#likes on this post are assumed to be support and not interest

[sleepypanda01]

CB theories/Thoughts part 4 (maybe people are not the only ones good at disguising their true nature)

In this part I want to talk about the keys. I find it pretty interesting that Silver was found in a book at the library, while Bronze and Goldie were at the flea market. Why is that? But before we try to answer that question,I would like to bring attention to something else.It is also worth mentioning the state the keys were in when they were found. Silver was cracked but clean, while Goldie and Bronze were covered in dirt. What is more, is that Silver did not have her keyring on,but Goldie and Bronze did.

This implies that Silver was most likely used recently,while Bronze and Goldie haven't been used in a while and went missing before Silver. This supports the theory I suggested in the previous part—Nox and Violet are not forced to work with ex libris. Either ex libris is not active or the old man got hold of the keys. Either way it is very possible that the old man is not actually a member of Ex Libris.

What all of this could possibly mean?

If we take into consideration these little details, they point to the possibility of Silver knowing Nox. In the previous post I mentioned that Nox and Violet were not strictly restricted and they were also awake, which goes against the methods of ex libris. We can assume that Silver was under similar circumstances because of the missing keyring and her clean condition,but of course there's also the possibility of Nox or whoever left Silver in the library removing her keyring.

You know what else is just as interesting as suspicious? All the information that Silver tells Chase once she is fixed. Of course this also serves the narrative as it gives information to the readers,and the information she provided is very important. Thanks to her we know that Ex Libris are the ones that created the keys and the clues she provides help us create an image of the order. 

So what do we know about ex libris and their treatment toward the keys?

We know that the keys were very restricted to the point they were rarely in their person form and they were kept Very securely in the library. 

But it's strange isn't it? What's strange,you may ask? Silver's first reaction to when she gains back her conversational form and how different it is from Bronze and Goldie's reaction.

 Once Silver gets fixed, one of the first things she does is introduce herself and proceed to ask if Chase is an Ex Libris member.I find two things suspicious here. Why would she get into the trouble of introducing herself? Ex libris is her creator and its members would know who she is. Moreover,she said that the keys were always kept in the library and I doubt Chase's room could be mistaken for a library room.

What makes her reaction more suspicious are the reactions of Bronze and Goldie after awakening. Bronze says "They finally let us out for a bit, finally." While Goldie says " what luck, I trust you slept well." Both of their reactions show that they have been asleep for a while and expected to still be at the hands of Ex Libris. Their assumption is that ex libris awoke them as they do once in a while, they didn't feel the need to ask any of the humans in the room whether they are a member of ex Libris. Why? Because it is a given to them, of course they believe they are at the hands of ex libris,because that's where they were the last time they were awake. 

Moreover, Goldie makes a remark about the place and says that Ex Libris has opened some windows. He realised that there was something different about the room and pointed it out, unlike Silver who didn't make any comments about the room. Plus,Goldie says " I am indeed the great hero key, Big Gold." He doesn't exactly introduce himself like Silver did,he rather confirms that he is the hero key because he expects the humans to know who he is.

In short, Silver's reaction makes me think that she could have been somewhere else before meeting Chase and that she knew Chase isn't an ex libris member,while the last place Goldie and Bronze were seems to be indeed the ex libris library. Why do I think that? Let's take another look at the information Silver provided.

-The keys are not aware of time passing because they are asleep due to the keyrings

-The keys were kept locked up tightly

Now let's see. Both Bronze and Goldie had keyrings on them and were under the impression that they were still at Ex Libris headquarters, clearly not aware of either time passing or their surroundings. Plus,they were covered in dirt, implying that they have not been used in a while. Their circumstances match the description of the circumstances Silver provided. Guess who doesn't match that description though. Nox,Violet and Silver. That's who. Both Nox and Violet are keys and not only they don't have keyrings on them,they are free enough to enter books all on their own and make plans. Their conditions do not align with the conditions of keys kept by Ex Libris. As for Silver,she didn't have any keyring on her either when found by Chase, and in dreams by day we see a glimpse of the past involving Violet and some other keys that we see for the first time. It's strange how we don't see Bronze or Goldie but we do see Violet, the one key that is currently with Nox and is awake and not restricted. This could mean that Silver and Violet had not been separated until recently.

Silver said that she and her family have never been apart before,but that doesn't make much sense. Bronze and Goldie's state shows that they have been with Ex Libris before ending up in the market,but Silver was left in the library deliberately and their circumstances are very different.

My theory is the following. Nox is held captive by the old man who took over the former ex libris headquarters and has 8 keys in his disposal while there are 4 keys missing. The reason why I think so is because in dreams by night, we see Nox in a locked coffin which could symbolise his imprisonment. Later we see Nox running away and passing by a door with eight locks similar to the lock in his coffin. Then we see four lines marked in his chest. If we add up the numbers of the lockers and the lines on Nox's chest the final number is 12, just as many keys there are. If the 8 locks represent the keys that the old man has,then the lock in Nox's coffin represents his situation of being a key and the four lines symbolise the keys that need to be replaced. Nox has the number 2 on his back, meaning that he might be the second of the four people replacing one of the missing keys. His moon symbol on his back as a key indicates that he is replacing the villain key because the moon is the opposite of the sun which is the symbol of the hero key.

 From all this we can come to the conclusion that three of the four missing keys are the following:

-Bronze because he was found with a keyring in a market 

-Goldie for the same reason as Bronze 

-the villain key because Nox is replacing him

And the fourth is a key whose identity we don't know yet.

I don't think Silver is the fourth missing key for reasons explained above, but in short it's because she must have been with Nox and Violet until recently and as I said in part 1, I believe they were the ones who put Silver in the library.

Do I think Silver has been lying to Chase? I do think that Silver knows more than she lets on. Just like Nox,she could be misleading Chase by mixing the truth with lies, altering the truth or deliberately leaving out some stuff.

Silver is smarter than she appears,it is easy to underestimate her due to her very kind demeanor, but she is capable of keeping things to herself. Just like the time she didn't mention that Chase needed all the key to make a wish. Why would she do that? She said she was afraid that Chase wouldn't believe her,and this makes me think that she is not as trusting of humans as she appears to be,and it is totally justified considering how the keys have been mistreated all their lives by humans.

My point is that Silver is not as naive as she might seem. The first thing she does when she meets Chase is to apologise for using the narratonin to fix herself. She seemed worried as if she didn't know how Chase would react to that. Maybe she thought he would be angry at her and was afraid of the consequences. Maybe Silver has been wary of Chase just like Bronze was but she didn't express it openly, that could be part of the reasons why she didn't mention that Chase needs all the keys.

In part 2 I mentioned that I have a theory about Violet and Nox's goal. I can't imagine exactly what their final goal might be, but in general I assume that it must be to stop the old man and free themselves. But how? First they need Nox to turn into a human again,but he would need narratonin and the keys for that and oopsie—he is a key now so he can't gather narratonin and 4 keys are missing. How will they overcome those obstacles?

By leaving Silver in the library for someone to take her,earn narratonin for Nox and find the keys for them. Silver was found with a paper that had instructions but maybe giving guidance to the key holder was not the only purpose it served. Doesn't the key pictured in the page Chase have look like the key stuck in the page that Nox came out of? 

Silver said that it shouldn't be possible for Nox to follow Chase into books,but there could be a spell developed that allows it. Maybe whoever touched the paper and used Silver to enter a book activated some sort of spell, allowing Nox to follow them into books. Silver was meant to be tracked in books so Nox could get into the same books as her key holder and steal the narratonin, since he can't earn his own. If Silver is directly involved in Nox and Violet's plans,her job must have been to earn narratonin for Nox and find the missing keys with the help of her key holder—who is Chase.

At this point, I would like to talk about Chase's perspective on villains back in the beach boys arc. Chase shared his opinion of how doing bad things does not necessarily mean that you are a bad person. I think this might not only apply to Nox,but also Silver. 

I think either Silver has been directly involved in the plans of Violet and Nox,or connected the dots and realised who Buddy is and what he is after but kept quiet. This is reinforced by the following clues:

-Bronze is actively trying to identify Buddy and what is the deal with this dude. He doesn't seem to have any idea about who Buddy may be,he is in the dark just like Chase and Deacon.He tests things to find answers and even warns Chase that he should be careful because people can be deceiving and this brings me to my next point.

-As soon as Bronze says that some people are good at disguising their nature,the panel cuts off to Silver writing a letter to Violet. Could this be coincidental, deliberate or Punko trolling us? All choices are possible but if it was foreshadowing then it adds up. Silver decides to write Violet a letter after seeing Chase being really down due to his mom's condition worsening. Why didn't she think of writing a letter sooner? When Bronze was found,for example? Here's what I believe. Whether Silver is involved in Nox and Violet's plans directly or simply keeps things from Chase,she has come to care for Chase and wants to help him save his mom because she can sympathise with the sentiment of wanting your family to be safe, that is why she decided to reach out to Violet now of all times.

 Also, there was a high chance that Nox would be mad at Chase for keeping Goldie's existence a secret.It isn't really the best idea to ask favors from someone who is mad at you,yet Silver didn't seem to fear that her letter wouldn't get to her sister. Maybe because Silver knew Nox would deliver the letter since it is from her? Serving as more proof that she and Nox might know each other.

Also, there's one more thing Bronze could be right about. If Nox was the one who left Silver in the library,then he does know their location. He might not know the exact address but he knows they are in Sugar springs and is indeed biding his time cause currently he is in no place to do anything.

Finally, remember how I said there are two other keys missing? I think one of them was found by someone and that person is behind the flyers that are looking for the keys. I like to think it was Simon. I don't have many clues to back up this theory other than Simon being busy during the day of dance practice and not getting into details. He only says that something came up. Surely,if I were to discover a magical key that allows me to enter books I would also forget everything else I was supposed to do.

Furthermore,If Simon is that black haired guy we saw in episode 46,he seemed a bit interested in the books Chase had.

Plus, remember back in the early Chapters how Chase also had the Idea of putting up flyers offering a reward in order to find the keys?This is why I think it's not Ex Libris behind the flyers,but a normal citizen and most likely a friend of Chase, because we must have been introduced to them for a reason. I like to imagine that Simon is another key holder and that he and Chase are besties who share the same brain cell which is why they both had the same idea about the flyers lol. 

Overall I think Nox and silver are kinda secretive and careful with what they say. For example, back in the beach arc Nox asked Chase if Deacon was there too,but in reality he already knew the answer and not only that, but he also knew his name by that time.

I think Silver's letter will be very important to how things will play out from now on. If we assume that Nox and Silver have been using Chase so far,they certainly have a change of heart now as they have come to care about him.Besides, even if Silver has been keeping things from Chase, I doubt she would be as cruel as to give him false hope of saving his mom.

Bonus detail: When Silver had a nightmare, we see Violet asking about the whereabouts of someone who is implied to have been taken away by force. I assume she was referring to Nox and this must have been the point where the procedure for his key transformation started, which explains why Silver avoided answering Chase’s question.

This turned out VERY LONG, so if you stayed till the end, thank you so much for your time. I seriously might be overthinking and what I said could turn out to be a bunch of nonsense. CB is such an exciting story and I am very curious to see what will happen next. I would love to hear what you all think!

[sanguinesky-if]

[Dev Log] February 2025

Hello, I hope your winter days are going well!

This is the first dev log of 2025, which means the end of my January break and the resumption of:

▹ Patreon billing and monthly activity. ▹ Monthly dev logs.

Although I took things easier in January, I still worked on the story and have quite a bit to share about my progress.

What was done last month?

▹ Worked on the draft for Chapter 3 Pt. 2.

Since shifting the story format from a visual novel to IF, my draft has required some changes and updates. There are some scenes I'd like to include from the old version, but I hesitate due to the potential increase in workload [I discussed them on Patreon]. Even without those additions, Chapter 3 Pt. 2 is shaping up to be massive, and I already can tell it shouldn't be expected until late spring [assuming I decide against including those moments and scenes]. As usual, the most recent updates on my progress will be shared weekly on Patreon and monthly in the dev logs here on my blog.

▹ Refined stats and their distribution.

I began refining the stats distribution in December, but I also made some changes throughout January. Overall, the full list of changes includes: ▹ Refinement and redistribution of personal and hidden stats. ▹ Renaming the "Approval" stat to "Alignment" [this change will apply in the next update]. I'd like to thank this anon for the idea; I should have done it sooner. A few more words about the stats: Something about the personal stats feels… lacking. I can't quite pinpoint what it is, but I have a feeling I need to progress the story further to understand what's missing, so for now, I've decided to focus on Chapter 3 Pt. 2.

▹ Finished the shortcut to Chapter 3 Pt. 2.

I decided to take care of the shortcut feature in advance, and it took me some time to compile all the choices due to the variations readers can encounter in different scenes. While I may return to it later if I decide that some choices from Chapter 3 Pt. 1 should be included, I'm glad I finished adding all the essential parts.

▹ Improved some scenes and fixed numerous grammatical errors, as well as a few coding issues.

Here's a list of major changes: ▹ L's phone call scene [Chapter 2]: Added a reserved flirt option and made the non-romantic option available to everyone [these changes will apply in the next update].

▹ K's morning scene [Chapter 3]: The last assertive flirt option in K's scene no longer includes "I forgive you", so the reader is not forced to immediately let go of all the tension when choosing a flirt option. Small note: I have some reservations regarding the choices provided in K's scene after their apology, so I will likely post a poll on Patreon to gather feedback on this matter.

▹ Solo morning scene [Chapter 3]: Due to an oversight, the solo scene didn't include a variation where the reader decides not to talk to the MC's twin sister and immediately goes to sleep. This variation of the scene has now been added.

What will I be working on in February?

▹ Chapter 3 Pt. 2: translating the draft and outlining the files for coding.

In addition to that, the bonus content on Patreon that will be released this month will include:

▹ Morgan's NSFW Alphabet. ▹ K's NSFW Side Story POV [Interactive].

Author's note.

I'd like to extend my gratitude to everyone who took the time to send helpful error reports, asks, and kind messages! Your support and interest help me improve my story, which truly means a lot to me.

Thank you for reading to the end! Wishing you a wonderful week and days after that! ♥

[ncoincidences]

Reasons why Blumbridge slaps -

Blumbridge refers to the ship Regulus Black/Dolores Umbridge.

There's an idea floating around that Dolores Umbridge would have attended Hogwarts the same time as Regulus Black, and I've seen a couple of posts on it, many by @plecotusauritus and today as I was soaking some sunshine, I thought to myself: why not, actually. And here you go, a mini essay on why Umbridge and Black were secretly lovers, or could-have-beens, or perhaps Umbridge is actually harboring an assumed-dead Black scion during OoTP.

All in good fun :-) Feel free to add your own reasons!

A. They're passionate about their interests and hobbies. Pair this up with good decor taste, and you've got Regulus’s room with clippings of Voldemort, his path to a better Wizarding World, and a beautifully painted Black Family crest, and green interiors. Why won't you pair that up with Dolores' setup of her offices - both at Hogwarts and at the Ministry - where she has the prominent theme of pink, and florals and of course, her special interest: cats and teapots?

Which brings me to my next point:

B. They have clear ideas of what they want to look like. I'm talking the colour schemes they've figured out for themselves.

Pink for Dolores, and not just any pink, it's the in-your-face pink, to portray the image of a saccharine, feminine witch, a purposefully deceptive image once you hear her vocalise her decidedly unsweet agenda.

Now, Regulus has a lot less screen time so we cannot be clearly sure if his passion for green and silver runs as strong so as to appear prominently in his daily attire, but from the glimpse of his room, and the fact that he's, well, a Slytherin, you bet he flashed his House colours as much as he could. Perhaps to rub it in the face that he was a true Black, honoring their traditions and respecting his forefathers.... unlike a certain brother of his.

C. Vocal about their agenda. Remus cannot get a job because of her draft of the Werewolf Legislation. Her reign at Hogwarts seeks to let people know that following Umbridge's rules are the only way to live. Regulus definitely lets his superiority over muggleborns in school known, and considering what Kreacher says of him in Deathly Hallows, his becoming a Death Eater is to seek out glory and power over those inferior.

D. Okay, the most interesting part, CANON will support me on this ship. Hear me out. Umbridge wears the Slytherin locket Regulus died for! It's practically fate the way it wound into HER hands, all the way from Grimmauld Place. The tragedy??? Plus in a world where Regulus didn't die and the locket wasn't a horcrux, you bet that he would give it as a courting gift.

E. Of course Umbridge denies that Voldemort is back!! (In An AU where Regulus is alive) She doesn't want her boy to be in trouble!!!!

F. Dolores' bloodthirsty approach (literally) and abuse of her authority contrasts against Regulus’s search for autonomy after Voldemort violates the rules of magic by creating a horcrux, and his failure to find authority over Muggles. So, Dolores being successful in pushing out the Muggleborn Registration act makes her all the more attractive to Regulus.

And, in a world where Voldemort didn't exist, if Regulus took a career in the Ministry, a workplace romance with an ambitious and cunning woman sounds like an easy setup for a good story.

There can also be a parallel drawn between the two on how they are less attractive than other characters, Umbridge described as a "toad" and Regulus as "rather less handsome than Sirius"...

In conclusion, to me, it seems like the strong dominance of Umbridge's character will balance the quiet resilience of Black's. And that maybe, amongst the felines covering Umbridge's decorative plates, one of them is the feline Animagus form of Regulus Black.

[reve-de-sang]

prompt fills! @theninjazebra requested “Human au rockstar lestat, with magnus still around somehow?” and @framblebee requested pregnant lestat

this clicked with a WIP i've been noodling around with since early 2024 but currently has an uncertain future despite my fondness for it; seemed like a good time to polish up what i've got and just put it out there, even if it's only to be in pieces. but uh. also, i apologize to theninjazebra & framblebee, bc this bit's pretty damn dead dove

Vampires Are Known au set 20 years in our future. human rockstar Lestat and ex-flame Louis, Lestat's agent Armand, shady oligarch superfan Magnus, hacker Claudia.

“A collaboration, with Louis,” Armand was saying. “Then a tour perhaps, depending. Yes?”

Armand was talking to him. Or at him. Kneeling at his bedside. Lestat thought this was one of those centers where they left you alone, wrapped you in cotton wool. He didn’t actually know—maybe there were meant to be medications handed out in small paper cups (they wouldn’t, given his condition, he assumed) and groups of people sitting in circles Lestat would never be able to join, because NDA or no, it would always, always end up published somewhere—

“Yes, it is actually one of those centers,” Armand said. “But you’ve been here four months, and Marius thought creativity might be the better medicine after all.” Armand studied him. “You were using the mind gift again just now.”

Lestat closed his eyes in pain. Fuck. He was never going to get used to this.

“Four months?”

“Yes.”

“Louis.”

“Yes. He’s already agreed.”

Lestat sighed explosively and turned over onto his back to stare at the ceiling. “Well that’s humiliating.”

“Why?”

Lestat turned his head to give him the full force of his glare. “Are you telling me he actually wants to do this for the music, not out of pity?”

Armand considered this. Lestat hated that Armand’s presence could actually be quite calming, when he wanted it to be. Armand’s mouth gave the suggestion of a smile, and Lestat assumed he was accidentally using the fucking mind gift again.

“Can it not be both? Creative interest and—not pity, but support, because he cares about you and wants to be there for you right now.”

“We haven’t talked in years. I don’t even know who he is anymore.”

“Oh, now you’re just being dramatic.”

Lestat felt a pout coming on, and turned his glare back to the ceiling.

“So you’re busting me out of here.”

“Right now.”

Lestat sighed, and shifted his body to sitting. He tugged his shirt down over the swell. “Do not look at it, do not comment on it, tell me you brought a massive coat, a hat, and big fuck-off celebrity sunglasses.”

Armand wordlessly plucked up a Balenciaga overnight bag at his side, the “bitch, please,” unspoken. Lestat nodded, only slightly contrite.

—

It hadn’t been years since he’d talked to Louis. It had been months. And they hadn’t spoken since. The night before—before. But Armand didn’t need to know that.

And the horrifying mess that Lestat’s life was right now should have made Armand’s suggestion such a hard no for Lestat that planes passing overhead would have been able to hear Lestat’s shouting.

But there wasn’t anyone Lestat wanted to see more.

He didn’t care about awkward. Fuck pity. Fuck a collaboration. He just wanted to look at Louis. And then he would figure out where to go from there.

—

Four months ago.

It had hit all the news pages in a tidal wave. The hotel suite rooms, the bed soaked in blood, blood on the walls, on the carpet, streaking the tile in the bathroom. Bloody handprints on the bathroom mirror. Furniture broken like the detritus of a weather event. The horror of Lestat’s victimization had lasted 72 hours, and then, as if it were unendurable by the collective psyche, the reaction pivoted to disbelief, blame, and mockery.

Even the most ardent fans disavowed Lestat, posting conjecture on his either orchestrating this or deserving it for obviously seducing such a powerful vampire. His detractors applauded what they decided was a naked power grab: that he was showing his true colors. Defenders turned into apologists.

(read more)

[sapphosremains]

Okay, so firstly I think I ought to clarify some terms a little because they overlap. So if I assume that you're responding to my post in the way I meant it, you would be suggesting that non-Christian theologians couldn't publish things because they didn't believe them religiously, and I'll assume that's not what you meant and there's just been overlap of terms, as you seem like a nice person and I've followed you for a while. I believe it academically, as I'm sure all theologians who publish work believe academically in their work, but I think it's wrong to expect people to believe things religiously.

Secondly, of course what you write and publish matters and affects people. I hope that very few people think they can publish what they want with no effects. However, at the end of the day, these people exist, and, also, people publish bad theology. It happens. I won't make a judgement on what's bad theology, as no one can do that objectively, and I'm sure many people think my theology is bad theology, but you get my point. However, as far as academics should be responsible for what they put out in print, pastors who, as you were saying, are trained in theology, have the responsibility to choose what they preach from the pulpit. If they do not think critically enough to believe everything that is published and think that all of it is suitable for a congregation (especially when much of academic theology is so incredibly different to preaching material), that's on them. It is not a theologian's job to anticipate that a pastor may preach their research, because research is precisely what it is.

Following on from that - your point on why people do theology. And again I think our different experiences with academic theology (yours in seminary, mine in university) play into this. I can understand your perspective on not understanding seminarians publishing work they don't believe in, but again, this strictly academic theology is a completely different field. In my course, we learn about, think critically about, and write critically about, the theology of a variety of religions, despite not believing them. So what is the point of doing theology? I think a number of different things:

Yes, actually, to further the academic field. In the same way historians research and write and publish and work together to get a more accurate view of history, and chemists research and write and publish to further the field of chemistry, I write and publish theology to further the field of theology. To contribute to a better understanding in different aspects of the field.

Also, because we do care about the effects and the real people involved. There's an excellent bit in Phyllis Trible's foreword to Terror in the Bible where she explains how researching and presenting bits of the Bible that were painful, and sexist, and traumatic actually really spoke to victims of similar things. My Cozbi essay was really important to me and others as it examined where common translations obscured the true violence and sexism of the event, and how her race and gender play into it. I think that's important. I wrote my icons essay because I wanted to combat the idea that icons are forbidden in the Church of England, thereby providing support for people that find them useful.

And yes, for the sake of it. Because it's interesting, and exciting, and academically rigorous. Because it's challenging. Because we love doing theology, whatever that means.

If we only do theology because we believe it, we miss out incredible opportunities to engage with people we disagree with (which is really, really important), and to understand other religions. If we only do theology because we believe it, if believing something is our starting point for doing theology, I think we'd see very little progress in both theology and religion. It also makes us incredibly biased, and makes it difficult to engage with people who disagree with us. I don't think not believing religiously in something you write makes it pointless, I think it makes it personally challenging, which is a good thing.

Should we all publish the most ridiculous things possible to prove a point? No, absolutely not, and I seriously hope no one is suggesting this. But you do not have to believe something religiously to believe it or support it academically.

Also, I think the distinction between liberal and progressive is really important here - it's on my page somewhere.

"Anyway. I just wanted to add in the perspective of someone who genuinely agrees with what I write, because I believe that my work matters. Especially as a queer person doing queer theology, I need to be up front and genuine about my sincere belief in what I write. It's important. The work of theology is important to me, and I (and many other theologians) believe that it is my duty to perform that work responsibly."

I don't like the implication here that I, and other academics, don't believe our work matters, or that we don't think theology is important, or we aren't responsible.

Maybe there are some. I don't know. But I know that I personally, and all other academics I have engaged with, believe our work matters and has an impact, and theology is important. Theology has been a driving factor in fighting against slavery, subordination of women, racism, sexism, homophobia, and a whole list of other injustices. I will always, always argue that theology is important. You won't catch me agreeing with Richard Dawkins on this!! I do feel responsible for my work. But some really incredible Christian theologians have been non-Christian, and I'm sure the same is true of other religions.

Some theology is religious. Some is as objective as it can be. Most is probably a mix of both. And, I think some theology is pretty much impossible to religiously believe. For example, Harriet Lutzky's work analysing the name of Cozbi (https://www.jstor.org/stable/1535280) is so interesting, and academically compelling, and I believe it academically, but it is not something to be religiously believed or not believed. How would I go about incorporating that into my religious beliefs? This is what makes me think that we're not discussing the same theology, or the same type of belief, so I hope we've just misinterpreted each other!

Anyway, hope this makes sense and best wishes to you and your seminary work :)

“i love it theologically but in my personal religion idk how it makes me feel. this is actually a super common phenomenon - christian theologians are often very liberal in their theology and more conservative in their own religion.” Can you please please please talk more about this distinction????

Of COURSE! I’m still trying to find where I got this fact but I always have like 10 books on the go not including journal articles etc so I have a lot to dig through! So firstly, it’s quite an important distinction. There is a massive overlap between theology and religion, and exploring theology naturally impacts one’s own religious beliefs, and vice versa, therefore it’s not a hard line per say. However, it is crucial that theologians can have some separation. For example, one of the first questions they asked me in a certain unnamed university interview that you’re not meant to give any details about picked up on this. I was given a few passages taken from different religious traditions, and we discussed their similarities and differences. A little into the conversation, they told me that the passages had been written sequentially, with each a few hundred years after another, and asked “Could the later ones possibly have been inspired by the earlier one?” One of the later passages was taken from the New Testament, with this question carrying the suggestion that an author in the NT had been inspired by Ancient Greek mythology. If you’re answering that from a religious perspective, no, absolutely not! This is where they start to separate. 

A good part of theology requires looking at religious texts as a piece of literature. In my Extended Essay for IB I wrote about Cozbi, and a significant chunk of my work looked at word choice in a variety of translations, including the original Hebrew. This meant looking at how she had been named (Cozbi was probably not her real name - it means ‘to lie’ and ‘lies’, and the Akkadian equivalent of her name, ‘kuzbu’, means ‘voluptuousness’, ‘sexually vigorous’, and is a euphemism for genitals) to convey a message, and the use of grammar and vocabulary in order to pin the blame on her as opposed to the Israelite man Zimri. So in this, I’m looking at the Bible as literature, and making arguments which are quite tricky to make from a Christian standpoint - to look at my religious text and say ‘The author of this text has chosen these words to manipulate the reader’, when in my Christian head, the author of the text is God (as discussed in earlier posts, expressed by humans). So, I think that interview question aimed to very quickly sort out those who are not able to have that distinction. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it would make it very difficult to study Theology, and be taught Theology, I think.

But this distinction is where the liberal theology vs conservative religion comes in. My argument in my Cozbi essay, that the Bible deliberately uses women as plot devices and scapegoats, is liberal, and, honestly, not something I really want to believe! And arguing something academically, especially in the field of Theology, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to believe it. If you’re arguing something in Chemistry, that’s a bit different! Do I think my Cozbi essay is academically compelling? Yes. I am academically persuaded by it. Do I believe it religiously? Do I think that’s what God’s word is really trying to say? No. Do I think my icons essay is academically compelling? Yes. Do I think it justifies the use of icons in the Church of England? Yes. Would I have icons without it? Also yes. Writing that essay, although informative, did not alter my personal religious beliefs.

I think there’s also this weird overlap in the Tumblr-Christian-Theology little niche that you and I like to sit in. You do it much better than me. Your theological arguments persuade me, and I do think I often believe them religiously. However, my theological arguments aren’t meant to do that. Mine are often purely academic. This also links back to a post you made a few months ago that I wanted to talk about but didn’t have the words for. You talked about not liking people distinguishing between ��theologies’ ie ‘feminist theology’ ‘liberation theology’ etc etc. And I agree and disagree, once more based on this distinction. If ‘theology’ is your personal theology, what you believe about God and religion, then yes, this idea of ‘feminist theology’ is really weird. However, when I say I’m a ‘feminist theologian’ or I’m interested in ‘liberation theology’, I mean I am interested in the niche in the academic subject Theology that belongs to ‘feminist theology’ or ‘liberation theology’.

So, why are Christian theologians often more liberal in their academic theology and more conservative in their personal religion? I think because we’re not compelled to believe it. You can try out ideas, and argue for them, and find evidence to support them, but none of this means you have to believe it. This gives Christians the space to figure out ideas that they may not agree with religiously, or might get push back from their religious community, in an academic sphere.

[Throwback to this great conversation with my (LDS) coursework supervisor:

Her: *finishes reading coursework* Oh no, you can’t submit this. I hate it, I really disagree.

Me: Oh gosh, sorry! Which arguments are the weakest?

Her: Huh? Oh, no, all your arguments are really strong. I can’t pick holes in them.

Me: Oh, that’s good. How can I improve it then? What’s wrong with it?

Her: I really disagree with it.

Me: That’s… that’s fine… You don’t need to agree with it.]

Also, I think it’s a lot easier to be liberal hypothetically! And academics can argue whatever they want. You could put a claim I hated in front of me and I could still defend and support it just as strongly as something I agreed with. Also, there’s less responsibility. If you’re consciously publishing a religious opinion in a religious space, that’s something people might take away and believe, which comes with an element of danger! Obviously you don’t have control over how people use your academic work, they might well go away and incorporate it into their religious beliefs, but that likelihood is lower, so this throwing out of ideas and ‘what if God meant this’ and ‘what if Paul meant this’ is a little safer, and comes with the understanding that it’s not necessarily your belief or a belief you endorse! 

Anyway yes this was actually a very difficult question to answer and, despite it being true of me, I don’t really know! But this is an attempt for now, and I’ll come back to it after I’ve done some more Theology!! Definitely next academic year after I’ve done some uni :))

[avcnturine]

I had the most awful night's sleep last night. I dreamt I was somewhere pitch-black and damp. Suddenly, I was a sea monster, and my impaled body was being driven into the ocean floor by the Geo Archon's polearm. I writhed around and clutched at the giant polearm made of rock, trying desperately to free myself, but it was wedged firmly in place. Each movement I made filled me with agony, and with rage... — diary of roald the adventurer, vol. 6

��𝐋𝐎𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋　♠　———　[ TAKEN ] the feiyun commerce guild is sponsoring qixing-approved, supervised trips for visitors to spend a night at the fabled guyun stone forest, taking advantage of the lantern rite crowds to offer a glimpse into liyue's storied history and spread cultural understanding. owing to the popularity of certain light novels based off the recollections of one real traveler's journals, this has attracted many thrill-seekers and fright fanatics who are hoping to run into real ghosts of the ancient battle between the geo archon and the ancient sea monster, or hear echoes osial's death cries themselves.

i'd like to explore this plot with someone in a mini thread ; while the thread itself can be as short or long as we want, i'd like individual replies to stay within a 250 wc challenge to keep it moving 　

aventurine's interest in teyvat's gods stems from requiem, gh's first lore event, and he's been curious and nosy about looking into that kind of thing ever since 　

the idea i'd like to explore is that they're going in expecting to fall asleep and have vivid dreams / nightmares or something, or to hear and see ghostly occurrences in the area at night, but what actually happens is that after falling asleep, our muses wake up seemingly flashed 2,000 years to the past in the midst of the fateful battle at this location 　

what we do from there can be pretty flexible, and i'd like to hear your ideas on what would be most fun for you: we can keep the actual " time travel " section fairly short, more of a brief shared vision, and focus more on them waking up and processing what they experienced ; we can have our muses embodied in rex lapis and osial in the past and essentially be unable to control themselves acting out a scripted fight that ends with osial's imprisonment ; or we can spend more time in the flashback itself and do something more involved with them trapped 2,000 years in the past 　

on aventurine's side, i'd like to use this thread as a means for exploring the age of divine conflict in teyvat and the ways it mirrors ( and the ways it doesn't ) the impending war of aeons in hsr as well as the history of aeons fighting and subsuming one another, continuing thought on what it's like for gods to be at war and to die or be subjugated by other gods, thus losing their place in history, etc. let me know what you'd like to get out of it or if you have any angles you'd like to use this prompt to explore!

[wonder-worker]

Thinking about Elizabeth Woodville as a gothic heroine is making me go insane. She entered the story by overturning existing social structures, provoking both ire and fascination. She married into a dynasty doomed to eat itself alive. She was repeatedly associated with the supernatural, both in terms of love and death. Her life was shaped entirely by uncanny repetitions - two marriages, two widowhoods, two depositions, two flights to sanctuary, two ultimate reclamations - all paralleling and ricocheting off each other. Her plight after 1483 exposed the true rot at the heart of the monarchy - the trappings of royalty pulled away to reveal nothing, a never-ending cycle of betrayal and war, the price of power being the (literal) blood of children. She lived past the end of her family name, she lived past the end of her myth. She ended her life in a deeply anomalous position, half-in and half-out of royal society. She was both a haunting tragedy and the ultimate survivor who was finally free.

[frostheria]

Just making a general post real quick in response to an ask.

When I say I'm anti-ai I mean I'm against any sort of AI that steals from others or would otherwise be used to put people out of a job. I don't feel like having an elaborate conversation about the positives and negatives of AI and all that, so I'll state this as plainly as possible.

I don't like AI art. I don't like AI voice impersonations. I don't like any sort of AI that has to steal stuff from people without their consent in order to function. That is literally it.

I'm not against ALL AI. I don't think people that are okay with AI in general should be burned at the stake or something. I'm just an artist and writer that doesn't like AI being used in CREATIVE SPACES. That's it.

I didn't think I would have to clarify this but, here you go, for anyone that was bothered.

[torgawl]

i want dottore to be playable so bad, i need to know his thoughts on diluc

[doctahchang]

okay class i may not know lots of context of the american history but isn't it an insane thing to say to a native american character

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[artificialllovers]

I think some people tightly cling to the idea that it’s normal for people to not care about your interests or accomplishments and to not be happy/celebratory for you because otherwise they would have to confront some unfortunate and disappointing truths about their interpersonal relationships, especially with their own parents.

[happybunnykat]

Honestly if Sora and Riku do get together and then the series explores Kairi as a character after that, showing her emotional state as the guy she likes ends up with someone else and now she isn't as sure about her future as she has been in the past, it would honestly make up for the past 2 decades of her hardly having any character arc at all by making her more interesting then 90% of fan interpretations.

[deadtower]

#it's easy to say that it shouldn't have been established in the first place#but the thing is that it exists#and the fallout of it suddenly dissolving would be catastrophic#as would the expulsion of current residents#it's easy to say that there should be a ceasefire (and that is in fact the popular opinion amongst israelis)#but the people in power are rich fascists who only see profit from continued apartheid and genocide#the thing is that jews have lived there for thousands of years even after all of the forced expulsions#we never left. many were forced to under threat of death.#however palestinians have ALSO lived there for thousands of years and are currently being forced to leave or die.#contrary to popular belief most israelis don't have dual citizenship. that myth is a rehashing of dual loyalty.#many moved to israel due to antisemitic violence.#their homes have been taken by goyim. they have nowhere to return.#some groups (like yemeni jews) cannot return because they will literally be murdered.#does this excuse the actions of the israeli govt? fuck no!#but saying that all israelis can just go back is wildly ignorant.#also acting like saying 'it's a complicated situation' is fucking genocide apologism is such a shit take lmao#it IS complicated. just not the part you think we're talking about.#the anti-intellectualism on this site is wild#the people who live in israel and palestine are not toys you can move around without consequence#they are PEOPLE.#people with lives and families.#edit: if you can't give the question 'where should israelis go?' a firm and reasonable answer#then i think you should not be acting like the solution is ~simple~ (via @intern-seraph)

I think people need to understand that when someone says the situation in Israel/Palestine is complicated they are not necessarily saying that the discussion of who the oppressor vs oppressed is complicated. The Israeli government has been oppressing the Palestinians for a very long time, that is clear, and it is not complicated to understand that at least since the 80s they have had dramatically more financial and military power to keep control of the territory in the way they like.

However, it is reductive and dismissive to insist that there is no complexity in the potential ways to move forward to bring peace to the region. Despite what people on tumblr.edu like to believe, "Israel should never have been created" is not a practical solution to an incredibly heated geopolitical situation in the present day. Israel was created and it does exist. 10 million people live there. 74% of the population is native born and the country has existed for 75 years. Hand waving these fact away with the opinion that "they should move back to where they came from" may make you feel good about being a Radical Leftist, but it does not give anyone a road map for how exactly millions of people without dual citizenship are supposed to just up and evaporate. Nor does it acknowledge the reality that 21% of Israelis are Arabs, the very people you are claiming to want to give the land back to.

Insisting that there's nothing complicated about expecting an entire country's population to willingly dissappear with no consequences is not a productive way to think about this conflict. It ignores the many massive superpowers that have an interest in proping up different states in the region, the power dynamics involved in any land back movements, and the inevitably negative consequences of totally dissolving an established state without a plan. It is also completely and almost comically unrealistic, so much so that it makes it hard to believe that anyone who's opinion starts and ends with this idea really gives a shit about anyone who lives in the area as much as they care about their online leftist clout.

There's nothing complicated in understanding that the Israeli government is and has been maintaining an oppressive apartheid state for decades. It is, however, very complicated to come up with a realistic way to resolve some of the most intricately entangled land disputes on the planet without plunging the region into total chaos. Not everyone has to be deeply educated on every geopolitical situation, but it is very hard to take people seriously when they know nothing about the politics or history of a region and yet insist that there is nothing complicated about it at all.

There's a lot of people on this website who are getting dangerously smug about their own ignorance, and are starting to go down Qanon type anti-intellectual paths in the name of being sufficiently radical. Not knowing the details of a very convoluted land dispute isn't something to brag about online as you call for intentionally reductive solutions. You can support the Palestinian cause and be aware of the oppression they have faced while also holding off on calling people trying to do real analysis and de-escalation work bootlickers. We need to get control of the urge to fit every global issue into a simplistic YA novel narrative structure that appeals to Western revolutionary fantasies.

[getvalentined]

An open letter to @staff

I already submitted this to Support under "Feedback," but I'm sharing it here too as I don't expect it to get a response, and I feel like putting in out in public may be more effective than sending it off into the void.

The recent post on the Staff blog about changing tumblr to an algorithmic feed features a large amount of misinformation that I feel staff needs to address, openly and honestly, with information on where this data was sourced at the very least.

Claim 1: Algorithms help small creators.

This is false, as algorithms are designed to push content that gets engagement in order to get it more engagement, thereby assuring that the popular remain popular and the small remain small except in instances of extreme luck.

This can already be seen on the tumblr radar, which is a combination of staff picks (usually the same half-dozen fandoms or niche special interests like Lego photography) which already have a ton of engagement, or posts that are getting enough engagement to hit the radar organically. Tumblr has an algorithm that runs like every other socmed algorithm on the planet, and it will decimate the reach of small creators just like every other platform before it.

Claim 2: Only a small portion of users utilize the chronological feed.

You can find a poll by user @darkwood-sleddog here that at the time of writing this, sits at over 40 THOUSAND responses showing that over 96 percent of them use the chronological feed*. Claiming otherwise isn't just a misstatement, it's a lie. You are lying to your core userbase and expecting them to accept it as fact. It's not just unethical, it's insulting to people who have been supporting your platform for over a decade.

Claim 3: Tumblr is not easy to use.

This is also 100% false and you ABSOLUTELY know it. Tumblr is EXTREMELY easy to use, the issue is that the documentation, the explanations of features, and often even the stability of the service is subpar. All of this would be very easy for staff to fix, if they would invest in the creation of walkthroughs and clear explanations of how various site features work, as well as finally fixing the search function. Your inability to explain how your service works should not result in completely ignoring the needs and wants of your core long-term userbase. The fact that you're more willing to invest in the very systems that have made every other form of social media so horrifically toxic than in trying to make it easier for people to use the service AS IT WORKS NOW and fixing the parts that don't work as well speaks volumes toward what tumblr staff actually cares about.

You will not get a paycheck if your platform becomes defunct, and the thing that makes it special right now is that it is the ONLY large-scale socmed platform on THE ENTIRE INTERNET with a true chronological feed and no aggressive algorithmic content serving. The recent post from staff indicates that you are going to kill that, and are insisting that it's what we want. It is not. I'd hazard to guess that most of the dev team knows it isn't what we want, but I assume the money people don't care. The user base isn't relevant, just how much money they can bring in.

The CEO stated he wanted this to remain as sort of the last bastion of the Old Internet, and yet here we are, watching you declare you intend to burn it to the ground.

You can do so much better than this.

Response to the Update

Under the cut for readability, because everything said above still applies.

I already said this in a reblog on the post itself, but I'm adding it to this one for easy access: people read it that way because that's what you said.

Staff considers the main feed as it exists to be "outdated," to the point that you literally used that word to describe it, and the main goals expressed in this announcement is to figure out what makes "high-quality content" and serve that to users moving forward.

People read it that way because that is what you said.

*The final results of the poll, after 24 hours:

136,635 votes breaks down thusly:

An algorithm based feed where I get "the best of tumblr." @ 1.3% (roughly 1,776 votes)

Chronological feed that only features blogs I follow. @ 95.2% (roughly 130,077 votes)

This doesn't affect me personally. @ 3.5% (roughly 4,782 votes)

[gravegoer]

MORE SEVIKA X SIREN I BEG

I hear your call [P2] ⋅˚₊‧ ଳ

HALF OF MY INBOX IS SIREN READER !! dw, i got you guys. ( also i got a lot of love in my inbox. !! thank you so much for the support. youre so sweet , im looking at 🍃 anon ily ) summary: sevika saves your scales.

masterlist , part 1 2.1k words part 3

The night after you met Sevika, you followed her ship, even throughout the darkness. The celebratory crew could be heard on the deck, along with the clanking of glasses and music.

Although this wasn't what you were interested in, you were interested in a certain captain. You assumed she didn't bother with the celebration and got bored swimming alongside the ship.

Eventually, it had come to a stop in the late night, now sitting in the dock of a well-populated island. You eyed the people that stepped off, and your gaze landed on Sevika.

She was hard to miss, her large stature and intricate outfit stood out amongst the crew, ultimately declaring herself captain. There was a sort of swagger in her walk, perhaps from booze or maybe exaustion.

Whatever the case, you were interested.

You couldn't get too close to land, deciding to lurk around the harbor instead. You ducked under the water upon hearing any movement or voices. Being this close to population was no place for a siren, especially such as yourself.

Any fisherman or pirate alike would take take you up and pawn you for a pretty price. So you heeded in your movements. Luckily, you were a skilled enough swimmer that you made little to no sound whilst in the water, barely leaving behind a ripple.

The sun was just now rising, and you assumed Sevika would be looking for a place to stay the night. There was no way you could wait around that long for her to come back. But that doesn't mean you didn't want to.

To your delight, a group of men swarmed to talk on a dock near you, and their conversation was full of exactly what you wanted to hear.

Sevika.

They were pirates looking for a crew, and from the looks of them, quite experienced pirates.

"She's headed to Shank's motel. Shall we give her a visit?"

"This late at night, man. You've got to be spewin' some blige. She'd flog you just at sight."

"Aye. Migh' as well wait till' morn' "

You grew closer to their spot, itching to hear more. Your head nearly bumped against the old wood due to your closeness.

Suddenly, a hand was in your hair, but unlike Sevika's, it was clammy and gross.

You screeched at the intrusion, being pulled out of the water.

A fourth man.

How could you let your guard down so easily?

"Now, what's a stupid lass like you doin' so far out at bay."

You crained your head up to be met with a severely shredded bald man. You clawed at the hand on your scalp and thrashed. The sting threatened to bring tears to your eyes, and you opened your mouth for a song.

The knowing man slammed your face down onto the wood, stopping you in your tracks.

"Fuck. This one be a siren, but the harder the catch, the more the prize is what I say."

Another voice came from your left.

"Knock 'er out, and I'll grab a net."

A blunt thwack was heard before your vision went dark.

..

Sevika had tied her boat to a post before leaving her crew to find a place to eat, preferably not a bar where she knew the rest of her men were headed. Having enough to drink, she sat at a stand selling calaloo and threw a few dabloons on the counter silently, waiting for her meal.

Her mind wasn't on anything except for you. The ruler of the Seven Seas was enamored with a mer-person.

How fitting.

She thought about the way your eyes sparkled when she told you stories, looking at her like no other. How your cold hands were so gentle when you touched her. Your soft lips against hers.

I mean, how much deeper could she fall.

Having been so engrossed in thought, she barely noticed the whispers around her. Barely. She, of course, was the talk of the town.

She intimidated people just by taking a seat next to them, so casual yet making everyone at the stand turn to glance at her. It wasn't often that Sevika bothered with mundane tasks such as eating anywhere but a bar, and nobody really saw her face anywhere except for wanted posters.

Although it was a picaroon town, and there was no way anyone there would bother to turn her in or snitch, she still pushed her plate away and got up to fend off the prying eyes. (Picaroon means pirate)

Her buckled boots thudded against the dirt road, now on the way to the nearest inn. She was almost desperate for a nights sleep without rocking on the mad waters.

Upon entering, a large man stomped past her, eager to get somewhere, she was just about to grab him and slam him into the nearest counter before her attention was interrupted.

"Them chowder-headed fools caught themselves a real jem, aye?"

"Heard theys' puttin' 'er up for auction"

That was never a pretty thing to hear. It either meant low-life pirates snagged themselves an expensive treasure, or worse, a living treasure. But it wasn't rare that a fisher or pirate just so happened to find a large, human-like fish in their net and put her on the market, so Sevika paid it no mind.

She did linger on the fact that it might be the one person on her mind at the moment but quickly shook away those thoughts. You were smart, quick. Theres no way any man would have you that easily.

When she approached the counter for a key, the shop-keep laughed, "What? You want a room? I think you ought to pay the stands a visit, its the first auction in a week."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes at his words, her head dipping into her previous thoughts again.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to make sure.

So she drug her tired and heavy legs right back across town for the sliver of a chance that it might be you.

..

You awoke with a harsh throbbing in your head, feeling cold and dried up. Through blurry vision, you could make out the steel bars, closing you in. And a loud voice,

"Another bid for 300 dabloons !"

Fuck. It's what you've been dreading all your life. You got caught due to your lack of awareness and clumsiness. Inwardly cursing at yourself, you grabbed at the bars and shook violently.

"Look, she's awake. How do we feel about upping the price now that we can see her pretty eyes."

The man stuck his fingers in your enclosure and tilted your chin up. At that moment, you became aware of the metallic muzzle on your face, keeping your jaw in place. You glared up at him, knowing you'd bite him if you could.

He pulled away when you jerked your head forward, as if making the motion to bite him. He laughed loudly, and another bid came from the crowd.

"500!"

The men yelled and whooped at that. You thunked your head against the bars, the loudness ringing in your ears. You can't believe you got yourself in this mess for a pirate.

It was just hollering and laughing for a while before the man beside you spoke,

"500, Aye? Going once.. going twice.."

"A thousand."

A heavy female voice stood out amongst the rest, sounding angry and tired. Your eyes darted around, looking for the source of the voice, but another shrill voice spoke up.

"1000? Is this woman kidding? 1500."

The men's laughs roared in again, smacking the mans back and slinging booze. A tall figure stepped out of the shadow, cigarillo in hand, and spoke, "Double it."

All went quiet as they eyed Sevika, her arm crossed over her chest as she brought a mechanical hand to her lips to take a drag. She blew the smoke from the side of her mouth, making a taller male cough.

Your eyes widened, and fingers gripped the bars steadier. When you made eyecontact, you could have sworn her eyes went soft for a moment before she looked to your captor.

"Well.. any final bids..?"

He spoke seemingly frightened and pleased with himself all in one moment.

Nobody spoke against Sevika, as a captian never had a bounty over their head for a reason. And her bounty was hefty.

There were no protests as she pushed her way through the crowd, seemingly more violent than usual. She put her cigar out on someone's forehead, the small tiss, standing out against silence.

Her boots clunked as she ascended the stairs and plopped three brown bags atop your cage. You looked up at her, but she wasn't looking back. Her metal hand was grabbing the key from the mans hand and pushing him backward in one motion.

He stumbled, but you looked away to eye Sevikas human hand swiftly unlocking the cage. She held her hand out to you, dark hair shadowed her eyes, and hid her expression from you.

She was who you were here for.

You hesitantly grabbed her calloused hand, and immediately, she lifted you into her arms. Now, looking into the crowd, her menacing expression was highlighted by the dim torches that surround the stands. Her cape was draped over your tail and bare torso, shielding you from the cold, and more importantly the people.

As she was stepping down the stairs, she saw your muzzled mouth, and her expression got a tinge darker. No words needed to be spoken as she balanced you with her human arm and knee, tearing the straps of the muzzle off with a sharp finger.

It was almost instinct to hum a siren song, but before your vocal chords could start, you saw her expression and buried your face in her sturdy torso. It was the look of warning, a warning that you obeyed.

Pirates gawked at the sight of her carrying you past the crowd of people. Nobody dared to reach out and touch you. Some people didn't even dare to look at you. You kept your gaze on Sevika's clenched jaw and torn expression. The angles of her face were more prominent at this angle, you would blush at the sight but your nervousness didn't allow it.

Her grip on your tail was firm, yet gentle, human arm cradling your torso without complaining about the coldness. You weren't one to be drawn to the warmth of a human, but found yourself pressed closer against her body. You now shut your eyes to rid of the feeling of stares and judgement.

As she carried you down the dirt road back to the inn, she spoke in a frustrated tone, "You are the stupidest fish ive ever met."

"And you're the sappiest pirate ive ever met."

..

When Sevika stepped into the inn with you in her arms the keep gawked at you. You were cradled like a baby, weightless in her hold. She kept a stern gaze as he passed her the keys with a room number attached "56".

The people that sat in the inn waiting room averted their eyes, shrinking under Sevika's cold grey eyes. Her eyebrows were furrowed, making you want to reach up and rub the wrinkle between them.

She walked up old rickety stairs, almost bending under your combined weight and turned left down the hall to the room. It was surprisingly quiet, and you were able to hear the woman's ragged breaths. Sevika was obviously worn out and tired from her day, and still came to your rescue.

How heroic.

She effortlessly shifted you to one arm, making sure your head was steady against her shoulder and creaked open the wooden door. Your tail barely brushed against the ground, her height compensating for the length.

"I need—," you spoke, before she cut you off with a grunt.

"Water. I know."

Opening the door to the bathroom, she sighed at the size. It was almost too small to fit her large frame and your long tail.

Dropping you into the tub gently, she turned the knob for cold water. "Want me to sprinkle in salt?"

You genuinely couldn't tell if she was joking, "No, no it's okay," You laughed, humming at the feeling of water on your tail.

"Why did you let yourself get caught," Sevika said, more as a statement than a question.

"I wanted to find you.. and I succeeded.. mission accomplished?"

She shook her head and bent down to accommodate for the space between you. She put a warm hand to your cheek, eyes soft and almost concerned, "Don't go looking for me like that again, danger follows me closely."

You giggled at her seriousness, despite being roughed around and almost being sold as fish food (or worse) you felt somewhat at ease. The woman at your side brought you a strange feeling of comfort, comfort that the sea never brought you.

"I guess ill just have to follow you closer."

i already have ideas for part three.... hehehehehe

again, thank you for the asks they are sweet ! and comment if you want to be on the taglist for part 3 , i do have some other works in my drafts but im saving them for when i finish this series :) but asks are open !!!

@misswynters @haruko--bby @thesecondhandwoman @theirlaliengirl