#i'll still read alecto

[scarlct-vvitch]

love tamsyn muir. love the books. never have any idea what the fuck is going on but love them

[billyshakesp]

How Tamsyn Muir Uses Information

I've been trying to pinpoint exactly why I've been so obsessed with The Locked Tomb for the better part of a year by now, and I think I've finally been able to draw some useful conclusions. Here's my analysis of Tamsyn Muir's writing, and, specifically, how Muir uses information to drive a plot.

For me, and for most fiction writers, one of the most critical elements which drives the plot of a story is the information you choose to give to the reader, and the information you choose to withhold. It is my opinion that no one uses (and arguably misuses) information as beautifully as Muir does. Muir is surgical both in the way she delivers information to the reader, and the way she fails to deliver information to the reader. Most writers aim to feed the readers information about the story, bit by bit, letting the reader finish the picture. Muir uses this idea, but her writing is so lush and so sharp is that the information she gives us is distorted almost beyond recognition, but just coherent enough that the reader can guess at the bigger picture. This method of delivery persists from the inciting incident, basically up until the climax.

By the climax, we, the readers, have recieved just enough information to guess at the direction of the story, but we recieve so little information that we are still scrambling for more. It is at this point where Muir finally reveals one or two critical pieces of information, and when she does, the true stakes of the conflict hit the reader with, as Muir would put it, the inexorable weight of a gravity collapse. The truth is that Muir has been building suspense for an entire novel, but it's hard for the reader to conceptualise truly how dire the situation for the characters is because we have been left in the dark. We were crawling at a snail's pace, and so we didn't sense the danger until we stood before the precipice.

I was going to include specific examples of what I've just described, but I changed my mind, and I'll explain:

If you've read The Locked Tomb, you know what I'm talking about (my heart shall never be whole again).

If you haven't read The Locked Tomb, read it! It is lush, dark, vivacious, and many other adjectives which make it unclear whether I'm describing a book or a person.

Ahem. Anyway. TazMuir, I love your writing, and Alecto the Ninth will be my end, as swift and sure as the hammer to the oxygen-sealant machine of my childhood.

[asexualbookbird]

I didn't complete my 24 in 2024 list, but that's okay. I read a lot of short books and that's okay. I tried something new and wrote a small blurb in a draft after finishing it, instead of cobbling together feelings from what I remembered throughout the month, and I liked that a lot. I'll continue to do that, it made this a lot easier. Officially gave up on Ga'Hoole, and don't feel guilty about it. There are better books in the world and I will find them. That is a threat.

The Screaming Stair Case by Jonathan Stroud ⭐⭐½ - I want to watch the tv show, and I always feel weird doing that before reading the book. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't another Jackaby. I will not delete my blog over it, but it was. Not great. Fine. Fun at times. Would be more fun if the author didn't hate fat people so much. A pet peeve of mine is when the main character is a girl but the series is named after the main boy in her life. Icky. Not the worst, but I'm not sure I want to continue the series. The audio narrator was Delightful.

The Shattering by Kathryn Lasky ⭐⭐ - GaHoole book five. I know I said at the start of the year I'd read what I owned, but I'm no longer having fun so this will be the last for me. I'd rather be reading Animorphs. The owls can't save it for me, I'm sorry. Still counting it towards my yearly list though.

I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons ⭐- by Peter S Beagle This was trying to be a T Kingfisher novel but couldn't figure out the right balance between humor and devastation and how it fits into a small amount of words. It tried to be a Terry Pratchett novel but couldn't figure out what satire was. Disappointing considering I was hyped for it when it was announced. Dragons eventually showed up, but it was too late for them to save it.

A Psalm for the Wildbuilt by Becky Chambers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - reread for book club! Still adore it! This time around I was able to pinpoint WHY I adored it! It's because I too feel Aimless and Without A Purpose. So. Ouchie. It's also helping me figure out what I want out of a "cosy" novel (or novella). Internal personal conflict! I would still do anything for Mosscap.

A Prayer for the Crown Shy by Becky Chambers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - reread for book club! Once again, Becky Chambers has flayed me open and picked apart my soul! Reading Monk & Robot is like sitting down and being given a cup of tea while I cry my heart out.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - "Is this what it means to lose someone? The pain never goes away, it just gets buried?" I think this ending hit me hard for different reasons than most people are going wild for. It was Fine. Not mad I read it, but don't see myself ever wanting to reread it. I like the idea of the library as a living thing and a character itself, but there were a few plot points that just seemed to be brushed aside.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I needed a safe tragedy I knew the end of and this did it. First time I actually shed tears over these words, but I needed it. It was fun to see and note the pieces that were laid out for later books, and I wonder, knowing some teasers we've gotten for Alecto, what TMuir means by Gideon wishing she could marry her sword.....

I don't have 2025 reading goals at this moment. Maybe that will change. It will probably change. I mean, there's the Usual, read the books I own, dangit, but that seems so. Boring. Typical. Everyone's doing that. Let me be ~Different~. I have a few fiber arts projects I'd like to do and finish, and I'd like to finish the sewing projects I started if only so I can pack all that up and put it away for a while. We're still hoping to move, so paring down my book collection is still an ongoing endeavor, and I do have a couple of art pieces I'd at the very least like to get sketched out. I want 2025 to be slow. I want 2025 to be quiet. I want 2025 to be kind. That's all I ask of it. Be kind.

[moonogre]

On Wednesdays We Murder! ⛽️ 🔥

Thanks @alectoperdita for listening to the Cry Baby playlist! It got me hype on these weirdos again. Also please go read Alecto's Lure for more mean sexy problematic vibes. It's the longest work in the ship by my estimation and so deliciously worth it!

Cry Baby is the next long project after my current WIP. Here's a sexy murder boyfriend excerpt. (PS Mokuba is not murdered Imao)

(Also I was too shy for the group intro but in case folks don't know l am @moonogre and chat fandom stuff there mostly!)

😢

"Don't play your fucking mind games with me-"

Seto's face crumbled into a rare expression of confusion.

"Mind games?" Katsuya was caught in Seto's eyes, molten gold. Something about this bewilderment looked positively melancholic on Seto, and when he spoke next, Katsuya understood why. "Katsuya, you're the one with whom I speak plainly. What do you want to know? Just ask. I'll tell you anything."

For all intents and purposes, Seto looked to be telling the truth. His face was earnest, lips parted slightly.

He was splayed beneath him, hair the colour of sea foam spilling around his head. His hands bound, Katsuya's grip on the rope. Eyes like the Midas touch: in its line of sight, Katsuya was touched, too, and all his senses gilded...

"What do you fucking want from me?" Katsuya hissed.

Seto smiled, and he would appear an angel to anyone else, but Katsuya wasn't fooled. They had just murdered the only surviving members of Seto's family in cold fucking blood.

Kaiba Seto was the fucking devil.

"I want to be yours, Katsuya," his voice had sunk into its desperate, dark promise. "And I want you to be mine. I want to watch you take everything you've ever wanted. Even if it's me." His gaze glinted, pupils blown. "Especially if it's me.”

Seto writhed a bit below Katsuya and pressed his shin between his legs, smiling at what his friction found. Katsuya’s blood thrummed in his ears, thick and loud. Seto bound in his shaking grip, chest lightly heaving, hawk-eyes gleamed in rapture. Jounouchi had fallen prey to his arousal long ago, baring down on Seto’s mouth finally. The boy barely waited for their lips wet, desperate contact to open as though he would gorge Katsuya’s soul, right from his open mouth. Katsua smoothed his tongue into Seto’s mouth and the boy moaned with a whore’s abandon that wound every sinew in Katsuya lust-tight. Katsuya clung to the coarse rope encircling Seto’s wrist and imagined how raw the bounds would rub the boy’s pale skin, vice-tight in his grip once he started his merciless rutting into him, over and over.

"I want you," Seto breathed in his ear. This close, Katsuya could smell the gasoline, and how lifeless Seto looked in the eyes as he doused his aunt's townhome in petrol, its pungent benzene wafting between them, even now. She'd wailed with her crammed hands tied through the banister, pleading for her life. The tinder had crackled when the flames twined themselves in the walls, the rugs, the rafting, raining slow burning ember. Katsuya and Seto had fled through the smoke before it could choke them.

And yet, still, they heard the begging, heard the screams. Near the foyer door, a galley wall of family portraits. Katsuya had spied one: Seto’s mother and the same screaming aunt just feet away, swaddling an infant with a shock of teal hair.

it was Seto's turn to beg now: with his body, legs fastened to Katsuya's wait, rocking smooth into him, whimpering into his mouth. Katsuya took his hand that didn't clench the rope tie and fisted it through Seto's hair. His gold eyes guileless eyes peered up at him, mouth puffy from kissing and glossy with spit. A single thread of saliva joined them and Katsuya felt like he was going crazy with how hard he was panting.

"I know you want me too," Seto said. He was soft-everything about him was, even the scent of gasoline had treacled saccharine, and Katsuya pressed himself into Seto again as if he could be pillowed into this strange softness, to suffocate perhaps, to never appear again. Seto boy laughed into his neck— the sound one made from a harmless jest, a laugh from a bad pun, a trite knock knock joke, not the laugh from a person who listened to their mother's sister beg please please Seto why why are you doing this—

"My hands are tied, Katsuya. If you are going to take me as you wish, you'll have to strip me yourself." And there it was, that smile: "Personally, I don't care if you rip these clothes right off my body.

[jods-duplicitous-sluts]

Alecto the Ninth News

Part One

Alright friends. We are all chomping at the bit for any Alecto news at all. So here is what I've compiled from interviews, podcasts and AMAs. Sources are linked and screenshots have alt. text.

I've also included a little commentary or speculation on some points but ultimately that's not the focus of this collection.

Under the cut because I feel like it's going to get long.

So many screenshots, it turns out I'll have to split it into 3 posts.

If you enjoy this post please reblog so more people can see it!

Jump to part ■ Two of the post

Jump to part ■ Three of the post

I'm making this post on mobile, so forgive any wonkiness. Also tumblr ate this post once already *screams into the void*

• The book starts with Harrow in Hell. A reference to the Harrowing of Hell. Based on the presence of a porn mag I'd guess it's her own little river bubble inside Alecto but still just speculation.

Source: Tamsyn reads to us! Video with written description

• There is a wedding of some sort. Possibly other excuses to dress up the characters in formal ware. Some people have expressed concern that this was referencing the N- and C- wedding in Nona, but nope. We have confirmation that it is in book 4.

Source: Twitter

The next series of screenshots are all from the same tor.com interview: TM on Lyctorhood and Genderfuckery.

• This first one again confirms allusions to the harrowing of hell/ the decent of Christ. For those out of the loop the tldr:

The harrowing of hell is an Old English and Middle English term referring to the period of time between the Crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection. In triumphant descent, Christ brought salvation to the souls held captive there since the beginning of the world.

A lot of speculation has gone on around about Harrow and her role in freeing the souls trapped in the river/reviving the river from whatever is poisoning it. [ *cough*JOD*cough*].

Also another reference towards formal outfits for the cast. So at least the wedding if not multiple formal functions.

• The question of Harrow and Gideon's souls will continue into Alecto. Looking forward to info on how enmeshed they've become and/or if they can be separated.

• I mean this quote is infamous by now. Which of our faves is it in reference to? All of them?

•I feel like we haven't seen enough about the differences between rebirth [a la Paul and Nona] vs Resurrection [Gideon/Harrow?! Someone else?] So while not a direct promise of anything in Alecto, I feel like the implication is there.

•The next two screenshots are about the Alecto cover, which is complete[the first from the above interview:]

•and the second is from an AMA from Aug. 5 2020

• The cover is definitely done since she was talking about it in 2020 and reaffirmed right before Nona’s release. I feel like they are waiting until they have a better idea of a publishing date before release. Maybe we'll get news in Q4 after the Nona paperback release and excitement dies down?

• From the same 2020 AMA. As this is pre-Nona, it could be possible that the heist mentioned deals with Gideon's body [either the Houses heisting it from BOE which happened off screen or the heist of Gideon's body from the barracks]. But I included it just in case that isn't what is being referenced.

• Same 2020 AMA: Again this could be covered in Nona as being what the John chapters were about, but also maybe not.

Source: TazMuir tumblr post from April 2020

• Another infamous quote at this point. Definitely feels like this is about the 'Third Most Toxic Polycule' of Harrow/Gideon/Ianthe and maybe Alecto is in this loop as well. With all the references to weddings and relationships I'm wondering who out of these four is marrying who...[maybe it's someone totally different, but my money is on someone in this situation]

Click to see part two!

[lady-harrowhark]

*trying not to think too much over the fact that we still don't have Alecto to read, after wrapping up Nona*

I have so many thoughts. So many feelings.

God is an all powerful entity in which everyone depends on and he's just some guy. Normal looking and bad puns and all. He's awkward. He's trying his best and failing is hilarious.

Palamedes and Camila WILL make me shove my whole foot down my throat oh my goodness their relationship is so. IS SO. SOOOOOOOOOOOO. And I love that is was never romance-implied cause is so much beyond that. Dulce was never treated as a disturbance for them, Tamsyn when I catch you (positive)

If I think too much about Gideon I'll cry. Uglyly. Or Harrow. My pookies. Oh no my dork pookies. They do not deserve it. Tamsyn when I get you (threatening)

Pyrrha got me all hot and bothered 😳😳 *twirling my hair* my good sir have mercy on me. oh I have a type, and it shows and it shows.

I'm also fascinated for the structure of the story. Is so brilliantly made without being overwhelming. The change to 1st person > 2nd person > 3rd person depending on what's going on with who, the theater play model at the end of Nona, the books being careful not tell you, dear reader, information that the characters themselves don't have because YOU will know what THEY know, and sometimes that's jackshit.

I'm thankful for me, for taking the step of trying something new for a change, and thankful to you 🫵 for taking your time to explain what the series was about and linking me the stuff 🫰 oh my heart is full, really what a time to me alive 💕

There is not a single aspect of these books that does not cause me to feel shrimp emotions and I'm so so so glad that you are having the same experience 🥹 It's been so fun getting to see your reactions - watching other people react to the series for the first time is this fandom's national pastime tbh. And now you get to join us!

[silver-grasp]

I really don't have the words to articulate it very well but The Locked Tomb clicked for me so fast as having a really strong thesis-antithesis-synthesis structure. Part of it is that there's literal synthesis happening in the form of lyctorhood lol but that's not the whole of it at all.

The ending of GtN is Thesis: Ianthe and Harrow become Lyctors, one through open murder, the other through willing sacrifice - though we will later learn this is not nearly so much of a subversion as we might have thought, given that Gideon is basically doing a Cristabel 2.0. This is the traditional way, the natural endpoint of all the social roles around the necro-cav relationship, the natural endpoint of all the trials we've seen throughout the book.

HtN and NtN are both Antithesis. In HtN Harrow rejects lyctorhood and the normal social order in a desperate and ostensibly futile attempt to preserve Gideon's soul. We are also introduced to G1deon and Pyrrha's similar version and the whole souls sharing bodies like musical chairs concept. Crucially, while this is a rejection of Jod's violent social order, it's neither sustainable nor healthy for either person. This is elaborated further in NtN as we see the strain that Cam and Pal's cohabitation puts on Cam's body. There's also the... everything going on with Nona but that's a slightly different topic so I'll neglect it for now. Cam and Pal find some kind of solution in Paul, but while it's kind of presented as good for them and what they want, I think it's entirely intentional that it doesn't feel positive to the reader. We are still in antithesis: a soul melding that destroys both participants equally to make something new isn't exactly a resounding success! It's better than turning Cam into a battery for Pal to consume for eternity but like. Not precisely a win.

All of this is setting up Alecto the Ninth, which will be the Synthesis book. I don't know what this will look like precisely, because I can't read Tamsyn Muir's mind, but I think it's a safe guess to say there's going to be some kind of 'third way' opening up. Alecto herself is going to be crucial in that given the alternate form of lyctorhood we can assume is represented by her and Jod.

This also is not, by any means, everything happening in these books - just the throughline regarding Lyctorhood specifically. I strongly expect we're going to see Anastasia and Samuel come up again, given their supposed "failed" lyctorhood and all the open questions still around that.

[harrowharks-iliac-crest]

Gideon Nav

Characters

<< Previous: The River | Masterpost

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I don't have thaaaat many questions left with regards to Gideon, which is why she is first, and this post will be fairly short. (I love her though. Her bits in HtN are just so lush. Looooove Gideon.)

During re-reading, I sometimes questioned whether Gideon was really Wake's baby. It's made clear by Wake that she was. She could have been lying, but their physical similarity is stated, so I'll believe it.

For a moment though, I was gung-ho on the idea that she might have been Alecto's genetically, that somehow BoE/Lyctors had gotten a hold of Alecto's eggs. It would explain... some things.

But the red hair. Is Alecto's hair colour ever mentioned?

But the fact that she's frozen forever and only Harrow ever opened the tomb, as far as we know. Though they could have had eggs extracted and preserved somehow - before Alecto went into the tomb? She's immortal; God's sperm was immortal; if there were eggs, they would easily survive a myriad years. Still kiiiinda a theory, just one I find very unlikely at this point.

Gideon's body doesn't rot, ostensibly, cus she's part God. Though I have found myself wondering if God's perfect-preservation power is John's, or Alecto's? We'll get to that.

I was also wondering if a part of Gideon died, back when she was nerve gassed with the other kids. A part which would have gone on to live in and as Harrow. Perhaps this explains Harrow's unwillingness to ever die.

I have a feeling that Gideon's soul and body will stay relevant, even though I don't know exactly how.

>> Next: Wake

[paradoxcase]

Chapter 26 of Nona the Ninth

A fourth skull, so another skull that corresponds to zero characters in this book that I know of. Aim/The Angel/The Messenger also isn't in this one, it's just the kids

Dark and blueless night - heh

Good on Palamedes

What is their plan, here? Camilla is going to have some conversation with Gideon/Kiriona while hopped up on a ton of pain meds? If they planned this out earlier, Nona didn't report it. And I see Pyrrha trying to get in a probably-family-related conversation with her there. Actually, I think everyone else other than Judith probably has more to talk about with Kiriona than Camilla does

At this description, I was like, oh, yeah, the Convoy was definitely 100% some BOE shit, wasn't it? Also, more of Pash's weird fear of Gideon/Kiriona's body

I really hope Judith makes it out of this book alive at this point

I'm sorry, Corona, Linkin Park has permanently ruined that line for me

So that is stuff that Honesty said when telling his story about the Convoy, and in that scene he was eating Nona's fruit, which was described as

but Nona gave away all of her fruit, just like she always does, she didn't eat any of it. Maybe she's eaten that kind of fruit before and knows what it tastes like, she seems to know how to eat it, anyway - but why would she associate the memory of tasting this fruit with this story when she didn't actually eat that fruit here? Like it sounds like she was somehow experiencing Honesty's tasting of the fruit in this scene. Maybe additional evidence of some telepathy thing?

You know, I think this ship could be a lot of fun, actually

I don't know if this means that Alecto's like, OG resurrection beast form is going to turn out to be some kind of cosmic spider, or if Nona is just missing normally being a lot taller than Harrow is, which seems likely if the body that John made for Alecto was approximately average

I need more scenes of Pash interacting with these two

Honestly, my first reaction to this was "earlier this week? That was like a month ago, wasn't it?" But no, this really is still just day five from when this book began, the whole thing has happened in less than a week, it just was like a month ago when I read that part. God damn

Does Nona know about something that could be termed "double death" at this point? I don't think she knows anyone or anything who's died twice, has she? There are some people who died once and came back (although, I'm not sure if she actually knows that Palamedes and Pyrrha died), and there's Naberius's corpse that's been wandering around lately, but I don't think she's seen anyone die twice yet, unless you count herself getting headshotted twice, but that "double death" was not final

So this is not some weird translation that Nona did, her name actually means "hot sauce" in the language that she speaks natively

I think this is probably the end of Hot Sauce and Honesty in this book. We've tied up the story behind Hot Sauce's name, the Convoy story, the map from the classroom, and Hot Sauce telling Nona she was out of the gang, so I don't think there are any remaining plot threads to resolve with them. I wasn't real invested in these characters originally, but I think I'll miss them now. I wonder what Hot Sauce would think if she ever found out that Nona wasn't just a "zombie" but actually like Varun the Eater's sister? Would she be out of the gang again?

[serendipizzy79]

@y-rhywbeth2, @theannoyingurge

I repeat your last paragraph and have taken you up on it, sorry about that.

"so I know this isn't how the game works, but tell you what, if you're following me and you haven't done it and want to tell me about you, do consider yourself tagged."

Last Song: Starlight by Muse on Spotify. On Amazon Music it was In the Hall of the Mountain King as my little one likes stomping around to it.

Favourite Colour: purple, black.

Last Book: Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. Still processing. Will probably go back to Gideon and read them all again when Alecto is announced (please let it be this year!).

Last Movie: Does Wallace and Gromit count? I tried to watch this over Christmas but my little one freaked out over the gnomes and I still haven't finished it. At the cinema, the last film I watched was Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. It was fun.

Last Game: Baldur's Gate 3. I have no space for anything else. Literally lol. All I have on my gaming laptop is The Sims 4 and BG3.

Last Show: Unwillingly, Superwings, which is a weird blend of Paw Patrol, Go Jetters, Postman Pat and Transformers. I also get subjected to a lot of Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol. I don't mind Bluey.

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: Sweet. A very, very sweet tooth runs in my family. I am not good with spicy food but I'm not quite as bad as my partner who thinks paprika is spicy.

Relationship: I'm getting married in June, to my Gale-alike-fiance, who is usually referred to as Dr Dekarios in my posts. He really is a scientist but unfortunately lost his white coat (that had his name stitched on it!) during an office move before I met him, much to my disappointment. One of these days I'll get round to buying him another. Anyway, yeah, getting hitched lol.

Last internet search: Alnmouth - I was trying to find the name of the place I stayed in many years ago for a ghost hunting weekend with my cousin. I didn't find it, but it came to me as I was flicking through Wikipedia - The Schooner. No we didn't see anything, except for a lot of empty wine glasses (we emptied the bar of rosé), but I recommend visiting Alnwick for the castle and Barter Books if you're ever in the area. Beautiful coast up there.

Tags: if you want to, give it a go! I've seen a few of these but I've no idea who has done them or not as I have no memory for names.

[docholligay]

Obviously we're different people with different life experiences and tastes, but reading your HtN review I think we had a very similar takeaways. I hated the first book, but found the second a vast improvement (aside from Gideon). I hope one day you read Nona, because I think it's my favorite of the bunch (though it has its own stupid bullshit, but it's truly a book about love, devotion, and the burden of that) -- but it also made me think I'll never read Alecto. I don't trust Muir, I guess?

I think "I don't trust you" is the perfect takeaway I have from having read Gideon and Harrow. If I had to put up with another book full of ridiculous memey bullshit I would have to throw myself into the sun. I know there can be beauty in her work because I HAVE SEEN IT WITH MINE OWN EYES, but so much of it is wrapped up in her weird "I was very oniine in the same time Holligay was also in online fandom and it shows" stuff and that GRATES on me.

So, there is stuff i loved in Harrow! I still think about Mercymorn and how much I love her as a character and even UNDERSTAND her on a base level. It is unflattering, but she is the most 'tag yourself' of the entire bookverse for me. ANd even in Gideon, which I much more out and out hated, I will scream until my DEATH how much I fucking LOVE the necro/cav thing, and that it can be used to describe so many TYPES of intense relationship. It's also fun to think about with one's blorbim*! Love it. I think it's great.

But yeah, I have 0% faith that the third book would be good, because I have read the first book and the first book at a certain point made me APOPLECTIC. Absolutely LOST MY SHIT about how mad it made me. So do I want to risk that, when I have a huge backlog of books to read and basically never find myself wondering what to read next? Not really, no.

*Lena is a cavalier and Michiru is a necromancer. Fucking obviously.

[areyouwell]

Hello!!! ive just finished my second phobophobia reread! I genuinely think it’s my favourite piece of literature ever!!

Did you ever associate a specific song with the story, firefly and your ocs? when i was reading i thought that their relationship is so like real people do by hozier coded!! also sweet nothing by taylor swift (since firefly is literally said in a lyric)!!

sorry for the ramble!! Associating a story with music means that i loved it very very much!! I am so excited for your new story!! i loved the first chapter 💜🥰

heyoooo! AH thank you SO MUCH!! favourite EVER?! im in TEARS

oh absolutely, and i'm going to take this opportunity to completely YAP about music and songs. yes Hozier is always a huge influence in my work, and if ever i have a fic playlist, he will nine times out of ten be on it multiple times. Phobophobia has it's own playlist linked in the masterlist, and i've added links to the song titles here so y'all can give them a listen <3

gonna add a read more link cuz hoooooo boy do i like to ramble too!

i think Firefly's song would be I'll Be Good by James Young. The entire song is about trying to become a better version of yourself, and learning to forgive the things you'd done in the past.

"My past has tasted bitter, for years now So I wield an iron fist Grace is just weakness, Or so I've been told I've been cold I've been merciless But the blood on my hands, scares me to death Maybe I'm waking up today."

just that whole song is so Firefly coded, "for all of the perfect things that i doubt" just screams the moment where she starts to doubt that the things around her are real, that she starts to doubt Logan and question why the hell he's still with her. GOD i could write an essay on this song and how it's so perfect for her, but i'll keep it brief.

Logan has many themes for the many different versions of himself, but there's one song i think encompasses them all, and that's I'm Not A Saint by Billy Raffoul.

"I'm not a saint but I could be if I try Lord knows I've got habits to break I'm really good at being good at goodbyes, I'm gonna give you fair warning that I... I'm not a saint but I could be if i try. Lord knows I don't learn from mistakes, And I'm not here unless I'm here by your side I'm not a saint but I could be if I try"

just TRY and tell me that's not Logan coded, i will DIE ON THIS HILL. he doesn't think he's a hero. he doesn't think he's a saint. but for someone else, he could be, if he tried.

i think the relationship anthem for Firefly and Logan would have to be Till Forever Falls Apart, by Ashe and FINNEAS. they're each other's ride or die, and since neither of them can die, they truly do have each other until forever falls apart.

"If the tide takes California I'm so glad I got to know ya, And if the sky falls from Heaven above Oh, i know, I had the best time falling into love We've been living on a fault line And for a while, you were all mine I've spent a lifetime, giving you my heart I swear that I'll be yours forever, til forever falls apart."

just reiterates that only a truly apocalyptic event could separate them, and even then they'd find each other somehow. they will be by each other's side watching the last solar flare consume the universe with sunglasses on, knowing they truly made the most of their time with each other.

NOW ONTO UT SUPRA SIC INFRA

okay so there's not much substance here without my spoiling anything but i am currently working on that playlist. BUT, currently Alecto's theme Twisted Tongue by one of my favourite artists of all time, Matt Maeson. I'll let the lyrics speak for themselves...

"Half of the decade, just trying to cope More that I endure, sparser the hope So, pry up the tiles, and gut out the floors Find the foundations not safe anymore And after the Lord speaks, baby, take where the crowd don't run And I'll find my shadow waiting, filthy with a twisted tongue And I'll hide everything in my head And forget everyone that I've met And I'll never be open again, Oh, how good it must feel to not love anything."

I'm just gonna leave you guys with that one, let you mull it over and speculate <3 im not going to spoil anything by adding any like, specific relationship song for Logan and Alecto yet because i wanna keep it as much of a secret as i can, but there's some heartbreaking stuff here i'll tell you that for free ;)

GOODNESS, sorry for the yap, but i'm exactly the same. when i love something so intensely like i do my writing, i also associate a lot of music with it. BUT, in answer to your question...

yes i absolutely do pair fics, ocs and relationships with music and specific songs :3

[theparadoxspace]

What sort of shows/games/books have you been into lately?

oooh ive been into a lot of stuff lately so ill just divide it into three sections

Games

I play a LOT of games so I'll just say a bit about the last few games Ive been playing.

The Dragon Quest 3 remake was a lot of fun, I like simple, traditional RPGs every now and then and I thought the remake was very well done, I can't wait for the 1 and 2 remake.

I recently finished a metroidvania called Gestalt: Steam and Cinder. It was fine, the story and gameplay were fun enough and it left me satisfied despite having a very cliffhangery ending. Ive been kind of in a metroidvania mood recently since I also played Momodora: Moonlit Farewell, which is phenomenal, but that made me want to play Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, which I started a few days ago.

Ive been trying to finish FF7 Rebirth since it came out last year and I just havent managed to get around finishing it, despite the fact that I was very much enjoying it.

Im also permanently playing Guilty Gear Strive, and for the past two years Ive been trying to play all of them and really get into the story.

Played a lot of Balatro last year too.

Finally, I play a lot of indie games and two days ago I started one called Isle of Pan which is a photography game where you explore an island and take pictures of weird creatures. Very cool and fun.

Books/Manga

For regular books, a couple of years ago I read the The Locked Tomb series and Ive been mildly obsessed with them. I cant wait for Alecto the Ninth to come out and I might re-read them all before it does.

Ive also been reading a lot of Kurt Vonnegut books. I had read Slaughterhouse-Five a few years ago and had been meaning to check out other books of his but I only got around to it this past year. Im currently reading Cat's Cradle but my favorite so far (other than Slaughterhouse-Five) is Breakfast of Champios.

For manga, I read A LOT of manga. Recently Ive been really into Tsutomu Nihei's stuff. After I read Blame! I really wanted to check out his other stuff, so recently I read Knights of Sidonia and what little there is of Tower Dungeon (I really recommend both, specially Tower Dungeon).

Im a pretty big fan of Yoshihiro Togashi (Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter X Hunter) and I hadnt read his other series Level E so I finally got around to reading it and its very consistently fun, despite how short it is. Very weird and very funny.

This last year I also really enjoyed Happiness by Shuzo Oshimi and Claymore by Norihiro Yagi.

My favorite manga I read last year though was Shimeji Simulation, which is a bit hard to describe but its a surreal comedy about a girl who was a hikikomori and when she comes out of her room after a few years so she can go to highschool, she realizes she grew shimeji mushrooms on her head. Its such a beautiful work and its pretty short, theres nothing like it.

I could honestly keep talking about manga permanently so Ill just move on lol.

Shows/Movies

I dont really watch shows that much but last year I really enjoyed the Dungeon Meshi and Dandadan adaptations. Just generally really well made.

I also watched most of Gurren Lagann recently and I enjoyed it (still havent finished it, I have only like 4 eps left but Im terrible at finishing watching shows). I saw a lot of people say how life changing it was, including a close friend, but it honestly wasnt that big of a deal to me. I did like it but not in a life changing way, lmao.

I didnt watch as many movies last year but I did enjoy Nosferatu, Alien: Romulus, A Different Man and, above all else, the adaptation of Look Back. Thats probably become, if not my all time favorite movie, my second (right behind Perfect Blue).

[pfaugh]

the crazy thing about alecto taking so long is that it could be bad. it could be the worst book I'll ever read — and I fully do not care. like. 1. I'm still gonna read it twice (just to make sure) 2. the other three have already changed my brain chemistry. she's already reshaped my relationship with fiction and narrative to a degree tha;t I'll just carry with me for the rest of my life

[skydaemon]

Necromancing the Crane Wives: Safe Ship, Harbored (2011)

I happened to be listening to TCW when i first read the books and now they are inexorably linked in my head. So, I'm going through the Crane Wives' discography and seeing how each song can be linked to the Locked Tomb series.

Contains spoilers for the Locked Tomb series!!

Can't Have It All: getting Alecto vibes from this one, with "you won't find me where you left me / I'm long gone / you can't bind me in the state you kept me / for so long" and "my mind's made up, though my head still aches and / all my love you tried to take, but / you can't have it all" - which contains a neat little Harrow lobotomy reference to boot! You can see this as Alecto talking to Jod, a warning at the end of Nona.

The Diving Bell: GIDEON!!! This song is wholly about sacrificing yourself for another person out of love, there's water imagery ("i will drown for you", "hold your heart like waves / open my lungs to let you in", "water rushes in / and i will welcome it"), and lines like "swallow my heart whole / seek me like a soul" and "i am not afraid / to give you everything" !!! It aligns perfectly with the part of HtN where she begs for Harrow to consume her and go full Lyctor.

New Colors: this one's a bit more vague, but i connect it to John pre-resurrection, especially the lines "to climb up in the sky / and steal new colors / away from the sun", plus the chorus literally saying "don't tell me that i can't" - very mad scientist/cult leader/twitch necromancer. Also it opens with the line "orange, yellow, green" which in my TLT brainrot i always link to a) Gideon's hair - and by extension, Wake's - b) gideon's eyes - and by extension John's and Alecto's - and c) the fact that Canaan house was the first time Gideon and Harrow saw vegetation.

Caleb Trask: Gideon to Harrow in GtN. The song's about feeling too guilty and inherently evil - specifically because of the actions of your family ("so you got bad in your blood") - to accept love and comfort. There's even a line saying "there's no reason to live out in chains". Slam dunk.

Counting Sheep: this song is about living a humdrum existence in a world that's falling apart ("as the sunlight filters in / then your daily dread sets in / the cycle's beginning, and in your head alarms are ringing"), so i link it to the world of New Rho and the lives of the people there. Also, there's a section at the end where they repeat Frere Jacques in english, which they translate as "are you sleeping, Brother John?". Could be linked to his absence in NtN and the way Alecto finds him in bed.

Hole in the Silver Lining: this one's very simple, with only really two sections that repeat. I link the first section to Palamedes and the rest of the Sixth House, especially "i'll be the one (...) to find it / i take it upon myself to make sure / i do" and "but i turn it over in my hands until / my fingers wear it through". These lines strike me as very Pal, with all the scientific curiosity he shows but also the responsibility he takes for dangerous information.

Safe Ship, Harbored: Harrow in Harrow the Ninth. "things i forgot i cannot do", "i wasn't born a safe ship / something wore me down", "don't waste your blessings on me"? Very Harrow. The chorus (specifically "i am a safe ship, harbored / losing all of my good years to the shallow water") also makes me think of the fact that she's being severely coddled by Jod and unable to leave the Mithraeum without supervision.

Naked, the Night Falls: strikes me as a Harrow love song to Alecto. "into your arms / sell my sorry soul" is basically what Harrow says to the Body, "been enraptured and tied" definitely aligns with Harrow's devotion. Also, the first line is "softly, a cold wind paints my face", which is such a fun Harrow line.

Ancient History: Ninth House vibes because this one has bones!! ("my dream keep digging up the bones of memories / discarded remnants of former times / now every skeleton is slapping its knees") Weirdly, I kinda think of Anastasia, even though I know we don't have much of a canon personality for her. - we know she was a failed ascension and the line "and my poor heart is an open wound / it's ancient history / that's bleeding out of me / so what am i supposed to do?" has some juicy angst for just such an occasion. This song has only two verses, so not tons to say.

October: oooooh Griddlehark! Interestingly, this one can be taken from both sides. Lines like "i know you, you're the daughter of a lonely man" and "I am naught but a scar upon your breastbone" cut both ways, although at slightly different times. Very cute, very sad, very Griddlehark.

The Crooked, the Cradle: this one uses the word "mercy", but unfortunately doesn't make any sense for her or the OG lyctors. Another Harrow the Ninth song, it seems! "and the devil won't know all the love i just couldn't let go", "this cradle still burns like a hole in my chest", and "but i pray / when it's done, when it's through, i'll have something left for you" are all very Harrow-having-feelings-about-the-lobotomy lines.

I Ain't Done: Tridentariiiiiii!!! "i am a pretty young thing / i am consumed with selfish wanting / carelessly broke you down but i ain't done", "a woman in love has no regrets", "wreckage in the wake of cruel betrayal / paid my sins in blood, but i ain't done". The actual narrative of the song doesn't align with her very closely - it's about the ghost of a woman killed by her husband for infidelity - but there's a real Ianthe + Corona vibe to it.

[xellandria]

A couple weeks ago I was listening to the Nona the Ninth audiobook (as you do, for nearly a year straight) and noticed something towards the very end of it where (spoilers for NtN) the events at the end of the book don't end being frantic until Alecto's name is said exactly three times in Nona's hearing. I didn't grow up with many spooky stories or folk tales or whatever, but I DO remember a tumblr post where they were joking about looking into the rear view mirror of a car and chanting "Bloody Mary" three times to summon her behind them as they're going 50 mph or whatever. Something like that, anyway, but my brain made the connection.

Today, @spaceswordblaster reblogged one of those "have you seen this movie" polls about a Bloody Mary movie. That reminded me that I had wanted to go to the wikipedia page and read up on the common way(s) the legend is invoked, because if it actually worked the way that I was vaguely remembering, that would be a neat parallel that I could ramble about sometime!

The wikipedia page itself gave me a lot of related ideas but it also linked to a similar myth from Japan about "Hanako-san." Having only cursory exposure to horror movies and the like, I was like "is that the Ring girl?" and clicked on that link; it was not (I think the Ring girl starts with an S but anyway).

At the top of THAT wikipedia page was a disambiguation section, which included "if you're looking for the manga, see "Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun" and I was like w h a t (until I read the Hanako-san page, at which point is still sounded hilarious but made sense).

So then I went to the Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun page, as you do, and saw it had been adapted into an anime in 2020 and there was a reboot coming out in 2024 (I think?). So I looked THAT up and it's free on Crunchyroll and I was like "okay I'll watch one episode just to see what it's like, then I can go do the things I need to do for the day" and now I'm on episode 7/13 or something like that.

So that's how my day is going, rofl