#bc i read them in books and i was like ok makes sense

[kinki-cami]

Nah because i would FLORISH being an independent in affini society

Like first off, im not isolated immediately that brings me up by like 45% like i can go see that forest, hang out with the (hopefully not going to bite me or give me rabies) animals pet some squirrels say hi to the hummingbirds, i can go into public and walk around, id honestly probably start skipping bc thats what ive imagined so far considering i wouldnt be as depressed as i am now

Secondly, FULL customization of what i wear just be able to look how i want without fear, probably wear my denim look but with some extra like, an ACTUAL denim skirt that looks nice, maybe makeup if i was feeling up to it

Thirdly, just exploration. This is pretty much the miscellaneous second of this post. Because theres probably no money (i assume i need to do more research) before i get to that i fuckin love research i would know every fuckin affini custom by year 5, anyway because of presumeably no money, fake shop at the mall bc hell yeah fuckin love the mall its like a mini city, youd go in like you were going to the mall and like fake "check out" with like a fake credit card or something and yahh fun but also id just like go get coffee, possibly some matcha, skip around town wearing heels WITH my denim outfit, looking all fuckin cute, go see the plants (not affini like houseplants like mint) fuck id grow some bleeding hearts, some mint, make sure to pick up plant food, bc even tho i CAN do it in the hab unit, its more fun leaving to pick stuff up, it gives you a sense of accomplishment like "yahhhh i did something today 🥰 (its a crime theres no 'fist pump' emoji, i swear there are more useless emojis than practical ones)" and because i wouldnt be in one location for 6+ hours a day (excluding sleep) i would have time to do things that i WANNA do, like finish that pokemon book that im only on kakuna out of pecharunt. And i could drink my coffee/tea and go to the game store and play magic with peoples or pokemon, i could go play some dnd, write my damn books, skip around in heels bc skipping is happy but i wanna wear heels soo yahhhh

Yeah i may occassionally get harrassed but like if im polite and express boundries im sure theyll leave me alone or at least relatively along

By the way im going based off of the two stories ive read so far aight, so if this is very biased aight. Too bad i need to read more. But also like, i can express myself two 2 stories ok? Like a girl can fantasize anyway back my fantasy

Eventually id want an affini to adopt me but like, god id be pretty happy without drugs theyd need to actively make my life miserable to make me want the drugs, like, damn. Also with the number of times im cursing in this post any and all affini rp blogs are gonna be like "stop fucking cursing little indie" and to be fair i dont like cursing at people the only time i do is when im expressing myself or am pissed off i never call anyone curse words because its mean and i dont like being mean 🥺

Uhh and i think thats all my thoughts god i had Sadistic glee read the bonus chapters of hdg a bit ago anyway gotta gp finish those, then go finish the other one that im halfway through then go read more, if anyone has any not emotionally wrecking stories feel free to send them via asks or something like i dont wanna see characters despairing but i dont mind seeing their personality erased, as long as the struggle isnt super visible or is minimal

[sailing-ever-west]

it occurs to me that not everybody studied art books religiously as a kid like I did and weren't always taught super useful basic stuff

so random psa for any beginner artists trying to figure out proportions: the eyes go in the middle of the head

This doesn't have to be exact of course and there's always room for stylization but basically the whole area above the eyes is supposed to leave room for the hair, bc it doesn't just sit flat on top of the head separately. If the eyes are below center, the nose and mouth usually end up too small and the forehead is huge. If they're above center, it makes the person's face look unrealistically long and makes it seem like their skull ends at their hairline. Anyway, that's mainly what the cross lines are for on the face, to properly center the eyes. It makes everything else fall into proportion way more easily.

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

Our Lady Of Mysterious Ailments & The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle

books 2 & 3 in the Edinburgh Nights series

paranormal mystery set in a climate-ravaged future Scotland, plagued by ghosts and magic

follows a 15yo Black girl who’s finally gotten an in to learn scientific magic properly - but it turns out to be an unpaid internship, so she has to take more jobs delivering ghost messages and investigating mysteries to take care of her gran and little sister

in book 2 she’s investigating a strange illness centred on a magic school for boys

and in book 3 she’s attending a global magician conference held in a creepy castle - when someone’s murdered, and they’re locked in until she figures out the culprit

Zimbabwean magic, friendship, disabled characters, no romance (so far)

[thetardisisnotourdivision]

I am unreasonably upset about the fact that I've been forced to accept that Gabriel was a Gerald.

For context, in An Inspector Calls, Gerald Croft is engaged to Sheila Birling when he meets a homeless, struggling Eva Smith in a bar, and essentially in return for a home and money he shows her affection (ahem), then gets rid of her once he no longer has a use for her. Now, obviously this isn't a direct translation, but the essentials are - a Gerald is a character who uses another character, in return for something they need, usually masking the fact that they're using them with affection and love.

And against my will I've had to accept that this is exactly what Gabriel does to Nathalie.

Did I want to think he had potential to be better? Did I think he genuinely cared for Nathalie?? Hell, did I just really really want somebody to care about Nathalie???

Probably all of the above but the point is: he's Gerald. And I cannot - I literally can't unsee it now. Their whole dynamic in S3 is like “oh boohoo I'm sorry I wish you didn't have to use the peacock Miraculous and kill yourself over it but uh I need to use your powers” “yeah no that's fine I'm all good”. Which, given the "Gerald" theorem, I'm assuming leads to the fact that what Nathalie needed, above all, was someone to care about her - and Gabriel came along, as Sheila Birling puts it, "like a fairytale prince", and was so caring and gentle and... Yeah. She fell for him. And. Yeah he genuinely did seem to care like twice. But so did Gerald. Gerald actually admits that he did care for Eva, just not the way that she cared for him, and, uh, not enough to not just dispose of her. So he discards her anyway when she stops being useful.

Leading me neatly to my point.

He starts using the peacock Miraculous the second it's fixed, the slimy bastard, HOWEVER. It runs way deeper than that. Assuming I'm right (which I almost DEFINITELY am), then Gabriel only needed Nathalie while she was useful. She didn't stop being useful in season three - she's still scheming for him, helping him with plan after plan. It's only partway through season 5 that she officially servers ties with him, and starts to actively hinder him.

Nathalie stops being useful when she fails as Safari. And I reckon that's when Gabriel and Tomoe decided she had to go.

(It's painfully, I-was-ugly-crying-over-it obvious in Conformation that Gabriel is fully prepared to let Nathalie die - in the original storyboard, her alliance was encouraging her to sleep, and he's very obviously prepared for this moment - I've made a separate post about it that I'll link if I can find it. However, onto the next bit)

With all of this, there's one thing that sticks out to me - Nathalie didn't see any of it until it was already too late. There could be many reasons for this. But you know who would have seen through it? Whose parents were all loving and perfect until she married the wrong man? Emilie. Emilie, who left behind those videos, which on the surface look innocent, but when you look deeper look like a (love confession???????) AHEM a warning. I reckon Emilie noticed what was going on and realised that Nathalie wouldn't see through Gabriel, so she left those videos addressed to Nathalie (not Gabriel, which surely they should have been - they were about him, after all - unless they were there...) as a warning. I don't think the videos were supposed to be about helping Gabriel, I think Emilie was warning Nathalie to get the fuck out of that house, and to take Adrien with her. Because Emilie knew it'd end like this.

Yes I'm still mad ok give me a break.

[frodolives]

1850s Tumblr Dashboard Simulator

👸🏻 girlbossladyjane Follow

It really makes me sick to see people giving money to penny weeklies when Franklin's expedition STILL has not been found 😭 There are good men out there trapped in unimaginable temperatures and literally all that's needed is a little more funding for another rescue mission yet all you guys seem to care about are your vulgar little stories...

🧔🏻‍♂️ queerqueg Follow

the franklin expedition is dead as hell

👸🏻 girlbossladyjane Follow

Disgraceful thing to say but I'd expect nothing more from a M*lville fan

10,558 notes

👨🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻 hartgrindisreal

Sorry for posting so much about Tom Gradgrind/James Harthouse from Hard Times lately. It turns out that I was getting arsenic poisoning from my wallpaper? Anyway I took a seaside stroll and I'm normal now. Check your walls y'all

#whyyy did i assume they were committing unlawful actions together like where did i even get that from lol #hard times isn't even that good by dickens standards tbh

659 notes

🎨 asherbrowndurand

Just painted this

2 notes

ss-arctic-girlie-deactivated18540927

RIP Napoleon... you may have been unable to conquer Alexander's Russia but you sure as hell conquered Alexander's bed

🖼️ preraphaelitebro Follow

HERITAGE POST

📝 shakespearesforehead Follow

How does this have less than 100k notes you could literally not avoid this post back in the 20s lol

82,170 notes

🌄 loyalromantic Follow

poets just aren't dying young in mysterious water-related incidents like they used to :/

#as useless and degenerative as i find 'the living poets' and i'm glad we're finally moving on from them #i have to agree with op in this respect

6,884 notes

🎀 thefopdiaries Follow

I finally got a daguerreotype of myself ^_^ Porcelain urn for scaling

📜 bartlebi-thescrivener

i think i hauve consumption

112 notes

🐋 whaler4life

They found oil in the ground??? WTF. THIS IS LITERALLY THE WORSTTTT. FUCK MY LIFE FOR REAL THIS TIME

11 notes

🌿 naturesnaturalist Follow

I swear this website has 0 reading comprehension skills. Darwin NEVER claimed we "evolved" from apes like if one of you guys actually bothered to open his new book you'll see all his arguments are backed up by evidence. He actually makes a lot of sense

#sure there's nuance like i don't fully agree with all of it #but his general theory of natural selection seems pretty sound imo

56 notes

🤵🏻‍♂️ byronicherotournament Follow

🙈 butchbronte Follow

Of course these are the finalists lmao this website is so predictable. Anyway vote Heathcliff if you dont i'm going to assume you're a phrenologist

��� sapphichelenburns Follow

It's not problematic to acknowledge the fact that Heathcliff was a brute like he literally killed dogs in case you forgot. #rochestersweep

🙈 butchbronte Follow

I love the implication here that Rochester never did anything cruel either. He literally locked his wife in the attic and lied to Jane about it 😭 like that was a pretty significant thing that happened

📖 sapphichelenburns Follow

And? God forbid women do anything

#why'd you have to pit two bad bitches against each other #anyway i'm not attracted to men but still went with rochester #bc in terms of living quarters thornfield hall > wuthering heights easily

8,027 notes

👨🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻 hartgrindisreal

Not the Russian tsar dying immediately after hartgrind became canon

#i know dickens hasn't technically confirmed it yet but like. SOMETHING was strongly implied ok #see: my previous post #dickensposting

522 notes

👨🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻 hartgrindisreal

LORD HELP ME. THE BODY LANGUAGE. THE WAY THEY'RE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER. AHHHHHH

#this installment!!! im-- #dickensposting #i can't fucking cope #dickens wants to KILL us he wants us DEAD....

2,309 notes

⭐️ newamerican

Hi guys sorry I haven't been posting lately it's been so difficult getting to California 💀 I'm finally here now though just need to find a pickaxe and soon I'll be digging! :-) wish me luck lol

#gold #gold rush #gold rush grind #california #adventure

0 notes

[marsbotz]

my god i need to finish watching the new ninjago season but i cant i CANT. it makes me so fucking ill and even vaguely knowing the current deal with jay is making me ILLLLLLL

[cowboypossume]

it is a a CRIME i have not written more sophitz honestly

[modawg]

i’m gonna be honest i can’t read modern highschool pjo fics bc y’all keep tryina put the seven in certain cliques and it just doesn’t work for me

instead i raise you minimum wage job au like they all work at walmart or chipotle together; or my personal fav their all life guards bc i feel like that shit would just be funny asf

and the camps are the high schools they go to except they aren’t really talked abt much other then a “oh yeah i know hazel bc we go to the same highschool” yada yada

however i feel like theyd be split into who works with who the most based off the camps too like maybe reyna and jason work the most together as manager pairs bc in the books their praetors together if that makes sense but bottom line they all work together

i just feel like that’s the next best thing that would make the most sense in the funniest way

the workplace drama the coworker relations the shenanigans it would be so good

i could see annabeth jason percy and reyna being the managers bc they’ve been there the longest and everyone else are just the workers always scheduled with them

it’s not like the world rests on their shoulders but their the ones holding that shit show together yk

i think it’s better then in a school au bc it doesn’t really add social hierarchy of “this is nico he’s the loser freak w no friends” and just that their all teens who work at this one shitty job and make 10-15$ an hour

the only ppl who take it seriously are annabeth reyna and frank hazel does too sometimes but only when one of those three are watching

everyone else is a little too self aware to give af

jason used to care bc this was his first job but now he’s super chill he knows how to do everything so he doesn’t have to take it too seriously bc he knows in the end if he puts on his customer service voice it’ll all be ok (also he can lock in when he has to)

[danikamariewrites]

can i please request a fic/drabble with cassian x reader who is super duper hella shy, like she hates going out in public and when she does she stands behind cassian and tries to hide herself🥲🤍🧎‍♀️

Cassian x shy!reader hc

A/n: this is so cute omg! I got two requests for this so I combined them into one ☺️

Cassian would think your shy demeanor is so cute and he’d be so protective of you

When you first met you were terrified of him

He’s just so tall and muscular who wouldn’t be terrified of the Lord of Bloodshed

Cassian had come into the bookstore you work at

You like your job, it’s quite and not super busy

You mostly stock and do the orders and office work since you don’t love talking to the customers since you were terrified of being yelled at or your social anxiety crippling you

The day Cassian came in your boss asked if you’d be ok alone for your shift. You said yes bc you were scared to say no but what was the worst that could happen

Cassian’s over eager personality scared the shit out of you. He creeped up on you by accident making you drop the books you were holding

But as soon as you started talking to him there was something about Cassian that made you feel so comfortable

After that day he kept coming back and took you out to lunch as friends a few time

He courted you for months bc he didn’t want to scare you off by coming on too strong but when Cassian loved he loved with his whole heart

“So, y/n, I was wondering if I could take you out on a real date?” Cassian had never seen you so excited

You had nodded enthusiastically, saying yes louder than normally, and pulled him into your version of a bone crushing hug

The rest was history

Cass got pretty good at reading you

When you discovered the mating bond everything made sense

Why you were ok speaking to him immediately, why Cass was the safest person you’d ever been around, and why he was so good at knowing what you need

When you met the IC you were shaking at the thought of meeting the high lord and lady

And the fact that these males were his brothers! What if none of them liked you or thought you were faking being shy for attention (you got that a few times when you were younger)

But they we’re the complete opposite

They we’re all very warm and welcoming, though Amren still scares you, you can’t make eye contact with her

You do like to go out with Cassian and take walks through the city

If he sees someone he knows Cass will stop and talk to them for what feels like hours

You cling to his arm and continuously inch behind him until his wings are blocking you

Whenever you’re nervous Cass wraps a wing around you and holds your hand

He always sends love and reassurance down the bond to help you calm down

You do like going out to eat with him, you just hate ordering

Cassian will always order for you

He has your coffee shop order memorized and all your favorite meals from the restaurants you go to

He always checks that that’s what you want and you give him a small smile and send a thank you down the bond

[toxintouch]

I'm not sure if what I wrote is what this post had in mind but… also I meant to do this as a rb but my toxic trait is writing things in drafts/private posts so I err uhhh look I can't keep fighting with Tumblr formatting ok

Mhin receiving an unusually specific compliment. ᵕ ω ᵕ

“You're so fascinating, Mhin. If you wrote a book, I would definitely read it.  Even if you wrote the book about something really boring.  Even if you wrote…a dictionary, full of words I already know the meanings to.  I'd still read it, just because you wrote it.  Just to feel like I got to walk beside you in the world for a little while."

Mhin looks over at you despite themself. Your voice is low, tone affectionate difficult to parse over the incessant noise permeating the Wet Wick. They find themselves staring at your lips, as if to read your words despite hearing you clearly.

“You're really the most interesting person I know...  Which is saying a lot, in this city!”  You laugh at yourself, bandaged fingers trailing around the rim of the glass placed in front of you at the bar.  Your face is flushed, pupils dilated.  The longer they look at you, brows furrowed as they try to make sense of your words, the less you seem able to look them in the eyes.

The liquid in your glass is clear.  

Tequila?  Vodka?  Gin?  A stomach wrenching combination of all three, possibly.  Who knows what Leander was willing to put in front of you, if it makes you so…

Mhin huffs, mouth wrenching into a frown. They clasp a hand around the glass in front of you. "I think you've had enough." They must have gone (miraculously) nose-blind from the boozy scent of the Wet Wick because even as they slide the heavy tankard closer to themself, the pungent tang of alcohol is no more invasive than it was prior. They expected to be able to taste the fumes coming off of whatever concoction they just took from you.

"I'm--" You start to protest, but you find yourself cut off when Leander says something that causes the crowded bar to go wild, cheers erupting. One of the Bloodhounds jostles Mhin in their mirth, causing your confiscated drink to upend, contents sloshing over the surface of the bar and soaking the sleeve of Mhin's shirt.

It's water.

You were saying those things while sober.

Mhin's eyes find yours, no attention spared for the slurring Bloodhound beside them. You're looking at them affectionately, lips quirked.

"Would you be mad at me if I told you that you're too cute?" You ask, something far too warm, too inviting in your words.

Mhin is halfway across the bar in a heartbeat, burning red ears gone deaf to the sound of Leander's voice, calling out to them that they haven't picked their pay up yet. They'll get it tomorrow, they think, racing towards the respite of the fresh night air. Away from the urge to--

Mhin doesn't let themself turn to look back at you as they leave. Though they can't stop themself from wondering: if they did, would they see you staring back at them?

Damn Mhin just take the compliment. I made Mhin's about their brains instead of their looks etc. bc while I think mentioning wanting to kiss their beauty mark would fluster them I think this is the type of thing that would absolutely infect their brain.  Have them thinking about those words over and over until it completely ruins their nightly Soulless hunting; they give up & just stargaze all night.

[hongluboobs]

ok i was cooking up another hong lu analysis thing bc i noticed SEVERAL things in his base id art the other day and wanted to share with the class but they just dropped a new one in the canto V trailer and i have some stuff i wanna talk about that one:)

My Hong Lu knowledge and interpretation is very heavily influenced by reading Dream of the Red Chamber, which may not be the best because I don’t know how much Limbus will pull from the book because it’s Long as fuck but I think it’s given me a deeper knowledge of Hong Lu.

Keep in mind this ego is NOT out yet so i could be totally off base depending on what the full animation/corrosion/sin affinities are like and this is totally theorizing but I wanted to have a go at anyway!! And this got totally out of hand so reading is appreciated :)

One of the first things I noticed here is this Hong Lu seems VERY Bao-yu. We still don’t know for sure what Hong Lu is within the context of Red Chamber (i don’t think it’ll be straightforward considering how that book works) but it’s important to note!

He has this little hat on (this is the best pic i can get atm to show it’s not a fancy hair tie, unfortunately the footage we have rn is a little scuffed)

and Bao-yu is ALWAYS depicted with a hat like this.

This could just be because that’s the appropriate outfit for Chinese nobility (I unfortunately have little to no reference point here, feel free to correct me, but from some quick searches hats aren’t ubiquitous and ESPECIALLY not ones of this style.) I think it’s worth noting because it comes up in nearly all modern depictions of Bao-yu.

There’s also the pearl Hong Lu is wearing on his neck/chest area, which is where Bao-yu wears the magic jade he was born with. His jade is translated into Limbus as Hong Lu’s jade eye, but this plus his hat and the abno’s themes REALLY makes me think we are dealing with some Bao-Yu stuff here.

Speaking of the Abno’s themes, now i can actually go over them! All we have for Walking Pearl right now is the MD event (as well as general observation), but there’s a few things that are relevant.

Just based off design, the abnormality seems to be mostly about the precious (the pearl) and the filth (the muck) intermixing. which makes sense with the EGO being named “Effervescent Corrosion” and our holders being Hong Lu and Rodya.

There’s some symbolism around greed/wealth (the offspring filled muck desiring the pearl and fighting for which one will earn it? the muck tarnishing the pearl? ) and I think we should read into that because it’s Hong Lu and Rodya who have this one and they’re both very tied to their financial status. Those two sharing an ego makes me insane for a bunch of reasons but that’s probably for another analysis piece! But duality is REALLY important for those guys and that’s a theme they’re emphasizing here with both the pearl and muck within the clam.

There’s also some elements of shelter/protection/potentially entrapment with the clam’s shell which are HUGE for Hong Lu, especially with his egos so I think those may come up.

But mostly it’s about the mixing of the precious (likely “wealth” here) and the unsavory, which works very well with what we know of the Jia family. The design likely referencing Bao-yu and thematically dealing with the Jia family makes me think each of those individual readings are more likely because they’re deeply tied together!

And now onto the MD event! I did not write this in order so I may repeat stuff here but. I realized I had to cover the design first so here we are!

First thing that stuck out of me is this portion when you choose to sample some of the clam’s slime.

Sibling/family infighting is very Jia family. It reminds me a lot of this line base Hong Lu says.

You could take this a step further because the clam is something that would typically offer shelter from the rest of the world, and even though it protects, its offspring continue to kill and eat each other.

It seems fine, the offspring have this lovely shell for protection, and they have the precious pearl held within, but even as they are sheltered and wealthy. They are still getting killed and eaten by one another! Reminds me of someone I know:)

It reminds me of some bits in the later half of Red Chamber, where family members more obviously start acting behind each other’s backs or turning on each other, some even killing other family members.

Another part of the MD event that I got something out of was the beginning portion.

using specifically jade as the color for the seawater is a Hong Lu thing. I may be reaching with this bc it’s more than likely just flavor text BUT when taking this color with the fact that there’s nothing in the water it makes me think of an important scene in Red Chamber where Bao-Yu is described as an empty shell, so I wanted to mention it. We know Hong Lu has TONS of water motifs, especially when relating to his family (see his base ego)

The main reason I brought up this section of the MD event is because of the question brought up by the last portion.

If you take one thing from Dream Of The Red Chamber into your perception of Hong Lu as a character, it should be the themes of ambiguity, duality, and being between binaries. Because he sure as hell does that a lot!!! (and i’m not just talking about his gender) He is both genuinely curious and sheltered with an urge to learn as much as he can, but he also plays dumb frequently, backpedals and asks a lot of stupid questions on purpose to maintain others’ perceptions of him. He is CONSTANTLY walking the line between truth and illusion and it can be hard to tell which is which and precisely how much is fake or real, which is why I find him such an interesting character to think about.

Tangent about Hong Lu's characterization aside, it's really easy to read this line as about his family's perceptions of him.

Hong Lu (or rather, Bao-yu) can be read as being the source of the contamination in that he is the heir of the Jia family who is just an absolute fucking failure of everything you’d want in an heir for that time period.

The clam containing the filth can be read as Hong Lu’s lies (whether conscious lies or otherwise) to himself and others about the true “filth” of his family. Really good example of this is with another bit of window dialogue, but these lies and half truths come up quite a bit if you know where to look. (what happened to cohort of kin looking to stab each other in the back at every turn???)

We already have Hong Lu’s assorted water motifs (his feet make ripples on the water in his base id, land of illusion has so much water theming and shows the Jia mansion is surrounded by water) so I think this is a reasonable analysis to make :)

There’s some other sections to the MD event, but there’s nothing of note that triggered the Hong Lu sleeper agent in my brain & also this has gone on long enough that I wanna talk about predicting some stuff for the ego!

I am manifesting Gluttony/Gloom/Wrath for this ego!!

Gluttony and gloom are in the MD event’s skill check already and I think tie in nicely with the themes. Gluttony works with the offspring in the muck killing and eating each other and themes of greed with the pearl (plus the ego is primarily green and that’s a pretty good clue) and then gloom comes up a LOT with Hong Lu’s family (Liu Hong Lu, the only one that remarks on his jade eye, is also the only Hong Lu with gloom. land of illusion requires 5 gloom resources and also relates a lot to red chamber/his family) Gloom’s also generally a stand-in for water which exists here.

Wrath in Hong Lu generally manifests in him going “yeah, maybe my family was a little fucked up actually” internally, instead of manifesting as taking direct action about the fucked up things like it works for most other sinners, and acknowledging that his family was at least partially filth and killing and eating eachother (metaphorically. maybe literally) works for that

i am not an expert on sin analysis but i wanted to take a prediction bc it’s fun :)

I have a couple of predictions for corrosion and i’ll be real they are the main reason i wrote this thing because i LOVE when bad things happen to Hong Lu!!

Since this ego seems to be referencing Bao-yu so much i can pull stuff from Red Chamber too which makes it more fun :)

First one I came up with is Hong Lu taking the place of the pearl within the clam and getting locked in there! A bunch of his egos have to do with being controlled/trapped so i think it works and it also can work as a parallel for Bao-yu’s treatment by his family. Bao-yu’s name means precious jade, and he’s often treated more like his namesake than a person, heavily controlled and never allowed to leave the Jia mansion (or, in this case, the clam.) I just think it’d be fun!

My other concept has to do with more Red Chamber stuff, notably what happens when Bao-yu loses his jade. I’m not quite there yet in the text, but from what i’ve heard he becomes incredibly unstable and essentially loses his mind. This sets the Jia family’s downfall into even faster motion and from that point things get REALLY fucked up. Since the pearl here parallels Bao-yu’s jade, I think having a reference to that part of the book would be really fucking crazy for all 5 people who have read 1800+ pages of red chanber to get to chapter 94 where he loses that thing. Also i just want to see Hong Lu lose his mind i KNOW it would be terrifying and chilling. but they may be saving that for his distortion (manifesting)

In my skimming Red Chamber table of contents to find when Bao-yu loses his jade i just found a chapter where Bao-yu’s father admires a pearl but we will just ignore that for now bc this has taken long enough to type already and that is several chapters off. but there may be more analysis when this thing actually comes out!

Thank you for reading this far!! I hope you enjoyed me looking far too deep into an unreleased ego we know next to nothing about for fun! this took WAY longer than expected to type out but i’m glad I did because I loveee telling people about Hong Lu!

There is a very real chance very little of my analysis and prediction is reflected in canon BUT please remember that truth becomes fiction when the fiction’s true and even if this doesn’t turn out to be correct now u know a little more about Hong Lu and the themes he plays with :)

[getfuckedblr]

idk guys but i was like possessed with the need to redo my typeset for dripping fingers. so i did! bc i couldn’t think about anything else until it was done! so here plz enjoy:

so yeah i was really feeling the kinda gothic thing and i think i used the same font that is really associated with manacled (morpheus) but like it’s a hot font!! anyway i legit downloaded an entire alphabet of images to get the drop caps and then had to manually edit the wrap boundary on ALL of them and then here she is!

i was really torn on whether or not to gild these bc like oooh shiny but also i think the black really fit the gothic thing i had going on. and this typeset is set to 10.5, whereas the last one i made was size 8, which was like ok i can read it but the pages look so much better with the 10.5, you know? so it expanded the book size by about 200 pages, so it looks less like tom riddles diary from chunkiness but i mean ce la vie?

but yeah! idk i was really proud of my original typeset and casing, but there were many mistakes made in the process for that one, and this version feels much more mature, if that makes sense? idk but i hope u like it! and as always, it’s up in my typeset drive:)

[redr0sewrites]

HSR Characters When Your On Your Period Hcs PT 2!

RAHH PT 2 WITH MORE CHARACTERS SINCE YALL LOVED PT 1 SM

🥀Cw: blood, periods, afab reader, mentions of period sex and smut, non-sexual nudity in himekos, mentions of cramps and headaches

🥀Pairings: jing yuan x reader, welt x reader, himeko x reader, gepard x reader

🥀minors dni with the nsfw portion

JING YUAN

the minute that jing yuan senses any form of discomfort from u, complete and utter chaos ensues

once he realizes ur on ur period, he immediately takes the day off work to pamper u senseless (much to the irritation of fu xuan)

jing yuan will carry u wherever u need to go, pressing kisses to the top of ur head and whispering softly to u

hes very mindful of ur emotions when ur on ur period, and is great at communicating how he feels and asks u to do the same so that he knows when its ok to poke fun at u and when u want him to just take care of u

he'll switch between joking around with u and trying to make u laugh and taking care of u depending on what u need from him at the moment

JING YUANS HANDS ARE DEF HUGE AND HE GIVES THE BEST MASSAGES LIKE SIR-

if ur feeling tension or pain in ur stomach or back bc of cramps expect him to give u the best massage of ur life

he can and will cook for u <3

he will let u lay with mimi, and loves silently watching the two of u just relax together big cat go brrr

jing yuan will rest with u if ur havinv a headache, turning off the lights and running his hand over ur back as u take a nap

if u need ANYTHING during ur period, say no more bc jing yuan will get it for u

hes has no problem with going to a store and buying pads, tampons, medicine, or anything else u need

when it comes to period sex, jing yuan is always dtf

he def has a size kink, hes fucking huge after all and when ur on ur period and ur so sensitive hes going feral

i feel like he would enjoy mating press in general, but when ur on ur period he especially enjoys it bc he can see how blissed out ur face is and he loves seeing ur blood and slick in a messy ring around his cock as he brings u to ur orgasm again and again

HE LOVES HOW SENSITIVE U ARE AND ABSOLUTELY WILL TEASE U AB IT, IF U GUYS HAVE TO GO TO SOMETHING FORMAL YALL KNOW HES GONNA BE TEASING U MERCILESSLY

thinking ab jing yuans large hand gripping ur thigh, trailing higher and higher to press where u want him, so close but yet so far as he whispers the filthiest things in ur ear. eventually, his hands reach ur pulsing core, pressing down against ur clit through your undergarments and watching u squirm as he circles the sensitive bud, ur pussy is so wet from blood and arousal and he just cant help but want u...

WELT

welt is totally the type to help u track ur period, he is always super prepared for when u start ur cycle and always has products ready

he is a smart guy, he knows a lot ab periods and how to deal w them and is super reliable when it comes to comfort

he also cooks for u, and would bring u breakfast in bed!!! i also feel like he'd be the type to read to u, say for example ur exhausted with all of ur cramps and wacky hormones, he'll lay in bed with u and read ur favorite book to u while the both of u eat the food he made for u

welt probably already has a stash of period supplies for u, but if u ever run out he would prob just go to himeko to get more supplies for u

welt prob has headaches of his own with all the stress he goes through on a regular basis since hes a trailblazer, and would be super comfortable to just lay with

if ur hormones r being wacky and ur upset or anxious ab something, he is a really great person to vent too cuz hes an outstanding listener and always adds good input

if ur having cramps, he already has a heating pad or ice pack ready for u

welt is the type to make u both a pillow fort to watch movies in and read in while ur struggling with ur period, so that neither of u can be distracted

if u ever get blood on the sheets/on ur clothes while sleeping, welt is never grossed out or disgusted. he understands its a regular bodily function, and will give u a reassuring hug before going to wash the sheets /clothes for u

welt is always very careful during sex, and that also comes in during period sex

he wouldnt ever want to seriously hurt u, and would be very careful during period sex

hes constantly asking if ur ok and if ur comfortable

i think welt would really be into missionary cuz its a pretty intimate position for him and he gets to see ur face and know how hes making u feel

EYE CONTACT!!!! HE IS ALWAYS MAKING EYE CONTACT

will not hesitate to go down on u and eat u out while ur on ur period, he will lay a towel beneath u two for cleanliness and then proceed to eat u out like a starved man, working his tongue and licking ur clit until ur seeing stars

pull his hair hard, it will catch him off guard and make him groan against ur pussy

hes really good at aftercare as well, brewing u some tea and running a bath and he'll give u a massage as well

welt would probably be the first to suggest period sex, esp if u had cramps bc orgasms can help w cramps

overall, supee caring and loving

HIMEKO

listen, she's prepared too

himeko has a lot of period products cuz she also has a period (duh) and likes to be prepared and is always willing to share w u

if the two of u are synced up, she will totally be fine with just being lazy all day and laying with u in bed

she enjoys admiring u and the both of u will have relaxing days doing ultimately nothing

himeko would brew coffee for u if ur tired, and would nap with u if u genuinely wanted to sleep

she would give u massages and would prob want one in return, she would def want ur shirt off tho so she can admire ur body while she massages u

she'll press kisses to wear ur having cramps while gently and soothingly running her hands up ur thighs

if ur hormonal, himeko is good to talk too bc the both of u can vent ur stress together and lean on eachother

if ur sad or crying himeko will kiss away ur tears, whispering to u softly and telling u stories ab the worlds shes visited to calm u down

now if someone MADE U CRY.... theyre getting their ass beat

if ur having cravings, she will go to any world u want to get the food u want i feel like she would be the type to have super bad cravings so she always has a stash of comfort foods locked away for the both of u to eat

cant cook for shit tho 💀 she can only brew coffee

yall will bathe together u dont have a choice- she will wash u and u can wash her, she'll sigh and hum softly as u run ur hands through her red curls-

when it comes to sex in general, himeko is either pretty rough or pretty vanilla there is no between

i feel like she'd lean on the vanilla side of things when ur on ur period, esp if shes on her period as well

she has a mommy kink, and loves to "take care of u" during period sex since the both of u are practically insatiable do to hormones

LOVES TO EAT U OUT UNTIL UR OVERSTIMULATED AND WHINING FOR HER TO STOP

I ALSO FEEL LIKE SHE WOULD BE A HORRIBLE TEASE AS WELL, TYING U UP AND ONLY PRESSING A VIBRATOR AGAINST UR WET CUNT AND TELLING U TO COME ONLY FROM THAT STIMULATION BEFORE SHE EVEN ACTUALLY TOUCHES U

she has a lot of toys, and will use them on u since ur so sensitive

a sadistic part of himeko enjoys seeing u cry from pleasure and overstimulation during sex, she definitely wants to ruin u

"aw, ur getting so worked up sweetie" she coos softly, running her fingers against ur wet slick. she pulls back, revealing her hands covered in ur blood. she proceeds to lick them dry, moaning from ur taste as the delectable and filthy act makes u whimper below her...

yo i went off for a second there anyways-

GEPARD

tbh ur prob one of the first people hes ever been with, i feel like he wouldnt have a lot of experience in dating but would try his best, he knows ab periods from his sisters but isnt super knowledgeable on them

when u first tell gepard ab ur period, he would probably instantly hug u

he would ask serval ab anything he didn't understand, and she would tease him mercilessly ab being a simp for u💀

gepard is often super busy with his silvermane guard duties but will take time off to care for u

if ur having cramps or need any supplies, he will go and buy anything and everything that u need to feel better

hed prob buy like 20 boxes of pads/tampons cuz he didnt know how much u neeeded, hes confused but hes got the spirit <3

HE CAN COOK I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL malewife behavior AND WILL COOK FOR U

MAKES U ANYTHING U WANT

if ur the type to workout and go to the gym when ur on ur period to help with cramps, he will accompany u!!!

gepard just wants to make sure that ur comfortable and happy

i feel like hes anothe person whos big on giving massages, he'd blush a little and fumble at first cuz he'd be afraid of hurting u but would be really good at it over time

gepard would play u music if u were tired and needed a nap, or would hum for u softly its so adorable

he understands that u dont say everything u mean when ur on ur period and that ur hormones can make u upset some times so if u guys ever argue he never takes it personally

if hes confused ab something he probably wont say it unless u ask him ab it, he doesnt want to seem stupid or incompetent in ur eyes

hes trying his best!!!!

if gepard heard that orgasms can help with cramps, he would def offer to help u

to yk, ease the cramps. no other reason. totally not cuz seeing u sensitive and needy turns him on...

gepard is SUCH a pleasure dom, he always puts ur needs before his esp during period sex and will make u climax from his fingers a few times before even thinking ab fucking u

would be hesitant to eat u out, but i feel like he'd really like it if u rode his face

gepard would also like u riding him in general, and he is another sucker for eye contact- seeing ur eyes roll back in pleasure from sensitivity only makes him harder, he will start thrusting into u faster, so eager to please u<3

he really enjoys aftercare as well, he'll press soft kisses all over ur body as he wipes u off with a towel and preps a nice bath for u both to enjoy <3

URGEHHRHEHEH THIS WAS SM FUN TO WRITE! i still feel like shit lmao. im considering writing a pt 3 to this if anyone has anymore hsr characters they'd like to req! hope u enjoyed!!

[formereldestdaughter]

ok wait i need to hear more of your thoughts on peeta owning a bakery....

This is one of those rare times where I’m pretty sure this anon isn’t someone I know personally bc I’ve subjected anyone who will listen to my rant about the Peeta Bakery Headcanon. Anyway, you’re gonna regret asking this anon bc there are fucking Layers here.

I know this is probably a controversial take based on the number of fics where I’ve seen it, but I simply do not think that Peeta would open a commercial bakery after Mockingjay!! Like on a metatextual level, I don’t think it really fits with the point of the ending of the series. It actually sort of fascinates me that it’s just such a common headcanon because the ending of Mockingjay is exceedingly vague. I think that vagueness invites us, as readers, to imagine a better world post-revolution. A world where Katniss would feel confident that her children would be safe from injustice, where she’d feel confident that her children would never know want the way she did as a child. A just world. A kinder world. Can a capitalist society ever be just? Is a capitalist society where a disabled teenager has no other means to subsist himself (or feels like there’s no other way he can be a contributing member of his community) really the post-revolution world we dream of? Is that really the best we can imagine?

(This got so insanely long I’m adding a read more lmao)

I get that showing a better world is not always the point of post-mockingjay headcanons/fics. Like there are plenty of really great post-mockingjay fics I’ve seen where, yeah, part of the fic is that society like ISN’T all that different or all that much better. I’ve seen that really well done! Hell, I’ve written them myself! It’s easy to imagine how a lot of aspects of society would not get an overhaul, a lot of the same structural inequalities would continue to exist. One headcanon that really stuck with me (I can’t remember which fic it was from) was that Peeta sells basically mail order baked goods to people on the Capitol, sending them iced cakes and pastries by train, because there are still people who were “fans” of theirs during the Games. And idk this doesn’t actually have much to do with my point lol but I liked it because it’s kind of fucked up and like! Yeah! It makes sense! If he needed money that would be a good way to make it! War often makes people rich, often for horrible reasons, and often it’s people who already have capital in the first place.

Anyway, more about the hypothetical bakery because alright. I bring up the fact that “yeah society not being all that different post-revolution and still being an unjust capitalist hellscape” could be a reason why Peeta re-opens a bakery because that’s actually never the types of fics where I see the bakery headcanon. Fics where Peeta opens a bakery are usually trying to make the exact opposite point. Like. Things are getting better, now he can open a bakery! Look at how much better the world is now, plus he’s got a bakery! Peeta is healing, that’s why he can open a bakery now! And I am so, so sorry to inform everyone who’s never had the grave misfortune of owning a family business, but there is truly nothing further from the truth lmao. Like just putting aside the immense amount of emotional baggage that Peeta has about his family, running a small business is an insane amount of work in any context and being a baker especially is physically grueling and involves early hours (and long hours) that aren’t really the best fit with the multiple ways that Peeta is disabled now. (I could go into this more because I have a lot of thoughts. But I will spare you.). I also think it’s seen throughout the books that Peeta is someone who needs time to pursue creative outlets to process his feelings and someone who values leisure and values quality time with his loved ones. And having grown up in his family’s bakery, I think he’d understand the reality that running a bakery wouldn’t leave much space of those pursuits and wouldn’t leave much space for him to have the things that keep him healthy and stable. I think he’d know that the way he is now— after two Games and the war and unspeakable torture at the hands of a dictator—isn’t compatible with the lifestyle necessary for running a commercial bakery.

And tbh with that in mind, I don’t think he’d push himself to re-open a business (one that would be a constant reminder of his dead family and his complicated relationships with them that got no closure) that would require him to sacrifice his physical and emotional well-being. Like I think he might look into the possibility, I think he might even start trying to open a bakery out of a sense of obligation/duty, maybe harboring some idea that this is who he was supposed to be, who he would've been without the Games, or that it’s this last piece of his family that can live on, or that it’s this last connection to his family so he can’t let it die too. But ultimately, I think any attempt to open a bakery wouldn’t get very far. Maybe he'd start wading into the logistical nightmare that is small business ownership and realize it's not for him (because it's probably also true that as much as him and his brothers were involved in the business, there's almost certainly parts they weren't involved with and didn't see, i.e., filing taxes). Or maybe looking into opening a bakery— how triggering it is, the stress of it— causes a downward spiral. Maybe he hates how much he's worrying everyone by unraveling. Maybe having a breakdown from the stress of just trying to open a bakery makes him realize, yeah, maybe in another life he would have ran his family’s bakery but the way he is now just doesn’t work with running a bakery, not without great sacrifices he's not willing to make. I just can’t see a bakery coming to fruition.

I know a lot of fics include Peeta deciding to reopen a bakery as a big step in his healing or include him rebuilding a bakery as part of his healing process but honestly, I think the opposite would be more true: I think Peeta either trying/failing to open a bakery or ultimately deciding not to open a bakery would be hugely healing for him. I think it would be a huge part of him accepting the way he is now as a person, his new limitations but also his strengths. I think it would be a huge part of him accepting the way his life his now and accepting that he likes his life the way it is, that he’s satisfied with his life without needing to own a bakery. I think it would be an important part of him coming to terms with the loss of his family. I think he knows he can never have things back as they were and I don’t think he would try to recreate them, especially because his family’s legacy isn’t a business. I think he’s emotionally intelligent enough and self reflective enough to realize that what mattered to him about the bakery— taking care of others by feeding them, being integrated into his community and being actively involved in it, brightening people’s days with delightful things whether that’s beautiful cakes or hearty food or delicious treats— and the things he learned from his family through the bakery, are things that he can carry on in other meaningful ways.

(Do you regret sending this ask yet, anon? Because if not, you will soon. I’m not done yet. There’s more.)

I wasn’t really sure where to put this next part in what is rapidly becoming an essay because it sort of combines the points about like “what do we imagine a post-mockingjay society to look like” with the practical difficulties of starting this bakery but here’s another thing: do people really think that the Mellarks owned the land the bakery was on?? Like, sure, the merchants are the petit bourgeois of Twelve but I still don’t imagine they really own anything. In a society where houses are assigned to people upon marriage, where property ownership and capital are so closely interconnected with citizenship (as shown by the Plinths who, by having immense capital, are able to leave their District and become citizens of the Capitol) do people really think the Mellarks would be allowed to own the land their bakery is on?? I always imagined it sort of like a tenant farming situation: the Capitol gives them the raw materials for the bakery and in return the bakery give them some absurdly high portion of their profits, or the Capitol sells them a year’s supply of raw materials at a premium on credit and at the end of the year the Mellarks have to use the money they made with those materials to pay it back, except it’s never enough to turn a profit so they always have to buy next year’s materials on credit and the cycle continues.

We (understandably) get a really skewed view of the merchant class through Katniss’s perspective so I can see why people come to the conclusion that his family owned the property and, as the last surviving member, he would’ve inherited it. I’ve seen the inheritance thing in fics a lot or a hand wavey “well Twelve was decimated to no one owns anything anymore so it can be his” or even like an almost sort of reparations type situation where he’s entitled to the land as a surviving refugee of Twelve. But I don’t know. I guess I don’t think it fits with everything else we know about Panem that the Mellarks would’ve owned that land and I think the question of whether the government would’ve let him take ownership of the land post-revolution brings up a lot of issues about the structure of society post-Mockingjay that I find more interesting to explore in other ways, especially when, from an emotional perspective, 1) I find the idea of Peeta not opening a bakery more compelling and 2) I don’t think it really fits his character arc by the end of Mockingjay to reopen a bakery, as I went on about at length above lol.

On the flip side: literally who cares!! Do whatever you want!! Headcanon whatever you want!! I get why people go for the bakery!! It’s fun, it’s wholesome, it’s a built in bakery AU that isn’t even an AU. It doesn’t matter if it’s practical or realistic!! It doesn’t need to be practical or realistic!! It’s fanfic of a dystopian YA series!! My unfortunate affliction is that I grew up in a family that owned a restaurant and that I have multiple degrees in the social sciences so I can’t see the bakery without being like “What about the overheard? What about the start up costs? Who’s spending long nights balancing the books? Is Peeta covering shifts when an employee calls in sick? Is Peeta the sole person working there until the bakery is open long enough (often a year or more) to start turning a profit? How does that sleep schedule work with his nightmares? How does that work with Katniss’s nightmares? What happens when he has an episode and suddenly needs to take the day off before he has any employees? Does the bakery just remain closed for the day? Can the profit margins withstand regular unexpected closures? Can the supplies withstand regular unexpected closures?” And if the answer is “Elliott none of those things matter he’s not doing the bakery because he needs the money but because he wants to”, then my question is why does he want to? Does he not get the same sort of satisfaction out of feeding his loved ones? Doesn’t Peeta seem like someone who would rather give away baked goods than sell them?? Doesn’t Peeta seem like someone who would prefer to make cakes for people’s special occasions upon and then when they insist on paying him for it, he only lets them “pay for the ingredients” which actually cost significantly more than he says they did??

So yeah my point is that it’s a matter of personal taste! It doesn’t fit the way I see the series but that doesn’t mean it’s like wrong, I’m not an authority on Peeta lmao.

It’s also a matter of personal taste in the sense that I find the themes that most resonate with me at the end of Mockingjay (and the end of Peeta’s arc specifically) more interesting to explore in other ways. Grief, living with loss, relearning yourself, finding hope, figuring out your place in a dramatically different world when you don’t even know who you are anymore, healing, building a new life after such complete and total destruction of your old life— those are all things I find compelling about the end of Mockingjay but for me the bakery isn’t the most compelling way to explore them.

Not to say I find the concept of the bakery totally uninteresting. I have this fic about Johanna that I’ll probably never finish where the point sort of is that, yeah, her life really isn’t all that much better after the war. It’s been years at this point and she’s still miserable and she doesn’t know how to be a person but by the end she’s trying to figure it out. And towards the end, Peeta tells her that he’s spent years sort of passively, half-heartedly trying to figure out how to inherit the land his family’s bakery was on, only to find out it was never theirs in the first place. They’d been renting it the whole time and he’d never even known as a kid. So he sort of passively, half-heartedly went on another wild goose chase to find the owner and now, finally, after years of writing to various government agencies and being sent in circles and things being barely functional, he’s managed to track down the owner. Now it’s owned by the daughter of the man who owned it when he was a kid because the original owner (who was likely up to some sketchy war crime shit) died during the war and she inherited it (the irony…). He got in contact with her and asked how much it would take for her to sell it and she told him she’s not interested in selling but in light of the situation, in light of the fact that he’d have to build a new building in order to operate a bakery, that she’d cut him a deal— she’d only require 50% of the bakery’s profits as rent instead of the 80% his family used to pay. And of course Johanna is outraged, that’s not right, the owner shouldn’t be allowed to do that, they should do something about it, they should fight back. And Peeta is like. Not interested. He was actually sort of relieved that opening wasn’t very feasible. Getting the answer was a lightbulb moment where he saw that over the years of trying to look into this, he’s built a life that he likes— one where he’s stable, where his loved ones are stable, where he’s cared for and can care for others— and he doesn’t really want to change it drastically by opening a bakery anyway. He just needed an answer, one way or another, before he could get some closure and move on. (And the point of the conversation is Johanna is having her own lightbulb moment that it’s okay to move on, it’s okay to change, it’s not a betrayal of the people and things she’s lost but that’s not my point here!!).

But anyway. That’s obviously not about running the bakery— it’s about the choice to not run one.

Anyway!! Anyway… are you satisfied anon? Is this what you wanted?

Lastly, here is my most important qualm with the bakery headcanon: must Peeta be gainfully employed? Is it not enough for him to be Katniss’s boytoy? Can’t he just paint and garden and bake and hang out with his girlfriend all day? Is that really too much to ask?

[heyo-77]

okay so. we know bill destroyed his home dimension, and we know he just wanted to show them the stars. the question is: how did it happen?

popular theory is that he titled the flat world to get them to see the stars - but that doesnt quite make sense. no matter how you move their world, they still cant see "up". if their world is 2D, how would tilting it affect what they see? how would it affect them at all? you cant hold a piece of paper the "wrong" way, so tilting the world alone couldnt have killed them. bc gravity cant exist in a 2D world.. right? like, even if bill turned his dimension literally upside down: it wouldnt affect them. i mean ok maybe they would get jostled around bc momentum? but they wouldnt fall out or anything bc gravity is not a concept. so tilting the world wouldnt let them see the stars

unless.... ok so their world is 2D but we know a third dimension does exist in their dimension. so maybe gravity could exist ?? but if its a flat world then what would be the center of gravity?

and what if he picked up each shape and lifted them out of the flat world? but he would have to pick up each individual shape, like one or two at a time i think. i mean i guess thats plausible... i saw this video explaining exactly how tilting them would kill them (would link it but i cant find it rip): their skin is just an outline holding their insides in, so if they were tilted, their organs would just fall out. makes sense; except if that were the case, wouldnt bill see that? assuming he himself went into the 3rd dimension, up into the stars, before trying to make everyone else see it; he would be looking down on them from above: he would see their organs. couldnt he see that tilting them would kill them? did he not think of that? did he not care?

also, a theory that i agree with is that euclydeans typically dont have any eyes (here's the first video explaining it); if thats the case, how was bill hoping they would be able to see the stars at all?? was he thinking it through? idk the book of bill says he developed "a plan" so i think he mustve thought about it at least a little bit...

idk man this is confusing me maybe i should read flatland lol

comment any other theories/explanations !!

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hii!

So I'm reading the books for the first time (so far I love it, but I'm also just about a third of the way through the first one) and I have some thoughts about Claudia.

First of all, the thing about Louis loving her and calling her a seductress and such is weirding me out every single time it comes up (but I do understand that there are many much weirder things coming (right, Lestat?))

Ok, but what I mostly wanted to say is that, while in the series she wasn't necessarily my favourite, I generally liked her and understood why she acted the way she did. But her book version, I just really don't like. Maybe because I'm biased towards liking Lestat, maybe because compared to the show, he hasn't done nearly as terrible things and so she and the way she acts towards him seems worse in comparison? Idk how to explain it, she just seems unnecessarily antagonistic and just deciding to kill him because he doesn't want to answer questions.

Maybe I just need to keep on reading, but rn I just wanna ask if me strongly disliking her is alright (at this point in the story) or if I am fully misunderstanding something?

Thank you in advance!!

No, you’re not misunderstanding something, imho.

The thing in the books is that Lestat actually truly didn’t deserve the attempt on his life. Oh, he never blamed Claudia for it, but that is because he understood what kind of hell he condemned her to by turning her. (As a note: in the show this will be pulled into question still as well I bet, we already have Louis calling the reasoning “debatable“ in season 2, and only trusting Lestat after all, and Lestat’s POV is only coming up now after all).

And this otherness you feel from Claudia? Definitely there. Because Claudia in the book was turned so young she never really learned to be human. She was more vampire than either of them, and behaved like that, too. She was a predator, locked in a little girl‘s body - wanting to be free, and it sharpened and changed her mind and wits beyond Louis‘ or Lestat‘s.

That is also where the book canon relationship between Louis and her stems from - it’s… other. Beyond the mortal frame of relationship.

In Merrick, a later book, Claudia’s diary then reveals that she used Louis to kill Lestat because she found him more malleable. It was a big reveal back then, and while it’s not yet relevant for you reading IWTV it will likely come (back) into play in season 3, bc the few shots we got of her diaries already refer to her thoughts going to that manipulation. We‘ll see.

Personally I think the show has done very well to make Claudia’s plight much more relatable. She does not feel like book Claudia, and very intentionally not so. I am also glad they skipped that book relationship between her and Louis.

I hope this makes sense to you and I hope you enjoy reading the book! As said, I think the show improved it, a lot :))) but it’s still very much a classic on its own.