#Hawthorns Allegiances

[the-hawthorns-ocs]

The Hawthorns Allegiances!

This is the Allegiances for The Hawthorns Kinship at the start of where the story would begin! As I post designs and character bios I will link them in this Allegiance!

Along with the Allegiances, here is a link to The Hawthorns Family Tree!

Note: this is my first draft for the allegiances, as I design the characters and continue working on the plot, things will change! I'm almost certain that a lot of these descriptions will change after I design these guys!

The Hawthorns Allegiances

The Leadership 

Monarch: 

Spider'web - a slender, long furred, black molly with blue eyes. She has several scars, notably slash marks across her face. (3 cycles, 4 moons; ~29 Hyrs) 

Vice: 

Moth'heart - a slender, long furred, white tom with blue eyes. He has several scars, most notably over his blinded eye, over which he wears an eye patch.(3 cycles, 4 moons; ~29 Hyrs) 

Soothsayer:

Spindle'stare - a scrawny, long limbed and short wiry furred, yellowy white molly with black and orange calico ears and tail. She has large round orange eyes and large bat-like ears. (3 cycles, 11 moons; ~31 Hyrs)

Warden: 

Wax'hide - a muscular, hairless, gray skinned tom with yellow eyes, and several scars. (6 cycles, 10 moons; ~43 Hyrs) 

Heir: 

Night (Trainee) - a slender, long furred, black tom with small white specks throughout his coat and orange eyes. (11 moons; 15 Hyrs) 

—

Head Herbalist: 

Worm'soil - a large fluffy, brown and cream-white tolly with one missing eye and one brown eye. (4 cycles; 32 Hyrs) 

Herbalist Apprentice: 

Weevil - a short furred black tolly with red eyes. (1 cycle, 8 moons; ~21 Hyrs) 

—

Head Guard:  

Mantis'snare - a short furred, mostly white molly with cream patches and green eyes. (7 cycles, 4 moons; ~45 Hyrs) 

Guards:

Owl'face - a light brown and white molly with brownish-amber eyes. (5 cycles, 8 moons; ~39 Hyrs) 

Fungus'claw - a short furred red tom with yellow eyes. (4 cycles, 9 moons; 35 Hyrs) 

Soot'storm - a short furred black tom with orange eyes. (3 cycles, 7 moons; ~30 Hyrs) 

Guard Apprentice: 

Geranium - a long furred calico molly with purple eyes. (1 cycle, 6 moons; 21 Hyrs) 

—

Head Hunter: 

Pine'fang - a slender, long furred, heavily scarred, graying dark brown molly with blue eyes and red pupils. (8 cycles, 9 moons; 51 Hyrs) 

Hunters:

Poison'oak - a long furred red and brown molly with green eyes. (7 cycles, 10 moons; ~47 Hyrs) 

Termite'tooth - a short, patchy furred, black tom with yellow eyes. (6 cycles, 10 moons; ~43 Hyrs) 

Shadow'whisker - a short patchy furred furred black tom with orange eyes. (3 cycles, 7 moons; ~30 Hyrs) 

—

Head Keeper: 

Plum'pelt - a short furred red ticked tabby molly with blue eyes. (6 cycles, 7 moons; ~42 Hyrs)

Keepers:

Grub'belly - a long furred cream and white molly with green eyes. (5 cycles, 5 moons; ~37 Hyrs)

Salamander'mud - a short furred black and orange tortoiseshell tom with red eyes. (4 cycles, 3 moons; 33 Hyrs) 

Starling'song - a chubby short furred black tabby molly with pink eyes. (2 cycles, 8 moons; ~25 Hyrs) 

—

Head Crafter: 

Stag'beetle - a gray and brown tolly with brownish-amber eyes. (5 cycles, 8 moons; ~39 Hyrs) 

Crafters:

Asphodel'weaver - a short, patchy furred cream and gray tortoiseshell molly with blue eyes. (4 cycles, 9 moons; 35 Hyrs) 

Possom'tail - a short furred gray and white molly with red eyes. (4 cycles, 3 moons; 33 Hyrs) 

Crafter Apprentice:

Gnat - a short furred black and orange tortoiseshell molly with blue eyes. (1 cycle, 8 moons; ~21 Hyrs) 

—

Trainees 

Heir Night (mentioned twice) - a slender, long furred, black tom with orange eyes. (11 moons; 15 Hyrs) 

Ash - a small, short furred grey molly with yellow eyes. (10 moons; 14 Hyrs) 

Bone - a hairless, pink skinned tom with blue eyes. (10 moons; 14 Hyrs) 

Aphid - a scrawny orange tom with green eyes. (9 moons; 13 Hyrs) 

Wasp - a spikey, long furred white, yellow and gray molly with green eyes. (9 moons; 13 Hyrs) 

—

Kits 

None, but Kit Season is coming! 

Starling'song and Owl'face are both expecting litters.

—

Elders 

Apple'tree - a scrawny, very old, patchy, short furred, graying, orange tabby tom with one missing eye and one green eye. (14 cycles, 5 moons; ~73 Hyrs) 

Boa'bite - a short furred black and brown molly with yellow eyes. (10 cycles, 8 moons; ~58 Hyrs) 

Bee'briar - a buff, short furred solid ginger and orange tabby tortoiseshell molly with yellow eyes, a short bob-tail, one missing front leg. (8 cycles, 6 moons; 50 Hyrs) front leg. (8 cycles, 6 moons; 50 Hyrs)

[mini-minish]

💕 smooch series 💕

couldn't decide on white or black background, so have both!

[fringeclan-rebirth]

Fringeclan allegiances

I'll do my best to keep this updated!

I purchased the floral assets from Ekachaka's shop on Etsy and the background image is a free to use photo by Jill Dimond off Unsplash.

[therealgraysonhawthorne]

The Pledge of Allegiance to Gratson Ratthorne

I pledge allegiance to the rat of the Hawthorne family of Texas and to the rat for which we yap, one fandom, under JLB, fangirling as one with asks and posts for him

Part 2

Grand Old Rat

You're a grand old rat

You're an olympic swimming rat

and forever in peace (not really) may you slay

You're an icon of this fandom

the rat of the morally GRAY

Everyone loves you

with the blonde, the rich, and IQ

and there's always a post or ask

Until you stop denying the allegations,

we annoy the grand old rat (with love)

🐀 🦅

I'm feeling patriotic today. but not really

Why would you take time out of your day to make... this?

[cryptidclaw]

BTW sorry I haven't been posting any designs recently, I haven't been feeling very motivated to draw them heh

I have been working on some Hawthorn oc designs though, and once I get the blog running I will be posting those!

Also I'm still working on RoC ofc, I've just been mostly working on written stuff!

[iamnmbr3]

What's you take on the whole wand situation?

It never ceases to amaze me how well Draco's wand worked for Harry when he had trouble with Hermione's wand and they've known each other for years.

Not only did the wand work, he also defeated Voldemort with each I find so funny for some reason.

And we need to remember that his wand was made of unicorn hair, which makes it extremely loyal to its owner so how the heck did it work well enough to defeat one of the greatest wizards of all time?

J.K.R can claim that Harry disarmed Draco all she wants, I call bullshit. To me it feels they share a deep connection which is why it worked

I KNOW!! It is insane that JKR, Queen of the Anti-Drarry Squad, wrote this in canon. So fitting that she should be cursed to accidentally canonize queer ships she hates lol.

The bit about Hermione's wand is super interesting for several reasons. Harry never wins the wand from her, but because they are very close and compatible and because she loves Harry and wants the wand to work for him, it does. Not perfectly. But way better than the Blackthorn Wand, which he didn't win AND which came from a stranger who had no compatibility with him and felt no allegiance or emotional connection to him. So we see that the compatibility of the wand's owner with someone and, crucially, the emotional bond they have with you, also influences how their wand responds to you.

This has huge implications when it comes to Draco's wand. Draco's wand is made of unicorn hair, which, as you correctly point out is known for its loyalty and affinity for its original master. This is not a fickle wandcore that is easy to just win in a quick duel. Not only that, but hawthorn wands are particularly tricky to master.

Plus, if wands could switch allegiance too easily then it would've come up earlier. If just disarming someone is usually enough to do it then any class where such things are practiced would have huge repercussions. Not to mentions fights between enemies. It would be a huge problem for Death Eaters or Aurors. Snape would've lost mastery pf his wand to the Marauders pretty early on in his school career. (Harry also would've lost mastery of HIS wand to Snape in the end of book 6.) This would make wizards extremely cautious about dueling each other. Thus, the character and desires of the wizards and of the wands and the specific circumstances must play a much bigger role. Some wands must be more loyal than others too. For example I can imagine the Elder Wand being relatively fickle. Or the kind of wand that would choose Peter for example. But a unicorn hair wand?

Furthermore, Harry doesn't even really fight Draco. He pulls the wand right out of Draco's hand. And Draco...lets him. He has fast reflexes. He's a Seeker who is nearly equal to Harry in ability. And we see how quick he is at spells and how well he holds his own against Harry during their duel in book 6. Yes Harry - who is a deadly dueler - beats him in the end, but they go several rounds. Draco, in fact, holds his own against Harry for longer than anyone except for Snape. Much longer than Voldemort ever does for example. So if Draco had wanted to get off a spell to blast Harry away from him when Harry was totally unarmed and literally just trying to pull the wand out of his hand - he could have. But he doesn't. He lets Harry take the wand.

And the wand's loyalty transfers seamlessly to Harry. Not only does it work for him. It works PERFECTLY. It feels "friendly" in his hand. In a way even Hermione's didn't. He is deeply compatible with the wand and the wand obviously is actively friendly to him. This clearly reflects Harry's fundamental core compatibility with Draco (they're soulmates your honor!) and also Draco's true loyalty and affection towards Harry.

The Hawthorn Wand isn't betraying its former master. It's honoring his wishes by protecting the man he loves.

[hogwartslegacypics]

Ominis Gaunt’s Wand

My personal headcanon: hawthorn wood, phoenix feather core, 11-12 inches, slightly unyielding OR yielding

Starting with the wood, I think his wand is made from Hawthorn wood. I’m not 100% confident in this though because there are some other woods I think also fit him, and the color of his wand doesn’t really help narrow it down much. If not Hawthorn, I think it could be Black Walnut or Ebony. I was also considering Acacia, Ash, Elm, Fir, Hornbeam, Poplar, and Yew at one point.

“The wandmaker Gregorovitch wrote that hawthorn ‘makes a strange, contradictory wand, as full of paradoxes as the tree that gave it birth, whose leaves and blossoms heal, and yet whose cut branches smell of death.’ While I disagree with many of Gregorovitch’s conclusions, we concur about hawthorn wands, which are complex and intriguing in their natures, just like the owners who best suit them. Hawthorn wands may be particularly suited to healing magic, but they are also adept at curses, and I have generally observed that the hawthorn wand seems most at home with a conflicted nature, or with a witch or wizard passing through a period of turmoil. Hawthorn is not easy to master, however, and I would only ever consider placing a hawthorn wand in the hands of a witch or wizard of proven talent, or the consequences might be dangerous. Hawthorn wands have a notable peculiarity: their spells can, when badly handled, backfire.” – Mr. Ollivander

I feel like this fits for Ominis because he is not what you’d expect (“a strange, contradictory wand, as full of paradoxes as the tree that gave it birth”). A Gaunt born in a house of dark magic who hates dark magic, and who isn’t about their pure-blooded nonsense either (can’t remember if this is confirmed or just a headcanon). It even fits for him being a Slytherin too, not to say that all Slytherins like dark magic and blood status, but yanno what I mean. It’s also the same wood of Draco Malfoy’s wand and it makes me wonder if it was intentional of the developers to give Ominis the same wood as another wealthy blond pure-blood sacred 28 Slytherin boy pressured into the dark arts by his family who’s almost an opposite (or a “contradiction”) of Ominis personality wise, while both having the “contradictory wand.” Also, the “passing through a period of turmoil” fits too.

Now I’m going to give some brief quotes from the descriptions of the other woods that I think fit for Ominis.

Black walnut: “seeks a master of good instincts and powerful insight,” “it is abnormally attuned to inner conflict,” “Paired with a sincere, self-aware owner, it becomes one of the most loyal and impressive wands of all.”

Ebony: “Ebony is happiest in the hand of those with the courage to be themselves,” “non-conformist, highly individual or comfortable with the status of outsider,” “the ebony wand’s perfect match is one who will hold fast to his or her beliefs, no matter what the external pressure, and will not be swayed lightly from their purpose.”

Side note: I wrote this wand wood section with his black wand in mind. Still not sure which one is officially his (which is why you’ll see three diff wands in this post) but Hawthorn fits personality wise regardless. So many possible wood options because I don’t even know if it’s brown or black. Seb’s was easier to choose because there were much less options.

Moving onto the core, I think Ominis has a phoenix feather core due to his wand’s loyalty and just how unique the wand itself is. I know unicorn hair cores are loyal too, but I feel like the pickiness of the phoenix feather core in combination with how special/unique his wand is makes it extra loyal (if that makes sense), like it has no chance of ever changing allegiance. It’s very personalized to him (the wand chooses the wizard, and his takes that to the extreme, it’s almost like it was made for him), and I think it would refuse to operate for anyone else. It just all seems very phoenix feather core-ish to me.

It is possible he could have a unicorn hair core, but I think it’s safe to completely rule out a dragon heartstring core. They are the least loyal wands, and due to everything I just explained, I can’t see his wand ever performing well for anyone else.

Phoenix feather cores are also known to “show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord,” which seems very accurate considering his wand literally navigates him. According to Sebastian, it’s “almost sentient.”

Lastly, they’re capable of the greatest range of magic, which I think goes along with it having the ability to navigate Ominis. Might not be outwardly great, but it certainly is to Ominis, and it’s definitely not something you see every wand do, hence the “range.”

Next up is the length! According to Ollivander, “longer wands tend to be drawn to bigger personalities, and those of a more spacious and dramatic style of magic.” Longer wands also work well with taller witches and wizards and are best suited to bold personalities. I head canon Sebastian as having a long wand for that reason, but that doesn’t really fit for Ominis. He keeps more to himself and is more introverted, but he certainty has moments where he’s not afraid to speak up and really get in your face about things he’s passionate about (like confronting MC, a new student he barely knew, about the Undercroft, and never hesitating to call Sebastian out on his dark arts bullshit). I think his wand would probably be about 11-12 inches.

Lastly, we have wand flexibility. Wand flexibility denotes the degree of adaptability and willingness to change possessed by the wand-and-owner pair. Ominis is pretty stubborn but I don’t think he’s too stubborn. He does stick to his beliefs, and I think it would be impossible to get him to change them/the way he thinks, but at the same time MC never had too much difficulty convincing him to do things that he was against doing (the scriptorium, keeping the relic). I think his wand is somewhere in the mid to unbending scale, possibility “slightly yielding.”

Slightly yielding: Wand owners with slightly yielding wands are often very kind and compassionate, but they may have some reluctance in trusting others since they possess a strong sense of skepticism. It usually takes a lot of strong arguing before the owner of this wand will believe claims that don’t make any sense to them.

Now that I’m reading more flexibilities, I actually think it could be “unyielding” because the definition fits so well. Ollivander does say it’s about “degree of adaptability and willingness to change possessed by the wand-and-owner pair.” THE PAIR. I feel like his wand being extremely loyal/personalized to him could make it an unyielding wand, especially because Ominis is pretty stubborn himself. Please comment which you think it could be because I can only make one poll a post unfortunately.

Unyielding: A wand of this flexibility finely tunes itself to its original owner’s preferences and doesn’t stray from those preferences, even in the hands of a new owner; the new owner will just have to get used to it. It is particularly good for combative and healing magic. Unyielding wand owners tend to be very confident in themselves and/or in the things they believe in. They tend to be intelligent, somewhat cynical, and usually have well-defined principles that they will not stray from ever. Sometimes, this combination can lead to arrogance because of them insisting on how right they are without considering other points of view or whether or not they might be wrong.

[satansapostle6]

Lovers and Liars | Draco Malfoy

Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott, both determined and resourceful from reputable houses, find themselves at odds in the name of love.

Warning: Mature themes/language. Violence. Sexual content.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Old and New Tricks

Draco and Lorelei were truthfully out of options when it came to what to do about Horace Slughorn. He had practically heard Lorelei’s signed confession to every single illegal activity in the past three years, and something had to be done. Lorelei hated the idea of a loose end, which, coincidentally, was also something she’d said to Pansy Parkinson in an argument. Draco and Lorelei knew that their entire plan was now at stake, and something had to be done before the Dark Lord killed them both.

Naturally, Lorelei had one solution that she was sure would guarantee that no one found out about her and Draco’s allegiance to the Dark Lord, however, the only problem was the risk involved. But then again, she and Draco had certainly learned from their mistakes with Theodore Nott. Even Draco maintained that Slughorn needed to be properly motivated to protect their secrets.

Otherwise, he’d eventually have more than significant leverage over them. As they discussed potential solutions to the problem, Lorelei had told Draco that she was not comfortable with relying on the effectiveness of a Memory Charm. So of course, that left them only one viable option. And so far, Lorelei was getting an overwhelming amount of déjà vu as she and Draco stood outside of Slughorn’s office.

Draco Malfoy looked to his girlfriend one last time before knocking on the door, nodding with determination. He spoke no words at all, but Lorelei knew exactly what the stone cold expression on his face meant. It meant ‘I’ve got you’. Draco took a deep breath before rapping on the door, to find Slughorn opening it.

“Mr. Malfoy,” he said, sounding surprised. “What, er… What brings you here?” he asked awkwardly.

Draco said nothing, continuing with his plan and taking no pleasure in it whatsoever.

“Imperio.”

Horace Slughorn seemed to have been struck by an invisible force, looking as if he’d sat on a pincushion. Lorelei turned to Draco in shock, having been anticipating something completely different. They had agreed that Draco would ask for them to be let into Slughorn’s office for help, so that Lorelei could quietly threaten him so as to force him to agree to an Unbreakable Vow.

This, of course, was not what they had previously agreed upon. Although, Lorelei was flexible.

“Let us in,” Draco said imperiously.

The old professor obeyed almost with enthusiasm, opening the door and allowing the two of them into his office.

“Do come in,” he offered with a smile on his face.

Lorelei shot Draco a look as she followed him in. He of course noticed her reaction, but did not acknowledge it.

“Close the door.”

Again, the Potions Master was forced to obey.

“Sit down,” Draco told him, wand pointed at him just in case.

Slughorn mindlessly had a seat at the table before them, obeying Draco without any hesitation or protest. Lorelei found herself both impressed and afraid. She knew Draco had a talent for certain magic, but this was something different.

“Tell me the truth,” Draco commanded first.

“Of course, Mr. Malfoy,” Professor Slughorn complied.

Draco frowned, deciding he’d best make sure that he wasn’t being duped.

“What did you think of my father, Lucius Malfoy?”

Lorelei gave Draco a look, not sure if the answer would do him any good.

“Lucius Malfoy… Intelligent. Proud. Disciplined,” Slughorn provided. “But also pompous, and overly self-assured.”

Draco raised his wand out of anger, as Lorelei just gave him a look of disapproval. Draco bit his tongue, literally, and carried on.

“Your most embarrassing memory,” he continued, not giving up.

“Getting an erection in front of Sherilyn Hawthorne in my third year,” Slughorn answered quickly, frowning as he heard himself out loud.

“Seriously, Draco?” Lorelei said, unamused.

He quickly digressed, having more on his mind than his Potions professor’s embarrassing childhood.

“What did you hear of the conversation I had with Lorelei that you eavesdropped on?” Draco asked, irritation in his voice.

“Everything, I believe,” Slughorn stated against his will.

“Specifics,” Draco hissed, pointing his wand. “What do you know?”

“That Lorelei Morrigan murdered two people, and that the both of you are Death Eaters!” he blurted out, fear in his eyes.

Draco looked to Lorelei with a regretful expression on his face. He hated the idea of Lorelei being discovered and convicted as a murderer. He would have done anything in his power to keep her out of Azkaban, including being sent there himself.

“Never repeat any of that to another living soul,” Draco said, his voice deathly soft and quiet, “Or I’ll kill you so slowly you’ll beg me to finish the job. Do you understand me?” he hissed through his teeth.

“Draco,” Lorelei said hastily, attempting to soften his approach.

“I won’t! I swear!” Horace Slughorn promised him.

Draco’s successful Imperius Curse eased his mind a bit.

“Good. Now… What does Potter want with you?”

The old man stared at him, genuinely unsure as to how to answer the question.

“I-I don’t know,” he confessed, “I don’t know what you mean.”

“It’s obvious Potter’s trying to kiss your arse every opportunity he gets,” Draco said resentfully, “Why is he doing it?!”

“Please, I don’t know!” Slughorn promised, petrified with fear. “I don’t know!”

Draco grew frustrated, angrily realizing that Slughorn wasn’t going to be as useful as he thought. He thought to himself for a moment before proceeding.

“Find out what he wants,” Draco ordered, his father’s blue eyes burning with the same desperation and determination. “Find out what he wants, and then report to me. Without him knowing,” he concluded.

Lorelei smiled softly, proud of her future husband’s ingenuity.

“Yes, Mr. Malfoy,” Slughorn said quickly.

“You are never to tell anyone about any of this. What you know about us, our conversations, our motives… None of it. Or we find you, and we end you. Understood?” Draco demanded.

“Yes, Mr. Malfoy,” Slughorn agreed.

Lorelei was wholeheartedly impressed by the eerie subservience that Draco was able to conjure with his Imperius Curse. She had read once in a book from the Restricted section of the library that this reaction occurred only in a more advanced witch or wizard’s casting of the Curse, but seeing it was something else entirely.

“Now… Keep an eye on Potter, and Snape, and everyone else for that matter. If you believe we’re in danger of being discovered, or otherwise harmed or betrayed, you tell me,” Draco said, “Immediately.”

“Yes, Mr. Malfoy,” Slughorn nodded quickly.

“Draco,” Lorelei said softly, as he listened dutifully.

“Hmm?”

“Should we tell him to kill You-Know-Who for us?” Lorelei asked him.

Draco’s eyes lingered coldly on Slughorn for a moment, an opportunistic look on his face as he considered the idea. A moment passed before he came to a conclusion.

“No.”

Lorelei was in disbelief, not understanding why he’d pass up such an easy opportunity.

“‘No’?” she questioned. “Why not?”

“Because, no one will believe Slughorn would have the motive,” Draco insisted.

“You’re using the Imperius Curse! We can give him whatever motive we want!” Lorelei exclaimed. “We could tell him he’s jealous of Dumbledore’s beard and he’d believe it!”

“No, Lorelei,” Draco argued, trying to sound stern. “It’s too risky. They might figure it out.”

She scoffed at the idea. “They couldn’t when it came to the Dark Lord in the First War, I highly doubt they’ve figured it out since then!”

“No, Lorelei. Not yet,” Draco told her.

Unmoved by his argument, Lorelei just brushed it off, agreeing to disagree as Draco returned to what he was doing.

“Keep an eye on Potter, and Snape. Anything you hear, send it to me in an owl. Forget every single interaction we have the moment it’s over,” Draco said hypnotically, as Lorelei watched dutifully.

“I will, Mr. Malfoy,” Horace Slughorn breathed, completely unaware of himself.

“Now forget everything that just happened the moment we leave,” Draco commanded.

“Alright.”

Lorelei watched from behind them as Draco led her out of the office, looking around carefully to ensure that no one saw them leaving Slughorn’s office. Draco and Lorelei retreated to Draco’s dorm room afterwards. Nowadays, the two of them hardly left the dorms apart from classes and their work in the Room of Requirement. This was the first night off they had taken in a while, although the mood wasn’t necessarily celebratory.

“Why didn’t you let me cast the Unbreakable Vow?” Lorelei asked out of the blue.

Draco looked at her with a serious expression on his face, having been somewhat dreading the conversation they would have.

“Because. I had a better plan,” he told her.

“The Unbreakable Vow would’ve ensure he protect us,” Lorelei reminded him, not accepting his excuse. “Trying to use the Imperius Curse for the first time was reckless, and dangerous.”

“I had it under control,” Draco argued, standing his ground.

“You had no way of knowing that,” Lorelei stated. “But, nonetheless, I would have gone along with it. If you’d have just told me.”

“I’m sorry,” Draco apologized.

“I don’t need an apology,” she corrected him, “I want an explanation. We always make our plans together. We don’t keep things from one another. You’ve never lied to me… Until now.”

Draco hung his head with guilt, understanding his transgression as he rested his head on her shoulder. Lorelei froze, unable to say whether he deserved her forgiveness yet.

“I’m sorry, Lorelei. I am.”

“Why did you lie to me, Draco?” she asked softly. “I gave you no reason for it.”

“I know,” he admitted shamefully.

“Then why?” she asked.

Draco sighed, lifting his head as he tried to explain himself. “The first time my father cast the Imperius Curse, he was sixteen.”

Lorelei took a moment to consider this. She knew that Draco had always held Lucius in high regard all his life, and that feeling had only been amplified and challenged since his arrest. Lorelei knew that, these days, the only thing on Draco’s mind was both honoring and avenging his father.

“He used it to stop Avery from accosting my mother when they were at Hogwarts,” Draco confided in her, “And I… In that moment, I knew I had to take my chances and protect my family just as he did.”

Lorelei bowed her head apologetically, understanding exactly what he meant.

“I knew that was the moment that would define me as a Malfoy man,” Draco murmured, gently holding her face in his hands, “Protecting my queen.”

Lorelei Morrigan knew in her heart that this apology counted for far too much.

“I love you, Lorelei,” he reminded her. “I will stand by you, fight for you, love you, until my last dying breath.”

“I love you, Draco,” she whispered, relieved that everything had been resolved.

He leaned in to kiss her, finally able to breathe as their lips met one another, hearts true and minds eased as they forgot momentarily the many troubles that plagued them.

*****

Draco lay on his bed with his head resting against the pillows, no troublesome thoughts pestering him as he lay with Lorelei’s head on his bare chest. Lorelei was more than content, allowing him to gently stroke her red curls with his fingers, closing her eyes as she hid beneath the covers, clothes strewn about the room. Lorelei then slowly opened her eyes, looking down at the covers as she posed a question for Draco.

“When do you think you’ll ask me to marry you?” she asked softly.

Draco looked down at her, surprised by the question. Last he remembered, Lorelei was more hesitant for the two of them to get married younger, not wanting to marry too early, or simply just because of the war going on.

“When would you like me to ask you to marry me?” Draco asked promptly.

Lorelei had to consider it for a moment, not quite sure how to articulate her answer.

“I don’t know,” she confessed reasonably, “I suppose… When you remember how beautiful life is,” she provided.

Draco paused, finding himself confused by the answer.

“Alright, then,” he obliged. “Then, it is.”

*****

Lorelei Morrigan and Draco Malfoy were fairly late to dinner. Of course, no one necessarily noticed, or cared, apart from, of course, Pansy Parkinson. Upon seeing the couple arriving to dinner late, actually smiling as they walked in arm in arm, she was furious. Ever since the term had began, Pansy hadn’t seen Draco smile once. Of course, she believed that Draco Malfoy was her one true love, but in spite of that fact, it still made her ecstatic.

After all, Pansy figured that if Draco wasn’t happy, she’d have the chance to snatch him back from Lorelei. Pansy was smitten with Draco, and naturally wanted nothing more than the best for him, but only so long as it was with her. As long as Lorelei Morrigan was involved, Pansy wanted Draco hateful and miserable. She wanted him to remember their good times together more than anything. Blaise Zabini saw this more than anyone else.

Blaise hated Pansy Parkinson. Not because she’d ever done anything particularly egregious to him, but because he simply hated everything that she stood for. Pansy was foolish, and simple, and disgraceful. He reveled in her sorrow. Watching her from across the table, close to tears over Lorelei feeding Draco bites of her dessert was the perfect show to go with his dinner.

“Do you ever tire of embarrassing yourself?” Blaise questioned, interrupting her silently cursing Lorelei in her head.

Pansy scowled at him. “Rich, coming from you. Have you ever even dated anyone?”

“Some of us have more substantial priorities,” Blaise reminded her. “But, for your information, I’ve got a few prospects.”

Pansy stared at him as he slyly turned toward the other end of the table, eyes fixed on who Pansy deducted to have been Millicent Bulstrode.

“Bulstrode?” Pansy scoffed. “Do your arms even fit around her?”

“Not her,” Blaise rolled his eyes, just now recalling Pansy’s slow disposition. “Please. I’d sooner take a vow of celibacy. You know, I forget that not everyone shares my, shall we say… penchant for diversity.”

Pansy had no idea what Blaise had meant by that as she continued staring in Millicent’s direction. Eventually, the scope of her vision expanded, and her eyes settled upon a more probable conclusion. Sitting beside Millicent Bulstrode, engaged in polite conversation with Theodore Nott, was Edward Burke, the handsome, seventeen year-old heir to Borgin & Burke’s. Pansy’s jaw dropped as she turned back to Blaise, who just grinned mischievously.

“Cheers,” he said with genuine glee.

-

Chapter Twenty-Nine

[saint-sebastian-coded]

Silverborn Snippets

now all typed up for legibility (at least when it comes to the Old Delph teenagers) @wundrousarts

Fortunately, Francis had assembled their midnight feast with great care and forethought and the aftereffects of his creations seemed to balance each other out, more or less. A formidable flare of temper from his delicious beetroot chutney, for example, was quickly doused by a bite of a golden pastry pocket, which encouraged a spirit of generosity and understanding

A powerful urge to dance brought on by the noodles was abated by the broth that accompanied them, which Francis said was meant to "evoke the sense that one has forgotten something very important and must sit very still for a moment and look inwardly to remember what it was "It made them all gaze into the middle distance for some time- distance for some except Hawthorne, whose inner dancer was too powerful for broth.

"Oh! Oh no," cried Francis at one point, jumping up and rushing to examine the jars of chutneys and spices. He held one of them up. "Did any of you eat this chilli jam?" 

Nobody raised their hand, but Cadence froze, holding a piece of bread with cheese and a dollop of the red-flecked jam halfway to her mouth 

"Why do you-oi!" she cried, as Francis ran over and knocked it out of her hand.

"Sorry," he said breathlessly. "I meant to leave this one at home. It's supposed to make you feel a little bit brave, but I haven't quite got the recipe right yet. See?" He held up the jar to show them the handwritten label which read: DANGEROUSLY OVERCONFIDENT FLAVOURS. USE SPARINGLY "Did anyone else-” 

He was interrupted by a peal of giggles from above. They looked up as one to see Anah swinging from branch to branch, her curls loose and wild. Hawthorne and Mahir cheered, and Thaddea was just about crying with laughter. 

"Someone make her come down." Lam said in a tight voice. Her eyes were squeezed shut, as if she didn't want to see whatever she knew was coming next. "Quickly, please."

Suddenly Anah's hand slipped. Unit 919 gave a collective gasp as she free-fell several metres before just barely grasping another branch, whooping with triumph and dangling high in the air.  

“I AM THE EMPRESS OF THE NIGHT!" she cried elatedly. "I AM THE RULER OF THIS TREEHOUSE AND I SHALL HAVE YOUR ALLEGIANCE OR I SHALL TAKE IT BY FORCE!"

"Come down, Anah!" Morrigan called up to her.

"SHAN'T!"

-

It was odd. At Morrigan's question, the entire room had seemed to inhale at once, and hold their lungs full of air, poised on the edge of a great expulsion of emotion and awkwardness. 

But that moment of release, however awful it might have been... never came. There was instead a deft pivoting of the conversation, and a silent smoothing of the ruffled air between them, and the REDACTED all carried on by some unspoken agreement. It was as if they were performing a clever, lovely dance, and they all knew the choreography by heart, and Morrigan was... she didn't know what. A prop of some sort, a piece of scenery they were navigating their way around with practised ease.

That was just what it was like, she realised, feeling her stomach tilt. This was a performance, and she'd forgotten her lines - had never even learned them, in fact - and all the other players were covering for her. Moving the narrative swiftly forward.

It was a strange feeling, but not an altogether unpleasant one. It didn't feel judgmental or unkind. It felt like they'd wrapped a blanket gently around her, protecting her from the bumps and bruises to which her own clumsiness, her own lack of social graces, left her exposed.

It was all so... elegant.

-

Morrigan gave Cadence a small, grim smile. "Thanks. For offering to, you know–"

"Don't mention it," Cadence said, looking away, and Morrigan knew she meant exactly that. Please stop talking about the nice thing I'm doing. "Now. Maybe we should think about what you're going to say. Write down a few lines. Practice.

Hawthorne stopped pacing suddenly, looking as if he'd been struck by lightning.

"I'll do it!" he said. "I'll write the script." 

Cadence let out a long, low breath, her eyes narrowing to straight lines. "It's not a script. This isn't a play. It's just a couple of "

"A PLAY!" he shouted. "Cadence, you're right, that is EXACTLY how we should do this."

"That is nothing like what I-"

"We'll stage a play!" Hawthorne was back to pacing the room now. "Written by me, directed by Cadence, and starring Morrigan."

Cadence's face slightly perked up at the phrase 'directed by Cadence', while Morrigan's could not have dropped further down.

"I'm listening," said Cadence.

"I'm not," said Morrigan.

"Costumes by me too, of course," Hawthorne went on feverishly. "Since I'm the best at fashion - no offence."

Cadence cocked her head to the side. "Offence taken." 

"Music by Arch!" he barrelled onwards, ignoring her. “Catering by Francis!" 

Morrigan groaned. "Catering? Hawthorne, no, just stop right there—"

"Thaddea can construct the sets, Lam will be art director and Anah-"

"Hawthorne, STOP!"

-

"You're not the Stink, Mog."

She scowled. "I know I'm not the Stink, Jupiter. I'm not saying I'm a detective, I'm just saying I was there, and I could be helpful to whoever the Stink sends to investigate!"

"What in all the Seven Silly Pockets are you talking about? You have no business being a part of this at all! Morrigan - you are a CHILD."

"Jupiter - I am a TEENAGER."

He stopped short at that, chin drawn down to his chest in some mixture of shock and indignation, mouth open like an unhappy goldfish.

"W-well!" he blustered, shaking his head with vigour. "Well, I utterly reject that notion!"

Morrigan rolled her eyes. "I'm thirteen years old. It's not a notion, it's reality. You can't reject reality."

"Once again you vastly underestimate my skillset!"

-

On Morrigan's other side, Hawthorne Swift was chatting with Mahir Ibrahim and fidgeting as if he had itching powder in his trousers. When he hitched up his black cloak to adjust the clothes underneath, Morrigan caught a confusing glimpse of brown fur and yellow plastic talons.

"What in the Seven Pockets are you wearing?" Mahir demanded, before she could open her mouth. "We're supposed to be in uniform!"

"On Hallowmas?" said Hawthorne with disdain, picking a stray bit of lint off his furry chest. "No, thank you."

"You could have just changed into your costume at my place after the parade, you know," said Morrigan. "Your mum and dad could have held onto it for you until then."

"Not a chance. I'm ditching this cloak as soon as we get to the end of the parade route. I'm not going to waste another second of my night not being a werewolf. You not wearing yours, then?"

She snorted. "Hawthorne. Nobody's wearing a costume except you."

He looked pointedly over her shoulder. When she turned around, Cadence briefly opened her cloak, showing a glimpse of an old-fashioned ivory lace frock and two painted bite marks on her neck, dripping with red.

"I'm a vampire," she said flatly. "Grr."

-

Holliday Wu frowned thoughtfully at Hawthorne as he took the chair next to his patron, slid down and stretched his long legs out in front of him. She murmured something to the man beside her, who sighed and said, "Well, he needs to comb his hair for starters."

"A proper athlete though, Carlos," said Holliday. "A man of action. The kids are going to love him."

Hawthorne blushed and tried to hide a grin, pretending he didn't know they were talking about him. Cadence caught Morrigan's eye and made a face like a dead fish, rolling her eyes back in her head.

"With a haircut," Carlos insisted.

"Mm. Let's get a salon appointment in the calendar." Hawthorne gave up the pretence of ignorance then, his grin turning to a look of terror as one hand went protectively to his riotous brown curls. But Holliday had already returned her attention to Nan Dawson.

"Sorry - what's the difference between him and the other competitors?" she asked again.

Nan squeezed the bridge of her nose. "The difference is that those riders have been training with their dragons, specifically for this event. You can't just ride any old dragon! Not for the biggest competition in the Free State. The riders are important, Holliday, but it's the dragons that matter. Every reptile entered into the tournament is a Class-A specimen bred by a licensed, reputable breeder and registered to the Tournament-Calibre Dragon Index from birth."

"You've just said a lot of things I don't care very much about, Nan. But go on, do elaborate," said Holliday, casually sticking her pen into her topknot and leaning forward, all ears.

"Those dragons are all owned by rich, aristocratic Nevermoorians-old money - and conditioned by career trainers their whole lives. They are extremely rare, extremely valuable and extremely already claimed for the tournament by much older, much more experienced and much more famous riders than this thirteen-year-old," Nan said, clasping a hand on Hawthorne's shoulder. Then she added quietly to him, with a reassuring squeeze, "No matter how smashing a rider this thirteen-year-old happens to be."

"Shucks, Nan," said Hawthorne.

Holliday waved a hand. "All very sort-outable. We're the Wundrous Society. We'll gently move one of those riders out of the way for him."

Nan groaned loudly and rubbed her face with both hands. "It doesn't WORK like that!" 

"Of course, it does." Carlos shrugged. "Pin privilege."

"You're NOT part of the dragonriding world, you don't understand," said Nan. "Nobody in this tournament cares about Wunsoc status. Dragon owners don't recognise pin privilege. These are incredibly wealthy, powerful people we're talking about - people who live and breathe this tournament all year round, not just in the summer - and they're not going to trust their most precious commodity to an unproven teenage athlete, they're just not."

"Nan's right," agreed Hawthorne, a little wistfully. "None of the owners would be that silly. It's too big a risk." 

Morrigan knew it cost her friend something to admit that. He couldn't wait to ride in the tournament.

"Dragonriders are selected at least a full year before Opening Flights," Nan explained. "They're contracted to the owner and their stable and they train twelve to sixteen hours DAILY with the actual, specific dragon they are going to ride. They painstakingly build a bond with their steed. You can't just move them out of the way, gently or otherwise! Most competitive riders will have a lifelong partnership with one dragon, maybe two if they have an exemplary track record and are extremely in demand."

"Like you, Nan," Hawthorne interjected. 

"Like me," Nan agreed matter-of-factly, with no trace of vanity. "And one day, Hawthorne will be one of those riders. No doubt. With the way he's training, I'll be surprised if he isn't tournament-ready by fifteen, and that will make him the youngest competitor in at least half a dozen ages. But thirteen? Absolutely not."

"Excellent passion! Love all that. I'm pretty confident we can find a way around this, though. Leave it with me," said Holliday. Nan opened her mouth to continue arguing, but the publicist made a little zip motion. "Let's put a pin in the dragon stuff for now and circle back later, okay? I want to get through the whole unit."

-

saw her name on the marquee on the way to the Old Delphian

Louis and Lottie managed to tear their eyes away from the stage at that. They looked at her with slightly piqued interest.

“You went to the Old Delph?” said Lottie. 

“Yes.”

“What for?”

“To see the Angel Israfel.”

The whole table turned to look at her. Morrigan felt her cheeks grow warm. To this entire group of older teenagers, she had suddenly become more interesting than Gigi Grand, her Gutterborn Five, and whatever drama was about to unfold.

“You saw the Angel Israfel?” whispered Zara, “At the Old Delph?”

“Yes.”

They all gaped at her, momentarily silenced. 

“The Old Delph, though?” the haughty-looking boy in the blue suit finally asked. His voice had an amused, slightly sceptical lilt. “You sure it wasn’t the New Delph you’re thinking of? Because we’ve all been there, obviously.”

“Shut up Barty,” said Lottie. “She said what she said. Anyway, the Angel Israfel would never play at the New Delph, you nincompoop.”

“How did you get there?” asked Zara, a little breathlessly, leaning in.

“My patron took me.”

Blue-suit Barty rolled his eyes, “Sure, but how? Nobody knows how to get there.”

“Plenty of people know how to get there, Bartholomew,” said Louis, “Just not you. Or me. Or anyone else at this table.”

“Except Morrigan, apparently,” said Zara.

Morrigan winced. It felt like they were testing her, and unfortunately, she didn’t think she was going to pass. It had been well over a year - almost two - since that Spring’s Eve when Jupiter had taken her to see his friend Israfel. She couldn’t quite remember how they’d got there, truth be told… she just remembered it was weird.

“Um… I don’t know, it was sort of… it was down a tricksy lane, I think.”

Barty scoffed, “You think?”

“Or… it was a little bit tricksy,” she clarified, remembering what Jupiter had said at the time. “It smelled like rotten eggs. I don’t really remem- I mean I remember a bit,” she said in a rush as the table seemed to slump in disappointment. But Zara had already turned her attention back to Gigi Grand, and Barty and the two girls sitting opposite Morrigan followed suit. Evidently she wasn’t worth their attention after all. Perhaps they’d decided she’d made it up. She looked down at her place setting, adjusting her cutlery unnecessarily.

“I’ve heard the way in changes all the time, anyway,” Louis said to her kindly. “That’s how they manage to keep it a secret.”

“I really have been there,” said Morrigan, hating the defensive sound of her own voice. She sounded exactly like a stupid little kid making things up for attention. No wonder they didn’t believe her. “I’m telling the truth.”

But Louis was smiling at her, “I know you are. I can tell.”

[mxlfoydraco]

serra how do you feel about the fact that the wand chooses the wizard *and* draco’s wand worked perfectly with harry? 🤔 many questions and many headcanons in my head right now

This was a plot point in where all the veins meet and it’s got me thinking about it as well! I like the interpretation that Draco’s wand felt “friendly” to Harry and yielded allegiance without magical disarming because their magics are compatible.

Magic is also heavily influenced by intent so, I’m speculating here, what would be the effect if Draco relinquished the wand easier because he wanted Harry to get out and survive? It doesn’t even have to be a conscious act really. The Hawthorn could’ve connected with and work well with Harry because it felt Draco’s intent to do so.

Harry’s survival means his survival too. He keeps saving him, he doesn’t want Harry to die. His wand working well for Harry ultimately protects him too. Considering the intensity of emotion and history between them, it’s not far fetched that the wand felt it.

[constellation-sys]

bsd ramblings (seasons 1, 2, and dead apple)

i would commit double suicide with dazai

why does everyone have a gyatt

kunikida x dazai??????

WHY ARE THE SIBLINGS SO WEIRDDDD

ranpo’s my scrungo

atsushi has trauma and is a furry

kunikida and endeavor sound really similar

dazai <33333

what the actual fuck is wrong with the doctor 

oh hey ginger

oh those bitches are homosexual 

the way they fight is so homoerotic 

“go to hell! i was being saracastic!” — chuuya to his boyfriend

dazai x chuuya

atsushi x akutagawa 

WHY IS EVERY SINGLE GUY IN BSD SO HOT

the animation has no right to be so good 

kenji is so silly. i love him

kenji loving cows is so real of him

i need more port mafia exec dazai

“he both fears death and is drawn to it” ME FR

DAZAI <33333333333333333333

i want to hold dazai. i need to ruffle his hair. i want to commit suicide with him, my last words being heard by him only. i want to drown with this man, the holy water bringing us both to the afterlife. we will both be free. 

chuuya is so silly

“come now, take me with you to the afterlife” DAZAI AJHDISBEUDBEUBD 

dazai is a disaster bi and i love him for that

i pledge allegiance to the flag of bungo stray dogs and to the fandom for which it stands. one nation under dazai, indivisible, with fanfic and fanart for all. 

dazai is down horrendous for oda. i don’t blame him

dazai my silly wet cat disaster bi husband <33333333333333333

akutagawa is so silly

WHY DID THE THEME SONG HAPPEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EPISODE WTF

men <3

oda is my dad now bc i said so 

the kid’s name is shinji? evangelion reference?? 

“because odasaku’s my friend” NO HE AINT DAZAI. HE’S YOUR UNREQUITED CRUSH. 

“because i know my friend better than anyone” DAZAI’S LITTLE GASP OMFG IEBEKSHWJJDEBBE OMFG OMFG IM GONNA CRY DONT EVEN WINEUEHEJEJ (friend who got me into the show) YOU BITCH

“you’re a were-tiger, grow some were-balls” KUNIKIDA YOU DID NOT

ranpo is autistic

WHY THE HELL IS THE BOSS SO WEIRD ABT HIS KID WIHDJEBE OMFG

“i can’t hear the voice of god with you staring like that” — every catholic ever

nathanial hawthorn is a silly catholic

margaret basically being the daughter of a rich plantation owner in the 1800’s is so american 

ranpo my silly

chuuya <3

q and kyouka are my children

osamu dazai my silly little wet cat autistic depressed suicidal maniac disaster bisexual husband <3

WHY IS MARK FUCKING TWAIN SO FINE OMFG THIS SHOW

lovecraft is weird. i like it. he’s accurate. 

margaret x nathan?? 

chuuya and dazai are an old married couple. i love them so much. 

“god i hate you” — chuuya to his husband who he loves very much

“don’t worry, buddy. i’ve got you” — dazai to his lover

“i’d expect nothing from you, my worthy adversary” poe to his bf

WHY IS POE FINE SOEJDIHENSHDBE

ranpo is so silly 

dazai is a cool uncle to kyouka fuck you

akutagawa and atsushi are down bad for each other 

why is scott fitzgerald a crossbreed between a dilf and a twink

cmon you two kiss each other already

is akutagawa down bad for dazai or just looks up to him

WHY IS THE WIFE NAMED ZELDA?? IS SHE A PRINCESS OR WHAT

i am OBSESSED with this show

never have i ever watched an anime with a shit theme song. i love bsd’s intro so much

hehe moby dick

if kyouka dies i’m killing myself /hj

welp guess i’m dying 

akutagawa my silly <3

nvm not dying today. hey at least kyouka isn’t dead 

dazai is akutagawa’s father figure sorry not sorry 

lovecraft is so real for jumping in the sea 

POE IS HERE WIHEEIHEIEHEUDHEHD I LOVE POE 

RANPO KISS HIM RN KISS YOU TWO KISS 

“but i prefer the women in my life to be under 12” E X C U S E M E S I R 

RUSSIAN MAN???? 

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT DUDE HELL YEAH

IWJDUEBEHE DAZAI QUOTING ODA IEHRUEBEUDHWHDUENDJDJHE IM GONNA CRY AGAIN BYE—

DEAD APPLE IS AMAZING. I WATCHED IT ON 9ANIME. ONLY SUB THOUGH

READING THE TRANSLATOR STRUGGLE IS SO FUNNY. o7 TO THEM GOOD JOB.

[the-hawthorns-ocs]

Monarch Spiderweb!

My fave evil woman. She is simply Girlbossing too hard

Character Bio:

Kinship: The Hawthorns

Pansexual; Molly; she/her

Age: (3 cycles, 4 moons; ~29 Hyrs)

Voice Headcanon: Lilith Clawthorn (pre-redemption) - The Owl House

Title meaning: -web =  a cunning, intelligent cat; a cat who is good at getting what they want.

Role: Monarch

Vice: Mothheart (brother)

Previous Role: Guard

Heir: Night (son)

Mother: Pinefang

Father: Ospreycry

Siblings: Mothheart

Mate: Monarch Lightfall

Kit: Heir Night

Extra Notes: She is based on a Black Widow spider!

Character Summary:

Monarch Spiderweb is a cunning manipulative cat. Her father is a spirit in the Dark Maw, and her took her under his wing, training her within the dark underworld.

She was mates with the previous Monarch, Monarch Lightfall, and had one kit with him, Heir Night. But Spider never truly loved Lightfall, she had only became mates with him for the power it would give her, and because she knew that Lightfall would then make her his Vice.

Once Spiderweb's son became a Trainee and the official Heir, she killed Lightfall to become the new Monarch. Only a select few cats close to Spider know the truth of Lightfall's death, which includes her son Night, who she has been training to be her perfect successor.

As Monarch Spider has been slowly changing the kinship's allegiance to the Dark Maw rather than the Stars, and currently the Stars have little to no connection to the kinship.

Most cats support Monarch Spiderweb's position as leader, or are too afraid to do anything to stop her. The cats who are openly against her do not last long, and mysteriously disappear or die.

[riddles-n-games]

Back in the early to mid 2010s, I picked up The Hunger Games and Divergent series, reading them simultaneously and yes, I loved them both but preferred the latter over the former (I stand by that opinion, don’t even @ me; except for Allegiant-that book doesn't exist to me and can go die in a hole for all I care). Now, a few years later, having read The Inheritance Games, several story elements are calling up my obsessions with Divergent and The Hunger Games from the dead and haunting me again (someone save me, like SOS, I mean it). I mean, the final mystery that Avery and the Hawthorne brothers were solving may not have been a fight to the death with stakes of ridiculous proportions but it certainly wasn’t without danger, double-crossing, backstabbing, and other stuff reminiscent of Katniss and Peeta’s days in the arena. And Tobias Hawthorne, isn’t that just one of the greatest ironies of my life? In this series, this guy is one of my least liked characters; meanwhile, Tobias Eaton was my second favorite character in Divergent and I loved his book called Four. Had an absolute blast with it, I don’t know why but I found it so funny given how his character is seemingly supposed to be stoic and serious but his deliberateness when reading his perspective is deprecating in such a way that it just comes across as humorous. Maybe Tobias Hawthorne, though, is more of a Snow in this book series with a better sense of humor that isn’t so stale without as many death wishes for his players. 

[windypuddle]

BSD season 4 intro analysis

ok. i havent actually watched any of season 4. this is mostly because im not caught up with the anime and dont care to catch up because i dont want to see how theyre going to butcher it. but i saw @dazaistabletop​ ‘s posts with all the character frames from the intro and i realized hey theres symbolism going on. my favorite. so here we are

PART ONE: the Armed Detective Agency and the Guild

(this is going to be really long because i have to put in the images individually. thank you desktop)

hey, you’re probably thinking. theres some people in here that shouldnt be here.

1. Aya. i think this is mainly symbolising that she’s on the agency’s side, the side of “good”, but it could also mean shes going to join the agency.

2. Poe. poe is in the Guild, right? sike. not anymore! although i believe the yellow lines of text in his picture could allude to him being in the Guild previously.

now some other weird things.

3. I’m not sure if its just visual effects, or the color changing as it goes along (as i said i havent watched s4), but Dazai especially seems a lot more faded out. this could be something related to how he doesnt feel like part of the agency. not sure. (ranpo’s also seems a little faded out, which could point to how he doesn’t play as big of an action role this season?)

4. Kyouka and Yosano both have prominent splashes of purple in their screenshots. I think this is reflecting how the Mafia/Mori have had such effects on them, which is important considering we’re getting Yosano’s backstory this season. This would beg the question why Dazai doesn’t have any purple, but this could have to do with how completely and easily he changed allegiances due to his lack of actual attachment to the Mafia or morality.

5. Tanizaki. Oh boy. Tanizaki has some purple in his, and also lines of red text(?). i think this is symbolizing that Tanizaki is going to be the one who takes the deal to join the Mafia.

ok on to the guild.

this threw me off a bit because i forgot about them but fitzgerald and alcott and the eyes of god are in fact important. also mitchell, despite being in a coma, is a catalyst for hawthorne’s whole thing. and we can’t forget the masked assassin himself. cant wait to see this loser in the skyfall arc. and lucy is practically a main character at this point.

i think the orange/pink accents are just there to complement the yellow as a color thing, not for symbolism. although the bit of aqua in fitzgerald’s picture likely symbolizes how he’s thrown his lot in with the agency.

next part: hunting dogs and port mafia! you know why

and third part

[gaydragontournament]

ROUND 1: PART 4

Propaganda under cut

Rong Minh Thanh Thuan (aka Thuan)

● Thuan is a dragon (of the sort native to Vietnam) from a dragon kingdom under the Seine River in Paris. As a member of the kingdom's royal family and a shapeshifter (who can fake being human as long as no one is particularly spiritually sensitive), he is sent as a spy to House Hawthorn, one of a number of houses ruled by fallen angels in a post-apocalyptic Paris. Hawthorn has been making overtures to the kingdom, you see, and Thuan's cousin was offered in a political marriage to Asmodeus, head of House Hawthorn. Also, someone is smuggling additive drugs into the kingdom, destabilizing things further, and it's one of the Houses or someone connected to them.

Thuan actually did a decent job of keeping his cover, doing his duty to House Hawthorn as a servant trying to learn full dependent status, and making sure his family knew what was up and what information he could find. Only shit hit the fan, and suddenly Thaun is the best remaining choice of the correct gender for the marriage, and the various crises for both the kingdom and House Hawthorn causes everyone to re-evaluate their plans. Especially Asmodeus, who had planned to use the marriage to screw over his consort to save House Hawthorn, but Thuan actually having been doing good-faith work (within what his prior allegiances allowed) made Asmodeus reconsider this as an actual alliance.

Which, surprisingly worked. It turned out that Thuan being bookish, compassionate and having strong convictions worked with Asmodeus, who was loyal to his people, had good people skills and the capability to be utterly terrifying, forming a functional partnership. They spun out into their own set of novellas (Dragons and Blades) dealing with the politics of the alliance, and cross-cultural factors. The two also seem to develop actual affection (and, even before that, sexual chemistry).

Ventuswill

● Ventuswill is a dragon who tries to hide her less serious side from the townspeople who revere her. As the protagonist is the only one who has seen her more casual demeanor, she becomes rather close to them — and while her dialogue is slightly different depending on selected player gender, either comes off as having a bit of romantic tension.

Also, the art book lists her gender as "???".

[typingtess]

Tiptoeing through the “A Long Time Coming” guest cast

Gary Cole as NCIS Special Agent Alden Parker Wilmer Valderrama as NCIS Special Agent Nicholas "Nick" Torres Vanessa Lachey as NCIS Special Agent Jane Tennant Yasmine Al-Bustami as NCIS Agent Lucy Tara

Everyone here has a role on the sister shows. Teams photo and selfie. Teams with a body.

Kavi Ramachandran Ladnier as NCIS Reserve Agent Shyla Dahr Back from “Flesh and Blood” in early November.

Lesley Boone as Nina Barnes Knew she was a keeper!  Boone is back from “Come Together”, the season 13 finale. Hanging with Wilmer Valderrama and ECO. Maya Stojan as Morgan Miller Played Tory Ellis, the NYPD Video Tech, in 27 episodes of Castle, Kara Lynn Palmas/Agent 33 on Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD and was Meredith Ragen in the “Decompressed” season 13 episode of NCIS.  Wouldn’t the NCIS Navy Yard staffers recognize Morgan Miller as Meredith Ragen?  #ThingsToPonderAtNight.

Had guest roles in episodes of Entourage, Criminal Minds, How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life), Grey’s Anatomy, The Resident and Magnum P.I. (2022).   Trailer and Hawai’i photo.

Jose Pablo Cantillo as Pierce Was Duff Gonzalez in Standoff, Hector Salazar in Sons of Anarchy, Caesar Martinez in The Walking Dead, Dave in Taken and Carlos Jimenez in Mayor of Kingstown.

Appeared in episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: SVU, ER, CSI: Miami, Medical Investigation, Crossing Jordan, Nip/Tuck, Bones, Eyes, Monk, CSI (2008), The Closer, Lie to Me, Hawthorne, Dark Blue, Lone Star, Terriers, The Good Guys, Law &  Order: LA, The River, The Finder, The Mentalist, Rush, Constantine, Damien, Shooter, The Last Ship, The Rookie, SWAT and Magnum P.I. (2022).

Guest starred as DEA Agent Mark Sisco in last season’s “Thick as Thieves” NCIS episode.  Wouldn’t the NCIS Navy Yard staffers recognize Pierce as someone else?  #ThingsToPonderAtNight.

Stephen Mendel as Jimmy McCann Longtime working actor.  Played Det. Freddie Carson in the CTV/CBS series Night Heat in the 1980′s.

Played Col. Tretyakov in the season six “Legacy” part one JAG premiere and Fred Pettis in the season 14 “Off the Grid” episode of NCIS.  Wouldn’t the NCIS Navy Yard team members recognize Jimmy McCann as someone else?  #ThingsToPonderAtNight.

Guest starred in episodes of Hart to Hart, Hot Shots, Night Heat, Dallas, Father Dowling Mysteries, Equal Justice, Sisters, Beverly Hills 90210, Saved by the Bell, L.A. Law, Murder She Wrote, The Hunger, The X-Files, The Practice, Judging Amy, The West Wing, 24, CSI: Miami, Jack & Bobby, Sleeper Cell, Las Vegas, The Bold & The Beautiful, Criminal Minds, Sons of Anarchy, Mad Men, Allegiance, Revenge, General Hospital, Grey’s Anatomy, American Woman and You’re the Worst.

Voices characters in a number of animated series.

Written by:  R. Scott Gemmill wrote/cowrote “The Only Easy Day”, “Brimstone”, “Breach”, “LD50”, “Found”, “Borderline”, “Absolution”, “Archangel”, “Tin Soldiers”, “Impostors”, “Cyberthreat”, “Honor”, “The Watchers” and both sides of the NCIS Los: Angeles/Hawaii Five-0 “Touch of Death” episodes, “Recruit”, “Free Ride”, “Wanted”, “Ravens and The Swans”, “Impact”, “War Cries”, both ends of the “Deep Trouble” season five finale/season six premiere, “Inelegant Heart”, “Praesidium”, “Traitor”, “Active Measures” (season seven premiere), “Blame It On Rio”, “Internal Affairs”, “Matryoshka” part one,  "Talion" (season seven finale), “High Value Target”/”Belly of the Beast” (season eight premieres), “The Queen’s Gambit”, “Under Siege”, “Unleashed” (season eight finale), “Party Crashers” (season nine’s premiere), “This Is What We Do” (episode 200), “Các Tù Nhân”, “Goodbye Vietnam”, “Ninguna Salida” (the season nine finale), “Hit List”, “Asesinos”, “Till Death Do Us Part”, “Choke Point”, “The Guardian”, “Hail Mary”, “Kill Beale Vol. 1”, “Alsiyadun”, “Fortune Favors the Brave”, “The Bear” (season 12 premiere), “Angry Karen”, “Love Kills”, “Russia, Russia, Russia”, “The Noble Maidens”, “A Tale of Two Igors” (season 12 finale), "Subject 17" (season 13 premiere), "All The Little Things", “MWD”, “Work and Family” and “Game of Drones” (season 14 premiere).    

Directed by: Dennis Smith directed “Fame”, “Standoff”, “Rocket Man”, “Cyberthreat”, “Exit Strategy”, “Patriot Acts”, “Out of the Past” part one, “The Livelong Day”, Between the Lines”, “Deep Trouble” part two, “Black Budget", “Black Wind”, “Blame it On Rio”, “Defectors”, “Matryoshka” part one, “Granger, O”, “The Queen’s Gambit”, “Hot Water”, “From Havana With Love”, “Plain Sight”, the lighthearted “Monster”, “Superhuman”, “One of Us”, “Smokescreen” part one, “Decoy”, “Mother” (episode 250), “Alsiyadun”, “The Bear”, “Angry Karen”, “Signs of Change”, “Fukushu” and “Dead Stick���. Scouting locations. Call sheet. With Vanessa Lachay at the foot of the office staircase. With Wilmer Valderrama in the office.