#emmaline strange

[stanningjay]

Auro, the God of Spring, turns to stone each year at his season’s end, only awakening the following year at its beginning.

For four hundred years, it has been a dreamless sleep for Auro.

This year, he knows he will dream of Alexios until he can walk the earth again.

🖼️ by @crossroadart-seabear

[stanningjay2]

Thank you for your support!

Did you know I write full time? I write original fiction as Emmaline Strange.

Creating romantic, sexy, sweet and queer stories full time is only possible through reader support.

My books are available for sale here, but if you'd prefer to support me directly, you can find me on Patreon, or contribue to my caffeine addiction fuel supply here.

Feel free to reblog this post, visibility is paramount to indie authors!

PS - the banner was drawn by the AMAZING Bear Pettigrew. They create comics & art and stories of their own. Also just an all around amazing human!

[noahhawthorneauthor]

What is your favorite book, and why?

Its hard for me to pick, mainly because I connect with characters and stories so intensely that the emotions brought forth are so... Real.

My knee jerk reaction is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Its historical fiction, narrated by Death, and follows a little girl who is aptly referred to by the narrator as the book thief. It makes me cry every damn time, the writing style and narration is phenomenal, and I recommend it to everyone I meet.

Contemporary? How To Be A Movie Star, hands down.

If we're talking fantasy, you have to be more specific, because its my favorite genre and is so incredibly vast.

Cozy? A Rival Most Vial.

Epic? Empire of a Vampire

Political? A Strange and Stubborn Endurance, and Swords and Seers

Urban? The entire Tarot Sequence series

Completely bonkers? Tales of Verania.

Romance? Fml. There's too many. Anything by Emmaline Strange.

Leave me some good recs, always looking for more indie authors.

[crossroadart-seabear]

Not a time to linger on that kiss boi. Come on, while it’s still hot. You can cherish him afterwards, he’s not going anywhere.

Nothing to see here , certainly not more statue boyfriend.🧐

I AM NORMAL ABOUT THIS COVER ART.

🖼️ by @crossroadart-seabear

[yeti-zeus]

is this anything? are there enough of us jsmn enjoyers out there for this to be anything?

[themoonweaversden]

All 179-244 (or so) codes that were found so far (no spoilers)

Note: As far as I'm aware if you input any word after selling your soul to Bill and press the knob you'll get the same result. I still think it's important to highlight the ones that didn't have any result once you imput them normally the day the website updated (AUDIOLOG, BUBBLES, CLEAR, CONTRACT, SMALL) these may have been just an error since it has been fixed since then

#

3466554

29121239168518

333 Sundapple Lane Cozy Creek IL 60714-94611

A

ABUELITA

ADASTRAPERASPERA

ALEX HIRSCH / ALEX / HIRSCH

AM I BLANCHIN

ANSWER

AXOLOTL

B

BAAAA

BABY / BABY BILL / LALALALALA / MOMMY / DADDY

BILL / BILL CIPHER / CIPHER / ILLB / LLIB REHPIC / REHPIC

BLACK SHEEP

BLANCHIN / BLANCHING / BLANCH

BLENDIN

BLIND EYE

BOOBERRY

BURN SIDE

BURNED INSIDE

BYE GOLD

C

CAESAR ATBASH VIGENERE / MULTILEVELMARK

CARD

CARYN

CIPHERTOLOGY

CLONE / TYRONE / PAPER JAM

CONSPIRACY

CRAY CRAY

CRYPTOGRAM CODEX

CURSE WITTEBANE

CURSED

D

DEATH

DEER TEETH

DESTRUCTION IS A FORM OF CREATION

DIONARAP

DIPPER

DIPPY FRESH

DISCO GIRL / BABBA

DISNEY / MICKEYMOUSE

DISPENSE MY TREAT

DIVORCE / BREAKUP

DORITO / NACHO / CHIP

DUCHESS APPROVES / THE DUCHESS APPROVES

DUCKTECTIVE

E

EASTER EGG

EMMALINE BUTTERNUBBINS

EUCLID / SCALENE / SCRIMBLES

EUCLYDIA

EVEN HIS LIES ARE LIES

F

FAMILY MATTERS

FBI / CIA / NSA

FILBRICK

FIXINIT1

FORD / SIXER / STANFORD

FORDTRAMARINE

FORGET THE PAST

FUCK / SHIT / BITCH / SLUT / SEX

FUCK YOU ALEX

G

GIDEON

GIFFANY

GLASS SHARD BEACH

GLOBNAR

GOD / HELP ME / SAVE ME / FRILLIAM

GOODNIGHT SALLY

GRAVITY FALLS

GREBLEY HEMBERDRECK

GUN / THE GUN

H

HAROLDS RAMBLINGS

HECTORING

HEY NERD

HISTORY

HOLOGRAM

HORROR / CREEPYPASTA / ANALOG HORROR

HOTXOLOTL

HOW WILL I DIE / WHEN WILL I DIE

I

IM STILL ON YOUR MIND

IRREGULAR

IS HELL REAL

IS THERE AN AFTERLIFE

J

JOURNAL 1

JOURNAL 2

JOURNAL 3

JUST BLEND IN

JUST FIT IN

K

KINGS OF NEW JERSEY

KOOK

KUBRICK

L

L IS REAL 2401

LIAR LYRE

LIES

LIFE

LOVE / BOYFRIEND / LONELY

LOVE YA BRO

M

MABEL

MASON

MATH / GREECE / SHAPES / GREEK / PLATO / GEOMETRY

MCGUCKET / FIDDLEFORD / OLD MAN MCGUCKET

MEOW / MEOW WOW

MONSTER

MORALITY

MOUNTAIN DONT

MYSTERY

MYSTERY SHACK

N

NAITSUAF

NO

NOT A PHASE

NOTHING

O

OCCURREMUS ITERUM

OH YES THEY BOTH

ONE EYED KING

OROBOROUS

OWL TROWEL

P

PACIFICA

PAPER IS BOOK SKIN

PEAK

PINATA

PINES

PLATINUM PAZ

PORTAL

Q

QUESTION

R

R34LITY

RAT

REALITY

RIDDLE

ROBBIE

RUBBERHOSE

S

SCARY / SPOOKEMUPS / SPOOKY

SCIENTOLOGY

SEASON 1 / SEASON -1

SEASON 2

SEASON 3

SEVEN EYES

SEVERAL TIMES

SHAVE YOUR GRANDMA

SKELETON

SKIBIDI / FORTNITE / ELON / CRYPTO / DOGE / GYATT / RIZZ

SOMETHING

SOOS

SORRY

STAN / STANLEY PINES / STAN PINES / STANLEY

STOD EHT TCENNOC

SUCK IT MERLIN

T

TAD STRANGE

TANTRUM

THE BOOK OF BILL / BOOK OF BILL

THE DUCHESS APPROVES

THEORY / MATPAT

THERAPRISM

THEYLL SEE / THEYLL ALL SEE / I SEE

TINSEL SNAKE

TITANS BLOOD

TJECKLEBURG

TOBY DETERMINED

TORTURE MENTALLY

TOURIST TRAP

TRIANGLE

TRIGONOMETRY

U

UNIONMADE

UNIVERSE

UNREALITY

V

VALLIS CINERIS

VIRUS

W

WADDLES

WEIRD

WEIRDMAGEDDON

WELL WELL WELLBEING

WENDY

WHICH RELIGION IS RIGHT

WHO ARE YOU

X

XGQRTHX

XYLER / CRAZ

Y

YES

YOU CANT KILL AN IDEA

YOURE INSANE

Will update if more are found

[zhenni12]

okay I’m making a list

Thisisnotawebsitedotcom.com stuff you can input below the cut (as much as I can find anyways). I’m not gonna say what they do unless necessary.

Dipper

Mabel

mason

Stan-click it a bunch of times. Then click “how he defeated me” a bunch of times.

ford/sixer

divorce/breakup

bill/cipher/bill cipher/llib- Wikipedia page for triangle. I read the whole thing. I thought there would be a code. There wasn’t. rubber hose

love ya bro- picture that Stan drew of him and ford on their boat. On the back there’s a code that says “wanna keep notes from parents and cops? Here’s a note: kings of New Jersey!” kings of New Jersey pacifica

platinum paz

Alex hirsch

wendy

abuelita

waddles

clone/tyrone

Giffany (click multiple times)

weirdmageddon

craz/xyler

mcgucket/fiddleford

disney

mystery

question/answer

love/boyfriend (I feeeeeel like it’s Ariel narrating. Cannot confirm. But it kinda sounds like her.)

reality/the universe

triangle

cursed

curse wittebane

titans blood

tantrum

scalene/scrimbles

euclydia

suck it merlin

lies

sorry

mystery shack

book of bill

gravity falls

season 1/2/3

just fit in

dorito (it will jumpscare you. Just wait.)

baby bill

not a phase

theraprism

death

life

fordtramarine

booberry

blind eye

family matters

axolotl

journal 3

morality

shave your grandma

paper is book skin

even his lies are lies

gun

god/help me

ducktective

tad strange

Toby determined

fbi/cia

one eyed king

pinata

cryptogram codex

disco girl/babba (it WILL get stuck in your head)

portal

that’s just a/theory

you cant kill an idea

Vallis cineris—(from the corner of the room, visible in lightning flash)

forget the past

Hotxolotl

SevenEyes —code reads: “set coords to dimension R34LITY.”

R34lity

ad astra per aspera—(this is from the page that comes up when you click the stabbed book: it’s written backwards and in code. It’s Latin for ‘through hardships to the stars’)

monster

even his lies are lies

well well well being (click multiple times)

naitsuaf

oroborous

elon/gyatt

baaaa —code translated to “black sheep”

black sheep

sorry

dionarap—beware the imposter LOL (also what genius tried paranoid backwards??)

T. J. Eckleburg

tcennoc eht stod

NOW FOR THE REALLY LONG TRAIL THING THAT HAS US ALL STUMPED

riddle—yes—mountain dont—lyre liar—Harold’s ramblings—union made—29121239168518—grebley hemberdreck—rat—34166554—tinsel snake—torture mentally—Xgqrth—333 Sundapple lane, cozy creek, IL, 60714-94611—multilevel mark (which, I will say, was weird, because on the Theraprism page about bills crimes it lists “multilevel marketing” as a crime. Don’t know what’s up with that.)—…who defeated silas birchtree—Emmaline butternubbins—dispense treat now!

and that’s all I’ve got.

[dizzy5]

Castle in Shatter me

Idk if anyone’s said this before but my theory about Castle is that he definitely was friends with the Supreme Commanders. Like he knew almost everything about their plans, like with Emmaline and Ella and bro wanted to be besties with Anderson saying there was good in him or something (delusional bs). Yk how all Supremes were like friends? Yeah I think Castle was like a part of that friend group until he realised they’re all psychos who wanted to experiment on their kids and he ran away. Anyways that’s my theory on Castle. He was such a strange dude but I like him for saving Kenji 😌

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in April 2024 🌈

🌈 Good morning, my bookish bats! Struggling to keep up with all the amazing queer books coming out this month? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Remember to #readqueerallyear! Happy reading!

[ Release dates may have changed. ]

❤️ Spring on the Peninsula - Ery Shin 🧡 When I Arrived at the Castle - Emily Carroll 💛 Bloodline - Jenn Alexander 💚 Grey Dog - Elliott Gish 💙 Every Time You Hear That Song - Jenna Voris 💜 I'm in Love with the Villainess v. 2 - Inori and Hanagata ❤️ The Caravaggio Syndrome - Alessandro Giardino 🧡 Leather, Lace, and Locs - Anne Shade 💛 Firebugs - Nico Bulling 💙 I Married My Female Friend v.2 - Shio Usui 💜 The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray - Christine Calella 🌈 A Sweet Sting of Salt - Rose Sutherland ❤️ The Selected Shepherd: Poems - Reginald Shepherd 🧡 Rough Trade - Katrina Carrasco 💛 Aubrey McFadden is Never Getting Married - Georgia Beers 💚 Taming of a Rebel - Eada Friesian 💙 Dayspring - Anthony Oliveira 💜 The Titanic Survivors Book Club - Timothy Schaffert ❤️ Orphia And Eurydicius - Elyse John 🧡 The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers - Samuel Burr 💛 A Good Happy Girl - Marissa Higgins 💙 Winnie Nash Is Not Your Sunshine - Nicole Melleby 💜 Here We Go Again - Alison Cochrun 🌈 Women! In! Peril! - Jessie Ren Marshall

❤️ Blood City Rollers - V. P. Anderson and Tatiana Hill 🧡 The Prospects - KT Hoffman 💛 Crazy Like a Fox: Adventures in Schizophrenia - Christi Furnas 💚 WATCHNIGHT - Cyree Jarelle Johnson 💙 Love From The Sidelines - Tuesday Harper 💜 The Pleasure in Pain - Roxie Voorhees ❤️ Mal - Perla Zul 🧡 The Black Girl Survives in This One - Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell 💛 Darker by Four - June C.L. Tan 💙 Otherworldly - F.T. Lukens 💜 Hearts Still Beating - Brooke Archer 🌈 Tryst Six Venom - Penelope Douglas

❤️ Teenage Dirtbags - James Acker 🧡 The Heart Wants What It Wants - D.M. Batten 💛 Something Kindred by Ciera Burch 💚 Sheine Lende - Dr. Darcie Little Badger & Rovina Cai 💙 Rainbow Overalls - Maggie Fortuna 💜 Flowers for Dead Girls - Abigail Collins ❤️ Canto Contigo - Jonny Garza Villa

❤️ Court of Wanderers - Rin Chupeco 🧡 Molten Death - Leslie Karst 💛 Triad Magic - ‘Nathan Burgoine 💚 You, Me and Bad Movies - Twoony 💙 The Faithful Dark - Cate Baumer 💜 A Case for Discretion - Ashley Moore ❤️ Party of Fools - Cedar McCloud 🧡 The Last Love Song - Kalie Holford 💛 This is Me Trying - Racquel Marie 💙 Dear Wendy - Ann Zhao 💜 Sun Eater - Dre Levant 🌈 The Breakup Lists - Adib Khorram

❤️ Bad Dream - Nicole Maines & Rye Hickman 🧡 If We Were Stars - Eule Grey 💛 The Broken Lines of Us - Shia Woods 💚 Eye of the Ouroboros - Megan Bontrager 💙 Henry Henry - Allen Bratton 💜 Dear Bi Men - JR Yussuf ❤️ Paige Not Found - Jen Wilde 🧡 Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership - Chaya Milchtein 💛 Wide Awake Now - David Levithan 💙 Merciless Saviors - H.E. Edgmon 💜 Smile and Be a Villain - Yves Donlon 🌈 Crash Landing - Charmaine Anne Li

❤️ Call Forth a Fox - Markelle Grabo 🧡 Central Avenue Poetry Prize 2024 - Beau Adler 💛 Good Bones - Aurora Rey 💚 Curiosities - Anne Fleming 💙 Someone You Can Build a Nest in - John Wiswell 💜 Revisiting Summer Nights - Ashley Bartlett ❤️ Bright Spring - Emmaline Strange

❤️ Girls Night - I.S. Belle 🧡 Late Bloomer - Mazey Eddings 💛 Withered - A.G.A. Wilmot 💚 A Wolf Steps in Blood - Tamara Jerée 💙 It Always Finds Me - Anthology 💜 Dulhaniyaa - Talia Bhatt ❤️ Moon Dust in My Hairnet - JR Creaden 🧡 Blood Justice - Terry J. Benton-Walker 💛 Relinquishing Control - J.J. Arias

❤️ Selamlik - Khaled Alesmael 🧡 Houseswap 101 - Jaime Clevenger 💛 Earthflown by Frances Wren & Litarnes 💚 Covenant v.1 - LySandra Vuong 💙 Honey - Victor Lodato 💜 The Dragonfly Gambit - A.D. Sui ❤️ Double Dyno - Sharon K Angelici & Taylor Rose

[monabee-draws]

Hi! 3 or 12 for the horrors ask game!

Thank you as always for being such a pillar of the community, hyperions-light!

Ask game for this is here.

12. What do they doubt most about themselves? Why? Where did this come from?

Emmaline doubts her ‘person in charge’ leadership ability. This is an old doubt sown by her tendency to gravitate towards secondary roles in most of her work as a Crow. During her time as a fledgeling, despite being significantly older than most recruits, she always deferred to other fledgelings and trusted their expertise over her own. A large part of that was being tranquil – her own desires and passions weren’t just secondary to those of others. They were completely non-existent. Why push her own ideas if she had no fire behind pushing them? And she is good at actioning the orders of others. In a strange way, her future disgust with the Qun is a response to how well she would have (and still could) fit within their rigidly hierarchical structure.

Once she became a full Crow, and after she was cured of Tranquility, her role has always been as Viago’s second. During the early days of the occupation when Viago travelled to Treviso to support Teia, she ran operations in Salle on his behalf. She was Varric’s second-in-command as well, and (heading into headcanon territory here) always happy to follow along in Neve’s shadow during their time tracking Solas. Then all of a sudden, she has to be the true leader. No one else is calling the shots or telling her where to go in the bigger scheme of things. Can she actually do this? Is she not too impulsive? (She is.) Does she have enough experience? (She doesn’t.) What if – like every time when she has gone outside of the Will of Others – she fucks up and ruins everything again. Maybe, in the end, the First Enchanter and the templars were right. Maybe it is best she have her will taken from her – it really will be safer for everyone.

She brushes off those nightmares as best she can in the forever-morn of the Fade.

[stanningjay]

Alexios realized, watching his parents, that was what he wanted—the bold display of casual affection, the love between them obvious to everyone in the room. He wanted Auro, surely, any way he could get him—but he did not want him in secret. He wanted him here, twirling on the dance floor, eating tiny delicacies from Alexios’s hand, kissing his knuckles where their fingers entwined. Alexios stood. Royals had kept lovers for as long as the earth was old. If he wanted Auro, he would have him. The only one who could tell him no was Auro himself—everyone else could truly sod off. He stepped closer to Auro, and slid his fingertips along his jaw, tilting his chin up. Auro’s eyelids fluttered closed, and Alexios leaned in, pausing when he could feel Auro’s breath skitter across his cheeks, allowing him chance to pull away if he desired. Auro did not pull away. When their lips met it was gentle, and brief, a kiss that contained a question. Alexios felt as though he’d been struck by lightning all the same, something igniting in his belly as Auro stood on tip toe to deepen their kiss. It lasted only a handful of heartbeats, but to Alexios, it was everything. So was the tiny, dreamy, hmm that came from Auro as he drew back.

Alexios’s mind filled immediately with a deluge of lustful thoughts and images, passing through him as if he stood below a waterfall. He swayed on his feet, struck by the promise in Auro’s eyes as they gazed up at him. “We should take our leave,” Alexios whispered. Auro smiled. “As you wish, your grace.” -Bright Spring, Coming Soon

Bright Spring is bookone of Harmony of Seasons, an upcoming Sword and sandal queer fantasy romance quartet. Learn more.

[stanningjay2]

Chapter four is now live, and we have some tentacle smut happening!!

Read Chapter IV. Of Marble & Bronze free here.

Marble & Bronze A weekly, *free*, original Story by me (aka Emmaline Strange). Chapters Post Weekly on Fridays! Laelius is a roman soldier sent to investigate the site of a comet crash in the hills beside his city. Was the falling star an omen from the Gods, or something else entirely? Rating: Explicit Pairing: MM See tags for content warnings! *** Marble & Bronze - Chapter One

Laelius gripped the shaft of his spear, trying to maintain his hold though his palms were slick with sweat. He had joined the ranks of the city watch for a warm bed and steady meals, and because Sinuessa was about as safe a place as any. The city’s Magistrate was synonymous with law and order, and the thriving port knew mostly peace, day in and day out. After barely escaping his war-torn homeland, this suited Laelius just fine. 

         That is, until tonight. There had been a lot of speculation about what message the Gods intended when they sent a falling star crashing into the hillside just outside of Sinuessa. Laelius had been walking the walls at the time, and he’d never seen anything like it, shining and beautiful and terrible, like a thunderbolt from Jupiter himself. Perhaps it had been, some of the men whispered in the barracks.

Unfortunately, there was a little-used, mostly abandoned temple on the hilltop, and the Magistrate decided leaving it un-investigated would be an affront to the Gods. He tasked the soldiers of the city watch with divining the meaning of such an aggressive omen from Olympus. The commander of the watch had spoken with his officers, at length, behind closed doors, regarding the best way to approach this unknown.

It was decided that the ten newest recruits would draw lots, and he who drew the short straw would be sent first on a scouting mission up the hill. Blessed day, then, for Laelius, when he drew the short straw. Now, he crouched beside an outcropping of rock, cursing his superiors and the Gods under his breath. He had not a coin to his name when he’d joined the watch, and would have nothing without them. Though he knew of course that being sent on this mission meant to them he was expendable, he had little choice but to complete it. His mission as to ascend the hill, discern any damage to the temple, find evidence of the omen, and return. If he did not return in five days, the watch would then send a larger squadron of ten men to recover his corpse and hopefully succeed where Laelius had failed. 

He sighed. It was hardly the most optimistic of send-offs, but there had been some in the city convinced that it was simply a piece of the heavens grown tired, falling to earth because its time to do so had arrived, and it was pure luck that it had hit the hill beside Sinuessa. Despite this logical postulating, Laelius recalled the short straw resting on his palm and knew that luck had never truly been on his side. Continue Reading!

[alliekparker]

A couple of weeks ago @b-andherbooks and I made a guide of tips on how to bust your reading slump

Reading slumps can be such a bummer, but thank goodness for bookish besties who ✨Get It✨ and finding ways to haul yourself back into the arms of books.

Books listed:

A Rogue's Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh

You & I, Rewritten by Chip Pons

Firelight by Kristen Callihan

Charming Scottish Bastard by Melissa Blue

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

What Happens in Miami by Nadine Gonzalez

Yearning for Her by Tiffany Roberts

The Sea of Tranquility by Katija Millay

Tempest by Beverly Jenkins

Pink Slip by Katrina Jackson

Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Cruise

The Pleasure Chest by Jule McBride

Her Viking Wolf by Theodora Taylor

A Walrus & A Gentleman by Emmaline Strange

The Switch by Lynsay Sands

Technically Yours by Denise Williams

Striking Gold by Janine Amesta

Be sure to check out the books on this list! A lot of good ones here

[yeti-zeus]

One of my fav things in JSMN is that the two titular characters are not only the least important characters in the grand scheme of things, especially magically, but also actively hinder the return of magic to England even when they dont mean to.

[lackadaisicallizard]

The Long Game

lackadaisical_lizard (ao3)

“Mr. Potter, let’s go.” Ms. Trelawney looks at him and he blinks at her.

“Go where?” James swears that he hears Regulus snort slightly at his question and his head whips around to look at him, but he’s seemingly once again engrossed in his… maths problems? Okay, that’s definitely strange.

Ms. Trelawney sighs impatiently. “Up here, Mr. Potter. Did you not just hear me ask you to read in for Mr. Pettigrew in his absence?”

James’ eyes widen. “You mean act? I don’t mean to be rude, Miss, but that’s a terrible idea.”

“Oh nonsense,” She tuts. “It’s not like you’re actually going to be playing the part, he’s just off sick today. We merely need someone to stand up here, so the others have a person to play off. Besides, you’ve been to most rehearsals and should know the play by now. Chop chop!”

James leans into Regulus and mutters, “Any chance you can give me a quick rundown of the plot?” Regulus finally turns to look at him now, one eyebrow raised. There’s a flash of something close to amusement in Regulus’ eyes and James smiles slightly as he momentarily forgets the predicament he’s in.

“Mr. Potter!” Trelawney’s brisk tone makes him jump. “We’re waiting on you.” James stands up as he snaps back to the real world and, somewhat flustered, makes his way to the front of the room. Realising he doesn’t have a script, Emmaline Vance hands him one with a roll of her eyes.

“Page fifty-six,” She says and James nods, hurriedly opening his script and turning to the scene. “You come on from stage right.”

“Okay.” James starts walking towards his right.

“Stage right, Potter.” Emmaline points in the other direction. James smiles sheepishly and hurries across to the other side.

Now they’re all on the correct sides, Trelawney begins. “Okay, when you’re ready Toby, Fabian and Andrew remember that you’re conspiring in this scene. Action!”

The three on the other side of the stage walk on and start the scene. James follows along in the script, finding that he only understands about half the words that are being said. He has no idea what’s going on.

“If I lose a scruple of this sport, let me be boiled to death with melancholy,” Kaede Horace says dramatically. James has no idea what melancholy means but it must be pretty terrible if it can kill someone.

A few more nonsensical lines are said before Charlotte Hobbs walks on and delivers her line as Maria, the others reacting to her with nods and over the top laughs. James isn’t sure what’s funny about a “trout that must be caught with tickling,” but the four of them laugh before moving to hide behind make-shift ‘barrels’ that are actually just chairs at this point. They crouch in silence for a few seconds before Emmaline hisses “Potter,” and he realises that he’s missed his cue. He quickly steps onto the stage, holding the script up as he reads.

“‘Tis but fortune all is fortune Maria once told me she did affect me and I have heard herself come thus near that should she fancy it should be one of my complexion.”

“James?” Ms. Trelawney stops him.

He looks up. “Yes, Miss?”

“I know that you are just reading in for today, but is there any chance you can read the lines with the correct punctuation and also with a little more… gusto?”

“Um, sure.”

“Fabulous. Don’t be afraid to move, too. The others need to be able to react to you.”

James turns to look at the others who are still hiding behind the chairs. He turns back and nods before looking down at the script again.

“Besides! She uses me with a much more exalted respect than anyone else who follows her. What should I think ont?” James has doubled his volume and is striding up and down the stage.

“Maybe not that much gusto, Mr. Potter,” Ms. Trelawney says and James nods, stopping dead in his tracks. The others say their lines, peeking out from behind the chairs as they do so.

“To be count Malvolio!” James directs this line at Kaede, who is the closest to him.

“You’re not supposed to see us,” Kaede says.

“What?” James is confused now. “Then who am I talking to?”

“Yourself,” Vali Garret, who is playing Fabian, says like it’s obvious.

“Oh. Right, yep. I get that now.” James does not, in fact, get it now.

“To be count Malvolio!” James directs this at the audience this time, and as he does so he sees that everyone is watching him. His eyes stop on Regulus as he notices that he’s paused in his drawing and has a strange expression on his face. James tries to decipher it.

“Peace, peace,” Kaede says and there’s silence for a second before Regulus points down at James’ hands. James shakes his head, not understanding, and Regulus holds up his notebook with both hands before again gesturing down to James’.

“Oh shit,” James says as he looks back down at the script and monotones, “There is example for’t. The lady of the Strachy married the yeoman of the wardrobe.” He looks at Ms. Trelawney now. “Okay, Strachy and yeoman can’t be actual words, surely?”

Ms. Trelawney claps her hands together. “Alright, thank you Mr. Potter for your… help. I think I might switch you out with Miss Vance though, I just think she knows the blocking a little more.”

“Are you sure? I can keep going-”

“Oh no, no. We’ll be fine. I think it’s best if you focus on the sets for now. Thank you, though.”

“Woo!” Marlene shouts and claps enthusiastically as James heads back to the seats. James makes sure Trelawney isn’t looking before flipping her off as he walks past. She puts her hand on his arm to stop him and stretches up to speak quietly in his ear. “I hope you’re better at flirting than you are at acting, Potter. You’re going to have to work to salvage anything after that train wreck.”

“Fuck off,” He says, and she laughs as James walks back to his seat next to Regulus, who watches as he sits down. A quiet fluttering appears in his chest as James meets his bemused smirk. God, he’s missed that smirk. Is it weird that he’s missed it? It’s only been half an hour since he noticed it was gone in the first place. Then again, he hasn’t seen Regulus in a few days. He decides that he doesn’t care if it’s weird, he’s glad to see it.

“Don’t,” James says.

Regulus stares at him for a second, considering his request. “I just got off the phone with the Vatican.”

“What?”

“Yes, I thought the Pope would be interested in the miracle that just occurred.”

James sighs. “And what miracle would that be?”

“The fact that there’s finally something that James Potter is truly abysmal at.”

[crossroadart-seabear]

Just a reminder, I drew 4 of these boyfriends turning into, and out of, stone. Emmaline has so far shared 2 of them.

Also I love Cosmo. Little shits are a favourite of mine. Little shits paired with the serious, stoic, hard arse is a whole new level of ‘bring it on’.

Also the freckle brush density was set to: yes. (Hope this helps.)

This is nothing. Ignore it.

Leofric totally has NO idea how he ended up in this situation. None at all. And he’s going to fight his way out of Cosmo’s arms any second now.