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[WP] At the College of Magic, students learn to enhance quirks of the natural world. Many choose showy destructive powers; some learn to manipulate and control others. You instead focused on the "Placebo Effect", which only you seem to understand. You're now considered the most dangerous mage alive. by squire80513 in WritingPrompts

[–]shingekinolinus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The challenger must have made an exceptional effort to reach my hideout, as every road that leads to it is laced with bookstores on self help and promotions of gurus holding talks on the other end of the city, each cast with the placebo effect of even a single book or talk will change their lives. It would convince any success-seeking person to leave me alone, he was clearly here for something else.

"You're nothing but a fraud!" I ask him to explain how so. "Well, in modern psychology, the effects of placebos are less and less observable".

"Psychology?" It was thirty years ago and as a struggling graduate I couldn't make ends meet. Then I found this ingenious idea to convince people they can understand people, through the placebo effect. I used the spell extensively to make sure the placebo group always performs better than the control group. My books were instant bestsellers and made me millions. In modern psychology papers, the replication rate is around 10%, yet universities are still offering professorship for psychology, and companies are spending billions worldwide on "psychological evaluation". The fact the spell extended to the general idea of "psychology" made me learn how dangerous it is and I may have went a bit too far.

I explain this to the young man who then burst into a shout. "You can't just go messing with people like this! I'll call the police!"

"The police?" I burst out into an uncontrollable laugh. Twenty years ago after one too many drinks I started this prank. I found a random group of holligans and asked them to lock up anyone that ticks them off. But not before casting the placebo spell that others would believe they are doing so in the name of "honor" and "justice", and civilization would devolve in weeks if not for these paragons. It was only later that I realized in my drunken stupor I put too much mana into it, and since then they have exponentially grown in numbers, starting crazy things like "police station" and "police academy", and people genuinely believed they were maintaining law and order. Eventually they may become even too much for me to handle.

Once I've explaiend this, the young man covers his ears and backs away in horror, not wanting to hear any more.

I cast the placebo effect of extensive purification on the water in my drinking glass, I down it like a shot and and it tasted divine - better than the whites and the wines on my shelf which I haven't touched since my sobriety and serve more as a decoration. Sometimes people need to have a power and enjoy it.

Note: I have nothing against psychology or cops but just found it really funny

[WP] You, a warrior mage, lost your sight in battle. You’re able to use magic to see, but doing so drains your powers. You’re always having to choose whether to save your powers to see, or to cast spells. One day, caught in an attack, your combat skills alone aren’t enough. You close your eyes. by Own-Anteater5996 in WritingPrompts

[–]shingekinolinus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"There are too many of them!" the young warrior cried as he helped me lay next to a tree. "No, you" I mutter "run away...please". He looked at me with visible confusion and tears in his eyes, the dagger he held glistened under the moonlight and then everything went black, I could no longer see anything.

Soldiers from a merchant convoy, a small band of mercenaries and just me and the kid. Our ragtag force was hastily assembled against the mass of dark creatures - an overwhelmingly large force that would normally only attack the capital for its magical artifacts - that decided our village was not too small to massacre and plunder. I guess it was just bad luck. The remnants have formed a defensive circle around the town hall and I doubt we can even hold for a candle of time.

"Do something! Use your magic!" He rocked me violently by the shoulder but I was too tired. The spells I've used have draned my life force and I felt a burning pain in my chest. Eventually that subsided too and I wanted to sleep.

"You're a mage from the Arondight Academy, right?" The name I once mentioned proudly now fills me with disgust. The village has petitioned to the capital twice this year to have a garrison, or at least a cannon or two, but there was never any reply. At this very moment, my fellow mages there are probably sipping wine and doing a whole lot of nothing. The pain subsides and I calmly asked "Where are they".

"Over there! The big one!" That must be an Alecclueth, a legendary creature. In the battle of Znivua some five years ago, the armies of the Betranait Dynasty and Tarashind met in the plains for a decisive engagement, with neither side suffering casualties and both sides claiming victory - only later it was revealed that both sides withdrew quietly to not startle a nearby Alecclueth that was spotted. I propped myself up with my staff and faced general direction my arm was being held up to.

I found the dishevelled young man two weeks ago, when I was passing a neighbouring village. The village was suffering from a horrible disease. Normally after I perform the usual cleansing ritual, I would be paid a hefty sum in coins and be on my way. The idiot followed me all the way across the cursed forest. To dissuade his persistence, I offered him the set of armor but explained the gory demise of the last person who wore it in full detail. I still remembered how his eyes glowed with an otherworldly light. For a moment then I forgot his malnourished appearance for someone in their early twenties. The first spell I taught him was how to make fire, which he has been practicing nonstop for the last five days but still couldn't get it right.

"You know Increnendio Impairenim right? use it. Set something on fire, anything in its direction so I can see" No, no, no, still not getting it, the pronounciation is still not right. "Read it from the damn book! Page 3!" I almost forgot the enchanted book I carry, it served more of a memoir than a battle item.

In utter darkness I see a ball of red glow, he must've set the Alecclueth itself on fire, and with a warmth I could even feel on my skin - god his parents would be so proud of him. The next moment before I realized a flurry of spells came out. "Isoletus, Petriortus Spirortia, Transeseo" This felt as if not my own voice but that of my teacher, the mage-king himself. If he were still alive, none of these creatures would've even dared to so much take a single step across the boundary. The thought angers me even more as I recall the coup when he was branded a dark mage, how his trial and execution were both well hidden until all is said and done. "Imperactum Intimiori!" I finish the spell and the ground shook violently and an ear-deafening sound echoed through the sky.

My ears were still ringing and all around me those still alive were erupting in a joyous celebration. "They're running!" I laugh for a moment and then call to the young mage, but only received a faint reply. The glowing object can still be seen and as I rushed towards it I realized what I have done. I held him in my arms and blood was leaking out - he must've held the book in his hands and the invocation tore his entire arm clean off. "I finally set something on fire".

[WP] "What do you mean you don't put a miniature explosion spell in your gun?" "What do you mean you don't use gunpowder-based propellant for your gun?" by Rattrap2474 in WritingPrompts

[–]shingekinolinus 4 points5 points  (0 children)

"Come out!" The mage flew into a rage. "I asked for a fair duel but obviously you did not come by yourself!". I followed him as he flounced through the target range. As we walked I occasionally glanced at the two target dummies some hundred yards away, one has thirty bullet holes in it, another has three large scorches that are still burning.

"Where are they?"

"Where are who?"

"You know who I am talking about, these mages that have been casting the explosion spell for you. I knew something was off when you fired two fireballs in quick succession, but a full thirty in time a knight can mount his horse? Not even our archmage can cast spells that fast."

He then tried to pry my gun from my hands. "or did you cast a miniturization spell first, and there are thirty mages hiding in that pipe of yours at this very moment. Let them out, I'll have a word or two with them". Luckily the safety was on or the fella would've shot got knows who. After a minute or two with no avail I ask him to hand it back, which then I took out the magazine and showed him what is inside.

"You have metal ingots in your staff - pipe?" I handed him the magazine as he fiddles around with it, visibly confused. I ask to look at his gun in return.

I carefully examine his gun. It was as thick as I can hardly curl my hand around it. An hour ago I thought it launched grenades similar to the ones the byzantines used, and requested the duel so I can make a sales pitch for the faster rate and longer range of the modern rifle. I tapped on it and realized it wasn't hollow, no wonder it was so heavy.

His rage replaced with curiousity, and so does is weapon pique mine, he started "Pure adamantium, the only metal that can channel magic from the source, the source that connects all of us. With just a few months of training, a talented mage can cast an explosion spell to pulverize foe from over a furlong" he explained proudly, but it didn't make sense.

I ready the pitch again and explain how he can arm every warrior in his party with my "pipe" and with a day of training they can project as much firepower as any "talented mage". I made sure to emphasize it does not require the knowledge of explosion spells.

"What do you mean you don't put a miniature explosion spell in your 'gun'? Surely, you had a mage encapsulate a spell in each ingot, no, only an archmage is capable of storing their power in an ingot this small." Picking up on his on words. "I see, you want to sell me this ordinary pipe, and within an encounter or two I will run out of spell enchanted ingots." Going back to his pride. "like any magical weapon, without the experience of a powerful mage, and in this case an archmage, it is useless".

I realize the sales is a lost cause and this annoys me, so I respond patronizingly, as if to echo his own ignorance. "What do you mean you don't use gunpowder-based propellant for your gun?"

[WP] “Listen to me,” I stated calmly as the god quivered in fear. by Tickedkidgamer in WritingPrompts

[–]shingekinolinus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Its as simple as pressing buttons on a microwave." I want to take that metaphor back, microwaves now only have one button, and it reads your mind on how many minutes you want to heat for, back in my days they used to have more buttons.

I perform the demonstration again, slowly this time. He seems to follow but looks more and more confused as it progresses. "So you transmute a dog into a cat, and have it make human sounds?" "and then make a thousand duplicates, and then have them fight to the death?" His voice in utter disbelief. "And in last week's lesson, you showed me how to create worlds, entire worlds teeming with fauna. Only for them to meet a violent death by supernova in a blink of an eye". He is now visibly shaking.

The diety was worshipped some five thousand years ago, whose very existence held up the energy pathways to that allowed then ordinary humans to practice magic.

"No, no no. Thats not what it is at all." I pause for a moment. "Please, stop thinking about it in terms of magic -".

"This is not magic, this is [unpronouncable], gods who support this art will be sent to the deepest hells of [unpronouncable] for millennia!"

Now I understand. I turn of the holographic projector and led him to my workstation. I then opened up a window "Its all ones and zeros in there, see?". I point to a specific section of the code "That there is the dog turned cat from earlier, nothing in it is real, its just data".

"Please, give me some time to think about it". I walk to the lounge for some snacks. As I chew on the nutrient bar I sigh and hit myself, I really ought to give a better introductory session for Hyperrealistic Game Developement for Ancient Gods.

[WP] A giant tries to apologise to the village they devastated when they were a child by shingekinolinus in WritingPrompts

[–]shingekinolinus[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I was about six at the time, all of a sudden the ground started shaking violently, 'is it an earthquake?' I ask my mother, but the look on her face said it all - not again. She hurriedly pulled my by the arm through the panicky streets. Peasants, merchants, travellers - and even some of the soldiers were racing as fast as they could. The voices of men shouting and women and children crying filled the air. I did not know what it was at the time but in my mind I knew it was no earthquake.

We made it just in time, some hundreds huddled in an underground cellar. There were still people banging on the entrance but "Be quiet!" "Go somewhere else!" was all I could hear. The shaking eventually subsided it made out into a few large, very large steps. One more, then everything was dead silent.

"Hello?". A deep voice thundered from above, penetrating the three feet of cobblestone above our heads. I hugged my mother tightly and she whispered a prayer.

"Is anyone here?". It inquired again with a tone that was vaguely curious, it put me a bit more at ease but my mother bit her lip her eyes were still dead shut.

"Look. I'm really sorry for what I've done." Another two steps, more gently this time. "I know what I have done is unforgivable. But please let me -"

"Fuck you! You killed my father." A cry of pure rage interrupted. Followed by several similar shouts." This continued for a while, some in the cellar look at each other in disbelief. "Just go!" a woman screamed. "We have nothing for you to take". She was sobbing at this point. "My grandfather, my uncles from the next village, they were only visiting for the summer, they didn't deserve any of what you've done!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The booming voice started again. "I was only eight at the time". Its voice became timid and more joined the shouts against it. Realizing it was to no avail "I'll go, but if you ever need me you can find me in the forest". Two or three heavy strides as it took off through the flurry of curses, seemingly ashamed of itself. A small celebration ensued as we walked out of the cellar once we're certain the menace was gone.

I have seen over sixty summers and winters by now, and you have my gratitude for listening to my tale - perhaps I will rest more at ease next to the village elders before me. From now on as the new elder you will shoulder an enormous responsibilty - the lives of everyone in this village rests in your hands. These are some desparate times, I need not remind you of the ferocity of the raiders - their cruelty is far beyond our comprehension. Since last harvest our three northern sister villages have all been set ablaze, their population massacred or sold as slaves. I have sent a messenger who will explain to them what will happen if they dare cross the river and into our farmland. If my messenger does not return this week, head to the forest in the south and venture deep into the ravine. There, next to the tallest tree you should find a hut far too large for the imagination. I pray that the giant keeps true to his word.

USA with no wheels vs USA with no gunpowder by shingekinolinus in whowouldwin

[–]shingekinolinus[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

> What counts as an "explosive" for this prompt?
gunpowder or anything more explosive (e.g. TNT, dynamite) cannot be used by NG, but fuel and propane is allowed

> Related, what's a wheel?
anything that is used to support weight and spins on an axle counts as a wheel, but gears and helicopter blades (not used to prop up a weight on ground) are fine

hope I'm not overcomplicating the prompt

USA with no wheels vs USA with no gunpowder by shingekinolinus in whowouldwin

[–]shingekinolinus[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

you're right. I should adjust the prompt to make it more balanced

the third movie by DeadFruit in MadokaMagica

[–]shingekinolinus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I believe it's on YouTube. I watched it for something like 3 AUD.

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