#that are really just tumblr metas acted out in real time with a drawing board as an aid

[itspileofgoodthings]

my students LOVE when I tumblr meta at them in real life. unfortunately there’s only two or three times per work where it’s appropriate and/or natural for me to do so.

[thenameofaslan]

Hey, The Name of Aslan followers! 

Currently we stand at 7 members, and to keep things unique, instead of using existing character names, we will be going by Narnia-inspired names we created ourselves! Our names are Veriele, Ailora, Gianah, Astriella, Haaven, Lailenah, and Elledia. Allow us to introduce ourselves! Below we will be sharing some facts about ourselves & our interest in Narnia. 

Hello! I’m Veriele!

Favourite book:

My favourite book tends to change a lot. Of course The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a classic, and in and of itself it’s possibly the most magical story of the 7. However, I also love The Magician’s Nephew for the beautiful creation of Narnia it shows us. Then The Horse and His Boy really stands out from the other books, and I love the characters and their growth so much. But I think when it comes down to it, The Last Battle holds the most special place in my heart. The ending chapters are so full of life and beauty. The parade of returning characters in Aslan’s Country is stunning and hits my nostalgic heart hard. And those final lines just fill my heart with joy! It’s a hard choice, as the entire series is absolutely lovely, but I do think The Last Battle stands out to me most of all.

Favourite Aslan quote:

I love a lot of Aslan’s lines, but I think my top 3 are “Courage, dear heart,” “Do not dare not to dare,” and “Now you are a lioness.”

Favourite Bible verse:

In the entire Bible it’s hard to choose just one, but Revelation 21:5a fills me with a special kind of joy. “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’”

Songs that remind me of Narnia:

A lot of songs remind me of Narnia, but to name a few: Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World, North by Sleeping At Last, and Long Live by Taylor Swift.

What kind of content or art I make/enjoy:

I make edits, analytical posts, and I write the occasional fic!

Hi everyone, I’m Ailora!

Favorite book:

For the Christian themes, my favorite will always be The Last Battle. The ending few chapters make me cry. I also love the atmosphere of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, especially the ending.

Favorite Aslan scene:

It’s so hard to choose just one. I guess I’d have to say the scene where Aslan appears and walks beside Cor on the mountain pass in HAHB. I love Aslan’s gentleness with Cor, but also the sense of wonder when he starts to reveal himself and how he’s been acting in Cor’s story. I love that during the entire scene, Aslan is walking beside Cor to protect him from falling off the mountain, and also that he is guiding Cor to exactly the place he needs to be. I love Cor’s response to seeing Aslan, and I love that Aslan leaves him a footprint-full of cold water at the end. It’s just a beautiful picture of God’s provision and love and kindness and knowledge of us.

Favorite Bible verse:

Again, hard to choose. But for now I’ll say Ephesians 3:17-19: “That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Hi, I’m Gianah.

How I got interested in Narnia:

I got interested in Narnia when my friend forced me to watch The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I immediately bought the collection of all seven books, joined tumblr and then got even more obsessed with it. Once I found out other people actually really liked the series, I started to be more invested. The rest is history.

Favourite Bible Verse:

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ 29:11

Kinds of art or content I enjoy/make:

I love both writing and painting/ drawing. I love making analysis texts so much, and also narrative texts.

Hey everyone! I'm Astriella :)

How I got into Narnia:

I've loved Narnia since I was about twelve, when I was first allowed to read the books (I think I burned through all 7 in about a month!). Even then I loved finding “hidden meanings” in stuff and Narnia is a treasure trove of allegory and allusion!

My favourite non-human character:

My favorite has to be Jewel the Unicorn.  Both because unicorns are amazing and majestic and all, but because of his loyalty for Tirian, his sacrificial love, and his gentle gentility.

My favorite Aslan moment: 

It has to be from VotDT, from the Dark Island where nightmares come true.  Lucy, up in the crow’s-nest, looks down on the havoc and chaos on deck as the sailors panic in terror, and whispers to Aslan, begging for help. And help comes in the form of an albatross, which circles the crow’s-nest before leading the ship to safety; but in that moment Lucy hears Aslan’s voice whisper to her, “Courage, dear heart.” That scene means a lot to me because anxiety always provides plenty of possible nightmares, but I know my God will lead me to safety and He gives me courage.

Hello! I’m Haaven!

How I got interested in Narnia:

 I literally cannot remember a time when I wasn���t. I grew up on the series. My true obsession with it, however, would have begun in about 4th grade when I found the entire series in the school library and read them all for the first time.

When/how I became a Christian?

 I could talk for a very long time on this, but I’ll try to keep in short(ish). I grew up in a Christian home so I always kind of knew  that I needed Jesus, but I didn’t know how to go about it. I was also the most shy person you would ever meet, so I wasn’t about to ask anyone how, either. But then when I was ten, I went to church camp for one week during the summer for the first time. (I wasn’t sure I really wanted to go, but my mom convinced me with, “Well, your sister will be there, so you’ll be fine!” haha.) And, I guess you could say, the rest is history (since this is the short version, haha). :P

Favorite Narnia-esque songs:

 I have so many, but I will limit myself to three: All the King’s Horses by Karmina (totally an Edmund/ movie!PC!Peter/ Eustace song!), Up All Night by David Archuleta (okay, yes, I know this is a love song, but if you think about it as Lucy and Aslan especially in LWW… It’s adorable, okay?!?), and Beautifully Broken by Plumb (sort of a post-Last Battle Susan song).

Hi! My name is Lailenah.

Favorite non-human Narnia character:

This is a tough question, because the majority of my faves aren’t human! Hwin and Bree, Mr. Tumnus, Reepicheep, the centaurs, and then of course Aslan in his completely own category...But I’m going to have to go with Puddleglum because I LOVE him. Many heroes tend to be optimistic, hopeful, and outgoing people, but Puddleglum’s the opposite. And yet he’s still a very caring, courageous, and loyal individual; he stays true to his faith and encourages the others to do the same, especially in the scene where the Green Witch tries to enchant them so they deny that the world above and Aslan exist. And when everything is at its most hopeless point, he’s the one to offer hope in the form of, “We’re just four babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play world that licks your world hollow. That’s why I’m on Aslan’s side, even if there’s no Aslan to lead it.” He’s not a ray of sunshine, but he can be a gleam in the darkest places, when it’s most needed. And sometimes I feel like as a Christian, some people expect that you must always be “joyful” (aka wear a cheerful smile, be optimistic, and act outgoing) to be a good witness and influential for Christ. But Puddleglum reminds me that I can be real, I can be honest, and I can be an encouragement to others even when I am at a low point (in fact, being with others during their low points because I understand how it feels might be when I am most needed!). My faith and my effectiveness to others as a Christian is not less because I am not an extrovert. It is not less because I struggle mentally and feel exhausted because of anxious or depressed thoughts. No. I was created the way I am for a reason. I have the challenges I have for a reason. We all do, and that’s okay. No matter our differences, we’re not less than anyone else in God’s loving eyes, and He has a unique time and place for each of us to serve as His light as Puddleglum did.

Favorite Narnia book:

It’s always been the Last Battle. I love how intense it gets in this book, how the evil is overwhelming, the stakes are high, and the battle between right and wrong is at its climax. It feels like the good guys are losing as their already sparse armies dwindle, and the main characters are being forced into the stable. Sometimes that sense of being overwhelmed mirrors how I feel when I look at all the scary, sad, and bad things happening in the world today, but I’m encouraged by the characters who still are soldiers for Aslan’s cause, who keep going and trusting in what’s right in spite of that and in spite of the fact that can’t see what’s coming next. And then, of course, Aslan’s country. I love seeing all the familiar faces from throughout the series and the joy and rest they find in eternity with Aslan and their loved one. It shows that it truly is worth it all.

What kind of content or art I make/enjoy:

I have always loved to write!  So fanfiction and meta are definitely my favorite ways to participate. Bet you couldn’t tell that I tend to drone on. ;)  (I also make mood boards on occasion.)

Hi, Elledia here!

Favourite book: 

A Horse and His Boy or Silver Chair

What age we got interested in Narnia: 

I SAY 7, but I grew up watching the BBC miniseries, so I don’t know for sure.

Favourite Aslan quote:

 “And I was the Lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.”

When/how I became a Christian:

 Raised in the church/missionary brat. I decided when I was around eight that I wanted to be baptized and though there’ve been some bumps along the way, I’m growing in Christ as best as I can.

Narnia-esque songs: 

“If You Want Me To” by Ginny Owens reminds me a lot of Narnia, for some reason.

Kinds of art or content I enjoy/make:

 I write, so fanfic and metas are my thing, but I enjoy all kinds of art.

Anyways, it’s great to meet you all! We hope to interact with you all more in the future, and as we begin creating original posts for this blog. Our ask box is open, should you have any questions! Thanks for following us! <3

[we-pay-for-everything]

A, B, C, D, J, K, L, M, N, O, U, V!

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

Bangel - a lifelong OTP.

Klaroline - a current OTP. I’ve been reading tons of fanfics about them!

Klebekah - platonically, of course! Klaus and Rebekah Mikaelson are my favorite pair of siblings, perhaps ever. They are so similar that I could buy them as twins: both are blond, have strong personalities, are brash, impulsive, often wear their hearts on their sleeves, are passionate and emotional, fearless and feared. They both demand loyalty and love but often don’t know how to give it. But they love each other more than anything and are together through everything, and I love their bond. 

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

I don’t think there’s one pair that anyone made me like, but on Buffy-Boards, someone mentioned to me that Klaroline was going to happen in TVD and my reaction was “Ew”, but it made me pay more attention to the ship. Still, I only loved Klaroline on my second partial watch of the show, so it didn’t influence me much. I think negative influences are more common than positive ones when it comes to ships, in my case. 

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.

Spuffy. Really, fucking hate it. From moment 0. I may have liked Spike on my first watch of the show, but Spuffy was always a big no. 

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

Stelena? There isn’t a ship that I don’t like and wish I did, but I do wish I could see the appeal of Stelena. I know a lot of people, whom I like, that love Stelena and hate Delena - people who like Bangel, but I don’t see how those two ships compare. I love Bangel but like Delena much more than Stelena… I don’t see what my fellow Bangel fans see in that ship. 

J - Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr. (You don’t have to care about it or follow it; it just has to be something that Tumblr made you aware of.)

Skam? I follow two people that really like Skam and I hadn’t given it much thought until now. And perhaps OUAT because there’s a lot of that on tumblr. 

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

Oooh… Okay, my mind says Wesley and Faith, but my heart wants to say Angel. I complain so much about season 5 (in fact, to me, his arc ends in season 4), but overall I’m so proud of Angel. I love that through thick and thin he maintained his love for humanity, his empathy, his courage and his strength. He was the glue that held the Fang Gang together and, because of him, the core mission statement of the show: fighting for what is right, drove the show right until the end. 

But obviously, Faith had an amazing redemption arc. In fact, her arc on Ats is flawless. And Wesley’s arc, while dark and painful, is compelling and layered.

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

Oh, thank god I don’t have to say something nice about Camille or Spike! 

Well, I kind of hate Harmony but she was sweet to Wesley and Gunn after Fred died. I dislike Lindsey, but he was a good foil for Angel in season 1.

I dislike Lorelai but she can be quite sweet to Rory. I dislike Luke but he can be sweet to Rory also.

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

Angel. Not just because I love him, but because he’s been through so much and can be so inspiring! I’d just love to have someone like him in my life, someone who can believe in me and help me out right now that I’m going through a tough time. 

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

- More Angel love! Not only Angel, the character, but Ats as well.

- More meta! I love to read it and there isn’t enough of it. (This applies to pretty much every fandom). 

- More debate! Sometimes is great to get involved in a passionate argument! 

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

This isn’t a random song, but a friend of mine told me to listen to it because it reminded her of Weslah and it’s so good! Everyone should listen to this song.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI5hxEguomo

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

Angel (BtVS + AtS); Angel is a fighter, and he has integrity. He has a set of beliefs and he’s incorruptible. He struggles and has his moments of doubt but he always dusts himself off and goes back to it. His heart is pure. He genuinely wants to help people and won’t ever give up on fighting for them. He’s the flawed champion we need. He’s inspiring and I draw strength from his strength, especially knowing that I’ve also felt weak like he has. 

Rebekah Mikaelson (The Originals): right now, she’s really a fave. Rebekah is powerful, strong. She falls in love over and over again (throughout 1000 years) even after getting her heart broken every time. It takes strength and courage to keep making yourself vulnerable like that and to keep having hope. She’s sassy, brave, headstrong, fearless, cruel, vindictive, fierce. She’s a Mikaelson!

Carrie Hopewell (Banshee): have to give a shoutout to my favorite girl, that few know. Carrie is a badass mother, lover, criminal! She’ll do anything for her family, but she struggles between being a mother and living in a lie (pretending to be a woman named Carrie) and giving in to her criminal roots (as Anna).

V - Which character do you relate to most?

Angel (one of the many reasons why he’s my fave). Angel is introverted, likes alone time, the quiet, to read philosophy and to listen to some classical music (he’s listening to Beethoven’s 9th symphony in some s1 episode). He’s also troubled. He doesn’t know peace or happiness (most of the time) and I can relate to that so much! My mind doesn’t fucking shut up. It keeps thinking and nagging me with thoughts of guilt, loneliness and self hatred. Angel has been through times when he felt hopeless and like he was worth nothing, but still believes that “if nothing we do matters than all that matters is what we do” and I firmly believe that as well. I believe that “the smallest act of kindness can be the greatest thing in the world” regardless of how hopeless some causes (including myself) can be. 

The fact that Angel realistically goes through periods of being more or less depressed, like a real person does, is what makes me relate to him so much in the end. He isn’t just one of those characters that goes through a period of depression but bounces back after a miracle in a season. Depression is a recurring theme. Angel is always melancholic and always struggling with fitting in and loneliness. Like a normal person, sometimes he wins the battle, sometimes he loses, but he always keeps fighting. 

Thanks for the ask, lovely!