#I could talk at length about the significance of this scene

[woundedheartwithin]

Kazama Kimichika: Kyojo Zero (2023)

[invinciblerodent]

While I'm on the topic of being hopelessly in my feelings about these characters, I just finished the last part of the Gloom Howler quest, and I'm thinking about Davrin and names at the moment.

I really, really love how, once we learn the truth about her, Davrin seems to make a point of always referring to Isseya by her name (mostly on its own, but sometimes in conjunction with calling her "The Gloom Howler" when necessary), and even correcting others who would refer to her only by the latter name. (Which, honestly, both Solas and the Inquisitor could also talk at length about a title that all but replaces your name- it definitely feels significant that Davrin would pointedly reject the thought of doing that to someone, but I digress.)

And that reminded me of how I previously made an idle, kind of shitposty little post about how nice I found that during his recruitment mission, Davrin calls out the specific names of each griffon if you interact with their cages, and he attempts to comfort them like that- by reminding them who they are, that he's there, and promising that he'll be back for them.

In retrospect, I think that's so interesting, how his core story seems to boil in part down to... well, in part to the burden of duty, the questioning of tradition and authority (he questions both Dalish- and Warden traditions from very early on, one by joining the Wardens and the other by joining Rook) and, yes, living past what one thought to be their purpose, but also... to these moments, that invite some contrasting of his elven-, and his Grey Warden identities.

Isseya being an elven Warden is a very direct parallel, and a very clear image- it, I think, is meant to show what happens when authority goes unquestioned, and one side (the Warden) triumphs over the other (the person). His uncle then acts as a counterpoint and a thread of connection to the past- he shows what happens when tradition goes unquestioned, and while peaceful, how that existence is not one Davrin wishes for himself.

This all comes to a head in the final choice concerning the griffons... which, I can't say what a "correct" choice is, but I find it really cool how one option embraces a more rigid tradition and acts as a vow for reforms within them, honoring them, while the other embraces a different tradition, one born of fluidity, choice, and change- a more personal freedom.

Purpose and nature, respect for the past and hope for the future, all strain against each other sometimes (in multiple companions' stories, I feel), and it's often a name that represents the complicated harmony between two halves.

Be that Assan, noble descendant of a hero Warden's griffon wearing an Elvish name, Isseya, the monster and mage brought to peace, the idea of "turlum", harmony and understanding forged between vastly different minds, or just... Davrin, the Dalish Grey Warden, who is not more one than the other.

Maybe that's why calling people (and animals, and feelings) by their proper names seems so casually important to him. Because if you give something complex, messy, and muddled up a name, it's easier to just live it.

(.......... and yeah, that makes it a bit ironic how so far he's been calling Rook, "Rook", but, yknow, technological limitations. I've a feeling I've at least one important scene to go still, but honestly, the name "Rook" does also kind of represent a similarly complex matrix of ideas condensed into a person. It could be that "Rook" feels more accurate than any "friend", or "love", or "boss", or even "vhenan", for what they are to him, or it could be that he's still looking for the right name, but either way, I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ends.)

[mc-lukanette]

One might think that having the most incredible, most creative, most skilled, and most beautiful girlfriend in the world would be hard, but it wasn't for Luka. What would destroy the confidence of hyper-sensitive boys only bolstered Luka's, knowing that such a wonderful girl picked him.

He had no idea what he'd done to deserve Marinette, Paris's sole hero and the guardian of the miraculouses, but he wasn't going to argue.

"Which one are you showing me today?" he asked, leaning forward on her chaise lounge.

She grinned, raising a finger to gesture for him to wait. "You'll see! I don't want to spoil the surprise."

There was a bounce in her step as she walked over to the Miracle Box, her hands gliding along its edges before opening it up. Luka kept himself rooted in place, fighting the contagious excitement but unable to help tilting to the side to try and see better.

It was common for her to show him the various miraculouses in the box and explain their powers, ever since her master had handed it over to her and left the country with his own lover. It wasn't just for fun either - even if they did have fun doing it - as Luka was Marinette's hero of choice when she needed someone to wield a miraculous for her.

She insisted every time that it was a completely unbiased decision, that it wasn't her fault that he could fit so many of them, and who was he to question a guardian?

Marinette turned to face him, holding up a shiny black ring and waving it about. Gesturing at it with her free hand, she explained, "This one's special. It's not safe to use since it's one of the ones Hawk Moth wants, but who knows? You might need to someday."

There was a playfulness to her voice that made him raise a brow, but he suspected that it might have to do with the thought of actually seeing him transformed. He wasn't oblivious to the once-over she'd give him any time he transformed with a miraculous he hadn't used before, and he'd do the same back to her.

That was because, rather than simply explaining the miraculous to him, she would ditch her earrings and don it herself like some superhero version of dressing up for one's significant other. While Luka knew nothing of fashion nor design, he could still appreciate seeing her in something new.

Marinette slipped the miraculous onto her finger, raising it up to watch it shrink just enough to fit her. It transformed, disguising itself to be a simple, rose gold ring, and out came another kwami for Luka to meet.

Said kwami, easily fitting the black and cat theme the ring had previously given off, yawned and stretched now that he was properly outside of the box. His green eyes popped open, tail swishing curiously as his cat-like pupils took in the scene before him.

"Oh, we're finally doing this, huh?" he asked, flying over to Luka. He looked him up and down, then went closer to bat at his bangs. "Hair's soft at least. Would make a nice bed."

"Plagg," Marinette called sternly, putting her hands on her hips.

Luka moved his head to look past Plagg and smile at her. "It's alright. He's not bothering me."

Also, though he didn't say it out loud, meeting each kwami felt vaguely like trying to impress future in-laws, so he gave all of them an extra dose of his patience.

"Good kid," Plagg said, hovering around Luka in a circle before laying himself atop his head. "Just keep the mushy stuff to a minimum whenever I'm here and we'll be fine. I got sick enough hearing her talk to me about it."

Luka looked up despite his inability to actually see Plagg. "You were talking about it?"

"Well—"

"Plagg!" Marinette burst out, panicked. "Transform me!"

Luka heard a mischievous snicker just before Plagg was pulled off of his head and into the miraculous. The rose gold ring returned to its original shape and color, light flowing out of it and transforming Marinette.

As if the fake cat ears that popped out of her head weren't already cute enough, her hair grew in length and fashioned itself into a long braid to represent a cat tail. Lining her black bodysuit were streaks of blue, accentuating her body properly as one would expect of a future fashion designer, and her sclera turned to a lighter blue while her pupils turned into vertical slits to mirror Plagg's.

Luka didn't realize his mouth had opened at all until she strutted up to him and closed it with a clawed hand. He smiled warmly, not subtle about looking her over.

"I love the black and blue," he said, doing his best to compliment her as an artist might. "The blue stripes harmonize with your eyes."

The pink blush didn't do anything for the look she was going for, but he cherished it all the same.

"Thanks~" Her voice came out a little higher-pitched, shyness blending with her earlier confidence. She reached out for him, placing her hands firmly on his shoulders, then began to let herself up onto his lap.

It wasn't usual for them to cuddle during her mini lessons - not right away, at least - but muscle memory kicked in nonetheless and his hands found her sides. Her hair brushed his skin as she buried her face into the crook of his neck and slipped her arms around his back.

"I didn't know you could give lessons from there," he said jokingly, though his own voice was a smidge higher as well.

She didn't joke back, which he found a little odd. Beyond the sound of her shuffling to get even closer to him, she wasn't making a noise of any sort.

He rubbed her sides in tiny circles with his thumb, calling out curiously, "Marinette?"

Now, Luka had a mental log of all of the various sounds that Marinette made over the course of them knowing each other. She had sounds for when she was jumping in excitement, for when she slept, for when she was distressed, and for when she was being cuddled.

But the sound she was making at that moment was entirely foreign to him. It was low, rumbling, and consistent, repeating in almost a rhythmic pattern. He tried to place it without getting distracted by the way she almost seemed to be vibrating against him, but then it clicked.

She was wearing the cat miraculous. He didn't have a cat himself, but they did go to a few pet shelters one day to see the animals and talk about if they'd want one when they were old enough to move out together. He still remembered getting to pet one of the cats, rubbing its side not unlike what he was doing with Marinette.

She was purring.

"Mmm," she hummed, sensing that he'd gotten it, "I...I know I'm not always good with words. We're dating, but nothing I really want to say comes out the way it is in my head. Even when you don't say anything, you can still play music, so..." She sighed, nuzzling him. "I wanted to find a way to speak your language?"

Luka froze, blushing as he looked down at her. Plagg's earlier words came back to mind - that she had been talking to him about their contact - and he realized that it must've been this: that she wanted to know if cat heroes could purr so she could tell Luka what she felt without words: that she was comfortable with him, that she loved him, and that she felt happy whenever he touched her.

Luka wasn't self-conscious about his role in the world, but at the end of the day he was just some guy. He wasn't conventionally attractive like a celebrity on a magazine, he had what many would consider a lower class part-time job, and he didn't have any presence in the public eye. He didn't have any problem with that - less eyes on him meant more time he could eye Marinette - but it left him awestruck yet again thinking of how many boys must've been after her (or how many stupid ones weren't) when her gaze focused solely on him.

"...Luka?" Marinette called when he didn't say anything. The purring stopped as she raised up enough to look at him, the fake cat ears drooping in concern.

He snapped himself out of his reverie. Smiling at her, he took one hand off her side to cup the back on her head, bringing her in to press their foreheads together. He took a deep breath, finding calm in her scent, and assured, "You're already speaking my language, Marinette. Music doesn't mean playing an instrument or purring like a cat does. You're the song in my head, all the time, even if you're not singing."

"Really?" She sounded skeptical.

With a chuckle, he asked, "Do you want to know what my favorite part of your look is?"

She perked up, pulling back so he could better gesture at said part. "What? What is it?"

His smile tilted up to the side in a smirk. He brought a hand to her face, pressing a finger to her lips. "Right here."

Her brows soared, eyes going wide. She pushed his hand away and turned her face to the side so she could laugh, even as her face flushed. "That didn't change at all!"

He pulled her back in, eyes glinting in amusement but no less genuine. "So? You don't need words to tell me how you feel. I know with everything you do for me, and the sounds you make are already music to my ears, especially when we're..." His eyes flicked to her lips instead of saying anything further.

Her blush deepened, her claws raking shyly through her bangs. "S-so... all that practice of hugging my pillow and trying to imagine it was you to see if I could purr? That was all for nothing?"

She asked it lightly, but Luka had never been jealous of a pillow before that day, knowing that it got the experience before him.

"No," he replied with a shrug. "I love hearing whatever you want to give me, but you're already so much. You're more than enough."

He could see her visibly swallow, the stiff embarrassment melting away as she relaxed against him. She bit her bottom lip - carefully due to her fangs - and slowly slid the back of her claws up his stomach, his chest, then over his shoulder.

"Then—do you want to hear a little more?"

It was a request, not a question, and a request he was happy to indulge in.

He kissed her, immediately rewarded with a squeak that transitioned smoothly into a moan. Whenever one of them were in superhero form, it was inevitable that the other would be underneath them eventually due to the strength imbalance, thus leaving him laying flat on the chaise lounge as she kissed him back.

He could hear the purr starting up again, but he much preferred the tune they were creating with their mouths.

[pascaloverx]

Moonlight

Summary: You and Edward Cullen used to have a romantic relationship. But fate seemed not to believe in the possibility of a vampire and a potential she-wolf being together. Years after your separation, you return to Forks. Edward is committed to Bella Swan, and Jacob Black has his own pack. What happens when, upon your return, you begin to transform into a she-wolf and both Edward and Jacob seem eager to revisit the past with you?

Author's Note: The characters in this fanfic do not belong to me but to Stephenie Meyer and the Twilight universe. The story blends events that happened in the Twilight saga movies with invented ones. If you're enjoying the fanfic, please interact. This story will contain inappropriate language, a possible love triangle, scenes of violence, and romance. I would appreciate it if those who enjoy the fanfic could leave a comment and like (kudos). Engagement helps me know that there are still people reading. I hope you enjoy this chapter ❤

FIVE SEVEN

SIX

Edward insisted that you go to his house after you had sex in the car. As you said you would stay by his side in the heat of the romantic moment. It seems stupid now, but it's what you can do now. So at this moment, you are finishing your shower in the bathroom of Edward's almost-suite-like bedroom. He is currently informing his family that you are at their house. Your mind tells you that they will hate your presence, especially after his recent breakup with Bella. That's why, after finishing your shower, your plan is to look for a place to rent.

"You were wrong, they reacted better than you imagined. But they want you to come down for breakfast with them," Edward says, entering the bedroom and then opening the bathroom door, holding a towel for you to dry off. Sometimes you forget that he reads minds. You step out of the bathtub and wrap yourself in the towel. Edward kisses you gently while holding your face with both hands.

"Now try to tell me the truth. Your family doesn't have to force themselves to accept me here just because I'm homeless. I'll rent a place before Rosalie tries to throw me out the window. And I need to talk to Sam. But I can have breakfast with your family as long as none of them pretend to eat food." You say while putting on some clothes, and Edward turns around to give you privacy. When you finish dressing, you kiss Edward on the cheek, and he turns to look at you. Honestly, as he stares at you, a warm feeling of affection fills your heart.

"Don't you want me to go with you? Since you plan to reveal our relationship..." Edward says, holding your waist, and you hug him. Then you lightly slap his head, showing your annoyance at him reading your mind.

"Our agreement about you staying out of my mind still stands. I admit I'm scared of his reaction, but we're all grown-ups. And even though I can't read your mind, I can assure you that I won't run away or be afraid to admit that I feel something for you. Even if it could lead to a significant war between vampires and wolves. And you're definitely not coming with me," you say, laughing a little at Edward's reaction to hearing that he isn't going with you. Holding his hand, you head downstairs to have breakfast with the Cullens. The table is set, and it's clear they went to great lengths to make you feel welcome.

"We didn't know what you like to eat, but Bella used to have pancakes and bacon. Sometimes waffles and scrambled eggs. You're not exactly human, but you probably enjoy the same food she did. I know you two have similar tastes in many things," Rosalie says as you finish coming down the stairs. You look at her, knowing she isn't happy about your presence in her house, but you can't blame her.

"Rosalie, take it easy," Edward says, placing his hand on your shoulder, as if to show he's on your side. You breathe in and out, trying not to get upset. After all, do you really have the right to be upset?

"Edward is right, Rose. We have a guest, and we will treat her well. Y/N, I know you'll forgive Rose for her tone. We're just adjusting to this new situation," Carlisle says with some grace. He’s a good father. It makes you miss your own.

"I'd like to thank all of you for your efforts. But you don’t need to pretend. I know it’s sudden for me to be here; I promise I’ll leave. It’s too soon for us to be in this situation. Too soon for Edward and me to be together, but to be honest, Edward and I have had a relationship. We were secret lovers before he met Bella. That doesn’t justify anything, but perhaps Edward and I feel like we waited too long to be together." You look at all the Cullens in front of you, feeling like you’re making a confession. They seem to understand you, at least a little.

"Dear, I think I speak for everyone here when I say that it’s none of our business. As long as you and Edward are happy, we will support you," Alice says kindly. But you know it’s hard for them to support you both.

"I think it’s too early to talk about support. Not to be rude, Y/N, but just a few weeks ago Edward was ready to marry Bella. You can’t expect…" Jasper says, and you feel guilt washing over you. You’ve spoiled someone’s happy ending. You can't even respond. As the Cullens look at you with a mix of fear and concern, you see Edward wanting to comfort you. But right now, you need to leave this house. You should never have come. You run outside without saying anything more, hearing Alice cursing Jasper while Rosalie takes pride in not being the one to reveal that Edward was going to propose to Bella.

“Y/N, stop. Just listen to me for a moment. Don’t push us away. Don’t use this as an excuse to run from me,” Edward says, trying to stop you from getting into your car. You’re trying not to cry, trying to stay composed. But it feels like you’re back at square one.

“You were going to propose to her. Do you know what that means for us?” you say louder than you intended. Your emotions are overflowing.

“It was before you came back. Before we realized that what we felt before still exists. My decision not to propose was also a way to protect her,” Edward explains. You somewhat understand him, but right now, the anger towards Jacob feels justified. You feel like a terrible person.

“I’m not going to leave you. I’m tired of running, but I need some time. We both need to start over, slowly. I’m going to talk to Sam about us, and in the meantime, try to have a conversation with your family and your ex. But don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere,” you say, letting the tears roll down your face before going to Edward and giving him a soft, comforting kiss on the lips. Maybe, just maybe, you and he are meant to find a way through this together. After the kiss, you say goodbye to Edward and head towards Uley's house. You know he'll find out your big secret eventually. It’s better that you tell him. As you approach the house, you see Sam and Emily. Immediately, Uley seems to harden his expression when he sees you.

"I never supported your relationship with Jacob, but you’ve definitely managed to get yourself into a worse relationship. You and a monster whose heart doesn’t beat. A damned bloodsucker, a vampire. Do you have any idea what that is? An abominable union. Your father would die if he were here to witness this." Sam is too enraged, but Emily touches his hand lightly as if calming him down.

"We talked about this, Sam. Don’t be rude to her. I’ll make some tea for us," Emily says gently, giving Sam a kiss on the cheek. You watch as Emily leaves you and Sam alone.

"My father died knowing this. Knowing that his daughter fell in love with a cold monster that survives on blood. He found out just before he made me leave Forks. Before he died. He reacted like you, and I was too young to defend myself back then, but I’m not now. I’m not going to lower my head and let you walk all over me. If you want to resolve this, face me. You may have your pack, but you’re still a weak man. You can’t see beyond your own nose. That’s why you’re an imperfect leader." You don’t mince words as you let your anger take over. Sam looks at you almost with disgust now.

"I’m giving you the chance to leave and forget this ridiculous romance of yours. If you continue, I won’t hesitate to end this fairy tale of yours, even if it means hurting you." Sam threatens. You laugh at him, as if his attempt to intimidate you has only amused you, but the truth is, it’s frightening. And in reality, apart from Edward, you don’t think anyone else is on your side right now.

"So it’s pertinent for you to know that she will have the support of my pack. Hurting her means hurting me, Uley," Jacob says, appearing out of nowhere and surprising both you and Sam. He stands beside you, staring down Sam. You wonder how he knew you were talking to Sam or how he arrived so quickly, but it's good to see him there, even if you and he are currently at odds.

TO BE CONTINUED...

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hi, so I am a new novelist, and I recently finished my first novel. The problem is I didn't divide the story by chapters, meaning I have no chapters I just have the story written, my question is how to know when it should be a chapter? Is there a specific common word count? Or is it by storyline?

Thank you for your time🤍love your page xx

What Exactly is a Chapter?

Chapters in novels contain usually one to three related scenes that are grouped together. They often center around a single scene goal or reaction and have their own beginning, middle, and end. New chapters usually begin when there's a significant change of time, place, or a change in point-of-view.

So, let's say your first six scenes look like this:

Scene 1 - Maggie walks to school with her friend Brad Scene 2 - Maggie encounters strange new student in history class Scene 3 - Maggie tells Brad about new student at lunch Scene 4 - Brad calls during Saturday dinner having seen new student Scene 5 - Maggie meets Brad at the park to hear the story Scene 6 - Maggie encounters new student at the mall on Sunday

Scene 1 takes place on the way to school, and scenes 2 - 3 take place at school within the first half of the day, so if these scenes are told from Maggie's POV or a third-person omniscient POV, we know we can group these scenes together into one chapter. But scene 4 takes place at home on the weekend, scene 5 takes place at the neighborhood park a little while later, and scene 6 takes place the next day at the mall. Since the location has shifted from school to home and home adjacent (park, mall), and the time is the weekend rather than the school week, that's a significant enough change in place and time that we know scenes 4-6 can be a separate chapter from 1-3.

On the other hand, let's say scene 1 and 2 are Maggie's POV, but scenes 3 and 4 are from Brad's POV. In that case, we'll start a new chapter with scene 3 when we switch to Brad's POV. And, even though we have the big time and location shift from school during the week to home on Saturday, it could make sense for these two scenes to stay in one chapter, because both are related to Brad's experience with the new student... hearing about them from the first time at lunch when Maggie talks about them, then encoutering them himself and calling to tell Maggie about it.

Ultimately, just follow your gut, and remember that chapters aren't required to be any particular length. They can be as short as a few sentences or as long as twenty pages... all that matters is that the chapter works as a chapter. Also, remember that you also don't have to stick with the same convention throughout your story. For example, if your chapters tend to average about 1200 words, that doesn't mean you can't have a 600 word chapter or a 2400 word chapter. Again, the only criteria to length is that it's enough words to accomplish whatever the chapter needs to accomplish.

Happy writing!

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[vidavalor]

Do you think Aziraphale has a raging praise kink in addition to his 'food' and 'Crowley watching him do stuff' kinks? *hands you a box of spiced apple muffins, along with the recipe: https://www.hairybikers.com/recipes/view/spiced-apple-muffins*

Hi @jotun-philosopher! A recipe!!! I'm so excited. The website you shared is quite interesting. I'll have to make these on the other side of my holiday food as they look delicious. Do I think Aziraphale has a raging praise kink? Oh, yeah. Raging might be an understatement lol.

Praise kink and trauma thoughts under the cut.

In S2, we go from Lord Beezlebub paralleling Aziraphale, missing their Crowley (Gabriel) while in Hell, and musing that it'd be nice if someone ever told them they were doing a good job over to Aziraphale doing some difficult trauma work in Edinburgh and calling Crowley to talk to him about it. What goes a little undersung here, imo, is the way this is filmed and how Aziraphale can't stop talking about 1827 to a point that Crowley actually has to prompt him into telling him what he learned at the pub about Gabriel. This is because while Aziraphale-- who really didn't need to go to this cemetery at all for any reason related to figuring out what happened to Gabriel-- has been back to Edinburgh since 1827 (Crowley mentions him going to Edinburgh "for the festival" in 1.01), he's never been back to this spot since the night Crowley was yanked to Hell in front of him.

When we come in on Aziraphale at the cemetery, it's right off of that scene in the 1827 flashback and then we watch Aziraphale turn around again, now in the present, right? It's that he does have to turn around that's pretty significant. It says that he's not here because he thought maybe seeing Gabriel's statue again might give him some random insight as to what's happening to Gabriel in the present. He wasn't looking at the statue at first-- we come in on him looking at the spot where Crowley was taken.

Crowley and Aziraphale are in a place between S1 and S2 where Armageddon: Round Two could theoretically happen at any time. They have no idea if it's happening in five years or next Thursday or in an hour, really, and that's made the fact that Aziraphale has really never gotten over 1827 worse for him, to a point that it now bothers him to be away from Crowley for any significant length of time, especially if they've been arguing, because he's always worried that something will happen while they're apart and he'll never see him again. He spent almost a month (estimated by the dates in his diary) in 1827 thinking that had happened. He does some work on that in Edinburgh by deciding to go to the spot again and, when he does, he has to magically get the nearest cell phone so he can talk to Crowley from the spot because he knows that hearing his voice will help.

By telling Crowley that he's looking at the statue of Gabriel, we get in his knowledge that Crowley will understand the significance of this (and in Crowley's response indicating that he does) that they've talked about this at some point. There are other suggestions of that in the season (like the "I'm coming back. I won't leave you on your own" moment) but this phone conversation says that Aziraphale has verbalized to Crowley at some point how much 1827 still bothers him and Crowley understands that Aziraphale is telling him that he's taking a step towards trying to deal with it more.

(This is also an example of Aziraphale having done something clever and needing to call Crowley to tell him about it before he pops lol, which he's apparently been doing a lot lately since he no longer can get a pat on the back from Heaven, not that he ever did much, which is part of the whole damn problem. One could then perhaps presume that Crowley's been doling out a lot of praise over the phone of late, in addition to in person.)

So Crowley responds to Aziraphale telling him that he's in the cemetery in Edinburgh and looking at the Gabriel statue/trying to deal with 1827 by doing what they do sometimes-- cheer each other up from some depressing stuff about the past with a little of some of each other's favorite sexy chat.

This is basically a mirror in reverse of the scene in S1 in the car on the way to Tadfield where Crowley tells Aziraphale more about the antichrist baby swap and how it went wrong. Crowley was feeling depressed about the whole mess and how Armageddon was imminent now as a result of it and Aziraphale's response was to pivot to what was, effectively, dirty talking him in blasphemous Bible speak euphemisms in a dry-as-all-fuck, combination Pompous Angel/mildly soft dom tone because Crowley's sooooo weak for that lol. (I'm talking about the "seeds of destruction" scene, the dirtiness of which is probably a whole other meta, since we're mostly talking about Aziraphale here.)

Aziraphale's version of that is a massive praise kink. He looooves being told he's good at something or he did a good job or really just anything related to him and goodness, since Heaven's done a number on him and he struggles sometimes to fundamentally believe that he is good, which is lunacy but so are negative thought cycles in the first place. The praise thing with Crowley isn't unhealthy-- I'm not suggesting that. Aziraphale's negative thought cycle is unhealthy, obviously, but the praise kink thing with Crowley is actually not a terrible counter to it. It's obviously not the entire solution to dealing with Heaven's abuse of him but it is also doesn't hurt that Aziraphale believes Crowley and values what he thinks, which can help break up negative thoughts.

It exists both in and out of bed and Crowley was intentionally blending that over the phone in the Edinburgh scene by responding to Aziraphale being like I did the really hard trauma work thing we were talking about today and I'm still here go me with the kind of praise you'd give someone for doing something that was tough ("good job") but delivered low and with the little "mmrmm" before it, which was to associate it with, uh, other kinds of praise Aziraphale has elicited from Crowley before, by way of also invoking Aziraphale's Assorted Rumbly Crowley Sounds Kink as well.

Aziraphale undoubtedly heard it and replied around it, like he was doing with most of Crowley's flirting with him in S2, because driving Crowley slowly insane is also Aziraphale's favorite past time. It was made funnier by the fact that he left Crowley in London to get The Shop Lesbians together, explain The Vavoom to a memory-wiped Jimbriel, answer any questions about love for the Inspector Constable angel Heaven sent to spy on them, and fix Shax's "hot water boiler" so The Love Doctor was in and getting no love himself lol. Crowley's comment wasn't meant to go anywhere anyway, really-- Gabriel was literally five feet away at the time, which was probably also amusing Crowley-- but yeah, I think the conscious, intentional way Crowley phrased that is meant to suggest that Aziraphale not only likes positive reinforcement in life in general but has a bit of a raging praise kink in bed, with which Crowley is very familiar.

[sonkitty]

The Sideburns Scheme Post #98

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

Crowley, Good Omens 2, Episode 6, Every Day, go

...

Sideburns Check

The sideburns are long, specifically longest-length.

...

Brighter Red Streak Check

The more saturated red streak of hair can be found.

...

Hairstyle Changes

The curve of the top hair is not as obvious with its tilt to the right. The extra split that was in his hair at the top is gone. With the lighting, the top hair on Crowley's right looks darker. His hair doesn't look as smooth, possibly to indicate his underlying stress at having to let Aziraphale go with the Metatron.

...

Earthly Objects

(For reference: Earthly Objects | Bookend Buddies - Crowley and Muriel (Part 2) )

Crowley ends up touching a pillar again.

The main earthly object touch otherwise is that Crowley throws a book at Muriel. The book in question is The Crow Road.

The dialogue includes names.

Muriel has a question about being able to take a book with them and says the number, "one".

...

Time to pay attention to the pockets.

If the Tied Hands retie, most of it is done with Crowley getting up from the chair. The lighting makes it hard to be sure if a clasp strikes a lapel edge. The watch is visible. The left thumb joint aligns with a jacket edge as he gets up though it's a little blurry. It also lines up over the jacket edge more clearly. Crowley creates pockets with his body.

He doesn't seem to have an extended index finger, but its absence might be handled by his back being visible and/or what Muriel ends up doing during the scene.

For most of the scene, Muriel's pocket chain is visible. The two times it isn't visible, Muriel has an extended index finger. The first such instance is when Muriel says they can explore the bookshop. The second such instance is Muriel touching the book Crowley just threw at them.

The Belt Head is visible when Crowley gets up form the chair.

After Aziraphale and the Metatron exit, the Belt Head is off screen and stays off screen. The clasps and tassels that are the thumb joints and thumbs of the Tied Hands also go and stay off screen.

After Crowley is touching the pillar, his tie strands stay aligned next to each other but make sure to spread once Crowley moves to throw the book at Muriel.

...

Crowley might receive Overhead Lights when three appear to his left while touching a pillar. Since there are three, one might be because of Muriel's assistance in the scene.

...

Story Commentary

While Muriel at first indicates they plan on staying because the Metatron told them to wait, Crowley does eventually kick Muriel out of the bookshop.

I theorize that Crowley and Muriel have a deep trust in each other, possibly even a friendship or a mentor and student type relationship. Because of that, I like to think that when Crowley says Muriel will like the book he throws, he means it. He knows the book and Muriel well enough for the recommendation to be genuine.

Since the book thrown has characters engage in significant non-verbal interaction, according to other sources I've read on Tumblr, him choosing the book could also be Crowley trusting and informing Muriel about how he communicates with Aziraphale.

I think it's sweet that Muriel considers both Aziraphale and Crowley friends who they would like to spend time with for breakfast.

...

Crowley has the longest-length sideburns, if they weren't already longest-length. He is the one who ends up directing Muriel out, but he allows Muriel to take a book with them before they leave.

This scene is one of the clues that the sideburns have that potential rank meaning with angels.

...

Maggie and Nina

Neither Maggie nor Nina show any interest in talking to "them" until after the Metatron has ordered his coffee.

Given what we see unfold for the rest of the episode, that suggests Maggie and Nina either had a conversation with the Metatron, or he has some power of influence just being in their presence, like he seemed to have with Crowley resurrecting Mr. Brown.

Nina eventually concedes, and not only does she concede, she willingly drops everything she is doing at that exact instant to leave the coffee shop so that she and Maggie can supposedly talk to "them."

The whole thing irks me.

But at least the scene helped me with my Earthly Objects play. It's part of how I figured out talking in a foreign language is an earthly object touch, and numbers are dialogue points.

...

That's it for this post. Sometimes I edit my posts, FYI.

...

Main post:

The Sideburns Scheme

[fraeuleintaka]

Investigations 2 Official Anthology Manga

This is the 75th post in the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Countdown: 6 days left until release!

Today's topic: the Investigations 2 Official Anthology Manga!

After three entire volumes of anthology comics for Investigations 1 it's time to get to the anthology manga for Investigations 2! "Sadly", there's only one but that's about how many I would've expected for a single game so I'm not going to complain. This one was by far the hardest to get, as it's barely available anywhere even in used condition. But I got it! In regards to its content, it's very similar to the first two I1 volumes I talked about: several short stories of varying length, for this one most are several pages long, from different artists that aren't canon to the games. It's again a nice mixture of funny and serious scenes (most of them being funny, of course) and most interactions are in-character (apart from some exaggerations for humour) so could be taken as canon as far as they don't contradict anything (like the actual timeline of the case). It also has some nice coloured (and not coloured) artworks!

I only have one small criticism in comparison to the other anthologies and that is that while most of the stories are about our main trio getting up to shenanigans related to what happens in I2, like at its locations and with its case-specific characters, the new main characters (except Ray (Eddie)) feel a little neglected. Both Sebastian (Eustace) and Justine (Verity) only appear in about 1-2 stories each with a significant role. That's a little disappointing considering they're both such fantastic characters. The stories are still a lot of fun, don't get me wrong, I just would've liked a bit more involvement from these two. Anyway, on to a few of the highlights, my favourite (out of context) panels and pages:

A Tragedy in Three Acts

Kay has some fun with what Little Thief can "re-create"

Lotta and Nicole (Tabby) really want to get that interview with Miles

Gumshoe and Ray try to avoid Franziska's whip in... creative ways (they fail, Miles told them so)

Sebastian tries very hard to get involved in Miles' "case" (Awww~)

Justine's hammer strike is so powerful that it leaves an imprint in the floor! (And makes Miles' cravat fly in his face)

A team of Great Thieves! (Love the detail of Miles' "flying" in a much more elegant pose than the typical "superhero" one! And that he still has his cravat over his Yatagarasu scarf! Perfect team right there!)

[reesiereads]

James and the Dupes (Goosebumps 2023 Analysis 3/5)

If you haven’t read the previous two parts of this analysis I highly recommend you do, however the jist is that I am attempting to show how each Biddle item is purposely symbolic of the kid it’s tied to.

I’ve already discussed Isaiah and Isabella so let’s talk about James.

(Spoilers below the cut, I seriously recommend watching the show first before reading, it’s definitely worth it)

James is the point of view for Goosebumps’ third episode The Cuckoo Clock of Doom, however James’ object is not the clock for which the episode is named. When listing the objects in Go Eat Worms Margot specifically says James’ object is the “dupes” aka the duplications of James that the clock created. I’ll be discussing the significance of this in a moment but keep this in mind.

The Cuckoo Clock of Doom starts once again the night of the Halloween party at the Biddle house and with James hitting his head for the first time on the cuckoo clock. James is disoriented and it’s implied he hit his head fairly hard but he decides to go through with the party anyway and it’s through his actions at the party this first go around that we see the most vital aspects of James’ character.

James goes throughout the party talking to just about everybody. He knows all their names, he’s personable and friendly, he’s a complete social butterfly. It’s very obvious though that he isn’t actually saying anything of substance; it’s all small talk. He knows everybody and everybody knows him but none of them are his actual friends. James’ demeanor through this scene is also very (for a lack of a better word) safe, it’s the sort of polite but casual tone you take when trying to make friendly small talk and it’s the sort of tone that while very forced very few people could take issue with.

When James stops to talk to Isaiah this very palatable tone fades but not completely, there’s still a very obvious amount of effort and energy being pushed into what James is saying. His words are casual but his body language and tone are practiced.

Essentially, James is a performer. His given description prior to the shows release labeled him as a “class clown” and this trope is a perfect encompassment of everything James embodies. He’s funny, he’s charming, just about everyone likes him but nobody actually knows him. He’s got a sort of casual confidence about him that is a complete act, but he’s so at arms-length with everyone around him that most don’t recognize his facade.

There are two relationships that perfectly show James’s true character: Sam and Isaiah.

Sam is the boy James likes but we aren’t given much of an indication why James like him other then that Sam is hot: this is deliberate.

See, Sam is the perfect vehicle to showing how James conducts most of his relationships. He approaches a person, he makes some small talk, he finds a topic the person likes and (whether he has any knowledge or interest in the subject) tries make himself palatable by discussing it. As a people-pleaser myself I can say with full confidence that this behavior is done with two goals in mind: to make the other person like him and to keep the conversation on the other person so he doesn’t have to talk about himself. This is the main reason Isaiah tells him he needs to stop trying so hard to be liked, because this people-pleasing behavior hinders James’ ability to form actual deep connections.

The reason James doesn’t take this advice is because that’s exactly what he wants. What the time loops reveal is that even when given the opportunity James will not be himself. He’s presented with the perfectly opportunity to try and be himself with Sam, being completely able to just reset the night once again if it goes wrong, and instead James abuses the time loop so that his lie about sharing interests with Sam will be more convincing.

This is further emphasized by the clones words to Sam. While yes, the clones are being purposely cruel to try and ruin James’ life, a majority of their words are rooted in some kind of truth. They are James and they are using the exact information and feelings James has to manipulate the people around them. When ruining James’ relationship with Sam the clone specifically states that Sam is “too clingy” and I believe this is the exact reason James was interested in Sam in the first place.

James went after Sam, a person he seemingly shared no interests with and only found attractive, because James assumed he could have a very (for a lack of a better word) shallow relationship with him. James was never looking for anything serious and his comment about “I don’t know anything about soccer but I don’t care because Sam is hot” emphasizes that. Why would James want a deep emotional connection with someone when he doesn’t even have a relationship like that with his best friend?

Isaiah is James’ best friend however his actual relationship with Isaiah seems to go roughly the same as his relationship with just about everyone else. Sure, they hang out a lot but most of their interactions seem to be James hearing Isaiah out about his issues and them talking about their crushes. Isaiah does question about James about how he’s doing but James either deflects or avoids the seriousness of the situation.

In The Cuckoo Clock of Doom Isaiah and James have a discussion after James’ botched attempt at talking with Sam. In this discussion Isaiah immediately knows James was not being himself when talking to Sam and encourages him just be himself rather then trying so hard to be liked. This, on it’s own, seems like reasonable advice however what’s interesting is James’ response: “that’s easy for you to say.”

Isaiah questions what he means by this and James, clearly uncomfortable, says nevermind and essentially forces the conversation to be dropped. Despite Isaiah being his best friend it’s very clear James is not comfortable being honest about his emotions with him.

The questions comes up again once James is found however and this time James is upset enough by the discovery that Isaiah, his best friend, doesn’t know him well enough to know if he’s a clone or not, that he elaborates. He states: “It is really hard to be 1 of 6 gay people in a town.”

The crux of James’ behavior, the reason he people-pleases and dances around serious topics is because he feels othered. He feels different from the people around him and he’s scared of the judgement that could come from that. A lot of his behavior reads as a sort of compensation, as if he’s trying to be as palatable as possible so people will like him despite the fact that he’s queer.

I imagine James also feels isolated the same way Isabella does, at least in an emotional sense. He keeps everyone at school at an arms-length and his relationship with his Mother is implied to be rather distant. She treats him more like a best friend then anything and paired with her alcoholism there is a very clear emotional wall between the two of them. There is no one James feels safe to confide in and I imagine it’s only worsened his feelings of otherness.

Now, finally, let’s discuss the Dupes:

The Biddle Clock and Dupes (roughly) work like this: When making contact with the clock a person is trapped into a time loop from the time of hitting the clock. The loop is restarted if the person attempts to leave the Biddle property. Every loop creates a duplicate of the person from an alternate timeline which Biddle is able to communicate with and who act as Biddle’s minions. The duplicates have all the information the original person had during the loop and, as their forms are goo of some kind, can likely change their appearance at will.

The duplicates take James’ place for roughly a week and during this time they set out to ruin James’ life as throughly as possible by destroying all his relationships. Sam is broken up with on ground of being “too clingy,” Isaiah’s relationship with Allison is worsened and his feelings for Margot are revealed which are things James likely knew a lot about as Isaiah’s friend not to mention the clone picking on Isaiah’s insecurities, and based on the comments about James’ mother James feels some resentment for his Mom’s behavior which the clone is more open about then James would be.

No one recognizes that the clones have taken James’ place despite them not acting very in-character. The people the clones strive to ruin James’ relationships with also all react very volatile to the clones’ behavior, showing how despite James’ efforts to be very likable his efforts haven’t fostered very strong relationships.

The message of the episode is fairly clear: If you keep everyone around you at arms-length and try too hard to be likable then you are inevitably going to be isolated as none of your relationships will have any kind of stable foundation.

[mybrainsautocorrect]

I was originally going to edit this more, but there turned out to be a lot. This show is utter poetry. Here’s my take on the final episode:

“In the end, he couldn’t kill you, and he couldn’t watch you die.” Will to Reba about Francis— mentioned this before and how it parallels Will and Hannibal to an extent. In parallel, though, Will is Francis because he couldn’t watch Hannibal die but he sure could kill him

“Was it good to see me?” No. (Good and bad are subjective anyway according to Hannibal, and I mean what did he expect, Will’s just that petty)

Your face is closed to me (later stabs it)- Francis to Will

“The dragon could absorb him that way, engulf him. Become more than he is.” Will about why Francis would want to meet/kill Hannibal (maybe talking about more than just the dragon— why Will himself wants to kill Hannibal so much)

“There is no advantage. It’s all just degrees of disadvantage.” Will to bedelia (exactly why no one truly wins, not even Bedelia, in the end)

“Can’t live with him, can’t live without him” followed by will’s “I guess this is… my becoming” after he had been using becoming and change from Francis’ perspective the whole episode- a hint at his upcoming death but also the fact that he is going to succumb to his ‘killer instinct’ because he is becoming what Hannibal always wanted

“Any rational society would either kill me, or give me my books” Hannibal hinting that he knows Will’s plan before he was even let out of his cell

“You trust Will with my wellbeing?” “As much as I trust you with his.” Hannibal to Alana, Alana back (call back to when she set Hannibal free to save Will, or hint that she knows wills plan to kill Hannibal -I mean she probably does but it wouldn’t be wise to let Hannibal know that- because will would not be safe with Hannibal for any length of time. The question would be if she knows that this also hints at the actual outcome of them both dying)

Multiple scenes where Will is the last character introduced, and is hidden right up until he speaks.— subtle foreshadowing of his death? That these conversations can and will occur without him there in the future :(

Significance of the mourners in the church? (Will and Hannibal’s last conversation with Hannibal still imprisoned)— perhaps for dolarhyde as it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume that Hannibal doesn’t know they’re going to kill him, but may also be for Hannibal himself as he did already hint that he knows Will wants to kill him

“I need you, Hannibal.” Will to Hannibal (double meaning- needs him for this and needs him in his life- cannot exist without him)

“Going my way?” Hannibal to Will after dolarhyde broke up the police escort (yes he is actually- into murder and over a cliff)

Hannibal and Will stood on the same cliffs in the daytime and Will stood right on the edge with his back to Hannibal. And they discussed two people who died because of Hannibal earlier on and how Will was there(like he’s next). “Soon, all this will be lost to the sea.” There is so much foreshadowing and I cannot stand it

~~~~~

And their entire final conversation

“I don’t know if I can save myself. And maybe that’s just fine.” Save himself from Hannibal’s influence or save himself literally? He knew that he was going to have to kill someone that night so it’s likely it was referring to the former, but he also has most likely at least considered that he will die so it’s perhaps both

“No greater love hath man than to lay down his life for a friend.” Hannibal, about himself or about will? Implies that Will was speaking about his death and not losing to Hannibal’s influence, but either option from wills words point to the opposite answer in Hannibal’s response

Hannibal said the above whilst standing between Will and the biggest window of all time, and followed it up with the admittance that he knew dolarhyde was watching them. That implies that he is the man in his quote who is laying down his life for a friend (will).

“Suicide is the enemy” Hannibal to dolarhyde (the enemy that Hannibal is fighting in regard to will?)

~~~~~

The music starts right as they begin working together for the first time. Called Love Crime

“I will survive, live and thrive, win this deadly game.” The lyrics as they go over the cliff. Despite being called Hannibal- the show has always been about Will. And he gets the last words. He wins. He may not get to survive, but he wins the game

[blogofahufflepuff]

Legacy of a Hufflepuff - One: Muggleborn (Sebastian Sallow x f!reader)

A/N: Hello and welcome to this series of one-shots that mostly follow the plot of Harry Potter Hogwarts Legacy with some changes and extra scenes to make it more interesting and fluffier (or angsty, depending on what chapter we are talking about)

It is helpful to have played the game to get the plot since I won´t explain everything in detail but I think that these one-shots can also be enjoyed for the interactions of the characters without knowing the game. If you know the game, be aware of spoilers.

The length of the chapter will differ a lot. There will be shorter ones and way longer ones than this!

Oh, and you are a Hufflepuff because we all know it’s the best house.

One: Muggleborn

Summary: With everything happening around you, you didn’t think that the most significant part would be the duel against a certain Slytherin.

Warnings: English isnt my first language.

Genre: Fluff

Word count: 1900

Ever since you had read that letter your life turned upside down. Everything had happened so fast. One moment you were talking to your concerned parents and in the next there was a man at your doorsteps, politely introducing himself as Professor Fig and your future mentor.

You barely remembered shaking his hand before you were thrusted into a world full of wonder and magic. You learned so much in the following weeks that your head hurt but you were also eager. Eager to do the impossible, eager to learn about your potential.

It didn’t take long before the new school year would begin at the most prestige wizarding school in all of Britain and maybe the entire world.

You had daydreamed about your days exploring the school and its mysteries while learning about everything that would make you a true witch.

Of course, there was also a nervous flutter in your stomach. You knew for a fact that you were behind on your schoolwork, and you weren’t even sure if you truly had it in you to take it all on. Academic achievements aside, you also worried how people would take to you since you would start in your fifth year while the other students had years to get to know each other.

You were scared to be the odd one out.

What your pessimism couldn’t have predicted was a dragon attack and everything it entailed. An explosion of emotions surged through you just thinking back to that day. The most prominent was fear for what you had discovered that day.

Still, you agreed to keep it a secret. While Fig only said he would look into it and didn’t specify any further steps, you already decided you would help him find out what this was all about. You weren’t particularly brave – most likely one reason why you weren’t a Gryffindor – but considering your special power you felt as if it was your duty to just do something.

And that’s how you ended up in front of the DADA classroom. You pressed your newly acquired field guide against your chest as you timidly entered the classroom. Luckily, the other students didn’t even notice your presence.

All attention was on the duel between two students that you didn’t know the name of. You shuffled closer with hesitant curiosity. While you definitely didn’t know the two boys that were throwing spell after spell at each other, you easily noticed their house colors.

A Slytherin and a Gryffindor. You think Arthur, another Hufflepuff, had mentioned something about a petty rivalry between the two houses as he tried to give you the basics about the school.

You watched as the Slytherin decided to end this duel by targeting the head of a huge skeleton that hung from the ceiling and which you identified as a dragon. You watched the head fall down towards the now cowering Gryffindor.

Your eyes widened and a gasp left your mouth as the instinct to do something kicked in. Unfortunately, you didn’t have the skill to help in any shape or form. Luckily, that wasn’t necessary.

Before the Gryffindor could be harmed the head started to float in midair. Considering everything that happened to you, you shouldn’t be surprised by such a simple trick, but you couldn’t help yourself but be amazed by anything magical, no matter how simple it was.

You soon realized the source of the magic. It was an elderly woman, standing on top of the stairs at the back of the classroom.

“Perhaps you´d be good enough to blast each other to pieces in your own time. I get new students every year, but I only have one Hebridean Black” she scolded the boys as the slowly walked down the stairs, slowly guiding the head to where it belonged. Her scolding easily transitioned into a lesson. Listening intently, you came closer, stepping next to the Slytherin but leaving enough distance, so you wouldn’t gain his attention.

“Today we review a spell that has saved me from death at the hands of Dark Wizards more times than I can remember: Levioso” the professor ended her speech.

“Levioso? A levitation charm?” Even you could detect the dismay of the Gryffindor as he said that, though he soon was shut up as the professor easily turned her wand on him, making him float in the air.

You had to bid your lip to keep your face straight as you watched the boy struggle. The Slytherin next to you didn’t even try to hide his amusement. A grin grew on his face as he crossed his arms in front of his chest in satisfaction.

You glanced at him, though you felt startled when your eyes met his hazel ones. You looked away before it could have gotten awkward but it was enough to make your heart beat in a nervous rhythm. You were not a people person.

You didn’t have too much time to overthink though as your professor soon made you sit down and gave a feather to each of you to practice on.

Something told you that your classmates aren’t new to this charm which ultimately made you question why you would practice on something as simple as a feather. You, of course, also considered that the professor was having mercy on you as it was your first day but somehow that didn’t seem right for her. Maybe she just lacked trust in the skills of her students.

You were quite pleased when you didn’t struggle with levitating the feather at all but that feeling of glee was short lived as your professor seemed to take this as a sign to step up the game.

“Now, the best way to practice this is by dueling” she announced. That was enough for your nervousness to come back.

“How about..” her eyes shifted between students until they stopped directly at you. You gulped. “You two.”

There was no question that she was talking to you but when you gazed to your right you realized that your opponent would be the Slytherin from earlier. You couldn’t help but dread the fact that you would duel against someone who wasn’t opposed to using dirty tricks.

When your eyes met for the second time today a smirk took over his face.

“Time for a proper Hogwarts welcome” he told you with a chuckle, walking by to take his position. You couldn’t keep a small frown off your face as you followed his example.

You weren´t good with having attention on you. You had already been mortified by having to enter the great hall late to your own sorting. You weren´t too keen on showing everyone how much you were behind on your magical skills on top of that.

You gripped your wand a little bit tighter as you stared at your opponent. Your heart beat in your ears and you felt your hand shake a little, signs you knew were caused by your stage fright.

You tried to think positive. You tried to think about all the things that you had to endure within the last 24 hours. The things you survived – barely – but you survived. You might have missed out on four years of education, but you survived a dragon attack, a goblin who for some reason was after you and a ridiculous amount of magical stone-knights.

The later were almost the worse of the bunch as you had to fight them alone at one point. It was terrifying but yet again – you survived.

The professor finally gave the go and for a moment you swore you saw one of these damn knights standing in front of you instead of another student and your instincts kicked in.

Your movements were a bit clumsy and enforced by panic surging through your body but somehow you managed.

Before you even registered what happened it was over and surprisingly enough, you came out as the winner. You blinked as you stared at the Slytherin that was now sprawled out on the floor.

Both of you found your way back to your classmates. The Slytherin stepped beside you without hesitation.

“Not bad for a beginner. You give as good as you get” he muttered, loud enough for you to hear but quiet enough to not gain attention from the professor.

“I just got lucky” you replied but by the look on his face you could tell that he didn’t believe you.

“Really? It looked like you knew what you´re doing. Didn’t seem like luck at all and it definitely didn´t seem like your first duel” his words made you look up at him, finding his tone a bit unnerving.

“Well, you are wrong. That was my first duel” your words came out too fast, too hectic as the warning of Professor Fig played on your mind. He told you not to let anything slip and you were going to follow said warning.

“If you say so” he didn’t believe you. “Sebastian Sallow, by the way” he introduced himself to which you smiled, glad that he dropped the topic so easily.

“I´m Y/N Y/L” you told him, “nice to meet you.” He hummed at that.

“I´ve heard about you and the rumored dragon attack that made you late yesterday” he watched your reaction, probably hoping to get a confirmation either way. You were stunned for a moment as you were confused about the fact that there was already a rumor about it.

Unbeknownst to you, there were several rumors ever since a new fifth year was announced. He thought they were at least interesting enough to investigate but after your rather spectacular arrival yesterday and the duel today you officially caught his attention, for better or worse.

“I-“ you were about to give a vague enough answer that wouldn’t be a confirmation nor a lie but before you could, you were interrupted by the professor who announced the end of the class.

“Maybe you are lucky” Sebastian snickered as he was about to leave with the other students. You thought about his words for a second before you realized something way more urgent.

“W-wait!” You called out for him, easily catching up to him.

“Yeah?”

“Well, you see. Professor Weasley gave me a rough explanation how to get around, but I may or may not be completely clueless about where my next class is located, and I don’t really have any friends to ask. Could you tell me where the charms classroom is?” You looked at him sheepishly to which he let out a snort.

“You truly are lucky because I happen to have the same class now, Hufflepuff. You can tag along. Seriously, you don’t know how often I got lost when I first got here” you didn’t know it at that moment, but this was the start of a friendship that would come to mean everything to the both of you.

You silently nodded along as you let him ramble about the school, a small smile tugging on your lips as he brought up a club that he was especially passionate about but that wasn’t 100% legal.

You weren´t exactly sure what to make of Sebastian but for now you were glad that you didn’t have to walk these halls alone.

[priestly-prince]

This is something that has been talked about before at length, but I want to crosspost some of my old stuff just so it's on my new blog...

Ok, so. What are these things? They're everywhere, they were on the original fridge drawing (by Amy) in the 86 flashback, and here in John's trip. Airdorf said they were mentioned in the prologue notes. So I'm guessing these are the 'lifesize dolls made of sticks and branches'.

Ok so, we know about the stick dolls and about how, in their original forms, they represent the missing kids. (A note mentions 4 dolls for 4 missing kids). We know John and Lisa are the surviving kids, and in a couple instances are implied to also be connected to the dolls.

The note mentions the kids were fixated with them and would stare at them long into the night. It also mentioned there were 4 of them, like the 4 children who died. In the above image there are 2. These 2 MUST represent John and Lisa, but what significance?

The first and most obvious depiction is in John's vision when we see two of the stick dolls with maggots in, then we see young John and Lisa stood in their place. Also the filenames of these 2 scenes are "effigies", an effigy being a crude representation of a person. (But, can also mean a depiction of a saint or god, curiously enough.)

We see them in several places in chapter 2 and 3. I thought they were bodies at first, but then I kinda thought they looked a little like, you know the Blair Witch stickmen things? Then when Airdorf said they were mentioned in the notes, the stick dolls were the only thing I could see that they would be.

This morning we found these very odd objects around the church. The best way I can describe them would be large, life-sized dolls made of sticks and dead tree branches. Someone must have placed them there while we were sleeping. Hoodlums, maybe, or a group of weirdos? The kids seem fixated on these doll things. They stare out the window at them all the day. I even heard them shout that they saw Miriam standing around them, but when I looked there was nobody there. 

And like this. Why did Amy draw this? That's the church. 4 crosses at the bottom, for the 4 dead kids, and 2 'dolls' for the survivors, John and Lisa. How would she know about this? Was she also getting prophetic dreams in the same way John and Garcia were?

Part 2 of this theory is the "husk" thing. John and Lisa are husks. Husks are empty shells. The implication of this is that John and Lisa do not have souls, or that they were damaged in some way. This was likely done to make them easier to possess and become vessels.

SO the secret 3rd theory, which in itself is very short but needed the context.....

The 2 "effigy" stick dolls are phylacteries, and actually contain John and Lisa's souls.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[haven-of-dusk]

For @orbitalpirate , the Richard is a self-taught/self-made Parisian theory/headcanon. It was way too long to fit into replies alone, so here it is. (Also a good chunk of it is copy-pasted from another time I wrote all this up, so forgive if the format gets janked)

Richard, as noted by a friend of mine who lived in France (in multiple areas, not just one location) for a few months, acts in many ways like a stereotypical Parisian (or Parisien if you want to use the French word), which is a significant distinction from most of the rest of France from what I can learn from osmosis having not actually been there myself. Such to the point that my friend was actually shocked to learn Richard wasn't from Paris since he seemed to fit well into that mold. When we were talking about it, I was reminded that from early on I had gotten kinship vibes from Richard and Colin, especially after the ritual sacrifice scene, but I couldn't put my finger on why since they seem to just be friends, with no more significant connection than Colin has to, say, Bumbercatch, or Jan Maas, or even Sam.

With this new bit of information though, a theory formed in my head that Richard, to an extent, is performatively Parisian as a method of social camouflage. Similar to Colin driving expensive cars because he feels that's kind of a social expectation of him, seemingly not because he actually desires the fancy cars on any deep emotional level, it seems possible that Richard adopted certain mannerisms, behaviors, and interests to better fit in with not only a local environment he'd probably need to interact with regularly as a professional footballer, but also an international audience that would be used to a certain type of 'Frenchness'. He does seem to genuinely enjoy his wine collection and his other interests of that sort, but I'd be curious to know if their origin was rooted in social expectations rather than something he just generated on his own.

For a couple more possible links, the sand, while it being from the first time he ever slept with a supermodel is played as a joke (rightfully, it is quite funny), his emotional reaction suggests the action DID mean something significant to him (read: perhaps an acceptance into a 'higher' social standing? Similar to how Rupert tried to set Nate up with a supermodel?). Plus his playstyle, known typically as the team's trickster, masterful faker, and for one episode extreme warrior with zero fear, demonstrates a different side to his personality beyond the composed charmer (also demonstrated in the Amsterdam episode when he was out for blood in the pillow fight).

So to bring this back to the religious trauma bit, if he associates Catholicism with his 'past' life that he doesn't like acknowledging because he feels he's made himself a better person, then relapsing occasionally but mostly drifting away from it tracks. And yet at the same time, he may feel guilty for rejecting so much of his old life, especially considering the lengths he's gone to. That could even lead into some identity crisis stuff where the persona he's built and the old life he pushes away are both not the real him, and he's left to wonder if there IS a real him anymore.

That got existential, point is I've probably put way too much thought into this. And also Richard needs hugs and kisses and maybe some hot chocolate from Jan.

[theawkwardanglophile]

What are your top 5 episodes??

I should have seen this coming! 😂 Thanks for the ask, Sarah, and I’m sorry I didn’t get this out sooner. My brain was mush the past couple of days and I wanted to give this my full attention when I made my decisions. And, man, I DELIBERATED on this! My criteria were episodes that were Chenford-heavy, so some eps that have like one big amazing Chenford scene (4x18 for example) were left out. And I'm sure this might change at some point, but I feel pretty good about where everything landed for now. So here we go….

5x12 Death Notice This ep just has EVERYTHING: the end of their era of riding together, being flirty at work, ridiculous married vibes (the lint picking??), LUCY LESSON (how did it take them 5 years to come up with the greatest term to counter Tim Tests? Bring back Lucy Lessons in S6!), the lengths they both will go to for each other, Tim's talk with Grey, and of course, NAKED TIME. And that doesn't even cover all of it. I just love it to pieces.

5x10 The List The absolute high this episode gave me, after a full month of bliss already with them being canon. The most delicious rom-commy cold open that I could have hoped for, trying on their entire closets and then being so painfully, adorably awkward on their date. Then Tim and Lucy being ANYTHING but subtle at work, which is just so hilarious considering they can be so stealthy when needed on the job, but trying to hide their relationship? Umm, y'all weren't fooling anyone. Maybe Nolan. And the precious first/second date at the end. The GRANDKIDS, the SMILES, the KISS. Perfection!

4x09 Breakdown An Eric Winter master performance. I just wanted to hug Tim throughout the ep. Luckily, Lucy was there for that job, and what a hug it was! Tim lets go completely and sinks into her, all his walls down. He felt so safe with her. I love how her opinion of him means everything, and she was quick to offer reassurance (I truly believe her words in 4x08 were just a slip of the tongue). But I also love how Lucy is just doing life with Tim, the things that matter. Where was Ashley, hmmm? It's Lucy that's there helping with such a significant job of remodeling Tim's childhood house, and doing some wonderful future sister-in-law bonding with Genny. Also, Tim and Lucy power-walking through the station in plain clothes? A VIBE.

4x12 The Knock The most insane double date ever? My gosh, this ep has so much fun stuff in it, so many little details, that even though Lucy started dating Chris, and Ashley decided to turn a blind eye and continue dating Tim, after watching this I had never been more convinced that Chenford was endgame. Every part of the double date is gold, and Tim and Lucy's scenes on the job beautifully showcase how seamlessly they work together (and their total lack of personal space). LOVE IT.

2x13 Follow-Up Day This ep was an early fave, and still holds a special place. TIM GAVE UP A PROMOTION FOR LUCY. Way before Court Liaison there was THIS. Lucy is his biggest cheerleader this whole ep (and, you know, always), and Grey's knowing looks during the test score scene is *chef's kiss*. And the scene outside the bakery is everything. Their faces say so much! They were being such flirts in S2, to the point that I originally wondered if they might actually start something later that season. THAT'S how powerful that scene was.

Honorable mentions:

2x11 Day of Death I know, I know, and part of me feels like it should be in the top five. I mean, it is without a doubt one of the best episodes, if not the best, they ever made. It's so powerful, and was the turning point in my shipping, because I'd only been mildly intrigued by Chenford in a few S2 eps, but DOD cemented me as a full-fledged shipper (little did I know it would become my best shipping experience of all time). But it can be a hard one to watch, and I just love those others a tiny bit more.

5x08 The Collar There are so many moments to love in this ep. It truly changed everything with Tim and Lucy, and the more I've seen their talk outside at the end, the more it grows on me. It really is so them. Even though they become CANON in this one, I think because there is so much clueless Chris, and the tough scene with the first bomb victim, it just didn't quite make it to the top 5.

3x09 Amber Anyone who was around when this aired knows we all lost our minds pretty good with this ep. It grew on me more and more over time, and I love it so much. The whole confession scene still might be the longest uncut Chenford scene...ever? Just them talking in the shop. It's insanely wonderful! And this ep gave us Parking Garage Face and the beginning of a brand new chapter with Tim and Lucy.

5x01 Double Down Editing to add this one, because I started questioning everything, and it did NOT feel right to leave this one out. What a fantastic collection of moments. The airplane kiss is top tier, HANDS, the gorgeous shots of them in the car in Vegas, it doesn't feel like pretend, etc. And even though I'm so glad they didn't cheat, I'll never be over the fact SHE OPENED THE DOOR FOR HIM AND HE WENT IN.

[acourtofantumbra]

Ok, I've already spent time wildly speculating about this random scene from ACOWAR where Feyre is struck by a memory of her "Prince of Merchants" father and a lapis lazuli pendant "from the ruins of an arid south-eastern kingdom, where the Fae had ruled as gods"...

So imagine my surprise when I come across this scene during my reread of HoF. Lapis lazuli mentioned specifically, along with gold, in the decoration of a knife that came from Eyllwe and was purchased from a merchant from the southern continent...

Both the memory and presence of these items seem to inspire uncontrolled, but visceral, memories for both Aelin and Feyre.

I've talked at length about the significance of lapis lazuli in particular (and what it could mean for these items), but mostly I'm here to say... "That's suspicious."

Heir of Fire, Chapter 34 & A Court of Wings and Ruin, Chapter 43

[madi-konrad]

How long should a chapter be?

I write sapphic fantasy romance. I've self published one fantasy romance book, and I'm working right now on editing and publishing a loose (ten years later) sequel and a short story collection. I was wondering how I decide how long scenes, chapters, and even longer segments of a work (parts, "books", etc.) Thanks for reading my rambling blog!

I've always had an intuitive understanding of what makes a good ending of a scene, a decent ending of a chapter. And I want to talk around some of my thoughts, because what makes a good chapter also makes a good story--pacing, plot action, reflection on action, all that stuff. If you can figure how to end a chapter, you can learn how to end a story.

So, my chapters tend towards the short side. I generally write chapters between 700 and 1,400 words long, though I've gone as short as 200, and as long as 2,000. I do think, depending highly on your own personal style and the conventions of the genre, that a mere count of words can help you here. If you're reading a genre or book that runs long on the wordcount, the chapters will probably be longer, too. If you're reading a thriller (the ur-example of "this book goes fast") the chapters will probably be short and choppy. Read the kind of book that you're writing, and you'll get a good idea of expectations around chapter length.

But where does a chapter end? Where does a scene end? What does it mean when a reader says the chapter should have ended here, and not there?

Well, I haven't studied literature much from an academic perspective, but I have listened specifically to how people talk about story structure, and specifically how screenplays are written. And there, structure is king. You need to deeply understand how stories are structured in order to compress the wild, untameable creatures of creativity into a strict, 90-120 minute feature film length (or 45 minute / 22 minute / 11 minute television episode length). As a basic idea: your story has a main character with a goal. The structure of a story (three act structure, etc.) tells you how your main character goes about achieving that goal, and whether they're getting closer to it or further away from it moment to moment.

Story structure is goal oriented. A scene ends when your characters either take a significant step closer to or further from their goal. This is usually the protagonist, but can also be the antagonist or supporting characters, especially in novel writing. That goal could be (for protagonists): stopping the Bad Guy, furthering (or frustrating) the Romantic Relationship, becoming a Better (or Worse) Person in a specific way, Solving the Mystery. The goal should be VERY CLEAR in your reader's mind -- informed by your exposition and how you introduce your characters, as well as by genre expectations (mysteries have a very clear goal, for instance: figure out what the hell happened. So do thrillers: survive).

Looping back around to chapters: these I view as mega-scenes, comprised of one or more scenes defined above. At the end of the chapter, the protagonists should have moved more dramatically further from or closer to their goal. If a scene shows progress that is, on its own, more significant than usual, that means it can be a chapter by itself. A 200 word scene that changes everything to that point gets to be its own chapter. Those kind of chapters, though rare for me, usually do hit much harder than the chapter with three scenes that hits the 2,000 word mark.

The old cliche about ending each chapter on a cliffhanger? Well, this is where it comes from. Done badly, the cliffhangers come out of nowhere and make the reader groan. But done well, the reader goes, "Oh, no," and turns the page -- or "Oh, fuck yes," and turns the page.

I don't always have this structure-oriented perspective in mind when I'm writing. Usually I do, but writing for me has always been a push-pull between intuition and more structured thought on what should happen next. Sometimes, I realize in editing that, to maintain the flow of the novel, I should lengthen the pace of this scene, or shorten the pace of that one, or split this into two chapters so the narrative weight of the ending of this scene is increased.

Anyway, this long ramble captures some of my thoughts on how you find the ending of a chapter, the ending of a scene. If you can nail that, you're well on your way to telling more impactful, better structured stories.