#mx writing

[ifellintothestyx]

Shen Qiao explaining how he was not able to hold onto hatred or grudges was so satisfying for me to read because, for the first time, I could relate to a white lotus character. From my experience, hatred and resentment are exhausting to hold onto. I mean, I would fume for a few hours, but ultimately, I ended up rationalizing the incident and deciding on how to move forward with the conclusion. I'm left with some wariness towards difficult people still because, even though thoughts about them don't regularly occupy my mind, I still know enough about their personalities to avoid them for my own good. It's not an act of kindness or benevolence or mercy or forgiveness—I just barely have the energy to spare to focus on functioning normally and interacting with others, I can't spare any more to stew on grudges.

It's pretty much the same for Shen Qiao. It's not that he's an infinite well of kindness, or the kind that believes in second chances, or someone who brushes aside the wrongs committed on them. He's wary of those who have betrayed him and kind to those who are kind or yet to be evil to him. He's not someone who thinks redemption is for everyone—he killed HJX because he was a danger to the public, and he castrated Mu Tipo because he's a serial rapist, and a noble so he could only stop at castration unfortunately. He will try to prevent injustices when he comes across them, but he has enough awareness to know his limits and to act within them. He is set in his ideals and morals, but also respects that there will be people with different or opposing ones which does not make them less worthy in his eyes. One of his selling points as a character is his compassion and inner strength, but my favorite aspect of his that goes unappreciated a lot is his rationality that does not minimize his empathy.

Yes, he will risk his life to go to an underground desert city for the sake of two hostages, but if you consider the facts, he owes those two a debt for allowing him and Yan Wushi to stay and recover. He indirecrly brought them trouble, so he decided to take responsibility. There's an underlying rationale in his selflessness, but it doesn't take away from his selfless attitude.

It's why characters like Yu Ai and Chen Gong (and maybe even Yan Wushi at the beginning) can't stand him—he looks and acts so unaffected no matter what happens to him. For characters like them, who remember transgressions and hold on too deeply to past hurts, it's infuriating to see someone who appears to let all his hardships slide off him.

[mxmint323]

"Your hands can hold on to many things, Jonah. Don't let rage be one of them. Anger is a powerful thing, but it's dangerous to let the sun go down on it.

"Vengeance is mine; I will repay. All will be well."

[songoftrillium]

Meet The Art Team

Hello Kinfolks!

I've been really looking forward to this post for a while, and it's now time to unveil the art team I've assembled to put this project together! They're some heavy hitters that y'all ought to recognize, so without further ado let's meet them!

Mx. Morgan (They/Them)

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Mx. Morgan G Robles (they/them) is a freelance artist and illustrator based in Seattle, Washington. Their work is best known for its use of macabre themes, animals, and nature. They use these themes to explore mental illness, gender identity, or simply to make neat skulls.

They're known for producing book covers for several major publishers, and they've been brought in to design our book covers as well. In addition, they've developed a number of inside pieces as well!

Dogblud She/Her

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Dogblud (she/her), is a Midwestern cryptid working as a freelance artist and writer. Her work is near-exclusively sapphic, centering primarily around werewolves, werebeasts, and their strong thematic ties - horrific or otherwise - to all forms of womanhood.

A long-time fan of Werewolf: the Apocalypse, she's joined our team to produce all of the tribe artwork for the book, in addition to a number of other contributory pieces!

Meka (Any Pronouns)

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Meka is a Scottish comic artist with a flair for the dark and extremely bloody and a long-standing love of monsters and what they let us all explore-- for better and worse. Vehemently underground, they build stories about horror, grief, depersonalisation, and the isolation that comes with being just a little too weird and too angry to swallow whole. Art and catharsis go hand in hand, as far as she’s concerned.

In a throwback to the original game series, Meka has joined to produce a 22-page fully illustrated comic for the series entitled Cracking the Bone. A postgraduate in traditional comic artistry, we're extremely fortunate to have them on the team.

M.WolfhideWinter (He/Him)

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He is a part-time freelance illustrator from Scotland. His work is heavily inspired by the rugged terrain (and rain) of Scotland with a focus on werewolves inhabiting the wild landscapes both past and present. He explores themes of mental illness, societal stigma, dark folklore, and sad werewolves in the rain.

WolfhideWinter has joined our team as our monster-maker, dedicating their time towards depicting our primary antagonists of the garou: The Black Spiral Dancers, and the Wyrm's brood! We can hardly think of a body horror artist more fitting for the role.

----

As a final addendum, we have an additional writer that's joined the team at the last minute.

J.F. Sambrano (They/He)

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J. F. Sambrano is an author of horror and (urban/dark/depressing?) fantasy and an advocate for indigenous rights. He lives in Washington (the state) and is originally from Los Angeles (the city); the differences are staggering but the ocean and the I-5 are the same. He is Chiricahua Apache (Ndeh) and Cora Indian (Náayarite). He may or may not be a believer/practitioner of real world magic. If he were, he would not be interested in your hippy-dippy, crystal swinging, dream-catcher slinging garbage. But magic is real, let’s not fuck around.

Beloved Indigenous World of Darkness author J.F. Sambrano is joining our team to depict the Bastet in the Dawn Tribes! A friend and frequent topic of discussion on this blog, we are honored to have him on the team to bring the Werewolf: the Apocalypse he's long-felt the world deserves to life!

[thisfrailheart]

prompt: fist | august 2 | rosekiller mx au - rivals to something | M: language/swearing - someone gets punched in the mouth (blood mention) - licking blood - making out - implied sexual content | word count: 585 | @rosekillermicrofic

***

Barty's barely got his feet back in the dirt but Rosier's already on his ass. He's taking his helmet off and misses part of what's being said but the few words he does catch are enough.

"—ucking kill me, Crouch?"

Barty rolls his eyes but there's a jolt of electricity zapping up his spine when he turns and sees Rosier stalk towards him. He rips his helmet off and gets right in Barty's face. Hair is sticking to his sweaty skin, his cheeks are flushed. Barty's heartrate spikes.

"The fuck were you thinking, cutting me off like that?"

Barty shrugs. He hadn't really thought about it before he did it. And he doesn't really want to think about it now. The way Rosier's pulling off his gloves with his teeth is a lot more interesting. The words fade into the background as Barty's mouth goes dry.

"—should have you kicked off—"

Rosier tucks the gloves into his helmet, eyes blazing. Loosens the straps on his chest protector. Barty can't help but notice how long his fingers are.

"—fucking menace—"

Rosier takes the protector off, starts packing up and Barty snaps back to reality. "You're leaving? Come on, it wasn't that big of a deal—"

"Not that big of a— fuck off, Crouch! You wanna die here? Fine. Fucking break your neck in the dirt. I wanna get home in one piece."

And it's not like Barty actually wants to die, he just wants a bit of excitement. And Rosier does anger so well - perfect bonus. Barty starts taking his gear off, too. "Why? You have someone waiting at home, ready to get on her—"

"She's my fucking sister!"

Barty doesn't really know why he said that. He'd seen her at the last meet. Spoken to her. There's no reason to talk about her like that. Or him, for that matter. But when Rosier stalks over, growling, and punches him right in the mouth? He can't help but think it was worth it. Pain explodes in his lip, pleasure in his stomach. He stumbles back, drops his gloves, helmet. Catches himself before going down.

Barty glances at Rosier and he doesn't look the least bit sorry. In fact, he looks like he'd do it again. His knuckles are bleeding. He'd cut them open on the stud in Barty's lip. Rosier glares. Barty shivers as he leans in.

"Fucking. Stop."

"Or what." Barty grins. His lip stings and he can feel Rosier's breath on his face and he feels giddy.

Rosier balls his hands into fists then seems to think better of it. Rolls his eyes and turns away. But Barty isn't done. He wants the storm. Wants to feel the static in the air, on his skin. He grabs Rosier by the wrist, draws him back in. Rosier stops struggling the second Barty brings his fist up to his mouth and laps up the trickle of blood. The metallic taste blooms on his tongue.

Rosier's breath hitches and then he grabs Barty by the neck and pulls him in. Smashes their lips together. It's violent, the way they're kissing. Biting at each other. A punishment. And it makes Barty ache. Rosier's teeth dig into the gash in his lip and he moans. Rosier pushes harder, fingers tightening in Barty's hair. They stumble, grab each other harder.

Barty pulls back, gasping for breath. "Still want me to stop?"

"Shut up," Rosier whines, pulls him back in.

"Make me."

And Rosier does, right there in the dirt.

[fluoresensitive]

from the desk of mx yah yah: help, girl! i was taught that pride was the biggest sin and now i struggle to lift my head under the weight of people humbling me

[corgate-epistolary]

May 3rd, 624

(Transcript under the cut) (Read on Ao3 HERE)

[Written on off-white writing paper with a smooth but lightly textured hand, in golden yellow-brown ink, in cursive. Letter was folded into its own rectangular envelope, and sealed with a wax seal depicting a cat surrounded by moons, mountains, and window-like arch frame. The wax seal is silver, pale green, and gold swirled together]

Elowen Vance, A.Mg. Corgate Village Post Office

May 3rd, 624

Eris Mirrows, A.Mg. 87 Lancedragon Street Avalon

Mx. Mirrows:

We have arrived safely at Corgate.  The [scratch-out] villagers have been, on the whole, extremely [scratch-out] welcoming to Mg. Hawkins & myself. For once, Mg. Hawkins country manners are serving him far better than my own, as the locals see him as one of their own come home again.  I know Mg. Equlee is bitterly disappointed by the council’s decision (and if it were in my power I [scratch-out] would have [scratch-out, “recom”] recommended to send both, [scratch-out, appears to have been a closed parenthesis] as irritable as they can be to [scratch-out, “the”] each other) but I do not believe he would enjoy this section of the trip.  Please do express my condolences & apologies if you feel it

[end of page 1]

would be in his best interest.

The train journey was fine, & the tracks in this area are in good repair.  Should you ever have cause to visit, it is about one day’s journey via the train from the city to the station in Corgate, which is very small but well kept.  I am told from here it is another two hours’ [scratch-out, “tra”] travel to the ruins.  As such, I am intending to make the journey to the station for mail & supplies once weekly, and will consider it a morning’s work.

While I am away from Avalon, would you please keep me abreast of the latest happenings with the council?  And of course the general public knowledge of our colleagues & their doings.  I know you find it a little trivial, however [scratch-out, “evew”] even you must recognize the importance of good information before some other magician drags yours into some risky scheme.  We have a duty to ensure that they do not blow themselves up, after all.  I ask only because Mg. Hawkins (and I, in my less charitable moments) is convinced that this posting, far from the city & the university, is intended as a quiet exile as punishment for Mg. Hawkins’ lack of interest

[end of page 2]

in pursuing more formalized proofs & magical education.  I am sure you can hear in your mind his perennial exclamation that he is “getting along just fine as I am!”  I know I can even though I can hear him snoring quite plainly through the inn walls.

Such walls!  The buildings in Corgate seem made [scratch-out, “of”, but written poorly] of tissue paper to my eye - all frame, wattle, & daub and no bricks to be seen.  I am not so sure I will be truly suited to agent’s work in the field, but I can certainly see that Mg. Hawkins is quite in his element.  He seems quite at peace with himself here in a way he has [scratch-out, “nev”] never seemed back home.  Like a bird let loose from a cage, I suppose.  I am ever so glad he is happy, but I will have to learn his trick of avoiding the country mud before I go mad.

On an unrelated note, however, would you please stop by Vimes Place and look for my brown satchel?  In the scramble to get Mg. Hawkins (and all his supplies) out the door, I believe I left it

[end of page 3]

on the front table. It [scratch-out, “on”] only has a few novels & my copy of the notes on the ruins, which I could copy over again if needed, but I do not want to, AND you have the key.  I would trust it to you & to the post office [scratch-out, at the bottom of “office”] here in Corgate, but ask Mg. Equlee to put a little locking on it first.

I will look [scratch-out, “y”] for [scratch-out] your letter when I come down to Corgate next.  [scratch-out, “Stay we”] Stay well!

Ms. Elowen Vance, A.Mg.

P.S. Please let me know if any of my plants start looking sorrowful.  And do forward a newspaper [scratch-out] or two from time to time if you can

[end of page 4][end of letter]

[qcomicsy]

Old Deadpool comics are so fun because it's like having this weird close friend group where people kind of all know each other but don't really know each other. Or even like each other that much.

Like Wade has a kind-of-who-knows-at-this-point "Best" friend tech guy who kind of tolerates him and he tolerates that used to be Peter's college classmate. He almost took a gig from Osborn but actually was Bullseye fucking with him in revenge while dressed up in a Clint old suit. He got on a mission with Black Widow. He got beef with Avengers clones to a point the avengers themselves got to be involved. They don't like him he doesn't like them so they both agree to be civil to do the damn mission so everyone can go their own way. He's having a middle age crisis where he kind of wants to quit being a mercenary but he doesn't know yet who the fuck else he could be and all the reasons pointing up to be a hero are wrong and distorted in his own egoistic views.

A hit monkey want to fuckin kill him. The hit monkey doesn't know he's immortal. The hit-monkey never saw him personally but somehow set him up to get his jaw sucker punched by Spider-Man. Which results in the worst team ever for both of them. I sweat to god except from fucking Old man Logan, I've never seen Wade so stressed in working with someone. And while this whole shit storm works, Wade keeps bullshitting about Peter's life being so fucking easy and loved by the public and Peter has to stay there and listen to it. They bump into each other on the subway out of costume and Peter hates him on sight.

Wade doesn't want to be there and the first opportunity to bail on Spider-Man he takes it and Spider-Man on the other hand learns that Deadpool is immortal and kind of gets "Okay what if we let you get shot" and Wade is so offended he starts calling him names.

Wade goes to bother X-Men, X-men tells him to fuck off. Wade considers blowing up X-Men for full two panels. X-Men sends Domino who's kind of one of Wade's friend to fuck with Deadpool, we're convinced by two pages he beat the shit out of her, just to show up on the next pages that he actually made her fall over a bunch of pancakes.

It's so messy, it's so fucking funny because it's not "oh it's this BIG THING" and this "BIG TEAM UP" it's like they're on the same city, they have similar jobs of course they're going to bump on each other.

[helenkordart]

Recently the 4th volume of the english Thousand Autumns came out and when I saw Mimo′s design of beloved old fart Guang Lingsan, all I could say was "awooga humina humina humina", so like

[maarcyeen]

The rumbling echoed through the small cave they just got trapped in. Smaller pebbles and rubble settled and made sure no opening was left for the Heroes to exit their entrapment.

"Fuck!" Champion growled out when his hands slipped on wet rock he tried to push out. He huffed in frustration and turned to his twin. "Are you okay?"

He heard metal gear clanking as other Link got up. Then a sturdy lether glove patted his shoulder. He exhaled sharply with relief. Being stuck with someone injured without a way to help them wasn't his idea of spending the afternoon. Another set of rustling and bright sparks illuminated the small space. After successfully lighting up the torch, Soldier got up from his knees and looked around, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light.

"We should-"

"Here" Champion grabbed the torch, seeing Soldier struggling signing with only one free hand.

"Oh. Thanks" Wild gave a quick smile. "We should let the others know we are alive."

"Agreed." He looked around again to find just a small gap of space between the rubble, only to find neatly fitted chunks of rock sealed with gravel. "Not sure if they would hear us through this wall of rock, tho."

Soldier walked to his field of view holding two fingers by his lips, his look asking for approval to what he's planning.

"Go right ahead." Champion nodded.

A loud whistle pierced through their ears and bounced around the small room almost endlessly. Wild winced as the ringing in his ears faded, trying to listen for any response.

After an awfully long silence they heard familiar voices behind the rocky curtain and sighed with relief.

"Hey! We're alright! But we're proper stuck in here!" Champion called out. He heard an answer, but couldn't understand it through the thick rock barrier.

Soldier sighed heavily and sat on the ground, propping himself against the wall. Wild followed, taking his place opposite of him. The room was small enough for their boots to touch, which gave both of them small snippet of closure.

Closure wasn't a thing they developed, and none of them was ready to address their relationship. Unfortunately for them, their presence was the only thing they had at the moment.

It wasn't as colorful when they met. It was a mess, really. At first, Wild wanted to inform the group that they finally were in his time, but quickly swallowed his excitement. He saw buildings, roads and people. Hundreds of them. Although those buildings weren't in the perfect condition, some of them had windows shattered, roofs burned down or a wall collapsed, they couldn't be compared to Wild's ruins only left with fundaments.

The group was rightfully shocked when they recognized Wild's walking copy, only taller an inch, his hair shorter and neatly put back in a tight ponytail and visibly lacking major scars that Champion wore under his hood.

After welcoming Soldier to the group, none of them was eager to socialize, until now.

Silence wasn't a foreign sound to them, but now it made them suffocate and squirm in their places, unable to think of a topic to discuss. They were so similar, yet so different.

Soldier exhaled loudly, bringing Champion out from his thoughts.

"Sorry, it's just so quiet."

"Yeah..." Wild moved forward, resting his elbows on his knees and tilting the torch closer to Soldier to see him better.

"I hope they will find a way out for us quickly"

"Yeah..." Wild repeated, visibly absent from reality. Soldier nudged his boot to bring him back, question on his face.

"Sorry, this is so weird." He explained. The look on other Link's face encouraged him to continue. "You are quite literally the image of my dreams, or nightmares..." He added the last part quietly.

"What do you mean?" Nothing but confusion was painted on Soldier's face.

Champion scoffed, throwing his head back. "Look at you!" He gestured out to him. "Always in his shining armour, defeated the Calamity with no problems, walking example of a Hero!"

Soldiers face scrunched from confusion to anger.

" 'With no problems' ?!" He straightened his posture, armor rustling. "Do you think I just plunged my sword to this guy without any complications?? Really??"

His eyes were burning into Wild's, now shocked, face. He didn't expect such burst of emotions out of his twin.

"It took us MONTHS of constant battle, we lost so many good people, and if not the solidarity and help of all of Hyrule we would have lost many times!! And YOU'RE saying I had it easy?? Unlike you, I didn't even HAVE the Master Sword until the middle of the war!"

Soldier took a long sigh, trying to compose himself. He leaned back, controlling his breathing again. Wild said nothing.

"What I would give to be like you."

That shook Champion. What did he mean? He was a failure, bearing thousands of lost souls on his shoulders, running around aimlessly. How could a perfect knight envy someone like him?

"What??" Wild breathed out.

Soldier chuckled. "No commanders or kings to push you around, no reports you have to rewrite because of one spelling error..."

He looked fondly at Champion. "You get to actually choose for yourself what you want, where to go. Hell, you can actually say no to people! Could you imagine what would happened if I said no to the King?" He chuckled again. "No Shrine of Resurrection would help." They both laughed quietly.

Now the silence wasn't as awful as before. They both had time to analyze each other's words, slowly understanding their points of view.

"So, you met the New Champions?" Wild quickly changed the topic, for both of their sakes.

Soldier hummed fondly. "Yeah, if not them, we would've lost. They were a huge help to all of us. And a pleasure to meet, too."

Champion smiled at the thought of his friends back home. He let his thoughts run free, somehow going back to Mipha. A sly smile appeared on his face.

"So, how's Mipha?" He chuckled as Soldier flushed red, trying to turn away his face away from the torch light.

They got up quickly as their attention was stolen by a rumble coming from the collapsed wall. Multiple voices could be heard, now more clearly. Finally, a familiar face popped out from the rubble, that saved them (mostly Soldier from a sensitive topic) out of the dark cave.

Once they got out they could feel their relationship grow closer. It wasn't as close as with other Heroes, but it was a start.

[alagaesia-headcanons]

imagining Morzan with a deep, gravelly voice. contrasted with the slightly less deep silky smooth voice I imagine Galbatorix with. men

Morzan's voice rasps subtly through its low tones, rough around the edges and underlaid with a deep rumble that sometimes rises to the surface. Selena's ears perk up the moment she first hears it. She talks to him so she can hear it again more clearly, spoken for her. The gravel gives his words force and weight even when they're quiet, commanding respectful attention. She's never heard anyone else speak with precisely the same quality.

It's undeniably alluring to her, an attraction that greatly overshadows any other impression she gets from the timbre of him. But underneath that distraction, there's something particular about his voice, something it evokes- but even in the rare moments Selena manages to focus on that, she can't put her finger on what it is.

That is, until they're both far away from Carvahall, well and truly entrenched in the wide open world, on their way- as Morzan tells her- to regroup with some companions. Yet it's not a person that comes to meet them, but a monster, making the air throb on thunderous wings. Selena reels and cowers as the dragon descends on them, pulling desperately on Morzan's arm, but he doesn't budge. He gazes up at the creature with calm regard. Selena can only stare with him, flooded with horror, awe, and epiphany of what exactly she's gotten herself into.

A hand settles at the small of her back. "Easy there," Morzan says with a faintly mocking laugh. "If you bolt, he'll chase."

As she listens to him speak while staring up at the beast, it hits her, That's it. The earth shudders when it lands and she trembles with it. He has a dragon's voice. If it could, a dragon would speak the way he does. Morzan approaches and pats its jaw. This is why, she realizes. He learned from its growls and roars.

He smiles sharp. "Come say hello," the Dragon Rider rumbles.

[dividedsingularity]

Tiny little doodlings of my Dalek guy…

[kaleidoscopiccc]

y’all ocean isn’t this stuck up hates everything prude, have you watched the musical?

[spirallingstarcases]

you are what you love, not who loves you.

in that case, i am a mouth. i am teeth. i am a hungry thing. but god, it loves me too. it loves me too it loves me too it loves me itlovesmeitlovesmeitloves

[based on jennifer’s body peterick au by @meat-wentz]

[trashlie]

ILY FP 232

Better known as: trashlie is STILL climbing the wallls and TAKING YOU WITH HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look idk what I can get away saying in these intros without being spoilery anymore because by the time I sit down to write this I’m just VIBRATING AWAY on pure energy. You know when you feel words at your fingertips but you are too consumed by other menial tasks you’ve no interest in doing so you gotta bide your time and it just grows and grows and grows until it bursts out of you howling? 

Yeh.......

Let’s jump right in!!!!!!!!!! 

I’m gonna be real with you guys - it’s gonna take a LOT for me to not to do rambling long repeats of things I said last week. I’m gonna do my best but... 232 is very much a continuation of 231 so it is what it is! 

Leading up to the episode my friends and I were talking and the general consensus was we hoped Shinae would try knocking down Nol’s door but alkjjjkafjkafkj DIDN’T EXPECT SHE WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO TRY TO BULLDOZE THE DOOR ON HER OWN AND START SHOUTING AT HIM THROUGH THE DOOR LMAO but listen Shinae so very PERSISTENT!!!!! She’s so over being thrown out, SO over being shut out, and it’s all right there in front of her but she just CANNOT see it for what it is, cannot understand what is compelling her besides that she cares.

And boy does she care. 

Her frustration is, as I said last week, completely justified, of course, but in this case, they’re both justified and that really does her no favors, does it? Yelling and banging on his door, trying any tactic she can to get him to open up, to rethink his decision to cast her out. He has basically told her “come back when you figure it out” but she doesn’t know what “it” is or what else could be there, so she can only feel like he’s shutting her out once again, refusing to open up to her after just reconciling. 

At the core of Shinae’s frustration and persistence is fear. She’s so afraid of losing him again, terrified of yet another important person letting go and turning their back to her. 

And as much as I feel for Shinae, I also can’t help but feel for Nol who is on the other side of the door, unable to make himself walk away from it, arms pinned at his side against the door as though he doesn’t trust them to not reach for the door handle, doesn’t trust himself to maintain the boundary. He’s kicked her out - but barely. He can’t leave the side of that door while Shinae stands right outside of it, banging away. GOD I enjoy the agony of it, I NEED MORE. Shinae’s threats are so comical but she’s literally grasping at straws and he knows it. The same Nol who broke that day in the rain is barely holding it together, knowing that once again he is causing her pain. 

As readers we know that once she figures it out, she’ll understand. As soon as Shinae understands what Nol is trying to get her to see, she’ll know exactly why he had to draw that boundary and keep the space, but in this moment she doesn’t know any of this, and it is just so agonizing! 

Just as she’s been confessing all day long, she continues to tell him all the things she can’t see for what they are - how much she hates when he shuts her out, how she can’t understand why they’re back here when they just go out of this and GOD i love it because you can FEEL how much she cares. Even if she doesn’t know what the feeling is, even if she can’t call it what it is, she cares so much! And you can see how much it hurts him! How difficult it is to stand there and let her think he’s casting her to the streets again, to have her fight so passionately for him for them when he understands now what kind of hurt he’s inflicted (and continues to inflict!!!!!!!) GOD

Nol understands so well his resistance - his resolve - and knows he has to keep that physical barrier between them. Even before he could barely look at her when he did, when she flustered under his gaze and command, he threw her out before he could crumble all the way and there’s something about seeing it illustrated this way, showing us rather than telling, how hard this is for him. I’m sure his thought is that once Shinae figures it out - once she knows her feelings, once she can understand his feelings, once she can see what Dieter saw that hurt him so much, she’ll be the one to draw the boundary he struggles so hard with. That once he’s not the only one who knows, she can stop pushing him, can stop breaking him down, can act on the effort he can barely muster. 

I love that panel of Shinae banging on the door while he stands on the other side, face screwed up in frustration and agony. It’s so difficult, it’s SO HARD. She’s going on about being shut out, about how “ a misunderstanding” has come between them. She’s so scared their relationship doesn’t mean to him what it means to her, so scared that he’s content to throw it all away, so scared that she will lose him once and for all - and he has to stand and bear it, knowing he’s causing her to feel these things, knowing there’s no easy way out. 

UUUUUUUUUUGGGHHH SCREAMS

It’s the sheer irony! That the thing he wants her to comprehend is the VERY THING she’s yelling at him about, it’s the very thing compelling her. 

Well. That and her sleep deprivation LMAO 

I never shut up about noticing when characters have their eyes closed, but it’s such an important part of quimchee’s subtle storytelling. Note how Nol’s face is still screwed up in frustration when he tells her to go away, followed by telling her she’s so damn annoying. 

I’ve already seen that there are people reading that at face value but over here round these parts, we know better. Nol’s eyes closed as he tells her to go away, while he stands with his door still pressed against the door. 

He so easily could have walked away, gone back to his bed across the room. Instead he stands there, torturing himself as he listens to her yell at him from the other side of the door. Nol tells her to go away because he needs her to go away, for his peace of mind, for his crumbling resolve, but on some level, of course he doesn’t want her to. Of course sending her away, pushing her away, walking away from her is difficult, is something he forces himself to do, that is so incredibly difficult for him. 

Let’s not forget him at the curb retching after hurting Shinae in all the worst ways and then walking away and leaving her in the freezing rain. 

Quimchee literally doesn’t need to spell it out because it’s all right there for us to see. It’s in his closed eyes, in his back against the door he can’t pull himself away from, in his frustration, in his crumbling resolve, in his sheer agony. 

Let’s also not forget how this all started. It wasn’t even initially about Dieter - it was about Nol hiding himself away, about him refusing to show the parts of him that she really wants to see, about how it hurts her that he can’t open up. At the heart of this lmao it’s literally about how Shinae just wants to LOVE him and he wants her to understand tHAT SHE DOES. 

SCREAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love this episode it’s so good it’s got me chewing through my freaking keyboard trying to write this AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH LKAJFKJFAKJAFJKAFJKAFJKAFJKAFJ 

But, of course, the important take away is that Shinae cannot see the forest for the trees. She’s so caught up in her own intense feelings, lost in her fear and what she wants so badly and she only knows how to fight. Shinae is a bit of a short fuse but it’s even worse because of the harrowing 24 hours she’s been through. To think so many episodes ago she was moving back in to her home with Simhan! It feels so far away after everything that’s transpired! She hasn’t slept, we know she hasn’t really eaten in hours, she’s already in a foul mood after how her dance with Nol soured and how upset she got about what he hides from her. There’s now way for her to be rational - trying to literally kick in his door lmao - or think things through because her despair and frustration is so all-consuming it just clouds her judgement. 

There’s something so funny about how Nana takes her away and suddenly settled down, Shinae just goes full sulking lmao. I love how impetuously teenager it is, too, for Nana to tell Shinae that she does, in fact, need to leave, that is isn’t actually the big deal she thinks it is but Shinae is like blah blah OLD PEOPLE WISDOM IS NOT NEEDED HERE alkjfakfjkafjfa lmao 

It must be so funny to Nana, that this little spitfire girl is fighting like hell for him, fighting so hard to not be cast out, and can’t understand WHY she’s fighting, what any of it means lmao like aflkjafjkafjkafj 

Of course Nana knows. Anyone would be able to tell! From how awkward they were around each other in the room, how sulky Nol was fiddling with her headband (AND THE BLUSHING), the whole argument they’ve had about Dieter - who Nana knows!!!!!!!! Had a crush on her!!!!!!!! Of course she with her decades of life can see exactly what Shinae is fighting. 

Taking her away from Nol is important. I LOVE this exchange they have: Nana: You’d need the right key to get that door open. Shinae: And? A key isn’t necessary when you use enough force! Nana: But you could damage the door. And nobody likes an intruder. Breaking doors could get yourself kicked out and never be able to come back. Both literally and figuratively. You wouldn’t want that now would ya?

I’m sure Nana must speak from some kind of experience. Thinking about how she took him in when he left the psychiatric ward where it seems like he was traumatized, from where he still carries so many unhealed wounds and scars, after losing his mother and being left all alone in a foreign country with no family, made to believe he’s some kind of monster like the loss of his mom was his fault, that he deserved everything that came to him. The special name his mom had given him had been worn down and destroyed, tainted and made to mean nothing. He comes home and he doesn’t even go back to his father, to their family, but someone he’s told is his grandma. How can he trust her? His own father doesn’t want him, he’s been sent to live with some stranger, away from his father’s family. An outcast, an outsider, all alone. 

She probably tried so hard to get through to him. How do you reach someone like him? How do you get through to someone who keeps everyone at arms’ length, who is so full of fear and self-loathing, who has been made to feel so insignificant, so worthless, a mistake, a monster. We still don’t even know just how bad it was locked inside there. His fear of Yui, his aversion to medication and hospitals, how much he detests tea, his touch aversion. How much of what he believes about himself - that he caused his mother’s death, that he deserves all the bad, that he will only bring harm to those he loves, that his existence is a mistake - came from there? GOD it hurts lmao lajfjkfjkafjk LIKE just writing this makes me want to howl. This is such a foundational aspect of who Nol is. He’s not just some melodramatic teenager (which even isn’t a bad thing) but he has spent a significant portion of his memorable life in survival mood, just fighting to stay afloat, fighting all of the demons who hold him down. 

Nana loves him so much, that much is so clear. And she knows him so well. She knows what he needs is time, she knows how stubborn and obstinate he is, and she probably knows all too well how he shuts others out and how, much like quicksand, the harder you fight and struggle, the worse it will be. Her line about breaking doors can get you kicked out is so loaded. Did she try to break his doors, too? Did she try so hard to reach someone who wanted to be so unreachable and found herself on the other side of a door, too? aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh 

Just thinking about he was just this scared kid so alone and she believes her daughter took her own life and she didn’t see it coming, didn’t imagine her the person who would do it and it reminded her that you never really know, do you? He was this kid so closed off, so alone, who hid so much, and we’ve seen her reach out to him over and over, encourage him to spend time with people who care about him. I’m sure a part of her worries, fears, that maybe he’d go the same path as his mom. Don’t think I’ve forgotten how he told Dieter he “tried to visit his mom”. That HAUNTS me and I bet it’s something that haunts her, too. 

(Alternatively, if he came out with his Yeonggi mask, ready to fake his way through, ready to force a smile a joke a laugh to pretend everything is fine when under the surface she can see it’s not. Remembering how he met Dieter, I think the Yeonggi persona was a thing that grew the more he tried it on, but whether or not she met him as this scared lonely kid or this kid with a fake mask on, we just know she’s been THROUGH it trying to reach him with everything she’s got ;____________;) 

Getting to see so much into their relationship makes me feel SO FUCKING FERAL. Knowing that yes, Nol DID talk about Shinae to her, that contrary to what we’ve seen through much of this series, Nol didn’t always close himself away in his room locked up with his thoughts and self-loathing. That he would go home and talk to Nana about people who piqued his interest, tell her about his hare-brained attempts to befriend them, about the struggles he faced in getting through to them. Did she see the fond irony - that someone who once was so hard for her to reach to get through found someone who was just as difficult to get through to and one day he went from talking about how difficult she was to talking about her as his friend? GOD it gets to meeeeeeeeeee. She must’ve seen the shift, too - when she went from being the subject of his attempt to help out Dieter to being his friend, to mattering to him. 

I’M IN AGONYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

I wish we could see a little bit of that, of the Nol he was so briefly before he had to put the walls back up, before the self-loathing fully consumed him again, before all the tendrils of shadow wrapped themselves around him and began to drag him back out of the light again. But fortunately what we DO get comes close. That moment earlier when he told Nana about how he’d already seen his friends, how they all came to celebrate his birthday can you believe it? GOD MY HEART ACHES. 

I suspect we’ll probably be seeing more of them because clearly someone needs to talk with him - someone rational and removed from the situation, someone who can try to make him see that he cannot help his feelings, that he cannot control all situations, and is any of this really your fault? Is it his fault at all that Shinae didn’t like Dieter enough that way, that it didn’t happen over time? Is it his fault if she instead saw something in him that she flocked to, if there existed something between them that she wants to fight so hard for? AAAAHHHHHHHHHH

Both Nol and Shinae are so stubborn so OBSTINATE and they’re both STRUGGLING so of course it was wise of Nana to take Shinae away, even if she had to trick her lmao. Shinae at Nol’s door only makes it worse, could, as she said, push him to lock her out for real. Nana knows that Shinae hasn’t been cast out, she knows what the problem is, but of course why would Shinae believe her? lol It’s that obstinate teenager thing that makes me laugh so much now that I’m well passed that stage - so certain that no one could possibly understand what you’re feeling, that they couldn’t possibly understand what is wrong lmao 

Honestly, Nana and Shinae are nothing like I expected them to be, and I really love that. Nana barely even knows her, but she does know how to poke and wheedle her. Everything feels so poised to help Shinae zero in on the reason behind her frustration. 

I really love that she revealed to Shinae that Nol has told her about her, that she has, from the sidelines through a biased lens, watched their relationship grow - and as a result, saw the effect she had on him, what their friendship did t and for him. Even though Nol has told Shinae she’s special, because he’s so hot and cold, because he doesn’t open up, because she doesn’t get to see him, it’s hard for her to really internalize that it’s true. How can it be when he’s so willing to throw away all of this, right? So for Nana to reveal that she knows all about how closed off Shinae used to be but that changed didn’t it is such a MOMENT for her. She doesn’t look like she can believe it - Nol talked about her? About how she fought him and ran away? 

More importantly, Nana is trying to give Shinae a little nudge that she can’t yet see. She tells Shinae she’s not trying to make her feel bad about turning down Dieter, but to lay out their foundation: that originally Nol was trying to play Cupid, but the arrows got all messed up. I think it’s one of those things that while right now Shinae thinks it’s just people trying to make her feel guilty, soon she’ll see for what it was - the problem lies in their foundation, the reason Dieter is hurt is because of the way it all went wrong. Soon, Shinae is going to be holding her head in her hands yelling about how did she not see it how was she so blind THAT’S what they meant this is what they all meant?! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 

I find it really cute that Nana is using the same technique as Nol, trying to get Shinae to think about her feelings. Why do you feel terrible? What did you actually do wrong? How does it make you feel bad? And then LMAO baiting Shinae with a hint about the problem in an disguised effort to kick her out LMAOOOOOOO to be fair, she DOES give Shinae the hint, just..... not the way she wants LMAO 

The way Nana gets Shinae reminiscing, thinking back on how their friendship began, how they ended up at this point, just what is so significant about those oranges - the things Shinae doesn’t say about how they symbolize the change from him being this annoying guy that she wanted nothing to do with to this person she CANNOT let go of that she CANNOT lose GOD. That’s SO good. She talks about how she’s so bad at talking about her feelings and opening up and that she’s trying to be better at it - but she also cannot stop talking about Nol lmao 

She’s moody about all the things she doesn’t know about him yet. What his real name is, why she’s not allowed to use, how Nana gets to do it why can’t she? Does he hate his name, where did the Yeonggi moniker come from? 

“I wanna know where he got it from... There’s so many things I wanna know about him...”

I JUST WANNA GRAB HER BY THE SHOULDERS AND RATTLE HER AROUND lajkfkfjfkafkjafj I love it, okay? it’s one of those tell tale signs - when you grow interested in a person, when you start to like them and you have that insatiable hunger to know them so intimately to know every detail about them you want to know everything about them you want to discover them from inside out. And for her it’s doubly worse since he DOESN’T show her what she wants to see. She’s out here craving to understand him so intimately and can’t understand why he can’t show her that. Why can’t he be vulnerable why can’t he open up?

She is SO HEAD OVER HEELS she is soooooooo full of feelings she wants to know everything he’s hidden GOD!!!!!!!!

HOW ARE THERE PEOPLE WHO DON’T SEE IT? HOW ARE THERE PEOPLE WHO DON’T GET ANY OF THIS?! 

She THINKS there’s nothing going on between them but she’s sulking to his grandma, she’s upset because he won’t show her himself because she wanted to see his face because they shared this intimate tender moment because it was such a SOFT warm HAPPY moment for her and they couldn’t share it because they weren’t on the same level 

She is MOPING she really thinks he’s casting her out and she’s terrified of losing all of that. 

Shinae over here saying that of course all her relationships with her friends are going to be different but she can’t see why this one, in particular, is so dire, doesn’t understand what the everything she thinks he’s throwing away signifies. 

GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really look forward to learning more about Yeonggi, because I’ve been really curious about that, too. Was it a name he’d just picked out, what was the significance? I look forward to Nol telling her about it, too; Nana has told her all she knows and anyway it’s better to let Nol do it. It’s better for Nol to know all of this, to hear all the things Shinae wants to know, how she’s so insatiably hungry to know everything about him, how she just wants to know him - everything there is to him the good the ugly the things he hasn’t shown anyone else ;A; aaaahhhhhhhhhh 

Nana is really the PERFECT character to REALLY bring in for this arc. She goes head to head with Shinae lmao and dances circles around her. The whole distracting her as she evacuates her from the building while getting her to dwell on her feelings? PERFECTLY executed. Telling her the hint she’s looking for is that SHE is one of the problems LMAO aklfkafkjafjfjf What’s she supposed to do with that information?! 

Of course, like I said earlier, like Nana is telling her, some down time WILL do wonders. Right now her head is so full of intensity, but when she steps away, when she’s mulling and dwelling and sleeps and assuages her crankiness when her brain can go back to functioning well, THEN she’ll be able to think about it, THEN she’ll be able to figure out what the key is. But right now she’s just making things worse - for him, for herself, and for their problem. 

Sleep deprivation really messes with you lol especially when she’s spent the most harrowing night of her life. Can you believe that this probably beats out THE KIM FORMAL because this time she NEARLY WATCHED HER BEST FRIEND DIE OUT IN FRONT OF HER?! Christ!!!!!!!!! 

And besides Shinae, Nana, and Nol, this episode feels like it’s nudging a couple other things. The pointed emphasis on the hospital departments and floor board feels like a nod that Hansuke will be bringing Kousuke here for his CT scan. On the one hand, I’m really excited to see more about Kousuke and what Hansuke is thinking. I’m no doctor but I assume a CT scan might be able to indicate some kind of drugging just because how it would affect the brain, right? A brain on a particular medication would look a certain way? Forgive me, science was never my strong suit and I don’t know the difference between a CT and other scans lmao but I imagine if it’s the kind of imaging that can indicate neurons firing and active parts of the brain, maybe it would tell them enough that they should try more labwork? Especially now that Hansuke knows about the hormone imbalance and has picked up on Kousuke’s fixation with tea and it being one of the only things he can remember (that he’s admitted). 

But on the other hand..... Nol has SO much going on, is he ready to face Kousuke again? Like, don’t get me wrong, I want to see more of them, especially knowing how worried Kousuke is about him, that he hasn’t forgotten what happened last night or that he caused it. But with everything Nol is dealing with - the aftermath of it all, feeling like an asshole for hurting Dieter, Shinae, all of this, is he ready to see Kousuke again? I guess part of me worries that Kousuke is... yknow. More fragile and that if he fights with Nol, it might affect the progress he made? Or maybe now that they had that er... “heart to heart” now that he confessed those sins his fears he would be able to hear Nol out without deflecting? 

I just know if Kousuke ends up at the same hospital and he spots anyone from Nol’s circle he’ll try to find him lol he IS worried (and worried for HIM not based on Rand or punishment or any of that). He’s got no idea how Nol is, where he is, what happened, how bad it is. GOD. HARROWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Everyone is going to be SO HAUNTED by this night. 

The other matter is, of course, the custodian taking out the trash when Nana tells them they should go somewhere private, she doesn’t want “him” eavesdropping on the conversation. Initially I’d assumed this is because ultimately she is trying to get Shinae the heck out of there and it’s her excuse to get him out, but it could easily have been written “So no one can eavesdrop” right? 

The theory is that this is one of the people that Yui probably pays to act as a spy for her so that she can keep track of people and always knows what they’re doing, so she can always be two steps ahead. The only thing that really gives me pause regarding this, though, is that she has no idea where Nol is (yet). She has no idea where Rand took him, and I can’t imagine she employs people in hospitals all over the city should anyone report anything suspicious to her. So how would this be one of her spies? 

I’m not saying it’s not possible at all because he WAS very emphasized, but it just leaves me wondering if Yui doesn’t know where they are, how could that be a spy, right? But look, sometimes the narrative pulls a fast one on us. We can’t see what she’s up to at all times, now can we? 

All in all, I really loved this episode and I’ve been loving this arc SO MUCH. All of this everything since the Christmas party has been SO GOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!! Seeing all of those plot lines really converge and the stakes go higher has made every episode a treat to read, but I love that in the midst of this, Shinae and Nol have this very big, important thing to clear up. Over the course 230 episodes we’ve been watching these two grow so important to each other and honestly, I love watching Shinae fight for him like this, even if lmao she’s going at it all the wrong way. For someone like Nol who is so used to being invisible, to have her putting up such a fight, confirming whatever feelings he can’t be sure if she actually feels, would be such a welcome thing - except for the reminder that Dieter has been hurt in the cross-fires. I really want to see Nana have a talk with him and maybe TRY to get him to see it, that you cannot control feelings, that acting on them isn’t bad. That Dieter WILL come around, that he isn’t really much of a friend if he puts his own wants and happiness above Nol’s. 

But of course, Nana alone won’t do. Nol REALLY needs to talk to Dieter, too. But unlike Shinae, Dieter seems to know he needs to be alone for a little while. He’s got to sort out his own feeling and untangle that hurt. Thinking about things from his perspective IS painful - Yeonggi cut them out, he blocked their numbers, he refused to see them, and then suddenly he shows back up after asking to be left alone, he almost DIES in front of them, and Dieter wakes up to witness Nol and Shinae having this moment. 

He’s got a lot of things to sort out, too, he needs sleep and room to think. 

I’m really interested to see how all of it plays out. For Dieter’s sake, I hope there’s some kind of explanation because unlike Shinae, he and Soushi are still in the dark. Why did Nol leave and come back? Why did he box them out? He showed so much affection when he hugged them and told them he loves them so I’m sure they know that he has his reasons but still, people have limits. They deserve to know what Shinae does. I she willing to have that talk, though? 

aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh

I imagine we’ll probably be veering back to Kousuke here shortly, if not the next espisode. I imagine Shinae may get picked up before that.... ? Maybe? It feels like we were JUST with Kousuke, but I don’t think we’ll be revisiting Yui JUST yet. Maybe we’ll see Shinae get home, let her thoughts pull her to sleep, and then go visit Kousuke and Hanske? IDK god knows I can never predict what’s coming next but no matter which direction we go, we don’t go wrong! 

It’s so funny that the fabled Minhyuk party was something that I thought would happen and then we’d slide slowly into a timelapse taking us through the first time jump to graduation and stuff but SURPRISE: NOL ALMOST DIED, KOUSUKE IS UNDERGOING HELL, NOL’S FREEDOM HAS BEEN EXTENDED, CHRISTMAS IS COMING UP!!!!!!!!! We have literal DAYS left until Nol goes away, and then do we even immediately go into our timelapse timeskip?! Quimchee talked so much about how she didn’t want to have to draw snow, so at least so much of this takes place indoors but LMAO it’s still kinda funny

aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I love this webtoon so much I love this story so much I love this whole arc honestly it’s been hit after hit for me and I’m so glad I get to keep screaming about it every week at all of you and just scale walls and swing from rafters I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[fluoresensitive]

FILTHINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS: Ruminations on Tender is the Flesh, Gross-Out Horror, and a Society Scared of Being Nasty

*writes an essay about my love for gross shit*

[corgate-epistolary]

May 12th, 624

(Transcript under the cut) (Read on Ao3 HERE)

[Delivered to Corgate May 14th, 624 – Received by Elowen Vance on May 14th, 624)

[Front of Envelope: Letter was mailed in a brown craft paper envelope tied with natural twine, addressed to:

Elowen Vance Corgate Post Office May 12th, 624

With the return address of:

Eris Mirrows 87 Lancedragon Strt. Avalon

In the top right, there is a sticker depicting a black engraving-style steaming cup on a white background, below which is the word “BONJOUR”.

Back of Envelope: The letter was sealed in mottled grey-pink & green sealing wax, with a wax seal depicting a crescent moon surrounded by orbital shapes & stars.  Letter was tied with craft twine, with a small treble clef & key tied to the cord.

Interior pages: Written on light brown paper.  It is lightly, almost invisibly, lined with slightly darker brown lines.  The writing is tidy, slightly rounded print in black ink.]

May 12th

Dear Miss Vance,

I trust this letter finds you in good health and spirits.  Once again, I find myself most agreeably surprised to receive your correspondence so promptly.  I assume your next letters will be farther apart but know that I am delighted that you are enjoying the countryside and the ruins.  Your descriptions render it all rather enchanting.

I have no doubt Khali would have loved to accompany you and run around the forest and shores.  It seems he is missing you dearly, as he stares and whines at the door everyday around the hour you would come get me for lunch.  I cannot help but wonder if it truly is you he longs for more, or the delightful bits of your meals you so discreetly offered him from the table.  It may delight you to know that I finally had him groomed and he now cuts a most dashing figure - all gleaming with a newfound elegance.

The groomer’s attendant, a rather chatty individual, took [scratch out - him] it upon himself to analyze my character based on my familiar, going on and on about supposed traits I must share with his idea of a scary canine. Do I strike you as fierce 

[end of page 1]

May 12th

and protective, dear Elowen? Because certainly I must be, according to him. To a rational mind, these words are no more than quaint superstitions akin to the tales of women branded as witches for keeping a crow as their familiar; or the ill fortune said to befall those bonded to a black cat. How do you think he would’ve read me if I had presented him with Astrea, or better yet with Malice?

Though I would not want to bore you with the tales of my many companions, know that they most dearly miss your presence in their lives. I can feel their discontent at your displacement quite vividly. I have brought Astrea to your apartment in my assiduity to take care of your home garden and she even spared your lowest-hanging plants. That is to say how tragically sad this whole ordeal makes her. She and Cephei do share a penchant for dramatics.

As per your express request, I ventured to the university library to delve deeper into the lore of the region you are assigned to and to uncover what is currently known about long-lasting magic. For the latter, I had to enlist the assistance of Mg. Equlee, as most of these documents are beyond my clearance as an agent. 

[end of page 2]

It seems you are venturing into rather perilous waters if the necessary documents require such attunement to the Weave. Fortunately, Mg. Equlee, always eager to assist, drafted a summary of the knowledge contained within those parchments for me to peruse safely. He also expressed, at length, his displeasure at how such works remain inaccessible to those outside the field of magical studies. I fear he may one day wage war against the Council in pursuit of a more egalitarian field… Luckily, I managed to divert his attention with your tales and by reading your letter, prompting him to return to his own projects.

I hope this has not raised your hopes too high, but alas, Mg. Equlee’s extensive summaries have not revealed anything that would be of use to you. Numerous experiments have been conducted in recent decades to create a type of magic that would outlast its caster; however, none have succeeded, no matter how gruesome the process. The most that has ever been achieved was to channel a spell through the caster’s own blood, with the effects lasting mere minutes beyond the caster’s death—until their blood had dried. You would be

[end of page 3]

May 12th

correct in assuming this experiment was conducted well before the establishment of the Ethics Committee. Since then, no further breakthroughs have been made.

Regarding the folklore of Corgate village and its surroundings, I have come across a few tales that seem pertinent to your case study. I will draft a summary of my findings and have it sent to you at the earliest opportunity. With any luck, it will reach the post office before your return to Corgate, and you will have the pleasure of discovering everything simultaneously.

Before I leave you to immerse myself in these documents, I would like to inquire about your thoughts on training Valberry to make the journey to the ruins. The postal system, while convenient, often results in delays between our letters, and I fear that an urgent matter might go unaddressed for too long. I would feel much more at ease if one of my own were by your side, ready to fly to Avalon should you find yourself in need. It would take a few weeks to train him properly, and I would require your assistance—mostly in providing him with treats when he arrives—but it could prove invaluable in the future.

Let me know your thoughts.

Awaiting your reply,

Eris Mirrows