Lmao There Was A Comment On A Chapter Of King’s Maker That Went “It’s Always The Redheads That

HOLD ON-

Is this an actual reason kids wanted to travel around the world with Cale??? Is this the culprit??

Because if that's so this is fucking adorable

When i first read the novel and in the future chapters On, Hong and Raon were telling Cale that they want to travel everywhere together i just went "Aw that's sweet, yeah sure" not questioning much of it because, well, Cale didn't either. And I'm a very trustful person, who didn't thought about our narrator being a lying little shit back then.

So rereading the novel now and seeing this gives me literal butterflies!

Just think about it.

Children, who never saw much of the world, whose thoughts before been only about survival, wanted to travel everywhere together and see everything, but not for themselves.

They thought that will make Cale happy.

On, Hong and Raon obviously love Cale a lot, he is literally their parent and the first ever person to show them warmth or care.

So it is understandable that they want to show this love to him in return and I'm like :,) MAN, i love this story so much ueue

Me to the shadow in the living room at 4:57 AM: No you do not understand the perfection of White Star’s death being so quick and unimpactful. He is someone who lives for the attention. His god complex is so empowered that he hates when something doesn’t go his way or he’s not the center of attention drives him insane. The whole fated rival bullshittery with Cale was just that, making it all about himself again. He needs to be important! So Yoo Ryeo Han making his death so quick and completely forgotten in a span of paragraphs is literally the finest torture for that man’s nonexistent never resting soul. It’s not that Cale didn’t struggle to kill him. We didn’t really get to see what Cale was feeling using Instant like the time he broke the statues, we only saw what everyone else was seeing. Cale was probably struggling a lot going towards White Star. But that doesn’t matter! He will never know that and he died with the thought that he was killed in the span of 2 sec without even a fight. THAT’S PATHETIC FOR HIM! A man who lived for the drama, died i. The most uneventful way possible for him and that’s the HELL for him and I LOVE IT! It’s similar to Locke’s death in QON where he died off screen and barely given a paragraph to describe his death. Literally the biggest FU to these bastards is not caring about their deaths. It’s what they would have wanted and we ain’t giving them that. So what I’m trying to say is that Yoo Ryeo Han is literally a genius when writing their character and especially scenarios depending on their personalities and how they would react in those situatio—

The shadow demon: *crying in a fetus position*

Cale is so trustworthy because he’s very good at payment. Exchanging “equal” goods, even if they may not seem equal in his eyes. He sees his own priorities as more important and naturally thinks that he’s ripping off the other person, when actually they are likely benefitting as much or more as Cale himself. Even in something like emotional stability or feelings of safety and security. He doesn’t always give visible benefits, and helping them out is usually not inconvenient for them. In a similar way, his tasks aren’t usually inconvenient, and the benefits he receives are for the future and inconceivable to anyone without context.

He has very low empathy, in that regard. In most regards, actually. He can sacrifice himself, and manipulate people, and use his glib tongue, but his actually empathy is extremely low. Even when everyone is openly concerned for him— he doesn’t recognize it. It’s “weird.” “Disturbing.” He gets put off by people looking at his with admiration, because, he doesn’t feel like he did anything amazing? He just said a few well words? Why is everyone looking at him like he just something profound?

He’s smart, but he can’t easily connect to outsiders feelings. He does and says when he wants to— and predicting the outcome is his specialty— except when it comes to positivity. He prepares for the negative, he anticipates it.

He just… doesn’t understand how to comprehend when it’s not seeing him in a bad light.

Fanfiction Authors: HEADS UP

(Non-authors, please RB to signal boost to your author friends!)

An astute reader informed me this morning that one of my fics (Children of the Future Age) had been pirated and was being sold as a novel on Amazon:

(And they weren't even creative with their cover design. If you're going to pirate something that I spent a full year of my life writing, at least give me a pretty screenshot to brag about later. Seriously.)

I promptly filed a DMCA complaint to have it removed, but I checked out the company that put it up -- Plush Books -- and it looks like A LOT of their books are pirated fic. They are by no means the only ones doing this, either -- the fact that """publishers""" can download stories from AO3 in ebook format and then reupload them to Amazon in just a few clicks makes fic piracy a common problem. There are a whole host of reasons why letting this continue is bad -- including actual legal risk to fanfiction archives -- but basically:

IF YOU ARE A FANFIC AUTHOR WITH LONG AND/OR POPULAR WORKS, PLEASE CHECK AMAZON TO SEE IF YOUR STORIES HAVE BEEN PIRATED.

You can search for your fics by title, or by text from the description (which is often just copied wholesale from AO3 as well). If you find that someone has stolen your work and is selling it as their own, you can lodge a DMCA complaint (Amazon.com/USA site; other countries have different systems). If you haven't done this before, it's easy! Here's a tutorial:

HOW TO FILE A COPYRIGHT COMPLAINT FOR STOLEN WORK ON AMAZON.COM:

First, go to this form. You'll need to be signed into your Amazon account.

Select the radio buttons/dropdown options (shown below) to indicate that you are the legal Rights Owner, you have a copyright concern, and it is about a pirated product.

Enter the name of your story in the Name of Brand field.

In the Link to the Copyrighted Work box, enter a link to the story on AO3 or whatever site your work is posted on.

In the Additional Information box, explain that you are the author of the work and it is being sold without your permission. That's all you really need. If you want, you can include additional information that might be helpful in establishing the validity of your claim, but you don't have to go into great detail. You can simply write something like this:

I am the author of this work, which is being sold by [publisher] without my permission. I originally published this story in [date/year] on [name of site], and have provided a link to the original above. On request, I can provide documentation proving that I am the owner of the account that originally posted this story.

In the ASIN/ISBN-10 field, copy and paste the ID number from the pirated copy's URL. You'll find this ten-digit number in the Amazon URL after the word "product," as in the screenshot below. (If the URL extends beyond this number, you can ignore everything from the question mark on.) Once this number has been added, Amazon will pull the product information automatically and add it to the complaint form, so you can check the listing title and make sure it's correct.

Finally, add your contact information to the relevant fields, check the "I have read and accept the statements" box, and then click Submit. You should receive an email confirmation that Amazon has received the form.

Please share this information with your writer friends, keep an eye out for/report pirated works, and help us keep fanfiction free and legally protected!

NOTE: All of the above also applies to Amazon products featuring stolen artwork, etc., so fan artists should check too!

The Greatest Cale-rony

The irony of how Cale TALKS versus how Cale ACTS

Cale when he scams people: *bright innocent smile and proclamations of pure intent while scheming behind the scenes* Cale when he befriends people: "Don't trust me. I am not a good person." *proceeds to help everyone*

Choi Han

Cale when he wants to avoid getting beaten up: "Oh poor kittens, let me feed you. Come with me, I'll feed you too." Choi Han: "Cale-nin, you really are-!" Cale when he wants Choi Han to trust him: *under the Vow of Death* "I'm trash, you know. I just wanna be a slacker." Choi Han: *watches as Cale saves everyone at the Plaza* "...I'm sorry, what??"

Raon Miru

Cale when he changes the plot so a Dragon doesn't rampage: "You're free now. I won't take care of you." Raon: *follows him around for a week* Cale when he grudgingly accepts his company: "Okay, you can come with me. But just so you know, I am not a good person." *proceeds to raise and spoil him* Raon: "...Human, why are you so weird??"

Alberu Crossman

Cale when he wants to get away from the Crown Prince: "Your highness! It's such an honor to meet you! The shinging sun of our kingdom-!" Alberu: "Why are you talking like this...?" Cale when they form a business partnership: "Here, I'm selling this dead mana to you and no I don't do discounts." Alberu: "...You're not even gonna blackmail me for being part Dark Elf?" Cale: "Why would I when I can legally make money off of you? I'm an opportunist after all!" *proceeds to help the Roan Kingdom numerous times* Alberu: *begins to trust him despite his trust issues* "...Just what is up with this bastard??"

Toonka

Cale when buying the Magic Tower: "Of course I'm willing to destroy it in a year. I am gaining absolutely no profit from this. I just wanted to own a cool tower." Toonka: "Bhuaha, what a good friend!" Cale during the war with the Empire: "You should be careful whom you trust, you know. Don't trust me either." Tooka: *watches as Cale heals his people and sends reinforcements* "Uh... huh??"

Queen Litana

Cale when he wants Litana to give him magic stones: "Payment? Why, of course not! Saving people is just the right thing to do, isn't it? Let's take care of the fire." Litana: "Oh what a humble and generous man!!" Cale when speaking to Adin: "Yeah sure, we are the same. I am very selfish." Litana: *watches as Cale single-handedly saves her Jungle once again* "Excuse me??"

The Sun Twins

Cale to Jack when he wants to use him: "I will help you, after all, I am a good person who helps people." Jack: "A true hero!!" Cale to Hannah when he wants her to trust him: "So I am a double-faced bastard, and revenge is a dish best served brutal and bloody." Hannah: "...You're not so bad?" Cale when he includes them in his plans later: "What are you even talking about? Of course I'm a bad person." *proceeds to overthrow the tyranny of the Empire and the Sun Church* Jack & Hannah: "Young Master Cale... You're not serious are you??"

Basically Every Other First Meeting

Cale, planning his next scheme: "From now on, I am a good person." On & Hong: "...Why are you introducing yourself to us??" Cale: *confusion*

Pacing Through Sentence Length in Writing

You ever notice how a scene can feel like it’s dragging or speeding up based solely on the length of the sentences? Sentence length isn't just a technical detail—it’s a pacing tool. When used right, it can control the speed and tension of your story. Here’s how:

Short Sentences = Speed, Tension, Impact

Short, snappy sentences are like quick breaths, instantly pulling the reader’s attention. They mimic fast action, nervous energy, or urgent thoughts. They create momentum. Think of action scenes or emotional moments—often, less is more.

Example: The door slammed shut. His heart raced. She was gone.

In just three sentences, you feel the urgency, the chaos, and the emotional weight of the moment. It’s all about breaking up the narrative with these quick hits to keep the reader on edge.

Long Sentences = Build-up, Reflection, Depth

On the flip side, long sentences slow things down, adding complexity, reflection, or tension. They’re great for moments of introspection, world-building, or setting a scene in rich detail. These sentences create a flow, pulling the reader into the character’s headspace or the atmosphere of the moment.

Example: The wind howled through the narrow alley, carrying the distant sounds of a city that never seemed to sleep, never seemed to rest, and in that eternal hum, he wondered, not for the first time, if he would ever find peace here or if, like everyone else who tried to escape the shadows, he would simply become another part of the city’s endless noise.

Here, the length of the sentence mimics the complexity of the thoughts—heavy, reflective, almost hypnotic. It builds tension not with action but with an overwhelming feeling of being stuck or trapped in thought.

Combining Both = Dynamic Flow

The real magic happens when you mix short and long sentences. This creates a rhythm—suddenly, a break in the flow, a quick shock, and then back to a longer, more drawn-out moment. It reflects real life: quick bursts of action or emotion followed by moments of pause or thought.

Example: He reached for the door. It was locked. His heart pounded, each beat a reminder of how badly he needed this. There were no other options. There was no way out. The key could be anywhere. And he could not afford to wait any longer.

TL;DR:

Long sentences = build tension, create depth, set mood. Short sentences = ramp up urgency, show action, make an impact. Mastering this flow is a game-changer for pacing!

I don’t know if anyone has ever done this before but, here ya go… The Different Types of Fanfiction! 

I probably left a few out, but these are the most common, compared to their base fiction’s canon plot. Enjoy! XD

my mom finally bought a toaster

* …A friend?

* You were spending time with… a friend?