#which was one of the most challenging portraits I've come up with

[i-fondued]

Ghost | Sinners in Secret - Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Four - The Wedding Ceremony Incident Pairing: Cardinal Copia x Reader/Sister of Sin x Papa “Terzo” Emeritus III Rating: Explicit Warnings: Plot, smut, etc. See AO3 for full list of tags! A/N: we have FINALLY arrived at the wedding!! it has been a long, long road to get here and now that writers block has let go of me finally I think I'll be able to finish this story strong <3 thank you all for sticking this out with me, this story has been a full labor of love and I've loved everyone's support over the last few months so much.

As always, this chapter is has been reviewed by my beta, @lurancyvenom whom I love! However, as always I snuck this out only half edited because I’m a terror and you should all know how terrible I am!

“Prime Mover Elizabeth, these just arrived for you Ma’am.”

I jumped as someone suddenly spoke to me and I turned to find two of Terzo’s ghouls, whose names I was unfamiliar with, coming to place two massive bouquets on the table behind the sofa. 

“Oh, thank you.” I smiled as I took a deep breath; inhaling the intoxicating scent of gardenias, orange blossoms, and roses that made up the bouquets. “Does it say who they are from?”

“One from Papa Emeritus the Third and the other from Cardinal Copia, Ma’am.” 

Oh, of course they would send me the most extravagant flowers only hours before we’d be wed. 

It was finally here, the day I’d been longing for after all these weeks and months. A thrill went up my spine as I smiled, walking over to my flowers and brushing my thumb gently over the petals. I’d just finished getting buffed, waxed, polished and shined for the last time. The Sisters that had been part of my court and had been helping me all week had been filled with joy and laughter, but were also on the verge of tears as we parted after spending so much time together. We’d become close the four of us, despite everything that had happened, and I’d promised them I’d write to them once I was back at the Abbey at home. They had told me, tears brimming in their eyes as we all talked over each other, that they would be eagerly awaiting the announcement of the next member of the Emeritus brood. I blushed profusely as we parted and they left me alone with my thoughts, jitters and beautiful flowers as I waited for Sister Imperator to retrieve Swiss who would be my escort to the ceremony.

“Satan be good…” Sister Imperator’s voice caught my attention as she came back into the suite with Swiss only moments behind her. 

“Holy shit, Sunshine…” he cursed, finishing with a low whistle of approval. I blushed bright red, heart pounding in my chest. “You look…woah…”

“You like it?” I teased, turning back and forth slightly to show off the dress. “Sister Imperator, you did say to go big or go home…”

“Go big wasn’t a challenge, but my word, we really outdid ourselves with this one,” Imperator chuckled, crossing her arms and resting her cheek in the palm of her hand. “You look like an absolute vision my dear…”

My wedding dress had been the longest process to put together, both Imperator and I taking our time picking fabrics and designs together. It had taken a week for us to settle on a look, and it was the last garment to be delivered to my room only the morning of the ceremony. 

The dress was form fitting, looking almost painted on, until the smallest part of my waist where the skirt floated outwards in a 50s bustle silhouette. It was made entirely from a sheer golden beaded fabric, light and airy on its own, but extremely heavy when made into the gown I was wearing, with a matching golden silk under fabric. It had a sweeping portrait neckline with a sheer portion coming up over my chest and neck, which gave the illusion that I had a choker made of shimmering diamonds and golden stardust sprinkled over my chest and cleavage. We’d decided to add on sleeves made of the same fabric without the silk underlayer; they were skin tight all the way down my arms and came dramatically to a point over the tops of my hands. The skirts were long and had a mid-length train, but the crowning glory was the veil.

It was pinned slightly back from my hairline and made of the same sheer beaded and embellished fabric as my dress, and was royal length. It trailed behind me, much like every other veil I’d worn this week, and hidden in the center of the train was a little secret. Obscured from the unknowing eye, buried in the beading was our new familial crest. It had been designed by myself and Sister Imperator, as there hadn’t been a thruple in many decades, and it was all of our three personal crests wound together in an art deco style. I was giddy to be able to show it off to Terzo and Copia later, but right now I was just jittery with emotions and nerves. 

Because my dress had been so elaborate we’d kept my make up simple, just a natural look with light and airy eye make-up and a blush lipstick. My hair had been pulled back to a large bun at the nape of my neck, the front slicked back to hold my loose hairs in place. After the ceremony I already knew I’d be ushered away before the reception to change into yet another gown, something I could actually move around in and dance with other people with. 

“Alright, Prime Mover, let’s get you ready to go, we leave in five minutes,” Imperator said happily, clapping her hands as she started to leave the room, pausing to look back at me again with a wry smile. “Let me find your court, the ladies left to get dressed and should be back already.” 

Stepping to my side and taking my offered arm, Swiss cocked his head to the side with a peculiar look in his eyes. “You ready, Sunshine?” he asked quietly, his tone genuine but slightly teasing. “I can feel your heart pounding away, darlin’...”

“I’m fine, Swiss. Just nerves. A lot of important people are going to be there and it’s a big deal and I-” I rambled but there was a knock on the bedroom door and I paused as Sister Imperator peeked out and began tearing apart whoever was standing there. 

“-You cannot see Her Eminence right now, Cardinal, no matter how important the information is!” Ah, that caught my attention. I slipped away from Swiss, keeping myself to the side behind the door so he wouldn’t be able to see me. I bit my bottom lip as I eavesdropped on Copia’s growled part of the conversation. 

“Si, I cannot see her but I must speak with her…è molto importante!” His gritted, Italian parts coming out more like a growled command than a request. 

“I cannot even dare to risk the bad luck if you were to see her right now, I’m sorry Cardinal.” Imperator’s eyes drifted to me, narrowing as she began to say something else. I held my hand up and paused her before she could continue. 

“It’s alright Sister Imperator, we’ll speak like this. Why don’t you all head to where we’ll meet. Swiss can escort me after Cardinal Copia has left.” 

It was the first time I’d used what Swiss had dubbed as my ‘Highly Important Clergy Member’ voice and, much to my surprise, Sister nodded softly. 

“Your ghoul must stay here…you haven’t exactly been trustworthy in the past,” Imperator mumbled with an arched eyebrow, and I couldn’t help the blush on my cheeks.

“Of course, Sister Imperator.” 

With the sound of swishing fabrics and the soft clacking of shoes on the floor, Imperator swept out of the room with one last glare at Copia as she passed him. Once she was out of sight, Swiss was stationed to my left to block out the other side of the door just in case the other man tried to take a sneak-peek. 

“It’s just us, Copia…” I smiled, throat thick with unshed tears as I longed to rip open the door and leap into his arms. I ached for him, but kept reminding myself that in a few short hours we’d all be back together again. “What did you have to tell me? It must be pretty important if you risked a mauling from Sister Imperator.” 

“Amore…” He sighed, a soft thunk on the other side of the wood, and I knew deep down he had rested his head against the ornate carvings. Clearly he missed me too. “I…I may have put this off for too long, but I wanted to make sure you were well before I told you anything…”

“What is it?”

“I…Well…Lucifer brought more than just yourself back to this world the other day…”

“What do you mean?” My heart was racing, worry clear in my voice as I placed both hands on the door. What happened when I was recovering?

“He brought me…my ghoul,” he mumbled, so quietly I thought I’d misheard him at first.

“Your ghoul?” 

“Si.”

“Copia…you have a ghoul?” I was blown away for a moment as he mumbled another yes back to me. “This…this is wonderful news! Why didn’t you tell me sooner!?”

“You were so hurt, Amore. I did not want you to be worried or stressed out or overexert yourself.” Copia sighed, clearly exasperated but relieved to get this off his chest. I was somewhere between fuming and ecstatic. 

“Copia, I’m fine now. Why wouldn’t you want to share this with me? Because I’d been hurt? Swiss was worse off than I was.

“I did not want to make that day about me,” he said gruffly. “We were all thankful that you were okay.”

“Still Copia…you have a ghoul, your own ghoul, and I haven’t even met them yet!” 

“Topolino…” 

“Don’t you Topolino me, I remember what Swiss was like when he first came earthside, he was like a lost puppy. Your ghoul must be beside himself…” I fumed, heels clacking against the stone floors as I stomped my foot like a child.

“Actually…” I could hear the amusement in his voice, which only made me even more angry. “He has been bound to me since I became a Cardinal, I just did not allow him to come to me at the time…” 

“Copia…” I started but I heard him sigh and he cut me off quickly, ending any rant I had incoming.

“What is done is done now, Amore. I was foolish but I understand now, si? I wanted to tell you about him so I would be able to introduce you before we leave tomorrow morning.” 

The Cardinal’s voice was clear that he thought the conversation was over. I was still ready for a fight, but the look in Swiss eyes told me Copia had already beat himself up over it enough that I didn’t have to keep it going. I sighed and tucked the anger to the side, remembering that today was our day, and all of us were staring down the finish line of a very emotionally changed week. 

“Fine…but I want to meet him before the reception or I will make a big scene like a bridezilla, okay?” I teased, his little chuckle on the other side of the door causing me to grin against my will. 

“Of course, Amore. Anything for you, si?”

There was a moment, a quiet pause and before I could even help myself the anxiety took over and I spoke in a small voice that surprised me. 

“Are you scared? About the ritual, our futures, the expectations…” 

“Terrorizzato, Amore.” He chuckled and I watched the familiar black leather gloved hand slip between the opening of the doors. “But we will do it together, yes? With Terzo too, naturalmente.”

I tentatively slipped my hand in his and my heart melted as he gave me a gentle squeeze. 

“Always. It will always be us,” I said, voice tight and watery as I fought the well of emotion that had bubbled up again. I cleared my throat as he let go of my hand and had to laugh to break the tension. “Speaking of Terzo, where the hell is he? I would have thought he would have been with you already.”

“He was still getting everything ready for the ritual, full of dramatics. When I left he was dressed in his shirt and socks, nothing else.”

I snorted back the laughter that sprung from my mouth at the image of Terzo and Swiss cleared his throat. 

“We need to head down to the chapel, Cardinal. You need to get ready as well.”

“Ah yes, yes. I am off.” Copia said, I could picture the little smirk on his face as he spoke. “I cannot wait to see you, Stellina.” 

“I can’t wait to see you too, beloved.” I blushed as I spoke, the nickname feeling foreign in my mouth. 

“Amati, eh?” He laughed, I could tell he was walking away from the door when he called back to me. “I could get used to a life being your amati, Sorella…”

…

“Swiss, your pacing is making me more anxious…”

Shortly after Copia had left us, my heart light from anxiety for the first time all day, Swiss and I had joined the others as we made our way down to the chapel for the last time. Just like the earlier rituals, there was much fanfare from the Siblings and ghouls who’d not been able to attend the actual ceremony. I felt like a goddess among men as we followed the path I knew deep down in my sleep; the way they all looked at me with reverent eyes and praying hands was both ego boosting, while also a solemn reminder of who I was to these people. My people. 

Suddenly the soothing classical music floating under the seam of the door changed into a more fitting and haunting melody, the organ clear as day in the space just beyond the doors. Swiss and I looked at each other and I couldn’t help the twinge of panic. Swiss instantly was in mother hen mode, clucking around me and making sure everything was perfectly in place. 

“You ready, Sunshine?” he smiled, the only sign of it behind the mask was the crinkle around his eyes. 

“Ready as I’ll ever be…but wher-?” I started, but before I could even finish my sentence the doors cracked open and the last person I’d have thought to see stepped through. “Secondo? Where is Primo?”

“I’m sorry, piccolo.” He sighed, looking down at me from his height with a grouchy expression. “My brother wanted to pass along that he wasn't feeling all that well and he didn’t trust his ‘old bones’ to make it down the aisle without hurting himself; so he sent me.”

“You?” I squeaked, but Secondo was glaring in the direction he just came from.

“Meddling old coot…” he mumbled under his breath as he moved to take my arm, and Swiss and I locked eyes. 

My ghoul shrugged, taking the bouquet from the side table and handing it to me. It was made up of flowers handpicked and selected by Primo and I. Almost unwieldy in its size; the bouquet was a long, cascading style made with all white roses, dahlias, peonies, and hydrangeas. Mixed in was lush greenery and baby’s breath, which made for the heaviest bouquet I’ve ever held, not that I had many in my hands. Wrapped around the stems was a grucifix in gold, a wedding day gift from the council. I had practically growled when I’d seen it but I was told it was apparently tradition to have them gift me a golden grucifix and I’d begrudgingly let it go.

I went to step forward as Swiss moved up to the doors, getting ready to open them, but paused as my companion didn’t move. 

“Secondo...?” I looked up at him curiously and he seemed to come back from the far off place that was lingering in his eyes.  

“Yes, Sist-excuse me…Prime Mover.” 

“What happened with Veritas was not your fault, Secondo.” I mumbled quietly, noting the way he looked at me like I was a fragile toy and he was a two year old left alone in the room. Like he was afraid I’d shatter if he held my gaze for too long. 

“I…I don’t feel that it is.” His eyes wouldn’t meet mine, looking away from my face and I had to resist the urge to place my hand on his cheek and tug him to look at me. 

“Do you think I’m stupid?” I quirked my eyebrow, unable to help the smirk that slipped onto my lips. 

“No.” 

“Then don’t treat me like I’m one of your brothers or your father. I can see it every time you look at me.” 

“Sorella…” he started, turning towards me but I held my hand up and cut him off. 

“Nope, I won’t hear it.” I couldn’t help the small smile on my lips at the petulant look on his face. “Look…It’s my wedding day, I just want you to know that I don’t blame you at all. What happened…the blame lies with Veritas and him alone. I have it on very good authority that he is currently getting what he deserves.” 

“...and what about his sister?” He spoke quietly, so softly I almost thought I’d imagined it until his eyes finally met mine and I saw the intense shame in them. 

My heart pounded sharply, thinking back to the look on her face as the events had unfolded down in the catacombs, and a chill ran down my spine. I could see Swiss out of the corner of my eye, stiffening at the mutual anxiety floating back and forth between us. 

“W-What about her?” I didn’t like how small my voice sounded in that moment even as I straightened my back and tried to look casual.

“They still haven’t been able to track her down in the catacombs, I’ve looked down there myself. We don’t quite know where she could have gone…”

The conversation was cut short when Sister Imperator cracked open the door herself, causing both Secondo and I to jump. 

“It's time.” She nodded at us, and slipped back behind the door. 

“We will speak of this again after, Sorella. For now, enjoy your day and your honeymoon. I’ve had my own ghouls watching over you and Copia, along with mi fratellino.” 

“O-Okay.” It was anything but okay, but I knew that he was right, today was going to be a happy day and a day not about the past but about the future. “When we get back to the Abbey, we’ll talk about it right?”

“Of course, Sis-Prime Mover.” He corrected himself last minute as he tucked my hand into the crook of his arm with a wry smile on his face. “You know, if the fates had been written differently it would have been myself at the other side of the door.”

“Good thing for you, Secondo, they weren’t, ‘cause I don’t think you could handle my attitude in the morning,” I teased, giving him a small and playful shove. “Besides, who else would have been able to teach me about all the rituals if it wasn’t for you?”

He chuckled then, kissing the top of my hand affectionately before putting his stoic mask back on as the doors opened in front of us. 

“You’ve been the best thing that has ever happened to Terzo, Sorella. I honestly don’t know what we would have done with him without you to balance him out, not to mention the Cardinal.”

“I love them both, equally. I don’t know what I’d do without them either.” 

The sound of the old wood doors opening pulled my attention from Secondo, who was about to say something, to the chapel in front of us. I felt my heart thundering as I took in the sight of the entire chapel turned to watch my entrance. A gentle blush spread over my cheeks and crossed the bridge of my nose as we started to make our way forward, with Swiss following stoically behind to make sure my dress, train and veil stayed perfect. The chapel was decorated beautifully, flowers arching over the eaves and candlelight glowing in the low candelabras casting a glow over the entire space. But that barely registered with me once I saw Copia and Terzo turn towards me from the altar, their jaws dropping at the sight of their bride coming up towards them. 

I couldn’t take my eyes off them however, the background of the space falling away as I took them in. This was the first time I’d ever seen either of them dressed in formalwear. They were in full white tie dress, the most formal they could be. They were in black tailcoats, white waistcoats and bowties, and the cut came snug at their waists. Both of them were also wearing the sinfully tight trousers of my dream that left nothing to the imagination while whispering the images of what was to come once the festivities were over, a slight blush staining my cheeks, However that was where the similarities ended.

Terzo was wearing his traditional Papal face paints, but his hair wasn’t quite slicked back. Instead it had been coiffed into a part with a few light strands dusting his forehead which reminded me of some of the covers of romance novels the Siblings back home would trade between each other. He wore a dangling grucifix earring like he had when we had gone to the club all that time ago, and the sight of it made my stomach flutter a little. I smiled at the almost familiar sight of his black shoes with white spats, which were bright white in comparison to his black tux. He winked at me and I blushed, eyes quickly scurrying away to look at my other groom. 

Copia had the softest look on his face, my heart leapt into my throat and I had to already fight back tears as he attempted to clear his throat. Copia, much like Terzo had his daily Clergy paints on his face, his hair was also slicked back in a slight coif. Instead of black shoes he wore red leather dress shoes with buckles, as a nod to his position and subtle way of pushing back against the white tie dress code. They were both wearing white silk gloves, twin hands starting to reach towards me as I approached the pair of them. 

My arms slipped from Secondo’s and I felt him chuckle at the almost star-struck look on my face as I reached out to my boys, my grooms, and I looked back at him with a sheepish smile. 

“I think I was meant to get you up the altar, Sorella,” he teased before he passed off my hand to Terzo, and Copia took my arm as my left hand held my bouquet. “But I think they’ll take it from here…”

“Thank you, Secondo,” I smiled, voice whispery as I smiled brightly and fought the tears that seemed to be permanently lodged in my throat. 

“Any time, Sorellina.” 

I saw Swiss from the corner of my eye and, like we’d practiced, he came to my right side and bowed deeply to me while I curtsied to him. Swiss then turned to my grooms and, almost militaristically, he saluted them and gave them each a curt bow. 

“I pass on my duty as sworn protector of the sposa sacra to you both, my watch has ended,” Swiss stated, repeating what Secondo had taught us, before he walked to sit with the other members of the Emeritus family and their own personal ghouls. 

“Amore?” Copia’s voice was soft, almost breathy, and I turned instantly to look at him. “Are you ready?”

“Of course, Copia.”

“You look stunning, Tesoro,” Terzo murmured in my ear as he helped me up to the altar where Nihil was waiting for us. 

The altar had what seemed like a whole other altar added, essentially giving us another level but also to make sure that everyone present could see us from where we were standing. A chill ran up my spine as I looked back at all the eyes on us. Copia was on my left, Terzo on my right, and I was in the middle like a half moon as we stood in front of Papa Nihil. As the organ music came to a close I heard the rustle of everyone sitting down, and I fought the urge to groan as Nihil launched into one of his well known and long winded sermons. 

While Nihil droned on about love, duty, and the call of the Old One, my mind focused on my grooms. Terzo had tucked my hand into the crook of his arm, his gloved thumb running back and forth over the top of my hand as he looked not at his father but at me. There was a warm look in his eye but not the heated one I was used to, no this one was a slow and simmering sort of adoration. My cheeks flushed and I smiled at him, winking as Nihil made a mention of continuing the line. He fought back a chuckle and my eyes slipped over to Copia, who looked a little more stressed than I would have thought at this point in the rituals, but when his eyes met mine the stress melted away and suddenly I was faced with a completely smitten gaze in his eyes. After what felt like an eternity, Nihil finally made it to the meat of the event. The ritual. 

“With this blade, slice your palms and hold them out for each other to take,” Nihil wheezed, one of the Siblings helping with the ritual took my bouquet and handed me the golden blade. 

I winced slightly as I quickly sliced both palms and took both Terzo and Copia’s hands in my two. They in turn took each other's free hands and we stood in a circle as two Siblings and Nihil himself one by one tied our hands together. 

“This circle signifies your relationship, no matter what you may go through, may this moment remind you that life is a never ending circle. Like the serpent attempting to swallow its own tail. May your life ebb and flow from each other, may you bring each other comfort when the others may struggle, may you support and lift the other ones to new heights. May Lucifer smile upon this union.”

As he finished speaking the last binding was done and we looked at each other with bright, massive smiles. 

“May the flock offer you tidings and wishes,” Papa Nihil bowed, moving back as he opened the pews to come and offer their good fortune and prayers. 

It was an odd tradition to continue to observe with us being a throuple and unable to face the approaching Siblings and Clergy members; but I just continued to smile at my men knowing this was one of the last steps before we’d be free to party the night away until we were expected to retire for the evening. I could feel as people passed by us, hear their mumbled prayers of our union and eventual continued lineage, and I could feel the ghosting of fingertips against my skirts as they pressed a kiss to the hem. Secondo had said that to kiss the hem of a bride was considered good luck but to kiss the hem of the Prime Mover while she was bound? There was no greater blessing for our flock. 

So I stood there as everyone filed up to offer up prayers and took luck in the form of my hem, and I let my eyes drift between my partners, until I felt both of them stiffen. 

“What?” I whispered, suddenly fear pounding through my veins. “Whats going on?”

“Amore…” Copia started, eyes focused on someone right behind me. “The Siblings have stopped moving.”

Ah, that could only mean one thing. 

“Blessed evening, my little lambs.” 

Lucifer’s voice was silky, like fingertips dancing across my bare skin, and I couldn’t help the lazy smile on my face as he came to stand next to me where I could see him. “Look at you three, finally bound as I’d been planning for quite a long time.”

“My Lord.” Both boys bowed, while their hands were still bound together, and launched into prayers. I rolled my eyes and looked at Lucifer with a wry smile. 

“It’s good to see you again, Your Holiness.” I nodded my head at him. “Come to rescue me from sore feet?”

“No, little lamb,” he laughed, a twinkling sort of sound as he slipped under where Terzo and I’s hands were tied together and stood in the middle of the circle the three of us made. “I was here to offer my blessings.”

“You honor us, my liege.” Terzo sounded so serious that I was a little shocked by his change in demeanor.

“Hush, Alesandro,” Lucifer smiled, a flirty look in his eyes. “I’ve known you since you were small, I’ve watched you grow into the man before me. I know who you truly are. The least I can do is offer my blessing.”

“Papa is right, my Lord, but I must thank you again for everything you have done for us. Bringing Sorella back…”

“We will speak no more of us, Cardinal,” Lucifer said, tone final as he cut off Copia. He turned to me with a wolfish smile. “What of you little lamb? Any words you wish to shower me with?”

“Nope. I know better, I’d like to just thank you for coming to see us.” 

“That's my girl.” He winked and I couldn’t help the blush that flushed over my cheeks. “For now I offer you a gift.”

As he spoke he pressed his hand against my lower stomach, a knowing look on his face as the realization dawned on me. I looked at him with a somewhat shocked expression, and he chuckled as he turned to look at my grooms.  

“When the time is right…you will receive my blessing, my lambs. For now enjoy your time together.”

Before any of us could say anything, the sound and mumbles of the hall came back to us and Lucifer was gone.

“D-did he do what I think he did?” Terzo asked, eyes suddenly wary as he looked around, like the devil was going to pop up again.

“Let’s just say he’s hoping to have a large pool of children to pick to take up the mantle, so to speak…”

…

After a long reception filled with dinner, drinks, dancing, and just all around merriment; I was exhausted. 

I had assumed incorrectly that I’d get to change into another dress at the reception, instead I had to wear the heavy dress and veil through speeches and people coming to wish us many blessings and for a happy marriage. I could feel the weight digging into my hip bones as I danced with every important member of the clergy more than once. I felt the slightly itchy scratch of the illusion neckline as I slouched down slightly as I rested between the festivities and courses of the meal. Finally I felt a warm hand on each shoulder, the Sisters from earlier had come back and they had knowing smiles on their faces. 

‘It's time to change, your eminence.” One said her head bowed slightly. 

I nodded as the pair of them guided me off to a secluded room off the main ballroom that had been set up as the main reception space, though the whole monastery had been prepped and decked out so every sibling and ghoul could celebrate. Together we took off the heavy dress, one that I’d been told would be preserved and held in the archives for who knows how long, like all the prime movers before me. 

The afterparty dress was made entirely of slinky black silk, the maternal feeling almost like water as it slid down my bare skin. I wore no bra and no underwear, feeling exposed but extremely turned on. I blushed as I felt my nipples harden at the thought of what my companions, no…my husbands, would say when they saw me. There were drooping straps that just dusted past my shoulders, the neckline scooping down almost to the point of indecency, and hugged me so tightly through the thigh I was surprised I could walk. The dress also had a small train and a small overskirt made of silk as well for a little extra dramatics. Over all of this was another intensely long veil, this time a spanish style with lace all along the edges and even over the blusher that covered my face. 

They left my hair and make up as it was and quickly I was ushered back to the room as the clock chimed 3 in the morning. 

Terzo and Copia were already by the door as I stepped through, their faces eager and mischievous as they reached out towards me. I smiled brightly as I took their hands, both bending to kiss my knuckles almost at the same time. 

“Come, Amore.” Terzo murmured against my skin, the deep rumbles of his voice causing me to shiver as they both stepped close to me. “We have a special surprise waiting for you back in our rooms.”

“Si, I think it will be something you would not expect.” Copia chuckled as they led me out of the space, the high ranking clergy members, such as Papa Nihil, Sister Imperator and the other Emeritus Brothers, followed us in the low light of the candlelit path we followed. 

“I’m just happy we get to sleep together again, all in one bed.” I mumbled, a small blush at the heat in their eyes. 

“Oh…Stelina…sleep is the last thing on our minds.” Copia’s eyes met Terzos before they both smirked at me, something smoldering in their gaze and I had to bite my bottom lip to hold back a whimper. 

When we finally made it to the door, the Emeritus brothers each took my hands kissing the knuckles and bowing they heads and wishing for a fruitful evening, as they had done for centuries. Papa Nihil was behind a few steps and I heard him grumble to Imperator, my face blushing bright red. 

“Back in my day, the clergy was to watch the consummation….”

“Hush, Papa…” Imperator cut him off sharply when she saw the look on Terzo’s face before they tugged me into our rooms and practically slammed the door in everyone's faces. 

Finally. After several weeks of planning, being forced to be separated due to the rituals, a near death experience, and a cock-blocking ghoul at every turn…we were alone. 

It took all of seconds before hands were pulling at clothes and lips were pressed to bare skin. 

Gods below...I had missed them.

[sitp-recs]

Hi Liv! I know you're still on a fandom break, but your rec lists are the best and I really need some Harry pov fics—think Away Childish Things, Nice Things, and Here's the Pencil Make it Work all of which which I've already reread too many times in the past six months for me to describe accurately myself as "okay" so if you know of any other similar fics I'd much appreciate it!

Tysm and hope ur having a lovely evening 💜

Hello friend, happy to help! I haven’t read a lot recently so I apologize for not reccing any new fics here. I’m assuming you already know Turn by SG which has an iconic Harry POV, so I have listed other titles with a focus on pining!Harry. I hope you find some exciting new reads here!

Still Life, orphaned (M, 3k)

in a rambling way by @fw00shy (T, 7.5k)

Ron knocked Hermione up, and now Harry's got to figure out how to clone himself so that his friends don't split up fighting over him. Falling for Draco again was never part of the plan.

Clear As Mud by scoradh (M, 9k)

Set post-war and post-Harry's-conscience...

Poppiholla by @moonflower-rose (M, 12k)

Harry had accepted that he would pine silently for Malfoy forever, but one, humid summer might change that.

Take These Lies by @pennygalleon (E, 20k)

There’s a portrait of his godfather in Draco Malfoy’s potions shop and Harry needs to know why. But that’s not why he keeps coming back.

Faint Indirections by ignatiustrout (2019, T, 29k)

Draco Malfoy is the last person Harry expects to turn up in Boston, Massachussetts. But now he's here, and he won't stop requesting books from the library where Harry works.

On Your Shore by @xanthippe74 (M, 35k)

Clearing out a remote house full of cursed collectibles in the Outer Hebrides? Not a problem for an experienced curse breaker like Harry Potter. Spending a week with the straight, happily-married man that he’s starting to have feelings for? And sharing a bed with him at night? Surely Harry can handle that, too.

Rush (For A Gap That Exists) by @sleepstxtic-drarry (M, 42k) - F1 AU

A story of love and loss that grew amidst the most infamous rivalry in Formula One history: the story of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter.

Modern Love by @tackytigerfic (E, 61k)

Harry Potter, of all people, knows that life isn’t always fair. And no one gets to be happy all of the time. But surely there’s something more—something better—than a rubbish Ministry job, and a lonely old house, and that feeling that everyone out there is doing a better job of living than Harry is.

The Beauty of Thestrals and Other Unseen Things by @writcraft (E, 63k)

Harry has terrific friends, an amazing girlfriend and his job as Head Auror enables him to work on challenging cases and Ministry reform. He just wishes he could work out why he’s been so out of sorts.

The Promise of Summer by Omi_Ohmy (M, 66k)

How was Harry supposed to know that coming back for eighth year would be so confusing? Everything is the same, and yet not the same. And nowhere is this more obvious than with Draco Malfoy. Harry finds himself once more watching and following Malfoy, trying to work him out.

Home Truths by @skeptiquewrites, art by @fantalfart (E, 67k)

In the off-season Harry decided to fix up Grimmauld Place and found that Draco Malfoy was the only person who could help him. A demanding career and unrelenting press scrutiny were enough to deal with before Harry added a house with a mind of its own, family history, and a tense, flirty, complicated relationship with his childhood nemesis to the mix.

Little Deaths and How to Avoid Them (or Draco Malfoy's Guide to Stop Dying and Start Living Instead) by nerakrose and dustmouth (T, 96k)

Malfoy is way too interested in coroner reports for somebody who's definitely not looking for ways to die, Harry wants to be friends with him, and Ginny wants to break up with Harry.

Grounds for Divorce by Tepre (E, 122k)

Malfoy finds a coin. Harry finds a letter.

By the Grace by lettered (T, 140k)

Harry is an Auror instructor. Malfoy wants to be an Auror.

[deatherella]

George Catch-Up

I've made a chart and figured out how far behind (or in a couple kids instances, ahead) my households are from the start of my challenge. George is the most behind, since he sent Delilah to college and just dawdled in the hood until she got back out - seven weeks later. I'm counting each uni grade year as one week to keep everyone moving along at the same pace - or at least I like to think I am. Here come some highlights for George's family covering the seven weeks Delilah was at uni and the next six weeks. He and Charisma are now running different time-lines in the same lot, but it is what it is. I've sort of separated their family doings for now, since George and his are getting a rush job.

Naenae was happy to announce she was expecting another baby. Annie's doing well in school, and George felt his age a day or two before Annie became a teen.

George and Naenae had twins. Pikabu and Hectar. Yes, after Pikabu Street and my great-uncle. They turned into cute little toddlers after a few days.

Remington wouldn't admit defeat and kept trying to pick up toys as the tots kept taking out more.

There's a family portrait, then Pikabu and Hectar turned into children. Annie is off to college with one scholarship. She didn't have enough skill points to snag anymore.

Another family portrait before the twins are teens. Naenae aged, too.

One last family portrait before the teens go off to college with no scholarships. Oops. And for the final insult, we forgot to pay the bills and the Repo Man took half the swing set. It looks funny in the back yard, it only has legs on one side.

George's on the lot family has finished Week 6 of the after uni days. Yee-haw. Time to get those kids through college and up to Week 14 - which is where Delilah is at.

[immobiliter]

🌿 author portrait .

get to know the author behind the blog! repost, do not reblog.

basics .

name/nickname: lottie age: 27 pronouns : she / her years of writing : ten years on tumblr, but many many years before that on various platforms or just writing in general. it's always been one of my hobbies. i wrote fics before tumblr and before that i did a lot of storytelling in the sims 2 fandom ( but yeesh this was years ago lmao let's not talk about it 💀).

reflection .

why did you pick up writing? i don't think i ever made the conscious choice to pick up writing? i've always loved it and had a natural talent for it, from writing stories as a child to doing so much essay writing at college and university and then writing rp. i think the reason i've stuck with rp for so long though is because it's so collaborative? writing can be quite a solitary hobby but it is literally the most fun thing to wake up in the morning to someone writing you a reply to something that has specifically been written for you as a treat and then getting to respond to them. it's the best thing, genuinely.

do you have any writing routines? i guess i do and i don't? sometimes i will just sit and write, no music, no background noise, it all just flows. sometimes i have to warm myself up by watching clips of the muse or listening to their spotify playlist. it really just kinda depends on my mood tbh. because of the number of threads/muses etc i write however, i do tend to have a routine of picking a thread or two and letting them simmer in my brain for a few days before i sit down to write them, that always works quite well for me.

what's your favorite part about writing? aside from the collaborative nature of rp as i talked about above, just being able to embody a character that is completely different to yourself? as a species we read and write and tell stories for the escapism of it all and i love getting to jump into the head of a character who is nothing like me and write them unapologetically as they are.

three things you like about your writing .

one, i'm gonna echo charlie and say my dialogue. it's the thing i put the most effort into when it comes to writing. each muse of mine needs to have a very well-defined voice ( both in terms of their narrative voice which drives the bulk of the reply and their dialogue ) for them to stick for me, and i take a lot of time to study how each of my muses speak when picking them up as i feel like when rping the most important thing is that your muse sounds like the character, especially if they're a canon one. i think also as a brit who has seen a lot of americans online writing brits over the years with varying levels of success, i am particularly stubborn about getting those nuances in dialect and vocabulary right.

two, this is maybe not about my writing per se, but i think my ability to come up with crossover verses for my muses and push them into unfamiliar/other settings? i love exploring a character in their canon, sure, but nothing is more challenging and interesting to me than trying to translate that character (and keep their essence intact) to another piece of media. it also leads to possibly my favourite thing in all of existence, which is crossover interactions and crossover ships. for me there is nothing quite like bringing two characters together from completely different fandoms who would never normally have a reason to interact and seeing them click. it's immensely satisfying too, i think, because that's our work as writing partners to create that dynamic from scratch? it's not a dynamic automatically offered to us.

three, i like that i can write comfortably in different genres? i don't just restrict myself to angst or fluff, sometimes i love writing a good action thread where stuff happens and other times i like writing shenanigans with my more comedic-aligned muses which are just pure, unadulterated fun.

a question for the next person .

write a question for the next person to answer. once you've answered it, leave a new question for someone else to answer.

where is the oddest place that you have written something? okay so not so much tumblr writing because i've figured out that i have to be sat at my desk concentrating in order to write on here, but a couple of times that i've done discord back and forth rp with close friends, it's ended up with me writing hardcore smut at 7.30 in the morning on the way to work lmao.

new question: what time of day is the best or most productive for you to write?

tagging: whoever would like to do this! tagged by: @resolutepath ( thank you!! )

[doubleddenden]

Decided to make some more trainer and card edits, this time using some slightly different methods.

The OC is named Silver, and he's been an oc I've been messing with on and off. I mainly needed to make his hair, but I'll admit that his outfit was something easily replicated by some of my past sprites. No biggie there, I like it and it was fun

Now the trainer card was a bit different because I wanted to use pokemon from the current era, but they stopped doing the menu sprites I used to like, so I had an idea.

I use this site often just for fun making teams for ocs or just to compile teams I have used for games, which uses Home portraits for the most part. I basically worked with that to get this style, which works I think.

I COULD have used Smogon sprites for this part, but it's hard to navigate trying to find them, so I just gave up and tried this method instead.

As for the actual design of the card, I have a tendency to style the cards like they'd be a key chain accessory, and in this case, it's essentially a card key chip. I imagine trainers in my pokeverse have a few varieties and styles they can customize, but this style in particular is used in Monochrome Academy. I imagine you use this like a thumb drive and a physical key to access your pc and to get in and out of certain areas, and it's also a "license" so to speak certifying you are a student there AND are allowed to battle and train with Pokémon. Your current party is displayed on the card as well, and updated when you swap out for a Pokémon in pc or at home.

So the extra lore and fan fic stuff under cut:

Silver, like many of my other OCs, actually has an original story of his own where he is the protagonist of his own story he has written that he is isekai'd into. At least, that was the basis.

My pokeverse Silver is... well, very different. Silver comes from a small country town and dreams of traveling the world, and is a pretty agreeable and amiable person who tries to make friends where he goes. He was originally not going to attend Monochrome Academy, as he's okay with not being the best- his childhood friend, Azura, however, ends up the victim of bullying by an actual teacher, facing expulsion because she couldn't beat a non regulation team (as in not approved by school board) that originally could take down a Champion tier trainer. She wasn't the only one, either, and the teacher was practically bragging about weeding out the weaklings to enforce both a highly restricted course limited to just a few Pokémon, and helping the school to cut costs instead of taking a salary cut.

Silver, of course, wouldn't take that lying down and challenged the teacher that he never met before that day using only pokemon he had had for most of his life, caught and raised around his farm at home- with the exception of his Hisuian Typhlosion, his starter. If he won, everyone the teacher defeated would be allowed entry. Tge teacher, thinking himself better than this country bumpkin, accepts and is ready to utterly humiliate him. Utilizing unique battle strategy that involves the field itself, some tomfoolery, and shenanigans one wouldn't expect to see in a regular battle, Silver wins and by default, everyone the teacher had defeated is allowed entry. Even when Silver had no intention of enrolling, his performance had impressed the headmaster and another teacher related to Azura, as well as the current 2nd year class champion, Karden. He resisted at first, even almost turning down a full ride, but the idea of being with Azura a bit longer ended up persuading him to stay.

From there, Monochrome Academy is a school settled in Nimbasa City in Unova, where the curriculum also involves sending trainers on missions to help folks in need, and Silver ends up going on a journey practically everywhere.

As for his team:

Cinder- Hisuian Typhlosion. Silver, Azura, and a third trainer all received Pokémon at the age of 11 from a certified breeder, of which were the Johto starters. Silver picked Cyndaquil, much to his family's fear of fire types, and the two have been best buddies ever since. The reason she evolved into a Hisuian variant was due to a school field trip to a science museum that happened to have exhibits on past regions, including a special candy recipe sourced from Hisui. Silver distinctly remembers himself, another kid with a Dewott, and a third with a Dartrix specifically being asked to help with an experiment by letting their Pokémon eat said candy- this was enough for Silver's Quilava to evolve the Hisuian variant like the others. Little did they know that those other two would end up becoming friends and rivals in Monochrome a few years later. Cinder herself has always been a bit laid back but easily matches the energy Silver has for anything, and she quite likes the positive attention she gets for being a unique variant.

Shiner- Shiny Umbreon. Before Silver's grandmother had passed, she left Silver a Pokémon egg from her own breeding on the farm, knowing her grandchildren always wanted their own Eevee for themselves. Silver's older brother, sister, and himself each hatched a shiny Eevee- nobody knew how old Paula did it, but Paula had a unique knack for shiny breeding in a way that would almost 100% guarantee a shiny Pokémon- her secrets went with her to the grave, and Shiner was the last shiny Pokémon ever birthed from this long held family secret. Shiner actually got lost in the woods once after running away as an Eevee, and Silver searched for him all day until he found it. It was dark and night time, but Silver kept Shiner safe and promised to always be there for him, which led to Shiner evolving into Umbreon. Shiner is a friendly Pokémon, but is rather wary of strangers due to unwanted attention. He does love a nice chin scratch, however.

AJ- Tauros. Being a farm boy meant being surrounded by Pokémon all of Silver's life, including common farm Pokémon such as Tauros. Silver hand raised AJ from an egg, and as a result, AJ is rather affectionate to him in sometimes painful ways. Perhaps a somewhat inconvenient Pokémon to have as a child to some, but to Silver, AJ has always been like a sweet giant puppy anyway.

Prince- Seismitoad. The small farmland area around Silver's home is crawling with a rich biome of Pokémon that call it their home, and plenty of relatives and neighbors often come to catch Pokémon for the variety available, with Azura included. During a fishing trip with his dad to one of the ponds, Silver caught a a Tympole that Azura would nickname Prince, in reference to old fairy tales. Prince is anything but princely, and after evolving into Palpitoad, it went through a rebellious phase where it would try to fight everything for dominance, not to mention try to eat other trainers' bug pokemon, including a beloved family Yanmega. In a heated battle between Cinder and Prince, Cinder won, and Silver even managed to pin it down in the mud to assert dominance. Although a bit rough and grouchy since, Prince respects and even likes Silver and the rest of the gang now, although it is brash and quick to a fight if Silver isn't around to reel him in.

Crow- Corviknight. Silver, Azura, and Silver's sister attempted planting sunflowers on the farm, when suddenly hordes of various bird Pokémon destroyed the crops. Silver eventually nabbed one of the culprits, a Rookidee. Although the sunflower garden dream was destroyed, a friend was gained. Crow was a bit persnickity but very intelligent, and between stealing shiny things from neighbors to incorporate into its armor and eating a lot of seeds from crops, it was both a menace and blessing. Eventually Crow became Corviknight, and is Silver's favorite method of transportation and quite clever in battle.

Franny- Leavanny. During the summer, bugs often overrun Silver's hometown, and caterpillar pokemon in particular almost overrun the farm once. For once, the family were happy Silver had a fire type starter to help deal with them, and one of them was a Sewaddle that had somehow gotten into their attic. Silver quickly caught it, but the rest of the family forbade any more bugs besides it or the family Yanmega. It would evolve rather quickly due to Silver being such a caring friend to her, much like he is to all pokemon on the farm, and Franny would eventually become of some use to the farm as well with her human like shape and her ability and disposition to make clothes for cold pokemon out of leaves and straw. Even now, it sometimes makes fancy hats and flower crowns for the team, and is excessively cheery and kind. She is the only pokemon that has ever outright scared Prince, despite this.

I imagine Silver has other Pokémon on call at home, such as Mudsdale, other forms of Tauros, Miltank, Yanmega, Poliwrath, Sawsbuck, and more appropriate to a small town farming area near woods and ponds. He doesn't really care for special training or social graces, but he is an expert at many Pokémon's particular eating and physical needs and often has treats on hand to befriend new ones. He is not unbeatable nor perfect in personality, however, as he is quick to fall for anger bait and sometimes acts rashly without considering consequences. Sometimes he OVER thinks things, and he is easily swayed by Azura's whims and words, or words from cute girls in general. Not to mention, despite his A+ battling, his school ethic leaves a bit to be desired with late assignments and C grades, even with particular effort invested in studying.

Still, if it comes to Pokémon, he's quick to pick up new details, and absolutely loves to visit and learn about new places first hand rather than read about them.

Anyway I might consider making more for other OCs. Unsure yet.

[changelingsandothernonsense]

Ok, I've sent a version of this question to @mareenavee for writerly stuff, but figured I'd adapt it to the arting process and then come pester youuuuuu. Though feel free to answer it in writing mode too, just pick whichever you want to ramble about more :> 1. What are the (art and/or) techniques you're most comfortable with? What comes easily and naturally and just flows (and how come?) 2. What's the stuff that requires lots and lots of redos and revisions? What challenges you as an artist? 3. What do you want to try your hand at, but haven't yet?

Yes, art process asks! We're doing that now!

What are the (art and/or) techniques you're most comfortable with? What comes easily and naturally and just flows (and how come?)

My comfort zone is portraits. Drawing people is easy (relatively speaking), and as much as I complain about it, I do enjoy and have become semi ok at faces and hands in general. I don't know if anything flows (I have poor hand-eye-coordination so it's a bit of an effort on my behalf to do anything precise but I'm clearly a masochist and choose to do precise work) sketches take like 3 hours and lineart takes 1-2 so yeah...slow. I think painting flows best if I'm listening to music, easier to zone out/hyper-focus enough to resist distraction. Skin and hair are the most relaxing to paint (even if I complain about it, I just kinda complain).

Digital is something I fell into because I had Photoshop loaded onto the home computer (ye old 2008 lounge room computer box) and traditional mediums were giving me eczema and/or making me dizzy and triggering headaches so I switched around age 15 and haven't really used many traditional mediums since... No wait, graphite, I'll use that but it's been a time. I am most comfortable with digital. Plus I hate the feeling of stuff on my hands, sensory issues apparently.

My painting technique is kinda similar to both oils and chalk pastels (pastels being my mum's medium, so I picked up a lot from that) like a weird hybrid between the two applied digitally I kinda just pulled from a lot of things and found what came easiest for my process.

What's the stuff that requires lots and lots of redos and revisions? What challenges you as an artist?

Oh boi, this is where I get called weird... (for personal work) I don't do working drawings or thumbnails or studies, I don't do warm-ups and I don't revise sketches. I have a crystal clear image that appears in my head of exactly how I want the finished piece to look, sometimes it's informed by a reference sometimes I have to make one that fits. I know exactly what I need to do to get it to look like that image. That includes lighting and colour that I add at the end, I paint cold and turn the heat up at the end. It's easier on my eyes. I do revisions when I'm doing commissions and professional art, it's a collaborative project and I'm creating someone's vision for them (which I also enjoy). I'll make edits within reason, there's a cut-off point that no one has ever reached but it's 3. I can create to a brief pretty well after 12 years of client work.

Challenges would be backgrounds and scenes, I'm working on those so that they are no longer challenges.

What do you want to try your hand at, but haven't yet?

I want to make something out of clay, a little Horus replica broach.

Like this Ptolemaic Falcon Faience Applique but with more Horus symbology. One day!

[systemrestart]

Remi's 2023 favorites!!

I used to do this on twitter but given what's happened to that site, I'm doing it over here this year! This was a brutal year for me MH wise, but at least I was introduced to some good stuff.

List under the cut

Starting off strong with my favorite thing of the whole year......

[FAVORITE VISUAL NOVEL]

Heaven Will Be Mine

Worst Girl Games has done it again. I am so glad I finally read this. Very few pieces of media have ever so perfectly captured what it means to feel 'inhuman', but still trapped by Earth's, humanity's, "gravity". The relationships between the 3 girls, and the circumstances that shaped them, put beautifully to the page feelings I know many other queer people share. There is nothing else like this out there.

[FAVORITE VIDEO GAME]

Mystia's Izakaya

Mystia's Izakaya is truly THE Touhou fangame to play. So many fun characters to get to know and serve food to, really great restaurant simulator with minor rhythm game elements, gorgeous pixel art in both character portraits and environment, so many challenges to try and outfits/music/items to unlock......!! And there's still more DLC coming out.

The love and effort put into this game is astonishing, and I am so glad I gave it a shot despite being nervous about restaurant sims. Highly recommend, even to non-Touhou fans!!!!

[FAVORITE SONG]

Psi

The lyrics seem to be a criticism of the extreme pace of 'content consumption' online nowadays, which I have mixed feelings on, but regardless, the song itself is absolutely killer. Particularly the verses. The effects with the TVs during the second verse are also great, capture the chaotic and mildly ominous energy of the song extremely well. This is definitely the song I listened to the most this year

[FAVORITE MOVIE]

Glass Onion

Watched this at the very beginning of the year. One of the best live-action movies I've seen in a long time, genuinely brilliant. Really hoping for more Knives Out films, they've knocked it out of the park so far. I also think this one and the first Knives Out will be very rewarding to revisit

[FAVORITE ANIME/SHOW]

I didn't watch anything this year. whoops

[FAVORITE MANGA]

Until I Love Myself

Most of the books and manga I read this year were autobiographical/semi-autobiographical, and this was one of my favorites. This is about a nonbinary mangaka dealing with sexual harassment as a editing job, and the subsequent struggles they have with PTSD, navigating life in the wake of the #MeToo Movement, and their difficult feelings on their gender and body, and how those things affect how others treat/see them. Reflected a lot of my own feelings and thoughts on these things, and very insightful. Can be a rough read at time, but I highly, highly recommend it.

[FAVORITE BOOK]

Stone Butch Blues

Absolutely life-changing read. It is extreme heavy, deals in police violence (including sexual violence inflicted upon LGBT people), labour rights and protests, severe discrimination based on gender and presentation, extreme poverty in part due to said discrimination, difficult and multifaceted relationships between queer women and lesbians......... there is a lot here. It is raw, and real, and while there is agonizing hardship here, there is also incredible, deep love, for the community that keeps up afloat, keeps us going. Please, if you can stomach the content, I beg of you all to read Stone Butch Blues if you haven't.

..... aaaand that's it I think!! Happy new year y'all!

[xknivesandpensx]

Like Pieces of a Puzzle

Chapter 11

Summary: What if Harry wasn't the only extra student called upon to participate in the Triwizard Tournament? Far from the most popular candidate, Draco not only has to take on the trials but also deal with his unexpected feelings for Hermione. Will he be able to face the challenges as well as follow his heart? Chapter length will vary. I'll be referencing both the books and movie versions. Some things from what I've previously written will be mentioned, all of which you can find here.  And for those who asked to be tagged: @dayane245love

Hermione expected Harry not to show up at the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning. She merely went down to talk to Ron, to see if he changed his mind. Clearly, he hadn’t. His overall blunt remarks sent her away from the table. On her way out, she grabbed a napkin, filling it up with pieces of warm toast.

It was hard not to notice Draco as she passed the Slytherins. There he sat, talking to Pansy, going on about the tournament. She looked rather impressed and even reached out and touched his arm while laughing at something he said.

A spike of jealousy hit out of nowhere, almost freezing her in place. Even if he drew away immediately, the feeling burrowed into her stomach. Hermione pressed her lips together, deliberately keeping her gaze forward (repeating ignore the, ignore them, ignore them in her head as if it actually helped).

The portrait swung open when she reached it. Harry had come through and nearly banging into her in the process.

“What happened to your nose?” she questioned. It appeared swollen and possibly broken. Hermione would’ve seen it last night yet by the time everyone stopped crowding him, she already went to bed, growing too tired to wait any longer to talk to him.

Harry dragged his fingers through his already messy hair. He didn’t think it came across too noticeably. “Malfoy and I decided to get into a row. As you can tell, it went real well. I’ve got the blood stains on my shirt to prove it.”

It stopped bleeding when he joined everyone in the common room. No one paid it any mind, too excited to celebrate. The endless questions, arguing with Ron, what he’d give for a normal school year. No danger, no life-threatening situations.

Hermione rose a brow and shoved the toast into his arms. “Honestly, the two of you getting into a fight, I’m sure the professors were displeased.” She grabbed her wand and pointed it at him. “Episkey. That’s better, isn’t it.?”

His nose felt very hot, then cold right before the bone snapped back into place. “Ouch.” He rubbed his hand along his face and the pain started to settle. “Thanks. What’s all this for?”

“I figured you’d avoid people as long as possible so I brought you breakfast,” Hermione replied, now thinking it over. “I should’ve grabbed more. You’re probably really hungry. I could go back. Maybe get some pumpkin juice too.”

“No, this is enough. I appreciate it.” He paused for a second, thinking of someplace quiet to go. The library didn’t allow food and he hardly felt like sitting in the common room. “Want to walk around the lake?”

Hermione nodded. They took many flights of stairs downward before breaking into the chilly morning air. The sound of chirping birds lingered in the background, adding to the peacefulness.

Unable to prevent himself from asking, Harry felt immense relief in hearing how she remained on his side, believing him despite almost everyone else either accusing him for cheating or sending their praises for getting past Dumbledore’s enchantment encircling the Goblet.

“It never entered my mind once,” she clarified, taking a piece of bread. “The same for Draco. I am worried though. The challenges you’ll have to face are dangerous. And I know you’ve managed to get out of horrible situations before, but this is well…”

“Intentional?” Harry specified. “It’s always been in a way, if you think about it. Only this time round it has nothing to do with Voldemort. Cedirc and the others must think I’m a foul git for wedging my way in.”

“I highly doubt it. Well, in Cedric’s case anyway. He doesn’t seem the type.” At least from what she gathered from their brief trek to the portkey together near the end of summer. “I can’t say much for Viktor and Fleur. They might take a while before they realize the truth of the situation.”

“As in someone else really fancied me participating.” Harry nibbled on the crust, trying to get himself to eat despite enduring no sense of hunger. It dissipated soon after getting up. “Dumbledore’s clueless too.”

“What about Professor Moody?” Hermione made sure not to forget to place the inquiry. So far, her suspicion rested on him, yet she attempted to remain open-minded considering how they wrongly accused Snape in the past. “How did he take the whole thing?”

Harry shrugged. “Like everyone else, I suppose. He had a pretty good idea on how, but not so much on who.” He kept his head down, trying to recall the whole conversation.

The commotion fogged most of the specifics. While he no longer suspected Draco, taking into account his lack of motive and the way he acted, he still didn’t consider themselves in the same predicament, not really.

“Has your scar bothered you lately? Any odd dreams?” The thought constantly remained at the back of her mind and the lull of silence provided a good a time as any to get an answer, more of an honest one anyway.

Harry was surprised she remembered provided everything going on, then again, maybe not. He grew used to Hermione’s attentive nature early on. She tended to bring things up too much or at the worst time.

“No pain since the other day,” he confirmed, unwilling to linger on the subject too long. “As for the other, a barely slept last night to find out.”

“And about Ron.” Hermione paused after nodding, tentative to so much as say his name. “Shouldn’t the two of you try to talk? I just know if given a chance, you’ll manage to fix things.”

“I reckon he didn’t make the suggestion. If Ron doesn’t believe me that’s his problem.” Harry grew slightly agitated, already cross that one of his best friends thought so low of him.

“He’s jealous, you know? Try looking at it from his point of view,” Hermione went on to say, disregarding his tone. “It’s not your fault or anything, but you’re always the center of attention and he gets shoved to the side. I’m not saying he’s right to be angry in this particular situation. Although, I do understand why.”

“Well, I’d gladly switch places anytime. He can have a scar on his forehead, making everyone gawk and stare. He can try living with a family who starves him and knocks him about for merely existing. In fact, speaking of the Dursleys, I’m sure they’d be thrilled knowing I’ve managed to put my life in danger again. Probably waiting for the day they get a letter informing them I tragically died so I’m no longer a bother.” Harry chucked a piece of toast, causing a few birds to jump away, before they fluttered back to try and nab the free food. He took a second to collect himself, letting out a heavy breath. “Can we please drop it, Hermione? Regarding Ron, anyway?”

“For now. As for your aunt and uncle. I hate it when you talk like that. I wish things were different, I really do. I’m sure Dumbledore thought they’d take you in properly.” Hermione slowed down, remembering something. She abruptly took hold of his arm, causing him to skid to a stop. “You should write to Sirius. Immediately. He’d want to know.”

Harry regained his footing after nearly losing his balance. “And give him an excuse to show up?” He needed his godfather more than ever, for even his presence would sooth his troubles, but he couldn’t ask for his help. “In case you forgot, the Ministry’s still after him. What good would it do anyone if he got caught and landed back in Azkaban?”

Sirius, not excluding Lupin by any means, remained to be the individual closest to his family left who cared about him in such a way. If only they managed to clear his name, then perhaps living together might not only be a dream they shared and more of a reality.

Hermione let go, coming around to face him fully. “I realize how much he means to you, but he’s going to find out anyway. The whole tournament will be in the Daily Prophet. Especially, seeing as two extra students are now participating. Let him hear it from you.”

Harry reluctantly gave in, aware as much. Although apprehension remained, her logic persisted. “All right, fine. We’ll head to the owlery then.”

Harry insisted on discussing something new, bringing up classes as an alternative as they changed their intended route. When they arrived, he wrote a quick note, using one of the school’s owls instead of Hedwig, as Sirius suggested. She nipped at his fingers again, unhappy to be put aside.

Returning to the grounds, Hermione suggested they remained outside for a little while longer, glad to enjoy the weather. She saw a Draco, flanked by Crabb and Goyle, from afar no more than a few minutes after the proposal left her lips. It got her wondering why he left the attention he gained behind for near solitude. To her surprise, Cedric stood there speaking to the group. He soon noticing the pair heading past and stretched his arm, calling Harry over.

They traveled down the small incline, able to hear the light lapping of water amid a hushed chatter. Now in full view of Draco, she noticed the reddish mark on the side of his face, the light shade suggested the bruise wouldn’t darken much in color. Hermione supposed neither he nor Harry even attempted to see Madam Pomfrey for their injuries.

Cedric tried his best to ignore the evident tension between the two boys, for they exchanged exasperated expressions. Being in his sixth year, he didn’t know much about them, not counting the obvious Boy Who Lived story everyone went on about, especially when he first arrived.

“I’m glad I don’t have to go searching for everyone now.” He was directed outside while looking for Malfoy, yet Harry’s whereabouts were a mystery considering he never came down to breakfast. “Dumbledore asked for all the champions. He said something about a wand weighing ceremony.”

“Meaning he wants to check your wands,” Hermione stated, gaining attention. “It’s a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament. It’s necessary for them to ensure they’re in perfect functioning condition for the tasks ahead. I read all about it.”

“Real shocking.” Draco hardly meant to say anything at all to her, the words just came out. Which led him to go on, pretending it hadn’t caused his face to heat up. “So busy reading all hours of the day. It’s no wonder you prattle on and on. As if anyone actually cares what you know.”

He avoided calling her a Mudblood (almost slipping while in need to dig the insult in a bit more) on the account of Cedric being a Prefect. Why unnecessarily loose points or get detention?

All the while, Draco tried desperately to prevent his gaze from lingering. He failed miserably given how the sun shined like a halo from behind her head, providing a soft glow against her brown hair, highlighting her features perfectly.

She had no right to stand there in such a captivating manner.

“At least Hermione spends her time learning things,” Harry defended, returning the glare Draco sent his way. “Can’t say much about you.”

Cedric moved between them, intervening before things escalated. “Let’s not have a repeat of last night. Besides, everyone’s waiting on us. I’m sure Viktor and Fleur are already there.”

Draco rolled his eyes prior to gesturing for Crabbe and Goyle to stay, no longer in need of their company, much less the pointless babble. He trailed behind, not noticing Hermione slow her pace until she fell in line right next to him.

“It might be smart of you to know a little more about what you’ve gotten into, don’t you think?” she questioned, trying to hide the apprehension building inside. His insults were expected but she refused to be fazed by them. Her worry for him and Harry mattered more than his callous ridicules.

“Trying to give me advice? You’ve got to be joking.” He sidestepped the slightest bit, falling straight into a jealousy complaint. “You and Potter looked quite cozy this morning. You must feel terrible having your little romantic stroll ruined.”

Draco noticed how close they were. With Ron nowhere in sight either. The idea of it irked him, it blatantly caused a layer of vexation to wash over.

“And you must feel completely awful tearing yourself away from Pansy. Her concern is ever so present.” The counter surprised even herself, not intending to match his (assumedly) taunting joke by means of something she meant to keep concealed.

Hermione inwardly chastised herself and dashed ahead, accidently brushing his shoulder in the process. Before he had a moment to consider the comment, a spark jumped up his arm. It sent his thoughts reeling, rattling every nerve in his body. Just how much longer did he have to ignore the pulsating, affection driven ache in his chest before it disappeared for good?

He knew disregarding his feelings proved useless though, they’d likely drive him mad if he carried on this way. Did he have to take some drastic measures to force them aside? All Draco knew for sure was he needed to figure out a solution and fast.

[thestanceyg]

I have a friend who does a daily self portrait the year of her decade birthday. (This year she turned 60 and is working in the most recent series. She encouraged me to find something to do as well, and I settled on one mini quilt a week as a sort of journal to represent the week. This is Week 1. Explanation below the cut.

This quilt is made with scraps and pieces that were sewn and then cut into different pieces kind of like I am still figuring out how all the bits of me come together. When I was younger I was sure that I would have my life figured out by 40. Obviously I was wrong.

I chose curves as the the main feature because it seemed like a challenge. I took a class on sewing curves years ago and never tried them again. That feels Sim I lat to just I inking up and moving to New Mexico while my husband stays in Jndiana.

There's no batting because I forgot to pack some to bring with me, but it fits because this past week especially I've felt like a flat version of myself, like I'm not projecting a full me.

The binding, in turn, was harder than I thought because of the lack of binding. Just I Ike I've had bumps in my road here, the binding is a bit bumpy as well. Which I guess also shows all the little things I still need to learn, especially in regards to my job.

So yeah, that's Week 1. I've ordered batting and some new rotary blades and next week shall bring something new.

[chesthighwater]

by thé way. wips roundup that absolutely no one asked for

first of all in the daudmartin brainrot corner we've got

sequel to bctbk, as promised. i have a major "plot" point planned, and then it might go one of two directions... we shall see :3c

the high overseer martin/assassin daud fic that i've posted a few excerpts from. essentially daud manifests himself into the abbey suggestively asking for ~spiritual guidance~ (lol) and things escalate from there. this has to get finished at some point because its like one of the first things i started writing for them. it deserve to see the light of day

a mildly humorous high overseer martin/spymaster daud fic. kind of a challenge for myself also- i find spymaster daud hard to imagine, and am not that used to writing daudmartin where they're not constantly trying to one-up/double cross each other/at each other's throats flirtatiously. presumably will not be nsfw (or at least, i'm not planning on it, but i make no promises. can't know where the ol inspiration will take me).

oh heres another high overseer martin thing! who wouldve thought! this time with Responsibility and Abbey Politics and Decisions. and working through issues. so many fucking issues. this one is actually actively in the works so ill leave it at that for now ;>

daudmartin pwp with genuinely 0 plot. like, negative plot. this thing defies plot. i can barely even tell you if it's an au or what, i might sprinkle a few nonsexual sentences in if i'm feeling generous but that's it. other than that it's literally just about martin being very quiet during sex and daud trying every trick he has in his book (which admittedly isn't many) to change that instead of like, communicating

augh speaking of plot-defying pwps. "what if overseers had (some appropriate equivalent to) confessions". there is some lore in here obviously but the entire point of it is confessional dirty talk. i dont KNOW

[REDACTED] pwp which im not even gonna advertise itll just appear one day and if you find it you found it

mostly unplanned ideas that i might flesh out: sokolov portrait thing. some dunwall noir stuff purely for martin in a cassock reasons (and sexualising religious guilt reasons. if i knew anything at all about priests i'd be working on this much faster). something involving the outsider appearing to martin (this might just get absorbed in a more well fleshed out idea at some point). martin Suffering More, because i want him in a situation where his wit fails completely (more desperation! more excuses! i am weak for this i really am.). something involving some more Action- fighting together against an acute threat? i think there should be more fighty martin out there. i am the change i want to see in the world

(not including the various snippets for the eternal serkonan vacation au which i already laid out there)

in the thief crossover brainrot corner (i bet you forgot i allude to thief crossovers in my description!)

also a sokolov portrait thing, but i have it way more planned out. corvo really, really wants garrett to sit in for a portrait (especially now when he's officially the empire's shadiest most mysterious spymaster ever). he reluctantly agrees, but Under One Condition.

a sort of relationship chronicle via heart lines. definitely starts with corvo's diplomatic mission and possibly ends with some happy dh2 era content. obviously i have the heart lines planned out.

possibly something involving more political intrigue/royal drama type stuff? i'm lucky enough to have access to someone who can give me some really good examples/plots if i fail to come up with anything myself.

(this is just a thief thing but i have had a viktoria/lt. mosley thing running around my brain for AGES. i want to explore how their relationship develops so bad. i know they have literally one interaction in canon but they are my blorbinas and i have mentally expanded their backstories so hard the story is basically begging to be written at this point)

anyway if you read this unreasonably unnecessarily long post i love you. i am sending you a kiss. wanna get married

[the-tzarina-alexandra-paracosm]

Some of my favourite art - a timeline

Part 14: 2024

The first half or so, at least

January. The fake album covers series. This is only a concept sketch but I really like how it looks even so, and I like the logo too.

February. This is actually a panel from my comics. This is one of the more detailed drawings in my black white and red rough sketch style. I like the pose, especially since it was so difficult for me to draw something like this in the past.

April. This is hands down my favourite panel from all the FIF comics I've done so far. The concept and the composition are very good.

May. Self portrait. Technically traced over a photo, but, as I've come to realise, even tracing in an aesthetically pleasing and artistic way is its own skill. (And the colouring and shading as well as the composition is done without tracing anyway). The first full colour picture of the year.

June. Quick sketch for my hacker story.

June. I like how I drew the babies here. Drawing the poses was a struggle, but I'm glad I didn't give up on it. I also liked drawing that transparent ball.

Early July. My first artfight this year (@ user is_noah). This is definitely the best drawing I've made this year, and the highest effort one. I spent about 3-4 full days drawing this, so a cumulative total of 20 hours or more. I like pretty much everything about this drawing, the shading, lighting, colour, mood, perspective, anatomy, poses, composition, clothing, character expressions etc etc. I feel like it looks just as I envisioned it in my mind if not better. And most importantly the emotion, the angst grief etc is there. What I struggled with the most was definitely the composition.

Late July. My second and last artfight this year, and a very high effort drawing for my friend @sea-angle. I like the lighting, colours and poses here. The composition was definitely the biggest struggle, but it was very much worth it. Although I spent a full week on this, I think the net time was about half of the other drawing.

______

The way I would characterise this year so far is that I'm still in an experimental phase especially in terms of subject matter, and am constantly going out of my comfort zone. At the same time, this is the period of time in which my artstyle is the most "my own" it's ever been, and the skills I've acquired over the years stacked up, thus enabling me to draw things that would've been extremely challenging even just last year. And to be fair, they were very challenging this year too, but I was determined to see them through to the end. My biggest improvements have been in terms of anatomy (+ poses), lighting and especially composition, which I've also put a much higher level of intentionality in.

But all of this did not occur overnight. If this 15+ year retrospective showed me anything it's that even those years that I felt like I was stagnating or regressing in my art, were actually crucial steps in building skills that would define my art in the future. I am extremely grateful for the journey I've had so far. I hope that any artist who reads through this series feels encouraged, because every new drawing means progress, even when, or especially when we feel it the least

[runnersnz]

"I got pretty fit while farming. It was quite a big farm, 1800 acres, so that's big enough. I also played rugby from primary school until I was about 28, I think. I played at high school, local clubs, and I played at Lincoln. I was quite quick over a 100 metre sprint at Lincoln, only one back could beat me. And then when I came back home to Fiordland I carried on playing rugby.

The Kepler Challenge didn't exist as a race at the time, but there was some conversation about it, and it was going to happen. So once we knew when, three months out, we basically ran around the farm to train. I did the Riverton Half Marathon as preparation too. I think that took me a bit over three hours. Then on the day of the first Kepler they almost didn't have the Kepler, because there was quite a bit of snow on the top. The ones that run it today wouldn't recognise it - there was a bit of a track up there but no stairs, so where the overhang is at Hanging Valley, you're actually down on hands and knees crawling through there. There was a track up top to the Luxmore Hut and then you just follow the poles the best you can. The downhill into Iris Burn was hard on your legs. You just had to aim at something out the corner, hit that and stop, and turn and go down the other way. So Ken Pierce and I, we stuck together and we walked pretty much most of it from there on. And none of this electrolytes or anything like that. Our sustenance was warm water and Moro Bars. The lakes had been high that year too so the boardwalk along the lake was all buckled and twisted and you couldn't use it. And that joker, Russel Prince, he won the first Kepler in I think about five hours. He actually finished and then came back to Rainbow Reach, which is 10k's before the end of the race. And I don't know how many people he convinced to do the last 10k's, but a lot of people wouldn't have finished if he hadn’t been there. It was bloody good.

I've still got my finishers t-shirt and some photos from that race. I'll dig them out.

I played a friendly rugby game the year after and I did a knee and ankle injury at the same time - so I did a good job - and I never got back to the Kepler. 

I still did a lot of work farming and I did a little bit of local team triathlon - where I did the running and somebody else kayaked and somebody biked. I've done quite a few Surf to City’s in Invercargill when we lived there. That's where Derek Turnbull was doing his thing, and he'd bounce ahead with his stick half a kilometre or so and then he'd come back and encourage some people. That was good.

And then I finished farming and I spent 20 years in IT just sitting at desks, so you sort of have to do something, and that was what it was all about then.

Now I walk this track here. It’s a cycle trail and it’s quite a nice walk, about 3kms from home and around. And then Avis started volunteering at parkrun recently, so that’s been fun and interesting to come along and run too. 

I’ll keep running - as much as I can."

Robin Peters (Fiordland) – Portraits of Runners + their stories @RunnersNZ

[sitpwgs]

Hi Cossette! Happy 2024 and I hope you're having an enjoyable year so far 🎉

Speaking of 2024 albums, Kali Uchis' Orquideas came out today & I found it very refreshing - normally I listen less to R&B / Latin Pop albums in full but Kali's new LP is very cohesive! As of upcoming music releases, because most of my favourite artists released new albums last year, I find the 2024 release schedule considerably more quiet. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to new albums from: Bleachers, Faye Webster, Allie X, and Madi Diaz!

Also fingers crossed that we'll also get new music from Sabrina Carpenter 🙏

As of fantasy books, I currently have two physical books with me: Starling House (Alix E Harrow) and The Tethered Mage (Melissa Caruso). It's been a challenging time for me to read books electronically (the only device I electronically read on is the same device that I use for academia), so I really like being able to unplug & read something physically 💖

And ahh The Starless Sea is a perfect winter read ❄️ I rarely re-read books myself, but this is one of the few books that I revisit from time to time! My copy isn't with me right now as I'm still abroad, but I'm working on an edit inspired by this book so I've been slowly re-reading it on my computer.

Amongst the upcoming book releases, which new books / series are you most looking forward to reading? And do you tend to prefer standalones or series?

P.S. I'm looking forward to hearing Laufey performing Haunted & Letter To My 13 Year Old Self live!

hi jennifer!! happy 2024! i hope your year has been off to a great start 🤍

i haven't listened to kali uchis' new album yet, but i keep seeing these stunning vinyl pressings for it in one of the vinyl groups i'm in! i'll probably listen to it at some point for my 365 albums in 365 days challenge. i didn't realize allie x has a new album coming out; i'm so excited! and new bleachers so soon. i'm really hoping we'll get new sabrina music, although i'm not looking forward to fighting for tickets if she does another tour.

i read and didn't love 10 thousand doors of january, but i've heard really good things about alix harrow / a lot of my friends like her stuff, so maybe i'll give her another shot! i've also been struggling with reading books electronically as of late (although i don't read on the same device i use for work), which is why a bunch of my arcs have piled up 😵‍💫 i haven't actually touched the starless sea in a few days; i feel like annotating takes so much more time / effort / energy (which ... makes sense) but i'm hoping to get back to it soon 🤍 i can't wait to see your edit!!!

i tend to prefer standalones — or duologies! what about you? i'm really excited for the new ashley poston (a novel love story), a banh mi for two by trinity nguyen (a bit biased! i read an early draft of it), a dark and downing tide by allison saft (love allison saft! very excited for her adult debut!), a witch's guide to magical innkeeping by sangu mandanna, anatomy of a betrayal by grace d. li (loved portrait of a thief/her debut + have been eagerly awaiting her next book), the dark we know by wen yi lee (also biased! read an early version of this! but it's loosely inspired by spring awakening <3), and of course, emily henry's funny story (although i read an arc of it already so it feels like cheating!). what about you?

speaking of laufey, i finally bought bewitched on vinyl yesterday! it should be here sometime next week; i'm so excited to listen to it on vinyl :")

[ianequipilag]

TECHNOPRENEURSHIP BLOG

WEEK 1 (FEBRUARY 21- FEBRUARY 25, 2023)

*PLANNING OF POSSIBLE PRODUCTS & VALIDATION OF 7 POTENTIAL COSTUMERS*

We struggled to accomplish the assignment we were supposed to perform in the first week because we thought it would be simpler to complete another task first. We had first finish our ongoing plates and decided to make this later on, so we decided to list the potential problems that students could be experiencing right now while also considering a potential remedy or item that would address the problem in question. We discussed everything when we made the decision to meet in person and became anxious when we realized the deadline.

Knowing this helped me to know that if we needed to work quickly and discuss the allocated assignment. I can't deny that I misjudged how challenging it would be to communicate with others and identify and address potential problems in the real world. Nevertheless, we selected a topic that was related to the environment, particularly one that could aid in the reduction of plastic waste.

WEEK 2 (FEBRUARY 28- MARCH 3, 2023)

*ASKING STRANGERS & REJECTION*

I was a little nervous when this work was handed to us since I am an introverted individual, which makes this task quite difficult for me. Since my partner needed to finish some urgent plates, we decided to limit the number of participants for this activity. We only spoke with pupils who were present at the event center as a consequence. It's funny to think that we once inquired about strangers' drawing abilities and then requested that they create a quick portrait of us.

WHO’S ON THE CAMERA:

1&2- Ian Equipilag

3&4- Lorenn Dumalag

attached is the link to the footage of us interviewing strangers:

LESSONS LEARNED:

I've come to realize that staying comfortable all the time prevents growth. Accepting criticism and remaining open to rejection is a method to learn and develop. In this task, we were given the opportunity to be humble and accept a rejection right away.

WEEK 3 (MARCH 7, 2023- MARCH 10, 2023)

This week's assignment was to work with my peers to come up with a certain product in an innovative way. It took us some time to choose which of our three promising items to pursue. We conducted interviews to gain input from potential consumers as part of the development process, participated in group brainstorming sessions to create ideas, and collaborated to make sense of the data we had acquired. The difficulty of attempting to comprehend and deal with the responses of our interviewees was one of the largest challenges we faced. Sometimes it was hard to understand their answers, or they gave contradictory information that was difficult to make sense of.

However, we were able to overcome these obstacles and improve our understanding of our target users through persistence and teamwork. When conducting interviews, we learned how crucial it is to be persistent and patient, as well as how to craft questions that produce insightful answers. To sum up, creating a product as a team might be difficult, but it can also be a worthwhile learning experience. We were able to overcome the obstacles we faced and get a deeper comprehension of our target consumers via excellent teamwork, tenacity, and communication.

WEEK 4 (MARCH 14, 2023- MARCH 17, 2023)

As the project moved along, it became apparent that we were missing several crucial milestones and that our final product lacked value. We came to the conclusion that we needed to change course and formulate an entirely new strategy.

The value of flexibility and adaptability was one of the most important lessons I took away from this experience. To make sure that everyone was in agreement about the changes we were making, we learned the importance of excellent communication both within the team and with the people we were interviewing.

WEEK 5 (MARCH 21, 2023- MARCH 24, 2023)

Even though we are in week 5, we still need to go back and build a new product that is more attainable. Despite the fact that we had already conducted some interviews, we decided that we wanted to start again and develop some new ideas. Because of this, we had to perform extra research and brainstorming meetings. We also had some difficulties conducting interviews as a result of our busy class schedules. We had to carefully plan our schedules and be flexible when setting up interviews as a consequence.

[was-it-really-worth-it]

Game 217 - CLOSED HANDS by PΔSSENGER

I picked up this game through the itch.io Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid. I chose to donate 10 dollars, and I found about 60 games in the bundle that I was actually interested in (and that I didn’t have from previous bundles.) So, the consideration for this game will be if it was worth the 17 cents (rounded up) that I paid for it and the hours that I played it for. The bundle has since ended, but I still encourage you to make a donation to the organizations listed here.

What did I think it was at first? It's described as interactive fiction, which is my jam!

How was the character creator? There isn't one - you are reading through the stories of these five people and how they intersect. You do make some choices for each character, and you can watch the narrative branch on screen based on the choices you make.

How was the game? The game starts with a terrorist attack, and then spirals outward. You follow narrative threads of five people whose lives intersect at this event. Sometimes you travel through the past, and sometimes you are making choices based on the ramifications of the events you saw.

The events are typically presented in a scroll box, but some are set up like a mock desktop or chat log. It reminded me of Secret Little Haven a bit.

The story takes you through several different perspectives. I started with the father of one of the terrorists, which I honestly thought was the best thread to start with. There are lots of extra scenes as well that are narrated from the perspective of an outsider to these groups. An Antifa group shows up a few times, and honestly I think that could have made an excellent sixth path.

The story itself doesn't make any groundshaking proclamations about the nature of terrorism, and it doesn't propose any solutions - it just examines the way that people's lives intersect. Honestly, I think it was a pretty nuanced portrait of the events that surround this sort of thing. I was honestly reminded of my experience living through the aftermath of Pulse. I wasn't there, I didn't know anyone there, but the feeling of reading these story snippets reminded me of the days after and watching my community come to terms with it.

The soundtrack was really excellent at emphasizing turning points in the story.

What did I not love? There are a few minor issues - glitches with the desktop segments and some text boxes that don't correctly reflect who is talking. I think I had three main concerns with the narrative:

Yasin is one of the terrorists and we have a lot of insight into his background and behavior - but we never hear from him or the original attacker. And maybe that's not the focus of the game, but other than some minor references we don't even know the outcome for him. I wish he was fleshed out a little more.

Mike is the fascist we follow most closely - he's radicalized after being fired from his job for being a racist. I think the game works too hard to make you empathize with him. I could see this being OK if they put the same labor into the antifa movement representatives, but they only show up a couple of times and they're mostly jokey. I got to the best possible ending (I think) where he leaves the far-right and somewhat owns up to the error of his ways, but I was still disappointed that the characters he interacts with don't condemn him strongly.

It's also challenging to know when you're done. I got to the ending screen a few times, but the game would always tell me there's more to uncover. Some events had branching paths where one event would open up and you could kind of guess the other route because it would stay closed - but in routes for Farah and Beth I seemed to have two outcomes for certain events, and I wasn't sure which was the event that actually happened in the timeline I was playing with? There's also no culminating scene for finishing the paths (at least, not one I've found) which made it feel incomplete.

At 3 hours and 17 cents, was it really worth it? I mean, it's name your own price. Despite the flaws, I strongly recommend this one.

[frankentyner]

The editor of We Belong Dead magazine in England....whose covers I feel I’ve seen numerous times before when voting for The Rondo Hatton Awards....he wants to make one of my portraits THE COVER of issue #32.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!