#SUCH a good word wow

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

pour one out for my boy carcass

[beanghostprincess]

Laios saying he's stronger and better organized than Shuro because he eats 3 meals every day and sleeps properly is probably one of the most encouraging things a fictional character has ever said to me

[heartsoftruth]

LEWIS’S ADVICE FOR ROOKIES ENTERING F1 | 24.11.24

‘Don't do absolutely everything everyone tells you to do. Ask lots of questions. Take your time.

Don't let the negativity get to you because people so negative nowadays, judging you non-stop…

Stay off social media. Keep your family and your closest friends close to you because they are the only ones that are your true friends and are gonna be there for you when the going gets tough."

[starryluminary]

You Matter To Me

Sara Bareilles (ft. Jason Mraz)

╾━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━╼

◃◃ II ▹▹

Noah and Cody have a quick chat.

Cody really didn't expect to like Noah as much as he does. He also didn't expect Noah to make him this happy. That's why it hurts when he realizes Noah's better off without him. Without his baggage, without his adversity, without his mess. Man what a mess it is. He wouldn't blame Noah in the least if he thought it was too much to handle and left without looking back.

Fortunately, Cody matters too much to Noah to let him go so easily. Cody couldn't be more grateful. Maybe one day he'll learn to tell him.

[turtleblogatlast]

[ cw: death mention / strangulation mention / stabbing mention / blood mention / self-sacrifice / codependency mention in tags / ]

I think a lot about how common it is for Raph to be the one to have direct focus put on him when Leo gets into all his near death experiences.

Like, when Leo is thrown off a building, it’s Raph who’s right there jumping after him, not even thinking about the consequences to himself when he does. When Leo almost gets skewered by the Krang, Raph’s right there to take the blow and send Leo to safety without a second thought. When Leo’s being strangled to near death, it’s a Krangified Raph doing the job, doing exactly what Raph would never, ever want to do. When Leo is telling Casey Jr to close the portal, it’s Raph who tries desperately to convince Leo otherwise.

Likewise, Leo is consistently very single minded when Raph gets forcibly separated from them. Both when in the sewers and by the Krang, Leo is dead set on finding Raph first and foremost.

I also think it’s interesting that during each of Leo’s near death experiences, the lightheartedness of his words during them goes directly hand in hand with both how close Raph is to him physically and how much danger Raph is also in in that moment. From a literal “I told you so” as Leo’s falling away from Raph to a soft joke about how “hero moves” are Raph’s style - both of these are on the more morbidly carefree side and both of these notably take Leo farther away from Raph and, in turn, have Raph not in immediate danger.

On the other side of things is the apology from Leo, heedless of the danger he himself is in as he seriously and genuinely speaks to a Krangified Raph face to face. Then there’s Leo’s freezing and desperation as Raph takes a hit meant for him and sends just Leo to safety, leaving Raph himself behind. Both of these involve much closer proximity and Raph being directly harmed - these together make Leo much more vulnerable in his words and actions, something not even the threat of death can make him.

These two care about each other so much, and they’re way too much alike for their own good.

[pinkxcloudz]

alloallos really act like their partner not being attracted to them is the end of the world and that really shows how they think about love. why is it so one dimensional. love is more than finding each other sexy or wanting to kiss. losers

[obliviouskara]

Honestly supercorp authors are one of the most talented writers i have come across with bc seriously the fics i’ve read recently

[lushpeonies]

and finally it seems my lonely days are through i've been waiting for you

[thedelicatearcher]

Finnick with virgin reader ERMM WHO SAID THAT

First Time

finnick odair x fem!reader

after almost a year together, you feel ready to take the next step. your boyfriend, finnick odair, wants you to feel comfortable first.

word count: 3000

warnings: (protected) piv sex , lube use, a little bit of fingering. minors do not interact!

‘honey,’ he whispered, surprised but content at the sight of you at his doorstep. ‘i didn’t know we were hanging out today.’ he yawned right after finishing his sentence. it was obvious you had woken him up from his nap. ‘we weren’t,’ you admitted as he opened the door wider, inviting you in. ‘i just missed you.’

your words had finnick melting on the spot. despite feeling groggy, he could never deny himself of your presence. ‘come on, honey,’ he said huskily, grabbing your hand and leading you to his bedroom. your lover didn’t waste a second before lying down on his bed again and closing his eyes. ‘nap with me.’

you let yourself fall onto the bed, a quiet gasp falls off finnick's lips at the sudden dip. the impact roused him up slightly. an irritated look is thrown at you, but it quickly softened as you got comfortable beside him. his arms instantly wrapped around you, imprisoning you into a cuddle. finnick odair never wastes an opportunity to drape his leg over you. 

stuck in his embrace, you fell asleep, lulled by the soft snoring of your boyfriend. a soft smile formed on your face at the thought of him feeling so safe around you that he could fall asleep in seconds. you found yourself succumbing to sweet dreams about a life without the capitol. a life where you could scream your love for finnick from the rooftops. a life where you didn’t feel the urge to run away but refrained in fear of being caught and sent to the guillotine.

suddenly, you felt yourself begin to stir from a ticklish sensation on your neck. slowly opening your eyes, you noticed the familiar blond curls resting at the curve of your neck. ‘slept well, honey?’ his voice was slightly muffled as he peppered your neck with sweet kisses. ‘hmm,’ you hummed while stretching, before turning around and admiring the soft expression on finnick’s face.

it was so easy to get lost admiring his features. his cheeks were a soft shade of pink, sunkissed from spending entire days at the beach. the corners of his eyes crinkled at his mere smile. his lips were slightly dry and chapped. his long eyelashes framed those enthralling sea green eyes that could inspire anyone to write sonnets about them. the dimple on his cheek begged to be noticed whenever he spoke. a strand of his blond curls was so close to poking his eye.

‘did the cat eat your tongue?’ he teased at your lack of response, growing shy at being the victim of your adoring gaze. ‘i’m just admiring the view,’ you playfully shrugged before bringing a hand to his face and caressing his cheek. ‘i love every part of you, finn.’ the sudden affection took finnick off guard, feeling his heartbeat accelerate.

finnick, so intensely enamored with you, cradled your face with his large hands, giving you an adoring look before kissing your forehead and then your temple, slowly moving to kiss every part of your face. the sensation of his plump lips on your skin made you yearn for them against yours.

soft hums of pleasure echoed in the room when finnick’s lips reached your neck, pushing you gently to lie on your back. all of your thoughts were of him. how his mouth left wet kisses on your skin. how he leaned his body against yours without letting his full weight fall on you. the way his hand grabbed your waist, squeezing it softly. how he was spurred on by your delicate gasps, striving to get more out of your lips. how his lips weren't following a pattern, he was alternating between licks, soft nibbles, and kisses as he pleased.

your skin felt like it was on fire, burning with a sensation unlike any you had felt before. completely unaware of your instinctual movements, finnick chuckled softly when he noticed you were squirming in his embrace, clenching your thighs desperate for some friction. ‘honey,’ he breath warm against your collarbone, ‘everything okay?’

‘such an evil man’, you thought, feigning innocence to tease you when he was perfectly aware of the effect he had on you. you didn’t miss his attempts to hide his smirk at the pathetic moans that slipped from your lips unable to muster the energy to tease him back, a whimper of his name was the only word that came out of you.

‘finnick.’ he pulled his head away from your body to look up at you with expectant eyes. ‘i think i want to take the next step.’ now it was finnick’s turn to feel dazed by a wave of warmth mixed with nervousness, he didn’t want you to feel rushed into it. ‘are you sure, sweetheart?” he asked with a soft look in his eyes. 

the longing in him matched yours. almost a year had passed filled with innocent pecks and short passionate make out sessions. he never wanted to make you feel as if it was something you had to do. he wanted you to genuinely desire it. he needed you to trust him completely and also trust you back. he desired to love you first. he yearned to build a bond strong enough that both of you could feel free to laugh and giggle at the intimacy of the situation. he wanted sex to be special for you. 

now, as the moment had arrived, his heart soared at your request at such a perfect time. asking him to make you his after sweet declarations of adoration. ‘yes, finn,’ you purred as he lowered his forehead to lean it against yours, ‘i want you to be my first. i wouldn’t want anyone else.’ he pressed his lips against yours tenderly before pulling away to meet your gaze, ‘i want you too, honey.’

‘you can ask me to stop at any moment, and i’ll do so right away.  i won’t get mad, honey,’ he stated firmly. ‘let me know when something feels good or if it doesn’t,’ he finished with a kiss to your cheek. a warm smile spread across his face as you nodded enthusiastically.

he got off you and took your hands in his to help you sit up. he waited for your nod as reassurement before taking off your shirt. he immediately leaned in and kissed your chest, murmuring ‘so pretty, my gorgeous girl,’ as his hands circled your torso and unfastened your bra. the moment it fell, you didn’t feel the need to cover yourself. the safe space created by your lover made you feel confident and at ease, allowing yourself to show you completely bare to him.

‘i’m so lucky,’ he whispered to himself, his voice thick with emotion, before leaning in to trace a warm stripe between your breasts with his tongue. ‘so lucky to have you.’ he kissed the top of your left breast, then added, ‘to please you.’ hungrily taking your nipple into his mouth, he began to suck and lick the little bud, savoring the taste of you. ‘to hold you,’ he continued, shifting his attention to the other breast, his movements deliberate and tender as he elicited sweet gasps of pleasure from you. he flickered his tongue across your other nipple, whispering,  ‘to love you.’

while his tongue massaged your buds, his hands roamed over your torso, tenderly exploring every part of it, memorizing every curve and birthmark that adorned your skin. ‘i want to touch you too, finn,’ you said between giggles, pushing him off softly before reaching for the hem of his shirt. he grumbled at the sudden loss of contact between your bodies.

you slowly took his shirt off, not before getting verbal approval from him. driven by lust, your fingers wandered to the waistband of his pants. eager to continue, you swiftly slid his pants down his legs, leaving finnick in only his underwear. 

‘you have a body worth worshiping. worth loving. i will never let you think otherwise.’ you kissed his chest and traced your fingers over his sun-tanned abs. finnick giggled softly when your hand traveled down his body and reached a ticklish spot just below his navel, squirming at the sensation. ‘sorry, i’m ticklish there,’ he confessed. a big mistake from the blond to make, as you seized the opportunity to pull more breathy laughs out of him. after lightly rubbing that spot lightly as a feather for minutes and causing finnick to become a squirming laughing mess, he caught your hands and pulled you down onto the bed, pinning you gently. ‘that’s enough.’

a soft giggle escaped your lips at the sight of him above you. your gaze wandered over his body, but always returned to his gorgeous face. ‘i’m a little nervous,’ you confessed, ‘i’ve never done this before.’ your statement was followed by a louder chuckle from finnick, ‘i know, sweetheart.’ he rose from the bed, and looked down at you tenderly. ‘i’ll take care of you,’ he promised. he slowly started to take his boxers off, revealing his hard cock screaming for attention, the pink tip glistening with a bit of precum.

‘remember, you can always change your mind,’ were finnick’s words before his calloused hands caressed your legs with a feather-like touch and rested at the waistband of your shorts. ‘are you sure about this?’ he asked once more, not wasting any opportunity to ensure you are feeling comfortable. you nodded confidently. ‘i am sure, finnick,’ you reassured him, meeting his gaze. ‘are you comfortable too, sweetheart?’ ‘so comfortable. you make me feel safe.’

a mixed expression of love and gratitude appeared on his face, holding back tears at the simplicity of your words. a year ago, he never would have believed he deserved to feel the deep intimacy of loving and being loved. he couldn’t have imagined a time when physical touch wouldn’t make him recoil. he never thought he would yearn to be touched.

‘good,’ he murmured softly, his hands finding the hem of your shorts and pulling them down. ‘you’re awfully pretty,’ you said to him as he removed your underwear as well. ‘stop it,’ finnick protested, his face flushing as he grew flustered. 

you remained lying on the bed, legs spread as he sat between them. so vulnerable, yet so comfortable. ‘look at those pretty eyes,’ you cooed as he continued massaging your thighs with tender touches. you took his hand in yours, pausing his movements and intertwining your fingers. ‘and those beautiful pink cheeks.’ finnick playfully glared at you, getting absurdly shy at the shameless attention you were giving to his features. hell, he was stark naked in front of you, and you were rambling about his blushing cheeks. 

finnick was getting drunk on your compliments, the sweet words melting his heart like warm honey while you continued finding little details across his body to admire and adore. such as his birthmark on his left thigh, or that one strand of curly hair that is always sticking out, and the calluses on his fingers from a lifetime of knotting nets.

as if he had remembered something, he suddenly pulled away and stood up, ‘i will be here in a sec,’ he announced, ‘don’t miss me too much.’ he teased with a wink before entering the bathroom. some noises and even a gasp reached your ears, leaving you to wonder what the hell was your boyfriend doing in there. 

when he came back, he wore a toothy smile and admitted ‘i was searching for these,’ holding up a condom and some lube he had. ‘but the cabinet almost toppled on me.’  you couldn’t help but laugh at the situation, finding it funny how the cabinet almost fell on top of him, but he was still so eager to make love to you.

as the laughter dissipated, finnick took a moment to put the condom on his member. ‘sweetheart,’ he called you as he caressed your cheek lovingly, ‘i’m going to be so gentle with you.’ you climbed to the center of the bed, lying on your back to feel comfortable as finnick had instructed you. 

‘i want you to enjoy this, honey,’ he continued, squeezing some lube onto his hand and spreading it on his cock. ‘this is going to feel a little cold,’ he warned you before squeezing more lube on his fingers. his touch delicate as he eased the lubricant into your folds and entrance. a surprised gasp escaped your lips at the new sensation, his finger gently fingering you to spread the lube as deep as he could. quiet moans of pleasure filled the room when he carefully entered another digit and started scissoring his hands, making sure to prepare you as much as he could for your pain to be as little as possible.

he slowly pulls out his fingers, being attentive to the quiet hiss that escaped you. finnick engulfed his digits in his mouth, and licked them clean. ‘so good,’ he hummed, before hovering over your body and lining up with your entrance. ‘i love you, my sweet girl,’ he kissed your cheek and pulled away to stare right into your eyes, searching for any signs of hesitation. 

‘i love you too, finn.’ those words were enough reassurance for finnick to start to enter you, moving slowly and centimeter by centimeter. ‘it’s okay, baby,’ he cooed soothingly. your hands instinctively made their way to his back, your nails lightly digging in as you adjusted to the sensation of him stretching you. despite the lube doing its job, you couldn’t help but let out soft whines of discomfort. the feeling of finnick’s cock filling you up completely was overwhelming.

he peppered your face with kisses, trying to soothe you while you adjusted to his size. when you whispered sweet pleas in his ear, he began to move. he pulled out and then dipped back in at a slow and steady pace. the natural scent of your lover overwhelmed your senses. no matter where life might take you, you would never forget the intoxicating vanilla aroma he exuded whenever he was impossibly close to you.

as he maintained his slow, deliberate rhythm, your pleasure began to build. you found yourself enjoying the feeling of his delicious cock pressing forward into you. his glorious huffs of air were muffled by your neck, the place where he had decided to nestle his face as he delicately pinned your body with his and thrusted into you determinedly. your body was trapped by his, as the fat of his hips slapped into your thighs, you felt engulfed by him. and you were fine by it. the feeling of his bare chest against yours, with your legs wrapped around his hips, was your new definition of bliss.

finnick’s thrusts were deep and starting to up his pace, the clenching of your cunt inflicting low grunts and growls out of him. he was completely immersed in pleasure. his attempts to tease you were frequently interrupted by the deep moans that poured out of his pink lips. however, his eyes never strayed from your face, scanning it like a hawk to notice any signs of discomfort. 

the angle of his cock hit the spot inside you just right. you were so close to your peak, the coil inside you tighten up at every roll of his hips. waves of heat and pleasure coursed through you. but still, it wasn’t enough to take you there, you needed something more.

with a trembling hand, you reached down to where your bodies connected and started to rub your clit in slow, deliberate circles. mewls filled the room, and you felt closer than ever to the so familiar orgasm. the countless flustered hot nights you had spent with your hand in between your legs paled in comparison to this moment. those desperate nights would never compare to having the love of your life on top of you, panting as his half-lidded eyes tried his best to stay locked on yours. any situation you could ever imagine could never compare to the whimpers of your name. the mere melody of his voice made your toes curl.

‘i’m so close, finn,’ you moaned when the sensation became too much, nearing the brink of your orgasm. ‘me too,’ he growled in response, breaking eye contact to bury his face in your neck, nibbling it in hopes to stifle his melodic grunts. ‘let go, honey. i got you,’ were his final words before you got swept away by an earth-shattering orgasm, screaming loudly at the white delicious heat that traveled like waves through your body. you were clenching around him uncontrollably, crying out as your climax hit you like never before. 

when you started to come down from your orgasm, finnick drove into you faster. so eager to feel the ecstasy running through his veins. bursting into the condom, finnick found himself coming in your embrace. his hips thrusted erratically before gradually slowly coming to a stop as he grunted into your neck. you desperately wished to see the distorted expression of pleasure of your lover as he succumbed into his climax, but you would have many other opportunities. 

you lay there in complete comfort, enjoying the calm silence only disrupted by soft pants as you recovered your breath. finnick had dropped his entire weight on top of you, but you couldn’t care less. your hands found their way to his hair, running them through it and massaging his scalp in a quiet gesture of gratitude.

‘did you enjoy yourself, sweetheart?” he asked with the gentlest voice when he pulled back slightly to look at you, awaiting for your answer. even if his skin was covered with a layer of sweat, he was as gorgeous as always. ‘so much,’ you replied, a cheeky smile lighting up your face. 

‘good,’ he answered with one of his truly happy smiles. finnick leaned in to give you a sweet peck, his fingers caressing your cheek before he pulled out. ‘sorry,’ he instantly apologized when he heard your hiss. he took off the condom and tossed it into the trash. 

he then grabbed a soft towel from his nightstand and carefully cleaned the slick between your legs, delicately rubbing the cloth to avoid your oversensitive clit. ‘come here, honey,’ he said, lifting you into his arms like a bride and carrying you to the bathroom. he was eager to prepare you a bath, wanting to have you relaxing in his embrace.

[roguemonsterfucker]

Shout out to this book I'm reading for actually using the original proper definition of the title "harem" and using the typical modern usage to cause some very good drama in the narrative due to the misunderstanding.

Chef's kiss honestly.

Finally some delicious fucking food.

[hyakunana]

Happy Birthday, Rasputin!!

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

WAIIIIIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT HOW DID I JUST NOW LEARN AFTER ALL THIS TIME--

Like, I've known about the religious aspect of Javert's death! Catholic theology taught that suicide was a mortal sin, meaning a sin that would send you to hell--Javert, who is described as exactingly religious (viewing religion as another authoritative structure, in contrast to Valjean's personal faith), was so distraught over the error and failure of his worldview, that he broke what he'd regarded as a sacred rule to punish himself and condemn himself to hell. I've known this! And it's agonizing!!

But then I read a YouTube comment of all things, and maybe this is an old take but it just eviscerated me:

At the time of Javert's death, suicide was a crime in France.

His last act was to break the law.

Mr. Hugo, I'd like to retire now, you're giving me too many emotions to process.

[prolibytherium]

I never touched it but I feel like i only ever hear positive things said about song of achilles.. in (rough strokes at least) what makes it dogshit to you?

Okay it's been a while since I actually read it so some of this might not be spot on accurate. Sorry if at any point I say 'the book never does xyz' and it actually does once or twice but I think my underlying criticisms are accurate

-Patroclus is made into like this soft gentle tender quivering little yaoi boy. In the source text, he's shown as compassionate and moved by the suffering of his own men (and apparently having some medical skill, tending to the wounded in the camp), but very much invested n combat and very, very good at it (pages worth of descriptions of the guys he's killing left and right). In this, the arguably more complex character from this 8th century BC text is flattened into Being A Healer, he doesn't want to go to war he just wants to help people, he only goes because Achilles has to but he doesn't want to fight he's a HEALER he's a gentle lover NOT A FIGHTER who just wants to help he just wants to help everyone around him he HEALS while Achilles is a doomed warrior who is so good at fighting and KILLING its a DICHOTOMY GUYS!!!LIKE THE BEAUTIFUL SUN AND MOON DOOMED LOVERS SO SAD patocluse HEALER . (I Think he's specifically characterized as being BAD at fighting but might be misremembering)

-I don't remember much about Achilles' characterization I think it just makes him less of a jackass while not adding anything of interest and levels out into being mad boring.

-Not getting into the literal millenias old debate whether the mythological characters Achilles and Patroclus were being characterized as some type of lover by the original oral sources of the Iliad or its Homeric writers. We will never know. We don't even know what (if any) culturally accepted conventions of male homosexuality existed in bronze age Greece (we know much more about their descendants). But there are some interesting elements of their characterization in this direction, with how unconventional their relationship is WITHIN the text itself- Patroclus is described as cooking for Achilles and his guests (very specifically a woman/wife's job), Achilles chides Patroclus like a father, but there's also scene where Achilles' mourning of him directly echoes a passage of Hector's wife mourning her husband, Patroclus is explicitly stated to Achilles' elder, and is overall treated as his equal or near-equal, closest confidant and most beloved friend (to the point that pederastic classical Greeks would debate over who was erastes (older authority figure lover) and who was eromenos (adolescent 'beloved')- many took it as a given that this text depicted their present-day cultural norms of homosexual behavior but it existed so Outside of these norms that it had to be debated who was who). Their relationship is non-standard both within the text and to the descendants of the civilization that wrote them.

Basically what I'm saying is this book had opportunities to like, explore the unconventionality of the relationship (being presented here as explicitly lovers), explore the dynamics of why Patroclus wants to do 'women's work' (besides being a tenderhearted softboy), the weird dynamics where they take on paternal roles to each other but also roles of wives, how they feel about being this way, and just kind of Doesn't. Which I guess isn't an intrinsic fault (because it omits much of what I just talked about to begin with). it's just like.... Lame. This book takes jsut abandons everything interesting about the source text in favor of flattening it into bland Doomed Yaoi.

-The conflict that sets off the core story of the Iliad is Achilles and Agamemnon fighting over Briseis, an enslaved Trojan woman taken by Achilles as a war-trophy, Achilles spends most of the story moping because he was dishonored by his 'trophy' being taken. Achilles and Patroclus and everyone else are raping their captives, all the women in the story are either captured Trojans (or in the case of the free women within the walls of Troy, soon to be enslaved, and are slave owners themselves). Slavery as an institution and extreme patriarchal conventions are innate to the text and reflective of the context in which it was developed. You cannot avoid it.

But obviously you can't have your soft yaoi boys doing this, so the author has them capturing women to Protect Them from the other men. Their slaves are UNDER THEIR PROTECTION and VERY SAFE (and they might even Like And Befriend Them but I might be misremembering that. Briseis does though). Our heroes have apparently absorbed none of the ideals of the culture they exist in and the author seems to think "they're gay and aren't sexually attracted to their captives" would translate to them being outright benevolent (also as if wartime sexual violence is just about attraction and not part of a wider spectrum of violent acts to dehumanize and brutalize an accepted 'enemy')

In the source text, Briseis mourns Patroclus as being the kindest to her of her captors, who tried to get her a slightly better outcome by getting her married to Achilles (which probably would be the Least Bad of all possible outcomes for a woman in that situation, becoming a legal wife instead of a slave), and wonders what will happen to her now that he's gone. This is a really really sad, horrible, and compelling dynamic which could be fleshed out in very interesting ways but is instead is tossed entirely aside in favor of them being Besties. Like brother and sister.

All of the above pisses me off so much. If you don't want to engage in the icky parts of ancient/bronze age Greece then don't write a retelling of a story taking place in bronze age Greece. I'm not gonna get mad at children's adaptations of Greek myths or silly fun stories loosely based on them for omitting the rape and slavery but it is SO fundamental to the Iliad. If you're not willing to handle it, either fully omit it or better yet set your Iliad inspired yaoi in an invented swords-and-sandals setting where you can have all your heartbreaking tragic doomed lovers plot beats and not have to clumsily write around the women they're brutalizing.

-The author didn't seem to know what to do with Thetis and she made her just like, Achilles bitch mother who spends most of the story trying to separate our Yaoi Boys (iirc her disguising Achilles as a girl and hiding him on Scyros is made to be more about getting him away from Patroclus than trying to save her son from his prophesied doom in the Trojan War) until she sees how much they loooove each other and I think helps Patroclus' spirit get to the afterlife or something in the end?

-This is more of a personal taste gripe but it has that writing style I loathe where the prose feels less like a story and more like an attempt to string together Deep Beautiful Hard Hitting Poetic Lines that will look great as excerpts on booktok (might predate booktok but same vibe). It's all very Pretty and Haunting and Deep but feels devoid of real substance.

I really like The Iliad and The Odyssey in of themselves. They're fascinating historical texts that give a window into how 8th century BC Greeks told their stories, saw their world, interpreted their ancestors, etc. And genuinely I think these texts have 'good' characters, there's a lot of complexity and humanity to it.

WRT the Iliad- all of the main Achaeans are pretty fascinating, the one singular part where Briseis Gets To Talk and laments her situation is great, Achilles fantasizing that all of the Trojans AND the Achaeans die so he and Patroclus alone can have the glory of conquering Troy (wild), Achilles asking to embrace Patroclus' shade and reaching out for him but it's immaterial (and the shade being sucked back underground with a 'squeak' (the squeak kinda gets me it's disturbing and sad)), Hecuba talking about wanting to tear out Achilles' liver and eat it in a (taboo, exceptioally pointed) expression of rage and grief for his mutilation of her son's corpse, just one tiny line where the enslaved women performing ritual wailing for their dead captors are described as using it as an outlet to 'grieve for their own troubles' is heartrending, etc. A lot of grappling with anger and grief and the inevitability of death, a lot of groundwork laid for characters that could be very interesting when expanded upon in the framework of a conventional novel.

And Song Of Achilles really doesn't do much with all that. I know a lot of my gripes here are kind of just "It's different from the Iliad", I would have thought of it as mostly mediocre and forgettable rather than infuriating if it wasn't a retelling (and I DEFINITELY have strong biases here). But I think the ways in which it is different are less just a product of a retelling (of course there's going to be omissions and differences) and more a complete and utter disinterest in vast majority of its own subject matter, to the book's detriment. I think a retelling has a point when it EXPANDS on the source, or provides a NEW ANGLE to the source. This book doesn't Really do either, it just shaves off the complexity of its source material, renders the characters into a really boring archetype of a gay relationship, and gives very little else. Its content boils down to a middling tragic romance that has been inserted into the hollowed out defleshed skeleton of the Iliad.

Bottom line: I definitely would not be as mad about it if I wasn't familiar with the source material but I think it's fair to expect a retelling to Engage with/expand on its source, and I also think it's weak purely on its own merits. This book was set up to disappoint Me specifically.

[dani-luminae]

"Disney's princess needs to have more diverse personalities!" Yes true, sure, but also

Disney's first three Princesses (Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora) are all graceful, sweet, like singing songs about dreams and wishes, and do not actively fight: "omg they're such anti-feminist caricatures!!!"

Disney's next princesses have more established emotions and personalities, alongside the establishment of the "I Want" song as applied to motives outside of love (exploration, adventure, making their family proud): "OMG Ariel traded her voice for a man, how stupid!" "Belle's so stuck-up!" "Jasmine's just a spoiled brat!"

Tiana's a dedicated hard worker, loves her family a lot, and wants her loved ones to be very happy even at her own expense and gets... totally ignored in this conversation, gee I wonder why

Rapunzel, Anna, and now Asha are a little bit awkward, silly, but exuberant and get written off as "stupid adorkable" despite the other tenets of their personalities setting them apart, like Rapunzel's creativity, Anna's dedication to her family, and how Asha strives to help those around her

Moana gets called a disobedient brat for seeing beyond her father's narrow-mindedness

Disney Princesses have many wonderfully different personalities. It's just that people are dedicated to misinterpreting them, and that's why I never take the "Disney Princesses need more diverse personalities!" comment at face value.

[daily-property-police]

Day 313

[i-may-be-an-emu]

200 FICS ON THE MASTERLIST!!!!! 🥳

I’m so proud of this fandom amazing work everyone