#Oh God I Think I'm Attracted To Really Normal Competent Men

[hellkitepriest]

mike spearman are you free on thursday. hello. hello. is this thing on.

[theskyexists]

Perhaps I will never find a book again that deals with female characters as protagonists the way I want again.

Anyway I try again! The world in a different place of the world. The Hallowed Hunt. The Weald. Makes sense that she'd pull demons riding humans and making up a balance out of the book - that's what I WAS THINKING.

So the girl was given away to be raped by a prince..uh huh. And she called on the Son of Autumn. I guess thats somehow a bit more effective than calling on the Daughter of Spring???? What are the Daughters weapons? The gender determinism in this (violence IS COSMOLOGICALLY a man's job, right, capability) is grating on me more and more.

But it seems strangely coincidental that the leopard also had a demon...or maybe he could see it. Or maybe she just got the one from the Prince.

Ah she thinks the truth can be seen as self-evident. The truth will be hidden of course. Ingrey has a decision to make. He doesn't conceive of it that way as of yet, pretends he's neutral, that the judge can be swayed and he won't have a say??

His duty is to deliver the girl. But he was also the investigator on the site. HELLO

What is it with this author and always hating on the female servants for being frightened, chatty, weak.

Oh damn, so r these animal spirits demons or just animal spirits? And then you don't go to heaven. Well. That sucks. In this land of certain heaven. Oh. Now they say the Wealdings DID worship the gods. Then why forsake your damn soul.

Always the men have to be older and more experienced. And if not, then always Ista must have equal men galore. And always women must prove somehow more capable than expected

Didn't save her, she saved herself, then tried to kill her, almost drowned, she saves him. Lol. But no romance please.....

Ah, she is the son's chosen...oh. she's not. But she MUST be. Ah the animal acts as spiritual channel.

So this animal stuff is wholly different from demons. It is the Son's business. Goes to show that even the Quintarian (ofc) can do genocides etc.

They assume HES saved her. Urgghg

Man. This better turn into a triumph for Ijada

Ok. So vines from all gods....but they are bad....

So why would disorder from a demon allow the animal spirits to lead their humans to a second reality.

It honestly seems that the Wealdings weren't half wrong about taking animal spirits within them. But is it really true that then they can't be taken up by their gods?? Who would do that to themselves???

Why is it that Ingray loses time and control of his body to his wolf when Ijada is perfectly at peace and one with her Leopard lol

I'm starting to warm up to the romance. That's because protagonist is a bit of a failman though normally quite competent, and his refusal to be a tool has stirred. It seems like he might be Ijadas equal and he is spiritually attracted to her (as well)

Yes. Ingray is leashed to some death centaur still...

They call the son ' brother' here. Is the Daughter also Sister?

Starting to like how the protag is falling all over himself discounting himself

Ah. A horse. Wencel is absolutely the man who has Ingray on a leash.

Does Wencel carry a demon on top of his animal?

Does Ingrey not REALISE that Wencel is digging and planting and trying to get rid of them??

Why would Wencel share this knowledge about the animal-god? Ijada might be right to say that he simply wants others to KNOW, smugly delightedly. But clearly he is possessed with a very old animal-spirit, passed down Horseriver kin.

Ah but so is Ingrey's. That's why he saw so much history.

It seems Ijada is also of some deep line, her dower being the genuine site of great genocide

Maybe Wencel yet aims to marry Ijada somehow to come by her dower. But he doesn't need to legally own it to enter.

The Ice Bear is the Daughters? No of course not - the Bastards. Forgot that the Bastard is also the Son's brother lol

Good thing Jokol the prince is himself deeply in love. He will surely want to help Ingrey. 'yep I love someone- she beat a prince to death bc he wwas trying to rape her at the time.' Lol

Oh. To be so an intimidating man as to be able to intimidate your very own master.

He did pretty well teling Hetwar and the Prince off. Appealing to higher ends, the gods, practical considerations, personal revenge (his).

The author is a woman, and I am sure it is nice j( I thought so) to inhabit the freedom's and greater powers and particular problems of patriarchy as a man. An insanely gifted man, always, of course. Bit i cannot inhabit it fully, when there is always such a tempting female character around to inhabit instead - not as object of pursuit, affections, admiration. But as subject....

I like how Ingrey is decidedly different from Ista and Cazaril - more doubtful.

Ah. The king was already immortal and bound. So that is who Wencel is.

Really describing some serious genocidal maniacry here. Darthacans were pretty crazy about colonising the Weald. I don't believe for a second that the Weald was so bad.

Ah right. The problem of empire. One sets boundaries to the land where one's people dwells. Then they are picked at by the other people, the enemy now. You campaign against them, conquer, set boundaries further in, but now these must be defended, and are picked at. And aren't you justified? Better to genocide the lot, make it all empire in one, for peace. For peace!

Right.

Yes well - Wencel the ancient animal spirit is telling them because he must emotionally tell them.

OH! So the Son comes to Ingrey but not to Ijada???

Yep there you go. They split animal from human spirit after death. No problemo. The Darthacans were idiots

So why does HE command the animal spirits. Anywayyyy. Ah because Ijada needs to be grateful to him. For no reason

Jeeze she's laying out magical possibilities and then when you think you've pinned it down she extends those possibilities AGAIN

If Ingrey is the Wencel Old Weald Prince heir then why would Wencel throw him away like that. I guess there must be other options. A younger Scion somewhere

So Ingrey or Wencel has to become King in order to break the spell and restore the old Weald. Doesn't make much sense that Horseriver king never headed a cultural campaign, and never aimed for the kingship.

The book will end as such: they will kill Wencel and in that moment call his melted hodgepodge of a soul out and into the Son's hunt. But not before Ingrey becomes king (breaking the spell and making such a thing possible). All in the same moment

Wouldn't it be great to be saved by a good, funny, wnd wonderful godblessed woman and be able to offer service and know that you were contributing to good with absolute certainty on a deeply personal level as well? Now that would be a good life. Every day a day of gratitude and friendship

This was the FIRST time he could have stolen the kingship back???

'The terrible charisma of kings... men crept close, longing to bask in it, for something more than material reward. The lure of heroism, the benediction of action, might have only death for its prize, and yet men flocked to the king's banner. The seductive promise of perfection of self in service to this high bright-seeming thing?'

Hah

Aha. The sons got elected before the fatherss died.

So .... They did a big spell that would have made the warriors immortal but only the king was in it yet. The gods did not come to help them and let them be slaughtered by Audar. (Seeing how much they meddle to resolve sticky supernatural situations - why can't they goddamn well meddle in politics some more). The culture was destroyed and colonised. They struggled free politically but very like their conquerers now. The king kept going and going, the warriors killed there could not reach the gods, and their souls could not be taken up anyway because of the animals. The king was so upset by the gods betrayal that he kept the place closed from the gods. Audar must have known and deliberately genocided 4000 not just lives but also eternities. The king tried to break the spell, because it was torment, and he could not get back the Old Weald. But he needed the Hallowed Kingship and the Banner woman and the Shaman to cut the loop of the spell. But how in the hell did that bit of Hallowed Kingship even end up in the current King? If the old Bannerman never made it out of the slaughter?

And what was up with that heart on the banner??? Why half half? What ???

The magic in this was elaborate and elaborately elaborated and in the beginning the mysteries too spoken and in the end the mysteries not enough explained.

[thirstybtsthoughts]

Ok... this is absolutely crazy... but its been five years and I haven't been attracted to anyone other than the amazing men of BTS. and you know how you feel all heightened and high and energised and happy when you have (what I reffer to as) a schoolgirl crush?? Or the honeymoon phase of a new crush? Like a sincere childlike crush. Powerful, exciting, I LIKE-like you crush. It feels different than just finding someone attractive, its deeper than that. You... REALLY actually like them a lot and are into them and your body is flooding with dopamine and keeping you wired to prove it? (Hope I'm making some sense, I'm a bloody mess of confusion lol) Well... its been YEARS since I've felt that. Years. I thought its something you don't feel as an adult anymore, and its something I felt only a couple times as a kid. But... something crazy happened.

A guy who physically is kind of the opposite of my usual type... *hes still cute, but I wasn't attracted to this type ever* for some reason I developed a huge little schoolgirl crush on him. (I use that expression to say its a HARD CRUSH that makes me all giggly and feel all happy in general. Out of the ordinary for me, sadly. Lol) but... I ACTUALLY HAVE A CRUSH?? LIKE. I really LIKE HIM?? AND I HAVENT FELT LIKE THIS??

We haven't even talked much all together yet but like, we were childhood friends, schoolmates. And I was in no way attracted to him back then. He was a know-it all and I would tease him, and we would compete with eachother, but we had a great thing going as platonic friends. But then I grew up and he did too, and we didn't speak for six years. We forgot about eachother. Then I remember him out of the blue, and I'm just... really pulled to reach out to him online. And we get catching up, and I'm hit with sincere intense feels. I actually have a crush on a boy that's in my life. And... its so random and sudden. I can't sleep well because I'm so excited waiting for him to respond back.

Is this a sign??? Like... is there a chance maybe we could... we could maybe hit it off? Like I was being magnetized to him rn for a reason? *you don't need to know a serious answer to if this is a sign or not lol, but I'm open to your take for fun!* its so odd. This is not normal for me, and its especially weird that I was just HIT BY A TRUCK OF CRUSHING on someone from my past, that was not an interest to me previously. Just up and out of the blue. That I don't really know anymore... its been years since we've talked and we've both grown up. And I'm demisexual so I'm not attracted to people unless I'm connected to them deeply and really know them. I felt this impending urge to connect with him.

Its exciting! Idk! I know this isn't really bts related, but it is in the sense that BTS have been who I've been mentally dating for years lol. I haven't really been interested in anyone else... and then I just... he HAPPENS into my mind like a vague memory. And I'm into him. I wanted to gush about it with someone because I'm so wonderfully confused rn.

OH MY GOD THIS IS BEYOND CUTE!!!!!

I'm smiling so hard!! And also a little emotional, because it's so good to hear about something that makes someone happy!

I think the 'schoolgirl crush' is a thing that we never lose! We can fall for someone in such a way at any age and feel so excited, nervous, giddy, youthful from it!

Ahhhhhhhh 🥰🥰🥰, so my take on it is YESSS!!! Yes I feel like it happened for a reason and the way you're feeling might be a sign that its meant to lead to a connection 🥺.

I'm so excited for youuuu and I really hope it leads to something more for you both!! I hope you get positive responses from him!

And if it doesn't work out, it just wasn't meant to be 🥺.