#and they’re already changing the books in this regard

[aflawedfashion]

I’m unconcerned with how the books ended - it would be such a missed opportunity if this show doesn’t end in a polycule with platonic Moiraine and Lan at the center.

This is Siuan and her wife Moiraine and her platonic husband Lan and his wife Nynaeve.

So easy.

Obvious ending.

[vanishingstarrs]

midnight dreams

katsuki bakugo x reader, slow burn, hurt x comfort, anxiety, fluff, sfw

part 1, part 2, part 3

( not too sure how i feel about this yet... thinking one more part to this little drabble ?? funnily enough only post these after midnight )

It was late. Again.

You’d actually managed to fall asleep pretty early that afternoon, but woke up shortly from a nightmare. One where your class failed at bringing Midoriya home and things went awry quickly after that, the guilt from your dream not being so far from reality plagued your conscious now as you sat in the living room by yourself. You had considered passing by Bakugo’s room since last time he'd extended the surprising offer to just... be there.

Despite this, you didn't have it in your heart to actually take him up on it. You'd made it as far as his door before marching yourself back the other way.

You sighed as you read the same page of your book for the third time without actually taking it in.

Bakugo still occupied your thoughts.

The morning after you two had spoke you had awoken to find all your dishes already clean for you. When you asked your friends which one of them you had to thank for the favor, they all looked at you with raised eyebrows and confused frowns, they’d believed you’d cleaned up after yourself. You thought long and hard about whether you did and maybe you’d just been hallucinating, but you remembered vividly writing a second note in regards to doing them later when you woke up. Momo had said she’d been the first one up and saw no such note, just the one to help themselves to freshly baked cookies.

And so that only left your sort of late night partner in crime…

Surely Bakugo hadn’t came back to the kitchen after walking you to your room to clean? Or wake up extra early to? You racked your brain for answers, but couldn’t think of a logical explanation for why he’d do any of that for you.

You felt a frown take over your face as these things resurfaced on your mind.

“What are you doing?”

You jumped, turning around to find Bakugo standing there staring at you as if you’d grown two heads.

“What?”

“Kirishima said you went to bed hours ago.” He stated,“Why aren’t you asleep.”

It didn’t even sound like a question the way he spoke to you. You stared at him now as you thought about it, and it was true, you had seen Kirishima last. You had noticed him making sure all the doors were locked and bid him a good night before going your separate ways. Your attempt at rest hadn't lasted very long.

You patted the space next to you as invitation just in case he wanted to sit down next to you, you gave him a shrug as he actually came around to your side of the sofa,“Slept. Didn’t take. How are your injuries?”

You hadn’t been brave enough to ask last time, and you couldn’t help notice he was still wearing bandages even now.

Bakugo placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward,“They’re fine. Getting better. It’s mainly just the arm now, I gotta change the bandages every now and then. I woke up ‘cause I forgot to before I fell asleep and now Kirishima’s snoring loud as fuck, couldn’t wake him.”

“I can help.” You offered before you could change your mind. Your mouth had a knack for getting you into things like this, you’d just blurt things out and before it was too late…

He looked back at you,“Nah, it’s okay.”

“No, really, I can help.” You stood up, adamant as you grabbed his good arm and pulled him up with all your might,“C’mon, I’m pretty good actually, my father had a healing quirk.”

“Had?” Bakugo asked.

You didn’t turn around as you led him into the main bathroom where you knew there was a first aid kit, all you did was shrug.

“Oh.”

“Don’t worry about it.” You sighed, you didn’t really want to get into that. You flicked on the lights and pointed to the toilet,“Sit.”

He listened surprisingly and you dug around the cabinets for only a few seconds, successfully finding all that you needed and turning around to face your patient when you realized something. His injuries… they spanned well into his shoulder and they'd be hard to get to, unless...

You swallowed nervously,“Shirt off.”

Bakugo’s eyebrows flew up.

“Not like that.” You blushed,“Just need it off so I can get your bandages off. It’s on your shoulder, isn’t it?”

“And my stomach.” He revealed at the same time as he removed his shirt, exposing his chest,“Got stabbed a couple times.”

A couple times?!

Dear god, help me... was all you could think.

At first, you couldn’t help stare for all the wrong reasons, at him, at the hard work he’d put into his body. He was strong, that much was obvious. But he’d also been injured terribly. Your lips turned downward, no longer distracted by his abs and instead focused on removing the old bandages,“You’re brave, but it was stupid when you did that, no offense.”

“We’re heroes, aren’t we?” He asked.

“Yeah, but—”

“But nothing.” He faced the other way, like he was avoiding your gaze,“It’s what we signed up for, they needed our help, besides... my body moved before I could think.”

“We’re students actually.” You corrected,“Don’t you think it’s too heavy a burden for a bunch of dumb kids? And what about Midoriya? He’s still out there.”

“We’re not dumb. He is.” He rolled his eyes,“Thinks we’re better off, safer without him. He doesn’t know. But I’ve been talking to the others, we might have a plan.”

“Dangerous?”

“What do you think?” He asked.

Your eyes landed on the scar tissue on his shoulder, it wasn’t pretty. They’d done a good job getting him on the path to healing, nevertheless he still had a ways to go. If Bakugo could blindly take all this for someone he claimed to hate, what was stopping you from reaching the same level of bravery?

You'd been thinking about this a lot lately, you couldn't help feel they were asking too much of you guys sometimes. Then you felt guilty for thinking that. When you started at U.A. you'd made a vow to train like heroes, to learn from them. This was what your future would look like, why was it so hard? You thought back to your mentors and how they were always there to encourage you and your classmates, how they never hesitated to protect everyone against the several attacks you'd faced.

You worked in silence for a second, seeing him wince out of the corner of your eye as you cleaned up the area a bit.

"Sorry."

"It's fine."

“Count me in.” You said decidedly as you reached for gauze and tape,"Also you might wanna start letting these breathe, they're looking a lot better and I think that would help."

He looked up, shocked,“What?”

“Your cuts—"

"Not that, dumbass."

"Oh." You shrugged,"You know, whatever you and the others are planning. Include me, I wanna help."

He looked hesitant,"You sure?”

“Mhm.” You adjusted your glasses before pointing at his stomach,“Want me to check that one?”

He hesitated before sitting up straighter and nodding.

You quickly, but carefully removed the tape and peeled away the gauze. This one might’ve been worse, but you didn’t say a word as you prepared a few cotton rolls to clean around it as best as you could. You were sure both of you were holding your breath as you did so, and he inhaled sharply when you pressed a little too hard.

“Sorry.”

“Quit it, you're doing me a favor." He leaned back a little to give you better access,"You sure you're up for helping?"

You sighed,"I'm sure." Your fingers hovered over the injury, and you looked up just in time to find him already looking at you. “Kinda makes you seem like you don’t hate Midoriya, after all.”

He scoffed and you grinned.

“Bakugo—”

“Katsuki.” He cut you off, gesturing to his exposed chest,“You may as well call me by my first name at this point.”

“Okay…” you inhaled deeply, before saying,"Katsuki…”

You were sure he was expecting something serious as you finished covering up his injury, but you wanted to lighten the mood.

“Wanna watch some tv with me?” You smiled big,“There’s a new show I’ve been meaning to start.”

He eyed you in a way that was unfamiliar to you, it was hard for you to read him. It was making your head spin, and you quickly stopped trying.

He put his shirt back on and started helping you put everything away, he didn’t agree, but he didn’t disagree, and so you led the way back to the living room and sat back where you’d been before and then... he left the room.

You sighed, guess not. You reached for the remote anyway and glanced back again just in case he’d been messing with you, then again... he wasn’t the kind of guy that made jokes. At least, you didn’t think he was.

You turned on the tv and put it at a low volume, going through the provided streaming services in order to find the one you needed. You were just about to click start when he spoke.

“Weren’t gonna wait for me, brat?”

A blanket was tossed onto your head and you quickly removed it, surprise written on your face as Bakugo came around the same end and sat next to you. You stared at the blanket and then looked back at him.

“You get cold easily.”

You nodded, dumbfounded, it was true, but how did he know that? You were cold all the time, actually, it was a side effect of your quirk.

You placed the blanket over your lower half and pressed play, a part of you fixating not only on the fact that he’d noticed enough about you to bring you a blanket, but also that it was his blanket. For the first five minutes of the show, you couldn’t focus, you were surrounded by his smell. It was so strong with him next to you and his blanket on your lap. He smelled amazing.

Eventually, you relaxed. Both of you did.

Bakugo had initially scoffed at the choice of show, but didn't demand you change it and you took it as a good sign.

“These characters are fucking stupid.” He scowled and you giggled, you were wondering when he’d break the silence to make a comment. It surprisingly took more than one episode.

“He’s in love with her, Katsuki.” You didn’t notice how easily his first name slipped past your tongue as soon as that barrier had first broken, you went on to explain further,“People do lots of stupid things when they’re in love.”

He rolled his eyes,“The guy still sucks.”

You shrugged, but didn't disagree.

"No baking tonight?" He asked, out of the blue.

You shrugged. "Maybe tomorrow. Those cookies were gone before I even got to 'em, did you manage to snag one?"

"One." He said,"Or two."

You lit up,"Really? You liked them that much?"

He shrugged.

"Any requests for next time?"

Somehow, you’d gotten closer and you could feel his warmth just from the touch of his thigh. You couldn't cover up your shiver, hoping he took it as you still being cold.

He seemed to think about it,"Like muffins, I guess."

"Chocolate chip? Banana? Strawberry...?" You gave a few options, you wanted to make sure you knew exactly what he liked. He was doing you a favor as much as you'd done him one considering he was always the first one to head to bed. His company was… nice. You may as well bake him something as thanks after tonight.

"Apple cinnamon. And I like that shit they put on top—"

"The crumble?" You laughed at how he explained it.

"Yeah." He leaned back against the sofa. Neither of you had been watching the show anymore and the tv seemed to know since the screen had gone black and the words "Still watching?" took over. You didn't care to click yes or no, knowing it'd shut down on it's own.

"I'll make some especially for you." You said around a yawn.

He stood up,"C’mon, I’ll walk you.”

You couldn’t help it; you pouted. You really wanted to keep talking to him, you found that he was actually a good listener and when he did speak, his voice was soothing. Different from how you'd known him before, you didn't know what it was that had changed.

He rolled his eyes,“That shit's not gonna work on me, come on. You gotta sleep. And I’m tired.”

Bakugo extended his hand to you and you took it as a sign to return his blanket to him, he scoffed and moved it into his other hand before placing the same hand out to you again.

You didn't need help standing, but you took it and he helped you up before placing the blanket around your shoulders. Okay...

You started walking and thought you might've felt his hand at your back.

"I'll leave my door open again." He said, unprompted.

There was that offer again. Your heart felt full.

"Mine will be too." You smiled up at him just as you reached your room,"Night... Katsuki."

"Goodnight, Y/N."

[tourettesdog]

DPxDC Prompt where no one is sure what exactly happened to Amity Park. One day the town was simply destroyed, leaving no identifiable bodies but plenty of carnage to mark the occasion. It's a haunting sight, the streets quiet, already being taken over by plants.

The bats find a destroyed lab with what must have been a house overtop of it. The place appears to have been ransacked, with any worthwhile materials and research taken.

That is, except for a few battered journals.

The books are found inside a section of cracked wall, the pages mercifully spared from the wind and weather. They're just ordinary journals, the handwriting inside a messy scrawl with doodles interspersed in the margins.

It's practically the only lead they have to go on, other than a strange sample resembling Lazarus water and a few odds and ends found throughout the town.

Tim is tasked with deciphering the journals, reading through them to find out any information he can. It's a task that he throws himself into readily, expecting information regarding the work done in the lab beneath the house.

Tim is instead surprised to find the thoughts of a young teenage boy.

Danny Fenton, the name scrawled on the front of each journal. The pages start out mundane, detailing a sister purchasing the journal for the boy, and the events of a fun summer between friends. Nothing out of the ordinary.

That is until August 2nd.

Talk of a portal. Of ghosts and the work of mad scientists. Of stepping inside the portal on that fateful August 2nd, only to come out different-- changed-- dead, in some way.

Tim isn't sure what to make of the journals as they continue, the mundane turning to the extraordinary as Danny Fenton grows into his new skin and learns to fight. One ghost boy against a hundred different enemies-- his parents mentioned with fear, more than anything else.

He thinks it might be fiction-- hopes it is-- but something in the writing rings more truthful than Tim would like.

Perhaps it's the pages occasionally stained with red and green smears.

He keeps reading, becoming absorbed with tales of trips through a realm of green, of long-dead monarchs raising swords against the living-- of Danny Fenton and his friends sticking through it all, the fatigue of that fight evident in the sloppy scrawl of his writing.

Years pass in the journals. The boy's almost seventeen, he notes in one passage-- Tim's age-- and still he carries this burden. Tim can't help but admire him.

His family tries to get him to sleep-- to put down the journals-- but Tim needs to know how the story ends. Where it ends.

An organization keeps cropping up in Danny's writing, a certain GIW. The concern for them grows with each passage, and by the time Danny is seventeen his entries are sparse and few between. Mentions of an occupation-- of the city changing-- of Danny not knowing how much longer he can hide.

The last entry is a hurried thing. The words a messy scribble, each one more haunting than the last:

"I think they found me out. I'm sorry, I tried. Sam, Tuck, Jazz, if you find this, don't look for me."

Tim frantically flips through each page, desperately hoping for something more. There's nothing. It's the last message ever written by this Danny Fenton, bitter and resigned.

Tim still doesn't know if he can trust the words written in the journals-- doesn't know if he can trust Danny. All he knows is that of the names listed in the last entry, of the people told not to look for him, Tim isn't one of them.

He's done more foolish things before.

[henry-fox-biggest-stan]

Okay so I need people are who are diagnosed as autistic to help me out here

I been suspecting for a long time (like around a year, maybe more idk) than I might be autistic, and I did research (genuinely, not just taking some Internet quiz and self-diagnosing based on it) and I want to know if there’s a genuine chance I might be autistic, or if I have a wrong view on autism (basically, if I’m wrong about it and what it means to be autistic).

Some things than happen to me than I’ve seen also happen to a big amount of autistic people

-Problems with food since very little. Not based on taste, but texture. Eating something with the wrong texture is just horrible.

-Always felt different from my peers, never quite fitting in because I didn’t know how to interact with them. As if they knew exactly what to do and I was just flying blind. I heard people say than they felt as if everyone was born with a book of rules, meanwhile they had to learn from watching everyone else already know them, and I think that’s the best way for me to explain it.

-Intense interests on stuff, really intense. Like, is all I can think about day and night, I relate everything to it in some way or another, I know everything about it down to the smallest detail, some might call me obsessed and I wouldn’t deny it. Reminds me of the way people with autism describe their hiperfixations.

-People thought I was “gifted” as a kid, and said than I was a kid with the mind of an adult. I’m no genius, I was just interested on different stuff than other kids. I was the first one to learn to read and I never stopped. I basically lived in the library as a kid. I have a vivid memory of when I must have been like 10 and saying than my favorite thing in the world was reading and some friends looking at me like I was crazy. I’m mentioning this not because people who are autistic are “gifted”, but more because I heard they are usually interested in different stuff than their peers (doesn’t have to be more mature, it can be more immature stuff too, I think. Goes hand in hand with feeling different from everyone). Continuing on books, I also always had a higher reading level than the rest of my class. I was “a pleasure to have in class but should speak out more” kid.

-Looking back they were obviously bullying me, but I thought than they were laughing with me, not at me.

-I can’t hear the tone of my voice?? For some reason?? Sometimes I speak too loudly or too quietly or my mom says I’m being rude for “talking back” but in my head my voice is the same level and uses the same tone. So if I’m ever rude I probably don’t notice (I hate being rude to people).

-I read about overstimulation and under stimulation and it perfectly described the way I feel a lot of time. Specially overstimulation.

-If talking about something I really enjoy (hiperfixations?) I can’t be still. I’ll probably smile and fidget with something and the mere mention of it or anything regarding it outside of online spaces makes me want to scream out of excitement. Like, a really abnormal reaction to it, I believe.

-I prefer to be home on my own than outside (specially if there’s lots of people around). I don’t know if it’s hard for me to see how people are feelings, given than I learnt to notice when people don’t want me somewhere (eventually you get used to it) but sometimes when people are being nice to me I’m completely unable to see if they’re being genuine or not. An example, I was forced to spend a week sharing a room with this pair of really popular girls because of a school trip, and they were nice to me, starting conversations and stuff. So because they seemed nice, I thought they were nice. But at the end of the week I approached them and they gave me the dirtiest look and I realize they weren’t actually being genuine, they were just kind of being forced to be nice to me.

-I hate changes of routine, everyday I have the same routine and if someone wants it to change (go somewhere and do something together) they have to tell me at least a day in advance. Unless I really like them, I will feel uneasy to change my routine because it makes me feel as if I was messing everything up.

-I don’t know if it has anything to do with this, but I’m adding it just in case. I hated physical touch as a kid. Up until some years ago, I couldn’t stand it. Also don’t know if it’s related, but I always had trouble sleeping, I heard that might be a symptom but I don’t know.

-I went to a speech therapist as a kid because I couldn’t pronounce the letter s and I pronounced it as z, sometimes it still comes out. I heard problems in speech might be related but I doubt it, just adding just in case.

-I have a big sense of justice. For example everyone in my class cheats on their exams (they don’t even hide it, is more, they brag about it), and that has always upset me. Not because they can copy while I actually study, but because cheating is wrong. That’s not how it works. Why are they breaking the rules. Or for example they bring their phones to school (not nearly as bad as cheating) which is forbidden, and I don’t understand why they do that. It’s forbidden, so why?

-I notice patterns in almost everything, I also focus more on the little details than the big picture, which leads to both overthinking but also better results.

-I need people to speak to me separately. Having a conversation with two people at the same time feels like a nightmare.

-I need people to tell me things, if they want me to do them. If you made something for me to eat, don’t just put it on the table, tell me it’s for me. Otherwise I won’t touch it out of fear it’s not mine. When given instructions, I need them to be clear and detailed. All people my age are doing stuff like going to parties, drinking alcohol, meanwhile I never think of doing it and also, never knew I could do it? When did the change between going to the park to hang out without our parents for the first time and going to a party with alcohol around lots of strangers happened? Why did no one told me? How does everyone just know when to change and grow up? Why don’t I?

-Something I also noticed is than every fictional character I related to had various autism symptoms (said by people on the fandoms who are actually autistic).

[hamspamandjamsandwich]

Kurama is such a complex character, god love him. The way I see him is: I mean he’s literally actually only Yoko Kurama.

“Oh he’s here. He’s me.”

So we have three personas here: Kurama, Yoko Kurama, and Shuuichi Minamino. While he has these three identities, he doesn’t have three personalities. That is to say, he’s one being, two different pieces that merged.

That’s where shit gets really interesting. My interpretation of this is that the merger came packaged with a human soul and body, and that the human parts are what gives him a conscience and a heart and a moral compass, and things such as. I doubt this is an original idea I just wanted to muse lol.

Shuuichi doesn’t bring a different personality. I think Shuuichi provided the things that make us human and a body. Those things are part of the human soul. Empathy, guilt, love. Yoko was always still himself, it’s how Kurama remembers everything, it’s literally just him. He’s simply changed as a person due to being plagued with humanity.

And that’s such a fun idea to me. Yoko Kurama, the legendary bandit, king of thieves—having personality rehab via the human experience. I think it just changed him the way anyone can change, sorta. He begins to feel pretty shitty about the things he’s done and feels guilty about everything with regards to his mother. All this comes together and makes him…a better version of himself? A better person? And I like that.

there is no Shuuichi outside of an adopted persona/identity for Kurama—like I don’t think he brought anything outside of what comes with nature, genetics, and a human soul (which I personally don’t think is the sum of someone’s personality, just what gives them spiritual life? If that makes sense).

But man, it makes me love Kurama so much more when I don’t think of Yoko as a different self or something that can be abandoned, it’s simply a previous version of himself. The past. So I think his 15 years as semi-human simply gave Yoko some insane character development.

Experiencing being unconditionally loved—the very idea that a relationship need not be transactional—being loved beyond what you can do for them. Being loved for existing, and nothing else. I truly think that his humanity responded well to being loved during the “early childhood development” stage and it gives him a way more stable sense of self than he should have tbh

And much like actual prison (or maybe more accurately rehab or inpatient etc), he has nothing but time and passes it by taking up interests and hobbies. He got to find stuff he enjoys about being human and ningenkai. He already liked plants obviously, but it’s so sweet to imagine him really developing an interest in botany and gardening and keeping houseplants etc. Learning to cook with Shiori and actually really liking it—I mean hey he gets to use some of those plants he’s been growing.

Big reader, obviously. He wants to know everything, and he knows so much already, yet humans keep inventing new shit to learn about, so that works out well. School and education get to be competitive sports that he’s the best at, again obviously. All manner of puzzles, games (tabletop and video of course), mystery books and films; if you can analyze it or crack a code somehow, he’s good with it. A real people-watcher, the disdain for humanity begins to fade over time and observation—they’re not so bad after all.

I like that he grows very comfortable in his human form. He’s pretty and appears to really own that (he lucked out there, huh? Incubated in a human that will be so attractive in the future lol), and I think that being raised by his mother (and perhaps this is some of that aforementioned Shuuichi nature) has him “in touch with his feminine side.” So I imagine he doesn’t miss his Yoko body too much, until he suddenly gets it back for a moment and is reminded of how good it felt to be himself. Good in a sinful, hedonistic way, that is. He clearly doesn’t want to be that way, but 1000+ year old habits die hard, right?

Idk I love Yoko Kurama that’s all folks that’s one of my headcanons or maybe it’s actually canon who knows. I just wanted to muse about my favorite kitsune.

[onlycosmere]

REGARDING AUDIBLE

Brandon Sanderson: Hey, all. Brandon here, with what I consider to be some pretty exciting news. Many of you may remember when I wrote last year about my worries regarding audiobook royalties (particularly for independent authors). You can read it HERE, but some of the main bullet points are as follows:

I seriously worried about the opacity of reporting to authors about audio sales. We didn’t know what a sale meant, how much of an Audible credit was given to authors when a book sold via one, and how royalties were being accounted.

I felt that the industry was taking advantage of authors because of their lack of powerful corporate interests to advocate for them. While video game creators and musicians get 70–80% (88%, in fact, on two major platforms) of a sale of their products in a digital platform, Audible was paying as low as 25%–with the high end being instead 40%.

I felt I could have gotten a better deal for myself, but the entire state of this industry was seriously concerning to me. So, I made the difficult decision NOT to release the four Secret Projects on Audible, costing me a large number of sales, to instead try to bolster healthy competition in the space, highlighting some of the smaller Audible competitors.

I hoped this wake-up call would prompt change. I didn’t refuse to put my books on Audible out of retribution or to declare war; I did it because I wanted to shine as powerful a light as I knew how on a system that highly favored the audio distributors over the authors. I was convinced that the people at Audible really did love books and writers, and that with the right stand taken, I could encourage them toward positive change.

I’m happy to say that this stand has borne some fruit. I’ve spent this last year in contact with Audible and other audio distributors, and have pushed carefully–but forcefully–for them to step up. A few weeks ago, three key officers high in Audible’s structure flew to Dragonsteel offices and presented for us a new royalty structure they intend to offer to independent writers and smaller publishers.

This new structure doesn’t give everything I’ve wanted, and there is still work to do, but it is encouraging. They showed me new minimum royalty rates for authors–and they are, as per my suggestions, improved over the previous ones. Moreover, this structure will move to a system like I have requested: a system that pays more predictably on each credit spent, and that is more transparent for authors. Audible will be paying royalties monthly, instead of quarterly, and will provide a spreadsheet that better shows how they split up the money received with their authors.

This part looked really good to me, as I understand their decisions. I tried poking holes in the system, looking for ways it could be exploited, and found each issue I raised had already been considered. This doesn’t mean it’s going to be perfect, and people smarter than me might still find problems that I didn’t. However, I think everyone is going to agree the new system IS better. We will better be able to track, for example, how Audible is dividing money between books purchased with a credit and books listened to as part of their Audible Plus program.

It’s all very technical, but I have to say I’m impressed with the effort they have made. The people there listened to my complaints, and have tried to improve. I’m not at liberty to explain in its entirety their new structure right now, as they’re still tweaking it, but they did say I could announce its existence–and that I could promise new, improved royalties are on the horizon.

Now, before we go too far, I do anticipate a few continuing issues with the final product. I want to manage expectations by talking about those below.

What I’ve seen doesn’t yet bring us to the 70% royalty I think is fair, and which other, similar industries get.

Audible continues to reserve the best royalties for those authors who are exclusive to their platform, which I consider bad for consumers, as it stifles competition. In the new structure, both exclusive and non-exclusive authors will see an increase, but the gap is staying about the same.

Authors continue to have very little (basically no) control over pricing. Whatever the “cover price” of books is largely doesn’t matter–books actually sell for the price of a credit in an Audible subscription. Authors can never raise prices alongside inflation. An Audible credit costs the same as it did almost two decades ago–with no incentive for Audible to raise it, lest it lose customers to other services willing to loss-lead to draw customers over.

These are things I’d love to see change. However, this deal IS a step forward, and IS an attempt to meet me partway. Indeed, even incremental changes can mean a lot. When I was new in this business, my agent spent months arguing for a two-percent change in one of my print royalties–because every little bit helps. These improvements are going to be larger than two-percent increases.

Because of this, I will be bringing the Secret Projects to Audible very soon. I consider Audible to again be a positive force for the industry, and I have decided to shake hands with them. Audible has promised to release their new royalty system for all authors sometime in 2024, though I should be testing it in the next month or so.

And…if you’ll allow me a moment, I’d like to say that this feels good. It isn’t what I wanted, but I’d begun to think that nothing would ever change–that even my voice, loud though it can be, wouldn’t be enough. Yet change IS possible.

I know that there are plenty of people out there who are tired of hearing about me and my works (I’m sorry–I do have quite the group of evangelists, and we can be an enthusiastic lot). However, for better or for worse, I am one of the bestselling authors in the world. Historically, one of the best ways to change things in my industry is for authors like myself to force it to happen.

Feeling this responsibility, when I was first talking to Audible about these issues in 2022, I made it very clear that I wasn’t just seeking some quiet deal that gave me an individual advantage. I wanted to see positive change for all authors. And while I don’t think I can take sole credit, I do feel like my efforts this year have had a significantly positive effect. Soon every independent author who publishes on Audible (and maybe, eventually, traditionally published authors with the huge publishers–depending on what New York decides) will be getting a larger cut of the profit, with more transparency about how that cut is allocated.

So, for those who have been waiting until Audible had the Secret Projects, you’ll get your chance soon. I hope you’ll support them, and support Audible for their decisions. And thank you to all of you who shared the news about my problems with the audio industry last year; I believe that pressure really did help. This is a victory for all of us, because happier authors able to make a better living (particularly those authors who are struggling in the midlist trenches) make for a more vibrant world for everyone.

[galaxies-of-fandoms]

I have something to say about the newest PJO episode and how Percy interacted with Medusa, as well as the themes in the episode as a whole.

What we just witnessed was both indicative of what will happen in the end of the series as well as a shift in the paradigm.

Throughout these first few episodes, they’re HEAVILY sowing the seeds of conflict and discourse over the gods’ treatment of their halfblood children. Percy himself is rejecting his father at every turn, claiming to be Sally Jackson’s son (good for him, we stan) and even choosing the guidance of his mother over the guidance of the gods’ when it came to how he regarded Medusa. You can see how he’s being nudged towards the path of Kronos by Luke and by Medusa, and at this point you might already be thinking that they have a point when it comes to defying the gods. After all, what good were they? If even the most powerful god could only transform his daughter into a tree in order to prevent her death, how useful were they really? (Yes I know Thalia gets resurrected by the Golden Fleece, but Zeus nor anyone else demanded a quest for the Golden Fleece until the tree was dying and the camp’s borders were threatened) In the end, Zeus chose the most politically correct way to save Thalia over the most morally correct option. Give her a “hErO’S deATh” so that a potential quest leader is out of the picture while still looking like the good guy 🙄

But back to how Percy treated Medusa. He chose to trust her because of his mother. He constantly defied the will of his more experienced and intelligent quest mate because he trusted his mother, and I think he sensed Medusa’s kindred spirit with his mother in her. In certain ways, they are alike. Both loved and abandoned by the same man, both being left with consequences neither expected could arise out of loving another.

I don’t think Percy wanted to kill her. Just like how he won’t want to kill Luke, in the end. Percy will fight tooth and nail to protect those he cares about, but that also means playing the long game. In the books, this isn’t some long thought out plan of his, he’s just kinda going for the ride in order to try and prevent as many human lives lost as he can. He makes himself invaluable to the gods and protects Olympus from a major threat in order to protect his people, his family, which is also why he uses this as leverage to change the status quo. The status quo put both Luke and many more from CHB into the hands of Kronos. To Percy, Medusa was not a monster but a threat to eliminate. To Percy, Luke will become a threat to eliminate (until the last second). To Percy, the gods’ treatment of their children will be a threat to eliminate. And we just saw a glimpse of what Percy will do to threats he feels he needs to eliminate.

[apomaro-mellow]

Whatever Stevie Wants 8

Part 7

Steve dressed in the outfit his mother had set out and joined his parents in the dining room for lunch. It was a scene so familiar it made his stomach turn, and he picked helplessly at his food. He endured a couple minutes of them discussing whatever was going on with the Wilsons and their troubles with the Harriet family before finally speaking up.

“I’ve gone on with this long enough. Tell me where my children are before I call the police.”

“I don’t see how you expect to do that without your phone”, Margaret said. “And that staff has been instructed to keep you from the house phones at all costs.”

“This may seem extreme, son”, Layton started. “But it was necessary.”

“Necessary for what?! You both disowned me! And you didn’t say a word until I started dating Eddie and ‘besmirched the Harrington name’, so I changed my name and you went back to ignoring me. So why are you suddenly interested enough to kidnap me and my pups!?”

“We spent a decent chunk of our lives raising you, we deserve a return on that investment”, Layton said. “We thought allowing you to slum it out for a few years would bring you to your senses but clearly we were wrong.”

“We weren’t in contact because your father and I were hard at work for you, Steven”, his mother continued. “While you were working your tail off to drag our name through the mud. There’s hardly any alpha of good standing who will have you now. Barely any betas even.”

“Well it’s a good thing I’m already mated”, Steve said, arms crossed.

“That can be undone with a simple procedure”, Layton said, getting Steve to rise to his feet.

“You wouldn’t! You can’t! I won’t-!”

“Lower your voice!!”, both of his parents shouted back.

“I’m done playing along. I’m finding my pups, and I’m leaving this place even if it’s just with the clothes on my back. It wouldn’t be the first time.” Steve wanted to flip the table but instead he just stomped away from it.

Margaret rolled her eyes. “They’re not in the house.”

That got Steve to stop in his tracks. “What?”

“Maggie, don’t lie to the boy, it’s childish”, Layton said. “We considered leaving them at the villa, but knew you’d seek them out with no regard. They’re here and they’re safe with Eleanor.”

“...Prove it.”

Margaret scoffed but Layton went ahead and took out his own phone and brought up a camera feed. He held it out for Steve to see. There, in the very same nursery that Steve had spent his own infant years, were his girls. One was sleeping in her crib while the other was on her feet, tiny hands grasping the bars as if demanding freedom. Eleanor was sitting in a rocking chair, book in hand.

“Nessa, Vi…”, Steve whispered, tears coming as easy as breathing. He knew where that room was. He could-

“You will be allowed to see them soon. But first we need to talk”, Layton said as he pocketed the phone. 

“What more is there to talk about?”, Steve’s shoulders sagged. “You said yourself, there isn’t an alpha or beta who will have me.”

“We said ‘hardly’”, Margaret said. “We have found three men who are willing to open their home to you. Despite your…checkered past.”

“Now sit down so that we may discuss it”, Layton ordered.

Steve sat down, defeated but only for now. They had caught him off guard. But he wouldn’t fall for their tricks again. Now that he thought about it, the day before his mother had pushed seconds onto him. She had never encouraged him to eat more a single day in his life. That should’ve been enough to arouse suspicion.

“So first there’s Ridwan West”, Margaret started. “I think he’ll be your favorite. He doesn’t mind taking both girls. He’s actually trying to run for office and apparently diversity is in nowadays”, she smiled.

“But if you don’t want to throw your hat in with a politician, my top choice would be Findlay Weeks”, Layton said.

“Then why don’t you fuck him?”, Steve murmured under his breath.

“The Weeks have a diverse portfolio and they don’t rest on their laurels. You could be looking at exponential growth”, his father continued, used to his son’s mutters after years of them.

“But the Weeks are more…inclusive”, Margaret said. “When we mentioned your daughters, he’s fine with adopting Violet, especially if she blooms into an alpha….Vanessa on the other hand…”

Steve dropped his fork. “You would make me abandon one of my children!?”

“Don’t be dramatic, you would still have contact with her. Eleanor is amazing with children. And of course we have other omega maids who would love another child. How many pups did Nadine have?”

“One, mother. Nadine had one”, Steve said. But he didn’t expect his parents to recall details of their staff. Least of which is the fact that while having only one son, Nadine frequently watched her nieces, nephews, and younger cousins and thus had plenty of children in her life. Steve could remember because there was a time when the house staff were his only source of comfort and validation. But sometimes they changed as frequently as the seasons, his mother rarely ever satisfied.

“Regardless, that just leaves Ethan Mcbride”, Margaret kept going.

“Let me guess, he also wants me to leave behind my black daughter?”

“Well he would prefer it if you came completely unattached”, Margaret said. “Of course, Violet would be in just as good hands as Vanessa. And this way they could be raised together.”

“By a nanny. Or a maid. But not by either of you. And I should be so lucky!”, Steve raised his voice again.

“Your father and I have done nothing to deserve this level of disrespect, Steven!”

“I’m through with this. I’m getting my children and we’re leaving.” This time, when Steve stomped out of the dining room, he didn’t stop at his parents’ protests and he went right up to the nursery. He opened the door and his heart felt full as he saw them.

Violet, who was awake, saw him first and showed all her gums in her smile. Steve reached out and then felt something sharp puncture his neck. As he fell down and lost consciousness, he could hear Vanessa’s beginnings of a cry.

“Thank you, Craig”, Margaret’s voice could be heard. 

----------------------

Wayne let out a heavy sigh as he picked up the phone and made the call. He wished with all his heart he didn’t have to make it. But the longer he waited, the worse it would become. He rubbed his face as Eddie picked up.

“Hey, son.”

“Yo, Wayne. What’s up?”

“I’ve got some troubling news. Unless you’ve heard from Steve since he left for his folks?”

“We talked just before he left”, Eddie said. “He missed a call from me and Grant though. And he hasn’t been answering any of our texts. Is something up? Is he sick?”

“What’s the last real contact you had with him?”, Wayne asked.

“...The other day he sent a pic of the girls in some get up Madame Harrington put them in. But that was over a day ago. Wayne, what’s wrong? Where’s Steve? Where are the babies?”

Wayne felt his heart break at the worry already evident in Eddie’s voice and he handed the phone over to Beatrice. 

“Put me on speaker”, she said, knowing the others were probably close by. “You all need to get ready to cancel whatever you need with Chrissy so you can get home.”

“Mom?”, Jeff’s voice came over the line.

“And whatever you do Jeffery, stay calm. If any of you lose control, then this just gets harder.”

Eddie, Jeff, Grant, and Gareth held their breaths as Beatrice told them that they hadn’t heard from Steve for too long either. That he hadn’t returned when he said he would. Steve had sent the location of the place he was supposed to be meeting his parents. But when she and Wayne had gone over there, he and the Harringtons were nowhere to be found.

--------------------

When Steve came to, he was seated on a couch in the living room. The sun’s position was slightly different. It must have been a couple of hours at least. His mother sat across from him.

“You can’t keep me drugged up forever”, he said, his words still slightly slurred as he came to.

“Oh trust me, I don’t want to. But if you insist on sabotaging your own future, I will do what is necessary”, Margaret’s voice and expression sharp.

Steve could see the future she envisioned. Him, silent and obedient next to a man twice his age. And if he kept refusing, she’d make good on her threat. He’d be drugged until they chose someone for him. She’d never gone to these extremes, but now she’d already done it twice. He bit his lip. The important thing to do now was buy time. His pack would notice his absence and sound the alarms soon if they hadn’t already.

“Do you…do you really think any of them will like me? Any of those matches you suggested?”

“They’ve already expressed interest. And your father will be able to meet two of them today for lunch at the club”, Margaret switched gears easily. “You and I can spend today preparing, they’ll want to meet you soon, maybe even tomorrow.”

“Do you think I’ll be ready by then?”, Steve asked, hoping to prolong it a bit more.

“You may have covered yourself in grime, but Harringtons are diamonds that can shine through anything. Oh I’m getting giddy just thinking about the wedding we’ll get to plan. And just think, if you and Ridwan pair well, the wedding could be in the paper.”

Steve held back from rolling his eyes. His wedding to Eddie had already been covered by quite a few news publications. But of course, that didn’t matter to his mother. He wanted nothing more than to hold his children. He knew better than to ask for that though. At least for now. He would grit his teeth, grin and bear it. He could trust that whatever nanny they employ would take fine care of the twins.

And he knew if he was ‘good’, then his mother would reward him with some time with his own children. Having to play their game made his blood boil. But it was the only way to ensure their safety.

Part 9

[elderwisp]

◁ || ▷

Atlas: So your boss had you work through your break? Bee… 

Taryn: It’s fiiine, I ate my granola bar in between sorting books.

Atlas: You know that isn’t a healthy place to be at, right?

Taryn: Yeah, but it pays decently.

Atlas: Are you like the sole provider of your house…?

Taryn: Oh no! I’m not sure if Kai mentioned it, but our parents are in Selvadorada taking care of my grandma. She’s really sick and well, we made this arrangement. They take care of a majority of rent and Kai and I take care of utilities and the rest. 

Atlas: Ah, I see. I’m sorry to hear about your grandma.

Taryn: I appreciate it. She’s a kind woman, she used to make me champurrado on Christmas and it was the best.

Atlas: That’s really sweet. I’ve always wondered what that tastes like. Growing up, Toni was adamant on us not meeting our grandparents, so we never got to experience anything. Is it just fancy hot chocolate?

Taryn: I mean it has chocolate, but the consistency and flavor is a bit different.

Atlas: Huh… Want to make some later on tonight?

Taryn: Sure! I was actually wondering, you seemed a bit eager to skip out on that party.

Atlas: Do you still feel bad? Don’t! Besides Dan couldn’t even type out a proper response which tells me they’re having a great time… Without me.

Taryn: So you did want to go.

Atlas: No! No. 

Atlas: I didn’t want to see Frances. That’s the honest answer. 

Taryn: OH, I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize things were bad.

Atlas: Nah, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to sour the evening. 

Taryn: Atlas, you don’t have to pretend around me. What’s on your mind?

Atlas: Frances and I… We have our differences. Sometimes it feels like the things that matter to me aren’t important to her and that’s fine, I guess.

Taryn: And this is in regards to?

 Atlas: Toni. She feels like I have something to prove. 

Taryn: But you do. 

Atlas: Taryn-

Taryn: And you know you shouldn’t. 

Atlas: But-

Taryn: So the question is, why? 

Atlas: I think it’s the satisfaction of beating an impossible challenge. God, I sound like I’m into being humiliated or something.

Taryn: He isn’t worth it but you already know that. My job also isn’t worth it, I’m aware but people often do things that we know aren’t good for us. As for Frances, she isn’t your enemy, but I think maybe the two of you need to find common ground in how you both communicate. 

Atlas: [ begins to attempt to speak before falling silent again ]

Taryn: What?

Atlas: Nothing, I’m just glad to be here with you. Thank you. [ bewp ] Your glasses keep slipping down your face.

Taryn: I know, I need to get them fixed- Wait, don’t change the subject. You have something to say. 

Atlas: I dunno what you’re talking about. 

Taryn: Atlas the bike-

Atlas: Wha- Fuck! 

Taryn: I- We should head back.

Atlas: Yeah, of course.

[sunspotmangafan]

A long ramble lmao.

It did the best it could do adaptation wise with regards to how it’s paced as a manga.

I think many who came from it just as a bl jdrama don’t realise structurally it can’t be the ‘slow pace’ yall expect it to be. In regards to the manga, they’ve only recently gotten together, at least officially (looking at you kohei assuming you be taichi were boyfriends until Taichi had to ask in four seasons 1 lmao).

I do appreciate so much that the drama kept the spirit of sunspot alive and didn’t push the romance aspect at the forefront. It’s about them as characters first. Not their romance.

Taichi needs sig-n as a professional environment where he finally feels heard. And I’m glad kohei has others like Maya (and later the deaf footsal team but that’s for later in the manga to let him challenge his own internalised ableism, especially ryuu) who he can relate to, spite towards the world and all, it’s nice that Kohei has the unfiltered version of him to bounce off of and feel understood on a disability basis.

I’m also so happy they let Maya have her time to shine. Show why she is the way she is. It’s so upsetting that people refuse to see her depth and just continue to judge her for being mean and ‘not trying enough’, making it obvious these are the same people the manga and adaptation are criticising, criticising for putting the burden onto Maya to bend herself for others, ultimately then giving in to the ‘bitchy’ attitude since she’ll never be enough, as taichi said, she can’t try harder than she already is but she always feels like she has to. And I’m so glad they also let Taichi say how Maya is still coping in an unhealthy way.

This scene is so important. And I am so glad they kept it in. They’re never gonna be on amazing terms, they won’t ever will be, not everyone gets along. But they’re closer to understanding one another and that important. Maya is starting to see that Taichi isn’t the ableist sponge/leech she assumed he was, that not all able bodied people are ableist assholes, that she can be understood and be sympathised with. It’s. It’s beautiful.

There’s some changes that I definitely think made the adaptation a bit… lesser. Which is when it tried to combine three scenes/moments from the manga into one. Which confused me.

At the end of book 1, Kohei and taichi watch a movie where Taichi sees how troublesome it is for Kohei to see the subtitles. Making Taichi ultimately want to help make Kohei’s life a little easier (a nice foreshadowing of sig-n helping him make his dreams achievable, letting Taichi find his calling in life). It was actually a movie adaptation of the story the girl who romanticised Kohei and his disability was talking about. Kohei said how he related to the guy learning sign language, since he is also starting to learn it. Leading Kohei to try and teach Taichi some sign, leading to them holding hands and Kohei being like “..I won’t do anything you hate” referring to the kiss. And the book ends.

It’s such a wonderful set up for what Taichi wants to do, to find his calling (and in limit to have Kohei think he and his disability is at fault for taichi dropping out of uni and leaving him.) making it an amazing way to bring in sig-n which allows him to make the change Taichi wants to be a part of. It’s a place Taichi belongs in. It’s not just there to create a wedge between Taichi and Kohei, it’s there to be an answer for Taichi who never knew what he wanted to do. It’s somewhere where he’s finally like “this is it. I feel like this is the place.”

In the manga, at the start of ‘theory of happiness’ taichi and kohei aren’t talking to each other because of a VERY rocky incident that happened.

Between the first and second book (around the camping episode) taichi once got very drunk at work while kohei was in the area. Kohei bumped into taichi and since taichi was like “YAAAAAAAY MY FRIEND”, so they let Kohei take him home. Taichi was of no help to Kohei finding his home so Kohei ended up taking Taichi t his own home to give him some water and such. While Taichi was falling asleep ok the couch, Kohei said “if you keep being like this I’ll have to kiss you. And I promised I wouldn’t do anything you hate”, leading drunken Taichi to say “what if I didn’t hate it??”

Making kohei be like “wait what???”, he climbs on top of taichi to try and get an explanation out of what he said, freaking him out. Taichi jumps up and tries to run away as Kohei grabs onto him. Taichi freaks out and shoves Kohei to the floor and runs away in shame, not really talking to each other for a while after that because it was all very awkward, Taichi wanted to at least but Maya was trying to protect Kohei from who she thought was a bad person. (That’s actually what the conversation at Taichi’s home was about originally. Both felt awful and like the other hated them for what they did to the other. But when they spoke then and realised they both felt bad and didn’t hate the other, kohei was like “oh thank god!!!” And fell to the floor in relief.). It’s either they tried to add it as a moment in between the two books they were adapting or completely ignored it which is WEIRD.

It…it also tried to combine the camping episode. After the main part of book 2, which will be after the 12th episode where taichi and kohei start to try (key word: try) and navigate their lives together more maturely. Sig-n has a camp out retreat and Taichi invites Kohei, knife drop and everything. It follows a good amount of the plot beats like with Taichi telling kohei it’s okay to just let out his laughter and joy and such. Maya and Taichi actually also get to exchange in some banter.

But here’s the most important part. THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THAT WHOLE CAMPING CHAPTER THAT THEY JUST MISSED OUT ON.

There was the cookout that Kohei was helping when suddenly his hearing just…..goes… he could not hear anything.

And just as that happens of the kids Were messing about and accidentally nocked over a boiling hot pot. Taichi noticed and pushed the kids out of the way. Ultimately getting himself burned and gaining a scar in the process that haunts Kohei throughout limit. Since Kohei couldn’t hear Taichi getting hurt he only realised the man he loves was in danger only after he got hurt and was receiving help from Chiba-san (nasty furthering what was before a teeny bit of jealousy since it’s grown to always be Chiba there for Taichi and not Kohei himself.) This fucks up kohei a lot. That because he couldn’t hear he could not be there for Taichi. This plays so well into the main internal conflict of Limit where Kohei feels the need to distance himself from Taichi thinks he sees himself as a burden to Taichi and as a bad partner who can’t be there… because of his disability that could grow even worse.

I think that’s one of the main issues with what went on there. They left out the main showcases of how human and flawed these characters are.

They left out the main reasons the guys would he rocky around each other because of how much they care for one another but with their own flawed ways of going about it. It’s about being human first and a romance afterwards. So I think it may have confused the narrative. But that’s just an adaptational mishap. I still enjoy the Jdrama very much!! They still have trust humanity to it. They’re young adults, they’re just slightly younger than me, AND I FUCK UP ALL THE TIME, it’s the warts and all approach to this really lovely story about two people who ultimately fall in love and get together, but not have that define them as human beings. Because romance doesn’t define us, so romance shouldn’t define them. I’m really really upset for all the hate it’s getting just because it’s not like the other bls out there. Just because they’re stupid young adults with their own baggage trying to navigate their own world and themselves and their feelings.

[rippleclan]

given how much StarClan interacts with RippleClan (mostlt Oilstripe, for.. obvious reasons), could Scrubmask tell them who did it? or was it so quick that even she didn't catcha glimpse of the killer? im assuming it took her moment between dying and becoming a spirit, so the killed escaped the scene, but again.. what about other StarClans that visit the living so frequently.

this one thing always bugs me in canon books, with how much StarClan interacts with living cats and yet just refuse to do *anything*. 'no Redtail, you can't warn the clans about Tigerclaw murdering you, we need the special orange child to do it :) who cares it will take him months to figure it out :)) who cares that Tigerclaw will kill more cats in the meantime and we will then give him 9 lives so he can continue killing more cats :))) also dont worry if your dead sister visits our special orange boy every night, she is here to vibe and talk. no, not talk about your murder lol who cares.'

Ok ok ok, so this was an issue that I brought up in my StarClan lore post, but I’ll elaborate here. The solution I crafted for this plot hole is that there is a greater power keeping the cat’s mouths shut about these issues; the All-Seeing.

If you don’t remember, the All-Seeing is the mass of forgotten cats who guard the river of time and space. They are basically a god. They don’t necessarily have the same sort of logic or morality as living cats or regular StarClan cats. They see everything, and know how the flow of time will progress. They are the one who allows StarClan to send omens and prophecies. They’re also the one who lets you, the readers, alter events! Their main goal is the continuation of the Clans.

The problem with the All-Seeing is that, while StarClan could let cats know about so many of these omnipotent details, they have already seen the Clans work through these issues. They give StarClan power to send prophecies if the Clans would not be able to properly overcome a certain challenge without divine assistance. Like I said in my prophecy discussion, prophecies are tools to guide the cats to the right actions or knowledge. If nothing changes as a result of having the prophecy, there is no point in giving it. While StarClan can predict some things as well, the majority of this specific power comes from the All-Seeing. If they do not want something said, StarClan physically cannot say it.

Let’s take a few examples. When Carnationspeckle was kidnapped, Oilstripe asked Applepelt for news about her mate, but Applepelt was unable to say anything. This was because the All-Seeing already knew that RippleClan would quickly save Carnationspeckle and establish a tentative peace with the Witch Hunters. Giving Oilstripe more information would disturb the flow of time severely. Conversely, Fennelspot received a prophecy about Tempestkit because, has he not reacted to the faint smoke in the air, Tempestkit would have frozen to death and disturbed some of the All-Seeing’s important plans with the flow of time. They have a plan that is hard to fathom, and they will follow it.

There are a lot of nuances to how much power StarClan and the All-Seeing actually have, and how clerics and their rituals can alter this, but that’s for another post. I’ll tackle the issue of Scrubmask specifically. You as readers know it was murder, but in the eyes of RippleClan, they believe the death was caused by a Witch Hunter. They have no reason to suspect a Clan cat of killing Scrubmask. Scrubmask is prevented from casually saying anything to Oilstripe, whose abilities disturb the All-Seeing’s order of things. Should Troutpool perform a ritual in regards to Scrubmask’s murder, StarClan and the All-Seeing may have the power and freedom to say something. However, in the All-Seeing’s future, keeping the killer a secret is important.

[raayllum]

PAWN-OF-AARAVOS DARK-MAGIC-SCARRED CALLUM WITH LITERAL BLOOD ON HIS HANDS IN THE TRAILER

HOW DOES THAT VINDICATION FEEL?

I love that Claudia gets the white hair and he gets the facial scarring, just like you speculated about! They’re two sides of the same coin!

Also ICARUS CALLUM? HE FLIES TOO HIGH AND HIS WINGS FALL APART? THEY’RE JUST GIVING US EVERYTHING

Listen we Knew ever since he got that cube he'd be a pawn and worried about it (+ increased Claudia and Viren parallels to boot), the blood on his hands even in a dream was a lovely wish come true already, and white streak Callum will always be famous but I gotta say I am loving the corrupted face variant, showing the initial inklings of corruption

I already talked about it in my trailer breakdown post and it's like that singular screencap is Crazy, it's Nuts like the implications no matter which way you play it? Because it's clearly a nightmare or scary vision sequence and like

If it's Rayla's nightmare (the way Runaan is), that means she knows what he did on Finnegrin's boat and that she's scared of what Callum's becoming—Rayla, who's had more faith than arguably anyone that Callum is special ("No, Callum's different!") and amazing with or without his magic ("Humans could take their fates and change them" / "He's noble, and true") and so confident that his destiny was a book he could write himself she refused to even consider the possibility of her needing to be his (and the world's) safety net, because Callum has regularly done the impossible. If her confidence in him is shaken, his must be abysmal

However, if it's Callum's nightmare or vision or whatever (and that's what I'm leaning towards) it does show a shift of sorts. I'm gonna copy and paste what I've said earlier about it and then go into more detail if well, there's detail to go into:

We know from 6x01 details that he has a nightmare regarding Aaravos, and we also know from people at cons that this screencap was not there. Looking at the scene itself, the deep purple lighting highlights that it’s not quite 'real’, nor is it necessarily possible due to the background being Finnegrin’s office on the Sea Legs, where Callum last did dark magic. I could very easily see this being a dream where Callum is having horrifying visions of himself outside his body, and this is one. I do find it interesting that, rather than black dark magic slug goop like I first thought on his hand, it’s actually blood on his hand, and the changes this indicates of Callum’s psyche / fears. Normally when Callum breaks things (primal stone, moon opal necklace, the green slug) it’s with his other hand, for starters. But more importantly, I think it’s interesting that this nightmare isn’t Just about being flat out possessed, but of being more of a dark mage: the eyes, the corruption, the blood, etc. and how that may lead to Aaravos’ will being further enforced over him. It speaks to a recognition of his own agency as well as growing fears of being not just controlled, but corrupted along the way.

One of Callum's greatest assets has always been his self awareness. He's intelligent, attentive, growing in confidence in his own capabilities for more than just magic. This is one of his biggest differences from both Viren and Claudia. However, this awareness of what he could do—what Aaravos could get him to do, possession or otherwise—may make him more stressed, worried, fearful, and paranoid.

Additionally acknowledged is that like in S4 and even in 6x01 Callum seemed mostly concerned with being possessed, as stated. Obviously S4 still had indications it was going to grow into More than just "what if my agency is stripped away" to "what if my agency is stripped away (and it's 'my' fault / because of my previous choices)" from Callum himself ("What if I'm on a path of darkness" is no longer a flimsily founded worry) and even from other characters like Soren ("I know you love magic, Callum, but I hope you're careful, 'cause it can change people").

Which makes sense! Possession is a loss of agency and that's accordingly terrifying, esp to a character like Callum who is the thematic embodiment of Freedom in the series and who cares about agency and being able to Do things 110%. Just having your agency stripped away from you wholesale, though, doesn't give much of a character arc — even if Callum only makes decisions out of paranoia next season > love, he's still making decisions — so like... He can and should be worried about his choices and what they may lead to, honestly. Not only is there set up, it's a much more standard TDP storyline (when is anyone ever let off the hook?) and it's more interesting. Callum is also very good at keeping his fears logically grounded (i.e. not worrying about Viren after 3x09, but stressed about not being a mage in s2) so that's another point in the "yeah this is Setup" column alongside 5x08 and... all of s4 and s5 honestly. So this screencap is very exciting cause it seems Callum is having increased fear and self awareness about his previous dark magic use and the possibility of using it or doing something else he considers awful in the future and I can't wait!

Icarus chose to fly too close to the sun after all

[pippin-katz]

Hey!

Why does Henry rebuff Alex during their first meeting? Like when Alex greets him, he walks away ignoring him.. What's the theory there?

I'm kinda new here and if this was already discussed or known, my apologies 😊

No prob! I like explaining things, even if it's obvious or everyone is like "we know already". My little neurodivergent brain gets happy when I make neat essays with GIFs and sections and whatnot lol

Post Writing Note: once again, this very simple question with a fairly simple answer turned into a fucking essay and I am so sorry lmfao, I know I said I like making them but I did not intend this to be a long one!! You have been warned!!

Foreword Regarding The Canon

I, and I assume most viewers who have also read the book, interpret the film's canon to be a combination of the film's events, and parts of the book that we didn't see, but could've happened anyway. Things like what was said in the emails, Bea's history with drug abuse, Pez' foundation, and whatnot are sort of meshed together with the film in my mind; just because the film didn't have the time to show it to us does not mean it did not happen in that version of their world. I say this cause I'm going to be discussing both the book and the film.

Also a key: Pink - internal dialogue from the book Red - Alex's dialogue in both versions Blue - Henry's dialogue in both versions

Establishing The Basics

I assume you’re referring to this moment during the greeting line:

Side note: Alex’s face at the end never fails to make me laugh 😂

While this is their first interaction in the film, it’s not their first meeting, as they explain that they met at the Melbourne Climate Conference a few years ago. In the book, they met in Rio at the Olympics when they were teenagers. The only difference this makes is that they're more mature in the film than the book, but it doesn't change much.

The beats for how their first meeting went are practically identical.

Alex approached Henry to introduce himself. Henry, who was dealing with his grief and depression after his father’s passing, was an ass.

He looks at him unkindly; in the film, Alex describes it as: “like he had head lice”, and in the book, Alex describes it as: “like I was the most offensive thing you had ever seen”. Either way, he looked at him in a way that visibly communicated a dislike or lack of respect for him.

Then he turns to Shaan and says he needs to leave, though the wording is different between book and film. In the film, he says, “I need to get out of here” -which Alex mishears as "get me out of here"- while in the book, he says, “Can you get rid of him?”.

Henry Meeting Alex

Admittedly, the line from the book is far more rude, but Henry does explain far later -after Alex storms Kensington Palace and they agree that they’re committed to being together- through an email what he was thinking during their first meeting. I see no reason for these thoughts to be any different in the film's context, as the reason for Henry's behavior is still rooted in his depression and trauma surrounding his father's death. They're also relevant to understanding Henry's behavior.

You might have seen edits or mentions of this email because it’s one of the most memorable.

Henry explains he had been dealing with his trauma by basically compartmentalizing the most impactful -mostly negative- events of his life into “rooms”. He puts those moments into “rooms” in his head, based on the layout of Buckingham Palace. He chooses which room based on how traumatic or impactful it was; two examples he mentions are losing his virginity in college, which he shoves it into “the smallest, most cramped little broom cupboard” he could find, and the night his father died, which he puts in “the biggest room, a ballroom, wide open and dark, windows drawn and covered”.

But when he saw Alex for the first time, he felt such a strong reaction that he took it “down to the gardens” and “pressed it into the leaves of a silver maple and recited it to the Waterloo Vase”. He quite memorably says, “It didn’t fit in any rooms.”

Then he describes what Alex looked like, and how he was talking to Nora and June, and how he was so animated, happy, and beautiful, and Henry was in a dark place, and felt like he couldn't experience life the same way.

Here's the most popular/remembered bit: "I thought, this is the most incredible thing I have ever seen, and I had better keep it a safe distance away from me. I thought, if someone like that ever loved me, it would set me on fire."

Henry basically pushed Alex away on purpose because on top of all the trauma he was experiencing, he was convinced he would ruin him, if you will, and that he didn't deserve someone like Alex.

Alex Meeting Henry

It's easy looking back with the knowledge we have now to wonder why Henry didn't just approach Alex, provide an explanation for his behavior (doesn't have to be his father, any justifiable reason would've worked), and apologize the very next time they saw each other.

But it's important to remember that this was their first ever interaction with each other. Henry was feeling a ton of different emotions, but so was Alex.

Alex is a smart, but stubborn, person. He develops very strong opinions fast, that may make sense, but sometimes fails to consider the alternatives. It's sort of like the two sides of his brain work at different speeds. He's very smart, but sometimes his emotional bias can blind him to fairly obvious things that would change his opinion.

For example, Alex sees Henry as rude, smug, entitled, and a snob, which are all inherently false notions. However, based on his one meeting with him, those aren't unfounded assumptions for him to make.

If you look at it purely from Alex's perspective, not knowing anything about Henry's depression and the depths of his struggle with grief, Henry does act and sound incredibly rude to Alex. Giving someone a nasty look when they introduce themselves to you and then immediately requesting to get out of the conversation, screams: "I don't care about your existence".

Couple that with the fact that Henry is a white, blue-eyed (in the book), blond who was born into royalty, and Alex is a working class person of color who has had to run himself into the ground to get to where he is.

That is the perfect set up for Henry's behavior to be interpreted worse than just rude. All of that information can logically add up to the assumption: Henry is an elitist, racist, asshole.

Before They Met

Alex also secretly admired Henry when he was younger. This wasn't translated to the screen, but like I mentioned, it's something I think of as happening in that universe anyway, just slightly differently.

June gets a teen magazine for her fifteenth birthday; since June isn't part of the film's canon, I can headcanon that this was Nora instead, since she's sort of a combination of the two characters for the movie. All the details don't really matter, but I know someone would be like "but that didn't happen in the movie-" and I just don't feel like explaining that to each comment I end up getting.

There's a teen magazine with a picture of Henry in it. It's a candid picture that captured his actual essence rather than the stuffy pictures Alex had seen on the news. He describes it, saying, "there was a happy, sun-bright confidence to him that couldn't be posed".

Alex definitely developed an unconscious crush on him, not realizing it until later. He would keep going back to the magazine and to the page with him on it. He would touch his hair in the picture, trying to imagine how it felt. He considered prying the stables apart and taking just that page to hide in his room.

As his parents started getting higher in the government, Henry also became his role model. He wanted to match the easy confidence he seemed to have.

But then he met him, and the fantasy he had of him was shattered by how rude Henry was.

The tabloids and news are always comparing Alex to him, which he mentions in the film to Nora in the car. He resents the fact that he's compared to Henry when he has every advantage, if you will, but he also resents that he ever wanted to be like Henry in the first place, having convinced himself now that he was a fake, boring, obnoxious prick.

Because Alex doesn't not know about Henry's dad, but its something he thought about more as a bullet point on his fact sheet rather than considering it any further.

Henry's depression is more explicitly explored in the book, since they have the time to go into all those details. He isolates himself, and has insomnia like he mentioned in the movie, but he also takes medication, and Alex makes a mention of a "tense little grimace Henry does in public" that he thought was him being aloof.

Once Henry mentions his father's passing during their conversation in the hospital closet, Alex's brain puts everything together very fast. He's not stupid, and in the book even says, "He's been aware for too long that most people don't navigate thoughts of whether they'll ever be good enough or if they're disappointing the entire world. He's never considered Henry might feel any of the same things."

Antagonizing Each Other

However, that is all information Alex doesn't have at the wedding. They don't say exactly how many times they've spoken in either version, just that they have met a few times since their first introduction.

Alex, on top of dealing with the comparisons, is convinced that Henry doesn't like him either. The quote from the books is: "The most annoying thing of all is Alex knows Henry hates him too-he must, they're naturally mutual antagonists-but he refuses to outright act like it."

He actively antagonizes him whenever they are at the same event. It's implied in the film when Henry describes him as "the world's most irritating person", but the book makes it clear that Alex is always the one to attack first, if you will.

As soon as Alex goes over to him at the wedding, we can see Henry visibly react in a way that implies he's bothered but has to pretend so they don't cause a scene. His expressions say, "oh here we go 🙄". Henry knows that Alex is going to pick a fight with him. It happens every time they run into each other.

This interaction in the book is pretty iconic and it does a great job of showing what I'm describing. Alex gets drunk and approaches Henry and while they're talking, Henry notices. He suggests Alex switch to water after he makes a lot of rude comments about him pretending to be more important than everyone and pretending to hate the attention the media gives him.

"Should I?" Alex says. He pushes aside the thought that maybe the wine is what gave him the nerve to stomp over to Henry in the first place and makes his eyes as coy and angelic as he knows how. "Am I offending you? Sorry I'm not obsessed with you like everyone else. I know that must be confusing for you."

"Do you know what?" Henry says. "I think you are."

Alex's mouth drops open, while the corner of Henry's turns smug and almost a little mean.

"Only a thought," Henry says, tone polite. "Have you ever noticed I have never once approached you and have been exhaustingly civil every time we've spoken? Yet here you are, seeking me out again." He takes a sip of his champagne. "Simply an observation."

"What? I'm not-" Alex stammers. "You're the-"

"Have a lovely evening, Alex," Henry says tersely, and turns to walk off.

It drives Alex nuts that Henry thinks he gets to have the last word, and without thinking, he reaches out and pulls Henry's shoulder back.

You know what happens from there.

Their conversation in the film is slightly different, but it carries the same beats as the book: Alex approaching Henry, he pretends to be nice while saying something rude, Henry starts retaliating against the comments, Henry tries to walk away, and Alex tries to stop him. In the book, Alex just stumbles when Henry turns back around really fast. He gets tripped up and starts falling, and just like in the movie, he grabs Henry to trying and keep himself upright. The icing on the jacket bit was added into the movie, which I have to say was a brilliant addition.

Back to their conversation, remember that Henry doesn't dislike Alex, rather he's had a crush on him since they met. But Alex has made his opinions very clear, and Henry is not a pushover. He doesn't engage him, but returns the energy he's given. When Alex is rude, he's rude back, but he doesn't start the fight.

I imagine that any attempt Henry could've made to explain or apologize for the Climate Conference/Olympics would have been squashed before he even had the chance by Alex's need to insult him. They also only ever see each other at very public events, so he can't ask why Alex doesn't like him; that's partly why he does it when they're stuck in the broom closet at the hospital.

They're completely alone and have nowhere to go, and it's probably been eating him alive every time he's thought about Alex for the last few years. Even if he doesn't like the answer, he knows that he will get an answer, so he asks.

Why Does Henry Walk Away?

This all being said, back to the moment in question:

The most common interpretation of this interaction is that Henry walks away because 1) he doesn't want to start anything, & 2) he has a raging crush on Alex, and he can't deal with it.

Now, Alex does start off playing nice here, being friendly and polite, but it's a reoccurring issue between them that even if things start off civil, Alex will end up antagonizing him.

They also both "know" that "the other hates them", so they both probably want to avoid each other.

Henry knows that Alex doesn't like him. He doesn't know why Alex doesn't like him, but he's well aware of the animosity. Therefore, he knows that Alex's politeness is a front.

He has a crush on him. He likes Alex, but he's gotten basically nothing but disdain from him since they met. That has to hurt, to have the person you like actively hate you. It also has to hurt knowing that they're pretending to be friendly.

Because Alex is pretending here. He's representing his mother, the President of the United States, at a massive foreign event. He knows better than to act up, so even if he doesn't like him, he is polite with his greeting.

After Henry brushes him off again, he's visibly pissed off, but he doesn't do anything. He avoids him. He stands off to the side, and sort wanders around alone, just drinking and feeling anxious. He has no intention of starting a conflict.

The only reason Alex approaches Henry is because he gets wasted drunk. This is the same in the book. While he was able to control himself before, once he's drunk, he just goes with his first impulses. One of those is to piss Henry the fuck off the second he sees him.

The book says, "[Henry] looks politely half-interested in that obnoxious way of his, like he has somewhere else to be. And Alex can't resist the urge to call his bluff."

This is to say that if Alex hadn't gotten as drunk as he did, he probably would've avoided Henry for the evening. Alex always seeks him out to provoke him, but like I said, he's aware of how important this event is. He does not want to start anything because it could reflect poorly on his mother. But Henry has no reason to think Alex will behave any differently than he has in the past, which he ends up being right about.

So to finally answer your question: Henry walking away was his attempt to avoid the conflict, as well as spare himself the emotional torture that would be watching the person you like be friendly with you, when you know it's fake and that they actually hate you.

Holy fuck, I could've told you that in two sentences but instead it turned into a whole fucking essay for NO REASON! Geez, just why? Why am I like this? lmfao 😭

Thanks for reading!! If you enjoyed this essay & would like to support me, you can give me a tip on my Ko-Fi! ☺️

[howlsofbloodhounds]

You know I was thinking. When you talk about Chara's and Killers stages dinamic, and how they trained and disciplimed them. One thing is stuck in my mind, where does Chara even know how to do all of that? Where did they learn the whole, psychological manipulation and training thing they used on Killer? Because a normal child, shouldn't have any knowledge on any of that. Does it have something to do with Charas life on the surface?

Well, other than the fact that Chara is unfortunately no longer a normal child and has basically evolved into the closest thing Something New has to a God (able to evade death, create and change timelines, etc.), I think it very much has to do with how their life on the surface was—when they were alive—and after, under the watch of the Player.

In the canon Undertale, Chara is a dead child learning by watching the Player/the human—they learn a lot from us in the Genocide run. Chara didn’t start the Genocide and likely was horrified and confused in the beginning, but by the end they had accepted that this was why they woke back up. And they don’t understand why the Player wants to go back.

In a timeline where the Player is intending to try and do everything they can, see everything they can, even if that means fucking around with the game’s files, character codes, messing around with things they probably shouldn’t and risking ruining the game completely—that alone is enough to try every single option they can think of. No matter how violent or abusive or depraved, because it’s just a video game with characters that aren’t real or sentient, and they have to see everything. They have to.

When Chara was alive, they already had such little regard for their life and well being they were willing to die if it meant freeing Monsterkind. No child gets that low an opinion of themself, so willing to embrace death, if something or someone didn’t make it seem like a better option than being alive. Especially if they truly did climb Mt. Ebbott with the intention of not surviving the fall.

Especially if now that their death could mean freeing Monsterkind—the ones who took them in and loved them and showed them kindness—then maybe they can finally be good for something.

(I like to think Something New!Chara has specific trauma surrounding dehumanization and demonization.

Grown up told that they’re an evil child, similar to the way Passive Nightmare was treated by the Villagers. And they thought that by freeing Monsterkind they can finally be good, even if it meant dying.

Only they didn’t die and now all of Monsterkind is dead and that’s their purpose for being awake now. Similar to a fanonish Nightmare, it became a self fulfilling prophecy—they were always meant to be bad, they can never be good, so just embrace. You are a bad, evil child and all will die by your hands.)

So I’m thinking that it’s a mixture of lived experiences, watching and learning from a seemingly all powerful invisible entity and its tactics, and possibly any books about psychology, the effects of abuse, conditioning, etc. in pets, humans, and monsters.

Chara is a kiddo and was a victim of these tactics once, a possibly even witnessed it done to any pets they may have had on the surface (possibly was even treated as a pet), so I’m sure they made a ton of mistakes while trying to train the Stages.

Very likely due to the possessive attachment they have to Killer and their own inability to control their emotions when the right trigger points are hit—feeling betrayed, lied to, abandoned, taken advantage of, rejected, looked down on, dismissed, ignored, feeling weak or out of control, etc.

Chara always tries to maintain a facade of being mature, being intelligent and calm and in control. But they’re a child who’s just as traumatized and unstable as Killer is. Push the right buttons and they’re as violent and unhinged as Killer in Stage 3 can be.

It’s also important to mention that although the overarching goal is to maintain control over Killer, the strategy of how they got there may not have always been planned in advance or improvised.

It creates an unstable and uncertain environment when Chara lashes out during moments of rage, hurt, or perceived abandonment and betrayal. It keeps Killer on his toes and in fear, and he comes to associate doing or saying certain things with pain and fear—ingrained so deeply in his mind, body, and soul that even potentially just thinking about or considering doing or saying those things can cause him fear and pain, even without Chara around to enforce it.

And it certainly doesn’t help that Chara is inside his head.

But they have time to learn and develop. Neither of them are staying permanently dead anytime soon. Mistakes can be fixed, learned from. Killer and Chara are above time and even death now.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Regarding your last post, i would honestly love to see a jealous jade >:'DD

Jade doesn't seem like the type to get jealous easily and can keep himself usually in control.

So, like, imagine Jade heard/saw Miss Raven giving Rollo a Tour (because her generous uncle asked her to do so). Jade would probably find the situation amusing at first and would probably if he had the chance to tease miss raven about it, before he noticed how much time the two would have to spend together (again, explaining/giving a tour takes time). He would act as if he isn’t jealous. Jade would greatly maintain his facade with a smile. Jade would be seething on the inside while glaring holes at Rollo while quietly following them and just happen to stumble upon them wherever they went (What a coincidence!)

Or he would grab Miss Raven (just like in the fanart) and pull her close to him while he would scoff and mock Rollo under his breath. Imagine Rollo and Jade glaring at each other while Miss Raven is in between them.

Once alone, Jade would probably use his crocodile tears, sigh dramatically, or fake a pitiful expression trying to Guilt trip or make Miss Raven feel bad. Saying stuff like how's she's "cheating" on him. 😔

Rest assured, Jade wouldn’t let this incident pass by just like that. Now that he has a "love rival" (besides Rook), he has to step up his advances towards Miss Raven. After all, he can't just let his precious "Prey" escape from his grasp. How amusing Fu fu fu fu.

What do you think...? 👀

[Referencing this post!; the “giving Rollo a tour” premise comes from this fic!]

Actually, I have to confess that Rollo has basically replaced Rook in my “top 3 TWST characters” list… OTL Superior fictional French man/j 😔 L*ona is in that top 3 ranking too—

EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT JEALOUS JADE 💀 I think about what he said he’d do to anyone that betrays him (in book 4)… ngl hot I’m sure he’s patient and meticulous about plotting his revenge though it’s one of his many charm points💕

I’m going to go a little ham with the rot prompt so @w@ I’ll slap it under a cut—

J word just doing his thing, passing as a Normal Student on campus when suddenly he spots his usual target for bullying teasing walking around with a stranger (he knows all the NRC students’ information by heart :)) as part of his information broker duties in Octavinelle). Ah, this must be the representative from NBC—the headmaster was in a tizzy about finding a tour guide for him, according to Azul upon his return from last week’s dorm leader meeting. The poor sap assigned the task? Miss Raven. He chuckles to himself, wondering how she’s faring with it. Should he mess with her? He should, shouldn’t he?

So Jade goes over to introduce himself, shakes Rollo’s hand and everything. He immediately notices him going for the handkerchief, how Rollo masks his expression with it—Jade already knows there’s more to him than meets the eye. He then goes to greet Raven, who is frozen in shock. “Erm… good to see you as well…” she says, trying to stay polite in front of their guest. (“You’re acquainted?” Rollo asks, to which she hurriedly replies he’s a waiter at Azul’s eatery.) Raven’s quick to guide him away, insisting that they’re on a tight schedule (they’re not), just to put distance between them and Jade. A shame he can’t fluster her more, but he’s patient—he can wait. Jade wishes them well and waves… but he doesn’t fail to notice Rollo passing him a stern look before leaving. The feeling the mututal, Jade doesn’t trust him one bit.

As Rollo is being led away, he addresses his tour guide. “That man’s smile was quite the fantastical ruse”. (“Oh, he’s always like that,” Raven says dismissively. “Don’t mind him.”) He scoffs, then asks, “… What is he to you?” to which Raven bashfully changes the subject. This only earns a suspicious glare from Rollo, but he doesn’t press further.

There’s something very offputting about Rollo, Jade just doesn’t know what it is yet. Jade’s a curious merman, so he sets to following the duo investigating for himself. The mild discomfort, unfortunately, only seems to grow the more and more he witnesses of Rollo and Raven. With Jade, she’s always so snippy and defensive—but with Rollo, she’s more encouraging and cheery. More forgiving. Then he catches her holding Rollo’s hand (albeit just to stare at his shiny ring). Sharing her favorite stories. Admiring the flowers. Having lunch. Feeding the birds and singing to them. Such raw, unguarded moments. She’s wary of showing that side of herself to Jade, yet to so easily share it with Rollo… He feels something dark and ugly twisting inside of him. Jealousy.

Jade makes it a point to be petty by “accidentally” interrupting their moments together. They’re just coincidences, he insists. Happenstance. Certainly not well-coordinated efforts to drive a wedge between them. (Jade literally stands between Rollo and Raven, making sure to include Rollo in the conversation so it’s not obvious what his intentions are—to monopolize her attention.) After the third encounter though, Rollo calls Jade out on his bullshit farce (“You honestly believe I would be convinced these encounters are mere coincidences? I am no fool. You’ve been following us around, haven’t you?”), which leads into Jade’s whole fake crying schtick (“I would never do such a heinous thing!! Shikushiku… Rollo-san does not trust me. Such a cruelty toward your peers.”)…

dbsvsjsc)cayDRSt/2egabwkeju788!j THEN MAYBE LIKE. Jade is especially dramatic (because he wants to piss Rollo off) and like lays his head on Raven’s shoulder or in the crook of her neck and pretend-sobs, asking Raven to please comfort him in his time of distress… and Rollo, being a prude, gets all mad about it????? Calling it indecent behavior and how dare he engage in public cuddling— (meanwhile Raven is short circuiting over here—) “J-J-Jade-senpai, p-please remove yourself from me! Y-You’re… you’re too close!! And too big! And heavy!!” she squeals, trying to shove him off (to no avail).

“Ah, it seems Miss Raven too has chosen to reject me,” Jade laments. “Whatever shall I do…? Perhaps I will die of a broken heart and dissipate into mere sea foam.” (“S-Stop being overdramatic! You’re fine…” Again, she tries to pull away, and shoots Rollo an apologetic look. “I’m sorry about this, I didn’t mean for…”) And there it is again—jealousy, now pulsating and hot. A hand shoots out, seizing Raven by the arm and pulling her close to him again. Jade drops the facade, holding her chin in one hand while he regards Rollo with a cold smile. Rollo meets him with a glare. “At last, you show your true colors.”

“Alas, you’ve yet to reveal your own to me.” Jade’s eyes are half-lidded, bemused. “You wear that mask of civility quite well—I cannot help but fret for the safety and wellbeing of my poor, sweet Miss Raven when she is left alone with you.” (Rollo’s eyes narrow at that. “You’re of no real importance to her,” he scoffs. “What a swelled ego you must have to elevate yourself to a higher pedestal. You ought to humble yourself.”)

Rollo steps forward, as if ready to retrieve his tour guide and to be on his merry way with her. Jade’s eyes flash dangerously—but he returns his attention to his captured prey, sharp teeth and warm breath at her ear as a whisper slinks out. “Please permit me to borrow your lips, Miss Raven.” (“H-Huh…? What are you say… NMMMMMMPHGH?!”) And suddenly 🤡 bro’s aggressively kissing her right in front of Rollo, who’s standing there utterly shocked and appalled. She gasps and tears away to catch her breath, to give Jade a piece of her mind for giving her a fright—but here he comes again 💀 this time lightly peppering her face with kisses, (murmuring sweet affirmations inbetween), just to reaaaaaally drive the message home to Rollo.

Speaking of Rollo, he points a shaky finger at Jade and starts firing off ALL the bad words in his lexicon (harlot, degenerate, pervert, freak…!!). Jade smirks, considering it a victory to both unnerve Rollo as well as making it clear what his relationship with “the tour guide” really is. Unfortunately for Jade, Raven’s annoyed with him, beating her small fists against his chest and pouting. He laughs and ruffles her hair fondly in spite of her protests. There’s her shyness, her cute vulnerable side. All for him, none for Rolloz

I’m not sure where it would go from here honestly 💦 but!! I do think that once Jade leaves the scene and Rollo and Raven have a moment with just the two of them, Rollo calms down from his outrage. “That odious man stole a kiss without obtaining proper consent. He has harmed you.” The disdain in his words is palpable. What follows, however, is more uncertain—Rollo’s not very good at being comforting. “… Are you alright?“ “Y-Yes, I’m fine,” she stammers, though she’s still embarrassed knowing that he had been a witness to Jade’s… possessiveness. Without realizing it, Raven’s fingers drift to her mouth, where the ghost of an eel’s lips linger. Rollo’s eyes follow, and they heat with an intense, unknown emotion.

“… Come here,” he orders. (Raven does.) Rollo wets his handkerchief using water drawn from the courtyard’s well, then sponges her face off with it. You’d think he’d aggressively scrub her down to be thorough and to fully expunge the merman cooties but no—he’s surprisingly gentle. “There. I’m afraid that is the best I can do for now. You should wash your face well tonight to ensure you are clean and free of… him.”

“Earlier, I asked what that man is to you. From your reaction, I had suspected him a beau—but no self-respecting person would act so shamelessly, nor disregard the wishes of their partner. Alas, that is how mages are: wicked and selfish to their very cores.” Rollo sighs as he wrings his handkerchief. “… If you ever find yourself becoming frustrated with his behavior, you need only seek my counsel. While it’s true that you live among mages, it’s clear that they’ve poisoned your mind. Perhaps it is possible to dispel that miasma and to guide you on a more righteous path. Renounce Night Raven College and its teachings. Revert to your natural state, free of magic. Come to me.”

(I’m delusional)

OH BUT AS SoON AS RORO’S OUT OF THE piCTURe (ie back at NBC) YOU BET YOUR ASS J WoRD’S COMINGBACK 😭 Crocodile tears out on full display to guilt trip and to milk Miss Raven for her pity… “Shikushiku… Miss Raven, I believe I’ve said that you’ve gone and broken my heart. What will you do to compensate me for it, hmm? I do believe I am owed at least one date—no, make that two. After all, you did cheat on me with Rollo-san.” (“It wasn’t a date…! I had no choice but to serve as his guide!! Besides, it’s not a crime to spend time with other people.”) They settle back into their usual pattern of bickering, but every so often Jade will catch her scribbling away on stationary (who is it addressed to?) which reinvigorates his suspicions. Well, he supposes that Rollo can’t become too intimate with her since he’s all the way in the City of Flowers. However, Jade will remain cautious now that he’s aware of Rollo’s presence.

NOT J WORD BEING CLINGY POSt-ROLLO VISIT… Not like, being whiny but more like stepping it up with acts of service (like offering to walk her to and from class, brewing her tea, etc) 🤢 Gotta ensnare her heart while Rollo isn’t physically around… Bro’s probably also going to be checking with the mailman ghost to see if Raven’s continuing letter correspondence with Rollo… He’s going to sabotage their communication—

[transbookoftheday]

High Strung by London Price

You wanted a nemesis, Glenn Rasmussen? You got one.

I’ve already failed their pottery class once, and when they wouldn’t let me sign up for summer school, they officially went on my shit list. And that was before they ridiculously suggested that I might have ADHD.

Yes, I’m still staring at their tattoos in class, and yes, their sense of style is enviable, and yes, when I hear them play their bass, my soul leaves my body a little bit. But that doesn’t change anything; they’re still annoying AF.

Every attempt to be nice just ends up making things worse. I scraped together my first project and blew up my second one. My final project is still sitting on the wheel as the minutes tick down on our final class, and I don’t know how to finish the damn thing.

If I can’t pass this class, I’m screwed. If I can’t stay away from my instructor, I’m still screwed…but in a very different way.

High Strung is the second book in the Portland Symphony series and is best enjoyed in order, but can be read as a standalone. If you like neurodiversity, bonding over thrift store fashion, and teacher-student without the power games, grab this low-angst, steamy, queer romance now! CW for mentions of transphobia regarding uniforms and past self-harm. This book was previously published under the title Harmony and has undergone minor edits for style and content.