#hinges

It's World Puppetry Day!

Which reminded me of Orio and her like from my very first webcomic, the steampunk fantasy HINGES. First self published, then picked up by Image Comics. It still holds a special place in my heart.

A memento mori in gold and enamel. It is in the form of a rectangular coffin which has two hinges on one side of the lid and a catch at the other side. There is a loop and ring in the centre of the lid, with EW inscribed twice around the edge. There is also an inscription on the sides of the coffin which read: DISCE MORI, LERN TO DYE. The coffin opens to reveal a tiny enamelled skeleton. Possibly English.

@jegulus-microfic April 21, Word count 326

Previous part First part

Regulus was manhandled into a small cage. He hissed and spat at Snape, managing to get a deep scratch on the back of his hand and took a chance when Snape was distracted by that to sink his teeth into the back of Snape’s other hand. 

“Ahhh, you little shit!” Snape hit him with a stunner. The last thing he remembered was hitting the other side of the cage before everything went black. 

Somehow, he managed to hold onto his animal self and remained a cat, or else he’d be in even more trouble with Snape than he already was. 

He lay very still, pretending to still be unconscious as he listened to the sounds around the room. 

Snape was there. He could smell him. He could hear him breathing. His tail twitched involuntarily, and Snape moved. “Are you awake, fleabag?” Snape sneered at him through the cage, though making sure to stay a safe distance away. Regulus stayed still. Snape hit the cage at the same time as the dungeon door was blasted off its hinges.

Regulus leapt to his feet and watched quietly as James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Barty, Evan, Dorcas and Pandora all came rushing in with their wands drawn. 

“That’s a bit of an overreaction to a missing pet, isn’t it, Potter?” Snape scoffed, glowering at James. 

“Nope,” James said calmly right before pushing Snape in the face. The greasy-haired wizard fell to the floor with a sickening crunch. 

James yanked the cage open and pulled Regulus into his arms. Regulus meowed sweetly and rubbed his head against James’s cheek. James cradled him all the way back up to Gryffindor Tower, leaving the others to clean up the mess he’d left. 

Regulus transformed back into himself and had to be carefully tucked into bed with James, as he couldn’t stop shaking. His ordeal hadn’t been as bad as some of the things his parents had put him through, but it was close. 

Paul Evans, Rare hinged box

Paul Evans Studio, USA, c. 1965,

Patinated copper,