#i love harrow sue me

[palamedeeznuts]

trust me when i say i dont want to see a live action adaptation of the locked tomb (because i feel only animation could do it justice, if even)

but

in case it happens, i propose we cast jessie mei li as harrow because she has:

1. the pointy face

2. the cupid's bow

3. the EYES

4. she looks great with short hair

5. she's got the expressions (behold the disdain)

6. she's 5 feet 3

7. she has the voice

8. (very self indulgently), i would kill to see her with skeleton paint

edit:

9. She Could Do Nona (thank you tumblr user mercymorn-was-right)

[kyoukamybeloved]

« Chuuya-sama and Dazai-san stood side by side. Surprisingly enough, there was something similar to perfection about the two. »

« As if they are one soul in two different bodies. »

soukoku webweaves: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

rule of wolves - Leigh Bardugo// harrow the ninth - Tamsyn Muir// the sorrow festival - Erin Slaughter// the prisoner - Octavio Paz// the final empire - Brandon Sanderson// wuthering heights - Emily Brontë// 21 - Gracie Abrams// slow like honey - Fiona Apple// Sue Zhao// art by @/57and13 on twitter// the dead man - Georges Bataille// Art by @creantzy// Frankfurt song - Marina Tsevetaeva// Lazarus, L. Munir// call me what you like - lovejoy// Crush - Richard Siken// art by @/ossukii// confessions - Elle Emerson// I wish you would - Taylor Swift// motion sickness - Phoebe Bridgers// art by @/ossukii on instagram// bittersweet - Rumi// Stigmata; love of the wolf - Marina Tsevetaeva// art by @/Zrainmtast on twitter// west wind - Mary Oliver// step on me - the cardigans// good looking - Suki Waterhouse// Letters from Medea - Salma Deera// valentine - Laufey// art by @/1110yu_ku_si on twitter// Amirae Garcia// the grudge - Olivia Rodrigo// The epic of Gilgamesh - Danny P. Jackson// art by @/Yuyii_Ju on twitter// he shifts from east to west - Margaret Atwood// happiness - Taylor Swift// afterglow - Taylor Swift// These hands, if not gods - Natalie Diaz// manga panel by Sango Harukawa// 100 love sonnets - Pablo Neruda// tis the damn season - Taylor Swift// it’s all futile! It’s all pointless! - lovejoy// All about love - bell hooks// art by @/FloreSuika// Germaine de Staël// 

tagging moots and users who seemed to lose their minds at the other web weaves, since this is probably the last part, thank you so much for all the love :)))

@philzokman @amagami-hime @nnavia @dinosaur-mayonnaise @zamxii @the-gayest-sky-kid @vinylbiohazard @bunglegaydogs @lotus-reblogs @ricelover888 @pendragonstar @slug-behaviour @ghostsinacoat @miltseyx @homuncvlus

[ineffably-chloe]

so i was crying and wailing to my friend about the ineffable divorce (as one does, sue me), and she made the harrowing, horrendous, frightful, grim mistake of saying the dreadful words ‘it’s not so bad, you’re being dramatic’

so i hung up on her immediately.

and i feel like people dont really get the severity of the final fifteen i mean like look at it this way, let’s say person A and person B are disgustingly in love and they know that the other is too, BUT they work in opposing companies (that are corrupt) and aren’t even allowed to be with one another so they hang out secretly and they don’t talk about the fact that they’re friends, let alone the revolting crush they have on each other. and FINALLY person B sees the opening for them to move out and go to a different country to be together for once, it’s their big moment and B is so excited, until A gets a job promotion. and A is q wonderful human, and sees that promotion as a chance to make things better in their company, and invites B along too. so they fight. they confess. and when B tries to make A leave with him, he desperately kisses A, but A basically (allegedly/from B’s pov) says that the kiss was wrong, and ‘preaches’ what A’s company teaches them.

idk what that achieved. but it’s so sad.

[bottomtim]

[Steddie abo | 1.2k | part 1/? (part 2 here) | rated T, possibly M in later parts | not mentioned in this part of the ficlet but steddie is omega/omega 😌]

“So,” Nancy starts on a Sunday afternoon. “I think we should ask Eddie to be in our pack.”

It’s early summer. It’s rainy and muggy. The Wheeler’s basement is cooler than the rest of the house, but not necessarily comfortable. The kids are sprawled around the couch, reading comic books together. Nancy, Robin, and Steve are convened by the washer and dryer while Nancy folds a load of blankets for their upcoming pack night. Which Eddie is invited to. Because Eddie is already a part of their pack.

“Well, duh,” Robin says easily. “Of course. He went to Hell and back with us, plus he hangs around with us all the time, anyway.”

Steve scoffs, “You say that like he’s not already in the pack.”

“Oh? You know something we don’t?” Robin asks, eyebrows raised.

“Come on, don’t be stupid. Eddie’s in the pack. Has been, for like, months.”

Robin and Nancy share a look, before Nancy narrows her eyes at Steve. “Okay… And are you sure Eddie knows he’s in the pack?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Steve says, crossing his arms and cocking his hip to the side to leave against the washer.

“Well we can’t just assume that he knows,” Nancy said, shaking her head quickly when Robin jumps in.

“We know it’s just been him and Wayne for a long time. He might not be familiar with big pack dynamics. Or, like, any pack dynamics. It probably works a lot different to be a pack of two.”

The logic is sound, it’s fair and valid, but then Steve remembers Eddie rubbing the scent gland on his wrist while they were falling asleep to the tv yesterday afternoon. Like pack mates do. Not just simple easy going friends hanging out.

“Trust me, he knows.”

“Fine. Great. So since Eddie knows he’s in our pack, and this isn’t news to him at all, then you won’t mind taking these blankets for him to scent for the next movie night nest?” Nancy gives him a tight lipped smile and shoves a stack of blankets in Steve’s arms.

“Oh, come on, Nance. He’s been to literally every pack gathering since he’s gotten out of the hospital. Not to mention, everything we did for him in the hospital and while he was recovering!”

There was a pack member posted at both Max’s and Eddie’s bedsides as often as humanly possible, usually Steve himself since he wasn’t in school and Family Video had been closed until further notice. And he’ll never forget Eddie waking up from his 2-week coma, shocked to be alive, possibly even more shocked that Steve was the one at his bedside, and professing his love for the pack through choked tears. If there was ever a chance that Eddie might not become absorbed into Steve’s ragtag pack before (not likely; they were bonded by the harrowing experience of going to the Upside Down, and Eddie just felt like theirs now), that little moment cemented his spot right there.

Steve continues, “He’s literally always with us. He smells like us. He just scented me yesterday when we were saying goodbye, for Christ’s sake! I know he failed, like, four times but he’s not that dense.”

So Steve might be getting a little worked up, so sue him. Eddie is theirs. It’s crazy that Nancy and Robin think they need to spell it out.

Nancy huffs and rolls her eyes before giving Steve’s shoulder a light push so she can get to the washer and switch loads. “Eddie was barely conscious in the hospital and had literally no one else to help take care of him when he got out. He could’ve thought we were just being nice.” When she’s done, she straightens up and looks at Steve with the hint of a playful smirk on her lips. “Besides, I think the scenting is more of a you thing than a pack thing.”

“Now you’re really being ridiculous.”

Nancy raises her eyebrows at Robin, a silent plea for back up, which Robin gleefully obliges.

“I mean, I can’t say I’ve ever been scented by Eddie.”

Nancy narrows her eyes and strokes her chin, a mimicry of deep thought. “I can’t say that I have, either. In fact, I’d deduce no one in the pack has.”

“Hmm, elementary, dear Watson,” Robin says with a bad British accent and mimes smoking a pipe, which causes Nancy to break character and giggle. Usually, Steve would think the two of them were cute, making each other laugh. But not now, when it’s at his expense.

“Okay, don’t be smart. He has to have scented, like, Mike or Dustin, or Lucas. They were in that nerd club together, he’s known them longer. Maybe he’s a little closed off, but… Look, there’s no way he doesn’t know. It’s honestly kind of insulting that you think he doesn’t, I really expected better of you two.” If his arms werent full of blankets, he’d cross them over his chest in a stance the kids had dubbed his mom pose (and damn those kids, but maybe it is a little reminiscent of a mother scolding their pups).

Steve can see the subtle irritation simmering in Nancy as she gives him another tight smile. “Right. Okay. So. Blankets. Go get his scent. Thanks.”

Steve turns to go and calls, “Hey kids!” as he walks toward the couch. “Which of you has ever been scented by Munson?”

Surprisingly, it’s only Dustin that raises a hand. “Henderson? Just you?”

Dustin shrugs, “Yeah. It was when he was still in the hospital, after… You know.”

Dustin, understandably, does not like to talk much about the events of March 1986, and no one really blames him. So they leave it at that.

“You know, you’re going to have to actually ask him,” Max says, without looking up from the comic she’s reading. “They’re right. He wouldn’t know.”

“Really, Mayfield, you ganging up on me, too?” How could they all have such little faith in Eddie to see the obvious right in front of him?

“Why are we ganging up on Steve? I want to gang up on Steve,” Mike pipes up, looking up from his book.

Steve sighs through his nose before he explains, “Rob and Nance seem to think Eddie needs a formal invitation to the pack. Because apparently, it’s not enough that he’s with us, like, 24/7.”

Lucas shrugs, “Maybe… It’s not enough for him?”

“What?! That’s crazy.” That was Mike. And he’s not ganging up on Steve, he’s agreeing with him. Ha! “He just is pack. He just is!”

“Look, I’m not saying he isn’t, but I agree with Robin. We can’t just assume he knows.”

El shrugs in her spot next to Mike. “I probably would not know I was in your pack if you had not told me.”

An interesting point, sure, but El was raised in a lab.

“See?” Max says. “And Eddie is just… Like, sure he’s got this larger than life personality on the outside and all this bravado, but his emotions seem more closed off. Yeah, he comes to pack nights, but he never gets in the nest unless asked, and even then he has to ease into it, like he’s worried he shouldn’t be there.”

Besides Steve being surprised that Max has paid that much attention to Eddie, Steve is even more surprised that she might be… Right.

“This debate is stupid,” Dustin weighs in, voice loud, ready to settle things. “Eddie is ours,” he says. He says it with so much finality, such surety, like if he knows nothing else in the world, at least he knows this. Steve’s heart feels warm with the truth of it. Because Dustin gets it. “But-“ Wait, but? But what? No buts!- “It doesn’t hurt to reassure both him and us of that fact. So, Steve, if you will.” Dustin gestures vaguely towards the blankets, then waves Steve off like a King on his throne dismissing the jester.

And just like that the kids shrug, going back to their comic books. Nancy is smiling and waving goodbye to him while Robin pushes him toward the stairs.

(part 2)

[seeinganewlight]

2023 books read

updated reading goal: 150

1) nancy drew: the curse → micol ostow (audiobook, reread) / (jan 1) 2) all the dangerous things → stacy willingham (arc) / (jan 2) 3) lunar love → lauren kung jessen (arc) / (jan 3 - jan 4) 4) death by dumpling → vivien chien (audiobook) / (jan 6) 5) where echoes die → courtney gould (arc) / (jan 4 - jan 7) 6) the no-show → beth o’leary (audiobook) / (jan 6 - jan 8) 7) 6 times we almost kissed (and one time we did) → tess sharpe (arc) / (jan 8) 8) a fatal thing happened on the way to the forum: murder in ancient rome → emma southon (audiobook) / (jan 8 - jan 9) 9) this appearing house → ally malinenko (audiobook) / (jan 9) 10) spare → prince harry (audiobook) / (jan 10) 11) hell bent → leigh bardugo (audiobook) / (jan 10 - jan 12) 12) have i told you this already? → lauren graham / (jan 12 - jan 13) 13) partners in crime → alisha rai (audiobook) / (jan 13) 14) always the almost → edward underhill (arc) / (jan 14) 15) a room of one’s own → virgina woolf / (jan 5 - jan 14) 16) icebreaker → hannah grace (audiobook) / (jan 15) 17) the companion → e.e. ottoman / (jan 15 - jan 16) 18) feel your way through → kelsea ballerini / (jan 16) 19) comfort me with apples → catherynne m. valente (audiobook) / (jan 17) 20) a strange loop → michael r. jackson / (jan 21) 21) maybe in another life → taylor jenkins reid / (jan 23) 22) the fraud squad → kyla zhao / (jan 23 - jan 25) 23) the family game → catherine steadman (audiobook) / (jan 25 - jan 26) 24) the six deaths of the saint → alix e. harrow / (jan 28) 25) these fleeting shadows → kate alice marshall (audiobook) / (jan 28) 26) better than fiction → alexa martin (audiobook) / (jan 30 - jan 31) 27) this is not a personal statement → tracy badua / (jan 28 - feb 1) 28) nine liars → maureen johnson / (feb 2 - feb 4) 29) the nanny → lana ferguson (arc) / (feb 6) 30) finlay donovan is killing it → elle cosimano (audiobook) / (feb 7) 31) finlay donovan knocks ‘em dead → elle cosimano (audiobook) / (feb 8) 32) finaly donovan jumps the gun → elle cosimano (audiobook) / (feb 8) 33) someone had to do it → amber brown & danielle brown (audiobook) / (feb 12) 34) daisy jones & the six → taylor jenkins reid (reread, annotation) / (feb 8 - feb 12) 35) wuthering heights → emily brontë (audiobook, reread) / (feb 13 - feb 14) 36) practical magic → alice hoffman (audiobook) / (feb 16) 37) delicious monsters → liselle sambury (arc) / (feb 11 - feb 17) 38) the world cannot give → tara isabella burton (audiobook) / (feb 18 - feb 19) 39) this time it’s real → ann liang / (feb 14 - feb 19) 40) partners in crime → agatha christie (audiobook) / (feb 20) 41) the glass menagerie → tennessee williams (reread) / (feb 22) 42) missing clarissa → ripley jones (arc) / (feb 22 - feb 23) 43) the reunion → kayla olson (audiobook) / (feb 23) 44) twelfth night → william shakespeare (reread, annotation) / (jan 15 - feb 23) 45) the summer i turned pretty → jenny han (reread, audiobook) / (mar 1) 46) it’s not summer without you → jenny han (reread, audiobook) / (mar 1) 47) we’ll always have summer → jenny han (reread, audiobook) / (mar 1) 48) the late mrs. willoughby → claudia gray (arc) / (feb 23 - mar 2) 49) the appeal → janice hallett / (mar 2 - mar 3) 50) fatal throne: the wives of henry vii tell all → candice fleming, m.t. anderson, jennifer donnelly, stephanie hemphill, debrah hopkinson, linda sue park, lisa anna sandell (audiobook) / (mar 4) 51) a quiet life in the country → t.e. kinsey (audiobook) / (mar 6 - mar 7) 52) leave it to the march sisters → annie sereno (arc) / (mar 7 - mar 8) 53) wild is the witch → rachel griffin (audiobook) / (mar 9) 54) no exit → taylor adams / (mar 9 - mar 10) 55) julius caesar → william shakespeare (reread, audiobook) / (mar 15) 56) last violent call → chloe gong / (mar 10 - mar 15) 57) the witch and the vampire → francesca flores (arc) / (mar 15 - mar 16) 58) what lies in the woods → kate alice marshall (audiobook) / (mar 17) 59) the writing retreat → julia bartz (audiobook) / (mar 18 - mar 20) 60) spells for forgetting → adrienne young (audiobook) / (mar 23) 61) anne of green gables → l.m. montgomery (reread) / (mar 21 - mar 24) 62) an elderly lady is up to no good → helene tursten (audiobook, translated work) / (mar 27) 63) murder your employer: the mcmasters guide to homicide → rupert holmes (audiobook) / (mar 28 - mar 29) 64) fake dates and mooncakes → sher lee (arc) / (mar 29 - mar 30) 65) the sweetest connection → denise williams (audiobook) / (apr 1) 66) immortal longings → chloe gong (arc) / (mar 16 - apr 1) 67) lost in the never woods → aiden thomas / (apr 2 - apr 3) 68) that wasn’t in the script → sarah ainslee (arc) / (apr 3) 69) tell me what really happened → chelsea sedoti (arc) / (apr 3) 70) shakespeare in love → lee hall / (apr 4) 71) the golden spoon → jessa maxwell (audiobook) / (apr 6 - apr 7) 72) hamlet → william shakespeare (reread, annotation) / (mar 4 - apr 8) 73) anne of avonlea → l.m. montgomery (reread) / (apr 4 - apr 9) 74) anne of the island → l.m. montgomery (reread) (apr 9) 75) of human kindness: what shakespeare teaches us about empathy → paula marantz cohen (audiobook) / (apr 7 - apr 10) 76) ophelia → lisa m. klein (audiobook) / (apr 12 - apr 13) 77) anne of windy poplars → l.m. montgomery (reread) (apr 10 - apr 13) 78) women of will: following the feminine in shakespeare’s plays → tina packer (audiobook) / (apr 14 - apr 17) 79) juliet: the life and afterlives of shakespeare's first tragic heroine → sophie duncan (arc) / (apr 5 - apr 18) 80) your guide to not getting murdered in a quaint english village → maureen johnson, jay cooper / (apr 20) 81) when the reckoning comes → latanya mcqueen (audiobook) / (apr 21 - apr 22) 82) laertes: a hamlet retelling → carly stevens / (apr 23) 83) the broken girls → simone st. james / (apr 21 - apr 26) 84) the night swim → megan golden (audiobook) / (may 1 - may 2) 85) when you wish upon a lantern → gloria chao (audiobook) / (may 3 - may 4) 86) chloe and the kaishao boys → mae coyiuto / (may 2 - may 7) 87) ghosted: a northanger abbey novel → amanda quain (arc) / (may 2 - may 7) 88) happy place → emily henry / (may 7 - may 9) 89) the mad women’s ball → victoria mas / (may 9 - may 11) 90) the fiancée farce → alexandria bellefleur (audiobook) / (may 14 - may 15) 91) the strange case of the alchemist's daughter → theodora goss (audiobook) / (may 18 - may 19) 92) the weight of blood → tiffany d. jackson (audiobook) / (may 19 - may 20) 93) the twyford code → janice hallett / (may 18 - may 21) 94) never vacation with your ex → emily wibberley and austin siegemund-broka / (may 22) 95) the dos and donuts of love → adiba jaigirdar (arc) / (may 23 - may 24) 96) european travel for the monstrous gentlewoman → theodora goss (audiobook) / (may 22 - may 25) 97) one jump at a time: my story → nathan chen (audiobook) / (jun 1) 98) death of a bookseller → alice slater (audiobook) / (jun 1 - jun 2) 99) a treacherous tale → elizabeth penny (audiobook) / (jun 3 - jun 5) 100) chapter and curse → elizabeth penny (audiobook) / (jun 5) 101) julieta and the romeos → maria e. andreu (audiobook) / (jun 5 - jun 6) 102) a far wilder magic → allison saft (audiobook) / (jun 7 - jun 11) 103) meet me at the lake → carly fortune (audiobook) / (jun 11 - jun 12) 104) foul heart huntsman → chloe gong (arc) / (may 25 - jun 17) 105) rules for vanishing → kate alice marshall / (jun 1 - jun 19) 106) little thieves → margaret own (audiobook) / (jun 15 - jun 21) 107) the last word → taylor adams / (jun 19 - jun 21) 108) the three dahlias → katy watson / (jun 5 - jun 24) 109) painted devils → margaret own (audiobook) / (jun 25 - jun 29) 110) reign → katharine mcgee (arc) / (jun 25 - jul 1) 111) the chateau → jaclyn goldis / (jul 1 - jul 4) 112) a most agreeable murder → julia seals / (jul 2 - jul 4) 113) the shadow sister → lily meade / (july 4 - july 5) 114) if we were villains → m.l. rio (reread, audiobook) / (jul 6) 115) something is killing the children, vol 1 → james tynion iv / (jul 7) 116) something is killing the children, vol 2 → james tynion iv / (jul 7) 117) something is killing the children, vol 3 → james tynion iv / (jul 7) 118) you’re not supposed to die tonight → kalynn bayron / (jul 8) 119) something is killing the children, vol 4 → james tynion iv / (jul 9) 120) lock every door → riley sager (audiobook) / (jul 8 - jul 9) 121) something is killing the children, vol 5 → james tynion iv / (jul 10) 122) the sun down motel → simone st. james / (jul 9 - jul 11) 123) the only survivors → megan miranda (audiobook) / (jul 13) 124) at home with the horrors → sammy scott / (jul 16 - jul 21) 125) one of us is lying → karen m. mcmanus (reread, audiobook) / (jul 31) 126) bring me your midnight → rachel griffin (arc) / (jul 21 - jul 31) 127) one of us is next → karen m. mcmanus (reread, audiobook) / (jul 31 - aug 1) 128) the summer of broken rules → k.l. walther / (jul 30 - aug 1) 129) one of us is back → karen m. mcmanus / (aug 1 - aug 3) 130) what happens after midnight → k.l. walther / (aug 4 - aug 6) 131) the narrow → kate alice marshall / (aug 3 - aug 6) 132) night of the living queers: 13 tales of terror delight → edited by shelly page and alex brown (arc) / (aug 9 - aug 15) 133) the death i gave him → em x. liu (arc) / (aug 17 - aug 19) 134) heartstopper, vol 1 (reread) → alice oseman / (aug 19) 135) heartstopper, vol 2 (reread) → alice oseman / (aug 19) 136) heartstopper, vol 3 (reread) → alice oseman / (aug 19) 137) heartstopper, vol 4 (reread) → alice oseman / (aug 19) 138) the only one left → riley sager / (aug 19 - aug 21) 139) the getaway list → emma lord (arc) / (aug 21 - aug 22) 140) a good girl’s guide to murder → holly jackson (reread, audiobook) / (aug 23 - aug 24) 141) good girl, bad blood → holly jackson (reread, audiobook) / (aug 24 - aug 26) 142) as good as dead → holly jackson (reread, audiobook) / (aug 26 - aug 27) 143) five survive → holly jackson (reread, audiobook) / (aug 27) 144) one for my enemy → olivie blake / (aug 31 - sep 5) 145) business or pleasure → rachel lynn solomon / (sep 5) 146) maybe meant to be → k.l. walther (audiobook) / (sep 6 - sep 7) 147) yellowface → r.f. kuang (audiobook) / (sep 10 - sep 11) 148) going bicostal → dahlia adler (audiobook) / (sep 19) 149) teach the torches to burn: a romeo and juliet remix → caleb roehig / (sep 16 - sep 23) 150) none of this is true → lisa jewell / (sep 24) 151) the girls in the garden → lisa jewell (audiobook) / (sep 29 - sep 30) 152) a very lively murder → katy watson / (oct 3 - oct 4) 153) she is a haunting → trang thanh tran (audiobook) / (oct 4 - oct 5) 154) murder and mamon → mia p. manansala / (oct 5) 155) in these hallowed halls: a dark academia anthology → edited by marie o’regan & paul kane / (sep 14 - oct 7) 156) hallowe’en party  → agatha christie (audiobook) / (oct 8 - oct 9) 157) the second death of edie and violet bond → amanda glaze (audiobook) / (oct 9 - oct 11) 158) the fall of the house of usher → edgar allan poe / (oct 12) 159) home before dark → riley sager (audiobook) / (oct 13 - oct 14) 160) a haunting on the hill → elizabeth hand / (oct 7 - oct 16) 161) the lost coast → a.r. capetta (audiobook) / (oct 14 - oct 19) 162) murder in the family → cara hunter / (oct 18 - oct 21) 163) starling house → alix e. harrow (audiobook) / (oct 22 - oct 25) 164) the unmaking of june farrow → adrienne young (physical and audiobook) / (oct 23 - oct 28) 165) when ghosts call us home → katya de becerra / (oct 28 - oct 30) 166) a christmas carol → charles dickens (reread) / (nov 5) 167) the fall of whit rivera → crystal maldonado (audiobook) / (nov 9 - nov 10) 168) iris kelly doesn’t date → ashley herring blake (audiobook) / (nov 11 - nov 12) 169) fair rosaline → natasha solomon / (nov 8 - nov 14) 170) the dead romantics → ashley poston (audiobook) / (nov 20) 171) if we were villains → m.l. rio (reread, physical and audiobook) / (nov 8 - nov 22) 172) the ballad of songbirds and snakes → suzanne collins / (nov 23 - nov 25) 173) i hope this doesn’t find you → ann liang (arc) / (nov 27 - nov 28) 174) the hunger games → suzanne collins (reread, annotation) / (dec 1 - dec 2) 175) the christmas appeal → janice hallett (audiobook) / (dec 6) 176) enchanted to meet you → meg cabot (audiobook) / (dec 8 - dec 10) 177) catching fire → suzanne collins (reread, annotation) / (dec 3 - dec 17) 178) mockingjay → suzanne collins (reread, annotation) / (dec 18 - dec 23) 179) none shall sleep → ellie marney (audiobook) / (dec 15 - dec 23) 180) little women → louisa may alcott (reread, physical and audiobook) / (dec 25 - dec 28)

[carica-ficus]

“Harrow the Ninth”

18/02/2024

Reading progress: 350/507 (69%) Read through since last update: 137

It's been a few days since my last update. I've been reading a lot, just wanted to make one comprehensive post instead of many small ones. Things have been heating up, but nothing's been going on at the same time. I don't really mind. I love slow paced books that take their time to unfold, and I'm really enjoying Harrow. Through and through!

So! Notes on this part:

Ortus, you horny devil! 😲

Ok, but for real. Am I surprised? Maybe. Was it really unexpecting? No.

Oh, she did him good.

AHAHAHA I love how Mercy keeps saying Harrow is younger and younger.

Aw, so glad that Harrow was sent to bed after everything. God knows she needed it. (Literally.)

I'm not sure whether or not the bond between Harrow and Ianthe is growing into something a little more than platonic, but I do like how they're such a weird and awkward pair. I love how Harrow needed to stay with Ianthe and she "took care of her". I love how they slept on the same bed, miles apart. I love how Harrow feels uncomfortable with all of it, but she still craves it.

There's so so much to Harrow's character that I love, mostly because it is very validating of my own anxieties.

Not gonna lie, that relationship between Ianthe and Augustine smells fishy to me. Feels yucky.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA John made a "your mother joke"

And of course Harrow instantly felt herself become a little more of an atheist.

AYOO

AYOOOOOOO

THE EMPEROR AS WELL????????????

MERCY TOO????

Ah, yes, Camilla. Good that she finally decided to appear.

Awwww Palamedes hugging Harrow is such a cute scene. 🥺

I'm smelling a doomed timeline here. Sue me, I don't care.

Oh, Harrow. You desperate, embarrassing and cringe little girl. I love you with all my heart. 🖤

Love how the Resurrection Beasts look sorta like the angels from Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Bikkie...?

As in BISCUIT?????????

I love John and I hate him with a burning passion.

HAHAHAHAHAH NOOO he asked Harrow is she was being safe. 💀💀💀💀💀 I'd die on the spot.

"Did I sin, Lord? Did I kill two of my fathers that day?"

I am not the same person I was two sentences ago.

If everything goes well, I should finish the book by the end of this week. I am looking forward to it, but I'm dreading it at the same time. I never want this book to end, but I also need to find out what happens.

In any case, see y'all in a few days. <3

[canonrpfinder]

Hello everyone, hope you're all doing alright, folks! And thanks canonrpfinder to manage the account and to helping me to see when posts had been udpate, lol!

About me! I roleplay since ten years now, and currently doing it on discord! I write on 3rd person, and are pretty flexible when it comes to the lenght of our answers. I would just like to have a partner sending something I can work with, not just anyhting like "He kissed her." or those five words answers. I tend to like playing on a server for the two of us, with using tupperbox. I love OOC discussion, and eventually would be looking for someone who could answer regularly. I am also ready to double rp. To conclude this part, I wish that all people reaching me be over the age of majority! I like to have some erp parts in my rp, not just for the love of it (thought horny can be fun) but because I do romantic ships and think that erp can be beautiful when we write it good!

Anyways, about what I am really looking for right now! It will be about some fandoms of mine and ships in it, so buckle up and here we go!🕺

• MCU:

- Kate Bishop and Yelena Belova

- Loki and Brunhilde

- Wanda Maximoff and Strange

- Layla-El-Faouly and Arthur Harrow

- Layla-El-Faouly and Marc Spector

- Xu Xialing and Namor

- Jennifer Walters and Kingpin

- Kilgrave and Jessica Jones

- Kilgrave and Karen Page

- Kilgrave and Maria Hill

- Kilgrave and Black Widow

• Marvel Comics:

- America Chavez and Kate Bishop (Amerikate for the win!)

- Storm and Doom

- Sue Storm and Namor

- Kate Bishop and Laura Kinney

- Kate Bishop and Masque

- MJ and Osborn

• X-Men 97:

- Rogue and Magneto

- Jubilee and Sunspot

• DCU:

- Ratcatcher and Poison Ivy

• DC Comics:

- Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon

- Raven and Beastboy

- Harper Row and Stephanie Brown

• Skins:

- Effy and Naomi

- Naomi and Cook

- Effy and Cook

- Naomi and Emily

• The Last of Us:

- Ellie and Dina

• Stranger Things:

- Nancy and Robin (Ronance for the win too!)

- Max and Robin

- Nancy and Steve

• Scott Pilgrim:

- Ramona and Gideon

- Ramona and Envy

- Ramona and Scott

- Ramona and Foxie

- Kim and Foxie

- Kim and Scott

• Drive Away Dolls:

- Jamie and Marian

• Locke and Key:

- Kinsey and Dodge

• Brooklyn 99

- Jake and Amy

Can't wait to have your news, like this and I will reach out for more talk about what we can rp on!

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "Steps Into Shadow"

Everything is all shaken up for Season Three, let's go.

So I know I said I really like it when shows change up the Status Quo but...

Some of the changes took a bit of getting used to in Season Three. I'll admit it.

(It's the hair, Ezra's hair took getting used to, I believe my exact reaction was, "Nooooooo not the cute shaggy shonen protagonist hair!" I'm okay with it now and it's hella easier to draw but it was a bit of a mourning period.)

So! Season Three begins six months after the end of Season Two. Everyone has had a cosmetic upgrade. They're all older. Ezra is seventeen. *cries*

Ezra had his seventeenth birthday offscreen while he and Kanan were not on speaking terms.

*sobbing forever*

Anyway we open In Media Res with the Spectres (minus Kanan) pulling off a jailbreak.

Oh it is absolutely not a coincidence that our first sight of Ezra this season has him bathed in shadow.

Sabine and Ezra casually bantering mid-mission and Ezra being seamlessly badass. <3

That cute little fond smile of Ezra's when he sees Hondo. T_T

Ohhhh I remember when people were freaking out over just how casually Ezra shoots this Stormtrooper with a blaster very obviously not set to stun. It's such a contrast from "Stealth Strike" in which he promises not to hurt any of them. He's taken some parts of Maul's words to heart, sadly, and now he's acting like a proper soldier in a war.

Ouch.

Don't mind me appreciating Ezra and Sabine's brief battle tag-teaming moment here.

As if the Luke parallels were not strong enough, Ezra's new lightsaber--after a harrowing fight against Darth Vader in which he lost his other one--is green. And sue me, I love his green lightsaber, it's my favorite.

Also a big fan of how Ezra demolishes this whole hallway of Stormtroopers by himself. He doesn't even blink.

"Is that really Ezra?" "Most of the time." The meaning behind this exchange is ambiguous and there are plural interpretations. I think Sabine is referring to how utterly serious he is, no stopping, no delays, all-business. We only really saw him banter and smile with the others when on their way in, once the reinforcements arrived it was all go time.

It really isn't Ezra's fault that Terba got killed. But Ezra's Hero Complex, Guilt Complex, and sense of hyper-responsibility are all colliding and making him take the blame on himself for not having complete 100% control of the situation, also why he snaps at Hera later for griping about just that.

Never not gonna love Ezra as leader with Sabine as his competent lieutenant. <3

The Force Theme goes creepily off-tune here. This is NOT a Jedi Mind Trick. This is Force Dominate and yes, it is a Dark Side power.

This scene is deliberately uncomfortable. It's almost like possession, like Ezra using the AT-DP pilot like a meat puppet.

Sabine looking Very Concerned as she watches what Ezra does here. :)

There's just a moment where they hold on the shots of the AT-DP's legs and Ezra's feet, juuuuuuust to give you enough time to comprehend the horror.

"When did Kanan teach you that?" There's just a smidge of discomfort in Sabine's voice here, she knows full well that's not something normal.

Ezra's "I did what I had to do." here is a bit needlessly defensive, Hera didn't offer any commentary in judgement at all, he's just instinctively already verbally flinching about it because he knows it was wrong.

We can already see the effects of Malachor on Ezra, he's angrier than usual and bristles at Hera's criticism.

"Ah the fiery spirit of youth, eh?" "It's not all bad." Hera looks so SAD here. :( There's so much unspoken sorrow. You can hear a certain frustration and helplessness.

Cut to Ezra having the expected angst session in his room. The holocron, sensing his anger, lights up, making his cadet helmet (the one Sabine painted for him, that's supposed to represent a sense of safety) look creepily demonic.

"You can see things clearly your friends cannot." Ohhhhh you absolute bitch, that specific turn of phrase is meant to dig at Ezra's guilt over Kanan's blindness isn't it? Ezra even repeats it. "They can't see..." This scene here, his speech, is the lynchpin of his entire experiment with the Dark Side; his guilt over Malachor is eating him up and like Anakin before him he's resolved to never let it happen again. So he must become stronger, more powerful. His fear of further loss--his attachment--is leading him down the same dangerous path.

It hurts so good, it's such good angst.

THERE SHE IS, MY FAVORITE FABULOUS BITCH.

She's awful. I love her. <3

The entire crew being so Done with Hondo lol.

Heeeeeeey remember how I talked about how a large part of Rebels the show is how the Ghost crew in particular helps put the Alliance together piece by piece, ship by ship?

Yeah these are the Y-wings that take part in the Battle of Yavin.

Sato promoting Ezra, awwwww. The sheer respect these two have now. Sabine and Zeb are very happy for him and Hera says Kanan would be too and ow ow ow the lined hurt in Ezra's face when he points out that Kanan is never around anymore.

The man himself has grown a Sadness!Beard and is in such inner turmoil that it's woken the Bendu, whose voice we hear calling to him.

I really feel for Hera, trying to mediate between her two Jedi, who are both hurting and both avoiding each other, the frustration and anguish she must feel.

Perhaps nudged by her words Kanan does try to pay Ezra a visit to talk... aaaaaaaand immediately discovers the open holocron.

Ohhh this conversation hurts. Ezra's so angry and hurt by Kanan seemingly abandoning him and all Kanan can think about is protecting him from the holocron's influence and he must feel like such a failure as a teacher, especially when Ezra yells about how he doesn't need Kanan.

:((((

Rebels says vehicle registrations and tolls are tyranny lol.

Right so, mistake number one: Running instead of playing cool. The Alliance does have a small amount of funds and they could easily forge a ship registration. Give the Mining Guild fake credentials, pay the fee, and they could have bought enough time to deflect suspicion for an hour maybe.

Yeah the krykna aren't any less creepy.

Hi Bendu!

The Bendu is an interesting addition to the lore. He seems in the vein of the Mortis Gods, an ancient entity in tune with the Force, though the normal rules of such don't apply to him. He's a neutral party, possibly representative of the spirit of nature, which is neither Light nor Dark it just is. His True Neutral alignment would later be challenged by Kanan but for now he seems a helpful ally, offering to assist Kanan learn how to "see" through the Force. (I do like to joke that he's trying to get all the Force noise to calm down so he can go back to sleep.)

Mixed feelings on how Kanan's blindness is handled. Would have liked to see more of a recovery/coping arc, but a lot of the little subtle hints and nods they do in later episodes are really effective at showing how he's adapted. And then there are the odd moments where Rebels writers forget he's blind entirely. So there's some room for improvement.

Also he should have been allowed to make some blind jokes. DON'T @ ME THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN HILARIOUS.

Ezra: "No witnesses! 😠" Sabine: "Dude WTF?" Love how even though his Dark Side tendencies concern and worry her she's not afraid to push back at him.

Kanan assumes the "source of unbalance" he's carrying is the Sith holocron and confesses his fears that it's corrupting Ezra. The Bendu claims, "An object cannot make you good or evil.", explaining how it's one's mindset that determines that.

Which I mean, point, buuuuuuuut this is also a fictional universe in which the traces of Sith ghosts stuck in soul jars can literally possess you sooooo...

Anyway the scenes of Bendu teaching Kanan how to "see" through the Force are amazing. 10/10 no complaints. Will comment on things as I go just to point them out.

For starters, how about the panic and fear in Kanan when Bendu destroys the sensor beacon? And his angry hopeless, "I can't see anything! Not anymore."?

MEANWHILE WITH THE IMPERIAL DOOM SQUAD:

*ANGELIC CHORUS*

Hello my favorite blue bastard.

The first hint of Kallus's changed allegiance is here with this vaguely accusatory comment about civilian deaths outnumbering insurgent deaths at Batonn, which Thrawn was promoted for. Pryce calls them "acceptable margins". Timothy Zahn would later reveal in the first new canon Thrawn book that it was her who detonated the bombs that killed everyone. For the moment I will refrain from commenting on his concerning habit of retconing things to absolve Thrawn of anything bad ever and just respond with the appropriate amount of disgust at Pryce.

Always loved the cool effect where everything except Thrawn's red eyes fade out.

Mistake number two: Not calling Hera to tell her, "Hey the Empire is scrapping the bombers literally as we speak." and asking for advice. Hera probably would have consulted Sato and the combined brainpower could have come up with a better plan than "Charge in recklessly and scoop them up against orders without further observation or research."

Even Rex, who backs Ezra up later, thinks they should tell Hera about it first.

"That's an order!" Ouch, Ezra, that is the most insensitive thing you could have said to a former clone trooper.

Ezra's need for control over every possible variant situation (to prevent himself from suffering further loss) is actively making things worse for the mission, not better. He is showing a distinct lack of trust in the command structure, and an almost possessive need to keep his team safe and under his direction.

No one comments on his bossing them around though, not even Sabine, and into the maelstrom they go.

Hi Brom Titus!

Rex still showing a very slight deathseeker tendency.

Sabine's been taking notes from Hera on flying a ship with no power, clearly, lol.

This cue right here is going to come back later in the climax of the episode. The frantic rapid percussion definitely gives off the feel of "falling".

Love Melch feigning a malfunction he fits right in with Han "slight weapons malfunction" Solo lol.

Sabine sounds tired and exasperated when she points out the fighters won't have any fuel. I can only imagine the kind of impulsive, reckless, rash leadership decisions she's had to put up with from Dark Side Depression!Ezra for the past few months.

Rex is supportive tho. <3

Bendu going through Kanan's other senses methodically to help him relearn how to navigate. <3

Kanan foresensing the danger Ezra's going to be in from across the galaxy and freaking out about it. <3

I'll be honest I don't quite understand this philosophical mumbo-jumbo but whatever it works, Kanan's got his mojo back and is going to go get his padawan.

Ohhhhhh oh I know this cue right here has been used before, dammit where was it used before?

Hang on... I think it's Kanan's theme?

*goes back to check "Stealth Strike"* No, not there. Ugh, this is gonna bug me.

*checks YouTube* It IS Kanan's theme! Holy crap.

Sabine does not have a good time of it against this Dismantler droid. Zeb's prehensile feet save the day, though. Always love when they get to use those.

Worried Ezra be worried. <3

Ezra's strained "Oh shit it's mom." tone here lol.

Recall what I said back in "Fire Across The Galaxy" about how the Rebellion will always pull your fat out of the fire even if you've been stupid? Yeah.

Hera's face when she sees Kanan sitting in the co-pilot chair. <333333

Rex, ah... may not be all mentally here I think the Dismantler droid is bringing up some unpleasant memories.

The subtle symbolism continues!

This exchange is hilarious. "Yeah, get ready for another demotion." Lol Ezra.

Ezra considers the dilemma for half a second and then chooses violence. Mistake three.

Chopper pitches a fit about getting in a Y-wing. Given that he was shot down in one, that's understandable.

This fond smile and headshake at Hondo. <3

Mistake four, not checking to see if the Y-wings had hyperdrives before taking off.

Always love it when one of the kids uses Zeb's "Karabast!" He's a bad influence on them lol.

All of Ezra's previous bad decisions culminate here, he's stranded on a collapsing station, unable to contact help, and the last thing he heard from Sabine was that the Empire was there. It's not any wonder he's practically breaking down in tears.

"This is wrong, it's all gone wrong!" Well, that's what happens when you choose all the Dark Side options, Ezra. Should have kept a save point.

:((((((

Taylor's acting here is amazing, Ezra sounds SO lost and scared and desperate and he just wants Kanan to be there.

A bold and serious "Shenanigans" cue as Phoenix Group blazes in to the rescue. <3

And there's that cue that I told y'all would be coming back. :)

This sequence is perfection. Ezra clinging to the station as it falls, Hera flying with such microprecision she misses all the debris flaking off of it, the rushing wind, the music...

Ezra's shock when he hears Kanan's voice.

KANAN BATHED IN WHITE LIGHT REACHING OUT TO EZRA AS HE AND THE STATION PLUMMET INTO THE ABYSS.

THE RETURN OF THE ARC WORDS, "I'VE GOT YOU."

THE SOUND DROPPING OUT AS THE FORCE THEME PLAYS SOFTLY AND KANAN TELLS EZRA TO LET GO.

EZRA TRUSTING KANAN, LETTING GO, AND LETTING THE WIND CARRY HIM WITHIN REACH.

Cinematic poetry. <333333333

Hera smiled at first when Kanan told her he'd gotten Ezra buuuuut she's pissed now about the Phantom lol.

Pryce's shade at Konstantine, ha ha.

Thrawn sounded so disappointed too, almost sulky. "That's not the Rebel fleet!" 😠

Major "mom grounding her rebellious teenager" vibes. Love that Zeb and Sabine stick up for him.

Dodonna namedrop!

I know some people wanted a bit more out of Ezra's flirtations with the Dark Side but personally I think it's fitting that as soon as Kanan and Ezra bury the hatchet he never touches it again. The major impetus behind his running to the holocron was Kanan's distance from him, reinforcing all the self-negative beliefs Ezra had about the whole situation--that it was his fault Kanan was blind, that Kanan blamed him, that he wasn't a worthy student, that he couldn't rely on anyone but himself to get strong enough to protect the people he cared about, that he needed the holocron and the Dark Side to get that strength.

And you'll notice he doesn't quite swear off the thing entirely, he asks after it both here and in the beginning of the next episode, a bit like an addict antsy for their next fix.

(No, fandom, Kanan's "I'll always come back." here was not secret foreshadowing that the writers failed to follow up on in Season Four, it was a straightforward sentiment in the moment.)

This is a heartwarming sight. <3

This... is my favorite of the season premieres. For obvious reasons.

Once again the main strength is the focus on Kanan and Ezra's fractured relationship as it pieces back together. The action is tightly written and every single element serves its purpose. It's funny, dramatic, heartbreaking...

I don't really have any other words, this episode is just amazing.

[falloutcoys]

🧃🥐🍦

🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before

uhhhh i am an oversharer at heart so don't sue me if i already said this once in tags but. I have a scar on my forehead from when i was a kid because I had to take the trash out before i could like, play a game or something. so i took off down the pitch black hallway to do so.

and someone left a filing cabinet drawer open and i smacked right into it and split my forehead open 👍i needed 3 stitches so not too bad but it hurt something awful. and i still have a little scar there to this day

🥐 ⇢ name one internet reference that will always make you laugh

im old and "caaaarl that kills people!" still gets me every time. theres a llamas with hats ref in harrow and i literally had to pause the audiobook to die.

🍦 ⇢ name three good things about a character you hate

godddddddddddddddd why do you do this to me. okay so edgar lastname

loved mustardseed. so fucked up to be like well i was just trying to destroy your life not kill you so like its fine right. it was great. ilu mustardseed

actually i do like when he does the really fucked up stuff generally. i just wish it was explored more. what do you MEAN you sent your boyfriend on a surprise assassination as punishment. his brain is fascinating probably

uhhhh as a twink he brings diversity to the show. sadly, not everyone can be a bear.

writer truth or dare ask game

[ryehickman]

Y'ALL! The Harrowing is a YA thriller, written by Kristen Kiesling and drawn by me, that comes out on April 16th. As you can see, really cool people whose work I admire greatly had good things to say about it.

Also, The Mary Sue just released a very lovely write-up about the book that features a ton of pages from the book as well as an exclusive trailer!!!

Check it out, and consider ordering a copy! Pre-orders help out a ton- they let bookstores know how many books to order and they let the publisher know that people are interested. Plus, hey, April isn't that far away, so you won't have to wait long.

[nonagesiiiimus]

eden's tlt reread: chapter 1, significance of three and Gideon's not-so-subtle biblical parallels

okay... so i lied. i have more thoughts to start off this series! sue me. i will probably continue to have billions of thoughts.

one thing i didn't write about but wanted to talk about desperately (and will continue to talk about) is the religious overtones of TLT. it's pretty overt at times, and also snuck in so many places that it requires a couple takes. there's also a lot to be said about the way tamsyn uses philosophy, ancient mythology/history as well, but that's another post. here's my blindingly bright note that I AM NOT A RELIGIOUS SCHOLAR (just a lapsed Catholic lesbian) so if I get things wrong, please feel free to correct me (with kindness!)

i want to preface my whole close reading with the fact that i believe, like many in the fandom, that Gideon is a Jesus figure. there's a lot of ways this is represented throughout the series so far, along with the roles of everyone else, but here's why it makes sense to me.

Gideon's mother, Commander Wake, is a virgin mary figure. Wake is a descendant of the trillionaires, ie the humans that escaped the death of our solar system and Jod: therefore, she was never resurrected. one can argue that because she was never resurrected, she is free of the sin of necromancy, which lines up with mary being born free of original sin in the bible. just as Mary is born without sin by the grace of God, Wake is born free of the sin of necromancy.

just like jesus, Gideon too was born through immaculate conception: in this case, DIY IVF. when wake implants herself with Jod's sample (yuck), she conceives Gideon- the child of God- without carnal sin, just as jesus was placed into mary's womb by the holy spirit. the reason for Gideon's conception and birth was to be used as a sacrifice to others: Jesus was to save humanity, Gideon to open the tomb by undoing its blood wards with her Jod bloodline.

like Jesus, Gideon dies in sacrifice of love for others, to save them from Cytherea, and then is resurrected from the dead (arguably, first in Harrow's mind, and then by Jod as Kiriona- while neither of these is a true complete resurrection, i think we have reason to believe that that it is going to happen in Alecto when Gideon gets the rest of her soul back in her body).

Gideon's death is very crucifixion-y, and similar to the way Jesus is stabbed with a spear in the sides. It also results in stigmata: Jesus has marks on his body from being nailed to the cross, and Gideon has her stab wounds- both sharing the wound to the heart. another similarity is Gideon's forgiveness of Harrow before her death- very Jesus-like in its pure-heartedness and intention to wash away Harrow's guilt.

as i mentioned in my last post, Gideon itself is a biblical name with a story behind it. plagiarizing myself here: Gideon [in its original verb form] means one who cuts down, Hacker or One Who Hewed Down the Enemy. interesting quote from abarim publications: "The verb גדע (gada') means to hew down or cut off, mostly of religious regalia and holy trees and such. Strikingly, there are no nouns formed from this verb, suggesting that whatever was cut off, was no longer discussed and even cut off from speech itself." & in the naming systems section, tamsyn writes: "Gideon is a prophetic name: someone named their own demise in her" (p. 468).

in the story of Gideon, Christ chooses Gideon, a farmer hiding from the Midianites in his fields, to lead the people of Israel away from idolatry and free from the control of the Midianites. Gideon asks for proof from God that it is really Him, and God performs three miracles for Gideon. once he believes it really is God, Gideon is devoted to God and agrees to lead the Israelites to victory. He destroys the town's temple of Baal, a false idol. Gideon then amasses an army of men to go against the Midianites, and... absolutely wrecks them with a team of 300 men. Gideon has become a symbol of military success of a small force facing incredible odds, and for striking down false idols, and is also considered a saint in the Catholic church.

others: Gideon suffers physically for her entire life for the sins of the Ninth house against the 200 murdered children- torture and beatings the like. i'm sure i'm missing many of these parallels, but one of the last ones I want to highlight at the moment from GTN is the beloved pool scene: which serves as a confession chamber for Harrow's "sins", a baptism for them both, and a pledge of devotion to each other. Gideon expresses forgiveness too, despite all odds: when Harrow says"I don't deserve it," and Gideon says, "Maybe not...but that doesn't stop me from forgiving you" (p. 430). there's a question of whether Harrow feels cleansed from her sins, because Gideon does not acknowledge them as such- therefore, no forgiveness can really be had, perhaps, in Harrow's mind, because the crime she feels she has committed is not acknowledged. to be discussed further in that chapter!

why does the threes find significance in the series? three is a super important number in the bible, and comes up often there. three can be a symbol of divinity, of faith, of resurrection and of redemption. threes can signify a complete cycle, and is also used in testing people's faith: trials often come in threes. obviously we have the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: arguably Jod, Gideon, and Alecto. (Alecto also being one of three Furies in Greek mythology...) In the first scene of GTN, when Gideon is waiting for the shuttle in the dusty landing pad, three people try to tempt her back into the Ninth: Crux, Aiglamene, and Harrow. Jesus too was in the desert, tempted three different times over 40 days, and refused temptation.

these threes are something i definitely want to keep tracking- and if i've missed some in the first chapter of GTN, please shout them out! i'll update this here, and will keep flagging the threes and all biblical references i spot throughout the book, as i believe it's a great tool to uncover more meaning within the text!

UPDATE: after reading this interview, Tamsyn notes that there's like 6 different figures who play christ. i'd like to revisit this with Harrow's perspective in mind as well: with the harrowing of Hell being explicity her namesake, which Jesus carries out, and carrying Gideon's sword through all of HTN like a cross on her back, and her own suffering for the sins of innocents... but i'm getting ahead of myself! would love to see what others think about where Christ comparisons pop up for the other characters: i've been so Gideon focused i've probably missed tons!

[harrowharks-iliac-crest]

52

Fifth skull...

The Emperor is dead - now the Nine Houses will start dying...

I understand, Mercy, I really, genuinely do - but -

oh my GOD -

“I wanted it to be me,” she said, in this weird, unearthly calm. “I didn’t want it to be you. I didn’t want it to be you, Augustine, after all … the sin needed to be mine.”

In a really terrible, fucked up way, Augustine and Mercymorn do love each other.

Somehow I managed to say: “We have to go get everyone out. Now.” “There is no way,” said Mercy, cool as death. It was Ianthe of all people who said, “How can you say that? Will you not even try?” “Dominicus will collapse in a few minutes, chick,” said the other Lyctor. He too had the calm of a dying man. I only met that calm once, and it wasn’t on a living human being: it was the calm on a dead girl’s face, speared and mangled in a bed I’d told her to lie down in.

Oh, ouch...

They will not even try? They will just let the planets die?

We’re going to go round up the ships—everyone who’s left—sue for peace as best we can—get the Edenites on side. And then we’ll find a place to fulfil the old promise … Somewhere out there exists a home not paid for with blood; it won’t be for us, but it will be for those who have been spared. Babies always get born. Houses always get built. And flowers will die on necromancy’s grave.” Her throat was working. “Augustine—” The Lyctor took her silently in his arms: they held each other like children who’d had a nightmare and had woken in a fright. Just as silently, they detached. She said in a low voice, “He was right. There can be no forgiveness.” “Then let us not seek out forgiveness, but forgetfulness,” he said. “Bury me next to you in that unmarked grave, Joy. We knew that was the only hope we ever had—that we would live to see it through … and pray for our own cessation. Oh, we’ll still hate each other, my dear, we have hated each other too long and too passionately to stop … but my bones will rest easy next to your bones.”

I LOVE them. I love them so much.

Gideon stared at the dead cigarette in his hand, and then he said, “Well. Augustine, there’s something you should know—” White light.

Oh god there's more.

It happened in an instant. It happened over a myriad. A wet red construct knitted itself back together, [...] The Emperor of the Nine Houses—the King Undying—the Prince of Death—the Necrolord Prime—stood behind Mercymorn. He reached out with his naked hand. Her chest blew outward in a hot shower of ribs, meat, and diaphragm. Her body stumbled forward—he tapped the back of her head, something went crack—and the Saint of Joy fell facedown before Augustine, whose chest was decorated with the desecrated remnants of her heart.

Oh GOD.

Literally. Should've known it wouldn't be that easy to kill him.

Oh Mercymorn. She might be a goner for real though. :(

“It was a lovely bit of work on Mercymorn’s part. She must have been training for thousands of years, to bring that off. But I didn’t get to where I am by being able to die, you know?”

It seems all the anatomy knowledge in the world isn't enough to kill God. What a damn shame. Poor, poor Mercymorn, I'm going to fucking miss her.

I said, “You told that bastard to beat up Harrow?” That was my job, after all. God said, “I was trying to save her.” Also my job. “Go to hell, Pops.”

God asked Mercymorn to try and kill Harrow, out of mercy. Hah. Mercy. Geddit.

“Do I get the opportunity?” he asked. “Yes,” said the Emperor. “You do. I didn’t offer it to Mercy because Mercy really pissed me off, I’m sorry to say.” “Understandably,” agreed Augustine.

I mean, she did just try and kill him. Fair enough. I guess. I'm still gonna miss her though.

Is Augustine going to take this?

“No, John,” he said. And Augustine raised his hand.

Is he gonna try and kill God again? After it already didn't work the first time - after Mercy did such an exquisitely thorough job, and it still didn't work?

The River burst through the window in a high-pressure torrent. The Emperor was sucked out into the water, and Augustine dove after him, and Ianthe waded after him. Harrow, the only reason we weren’t pulled out too was because I was yanked back into the muscular, lean-beef arms of the saint who shared my name. [...] “The hell happened—” “Augustine’s dropped the whole station in the River,” he said. “We’ve crossed over physically—body, soul, everything.”

What was it - a Lyctor can survive a bit under five minutes in the River??

What about God?? We've seen him in the River once and he had to drag Harrow out of it - he didn't seem affected??? This surely is just a great way to kill all your potential allies??

Or... or just all of God's potential allies. Eeeeek.

Augustine, you bastard.

The station listed again. I said, “Okay. You’re a necromancer. Are you going to do something, or what?” “My necromancer is dead,” said Gideon.

Ohhhhh... so Gideon the First did die in the River, fighting the Resurrection Beast, -

so this... must be Pyrrha??

Two years before you were born, my necromancer started an affair with your mother … not knowing I’d also been doing the same thing, using his body.” I said, “What the fuck.” “She was the most dangerous woman I’d ever met who wasn’t me,” said Pyrrha Dve. “You’re right, though. She was a real dick.”

Hi what the fuck?? Gideon is so right here - what pray tell THE FUCK???

Lmao Commander Wake had an affair with Gideon and Pyrrha both, in the same body?????????

“The stoma’s opened for John,” said Pyrrha, and she sounded—detached, rather than triumphant, rather than grief-stricken. “It must think he’s a Resurrection Beast.”

Oh my GOD. Yeah, that could work...

As he struggled, he somehow pushed the Emperor into a waiting, frenzied bed of the things, which wrapped around his legs—and the stoma sucked down.

This is all very fucking horrifying, to be fucking honest.

I mean, yeah, I was thinking about you too; if I could’ve turned that off I would’ve turned it off years ago, but more importantly—I was absolutely fucking out of my mind Ninth House big pissed off. As I dithered, Pyrrha sandblasted me with the calm, “Your mother would’ve picked the bullet.” “Yes, well, jail for Mother,” I said.

For a thousand years!!!!

High above the nest of tongues, Ianthe was poised as though flying—fluttering white flimsy in the heart of that vortex—as God and Augustine thrashed together. The tongues had retracted almost to the rim of the mouth, and God was not winning. Those demoniacal tongues had him almost entirely in their grip as Augustine pinned him down. The tongues seemed more interested in the Emperor than in Augustine, though they weren’t uninterested in Augustine. God’s desperation, even in your darkening eyeballs, was clear.

If God is desperate here, then this really seems to be some kind of foolproof method. Holy fucking shitballs.

Ianthe seems to be somewhat safe...

Kind of - they still all need to get out of the River somehow -

Can Gideon in Harrow's body find Harrow's little bubble, and her soul?

I watched Ianthe dart down, rip the tongues from the Emperor of the Nine Houses, and wrestle him clear. The tongues entwined in a bower to bear Augustine silently down to that ravenous mouth, to the Hell where only demons went. Which was Tridentarius all over.

Fucking IANTHE!!!!! Really perfectly happy to kill her mentor to save the guy who's been a giant fucking scumbag for ten thousand years!!!!

... I realise I maybe shouldn't really be rooting for God to die, but hey, man, he killed Mercymorn. I'm allowed okay??

Ianthe, throwing in her lot with the guy who had lied to everyone about everything. Ianthe, backstabbing her own cavalier all over again. Ianthe, with the world in the balance, reaching her hand out and pressing down on the weight marked BAD.

Gideon agrees with me though. Lol.

your bullshit dead girlfriend had come to claim you. And she said in the wrong voice twice removed: “Chest compressions. I know her sternum’s shattered; ignore it. We need that heart pumping. On my mark.” Hands pressed. We died.

Please say psyche. Please say there's still some way out of it. If Alecto - of all people!!!! If Alecto is trying to save them - - Please - -

(I need a moment.)

[sbbarnes]

I've been thinking a lot about ratings for books.

I just gave a romance novel (The Best Man's Problem by Sera Taíno) four stars on Goodreads. Prior to that, the last two books I gave four stars were The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan and Passing by Nella Larson.

These are wildly different books.

The Best Man's Problem is an enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract somewhat spicy mlm romance that I read in about two hours. The Brides of Rollrock Island is a harrowing, folktale-adjacent story about generational trauma. Passing is about the lives of two light-skinned Black women in the 1920s, one of whom lives as a white woman.

Of the three, Passing is probably the one that would get the stamp of being "highbrow". It got an artsy film adaptation and everything. My motivation for reading them was entirely different: I wanted to read Passing out of curiosity, I had heard about the movie and wanted to read the book to educate myself. The Brides of Rollrock Island I read because I love the author's work and I knew it would make me feel melancholy and achy in the best way. The Best Man's Problem I read because I wanted to have a comfortable, easy and enjoyable read in the space of an afternoon.

They all got four stars because they all matched that motivation very well. They didn't change my life (I'm stingy with five stars, sue me), but I enjoyed every one of these books a lot for the purpose I set out to read them.

It just feels really weird to me to rate them all on the same scale, because I'm rating them very subjectively. Did this book give me what I wanted out of it? Yes. Four stars.

I know there are people out there who rate via categories that seem more empirical. And to a degree, I guess that makes sense. But rating craft, like beautiful sentence structure, word choice, dialogue...I mean, I could do all those things, but it would still be subjective. I think The Brides of Rollrock Island is probably the most beautiful of the three in craft terms; someone else might choose something else.

More dangerously, if you read across the board, like me, that leads to a trend towards giving more points to "serious" literature and less to genre fiction. It's no secret people kind of look down on romance as a genre, especially explicit romance, especially especially explicit romance starring lgbtq+ leads of color, all of which is true of the example I'm using. It's "easy" reading, predictable and often formulaic, true, but if that's what you're after, why shouldn't that be worth the same as a more complex book when you're in a different mood?

I don't know that I have a point here, I guess what I'm saying is:

Rating everything we read numerically is not really all that helpful.

Therefore, I have elected radical individualism and rate solely based on the criterion of how happy reading a book made me.

[measuringbliss]

Glee Rewatch 1x15, Faberry and good lighting

Becky deserves a much better haircut, what is this atrocity?

(Are you wondering what's up with this post? Here's an explanation!)

You can see Sue's obsession with Madonna in two ways: the first idea is that it's earnest. She explains it herself: Madonna is an important part of her.

Or you can go the cynical way: "oh. this show is actually popular. we need to sell music and so far we've had quite a few bad numbers for comedy and also a bunch of unremarkable ones. we need to speed up the sales. By the power of Grayskull... Madonna has the power!"

Quinn seems eager to make fun of Rachel, but she also insists on drawing a lot of hearts... Yeah okay that's it, I'm convinced! Faberry shippers, rejoice! You have one more faithful in your ranks!

I completely forgot how much of a jerk Artie could be! That flashback is harrowing.

The cheerleaders's act is incredible but so outlandish that it becomes ridiculous, as I'm sure is the intended reaction. But I've never actually seen IRL cheerleading; do numbers ever get this complicated and audacious?

Loving their outfits (+ Rachel and Tina's faces). Those hearts on Mercedes's shirt? Rachel's tartan and green? Puck's effortlessly fitted shirt? Artie's cardigan? Quinn's bright red with blue/purple outfit? Quinn should wear red more often (note from later: oh boy just you wait!), it fits her skintone and hair color really well I think. And Kurt's odd yet charming getup is a beast of its own.

A scene between Sue and Emma! And this time, Emma looks much more submissive and breedable gosh don't make that joke than previous times, where she seemed ready to fight her. Was it because she felt safe with Will, whereas now they're not together anymore so her insecurities are partying big time?

FINN WHY DID YOU PUSH THOSE BOOKS AND MADE THEM FALL ON THE FLOOR? I understand the Finn hate now.

"Mercedes is Black. I'm gay. We make culture." is such a fun line but I'm biased

"Vogue" is one of the multiple covers I added to my playlist after finishing the show and watching a +2hours Youtube video where somebody ranked every Glee performance. It's a strong performance and the clip is absolutely hypnotizing, very satisfying to watch. It just makes sense.

"Like a Virgin" is also a nice performance and I particularly appreciate the beautiful lighting in the Finn/Santana section. The other two sections are nothing special, but this one? Hypnotizing too. I also like all the couples seem to worship each other's body. It's beautiful to look at. With that said, I find it weird how much importance is given to losing one's virginity. It's very ceremonial in the Gleeverse, apparently! I wouldn't say losing it didn't change anything for me, but it was just... something. It happened. End of story. Finn regrets that it didn't mean anything whereas I rejoyce in the fact that *it doesn't mean anything*.

Meanwhile Emma keeps on cosplaying Daphne from Scooby-Doo and while it's a very fine color scheme, it perplexes me.

I also added "4 Minutes" to my playlist, but the original version. I think if Blaine had replaced Kurt in this song, it would actually be great!

...Damnit, he's still not here yet. At least Mercedes's performance is good. And visually the choreography is nice.

This is a gratuitous screencap of Quinn smiling because she's a ray of sunshine.

Matt's sweat refers to the fact that he only has 48 seconds of screentime left on the show.

Tina absolutely losing her cool when Artie is an asshole to her is one of her finest moments. You go, Tina!

Don't you love it when the local church choir suddenly sings alongside you?

Overall I think it's one of the best episodes of S1. It's a fun watch!

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

I haven’t seen the Taskmaster finale yet, I’m going to save it for tomorrow. Today was my first day at a new job, the first time in several years I’ve done an in-person job (I did two in-person co-op placements last year, but they were unpaid as part school and short-term). It went well, I think. And I know I’ll get used to it. But suddenly spending all day, five days a week, around a lot of people is going to take a massive mental adjustment and involve a lot of stress in the meantime. So I’m saving the Taskmaster episode for tomorrow night, when I’ll have a weekend ahead of me, won’t be stressed about getting up early to go do stuff around people all day again, will be able to relax and properly enjoy it.

I’ve been a bit sparse with my posts in general this week. I recently got a bunch of new things to listen to, and I planned to do it the way I normally do, a little at a time and stopping to write down every thought I have while I listen. I even made one post to start that off, intending to reblog it every time I have thoughts to add on other stuff in that series, turn it into a whole thread. But then I found out how soon I’m starting this new job, got very anxious about that, and scrapped the plan of slow listening with lots of writing and posting. Replaced it with just listening to stuff and editing it, savouring the fact that I had a few more days of not having to interact with anyone in any way, even by writing shit on Tumblr.

Well, I’m still sort of on that, putting off watching/posting about the Taskmaster finale until I have more time. But I would like to say a few things about the new Taskmaster contestant list, that I can now finally mention after having seen spoilers for it weeks ago that I learned about today for the first time.

- Correct me if I’m wrong, but did they announce the first Taskmaster season with more than one openly queer contestant on the first day of Pride month? Good work. Happy pride month to all.

- Would love for Lucy Beaumont and Sue Perkins to the team of two. Team “I Don’t Need to Win, I Just Want to Place Higher than My Partner Did in Their Season”.

- Does anyone else remember the show Scandal? A show that, in retrospect, I think might have been terrible. It starred this guy who was President of the United States, and his wife was a highly accomplished and successful woman in her own right, but obviously not as successful as her husband, so she always supported him, and sometimes got a bit overshadowed. By the time he stopped being President, he was so tired and burned out from the job that he was happy to move on, away from the limelight. But then there’s this scene where they’re sitting together, and he asks his wife what she wants most in the world, and she says “I want to be President of the United States”. And said he had his years in the spotlight, she thinks she could be just as good at it as he was, and she wants him to support her. And he does, she runs for president, a bunch of shit happens, it might have been a bad show.

But does anyone else feel like it seems that Lucy Beaumont and Jon Richardson might have had a conversation like that a few years ago? Only with the word “President” replaced by “person who’s all over all the panel shows and other comedy and entertainment television”? I was thinking that anyway lately, even before I saw the new Taskmaster lineup, but this seems to really clinch it. Jon Richardson has seemed a bit tired of it for a while, Catsdown is winding down and I don’t see him all over opportunities to replace it with another steady TV thing. Lucy Beaumont, meanwhile, has been everywhere.

I can see merit to this idea. I do very much like Lucy Beaumont. I watched the first two seasons of Meet the Richardsons, haven’t seen the third despite my relentless completism, honestly I find some things about it a bit harrowing. Not the content itself (it’s not particularly harrowing content… that’s sort of the problem), just, I don’t know, the whole nature of it given the potential of both parties. But anyway, I do like Lucy Beaumont. I think her particular persona, of playing the ditzy character so well that even if you know it’s her character you’ll start getting drawn in to believing it, and then she’ll say something to remind you not to believe it, will work extremely well on Taskmaster.

- I’d love to say I was cool enough to have been on the Sam Campbell bandwagon before he got announced on Taskmaster, because I watched his couple of YouTube specials weeks ago. But the truth is that I only watched those specials because I saw spoilers for the new Taskmaster lineup, before then I only vaguely knew him as a guy with a good reputation among proper comedy fans. However, if you would like to familiarize yourself with him before the season starts as well, this special on YouTube is very good.

He does look like he should not be a comedian, he should be tackling people to the ground. Fortunately, Taskmaster gives people the chance to do both at once. I get the impression that he might be awesome at it. Based on his style, in the linked video and a few other things I’ve seen of him on YouTube in the last few weeks, I suspect he might be everyone’s favourite within a couple of episodes.

- I know almost nothing about Susan Wokoma, except that I watched Crazyhead quite a few years ago (probably just after it came out in 2016, I think I saw it in my Netflix recommendations and thought it looked interesting) and I really enjoyed it. So that’s what I know about her, that she was great in this show about demons from 2016.

- I’d somehow never thought of Sue Perkins for Taskmaster before, she was never on the dream contestant lists I made, but now that she’s been announced I immediately wonder why I never thought to include her. She’s both very entertaining in general, and, I expect, perfect for Taskmaster. Quick, smooth, deft, engaging, can snap in and out of competitive mode quite easily. So many good things.

- I feel like I shouldn’t write this whole post without mentioning Julian Cleary by name, but I don’t know enough about him. I’ve seen him in a few things, but I barely know what. When I first got into panel shows a few years ago I mixed him up with Alan Carr a lot, for obvious reasons. I know the difference between them now. He’ll probably be amusing.

[liesmyth]

@yoyoendlessstring your tags on this post

#I NEED TO BITCH ABOUT TOBY WITH SOMEONE FUCK THAT GUY TO HELL AND BACK #why do i lowkey feel like he experienced feminine rage tho like the shitty cinematic romanticized kind #i read witch elm like a week or so ago and it left me FUMING with just liek everything #susanna my love! leon my love #toby literally die

Friend, you’re so Correct! That guy sucks! A big part of the appeal of The Witch Elm was how utterly tone-deaf his narration is; the rest of the appeal was watching him suffer.

Tana French is such a great writer, the Ominous Vibes are excellent, and Toby’s character arc was so well crafted that by the end I sort of felt sorry for him - which he would absolutely hate if he were not fictional, so that makes it even better. Some of my notes while reading the book, according to goodreads:

At 45%: Toby is giving me Rob vibes as far as Tana French narrators go and idk how to feel about this (still I stand by this! except he’s a bigger asshole than Rob could ever hope to be)

At 67%: I love that Toby is so self absorbed that everyone around him is like "well he could have murdered someone and then forgot about it because it made him feel bad". Himself included

At 81%: Toby listening to Sue's harrowing story of unrelenting sexual harassment and making it all about himself and self congratulating for being a good guy is SUCH a Toby thing to do

At 86%: Toby: what do you mean I'm not cut out for murder? I COULD be if I wanted to

Anyway. You’re so right, Susanna is GREAT, Leon only slightly less great. Toby is... there. To suffer :)