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nientedenada · 7 months

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Why the Altmeri Commentary on Talos is Important to Lore Discussion (Even if It Isn't the Thalmor's End Goal)

Originally posted on r/teslore three years ago. To be clear, important in this context means if you're trying to guess where TES might go in the future. And as the years go by, and we now have an almost complete turn-over of developers at Bethesda, it may be less relevant. Still, the new developers will have all these old ideas to rummage through.

This begins with a split among fans, though I don't think it has to be a nasty split. There is a very strong opinion in /r/teslore that Out-of-Game texts are valid if you want them to be, if you find them interesting enough for your Tamriel. And there's another very strong opinion that only official lore is really valid for theorizing. To be completely honest, we all probably dabble in one or the other at different times. Sometimes we are more creative and speculatory about Tamriel, other times we are arguing out the Lowest Common Denominator of agreed-upon lore. (It's never actually agreed upon, but that's part of the fun.)

But there's a third possibility: examining Out of Game texts for the perspective they can give us on In-game lore. A really good example of how this works would be the document: On the Nords' Totem Religion. It was a design document for Skyrim which was not incorporated into the game directly. However, the document gives a lot of insight into the little we do see in Skyrim of the ancient Nord religion. It is useful in interpreting the game itself.

It's also useful for going forward. When ESO returned to Skyrim this year, we could bet that the devs would be taking a closer look at the local religion, as they had in Elsweyr last year. And we could also guess that they might turn to that unofficial Skyrim design document which best explained the original ideas for the Nord religion. As of a few weeks ago, much of the Totem Religion document's lore has been added to the official lore as in-game books in ESO.

The totem religion document is as uncontroversial example of this process as you can find. Most everyone in lore circles has regarded it as a very useful document. You won't find that agreement about all OOG unofficial writings. But I'd like to make the argument for why the Altmeri Commentary on Talos is worth knowing and discussing even if you don't end up thinking it's true.

So, I'll begin with quoting the whole thing. It's pretty short.

What appears to be an Altmeri commentary on Talos To kill Man is to reach Heaven, from where we came before the Doom Drum's iniquity. When we accomplish this, we can escape the mockery and long shame of the Material Prison. To achieve this goal, we must: 1) Erase the Upstart Talos from the mythic. His presence fortifies the Wheel of the Convention, and binds our souls to this plane. 2) Remove Man not just from the world, but from the Pattern of Possibility, so that the very idea of them can be forgotten and thereby never again repeated. 3) With Talos and the Sons of Talos removed, the Dragon will become ours to unbind. The world of mortals will be over. The Dragon will uncoil his hold on the stagnancy of linear time and move as Free Serpent again, moving through the Aether without measure or burden, spilling time along the innumerable roads we once travelled. And with that we will regain the mantle of the imperishable spirit.

What it doesn't say: Nowhere does it say it's a Thalmor document. Nowhere does it mention the Towers. Those two points are pretty well-known in lore circles, but they come up enough to make it worthwhile to point out.

Second thing to notice: its date.

Submitted by Lady N on Sun, 09/19/2010 - 19:53 Obscure texts Author: Michael Kirkbride Librarian Comment: Many of these are in-character snippets taken from various forum posts.

It doesn't have an exact date; the old forums have been deleted. But we do see that it was re-posted on the Imperial Library on 09/19/2010, the year before Skyrim came out. This important detail is glossed over in a lot of the discussion of its relevance. It is not a document written after Skyrim trying to put a creative spin on some details in-game. It's a document published before Skyrim came out, and hence a window on the discussions that were going on in the development of Skyrim. We need to look at the stuff in Skyrim with the question: Does the Altmeri commentary shed any light on what's going on here?

Well, the fact that the Altmeri Commentary suggests that Talos needs to be erased from the mythic makes it very relevant. Maybe this is not the reason for the Thalmor's Talos ban in the game that eventually was released. But it's evidence that during the development of Skyrim, the reason was being kicked around by someone in discussions with the devs. It's that context that finally informs the two lines in-game that might refer back to the Commentary.

The first and most often quoted is Ancano's boast:

You think I can't destroy you? The power to unmake the world at my fingertips, and you think you can do anything about it?

It's pointed out that he can simply be boasting of his power there, without any reference to a supposed greater plan. And yes, that's true. But remember, we aren't interpreting that line in a vacuum. There was a development-related post that brought up a fanatical Altmer idea of unmaking the world before Skyrim, and it's just a coincidence that a fanatic Thalmor member boasts of having the power to do so in the game? These things have nothing to do with each other?

And then there is the other line from Esbern which I think is even more significant.

I don't suppose they want the world to end any more than we do. Or at least, they'd prefer it to end on their terms.

Esbern's statement does not confirm this is the Thalmor's plan. What it does is confirm that the idea this is the Thalmor's plan exists in-universe. And Esbern is not some random conspiracist; he's a lore-master. Dragons were his hobby but we also know from his dossier that the Thalmor consider him responsible for two of the most damaging operations on Dominion soil. He knows his stuff when it comes to the Thalmor. His opinion may be affected by paranoia, he may not even hold the opinion very strongly (suggested by how he corrects himself there), but he is not some random guy in the pub with a conspiracy theory about the Thalmor. If it's a conspiracy theory, it's an important one in-universe.

So, we have a timeline that suggests the Commentary is important, and two references in the game of Skyrim to the idea presented in the Commentary. The references are independent, coming from ideological enemies, Ancano and Esbern. I'd say that makes a very strong case for the Commentary's ideology existing within the universe.

If this concept exists within the universe, the Commentary is important even if it does not represent the Thalmor's ultimate goal accurately.

But where does one go with that? With Michael Kirkbride's historic and ongoing influence on the TES franchise, elements of the Commentary are quite likely to make it into future games. On the other hand, the Commentary may be a window on an idea in development that was tossed around and ultimately abandoned. Maybe it's not Thalmor belief, really. It could even be Blades propaganda. Maybe Ancano believes in it, but he's actually a fanatic who's out of step with the Thalmor in general. etc. etc. etc.

Acknowledging that an Out-of-Game source is relevant does not mean accepting it as the Truth Bound To Be Revealed by TES VI. TES fandom has had enough of that over-certainty already. I think we've all met someone who takes some random developer's post as The Gospel Truth that cannot be questioned. That's frustrating, for sure. But let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater. It doesn't make sense to ignore it completely in discussions about the Thalmor's ultimate goal. There are enough sources to make it worth looking at, both inside and outside the universe.

This post was about the relevance of the Commentary, but if you're interested in how the Commentary's ideology could function within the Thalmor, I can never recommend enough this old /r/teslore post: Analyzing the Altmeri Commentary on Talos.

Additional reply in comments: I thought I'd hedged enough on my statement. I won't claim Esbern as an expert on the Thalmor's ontological goals, although he definitely is more knowledgable about the Thalmor than the random guy at the pub. I do think, however, that his statement confirms that some people within the universe think this is the Thalmor's end goal. I see his statement there as he's not certain himself of it.

In the comments of the original post, a user who has since deleted their account posted a very interesting timeline of the development under discussion. I also recommend this discussion with Misticsan about the post and whether fans give the Commentary undue importance in contrast to other sources on the Thalmor.

This was only the beginning of a very involved journey into the weird fandom status of the Altmeri Commentary and the Towers Theory. It's a lengthy saga, and I've put off formatting it for tumblr but I do mean to eventually copy all the teslore posts over here.

#tesblr #teslore #thalmor #Skyrim #niente lore

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1mnobodywhoareyou · 2 months

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not just a supplier of nightmares

Boggie | T | 5037 words On ao3 It's finally, finally, finally done! Thank you to @narcissusbrokenmirror for always putting ideas into my head and encouraging me to write the things. Thank you to @60sec400 for beta-ing this for me (us). Thank you to every single person who cheerled the writing of this fic by sending asks, reblogging snippets, everything! This is for all of us 😅 Enjoy!

Reggie sifts through the stack of videos beside the television. Bobby and his brothers had convinced their parents to add a few new ones to their collection since the last time the guys had been over and he’s excited to see what captures their attention.

Reggie grabs a video out of the pile, quickly reading the back and then passing it on to Alex who passes his approvals onto Luke and returns the rejections to Reggie.

This is their typical movie night routine and it works well for them. It never takes long for them to agree on something.

“Really? We’re jumping up to R-rated ones?” Alex asks doubtfully as he eyes the first tape he’s handed.

“Yeah! Why not?” Reggie beams back at him. “We only get to do that at Bobby’s anyway!”

“Yeah, ‘Lex!” Luke agrees, shoving Alex’s shoulder. “Lighten up. When else do we get the freedom to do this?” Bobby’s house is the only one where they’re not under strict parental supervision. His parents are always either away for work or out supporting his older brothers. Even when they are home, they have a tendency to be pretty hands off with their parenting. Especially when the guys are over.

“Some of those are pretty freaky, guys,” Bobby warns them, only to be met with twin scoffs. He shrugs in resignation. “Alrighty, then. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Alex furrows his brow but doesn’t otherwise protest.

It only takes three tapes before Luke hands one to Bobby. Bobby slides it into the VCR without looking at it. He doesn’t even think about it. Never does. He always just trusts their selection and it works out. If he’s completely honest, he mostly just likes spending time with the guys. No school. No band stuff. Just them.

Granted, the band stuff is new.

Alex has played the drums since they’d first joined the school band in 5th grade but it took until this last year for Luke to convince their teacher to let him try the guitar. Of course, he picked it up immediately. He’ll easily take Bobby’s spot next year when they hit high school, never mind that Bobby’s been playing the guitar for as long as Alex has been on the drums.

But that’s not the point. It’s fine.

The point is that now Luke is convinced that they can make it as rockstars. He tried to convince Bobby to shift to bass but Bobby had no interest in learning a new instrument. Luckily Reggie volunteered to fill that gap, apparently not being satisfied with the three instruments he already played.

So now they have a band. And the accompanying band ‘stuff.’

Which also takes up almost all of their free time. And Bobby loves it. He really does. But he misses his friends.

So, movie night.

They settle onto the floor between the L of the two couches with their individual sleeping bags and two shared bowls of popcorn.

As the tension for the first jumpscare builds, Luke puts his finger in his mouth before leaning over to stick it in Bobby’s ear.

“Ugh, gross!” Bobby exclaims, wiping his ear with his sleeve. “Why are you like this?”

Luke giggles as he shrugs. “You’d miss me if I was gone,” he retorts.

Bobby rolls his eyes and returns his attention to the television.

“You guys made me miss it!” Reggie cries, crossing his arms over his chest. “All that build up wasted for nothing,” he mutters.

Bobby and Luke exchange an amused look. After some quick nonverbal communication, they’ve made a plan.

They watch Reggie intently as the movie progresses. They want to make sure that they time this out perfectly for when he’s most on edge. Reggie leans closer and closer to the screen, gripping his blanket tightly under his chin. Bobby grins at Luke who nods back at him. They each grab one of Reggie’s sides as the characters on screen scream.

Reggie screeches in terror. Bobby and Luke collapse with uncontrollable laughter.

“Really?” Alex asks from Luke’s other side, unimpressed.

Luke turns to Alex with another shiteating grin. He launches himself at Alex, wrapping one arm around Alex’s neck and using his free hand to give Alex a solid noogie.

Reggie ignores them, turning his attention back to the movie. Alex accidentally shoves Luke into him, trying to fight Luke off.

“You guys are wrecking the movie!” Reggie whines from where he’s still intently watching the television. “Shut up or go away!”

“Sir, yes sir!” Luke replies, complete with mock salute.

They finish the movie mostly in peace with a few screams escaping Reggie and more than a couple moments of Luke and Reggie hiding behind Alex and Bobby.

Bobby gets up to rewind the tape and turn off the TV.

“So worth it,” Reggie enthuses.

Luke hums his enthusiastic agreement as he snuggles down into his sleeping bag.

Bobby and Alex exchange an amused look before following suit.

“Wait, no!” Reggie exclaims as he jumps up, “I gotta pee!”

The others laugh and roll their eyes, well used to Reggie’s antics at this point.

They’re all asleep before he returns. Reggie crawls into his own sleeping bag, careful not to wake the others as he settles in.

It takes Reggie a while to slow his thoughts. Now that the movie’s over and he’s forced to be alone with his mind, he finds himself replaying some of the scariest moments every time he closes his eyes. It’s dark and quiet. The gentle breathing of his friends next to him fails to offer any comfort.

Eventually though, he manages to drift into a fitful sleep.

He’s not out for long when Bobby, Alex, and Luke are woken by an earth-shattering scream.

They jump up in a panic and notice Reggie writhing in his sleep. His face is scrunched up in fear, his hair damp with sweat.

Bobby grabs Reggie by the shoulders, shaking him lightly. “Reggie! Reg, wake up!”

Reggie moans in his sleep before curling up into a ball. Bobby shares a concerned look with Alex and Luke. Bobby tries shaking him again. Reggie moans and pushes him away.

Alex tries next, speaking gently to Reggie. His attempts are no more successful than Bobby’s.

“Reggie, wake up!” Luke shouts obnoxiously. Both Alex and Bobby glare at him, returning their attention to Reggie when he shifts.

Bobby shakes him again and Alex coaxes him out of sleep. “Reggie? Hey, it’s just us. You’re having a bad dream.”

Reggie’s arms flail, hitting Bobby before grasping onto his shirt. Reggie clings to Bobby as his eyes crack open. Bobby gently rubs his back as he wakes up.

“Y’okay, dude?” Bobby asks as Reggie finishes coming into consciousness.

Reggie gasps for breath. “Had… a bad dream.”

“Yeah, Reg. You had a bad dream. We’re here though. What happened?”

Reggie shudders as he remembers. “I was… a-a-an apparition.” He barely manages the words as he struggles to return his breathing to normal.

Luke’s brow furrows. “A what-arition?” he asks.

“A ghost, Luke,” Bobby tells him with a fond eye roll.

Reggie realizes that he’s attached himself to Bobby and lets go, wrapping his arms around himself. He shivers again, “I-I-I died! And then became a g-g-g-ghost!”

“Like, the kind that rattles chains and goes ‘boo?’” Luke wonders.

Reggie glares at him. “No, the kind that m-m-m-murders people!”

“Man, even if you DID become a ghost, I don’t think you could ever murder someone!”

Alex sighs, “Luke you’re not helping. Can you shut up? Please?”

Luke ignores him, leaning into Reggie’s space, “Are you okay? What do you need?”

Reggie shakes his head and squeezes his legs tighter to his chest.

“Do you want…” Luke starts to say before pausing to think, “do you want a hug?”

Reggie looks up at him. “Yeah,” he replies in a small voice.

“Okay. Okay, we can do that!”

Luke lunges forward and wraps Reggie up into a tight hug. Reggie sinks into him, his body visibly relaxing.

“I’m gonna go get Reggie some water,” Alex says as he slips out of his sleeping bag.

“Can I…” Reggie says hesitantly into Luke’s shoulder.

Alex stops, turning back toward them. “Can you what?”

Reggie pulls away from Luke, just enough to free his face. His expression turns sheepish.

Bobby rubs his back, offering what comfort he can. “What is it, Reg? Whatever you need.”

Reggie takes a deep breath. “Can I have a snuggly?”

Alex’s eyes meet Bobby’s and Bobby nods his permission. They all stopped bringing their own stuffies to their sleepovers years ago so Alex will need to raid Bobby’s room to find something for Reggie.

“Any requests?” Alex confirms, waiting for Reggie’s answer before heading up the stairs.

“P-P-P-Petey? If you can find him?”

Alex nods, certain that the giant stuffed penguin won’t be difficult to hunt down. “Yeah, I can do that. Anything else?”

“Bring one for me too!” Luke demands brightly.

Alex pauses at the base of the stairs. He pointedly holds his hand to his ear.

“Please,” Luke says shamefully.

“May’s well bring one back for each of us,” Bobby adds. “Thanks ‘Lex.”

“No problem. Be right back!”

Alex returns with his arms piled with various stuffed animals. He’s trying to balance a glass of water in his hand and has some snacks stuffed under his elbow.

Luke jumps up to help him, passing the glass of water over to Reggie.

Alex opens his elbows and lets the bags of treats fall onto the floor. He uses the newfound freedom of movement to pass the stuffies around, starting with giving Reggie Petey the Penguin. Reggie beams as he holds the animal tightly to his chest. Luke delicately tucks the lion he’s been handed in at the edge of his pillow and sleeping bag. Bobby sets his stuffed animal on the floor, backed up against the couch as if it were watching over the boys. Alex props his up on the seat behind his head, easily accessible for grabbing in the event that he decides he wants it.

With Reggie sufficiently calmed and the others satisfied that he’ll be okay, they settle back in to sleep the last few hours of the night.

If they all happen to wake up wrapped tightly around the stuffed animals, nobody mentions it.

---

Unfortunately, it keeps happening.

Every time they sleep over at Bobby’s, Reggie and Luke continue to pick out some of the scariest movies in the rental stack and every time, Reggie wakes up screaming. It only takes a handful of times for Bobby to put his foot down. He refuses to play any horror movies rated higher than PG, distressed by the need to comfort one of his best friends every time they watch one of these movies. Luke and Reggie are both frustrated at the sudden lack of freedom they’ve come to expect from their time at Bobby’s.

Try as he may, Reggie’s pleading looks aren’t as effective on thirteen year old Bobby as he’d like. A thirteen year old Bobby who isn’t fond of his sleep being disturbed on a good day, no less.

He can only keep it up for so long. After a few years, Bobby’s resolve does start to crumble. And it crumbles fast.

“Bobby, c’mon man. We’re not thirteen anymore! I promise I can handle it!” Reggie pleads, desperately wanting to watch the recently released movie that nobody at school can stop talking about.

Luke drapes his arm around Reggie’s shoulder. A pout matching Reggie’s paints his face, “Yeah, Bobs. We’re not kids anymore. Stop being such a funsucker.”

Bobby glares at Luke, “I am NOT a funsucker.”

Luke purses his lips doubtfully, “Mmmm, you kinda are.”

“Reggie doesn’t need to be more traumatized.”

Reggie squeaks, “I am NOT traumatized.”

Bobby stares at him.

Luke ruffles Reggie’s hair playfully. Reggie pulls himself out from under Luke’s arm to glare at him. Luke grins and ruffles his hair again.

Reggie rolls his eyes, directing his attention back to Bobby. Ignoring Luke is a well-honed skill at this point and he has higher priorities at the moment.

Reggie puts on his most pathetic puppy dog face, fluttering his eyelashes dramatically and clasping his hands under his chin. He and Luke have always known the power their faces hold and regularly use it to their advantage. Though Reggie’s only recently realized how effective it can be with Bobby. With that realization has also come an exploration of how far he can push it.

It takes everything in Bobby to force himself to look away. He can feel Reggie’s gaze on him and he’s not able to ignore the pull for long. Bobby’s shoulders fall, his resolve crumbling. He turns back to meet Reggie’s eyes and sighs. “Fine. One time, we can try. But just once.”

Reggie whoops gleefully.

They settle into their usual spots, which haven’t changed in the last two years, as Bobby sets up the movie.

Much like when they were thirteen, Reggie and Luke still hide behind Alex and Bobby at the scariest parts. Much like when they were thirteen, Bobby teases Luke about it mercilessly. Much like when they were thirteen, Bobby and Alex share exasperated, though no less amused, looks over the antics of the other boys. Unlike when they were thirteen, these looks are now accompanied by a little more pink on their cheeks than either of them will ever be willing to admit to.

Unfortunately, much like when they were thirteen, the boys are woken by Reggie deep in the throes of a nightmare.

Unfortunately, unlike when they were thirteen, Bobby’s much less capable of resisting Reggie’s pleading. The scary movies continue, as do the nightmares and distressing wake up calls.

---

“No.”

“Please.”

Alex hands the tape back to Luke and crosses his arms across his chest. “No!” he repeats.

All three of them turn to look at Alex with confusion. He’s refused every option that Luke and Reggie have proposed, a stark shift from the routine they’ve had for years.

“No scary movies,” he explains simply.

Reggie furrows his brows, narrowing his eyes at Alex. “Why?”

“Because I don’t want to watch one.”

Reggie turns to him fully. “I can-,” he starts to say, ready to defend himself. He doesn't love being babied by his friends, even if he's appreciative of how much they care.

Alex cuts him off, “It’s not about you. I don’t want to watch a scary movie. Can we choose something else please?”

Reggie eyes him warily as he spins back around. He works on resifting through the tape collection, handing new suggestions to Luke who passes his approvals onto Alex.

They finally agree on a Jurassic Park rewatch.

As they settle in, Bobby directs an appreciative nod Alex’s way. Alex shrugs in silent acknowledgement.

---

Alex continues to refuse Luke and Reggie’s R-rated suggestions (of both the horror and “adult” variety) and their frustration grows.

It’s been months of this. It all comes to a head at the next sleepover at Bobby’s. They’d started drifting there more often, the appeal of the lack of parental supervision increasing as they grew older. As their own home lives became more hostile, Bobby’s place offered a bit of a safe haven for all four of them.

“Alex, why are you doing this?” Reggie groans after Alex hands back the most recent suggestion.

Alex stares at him blankly. “Doing what?”

“Why won’t you let us watch any of these?” Reggie gestures toward the rejected pile of movies.

Alex shrugs, “Because I don’t want to watch them.”

“But why?”

Alex narrows his eyes at Reggie. “Does it matter why?” he challenges.

Reggie takes the bait, straightening up and puffing out his chest, “Yeah, it does.”

“Why do you need to know?”

Reggie stares at Alex. “Because. We-” he gestures between himself and Luke, “both want to watch these. It’s not fair for you to get veto power if we can’t know why.”

“And,” Luke interjects, “we can’t pick different things if you won’t tell us what’s wrong with these.”

Alex rolls his eyes. “Because I don’t like girls,” he explains simply.

Reggie huffs out a frustrated breath and narrows his eyes at Alex, “You KNOW that’s not what I mean.”

“Fine. They scare me too much.”

Reggie directs an unimpressed glare his way. “Really?”

“Really,” he confirms, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Since when?”

“Since always.”

Reggie scoffs, “You never had issues with them before.”

Alex eyes him, “It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to watch them anymore. Or talk about it. Pick something else.”

Reggie stares Alex down.

Alex stares back.

Bobby clears his throat.

Reggie looks up at Bobby with wide, questioning eyes. He’s feeling both a little caught and a lot confused about why he’s not being backed up in this.

“Can we get on with this? Please?” Bobby pleads.

Reggie huffs, “Fine,” and turns back to the stack of movies. He finds something that he knows neither Luke or Alex are going to reject, passing it to Alex. He flops onto the couch while he waits for it to be approved by his friends.

After setting up the movie, Bobby takes the spot beside Reggie. “We’re a little pouty today,” he observes quietly.

Reggie halfheartedly tries to put some distance between himself and Bobby but doesn’t manage to go far. “Shut up.”

Bobby chuckles lightly as he leans back, looping his arm over Reggie’s shoulders.

They settle in side by side to watch the movie much like they normally do, with Reggie shifting slightly so he can see the screen better, leaning into Bobby’s side.

---

The next time Reggie spends the night at Bobby’s solo, he pleads his case again.

“C’mon Bee, please? “

“I don’t understand why you like freaking yourself out so much. We could do literally anything else. Something that won’t give you nightmares.”

Reggie shrugs, “I dunno. I just like them. And now with Alex…” he grimaces, “this is my only chance. Please?”

Bobby’s shoulders drop in defeat. He sighs.

Reggie tries to hide his grin, knowing that means he’s about to win this one. “You’d be my favourite for FOREVER, Bobby,” he pleads, widening his eyes and jutting out his bottom lip.

“I’m already your favourite,” Bobby grumbles as he takes the tape from Reggie, sliding it into the VCR.

Reggie flops onto the couch he and Bobby normally share, finally letting the victorious grin take over his face. “Thanks, Bobs. You’re the best!”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. Don’t come crying to me when you have a bad dream.”

Reggie crosses over his heart with a light giggle. His expression morphs into a frown when Bobby sits on the other couch. “We’re not sitting together?”

Bobby stares at him, “Did you want to?”

“We always do. Don’t you love me any more, Bobby?” Reggie asks, eyes wide as he tries and fails to hide his teasing grin.

Bobby rolls his eyes but gathers the blanket up and moves over to sit in the open space beside Reggie.

Reggie lets out a contented sigh as he leans into Bobby. “Much better! Can’t have scary movie times without my pillow.”

Bobby groans half-heartedly, “Good to know what I am to you. A pillow and supplier of nightmares.” He wraps his arm around Reggie’s shoulders just the same, though.

“Exactly,” Reggie beams at him, “the best!”

Bobby fights the blush threatening to rise up his face, grateful that Reggie had turned his attention back to the television so quickly. He clenches his hand into a fist once, twice, three times, before letting himself relax again.

Bobby holds back a laugh the first time Reggie jumps under his arm, smirking at Reggie’s half-hearted glare.

When Reggie hides his face in Bobby’s shoulder at the next scary point, Bobby gently rubs Reggie’s back in comfort, his attention never drifting from the movie. It’s nothing they haven’t done before. Only this time, when Reggie turns back toward the screen, Bobby doesn’t stop.

He seems to be moving mindlessly as his hand drifts down to settle on Reggie’s waist. Bobby gently caresses the space between Reggie’s shirt and the waistband of his jeans with his thumb.

Reggie freezes up slightly, not expecting the much more intimate than usual contact. He quickly relaxes though, leaning back into Bobby.

When his thumb starts to creep beneath Reggie’s waistband, Reggie starts to panic. Sure, he’s had a thing for Bobby for as long as he can remember, but he never expected that it might be reciprocated and he certainly didn’t expect for Bobby to be the one to initiate this kind of physical contact.

He turns to look up at Bobby who seems completely unaware of the crisis that he’s inflicting on Reggie, intently watching the movie.

It doesn’t take long for Bobby to register Reggie watching him, directing a questioning look down at Reggie.

“Something wrong?”

Reggie swallows thickly, “No. Nope. Everything’s fine.” He turns to look back at the TV.

The ministrations at his waist stop. Bobby starts to move away and Reggie gently covers Bobby’s hand with his own, keeping him in place. “You uh… you don’t have to stop,” Reggie whispers.

“I’m really sorry, Reg. I didn’t even realize…” Bobby starts to say, trying to defend himself as he attempts to stave off his own panic at realizing what he’d been doing. His chest tightens as he considers the discomfort he’s subconsciously subjected them both to, not to mention the fear of his feelings coming to light.

“It’s okay,” Reggie insists quietly. “Really. You can stop if you want but uh…” his voice turns shy, “I… I like it.”

“Yeah?” Bobby coughs out breathlessly and Reggie nods.

“Okay,” he whispers and directs his attention back to the movie.

It doesn’t take long before Bobby’s thumb starts moving over Reggie’s skin again.

Reggie finds himself completely incapable of paying any attention to what’s happening on-screen. He lets his own hand drift over to Bobby’s leg, running circles with his thumb on the inside of his knee.

Bobby looks down to acknowledge the unexpected contact but says nothing.

After a short while, they shift and Reggie sits up slightly, swinging his legs around to drape over the front of the couch, still leaning into Bobby’s side. Bobby reaches down with his free arm and grabs Reggie’s knees. He rotates Reggie slightly and positions his legs over his lap, dislodging Reggie’s hand.

Reggie lets out a giggle, “I can’t see the movie like this.”

Bobby rolls his eyes and directs a fond look at Reggie, “You have no idea what’s been happening for at least the last half hour.” Reggie scoffs, mocking offense. “I’d know because you haven’t tried to hide once.”

“Shut up,” Reggie mutters and Bobby laughs. “You’re very distracting.”

“Yeah?” Bobby looks down at Reggie.

“Yeah. Now shut up and watch your movie.”

“I put this movie on for you, remember?”

“You did not.”

“I did. You specifically requested it even. I was there.”

“You’re bullying me,” Reggie mumbles into Bobby’s chest.

Bobby laughs again, bringing his hand up to rub up and down Reggie’s back. Bobby’s other hand rests on Reggie’s knee. He starts drawing circles through the rips in his jeans with his thumb. If he’s going to be given permission to touch Reggie, he’s going to allow himself to follow some impulses.

Reggie doesn’t bother trying to watch any more of what’s going on behind him. He settles for listening to it play in the background. He lets himself enjoy the feeling of being wrapped up with Bobby. It’s something he’d imagined before, sure, but the reality of having Bobby’s warmth surrounding him is more than he could have dreamed. He feels more at home, more at peace, then he’d even though possible.

Reggie extends his arm around Bobby’s waist and starts to fiddle with the hem of his shirt as he listens to Bobby’s heartbeat, relishing in the feeling of Bobby’s hands on him. He chances a glance up at Bobby, smiling to himself when he notices Bobby’s stern look. His resting expression has always steered toward the stoic side of the scale and that remains true even as they allow themselves to explore this new development in their relationship.

Bobby’s hand migrates to Reggie’s thigh, still rubbing small circles with this thumb as he watches the movie. Reggie’s breath catches. He fights down the urge to kiss Bobby’s neck. He’s right there. He’d barely need to move.

Reggie’s fingers catch skin where he’d been playing with Bobby’s shirt, drawing Bobby’s attention back to the boy who’d wound up in his lap.

He looks down at Reggie and barely hesitates before dipping his head down to kiss him.

Reggie readily returns it. They work through the preliminary awkwardness quickly, moving their lips together as they find their rhythm.

Bobby’s hand travels the rest of the way up Reggie’s thigh and to Reggie’s hip. He squeezes slightly to pull Reggie further around.

Reggie takes the hint, repositioning himself so that he’s straddling Bobby, never breaking their kiss. Reggie wraps his arms around the back of Bobby’s neck, taking advantage of the new angle to deepen the kiss.

Bobby’s hands roam the expanse of Reggie’s back as he grants Reggie access to his mouth. He twines his own tongue with Reggie’s as he lets his hands venture down Reggie’s body.

Bobby grabs Reggie’s ass, eliciting a soft gasp from the other boy.

Bobby grins against Reggie’s mouth.

Reggie recovers quickly, pressing himself closer to Bobby as he again captures Bobby’s lips with his own. He moves his hands up to grasp at Bobby’s hair and tugs gently. He’s rewarded by Bobby’s groan and smirks delightedly to himself.

They continue to tease each other as they make out, experimenting with their teeth and tongues, learning what the other seems to enjoy.

When they finally separate to breathe, both panting to catch their breaths, Reggie laughs lightly, “We should have done that forever ago.”

Bobby wraps his arms tightly around Reggie’s middle, resting his face in the crook of Reggie’s neck. “Yeah,” he agrees, voice low. “Better late than never, or something.”

Reggie dislodges Bobby as he draws back. He directs a curious look at Bobby. “How late are you considering late?”

Bobby shrugs, pulling Reggie back toward him by tightening his arms around Reggie. “Does it matter?”

Reggie laughs, “Well, it would be nice to know how long I wasn’t alone in this for.”

“Who says you were first?”

“Who says I wasn’t?”

Bobby reaches up to press a single kiss to Reggie’s lips. “Me,” he says with finality.

Reggie hums doubtfully.

“Dude, why do you think you kept getting away with,” Bobby waves toward the television now sitting ignored on the other side of the room, “this?”

“How do you know I wasn’t asking for them on purpose?”

“Because you’re you.”

Reggie smacks Bobby’s shoulder, “Hey!”

“You telling me I’m wrong?”

Reggie purses his lips, trying to come up with a rebuttal, wrinkling his nose in the process.

Bobby’s gaze tracks over Reggie’s face and he grins. “Exactly.”

Reggie glares at Bobby before his eyes suddenly widen in realization, “Is this why Alex didn’t want us watching them any more?”

Bobby swallows a laugh, “Yeah, I don’t think so.”

Reggie narrows his eyes, “It’s ‘cause of me, isn’t it?”

Bobby averts his gaze, refusing to respond.

“Isn’t it?” Reggie insists, pulling Bobby’s hands off of him. “Not answering just tells me I’m right.”

Bobby sighs with defeat, “Yeah. I think so.”

Reggie huffs as he starts to climb off of Bobby’s lap.

Bobby stops him, grabbing Reggie by the hips. “Hey, no. Come back.”

Reggie looks down at Bobby. “But why?”

“Why what? Why come back or why did we stop with the movies?”

“The second one, obviously.”

“Reg,” Bobby pulls at Reggie, encouraging him to at least sit back down.

He complies, sitting down next to Bobby.

Bobby turns to face him, pulling his feet up onto the couch and crossing his legs underneath him.

Reggie mimics the position. “So?” he encourages once they’re both settled.

Bobby lets out a deep breath, “Reggie, you don’t know how much it sucks to see you so scared. The way it feels to be woken up by your screaming. Knowing all we can do is comfort you after it happens and hope you’re okay.”

Reggie’s face falls. “Oh,” he says simply.

Bobby brings a hand up to cradle Reggie’s face. “We love being there for you. Comforting you. But it still sucks. It was just easier to say no. Or try, anyway. We’re not meaning to baby you. At least… not entirely.”

Reggie rests his hand over Bobby’s, “Yeah, I know. I get that. I hate that my brain loves things that hurt me so much.”

“Hey, that’s why we’re here,” Bobby assures him. “We’d never hurt you on purpose. I never want to hurt you.”

Reggie lifts his gaze up to meet Bobby’s. “You don’t.”

“Good,” Bobby murmurs, leaning closer to Reggie. “Now that that’s sorted, can we do more kissing now?”

“Oh, I see how it is,” Reggie teases. He drops one gentle kiss to Bobby’s lips. “You just want me for my body.”

Bobby hums, letting his hands drift from Reggie’s face, down his arms, and up his back. “Well, we hadn’t gotten there yet but I can’t say that it’s not part of it.”

Reggie rolls his eyes as he lets out a light laugh.

Bobby grasps Reggie’s hips and pulls him close. He leans back against the arm rest, letting his legs stretch out under them.

Reggie adjusts to make room for Bobby’s legs, straddling Bobby’s hips. Reggie leans down to kiss him.

Bobby’s hands travel up Reggie’s back, pulling him down to kiss him back fiercely.

“I’ll let you choose all the movies forever if this is what we get to do while they’re playing,” Bobby murmurs.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Reggie counters cheekily. He presses his lips to Bobby’s: once, twice, three times.

Bobby all but growls as he pulls Reggie back down to kiss him properly, finally letting themselves get lost in each other.

#jatp #nobodys fics #boggie #bobby shaw #reggie peters #fanfic #julie and the phantoms

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rainbowcarousels · 2 months

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I wanted to do a seperate post because of people who don't want Rebirth spoilers but the fact that the three friends in LOVELESS really look like the 'children of man' that the Cetra explain the story of Jenova with fascinates me.

As does the fact that the Cetra here kind of look like the Sephiroth clones.

The Cetra spirits tell that humanity were afraid and envied them, likely stoked by the Jenova influence and they fought and died together until they started to fight and die between themselves. They were 'forsaken by fate, abandoned to unquenchable anger and unbearable grief, condemned and driven forth powerless to forestall the coming of our end'. We even see some of the battles between the Cetra, humanity and Jenova play out.

The actual retelling of Jenova's coming is here:

"Long ago, a wound marred the northern lands and to mend it did many venture forth, only to be met with disaster. A deciever that stole the faces of the dead - of mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers lost. With their voices did it sow the seeds of discord among our people, among the children of man. For the planet did we lay down our lives in battle, and in death, returned to her embrace. Yet our adversary did not. Could not. Thus did it fall into a deep slumber. And in the long silence of its sleep, it was given the name 'Jenova'. Heed well our warning of that which is to come: the reunion. When our adversary's scattered malignancy shall converge to plague the planet once once more. It has been our sacred duty to protect our planet against any who would threaten it. They who came from without were one such threat. The Gi, who with bitter prayer forged the black materia. So foul was the orb's magic that we knew at once it must be hidden, that none might ever weild its terrible power. The black materia shall summon the destroyer of worlds. The meteor shall fall, sundering the skies and shattering the earth. All life shall perish."

There's a lot of key terms there that link through to LOVELESS and this is just another reason why I think LOVELESS is based on something from the era in which Jenova invaded. It provides a lot of interesting background, I guess I had never considered there were in fact full blown battles in the Jenova Take Over vol. one, but it makes total sense there would be. It really adds to the whole 'history doesn't repeat itself but it does rhyme' vibe of the entire R-verse.

Finally, there is the version of LOVELESS - or rather, the excerpts, it's clear we're only seeing snippets of a larger story - that we see in Rebirth is known as the G edition. Again, the wording shifts and changes but the core narrative remains the same.

When the end of days is come The Goddess alights from heav'ns above 'Pon those Her blessing She doth bestow True happiness but they shall know To claim Her boon, a valiant three Sally forth, heroes they would be One's life cut short, another slain Naught but a prisoner doth remain Bereft of his wings, he falls from grace Yet venerated is he in Her embrace Now, through the cruel world hath forsaken us all Will our hero ne'ertheless stand tall?

#ff7 rebirth #ff7 rebirth spoilers #i was just reminded of this #loveless #cetra

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beatricebidelaire · 4 months

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wild theory, but hear me out

so you know how i like to compare olaf’s family with r’s family (the count and his son who inherited the title, the duchess and her daughter who inherited the title) + (both being orphaned not as a little kid but later), and that’s also why i prefer to hc o’s father not being in vfd (we know r’s mother canonically isn’t, see the end), although i do think o’s mother was but that’s another story (i also once wrote a snippet of o’s mother and r’s mother being bffs who almost became something more but didn’t, try to picture, like, the way js is to js).

what i’m trying to get at is this: so, r’s family had the ring. if i want to make a parallel in o’s family …..

me, 2 seconds later: wait ………. what if ……….. i know this is wild but. what if ….. sugar bowl

personally i don’t think the way esme cares more for the sugar bowl than olaf does in canon would be an issue here, if anything that makes it more fun, for me. like yeah it’s his (or, was his family’s) but he doesn’t care that much he only wants his revenge, esme is the one that wants it

secondly i like imagining beatrice growing up with olaf’s family and is familiar with his parents (gives lemony’s letter to her about how he’d still love her even if she betrayed her father an interesting twist and also makes opera night even more layered). so perhaps she also is used to its presence (the sugar bowl, i mean) and perhaps the countess once saw her admiring how pretty it is she says sure you can use it if you like, sweetheart and then olaf started going out with esme and gave it to her as a gift and beatrice decided to steal it back. but also what if vfd decided to assassinate the count and countess because they want the sugar bowl (from their family), but perhaps neither o nor b nor e know about that at first to them it’s just a pretty trinket and o maybe doesn’t even care that much he just used it to woo e and b was like hey your mother said i could have it.

#count olaf #beatrice baudelaire #esme squalor #sugar bowl #vfd theater kids who practically grew up together #vera.txt #r duchess of winnipeg

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drkstrudd · 2 years

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Strud’s writing commissions

Do you like my writing style? Do you ever imagine you could get yourself or your favorite characters portrayed in my style? Wanna read about something but can’t find it absolutely anywhere? Ever had a super specific fantasy that you can’t seem to shake out of your head?

I’m your guy! Or gal. I’m both.

I do both sfw and n*sfw work.

HOW IT WORKS:

THE GROUND RULES:

Payment upfront, done using payment friend (the one that must not be mentioned for stupid reasons.) It will be sent the moment we agree on what will be written and how so I can dedicate myself to working.

You will be sent snippets of the work before the full thing is completed.

YOU MUST BE AN ADULT TO COMMISSION ME. Why? Well kid I don’t wanna fight your parents over what you chose to purchase. You must show me proof of your birthdate to be able to order.

These works are private use only.

Interested? Come see the prices then!

THE SFW MENU:

DISCLAIMER - I HAVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE THE OFFER IF THE SUBJECT MATTER MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE

Price chart:

The fool (BETWEEN 500 - 1000 WORDS): $15

The magician (BETWEEN 1000 - 2000 WORDS): $25

The high priestess (UP TO 5000 WORDS): $55

The empress (UP TO 7000 WORDS): $75

The emperor (UP TO 10,000 WORDS): $105

EXTRAS:

The lovers - Five headcanons about your ship of choice - $10 Can be purchased on its own or added to your order

THE N*SFW MENU:

DISCLAIMER - I HAVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE THE OFFER IF THE SUBJECT MATTER MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE

What I will absolutely not write no matter the circumstances:

- P*edo*philia in any way, shape or form. Don’t even try.

- B*estiali*ty. The creature in question must pass the Harkness test.

- R*ape. No.

Price chart:

The star (BETWEEN 500 - 1000 WORDS): $20

The moon (BETWEEN 1000 - 2000 WORDS): $30

The sun (UP TO 5000 WORDS): $60

Judgement (UP TO 7000 WORDS): $80

The world (UP TO 10,000 WORDS): $110

EXTRAS:

The devil - Five headcanons about your ship of choice - $15 Can be purchased on its own or added to your order

The tower - Want to add gore to your piece? - Extra $10 on top of your purchase

Contact information:

Tumblr DM

[email protected] - Send me an email!

#writing #writers #strud.txt #fics #commissions

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aranarumei · 1 year

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I’m losing my mind over mitsukou. together and separately all the time honestly…

anyways my point that I was ruminating over this time is that I think it is genuinely evil (in a good way) how we’ve been seeing mitsuba like. while he hasn’t been here. like, in the red house, kou sees a bunch of temptations / wishes, right? and he starts off by cheerfully ignoring them, saying he’ll ignore everything, only for the red house’s mitsuba to go “who are you going to ignore?” and appear right in front of it.

which. considering the last time kou and mitsuba were actually spending time together, kou was stressed out over what he should be prioritizing and worrying that he wasn’t actually doing anything of value… I imagine that question is especially hurtful. and of course considering mitsuba’s own hang ups and what he’d been through, of course it would hurt more. but kou’s reaction to that entire scene with mitsuba in the red house is really interesting, because it’s like… comforting in this twisted way, right? mitsuba depends on only him and asks him to please die. he believes in kou and kou never thinks that people are capable of believing in him (he thinks he’s making mitsuba anxious!) and that’s sort of what snaps him out of it. we see snippets of other things, too—hanako being unrepentantly evil so kou can exorcise him without remorse, teru changing his attitude towards supernaturals… and those are kind of the same, right? kou like. likes hanako as a person. it’s not good to think that’s he’s 100% evil.

but even though kou will confront all of that and say yes it would be easier if things are like that, but they’re not, when he gets the mitsuba the manga has him go “and mitsuba…” AND THEN HE NEVER FINISHES THE SENTENCE. listen it’s wonderful character writing. it’s the same way that kou tell everyone he’s coming along with their expedition to save aoi to protect nene, and then adds “and I have something to take care of…” while we’re visually shown mitsuba. the way he speaks about becoming a supernatural to nene and thinks of mitsuba during the severance but doesn’t say things about it. the way that during his fight with no.6 he talks about solving peoples problems and bringing them happiness and calls mitsuba “that guy.” hell nene doesn’t even know about the entire mitsuba thing until she meets mitsuba herself and even then kou is really casual about the whole thing, not even revealing much about the situation.

I think there’s just so much there. and ultimately I think it’s a lot of like. wow. kou is confused about how he’s feeling! what should he be doing! and I think while kou does see what’s good about hanako in his introduction chapter, and that supernaturals r not necessarily monolithic evil, mitsuba’s also a huge facet in determining kou’s views towards supernaturals—he wants to exorcise this ghost and then through that trip ends up wanting to be friends with him and feeling so so so joyful when he sees him again. god. don’t even make me talk abt the moment where kou grabs mitsuba’s hand. that’s another post. but yeah I feel like he’s very careful and secretive about how he feels towards mitsuba because it’s very complicated for him and maybe hard to understand or express

so yeah. and now we have like, mitsuba showing up again (and I still have trust issues bc of the red house), right when kou’s been told to exorcise a low grade spirit, and he’s doing it in an effort to prove himself… man do things feel circular as hell. (side note why is mitsuba registered as a low grade spirit? only time will tell)

#kiri.txt #mitsukou #tbhk spoilers #jshk spoilers #in this essay I will #liveblog

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clanofjones · 9 months

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Hiatus Update ^^

@theosb0rnway, @spicy-apple-pie, @finnstir, @kallmefren, @justamuppet, @mostlyvoid-partiallyturtles, @fanatess, @justletmereadmycomics, @thecranialbones, @alolaartista:

I'm officially back from my hiatus! You may have/probably noticed that I've still been active on Tumblr these past few days, and you'd be correct. My social battery has been NONEXISTENT, and I've been in a state of recovery, which is why I haven't sent this out earlier. Hiatus probably isn't the right word, but IDK *shrugs*

ME NEWS:

I will have to go on another similar break in the first week of October, and another in the last week of May. If you'd like to know then just message me, dw.

NOW, FOR STUFF (that I could probably message individual people for but I'm tired and we're mass posting ig)

tagging people who I know are co-creating or interested in certain projects of mine, but all (even those I didn't tag) to peruse my wares :)

Ghosts of Our Days- @theosb0rnway, @kallmefren, @justamuppet

Okay I'm actually proud of this one-

I MADE A SHORT ANIMATIC FOR GoOD!!

*dances*

BUT

It contains vague spoilers for an upcoming chapter so it's on the back burner for now. I am SO EXCITED for the masses to see this one! For such a short and, in the grand scheme of animations, unremarkable thing, it took about two months :/

SO CHERISH ITTTT

14, while on the way, is going to be a bit on account of many things. We've got lives, you've got lives, we chilling.

Of Mutants, Mystics, and Magic- @finnstir, @theosb0rnway

I do have an update in the making! Finn, you might wanna check out the AU acc for the newer updates, but no pressure! (AU acc is @of-mutants-mystics-and-magic for searching convenience :))

Cardinal Rules- @theosb0rnway, @fanatess, @thecranialbones

New updates for my second ROTTMNT fic are coming out on Ao3 and Tumblr this weekend! I'm trying a new update schedual where I finish one multichap fic and post the entirety of a solo-chapter fic at once. EX: I finish this one, and post a lil one-shot, that way when y'all finish a fic, there's going to be something else!

I'm hi-key really proud of this one, so YAY!!

MISC/Unnamed/TBD projects

@alolaartista, I'm making headway with that art I was telling you about, and I will message you it! I also have a written snippet to add to the pile-

@spicy-apple-pie- >:3

I am making YOU a *m y s t e r y t h i n g*

@... EVERYONE ELSE!

My 12!Rasey and Rise!Casey Jr stuff is my most popular stuff, and I approve of your tastes LOL

SO I'm going to be dropping another 12!Rasey ship dynamic + some Casey Jr art for the soul soon!

#jay with a megaphone #the bitches be back #its me i'm bitches #I put the bi in bitch :D #rottmnt #TMNT 2012 #ghosts of our days #of mutants mystics and magic #cardinal rules #ao3 #feel free to message me #and all that jazz :3 #VERY happy to be back with y'all ^^#my posts #life update

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victorluvsalice · 5 months

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Valicer Calendar Finale: OTP To OT3

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! It's time to talk about the final date on the Valice (r) Calendar post I made to celebrate 15 years of shipping my Valice OTP, and two years of shipping the Valicer OT3! So what's the significance of New Year's Eve to my OTP/OT3?

Well, it's basically the date I feel like my OTP became an OT3. XD This is basically how it all went down at the end of 2021, when I first learned about The Smiler coaster:

December 26th: I watch "One Night In Alton Towers" with my parents (a show where comedians Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker, accompanied by a guest comedian -- in this case it was Roisin Conaty -- spend the night at whatever UK attraction happens to be in the title) and see the fabled theme park in action for the first time. The show itself does NOT contain the group going on The Smiler (I believe the entrance is shown briefly in a montage, but the X-Sector ride they actually hit is Oblivion), but my family and I are intrigued and start looking up videos showing what riding the coaster feels like. Along the way, we discover The Smiler, and while we don't watch a video on it...

December 27th: I am sufficiently intrigued that the next day, my birthday, I start looking up stuff about it in earnest.

I quickly discover that the "brainwashing machine designed to make people permanently happy" theme is, uh, "relevant to my interests." XD Cue me going on a binge on YouTube and tumblr looking up the coaster, its history, its lore, and it's fandom, and getting pretty well obsessed. XD

December 28th: New coaster obsession continues, and I get the idea that I could use it in one of my private little snippets about Victor and Alice having a hypnokinky relationship. After all, I'm pretty sure Victor would like to be brainwashed to be happy, the poor anxious noodle! I start coming up with various scenarios in my head regarding Victor and Alice visiting the park and riding the coaster and using the theming to have some more saucy fun later to add to one of my private docs later, which get gradually more complicated as I look up more and more stuff...

December 29th: And by the very next fucking day, a certain anxious noodle has come up with his own AU within my AU where the coaster has an AI behind it and he and Alice are in a relationship with it. Specifically it's him doing art of that scenario in my AU where, you know, the coaster is just A FUCKING COASTER. I'm like, "excuse me, I'm trying to write down this completely normal scenario where you and Alice just have fun with the coaster theme! What is this bullshit where you want to fuck the roller coaster?"

He is unrepentant.

December 30th: "...would you like me to make the coaster human, because it occurs to me I could do that in Sims 4."

Victor: "I would not object."

December 31st: I've already come up with three different Smilers for three different AUs (the original Modern AU, the VTMB Malkavian!Smiler, and the FO4 Robot/Eldritch Horror!Smiler) and wondering how I completely lost it so freaking fast. XD

Sooo -- yeah. That was the point where I knew this was going to be a Thing. XD (And I hadn't even come up with Smiler's actual human design yet! That was nine days later!) Two years in, and it is still a Thing, as you are all very much aware. XD Here's to my bizarre Things, and the ships that were created from them! I hope to get much enjoyment from them for years to come.

#valicer #valice calendar #how this all went down #pretty sure I summarized this back when I first introduced Smiler to the Chill Save #but it never hurts to do a recap for anyone who might have shown up later #and also I think this recap is funnier than the last one XD #at least part of Valicer becoming a Thing so fast was also me looking at how long it took me to accept Valice as a Thing #and going 'okay no I'm not fighting this nonsense for half a year only for it to consume my life'#instead it consumed my life in a matter of days XD #not that I'm complaining #I think I've made it very clear that this ship and everything related to it has given me a lot of joy :)#which I guess is only appropriate for anything based on The Smiler XD #but yeah #expect to see lots more Valice and Valicer content in the coming year #because if I have to deal with this nonsense #so do all of you

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mandajiu · 1 year

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I'll never get over this nonsensical moment of joy between them in TLB tidbits. It's my number one favorite snippet because they are in their own world. That smile on 88 - she is truly gorgeous inside and out. I feel for 30 having to be close to someone so naturally blessed even with virtually no makeup. No one makes 30 smile like 88, no one. No one helps us see the little girl side in the transparent actress like 30, no one. May the flowers be blooming. Birds say that 30 got stuck again yesterday and created a card point that is harmless - now is not the time to show public displays of affection. I suspect all their messages to each other will be veiled in business transactions.

I gathered a few for you: So，30 seems to find the most interesting ways to say "re" 热；therefore, endorsing toothpaste for sensitive teeth with the tagline "Hot and cold, sweet and sour" seems a great way to go around rrrrrre-ing." I did notice in my research that "cold" might be his self-reference. He is Xiao Leng (冷 cold) - the compnay is Leng Suan Ling - and she is Xiao Re. Still in preliminary stages, but it seems to work. He honestly loves cold and hates the heat, but he is always going around in warm clothes sweating and talking about how "hot" it is. lol

88 is pink and 30 is blue.

Red heart= most likely 88 （lately this is her most common symbol in the past little while btw）

88's favorite color this month is Color Key's 55 - 5 for Wu. In the past, she has chosen many lipsticks with special numbers. Will get photo later. It's very cute.

Pekomi spotted this - do you see it?: Wow. She's good. Of course we have the ongoing thread of tying some cloth around the wrist - both shoots for Bazaar too. The anniversary was relatively recent of "Lost in Your Eyes."

Look closely - do you see the cursive R (or B - reminds me of the clothing brand he endorses with the cursive R symobl) either way it fits our 88. Pekomi - you are a true master of CPF! I bow to you!

THE NEWS: WB CRAZY THESE DAYS!

So, the weibosphere for both sides is a hot mess right now. 88 has started the necessary trend of suing paparazzi - YES. The studio of the other lady has sued. This is probably in relation to an article published on CCTV wb referring to a person who didn't know the founding of the CCP (so definitely purple junior) and a few others as "illiterates" but there is also reference to personal life infringement. I have some personal feelings. As a fellow dyscalculic who struggles with dates, times, numbers I get the little purple junior's issue. Dates CAN be really hard for people with dyscalculia and even nearly impossible for a handful; however, if I were given a role and did no research or wrote no notecards about my role so I could learn the information - sorry, that's being lazy. We are good at memorizing information usually even if we don't understand it.

I sent a message to Lei-fan yesterday as I live in Doha about the Sledgehammer broadcast and see the news earlier to warn them of the coming onslaught from the LD broadcast. I also am online more than I should be: Basically a netizen called and said that 30 and a certain purple flower were together. This was on Valentine's Day. LD had previously refuted the CPF as fake. He is most likely being payed to stoke the fire, so although he did not directly say he had evidence, he released the hint of two 95 actors even without evidence based on a random person's conjecture! Whether tea is rubbing or the CPF are just that unruly, it resulted in a bit of mayhem. I wonder if WL's studio will issue a letter soon. His is a family-run business, so spending extra money is not really as easy for him. As for whether the letters will directly refute the CP, it's not good business to lose fans so I don't see it being done that directly. Don't take my word. Check wb yourself.

If you do check weibo, you will see a whole lot of attempts to tear people down using nefarious means. It goes from calm to crazy on 88's weibo - we had a lull, then something will come up. It's just really insane right now.

Whatever is happening, it really looks like 88 might finally be free soon if all these rumors are related to leaving the company! If its just this new role and endorsement she has, then it must be plumb. She has a photoshoot on the 27th. Hopefully we will know by then, but who knows. All is speculation.

What we do know: We know 30 and 88 are the best artists to ship separately or together. They have nothing bad on them and baddies will keep trying to muddy their reputation because they really are good eggs or rub up against them because of their popularity. We don't know if they are together. We hope that is the case, but all CP's are pure imagination until a formal announcement is made and we have to be sensible. Not knowing keeps the business alive; if this is an ongoing business relationship - which I am highly doubtful as it really doesn't have enough capital incentive with the small numbers of Eggs relative to new fandoms - then OK. It's all good. Let's go for a re-match!

#Leidi #磊迪 #3088yyds #birdeggenclosure #鸟蛋 #cpfandom #chewcpresponsibly

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carewyncromwell · 10 months

Text

"Everyone’s a writer -- painter -- poet! Everything is avant-garde or chic!

We’ll be in the know before we know it... When you’re in the know, it’s -- Oh, it’s magnifique! To find in Paris what you seek..."

~"Paris Holds the Key (to Your Heart)" from Anastasia (musical)

x~x~x~x

Jacob Cromwell's graduation from Hogwarts truly was an underdog story, to most people's minds. After getting roped into the likes of R, losing his two closest companions to petrification and death respectively, getting expelled, and finally getting trapped in a magical portrait for seven years, it was something of a miracle when he was able to turn it all around with nothing but his astounding intellect and magical talent, graduating with full honors in the spring of 1991. Many presumed that after the trauma he'd undergone, Jacob would settle into life at home with a respectable new career in the Wizarding World -- his sister Carewyn certainly did, taking a much more peaceful job at the Ministry of Magic as a lawyer.

Jacob, however, celebrated his graduation and freedom by traveling the world and doing and learning as much as he could -- and in those travels, he ended up making quite a name for himself, not as "that delinquent Jacob Cromwell," but as a freelance magical researcher. One of those people who took immediate notice of Jacob's brilliance in this regard was a witch who ended up becoming a very good friend of his -- the statuesque Headmistress of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Olympe Maxime.

It all started when Jacob finally -- after pecking away at it off-and-on for about two years around his travels and random Cursebreaking expeditions -- finished a scholarly essay applying the principles of Muggle chemistry to various Potions ingredients. It was a subject he'd first experimented with in his fifth year at Hogwarts (right in the middle of his Potions OWL, ridiculous as it was), but Jacob had felt more prepared to return to the subject after doing more research and even covertly sitting in on a few Muggle chemistry classes while traveling abroad. Then over the span of the next twenty months, he wrote out a full piece on all of the research he'd done, adding in some theories about a variation of the periodic table possibly being applied to various Potions ingredients and how applying the principles of organic chemistry to Potioneering could spur the invention of new Potions. Jacob sent a copy of his essay to his former professor and friend, Horace Slughorn, and the ex-Potionsmaster reacted with great enthusiasm.

Pleasantries aside, though -- Jacob, my boy, your essay! I spent an absolutely lovely afternoon reading it over a glass of brandy, and I was simply enraptured by it! I hope you don't mind, but I've already sent a snippet of it off to a friend of mine who writes for The Practical Potioneer, to see if he'd be interested in publishing the whole thing in some future edition -- such a thing awaiting your explicit consent, of course.

Jacob enthusiastically gave Slughorn the "go-ahead" to send the rest of his essay along, if his friend expressed interest in publishing it. Later that year, when Jacob came home for Christmas, he was able to surprise his mother and sister with their own first editions of the potioneering magazine containing his essay. Lane was so delighted and proud that she actually ended up bursting into silent tears.

"The Practical Potioneer," she breathed, her wispy voice choked with emotion. "Oh, Jay...I used to read that every month, when I was in school...whenever the Hogwarts library got in a new copy that I could check out...and now..." She brought her hands up to cradle her son's cheeks, "...now my little Blue Jay's gotten published in it!"

Jacob opened his arms in anticipation of the big hug his mother gave him, squeezing her tight. Despite being just as strong of a Legilimens as Carewyn, he'd never been as good at sensing people's emotions as she was -- but in this moment, he was positive: his mother was so, so proud of him. And that feeling filled Jacob up with so much vindication and warmth that he too felt close to tears.

Both Lane and Carewyn would put Jacob's article in positions of honor. Carewyn framed all four pages of Jacob's essay and mounted them on the wall of her office under a print of Hogsmeade village Badeea had painted for her. Lane herself left the magazine with her son's essay out on the side table by her favorite "reading window" for the rest of her life, and she shared it with every single one of the few visitors she invited to her cottage.

x~x~x~x

As fate would have it, a French Potioneer traveling abroad on holiday picked up several Potioneering magazines from the countries he visited, so as to read them on his long train ride home. One of those such magazines ended up being that very edition of The Practical Potioneer, and the French wizard was thoroughly charmed by the theories presented by the British researcher called Jacob Cromwell: so much so that he translated the essay into French and then sent it and the original magazine to the French Wizarding World's main newspaper, Le Cri de la Gargouille. The paper then published the translation of Jacob's essay in their paper in February 1994, specifically as part of their Mode de Vie Magique section -- a section that was, in fact, a favorite of one Olympe Maxime.

About a week after Le Cri de La Gargouille printed Jacob's translated article, Jacob received a letter via owl post that was sealed with a light blue seal marked with a cursive "B" over two crossed wands.

Monsieur Cromwell, Firstly, I must apologize if this letter reaches you more than once. When seeking out an address for you, I was informed that you currently have no permanent address, and so I had to get creative to find a way to contact you directly. Fortunately it seems that the Owl Office in Paris is most resourceful in locating witches and wizards while they are on holiday abroad. But now, to business. A week or so ago, while reading La Cri de La Gargouille, I came across your essay regarding the application of Non-Magic chemistry to our own Potioneering, and to put it simply, I found it absolutely enthralling. I profess no expertise in Non-Magic science, aside from the psychology books I've read by Non-Magic authors, but your knowledge of the two subjects is clearly thorough, and your conclusions in comparing the two were fascinating. Your application of Non-Magic chemistry to Potioneering is a subject I would like very much to share with my older students, in preparation for their entry into the Wizarding World. And so it is because of this that I cordially invite you to the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic for a high tea on the afternoon of March 1st, at 3 o' clock. Please RSVP as soon as possible -- I hope that since my return address is so prominent, your response should not take long to reach me. Chaleureusement, Olympe Maxime Directice of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic

x~x~x~x

To say Jacob was thrilled at the prospect of visiting the famous Beauxbatons Academy would be an understatement. He was so over the moon at the prospect that he sent letters to Carewyn, Lane, his best friend Olivia Green, Horace Slughorn, Filius Flitwick and Madam Rosmerta about it, before he finally calmed down enough to remember that he hadn't even RSVPed to Madame Maxime's invitation properly.

Salut, Madame Maxime! Mon français n'est pas très bon, mais j'ai pensé que je devais répondre dans votre langue, parce que vous m'avez écrit dans mon langue. Le français est une belle langue aussi -- c'est ma préférée des langues gallo-romantiques. J'aimerais beaucoup te rendre visite! J'ai lu beaucoup de livres sur votre école. Je ne peux pas attendre! À bientôt! Jacob Cromwell

Jacob then had to immediately set about making travel plans to France. First he took a boat from Rebun Island (his current location) to Tokyo; then he took a very long plane ride from Tokyo to Frankfurt, Germany; once he'd gotten his bearings, he then took a train to Paris, where he was able to take the Floo Network from le Place Cachée to the Wizarding village of Lapinfort, by the outskirts of Lourdes. It was in Lapinfort that Jacob was handed a response from his sister Carewyn, which had arrived via owl the previous day.

Dear Jacob, I just got your letter. I can't believe you're actually going to visit Beauxbatons Academy! I know how much you've always wanted to go there, and to know you've been invited there by Madame Maxime herself...I'm so proud of you! I'm not exaggerating when I say I'm rereading your letter as I'm writing this and I can't stop smiling. Truly, though, I hope you get on with Madame Maxime, and that your lecture for her students goes well. I met Maxime once when she accompanied my school friend Penny's penpal Aurelie Dumont on a visit to Hogwarts, and she's a very glamorous woman. But please, Jacob, I'm begging you, don't make ANY comments about her size -- she's even taller than Hagrid, and I get the feeling she's secretly very self-conscious about it. The last thing I want is for you to make a bad first impression!! As the French say, "bonne chance!" Write to me as soon as you get this, and then be sure to also write to me all about your meeting, after it's over -- I want to know everything. Love you, Carewyn

Jacob wrote Carewyn a quick note to let her know of his safe arrival. Then, once he'd finished, he went into town and found a carriage led by flying horses that could take him over the Pyranees mountains and to the famous Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.

It was truly as beautiful of a school as Jacob's books had claimed. Just as Hogwarts was a mysterious, grand stone castle, Beauxbatons was likewise a kind of palace, though one far more ornamental and delicate: a true French chateau, framed by elegant gardens trimmed with fairy lights.

As Jacob disembarked from the carriage, he found himself enchanted by the tiny seashells embedded into the cement paths that led through the gardens. He soon found himself wandering the left of these paths, rather than looking for the entrance properly, and found himself embarking on a quest to locate the center of the hedge maze he'd found himself in. It wasn't until about a half-hour later that he found his way back out and to Beauxbatons' entrance.

When Jacob reached the grand, white front doors, they sparkled with silver sparkles as they opened for him. Clearly the school knew this was a welcome guest, rather than an enemy -- Jacob's eyes lit up at this thought, and only became brighter seeing the school's interior.

The ceilings were even high than Hogwarts's, and shining as bright white as a spring-time sky full of angelic clouds. The halls were framed by large, beautiful, painted marble columns trimmed with gold, as well as countless living portraits trimmed with ornate ivory frames. There were crystal chandeliers decorated with colorful glass flowers and ivy that sparkled with even more fairy lights. Living statues were mounted in displays of honor down the hall, and they all turned their heads to look at Jacob as he passed. Everything was so bright and pristine, and yet not flimsy. There was power here, inside of this ageless, seemingly fragile beauty: the kind found in the Greek Parthenon or the palace of Versailles.

"Ah...Monsieur Cromwell."

Jacob looked up, startled, to find a very foreboding, but beautiful woman dressed all in light blue satin with a white feathered-shawl around her shoulders, approaching him. She was large before she got close, but once she had, she towered over him, nearly as tall as the ceiling.

Like Hagrid, Jacob recalled.

The thought of the friendly gamekeeper, as well as of Carewyn's letter, made Jacob grin from ear to ear.

"...You must be Madame Maxime!"

"Oui," she said lightly. "You are late, Monsieur Cromwell -- I expected you 'alf an 'our ago."

The Directice's dark eyes flitted over the much smaller man, taking in his incredibly informal white t-shirt and jeans with muted disapproval.

Jacob, however, was blissfully unaware of this.

"Oh yeah -- sorry about that!" he said brightly. "I was just exploring your gardens -- fabulous hedge maze you've got, on par with the one at Villandry Castle. I think I found at least one of its treasures in my wanderings -- that is, if you don't count the absolutely beautiful Herbology specimens...nearly got caught in that French Devil's Snare, when trying to examine your color-changing peonies. But at the center of the maze, I found your garden of wood nymphs -- "

Maxime looked very startled. "You found eet?"

"Yeah! Bloody brilliant use of Concealment Charms, though -- took me about ten tries, before I got the order of turns right...but yeah, so I found the garden in the center, and that tree...absolutely stunning! I don't even know what breed it is exactly, maybe a variation of Wiggentree, but it's exquisite! Is it unique? It surely must be -- I've never seen one so big! Anyhow, the wood nymph Queen wasn't so keen on me getting close, but once I showed her I meant no harm, she pointed the way out for me...who knew wood nymphs would be so keen on Whitney Houston? Though really, I don't blame them -- Whitney's got a wicked set of pipes -- obviously I couldn't do her song the same justice she would've, but hey..."

Many a person had found Jacob's talkativeness exhausting to deal with, in the past. Even Jacob's first friend and love Duncan Ashe had frequently had to tell Jacob to shut up now and again, whenever he'd go off the deep end in rambling. Surprisingly, however, Madame Maxime didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable or overwhelmed -- if anything, her expression bloomed into something a bit more intrigued.

"You zaid zat you not only found our garden for ze wood nymphs in less zhan an hour," she said, "but zat you also earned zheir favor? Monsieur Cromwell -- I do not zhink you are aware of quite how rare zat is."

Jacob cocked his eyebrows, smiling fully. "Why, because of your Concealing magic? Ah, well, I am a freelance Cursebreaker, a lot of the time...puzzles are my favorite thing. And magical creatures are always groovy -- you should meet my friend Hagrid, he works at Hogwarts, he's swell with creatures..."

"What I mean is zat conquering zat maze is a test all seventh year students must face 'ere at Beauxbatons, in order to graduate," Maxime said, her smile spreading more fully. "And most only reach ze garden, before 'aving to quickly leave it. Ze wood nymphs are very protective of zheir tree -- which, yes, is a one of a kind specimen: I rescued it on a trip to Greece myself," he eyes twinkled with a bit of mischief.

Jacob blinked. Then his face broke out into a bigger smile than ever, his skull-like light blue eyes positively alight with delight.

"So does that make me worthy of touring the hallowed halls of your Academy, Directice?" he asked, raising his eyebrows eagerly.

Maxime beamed. "Quite worthy, Monsieur Cromwell."

"Groovy!" cheered Jacob. "Because I was meaning to ask about your school's architecture -- everything I've read about Beauxbatons states that it was built in the 13th century, but all of the decor and landscaping I've seen since I got here is distinctly Baroque -- more properly, Rococo-inspired, which wasn't popular until the 17th century at the earliest. I would assume Beauxbatons has gone through some structural changes thorough-out the years -- understandable, given the history of war on France's borders, in contrast to the isolated Scottish Highlands where Hogwarts is situated -- but are these original from that period, or was it brought back in a revival, after the fall of Napoleon and the virulent anti-monarchist views held by the common man had calmed enough that such beauty could be celebrated again, rather than solely condemned?"

Maxime indulged Jacob's questions as they walked down the long hall and then up a grand staircase to her office. Once there, she offered Jacob some tea (which Jacob drank to be polite) and a dish of endlessly duplicating chocolate madeleines (which Jacob couldn't stop eating). While drinking their tea, Maxime asked Jacob some questions of her own about the kinds of magical research he'd been working on, which prompted Jacob to go off on a tangent about poisons and antidotes, which in turn got Maxime eagerly talking about the perfumes she mixed herself, using the flowers grown in the Beauxbatons gardens.

"Truly, it iz also not zo different from your non-Magique 'chemistry,'" said Maxime. "Just as with Potions, you zimply need zome zort of essential oil, a proper base, and zhen different 'notes,' to achieve ze desired effect. Combine jojouba oil, lavender, and rose with just a 'int of Lady's Mantle as a top note, and voila! You have a perfume zat not only makes you feel relaxed and beautiful, but makes you both smell and appear even more beautiful, to ze people around you."

Jacob's eyes lit up. "Using Beauty Potion ingredients in perfumes! What a groovy idea! I can't wait to tell my Pip -- she's always liked lavender as a scent..."

Maxime beamed, clearly very pleased by Jacob's enthusiasm. "You can zee why your piece about applying non-Magique chemistry to Potions interested me zo much. I would frankly love to 'ear 'ow you'd explain your theories to my students...if you would be willing to let me 'sit in' on your lecture."

"Of course!" Jacob said at once, without any hesitation. His grin was so big he could hardly contain it. "Mais oui! I'd be honored!"

Maxime and Jacob would go on to talk for another whole hour, long after the tea was gone. It was only then that Maxime brought Jacob downstairs toward the Potions classroom, where a set of seventh years had just filed in, and introduced Jacob to the class before settling in the very back of the room as he started his lecture. Although Jacob went on quite a few long tangents in his lecture, his enthusiasm captivated the French students, so much so that they couldn't even look down too much on the weird Briton with the crazy hair and sloppy clothes. He was so animated and intelligent when he talked that soon all of the students were raising their hands and engaging with him, asking follow-up questions and even challenging his conclusions, which Jacob reacted to with almost more enthusiasm than he did to the questions. By the time Jacob's lecture was through, Maxime's eyes positively radiated with how charmed she was by this tiny, quirky little wizard with the messy curls.

"You will have to visit again, when next you publish anozher zuch work," she said insistently.

"Oh, totally!" said Jacob eagerly. "I'd love to come again sometime. Even just to explore some more -- your school really is smashing! I'd love to see your library next time..."

"Mais oui -- but of course."

Jacob's enthusiasm clearly pleased Maxime greatly. It made her give a slightly-too-hard pat to Jacob's cheek that ended up more feeling like a slap.

"Au revoir, Monsieur Cromwell," said Maxime with a warm smile. "I do 'ope zat you shall visit France again soon."

Jacob blinked. Then he smiled a bit more awkwardly.

"Well, uh...my travels kind of keep me on the move. I don't really know when I'll be anywhere a lot of the time -- I just sort of figure it out as I go along. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to come back sometime, obviously! And until I do, I could always send you letters, if you'd like. I love sending letters," Jacob added with a grin.

Maxime cocked her eyebrows. "You do not zeem to like receiving zhem quite so much, if you do not have a proper return address."

Jacob laughed uncomfortably. "Oh no, it's...not me not liking receiving letters, I just...keep forgetting to file for a proper collection box, with the Owl Office. Pip's always getting on me for that -- she ends up getting most of the letters for me, and she thinks it'd be a lot easier if people just sent them straight to me, rather than her having to figure out where to send stuff to me based on what I tell her of where I'm next going..."

"Your 'Pip' iz right about zat," said Maxime with a cool smile. "I would zuppose she is just too nice to tell you to stop making 'er pick up after you."

Jacob laughed a bit more fully, though still rather uncomfortably.

"Yeah...yeah, I guess you're right..." He smiled a bit more fully. "All right -- when I get a proper collection box, I'll let you know straight away."

"Good," said Maxime. "I would not like to 'ave to zend three of ze same letter again. I am not ze zort of woman who likes to appear desperate."

Jacob laughed again despite himself. "Desperate? I wouldn't have said that. I thought that it just made you determined, honestly. It sounds like just the sort of thing my Pip would do, to make sure she reached me."

"I have met your zister before, Jacob Cromwell, however briefly," said Maxime, her wry smile widening a bit. "Zo I know, both because of 'er and because of your clear esteem for 'er, zat your comparison is a great compliment."

Jacob grinned. "Better believe it is."

Sure enough, with Madame Maxime's prodding, Jacob opened up a collection box with the Owl Office and enchanted it so that his mail could seamlessly appear in a collection tray on the desk inside his portable room in a suitcase. With this, he was able to receive and send letters a lot more quickly and efficiently -- and it was because of this that Jacob received the news of Cedric Diggory's death so quickly from both Carewyn and Maxime and he was so quick to return home to the United Kingdom in the spring of 1995. Jacob would lose touch with Madame Maxime when she went with Hagrid to negotiate with the giants, but they would reestablish contact after her during the War and especially after, when they no longer had to send messages in code.

The two would remain friends for many years to come, sending letters and gifts to each other while Jacob was traveling. One of Jacob's favorite gifts from Olympe Maxime ended up being a custom cologne she brewed for him, made of cocoa beans, leather, Egyptian musk, and Lady's Mantle. It was a scent Jacob wore chiefly on dates, when he really wanted to look and feel his best, and whenever anyone asked him about it, he was always incredibly proud to boast about his talented friend, the stately Directice of Beauxbatons herself.

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #my writing #jacob cromwell #madame maxime #carewyn cromwell #horace slughorn #lane cromwell #yay jacob content!#I kind of felt like exploring jacob's dynamics with certain characters the way I did for carewyn with umbridge #though this one's obviously a much lighter example #another relationship I wouldn't mind exploring is the bill and jacob relationship #because yeaaaaah jacob kind of resents bill even though he knows he's not a bad person and he's his sister's bestie #but bill kind of 'replaced' jacob in carewyn's life to a degree as older brother figure for a while and that stings #and because bill is so like carewyn in a lot of ways there are definitely points where jacob has secretly felt #as though bill was a better 'brother' for her than he was #not that it'd be easy for him to articulate that either because of his own pride or because he's not as smart emotionally as carey is #but yeah anyway I find it funny how much easier it is for jacob to make friends with people who are older than him than his age #rosmerta flitwick slughorn...even mia who I've written about elsewhere ends up seven years older than jacob thanks to the portrait thing

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abybweisse · 2 years

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I'd be interested in your thoughts on something that isn't adding up for me wrt BDs: Despite being low on blood & "hungry" for a while, Layla was able to infiltrate Athena, fight w Lau, and run full tilt through the woods after being shot through the heart. Polaris fought Agni easily, yet became weak after freaking out & slashing a few drapes, all while having no shortage of blood. Meanwhile R!C collapses into a veiny heap nightly, even as early as Ch115. Do these inconsistencies mean anything?

Inconsistent depiction of these latest bizarre dolls?

I'm not sure there's any real inconsistency here, honestly, it's just that we are only seeing snippets of their activities. Let's look at each of the most advanced bizarre dolls we've witnessed.

1. Layla says she came to the sanatorium to find out why they weren't making their quota. While she's been there, she's quite possibly been secretly getting transfusions; kind of depends on who Al is and whether he has the know-how to help her with the equipment. Maybe she even knows how to load the machine with blood and hook herself up to it. If she's Canopus, her specific blood type supply is indeed low (assuming she doesn't know she can also use Vega blood). If she's (part of) Vega, the blood supply shouldn't be nearly so low (but still affected by ruined blood collection facilities elsewhere), but if Vega really is two people, that effectively cuts the supply in half for each of them. Also, she could have a large "appetite" and never feels satisfied. It's particularly weird that she keeps trying to ingest the blood, despite knowing it can't be used that way. She seems like an advanced bizarre doll at the very verge of resorting back to the mindless version that bites anything that's alive (with a soul). Any moment, she could act like Agares near the end of the Midnight Tea Party scene. Still, despite feeling "hungry", she's got enough blood in her to fight with speed, agility, etc. I'm not sure how physically strong she is, but she might not need to rely on physical strength. Of course, she's bleeding freely now, and I expect that energy to run out as she travels back from Wiltshire to wherever Lord Ciel is currently stationed (might still be Phantomhive Manor, on the outskirts or just outside of Greater London). If she even makes it back to Lord Ciel, then she might barely have the energy left by then to make a full report.

2. Polaris probably had a transfusion right before being transported to the Phantomhive townhouse in London, so he would have been at or near full energy levels when he fought Agni. By the time we see Polaris making his report about the Yorkshire facility, he's been to Yorkshire, seen the state of the operations there, done who knows what else, and then used whatever transportation to get back to Lord Ciel (apparently at Phantomhive Manor, far away from Yorkshire) to make his report. Then, like you say, during his report he goes into a tantrum of sorts, slashing the curtains and stabbing the floor. That might have just about used up his dwindling reserves of energy, and yet even then, he's not passing out, like Lord Ciel was earlier. He's on the floor, but it's not necessarily because he's out of energy. And he's not the one complaining of too little blood supply, feeling "hungry", or even feeling weak, for that matter. It's Lord Ciel who says Polaris probably needs a transfusion and rest. I mean, Polaris is visibly weakened and panting at this point but not complaining about weakness or hunger.

3. Lord Ciel, formerly going by Lord Sirius, technically has the largest blood supply. But--! Either he doesn't realize he can accept any whole blood for transfusion, or he knows but doesn't want anything accept his own specific blood type. He's either uninformed or an elitist. Either way, Sirius is the rarest blood type, and he's not getting nearly enough blood to keep him going as well or as long as someone like Polaris. However, like Polaris, Lord Ciel was probably given a transfusion just before their trip to encounter Soma and Agni. Take note that Lord Ciel/Sirius backs away (probably back to the carriage) soon after shooting Agni, as Polaris says he will finish up the work. This is probably an early indication that Lord Sirius doesn't have nearly as much energy or stamina as Lord Polaris.

To me, the biggest inconsistency (or just something we don't understand... yet) is how these highly advanced bizarre dolls run out of energy when their blood runs out/gets old/whatever while the bizarre dolls that never received a drop of blood seem to go on and on like the freaking Energizer bunny. Perhaps that's not true, and the event on the Campania just didn't last long enough for those bizarre dolls to wear out and collapse. 🤔

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hartigays · 2 years

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I think I speak on behalf of all hartigays-fans when I say we’ll take Jurassic park AU even if it’s just the between-action scenes :) :) :)

(lol but also don’t feel pressured if you don’t want to share it in the end, just registering my interest so you know we’ll like whatever you write because you’re a good writer)

hartigays fans 🥺😭 y’all are so cute pls we r friends we r besties <3

y’all are fr giving me the motivation i need to write this tho!! i didn’t know if anyone would really even be interested in an au like this so im pleasantly surprised to see some ppl getting intrigued by the idea 😌 im def gonna give it my best shot and see what happens, y’all will probably see me being insane on the dash as i Go Thru It like i always do when i write something hard fjsksjdhdsjskd

if nothing comes of it in full-fic form i will still push out scenes/snippets that i do write for this lil idea :) gotta put my silly little messy thoughts somewhere u know so on and so forth

#mwah mwah mwah 100 smooches for u nonnie #u are the sweetest and i will give it my best effort for u #ask #anon

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cos-luna · 2 years

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Hey! your artstyle is wonderful and the story of your party is intriguing! I am sorry for bothering, but I have a question… How deep are you in the campaing? I mean, your DM is doing a wonderful job and as a DM myself, seeing how much you repost other people's stuff... Are you ok with spoilers? For instance, I do share awesome art from Tumblr with my players (but I forbid them for looking up anything since, the web is dark and full of spoilers) I don't judge you of course! You're free to do anything you want! Just... among our community... (cos reddit and discord) we try our best to avoid spoilers....

In any case, I wish you to have a great time with your supportive friends and may the dice roll in your favor!

Thank you very much~ I am loving the party dynamic a lot.

The party has been in Barovia for a week (a few months of sessions) now, Luna (myself) was only introduced recently. They have already done a few quests on the west side of Barovia, nothing on the east side. (The DM had the party start on the west side, not the east gate). So that can help hint at anything being different without spoiling anything out in the open.

I don't mind spoilers, however I try to keep things spoiler free for the most part on here just for others. Cause I know a few friends who love / follow Luna on her other blogs that would like to play CoS someday. There is a lot about snippets of the campaign I know personally already from other friends playing and sharing their stories with me, but I also pride myself on keeping Player Meta Knowledge and Character Knowledge sperate. So even if I know something, Luna defiantly does not know.

If you wish to share my artwork (if that is what you were asking) with your discord group, I do not mind so long as credit is given. I plan on joining the r/CurseofStrahd redeit and uploading a more polished writing once the campaign wraps up. :3 Or I will give permission to my own DM to post if there is interest in sharing this story on there.

The only reason why i am comfortable and being so open sharing on Tumblr is cause not many people follow this blog except for those super interested in Luna's adventures. A few friends really love Luna.

Thank you for sending in your question! And right back at yeah!

#ray answers #dnd #curse of strahd spoilers #cheers

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thesinglesjukebox · 3 months

Text

USHER FT. SUMMER WALKER AND 21 SAVAGE, "GOOD GOOD"

youtube

Song title *handshake emoji* score...

[6.64]

TA Inskeep: I love the lyrical conceit of this. It's a bit off-brand for Usher, who even admits in the first verse, "Usually my exes turn to enemies" -- and who's recorded more songs about their exes? But this is so positive, across Usher's, Walker's, and 21's verses; it's also quite buoyant for a defiantly midtempo record (that bass thump is doing a lot of work). Walker sounds great alongside one of the great R&B artists and singers of the past 30 years. Even 21, whom I usually scorn, fits right in here. Genuinely superb R&B. [9]

Dave Moore: A solid breakup jam, albeit a little Madame Tussauds -- but I would pay to see Usher's likeness there and maybe, if the guards aren't looking, touch his abs. Diminishing returns for collaborators, though; I wish 21 Savage would just start licensing his name for songs without feeling obligated to rap on them. [6]

Jeffrey Brister: Love changes as you grow older, and sometimes saying what you feel can be a little goofy. But being vulnerable and honest and direct can transform corniness to earnestness. The lyrics are silly but affecting, mature and heartfelt. There’s history behind them, lessons learned from pain. And it’s also got a pitch perfect sex-jam production, which is the kind of delightful irony that I can get behind. [8]

Alfred Soto: Usher's best album since 2004 has stronger jams, the mid-tempo ones especially. His forked tongue of a falsetto flicks at this by-the-numbers breakup jam. Summer Walker's fine. 21 Savage offers to help her pay for a salon. That's generosity, folks. [7]

Daniel Montesinos-Donaghy: The key figure behind this sweet mid-tempo jam is Nija Charles, a Grammy-nominated songwriter that’s also behind some other songs you may know. On her Youtube account, there’s a video from summer 2022 showing her working through the creative process in a studio. At one point, the video mutes and the subtitle "NIJA FINALIZING AN USHER RECORD" pops up; with no other credits on Usher’s latest LP, let’s assume "Good Good" was being developed at this point. Moments later, a snippet plays with Charles’ voice: “kissing the past goodbye […] / we can’t be friends.” (Internet sleuths believe this song will be on Ariana Grande’s upcoming album.) "Good Good" is a warm handshake that sounds genuinely sincere coming from Usher and Summer Walker (21, not so much), but it’s also interesting in the wider context of Charles’ career, exploring both sides of an emotional situation. Sometimes you stay friends, and sometimes you just don’t. [7]

Nortey Dowuona: LA Reid started as a drummer for Pure Essence, then a drummer for The Deele, which led him to form a label with Kenneth Edmonds called LaFace co-funded by Clive Davis. And then he signed 14 year old Usher Raymond IV, held onto him after he lost his voice, then sent him to Diddy. After the mixed success of Usher's self-titled debut, co-executive produced by Diddy, Reid relaunched Usher's career with My Way, his partner Kenneth an executive producer. I'm saying this to say, there's a reason I am rating this pretty solid 8 song a 0, I hope you look up Antonio Reid and Drew Dixon and I will say no more on the matter. [0]

Aaron Bergstrom: Producers Mel & Mus stretch out a pleasantly nuanced tightrope of simultaneous attraction, heartbreak, and nostalgia, and one at a time Usher, Walker, and Savage step out onto it. Usher can't make it through the first two lines of the hook without equivocating, and even though you probably ain't getting back together, he's going to leave the door open a crack. (Come on, remember how much your parents love him? What, are you just going to start from scratch with some new guy?) Walker wants that door shut but she wants you to shut it, and honestly the sooner you find someone new and move on, the better. (Now, has she found someone new? That's none of your business.) Savage is taking big swings all over the place, and while they don't all hit (I've never paid for a woman's plastic surgery before, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to keep that to yourself) you have to give him credit for exploring new dimensions of partnership (If you can't go halves on a baby, why not go halves on a salon?). Honestly, I'm rooting for all three of them. [7]

Oliver Maier: One of those collaborations where the whirr of corporate gears seems almost to drown out whatever nice things might be happening underneath. As far as I can make out: Usher is Ushering pleasantly, Summer Walker is SZAing adequately, 21 Savage is... starting to feel something like this decade's Big Sean? I really want to do a qualitative adjective (qualitative adjective) line here but that's obviously going to be the subheader joke and everyone else is probably going to do one too. [5]

Katherine St. Asaph: Usher's Dorian Gray painting must be found and studied. [7]

Brad Shoup: I had to do a triple-take at the end of Walker's verse -- I thought she was singing "lovers & friends." That's the power of Confessions, I guess: twenty years later, a slow-jam single that I thought was a sly inversion of "Yeah!" still has legs. [7]

Will Adams: Usher in confessional mode still works; "Good Good" captures the bittersweetness of quashing feelings for an ex in favor of taking the high road and being okay with that. It's not until 21's verse where the "haha just kidding... unless?" subtext surfaces, but the placement following Usher's and Summer's verses serves as that dormant yearning that adds an additional dimension. [7]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: A total masterpiece of guys lying to you -- perhaps the finest example of the form since “Suspicious Minds.” When Usher says he’ll be happy when you find another? A lie. When Summer Walker says she doesn’t do drama? A misdirection. When 21 Savage promises to fund your small business? A total fabrication. [8]

Ian Mathers: This is easily the most I've ever related to Usher. I told my ex that last sentence would probably be most of my blurb and she agreed I should go with that. [9]

Isabel Cole: I have in fact long believed that there should be more songs about being on decent terms with an ex. [6]

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