Spare Toasty Pls I Beg Of You

Belphegor thinks you're terrified of him. You think he looks like a bitch without a smile. gn!reader, growing relationship, reader calls belphie a bitch lol, spoilers for lesson 16

BELPHEGOR doesn’t blame you whenever you flinch as he walks in a room, turn to stone when he sits next to you at breakfast and in class, and he certainly doesn’t blame you when you shuffle closer to Lucifer when he was lounging about. He tries to ignore it, but every time he catches you avoiding his gaze, guilt cages his heart. He knows he deserves it.

He watches you from afar. He sees how you offer Beel the sides of your breakfast even though he knows he can hear your stomach growl first period. He sees how you gently cut Mammon down, agreeing with whatever foolishness he was spouting. He sees you bring Satan tea when he’s cooped up in his room, and how you always match Levi’s excitement whenever a new game comes out.

Hell, you even like all of Asmodeus’ posts on Devilgram. (Belphegor wonders if you ever followed him back, and when he checks, he’s pleasantly surprised you are. He shouldn’t feel so happy about it.)

He notices how burnt you are before anyone else does. He sees the way your perfect posture slouches at breakfast, playing with your food – too tired to bring the fork to your mouth. He hears your textbook pages flip and papers crinkle at all times of the day when he walks past your room. Belphegor doesn’t smell the candles you light around your room anymore. It’s a shame, he thinks, he was always a fan of the one you claimed to be called ‘Witches Brew.’

You were utterly exhausted.

Exams in school should be easy as pie when you study the amount you do. Exams in a school of Hell, with different history you’ve never seen before, different wars from different realms, and the previous royalty that ruled over the underworld – God, it was too much. You were bleeding your brain dry, information upon information forced to retain.

Belphegor knows how hard it is for you to get sleep in the House of Lamentation.

His heart jumps out of his ribcage when he sees you walk into the planetarium. He eyes you as you stop, and stare at him. He half expects you to turn back on your heel and walk away- but you don’t. You stand there, letting the heavy door close behind you.

“Can I sleep here?” you asked, and he has to force himself not to do a double take. He doesn’t even realise it’s midday and you’re not at school.

Belphegor forces the lump in his throat down. He feels like his tongue is sandpaper. “You know you shouldn’t.”

“I know, that’s why I’m here.”

It’s… weird. You’re talking to him with no fear. You’re even meeting his gaze. Had he been misunderstanding how you have been feeling this whole time? His eyes narrow. Belphegor’s grip on his pillow tightens. Just what are you up to?

“Don’t you hate me for what I did to you?” he questions, lying back down and turning away from you on his makeshift bed. Where all chairs should be remained an open space, except for the heaps of blanket and pillows he had dragged down from the attic.

You tilt your head- like you’re the one who is confused. “No, why would I?”

“I killed you.”

“Dude, Lucifer has tried to kill me like a total of five times now. Levi has the lowest score of one. Your twin has tried to eat me when the fridge was empty!” You sound exasperated. “I think at this point you killing me that day has just became a normal day in Devildom.”

He doesn’t have to look at you to know you’re making your way over. Belphegor raises one of the blankets, and he feels the radiating, human heat of you when you slip in. It’s silent for a moment, and he rolls over, catching your eye.

“I feel awful,” he says so quietly, you almost didn’t hear him. “I thought you were terrified of me.”

You snort. “No,” you start, staring up at the constellations on the ceiling. “It’s just… You look kind of like a bitch when you don’t smile, y’know? I thought you still hated me or something.”

His brows furrow. “Rude.”

“Was rude when you killed me! I really thought you wanted a hug.” You see from the corner of your eye that his lips press into a thin line. “Bad joke.”

Silence rains over you both once again. Belphegor hasn’t been this close to you in a while. He vividly remembers how frail your body was, how easily it was to break – and now you’re just… laying here, next to him without a care in the world. Like he hadn’t ended your life and watched the light seep from your eyes.

The words tumble out of his mouth before he realises. Belphegor doesn’t care – but it’s hard owning up to your mistakes- your mistakes to a human, no less. “I’m not going to do something like that ag-“

You interrupt him with a wave of your hand. “It’s fine, don’t worry,” you say. “I trust you won’t. You don’t have to say you’re sorry, I can tell by the way you act.”

He sighs. “You humans are too nice. Are you sure you should be saying this to me? Are you not worried I’ll take advantage of your kindness or something?”

“Nope, not at all.”

“You’re so strange.”

“I guess, hehe. You’re different from all your brothers, though.”

“Oh?”

“Mhm. You don’t barge into my room at the crack of dawn every morning. Even Levi does it, and he doesn’t even attend school in person!”

He can’t help the tiny laugh that passes through his lips. “Sounds awful.”

“Why else do you think I’m here, huh?”

“Aw, and here I thought you wanted to spend time with me.”

Not even ten minutes ago you and Belphegor were as distant as parallel lines; to never touch, to never interact. And here you were, exhausted after exams and cracking jokes with him under the planetariums glowing stars - like you two were friends.

It conjures a weird feeling in his stomach. Belphegor doesn't know if he likes it.

You hum, thoughtfully. “I do want to spend time with you, though. I want to know more about you. Who knows how truthful all your stupid stories in the attic were, huh?”

“A few,” he utters through a yawn.

“Tell me more! I want a bedtime story.” And to get your point across, you wiggle in the duvets, and snuggled into the one over you, blanket to chin.

Belphegor almost doesn’t want to- but if a bedtime story is all your asking for? He guesses he could dig up memories from his past to tell you in murmurs and yawns. It’s the least he could do when you show him such acceptance. But still- he can’t help but think shouldn’t you be the one telling him a bedtime story? He was the Avatar of Sloth, after all. And your ‘stupid stories’ were far more entertaining than his.

And so he talks. He talks until his throat hurts, and his own voice starts to fade into background noise. Belphegor stares at the stars, throwing in the occasional hand movement. He talks himself tired, and his words slowly start to drawl, spoken through yawns until it fades completely.

He steals a glance at you. You’re asleep, he realises. And you look so peaceful, so content. Belphegor wouldn’t do anything to dare wake you up. He likes your face like this, he thinks, and pushes some hair out of your face.

Belphegor rolls over to face you, lazily draping an arm over you, nuzzling his face into your hair. He listens to your slow, light breathing. He smells your hair, your shampoo, and the body spray you put on this morning before you decided to skip school.

He decides that maybe, just maybe, giving into his selfish feelings for you just once couldn’t be so bad.

avoiding your crush - part three

feat. Tighnari, Alhaitham, Scaramouche

part one, two

TIGHNARI

It’s pretty hard trying to avoid Tighnari when he’s your boss— and because of his superb hearing.

Fumbling around Avidya Forest just so you don’t run into the guy you like is certainly a hassle, but somehow you manage.

So to find yourself in the same room as him… you have to wonder how you got here.

Keep reading

the cc list would be super helpful!! I struggle so much to find people

!! aaa im glad to hear that this compilation will be useful. i feel like it's really difficult to find people in the same fanbase, especially if you're new to something. it took me so very long to get used to using social media (i feel ancient saying this.) and finding my delusional circle of mutuals TT_TT

with that said, here's a list of artists i found for each character (not exhaustive, and not in any order):

(because im not sure which ml these artists like the most, and because i really recommend everyone to look at their beautiful art)

疯兔AD (ia), こえだ

luke (this might get a little long...)

twitter: hazel, kana, gabs, hay, 와플, rai, Triangular, 咖啡爷, Betina, gnomeih, 安 (ia), 深海灰猫, 葉瑠, 神凪ると, xeiling, as, qea, Buoyancy (ia), 境零, はるこ, keeko (ia), elegy (ia)

weibo: 七个骰子_, 烧烤摊在逃鱿鱼, 临临2333, 坏坏不反派, 食用废料 (18+), 还是钵钵鸡 (18+!!), 弥月Yazuki, 梦洁猫012

artem

twitter: 西红柿与圣女果, bel, Non, 蓁, Jen, angypuff, karla

weibo: 柒叶啊柒叶, 忧铃YuRinnn, 忒弥斯茶水间, 你看我头像帅吧 (18+), -糖辛子-,

vyn

twitter: Poisona, amma, ruriswhite, kurtniii, Lys, rien

weibo: 适当给游戏氪金, 文华区席梦思

marius

twitter: 魔女茶, 成成灾 (ia), jjeno, 酒酒子, 木小树, florielatte, puni, kiya, cacaoobean

weibo: KaicggO, FujIK0, 鹿鹿柠子

notes: ia = inactive (in tot), 18+/18+!! = occasionally nsfw/ mostly nsfw

a lot of the artists have accounts on both twt/wb, but i only included one link. if you're having trouble navigating wb, the gallery tab should be the furthest one on the right!

if anyone has any artists to recommend (because i probably missed a lot scrolling through twitter/weibo) , please let me know! i'll edit this list regularly <3

Hiiiii! You just served my simping Ass some really good fics about Ominis thank you <3 If you have time and Do requests i have one in mind. So like the scene where you learn the crucio curse and reader wants to take it but Ominis obviously doesnt want Sebastian or anyone Else to hurt her? Just something like that? Amazing work thank you <3

a little unsteady

ominis gaunt x f!reader (hogwarts legacy)

the scriptorium requires the use of unforgivables because salazar slytherin believes they are not to be feared. when the new fifth-year casts the cruciatus curse on you, ominis starts to regret the decision to enter the scriptorium.

reader is not hogwarts legacy mc

word count: 3312 (so far my longest one!)

warnings: use of crucio; hogwarts legacy mc bashing!; manipulation

“sebastian is up to something.”

ominis has been a lot more concerned about sebastian lately. he had brought up some questionable things whenever you three are together, talking about dark arts and salazar slytherin, despite ominis' insistence that the dark arts are dangerous. sebastian would keep talking about how it could be the key to finding out what happened to anne, and while you do want anne to be better and have her curse lifted, you wonder if this is the right way to do it.

“did...did he say something to you again?”

“yes, talking about how we all couldn't avoid the dark arts altogether, and that we may as well be prepared for it,” ominis has a frown on his face, clearly not happy with this encounter with sebastian. “he kept asking about the entrance to the scriptorium.”

you are both in the dungeons, voices quiet so as not to give away the topic of your conversation. “well, knowing slytherin, he'd probably put it somewhere in the dungeons, huh?” you say jokingly.

when ominis doesn't say anything, you sigh and reach for his hand. “we'll talk some sense into sebastian. what he should be doing is spend more time with his sister, not go around on some wild goose chase seeking the dark arts.”

ominis seems soothed at your remark, smiling as he squeezes your hand in comfort. shortly, he stiffens, “i hear footsteps,” and gently faces whoever approaches, partially blocking you out of sight protectively. his frown deepens when the new fifth-year walks behind sebastian. “what are you doing here?”

“hello ominis,” the new student greets after giving you an acknowledging nod, “do you have a moment?” meaning to get you out of the picture.

you move to leave, but ominis' hand grips you, "y/n stays here." you sense that ominis is beginning to feel quite stressed about this encounter, somehow knowing that the new student is going to talk to him about something. your hand squeezes his own in reassurance, as well as to prevent him from pacing anxiously.

“what is it? what have you and sebastian been up to now?” he asks suspiciously.

from behind the wall not far from you, you see sebastian, who is very clearly eavesdropping. you try to catch his gaze, but almost like he notices your staring, he disappears behind the wall once more.

“i owe you an apology,” they started, “i wasn't honest with you before about the undercroft. sebastian did show it to me.”

to say that ominis was upset when you both caught the new student leave the undercroft is an understatement. it is quite suspicious for someone who just arrived to just “accidentally” stumble upon the place, and the fact that they lied about it to ominis’ face is even worse. the undercroft is supposed to be yours. it is your sanctuary, where you, ominis, and the twins would spend some time together playing gobstones, studying (trying to, anyway), resting, and just where you would enjoy each other's presence. it is, was, your comfort knowing that there is a place only for you and your friends. ominis feels understandably betrayed when sebastian just decided to show the place to someone they barely know.

“he wanted me to have a safe place to practice some spells,” the new student continued, “to try and catch up to the other fifth-years. he didn't think you'd mind.”

“we would have appreciated it if you had let us know first, seb,” you say softly knowing that the sallow boy could hear you, and you almost see sebastian deflate at your words, “you must understand why we feel betrayed about this.”

ominis, however, seems to be placated by the apology. he sighs, “i suppose that makes sense. it's just...sebastian's been pestering me lately about something and i'm frustrated with him.”

the new fifth-year chirps, “don't tell me he's still going on about...what was it? a 'scriptorium'?”

you turn to them, "he told you about that?" you see ominis' shoulders sag in disappointment. it seems you both are wondering how and why your old friend has taken to this new fifth-year so easily, not even second guessing before he shares best kept secrets with them. secrets you promised would only be known by the four of you.

"he did," they answer, "we were talking about hogwarts founders and he mentioned it. he wouldn't say much more, though."

"yes, well...he seems to think it contains the answer to saving anne. i think it's likely full of dark magic that is better left untouched."

"wait, you've never been inside?" the new student seems surprised.

"of course not!” even the thought of it sends shivers down ominis’ spine. “i only know about it because of my favourite aunt, noctua. she thought like i do. she didn't agree with the family on the use of dark magic."

you sigh, raising a hand to run it up and down ominis’ back in comfort. "noctua has hoped to convince ominis' faily that there was more to salazar slytherin than worshipping pure-blood status."

"she'd heard of this 'scriptorium' and thought its contents might shed some light on him,” ominis adds, “she even found the secret entrance - in this very corridor.”

you stop from rubbing ominis’ back, looking at the new student cautiously. you can see the sparkle behind their eyes, now fully interested in what ominis has to say.

"she wrote regularly to my father about her efforts to gain access, and then she simply vanished. no one else ever tried to enter."

“i'm sorry about your aunt,” the words are devoid of empathy, “don't you want to find out what happened to her?”

ominis sighs, shaking his head, “aunt noctua went down this path with good intentions and lost her life. i don't want the same to happen again.”

“you don't know that history will repeat itself. besides, you said your aunt thought like you. this could honour her memory—”

“stop it!” you exclaim, “ominis already said no!”

the new student barely hears you, not even giving you as much as a glance before continuing, “--get you answers about slytherin, and sebastian answers for anne. your aunt pursued this alone, but we could do it together.”

"hmm, i see what you've done here," ominis replies, "and, i confess, you've convinced me. i didn't think it possible."

you sag beside ominis. you don’t have a good feeling about all this. it really seems like the new student came to speak to ominis to somehow convince (or manipulate?) him into revealing the location of the scriptorium.

the mirth in the new student’s face is not lost on you.

“very well. i shall tell you what i know,” ominis tells them. “fetch sebastian. we'll wait.”

"let's hope we don't regret this," you tell them before they walk away. "ominis, i don't think this is a very good idea," you turn to ominis cautiously as the new student goes back to get sebastian. all throughout the conversation, you could sense how they are slowly trying to use whatever ominis is saying against him, trying to justify it by mentioning how it will honour noctua grant's memory.

"i...must say i am apprehensive as well. but i need to know what happened to aunt noctua. to see if there’s any way to change my family’s views. salazar slytherin couldn’t have been all bad. y/n, you don't have to come,” his hand leaves yours and flies to touch your cheek in comfort, “i would rather you stay here.”

"i'm not leaving you and seb in there alone," you protest, "i would rather be in there with you than lose my mind out here wondering if you're safe."

"i knew that you would refuse," he tells you with a small smile. "but i promise you that no harm will come to you."

“i promise to protect you too,” you tell him, smiling as you rest your forehead against his, and hear his relaxed sigh, “you and seb.”

when sebastian arrives, he gives you a small and almost sorry smile. you two haven’t spent as much time as before, with him being busy running around with the new student.

"these braziers grant access to the scriptorium." ominis tells them.

sebastian scoffs, "oh now you'll share? you wouldn't tell me when i practically begged."

"seb," you admonish him.

“it wasn't you who told me what i needed to hear,” ominis replies with a shrug. “opening the entrance has something to do with threes.”

“well, three, or four heads are better than one,” sebastian jokes.

"it's two heads are better than one."

“and by that logic, three is better than two. simple mathematics, ominis.”

you roll your eyes at the sarcastic remarks exchanged by the two friends, watching as the new student lights three braziers. then, an intricate door seemingly gets carved out of the wall beside ominis. the door gives way and you see a winding staircase descending.

"there it is," you tell him, "the scriptorium."

"i hope we're ready for this," ominis says apprehensively.

you start descending, using lumos to light up the way. "dark, ominous corridors. my favourite," sebastian remarks sarcastically.

"no comment," ominis notes.

"come on, that was a good one!" sebastian elbows you gently, "right y/n? dark...ominis...huh?"

you roll your nothing but smile at the joke, reaching over to tangle your hand with ominis’. he calms down somewhat, at the touch.

"look, here's a journal entry. signed by noctua grant." the new student remarks.

you watch them cast reparo on the rubble, and it reforms against the wall. "it's a relief of a person facing a snake," you tell ominis.

"that must be the voice i hear. it's ancient, sinister."

"you hear a voice?" the new student asks him.

"it started when you repaired that relief. i hear a whisper saying, 'speak to me'.

i'm a parselmouth - i can hear and speak to snakes,” ominis explains. “nearly all known parselmouths are descended from salazar slytherin."

"i'd like to be able to talk to snakes," the new student says cheerfully. you and ominis both frown at that.

"you might not want the ability to speak parseltongue. it's often associated with dark wizards."

"you haven't spoken parseltongue in ages," you remind ominis.

"yes, but i'd wager if i speak it now, the door will open."

"i'm hoping you're having second thoughts," you turn to the new fifth-year.

"not really." they shrug nonchalantly. your frown deepens. they can clearly see how uncomfortable ominis is about all this, do they not care?

“it's ironic,” ominis sighs. “when i left home, i vowed to leave the dark arts behind. and yet, here i am. stand back."

he extends his arm in front of you protectively, making you stand behind him. "i can't believe i'm doing this," he mutters, seemingly to himself.

"ominis, don't do this if you don't want to," you tell him, "please, we can just go back up."

"we're here, aren't we?" the new student chimes in. "we might as well go in."

you watch worriedly as ominis begins speaking parseltongue, the language coarse, ragged and so unlike ominis. the door before you opens, and you hear the new student excitedly raving about it, "it worked! ominis, you possess a rare ability indeed!"

"i don't like the look of this," you tell ominis as you watch sebastian and the new student delve deeper into the maze-like hallways. "we really should turn back."

"i need to know what happened to my aunt...but if they don't solve the puzzle and get us out of this maze, we'll go back up," ominis promises you, "i don't like spending time down here."

-

much to your chagrin, the new student figures out the maze and leads you down an ever more unsettling hallway. the door has disappeared behind you completely, leaving you trapped in this hall.

"ominis," they call out, "a skeleton. and noctua's last journal entry. she mentions being trapped here - blocked by an unforgivable curse."

"oh ominis, i'm so sorry." you turn to him, seeing the distress and grief in his face.

"this...is where she died. this is where we'll all die," ominis laments, panic evident in his voice, "i shouldn't have listened to either of you." he turns to you, sorrow in his face, "you were right, y/n. we never should have gone...i'm so sorry, i should have listened to you."

"ominis, i'm truly sorry about your aunt," sebastian says, although once again, you notice the lack of sincerity in his voice, "but i know what to do. it's going to be difficult."

"sebastian, stop it," you beg.

he ignores your comment, "tortured faces on the door and crucio is etched into the stone. my guess is if we cast the cruciatus curse, the door will open."

"seb, do you hear yourself?!"

"no y/n, listen! that is why noctua died. she had no one to cast the curse on. ominis has the most experience with this. he should cast it." turning to ominis, he starts, "ominis, i know this is the last thing you want to do--"

"yes, it is!" ominis wails, anguish in his voice at the thought of being trapped here, of dying, of not listening to you earlier, of being forced to cast the spell again. "i thought you knew me better!" once again, he feels coerced, like when he was younger. he thought he had gotten away from all of it.

"but this is different!" sebastian rationalizes. "whoever you cast it upon will have agreed to it first. it wouldn't be an innocent 'victim'. we have to open the door."

"the spell won't work unless you mean it." ominis shakes his head. "that's true of all unforgivables. if it must be done, then one of you must cast it."

"we cannot cast it on you," you overhear sebastian tell the new student, "you have to solve these puzzles. if there are more of those ahead, we need you in the right state to solve them."

"then should i cast it on you?" they ask.

you are both horrified and resolute at the thought of using or receiving the cruciatus curse. you know you can't have ominis cast it, not after he had sworn off it for what he had been through. you also cannot fathom the idea of having one of your best friends, sebastian, who you think of as a brother, on the receiving end of it. and it seems like it cannot, or should not, be casted on the new student, who sebastian needs to be in good condition to face whatever's ahead. the choice is clear, you think, but that doesn't mean you like it.

"cast it on me." you tell them.

instantly, ominis stops his fretting, and sebastian turns his head so fast that you wonder if he will get whiplash from it.

"y/n..." sebastian starts.

"absolutely not!" ominis exclaims, anger now in his voice at the very thought. "it's my fault for bringing you into this mess, y/n, i will not have you do this."

"there's no one else, ominis," you try to reason with him, holding his hands in your own to stop him from pacing. you can hear his breath picking up, and it breaks your heart that there's no other choice, "it has to be me. i can't have you or sebastian be on that receiving end."

"no..." he whispers, "no, i'll do it."

"y/n," sebastian chimes, "i can take it, don't worry. you don't have to."

you ignore him, now turning to the new student. you give them a nod, which they returned, looking at you resolutely.

it is quiet at first, and ominis thinks for a second that you don't have to do it after all. then, he hears your screams.

muffled, gritty, like salt to his wounds. it feels the same, almost like it was him who is being tortured when he hears your screams. it is clear that you are trying not to scream out in pain, so as not to alarm him or sebastian--he has done that too in the past. suddenly, he’s transported back home to when he was younger, watching as his family hunts and tortures muggles for fun. but instead of them, it was him pointing his wand and casting the torture curse. at you.

ominis snaps out of it, and almost like reflex, his wand is out and he is yelling at the new student, "stop! stop it right now!"

the new student looks surprised, eyeing ominis’ wand apprehensively and drops their wand. you crumple on the floor, breathing heavily as you try not to cry from the pain. the new student turns around to see the door has opened, and they are talking to ominis gently, almost comforting him, as ominis still has his wand pointed at them.

"y/n?!" he calls out, his wand still brandished. sebastian moves to help you, but stops when ominis points the wand to him, "stay back!"

"i just want to check up on y/n--"

"you've done enough," ominis hisses.

sebastian looks hurt at ominis’ remark, but says nothing as the latter kneels down to you, calling your name softly.

he hadn’t meant for you to be involved in all this. the one person he has tried to keep it all away from, is the one that is currently hurt from the cruciatus curse.

“please, y/n…” he grasps your shoulders, wanting you to be alright.

you finally gather yourself, looking up at him and seeing his eyes filling with tears. you raise your hands shakily to his face, “i’m alright, ominis. i promise.”

ominis says nothing at first, exhaling in relief as he leans forward to lean his forehead against yours. “we have to find a way out now,” ominis states, helping you get up and wrapping his arms around you protectively. he keeps you close as you navigate the scriptorium and ushers you to the exit. “we need to go to the hospital wing—”

“ominis, no,” you breathe, “they’ll know we’ve been using unforgivables. we’ll get stuck in detention, if not expelled.”

“but—”

“just stay with me,” you plead, “i’ll be fine…i just need you here with me.”

he nods, his arms tight around you. he rests his lips on your temple, savouring the feeling of you next to him, of you being here. “i won’t leave,” he promises you, “i’ll stay here with you.”

-

back at the undercroft, you find yourself cuddled next to ominis in a loveseat he had conjured. he’s quiet, eyes unfocused and unlooking straight ahead as your play with his hair.

“what’s going on?”

“i failed you,” he turns his head to your direction, his face streaked with tears, voice cracking in sorrow. “i promised myself that i would keep you away from all this, but i hurt you and i failed.”

“my love,” you sit up from his lap, trapping his face between your hands, “it was my decision to do it. you didn’t fail. please…ominis, i need you to understand that.”

“it will take me some time to forgive myself,” he tells you, “but as long as i know you’re safe now, i’ll feel better. and i promise that you will never experience that again. as long as i'm alive.”

you nod against his forehead, whispering, “okay,” feeling ominis’ hand on the back of your neck.

“i love you,” he whispers, “please forgive me.”

“there’s nothing to forgive," you reassure him, "i love you too."

ominis sighs, nodding once, and presses his lips to yours. it’s salty, from his tears, but also soft, and you kiss him back. his hands fly to your hips, squeezing gently, before pulling away.

you grin at each other, noses touching and rubbing together, before he closes the distance again.

-

my tooth hurts so bad 😖 i hope i get it removed tomorrow!!

tysm everyone!! <3 ily all!

petty highschooler luke

How to Use Paragraph Transitions to Strengthen Your Writing

A post dedicated to an inbox submission. Here you go!

An important part of essay writing is learning how to effectively employ paragraph transitions—shifting from one paragraph or idea to the next. Learning to effectively use the different types of transitions will help you write more cohesive pieces and improve the clarity of your writing.

What Is a Paragraph Transition?

A paragraph transition is a sentence or unique paragraph that helps the reader move from one paragraph to the next, or from one idea to another. A transition is the first sentence of a new paragraph. Occasionally, the last sentence of the prior paragraph acts as the transition. When a writer wants to transition link two substantial paragraphs, they can use a standalone transitional paragraph.

4 Reasons Paragraph Transitions Are Important

Paragraph transitions serve a variety of purposes, and understanding how they function within the context of a larger piece of writing is essential to clear writing. Usually transitions are full sentences that link paragraphs, but occasionally simple phrases or single words can effectively transition between two shorter paragraphs. Here are a few reasons why paragraph transitions are important and should be included in your writing:

Paragraph transitions link ideas. First and foremost, paragraph transitions serve to link two ideas. A body paragraph is generally devoted to a main idea or concept that fits into the larger piece and explores a facet of the primary thesis statement. A transition sentence links your first paragraph to your second paragraph and so forth.

Paragraph transitions give your writing momentum. Paragraph transitions are incredibly helpful when it comes to building momentum in your writing. Effective transitions propel your essay forward and keep your readers engaged. This is particularly important in academic writing or professional writing that can otherwise feel dry or static.

Paragraph transitions improve readability. Transition words can help your readers track your ideas and understand how they relate to each other. Thoughtful transitions clue readers in to the progression of your ideas and your overall train of thought.

Paragraph transitions set the stage for new ideas. While effective transitions should tie up loose ends for material in the previous paragraph, it’s sometimes more important that they set the stage for the new ideas to come in the next paragraph. A written piece should have forward momentum, and transitions serve to prepare the reader for new information to come.

How to Transition Between Paragraphs in Your Writing

Understanding why we use paragraph transitions in the first place is obviously important, but learning how to effectively employ good transitions in your writing can sometimes come only through practice. That said, here are some tips that can help you get started as you begin to use transitions in your writing.

Outline your piece. Using an outline is vital to improving your writing process and should generally come before you start writing your piece. Outlining is important when you are working on transitional expressions and transition sentences because outlines give you a macro view of your piece as a whole, with signposts indicating the main ideas of each paragraph. Referring back to your outline can help you brainstorm types of transitions that set the stage for what’s to come and help your ideas flow.

Identify the subject of each paragraph. Once you’ve consulted your outline, it’s time to hone in on the main ideas of the paragraphs on either side of your transition. A good transition will have something to say about both the preceding paragraph and the new paragraph.

Track the overall arc of your piece. Transitions link two specific paragraphs, but make sure you have an eye on the overall arc of your essay. If you have a good sense of the bigger picture you can use your transitions to set up information that is still to come, beyond the next paragraph.

Brainstorm good transitional words. Transitional phrases often have similar word choice and style. Linking words and conjunctive adverbs are often used in paragraph transitions because they help establish the relationship between two separate ideas. Words like “therefore,” “nevertheless,” “although,” and “namely” quickly sum up how one idea relates to the next. Effective transition words keep your reader hooked into your piece.

Consider cause and effect. It’s not enough to simply link two subjects; transitional sentences should also effectively demonstrate how these ideas build on each other. This is especially true in academic writing or persuasive essay writing. It’s your job to convince your reader that you have built a coherent argument for your main thesis statement. Transition sentences can help show readers how your ideas build on each other and conceptually link one entire paragraph to the paragraph that follows.

Pay attention to style. The way that you transition between paragraphs and the types of transitions you use will depend on what type of piece you are writing. If you’re writing a high school- or college-level academic essay, you’ll probably want to avoid overly colloquial transitions. If you’re writing a personal essay or lighthearted humor piece, you should choose transitions that complement the voice of the piece.

Review your transition sentences separate from your piece. Once you’ve finished your piece, it’s useful to take a look at all your transitions out of context to make sure that you haven’t overused certain constructions or repeated word choice. Looking at a list of your transitions can also give you a good roadmap for the overall shape of your essay and can help you decide if you’ve built a cohesive piece of writing.

Examples of Transitions:

you deserve a more tender tomorrow.

— (𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓) 𝐏𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑.

SUMMARY. depraved of sleep, you begin to doze off and before you know it, you’ve fallen asleep with their shoulder as your pillow.

CHARACTERS. tighnari, alhaitham, cyno.

GENRE. sugary fluff, established relationship.

CW. reader has eyebags, alhaitham recites a physics theory (yes, it’s a warning /j).

THOUGHTS. yet another attempt at writing sumeru men because… just because + to celebrate tighnari coming home to me! on the contrary, i hope you guys will win your next 50/50’s <3

✰ masterlist.

Like the dutiful Forest Watcher that he is, TIGHNARI doesn’t hide the offended look on his face when he discovers that you fell asleep while he is explaining important knowledge on how to identify certain mushrooms in the wild — and on his shoulder at that too.

It is either your attention has not been on his speech this entire time or you’ve messed up your sleep schedule… or even worse, both.

Not to mention, those bags under your eyes are ghastly.

Goodness, at what time did you sleep last night? He thought he told you many times already how proper sleep isn’t worth sacrificing just for a few more hours of staying up. Your efficiency rate goes down if sleep is constantly gnawing at you, so it’s better to shake away that sleepiness first.

Hmph, it’s all too ironic to internally nag you like this while your sleeping face is staring right back at him.

Seriously, does his shoulder look like that much of a comfy pillow? Even his tail would be a better suited candidate, he’d admit. Tighnari can only sigh, his ears flicking along like an agreeing sign of exasperation.

But he knows that the reason you stayed up was to push yourself to complete more work — and although Tighnari has his own protests about that mindset of yours, he understands. For now, any lectures that he wants to give about time management and proper rest can wait.

Your comfort is more vital here; as romantic as falling on your significant other’s shoulder seems like, it isn’t the most practical way to sleep. He doesn’t want you to wake up with an aching neck later.

“Sleepyhead,” Tighnari huffs as he lifts you onto his back. You’re oblivious, still very much deep in sleep with your head now resting at the crook of his neck.

Well, he can’t really complain any further, can he? You’re a sleepyhead but you’re his sleepyhead, at least.

Keep reading

Words to describe facial expressions

Absent: preoccupied 

Agonized: as if in pain or tormented

Alluring: attractive, in the sense of arousing desire

Appealing: attractive, in the sense of encouraging goodwill and/or interest

Beatific: blissful

Black: angry or sad, or hostile

Bleak: hopeless

Blinking: surprise, or lack of concern

Blithe: carefree, lighthearted, or heedlessly indifferent

Brooding: anxious and gloomy

Bug eyed: frightened or surprised

Chagrined: humiliated or disappointed

Cheeky: cocky, insolent

Cheerless: sad

Choleric: hot-tempered, irate

Darkly: with depressed or malevolent feelings

Deadpan: expressionless, to conceal emotion or heighten humor

Despondent: depressed or discouraged

Doleful: sad or afflicted

Dour: stern or obstinate

Dreamy: distracted by daydreaming or fantasizing

Ecstatic: delighted or entranced

Faint: cowardly, weak, or barely perceptible

Fixed: concentrated or immobile

Gazing: staring intently

Glancing: staring briefly as if curious but evasive

Glazed: expressionless due to fatigue or confusion

Grim: fatalistic or pessimistic

Grave: serious, expressing emotion due to loss or sadness

Haunted: frightened, worried, or guilty

Hopeless: depressed by a lack of encouragement or optimism

Hostile: aggressively angry, intimidating, or resistant

Hunted: tense as if worried about pursuit

Jeering: insulting or mocking

Languid: lazy or weak

Leering: sexually suggestive

Mild: easygoing

Mischievous: annoyingly or maliciously playful

Pained: affected with discomfort or pain

Peering: with curiosity or suspicion

Peeved: annoyed

Pleading: seeking apology or assistance

Quizzical: questioning or confused

Radiant: bright, happy

Sanguine: bloodthirsty, confident

Sardonic: mocking

Sour: unpleasant

Sullen: resentful

Vacant: blank or stupid looking

Wan: pale, sickly

Wary: cautious or cunning

Wide eyed: frightened or surprised

Withering: devastating

Wrathful: indignant or vengeful

Wry: twisted or crooked to express cleverness or a dark or ironic feeling

Cinderella returns the favor

2021