1. I have posted a trailer for Book Two on my TikTok, chameleonsav
2. You may have seen some changes to this work as a whole - I've been going back and forth on whether to make the Occulta Tenebris "books" into separate works, so you might've seen the title change and the number of chapters go between a question mark and 40. Sorry for the confusion. I ultimately decided that it'd be easier all around to contain it to one work, which is why it's a question mark again. You'll likely see more minor changes to the title and description as the story continues, for the sake of keeping up with the work. There will be three books in total.
3. I went back and revised this entire work to fix any typos and grammar inconsistencies. In that same vein, I added more dialogue and description to certain parts that I felt weren't fully fleshed out. The only "big" edit worth bringing to your attention was made to Chapter 37. I wrote two smaller plotlines into the fic, but that being said, if you don't want to reread don't feel like you have to. I also went ahead and added song lyrics to the start of every chapter. All revisions have been posted and are available now if you do want to view them.
4. I wanted to share some background about how this fic began. First off, I'd been wanting to write a Regulus Black fanfic since the Deathly Hallows book came out. Secondly, Ivy is derived from an original character I obsessively roleplayed on Tumblr around 2012, named Rowan Selwyn. Clearly, I meshed the two ideas. Luckily, this has turned out far better than I anticipated, despite most of the fic having been planned from the start. This brings me to the title of Cold, Brilliant, and Utterly Still. The name originally came from a poem that read: "To-day has been one of those perfect winter days, cold, brilliant, and utterly still, when the bark of the shepard's dog carries for miles, and the great wild mountains come up quite close to the city walls, and the mind feels intensely awake." I thought Cold, Brilliant, and Utterly Still was a good fit, as I heavily associate Ivy with winter. Now that I've finished with this title and reflected a bit, I think it also is a reference to the three most pivotal characters: Ivy, Regulus, and Hazel. I would love to hear what you all thought the title was referring to.
5. These are my unsurprising fancasts for this fic: Timothee Chalamet as Regulus, Taylor Momsen as Ivy, Florence Pugh as Theya, Louis Garrel as Severus, Ben Barnes as Sirius, Sadie Sink as Lily, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as James, Andrew Garfield as Remus, Dane DeHaan as Peter, Alicia Vikander as Marlene McKinnon, Zoe Kravitz as Dorcas Meadows, Katie McGrath as Bellatrix, Ian Somerhalder as Rodolphus, and no one as Ariadne because fuck that bitch. If you have different ideas of what they look like, I'd love to hear them.
6. Here are the songs I associate with the main characters:
a. Ivy: The Lighthouse by Halsey, House on a Hill by The Pretty Reckless, Horns by Bryce Fox, Eyes on Fire by Blue Foundation, Black Out Days by Phantogram, Illuminated by Hurts, The Tradition by Halsey, Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance, Under the Water by The Pretty Reckless
b. Regulus: Black Flies by Ben Howard, Run Boy Run by Woodkid, Juliet by Cavetown, Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen, Move Along by All-American Rejects, Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths, The Bidding by Tally Hall, Ashes by Stellar, Violet Hill by Coldplay
c. Theya: Tighten Up by the Black Keys, The Letter by Hailey Reinhart, Howl by Florence and the Machine, Pomegranate Seeds by Julian Moon, The King of Rock N'Roll by Prefab Sprout, Yes Sir I Can Boogie by Baccara, Love Grows by Edison Lighthouse, Elephant by Tame Impala
d. Severus: So Cold by Ben Cocks, Evergreen by Ben Howard, Fourth of July by Sufjan Stevens, Blinding by Florence and the Machine, I'll Be Good by Jaymes Young, Stay Alive by Jose Gonzalez, Bloodsuckers by Johnny Hollow, Caution Repetitive by Princess Chelsea
e. Regulus and Ivy: Honey by Halsey, Mr. Brightside by the Killers, Long Time Coming by Kaitlyn Smith, 11:11 by Ben Barnes, All The Things She Said by TATU, Alrighty Aphrodite by Peach Pit, Ya'aburnee by Halsey, The Perfect Girl by Mareux, Cupid's Chokehold by Gym Class Heroes, Nothing Like You And I by the Perishers, You're The Only One by Maria Mena
f. Theya and Severus: Gomenesai by TATU, New Intention by I Don't Know How But They Found Me, Oceans by Seafret, Don't Blame Me by Taylor Swift, 11 Minutes by Halsey, I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Miya Folick, Galway Girl by Ed Sheeran, Sloppy Seconds by Watsky, Sex and Candy by Union
7. Here is my Pinterest board of inspiration: /3jyT52P
8. I also wanted to add that writing this fic has been life saving as it helped me process my PTSD from the cult I was raised in. I constantly look forward to the thrill and crazed laughter I'm filled with whenever I write a fucked up twist or a scene I've been desperately wanting to get on paper for years.
9. I would love to hear any feedback, good or bad. I'm also curious to know what you want to see more of, whether its interactions between specific characters or just someone you want murdered. There are many scenes I'm excited to write, and even more excited to hear about your reactions to them. I hope that what I have in store blows your goddamn minds, because I think it will.