#imagine you're reading a book and there are sort of hints and scenes that you take to interpret a character as gay | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

nerdyandweird · 4 months

Text

Trapped (Lord Voldemort/Tom Riddle x Reader)

****Situation: Lord Voldemort/Tom Riddle x Reader – Lord Voldemort (Tom) in his 30s has captured reader because he has taken interest in her. He still looks handsome. Imagining Actor Tom Hughes as older Tom Riddle in this case, but you're free to imagine the gorgeous and lovely Christian Coulson as well! Warning- lots of make out scenes and lack of consent from reader/possessive Tom. P.S. I don’t condone any sort of toxic behavior or relationships in real life nor am I encouraging anyone to pursue relationships with any murderers in real life. LOL. Anyways, enjoy!****

“Well, well, well.. What have we got here?” You hear a voice as the blindfold is taken off of your eyes.

“What am I doing here?” You ask, feeling scared.

"Oh, come now. Don't be like that. You're here because I've decided to take you with me." You see a man smirking in front of you.

“But why?”

The man holds you chin delicately, but firmly between his fingers making you look directly into his eyes. “My dear, there's no sense in playing stupid. It doesn’t suit you. I took you because I want you.”

“What?”

"You heard me." He approaches you and reaches out to take your hand. "This is fate, sweetheart. The two of us were meant to be."

You quickly retract your hand from his. "I don't even know who you are. What are you talking about?"

He smirks, amused by your reaction. His green eyes shine with a mocking light. "Oh, I'm talking about the fact that I finally met someone more stubborn than me. Don't you have the slightest idea what my name is?"

You shake your head at his question.

He leans closer to you as he talks to you in an alluring whisper. His breath flows over your face. "You really don't know? Well here's a hint." He whispers into your ear.

"I'm the Dark Lord."

Your heart freezes at the name. He's Lord Voldemort? Him? You glance at his appearance, seeing a well-dressed, handsome young man with a dark smirk adorning his face as he looks amused at my startled and confused expression. He's the dark lord that has set terror in the wizarding world.

He sees the effect that his name and identity has on you and chuckles. “It's amusing to see how just the mere mention of my name can terrify you.” This feeling of fear felt delicious to him and he decides to capitalize on this fear.

"So... does my name still sound so unfamiliar to you now?"

“How? How can this be?” You ask out loud to yourself.

He continues to portray a dark smile. He loves that you're so perplexed. "You're a bright girl." He says as he gets even closer to you, his breath blowing against your neck. "But let me help you understand something."

He runs the back of his hand against your neck. "No matter how much has changed, I'm still me, I will like you to join me as a fellow companion and death eater. In return, I will be your Lord and your entire being is now completely mine to consume and possess. Regardless of our circumstances, my dear, I can read your mind like an open book and can see that you can't deny your attraction to me."

“What i feel for you is fear, not attraction. I could never fall for a terrible being like you. You're a monster!” You yell at him in defiance.

He chuckles. "Look at you, trying to hold on to your pride. I admire that.” He moves his mouth even closer to your neck.

"But you can’t resist this feeling... this burning desire. You're feeling the urge to let go and surrender to me. Your body is pleading with you to stop resisting it. That's why you're trembling right now."

"Let go of me." You say sternly, putting your hands on his chest to push him away.

He grasps your wrists firmly and looks deep into your eyes, not letting go of you. "You're playing with fire here."

He moves even closer to you, his mouth almost brushing against yours. "You can't deny the heat between us. Our connection goes far beyond just a physical attraction. It's a powerful and undeniable connection."

Your breath hitches at the feeling of his lips brushing against yours. With his grasp firmly on your wrists, he leans in to kiss you. His lips touch yours, firm and sensual, sending shivers up your spine. He pulls you in so that he’s holding your body tightly against his.

You resist in return, using your hands to push him away from you. But, his grip on your wrists tightens as he moves his mouth against yours, not letting you pull away from him. He keeps his lips pressed against yours, kissing you firmly and passionately. Your bodies confined tightly against each other as he pulls you inhumanly close to him. His breath is hot and raspy, and his touch is rough and overpowering.

You inhale his musky masculine scent filling up your nostrils as he continues to move his lips forcefully against yours and you try your best not to give in, your heart feeling like it will jump out of your body. Your attempts to resist his kisses are futile. He keeps his lips firmly against yours, not letting you pull away. Your lips feel so soft, and the taste of you is addictive to him. He’s determined to have you in every way possible.

He pushes you against the wall as your bodies press tightly against each other. He slips his hands down to your waist and grab your hips firmly, making it clear that there’s no escape from this passionate and consuming embrace.

You whimper as he just gets rougher with you.

But that doesn’t stop his advances. His intentions are set on claiming you as his own. He keeps kissing you while trapping your body with his against the wall. His breath is hot against your neck as he momentarily pulls away from your lips. He can feel you trembling beneath him as you try to resist him.

Your body betrays you, though, with its response to his touches. Even though you're trying your best to hold off his embrace, you find yourself getting closer and closer to succumbing to the desire that he’s eliciting within you.

"Please stop." You whisper, as his lips moves down to your neck.

He chuckles as your efforts to resist him come to waste. His lips move down to your neck kissing the skin beneath tenderly and begins to passionately caress and suck on your neck. His mouth is hot, and his lips are hungry. He can see that you feel him taking control over you as your body responds to the pleasures, he’s giving to you now.

You gasp at the sensation holding onto his shirt tightly as his lips continue to work on your neck. Your gasps of pleasure become more forceful and louder as he continues his explorations of your soft, sensitive skin. You feel his kisses grow more intense and passionate as they trail down the length of your neck. His hot and hungry mouth travels along the back of your neck, taking in every inch of your delicious flesh. As he keeps kissing you, he caresses your body, his hands traveling down your curves and pressing tightly against you.

“Please Lord...” You whisper.

The sound of your pleading only fuels his lust. He wants you to beg for more. He wants your body to surrender to him and give in to his desires. His kisses get harsher, slowly making their way down toward your chest.

“Please. I can't do this. This is wrong.” You try your best to resist him. Your protests are only making him want you more. He hears you begging and pleading, and wants to make you beg for him like a little puppet. Your resistance is futile and hopeless. You cannot keep up with his passionate advances.

"It's only wrong if you want it to be wrong. If you stop fighting me and give into me, this can all feel so right." He proposes as he tries to persuade you to give into your own temptation.

"Stop please." You beg, your nose touching his as his dark eyes look at you intensely.

His eyes pierce into yours, with a gaze is full of desire. “I want you to know that you're mine and that no matter how much you resist me, you're not getting away from me. Your pleas are only making me want you more. Do you not understand, my dear? Your cries of protest are powerless here. This isn't a matter of right and wrong. This is about what you want and need. Let me give you that. Just let go of yourself and surrender to what you really crave."

You shake your head, trying to move away from him. He only tightens his grip on your wrists in return. He once again leans in and kiss you passionately on the lips while caressing your body. Your protests are futile as you feel his overwhelming presence on you. His control over you is absolute. He kisses you passionately for another long moment, before finally breaking away. He looks at you straight in your eyes, with an intense look. "You're mine."

Something inside you finally snaps and before you can process your actions, you slap him across the face.

His head snaps to the side when you slap him. His eyes widen in shock as the force of your hand leaves a red mark on his cheek. He lets go of your wrists briefly, allowing you to pull away from him. His eyes narrow in anger when he glances at you, the heat in his eyes still radiating with passion and desire.

Your body shakes from fear, afraid for your life as your hands tremble in shock from what you had done. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..." You say, a tear falling from your eyes as you look down.

He watches you break down and apologize and feels torned between wanting to punish you and the want to kiss you and possess you. He absolutely can't let you get away from him now, and he now feels compelled to pull you back into his grip even tighter.

"Silence." He commands strictly. He doesn’t trust that you're not going to run now, so he pulls you by the wrists again and drags you to face him. "Look into my eyes."

You shriek as you close your eyes from fear before starting to sob. "Please don't kill me!"

"Death is surprisingly the last thing I have in mind. I want you to look into my eyes." He repeats his command in a louder tone while holding onto your wrists, not letting you turn away or run. He’s furious, but also tempted to kiss you, and seeing you distraught is making him feel conflicted.

You open your eyes slowly staring into his as you try to control your sobs. He looks you in the eyes, his gaze burning holes into you. He can feel you shivering and crying because of your fear, and his anger gets replaced with temptation. He feels your body tremble, making him grin with pleasure. He has you right where he wanted. You feel the heat of his breath against your neck as his lips come closer.

“Lord Voldemort, please don't do this. I'll do anything else, I can be a maid, but please don't do this to me. I don't want to be used like this.”

He smirks at your protests. “If you would just surrender to me fully, I'd gladly give you the sweet satisfaction of my embrace. But you keep resisting me. I just want to touch you and have you. Your defiance is irritating me, but I have decided to give you one last chance to surrender to me.” He waits for you to beg again, as he keeps his face close to yours. His lips merely inches away.

"Please..." You whisper one last time, knowing it's no use. He always gets what he wants whether it's the destruction of the worlds or you.

He hear the defeat in your voice, making him much obliged and pleased. You gave in. Your resistance is gone. He feels the victory rushing through him. The look of his face changes. He closes the distance completely between you, and brings his mouth to yours into a harsh kiss.

You slowly respond to his kiss by moving your lips gently against his. Your hand moving up to caress his cheek.

His body dominates over yours, wanting to possess and claim you fully. Your hand on his cheek feels good to him, and your lips moving against his drives him wild with a fiery passion. He grabs around your waist tighter and moves his mouth down along your neck, kissing a path down to your collarbone as you feel his other hand run its fingers along your body.

Your sounds of pleasure are like music to his ears. It felt so good but wrong at the same time. How can you be acting like a lover to one of the most despicable man of all time?

Your conflicting feelings only add to the excitement that he felt. He feels your warm body pressed against his, and his lips start moving back to yours, where they press against yours with desire as he moves closer to you. His tongue starts to explore your lips, and your bodies are grinding together, a sensual friction filling the space between them.

"I'm yours." You whisper against his lips.

The words hit him hard. Your declaration of ownership sends his fire of desire even higher. He pulls away from you momentarily and looks in your eyes as he takes in every inch of your body. He decides to take you in completely. He doesn’t want you to run away. He wants you to be his for as long as he requires.

Like a doll, you submit to everything that he likes and you hardly flinch as he takes off the layer of fabric on your body. Every piece falling down to the ground.

He examines your soft flesh from every inch, devouring you with as eyes as he memorizes every detail, taking his time to admire your exquisite curves. This is exactly how he wants you, to belong to him utterly in the most intimate way possible. HIs hands start tracing patterns on your skin, slowly and methodically. Yours and his sighs of pleasure fills the room as he finally claims you as his.

Your body moves in sync with his, and your sighs of pleasure are music to his ears. Your bodies collide together, moving together in an intimate and passionate harmony. His body fueled and consumed with a raging desire as it blends tightly with yours, filling you with a feeling of pure ecstasy.

When it's all over, the high of pleasure finally coming down, and your body lies next to his. Your heart drops with the deadly feeling of guilt and disgust within yourself. You were just as despicable as him if not more.

He lays next to you, taking in what a sight you are after this passionate session. Your body is glistening with perspiration, and your breath is heavy just like his. He looks at you with want as he continues to caress your body with his fingers, his touch uncharacteristically light and soft as he traces across the contour of your feminine curves. He wanted to make this pleasurable feeling last for you for as long as possible before the crushing guilt comes setting in.

You turn around with your back facing him as tear drops fall from your eyes knowing now that there is no more escaping him.

He smiles since he noticed the silent tears fall down your cheeks. Your pain only fills him with satisfaction. He knows that you're experiencing conflicting emotions right now, but won’t allow you to escape that easily. He sits up and moves his body around you to where you can lay on his chest. He massages your hair gently as he moves one of him arms around you to momentarily comfort you. But secretly, he just wanted to hold you.

You let him hold and comfort you, but you knew that now you were just a servant to the Dark Lord. You no longer owned any wills or desires of your own. You now belonged to him.

He’s delighted as he holds your body tightly against his, feeling your body moulding to his. Your submission was another achievement of his and he’s content with this moment. Your tear-soaked face is so beautiful to him, like an artistic painting of despair and submission.

[END]

***Thank you for reading! P.S. - definitely recommend listening to Christian Coulson voicing some audiobooks bc his voice is beautiful! <3 ***

#tom riddle x reader #lord voldemort #dark lord #harry potter #possessive #dark tom #tom marvolo riddle #tom hughes #christian coulson

161 notes · View notes

wholoveseggs · 3 months

Note

See you're taking request.

How about Elijah and reader meeting in a library and bonding over any English classic (story takes place in around 1950-60s) like Macbeth or Frankenstein or The picture of Dorian Grey and again meet in a debate hall or something similar?

Between Pages

{Masterlist}

It's the 1960s, and you are a college student finding solace in the campus library. There, you encounter more than knowledge within its walls.

~♡♡ Thanks for the request anon! - This was a fun challenge to write!! ♡♡~

You ever know the exact gif you are going to use before you even write the story? This is one of those cases...

5k words - Warnings: no smut, mild drama, bullying, human Elijah, mentions of cheating.

You were sitting in the library of the university, your back was hurting from sitting hunched over your books for hours and the letters were swimming in front of your eyes. You sighed and ran a hand over your face, trying to rub the tiredness away. When you really got into a book you tended to lose track of time and any sort of physical feeling, the world disappearing around you. It was the only time when you felt like you could forget about all the worries in the real world.

You were in the middle of a particularly exciting scene when someone cleared their throat. You looked up and were surprised to see a guy standing next to your chair. He had curly hair and was wearing a black leather jacket over a dark red shirt.

"Can I help you?" you asked. The guy smiled slightly and took a chair, sitting down across from you.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing all alone in the library on a Saturday night?" he asked. You were taken aback by his forwardness.

You looked around the place, pointedly glancing at all the books, "Reading?" you said, making it sound more like a question than a statement.

The guy chuckled, "Well, don't you have anything better to do? You know, like go out with me? Have a couple of drinks?"

You narrowed your eyes, "Sorry, but no." You turned your attention back to your book, hoping that the guy would take the hint and leave you alone. But he stayed put, leaning back in the chair, arms crossed over his chest, looking at you.

You glanced up again, feeling his eyes on you, "Did you want something?" you asked, a little irritated.

The guy smiled, "Yeah, for you to say yes."

You felt uncomfortable, like a cornered animal. There was something about the way this guy was looking at you that made you feel like he was going to pounce if you didn't agree to go out with him. A sickening feeling of unease started to spread in the pit of your stomach.

"I'm sorry, but no," you repeated, trying to keep your voice level.

The guy leaned forward, resting his elbows on your chair, getting closer to you, "Aw, come on, don't be like that. Just give me a chance."

"I don't think she's interested." A smooth melodic sounding voice chimed in. You and the guy both looked to your left. There was another man sitting in a lounge chair, his eyes on his book. His appearance was striking, with dark brown hair and a sharp jaw. He looked up from his book and just stared at the other guy, one eyebrow raised.

"You heard the lady. Now fuck off, would you?" the stranger added.

"Hey, fuck you!" the first guy spat. He was obviously pissed, his hands were clenched into fists.

"I'll pass," the stranger said, a smug grin on his face. "And so will she. Now leave before I make you.”

You were speechless. You didn't know what to say or do. This was not the way you had imagined your Saturday night.

The guy got up, a frown on his face, "Pity." He mumbled and walked away. You were still trying to comprehend what had just happened when the stranger's voice brought you back to reality.

"You okay?" he asked, a concerned expression on his face.

You looked at the new guy, a grateful smile on your face, "yeah, thanks. He was a bit too persistent."

"Don't mention it. This is not the place for picking up girls anyway."

You laughed, "where do you like to pick up girls then?" you asked jokingly.

"I don't," he replied seriously, continuing to read his book. You looked at him, trying to make out his features in the low light. He was dressed casually, in jeans and a black leather jacket over what looked like a white Henley shirt. He had a nice profile, a slight dimple on his chin, and a nice mouth that was gently open as he read.

You had to concentrate not to stare, and to get yourself back to your reading. But after a while, you couldn't help it, you glanced at him again. He looked up, meeting your gaze with dark, beautiful eyes. Your cheeks flushed red.

“Need something?" he asked, a smirk playing on his face. You quickly shook your head.

"No, I'm fine, thank you."

He looked at you for a moment, studying your face, before his eyes went back to his book. But you noticed he was glancing at you every so often, a thoughtful expression on his face.

When you finished your chapter you looked up at the clock, realizing you had been there for six hours. It was now around midnight and the library would soon be closing. You let out a heavy sigh, you did not want to go back to your dorm, and risk running into your asshole of a roommate and her friends. They had been harassing you for weeks, throwing mean remarks your way whenever you encountered them. It just made sense to keep your nose buried in a good book, rather than being around bullies.

You grabbed your bag and headed for the exit. The library was almost completely empty apart from some older students who were still hunched over their books and looked like they wouldn't leave until the library closed. And then there was him. The guy in the leather jacket. He was still sitting in the same spot, his eyes on his book but you noticed his eyes were not moving across the page. You frowned and turned away. Just because he helped you did not mean you had to become friends.

Moments later, you found him standing beside you as you walked towards the exit, "that's one of my favorites," he said, pointing at the book you were holding in your hands.

"Frankenstein?" you asked.

The guy nodded, "what do you think of it?"

"I think the monster is misunderstood. That it deserved pity, rather than death," you said, not sure why you were opening up to this complete stranger.

He smiled, "me too." There was a short silence.

"I'm Elijah, by the way. I don't think I introduced myself properly earlier." He said, holding out his hand.

You shook it, "Y/N. Nice to meet you."

"I'll see you around, Y/N," Elijah said, smiling at you. He held the door for you before disappearing down the corridor.

You woke Sunday morning to the sound of your roommate and her friends getting drunk and singing shitty songs. You groaned and grabbed your pillow, putting it over your head, trying to muffle the sound. But after half an hour of lying in bed you had to get up. You stood and went to the bathroom to get changed, hoping to sneak out before they noticed you.

You put on your bra and then went to the closet to get a fresh shirt and dress. When you opened the closet door you were surprised to find nothing hanging. Your head whipped around and you saw your roommate sitting on the floor, her back against the wall and your clothes thrown around her.

She was laughing with her friends and your cheeks turned red when you realized they were on your bed. A lot of them were pulling at your dresses, shirts, and bras.

"Are you seriously wearing these ugly things? I would never be seen dead in this," she laughed, holding up one of your favorite blue dresses. She had the skirt tied around her head and her girlfriends were busy tying one of your shirts around her midsection.

"Come on guys, let's put on a fashion show!" she exclaimed loudly. The whole dorm was busting out in laughter, the girls throwing more clothes around.

"Can you please give me my clothes back, I have to go," you said in a small voice.

"Go where? Do you have a date? Wait, don't tell me you actually managed to lure someone with one of those ugly dresses!" your roommate laughed. Her friends joined in and they had a hard time standing up due to the amount of alcohol they had already consumed.

You ignored her remark and just stood there looking miserable. You bent over and picked up the closest dress, pulling it over your head.

They all looked at the dress you were wearing. It was purple, flowing down over your curves nicely, but it was an outdated style and it didn't suit you.

"Definitely not going on a date in that!" your roommate sneered, laughing. You ran your hands through your hair. You felt frustrated tears sting behind your eyes but blinked them away.

"Have a nice day Kathy," you said coldly, before grabbing your bag and leaving the room. Your face was burning hot with embarrassment. You couldn't wait until you could live on your own, far away from this place. Away from these people.

You settled down in one of the plush lounge chairs in the library, pushing away all the bad thoughts. Today would be a peaceful day, no bitchy roommates, no annoying classes. You felt yourself calm down. What you wanted now was to read a good book and just relax.

You were just flipping to the bookmarked page when you felt someone sit down across from you. You looked up and saw Elijah smiling at you.

"Nice dress," he remarked, pointing at your outfit. You smiled and felt a blush creep across your cheeks.

"Thanks. Went a bit off the rails with the style this time."

He leaned forward, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," you said, bracing yourself for whatever it was he was going to say.

"What exactly are you doing here? Spending all your weekends cooped up in the library, reading?" Elijah looked at you, curiosity in his eyes.

"I could ask you the same thing."

He smiled, "I asked first."

You shrugged, "No point in lying I guess. It's much easier to lose myself in a good story rather than deal with real life, you know." You looked down, avoiding his gaze.

"I can understand that. These days everything's just going downhill," Elijah said, running a hand over his face, "the war in Vietnam, all the conflict here at home. There's a feeling that things are not going the way they should."

You looked up, amazed at his observation, "Exactly. Society is changing and it's overwhelming sometimes."

Elijah chuckled softly and reached for the book in your hand. You watched his fingers as they grazed yours. There was a strange feeling in the pit of your stomach as he touched you, and his lips curved upwards in a soft smile when you met his eyes.

"Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus," he read, running his fingers across the paper, he flipped to the page you were on and skimmed through the text, a thoughtful expression on his face. He handed the book back to you.

"It is a fantastic read, I think the author has done a great job capturing the fear society felt in the 1800s, towards advances in technology and the creation of artificial life," he commented.

You smiled happily, "I love this book. I always come back to it and get surprised by new details I have failed to notice earlier."

He gave you a wide smile, it made his face glow, "Do you have a favorite scene?" Elijah asked, his dark eyes on your face. You bit your lip and thought for a while, going over the book in your mind.

"My favorite scenes are when the monster finally meets Victor. Although it's an awful situation, it's actually pretty touching," you answered truthfully.

Elijah gazed at you fondly, "Why is that?"

"Because it shows the human ability to empathize, something everyone deserves to have," you told him, taking the book and flipping to the chapter in question, reading a paragraph out loud to him. He didn't interrupt you once, just looked at you, a soft expression on his face.

When you finished reading Elijah grinned, "beautiful, if not a bit bleak."

The two of you would spend hours every day, sitting together and exchanging thoughts about the books you were reading. You always enjoyed going to the library, but now you even anticipated it, hoping to run into Elijah. You would wake up a little earlier, dressing up a little nicer. When you would walk into the library he was the only thing in your thoughts, his beautiful smile, and how he was always so kind to you.

After almost three weeks, you found Elijah waiting at your usual table, his jacket still on.

"I thought it would be nice to go somewhere else today," he said.

You arched an eyebrow, "Where?" you asked,

"There's this restaurant near here, it serves some delicious food." he replied, giving you a sweet smile.

You looked down, thinking that even though his plan sounded lovely, you couldn't afford a fancy restaurant.

"My treat," he added, as if reading your thoughts.

You swallowed and smiled at him, nodding, "Okay, yes. Let's go."

While you walked towards the restaurant you realized it was the first time you were spending time together outside the library, and outside the university grounds. Your heart was beating a little faster, and you hoped he wouldn't notice how nervous you had become.

The restaurant looked very cozy, wooden tables, candles, and a fireplace. You breathed in, the smell of spices making you sigh contently. You sat down at a table in the corner, and a woman came by to offer you the menu.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

You smiled at her and ordered a glass of wine, Elijah ordering something as well. You were a little overwhelmed by all this, not used to nice restaurants, nice wine, and good looking men.

Elijah was gorgeous, so out of your league, it hurt a little. But you pushed those thoughts away, you didn't want to think about such things now. You had a hard time making friends, and you were happy to have found a companion in Elijah, you didn't want to ruin anything by falling for him.

When the food arrived, you dug in, enjoying the flavorful mixture of fresh vegetables, pasta, and rich red wine. The conversation was easy, just like in the library, you discussed literature, everything from Frankenstein, to Macbeth to Poe.

It struck you that you knew nothing about his actual life, only his interests and his views of the world.

"So, what do you like to do outside of the library? Outside of class?" you asked him. He ate a piece of food before answering, seeming to think about the best way to answer the question.

"Not much really, I keep to myself mostly."

You stared at him, curious as to why. Surely someone as handsome as Elijah wouldn't be alone. You hoped it didn't sound like you were prying when you said, "What, there's no girlfriend you're hiding somewhere?"

Elijah gave you a gentle smile, but there was a sadness in his eyes. "I had a girlfriend, Katherine, but it didn't work out. She was cheating on me and using me to get what she wanted." He said, playing with a fork on his plate.

"That's awful, Elijah, I'm so sorry. But it's her loss, if she was stupid enough to cheat on you," you said quickly, wanting to support him.

He gave you a grateful look, "I believe in finding a lesson in every heartbreak, otherwise you end up repeating your mistakes over and over."

"So what did you learn?" you asked.

"I learned to trust my instincts more, not dwell on a past I can't change."

You nodded, "that's very wise, you know."

Elijah laughed, "no, it's the truth. People make mistakes, and sometimes we have to learn the hard way."

There was a comfortable silence between you as you both kept eating. Then he suddenly spoke. "What about you? Why spend all your spare time in the library?" Elijah said, his eyes glued to your face.

You sighed, "I have this roommate," you started. "Every day and every night she spends all her time partying with her friends. They drink a lot and make fun of me," You continued, recounting stories of how rude she and her friends have been to you. Elijah gave you a thoughtful look as you spoke.

"Don't mind them. They don't realize what a wonderful person they're missing out on," he said simply. You could feel a blush spreading across your cheeks.

"They stole a bunch of my clothes, that's why I dress in outdated clothes from thrift stores. I have tried to talk to them, to stand up for myself, but they just laugh at me and continue to be cruel." You had not intended on saying all this to him, to vent. But you realized you had been holding this all in. Nobody knew or cared, until now.

"Thanks. For listening to me." You gave Elijah a little smile.

"Of course," Elijah said, taking your hand from across the table and squeezing it.

"I can't help with the roommate, but I can help with the clothes," he said, giving you a friendly smile, the one that made your stomach do flips.

"You already paid for dinner, I can't possibly ask for more," you muttered, worried you might be becoming a burden.

"I'm not asking. What time do you have classes tomorrow?" Elijah asked, letting go of your hand and finishing his food.

"Um," you were a bit startled but that was Elijah's fault for being so damn charming. You were not used to anyone wanting to be friends with you.

"Nothing after three."

"Great, I'll pick you up," he said, winking at you. You couldn't help the smile that tugged at your lips, he had done this twice already, that winking thing that seemed to always catch you off guard.

You found yourself becoming even more smitten with him as the evening went on. It helped that he was devastatingly handsome, of course. But he was also kind, interesting, intelligent, and funny. And to your surprise, he seemed to enjoy talking to you as much as you enjoyed talking to him.

"How about this? The color goes nicely with your hair." Elijah held up a blouse for you to see. It was a lot more colorful than your other outfits, but the model on the display did look very chic. He was absolutely spot-on when it came to the latest fashion.

You took the blouse from him and held it against your torso, wondering if it would be a bad idea.

"It will match your beautiful eyes too," Elijah added. That made your heart race even more, and you decided to try it on. Walking to the changing rooms you saw several women looking at Elijah as you passed them. One of them whispered to her friend and the girl giggled, pointing straight at him. You rolled your eyes. Of course, they would hit on him. After all, he was the type of guy girls dreamed of dating. But apparently, he didn't care. Elijah just smiled at you, before offering to fetch more clothes for you to try on.

When you stepped outside the changing room Elijah grinned, "Beautiful. Suits you perfectly."

"Thanks," you whispered, the atmosphere strangely intimate. His comment combined with the fact that everyone was watching him made you blush.

The two of you worked through the shop, searching through racks and throwing clothes into a basket, until you each had quite a few pieces. Elijah took the basket from you and went to pay. All the outfits he had picked for you seemed to cost an enormous amount of money, and while he was paying you shook your head at him. He simply smiled and handed you the bags.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Elijah asked you, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear and causing a warm feeling to spread inside you.

"I have this book I want you to read, it's back in my room. We should stop by and get it," you offered, wondering if you were being too forward.

"Are you asking me to go to your room? Tsk tsk, how scandalous," he mocked, but the humor in his eyes told you he agreed.

Together, you drove back to your dorm, you were hoping that Kathy actually went to her psychology class today, it was her favorite subject after all.

When you got to the door you opened it, relieved that your room seemed empty. Elijah waited patiently while you looked around, until you finally found the book you had been talking about on your side of the room.

You sat on the bed, cross-legged, and he sat down next to you. The twin bed felt awfully small and Elijah was so close. Yet somehow it didn't feel weird.

"Have you read all these?" He asked, pointing at the pile of books, currently stacked in three columns on the small desk. You nodded.

"What's your favorite?" he wondered.

"The Hobbit," you said, stretching a little on the bed.

"Ah yes, another fantasy. Why am I not surprised," he teased, and then picked a book up from the pile, "And the rest are…"

"Mostly classics, and some romance," you admitted. Elijah arched an eyebrow. "You know, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, stuff like that."

"A romantic, huh?" Elijah said, turning towards you.

You blushed, "I guess so. But I mean, who isn't? Even if we deny it."

He nodded, "Very true. People have an innate need for a connection, something special."

"Yeah. It's the reason why we fall in love, why we create art," you said.

"And literature," Elijah added.

You smiled, "Here's the book I wanted to lend you," you said, handing it to him.

“The picture of Dorian Grey," he read the title.

"Yeah, it's a beautiful story, with an intriguing message."

"Thank you. I will let you know what I think of it."

You nodded, "Please, let me know,"

Elijah looked at you for a long time, the air seemed thick between the two of you. Your gaze kept dropping down to his lips, wondering how they would feel pressed against yours.

"Please don't judge me based on my taste in books." you said quietly, the tension was getting unbearable.

He raised an eyebrow at you, "why would I do that?"

"Kathy told me once that everyone who reads a lot is just trying to escape their sad life," you muttered, biting your lip.

Elijah gave you a little smile. "I'd like to believe it's the opposite. Books are just one way of living a rich inner life."

That made you smile, it's what you also believed and you were happy to have someone agree with you. Elijah placed the book aside, leaning close. You couldn't stop staring at his deep brown eyes.

"I enjoyed spending time with you today, outside the library. I miss you when you're not around. Your eyes and smile keep popping into my mind." he said softly, reaching his hand up and tucking your hair behind your ear. You blushed, unable to form any words.

Elijah closed the distance between the two of you, his lips softly pressing against yours. It was a sweet kiss, slow and unhurried. You closed your eyes and wrapped your arms around his neck.

"I can't get you out of my head," he breathed, before kissing you again. The second kiss was different, there was a hunger to it, an intensity you hadn't felt before. Your fingers moved up to his hair and his hand caressed your cheek. You loved the feeling of his body so close to yours, his smell, his warmth, was completely intoxicating.

He gently pushed you back onto your pillows, kissing you slowly. Elijah pulled away, his lips hovering just above yours. "Is this okay?" he asked softly, his thumb stroking your cheek.

"More than okay," you whispered.

He grinned and went back to kissing you. Your hand slid down his back and slipped under his shirt and he broke the kiss to lift his arms and remove it.

You let your hands roam over his chest, admiring the view. His body was perfect. Your lips found his again and the kiss deepened. Elijah's hand found its way under your blouse, stroking your skin.

"Elijah?" Kathy's voice suddenly echoed through the room. Neither of you had heard her come in. You gasped, quickly sitting up and pulling your blouse down.

She was standing in the doorway, gaping at the two of you.

"Katherine, what are you doing here?" Elijah asked, annoyance clear in his voice.

"What are YOU doing here? With her?! In my dorm room!" she yelled, shooting a mean glare in your direction. You stared at her, mouth agape. How did she know Elijah? And why was she so angry at you for being with him? Then it hit you. She was the ex-girlfriend he told you about. The one who had cheated on him and used him.

"Oh fuck," you said quietly, "You're Elijah's ex."

She gave you a fake smile, "Oh, did he talk about me? That's cute. I see his standards have gone down dramatically,"

Kathy's friends all stood behind her, peeking over her shoulder to look at you and Elijah. You felt your cheeks heat up and looked away. Elijah's expression hardened and he stood up, walking over to Kathy.

"You don't get to talk about her like that. Not after the way you treated me," he said through gritted teeth.

Kathy looked at him and huffed. "Please, you were always so boring. I can't believe you are making out with that loser."

You could feel tears starting to well up in your eyes, her words stinging. Her friends were all giggling and snickering behind her, mocking you. Elijah looked back at you momentarily, and you saw anger flashing in his eyes.

"Did you ever tell your little friends why I dumped you? How's Stefan? Or was it Damon? No wait... You tried it on with my brother as well," he smirked.

You could hear her friends gasp and whisper among themselves. Apparently, this was new information to them as well.

Kathy narrowed her eyes at Elijah, "I was the best thing that happened to you, and you know it,"

Elijah rolled his eyes at that, letting out a sarcastic laugh, "You were never the best anything, Katherine."

Her face fell, and her jaw dropped open. Her friends all stopped talking. "How dare you?" She spat, her hands balling into fists, she looked at you, and back at him.

"You have ten seconds to get out," Kathy hissed.

"Kathy I live here," you said, standing up.

"Not anymore you don't. This was my room first. Get your crap and get out." She said, pointing her finger at you.

"Fine. I rather sleep in the streets, probably more peaceful than this shithole," you said, grabbing your bag and shoving your books inside, as well as the clothes Elijah had bought you.

Elijah quickly pulled on his shirt and picked up his jacket. He reached his hand out, offering it to you. "Come on,"

You nodded, taking his hand, walking past the stunned group of girls. They didn't say anything, but you could feel their gaze on you.

Once you were outside the building, he turned towards you.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

You nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Elijah looked down at his feet. "That was a very unfortunate coincidence."

You couldn't help but chuckle. "I had no idea you were going to be my roommate's ex-boyfriend. It's kind of funny if you think about it."

He lifted his head and gave you a small smile. "Yeah, it is. Although, I'm not sure what's worse. Dating Katherine, or living with her," he joked.

"We should start a support group," you joked back, earning a full-blown laugh from Elijah.

He wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you closer. "I'm sorry, I hope this didn't ruin anything between us."

You placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "No, it's fine. But now I need to find a new place to stay," you sighed, resting your forehead against his.

"Or, you could stay with me," Elijah offered.

You bit your lip, the thought of living with him was tempting. But you didn't want him to think that's all you were after.

"You don't have to. I can manage," you mumbled.

Elijah's fingers brushed along your jawline. "I'd love it if you'd move in with me. No pressure, you can take the spare bedroom."

You couldn't stop yourself from smiling, the idea of living with him made your stomach flip. "Are you sure?"

"Of course," he replied, placing a soft kiss on your lips.

"I'll pay my share of the rent and I'll cook," you promised, your hands playing with the collar of his shirt.

"Absolutely not, you are my guest," he laughed, "you will relax and I will take care of everything."

"But, I can't let you do that!" you argued, but he simply kissed you, shutting you up.

He took your hand, leading you to his car. "There is one thing about my place though," he said, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

"What is it?"

"I have a library."

Your eyes widened, "No way! How big is it? Does it have a ladder?" you asked excitedly.

"Yes, yes, and yes," Elijah answered, looking very pleased with himself.

"Then why do you hang out at the campus one?"

He shrugged, "I've already read everything in my collection. Most of the books at the campus library are brand new."

"Hmm, fair enough," you mused, getting into his car.

"Plus, we wouldn't have met if I didn't," he winked.

"I suppose not. Maybe we should thank Kathy, then," you said, a grin spreading across your face.

"Definitely not," Elijah said, and you both laughed.

As he started the engine, you couldn't help but smile, thinking about how your life would change. You'd get to spend every day with the man of your dreams. And maybe, just maybe, you'd get a happy ending.

#elijah mikaelson #the originals #the vampire diaries #tvdu #vampire diaries #elijah mikaelson imagine #elijah mikealson imagine #elijah mikealson #elijah mikaelson x reader #elijah mikealson x reader #tvd #the vampire diaries x you #the vampire diaries x reader #the vampire diares imagine #the vampire diaries imagine #the originals imagine

127 notes · View notes

merakiui · 6 months

Note

I know you talked about the eels being the world’s greatest uncles, so I gotta ask, where were they in your yandere Azul fic in His Blueberry Eyes? I know for narrative purposes you wanted to isolate the reader, but I gotta know: did they know that Azul pushed reader down the stairs? Were they present over the pregnancy? Whenever they had to babysit the reader when they moved to the city, did they ever ask her how she was feeling or if she was willing to try again? I don’t know, I still have feelings for that fic and I’m craving fluffy platonic Jade and Floyd who desperately wanted to coddle a baby tako.

The tweels were going to be excellent uncles in HBE, but Azul tries to keep them at arm's length from you. >_< part of me likes to imagine the twins catch on to his obsession in its early stages, but they don't say anything because they know how sensitive Azul can be and they both note how obviously happy he is with you (and surely Azul knows better than to let his attachments spiral into something unhealthy, right?). They're not going to coddle him; he can take care of himself.

This also isn't their marriage, so marital problems are between you and Azul. It's not something the twins want to involve themselves in, lest they risk complicating matters or unintentionally causing more rifts. I think it's a difficult tightrope to walk because they try to tell him he needs to relax and stop being so controlling and manic, but Azul is stubborn and insists that the twins don't know anything; they have no room to say anything about his marriage because it's not theirs.

The main issue is that Azul can't keep anything from the twins even if he wanted to. They read him like a book. So even though Azul never admits the real reason for why you lost the baby, the twins can read between the lines and suspect the truth hiding behind layers of lies. It hurts because the twins were very supportive and excited when you were pregnant, but Azul sort of,,, shut them out during that time because he was so worried and anxious and self-conscious. He also just doesn't like the idea of other people, even his close friends, being within your proximity when you're pregnant.

As for when they'd look after you, I think neither of you talked about Azul. Most of all, the twins wish for your happiness and if Azul's an unhappy subject they'll make the day all about you to put your mind at ease, if only for the afternoon. I imagine Floyd and Jade took you to all of the places you'd like to go to but never could because of Azul. Sure, he wants you to stay home, but that's so boring. When you're with the twins, you can do whatever you want and be free and safe and happy.

Maybe they dropped little hints about the main issue at hand. I imagine both of them (in the days leading up to the scene in HBE where he kills you) put the idea of divorce in your head in hopes that it might help you figure out what to do or where to go from there (though they really couldn't have imagined Azul could be capable of something like murder; that surprises even them). Maybe they pulled you aside and simply told you, "Whatever you choose to do going forward, we're here in case you need us," or something along those lines to let you know you're not alone in this and that you have their support. Because it's painful to see both you and Azul suffering in different ways, and the twins value family and friendship so much. It's unhappiness all around. T_T

Even though they are only mentioned in the fic, I imagine Jade and Floyd were quite fond of you. Perhaps it's a platonic fondness (or a romantic fondness if you would like to read it as such), but they really do care for you. If I were to ever write more with this universe, I'd like to include scenes in which the reader interacted with them or what they do now that Azul is in custody. There is a lot that could be expanded upon.

And maybe the "hotel" Reader mentions staying at is actually the code word for Jade and Floyd's place. Maybe that was her safe haven. :( maybe the twins and their visits were what kept her sane for such a long time. In the aftermath of everything, Jade and Floyd miss you. The gutting thing about loss is that, even though they know you're never going to return, they still wait for a phone call from you or a text from Azul telling them to go look after you. Without you or Azul around, it's going to feel empty and lonely for a long time.

#twisted chit chat #devintrinidad #also yes they did want to coddle a baby tako :( so badly #so badly they wanted to be there as uncles #floyd still holds onto the little baby shoes he bought for them in advance #and jade keeps the x-ray of the unborn baby in his wallet #so much sadness... :( this story doesn't have any slivers of happiness

92 notes · View notes

xinnabon · 2 years

Text

FIRST DATE W/ ...

# 5WIRL xiao , heizou , venti , kazuha , and aether x gn!reader

cw !! swearing, mentions of kicking a vending machine

please do consider checking out my blog account! i am also taking in requests and it will be gladly appreciated from you to read my pinned post & request in! i'd love to see what you're up for.

a/n: it's just how you and them go out to a date with the location indicated and do all the things you'll ever do together. i think i've been spending about this for at least almost 3 hours now. i'm still not that original with themes or putting up aesthetics in my writing. there's a "don't judge a book by it's cover" for a reason. also, i used some sort of fake text app too because the text wouldn't go as planned in mobile form or so lol.

+XIAO

#1. ever since you asked him on a date, he probably didn't know it was a date in the first place and thought, it was just a friendly meet up.

#2. when he noticed that it was a date, he knew he fucked up. thought you just dressed up pretty well just not to disappoint but really it was all for a date? with his changed clothes from IDOL PRACTICE UNIT 5WIRL, definitely didn't try to impress.

#3. no. it's fine. at least it isn't some fancy place at the 13th floor of a really high and not to mention expensive building owned by some rich businessman or whatever. a normal convenience store. buy a few snacks and ice creams or honestly, whatever.

#4. he loved liked you taking him on a date without him knowing that it really was. you sneaked in a few lies to get him convinced to go with you but i'd say, it was pretty fun half awkward for a bit around just you two together.

#5. after a whole unexpecting date with the two of you, he didn't manage to pay the bill since you insisted yourself to do so, he just got you a cab and payed and bid goodbye.

"i uh... had fun today. i'll be making it up to you next time."

"so. there's a next time?"

"well... if you want."

next time he took you out to a date, he really did outdone himself.

+HEIZOU

#1. definitely those people who asks a lot of questions. hopefully he doesn't ask questions that take to a personal level.

#2. i think you two will hit up at the mall and go on a shopping spree. he pays for what you want, you pay for what he wants. fair enough to the both of you.

#2.0. i can imagine heizou trying out very fashionable clothing on with a few flashes as he appear in each sort of clothing he picked out.

#3. after a few running around in the malls, you two settle down at a table with your nice starbucks beverages. talking about interests, theories from heizou he thinks of that can't seem to get off his head, anything. as long as you two are well-entertained and relaxed with each other.

#4. so, about the starbucks beverages... he told you that something was going on around one of the shops, saying that you should do a favor for him and check it out. when you went out, he hurriedly asked the cashier to put a small note in the cups. at least some sort of small motivation quotes or hints that he's starting to take interest upon you.

#5. when you noticed while drinking your drink, you definitely couldn't stop smiling. he noticed but pretended he didn't know what you were talking about. it was cute.

"the note, heizou! the fucking note! i'm sure you asked to add a note while i was away!"

"oh? i don't think i added that there!"

+VENTI

#1. you guys go out in one of the arcade games in some place. pretty much keeps the conversation running and take on every single game there was in the place.

#2. you two might go to one of those dancing machines. he might be singing out to some of the songs. he definitely pushes you on to the machine just to dance together. take it as that one scene in the karate kid. HA.

#3. so many stuffed toys and other prizes he got from a single claw machine. how does he do it?

#4. you guys definitely buy so much in the prizes using your tickets. nah. you have too many stuffed toys. why not nerf guns for a change? yet a chaotic answer.

#5. after all that chaos you two have been. popping up a few candy bars, energy drinks, so many unhealthy food to cool down. totally wasn't trying to kick the machine vending machine or punching through the glass or putting your arm inside the machine and eventually got caught by guards and took a run for it. it was a fun day. and relaxed with your stuff in "peace".

+KAZUHA

#1. you two took at least a picnic out in a high hill with some pastries, fruits, other kinds of food you crave for.

#2. looking up to the sky, holding hand to hand, pointing which is which. it was going well so far.

#3. a few animals was around and couldn't help but just let them join in and take at least few of the food. why not, right? having them around was pretty cute how they seem to like kazuha.

#4. remember when i said it was going well so far? light rain eventually dropped by and decided to go back to kazuha's place since it's the nearest..

#5. you two were almost there but it's already been pouring real hard. you two held hands and just ran as fast as you two could, soaking wet. you and kazuha reached home and decided to take a warm shower and kazuha lend you one of his clothing for the mean time to stick around. food that you still had back there was sorta soggy. cooked up at least some yakisoba or however kind of meal you prefer, listening to music with each other as the rain continues to pour.

+AETHER

#1. most of the time, he liked listening to your voice. he liked listening to you as you talk. he tries to make an effort to take part in the discussion.

#2. the more you start to talk about him right in front of him, showering so many comments, he couldn't stop smiling. is that what you really think of him? are you joking with him? he honestly can't tell if you're saying all of that just to make him mad, or flustered. mixture of both perhaps?

#3. i think you two might as well order lots of desserts and beverages. he expects that you two together will be up for hours until the cafe is closed around 10PM.

#4. you sneak in a few pictures when he couldn't see you. some were photos of him eating or drinking on what he ordered, talking to a waitress to pick up a few orders, looking at something just so lost of track. you eventually catch his attention when you're done taking in some.

#5. the cute date was really nice. you thought about posting one of the pictures on how your first date go with aether in one of your social medias, but... you can't simply just post in photos without his permission, right? decided to tease him a bit.

huh. must be pretty stunned that you managed to take those pictures. without him noticing too. he didn't reply for the whole night. you sure did want to know. oh well.

473 notes · View notes

bettsfic · 26 days

Note

hi it’s me again! i finished the kennedy book half an hour ago and i am still reeling.

you weren’t kidding about the last chapters. like the farewell party is a bittersweet anecdote, but then the epilogue is just absolutely crushing. what a brutal note to end on. the true endpoint is the paragraph in the acknowledgements where he thanks his coauthor for freeing him from the emotional prison he was in. phrase practically verbatim. like oh my god.

that thing you said about what’s not said really did nail the sort of very careful sidestepping of….giving his opinions, maybe? there is just a very deliberate sort of distance with which he describes any events, and so you really notice the barest hints of something more. (more than anyone can ever know, mr. hill? care to elaborate??? it’s the implication that they kept many secrets together and also his enduring loyalty to her that keeps us from learning hardly any of them.) i was reminded of the perception of the kennedys as american royalty because he really talks about her like she was a queen. jackie kennedy through his lens is beautiful and gracious and willful and truly given the royal treatment.

speaking of the royalty metaphor, aristotle onassis is two steps from being a mustache-twirling villain hoping that our brave knight clint hill dies a watery death under a yacht??? unprompted??? like, man. come on. honestly there’s a fascinating emotional thread in here about how he can only fully express feelings of protectiveness when they’re expressed by the president first.

anyway. this is a long ask. sorry. i feel like i should have something profound to say about the assassination chapters because of how significant the event is in history but i don’t yet. i probably sound unhinged but man. this was real life and this is how he chose to tell this story. what even was that.

THANK YOU.

re: last chapters: i want to look into what happened between him and his coauthor (they're married now!) but i haven't yet. i'm still feeling my feelings about the whole thing. can you imagine not reading the acknowledgements?? the acknowledgements that provide the only ounce of comfort amid the hurt of the last third of the book??

re: "MORE THAN ANYONE CAN EVER KNOW": i purposefully haven't shared that quote because divorced from its context you don't get the impact. to me that says he either totally had a thing with her but won't talk about it because he's an honorable man, in the same way he won't offer any kind of "no yeah the warren report was bullshit and the shots came from two different directions" confirmation, or he wants us to *think* something happened even if it didn't. i mean it's not like it was a secret that JFK and Jackie had affairs with other people. a great many of those people have written memoirs specifically about boning one or more of the Kennedys. so many in fact that it's basically a subgenre.

also there's some irony in the way he depicts Jackie. she didn't like to be written about. at all. ever. and there's more than one instance where he's, you know, an 80 year old man being a bit patronizing (in an otherwise very sensitively and thoughtfully written book), with all the mentions of mischief and little-girlishness. and so i keep thinking about how Jackie would have felt about this particular depiction, which despite the glossy nostalgia over the whole thing and I Love Lucy-esque antics, is a pretty nuanced depiction, at least compared to others i've read. he manages to revere her, nearly worship her, but still portray her vices, not as faults but as even more reasons he loved her. i don't know, man. it just feels weird to stumble upon a true story of what i thought were fictional feelings.

re: "he can only fully express feelings of protectiveness when they’re expressed by the president first": HOLY SHIT YOU'RE RIGHT. i'm still thinking about that scene where he takes the film out of that photographer's camera and JFK is just like, "ummm we can't make it seem like we're denying the press access to us, so we're gonna have to blame you," which prompted Hill to question his professional loyalty to the president against his personal loyalty to Jackie, and also it made me think, what would happen if he had to shoot someone? would he get blamed for that too? was he really only there as a human shield, able to protect but not truly defend?

re: "what even was that": WHAT EVEN WAS THAT.

#i'm still not even a little bit over this #dazzle

16 notes · View notes

thatmarvelobsessedteen · 10 days

Text

Not planned...not al all

Cassian x reader

Azriel x OC! reader'scousin

Short Summary: Two girls, cousins, somehow find themselves inside a slightly modified version of their favorite book saga ACOTAR. What will happen to them, things have changed and not just their situation but themselves...are those pointy ears they now have?

Chapter 10

"If you love me, love me, love me like you say. Darling tell me all the ways, tell me all the ways!"

Something seemed to click in Roxanne's mind and she asked.

"Wasn't that the song assigned to Dude?"

Dude was the nickname Roxy had given a guy I'd had a crush on but who basically ignored me and then afterwards decided to ask me out, he lost his shot and tried later than he should've... referring to me as dude to top it off, hence the nickname

"Nooo, we don't speak of Dude alright?! Just no."

Roxanne snorted inelegantly but I was headset on changing the topic so I tried to find another song in my mind.

One comes to mind but I just can't pin point the name so I just excitedly start jumping on my feet trying to give hints to Roxanne.

"There was that song...what was the name?! You know the one with the whistling!"

Not knowing how to properly whistle I just do my best shot and at imitating sounds, which is a fail considering Roxy's face.

"You're bouncing around like a bunny Nell, relax."

I huff and try to keep still on my feet before taking a different approach at describing the song.

"You know the one from the planes movie, with all the hot guys at the beach during sunset in swim trucks?! It goes I'm not worried?"

Of course it's the description of the scene that actually makes it click in Roxanne's mind.

"Oh, I ain't worried from Top gun! Yeah, the hot shirtless guys under the sunset, does ring a bell."

And just to further humiliate me she does the iconic whistling perfectly.

"And the slow MO running, like damn no need to flaunt I might pass out!"

Roxanne laughs nodding in agreement until we both finally calm down only to notice the inner circle is still not done chatting, it's less fun when you can't actually hear their conversations.

So, already bored out of my mind and not wanting to give myself the time to process everything that's happened and panic, I walk over to Lucien's corner. Roxanne follows along after a moment giving the redhead a warning side eye from behind me while I reach out my hand for him to shake.

"Hey!"

Lucien frowns giving Roxy a look filled with uneasiness and looking back at me in confusion. Taking my hand mostly out of habit.

"Hello?"

"Your voice is different than I imagined but somehow it fits you... Anyways I'm Leonor and that's Roxanne my cousin! I'm guessing you aren't in on their little private chat and since they're taking a bit too long I just wanted to chat."

I give him my widest smile, to be fair when I read the first book as a teen I had more of a crush on him than on Tamlin so it's sort of fun to be able to meet him in real life.

Roxy on the other hand mostly found him annoying, especially further in the books. Although she did once admit he was fun in the first book!

#a court of thorns and roses #acotar #acotar x oc #acotar x reader #azriel x oc #acotar x you #cassian acotar #cassian #cassian x reader #cassian x oc

6 notes · View notes

lil-tachyon · 3 years

Note

Genuine question: do you have any tips for sci-fi worldbuilding? I always seem to zoom in too far; that is, I'm really good at little details but big picture is often hard for me, so my universes often feel a little empty.

I'm not a very good writer but I'll try to answer the best I can.

I think ultimately what sells worldbuilding is presentation: it's much better to conceal than to reveal. When you're coming up with a setting you'll probably end up with copious notes on the history of the world, the relationships between characters and factions, the physics, metaphysics, and (possibly) magic systems of the universe. This is stuff you need to know for the setting to maintain its own internal logic. However, much/most of this does not need to be explicitly told to the reader. Two reasons for this:

1) When you allow the reader to fill in the blanks with their imagination, they become more involved in the story and you can play with their expectations later on. In the mind of the reader, the world you've created becomes larger than what you've actually written

2) Suspension of disbelief. When you supply the precise rules for how magic or an FTL drive works, the reader might say: “that couldn’t work” or “what about all these implications that are never addressed?” Examples: old-timey sci-fi featuring outmoded or incorrect physical theories as central plot points or Harry Potter magic where you “can’t make food” but you sure as hell can turn inanimate objects into animals that could then be eaten. If instead of saying “Here’s how FTL travel works” you show people interacting with teleportation devices that have just a hint of underlying logic to them- well that’s just a bit more palatable (and harder for the reader to find plot holes). Read Gene Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun series and the bits about the Mirrors of Father Inire for a real good example of this.

This (to my understanding) is what they mean when they say “show, don’t tell.” When you reveal a world through character dialogue, fragments of in-universe writing, descriptions of settings as seen through the eyes of people who inhabit them- it’s much more organic and engaging than descriptive monologues on history and politics from an impartial narrator.

So back to your point about “little details”- I actually think this is a great place to start when worldbuilding. In my opinion, the little details of a world are the most interesting bits. You can imply a lot with a little and make a world feel bigger than it is. But for your own, behind-the-scenes knowledge, you’ll want to work backwards, asking yourself questions about the kind of world in which your little details could exist. I can’t find a source for this so I could be wrong but I swear I read once that Frank Herbert figured out a lot of the tech for Dune just because he wanted to have swordfights in his far future science-fantasy tome. Ask yourself questions and you’ll find the answers are usually pretty interesting. I actually prefer this way of working out a setting to starting with a big picture and extrapolating the details from that- it’s hard to figure out every possible consequence of your initial choices. But both ways work!

I do this sort of question-and-answer, working-out-the-logic-and details of a setting in handwritten notes and doodles in a real cheap notebook. Keeps everything loose and low-pressure. I can cross stuff out, I can write stuff in the margins, I can make maps and character sketches all in one spot and don’t have to worry about anything being perfect. It’s very liberating. Some people may prefer other methods. Whatever presents the smallest barrier to you, you know, actually taking the time to write out the setting, is the best method for you.

As for coming up with worldbuilding ideas- just steal them. Now obviously I don’t mean plagiarize someone else’s work. I mean don’t be afraid to make your influences obvious- if that’s what you like, then that’s what you like! There’s a good Tom Parkinson-Morgan (KSBD, Lancer, Icon) quote that gets to the heart of what I’m trying to say here:

“I think that my influences are pretty on my sleeve but I like to think I do at least a decent job of amalgamating them into something original” [source]

The more you work on something, the more it becomes your own, even if you’re taking heavy, heavy influence from others. So much of ATLA was obviously sprung from the creative team’s interest in Ghibli movies and the Century of Humiliation/East Asian historical geopolitics. Book of the New Sun has clear references to H. G. Wells and Jack Vance. Hyperion features the Martian “John Carter Brigade” and a hacker named “Cowboy Gibson.” The influences are obvious but the worlds still feel real, alive, and not at all derivative.

A last point that might be helpful- a good understanding of genre conventions and the history of the genre in which you’re working can be invaluable. I heard a good take to the effect that the more established a certain convention is within a genre, the less suspension of disbelief (and, consequently, the less explanation) is necessary for the reader. So, for example, if you’re writing a space opera, you really don’t need to explain why there are spaceships and ray guns (although it’s always helpful if you, the creator, know the answer to that why question). Similarly you don’t need to explain the presence of elves and dwarves in high fantasy- they’re there, people expect them. It’s the unique things that will require an explanation, and how you go about explaining them I’ve already outlined above.

Some personal world building gold standards are:

Avatar: It just gets everything right

Evangelion for the way it works with genre conventions, makes them feel even more believable (all the work that goes into showing the massive resource and manpower investment into making the EVAs work), and then subverts them

Hyperion / Fall of Hyperion for synthesizing basically all the major subgenres and literary movements of 20th century sci-fi and then telling a kick-ass story with the world it builds out of them (negative points for retroactively ruining everything in Rise of Endymion)

Anyway, hope this helps and if anyone has some notes or criticism for me, please let me know! I’m really not much of a writer, I just read and draw a lot.

#worldbuilding #avatar #evangelion #hyperion #gene wolfe #good ask!

101 notes · View notes

mistaeq · 3 years

Text

the stardust crusaders' hogwarts adventure: HCs

tw // none

dora's note: is this dora posting? what the hell? yes it is, i'm finally working. hopefully. i promise i'm doing by best yes ^^ i felt like doing this today, so... finally got to finish a draft that has been there for quite a while.

DISCLAIMER !! y/n is NOT a student in joseph's HCs, they're a GROWN ADULT with a JOB. !!

taglist: @fragolaaaaaaa @outofthiszawarudo @sky1mercy @cheemerthebebopfreak @berryvalentine @yandere-lovebites @catboy-kira @komaeda-kinnie [if you wanna be removed or added, all it requires is a dm or an ask !!]

kujo jotaro

♥︎ when he first sat down under the sorting hat, he didn't know what to expect and did not care in which house he would have ended up. everyone in his family, though, always had been one of two precise houses: slytherin or hufflepuff. so, very deep down, he hoped in one of them. but a different one would have been cool with him too, he would have been the first in his family with a different house sorting. he waited for a time that seemed neverending, but earlier than expected, the sorting hat said: "slytherin."

♥︎ the two of you met for the first time during a quidditch tournament. jotaro was a seeker, one of the most precise ones hogwarts had ever had. you caused him an accident, running over him with your broom, causing the two of you to fall to the ground. needless to say, he held a grudge on you for several days, until you had to get along to train for quidditch again.

♥︎ you wouldn't expect it from a wizard like him, but his favourite subjects are care of magical creatures, to study them, protect them, and get on an empathetic level with them, and muggle studies, to get to know more about muggles, in honor of his father, kujo sadao, who's not a wizard.

♥︎ it didn't take long for jotaro to manage to manifest his patronus. he had tried to practice that spell, since before the arrival of the dementors at the school. the two of you used to practice together after quidditch trainings, making you the first person - apart from him, of course - to witness the awaking of his patronus: a beautiful dolphin, a symbol of intelligence and protection.

♥︎ you will probably have to be the one to ask him first out on a date. he's not the best one when it comes to grades, and he spends quite a lot of time with his friends, trying not to think about it. no, he doesn't really care about having the best marks. you should ask one of his best friends, kakyoin noriaki, about what to do to convince him to go out on a date with you. most likely, he'll say yes because he trusts you enough to feel safe.

♥︎ jotaro does not underestimate your powers and doesn't feel the need to constantly protect you, but he must admit that as soon as the teachers of defense against the dark arts start disappearing every year or try to attack the students themselves, he's a little bit worried about you. he starts showing up outside your classroom at the end of every lesson, to check on you and keep you company until you get to you next lesson's classroom.

kakyoin noriaki

♥︎ when he sat down under the sorting hat, he was really nervous. what if it said that he wasn't even a wizard? what if he ended up in a house that would have disappointed his family? the redhead was shaking like a leaf, even at the point that the sorting hat itself asked him to calm down to allow it to examinate him better. noriaki's terror soon disappeared, as soon as the hat spoke. "okay, okay, my guy. you can calm down. ravenclaw!"

♥︎ the two of you met for the first time in the library of the school. you were looking for a specific book, the one about the fantastic beasts of the wizarding world and where to find them, when a guy who wasn't looking where he was going, hit the ladder you were standing on, making you fall, right... in his arms. ugh, that sounded like a pathetic love story beginning. until you heard a giggle from the corner of the room. the guy that was making fun of that scene was kakyoin.

♥︎ noriaki's favourite subjects are transfiguration, since he always says he has a talent in transforming objects in what he wants, and defence against the dark arts, since he wishes to become a professor one day. why is it related to that? well, since the professors of defence against the dark arts seem to change every year for some reason, his turn will come sooner or later, or not?

♥︎ for kakyoin, it was a little bit more complicated to manifest his patronus. he kept on focusing on the technique and the way he had to move his wand, instead of focusing on his inner power and mind. but after many efforts, it finally showed up: a beautiful fox, symbol of wisdom and guidance. he told you first thing.

♥︎ noriaki will probably be the one to ask you out for a date first. but he would do it through a letter. he's smart enough to write one that will convince you that he's worth it and that he's perfect for you. the redhead can't imagine you already think of him as such. either way, the letter will be very sweer and heartfelt, even if a little bit awkward sometimes. but you'll say yes regardless, he put a lot of effort in it, and has always been respectful towards you.

♥︎ he wouldn't be much worried about you at first, hogwarts is a safe place for the students, after all, right? right? oh, what? in a bathroom the little hermione granger almost got killed by a troll? you know what, nevermind? the guy is gonna be glued to you the whole time, he'll even skip lessons for it, despite how much they mean for him. you're not gonna get attacked by anything, with him by your side.

muhammad avdol

♥︎ everyone envied him when he sat down under the sorting hat, because despite the young age at the time, he looked absolutely calm and collected. he had no anxiety, and his eyes were closed, in complete relaxation, as if him and the sorting hat had some sort of mental communication going on. his smile was endearing, his fingers intertwined in front of his chest. but the hat seemed to take a lot of time sorting him. "your heart said gryffindor, my dear boy. but your soul spoke hufflepuff to me." the hat declared. but then... "hufflepuff!"

♥︎ the two of you met for the first time on the stairs. yes, the ones that like to change. your books had fallen from your arms on the stairs, and since he was passing by, he decided to lend a helping hand. what you didn't notice, was that you were standing right between the stairs and the floor. when the stairs changed, hadn't it been for muhammad's quick reflex of pulling you on his side, you would have probably fallen down several floors.

♥︎ avdol is naturally gifted, when it comes to subjects like astronomy, or his favourite one, divination. he seems to be the only student who doesn't stare at mrs. trelawney as if she were completely crazy. the majority of the ravenclaws, his friend noriaki included, sometimes don't even listen to her. but avdol does, and he's completely in love with the subject.

♥︎ it hadn't been difficult at all for avdol, to manifest his patronus. almost natural, for him. you weren't there to witness it, but you studied and practiced with him for it several times. the last time he tried, a beautiful and graceful phoenix escaped muhammad's wand, symbol of resurrection and life after death, a patronus that the student took as a symbol of hope.

♥︎ none of you two will ask the other out for a date. the love between you and avdol would bloom spontaneously, without the need of dating. you would find yourselves behaving like a couple just naturally. he likes to give you tarot readings and to stargaze with you. the stargazing sessions are the ones that get the two of you closer to each other.

♥︎ avdol would be protective over you since the very beginning. he can sense something's off in the school, and his tarot readings about hogwarts's future keep getting darker and more mysterious everytime. but every single reading hints at an upcoming source of danger, that most likely would be voldemort, he supposes. he has to keep an eye on you. he's scared.

jean pierre polnareff

♥︎ oh boy, this guy was mad nervous when he sat down under the sorting hat. everything but slytherin, everything but slytherin. surely, he knew he wouldn't have ended up in ravenclaw. he wasn't that much of a smart guy, but he did his best. either way, everything would have been cool to him, apart from slytherin. it just didn't sit right to him. but luckily, before jean could ask the sorting hat why was it taking so long, it spoke. "okay, okay, i get it. gryffindor, no doubts!" it said, making the young wizard feel relieved.

♥︎ the two of you met for the first time while he was trying so hard to find his way to the next classroom he had to be in. the school was huge, and polnareff couldn't help but to get confused in the corridors. you offered him your help, but he tried to play it cool, running away and dropping a book. well, you would have brought it to him.

♥︎ polnareff's favourite subjects are charms and flying. they're pretty basic, but he finds them the coolest things about being a wizard. he's a huge fan of quidditch too, but he wouldn't see himself playing. flying lessons give him the same feeling of freedom though, and he loves it so much.

♥︎ it took pretty long for jean pierre to manifest his patronus. he just couldn't focus enough. you've been practising with him, and you manifested it first, so it would have been good to try to help him. until he managed to do it. from his wand, a beautiful horse was freed, a symbol of power, independence, freedom, and nobleness. you could tell jean was satisfied, and grateful to you for helping him in manifesting it.

♥︎ he'll definitely be the one to ask you out first, probably not much time after you helped him to manifest his patronus. that event made him so happy and made him grow so fond of you, that he genuinely wants to improve your relationship, and hopefully, get something more from it. hopefully your heart, hopefully a kiss. but he means it genuinely. he's not trying to exploit you to get your help with assignments. for real.

♥︎ as the years go by, polnareff would start noticing hogwarts isn't the same place that it's always been, or that dumbledore claimed it was. he grows more and more protective of you, every year a worse mess happens, and it's always connected to voldemort. he's not liking it at all. not to mention you're worried, since the gryffindors seem to be pretty involved in it. more than you and jean pierre like to admit. he knows something he's not telling.

joseph joestar

♥︎ in his youth, when he sat down under the sorting hat, he didn't give a shit of what house he would have been sorted in, all he wanted was just start learning magic stuff. joseph was laughing with some handsome boys and pretty girls at the table, and was hoping it wouldn't take long to sort him, his adventure had just started. but the hat actually took really little time to figure out where he was gonna go. "slytherin." it announced, almost immediately.

♥︎ going through the corridors of hogwarts reminds him of many years ago, when you first met. he would never forget the way you told him to go fuck himself, while he was just standing on a chair, reminding everyone that him and his best friend of the time, a young lucius malfoy, were the best kind of wizards because they were purebloods. that was a bunch of bullshit he truly used to believe. luckily, he grew up to understand it wasn't true.

♥︎ now, joseph is a teacher. the last student you would have expected to become one, but he did. a teacher of defense against the dark arts, and he's not planning on leaving anytime soon. he'll keep his eyes open, he heard teachers have been disappearing every year. not to mention a lot of scary stuff is happening at hogwarts. he didn't choose a good time to work.

♥︎ he's always been a quick learner, and he managed to manifest his patronus quicker than many of his classmates. a really cool eagle, a symbol of truth, majesty, strength. despite his attitude, it was clear that joseph was a good wizard, it had to be given to him. and you grew to be into it. to admire it. he secretly liked you, too.

♥︎ joseph took the first step towards you, but he didn't quite ask you out, let's say that to keep his cool, he TOLD you that you and him were gonna date. as if to announce you. you were okay with it, and didn't accept just because you were feeling forced. you accepted because you liked him, and recognized it as a great opportunity to get closer to him. you would have worked on improving the romantic field throughout your relationship.

♥︎ now that he's a teacher, he has to recognize that there's so much going on, that the students do not see. joseph is acknowledged about how dangerous the situation is getting, and more than ever, he reaches out to you, or phones you, no matter the fact that you're working. everyone is talking about voldemort, and he doesn't like the smallest bit of it. he just wants to make sure you're safe.

119 notes · View notes

sk1fanfiction · 3 years

Text

the many faces of tom riddle, part 4

-attachment, orphanages, and yet more child psych: time to add yet another voice to the void-

FULL DISCLAIMER THAT THIS IS JUST MY OPINION OF A CHARACTER WHO DOESN’T HAVE THE STRONGEST CANON CHARACTERIZATION, AND THUS ALL THIS IS BASED ON MY CONCEPTUALIZATION.

I'm going to be super biased, because my favorite portrayal of Tom Riddle is actually Hero Fiennes-Tiffin as eleven-year-old Tom Riddle, in HBP and I get to chat about child psych in this one, sooo here we go.

First of all, I’m just so impressed that a kid could bring that much depth to such a complex character.

This is the portrayal, I feel, that brings us closest to Tom’s character. Yes, Coulson’s brought us pretty close, but by fifth year, the mask was on.

We don't really get to see Tom looking afraid very often, but it's fear that rules his life, so it's really poignant in our first (chronologically) introduction, he looks absolutely terrified.

The void being the fandom's loud opinions on a certain headmaster. I wouldn't call myself pro-Dumbledore, but I'm certainly not anti-Dumbledore, either. (Agnostic-Dumbledore??)

Since I'm not of the anti-Dumbledore persuasion, I decided to poke around in the tags and see what the arguments were, so I don't make comments out of ignorance.

Most of the tag seems to be more directed towards his treatment of Harry and Sirius, but a few people mentioned that Dumbledore should have treated Tom with ‘exceptional kindness’ and tried to ‘rehabilitate’ him.

As I said in Parts 2 and 3, I am 100% in favor of helping a traumatized kid learn to cope, and I don’t think Tom Riddle was solidly on the Path to Evil (TM) at birth, or even at eleven. Not even at fifteen.

Could unconditional love and kindness have helped Tom Riddle enough for the rise of Lord Voldemort to never happen? Possibly, but...

Yes, I'm about to drag up that Carl Jung quote, again.

“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.”

The problem with this is that if you’re going to blame Dumbledore for this, you also have to blame every other adult in Tom’s life: his headmaster, Dippet, his Head of House, Slughorn, his ‘caretakers’ at the orphanage, Mrs. Cole and Martha, and possibly more. In fact, if we're going to blame any adult, let's blame Merope for r*ping and abusing Tom Riddle Senior, and having a kid she wasn't intending to take care of.

Furthermore, you cannot possibly hold anyone but Tom accountable for the murders he committed. (I should not have to sit here and explain why cold-blooded murder is wrong.) And if you like Tom Riddle's character, insinuating that his actions are completely at the whim of others is just a bit condescending towards him. He's not an automaton or a marionette, he's a very intelligent human being with a functioning brain, and at sixteen is fully capable of moral reasoning and critical analysis.

I've heard the theories about Dumbledore setting the Potters up to die, and I'm not going to discuss their validity right now; but he didn't put a wand in Tom's hand and force him to kill anyone. Tom did it all of his own accord.

And while yes, I have enormous sympathy for what happened to Tom as a child, at some point, he decided to murder Myrtle Warren, and that is where I lose my sympathy. Experiencing trauma does not give you the right to inflict harm on others. Yes, Tom was failed, but then, he spectacularly failed himself.

We also have no idea how Dumbledore treated Tom as a student.

In the movies, it’s Dumbledore who tells Tom he has to go back to the orphanage, but in the books, it’s Dippet. We know that Slughorn spent a lot of time around Tom at Slug Club and such, yet I don’t really see people clamoring for his head.

I regard the sentiment that Dumbledore turned Tom Riddle into Lord Voldemort with a lot of skepticism.

But let's hear from the character himself -- his impression of eleven-year-old Tom Riddle.

“Did I know that I had just met the most dangerous Dark wizard of all time?” said Dumbledore. “No, I had no idea that he was to grow up to be what he is. However, I was certainly intrigued by him. I returned to Hogwarts intending to keep an eye upon him, something I should have done in any case, given that he was alone and friendless, but which, already, I felt I ought to do for others’ sake as much as his."

Now, assuming that Dumbledore's telling the truth, I'm not seeing something glaringly wrong with this. No, he hasn't pigeonholed Tom as evil, yes, I'd be intrigued, too, and it's a very good idea to keep an eye on Tom, for his own sake.

“At Hogwarts,” Dumbledore went on, “we teach you not only to use magic, but to control it. You have — inadvertently, I am sure — been using your powers in a way that is neither taught nor tolerated at our school."

Again, it seems like he's at least somewhat sympathetic towards Tom, and is willing to at least give him a chance.

More evidence (again, assuming Dumbledore is a reliable narrator):

Harry: “Didn’t you tell them [the other professors], sir, what he’d been like when you met him at the orphanage?” Dumbledore: “No, I did not. Though he had shown no hint of remorse, it was possible that he felt sorry for how he had behaved before and was resolved to turn over a fresh leaf. I chose to give him that chance.”

Now, I think Dumbledore is pretty awful with kids, but I don't think that's malicious. Yeah, it's a flaw, but perfect people don't exist, and perfect characters are dead boring. I am not saying that he definitely handled Tom's case well, I'm just saying that there's little evidence that Dumbledore, however shaken and scandalized, wrote him off as 'evil snake boy.'

It's also worth taking into account that it's 1938, and the attitudes towards mental health back then.

Why is Tom looking at Dumbledore like that, anyway? Why is he so scared? What has he possibly been threatened with or heard whispers of?

"'Professor'?" repeated Riddle. He looked wary. "Is that like 'doctor'? What are you here for? Did she get you in to have a look at me?"

"I don't believe you," said Riddle. "She wants me looked at, doesn't she? Tell the truth!"

"You can't kid me! The asylum, that's where you're from, isn't it? 'Professor,' yes, of course -- well, I'm not going, see? That old cat's the one who should be in the asylum. I never did anything to little Amy Benson or Dennis Bishop, and you can ask them, they'll tell you!

Tom keeps insisting he's not mad until Dumbledore finally manages to calm him down.

I'm really upset this wasn't in the movie, because it's important context. Instead we got these throwaway cutscenes of some knick-knacks relating to the Cave he's got lying around, but I just would have preferred to see him freaking out like he does in the book.

There was extreme stigma and prejudice towards mental illness.

'Lunatic asylums,' as they were called in Tom's time, were terrible places. In the 1930s and 40s, he could look forward to being 'treated' with induced convulsions, via metrazol, insulin, electroshock, and malaria injections. And if he stuck around long enough, he could even look forward to a lobotomy!

So, if you think Dumbledore was judgmental towards Tom, imagine how flat-out prejudiced whatever doctors or 'experts' Mrs. Cole might have gotten in to 'look at him' must have been!

Moving on to the next few shots, he is sitting down and hunched over as if expecting punishment or at least some kind of bad news, Dumbledore is mostly out of the frame. He’s trapped visually, by Dumbledore on one side, and a wall on the other, because he’s still very much afraid. uncomfortable, as he tells Dumbledore a secret that he fears could get him committed to an asylum (which were fucking horrible places, as I said).

It brings to the scene that miserable sense of isolation and loneliness to that has defined Tom’s entire life up to that point (and, partially due to his own bad choices, continues to define it).

And, when Dumbledore accepts it, his posture changes. he becomes more confident and more at ease, as he describes the... utilities of his magical abilities.

"All sorts," breathed Riddle. A flush of excitement was rising up his neck into his hollow cheeks; he looked fevered. "I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals do what I want them to do, without training them. I can make bad things happen to people who annoy me. I can make them hurt if I want to."

Riddle lifted his head. His face was transfigured: There was a wild happiness upon it, yet for some reason it did not make him better looking; on the contrary, his finely carved features seemed somehow rougher, his expression almost bestial.

I do think Harry, our narrator, is being a tad bit judgmental here. Magic is probably the only thing that brings Tom happiness in his grey, lonely world, and when I was Tom's age and being bullied, if I had magic powers, you'd better believe that I'd (a) be bloody ecstatic about it (b) use them. And, like Tom, I can't honestly say that I can't imagine getting a bit carried-away with it. Unfortunately, we can't all be as inherently good and kindhearted as Harry.

Reading HBP again, as a 'mature' person, it almost seems like the reader is being prompted to see Tom as evil just because he's got 'weird' facial expressions.

So... uh...

Nope, let's judge Tom on his actions, not looks of 'wild happiness.'

To his great surprise, however, Dumbledore drew his wand from an inside pocket of his suit jacket, pointed it at the shabby wardrobe in the corner, and gave the wand a casual flick. The wardrobe burst into flames. Riddle jumped to his feet; Harry could hardly blame him for howling in shock and rage; all his worldly possessions must be in there. But even as Riddle rounded on Dumbledore, the flames vanished, leaving the wardrobe completely undamaged.

Okay, one thing I dislike is Tom's lack of emotional affect when Dumbledore burned the wardrobe, in the books, he jumped up and started screaming, instead of looking passively (in shock, perhaps?) at the fire. Incidentally, I can't really tell if he's impressed or in shock, to be honest. I think they really tried to make Tom 'creepier' in the movie.

This is one of the incidents where Dumbledore's inability to deal with children crops up.

I think he was trying to teach Tom that magic can be dangerous, and he wouldn't like it to be used against him, but burning the wardrobe that contains everything he owns was a terrible move on Dumbledore's part. Tom already has very limited trust in other people, and now, he's not going to trust Dumbledore at all -- now, he's put Tom on the defensive/offensive for the rest of their interaction, and perhaps for the rest of their teacher-student relationship.

Riddle stared from the wardrobe to Dumbledore; then, his expression greedy, he pointed at the wand. "Where can I get one of them?"

"Where do you buy spellbooks?" interrupted Riddle, who had taken the heavy money bag without thanking Dumbledore, and was now examining a fat gold Galleon.

But I'm not surprised Tom is 'greedy.' He's grown up in an environment where if he wants something, whether that's affection, food, money, toys, he's got to take it. There's no one looking after his needs specifically. I'm not surprised that he's a thief and a hoarder, and I don't think that counts as a moral failing necessarily, and more of a maladaptive way of seeking comfort. It would be bizarre if he came out of Wool's Orphanage a complete saint.

Additionally, I think given that the Gaunt family has a history of 'mental instability,' Tom is a sensitive child, and the trauma of growing up institutionalized and possibly being treated badly due to his magical abilities or personality disorder deeply affected him.

And there are points where it seems that Dumbledore is quick to judge Tom.

"He was already using magic against other people, to frighten, to punish, to control."

"Yes, indeed; a rare ability, and one supposedly connected with the Dark Arts, although as we know, there are Parselmouths among the great and the good too. In fact, his ability to speak to serpents did not make me nearly as uneasy as his obvious instincts for cruelty, secrecy, and domination."

"I trust that you also noticed that Tom Riddle was already highly self-sufficient, secretive, and, apparently, friendless?..."

And while this is all empirically true, these are (a) a product of Tom's harsh environment, and (b) do not necessarily make him evil. But the point remains that child psych didn't exist as a field of its own, and psychology as a proper science was in its infancy, so I'd be shocked if Dumbledore was insightful about Tom's situation.

But I've gone a ton of paragraphs without citing anything, so I've got to rectify that.

Let's talk about Harry Harlow's monkey experiments in the 1950-70s.

If you're not a fan of animal research, since I know some people are uncomfortable with it, feel free to scroll past.

Here's the TL;DR: Children need to be hugged and shown affection too, not just fed and clothed, please don't leave babies to 'cry out' and ignore their needs because it's backwards and fucking inhumane. HUG AND COMFORT AND CODDLE CHILDREN AND SPOIL THEM WITH AFFECTION!

I will put more red writing when the section is over.

This is still an interesting experiment to have in mind while we explore the whole 'no one taught Tom Riddle how to love' thing and whether or not it's actually a good argument.

Andddd let's go all the way back to the initial 1958 experiment, featured in Harlow's paper, the Nature of Love. (If you're familiar with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, him and Harlow actually collaborated for a time).

To give you an idea of our starting point, until Harlow's experiment, which happened twenty years after Dumbledore meets Tom for the first time, no one in science had really been interested in studying love and affection.

"Psychologists, at least psychologists who write textbooks, not only show no interest in the origin and development of love or affection, but they seem to be unaware of its very existence."

I'm going to link some videos of Harry Harlow showing the actual experiment, which animal rights activists would probably consider 'horrifying.' It's nothing gory or anything, but if you are particularly soft-hearted (and I do not mean that as an insult), be warned. It's mostly just baby monkeys being very upset and Harlow discussing it in a callous manner. Yes, today it would be considered unethical, but it's still incredibly important work and if you think you can handle it, I would recommend watching at least the first one to get an idea of how dramatic this effect is.

Dependency when frightened

The full experiment

The TL;DW:

This experiment was conducted with rhesus macaques; they're still used in psychology/neuroscience research when you want very human-like subjects, because they are very intelligent (unnervingly so, actually). I'd say that adult ones remind me of a three-year old child.

Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers, and cared for their physical needs. They had ample nutrition, bedding, warmth, et cetera. However, the researchers noticed that the monkeys:

(a) were absolutely miserable. And not just that, but although all their physical needs were taken care of, they weren't surviving well past the first few days of life. (This has also been documented in human babies, and it's called failure to thrive and I'll talk about it a bit later).

(b) showed a strong attachment to the gauze pads used to cover the floor, and decided to investigate.

So, they decided to provide a surrogate 'mother.' Two, actually. Mother #1 was basically a heated fuzzy doll that was nice for the monkeys to cuddle with. Mother #2 was the same, but not fuzzy and made of wire. Both provided milk. The result? The monkeys spent all their time cuddling and feeding from the fuzzy 'mother.' Perhaps not surprising.

What Harlow decided next, is that one of the hallmarks being attached to your caregiver is seeking hugs and reassurance from them when frightened. So, when the monkeys were presented with something scary, they'd go straight to the cloth mother and ignore the wire one. Not only that, but when placed in an unfamiliar environment, if the cloth mother was present, the monkeys would be much calmer.

In a follow-up experiment, Harlow decided to see if there was some sort of sensitive period by introducing both 'mothers' to monkeys who had been raised in isolation for 250 days. Guess what?

The initial reaction of the monkeys to the alterations was one of extreme disturbance. All the infants screamed violently and made repeated attempts to escape the cage whenever the door was opened. They kept a maximum distance from the mother surrogates and exhibited a considerable amount of rocking and crouching behavior, indicative of emotionality.

Yikes. So, at first Harlow thought that they'd passed some kind of sensitive period for socialization. But after a day or two they calmed down and started chilling out with the cloth mother like the other monkeys did. But here's a weird thing:

That the control monkeys develop affection or love for the cloth mother when she is introduced into the cage at 250 days of age cannot be questioned. There is every reason to believe, however, that this interval of delay depresses the intensity of the affectional response below that of the infant monkeys that were surrogate-mothered from birth onward

All these things... attachment, affection, love, seeking comfort ... are mostly learned behaviours.

Over.

Orphanages, institutionalized childcare, and why affection is a need, not an extra.

His face is lit the exact same was as Coulson’s was in COS (half-light, half-dark), and I said I was going to talk about this in Part 3. I think perhaps it's intended to make Fiennes-Tiffin look more evil or menacing, but I'm going to quite deliberately misinterpret it.

Now, for some context, Dumbledore has just (kind of) burned his wardrobe, ratted out his stealing habit, and (in the books only, they really took a pair of scissors to this scene) told him he needs to go apologize and return everything and Dumbledore will know if he doesn't, and, well, Tom's not exactly a happy bugger about it.

But interestingly, in the books, this is when we start to see Tom's 'persona,' aka his mask, start to come into play. Whereas before, he was screaming, howling, and generally freaking out, here, he starts to hide his emotions -- in essence, obscure his true self under a shadow. So this scene is really the reverse of Coulson's in COS.

And perhaps I'm reading wayyy too much into this, but I can't help but notice that Coulson's hair is parted opposite to Fiennes-Tiffin's, and the opposite sides of their faces are shadowed, too.

Riddle threw Dumbledore a long, clear, calculating look. "Yes, I suppose so, sir," he said finally, in an expressionless voice.

Riddle did not look remotely abashed; he was still staring coldly and appraisingly at Dumbledore. At last he said in a colorless voice, "Yes, sir."

Here's an article from The Atlantic on Romanian orphanages in the 1980s, when the dictator, Ceausescu, basically forced people to have as many children as possible and funnel them into institutionalized 'childcare', and it's absolutely heartbreaking.

There's not a whole lot of information out there on British orphanages in the 30s' and 40s', but given that people back then thought you just had to keep children on a strict schedule and feed them, it wouldn't have a whole lot better.

The only thing I've found is this, and it's not super promising.

The most important study informing the criteria for contemporary nosologies, was a study by Barbara Tizard and her colleagues of young children being raised in residential nurseries in London (Tizard, 1977). These nurseries had lower child to caregiver ratios than many previous studies of institutionalized children. Also, the children were raised in mixed aged groups and had adequate books and toys available. Nevertheless, caregivers were explicitly discouraged from forming attachments to the children in their care.

Here's a fairly recent paper that I think gives a good summary: Link

Here, they describe the responses to the Strange Situation test (which tests a child's attachment to their caregiver).

We found that 100% of the community sample received a score of “5,” indicating fully formed attachments, whereas only 3% of the infants living in institutions demonstrated fully formed attachments. The remaining 97% showed absent, incomplete, or odd and abnormal attachment behaviors.

Bowlby and Ainsworth, who did the initial study, thought that children would always attach to their caregivers, regardless of neglect or abuse. But some infants don't attach (discussed along with RAD in Part 2).

Here's a really good review paper on attachment disorders in currently or formerly institutionalized children : Link

Core features of RAD in young children include the absence of focused attachment behaviors directed towards a preferred caregiver, failure to seek and respond to comforting when distressed, reduced social and emotional reciprocity, and disturbances of emotion regulation, including reduced positive affect and unexplained fearfulness or irritability.

Which all sounds a lot like Tom in this scene. The paper also discusses neurological effects, like atypical EEG power distribution (aka brain waves), which can correlate with 'indiscriminate' behavior and poor inhibitory control; which makes sense for a kid who, oh, I don't know, hung another kid's rabbit because they were angry.

Furthermore...

...those children with more prolonged institutional rearing showed reduced amygdala discrimination and more indiscriminate behavior.

This again, makes a ton of sense for Tom's psychological profile, because the amygdala (which is part of the limbic system, which regulates emotions) plays a major role in fear, anger, anxiety, and aggression, especially with respect to learning, motivation and memory.

So, I agree completely that Tom needed a lot of help, especially given the fact that he spent eleven years in an orphanage (longer than the Bucharest study I was referring to), and Dumbledore wasn't exactly understanding of his situation, and probably didn't realise what a dramatic effect the orphanage had on Tom, and given the way he talks to Tom, probably treated him as if he were a kid who grew up in a healthy environment.

In case you are still unconvinced that hugging is that important, there's a famous 1944 study conducted on 40 newborn human infants to see what would happen if their physical needs (fed, bathed, diapers changed) were provided for with no affection. The study had to be stopped because half the babies died after four months. Affection leads to the production of hormones and boosts the immune system, which increases survival, and that is why we hug children and babies should not be in orphanages. They are supposed to be hugged, all the time. I can't find the citation right now, I'll add it later if I find it.

But I think it's vastly unrealistic to say that Dumbledore, who grew up during the Victorian Era, would have any grasp of this and I don't think he was actively malicious towards Tom.

Was Tom Riddle failed by institutional childcare? Absolutely.

Were the adults in his life oblivious to his situation? Probably.

Do the shitty things that happened to Tom excuse the murders he committed, and are they anyone's fault but his own? No. At the end of the day, Tom made all the wrong choices.

And, for what it's worth, I think (film) Dumbledore (although he expresses the same sentiment in more words in the books) wishes he could go back in time and have helped Tom.

"Draco. Years ago, I knew a boy, who made all the wrong choices. Please, let me help you."

#tom riddle #the many faces of #tom marvolo riddle #character analysis #character study #albus dumbledore

138 notes · View notes

manikas-whims · 4 years

Note

Hi, i follow your todomomo oneshots book on ao3. You said you're taking requests. So uh can you please write Momo comforting Shouto after a mistake on his mission. Ohh and can you please make them older in this. ty

Thank you so much for this request dear anon :3

Consoling His Heart

Words: 2059

Rating: T+ (slight kissing)

Read on: AO3 | FFnet

He found her standing on the porch of their shared house, her radiant smile brightening everything around her. On sighting his approaching form, she raised an arm and began waving it, as if she was ecstatic to see him again. She was always there, bidding him farewells when he left for missions and greeting him with open arms upon his returns. Always.. And he was glad (fortunate actually) to have her as an important part of his rather dull lifestyle as the number 3 Pro Hero of Japan. She made him happy, filled the emptiness he always used to experience. She made him believe that he was more than just a man born of his father’s stubborn resolve for supremacy. He was always grateful of her. But that day, he couldn’t face her. After the offence he had committed on his latest mission, his hands were sullied by a wrong he could never wash off. And he didn’t want to tarnish her pristine skin with his touch.

“I just saw you on TV and figured you’d be coming back soon so I came outside to wait.” She told him cheerfully, stretching her arms as an invitation for a hug. But he couldn’t even meet her gaze.

Nodding his head in acknowledgement, he walked right past her inside their house, ignoring the confused expression marring her beautiful face.

Shouto Todoroki didn’t deem himself worthy of her.

Her brows knitted together in confusion due to his sudden aloofness towards her yet she shrugged it off as mere side-effects of the grueling mission he was sent on. Turning around, she followed after him into their house. She shook her head, her petal lips curving up into a fond smile. Like always, he had left his boots carelessly on the floor so she arranged them in their proper place in the shoe rack.

They’ve been in a relationship for two years now. She was the one who couldn’t bottle her feelings anymore and ended up confessing to him during their final year at UA. He was shocked at the revelation because apparently ‘he didn’t consider himself on par with her’. Whatever that means. As soon as they graduated, they joined separate agencies to work under, making it hard for them to see each-other much. And so, this year onwards, she suggested that they start living together, to which he agreed without any hesitation. The only reason they haven’t tied the knot yet is because (again) ‘he wanted her to be sure of whether she wished to spend the rest of her life with him or not’.

Frankly speaking, she doesn’t understand the point of such questions or why he wants her to reflect on her decisions again and again. He made her realize what she was capable of and for that she will always be thankful. He made her happy, made her feel strong and important, not just as a pro hero but as an individual.

Momo Yaoyorozu couldn’t imagine her life without his calm presence in it.

With one last look around the porch, she closed the door and walked towards their bedroom. She blushed at a faint memory of all the unspeakable things they’d done in that very room but quickly pushed it away.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, face as devoid of emotions as ever. But she was so used to seeing it that she easily caught the hints of self-loathing swimming in his mismatched irises. He was back at it— questioning his existence and doubting his worth.

“Shouto”, She called softly as she entered the room and approached him.

He jerked his face to glance at her before receding back into his glum state of mind and mumbled in a grave tone, “I failed.”

She was stupefied by his choice of words. Failure and Shouto Todoroki did not belong in the same sentence. The word failure had no relation to him whatsoever. For the four years that she had known him, she had always seen him learn from his mistakes and improve until he became a great hero. She was there to witness it all. She saw him become the man she came to love not simply because of his striking features but because of whom he was.

She’d been watching the news just minutes ago and media was singing praises about the success of his mission. So then, why exactly was he sitting so dejectedly?

Kneeling down before him, she cradled his face in her palms and tilted it, making his pair of gray and blue eyes meet her onyx ones. “What happened? The news said it went well and-”

“I failed, Momo.” He repeated, his jaw tightening. “I was supposed to apprehend the man running those fighting pits. Instead I nearly killed a little kid’s mother.”

She moved her fingers further up his grimy face into his equally dirty hair and began massaging his scalp. “Hey, calm down.” She said in a soothing tone, “I know you, Shouto. You can never hurt anyone.”

His lips quivered at the degree of faith she had in him. He shook his head like a child feeling the guilt of stealing cookies from a jar he wasn’t allowed to touch. “No you don’t..” His hands shot out and his long fingers wrapped around her dainty wrists, in hopes of channeling his anger at himself. “There were a lot of spectators so I called the back up team. But before they could even reach the scene, panic broke out amongst the audience because well..all of them have some sort of history in crimes. They got scared as soon as I broke in and began running about.”

Momo listened to his explanation patiently, nodding every once in a while. “The owner, he ordered his strongest fighters to deal with me. And..” He gritted his teeth in frustration, “..and I was so consumed by the thoughts of detaining the pit owner that I..I used my left side and..there was a kid. He was crying so much for his mother. But I didn’t understand. I was so consumed with rage..”

He took a long breath, averting his eyes at his dark haired girlfriend of two years, wondering if he should really tell her the remaining bit. He wanted to. Whenever his mind made him restless, he vented to her because he knew she’d have a solution to his problems. She always had. So he just needed her to listen to him once more. He knew he was being pathetic, behaving like that at the age of 20 but he needed her to listen and understand. He wanted her to be certain of their relationship. He wanted to know if she’d choose to stay even after hearing what an abhorrent deed he had committed.

“I released a large wave of fire at the three pit fighters and this lady out of nowhere jumped in front of one guy. The kid..his cries grew louder and he began running towards the scene..” Shouto gulped, his hold on Momo’s wrists tightened before going completely lax and he let go of them. “Everything clicked in that moment and I realised the lady and the man she was trying to protect were parents of that crying child. I was the bad guy there. I was fighting against his father and attacked his parents with my flames. Thanks to the backup team and police officers for showing up. The parents of that kid haven’t sustained any life-threatening injuries and will be out of the local hospital soon.” His fingers crawled up his cheeks and he removed her palms, replacing them with his own to bury his face in shame. “I almost killed them. If police wouldn’t have arrived when they did-”

The dual haired Todoroki's eyes widened at being silenced instantly by a finger on his dry lips. Momo shushed him. Casualties are unavoidable on missions like these and they hurt a lot. But to detest himself over an obvious mistake is so..stupid and yet so like him.

“You didn’t mean it, Shouto.” She said assertively , “There are so many things we can infer from this whole happening. First of all, if those two had decided to be criminals, then they should’ve considered the consequences of bringing a child in their life. But since they did have a kid, those parents should have atleast been rational enough to not bring the kid to a dangerous place like a fighting pit..”

She knew she was rambling but guys like Shouto are so hard upon themselves that they need proper clarifications. They need people like Midoriya or herself to tell them that its not their fault, that there’s no harm in letting things go instead of shouldering unnecessary blames. “Yes, you used your fire on them but it was a mere defensive measure you took amidst a battle. And they’re both still alive and recovering so be glad. If anything, this mission will be an experience not just for you but them as well. Maybe this will be the moment of their awakening. Maybe they’ll finally understand the repercussions a child suffers due to their parents' actions. Maybe they’ll actually take this as a sign and move forward to become good civilians and give their child the life he deserves..”

Shouto peeked through his fingers up at her, his eyes widened in bewilderment. “How do you do this? How do you redefine my worst aspects as if they weren’t bad to begin with? How do you make me look like this saint that I’m not?”

“You’re not a saint.” She answered, pulling his hands away from his face and entwining their fingers. “But you’re no sinner either. You’re just human.”

She smiled lovingly at him, “Humans make rash decisions. You were concentrating on the objective of your mission and wanted to eradicate the hindrances quickly. That’s all. But now you’ve learnt that being reckless can be harmful at times. So stop being so resentful towards yourself and move on.”

Shouto narrowed his eyes in confusion and gazed intensely at her, searching for that thing in her eyes that makes her so kind and benevolent. He felt the heaviness being lifted off his soul, the ache alleviated from his heart. He felt lighter— better! And it only took her a few sensible words to ease his mind of the chaos. Somehow he always lost himself to the smallest of his errs but she was right there, offering her hands to help him up. And he knew she’ll be there for him in the future too but he needed assurance. He just wanted to hear her say it again.

“Momo,” he called in a feeble tone, staring at her innocently, “Are you sure you want to-”

“Yes Shouto” she cut him off immediately, knowing very well what he was asking her for the umpteenth time since they started dating, “I want to be with you forever. I will never leave you. I will always be here with you.”

His heart brimmed with joy at her honest confession and he spoke instinctively, “I love you.”

She grinned at him, pulling him up into a standing position by tugging at their interlinked fingers, “I love you too, you adorable dummy. Now go get washed up. In the meantime, I’ll cook some soba.”

She let go of his hands but was barely able to leave the room as he snaked his arms around her hips, turning her around and capturing her bottom lip between his. He began kissing and nipping, his demeanor suddenly changing entirely with wanton need for her. Afterall, one of the major reasons for his hastiness during the mission was so he could get back to her as soon as possible and ravish her.

She slapped his arms playfully, willing him to get going already but he only released her lips to worship her alluring neck instead, whispering breathlessly, “I need help cleaning up.”

She giggled at his statement and let him carry her to the shower. He really needed to keep his personal desires in check during work so he won’t do something as precarious as he did on this mission. But for now, he wanted to pay her back just as much love as she gave him everyday. And he was way better at expressing himself with his actions.

*Send requests for SasuSaku, TodoMomo, HitsuHina, Zenyuki via asks ☺

#todomomo fanfic #todomomo fanfiction #todomomo #shouto todoroki #momo yaoyorozu #shouto x momo #todoroki shouto #yaoyorozu momo #todoroki x yaoyorozu

49 notes · View notes

ookamikasumi-writer · 3 years

Text

Just say NO to Author Intrusion

The Fourth Wall is the Audience. -- Every time the writer addresses their story's audience --their Readers-- they are violating the fourth dimension, or wall, of that story's Reality.

These violations are known as: Author Intrusions.

Author Intrusions show up as little comments that express the author's personal feelings on what's happening in their story, or heavily hint at things to come during the story.

Author Intrusions are a Bad Idea.

----------- DISCLAIMER: This is how I was taught to write for publication purposes by my professional editors. If you don't want to do it this way -- Don't. (Less competition for me.)

WHY Author Intrusions are a Bad Idea.

Author Intrusions jar the Reader out of the mental movie they've generated while reading because the Author keeps rudely shoving them out of the story to remind them that They know something the Reader doesn't.Compare it to watching a movie you haven't seen before with a friend that won't shut up about how cool the next scene is.

See this shit? This is Author Intrusion.

Identifying Author Intrusions:

The most common form of Author Intrusion is when the writer plants overly-obvious hints of things to come addressed directly to the Reader.

Examples:

In hindsight, he would be thankful for his overreaction.

Unfortunately, his choices had truly never been his own.

If only they'd realized how wrong they were.

These are normally found at the end of a chapter, or book, but I've also seen them posted smack in the middle of a scene in progress.They had no idea what consequences their choice would bring.

I have been told that these particular intrusions are meant to be a form of Foreshadowing.

This shit is NOT Foreshadowing.

True Foreshadowing symbolically hints at things to come. It Does Not point-blank TELL the Reader that something is coming.

More on actual Foreshadowing: TV Tropes: Foreshadowing

I have also been told that this form of Author Intrusion is supposed to create suspense and entice the Reader to read the next installment.

This shit does NOT create Suspense either.

The truth is, this sort of cheap-assed teaser-spoiler Does Not add suspense because it entirely Removes the surprise factor of what is coming.

Suspense is about Anticipation. It's about waiting for 'the other shoe to fall'. When an author point-blank announces that there's another shoe, all that lovely anticipation is halved because the Reader now knows for a fact that this shoe WILL fall -- that something IS going to happen.

THINK: How can anyone be surprised if they're already expecting a surprise?

If you want to create Suspense, don't TELL the Reader outright that something is going to happen. Instead, SHOW IT by planting Clues; the butcher knife was missing from the kitchen drawer, and give Hints through ominous Sounds, creeping Shadows, character Body Language, and stilted Dialogue that something is going to happen.

Authors: Keep Your Opinions to Yourself!

The next most common form of Author Intrusion happens when the writer just can't keep their personal comments about certain characters, or what's happening in their story to themselves.

This is particularly virulent in fan-fics written by new writers who get over-excited about what they're writing.

Cut that shit out!

Literally, cut all that shit Out of your work.

Us readers do not want anyone interrupting our stories with their opinions, feelings, or comments about the story we're reading. That includes comments from the Author. Save that crap for the Author Notes.

However...

"Lines like those (in my fan fiction anyway) are actually meant as red flags; a sort of, "Hey, pay attention, I'm doing something over here!" This is because, in the...years I've been writing fan fiction, I've noticed that the majority of 'new readers' (i.e. those new to fan fiction,) will not pay attention [to what they're reading] and will inundate me with questions that are easily answered if they did. With lines like those thrown in, the questions are fewer and I don't have to waste time explaining things that don't need explanations." -- Annoyed FF Writer

While all that might sound like a good excuse -- it really Isn't.

When the author inserts comments about a character or situation happening right there in the middle of the story just to make it easier for lazy-assed readers to figure out what's going on, those comments are nothing more than Spoilers for the rest of us.

Spoiling the Story for Lazy-Assed Readers -- is a BAD IDEA.

While some readers love to be babied like that, the rest of us readers don't. The rest of us are paying close attention and we love ferreting out the author's little hints exposed by the plot's progression and character reveals. We are reading specifically to discover what the heck is going on.

Spoilers strip all the suspense and discovery --the most enjoyable parts of the story-- right out.

I don't know about you, but once all the surprises are gone from a story, I have no reason to keep reading that story.

Fixing Spoilers

If the Reader doesn't get what happened and the information to set them straight IS NOT actually present in the story, then yeah, the Writer messed up.

To fix this, they should REWRITE and REPOST the Relevant Chapter ASAP! NOT answer their reader's query with any comment beyond, "Oh crap! Let me fix that real quick!"

If the Reader doesn't get what happened and the information to set them straight IS actually present in the story, meaning; the Reader simply missed it the first time around, then the Reader messed up -- not the Writer.

When this happens, the Writer should answer their query by politely telling that reader to Read the Chapter Again a little more carefully. NOT by giving them Spoilers!

Seriously, professional authors don't cater to that crap, neither should fan-fic writers.

The only thing catering to lazy-assed readers does is encourage those readers to bug other writers for spoilers -- and us other writers don't appreciate it.

As for Breaking the Fourth wall...

Or is he?

Deadpool: Not actually Breaking the Fourth Wall. He is Narrating his own story.

Yes, Deadpool does address his audience throughout his comic books and movies. In his comics he even comments on the textboxes around him.

Deadpool also freely admits that he's not exactly Sane.

However, addressing his readers, or watchers, or even his text boxes doesn't change the fact that Deadpool is The Point of View Character in both his comics and his movies. He's the one telling the tale. He's expected to comment on everything and everyone around him because that's what POV Characters do.

Deadpool just happens to be narrating his story out loud to the voices, and text boxes, in his own head. That there happens to actually be an audience of readers and movie watchers is entirely incidental.

Now if Stan Lee; the main author of Marvel Comics, popped into Deadpool's story, that would be Author Intrusion--

Oh, wait... He did.

A...tasteful example of Author Intrusion. AKA: The Cameo.

Narration is Not Author Intrusion

The Narrator is The Point of View Character observing --and commenting on-- their part of the tale. If done Right, what is narrated is colored by that POV Character's thoughts, opinions, and comments about what is happening around them.

Breaking the 4th Wall? Nope, just 1st Person POV.

Narration is not Author Intrusion because the author isn't telling the story, the POV Character is.

Deadpool, in both the comics and in his movies, uses First Person Point of View Narration. First Person POV can look like the character is Breaking the Fourth Wall, but they really aren't because Narration is supposed to address the audience. Think in terms of diary entries, or in Deadpool's case, a massive Selfie Video.

The only time Narration should ever be colored by the author's opinions is in a Self-Insert story where the author is the POV character--

-- or in a Fairy Tale.

Fairy Tales were originally told Orally. They were spoken and acted out by a storyteller directly to their audience. The storyteller's opinions of what was happening were part of the act, rather like the Master of Ceremony for a play. When these tales were eventually written down by collectors, such as the Brothers Grimm, they wrote them in the oral style --author intrusions included-- simply because that's how they were told to the collectors.

Later writers, like Hans Christian Anderson, wanted their tales to be labelled Fairy Tales, so they used this oral style specifically so their stories would blend in with the much older collected Grimm's stories.

However, if the story is not a Fairy Tale--

Don't Interrupt Your Readers!

Written stories are viewed in the imagination like a movie. So when the author pops in a comment to make their personal opinions known, it throws the reader out of the movie they're watching in their imaginations because someone is talking to them.

"But the whole story is the author's opinion!"

That's right, a writers has their whole story to express their personal opinions, so there is absolutely No Need for the author to interrupt their readers with additional comments on anything at all during the story.

If a writer absolutely positively must comment on what's happening in their story, an Author Note is where that shit belongs --or their personal blog, or whatever social media floats their boat-- nowhere else.

Author Intrusions: -- If you're Not writing a Fairy Tale -- Don't Do It.

Unless you're Stan Lee. (He can intrude wherever he likes.)

#writing fiction #writing tips #writing tricks

0 notes