liketwoswansinbalance

[liketwoswansinbalance]

How would it go if Rafal suddenly felt vulnerable and hugged Rhian out of the blue? How would Rhian respond/react? Do you think he'll hug back.

What would happen if Rhian did this to Rafal? How would Rafal react?.

I believe I've answered various forms of this ask already.

Yes, I think Rhian would hug back, if he weren't taken aback or shocked to the point of paralysis/inaction.

Second, see this post and the others embedded in it for other similar scenarios.

Finally, if I missed responding to any parts of this, you could send another ask, and I shall rectify the error!

[liketwoswansinbalance]

i miss you and your posts

Thank you! That's very sweet of you. I didn't even intend to stop posting; it happened against my will. But, like I've said, my tumblr is broken, so I can only respond to asks or DMs (if you initiate them).

Also, I don't have access to some of my drafts. Fortunately though, I have others saved in different places, so I could just add some thoughts to this post, or the one you are viewing now.

And, how about this for a compromise?

If I am sent "blank" asks—as many as you'd like are fine—I might publish some of my drafts through those such means. (At least one may or may not be a "hot take?") The difference in formatting would annoy me, but it could be a temporary solution.

I could even start an ask game to make better use of the one posting function I have available to me if that would be entertaining. Alternatively, you could suggest an ask game for me to play, by sending me something.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Do you like JonTron? I've been watching him all day. :)

PS (save meeeee save me my dearest moot. save me from my body's overreaction to things)

I hope I'm not too late in answering this! I also don't know what I'm saving you from—

JonTron's channel makes it seem like he does commentary, right? I might try it out. It'll just have to go onto my interminable recs. list.

If your overreaction is caused by excitement, I'd suggest trying to distract or ground yourself momentarily, then going back to the exciting stimulus when you feel more regulated.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

What's your favourite emoji?

🎠

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Post any recent SGE stuff here if you have a draft:

I don’t have access to my Drafts section as my tumblr still doesn’t entirely work, but I do have some thoughts I’ve been accumulating:

(If you meant fic drafts, I have nothing substantial at the moment to post.)

1.

There’s a line of foreshadowing from TLEA that to me suggests that version of “Rafal” could have Borderline Personality Disorder, probably paraphrased:

“I’d rather you kill me than leave me forever.”

I also have shots from a psych. book to match him up against like paint swatches, but I think that will take too long and will require its own post once my tumblr functions are restored.

Although, when we think of Rhian from Rise, the complete “image”/diagnosis fits even better because of his relationship history.

This line could also be interpreted as romantic, albeit in a twisted way, but sometimes I simply like to think that TLEA Rafal has something akin to borderline personality disorder, even if we can’t confirm it because he’s fictional. Even if it’s manipulation, just look at the lengths to which he goes. The intentionality is just really impressive.

Note to self: I should write some sort of monograph on romance/horror and obsession themes one day. May not be SGE-related though.

2.

The other day, I read or heard a line that went something like: “wants to be the law in and of himself” and thought: yeah, that’s Rafal summed up. No question about it.

3.

Observation around the main series sequel and prequel titles:

The prequel titles have modifying words which precede "The School for Good and Evil," clearly in a duology wherein the Schools themselves are established as we know them.

Meanwhile, post book 1, all the main series (sub)titles succeed "The School for Good and Evil."

Such phenomena are "chronologically" fitting, aren't they? (Albeit, I do not know if all this was intentional. Doubt it. The fantasy genre has pre-established naming conventions already, despite Soman trying to be innovative for middle-grade readers.)

4.

Is Evelyn the only character to have met every other plot-important character in SGE? I think this is true? Do we have evidence of anyone who is/was as connected to everything as she was?

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Hey, Swans. Can I call you Swans?? Yes, I was thinking of my younger self when I had sent that ask, and I guess the way I worded that specific question might've thrown you off. So here's a better version:

Is there something, a specific moment, a personality trait, that you'd like to change about your younger self??

Sure. I don’t mind! (I also have a suspicion based on that, which may or may not be a tell, that I know who you could be, but I won’t try any further if you don’t want me to.)

Ok, I might’ve been at fault for misinterpreting, but thank you for the response.

I’d like to have been less harsh and less sensitive. I know those traits seem like opposites, but they still inconvenience me sometimes.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Can you explain Rhian's dragon fire? I've seen it around and it looks interesting, but the wiki is unfinished and I don't have either book myself. I've been assuming it's like a Talent or a manifestation of the rot taking hold, but I'm not sure if that assumption is correct.

I don’t have my book with me currently, but I don’t remember the dragonfire ever being described as a Talent. (And Rhian isn’t a student although I think the possibility of his having a Talent exists.)

My interpretation, purely based off of what I remember, was that it was the rot taking hold, or rather, a product of exceptionally intense emotion, a discovery of a talent he always had that was dormant because the moment during which his resentment towards Rafal flares up feels as if it mirrors one of Sophie’s descent-into-Evil moments in TLEA, when one of her stun spells aimed at Agatha is much more potent than the usual ones or even Petrification(?) as she cast it with such strong emotion (perhaps fear and hatred?). Thus, I see it as a combination of rot/the Storian’s influence and his own sorcery (if it was ever truly his to begin with, seeing as we don’t have much confirmation around “wizard blood” or whether the Storian was the thing to bestow their powers on them or enhance pre-existent/probably already preternatural-for-their-original-age powers) reacting naturally to his emotions and emerging.

Personally, I also have a theory that the Storian, while it drained Rafal’s power, covertly gave it to Rhian. That, or the brothers were storybook Nemeses who operated in the same way Sophie and Agatha’s strength waxed and waned, never balanced, like there was a literal, governing rule.

If anyone checks, or remembers anything better than I did, feel free to correct me.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

What's something that you hated yourself for when you were younger??

Hello Anon, now I have a question, if you don’t mind: how do you come up with such specific questions? For instance, do you have a moment of self-reflection and then decide to ask me what you already thought of, as it once applied to yourself? I’m just curious. (If the question does apply to you—I don’t want to jump to conclusions—I hope you’ve stopped hating yourself.)

I can’t exactly tell what kind of answer the question is getting at either because it doesn’t exactly feel like it would be something universal? Would it be a trait or something I did wrong at the time? I did/thought some regrettable things and felt guilt, but I did not hate myself. There were/are separate qualities I don’t like about myself, but I don’t actually hate myself in total.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Have any siblings??

No.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

What do you do when you're bored??

I'm rarely bored, so I'm not entirely sure. If this refers to a scenario like sitting in a waiting room, I have my phone, and if I anticipate not having WI-FI, I download free e-books.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Can you give me motivation, dearest mutual of mine, to continue my SGE fic? I just reread it and want to write more, but I’m having a little bit of writer’s block, so I’m hoping you could say something encouraging since we’re buddies

Yes, of course! I love your characterization and you are very good at handling court intrigue. In fact, I still remember the argument and your vivid simile comparing Sophie to meat.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Firstly, when you get this, you have to answer with 5 things you like about yourself, publicly. Then, send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool)

^To everyone, your instructions upon reading this are to reblog this post and answer. (I can’t send asks as some of my tumblr functions still haven’t been fixed.)

Intellect

Creativity

Tenacity

Sense of drama

Individualism

@xxjoyxx If you assigned this, it’s only becoming that you answer yourself.)) /hj

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Hello! I was wondering if you can draw Rhian and Rafal being affectionate towards each other, because they weren’t always enemies lol.

I usually only draw/write if I have inspiration, so the answer is more likely to be “no” than “yes.” I hope this is not too disappointing. Although I did briefly have the thought of Rafal patting Rhian on the head in a fondly condescending way as that is the most affectionate thing I can picture him doing offhand, seeing as he’s rarely, if ever, affectionate and conveys “affection” through actions over words or smaller gestures. In my mind, it would almost be like Sophie calling Aggie “Poopsie, darling” in TLEA. Generally, I could see him embarrassing Rhian, but I don’t think he would do any of this publicly to begin with.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

A list of your favorite foods??

Here are some. I’ll try to generalize to include a greater number of items:

Pasta

Bread

Cheeses

White fish (Sardines are kind of an exception to the list.)

Certain meats, but I don’t often like them baked, roasted, or barbecued.

Ice cream

Salty things in general

[liketwoswansinbalance]

A question that I've been thinking about for a while— how do you think Pure Vanilla from CRK and Rhian (the School Master specifically) would interact? Idk, I just feel like they share a similar aesthetic.

I completely agree with the aesthetic part of the question, but I’m not familiar with Pure Vanilla. Based on the Wiki, it seems like he is devout and altruistic (and without a dark side?), so I assume he and Good Rhian (at the start of the prequels) could get along well, if they have similar values. But if this character really is an ideal of Goodness, I think fear of comparison could set Rhian on edge. He could view the Cookie as impossible competition, maybe have intrusive, Evil thoughts he wouldn’t act on over getting rid of it, so nothing surpasses him.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

If you could break any law for a day, which one would you break and why??

Murder. (And make it CHRISTMAS for all the detectives out there, if only I’d be able to do something saga-worthy and get away with it.)

/j Just: I would get my driver’s license with zero effort, and have it be self-renewing. Motive? For convenience and I hate practicing.

On the other hand, blank checks and tax fraud are fine options… (Motive is self-explanatory. If things reset for others the next day, I hope it will be a victim-less crime.)

[liketwoswansinbalance]

What type of phone do you have??

An i-phone.