#but anyway. if you're curious. the lol book simply says

[everysongineverykey]

i dunno it kinda bothers me sometimes to see characters who are referred to with they/them pronouns in games described as "ambiguously gendered" or "gender left unclear" or "gender unstated" by fans and stuff like. yeah absolutely they are sometimes that. sometimes the creator had a gender in mind for them while creating them and just didn't think to talk about it in the game. but also, like. sometimes characters can just be nonbinary? and it makes me kinda sad that everyone's first reaction to they/them pronouns in games is "oh, they have a binary gender, it's just up to the player/not stated in-game".

#this is just something i was thinking about #after reading the ut localization book and seeing monster kid and onionsan described this way specifically #like. onionsan isn't really a big deal to me. they're just never talked about in the game. #i'm not treating them as Important Canon Nonbinary Rep because even though i use they/them for them #they're not canonically Anything. #monster kid is sort of the same deal? undyne uses they/them for them #and while it could be argued that she doesn't know them you could also argue they sneak out to follow her a lot #she could've met them before. #eh. it's a non-issue in this case really. at least they didn't describe napstablook that way #but honestly why are they so scared of saying 'nonbinary'. it's clear that that's what napstablook is #with the 'theirself' and all that #which. singular themself/theirself is not a word you see often in media at all! #it certainly wasn't when undertale came out! that was a pretty uncommon word in games! #so props to toby for featuring the first singular themself i ever saw in media and making me go 'woah' #but anyway. if you're curious. the lol book simply says #'the game refers to napstablook as 'them' not 'him' or 'her'' #which. yeah! they're a them! but why do you act like this is some sort of narration quirk #and not just. a character being nonbinary. #i think that became pretty clear when the first few rounds of the undertale art book #came out and used he/him for them #but then someone asked toby about the pronoun difference #and he called them all back and changed their pronouns to they/them in the book once again. #honestly i. only vaguely remember hearing that so if someone has sources i'd love to see them #but like. why can't characters be nonbinary. why can't people just say nonbinary. it's not a scary word.

[bunnystalker]

albert wesker hcs (re0-1)

hi!! first post! let me know if it's ooc or not, i'm trying. tysm for reading! tags below.

cw; fluff, angst, hurt/no comfort, follows the events of re1. boyfriend! wesker bc he's so sillypants and i love him lol. not proofread, written under the influence, whoops! somewhat clingy but mostly cold reserved bf wesker. jill and chris mentioned, valenfield implied.

petnames used; primrose, little dove.

boyfriend wesker!, who's not always the most affectionate but makes sure to always have a hand on you at all times, unless you're apart. he's always holding either your hand, your waist, or the back of your neck. his hands are slightly calloused, cold, and smooth from both his lines of work. you'd shudder upon initial comment, mutter something about his fingers being "cold as ice," and melt into his touch anyway.

boyfriend wesker!, who, when you're away, sends you updates on his day so you're not worried where he's gone. if he's reading a book, he'll send you a line that makes him think of you, be it a fact or something a character said. when he's working and you're at home, he's frequenting his Nokia 6150 in his office to see if you've messaged him. he's private about your relationship with all his coworkers, Umbrella or R.P.D.

boyfriend wesker! who hasn't told you about his job at Umbrella, and likely won't for your own safety. He can't risk getting his little dove involved, especially if you're not the science type. he only tells you things you'd want to hear about his position at the R.P.D.- stories of Chris being an astounding meathead and Jill's crush on him. he'd update you on developments because he knows you like that sort of thing, even if you say you don't. off-handedly, he'd mention Barry's family, and look at you with some odd kind of longing.

boyfriend wesker!, who is incredibly protective deep down, but refuses to act out or make either of you look foolish. if you're getting hit on, he'll intervene on your behalf and simply pull you aside. he knows it's not your fault. he could never be mad at you, his primrose.

boyfriend wesker!, who has a very big soft spot for you. while he's cold with anyone else, you are the only one he'll let some of his walls down for. he feels bad for lying to you about certain things, but he has good intentions- or so he thinks.

boyfriend wesker!, whose feelings are stronger than he thought they could be for someone. his heart yearns for you at all times, and though he doesn't say it often, he would kill for you. his own feelings scare him at times- when he wakes up in the middle of the night, you by his side snoring away, and wonders how he got here in the first place. it's those times he might pull away and try to close himself up again.

boyfriend wesker!, who pushes you away when he can't handle his feelings. he reprimands himself for not being in control of himself- that's all he really wants, control. he tries to keep himself at a good distance so you're content with him, so you trust him. he doesn't realize he's manipulating you, nor that he's hurting you. he doesn't think he can.

boyfriend wesker!, who, when you end up leaving him (as you should), doesn't bat an eye. although it does hurt, he knows better than to beg, god forbid cry, at your feet as an attempt to keep you for longer. he has never been that kind of man. instead, he wishes you well and helps you pack your things. of course he's curious as to why you're leaving and in due time, he'll make all your suspicions come to life. soon enough. he'll confirm your worst fears- that he's been hiding from you, lying to you, for your entire relationship.

ex-boyfriend wesker!, who, months after the breakup, isn't over you. still sleeps with a shirt you left behind used as a pillowcase for a pillow he hugs to get comfortable. he'll wake up in the morning at times and feel around for you, his heart sinking in his chest at the reality of your absence. when he gets ready and stares annoyedly at himself in the mirror while he brushes his teeth. imagines it's you slicking his hair back with a light-feeling gel instead of himself. if he thinks about it for too long, he can hear you making little comments about how long his hair has gotten or how soft it is. his lips press into a thinner line at that, and his jaw clenches.

ex-boyfriend wesker!, who carries out his plans to get rid of S.T.A.R.S. and wonders what you'd think of him now after he's tried to kill his employees (and almost succeeds. that damn Chris.) you wouldn't look at him the same, but the twisted and frankly delusional part of him hopes you'll tell him that it's okay. that you'll still kiss him how you used to, or touch his arm and reassure him that he didn't do anything wrong, that he's justified in his actions. although these delusions would only carry him so far, as he needs the real you- not just an apparition of you.

#albert wesker x reader #boyfriend wesker #resident evil #my headcanons #albert wesker #wesker x reader #resident evil headcanons #albert wesker headcanons #criticism welcome #criticism appreciated #hello tumblr #first post #welcome to my blog #wesker addict ngl #bunnystalker ૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡ #bunny's headcanons ໒꒰ྀིっ˕ ｡꒱ྀི১

[whirlwindimagines]

‘Now here we are, staring at the stars’

Luke Skywalker x Reader

a/n: Not requested! Lol not my usual stuff but Star Wars has a very special place in my heart, and how could I not write about my og baby girl Luke was the first fictional character I had a crush on lol if I'm writing for Luke I take a lot of his personality from legends because the books Luke??? HE SET THE BAR mister I love my scary wife anyway never get me started on Star Wars I know too much and love it too deeply to be normal. This can be read as platonic i just feel like someone should tell luke he's doing a good job Luke Skywalker x Reader 

You never thought the universe could be so vast a silly thought now, you scoff the sound echoing into the night. How naive you used to be, back when all you knew was the desert and two suns. Now look at you, in this jungle listening to the sound of creatures you couldn’t even begin to name.

Footsteps approach, light but meaningful, and then a voice, “Can I join you?” Closing your eyes you smile, as if you could ever refuse him. Opening your eyes and patting the spot next to you in the grass, Luke joins your side laying down and resting his hands over his stomach.

“What are you doing? “His soft voice asks you as you let out a hum, “just existing I guess.” You reply, it’s so strange this peace that has settled over you after everything, all the fighting, you all won. You knew it wouldn’t be the end, lots of politics would come into play, but right now you could just enjoy the victory. 

Turning your head to look at him, your eyes soften, reaching out to place your hand over his. “How are you holding up?” It’s a stupid question, but with everything that has happened, you didn’t think Luke had time to just exist either. 

He doesn’t answer, but instead places his gloved hand over yours. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next, I mean I did what everyone wanted me to do, and now what.” He sounds lost and unsure, like back when the two of you were younger. 

“I think that’s okay though. I think if anyone deserved the time to figure things out it’s you.” You answer honestly, “And you don’t have to figure everything out alone ya know?” You continue smiling when he turns his head to look at you. 

“Thank you.” You let out a huff, turning your gaze back to the stars, you can still feel his eyes on you. “You don’t need to thank me; you did its Luke and you did it your way. We won, let’s just enjoy it for now.” Luke laughs, you’ve missed the sound, it's a little sadder somehow.

“I’m proud of you.” You whisper it into the night and hear the stuttering breath Luke takes, closing your eyes you sigh. “You’re the bravest person I know, don’t I know how you do it.” you really didn't, Luke was simply amazing, and that he chose to be kind and solve things his way, and that after everything he's still the kind farm boy used to know. 

“I think your pretty amazing too” his quiet voice replies, a bit shyly, and you can’t help but laugh not a cruel one just one of surprise. “Oh, now you're just being sweet. But I mean compared to you, I’ve kinda just been there while you guys did all the work” That wasn’t true, but to compared to your friends? And the amazing feats they’ve done for the rebellion, it feels like you pale in comparison.

Luke is quiet, you didn’t expect a reply so you close your eyes, “When I felt like my world was falling apart you kept me grounded, I don’t think I would still be here without” The words are spoken with such conviction that it makes you take in a stuttering breath. You don’t think anyone has ever said anything like that to you. It makes your eyes burn, but you don’t want to cry you’ve done enough of that now is a time to be happy. 

You are at a loss for words, how do you say reply to something like that? You turn on your side to face him, as Luke turns his head to look at your eyes curious. “Well, I hope that I can continue to be at your side in the future.” it's a little cheesy, but hey you think you’ve earned being cheesy and it makes Luke laugh so that’s another win in your book. 

“I would like that a lot,” Luke says quietly, and well you really enjoy the thought of that too. “Well, it's a good thing you are stuck with me then farm boy.” You tease, his eyes go a little wide at the tease, and you can't help the laugh you let out. Even after everything, he could still turn into that shy kid you knew back on Tatooine, he covers his face with his hands, but he laughs slightly. 

“No one has called me that in a while,” Luke admits quietly, why would they? He was Luke the Jedi, he was way more than some farm boy, you didn't mean the teasing nickname as something cruel, but as some sort of fond memory. “Good, that can just stay between us then.” You reply softly, turning back on your back to stare at the stars. You feel Luke grab your hand holding it tightly in his between the two of you. He doesn’t say anything and neither do you, yet you can sense everything that isn't said. It's just…a perfect moment and one you plan to cherish.

A/n: Happy May the Fourth be with you! If you’re reading this! I’m getting my wisdom teeth removed today 😭😭 wish me luck, i'm gonna have a Star Wars marathon when I got home and sleep.

#Luke Skywalker #luke skywalker x y/n #luke skywalker x reader #luke skywalker x you #star wars x reader #star wars imagine #star wars x y/n #star wars x you #luke skywalker #luke skywalker imagine

[performativezippers]

As a non writer I’m curious about something. Do you decide to write a specific genre and then work an idea into the genre or do you write the idea/story you want and then look to decide which genre it is? I guess I’m curious if the story or genre comes first?

Great question!

For fic: I write whatever the fuck I want and don't worry about it! I mostly write things that end happily because that's what makes me happy, but as long as I tag things appropriately (AU, platonic, IN SPACE, whatever), I don't let any of that bother me. Fic is so fun because it can so easily slide between genres. And most fic is romance AND something else; romance and crime/mystery, romance and scifi, romance and fantasy, or simply contemporary romance. There's a big thing in the publishing world right now where people are like "omg, ROMANTASY, aka fantasy with a primary romance, HOW THRILLING" and I'm like...dude...this not new! Welcome! Have you heard of a lil fandom by the name of XENA WARRIOR PRINCESS??? Do not cite the Deep Magic to me Witch. I was there when it was written.

For novels that you're trying to get published: I had to learn what book genres were! I queried my first novel—which is when you send it out to agents like a job application, with a cover letter and writing sample, and hope they want to represent you, aka help you sell it—being like THIS HAS NO GENRE and it turns out the genre was romcom with speculative elements. Aka low key romantasy, lol. Anyway, that book was Revelations and it didn't sell, I think primarily because the genre conventions were not met and it was confusing. It worked great as a fic, but required several big overhauls and ground-up rewrites to get it to place where it meets genre expectations and is maybe sell-able.

Usually the idea that comes to me is clear what genre it is, now that I know what they are. I primarily write romcoms, some speculative and some not, and so the ideas that percolate for me most are romcoms. However, my agent said recently a new idea I have might be more on the line of romcom and women's fiction* which surprised me. But that's fine! It doesn't change the book I write; it might change how we talk about it in the pitch process and, if it gets sold, how the marketing team frames it. But that won't change the story structure from a drafting perspective, I don't think.

Some genres are very close to each other (upmarket vs. book club fiction vs. women's fiction), while others are quite distinct (if you want it set in space, that's probably going to be sci fi). I think the main questions are:

(a) Setting: Is it on a space ship? (sci-fi) Are there dragons? (fantasy) Can people use magic? (fantasy or speculative) Is it in our world, in our time? (contemporary) In our world but in 1250? (historical)

(b) Character motivations (what do they NEED): To repopulate their planet? Save their mother from the evil magician? Fall in love? Save her bookstore from capitalism?

(c) Obstacle (why don't they have it ALREADY): If the obstacle is primarily internal, like she can't fall in love because she hates herself, then we're looking at a straight romance or literary fiction. If the obstacle is world-building related, like the spaceship is broken or the magician is too powerful, that's going to be firmly sci-fi or fantasy or whatever.

There should always be at least 2 obstacles: one internal and one external, but you should know which one is paramount, or which would win in an epic battle. And that will help you figure out if you're writing, say, romance with speculative elements (soulmates) or fantasy with a strong romantic element (fourth wing, i think, i haven't read it because it seems bad). Whichever you list first is your primary genre, aka which section of the bookstore it'll be in. Are you shelving this in fantasy (fourth wing) or romance (Revelations) or "fiction," and then the rest gets more specific from there.

*also, just like, FUCK the name "women's fiction." Men's fiction is called "fiction."

#writing advice #ask zipps #book genres #publishing

[tio-trile]

Good Omens fan since 2011 here! First of all just wanna say that you're one of my fav GO artists ever and your fanart of The Sacred and The Profane is still so important to me actually <3

Anyway, I'm a book fan through and through and when they first announced the TV Show I have to admit I was a bit hesitant but overall have made peace to the fact that it won't be 1:1. No adaption ever does but as long as the core stays there I'm good with it.

And while there are some parts I'm not a big fan of (The Dove being one but also how Crowley ask Aziraphale to ran away with him. I just can never see him asking that like he's the first one asking Aziraphale to work with him in stopping the Armageddon. And he's deep down is an optimist. So I can never see him asking Aziraphale to ran away regardless how desperate he is. Like on one hand I was like 'oh that's sweet' in shipping glasses but at the same time it's a 'he would not say that' moment to me 😔) but otherwise it was a good fun!

When S2 was announced, it took me off guard bc like. Do we *really* need this? I don't see why we need a S2?? I think biggest part is bc I've made peace over how we'd never getting a sequel. I'm at peace that those can just be explored in fan sphere 637382992 ways. I never see the necessity of needing a S2 or even S3. And while a part of me still a bit curious on what S2 is like, the response from the book fans I trust hasn't been .... good. So I think I'll sit this one out for now and maybe revisit it at some point in the future lol.

Silver lining I guess is the graphic novel! I'm really excited about that!! Curious how the book will translate as a comic :)

Anyway, sorry if this isn't really structured but I guess I just wanna say I've been enjoying reading your replies and asks from other folks as well! But also the one ask about GO could be the next SPN experience killed me point blank <3

Omg hi!! Wow, you've been in the fandom longer than I have...and THANK YOU for your kind words!! 🥺

And yes to all you said. S1 wasn't perfect, but I find myself overlooking the imperfections because overall it was a pretty faithful and good adaptation. And totally agree on the "run away" thing -- we bring up the dove a lot but that is honestly another "he would not say that" moment as you said. I was just talking with my friend about how book!Crowley is an optimist -- see how after he was sure that Aziraphale had disincorporated and the bookshop is aflame, Crowley still decided to drive down to the airfield to help the humans with nothing to lose or gain for him anymore, simply because he loves Earth too.

I talked about it briefly in a previous ask but I too was very sure that we wouldn't get season 2, because Neil Gaiman wouldn't ditch his dear dead friend to write more Good Omens on his own, right?......until he did. And like you said, we don't need a S2. The book fandom has been around for 30 years and still going strong. I guess the party that needed S2 the most is Amazon, and it just all comes down to money in the end.

I preordered the graphic novel and I'm curious how they'll adapt the book too! Season 2 has hurt me a little too much that I feel hesitant to say I look forward to any adaptations now......😂 but I am still curious about it! Again, thank you for your kind words! I think Good Omens is looking to be the next SuperWhoLock all by itself.

#ask #anonymous #good omens critical #nice ppl #long post

[yyyyanyan]

Book Club: Trials of Apollo series (1, 2, 3) by Rick Riordan

part 3 of camp halfblood chronicles! I'm done with this man lol I don't want to keep reading

So I happily went off to read fanfiction after finishing Heroes of Olympus and I got caught off-guard by a cute little spoiler :) and I was like "no way is this canon right? it's not canon right?" but I was too spooked to keep reading fanfiction. I could not be at peace. I had to start the next series. So I went and did that

and goddamn idk what it is about this series but it's such a drag. I don't particularly like Meg or Apollo (I think Meg is interesting, but I'm not particularly attached, and I can see when Apollo is meant to be funny, but I'm not amused) and I'm just not drawn into the story. I also somehow feel like it moves simultaneously faster and slower than the other books? Like I feel like I'm moving through molasses trying to get through the story, but when I reached the end of the book I was like "Wait, that's it?"

So on one hand I think Apollo's memory/knowledge is handled brilliantly and it adds tension without feeling like a straight up nerf. I also think Meg's backstory is SO interesting and I'm totally curious to learn more about her. But on the other hand... I'm so bored LMAO

I think Calpyso totally saved book 2 simply because I love her <3 She and Apollo are literally so funny together. I also think the drama of like, trying to save the little girl (I'm so sorry I already forgot her name) was really good? This one was way more interesting than the first one. But I feel like I was also just interested because my faves (I also love Leo btw I just didn't say his name) were back and less so bc the story was more interesting to me lol

anyways book 3. I'm salty about this one!! very very salty!!!!! So first I found out my faves (Piper and Jason) have BROKEN UP and then my fave (Jason) DIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so upset about this one fr ToT HOW COULD JASON DIE????? HE HAD SO MUCH LEFT TO DO!!!!!! anyways the tension was really cool except I'm MAD that he died ToT like literally that's my big takeaway from this book.... Jason died............ I'm like extra mad because I just don't think things got wrapped up well for him!! Like I mentioned in the Heroes of Olympus post but his Roman/Greek conflict thing was soo interesting and I really don't think it was in any of the other charas so I was looking forward to see it expanding. I also thought his promise to Kymopoleia was going to be amazing and I got so excited seeing his little monopoly houses :( and then... you're telling me he's gone..... :((((

I kind of wonder if the Jason and Piper thing gets explained more because in my opinion it came out of absolutely! nowhere!!! so I just went and read some discussion/saw some spoilers about it and I'm just like :/ damn. I think like with all of the facts together and Hera/Juno's influence and how it felt like it was forced on them then then yeah it does make sense that they broke up :/ but like someone commented, I'm upset because the narrative didn't treat it like that! I'm just like really sad bc all of that happens offscreen and we don't get to see it happening and plus I totally thought they worked through the false memories (cough 6 months between Lost Hero and the argo II sailing cough!!). I think I could accept it if I saw hints of it but it totally blindsided me and THEN Jason just dies???? like ugh :( also I was shook when I was googling and I found out people didn't like him ToT he's always been my one of my faves lol :'D

Anyways I borrowed book 4 and I'm like a fifth of the way through I think? But it's been like a week at least and I'm tired and I've moved on so I'm going to take a break and maybe (probably not) come back to it another time. I'm curious how it ends/what happens but not curious enough to keep going. I am totally cut up over Jason and I'm too salty LMAO

#yy book club #yy ramblings #pjo #hidden oracle reading time: 3 hours 21 mins #dark prophecy reading time: 5 hours 1 min #burning maze reading time: 4 hours 14 mins

[carpisuns]

Hello! You’ve mentioned you’re and editor, and I’m taking a class called Writing for Communication Career, so I was curious if you agreed with some of the class’ takes. Are action verbs superior to the us of adverbs and adjectives? And, from what I’ve observed on Tumblr, many fanfiction writers write to express themselves and write what they want. This class advocates writing as an act of service, making said craft more about the audience than the writer. Writing fanfiction and writing professionally are different, to say the least, but I’d love to know someone else’s opinion. Another question: how long does it usually take you to edit your fics? Have a great day!

hi! yes, i minored in editing in college and i've been working as an editor professionally for the last 5 or so years :)

tbh i don't think there's a "correct" answer to whether action verbs are superior to adverbs. they're both just tools you can use to convey your meaning, and your purpose and style can vary. i'd say it depends on the situation. on one hand, there's definitely some merit in the advice to focus on strengthening your verbs rather than relying on adverbs to carry meaning that could be carried by the verb in a more concise and precise way. "he walked slowly through the halls"—sure. that tells us something. but does "he meandered through the halls" give us a more vivid and accurate portrayal of what you mean? What about "he trudged"? "he shuffled"? "he crept"? "he moped"? There are a lot of words that in the most basic sense mean "walk slowly," but they each have a slightly different flavor and meaning. clear, strong writing uses clear, strong descriptors.

on the other hand, you can definitely take this advice too far, to the point that it's actually unhelpful. i grow weary of hearing people talk about adverbs like they are Forbidden Words you must never use if you want to be a good writer. I hear this all the time with other things too. "said is dead! it's boring and repetitive! here's a list of 50000 words you can use instead!" and when I was in 12th grade, my English teacher docked points on our essays every time we used a be verb (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, do, does, did, has, have, had, may, might, must, would, should, could, can, will, shall).

these kinds of "rules" were invented to prevent legitimate problems, but there are other, more effective ways to address those same problems. and sometimes, there isn't actually a problem at all. sure, boring adverbs can weaken your writing, but what about the cool, awesome ones? I remember once i read in a book that a character "fell spectacularly." I was delighted with this adverb. it had flavor to me. powerful adverbs can be just as effective as powerful verbs. and what if there just isn't an action verb that will properly convey your meaning by itself? adverbs are simply descriptors, and you need description in your writing. sure, said sounds repetitive if you use it 1000 times in a row. but will replacing all those saids with another word really fix the problem if it's your sentence structure that's repetitive? mix it up with action beats and no-attribution dialogue! balance it out. and yes, omitting be verbs forces you to perform mental gymnastics to construct what some would consider a stronger sentence. but sometimes it just sounds convoluted and pretentious lol

the point is, it's not realistic or helpful to omit entire parts of speech from your writing. adverbs, be verbs, the word said—these are all valuable, needed parts of the English language. they're not bad guys. just try to use them effectively and consider whether there's a stronger way to say what you're trying to say.

Anyway!!!! for your second question, about writing as an act of service that's more about the audience than the writer, i think that's generally true but again depends on the situation. for a class called "Writing for Communication Career," it makes sense for them to tell you that your audience is the priority. that will be the case with most professional writing. for example, i work mostly with children's content, so editing to fit a child audience's needs is my top priority. but fanfic? that's for ME lol. like, yes, i share my fic for others to read and i hoard nice comments like a dragon, but i'd say i mostly write fic to suit my own personal tastes and wants, knowing that others will likely share them. basically with fic i take the "selfish" approach to writing, and i think that's a valid approach that makes sense for what i'm doing. if the main purpose of the writing is personal expression/entertainment, then the primary audience is you, so you serve the audience's needs by writing the way you want to write. of course, if you intend to share your work, then you're expanding that audience beyond yourself, and it's good and often essential to consider how it will be received and how you can shape it to best convey your message to that wider audience. considering your audience is aa good rule of thumb for any type of writing because that will affect the way you craft it.

and lastly, how long does it take me to edit my fics—i don't really do individual editing passes because i edit as i go. which makes me an excruciatingly slow writer lol. i just have a very hard time turning off my editor brain so sometimes i'll labor over one sentence for 20 minutes trying to refine it before i move on fdjasfjkl

argh sorry this is so long but i hope this is at least somewhat helpful<3

#ask #xxxcertifiednerdxxx #writing

[bookofmirth]

Hi! Before starting this, I hope you're safe and are having a good day!

So, I came across a post on IG where the person twisted almost every interaction with Gwyn we had in ACOSF and said with such enormous conviction that she's secretly a Lightsinger when all the evidences they provided were just...fanon. I commented on their post claiming that she can't be that because the Lightsinger theory goes against every canon info we have about her character and it's disgusting to twist a strong SA survivor into those creatures.

Here's the important part. An Elriel replied that I should stop weaponizing Gwyn's SA. I swear my mind went blank for a few minutes. Was it really weaponizing Gwyn's SA trauma when I called out their fanon theory that they were passing as canon? I'm genuinely curious about it though because Gwyn's trauma is a delicate subject and the Elriels are the ones who keep invalidating it.

Furthermore, the Elriel also said that if I want people to take my argument seriously, I should provide textual evidence why Gwyn can't be a Lightsinger.

Honestly, did we read the same book? Literally nothing in the book suggests that Gwyn is a Lightsinger. It's only the Elriels who keep screaming it at the top of their lungs.

I sometimes wonder if all Elriels are this stupid or if they have the comprehension skills of a potato. After this, how can they expect anyone to take them and their ship seriously?

I still don't understand why they're so hellbent on making Gwyn a Lightsinger while also claiming that they don't think she's evil lol.

But anyway, sorry for the long rant. I'm simply a big fan of your blog and all the arguments you present.

Thank you for bearing with me!

OMFG this kind of logic is driving me crazy.

"Prove I'm wrong" well you just pulled something out of your ass and I don't handle bullshit directly since I'm allergic, so...

So first off, not wanting a SA survivor to be vilified and compared to a rapist is not "weaponizing" her SA. You aren't saying that she can't be a lightsinger because of her SA, you are saying that making an SA survivor into a villain makes you uncomfy, and that is completely valid. You said she couldn't be a lightsinger because of canon. That's very different.

I've noticed a lot of people throwing around words they don't understand, which on the one hand, okay. That's fine, we don't know all the words, we haven't learned all the concepts, we learn things intentionally or incidentally or whatever.

But people using these words in arguments, to make other people feel ashamed, is just 🤪 Words have meaning, concepts have meaning and context that you can't always get from a dictionary (hence why I tell my students to look beyond dictionaries and go to more discipline-specific sources, but anyway), and those meanings are important.

Literally nothing in the book suggests that Gwyn is a Lightsinger.

Literally nothing!

LIterally nothing

LITerally NOThing!!!!

I sometimes wonder if all Elriels are this stupid or if they have the comprehension skills of a potato. After this, how can they expect anyone to take them and their ship seriously?

I don't want to speculate about anyone's intelligence because like I said before, people don't always know things. I can't expect people to have had the same access to education that I did. But it does get frustrating when people dig in their heels and not only misuse these words and concepts, but refuse to improve their knowledge of them.

It's the last gasp of a dying subfandom. They're just making a mess on their way out the door.

Sorry for responding to this late, I have had a lot of grading! As usual!

#antielriel #gwyn #acotar #ask #anon

[silverspectre]

en garde, pret, aimer! || lockwood & co.

pairing: light florence bonnard x anthony lockwood

genre: fencing(?)ish!au and also maybe straying away from canon bc what iS canon at this point, fluff, platonic main relationship, eventual angst, pre-canon??? aka beFore the series takes place

words: 3.8k

tags: fluffy!!, young lockwood nd flo, fencing stuff, apologies for the french (literally lol), i wrote this like half a year ago i’M SORRY-

what to expect: “’Why else would I be here? Tea time?’”

a/n: so this was beta-read and edited by two lovely people! i appreciate their help so much, as they’ve made this story what it is now. thank you so much @piratekingimogen​ and @willowwisk​ for your help! is this canon-compliant? someone ask jonathan stroud. this will be my last fic for a while, unless i have a spontaneous bout (pun intended) of inspiration. thank you all for your support!

translation: en garde, prets, allez = on guard, ready, go (used to start a fencing bout) / en garde, prets, aimer = on guard, ready, love (used to start this story)

The train ride from London to Paris is a particularly long, arduous journey. There's not much to see; reading a book 50 times or twiddling your thumbs is perhaps the most productive thing one can do. However, though a subjective opinion, it's a great deal less dull when in the company of a pretty girl whose name you learn through one piece of black licorice.

Florence Bonnard. It was elegant and flowed off the tip of your tongue. She was pretty; her teeth shining white and her long, blonde hair practically another shade of gold, shimmering in the sunlight. Anthony Lockwood could only stare at her.

To Anthony, Paris was a dream of any fencer. It was hailed as the fencing capital of the world, home to countless famed swordsmen and agents. He could merely wish to be like them. He was sure he was on his way, however. He'd been invited to a DEPRAC-sponsored competition in France, and of course, he absolutely had to go. His supervisor, Nigel 'Gravedigger' Sykes, forced him anyways.

He made the acquaintance of Florence Bonnard only a few minutes ago, when she huffed into the train compartment that was otherwise empty except for Anthony's doe-eyed presence. Looking upset, she plopped herself down diagonal from him. She didn't even acknowledge his existence.

"Hi?" he squeaked out. His voice was a little scratchy. He coughed, then repeated the word in a much more confident tone.

"Well? What are you?" This was the first he'd heard the girl speak.

She spared a glance at Anthony.

"I'm, uh..." He thought fast. She didn't

know him; no one on the train, as far as he knew, knew his name. He could reinvent himself, banish the name used so fondly by his parents and sister. He could be...

"I'm, uh... Lockwood. Just Lockwood. Yes. That's me."

"Lockwood... classy," she commented. She paused, in thought. "Though... I think I'll call you Locky."

"L-Locky?" Lockwood stuttered. This was not how she was supposed to react to his name.

"Locky. It practically rolls off the tongue, don't you think?" She smiled, slightly exposing her white teeth. It was a pretty sight. He could've stared at her for a second or an hour before he registered her answer.

Lockwood was caught off guard. "W-well, what's your name, then?"

She smiled a pearly white smile. "Wouldn't you like to find out," she said slyly.

A sweets trolley rolled down the aisle, pushed by a plump old woman. "Anything you'd like to buy?" She popped her head in the compartment.

The girl scanned the trolley, then made up her mind. She turned to Lockwood. "You'll have to buy me a liquorice to find out my name."

"I'll have a bag of liquorice, please," Lockwood immediately said to the lady, pulling out two pounds and exchanging it for a bag. He didn't know why he complied so easily - maybe he'd fallen under a trance for her. 

He handed one to the girl, who looked momentarily startled before recomposing herself. "So, what's your name?" Lockwood asked.

"Florence Bonnard," she simply replied. It matched her, Lockwood thought. Prim and proper, it matched her perfect posture and neatly combed hair.

"You fence?"

"Why else would I be here? Tea time?" 

"O-of course not, but you're just so pretty-"

Oh no. He'd let it slip.

Florence Bonnard's lips curled upward. "Thanks, Locky. I'll remember that on the piste."

He was suddenly scared to imagine Florence Bonnard on the piste, with her blonde hair tied up and her body in first position, sword ready to attack. With her confidence, double of his, how good could she be? Lockwood felt his stomach turn queasy. How good were the others on the train?

She poked Lockwood lightly. "Worried?" she teased. "En-garde," she mimicked a referee, "prets-" she made a face, "allez!" She pretended to poke Lockwood with her rapier, then laughed.

Lockwood couldn't help but laugh with her at her imitation.

"What's your agency?" Lockwood asked.

"That'll cost you a liquorice," she stated.

He handed her one.

"Sinclair & Saones. 'm an apprentice for 'em. You?"

"Nigel Sykes."

"Really?" she drawled. "You seem like the Rotwell type - well, then again, you weren't sitting with the lot in the first place."

"Rotwell and Fittes agents always win, don't they?"

"I'll give 'em a run for their money. How old are you?"

"Ten."

She looked up and down. "Alright then."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She smirked. "Nothing... When's your birthday, then?"

He told her.

"I'm older than you."

"So what? That doesn't mean you'll be better!"

Florence Bonnard smiled. "We'll see about that."

Nigel 'Gravedigger' Sykes, or just Sykes, was Lockwood's mentor. He was a bit scraggly, but not enough to make him incompetent with a sword. He was on the slightly mad side, yes, but was an extremely skilled swordsman. Lockwood was constantly amazed by his ability.

"You rely on remises too much. Practice on your footwork, you're doubting yourself too much.”

They'd been practicing for two hours - maybe more. Lockwood didn't even bother trying to count the bouts. His hair stuck to his sweaty forehead, his breaths hot in the mask. Lockwood's legs were sore and his arms hurt from all the attack, parry, and riposting he'd done.

The competition started in three days - Sykes had decided Lockwood needed to cram in as much practice as he could. On and off the piste, Lockwood could hear Sykes' voice in his head, telling him to Parry quarte or Eat your breakfast, it's free food! Food was accommodated at the hotel which sponsored DEPRAC for the competition. The rooming was nice as well, Lockwood being lucky enough to get a room to himself rather than most participants in the tournament who had to share a room.

When the competition finally rolled around, he'd won the first bout easily - almost too easily. Regardless, a win was a win, even against some Bunchurch agent with half a brain.

The real competition - or so he'd heard from rumours - was Quill Kipps of Fittes. He was apparently a prodigy fencing-god in his mid-teens, favoured by the majority of the crowd. He was tall and ginger, from what people had been telling him. Easy to spot in crowds. Lockwood was curious to see the famous Kipps in practice - rather, he was curious to see what any Fittes or Rotwell agent could bring to the table.

Lockwood had yet to see the mysterious Florence Bonnard do her bout. He was eager to do so after showering and slipping into the stands to watch the next bouts. After a win from Alexander Fawley, and another from Emily Schreiber, Quill Kipps was up. The teen was fast, and his every move was clearly calculated. It was everything Lockwood could aspire to be.

Florence Bonnard was fast as well, to Lockwood's surprise. She was extremely quick on her feet and could get a touch faster than the referee could blink after saying allez. It was impressive, being younger than a lot of contestants- and she wasn't even a Fittes or Rotwell agent.

Lockwood considered what he'd do if he was ever tasked with being her opponent, but only for a split second. It was too unrealistic he'd make it that far. But still, he had a vivid image of her lunging, ponytail swaying and rapier thrust as the tip of her blade touched his side. Now was not the time to daydream.

The second bout passed, 14-15. Lockwood had won in a landslide, attacking the split second his opponent hesitated.

After, as Lockwood chugged a bottle of water on the side, still sweaty and clad in his fencing gear, Florence Bonnard approached him. "Good bout, Locky," she said in her sly way. "Although, your footwork could be better." His gaze was stuck on her, even as she stalked off in true Florence fashion. 

"Th-thanks?" It was already too late; Lockwood just watched her straw-colored hair swish away. She was one interesting girl. He sighed, staring at her back.

Lockwood's days consisted of eating, practicing, and sleeping. He would occasionally watch other agents practice, to pick up on faults and techniques they used. That's, at least, what Sykes had told him to do. Half the time Lockwood just drifted off, staring at a wall corner or, as a current example, a blonde ponytail. ...Blonde ponytail...? It was Florence Bonnard in the flesh, practicing. Of course, Lockwood just assumed this fact, judging by the fencer's posture and hair. It was unmistakably her.

Lockwood hadn't seen her much, either because their schedules didn't match up or she barely practiced. She was very good, sharp on her feet and maneuvering like she was on ice. It was scary the way she got a touch so fast. He assumed she'd practiced a great deal privately; at least, that's how he comforted himself at the sight of her skillful rapier patterns.

Lockwood's eyes jumped to a tall ginger-haired fencer - no doubt Quill Kipps, practicing a couple metres away. He, too, was skilled. Close to Florence's level, but not quite. This could be the year someone from a small agency won - though, Lockwood couldn't keep his hopes up. Being the crowd favourite, who was to say he didn't have a couple tricks up his sleeve?

Bouts three and four passed, and just somehow, Lockwood had survived into the quarterfinals. The numbers were dwindling down; Florence Bonnard, not much to his surprise, was in strong.

The quarterfinals passed, but now that he'd won, more pressure had been draped on him. Practices stretched late into the night, leaving his muscles incredibly sore and eyelids drooping on their own accord. He almost forgot to shower one day, planning to sleep in his fencing gear. Sykes had been drilling into him much more. The lineup for the semifinals was posted; Lockwood would be fencing against Quill Kipps.

To say he was nervous was an understatement. He sweated at the thought of fencing the teen. No matter how much he analyzed Kipps' fencing, he never felt ready. Sure, he wasn't as good at Florence, but she was substantially better than Lockwood - as was Kipps. The day of the bout, Lockwood almost froze before walking in, trying not to look at the crowd. It was bigger than any he had fenced for before. He sucked in two deep breaths then pulled the mask over his face. Sykes patted him, whispered quick advice in his ear. Lockwood wasn't paying attention, more focused on the judges, rhe referee, and the feeling of his feet on the ground. He and Kipps did the salute, like any other bout.

The referee started to speak, also like any other bout. The words were muffled in Lockwood's jumbled mind. His thoughts were racing at 100 kilometers per second, tumbling around each other, unlike any other bout - but he didn't need to hear the words regardless. He knew what they were.

"En-garde."

Lockwood stared at Kipps.

"Prets."

He took a deep breath, readying himself.

"Allez!"

The bout began.

Immediately, swords clinked and clashed against each other as the agents attempted to protect themselves. Lockwood's mind went pure blank, and his body went into autopilot.

1-0. Sure, a rough start, but he could catch up.

1-1. Tied, that was okay.

2-3. Lockwood was in the lead-

5-7. Halfway there!

11-10. No, losing wasn't an option-

13-14. His sword was a blur in front of him, basically acting of its own accord. Parry, riposte, attack-! It was all too quick. Kipps had lost his balance, and Lockwood took the opportunity. He lunged, slashed with his blade just to earn a point. His blade felt something soft - he got a touch! - but then Lockwood actually looked at the tip of his blade.

Quill Kipps was stunned entirely. He'd fallen on the piste and stared up at the younger agent. The moment was silent; practically in slow motion. The crowd held their breath in disbelief.

Lockwood had struck Quill Kipps with his rapier on the bum. The judges were in shock. It was a touch, though, right? It... counted? The referee gestured, and Lockwood pulled his raper away.

The bout ended.

Lockwood won. Lockwood won, against the star of Fittes agency. Quill Kipps, meanwhile, fumed. His cheeks were redder than his hair, which was matted with sweat.

"I'll beat you next time, Anthony Lockwood..." he murmured.

The crowd was having its fun; booing in disappointment or cheering in amusement, Lockwood couldn't tell. He convinced himself it was the latter. He didn't mean to stab Kipps in the bum. It just happened. It's not like anyone ever goes into a bout thinking, "Oh, yeah, I'm going to riposte a clean one up his bum."

Sykes was impressed, though he seemed more pleased by the last touch Lockwood earned.

"You'll be going up against that Bonnard girl, so you better clean up that footwork of yours. Her bladework is quite fine, too, I'd say. Sharpen yourself up, Anthony - no pun intended."

Practice, as always, lasted to the evening - Lockwood had just gotten out of the locker room, hair wet from his shower when he heard a familiar rasping tone.

"Locky~" Florence Bonnard sing-songed, conveniently leaning on a pillar outside.

He approached her.

"Finals are tomorrow," she said, smiling. Her teeth glinted - it was charming. Her eyes shimmered a bright blue - when had he missed this feature of hers? She was breathtaking. He didn't react, dumbly nodding as he stared at her.

"Oh, and by the way? Stop staring at me sometimes, it's creepy, Locky. I know you like me, but you're too... you." She tapped his nose, ignited a blush across Lockwood's cheeks.

"Cute," she commented. "See you on the piste." She walked away in her typical manner.

Florence Bonnard beat him the next day, 13-15. It was completely fair. Her attacks were clean and precise, and she hesitated not a second. It was a blur in Lockwood's head; one second her blade was against his torso; the next, her blade had touched him 14 other times and the referee proclaimed her the winner. He wasn't disappointed, however - she, from a small agency, had won, not a Fittes or a Rotwell agent. He decided it was well-earned on her part, completely ignoring the way she had so softly put him down the day previous. She was just so attractive.

She gave him a toothy smile after the bout and patted his shoulder. "Don't be too upset, Locky." It was safe to say he wasn't.

2 years later.

It was terrible. It was one of those moments in your life where you can recount every detail of where you were and what you were doing exactly when it happened; heck, you could even recite the exact seconds.

Lockwood was reading the morning newspaper, sipping his pulp orange juice (the joys of being a blue whale!) when he read the news.

Both Sinclair and Saones (of the Sinclair & Saones agency) had died on a case, with poor Florence Bonnard being the only survivor. Florence Bonnard - the name reminded Lockwood of so much; mainly, his puppy crush on her when he was younger. He failed to see the appeal now, but platonically, she was wonderful, despite how much she demanded liquorice.

He visited her on the shorelines of the River Thames; it was mainly where she resided, to the most of Lockwood's knowledge. He slipped a bag of liquorice hidden under his coat for her.

Her appearance was slightly disheveled and a straw hat covered the half of her face. 

"Locky!" she croaked, but her voice lacked its usual mirth. In fact, it was incredibly fragile; to put an exclamation mark after it would never properly do it justice. She looked cold, shivering in what appeared to be her agent clothing. Her rapier was still attached to her side.

"You're shaking." Lockwood sat beside her.

"A-am I, Locky?" she hiccupped. She took a deep, shaky breath, then laughed, an echo of bitterness and a sore throat.

"I heard what happened," he said softly. "How?"

"How else, Locky?" she said, less of a question than a horrible revelation. Her voice was terribly sad, full of pain and memories. "It was ghost-touch. I protected myself with an iron cross 'til dawn against the Limbless." Her fists clenched in her skirt. A tear dropped down her cheek - which Lockwood noticed to have fresh, small scars and what looked like to be traces of tears on her slightly muddied face. It was the exact opposite from the pristine, composed Florence he'd known for so long.

"I'm sorry."

"You needn't be."

"Did you get hurt anywhere?"

She shrugged, wincing as she touched her cheek.

"I could-"

"Don't. It'll heal on its own." He wanted to tell her to clean it as well, but he could tell she'd turn down the advice in the same manner.

"Well," Lockwood said, "what are you doing next?"

Her grip tightened on the fabric of her skirt. "I don't know."

"You could train with me," Lockwood offered gently. "I don't have an agency or anything, but-"

"I-I think I'll try that. Thank you, Lockwood."

"Also, I brought these." He handed her the bag of liquorice.

A slight smile appeared from under her hat.

Her swordsmanship was still intact. Lockwood could for sure confirm this after she'd disarmed him 5 times. She'd lost her will, though. She looked pained picking up a rapier and could barely glance at salt bombs. Lockwood didn't ask. It seemed too personal. Over the course of 3 months, nothing had changed. If anything, it seemed to be harder and harder for her to fight properly.

"Locky... I don't think I can do this."

"Do what?" Lockwood knew perfectly well what she was referring to. "You're amazing with your rapier, still."

"This whole... 'agent' thing. I-I don't think I can go back." She was incredibly vulnerable with no snarky remarks or sarcasm in her voice. It hurt him to see her like this. He'd once felt similar, in his pain-filled rage when Jessica died. He couldn't look at ghosts, couldn't bear to think of them. Unlike Florence, however, he'd had rage to direct toward ghosts; she just felt pain.

Lockwood nodded. "You're sure?"

"It's been 3 months. Every time- every time I can still see their bodies next to me. Hear the screams, see the Limbless. I can't do it."

He hesitated, then put a hand on her shoulder. "I understand. But- what will you do?"

"I'll find something, I'm sure."

"I'm always here, Florence. I've been thinking about starting an agency, so if you need anything..."

Florence Bonnard smiled her classic grin. She patted his hair - he took so long gelling it in the morning.... Her blue eyes shone like the sea. "Don't worry yourself, Locky. I've got this."

For months, Florence wandered from thing to thing in search of replacement for being an agent. She hadn't found much. With the Problem raging, agents were in the highest demand, and it was hard to ignore all of the flyers and inquiries looking for one. Lockwood had been concerned she'd find nothing, constantly reminding her of his offer. One thing was clear, though: she was never becoming an agent again. She didn't need to say the words, but it was mutually understood even as Lockwood asked her to train with him.

Slowly, she gravitated toward relic collecting. It exercised her Talent, yet comforted her. She could be free from expectations, and not have to be perfect or clean; she could collect the relics on the River Thames and sell them. It would sustain her and calm her. Most importantly, it was an environment she was comfortable in.

As time went on, her straw hat became faded of color and gained splotches of mud on them. She traded her agent fit for a padded jacket and Wellington boots. It suit the job. For once, maybe she was happy.

"So, you're sure you don't want to become an agent?"

"Locky, the only reason I came was because you said you had liquorice. I'm perfectly happy as a relic woman." She smoothed down her padded jacket and adjusted her signature straw hat.

"I have my license now. I'm recruiting-"

"I'm happy where I am, thank you very much." She took a sip of tea and plopped a liquorice in her mouth.

Lockwood sighed. Florence Bonnard, as always, was impenetrably stubborn. she'd started going by Flo Bones, which was catchy, and fit her relic woman persona. Lockwood respected this. He could see how happy it made her, though not particularly sanitary.  He recalled the day she'd first told him of her new occupation. They'd been sitting on the banks of the River Thames, near where Lockwood had comforted her the morning after tragedy struck her.

"So... you're becoming a Relicwoman? Where will you get the sources?"

"The river has enough," she gestured to the muddy shore of the river. "My Sight's been getting stronger."

"Be careful, Flor-"

"Oh, and Locky, I've started going by Flo Bones - it's quite fitting, don't you think? I like it. It's catchy." She'd lifted her hat, just enough to wink at Lockwood before pulling it down again.

"Well, my offer will always stand, Flo. You're a spectacular agent - you know my address. 35 Portland Row, hasn't changed."

"You haven't an agency to work for, Locky, have you?" Flo mused bluntly.

"Working on the license. I plan to open my own agency, agent run. What d'you reckon I call it? I was thinking 'Lockwood and Company.'"

Flo gave a grunt of approval. "'Lockwood and Co.' It's decent."

"Thanks, Flo."

She'd nodded. "Now go. I can't be seen hanging about the lots of the upper class. See you, Locky."

He pushed the bag of liquorices to her, the memory making him smile sadly. "It's all yours." 

Lockwood couldn't find any agents willing to work for him. Flo, being one of his main friends, was painfully aware of this fact, subject to his forever hanging offer of employment. 

"Oh, cheer up. Don't be lonely. You'll find someone. Lockwood & Co.! It'll be known through all of England." She softened for a second. "Anyway, I have an auction to attend." She stood up, bits of dirt falling from her jacket. "Bye, Locky!" He reached out to her then restrained himself - but she'd already exited 35 Portland Row, shutting the door behind her.

"Bye, Flo." He stared at the closed door, at his slightly outstretched hand. He could only hope she was right, and he'd find someone soon.

#lockwood & co #lockwood and co #anthony lockwood #flo bones #florence bonnard #lockwood #the screaming staircase #lockwood x flo #what is the ship name for them??? #fencing #fluff #jonathan stroud #fanfic #angst #lockwood fluff #lockwood angst #lucy carlyle #george cubbins #*silverspectre

[daikenkki]

epiclafiteau: If Edward and Henry never left Tidmouth Sheds, BUT two engines HAD to leave, who would they be and why? Let me hear what you think! Who would be in their spots? Someone that's been there before, or someone that hasn't? My take btw: Edward and James. Edward at Wellsworth Sheds makes so much sense, and James should've been kicked out as the punishment. Yeah, Thomas/Percy at Ffarquhar would be neat but Toby's at Arlesdale End now. Henry doesn't need to stay at Vicarstown and Emily is just there.

JD41796: Honestly do what the series did and move Edward to Wellsworth because that actually makes sense, and throw Thomas and Percy back with Toby. Have the engines stay closest to their place of work, and have the sheds be what it used to be; whoever is working in that area, stays there.

epiclafiteau: Edward moving to Wellsworth to be closer to his branchline was a smart move, and it made sense. The issue is they're like "Henry's going to Vicarstown ok bye". I'm sure we were supposed to get an episode further explaining it but they haven't done so yet and the only thing to back it up is the fact that Henry is on the Mainland in 70% of the specials lol.

StreakSmeargle: I’d actually kick out three. Thomas, Percy, and Edward. Thomas and Percy can move to Ffarquhar (and honestly Nia can live there too). And Edward can move to Wellsworth like he already does. Fill up the missing Tidmouth slots with Rebecca and maybe the Scots?

epiclafiteau: Unless I'm missing something, I'm not actually sure where exactly Duck, Oliver, Donald and Douglas stay in the CGI Series. We see Ryan, Daisy, Judy & Jerome at Harwick but are there sheds somewhere else on the Little Western? It made sense for Duck to stay at Tidmouth in Duck and the Slip Coaches cause he was needed nearby, something they should do more often, but I don't think we've actually seen where he normally stays.

StreakSmeargle: There should be sheds at Arlesburgh if the RWS is any indication. Duck, Oliver, and Toad would realistically stay there. Donald and Douglas could also stay there but it might make sense to have them at Tidmouth as they’re not strictly tied to Little Western only. Gordon, James, Henry, Rebecca, and Emily can definitely stay at Tidmouth tho. Henry at Vicarstown was a neat concept but it went nowhere so I say move him back.

epiclafiteau: I can get past Edward moving because of etc reasons but the big 3 should definitely stick together. Edward leaving felt sort of natural because it had a whole episode to it and he suggested staying at Wellsworth permanently. Henry liked the idea, followed by deciding to transfer to Vicarstown, and nothing happened.

StreakSmeargle: If they ever do move Henry back to Tidmouth, they could do an episode where he starts reconsidering his decision on moving to Vicarstown but worries about what the others will think. That would allow him to move back and even potentially shedding light on why he moved in the first place.

Jacob34335638: Well, I think James could be kicked out as punishment for destroying the sheds in the first place, and Emily could possibly leave too since she works on the Misty Valley Branchline, and it would be convent for her to be closer to her work like Edward is at Wellsworth Sheds.

epiclafiteau: Yeah, literally. I never understood why they were like "Well James, you destroyed the sheds... Okay, Edward, go find somewhere else to stay".

Echo62445283: Because apparently they were like "Hey thats Edward's part of the shed guess he has to go, not like he can sleep in your spot James".

ComradeSpinel90: Tbh... Percy and Thomas. They have sheds at Tidmouth and Ffharquhar. And in Nia and Rebecca and it would be fine. Or better yet. Drop Nia and add in oh idk... Stanley, or someone underrated imo.

epiclafiteau: Now you're on the right track.

ComradeSpinel90: And it wouldn't be out there norm. There was many time where they were at Tidmouth and Ffharquhar.

ilovetrains3232: The obvious Thomas and Percy go back to Ffarqhuar, Edward going to Wellsworth like in the show because, and as much as some people hate to hear, it was a great idea. They just haven't executed it to it's fullest ability. James could be an interesting choice as a punishment for crashing into it in the first place. I feel like Gordon is the only one who should stay there no matter what. Emily was the reason the 7th she'd was added but that doesn't necessarily mean she HAS to stay there and Henry, should have probably stayed but could easily go somewhere else and it would work. Tidmouth AND Vicarstown both honestly don't make much since for Henry. Yes, Henry does go to the mainland sometimes but not as much as he works elsewhere. If anything, Henry should have moved to Wellsworth with Edward. Since he has to go to Brendam anyways to pick up the Flying Kipper, and Wellsworth is in the center of the island so it would make it easier for him to work anywhere. As opposed to be on either side.

legomastr_365: I love all of them too much to kick anyone out, but seeing the replies makes sense since that's literally what I do in my series.

epiclafiteau: Thomas and Percy is the most logical answer but I'm curious to know if anyone would consider Emily or James, or have other reasons for Thomas/Percy.

GraydonBruckle1: Definitely Emily, as for the other I'm not sure.. I guess Edward or Percy. Edward does make sense BUT he is one of the three original character the Rev W. Awdry wrote about.. Percy could go to Ffarquhar. That way he wont have to go far for the mail run or something like that.

ElliotKW: It would be Thomas and Percy and I'd move them back to Ffarquhar Sheds (even though the sheds are in the yards at Tidmouth Station). Series 2 kept the roots of Thomas, Percy and Toby living in the sheds for five episodes and I would love to see that happen again in the future.

SunilFan48: Thomas and Percy. Go to Ffarquhar sheds with Toby like they did for S2 and then never again. Leaves room for Nia and Rebecca and no Tidmouth Shed reconstruction.

ThomasTheorist: The only engines who really need to be at Tidmouth Sheds are Gordon, Henry and James. Everyone else can be shuffled around.

TheLargeBarge: At Tidmouth Sheds you'll have Henry, Gordon, James, Emily, Rebecca, Donald and Douglas. At Ffarquhar, Thomas, Percy, Toby and Mavis. Knapford Sheds; Nia, Paxton and Rosie. Wellsworth; Edward and Philip. Arlesburgh; Duck and Oliver and Harwick; Ryan and Daisy.

CTFEologist: Thomas and Percy; move them to Ffarquhar with Toby instead.

DanielAlsop2: Well I’d still go with Edward, but also Thomas and Percy to Ffarquhar or Tidmouth Station, since they both work on Thomas’ branch line and if they had the usual adventure encounters, they could meet the others at Knapford or Elsbridge, simple.

GTSHProductions: I’d actually kick Thomas and Percy to live at Farquhar. But to be honest, I liked it better when the engines just slept wherever whenever they wanted.

TFan512: This may be controversial, but I’d still let it be Edward and Henry. Wellsworth is on Edward’s branch line, and he could be a mentor to Philip like he was to Thomas in The Adventure Begins (too bad no episodes have so far done that). As for Henry, he goes up to Vicarstown a lot anyway when he travels to the Mainland, and with him taking The Flying Kipper at night, he hardly has any time to rest at Tidmouth. I don’t agree with James being moved out as punishment, as he showed remorse in An Engine of Many Colours and was forgiven.

NWTom25: I choose three, Edward, Henry and Emily. It make sense to remove Edward to his branch line shed, Henry at Vicarstown since he could run goods trains from there to the mainland and Emily could stay at Knapford sheds like she did in CAE! I honestly don't see the need to remove Thomas and Percy since it had been stated in a Mr. Perkins interval that Knapford was the starting point for Thomas' branch line. So it make sense in the current series to have Thomas and Percy at the sheds. Plus Toby could fill in the spot at the sheds that the engines I chose left and maybe fill in the space for any of the secondary characters (e.g - Duck, Donald, Douglas, Rosie etc.).

TidmouthStudios: Y know if Knapford sheds came back I would LITERALLY LOVE THAT SO MUCH. I think Emily earned her spot in the sheds though and calling all engines definitely made a good move by specifically confirming that Emily was an official part of the core cast.

crikey_fell: Kick out everyone but Henry, Gordon, James and Emily, move them to their RWS positions.

Fan12Thomas: Thomas and Percy they should be on Ffarquhar Sheds.

kirkronan25: I'd chuck Edward to Wellsworth and I kinda like the idea of James having a shed all of his own, but I'm not sure about that.

Diesel20212: Thomas and Percy. I just can’t see them staying in Tidmouth when they already have their own sheds on their branchline.

TruckFan1996: Emily and Henry. I hate Emily and Mattel has made Henry wimpy.

WyattLoughrie: Well Thomas and Percy would have to live at Ffarquhar sheds with Toby and probably have Donald and Douglas take their places in Tidmouth Sheds.

SciFiCosplay99: Maybe have Thomas and Percy move back to Ffarquhar, perhaps add Toby and/or Nia. The Scots then move in. Also, show a shed where the Great Western Engines and the Scots live at some point, please show?

YBoi95: Honestly probably still Henry and Edward. Edward is too smart to be involved in the hive mind mentality of the Steam Team and Henry is just kind of there and doing very little. Honestly the two just don't really contribute enough to be worthy of being main characters.

gwr_fan: Part of me wants Thomas and Percy at Ffarquhar with Toby, Mavis, etc

Mechai94829484: For me it’s Thomas and Percy instead of sleeping in Tidmouth sheds they sleep in the sheds at the ffarquhar station with Toby and Henrietta just like in the railway books.

CementLord: Thomas and Percy, send them off to Ffarquhar.

TidmouthStudios: I’m not mad that Edward left due to the fact that he simply wasn’t offering anything consistently new to the franchise for some time at that point. He’s been outshined by the other core cast members since S5 and him being removed from said cast was inevitable. I’m happy they just did it in a nice and pleasant way and didn’t just suddenly have him leave. He at least got an episode showcasing his goodbye. Going off where he was going to be stationed makes more sense and serves as a sorta mentor for Philip like bill and Ben before him.

FantasticMrS3: I'd go with Emily and James. Then they could be given their own branch line to share, and it would open up more storytelling possibilities for them, especially Emily; God knows more could be done with her as a character.

TomtheSTL: Thomas and Percy, they don’t belong on the mainline or you know, besides the big 3 and Emily, not having a strict cast at Tidmouth, have it change a bit, hell the Brenner era did it on occasion.

HTGE3Prod: Hmm, Edward and Thomas. Both have their respective branchlines to run. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if Salty, Bill and Ben are running Edward's line, and Mavis and Toby for Thomas' line.

Edwardandjamesp: Thomas, Percy and Edward. Thomas and Percy can go and sleep at Ffarquhar because that's where they work, and Edward could sleep at Wellsworth with Philip. And the ones to replace them would be Rebecca/Bear and the Scottish boys.

8Puffer: It would make more sense to put Thomas, Percy and Toby at Ffarquhar as it would help develop the three characters more and help build the relationship further.

ChaosDustSteam: I would actually pick three. Thomas, Percy, and Emily. Thomas and Percy would go to the Branchline Sheds, revealed in a new render for CGI. Emily would be moved either to Knapford Sheds or her own sheds, as I feel she is not a Main Line worthy engine.

BJG922: Hmm I would take out Thomas and Percy from Tidmouth and take them to Ffarquhar Sheds like how Edward went to Wellsworth, and keep Henry, Gordon, James and Emily at Tidmouth and allow Bear, Pip and Emma in Tidmouth.

ahmirallthings1: The answers obviously be Thomas and Percy. They lived in Ffarqhuar.

LNERA0X: If we wanted to apply this to all the engines really only Henry, Gordon, James, and Emily should be stationed at the main sheds. Decentralize the cast a bit.

JohnDarkblaze: Thomas, Percy, and Toby. My head canon is that they belong at Ffarquhar like they were before (also considering Arlesdale End hasn't been relevant for a while). As for Tidmoth Sheds itself, I'd leave Edward, James, Henry, and Gordon while adding Rosie, Stanley, and Molly.

TheThomasFan: Thomas and Percy, they’re supposed to be at Ffarquhar.

benbearce96: Toby and Emily because for Toby I just think he’s overrated as a character and Emily, well she can live at the shunting yards with Spencer Murdoch Arthur etc.

IvoryGreen456: Thomas and Percy. Because they were originally based at Ffarquhar they can easily go back.

SayCheeseBurgr: Emily and Edward, but Edward would still remain a main character, purely to line up with old continuity :p

sixteen_dnw: Edward to Wellsworth and Percy to Ffarquahar, they wouldn’t take Thomas away from Tidmouth.

EianHardy: I’d choose Thomas and Percy to go, as a way for them to be with Toby again in the branch line sheds.

TY_HAMMER_TIME: Its a tough one. I see a lot of thomas, percy, and Edward. But i think the "steam team" while still cool concept i think it hurt the series. Why not have a rotating cast of engines at Tidmouth Sheds per season. It would allow the writers to switch the engines in the shead and we wouldn't need to feel that Tidmouth Sheds = 100% steam team residences. Maybe then when Edward and Henry moved out it wouldn't have felt like such a blow or need explanation.

NWRGresley1942: Thomas and Percy because it would make sense that their work are closer to his branch line. Toby could also sleep at Ffarquhar with them. James because he destroyed the back of the sheds and Sir Topham would’ve strictly moved him out.

the_mega_derp: Move Thomas and Percy to Ffarquhar. It can have the same benefit as Edward moving to Wellsworth, since they’d be living on the line they work on. Whatever happened to them vibing in Ffarquhar sheds back in the day?

Jordan192692: I think Percy and Emily; To run the “new” Kirk Ronan branch-line. Thomas would miss both engines, but he would know it was for the best.

jaymeerkat520: It would be Thomas and Percy. Those characters have just become annoying now.

imnotveryfunny0: My take is Edward and Henry, yes, but don’t stick Nia there. Put her and her bland personality at Vicarstown. Put Rosie there with Rebecca, who knows the others but still has some well deserved fleshing out to be done.

HydesR01: Personally, I’d say Emily and Edward. Emily doesn’t really “click” with the originals, and I think Edward would be better suited at Wellsworth anyway. And in their spots, I’d say Rosie instead of Emily and Stanley in place of Edward.

Glover368: Emily and James, just send James back to his early RWS shed, and Emily can go back to Knapford.

RealMay_C: Emily and Henry, Emily is just a badly written character and Henry is just the stereotypical worrier and I'm really not a fan of that trope.

cgsmodelling: Let me say it loud enough so everyone can hear.... JUST ADD TWO MORE FUCKING BIRTHS. ITS NOT THAT DIFFICULT.

SquidTrain2020: Thomas and James can simply fuck off. But instead of Nia, replace James with Rosie and Thomas with Rebecca.

[snarkyhetalian]

Hi! Hope you're having a good day! If you don't mind me asking, why did George devalier stories had so much success? I read WMA, AWS and BS, and while they were nice stories, the characters were sweet, and they were truly well written, still I don't see how it became a cult. I mean maybe that's because some historical inaccuracies were really jarring for me, and maybe for other people they're not. I'm genuinely curious, and I really like your analysis so I hope this question won't offend you

 Well this turned into a book.  Lmfao.Before I get too deep into this so it’s not missed, would you please send me what you noticed as historical inaccuracies?  I’m not much of a history buff myself (I’m a math/science person, and only more recently literature and even that it plot focused which is more like math to me anyway) so if you could point those out, I’d appreciate it.  I haven’t noticed many myself, and that’s probably part of the answer to your question.  Whatever historical inaccuracies there are, people generally aren’t noticing them.But, a series can have lots of flaws and people still love it.  It’s about mass consumption, not each individual thing.  No one is perfect either, so mistakes happen.  Any sort of fame is about getting around issues that a majority would consider unassailable.  The good points outweighing the bad points enough that people over look them easily.  Talking success-wise, I think you hit on some of the points.  The characters are relatable, which is highly attractive to many readers.  If a reader can’t relate to the character somehow, they usually end up not caring.  But another point on that is character diversity.  That was one thing that stood out to me when I read deValier’s stories, was how well he could switch from one character to another and it flowed without effort.  He wasn’t inserting himself or bending the characters to be what he wanted.  The characters who they were and the story build off of that.  Which is a separate point.  In fanfiction, generally the more the author can keep to the original characters from the series, the better.  Obviously, changing things is doable within reason (or because of a specific reason), but deValier kept most of the character qualities and simply put them in that time period.  This was a big reason the ATLA movie was a flop.  Not only did the characters change drastically from the animated series so that the part of the characters we loved were taken away, but that ended up having a huge effect on the theme too.Obviously, deValier’s grammar and whatnot were very good for fanfiction (beyond the occasional typo here and there, but again fanfiction, human error, and some mistakes are easily overlooked).  It was clear he knew how to write and any errors were simply mistakes that anyone could make.  It’s not like he didn’t know how to spell or where to separate quotes or other things that can be annoying.Then there was the plot/theme.  To me, from what I’ve noticed in my writings, the plot is that thing that people don’t notice about a story that makes a huge difference.  And this would be because it reaches from one cover to the other, so you have to sit back and reflect on the whole thing, or reread.  But a good plot makes you want to reread.  To see things you didn’t see the first time.  A good theme makes people think about the story even after it’s over.  Good themes bring up questions that people want answers to and will think about for ages.It’s kind of hard to define too, but I can sit here and say things like “Suicide Squad” had a terrible plot and I didn’t notice a theme (fun characters though), while “Lord of the Rings” had a great plot and an amazing theme.  We can see it, but defining it is difficult.  In my own writing, a good plot has seemed to come from having a focused theme on what the story is about (I’ll talk a bit about that later).  Of course, there are some guidelines on when to have ups and downs, side plots, underlying themes, and I can talk about Midpoint Mirrors and whatnot till my face turns blue, but none of that comes easy without a focused subject.  In AWS, it was a peace versus war kind of plot.  Not quite that black and white, but you’ve got one super-nationalistic soldier and a boy who picks flowers and goes to the market...teaching the soldier how to love life.  And the soldier teaches the boy how to grow up and deal with the world.  It’s the sort of story that makes you think about life.  And death.  Same with WMA, except it looks are heroism, and how heroes aren’t really what we think they are.  And it’s contrasted with a pub owner.But that one was one of his first, so I have a feeling if he rewrote, it would be better now.  In BM, it’s the happy-go-lucky spy and the grumpy misunderstood wannabe hero that end up in a patience battle (they both have to wait extraordinary amounts of time for each other).  And I wish that one would have been finished....One thing I’ve noticed in my writing, is that...you don’t need popular pairings...or sex scenes...or a lot of things that tend to make stories popular easily.  Plots and themes have gotten me very far.  One of my most popular stories has this random ass pairing, in a weird au, with no sex yet, but the plot is so good.  It keeps me up at night thinking about how to weave it together and the consequences of everything.  It’s exciting.  And the focus of that one is how people want to change themselves constantly, and how in love it’s a fucking terrible idea.  Lol.  You NEED someone to love you for who you are!  But it’s so hard to be who you are....And it shows that.  It’s something I question myself constantly.  Where’s the line between self-improvement and being yourself??  I’ve never once said it in the story, and I probably never will.  But it makes me think.  It makes the readers think. People want answers.  And it keeps people guessing, wondering, wanting, needing....that’ how you draw people in.  That’s what deValier managed to do in his stories too.  The types of conflict he posed kept people NEEDING to know what happened next.  And at the end, it was rewarded in a manner that people found pleasant.  Because that’s something I see a lot too.  The plot is great, but the ending is a flop.  Or you were just expecting more...like Eragon.  I LOVED the books but the ending was kind of a let down.  It didn’t....resolve really.  In LOTR, the same ending made sense, but in Eragon it didn’t.So let’s talk about the endings.  In WMA, it’s exciting.  The supposedly dead hero is alive and right around the corner.  But their reunion is complicated by the possibility that Alfred is going home.  And there’s pain we can understand.  Not wanting to face a brutal reality and instead avoiding it until it becomes unavoidable.  All the way until the end, there’s things that could ruin it, but the readers are rewarded with snippets of their happy lives and all the pain beforehand makes the happiness that much more brilliant.In AWS, again, up until the end things go wrong, people are presumed dead, then they’re injured, then there’s a problem with their romantic life afterwards.  But at long last, the readers are rewarded with very touching scenes.  And rewarded in a realistic way.  And we get to see the characters from WMA and it makes us feel like there’s closure.  For those characters at least.  The endings were never a given throughout the story.  It could have ended so differently.  And in real life, it usually does.  But that’s why I think people tend to turn to fiction (and naturally why people prefer happy endings).  It’s escape for the masses and deValier’s functions as such.  But those endings played off of the stories themes.  At the end of AWS, they live together and are at peace as opposed to their being separated and at war.  In WMA, again separation that makes the ruinion sweeter, but there’s acceptance from the world which was important for Arthur.  And there are pieces that show that Alfred has learned that being a hero isn’t as important as being loved.  We get to see their major conflicts resolved.   And it wraps the stories up very well.So that’s why I think deValier’s works became so popular.  There were a lot of parts that a lot of fanfiction authors can’t always pull off, but he did it so well.  And a lot of those parts were tied together to enhance the experience.  He had so much going for his stories, most of the things that could be criticized were easily overlooked or went unnoticed completely.  At the same time, there are probably other stories out there that deserve just as much attention but will never get it.  Fame is weird like that....Also, please don’t forget to tell me what historical inaccuracies you noticed.  I’m very curious. 

#snarky replies #george devalier #auf weidersehen sweetheart #we'll meet again #devalier theories #besame mucho #Anonymous