Thank you for sharing that, Consuela. The setup with the sacred lion didn't come across as too obvious. When introduced, it came across as just one more thing that was going wrong for them.

Some stories just have to be told and not dithered over.

Yes. This is why I have about a dozen what-should-be-short stories languishing on my hard drive, never to see the light of screen.

When introduced, it came across as just one more thing that was going wrong for them.

Oh, that's good to know. Thanks, Anne!

When introduced, it came across as just one more thing that was going wrong for them.

I agree. It wasn't until there was more information about the history of Narnia - the talk of the king going to meet his lion - that I thought back to it and started to wonder if it was an outright sacrifice that was required, or if it was a Challenge that might have more than one possible satisfactory outcome. It was not until Edmond figured out what Peter was doing that I knew for sure he would not be coming back. The True Death bit was unexpected and heartbreaking.

WindSparrow summed it up nicely, that's exactly the way it came across. Heartbreaking, but necessary.

Thanks so much, y'all. It's nice to hear that.

Does fanart go here too? Because I want to share this, which is a little outside what petite-madame usually does, but I think it's lovely and evocative.

That isn't her usual palette, but it fits the subject so beautifully. She does insightful work.

I just wasted half an hour naming strippers (I was plotting, then got sick of calling one of them "that girl".

If it makes you feel better, I've just spent a fruitless 15 minutes Googling "stages of dating" because I can't think of a better way to say "courtship" for a character who would only use the word if she had to fill in the blank "____ of Eddie's Father" in a trivia contest (and she wouldn't be in a trivia contest anyway). I've got nothing. And "preliminaries" doesn't work either.

wooing! Wooer.