#either way. not ready. have tummyache.

[izzibeeb]

Any predictions for silverborn?

Hi! Sorry this took me so long to answer, I realized I didn’t have anything to give you and ended up rereading all three books 😭

But honestly, I don’t have any predictions I’m super confident in. My primary theory is that It Will Make Me Sad. But here are some things I’m sort of hoping for!

It would be fun if “silverborn” was a dragon thing. A type of dragon? A rank among dragons? Not totally sure, but I’m very intrigued by the idea of dragon societies in Nevermoor, considering they have their own language. Silverborn also just sounds like a dragon-y word. Don’t know why, but it has the vibes.

Maybe a “silverborn” is a kid born on Morningtide? In that case, the silverborn would likely be Squall since the book is supposed to focus on his backstory (maybe explaining why he knows the Morningtide’s Child song).

I honestly don’t think it’s related to the Nevermoor Silver District, (feels too obvious) but. I wouldn’t be exactly opposed to seeing Noelle again, now that she lost the trials & has been disgraced etc etc

I want to learn about the Wundrous Art related to mind control! Squall would probably be eager to teach this one, right? Being classically evil and all.

I hope Jack learns about the apprenticeship before Jupiter does. I don’t know how this would work (maybe Jupiter is gone when she gets home? maybe she somehow finds a way to manipulate the Gossamer as a Wundersmith? I don’t want him to lose his knack :( but maybe that?) but I’m curious to see what his reaction will be!!

ALTERNATIVELY: Jupiter knows but doesn’t ask her about it, making her think he doesn’t know, because he isn’t ready to deal with it yet. It’s tough being a single father of two teenagers yknow

Squall should find increasingly strange secluded places to host his lessons with Morrigan. in an abandoned warehouse. in her bedroom in the middle of the night, suddenly appearing without warning. in Cascade Towers. inside a Ghostly Hour. in the middle of a Tricksy Lane. in Crow Manor while they are both on the Gossamer line. in Maud’s office.

Maybe this will be the book we learn Arch’s hair & eye colors! please.

More Wundrous Divinities! specifically, I would love to know what it takes to master Nocturne (if that’s even a thing that happens), since Morrigan seems to have that down pretty well. maybe something to do with the thing she did in Wundersmith when she destroyed a globe through the sheer force of letting wunder go? Or maybe it’s just a matter of control. Maybe it’s, like, a thing you get once you’ve mastered all the other Wundrous Arts? not sure. But I would love to learn!

That’s everything I can think of for now! hope that was satisfactory lol

[drpeppertummy]

crush or frenemy for conrad? I think either could be interesting

ok i One Hundred Per Cent lost the goal of this while writing & it has absolutely fuckall to do with tummyaches or anything even remotely kinky or zesty whatsoever. teddy qualifies as the closest thing to a frenemy here bc theyre only loose acquaintances & both scared half to death of each other

Teddy wasn't a fan of the dark as it was, but having to make the long trek through the woods and up the hill to that spooky old haunted house in the dark--all alone, no less--could not have been further from his idea of a pleasant night. It was chilly, the clouds blocked what little light might have come from the sliver of moon, and the bare, gnarled trees looming over him out of the shadows made him feel like a mouse scampering through the claws of a tiger. He wondered if a tiger might have been friendlier than the man he was visiting.

Finally, he was standing before the house, a dilapidated mess of ancient boards overgrown with scrawny, half-dead vines and shrubs, a perfect Scooby Doo hideaway that fit its owner like a glove. Shivering from cold and from nerves, Teddy knocked at the door. He waited for a moment. No answer. That wasn't surprising; the old vampire never answered the door, but knocking still seemed polite. Teddy was half tempted to turn around and run home as fast as he could, but it wouldn't be right. Reluctantly, nervously, he cracked the door open and peeped inside.

"Conrad? Uh--M-Mr. Von Gottschee?" He was used to Stelian referring to the old man by his first name, but he realized that he barely knew him at all himself. And, of course, Conrad barely knew him, and Teddy knew well enough he wouldn't come out for a stranger--unless, of course, it was to pounce on them for a drink. He wondered how vampires felt about werewolf blood. He'd make a good meal, small and plump and too scared to fight back. He tried to push that thought out of his mind as he slipped through the door and closed it carefully behind him.

As he crept through the dusty old house, nervously looking around, Teddy wondered what in the world he'd been thinking. The rest of his friends were out tonight--ironically, he'd wanted no part of the new horror movie they were going out to see--and, feeling alone and a little bored, he'd remembered Stelian mentioning how terribly lonely poor old Conrad was, how he almost never left home and rarely had any visitors, and he'd decided it might be nice to pay him a visit. They'd met once or twice through the younger vampire, albeit very briefly and without any real interaction, and he'd seemed harmless enough then, although now Teddy was second guessing that recollection.

Teddy made his way to the basement door and, again, knocked, this time quietly. A sudden scuttling sound coming from somewhere behind him nearly made him jump out of his skin, and he spun around just in time to see a shadow disappear into a dark corner. Trembling, too scared to move, he listened. Light footsteps, somewhere across the room.

"M-M-Mr. Von Gottschee? Sir?" His voice came out high and shaky, and he swallowed nervously. "It-it's Teddy, um, S-S-Stelian's friend…" He took a cautious step forward, and suddenly he spotted the vampire, crouched like an animal behind a chair. Realizing he'd been seen, Conrad let out a defensive hiss, fangs bared, and Teddy yelped in surprise, flinching back against a bookshelf. Conrad, startled by the sudden movement, jolted back against the wall with a hiss, and the two remained frozen, eyes locked across the dark room, until finally Teddy saw a spark of recognition on the old vampire's face. Conrad relaxed just the slightest bit--maybe "relaxed" wasn't the right word, he still looked ready to flee, but not so much ready to fight--and Teddy slowly held up his hands.

"I'm--um--s-sorry for--uh--dropping in on you," he stammered, his voice still trembling. "I just w-wanted to, uh-um, s-see if, maybe, um, y-you wanted some c-company…" He mentally smacked himself as he spoke. It sounded stupid now that he was saying it out loud--who in the world randomly visited an almost-complete stranger unannounced? Well, circumstances were different with Conrad, but he still felt like a knucklehead. To his surprise, though, Conrad slowly crept out from his hiding place and cautiously stood upright, hands clasped nervously. He was a tiny little thing, shorter even than Teddy was and easily half his weight, old and frail and frightened-looking, and for a moment Teddy couldn't believe he'd been so afraid of him.

"Company," Conrad repeated thoughtfully, his voice barely a hoarse whisper, and Teddy decided from the lonely, hopeful look on his face that he'd made the right call.

As it turned out, Teddy had come perfectly prepared for the visit. He'd happened upon the old vampire in the midst of a stomachache, and he'd brought a few ginger teabags with him--he thought tea might be nice, and ginger was the only flavor he'd had on hand. He was surprised to find that Conrad had a working kitchen, which the old vampire was eager to show him. The two sat at the table, quietly sipping hot tea together, and, slowly but surely, conversation began to come out. It wasn't long before Conrad began to feel a little better, his sore stomach soothed by the warm ginger, and, to Teddy's surprise, he began to grow livelier as well, clearly excited at the chance to spend time with somebody other than the dust bunnies. His accent was thick, and he substituted more words in German than Teddy could quite follow, but Teddy was glad to listen to him talk.

"Kalt draußen," Conrad observed with a shiver, holding the teacup against his chest. "Is it winter?"

"Almost," said Teddy. "It's November."

"November," Conrad exclaimed. "Schon November. Wissen Sie, back when I was alive, years ago, many years, every Christmas, I used to bake a stollen, every year. You come back Dezember, I will love to make one again for you. If Sie wollen, if you want to. You don't have to."

"Aw, I'd love that," said Teddy, touched. "I could bring ingredients if you wanted."

"Yes, perfekt," said Conrad with a clap of approval.

They went on talking a little longer, their cups long-empty, talking about winter and the holidays and cooking, but it wasn't long before the sky began to lighten outside the windows, and Teddy reluctantly pointed out that Conrad ought to get to bed before the sun came up. He regretfully agreed, still talking as he led Teddy back to the door.

"Dankeschön, Teddy, thank you for coming over. You come back any time you like, Sie sind hier immer willkommen. And don't forget, Dezember!"

Teddy agreed with a yawn, and then he was off, almost too tired to appreciate the sunrise as he walked home. He hadn't intended to stay the entire night; Luna and Bruce would be wondering where he was. He wondered if Conrad would like to spend time with them too, and made a mental note to bring it up sometime. He suspected he might.