#its so fancy all my lore is in this one file its great

[clownery-and-fuckery]

Hey guess what!!!!!!!

Another Modern!AU fic done!!!! The next chapter will be along in the next few hours, I'm ready to go >;D

((Tag chain, please let me know if you wanna be added :D!!: @patapouille))

[genericpuff]

I hope this is not a bad question to make, I apologize if that's case, but I been meaning to ask something for a while. Since you have experience with stories and projects of your own, I want to ask: How do you organize/plan your stories?

I mean, the whole "timeline" or sequence of events in which the story will unfold. I always heard that you should make something like a doc on your computer where you plan each chapter or episode, for example, and just go point by point. I have also heard people saying you should make a doc with the lore of the world of your story, along with characters profiles, etc. Other people say you can make a timeline with the events of it.

A lot of stuff that always confuses me. Sorry for the long ask, just wanted to hear your advice on this, if it's okay. I been meaning to write stories of my own, but I always get confused on the sea of details and plot points and just wanted to ask for advice on the whole organization or construction of the plot.

This isn't a bad question at all!

So it's pretty much a different answer depending on who you ask, and that's really just because there isn't any one 'right' answer when it comes to this sort of thing. It's just "whatever works for you!" in the end. But here are some suggestions to get you started until you find what works for you:

Simple word processors can help you just type stuff out and keep them all in one document. If you want a free word processor, LibreOffice is pretty standard, but you could also just as well use Notepad if you don't care about formatting or margins or anything fancy. It's just for note-taking, after all!

Always always ALWAYS remember to write down your ideas as they come to you. Look into my fucking eyes, anon. YOU WILL NOT REMEMBER THEM LATER. If you're out and about, open up your phone's notepad file and write them there. Just for god's sakes, don't tell yourself you'll remember them to write down later because 9 times out of 10 it'll completely escape you and you'll be kicking yourself.

As for paid pieces of software that are pretty decent (and I use myself) Plottr is a great way to visualize an actual story timeline as it comes with timeline builders. So if you're a visual person and like laying things out end to end like that, highly recommend. Scrivener is also a great piece of software but I don't suggest paying for it UNTIL you've given it a decent trial run because it's very divisive in the writing community due to its steep learning curve. Thankfully they have a very generous free trial where it only 'counts' the days if you actually use the software (meaning if you have a 30 day trial, it won't count down to 29 if you don't use it that day). So go give it a try! And if you're lost on how to use it, Author Level Up does some GREAT videos on it that helped in making it all 'click' for me when I was still figuring it all out.

When actually writing down your ideas, start simple, and build outwards. Lay out your basic plot progression as a skeleton, and then carve it out with more details as you refine it. What I usually have with my own projects is a general note file, and files for specific scene or character breakdowns. Basically, for the sake of organization, each one serves a specific purpose, with the exception of the general note file which is just where I jot down ideas so I don't lose them (but I can put into a more dedicated file later if need be).

All that aside, when it comes to general documenting/note keeping, only create notes as you need them, don't feel like you 'have' to create what you see other people creating. Some people create full character bios, others don't. Some people draw maps or fully lay out location descriptions, others don't. Focus on function, don't force yourself to follow a perceived 'right way' because there is no right way, the only right way is what works for you and what works for you is different from what works for me or anyone else.

But if you want to see an actual example, here's one of my own with one of my Rekindled documents, which I specifically use for laying out quick notes about what I want to happen in each episode:

And here's an example of a document that's meant to be a more dedicated outline to a specific episode with actual dialogue and plotting:

(as I'm sure y'all can assume, even these notes didn't become the final version of these episodes, there's dialogue from these that got cut in the end because it didn't work as well when I tried to put it in comic form)

I hope that helps! Not to make assumptions on your behalf, but from the sounds of it, it seems like the biggest point of confusion is just different people telling you different things which is making it overwhelming or difficult for you to discern what you should be doing. "Person A told me I should do this, but Person B said this..." and I know I'm just another person in that growing list, but I think the important thing to remember is that you don't have to do what Person A, B, or GP are doing. When this kind of advice is given, it's mostly just for the sake of giving you alternate perspectives on how something can be done, but whether or not you actually DO it that way is completely up to you. Feel free to try these methods, and if they don't work for you, don't worry about it! Take what you've learned and put it into new methods that do work for you. We're all just byproducts of referencing over time, after all! A lot of what I'm telling you is stuff I've learned from practicing myself for years and taking advice for others and putting it together into a new recipe that works for my brain and workflow.

Start with whatever it is you're interested in that you want to write, and just go from there as it comes to you. Don't overwhelm yourself with details right off the bat, let them come to you naturally, and don't rush it! You don't need to have everything figured out right away! Even my Rekindled notes are at least a few months old and I just add more to them as stuff comes to me or when I'm feeling up to chipping away at the episode layouts more. It's a marathon, not a race!

And remember, these notes are for you and only you! (unless you choose to share them like I'm doing rn but these are just visual examples). This isn't the stuff you're gonna be releasing to people, it doesn't need to be perfect or labelled with dividers or given any kind of fancy pants cover letter. These kinds of notes are a conversation between you and yourself. Think of it as one of many first drafts - it's for you to tell yourself the story, so that you can eventually tell it to others once you've refined it through your drafting. It's not show and tell, it's a diary.

If you wanna see what I mean by this (warning: it's gonna really make me look like a nutjob) here are some of my notes for Time Gate which are WAY meaner because Time Gate's a much more complicated story to write:

(and the document this is from is like, literally a decade old, it's called 'time gate shit' and i just throw EVERYTHING into it, it's a nightmare LMAO)

[judediangelo75]

Claws To Wings

Welcome one and all~

I did say I was going to be working on the Talith lore, so here’s another installment of that. So I did some tweaking to the storyline that Jam City had. So the first Valentine’s Day happened in 4th year instead of 5th (because you can unlock I think both Valentine’s Day TLSQs in the same year and it didn’t make too much sense to me). 

Plus there are future true events that happen in 6th year, if you’re already familiar with the Without You/The Man Behind the Necklace series than you already know. During that time, Judith and Talbott are together and have been for quite some time. But before that, they have been pining after each other for years. 

In my first story, “The Scent of Love to the Heart of a Loner Poet”, Talbott is coming to realizing how deep his feelings were for Judith (whose been crushing on him since 3rd year). Between then and now, those feelings have grown and they’ve been dancing around each other. 

There’s gonna be some details here that are definitely gonna be new (because it’s part of a super old character reference I created for her when I first started posting about HPHM content here).

Anyway, enough rambling. On with the story! Enjoy! 💛

MC friend: David Willows ( @that-scouse-wizard )

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

Talbott stood before his mirror, readjusting his tie for probably the fifth time.

He was trying to soothe his nerves. Why you may ask?

Because of the Ball.

The Valentine’s Day Ball.

In his right mind, he would avoid such social gatherings like the plague. But it’s fair to say he hasn’t been much of his right mind ever since he met her.

Judith Harris.

A Hufflepuff witch with pale gold eyes and a heart of gold to match.

He met her alongside her best friend, David Willows, early third year. When they came to him seeking help on becoming Animagi. He was quick to shut both of them down. While David glared and protested, Judith eased the bullheaded Hufflepuff and gave him a shy sad expression along with an apology for disturbing him.

At the time, he wasn’t sure why he suddenly changed his mind to help the two. But as he got older, he did realize it was because of her.

Something about Judith was familiar. And…

He didn’t like the sad look into those bright eyes…

After the two achieved their forms and helped him find his feather necklace, Judith and Talbott became closer. Even to the point where he followed her out to the cemetery and learned about her dead father, Kendrick, on the anniversary of his death.

That’s when he learned that she was a part of his past. 

That single day of his childhood where he made a friend. And developed a bond on a girl who he thought was unique with her long pretty locs and Caribbean accent.

With it being their 5th year, Talbott has gone on two dates with her. Their very first date out by the Black Lake and last year on Valentine’s Day when he learned that he has deeper feelings for her outside of a friendship.

He can still remember the sweet blush on her face after he shyly gave her a kiss on the cheek after gifting her with a heart statue.

Giving her a physical representation of his heart.

He fiddled with the ring she gifted him that day. He always remembers seeing it on a black chain around her neck on occasion. Judith was a person who cares about sentimental value so it’s very likely she gifted him something that has a level importance to her. But he was so stunned when she slipped it onto his finger, and that it fitted perfectly, while announcing that it was her Valentine’s Day gift to him that he forgot to ask…

Maybe today he will. After all, after the Ball, he had a special surprise for her.

Of course, there had to be some last minute changes when he realized a certain Slytherin witch ALSO planned on using the Library and two fairies also got into a squabble. He had at least a day to make the arrangement work and the “Most Powerful Witch at Hogwarts” actually might of done him a favor.

It would be nice to revisit where their tale began.

Talbott sighed, looking over his appearance once more before turning on his heel and leaving his room.

‘I hope she likes what I planned. She’s the only who deserves to see this side of me,’ he thought as he made his way to the Great Hall.

——————

“C’mon Little Tigress! We’re gonna be late,” David huffed, knocking insistently on his best mate’s door.

“I look ridiculous! I’m not going anymore!” Came the stubborn reply from the other side. David rolled his eyes at Judith’s behavior.

They’ve been busting their asses to save the Valentine’s Day Ball from a lonely Madam Pince by using a pining Mr. Filch. However, due to all the planning and finally asking out Merula and Talbott (after Judith finally got over her initial shyness), they didn’t have time to style an outfit for themselves. So they went to the resident Style Wizard for help. 

David’s pick was easy.

Judith however… not so much.

It was fair to say that Judith was more than disgruntled as she looked in the reflection for the suit Andre put together.

“You lost your damn mind Egwu if you think I’m going to the Ball like this. I look like a mom in her mid-30s looking to speak to your manager to file a complaint.”

David was on the floor in tears when he saw the offended look on the Ravenclaw wizard’s face. To be fair, the suit plus the pixie cut that Andre magically put together wasn’t doing his best mate any favors.

However, she didn’t step out to show the dress to them. She tried it on, switch back into her normal clothes, and left without much of another word.

Now David was curious to what could be wrong with Andre’s design for her to believe she looked “ridiculous”.

“C’mon Judith. What’s wrong with it? Surely it can’t be as bad as that suit Andre design,” David coaxed.

“…It’s… a lot…” David wasn’t sure what to make of that and they’re gonna be late if Judith kept this up.

“Judith, it’s either you open the door willingly to show me what you’re talking about or I break into your room to see for myself. We don’t have time for this right now,” David huffed. He didn’t want to late with for his dance with Merula.

Silence ensued and David was half considering going through with his threat when the tell tale sound of the door unlocking hit his eyes. David turned the knob and walked in.

He paused when he took in the sight of his little friend.

Judith was wearing a short black dress decorated with pink and red roses. A small slit can be found on her right leg. White 3-inch open toe heels were on her feet. Her usual ear accessories and earrings were present. A familiar dark red lipstick, dark eyeshadow, and black eyeliner made an appearance on her face. Her hair was out from its normal twists, curls and coils tumbling down her back and a bang swept over her right eye.

“David,” Judith mumbled awkwardly as her friend stared at her. That seemed to have broke the spell on the wizard as he shook his head to recollect himself.

“Well I’ll be damned… you look far from ridiculous, Judith. You look beautiful,” David said with a smile. Judith blushed and rubbed the back of her neck.

“You sure? It’s kind of revealing, don’t you think,” she asked. David cocked his head to the side, rescanning the girl from head to toe.

He could see her point, but it wasn’t as bad she probably thought it was.

The dress fitted her like glove, revealing the curves she was developing as a young woman. While the dress did show quite a bit of skin, it was still respectable.

“No, not really. To Bill and Orion, possibly but they’re big brothers who naturally want to keep every perverted wizard away from you. Hell, I may end up breaking someone’s teeth in if they think they can disrespect you like that. But you look beautiful Little Tigress, don’t think otherwise. Talbott would definitely agree with me,” David stated, watching his fellow Hufflepuff blushed at the name of the boy she’s been crushing on since third year.

David has been watching the two dance around each other since Judith admitted that she fancied the Ravenclaw wizard in the Charms classroom when practicing the Memory Charm. He was waiting for the two to finally get together already.

“If you’re done worrying, we still have a Ball to get to,” David said with a raised brow.

“But-EEP!” David already saw the protest in her eyes was quick to walk across the room and throw Judith over his shoulder. He only resorted to such measures when she was be difficult, and she was definitely being difficult.

“C’mon Little Tigress, your bird boy is waiting for you,” he said as he made his way out of her room. Judith spluttered over her words, mainly out of embarrassment at both what he said and the unnecessary position David has put her in.

“DAVID! Put me down, you brute! I’m in a dress for Merlin’s sake,” she protested loudly, wriggling in David’s unforgiving grip.

‘Damn demon lineage...’ she thought with a grimace.

“I'm well aware, we can clean you up when we're there with a spell, I not missing my chance to dance with Merula,” David said breezily. Judith gave up, allowing herself to be carried off like a sack of potatoes.

“Bloody sap... stupid dance,” she grumbled under her breath. David chuckled at her disgruntled mood.

“You’ll thank me for it by the end of the night, trust me,” he said. Judith pouted.

‘Assuming I don’t hide in a dark corner somewhere first...’

“Do that and I'm casting Lumos Maxima so there's nowhere for you to hide,” David said suddenly, nearly scaring the girl half to death. Judith mentally slapped her forehead out of exasperation. 

She should know better not to think aloud around David, seeing how they’re both Legilmens.

Damn it...

“Fine,” she huffed. Luckily for her, they finally arrived near the entrance of the Great Hall. David finally set her down, and casting a spell that made her look presentable again.

David offered his arm to her.

“Shall we, Little Tigress?” Judith felt her cheeks heating up at the thought of the person waiting on her inside the Great Hall before letting out a sigh. She took her best mate’s arm.

“I guess we shall...”

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

Talbott was chatting alongside with Merula, twirling a red rose between his hands when he heard a whistle. Both turned to make out the figures of their dates not too far from them.

David separated himself from his fellow Hufflepuff to walk up to the two. David gave Talbott a smirk and nodded over in Judith’s direction before stealing Merula away.

Talbott only raised a brow at the Hufflepuff wizard’s behavior before walking up to his date for the night. As he stood in front of her, any words that he was going to say to her, died at the tip of his tongue.

Talbott stared at his date, heart racing with a blush on the high points of his cheekbones as he looked at her from her curls to her high heeled shoes. The silence was starting to unnerve the Hufflepuff witch as her long time love interest stared at her without saying anything.

“Y-you clean up quite nicely, Talbott,” she blurted. She mentally smack herself immediately afterwards.

‘When did I become this awkward, goodness…’

However, seem to have done the trick and snapped Talbott back to reality.

“S-sorry, little bird. I-I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I-It’s just that…” Talbott shook his head, trying to focus.

“It’s just that,” Judith echoed slowly, biting her bottom lip. She was worried that David might’ve been wrong and she looked like a fool in front of the boy she had feelings for.

Talbott stepped closer to her, tilting her head up by her chin so she could look at him. He offered a shy smile.

“You look beautiful, Judith. More lovely and temperate than a summer’s day,” He said softly, placing the rose he had behind her left ear. Judith blushed as she felt her heart race at his barely there touch.

“I-I… thank you, Talbott…” The Ravenclaw wizard smiled at the shy response. Behind them the instruments started seemed to be warming up to play the first song.

“May I have this dance,” Talbott asked, mock bowing to the girl. Judith giggled behind a red manicured hand.

“You may…” Taking her hand Talbott led Judith close to the center of the dance floor, with David and Merula standing not too far from them. The fairies that were lighting up the room swirled around the students, leaving them in awe at the magical moment. In the midst of this, David gave his friend a wink, who in turned returned it with an unimpressed glare. Judith returned her attention back to her date once she felt him take one of her hands

“I’m not usually one who likes public displays, but… I quite like this one… almost as much as I like you,” Talbott quietly admitted as he looked into pale gold eyes.

‘Is it possibly to pass out from blushing so much? Because I think I’m close…’ Judith thought as she ducked her head with a smile. Talbott was being so sweet and kind to her, she wanted to be wrapped up in his arms and dance the night away.

Judith looked back up at him with a teasing grin.

“I hope you like dancing too, because it’s our time to shine…”

————————

Talbott was smiling at the laughing girl in his arms as he spun her around. The two have been in their own little bubble ever since the dance started.

Their shy exteriors melted away leaving behind something much warmer and intimate. Anyone with eyes can see that they were clearly smitten with each other. Which were plenty watching them on occasion.

Red eyes darted around the Great Hall, finding the person he was looking for. He gave the Headmaster a subtle nod which he returned with a knowing smile. Talbott stepped back from Judith to clear his throat with a smile.

“All this dancing is making me thirsty, I think I’m gonna get a refreshment,” he said. Judith smiled at him, making his heart stutter in a lovestruck sigh.

“A refreshment sounds great, actually! I’ll go with you-” 

“N-no need! I-I’ll get one for you! Just...  stay right there,” Talbott stuttered before taking off. Judith’s brows furrowed in confused as she watch Talbott disappear in the darkness.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw the cheery smile of David.

“Cheers, Little Tigress! I see that I was right about you enjoying yourself,” he said with a grin. Judith glared and punched his arm.

“Cheeky bastard,” she growled. David laughed good naturedly while rubbing his arm.

“I’m surprised you’re not with Synde. Seeing how eager you were to get here and be with her,” she retorted. David shrugged.

“Mer said she going to get refreshments for the both of us. She actually suggest I go find you to see how your night was so far,” David replied. Gold eyes narrow out of suspicion.

“That’s a little odd. Talbott just let to do the same thing...”

“Was it? I found it very typical  of Miss Synde and Mr. Winger,” a third voice said. David and Judith turned to see the amused face of their Headmaster.

The pair chatted with Professor Dumbledore for a while when Judith noticed something was amiss.

“It’s bit awhile since Merula and Talbott went to get refreshments. Surely it can’t take that long,” Judith pondered out loud. Dumbledore smiled.

“Clever eye, Miss Harris. That’s because they’re no longer here and they personally asked me to distract you,” he chuckled. David and Judith glanced at each other before looking back up at Dumbledore.

“Professor,” David asked warily. Dumbledore chuckled.

“Mr. Willows, you can head to the library. Miss Harris... while Mr. Winger wasn’t explicit with the location for you to go to, he did say ‘Remember our first date’ as a clue. Enjoy the rest of your storybook fairytale night, you two. You deserve it,” Professor Dumbledore informed the pair with a knowing smile. 

Judith blushed walking out of the Great Hall with David. The two said their goodbyes as Judith made her way outside. Transforming into her Black Sparrowhawk, she couldn’t help but wonder what Talbott had planned at the Black Lake...

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

Judith landed on the shore and transformed back, only to be surprised to find who was waiting for her.

“Lily,” she asked as the little fairy flew around her, buzzing out of excitement. 

What was her little friend doing all the way out here?

The magical creature took ahold of her hand, tugging her to the Boat house. 

“Okay, okay, I’m coming. Just slow down, I am wearing heels after all,” she laughed gently. Judith followed the excited fairy inside only to freeze at the door way.

Standing inside was Talbott. The place looked to have been cleaned out. Numerous fairies including her own lit up the Boathouse in a soft glow. Rose petals scattered the floor, along with some candles. A large heart made up of different colored roses was hung up behind the Ravenclaw wizard. A small table with some chairs of some of the food and drinks form the Ball sat in a corner. Somewhere in the background, there was soft music playing as well.

Talbott walked up to the stunned Hufflepuff witch and took her hand.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, little bird,” he spoke softly. Judith shook her head out of disbelief. 

“W-what is all this, Talbott,” she asked. The young man bit his lip.

“I-I... I may have been planning this while I was at the Owlery... I wanted to surprise you. While I did originally plan to do this in the Library, someone else had the same idea... So I’d figured the Black Lake was the next best thing. I did have some help putting this together,” Talbott admitted.

Lily buzzed, as if she was giggling at the two. Judith rose a brow at her Fairy’s cheeky behavior before chuckling.

“I just thought that... after everything you’ve done for Hogwarts, for me, you deserved a storybook romance,” Talbott said. Judith rescanned the room before offering a smile.

“I had no idea that you could be such a romantic, Talbott. But clearly you are.” Talbott blushed, scratching the back of his neck.

“I guess all that poetry paid off...”

--------

The pair sat and ate, chatting in between. Talbott giving going as far to feed Judith a bit of a cupcake. He ended blushing when he felt her lips touch his fingers tips as she let out a pleased moan. 

Currently they were slow dancing in the middle of the room, listening to the music softly playing in the background.

“This is really amazing, Talbott,” Judith spoke up, daring to look up at red eyes that reminded her of rubies.

“You’re the amazing one, Judith. I was simply following my heart,” Talbott replied, squeezing her closer. That foreign yet familiar scent that clung onto the Hufflepuff filled his nose.

“O-Oh stop it. I am not,” Judith insisted with a nervous laugh. Having Talbott so close to her was causing her heart to beat faster than normal. Talbott stopped dancing in favor of holding her hands. His gaze was unwavering.

“I mean it, little bird. You made this Valentine’s Day  perfect for everyone, even Flich and Pince... And especially for me,” Talbott confessed. Pearly whites flashed at him.

“All I wanted was a magical Valentine’s Day with my date,” Judith started, glancing down for a quick moment to gather herself before looking back up at Talbott through her lashes.

“...And... And I’m so happy that date is you...” And she was. Truly. 

Talbott was the picture perfect gentleman. And the fact he went through great lengths to make Valentine’s Day memorable for her reminded her of happier times from her childhood. Except now it was with someone who likes her for her. 

She hasn’t felt this special in years...

Talbott urged his heart to calm down as he reached for his wand.

“I feel the same way, Judith. And I... made something for you...” Stepping back, Talbott casted a spell, causing a book to appear. Judith blinked out of surprise at the book that hovered between them. Carefully reaching for it, she opened it to a random page somewhere in the beginning.

“...The loner poet listened to the Howler professed the words he wasn’t aware that lived in his heart. Speaking of a deep longing for a girl with otherworldly pale gold eyes. To never leave him because when he looks into her unique irises, he can see future. A future where he would wake up to them every morning. A future where he would look at child with the same eyes as her. A future that would lead to forever together.

He felt his heart stall in his chest, itching to cast a spell to light the Howler ablaze to prevent its words being heard by unwanted ears. It was then he smelled her before he heard her.

A hint of sea breeze that made him feel like he was standing so close the never-ending ocean. Chocolate that reminded him of her skin tone. A variety of fainter sweet scents, most he couldn’t name but the one he could pick out was honey.

Her melodious low voice sung to his eardrums:

“Hey, what did your Valentine Howler say?” He swiftly turned to find pale gold eyes curiously looking up at him. He could feel his heart speed up when he connected the dots.

It was her.

She was the one his heart longed for.

Everything that has transpired that day and this revelation became too much for the loner poet to take. He was quick to deny that his Howler hasn’t said anything, using the opportunity their teacher has created to leave the classroom. 

He needed time. Time to think of what to do next...”

Judith was so engrossed in words written on the page that she didn’t realize that Talbott was now standing behind her.

“It’s not finished, more so of a... work in progress for an ongoing story...” Judith jumped a little when she felt his breath ghost over her visible ear.

“This is about you,” she whispered, releasing the book to float again. She turned to find Talbott staring down at her with half lid eyes.

“It’s about you and me, little bird,” he whispered, cupping one of her cheeks. Judith closed her eyes, leaning into his warm touch. 

There was a shift in the air and she nervous but secretly excited to where this could lead...

Talbott withdrew for a moment forcing Judith to open her eyes again. She notice a heart shaped key necklace in his hand.

“What’s that,” she asked quietly.

“This is the key that unlocks the book. I made it be this way so you can wear it like a necklace. So our story would always be with you,” Talbott answered, carefully placing the it around her neck. A full body shiver raked Judith’s body when she felt the tips of his finger ghost over the sensitive skin.

“I... I never had someone put this much effort for me. To bare your feelings like this, Talbott... I... I don’t know what to say,” Judith confessed quietly. She could barely hear her own voice over the roar of blood rushing to her face combined with the sound of her heartbeat pounding against her eardrums.

Talbott caressed her cheek again.

“I don’t expect an answer from you right away little bird. I’m more than happy to do this for you. You’re the only one who deserves to see this side of me...” Talbott leaned closer aiming to place a kiss on her cheek. Much like he did last year.

What Judith did next surprised both of them. 

Turning her head ever so slightly, she caught Talbott’s lips with her own. This stunned the pair, both remaining motionlessly for a few moments. Just as the Ravenclaw wizard was about to pull back, Judith held him there by his tie, pressing against him. Her painted lips moved against his unresponsive ones slowly, testing the waters and his resolve.

After a moment of deliberation, Talbott gave in and returned the unexpected kiss. With one hand cupping her face, its twin finding refuge on her lower back, pushing her closer still. Judith released his tie in favor of wrapping her arms around his neck, melting in his embrace. Both of them were placed under a cloudy haze as their lips continued to move against one another.

The pair broke apart for air, foreheads resting against one another. Talbott silently licked his lips, picking up the taste of vanilla.

‘She tastes just as sweet as she looks. Good Gods help me...’ came the helpless thought as he found himself at the end of Judith’s sultry stare. 

‘What are you doing to me, Talbott? Why do I feel this way towards you...’

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Talbott,” Judith whispered, placing a soft kiss against the corner of his lips. Talbott shivered at the sound of her voice, which has dipped down an octave. Her accent came out, loud and clear. His hands, which has migrated to her waist, squeezed down on the curve for a few seconds.

He could listen to her speak to him like this for hours...

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Judith... Thank you for being my valentine...” Judith let out soft chuckle, pulling him in for another kiss.

In the midst of this an involuntary thought passed through her mind. One which would shatter the Hufflepuff witch later on.

‘I love you, Talbott...’

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

Some time has passed since the Valentine’s Day Ball. Judith more or less went back to her life as per usual. 

With occasional outing with Talbott when classes and working for Rakepick became too much for her.

It was late at night and she was at the shore of the Black Lake, practicing her spellwork. She always wanted to remain sharp on her skills and it was a way for her to prepare for the upcoming O.W.L.S., which was approaching fast.

She decided to practice the Patronus Charm, seeing how she hasn’t casted it in awhile.

“Expecto Patronum!”

What came out of the tip of her wand shocked her.

Instead of her usual Siberian Tiger was a-

“G-Golden E-Eagle?!” Her eyes watched as the avian predator flew above her before disappearing. 

She shocked her head, not believing what she just saw.

Over and over again, she casted the spell, waiting to see her beloved tiger. Only to watch the animal that came out soar its wings above her.

Her legs gave out from beneath her. 

“No, no, no! How can this be happening?! Patronuses don’t change,” she panicked. A vague memory came resurfaced in her mind.

“Though I have heard of Patronuses changing forms after falling in love...” Judith’s eyes widen.

That voice belonged to Tonks when they were dealing with the Dementor threat from last year.

Another memory surfaced, however, much older...

“Gift this ring to the one your heart desires above all others. It will only fit and accept that one person, anyone else, it’ll reject and return to you...” Tears ran down her cheeks. When she realized what memory it was.

“Gran-Gran...” came the broken whisper. Her grandmother gifted her a magical blue and silver ring before she died. The same ring she gave to Talbott just a year prior. She didn’t remember her dear grandmother’s words when she gave it to him. 

Now that she thought about it, the ring never returned to her. And it was on Talbott’s left ring finger the night of the Ball.

Even as she kissed him, those three words that haunted her since childhood has crossed her flowery dazed mind.

She couldn’t do anything but face the truth. To speak the words that haunted her in form of a Boggart from third year.

“I love Talbott Winger...”

And she was secretly terrified.

Because she knew if he were to confess the same, she was done for.

Her heart would be his. 

And risk breaking if he were to ever leave...

[viovio]

💕📌🎶 :) hehehe have a cube of mango too vio *mango cube appears beside you*

💕 tell us about one of your favorite characters and why you like them!

ok so I already did this one but I have a lot of faves so its ok. Mr jonathan morris like is just a teen that's most of his personality and I love it (daddy issues too which eugh maybe not so much, he needs charlotte to ground him which I feel sorry for), 18 years old brings along his 16 y/o childhood friend to kick draculas ass and they don't worry too much about it. They're banters quite funny too, even though the talk button in the menu just gives you tips on gameplay most of the time during boss battles they have a lot to say about them, it's a nice feature really. That and he's a whole dumbass, you could kill richter with fucking creampies and that's why por is best game hands down (it's not but a paper airplanes also a subweapon which gives it another point). I ALSO LOVE HIS LITTLE VOICE LINES if you complete the game I think starting a new one from the menu has u hear him saying "showtime!" Or when you successfully complete the motorcycle puzzle and he says "YAHOO!!" it's just so adorable. Have I mentioned that he's gay because he is, charlotte clearly shows interest in him throughout but bc he is gay and she is clearly a lesbian and they don't know it he treats her like a little sister and is also oblivious to a lot of romantic advances, hell the only time he's shown interest in a woman was during the astarte boss battle where he LITERALLY has to be mind controlled to do so, that boy *pointing at him* is gay.

📌 how did you find your hyperfixation?

So how I found it was very simple, as a kid (really young I think maybe about 5-7) we had a ds, was absolutely obsessed with it it had warioware kirby all that stuff, but then there was my first castlevania game: dawn of sorrow. Being the sequel to aria of sorrow (my favorite) and also being a kid I had no clue what was going on but I knew a few things, 1) somas surname was cruz and that made me think he was filipino so I liked him very much, 2) the music was really good!! And 3) some of the enemies looked terrifying and I was all for that. I liked looking at the enemy index and reading their descriptions cuz u loved the lore a lot, I always erased and made new files cuz frankly I had no clue what to do after the first or third levels. I also didn't know how the controls worked since I liked using the touch feature a lot. What I remember was when I beat the puppet master (a terrifying looking boss that was in a later level called the demon guest house), and since the magic seal (a feature added in cuz of the touch system, which you had to use after every boss or else they won't die) was kinda complicated to me and I somehow completed it I was proud of myself!! Showed off to my dad too (he didn't care). Later on he got order of ecclissia (another fantastic game) and i loved it even better than dos, the artwork was gorgeous and shanoa..... 😳 Was also very gorgeous. A lot of things were improved since it was the third and last cv game ever to be released by konami (a whole decade ago I'm so sad) and since this was getting too long I'll cut this short. Our ds broke sometime and I was sad but eventually my dad got a lords of shadow game for our pc, I forgot which one it was I think it was the one with victor in it, anyways it was the first game where I was introduced to alucard, I didn't really play it just watched dad or kuya play it and it was also gorgeous. After that id watch boss rushes or playthroughs of castlevania games on youtube for a nostalgia rush, I didn't really know about any of the other games other than the ds ones, at some point I heard they made the netflix series of it which I didn't watch yet. Until last year, cv was pretty much niche to me and far from my interests, it was August or June I think when dad put on an anime site on tv and watched it with us and needless to say I loved the first season, I didn't know about cv3 or any of the other games so the plot confused me but I did know alucard, after watching all of it I went on a huge rush and learned about all of it's lore (in all the games). Dad then taught us how to emulate games and ever since then I've been playing and loving castlevania a lot, so year long story short I played some of the games as a kid and got really into it after watching the netflix series. Although after s3 and being disappointed I could care less about it cuz all I think about are the games.

🎶 if your hyperfixation has songs/an ost, what is your favorite song from it?

oh my god you did NOT just ask me this bc *clipping from my seat* EHE THERES A LOT SO BUCKLE UP!!!!

Dawn of Sorrow: Draculas Tears (The laboratory theme, dunno how to describe it it's really funky but gets funkier later on, the melody later on kinda feels melancholic bit goes right back to being funky)

Portrait of Ruin: Piercing Silence (one of the 3 boss themes, I like it was better since it gets my heart racing but in a good way, has a REALLY good synth later on), Dance of Sadness (a boss theme saved for only the sisters, also really gorgeous with a melancholic vibe), Iron Blue Intention (13th street theme, a remix of the track w the same name in bloodlines)

Symphony of the Night: Dance of Pales (classical and makes you feel lost in wonder, olroxs quarters theme I think) Woodcarving Partita (VERY fancy library theme I absolutely love it), Rainbow Cemetery (ITS THE CATACOMBS GOD ITS SO GOOD, it makes you dance but also let you know that something's up deep in them)

Castlevania Bloodlines: Calling from Heaven (AUGH WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN... One of my top tracks and also 2nd to last level where Johns dying, rly makes u feel y'know)

Lament of Innocence: Leons theme (also called lament of innocence but GOOD GOD ALSO IN MY TOP TRACKS ITS SO FUCKING GOOD, despite not being my favorite gameplay wise the soundtracks absolutely gorgeous even though it's mostly remixes, save from this one. Absolutely funky theme and being my 2nd fave belmont it's also my favorite belmont theme)

Order of Ecclissia: An Empty Tome (The games main theme and also the first two levels in Draculas castle, it describes who shanoa is, being filled with powerful glyphs abilities and a great weapon against dracula but having no memory of who she is, she's an empty tome) Sorrows distortion (ABSOLUTELY KILLING IT albus's boss theme) Wandering of the Crystal Blue (gorgeous theme for the second water stage), Malaks Labrinth (I forgot what the stage name was but also very good), and also (Forgot the stage name but the credits deserve a spot here)

[mittensmorgul]

8.13, Everybody Hates Hitler.

So, we've finally reached the point in the season where the new plot arc has finally been established, the current mental state of each of the characters has been divulged, and yet there hasn't seemed to be a true Big Bad emerge yet...

Yes, we have Crowley hassling Kevin and the Winchesters over the Demon Tablet, *we* know that additionally there is an Angel Tablet out there lurking in the hazy future (but the Winchesters do not yet), and we have Naomi using Cas like a puppet to do murder before snatching him back off the playing field in 8.10. But who, really, is the Big Bad here? To this point, it SEEMS like a good idea to use the knowledge Kevin is prying out of the demon tablet to learn how to slam the gates of Hell, but honestly... WHAT GOOD HAS EVER COME FROM MESSING WITH THE NATURAL ORDER?!

(honestly if it were me faced with the tablets, I would've ground them into sand, mixed them into batches of concrete all over the world, and scattered them so thinly they'd never be found no matter how many prophets or angels or demons go hunting for them)

But let's backburner that for when it will become relevant again (like, in the next episode, but I just wanted that laid out for context here). Let's look at the pointed context we get for things made out of clay and given unimaginable power by WORDS they contain.

The Golem.

AARON When I was – when I was bar mitzvahed, my – my grandfather gave me this little old book. It was in Hebrew. It was like an owner's manual for a Golem. DEAN Okay. Great. Get that, then. AARON I – I can't, exactly. When I went to high school, I sort of... drifted. I started getting off the academic track, and, uh, I kind of, um... I kind of smoked it. GOLEM The boy smoked the pages. AARON They were these thin, vellum-y pages. I mean, it was perfect for rolling. Look, they were driving instructions for a clay man. Okay? It was nonsense. Right? I mean… I... Okay. All right. Look, I'm sorry, okay? Why can't you just tell me what I don't know?! GOLEM [slamming his hands onto the table and leaning over it] It's not my place to guide the rabbi, to teach the teacher! It's not my place! Yifalchunbee!

He smoked the "driving instructions for a clay man." And now he's got a clay man he's sort of intuitively "reading" and "operating," but no real idea what he's doing with it. Sam and Dean are not comforted by this fact, considering the obvious potential danger the golem potentially poses without the understanding and knowledge to implement his power, you know? Without that knowledge, Aaron's basically flying by the seat of his pants, hoping this magically powered hunk of clay is A Good Thing and not A Dangerous Thing...

Sorta like the Demon Tablet, right? Just a magical bit of clay, powered by word, with no instruction manual and just assumptions and hopes they're interpreting it correctly. There's no warning labels, no explanations, just the Word.

AARON So, that's your plan – taking out my Golem? SAM It's not a plan. DEAN We would just feel a lot better if we knew how. That's all. AARON What makes you think you have any right to make that decision? DEAN Believe me, if we need the right, we will take it. AARON Look, he may be a pain in the ass, but he's my responsibility. SAM Look, the Golem was built to go to war. You're not trained for that. How are you gonna take that on? AARON I don't know.

Lots of unanswered questions. Unanswered BIG questions. Questions that one should really know the answers to before deciding to "take that right" to make unilateral decisions over things, you know? Like they've taken the right to decide to shut the gates of Hell, because on the surface (pffft) it sounds like a really good thing to do. What could go wrong with locking away demons forever, right? Demons have been fucking over Winchesters as long as they've been alive, and what a perfect way to get a lifetime worth of revenge and ensure the safety of the world, right?

More on that as the rest of the season unfolds, but we need to talk about the other half of this episode. The Bunker. The legacy that now belongs to Sam and Dean, and handed to them in the form of a Key, described as not only a secure building warded against every evil, but also a storehouse of every bit of lore encompassing thousands of years. Safety, home, comfort, knowledge, strength... it's everything they could've wished for, you know? Hewn from earth and filled with words... possibly too many words to ever read and understand them all.

But this is a revelation of a legacy for them to have discovered. Sam is fascinated by what makes it work. He can't figure out how they have water pressure or electricity, and yet they do... He wants to understand this building for what it is, while Dean takes immediately to just experiencing it. He literally makes himself at home, exploring it for its resources and claiming them as his own (from wearing the dead guy robe and slippers to casually playing with a sword on display). Sam needs to understand the place before he can allow himself to feel comfortable there, but Dean just... feels comfortable there. (which we'll also see first-hand in the next episode only to have it all stood on its head... so keep this in mind).

So we have Dean just... casually accepting things and saying them out loud without shame:

Dean: The, uh, water pressure in the Letters' shower room is marvelous.

Dean: That's weird. I thought I was being followed earlier. Turned out to be a gay thing. Sam: What? Dean: Nothing. You need a hand?

Dean: Sammy, I think we found the Batcave.

But Sam sees it in a different way, and doesn't even understand that they're still effectively seeing the same thing, but from different perspectives:

SAM Yeah. I still can't figure out how we even have water... or electricity. [He walks to the shelves to get another book.] DEAN Yep, well, I am putting that under the "ain't broke" column.

SAM Look at this. Ham radio, telegraph, switchboard. This was their nerve center.

Sam: Dean, look, I think we might have something here – something that could help us, help humanity. Henry certainly thought so. I mean, you know damn well we could use a break. What if we finally got one? Are you gonna take off the dead-guy robe?

And by the end of the episode, they've both begun to settle in, despite their different approaches to what that means:

DEAN What're you doing? DEAN opens the refrigerator as SAM sits down. SAM Ordering – I'm making a, uh, card entry for our, uh, copies from the Thule's red ledger for our collection.

Yeah, Dean's already installed a small fridge for drinks in the library, already putting his own stamp on the place and making it his own, but in his different way, Sam is also doing the same by putting his mark on the place with an official entry card for the filing system. (Yeah, Dean puts the beer back and instead pours them each some whiskey from a fancy bottle into some fancy glasses, but while Sam studiously works at the table, Dean reclines with his feet up on the table... their two different approaches in one nice image).

That can't possibly last...

The final bit of the whole “legacy” theme-- that the bunker is now a concrete (pffft) part of her family history through the Winchester side-- is one of the first mentions of Mary in a long time:

AARON: Take a seat. So... your grandfather was into all this supernatural stuff, too? DEAN Yeah, grandparents, mom, dad, truckload of cousins – the whole family was lousy for it, but we... [he looks at the GOLEM, which is still pacing] never had a Golem. SAM : Right. Yeah. We, um, we grew up in it, but you... didn't?

as I go to post this, I remember what the final song playing as the episode ends, “Sunny side of the street,” and recalled a tweet I saw this morning regarding the horrific heat wave we’re experiencing rn: Who the HELL wants to walk on the sunny side of the street?! Stay in the shade...

[beccaland]

Fandom Story Time!

OK Whovians, brief-ish story time, because I'm feeling weirdly nostalgic lately. Recently I keep getting reminded of "the good old days" when I discovered fandom on rec.arts.drwho and alt.drwho.creative, back in the early days of the internets. In particular, I remembered a beloved fanfic series by one RJ Anderson (now an actual published YA author) back in 1996, and knowing that "the internet is forever," I decided to see if I could find it again, though I haven't been on Usenet since sometime around the turn of the millennium (wow that sounds weird to write). Long story short: I did find the fic series. I still love it. Even though it's a bit dated in some ways (seeing as it features an 11th Doctor substantially different than Matt Smith's), I wish she'd add it to AO3, so it would be more accessible (Google's way of displaying Usenet stuff is... difficult to navigate, to say the least). I did not, however, find the one bit of fanfic I ever wrote: a very short piece about the death of the Doctor. Ah well. It was probably overly melodramatic anyway. Maybe it's better not to embarrass myself by finding and re-reading it. In the process of my searching, I was reminded of conversations I hadn't thought of in years, and I saw names of people I regarded as friends, though my post-volume was low enough that I doubt more than one or two of them would remember me at all. Perhaps not all of them would remember me too fondly anyway; I was a teenager, and like most teens I thought I knew a great deal more than I actually did. I was reminded of little kindnesses, dumb jokes and silly banter, deep dives into the depths of DW lore, and flights of speculative fancy. You know--the kinds of things that make participating in fandom worthwhile. I was also reminded why I left fandom for so long. It wasn't just that work and school took up more and more of my time, or that my improving health meant I could socialize offline more, after years of having most of my friendships online (at last, I could spend more time actually dating than talking about UNIT dating). No, my departure was mostly because of all the racism, bigotry, and pointless political flamewars, as well as the nominally on-topic but actually deeply personal flamewars, all of which increasingly drowned out the fandom content I wanted to see. And all of that drove away a not-insignificant number of the people whose posts I liked to read, too--including some of the authors of Virgin and BBC books. Eventually there just wasn't enough positive DW content to keep me coming back. Sounds familiar, right? That crap is everywhere, and always has been. But I hope it won't always be. In the days of Usenet, it was much more difficult to curate your news feeds. You could create "kill files" that would automatically delete content from certain bloggers from your own news feed, but it took a little extra computer savvy; it wasn't just a matter of clicking a button. Despite the limitations of Tumblr, I like that I can follow both tags and specific blogs, and that it's relatively easy to block blogs that consistently post bothersome content. I like that its algorithms learn (not always successfully) to show me the kinds of content that I'm more likely to enjoy, and less of the stuff that tends to wind me up. Plus, massive bandwidth increases and other technological developments have made it possible to share so many more kinds of fan content. I miss the low-tech brilliance of ASCII-based fan art sometimes, but I wouldn't trade the huge variety of beautiful art, fic, and video that I see every day now for anything. By the time the new series debuted, I had no desire to plug back into fandom as a whole, though I was still in contact with a couple of good overseas friends from the drwho IRC channel, through whom my family and I were able to access the new series until I moved to an apartment where I could watch it on the SciFi channel. But gradually, I felt the pull of fandom again. My friends kept acting surprised that I wasn't on Tumblr. Finally, I came back to fandom. I guess the moral of this story is threefold: First, 20+ years from now I'm totally going to remember you, my Tumblr mutuals, even if we haven't interacted in decades. I'll miss you and wonder what you're up to now, and whether you're still into fandom. I'll wonder if you remember me at all. Fandom friends are real friends, even if we only ever interact online. Second, all the people who complain that Tumblr has made fandom worse are wrong. This is kind of a Golden Age for fandom, but it's not evenly distributed. Use the available tools to curate your fandom experience. Don't think twice about unfollowing or even blocking blogs that just wind you up; they are not worth your time and energy. Actively seek out, follow, and share content from blogs that practice the kind of fandom that enhances your life. Be that kind of blogger yourself. Third, the internet is forever. Do your best to cultivate your corner of it so that decades from now, it will still be beautiful. Even if someday you look back and discover that some of the flowers you planted were actually dandelions, I hope it'll make you smile rather than cringe.

[some-cookie-crumbz]

31 from the way I said I love you prompts list, for Kidge, please?

Have some wholesome, Kidge fluff to start the weekend off right! And I should have some more coming before the end of the night, too!

Keithwas going to owe Nihaar a huge favor after this.

Afew superiors from the Blade would be coming by to see how progresswas coming along on their work figuring out how, exactly, Haggarcreated the Robeasts she sent after Team Voltron. He, however, hadplans with a non-Blade member on a planet a few quadrants away for avery special occasion. Plans that didn’t involve spending an entireday being scrutinized by a bunch of high-and-mighty Galra rebelleaders. And so, being a good friend, Nihaar had helped cover for himwhile he took a fighter ship out for his meet-up. “I can probablyget you about three hours before they start looking for youthemselves, so make it count,” She had said with a grin and a wink.He had blushed and grumbled out a quick thank you before heading out.

Findingthe Green Lion had been easy, even with Pidge finding the most remotelocation that she could for them.

Afterlanding, he checked over himself once more. He hadn’t wanted tojust wear his usual relaxing attire, given this was a very specialoccasion, and had managed to get himself some nicer clothes to wearwith the help of Lance and Allura. He tugged on the sleeves of thehis red turtleneck, making sure they were all way at his wrist, andthen tugged it free from being tucked into his slacks. Lance hadlectured him about looking his best but having the shirt tucked inwas a bit too much, he figured. He grabbed the bag with two glassesand a bottle of Tululurah wine – Adwru, another of the youngerBlade members, had insisted that Keith take it with him as good luckin his courtship - then stepped out and headed over to Green,grinning to himself the head lowered and jaw opened. “I see youwere able to find the spot without too much difficulty,” Pidge saidwith a small laugh as she started to walk out.

Herhair was tied back in a simple ponytail, showing off the leatherchoker with the pale turquoise colored stone he’d gotten for her.Unsure of if his plan to break out that night would work, he’d sentit to her a few days before to make sure she’d get it before thatnight. She had paired it off with a white and green striped dress andwhat appeared to be a black denim jacket on top. It was all finishedoff with a pair of black ankle boots with little bows out the outerside. Tucked in the crook of one arm, was a large round basket with acheckered pink and white blanket on top. He smiled and offered hishand to her as she moved to step over the teeth and lower jaw. “Youlook amazing. And you picked a great spot,” He commented.

“Youlook pretty slick yourself, Zippy,” She teased with a wink, takinghis hand and stepping over. She indicated the basket. “Hope youdon’t mind simple sandwiches, deruda sticks, psuedo-macaroni saladand some cookies for dessert.”

“Fineby me. I brought some fancy alien wine if you’re feeling risky;compliments of Adwru,” He said, carefully taking the basket fromher and hanging it on the same arm he had the wine on. He thenoffered his free arm to her.

“TheBlade members are really invested in your love life, aren’t they?”She laughed, taking his offer and starting to gently lead him up fromthe thicket they’d parked in to a hill just ahead of them.

“Theyfind the mating habits of humans absolutely fascinating. I’ve beenasked so many ridiculous questions and had my privacy invaded moretimes than I can count at this point, you have no idea,” He saidwith a dry laugh.

“Alluraand Coran are a lot like that, too. They sat me down for a fulltwenty minutes to explain everything when I asked them for the basketand blanket. Eventually, I just took the good and tricked Shiro intodealing witht hem for me,”

“Soyou just sacrificed him like that? How cruel,” He teased.

Sheshrugged, her grin wide in amusement. “Sacrifices must be made inwar, Cadet Kogane,” She said as they reached the top. She swipedthe blanket from him and started unfolding it while he set theirthings down. He then took two of the other ends and they stretchedthem out together, placing it down carefully to avoid any rocks.

“Oh,so I’m the cadet here?” He laughed, grabbing their thingsand bringing them over to the blanket. Pidge took liberty to stretchherself out on the blanket with a contented sigh, her legs stretchedout in front of her with her ankles crossed and leaning back on herhands. She tilted her head to watch him as he carefully settled inbeside her, making sure to keep his feet from getting any dirt on theblanket.

“Indeedyou are!” She teased, taking the basket from him and popping itopen. As she fixed their plates, he opened the wine and poured bothglasses halfway full. They swapped the plate of food for the glass ofdrink and, plate settled atop her thighs, indicated the starry nightsky above them with a wave of her glass. “Let’s test yourknowledge, hm? See that constellation over there, that looks like alobster? Tell me its name, origin and the name of at least one starthat makes it up!” She said before taking a small sip. She blinkedin surprise then hummed in amusement. “Tastes like blueberries andpomegranate… Pretty good.”

Hetook a sip of his own and hummed in agreement, pleasantly surprisedby the taste. Last time he’d tried something another member of theBlade gave him it had been unpleasant, to say the least. He thenlooked back at the clutter of stars she indicated and thought for amoment. “Well, only an amateur would not recognize theconstellation of Humorogantica, the giant lobster of lore. It is saidthat his claws maintain the balance of the ocean waves and the oceanfloor, and that one swing of his tail can cause a tsunami in everysea simultaneously. And the star that creates its eye is calledHutor,” He explained, clearing his throat and putting on his PrimeProfessional tone as he spoke. She nodded along with him, plucking aderuda stick off her plate and tossing it into her mouth. Deruda werea vegetable from another planet that were very similar to carrots inboth texture and taste, though they were a bright pink with yellowpolka-dots.

“Verygood, cadet. And over there, in case you don’t recall,” She musedafter taking a bite from her sandwich, indicating anotherconstellation a little ways off, “is the Sword of Yutarado.Yutarado was the legendary hero whom they say defeated Gertrude theMalicious. His sword was made of pure Yoyo Minera, which can only beforged in molten lava on the night of a full moon. The very tip ofhis blade is represented by that star, there, which is Thorton.”

Theyplayed like that as they ate, making up constellations and storiesand names for all of them. Pidge rested her head against his shoulderas they started on their second glasses of drink – whatever kind ofwine it was, Keith was grateful to note that it didn’t seem to havea terribly high alcohol content to it – and munched idly on thecookies. He was pleased to find that they were chocolate chip andpeanut butter; clearly Hunk had been wanting their date to go well,too. “Happy anniversary, Pidge,” He said gently, resting hischeek atop her head.

Shegiggled lightly and nuzzled a bit closer to him. “I love thenecklace, by the way. I mean, for more than just the fact that yourmy boyfriend and it’s a gift from you. I take it you picked it fora specific reason?” She mused lightly.

Hechuckled and nodded, turning to press a small kiss tot he top of herhead. “I wanted to mention it’s more than just a decorativepiece,” He commented, shifting to sit back up and carefully reachedout to untie it. She shifted and helped him remove the necklace. Thestone was easily detachable and, with it settled in his palm, hepressed his finger to the small divot in the center. When he did, thestone gleamed before the rounded edges suddenly had tons of long,narrow spikes on it. “It isn’t much, but it’s a good littletool if you ever need to protect yourself.”

Shelooked up at him in surprise and then wonderment before she leaned upto press a small kiss to his cheek. “You’re ridiculously sweet,”She mused as he clipped the stone back on and tied it back on forher. She then tugged the basket back over to them, rummaging throughquietly. “And, hopefully, you like the gift I got for you, too.”She then pulled out a slim, wide package and offered it to him. Thewrap job was the clipped out remnants of some alien fashion magazineand he found something endearing about that.

Hetook and carefully peeled off the wrapping paper, curious. When heopened it, it seemed to be the back of a picture frame, given thesmall prop along the back. When he turned it around, the frame seemedto be made of a cherry-wood color, with a small white square on thebottom, but the glass seemed to be black. He tilted his head a bitand she leaned a bit closer, indicating the button. He pressed it andthe black screen suddenly flickered to life, projecting a picture ofhe and Pidge from their first date, his arm draped over her shoulderand her arm around his waist. He turned to her and smiled. “I loveit,” He said gently.

Shewinked. “That’s not all. Keep watching,” She said, indicatingat the screen again. He turned back and then, a second later, itshifted to a photo of he and the other members of Team Voltron they’dtaken on one of his breaks from the Blade. There were a few otherphotos of him and the others – he training with Lance, laughing ata joke with Hunk, discussing battle tactics with Allura – all thathe recalled being taken over their time on the Castle of Lions. Thenit switched to he and Shiro from his times back at the Garrison,right before the Kerberos mission. “See, I was able to hack aroundand track down the files for a whole bunch of other pictures. I evenfound some from other sources – though that took a lot longer thanI anticipated. But I remembered the other day that oyu were reallyworried about forgetting so I… Oh, here comes my favorite.” Shebreathed quietly.

Thescreen switched again, but this time the picture had Keith’s heartpicking up in his chest. It was an old picture that he himself didn’teven remember, from his second birthday party. His face and handswere covered in multicolored frosting, some of it even getting intohis hair, but he was smiling despite that. Next to him on one sidewas his dad, laughing and smiling at his son, while on the other sideof him was his grandmother with an amused smile on her face and asplattering of frosting on her cheek closest to him. He tried to openhis mouth to say something but he couldn’t, his chest thrumming ashe was completely overwhelmed.

“Happyanniversary, Keith,” She said quietly.

“Ilove you,” He said, completely starstruck as he turned to stare ather. A blush hit her cheeks but her smile stayed in place, growing abit more shy and flustered. He reached out and cupped her cheek withhis other hand, keeping the frame clutched safely between the fingersof his other hand. “You’re the most incredible… Just…This is… You’re too much and I can’t help but fall for you againevery time we meet.” He breathed before leaning over and pressing asmall kiss to her lips.

Sheleaned into it and beamed up and him when they pulled away. “I loveyou too,” She breathed happily before dipping in for a second kiss.As far as one-year anniversaries went, he chalked it up to anunforgettable one.

[smokeybrand]

Smokey brand Postmortem: Hell to Watch

Helstrom is unwatchable. I tried. It was f*cking boring. I’m not going to properly review this show because it was a chore just to get through but, suffice it to say, this one is a pass. I don’t think this is a thing that can be attributed to Marvel though, this definitely smacks of Fox incompetence, but, either way, it’s bad, man. I like some things about this show, mostly the chick who plays Satana, Sydney Lemmon. She’s very good in the role and uplifts the weak ass writing she’s forced to endure. The dude that plays Damon, though? Big yikes! This dude is kind of the worst. I thought he had potential with that opening scene, but that’s nowhere near who the character turned out to be. It doesn’t help that Tom Austin is a f*cking plank of wood the entire time. This show was such a disappointment and it didn’t have to be. I mean, the Helstrom kids are literally the antichrists. How do you make something boring out of that start? This Postmortem will diverge a little bit from y usual format because, I mean, the problems are way to numerous so this is just the things I would do differently.

Branding

Sh*t is mad whack because Marvel had an opportunity here. Daimon Hellstrom is a terrible character, definitely D-list Marvel all the way, but with a bit of retooling, this could have been intriguing. immediately, Daimon needs a retool. I’d change the spelling of his name to Damon Helstrom, the “I” is ridiculous. I understand why its there but it looks ridiculous. I would definitely call the show Hellstrom with the extra”L”. Hellstrom has more of an impact that Helstrom. It just hits different to the eye. That’s branding stuff but the character, itself, needs a once over. Marvel needs a John Constantine. Part of the reason why i think Hellstrom works is because of Constantine’s Hellblazer. This version of the character would effectively be the same type of character; Freelance demonologist with conflicting ties to the world he persecutes. The difference being, while Constantine is a fraud, Hellstrom is a literal Prince of Hell.

Characters

Constantine relies on his wit and guile to effectively outsmart the devils he hunts. Hellstrom would not. He would use the rituals and gadgets and pslams or whatever but, when push comes to shove, he’d just brute forces that sh*t. We need more Daimon from the first episode, short-tempered and a little bit of a dick, utilizing his abilities against formidable opponents. We definitely need less of the poorly scripted family drama that permeates this show. Daimon would have to hate who he is He knows he is the literal son of Satan, destined to lead the world to oblivion, but refuses to acknowledge that destiny, thus is demon-hunting. Daimon would absolutely have to be plagued by his power, taunted by the more powerful demons that make it out of hell, fighting against the more violent tendencies he feels whenever his power activates. Daimon has to be seen walking that edge between savior and destroyer because that’s what his character entails. Until you realize he has a sister.

Personally, i would have kept the bones of this shows, the whole investigative/X-Files thing going on, but you need a compelling, overarching plot. All of that family drama detracts from Daimon and his far more interesting demon hunting outings. That said, i would completely abandon all of it. That overarching plot? Yeah, that’s him chasing after Satana. The family connection would need to be substantially tighter for this plot to work because Daimon would be chasing his sister across the world. For this first season, i would start off by only eluding to Ana Hellstrom. It would only be hints, a introspective look at something which reminds him of his sister or something said in passing about a long lost sibling, all the while dreading the fact that this increase in demonic activity might really be Ana’s fault. I would establish that Satana is the twin, not the younger sibling, of Daimon and therefore has all of the rights to the same broken crown that was thrust upon Him. Ana is, in effect, a spare heir but, instead of the conflict that plagued Daimon, Ana embraced her demonic nature early on. She didn’t even fight it and has become somewhat of a Goblin Queen, commanding an army of Lesser Demons.

Power Visualization

I suppose this is spot is as good as any to establish the Hellstrom twins’ powers. So Daimon would literally be a powerhouse. As a Hell-Prince, he’s be able to wield Hellfire at will, conjuring it up from the Nether when ever he needs to battle a proper demon. The fact that he refuses to acknowledge this power means he never trained to properly utilize these powers, making it incredibly difficult for him to properly control and it leaves Daimon incredibly exhausted. To avert this fatigue in battle, he relies on his enhanced physical abilities, the pslams he learned as a church sanctioned exorcist, and a spear fashioned from a mystical allow he charges with hellfire called Phlegathon. This spear would probably be the primary form of combat as it would be cheap to produce and you can have some rather dope action choreography. Daimon is the force to subjugate made manifest.

Ana’s powers are nowhere near as direct. She doesn’t gave any fancy weapons or commands hellfire or anything like that. Satana is the manifestation of the authority of rule. She can conjure and subjugate any demon of a lower station. This is the nuclear option of her ability; An army of semi-powerful familiars. He brother inherited the physical prowess of their father but she was gifted his charisma. This manifest as passive ability which makes those of weak will bow to hers almost instantly. Ana has used this power, in conjunction with her summon abilities, to carve out a pretty decent life and a less than flattering reputation in certain circles. Obviously, she’d have a go-to Demon who’s possessed some poor meat sack. I’m thinking Xuthl, former Hell-Lord who was deposed by the angelic Lucifer after he was cast down, further humiliated by his daughter, Satana’s subjugation. Xuthl is the muscle for Ana, matching Daimon, and most demonic forces, in physical prowess.

Narrative

I think that initial plot would have to follow Hellstrom investigating an ever increasing series of violent possessions and demonic events, all the while seeing him question if his sister can actually be involved. her unique power and unrestricted use of it throughout her life, makes Ana the perfect suspect for this spike in demon activity. We’d see Daimon using Phlegathon maybe twice early on, culminating in an all-out brawl at the mid-season finale, or episode six, with Xuthl as Satana escaped. Daimon would lose this fight, eventually going berserk, unleashing his true Son of Satan form, rampaging all over Xuthl until Ana uses her powers to force Daimon back to consciousness. The next episode would have the twins reconciling as Xuthl heals. Ana would explain that the events aren’t tied to her, that she was investigating in her own way, but the true culprit was always one step ahead of her. The siblings would realize that it had to be another Hell-Prince and resolved to work together until the end of this case. The season would continue with a kind of buddy cop dynamic, SatAna taking on the more John Constantine mannerisms and Daimon staying his stoic and easily angered self. Xuthl would be caught in the middle. The penultimate episode would reveal that the main antagonist was Blackheart, Mephisto’s kid. He’d literally tear Xuthl  apart leading into the finale. This thing would be a spectacle of the Blackheart in his full demonic form and Daimon fully embracing his Son of Satan form, dooking it out while Satana used her abilities to open a portal to hell. Daimon sacrifices himself by falling into the portal holding Blackheart, leaving Satana all alone in the world as the only Hellstrom and a wide open narrative going into season two. I would have a post credit stinger of Johnny Blaze, introduced earlier in the season during one of the initial three or four episodes, waking up in a cold sweat, going to the bathroom to splash some water in his face, only to look up at he mirror and see Zarathos. Not Ghost Rider, that comes later, but the demon that powers it, Zarathos. Cut to black, first season over.

This is all hindsight because the show has already released but, i think I've built a far more compelling, far more engaging narrative than what we got. The tone and aesthetic was spot on, i freely admit that. but everything else was just mediocre. With my version, you get great, recognizable branding, a plot that has enough action to keep interests, drama that compels people to continue the binge, and a conclusion that leaves the door open for a second season without presuming it will get one. There is enough here to explore and enough lore introduced to build from but, at he same time, never overextending with the assumption of success. You get to see a ton of that aspect of Marvel that they kind of don’t deal in; Black Heart, Ghost Rider, Hell-Lords, demons, etc. There is a rich and unique spin on that type of stuff and this show, this pedestrian ass, bitterly restrained, budget take on what could have been a real ride.

[weedsekatzefollowers]

First of all, an explanation.

WK Followers has been in development for six years. It’s nearly complete, but release is still some time away. Why?

I’d like to start this off by saying that I started conceptualizing this mod as soon as I got my hands on Skyrim back in ‘11. I didn’t have a computer back then (I was still playing on my XBox), so I’d write manuscripts and stories on my crappy laptop. When I got a better laptop a year later, I went straight to work. Skyrim was - just like its predecessors - a wonderful world, full of so much potential, but unfortunately it fell a little... flat... in the story department. I wanted to change that.

But I barely knew where to start. Of course, I knew what I wanted to do, but I had no idea how to implement it. And thus started my year-long journey of familiarizing myself with the Creation Kit. Even after all these years, I still find new ways of optimizing things, and this absolutely needs to be done before I can even think of clicking that “Submit mod” button on the Nexus.

Example (it gets pretty technical at this point, so feel free to skip ahead if you rather wouldn’t bother with this): 

What you see here is the dialogue view. This is were dialogue’s written, voice files added, and so on. It’s also a prime example of sloppy work. I had watched a tutorial once, followed along with it for a single quest, and then forgot everything essential about it and just went on with writing everything down all nilly willy. Every quest, with the exception of the one I mentioned, looks like this. It’s a single top-level dialogue branch with a lot of stuff cramped in there. Why’s that a problem? Well, I’m sure there’s other reasons I haven’t discovered yet. But what I realized far too late was that some dialogue choices simply would not show up. Once there were more than six choices with a higher character count than 70, you would not be able to see the last three choices in-game. So I watched the tutorial again, and lo and behold, answers are supposed to go into their own branch, like this:

... Which is obviously more overseeable and also doesn’t conjure up any more in-game errors.

(Continue here, if you skipped ahead.)

Right now, fixing this up for thousands and thousands of dialogue lines is what’s eating up most of my time. The Creation Kit is pretty unstable, and breaking up links between dialogue topics makes it crash rather often. Every time this happens, I’ll have to load up my mod again, which can take up to five (!) minutes. It’s tedious work. Also, while I’m doing this, I usually check my spelling and grammar as well. I’m multilingual, and although I’d like to think my English is pretty fluent, every now and then I stumble over the odd little error. Furthermore, I’m debugging quite a lot of my scripts these days. Things break, it happens. People have their computers set up differently, not everything’s going to run smoothly. But once these bugs break my quests or the game, I’m drawing the line. Script bloating? Not under my watch. Fortunately, those troubles are resolved fairly quickly. Then of course, there’s model and texture problems.

Six years is a long time. Popular models and textures came and went, and I constantly changed the looks of my followers. But that was never enough for me, I wanted them to look somewhat unique and true to their quirks, traits and background stories. Well, as it turns out, my laptop had other plans. When it died on me, it took the entire first version of my mod with it, the above mentioned included. I had to start from scratch again. I was heartbroken, just about ready to give up (especially because merging .nifs is a pain in the ass). But after a couple of weeks, I pieced myself back together and began anew. ... That was about the time when I explored the Nexus further and found out more about permissions and asset use. You see, I treated the Nexus like an All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet. I took whatever tickled my fancy and never even thought about asking for permission to use it. And oh boy, was it hard for me to message the mod authors about the whole permission issue. Those people had accomplished everything I was trying to do. I don’t know why, but I kept on fearing they’d reject me because I hadn’t shared anything about my plans yet. I was wrong, of course. Some of them were incredibly nice about it, others less so. But I mostly got what I wanted. That being said though... I still need to get permission for three assets I’m currently using. Two of those authors haven’t been on the Nexus in a very long time. I’ve messaged them on there, but the messages haven’t been read yet. Some time ago I heard there’s some sort of timeframe during which an author has to log into the Nexus. Once these six months have expired without them logging in, you are allowed to just freely take those assets. True or not, under no circumstances am I gonna do that. Once the mod is polished up, I’ll try to reach these authors again. If I don’t get any answers, I’ll simply replace those models and textures. Textures haven’t been optimized yet. ... Which leads to an annoying bug that prevents the facial textures from loading if you have a ton of other high-res textures installed. The entire face appears pitch black, then. Except for the eyes. And scars. And the inside of the mouth. It’s the stuff of nightmares, I tell ya. Unused world building meshes and textures haven’t been removed from the Creation Kit and data folders yet. It’s a big mod. We don’t need unnecessary resources crammed in there. Some dungeons haven’t been optimized yet. ... Mainly because I hate room bounds and portals. No matter how close I line these damn boxes up, it never works out. I’ll get to it... eventually. I want to make sure there’s absolutely no continuity errors or plot holes in my stories. ... Because I’m trying to be as lore-friendly as possible and I can’t stand bad writing. In its time, WK Followers saw three different hard drives. Some data files might be missing. Although I’ve not run into any errors regarding this, I’ll still need to check if this might cause troubles. ... And actually I’m dreading this one the most. Two of my old hard drives are entirely destroyed. Can’t access anything on these and since I was very unorganized back then, I might not be able to recover them at all.

And finally... the mod hasn’t been cleaned yet. I’m somewhat familiar with Tes5Edit. This is no big deal. I simply want to wait until I’m done changing things up in my .esp before I get to cleaning. That’s why there’s no release date for the mod yet. But I plan on giving (at the very least) weekly updates on this blog now. And if you did stick around up until now, well that’s great! Thanks so much for your interest in what I’m doing! Here, have a little sneak peek at what’s coming to your computers soon as a little welcome gift! :)

[ghozt1ng-blog]

Mysteries of the Q Files

Chapter 4: Arriving

The trick had been for Trick to play on Naomi’s sensibilities. Once he knew that she favored brains over brawn, he only had to speak about uncovering whether or not the impossible was actually possible. Could there be such things as werewolves? She had opened up about everything she knew about ancient lore on werewolves, including the fun fact that Odysseus from greek myth supposed to be descended from werewolves, which was supposedly what made him super smart in the first place.

She is a mega bookworm, too, apparently, Trick thought with amusement.

Naomi had said that it was remarkable that cultures all over the world had legends about intelligent wolves or men becoming wolves. She figured that was because wolves played such a major role as a threat to pastoral and hunting communities. Also, dogs and wolves are incredibly intelligent and when men became more bestial, a good likeness was to compare them to a wolf. While this was all fascinating and whatnot for Trick, the big prize was getting them out to Hardinsburg.

Towards that end, he played on the question that it was weird that this would be the first “credible” sighting of werewolf in a long time. The Q Files, while ridiculous in concept, was actually very practical in execution. The Sphinx did not raise Trick’s mother and Agent Miles out of the office just to chase fancies, whatever else the other other agents might say. If Agent Conturbatio thought that this was a case worthy of leaving Washington for, it most likely had some real credibility as a case. If that were the case, wouldn’t naomi want to be there to see these claims either confirmed or debunked.

“That would be really cool and educational,” Naomi had conceded. “But this does not convince me that we should just pack up and leave without our parents knowing and get involved in a potentially dangerous case.”

Those were the words Trick had wanted to hear. So long as he knew that she was willing to give, he knew he could win her over. But why do I want her to come? Trick had asked himself. He had figured it was because she appeared to be the package deal as far as adventuring companions went. You didn’t get an athletic build by not trying; Naomi was probably pretty strong and capable. She was also very intelligent. Combine that with his knowledge of teenagers, and he thought that they could infiltrate the school and get some nuggets of important information from the other students.

He had reasoned this to her, “Look, the police are only letting the FBI in on the case, because they are stumped! The FBI will have greater access to technological resources. I think they will be able to confirm that ‘yes, this is a monster!’ But other than that, it could take them weeks or months, if ever, to determine who actually took the girl. Who knows who else could be attacked in the meantime? The kids will be scared and they won’t open up to adults. But they will talk with other teenagers. My guess is that the girl-”

“Samantha Haymore,” Naomi had interjected.

“Yes, Sam,” Trick breezed on, “She most likely knew her attacker. In a small town everyone knows everyone!”

“What makes you think it’s a small town?”

“Ever heard of Hardinsburg, Kentucky before?”

“No,” Naomi had answered with a frown.

“Exactly! Guaranteed backwater part of the state,” Trick had said with a wave of the hand. “The important thing is the makeup of the town and its social structures. Those structures will be played out to the max at the local high school. This means that there is a wealth of helpful gossip and knowledge among the students. We just have to get it out of them, and we can then pass on the information to the FBI.”

“And they can’t get it themselves because they are adults, right,” Naomi had then confirmed.

“Yes. But you and I can blend in.”

“In a small town,” she had laughed skeptically.

“All it takes are some reasonably fake names and a poker face, and total strangers will lap up just about anything you say,” Trick had maintained.

“Okay, you might be right about all of that, but then how are we supposed to get there?”

“That’s simple, really. We take the second most available flight out of here towards Kentucky and then we grab a bus. Both of them will be modes of transportation, both in style and in timing, that the agents will not suspect that we’d use them. Not even my mom,” Trick had added gleefully. “And I can pay, too! I work for my uncle at a farm out of state over the summer breaks, and he pays me good money. Plus, a key to concocting great pranks is to keep them cheap and manageable. So, with all of my summer earning and saved up allowance,we can afford the trip!”

Naomi had given the beaming Trick a flat stare and asked, “Your parents still give a troublemaker like yourself an allowance?”

“Yup! My dad is impressed with my savings, and he thinks it keeps me somewhat responsible.”

“Your dad is a moron,” Naomi had summed up.

“Maybe so,” Trick had agreed. “But his odd tendencies are about to pay off! What do you say?”

Naomi had still not given in entirely to the idea. She looked willing, but there was something warring inside her. Trick wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but he needed a partner in crime, and so he took a big gamble with his next words.  

“Look Naomi, you know a lot of things and I bet you are very accomplished. But life is not just meant to be lived out in a room crammed with fun things or in front of a computer screen. It’s out there!” Trick gestured vaguely in front of himself. “We all need an adventure once in while, otherwise we never truly live. I know we just met and all, but this could be an experience unlike any other. It might be one that you could use to find that answer for your mom. I can’t guarantee that, of course, but you’ll never know and you’ll never live if you don’t try!”

After a long pause, and Trick worrying that he might have overdone it, Naomi finally responded, “You are right Trick, in a very odd way you are right. “ She had then rounded on him. “But don’t ever again dine to believe that you really know anything about me! Especially since we just met! But I’ll come along with you on this adventure of yours, this stupid idea of an adventure. I have four days to kill and it might just give me a laugh at the very least, and get my mom out of my hair.”

“So you’ll be able to ditch your mom pretty handily? I know that as far as my dad is concerned, if I say that I am going to be hanging out a friend’s in the evening, he’ll believe it. He’s so scattered brained most of the time!”

Naomi grunted, “Yes. I get such good grades that no one cares if I skip home or classes. My mom’s counselor told her long ago that she needed to stop being a control freak and let people do what they want. She took that to heart in maybe the wrong way. But it’ll be just fine, so long as we are back in four days!”

Trick had nodded happily. “Sure thing! What’s happening in four days though.”

“Midterms.”

Trick had winced. “I hate those.”

Naomi had then raised an eyebrow at him. “Really? They are the best thing ever for preparing for finals! They always give away what it will be like at the end of the semester. And I always get my teachers to give me the extra hard versions. It’s a lot of fun.”

You need a different kind of fun in your life, Trick thought to himself, but instead he said out loud, “This will be perfect then! And, we can actually get well acquainted on this trip so i won’t have to assume anything about you anymore. I think it’s a win-win all around.”

They had exchanged contact information and Trick dropped her off where the computer labs were. He then made his way back to the Q Files, cementing his plans firmly in his mind. It had not taken long for his mother to bring him back home and get packed herself. Trick promised that he would tell his father what was going on before Susan left for the airport. He had then texted his dad the details and then went straight to booking his own flight and getting the bus schedules down to get him and Naomi to Hardinsburg.

Trick could have danced around the house with excitement. What had started off as an abysmally boring day had turned into a real adventure. It would be one with a new friend, going somewhere new, tracking down something that shouldn’t exist, and finally using his skills on a new group of unsuspecting teens. He could barely wait to get underway. His father had bought the whole cock and bull story of going to hang out with a friend for a little while so that his dad could bring work home and get ahead. His dad always loved that. Honestly, Trick’s father did that so he could have a real vacation at some point with his wife and son. Trick did appreciate that, but it was even better for supporting Trick’s habits of planning big pranks and escapades.

Naomi and Trick had stayed in touch via text and before Trick could believe it they were finally at the airport and boarding a plane. He got the feeling that some people thought the two of them were off on some kind of romantic getaway. Young love and all that.

Ew, no. None of that, Trick thought. He was not that kind of guy at all.

Once they were in the air Trick talked with Naomi about her life and ambitions, trying to get a better understanding of her. She went to a private technical institution that specialized in giving its student two legs up in going to college. Naomi was well ahead of anyone else Trick knew in terms of academics. She also loved to read when not fidgeting and tinkering with a computer. Once again, Trick had surmised some things. He figured from her body type that she probably listened to a lot of e-books since she seemed built like a runner. The advantages of multi-tasking!

Naomi also gleaned from him that Trick was not dumb either, though employed most of his brains to tormenting others. He was actually a top student as far as grades went, and he was very good with complex thinking. Though she could not understand the “game” he kept playing. He told her about how he just so good at reading people it got boring. He was wise to lie and say that Naomi had been unreadable to him. That made her pretty happy.

It startle him to realize that both Naomi and himself were kind of outsiders. She was too brilliant and detached for her own good. Trick had just made himself too many enemies and was considered to be untrustworthy. That was why he was excited to get involved in this Q Files case. Once they landed they boarded a bus, and soon their miraculous plan was underway. They took a rest on the bus before they got to the town, knowing that there would be a lot to do once they got there.

When they arrived at Hardinsburg, Trick was surprised at just how behind the town was. It felt like he had stepped back at least thirty years in time. The cars were all old and the town looked like it had been used to shoot Stranger Things. They got themselves a hotel room for cheap and shared the bed with a rolled up blanket to separate them. He was happy that Naomi didn’t make him sleep on the floor. They were up bright and early to go to school and get started with their day of sleuthing.

“This is so weird,” Naomi said. “But it is also exciting! We’d better find something out around here, Trick, or I’m going to knock you about the head hard.”

“Don’t worry, it won’t be bad. We’ll find something,” he soothed.

If Trick thought that the town was weird, the teens were even more so! In the morning he saw the boys sporting their lettered jock jackets. And everyone looked like they were just stepping out of or into Footloose.

“What!? People actually wear those things,” Trick pointed out the jackets to Naomi indignantly.

“Oh just shut up and follow them! We have to get to school.”

“Right,” Trick agreed, a grin coming to his lips. “This is where the fun truly begins!”