artimeanatheart

[artimeanatheart]

Hey, so remember when I said I finished The Unwanteds a few days ago?

WELL-

I've been meaning to do these little book review things, and since The Unwanteds is the first book I've finished in forever so it got to be my first victi- I MEAN review.

Is this a good review? I don't think so. But ☝️ I did enjoy trying to draw the cover on a smaller scale and my overall reaction to the book, so there's that.

[artimeanatheart]

Aaron Character Analysis-Quests Book Three Part Three

I talk a lot about characters/character development (which is kind of the point of this series of posts) but I'm also a big fan of world-building. Despite it being kind of in the background to the characters and the plot, I think that Unwanteds generally does world-building really well. There were a couple parts in this book were I thought McMann or her editor could have benefitted from going back and re-reading Island of Fire and Island of Silence, but overall the world-building and magic system hold up pretty well into Quests. So I'm going to combine two of my favorite things and talk about the ways Aaron's character intersects with the world-building of the Seven Islands. Fair warning: this part is a bit more speculation- and headcanon- filled than I usually try to make these.

Magic and Worldbuilding (literally)

"When Aaron ended the spell a third time, he dropped his head and rested in place a moment. And then he lifted his chin and opened his eyes. Colors began swirling around him, around the entire island."

When I think of magic in The Unwanteds, I generally think of two main types of magic: Artimean magic and what I like to call 'innate' magic. Artimean magic is the first one we're introduced to in the series and the one that gets explored in most depth. It's magic that stems from the creativity of its users but only functions with a living head mage. I like to think of Artime and its magic as a sort of parasite, feeding off the magical abilities of the head mage. It doesn't seem to have any negative physical impacts on the head mage or their magical abilities, aside from all the mental stress that comes from leading a country.

"She [Lani] slipped the robe over her shoulders and fastened it. It smelled burned, but it also smelled like Alex. She breathed deeply, trying to absorb any possible lingering greatness from the mage, knowing there would be no more opportunities to get it firsthand."

Then there's innate magic. The magic that someone is born with and can be done without a more powerful mage essentially 'fueling' it. It existed before Artimean magic and still exists when Artimean magic is gone, as seen when Thisbe uses her sparks while the rest of the Artimean's magic is gone. Some of the other characters we see with innate magic are Eva, Gondoleery, Justine (a little), and, of course, Mr. Today. Oh and also Eagala. It does seem like innate magic still stems from creativity, with characters saying that Mr. Today was far too creative to just limit himself to elemental magic. He literally created Artime and its brand of magic. I also think that he imbued his robes with a bit of his innate magic, meaning that a bit of his magic-and thus Artimean magic-survives his death. I think that's what would allow someone without innate magic to recreate Artime. Maybe that's also why someone with weak magic, like Frieda, is still able to be head mage and have the magic of Artime feeding off her life force: the robe was working overtime sustaining it.

"Fifer petted the falcon. 'You found us,' she murmured. The bird shimmered brightly, magically, in the dark forest. 'Birds?' said Dev. 'Are they your pets?' 'Sort of,' said Fifer. 'Does that shimmer mean the magic is back?' asked Seth. They looked back toward the camp at Simber, who was still frozen. 'I guess not,' said Fifer, confused. 'But the birds have brought the hammock with them. And since she's still shimmering, I don't think they've lost their magic.' 'Wait a second-maybe you haven't lost yours, either,' said Seth, growing excited. 'Your automatic magic, I mean. That stuff you were born with.'"

Fifer and Thisbe also have innate magic. And since both of them have it, and Mr. Today, Justine, and Eagala all had it, that makes it seem like there's a genetic component to the magic. Which begs the question: did Alex and Aaron have innate magic? Could they have recreated Artime without the robe? We never see them use any magic other than Artimean magic (although Aaron does stretch that definition a bit). On second thought, maybe their twin connection thing, which they have but is weaker than Fifer and Thisbe's eventually is, counts as a sort of innate magic. Or maybe it's its own thing, like the magic seaweed, the volcano network, and Karkinos. Huh. I'll have to think on that more. Anyways, they are both notably powerful mages, more so than most of their peers (Samheed might equal them, considering he could see the 'secret' hallway as soon as he arrived in Artime but Alex couldn't). I like to think that they do both have some level of weak innate magic. Definitely not as strong as Fifer and Thisbe's; it never bursts out of them uncontrollably. Or maybe that's a side effect of having been raised in Quill with their creativity suppressed, considering creativity is linked to how powerful innate magic is. They probably would have inherited it from their mother, like Fifer and Thisbe did. Or maybe they have some sort of latent innate magic, but it's not expressed because they don't have black eyes.

"Around dusk Simber returned with news that Arabis was in sight and should be arriving shortly with her wings ready to be reattached. 'I can do it,' Seth offered, noting that Fifer was taking a nap. He was glad-she needed it. He began to prepare his mind for the magical task. He knew how hard this would be, but he was ready for it."

On the topic of the Stowe siblings' magic, I want to talk a bit more about Aaron's magical abilities. I think I've touched on just how crazy powerful he is in the past, but I want to go a little deeper now. Aaron is one of the most powerful users of Artimean magic that we see in the series, probably second only to Mr. Today, who literally invented the magic type. He also uses non-component-based magic most similarly to Mr. Today, mostly focusing on creating creatures/statues and making them come alive. Alex and the other Artimeans, despite their magic stemming from creativity, tend to think within the rules of Artimean magic that they've learned. Things like using components or carefully following spells laid out in books. Aaron doesn't think about these rules when he's doing magic, especially earlier in the series. He's never been taught them. He just does it. He casually invents spells that become known as some of the most difficult and magically intensive spells that only the most powerful mages can do, like the live spell and the process of fixing broken statues. I don't actually think we ever see the full extent of what Aaron is capable of magically. I also think it makes sense with his character. He's just not that interested in expanding his magical abilities. He's perfectly content with where he's at, magically-speaking. He would much rather be trying to fix some scientific instrument than inventing a new form of magic.

"When the world of Artime turned gray, Henry Haluki knew that Alex was dead."

The major piece of magic we see Aaron do in this book is, of course, recreating Artime. And here's where some more of my headcanons/theories come in. I have this theory that each head mage who recreates Artime (so that would be Mr. Today, Alex, Aaron, and Fifer) creates a slightly different Artime that reflects their personality and how they see Artime. Mr. Today's Artime was a secret haven created specifically for Claire. It was a hidden, safe place for him and other creative people, but one that he couldn't share with the world. And he died less than a year after it was exposed. When Alex took on the role of head mage, he created a tight-knit adventuring Artime for the people of Artime themselves. They banded together because it was them against the world and fought for peace with a teenage boy as their leader. But once Artime achieved that peace it, like Alex, kind of floundered. Alex didn't know what to do with peace or with a world with wars fought over continents rather than islands. I don't quite have Quests as memorized as I do the original series (I've only read books three through seven twice before this) so I don't know Fifer's Artime as well off the top of my head. Mostly going off vibes, Fifer created an interconnected, young, playful Artime that was built for herself before anyone else, which allowed it to be more stable and adapt to a changing world as she, too, grew up.

"Then Aaron moved to the five crucial words. 'Imagine,' he said softly, picturing Artime in all its glory. 'Believe.' He felt his heart swell in grief and certainty, knowing with all confidence that this would work. 'Whisper.' He whispered the word, hearing it echo through the land, giving strength to it and defining the boundaries of the magical world. 'Breathe.' He let his chest swell, his lungs taking in the hot, salty air, giving life to the magic. Then he let it out. 'Commence,' he said finally."

And then there's Aaron's Artime. Where Alex created his Artime for the people, Aaron creates it for Alex. He imagines the glorious Artime that Alex forged and he believes that it can live again. But Aaron's Artime is also influenced by his own experiences with the island, most of which were in Quill rather than Artime. I don't think it's on purpose, but some of that does seep into his spell. He whispers to the land, giving it strength and boundaries, which are much more Quillen ideas than Artimean. He also gives it some aspects of his home on the Island of Shipwrecks, breathing in the salty sea air he's constantly surrounded with there. Then, this new version of Artime commences. And because it was created for a ghost rather than a living person or entity, because Aaron has this deep internal conflict between who he used to be and who he is now, he creates an Artime that is divided. It's not sustainable. It will never be able to thrive.

Much like Aaron never will be able to, unless he lets go of his negative feelings towards himself and forgives himself.

[artimeanatheart]

The videos referenced are the video essay about Blade Runner 2049 by @ladyknightthebrave and an interview between Adam Savage and Matt Parker about his book "Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World"

go give them a watch they're super cool!

[artimeanatheart]

I'd truly be the worst person to stick into a timeloop because I'd really just spend the first 5 years catching up on my book tbr, the next 7 on all the movies and shows that've Been On My List for ages, and then another decade on ao3. like sure nothing may stick but my memories will and i can just go into a supermarket to get snacks and wine each day, and i have art to indulge in. like thanks for the hints on how to get out but respectfully, I am busy

[artimeanatheart]

AoS + text posts pt. 18/?

[artimeanatheart]

not all ships are For wanting them to be in a happy healthy relationship together. sometimes shipping two characters means you want them to be erotically obsessed with each other and become entwined in a mutually toxic love affair for a few months and then horrifically break each other's hearts and never speak again. sometimes you want them to be codependent best friends with enough repression to explode a submarine who only make out/have sex when they're at their worst. sometimes you want them to pine after each other for years, never say anything, and then die. sometimes you want them to kill each other. this, too, is shipping

[artimeanatheart]

getting a note on a super old post

[artimeanatheart]

[artimeanatheart]

Aaron Character Analysis-Quests Book Three Part Two

Oh, my poor, sweet boy. He is in so much pain and honestly dealing with it pretty well. Little does he know that things are only going to go downhill from here.

The Dissenters

What about the dissenting Artimeans who protested Aaron's leadership? How would he handle that conflict when he knew full well that they were justified in their feelings?"

Frieda Stubbs has no sympathy for Aaron's pain because he hurt Artime in the past. She and the other dissenters are people who don't accept him as head mage and will never forgive him for what he's done. Aaron knows that. He doesn't really feel like it's worth fighting them over it or trying to convince them, yet again, that he has changed. He also knows that their dislike of him is justified. He did kill Mr. Today. He did orchestrate attacks against Artime. He was one of Artime's biggest threats for years.

"Frieda leaned in menacingly. 'Did you kill your own brother, too, so you could finally take over? That's what I want to know! People everywhere are saying it.' Aaron stared. 'What?' he exclaimed, incredulous. 'That's preposterous!' He couldn't even begin to understand where such a claim had come from.' You did it, didn't you!' snarled Frieda. 'So you could take over once and for all. You've been plotting it for years.' 'My God,' whispered Aaron, feeling sick to his stomach. He didn't know how to respond. To not only lose his soul-mate twin, but to be accused of killing him? 'How could you. . .?' he whispered."

The one thing they accuse him of that he did not do was kill Alex. And he is floored by that accusation, because he's mourning his brother deeply. He doesn't know how to face the rest of his potentially immortal life without Alex by his side. But even still there's nothing he can do to fight them on it. He can't even say that he would never try to kill Alex because. . .uh. . .see the first five books of the series.

"Daniel's cries turned to wails. Aaron's stomach churned as he looked for a way to escape. He held the baby close and whispered calming things in the boy's ear as the accusations continued around him. But when Frieda stepped too close, within reach of Daniel, Aaron's face darkened with anger. 'Step back!' he said. 'Make me!' said the woman. 'Frieda Stubbs,' said Aaron, his free hand moving to his pocket full of spell components, 'you are threatening my child. Please. Step. Away.'"

Aaron is willing to take the (currently) metaphorical punches. He deserves them. He won't fight back against these people and prove them right. Up until the moment that they put his infant son in danger. That's the only moment in the book where he reaches for spell components, not to protect himself, but to protect his son. Look at him, being a protective dad. The dissenters back down, realizing that harming an innocent child would be going too far. They are still Artimeans, after all. And Aaron is not.

"Aaron troubled over the harsh letter. All these years? He'd been helping Artime and falling in love with Kaylee and taking are of Ishibashi and Ito and Sato and having a child. And now mourning his brother, worrying over his sisters, and trying to lead a world he didn't feel totally comfortable leading. But he certainly wasn't plotting anything. Those days were long gone. He'd changed. Period.Apparently Frieda Stubbs still saw something sinister in him."

Aaron's really not the right person to lead Artime at this point. The dissenters know it. He knows it. He doesn't know the general populous of Artime like Alex did. He hasn't put in that effort; he's had no desire to. He's been perfectly happy making his own life on the Island of Shipwrecks. But because he hasn't been in Artime much over the last decade, most of the people there haven't had the chance to get to know him. Rumors fill the gaps in the knowledge about what he's been doing for the past decade. And now it's too late to stop them.

"With the loss of Alex, and with Kaylee's status unknown, Aaron floundered in his memories and tried to push back the voices that said he deserved these heartaches. He'd been a terrible person. He'd killed the original mage of Artime-and now he was wearing that man's robe and leading his people."

The thing is, Aaron actually agrees with the dissenters about a lot of things. The accusations they're throwing at him mirror the thoughts in his head. They're nothing new, nothing he hasn't thought about himself a thousand times. This is the part of the book where Aaron's self-hatred becomes explicit text. He feels like he doesn't deserve Kaylee or any of the good things that have happened to him. He thinks about how terrible his parents' opinion of him must have been at their deaths. And that part where Frieda Stubbs tells him that she feels bad for his son, having a murderer for a father-we know that he's had those thoughts himself.  The dissenters can hate him all they want but no one hates Aaron more than he does.

"Aaron knew there was no way he'd get everything right-the odds were impossible. Heightened confrontations were inevitable. He was smart enough to know that. And he'd become wiser during his time with the scientists. He knew he could be a strong leader for Artime. But he also knew that his past rode along with him on his back, kind of like Daniel was doing right now, except much more of a burden. He'd have to tread very carefully. At least until he could hand over the reins. But in the meantime, his name was being slandered. All the things he'd worked for over the past many years were being questioned. Leader or not, Aaron couldn't bear that."

At the same time, Aaron is confident in who he is now and he's comfortable expressing emotions to the people he cares about. He hates who he was but he likes who he is now. It's also really nice to see that he doesn't have any of those old thoughts and feelings that came up in Island of Dragons when Alex temporarily made him head mage. He knows who he is and what he wants, and that definitely isn't being the head mage of Artime. That isn't something he had quite figured out at the end of the original series. It's a nice bit of character development for him.

"After a while Florence broke up the fight with a threat and sent the dissenting group fleeing. She and Henry, Scarlet, and Sean joined Aaron by the shore. 'I'm sorry you're dealing with those people,' Florence said. 'I didn't realize how awful they were. At least it's a small group.' 'But it's growing.' Aaron continued gazing out to sea, where Pan was still visible. 'Anyway, about our new plans, I'm not sure what we can do without Pan's assistance.'"

Through all of this, Aaron is just hurting so much. His friends don't realize everything he's been dealing with because he keeps it to himself. He feels like it's not as important as the issue of bringing home the rescue team. Also, Aaron's just not a very outwardly expressive person. That's partially because he grew up in Quill and learned under the threat of death not to express himself, but it's also just part of who he is. He does express his emotions, just not in ways that people who know him casually may pick up on (it's the autism). We see later in the series that people who know him well, like Ishibashi and Kaylee, can read him like an open book.

"Soon everyone was shouting. Aaron just sat there, defeated. Eventually he threw his hands in the air and got up, then went down to the shore, letting his friends fight for him. It was nice to know they would."

Aaron's not completely alone in Artime in this book, even though the people he's closest to are either dead or a world away. People like Sean, Henry, Florence, and Scarlet rally around him and support him as much as he'll let them. And he does let them support him. He's willing to lean on them for comfort and tell them personal things, like when he tells Florence about feeling Alex die (something he hadn't really explained to Claire and Gunner). He also trusts that they will fight for him. He has friends now! That's something he never thought he would have when he was younger, but look at him now. He's grown so much even since the end of Island of Dragons. It's so satisfying to read about.

[artimeanatheart]

you ask tigger what his gender is and he's like "i'm a tigger" and you're like "ok but what are your pronouns" and he's like "t/i/double-guh/er"

[artimeanatheart]

*baps you with my paws* *baps you with my paws* *baps you with my paws* *baps you with my paws* *baps you with my paws* *baps you with my paws* *baps you with my paws* *baps you with my paws* *baps you with my paws* *baps you with my paws* *baps you with my paws* *baps you with my paws* *baps you with my paws* *baps you with my paws*

[artimeanatheart]

Aaron Character Analysis-Quests Book Three Part One

Aaron actually gets to do stuff in this book! There's a whole plotline with him in Artime going on, which we haven't gotten yet in this series. Which is exciting for me and traumatizing for him.

Head Mage Aaron Stowe

Alex is dead.

"'I felt it,' said Aaron quietly. 'Alex's life fading away. The moment it happened, I imagine. It was a searing cut to the heart,' he said, tapping the spot. 'I though I might be dying myself, and then just as quickly the pain eased and left a. . .a dull aching emptiness, I suppose.'"

And Aaron feels it. He's about as far away from his twin as he can possible be, literally worlds apart, but he still knows that Alex is dead the moment it happens. He's probably the first to know, because it takes the rescue team a while to realize what has happened. He feels the exact same thing that Alex did at the end of Island of Shipwrecks when Aaron himself was dead/dying. Unlike Alex, he doesn't collapse on the ground sobbing, even though he probably wants to. He's able to keep functioning through the pain. Because at least he and Alex ended in a good place with each other. He knows that Alex knew that Aaron loves and supports him. And he knows that Alex loved him for who he is. There's a sense of closure, even amidst all the pain, that Alex didn't have way back then. So Aaron starts trying to figure out what to do. He needs a way to get to Artime quickly, now that the tube is gone. He calls for Pan and she answers and he rushes off to Artime. Much like Alex almost rushed off to find him.

"Speeding across the waves toward them, on the back of a shimmering black water dragon named Pan, sat Aaron Stowe. Alex's identical twin. Aaron held a package in his hand. As they drew up to the shore, everyone could see his face was stoic, his eyes etched with grief."

Aaron arrives in Artime, or, more accurately, the Death Farm, on the back of a dragon carrying a magical robe that once belonged to the man he killed. Aaron didn't go to Artime intending to take on the role of head mage. He went there to offer his help and support to it, much like he has ever since halfway through Island of Graves. Aaron knows now that he doesn't enjoy leading. He's happy to be part of a team and be one of the advisors to the leader of the team, but he doesn't want to be in charge of it himself.

"'Do you have the spell memorized?' 'I. . .yes.' 'Thank goodness.' 'Shall I tell it to you so you can proceed?' Claire rested her hand on Aaron's arm and gave a sad half smile. Sweat shone on her face and neck, and her hair was tangled and filled with bits of splinters and dirt. 'You know I don't want this job,' she said quietly. 'My life is helping to govern in Quill now. I'm only doing this because we didn't expect you to come so quickly.'"

But that's exactly what happens. Aaron arrives in Artime and Claire practically shoves the responsibility at him. She's the only other person there who knows/can do the spell. She's never wanted to be head mage and has been perfectly clear about that since Island of Silence. Once there was an option to recreate Artime without Claire being head mage, she was perfectly happy to take it. Even though that option is the person who killed her father and imprisoned her. But she's moved past all of that, and expects everyone else to have, too.

"But Aaron hesitated again, feeling waves of guilt over what was about to happen. And he knew not everyone in Artime would be pleased about it. He'd been acutely aware of dissenters over the years. And he'd noticed the angry woman and the small group forming around her who were beginning to mutter at the proceedings. Aaron glanced at them uneasily, then looked back at Claire. 'Are you absolutely certain you want me to do this?' he asked. 'Even. . .after everything I've done? Have you thought this through?' This wasn't going to be a seamless transition. Claire nodded, tight lipped. She knew what he was asking. 'Ignore them. The past is forgotten. You and I will work well together, I think. Perhaps. . .perhaps like Gunnar and my father did.' 'I'd like that.' Aaron gave her a grim smile. She'd come far in forgiving him."

They have not, least of all Aaron. He asks Claire twice if she's sure that she wants him of all people to be head mage. She is, so he takes the robe. Claire is pretty much the only person in the series who expresses that they don't want to be head mage and their wishes are respected. To be fair, Artime was literally created for her, so she does have some right to the privilege (?) of getting to choose not to lead it. But no one even stopped to ask if Aaron wanted the job. He very clearly doesn't. All he wants to do is go back to the Island of Shipwrecks and grieve his twin in peace with the support of Ishibashi, Ito, and Sato.   He doesn't feel like he's the one who should be leading Artime, especially since the last time it vanished was because he killed Mr. Today. He takes the robe anyways, thoughts of his shame and guilt weighing heavily on his mind.

"Aaron cringed but tried to focus. His mind was on the one who should be wearing the robe-his brother. How was this possible? How was Aaron standing here, doing this? A wave of grief broke his concentration, but he pushed it back and gripped the robe's packet tightly until the moment passed. He closed his eyes and took a few breaths to clear his mind."

Aaron takes the robe out of a sense of obligation to Artime and his brother's memory.  He feels like he can't say no to helping Artime because of how he hurt it.  He always has to help save it not just because it's the right thing to do, but because he feels like he owes it to the people he hurt. He will never say no to an Artime in need. Aaron does love Artime, but that's mostly because his family loves Artime and he loves his family. He owes it to Alex to recreate the thing his brother gave his life for.

"The dissenters lingered for a moment, but Aaron was surrounded by supporters. From the corner of his eye, he saw the angry group reluctantly disperse and hoped he'd heard the last of their complaints, but he doubted it. There would always be some who couldn't forgive him, no matter what he did or said now."

But, like I've talked about before, Artime isn't Aaron's home. Artime as a whole has never accepted him, even though he does have friends and family there. Part of that's in his head, with him distancing himself from the Artimeans because he was never officially declared an Unwanted at any point. He feels like he doesn't belong there. Part of it's not in his head. There are people in Artime who don't accept him, won't forgive him, and can't understand that he's changed. Aaron knows this; they don't make their dislike of him subtle, even before he shows up on Artime's shore. He knows that making him head mage is a bad idea. He thinks that he's doomed to an eternity of struggle from the start. It's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy, and kind of not, because I think the dissenters would have disliked him no matter what he did or how much effort he put in.

"She [Thisbe] knew immediately the spell had come from Aaron, for she'd given him the pebble when she was five years old for this exact purpose. It was the first seek spell she'd received since the Revinir had taken her captive. She wasn't quite sure why, but it made her cry. Maybe because she wasn't able to send one in return. More likely it was because it finally seemed like someone was looking for her after all this time."

Anyways, Aaron restores Artime and becomes head mage both practically and functionally for the first time. One of the first things he does is send seek spells to his family. We know he sends one to Thisbe, and probably Fifer and Kaylee, too. But was he one of the people who sent one to Alex, adding to the glowing memorial above his grave? Or did he not, knowing from the pain inside him that it would be pointless? Either way, he is the only person from Artime who sends a seek spell to Thisbe. He knows there's a chance it could put her in danger and he knows she doesn't have anything to respond with, but he has to do it. He was to let her know that he's thinking of her, that he cares about her, that he misses her. Thisbe gets that message and clings to it tightly.

"How long would he be wondering if Kaylee had died along with Alex? Would their son, Daniel, grow up not remembering his mother? It was unthinkable. Yet all too familiar. Even his sisters didn't remember their parents. Why had he let himself grow so complacent? Around him, Sean, and Henry's fears were assuaged. Cheers erupted at proof that Carina, Seth, Lani, Samheed, and Thatcher were indeed alive. Aaron, grateful but growing more distressed, withdrew inside himself, remembering the muttering dissenters."

The only person Aaron likely sent a seek spell to expecting a response was Fifer. He thought that Kaylee wouldn't have anything with her, echoing the same thoughts about her lack of sentimentality that Kaylee herself had expressed. He resigns himself to an unknown period of time unaware if she, or Thisbe for that matter, are even still alive. Because if something could kill Alex, what are the odds that none of the others died? He's quiet about his pain, though, not wanting to bring down the mood as the others rejoice from hearing from their loved ones. They deserve that happiness.

"The ball came to a stop in front of Aaron, and Florence gave him a hopeful glance. Others nearby watched to see who it could be from. When it exploded into an image of a wedding ring-the ring Aaron had designed and given to Kaylee five years ago-Aaron clutched Florence's arm, then sank to his knees. He covered his face with his hands. A sob let loose from his chest. At least he hadn't lost her, too."

Except. There's a final dot on the horizon. One last seek spell, carrying the confirmation Aaron barely dared to hope for. Kaylee is alive. And he breaks down sobbing, for the first time we've seen since his appearance in this book. He's been holding in so much and trying to function through it, but this is what makes the grief and relief too much for him to keep inside. This is a huge public display of emotion for Aaron, and speaks to just how much he's hurting.

As if Aaron doesn't have enough going on, cue Frieda Stubbs.

[artimeanatheart]

hrhm. this tab of tumblr isnt enriching me, I will open another as if that will magically change everything

[artimeanatheart]

worst part about the Internet is knowing that there are finally people who both match and complement your freak. the nearest one is 2,318.4 miles away and your time zones are awkward

[artimeanatheart]

The funniest love triangle in fiction happened in The Well of Ascension, the second Mistborn book, where Zane was like "[insert evil laugh here] I'm gonna torture my half-brother by making his girlfriend fall in love with me and force her to choose between us". Meanwhile Vin is just living her life and dealing with plot stuff and never gives any indication of harboring the barest romantic or even platonic feeling towards Zane, and when he finally makes his offer she's like "what the fuck dude of course I'm not picking you". The third point of the non-existent triangle, Elend, remains blissfully unaware of any of these events (including that he has a half-brother) because he's too busy dealing with other plot stuff. Anyway, kudos to Zane for inventing clowns in Scadrial

[artimeanatheart]