#DARROW DID YOU KILL SEVROS FATHER

[sorchasolas]

THE END OF CHAPTER 39?!?!? WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT

[insignificant457]

Thinking about the fact that sevro is a carvers creation too.

“We went to a carver to see if we couldn’t make ourselves some magic. We did.”

Sevro, just like Darrow, is created in a lab, but their purposes are completely different. Darrow is created as a machine of war, his whole purpose after being saved by the sons of ares is to infiltrate and tear down the gold machine. He can’t separate himself from this war, because his purpose is not yet fulfilled.

Sevro, on the other hand, is created out of the love his parents have for each other. And when his mother is killed his father starts this revolution, and he does it in big part for him. It’s no coincidence that the organization fitchner starts is called the sons of ares. In sevros life, the war hasn’t just been about tearing down the society, it’s about the possibility of what comes after. The possibility is own birth represents.

I think iron gold and dark age really highlight the differences between their individual philosophies. You can see it in the fact mustang says she’d like to retire with Darrow and their children, plural, despite the fact that in ten years they’ve only got the one (who certainly wasn’t planned). Meanwhile sevro and victra have had three and another on the way in that intervening time. You can see it in the way Darrow continually struggles to pull himself away from the war, while sevro is able to compartmentalize and prioritize his family when he’s home. You can see it in the sevros palace chapter in dark age, when Darrow says sevro “didn’t close his mind to his family before battle, because he knew they did not make him weaker, they made him stronger than he was by himself.”

Darrow can’t start living life for himself until his purpose is fulfilled, while sevros purpose has always been that very life, so he finds a way to fit it in.

So in the end, it’s not surprising that when it comes down to it, Darrow chooses his army and sevro chooses his family. It’s not about one of them being right and one of them being wrong. It’s about what they were created for.

[protagonistkiller]

Hey hey hey hello!

Saw your recent post about red rising and was curious, which book are you on?

I need someone to rant about this series to desperately, it hurts.. oh god it hurts OH GOD AA-

-🧃

I am currently about a quarter of the way through Morning Star.

I think this trilogy is super interesting because it’s realistic depiction of a caste system empire, much like the one described in Plato’s Rebuplic, and also its depiction of revolution. It makes a very clear point that Darrow is not the “destined savior who crippled the empire all on his own and became the coolest man who ever was” no the truth was Darrow was more of a figure head who made occasional battle strategies. The most important thing he did for the revolution was kick off the civil war and serve as a magnet for Gold sympathizers. Ares and his rebellion did a whole lot more damage to the empire.

Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Darrow, he’s one of my favorite main characters in a long time. He’s shockingly human with deep nuances and complexities, he contradicts himself a lot and has a skewed view of himself and his actions. He has incredible rage and compassion inside of himself and at any given moment he can’t decide whether he wants to murder his enemies or turn them to his side through his bottomless forgiveness. And that’s really interesting considering he grew up in a very community based culture that also was enslaved and kept in the worst conditions.

Now, time to talk about my boy. Sevro. I love Sevro so much. The moment he was introduced in the first book I was like, “yes, this one” it took me a while to get through the first half of Golden Son because I didn’t want to face the possibility that he was a character only for the first book. He is less interesting than Darrow but also a lot more fun precisely because of that. While Darrow’s off having an existential crisis over the morality of overthrowing an entire empire when that’s certainly going to lead to a lot of innocent people getting killed Sevro is killing six people to steal a candy bar and cackling like a maniac the entire time. And that’s gorgeous character design.

I also really like how this book makes it a point that the revolutionaries and imperialists are ultimately pretty similar people:

Even though Darrow doesn’t realize it, he and Cassius are very similar, they both lost everything and continue to fight for their family who isn’t here any more. They both turn to diplomacy first despite being some of the best fighter in this world. They both have a pretty rock solid sense of morality that they can be persuaded to turn from but they always return to because it’s a crucial part of who they are, not because they were born that way but because these ethics are the only thing they have left of their fathers.

I find the parallels between the Jackal(Adrius) and Sevro the most interesting(especially after events in the very beginning of Morning Star that I will not spoil). Especially in the third book; Sevro and Adrius were both born outsiders to the Golds. They were both born a little small and not very physically impressive, however they were both very intelligent. They’re both scrappy and a little insane(or a lot in some cases). Neither of them got along with their fathers and felt they were always chasing approval. They both became leaders in powerful factions in the war due to inheritance from said fathers. The key difference comes in how the two of them chose to cope with their daddy issues. Sevro found a family who excepted and loved him for him which allowed him to forgive his father and eventually reconcile. Adrius let his murderous hate and desperation for affection drive him to further and further points of evil until he killed his father reaching the point of no return.

I find the similarities of Victra and Antonia both obvious and difficult to explain as in the beginning they’re both painted as femme fatales and eventually Victra splits from the role their mother gave her and finds her own path while Antonia allows herself to be molded by this mask until there’s nothing left under it. If that makes sense.

I will have to collect my thought on the similarities between Mustang and the Sovereign. As Virginia and Octavia are both omnipresent characters without a lot of screen time so I’ll make a post on them later. I know it’s a lot of words but the brain rot is so severe.

[worldwithinworld]

Cassius Should Have Lived for More (of the story).

I was very upset that Cassius died in Light Bringer because he's been my favorite character since the first book. However, I was careful not to rush to call it a bad choice to kill him off. I was worried that I might be biased because he was my fave, so I sat with it for a while and reflected on Cassius's role in the book and the series. I did like that we got so much of him in LB. Ultimately, though, I do think better choices could have been made with how to use him.

It felt like we went over a lot of old ground that we didn't need to. Cassius and Sevro's conflict and resolution in LB was okay, but not nearly as good as in MS. I'd have rather seen them at a new point in their relationship, especially after a decade of life experience. For example, how interesting would it have been to have Cassius expect to have Sevro say, "I told you we should have killed Lysander as a kid!" only for Sevro instead to tell him he's changed his mind because he's a father now? That could have led to meaningful connection between them. Instead, we got Sevro & Cassius using Lysander and Ulysses to hurt each other.

There was also a lot of emphasis on Cassius's redemption, but I felt he'd proven himself well in MS & IG, especially in Darrow's eyes. We already knew that Cassius believed in the ideals of the Rising. He didn't need to rescue all those kids from the Obsidians to show that (sweet and brave as it was). Darrow already put his faith in him at the end of MS and asked him to stay and help build the Republic. Why does he show so much doubt in Cassius in LB? Even at the end, he's thinking how he wished Cassius had come around to their side sooner, as if Cassius hadn't spent over a decade helping out people of all colors whenever he found them in need. Sure, you can always grow more as a person, and redemption can be complicated, but I didn't like how redemption was treated as such a big thing in Cassius's story at this point in the story. I felt like it was time to move on to something new in his journey.

Finally, Cassius's death felt so much like Alexandar's that it seemed like Brown really wanted Lysander to have a scene like that to lead into the final book. So when he decided to add an extra book, he basically repeated the scene, but with an even bigger character to hit the audience harder.

It would have been more interesting to have Cassius return to the Core publicly and face everyone who had all these preconceived ideas of who he was. He talked about not wanting to return to that because he was afraid, so let us see him do it! Also, we could have seen Cassius choose his place in this new society, no longer burdened and chained by the expectations of his family and caste. (Though, of course, he'd have an excellent confrontation scene with Julia). That would have been a more interesting and fresher character arc for him.

[darrowsrising]

List of interesting questions to ask Pierce Brown if you ever get the chance:

You said at Comic Con 2022 that 'Darrow is the spine and the point of the story' - could you please elaborate on it?

House Augustus is still extremely imteresting and mysterious, are there any tidbits about them that you had to cut out but consider them true to them?

You stated that Virginia is the hardest to write and always left her entrance last because of it. How was the process from that to best pov character?

What can you tell us about House Arcos - we know Lorn would have killed Darrow, even Darrow hints at it, but how come House Arcos has come to grow into one of the Reaper's main allies?

Dark Age was gruesome, but hope still flickers through the darkness. What inspired you to write it just like that?

Lyria has the best plot of Dark Age, hands down. Her growth and connections are beautiful. How did it come to you to unite her with Victra and Volga on this journey?

Do we have a name for Mama Augustus or is it still a secret?

You gave Darrow a much beloved leather jacket. Would you consider giving Darrow a drake as well or would Sophocles be jealous?

I personally interpret Diomedes as being scared after his father died like he did. He gives off the same vibes as Darrow did un the beginning of Red Rising - if I obey, I won't die. What were your intentions with him?

Kalindora said that she could never go against Octavia, but Virginia had no problems with it. Is the difference between them a rigid spine or something more?

Atalantia seems to be a foil to Virginia in a few ways, would you agree with that?

Virginia dragged the Howlers hard for leaving Darrow on Mercury. Genius scene, how was it writing it?

Ephraim was doomed from his very iconic sarcophagus entrange, but he still learnt to live for more, even if for a short while, how was it like to write a character like that?

Are there any other mental tricks that great Gold Houses developped to avoid being killed or worse?

Pax says Sevro took zoladone during the Rat War, but we don't know much else about them - could you please tell us something about this relationship?

There seems to be a different meaning for Blood Red depending on the pov - Darrow and Lysander to be specific. Was that intentional?

Is Cassius now the Morning Knight of the Order of the Solar Republic?

What's with Lysander and his 'best GOLD swordsman' list?

Ajax and Diomedes seem to be mirror images of each other, not just physically. Could you please tell us something about them?

Are all of Darrow's father figures doomed to die gruesome deaths?

On page, Darrow holds the record for most Olympic Knights killed, with or without Kalindora. Was that intentional?

How did Cassius feel when he had to deal with House Raa, which is not that dissimilar with House Bellona from some povs?

Nero still haunts the narrative, but in a good way, he's creating drama for Lysander. How fun do you find him to write even if it's for a paragraph or two?

To be continued.

[hyena-frog]

Makes me so sad to think about how Cassius raised Lysander for 10 YEARS and came to love him like a brother and likely put a ton of effort into being a decent role model only for Lysander to turn around and become exactly like Octavia..... like can you imagine what must be going through Cassius’ head when he flies over Lysander at the end of DA.. :( seeing the kid he raised to adulthood become a monster.. I just... ugh. It tears me up inside

Hoo boy, I hope you’re prepared for the essay I’m about to write.

Genuinely, I think about this all the time. Cassius and Lysander have one of the most complex, tragic relationships the second trilogy has to offer. I hated Cassius so much after Golden Son but now he’s one of my favorite characters. I would really love it if he is the new POV Pierce Brown promised. In the second trilogy, Cassius has been exclusively filtered through Lysander’s POV, so I’m dying to know his own thoughts on everything that has happened. (But I would also like a Volga POV for the Obsidian story and maybe Diomedes POV for the Rim perspective. I’m torn.) I just want Cassius to have a happy ending. And I hate Lysander, but I would really like for him to see eye to eye with Cassius at least once before he is horribly, painfully, rightfully murdered.

Now, the thing is, Cassius didn’t come to love Lysander as a brother over time, he already loved him when he decided to become his guardian and mentor. It bugged me that, at the end of Morning Star, it didn’t feel like Cassius’ decision to take in Lysander was justified enough. All we really got out of him was that Lysander reminded him of Julian. Pretty flimsy. Then Iron Gold came along and blessed us with a flashback to when they first met. Little Lysander wasn’t too impressed with Cassius (he wasn’t exactly as respectable post Red Rising as he is now) but Cassius quickly went from calling Lysander an “eerie little creature” to declaring “I’ve decided to like you, little moon boy.” From that moment, Cassius truly cared for Lysander. Reading that flashback again after Dark Age makes me so emotional.

Lysander has this complex about being Julian’s replacement, that Cassius doesn’t love him so much as he loves the shadow of Julian he sees in him. And he’s justified, in a way, because Cassius does slip up and call him Julian sometimes, but it’s usually when he’s delirious from pain and not thinking clearly. Lysander completely misses the fact that Cassius does love him. I guess he doesn’t have much experience recognizing when he’s genuinely cared for, because why would he, but there is plenty of evidence of Cassius’ true feelings.

For example, Cassius sold most of his remaining family possessions to keep them afloat on the Archimedes. Now, Cassius isn’t strapped for cash by any means but the fact he cares for Lysander (and Pytha) enough to sell many of the last reminders of his dead family that he owns, is very telling. But Lysander doesn’t think about that. He acknowledges that it happened but doesn’t consider the deeper, emotional meaning behind that action.

Another example is Cassius opening up to Lysander about the last time he ever saw his father. How he disappointed Tiberius but finally regained his respect, only for the entire Bellona family to be slaughtered shortly after that reconciliation. That was a sign that he loves and trusts Lysander enough to be vulnerable with him. He never told that story to anyone else, as far as we know. He believed he was going to die in the Bleeding Place and wanted that memory of his father to live on in Lysander. The fact that Lysander is blind to how Cassius genuinely loves him, even now, is tragic.

You’re right, Cassius did try to be a good role model and pass on good morals. I think the scene in Dark Age, where Pytha confesses that Cassius forbade her from revealing to Lysander that she is actually a soldier and not a disgraced commercial pilot, as he was lead to believe, was very telling. Cassius attempted to show Lysander life outside of politics and war. He tried to show him that all Colors are equals deserving of respect. Cassius was devastated when Lysander chose to save Seraphina over the many mid- and low-color prisoners on the Vindabona. He was horrified that Lysander chose “quality” of life saved over quantity. This coming from Cassius, who compared Pinks to animals in Red Rising. Cassius has learned and changed a lot since the first book and he tried to pass those lessons onto Lysander. But it didn’t stick. Not even after 10 years of teaching.

Unfortunately, his teachings were tainted by his bad coping mechanisms for his personal demons. His alcoholism, his continued pining for Virginia, combined with his betrayal of Octavia and involvement in Aja's brutal murder, gave Lysander enough excuses to never fully embrace his lessons. While Lysander did love Cassius, there was always some flaw or another in his teacher that allowed him to comfortably distance himself from the lessons that diverged from Octavia’s teachings. To be honest, Cassius had no business taking on a ward while he was so torn up inside. Keeping Lysander isolated in a tin can in the middle of space for 10 years, instead of living among diverse people, didn’t do him any favors either. Frankly, Cassius missed a lot of red flags. A big one is the fact Lysander carved Lux ex tenebris, the Lune family motto, into the ceiling of his room on the Archimedes, where he could stare up at it every night. Yikes.

This dissonance in Lysander’s thinking is what lead to his betrayal in the Bleeding Place. Yes, Lysander loves Cassius and wanted to save his life rather than see him die at the hands of people who don’t respect him. But he also genuinely believes in the inherent hierarchy of Octavia’s teachings, that the “true order” is for Cassius to follow him. If Cassius lives, if he can convince him that his rightful place is to follow Lysander, things can finally be right in the worlds. Cassius failed to express his feelings in a way Lysander can comprehend, so he felt he was just a replacement for Julian. Lysander can dismiss Cassius’ love as love for his dead twin, and in turn, he can dismiss his claim to believe in the inherent equality of humankind as guilt and justification for killing his Sovereign. Cassius was unable to truly see how badly he failed until he was betrayed.

Since Cassius was absent for most of the plot following his “death” it’s difficult to concretely say what he’s been thinking since then. But I’ve been thinking a lot about him, so here is my conjecture. Take it with a grain of salt.

That moment you mention, when Cassius flies overhead, he deliberately retracted his helmet for a brief moment of eye contact with Lysander, so he would know exactly who rescued Darrow... Shivers. So much left unsaid. I imagine Cassius was thinking a lot of things in that moment. On the one hand, some pettiness and anger at being betrayed: “I lived bitch, I rescued Darrow, this is where my loyalties lie.” But there was also probably a mixture of shock and guilt at knowing what Lysander has done, at who he’s sided with and enabled, but also at seeing evidence of physical suffering in Lysander's burn scar and blind eye. Cassius loved Lysander, he was his guardian for 10 years, so he would hate to see him hurt. I think he would feel responsible for Lysander’s actions on some level, even if he logically understands that he’s an adult who makes his own choices.

Regardless, Cassius probably blames himself on some level. That’s what I think anyway. He tried his best to teach this kid good morals for an entire decade only for him to cling to the ideals his grandmother taught him. That has to sting. It’s probably also embarrassing, to a degree. Cassius made this grand promise to Darrow that he’d raise Lysander right, that Sevro was wrong to suggest they should have just killed him when he was little. Now Cassius’ failure to make good on that promise has been advertised to the whole Solar System through Lysander’s actions on Mercury. Surely Cassius feels responsible.

Cassius had a lot of time to think during his long return trip to the Core. About what happened with Lysander in the Rim, about his lingering feelings for Virginia, about his place in the Republic, and about what he really considers the right thing to do. Cassius can be intensely empathetic when he allows himself to be. For example, in Morning Star, he managed to really sympathize with Darrow’s life when they were drinking whiskey together. I’m willing to bet he spent that long return journey considering Lysander’s perspective with a clear head, after spending so many years lost in the haze of his own sorrows. Now that he is out of that bad mental place, he is likely able to see where he made mistakes in how he raised Lysander.

It will make for an interesting confrontation between Cassius and Darrow, who is thoroughly, understandably, done with Lysander, when the time comes to kill him. Cassius knows the danger Lysander poses and probably won’t argue against killing him this time, but I do think he would resist a little and at least try to find an alternative solution.

Lastly, I just want to say this, since it’s sort of relevant: This fandom tends to agree that Sevro should have just killed Lysander as a child, but if I’m being honest, I don’t agree. Kill Lysander now, as an adult, by all means, but as a kid he hadn’t done anything wrong yet, even if he was a little creepy. Darrow was right to give him the chance to live in peace. Too bad he ultimately didn’t take it. I especially don’t think Cassius would agree killing Lysander as a kid was the right choice, even now. He is traumatized by the sudden loss of most of his family, including little kids, so I don’t think he’d ever agree to killing a child. If he could somehow go back in time, knowing what he knows now, I think he would make the same choice to raise Lysander. In that scenario, I think he would rather try to fix the mistakes he made as a mentor, rather than punish Lysander.

Guh. Anyway. I had a lot of words in me about this subject. Hope you got something out of it! I’m consistently amazed by how Pierce Brown’s writing compels me to think deeply about these characters. Not to mention his ability to make me understand Lysander’s perspective even if I don’t like it or agree with it. Cassius’ perspective though... well, half of this post is just me guessing, so we’ll have to see how close I am to canon when book 6 comes out. Thanks for reading!

[evapunk333]

Red Rising Thoughts

Ok..got a few more things that came to mind while reading..

Can I just say...I friggin love Mustang!! She's hilarious..badass..and cute as heck! How exactly she ended up way more well adjusted than Adrius, I will never fucking know.

It's parts like this were I wanna scream, damnit Darrow...your wife is dead and you have a legit snack right in front of you! Kiss her dumbass!! 😠

God...As mildly annoying as Pax au Telemanus can be when he yells his name all the time, he does remind me of his father. Pax is probably the most like Kavax in personality than all the others we got to know. They are both tough as shit but also jovial and I think that's probably why I love the Telemanus family so much! I swear to God PB, if you kill Kavax in a terrible way, I will never forgive you!

Kinda wish we could have had the scene where Darrow learned Mustang's real name. I mean, I know he doesn't know her family name yet, but I really would have liked to have seen it instead of it happening "off camera." I even saw this part again and was like, "wait..did I miss something?"

And lastly, for now, I had always kinda wondered why Darrow was called Howler One but this makes it more clear to me. Tbh, at first it almost seemed like it was just Sevro's man crush on Darrow that made him want to name him Howler One lol. But, after reading this again, it seems that while Sevro might have been the one to kinda start the wolf cloak thing, it was Darrow that gave Sevro's command of the lowDrafts who were the original Howlers...and it seems obvious that he is doing his best to kinda continue that here. It's almost like Darrow is Papa Howler and Sevro is the gross and weird Mama Howler 🤣

[shyanonimousunicorn]

The sly foxes Telemanus. The healthiest family wise house in RR.

In my last post (  Why the Bellona house is better than Augustus.) i did point out the Telemanus are the best Gold house in regards of actual connection, love, healthy relationships and raising of normal funcioning people ( normal as normal they can in Gold society and survive, otherwise they’ll all end like Julian au Bellona no matter their huge size).  But what makes House Telemanus so vastly different and far superior than giant power-wise houses like Augustus, Arcos, Bellona and Raa? Well perhaps we should turn our gaze towards the house leader - Kavax au Telemanus.  Kavax for once is the only father without a favourite child, as it should be. Every house we’ve met in bigger or lesser degree has favorites, House Augustus bringing this to the extreme. Kavax however never expressed such feelings. His heart is as big if not even bigger than his huge frame, he shows openly kindness, fondness and support for his children and their descions and never shy’s away from expressing it. Other houses and Golds usually view them with fear of their size but often comment about Kavax’s “madness”. How he and Daxo “let” a fox take desicions and he talks boldly about magic in a world where nobody believes in it. I say its a sign of a person who doesn’t want to appeal to society, likes to be on the peculiar side and is not concerned at all with people’s opinion.  However what makes Kavax not simply peculiar but actually weird is the way he raises his children. Nero acts towards his children like investments and puppets who should make him proud or they aren’t worthy to live, he is sexist, he is power-hungry. Golds desire their children to be the next Alexander the Great, Hercules, Achilles, they even put them in an institute with houses named after Gods as if saying you should be a demi-god, go and prove you can fight, cheat and succeed with do not let morals hold you back. Kavax knows what it is expected from Gold children yet he raises his children and Mustang telling them tales not of war-lords, powerful bloodthirsty kings or cunning success, but of real or mythological figures of people who show kindness, compassion and love, about figures who fight for justice, not for gains. He refuses to kill his children’s humanity so they can become better Golds, he hopes to create better Golds by teaching them how to be human. And this doesn’t work just on his children, it works on the Archgovernor’s own daughter. The Sovereign of the Republic is what it is today thankfully of her early friendship with Pax and then being raised in Kavax’s household. I don’t dare to imagine the pain and heartbreak she would have gotten had she stayed with her own father and how awful this would have showed in her characther ( I guess we can thank Adrius on this one, he deserved to be raised there too). But enough on Kavax, for the kindest giant in the bear-crested house was Pax. Best friend of Mustang and constant supporter of Darrow, Pax’s differed hugely by other Golds by not holding any grudges. He and Darrow fought, basically outing themselves on the battle field but the moment Pax saw the other side of Darrow, he became his biggest fan. No butts, no if’s, he gave his utter and complete loyalty and devotion. I believe we can only dream of friends as the Telemanus ( or Sevro and Victra). As Darrow said, whenever Pax told a story it was hard to tell who were the bad and who were the good guys, for Pax almost everybody has a good quality or trait. It seems it is Darrow’s fate to have a Telemanus at his side when fighting, for Thraxa took her little brother’s place and hasn’t left Darrow even in his worst moments. Fiersome loyalty and supportive friendship is something we see in everybody from this house. Even in the scheming, genius tyrant that was Daxo. As Mustang commented: this man could have ruled words if only he wished for it. However Daxo, despite his cold calculative mind and huge ambitions never allowed to harm those closest to him,to step on others for his blind ambition, the people he deemed worthy of friendship and the ones he called family. Virginia au Augustus was never a maiden in distress yet her own personal knight saved her life more than once. Not because she asked for it, but because that is friendship for somebody from Bear’s team ( despite their love for foxes, their crest is actually the befitting bear). This is what makes the Telemanus far superior from any other house. Don’t get me wrong, other houses also love and express their affection but not nearly as well or healthy as this house.  In later posts I will look at the houses from symbolical and aesthetical point of view and delve deeper in the meaning of their crests, colors and family sayings.

[thegorydamnreaper]

Pierce Brown Dark Age Reddit AMA Highlights! Part 1

Even though this is the highlights, it’s still kind of long, so I’m putting it under the cut. I literally created a Reddit account for this event, so hopefully this was worth it 😅

THIS WAS BEFORE DARK AGE EVEN CAME OUT, SO IT’S SPOILER-FREE I PROMISE!!!

Pierce says he would be a Brown in the RR universe (haaaaa, get it?)

Question he wished people would ask: “Where are the best cookies?” A: JD’s Chippery, Dallas TX

On an Aja vs Darrow fight when both are in their prime and if Darrow would win: “Not back then, no way. At 33, a wargod with a thousand Gold kills under his belt...I think they kill each other.”

Random listing of more Howler rules: “2. Never betray the pack. 7. When possible, bring a knife to a fistfight, a gun to a knifefight, and Reaper to a gunfight. 18. Always bring a toothbrush (Ragnar!!!!!)”

On Greens: “The Greens. Those crazies probably are living in a cyber paradise while everyone else fucks the world up around them. Shit, they probably don't even die. They probably go to the digital cloud and live in elysium forever. They are immortal. It is their greatest secret. I like this idea.”

The House Thorne girl from Golden Son who escaped House Falthe is important somehow, but no more info than that. It’s all about planting the seeds. 

He regrets killing Tactus: “Yeah. I agree. Fuck me. I wanted to spare him. My editor told me not to be weak. I killed him to prove I am strong. But I feel so weak. Oh Tactus, just one more innuendo. Please!” Which, tbh is a Big Mood with the Valii-Rath bros...

If Eo (his dog) would get along with Sophocles: “Eo is incredibly submissive. She would be friends with a dragon if it'd kiss her cheek every now and then. Sophocles would be easy. But my house would prolly look like hell”

On writing Sevro: “To me, Sevro isn't a character, he's a state of mind. Swear to Beelzebub, he's the easiest character in the series to write for me.” Total Mood this one.

On favorite sci-fi books: “Hyperion by Dan Simmons is a beast. Dune, obviously. Foundation by Asimov. Attack on Titan. Mote in God's Eye. The Culture series by Ian Banks”

On how Eo’s hair is so silky: “hiiiiiiiiiii. In morningtimes I run through fresh grass dew, if father allow. It works wonders!” (he was answering for her

On music: “60's/70's psychedelic rock is my favorite. So naturally Pink Floyd is akin to god for me. Gustav Holst got me through quite a bit of the writing, as did quite a few other classical composers Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, etc. Modern: Moby AND Eminem, This Will Destroy You, Penny & Sparrow. Right now I'm listening to Zeal and Ardor - Ship on Fire, which feels like it could be Darrow's war march.”

Howlers karaoke songs: “Clown - Margaritaville Pebble - something by missy elliott Rags - Ship on Fire - Zeal and Ardor Darrow - Hurt - NIN Victra - doesn't karaoke Sevro - Big Pimpin Thistle - I'm A Fucking Traitor and I Got What Was Comin”

On his Hogwarts House” “Durmstrang, motherfucker.” Fantastic response imo!

On character names “I go off of the sound I want their name to make. For instance, I think Vs have a sort of cutting sound. So characters like Sevro, Victra, Vixus have a certain vicious emphasis. A has a sort of condescending sigh, while simultaneously feeling important because its the preeminent number: Adrius, Antonia, Atalantia, Atlas, Aja”

On the best (and worst) gift he received at a signing: “Best and worst: I was given a toilet seat signed with Howler graffiti in austin, and then it was taken away from me. Or, perhaps I was never given it. Perhaps they just wanted me to sign it. I'm so presumptuous. Fuck.” I diedddddd when I read thisssss.

[darrowsrising]

This is an interesting take, it's obvious that Cassius was an arse, but not an irredeemable one and, surely, for all his bark, it's believable that he didn't really want to be at odds with Darrow, it teared him up inside, but he was too bound to his family and way of thinking to realise it for himself that it's not Darrow, it's the system.

There are a few things, though, that stop me from agreeing with this, though:

Cassius knows dueling since before the Institute, there is a matter of honour to respect the rules of the duel and its formalities and he slept confortably at night, because he did everything right in that duel with the boy and ending his life was done in an honourable way.

Cassius throws all honour out of the window when it comes to Darrow. Yes, you read that right. At the Institute, he dueled Darrow through deceit, knowing fully well he'll win and with absolutely no one to call the start of the duel. You'd think it was all cool, because Darrow lied about Julian? Well, it isn't. That was revenge, not justice. Was it understandable? Well, yes, because he's human and if we know something about House Bellona is that they mostly preach about honour, they don't always follow it - Mustang herself says so.

After thinking he killed Darrow, Cassius goes back to House Mars and declares Jackal did it, so that he gets Primus of House Mars without having to deal with Sevro and the others. It was dishonourable - a thing Cassius comes to regret afterwards - Titus of all people got a pretty fair duel, but Darrow got revenge, not justice, for what he did to Julian. But at the gala, Cassius is not trying to beat Darrow, he's trying to kill him. He even tells him so. While he most probably regretted being a fuckboi, he was actually serious about killing Darrow. If anyone talked to Octavia, it was Julia - they have a wordless exchange that Darrow notices, but it wasn't about yielding for Darrow.

I actually do not think that anyone can call yielding in a duel to death, Octavia herself called it to death. She only added yielding after the fact, because Cassius was losing and she needed to keep her allies at bay.

Cassius would have killed Darrow, but he wouldn't have been that happy about it, it would have haunted him for the rest of his life, but he would have done that, because that's who he is and it's not the first time he does it. He was at the top of the game, barely 21 and an Olympic Knight, he had a fiancée that he loved, he was his father's heir. He just wanted to put the past - Darrow and his betrayal - behind him, for his family, for Julian, in the name of duty, both to his House and Sovereign. And honestly, there is nothing wrong with that way of thinking, he is not a bad person for it - both Darrow and Virginia insist on it, but whether it's their guilt complex or not that's another discussion.q

That's the point of interest for Cassius, because he has all the elements of a classical hero, and, like them before him, he doesn't change the status quo, he sticks to it, he wants to protect it.

It's just that he is on the wrong side of the aisle and he is torn by it, but not all at once, but bit by bit. It starts with having to choose between family honour and a person who has become like family, whose betrayal rings horribly enough to call for cold-blooded revenge. It continues with Cassius having everything he wished for and wanting to put every bad thing that's happened behind him and bask in the glory afterwards, yet also facing the fact that he's an arse about the entire thing as he gets humilliated in front of the créme de la créme of Gold Society.

Cassius is indeed completely torn in Morning Star, as he starts to pay the price for being an Olympic Knight to Octavia and by the middle of that book, he is ready to change aisles - but it's because of that holo where he finds out who exactly ordered the massacre of his family, even children. For Cassius, it's a process and that's what makes him different and more interesting than all other similar characters. He is a good man, but he also has to learn to be a better man. And it's not easy - it starts small and expands as he learns. He didn't just fall into it.

After Morning Star, he still continued to learn, that is why his honour remains, he doesn't regret changing sides. He decided that a Society that decides that people like Julian are not worth living, is not worth existing, but he also became more aware of Colorism and decided that every Color is worth as much as any Gold. The Cassius in Red Rising is not the Cassius in Iron Gold. And it didn't happen overnight.

Of course, these are just my thoughts, guys, I just thought it was a subject worth expanding, please do tell if you agree or disagree. I love collaborative meta 🤗🐺

Howl on!

OKAY but hear me out: in red rising cassius tells darrow and the rest of the “tribe” (sevro, quinn, roque, etc) that he once killed a boy in a duel while he was still sharpening his sword or some stupid shit like that, and either quinn or lea (sorry my memory is SHIT) says that that’s actually horrible and dishonorable and cassius proceeds to say “it wasnt, because the duel had already begun.”

fast forward to golden son: darrow and cassius during the gala dinner. cassius is sure hes gonna win. the duel is to death, darrow himself proposed the duel. between the scenes of darrow throwing wine on cassius’ lap and nero blessing him, darrow describes the party and who was doing what i.e. octavia was talking to the furies, tactus was getting drunk, cassius was with his family.

we never see if cassius talked to octavia at all. he obviously knew the duel was to death because that was the custom.

what do we know about cassius? well according to darrow himself he was the most Gold Gold among all Golds™️. it’s pretty normal to assume he knows everything about duels, norms, and especially the rite that surrounds something so important like a duel.

NOW WE FINALLY GET TO MY POINT, i might be absolutely biased towards cassius? yes. but we can, kinda, assume that cassius actually attacks darrow before the duel had officially begun because he himself was after that breach that octavia finds.

he beats darrow, then suggests the combat can be to death or yielding, because the white never gave his blessing. he knows not to start a fight before the duel has begun, he said it himself in the institute.

he beats darrow, yes, but he doesn’t need to kill him. karnus will be satisfied, and octavia as well. augustus would make a fool of himself and cassius would only have to deal with julia throwing another fit.

and darrow would live. cassius would not lose another brother.

(this theory also encompasses why cassius thought darrow would accept to yield, and why i do not think cassius “simply lost his mind” when darrow mentioned julian) but this is already convoluted enough as it is.

ALSO A LITTLE EDIT BC I JUST THOUGHT OF SMTH: when they are about to start their duel ITS CASSIUS who keeps poking darrow, talking about how hes f*cking mustang and the noises she makes when he touches her. darrow literally says cassius probably hates himself for saying such things, but he says them anyway to get under darrow’s skin. WHICH FUTHER PROVES MY POINT that cassius wanted darrow to attack before the duel had begun, but since darrow is a cold son of a bitch, cassius had to do it himself.

thanks for coming to my tedtalk, my name is CassiusHoe. goodnight.

[sharp-fanged13]

Fun facts about Darrow: (SPOILERS)

- in GS there are rumours that he eats glass; - Lorn au Arcos actually backs up the rumours - he has a very strong moral code, but he always questions it and so he adapts and learns; - he matched Mustang at the party on Luna (they were the only ones wearing black) and Theodora might be responsible for it; - he has many nieces and nephews and is a great uncle; - he is highly skilled in math, logics, strategy and anything which requires dexterity (puzzle boxes, kravat - a martial art, the willow way - lorn’s kind of kravat, dancing etc); - he is not ambidextrous, but right-handed; - he can handle insane amounts of pain (as a Red and as a Gold); - he fell on his arse when he first went ridding with Matteo. He was riding a pony. - he kinda got back at Mustang for laughing at him for falling from that pony by seeing her fine arse in a corner of a locker room while he himself was looking for a private place to put some clothes on; - his right hand is restored at the end of MS, but he has to do therapy, cause he can’t even write with it; - he considers Sevro his ‘little mangy guardian angel’ as well as his brother; - he is 7'1" tall after the carving and he was “two heads shorter than Sevro” as a Red; - he has shoulder length blond hair after his carving until MS when the Jackal’s men cut all of it; (in GS Karnus au Bellona cuts Darrow’s hair, but it is regrown to its former state) - in RR, he ties his hair in a ponytail before going after the primus of House Apollo (and Mustang slaps his fine arse lightly as encouragement to go); - he spent most of his money on buying a Stradivarius for Tactus; - he sold his father’s old watch - the only memento of him left - to a Gray guardian in order to buy medicine for his brother; - his heart stopped after the confrontation with the Sovereign in that ship which left Aegea in GS; he was brought back to life by both Violets and Yellows; - Sevro and Mustang stood at his side during recovery; - he has a sister - Leanna - and a brother - Kieran, the former married a gold; - he is a great dancer; - he is Lorn’s favorite student and could have handled himself in a one-on-one with Aja (but in MS the lack of his right hand one hell of a disadvantage); - he is like 82% of Sevro’s self control; (not fact, but still) - he is not made for political games like Mustang or Adrius or Roque; - he was drunk when he walked Victra down the aisle at her and Sevro’s wedding; - his hands are really powerful: his left hand was enough to rip the tongue out of the Jackal’s mouth; - he is fluent in Nagal - the Obsidian language: Mustang remarks that he’s better at it than she; - he had to go through The Howler Initiation: get kidnapped, drunk and eat living bugs; - he married Eo when he was 15 years old; - according to Pierce Brown, Darrow is a ten, but Cassius and Roque are 11;(I prefer Darrow tho) - he believes his Red eyes suit Sevro better than his carved self; - he literally can’t stand still, he has to do things, anything, it is even hard to sleep for him, unless is beyond him and has to do it; - he has a restful sleep next to Mustang; (in RR) - he fights with the razor Mustang gifted him - the one with the pegasus in flight , the symbol of the house of Andromedus- although he doesn’t go by “Darrow au Andromedus” in MS and could have changed the razor with another; - he cried when he ate a burger for the first time; - he gave Cassius the opportunity to save his honour by arranging a duel with Titus for him so he wouldn’t be known as the guy who was pissed on by his house mates; - Pierce Brown says that in another world Cassius would be Darrow; - he and Mustang did the do in that control room after they spoke to Adrius while Sevro and Victra’s wedding was unfolding; (Sevro gave him hell for that with teasing, but this is just a head canon); - Nero kinda adopted him before hell broke loose at the Triumph; (it is a bit weird that he also kinda rooted for Darrow and Mustang) - he and the howlers took a step back when Lorn made the mistake to treat Mustang like a fragile doll so she wouldn’t think they agreed with him; - he made a single mistake on that admission test for the Institute; - he considers Dancer and the Telemanuses family (Mustang, Pax, his mother, brother, sister, nieces and nephews along with Sevro and Victra are, of course, already on the list) - he was the first to bow to the new Sovereign; - he provides a real help for Mustang, cuz he understands how it feels to have the weight of the world on your shoulders and how important is to have help so you can carry this kind of cross (because he was broken by being The Reaper of Mars and his friends and family put him back together and made him stronger); I might add some things later if there is something I’ve missed. If you remember some cool things about Darrow please feel free to add..

LATER EDIT:

- in Golden Son he gets important character development: he was driven by his rage for Eo’s and their unborn child’s death, but at that party on Luna and through out the books he realizes that he cannot bring anarchy, because nothing good will come from it, and that there isn’t ‘someone’ responsible for what Reds and other Colors endure, but a whole system;

- Victra had a crush on him; 

- his son’s name means “peace” in Latin;

- Matteo teached him everything about how to act and speak like an Iron Gold, he even teached him how to dress and took care of his appereance (he shaved him from neck down to his toes. Including “there”!);

- although he was badly injured from a year and some in Jackal’s “care”, Mickey was able to carve him again, even making him stronger (he reinforced his ribs so they won’t break if he was shot);

- he was the only one in the history of the Institute (like every Institute in the galaxy) to conquer Olympus and the only one to win the was between Houses with an army of “students” from different houses without the being slaves;

- Andromedus means something to him by Andromeda galaxy being the one Eo pointed at in that garden on Lykos, but nothing at all by being the name of that family the Sons killed in the Asteroid Belt;

- Romulus au Raa respects him, despite him being a Red;

- Darrow’s registration number as a Helldiver of Lambda is L17L6363 and it was also used as his registration number in Attica and as Mustang’s password on her datapad;

- only he used the term SlingBlade at The Institute, every other student called him Reaper, because, for them, he was using a Reaping Scythe;

- coincidence or not, The Reaper is also a god which exists in the Red Faith and rules over an infinite Vale and judges those who died;

- he is Howler 1 and Sevro Howler 2; 

- Pierce Brown said that he imagines Darrow has a British accent;

- he can breathe 8 minutes underwater;

- his uncle, Narol, teached him how to dance which proved very helpful when he fought;

[mmreadsbooks]

Golden Son (Red Rising #2), Pierce Brown

3/5 stars

Beware spoilers

Holy guacamole that ending though!! Wow, I almost rated this higher because of the ending. How can Darrow come back from this? I'm not too fond of Brown's writing style. It's disjointed, coarse, and varies between blunt and poetic. Battles are elongated and detailed while character deaths are a mere sentence. Maybe for the point of shock? Whatever the reason, I find myself needing to take long breaks while I read. I do enjoy reading all the battles, but I find myself disconnected from Darrow. There's rarely any emotion that seems real. There was hardly any struggle when Darrow had feelings for Mustang though he lost Eo. Like in the last chapter, suddenly the Augustans have won the war and the Bellonas heads are on spikes. When did that happen?! Is the Sovereign dead, is Cassius among them?!? Of course, we get the answers later but you can't time jump like that. (Spoiler) Also when Cassius says Darrow killed Bellona children...? He didn't? Was that the Jackal tricking the Bellonas to get them on his side? I wonder if Mustang really was kept away because of her anger for Darrow or if she was in on the Jackal's plan, or even he kept her purposefully away. I'm not sure about his feelings for her. He certainly didn't like his father or Claudius (see: their deaths). Also, why did the (spoiler) Jackal fly down to save Quinn and then try to save her on the plane? Was it to gain their trust? It seemed unnecessary and like the Jackal had a relationship with her or was doing it for some ulterior motive which was never explained. I'm glad Ares was revealed but I felt pretty cheated at the end (regarding the last page and Ares). I love Sevro and Victra. There the most interesting characters. Mustang, Roque, and some others I find annoying. Also there's so much jargon and slang and colors that it's hard to remember and keep up. Why isn't there a glossary? More things annoyed me than delighted me, so I can't give this more than 3 stars. Also, the book is a bit long. And with this and Red Rising, it takes way too long for the story to wind up and get interesting. Also (spoilers) how did the Jackal find out about Darrow and about Ares? Was it Mustang? I'm confused. I can't wait to get my hands on Morning Star. I eagerly await opening its pages. I hope the writing style improves but alas I'm sure it will be the same.

[darrowsrising]

You know I’ve gotta ask for Cassius.

Cassius is one of those few characters that always keep me on the fence, so be warned about that.

First impression: Ugh, this guy is annoying af, someone carve him a new arsehole and look how his confidence shrinks back to 'trust fund'.

No, for real, I detested him as much as Darrow did. After having to experience all of Darrow's traumas, this cocky bastard comes up all 'best Society has to offer' and it's so hard not to get mad at his stupid existance - he gets to indulge in clubs while majority of the population is in chains. Darrow let go of the hatred bit by bit, and so it happened that I did too...after all, it's the system, not the person.

Impression now: Hmm...honestly, I am torn still, I like him, mostly because he stopped being a hypocrite and he realized that Society isn't worth protecting. But he's not my favourite...

Thing is...he's not a bad guy, he made Lysander's pov supportable, I just wish he would have affected the plot more than he did in that book. I would like to see more of Cassius, though, so I can solidify my stance on him, it's too little of him in the new trilogy for me to truly embrace everything and say - yeah I truly care about him, he's in my top 5. And no, as great as it was, saving Darrow at the last moment just wasn't it.

I genuinely understood and agreed with Sevro when he spared Cassius - he admitted to Darrow thay he did it for Darrow as well as just accepting that his father died and revenge won't bring him back. He's actually cool and I like that he's imperfect and also the fact that Pierce uses him, your perfect hero type, in a different setting - protecting the status quo of a dystopian society.

As much as Darrow loves him, you'd think I'd do too, but...idk, whenever Darrow's guilt complex flares, I just get annoyed. Suprisingly or not, it does with Cassius (about Julian) and with Eo (about not being enough for her).

Idk, all that being said, I do like him, but I guess I don't care a lot about him. I tried, but honestly, between the pity parties thrown at him with the first trilogy, I honestly can't muster more than 'I wish you happiness'. I do think he should get to be happy or at least do things he genuinely enjoys.

I think it boils down to me disagreeing with some things he did and that Darrow did for him on top of the fandom shit that I have seen over the years.

This is obviously an opinion, a 'me' problem, not a critique or an argumemt against him, though, please don't take it as an attack on Cassius😅.

Favourite moment: Killing Atlas's other son that nobody cares about and claiming that his honour remains, regardless or perhaps he meant it as because he helped bring Octavia down.

Idea for a story: Pierce Brown said that Cassius would offer an interesting perspective if the story was from his POV. I will have to choose the most interesting and underrated option - how did Cassius escape the Rim Dominion.

Unpopular opinion: I think that everything I just said is an unpopular opinion. I understand why he is a fans favourite, but I guess he is just not my cup of tea.

Here's a short one, though: He sure as hell does not believe he is the best Gold swordsman. He doesn't need some exclusionist rule to measure his skill. Lysander is just a supremacist bastard. Idk if it's truly unpopular, but it always annoyed me.

Favourite relationship: I like his friendships a lot, to be honest. The best Cassius days are when he, Darrow amd Sevro worked together (killing Octavia included). I honestly wish to see Cassius with a boyfriend - I think it would be really cool to see a romantic relationship that is...well, entirely reciprocated, and different than what he had with Virginia...

Favourite headcanon: He used to play pranks on Lysander to make him loosen up and understand humour. Total fail, but it was funny every damn time.

Thank you very much for the ask💖🐺, probably not the best things to read about your fave, sorry about that😅

Howl on!🐺💖

[darrowsrising]

Why did Virginia pardon the Obsidians who attacked Hyperion against direct orders? Because that's the price of peace - compromise. Those Golds eventually deflected and were extremely helpful in stabilizing the Republic with the intell they had and the service they offered. If it were up to Ephraim, he would have entire high Colors destroyed, because he fears them, he thinks them inhuman - just like he did Pax and Electra (even without the influence of the zoladone).

Darrow forgave Harmony who sold him and Fitchner and in doing that was responsible for quite a lot of Sons of Ares losses. All of that because it was for the sake of the cause. Sevro forgave Cassius for killing his father for Darrow and the cause.

Now it's Virginia giving pardons. Thing is, you can't have it all, you can't have justice and peace all the time. As unfair and as horrible as that sounds, that is reality.

You have to wipe clean slates that don't deserve a cleaning. But then again, even Trigg committed mass murder and then joined the Sons of Ares.

No one is as sinless as Ephraim wishes, not everything is as black and white as he wants it to be.

real question my dudes why did Virginia pardon the Golds that skinned Ephraim’s folks?

[hyena-frog]

To be honest, Virginia fooled Octavia, Aja, Moira, Atalantia, the entirety of the Bellona household and many others and mantained a foothold on Luna using her own spy network, long after she leaved. I did not like how the Cassius plot unfolded, personally, but the fact that she can juggle so many enemies will always leace me in awe, especially because Octavia was very good at reading people, considering the info we have on her now. Not only that, but Virginia was openly a Reformer - not only did she speak for other Colors' rights, but Reformers also believe in the Independence of the Rim and she had strong connections with the Moon Lords. Still, she was trusted by Octavia and her court.

After Golden Son and even during Morning Star, people thought she was too much like her father, now that she is 'in need of a win'. I think that these discussions are simply unfounded bullshit.

Also, it was never confirmed, but I do think that if Virginia failed to save her family on Luna, House Bellona would have received a pretty box the next day, after she had taken the ArchGovernor seat on Mars. So I truly believe we are in for one hell of a treat now that she obtained Imperium. Hail Sovereign!💖🦁

👏👏👏 Amen!

You explained how Virginia masterfully played Octavia’s court during her time on Luna in your own post way better than I could have, so I’ll add a few thoughts on your other points.

It drives me nuts how Virginia can juggle so many enemies and still be called “weak.” Strength isn’t just about swinging a razor around. It comes in other forms. Virginia has a level of self-control that is awe-inspiring. That’s a kind of strength hardly anyone else in this series has tbh. I mean, Virginia duped Octavia! Octavia “inventor of the Pandemonium Chair” au Lune! Is that not the most badass thing you can think of?

Pierce Brown has a knack for writing complex characters very economically. He gives enough information about a character that you’re able to fill in the gaps on your own. I understand why these characters think and act the way they do because the narrative gives me enough clues along the way that I’m never left floundering to understand their choices. At the same time, the writing never holds your hand; the audience is trusted to put those pieces together.

So it’s amazing to me— no, it’s actually kind of incomprehensible to me how so many people (in certain fan groups) can so badly misinterpret Virginia in particular. A certain level of ambiguity is good; it’s no fun discussing stories when you know everything with certainty. But there’s a level of misunderstanding surrounding her character that baffles me, because I find her fairly easy to understand, especially upon rereading the series. It’s even easier now that we have her POV but somehow that has made the misinterpretations worse.

You’re so right. In GS and MS, her “problem” was she was too much like her father— she’s a manipulator, she’s too cold, she obviously has some secret evil plan! But now in IG and DA, her “problem” is suddenly— “She’s too weak, her decisions never go right, she just needs to whip out her razor and kill people to solve these complicated political matters.” So which is it, precious? :)

It’s especially infuriating when I see people willfully ignore the mistakes made by favorites like Sevro and Victra in favor of heaping the blame entirely on Virginia’s shoulders. It’s a disservice to Sevro and Victra to ignore their mistakes. As if the entire narrative of DA didn’t show us how our mains suffered unnecessarily because they weren’t listening to each other. That’s the whole reason I found the ending kind of uplifting, because Victra and Virginia are finally back on the same page. As it is, heaping the blame on Virginia only is such a bad faith interpretation of the situation, it’s maddening.

I agree with your point about not liking Cassius and Virginia’s plot. I don’t mind it, as a whole, but I wish we had gotten more time to better understand the context of Virginia’s choices on Luna. She outright tells us her reasons later on, but I would have liked more build up, if that makes sense. I honestly wouldn’t mind if Pierce Brown went back and wrote the first trilogy again entirely from her POV. There is so much story, especially in GS and MS, we simply weren’t privy to because we were “stuck” in Darrow’s POV. Now that he’s had some practice writing her POV, I think it’s doable.

So there are problems in the writing, especially in the pacing of the earlier books. But I’ve always found the character writing to be wonderfully consistent. Hence my frustration with the idea that Virginia “needs a win” as if she hasn’t been carrying this series on her back.

I’ve said it before, but I love your “Dark Virginia” headcanons! Octavia’s whole plan to kill House Augustus at the gala was predicated upon the assumption that the version of Virginia presented to her was the truth. That Virginia would never rebel against her and would fall into the place, and marry Cassius to sooth her heart (ick) after the massacre of her family. But she didn’t know Virginia was secretly pulling strings of her own the whole time.

Virginia is always fearful she will turn into her father. I think without Darrow and her many friends at her side, she could have very well done so, under the right circumstances. Her family dying at the gala could have been a tipping point. Cassius’ head ending up in a box would have been entirely possible, in a different timeline. I love thinking about this kind of stuff!

[evapunk333]

Red Rising Thoughts: Golden Son

Man...this hurts just reading it again. Poor Sevro. I can just see him locking himself in a dark room and probably destroying everything in the room before finally breaking down and sobbing among the mess. But..he probably allows himself 10 minutes exactly to cry then probably picks himself up and drags himself to the shower to wash it all away. It's like he doesn't let anyone see his tears...but he does have them.(I literally have no clue if this really happening because it's not in the book but this is my headcanon so think what you like. #thegoblinhasfeelings)

With Roque it's different, he just seems..colder. Like losing Quinn killed whatever spark inside him that *maybe* could have sided with Darrow once he found out who he really was later on. I know people don't want to think he ever would ally himself with a "Red" Darrow (and I know PB has confirmed that himself) but I really wanna believe that there might have been a small chance if only all of this didn't work out the way it did.

This part was so agonizing!! I was so scared for what Sevro's reaction would be! But, of course, thinking back...Fitchner would know that Sevro would be ok with it. Even if Sevro still didn't know his own father was Ares, Fitchner knew his own son and knew he could be trusted with Darrow's secret. (Fitchner and Sevro growing up backstory when PB???)

Seriously..I cried so friggin hard when this happened. I feel you Darrow...it had to be so hard to be so alone in all this. And now he has someone that knows his deepest, darkest secret and doesn't care. Sevro au Barca...I friggin love you so much for being such an amazing person!

I love how he ends this with, "At least I'm technically taller than your true self."

Sevro au Barca...a class act 🤣🤣

But then he's also sweet and is like, "You like me for how I am, the least I can do is like you for who you are."

That's it for this one... saving the events right after this with Victra for a second post.