#sotl excerpt

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Last Line Tag

See, I have a bit of a problem where I don't like not responding to tags. I don't do it often. But I started this post in my drafts when I was planning on writing again soon. So. I thought I'd just save up all the tags while I took a hiatus to work on some world building for TSP.

It took.... Much longer than expected. I'm nowhere near done, even, but I've reached a stopping point. But because this post was in my drafts... I kept saving the tags. So here we are. And I'm not even posting for TSP!

So anyway, thanks @clairelsonao3 here, @sarahlizziewrites here, here, and here, @willtheweaver here and here, @rjcopeseethemald here, @mk-writes-stuff here and here

@dyrewrites here, here, here, and here, @splashinkling here, @illarian-rambling here, @mysticstarlightduck here and here, @awritingcaitlin here, here, here, here, and here, (congrats for tagging me the most during this time)

@somethingclevermahogony here, here, and here, @whatwewrotepodcast here, @gracehosborn here, @eccaiia here, @elsie-writes here,

@sunset-a-story here, @viscerawrites here, @loopyhoopywrites here, @urnumber1star here, @zmwrites here,

@romances-not-tragedies here, @sleepyrxsetea here, @the-golden-comet here, here, here, and here, and.... @happypup-kitcat24 here!

I love being loved but wow. Several months worth of tags is insane. Thanks again to all of y'all, and I'm sorry for the wait! And the bothering because holy shit most of you definitely forgot you tagged me.

Rules: post the last sentence you wrote

From School of the Legends Year One

Jack silently wished Beau remembered they were both fourteen and didn't treat Jack like the ten-year-old he looked.

I was reading through SOTL and I realized I changed the heights of Beau and Jack both, so had to edit where I mentioned it.

The tag is OPEN this time because I'm not gonna figure out who I know that isn't listed.

SOTL intro

SOTL tag list (ask to be +/-): @illarian-rambling @katwritesshit @wyked-ao3

[kenj1sl0v3r]

i’ve done my fair share of scrolling through the hannibal tag on this app, but the one thing that i want to talk to literally anybody about when it comes to the hannibal book is this:

the perspective it’s written in.

thomas harris books are very obvious written from the 3rd person. BUT! hannibal specifically, at least i think so because it’s been a hot minute since i’ve read red dragon and sotl, have these very important moments to me where the perspective switches from like.. the “all knowing eye” or whatever the fuck, to some sort of unknown narrator. am i using the right terms? probably not, so stick with me here.

instead of the perspective reading like this, (this is just a random example) chap 59: “the dna lab was new, smelled new, and the personnel were younger then starling. it was something she’d have to get used to, she thought with a twinge- she’d be a year older very soon.”

SOME OF IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS (and here is a excerpt from one of my favorite chapters ;)) “here beside you is the palazzo of the capponi, a family distinguished for a thousand years, who tore up a french kings ultimatum in his face and produced a pope”….”in that pane of crazed old glass is a bullet hole from the 1940s. go closer. rest your head against the cold iron as the policeman did and listen. faintly you can hear a clavier.”….”the alarms cannot see us. the wet policeman lurking in the door way cannot see us. come…”….”a long stone staircase, the stair rail cold beneath our sliding hand”… LIKE OH MY GOD??????

AND LASTLY LITERALLY ONE OF THE BEST THINGS IVE EVER READ THAT JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE LAST SENTENCES OF HANNIBAL:

“follow this handsome couple from the opera? all right, but very carefully…”….”we’ll withdraw now, while they are dancing on the terrace—the wise barney has already left town and we must follow his example. for either of them to discover us would be fatal. we can only learn so much and live.” LIKE EXCUUUSEEE MEEEE???????

i don’t even know how to explain how this kind of writing makes me feel. i could read books in only this kind of format for the rest of my life and i would die a happy human.

i need to know if there’s a specific name for this style of writing because oH MY GOD i love it SO GODDAMN MUCH !!!

i didn’t realize that i would be able to fall in love with a writing style but alas- here we are 😭

literally if anyone feels the same way or even feels different about this way of writing, please share your thoughts!!!!

[knivesandwives]

Can you give an excerpt (is that the word?) or a pic from the book about Hannibal and Clarice's little date thing? I'm intrigued lol

Oh lol I'm honestly still reading it! Thank you for facilitating my venting though, and I will gladly share my incomplete knowledge. I haven't even finished this scene, which continues into another chapter. I had to take a break and cool my head because it makes me want to gag like I was a 5 year old with an aversion to kissing scenes (which is not usual for me. I just. I don't know about this). I could take the time to finish reading it in the time I'm writing this buuuut I'm too heated to do so atm, even though it would spare me the embarrassment of having very incomplete context. I don't even know whether Thomas Harris intends for the reader to want them together, but his treatment of Hannibal Lecter has generally verged on salivating over him, imo, so. I'm gonna take it as implied that I should like this a bit more than I do. I could be very wrong. Under the cut because it is a Rant

-----

I’ve got the fun wacky stuff first because this book is Wild. Bonkers. Then I have semi serious stuff and Thoughts thoughts in the second half 

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

WACKY FUN STUFF PART

it is So over the top corny. Highlights so far:

-Hannibal is playing the harpsichord when Clarice walks out. In other scenes he’s played his theremin. He is insufferable

- the piece he's playing is called ‘If True Love Reigned’ and was composed by Henry VIII, which is a red flag if ever I heard one

-he dresses up in white tie for her and spends FOREVER decorating the house *just so* and inspecting the dinner table from various angles to check whether the Aesthetic is right, because the house he's rented out is only so-so and he's gotta make up for it:

I mean. He decides to add a shit ton of flowers to make it intimate and create a hanging gardens effect, realizes that this looks bad, and decides that the solution is More flowers. Maybe he’s right, but I think with the rest of the decorations this is probably looking like a mess right now.

-Uhhh if I remember correctly from the Freudian Daddy Issues chapter (hhhhh I want to have a word with Thomas Harris), the reason he makes the peonies in the flower arrangement “white as SNO BALLS” is because she has some sort of (dad-related) childhood memories about these fucking Hostess twinkie-level snacks. There are Levels to his floral arrangements

-Similarly, the cocktails he prepares for them have orange slices on the side because it’ll remind her of her father slicing oranges and Hannibal wants to be daddy

-The landlord he’s renting the house from (where he’s keeping Clarice and holding Date Night) has a fixation on Leda and the Swan, to the point that he has four statues of it and eight paintings of it in that one house alone. Hannibal likes the horniest one with the best “anatomical articulation.” Make of that what you will. There was indeed a reason for Bryan Fuller including such a pussy out painting in the set for Hannibal’s dining room. Hannibal covers the other Leda statues and paintings that don’t live up to his standards

- He brings her clothes to wear?? Special Fancy clothes for Date Night. Ugh. And I thought it was pushy and anal in SOTL when he gave her tips on how to improve her fashion

- Hannibal wears an ascot over a white shirt. No jacket. I don't know if I trust the taste level of this man. I like Freddy from scooby doo but his look seems like a stretch in this context

-he uses candelabra like he's the phantom of the opera and has this incredibly fucking extra mirror in his rented house:

-he tells her his goals for the evening in one of the trademark Long Confusing Hannibal Monologues we’re so used to seeing in the show, then asks Clarice if she understands, and her response is: no I don’t so I hope your food is good at least

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

Actual Serious Thoughts about it  (content warning: some vaguely psychosexual things involving characters’ family, drugging and non-sexual consent issues)

I think my reaction is definitely influenced by the context that's been presented so far for their relationship in this book, which includes (briefly):

--Hannibal has a fixation on Clarice as a potential replacement for/idealized version of Mischa, his dead sister. The moment he lays eyes upon her again in this book he starts having uncontrollable flashbacks that directly associate Clarice with Mischa and overlays their meanings and iconography. So... that's something. It shows up constantly whenever we get a glimpse into his POV. I have thoughts about what Hannibal finds appealing about Clarice RE as an idealized version/teacup reversal of Mischa; the book tells us he admires her courage and her spirit as a warrior despite having been victimized, and so Clarice is in some ways a version of Mischa that was capable of surviving despite the odds. That was (crudely) my working theory, anyway. Might have to reevaluate that now because I'm less certain now about Hannibal's intentions and how much his appreciation for Clarice is really *respectful* of her potential, versus how much he sees her as some sort of vehicle to replace Mischa and be some sort of walking talking idealized doll that he crafts into his dead sister. I wanted it to not be *as* weird and psychosexual as I thought it would end up being, but this book definitely leans into some weird sexualized Freudian shit, and I'm concerned that Mischa and Clarice are part of that despite my best efforts to rationalize it in a way that I would have preferred. Really, who fantasies about their lover being a reminder of their sister?

--Freudian hell part 2: Hannibal has rescued Clarice from the Verger farm (after she rescued him, which was quite dramatic) and has her drugged at his house and undergoing the type of hypnosis we see suggested with Will and Miriam Lass in NBC!Hannibal. Hannibal suggests things, she follows those suggestions with apparently little agency of her own. He probes into her history and traumas and causes her to see things. Among his goals here is to have her make peace with her dead father in some way (in a scene which strongly resembles Abigail's therapy with GJH's corpse as seen in the s3 flashbacks), and to give her some form of control over her memory of him. This is accompanied by some very squicky speculation from Hannibal about Clarice having taboo sexual associations with her father, which she projects (among other things) onto other father figures in her life like Jack Crawford or her fallen FBI partner. I didn't know before I got into this book whether it was going to legitimize the Electra complex angle on Clarice this much, and maybe I'm wrong to accept Hannibal's viewpoint as sacred, but. So far, that seems to be the take.

----

So that's the context for the leadup to this romantic dinner scene. Hannibal has decorated his house specially for this date night type thing and given her a slinky, fancy dress to wear in his fancy house. Clarice has been heavily under the influence of drugs so far, and this night is no exception. This chapter so far has been a treasure trove of the more romantic dialogue repurposed for NBC!Hannibal, but I kind of can't stand it here in this book as anything remotely romantic. It's almost entirely him talking *at* her and it seems like this is more about him and his idealized fantasy of her than it is actually about her. The text does refer to him as "the monster" more frequently in this chapter, and it calls him out directly for his vanity and self congratulation, so I'm not entirely sure if I'm even supposed to like it, but. Anyway. You asked for excerpts! This particular scene is probably the densest part of a very dense chapter (the highlights are a mess rn):

There's a lot of interesting stuff in here, some of which really raises my hackles in ways I wasn't anticipating. Clarice has just emerged in the outfit he chose for her to join him. Clarice's first question to him is to ask about how much he's invaded her privacy without her knowledge, and he has a very bullshit answer where he pretends that this situation he's manufactured, in which he drugs her and creates a fantasy world for them, is okay because it exists outside of reality. It doesn't. It's an interesting idea but it's bullshit. This is not his memory palace, this is reality and it does exist as a part of time that Clarice has had to experience (or not, as the case may be for her level of consciousness throughout this). And he turns around from this question about him being intrusive to reiterate his attraction to her. Squick at that. Her plain (possibly curt?) answer to his compliment, even though it's a thank you, causes him annoyance. This is where I really, Really start to have, like, flashbacks to Jessica Jones and the playing house plotline. Real strong flashbacks to that. Clarice's (apparently unintentional) failure to meet his standards and reciprocate in the exact way he wants her to makes him Annoyed. Clarice identifies this and holds her ground, interestingly enough, and Hannibal has a moment of awe at her stubborn individuality, but immediately falls back on self congratulatory wanking at his choice of woman. Then, there's more talking at her, to which she eventually says that she basically doesn't know what the fuck he means but she hopes he plans to make dinner worth her while. I appreciate Clarice holding her ground so well here, especially given the circumstances, and I don't know quite where this is headed, but I guess the gist of it is that in this context I just really want to slap Hannibal about and see him burn

[lostinthewinterwood]

dumbass twins.jpg

[smokeandminds]

A beer of blueberries with an Illusione Singulare Seven Horns Reference Project - Stage 4 (excerpt) Singulare - Seven Horns Illusione #cigars #tobacco #cigarlife #sotl #botl #NewYork #nyc #smoke #cigarsnob #cigarsociety #CigarCulture #NewYork #HarrysHabanaHut #Bayside #illusione #singulare #sevenhorns #peak #sourale #SweetTart #Maine #blueberry (at Harry's Habana Hut) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4_ktAUHH2X/?igshid=1gwt9fbd49ayl

[nalyra-dreaming]

Book: A blackish red hue

I am offering a printed book version of my story “A blackish red hue“, rewritten and corrected, illustrated and properly set. I did this mostly for myself but some have said they wanted a copy so … 

>>> GET YOUR COPY OVER ON ETSY! 😊

340 pages of Hannigram fanfiction, the Murder Husbands on the run, depicting their lives together after the fall.

An A4, hardcover book with 135 g paper, 47 illustrations and a foreword by my “partner in crime“ (over at @lovecrimebooks) Romina Nikolić.

This book has been made to match RADIANCE and, in extension, the upcoming RAVAGE. Yep, with COLOR CUT*. In blackish red.

Weighing: ~1,6kg

> Which means we are just below the threshold of the so called “book shipping“ weight (with packaging), making international shipping much cheaper. >> 17€, priority handling and tracked in most countries.

All tracked countries here: deutschepost.de/brief-international/land-fuer-land

>> Germany: 5€, internationally 17€ + (priority-which is with) tracking ~ 20€

*****

Content:

A Murder Husbands story, heavy on character development and (hopefully) story, spiced with sex (see rating below).

Not overly fluffy but with a happy ending. (Yep, despite what you might think in between.)

Murder Husbands as in Murder Husbands. With Murder Tableaus. And family. Murder Wives :)

This starts at the motel in TwotL, so there is original dialogue here, reinterpreting the scenes we were given. The story segues into pure fiction after the fall.

>> This story spans several years - it follows Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter after „The Fall“, the ups and downs of this obsessive and difficult relationship, trying to fit the monsters on their backs together. As well as their habits and appetites.

There are lots of turns and not everything is as it may seem at first.

This is my Season 4.

And 5 through 8.

Approximately. :)

This story has been posted and is available on Ao3. It has been, as mentioned before, corrected, some parts rewritten, polished up and properly set, enhanced and improved for this book :)

There are almost 50 artworks in it. Some were gifted to me, some I commissioned and some I created.

Illustrations in it by:

@JustCallMeLuci | Sara Larner saralarner.com | @dark-will-graham​ | @tindu​ | @amngell​ | @transylvanianshipper​ | @noaryr​ | @arkarti​ | @theseavoices​ | @Hachiseiko | @felidaefatigue​ | @hanniwill​ / / Rola | @basementarts​ | @Rocio_ruiz_art | @the-walking-fannibal​ | @bayobayo​ | @thenecronon​ | @wisesnail​ | @vibiana​ | @Moishpain / @sheep-in-clouds​ | @stravvbunnies | @miasmatik​ | @maddsaa | @toni-of-the-trees​ | @le-wendigogo​ | @Skeletology | @shoegazerx​ | @Aerinnnn | @ivyart​ | @mumbrielle​ | @granpappy-winchester​ | @caniday​

(and some by me)

The beautiful cover was created by @granpappy-winchester (original post here!) and @basementarts. 

>> Commission @Granpappy-Winchester here!!

>> Commission @basementarts​ here!!

Btw: I can only recommend commissioning them or any of the other artists! 

Also: Basementarts is offering a discount right now so check them out!

*****

What some critics… erm commenters said:

On Baptism: „OH GOD!

i was just scowling tru Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter fic and saw your fic Salvation and read the summary and thought ‘well this looks good’ and i saw it was a part of a series and thought i might as well start at the beginning to see if its any good!!! i couldn’t even begin to fantom how brilliant and talented you are!!! im only just finished this first one! and i want more more more! and there is more!!! yay me!!! im just going to go and binge read it all!!! no sleep or socializing for me!!!!

thanks for shearing your talent and choosing to express it with Hanagram fics! i truly appreciated it, like im sure many many others do!!!“

Also on Baptism: 

„Ahhhh, this is completely stunning!! So beautifully and elegantly done, it drew me in from the first chapter and refused to let go until the last. Just wonderful. Thank you so much for this gorgeous reading experience.

*Applauds*

Please don’t ever stop writing Nalyra :-)“

On Obfuscation: 

„I’ve just binge-read this whole story. I absolutely loved it!! The balance of power between them is beautifully portrayed. I really enjoy the tenderness between them, and also the pure darkness. It feels like a completely natural progression from the show. I can’t wait to move on to the next installment!“

*****

Characters:

Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter, Alana Bloom, Margot Verger, Verger Baby (Hannibal), Freddie Lounds, Jack Crawford, Chiyoh, Will Graham‘s Father, Clarice Starling, Robertas Lecter, Bedelia Du Maurier, Ardelia Mapp, Matthew Brown, Original Graham-Lecter Children

*****

(some) Tags:

Post-Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb | Canon-Typical Violence | Canon Compliant to Canon up until 2018 | Post-Canon to Canon up until 2018 | Original Character(s) | Original Character Death(s) | Explicit Language | Explicit Sexual | First Time | First Kiss | Murder Husbands | Murder Wives | Rough Sex | Angst | Fluff | Blood play | Dream Sex | Branding | Fanart | Honeymoon | Cannibalism | SotL-compliant | Canon Character Death

*****

Rating:

Mature, scratching on explicit, but toned down from Ao3 version. A bit.

*****

Excerpt:

From Baptism:

It takes an indistinct amount of time to get ‘back down to earth‘ as it were. Will is vaguely aware that there is a cramp in his legs, the fingers of his right hand hurt where Hannibal has gripped him too tightly, he is a mess, he hurts between his legs in places he cannot yet define properly and Hannibal - Hannibal is lying on top of him, making it hard to breathe, silently crying into Will’s neck. Will feels the best he can remember.

He carefully dislodges his left arm from Hannibal’s neck, dragging his fingers through the greying hair, petting. His legs drop and he winces, which seems to bring Hannibal back to himself. He raises his head, eyes bloodshot, his voice gravelly. “Will, I… I apologize.“

Will shakes his head slowly and places the fingers of his left hand against Hannibal’s lips. His gaze catches on the ring that Molly placed there and he realizes with a start that it has no place here in this bed. He feels more than sees Hannibal withdraw and quickly shakes his head again trying to placate and communicate his thoughts as clear as possible. “Take it off for me.“

Hannibal freezes above him. The look he levels at him does its best to make Will hard again but he really isn’t that young anymore. Will swallows. Hannibal slowly drags his right hand up at the side of Will‘s body, making him shiver. When he reaches his chest he follows his arm up until he reaches the hand that’s still raised between them. Slowly, very slowly Hannibal starts to push the ring off Will’s finger with his messy hand, never breaking his gaze. Hannibal encloses it in his hand when it’s off and carefully puts it on the nightstand at the other side of the bed. “What about it now?“

Hannibal’s voice is rough and Will knows that the answer he has isn’t what the question was about, but it is the only one he has to give. He tries to say it lightly, keeping his voice low. “Well, you took it from me. So, if we make this work, you’ll have to go and replace it.“

Something breaks in Hannibal’s gaze. There is light and darkness seeping into it in equal measure and it thrills Will to no end to see it. Hannibal’s voice is the roughest he has ever heard it, the accent strong. “I will not let you go, now.“

Will smiles. To everyone else, this would have been a threat. To Will, it’s the conclusion of a courtship that’s lasted six years. He’s been caught, and now he’s free. “Where do we go from here?“

Hannibal nuzzles into the Will’s neck, his words breathed onto sweaty skin. “How about we pay a visit to an old friend?“

*****

Final notes:

>> I don’t make money from this - the price on Etsy consists of the following amounts:

A4 hardcover print with color cut, heavy paper and bookend pages etc: 41€

Packaging: 2€

Etsy fees: 2€

+ Shipping

*IF this book sells 50 copies (in total**) I will be able to get some nice extras (ribbon bookmark, spot glosses at the very least).

** I’m going to order some for myself and a few artists, who preferred the book over monetary payment

Printing will commence after August 10th, 2018, with shipping following right after. Printed at same company that has printed Radiance and will print Ravage.

Books will be in foil and wrapped in bubble wrap and then in the actual packaging for shipment (aka lessons from Radiance. I’ll also check the weather forecast -.-).

IF there is something left when all is said and done I will donate it. Resumé will be posted here.

After August 10th 2018 I will close preorder.

This will be the only edition.

If there are some copies I need to get to reach the minimum to the next „step“ (with more extras) these will become available on Etsy afterwards.

There will NOT be a digital version for sale because I only negotiated with the artists for a printed version.

Soooo.... 🤗

Hope you like!!! 💕

[maydei]

If you’ve watched Hannibal, have you seen silence of the lamb? If yes, what did you think of it?

Of course, Anon! It’s been a few years, but that movie does really hold up. I love Hopkins and what he brought to Hannibal’s character (and many see him as the OG Hannibal, and with good reason since that movie is a classic). It’s a little more gritty, and it can feel a little funny to watch now looking back (let’s be honest, because of the hair). 

But I still love that movie, and I really look forward to seeing if/how Bryan chooses to use Clarice’s character in any upcoming seasons of Hannibal, since I know he’s in negotiations trying to secure the rights with the owning company to use Clarice in future seasons. And I think if that should come to pass, it really would be fascinating to see Mads’ take on the whole thing, and what he might bring to the story of SotL. And, of course, whoever they end up casting as Clarice Starling.

Actually, if you want a really good rendition/modernization of SotL, @rageprufrock did an AMAZING fanfiction rewrite factoring in Will Graham & co called Ravenous. The fic basically has no tags pru is basically beyonce and drops entire fics without warning and you have no idea what’s coming, but the payoff is marvelous every time, but does have an undercurrent of violence, manipulation, character death just read it, it’s so worth it, and Hannigram. 

But seriously, oh my god, what an amazing fanfiction and character study, and involves a fascinating blend of fic and multimedia article excerpts. It is absolutely worth your time, and I highly recommend it, if my bookmark on the fic (which simply says “holy fuck”) is any indication.

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Out of context line

Thank to @somethingclevermahogony here, @paeliae-occasionally here, @the-golden-comet here, and @mysticstarlightduck here!

Rules: post a line out of context!

I go back to SOTL and it's not hard to find something new.

From School of the Legends Year One

“Great! Do you have any interests?” Jack genuinely tried to think. “I like spending time with the cows.”

Tagging @ceph-the-ghost-writer @thepeculiarbird @honeybewrites @somethingclevermahogony @writingamongther0ses

+ ANYONE ELSE

SOTL intro

SOTL tag list (ask to be +/-): @illarian-rambling @katwritesshit @wyked-ao3

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Out of Context line

Thanks @duckingwriting here, @leahnardo-da-veggie here, and @new-royston-cursebreakers here!

Rules: post an out of context line from your WIP!

I've posted many lines from SOTL for this, and I'm doing it again! I... May have posted this line before, but I'm not sure

From School of the Legends Year One

“I wrote about my life. My dad. My sister. My cow! My fat intolerance!”

Tagging @katenewmanwrites @aalinaaaaaa @winterandwords @badluck990 @rickie-the-storyteller

+ ANYONE ELSE

SOTL intro

SOTL tag list (ask to be +/-): @illarian-rambling @katwritesshit @wyked-ao3

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Writing Share

Thanks @the-golden-comet here and here, @bookish-karina here, and @somethingclevermahogony here!

Rules: share some writing :)

Hm.... I'm still in a SOTL-sharing mood! More Tierney!

From School of the Legends Year One

When Tierney arrived at the lounge, his father had all of the papers that had arrived in his letter spread out along the tea table. His father gestured for Tierney to sit next to him. Tierney obeyed, the smile that had pierced his face earlier having long since faded. “Tierney, I have looked at this school,” Tierney sucked in a breath, “and it does seem legitimate.” Tierney let out his breath in relief. “However,” Tierney felt his breathing stop before he could even take the next inhale, “unless you show any sign of your,” he made no attempt to hide his disgust, “gift, then I will not allow you to--” “I have a gift,” Tierney said. He regretted it at the look his father gave him. He bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Father. You may finish your sentence.” His father cleared his throat. “Unless you show any sign of your gift, then I will not allow you to attend this school.” “I have a gift.” “I heard you the first time. But as I did not see it--” Tierney began rubbing his hands together. “What the devil are you doing?” “Showing you what I can do.” The purple sparks appeared again. “Haha!” Tierney grinned ear-to-ear as he held out his hand with the purple ball of electricity, this time being careful not to open his hand all the way. His father’s icy eyes seemed to burn. Tierney felt his smile waver. He closed his hand quickly and the electricity went away. He sighed. “Father, I know you don’t like the gifted. They are mutants. They’re unnatural. And you don’t like the majicked. They meddle in things you don’t understand. And you don’t like the cursed. They’re a danger to everyone, including themselves. But now I am one of them. Your son. So maybe, they’re not all bad?” His voice raised in question in that last sentence. That wasn't as confident as he’d hoped. His father glanced down at the papers on the tea table. “Well, you have always been a strange young man. Perhaps the reason is that you have always been this way.” Tierney felt his heart pulse in his throat. He sighed. “I will discuss with your mother the possibility of you attending this school.”

Tagging @dyrewrites @mk-writes-stuff @eccaiia @thepeculiarbird @mysticstarlightduck

+ ANYONE ELSE

SOTL intro

SOTL tag list (ask to be +/-): @illarian-rambling @katwritesshit @wyked-ao3

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Out of context line

Thanks for the tags @mk-writes-stuff here, @willtheweaver here, and @awritingcaitlin here!

Rules: post a line out of context.

I've done TSP before and think I won the game with Akash's line #8 (can't find the original post curse the search feature). Time for SOTL.

From School of the Legends Year One

He was an old man with a farmer’s tan due to being, well, a farmer who was also old.

Not sure if this is as effective as an out of context line but this is the humor of SOTL.

Softly tagging @gracehosborn @illarian-rambling @blind-the-winds @little-peril-stories @buffythevampirelover @eccaiia @dyrewrites @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @stesierra @mysticstarlightduck @garthcelyn @gottestod-writes @herrmannhalsteadproduction @cowboybrunch @theelfauthor @televisionjester or anyone who wants to hop on!

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Favorite line

Thanks @leahnardo-da-veggie here, @frostedlemonwriter here, @paeliae-occasionally here, and @willtheweaver here!

Idk why I find this funny but I'll go with this one for now:

From School of the Legends Year One

He was an old man with a farmer’s tan due to being, well, a farmer who was also old.

Tagging @winglesswriter @diabolical-blue @ceph-the-ghost-writer @thepeculiarbird @mk-writes-stuff

+ ANYONE ELSE

SOTL intro

SOTL tag list (ask to be +/-): @illarian-rambling @katwritesshit @wyked-ao3

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Writing Share

Thanks @mysticstarlightduck here and @the-golden-comet here and here!

Rules: share some writing :)

I've decided to go with more SOTL! Tierney just learned he was gifted with electricity-based powers and was invited to the titular school!

From School of the Legends Year One

When Tierney went back to his room, it took one glance at his potions still spread out along his desk to realize he wasn't in the mood for blowing something up today. Instead, he just sat on the edge of his four-poster bed, thinking about what that letter had said. He qualified for a school for the gifted, majicked, and cursed. He was one of the gifted. One of the people his father tended to snear about. Tierney never took those remarks seriously. He was always into magic--obviously, he was working on potions earlier--so he often found himself defending people who were gifted. But he never considered going to a school for magic. He never even considered going to school, for crying out loud--he had tutors come to him. He wasn't against the idea--he could sure get out more and hang around kids around his age that weren’t nobility or related or both. And in America? This was a chance to show that he was special. He wasn't just the third-born son of the English king who blew things up. He was gifted. He could learn magic and maybe even master potions! He looked at the potions on his desk and smiled. Maybe he could figure out how to not blow things up while he was there. Tierney glanced down at the duvet he was sitting on. He rubbed his hand across it, feeling the familiar static shock. He kept sliding his palm back and forth and back and forth until he heard a crackling sound. He lifted his hand, concentrating as hard as he could, until he saw a spark. He rubbed his hands together until what appeared to be a purple lightning flickered around them. He stood, holding one hand palm-up, curling his fingers inward. A sparking purple ball of electricity had formed in his palm. He laughed giddly, opening his hand slightly so the ball got bigger. His hand shook and the electricity shot upward, blasting Tierney over the bed and causing him to crash onto the floor. Tierney groaned, pushing himself to his feet. The electric blast had burnt a hole through the canopy above his bed and made a small hole in the ceiling. So much for not wanting to blow something up today.

Tagging @thestorywitch @winterandwords @eccaiia @sunset-a-story @diabolical-blue

+ ANYONE ELSE

SOTL intro

SOTL tag list (ask to be +/-): @illarian-rambling @katwritesshit @wyked-ao3

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Rewrite tag

Thanks @mk-writes-stuff here and @somethingclevermahogony here!

MK's line: [+ provided picrew]

“Lord Narcissus,” she said with a curtsy as she got close to him. “You’re looking lovely tonight.”

It wasn’t even a lie. He did look lovely. He had an elaborate red flowery hairpiece made out of real flowers, and he was wearing a tight red cocktail dress that, while definitely scandalous, did admittedly draw attention to his figure. Narcissus was a good-looking man – it was a shame that was his only virtue.

My rewrite:

She curtsied as she got close to him, taking the time to think of something to say. "Lord Narcissus," she said, "you look lovely tonight."

What irritated her was that she wasn't lying: he did look lovely. His dark hair was a stark contrast to the red flowery headpiece--which she was certain was real--that accentuated his eyes. His wavy hair framed his face well, and the choker emphasized his long neck. The scandalously tight cocktail dress matched the headpiece, and the fact that it did well for his figure irritated her to no end. It was a shame his looks were his only good virtue--the loveliness of his appearance couldn't help but be tainted by his repulsive personality.

C's line:

The blood dripped into the awaiting bowl and painted its alabaster walls crimson. Narul watched it trickled down his arm, skirting past the hairs, rolling veins, and moles. Despite these twenty years of blood lettings, he could not shake a creeping feeling of unease as his eyes followed its creeping path down his arm. He gazed back at himself from the scarlet pool, he could not meet his own eye, could not stand to look that creature in the face. He turned away.

My rewrite:

Narul watched as the blood dripped into the alabaster bowl. With each drop, the sides became more and more stained with the sickening yet almost satisfyingly familiar crimson. The blood slowly fell down his arms like rain against glass, past his hairs, moles, veins. Twenty years of bloodlettings could not quench his repulsion, but still he could not look away from it. His eyes followed each drop's path, until he accidentally caught his reflection in the carmine pool growing in the bowl. He looked away as quickly as he could, more disgusted at the creature in his face than the blood.

My line: (shaking it up and doing it from SOTL!!!)

Jack scrutinized the castle before him. It stretched up, up, up into the sky--and as they were already in the clouds, Jack didn’t want to know how high the tallest tower was above the ground--how he wouldn’t like to be the poor bloke who was defenestrated from it. The castle was made of some sort of dark stone, giving it the unsettling feel of a haunted house. There was the cobblestone path, yes, but on either side of it, Jack realized that yes, they were still on clouds, though where the castle was, the clouds were dark and gray, and when Jack listened closely enough, he realized that there was a booming irregular pulse of thunder that shook the ground ever-so-slightly, enough to cause the stone beneath his shoes to rattle.

I'll tag @gracehosborn @illarian-rambling @finchwrites @little-peril-stories @i-can-even-burn-salad @televisionjester @thepeculiarbird @willtheweaver @the-stray-storyteller @space-writes @leahnardo-da-veggie @elsie-writes @sleepywriter00 @sleepy-night-child @writingsfromspace @badluck990 + anyone else!

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Find the word

Thanks @melpomene-grey here, @drchenquill here, and @awritingcaitlin here!

My words: water, tower, broken, history, light, need, pressure, time, crack, creak, crunch, crave, click

Your words: air, space, line, write

Tagging @diabolical-blue @space-writes @sarahlizziewrites @sarandipitywrites @tabswrites

+ ANYONE ELSE

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

@nebula--nix @literarynecromancy @honeybewrites

SOTL intro

SOTL tag list (ask to be +/-): @illarian-rambling @katwritesshit @wyked-ao3

Keep reading for:

The wonderful smell of car exhaust

Ash arrives in Alium

Robbie wakes up

Infodump on chronokinesis

Parker just asked Wade to punch him (he did)

Robbie just had a random thought

Ash is trapped in fantastical plants

Lexi isn't here and Maddie is worried

Liam and Sam do an arm wrestling match

Akash is a tad depressed

Lexi looks for Ash

Jack is tired

Robbie punches Jason

Water - from The Secret Portal Part One (Lexi POV)

“What can I say? I’m observant,” I said as the exhaust from the buses caused my eyes to water. “Ugh, I’ve never been picked up over here before. Why can’t your stepmom pick us up in the parent pick-up?”

Tower(ing) - from The Secret Portal Part One (Ash POV)

I groaned and blinked until my eyes focused. The blur of colors became a bunch of colorful trees towering above me. I pushed myself up to a seated position, groaning, and looked around—I’d never seen trees this color before and wondered if I should be taking notes.

Broken - from The Secret Portal Part One (Akash POV)

A small groan came from behind Gwen as Robbie regained consciousness. His glasses were askew, but not broken. He held his head. “Wh— what the hell was that?”

History - from The Secret Portal Part One

Although chronokinetics were rare, they were the most powerful Alii. Sure there were dimensiokinesis and energy conversion, but there was not enough documented information on a chrono's powers. Not only because they were rare, but too dangerous to test. The best theorists speculated traveling to the future was impossible, as it would take the chrono out of the past, disrupting history’s natural flow. On the other hand, if a chrono could travel back into the past, they could theoretically cause a paradox that unraveled their plane of reality.

Light - from The Secret Portal Part One (Gwen POV)

“Finally,” he said as Wade leapt over the barricade and went to Parker’s side. “Yo, it’s been years and you finally give it your all.” “That wasn't my all,” Wade said, holding his palm over Parker’s face. A white light glowed around his hand. “I’ve tackled people much bigger than your string-bean self to the ground.” “Yeah, but they were wearing football gear.” “Stop talking,” Wade instructed. “You’re gonna mess up the healing.

Need - from The Secret Portal Part One (Robbie POV)

I tapped Akash’s desk and whispered, “We need to watch all the Winnie the Pooh movies.” “I’d love to know how your brain got to that topic. Though I agree.”

Pressure - from The Secret Portal Part One (Ash POV)

Panic built in my chest, almost tighter than the vines. I felt my eyes and sinuses heat up under the pressure—physical and otherwise.

Time - from The Secret Portal Part One (Maddie POV)

“Ash said her stepmom would be here,” said Rose, peeking around the corner to the tennis court, “but I don’t see her car.” “Well, maybe they had to stay after class,” Noelle said. “Or Mary’s stuck in traffic. This is nothing to worry about, Maddie. My mom’s late all the time.”

Crack - from The Secret Portal Part One (Gwen POV)

“Hold on, Robbie!” said a large girl, who strained until the diamond guy’s arm slammed into the table. I winced as I heard it crack under the force. “Haha! I win!” The diamond disappeared, and I realized he was an ordinary guy—about my age but a little taller than Robbie. Both stood and walked over to us.

Creak(ed) - from The Secret Portal Part Two (Robbie POV)

“Akash?” I said, tapping on the door quietly. No response came, so I creaked it open. Akash lay on the bed, but awake, staring up at the ceiling. I let myself in, closing the door behind me. I leaned against it, waiting in the silence until I could think of something to say that wasn't a generic apology or query as to whether or not he was “okay.” Neither of those seemed appropriate at the moment.

Crunch(ed)- from The Secret Portal Part One (Lexi POV)

I looked down to see if there were any imprints where she may have stepped. Most of the ground appeared untouched, but my eyes rested on a patch of flattened red ferns a few yards away. I ran toward them, then kept looking at the forest floor. The colorful leaves covering the ground appeared crunched, like someone had staggered through them shortly before I arrived. I followed the path they appeared to make.

Crave(ing) - from School of the Legends Year One

“Why don’t you get some rest?” Jill suggested. “I’m fine?” “Jack, you look exhausted. And cold.” “Well, I was playing with ice all day.” “Well, you look scarlet. Your cheeks and nose are all rosy.” Jack lifted his hand to his nose--she was right; it was cold. “Y’know, I’m not tired, although I am cold.” He stood. “I’m just craving my bed--this has nothing to do with you.”

Click(ing) - from The Secret Portal Part One (Robbie POV)

I stopped in my tracks and turned to my right. Jason Sturges stood down the hall, clicking his stupid sticks against the lockers. A rush of fury overtook me as I remembered this morning. I didn’t know what I was doing until I was right beside Jason, punching him in the face.

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Writing share

Thanks @mk-writes-stuff for the tag!

Rules: share some writing

I'm gonna do some SOTL. Tierney's first chapter!

From School of the Legends Year One

Tierney was jolted awake that morning in two ways. The first jolt was from Jarred rapidly knocking on the door to his room. The second was a literal jolt of static shock from the friction his body caused from sliding against both the fitted sheet beneath him, as well as the duvet covering him, when he jumped from the first jolt. He yelped at both, causing Jarred to laugh from outside the door. Tierney scrambled out of bed and practically ran to the door--bare feet sliding on the hardwood floors--threw the door open, and jabbed his finger into Jarred’s side, causing Jarred to let out a rather embarrassing “eep!” as the static shock pierced through his cotton clothes, and he jumped back, almost falling over when his feet slipped on the carpet beneath him. Now it was Tierney’s turn to laugh. Jarred regained his balance and pointed a finger at Tierney as a mock threat. “You’re dead.” “Not if I kill you first!” Tierney said, jumping out at Jarred, who bolted down the hall. Tierney followed his brother with his hand outstretched, making extra sure to drag his feet on the carpet to keep up the static, even if it slowed his pace. Jarred turned a corner and made an “oof!” sound as he ran into Ritchie--both falling over, causing Tierney to trip over both of them and crash to the ground. “Agh! Blimey, Tierney, you have a lot of shock on you today,” Ritchie noted as Tierney brushed up against him. Jarred sat up and poked Ritchie. “Ack!” He jumped back. “You, too?” “Don’t look at me, I got it from him.” Ritchie gave Tierney’s shoulder a soft push and hissed a swear as he flinched his hand back. “Bloody, Tierney, are you a walking socks-on-the-carpet-during-winter?” “Sorry,” Tierney shrugged, messing with his hair to make it stand up. “Y’know I can’t help it.” “That’s a mouthful of a title, Rich,” said Jarred, scooching against the wall. “Well, what would you call it, then?” “A walking sack of static?” “That’s boring.”

Man, SOTL is so fun.

I'll tag @illarian-rambling @aziz-reads @aalinaaaaaa @thepeculiarbird @theprissythumbelina @elsie-writes @willtheweaver @eccaiia @writingsfromspace @winterandwords @space-writes @little-peril-stories @loopyhoopywrites + anyone else :)