#i’m slightly in shock

[literateish]

books i read in january 📚

astrid parker doesn't fail by ashley herring blake - 4.5 stars

anxious people by fredrik backman - 4.75 stars

shadow & bone by leigh bardugo - 3.75 stars

lessons in chemistry by bonnie garmus - 5 stars

siege & storm by leigh bardugo - 3.5 stars

red dragon by thomas harris - 1 star

ruin & rising by leigh bardugo - 4 stars

romeo and juliet by william shakespeare - 3.5 stars

convenience store woman by sayaka murata - 3 stars

small things like these by claire keegan - 4 stars

alice in wonderland by lewis carroll - 3.75 stars

black widow: shield's most wanted - 4.25 stars

black widow: the name of the rose - 4.75 stars

the history of mary prince by mary prince - 3 stars

brighton rock by graham greene - 4 stars

hook, line, and sinker by tessa bailey - 4 stars

five survive by holly jackson - 3.5 stars

ethel and ernest by raymond briggs - 3.75 stars

the midnight library by matt haig - 5 stars

[silverhalla]

Back at it again with another theory: What if Lucanis’ betrayal wasn’t a betrayal at all?

(obviously, spoilers below the cut)

During The Wigmaker Job, we have some dialogue between Illario and Lucanis about their position within both the Crows and the Dellamorte family. Illario wants Caterina to step down so he can take the coveted First Talon spot. Lucanis reassures him that his time is coming, to which Illario makes a snide comment about whether his cousin would ever go against their grandmother’s wishes. When they continue the conversation after the job, Illario states that Lucanis is the potential heir, that he’s her favorite, and that he’s unlikely to say no to her. Lucanis doesn’t argue, only insists that he doesn’t want to be First Talon, and that he hopes she’ll see reason before that. It’s mentioned again in Eight Little Talons - Caterina favors Lucanis. It’s well-known enough among the Crows that Viago and Teia discuss it in front of her (not on purpose, but she doesn’t deny it). He’s her prodigy through and through.

In the opening scene for the Lucanis quest in Veilguard, Caterina is poised, as you’d expect of the First Talon. She’s certain that the body they buried wasn’t her grandson, that it had been altered with blood magic. She doesn’t pose it as a theory, though: she poses it as a fact. It could, of course, merely be her confidence, but there’s another very unusual aspect to the scene – everyone else discusses how Lucanis was clearly betrayed, that someone must have sold him out in order for the Venatori to capture him. Caterina is the only one in that room who never speaks on it. She doesn’t ask for justice, doesn’t mention vengeance, never acknowledges that her grandson was sold out by someone he trusted – perhaps because he wasn’t. 

What if, when Caterina comes to him with a plan, with an impossible request, he’s still her favorite prodigal grandchild, and he still does whatever she asks? She’s had him tortured before as a child, has tortured and starved and beaten him herself before, because it makes him stronger and more resistant to it in the future. He says in The Wigmaker Job that he used to hate her for it, but now he understands. He justifies it. All Crows justify it, because they have to - if they don’t, then the cruelty wasn’t for survival’s sake, and their suffering meant nothing. Perhaps he doesn’t even question it. When Caterina tells him that she has a job for him, he takes it. 

What if the contract has a caveat? Sure, Calivan must die by his hand by the end of it, a little treat for a job well done, but what if his primary mission is reconnaissance, is discovery? The Venatori are using blood magic to torture and corrupt prisoners. It would behoove the Crows to find out what it entails and how to resist it, before it’s turned back on them. It would have to be someone so deeply, unabashedly loyal to her that when she asked them to infiltrate a Venatori prison, expecting torture at best, their own death at worst, they’d take the job anyway, no questions asked - someone Caterina can trust, certainly, but also someone who has never once said no to her.

And Lucanis has always been a loyal grandson. 

[starrynet]

just got mistaken for an extrovert at work…! wow! personal growth

[villainanders]

unpopular opinion but I think all that remains is one of the most clumsily written quests in the game

[all-this-panic-still-no-disco]

why does everyone on tumblr hate gbbo… i get paul is a dick but that’s what makes it so funny…

[frightfulmouse]

My ass watched Inception back in whatever year that was and was like “hmm yes, saito x eames, I’m sure this is what all the boys and girlies are going to slash” and well. I was wrong!! But the point is, I’ve always been this way

[didnt-hear-idsb-live-again]

Oh lol hi guys. I ran over a kangaroo today and totaled my car I’ve had for 5 days! Gotta go kms bye!

[starrz-ombie]

the other day i was trying to remember if ooo has performed chrome hearts at the concert i saw and the way i made sure they did was because i remembered screaming “OUCH OUCH OUCH” until my throat hurt

[grahamcore]

if i lived in the hannibal nbc universe i would find hannibal and meet him and before he even got a word in i would just start barking loud as fuck in his face idgaf if he kills me where i stand i just think his reaction would be so priceless

[ssruis]

I actually had plans to draw smthn for ruikasa week so everyone needs to clap and cheer like I’m a really stupid dog doing a trick for the first time if I manage to post it a month later

[adamdusmortain]

learning more about his past soooo depressing. but so good i want more actually.

[cornelia-street-cardigan]

Actually landing the interview for your dream job that you’ve been working towards for years.

[sensenmaedchen]

In (the suburbs and outskirts of) Atlanta a lot of streets only have sidewalk on one side if at all. Many roads have fences or what I can _assure_ you is impassible underbrush directly next to it. Brambles, kudzu, poison ivy. There is, in many parts of many cities, *nowhere to walk*.

“America IS walkable, you’re all just lazy” my childhood home was an hour from the nearest hospital (by car)

[yoohyeon]

I love my mv edits but god it’s hard to choose only a couple of scene 😭

[bruciemilf]

Anyway, thinking about how Bruce’s mom tendencies bleed over around the League.

He pulls out a Barbie pink scrunchie from his endless utility belt.

Oliver is very sure he’s seen it in Spoiler’s blonde mane before. He wordlessly secures Diana’s hair in a ponytail before she jumps into battle.

Barry skins his knee while running, which, considering, is pretty severe. Definitely not the kind of wound you can treat with Gray Ghost bandages.

“I’m NEVER taking this off.”

“Okay, gross?”

“Shut up, Hal, you don’t even wash your suit, you just make a new one every time!”

“I’m allergic to laundry detergent, everybody knows that, BARRY.”

Bruce does not tolerate their fighting for more than 15 minutes at a time. “I will count to 3.”

Hal is quite literally flabbergasted when, after a particularly rough mission, Batman walks over to him and gently places a plate of fruits before him.

“Hal,��� in that rain soft voice. “Fruit.”

“…Thanks?”

He just walks off. Like it’s nothing.

“…Did he just do something nice for me? Everybody saw that, right? You’re all witnesses. “

Everyone’s equal parts shocked and equal parts losing their shit. Clark’s eyes are just slightly red.

“I need to take a nap.”

[yellowsubiesdance]

this day doesn’t quite feel real. honestly, life at this moment doesn’t feel real.