towers where he had originally planned to meet with you after your meet-up with lily.

what decision could've reveled in your mind to decide that he might've thought grueling thoughts on the certain aspects of your psychical appearance that he particularly found beautiful. your personality was captivating, of course. but that didn't mean he wouldn't bore his eyes into your figure trying to memorize every micro-detail of you and your features. any juncture of time he had with you he would spend adorning every aspect of you, when you happen to be separated he would spend his mind fulfilling images of you.

there wasn't one moment where he wasn't thinking of you.

and there wasn't one singular nanosecond he didn't think you weren't a goddess walking the earth.

even before you had brushed your teeth on particularly rough mornings before classes when the mangled tuffs of your hair that clung to your roots before brushing it, even when you were blowing your nose and heaving the tissues onto the ground when you were adamantly sick and you couldn't even whiff the most pungent scents; you were angelic.

so how in merlins name would you think so negatively of yourself?

james proceeded to haul his legs in pacing motions across the floor whilst he awaited your presence in the vermillion stricken common room. his thoughts overwhelming him on the mere thought of you and your psyche negatively impacting every nook and cranny of your mind-- which he would opt to remove any moment he got the chance to.

at the tumble of his limbs moving around the common room he heard a similar pair of footsteps enter the common room, “you alright, love?” you inquired gently, your figure tremendously slouched and drowsy after being in overwhelming embarrassment, the quick spin of his figure catching your attention.

“should i not have—” you initiated to speak again, your words almost completely disorganized, speaking first rather than overthinking your words at his slight apprehensive behaviors since you had arrived mere seconds ago.

“i love you,” he began, now walking over to your tense figure, “and you're my person,” said james in a rapid pace, the words of his tongue rolling off haphazardly. you began to crease your eyebrows confusedly at his confession, his hands deciding to sit on both sides of your fragile jaw that began to clench in the encasement of his palms.

you were adamantly confused at where his arbitrary confession had sprouted from, and the intentions behind it.

“’m quite aware, yes?” you sighed in the duration of your sentence recalling the conversation over your appearance with lily just a few minutes ago, now defiantly looking at your shoes before speaking again. “why the sudden confession, james?” you inquired again, this time sorrowfully.

“’m not an eavesdropper or anything,” he began to defend himself, seeing your eyes hastily peer ascent to him along with the widening of your eyes, “but, i— i heard what you said to lily.” he finished his sentence wistfully. you respired heavily for a moment, your hands now clutching onto his that remained laid onto your complexion.

“just, i dunno. ignore my thoughts, they’re stupid.”

his eyes proceeded to widen at your request. his reaction to being adamantly confused was contorted in the features of his face like he had been peering over the defense against the dark arts section on an O.W.L.S exam after not studying for a week.

“i could never just ignore you. i care about what you think, m’love.” he dragged the pad of his thumb against the dermis of your cheek, feeling the broad flush of your skin begin to warm the velvet palms of hands. “i just— i can't explain it.”

there was a detrimental feeling pooling in your mind at the feeling of embarrassment beginning to tinge your cheeks. you felt as if you were in the middle of a school audition and suddenly forgot all of your lines, the insistent feeling of unworthiness popping up in your mind every couple of minutes like a menace throughout your life.

“c’mon, darling,” he whispered whilst beckoning you, removing his hands that were clutched onto the apple of your cheeks now sliding his digits through your own. the balmy feeling of his palm radiating into yours was the only steady grasp you had while he had led you into his empty dormitory.

his emotions continued to display as unknown whilst he sat upon the vermillion knit comforter that laid quite messily upon his bed. his legs began to open whilst he brought your body between them. his palms making a heavy grip upon the curvature of your waist, and his thumb now stroking the cotton material that adorned your figure. his thumb gliding down to the hem, suddenly feeling the warm flush of your skin melding into his own.

“let me make you feel good.” james began to plead, his face quirking into a mild pout. your mind reflecting on your insecurities for a moment, the ripples in your skin, the vergetures tissue that was rooted upon your flesh, but as of right now that was now to be the least of your concerns that ventured in your mind.

the pads of his calloused palm lingered to the planes of your lower back to the swell of your bottom, his hands palming at the denim material while he awaited your answer; you merely nodded your head, his grin increasingly growing whilst his grip managed to maneuver you hurriedly onto the middle of his bed. your legs slightly fumbling before your spine was adjacent to his mattress.

his lip was now faintly tucked under the cushion of his lip while his athletic form began to hover over your body. the ivory white top you were dressed in was now being pulled down to the point of the exposure of your brassiere, and the dewy kisses emitting from his lips were now faintly pressed against the mantle of your skin.

his fingers feebly started to grasp at the flimsy material of your top before raising it over the undulating form of your body, his hand flinging the pallid fabric onto the mahogany wood of his dormitory. james had now buried his head between your supple mounds that laid gracefully on your chest, his swirling tendrils of brunet tickled at the planes of your jugular.

he felt the slight respire hitching in your chest while lips suckled at the skin that guarded your sternum, the slight blossoming hue rested in the juncture of your chest whilst his lips proceeded to move around your midriff.

the silk tresses of his brunet tuffs faintly titillated at your abdomen as the sponges of his kisses landed directly on the lower regions of your abdomen. his lips continuing to suction recurrent markings till the fluorescent blooms of umber and vermillion spilled delicately onto the searing flesh of your midriff.

his cerulean eyes peeled off of the buckle from your jeans, his eyes now sauntering out your face, and your arms now balancing yourself so you can gape into his eyes. he tilted his head in question, emitting a second nod of confirmation from you. taking it upon himself to rid of your clothing from your legs, leaving his hand traveling into the flimsy sheet of scarlet lace you had been clad in.

his finger swirled upon the swollen button once, releasing an enclosed gasp from your lungs that had been held in your trachea. his hands grasping upon the tight material and removing it from your body before looking at the sopping folds of your cunt.

once, twice, three times, he glided his fingers through your arousal effortlessly before attaching his lips to the swelled nub, proceeding to suckle like a babe. his tongue exploring your cunt whilst your wavering moans were transferring through the air. he began to maneuver your legs to balance on the bend of his shoulders whilst your pending moans lay enticingly in the air; your feeble digits feeling the strain of his tuffs in the clutch of your fingers at his arousing stimulation.

his ring and middle finger began to prod at your entrance before sliding into the depths of your aching cunt nimbly. his tongue stretched upon the crevices of your cunt while it collected your sickly nectar on the tip of his tongue, his face now buried in your cunt.

the unyielding quiver in your legs around his head was only steely increasing as he etched you closer and closer upon release. the bubbling moans exuding from your throat only increasing his current pride at your pleasureful noises making him grin into your cunt until you were pleading out to him, rather desperately.

“daddy, please. can i cum?”

“since you asked so nicely.” he retorted to your question enticingly. removing his mouth as his fingers recurrently impelled in the silken encasement of your cunt until your legs were trembling over his shoulders, and your mind had finally bleared out from the explosive butterflies that now lingered in your belly.

he caught sight of a few unwavering mauve lines that retracted in the inside flesh of your thighs, pressing a few absentminded kisses to them before his body began to hover over your own.

the bespectacled boy had now removed the indigo shirt from his body, his abdomen and rippling muscles were now in desolate from your slightly fatigued eyes. his body now recurrently hovering over your heaving one. his thumb swiped against your cheek once before his eyes came in the direct view of your churning abdomen.

he lowered his face till his nose was slightly smeared against your rib cage and his lips came in direct contact with the mauve and pallid lines you had been so doggedly insecure about.

his hands now placed on the curvature of your waist, admiring the stripes that now defined your midsection. tracing the small lines on the left, on the right, then craning his neck under your thighs so he could press a few absentminded kisses to the swell of your bum.

when he had returned from your underside, now catching your lips in a kiss. the hues of orange and red now bleeding into the atmosphere of the room, the sun slowly setting in the underworld amongst the other planets whilst he removed the remaining articles of clothing that had lingered on your figures.

“you’re so beautiful,” he murmured, pressing a kiss into the junction of your neck, landing directly on your pulse point that had been unwaveringly erratic. “astonishingly beautiful, my angel.” he crooned into the curvature of your neck whilst his lips moved to the crease of your jaw.

his hands delicately were fixed on the apex of your thighs, the limbs hanging closely on the burly muscles of his waist. “please, daddy. need you so bad.” you began to mewl while his cock had nudged faintly at your thigh.

at your words, james leisurely filled you to the brim with his cock until the happy trail sprouted ascent his lower abdomen was now pressed against your hips in a minuscule grinding-like motion.

his forearms now embedding into the mattress beside your hair that was cascading around your face similar to a halo that an angel wore proudly, his hips continuously grinding against your hips whilst your ankles were brought into a tight lock on the lower curvature of his spine.

“my pretty girl.”

the motions of his thrusts were steady and protracted. the movements drawing out your orgasms substantially, rather than the feeling of intense euphoric elation, it’s rather prolonged and comforting in the small snap of a coil that trembled in your belly.

the searing flush of your skin colliding with one another whilst his mouth had now been placed upon your own once more. your arms now resting on the nape of his neck, the minuscule scratch, and tug of your fingers bringing him to center of the actions he was trying to exhibit towards you.

his love, his adoration, his appreciation.

the small kisses he left on your hairline whilst he was etched closer, and closer upon his release until the splintering clench in his belly had profusely slackened . “you’re so captivating.” he crooned amid your kiss after separating his lips from yours for a moment.

the meld of his skin against your own was enticing and inviting. his tongue swept into your mouth to envelop the feeling of you just a little more before the ropes of his release had seeped into the depths of your cunt; only deepening the liplock whilst his prick had remained inside of you.

it wasn't a long duration of time before james quickly scrambled away to dress you in his freshly cleaned vermillion and umber quidditch jumper and a pair of his boxer shorts, quickly cuddling close to your side whilst placing a few last kisses to your forehead before he had changed into a pair of sweatpants himself and beckoned you to lay on his chest.

“you m’dear, are, completely, and irrevocably bewitching. my pretty witch.”

taglist: @miss-starkov @ronbrokemyheart @aricela @inglourious-imagines @moonyinthelight @bikinibottomspeach @myalo-vasano-psixis @i-love-scott-mccall @kirascottage @five-cups-of-coffee @myloveforluna @abbott27 @hufflepuffsfordraco @slytherclawbitch @ggmniy @90steaology

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witchsheartbooks · 3 years

Note

This is the only Witch’s Heart imagines blog I can find and I’m so thankful for it tbh! For a request, maybe Claire + the guys reacting to their S/O getting badly injured?

I did want to do more with this but I do hope it's to your liking.

---

Claire:

She finds you a few feet from her room, coiled on the floor and wheezing.

She’s never the type to get angry. She’s usually docile and kind.

You didn’t get a glimpse at her face from your blurred vision but you could hear the rage firm in her gentle voice as she leaned over to tend to you.

“Who did this to you?”

She’d raise hell for you.

They’d get a piece of her mind and a swift kick to the side of the head.

Claire Elford was not violent, Unless. she needed to protect someone.

That’s what she used her strength for.

Ashe:

As his eyes found you, all he could see was red.

Who the fuck would dare mess with his Y/N.

He had lost enough already.

His hands were already tending to your wound and his voice stayed horrifyingly level as he asked. “Who hurt you.”

The chill in his voice leveled the temperature of the entire room.

His actions were only driven by your state and safety.

Whoever left you like this would die.

Wilardo:

His expression was cold upon finding you.

He was never the expressive type to begin with but even his micro-expressions were difficult to spot.

He’s always been guarded, self isolating.

You had gotten close to him and now someone had gotten to you.

He lifted you with ease, already working to clean and patch you up.

He was quiet, you only knew it was him by the texture of his hands and the sound of his breathing.

Whoever did this would know hell, because he’d show them it himself.

Sirius:

Terror and rage, those were the expressions Sirius would often show when someone closest to him was on the brink.

Who would dare lay a hand on you?!

That much didn’t matter, you needed him right now and he would treat you right then and there.

Adrenaline fueled his muscles enough to carry you but only just.

It fueled the swiftness of his hands as he stilled your breathing and worked in his craft.

He’d known these skills because after watching someone he loved so dearly die before him once, he’d be damned if it ever happened again.

He would save you, and he would find the person responsible.

His money would make that more than possible.

Noel:

Fear, and Agony were the emotions that flit across Noel’s expression.

He’d seen more than enough loss and you wouldn’t be next.

He’d seen Claire die countless times. Sirius nearly as much.

He would not be alone again.

Noel wouldn’t go through something like the Mansion ever again.

Except he didn’t know what to do.

So he cried and carried you to Sirius to save your life.

~Mod Sirius

#Witch's Heart #Claire Elford #Wilardo Adler #Sirius Gibson #Noel Levine #Ashe Bradley #Headcanons #Witch's Heart Headcanons #x reader #Mod Sirius

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flustered-victorian-gentleman · 2 years

Text

I present to y’all, my Whisperer in Darkness crack theory/headcanon: Stanley Adams and Mr. Noyes are both avatars of Nyarlathotep. (I know that Lovecraft almost definitely didn’t intend for the story to be nit-picked and interpreted this way, but that’s the glory of Death of the Author.)

Stanley Adams:

•You’re telling me this guy can FUCKING HYPNOTIZE PEOPLE and he’s only in one paragraph of the story?

•This is the only time a human being is shown to hypnotize someone (The body-swapping in The Thing on the Doorstep was done by some ageless malevolent being taking over the bodies of the Waite family, and the magnetic effects in Dreams in the Witch House were achieved by Keziah Mason, who was immortal and getting help from Nyarlathotep. At the very least, this means that Stanley Adams is an extremely powerful wizard who you’d think would be in more than ONE PARAGRAPH. Why don’t the Mi-Go use him more, especially to capture Akeley or Wilmarth? It is possible that the Mi-Go gave him special powers for joining them, but Mr. Brown and Mr. Noyes do not seem to have these powers.)

•”He was altogether unknown, and had not been seen before or since” -Isn’t the whole point of the human agents that they’re locals who wandered too close to the mountain and got recruited by the Mi-Go? The other local human agent, Mr. Brown, is seen around by Akeley regularly, and has a house near the mountains and everything. Surely, in an area with a small population (Townsend had a population of 633 in 1930, according to Wikipedia) SOMEONE would have noticed the man with the distinctly unusual voice.

-The Mi-Go are described as having a voices that sound like “buzzing imitations of human speech”, but I don’t think a Mi-Go would be able to fit inside a human flesh suit, with their wings and antenna and stuff, and also Adams’ voice is described as “thick and droning” rather than the overt buzzing noises that the Mi-Go make.

•Remember that time in the poem “Nyarlathotep” where Nyarlathotep went to Egypt disguised as a human, did magic tricks, and hypnotized a bunch of people for fun? Is this not a micro-version of that?

Mr. Noyes:

•Mister Noise?? Is there any better name for the sophisticated human persona of the crawling chaos? Nyarlathotep does like to choose forms that mess with people and hint at the supernatural (In Dreams in the Witch House, he’s just a tall slim man…with possible devil-goat feet hidden under his robes? In The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, he’s a human pharaoh with magically glowing robes) (This is by far the nit-pick-iest point here, but it’s my crackpot theory and I get to choose the stupid details)

•A rich man from Boston. Fancy-ass car, very polite, none of that aura of weirdness or any unusual traits that are normally typical of humans connected to the supernatural in the Mythos.

•He leaves immediately after dropping Wilmarth off at Akeley’s because

“He himself, he added, had important business elsewhere, and could not stop for more than a moment”

What is happening in your life that is more important than your alien overlords?!

•He comes back to crash on Akeley’s couch for the end of the story, he’s a suspiciously heavy sleeper. Also, he’s supposed to be guarding Wilmarth, so why would he fall asleep. I don’t care how tired I was, I certainly wouldn’t want to fail a task set by the Mi-Go, who are known to kill their henchmen (RIP Mr.Brown)

•Some stuff that does not wake Mr Noyes up:

-A flashlight directly in his face

-Wilmarth screaming in the next room over

•Nyarlathotep is the “crawling chaos”, messenger of Azathoth who just kinda does his own thing when his dad isn’t looking, like hypnotizing a bunch of humans in Egypt for shits n’ giggles. It would make sense for him to want to “assist” the Mi-Go, and then ruin their plans by letting a guy escape. Also, it is already implied the Nyarlathotep is the “Whisperer in Darkness” that wears the Akeley flesh suit, so if he’s already in the area, why would he just hang around for one moment in the story? From his various appearances in different humanoid forms throughout the Mythos, he does like shapeshift and mess with people and is generally vain as fuck, and both Stanley Adams and Mr.Noyes fit that role perfectly.

#cthulhu mythos #nyarlathotep

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angelanika · 3 years

Text

How Bizarre Pt2

<<<< Part 1 Part 3 >>>>

Chapter warnings: cursing, sugar daddy/baby relationships, sexual themes

A couple hours after you left, Bakugou had finally woken up. He rolled his tired body over and his drowsy eyes peered at the bed-side clock,“tch. Already noon.”

His red eyes looked sleepily around the luxurious hotel room, noting your absence. A teeny-tiny, itsy-bitsy, micro-minature part of him wished that you were still there.

He pictured how your skin delectably contrasted the white bed sheets below him and how your pretty eyes gazed up into his own full of lust and desire. If only you had stayed a little longer...maybe he could’ve gotten another round in...

He groaned as he threw himself out of the bed and strolled towards the shower. The stress of the previous weeks were nothing some good drinks and hot sex couldn’t fix and as the water streamed down his toned body, he was already feeling more and more refreshed.

You, on the other hand, were as busy as a bee.

After rushing home to clean yourself up and diving into a crowded train, you arrived at the Hara Estate with 2 minutes to spare.

You had only begun setting down your belongings in the small room near the massive kitchen when the lady of the house yoo-hooed out for you.

“Y/N!! Y/N!!”

You appeared in front of her.

“Oh great! Glad you’re here. I have so much for you to do today, everything has to be perfecttttt,” she sang while slapping a to-do list on the counter, “Hurry up and change dear then get to work. Ok?”

“ok.”

Her smile faded and she stared at you sternly.

“Yes Mrs.Hara,” you corrected.

Her matte pink smile returned as she gave the to-do list two light taps on the marble counter, “Well chop-chop.”

Your blood boiled.

She turned on her pointed heels and she pranced away leaving you burning holes in the back of her dark, silky hair.

Ma'am, you're grey roots are showing 🙄

Your job definitely didn’t start off like this. Hell, you weren’t even obligated to lift a finger but...shit happens...

......

You had met the witch's husband, Mr.Hara, at the daycare you used to work at. He wouldn't always be the one to drop his son, Prince, off but he made sure to pick him up in the evenings.

You worked at the tiny front desk, so you were always able to catch a glimpse of the visibly wealthy man when he came in.

Mr.Hara was a tall, slim Japanese. Fit and paired with shiny, black hair, always trimmed to perfection and silver streak in the front just for show.

He worked somewhere behind the scenes in the Hero Commission...or Association...or something like that…. Let’s just say the man had impressive connections and money to spare!

He was clearly older than you, probably by a decade, but that didn't stop your eyes from roaming and your mind from wandering.

Saying that he hadn’t been eyeing you as well, would be a blatant lie on his part.

One afternoon when he was signing the book after collecting Prince, he suddenly spoke up, "How much longer do you plan on working here?"

"S'cuse me?" You said, taken aback by the sudden and almost intrusive question.

He slipped his sleek, black and gold pen back into his suit pocket before closing the check-out book and handing it back to you, "Well I know that working here can't pay you that well and I'm sure you don't plan on doing this the rest of your life," he explained.

"My career plans are none of your concern Mr.Hara."

He chuckled at this and you cracked a small smile but you both knew that he was right.

You would think that working at a daycare for the rich and privileged would pay you just as elegantly, but boy were you wrong! It was minimum wage with a few toasted breadcrumbs and as much as you tried to deny it, you would soon need to find a new job.

"I'll tell you what," Mr. Hara began, " You come work for me at my place and I'll pay you ten times as much as you get here."

Your ears perked up.

"Work for you?"

"Yeah. Trust me. It's not bad at all,” he stated while leaning over the counter and lowering his silky smooth voice, “Just come to my place a few days a week, cook, clean...entertain me."

Instant butterflies!

Your eyes went wide, “Entertain you?! I’m sorry Mr. Hara but I cannot sleep with you!!”

...at least take me out for dinner first😏

He quickly straightened back up and waved his hands dismissively, “No No not like that. It just gets a little lonely in the house. That’s all...”

You stared at him suspiciously.

“I’ll tell you what,” he declared, “Here’s my personal number, we can discuss it more over the phone. You don’t even have to do the housework but just give me a call ok?”

“Oh..ok..thank you Mr. Hara,” you mumbled softly as you accepted the little note..

After fixing his dark sunglasses back in place and calling for Prince, who had been completely enchanted by whatever game he was playing on his tablet, he made his way to the exit, leading Prince through first.

Then he suddenly stopped midway and turned back to you with a smirk...

“Oh and please, call me Kenji.”

Before you could even reply, he had disappeared through the heavy glass doors and into his BMW.

D-Did you just cop yourself a sugar baby position???

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Two days later, you gave him a call.

He answered all of your questions effortlessly as if he had done this a thousand times and flattered you with the absurd amount he was willing to pay you for just keeping him company.

“...and what about sex?” you whispered timidly into the phone, ensuring that even the ghosts in your empty apartment couldn’t hear you.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he laughed. “So Y/N? What do you say?”

Exactly one week after that, you’re striding through the mansion gates.

Seeing that your new “job” had extremely flexible working hours, you decided against quitting at the daycare. The extra income was now seemingly unnecessary but the more the merrier right?

It also grants you an easy answer to the inevitable question of “So what do you do for a living?” rather than having to explain your relationship with Mr.Hara or trying to avoid the question totally.

You straightened out your burgundy blouse and picked at the little fluffs on your jeans, before entering the house.

He had told you to just let yourself in when you got there and that’s exactly what you did.

When you finally strolled into the house, your jaw immediately dropped.

Girls! Girls! Girls!

Girls of all different shapes, sizes and colours were littered around the living room, relaxing in the pool and snacking in the kitchen.

“Lonely my ass,” you thought.

Your presence had quickly caught the attention of a particular blonde who sprinted towards you at lightning speed. Her piercing green eyes and strikingly long legs had even you mesmerized.

You were definitely in the presence of a Victoria Secret model.

“OHHH you must be Y/N, Daddy told us to look out for you!!”

Daddy?

“He’s in his office. Come! Come!”

After giving the door a few light taps, you heard the low timbre of Mr.Hara’s voice beckoning you to come in.

“Ah y/n. I see you’ve met Lada.” he chirps.

The girl in question whose accent you have picked up to be Russian smiles down at you brightly.

As Mr.Hara dismisses Lada, he calls out to another girl who suddenly appears from under the desk.

You nearly had heart failure.

She strides out with Lada, patting down her purple lingerie.

You physically had to bend over to pick up your jaw from the floor.

Mr.Hara smoothly turns to you in his chair, totally unfazed.

“Glad you made it Y/N, welcome to your new job.”

* * * *

This chapter gives a lot of background but sit tight, the drama is comingggg 🤪

TAGLIST

@jazzylove @blkirishima

#bakugou x reader #bakugou x black reader #katsuki x black!reader #bakugou katsuki x reader #bakugou x poc #bakugou x poc reader #mha bakugou #mha fic #ground zero x reader #midoriya x black reader #midoriya x y/n #bakugou x y/n #bakugou x you #bakugou fic #katsuki x y/n #bakugou katuski x reader #aizawa x black!reader #x black reader #x poc!reader

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terramythos · 3 years

Text

TerraMythos 2021 Reading Challenge - Book 15 of 26

Title: Tehanu (Earthsea Cycle #4) (1990)

Author: Ursula K. Le Guin

Genre/Tags: Fantasy, Fiction, Third-Person, Female Protagonist

Rating: 8/10

Date Began: 6/24/2021

Date Finished: 6/30/2021

Decades after The Tombs of Atuan, Tenar decided to settle down and live an ordinary life on the shepherding Isle of Gont. Now a farmer’s widow, she adopts a disfigured and horrifically abused child, who she names Therru. When a giant dragon deposits a grief-stricken Ged at her doorstep, Tenar finds herself in a strange situation as she cares for her old friend and her adopted daughter. But threats from Therru’s past and a malevolent force on the island soon threaten Tenar’s small family.

Despair speaks evenly, in a quiet voice.

Content warnings and spoilers below the cut.

Content warnings for the book: Violence and death. Mentioned murder. Severe child abuse. Descriptions of traumatic injury and disfigurement. Mentions of r*pe, including of children. Trauma, sexism, and ableism are explored in depth.

Tehanu is a much different book than the trilogy that precedes it. Perhaps this is unsurprising, considering the 17-year gap between this book and The Farthest Shore. I’d describe the Earthsea series as “grounded fantasy”. While all of them take place in a magical world, the thesis of each book is universal; the fantasy always comes second. Tehanu takes this idea to an extreme. The story is about everyday life as a common woman in the Earthsea world, with fantasy barely factoring in. The pacing is intentionally slow and introspective, which is something I normally don’t like, but Le Guin is a consistent exception.

Key characters from the previous books make an appearance. Obviously Tenar is the biggest return, absent since The Tombs of Atuan. The Tenar in this book is older and much more mature, having decided to live a simple life in spite of her adventures and accomplishments. Ged returns, but he’s a shell of his former self, as he mourns the loss of his magic and the man he used to be. Even King Lebannen (formerly Arren, the main character of The Farthest Shore) makes a brief appearance, and is quite a palate cleanser after the horrible men throughout the rest of the book.

Probably my favorite aspect of the novel is the fact that these characters stand well on their own without magic to prop them up. Tenar explored the terrifying freedom she won in The Tombs of Atuan; got married, settled down, had kids — but still finds herself at a loss on what to do with her life after her husband dies. Ged is in a similar boat; he’s gone from an almost mythic character to an ordinary man, and like Tenar finds himself at a crossroads in life. Other characters embody this idea of transformation and uncertainty; Therru’s escaped her abusers and now has a loving mother, but what does the future hold for someone with her appearance? Stuff like that.

The idea of metamorphosis and new beginnings is well-trodden. But what makes Tehanu interesting is Le Guin primarily examines this with the middle-aged characters. Tenar and Ged are legendary figures in the world of Earthsea, but life has taken them to an uncertain future. The thrust of the novel lies in finding a purpose and becoming someone new. I also like that Tenar/Ged is endgame; I got Vibes from The Tombs of Atuan, but neither character was in a position where it would work. Seeing them form a romantic relationship much later in life is touching and cute. But it’s not the reason that either of them grow as people; finding one’s purpose is something one has to do on their own. Their relationship only develops once both parties have done so.

My main complaint about A Wizard of Earthsea, the first book, is the sexism inherent in the setting, which is never examined below the surface level. Perhaps Le Guin’s outlook changed, or perhaps the publishing environment did, because often Tehanu reads like a response to this criticism. The central theme of the book is misogyny, the patriarchy, and its debilitating effects on women. Le Guin examines everything from micro-aggressions (“common wisdom” that happens to paint women as inferior) to domestic issues (“women’s work” and how much that actually is) to outright sexual assault (both in threats and actual acts; it is heavily implied this is part of the abuse Therru endured). She even goes into how powerful women are only considered as such because a man gave them that power.

While I appreciate the fact she addresses these issues in such a frank, blatant way, at times reading Tehanu felt like reading a basic feminism primer. These subjects are all things I’m familiar with, and I feel like anyone who’s studied key feminist ideas would be aware of them also. Maybe 1990 was different? Le Guin doesn’t add any insights to the bleak reality of patriarchy and sexism, which is a little disappointing compared to previous books. That being said, this book is aimed at young adults despite its dark subject matter. Tehanu could be the first exposure to these ideas that many children receive; looking at it that way, it makes sense that the analysis comes off as basic.

I also found the book’s examination of gender to be very cishet-normative. That’s definitely not surprising, considering the book was published in 1990, but to a 2021 reader this hasn’t aged super well. There’s a lot of discussion about the relationships and differences between men and women--whether there are any or not, how magic differs between them, the ability to bear children, and so on. There’s a weird sexual component to this, like how wizards (who are exclusively men) have to remain celibate in order to… keep being wizards? But women who are witches don’t have to do that, and that’s an advantage women have? (There’s mentions of male witches too, iirc, but it’s not expanded upon— do they have to remain celibate? Who knows.). I found this whole bit pretty odd and unnecessary, although I realize a lot of my perspective on the matter comes from a modern view of sex and gender (and, y’know, being trans). Not all the gender takes in the book are bad, but they are limited.

I found Le Guin’s exploration of trauma and ableism through Therru to be more interesting. There’s a lot of examination about how society treats Therru, a survivor of unspeakable abuse. Her trauma is visible due to severe burns along part of her body, leaving her with a missing eye and disfigured hand. Tenar spends much of the novel wondering what future Therru has; no matter how capable she is and how much she acts like any other little girl, strangers gawk at her, or assume she “deserved” what happened to her. Therru becomes happier and more independent over the course of the novel, but relapses into a traumatized state when she encounters one of her abusers. As a survivor, it’s heartbreaking and distressingly realistic. As much as I like Tenar, I almost wish the novel was from Therru’s perspective (other than the brief jump at the end), but I realize it would spoil the ending.

I’m torn on the ending because, while I thought it was cool and had some interesting revelations, it’s a jarring tonal shift. As I mentioned, Tehanu is a slow novel with a heavy focus on everyday life, and the trials and tribulations both Tenar and Therru experience. There’s even a climactic event a few chapters before the end; the only thing left is a persistent loose thread from earlier in the novel. That subplot explodes to the forefront a bare chapter and a half before the end of the book, and a lot of action-y fantasy stuff happens. It doesn’t come out of nowhere; it’s set up throughout the novel, but it is sudden.

That being said, I do like that the subplot with dragons vs humans is hinted at as early as The Tombs of Atuan. When Tenar tells the legend about the origin of dragons early in the story, my mind immediately went to that one room from the Labyrinth with the sad winged humanoids painted on its walls. I’m curious if there are hints elsewhere in the series. I also figured out Therru’s true name and how she relates to that subplot based on context clues. While it’s not a shocking twist, it is a satisfying one. Though parts of it gave me a “magical destiny” vibe which is counter to much of the series so far; I do wonder how the last two books will address this. (Also… did Le Guin imply Kalessin is Segoy? AKA God? What did she mean by this. So Ged literally like… hitched a ride from God, who promptly yeeted out of the story until the end? That’s kind of funny. Maybe I misinterpreted something.)

I probably sound critical of this book, but I did genuinely enjoy it. It just didn’t speak to me the way the previous two did. The next book is a short story collection before the conclusion to the series, so we’ll see where it goes! Tehanu set some stuff up that I expect will be expanded upon in these volumes.

#8/10 #taylor reads #2021 reading challenge

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