Cale: *makes A Cruel Plan On How To Completely Obliterated The Enemy And/or Learn New Information About

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*

Reaction fics are a beloved trope of LOTCF fanfiction, but let me pose a challenge to the concept. Rather than a god deciding to show the audience Cales life as a punishment/gift for the future/to help them in some way, what if it was instead just a godly whim?

The reason they are there is incomprehensible. It doesn't make sense. The god either won't explain, or doesn't care to. The scenes they're shown are helpful in some ways, but not in others. Why are they here? How do they get out?

I'd like to see a reaction fic where the goal of the audience is to leave. They neither want nor need to see the deep, dark depths of their leader. And they will never, ever accept something without knowing the intentions behind it.

This is better if there's another driving force behind why they are desperate to leave. Someone is missing (Cale?), something is happening on the outside (something important), or they're getting signs- hints- figurative or literal writing on the walls from the previous participants in this game that don't spell a happy ending for what comes after this. Something is behind this, and that something doesn't truly care about them.

No one to assure them, "if you just watch his life, everything will be fine." Or when it is assured, the audience fights back. The god assured them, again, they just have to watch. Watch and understand. But they find ways to get out- they have to be dragged back, one by one, into that theater room. It should be fun to watch them analyze the manners of their leader or his backwards thinking, except it isn't. They keep fighting against it. Why are they fighting? Something that isn't human could never understand.

It's an idea I had based off our own manipulation. We write reaction fics for our own amusement. We want to force these characters into a box and make them react to Cale. We are a god that does this- not to help them, not to give a gift to them- it is for our amusement. It's fun to watch them react.

But isn't it out of character for them to not fight back? With biting words and violent actions? These characters don't simply allow themselves to be beaten into submission. Coerced into bowing their heads. We'd have to tie them to their chairs and make them sit and watch. And that's something I see in a lot of reaction fics too.

Usually the best way to keep these characters in place is via the Cale Method. Cale is injured and has to heal, it's a price he has to pay, he's being threatened, etc. It'd be cool if there was something else forcing them down like muzzled dogs. Just my thoughts though.

*anyone is free to run with the ideas from this or any idea built off of this (with no credit)

**but I'd love to be sent anything like it

How To Write A Compelling Character Arc 

 A character arc is a measure of how a character changes over time. These arcs are linear, which means they have a start and a conclusion. Character arcs are a significant aspect of any novel as they help clearly translate your character’s struggles and personal developments to your readers. 

Unsure how to write a compelling character arc for your protagonist or other characters? Here are some tips to help you get started! 

Pick A Type Of Arc 

In order to create a compelling and successful character arc, you first need to recognise which type of arc is your character going to experience. Over the years people have developed various character arc types, however, there are three significant types every writer needs to be aware of when plotting their character’s story. 

Positive Character Arcs 

Positive character arcs are simply that—a character arc that results in a positive journey or development. 

A majority of books and movies or other cinematic pieces feature positive character arcs. This is because everyone enjoys a happy ending. An ending that makes you feel fulfilled and excited for the protagonist’s journey, or brings tears to your waterline as you reminisce on how far they’ve come, and how much they deserve this positive ending. 

A positive character arc doesn’t necessarily have to have a ‘’happily ever after’ however it needs to have a happy ending. If a character’s family was assassinated and at the end they get revenge on the antagonist who murdered their loved ones while developing themselves mentally, then that counts as a positive character arc. 

When writing a positive character arc it’s important to keep a few things in mind, such as: 

You need to end on a positive note. Things can be as chaotic as you want it to be, but you need to have a positive ending. Otherwise, you cannot define your character arc as positive. 

Your protagonist needs to develop as a character. Whether that be mentally, emotionally, financially, etc. 

Your protagonist cannot end up where they started. A character arc that ends in a full circle is more of a flat character arc than a positive one. 

Negative Character Arcs

Just like a positive character arc, a negative one is very easy to explain. This is a character arc that is typically used when writing antagonists in the entertainment industry due to the negativity it brings. When writing a negative character arc for a protagonist you run the risk of making your readers feel unsatisfied or creating a ‘bad ending’. 

Some examples of a negative character arc for a protagonist would be if the protagonist dies at the end of the book, or if the protagonists almost achieve their final goal but fail by a small shortcoming. Negative character arcs for a protagonist are usually implemented for the first few books of a series, especially in fantasy books. 

Using a negative character for your antagonist is simple—they fail. The protagonist wins and the villain dies or gets locked up until their final moments. 

When employing a negative character arc for a protagonist, here are some things to keep in mind: 

They shouldn’t end up as a person similar to what they started off as. The point is to corrupt them, ruin them and turn them to the bad side. Perhaps even make them fall victim to the antagonists. 

They can’t or will never achieve their long-term goal. Remember that goal you established at the start of your book? Your protagonist cannot achieve that. Or at least, they will never achieve it due to certain plot developments. 

They lose someone or thing important to them. Negative character arcs for a protagonist are generally triggered due to the loss of someone or thing important to the protagonist. Maybe their mentor is murdered by the government, or their failure to achieve their goals makes them turn evil. 

Flat Character Arcs

Flat character arcs are arcs that essentially lack any sort of arc. They are flat and begin and end with the character as the same type of person. 

These arcs are generally used for side characters, but they can also be used for a protagonist. Think of characters like Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, etc. They go through several trials and tribulations, but even after it all their personality remains the same. 

When writing a flat character arc it’s important to remember that your character cannot undergo any significant personality changes. Your protagonist can undergo such changes during the story, but they need to have a full circle by the end. 

Divide Your Arc Into Short-Term Goals 

Once you’ve decided where you want your character to end up at the end, you now need to know how they will get there. You can achieve this by referring to your long-term goal and then breaking them down into short-term goals. 

The protagonist is supposed to find a hidden jewel at the end of the book and discovers how corrupt their government is. Alright, now break that down into short-term goals that will help your protagonist get to their end goal. 

Group these goals and they will become stages for your book, break them down and you now have chapter outlines to work with. 

Playing with the details of your character arcs can help you easily plan out your book’s plot and set a steady pace. You can also use this as a reference sheet when working on your WIP. 

Take The World Outside Your Protagonist Into Perspective

Once you know the type of character arc you want and how you’re going to write it, it’s important to consider how this arc will impact your world. This includes your side characters as well as the general plot and layout of your world. 

Character Arcs For Side Characters 

It isn’t necessary to have a character arc for every single character, but it is almost impossible for only two characters to have an arc within hundreds of pages. 

Whether it be your protagonist’s mentor or your antagonist’s assistant, it’s important to take their stories and personal development into consideration. How does the story’s plot impact their outlook on the world or their personality? Do any of the minor antagonists turn out to be morally grey? Does one of the smaller protagonists end up betraying the protagonist out of jealousy? 

Remember, your smaller characters are also human. It’s important to take their stories and arcs into consideration so you can create a detailed and comprehensive world. 

A great example of this could be anime characters. Most animes tend to have separate backstories and endings for every character. These backstories and endings don’t have to all be necessarily revealed to your readers, however, as an author you need to know where you’re going with each of your characters. 

Reaction Arcs 

One easy way to implement character arcs for your side characters is by using reaction arcs. I don’t know if this term has already been established, but I personally coined the term to refer to a character arc that is a direct reaction to another character’s arc. 

Maybe your protagonist has a positive character arc and ends up becoming the most successful person in their field of work, but this results in a reaction arc for their best friend who turns bitter and has a negative character arc due to the way the protagonist’s story played out. 

Reaction arcs differ from other arcs due to the fact that they cannot be achieved without establishing another character’s arc first. Following the above example, the best friend cannot become jealous and bitter until your protagonist’s character arc is established. 

I hope this blog on how to write a compelling character arc will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.  

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and marketing tools for authors every Monday and Thursday. 

Want to learn more about me and my writing journey? Visit my social media pages under the handle @hayatheauthor where I post content about my WIP The Traitor’s Throne and life as a teenage author. 

Copyright © 2022 Haya Sameer, you are not allowed to repost, translate, recreate or redistribute my blog posts or content without prior permission

You are an anonymous professional assassin with a perfect reputation. You lead an ordinary life outside of your work. You’ve just been hired to kill yourself.

Is it actually possible for people to respect the idea that I’m just not personally impressed with Berdly as a person right now?

I’m not a fan of how he interrupts Noelle constantly, how he spent most of chapter 2 putting Kris and Susie down and call them stupid to their faces, just to turn around and relationship-zone Susie after she turns out to be cool, trying to get her alone constantly and then trick her into giving him a kiss.

He’s going to have to treat Kris, Noelle, and Susie with some actual, non-crush-related respect, as people, before I’m going to consider liking him. That doesn’t mean I want him dead or don’t acknowledge that he values Noelle.

This is not a character everyone has to like or it’s immoral somehow or you get to call them stupid for not liking him. Stop sending me fanboy asks trying to covert me Green Eggs and Ham style.

What part of “there’s nothing wrong with him, he’s just annoying” makes people think harassing them into liking him is okay?

Kris...?

Without eye highlights...

Spoilers for Cales past and a ss of a few paragraphs of chapter 695

Cale hates when people sacrifice themselves. He hates when they push themselves too hard, especially for him.

Because that’s what happened with Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo, isn’t it?

Cale was supposed to die. They sacrificed themselves for him, and he lived, and now he gets visibly upset when people try to do things that are similar.

What does he think about when he sees people work themselves till they faint? It’s stupid. Not just because it’s not healthy, but because it’s sacrificial. He hates martyrs. He hates it when they’re his friends.

Cale has a weird complex, right? Sacrificing himself left and right, fainting, but not allowing anyone else to do the same? Hypocrite, right?

(Chapter 695)

This is weird, isn’t it? This complete lack of awareness is concerning! It’s almost as if he’s oblivious to the fact that he does the same thing all of the time!

To everyone else, yes, this situation with the crown Prince fainting after using all of his mana is a perfect parallel to Cale using his ancient powers too much and going into a coma.

But Cale doesn’t see his actions in the same light! He really isn’t trying to sacrifice himself 90% of the time! The collateral damage (fainting, bleeding, pain) is usually not part of his prediction, and if it is, it’s more than he expected.

His intentions and thoughts are always about keeping his friends safe, and he’s okay with coughing up a bit of blood to do that! Just a bit, maybe enough that it will look scary but it won’t hurt him in the long run and that’s okay.

If he faints? It wasn’t planned, so it’s not really sacrifice. Maybe a little but he’s selfish enough already, it’s the least he can do, honestly.

When Cale puts himself in danger it’s for selfish reasons. Self-declared selfishness, but that’s how he sees it.

Cale doesn’t sacrifice himself. Everything he does is because he chose to! He chose to. If it doesn’t hurt too bad, he doesn’t consider it as doing much at all. The level of pain he experiences in every situation is his way of determining how much he’s ‘accomplished against his will’ (sacrificed).

Not only that but there are circumstances he must be in to even consider it of consequence to other people. If it doesn’t happen while someone’s in danger, it doesn’t really matter, does it? He doesn’t understand why someone would be asking about his well-being. He doesn’t plan to let anything that happens affect his plans, so there’s no reason for them to worry.

If he’s not on a battlefield, all of the effort he puts in?

(ancient powers) (strengthening his friends) (being in pain and pushing through it) (planning and strategizing) (so, so much more)

It doesn’t count. He is familiar with meticulously and extensively optimizing his time, because as KRS, monsters attack indiscriminately. Being prepared and working hard to be strong is nothing when compared to the battle soon to come, therefore, it doesn’t count as “work.” It’s what is expected. It is the basic standard for what is required to survive.

Where everyone sees Cale working nonstop for weeks and months and years, it’s a normal weekend for him. Those days outside of battle don’t count. He worked like that for 15 years, so much stress is easy for him.

But- why doesn’t he recognize that he pushes himself until he faints? There’s a threshold that he passes where he faints, but he still keeps crossing it?

Well, because he’s the protagonist and- often, our only source of information for what happens in this world- narratively, he tends to stay awake and only faints when the battle is coming to a close, or has just closed. If the battle ends, his presence isn’t of vital importance, so it’s fine if he was unconscious for a little bit. Other times it’s involuntary and a result of his body’s terrible condition or outside forces.

He doesn’t recognize his fainting as sacrificial because as long as the battle ends on a good note and he’s still able to think and plan relatively soon after he wakes up, he hasn’t sacrificed much other than time. He also has Vitality of the Heart, which lets him feel rejuvenated after a ‘nap.’

You see, Cale Henituse is interesting. He doesn’t know how to distinguish being selfish and selfless because being selfless is, in itself, an act of selfishness. When Cale (from the perspective of his friends) ruins his health and runs from battle to battle without resting or thinking about his friends concern— it’s pretty selfish of him.

While everyone else considers him selfless, he thinks of himself as doing the “obvious” amount of work and being selfish too. That much work is expected of him, so it isn’t selfless. It’s all for his own gain, because when everything is over, he’ll be the one going away to slack off in a forest. Ha!He’s seven steps ahead of everyone (and on the verge of collapse).

How trashy.

So to answer the question? Cale doesn’t notice his own sacrifices because he feels that:

1) his intentions remain solely selfish, so fainting and coughing up blood is just something he needs to do to get closer towards his goal.

2) anything that occurs outside of battle does not count as sacrifice because it does not affect how his plans will pan out, and everything he does is just a normal amount of work for him.

3) fainting is not on his list of to-dos, it happens without his consent- constantly- and it is very annoying because it’s an unpredictable variable, but thankfully it happens when the battle is almost over/already over so it’s not really fainting. It’s like taking a nap! Involuntarily, but at least it’s sort of convenient.

4) being overly selfless is selfish, and selfish = bad, so Cale is a Bad Person and Complete Trash. Look at Cale, selfishly wanting his friends and his homeland to be safe so that he can retire. Bastard!

So, turns out his inability to realize the irony of his statements is because of the traumatizing 16 years of mental conditioning where pushing himself over the edge is normal and expected, spurred on by his socially isolated past that led to a lack of empathy and emotional awareness, and his two closest friends sacrificing themselves for him after his ability couldn’t predict the situation accurately enough.

Wow, it was the trauma all along…

€<><><><><>o

{>>>O=

^^^ my attempts at fish

Anyway, here is a compilation of my favorite Cale moments :D find it under the cut :3 they’re angsty :v spoilers ofc

Chapter 258 ^

Chapter 259 ^

Chapter 303 ^

Chapter 420 ^

Chapter 560 ^

Chapter 584 ^

Chapter 656 ^

DSMP streams divided in months

these don't include every stream (not just cause they're wips) since some don't have a date. meaning those could not be added in these month playlists, but they are in these two. for some others i could try and guess

if you know the right dates, let me know

2020

april

may

june

july - [LORE]

august - [LORE]

september - [LORE]

october - [LORE]

november - [LORE]

december - [LORE]

2021

january - [LORE]

february - [LORE]

march - [LORE]

april - [LORE]

may - [LORE]

june - [LORE]

july - [LORE] (lore playlist doesn't exist yet)

august - [LORE]

september - [LORE]

october - [LORE] (no lore playlist yet)

november - [LORE]

december - [LORE]

2022

january - [LORE]

february - [LORE]

march - [LORE]

april - [LORE]

may - [LORE] (no playlists yet)

june - [LORE]

july - [LORE] (no playlists yet)

august - [LORE]

september - [LORE]

october - [LORE]

november - [LORE]

december - [LORE]

post finale

any stream from the month after the last lore stream, meaning the Syndicate finale in december 2022

right now, the title says 2023, but i know Eret and Sam have briefly joined the server in 2024. the title will change to fit the years, but i have to find them first

and that's it! if you use these playlists or send them to others, can i ask for a reblog so i know people are finding them useful?👉👈

There's an actual moment in the novel in which we have Yuder literally burying two guys 6ft under because they, during a fight, accidentally broke two (2) candies Kishiar gave him.

I'm so glad he didn't overreact.

The entirely scientific Circle Diagram, explaining the principles behind TCF Paradigm of Misunderstandings(TM)

🧐