#i like mystery books a lot (which isn’t really the same but still)

[theprestigegirly]

controversial post from me but like,,,

when did people start bashing the romance genre again as if reading romance means you’re less intelligent and to be a proper respected reader you have to read classics like???? isn’t it just good that people are still reading at all???? read what you like?????

it’s like you wouldn’t watch a tv show that bored you because it was “technically good” (and if u do like what are you doing with your precious hours it’s a bloody tv show) so why would you bash someone for not reading some long ass sad deep thinking book they don’t wanna read???

like i promise a whole generation is not losing language skills because they want to read a cute romance and not like,,,,, depressing miserable stuff

[obsessedwithceleste]

Theodore Nott Headcanons

Dedicated to this lil request here 🫶🏽

©️ obsessedwithceleste. all works posted here belong to me and should not be reposted or copied in any way or form.

It’s no secret that Theodore Nott had a rough childhood

Between witnessing his mother’s death at a young age and having a particularly ruthless father, Theo learned to be quietly reserved early on

1000% Theo is an introvert

Despite being seemingly closed off, he’s extremely observant and good at reading others and picking up on things quickly

While he may not be the best at deciphering his own emotions, he’s able to sort through others’ easily

This makes it easy for him to be rather manipulative because he knows what makes other’s tick and how to go straight for the jugular

He may be distant and off putting in the beginning, but once you get close, he’s a clingy bastard because he doesn’t let many people get close, so once you make it there he’ll basically hold you captive forever

He’s also stupid smart

(Canonically he’s able to re-create an illegal time turner after they were all destroyed in the department of mysteries so//)

And this makes him a bit of an arrogant asshole

Looks down on people he thinks aren’t as smart as him

He definitely thinks that he knows best and can have a “my way or the highway” type mindset

Probably has some type of gifted kid™️ trauma and a crippling fear of failure

Anyway, he’s super intelligent and witty and has the potential to do really well in classes

But he has a nasty habit off skiving off with Mattheo Riddle

Who happens to be his best friend along with Lorenzo Berkshire

A lot of people think Theo is the “mother” of the group, or at least the one with the most impulse control

They’re wrong

Theo is the one that Mattheo goes to with his dumbass ideas and Theo’s response is generally something along the lines of-

“Absolutely not you tosser. If we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it right”

Queue Mattheo’s initial plan- only methodically planned out to cause maximal emotional trauma for the Hogwarts population

Theo and Mattheo are also a chaotic duo on the quidditch pitch

Theo is a chaser

Making the quidditch team in his third year is one of the only times his father showed a hint of satisfaction with the boy

Being on the Slytherin quidditch team, he’s often labeled a preppy jock

And Mattheo does help him break out of his shell more

But he’s a nerdy lil book worm at heart and likes to be holed up in the library most days

Theo also has quite the reputation of being a ladies man with rumors about his escapades swarming the student body

But really they’re just that- rumors

Lorenzo is more of the openly flirtatious pretty boy, and Mattheo certainly knows how to make his way around which is perhaps why people think Theo would be the same way

But he isn’t one to really form physical attachments- emotional or not

He prefers to fly under the radar

He may have had a fling or two, but isn’t one to kiss and tell

He has a hard time entering a real relationship

Mostly because when he first realizes he’s caught feelings, he’s convinced he’s actually just ill and stays in bed pretending to be sick

But once he comes to terms with things, he’s one determined wizard

Makes sure everyone knows that you’re off limits (possibly before you know yourself)

Definitely goes to Enzo for advice on how to woo you

With varying degrees of success

King of subtle PDA (just enough to mark his territory)

Confident and secure in his relationship, but also still jealous as hell

Will hex the living shit out of someone for breathing at you the wrong way

Finds it amusing when you get jealous though

But will shut it the fuck down as soon as he picks up on you being actually upset (probably embarrassing whoever it is in the process)

Not always the best at communicating his feeling cause he’s emotionally constipated af

But tries because he knows he doesn’t want a relationship like his parent’s

Okayyy I think that’s all for now, but I have a feeling these will grow and evolve with time sooo- ongoing (?) idk

[eternal-moss]

Good Lord I cannot stop Simonposting

Anyway. The Golbetty shrine. Is incredibly messed up and delightfully feels like the sort of thing someone would construct after comprehending the god of chaos.

It’s clearly not Simon’s first time doing the ritual in vain (we’ve already seen him try many times in the montage at the end of the show to get her back, including consulting the Cosmic Owl and Prismo), so there’s holes in the wall that correspond to Golb’s symbols. The Enchiridion is also there, which was the main source of power for summoning elder gods like the Litch (used to resurrect himself) Golb (used by Magic Man and Betty) and (attempt to) time travel (by Betty). But before the apocalypse, the Enchiridion was owned by Simon himself, and both him and Betty studied it. So it has the twofold power of being a very strong magic battery and has the emotional link to Petrigrof.

The empty bottles and whatever those terrifying lamprey looking things are in a makeshift statue, harbouring a cleaner looking idol (which he probably created himself) out of clay. Making a statue of a god at least twice? Does that mean that even if one gets broken or damaged he has the other one? Or does it make the rituals stronger?

We know that Simon knew a bit about Golb before the apocalypse- in the final episode of the main series we have a flashback of him and Betty, where he says “I keep seeing reference to this mysterious entity that embodies chaos” and “his presence is felt in every crevice where chaos lurks”. To which Betty replies “well it’s a good thing he isn’t here then.”

She sacrificed herself to keep him safe and away from the god of chaos and madness, by fusing her soul with his. Golb being this sort of god means that he’s probably the originator of MMS (Magic, Madness and Sadness) which is a canonical condition where insane/depressed characters will have a higher propensity to magic, and magic users are more prone to bouts of mania, amnesia and depression.

The crown was basically a catalyst of MMS, which caused Simon to have unnatural elemental powers (unlike the elementals which don’t experience default MMS) as well as effecting his body and mind.

Betty is pretty much the only character to have ‘diagnosed’ MMS, recognising it in most magic users, and in Simon, hoping to undo its effects on him. Her theory is proven correct in the episode ‘Betty’ by Bella Noche undoing all the magic in Wizard City and the effects of the crown are nullified, and retracts its influence from Simon, causing him to become ‘normal again’ and regain his clarity and memories.

Grief is shown to be a strong natural catalyst to MMS, which also happened to Magic Man (after his wife Margles was ‘taken by Golb’ which still has an unclear meaning, she definitely didn’t fuse like Betty, although wishing her back at Prismo’s did the exact same thing as Simon wishing Betty back which is really unusual), and Betty herself after the ‘You Forgot Your Floaties’ episode (which by the way is like one of the best episodes in the show).

Betty’s whole motive was to save Simon and free him from madness, which she did at the cost of her soul. But now, ironically, Simon’s grief is causing him to develop it again, which is how he channels the Golb rituals (like how Betty and magic man did) and also probably how the Fionnaverse portal even opened up in the first place.

Something about about Simon having panic attacks in his house and just generally getting triggered by a lot of stuff (Ice, the books he wrote as Ice King, etc) but then gently stroking the clay idol he made of the god of madness because that’s his wife is just heart breaking

Look at that expression :( it’s longing followed by guilt because he knows this is exactly what she would never want him to do.

[orionsangel86]

I was once again flicking through the Sandman comics and thinking about the changes made to the show (as I am pretty much always doing) and something that struck me as interesting is why they chose to swap out Tales in the Sand for Men of Good Fortune.

In the comics, The Sound of Her Wings is the last story in Preludes and Nocturns. Dream’s meeting with his sister Death closes out the first of the overarching storylines within the Sandman saga, and it ends with Dream finding some measure of peace after speaking with her, and finding joy in hearing the sound of wings.

This can be interpreted as the first bit of real foreshadowing of Dream’s desire to die. Anyone who has read the Kindly Ones knows how important The Sound Of Her Wings is as it is called back to heavily at the end.

In the comics, the next issue can be seen as a one off, but is included in The Doll’s House book. This issue is Tales in the Sand - the tragic love story of Dream and Nada.

Right after Tales in the Sand, we get to the Doll’s House, which begins the exact same way that episode 6 of The Sandman Netflix show ends - with Desire calling on Despair to begin their scheming over the existance of the vortex.

I found it very interesting how the show swapped out Tales in the Sand for Men of Good Fortune - a story which in the comics comes much later within The Doll’s House storyline.

On the one hand, it makes sense to move Men of Good Fortune outside of the Doll’s House story for pacing reasons. But by putting it where they did they have drastically changed the tone of the story in a few ways.

1. It changes the end of The Sound of Her Wings. Show!Dream doesn’t leave his sister to sit and find peace in the thought of death, instead he does the opposite, he immediately goes and seeks out the one person he knows who is quite literally the antithesis of death - someone who finds joy in living. It still ends the Preludes and Nocturns story with Dream finding some manner of peace and happiness, but not in the sound of wings. Instead, it’s in the reunion with his friend who loves life so much he refuses to die.

2. It takes the place of the only love story we are given for Dream at that point in the comics. The Sandman comics have a tendency to avoid revealling too much information about Dream too soon and up until this point in the comics, all we know about his love life is that he condemned a lover to hell 10,000 years ago, based on a very brief conversation in A Hope In Hell. Tales in the Sand is the expansion of that brief conversation, giving us at least one perspective of how the tragedy played out.

I am really curious about why they decided to leave it out of the show completely. Partly I think its because it isn’t exactly a flattering look at Dream as a character. Probably didn’t seem like good business sense to the people who wanted The Sandman to perform well to basically destroy your main characters likeability half way through the first season (imagine all the Twitter puriteens and anti types who would get on their high horses attacking Sandman fans and Neil Gaiman alike for daring to like a main character who comes across a little bit rapey in this particular story - among other horrific character flaws).

Also, Tales in the Sand generally fits better with the Season of Mists story arc overall, and I think we will get a much kinder and more forgiving version of this story in the show.

So instead of being introduced to the first of Dream’s lovers, we are introduced to Hob Gadling. Make of that what you will.

3. It makes the immediate cut to Desire at the start of The Doll’s House story all the more eyebrow raising. Part of the reason why I think Desire’s scenes follow on from Tales in the Sand is because Desire had a lot to do with Dream’s bad behaviour in that story, and what ultimately happened is partly their fault. It is brought up both in comic and show when Desire tells Despair that “Nada was a mistake” but in the show, this comment remains a mystery, whereas in the comic, it goes some way into explaining the horrific story we have just read.

In the show, instead it makes for absolutely beautiful subtext as they cut to Desire’s realm and the song Desire as Desire says “Attend sweet Sibling” whilst we have just watched Dream reunite with Hob and smile the first real smile he has had all season so far. For a split second on my first watch I legit thought Desire was talking to Dream at that point and encouraging him to hook up with Hob. It was a very confusing few seconds!

At the end of the day, I think the change to the order of these stories was a very good idea, even without the added level of shipping fodder it gives us Dreamling shippers. In changing the end to The Sound of Her Wings in the show, it removes the foreshadowing of Dream’s desire to die, which I’ll be honest, so far I can’t see at all in the show version of the story. Instead, we get a Dream who is happy for the first time after reuniting with his friend - who apparently waited an additional 33 years for him and built/refurbished a pub in that time.

I have a bazzillion more thoughts on the changes from comic to show on the Men of Good Fortune issue in particular, but that’s for another post. I just had to get my thoughts down as the more I read and re-read the comics, the more I feel like the show is considering a different direction, a more hopeful happy direction. But I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

“Crowley is Malleus’s long lost father” theory is popping off right now in like every twst social media community so I wanted to know what your thoughts on it were?

I briefly discussed this theory in the final paragraph of this post (although it is full of spoilers, so please be cautious of that). To reiterate (and to add more details), the main pieces of evidence that come up when discussing this idea are:

Malleus’s dad is confirmed missing, but we never saw a body or have confirmation of his death so we can’t 100% trust that.

Crowley’s past and motives remain a total mystery. (The crow mask he wears is also highly suspicious; why does he never remove it? Why does it resemble the masks worn by Briar Country soldiers? Because Malleus would recognize his father? Because Lilia might recognize his old friend?)

The name of Malleus’s dad may be romanized as Levan/Revan (we don’t have an official English localization for book 7 yet, so we don’t know for sure how it would be written). (Edit: EN has confirmed that his name is "Raverne".) The former looks like the word “raven”, just with the vowels swapped around. And you know who else is a black bird?? Diablo, Maleficent’s crow and right-hand man, similar to how Levan/Revan was Mallenoa’s right-hand man. Who else do we know that’s a crow? Crowley.

Levan/Revan is described by Lilia as someone who “always dumped their work onto others/him”, which is something that Crowley also does to his own students.

So I guess the conclusion is that Malleus’s dad went into hiding to protect himself (especially if we assumed that his wife got killed off shortly after his disappearance; his own life may be in danger as well)?

I think the idea is definitely… interesting??? It would also be a big rug pull since players have been joking since day 1 that Crowley gives the vibes of a deadbeat/absentee dad or someone who went off to buy milk and never came back 😂 But in terms of how likely I think it is to become a reality??? I think it’s definitely kind of shaky if we’re going with only what we know right now.

The problem I have with this theory is twofold. Firstly, it’s counting a lot of omission of information as proof rather than details present as proof (which really could be spun any which way you like if you tried hard enough). Secondly, the main thread of logic here is basically the same as “Ace traitor” theory. We’re drawing conclusions from… a name (in Ace’s case, the fact that his surname isn’t “Heart” like the other card soldiers but is “Trappola”), which isn’t a lot of solid evidence in of itself.

I don’t know if I totally buy that Malleus’s dad would go MIA for literally 400ish years either? Like… he was the princess’s confidant, right? So he must have cared for her very much. Why would he up and abandon his wife (rather than coming to her rescue), his friend (Lilia), his country, AND his unborn child who NEEDS his love magic to be hatched? Why wouldn’t he return once the war was over?? Why would he run off to Sage’s Island and become the headmaster there??? If he doesn’t want to be a present father figure, why have a child at all or put himself in a position where he now has to monitor several hundreds of children every year instead of the one child that is actually his? (I know that Lilia started off not wanting kids and then became more open to the idea over time (ie people can change), but I don't think we can conclude the same happened to Crowley given how dismissive he still is in present day and how little we really know about Malleus's dad's true personality.) And surely if Crowley was Malleus’s dad, he’s not so ignorant as to not know Malleus is his son, right…? But then why forget about his existence 90% of the time and forget to invite him when he knows Malleus is on campus and he had not been there for him all his life???? Why actively be such an asshole???

The mask thing on Crowley is suspicious as heck, yes, but I don’t know if Malleus would be able to identify his father on sight since he never saw him or got to know him before hatching. On the flip side, how would Lilia not immediately notice his friend by voice??? Or by the mask if it is, indeed, his friend’s trademark or a custom from Briar Country? Are we arguing “characters made dumb for the sake of plot”? 😭 (Believe it or not, this is actually the most credible piece of evidence to me just because of how often TWST has employed cases of mistaken identity for the sake of convenience; I wouldn’t put it past them.)

Lilia does describe Levan/Revan as someone who dumps work on others, but he says Mallenoa does the same thing. Yet there are other aspects to Mallenoa which we also learn about. Shirking work is not the entire personality of Malleus’s dad and while his overall character may be inclusive of that, there are tons of traits unaccounted for; we barely know the guy. The Crowley = Levan theory feels like taking a conclusion and working backwards/retroactively changing the interpretation of other details to prove the conclusion we began with, instead of taking suspicious details and synthesizing a conclusion from it.

Anyway! You can see that I’m hesitant about this theory. I’d like more concrete details before I get on board with it because there isn't enough to implicate Crowley specifically—but hey, that’s not to say the idea isn’t interesting or funny 🤔 I’d personally love to see Malleus’s reaction to Crowley Darth Vader-ing him, haha 😂

Side note: It’s also sort of funny how people don’t believe Crowley is Malleus’s dad simply because they think Mallenoa is “too good/hot” for a man as bumbling as Crowley www

[via-the-ghoul]

Interesting facts about the free comic book day MH book

It starts out with a letter from Bloodgood banning all normie interactions

We then cut to Frankie and their dad, who’s trying to perfect the reanimation process, which hasn’t been done before

Frankie’s dad hasn’t left his office in a while and Frankie is worried

Frankie’s also worried that they aren’t “perfect” and Dad specifies that they’re different from the reanimation thing, and calls them “An amalgamation of the world’s greatest minds and kindest souls” which is cute

Also Frankie’s dad is in shadow the whole time it’s very concerning

Frankie then leaves due to getting a call from Cleo, who seems mad about something Clawdeen did, but we don’t know what.

Then Clawdeen calls Frankie and it seems that Clawdeen doesn’t know what Cleo’s upset about, and that Frankie isn’t actually all that sure themselves. Also, neither of them have heard from Draculaura and last year was hard on her, though we don’t entirely know what happened.

Also the Bloodgood letter I mentioned earlier specifies that the rules were put in place due to an unspecified turn of events last year, which is possibly the same event that Draculaura was involved in

Back in the lab, Frankie’s dad suddenly has an idea as to the missing piece to the reanimation thing

However, his notes have vanished, and where stolen by a mysterious cloaked figure whose also in the lab.

Frankie’s dad begs for the notes back, saying he’d do anything. The hooded figure wants him to work with them on something

Back with Frankie, they’re still talking to Clawdeen (and also looking at a photo of the two of them + Draculaura and Cleo) and saying that they think the Cleo and Clawdeen incident was a big misunderstanding.

Then the To Be Continued hits, this is basically just a teaser

We then get some cute profiles of the four ghouls in this online profile style for the MonsterNet!

It mentions everyone’s zodiac signs so in case anyone’s curious: Frankie’s a cancer, Drac’s an aquarius, Clawdeen’s a taurus, and Cleo’s a virgo.

They also have usernames, Frankie’s “FrightfullyFr4nkie” Drac’s “Bl33dingHeart16” Clawdeen’s “ClawdeensClawset” and Cleo’s “QueenCleo”

Frankie apparently likes sharing brain facts

While Toralei seems to have finished her redemption arc Meowlody and Purrsephone don’t seem very nice, specifically to Frankie

Drac’s apparently a student bloody council member and part of the monster ball planning committee, like in Gen3, so that’s cool.

Drac’s online diary entry (oh yeah they have online diary stuff up) gives some more information on The Incident. She didn’t have much free time, and couldn’t process her feelings on something. That something seems to be the thing that got human interaction banned, at least to me.

Drac also had to sit through a bunch of boring meetings, had to answer a lot of questions, and was forced to drink blood (what these meetings are for is unknown) and she’s doing it to make her dad proud

The phrase “I smile through it all though” really makes me think we have a “Drac is unhealthily repressing her emotions and is really sad under her skin” arc on our hands, which I would argue didn’t come out of nowhere? She did seem to have some serious self esteem issues in Frights Camera Action

Clawdeen does OOTDs and restyle tutorials on her blog and also has a link to her fashion catalog.

She’s been having a creativity boom, but her parents have been kinda distant lately.

So is Toralei who’s Clawdeen explicitly calls her girlfriend.

In all fairness Clawdeen says she only feels like her parents and Toralei have been distant and isn’t actually sure. She’s apparently throwing herself into her work

Clawdeen briefly considers calling Toralei to see if everything’s ok but decides against it, saying she thinks everything’s good

I haven’t mentioned it until now since it’s mostly information we already know but the profiles list the ghouls’ ages and Cleo’s age is finally fully specified, being 5,842 years old

She’s been reading a lot of romance scrolls, like, a lot of romance scrolls.

Her bio has what I think is an in-universe song lyric due to music note emojis surrounding it “the underworld’s princess, wrapped in the finest linen”

It also @ Casta Fierce, whose username is just CastaFierce. (Maybe it’s a Casta song?)

Nefera’s apparently been talking about her having a bunch of international suitors including a guy from another dimension

Cleo seems to be, and don’t yell at me for this next part cause it’s gonna make a lot of people upset, but she seems to be falling out of love with Deuce.

Like, she seems to still like him, he’s on her friends list, she just doesn’t feel like he’s being poetic enough.

There’s schedules for MH comics coming from 2024-2025. The Pride comics might actually come in May if this calendar is correct

Jacque Aye (the author who has an interview section at the end) describes the story as following the ghouls navigating major changes in their lives as students go missing. Sounds fun honestly

Also she mentions that while prior knowledge of the series is recommended, it’s not required.

That’s basically it gang! Have fun speculating!

[skyward-floored]

Whenever you get to this -- it's not terribly important, but how would you describe each of the chain's personalities to be like?

You’ve found my writing weakness Ladye, I struggle immensely with looking at a character and writing out their personality XD

That’s an interesting question! One I think about a lot when I’m writing actually, because at their core? All the Links are made of the same stuff. It can be difficult to parse out what makes them individuals sometimes (especially writing it out 😂) but I did my best here!

Under a readmore because this is LONG

Time - stubborn, responsible, and serious, but not as much as you’d expect from his appearance. Most leader-y of the group, he’s stern yes, but mostly only when he’s trying to keep the other Links safe (the Like Like incident, when Twilight is injured and insists he’s well enough to fight, etc). His overall personality seems to me more lighthearted then you’d expect at first glance— after all, he enjoys teasing the other Links, and even pranks them now and then.

It seems like he’s largely moved past and healed from what happened during his adventures, (probably due to how it’s been longer since them unlike the other Links), and not much seems to bother him. He can even joke about them a little (“the moon”), though he stays mysterious about details. He seems a pretty private person as well, except around his wife and a few select others.

Twilight - protective and stubborn to a fault, he cares deeply for those he loves. Another leader of the group, but he doesn’t think of himself as the leader-type as much. He falls into the role though, since the others tend to look to him, and he manages it well.

He has a melancholic sense about him, one that he’s only partially-good at hiding. He’s still very much getting over his complicated feelings about Midna’s departure, and that sadness bleeds into his personality sometimes. Good with kids and animals, knows how to wrangle them both really well, but he can be a little overprotective on occasion, and forgets how age isn’t necessarily an indicator of how responsible and/or skilled you are, which the younger Links bristle at.

Warriors - polished, put together, and a bit prideful, but he’s well aware of what happens if he gets too cocky and keeps it in check. The other leader of the group, he seems to focus largely on making plans, and keeping up the overall morale of the Links. A charmer, good at saying what people want to hear, and also figuring out what makes people tick. His first impression of people is rarely incorrect.

Good at keeping the group organized, and one of the few Links good at working alongside others, he also seems to be the one to break up fights if they get to be less teasing and more serious. Has a strong sense of justice as well, he hates those who would betray their allies/beliefs.

Four - Calm and focused and very mature, so much that several of the others believe him to be much older than he is. He’s very good at keeping his emotions in check and staying collected, right up to the point where he... isn’t. Gets frustrated with himself if he gets to that point and lashes out, but this only happens rarely.

One of the quietest Links, he tends to keep to himself, but he’s one of the heroes most used to being in a group, and generally handles it very well. Very book-smart and eager to learn, but has a deep distrust of any sort of magic that’s even remotely dark. Also knows how to keep the peace, and generally smooth flaring tempers... unless he’s the one who’s upset.

Wind - the youngest but by no means the weakest Link, Wind is a skilled fighter for his age and the brightest personality among the group. Exuberant and cheerful, his happy attitude can sometimes be taken for frivolousness. But he’s able to take a situation just as seriously as the rest of them— he just tends to look on the bright side of it.

Tends to be underestimated due to his age, and he’s not afraid to call people out on it. He fights hard to be taken seriously, and greatly appreciates how Time treats him as just as capable as everyone else. He still has a childish side to him though, which can be both a strength and a weakness.

Wild - fond of exciting schemes, always willing to go along with what seems like a crazy idea, and deeply traumatized with an identity crisis on top. Tends to be very argumentative and quick to make jokes, but usually he knows when he’s going too far (...usually). Highly defensive of Zelda, and not afraid to argue against any conceived slight against her. She had enough bad things said about her when she couldn’t unlock her powers, and he takes his defense of her seriously.

Greatly insecure about how much of a hero he is due to how he failed— being around so many others who succeeded is difficult, especially when they rarely discuss how close they all came to failing sometimes. Has the greatest trouble working in a group, and it’s caused several issues in the time he’s been with the Links, especially with those that are used to it.

Legend - prickly exterior, soft all the way through. Quick to tease and throw jabs, but he doesn’t truly mean anything by it. It’s a defensive measure more then anything to keep people at arm’s length. Could be a leader, but he chooses not to be— he doesn’t like all that responsibility on his head, and will only step up if the others are truly out of commission.

Reliable and mature for his age due to all his adventures, he seems totally unbothered by what he went through (though Koholint especially weighs heavy on his heart). Seems aloof at times, but cares just as much as Twilight, even if he doesn’t outwardly show it. Is younger than he projects himself to be.

Hyrule - humble and kind, he’s also got a level of sass that sometimes rears it’s head and surprises people. Tends to downplay himself and his skills, doesn’t think he’s a true “hero” like the others, despite being skilled in almost anything he puts his mind to. Has incredible tenacity and refuses to give up no matter the odds against him— he’s made of stronger stuff then he thinks.

Very decisive, knows when to act, and would make a great leader someday if he ever managed to get past his poor view of himself. Has a mysterious side to him as well, similar to Time’s in a way. Not the best in a group, generally prefers to be in either a smaller group or by himself.

Sky - seemingly open with his emotions, kind and cheerful, Sky seems a bit airheaded at times. But he has a great strength of spirit, and is deadly on the battlefield— those who have underestimated him have not lived to tell the tale.

Has a mischievous side that isn’t immediately evident, but it’s there, and its quite a sight to behold when his sassiness comes up with it as well. Tends to keep his heavier thoughts and emotions close to his chest though, and prefers to push through and not dwell on them, which is bad news later when it gets to be too much for him.

[oswlld]

oswlld's monthly wrap up: may

note: i am trying something a bit different this year, so bear with me as i figure out how i want to format this. i wanted to spend more time sharing what i consume, beyond what i rb, and put my thoughts in one place. these posts are okay to rb

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Arsenic and Adobo, Mia P. Manansala [started 05/18, finished 06/03] I didn’t dip my toes into the light murder mystery genre until now and to be honest, I’m not sure if it’s working for me. But I have seen recommendations floating around this series with filipino characters and wanted to check it out. The main character, Lila, is eerily specific to my personal experiences and upbringing, but the writing feels severely lacking because I’m actively looking for more character development and depth. My best friend clarified that this genre doesn’t really flesh out the characters in the way I want it to. In the end, it just fell flat for me. I gave it 3.5⭐️ on storygraph (which might be generous) — Crying in H-Mart, Michelle Zauner [started 05/09, finished 06/09] Have you even got a book that you know that you’ll love, so you just end up avoiding it at all costs? This is a memoir that I needed to read this slowly because it just felt incredibly special. And so painful. If you’re a first gen aapi with a difficult relationship with your mother, this is going to be a LOT for you. Sobbing, snotty, the whole works. Take long breaks in between reads if you need it. I luckily saved the heaviest part of the book for when I was taking an impromptu trip to the lake, surrounded by so much sun, mist, and life. The world was comforting me and wiping away my tears. 5.0⭐️ on storygraph!!

23.5 Degrees, GMMTV [started: 03/08, dnf] I only had time to catch episode 9 in May. I thought I would be able to complete the series this month, but alas it might be a DNF. Please tell me that the adorable teachers got together! — Doctor Who, Disney+ [started: 05/10, in prog] It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that DW is on here. I am a DW blog first, multifandom blog second. I’m loving the spin RTD is taking with the show for this run, having the genre touch on the supernatural/mythical/fantasy. It still has the same DNA but it’s so fresh. I only caught the first two eps on premiere week and haven’t had the time to keep up with the show weekly, but I am catching up soon. — Murderville, Netflix [started 02/10, finished: 05/23] I forgot to include this in my february wrap up, but I watched eps 1-4 back then and finally got around to seeing the last two eps this month. This show is such a delight! I love the unique twist on the concept of procedural improv, where the guest star actually have to solve the case at the end of the ep. They’re not there to just play off the other actors, they invite themselves to interact with the plot without taking it too seriously. If this sounds right up your alley to turn your brain down to like… 25%, please check this out. — Attack on Titan [started: 05/26, in prog] I have quite a journey ahead of me, but I’m happy to report that I LOVED the first ep. What a strong start to my anime era! This is gonna be my summer obsession, I can just feel it. By the time this posts, I will have seen eps two and maybe three(??). Gimme them right now, in an IV please. — Devil’s Plan, Netflix [started: 04/23, ALMOST complete] Bestie and I are OBSESSED with this competition series and we just learned there will be a s2, YAYY! This isn’t a show where you can turn your brain off. Now that I think about it, I don’t think there’s been a challenge I fully understood until ep 10, but man is it fun watching the contestants figure it out. They’re all SO intelligent and SOOO charming. And the games are so creative and elevated, it makes the stakes so charged! We are a few min into ep 11, out of 12, and we are planning to finish it this week. I don’t want this show to endddd!

Whew! I thought I didn’t watch much this month, but I covered a lot of ground on the TV front huh.

Pedro, Netflix [watched on 05/05] First off, you’ll be delighted to know that the artist and subject matter of the film, Pedro Friedeberg, has two cats named Wikipedia and Netflix. What I find so refreshing about this documentary in particular is Pedro, the unwilling participant during the process. The filmmaker, Liora Spilk Bialostozky, takes great care in sharing her insecurities about it. Liora is not shy about her adoration for her favorite artist and Pedro is very firm with his boundaries when pressed about his personal life. It makes for a very delightful, yet tense friendship between the two. — Polite Society [watched on 05/31] This is still fresh in my mind but what a spectacular film! LOVE how it puts the sister bond in the forefront of this classic action film, as well as all the female friendships. It makes the tonal shift flow seamlessly because the heart of the film beats strong. The best scene was the KHAN vs KHAN fight sequence, Ria vs Lena. The bashing, the biting, and the blood! The choice to make the final blow be self-inflicted, especially when it targets my personal experience, really took this film to new heights. I want to just ‘This movie has EVERYTHING’ meme the hell out of this. It has weird girls, judgmental aunties, college dropouts who have an estranged relationship with making art, torture scenes through the use of leg waxing, reproductive autonomy, FEMALE RAGE! It deserves to be up there when people think of 10 Things I Hate About You and Clueless.

GÉNESIS, Peso Pluma [first time listening] Before Coachella, I knew very little about Peso Pluma but his live performance really shot him to the top of my list of artists to catch up on. When I was little, my dad always had corrido playing in his car radio and to this day, he still occasionally plays it in the garage. What I really admire about GÉNESIS is the modern twists the artist takes in the production and writing, perfectly paying homage to the traditional without it sounding dated. I think it’s largely due to his vocals. He doesn’t shy away from perfecting at the cost of being authentic and it shines in songs such as Rubicon and 77. The latter half of the album really packs a punch, it’s so hard to pick a favorite. Everything from Lady Gaga to the end is just banger after banger after banger. Having this album play in my car… I really do take after my father. — LAS LETRAS YA NO IMPORTAN, Residente [first time listening] I first heard of Residente from the song Immigrants (We Get the Job Done) from the Hamilton Mixtape. Even then, I made a mental note to get back to him, but lost track of time until I started listening to Peso Pluma. This compilation consists of 23 songs and it’s such a sublime experience from beginning to end! It’s cinematic, it’s heavy, it’s a party, AND it’s skipless. He has a level of talent that has me raging!!! HE’S SO GOOOOOOD TF?!?!? The first time I heard 313, I wrote a note on my phone with “hhhhhhhh???!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!how dare he” and I stand by that statement. It’s almost six minutes long and not one second was wasted. Where Peso Pluma brings the traditional corrido to the present, Residente brings rap/hip-hop into the future. Whenever I get a chance to jump back into the album in the car, the songs I tend to gravitate towards are Artificial Inteligente, Cerebro, Yo No Sé Pero Sé, Que Fluya, and Las Letras Ya No Importan. This guy doesn’t miss, I hate him (affectionate). — Everything I Know About Love, Laufey [first time listening] This album is magnificent, I am UNWELL. The way I feel about this album is the same way I felt about Five Seconds Flat last summer: a feeling so bone deep, my soul begs for release. Bewitched was such a strong outing for me, so hearing little echos of it in the album before made the listen experience all the more enchanting. I’m so in love with this album. I’m actually convinced that Above the Chinese Restaurant is the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard. Ever. If I talk about this album more, it’s going to dig up so much of my deepest, darkest memories. I can’t… but also please talk to me about this album. — HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, Billie Eilish [first time listening] On gawd, what a stellar month for music, I can’t believe it! What a KNOCKOUT!! Billie and Finneas, I feel, have finally come home. They finally own their craft, refined it, and carved it into this marble masterpiece. Billie is more daring with her vocal range and exploring new avenues in her execution. The entirety of L’amour De Ma Vie was just me going “ARE YOU KIDDING ME????” 30 times over in the car. No but for real, is she joking? This is so ungodly, what am I supposed to do with myself?? HELP???? It’s a no-skip album, there is no top 5, no favorites list. It just is and it’s unbelievable that I can’t experience it for the first time all over again.

[domini-porter]

Hi, I genuinely just want to pop in to say that I’m very excited to begin reading your series The Age of Wickedness!

I loved what you did with CMYK, and I was waiting because I’m currently working my way through FAR too many stories.

So I didn’t honestly come to ask a question as much as I came to say thanks for your work & I, too, am a certified Drake hater. I wanted to scream to someone else who shares the love for Rizzles and hate for Drake. It is a very specific overlap in the Venn diagram of active fandoms here. 😂

But while I’m here, I do love getting a glimpse into writers’ processes, and I’m curious to know if you had a passion for this particular era, or if you had a particular idea for Rizzles and you felt this would be the greatest way to realize it?

Thanks for keeping the fandom alive & stay hating 🥂

Oh hi hi thank you!

First: wop wop wop wop wop Dot fuck ‘em up (very thrilled to start the Intersectional Haters Society with you)

As for the AoW time period—it’s kind of a confluence of things! It all started with a mental image of Maura wearing a bustle while doing taxidermy, and kind of developed from there. But I’m a biiiiiiiig Edith Wharton fan (there are lots of little references to her works throughout, including the series name), a less-big Henry James fan, and so on.

Then you gotta add the influence of my best friend/sounding board/biggest fan, who LOVES this time period more than any other, as well as fringe religions, social movements, etc, and has declared himself my research assistant (thx jda).

Then you gotta add my unstoppable love for trivia and my immovable need to be both correct and authoritative, now with the entirety of human knowledge available on the same device I type my stories into, which means not only am I able to reference the correct building and location for the specific year (1885, in this case), but the architect, the financiers, the floor plan. The internet will probably turn out to have been a mistake, but it also tells me the dates of home games played by the Boston Beaneaters during the 1886 season, so.

And then? When I got into it, and started researching in earnest? Turns out every-fucking-thing of note that happened in this time period happened in Boston. Okay, not everything. But a lot of things! Incidental things! Things I discovered during research! Like how general anesthesia was developed at Massachusetts General Hospital, a facility designed by one Mr. Bulfinch, father of legendary myth-collector Charles Bulfinch (who compiled the first, and still most famous, book of myths and legends). Neat, right? Now add in that I only discovered this when researching that hospital’s Ether Dome, after spending a couple hundred pages heavily incorporating Greek myth as a motif (and namdropping Bulfinch’s Mythology specifically). I dunno, it thrilled me, at least? And there’s tons of that kind of serendipitous detail woven in, which hopefully isn’t a chore, because it soothes and delights me to share cool facts.

Then you’ve got the other stuff that makes it a compelling setting—it’s during the Industrial Revolution but before a lot of medical and scientific discoveries (horrifying fact! surgical gloves weren’t developed until 1892!). Huge developments were underway socially and culturally, with massive immigration and the emergence of organized social services, especially in ultra-progressive Boston. Things move slowly without internal combustion and optical cables, and everything requires significantly more effort (travel, communication, etc). This is so fun because it both forces creative problem-solving and really forces the universe of the story to slow down to allow for more character development and world-building and honestly, a sense of wonder and mystery (not that you can’t have a slow world in the modern era, but due to the ubiquity of technology it feels more difficult—there often must be a reason this modern setting is de-emphasizing technology, etc, instead of just not including cell phones; plus the massive advantage of hindsight for historical fiction).

Okay, WHEW. I could clearly talk about this stuff for another 600 pages, but I gotta go get stoned and hang out with my cats, as is tradition. Thank you again for asking! And even more for caring about The Beef, which is still at the front of my mind (Drake’s gonna drop something else, is my theory, to bait Dot, and oh jeez am I ever hype for how Kendrick scorches the earth)(also the whole West Coast scene hates Drake now, which is THRILLING)

[desaulniers-co]

I’m going to talk a bit about Shibusawa’s ability and what it says about Fyodor’s ability. Since Fyodor’s ability currently isn’t fully known and Shibusawa’s ability possibly reveals a lot about it.

(If you do not want to read my explanations about Shibusawa’s ability and want to skip directly to Fyodor’s ability, scroll to the ‘crime and punishment’ image. Tough I recommend reading the explanations)

So, from what we know in dead Apple, there’s a specific way abilities manifested when Shibusawa’s fog effected them. There’s two types of ones here. Normal abilities, and ‘physical’ abilities.

For normal abilities, manifestation takes the form of the persons ‘silhouette’ or shadow of the person because they don’t have their own form to take. They become a copy of their holder because they are part of them. They don’t really exist on their own outside of the user. So they still reflect what they are a part of.

By physical ability, I mean ones like Akutagawa, Mori, Kyōka, and Atsushi, who all have specific physical forms already. And their manifestations from Shibusawa’s ability take that form. These abilities that are summoned or are actual things already have a form. So they don’t become the shadow or ‘spirit’ of the ability, they become what the ability normally is. Part of this may be because the abilities have a “mind” of their own to an extent. Demon snow does things to care for Kyōka, and she couldn’t control it. Atsushi couldn’t control the Tiger and didn’t remember time as it, showing them as sort of ‘separate’ beings that are also one, including during the movie. Rashomon is ‘hungry’ and seems to have at least some level of sentence. Elise is clearly her entire own person, often arguing with Mori.

These ‘physical’ abilities keep the general same appearance as always in their manifestation, only they gain a gem on their head.

Now, why does the gem, the ability itself seemingly, appear on the head? I believe they’re placed in the head where the “brain” or “central” would be. Where the ability would, supposedly, be kept and controlled. In the mind.

So all abilities have their gem on their head, and take the form of their user if they don’t have their own physical form.

That is

Except Fyodor.

As you can see, Fyodor’s ability manifestation does not look like the normal manifestations. The skin is the same color as usual, the eyes are not glowing, and he has facial features. What is more resembles is the physical abilities. Keeping the exact same appearance, just gaining a gem on their body.

The gem is not located on the forehead. It’s located on his hand. Gems are assumed to be placed on the central ‘control’ spot of the ability, which is why the others are located on the head. Implying that the ‘brain’ or control for this ability is not in his mind, but in his hands. In his touch.

These both seem like small differences chosen for the appearance of the scene. But I believe they imply much more and could explain the mystery of his ability.

Fyodor kills someone with bare contact. His morals and beliefs are a large part of his character as well. Morals and beliefs, and people being killed based on what one believed about them, is also a large theme in the actual Crime and Punishment. (I cannot speak too much on the book, I’m still reading it currently)

I believe his ability and himself are not the same. His ability is not something he can control. It is a ‘conscious’ thing, a physical ability, just like ones such as Elise and Demon Snow. The best way to explain this is the quote the image is from.

The true Fyodor says, “I am crime.”

This means he is the law, he determines what is a crime. A judgment is made based on his morals and beliefs, a set of rules he has created and put into place.

The ability says, “I am punishment.“

This means, literally, the punishment. The consequence that is given based on what the law decides for the crime. The punisher has to give the punishment deemed fair based on if the law has convicted them.

The Punishment, death, will be cast on someone based on what the law, Fyodor’s morals and beliefs, say about their Crimes.

The ability takes punishment into its own hands. When Fyodor comes into contact with someone, a quick judgment is made based on whether he interprets them as a criminal or ‘sinner’ without his knowing or intention. The ability does it for him. Based on that quick judgment from his morals, he decides if the person will be killed or spared. That’s why some die by his hand, such as Karma, and others don’t, such as Nikolai.

This is why it is a ‘physical’ ability. It has its own consciousness, choosing to punish or spare a person without Fyodor’s conscious thought of it. He made the rules, the set of morals a person would be judged with, the crimes. But he does not actively decide if one is to be punished for them or not.

Crime and punishment go hand in hand. But they are not the same. They effect each other, but one can not have total control of the other. This is how I perceive Fyodor’s ability.

Please keep in mind this is all theory/hc based on a single scene, don’t take it for fact!! I am happy to further discuss with people and hear others theories or ideas :))

[acourtofthought]

I’m back with my thoughts. I’m sorry for the delay, life’s been crazy and I have many many many thoughts, but I wanted to make sure I get them to you. So forewarning I’m going to word vomit 😅

My main takeaways from HOFAS-as it pertains to acotar-are about Azriel. I know he gets a lot of hate and isn’t your favorite, but I’ve been curious about his powers from jump, and have drawn many hypotheses based on similarities between him, Cormac, and Lorcan. And whilst he and Cormac have mystery surrounding the origins of their powers, we known that Lorcan is watched over by Hellas, God of Violent Death and the Underworld. 

“Bryce could have sworn that shadows wreathed [Azriel], like Ruhn’s yet…wilder. The way Cormac’s had been.”

Cue the Michael Scott voice because IIIIII knew it!! There’s a clear distinction between Rhy’s & Ruhn’s shadows and those of Azriel and Cormac (+ the murder twins and Morven—maybe. I still have questions about them). But how, and why?

It would appear that the shadows Rhys and Ruhn possess are those of Starborn heritage, those which Silene had. But then this:

 “Hunt opened his mouth, his last bit of bravado before the shit-show began, but in the shadows behind Pollox, beyond the fireplace, something dark moved. Something darker than shadow.  Not Ruhn’s shadows. The prince didn’t seem to be able to access those when constrained by gorisan shackles. Only the prince’s mind speaking abilities remained.  This shadow was different—darker, older. Watching them. Watching Hunt…  …Across the room , the thing in the shadows moved. Just slightly. Like it had crooked a finger at him.  Death. That was that thing in the shadows. And now it beckoned.”

Is TEA!!!! We know that these passages are in reference to Apollion, the Prince of the Pit who cam to visit Hunt. And I’ve long suspected that the forces of Hel and Death have some ties to Azriel’s shadows & shadowsingers in Prythian. I think Sarah is dropping hints at the true nature of Azriel’s abilities, or at least to provoke questions about the forces at play in this universe she created. I'd be shocked if we didn't learn more about Shadowsinging in his story, especially because she teased Illyrian history in HOFAS. 

We learn that the IIlyrians were creations of the Asteri. Could the forces of Hel have mingled in their creation, as they did in Hunt’s? We don’t know if shadowsining is exclusive or dominate in IIlyrians, so I’m not too convinced of that. Truthfully, it’s why I’m not yet convinced that Azriel’s heritage is key to his powers. And something to just really tickle the brain is this passage from EoS:

“Lorcan’s magic was that of will - of death and thought and destruction. There was no name for it. Not even his queen had known what it was, where it had come from. A gift from the dark god, from Hellas, Maeve had mused - a dark gift, for her dark warrior. And left it at that.”

Not even his queen—Valg Maeve—knew what it was. Now, considering how the Valg were not native to the ToG world, would it really be a stretch to consider that the princes of Hel helped another world before? And then, again? What if, for whatever reason, Hel has taken to watching over their universe? What if Hel paid a visit to the little boy being horrendously abused by his family, and saw within them to help him? That they knew the most powerful high lord was also just a boy, and would need a right hand who could wield the dagger, similar to how Enalius commanded it at Fionn's side? If we learn Enalius was a shadowsinger in future books....I will squeal.

PS--

Something else from the HOSAB passage is that Ruhn’s shadow abilities disappear when shackled. I cannot remember if Morven was ever shackled, but Cormac’s ability to teleport/winnow was hindered by the gorisan bullet in HOSAB. An injured Az would certainly be hindered as well, but I wonder if it would be to the same degree considering how the Midgard fae are much weaker. Does the bullet hinder him just because he was shot, or does it specifically drain his magic?

I still have many questions, like if Cormac, Morven and the murder twins share the same shadows. Their inability to teleport inclines me to think no, but another major indicator of Cormac & Azriel’s difference is that Avallen magic is actually earth magic. I suspect the shadow powers Avallen have are because they’re the descents of Helena and/or fae of the "Night Court" bloodline (I cannot remember if this was explicitly explained or not lol). 

But that's all I have for now! Super curious to hear what you think :)

🧼💖

Despite my dislike of Az's behaviors at the moment I definitely know that when we get it, his story will be an interesting one! And I am curious why Rhys says it was Az's time in the dungeon that helped her learn the language of the shadows versus someone like Cormac who has a similar power but doesn't necessarily have quite the same tragic backstory. Does that mean it wouldn't have mattered whether Az had the childhood he did or not but that he would have always developed the ability to talk to the shadows? I agree that there's a good chance we're going to see a strong connection to Hel and Az in later books. Nesta is Death, both Cassian and Az had a strong reaction to Nesta in her Death form and she hears the lowest level of the library whispering to her. Since Gwyn felt a presence like a cat down there I do think it's going to turn out to be a portal to Hel and Aidas. I think with Bryaxis gone, the portal is no longer guarded which means whatever was in there can now reach out. I also think that because we learn the other "brothers" of the Princes of Hel are off helping other worlds, we'll see that set up for future arcs for Az, Gwyn, Nesta, etc. where they too world walk to protect their world from outside threats. My one big question from HOFAS was why did Vesperus bleed black (like a Valg) but the Asteri on Midgard bled red? If Vesperus was an Asteri, shouldn't they bleed the same color? Thank you for putting together all your thoughts for me!!! ❤️

[presidenthades]

I am doing very minor revisions of Daemon’s Handbook (mostly formatting and continuity errors), and I wanted to do some behind-the-scenes commentary before too much time passes and I forget my original thoughts. Here’s Chapter 8!

(Note that these commentaries aren’t canon to the verse until/unless the author writes them into the series. I might change my mind on a few points later, but these are the thoughts I had while writing.)

Rhaenys thinks Corlys was ignoring her letters in the Stepstones, but he was also really busy making sure Aegon and Aemond, who are teenaged boys prone to doing stupid things, didn’t accidentally kill themselves trying to nose-dive some pirates.

Luce’s status as heir to Driftmark is nebulous at first. When Laenor was alive, a) Laenor was heir and b) Corlys thought Laenor and Rhaenyra might still have a son. Now that Laenor is dead, by Andal tradition, Luce would be heir as eldest daughter (after Jace who’s slated for the throne). But one could argue that House Velaryon is Valyrian so it doesn’t need to follow Andal tradition.

Some might argue it’s better for Driftmark to stay in the male line to ensure the Velaryon name continues (which is something show!Corlys is big on), or Luce could be named heir but she has to marry within House Velaryon so she and her heirs keep the name. In this fic, Corlys affirms Luce as his heir, and not even Vaemond can complain too much about it because “daughters before uncles” is the norm for everything but the Iron Throne.

I have a thought that whomever Luce marries, Corlys might require that her eldest son/heir takes the Velaryon name (maybe all the children, who knows). So, uh, probably best if her husband is a second son/not the heir to his own lands 👁️👄🔹

*insert joke about Jace and Luce being the breadwinners while Aegon and Aemond are trophy husbands*

The more I read about medieval/Tudor history, the more intrigued I am by ladies-in-waiting. GRRM doesn’t flesh them out super well in his universe, and the show doesn’t have an infinite budget to go into the royal women’s relationships with LIW, but that’s what fanfic is for. I’ll go into more detail about it in one of the sequel fics. Jace is going to have an interesting bunch of LIW.

Rhaena and Helaena are taking notes about Luce’s suitors, but the notes are for themselves. As Rhaena discusses in Chapter 10, she and Helaena have unusual requirements for their potential husbands, and Luce is helpfully attracting a very large pool of eligible (and not so eligible) men.

I mentioned in a past commentary that Alicent likes Jace because Jace is proper and a good influence on Aegon. Alicent *does not* like Luce, whom Alicent perceives as being the opposite of Jace. (Alicent is lucky Baela isn’t interested in her children. Also when Joff gets older…😅)

I drop hints that Aegon drinks a lot less in canon. Part of it is Jace’s good influence, and part of it is that being in the Stepstones made him realize it’s really dangerous being drunk. (See: Chapter 7’s story about his hair catching fire.) He does get drunk during the wedding feast, because it’s his wedding and he deserves a treat.

In the show, all of Borros’s daughters look like adults, but in the book, Floris is 11 when the Dance starts (and Ellyn might be around that age). It makes sense that Floris and Ellyn are so young, otherwise I’m wondering why Borros has four unbetrothed adult daughters when Aemond comes knocking.

In this fic, I decided Cassandra is 16 (same as Aemond and Jace), Maris is 14, and the other two still younger. As the eldest, Cassandra is throwing her hat in the “Aemond’s potential wife” ring, and she has reasons to think she has a good chance. Baratheons have Valyrian blood and their ancestors have intermarried with Targaryens before. She’s also the heir to Storm’s End if her father remains son-less. (Unfortunately for her, Aemond is interested in a different heiress 🤭)

Baela being a mystery knight and attracting Cregan’s attention is a role reversal of the ASOIAF Harrenhal tourney with Lyanna and Rhaegar. I was originally going to have Daeron also join the lists, but I realized that was redundant with Baela in the picture, and he’s too small to pass for an adult male. So Baela got her moment to shine!

Why does Baela challenge those three Northmen? What do they have in common besides being Northern houses? I guess we’ll have to see in the Joff-centric sequel 👀 (Or you could dig deep into the ASOIAF wiki and try to find the answer.)

I decided to give House Velaryon a Valyrian sword since they *are* a Valyrian house. Corlys says Aegon and Aemond helped get the sword from Racallio Ryndoon after hosting a beach party. Racallio has many wives and he sometimes sends them to other men who seem like, uh, good sperm donors. I’m imagining that he might have made a similar offer to Aegon or Aemond or both. 👀 (In this fic verse, the boys would turn it down but the whole scenario would be hilarious, I think.)

I regretted making Daemon an idiot about fashion because it meant I couldn’t go into *too* much detail about Jace’s wedding dress. (But I have other fics in the works where I *can* go into detail!) Notice that Jace has a penchant for gold clothing and jewelry…because Sunfyre. ☀️

Is the story about baby Jace and Aegon a metaphor for how he supports her claim to the throne? Yes. Yes it is.

Jace’s Princess Diana moment is a big part of her Good PR Masterplan. She’s gonna make the smallfolk love her if it’s the last thing she does.

The little exchange between Daemon, Rhaenys, and Viserys during the ceremony reflects how I imagine their childhood was like. Daemon’s always squirming during sept services, Rhaenys pinches and pokes him to make him behave, and Viserys is a tattletale.

The Faith is supposedly based on Catholicism, so I leaned hard into the kneeling during services so Daemon has another thing to complain about.

Not gonna lie, I kinda want to write a short fic where the Dance does happen in this universe, partially because Aegon thinks he has to be king to keep/protect Jace. 🥲 Don’t know how the logic works out, but it’s fanfic, we’re here for the vibes.

During the feast, Rhaena and Helaena are talking to Daemion Velaryon and Garmund Hightower about the Fake Husband Project. Helaena will probably end up marrying Daemion (paper marriage only), but I don’t think Rhaena/Garmund is going to happen. We’ll see.

I’m kinda sorry but not actually sorry for Aegon’s song. I am proud I managed to make the rhyming and rhythm work. 😇

[kidspawn]

this isn’t meant to be mean or anything but. “tag pjo spoilers” the books have been out for 18 years??? obviously i know some people are only just getting introduced to pjo but if they look up pjo on ANY socmed platform, there’s going to be posts dating back years full of spoilers? i think it’s common sense not to look into the tags of show you don’t want spoiled.

When I refer to tagging PJO spoilers, I'm referring to common etiquette for new posts when an adaptation is being made. While the books have been out for years, the tv show has not. There are some spoilers that will genuinely ruin the experience for people watching the show for the first time - people who, for whatever reason they chose, may decide NOT to read the books. I'm referring to tagging relevant spoilers (which I'll list some examples below) not just... everything. I'm not saying go through all our old posts and tag everything, but I am saying to think about tagging newer content!

People will watch the show on its own. It is a piece of media that will stand alone. Some may decide to read the books and it's not fair for them to go into it with spoilers. If they want to dip into the tag to discuss a new episode, I'd hope they wouldn't be bombarded with spoilers from recent posts.

People going into fandom for the first time have every right to experience the story spoiler-free for the first time, and while lifelong fans like us have no obligation to, I'd hope we would all have the compassion to cultivate a positive experience for PJO newcomers! We have the ability to cultivate a safe and wonderful place to enjoy this world! Why should we not?

If they want to go into the Percy Jackson and the Olympians tag and talk about the episodes, where they think the plot will go - why should they not have that right? Why should book readers gatekeep the fandom and prevent them enjoying this show? If they don't want to blacklist tagged spoilers or willing engage in posts marked with spoilers, that's one thing, but it's common etiquette to acknowledge that, in this environment, we can take a simple step and tag spoilers. It doesn't really take very long.

Hopefully, if they feel this is an accepting and warm fanbase, they'll decide to read the books. If not, who cares? They still deserve to read the story. The idea of "the books have been out long enough!!" is, frankly, a little "holier-than-thou" and condescending. It implies that you're only a real fan if you've read the book prior - which just isn't true!

There are some elements of the story that we can tease online (Dr. Kane, Blackjack, any Nico or Bianca reference, etc.) but there's a lot that forms the fabric of the story Rick Riordan and the team behind this show is trying to tell.

Some examples of spoilers I mean when I say to censor/tag: (You'll notice this is just a list of spoilers that would ruin the story to know ahead of time)

Luke betraying Percy (this one is pretty obvious to tag)

Luke's ultimate fate (I've seen this one get spoilers)

Kronos being the final villain (that's a well-written mystery in the books, unless you're like me and obsessed with greek myth)

Ares being a villain fake-out

Hades being a villain fake-out

Tyson being a cyclops and Percy's brother

Bianca Di Angelo. Specifically, her decision to join the hunters and her literal death.

Zoë's death. Zoë's backstory.

Most things Nico related. His villain fake-out in the fourth book, especially. That was so well written in the books. I ADORE Nico, he's my first little guy. He's so cool, and I want to see people fall in love with his arc in the same way we all got to!

Hate to say it, Nico is a walking spoiler lol.

Thalia coming back!! That was such a fun twist!

Pretty much the entire plot of the last book. I hate to say it, but that book is so well-written. There's so much foreshadowing. So much care put into crafting the story to erupt into what is one of the BEST books in the riordanverse, imo.

Notice I'm not saying anything too obvious - like certain character relationships (Percabeth is fair game, its iconic!) or even letting people know where the book differs. I'm talking about major plot elements. Major plot spoilers. If your friend was reading the books for the first time, what would you refrain from telling them?

Of course, there's no obligation to tag or censor your spoilers. I'm not telling anyone to do that. It's a gentle suggestion. I'm going to tag spoilers. That's just my choice, and i hope other people do but I'm not going to enforce it or start fights about it.

I do understand that if people want to avoid spoilers completely, they should stay away from main fandom spaces, but there are certain aspects of fandom that should be safe - like, somewhere online to gush about the show between seasons!

To reiterate: I'm not upset when people aren't tagging spoilers, I just think it'd be nice! Percy Jackson is one of the best fandoms I've been involved in! I hope other people experience that warmth and joy! One way to do that is by helping craft a courteous and spoiler-free experience.

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: December 2023

And so the year draws to a close! Big movie month and hoping to carry that over into the new year.

……….FILM……….

Turning Red (2022) Late to the game on this but it’s so great! When they talk about the ritual and that the words to the music don’t matter, I knew it was gonna lead to 4*Town playing a key role, but what they did on top of that was a genuine surprise and what takes this to the next level: they embrace the obvious setups but add an extra twist to the payoffs. So great.

The Fate of the Furious (2017) Okay I really love the idea of evil Dom so this movie moooooostly works. I’m still getting caught up on the series but even knowing that Han is alive, it’s still baffling that Shaw is embraced by the crew. He killed that whole hospital wing! 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) These are of course Christmas films and I’ve noticed a transition in myself having not seen them for many years. I once liked the earlier movies for how faithful they were to recreating the books, but I now see how that the accuracy is at the expense of the movie’s pacing. Still really impressed with how well cast the core trio is even at this age.

The Santa Clause (1994) Nostalgia overwhelms my perspective on this but, as far as I can tell, this holds up pretty well. Starting Scott off as just...kinda the worst makes his transition all the better and I think is where Tim Allen is at his best. Plus a lot of really great sight gags which I don’t really see anymore (like the Denny’s full of sad dads).

Confess, Fletch (2022) Fun and the sort of movie I wish got made more often. Not all of the humour really landed but the characters were engaging and the mystery lead to a lot of fun. Perfectly decent rainy day watch.

The Night Before (2015) A lot of ups and downs with this one. At it’s best it’s very funny but when it slows down it really grinds to a halt. I wonder if the hangover movies have the same challenge. Also 100% thought the steroid injection was insulin.

Frosty the Snowman (1969) and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (1970) Two Rankin Bass classics that really highlight the best that this production company could do.

No Hard Feelings (2023) and Easy A (2010) The former was a pretty fun comedy that didn’t have a lot of comedy and the later was a comedy that I remember loving when it came out but not really connecting upon rewatch. Would I still recommend both? I think so, but only lightly.

……….TELEVISION……….

Blue Eye Samurai (Episode 1.01 to 1.04) A good chunk into the season and really digging it. The characters are rich and layered and the show is doing a good job of exploring those layers in an engaging story. Plus the setting/time period allows for a lot of really great visuals. Definitely making the most out of the premise and stoked for the rest of the season.

Poker Face (Episode 1.08 to 1.10) Such a satisfying series. The majority of the episodes stand on their own but the bigger picture occasionally pops up, until the end of the season where it becomes the main focus. Just like TV used to be! Really beautiful wardrobe and set design, all the actors seem to be having a great time, and each episode feels thoroughly realized. Big fan can’t recommend enough. 

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Episode 1.07 to 1.08) Came into it expecting something else and it’s gonna take some time to adjust to what it was. Gotta rewatch but really no complaints! 

……….YOUTUBE……….

Plagiarism and You(Tube) by hbomberguy Yes I did watch a 4 hour video on plagiarism and you should too. VIDEO

when the director is overqualified for the job by CinemaStix I never really considered how similar the early Harry Potter movies but it all makes sense. VIDEO

Stop Taking ANY Advice From TikTok by Extranet Shaquille A quick and light reminder that social media isn’t worried about truth or accuracy in any way. VIDEO

The Marvelization of Cinema by Stories of Old This succinctly explains (to me, at least) why some modern remakes/sequels/reimaginings land and some don’t. In short you gotta ask if it’s purpose is to tell a story or maintain a brand. VIDEO

……….READING……….

There is a Tide aka Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie (Page 122 of 224) Picked up a bunch of old Agatha Christie books at a thrift store (partly because of the cool covers, partly cause I like mystery as a genre but never read it). Turns out this is EXACTLY what I needed right now. It’s been a while since I was this stoked to keep going with a story and this specific story feels like a great influence on the first Knives Out movie in that it’s centred around a lot of family drama vying for control of a deceased benefactor’s money. So stoked and gonna grab more of these when I can. Hey do you have old DELL copies of Christie novels you don’t want? Lemme know.

Tiger in the Stars by Zach Hughes (Complete) Okay so I picked this up while thrifting. There were DOZENS of these Laser Books and figured I’d try one and see what they were like. Turns out...not that great. Some fun ideas but moved at a snail’s pace and felt like there was a lot of padding. Something like this feels like a Goosebumps book (short, quick output, somewhat formulaic) but in comparison, I think I’d prefer R. L. Stein.

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 2 by Ryoko Kui (Complete) Again rereading as the series draws to a close and it’s still such a joy. These characters are fully formed right from the beginning and it’s such a good study in dramatic escalation as right now it still feels light and fun and I love it.

The Michael Moorcock Library: The Chronicles of Corum Vol. 1: The Knight of Swords by Mike Baron, Mike Mignola, Rick Burchett, & Kelly Jones (Complete) Love these illustrated retellings of the old pulp fantasy novels. Sometimes the limited page count leads to pacing that feels rushed and a scale that feels smaller than the grandiosity of the subject matter, but every adaptation requires sacrifice. Gonna keep going with this series and also try to find the original books!

……….AUDIO……….

Cold & Blue All Over (Demo) by Blue Freezie (2023) A little punk, a little surf rock, a little rockabilly, and all a good time. Big fan of this album and hoping there’s more to come.

……….GAMING……….

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Tuesday D&D crew is back in Neverland and sorting out this Elf problem! They’ve killed one and are on their way to killing some more. It’s more nuanced than that and you can read all about it here.

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Mof1 D&D crew just robbed a funeral and started a riot! Who knows what’s gonna happen next.

And that’s it. See you in January!

[carewyncromwell]

“I’ve always been a smart girl... Always made the grade -- always got the gold star -- I’ve always been a smart girl, But ‘smart girl’ only gets a girl so far... You win at every single game... You want a quest -- they tell you, ‘tough!’ If you don't go, you'll never know If you’ll ever be good enough...”

~“My Grand Plan” from The Lightning Thief (musical)

x~x~x~x

Hey all! I thought I’d go ahead and draw up a proper concept for my HPMA girl Anastasia “Ana” Read, since quite frankly I never envisioned her as skinny, short, or talkative as MC in the game is. The lack of body diversity in the MC’s models in particular, or even among MC’s friends, is actually one of my biggest hang-ups with all of the recent Hogwarts games...as much as I understand up to a point thinking it’d be difficult to program a lot of different outfits or animations for different size models, it’s still a little sad to me how the player character is always programmed to be skinny, and in Magic Awakened in particular, that favoring of skinny character designs is only accented all the more thanks to the quasi-Tim-Burton-esque animation style, which favors toothpick-thin necks and limbs. It’s one of the few aspects of poor representation in Rowling’s original books that I would argue these recent games haven’t tried as hard to address -- we’ve seen attempts at more LGBT+ representation, as well as more positive representation for different cultural backgrounds and disabilities (especially in Hogwarts Mystery), but not as much in regards to rounder body types. And I guess for me, being raised by a woman who struggled with her weight her entire life, that’s a little sad. Regardless, it was nice to draw Ana again after such a long time, particularly using the original game’s model as a kick-off point!

If you’d like to learn more about my “Strong But Silent,” daydreamer, Sailor-Moon-loving girl Ana, here’s a masterpost of links to get you started!! Enclosed under the cut is the original unedited sketch, embellished with some extra messy chibi doodles of Ana I did on the same page, in case you’re interested!

Ana’s Moodboard

Ana’s Intro Post and Model Sheet

Ana’s Playlist

Meet Ana’s awesome step-dad, Bradley!

See Ana’s dynamic with her stepdad and stepbrothers!

Bradley’s Moodboard

Preston’s Moodboard

Jasper’s Moodboard

Why Bradley is the best dad ever

The first doodle is kind of based on that first pair of duels with the Frey twins and Cassandra Vole in the game. As I discussed with my friend @dat-silvers-girl​, I see Ana being suuuuper quiet the entire time, to the point that everyone thinks she’s really shy or nervous, until she -- seemingly out of nowhere -- uses Wingardium Leviosa to levitate poor Colby a good five feet off the ground and then abruptly drop him, effectively putting an end to the duel before it even got started. (As it turned out, Ana was really inspired by Flitwick’s story about Ron Weasley using the spell on that mountain troll to protect his friends and worked super hard to master the spell herself, with the thought that maybe she could do something that cool someday. It ends up becoming one of Ana’s favorite spells to duel with, though she usually uses it to levitate herself over her opponents to give herself the literal “high ground.”) Ana accepted Cassandra’s invitation to the Dueling Club, as well as challenges Cassandra on the dueling field several more times over the years, out of her strong sense of honor, which is funnily enough rather akin a knight’s -- Ana will never back down from a challenge, and if her loved ones or her view of common decency have been insulted, she will absolutely ask to “take it outside” and fight the dispute out on the dueling field, rather than insult the person back, ignore them, or actively lose her temper and attack them straight out. 

The second doodle is Ana in class, a good chunk of the time. Ana isn’t actually that shy, nor is she stuck-up, but she’s much better at writing eloquent essays than coming up with witty phrases or sassy one-liners on a whim. And because of how incredibly sensitive she secretly is (and the bullying she experienced for both her magic and her weight), she’s actually kind of hard to get to know, preferring the company of her fiction books to lots of people. She’s honestly a true “Belle” type, if one thinks of Beauty and the Beast, despite being in the house of Lions.

The last doodle is of Ana with Daniel Page, because, amazingly, these two are on the exact same wave length when it comes to the Statute of Secrecy, though for very different reasons! Ana’s stepfather, Bradley Pinkstone, is a pro-Muggle and Squib rights activist who passionately believes that the Wizarding World should find a way to work alongside the Muggle World, to the extent that the Statute of Secrecy isn’t necessary -- he and his sons even work in a theater alongside Muggles everyday, embracing Muggle technology just as much as they do magic! With Ana being Muggle-born herself, she’s likewise very supportive of the thought that if the two worlds knew more about each other, other little magical kids wouldn’t have to grow up feeling like freaks and outcasts the way she did. That doesn’t mean that Ana would ultimately agree with NOTME’s tactics, though -- she thinks there’s a very big difference between protesting against an unjust law and causing abject terror and chaos. (I personally see Daniel as more of a Ravenclaw/Slytherin type than a Gryffindor type myself, but that’s just my headcanon.)

[thestobingirlie]

The way people assess how smart Steve and Eddie are is wild. Eddie is a guy who is repeating his senior year for the third time. Honestly, without his “this is my year” speech Id think that at this point he is still in high school because it’s good for his business (drug dealing). But no, he genuinely wants to graduate. There can be several explanations, but I think this is a case of “shit life syndrome”. Eddie is in a very hard situation and has to become a drug dealer even though it is clear that he is not just an addict or is really interested in drugs himself, he is very vibrant and active in his community in high school, he has a lot of interests. He probably needs a little push from his teachers but they can’t or don’t want to do that for various reasons. He also is probably using and not just weed, although I don’t think he does? He isn’t experiencing any withdrawal symptoms while hiding in a boat/is not shown to be under influence ever (unlike my boy Jonathan). Idk. That’s a mystery to me.

But why. Do people think. That Steve is that dumb. The way he is described in fics sometimes is straight up a description of developmental issues which are underrepresented and should be talked about, but Steve?? Really? Steve?? So he is a little bit shit at writing essays so? I know that it’s Duffers’ fault (honestly they are so bitter and petty sometimes), but for real? Eddie is super smart and Steve is an idiot? Really? Steve’s problem is that he can’t get into a prestigious school, maybe Ivy League or something and Eddie’s is that he can’t graduate from a high school in Bumfuck, Nowhere. And Steve was likely applying for business or law which is not Steve at all but everything that his dad wants, and is now in his rebel phase. Steve’s best friend is Robin and he keeps up with her. The only people who called Steve stupid are Nancy and Dustin who are very judgmental and also (at the very least Dustin) put Steve down to feel better about themselves.

Also the Harringtons are not that rich. Steve goes to Hawkins High, be for real.

yeah, people write steve as if he canonically has developmental issues, and he just doesn’t. it’s fine if you want to write a fic where he does, but he just doesn’t like writing essays, and didn’t get into whatever colleges he applied to (and i’ve never thought about what college he applied to before, but yeah. it probably was a posh one for business or some shit). none of which means he failed everything. he still graduated!

and yeah, i don’t think eddie is dumb, i think his dad being in prison and living with his uncle might’ve caused him to struggle in school, but it just annoys me when people write him as a genius and steve as the village idiot that has never read a book.

literally. steve’s parents are probably rich because they live in a small town, if they lived somewhere really expensive, they’d be poorer. but yeah, they’re not bribing the teachers to get steve through fucking high school, and if they’d done that, why would they not do the same to get steve into college?