#like they’re two cool things are whiskers and quills

[snaill-dragon]

So people were interested my old fan tribes, so here’s the first one. Originally I was gonna post them all at once, but I needed more space to talk about them lol.

So. These are old. Like. I made them right before book 11 came out I’m pretty sure. So uh… I tried to keep a lot of things similar to the original design, which is why it may be kind of weird. There’s definitely a lot I’d do differently now.

[spmcomic]

Theia and Gaia

Cover

Chapter 1: (part 1 | part 2)   Chapter 2: (part 1 | part 2)

Chapter 3: (part 1 | part 2)   Chapter 4: (part 1 | part 2)

Satriya considered the uneven chain mail in front of him, hung on the rack, dripping wet. He rolled a topaz between the fingers of his gloved paw. Now, where exactly did the Den Mother expect him to find a place for a gem of this size? Perhaps it could fit on the chest, with the proper setting.

“Apprentice,” he barked, his ears high and severe. He should at least look the part of the strict mentor. The kid poked his nose around the corner, whiskers quivering.

“Get that empty necklace with the triangle settings. I’m going to show you how to modify damaged armor while you repair it.”

“Here is your map,” something said in the distance. A colored sheet appeared in front of the space. “We’ve loaded it into your processor. You can access it the same way you would move your leg. Just reach for it.”

“Yes, sir.”

A shift in weight. Some kind of belt went over its back.

The creature pointed ahead. Rolling hills stretched past the hand. “Arborville is that way- houses built into the trees. If you get lost, use your life-form radar. It’s not hard.”

“Yes, sir.”

Exene touched a paw to the enormous footprint and rubbed the damp clay between her fingers, letting the earthy scent fill her nose. Her eyes narrowed. An unfamiliar predator lurked nearby, and she was very, very far from home. Then… Just the most hushed breath. Just the slightest change in the air. Her grip tightened on her bow and she bounded away as the monster dropped from the dense, dead trees above, leaving a crater in the clay where she had stood.

The rocky outcropping nearby gave her enough cover to scramble into a crack where the monster couldn’t reach. She took a rattled breath, grasping at the quiver on her back. Looking out through the tiny sliver of daylight, she could see the monster’s sharp triangle ears twisting this way and that. It raised its nose to the air. She shrank back out of sight before it could turn her way.

But the monster had heard her. With two huge leaps, it landed on the boulders, further settling the pile. Exene cried out as her arm and bow caught between two of the shifting rocks. The monster hissed, rocking back and forth on the pile to crush her. She curled up, gasping at the pain in her twisting arm, and put her feet against the boulder above. Even with all the might in her legs and feet, she could hardly keep the boulder from rolling off its support, and she grunted with the effort.

Then she heard the quick whistle of an arrow leaving its bow, and another soon after. The monster screamed and fell back, its shadow crossing the narrow opening above. The others made short work of it while Exene panted and held the rock off herself. They had better not leave her-

Finally, the weight lifted, and her brethren freed her mangled arm.

“I think we can make a home here,” she hissed through gritted teeth. One of her sisters laughed and handed her the aloa leaf, which she snatched away to wrap her arm in.

“You’ve got a pebble stuck in your joint, hold on,” a voice murmured. The space stopped moving. At the creature’s touch, its elbow strained under some pressure, and then loosened with a vague relief and freedom.

There were trees.

Tiny fingers struggled to reach the rough valves of the trumpet. Its bleating filled the empty nest in the moonlight.

Then, there were no trees. There was a ravine.

“We move out at dawn,” the Warlord snarled, cowing his advisors. “You can go one night without sleep.”

Then there were the walls of a ravine stretching overhead, and hard ground.

Fu bumbled with his quill, struggling to keep the stack of skins in a straight pile in his arm. How the Mayor expected him to write and walk at the same time, he had no idea. He shuffled forward, poking his feet out one at a time while he kept his eyes on the skin on top, his quill dripping.

As the Mayor spoke, Fu’s attention drifted to the view from the top of their little fort. An entire town coming together like this… The Mayor was truly an inspiration. As strange as the social structure was… Maybe, just maybe, this could work.

“Did you get all that?”

Fu nearly dropped his stack as the Mayor turned toward him.

“Did you hear about Head Merlock?”

“Ha. What did she do this time?”

“She’s shut herself in her study again and won’t let anyone in the fusion chamber. No one in her department’s going to finish their studies at this rate.”

“Ha! I’m glad I’m not her apprentice…”

Well, this was a fine predicament. Their quest wouldn’t be a very long one if they couldn’t even cross the mighty Yangtze river winding across the wide, wet fields a few miles outside of town. Ishani thumped the ground a few times and hopped back toward the shrubs obscuring their resting spot. The other five members of the party had clustered close in the thin shade.

“It’s dry season,” their leader offered. “If we head upstream for a few days, we should find a place to cross. Even the plains here aren’t flooded.”

“A dry season in a dry year,” the oldest member of the group tutted. “Predators will be hungry.”

“They would have moved downstream by now.” Ishani poked her ears above the shrub. The breeze cooled the tips, and she heard no whispers in the wind.

“But we would lose several days of travel,” their guard piped up.

Ishani frowned. “No. That will take us up into the mountains… The Yangtze curves west through the range. It’s a little out of the way, but not more than a day or two.”

The eldest only twitched her whiskers.

Ishani snapped her fingers. “Oh, wait, this could work to our advantage! The paths there will save us a trek through the Eagle Pillars. That’s slow and careful work anyhow.”

The leader raised her eyebrows. The breeze played with her mane.

Ishani swept her foot through the grass, digging out a little trail in the light dust. “See, if this line is the river, and we move this way…” She dragged her finger through the dust across it. “We skip out on that entire eagle nest. That cuts the danger of our journey in half.”

The eldest blinked. “But only half.”

She shrugged. “We’ll take care of the second nest when we get there. Maybe we can find another shortcut.”

A porcelain monster walked alongside the space. The space tingled at a familiar shriek that echoed across the ravine and cut off with shattering glass. The monster next to it flinched, falling a step behind, before it hustled to catch up.

“Oh. You’re not awake, are you?”

No response.

“… What assignment have you got?”

The information came easily. “Apprentice Merisis has instructed this unit to deliver the filled globes to the Scrying center in Optym.”

They walked in silence for a moment.

The porcelain creature leaned to the side, head tilted. “Which route are you taking, Lazarus?”

“The provided map gives directions across the overworld.”

A harsh, static noise. “I know a faster way. More efficient.”

“More efficient.”

“Yeah, follow me.”

Ajith smirked, clapping his paws together. “Listen. Someday I’m going to play Tempest. Just watch.”

His brother let his head fall back over the side of their nest of skins and cushions. “You’ll never make it. You’ve got no grit, brother.”

“Grit!?”

The memory cut off as the porcelain creature gently rapped on the armored side with several clinks. “Don’t drift too far off. We’re here.”

In front of the two of them stood a row of tall, colorful doors set into a vast wall. From one end of the platform to the other, there were seven, each metal slate splashed with a different color.

The other creature hopped between its four feet. It stepped forward to pat the wall energetically. “Karchner’s perfecting something called Dimensional Doors. Travel between cities is instant, when they’re running properly.”

The space waited for the path to open so it could continue forward.

“The Sentry over there gave me their power schedule, when I worked there a few weeks ago.”

The porcelain creature continued talking, but…

Deven leaned on his spear, watching the other soldiers play their card game.

One of his companions turned their head up to him. “Pouting because you lost?”

Deven sighed. “No, I’m keeping a lookout. My constant vigilance is the only thing keeping you sorry morons alive.”

Another barked out a laugh and tossed down her cards. “That’s a pouting face, if I ever saw one!”

“One of us has to watch!” Deven’s voice cracked as he threw his free hand in the air.

“Sure, but only because you lost.”

Next round, he would kick their tails to the horizon.

The surface. Tall grass, trees on the horizon. Then, the ravine. Then, the surface.

Bugs speckled the inside of the ancient amber. Jing turned it this way and that in her paw, letting the torch light glitter off its surface. This would make a perfect talisman for the Gauntlets of Healing.

Two voices from above, sitting in the trees, while the space waited for its load:

“Meret told me something interesting. You want some city gossip?”

“Hit me.”

“Underside’s slowed its robot production rate way down. Head Merletaph is furious. Meret caught her chewing out Head Merlock big-time on the roof of his apartment, he said he just had the window open and they didn’t even try to keep it down.”

“The most important thing, when you’re brewing tea…” Masala began to her crowd of wide-eyed youngsters. She couldn’t help but grin at how their ears perked. “Is to set the right environment.”

The stars twinkled above. The space’s head lights cast long dim beams across the grassy hill. It turned its head upward to follow the slope, and noticed the moonlight glinting off its fingers.

The moonlight…

Something was wrong. What was it?

There should be three moons, the voices whispered together.

Neima hunched over her stone in the dead of night, pausing every few moments to turn her head up and examine the moons. Their light played off each other: sturdy bronze, icy blue-white, and airy reflective gray between the two. She jabbed her quill against the rock, crumpling the tip. With a snarl she tossed it away, grabbing yet another out of her cup. She dunked the end of it in her ink and very nearly chewed on the tip while she contemplated the three heavenly bodies. Ink dripped off her nose, leaving her whiskers quivering in the multicolored light.

How could you translate such a sight into music? The moons hung serenely in the sky, blotting out even the stars in such a wide circle. The way the colors lit up the long strands of dead grass, bounced off her slate, twinkled at the end of the quill… Neima’s brow furrowed and her ears drew back. She shuffled her stiff feet, trying to force some feeling back into them. They would be out of phase again soon. The next collection like this wouldn’t come around for another two years. She had to make her decision. Bronze, and white, and blue, and gray… The cold and the stillness and the crisp smell of the dew collecting on the rough stones. What notes brought them to mind? What might another instrument accomplish that her trumpet could not?

The song was meant to be her magnum opus, but upon facing the reality of the sight, how could she ever do it justice?

Lazarus paused. I guess I never will, the voices mused together. It stood, on the hill, for a long moment. The packages on its back pushed its knife-legs into the soft ground, so much softer than it was at home.

It could never get home, could it? From the very beginning… the Artificers had total control over Lazarus’ fate, and had ensured it was trapped forever. The voices never had a chance. Even if Lazarus did get home, the voices had been gathered from across time, from across the countries and tribes and regions. Where could Ishani fit, in this new world? Where would Timur? Bryagh? Kai? They had never heard of some of the ideas the other voices shared- the Mayors- the quills- the games- the armored mounts-

Was there even any way home? How did they get pulled into this world? What could Lazarus do on this world, if it did disappear into the wilderness between settlements? Were there other robots out there somewhere?

Lazarus turned its head away from the strange, foreign moonlight and stared at its wrist protrusions, dug into the ground. Before it acted, this time, it needed answers.

-

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[arctic-rising]

A Dark Descent - Chapter 1: Contact, Part 6

(( Previous << Lore Navigation >> END))  ((Author’s Note: Wow, this took so much longer than I thought it would to get it published. To be fair though, I was a little focused on graduating haha. However! Now that it’s summer I should be able to work on this a lot more frequently.)) ((Warnings for battle violence and vomiting)) ((Pinglist: @ashenbicornwhale @jedicreed-fr @prancingcapricat @serthis-archivist @blight-nymph @guardianitefr ))

       Adrenaline kicked under Jack’s scales as he channeled his elemental magic. The swirling energy inside made him feel light and airy- the mana fueling his confidence as he soared into the dark sky. Astra cut past buildings on swift wings, allowing a volley of arrows to draw the attention of the spectral fiend to her. It let out another deafening roar and reached towards her, however the young archer was faster. 

       Jack edged closer to the disoriented spirit, his heart pounding. Despite the creatures sluggish movements, he didn’t want to take the chance of the spell missing. If this worked, they could make a quick escape unscathed and head back home. If it didn’t, well...

       ‘Windsinger be with me,’ Jack prayed, and took another deep breath to meditate, calling upon his natural element. He focused his magic; twisting it into a spell. He could feel the mana curling into a tight coil in his ribcage, ready to be released.

       The pearlcatcher darted towards the massive ghoul, and the monster swung its head to face him. Dust and shards of bone fell from its jaws, it’s skeleton littered with arrows and clusters of ice. The horrible whispers grew louder again when it moved closer, however the chill of fear wasn’t able to catch Jack this time. His own built up magic combated the ethereal fright, and he roared as he let loose his spell. 

       The wind around Jack whirled and twisted, picking up and gaining a green hue until it formed a minature whirlwind. The elemental magic slammed into the monster; the creature rearing back as the winds pulled hard enough to snap its skull loose from what remained of its spinal cord. Astra cheered as it fell backwards, its hands clawing at broken ruins in a futile attempt to keep its balance. “Let’s go!” Jack called to Astra. She nodded, and the two of them soaring away from the immeadite danger. 

                                                            ~+~

       By the time the two pearlcatchers had escaped from the Ghostlight Ruins, the sun was setting. Buildings and statues casted pitch black shadows, and the Sea of a Thousand Currents glittered in the fading light. Jack took a deep breath, taking a moment to look at the scene before him. 

       “That could have gone a lot better,” Astra grunted. Jack glanced at her to see her sit down to rifle through her bag before pulling out a red potion. “Thanks for coming with me Jack. I don’t think I want to know what could have happened without you,” she said, popped the cork and downed the drink. A long scrape on her muzzle began to heal, and dark bruises against her hide became lighter.

       “Oh, uhm, yeah. You’re welcome,” Jack said. “I uh, I’m glad you let me- huRK-” Jack had to stop mid-sentence and quickly keel over his pearl as black ooze built up in his throat. The liquid splattered onto the pearl and almost immeaditly hardened, the oilslick substance gleaming in the sunlight. Jack was reduced to coughing once the majority of the ooze was out of his system, and he felt Astra pat his back.

        “You alright? That was a lot of mucus...” Astra asked. Jack nodded weakly, taking deep breaths. He carefully tilted his pearl in his claws to try to get the black liquid to cover the majority of the sphere so it could harden in a smooth layer.

       “I have not fought anything like that before. I don’t, er, I don’t go hunting often,” Jack explained once he got his breath back. 

       “You what?” Astra asked. Jack cautioned a glance at her and saw her wide eyes and long ears standing straight up in shock. “You’re telling me that you volunteered to go to one of the most dangerous places in Sorienth and you have little to no battle experience?”

       “Well-well you, ah, said that you were going there and I-I-I, uh, felt bad because it sounded like you were, uh, going on your own and-and you mentioned that you had not been there before and, well, you bought me that parchment and-and-and-and” Jack rambled, his nerves making his mouth run. He shifted and curled in on himself instictually as Astra stared him, her jaw hanging open.

       “You,” Astra pointed a claw at Jack and he snapped his maw shut. “met me a month ago, offered to go with me on an extremely dangerous outing after you barely knew me because I bought you paper.”

Jack nodded meekly.

       Astra huffed, smiled, and laughed. “You’re weird. I like you,” She wrapped him in a partial hug, squeezing him between herself and her wing. “Comon, let’s go find an inn and dinner. I could go for some salted crickets...”

       Jack blinked at her, confused and surprised. He quickly trotted after Astra, keeping pace with her even as his bruises and cuts stung in protest. He carefully held his pearl with his tail, the tacky mucus already turning an opalescent grey.

                                                              ~+~ 

       The cool breeze of the Windswept Plateau was a welcome feeling on Jacks scales as he soared home, his bag loaded with trinkets, books, and empty potion bottles. Astra had insisted that they try braving the Ghostlight Ruins again, but this time they weren’t going to run away from the first sign of danger. Even after facing off with one of the more deadly spirits, It was still terrifying in Jack’s humble opinion; he almost got his whiskers torn off by a Tatterwing Carcass. 

       “You know, you really didn’t have to get that close,” Astra laughs over the wind.

       “You would have been bird food if I didn’t distract it! It would have taken your throat out!” Jack protested. Astra twirls in the sky, her wings glinting under the sunlight.

       The two of them landed at one of the nearby crossroads that lead to the southern gate of the Kingdom. The bamboo grew taller and taller as they made their way into the Reedcleft Ascent, the winds rattling the plants together to make meaningless melodies.

       The streets of the Kingdom of the GuidingWinds were as busy as ever. Dragons of all elements and statuses wove together to form an endless river of scales, feathers, and fur, vibrant, and dull all at once. Jewelry chimed, fabric shifted, metal clanked, and claws clicked on the cobblestone roads as Jack and Astra wove into the crowds. When they reached the outskirts of the Center District, Astra turned to Jack.

“Are you busy in two weeks?” 

“Uhm, no, I do not believe so. Why?”

“The royals are throwing a celebration for Princess Kima. She’s going to be an offical adult and my parents are dragging me along because they’re important and it’s expected that I show up because I’m related to them, and I don’t want to go alone,” Astra explained. “Would you like to come with me?”

“I, uh, uh, erm,” Jack stuttered. “I am not a royal, or have high standing. Would I even be allowed inside?”

“We can bring plus ones. I think,” Astra bit her lip. “Look, I’ll ask dad but would you come with me to it? Please?”

Jack sighed. “I, well. Sure- yes, yes I will go with you if I’m allowed.”

Astra grinned. “Okay! I’ll find you when I find out. See you later, Jack!”

He waved goodbye as Astra darted off to the Inner District. Jack huffed and mulled over the recent events in his life, fiddling with his pearl as he made his way home.

The cemetary had remained the same when he left it. The dark iron fence was still slightly crooked, the weeping willow still sagged over his den, and the stone markers atop the graves were still partially sunken in the soft earth. Jack felt the tension leave his muscles when he stepped inside his home and went about making a fire. One thing still bothered him though, a small thought that kept pulling at his attention as he settled down to finally, finally write a letter to his parents.

The warmth from the crackling hearth helped soothe his sore body, the light flickering over his feathered quill and blank parchment. Jack carefully removed his birdskull headdress; the beads and bones clicking quietly as he stared at it.

“Why did I hear that ghost speak, and Astra didn’t?” Jack murmered under his breath.

The mask stared back, shadows dancing along the crown and orange feathers as the firelight played off of the beads.

He sighed and placed it on a nearby shelf. Shaking his head, he picked the quill back up and dipped it into an ink well.

Dearest Mother and Father;        It seems that the universe may have more in store for me than the quite life that I had hoped for.

[writsgrimmyblog]

Together with my Tomlinshaw: 50 Reasons series, which I will continue to update regularly, I’m starting another Tomlinshaw project - Little Lion Man - combining two of my favourite things. Tomlinshaw and Harry Potter. The first chapter will be posting over the coming weeks on Archive of Our Own. In the meantime, here’s a teaser blurb and extract from the first chapter beneath the ‘read more’ cut. 

It’s his final year at Hogwarts, and Louis can’t wait to leave for good. He hates being in Gryffindor and he can’t even enjoy a smoke with the Slytherins now his best mate Zayn’s fucked off to Durmstrang. Ditched from his Saturday gig singing with the Weird Sisters in favour of a part-Veela from Beauxbatons with a penchant for floral shirts, caught in the middle of a sexuality crisis and on track for at least a couple of Trolls, Louis’ life is a mess and it’s barely even started.

Louis would be completely miserable if it wasn’t for WWN and Nick Grimshaw. The same Nick Grimshaw Louis has been listening to for years, ever since Nick’s early days on Potterwatch when he made Hufflepuff sound like the coolest house at Hogwarts and Louis was definitely too young for pirate radio. Even if Nick’s a bit of a smug twat sometimes, putting on the radio is like listening to an old friend. That is until Louis bumps into none other than Nick himself on a possibly-not-Hogwarts-authorised night out, lies about his age, throws up Firewhisky on Nick’s fancy dragon-hide boots and finally shares his most closely guarded secret.

As Louis tries to negotiate coming of age, sexuality, first times and his growing feelings for Nick, a new evil emerges which threatens to destroy the wizarding world. Peace can only last for so long and Louis is about to learn exactly how brave he can be as he finds himself fighting for his life and everything he’s ever loved.

Note: Louis is 17 at the start of this fic but he turns 18 over the Christmas holidays and will be 18 for the majority of the story. Come and talk to me about Louis and Nick in the HP universe! All asks welcome. Massive thanks to @gingertodgers​ for the initial brainstorming.

Little Lion Man - Excerpt

“I can’t do it.” Louis chucks his quill on the desk and sucks his thumb where an irregular spot of blue ink blooms on his skin. “I don’t need to know about Wolfsbane, it’s not even relevant.”

“I beg to differ, Mr Tomlinson.” Snape looks at Louis from his frame, his lip curling into a sneer. “If you wish to pass your exams – and at this rate you will fail miserably – you should know every ingredient, the precise angle of every slice and if you miss so much as one anti-clockwise stir I will have no choice but to give you a T.” Snape sounds delighted at the prospect. There should be some law against letting arsehole portraits oversee detention and set exam papers. Snape gets far too much pleasure out of making life miserable for everyone.

“What’s the point?” A deep sense of frustration curls in Louis’ stomach and he packs his quill and books into his battered satchel. Not for the first time he wonders how different his life might have been if his Hogwarts letter had never arrived. He could have been Louis Tomlinson, a regular lad from Donny. They’d let him play footie in Donny. No one would make him try to fly a bloody broom. He could have been anyone. Sometimes Louis just wishes he was normal. “I can’t wait to leave this place.”

“You remind me of someone I used to teach.” Snape taps one long finger against his lips as he watches Louis with dark eyes. “He too was wilful, disobedient-”

There’s no doubt who Snape’s talking about. He’s compared Louis to Harry Potter before, which is laughable. The only thing Louis has in common with Harry Potter is that he’s a Gryffindor and he doesn’t even like Gryffindors. Harry was Gryffindor Seeker. A proper legend. He saved the world when he was seventeen, when Louis is a few months away from his eighteenth birthday and he can’t even get through the day without being given a detention. Louis’ biggest accomplishment is a six-month singing stint with the Weird Sisters before they replaced him with some twat from Beauxbatons with Veela heritage. Bloody Harry Styles. He’s already had two Witch Weekly covers and Honeydukes named a line of strawberry shortbread gobstoppers after him. Nobody named any gobstoppers after Louis. He got hit with a Jelly-Legs Jinx on his first night performing and the barman wouldn’t serve him any mead. It’s rubbish, being Louis.

“Won a war though, didn’t he?” Louis interrupts, before Snape can finish his list of Harry Potter’s negative attributes.

“Not without a great deal of assistance.” Snape sniffs and brushes the shoulder of his robes.

“He comes to see you sometimes, doesn’t he?” Louis slings his bag over his shoulder and leans against the desk, watching Snape.

“Another unhappy cross to bear.” Snape’s lips twitch into an almost smile. It’s a bit much, thinking about Snape smiling.

“What do you talk about?” Louis can’t help but wonder what on earth would bring the Head Auror to a musty old classroom to chat to a portrait, but Harry’s at Hogwarts more than ever this term. He’s usually surrounded by people asking for his autograph and flanked by Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley or an irritated Draco Malfoy who permanently looks as though he’s got his wand shoved up his arse.

“His affairs and mine are none of your business.” Snape scowls at Louis. “I suggest you focus on your studies and keep your nose out of places it doesn’t belong.”

“You’re a fine one to talk about noses,” Louis mutters.

“Ten points from Gryffindor.”

“Fuck off.” Louis gives Snape the finger and it earns him a sneer. “You can’t take house points. You’re a portrait.”

“I can do whatever I please. Twenty points from Gryffindor for your appalling grasp of the English language. I have no doubt you’ll be back, Mr Tomlinson.” Snape flounces out of his portrait with a billow of his robes and Louis stares at the empty frame. He edges closer and takes in the tidy desk and the rolls of parchment and open books. Even the oil smells musty. Like the Restricted Section in the library or one of those enormous books they have to read for History of Magic about the Goblin Rebellions. He touches the painting and swallows back a peculiar wave of sadness which threatens to overwhelm him. He looks around for Professor Lupin’s portrait, but it’s empty. There’s just a dark, shadowy field and the glimmering light of a crescent moon which touches the grass and makes every blade shine a ghostly silver. Louis shivers.

He pockets his wand and makes his way to his room. Credence Parkinson asks if he wants to go for a smoke, but Louis declines. He’s desperate for a fag, but hanging out with Slytherins doesn’t feel right now Zayn’s gone. The rest of them are posh twats and Louis can’t help but feel increasingly more self-conscious about his obvious Northern twang, Muggle background and distinct lack of any kind of trust fund. He nods at Niall who gives him a friendly wave hello when he finally gets up to the Tower, but he doesn’t bother sticking around to talk to anyone. The Gryffindors are nice, but they’re all into Quidditch and winning the House Cup. Louis couldn’t give a kneazle’s whisker about the House Cup. He just wants to keep his head down and make it through the year as quickly as possible. Then he can do…something. Something better. Something Muggle, even. Go somewhere no one gives two hoots about N.E.W.T.s and potions.

With a sigh, Louis pulls out the small magical wireless his mum got him last Christmas and settles on the bed. He fiddles with the knobs and pulls the curtains around him until he hears the familiar voice that never fails to make his day better.

“What do we think of that, Fifi? The new single from The Gringotts Goblins.”

“It’s…interesting.”

Fiona sounds like she’s trying not to laugh and a small smile tugs at Louis’ lips.

“Don’t be rude about the goblins, Fifi.”

“Get on with it, Grim.” Louis loves Fiona. She always sounds like she’s caught between laughing her head off and throttling Nick. Louis can relate. There’s something about Nick Grimshaw that gets under his skin. The smug self-confidence and ease with which he goes through life, writing poncy columns about wizarding fashion and swaggering about in dragon hide. He’s always in the Prophet with his crup, Pig and his new pet Stinky which looks a bit like a highly illegal baby dragon, even though Nick keeps insisting it’s just a rare form of kneazle.

Louis knows a lot about Nick Grimshaw. He’s been listening to him since he first discovered Potterwatch and Nick’s late night Post-War Party Playlist. Nick’s less mad now he’s on WWN, but he still pushes new music onto the airwaves and never fails to give a shout out to all the new Hufflepuffs at the start of term. Puff Pride! he says, off the back of a laugh. Louis brushes his fingers over the radio. He wanted to be in Hufflepuff so badly. Nick made it sound cool and fun and even when he’s rolling his eyes at some of the things Nick says, he reminds Louis of home and roast dinners at his mum’s house with all the family around. Nick’s whole family are Muggles too, just like Louis’. He’s always banging on about Muggle things like the telly and how everyone’s obsessed with the footie, Coronation Street and people called the Kardashians.

“Anyway, enough of the goblins.” Nick’s voice is warm and comforting and it does peculiar things to Louis’ insides as he settles down onto the bed to listen to the next song. “Here’s something a lot better – I mean…” Nick bursts out laughing. “Not better. Just different. LOVE this song. The new single from The Luna Lovegoods. Bit Sleater Kinney this. Not that anyone knows what I’m on about. It’s Muggle, look it up.” With another laugh, Nick lets the single play.

Louis closes his eyes and turns up the volume, drifting off to sleep with Nick’s story about a mad night out infiltrating his dreams.

[turntothree]

During the Break: Build-A-Hedgehog

Dateline – April 12, 2017

Nintendo is riding high after the overnight success of the Switch and to keep that hype train firmly on track, it airs another of its promotional Direct packages. Jam-packed with A-Listers like Splatoon 2, Fire Emblem Echoes and Arms, the broadcast is a ratings smash!

But in the midst of The Big N’s biggest hits, what got the most attention (at least from fans on the Internet) was the first full gameplay trailer for Sonic Forces. It was pretty good.

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Editor’s Note: Is that all you have to say?

Well, we got to see Modern Sonic dash and soar through Eggman’s Bad Future like it was some sort of dystopian rollercoaster, while Classic Sonic got to run the vintage Green Hill Zone obstacle course. Both gameplay styles got ample time to show off their pretty set pieces as well as a satisfying impression of speed, momentum and impact.

Granted, it was only a 30 second clip, but it was a nice little indication that Sonic Team went back to what made these mechanics work so well together in Sonic Generations. Perhaps with some added tweaks, this 2526th anniversary milestone will be just as special as its year 20 counterpart. Or at the very least something that might break the “Sonic Cycle”.

Editor’s Note: Gotta keep that emphasis on might.

I guess that about covers it. Don’t forget to like, comment and re-blog; oh and stay tuned fo...

Editor’s Note: *AHEM!*

Heh heh. It seems I forgot to address the shadowy figure stoically lingering in the room.

Yeah, as good as the trailer was, it wasn’t the gameplay that caught the public’s interest but rather the captivating secret that brought it to the finish line.

For an entire month, Sonic fans had been trying to solve the mystery of this unknown Player Three’s identity. Then suddenly, SEGA lifted the cowl...*Sigh*

Editor’s Note: Even knowing what we know now, you still want to discuss your theory, don’t you?

I spent so much time putting it together....how was I supposed to know the reveal would happen before E3?

Editor’s Note: It shouldn’t have taken you weeks to put it together in the first place. But since you worked so hard, have at it. Just make it quick.

OK! So, after digging through every hedgehog, fox, echidna, bat, cat, rabbit, flicky and sniper in Sonic Team’s sketchbook, I narrowed my list down to five possible suspects. My findings were based solely on the curious critter’s fashion sense.

Editor’s Note:  Pop monarch shoes, ruffled up socks and Mouseketeer gloves. Yup, it’s a Sonic character all right.

After a rigorous process of elimination, five became two.

Editor’s Note: Uh-huh. “Rigorous.” Looking at ear shapes and checking for patagium doesn’t take a whole lot of time, dude.

*Cough* Anyway, two resisters remained; the iconic pairing of Sonic & Tails, no less. Upon a second glance at Mr. Prower, I thought I had the mystery solved.

Everything from the fashion choices to the shape of his head and whiskers, he seemed like the perfect candidate. Yup, I was confident it was Tails...until I saw this model lacked Miles’ big bushy namesakes - them tails.

That just left Sonic.

Editor’s Note: Hey, did you ever consider Antoine? 

I’m quite familiar with that fan theory and I’d be lying if I didn’t also consider him a (somewhat) strong possibility. This whole thing with Eggman ruling the world definitely had an air of Archie to it, and the publisher did commission mock game assets of the Knothole characters to celebrate the Sonic comic’s 2014 revamp. Not to mention the Guinness award winning series is celebrating its own 25-year milestone, so a monumental crossover seemed like a good way to mark the occasion. Also, he was a perfect match for the silhouette. But I had to rule him out.

Editor’s Note: If chilidogs can exist in Sonic Team’s universe, why not Coyotes and Acorns?

Mainly, it’s a matter of licensing issues and “pending” cancellation.

Editor’s Note: Two years on television and 25 years in print. The Freedom Fighters had a good run.

Anyway, that just left Sonic and I think you know where I’m going with this.

Player One is the Sonic we know and Player Two is the Sonic we knew, so I think it would stand to reason Player Three 3 could’ve been the hedgehog Sonic could become.

Editor’s Note: Past, Present and Future all accounted for. That’s a mighty safe deduction, Sherlock. Also, that’s Sonic’s Uncle Chuck, you chuckle head.

As I was saying, I had a feeling SEGA may have wanted to celebrate a quarter century of Sonic games by shaking up the gameplay formula, while using the time travel plot device as a segue.

Editor’s Note: Unnecessary mechanical shake-ups has kinda been Sonic Team’s M.O. for like a decade now. You might as well have assumed this “Future Sonic” would be blue.

Look, I’m not talking low end shake-ups like making the levels spherical or adding a werehog. I’m talking a momentous shift on par with The Blue Blur speeding out on his first grand Adventure. If you’d grant me the pleasure, I’d be more than happy to explain it in excruciating detail.

Editor’s Note: Dude, seriously. This whole rant has been way too slow. Can we just shine a light on this mascot already?

*Groan* It’s the 26th anniversary, it’s a new generation of hardware, and Forces is the first multi-platform Sonic release in over half a decade. So, I figured Sonic Team would celebrate in a big way and what would be bigger than letting this anonymous animal take a new hedgehog engine out for a test spin?

Editor’s Note: I’m waiting!

OK, OK. [Clears Throat] During the 16-Bit glory years, The Fastest Thing Alive was a side-scrolling speedster and starting back from his transition into 3D, Sonic’s been turbo driving in tunnel vision from a fixed third-person vantage point.

Editor’s Note: EXPLAIN FASTER!

I FIGURED THE NEXT BIG SPRINT WOULD BE A PERSPECTIVE CHANGE!

Perhaps we’d finally get a taste of the open road strictly from a hedgehog point of view, like say the FPSonic short made by PIPOCA.

Or maybe we’d see the tried and true third-person tracks evolve to include multiple axes, like in the brilliant Sonic Utopia tech demo by Mr. Lange. 

...Or if Sonic Team didn’t want to change too much, I would have suggested it take advantage of the Forces gimmick and allow Sonic Tois to pass the piton to one of his many friends in order clear out enemy lines or solve puzzles. Think an updated Sonic Heroes or Knuckles Chaotix.    

Editor’s Note: But just as you pasted it together, your “Old Man Sonic” theory ran into a wall.

Dateline – May 16, 2017

SEGA releases another trailer and it focuses squarely on the identity of the third character. Fans gasp with baited breath as the vale was lifted to reveal...a random wolf guy.

Editor’s Note: Can’t say I saw that one coming.

It felt a tad anti-climatic, even though seeing him use a grapping hook to tie up a couple of giant Egg Robos was pretty cool...I guess.

Editor’s Note: Look man, you were wrong; you got to get over it. Also, now that I think of it, Sonic’s head is much too big to fit the silhouette, so you would’ve been wrong anyway. And don’t say he could have gotten a haircut. Sonic would never tame those quills.

Right. Well, before I could register Wolfy the Wolfboy as a new lead, the trailer got its second, third, fourth and fifth wind with the shocking twist this third player is in fact, an “Original Character”.

Editor’s Note: As in - Do Not Steal!?

You see, this charming customer is just one of thousands of possibilities players can dream up using a nifty creator tool and a little bit of imagination. With a long line of clothing options and a choice of one of seven spirit animals, players will be able to make a character that is distinctive to their personality.

As an added bonus, each of the seven classes has its own unique stat boost.

Wolves have magnetic personalities (rings for days). Dogs bounce back from death with five bonus rings. Cats cheat death by clinging to a single ring after taking damage. Birds are of the flightless variety but can still get air via a double jump. Bears are the heavies of the group and pack a powerful punch with their homing missile. Rabbits get a little extra time to race around with an I-flash damage boost.  And of course, Hedgehogs can pick up the rings they drop after taking a hit.

Editor’s Note: Based on those parameters, I think we might get overrun with re-coloured Sonics...not that there’s anything wrong with that. You do you, Archie did it too, creativity starts somewhere, etc. Speaking of stat boosts and buffs and other such mechanical things, what sort of play style will these OCs adhere to?

Oddly enough, there’s no perspective change or efforts made to shake up everything we know about Sonic. Instead, Sonic Team chose to make avatars playable in both modern and classic styles, but with a twist.

Do you remember the Wisps from Sonic Colors? They’re back...sort of. Throughout the game, each player character will be collecting an assortment of gadget’s called Wispens. Like the Wisps, these trinkets grant special abilities that can be used to take out enemies or to make racing through levels more expedient. 

Editor’s Note: I’m sorry you set yourself up for disappointment.

After thinking on it a bit, this surprisingly safe move was the right one. I don’t want to dig too deep (because that’s a topic for another time) but it took Sonic Team a good long time to get Sonic to run smoothly in 3D. Choosing to step away from all that progress just to give a milestone anniversary some extra publicity could’ve have lead to disaster, much like some of The Blue Blur’s previous gimmicks. Instead, fans are being treated to a neat new spin on what works.

As for the Create-a-Character concept, now that I’ve seen it, I’m surprised SEGA hasn’t capitalized on the whole fan fiction aspect of the fandom before. Sonic surfers can’t go through any social media network, fan forum, or artist alley without finding fan characters of all shapes, sizes, species and colours. With such a cluster of “original” critters, this seems like a million dollar idea.

Editor’s Note: I can think of a couple why nots.

*Sigh* I would be lying if I said I didn’t have some concern for Sonic Forces. As pointed out by...just about everyone, its fan fiction plotline opens it up for being absorbed into that “weirdness”. That said however, I don’t think it’s necessarily fair to rain on the CAC parade.

The majority of these fanfic authors are youngsters that love this series and day dream of seeing their silly side-characters race side-by-side with Sonic. Forces granting their wish is not only a profitable proposition for SEGA, it also encourages and inspires these kids to continue creating. I would like to think that goodwill offsets any potential *cough* naughtiness. 

Editor’s Note: Now that I think of it, said “naughtiness” would be unavoidable anyway just by virtue of being a Sonic game.

...

Editor’s Note: Between disproven theories, big reveals and potential mishaps, I think you’ve covered all the bases. You want to take this home?

Sonic’s 26-year rat hedge race has certainly been eventful. He’s had some incredible highs, embarrassing lows, and is now riding a stable return through the loop. Every moment of triumph, every stumble, every second wind, every trip up and third wind, The Blue Blur has had a loyal and dedicated pack of fans to run alongside him every step of the way.

They grew up in the trenches together and now they stand tall as a battlefield collective, ready to spin dash their way through the Eggman Empire and onward to freedom!

As a quarter-century celebration of its mascot and the fans that made him an industry icon, Sonic Team (probably) couldn’t have done any better than this.

...At least in the event Forces fails to win the day, Headcannon and Taxman will be there to save us with Sonic Mania.

Sorry about all the delays and such. I believe I’m on track now. So, I can say with confidence that you can Stay Tuned fo...

What’s this? It appears my plans for an Undertale review have been rained out, so to speak.

It’s convention season and with big moves being made and many more still to come, my creative energies would be better spent elsewhere, for now.

Huh...well, with that notice out of the way, Stay Tuned for a resistance of a different sort.

Reader discretion is advised.

Research Sources: Nintendo, SEGA, Comic Book Resources, Bleeding Cool, Polygon and IGN