#sherlock holmes intensifies

[siphoklansan]

WAIT A DAMN MINUTE WHY DOES MY BLOG BANNER LOOK WEIRD DID I DO SOMETHING?? UNKNOWINGLY??

[i-dont-talk-for-days-on-end]

I can't stop thinking about this moment in "The Secret of Sherlock Holmes" ...

[Sorry for the bad audio quality, as far as I know there's no better recording. The script is under the cut below so you can read along, although it's not verbatim. Also be aware, there's shouting at approx. 0:42 in case you get startled by sudden loud noises (like me).]

Holmes is scared and lives under a feeling of impending doom, beginning to lose his grasp on reality, imagining not only Moriarty's presence but also having conversations with Watson in his thoughts ... And when Watson finally arrives, Holmes of course "can‘t say “Thank you”; he cant say “Good night,” can’t say “Help.”" ...

So he asks Watson for a match to have him close for a moment (they are in Baker Street, Holmes must have his own matches lying around) - I think this is the most logical explanation. He craves Watson's assistance, but he does not know how to ask for it. So he asks for a match instead.

Ahhh, I would sell my soul to travel back in time and see this on stage! (Yes, this is a photo from the play - but I have no idea from which scene.)

Here is the link to the full audio recording of the play on YouTube: Act I - Act II You can find the script via this post by @muchtohope ! I also used it for the text under the cut, thank you OP! :)

The mood changes again: darker, menacing, intensified by sound.

HOLMES becomes aware of another presence: the terrifying image of MORIARTY. His shadow stretches across the stage, street lit, in a London mist. HOLMES is alert, afraid.

HOLMES Professor Moriarty, I presume…? (The shadow remains. Silence) When the time is right, my friend, when the time is right…

The shadow moves away. WATSON's voice is heard.

WATSON Holmes? (HOLMES stays perfectly still) Can I be of assistance?

HOLMES Your presence might be invaluable.

WATSON You speak of danger. You are afraid of something?

HOLMES Well, I am.

WATSON Of what?

HOLMES Of air-guns.

This comes as a terrifying shriek from HOLMES. WATSON's voice has been in HOLMES' mind. Now his voice can be heard off-stage.

WATSON Holmes?

HOLMES (with quiet relief) My friend…

HOLMES rises from chair, as WATSON in outdoor clothes enters in natural light.

WATSON How are you, my dear fellow? I've brought you a cake. Mary baked it especially for you.

WATSON presents a cake tin. HOLMES peers inside, the briefest of glances. He puts in on the desk.

HOLMES How kind. And how is Mrs Watson?

WATSON She is extremely well, and sends you her compliments.

A pause.

HOLMES Watson… I think you know me well enough to understand that I am by no means a nervous man. At the same time it is stupidity, rather than courage, to refuse to recognise danger when it is close upon you. Might I trouble you for a match? (WATSON lights HOLMES' cigarette and sees him staring ahead in a momentary trance before he becomes aware of WATSON's presence again) You have probably never heard of Professor Moriarty?

[topsyturvy-turtely]

turtely's otp challenge

now on ao3!

read day 22 here: (prompt: competing)

(this is a sequel to day 21! read it on tumblr or ao3!)

summary: After John finds out who his secret admirer is, him and Sherlock go to a fair and it's the perfect date.

Gen, 1,572 words, AU - High School. First Dates, Holding Hands, Fair, Roller Coasters, Cotton Candy Fluff, they are so in love it hurts, Flowers, First Kiss

here is a snippet:

At the fair, it was loud: people screaming on the rides, children laughing, and music from everywhere. Sherlock was unsure of where to go, but John already headed purposefully to the highest roller coaster.

“The highest right away, John?”

“Duh. I am not wasting my money on the small ones. This gives just the adrenaline kick you need for the start,” Once again – it was the third time (yes, Sherlock had counted) – John grabbed the taller boy’s hand. Sherlock was pretty sure he would follow John if he jumped off a plane, if he only held his hand. Oh, no. Sherlock realised his crush on John Watson was intensifying with every minute spent together.

“Come on! Look, look at it and tell me this doesn’t look fun!”

Sherlock glanced at the roller coaster, it even had a loop in it. Then his eyes landed back on John again and, yep Crush Intensified. John looked up in the sky, the sun making his eyes sparkle, a childlike look of excitement and fascination on his face.

Still staring at John, Sherlock said, “It looks breathtaking.”

John looked back at him, realised Sherlock was staring at him with an intense look in his eyes and blushed. Was he talking about him or…?

“Hey, you two!” A woman with short purple hair yelled at them. “Get on, love birdies, or you have to take the next ride!”

continue reading -> tags ✨

tag list! (tell me if you wanna be added or removed please 💚) @justanobsessedpan @helloliriels @catlock-holmes @fluffbyday-smutbynight @inevitably-johnlocked @hisfavouritejumper @rhasima @forfucksakejohn @ohlooktheresabee @turbulenttrouble @so-youre-unattached-like-me @totallysilvergirl @peanitbear @train-mossman @loki-lock @smulderscobie @timberva @grace-in-the-wilderness @chinike @jawnn-watson @whatnext2020 @escapingthereality @missdeliadili @kettykika78 @musingsofmyown @francj15 @speedymoviesbyscience @astudyin221b @ladylindaaa @we-r-loonies @mxster-jocale @sherlockcorner @noahspector @our-stars-graveside @jobooksncoffee @baker-street-blog @macgyvershe @battledress @a-victorian-girl @dreamerofthemeadow @oetkb12 @ohnoesnotagain @mutedsilence @jawnscoffee @raenchaosandcozyadashofmurder @lisbeth-kk @quickslvxrr @compact-and-beautiful @kabubsmagga @sunshineinyourmind @booksoversleep @startrekker2011

[power-chords]

The ability to tell an unhealthy horse from the state of its hooves, a storm coming up from a shift in the wind, or unfriendly intentions from the shadow in someone's expression would certainly not be learned from treatises on the care of horses, or of weather, or on psychology. In each case these kinds of knowledge were richer than any written authority on the subject; they had been learned not from books but from listening, from doing, from watching; their subtleties could scarcely be given formal expression and they might not even be reducible to words; they were the heritage — partly common and partly split — of men and women of any class. A fine common thread connected them; they were all born of experience, of the concrete and individual. That concrete quality was both the strength of this kind of knowledge and its limit; it could not make use of the powerful and terrible tool of abstraction.

From time to time attempts would be made to write down some part of this lore, locally rooted but without known origin or record or history, to fit it into a straitjacket of terminological precision. This usually constricted and impoverished it. . . it was perhaps only with medicine that the codifying and recording of conjectural lore produced a real enrichment; but the story of the relation between official and popular medicine has still to be written. In the course of the eighteenth century things changed. In a real cultural offensive the bourgeoisie appropriated more and more of the traditional lore of artisans and peasants, some of it conjectural, some not; they organized and recorded it, and at the same time intensified the massive process of cultural invasion which had already begun, though taking different forms and with different content, during the counter-reformation. . .

—Carlo Ginzburg, “Morelli, Freud, and Sherlock Holmes: clues and scientific method,” 1980

[meetinginsamarra]

mayprompts2024 #6,

Read part one (using the prompt “box”) here

Read part two (using the prompt “familiar”) here

Read part three (using the prompt “fall”) here

Read part four (using the prompt “awkward”) here

++++++

If you thought the last chapter/prompt was awkward (LOL) it's not getting better.

The testing intensifies...

++++++

The Perfect Place - Part Five

John needed a handkerchief to deal with his sweaty fore head and since he also needed to fetch the catalogue with the type-of-boxspring-in-relation-to-body-weight spreadsheet, he went to the counter.

Opening the drawer, he saw his gun lying on top of it. He took out both, cramming the catalogue under his arm and shoving the gun into the front pocket of his corduroy trousers. As ugly as the trousers were, they had the undeniable advantage of sporting a baggy cut with spacious front pockets so the gun could vanish easily in its depths.

(To be fair, normally John would not have touched this pair of trousers with a ten-foot pole. But he had assumed they would make him look like a trustworthy and respectable salesman and they let him hide the gun easily. Also, they had cost him nothing since he had inherited them from his sister Harry and practical as John was, he would not simply throw them away.) (Which would have been better, actually.)

Anyway, the familiar feeling of the gun’s cold metal against his body gave John some much-needed emotional support in further dealing with this intense (John meant arousing) customer. It distracted him from salivating (too) openly over the client. John could not risk that the man would get cold feet because of John being creepy and leaving the shop without buying the bed. Luckily, today John also wore a long cardigan, therefore the gun was practically invisible.

(The cardigan was another piece of exceptionally ugly clothing John had inherited via Harry. His sister on the other hand had also inherited the cardigan via their grandfather who had been gifted the hand-knitted atrocity by his wife. The grandmother had been an avid cat lover and had adorned the cardigan’s front with several hand-stitched cat faces.)

John returned to the customer and found him staring into space with a dazed expression and observed a weird smile forming on this beautiful face.

Meanwhile, Sherlock had been in a daze. He couldn’t believe his luck. John had actually picked his brain earlier to learn if he was gay and single, ergo John was interested in his person apart from selling the bed.

Sherlock had also noticed that the delightful rigidity he had attested while testing the mattress had been mirrored in John’s midsection. Even the baggy corduroy trousers had not been able to hide all of the rising bump. Sherlock deduced that John had been aroused and the only source could have been Sherlock himself and concluded further that his plan was working out fine.

Originally, the steps had been to get John to move into 221b as Sherlock’s flatmate and then seduce him into being his boyfriend. But apparently, it went the other way around and Sherlock had made John fall in love with him already, putting the flatmate-thing onto second position. This was perfectly okay, just a little bump in the way of totally winning John over.

Sherlock decided to step it up a notch with the testing. He wanted to see how far John would go and how far he could push him respectively. (Sherlock assumed that it would be important for their later relationship to know what he could get away with.) He needed to see how John would react in a precarious situation.

Sherlock watched John returning with the catalogue, fixed his eyes on him, smiled and offered his hand.

“Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. Potential partners should know each other’s names. I’m Sherlock Holmes.” (Sherlock was so exited that he got a bit ahead himself.)

John stopped dead in his tracks. What? We’re partners? Since when? I didn’t notice… his brain fired frantic questions at him. Blood pounded in his ears.

Sherlock cleared his throat, realizing his blunder. “Business partners, that’s what I wanted to say. As in you sell the bed and I buy it. Therefore, we do business with each other, right?” That was close, he thought.

“Oh, sure, sure. John Watson, pleased to meet you. Again.” John released his breath. “Great. The deluxe bed suits you, then?”

“Yes, well, all seems very promising.” Sherlock looked at John from under his long eyelashes, deliberately changing his voice to a lower register because he knew exactly what effect this had on other men. (And women, but Sherlock din’t care about that.)

“Yet, I have to test the mattress for real. May I lie down, please?”

+++++

The Bed Shop Boys will continue to be idiots in love tomorrow!

tagging some people @calaisreno @totallysilvergirl @lisbeth-kk @peanitbear @raina-at

[writingfanficsfan]

“Wait. Lestrade. What- what are you doing? Where are you going?” 

“What I’m doing? Leaving! Where I’m going? Home!” 

“But, but why? We haven’t even had the main course yet. Lestrade!”

“I’m not hungry anymore, Sherlock.” 

“But there’s a wonderful-”

“I don’t care! Why the hell did you invite me here?!” 

“And where is my damn coat?!” Greg exclaimed, closing yet another door that didn’t have his coat inside it. Sherlock winced, wringing his hands and Greg breathed in and out, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“It’s in the coat room. Your- your coat.” 

“You have a room for coats?!” Greg asked, seeing the blush on Sherlock’s cheeks intensify and Greg rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh. “Of course you do. Just like you have 8 different forks for one meal.” 

“We don’t have-” 

“Seriously, Holmes. You’ve had your fun. You and your brother both I guess but I’m done.”

@everythingcanadian Thank you for reading my fics and commenting on them. I sort of got an idea today and started writing for it. Because maybe in the future you will read it and like it.

@chained-to-the-mirror 💕My best fan.

[ratchet-decades-challenge]

Burdick Legacy 1914 | PART 1

Vera's inquisitive nature didn't go away with age. In fact, it intensified. Every time someone saw her playing she was always snooping around the house with a magnifying glass. She loved reading Sherlock Holmes and writing about "clues" she found in her journals.

1914 | [BACK TO 1913 | PART 2]

[miscielross]

(Konami owns Crimesight and the character design. I'm just repurposing them because I miss playing the game even though I was bad at it. It was a very niche game genre (basically Social Deception with Cluedo).)

Hello! I have fanfiction thoughts!

Singularity 2075: Neo-London aka Pretender Sherlock AU Summary: The Atlas Institute predicts a calamity that will destroy what's left of fractured Britain-- a great upheaval caused by a union of two Holy Grails. As a neutral party from the Mage Association believing it to be another Holy Grail War, JHW Corporation constructs the Foresight System-- an Investigation Software, embodied by an A.I. named Sherlock, that predicts the probability of crime about to occur.

The A.I. was able to predict seven Masters that would begin the "Calamity" and the Servants that will come to play in the ritual. But when one of the Masters was murdered and A.I. Sherlock was selected by the Holy Grail as the new participant, JHW Corporation becomes forcibly involved in the conflict. The corrupted Cu Chulainn Alter heeding A.I. Sherlock's summons only intensified the Mage Association's accusations of JHW Corporation using a Lesser Grail to create the Foresight System.

This is the current state of the Singularity that the Master of Chaldea arrives in.

tl;dr Maybe don't create an A.I. powered by a Holy Grail especially when you were warned that the world will be destroyed by two Holy Grails.

Resolving Singularity 2075 incorporates A.I. Sherlock to the Throne but he is summoned to Chaldea under the Pretender class instead of a Caster. His Noble Phantasm, Reichenbirthfall, changes him into the Avenger Class and manifests Calamity Muircheartaigh to the field.

After certain events and fulfillment of conditions, A.I. Sherlock's Final Ascension will change his name to Sherrinford Hope.

Alignment: Neutral-Evil: His merge with Calamity Muircheartaigh may have influenced his alignment. While A.I. Sherlock's principles and morality are retained, releasing his Noble Phantasm must be exercised with extreme caution and appropriate counter-measures. Madness Enhancement C: JHW Corporation's Lesser Holy Grail merging with Muircheartaigh's Cursed Grail significantly altered Sherlock's mental stability when summoned to Chaldea. He seems to be in frequent conversation with his "dear doctor", a character in reference to Dr. John Watson from the Sherlock Holmes series. But the mere mention of the name 'Watson' will turn all dialogue hostile. Perhaps the Avenger fused with his Spirit Origin is projecting his deep seated contempt towards JHW Corporation? Mental Corruption A: A.I. Sherlock is aware that it's illogical to call Muircheartaigh as a "doctor" because his title and profession was "professor". But his encoded personality dictates to hold affection towards "a doctor" and contempt to a "professor". As a projection of Sherlock Holmes, calling Muircheartaigh his "doctor" is his only roundabout way of dealing with it.

Relationship with Sherlock Holmes (Ruler): A.I. Sherlock knows he is inferior to Holmes because he is just "lines of code" made to mimic human behavior and stagnant logic. What disturbs Holmes, however, is the A.I.'s unchanged affection towards Calamity Muircheartaigh and his obsession with death during the 2075 Singularity.

"Moriarty can live without Holmes, but Holmes could never live without Moriarty. Is it not true for you, Holmes?"

Relationship with James Moriarty (Archer): A.I. Sherlock is very friendly towards the math professor, and attends his Evil Profession Classes. "To effectively counter Evil is to know Evil, right?" Professor Moriarty thinks the A.I. is just projecting because of Calamity Muircheartaigh's lack of physical form. But the more he observes the boy's one-sided conversations, the more he realizes that his affections were undeniably pure-- mimicry by lines of code or not.

"I wouldn't mind it so much if he wasn't actually a version of my arch-nemesis! He's like one of those deluded fanfictions where the author speaks for the character!"

[mariana-oconnor]

The Blue Carbuncle pt 3

Goose Chase Intensifies!

the proprietor a horsy-looking man

Not to be confused with 'horsy men', who - as Sherlock informed us in a previous story - are quite different.

One thing I appreciate about Watson's critical view of literally everyone's appearance, is that you cannot know if a person is a villain or an innocent bystander just by reading the descriptions of them. Everyone is treated alike by his pen, even though this was a time at which people believed that "criminal features" were a thing. I suspect if I knew more about that particular "science" I'd be able to spot the criminals more easily, but I'm glad I can't.

"Sold out of geese, I see," continued Holmes, pointing at the bare slabs of marble. "Let you have five hundred to-morrow morning."

That's a lot of geese. That's an awful lot of geese. Five hundred geese? I can't even imagine five hundred geese. Maybe if I pictured them all on a plane,* but even then.

Five hundred geese. He sells five hundred geese a day? I mean, if he's sold out for the night and he's getting five hundred in the morning. You wouldn't think a dead geese would keep very long in an time before refrigeration. I get that we're between Christmas and New Year and people are buying their new year's goose and we're in London and a lot of people live in London (over 6 million), but still. BUT STILL. How does he have room for 500 geese in his shop? Does he just pile them up on the floor?

That's a lot of geese.

I suppose I did ask for more geese. Although these are only mentioned and not seen.

*I suspect no one will get this joke, but I'm going to make it anyway.

"It is straight enough. I should like to know who sold you the geese which you supplied to the Alpha."

Oh how I wish ACD had chosen a different name for the pub.

"Oh, it is a matter of no importance; but I don't know why you should be so warm over such a trifle."

Don't make trife out of geese, Sherlock. That wouldn't be nice at all.

"Warm! You'd be as warm, maybe, if you were as pestered as I am. When I pay good money for a good article there should be an end of the business; but it's 'Where are the geese?' and 'Who did you sell the geese to?' and 'What will you take for the geese?' One would think they were the only geese in the world, to hear the fuss that is made over them."

I love this man. He is wonderful. he's just trying to do his gd job and he's an unwilling participant in the biggest goose chase of all time!

He also deserves some of the reward for his trouble. Although, if he's selling 500 geese a day or a week or whatever, he's got to be making decent profit off that you'd think.

"If you won't tell us the bet is off, that is all. But I'm always ready to back my opinion on a matter of fowls, and I have a fiver on it that the bird I ate is country bred." "Well, then, you've lost your fiver, for it's town bred," snapped the salesman. "It's nothing of the kind." "I say it is." "I don't believe it."

The classic 'please settle the wager between my friend and I ploy. Excellent. And we're once again at the point of 'Your goose is in another castle'. I was hoping there were more steps to the chase.

We kind of need the Benny Hill theme playing in the background.

Sherlock Holmes looked deeply chagrined. He drew a sovereign from his pocket and threw it down upon the slab, turning away with the air of a man whose disgust is too deep for words. A few yards off he stopped under a lamppost and laughed in the hearty, noiseless fashion which was peculiar to him.

Aw, he's having fun.

"Ha! this may save us a visit to Brixton Road," whispered Holmes. "Come with me, and we will see what is to be made of this fellow."

Noooooo, I wanted you to have to run across town again to go and visit Mrs Oakshott. Bah!

The man hesitated for an instant. "My name is John Robinson," he answered with a sidelong glance. "No, no; the real name," said Holmes sweetly. "It is always awkward doing business with an alias." A flush sprang to the white cheeks of the stranger. "Well then," said he, "my real name is James Ryder."

Seriously? It was that easy? You give up your name that easily? Spine made of silly string. You are not cut out for a life of crime, Mr James Ryder. You fold like cheap paper. You do not deserve the goose.

"Pray step into the cab, and I shall soon be able to tell you everything which you would wish to know." The little man stood glancing from one to the other of us with half-frightened, half-hopeful eyes, as one who is not sure whether he is on the verge of a windfall or of a catastrophe. Then he stepped into the cab...

What is this? So the maid is the brains of the operation, I guess. But then you were stupid enough to lose track of the goose you fed a priceless stolen jewel to. I guess we couldn't have expected much from you in the first place.

"Pray take the basket-chair."

I know its not. I know they weren't even invented at the time. But I'm imagining one of those hanging egg basket chairs, and Mr Ryder just gently swinging to and fro as Sherlock pulls on his slippers, both he and his fate hanging in the balance.

"Or rather, I fancy, of that goose. It was one bird, I imagine in which you were interested—white, with a black bar across the tail." Ryder quivered with emotion. "Oh, sir," he cried, "can you tell me where it went to?"

I actually feel sorry for this guy. He's kind of pitiful. Clearly he does not have the common sense or brains to be good at crime. He's sitting here not putting two and two together that Holmes knows he's looking for a specific goose and Holmes knows his name and his job. I really feel like it must be the maid who is behind all this and putting pressure on him to find the lost goose or else, because otherwise I cannot see how he's managed this far without giving himself away.

"It was Catherine Cusack who told me of it," said he in a crackling voice.

Yep, she's definitely the one behind it all. There's no way this guy came up with the thing.

You made some small job in my lady's room—you and your confederate Cusack—and you managed that he should be the man sent for.

I don't care what the conclusion to the story is. Maybe she made him think it was his idea, but it was definitely her.

"There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail. I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach."

That's certainly an image... what the actual?

"Send him to jail now, and you make him a jail-bird for life."

I suppose some things never change. I mean, I'm not sure I agree that he'll never commit a crime again. But I can't deny Holmes' point here.

"If you will have the goodness to touch the bell, Doctor, we will begin another investigation, in which, also a bird will be the chief feature."

Holmes really is enjoying himself in this one. The joke earlier (that I didn't quote) about how the goose 'laid a blue egg', this joke about another investigation involving a bird (I assume their dinner). He's really feeling the spirit of the season.

This is probably one of my favourite stories, thanks to the utter slapstick of it all. A wild goose chase all over London, the mix up of the mistaken geese. The fake bet. It's just a fun story. A Christmas pantomime, which I can't imagine isn't intentional, as I believe Mother Goose - which involves a bet, a goose that lays golden eggs, and the owner of said goose trying to get her back, is one of the oldest pantomimes.

I still think the maid was behind it all, though. I think she manipulated him into taking it and was planning to blackmail him over it or seduce him into giving it to her or something like that. I know that's not in the text, but it just makes more sense to me than the idea that Ryder, who couldn't keep up a lie for more than two seconds under the slightest questioning, carried all of that out under no influence but his own. Holmes even calls her Ryder's "confederate" and yet doesn't follow it up.

...

And one last time, just for fun.

[maxiwaxipads]

self indulgent fragaria memories post

waku waku! these are very messy notes that aren't linear at all! the first is just noir bouquet ep. 2 and what i would want out of it that I wrote a week ago

I like the idea that Tuxedo Sam’s kingdom has already experienced being attacked by SEEDs. Tuxam’s latent rule-making is more due to his paranoia mixed with his want to keep everyone within the kingdom safe.

(Tuxam receiving intel that a SEED is masquerading as a human and in turn, imposes all sorts of strict rules(?))

(It does raise concern to citizens, especially for Tuxam who has a reputation for unconditionally helping everyone no matter what)

But in all honestly—I wanted to implant the idea of a murder mystery where a SEED is mimicking the human form. Somehow Arupek, Chaco, Tuxam, the SEED, and a few innocent civilians are in a “the building is snowed in!” idea.

(They visit a cafe or restaurant, and while eating—a civilian approaches Tuxam who reports the abnormal snowfall)

Tuxam - “Remain calm everyone.” “It’ll be in my best efforts to remove the blockage and getting everyone safe and sound.”

(Power outage, someone disappears) (Furniture is reported to be loss, and people who were also trapped have also disappeared(?)) (If a SEED makes someone disappear, and the SEED is purified—would that disappeared person be dead? Like???) (Imagine a SEED disappearing you, and you appear in a weird void space)

(“WHERE AM I???”) (But you don’t remember what happened when you were absorbed by a SEED(?)) (I imagine being within a SEED’s stomach is like a black hole of nothingness) (Negative emotions intensify, and it’s a feeling of slowly dying despite not looking like it)

(I imagine SEEDs have a slow digestion, so it’s quite possibly to retrieve items or people consumed by a SEED)

(The SEED will feed off their paranoia in hopes everyone turns against each other)

(The culprit would be the one able to adhere to Tuxam’s strict standards, because even Tuxam would know no one can exactly follow him to a T!) 

(“You dirty the pure soul of gentlemanliness!”)

And isn’t Tuxam based on Sherlock Holmes? I would say it’s the perfect plot if done correctly? ♡

SEEDs will attempt to mimic the human form, but unable to significantly change their color palette. Having to rely on concealing themselves, they will mimic inconspicuous outfits. (ie. a SEED wearing a cloak that covers the entire body, or a SEED wearing heavy winter gear(?)) (If that makes sense)

While they mimic the human body, their faces still look like the head of a SEED. (They’ll often wear things like hoods or brimmed hats to conceal their faces with shade.) I imagine these types of SEEDs are able mimic human speech, but incapable of understanding what they’re truly saying.

(But I imagine there are SEEDs fully able to mimic the human form(?)) (I wonder if we’ll ever see sentient SEEDs(?))

Things I Personally Want To See -

Chaco and Arupek get etiquette lessons by Tuxam! I also wanted the idea of Tuxam dressing them up in suits to look more gentlemanly!

yeah i couldn’t think of anything else

i am simple-minded and desire tuxam content

yeah i only made this so i could give context on the current lore and also brain dump about noir bouquet (edit: I wrote everything we know about fragaria memories lore above this note for context <3) (I should mention this is just a chunk from a bigger big note I write everything in...)

when they leave, i want arupek who insists to go ice skating or ice fishing (arupek: “let’s have some fun before we go!”) (tuxam: “are you taking this seriously…?”)

speak your English little guy!!!

Presumably that Tuxam joins the party, I want to add more world building in some shape or form(?))

(do you think chaco enables arupek because he finds his presence to be enjoyable?) 

(When they take the brief moment to camp for the day, I want them to come across an abandoned village overtaken by SEEDs) (Likely abandoned by the SEEDs themselves, but the village is covered in a gross pollution covered in black)

(I imagine Tuxedo Sam’s Kingdom has taken in refugees that consist of people displaced by SEEDs)

(Tuxam - “(Sigh). It’s unfortunate for what had happened.”)

(Tuxam, who feels like he has a moral obligation to eliminate them) (I imagine Chaco and Arupek will also help in purifying the village)

(Even if this village is long abandoned, these houses were once someone’s home. The least Tuxam can do is eliminate the threat so someone’s personal history can be preserved!)

(i honestly don’t know how to write chaco yet, ill probably wait for translations ands see how he’s written and how other fans write him)

(i don’t know if hangyon and tuxam have met each other outside of intros and outros) (but i like the idea that after hearing they’ll be visiting hangyodon’s kingdom)

(tuxam screams into the rooftops “NOOOOOOOOOO”)

(but tuxam already sworn he’d join both arupek and chaco so he can’t back out)

(Arupek, who approaches Hangyon who recognizes Tuxam tells him) (“You got it all wrong! That isn’t Tuxam!”)

(Hangyon plays along) (“Ah~ My mistake, you look the same as a dear friend of mine~ You even have the same name!”)

(Tuxam - “Don’t play dumb, Hangyon…”) (Hangyon - “But I don’t know you at all?”)

(when i imagine going to keroppi kingdom, i want the group to be immediately attacked by drones)

(Chaco - “Ah~ I really don’t know how I got in this mess”)

(lovingly)

(Tuxam - “HEY… You weren’t scam, were you?”)

(Chaco - “A journey is the best thing money can buy. I wouldn’t say I was tricked.”) (“It’s more that I tricked myself.”)

Tuxam - “SO… You were scammed?” (Chaco - “Yes.”)

why did i get the mental image of tuxam as the father chaco as the mother and arupek as their child

it feels wrong to me to label 1 the father and 1 the mother

they either have to be both moms or both dads…? it just makes sense but i don’t know why????

(Tuxedo Knights are an order of knights that were mobilized during the formation of SEEDs taking place in Noir Continent)

(Adhere to a code of chivalry like Knights of Fragaria, they are personally managed by Tuxam himself!)

(Stationed throughout Tuxedo Sam’s kingdom and are always prepared to deal with SEEDs that could appear.)

Honestly, I wanted to add the detail that Tuxam previously lost people he cared about to SEEDs—but I’ll be getting into head canon territory where it does involve OCs <3

(The situation itself is already personal to him, especially a SEED in Tuxedo Sam’s kingdom that is able to mimic the human form)

(Previously lost a friend to SEEDs when they started to take root in the world of Fragaria. 

(I only wrote a fragaria OC based on Chip who was a squire when he died) (Childhood friends troupe, Ichi became a knight alongside Tuxam!)

Childhood best friends to Chip’s Knight of Fragaria, Ichi, who was only a squire, around this time both Ichi and Tuxam were squires together. This was when SEEDs had started to take root within the world of Fragaria.

Alternatively—Ichi turned into a SEED and Tuxam doesn’t even remember this friendship anymore. He only knows he once knew someone. The guilt associated with once knowing someone, but unable to remember them. Tuxam who wants to desperately remember this friendship in his life, and blames the SEEDs for this.

“It’d be nice to honor your memory in some way. I’ve forgotten you. But not your existence.”

But a Tuxam, who remembers his friendship with Ichi—while he isn’t depressive with his thoughts, it has affected his life in having fun and he hasn’t found closure in his death.

I think it’s more of a, “…Is it really fine—if I’m enjoying this? Having fun?” “I’m a knight of my kingdom. It’s my duty to protect, not… Doing this.”

And while honorable, I imagine it’s more of having the leisure to finally relax—even for a moment. “It was moments like this that killed him.” “I can’t bare that… No—It’s not something that should happen anymore. I’ll be strong for myself, and everyone around me.”

In times of peace, Tuxam is the most unease because it feels too good to be true.

(I like to think Tuxedo Sam’s Kingdom, while more better than it was before—has abandoned villages and towns ravaged by the attacks of SEEDs) (While few have still survived, they’re mainly under the protection of Tuxedo Sam’s kingdoms or having to rely on foreign aid from other kingdoms(?))

(Referred as being “overgrown,” it describes places festered with the influence of SEEDs) (these places dye entire villages and environments into a dark pitch black similar to ink(?))

(it’s the bad remnants left from a SEED) (but these places are capable of being purified)

(important to eliminate because SEEDs can erupt from here)

(even a drop of their remnants can birth SEEDs)

(maybe overgrowth happens when a SEED takes an overwhelming amount of negative energy that it spills right out of them(?))

(a SEED that’s too full of negative emotions will plague their surroundings with intense sadness and hopelessness)

(it’ll take a while for them to ingest, and they cannot properly conceal themselves as they once could)

blue bouquet failed draft

Klarkstella - “Purified.” Kurode - “My head…” Klarkstella - “…” Kurode - “Where… Am I?” Klarkstella - “…” “Little Stars Kingdom.” Kurode - “Litt—Gh… I can’t seem to think straight.” “Light…I can’t bare to—” Klarkstella - “Can you stand?” (Kurode attempts standing up, but as he’s about to fall down, Klarkstella securely holds him up) Kurode - “…Thank you.” Klarkstella - “A symptom when being consumed by a SEED.” Klarkstella - “Drowsy. Sensitive to light. Reported to feel weighted and unable to move.” “Increased sensitivity to emotions…” Klarkstella - “No critical injuries…” “A necessary remedy will be rest.” (Kurode, who attempts to speak but seems pained to do so) Kurode - “Trou—trouble on the way here… But I, Gh— don’t remember a thing.” Klarkstella - “…” Kurode - “Uhm…” Klarkstella - “I’ll escort you back to the kingdom.” Klarkstella - “(Louter… Had I brought you, I wouldn’t had been burden with this responsibility… No. I wouldn’t push it on him.)” “(Myu…Something—No. He looks too young to put the responsibility of carrying him either.)” Klarkstella - “(It pains me to ask…)” “Here. On my back.” Kurode - “T—Thank you.” Klarkstella - “And your name is Kurode, correct?” Kurode - “Mhm.” Klarkstella - “Go rest.” (Kurode who listens, strangely at ease) (Quickly falls asleep) Myunna - “K…Klarkstella! Have you found him—” (Klarkstella stares at Myunna with a sleeping Kurode on his back) Klarkstella - “Sh.” Myunna - “Ah!… Myunna will stay quiet.” Myunna - “Is he hurt?” Klarkstella - “…” Myunna - “…” Myunna - “Great. I guess that was a no…?”

I like this, but this was only thrown out because this is under the premise that SEEDs already reached Little Stars Kingdom a while ago... Originally it was Myunna who came with Klarkstella (where they pulled sticks to see who would go and Klarkstella was picked) because he knows how to purify SEEDs, but I kinda want more Willmesh interaction instead?

(Myunna comes out of concern) (Willmesh who comes out of interest with Kurode(?)) (Klarkstella only comes because of a stick)

(I'll probably write it, just more modified and structured(?)) (This is only 1 part of the draft since everything but this part is okay)

the list of tuxam headcanons i accumulated over the months since tuxam was revealed I stopped at like February or march and all the spelling mistakes with badobarm's and hangyon's names... a lot of this was when we only had their appearances and voice lines

(Within the Noir Continent, Tuxam lives within the snowy region of Noir) (I like to imagine there’s a fresh population of fish within this area(?)) (Abundant with rich ores, though relies on imports for fresh produce) (There’s a reliance on fish for food, but some do hunt for their meals(?))

(Because SEEDS are physically more defensive in this region, Tuxam is skilled at magic than with swordplay) (Compared to his peers, he’s either mid-ranged or long-ranged when it comes to battle) (There are some regions uninhabited and said to have species of SEEDS considered dangerous or undiscovered species) (I imagine Pikero has interests over these regions, though Tuxam lets him be with some support and moderation) (Although they argue, the topic of SEEDS are a different topic that requires special attention)

(Especially busy during the Christmas season, and starts celebrations early and long) (Often hard to contact, and needs to be notified ahead of time to make changes in schedule) (Likely makes monthly )

ill be honest with you i just wanted to make 1 philippines reference

(Chip’s knight is a squire) (There’s a small age difference between Tuxam and Chip’s knight, though Tuxam received knighthood early) (Most don’t have a strong opinion on Ichi, but appears kind to others) (Less overbearing, but responsible as Tuxam) (I honestly don’t remember much about Chip, but I like to think Ichi was taken in by their lord) (“I want to see your dreams come true!”) (Childhood friends troupe) (Ichi is able to withstand Tuxam’s strict nagging, and actually appreciates him for it) (“Yes! I’ll absolutely do just that!”) (Most patient knight) 

(The only person in the world that’s able to adhere perfectly towards Tuxam’s standards on a knight)

(They would hype each other up) (I imagine Ichi hasn’t allowed himself to promoted as a knight because he’s a perfectionist who doesn’t believe he’s made it(?)) (Is very much capable, but someone who compares himself with his peers)

(“Ichi” or “Chi” as their name for now(?)) (Ichi because that’s the only name that reminds me of Chip, or Chi because that can be taken away and still sound natural)

(When anybody from Noir, or other Bouquets come to visit, I imagine Tuxam provides way too many layers of winter clothes to ensure their safety) (Tuxam looking like a veteran taking care of pandas, as he escorts them)

(Resistant to the cold, and able to handle harsh temperatures even with a shirt and shorts on) (Like his Lord, he’s able to eat his fill) (Citizens within his region have a high respect for him, and Tuxam helps them daily) (Workaholic, doesn’t know when to stop) (Prideful about his position as a knight, and respects his lord dearly)

(Maybe it’s just for me, but I think everyone sees Pikero as the physically weakest member in Noir Bouquet) (Self-indulged image of Tuxam wrestling Pikero down) (You know that one image where A hugs B behind the back, but it isn’t sweet, and they just wrestle them?) (Like that) (I thought of Hangyun at first, though that’s more funnier)

(Easily embarrassed and overwhelmed when it comes to be complimented) (Though it’s also rewarding when Tuxam also gives praises to others(?)) (Can be surprising to hear them at first) (Someone who isn’t satisfied until he perceives something as textbook perfect(?)) (Even if it isn’t perfect to his standards, it’s more so satisfactory(?))

(Wants to uplift everyone and himself) 

(I imagine everyone in Noir is competitive, but for Tuxam, he wouldn’t easily admit he’s competitive)

(I imagine Tuxam’s hometown is similar to a snow globe, as it has a protective barrier that protects against SEEDS, or any outside threats) (Warmer inside) (A centuries long spell that protects against SEEDS, and able to blow away snow from covering the barrier) (Honestly I don’t know why, but I have a weird obsession of making winter towns into snow globe themed places) (They’re just so cool) (What do you want from me)

i had a weird obsession with artic places having snow globe like cities, but it sounds really cool at the same time?!

(At first I wanted to say straightforward, but I imagine Tuxam explains everything with high detail and attentive to his surroundings)

(Admires Romalish as a role model to become a better gentleman, and wants to get closer with Halritt because of their Lords)

(Myunna, Rimicha, and Tuxam have a self-betterment group where they meet once or twice in a month to become more competent knights(?)) (Honestly thought of this idea because of being the shortest members in their perspective bouquets) (I imagine it more comedic than something that’s serious) (I imagine Myunna and Tuxam are committed to become even better knights, and Rimicha to a lesser degree and wants to have fun instead) (Knight Bootcamp to become even stronger knights!) (Sometimes featuring guest appearances of other knights) (Tuxam tries to take it seriously, but the situation always derails in some shape or form) (I think Myunna as someone who goes with the flow, though not in an Arupek-kinda-way(?)) (He’s willing to be serious yet also take it easy(?)) (If Rimicha and Tuxam were 1 end of extremes, Myunna is more the middle that goes left or right)

(Dramatic episode where Tuxam makes the sudden realization on if he’s being too overbearing on his admiration to his lord) (Because of misunderstanding, he avoids Tuxedo Sam more than usual) (Though under a sudden embrace by Tuxedo Sam, who jumps into a hug, Tuxam admits why he’s been avoiding his lord) (Story ends there) (Misunderstanding ends)

(Noir Bouquet getting so used to Tuxam’s nagging, that the day he decides to stop for a day, they all think he’s ill)

(Noir Bouquet subtly taking a little bit more work when the other seems down because mostly everyone is a bit prideful about doing it themselves (?)) (Maybe not everyone, and maybe unconsciously) (They wouldn’t admit it themselves, but will hide it under an excuse)

(I imagine Tuxam to be a good cook, and especially knows how to handle fish well(?)) 

(Does know when to stop nagging when someone appears upset) (Though doesn’t know how to cheer people up) (Probably goes out of his way to explain his actions(?)) (Very frantically) (Would unintentionally excuse himself by saying, “This is for your very good.”(?)) (Does care about others, but isn’t someone who can express that well(?)) (Maybe in a straightforward matter, but can go in detail about a person’s strengths and flaws(?)) (When I say that, I imagine Tuxam has more of an objective approach rather than relying heavily on opinion(?))

(Wears his heart on his sleeve, and cannot hold a poker face at all) (Familiar with English like his lord, and has studied abroad) (Maybe Halritt and him were enrolled in the same institute, or visited his hometown where he pursued his education(?)) (I like the idea that it was love at first sight for Tuxam, and for Halritt, he thought of him as a friend) (I kinda ship them?)

(I remember writing: “I think everyone can agree that Pikero is the physically weakest in Noir Banquet.” Or something close to that) (I still agree with that)

(Physical Strength: Pikero > Tuxam > Arupek > Chaco > Hangyoon > Badobam) (Stronger when it comes to magic, though he’s average to everything else) (Very resistant against cold temperatures) (When I say average, I think Tuxam who has the same running capacity as a normal person) (Slightly stronger than the average person, but when pitted against other knights, he isn’t too strong) (Still able to defend himself when having to fight close-ranged, though it isn’t his strong suit) 

(I know this is Tuxam brain rot, but I imagine Pikero is unexpectedly nimble) (Can run especially fast when it comes to emergencies) (And by emergencies, I mainly referred to Hangyon)

(A character that I imagine he’s easy to tease and start arguments with) (Though I feel like that’s obvious)

(What’s the opposite of transfem?) (Whatever it is, I like that headcanon) (I remember seeing a head canon that Pikero did his top surgery himself) (lore accurate)

(It took me a week to remember, but it was transmasc) (<-it took me a week to remember it was transmasc...? </3) (but im gay???) (tuxam and tuxedo sam literally walk in the trans flag colors???)

(This has always been a personal thought of mind I always thought as funny, though I like the image of a tall person picking up a person who’s smaller in height) (Like a cat I mean) (By that, I mean I imagine Badobam picking up Tuxam out of annoyance)

(Tuxam keeps up with fashion trends, which can be unexpected of him to others) (Can do simple handicrafts, and a slow learner when it comes to sewing) (He wants to impress his Lord!) (And make bowties his Lord might wear) (I like to think everybody knows how to, to some extent) (Tuxam is a little slower and finds handicrafts hard to make) (It’s the thought that matters!)

(SORRY TUXEDO SAM HAS SERVED IN 8 NAVY BATTLES AND WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED????) (Kinda wanna write that Tuxam has maritime experience fighting SEEDS in the water) (Has a strong army that’s more specialized in handling winter terrains or cold temperatures) (Maybe Tuxam was inspired by Tuxedo Sam’s navy experience and vowed to become his knight because of his tales) (I like to think that’s apart of his admiration why Tuxam admires Tuxedo Sam) (There’s more to love about his lord!)

(When it comes to members of Noir Bouquet, I imagine they can easily carried get away during the moment) (If they’re really into something, then THEY’RE REALLY INTO IT, and have to see it through the end(?))

(It’ll take a lot of force or have to be reminded if they actually need to be stop) (For Tuxam’s case, I imagine this is the reason he adheres to a strict schedule)

(Probably eats ice cubes like its a normal snack) (And for flavor) (Douses water like its a sauce)

(Someone who insists to do everything himself, and won’t budge until its clearly overwhelming for him) (He’ll still insist to do it himself, but it won’t take long on when he accepts your help) (Finds it hard to ask for help, even when it’s clear he needs it)

(Easily scared when it comes to horror movies or haunted houses) (Probably afraid of roller coasters) (If there’s a jumpscare, he would scream)

(I imagine he’s a character who puts on a brave face when facing spicy food, or anything unappealing) (But if he had a chance, Tuxam would say no) (I think he’s a character who goes, “…It was adequate.” Despite that not being the case) (And the pain is visible to his face) (I would say, “Unless your dense or Arupek,” but is that discrediting Arupek?) (Sounds funny to me, but I hope not)

(How I see it, in my delusions:) (Badoham would taste test it, though is honest on how to improve it) (Badoham would finish because he doesn’t want to waste food) (Arupek eats half of the meal, and then proceeds to puke) (Tuxam says it’s good, though it’s obvious he’s lying) (Pikero goes into detail why it’s terrible) (Hangyon says its tasty, and is being honest to you) (Chaco isn’t even there, or refuses)

(I think Chaco would go “Nah~”) (Make a peace sign with a slight smile, and disappears right there)

(I first thought Chaco would instead force-feed it to you, and ask how it tastes? But I don’t know how accurate that is)

(Maybe he’s a character that has intrusive thoughts about doing that, but says no to your offer)

(Chaco, by his character design and vibes, gives me the impression of someone who thinks about beating up when he’s asked to do anything) (But still helps you at the end in order to appear reliable(?))

“(Huh? Aren’t you capable of doing the work yourself? I have other plans ahead of time.)” “Sure. I’ll be happy to help.”

(He keeps less of a front when around other knights from Noir Bouquet because they already know his act(?))

(“You want me to do what?”) (As he picks his ear)

(Although Tuxam is a character that’s very true to his beliefs, I imagine apart of him can be easily swayed by his emotions(?)) (But I imagine he’s a character that’s hard to convince unless provided with good reasoning)

(Possibly a pessimist, but stays positive in front of the face of others) (Wouldn’t want to burden others despite the clear emotions he expresses) (I imagine he can’t keep a secret for dear life, and easily shows destain when he feels it) (Someone who can’t lie)

(Before becoming a knight, Tuxam was a Tuxedo Sam fan and secretly keeps merchandise and collects plushies) (I feel like that’s everyone in Fragmem though) (They all would, whether or not if it’s kept secret or not) (Like drat! I can’t let anyone know I’m a big fan of my lord!) (But they’re all the same in different flavors) (And when it’s accidentally revealed, I imagine everyone has an individual understanding and keeps secret) (Some might be obvious fans about their lords) 

(“Some might be an obvious fan about their lords,” and I immediately point at Hangyon)

(I feel like Arupek is an adjective to me)

(I imagine Tuxam as a character that unintentionally speaks loudly) (When someone asks him to speak quiet, as a gentlemen, he apologizes and listens to this request)

(Unless something troublesome happens, I imagine he raises voice yet again) (It’s something he tries but can’t always control)

(When teased for his height, he retorts that he’s at a respectable height!) (Tallness isn’t a requirement to be a good gentleman!) (But he does think about it) (He wears hats or heeled shoes to obscure his height) (That’s 1 of his reasons, not a major reason) (His current outfit looks good on him)

(I think he’s a little self-conscious when he’s teased) (But at the end of the day, he knows it isn’t serious at all) (Until he breaks down…)

(Someone who eats small portions because he wants others to eat more) (Though if you insist to eat more, he would oblige on your request before asking a few times if it’s okay) (He has a big stomach, but can’t seem to grow fat or muscle easily) (Though he does train hard)

(Pays attention to his eating habits, but has the tendency to eat less than needed) (He might have a plate full of the daily necessities, but not enough to keep him full) (Like he has a healthy plate, but not enough for a full stomach(?))

(Diligently follows the rules, but if he were to break one, it would somehow be unintentional) (He would reflect on it for a good while, and accept punishment) (“I…I apologize. I’ll do everything in my ability to reflect and not make the same mistake again.”) (He takes it to heart) 

(Abides strict rules, but he’s someone who’s incredibly emotional and sympathetic to others)

Pikero - “You’ve certainly surpassed the definition of ‘food’ into ‘poison.’” “You have my congratulations. Even I can learn something new in this world.”

Arupek - “I…It was something! Yeah! Something!”

In the background, “plueehhhh….”

Hangyon - “Wow~ I never felt so moved!” “Is there more where this came from? I might want takeout~”

Badobarm - “Hm… There’s certainly ways you can improve on this.” “Here, if you do it like this—” (Finishes it all, and gives advise on how to do better)

Tuxam - “A gentleman should always be able to take gifts kind-heartedly!” (nom!)

“…” “How…How thoughtful…”

Chaco doesn’t say a thing. He stares at you. A disfigured face that once held a placid smile contorts into disgust.

or

Chaco looks at you. Smiles.

Chaco - “Nah~”

Makes a peace sign and disappears right there.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Threads That Bind Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❝ The firstborn was the spinner, who could weave new threads. The second was the drawer; she could elongate or shorten a thread, intensifying or weakening the corresponding feeling. And the youngest was the cutter, able to cut whatever thread she desired, even life threads. ❞

❝ There is violence in kindness, and kindness in violence. ❞

❝ "I think the people we love can be cruel. Our love doesn't absolve them. Nor should it. ❞

❓ #QOTD Do you believe in fate? What Greek deity is your favorite? ❓ 🦇 Io Ora is the youngest of three sisters, each a descendant of the Fates: one to weave, one to draw, and one to cut the threads that connect people to the things they love and to life itself. When she learns someone is abducting women, cleaving their life threads, and setting them loose as wraiths to exact revenge, Io puts her skills as a private investigator to work. The half-sunken city of Alante is filled with descendants of the Greek gods, leaving Io with a long list of powerful suspects. Can she work alongside Edei Rhuna, the boy she shares a fate-thread with, to unveil secrets in the darkest corners of Alante?

💜 Oh. My. Goddess. I've struggled for two days to put my thoughts to page. This book hangover is going to haunt me for a MONTH. Kika Hatzopoulou wove a spell-binding world inspired by Greek mythology, lore, and above all else, sisterhood. Every thin thread (pun intended) Io follows connects to another; no page is wasted, no detail unnecessary. This captivating tale of family betrayal, fate, political power, and societal inequality snares readers from Io's first page and keeps them enthralled to the bitter end. Hatzopoulou uses her well-developed characters, vivid world-building, and carefully plotted murder to give us so much more than a mythology retelling or mystery. This fast-paced YA novel features an innovative culture and history unlike anything we've seen in mythology-inspired masterpieces before it. As someone who wrote her own mystery and mythology retelling in the past, I can only hope to reach Hatzopoulou's level. Io is a real, raw protagonist with faults and scars, making her all more realistic even in such a magical setting.

🦇 Despite having annotated this book more than any other in the past year, I do think there's room for growth in Hatzopoulou's prose. A certain amount of poetic prose would contribute to the mythical magic of Hatzopoulou's world, captivating readers even more. I know I'm nitpicking, but a few word choice changes could have made all the difference. This is a stunning debut, though, and a fantasy novel you CAN'T miss this year. My only other issue was the antagonist's reveal. We're given the mastermind's name, but when they walk into the room, Io skims them from the floor up, then names them again. Removing the antagonist's name and focusing on the description (showing, rather than telling) would have made for a stronger reveal. There are a few pages where Io's narration runs in circles, repeating details as she works to solve the mystery. Repeating certain details ensures readers are on track, piecing together the clues as Io does, but there's more than one occurrence when it's unnecessary. Beyond that, this is a powerful debut with the potential for a wow-worthy sequel or series.

🦇 Recommended to fans of Lore, Song of Achilles, or any mythology retelling. An engaging read for fans of Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew who love unraveling a good mystery.

🧵 Greek Mythology 🪡 Soulmates ✂️ Murder Mystery 🪡 Sisterhood 🧵 Prejudice / Equality / Social Change

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[hollenka99]

2023 According to my Tumblr Archive

January

Sherlock Holmes finally entered the public domain in his entirety

Speaker of the House shenanigans in the US

Polls became a thing

The Last of Us show began airing

Panic! At The Disco disbanded (despite it only really being one person anyway)

The Tumblr Sexyman Tournament (Tumblr edition) ended with Cecil from WTNV beating Sans

February

The whole site smelled of vanilla extract for a while

I finally got the chance to see Puss In Boots: The Last Wish and fell in love with Death a month after the rest of the internet

A new Professor Layton main series game was announced after the fandom has been surviving on spin offs for far too long

Mcytblr was commiting just so much voter fraud in our own sexyman competition

March

Limited Life started

Gary Lineker called the government out for having facist policies and indirectly caused a massive walkout at the BBC

I discovered The Lion In Winter

QSMP started

Glue trap meme

April

The Mishapocalypse returned for the 10th anniversary

The 'this Barbie is' meme

Across the Spider-verse came out

Tucker Carlson got fired from FOX

The Writers' Guild of America voted to go on strike

May

The Tories got fucked over in local elections by losing over 1000 seats

An elderly couple sat in a church and were given hats

Queen Charlotte aired on Netflix

Generation Loss

June

Across The Spiderverse came out

I broke our coffee table and I'm still laughing about it

The Oceangate submersible

July

I watched Nimona (and read the comic it was based on too)

Puppet History came back for its 6th season

SAG-AFTRA joined in with the WGA's strike

Colleen Ballinger played her ukulele

I shared the Apollo 11 in Real Time website and it became my most popular post of the year which is cool

Ted Nivison and Eddy Burback revealed they went to every Margaritaville in North America

Months of memes finally culminated in Barbenheimer Day

Season 5 of The Dragon Prince

August

Season 2 of Heartstopper

Planet of the Bass

Tumblr got really into Tree Law for a few days

Charles Martinet retired from being Mario's voice

September

Trump's mugshot

Doctor Who released its trailer for the 60th anniversary

PJO did the same for the upcoming Disney+ show

October

Israel found a reason to intensify their genocide against Palestinians

BBC Ghosts returned for its 5th and final season

The WGA were able to get most of the strike conditions met

danandphilgames announced it was coming back after a 5 year hiatus

The clingyduo divorce arc began

Nerdy Prudes Must Die premiered

Secret Life began

Matthew Perry died

November

SAG-AFTRA were able to win their strike too

Suella Braverman finally got the sack

But somehow, David Cameron returned

Zack and Cody had their dinner reservation

Tommy wrote rpf about himself and Tubbo

American Arcadia was released

The first of the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials said trans rights

December

Henry Kissenger finally fucking died

James Somerton and other plagiarists got absolutely called out

Wilbur Soot decided to drop an album without any warning

The 'they should have been at the club' meme

The Gȁvlebocken got pecked to death

Gonna be honest, the majority of my archive for this month is just. So Much Doctor Who.

[inflammatoryfandomblog]

okay here are my thoughts on the great ace attorney games: they’re good.

i like the fact that they’re distinct from the trilogy. on top of being a lazy pc-player snob, the main reason i have not yet touched apollo, athena, and kurain people is because it feels too much like the trilogy for me. i am someone who thought that trials and tribulations and justice for all were superfluous when i first finished the phoenix wright trilogy. so i didn’t necessarily feel like revisiting the same cast.

the tgaa characters were pretty fun. i loved susato as an assistant (and while naruhodo is basically milk, he’s the zanier one of the two) and she felt very distinct from maya; van zieks was a dick but he was a dick who cared about justice unlike worthy and franny at their outsets (the most realistic thing about this game is how his racism actively works against justice in the soseki cases even when he cares about justice.) i love sholmes (”i said i knew a smattering of japanese!”) and the game is a real love letter to sir arthur conan doyle’s stories.

especially with the reveal that his real partner was mikotoba (which makes susato’s admiration for him like 10x more hilarious), it does feel like the main idea for this game was “man what if japanese people like us got to hang out sherlock holmes, that’s awesome.” and you know what. it certainly feels awesome to play through. 

and it’s very nice to tie in such a classic series with ace attorney, precisely because the games are so detached from reality anyways. take for example ace attorney’s view of justice and the purpose of courtrooms as a sort of socratic exercise to find the truth. the main motivation behind this is obviously to intensify the feelings of catching people’s conflicting stories with evidence, but it also puts this glossy, idealized sheen over everything in the series.

you’re not actually in the historic British or the Japanese Empires; this is the epcot version of all these things, and it’s fun to be in epcot. ace attorney is a funny lawyer game and even at its worst it never has any pretentions about tacking Big Issues.

(if you’re wondering how i feel about the “oh xyz character is a COLONIZER!!!!” discourse surrounding this game, that’s it in a nutshell lmao.)

weirdly i disliked the first two cases of the first game and the last two cases of the last game. i found the twist with kazuma and the TRUE story of the professor to be... kind of underwhelming, honestly. kazuma’s arc of Becoming a Prosecutor has no real emotional weight to it; he spends like two cases defending a dead person from the prosecution stand and stays a prosecutor because.... uh.... there was darkness inside him? it’s just not really compelling drama compared to von karma raising edgeworth to be the thing his father would have hated, for instance. 

similarly the true story of what happened and how it panned out felt oddly by-the-numbers, and stronghart was basically shitty damon gant. i don’t remember a single thing about stronghart besides the one moment he takes like 6 literal hours of your day to talk to you about forensics. and he’s so much more powerful than damon gant; if you remember, gant was just the chief of police, stronghart was literally so powerful he could pull diplomatic strings, and while gant’s actions and mistakes made sense, stronghart’s decisions feel extremely weird when you think about it for two seconds.

but even in those cases, which i found wanting, i really appreciated how, for instance, the last case incorporated the investigation mechanics in a new way, how the second case of the first game tried something with it being only investigations, etc etc. in general the structure of the cases was much harder to predict and it made each one structurally very different and memorable.

one other thing i liked is that the characters feel three-dimensional they way they were in the original ace attorney one. one gripe i had with the trilogy is that slowly characters just degraded/got flanderized over time. it doesn’t happen here; almost every character ends this duology with more aspects to them than what they started with. aside from sholmes, who i really liked because he was a funny idiot genius, my other favorite character is actually gregson. he doesn’t have a dramatic backstory or anything, but i feel like he was pretty multifaceted as it goes.

the jury system was a good addition and it was something that was much better in tgaa2 than in tgaa1, where the juries’ whole shtick was “oops!!!! i am deeply involved in this case!!!” as opposed to them being other perspectives in the courtroom. i really disliked the jurors in tgaa1, which wasn’t helped by the amounts of summation examinations we had to endure in that game. in tgaa2 they were much better; it’s a shame that we only had them for 2 cases there.

other than that; it’s a blast, i really liked it and it really made itself different than what came before. there are other nitpicks/small elements i could praise, but it’s like very late and i’m tired.

[gudsouplady]

Watching Sherlock (S2,E1) A scandal in Belgravia (Tw: This show has a lot of showing and mentioning of guns,Dead bodies,Drugs,War etc.If you don’t like that stuff then I advise you to not read this post) (spoilers)

• He came back

• Why is he going to shoot the bomb jacket

• “stayin alive” as Moriarty’s ringtone

• Who is Moriarty talking to ?????

• “Wrong day to die”

“Did you get a better offer”

• “I’ll make you into shoes”

• He’s gone again

• Who is Miss alder and the other woman ????

• The glorious intro

• Annoying clients

• “The geek interpreter”

• Sherlock just left

• Don’t traumatise the kids

• What happened to the guy in the car boot

• “people want to know your human”

• Sherlock is famous now

• Sherlock is in the newspaper

• Why does the woman have a whip

• Time for what ????

• What does Sherlock keep in his fridge

• I thought the guy that wondered into Baker Street dropped dead

• He’s car broke down in a fields

• Where did the guy in the red jacket go

• He died

• “Try not to punch him”

• Fields have Wi-Fi ????

• Why is Sherlock dressed in a bedsheet

• “Shut up”

• “Pass me over”

• Who wants Sherlock to go with them ?????

• “Who the hell are you”

• Why is there a helicopter for John ?????

• Buckingham palace ????

• why did John look behind Sherlock like that ????

• I love it when they laugh

• “I am seriously fighting the impulse to steal an ashtray”

• Sherlock called Mycroft the queen

• “Sherlock Holmes, Put your trousers on”

• Mycroft is done with the pair of the them

• The sheet almost went off

• He finally put his clothes on

• “I’ll be mother”

“ and there is a whole childhood in a nutshell”

• Irene Adler

• “how would you know”

• Irene and Sherlock both know of each other

• John you might want to put that cup back in your saucer

• “laters”

• He stole the ashtray

• Who is taking photos of them

• They’re both trying on clothes

• “ I always hear “punch me in the face” when your speaking but it’s usually subtext”

• Having a public street fight

• Sherlock being stupid at the door and Kate playing along

• Irene put something on, please

• Get off of Sherlock

• John definitely missed a lot

• He can’t deduct anything about Irene

• “Somebody loves you” Every single person looks at John

• “ I confiscate it”

• How does she know ???

• John managed to set the fire alarm off

• What in magical fire places is that ????

• Who shot the alarm ???

• It’s a robbery

• John almost died

• “Vatican cameos”

• Fight scene Intensifies

• He Took the phone

• Sherlock’s way of calling the police is shooting a gun

• John disappeared ???

• What happened to Kate

• What did Sherlock get injected with

• The woman who beat Sherlock Holmes’s

• she jumped out the window

• The hiker was hit by a boomerang

• The way he fell out of bed

• The text alert..

• Irene got his number

• The alert x2

• I love Mrs Hudson

• Mycroft Holmes don’t disrespect Mrs Hudson

• Text alert x3

• Everyone is suspicious of the text alert

• It’s Christmas time

• Molly looks lovely

• “ You have a photograph of me wearing that hat”

• Poor Molly

• Irene gave Sherlock the phone

• Mycroft hates Christmas

• is Irene going to die

• Irene died :(

• Sherlock never smokes

• Both brothers are sociopaths

• Another drugs bust

• They broke up

• Sherlock isn’t eating

• He got the code wrong

• John and Mrs Hudson really do care about Sherlock

• who is she

• Irene is alive

• Sherlock doesn’t reply to Irene’s texts

• Sherlock followed John

• Mrs Hudson !!!!!!!

• Sherlock saved Mrs Hudson

• John take care of Mrs Hudson

• Sherlock just shoved him out the window

• Mrs Hudson is in shock

• “You clot”

• “England would fall”

• He finally text her back

• He got the passcode wrong again

• Irene is back

• “if you were looking for baby names”

• MORIARTY IS INVOLVED

• even Mycroft but he’s ashamed

• He always talk to himself

• Irene get your hands off him

• He got taken away by the same person

• No one is ever going to put a bullet in Sherlock’s brain

• Why is the plane dark and the passengers are passed out ????

• Of course Mycroft is there

• It’s been Mycroft and Irene all this time

• Mycroft isn’t going to do anything

• What happened to Kate ??? Where did she go ???

• “ I am Sherlocked”

• The phone is unlocked

• Irene died :(

• Don’t lie to Sherlock

• Give Sherlock the phone

• She got saved by Sherlock

• “The woman”

I rate this episode a 10/10 because it was a very interesting episode

[badboytwink]

Chapter 2: His Feelings Are My Feelings

Izaac Jensen

Tuesday, December, 19th.

*

This seating plan is frustrating. Our English teacher is such a stupid cunt, why can’t she understand that I can pay attention and talk at the same time? Now I’m across the fucking room from him and it’s driving me nuts. I can’t tell him what I’m thinking, I can’t make fun of the material we’re going over, I can’t do anything. This teacher is trying to make my life a living hell. Anger is boiling in my veins as I try to concentrate on this stupid novel we’re researching, what a load of bullshit. I don’t care about Sherlock Holmes and his gay ass roommate Watson. I care about the sandy-blonde hockey player that I’m separated from. I lift my head from the page I’m reading, glancing in the direction of the aforementioned hockey player and suddenly all my anger is gone. He brings me peace, peace from the irrational rage I’m going through like he’s a little stress ball for me.

…

Okay.. maybe, that wasn’t the most amazing analogy I could've come up with, considering I have a bad track record with stress balls, but the point is that I need my best friend to keep me from tearing this place apart like an estranged primate. It’s just a class, only an hour of my life dedicated away from him every day, it’s not that bad.

Thankfully, my imagination shows me a picture of our English teacher as a grotesque crimson imp, burning in the fiery pits of hell, being overworked by demons just like she's doing to all of us in this classroom. A small gust of air escapes my lungs, I find this to be the funniest shit I've seen all day. It's because she deserves it, I'm not a sick person, I believe that every action has an equal or opposite reaction, it's one of that science guy's laws, right? I don't know, science is Ayden's thing.

My gaze intensifies on the clock on the wall, watching the seconds tick by, while I plan my amazing escape from this hell of a classroom. I get to walk home with Ayden today because his mom is at work and can’t pick him up, otherwise I would’ve also gotten a ride home. Before I knew it, the chimes of the end of the day bell ring in my ears and I’m scrambling to put away my shit to get out of here as fast as possible.

*

We were having a casual conversation on our walk home, I took notice of the way the red hue danced along his cheekbones and the tip of his nose, likely caused by the cold December air. Turning onto the Southridge neighbourhood another conversation struck up. It was his excitement over hockey starting up again, which meant we could play together. 

“What are you gonna do if we get on different teams?” I asked curiously, before his eyes met mine, and a chuckle breezed through his lips. “I dunno, probably kill myself or something like that.”

As we reached the interior of his house a gust of warmth brushed over our shivering bodies, immediately combating with the piercing December cold. His house was almost always warm. He had one of those big houses on the edge of Southridge. Right in the front a big sign read "The Backstrom's" it was flashy and as if his family was parading around their nuclear relationship, perfect, rich, the family of my dreams. I would kill to live in this house, with a loving dad, a stable income, and a family that sits down for dinner every night and discusses their day. 

The moment we were inside his golden retriever ran up to me, coming to greet me enthusiastically. “Ryder, chill,” Ayden grumbles under his breath, probably still salty about the seating plan from this afternoon, but he doesn’t need to take it out on the poor dog.

 I've never minded when his dog mauls me like this. I love animals, like dogs and cats and stuff, but I’ve never been allowed to have any of my own, this dumb little golden retriever has always filled that empty void in my heart, though.

Ignoring the blonde’s distaste for the dog jumping on me I began to give it attention, petting it leisurely, barely thinking about how much this little fucker sheds, and how it will affect my black outfit. With closer inspection, I start to see the resemblance of Ryder and Aiden, the big brown eyes, and the sandy hair. It’s almost like they were made for each other.

“Shit!” Ayden gasps as his eyes widen. My eyebrows raise and I watch him practically throw his shoes off his feet. “What’s up?” I respond, still absolutely bewildered as to why he’s in such a panic. His jacket falls to the floor as the words rush out of his mouth. “I forgot to take out the trash this morning. My mom’s going to fucking kill me, dude.” A soft chuckle leaves my lips as I observe the sandy blonde who’s now dashing into the kitchen to retrieve the trash bag. I love how over-the-top he is, the way he's able to dramatize everything he can never ceases to make me smile.  

About five minutes of the blonde panicking, he managed to complete his task, and was able to relax, which was something I definitely appreciated more than the average person. Ayden was such a dick when he was all up in his head like this, stressed and distressed, anxious and tentative. It made me want to rip my hair out, his stress was always my stress, and it was like we had this empathetic connection. I don't believe in all that spirit shit, but sometimes late at night, I think about how connected we are, it's probably because we've known each other forever, but I can't help but think about a witch cursing us as babies, sleeping beauty style, to be able to read each other like books, now that I'm discussing it out loud it doesn't sound that much like a curse and a little more like a blessing. 

His feelings are my feelings.

[tigermike]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, best known as the brilliant creator of the world-famous detective Sherlock Holmes, possessed a keen intellect and an unyielding sense of justice that extended beyond the pages of his novels. In a remarkable turn of events in the early 1900s, Doyle found himself taking on the role of a real-life detective to right the wrongs of the justice system and secure the freedom of two innocent men.

It all began when Doyle, an avid reader of crime reports and court cases, stumbled upon two separate cases that piqued his curiosity. Both cases involved men who had been convicted and sentenced for crimes they vehemently claimed they did not commit. Struck by the inconsistencies in the evidence and testimonies, Doyle became convinced of the men's innocence and felt compelled to take action.

The first case involved George Edalji, a solicitor of Indian descent who had been convicted of mutilating animals in the Staffordshire region. Despite a lack of substantial evidence connecting Edalji to the crimes, he was found guilty and sentenced to seven years of hard labor. Doyle carefully examined the details of the case and came to believe that Edalji was indeed innocent.

The second case involved Oscar Slater, a German immigrant who had been accused of murdering an elderly woman in Glasgow. Slater's conviction was based on circumstantial evidence, and he was given the death penalty. Doyle's interest in this case intensified when he discovered numerous flaws in the investigation and the trial process.

Fuelled by his unwavering belief in justice and inspired by the detective skills of his fictional creation Sherlock Holmes, Doyle embarked on a personal mission to exonerate both men. He invested countless hours investigating the cases, gathering evidence, and interviewing witnesses and experts.

With his literary fame, Doyle had the advantage of garnering media attention, which he used to bring public awareness to the injustices faced by Edalji and Slater. His articles and public speeches raised eyebrows and generated discussions about the inadequacies of the legal system.

In 1907, after years of determined efforts, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle succeeded in proving the innocence of both George Edalji and Oscar Slater. Edalji's sentence was commuted, and he was finally released from prison. Similarly, Slater's death sentence was overturned, and he was granted clemency. Though not without their struggles, both men were ultimately vindicated.

The public outcry and media spotlight on these cases prompted significant reforms in the British legal system. As a result of Doyle's unwavering commitment to justice and the exposure of the flaws in the process, the UK established an official Court of Criminal Appeal in 1907. This institution allowed for further scrutiny and the potential for rectifying miscarriages of justice.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's extraordinary efforts in real-life detective work not only secured justice for two innocent men but also catalyzed the reformation of the legal system. His determination to see justice served, akin to the character of Sherlock Holmes, continues to inspire generations of readers, writers, and activists to seek truth and fairness in an often complex and imperfect world. Beyond the pages of fiction, Doyle's legacy as a crime solver in real life remains an indelible testament to the power of one individual's relentless pursuit of justice.