#julian thread; 12

[havenhawthorne]

𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 @julianxhawthorne

post dated for march 24th, 2025

One of the many things Haven had hated about the return of racing season was the fact that she was entirely too pregnant to fly anymore. She was finally in the final stretch, only about four weeks left to go, and she felt it more and more every single day. The boys seemed to have taken up a new hobby of wrestling as a full-time sport, judging by the way they twisted and rolled in a way that left her breathless and aching. She was trying to tough it out—she remembered all too well how miserable she’d been at the end of her pregnancy with Lake—but something about the way she’d felt since getting out of bed that morning unsettled her. A nagging uneasiness sat in her chest, though she brushed it off, pushing through her morning routine. She had breakfast with Lake, sent him off for the day, and reminded herself that Julian would be home within a few hours. That alone was enough to keep her going. Race days felt harder now that she couldn’t be with him; she was just thankful for texts and FaceTime calls to close the distance.

Lately, nesting mode had taken over her life. If she wasn’t cooking dinner or spending time with Lake, she was cleaning—scrubbing every inch of their six-bedroom home like her life depended on it. Julian had told her a hundred times that they could hire someone to handle whatever needed doing, but this was different. These were their babies, and there was something deeply personal, almost sacred, about preparing for their arrival herself. So, she organized bottles, washed tiny onesies, folded blankets, and cried over just how impossibly small they were. She was so caught up in the process that she barely registered the growing tightness in her abdomen, brushing off each wave of discomfort as just another symptom of being this pregnant.

She hadn’t even noticed that she’d skipped lunch. Or that the dull pains she’d been feeling all morning had steadily intensified, creeping closer together until they stole her breath and forced her to pause. It wasn’t until she was at the sink, sanitizing bottles and placing them carefully in the designated station she’d set up, that a particularly sharp contraction hit. It started deep, tightening like a fist around her midsection and radiating outward, knocking the wind out of her. Her fingers clenched around the counter, her free hand pressing against the solid curve of her stomach as she closed her eyes, exhaling sharply. Okay. That was definitely not just a normal pregnancy ache.

The pain passed, but the realization didn’t. This is happening. She blinked, trying to steady herself, scanning the kitchen as if it might give her an answer on what to do next. Before she could even begin to formulate a plan, the sound of the front door closing echoed through the house.

Julian was home.

[cordiallyhqs]

CORDIALLYHQS PRESENTS... HOUSE OF ALVARADO'S BARON CUP

when luck runs out, do the coffers stay full? play your hand or family's fortune against the strongest species in nature. all of mayfair is out in the open with no hallway or garden to hide in. who will you be keeping an eye on when the pistol signals the beginning of a race— are you running to or from something?

・.・𓂃۶ৎ OFF TO THE RACES! This is a mini event and participation is not required, but highly encouraged! Various mini events will be hosted by the families to provide opportunities with canon events to fully emerge into the social scene, inspire new threads and connections, and entice the ton.

EVENT SUMMARY

With spring creating the perfect weather for the races, House of Alvarado rings in the season by inviting all of Mayfair to their infamous Baron's Cup Race. With stands for all to see the horses racing, sponsored by illustrious houses of the ton, many travel far from London to watch and place their bets. However, not everything is as it seems. There are those who would like to take the horses for themselves, bet against winners under the table, and get patrons drunk enough to entice them to place their bets poorly. Others are focused on catching the eye of a contestant who has finally made their presence known in London, or others taking the crowd and using it to their advantage to avoid a courtship, family members, or make their way to a clandestine meeting. Will you be fortunate in your gambling, or is it more than your at stake?

GUIDELINES

The event officially begins Wednesday, 4/30 at 12 pm EST.

The event will end on Wednesday, 5/7 at 12 pm EST.

You can continue non-event threads but please prioritize event threads!

The first two open starters do not need to follow the starter rule, but all open starters after must respond to two open starters before being posted. There is no start rule for closed starters.

IN-CHARACTER PARTICIPATION & TASK

Participation in the event is voluntary. Mini events serve as canon in-character social events happening throughout the social season involving noble houses and extend invitation to citizens of Mayfair.

If your character is going to be racing, please message the main so they can be added as a contestant to be betted on!

The event will be one day in-character starting from morning to the late afternoon.

Business owners are encouraged to have stands at the event to sell goods!

OFFICIAL NPC RACERS & CONTESTANTS

Sir Jonathan Moore sponsored by House of Hermance & Meadow, Thoroughbred horse

Mister Christian Talbot sponsored by House of Everley & Gallows, a Barb horse

Mister Luis Mejia sponsored by House of Rosewood and Pie-O-My, a Thoroughbred horse

Mister Augustus Fletcher sponsored by House of Whitlock & Lady Comet, a Thoroughbred horse

Miss Edith Cooke sponsored by House of Whitlock & Cinnamon, a Barb horse

Sir Rupert Worthing sponsored by House of Grant & Belladonna, a Thoroughbred horse

Mister Julian Halbridge sponsored by House of Locke & Nightshade, an Hunter horse

Mister Amos Locke, sponsored by House of Locke & Dash, a Thoroughbred horse

Dame Honoria Wyndham sponsored by House of Mun & Storm Petal, a Thoroughbred horse

Sir Shayan Moradi sponsored by House of Claremont & Ashkar, a Turkoman horse

Mister Aslan Demir sponsored by House of Kara & Altinay the Untamed, an Arabian horse

Mister Javier Velasco sponsored by House of Alvarado & Glory's Edge, an Arabian horse

Sir Domingo Alvarado sponsored by House of Alvarado & Laureado, a Turkoman horse

Mister Leigh Merriweather sponsored by House of Sinclair & Ravenshire, a Thoroughbred horse

Lord Callum Sinclair sponsored by House of Sinclair & Dusty, a Thoroughbred horse

Mister William Erwood sponsored by House of Sinclair & Cledwyn, a Welsh Stallion

Mister Reginald Belgrave sponsored by House of Thorpe & Andromeda, a Hunter horse

Some ideas for muse participation are...

betting on the horse races, being dragged by a family member to support them and keep them from betting too much money, gambling on the race, sneaking to flirt with a horse rider, a courtship invitation to the races, sneak away behind the tents for a clandestine meeting, accidentally cheering for the wrong horse, investigating behind the stables, a rival throwing off the race, racing in the race yourself!, stealing a horse, accidentally becoming a contestant to either avoid meeting with a suitor/courtship or a family member pestering them, giving a special token or glove to a rider and causing a jealous scandal or an evident favor for all of the ton and mayfair to see (is it political or romantic?), sabotaging gear to help with a bet or being blackmailed to do so, falling into haystacks, a horse refuses to race and someone becomes an impromptu horse whisperer, finding something trampled in the dirt like a jewel or love letter or secret document not meant for their eyes, spilling lemonade on someone because of the excitement or on purpose, hiding an gambling addiction, wagering a family heirloom, two enemies who have to work together to fix the odds against their bet, a painter capturing the scene on canvas and getting distracted by a gossip, a message delivered to the wrong person during the race, a respectable tea tent turned into card games, a debutante disguising themselves to place bets under the table with other nobles, a pair of gloves found from the day before the event speculate scandal in the haystack, a drunk family member bringing the wrong kind of attention, someone stumbling on to the track, escaping into the crowd to avoid someone whether its courting/blackmail/confrontation, distracting a chaperone, a chaperone losing who they are suppose to be watching, a scandalous miniature circulating the viewers of the race, fainting from the heat or a corset or seeing someone else, a bet to charm someone instead of focusing on the horses, looking for lady whistledown, starting rumors that circulate the race in one open starter that ripple into other threads!

DETAILS TO KEEP IN MIND

The Baron's Cup is a prestigious horse race where the winner receives a trophy cup and honor. The House of Alvarado has been hosting this event for decades, making this trophy highly sought after by horse racers and patrons of the sport.

Many noble house may support certain riders and provide horses they have bred and trained under their name.

Horse races are notorious to immerse oneself into the ton, giving the perfect chance to see everyone in broad daylight and out in the open as oppose to the quarters offered by a ball or soiree.

There is heavy gambling at these events! Settle your debts, get into debt, throw out accusations of fixing the race, bet openly or in secret for higher stakes!

Wear your best outfit because this is just another display of power, taste, and prestige!

Horses that are racing are typically "Thoroughbred" horses that are crossed from English horses and Arabian, Barb, and Turkoman horses. They are known for their speed and stamina on flat tracks and call also be called "blood horses." Other horse types are Hunters that are bred for field sport but also raced in cross country races with longer tracks and can jump, though they are typically not seen at formal races. Arabian horses are known for their endurance and are rare, and are also known to be smaller than Thoroughbreds and Hunters. A Barb is a North African breed or hose and is typically known for their agility. Turkoman horses are tall and slim but has immense speed and endurance, originating from Central Asia. A Hackney is typically the breed of horse used to haul carriages, but perhaps someone has tried to train their horse for the race!

[narrated]

finally updated my carrd to include my kenku rogue but i wanted to make a separate post as a little rundown on them.

a kenku is a bird-like humanoid, similar to aarakocra in d&d. the most notable thing about kenku is they have no voice of their own, only able to mimic other beings and noises. they also have exceptional senses and memory. trinket in particular has plumage resembling the eurasian magpie.

trinket was originally my pc for a campaign based on the domains of dread and van richten's guide to ravenloft. as they were able to travel between the different domains in the campaign, this is still present in this rp version of them! trinket will always be from valachan / ravenloft no matter the actual setting of the thread. (also because i think transplanting characters into new settings rather than always doing an AU is fun.)

trinket mostly speaks in a soft feminine voice as they learned common from their adoptive mother. they will also make various bird noises and calls, along with some occasional words in primordial that they absorbed from their adoptive father. these are mostly swears.

speaking of adoptive parents — trinket is looked after by a human soothsayer, anja sobotka, and an air genasi artificer, julian felwinter. they are both members of the same organisation that trinket now works for (keepers of the feathers). while they co-parent this bird, they are both gay and not interested in each other.

while trinket is 15 years old, kenku reach maturity around 12 and have shorter lifespans. they are the equivalent of 21-22 in human years, so still essentially a baby.

also their gender is bird 👍

[adastrafanfic]

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Ad Astra News - 7/9 - 7/14

State of the Archive

We're spending July well--posting stories, celebrating reviews, building community.

Weekly Challenge #12: Missing Moments

This week we're going to spend between 100 and 700 words exploring a missing scene, a moment, a character beat between the ones we see on screen or in between pages of a book! Interpret it as liberally or strictly as you like!

If you post it to the archive, add it to the Weekly Challenge collection with the freeform tag Weekly Challenge #12: Missing Moments

**Challenge closes at 11:59PM Eastern on 7/21/23.**

Stories Archived

Star Trek: Discovery

By Pixie The First Rule of Command - T - Gabriel Lorca/Katrina Cornwell, Philippa Georgiou/Commodore Paris I'm the star in this disaster movie - T - Katrina Cornwell, Multiple Pairings Snow - G - Gabriel Lorca/Katrina Cornwell Ondine - G - Gabriel Lorca/Katrina Cornwell Written in the Stardust - T - Katrina Cornwell, Sarek

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

By Pixie Ready or Not - T - Christine Chapel/Spock

Star Trek: The Original Series

By ChrisQ The Breaking of the Bridge - T - Matt Decker, James T. Kirk, Ensemble Cast

By kalima Arrhythmia - M - Nyota Uhura/Spock Before We Were Brittle - T - Spock/T'Pring The Assumption of Risk - M - Spock, Christine Chapel, James T. Kirk, Leonard "Bones" McCoy

By SLWalker Fire and Shore - G - Andrew "Corry" Corrigan & Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, Peter Preston Processing - G - Montgomery "Scotty" Scott

Star Trek: Alternate Original Series

By daraoakwise Not Until We Are Lost - T - Nyota Uhura (AOS)/Spock (AOS), Montgomery “Scotty” Scotty (AOS) & Nyota Uhura (AOS) Again - G - Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (AOS)

By Kennel_Boy Live Life As It Happens - G - Goodnight Robicheaux/Billy Rocks, Magnficent Seven fusion - 🔒

By lah_mrh Your Own Kobayashi Maru - T - Reader

By Pixie Language - G - Nyota Uhura (AOS), Amanda Grayson (AOS)

Star Trek: The Next Generation

By jamaharon Imzadi - G - Deanna Troi/William Riker When the Rain Goes - T - Deanna Troi/William Riker

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

By nostalgia Vanilla - E - Julian Bashir/Ezri Dax Three Point Eight - T - Julian Bashir/Miles O'Brien, Keiko O'Brien The Common Thread - G - Jadzia Dax, Ezri Dax, Curzon Dax Five Things That Might Have Happened To Julian Bashir (If Anyone Had Asked) - M - Multiple Pairings Bring Something Back - T - Julian Bashir/Miles O'Brien, Keiko O'Brien/Miles O'Brien

Star Trek: Voyager

By CelticRomulan A Name Well Earned - G - Chakotay, Harry Kim, Tom Paris, Jal Karden

By nostalgia Four Times They Didn’t And One Time They Did - T - Kathryn Janeway/Chakotay Provocation - T - Ensemble Cast

By Pixie I am the soft stars that shine at night - T - Gabriel Lorca/Kathryn Janeway Written in the Stars - T - Kathryn Janeway/Kira Nerys

Multiple Series

By Pixie This Will Be Our Year - T - Multiple Relationships

Expanded Universe

By DavidFalkayn A Moment of Calm - M - Ensemble Cast Convergences: Clouds over Illium - M - Ensemble Cast Convergences 2: Lighting the Fuse - M - Ensemble Cast Convergences 3: The Explosions Commence - M - Ensemble Cast

By Gibraltar Oh No, She Didn't - Unrated - Rachel Garrett

By Hawku Hop, Skip and a Jump - G - Ensemble Cast

By Omicrex46 Star Trek: Fortitude - G - Ewan Llewellyn, Valerie Archie, Jason Armstrong

[void-botanist]

WIP Titles + Canons

Because I posted my first genuine Old Canon snippet yesterday and I also talk a lot about Old/Middle/New Canon now I wanted to take my list from the WIP titles tag and break it down a little more into my rough canons, with some notes about how un/hinged some of these ideas were. I will in fact answer asks about these but I reserve the right to [skip egregious James nonsense]

Pajiir & Delphonus

(the numbered ones are versions typically with multiple drafts)

Old Canon

[1] Azalea the Book (sorry it's just Secrets of Droon but…not that great I was like 8-10 for this. Azalea is the princesstagonist and Zalen is the barely-seen villain)

[2] Azalea Sequels (see above)

[3] Azalea Dream Beginning (ambitious. weird. chocolatey. there was torture??? this draft sucks [mostly affectionate])

[4] Azalea 3 (the origin of Dez and Julian, but they were pawns/patsies in Zalen's wildly ambitious plan to kidnap the entire royal family and then become king [bc he was Azalea's cousin]. I also got super distracted with him just like. falling in love with the royal police chief. There's some really cute stuff in these drafts but most of it is barely plot relevant. There was also a secret spy organization that was plot relevant or would have been eventually? Also first appearances of Kirnus, Hoven, Candra, Emmitt, Bean, and Franny)

[4.5] Meldraco (tiny draft about an orphan adopted by a nobleman who shadow runs a country, from whose estate he plans to escape. sounds cooler than it actually was tbh)

[5] Hope (the last hurrah of "Zalen is the villain" stories)

[6] Princess Azalea (what if the conflict was not "Zalen is the villain" but ghosts, need to procure magic seeds for an overly convoluted birthday present, summer camp, swl power struggles, or maybe Zalen kind of I don't remember what was supposed to happen? Origin of Syndy and a bunch of swl and imbra characters.)

Middle Canon

[7] Spacefarer Stories (wild space adventure involving evil scientist aliens, the rebellion against evil scientist aliens, the previous version of Dez being a charismatic asshole action hero, early versions of Anni/Julian/Dez dynamics, Zalen being pathetic, and a teenager who just wants to stop enduring corporal punishment and being shot back to Pajiir in a tiny space capsule. First appearances of several Melichacha crew members)

[8] Zalen the First (Autobio) (literally what it sounds like, Zalen's autobiography & related. surprisingly not a bad read)

[9] Chykoff Stories (stories about Zalen going to college and studying abroad, having a bad time with his girlfriend and boats, being Silas's roommate)

[10] The War Files (remember that weird nobleman? yeah he started a whole war and I decided to get Azalea and Seriito involved because royals. kind of a nothing draft except I also introduced the first iterations of new Keearo & Kirnus)

[11] Elbas Stories (Zalen, still a rich inventor, decides to buy a whole island)

[12] Az 2019 (a half-assed retwisting of some Princess Azalea threads. Origin of the "Seriito is hot for [graduate student] teacher" concept that became Sheri)

New Canon

The Fourth Android (the Scrivener file is just called Dez. went through so many concept iterations even before I introduced it here that thinking about it makes me want to scream. however some of that old stuff is still a lot of fun)

Delphonus 2 and 3 (sequels to TFA without titles. I just had ideas and needed a place to put them)

Triad (need to post a new intro. I made it better tho I'm not actively writing it)

Syndy & Hoven (favorite aggressive snowglobe story)

Pajiir Reference (there was too much character lore to reasonably put it inside a WIP Scrivener file so I put it here)

Pajiir Side Scenes (there were too many side scenes to reasonably keep inside Pajiir Reference so I put it here)

Locality Space

(previously Faeryland)

Old Canon

Creepsters - Witcheden Phase (9 major versions. faery police shenanigans with a fast and loose association with actual Celtic/English folklore [my output when the input was so many UK cop/mystery shows + a copy of Katherine Briggs' An Encyclopedia of Fairies]. Source of the zipline incident. Kat is our primary human POV)

HS - Horatio's Story (attempted reframing, kinda nothing)

SNA - Standing, Nazib, and Associates (what if it was the faery police guys but they were cool PIs instead)

Spinder and Georg (a full 400+ pages of a so-so-ishly executed romance between Spinder & Isabel under a fake name)

Middle Canon

LiBN - Love in Brú Nua (what if it was the faery police guys but they weren't police or PIs they were just having relationships. in an underground city)

Tales of Tobar Si (what if I super honed in on whatever's up with Horatio & Sid. direct antecedent of Another Ocean's Moon)

Spinder and Isabel (closer to S&G than Nicea, but with more Rodney & Declan)

Isabelle and Spynder (the far superior version [read: it's sexy and the Faeryland/Earth logistics make sense and I made an actual attempt to pay attention to the folklore])

Christina & Kat (lesbian attempting to locate her lost great-uncle [Leon] and with questionable motives falls for a powerful witch [Christina] with an equally powerful and bitchy ex. Walked so Drowning in the Stars could run)

New Canon

Nicea (fun fact: Rodney's design is straight out of Isabelle & Spynder and does not resemble earlier versions)

Another Ocean's Moon (not really written at all yet, though it's pretty much just space Tales of Tobar Si. maybe the Avis & Sorian stuff will go in it)

Drowning in the Stars (except Kat is nice and awkward lol)

Locality Space Side Scenes (currently 99% Sorian and Avis and 1% Michael making amends for the Incident)

If you wanna know more about all the New Canon stuff I have a WIP Master List also.

[cotiere]

#cotiere.   a private & semi - independent writing blog. original characters only. mun and muses are all 25+. do not follow unless we know each other, thanks.

TO - DO LIST

remember how to write.

clip: divine (2020), yellowjackets (1x09), access all areas (2017), lazareth (2024).

gif: nothing :)

get it together ♥︎

TL ; DR

7 REPLIES OWED.

abc event

oli and marty

sawyer and lou

claire and gigi

claire and preston

claire and river

florence and amara

harrison and natalie

TEMP.   THREAD TRACKER

NEX, dash   10/12

julian and faith

julian and faith tbt

julian and sonny

mj and faith

mj and jump

mj and lenora

oli and marty

oli and sienna

sawyer and lou

sawyer and lou and sienna

sawyer and maverick

stefan and maverick

GREEK ROW, discord   12/18

ashley and jay

ashley and travis

claire and alessia

claire and andy

claire and cooper

claire and gigi

claire and jay

claire and kennedy

claire and natalie

claire and preston

claire and river

florence and amara

florence and river

harrison and natalie

nick and addisyn

nick and alessia

nick and jay

nick and river

1x1, dash   3/7

bonnie and andy

bonnie and andy '63

chace and bennett

keller and hayden

letha and beau

scout and luka

scout and luka murder

[mindymaerenee]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Julian Joyce by Mandalay Floral Lace Bondage Mini Bodycon Dress Black.

[jukeboxjulian]

» 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚛 || 𝚓𝚞𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚡 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚗

“I’m coming in, dude. I know you’re isolating yourself. It’s okay if you want to be alone, but it’s really unsafe to leave hot food outside of the FDA-recommended food safety zone and I don’t want to give you food poisoning…”

With a jingle of his keys and a bit of a push against the door, Julian stumbled into Finn’s apartment and nearly tripped over a ficus resting by the front door. “Seriously, man? You hired Meryl as your bouncer?” he joked, his face and tone falling immediately as he laid eyes on Finn curled up on the couch a few feet from him. As Carroway Street’s resident Mom Friend and Frequent Haver of Anxiety Attacks, Julian registered the look on Finn’s face instantly. He could tell this wasn’t just isolation for the sake of it – something had triggered him and he clearly needed someone to help.

Without wasting a moment, Julian placed the lasagna he’d brought in the fridge and grabbed Finn’s guitar from the corner of the living room. In one swift movement, he made his way over to the dejected boy and crouched down in front of him. “Hey, buddy. It’s going to be okay. You’re safe. I promise you’re safe,” he stated softly, using the same gentle tone his mom had used with him during his worst bouts of PTSD.

Prying Finn’s hands from his face, Julian gently placed the small succulent he’d brought with him in Finn’s palm. “Here. Hold this. It’s a rainbow echeveria succulent. I saw it at the farmer’s market and thought of you.” Keeping his eyes glued on Finn, he held the other boy’s hands firmly around the succulent and gently rubbed his thumb over his tear-soaked skin. “You just hold onto Rainey, okay? That’s all I need you to do right now. You do that and I’m proud of you. What’s a song that always helps cheer you up? Pick a song. Any song. Or I’ll be forced to pick one for you.”

[moodreadmoonchild]

Mountain Ash / Drusilla Blackthorn Theories

In Norse & Celtic mythology, the first man and woman were forged from the Ash Tree and Rowan Tree (Mountain Ash), respectively. The connection between these two was just too much for me to not obsess over. Below are some notes about the symbolism of Mountain Ash and how I think it could tie into TWP. Throughout the notes are numbers in brackets that tie to my insane corresponding theories at the end.

Mountain Ash (Rowan Tree)

The Blackthorns are from Cornwall [1] which would more closely link them to Celtic mythology/symbolism. In Celtic mythology the Rowan Tree is known as the Tree of Life and symbolises courage, wisdom and protection. However, there is also a non-celtic legend that a Rowan tree bent over a fast flowing river so that Thor could grab onto a branch and kept him from being swept into the underworld [2].

The Rowan Tree has almost always been tied to symbolism of protection in general but especially against witchcraft, faerie spells, enchantment [3], and evil spirits. For several reasons but most notably: at the bottom of each berry is a pentagram which was seen as a symbol of protection in the pre-christian era. It was considered such a sacred tree that it was forbidden (and seen as immense bad luck) to cut one down, taboo to cut one with a knife, and forbidden from being cultivated for anything other than ritual or ceremonial purposes. There is an old rhyme:

“Rowan tree and red thread / make the witches tine their speed.”

Coinciding with this, across the UK (including Cornwall) crosses made of rowan twigs bound with red thread were sewn into the lining of coats or carried in pocket for protection. Also weird fact/coincidence: The Rowan Tree is the clan badge of the Malcom family (as in Malcom Fade?) and is also the tree that the devil is said to have hung his mother from [4].

Other Uses of Rowan Trees

The wood of a Rowan tree was used to make Carving Rune Staves [5] and walking sticks made from Rowan wood are believed to protect travellers from becoming lost as well as help clear the mind and open up perspectives [6]. The bark & berries of a Rowan tree were used to dye ceremonial garments black [7]. Rowan wood was also often used to make spindles & spinning wheels (sleeping beauty anybody?)

Rowan and Fairy:

The Rowan fairy is seen as one of the most helpful (fairies aren’t that helpful imo so not that high of a bar to cross but anyways), as she values matters of this world while seeking to establish a connection with other realms. She invites interchange between the realms but firmly repels intruders [8]. She has such a grounding influence that she can connect you to the other realms while keeping you firmly in this world [9]. Rowan trees are also known as the "portal tree". It is considered the threshold, between this world and other realms allowing you not only to go somewhere but also leave.

Like hawthorn & elder trees, the Rowan was denoted as a Faerie tree because of its white flowers. Having a Rowan tree in your yard/garden is said to provide the home and family with faerie blessings, the protection of the fey, and protection from they fey as well [10]. Rowan was also thought to ward off changelings [11] and protect the living from the dead [12].

Dru Theories:

The first ever shadowhunters to drink from the mortal cup were from Cornwall. I feel like this fact would not have been brought up unless it ties it to the Blackthorns being one of the first/original shadowhunters.

Pandemonium is being slated as the sort of ultimate demon realm and what are demon realms of not Underworlds. I think this could tie into Dru directly or indirectly providing Ash/Kit/Jaime (we don’t know who) protection from Pandemonium. Maybe that’s what it means on the card by “with me you are safe.”

Dru will be immune to the enchantments placed on Ash because of her “OG” shadowhunter blood. We assume that Julian was immune because his feelings were shut off, but it could be more.

I think Sammael (the devil) is the big bad in TWP. The witch Baba Yaga is stated to be the devil's grandmother & is already tied to TLH through Lucie’s “all the stories are true” story and maybe there is a bigger connection we don’t yet see. Sammael’s crime as stated in the codex was “softening the veils between the human world and the Void.” In contrast, the Celts believed the veil between heaven and the mortal world was thinnest on mountain summits which is where Rowan trees are known to grow and are indigenous to. Dru could be the counterbalance or a conduit to a counterbalance.

Not so much a theory but the fact that Rowan wood was used to make essentially a Celtic version of a stele and that it’s name is linked to the word “rune” itself (Rowan means “a secret” or “to whisper”) cannot be ignored and seen as insignificant.

Dru truly just wants to be listened to and acknowledged as someone with valuable input. It’s why she immediately connects with Jaime. In regards to providing clarity, she helps Kieran whenever he is struggling with the Mark/Cristina situation. She’s a wise little bby. And with taking in perspectives - she listens to Tavvy and convinces Helen and the others to be the ones to try to anchor Julian & Emma. Originally she wrote him off as the others did to her and then understood his perspective and it worked. Helping Julian & Emma find their way back to their mortal bodies & souls.

Also not a theory but Dru’s favorite color is black so I think that’s a rad connection.

Dru obviously cares about this world and her family and friends here so she would care to protect it and stop Janus/The Queen/whomever if they try to destroy it. She doesn’t hate faerie or the fey (obvi) but she won’t stand by if they try to hurt this world.

This could be how TLH ties into TWP. James struggles to come back to this world while in the demon realms except for with the help of Cordelia & Cortana. Maybe Dru and the Blackthorn sword will be the same for Ash/Kit/Jaime and be a sort of guiding light. Also ties into the whole “keeps you from being lost” thing mentioned earlier.

I think Ash or maybe even Kit could be the fey protecting Dru & her family/friends from evil in general but Ash/Kit could also be protecting them from the fey.

Ok this one is a doozy. buckle in. Changlings are mundanes swapped (kidnapped) in exchange for a sickly fey. Ash is a human/shadowhunter child since shadowhunter blood always bleeds true. However, he grew up in Faerie, has fey attributes & through his enchantments he can perform some magic. Also he has those wings so obvi not totally normal human anymore. Kit’s a direct descendent of both the courts. His line was never intended to have Shadowhunter blood like Ash. He -like the sickly fey left behind- would have never known his origin and would have just thought he had the Sight if it weren’t for Jem & Tessa. I think that Dru’s friendship with Kit could help protect him and others close to him if Ash truly cares about Dru and doesn’t want to upset or hurt her.

Protection from the dead as well as evil spirits makes me think of Livvy and the “consequences from using necromancy” that’s already been hinted at by CC. I think Livvy will battle with trying to not to turn into an evil spirit. She has already almost possessed several people even though she was horrified & ashamed when she later realized what she was thinking of doing. She caused what felt like a small earthquake and broke a shit ton of stuff trying to fight that urge. I think even if Livvy doesn’t turn evil, power attracts power and some other spirit/entity/person could try to corrupt her or Ty with temptations of becoming a real person and not just a ghost. Maybe Livvy becomes jealous whenever she sees Ty & Dru interact in ways she can’t (even if she loves Dru). We barely catch a glimpse of how wicked powerful Livvy can become with what she did at the LA institute & the conservatory. The rest of the Blackthorns, the Carstairs, the Herondales, or even Livvy herself might need protection from the dead and/or evil spirits.

[linus-wickworth]

August 2022 Reading Wrap-Up!

1. Beside Myself by Ann Morgan. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

6-year-old twins Ellie and Helen switch identities for a day -- but when Ellie refuses to change back, Helen loses her self-confidence and her identity.  25 years later, Helen risks being pulled into her sister's dangerous orbit once more.

2. A Very, Very Bad Thing by Jeffrey Self. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Marley doesn't just want to be labeled the gay kid, but he doesn't have much else going on. He doesn't have any hobbies. He's the only kid he knows without a passion. A new kid comes to town who has the potential to finally make life interesting in Marley's small town. One problem: he's the son of the country's most famous, most bigoted television evangelist.

3. If We Were Us by K. L. Walther. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sage Morgan and Charlie Carmichael prove to everyone at Bexley School that their close friendship does not hide a romance when new student Nick Morrissey and Charlie's twin brother, Nick, stir things up.

4. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time by Mark Haddon. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher, a mathematically-gifted, autistic fifteen-year-old boy, decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and uncovers secret information about his mother.

5. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mary is a lonely orphaned girl sent to a Yorkshire mansion at the edge of a vast lonely moor. At first, she is frightened by this gloomy place until she meets a local boy, Dickon, who's earned the trust of the moor's wild animals; the invalid Colin, an unhappy boy terrified of life; and a mysterious, abandoned garden.

6. Looking for Alaska by John Green. ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Miles is fascinated by famous last words - and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the 'Great Perhaps'. Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

7. Mallee Boys by Charlie Archbold. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Sandy knows that life at 15 is hard, but it's even harder when your mum died a year ago and nothing's gone right since. His brother Red is 18 and working the farm. As Sandy and Red deal with girls, dirt biking, footy and friendship, both have to work out who they want to be, without their mum. It turns out this is going to be one hell of a year.

8. Punching Bag by Rex Ogle. ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Rex Ogle describes his struggle to survive; reflects on his complex, often paradoxical relationship with his passionate, fierce mother; and charts the trajectory of his stepdad's anger. Hovering over Rex's story is the talismanic presence of his unborn baby sister. Through it all, Rex threads moments of grace and humor that act as beacons of light in the darkness.

9. Bloom by Kevin Panetta. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

After graduation, Ari is desperate to move to the big city with his band, but he has to find someone who can replace him at his parent's struggling bakery, so when he meets Hector he thinks his prayers have been answered.

10. A List Of Cages by Robin Roe. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Adam lands the best elective ever in his senior year, serving as an aide to the school psychologist, he thinks he's got it made. Sure, it means a lot of sitting around, which isn't easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can't complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that the boy is Julian - the foster brother he hasn't seen in five years...

11. Sleepless by Thomas Fahy. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Terrified by the gruesome nightmares and unexplained bouts of sleepwalking that seem to be affecting her and many other students at Saint Opportuna High, Emma and her friends become even more unnerved when, after several deaths, they begin to suspect that something is causing them to kill in their sleep.

12. Colin Fischer by Edward Miller. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Colin Fischer is 14 and he has Asperberger's syndrome. Much of the world is a mystery - he can't read his classmates' expressions without looking at a chart, the colour blue is really off-putting and he has no idea why his parents like to hug him. But when a gun goes off in the school cafeteria, Colin knows he can work out who did it.

13. Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Meet Luis. He's out, he's proud ... and, although he doesn't know it yet, he's about to travel back in time to save a closeted student called Chaz from a tragic end.

14. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Late on a hot summer night in the tail end of 1965, Charlie, a precocious and bookish boy of thirteen, is startled by an urgent knock on the window of his sleepout. His visitor is Jasper, an outcast in the regional mining town of Corrigan. Rebellious, mixed-race and solitary, Jasper is a distant figure of danger and intrigue for Charlie. So when Jasper begs for his help, Charlie eagerly steals into the night by his side, terribly afraid but desperate to impress.

15. Plague by Michael Grant. ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

A deadly, flu-like epidemic and a plague of flesh-eating creatures threaten the lives of the children at Perdido Beach while Sam, Astrid, Caine, and Diana each struggle with doubts and uncertainties.

16. Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

After his best friend, Hayden, commits, suicide, fifteen-year-old Sam is determined to find out why--using the clues in the playlist Hayden left for him.

17. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Today is Leonard Peacock's birthday. This birthday, he has decided, will be different. Alone, as ever, in his house, he wraps five presents: four are for the people who matter most to him, and one is for himself - a gun. He plans to kill his former best friend, and then himself, but first he will say goodbye four times, in his own unique and special way.

18. 96 Miles by J. L. Esplin. ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Lockwood brothers are supposed to be able to survive anything. Their dad, a hardcore believer in self-reliance, has stockpiled enough food and water at their isolated Nevada home to last for months. But when they are robbed at gunpoint during a massive blackout while their dad is out of town, John and Stew must walk many miles in the stark desert sun to get help, and they have only three days before their time runs out.

[dex-xe]

Yo I hope ur still vibing in these hard times! It would be epic if you could write caphrey fluff for any of 9, 12, 16, 25 or 40, but anything caphrey would be fab tbh coz they're v underrated :))

Captain & Humphrey Fluff #16: “Can you please just hold me?”

Captain & Humphrey Fluff #9: “You took all the pillows so I’m using you as one.”

Captain & Humphrey Fluff #12: “Could you say that again?” “Were you not listening?” “No I was, I just like hearing your voice.”

Captain & Humphrey Fluff #25: “Your hair is really soft.”

Captain & Humphrey Fluff #40: “Why are you scared of loving?”

(Was it necessary for me to combine literally all of these into one whole fic?? Nope. Did I decide to make it difficult for myself and do it anyway?? Yes of course I did!! Anyway,, hope you enjoy this one!!)

Prompt list

Inbox

Rain cascaded down the windows of the TV room illuminated by the light from the flickering television that Alison had left on for the Captain. It was time for his daily alone time, watching war documentaries and relaxing.

He settled back into the sofa, finally allowing his military-grade posture to drop and relaxing into a cosy evening by himself with his beloved documentaries.

“Hello!” The Captain was snapped from his show as a voice rang out around the silent Button House. “Hello! Is someone there?” The shouting wasn’t too far from the Captain, outside the window probably as it was muffled by the storm.

The Captain sprang up and crossed towards the window, leaning out into the pouring rain to try and catch a glimpse of whoever was calling out to him. Droplets of water coursed through the Captain’s body; he’d rather liked the rain during his life, the feeling of water running from his hairline down his face, the cold comfort of shivering in his boots only to enter the warmth of a fireside glow. But in death, it was almost painful, like pins and needles striking in little pinpricks across his skin.

“Hello?” He called into the night.

“Captain!” A voice the Captain recognised to be Humphrey shouted from above him. The Captain spun around and leant backwards outside the window to reach up blindly trying to catch hold of wherever Humphrey might be, cloaked by the rain and the night.

“Left a bit!” Humphrey said. The Captain flailed his hands across the roof ledge above him. “Bit more!” He finally felt the solid mass of Humphrey’s head in contrast to the faded texture of the living world. Grabbing hold of Humphrey by the hair, the Captain yanked Humphrey back inside the house, both of them crashing through the window and onto the TV room floor.

“Good lord, Humphrey!” The Captain said, getting up to dust himself off. “How long have you been out there?”

“Four days, I think. Robin threw me up there while playing football with Julian, I’m not convinced he entirely understood the rules.” Humphrey joked.

“Blimey, did you not think to shout earlier, man?” The Captain picked Humphrey up off the floor where he had landed by the sofa.

“I did, usually Julian puts the volume far too loud for anyone to hear my weak little voice screaming for help!”

“Well, you’re in now.” It had taken the Captain a while to get used to Humphrey’s headlessness, but after 75 years he was now more than comfortable to hold him while talking. “Do you want me to take you somewhere? Your bedroom, perhaps?” The Captain offered.

“I’ve given up on having a bedroom, Cap. If I get taken there, it’ll be weeks until anyone finds me again.” Humphrey smiled, masking any sadness that tinged his words. “I’ll stay here and watch your show with you, if you don’t mind?”

“Oh- of course, yeah. Fine,” The Captain said. “Where- where would you like me to sit you?”

“Can you please just hold me? Been a while, you know.” Humphrey said, without an inch of discomfort - an emotion that was coursing through the Captain.

“Oh.”

“You don’t have to, but just stick me on your lap or something. Would be nice.” Humphrey smiled and blinked up unwavering at the stoic Captain.

“Why?” The Captain asked. Humphrey rolled his eyes at the naivety.

“Because you took all the pillows so I’m using you as one,” Humphrey joked, nodding towards the preprepared nest of cushions the Captain had tucked himself into - like a child feeling sorry for himself on a sick day. The Captain glanced between the soft and welcoming refuge of the sofa and the table by his side, debating where to place his friend.

He eventually gave in to the look in Humphrey’s eyes and settled himself back into the cushions, placing Humphrey carefully on his thighs. His hands came to rest awkwardly either side of his lap, making a point not to go anywhere near Humphrey again.

“So, what’s this show about then?” Humphrey asked. The Captain huffed and pointing at the screen, black and white footage of tanks rolling across deserts. Humphrey laughed. “Point taken! Tell me about the tanks, then. I know you want to.”

“Well, this one is the A.15 Mark IV Crusader, one of the most popular models of the time.” The Captain began. “It is a rather good mover, can be shifted about with incredible ease but actually rather light-armoured and under-armed. Very vulnerable to attack once it’s in the firing line.”

Humphrey hummed in acknowledgement.

“It is crucial in the war effort, absolutely vital in the fight against Fritz. 1941 - the North Africa Front, they’re refitted for desert conditions. Quite exotic out there, you know.” The Captain nodded wisely, reminiscing about the stories he’d heard from the front.

“Could you say that again?” Humphrey asked quietly.

“Were you not listening?”

“No I was, I just like hearing your voice.” The Captain spluttered as Humphrey spoke, straightening up at the compliment.

“You don’t want to listen to this old walrus blabber on for hours,” the Captain said.

“Take the compliment, Captain.” Humphrey scolded. “It’s not a weakness to take love.”

“Whatever are you talking about?” The Captain mumbled, his gaze never leaving the familiar images of his tanks.

“Why are you so scared of loving, hey?” Humphrey chuckled.

“A soldier isn’t afraid of anything.”

“Apart from his own emotions, apparently.” The Captain shifted uncomfortably, oppressed by the weight of Humphrey’s questioning as well as the literal weight of him resting on his lap, pinning him into the chair. “I’m perfectly happy showing my love for friends, you should try it sometime.”

“Anyway, it’s not love, is it.” The Captain stated. “Paying somebody compliments.”

“Can be,” Humphrey said. “If you want it to be, huh? Anything can be: giving little compliments, talking about how you feel, listening to others, touching. All are good, Cap. Go on try a little, 75 years can’t be good for you.”

After a moment of awkward hesitation, the Captain raised his hands from beside him, floundering around Humphrey’s head and clenching and unclenching his fists. Slowly reaching forward and keeping his eyes transfixed on the screen, he threaded his calloused fingers into Humphrey’s long, fluffy hair and brushed across his scalp, relaxing into the feel of it.

“Your hair is really soft,” he said quietly.

“Thank you,” Humphrey whispered, smiling at the Captain’s tiny step forward in allowing just a touch of emotion out.

[bigskydreaming]

This isn't a meme thing or anything but I was wondering if you had a top ten favorite characters from books? I actually end up getting a lot of good book recs from reading your blog so I was just curious lol.

LOL I wasn't going to do this ask because I was like ugh I suck at top ten lists because I can never pick just ten. But then I thought about it for like, five whole seconds and realized I DO have ten standout characters in answer to this so its like oh hey, learned something new about myself today! Lmao.

Anyway, in no particular order:

1) Anyanwu - from Wild Seed by Octavia Butler - Can not stress how like fucking...formative Anyanwu's character was for me as an abused kid who first read this when I was like 12. The book heavily deals with the back and forth across centuries between these two immortals, Anyanwu and Doro, as Doro basically tries to control her every which way he can, and Anyanwu just defies him at every turn, and it just....you love to see it. She's a bad-ass and I adore her.

2) Prince Corwin and Merle Corey/Merlin - from Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny - Yes I'm cheating but its me so you should have seen that coming. Another fave series from when I was in middle school, its ten books in total, and the first five are in Corwin's POV and the second five are in the POV of his son Merle/Merlin. So I maintain it counts. And is fine. Shhh, let it go, Elsa said so. ANYWAY, I actually probably like Merle better than his dad, because I mean, lbr, Corwin is a total asshole. But he's MY asshole, y'know? Wait, that came out wrong. Don't quote me there. But you know what I mean. Merle is a lot more level-headed, and quick-witted I think, and I like his supporting cast of relatives who want to kill him and he sometimes want to kill more than his dad's supporting cast of relatives who want to kill him and he always wants to kill, but like. Both are Valid. Also shout out to Fiona and Rinaldo, with a side shout out to Flora, who are probably my next three favorites from the series. Dara would be up there too but she knows what she did.

3) Elric/Corum/Dorian/etc - from the Eternal Champion books by Michael Moorcock - Look I'm already cheating so why not continue on a theme. But basically this counts too, I'm just saying. See Michael Moorcock's big project going all the way back to the 60s was he created a fantasy multiverse of different dimensions where this one Eternal Champion, meant to balance the scales between the Lords of Law and the Lords of Chaos, like, is reborn over and over again in different incarnations but who are all essentially him. So Elric of Melnibone, Dorian Hawkmoon, Corum I can never remember his last name.....they're all essentially the same guy.....but they're all at the same time very very very different, and they have extremely different storylines. But I maintain if you're gonna read one you kinda gotta just read them all, all Pokemon like and such forth, because the real beauty of these books is seeing the familiar traces of the Eternal Champion threaded through each of these incarnations but also contrasting how different they are from each other and like, looking at what makes them so different each time and how much it stems from their environment and situations, etc.

4) Civet - from the Dragons of the Inland Sea series by Laurence Yep - This is a kids' series, like for ages 10-12 kinda, but easily my favorite from when I was a kid. I reread them so many times, and I love pretty much all the characters from Shimmer to Thorn to Monkey, but Civet was always a standout. She's essentially a tragic character and her ending is bittersweet, but like.....she fully knows who she is and what she's about and makes no apologies for that, and she ends on exactly the note she wants to. Like, her story and her characterization was pretty damn dark for such a young-aimed series, but that's part of what drew me to it, it managed to capture the tone it set out to convey but in a completely age-appropriate way, and in an era when most books aimed at kids dumbed down most of their story concepts and themes, this one was refreshing for just being....real. Despite being blatantly fantasy. Also the Boneless King is one of the best villains ever, despite being deliberately over the top a lot of the times....idk what it was about him, but he was just chilling.

5) Jack the Bodiless and Diamond Mask - from the Galactic Milieu series by Julian May - These are linked as well because they're a couple and their stories intertwine so much that there's no real point in separating them y'know? That's my story and I'm sticking to it. But anyway, they're a weird choice for me because Julian May is hit or miss for me overall....I HATE her Saga of the Pliocene Epic, which is technically in the same universe as her Galactic Milieu series, but they have totally different vibes and the latter series doesn't contain any of the elements from the Saga of the Pliocene that I loathe, so it just works. Plus it has Jack and Diamond Mask, and like.....I don't actually know why I love them so much? They're just so different from pretty much any other characters I've ever read. Like, May does a lot of really high concept stuff across the board, but Jack and Diamond Mask are like.....high concept character wise? If that makes sense? Its okay if it doesn't. I'm literally just spitting words out here. Honestly, its hard to say anything specific about them because so much of their characters conceptually just doesn't make sense without knowing the in-universe concepts that led to them even existing, but like. They're weird and off the wall but still astoundingly human for all that and I love them.

6) Naomi Nagata - from the Expanse books by James S. A. Corey - I mean, if you've seen me ramble all the Naomi love in my live-watches of The Expanse TV show, this should be no surprise, but my love for her in the books like, exists manifold. She's great in both, but the books cover so much more content-wise, that her character has so much more room to breathe and be explored in all kinds of directions the TV show never touches on. The funny thing is, I actually prefer the TV characterizations overall....I think the authors of the books are actually pretty shit at characterization a lot of the time, but the basic thread of Naomi's character is consistent and the sheer abundance of story material she has in the books like.....keeps me going back to them even just for her. Her conflict with Marco in the books in particular just has so much more depth than in the show....like, I don't hate the show's version at all, anyone who's seen my posts there knows that lol, and I'm not actually even sure which version I actually like more in terms of that particular storyline.....but I just love that both versions are so different, while still being recognizably the same, y'know? I don't even know. Nobody knows. Its a mystery. Just nod and say yes, shh, its fine.

7) Locke Lamora - from The Lies of Locke Lamora/The Gentleman Bastards series by Scott Lynch. This is an odd one for me, because in one sense Locke is a very contrived archetypal character from an author that doesn't always pull it off as successfully as I feel he thinks he does.....like, what I mean is Locke is inherently that type of character that is SUPPOSED to push buttons and straddle a line between likable and unlikable....and to be fair, that is VERY hard to pull off without at least some of the time falling on the wrong side of that line and alienating at least some readers. But there's something very genuine or sincere feeling about the character underneath all that, which is ironic for a character who is an acknowledged pathological liar and hardly ever tells the truth....like I said, its an odd one for me because I can't actually put my finger on what makes this particular character work for me when so many similar characters just bug the crap out of me.

8) Damien - from Black Sun Rising/The Coldfire trilogy by C. S. Friedman - This one is a whole fucking lie because I don't actually even like Damien that much lmao, but the thing is, I don't have a particular fondness for any of the characters in this series? But I gotta put it on the list anyway because I just love the world in this series so much, and its practically a character in and of itself. Like, so this was a science fantasy series set on a distant planet in the future but otherwise steeped in fantasy archetypes about spirit creatures that only Adepts could see, and like, Fae and life energy and sorcery that had roots in scientific principles but was otherworldly all the same. And that's like.....all literally my jam, and so I can't deny that this series was very formative for me even if its not the best example of those concepts. Its just the one I tend to go back to the most in my mind, like....the world and its characters are very standout and larger than life for me, even if they don't specifically APPEAL to me? They're impactful all the same. Its another odd one. I'm odd. You just kinda gotta roll with it. Its a thing. Its factual.

9) Yeine Darr - from The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin - This was a tough one because I love literally everything by Jemisin and all her characters are just so....ooof. They're very very real, even in the most fantastical of settings. I have mad characterization envy every time I read her stuff, but like. Its so good. So really the struggle was picking one character or even two, because I mean, The Fifth Season and its sequels are easily her best known works and have a ton of fantastic characters, and I think her Dreamblood duology is vastly overlooked but in the end I had to go with The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms even if just cuz of nostalgia. Its the first of her works and when I first started reading her and so its just.....anyway, if I was gonna go with that, it had to be Yeine, because she's so central to everything and also just....fantastic. Nahadoth and Sieh are also standout characters who get mentioned a lot in talk of this trilogy, and they're both such big personalities that at times they kinda overshadow Yeine, but Yeine has such a compelling.....undercurrent to her that she never actually gets lost in the shuffle even when surrounded by all these larger than life gods, and just. You love to see it. I do anyway. And its my list so nyah. But also if you're gonna read Jemisin, read everything Jemisin. It just makes sense, y'know? Good for the pores.

10) Cayal and Arkady - from The Immortal Prince/The Tide Lords by Jennifer Fallon - All the other Tide Lords can rot, but Cayal is hilarious in a depressing way. He's a ten thousand year old immortal whose greatest wish is just to die, which is how he meets Arkady who is a historian who just wants to like....know everything he knows once she realizes he actually is the figure of legend he professes to be and is so mad at him for not really giving a shit about all the weight of history he's been present for, but Cayal's just like, umm, I LIVED it so that's why I don't care, I'm allowed to not care, that shit hurt. Did you miss the part where one of the other Tide Lords threw a fucking meteor at me? And Arkady, distinctly unimpressed, is just like....I thought YOU did that, to Jasper. And Cayal's like, no that doesn't sound right. And Arkady's just like, you literally JUST told me that story. And Cayal's like, huh. I must have been lying. I do that sometimes. And Arkady's like, I thought you never lie, that's your whole thing? And Cayal's like, ahah, but what if THAT was a lie too? And Arkady's just like, bitch I hate you so goddamn much, how are you the worst of all the Immortals while still the only one who will actually talk to me and answer my questions. Cayal's like, we may never know.

Anyway, there's my list but like there's a lot more obviously because I'm me, I don't do moderation, its against my religion, but also I have to stop some time and the ask was for ten and those were the ten that popped into my head so they must be the right ones! Probably. Until I change my mind at least.

[engelspolitics]

Bethlehem

https://www.grunge.com/620656/the-untold-truth-of-bethlehem/

Aside from Christ's birth, the town is associated with other biblical figures revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike.

The original name, which persists today in English, essentially originates from the Hebrew words for "bread" and "house,” so Bethlehem" means "house of bread."

· Interestingly, "Bethlehem" can also mean "house of war" in Hebrew, since both bread and war come from the same root.

· In Arabic, Bethlehem means "house of meat." According to Christianity Today, the name might refer to the importance of animal husbandry and meat production.

Pre-biblical references to Bethlehem are rare. In fact, there may only be one reference to the town in the written record from Egypt.

· The Amarna Letters are a cache of texts found in Egypt that detail the correspondence of Egypt's pharaoh with numerous foreign rulers; Bethlehem is possibly mentioned in these letters, but scientists and historians disagree

However in 2012 that excavations in Jerusalem had unearthed a piece of an administrative seal inscribed with the words "Bethlehem," "seventh," and "king."

· The seal's inscription proved that the artifact was an administrative item used to stamp tax shipments sent to the royal seat in Jerusalem.

o Thus, in the eighth or seventh century B.C., the town was paying tribute to the kings of Judah and was important enough that its officials had their own seals

Bethlehem is mentioned in the Bible well before Jesus. The first mention is in Genesis in the context of the burial of one of Jesus' distant relatives, the matriarch Rachel.

· Her tomb, originally on a lonely roadside in the middle of nowhere, is shrouded in a beautiful tradition and has attracted controversy as of late due to its disputed status.

o According to Jewish tradition, Jacob had a vision of his suffering descendants crying out to her. So when she died, he buried her along the road so her suffering children would pass by and beg for her intercession with God. For this reason, Israel has controversially insisted on retaining control of the tomb.

o The tomb has seen its share of violence because of its centrality to Jewish tradition. According to Chabad, Jordanian forces banned Jewish prayer at the site in 1948. Today, according to the city website, Bethlehem is part of the Palestinian Territories.

The town was also the home of an ancestor of Jesus named David.

· David was selected over his elder brothers to become king of Israel, despite his humble station in life. According to Christian Foundations, he was anointed in Bethlehem

According to tradition, Jesus was born in a stable, but the Church of the Nativity is built over a cave that served as a shelter to shepherds and their flocks

· Used by shepherds to this day

· Justin Martyr, an early Father of the Church, corroborated the tradition of the cave birth.

o As a native of nearby Nablus, he would have known the area and its traditions well, so his testimony should be taken seriously.

Three controlling churches have divided the Church of Nativity among themselves.

· The Greek Orthodox Church holds approximately 80% of the property and is the majority shareholder. The Roman Catholic and Armenian Apostolic Churches own the rest, including the grotto.

o To ensure peace between the three churches and put an end to the squabbles, the Ottoman Empire in 1852 instituted the Status Quo. This balance, which is still in force today, means that the different denominations adhere to a strict schedule, ensure that each other’s services begin on time, and avoid touching each other's stuff

The fight over the church even helped ignite the Crimean War in 1853, a mere year after the Status Quo was enacted.

· France and Russia favored the Catholic and Orthodox churches' claims for primacy and guardianship of the church, forcing the Ottoman Empire to pick sides.

The Church of the Nativity has been burned and looted multiple times. A Jewish-Samaritan revolt against the Byzantines in 529 A.D. damaged the original church so badly that it had to be rebuilt.

Forces of the Persian Empire invaded the Byzantine Empire's territories in 614 A.D, sacking and looting churches for their valuables.

Eventually, they arrived in Bethlehem and prepared to loot the Church of the Nativity, but the commander noticed a mosaic depicting the Magi (Persian Zoroastrian priests), and he spared the church, not wishing to damage the mosaic.

· The mosaic hasn’t survived into modern times

There are fears that the Christian community Bethlehem is in danger of disappearing forever.

· Over 85% of the town's inhabitants were Christians of various denominations in 1950; by 2016, that number had declined precipitously to 12% and probably is less now due to mostly economic factors combined with a tense political situation.

· Economic and educational opportunities are fleeting in the Palestinian Territories but are plentiful in neighbouring Israel and in Western countries.

o Pope Francis has determined that there will be no Middle East without Christians, so steps must be taken to create a safe environment for the world's oldest Christian communities and discourage emigration. Bethlehem's first female mayor, Catholic Vera Baboun, made this a central part of her platform

Despite the collapse of Bethlehem's Christian population, the town is still a place of pilgrimage whose remaining Christians take their faith very seriously.

Christmas is celebrated three times in Bethlehem; on December 24-25 by the Catholic Church, on January 6—7 by the Orthodox and Greek Catholic Churches, which use the Revised Julian Solar Calendar, and on January 19 by the Armenian Apostolic Church, which uses the old Julian Solar Calendar à a month of festivities, processions, and masses/liturgies

Modern Bethlehem is famous for its bridal dresses

famous technique involves couching gold or silver thread onto their base materials to produce beautiful floral and linear patterns

[bazzpop]

12 Days of Debauchery Day 2: Fucking in an Igloo for Muriel, Julian, Lucio

Sorry I missed yesterday, I was just so exhausted so I’ll make up for it this weekend cuz things have been hectic since finals are next week

Julian:

Probably takes place right after day one of the 12 days of Christmas. You’re both huddled in a rather snug snow fort that the two of you managed to construct.

He tries to act smooth when he recommends skin on skin contact to stay warm, accompanied by a well timed eyebrow wiggle of course.

He’ll turn bright red if you actually take him up on the offer but he’ll eagerly help you undress, his coat and any other fabric he has is laid underneath him so at least his ass isn’t on bare snow.

Test out the higher than average roof he made for himself. It’s a thrill since one of two things can happen here if you’re not careful, 1. The whole place comes crashing down after you bump your head while riding him and you’ll both be exposed or 2. It’ll hold up. Make sure he keeps scenario 1 in mind, the thrill of being semi public always makes it 10x more amazing for him as he tries his best to contain himself.

He just can’t keep the moans from spilling out of him, good thing the snow walls deafen them from the outside— not that he knows that.

Maybe use some of the snow that surrounds you for some impromptu temperature play around his nipples, he’s shivering from it but he’s gradually getting hotter as his pleasure builds.

Let him cum inside or let him cum all over his belly, it’s your choice but either way it’ll be nice and warm.

Muriel:

You both hastily put together this snow fort/igloo type shelter after being caught in a snow storm, it was the best protection from the wind chill so it was better than trying to make it back to the hut for now.

He’s basically a living furnace and once you get him going, it’ll only get warmer from there. He does know one quick way to get you both warm though, he’s hesitant to initiate it but he’ll get more confident after receiving a positive reaction from you.

He’ll lay you back against his warm cloak and hover over you, his knees are still supporting him so he’s not crushing you but he’s close enough that you can feel his hot breath eliciting goosebumps on your skin.

He’ll shift to lay on the top of your bare chest, now supporting himself with his hands, to make sure you’re absolutely surrounded by warmth before he even gets himself out of his pants.

Thread your hands through his hair to undo the rest of his now messy braid, it’ll make him moan deep in his throat. Pull him down for a quick kiss too, he might almost lose his balance but he’s alright after becoming a blushing mess.

He’ll look through everything you both have until he finds something suitable for lubing himself up, he doesn’t want to cause you pain by going in raw.

And just like with a fire, he’ll start out with a slow pace, as you get accustomed to it, which steadily gets faster as the flames inside you both grow to a fever pitch. He’ll hold himself off until you cum first. He’ll collapse and wrap himself around you after he cums.

Lucio:

Let’s talk about that maze scene, that was basically an ice box with snow when you sat down to rest with him.

He knows you’re cold and tired, cuz he is too, so he’ll take care of you the best way he can for now.

He wastes no time in getting you comfortable and setting you down on his thick cloak. You’ve done more than enough so it’s his turn to be the “hero” for you.

Total body worship, let him just worry about you for a while. All he needs is to hear your praise and pleasured moans to let him know he’s doing good.

He’ll kiss your entire body without missing a single square inch of skin before getting down to business in order to make you feel nice and toasty. He’ll need you to suck on his fingers until they’re glistening before he actually starts though— it’s the closest thing to lube in this maze.

When you convulse and cum all over his fingers, a weird sensation overcomes him— even if he doesn’t physically cum in on himself and in his pants, it sure as hell still feels like it when the pleasure hits him.

Even though he’s helping you relax and get warm, it makes him feel warm too. Could be the binding blood magic at work? It very well could be, but it might also be something deeper.

[queenofeden]

okay so look, i wasn’t going to make a post about this because i genuinely didn’t think it was anything worth making a post about “publicly” but apparently some people disagree and i’m petty enough about this to not want there to be any confusion on where i stand.

i really enjoyed the new prologue update, and the changes made to the routes (minor ones, and i’ve only play tested nadia and julian so far to see them but they are there) to reflect them. i really enjoyed the last update they made to it as well. i always enjoyed the prologue, clearly it’s what got me into the game in the first place. i found it engaging and fun to play and i enjoyed the characters immediately off the bat. 

however that prologue was written a long time ago. 2016 if i remember correctly, and a lot about the game has changed since then. the prologue, even up to yesterday, was still full of what i would consider hanging plot threads and characterizations that simply no longer reflected or suited the game that we have today. a game which i love very much and still actively enjoy the direction of.

i really want to thank @raquellle-arcana for their post on the matter (linked here) because it was the first one i saw that reflected my same excitement amidst and field of far more negative feedback, but especially for this quote, 

“I love that they went back & changed it, like that to me, shows how much they still care, & that the creators genuinely want to improve & nurture their game”

this is what it comes down to for me. as a creative and a creator, i think it’s really important to be able to look at work u have made, work you’ve been proud of, and still acknowledge that it can be improved. this is not a published novel that lives in perpetuity, this is an interactive narrative game. as the narrative progresses and matures and expands, things that used to be priority no longer are and that is okay. looking back on where the characters and the story were based on the information given in the art book vs where they are now is fascinating to me, and i love seeing how the game has evolved and grown. i agree wholeheartedly that it does show a genuine love and care for the game on their part.

it shows that they want and continue to want the game to be relevant and enjoyable, that they want the “new” routes to have more substantial representation, that they wanted to integrate the new plot lines into the prologue in a way that made them make more sense as potential outcomes as opposed to “well they just had to make them different from the original 3″. i don’t know a single writer or artist or any creator that doesn’t look at their old works and wish that they could change things or, if they had known then what they know now, go back and adjust for it. the devs have the opportunity to do that, and i’m glad that they continue to take those opportunities to make their game, a living document if u will, the best version of itself that it can be.

(cut for length bc i continued to ramble and also potential spoilers for the new content)

i love that asra and mc’s relationship is well established now, i love that so much of the story and lore feels organically given and much more show and not tell. i love that asra’s characterization feels more consistent with how he is in his and other routes instead of the hinted but never actualized “ominous, dark, and vaguely spooky” angle (which don’t get me wrong, is a really valid and interesting version of asra that i do love to play with but tonally it just didn’t work with where he’s ended up now). 

i love that julian is no longer so bent on a revenge angle that is never concluded in his route bc it was no longer relevant. i love that his background and involvement is more well integrated. even so far as his acknowledgement of malak, not as his magical familiar obviously, but just in that he’s clearly important to julian specifically. the wanted posters were one of the things i loved best about the first prologue update, just that little bit of information felt like the sun parting the clouds so far as world building and i’m glad that kind of thing was expanded upon even further with him.

i love that nadia’s motivations are much clearer, and that her characterization is much more in line with her morals given in the text. truly, i felt that she read as so much more competent in this newest version, something i never doubted about her, but really seeing it so early made a huge difference to me. i’ve always been a nadia main and i have loved her from the moment i set eyes on her, but i i’m well aware that many people do not feel that way and never get to her route where many of the criticisms no longer hold water. i’m hoping that this is no longer the case. it makes me happy to see her relationship with lucio cleared up, that thirst to prove herself is made very apparent, but at the same time so is her genuine compassion and kindness. the explicit statement that the masquerade is no longer a celebration hinging specifically on the murder of julian makes SUCH a big difference. nadia states over and over in her route that that is not the kind of ruler she wants to be so it’s lovely to see that reflected. she is a woman searching for the truth, no matter what it is, something that the high priestess would be proud of i think. 

i could go through and itemize everything that i loved about what they’ve done, but we would be here for 12 hours and nobody wants to read a post that long, i know. to mobile users, i’m already sorry lmao.

but listen, much as i am excited about the new stuff and the updated stuff, i do understand being disappointed at things that have been taken out. i do, i really do. i also loved feeling julian up, but on the whole i also acknowledge that scene as deeply fanservice-y. that’s not a problem by any means, but it’s also something that i think shows the devs and their growth as writers to potentially be able to look back on that and say, “this was fun and we liked it but it doesn’t actually serve the story in an appropriate way anymore”. that takes a lot of maturity, and i think that maturity is reflected by the state of the prologue now. it feels much less at times like a “silly, horny otome game” and more like a proper visual novel with a lot of meat to it. and there’s still plenty of room for the fun horny stuff. it’s littered throughout the routes and not at all absent in the prologue, just, i think, integrated in a far more natural, gracious way.

i felt, on the whole, at least so far as my MC’s personal characterization, that in the old prologue i was much more wont to pick paid scenes bc i had bought them and i wanted to see them over whether they actually made sense narratively in my version of the story, or whether my apprentice would actually do them. i didn’t feel that conflict anymore, anything i wanted to do, i felt i was able to do and with a level of choice i was comfortable with. not only did the canon characters feel more “in character” now, but i would argue that MC feels more like a real character far more quickly than they used to.

i’m sorry to the people who feel disappointed by the new updates, or that in some way the game has been “ruined” for u. your opinions are yours, and your decisions with what to do next are your prerogative. media consumption and how someone interacts with it is a deeply personal thing. i only wanted to speak my mind and make this post if only because these attitudes were all i was seeing, and i was suddenly inundated by the negative reaction and it was upsetting to me. it made me angry. i’m still a little angry, and i could certainly cite and quote a bunch of the nonsense i’ve seen spouted off in just the last few hours alone but honestly, i’m too tired for it and i’m liable to get catty and petty.

what it comes down to is this, the new update made me excited about the game again, it made me want to replay everything with fresh eyes, it made me want to dig my fingers into the lore again, it made me want to talk and play and enjoy canon for what it is after being very much more consumed with aus lately. i want to openly thank NH and @thearcanagame for continuing to make a game that is fun to play, a story that is engaging and keeps me on my toes, and for sharing something that they’re clearly proud of and want to continue to be proud of. that level of responsibility and dedication to their work is inspiring to me as a creator and as a fan, and it makes me proud to be even a tangential part of the whole of it. i hope that over the months and years, the game continues to update and improve and build upon itself, even if for whatever reason i’m no longer around to see it.

[tiberiusblackthot]

TO EVERYONE WHO SAYS TY DOESN‘T LOVE KIT IN TDA

1. He touches him excessively ☑

[Ty] held out his hand […] Ty’s fingers were cool and careful as he took hold of Kit’s arm to steady it.

[Ty's] hand was gripping his shoulder, hard

Ty was sitting on him as casually as if Kit was a sofa

[Ty] was wedged in beside him and Livvy on a love seat too small for the three of them

“I think it’s time for you to get your first real Mark,” said Ty […] Ty was standing behind him, his stele out, his eyes bright. “Your dominant hand is your right,” he said, “so put that one out, toward me.”

Ty pushed past Kit

They were now pressed so tightly together that Kit couldn't move his arms, pinned between Ty and Livvy

Ty glanced again at the drawing he held, then turned, his other hand outstretched to Kit […] His fingers closed around Ty’s, warm and firm under his grasp […]

His grip tightened on Kit’s, pulling him after

Ty tugged on Kit’s arm, pulling him away

They’d already left, Ty dragging Kit behind him with a firm grip on his wrist

He took Kit’s hand unselfconsciously and pressed the stone into his palm

Ty had been full of suppressed excitement all the way in the back of the Uber car, which he’d dealt with by pushing up the sleeve of Kit’s shirt and giving him several runes

Ty muffled a laugh and grabbed Kit’s sleeve

2. He has a cute lil' nickname for him ☑

“Watson”/ "my dear Watson"

3. He’ll play with his hair ☑

Ty reached out and brushed Kit’s hair away from his face, an absent sort of gesture

4. He likes to cuddle him ☑

"Put your arms around me," said Ty

"Hold on to me."

Kit stood breathless, the water receding around them, as Ty came up and put his arms around Kit’s neck […] He threaded his arms around Ty, crossing his cold hands over Ty’s back […] Ty leaned into him with a sigh 

5. He smiles at him ☑

Ty smiled. It was a genuine, light-up-your-face-type smile

Ty blinked rapidly. Then he smiled

Ty’s mouth crooked at the corner. “Very good, Watson”

Ty smiled his rare, dazzling smile. “A bit”

“Blackthorns,” said Ty, with a dazzling smile

Ty, who had been straightening the paper clip, gave Kit one of his rare sunrise-over-the-water smiles. “You are.”

Ty smiled sideways

Ty looked confused for a moment, then smiled. “Details, Watson”

Ty smiled and tapped his side pocket, where his phone was

“Have you learned nothing from the way Batman’s parents died?” said Kit, feigning shock. Ty smiled

Ty smiled. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that a smile broke across his face, like the sun rising

Kit being the missing piece they had never known Ty needed, stealing a potato from Ty’s plate and making him smile

Kit smiled and Ty smiled back at him

6. He laughs at bad jokes with him ☑

“Waste of a perfectly good starfish,” muttered Kit, and Ty laughed

Kit burst out laughing. Ty looked even more astonished than he had when Kit had said he’d miss him. But after a second, he started to laugh too. They were both laughing, Kit doubled over the blankets, when Magnus came into the room

Out of patience, Kit slowly raised his middle finger. “Here’s the password.”

Ty muffled a laugh

7. He wants to be wherever Kit is ☑

Kit had been put in one of the spare rooms, as he’d asked, and Ty was sitting outside of it, reading a book.

Ty had been sleeping in front of Kit’s door for the past nights

Ty and Livvy were instantly on their feet, following him

He let the door of the fridge fall shut, and nearly yelled out loud [...] Ty Blackthorn stood in the middle of the kitchen.

He saw Ty asleep in front of Kit’s room, half-sitting up, his chin in his hand

"Some kind of doubled glamour?" said Ty, coming up beside Kit

Ty leaped up after him

Ty sat by the side of his bed

She looked at Ty, sitting on Kit’s bed […] Ty bounded to the door, seemed to remember Kit, and swung back around. “We can talk more later,” he said

Ty reached the ground and walked away from the pyre without stopping to catch his breath, heading across the grass toward Kit

Ty was near Kit, as he almost always was, like a magnet clicking into place

“You should go after him,” Mark said. “You’re the one he wants.”

Ty followed him out into the water

[Ty] went across the room to join Kit in the DOWNWORLDERS-WARLOCKS section, where Kit was struggling with several heavy books

8. He wants Kit to be wherever he is ☑

But it was Ty who hesitated. "Kit's coming, right?"

Ty joined Livvy at the door. "Are you coming, Kit?"

“Wake up! […] I have something I have to do and I’d rather you came with me”

“Do you want me to get Julian?” Kit said.

“Not right now,” Ty said […]  

“Should I stay?” Kit said.

“Yes, I’d rather you did,” he said.

Ty […] was still asleep, Kit beside him

A moment later Kit was downstairs […] Ty didn’t say anything, or even glance over at him, but the tension in his shoulders relaxed slightly

“I’m glad you’re here […] I wanted to talk to you.”

“Will you come and sit down next to me?”

He took out his witchlight and gestured for Kit to follow him

Then Kit had come outside, and Ty’s expression had changed, as if he’d realized something

“Come sit next to me,” he said

“Kit, come up here––you can see everything.”

There was no answer.

Ty leaned down through the branches, searching the forest floor below the oak. It was bare. Kit was gone

9. He needs him ☑

“I need you,” Ty said. “You might be surprised to hear that.”

“I need to talk to you later,” Ty said

“You don’t––want to talk to your brother? To Julian?”

“No. I need to talk to you”

“I can do this without you […] but I don’t want to. Sherlock doesn’t do things without Watson.”

“You need me,” Kit asked slowly.

“Yes.”

“Okay.” Ty spared her a cursory glance. “I need to talk to Kit now, though […]

“Okay,” Ty said again. “But I need to talk to you

The corner of Ty’s mouth trembled. “I don’t want to do it without you.”

“To never being parted,” Kit said, looking across the campfire at Ty […]

“To never being parted,” he said with a grave emphasis

10. He blushes ☑

He was blushing. It was very visible against his pale skin

11. He gives him thoughtful gifts ☑

First runes

First seraph blade

First witchlight

Potato chip breakfast

12. He acts like a concerned boyfriend ☑

“Are you all right?”

"You have blood on your hand,” Ty said. “I noticed it earlier."

“Are you bored?”

“Are you thinking about running away again?”

"I didn't want you to feel bad"

“I’m sure many people find you hilarious”

“Just words I like,” he said […] “Does it bother you?”

“Do you want more water?”

“You seem sad,” said Ty. “Are you?”

“Are you ever going to talk to me again?”

“That’s not it,” he said. “You’re mad at me, I think.”

“You are mad at me.”

“Kit,” he began haltingly. “I thought that you––I thought that it would be––”

13. He trusts him ☑

Ty turned suddenly to Kit. "Can you take her?" he said. "Carry Livvy?"

Ty hesitated. “Don’t tell anyone,” he said finally. “It was just an idea I had.”

“I’ll know.” Ty paused in his murmuring. “I don’t mind,” he said, “if it’s you.”

“You won’t tell him, will you?”

Kit threw himself at Ty, knocking him onto the sand. Ty tumbled backward without a struggle, too surprised to defend himself

He had leaned on Kit most of the way

14. He invades Kit’s personal space ☑

He leaned in toward Kit, whose back was against the wall

Ty turned to whisper in Kit’s ear

15. He lets Kit invade his personal space/ touch him ☑

Kit leaned close to Ty [...] "Neither do I," Ty whispered back”

Ty relaxed under the tight grip of his hands

He took a step toward Ty, touched his shoulder gently

He put his hand on Ty’s arm as Tiberius scanned the ground furiously

The mattress sagged, and he knocked against Ty’s elbow

Kit put his hand on Ty’s shoulder    x 2

Kit touched Ty’s shoulder […] Ty’s back curved as he hunched forward, but he didn’t avoid the touch

Kit, who was sitting beside him, tentatively put his hand over Ty’s where it lay on the table; Ty didn’t react, though he didn’t draw away from Kit either

Kit realizing, put a hand on Ty’s arm

Kit pulled Ty toward him by his sleeve and whispered in his ear

Kit put his hand on Ty’s back, between his shoulder blades […] Kit remembered hearing somewhere that it was soothing to rub circles on someone’s back, so he did that. Ty’s breaths began to regulate

His hand shot out and grabbed Ty’s shoulders. He knew he shouldn’t––Ty didn’t like to be startled

16. He misses him when he’s gone ☑

Ty was also quiet […] Ty would smile, but he seemed unusually listless, uninterested […]

Eventually he went up to Magnus […]

“Where’s Kit, really?” Ty said, […] “I keep asking, but no one will tell me.”

“Kit’s all right. He’s with Tessa and Jem. He’s going to be living with them.”

“I know,” Ty said. His voice shook. “I know but––can I say good-bye to him? If I could just talk to him once––”

“He’s already gone,” Magnus said. “He didn’t want to say good-bye to you.” […]

“I don’t understand,” Ty said, his left hand fluttering at his side. He caught at his wrist with his right hand as if he could stop it […]

“I don’t understand.”

17. He spends A LOT of time staring at Kit ☑

He glanced at Tiberius. What was odder, perhaps, was that Ty was looking at him. Emma remembered Ty, years ago, saying, Why do people say “look at me” when they mean “look at my eyes”? You could be looking at any part of a person and you’re still looking at them. But he was looking curiously at Kit’s eyes as if they reminded him of something

Ty stumbled back and stared at the boy on the floor

He was once again conscious of the sense that Ty was studying him, maybe counting up his pluses and minuses or something like that

She had found Ty and Livvy sitting on the floor, watching as Jace tried to convince Kit

Ty’s eyes lit up. They still moved restlessly around Kit as if he were reading him, examining him, never quite meeting Kit’s own, but that didn’t dim their glow

He flicked his storm-cloud-gray eyes in Kit’s direction

He turned back to look at Kit and his sister

Everyone glared at him except Ty. “I thought of that too,” Ty said, looking delightedly at Kit

Ty looked up at that, his gray eyes aglow.

Ty looked at him

“The open rune’s not working,” said Ty, straightening up and looking at Kit as if he knew everything Kit was thinking. As if he knew everything Kit had ever thought

He looked over at Kit

Ty looked at him with sincere friendliness

Ty gave him a long, considering look, with a tinge of surprise to it

Ty’s gaze didn’t meet Kit’s, but he looked him over, as if checking for injuries

Ty bit his lip […] He glanced away from Kit

Ty looked up in surprise […] He was blushing

He looked up at Kit

Ty stared at him

His gaze slipped over Kit’s ear, his cheekbone, not quite meeting Kit’s eyes. "Watson––”

Ty, who was looking at him with concern, his gray eyes skating over Kit’s face as if he were a book he was having trouble reading

Ty raised his eyes; though they didn’t meet Kit’s, Kit could see the expression in them

Ty opened his eyes and looked toward Kit

Ty glanced at him sideways

He glanced up at Kit, who was sitting on a rise of sand, and beckoned him closer

“Fifty bucks says the Inquisitor develops a high-tech robot arm that shoots laser beams,” said Kit. Everyone looked at him

Ty looked up at Kit, who was standing close to the water’s edge

Ty stared at Kit confused, his gray eyes darting from Kit’s collarbone to his face and back down again

Ty looked up, his gray eyes flashing in his thin face

18. He puts himself through sensory overstimulation for Kit ☑

Ty reached for his headphones, too, but paused. Slowly he looped them back around his neck. "I should keep these off," he said. "I might need to hear something."

"He uses the headphones less when you’re around […] I think he just doesn’t want to miss anything you say.”

19. He cries and throws things because of Kit ☑

“I will help you. But not if you do this. Not if you do this, Ty.”

His mouth twisted, as if he was trying to hold in tears

He shoved at Kit, elbowing him hard in the throat. Kit coughed and let go; he grabbed for Ty again and Ty kicked at him. He could see that Ty was crying

Ty threw the stick aside; Kit jumped […] “I thought you cared, but you lied to me. Just like everyone else.”

“You only thought of yourself. I wish––I wish I’d never known you ––”

Ty’s eyes filled with sudden tears […] Ty was Ty; he didn’t weep easily, but he was wiping tears from his face with shaking hands

20. He ventures into caves with him ☑