#Driving Lessons in Harrow

[thincdriving]

Learn Automatic Driving in Harrow with Thinc Driving School

Are you ready to hit the road with confidence? At Thinc Driving School, we specialize in automatic driving lessons in Harrow, making learning to drive simple, stress-free, and effective.

Automatic cars are becoming increasingly popular for their ease of use, and they’re perfect for learners who want a smoother, more straightforward driving experience. Our professional instructors are experts in teaching with patience and clarity, ensuring you feel comfortable and capable behind the wheel.

Whether you’re a complete beginner, nervous driver, or someone looking to switch from manual to automatic, our tailored lessons are designed to suit your needs. We focus on building your confidence, developing essential road skills, and preparing you to pass your driving test with flying colors.

What sets Thinc Driving School apart?

Qualified Instructors: Friendly, experienced, and DVSA-approved.

Flexible Scheduling: Lessons at times that work for you.

Modern Vehicles: Easy-to-drive automatic cars with the latest features.

Local Expertise: Knowledge of Harrow's test routes and driving conditions.

Learning to drive is a valuable life skill that opens the door to independence. With automatic lessons, you can focus more on the road and less on gear changes, making your journey to becoming a confident driver quicker and more enjoyable.

Start your driving adventure today with Thinc Driving School! Call us now or visit our website to book your first automatic driving lesson in Harrow. Your road to freedom begins here!

[chthonion]

Do you have a favorite part of the Harrowing that nobody’s explicitly mentioned before? I always love hearing what authors love about their own works.

Oooh, this is such a fun question! And a hard one, because there's so many things that I love about working on it.

A fun fact: one of my favorite scenes is coming up soonish, probably in chapter 50, as part of the arc that just kicked off in the chapter I posted today, and it is so weird that I will have to resist the temptation, in edits, to un-weird it. A lot of my favorite parts are the parts that are the most daring and strange. (Like...Frodo and Annatar's relationship, for instance. What am I doing)

One of my favorite things about the work as a whole is the fact that the Celebrimbor/Annatar romance is a driving engine that makes the rest of the story tick, and Annatar expected it to be the center of the story, and indeed the be all/end all of his existence...but that's not how people work. And Annatar is now a people, which means that's not how he works either.

Annatar started this story expecting it to be a world-altering romance. What he's getting instead is a sometimes-brutal, sometimes-beautiful lesson in why you cannot put a single person at the center of your existence and not care about anything else, and ultimately he has tripped and fallen into a story about friendship and community and family, because once he started learning to truly love one person it was inevitable that he would learn to love multiple people, and that is going to make all the difference.

[captorations]

okay i'm actually going to talk about the phrase "her necromancer" again in the context of TLT being a master class in proper and powerful epithet usage. because while the first time gideon's narration used it for harrow was after picking her unconscious body up and inspecting her after finding her passed out, and the second time after successfully removing her from the situation and having heard her recover enough to wake up and be bitchy for a moment, it was actually used for what i believe is the first time overall shortly before. still by gideon's narration, but for palamedes, referring to him as camilla's.

gideon has just met these people. camilla actually tried to kill her on sight, briefly presuming her a threat. but in that time, gideon has recognized that they *belong* to each other. palamedes is camilla's necromancer, camilla is palamedes's cavalier. with all the possessiveness and codependence and affection that entails.

so a part of her, the part that's been raised on the revered ideal of the necro-cav pair, recognizes them as embodying it. in a way that's actually far more intense than the standard, and in a way that serves only to highlight just how badly gideon and harrow are fucking it up.

but even as she sees their differences, she also sees their similarities. as camilla attacks her, gideon directly acknowledges: "here was a warrior, not just a cavalier." of course gideon would know and appreciate the difference; she was trained by a warrior to be a warrior. the cavalier thing is new, and a facade, and the latter is also true for camilla. both in terms of combat style and in terms of the expected subservience, as gideon is certainly not subservient to harrow in the traditional sense, and camilla and palamedes, as much as they embody the necro-cav ideal, also defy it in that they are *equal* partners. hell, in NtN, camilla teases palamedes for implying that she's mindlessly following his agenda and ignoring her own. "you thought it was your agenda? huh."

then, to drive the nail home, palamedes directly scolds gideon- and harrow- after they retrieve harrow safely. he tells them: "stop splitting your forces."

because pal has seen the similiarities too. not only is he also the young leader of an entire house burdened with an impossible task (saving dulcinea, vs. saving the whole ninth), he has the same issue harrow does, working himself to exhaustion unless someone stops him. so he's telling gideon: you have to be there for her, because she's like me, and if camilla wasn't there to step in, i'd work myself to death too.

it's worth noting that harrow recognizes the parallels between the two pairs as well. it's why she's so wary of pal, even as pal is all but making them friendship bracelets. i've said it before: harrow thinks of herself as a threat, and thus, anyone similar to her must be a threat also.

all this to say that gideon first calling harrow "her necromancer" in the immediate wake of being given an implict lesson by the sixth, doing so for the second time after an explicit lesson by the same, and going on to do so throughout the story, is an exactingly calculated move and devastatingly effective for it. this is what epithets can do in the right hands. and it fucks

[loneamaryllis]

Snarriet rec list - Medium fics (30k to 100k)

A Family of her Own

by tully. Rated E. 53k. Pining, Floor Sex, Pregnancy.

Harrie Potter has never had a family, not really. Now that she is adult and independent, she wishes to change that.

Why I rec it: Tully always write such a hot, intense Snape. Here Harrie wants to get pregnant and settles on Snape as the father. Featuring Portrait Phineas Black who is the biggest Snarriet shipper and a devious schemer.

Dig Up the Dandelions

by ImSoREY. Rated E. 49k, WIP. (Underage) Soulmate Bond, Slow Burn, Mad Snape.

Soulmate was a cheap word for a curse that could drive a man mad with a single touch. It was a cheap word for something that could ruin so many lives. — Rowan Potter is Severus Snape’s soulmate. In many ways, nothing is different. In others, everything is changed.

Why I rec it: The concept is so great! The soulmate bond drives Snape mad and makes him behave in completely unpredictable ways... You're not ready for what he does to Umbridge.

Cursum Perficio

by @silraen. Rated M. 72k. Slow Burn, Banter, Protective Snape.

Severus Snape, the man who was partly responsible for the Potters’ murder, finds himself the unlikely protector of their daughter, Harriet. This story shows how he finds his redemption by aiding her, and in so doing, unwittingly wins her affection, and eventually, her love.

Why I rec it: A fic going through all seven years of Harriet at Hogwarts. It does a really good job at building the relationship. Plus there's gorgeous art made especially for the fic!

Succor

by pluperfectsunrise. Rated E. 40k. Soulmates. Bisexual Harry. Protective Snape.

Five times Severus Snape comforted Harry Potter, and one time Harry comforted him.

Why I rec it: Technically a 5+1 fic, starting in Harry's first year and ending after the war, showing little glimpses of her life and her relationship with Snape as it evolves. It's one of my comfort fics, so very nice to come back to.

Teaching Miss Potter

by gamma_orionis. Rated E. 46k, WIP. (Underage). Porn with Plot. Dom Severus Snape. Dirty Talk.

Another Occlumency lesson gone horribly wrong.

Snape delves into Harrie's mind and discovers something completely unexpected. He makes her an offer that flips Harrie's world upside down.

Why I rec it: Snape and Harrie entering into a BDSM relationship, hot smut, Snape being deliciously dominant while Harrie discovers what she likes...

Crimson Clovers

by @spicedlantern. Rated M. 60k. Mutual Pining, Mystery, Horror Vibes.

In which Harriet Potter has a kidnapped aunt, is stalked, pines, gets a cold, and proves that Severus Snape does not, in fact, know everything - not necessarily in that order.

Why I rec it: The first fic I read from spicedlantern, and I immediately knew I'd like everything else she'd write. She's a master at writing tense scenes, her Snape is so multi-layered and so protective of Harriet, and her villains are pitch perfect.

The Perdition of his Redemption

by @hirukochan. Rated E. 46k. (Underage) Muggle AU. Snape is Harrie's godfather. Gun Kink.

They know it is wrong. They know neither one of them should feel the way they do but how does one stop feeling?

Harrie discovers the dark truth about her godfather's past, will this finally be the thing that stops the harrowing crush she has developed and that keeps her awake at night? Or will it only get worse? After all - good girls like bad boys, and what is worse than having been the right hand of the leader of the most notorious international organisation of criminals?

Why I rec it: Hot, lethal Snape wielding a gun and being so very protective of Harrie... while being attracted to her and being tormented because he knows it's wrong. And Harrie teases him and makes it clear she wants him too!

Harrie's Cat

by @loneamaryllis. Rated E. 49k. Cat Animagus Severus Snape. Denial of Feelings. Fluff.

The fic where Harrie puts a collar on Snape and calls him hers.

Why I rec it: A self-rec! Snape being Harrie's cat while she's mourning him after the Battle of Hogwarts. Add some Aurors who come sniffing for a pinch of danger, my OC Mathilda for some fluffy shenanigans, and Harrie calling the cat Prince, of course.

[falcatas]

Rate your OC: Evelyn Trevelyan

I will continue yapping about my DA OCs :)

Now the Inky!

Evelyn Trevelyan (theInquisitor)

Compassion: 8/10. She is deeply compassionate and fair, but her unleashed rage is terrible too.

Bitterness: 6/10. Usually stone-faced, making it difficult to tell when she’s unhappy. She can maintain a calm expression even while pronouncing a death sentence.

Happiness: 6/10. The years at the Circle of Ostwick taught her to avoid expressivity whenever possible. This makes her an efficient political leader, but even among friends, she remains isolated inside. Possibly reaching out to Hawke in the Fade and the empathy between her and Rook could light her emotions.

Politeness: 99/10. Dry and simple but exquisitely polite. She would kill you while praying for your spirit with noble grace.

Chivalry: 1000000/10. She is the knight in silver armor we all sighed for when we were young.

Pride: 6/10. She maintains a composed facade even in the worst moments, to be a pillar for those around her, but at the end her natural modesty remains. She understands that her role is to be the Herald and behave accordingly. Even though she doesn’t believe in the Chantry, she is Andrastian and accepts her destiny with humbleness. 

Honesty: 8/10. It’s very rare for her to betray anyone, even a direct enemy. She is not naive though. And she is aware there are people willing to do the dirty work in her name. 

Love: 9/10. She is capable of love, but she hasn't yet had the opportunity. Her years in the Circle taught her to survive by following orders and keeping her heart to herself. Her mentor (an elder lady templar that didn’t believe in the Chantry anymore) was her anchor in those suffocating years. About friendship, she adores Cassandra, Varric, Blackwall, Iron Bull, Harding, she even once liked Solas… but deep inside she remains alone. Perhaps a brooding Warden could light her heart a little? :)

Bravery: 8/10. She needs to feel in control to be secure. Every day is like a stressful chess match for her.

Recklessness: 0/10. She is always prepared. Discipline was part of her life from the tenderest age, among nobility, at the Circle, under her mentor’s lessons, and later with the Inquisition. 

Ambition: 3/10. She desires almost nothing for herself. She is humble, but she truly wants to bring order and calm to others’ lives. 

Loyalty: 10/10. She will keep her word until the very end. Even if it means lifting her sword against someone she once trusted.

Family sense: 1/10. Her family rejected her. Her mother’s final greeting was a slap across the face when Trevelyan was twelve, once it became clear she was a mage ("How dare you? How dare you be a mage?") Was that the worst part or was it her father’s silence? The one who truly saw her and taught her that she mattered was the lady templar who died in Trevelyan’s arms during a Harrowing at the Circle (My Inky needs to have a happy ending with at least two children!)

Attractiveness: 7/10, but it rises to 9/10 once she becomes the Herald of Andraste… fame, you know? If only she weren't so unapproachable and focused on wartables. 

Agility: 8/10. She is a knight enchanter who didn't trust in her magic alone. She trained her body almost like a templar. She combines physical combat skills with magic on the battlefield, controlling the field, taking advantage of enemy weaknesses and increasing her own power.   She is unusually strong and fit for a mage.

Sex drive: 4/10. Not real opportunities to enjoy it. Sometimes she feels so ethereal, so small, so humble. She had some experiences during and post Inquisition but never allowed herself to be fully involved, always using false identities, always evasive. She is gentle and noble though and believes in romance almost like Cassandra. We hope someday the gentlest and noblest person finds her :)

[gaily-daily-musings]

Anti-Christ!Anakin modern au with priest!Obi-Wan (sequel here)

-

The night had been loud. Winds howling like the earth itself was in distress. A woman about to give birth comes to the church for help in the middle of the night. She bangs on the door yelling like the devil himself is on her heels. Qui-Gon answers.

15 minutes later Obi-Wan is awoken from his bed. Qui-Gon ushers him out the door as he fills him in on the situation.

“Shouldn't we drive her to a hospital??”

“No! There's no time!” He takes Obi-Wan aside. “There are forces at play here Obi-Wan. The devil is inside her. We must proceed with caution.”

“What do you mean –?”

The woman, Shmi, screams in pain. They rush inside the room where she's being kept.

The birth is a terrible one. She dies in agony. There was nothing either of them could do for her. Qui-Gon prays for her soul over her body.

The babe isn't crying. Qui-Gon cradles it in his arms. “It's dead.” He says, clearly relieved.

Obi-Wan doesn't understand. Qui-Gon is not a cruel man. He would never rejoice over such a tragedy.

Qui-Gon lays the babe upon its mother's chest. She'd called him Anakin with her dying breath.

“I'll call the coroner.” Qui-Gon presses a bloodied hand upon Obi-Wan's shoulder. “You did good.”

He leaves. Obi-Wan should go to. He should wash up and try to go back to sleep. Though he doubts he'll be able to after such a harrowing event. But he can't stop staring at the dead child.

He approaches it. Not it. Him. Qui-Gon had said she had the devil in her. He thought he was speaking metaphorically. Qui-Gon loved his riddles.

Something compels him to pick the child up. He rests Anakin in his arms. Sorrow fills him. How cruel the world was. The poor thing hadn't even gotten to take its first breath. At least both mother and babe were reunited in death.

He kisses Anakin's forehead.

The little chest moves. And then a shrill cry hits the air.

Obi-Wan pulls back in shock. The baby was crying. Loud and demanding.

Qui-Gon rushes back into the room. He stares at the baby and Obi-Wan. His face is deathly pale.

-

Obi-Wan has never believed Qui-Gon when he's said Anakin was the son of the devil. That he had no earthly father and was conceived in a dream. It was just Qui-Gon being Qui-Gon.

Anakin was a greedy child. Always screaming for food or attention or cranky from his nap. He only calmed down when Obi-Wan held him. Demanding his eternal attention and always clinging to his robes.

As he got older, the boy had no friends to speak of. He did not interact with other children his age. He didn't do social cues well either. He unnerved people. His eyes were too unworldly with their yellow tint. His gaze was too piercing.

Obi-Wan would find dead mice and birds under his bed picked open and dissected. He hides them from Qui-Gon. The man meant well, but being called the antichrist to your face had to be damaging to a child's psyche.

Qui-Gon often read bible passages to Anakin. Teaching him lessons of goodness and humanity. Anakin liked to listen to him read despite everything. He held many conversations with Qui-Gon on the nature of man. Obi-Wan was not privy to these conversations but he was glad that Anakin responded. It was odd for one so young to be so philosophical, but it was a better pastime than the dead animals.

Aside from Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan is the only adult Anakin likes to interact with. None of the others like to be around him nor Anakin them. It never gets better. He never warms up to anyone.

Odd things start to happen. Doors open, pictures move, chairs slide across the floor. Obi-Wan pays it no mind. Probably just the wind.

He got into trouble constantly. Getting angry with Anakin never worked. You could not chastise him or lecture him. He always fought fire with fire. It only fueled him. That's why all punishments were given to Obi-Wan to deal with. He would calmly explain why what he did was wrong and that he shouldn't do it again. For the times that Anakin understood exactly what it was he'd done, Obi-Wan would skip the explanation and assign him chores. Anakin hated chores. But Obi-Wan did them with him, making sure Anakin was actually doing what he was told and also to provide small talk.

He's disturbingly nonchalant about other people's feelings. He didn't care if they were in pain physically or emotionally. Except of course, if it was Obi-Wan. He would lay his head on his shoulder and hug him if he noticed Obi-Wan was feeling down. And if he got so much as a papercut Anakin would bandage him up with kisses for his boo-boos. It was rather darling and Obi-Wan thought it cute the way he was fussed over.

When Anakin hits 14, Qui-Gon slips down the stairs and breaks his neck. The others whisper that it was Anakin's fault. Obi-Wan decides it's time to leave the convent and the church altogether. He should have done it years ago. Perhaps public school would be better for Anakin.

It's not. The students and teachers are all unnerved just the same. But nevertheless he is away from the nasty whispers and rumors that he was a murderer.

They get a small two bedroom apartment and Obi-Wan gets a job at a daycare. It works well enough.

A girl comes over one day to do homework with Anakin. Obi-Wan is overjoyed. Finally Anakin was socializing.

The girl attempts many conversations but Anakin shuts down all of them. They get their homework done and she leaves within an hour.

“She was nice.” Obi-Wan says.

“She was boring.” Anakin replies.

-

Obi-Wan is talking to a coworker at the daycare. She'd come over to make friendly conversation. He's thinking about asking her out. It's been so long. He pledged himself to the church as a boy and doesn't have any sexual experience beyond kissing and a handjob to speak of.

They have coffee after work several times before he invites her back to his place. It was all very innocent. He planned on taking this slow.

The door opens. Anakin is home. Obi-Wan greets him warmly. Anakin just glares silently at Satine. He stomps down the hall to his room.

“I don't think he likes me.”

“That's just his face.” Obi-Wan assures her.

A glass in the kitchen shatters, startling him. Satine cuts her hand. Obi-Wan wraps it up with a bandage. Satine thanks him warmly.

After Satine leaves Obi-Wan goes to talk to Anakin.

“Anakin? Is everything alright?”

Anakin basically had two moods. Annoyed and grumpy. Today he was both.

“Don't invite that woman over again.”

“Excuse me?”

“She's not welcome here.”

“She is my friend.”

“Don't let her in this house!” Anakin yells.

His eyes seem to glow. The very walls rattle. Obi-Wan takes a step back. His fear spiking. Everyone was unnerved by Anakin. Some were outright afraid. Obi-Wan has never been afraid of him. But now his heart is pounding. His skin is screaming to get away. Something is very wrong.

Obi-Wan pushes past it with great difficulty. With trembling hands he takes the teens face in his hands. He will not cower. Not from the boy he raised.

“Please use your words, dear heart. I can't understand if you don't tell me.”

The walls stop shaking. Anakin's snarl turns into a pout.

“I didn't like the way you were looking at her.”

“Darling it's natural to have friends.”

“You want to be more than friends with her.”

Obi-Wan sighs. So that was it. “No one will ever take me away from you. I love you first. Always.”

Anakin grips back so hard Obi-Wan knows he will bruise later. But he doesn't pull away.

“I love you too.” Anakin says. It feels like a leash.

-

The nightmares start around Anakin's 16th birthday.

He'll wake up screaming. Moaning in pain. He refuses to tell Obi-Wan what it is that frightens him so. Obi-Wan is terrified for him. He takes him to see doctors. Anakin hates them all. Medication doesn't help.

Anakin asks to sleep in his room. Obi-Wan relents because after weeks of trying he's at the end of his rope. Somehow it works. Anakin calms down.

Except Anakin doesn't go back to his room. Obi-Wan cannot seem to make him. So much for dating. Can't very well invite anyone over with Anakin occupying the bed.

Anakin starts having other dreams. Wet dreams. Obi-Wan starts sleeping on the couch.

He has a nightmare one night. Anakin is gone. Taken from him. The dreams shifts and he suddenly he finds him again. He is relieved in that moment. He hugs Anakin tightly against his chest. Anakin is touching him. So many hands. So many teeth.

Obi-Wan realizes with a sort of haze that he is hard. Anakin strokes him to fullness. They kiss with teeth and blood. Obi-Wan jolts awake.

Oh god.

-

The nightmares begin again and Anakin demands his presence in their bedroom.

“Don’t leave me.” It is said partly in fear, partly in stubbornness.

Anakin needed him. Obi-Wan comes back to bed against his better judgment. He shouldn't. But Anakin needed him. And the nightmares had stopped before hadn't they? Surely he could put up with a little teenage hormones.

As predicted, sometimes Obi-Wan will wake with an erection pressing against him. The teen would reach for him at night while half asleep. Obi-Wan felt dirty. Disgusting. Anakin wanted comfort but Obi-Wan could not provide even that.

-

It was his 18th birthday. The day the world ended. Or was supposed to at least. Anakin had dreamed of fire and blood and death for so long now. He dreams of destroying humanity.

But he also dreams of Obi-Wan. Gentle, kind Obi-Wan. Pure of soul and body. Untouched. Just for him. Waiting for him.

Anakin bides his time, knowing not to push. Knowing the man was not ready yet. But it was finally time at long last. Tonight was the night. He was 18 and the world was supposed to end.

Even now the four horsemen look for him wandering the earth. Anakin does not call to them. Not yet.

They celebrate together after he comes home from school. Obi-Wan had made a cake from scratch. Anakin blows out the candles. He makes his wish.

“Kiss me.”

Obi-Wan freezes. Anakin expects this.

“Just a peck.” He promises.

Obi-Wan doesn't move as Anakin leans it. He pecks his cheek. Then moves in for the kill.

He pries Obi-wan's mouth open and shoves his tongue inside. Obi-Wan shivers. Anakin can feel his arousal.

The older man starts to move away. Anakin holds on tighter. No. That wouldn't do. He grips Obi-Wan's face and whispers into his ear.

“Stop listening to your thoughts. Give into your body's wants.”

Obi-Wan fights the suggestion. But only a little. Anakin strips his pants off. He straddles him naked on the chair and floods his mind with pleasure. Obi-Wan is weak to resist. The words start to weave their way inside Obi-Wan until he feels him finally relax. Good. He eases off his control letting Obi-Wan's lips loosen.

“Anakin,” he groans. “We shouldn't…”

Anakin grinds against his lap.

“I love you first, Obi-Wan. Not the world. Not the people or animals or plants in it. I only want you. Only you.”

Obi-Wan clutches at his waist. Anakin's hole flutters. Puckering up to kiss Obi-Wan's fingers as he brushes between his cheeks.

“Bed.” Obi-Wan gasps out.

They move quickly. Desperately. Anakin preens. The only thing he had done was remove Obi-Wan's inhibitions and tear down his walls. This desire was all Obi-Wan's doing. This was Obi-Wan's true self unfiltered by shame.

Anakin cries at the first push. Soon the wet slap fills the room. The fuck hard and fast. Nails dig into skin until it breaks.

Obi-Wan empties himself into Anakin and the teen nearly purrs in triumph. Next time he'll mount Obi-Wan. He's sure the man would like that.

-

Obi-Wan wakes up horrified. What had he done? He stumbles up out of bed. He hurriedly pulls on a shirt and boxers and makes his way into the bathroom gripping the sink. He remembers last night. Taking pleasure. Ruining Anakin's innocence. The room spins.

Wait.

The room had literally spun. He remembers things floating in the air. What?

Anakin comes into the bathroom (hadn't he locked that?). He slides up to him still naked and kisses under his jaw. Anakin looks at him in the mirror and Obi-Wan startles. Anakin's eyes have changed. Instead of blue tinged in yellow they're now a bright golden. A mini sun burning. The air around him is charged.

Oh my god Qui-Gon was right. This was the son of Satan.

“You…you have school in an hour.” He stumbles over his tongue.

Anakin looks at him like he's amusing.

“It doesn't matter anymore. It'll crumble along with the rest of humanity.”

Obi-Wan swallows thickly. He reaches for that place inside him that was the calm in the storm of raising Anakin. It's not there. He's falling apart.

Slowly, Obi-Wan turns and cups Anakin's cheeks. He's always listened to him the best like this. Between his steady hands. They're shaking now but perhaps this was more for him than Anakin.

“Why is it crumbling?”

“The Apocalypse. The coming of days. Don't worry. You're not going to die.”

Obi-Wan’s heart wants to run and cry and burst with panic and fear. He doesnt let it. Anakin liked fear. It riled him up. The teen had confessed this to him once around the fourth time Obi-Wan had had to come take him home from school for bullying the other kids.

“Can you stop it?”

“Why?” Anakin seems genuinely confused.

“I rather like the world. It's nice here.”

What the fuck was this conversation? What was going on??

Anakin frowns. “I already know how it is here. I'm 18. I’ve seen enough.”

“No you haven't. You're still so young, Anakin.”

He hums in thought and Obi-Wan rests their foreheads together. He has to do something. Say something.

“Do you really think you can simply ask your father to keep me? It doesn't work that way. He is not benevolent nor kind. He does not care for your wants. You are a tool and nothing more. Once you have served your purpose of starting the apocalypse he'll discard you.”

Anakin frowns. He searches Obi-Wan's face. He finds truth there.

“We would have to find them. The Four Horseman.” Anakin says slowly. “We’d have to kill them before they get to me.”

Obi-Wan nods. “Alright.” Alright Fine. He'll quit his job. Pack everything up. They can leave. And in the meantime Obi-Wan will show him the world. Show him why he should care.

“There's an artifact that can hurt them. Qui-Gon spoke of it sometimes.” Anakin says casually.

Sure Fine. Yesterday Obi-Wan lived a normal life with his adopted son. Today he's in a relationship with the antichrist about to go off and kill the four horsemen. He's nothing if not resilient.

“One more thing,” Obi-Wan pulls away. He looks firmly into Anakin's eyes. “Don't ever mess with my head again. I can't be with you if you try to change me Anakin. Do you understand?”

“But I didn't change you! I freed you!”

“No Anakin. That wasn't the real me. The real me has regrets and guilt and hesitation and caution. The person last night was a version of me that doesn't exist in reality.

“What if I'd taken something away from you? Changed aspects of your personality to suit myself better?”

Anakin's eyes are wide. He stills under his hands.

“That wouldn't be you would it? It would just be a version of you that I controlled.”

“...I understand.” He mumbles. “I'm sorry Obi-Wan. I don't want another version of you. I won't do it again.”

He buries his head in the nook of his shoulder. Obi-Wan hugs him. The boy is still hard. Had been this whole time. He never would have thought twice a day ago. But now, after already ripping the bag open, it seems rather moot to ignore it.

Still, Obi-Wan was going to do this right. If there was even a right way to do this. No one has ever dated the antichrist before.

“Come here.”

He guides them to the bed and sits. He pulls Anakin onto his lap.

“I'm not going to undress. But you may use my leg if you want.”

Anakin blushes. It's adorable.

Witt his permission, he ruts against Obi-Wan's leg. He comes quickly as expected of a teenager. Obi-Wan kisses his forehead.

“Good boy.” he whispers.

Anakin shudders.

“Now go clean up. I'll make breakfast.”

Anakin nods and hurries to the bathroom. Once the door is closed the adrenaline leaves Obi-Wan. He slumps against the bed.

Fuck.

He wants to pray. He wants to get on his knees and beg forgiveness until his voice is hoarse.

He doesn't. He can't. There was work to do.

He gets up and heads to the kitchen. Anakin wasn't going to like it when he told him they weren't going to have sex again for a while. But he's weathered a million storms with the boy. It would be fine.

-

Epilogue

They travel around Europe and Australia and South America. Anakin grows. He becomes a confident, cocky, devastatingly handsome man.

They kill the horsemen one by one. They corner Famine in a town by an abandoned church. By the time the deed is done Obi-Wan is covered is blood and an awful black ichor. Anakin turns to him with desire in his eyes.

“Can I please?” he begs. He's asked so many times before. And so many times Obi-Wan has denied him.

Obi-Wan nods.

They have sex on one of the broken pews. It rattles loudly like the angels themselves protest in this sacrilegious act. He doesn't pray to God anymore. He prays to Anakin.

“I love you.” The demon tells him.

“I love you too.”

[sk1fanfiction]

Chapter Seven: The Snake's Fangs

Slughorn nearly spilt his mead on the plush carpet. "Why—why yes, as a matter of fact. You do know…"

"…That he's Lord Voldemort?" Harry crossed his arms.

"Yes. Yes. That." Slughorn still looked a little green-tinged.

Ruby supposed running into Tom Riddle was quite the harrowing experience. And yet, she got the feeling that Slughorn's curiosity had been piqued.

"You wouldn't happen to know what he was doing here? He's said all sorts of strange things." Slughorn gestured with his glass, his other hand wobbling along. "Dumbledore — the Order of the Phoenix — something about Obscurials, about my 'predecessor' trying to kill Ruby—"

Oh. That would be Gilderoy Lockhart. But what could Tee hope to gain by telling Slughorn all of this?

"—he insinuated that you were close, that she would know the reason he's here, which of course you don't, my dear girl?"

As he said it, he turned to her, and Ruby looked straight into his pale, gooseberry eyes, which were squinting even now for want of glasses in the dim light. She folded her hands in front of her, palms facing in, and smiled a little.

"Of course, I don't know anything about it, Professor Slughorn. Tom Riddle lies with every breath he takes. He's Lord Voldemort, after all."

"Quite, quite," said Slughorn, looking a little heartened at that. He took a swing from the glass of mead. "I thought as much."

Harry frowned, which Ruby didn't quite understand. Why should she shield Riddle? Even if it was the truth. Slughorn would never understand all the terrible things she had had to do. Slughorn had never stood in the howling, tearing, screaming midst of an Obscurus. Slughorn had never seen Vernon's meaty hand wrapping around Harry's neck. Slughorn had never stood in front of Lord Voldemort as he told her that Harry was dead.

Even the people who knew about it and had gotten over it — Anthony, Ron, Hermione, Lavender and Parvati to an extent, though she still feared to tell them everything — could only manage to forgive her because they had convinced themselves to forget. So, she had blood on her hands? Her hands had been stained red long before Mordred held her up to the future like a crystal ball, and the knowledge set her on fire from the inside out. She did not care. Was killing Vernon wrong? She loathed the act itself, but could not bring herself to grieve the outcome. She had gotten Harry out from Number Four Privet Drive. He would have died there, or at the very least, wasted away to being no more than the shells in the Kissed Ward. Even now, the shadow that lived within him was the violent evidence of a wrong that would never be undone.

In that regard, she had no regrets. If they were both monsters for it… Then so be it. But the fact remained that no one else could understand. Least of all Slughorn. Ruby knew now why Lily had been so secretive. How can you explain the things that only you can see?

Bellatrix investigates the Cup Horcrux once more. T.M. Riddle and Harry Potter have an unproductive Occlumency lesson. The first Slug Club manages to be both boring and unnerving. Read from the beginning at AO3|FFN

[commanderbuffy]

Sapphic Books Reccs

Here is my list of recommended sapphic books! There’s a lot of YA here since that’s a lot of what I read. Everything on this list I have personally read and can recommend. I’m sure there’s a TON out there I haven’t read or ones I have read and have just forgotten!

Contemporary

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake (Adult)

My favorite of Blake’s! Enemies to lovers. SO good.

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake (Adult)

A woman falls for her step-sister’s best friend. Oh, and there’s a kiddo in the mix as well.

The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth (YA)

Two girls promise a summer of fun full of rom-com worthy dates. The only rule, no relationships. Just one summer, nothing more. Sure....

Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick (YA)

Amnesia fic where a girl forgets she ever met her secret girlfriend in their ultra-conservative town.

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar (YA)

Fake dating between the girl who wants to validate her bisexuality to her friends and the girl who doesn’t mind the popularity boost.

Her Name in the Sky by Kelly Quindlen (YA)

Best friends to lovers! A big piece of this is also the friend group involved.

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli (YA)

Imogen thinks she’s just an Ally. Spoiler alert: she’s not. I loved the way friendship was explored in this. You see some really solid friendships as well as a subtly toxic one (that’s acknowledged as such).

Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen (YA)

An ode to late bloomers and a journey to self-acceptance. A girl goes to her first party, befriends a gay guy who introduces her to new group of friends and one really cute girl

Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl by Brianna Shrum and Sara Waxelbaum (YA)

Super fun involving a girl asking another girl fo “Queer 101″ lessons. Bi and Autistic rep too!

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales (YA)

A girl gives anonymous love advice and gets hired by a hot guy to help him get his ex back. Really FANTASTIC bi rep!

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (Adult)

A sexy time-bendy romance with so much heart

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen (YA)

My FAVORITE rom-com. I reread it constantly. Fake dating, enemies-to-lovers between the cheer captain and basketball star!!

She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick (YA)

Two girl team up to get their crushes to fall for them and start developing feelings for each other along the way.

Six Times We Almost Kissed by Tess Sharpe (YA)

Childhood frenemies forced to move in together for their best friend moms’ sake. Trauma filled and SO SO good.

Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan (YA)

A fun rom-com between an out queer athlete and the local beauty pageant queen.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour (YA)

One of my favorite books of all time. A story about grief and friendship and love. A soft, quiet story.

Who I Was With Her by Nita Tyndall (YA)

A girl’s secret girlfriend dies and she is left to grieve alone until she finds herself turning to her girlfriend’s ex.

Science Fiction/Fantasy

Crier’s War by Nina Varela (YA)

A romance that leads to revolution by between two girls: one human, one Made

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow (Adult)

This is historical and fantasy! Suffragette witches! Another one of those books I wish I could read again for the first time. Three sisters, one of them has a WLW romance

Thriller/Horror

Hide by Kiersten White (Adult)

A high-stakes hide and seek competition in an abandoned amusement park. One of my all-over favorite books of 2022.

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (YA)

No wlw romance in this one, but the main character and her sister are both wlw. My absolute favorite book of 2021. What I would pay to read this for the first time again.

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe (YA)

The daughter of a con artist is finally allowed to stop running and faking her identity, only to get stuck in a bank heist with her ex-boyfriend and current girlfriend.

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand (YA)

Three girls who shouldn’t have a reason to team up together against an ancient evil. The new girl, the pariah, and the queen bee who’s been helping the evil all along. I have reread this book easy a dozen times.

Throwaway Girls by Andrea Contos (YA)

When a girl goes searching for her missing best friend, she finds a trail of other missing girls and battles with heartbreak after her girlfriend leaves her for California.

Wilder Girls by Rory Power (YA)

Quarantined at her girl’s school after a gruseome Tox breaks out, a girl must find what happened to her best friend who’s gone missing

Historical

Great or Nothing by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, and Jessica Spotswood (YA)

The queer Little Women retelling we all deserve with a SAPPHIC JO! Set in 1942. Beth’s POV still haunts my heart

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (YA)

Two of the major supporting characters are WLW. This becomes more important and on the page in the later books in this series, but this is the first one.

Music from Another World by Robin Talley (YA)

1970s California. Two girls become penpals and bond over music.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Adult)

Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo famously had seven husbands. This is the story of her wife.

[lemon-natalia]

Nona the Ninth Reaction - Chapter 29

Nona just wanting to go home and go to bed is so sad, its heartbreaking to think that even though the overall situation they were in wasn’t great, she and Pyrrha and Cam & Pal are probably never going to have that kind of small domestic happiness together again

and Noodle is still okay!! thats one bit of good news at least. i was going to say that bringing the dog along with them seems a little risky, but then again don’t think Noodle will be much safer left on-planet with BoE either

okay, Aim’s talking about how she, and her name, are one part of some kind of message? i’m guessing thats possibly related to the implant she and Palamedes were discussing back in the school. two major questions here then: why did Palamedes want to know about it (unless that was implied somewhere and i didn't notice), and who is the other BoE member that finishes the message?

i wonder it’s somehow related to/similar to the message that Cassiopeia left for the Sixth telling them to leave the Houses ... welp it wouldn’t be a Locked Tomb book without some kind of horrifically cryptic statement that will make absolutely no sense until the next one comes out

Pash’s attempt at making a joke is kind of endearing, in an ever so slightly pathetic way

BoE members not in the loop seeing Kiriona ‘i’m pretending to be a corpse’ Gaia walk across to a truck: i pretend i do not see it

also i can’t help but wonder what exactly Kiriona thinks of the whole Camilla and Palamedes becoming one person thing. especially since she and Harrow are separated right now

ngl this is a pretty bad reunion of most of the surviving Canaan House gang, as far as reunions go. half of them are dead/reborn in some shape or form (Gid, Pal, Cam), Judith’s not really conscious from what i can tell, and Harrow’s not there at all technically. props to Coronabeth for somehow ending up being the most normal of these lot

We Suffer’s name is very accurate, she really is just having one of those days where everything is going insane huh. poor lady

woooh let’s drive across the universe after one impromptu driving lesson, this is gonna go so well 

PAUL. Paul. like yeah i get there’s probably a lot of religious symbolism going into that name but it also feels almost hilariously mundane 

i’m … also just not too sure how i feel about Paul as a general development honestly? it's not that i think it’s bad writing, it fits with two characters who have been incredibly co-dependent and love each other a great deal. it’s just more that as a more general trope/plot overall it’s not something i particularly like personally

‘U Lap’ Gideon your nickname game has vastly decreased in quality since you threw yourself on a spike. like cmon ‘Sex Cam’ was right there

yknow of all the chapters to leave on a cliffhanger mid-sentence this one isn’t actually so bad

[thedgtldragon]

I watched The Dragon Prince recently because season 7 came out last month and I hadn't seen anything past season 3 yet. anyways i finished season 7 yesterday and some of the final episode is driving me insane.

(spoilers below the cut)

First off i feel like that should have been the last season, it might be, but i know they are trying to get a 3rd arc greenlit. While I'm hoping they add more, i cant help but feel like they are kinda starting to dragging it out.

The next thing that bugs me is that fact that Harrow is revealed to technically still be alive, which feels completely unnecessary, and just thrown in as an excuse to make another season. this whole scene frankly pissed me off, so much for all of the important themes and lessons the first few season taught about this kind of thing.

Also, while killing Aaravos just feels right, now that means he's gonna come back in 7 years, so assuming we get a 3rd arc there's going to have to be another time skip, and if we don't get a 3rd arc, then we just have a bunch of loose ends to be upset about them never being resolved.

But the MAIN thing that's been annoying the hell out if me is Zym's voice reveal. that scene came out of nowhere and then ended just as fast. I think I've rewatched that clip around 30 times and I still feel like I'm imagining it. as I'm typing this i feel like someone is gonna comment on this asking me what the hell I'm talking about, that Zym didn't talk for the entirety of the show. I guess its because it just doesn't feel right, Zym went from still making baby dragon noises to sounding exactly like Prince Zuko in the span of 10 seconds. shouldn't he have sounded more like a kid? even though dragons likely mature faster i feel like he seems to be similar to s1-3 Ezran, so it was incredibly jarring to hear him talk like a 16-year old. but along with this, some of first words are "this is what i sound like" who the HELL came up with that? also there is no way they were not breaking the 4th wall, which also feels incredibly weird. and they then just, refuse to elaborate. zym doesn't make a sound for the final ten minutes of the episode. no chance to get used to his new voice. none.

i guess thats all i have to say. there were plenty of other things wrong about the ending that i didnt notice. so this is just the stuff i came up with (mostly) by myself

ok now back to my cave, i just needed to tell someone about this bc most of my friends have never even heard of this show.

[exhaling-dust]

The Primordial Truth of Everything

—-Disciple.—- It utters into his mind. —-Why have you waited for us?—- “Should I not, my dear Witness?” Nezarec flourishes back, his teeth bright for its watch. “I want to give you a gift for all your lessons and blessed handiwork.” Even kilometers afar, its eyes narrow and its ego bloats.

nezarec/the witness, 3,876 words, rated E: dead dove + erotica. read it here on AO3, or have a snippet of it:

Under the crimson sun, an Acolyte Tirnean hovers beside their master whose colorful tendrils hide beneath a mantle of Darkness. Narai, their collective name, is the one Nezarec has found invested in commissioning a mythological poem—a gift, if he muses, for the eventful night which shall come earlier in his patience: a celebration of the second god to ever dive in these Ahktirnean sands and oceans, promising hope and knowledge to the fraught and orphaned. There is no need for their uprising from their environment, but Nezarec enjoys their sacrifice; it’s a sweet tidbit for his teeth. 

A nearing Ahkan colossus sights him with narrow broad shoulders. She should understand better of Nezarec’s intentions than to judge a different shape of ambition.

“Terror-evoke,” Narai relays dryly and voice pained, “do we have permission to ask?”

“I have never once said otherwise,” Nezarec says with great humor, “what is your doubt?”

Narai stops in their pace, exhaustion wearing them useless. The colossus approaches and is paused by the Acolyte’s demand. 

“Who is that which drives you to benevolence upon Ahktir, whom you name as ‘Witness’?” 

Nezarec leans his enormous height towards the Tirnean and smiles with bare teeth. He resumes his steps towards the vast limitations between sand and rocks, dragging his follower to quell a small, easy-fading hunger. “It is a beautiful thing far beyond the knowledge of your kind, my Acolyte. In time, you may know it. Perhaps even face it closely.”

A cold sun has never let the second sky be safe again once the Pyramid arrived. Amidst the vast sandscape, its overbearing geometrical shape is far alien from the columns of stone and glass. Unfortunate are those who cross it by reasons of fate and find only a harrowing, crushing terror in their brain, etched forever. 

Nezarec oversees the great Ahktirnean canyons. In the mountains afar, white and crystalline for the mere eye to see, a great beast uprises from sand and into existence under the cold sun’s light, and its empty eyes find Nezarec in the sharp distance. 

—-Disciple.—- It utters into his mind. —-Why have you waited for us?—-

“Should I not, my dear Witness?” Nezarec flourishes back, his teeth bright for its watch. “I want to give you a gift for all your lessons and blessed handiwork.”

Even kilometers afar, its eyes narrow and its ego bloats. 

The Witness sprints towards the Pyramid in a velocity no feline can match. A cloud of tempestuous smoke with senseless faces trails the path behind and renounces: another god has landed in Ahktir; a quieter, insincere, and far more terrible than Terror-evoke himself. Those who see are unfortunate—they will always carry the myth of its soundbreaking race as an ill omen moments before a tragedy or the complete fall of their civilization. However, Nezarec is awed. He was heard. 

What a spectacle it is—to have it running to his feet! The Final God of Pain observes with pure glee his creator stepping at the beginning of the Pyramid and hiking its sleek surface with a thousand claws, its ascension vicious to what it waits between the clouds.

The Pyramid permits its entrance as one weapon obeys its blacksmith’s will, and so the Witness disappears from Nezarec’s sight. He grins, turns on his feet, and relishes the exhilaration of its pressure in his presence—the same empty eyes in the darkness observe Nezarec’s intentions before his changed, more fashioned shape, and judgment… always persist. If only it had not a layer of malice neatly embroidered in its unbreath.

—-Speak.—-

“Don’t you prefer to ask about my plans within this planet, or belittle me as you often do?”

—-Speak, Disciple.—-

“I see,” Nezarec says amused, and paces to the nearest bowl of sour beans. Plucks one with mouth; wraps a seed around his tongue. “What do you prefer first: the Ahktirneans’ precise method to foresee where the Traveler hides now, or what was its last whisper for them?”

The Witness narrows its gaze. Closest to a flicker. Relays nothing; expects Nezarec to act his job.

Yet Nezarec refuses, savoring this small failure in its perfect projection, a crack he can pry at. 

Is in the lack of answers that it presents itself: four-legged, four-armed, a thorned tail resembling its prior serpentine form, and clouds where its collective conveys not a single memory from the past. Its shape fibrillates in small pieces of an unending puzzle, though much of it looks smooth and touchable. Dire in its eyes, the Witness is taller than the Final God of Pain with all his tendrils behind the mantle. Divine in its posture for total certainty, yet not a deity: only a petty creature wounded. 

He approaches it without care for his own form dismantling under its familiar pressure. 

“My Witness,” he starts, “I recognize myself to not be your most perfect creation. I do, truly. But I also can’t whisk away the fragility in your stare. What is it that burdens you?” 

Its stance hardens, incapable of understanding where this tone surfaced from. 

—-We do not have time for debauchery. The seeds you have planted now bear fruits, yet do you cultivate that which you started?—-

“I thought you would focus on important matters. Last time I tried, you burned them into ashes and left me starving as a punishment for the crime of indulgence. Are you finally proud of what I have achieved?” Nezarec eats the rest of the beans, one by one before its silence. “Hm, it doesn't matter, then. If it’s this people’s knowledge you seek, then I have found something precious.”

The Witness stops pacing, so does Nezarec. 

“I know you will kill me for this blasphemy, but they are such a mirror of what you were, my love.”

It paces forth to him, its height imperious and defying and its hands reaching out to his chest. Strings pulled—the puppet in its mercy. 

—-Be succinct.—-

“No—undoing me again? Does it not tire you?”

—-Prevent repetition in failure and we preserve your unstill shape. Prevent failure, and your matters may not fall in our palms.—-

Nezarec’s flesh slices in fillets as he holds the Witness’ wrist with tenderness. 

“I respect your impatience, but I think you are the one thwarting your own plans.” He brushes two thumb bones in its sleek surface and tugs the Witness into himself. “Could you give me a vow of trust and let me show what is the secret hidden within this civilization?” 

The Witness stares at his audacity, though his sincerity is not coated in irony. Nezarec means what he says—he only cannot help the mock from sliding out and into this world they inhabit. 

It pulls its hands out, leaving its Disciple’s insides scrambled but carcass intact for the first time. Nezarec finds it flattering. Means its ire has quelled in the face of his devotion|obedience.

[thincdriving]

Master Driving with the Best Harrow Driving Instructor

Are you looking for a top-notch driving instructor in Harrow? Look no further than Thinc Driving School, the trusted name in professional driving lessons. Whether you're a beginner or someone aiming to polish their driving skills, our expert instructors are here to help you hit the road with confidence.

At Thinc Driving School, we take pride in offering personalized lessons tailored to suit your learning pace. Our experienced and DVSA-approved instructors focus on building your skills and ensuring you're ready for any driving scenario. With our friendly teaching style and structured approach, we make learning enjoyable and stress-free.

Choosing the right driving instructor is essential for passing your driving test on the first attempt. Thinc Driving School is renowned for its high pass rates, modern training techniques, and patient instructors who make every lesson productive.

Conveniently located in Harrow, we offer flexible scheduling to fit your busy lifestyle. From mastering parking to acing motorway driving, we've got you covered. Plus, our lessons are competitively priced, ensuring you receive premium training without breaking the bank.

Don't just learn to drive—become a confident, safe driver with Thinc Driving School. Book your lessons today and take the first step towards driving independence!

For more details, visit Thinc Driving School.

[madcatacres]

I have been taking lessons* from a driving school on some of my lunchtimes, at my advanced age, the sleepless worrying so far more harrowing than the actual vehicle operating but it's not great.

I just reread one of my favorites, about Stede as an adult student driver and a other things going on, as a distraction Continue Making Progress by ElapsedSpiral - plotty and smutty, sweet and funny. Minor mention of bad dads or Izzy.

*definitely not sexy ones. Trying to get licensed in middle age just reminded me.

here I am typing the html tags out, hoping I remembered that stuff rightly from approx 1995, because I'm the kind of old who finds the site cheaters more of a pain in the behind

[dani-luminae]

Based off another idea: what if Nightshade and Caspian came to the past to try and prevent the Rulers of Evil from ever becoming evil?

Nightshade goes by the alias of Amaya Orisaina, of Harrow's Glen (the forest where Aurora grew up as Briar Rose.) Caspian takes the alias of Christophe "Kit" De Lancret, a minor noble of Charmanten. Together, they find themselves in the past... a bit too far in the past, as a matter of fact. Soon-to-be-King Ben has only just announced his first proclamation: to allow four children from the Isle of the Lost to come to Auradon.

At first, Caspian suggests to Nightshade that they can sabotage the kids arrival. Preventing Mal from ever entering the picture would prevent her from coming between Audrey and Ben, and setting in motion the events that lead to the rise of the Rulers of Evil - right? But Nightshade thinks of all the other VKs, such as Evie, Uma, Harry, Celia, and knows that if Mal doesn't get her chance, none of them will. So putting a stop to it that way is out of the question.

So next it becomes how can we ensure the kids still get their chance without a) getting in the way of Audrey and Ben, b) driving away Ben's allies, and c) keep the Isle kids from getting the wand so the way forward is easier for Ben?

There is no actual single answer for that.

Nightshade gets involved in helping to prepare for the kids arrival. Perhaps showing Ben unwavering support... despite the trepidation of most-if-not-all of the rest of the school... will be helpful in preventing trouble. She works with Audrey, closely, as they arrange dorm rooms, class schedules, school supplies, and all of that. Audrey and Nightshade are polite, respectful, and capable of working together well, though Nightshade is surprised to see how judgmental Audrey can prove to be, not only to the VKs but to some of her own classmates.

(The Rulers of Evil have had the benefit of looking back. They understand their own shortcomings as teenagers and worked hard not to let those same qualities bloom in Nightshade. As a result, Nightshade doesn't know so much about her parents past aside from the 'fairy tale' they told her all throughout her life.)

Caspian isn't being very outright helpful. It's simply not in his character. No, he's better at fading into the background to be aware of everything going on all over the school. He joins the tourney team to blend in (his father's lessons come in handy!) and maintains modestly successful grades - just another student, nothing to note. Doing so, he ends up encountering Chad more than he would like, and it takes so much of Caspian's willpower not to clash with him.

(Caspian's father knew he had been a sheltered, spoiled, pompous prince. He did what he could to try and keep Caspian from being the same way. But the end result is similar: Caspian never knew how unkind Chad truly was.)

Finally, the day comes. The limo pulls up to the curb. Nightshade and Caspian are standing in the back of the big assembly of students gathered to welcome the Isle kids. The limo stops. The door is opened.

Jay falls out. Nightshade laughs because she thinks it's hilarious. Caspian, however, knows immediately that this has gotten so much more complicated than the task he originally signed up for. But Nightshade's kindness is unwavering, and she keeps trying to engage with the Isle kids. Her first conversation with them is that evening, over dinner, when she walks up to the table where Mal and Evie are sitting and asks them, "Is everything working well for you girls so far? With your dorm?

Mal squinted at the brave Auradonian girl. "And you are?" Nightshade paused in surprise, and smiled. "Oh, my apologies. My name is Amaya." "Yeah?" Mal's tone hadn't changed. Most of the kids here started off their interactions by boasting about their parents. Might as well get it out of the way now. "Whose kid are you?" "And who sewed your dress?" Evie interrupted, to Mal's annoyance. Nightshade beamed and brushed her hand down an embroidered sleeve of her snow-white dress. "I sewed it myself! And, I don't think the two of you would be familiar with my parents," she said. "I've been castle-schooled up until a couple months ago. I was a part of the process of getting your rooms together. Are they comfortable?" "Too plush," Mal said flatly. "You really could not have possibly outdone yourselves." "That's wonderful." Nightshade's smile was dazzling. "If you need anything, please, don't hesitate to ask me." "I thought we were supposed to ask Doug?" Mal replied, and Nightshade just laughed as she strolled away. Behind her, she heard Evie comment, "Definitely a princess. Look at her royal-perfect posture." Mal scoffed. "Nah. Too brave to be a princess."

The failed attempt at the museum doesn't alarm Nightshade or Caspian, because Caspian knew it would happen and assures Nightshade it was destined to fail from the beginning.

The next day, Nightshade doesn't expect any issues. She accompanies Jane in visiting Remedial Goodness 101 to get the signature from the Fairy Godmother, and later witnesses Mal do her first spell on Jane's hair and subtly convince her to ask for the wand. Nightshade is concerned, but Jane doesn't listen to her, and Caspian has to reassure her, again, that this attempt fails.

Later that evening, Nightshade visits the kitchen and walks in on the Isle kids in the middle of creating the love spell - but Nightshade doesn't realize this is the love spell itself, and considers it odd but not necessarily suspicious for the kids to be making themselves a late-night snack. She is present to listen to the "even villains love their kids" misconception from Lonnie.

She talks about it with Caspian the next morning, just after homeroom.

"Lonnie thought even villains love their kids," Nightshade explained. Caspian paused rummaging in his locker. Out of everything he'd guessed they might find in their way on this quest, that complicated... discussion was not one of them. Did villains love their kids? His mother hadn't necessarily loved him, and yet, Nightshade's parents... He stammered over his words, realizing Nightshade was still looking at him. "Oh. Uh. I mean... some of them do, I'm sure, especially -" "I think she's right," Nightshade said unexpectedly. Caspian looked at her in surprise. "Nigh - Amaya," he said, tripping over her alias. Did she really believe her parents hadn't loved her? She didn't look heartbroken. Had she gotten over it that fast? No, this was Nightshade, who felt everything deeply. Was she just trying to hide it, then? "No, come on -" "And that it means my parents aren't all villainous," Nightshade concluded. Caspian stared at her. She smiled brightly. "That's what we're here trying to prevent, right?"

Because of this conversation, they completely miss when Mal and co slip Ben the love spell, and are entirely unaware until the tourney game finale. Caspian plays well with the team as Nightshade cheers him on (she loves tourney - almost wishes she had the skill to play it herself) and everything seems perfectly fine until Ben grabs the mic.

"Give me an M!" "M!" "Give me an A!" "A!" "Give me an L!" "L!" "What does that spell?"

Audrey runs off the field in tears, followed swiftly by Nightshade. But Audrey isn't particularly interested in being comforted, quickly picks herself back up, and heads back out onto the field to act as if she's completely unruffled.

"Chad's my boyfriend now!" She proclaims. "And I'm going to the Coronation with him, so I don't need your pity date!" And she turns and kisses him. Nightshade and Caspian look away, uncomfortable. Sure, they knew vaguely that Chad and Audrey were close, and dated once. Seeing it in front of them was just weird. "Well. Strike one, out the window," Caspian muttered. "There's still so much time to fix it," Nightshade whispered to him.

With all the chaos, however, Caspian does see the chance to explore the sunlit, beautiful kingdom he was always told stories of. He and Nightshade step back from the school for a couple days after that - best to let the business between Mal, Ben, Audrey, and Chad settle down - and they explore the city, the nearby towns, the forest. Nightshade in particular finds the Enchanted Lake - not frozen over like she knows it in the future - and adores spending time there. They might have stepped back from the task at hand, but by no means does it lessen their resolve. Now they see more of the kingdom that they're fighting to restore, to prevent the destruction of.

They formally return on Family Day, and Nightshade would spend the day with Audrey were it not for Queen Leah's arrival. So once again, she and Caspian sort of fade into the background, watching everything from afar.

Which makes for an unfortunately good vantage point when Chad ruins everything, and Caspian's never been more ticked off with his dad.

"He's a stupid kid," Nightshade tries to dismiss it. "All our parents were. He'll learn." "He only learned because his closest friends united under evil and took over the kingdom," Caspian pointed out. "What's he gonna be like if we keep that from happening?" The expression on Nightshade's face is troubled, but she knows he doesn't really mean any doubt. They weren't just striving to help her parents, they were helping all their kingdom, even if that meant a prince or two remained a spoiled jerk.

Nightshade descends from the parapet to join Ben when everyone has walked away from them. She seems like the only person willing to walk up to him as he stood alone, and he jumped when she spoke.

"Don't listen to them, Ben," she said, as he turned to her. She looked pristine and angelic, as she always did, in her white dress, with flowers in her hair. Like a princess who stepped out of a storybook. "This isn't your fault. You wanted to do the right thing. It's their own prejudice that caused this, blinding them to the fact that these children deserve the same chance as anyone." Ben looked at the way that Audrey, Chad, and the others had left, then back to where his parents had walked away. "How do I get them to see through it?" She smiled sadly. "That's not something that you can do. Only they can choose to confront the lies they were raised with, or the pain from the past." Ben looked at her. She looked so calm and composed... like she knew this was going to happen. Most of the onlookers had been shaken by a display of dark magic, but not Amaya. "How come you're not afraid?" How could she ever explain the answer to that question? Nightshade shrugged it off vaguely. "The villains of my bedtime story... are much, much different."

The Coronation arrives. Nightshade and Caspian do not attend, and instead watch from the television in Caspian's dorm room. They know what will happen, and they are not surprised, but Nightshade still flinches at the sight of the Dragon's Eye in Maleficent's grasp. Caspian holds her, and she hides her face against his shoulder.

Sure, Nightshade has faced far scarier, but there's something especially chilling about seeing such powerful evil a year before it would ever influence her father and alter the future of Auradon.

...Fortunately, she and Caspian still have plenty of time to keep that from happening.

~~~

Okay so this got so long I decided it's just the Descendants 1 part for now. Movies 2 and Good to be Bad adaptation coming... eventually? lol.

[sonicreducer-band]

lynch

17/01/2025 I learnt upon waking up this morning that David Lynch has left us. It’s difficult to describe how much his filmography, his entire creative body of work and his wisdom have meant to me and countless others, and how many lives he has shaped.  I often think of his quote about how “we are like the dreamer who dreams, and then lives in the dream”. There is no better way of describing the life of not just a category of people we call “creatives” — but every human being on Earth. Lynch’s cinema showed me through scenes that are sometimes beautiful, sometimes harrowing, the power of dreams. Dreams are not illogical, they just have a logic of their own. They are frightening to experience sometimes, but all of them give us something to understand. Lynch showed me that my mind is very generous to offer me even the worst nightmares.  It made me think about a touching news article I read while in Europe about a new and seemingly very effective treatment for sufferers of psychosis. Professionals will create digital personifications of their patient’s “demons” or “voices” based on the descriptions and behaviours afforded by the patient. These simulations are controlled by the professional and through a number of sessions will engage in controlled conversation with the patient, in which the “voice” and the patient come to understand one another and eventually the patient wins over their demons, coming to understand where they come from and what they represent. This often leads to a vast improvement of the patient’s condition and confidence. I think of Lynch’s reluctance to ever outright explain the dreamlike logic of his films — perhaps so that we will engage with his work, a dream in and of itself, as well as our own dreams and nightmares, in order to discover something within ourselves that cannot be discovered through an academic or analytical explanation.  Extending from this, Lynch’s cinema is deeply empathetic. Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks both handle nightmarish trauma in ways that are both realistic and sensitive. In the most terrifying and harrowing scenes in his films, there is nothing but Lynch’s love and sympathy for his troubled characters. Earlier today I read, and got admittedly misty-eyed over, somebody’s account of how Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks was the first character they had seen who had endured the same horrible abuse that they had been subjected to. Of course we see characters in countless forms of media that face terrible forms of abuse, but it is rare to find a depiction that is treated with genuine realism and sensitivity by the creator. Seeing the responses to that person’s statement showed me dozens and dozens of other victims who found security, safety, and healing through Lynch’s work. There is no better way of showing how the popular magazine appraisal of Lynch as some kind of pessimistic nihilist obsessed with darkness is, put simply, horseshit. David Lynch impacted so many people. It hurts me very, very deeply that he has gone, more than it has ever hurt me to learn of the death of somebody who I do not personally know. He is gone, but his filmography is always here for us. He gave us brilliant lessons in how to dream and understand those dreams for ourselves. He showed a touching and much-needed love for those who have been living with the nightmare of trauma. Lynch’s cinema, which is shallowly described as confusing by some, made life a little less confusing for many of us. Thank you, David. Louie

[twothpaste]

i'm interested to hear about Porky for that character meme

First impression: The first time I saw Porky was in Smash Bros Brawl when I was like 12, and I was probably about as bamboozled as every other kid back then. I remember being creeped out and a little captivated, wondering what the hell could possibly be up with this rampaging kid / old man / ??? In some kind of life support mech??? Like damn these Mother games must be crazy. (Proceeded to emulate Pokemon instead for the next 6 years 🤸)

Impression now: Oh, I see! He was The Best Villain In All Of Media. That's what was up with him. He carved out a corner in the back of my brain where he's been living rent free for a decade. If I think too hard about him I go off the rails and sometimes become cataclysmically sad. Awesome.

Favorite moment: The entire Empire Porky Building is a mesmerizingly monolithic character study unto itself. But his climactic speech when you finally reach him at the 100th floor is like. God. Fucking hell. Where does one even begin. The surprising eloquent conviction with which he speaks, after a whole dungeon of childish taunting. And then, it's actually such a thin veneer after all. He's deluded himself into thinking he's a godlike visionary, but everything he declares about "humanity" is so insecure and immature and downright wrong. The unnerving spite and tragedy of it all. The urge to pity him feels like a bellyache. How you know where he came from and what a hapless child he used to be (and maybe still is) - but to the people of Nowhere?? They've got no fuckin' clue. And he doesn't belong here, but at the same time, he embodies every individualistic capitalistic apocalyptic thing they tried to shove under the rug and forget about. Just. Agh. Turns my brain and bones to jelly.

Idea for a story:

Unpopular opinion: He's not "insane," or mind controlled by Giygas, or gone "crazy" in the aftermath of Giygas' influence. A thousand lifetimes are sure to do something to a guy's head, sure - and I'm sure his mental health ain't great - but like?? Everything about him hits so much harder if he is of relatively sound reasoning (like every other capitalist), and if he's acting on his own will. Stripping him of his psychological agency renders him so thematically & conceptually toothless to me, idk. If he was just acting zany & evil 'cause he was out of his mind or whatever, then none of the shit he does or says really means anything!! Giygas brought out the worst in him. Aloysius and Lardna conditioned him to make terrible choices. Porky chose to spend 3842389 years committing atrocities unto mother Earth and mankind.

Favorite relationship: His friendship with Ness is so bittersweet, and his use of Claus as an extension of himself is both harrowing and fascinating. I think my fav is his narrative dynamics with Lucas though. How they both faced cruelty at the hands of shortsighted adults and the world at large, but learned completely different lessons from it. How Lucas, presumably a boundlessly kind and forgiving person, gets pushed to his absolute limit with this guy. How he's gotta grapple with the ethics of Porky's fate, whether or not he deserves to spend eternity trapped by his lonesome. How Porky coerces this humble farm kid into the role of Ness, chasing the high of his friendship and rivalry. How he calls Claus his "double," right in front of Claus' actual double, just to drive the knife in deeper. How he thinks he represents the grim reality of human nature, while Lucas stands tall and faces him as a shining counterpoint. Everybody explode now.

Favorite headcanon: Uhh shit I dunno what my favorite is. The Masked Man is based on one of his original comic characters he used to draw when he shouldda been paying attention in math class. He had a crush on Ness and didn't know what to do about it and now it's the whole universe's problem. He has a laughably poorly-informed admiration for Ronald Reagan, 'cause his dad spoke highly of him. If he were just a guy in the 2020s, his goal in life would be to usurp Elon Musk by being exactly the same but "smarter" and "more competent" (he would fail because he's neither).