#bc most of my books are used! and lord i know a lot of that means theyre older than me

[britneyshakespeare]

me when ive ordered myself a lil smth in the mail and i have smth to look forward to

[deathbealady]

has anyone talked about how gullible Feyre is, and the implications of it for the entirety of the ACOTAR series? Feyre is basically the sole lens through which we see the world for the first 3.5 books, and although a lot of things we kind of have to just take at face value (explanations given to her about how the fae courts work, etc), she also misinterprets a lot of stuff bc she’s young/naive/uneducated/lacks perspective. it’s understandable to a degree, but I feel like Feyre lacks serious critical thinking skills to the point that it’s alarming. (I’ve mentioned before Feyre is not my favorite character, and this is one of the reasons why)

like, I’m just thinking about how in ACOMAF, Rhysand has her writing lines to practice reading and writing. okay sure, fair enough

but Feyre writes “Rhysand is the most powerful high lord” one time too many and she’s suddenly like “Rhysand IS the most powerful high lord!”, which is bizarre. Rhysand is a powerful daemati, yes, that’s been demonstrated to us. we know that as a high lord, his power would presumably be comparable to that of the others. but for him to be the most powerful high lord? I don’t recall that any of that is really shown to us, it’s just Feyre/SJM telling us repeatedly until we believe it (which parallels how Feyre presumably wrote those lines so much she began to believe them herself)

Basically she starts hanging around Rhysand, and she manages to get brainwashed so quickly and thoroughly that it’s kind of wild. think of how quickly she takes to the Inner Circle and she immediately decides they are *her* family (and kinda forsaking her own actual sisters in the process if ACOSF is any indication) because Rhysand calls them his family. like honestly? if Nesta decided she didn’t trust Rhysand based purely off of how differently her sister started acting when she was hanging around the Night Court, I don’t fuckin’ blame her!

[mtkay13]

Lord Zhou and the Ghost Valley Master Cross-posting because i'm just that wild, hah! /jk More about the art below! --and a little talk about WenZhou and their relationship to power (+ some meta).

So hum, it is no secret that I enjoy a bit of "spice" in WenZhou's dynamic and at times am very prolific on my nsfw twitter account.

Collars and leash stuff have been on and off, and I was recently enabled for more of that by friends going wild about ZZS on a leash, etc, etc. LBR: I don't think you need any reason to go feral about that kind of stuff--but seeing how I myself seemed to regress to the state of a wild horny beast while making this painting, I felt like I may need to adress it a little. Here are some of my thoughts about WenZhou & power:

WKX and ZZS are both men who are/were in a position of extreme power. Both rose to that position of extreme power, but from very different starting points and motivations.

ZZS was, from what we know from how he describes himself in TYK and from how he behaves in QY, a very smart, cocky, ambitious kid, who probably deliberately sold his services to HLY to keep rising. There were probably ideals mixed in that, but point is, ZZS desired that power, that influence, and was encouraged to reach it. Becoming a sect leader so young was probably a shock, but nothing indicates that this position wasn't wanted. ZZS also mentioned not having a physique as advantageous as ZCL's when he was a child; so he probably had to work hard to reach his goals. Point is: the power was desired and strived for.

WKX has, without a doubt, needed the power, without ever really showing any pleasure nor satisfaction in having it. Surviving in the GV =/= reaching the top; if anything, becoming the GVM put the largest target on his head--but it is likely that reaching the position of GVM was necessary for him to execute his plan (find the key, pull the right strings, obtain his revenge). WKX was a little genius who didn't want to study, and probably wasn't dreaming/aiming for power. Conclusion: the power was a necessity and a tool. Many various characterisation points/analysis/dynamics can be pulled from this, and it is quite interesting to explore how, later, their relationship to power can evolve, both re:the rest of the world and each other. For the following personal analysis, I also worked with the following points from the book:

ZZS admires WKX's strength and power

WKX seems to have multiple fantasies of control and domination

ZZS seems receptive to many of them (including the biting, the somno stuff, and the cnc suggestions)

WKX admires/envies/resents ZZS' freedom

ZZS has fun becoming a subversion of his past self (swearing, being gross, being ridiculous, being openly cocky)

WKX is a control-freak and is very patient

ZZS is a bit conservative

WKX quite the opposite

Now how does that bring me to ZZS on a leash for the GVM?

(note that this is my current conclusion, not the conclusion)

I like to think that on the one hand, ZZS is that man who sees himself as a man and enjoys a lot of things about masculinity. The power that he likes for himself, he also enjoys seeing it in someone else's hands--he likes fighting for it, but (and this is a very personal interpretation) I like to believe he gets the most thrills from being overpowered; because it shows how strong the other is, bc it subverts whom he is himself. The power he's fought to get, has had all his life, but ended up leaving him alone at the top, feels good when taken from him--or when there's someone strong enough that he isn't alone up there anymore. On the other hand, I feel like although WKX would benefit from relinquishing some control and power, he does enjoy using it in a personal, pleasurable way, rather than by necessity. While he probably likes toying with presentations, with appearances, and doesn't mind being perceived as the wife, as the more submissive one in their fake-traditional relationship play of husband and wife, having the power, holding the leash---simply out of pleasure and mutual satisfaction is, I think very cathartic and arousing for him.

But then, why precanon? For the aesthetic bc I'm a simp for TC!era ZZS. And because showing him so strong, so powerful, yet leashed, is kind of a reminder that... It's not about real power. It's not about who, between them, is the strongest, the most powerful, the winner or whatever. It adds that thrill, the aknowledgement that this is out of freewill and choice and pleasure, I guess.

On top of that, man, I'm sorry, but peak TC!ZZS right post-QY canon after he's become the most powerful man in the country but is completely jaded by what happened in the end? On a leash? For a man he respects?? ugh

Anyway TLDR; I think it's hot and all of that gibberish barely has anything to do with my actual motivations to draw this.

[laurellerual]

Gendry and Arya really fit for me for many reasons but also bc I can't really imagine her with another noble. Like, you see A LOT shipping with Arya and i swear most are nobles

Yes, there are many Arya ships, but I think the “big 3” of the fandom are essentially with Gendry, Jon Snow and Edric Dayne. This is not surprising because they are among the few young people who have meaningful interactions with her. But of this three only Lord Dayne is 100% regular noble highborn. I believe the preference depends a lot on what the reader is looking for when they thinks of a love story.

If you're the type of person who likes to read about a completely non-problematic relationship Edric x Arya is pretty much perfect. They are very close in age, seem to have compatible worldviews, and same social class so there is virtually no obstacle that can keep them apart. I can see it, but personally I think it's a somewhat boring dynamic to read in a story.

Instead Jon x Arya is more interesting as narrative material because it offers many dramatic ideas. It has all the charm of forbidden love, the tension between two souls with a deep and exclusive bond, “us against the world”. But there is the element of incest that may make some readers uncomfortable (even if these are fictional characters in an adult series with no moralizing intent). What doesn't make it my favorite is more the unequal power dynamic (that seems inevitable to me) between an older sibling and the younger sibling who adores them and sees them as an example.

And then there's Gendry x Arya, which I'm pretty sure is the most popular Arya ship. It's one of the ships with the most foreshadowing in the ASOIAF books, the only canon regarding the TV show and the one with the most fanfiction on AO3. I believe the reason for this popularity is that it is a great middle ground between the two we have seen previously. It still have the spiciness of forbidden love because of the class difference. But it's a more acceptable type of "forbidden" for many readers. It's one of the great clichés of the romance genre.

The class difference also brings in its problematic aspects, but in this ship the power dynamics appear balanced enough for me. For example: Gendry is a lowborn uneducated bastard, with no knowledge of fighting but he's also a boy in a misogynistic society, he's physically stronger and knows a useful and profitable trade. Sure Arya is an educated highborn with a rich family, and with some knowledge of self defence, but she is also a girl, tiny, an orphan alone in an environment she doesn't know. There are many ideas for writing an interesting conflict, but fewer taboos.

These are mostly my opinions on why some couples are more popular than others, but feel free to disagree and/or add your own.

[acourtofthought]

People (e/riels) like to say that az and elain are so perfect together and they understand each other so well and better than anyone else, but no matter how close one looks at what has been written there is literally no evidence for this? Yes, Elain got him that powder for his headaches bc she saw him rubbing his temples, but that's literally Elain with everyone? She has always been observant and notice these things, like she got a mug thingy for Cassian that would keep his drink warm om flights, she got paints for Feyre - all of it just shows how Elain pays attention. And the secind gift she got him is more a joke towards Nessian and has nothing really to do with Az as a person? Azriel in turn knows she likes to garden, and bake perhaps, which, everyone literally knows about her. She's beautiful and kind, again, something everyone knows.

Truth is Elain knows nothing about the true Azriel, something HE even admits in his chapter, that she has no idea about the horrible things he's done. Not even Rhys and Cassian knows everything about him. Everyone are quick to shout that "Yes she does!!! Elain knows he fights and that he is a spy for the court!" and that is true, but it's very different from everything else he does. If Elain had been with them at the High Lord meeting, when he attacked Eris, I seriously doubt she would've liked that or if she had joined them in the dungeons and seen what he had done to those soldiers. Because Elain does not like violence and Azriel has never shown THAT side of him when Elain is around. His shadows even 'tend to vanish around her' and I've never read it as if his shadows don't like her, but more so Azriel thinks that part of him is too dark for her, and the shadows pick up on his emotions which makes them vanish, if that makes sense? And see violence and hearing/knowing what he does is very different. Elain "I think the world needs more gardens" Archeron is not going to see Azriel attack and almost kill Eris over a comment and think it is a good thing, even if there is undoubtingly far more to her that we haven't seen yet. But there is literally nothing between them that makes you think 'oh, they're actually pretty similar/equal' but someone she shares a lot of traits with... HER MATE.

At this point, if E/riel is endgame - that is a fanservice. Even though I'm pretty sure SJM don't care and she'll wrote whatever she wants. But since they like to throw that term around... I really need some news about this godsdamned book soon or I might lose my mind (actually I probably already have)

Sorry for this ranting ask, but the more time passes I feel like I've missed something that truly sets up Az and Elain??

"His shadows kept him company, as they always had and always would"

"They'd always been prone to vanish when she was around."

"Could have sworn his shadows sang in answer"

They can deny it all they want but Sarah was very intentional in that bonus chapter. She tells us how his shadows are his FRIENDS. Followed by his friends often disappearing around Elain (while in the book she mentions how they're afraid of the sun). And follows that up by the shadows being curious of Gwyn, twirling to her breath and singing in response to Gwyn's song. I don't care if you want to completely eliminate Gwyn's part in all that but it doesn't change that Az in his own words admitted that his shadows are his companions which means he's fond of them, yes? Yet in his own words as of the most recent book, not whatever excerpts an E/riel wants to pull from two books back, they tend to vanish around Elain. For the character of Az, that is not going to be a desirable thing. If he likes his shadows then why would he want them to disappear? Even if they came about because of his trauma, they are the thing that got him through and his power is based on his ability to talk to them. He's not a Shadowsinger without his shadows 🤦(also, how exactly would their "couples" spy missions work if his shadows are nowhere to be found?).

Elain did get Az headache powder which means she's very observant. They try to twist this into a super special E/riel moment but by doing so they detract from what Sarah is building for Elain's entire character. In the same book she noticed Az rubbing his temples we had this line:

"It's their tradition, though." Elain countered, her face still flushed with the cold. "One that they fought and died to protect in the war. Perhaps that's the better way to think of it, rather than feeling guilty. To remember that this day means something to them. All of them, regardless of who has more, who has less, and in celebrating the traditions, even through the presents, we honor those who fought for it's existence, for the peace this city now has."

For a moment I just stared at my sister, the wisdom she'd spoken. Not a whisper of those oracular abilities. Just clear eyes and an open expression.

Elain is a brand new fae having just come into this world yet she's already grasped the meaning behind the holiday they're celebrating. How exactly would she already have come to that conclusion when Feyre was struggling to see it though Feyre has been in the NC longer than her? When the NC has Feyre's people (more so than Elain's people) considering she's their High Lady? Elain looks, she listens.

"But Elain had seemed more than content to simply watch the humming city, to take in the sparkling strands of faelights strung between buildings and over the squares, to sample any tidbit of ffood offered by an eager vendor, to listen to minstrels busking by the now-silent fountains."

"I'd forgetten," Feyre murmured. "About this, and about her dancing." "Nesta never spoke of it afterward," Elain said. "I just observed."

E/riels seem to gatekeep Elain's entire personality, acting like everything she does is about a man when in reality, that's just Elain. It's like Steph said, not everything Sarah writes is meant to be romantic and Elain noting Az rubbing his temples is just Elain being Elain, watching the world around her. It's not special or unique just to Az.

I agree with you though, I truly lack seeing any evidence of how Az and Elain are right for one another. He avoided her for a year though she was struggling with the loss of her father, with the loss of Graysen, with her fights with Nesta. These are romance books yet the possible MMC love interest doesn't care to be there to show emotional support for the FMC? Simply because he can't handle her bond? Feyre was in love with Tamlin, was going to marry Tamlin yet Rhys still called in his bargain with Feyre once a month just so he could try to help her. Az cared more about his own feelings than Elain's well being and no matter how much twisting E/riels try to do that is the canon of it. Lucien stays away because he believes it's what Elain wants, he's honoring her need for space just like Rhys gave to Feyre until she called out. Az stays away, not because it honors what Elain wants but because he cares more about himself than what is best for her. Lucien doesn't need to spend time with Elain to know her though, he has a direct link to her soul. Az does not, therefore if he cared to know her he actually needs to spend time with her. And Elain didn't seem to be bothered knowing that Az was struggling either, she never asked how he was though the bonus clearly showed he's a mess. E/riels will claim it's because they can understand one another without words, that they can silently check on the other without conversation but that is honestly the dumbest argument ever. Even Rhys and Feyre with their daemati powers still shared in actual dialogue 😂

The author said Elain and Lucien are happiest in nature, not Az and Elain.

Elain is bothered by cruelty, Az admits Elain has no idea the things he's done and even if she does, he doesn't believe in her enough to be honest with her.

Az didn't believe she could handle the Trove after she was the one who helped him rescue Briar, after she was the one who saved him from the hounds, after she was the one who stabbed the King of Hybern. Amren had to yell at Rhys for putting Feyre in too much danger while Amren had to reprimand Az for not believing in Elain. Only one of those things is mate like behavior.

Sarah did set up E/riel to share in something but I think we saw that play out in the bonus (because nothing in the actual book of SF built up the E/riel ship - a "charged" glance is really nothing when you consider how far Sarah will go with other pairings who don't even end up together). Elain and Az, in their first true moments alone together, when we're in Az's POV amounted to the confirmation that he's been avoiding her, she didn't even seem bothered by the fact that he'd been avoiding her, he feels he'll taint her and thinks of her as too pure and innocent, he hasn't thought on how to actually be with her beyond his sexual fantasies and his bonus ended with her returning his gift and his happiness over the thought of another females happiness.

E/riel was a temporary distraction until it was time for Elain and Az to have their individual stories with their true endgame person, just like many other failed relationships in Sarah's other books. Temporary situations until they were ready to be with their mates.

Readers can come up with as many arguments as they want for why E/riel is happening, they can think about all the mafia romances they've read and try to liken Az and Elain to that, they can pretend Sarah is gearing up for forbidden romance (though every single time she's written a forbidden romance it's pretty much ended in death or unhappiness, i.e., the LoA being beaten by Beron because of Helion, Sorscha dead, Chaol / Aelin not working out, Theia sharing a forbidden romance with Fionn only to stand by as he was murdered and later found her mate in Aidas), but it's not going to change anything. Sarah is Sarah and Sarah likes fate and mates and it's not at all difficult to understand what SHE likes in her endgame pairings. I don't care what that reader likes or believes because they are not the ones writing the book. If I want to know what to expect than I'll pay attention to Sarah's work, not their headcanons and based on Sarah's work, Az and Elain do not truly know one another. Az and Elain are not setup to be the true romance. I don't care how many cutesy moments anyone thinks they share it will not matter. Just like Feyre and Tamlin's did not matter. Just like Chaol and Celaena's did not matter. Just like Dorian and Celaena's did not matter. Just like Dorian and Sorscha's did not matter. Just like Chaol and Nesryn's did not matter.

I'm sorry that was long and heated, yours was much less ranting than mine. I'm just getting a bit tired of all the ridiculous arguments I've seen this week.

I think it's pretty evident that if Sarah wanted us to believe Lucien wasn't right for Elain's endgame person she would have already started planting those seeds, we would have seen them truly interacting and getting to know one another on page so we could see why they didn't mesh. And no, Elain saying "I don't want a male or a mate!" isn't a seed. Feyre saying "why not make them mates!" isn't a seed. Elain ignoring Lucien isn't proof they don't gel. These characters have all been working through something heavy things and they need time before "forever" so it's not a big deal that Elain isn't read to confront a lifelong mating bond that gives her a glimpse into Lucien's soul. Feyre clearly needed time in ACOMAF yet Sarah had her agreeing to Tamlin's proposal at which point Sarah laid out why Tamlin was never going to be right for her, his lack of desire to really talk through their traumas and instead fixated on the physical (sounds familiar right?), his wanting to protect her despite her proving how she was capable too (also sounds familiar). It wasn't until Feyre left Tamlin and began working through her emotional baggage that she was able to fall in love for the right reasons, with her mate, someone she secretly knew she was always drawn to but hadn't been ready to give in to that.

If Sarah wanted me to believe that Az was the one for Elain, not Lucien, she would have pulled a Tamlin / Feyre with Elucien, where in SF Lucien says he hadn't thought of truly being with Elain beyond tasting her, where they'd ignore talking about what they just went through during the battle or their losses and would rather make googly eyes at each other over the dinner table. Instead that's what Sarah gave us with E/riel while she has Lucien patiently and silently waiting in the wings until Elain needs him, just like she had Rhys patiently and silently waiting in the wings for Feyre.

[lovelyrotter]

okay but i actually kinda wanna know ur take on stridercest being canon compliant O_O <- autism stare

oh hey i am also hitting you with the autism stare. ill try to get my thoughts down in a way that makes sense to more than just me hahaha

bear in mind that im an epilogue lover and i think Meat/Candy are really valuable pieces that further all of the characters and are also hard canon in the sense that we're looking at just 2 post-game universe outcomes out of an uncountable number (the book in the picnic basket representing post-canon fanfic). i think the characters actions in the epilogues make sense and are satisfying to me. yes even jane (i love alpha jane and i will not do her the disservice of 'cleaning her up' w/o showing her work for it. thats not how you depict a character who grew up with fascist programming). i could totally go on a whole tangent about this specifically but thats another post lol we'd be here forever and its also not stridercest

but okay. canon stridercest. under the cut cause it got kinda long

basically it has to do with the cherubs and how their relationships and mating rituals are pretty obviously incestuous leaning even though cherubs dont have the human concept of Siblings or blood family. the cherub who predominates will search across paradox space to mate with another cherub who closely resembles the cherub they predominated which is like textbook Freudian sexuality. theres a lot of Freud and Jungian stuff in HS imo even if im kinda [wobbly hand gesture] at the validity of these theories applied to real life and real people. but theyre super fun tools and lenses to use in fiction and i mean. gestures at all of dave

so the incest aliens cherubs. the whole reason why im talkin about them is bc Caliborn is so incredibly interested and invested in the Striders in particular. caliborn as both Lord English and Lil Cal shapes earth NOT OVERTLY but more so embeds himself in earth society, but again, the Striders lives in particular. dave is full of incest jokes. hes even apparently got a list of his friends arranged in order of how likely theyd incest-elope with each other (thank you epilogues for this amazing factoid). he seems to think about it often enough to, yknow, Do That. have a good solid think about that and construct an organized list about it. bearing in mind dave makes jokes about stuff thats a) bothering him, or b) generally camping out in his brain. hes not even really aware of it most of the time (as we see in one of the openbounds where hes all 'why am i thinking about puppets???' after seeing dirk for the first time in that dream bubble. he is thinking nonstop about dirk at that point and going off his only frame of reference for ANY dirk, which is his bro. his bro who was most likely deeply warped by Lil Cal)

sorry for the long blocky paragraph lol. but now onto the next thing

Caliborn as Lil Cal is the centerpiece in the beta strider apartment. dave cant escape him and beta dirk grew up with him. what the fuck do you do when youre childhood comfort item is also the most evil creature across all of paradox space? if youre a dirk you try to fight it. but how long can you keep fighting something like that. its safe to say that bro was affected by Caliborns particular brand of perversion and sfw kink. i dont think i have to say how insidious abusive and toxic he is about those things. and looking at the truth of beta bro (16yo alpha dirk) you can start to see just how warped beta bro became. beta bro is a false dirk (still a very Real dirk but not the Truth of dirk. beta bro has been toxified and made infinitely worse by an absolute evil influence over decades of life. in 80s fuckin texas. presumably in the system. anyone would be fucked up after that)

so for this analysis/theory im stating beta bro as a false persona. using jungian terms he is apha dirk's shadow

both dave and dirk live with a fake, carefully manicured version of their bros. they live with personas (or shadows of their guardians on the walls. hello platos allegory of the cave). they dont actually know e/o and they dont until the striunion

alpha dirk especially grows up embedded in the Public Persona Of Dave Strider 400 years post mortem and completely alone with unlimited internet access. hes a self admitted expert on his bro and we dont get to see a lot if any of his early childhood but i can hazard a guess at how much he clung to that persona of his bro. he fuckin idolizes dave. he LOVES dave. right off the bat he is in some kind of love with dave and i think if you try to argue against that then thats you slippin. i think youre a fool and have to reread homestuck because i wholeheartedly believe the striders loving eachother is part of the win state

once again this is speculation cause we get barely anything about alpha dave, but from what we already know about him im guessing this bro-persona is

achingly effortlessly cool

oozing masculinity (toxic or not, not really interested in categorizing that although toxic coolboy masculinity IS something the striders contend with & is an important facet in their lives)

a skilled fighter

a dedicated moviegoer (hes a director need i say more. this one is probably the only genuine thing about his on-screen persona)

and now lets look at jake. someone whos grown up on pretty much nothing but movies, whos doubtlessly been influenced by hollywood and its idea of gritty 'main character' masculinity through that, and who also clings to more old-school ideas of manliness (think victorian/edwardian era gentlemanly-but-loves-a-good-scrum kinda manly. moustache twirly with a monocle kinda manly. basically everything that grandpa harley is)

but okay lets look at what jake wants to be. lets take a look at his teenager persona

achingly effortlessly cool (his own 'hollywood star' kind of cool also def influenced by his favourite characters like lara croft who is indeed achingly cool. you see him succeed in inhabiting this hollywood star persona on earth c)

oozing masculinity (the old school manly mans-man kind)

a skilled fighter (two pistoles always. harder to aim cause you cant use a free hand to make up for kickback. that takes skill)

a dedicated moviegoer (again one of the only genuine parts about his persona. his questionable-to-wretched tastes aside. but bearing in mind that the SBaHJ movies are intentionally bad which is what makes them loop around to good. such is the nature of intentionally 'bad' art. jake fuckin lives in this perpetual bad-good art loop. okay enough with the art tangent keep focused man cmon)

because dirk has obviously way more contact with jake i dont doubt he sees through jakes own (admittedly way more flimsy) coolboy persona but the point still stands i think. different flavours but the same kinda guy. dirk has a type and i dont think its a stretch to say that hes looking for aspects of the bro-persona he grew up looking at in other boys, much like the winning cherub looking for the one they lost in the cherub theyll mate with

also wtf is with dirks obvious boner for dave chasing him across paradox space to decapitate him huh?? the last few sentences in Meat are about that very thing. he wants to fuc fight dave sooo bad. haha remember how the cherubic mating ritual is one of the most violent and long running spectacles in paradox space? i sure do

[madockisser]

Hello! I was browsing through your dain and greenbriar sisters’ analysis- very insightful!! I enjoy your takes, and I was hoping to maybe get your thoughts about balekin as well? Tysm! :) 🌸

balekin greenbriar analysis spoilers for tcp trilogy and novella!

hi! thank you sm!! i really appreciate that ppl actually read and enjoy my character analysis dump!!

and yes, balekin has a lot of page time, so this also will be a really long one!

ok so, minor details first; balekin, first born, cardan says that balekin grows bored easily, he is very unseelie, he is the leader of the circle of grackles, those who enjoy drugs and debauch, he does not care for mortals and captures sprites and uses them as lights until they die (terrible), he views mortals as mice “they die before they gain any cunning”(not exact quote but in htkoelths). madoc also seemingly owes him a favor!

let’s start in chronological order (since i tend to spew out all my knowledge at once and get super disorganized !)

first things first, the prologue of tcp. madoc says “i doubted balekin when he said i would find you here.”

there it is people!

madoc probably (most likely, seeing as it’s the faerie way to pay each other back, especially w something so important as madocs family, i’d wager that madoc owed him a LOT.) owed balekin a favor for finding eva and madocs daughter alive and well! how balekin did this? i assume through asha, or spies. or simply faerie rumors, since it’s said that justin bragged abt stealing the generals wife

“but maybe balekin was just being nice!”

good one! balekin is a royal asshole(literally) and he takes advantage of every little opportunity he gets! i will go more into detail about that a few paragraphs down!

so we can assume that maybe that’s why (apart from the whole dain and oak thing, and madoc hating the greenbriars(but balekin doesn’t know that yet!) madoc backs balekin, or why balekin thinks that madoc is going to back him!

this analysis features a short story (Lament of Lutie Loo, by holly black,of which you can probably find online, and if not, it is in the last book of the modern faerie tale series, ironside! there is also a cardan cameo!)

okay so we first see him at hollow hall, he’s kidnapped lutie, who is a sprite(teeny tiny faerie, like tinker bell size) and locks her in a cage bc balekin knows that she works for lord roiben.

balekin full intends to hold lutie and roibens sister (who was also there! and the reason lutie was at balekins house) hostage until balekin can force roibens hand into going with him to see eldred, so that roiben can be all like

“hey high king, ik i’m sorta your enemy rn since i haven’t sworn to you, but if you make balekin king (and only balekin) i’ll swear to him! 👅👅”

this would get balekin eldreds favor and obviously the political advantage. as the story goes on dain somehow gets the upper hand and roiben and dain fool balekin. (while the details aren’t important here i do recommend you read the story! though reading modern faerie tales first is better obv since there are spoilers for that series!)

while balekin isn’t very smart/he assumes the worst in people(i’ll get into it paragraphs down), he still views humans and those beneath him as something he can take advantage of. he uses humans at his house as slaves, cooks and cleaners, gatherers and messengers. he captures sprites and locks them in lanterns until the light that radiates off their bodies is gone, and they’re dead.

what i’m trying to say is, he takes advantage of the world around him. he does this consistently throughout the series. nonstop even.

in htkoelths, he takes advantage of cardan, picks him up out of the stable and takes him home. then he immediately beats him. this is his way of “showing dominance” (that was cringe to type out but it’s true)

it makes me wonder if maybe he is taking his anger toward dain out on cardan. makes me wonder if balekin wishes he took dain in to take advantage of, to groom into being his little prince, rather than of course, the only person standing between him and the throne.

anyway, after he beats cardan, he drugs him up, takes him to orgies (?!), shows him how to get high and get drunk and stuff (really awful of him)

and ofc he’s like “i do it bc i love u!” and who knows maybe he wanted to spend some brother to brother bonding debauch time w him (🤮)

though i definitely think that he was manipulating cardan. keeping him high and drunk so that he could keep cardan from 1, becoming maybe a political problem, in the sense that maybe he didn’t want cardan to become like dain and want to be king.

2, so he could keep cardan from gaining some sense of self worth and leaving balekin without a good little prince of whom has nicasias favor.

3, that he got cardan addicted to never/nevermore (golden powder drug first seen in “the modern faerie tales!”) and to wine, to the point he cannot go without it without severe withdrawal. (this is a possibility, especially since we see never withdrawal in “valiant” a part of the modern faerie tales series, BUT perhaps not, since cardan doesn’t seem completely high all the time mostly in jude’s perspective, but who knows, maybe he grew accustomed to it and became a functioning never addict.)

anyway, it’s worth mentioning that during the tournament, jude looks up to the stand, and madoc and balekin are gone. because balekin is taking advantage of the fact that madoc owes him. so they’re probably scheming together about the whole coronation thing.

now, as for the middleish of tcp. jude’s in his house, there’s faeries just laying around, and jude sneaks into his office. then there’s the infamous “i know the provenance of blusher mushroom 🥸!”) very mysterious. anyway, balekin comes in, beats cardan again, but he’s like “i’m doing this bc i love our family”

which is interesting, since he ends up slaughtering or trying to slaughter all of them! and it leads me to deduct that either he’s got this twisted view that even if he kills them all and becomes king, that they would be better off, OR that he doesn’t love the members of their family, just the greenbriar lineage!

anyway, later on jude spirals and wants to save veiny dainy (valid babe! at this point he’s looking pretty scrumptious to the reader) and she finds that balekin had dains love poem to liri, (there goes that chance ig!) but thinks nothing of it.

which is strange, since he had such damning evidence against his greatest opp, dain the vain, he doesn’t use it against him. there could be a number of reasons for that. 1. he thinks eldreds too far gone in making dain the king, and also distrusting balekin, 2 he wasn’t intending to use this evidence against dain, maybe he stumbled upon it when maybe he had spies looking into madoc, (since we know that madoc found out abt dain being oaks daddy somehow) or even oriana (a bit of a stretch but i’m grasping at straws trying to understand why he didn’t expose dain for screwing w eldreds lady and then knocking her up, and then killing her and that little mistake dain put in her womb!) or simply 3, he didn’t piece it all out yet. (seems most likely)

anyway looking past oakeys existence, balekin slaughters the fam, and disregards eldred on the dais, (bringing me up to why he didn’t tell eldred of dains affairs, bc he thinks he’s too old and feeble to do shit abt it) and then runs good old daddy thru.

THEN, we see him again at hollow hall, at balekins soon to be coronation, and he misjudges cardan. like a lot. which i’ll get into a few paragraphs down. but pretty much he shields cardans body with his, which says a lot.

jude says that she misunderstood the complexity of their relationship. but i just think that balekin wants to use cardan for getting the crown since he’s the only one left who can do so. and maybe since he doesn’t understand that cardan has betrayed him already, he still cares for him atleast a little.

now onto twk.

when he was in the tower of forgetting, he took advantage of the guards(making them slap jude), of the undersea messengers(sends missives to orlagh to get himself free), and of his own title and status as eldest prince(managing to get himself rugs and tea and finery even in his cell)

when he was in the undersea, he was prisoner, but still managed to get orlagh to make him ambassador, which i’m sure was simply just orlaghs doing and part of her plan bc she doesn’t strike me as the type to be manipulated by a faerie prince that is way younger than she is (if i remember correctly).

his downfall however, is that he is so narcissistic, he believes himself to be the very best, and he believes the very worst in people, (he assumes cardan despises mortals despite the fact cardan has taken beatings for them and freed them from his estate, and he believes that lutie will go unnoticed by lord roiben and that roiben won’t care much for her enough to save her or fault balekin for capturing her. he also underestimates jude, her ability to lie and deceive, and so when she tricks him with the poison, he doesn’t expect it.)

ALSO, despite him being so manipulative, manipulating cardan, blackmailing whoever sent him that letter abt poison, and manipulating the circle of grackles into being his own loyal unseelie court within the high court, of whom are high constantly and very violent, he does seem to get screwed over/ manipulated a lot doesn’t he? by madoc, by dain (more than once lol) by even cardan his alcoholic little brother of whom he mostly raised (no wonder he started crashing out at the end) and by orlagh and jude. and just so many of these are the product of his narcissism. he truly expected madoc to be down for him despite madoc having human daughters and a human wife, all while actively enslaving humans ?? like hello?? silly as hell tbh!

now, as for balekin kissing jude, i have speculated on this before, but i have more thoughts.

balekin always believed dain to be his greatest obstacle in front of him and the throne, but then it became cardan. obviously he didn’t expect this, so he sought to take advantage of cardan in the only way he knows and can, through jude. bc that’s what he does. obviously he “glamours” her and makes her do his bidding, but there’s more to it.

i obviously assume that balekin is aware that cardan cares for jude at this point, ( if u haven’t already i posted a theory abt it which u might wanna see) and at first he mistook cardan making jude’s seneschal as cardans doing, assuming that jude was head over heels for cardan and cardan being the one with the power in their little king-seneschal relationship.

but then he sees how cardan is negotiating w orlagh and balekin to get jude back, so bro kisses her. maybe to understand, but probably to manipulate jude into wanting to submit to balekin rather than cardan. since balekin sees jude as this airhead human girl who’s willing to do much for cardan, he assumes he can make her do the same with him. especially now that he’s glamoured her, and the fact that it would give him something over cardan in the process is just a bonus.

anyway, i’ve sorta lost the plot here ( i am sorry there was just so much to analyze abt him) BUT as for how he was as a person, he seemed manipulative, narcissistic, very unseelie, and arrogant. he expected so much to be handed to him. he expected cardan to free him, to relinquish the throne to him, even after his abuse.

so maybe balekin is just so cruel that he didn’t see how his abusing cardan truly affected cardan, since he was so dead set on calling it “love” and since he wanted to make cardan “better.”

but i doubt it. balekin is consistently dumb, in the arrogant and narcissistic sense, expecting everyone to be just as morally awful as he is.

there isn’t any sympathy from me, i don’t like him, despite loving morally grey characters. he’s too stupid to like, and he assaulted jude and enslaved so many humans.

but feel free to add on! or lmk if i missed something! send me more asks as well, though i am working on an eldred/taniot/ val moren one rn which i’m almost finished with!! 🫶

[burningvelvet]

Ranking all the Brontë novels + briefly reviewing The Professor

I finally finished The Professor by Charlotte Brontë, which means I HAVE COMPLETED ALL THE BRONTË NOVELS, which means I can now rank them. This is a rough order, but brief explanations will be given...

As an aside, bc I don't want to make a separate post for my review of The Professor, but I did note several strong similarities to Jane Eyre (the female lead's description, her elvish comparisons) and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Hunsden/Huntington as the cynic, although the former is mostly good and the latter mostly bad). Really all the Brontë novels are very similar so there are tons of more common themes I could mention but won't. Also, more references to Scottish besties Walter Scott & Lord Byron!

Now for my official Brontë Book Ranking (which may be subject to change over the years...)

7. Shirley - I would like to revisit this one. There are some great gems in it, and I'm fascinated by the Luddism subject matter. It is also a strong contender for the most feminist Brontë novel and has probably the most in-depth female relationships which does count for something. But it's SO UNNECESSARILY LONG! And often boring! And it took me the longest to finish. So it has to be last.

6. The Professor - this one benefits from not being Shirley. It's also a good attempt at a first novel I think. It has some gems, but it's often boring like Shirley is in my opinion. I thought the main male, Crimsworth, was a bit more exciting to follow than any of the men in Shirley. I actually think Crimsworth is a pretty inspiring figure and I enjoyed his observations and his anti-work rhetoric. Like most Brontë protagonists, he's a teacher who experiences classism, poverty, and oppression, and manages to overcome these things through frugality, faith, love, hope, etc.

5. Agnes Grey - it's hard to get through at times but it's generally worth it and has a strong pay off. I think Anne's writing style is generally enjoyable. It's has a lot of the horror of Wuthering Heights and the lighter parts of Jane Eyre but it lacks Charlotte and Emily's stronger passions and has more of Anne's calm reasoning, faith, and stoicism. That makes it sound more boring than it really is maybe. I also think it's fascinating for being largely semi-autobiographical like Charlotte's works can be. We get to "know" Anne more than we do in Tenant I feel, and I think she's pretty admirable. The bird scene was based on a real experience she had as a governess, and she wrote most of the novel as a rebellious act in her room right after work. All teachers and childcare workers – and really all women and members of the working-class – should take this novel as the cautionary tale it was written to be.

4. Villette - this is the weirdest Brontë novel. Some interesting scenes and characters. Charlotte's last novel shows far more writerly evolution than in Shirley where she was again trying for more progressive social commentary (and mostly succeeded I think) but often fell back into the more sedate or conventional nature that parts of The Professor has (saving Crimsworth's sometimes strong, sassy, rebellious attitude). Villette was written in a strange period of grief for Charlotte and it shows. Villette is basically Jane Eyre's weirder older sister.

3 and 2 are almost tied for me. I have also written about 3, 2, and 1 so much on my blog that I probably won't go into as much detail as I have with the others.

3. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - shockingly underrated. Hard to get through, but so is Wuthering Heights which it's pretty similar to at times. Radically progressive and daring, it is a strong contender for being the most feminist Brontë novel and the most oriented toward social justice (although they really all are). Brilliant use of mystery and gothic allure with a social realism that was too ahead of its time to fall into the common traps of that genre. Has everything you could want in a Brontë novel.

2. Wuthering Heights - a bomb in your face. Full of passion. Grand drama. What can I say? It's infamous for valid reasons. Never a boring moment, which instantly pushes it to the top of the list for me who am easily bored. I have elaborated on this work very often on my page so I don't feel the need to reiterate everything here but I will say that this novel has basically everything you could want.

1. Jane Eyre - has all the gothic mystery and passion of Wuthering Heights but focuses on fewer characters whose arcs thus feel more personable and fulfilling in my opinion. We get to know Jane and Rochester much more fully than almost any of the other Brontë characters I feel. And it is my love for the characters that really makes this one my favorite Brontë novel as well as one of my favorite tales of all time (whereas Heights is notorious for its unlikeable characters which actually repel many readers from enjoying it). No wonder it's the most adapted and tied with Wuthering Heights for being the most famous (although I think it may have surpassed Wuthering Heights in pop culture at times). I also think there are a lot of really meaningful themes, morals, and subjects that are explored in this novel, which again can be said of all Brontë novels, but it all feels so much more full in this one. The plot itself is also the most well-crafted in my opinion, and it has one of the greatest twists in all of literature/media imo.

[pasta-in-the-pudding]

SO IM SORRY IF THIS IS REALLY RANDOM BUT IF ITS OK COULD I REQUEST TICCI TOBY,MASKY,HOODIE,EJ WITH A TEEN!READER that's like shy but when the reader gets more comfortable around them, reader acts childish/shows their inner child bc they had to grow up quickly ifykwim

(this sounds so cringe >_< 😭)

Theres no such thing as bad cringe here, friend. Be as cringe as you'd like!

Thank you so much for requesting!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Toby

Meeting you was pretty normal for him

Most of the other kids around the manor are pretty shy too, so you being shy doesnt matter to him

But once you start getting more comfortable with him, and start opening up more, he notices that you aren't really all that shy, just kind of...yk...traumatized??

He is here for it though, and will do all the things with you

He'll get matching footie pj's with you, He'll get you your favorite childhood snack, you'll turn on your favorite cartoon and He'll help you make an awesome pillow fort

Or, if you prefer, a blanket coccoon for you to snuggle into while you watch your cartoons

He'll also get things that remind him of you

"Y/n i saw this squishmellow and thought of you! Also, i got you some more snacks in this new flavor we haven't tried"

Also, i feel like he'd be the one you go to if you wanna play any games

Lord knows that boy has too much energy for his own good

His favorite is hide and seek, but if you wanna play something else, he's fine with that too

I warn you though, he's very good at hide and seek...

Masky

Masky isn't terrible with kids, but he isn't the greatest

Teenagers are his favorite to babysit/watch, because he can just leave them alone for the most part, if they need anything, they know where to find him

So when you start to open up and show your more childish side, he is kind of taken aback

Not in a bad way, of course

Just shocked, is all

Mostly, he's just glad that you're finally opening up and being yourself

And i mean hey, if coloring in coloring books and eating fruit snacks makes you happy, then who is he to judge?

He won't partake in these activities himself, but if you wanna talk to him about it, then he's all ears

He'll show you his favorite cartoons he watched when he was a kid, he'll show you his favorite childhood snacks, and he'll tell you stories he picked up in his life

Like toby, he will also help you build a wonderful pillow fort

And tim, hes a real manly man, you know, good at building and hunting and stuff

So you KNOW that its gonna be less of a pillow fort and more of a pillow palace

Also, i feel like one of the creeps has a picture of him somewhere, all snuggled up into a pillow, nice and asleep inside your pillow fort while you watch tv

Its used as blackmail, of course

Hoodie

Hoodie loves kids

He's always wanted a kid of his own, he remembers vividly daydreaming about it as a little schoolboy

His occupation has put a bit of a hold on that dream, but the manor has plenty of children that are always begging to be played with

And so, it's probably no wonder you were drawn to him

He's just got such a good vibe, you know?

Like you know that you could tell him anything and he'd just smile and say "i think you should keep living your best life"

Like toby, he goes all out

He probably won't wear footie pj's but yk

He's not too terribly good at making pillow forts, but oh my god can he throw a tea party

And he'll let you do his hair and makeup too!

After his numerous tea parties with sally, he knows all the proper etiquette too

He'd also probably be the one on this list who'd spoil you the most

Literally just ask and he'll probably buy it/make it for you 😭

Eyeless Jack

From a medical standpoint he is very worried for you

His first reaction to you opening up was his eyes slightly widening and his thoughts going "good god who fucked up this kid??"

However, he understands that for a lot of people indulging in childhood interests is a coping mechanism that is very helpful

And it's not hurting you or anyone else, so why would he care?

He studies you intently

He won't actively indulge in your activities like everyone else

He mostly just sits somewhere close by and watches your behaviors

He wants to know what is normal for you and what isn't, that way if your mental health takesa negative turn, he can get on it as quickly as possible

The last thing they need is a kid having a mental breakdown

Maaaybe of you ask nicely he'll watch cartoons with you

Maybe

[theshadowsingersraven]

Debunking the "Lightsinger/Controlling/Luring" Language from the BC

"But when he returned from the cabin in the mountains, he didn't go to market square." "Instead, he found himself at the library beneath the House of Wind, standing before Clotho as the clock chimed seven in the evening." ... "For whatever reason...he could see it."

While it's possible she may have some type of magic (most High Fae do, for which she is 3/4) based on how Nesta's magic reacted to her energy, that doesn't mean she is a lightsinger. Because SJM actually uses those phrases a lot throughout the series, for a variety of reasons.

If it was supposed to be apparent that Gwyn (unintentionally or otherwise) luring Azriel, why would SJM use the exact same language for things not even remotely manipulative or nefarious?

In fact, let's take a tally of those instances, shall we? I keyword-searched through all five books, and here's what I discovered.

"For whatever reason/for whatever strange reason":

ACOTAR-

"He shook his head. “Fortunately or unfortunately, they were all killed by the High Lord of an enemy court. I was spared for whatever reason or Cauldron-granted luck."

ACOMAF-

It had been marked and flagged and pinned,for whatever reasons I couldn’t tell, but my gaze drifted to the windows throughout the room... I didn’t want to think about his family, murdered by a rival court for whatever reason no one had ever explained to me.

I’d bet that they wouldn’t have handed over that book. For whatever reasons of their own, they wanted it. There were seven arrows in total: three in this wing, four in the other. They’d removed the ones from his legs, for whatever reason—the wounds already half-clotted.

ACOWAR-

The priestess who had let them in … for whatever reason, Hybern had left her alive. For whatever reason, he hadn’t chosen to wear the Illyrian leathers. Or the wings. “Four bones … for whatever reason the charlatans came up with that I can’t be bothered to remember.” I’d kill her for this, for betraying us for whatever reason—

ACOFAS-

The town house was still silent as we descended the stairs, my mate opting for Illyrian leathers—for whatever strange reason.

ACOSF-

Which meant they’d approved her presence, for whatever reason. Amren, for whatever reason, rarely stayed here long enough to see this room, so no chair had ever been held for her. For whatever reason, Nesta wanted to crow about her friend to anyone who’d listen.

"found myself/himself/herself/themself"

ACOTAR-

But the shining things had vanished, along with their sniffing and giggling, and I found myself facing a weathered statue of two merry, bounding lambs. Over the next three days, I found myself joining Lucien on Andras’s old patrol while Tamlin hunted the grounds for the Bogge, unseen by us. I found myself overlooking a rose garden, filled with dozens of hues of crimson and pink and white and yellow. After soaking in the bath for nearly an hour, I found myself sitting in a low-backed chair before my room’s roaring fireplace, savoring the feel of Alis brushing out my damp hair. As the afternoon shifted into dusk, I found myself again at the main crossroads of the house. I stumbled, blinking, and found myself standing at the edge of the ring of dancing. He smiled at me, and I found myself smiling back. Perhaps buried it a bit, but she was generous, loving, and kind—a woman I found myself proud to know, to call sister. I didn’t have time for tears of relief as I found myself in another passageway, and I launched farther into the labyrinth. I’d awoken from a fitful sleep and found myself burning hot. I carefully, slowly took a narrow set of stairs upward, up and up, until, to my shock, a trickle of sunlight poured into the stairwell and I found myself on a small balcony jutting out of the side of the mountain.

ACOMAF-

“I didn’t see you Under the Mountain,” I found myself saying, hating those last three words more than anything. But I found myself saying, “I’m sorry about the temple—and the priestesses.” Squinting at the brightness, I found myself standing in what was unmistakably a foyer of someone’s house. “She abandoned you?” I found myself saying. I found myself blinking back the blinding sun, arm still out, Rhysand still before me. After dinner, I wandered into the streets, and found myself eventually standing at the edge of the Rainbow, the night in full swing, patrons and artists and everyday citizens bustling from shop to shop, peering in the galleries, buying supplies. I was still in my dress—which felt vulgar in the light of Velaris—but found myself heading into the garden, as if the moonlight and chill might cleanse my mind. He went back to his pie, swallowing a bite before continuing. “And yet I found myself deciding that if you took his hand, I would find a way to live with it. It would be your choice.”

ACOWAR-

But as we dined, beats of silence going on longer than conversation, I found myself checking them over and over. Flint struck, and I found myself gazing at a makeshift camp of sorts “See if I’ve accepted my lot and found myself grateful for becoming one of them?” Which was why I found myself standing in the foyer the next morning, watching Lucien shoulder his heavy pack. "So I was reborn, and found myself surrounded by my old enemies—faces I had once marked to kill. I found myself on the wrong side of a wall, with the human realm poised to shatter beneath it.” It took all day, but by the end of it, I found myself in the wrecked foyer, Rhys and the others beside me, the chandelier a broken mass behind us on the cracked marble floor.

ACOFAS-

My knees buckled, and I found myself beyond words. Beyond anything but him. Just as I found myself somehow leaning against the wall near the doorway, as if he’d winnowed us.

ACOSF-

She often found herself wishing the Cauldron had ripped those memories away just as it had her humanity, but his face sometimes sullied her dreams. She scrambled to regain any sense of control, of sanity—found herself wanting to hand it all over to him, to let him touch and touch and touch her, lick and suckle and fill her— Nesta found herself asking, “What’s the Dread Trove?” Cassian wanted to have a word with Rhys about the Illyrian legions, so Nesta found herself walking to the front entry of the river house alone. Without doing extra training between the stacks, Nesta found herself less exhausted when she left the library. So she found herself in the doorway of the dining room. “You’re going up to Windhaven?” Nesta found herself asking Cassian as Gwyn bade them farewell at the end of their lesson. She debated ignoring it, but found herself opening a small door through the steel, spiked barrier she kept around herself day and night. So they trained, and between their exercises they talked about books, and Nesta woke on the fourth morning and found herself … excited to see them again. She found herself answering Azriel with a slight smile of her own. Found herself free-falling into his darkened eyes, his beautiful face. Cassian’s attention slid elsewhere, but with each curl upward, Nestafound herself reining in the urge to gaze his way. She told herself to focus on the count, on timing each breath and keeping a tally of how many she’d taken, and yet she found herself thinking of the couch cushions, her cooling tea, her still-damp hair— Didn’t feel anything but that molten rage as the stairs suddenly stopped and she found herself before a door. Nesta heaved a breath, shoving upward, and found herself free to move as she wished. So full of life and motion that she always found herself wishing she had another hour or two of lessons just to hear it again and again and again. She didn’t know why she found herself on the verge of tears as the cinders smoldered. Two hours later, Nesta found herself fully clothed in a bathtub in the middle of the private library, the entire thing filled with bubbles. Only, she found herself looking up. He was so exquisite that if Nesta hadn’t already been panting from the climb, she’d have found herself unable to breathe. She found herself asking, “Does it undermine my image as a warrior to be with you?” Nesta far preferred caves to trees. But as night fell and no caves revealed themselves, she found herself with no other option but to scale one behind Emerie and Gwyn, the latter revealing how she’d managed to rest while up one: a long stretch of rope. Yes, he almost said. But found himself hesitating. Lucien cringed, and Cassian, while inclined to smirk at the thought of the asshole suffering, found himself frowning. When Nesta remained by the doorway, Cassian found himself saying, “I’ll make a bargain with you.” Cassian found himself tensing as Helion stepped into the room, and Nesta rose. Nesta angled her head as Cassian found himself near-breathless, waiting for her reply. A pinprick of it, courtesy of Truth-Teller, had done the job, and Cassian had found himself tensing at the sight of that little bead of red. They both groaned this time, and he found himself saying, “Please.” Nesta let out a sound somewhere between a moan and a scream, and he found himself echoing it as all her silken, blazing heat gripped him.

That's a lot of instances of using those phrases, isn't it? Moreover, the only instance of something nefarious being related to "for whatever reason" was when Amren "betrayed" the Inner Circle during ACOWAR. And then that was resolved by her freeing herself and becoming her true form to help in the war.

In every other instance, "for whatever reason" just meant...something unknown. That's literally it. Which, if someone is developing a potential fondness for someone, platonic or otherwise, without being aware of it, it kind of makes sense that phrase would be used.

And with "found myself/herself/himself", there was not an instance it being used in circumstances of manipulation, where someone was not fully in control of their own body, or by magical effects.

Not even when Cassian was under the control of the Crown. Instead, we have instances of him and Nesta "finding themselves" saying, feeling, or reacting to sex, of all things. Instead, we have instances of several characters doing things without really thinking, feeling things, wandering, or reacting to circumstances happening around them.

Now, I know Azriel tends to do things with purpose, but I don't think he's immune to spacing out, doing things without thinking, feeling things, wandering, or reacting to circumstances happening around them.

[shark-gummies]

(Weird Christian rant bc I struggle with religion and this is my comfort blog but also my vent one)

(most of my questions are abt being a women because I am a woman and struggle with it bc of Christianity) so I struggle a lot with the Christian religion and I really want to talk to an actual Christian about this. it might seem a bit blunt and rude but I’m just really curious and confused about some things

so if your religion loves women so much, why can’t they do anything besides worship the lord and her husband, submit to them, and pop out a few babies?

also what does submission mean in the eyes of your lord? And why do only women have to do it?

and if they can do anything else other than marry and have children, what are they?

and if they don’t, what use are infertile and unmarried women?

what does ‘unclean’ mean and why is used for women’s periods and birth even though those things are very natural and beautiful processes (that seem to be shamed, especially periods)

why are men considered very holy (writing all the books and being all the prophets- from what I know of) but women aren’t? What makes men more connected to god than women? (As in the whole thing where it’s women<men<god in all of the family stuff)

not attacking anyone just a confused curious pagan (pls don’t try and convert me- I will never convert pls respect that)

[corallapis]

hello!! sorry, i just finished watching new who and i am DYING for more thoschei content. i know classic who has more obviously but i heard there are like also books and audio dramas and comics and infinite other stuff (?) and i was wondering if you could recommend like a list of things to stream in order to get to know more of these two idiots (affectionate) as i am a bit lost in between all the content. or if you could point out a source where i can look that up for myself, it would be great as well! thank you so much in advance <3 and sorry if this seems silly i am v new to the fandom rip

hey anon!! no need to apologize, i'm honored this ask ended up in my inbox! :) and it's not silly at all, there's a LOT of stuff out there. which is wonderful! but can def be a bit bewildering, too.

i'd definitely recommend classic who as a place to start! don't feel like you need to go in headfirst w/ s1e1 tho. just jump in wherever interests you! if you'd like a slightly more curated d/m list:

terror of the autons/the mind of evil/the claws of axos: okay, so it was almost impossible for me not to just rec “all the three & delgado eps,” so have the first three & feel free to continue on if you find yourself loving them (you will)

the keeper of traken/logopolis/castrovalva: a proper lil trilogy of stories that gives us four -> five & beevers -> ainley

survival: the final dw ep! seven & ainley 😼

for some not-really-classic but still on-screen essentials:

the tv movie: aka “the enemy within.” eight & roberts 🐍

scream of the shalka: an animated webcast that at one point rly was the canonical ninth doctor. shalka!doctor (r. e. grant) & shalka!master (jacobi. yes, again. or previously, rather.)

the curse of fatal death: a comic relief sketch written by moffat which features a het version of d/m getting together romantically (now why does that sound familiar?)

for audios, here's a couple that are both standalone & very d/m-focused:

master: seven & beevers. a great audio ft. an origin story that is probably one of the most talked abt things on tumblr, so def check this one out!!

the last line: ten & jacobi. when you're on trial, who do you call for help? your best enemy, of course

blood of the time lords: four & dreyfus. a must-include for me personally bc it has one of my fave d/m concepts ever :)

for books, once you're in the deep end all the novelizations of the classic d/m eps can have great tidbits. some original story recs:

the dark path: two & “koschei.” another origin story that gave us that name for a pre-master master, written by our d/m comrade-in-arms david mcintee

harvest of time: three & delgado working together & confronting the past w/ a lovely dose of master angst

the infinity doctors: infinity & the magistrate <3. don't let these names or its timeline placement intimidate you, just go into it with the idea that this is an au (ish) where the doctor & the master both returned to gallifrey & you'll enjoy yourself!

and finally some comics:

flashback: another origin story which i've uploaded here :)

the eleventh doctor year two: the eleventh doctor confronts the time war ft. my fave lil guy the war child master!

doctor who: missy: aka “the master plan.” missy breaks delgado out of stormcage while pretending to be a version of the doctor he hasn't met yet

hopefully these will get you started! for even more, the main resource i use when looking for d/m stuff is the theory timelines for the master & the master's incarnations on the wiki! i just poke around & click links until i find something that sounds interesting! enjoy!!! :)

[speremint]

Good Omens S2 Thoughts

OBVIOUSLY spoilers for GO S2 below, so if you've not seen, and don't wanna be spoiled, don't read!

The tl;dr of this long post is that I loved S2, it was a lot of fun, and I love that it focused more on Az and Crowley, but I also think it was a little out of pocket and a little messy in writing.

Anyway I fuckin.. am still processing all of what I watched, and am currently rewatching with a friend, too, but here's my jumbled thoughts on S2 and especially the final episode because I'm having many emotions and I need to get my thoughts out somewhere.

Listen. I would like to clarify that I loved S2 and I loved S1, and I think S2 was VERY smart to parse down on supporting characters and keep it stuck to Crowley and Aziraphale for the most part.

I'm assuming that S2 was made with S3 in mind though, esp after this post from Neil Gaiman, bc lord I will cry if there's no S3.

The focus on the story of Job I am being super optimistic in hoping that maybe it's Gaiman punching us in the throat with S2 before offering us a nicer S3... regardless though, I loved the season despite my minor criticisms.

I... do not have anything against Beelzebub/Gabriel, but holy shit was that out of left field for the ending... I just feel that, despite Gabriel having memory loss (it doesn't seem to be COMPLETE since it was kinda touch and go during scenes), they should've sprinkled in some sort of foreshadowing the his relationship or fondness of Beelzebub.

Have him at least not try to decimate that fuckin fly with books, or take an interest in books on forbidden romance, or rebellion against authority, or maybe just flat out have him be interested in Crowley and Aziraphale's relationship, or Nina and Maggie's. Just SOMETHING to set it up a little bit...

EDIT:: while rewatching, I suppose they hinged most of their foreshadowing in Beelzebub's passiveness and interest in Gabriel, but it's a little hard to have a comparison given how little they were in S1

It was only after I skimmed the GO tag that I saw people were pissed about Aziraphale's choice in E6 and I'm kinda just like ??? It's not OOC though... He's always been loyal to Heaven, and the times when he's been questioning, the biggest issue, is that Crowley was an enabler. He kept Aziraphale from REALLY facing the consequences of these decisions because he's acted as a safety net in some of the situations they're put in.

I love the added scenes of the past with Crowley and Aziraphale, they're fuckin great and I like that it continues to expand upon their relationship and "temptations", but I do think it was kinda reiterating stuff we knew from S1... even if it was good fan service, for lack of a better word. I just kinda wish they had sprinkled in more reinforcements of Aziraphale's fealty to heaven. Or, perhaps during the scene when Azira is worried he's going to become a demon, he could take that time to ask Crowley on his feelings on being a demon, and perhaps if he regrets it, just to also set up for the finale desire of Aziraphale in turning Crowley back into an angel.

Regardless though, S3, assuming there is one, will be a big wake up call to Aziraphale when he's left on his own and also under a tighter leash by heaven, especially since Crowley is gone. Also, expanding on Crowley being a high rank when he was an angel made my fuckin night, I still stick to the headcanon that he was the Archangel Raphael, don't @ me

I do think that... some of the stuff that happened in S3 did feel a little like a response to fans as well, since I know Gaiman is on tumblr and Ik the fandom has been really vitriolic over the fact that Az and Crowley didn't kiss or anything in S1... tbh I didn't think it was that big of a deal cause love is shown in many different ways, and I admit I do like that they kissed in S2, but it did also feel uhhh kinda spontaneous.

Not a bad thing, just wasn't expecting it. I did replay the scene bc I'm an angsty bitch. But yeah, I'm like ehhh.

Also Nina and Maggie randomly coming at the end to like.. sit Crowley down and be like "erm youre stupid and in love" felt very weird in a way I can't quite describe, but also felt kinda undeserved. Esp cause Crowley was like "eh I guess". I think the more subtle off handed chat he had with Nina about Aziraphale being his partner was a more elegant way of setting that up, and having him reflect on that instead would've been better. But also tbf he and Azira were being bitches and indeed messing with Maggie and Nina.

I don't like the term of describing content as "fanfic"y because a lot of fanfiction is super well written, but I think S2 was very... fan service-y... rather.

Which tbh I don't mind that much, esp given Gaiman really didn't want an S2 to respect Pratchett's passing as his cowriter. So... meh. I did genuinely dislike the ball scene at the end though. Just... it was really weird, and I'm not sure what they were trying to say with it, other than Aziraphale is fucking demented... and tbh he should've known better since the fucker's been on earth for ages, idk. After talkin with a friend, it just was a really weird scene, and if anything was OOC for him, I think it was that bc his removal of free will, speech, and even actions, was fucking insane.

Also I don't think John Hamm is attractive, so I tbh was just confused for a lot of his scenes that had interactions or alluded to him...

I liked S2, I really did. It was campy, it was a lil sloppy, but it was fun, and it gave a lot more Crowley and Aziraphale being a bitchy little married couple before their fuckin messy ass divorce at the end.

ANYWAY... I really can't wait to see what happens, and I am PRAYING that there'll be an S3. Until then, I will happily sit in my puddle of tears

[morningstarwrites]

I just want to say that your fic is supper amazing, it’s very interesting and enthralling. It has been what I’ve been looking forward to every Friday! You have been apart of some of my inspiration to start getting into writing Fan fiction. I do have a question, what inspires you, and how do you chose the word choices you’re using. I love the fic so much and I think your writing is amazingggg

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS! And ohhh, I love when people start writing fanfic bc of something I wrote, I am so happy you are doing that 🥹

I LOVE reading, and I LOVE the English language. I would devour thesauruses if I can. I also pay a lot of attention to writing conventions and grammar so that I can use 'em (and break 'em)! And - at this point, I feel like I've read millions of books in my life!

Here are some of my inspirations:

Fave Poet: E. E. Cummings. Just WOW. I get such a thrill parsing out his poetry. For example, his poem: l(a (A Leaf Falls with Loneliness). I never knew you could play with space in this way! Check out the analysis to get a full picture of his creativity.

Fave (Classic) Literature: Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Don't knock on it just bc you were forced to read it in school, okay, it is truly a masterclass in violence, the usage of metaphors, and how to write the most nail-biting tension! I've reread it many times!!

Fave Essayist: Tim Kreider from The New York Times. His words have affected me deeply, profoundly. He really knows how to WRITE! He's the one who wrote "If we want the rewards of being loved we must submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known." Which, by the way, it MAY have been a meme, but it rearranged my brain structure.

Fave Fanfiction: Of the Northmost Winds and Skies by @jjackfrost. For context: I stumbled upon this fic in a Twitter thread in 2022. I have never shipped these two characters. I am not a part of this fandom. BUT GOD, THIS FIC CHANGED MY LIFE! Since then I've reread it over and over again. I basically treat it as a novel! I have never seen anyone write a fanfiction like this. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS POSSIBLE! It is so intricate and written with absolute intention - like it was clearly well thought-out, and it wrapped up in a way that made sense. Also it had an agonizing SLOW-BURN romance that destroyed me, okay. I love it and will be rereading it till the end of my days.

Anyway, that was just a handful. I'm sure I have more but this was getting too long already!!

[bella-rose29]

episode 3 - Doubt Thou the Stars

major spoilers for the show and books, swearing, I go feral on multiple occasions, spent most of this simping for cam/lockwood and I'll apologise now for some of the things I've said (multiverse of George I'm blaming you for a couple)

I would just like to reiterate that this is not a proper analysis of the show, this is my immediate reactions to what happens in the show. barely anything constructive is actually said in here 👍

a ring is what we're looking at

Georgie I love you

hands (oh dear starting early)

hands again

"which you stole illegally" honey-

you have me in a chokehold lockwood

hehehe fairfax

"George, this... negativity, it's why I don't tell you things in advance" first of all I am weirdly obsessed with the way he says that, second of all I wanna give George a hug

hands

ok but who gave cam the right to look that good

"miss Kingston got her hair done special" George I love you

"straight into the office. that's a classy move"

omg I love lucy's jumper

his cheeky smile omg

hands

ring

"you lie like a politician" yeah bc he has to

you can do any job for me lockwood

hands and ring

absolutely we have a deal I'll do anything for you

hands (omg I need to stop)

they're children how did they get alcohol

bottle opener thingy scene

omg Georgie in his apron and gloves 😭

so sad we didn't get the "nice... towel" scene

barnes is so sinister sometimes

I love lockwood and george's friendship, just yelling at each other about cleaning

ooo green lighting when she's taking the keys

tut tut

"I visit my gran in Sidcup" "...sidcup is in London"

"you've got a real hard-on for him, haven't you" "well, if... you wanna put it like that"

"I'm practically a serf" aw lockwood honey

all I can think is the Traitors castle even though I know it's not the same

lockwood's so pretty

oh lord what the hell was that look lockwood don't lower your head with that intense gaze wtf

"apart from anything else, we've got much better flares" 😂

don't you just love it when someone who doesn't have any clue about your job tells you how to do your job

lots of smashing

he's fishing (where tf did he get a fishing rod from)

hands

his grin omg

oh crikey this boy needs sleep I can see his eye bags even though the lighting is dim and my room is bright

"What, and deny us all this... beautiful moment?" you're a beautiful moment- wait that doesn't make sense

his smile I am on the floor

aaa suspense I don't like it

omg we get to see George's Touch again I love that

ew cobwebs

hands

well that was silly

oh no

you can disrespect me anytime woah what is happening to me holy shit

EXTREME CLOSE UP

ewwww cobwebs

I could never be an agent I have arachnophobia

ok those special effects were awesome

"probably wanted to warn us not to go down there" *proceed to go down there*

Lockwood say what's on your mind

ok I get why Ali said that the monks were terrifying that chanting haunts me still

turn your torches off you'll see the ghosts better

ohh I don't like this

Lucy no

LUCY NO

LUCY NOOOOOO

aw the boys saved her

hands

"make a wish" I wish for you to marry me and we live happily ever after

slap

"my cheek hurts"

husband calls out pathetically for wife after waking up, she crawls over and he reaches desperately for her hand

"oi, where's his slap?" fair

hahaha the way they just drop to the floor

you look so silly in those goggles

lockwood's voice is doing Things to me

I love that you can see Ellie rethinking as Fairfax goes on

"we don't travel round with it, we're not insane" *while focused on Lucy*

"you're just a performer too, aren't you?" we love a masking king

MICRO-EXPRESSIONS!!! CAMERON CHAPMAN THE MAN YOU ARE

"She stole it again, Lockwood" yep

I love that you can sort of make out the flowers on her dress

oh christ that was scary

ew old man burning

hands

heavy breathing lockwood (I blame the multiverse of George chat for that)

"I'm working with maniacs" got room for another one?

why did Ellie think it would be a good idea to try and run straight through the middle

"Shut up!" their faces afterwards

kipps pls stop sounding so smug

dw I believe you lockwood

punch me like that wall pls

barnes looks so sad

omg he's being a protective dad

hands

ohhhhh lockwood in a proper suit 🪣 (bad timing for it I know)

"do you know my name?" George I love you

"that's a shame, she was a fool but... she really fitted in there actually" *lockwood nudges him* George I love you even more and I think we would be the bestest of friends

I love the lavender in the pockets of Penelope and Ellie

hands

omg Lucy's drawing! like she said her hobby was in the books!

hand + ring

*George casually pulls out stolen evidence*

I want lucy's jumper

the way lockwood's sat on the chair has me weak

"You belong here" *stares at her with heart eyes*

hehehe

hehehe

oh dear

why does he keep sprawling on the chair

I don't want to talk about the sound I just made at that one frame of lockwood

"She's good, and... she's finally starting to get me" aw Georgie I love you

"she's a lot tougher than you think" *thumps as Lucy passes out*

I DONT WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE SOUND I JUST MADE AT THE OTHER ONE FRAME OF LOCKWOOD (YOU ALL KNOW THE ONE) - "Luce?" shgisuhuigjd

seriously who gave him the right

[person4924]

new about me

my name is sam !! thats basically all u need to know but theres (a lot) more under the cut!! i also have a strawpage that has some basic info (idrk how it works if im being honest tho)

last updated: august 5

i’m sapphic of some sort and ace

u can use any pronouns but they is usually the best !! (this is my pronouns page)

i’m neurodivergent of some sort (i don’t even know anymore)

a minor (don’t be weird)

my personality type is INFP-T

my theme will change like weekly prob bc i wanna change it with every new huperfxation i have!!

things i like (the things bolder r what i talk about the most)

harry potter (fuck jkr)

marvel

the marauders

boy meets world

it

osemanverse

paper girls

teen wolf

owl house

shameless

glee

stranger things

friends

andi mack

the last of us (i’ve only watched the show tho, but i know most of what happens in the games)

riordanverse

musicals

poetry

reading

cats

animals

fictional characters

music

movies

tv shows

art

writing

women

sitcoms

brooklyn nine nine

new girl

hamilton

grishaverse

stand up comedians

ocean animals (specifically sharks)

community

moths (and just kinda winged bugs in general)

greek mythology

dawsons creek

bojack horseman

halloween

the sky (like stars, the moon, the sunset, etc)

jelly fish

criminal minds

animals

ted lasso

scooby doo (the older movies from the 2000’s ish specifically but all of it too)

everything sucks!

the sun bearer trials

atypical

octonauts

spencer reid

bo burnham

dead boy detectives

will and grace

90’s movies

my fav movies are tick tick boom, my girl, dead poets society, breakfast club, the outsiders, hamilton, stand by me, cmbyn, lady bird, beautiful boy, luca, nimona, (500) days of summer, empire records, etc. i have a lot but this is just the first few i think of

musicals i like are hamilton, tick tick boom and the greatest showman

my fav taylor albums are folklore, evermore, reputation, 1989, ttpd and speak now but i love all of them really (please please ask me abt them omg)

my current hyper fixation is the marauders (more of a life-long obsession atp) and solangelo

i’m currently reading nothing !! i just cannot

my fav music people (i’m really just giving a short list of many): conan gray, cavetown, current joys, queen, rainbow kitten surprise, the front bottoms, harry styles, noah kahan, taylor swift, phoebe bridgers, the fray, coldplay, olivia rodrigo, billie eilish, boygenius, gracie abrams, sufjan stevens, maya hawke, the smiths, lucy dacus, julien baker, the smiths, sleeping at last, mitski, bo burnham, chappell roan, lorde, the revivalists, hozier, the head and the heart, mumford and sons, the revivalists, adrianne lender

i mostly post about whatever hyperfixation and/or character/person/ship has overtaken my brain, music and analysis things

i appreciate tone tags and i try to use them as much as possible

i’m always looking to talk to more people and i’m always bored (don’t be weird istg)

my fav books are any alice oseman book, the outsiders, the perks of being a wallflower, i fell in love with hope

child of athena (i think, idk how to actually figure it out)

i’m probably a reggie kin?? but it also changes with my varying mental state so i just say i’m marauders soup

biggest pandalily shipper you’ll find

i love love love making character analysis’ or song or movie or tv show or books or ships or whatever

i also write sometimes!! (i suck ass)

and i’m person4924 on ao3 but i can’t figure out how to link it

this is my spotify (my character playlists are my pride and joy and reason for living. i also have the best music taste you will ever encounter.)

this is my discord

this is my airbuds idk if anyone actually uses it but i thought it’d be fun to share music with mooties

please please please send me asks i have no hobbies and one friend and im always bored please please please (im on my hands and knees begging please please please (@iluvmultipleppl needs it to be known im only on my knees for them /j (they called me a whore and told me to fix it 😔)))

i have a tagging system!! idk how much ill remember to use it but yeah!! (its also new so only my new posts will have them) #sam shut the fuck up -> any original posts that don’t fit in any of the other tags #asks!!! -> asks #crazy? i was crazy once -> just any kinda longer fandom rants that i think are important sam sings :O -> lyric/music rants!!