#cavalier-life answers questions

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Griddlehark Fics

I have read an absolutely insane amount of Griddlehark fanfics in the past few months so I figured I could make a like...list of all of my favorites that I bookmarked. I'm not sure if anyone will use this but if anything it will be for my own self-indulgence LOL. Just a heads up, this list WILL contain spoilers up to Nona the Ninth, so proceed with your own discretion. Anyway here we go!

(♥︎ = favorite!)

Short (<15k):

"By the Sword" by JeanLuciferGohard (2.6k)

The Reverend Daughter of the Ninth, Necrosaint, Ascended, the greatest bone adept in an Age, does one push-up, and collapses. Harrow does not beg for her cavalier. Harrow rakes her hair back and snarls, “Nav, I am going to unzip your cranial sutures. One by one. And zip them up again sideways.”

"Your Necro Questions Answered" by Magichorse (8.8k)

Syndicated columnist "Nav the Cav" offers a sympathetic ear to cavaliers across the galaxy and dispenses practical, no-nonsense, real talk advice on how to properly manage and care for your necromancer.

"A Lesson in Bones" by Magichorse (3.8k)

One of the laboratory trials at Canaan House compels Harrowhark to swap bodies with her cavalier. What will Gideon do with the power of the most talented bone adept in generations at her disposal? Nothing good, probably.

"Visions of Gideon" by tothewillofthepeople (13k)

Oh my god they were roommates...

"true love's kiss, or something equally nauseating" by corpsesoldier (4.6k)

She was where she needed to be. She was going to pull her necro out of this godforsaken tomb, end the game of musical bodies they were playing, and then everything would be all right. Harrow would be alive. And Gideon was going to give her shit for approximately the next myriad for not just taking what she’d offered and saving them a whole lot of trouble.

"The Big Warm Dark" by decalexas (haelstorm) (2.7k)

Gideon Nav knows how to swing a longsword, brandish a rapier, bridge the gap between life and death, punch the dead in the face, and maybe overthrow an Empire along the way. What she doesn't know how to do is reach for the girl who made all of this possible.

"carrion comfort, despair (not feast on thee)" by NotAFicWriter (5k)

Some time after Alecto wakes, Harrow and Gideon finally have a moment to speak to one another. Hearts are bared. Teeth are bared. Intentions are bared. It all comes at great personal cost (emotional honesty).

"never exhale all the way" by pigflight (1.2k)

Harrowhark paints Gideon's face.

"such an almighty sound" by CountingNothings (10k)♥︎

“I need you to marry me,” Harrow says, a propos of absolutely nothing that Gideon can see. And, uh, okay, this is not what childhood best frenemies say to each other upon discovering that both of their graduate programs have weird residence requirements. “What,” Gideon asks, “the fuck?”

"A Handsomely Dangerous Thing" by zoicite (1.5k)

Had Harrow ever looked at Gideon and felt pride before? Surely not. It sat like a tumor in her chest, a cancerous lump that had grown where it did not belong.

"How it didn't happen" by Nary (1.5k)

"How did you lose it?" Coronabeth asked, more softly than her sister's shrill voice. The group assembled at Canaan House barely knew her, and yet here they were, asking the most irritatingly personal questions, and acting as if they were being kind and thoughtful by prying into her secrets. "I dropped my pen into a vat of acid and reached in to grab it without thinking," Harrow said dryly. Coronabeth recoiled, screwing up her pretty nose. Ianthe looked unsure whether to believe her or not. Their meatslab of cavalier just stared blankly. "The Daughter of the Ninth House was blessed in this manner from her birth, as a symbol of her strength and power over the mysteries of necromancy," Ortus interjected. Harrow glared at him. "Oh," Coronabeth said, an expression of disgusting sympathy on her flawless face. "But then you would never have known who your soulmate was!" Harrow's glare intensified. "My soulmate is bones."

"Halcyon Nights" by Morike91 (10k)

It was hard to tell what was worse: feeling the full warmth of those unguarded honey eyes fall on Harrow, or watching them narrow in recognition and contempt, their warmth now hotter with something else.  “What can I get you?” It has been at least four years since Harrow last heard the voice of Gideon Nav, but it was still as familiar as her right hand. 

"I completely fucking hate you" by ClaraZorEl (7.5k)

In the coming weeks, Harrowhark learns an unfortunate great deal about Gideon Nav. The kind of porn she likes, the number of bread rolls she can fit into her mouth at once, that she always leans too heavily on her left leg when she fights but can do fifty-seven push-ups in a row without stopping, that her biceps rates 11/10 on the scale of good biceps, that her laugh rumbles like an army of skeletons, and most importantly, that she can’t fucking stand her. Gideon Nav is so grating that Harrow has no doubt she will be her undoing. OR Harrowhark Nonagesimus has been invited to Canaan University's ball. But to successfully represent her house, she needs a cavalier, and unfortunately, her only option is her least favourite barista from her least favourite coffee shop.

"A Thousand Teeth, Yours Among Them" by pipistrelle (7k)

"In the end, she poisoned Ortus; so it was Harrow Nova who walked out to the shuttle a half-step behind the Daughter of the Ninth, the chain of Samael Novenary wound about her offhand wrist, the black blade of the Ninth at her side."

"The Only Prayer We Know" by pipistrelle (12k) [Part 2 of "A Thousand Teeth, Yours Among Them"]

It's like a bad joke: two cavaliers (alive) and two necromancers (one dead) walk into a rebel faction of humanity, looking for a new life -- in every sense of the phrase. What they find is each other, and (in some cases) themselves.

"The Flames of Hell Are Warm" by silverapples (7k)

In which Harrow is a repressed evangelical Christian and Gideon performs burlesque in a lesbian nightclub. Feat. nipple pasties, chewing gum, and a steaming mug of gay coffee (wake up and smell it, Harrow).

"Necro Business" by rnanqo (1.6k) ♥︎

“Gideon,” you said carefully, “I will need to examine your mouth. Various structures, primarily the jaw, but also the lingual muscles—the tongue—” You stopped there. Your cheeks were going red, probably with indignity. “Yeah,” I said, a bit too loudly, “yeah, sure. Do it.”

"Holy Cross, Alaska" by softieghost (10k) ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎

Harrow meets Gideon. They go through it together.

"my love will be your armor" by TheKnightsWhoSayBook (2.3k)

"The princess has a right to bestow her favor on whoever she wishes to win a match," Gideon tells her. "Are you going to?" "Why would I? I don't want to marry him," Harrow answers bitterly. "Do you want me to win?" Princess Harrow will be engaged to the winner of the tournament, and her only champion is her useless bodyguard Sir Gideon Nav, who isn't going to save her. Unless...?

"The Meaning Of The Word" by pipistrelle (8.4k)

Harrow, along with a good percentage of Canaan University's necromancy students, has the flu. Gideon has a lot of feelings that she is in no way equipped to handle. It's a tough week.

"(i shine only with the light you gave me)" by sashawire (1.7k) ♥︎

God prods, gently, “Even just starting with their physical description, and we can go from there.” “Imagine,” you say, from somewhere outside your body, “the worst shade of orange you’ve ever seen in your life.” * Harrowhark receives her saintly title.

"i will learn to love the shears" by corpsesoldier (4.7k)

The avulsion trial left Harrow's hair in a sorry state and Gideon offers up her expertise with a blade. Or, Gideon gives Harrow a haircut.

"The Titty Texts: A Work of a Stupendous Titty Nature" by EleniaTrexer (3k)

Gideon accidentally sends Harrow boobs. And then just keeps on sending them.

"can we start over?" by breeeliss (10k)

Gideon needs a tutor. Harrow needs someone to get her out of college gym class. All in all, a pretty straightforward arrangement to make with your ex.

"Dark Mode Enabled" by senseoftheday (12k)

Tech Company AU in which a certain Sales bro with no filter decides to ruin Harrow's life (and feature roadmap) by initiating the cross-functional project from hell. At least, Gideon has the decency to work remotely, and Harrow's new office crush makes some pretty great coffee.

"deconsecrated graves" by emotionsandphenomena (4k)

Gideon and Harrow got out of the cult they were raised in. Okay, what's next?

"settle up in heaven" by liesmyth (3k) ♥︎

“Isn’t this arrogance, Harrow?” Kiriona says. “Think you could fix what God couldn’t?”

"Quoth the Maiden" by Sarsaparilla (10.9k)

The bold outlaws Nova Hawk and Gideon meet for the first time on a narrow log-bridge. But is it really their first meeting? Or: what if Robin Hood and Little John were both lesbians?

"twice in a blue moon" by sinshine (8.7k) ♥︎

Gideon snapped out of her depressing reverie and blinked at her. "That's a really good idea." "Obviously," said Harrow, and it was only a little bit condescending. "Step one, sneak out of the party. Step two, acquire the necessary items at a store. Step three–" Harrow gestured vaguely at the deer in Gideon's hands– "And step four, profit." [G&H rush to fix a smashed snow globe that Dulcinea made so that Cam doesn't kill them before the clock strikes midnight at their NYE party. The fact that Gideon is back in her hometown after a long time away and she and Harrow have unresolved romantic tension is secondary and definitely won't be a problem.]

"It Came From Planet Slut" by LockedTombMemes (8k)

Well. Evidently going undercover to an Idan society fling in order to deliver a message to a high-profile BoE agent was a tits-out kind of look.

"Apostate's Yuletide" by sinshine (12.6k)♥︎

Gideon raised one eyebrow comically high. She smiled easily, erasing any hint of the anxiety that Harrow might have sensed. "What's with all the questions today?" Harrow huffed indignantly and fidgeted with the blanket draped across her lap, worrying the frayed hem with her fingers. "I thought your ego would appreciate the interest." "Yeah, but it's weird coming from you. I'm used to you monologuing, not playing twenty questions." "Perhaps it's a Christmas miracle," suggested Harrow, with an expression so absolutely devoid of joy that Gideon couldn't help but laugh. [Harrow and Gideon burn down a church on Xmas.]

"when it's over" by Adertily (2.5k)

Harrowhark had sworn to herself to live to see the girl in the locked tomb awaken. Alecto has risen. Now God is dead, along with everyone who had ever been dear to her - and Gideon has returned as a distorted creature. The war is over. Harrow wishes she could be too. Or: A character study based on Harrow's suicidal ideation and Gideon's determination to never run anywhere unless she absolutely has to.

"Supernova Bloom!" by sinshine (13k)

"It's just for a week, and then you never have to see me again," said Gideon. "I don't have time to find anyone else." And, "Please." Slowly, Harrow took her hand off the door and cautiously turned around. Gideon watched a dozen unspoken questions flicker across her face. She voiced none of them, but eventually settled on an expression of grim resignation. "I suppose I could suffer you for a week." [Gideon needs help getting her new flower shop ready for the grand opening. Harrow needs cash.]

"I still need your teeth around my organs" by sinshine (7.8k)

Although she was a beloved Daughter and a talented necromancer, Gideon's greatest vice was that she dearly loved to fuck around and find out. Knowing this, perhaps it shouldn't have been as shocking when she lifted one of Nova's hands, flipped it over, and kissed her palm. [4 times Gideon kisses Harrow, 1 time Harrow kisses Gideon]

"cuckoo, cuckoo" by sashawire (1.2k)

What Wake gives it is not a name. To do so would be a moronic, unnecessary cruelty. But she does deign to give it the microscopic dignity of a title, a goal, a purpose. Bomb. Eighteen years later, in the rubble of a once-sacred home, Harrowhark Nonagesimus reaches up and touches Gideon Nav’s grit-covered, blood-rimed face, splits a laugh like the world is ending, and calls her “flower.” * Six times God's unwanted daughter was nicknamed, and once she wasn't.

"my teeth will only cut your lips, my dear" by sashawire (<1k) ♥︎

Gideon chomps into her tongue as hard as she can convince herself, stifling a very dignified squawk. Her eyes water, Emperor’s left tit that fucking hurts, but—it works. Blood weeps from the bite marks, creeping down the back of her throat, up into her nasal cavity, staining her teeth. Okay. She has blood in her mouth. Blood that, somehow, needs to get into Harrow’s mouth. * Step #6: Consume the flesh.

"fifteen percent concentrated power of will" by surreptitiously (9k)

Teaching someone to do a push-up is a love language, when that person is very annoying.

"GHAZAL WHERE I'M BEGGING YOU TO TOUCH ME" by igneousbitch (12k)

You had your body and I had mine, and it was a miracle. Your hands against my face were a miracle. The rest of your meat attached to your hands was a prayer answered and a promise broken, but we were flush and gasping and alive, and Harrow—I really thought you might’ve kissed me then. But I felt it happen. The way your breath suddenly stilled, and your body locked up beneath mine, remembering. How with splintering gentleness, you pushed me away. “I’m so sorry,” was the second thing you said upon waking. The first thing had been my name. Stranded in a safehouse on an Edenite moon, Gideon and Harrow try to put themselves back together.

"catch you on the flip side, sugar lips" by corpsesoldier (4.9k)

Maybe if Harrow's brain runs enough scenarios, she'll find a way to keep what she's lost.

"hand to heart, I swear" by corpsesoldier (5k)

Gideon has a broken heart, and there's only one necromancer who can fix it.

Medium (15-30k)

"If you're doing it right you'll break their ribs" by almostnectarine (22.4k)

"How do you know Nonagesimus has gone somewhere dangerous?" asked Isaac. "Have you wired some kind of alert system?" "It's, uh. It's on the schedule," said Gideon. "I just... forgot. Because of the bread." Nobody was convinced by this, least of all Gideon. "It's a Ninth House thing," Gideon went on, backing away with increasing desperation. This was a slightly more plausible explanation, if only because nobody wanted to look too closely at what fell under the awful skeletal-ribbed and rotting umbrella of Ninth House things. "Gotta go—!" And she was out the door, gone. But it wasn't a Ninth House thing, except inasmuch as it was happening to the only two representatives of the noble and decrepit Ninth House on this quite literally godforsaken rock. Gideon knew Harrow had gone somewhere dangerous—knew that Harrow was back in the lab where they had only just completed a horrible trial—because she could see it, clear as day: an awful overlay on her vision of that terrible dangerous room and a pair of terrible dangerous hands drawing some kind of ward next to the plinth. The hands were definitely Harrow's. This was definitely a problem.

"If Home Is Where the Heart Is (Then We're All Just Fucked)" by JeanLuciferGohard (17k) ♥︎

When Gideon Nav gets a call that her ex-girlfriend, who never bothered to change her designated emergency contact, is in the hospital, she goes against her better judgement and responds. Everything after that just gets more complicated.

"blue gray green lavender" by smolranger (29k) ♥︎

Laser Radial sailor Gideon Nav just wants pass her classes, win a few regattas, and keep her head down. FJ sailor Harrowhark Nonagesimus has grand plans to qualify for the Olympics, preserve her parent's legacy, and save her home town. Despite the ties binding them together, the two have kept their college lives carefully separate for two years. But when Harrow's helm, Ortus, suffers a concussion mid-way through the fall season, their carefully separated lives collide. Harrow needs someone capable of taking Ortus' place for the remainder of the season or her Olympic dreams — and Canaan College's entire sail team — are in peril. And Gideon is her only option.

"Daughters of Hungry Ghosts" by zoicite (24k)

Harrow and Gideon and times they have (and also have not) shared a bed over the years.

"Disney World, Florida" by softieghost (24.6k) [Part 2 of "Holy Cross, Alaska"]

After the events of Alaska, Harrow thanks Gideon the only way she knows how: devotion. -- Chapter 3: The journey concludes. More confessions.

"we've got a good thing goin' " by sinshine (14.6k) ♥︎

“Not to sound ungrateful, but being here makes me wish that you had left me for dead,” said Harrow. Gideon had been staring hard at the face of the fountain’s statue. She was pretty sure that it was carved in the likeness of Naberius himself, but she didn’t want to say it out loud and make it true. She shook her head and turned to Harrow. “Leaving me to live out eternity in your bony sock puppet of a body? Hard pass.” Palamedes and Camilla shared a look. It was the mutual understanding of two people who had been trapped in close quarters with the bickering of Gideon Nav and Harrowhark Nonagesimus for far too long. [Team 69 hide out in Babs's vacation home. Because it's not like he's using it anyway.]

"Cake by the Ocean" by zoicite (15k)♥︎

Okay, so the thing was, Gideon had always been shit at plans. She knew that. Everyone knew that, but this--she really didn’t think it would be this hard! Gideon’s voice was like the least memorable thing about her. Bargaining her voice for a well-shaped set of human legs--that really should have worked in her favor.

"careful fear and (un)dead devotion" by sinshine (23k)

[Gideon and Harrow wake up back in their own bodies but both of them are missing large parts of their memory. Camilla tries not to kill everyone.]

"who ya gonna call?" by igneousbitch (24k)

“Fret not, honeybun.” Gideon shook her red hair out of her eyes, belligerent. “I’m not totally sold on your whole skepticism thing.” “Well,” Harrow said, ignoring the nickname. She turned to the rest of the room, clearing her throat politely before addressing the empty air. “Ghosts, if you’re real, give us a sign. Make a noise. Move something. Send a shiver down our backs. Whisper softly into Nav’s left ear—” “I seriously fucking hate you.” - (Casual sex and paranormal investigation. Not necessarily in that order.) (or: the Buzzfeed Unsolved AU in which Gideon is ready to fight a ghost, and Harrow just wants to be haunted.)

Long(>30k):

"Beneath a Blue and Foreign Sky" by zoicite (35k)

Harrow has a decision to make.

"A Heart Full Of Sutures" by Rohad (40k)

All Gideon wanted was to get outside and ride her motorcycle. No part of that plan had included eight weeks in Canaan Medical Center with a broken Pelvis and the meanest little doctor this side of the eastern seabord.

"Midnight at the Mithraeum" by zoicite (66k) ♥︎

It'd been two years since Gideon Nav gathered her wine key and her gaming license and escaped The Locked Tomb, a speakeasy-style cocktail bar managed by the hateful Harrowhark Nonagesimus. Now, dealing tables at The Mithraeum Hotel & Casino, things were really looking up. So when Gideon scored a date with the most beautiful showgirl in the Gilded Halls of Ida, the last thing she expected was to wake up married to her old nemesis and former coworker. The story starts the night of Gideon's date and alternates between the events leading up to the wedding and the weeks that follow as Gideon tries to navigate life married to someone who claims to want nothing more than to forget she exists.

"Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" by pipistrelle (90k)

Being the journal of Reverend Daughter Harrowhark Nonagesimus, chronicling the journey of the Emperor's warship Cenotaph on its hunt to slay an immortal Resurrection Beast. Or: the Moby Dick crossover AU that nobody asked for.

"The Darkest Night, The Brightest Light" by eternaleponine (50k)

Harrowhark has known for a long time that her home's financial situation is dire, and not getting better. She has plans to fix it all, but can't implement them until she turns eighteen in a few months. When her parents announce that the best (perhaps only) way to save Drearburh is to marry off its heir, Harrow realizes the timeline has changed and she needs to take action now to save her home... and herself. Desperate times call for desperate measures, after all. Enter Gideon Nav. Detested foe, and Harrow's only hope.

"putting your fist through a thick sheet of glass (i know you don't want to)" by oretsev (46k)

Harrowhark Nonagesimus and Gideon Nav have always been at each other’s throats, and the animosity has only intensified since the death of Harrow’s parents. But when a car accident leaves Gideon without any memories of her past, Harrow sees a chance at the clean slate she’s wanted for years. Becoming involved in Gideon’s recovery assuages some of the guilt, but as she and Gideon become closer and increasingly involved in each other's lives, Harrow worries that some of her secrets may be more than she can atone for.

Ongoing:

"semi-charmed kinda life" by strangedelight (182k+) ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎

Gideon asked questions. Harrow surprised her with answers. They reached an agreement; they decided to be smart, to be patient. Gideon made a promise, Harrow gave her one in return. Wait and see. OR the year is 1994, and Gideon and Harrow leave their small town for life in the city. OR team 69 roommates au only this time it's the 90s

"Intern the Sixth" by apocalypticTaco (33k+)

ADDRESSING THE HEIR TO THE NINTH HOUSE, OR PRESUMED EQUIVALENT: PALAMEDES SEXTUS, HEIR TO THE SIXTH HOUSE, PRESENTS HIS COMPLIMENTS TO THE NINTH AND REQUESTS A FORMAL ARRANGEMENT WHEREIN HIS MASTER WARDEN AND CAVALIER APPRENTICESHIP UNDER THE NINTH FOR FOUR YEARS IN EXCHANGE FOR THE SIXTH’S SERVICES. *Details to be discussed. Please turn to back page. Timeframe variable. Services and agreements variable upon the Ninth's request. An internship of this caliber is highly unprecedented and likely unheard of, but any information valuable to the Ninth and into the Tomb will remain undisclosed upon request; Primary experience and study is required as the Master Warden has already decided upon such being his final thesis prior to his end studies. No takebacks, no denials. Pleased to meet you. Palamedes Sextus, Heir to the Sixth and Master Warden and Camilla the Sixth, Cavalier Primary and Warden's Hand of the Library

TO THE MASTER WARDEN: FORMALLY REJECTED.

"What's Eating Gideon Nav?" by labyrinthineRetribution (40k+)

After a miserable fifteen years at Blessed Saint Anastasia's School for Girls, Gideon's luck finally changes.

"We Have Always Lived in the Apartment" by labyrinthineRetribution (171k+)

John looks up from his Jack and Coke in drunken curiosity. "What's with the face, Harrowhark?" he asks, genuinely concerned. "Contrary to popular belief," Gideon butts in, "her face just fuckin' looks like that, bitch." She tends to use "bitch" as liberally as commas when off her ass. "You're piss drunk," you shoot back. "And you, my good bitch, are just as contemptible as the day you clawed your way up from Hell." - It is Harrowhark Nonagesimus' birthday, and it only gets worse from there.

PWP (basically):

"I'll hold in these hands all that remains" by corvidlesbian (6.5k) ♥︎

“Do you want me to try?” Gideon said. “What?” “You got all hot and bothered without me trying. Do you want me to try?” Their newfound habit of cuddling gets interesting.

"sting of a wasp" by brightbolt, imperfectlyctor (42k) ♥︎

"You’re a virgin,” Gideon said, testing it out. "Huh." Harrow didn’t like the sound of that huh. She knew Gideon’s noises, and that was a thoughtful, sinister huh. That was the same huh she’d made before putting canned tuna in Crux’s work boots. Her eyes narrowed. “What.” Gideon cocked her head to the side. “Is there a reason you’re waiting?” There was no judgement in the question— only genuine curiosity. Perhaps it was this that made Harrow more inclined to answer. “I don’t have the time to look for someone new,” She shrugged. “And my available pool is… somewhat limited.” “Well,” Gideon said, with just a hint of conspiracy in those glittering golden eyes. “If you ever want to change that, you have my number.” What? What? Harrow blinked. “What?” Or: the five times Gideon and Harrow successfully bone, and the one time they don't.

"Suckle, Honey" by zoicite (7.9k)

“You crave my juice,” Gideon accused. “I do not crave your juice.” “Fuck, you do though. You went off to explore that study alone, without your cavalier, using a key that I nearly gave my life for, and then you snorted some powder that made you crave my juice! Harrow. I never would have let you sniff powder from a ten thousand year old jar.” This was untrue--Gideon probably wouldn’t have noticed Harrow breathing in a puff of jar powder until it was too late--but it sounded like something Camilla Hect might say, so Gideon went with it anyway. Camilla definitely would have stopped Palamedes from accidentally sniffing old as fuck Eighth House jarred juice addiction powder.

"Five Times We Hatefucked and One Time We Didn't" by rnanqo (8k)

“Fuck you,” you said. “Fuck me yourself, you coward.” You ran a hand through my hair, fisted it, and pulled my head up. From here I had a spectacular view of your weird blown-out seething expression, like I was the worst thing you’d ever seen. Also a view up your blood-crusted nostrils. Choice. “Maybe I will, Griddle,” you said. “Maybe I will stop fucking you over and start fucking you." Gideon and Harrow realize, abruptly, that their hatefucking is no longer hatefucking.

"a call to motion" by groundedsaucer (coasterchild) (10k) ♥︎

Harrow and Gideon watch a porno.

"put her canine teeth in the side of my neck" by stranded_star (8.8k)

Harrowhark Nonagesimus is getting a PhD and a divorce. Against her better judgment, she goes out to the bar to celebrate and meets an incorrigible, absolutely ripped salt-and-paprika butch who takes her home and gives it to her good. To her horror, it's the best night of her life, and she sneaks home with her tail between her legs. Harrow has more important things to worry about - like raising her daughter and building the next stages of her career. But when her daughter's favorite teacher, someone named Griddle, turns about to be the Gideon she met at the bar, she's forced to contend with allowing herself (and her daughter) to find the happy ending she never thought they'd have. Featuring MILF!Harrow, Teacher!Gideon, and a very amused Camilla Hect.

"The Wound That Swallows" by seelieunseelie (7.8k)

Harrow can make out an uncomfortable amount of detail about Gideon’s body beneath. Powerful, strong as ever, yet somehow vulnerable for its supplication below Harrow’s. “Are we gonna get this over with?” Gideon says in a voice softly scratchy. She blushes then when Harrow sits on the edge of the bed. “It will hurt,” Harrow says. “Yeah,” Gideon says. “I think I can handle it.”

[grandlinedreams]

|| I regret nothing

[Heads up!: absolute filth, dom/sub dynamics, color system, finger-sucking, spitting, law gets MEAN and i'm sorry, edging, orgasm denial, multiple orgasms, reader is not explicitly gendered but there is usage of termed genitals (clit), piv, unprotected sex (make informed decisions kids!)]

"What about you and Law, though?"

To be fair, Law doesn't mean to overhear your conversation over a transponder snail. It's part of your monthly gossip sessions with Nami and Robin, having remained close friends with the pair despite Law's insistence that now that the alliance is over, you should be enemies.

At the mention of his name, however, curiosity halts him in his tracks as he creeps as close as he can to the door without you noticing. 

"What do you mean?" On your end, Nami's question makes you frown as you eye what's left of your drink. 

"Well, you know," Nami says, and you imagine she's making a gesture with her hand to try and help further communicate her point. "Can't help but wonder what that's like with him. He's not like…" She trails off. "Rough, is he? You aren't limping or anything, right?" 

Your cheeks warm at both the mention of your sex life and how cavalier Nami is about asking, as well as the thought of it. Though the two of you are intimate, you can't really say Law has ever been rough with you. Firm yes, but never rough or demanding, and certainly not in a way that's left you limping.

It surprises you how much you like the idea of it though, and your cheeks darken as you study the sheets beneath you. "No, never like that. He'd never hurt me."

"Well duh," Nami sighs, exasperated. "I'm not saying the guy should put you in a cast or anything, justㅡ" Here you imagine she's shrugging, "Be a little more assertive with you, I guess."

Assertive. The idea of it sends a shiver down your spine as you sit up, setting your drink aside. "Bringing it up to him would be the issue," you lament, and Nami makes a noise of sympathy. 

"You'll figure it out somehow." 

The conversation drifts away from that and by the time you hang up, it's all but been pushed to the back of your mind.

For you, at least.

ㅡ 

It lingers with Law the rest of the day. 

Thoughts circle like a shark that's scented blood, refusing to leave even as he throws himself into his work. Do you want him to be rough with you?

He's not ever heard you complain to him and if he's honest with himself, there's some pride to be had in how easily he gets you to fall apart for him. But if you want him to be rougher ㅡ 

"Law?" The snap of fingers in his face makes him jolt, looking up to find you watching him in concern. "Are you okay? You were spacing out."

"I'm fine," he says, debating for a moment before he sighs. "Actually, I have something I want to discuss with you."

Your head tilts. "Is it work related or personal?"

"Personal." He debates, wondering how he should go about this ㅡ and then decides to just push forward with his usual blunt attitude. "I heard your conversation earlier." 

Your confusion increases. "With who?"

"Nami." He watches you sort through things mentally, then watches color begin to creep into your cheeks. 

"So you heard about…" You trail off, and the color in your cheeks darkens as your pulse picks up. Though you're certain Law would never eavesdrop on purpose without a reason, that doesn't negate the fact that he'd heard you talking to Nami.

About wanting him to be rougher with you in bed. 

"Oh my god," you groan, burying your face into your hands. Embarrassed does not begin to cover how you feel at the moment, and you peer at him from between your fingers. "Just forget what you heardㅡ"

"No." Law's voice is firm. It startles you, makes you lower your hands from your face to look at him. "You want me to be rougher with you, is that it?"

There's an edge to his tone now, one that ignites an answering stir of warmth in your veins as he locks eyes with you. 

"Words, [Name]."

You swallow hard. "Yes," you answer, trying not to let your voice drop into a mumbled whisper. "I want you to be rougher with me." 

God. You wish that the ground would open up and swallow you whole, barely catching the sound of approaching footsteps before there are fingers at your chin, guiding your head back up to look at Law.

There's quiet heat simmering in his eyes already, the curve of his mouth a sinful promise. "Careful what you wish for, [Name]."

ㅡ 

Law's mouth is hot against your core and you whine at the dig of his tongue against your clit, swollen nub pulsing against it. Sweat beads at your temple, rolling down as you buck your hips and work towards your orgasm.

You want to dig your hands into his hair, yank him flush against you and make him stay put until you cum ㅡ but you don't. Instead, you moan as he laps at the abundant slick, breathing shallow.

Close, you're so close ㅡ and just as you think he's going to let you topple over that precipice, he pulls away. You offer a broken sob as you're forced to walk that razor edge of denied pleasure, lament the pleasurable pulse as it begins to ebb.

This is either the fourth or fifth time he's denied you, and despite the fact you know you haven't cum, you know you've soaked the bed sheets beneath you. 

"Color?" The question is spoken against your hip, the bite of teeth in your skin as he waits for your answer. Even for the writhing, desperate mess he's made you, Law makes sure you know where he stands.

"Green," you gasp, groaning when he moves over you, replacing the drag of his tongue against your core with the press of his thigh. "Green, let me cum please, pleaseㅡ"

Law swats at your thigh. "Stop whining, or I won't give you anything." 

You choke back a whine, reflexive tears in your eyes that do nothing to sway Law for the way he ignores it in favor of pressing his fingers to your bottom lip.

"Open," he prompts, ignoring your look of confusion as you part your lips. Two digits slide in, pressing against your tongue. "Suck."

It takes you a minute to process the command, the unwavering gaze that he meets you with. You close your mouth around his fingers, and he smirks.

"So you can listen. What a surprise."

The slick slide of your tongue against his fingers makes Law's eyes darken, lust blown pupils locked on the way you swallow, cock twitching in his jeans. 

You suck at his fingers, tongue swirling over the digits until Law is satisfied, slipping them from your mouth. Your cheeks flush at the wet, intentional drag of them over your abdomen, marked path as he slips them between your thighs and sinks them into you.

Your face burns and heart hammers at the wet noises of movement, the way you can't help but clench around his fingers, desperate for friction. You're not sure if it's better or worse than his tongue, sharp cry leaving your mouth when his thumb finds that swollen bundle of nerves again. 

All you can do is pant and moan as he works you open with his fingers, drag of his digits against your pulsing walls working you ever closer to that precipice again.

This time he doesn't pull away as you near your orgasm, watching as you buck your hips, chasing that high, the tightening of your walls around his fingers as he finally, finally lets you cum.

You offer a choked sob as pleasure washes over you, clenching hard against the continuous work of Law's fingers in your slick heat as you soak his hand. He helps you ride it out, though he doesn't let up.

"You can give me another." It's spoken as a command more than a taunt, one you're helpless to deny as he makes you buck against the pain-pleasure pull of overstimulation.

The second orgasm is quick, coupled with the hard press of his thumb and curve of his fingers against the spot that fries your nerves as you cum a second time, babbling incoherently as you add to the mess you're inevitably making of him and the bed. 

Law watches you pant, the whimper as he drags his fingers from your over sensitive warmth to examine the slick mess of his fingers. You blush as he brings his fingers to his mouth, cleaning the digits of your cum. You'd be lying if you said you didn't want his tongue back against you, or better yet, the hard heat of his dick nestled deep inside you. 

He leans as if he's going to kiss you, but the purse of his lips is the only warning you get before saliva smacks against your cheek. Shame heats your cheeks for the whine that leaves your lips, the way you clench around nothing in answer. 

"How pathetic," he taunts, laughing when you whine at his words. "Are you that desperate?"

He knows the answer to that, the way you watch him ㅡ and he kisses you, tastes of both you and himself as he deepens it, claims your mouth and muffles your soft whine.

The jingle of his belt being unhooked and downward tug of his pants is a godsend, his soft hiss as he settles over you making you shiver. 

The sink of him into you is quick and hard, made rough for the snap of his hips against yours, the pleasure of being filled so completely making your head spin. 

Law sets a brutal pace, groans at the way your back arches and your hips work to meet his thrusts, tip kissing that spongy spot within you. 

"Brat," he grunts, breath hot against your skin. "Acting like I don't give you what you want. I do, don't I?"

"You do," you manage, but it isn't good enough for Law as he grabs at the soft plush of your thigh, drags it up, sinks deeper and revels in the high, stuttered cry and plea that follows. "There, right there, please—"

"Shut up," he hisses, "don't demand things from me. You take what I give you and you don't complain, got it?"

You could cry, and maybe you are ㅡ it's hard to think about it when Law is fucking you like this, splitting you open in a way only he can. A way you only want him to, reverent in the way his body connects with yours.

Your third orgasm of the night sweeps over you like a tidal wave, hot and fast as it swallows you and you whimper as he keeps moving, prolonging the pleasure. "Law, I can't, I can'tㅡ"

"You can," he almost snarls, desperate for his own orgasm with the way you throb around him, pairing the hard snap of his hips with the way he squeezes at your jaw. "Open."

Your lips part obediently and he groans, shuddering as he spits into your own mouth before he kisses you. It's dirty and messy, makes you burn for the shame of it all ㅡ and pushes you into your fourth and final orgasm of the night. 

The hard spasm of your walls pulls Law with you, the way he tenses and groans, pushing himself as deep into you as he can before he spills, filling you to the brim.

Law presses his sweat slick forehead against your shoulder, fighting to even his breathing before he speaks. "Color?"

"Green," you rasp, "but I can't feel my legs." The unholy seep of your release and his makes you shudder as he slips out of you, the aching burn of your thighs.

"Sorry," Law murmurs, kisses your jawline and makes you hum tiredly. "Think you'll be able to walk tomorrow?"

The recall to the overheard conversation makes you squeak, slapping at Law's arm as he laughs.

[vaguely-concerned]

In light of the info about the properties of souls in The Unwanted Guest, I want to shout out that Gideon — with no grounding in the theoretical underpinnings of the subject whatsoever — actually makes basically the same observation about the permeability of the soul at the end of Harrow the Ninth, when she's in Harrow's body and (with some justification) is pretty sure she's about to die in the River:

Harrowhark, did you know that if you die by drowning, apparently your whole life flashes in front of your eyes? I didn't know, as I died and took you along with me—having kept you alive for what, a whole two hours?—whether it was going to show me both. Like, at the end of everything, if it was going to be you and me, layered over each other as we always were. A final blurring of the edges between us, like water spilt over ink outlines. Melted steel. Mingled blood. Harrowhark-and-Gideon, Gideon-and-Harrowhark at last.

‘As we always were’! ‘Melted steel, mingled blood’! (Also interesting that despite saying earlier in the book that all she ever wanted was for Harrow to eat her (oh Gideon), the metaphors Gideon reaches for here are not about consumption ala what Ianthe’s deal and thus traditional lyctorhood is presented as in TUG, it’s about similar and equal substances joining together to a new whole, more like what we see with Paul. I personally feel like a Paul-style merging for Harrow and Gideon is not in the cards and would not be a satisfying ending — it worked as a bittersweet conclusion specifically for Pal and Cam because those two are utterly nuts in all their sanity lol, but I don’t think the series means to present it as The definitive answer to the central question of individuation vs. connection. There is something so moving to me, though, in the fact that right at the end this is what Gideon wants for her and Harrow. Not for Harrow to eat her, not simply to be of use to her, but to be made together from the same stuff. It’s a longing for connection and union that’s finally at least in imagery free from the imbalance within the ultimately hierarchical roles of necromancer and cavalier that Gideon internalizes through her corruption arc in Gideon the Ninth, understandably so as it’s the only model she’s presented with in their society to understand intimacy and attachment and devotion through. But Gideon says Harrowhark-and-Gideon, Gideon-and-Harrowhark at last, mutually and equally. And I’ve written about this before, but at what must be almost exactly the same time, the same process is happening in Harrow’s mind through the evolution in the symbolism of her dream bubbles. Help I am emotions now) 

Palamedes is so right, Gideon is a lot smarter than most people -- including Gideon herself -- ever give her credit for.

[starberry-cupcake]

I've been reading, but didn't have time to sit down and do this, so you're getting a bit of a mess in this one, sorry about that!

I want to clarify, before starting, that if I ask questions to the void in these posts, or if I wonder very loudly about something, I'm not really looking for answers immediately nor am I doubting that things will be explained later, I promise I trust the process. If something's going to be explained, somewhere in the books, I'll get there eventually, I promise I will. You have probably noticed by now but, if you give me a hint, I'm gonna grab onto it for dear life, so better not give me anything at all. Just leave me here to die, I beg you.

previously, in harrowberry the ninth:

this happened

currently, chapters 17-19:

I'm gonna start by the end, actually

which maybe is fitting for this book

but I'll start by the end because I have a new theory and I feel this one in my bones

(pun intended)

I might be totally off but I'm gonna say it anyway because I'm excited about this one

so much so that you'll get no memes while I explain it

it's about G and P

yes, I know, I'm fixated with that, but hear me out

I think Lyctortus isn't actually called Ortus

I think his name is Gideon

let me explain

at the end of chapter 19 (I'll get there, but I need this off my chest, I really do) harrow asks mercygirl why ortus the first wants her dead

to which mercygirl distractedly answers "who?"

that's the last thing I read so far, but it got my wheels turning so fast I came running to write it down

I thought "wait, what if, just like ortus is replacing gideon in the gideon-less re-telling, the name is also a replacement?"

so I went to the character list and lyctortus's cavalier was called pyrrha

so what if they're G and P

Gideon and Pyrrha the Second

and what if the Gideon in the paper was this guy

so this is not a case of Ortus 1 and 2 but of Gideon 1 and 2

not!dulcinea told our gideon "you're very brave—a bit like another Gideon I used to know. But you're prettier in the eyes"

which is, all things considered, actually funny, because it's a reversal of what mercygirl was saying, that yandere twin and harrow aren't as pretty as their predecessors

I'm gonna risk looking like a fool later and calling this now because I really feel this one

again, let me clarify, I'm not asking you to tell me whether I'm right or wrong or anything at all, I'm just placing my bets with myself

and I know starting by the end isn't really the best way to go about a recap, but I think I'm on to something

MOVING BACK, to chapter 17

harrow starts looking into mercygirl for her new and probably not improved diary, because she knows less things now

augustine the saint of annoyance tells harrow that mercygirl and him are the oldest lyctors in the band and that it took generations for these space planet destroyers to assemble

emperor john silver tells harrow that his stupid nicknames that don't fit were meant to represent the cavaliers and not the necros

of course augustine's brother was patient, he had to put up with augustine

mercygirl is also a body expert

an anatomist, if you will

which will come in handy later/earlier (later in the reading order, earlier in the timeline order)

augustine says that he didn't bother learning that because the only use for it would be to kill lyctors

tbh it'd come in handy right now that I want to kill him, but I digress

here, harrow again mentions that ortus the first (also known as lyctortus, also known as allegedly gideon the first, also known as I'm super super sure of this you guys) wants her dead

CHAPTER 18

we're back on canaan house in the gideon-less version

these are the chapters I'm having the most fun with, which wasn't what I expected

I don't know why, I really like this whole re-written mystery thing

the slasher film vibes have doubled this time

I keep drawing parallels and enjoying my time with these old and new friends

and, talking about old and new friends, judith is dead

remember judith? remember how she died?

it wasn't like this

in this gideon-less version, instead of becoming besties with the sixth, harrow and ortus have become besties with the fifth

because 1) the fifth didn't die and 2) the fifth is in a polycule with ortus

with gideon there, they befriended the sixth because gideon saw camilla fight 5 seconds and was like "she's friend shaped :)"

so, the fifth and the ninth are taking care of judith's corpse

she was shot repeatedly with a carbine rifle

harrow says "it would have been like being set upon by a ghost out of time"

gonna put that in the 3d model

martita is outside and she's the only pseudo witness to this situation

the gideon-less version of the deaths so far is being handled like this

martita says to harrowbean "why am I here?"

she explains that they were doing the two door test thingy and, while she was in the other room, judith was shot

now, here's the thing

I thought the Sleeper that had been mentioned was the construct thing but no, it's not

it's a new thing

I'm picturing sorta this

it very well could be a person though

it's person shaped

huh

it's in a coffin where it sleeps unless it's woken up, but they don't know how it wakes up, because martita went to town kicking and punching the coffin after judith was obliterated and nothing happened

and what keeps it contained, snow white style, isn't plex glass, plex or glass

ortus proceeds to say a eulogy

martita says "Is this really how it happens?" like we've been hearing all this time

harrowbean tries to make her feel better by telling her that, at least judith died quickly

mmm...about that

martita says "No. That's not...Don't know why I thought...No."

martita doesn't know judith died slowly and painfully and wrong about everything btw, she died first, it memory serves

but still, savage

harrow regrets not telling ortus to take the pledge of silence and says "but only a very obedient idiot of a cavalier would have stuck to that"

she's your obedient idiot, though, harrow

so, the rundown is this:

the sleeper can move

the sleeper can pass necromantic wards

the sleeper shouldn't be waken

people don't know what wakes it

it has a rifle

the sleeper is lying on top of sword that's a two-hander

me, having breakfast while reading this

I didn't mention this but

harrow and abby say that judith was killed by a deadly shot and then was subsequently used for target practice and left like a colander without any reason for it

judith disrespected camilla, so

that's what you get, bitch

CHAPTER 19

we travel in time, but in the timeline of the emperor's bolthole

because WHY NOT, AT THIS POINT

we're keeping track anyway *picks back up the timeline I keep discarding and re-using*

this one is 10 months before the emperor johnny boy is ended, so this is before what we've been reading

we are told the following essential info:

harrow has written a letter for yandere twin in case of harrow's death that says: "Get what joy you can from my corpse, you devious bitch"

filed under potential resignation letter drafts

apparently a lyctor can live without food but not without water

so harrowcita is getting herself a sopita

and then lyctortus also known as I'm sure he's gideon the first stabs her

this tiny baby kitten with her sopita

man has no heart

no decency

no decorum

not his real name, according to me

mercygirl helps harrow with a lot of skill (those anatomy skills we talked about) but not much empathy

she tells alleged gideon who goes by ortus, when he says "I do things face-to-face" that "that is what got you into trouble nineteen years ago"

HELLO TIMELINE

nineteen years ago takes us back to the whole leader of the BOE going missing and gideon's mom drifting into space and the person sent with the eggs and all that

well, the eggs thing isn't directly related yet but I'm relating it

especially since there were lies involved and somebody sent to placate another somebody

DUDE CAN YOU IMAGINE

IF HE WAS INVOLVED WITH GIDEON'S MOM IN SOME WAY

AND OUR GIDEON IS NAMED AFTER THIS GIDEON????

LIKE ON PURPOSE????

HELLO?????????

AGAIN, NOBODY TELL ME, I'M ASKING AT THE VOID

YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE IMPULSE OF TELLING ME BUT DON'T DO IT

I'm making up telenovela theories about how this gideon could be involved into our gideon's mom business and our gideon being named after him

and gideon's superpowers of being hercules having something to do with all this

I need to stop before I say too much and then feel embarrassed at my theories

ALSO

gideon ortus wants harrow's sword

harrowbean doesn't want to give it to him

it is at this point when mercygirl says "who?" at harrow's question about "ortus", so we end how we begun, because today it's that kind of day

also, another day without her coming home

I may be late but boy do I have theories. And yeah, nobody tell me any spoilers, please. Let me make a fool of myself.

[brucenorris007]

It doesn't take Blaze long, after she agrees to help and crosses dimensions, to realize that Silver isn't doing well in his fight against the beast called Iblis.

His efforts are heroic, there's no question; but his methods leave. . . something to be desired.

He never hesitates, which means he doesn't plan; and despite whatever injuries he might have or the fact that since returning to his world he hasn't stopped coughing for more than thirty minutes at a time, he pushes himself like he's the image of perfect health.

He's younger than Blaze.

On the fourth day of their collaboration to save his world, he raced into an actively collapsing building to rescue people trapped inside; debris blocked Blaze from entry before she could follow or stop him.

She doesn't know all that happened inside while she'd been searching for another way in, calling Silver's name and receiving no answer; the end result was that minutes later, the bright glow of Silver's psychokinesis encased the whole structure. Eight ran outside as several dozen tons of cement and steel slowly rose into the air.

Silver was not among them.

Blaze found him blacked out on his feet, arms shaking and his nose bleeding profusely on the ground. She just barely managed to carry him to safety as the light from his powers faded and the building came down.

And, when he regained consciousness, he was so. . . nonchalant about it. Only asking for confirmation that everyone had gotten out.

For reasons Blaze couldn't name, that had been the straw that made her snap and scold him for his recklessness. She knows well of duty, and the necessity of sacrifice; she doesn't know why the sight of Silver being so cavalier with his life in favor of helping others chafes her the way it does.

For all that, she manages to instill a least a smidgen of caution in him; enough to at least spare her a glance and a moment before he charges forward.

And if nothing else, she teaches him the breathing techniques she uses to keep her lungs clear in the smoke.

@generic-sonic-fan

[sunflowerscottie]

Okay, I have some thoughts based on what I’ve been seeing people post.

The first thought is about Rio and Agatha’s kiss. I do not believe that any kiss with Rio would automatically kill Agatha. I do think that Agatha kissed Rio and used that as a way to siphon Rio’s powers (remember, it was established that this would kill Agatha). The visuals in the scene are very much like those they use when Agatha is draining another witch and you can see a brief moment of confusion on Rio’s face when it starts. Agatha’s death is not what Rio expected from the kiss. I think this is also supported by the episode four scene, because there’s no way that either one of them would have been so cavalier about that.

The second thought is about the reasoning behind Agatha killing all those witches. I have two theories on this that I feel very strongly about. It could be one, it could be the other, or it could be a combination of the two. I think that Agatha was killing witches to distract/placate Rio to prevent her from taking Nicky. It’s possible that Agatha thought the deaths could restore a balance and, in a way, pay for her son’s continued life. The other reason could be that Agatha was killing the witches in the hope of gaining enough power to stop Rio from taking Nicky when she did eventually come for him. Either or both could be true (or neither, I just think these are the most plausible reasons).

The third thought is about Agatha and Rio’s relationship as a whole. I see a lot of people posting that they were never in love, that Agatha was only using Rio to delay her own death, but I don’t think that’s the case. The scene at the end of episode four, the way Agatha takes such comfort in Rio, I don’t think that scene would have gone the same way if Agatha didn’t still love Rio, or if Agatha had never loved Rio at all. The way I see it, Agatha made her a promise, “If you do this, I will hate you forever,” and for once in her life, she’s following through. Hate and Love are both passionate emotions, and they turn so easily—but also not at all. If we see more of them, and I am praying to Jac Schaeffer that we do, I think we’ll see that between them. The hate that Agatha feels toward herself for failing Nicky (“The truth is too awful”, “I can’t face him!”) that she’s projected onto Rio for doing the one thing Rio had to do—her job as a keeper of the balance of life and death—and also the love that Agatha had and still has for Rio despite everything.

[Still on that topic, I do think that Rio’s giving Agatha more time was a mistake on her part. Rio thought she was giving Agatha what she wanted, but realistically, I think it ended up hurting Agatha more in the long run.]

The fourth thought is about the posts saying that because the Road wasn’t technically real, Alice’s, Lilia’s, and Sharon’s deaths didn’t mean anything. Just because the physical road they were on was Billy’s creation doesn’t mean it wasn’t real. I’m so confused about why people are saying that. Nothing is real until it’s created. Billy created the Road, and the Road gave them the trials, and in the end they did achieve their goals. Billy’s involvement in the Road’s ‘reality’ doesn’t undo any of that, and I don’t understand why people are saying that it does. I mean, technically, Agatha created the Road and Billy just brought it into existence using his magic. It’s not any less real for that, and their experiences certainly aren’t any less real.

The fifth thought is that we were definitely left with a lot of questions about Agatha. It’s clear that they set some things up with the intention of having those questions answered in later projects (I, personally, am hoping for a prequel or something). How did Agatha get the Darkhold? How did Rio and Agatha meet? What’s the beef between Rio and Agatha’s mother (because there was such tension between them that reeked of history)? Why did Agatha’s mom think Agatha was evil from the moment she left the womb? That’s pretty extreme so there had to be a reason. There’s just so much that wasn’t fleshed out, so I’m hoping they left it in order to have some things to play with later.

If the show had been entirely about Agatha, I think these questions would’ve probably been answered, but it wasn’t and they weren’t. There was a whole coven of witches to go into (and honestly I would’ve loved to see more of them, too). The main point of the show was to introduce Agatha into her role per the comics: a mentor. While the show did that, I think it would’ve benefited from a longer season so that all of the things that got introduced could be fully explored.

[chamerionwrites]

Semi-relatedly and conversely there is this phenomenon in fiction I always want to talk about, but hesitate to talk about because I fear coming across as prescriptive, when I don’t think there’s any One True And Correct Answer here so much as just. A pattern worth talking about.

Which is that it is pretty common for narrative depictions of certain kinds of violence - I’m thinking of torture, specifically - to either subtextually evoke or very textually represent sexual violence as a kind of shorthand for violence in general. (I’m not only or even primarily talking about fandom here - but I do think it’s worth pointing out as an aside that even if that connection isn’t explicit in the text, fandom can frequently be relied on to make it explicit.) And on the one hand this is reasonably true to life, in that where you find torture you more often than not also find rape. On the other hand, this can sometimes feel quite troubling within the context of a media environment that is often cavalier AT BEST about depicting torture - like creators and/or audiences need the sexual violence part tacked on in order to take it seriously. On yet another hand, within that context of torture all too often being framed as heroic, maybe there’s some value in pointing out that if someone is down for one sort of dehumanizing boundary-crossing abuse of power they’re not unlikely to be down for another sort. On another hand the metaphor sort of writes itself, and the engine of narrative runs on symbol and theme and metaphor, so maybe it’s not surprising that stories about power and violence and violation reach for very visceral and recognizable examples of The Things They’re About. On another hand it sometimes feels really suggestive of who is writing stories that sexual violence is treated is like the visceral and recognizable (and relatable to the assumed audience?) example while state violence (again, these things are far from mutually exclusive) is so often treated like an abstraction. On another hand it’s kind of wild that sexual violence in its own right is so often downplayed and tiptoed around and relegated to subtext in narratives, but then gets used as a kind of shorthand almost to the exclusion of any other narrative representation of torture.

Anyway that’s a lot of hands, and like I said I’m raising a question more than arguing a point here, and I’m not even saying I want to see a ton of people talking about it (ngl I cringe at the thought of the wildly insensitive and dogmatic social media takes this subject could generate), but idk. I do find it slightly surprising that I’ve practically never heard it even brought up.

[kolbietheaggrievedwriter]

jack & ian it's almost two o'clock in the morning! what are you doing here?

This is an AU taking place like one or two years before Ian meets Luke.

-

"It's almost two o'clock in the morning! What are you doing here?"

When filtered through Ian's character settings, it becomes a gruffly disapproving, "It's late." The probing question goes unspoken but not unheard.

Jack doesn't answer immediately, instead crawling the rest of the way through Ian's bedroom window and shutting it behind him. His movements are strangely stiff, and the unmistakable smell of blood follows him inside. Afterward, he simply stands with his back to Ian, gripping the sill like he needs it to steady himself.

Then suddenly, he turns to leer at Ian's naked upper body, which is only barely visible in the light of the moon, like all of that had simply been Ian's imagination. "Look at you. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were hoping I'd drop by, baby." He seems as flirtatious and cavalier as ever, but there's an audible strain in his voice, an underlying pain.

It doesn't take a genius to realize he's injured. But that's no surprise. That's the only reason Ian would allow him to step foot inside his room, to encroach upon his privacy like this when Ian usually keeps the delinquent shit far, far away from his normal student life. This exact scenario has occurred enough times now that Ian can be reasonably sure that it won't threaten that careful balance, but he's still miffed about it.

He stumbled upon Jack severely wounded one time and was stupid enough to help him. He was even more stupid to bring him back to his school dorm, even though the clinic was closed and both his family home and hideout were off limits for obvious reasons. Of course his naive act of kindness opened the fucking floodgates. What else had he expected? It's like Jack's a vampire, and now that he's been invited in, he can come inside any time he damn well pleases.

"Like you could even take me normally," Ian snaps, temper nonexistent due to his sleep being interrupted and his home invaded. A one-two hit combo guaranteed to piss him off. He's really not in the mood for games.

"So harsh! You're really not cute at all." Jack barks a laugh, immediately giving up the ruse and holding a hand to the dark patch of blood staining the side of his shirt in an attempt to stem the flow.

Despite himself, Ian's eyes catch on the injury and linger. The crazy bastard definitely made it worse scaling the side of Ian's building like some shitty cat burglar, but that has nothing to do with him. He's not obligated to do anything except shove this asshole right back out that window and then get some well-deserved shut eye. Which he is absolutely going to do for real this time, right now.

"...Come on," Ian eventually says, annoyed beyond belief - with himself and the smug fucker who keeps taking advantage of him. He stalks out of his bedroom and toward the bathroom where he keeps the first-aid kit without waiting for the smartass remark he knows is coming.

[arithmonym]

Pyrrha learns about Dulcie??? 👀

this WIP is only bullet points in a google doc right now, but i want to properly write it out someday!!

the concept:

in the early weeks of living together, pyrrha notices that camilla and palamedes are unusually good at taking care of nona. from the start, they’ve always tried to respect her agency, even though nona can’t reliably communicate with anyone yet. in general, they have so many caregiving skills that you wouldn’t expect a pair of twenty-two-year-olds to have, and they take on these new responsibilities as if they already expected to have them — as if they’d been studying for years in preparation.

pyrrha wants to know what’s up with that.

she starts with camilla first, because camilla is the one in the body for most of the day, and she’s the one who volunteers to help nona in the bath. (it’s an involved task, especially when nona tries to eat the soap. it’s hard to squirm away.)

pyrrha asks camilla if she trained as a nurse or something on top of being a cavalier — you never know with sixth kids; they’re overachievers like that — but camilla deflects, saying that she and the warden both received some medical training, and it started when they were very young.

(camilla refuses to answer any follow-up questions. notably, she frowns when pyrrha asks if she’s an older sister.)

eventually, it’s palamedes who answers. he tells pyrrha about dulcie — the years of correspondence, the efforts to make her more comfortable, the life he wished he and camilla could have had with her, the doomed proposal, the attempt to avenge her, et cetera. wistfulness drips through his speech — palamedes would’ve been honored to care for her in whatever way she let him, and he and camilla wanted to be realistic about what that might entail.

pyrrha recognized camilla for what she was almost immediately. as palamedes speaks, looking old and tired beyond his years, pyrrha realizes with an odd pang in her chest that he’s a landmine person, too.

[wip title ask meme.]

[blessingmaxxer]

My response to @mywitchyblog!

"Thank you for your response! I definitely have a deeper understanding of your perspective. I will make sure to answer your direct questions within your argument as soon as possible, as well as also clarify/highlight some of the points I made in my argument." - my initial response to your post

My stance: Race-changing is often (if not always) disrespectful and you shouldn't need to race-change to care about or try to understand another race

With that being said, I'll start again!

To answer your question about mixed people race-changing, I don't see why one would need to? Are you not those races??

Anyway, the practice of reality shifting, wherein individuals immerse themselves in alternate realities or dimensions, includes the controversial activity of race changing. You argue that race changing allows for profound personal growth, empathy development, and cultural competence. However, critics express concerns about cultural appropriation, racial fetishization, and racism. This essay critically examines the arguments for race changing in reality shifting, addressing its ethical implications and assessing the validity of its claimed benefits.

You and some others describe the practice as a deeply immersive experience that extends beyond physical transformation, including emotional and cultural integration. You say that this immersive experience fosters empathy and a nuanced understanding of different racial identities. However, this perspective oversimplifies the implications of embodying an entirely different racial identity, especially considering that race-changing practitioners can opt in and out of their new identities at will—a privilege not afforded to real individuals facing racial discrimination. Those who do so will always do it in a cavalier manner, since they can easily discard all social implications and conventions that exist. Vacationing to a life of discrimination is truly disheartening and fetishizing to see.

"Just wanting see" what the hell that is discrimination is like is backwards. What could be so interesting about a different race that you have to become it? If you strip every argument down, it will always lead to someone not fully respecting other races is-- They don't see it as something to be held in regard if they can easily cross that boundary.

While you claim that race changing enhances empathy by allowing individuals to experience life from a different racial perspective, this argument has limitations. Experiencing racial identity through shifting lacks the permanence and systemic context that characterize real-life racial experiences. Even if you shift to a new race, you will never inherit the deep-rooted understanding of what it means to be that race. Visiting another country does not make you automatically or intrinsically a part of it's culture for the virtue of you being there, and having a willingness to "learn", does not automatically translate to a willingness to be respectful of that culture or identity.

Shifters may encounter only a superficial or selective aspect of racial identity without enduring the lifelong societal challenges and discrimination that individuals of that race face. Thus, the empathy developed through such a practice might be more akin to a simulated experience rather than a genuine understanding of racial adversity.

Furthermore, while race changing might lead to personal reflection, the capacity for self-reflection does not naturally translate into a deeper or more accurate understanding of racial issues. Genuine empathy and social justice awareness require sustained engagement with real-world issues and communities, not merely temporary immersion in alternate realities.

Shifting for a few months or years does not an empathetic person make, or give you true understanding of an identity. What do you expect, you have someone call you a slur and suddenly you become a better and more understanding person, ready to fight discrimination every which way? Multiverse or not, that's not how people work.

You acknowledge that race changing can be seen as a form of cultural appropriation. That is because it is. Assuming a different racial identity, especially for temporary and frivolous purposes, does, in fact, trivialize and commodify the lived experiences of those races. You don't want it to be that way, but it is. You counter that shifters can engage with new cultures deeply and respectfully, integrating themselves fully into their desired identities.

Nevertheless, this perspective fails to address the fundamental issue that race changing involves choosing and discarding identities at will, an act that lacks the permanence and societal impact associated with real racial experiences. The practice risks perpetuating the notion that racial identities are interchangeable and can be explored without the enduring consequences of systemic racism, ergo, discarding the meaningfulness of these people and experiences.

Additionally, the ability to "opt out" of a racial identity undermines the reality of living with that identity, potentially reducing it to a mere fantasy or experiment, which for an incomprehensible amount of people, it is not.

The concern of racial fetishization is pertinent, as race changing might encourage the objectification or exoticization of racial identities. I argue that focusing on racial characteristics for personal or imaginative exploration can reinforce stereotypes and reduce complex identities to superficial traits.

You assert that the immersive nature of race changing fosters genuine cultural engagement and empathy. However, the risk of fetishization remains significant, particularly if the practice involves an emphasis on stereotypical or desirable aspects of a racial identity while neglecting its broader, more complex reality. It doesn't go away because you think there's very little evidence or weight to it. Effective engagement with racial identities requires more than temporary immersion; it demands a deep and respectful understanding of the lived experiences and systemic challenges faced by individuals of that race.

The argument that race changing is inherently centers on the notion that it minimizes the real struggles faced by marginalized racial groups. I believe that such practices can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and disregard the reality of racial oppression. Those who race-change often operate from a place of privilege, like a rich person pretending to be poor for the fun of it or the aesthetic.

Just as someone would rightfully side-eye said rich person, people of color have every right to side-eye race-changers, and people who enthusiastically support it (as you've said, people have the right to be offended; that's because it makes sense to be).

To address these concerns, it is essential for practitioners of race changing to engage critically with their motivations and the broader implications of their practice. Effective empathy and anti-racism require MORE than temporary experiences; they necessitate a sustained commitment to understanding and addressing real-world racial issues.

Having that "as long as we aren't weird about it, we can do it" mentality is a coverup; there's no way to be not weird about it, if you're already willing to cross that boundary. You can't say, "Oh, black people... Cool, cool... Let me see what that's like, looks interesting," and it not be weird. Race isn't a fashion that you can try on and discard later. It's not a enriching activity you can do with the family. It's a real and tangible identity that one random person on the internet can't just grapple or tackle on a whim, or even with careful thought.

In short, race changing in reality shifting may offer some insights into different racial perspectives, it also raises significant ethical concerns. The practice risks trivializing real racial experiences, reinforcing stereotypes, and perpetuating a superficial understanding of racial issues. For a meaningful engagement with racial diversity and empathy, it is crucial to approach these issues with a commitment to real-world understanding and systemic change, rather than relying on temporary, simulated experiences. Critical reflection and genuine engagement with racial communities (outside of reality shifting) are essential for fostering a deeper and more accurate understanding of racial identity and systemic inequality.

Thank you for your time.

[myths-tournaments]

Awful Characters - FINALS

Propaganda under the cut

IANTHE TRIDENTARIUS

Her number one hobby is ruining every person's that she knows life. Her second hobby is being soooo slutty about it despite looking like a literal wet rat. Her third hobby is having an extremely unhealthy relationship with her twin. Her other hobbies include cannibalism, wearing a maid outfit, being extremely convinced she is the main character, the badboy sexy love interest and the villain. 'Why', you may ask. Well, the answer is, for shits and giggles #justgirlythings i, aswell as literally everybody else in the fandom have gone through the pipeline from hating her to desperately wanting to fuck her. expect for i still fucking hope she dies and doesn't come back for good. (that would literally solve all of everybody's problems) as god intended (EXPECT FOR. one of her hobbies literally is gaslighting god) She is fucking horrible i will love her until i die and even after that

parks and recs jean ralphio voice she's the woooorst!! The moment she learns she has to kill someone to become a Lyctor (aka a more special necromancer), she doesn't hesitate to kill and cannibalize the guy who has been her cavalier since childhood… cavalier who she also totally bullied as kids, she was allowed to choose one guest for her and her twin sister's birthday party each year, and she would always pick whoever she thought her cavalier didn't want to see there! While other characters are shown to regret the process of becoming a Lyctor (which involves someone close to them dying)/were forced into it because of circumstances, Ianthe has absolutely no regrets, she believes she did what she had to do

The author once said of Ianthe: "I don't think she's been nice to anyone, if she has I'll go back and change it." She killed and ate the soul of someone she has known all her life so that she could become a necromantic saint and tormented him plenty before that. General negging, ganging up against him, always inviting people he didn't like to their birthday parties. She doesn't regret killing him. I think she is repulsed by the idea that his digested soul is affecting hers. She helped her crush lobotomise herself so she would be in Ianthe's debt, and later lied and said she didn't see the corpse of a woman her crush killed under her bed (why did she do that? I do not know). She has a bone arm because her original arm was cut off, she hated the replacement so her crush cut THAT off and grew her a new one out of just bones. She had it gilded and only after that did she decide to help her crush deal with the person who had been repeatedly trying to kill her. She wants so badly to be the main character but people keep interrupting her villain monologues.

she has her own content warning tag

She's such a bitch to everyone all the time, she causes nothing but problems, she tries to do a villain speech but fumbles it because her tummy hurt, she is the awfulgirl of all time

MAKIMA

The number of times I've seen people call others 'groomer apologists' or questioning if they actually like Makima for 'proper reasons' and aren't just sexualizing her are astronomical. She's truly a diabolical and fascinating antagonist. And yeah she's hot too. Who gives a shit if I like her character And her unsettling cryptic mommy energy? I have eyes. I have needs. I have love for Makima and I am not ashamed to say it.

[judgeitbyitscover]

Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir

Cover illustrations by Tommy Arnold

Tor, 2019, 2020, 2022

Gideon the Ninth (2019)

The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit. Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. Of course, some things are better left dead.

Harrow the Ninth (2020)

She answered the Emperor's call. She arrived with her arts, her wits, and her only friend. In victory, her world has turned to ash. After rocking the cosmos with her deathly debut, Tamsyn Muir continues the story of the penumbral Ninth House in Harrow the Ninth, a mind-twisting puzzle box of mystery, murder, magic, and mayhem. Nothing is as it seems in the halls of the Emperor, and the fate of the galaxy rests on one woman's shoulders. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, last necromancer of the Ninth House, has been drafted by her Emperor to fight an unwinnable war. Side-by-side with a detested rival, Harrow must perfect her skills and become an angel of undeath — but her health is failing, her sword makes her nauseous, and even her mind is threatening to betray her. Sealed in the gothic gloom of the Emperor's Mithraeum with three unfriendly teachers, hunted by the mad ghost of a murdered planet, Harrow must confront two unwelcome questions: is somebody trying to kill her? And if they succeeded, would the universe be better off?

Nona the Ninth (2022)

Her city is under siege. The zombies are coming back. And all Nona wants is a birthday party. In many ways, Nona is like other people. She lives with her family, has a job at her local school, and loves walks on the beach and meeting new dogs. But Nona's not like other people. Six months ago she woke up in a stranger's body, and she's afraid she might have to give it back. The whole city is falling to pieces. A monstrous blue sphere hangs on the horizon, ready to tear the planet apart. Blood of Eden forces have surrounded the last Cohort facility and wait for the Emperor Undying to come calling. Their leaders want Nona to be the weapon that will save them from the Nine Houses. Nona would prefer to live an ordinary life with the people she loves, with Pyrrha and Camilla and Palamedes, but she also knows that nothing lasts forever. And each night, Nona dreams of a woman with a skull-painted face...

A closer look at those illustrations without all the text.

[falllpoutboy]

Okay guys. So here is my reading regarding how 🍀 feels about 🦈and🐍 being together.

okay so🍀 is a tough cookie. Her energy is interesting in that she has mastered how to mask her true feelings. Sometimes when I do readings for people, or about people, their energy can feel open like 🦈's energy, or closed. 🍀is somewhere in between. She values maintaining composure. She doesn't want to hurt others. Likes to be fair and will sometimes bottle up her feelings. This is where she is right now. Maintaining composure.

first card that fell out as i shuffled was, once again, The Hermit. Remember in my second reading where I said she has asked for space from 🦈? she meant that. The empress is underneath this card which means she is taking the time to think about herself. (ironically enough the empress sometimes represents the other woman). she is doing deep, deep self introspection about her life as a whole; the direction it's going in , and the distractions she has had. I am hearing: "i need to refocus." She wants to focus on herself. I say this because meeting and knowing 🦈and the feelings that comes with that, all the fame and fortune has transformed her in a way she was not quite prepared for. She is trying to get back to herself. (this is what her energy is choosing to show me and i'm like answer the question girl. feel your feels) but anyway, she has a sort of cavalier attitude toward 🦈and 🐍. Like she's turned away from it and is telling herself "this is not important to me like that." She's saying "good for them". "I wish them well" she does not want to wish ill will on these two. She wants harmony in relation to them even though she has taken a huge step back and is not interacting with them like that.

Again, maintaining composer is the mode 🍀 is in. She is learning from this situation because yes, she is hurt. The hurt feels heavy and burdensome to her, and she is judging herself for feeling hurt about these 2 being together. She is being very critical of herself because these are her friends and she shouldn't feel hurt. She also shouldn't feel hurt because of the guy she's with. (she's telling herself this.) She views herself as pretty ethical and fair and this is way too chaotic of her. (these feelings I mean). It feels as though she's saying "No. This isn't me. I need to think. I need to have proper discernment." She feels a huge change hanging over her shoulders. and she is equating this situation as one of the catalysts.

She is in protective mode. Protecting her feelings as it relates to 🦈and 🐍. Part of her introspection is thinking of what boundaries she will have to put in place with these two. She feels this has been too distracting for her. She is turning away from this and focusing on her goals. Her long-term goals, because she feels it's too much to feel hurt feelings about 🦈and 🐍. She's going within. focusing on her life goals because she feels she has lost herself. It's also where she is comfortable. Keep in mind, this isn't wholly about 🦈 or 🦈and 🐍 but EVERYTHING she's been through so far since her life has changed.

The truth is, she is denying herself being open to the changes in her life. she's growing, maturing, experiencing things she never thought she would. (including the feelings she has for 🦈 she wouldn't normally look at someone like him). It's a lot for her. She hasn't taken any action yet. Being her own counsel. Contemplating what moves she should make, not just about those 2, but her own relationship with J2. (she feels trapped there in some way. It's not easy for her, but she tells herself to persist. Her logic tells her it's fair and not to disappoint or hurt him).

Another question I asked is if 🍀feels 🦈and 🐍 will last and she doesn't. She knows these 2. She knows their issues. Their messiness. again, she does wish them the best. She does hope it works out, but doesn't have a lot of faith it will. the tower, the devil, the six of, pentacles in reverse, five of pents... four of swords...i mean she sees they will tire of each other. She knows they will exhaust each other. She is wise and can see what they are blind to. 🐍 are both possessive and jealous, 🦈 is a bit codependent and I cannot emphasize how much she knows 🦈and 🐍 and feels it's may end terribly.

Okay. I'm tired now lol. Sorry if it's all over the place but I was typing the messages as they came. Thanks for reading guys. I'm glad you're enjoying. I was thinking of doing what 🦈 thinks of 🌹 and what happened there. I did pull cards on them when they first started and it was interesting. Let me know if you're interested :)

this reading being scarily accurate to what we have theorized and guessed at

thank you sooo much !! we very much appreciate this!!!

[toweringclam]

Harrow Nova's mental illness

Harrowhark's mental illness is such a vital part of her character and I think any AU that doesn't address that is Doing It Wrong. However, under different circumstances, her issues would likely manifest in different ways. But how? As is, it's somewhat difficult (by design) to pin down what exactly her delusions are, since most of them have some material support in the story, and I think that's very important to Harrow Nova.

Basically, everything she sees and believes should have enough support in the story itself that it becomes difficult or even impossible to truly separate what is true from what isn't. Vibes only here. Like does Harrowhark have a truly special relationship with Alecto? Probably not, actually. Alecto loves everyone, and she loves with teeth. That sort of thing.

So what are Harrow Nova's delusions? Granted we're working with a very tiny sample here but I think the answer is clear:

Grandeur, manifesting as being chuuni as fuck.

Chuunibyo ("eighth grade syndrome" in Japanese) is often seen as a punchline. Kids who think they can throw fireballs or give themselves more heroic epithets than Achilles are funny, right? Well...what if they're serious? Most kids know it's fake and are just trying to be cool, but what if they actually believed it? Based their whole life around it? It happens, it's not good, and mocking them online is NOT HELPING. (It's not funny, stop it)

But think of the tone of Chapter 40 with that in mind. Read it with the knowledge there are two different layers of unreliable narrator. Try looking at it from another character's perspective. The weird little gremlin got out of her cage and is now swinging around a pelvis on a chain, calling it a holy relic. Worse, she's somehow got her hands on a sword. She declares herself with a bunch of titles and challenges the Cavalier to a duel. He draws to defend himself, and everyone scolds him.

This is normal for Harrow. It's probably an escalation, but no one acts like it's her fault. They react with pity, not scorn.

So while mainline Harrowhark developed religious and persecutory delusions due to her station, Harrow Nova developed grandiose delusions from hers. From talking to people who suffer from grandiose delusions, they can actually serve as a defense mechanism. The world is cruel, but if you're The Special, you WILL get through this.

Is that actually the Chain of Samael? It could be. Does it have any special powers? Probably not, but maybe. WE know the creche slaughter happened, and she thinks it did, but wouldn't it be in Priamhark and Pelleamena's best interest to try to gaslight her on that? Is she officially a cavalier secondary? Is she even that good a fighter or do people just not want her to hurt herself?

From her perspective, it's moot. This is her reality. Those are questions for Gideon's perspective.

[bakerstreetdoctor]

First of all, Leibniz was so real for speaking against Grand Tours. I don't agree that an education is complete without experiencing foreign countries, but yeah in reality the tax payer was mostly just paying so that young men could have "fun" and ruin themselves

(rest under read more)

>Fabrice's dad hires a private teacher so his sons don't get the wrong ideas

>teacher: "yeah so I have this crazy theory"

>fails to prove theory

>kills himself

>sons get sent to university where they definitely get the wrong ideas

>??????

"instead of studying I wasted my time with ball games, affairs and *grits teeth* [worst of all] going for walks"

Like sure the first two are stupid shit, he should've kept his dick where it belongs (for the rest of his life. God I wish I could castrate this rapist). BUT GOING FOR WALKS

I'm diagnosing one of his younger brothers with something

"[guy died in battle] He was a hopeful young man, whose liveliness didn't allow him to get comfortable enough to study. But he loved geometry, fortification science, and other sciences in connection with that, so much that he was capable of working 24 hours sitting on the same chair without food or drink."

Karl was apparently super tan and, quote, "had the most beautiful blue eyes in the world"

Also another L for camp gay Karl, because apparently he wanted Fabrice to tell him about the ladies in Vienna

"The old Electress (mother of the Hanoverian Elector, later king of England) tirelessly asked me a thousand question about the personality, disposition and looks of the king of Sweden"

That's where my cougar hunter comment from yesterday stems from.

Max anecdote! (Besides the one that he was fucking around -_-)

"on the journey we pretended in a little Silesian town that von Görtz with his lively looks was a prince, the little prince of Württemberg his page and we were noble men. When the prince wanted to insert himself into a conversation with a beautiful Miss, who had just been asked by Stralenheim when he had heard a child screaming "Does one also make children here?" [?????], Stralenheim harshly snapped at him "When the Cavaliers are talking, the pages have to shut their mouths!" [It's definitely harsher in German] This provoked the prince to such a degree that we had trouble to pass it off as a joke and calm him down.

Finally not something where he's getting gassed by everyone lmao

Fabrice apparently left his coach parked (at a rate of 1 Gulden per week) in Vienna like 2 decades ago with a chest of money as security, and doesn't plan to fetch it because he doesn't wanna pay the whole sum. I wonder what came of it....

After General Lagercrona had some serious beef with Grothusen which the king had to break up, the following day this happened

Lagercrona: "I think your majesty were a little angry at me yesterday 🥺👉👈"

Karl: "No, not at all, but you conducted yourself in such a way, that if Grothusen didn't have had more respect than you, it might've gone very badly for me, and at several times my fingers itched to answer your impertinence with 5 fingers [meaning to slap him], but I believed it would be more foolish of me than you to do that, but now I wanna declare that you should go and never come under my eyes again. 😤👉"

Lagercrona: *begs on his knees and lists all his prior merits and accomplishments*

Karl: "That's why I've already forgiven a thousand mistakes you've made. But this was the straw that broke the camels back, that's why the only thing left for you to do is leave."

After that Lagercrona developed such a fear of being seen by the king that when he heard he was a few miles (1 mile ≈ 8 km) he rushed home and locked himself in.

Idk why but I keep thinking of the "I'm not calling you a good boy"-meme 😭😭😭

[8bitsupervillain]

Higurashi When They Cry Hou Ch. 7 Minagoroshi pt. 11

Rika and friends have a nice lengthy chat about how they need to force the Children Consultation Service into helping Satoko out of her nasty situation. Rika becomes a lot more passive, because she's seen this scenario play out before and she's become overcome with depression over the fact it's happening again, and she just doesn't see it ending any other way than it usually does. She also becomes a lot more cavalier about mentioning events from other timelines (they eventually settle on calling them worlds) mentioning point blank to Shion that she's surprised she cares so much about Satoko this time around. After school they go off to the Child Consultation Service, where they're more or less given the brush off. It's only been one day since Teppei came back, and surely they're overreacting.

So Keiichi starts forming the plan to gather various townspeople together to help them show up to the CCS and show them how serious the situation is.

Remember, Teppei is a bad guy because he would sexually abuse Satoko if she were a few years older. Kameda is a goofy fun guy because he's a bit of a creepy loli weirdo. Or would Irie be the better contrast here?

You ever read a scene that you can feel it in your bones that if this had been translated even a few years earlier it would be rife with "edgy" jokes? I seem to remember reading somewhere that the MangaGamers version is a re-translation so I don't doubt that there's one that just is peppered with the occasional slur randomly in the dialogue. I would like to point out that to this day the version of Final Fantasy VII you can buy digitally still includes the scene where Tifa uses the r-word. Also, I just want to say this is a really weird tangent for Ryukishi07 to go on in the middle of this arc.

Tower of Druaga and Dragon Buster won't come out for another year Keiichi! You're being nostalgic for games that don't even exist yet you time traveling weirdo! Man, Keiichi is going to be in for the time of his life when the MSX or PC-88 becomes a thing. There's going to be so much pornographic mahjong games out there for him. Assuming he hasn't already seen them since, again, he's a time traveler reminiscing about the arcade games of 1984 he shouldn't have been able to play yet.

Please forgive the repetition for half of the screenshot here. Also, if you're not super loyal to Metal Gear Solid, the answer to the question is both. Although I think you should just grit your teeth and bear the burden of owning a PS3. You'll get some better games. The Yakuza franchise, for a start! Hell if Dead or Alive is really that big of a get for you, just wait, DoA 5 will come out on PS3. Although I guess you're missing out on DoA Xtreme 2. Anyway, I think Ryukishi forgot he wasn't posting on 2ch and accidentally wrote his "kids these days don't appreciate the classics" rant into his murder mystery.

Oh god, would Keiichi be that gamer? You know the type.

I kind of love how everyone's knee-jerk reaction to the Teppei situation is to just go immediately to violence. Except for the "reasonable" adults, everyone's reaction has more or less just been "let's kill the fucker."

Rika is being much more open about her desires to drown her sorrows. I think she might have a problem. (I'm quietly mourning my lack of photo editing software, or drive to edit Rika onto Stone Cold Steve Austin.)

Lighthearted silliness aside now it's time to get back to talking about the Satoko Houjou cruel abuse hour. During a meeting for the festival Keiichi and Ooishi talk about how they plan to go to the Child Consultation Center the next day and make them see their resolve. Ooishi talks about how hey maybe don't, cause it might cause issues if you know what I mean. Keiichi says nuts to that and he's going to do it anyway. He's gonna be the biggest, loudest, most persistently annoying thorn in their side, and no one can stop his manly resolve! Ooishi basically applauds this resolve, and the two have a manly fist bump affirming their manliness across the generational gap.