#lorelei scribbles

[breakincaseofpokemonemergency]

WHO UP ANALOGING THEY HORROR??? WHO UP VAMPIRING THEY AU??? WHO UP

okay I really intended to draw something normal for my first drawings of Ingo and Emmet but. Something something. Uh. The Demons. 🫶 I hope y’all like bad cheesy AUs here‼️ you may have to futz with your brightness and do some zooming in to see…anything.

The rest of the comic is below the cut along with some extra drawings. I’ll rb with just the panels instead of the whole pages and close-ups of the text in the extra doodle page. Uhh…I think that’s it!

All is well! …as well as it can be. They have to stay “alive”, the subway depends on them.

I planned out so little of this AU. I just had a vague vision of a short comic for the Subway Masters and wanted to practice drawing some gore again in hopes that I can achieve the same skill levels as The Old Master (13 year old me)…and then Make A Terrible Comic Day 2024 rolled around and so I figured I’d just ball and do it…I think I may have gotten a little too invested in it for it to qualify but oh well, it’s good practice!

The idea was that (post-Ingo and maybe Emmet getting teleported across centuries and returning…please Nintendo-) a vampirism/zombie virus slowly starts going through Nimbasa. The Subway, being a bustling center of travel, gets hit perhaps the worst and the quickest. Ingo and Emmet get turned rather quickly and try to hide it. They grow very reclusive, lurking around the shadows and the dark tunnels. The depot agents are the only ones who’ve really heard from them since, but aren’t intent on helping authorities find them. The virus is supposed to have drastic effects on the mind, causing severe aggression and the like, but through some miracle, the brothers’ minds seem to stay in tact. It’s assumed it may have to do with lingering effects of the time travel.

They fr become a Phantom(s) of the Subway situation to outsiders and mad-scientist-locking-himself-away-in-his-study-as-he-falls-to-his-hubris situation to the depot agents. But mostly they’re okay! They keep the Subway running and try to stay healthy and prevent further decay of their minds!

also Elesa is here, Elesa is thrown off but doesn’t stop hanging out with them. She tries to help them where she can, and also keeps them in check when she can. She wants the best for them but hasn’t survived stardom this long by being gullible and naive.

[anatomical-puppet]

hello heartless nation :) long time no see

[characters belong to @abd-illustrates]

[jareddweiss]

This is Lorelei 4/4/25 show poster, 2025

Poster designed and illustrated for This is Lorelei, Starcleaner Reunion, and Al Menne concert at Scribble in Los Angeles, California, presented by Sid the Cat.

The print version has a full variant of the arrow design, and the matchbook was adapted by Brandon Gonzalez from the print poster.

Photoshop

[malewifezevran]

it's ....... kinda dnd posting right? anyway, my tav ft her former fiancé (i hate crimed them and he died saving her years before the game events started���)

[oneknightstand-if]

The ROs need to interrogate someone, and while they are thinking about how to do it, the mute MC and serial killer appears with torture tools and a not-so-inviting outfit, only to notice RO's face and slowly walk away with the tools while looking sad and disappointed like an abandoned dog

How would ROs react to this?

Merlin: Wait, no, come back! I can work with this!

Adrian: *insert gif of Adrian lying amongst the carnage of his hopes & dreams*

Arthur: That gains nothing in the end. They will only say what they think you wish to hear. And Merlin, thou art frightening enough without such tools.

Percy: *staring at camera*

4̷0̷4̵ ̷E̶r̸r̶o̸r̷ ̶N̸o̵t̴ ̴F̷o̵u̶n̴d̸ & Vivian:

Cassandra: 🤨 *scribbling furiously in notebook*

Gwen: *squinting at 'tools' and wondering if those are BDSM toys*

Lorelei: JUDGING YOU SO HARD RIGHT NOW

Broderick: And he's jumping out the window again

[the-kr8tor]

OKAY OKAY OKAY IVE HAD THIS IDEA BREWING FOR A MINUTE

So pretty much a Gilmore Girls au type thing. like Hobie as Luke and R as Lorelei. Just sarcastic diner owner Hobie, chatty single mom R, and their slow burn 😔.

(i’ve been obsessed with the show recently, idk i thought this would be cute)

R and her daughter (haven’t through this far ahead yet so bear with me 🙏🏾) strutting into the diner just like they do every morning, sitting at their favorite table. Hobie saunters over soon after.

“What can I get you two?”

“Coffee, coffee, and probably some more coffee.”

“You’re gonna get a heart attack one of these days.”

He scribbles down the order with an eye roll and starts back to the coffee machine.

“Could you make sure they get blue and white flowers for the funeral!”

He lets out a small chuckle and gets started on the coffee a smile creeping onto his face as he works.

(please tell me we see the vision 😞. also i have finals next week and im quite tired, so this idea was a bit rushed)

-🐊

Gasp! Hihi 🐊 anon!! I hope you're doing well!

Confession: I haven't seen gilmore girls 😔 but I have seen enough clips to know the premise of it!

AOOWNSKWKS THAT'S SO CUTE 🥰 I SEE THE VISION like imagine Hobie finally giving you his number on your to go coffee cup one day and he finally got you speechless 🤭

Hmmm methinks that both Billie and Ramona would fit the role! Like imagine them bantering with their future step father lol Hobie would have to win them both over before r finally lets him date her 😂

Good luck on your exams!!! You can do it! 💪☺️

[lemoncrushh]

Too Far From Texas | Chapter Two

STORY PAGE

Word Count: 5837

I stared at the blank screen for a good ten minutes before I started typing. Finally, the words started coming to me, though I felt like it was just drivel, something to write just for the sake of writing. I let out a sigh of relief when I was interrupted a few minutes later by someone clearing his throat in the doorway.

“Stacey Barnett?” the young man asked.

“Yes,” I nodded.

“Delivery for you,” he announced. “Where would you like these?”

My eyes widened when I saw the enormous arrangement of flowers in his hand.

“Um…” I blinked. “I guess right here is fine.”

I pushed away a stack of folders and papers to my left, giving him ample space to set the bouquet. I watched as he set it down and turned toward the door.

“Don’t I need to sign something?” I inquired.

“Once I get everything in,” he replied.

“What?” I sounded, raising a brow, but the man had already disappeared.

Two seconds later he returned pushing a cart holding two large boxes, a clipboard atop them. He rounded my desk before lifting the boxes, which looked to be heavy, and setting them on the floor. Then with a heavy breath, he handed me the clipboard and a pen.

“Sign here, please,” he requested.

“Who is this from?” I asked him.

“Don’t know, ma’am,” the young man shook his head. “I’m just the delivery service.”

I signed my name in a hasty scribble, handing him back the clipboard. He nodded good day and I stared at the flowers as he walked away. There was no card attached to give me any clue from whom it was. Just as I rose from my chair to inspect the boxes, another cart was being pushed through the door, this one two-tiered and covered in food.

“What in the world?” I exclaimed. “I didn’t order any catering.”

“No ma’am,” said the tall, thin man standing behind the cart. “This was a special request that just came in this morning.”

“From who?”

“From a...uh…” he pulled a slip of paper from the pocket of his apron, “Styles.”

My mouth fell open as I glared at the man, then at the food, realization setting in. I swallowed hard, pushing my hair behind my ears.

“Would you prefer I leave the food here, or is there a kitchen you’d rather store it in?”

I blinked. “Um...yeah, maybe the conference room?”

“Sure thing,” the young man nodded. “Lead the way.”

I walked past him to the hallway and around the corner to the large conference room that was supposed to be for meeting purposes, but we rarely used. The wheels of the cart squeaked behind me as I pushed open the door. I helped remove the food from the cart and placed it on the long table. Once everything was cleared, I stood with my hands on my hips, noticing just how much food there was. A variety of sandwiches, fruit, a veggie tray, pasta, two kinds of salads, bread, cookies and even a cake. And of course, no lunch would be complete without various cans of soda and bottles of water. Did we really need Ozarka, Fiji and Perrier?

“If you could just sign this, please,” I heard the man say, though he suddenly sounded far away. “Payment is all taken care of.”

Slowly taking the slip of paper from him, I signed my name once again.

“Enjoy your lunch,” he called as he pushed the squeaky cart out of the room.

“Holy shit!” I heard Lorelei’s voice exclaim behind me. I turned to see her standing in the doorway. “Who ordered catering?”

“Apparently Harry Styles did,” I shrugged.

“What?” Lorelei’s eyes popped as she stepped inside and walked to the table. She grabbed a strawberry from the fruit tray and took a generous bite. “Mmm! Oh my God, these are fresh!”

“Alright, lunch!” I heard another voice behind me declare. Terrance, one of our lead editors stepped around me to grab a fancy plastic plate, quickly filling it with sandwiches and fruit. “Did I miss the memo about a meeting or something?”

“No,” I shook my head. “Just a friendly gesture.”

“I’ll say,” Lorelei muttered under her breath. I shot her a look as I heard Terrance say thanks, apparently under the assumption it had been my own gesture.

As more employees got word of the free food and began to pile into the conference room, I took the opportunity to slip out, returning to my office and shutting the door. I sucked in my lips as I pulled open a drawer and grabbed a box cutter before I walked around the desk to the boxes that sat on the floor.

Easily tearing open the first box, I retrieved an envelope that sat just inside. It simply had my name printed on the front, but somehow, I knew it was his handwriting. I opened it hesitantly, pulling out a single piece of paper.

Dear Stacey - 

I enjoyed meeting you Saturday. I read your book and it was excellent. I’m not exactly sure if we could “call it even” though, so I’m sending along some gifts for your daughters. I hope they enjoy them.

All the love. Harry.

P.S. The flowers are for you. x

I couldn’t have stopped the smile on my lips if I’d tried. Returning the letter to its envelope, I placed it next to the flowers on the desk. Inhaling deeply, I took in their aroma. Then I closed the box, not wanting to look inside just yet. I’d let the girls open it later and join in their glory.

When I made it back to the conference room, it was full of people and chatter. I smiled at Sonia from Accounting as I reached over and grabbed a plate.

“So, what is all this?” Lorelei whispered in my ear when I sat down and opened a water bottle.

I shrugged. “He was being nice.”

Lorelei glared at me. “Nice is buying our book and getting you another latte. This is something way more than nice.”

“He sent two boxes full of merch for Jaz and Em too,” I remarked before biting into a carrot. “And flowers for me.”

Although I wasn’t looking right at her, I could see Lorelei’s mouth form an ‘O’ out of the corner of my eye. I took a sip of my water and set it back on the table before she finally said my name.

“Stacey...” she began, “You’ve obviously made some sort of impression on him.”

Jabbing my plastic fork in my salad, I raised a brow. “And why wouldn’t I?”

Lorelei chuckled, dipping another strawberry in the fruit dip.

“Seriously though,” I said, “I think he just feels bad for knocking into me and making me spill my coffee. He’s very sweet.”

“Hmm,” Lorelei pursed her lips. “His mum raised him right.”

“Exactly.”

After filling my face with cake - Italian Creme, my favorite, how on earth did he know? - I took a quick bathroom break before heading back to my office. I tried my best to concentrate on the writing I’d planned to get done that day, but the mouthwatering scent of lilies and roses was making me light-headed. My fingers freezing over the keyboard, I debated whether or not to call the delivery company or the restaurant from which the food was catered to see if they could possibly give me a contact number for Harry Styles. But knowing who he was, the likelihood of that was slim to none.

By four o’clock I’d managed to get at least a handful of pages written, despite getting interrupted with other work that my job demanded, including a few random visits from Lorelei. I let out a huff as my phone rang on my desk once more, sure that I would have to answer a question with a simple yes or no.

“This is Stacey,” I voiced, though not in a pleasant way.

“Hi Stacey, this is Harry Styles, how are you?”

I literally felt my face soften as I sat back in my chair. “Hi, Harry. I’m wonderful, thank you.”

“Good, I trust you got everything I sent?”

I could hear the smile in his voice, which made me picture his dimples, which in turn made me smile.

“Yes,” I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. I did this a lot. I took a mental note. “I want to thank you, Harry, this is just...too kind. And completely unnecessary, I-”

“Nonsense,” he insisted. “It’s my pleasure.”

“Hmm,” I sounded, biting my lip. “Well, I can’t thank you enough. The girls are gonna go nuts tonight when I take these boxes home.”

“I’m glad,” Harry chuckled. “Speaking of tonight...um...I’m still in Houston until tomorrow. I was wondering if you’d like to join me for dinner.”

“Oh...I-” I stumbled. “Um...tonight?”

I heard a small giggle before he said, “Yeah.”

“Oh, I’d...I’d love to Harry, but-”

“But what?”

I couldn’t help but feel a tingle on my skin at the sound of him saying “what”, not quite pronouncing the T at the end. He was so adorable and charming. And he was honest to goodness asking me out to dinner. Like a date. Suddenly, I couldn’t think of an excuse as to why I couldn’t go.

“But nothing,” I surrendered with a sigh. “I’d love to have dinner.”

“Great,” Harry replied. “There seems to be a lovely Italian restaurant across from my hotel. Do you like Italian?”

“Love it,” I commented.

“Wonderful. Shall I come pick you up or…”

“Oh no, Harry,” I interrupted. “I actually live outside of the city. It would be silly for you go out of your way and then come all the way back.”

“Honestly, it’s no trouble. I can send a car-”

“Please, no,” I argued. “I can meet you there, it’s fine.”

“Stacey…” Harry said, his voice gentle yet firm. “I’m gonna pick you up, okay?”

A tiny sound escaped my lips as I nodded with the phone to my ear. “Okay.”

I gave Harry my address and we made plans for him to meet me at my apartment at 7:30. Even though I still thought it was a bit much, I didn’t want to come off rude since he was being so gracious. I gave him my cell number and by the time I hung up, I was nearly giddy with excitement, though I was trying my best to contain it.

“Lorelei,” I practically whispered when I rang her office. “Get in here.”

“What is it?” she pranced into the room ten seconds later, her heels clicking.

“We’re having dinner,” I muttered.

“We who, you and me?”

I shook my head. “Harry just called me.”

Lorelei raised her brows as a grin slowly spread across her face. In her typical fashion, she perched herself on the edge of my desk.

“What did I tell you?”

“Okay, so maybe he’s not just trying to pay for my blazer,” I remarked, feeling myself blushing.

“Please,” she smirked. “These flowers alone cost more than that Macy’s reject.” She leaned forward to inspect the fragrance. “Do you need me to babysit?”

“Oh my God, Lor, would you?”

“Of course,” she nodded. “I love your girls, and they love me.”

“You’re amazing, thank you.”

She beamed at me as she climbed off the desk. She knew how much I hated to ask my mother. Not that she didn’t ever watch my kids for me. She was just very good at making me feel like I was putting her out when I asked. Especially if it was last minute.

“So what are you gonna wear tonight?” Lorelei inquired. “I suggest something dark brown.”

“Bite me,” I sneered.

Lorelei chuckled, tossing her blonde locks over her shoulder. “Joking my dear. But I do think that black number you wore to the New Years party would knock his socks off.”

“Lor, that’s too fancy,” I crinkled my nose.

“Are you going to McDonald’s?”

I laughed. “No, but it’s not exactly a disco ball affair either. Maybe something a little less revealing.”

“Okay but…” she sighed, “please promise me you won’t go looking like you just came from a PTA meeting.”

I held my hands up. “I promise.”

I must’ve heard at least ten “oh my god”s in the last five minutes, and we weren’t even through the first box yet. Emery was the happiest nine-year-old I’d ever seen going through the items that Harry had sent. Jasmine was smiling big too, sometimes saying his name when she recognized his face on the merchandise.

I had to admit, I was pretty darn excited about the stuff too. His album wasn’t being officially released until the next Friday, but he’d sent copies for each of the girls and signed them, along with promo photos, posters, hats, bracelets, tote bags, keychains, and lots of other goodies.

When we tore into the second box, Emery was in heaven. It was all One Direction merch, from various stages of their career. I chuckled as she held a small pillow to her face. I kissed her on the cheek and told her I needed to start getting ready.

I was applying my lipstick when the doorbell rang, alerting me of Lorelei’s arrival. Emery shouted her announcement that she’d get it and within seconds I heard a squeal of delight. I walked into the living room just as Emery was pulling on Lorelei’s arm, guiding her to the boxes.

“He sent this all to me!” she exclaimed. “Well, to me and Jasmine.”

“I see!” said Lorelei as she sat down on the couch, her eyes wide. “Wow!” When I giggled, she lifted her head to see me. “Speaking of wow…”

“Is this okay?” I shrugged. I’d chosen an aqua blue dress that I rarely wore because I felt like it was too nice for work. I’d actually forgotten I had it until I dug through my closet and found it in the back.

“Definitely,” Lorelei nodded. “You look gorgeous.”

“Mommy, you’re so pretty!” Emery danced to me, wrapping her arms around my waist.

“Thank you, baby,” I kissed her forehead. “Be good for Lorelei, okay?”

She nodded before skipping back to her boxes. I hadn’t told her Harry was coming. I wanted it to be a surprise. I’d only told her I was going out.

“Are you nervous?” I heard Lorelei ask in a whisper.

“I think I’m gonna throw up,” I nodded.

Lorelei laughed. “C’mon, you got this. You’re awesome. Just don’t spill your wine and you’re good.”

“Thanks for the pep talk,” I rolled my eyes.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

“Fuck, he’s here,” I jumped.

“And early,” Lorelei raised her brows as she inspected her watch. “Nice.”

“Emery, you wanna answer the door for me?”

“Sure,” she shrugged, getting up from the floor. I sucked in my lips from the anticipation of her reaction, as well as my own nerves. Emery swung the door open, stopping frozen in her tracks, her arms out to her sides. “What in the…”

I giggled, covering my mouth with my hand. Emery’s mouth, however was wide open as she stared at Harry on the other side of the door frame.

“Hi!” he greeted. “Are you Emery?”

I saw her little chest puff up as she took in a deep breath and held it for a second before letting it out. “Oh...my...God!”

Harry laughed, an adorable crinkle by his eyes. I stepped up behind Emery, placing my hands on her shoulders.

“Harry, this is my youngest, Emery, who happens to be your biggest fan. And a little tongue tied right now.”

“Hello, Emery,” said Harry, extending his hand. “Lovely to meet you.”

Still a statue, I leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I think it would be okay if you gave him a hug.”

In one split second, Emery stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Harry’s torso. She squeezed tight, the same way she usually hugged me. Sometimes her affectionate nature overwhelmed me. Harry didn’t seem to mind in the least as he hugged her back. I smiled at the sight of them, and it made my heart swell.

“Alright, Em,” I commented, “Let’s let Harry get inside.”

“Oh yeah, sorry,” she giggled, stepping back.

I playfully mussed her hair as Harry crossed the threshold and I shut the door behind him.

“Hi,” he whispered as he stood next to me.

I grinned as I looked at him. He looked really handsome in a purple button-down and black jacket, black jeans and boots making his legs look even longer than necessary.

“Hi,” I whispered back.

“You look beauti-”

“Nooooooo!”

I jerked my head toward the loud and unfortunately familiar sound.

“Stacey!” called Lorelei as she emerged from Jasmine’s room. I hadn’t even noticed she’d left the living room. “I think she’s having another one.”

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath as I made my way to the other side of the apartment.

“Noooooo!” Jasmine screamed again.

“What’s going on?” I heard Harry ask, but I was already to the doorway.

“My sister’s having a seizure,” Emery informed him softly.

“It’s okay, sweet girl,” I tried to assure Jasmine as I walked around her bed to get to her. She was having spasms, her body jerking uncontrollably. I sat next to her, rubbing her back.

“Noooooo!”

I held her hand with my other one until she glared at me angrily. She tried to get up from the bed, but I knew that wasn’t a good idea.

“Jaz, you have to stay on the bed,” I instructed. “I don’t want you to fall.”

“Mommy!” she cried, bringing tears to my eyes. “Go!”

I knew she wasn’t really telling me to go. She was telling the seizure to go. She didn’t want it to happen. 

“I’m sorry, should I call 9-1-1?”

I looked up to see Harry in the doorway, a worried look on his face. Only my child could have made me momentarily forget his presence.

“No,” I shook my head. “It’ll be okay.”

“She has seizures from time to time,” Lorelei explained quietly.

“She might not even have one,” I commented as I continued to rub my daughter’s back. “She fights them off a lot.”

Jasmine continued to jerk, though her screaming had subsided. Her eyes were wide as she stared ahead.

“It’s okay, baby,” I murmured.

With one more jerk, Jasmine’s eyes rolled back, and her body froze. I laid her back on the bed, onto her side as she blew out hard breaths from her lips. I held onto her as I secretly cursed God for making my daughter go through this. After a minute or two, I said her name, making sure she could hear me. Her eyes fluttered open but quickly shut.

“Here ya go,” I heard behind me. I turned to see Harry holding a wet washcloth from the bathroom.

“Thanks,” I muttered, taking it from him. I wiped the drool and drops of blood from around my daughter’s mouth. She was still breathing heavily, but at least I knew the seizure was over.

I laid beside her, pushing her damp hair from her face and kissing her cheek. Then I ran my hand up and down her arm to soothe her. 

“Go to sleep,” I heard Jasmine declare.

“You’re ready to go to sleep?” I inquired.

“Yes.”

I kissed her forehead one last time before rising from the bed, recognizing that Harry had left the room. Then I whispered goodnight and turned out the light.

Emery met me halfway with a hug. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine, baby,” I assured her.

My eyes met Harry’s then as he sat on the sofa next to Lorelei. He stood and walked over to me when Emery released me.

“I’m so sorry,” I told him.

He looked taken back as he placed his hands on my upper arms. “What for?”

“For...this,” I held out my arms. “I’m sure it’s not what you were expecting to walk into.”

“Stacey,” he said, his eyes focused on mine, “you never have to apologize. You’re her mother.”

I felt a single tear trickle down my cheek and my body began to tremble. I wasn’t sure if it was the emotional turmoil of what I’d just had to go through, or the extremely close vicinity which Harry stood before me, but when another tear began to fall, I didn’t stop it. He took me in his arms then and I fell against him, sobbing. He remained silent as he rubbed my back, just as I had rubbed Jasmine’s.

“Don’t cry, Mommy,” I heard Emery say.

I felt her hug me from behind just as Harry pulled back to look at me. His hand cupped my cheek while his thumb wiped away a tear.

“Um...I really am sorry about this,” I declared.

“I already said-”

“I mean tonight,” I interrupted. “Our date. I just...I don’t think I could leave her now.”

“I understand,” Harry nodded.

“Oh, you guys can still go out!” Lorelei called from the couch. “I doubt she’s gonna have another one, and even if she does, I can handle it.”

“Thanks, Lor, but I’d just feel more comfortable if I stayed.”

Lorelei held up her hands. “Say no more.” She rose from the sofa and grabbed her bag and keys. “Great to see you again, Harry.”

“You too, Lorelei,” he nodded with a wave.

“Get to bed, princess,” she instructed when Emery ran to give her a hug.

When the door shut behind her, I looked at Harry, embarrassment setting in. Then I quickly shifted my focus to Emery.

“C’mon, monkey,” I said. “Time for bed.”

Emery groaned, dropping her shoulders and turning for her bedroom.

“Goodnight, Emery,” called Harry.

My nine year old swiftly twirled around and ran back to Harry, giving him an even tighter squeeze than before. I raised my brows at him as I peeled her away from him, but he just chuckled and knelt down.

“Hey,” he said, pointing to his cheek. “Right here.”

Emery beamed at him before planting a kiss on his cheek, then wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Goodnight, Harry,” she whispered.

When she finally let go, I followed her to her room and tucked her into bed. Then turning out the light and shutting the door, I walked back to the living room.

“She’s a hugger, that one,” remarked Harry.

I giggled. “Just a little.”

“You have beautiful kids, Stacey. You should be proud.”

I smiled. “Thank you. I am very proud of them. But not so much myself.”

“What do you mean?”

I sucked in my lips as I sat on the couch next to him. “Sometimes I think I’m a terrible mother.”

“What?” Harry raised his brows in question. “Why would you think that?”

I looked down at my lap, pretending to straighten my dress. “Well…” I swallowed, “Like with Jasmine. She’s Autistic and she has seizures. She’s pretty much non-vocal. She talks a little, but it’s usually just to tell you what she wants. You can’t really have conversations with her. Sometimes I feel…”

My words trailed off as I felt my throat start to close up.

“You feel what?”

“I feel like I did something to deserve this,” I choked.

I wasn’t looking at him. I couldn’t look at him. Not when I confessed something like that. He had to be wondering what in the hell he’d gotten himself into. One date - not even a date - and I was already an emotional mess.

His hand came into view and covered mine in my lap. Then he threaded his fingers through mine and lifted my hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it. I finally looked up at him then, his eyes filled with kindness.

“You’re an amazing mum, Stacey” he declared. “I won’t allow you to think you’re not. And none of this is your fault, got that?”

I blinked and nodded slowly. He squeezed my hand then but didn’t let go. His eyes stayed on my face until I sighed, and I gazed around the room.

“So tell me more about your book,” I heard Harry request.

“Oh,” I blushed for some reason. “Like what?”

“Like how and when you started it. Writing with Lorelei. Have you known her a long time?”

“Well, Lorelei moved here from New York. She was a writer too, but neither of us had ever had anything published. After a long day at work, we went out for drinks and started talking about maybe writing something together. We spent the next few days brainstorming and decided we definitely wanted to give it a try. Two years later, and...here we are.”

“Two years?” Harry raised a brow.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “I was going through a divorce then, so it took a while to even get started. I’d write some in my free time, but it seemed that free time was getting thinner and thinner. Lorelei would write a lot, but she’d slow down, feeling a little guilty that I couldn’t keep up. We put it on hiatus for a couple months until my divorce was final, then we picked it back up and wrote with a vengeance. When it was done, it still took a while to get through editing and publishing.”

“I see,” Harry nodded. “Well, it’s a really great book, Stacey.”

“You read it?”

“Of course, I told you I did. In the note.”

“I thought maybe you were just being nice. I mean, you actually read the whole thing?” I asked.

Harry chuckled. “You don’t believe me?”

“No, it’s not that, I-”

“Stacey,” Harry interrupted, leaning forward, his eyes demanding me to look at him. “I read your book. In one night, in fact. And I loved it.”

I was stunned. I couldn’t move. If it wasn’t for my chest rising and falling, I would have questioned whether or not I was breathing. My lips parted to say something, but all I could manage was “thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he nodded.

I stared at his face a little longer, more than necessary in fact, and I suddenly got chills all over. Lord have mercy, he was good looking. Shaking my head, I suddenly recalled our original mission.

“Shit, we were gonna go to dinner,” I groaned. “And I don’t think I have anything here other than leftovers.”

Harry shrugged. “No worries.”

“You’re probably hungry,” I said, crinkling my nose. “Nothing around here delivers except pizza.”

“I’m fine with that.”

I made a face. ���Really?”

Harry nodded with a grin. “I just wanted to have dinner with you, love. I didn’t care where.”

I probably looked like a fool the way I stared at him. Who was this guy? Was he for real? His smile grew, his dimple dipping in his cheek and I felt my face get warm. Quickly, I cleared my throat, releasing my hand from his grip.

“Pizza it is.”

“I have a question, Stacey,” Harry spoke softly while we sat at my dining table.

I loved how he said my name. He said it with determination, yet it slipped from his tongue like honey. And the way he looked at me when he spoke to me made me feel important.

“Okay,” I raised my brows as I eyed him across the table.

“In The Loving Kind, had Gavin not told Melissa to leave and go back to Louisiana, do you think they would have stayed together?”

I smiled at him, reaching for my glass of water. “What do you think?”

“I asked you first,” Harry smirked.

I shook my head. “See, that’s the whole point, Harry. It’s open to interpretation. Although there was closure at the end, it’s still sort of a cliffhanger. The big what if.”

“I think it depends on the reader’s idea of Melissa, too,” Harry remarked.

“How do you figure?”

“Well,” Harry paused, taking a swig of water and setting down his glass, “if the reader thinks Melissa is the one the title refers to, they probably would assume yes, she would have stayed in New York and tried to make it work. But perhaps Melissa is not ‘the loving kind’.”

“Hmm,” I sounded, leaning forward, my hands folded underneath my chin.

“Maybe the title refers to Gavin. Not necessarily that he’s ‘the loving kind’ either, but that Melissa was hoping he would be. And in the end, she realized it was all her perception of him, and that him telling her to go was the answer she was seeking, the closure to finally turn and walk away.”

I stared at him for a while, a grin slowly spreading across my face.

“Harry Styles, you astound me.”

He copied my smile, sitting back in his chair. I changed the focus of conversation to him then, telling him I enjoyed his acting in the movie he’d been in recently. He told me how much of a thrill it was to work with Christopher Nolan, and how he got several movie offers since then, but for now he was focusing on his music before choosing his next movie role.

I opened a bottle of wine I’d forgotten I had and before I knew it, it was nearly midnight. The time had seemed to fly by, and I was having a great time just chatting with Harry. He was so charming and witty.

“Oh my god, Harry!” I exclaimed as I rose from my chair to walk to the curtains in the living room. “You took a car service here!”

I looked out the window as if I could even find the car below. Harry chuckled.

“Relax, love, I called them hours ago.”

“Oh,” I turned back to face him.

“Come, sit with me,” he said, gesturing to the sofa.

Harry sat on the end, his glass of wine in his hand. I sat on the other. He raised a brow and then giggled.

“What?” I asked.

“Are you far enough away?” he quipped, beckoning me with his finger.

This time I knew I was blushing. “Sorry.”

When I scooted closer to him, he laid his arm across the back of the couch and turned slightly to face me.

“How long were you married?” Harry inquired.

I glared at him. “Seriously? We’re gonna talk about that?”

Harry shrugged. “I wanna know you, Stacey.”

I let out a slow sigh. “Okay. Um...we were together for sixteen years, but officially married for six.”

“Oh,” said Harry, not seeming the least bit turned off by that knowledge. “What does your ex husband do?”

I frowned. “He’s a music teacher.”

“How did you meet?”

I sighed once more. I was really uncomfortable. “At a concert. Do we really have to talk about this?”

“Oh, so you’re a music lover too?”

I beamed at him. “Yes. Very much. Before I met my ex, my dream was to be a singer.”

“Really?” Harry inquired. “You sing?”

“Mmm, mostly just in the shower and the car nowadays, but yeah.”

“Ah, okay, I knew I’d find it,” Harry remarked, sitting back.

“Find what?”

“Something else that makes your face light up like that.”

I stared at him. “Like what?”

“Just like that,” he pointed to my smile. “I’ve seen it four times now.”

“What were the other three?” I asked curiously.

“Well, when you talk about your kids. Kind of obvious. And when you talk about your book. And now music.”

“That’s only three,” I remarked. “What’s the fourth?”

Harry smirked, pulling his arm from behind the couch. “I’ll tell you later,” he said as he stood and walked to the bathroom.

I took the empty wine glasses to the kitchen, setting them in the sink. I leaned against the counter, grinning stupidly to myself. This young man had some sort of effect on me. I felt giddy, little butterflies in my stomach. I lifted my head when Harry returned, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

“So are you gonna tell me?” I begged, rounding the counter.

“Tell you what?”

“The fourth thing!”

Harry chuckled. “You really wanna know?”

“Yes, dammit!”

This made Harry laugh harder. His adorable smile made me give one in return even though I was trying not to.

“No,” he shook his head. “I think I’ll keep you guessing.”

“You’re mean,” I pouted, crossing my arms.

“C’mere, Stacey,” he insisted, pulling me to him, his voice low and his tone now serious. “I have to say goodbye now. My car’s here.”

I bit my bottom lip. Although I knew this time would come, I didn’t want the night to end. I hadn’t enjoyed a man’s company this much in a really long time. He was sweet and comforting. And heaven help me, I was attracted to him.

Harry seemed to study my face for a minute, his green eyes making me shiver. Sliding his hand under my ear, he tilted his head slightly and leaned in to kiss me. His lips were soft, brushing mine lightly at first before adding more pressure.

Something hit me in that moment. Truth. Realization that I probably would never see this man again. So, I got brave and kissed him back. I grabbed the front of his shirt before slipping my hands up his chest and around his neck. A tiny sound escaped his throat as I kissed him deeper, allowing our tongues to meet. I tasted the wine, and I felt my entire body melt down to my toes.

“Mmm,” he sounded when our lips parted and he rested his forehead against mine. “That was nice.”

I merely nodded, my vocal chords betraying me. Harry dragged his teeth across his bottom lip and released his hands from me.

“I gotta go, Stacey,” he whispered.

“I know.”

“Goodnight, love,” he added, giving me one last kiss.

He grabbed his jacket from the nearby chair, and I walked him to the door.

“Goodnight, Harry,” I smiled. “Thank you...for tonight. And everything.”

I watched him leave down the stairs to the parking lot below where a huge car was waiting for him. He turned and waved once more before getting in.

Shutting the door, I felt a sudden emptiness. It was like Harry was the sun and he had come in and brightened my home. And now he was gone.

After getting ready for bed, I was just about to crawl under the covers when I remembered I’d left my phone in my bag on the counter. Retrieving it, I noticed I had two new texts from a number I didn’t recognize. But I knew immediately from whom they were. Before reading them, I saved the number in my contacts, simply under Harry. Then I opened the texts, the biggest smile spreading across my face as I walked back to the bedroom.

So the fourth thing - when you look at me.

Sweet dreams, Stacey. Tonight was lovely. x H.

MASTERLIST | KO-FI | FEEDBACK

Also, if you enjoy my writing, please consider joining my Patreon!

[risualto]

I was tagged by @orime-stories to make some OC kisses in this picrew! Thank you.

Names and lil stories under the cut.

I'll tag (sorry if you've been tagged already; I'm not sure who's done this yet) @captainofthefallen @rannadylin @ariela-of-aedyr @hopelesshaunts @queen-scribbles @gwiriwyll @haledamage @marumigamer @quaxorascal and @bragganhyl! Tbh if you see this and you want to make some kisses, please make them and tag me so I see them, though.

Top left, we have my now-retired D&D baby, Montgomery von Calliston Radcliffe, kissing his lovely wife, Lorelei Valier. This is probably a relaxed kiss in the kitchen of their party's keep, early enough in the morning that no one is awake to start shenanigans (and before their accidentally acquired child wakes up and accidentally has a wild magic surge).

Top right is a currently-active D&D baby, Odelle, kissing her half-orc bestie, Pashka. They're not dating, but they've slept together in the past and have a very physical friendship. There's no feelings or obligations between them except to stay safe. This was a goodbye kiss the last time Odelle left the monastery. She's promising to come back.

Middle left is a @speakergame kiss featuring my Speaker, Yoshiko Nakamura, and the dryad-next-door, Azalea Mirin. Probably takes place a while in the future after Yoshiko has accepted her lesbian heart and gotten around to asking Azalea out (or accepting being asked out by Az, not sure which yet).

Middle right is my Everything Bad!Watcher, Lila, kissing Xoti <3 murder girlfriends go brrrrrr. Probably takes place after killing some cultists, but honestly might also be the blood of the town guards...depends on the day, I guess. They love each other, but not the idea that there are solutions other than violence. Featuring a little Gaun-like glow in the background.

Bottom left and right are both my primary WoL, Rihnkiki "Inky" Rihnki, kissing her boyfriends. Urianger's kiss was a surprise because he wasn't expecting to turn around and see Inky on the table before they left to meet up with Thancred; Thancred's is a lazy goodnight kiss while they're waiting for Urianger to finish reading a chapter of his book. I couldn't get green hair in this dollmaker (and idk how to photo edit), so these are from an AU where Inky's hair turned white post-ShB, I guess. Just consider Urianger's kiss mirrored, because otherwise you should be able to see their archon tattoo and Inky's scar.

[supremeuppityone]

WIP Wednesday

Here’s yet another sneak peek at my upcoming Klaroline one-shot in my Klaroline series, Perhaps One Day:

Chapter 32 - Deep Water Savage

In the corner of the splintered counter was a cracked leather ledger that appeared to have been hastily tossed away. Curious despite the dire circumstances, Caroline thumbed through it, pausing at a scribbled note on the last page of the ledger. It was in Italian, but someone had come along since then and attempted to translate it with blocky letters that said, “Rescued survivor from ship Lorelei. Nine crates — gold. Meeting crew talk pact/contract?”

            Caroline frowned at the confusing translation, feeling like there were a lot of Italian words that this person didn’t know based on the giant paragraph above their rough scribbling. It sounded like the Antonia Graza had picked up a survivor from a shipwreck. And the gold bars had been with them. Clearly, the gold was part of some kind of pact/contract among the crew. She glanced around the decaying ship, shivering. Is the gold somehow responsible for whatever happened to the Antonia Graza?            

A crinkled black-and-white photo was stuck to the back of the yellowed page and she studied it in confusion. How did they manage to capture every detail of the sculpted torso with the beautiful tattoo of a feather exploding into starlings in flight — but somehow the survivor’s face was hopelessly blurry? This didn’t matter right now, she told herself angrily. They needed to work together to keep this ruined hunk of metal afloat and somehow stay alive until they were rescued. That was all that mattered. 

[breakincaseofpokemonemergency]

Howdy! I'm Lorelei! Welcome to...a pokemon sideblog

Pokemon is WAY too big a franchise to get into, I'll swear up and down that I'm not a real Pokemon fan, but my complicated feelings aside, the fact is I get real invested in it like...minimum once a year, and I'm gonna need a place to put the spontaneous fanart I do or fanfic I do and ALL THE CONTENT I WANNA REBLOG SO BAD so here we are.

Asks are open, DMs are open, I do not bite and at any given time I'm probably Very lonely. Tell me about the blorbos, tell me about the game meta, tell me about your day, whatever. <3

Art and fanfic are scarce but are probably gonna show up. I'll make a tag for it when I post something, put it in the tags of this post or something. In the meantime, I'll be reblogging, maybe rambling, who knows

[anatomical-puppet]

HAPPY HALLOWEEN it’s spooky wonders time >:) decided to put my special interest to use and draw them all as horror characters!

[characters belong to @abd-illustrates]

further elaboration on my choices and general rambling under the cut!!

alastor: patrick bateman. man i don’t even know 😭 it was the first thing i thought of and then i physically could not think of anything better. and also it made me giggle. annoying wealthy white guy, checks out enough for me. i don't think he'd like huey lewis and the news tho

dock: leatherface. i mean c'mon, he had to be leatherface. i did actually briefly consider making him pinhead because of the black leather and the fixation on pain and all that, but leatherface felt more correct. gave him the sledge because i was NOT drawing two fucking chainsaws for this. absolutely not

lorelei: carrie white. largely went with vibes on this one ngl. lorelei's obviously not nearly as sympathetic as carrie lmao, but i thought the haunted stare and the scary telekinetic powers fit for her :) also i kinda just wanted to draw her covered in blood . shrug

bandy: chucky. listen i wanted to make him a horror clown SO bad but none of them felt right :( wanted to make him a killer klown from outer space but they're so bootnasty looking and it wouldn't have carried well, and then i was debating making him tim curry pennywise but it just didn't connect well in my head. so now he's chucky :) ginger little asshole. the batteries being swapped into his hand was supposed to be a reference to the scene in the first child's play where karen realizes chucky doesn't have any batteries in, i thought that was fun. i also desperately wanted to make him the djinn from wishmaster but that was not gonna work out so i didn't even bother entertaining the concept fhdsjfhdjs

diana: pearl. country gal !!! also just thought she'd look soooo pretty in that red dress from the end, and i think pearl's energy in the scene where she's chasing mitsy felt sufficiently dianacore. diana isn't that manic obviously but u get the point. i want her to feed someone to an alligator!!!

lance: ash williams. the stupid fuckboy energy is PALPABLE, i think lance would absolutely get up to some goofy evil dead 2 hijinks omg are u kidding me. also i think if you told him that having a chainsaw hand was an option he would cut his own hand off immediately

[loreleis-art]

Mercurial Superfly 7 Elite FG

Scribble scribble

- biro drawings

[kumiaku]

Another Esther post because I've lowkey been drawing her more than working on the next chapter ehe

Esther and the Doll, my beloved ♥️

Old Esther painting plan I never got around too, but I found the little doodles on the side so funny so I

Drew one of them again

The vibe Esther should give

The Doll w/ her princess behavior

+small scribble of Esther vs Lorelei height wise.

There are a couple that I skipped over bcuz I plan to post them just before the chapter releases, so I can link it to the chapter, which will finally showcase the Esther-Lorelei appearance.

Just know that one of the things I wrote on this page is "why is it all yuri" which is very accurate.

[oneknightstand-if]

What idle animations would the ROs have if they were in a video game?

Merlin: humming with music notes surrounding them, trench coat flapping, hair flip (so many choices here!)

Adrian: looking stealthily around & slouching, pulling his hoodie up around his face, pushes eyeglasses up, randomly carrying the MC off every 100 animations

Arthur: reaching back to check that Excalibur is still in its scabbard and hasn't... done anything, cape flapping, extended arm leading warriors into battle pose, randomly dressed as stable boy & sneaking off screen every 100 animations or so

Percy: pulling a spider/snake/whathaveyou out of his pocket, birds landing on his shoulder, randomly doing a backflip every 100 idle animations or so

4̸0̴4̴ ̴E̷r̷r̸o̶r̶ ̶N̵o̴t̴ ̶F̵o̷u̵n̴d̴: *insert spoilers here*

Cassandra: scribbling in her notepad, pulling out her gun, that hand to face pose that detectives keep doing 🤔

Gwen: hands up to face sparkly-eyed pose, tripping over something or other, randomly does a wrestling elbow drop every 100 idle animations or so

Vivian: emerging out of a splash of water, iridescently changing colors, randomly turning into a proper human-like form every 100 idle animations or so

Lorelei: pulling out her bow & aiming, flipping her braid behind her back, putting on a gas mask randomly every 100 idle animations

Broderick: also stealthily looking around, tapping his foot with his arms crossed, sliding off screen... he gone

[paranormals-of-ilvermorny]

Chapter 8

“What do you mean there’s something living in the woods? What if you just saw a bush-man, they're known to roam these parts.” Lorelei asked, hoping beyond hope that her friend might see reason. Bush-men are tall tree-like beings covered head to toe in furnish leaves and growths, their forest green turning brown in the fall, causing many Muggles to mistake these gentle giants as ‘Sasquatches’.

“I know what I saw, Lei.” Robin whispered back, trying not to get caught by Professor Aster for talking during his lecture on even versus odd numbers. They had been going back and forth since last night, and all through breakfast this morning abou what Robin saw during the Quodpot game. While she trusts her friend to not make things up for attention, it just seemed illogical for a creature to be standing so close to the school grounds without a teacher knowing, let alone the headmaster.

“I trust your vision,” started Lorelei, pretending to write notes with her quill, “but there are so many variables. What if the heat was getting to you? Or the adrenaline from flying? What if what you saw was just one of the Pukwudgies?”

“That thing was not a Pukwudgie. It was at least six feet tall, and the Wudges aren’t exactly giants.” Robin angrily whispered back, frustrated that her friend doesn’t believe her.

“But what if—“

“Miss Raywood. Is there something more important than the lesson?” Asked an irked Professor Aster, with his arms crossed in the classic teacher who was just interrupted. After mumbling an embarrassed ‘no professor’, she avoided eye contact by keeping her nose to her notes, noticing the hurried way Robin was scribbling on a piece of parchment next to her. Once finished, she ripped the parchment and slid it over to Lorelei, all while keeping her eyes glued to her open textbook.

The torn parchment had on it a rough drawing of what looked like the tree line that surrounded the castle grounds, with a shadowy figure watching behind a pine tree. It was enough to make Lorelei feel uneasy in her stomach at the thought that there could be something or someone watching just behind the darkness. Could Robin be right? Did she really see this thing?

The girls’ conversation was brought to a halt for the remainder of class, and the rest of the day. Robin, fed up and disgruntled that Lorelei didn’t believe her, chose not to talk about the matter or the game. While they took a break from the mysterious creature, Lorelei held on to the drawing Robin gave her during class. She’s not sure why she didn’t just throw away the parchment, but something told her to hold on to it, at least for now.

It was a few days later, September 13, and Lorelei was walking through the castle to meet Robin in the library. For any other student, this would be a normal, if not mundane, experience. But the fact that Robin was the one to initiate the meetup in the library was a cause for alarm. The only other time she wanted to meet there was in second year when she had a crush on an upperclassman, Sylvia Hawks, who was studying for her midterms, and Robin loved to watch her scrunch her brows in confusion only to glow at getting the answer right.

As she entered the library, Lorelei took a deep breath of knowledge, the same thing she did every time she entered the old building. As the best place in the school, possibly the world, Lorelei found all the comfort and safety she could in here. Surrounded by large wooden bookcases, both on the ground and second level, there were various places to sit at a round table and study. There were also plenty of comfy chairs and couches to relax in with a cup of smuggled tea in the winter time, hoping that Miss Belrose and her one good eye don’t catch you. For an older woman missing most of her teeth, and hair, she moves very fast and can smell a wrongdoing a mile away. One time, during her first winter at Ilvermorny, Lorelei got a very stern scolding when the older woman found her sitting in an armchair next to one of the tall windows with a cup of warm cider. As one of her many rules, Ms. Prim enforces each and every one of them; including no food or drink allowed.

Making her way through the different sections of books, Lorelei kept her eyes on the lookout for her friend. After checking the table near natural sciences, she found Robin sitting at a round table with a few books opened around her. She was so absorbed in whatever she was reading that Lorelei’s presence almost went unnoticed, being able to place her bag down before taking a seat.

”Oh, was wondering when you’d get here.” She said absentmindedly, still skimming with her finger from one book to another. Apparently, Robin had told Amanda Logg, the Horned Serpents’ monitor, to tell Lorelei to meet her in the library. It was a game of telephone that Lorelei didn’t see the need for, considering it was a Friday so they didn’t have any classes or impending schoolwork to accomplish. “I already know what you’re gonna say, ‘Robin you’re crazy, researching for a creature you only saw for a split second’. But I’m telling you, it won’t leave my head.” That was an understatement. Robin had missed several important class notes and announcements because the shadow creature had taken up residence in the forefront of her mind.

“Now, I’ve already gotten some really good ideas of what it could be. For instance,” she began, then grabbing one of the open books around for Lorelei to look at. “It could be a Drake, they’re like giant lizard things, but my creature wasn’t walking on four legs. It could also be an Erkling,” another book, “but those aren’t native to America. So,” she now looked directly at Lorelei, the first time since she sat down, “I’d really appreciate it if I could enlist you and your bookish knowledge for help in identifying this thing. Then, and only then, will I be able to shut up about it. Whattaya say?” She ended with a lopsided smile and her hand reached out for a friendly shake.

It took a minute for everything she had rambled about to sink in, but eventually Lorelei weighed her options. She could either say no and possibly hear about this being for all of eternity, or lose her best friend by denying her account of what she saw. Or, she could spend an afternoon researching magical creatures to narrow down what Robin saw and put this behind them to laugh about next month.

“Miss Copper, you have yourself a deal.” She shook Robin’s hand, sporting a smile of her own. Once business was taken care of, Lorelei went over to the Magizoology bookcase and chose what she felt would help their hunt the most.

After looking through their books, and asking Robin questions to get a mental image of her own, Lorelei was beginning to think Doctor Eurico Lyptus’s Magical Menagerie wasn’t going to have the answers she sought. So, book in hand, she went back over to the bookcase and replaced the book. Whilst peeing at the titles and reading some descriptions, Lorelei felt the presence of someone walking towards her.

“Hey, Lei. Funny seeing you here.” Lorelei looked over to see Orville Doe, in all his charming glory to be speaking to her. Despite being one of the taller girls in her house, Orville’s height still had her looking up at his dark town eyes.

“Hey, hi. Yes, it is funny seeing you here.” She felt very flustered all of a sudden, forgetting her words, until they slowly came back. “Wh-why is it funny to see me here?”

He laughed, short and sweet, merely a puff of air.” Because you’re always studying. Even on a Friday.”

“Oh, well actually I’m helping Robin…” she stopped short. What does she tell him? ‘No I’m not studying, in fact, I’m helping my possibly delusional friend identify the creature she saw the other day while flying a hundred miles an hour on a broom, no biggie’. Definitely not. Instead, she chose to go the less insane route, hopefully with less chances of scaring him off. “I’m helping Robin with a project.” His handsome features crinkled in question. “It’s about magical beasts and monsters and such. Trying to find the right book that might match the description she was given.

The suspicion melted away from his face, his dimpled smile appearing instead. “Oh, what a cool assignment. I wish Shrew gave out such unique homework.”

“Ha, yeah, instead of the usual ‘turn this scarf into a stoat’,” she joked to him.

This caused Orville to let out a truly deep laugh, a harmonious thing for Lorelei to hear, causing her cheeks to heat up knowing it was her doing. She wanted to make him laugh more, bottle each one up and savor them in secret from any judging eyes. “That was a really good one.” He told her, then moving his eyes to the books in front of them. “Here,” he said, grabbing a big book titled The Big Book of Fur and Scales, and handed it over to Lorelei. “This is a really good one, it has great pictures and drawings too. Good luck.” With that, Orville Doe casually walked back up the row and took a turn, out of sight. Taking a moment to linger in the air he took up, smelling like spices and wood, before Lorelei too walked back to the table her and Robin were occupying.

Her friend hadn’t noticed a thing, not the dreamy smile on Lorelei’s lips nor the new book in her hands. Instead, she remained glued to the book before her. Taking another deep breath, Lorelei put the interaction with Orville into her own mental library, for later remembrance, and opened the book he thought might help her.

It was hours later, the sun almost setting on the school, and the girls still haven't found what caught Robin’s eye. They went through almost every possible creature, living or extinct, that could have possibly been lurking in the shadows of the forest. They tried Erklings, but they’re not tall enough. Then a Leithfold, but those are native to the Tropics. It was getting to the point where Lorelei was getting a headache and the only cure was to never read about a tall, dark figure ever again.

With a slight pounding in her head, Lorelei was ready to call it quits but she knew Robin was too stubborn to let her. She was about ready to close her book and leave without saying a word, until Robin abruptly got up from her seat.

”That’s it! I’ve had it! Whatever it was will just have to haunt me,” she exclaimed whilst walking around the table, “for the rest of my life into my old age because there is no way we are going to find it! I, Robin Ophelia Copper, officially qu— go back one page.” She stopped walking right as she reached Lorelei, getting a view of her book over her shoulder. While her friend was renting she was flipping its pages without paying attention, that is until Robin told her to go back one.

Doing as she told, Lorelei flipped the old book’s page back to the one before. With great enthusiasm that she didn’t know her friend still possessed after all the hours in the library, Robin pointed to a drawing. “That’s it, that’s what I saw! Lorelei, we did it!”

Lorelei looked to where her friend’s finger was in the book, pointing to a lithe figure with a horned skull head. The artist had drawn it in the dark surrounded by trees and shadows, the figure and its limbs seemingly morphing into its environment. Somehow, having never seen the creature before in her life, Lorelei felt the same uneasy feeling in her stomach that Robin’s drawing flicked.

The drawing! I still have it!

Reaching into her bag and rummaging through her parchment pieces, she found the drawing that Robin slid to her during class. Placing the paper next to the drawing in the book and all puzzle pieces fit, but many questions were left unanswered. The drawing Robin made looked almost like a child’s rendition of what the book depicted, freakishly accurate to each other. After looking at the picture, both girls then looked at the name of it, and a feeling of dread and fear washed over them.

Cutis Cervus Vir

Skinwalker

“What do you mean there’s something living in the woods? What if you just saw a bush-man, they're known to roam these parts.” Lorelei asked, hoping beyond hope that her friend might see reason. Bush-men are tall tree-like beings covered head to toe in furnish leaves and growths, their forest green turning brown in the fall, causing many Muggles to mistake these gentle giants as ‘Sasquatches’.

“I know what I saw, Lei.” Robin whispered back, trying not to get caught by Professor Aster for talking during his lecture on even versus odd numbers. They had been going back and forth since last night, and all through breakfast this morning abou what Robin saw during the Quodpot game. While she trusts her friend to not make things up for attention, it just seemed illogical for a creature to be standing so close to the school grounds without a teacher knowing, let alone the headmaster.

“I trust your vision,” started Lorelei, pretending to write notes with her quill, “but there are so many variables. What if the heat was getting to you? Or the adrenaline from flying? What if what you saw was just one of the Pukwudgies?”

“That thing was not a Pukwudgie. It was at least six feet tall, and the Wudges aren’t exactly giants.” Robin angrily whispered back, frustrated that her friend doesn’t believe her.

“But what if—“

“Miss Raywood. Is there something more important than the lesson?” Asked an irked Professor Aster, with his arms crossed in the classic teacher who was just interrupted. After mumbling an embarrassed ‘no professor’, she avoided eye contact by keeping her nose to her notes, noticing the hurried way Robin was scribbling on a piece of parchment next to her. Once finished, she ripped the parchment and slid it over to Lorelei, all while keeping her eyes glued to her open textbook.

The torn parchment had on it a rough drawing of what looked like the tree line that surrounded the castle grounds, with a shadowy figure watching behind a pine tree. It was enough to make Lorelei feel uneasy in her stomach at the thought that there could be something or someone watching just behind the darkness. Could Robin be right? Did she really see this thing?

The girls’ conversation was brought to a halt for the remainder of class, and the rest of the day. Robin, fed up and disgruntled that Lorelei didn’t believe her, chose not to talk about the matter or the game. While they took a break from the mysterious creature, Lorelei held on to the drawing Robin gave her during class. She’s not sure why she didn’t just throw away the parchment, but something told her to hold on to it, at least for now.

It was a few days later, September 13, and Lorelei was walking through the castle to meet Robin in the library. For any other student, this would be a normal, if not mundane, experience. But the fact that Robin was the one to initiate the meetup in the library was a cause for alarm. The only other time she wanted to meet there was in second year when she had a crush on an upperclassman, Sylvia Hawks, who was studying for her midterms, and Robin loved to watch her scrunch her brows in confusion only to glow at getting the answer right.

As she entered the library, Lorelei took a deep breath of knowledge, the same thing she did every time she entered the old building. As the best place in the school, possibly the world, Lorelei found all the comfort and safety she could in here. Surrounded by large wooden bookcases, both on the ground and second level, there were various places to sit at a round table and study. There were also plenty of comfy chairs and couches to relax in with a cup of smuggled tea in the winter time, hoping that Miss Belrose and her one good eye don’t catch you. For an older woman missing most of her teeth, and hair, she moves very fast and can smell a wrongdoing a mile away. One time, during her first winter at Ilvermorny, Lorelei got a very stern scolding when the older woman found her sitting in an armchair next to one of the tall windows with a cup of warm cider. As one of her many rules, Ms. Prim enforces each and every one of them; including no food or drink allowed.

Making her way through the different sections of books, Lorelei kept her eyes on the lookout for her friend. After checking the table near natural sciences, she found Robin sitting at a round table with a few books opened around her. She was so absorbed in whatever she was reading that Lorelei’s presence almost went unnoticed, being able to place her bag down before taking a seat.

”Oh, was wondering when you’d get here.” She said absentmindedly, still skimming with her finger from one book to another. Apparently, Robin had told Amanda Logg, the Horned Serpents’ monitor, to tell Lorelei to meet her in the library. It was a game of telephone that Lorelei didn’t see the need for, considering it was a Friday so they didn’t have any classes or impending schoolwork to accomplish. “I already know what you’re gonna say, ‘Robin you’re crazy, researching for a creature you only saw for a split second’. But I’m telling you, it won’t leave my head.” That was an understatement. Robin had missed several important class notes and announcements because the shadow creature had taken up residence in the forefront of her mind.

“Now, I’ve already gotten some really good ideas of what it could be. For instance,” she began, then grabbing one of the open books around for Lorelei to look at. “It could be a Drake, they’re like giant lizard things, but my creature wasn’t walking on four legs. It could also be an Erkling,” another book, “but those aren’t native to America. So,” she now looked directly at Lorelei, the first time since she sat down, “I’d really appreciate it if I could enlist you and your bookish knowledge for help in identifying this thing. Then, and only then, will I be able to shut up about it. Whattaya say?” She ended with a lopsided smile and her hand reached out for a friendly shake.

It took a minute for everything she had rambled about to sink in, but eventually Lorelei weighed her options. She could either say no and possibly hear about this being for all of eternity, or lose her best friend by denying her account of what she saw. Or, she could spend an afternoon researching magical creatures to narrow down what Robin saw and put this behind them to laugh about next month.

“Miss Copper, you have yourself a deal.” She shook Robin’s hand, sporting a smile of her own. Once business was taken care of, Lorelei went over to the Magizoology bookcase and chose what she felt would help their hunt the most.

After looking through their books, and asking Robin questions to get a mental image of her own, Lorelei was beginning to think Doctor Eurico Lyptus’s Magical Menagerie wasn’t going to have the answers she sought. So, book in hand, she went back over to the bookcase and replaced the book. Whilst peeing at the titles and reading some descriptions, Lorelei felt the presence of someone walking towards her.

“Hey, Lei. Funny seeing you here.” Lorelei looked over to see Orville Doe, in all his charming glory to be speaking to her. Despite being one of the taller girls in her house, Orville’s height still had her looking up at his dark town eyes.

“Hey, hi. Yes, it is funny seeing you here.” She felt very flustered all of a sudden, forgetting her words, until they slowly came back. “Wh-why is it funny to see me here?”

He laughed, short and sweet, merely a puff of air.” Because you’re always studying. Even on a Friday.”

“Oh, well actually I’m helping Robin…” she stopped short. What does she tell him? ‘No I’m not studying, in fact, I’m helping my possibly delusional friend identify the creature she saw the other day while flying a hundred miles an hour on a broom, no biggie’. Definitely not. Instead, she chose to go the less insane route, hopefully with less chances of scaring him off. “I’m helping Robin with a project.” His handsome features crinkled in question. “It’s about magical beasts and monsters and such. Trying to find the right book that might match the description she was given.

The suspicion melted away from his face, his dimpled smile appearing instead. “Oh, what a cool assignment. I wish Shrew gave out such unique homework.”

“Ha, yeah, instead of the usual ‘turn this scarf into a stoat’,” she joked to him.

This caused Orville to let out a truly deep laugh, a harmonious thing for Lorelei to hear, causing her cheeks to heat up knowing it was her doing. She wanted to make him laugh more, bottle each one up and savor them in secret from any judging eyes. “That was a really good one.” He told her, then moving his eyes to the books in front of them. “Here,” he said, grabbing a big book titled The Big Book of Fur and Scales, and handed it over to Lorelei. “This is a really good one, it has great pictures and drawings too. Good luck.” With that, Orville Doe casually walked back up the row and took a turn, out of sight. Taking a moment to linger in the air he took up, smelling like spices and wood, before Lorelei too walked back to the table her and Robin were occupying.

Her friend hadn’t noticed a thing, not the dreamy smile on Lorelei’s lips nor the new book in her hands. Instead, she remained glued to the book before her. Taking another deep breath, Lorelei put the interaction with Orville into her own mental library, for later remembrance, and opened the book he thought might help her.

It was hours later, the sun almost setting on the school, and the girls still haven't found what caught Robin’s eye. They went through almost every possible creature, living or extinct, that could have possibly been lurking in the shadows of the forest. They tried Erklings, but they’re not tall enough. Then a Leithfold, but those are native to the Tropics. It was getting to the point where Lorelei was getting a headache and the only cure was to never read about a tall, dark figure ever again.

With a slight pounding in her head, Lorelei was ready to call it quits but she knew Robin was too stubborn to let her. She was about ready to close her book and leave without saying a word, until Robin abruptly got up from her seat.

”That’s it! I’ve had it! Whatever it was will just have to haunt me,” she exclaimed whilst walking around the table, “for the rest of my life into my old age because there is no way we are going to find it! I, Robin Ophelia Copper, officially qu— go back one page.” She stopped walking right as she reached Lorelei, getting a view of her book over her shoulder. While her friend was renting she was flipping its pages without paying attention, that is until Robin told her to go back one.

Doing as she told, Lorelei flipped the old book’s page back to the one before. With great enthusiasm that she didn’t know her friend still possessed after all the hours in the library, Robin pointed to a drawing. “That’s it, that’s what I saw! Lorelei, we did it!”

Lorelei looked to where her friend’s finger was in the book, pointing to a lithe figure with a horned skull head. The artist had drawn it in the dark surrounded by trees and shadows, the figure and its limbs seemingly morphing into its environment. Somehow, having never seen the creature before in her life, Lorelei felt the same uneasy feeling in her stomach that Robin’s drawing flicked.

The drawing! I still have it!

Reaching into her bag and rummaging through her parchment pieces, she found the drawing that Robin slid to her during class. Placing the paper next to the drawing in the book and all puzzle pieces fit, but many questions were left unanswered. The drawing Robin made looked almost like a child’s rendition of what the book depicted, freakishly accurate to each other. After looking at the picture, both girls then looked at the name of it, and a feeling of dread and fear washed over them.

Cutis Cervus Vir

Skinwalker

[stellar-secrecy]

I finished Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, and no one asked for my opinions but here they are anyway!

puzzles: good puzzles! Let me be clear: I have solved a lot of bad puzzles in my life, and none of them were in this video game. I would not describe them as integrated with the world; they are in almost every case "you enter a room........and there's a puzzle!!" (or more often, "you would like to enter a room...but first, a puzzle!") but they are elegant enough, it is clear when you have the right answer, and very little information is ever wasted. I had to look up a few hints, but I was never mad at the puzzle designers about it.

narrative: eh. I've seen some people be very enthusiastic about the storyline but personally I didn't find it super interesting. It is very much a puzzle game first and foremost, and I find it difficult to engage with a narrative when I'm using my brain to solve puzzles. the vibes are cool but I think the suspense is more interesting than the truth.

atmosphere: 10/10 incredible. the sound design is excellent; the visuals are striking; the overall vibes are very spooky without having that much actually scary stuff happen. the game recommends you play in a quiet, dim space for the greatest effect. I recommended to myself that I not do that because it's too scary when I'm all alone and it's dark :(

jumpscares: not really. it's real unnerving the first time a [redacted] [redacted] but then you get used to it. and as for the [redacted], they did warn me that it was about to [redacted] so really I have no one to blame but myself

physical skills: no parkour or fancy movement or quick time events, but you'd better have a great sense of direction or be really good at checking maps every five seconds.

It took me a little under 15 hours and a lot of scribbled notes that I will one day look back on and go "what?" which I think is a success.