#sapphic Patrochilles | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

babyrdie · 23 days ago

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Love your modern patchilles headcanons so naturally I’m gonna request some modern sapphic patchilles headcanons?

You see, I actually intended to answer the Cassandra ask and then close the askbox as I explained in my rant/post, but this anon coincidentally sent this ask on the exact day I was going to close the box (because that's the day I was going to answer the Cassandra ask, which was supposed to be the last one for a while). I could ignore it, of course, but I kind of find this little guy familiar. I'm assuming it's the same person who sometimes asks me about Fem Patrochilles, and in that case I won't reject a nice anon. Also, this person must be craving for sapphic content (I know this because this was my feeling trying to read Shinomitsu fic and Inosaku fic and finding them mostly as background couples lol) and it's cruel to deny sapphic content in this case. So I changed my disclaimer, now this is the last ask I answer for now lol

Well, first of all… modern AU is much more flexible. The tricky part of making Sapphic Patrochilles is trying to keep the mythical themes and gender roles of Ancient Greece consistent without making the characters completely unrecognizable (Phyrra is easier, but Cleopatra… there's just no way to keep her identical to Patroclus without making her completely nonsense to the world she's in). But modern AU? I think that'll be an easier job.

First of all, the context!

Considering how difficult it is to accurately translate Thetis and Peleus into a modern dynamic, I'm going to stick with the usual "they had a loveless marriage, got divorced and aren't doing well, but love their child" modern dybamic. In that sense, I imagine that Thetis came from a very rich family, and as such, she's kind of the mom who wants her kid to start doing various activities. Luckily, Phyrra was the kind of kid who was excited about doing these various activities. As a result, she's kind of the talented person, you know? She can sing, play, dance, swim, run, get good grades, etc. She was also a very active kid, always running around, climbing trees, jumping off waterfalls, that sort of thing. Peleus mostly got custody of her because, although Thetis loves Phyrra, she really hadn't planned on having kids and didn't know how to handle the idea of having to take care of one on a daily basis. They still remained close, with Thetis phonecalling or video chatting daily, visiting with some frequency and discussing with Peleus over who would get to spend time with her on important dates. Peleus never remarried and preferred to simply be a single father. Peleus' best friend Phoenix is kind of her godfather ("kind of" because it's not the literal baptism godfather, it's more like the person designated to help the parent). So Phyrra is kind of in that thing where her family isn't exactly ideal, but she's okay. She's not really traumatized. Phyrra also liked to visit the family farm a lot, which was managed by Chiron. In adulthood, Phyrra invested in being an Olympic runner and quickly proved to be a prodigy. This story is how I imagine Achilles in Modern AU and, honestly, I didn't feel the need to change anything from the basic ideas in Phyrra's case.

In the case of Patroclus/Cleopatra…here's the thing. My modern Cleopatra seems more like Patroclus than my ancient Cleopatra, precisely because gender roles don't confuse her story to the same degree anymore. Then we have Menoetius and Philomela, who are pretty normal. Cleopatra, however, had a temper as a child, so she once got into an argument with a classmate, Clysonimus, and when she pushed him down the stairs, there was a horrible accident. Luckily, she wasn't convicted of a crime because she was really young and it was very accidental, but it became difficult to stay in the same city with all the people staring and whispering. So they moved. Menoetius and Peleus knew each other, and wanting to have someone he knew in the new place, Menoetius decided to move to the same city. Peleus, knowing Menoetius and already aware of the situation, encouraged Phyrra to be friendly with Cleopatra. They gradually became childhood best friends and Phyrra even taught her things she learned from Chiron. Cleopatra was once allowed to visit the farm because that was where Phyrra's birthday party was going to happen that year. There, she developed a love for horses, having already been passionate about animals before. In adulthood, Cleopatra pursued a career as a veterinarian. This is also my Modern AU story for Patroclus and again, I didn't feel the need to change things for Cleopatra.

Now, let's get to the silly headcanons. Hope you enjoy!

Phyrra was a onesie kid (most of them gifts from Thetis or Phoenix, truth be told. Peleus wasn't a clothes guy), but Cleopatra was a dress kid, though she always wore shorts underneath.

Cleopatra kept her hair mostly braided. She refused to cut her long hair, but it was also a hassle considering how active she was, so the braid became her signature style. As a child, Phyrra's hair was long, but as a teenager she cut it short and decided to keep it that way for the rest of her life. She thought her long hair was beautiful because it resembled her mother's, but Phyrra decided that she still found it more comfortable to have short hair.

Phyrra and Cleopatra used to swim together, although it was never Cleopatra's passion like it was for Phyrra. Phyrra also found it amusing to watch Cleopatra take off her swimming cap because it was always shocking how you wouldn't expect her to have such long hair underneath it. Phyrra joked that it was like those cliché scenes in romance movies where the guy takes off his motorcycle helmet and shakes out his silky hair.

Phyrra initially disliked waxing because razors always gave her allergies and she refused to use hot wax. But because of her running, she felt it was necessary because it was uncomfortable to run because of the friction with hair. She tried razors again, but again it always itched and left annoying little bumps. Bravely, she tried hot wax after doing a lot of research on the application. Hot wax was a traumatic experience. When she found out about it, Cleopatra asked her why Phyrra didn't just get laser hair removal and Phyrra kind of felt stupid for not having considered it sooner. So Phyrra became a regular at laser hair removal clinics because it was actually more comfortable for her to run that way. Cleopatra doesn't shave often, but since she doesn't have allergies, she just uses a razor when she needs to.

People would assume that Phyrra's favorite type of movie was action, but she actually has a soft spot for romantic comedies and animated movies. Cleopatra isn't a movie person and usually just watches whatever the other person wants. However, she does enjoy movies that involve animals in some way, and she used to watch animal documentaries even as a child. Phyrra also enjoys documentaries, but she is more eclectic in that regard.

Phyrra doesn't wear a regular bra, only a sports bra. She also prefers boxer panties. Contrary to popular belief, she is vain, so she has several products for her skin and hair. Cleopatra kind of doesn't like it when Phyrra uses her styling cream, because according to Cleopatra, her hair is much curlier and needs the cream more than Phyrra's wavy hair. If Phyrra wants it, she can buy it!!

Phyrra sleeps with a blanket even in hot weather. She simply loves the softness of the blanket. Because of this, she usually wears short pajamas to compensate for the heat. Cleopatra usually sleeps with either two braids or a satin cap. She is the type to wear old clothes as pajamas. Phyrra is also the tactile type who always wants to sleep cuddled and, although Cleopatra loves sleeping cuddled with Phyrra, it's torture when it is hot because 1) sleeping cuddled in the heat is torture 2) sleeping cuddled in the heat with THE BLANKET is even worse.

At some point in her life, Cleopatra will have a total of 9 pet dogs. Not anytime soon, though, because for a considerable amount of time she slept in environments that wouldn't allow for that many. Phyrra kind of thought the number was exaggerated, but she could never say no to Cleopatra.

At the wedding ceremony, everyone expected Phyrra to opt for a white suit, but surprisingly she wanted both her and Cleopatra to get married in dresses. The reason is that she wanted to wear the dress that Thetis wore when she got married because she had always thought it was beautiful and thought it was a shame that it had unfortunately not been worn at a happy wedding. She wanted to re-signify this by wearing it at her wedding, which she was sure would be happy. The ceremony wasn't religious as it usually is, it was more of a symbolic event (it wasn't in a church and there was no actual priest, for example).

Neoptolemus is the product of a college pregnancy and his parents have never dated, but they're on good terms. Custody is shared, but the child is mostly with his father instead of Phyrra. Neoptolemus thinks Cleopatra is really cool. Thetis, Peleus, and Phoenix kind of spoil him.

Both Phyrra and Cleopatra wear glasses. Phyrra's are for reading, Cleopatra is nearsighted.

#Ask #Anon #Fem!Patrochilles #Headcanon #Birdie.txt

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bisexualandaninsomnia · 2 months ago

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Draw your otp but it’s fem patrochilles

#patrochilles #achilles #patroclus #tsoa #the iliad #the song of achilles #greek mythology #my art #fem patrochilles #sapphic patrochilles #yuri patrochilles #lets go lesbians #I’m obsessed with them help #cleopyrrha?#Cleopyrrha my beloved

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4uru · 1 year ago

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All the spreads from my 30th sketchbook (9/august 2021 - 28 september 2021)

1. Kicking off with some psychedelic art~

2. Sapphic yearning, the fliwers had been put there bc of their meanings, one was "woman's love" but i forgot the names of the flowers-

3. I remember pulling an allnighter with this one.

4. Quarentine got me- (i was in my self discovery journey at this point but it was a dangerous adventure)

5.Tamino and greek mythology (specially hades and persephone and patrochilles) was one of my many hyperfixation during this (it still isnt over-)

6.I stained the page with tea and coffee and dried it in my dingy microwave on a plate. Still one of my best color experiments.

7.Not my favourite (this is here bc artist integrity)

8.Also not my favourite but patrochilles

9.My favourite!!!!! I wanted to do a slice of life comic cover, heavy summer vibes and all that jazz!!!

#drawing #art #auru draws #patrochilles #tamino #tamino amir #hozier #work song #persephone by hozier #the song of achilles

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darlingpoppet · 10 days ago

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Fic wrap-up 2024

Fic Wrap-up 2023 here

I delayed posting this until the last possible moment because I was hoping I could get a bit more writing in under the wire so I could include it in the year total word count, but alas it wasn’t meant to be :’) I filled out this post with several more questions compared to last year, since I did see that year-end writing ask meme going around but I decided to be a bit of a rebel and just go ahead to answer all of the questions I wanted to answer. Hope that’s ok!!

Fics published this year/total words:

See No ****, Hear No **** — Patrochilles (6430)

Where The Dead Forget ch 7-8 — Patrochilles (27500)

In Full Bloom — Persenyx (2838)

(Pray, Love, Remember — Mobuhan - not yet on AO3)(3966)

Liminal Spaces ch 1-5 — PZA (32026)

My Heart’s Your Future — Patrochilles (3227)

(Closest To My Heart Jp ver — PZA - not yet on AO3) (17779)

Total: 93766 (AO3 only: 72021)

(I ALMOST published 100k this year I was SO CLOSE haha)

5 fanfics with the most kudos in 2024:

Closest To My Heart (317)

Flourishing Into Greatness (229)

Strain (227)

Pressed Flowers (216)

Where The Dead Forget (216)

Did this for all-time rather than just 2024 fics since I thought it’s more interesting. Flourishing and Strain have been locked in fierce competition for the number two spot for most of the year lol. WTDF is the only one that has fallen out of the top 3 since last year but it’s still in the top 5 and might surpass Pressed Flowers soon (probably it will once I get around to updating it lol.) I also think it’s interesting that all of my top fics have at least 200 kudos now and so that really means a lot to me that new people are apparently continuing to discover and enjoy my stories! 🥹🙏

Most popular fic this year

If judging by kudos, then it’s In Full Bloom (hooray, sapphics win!) If going by comments, then definitely Liminal Spaces (hooray, erotic love triangles win!) Both are perfectly deserving, I’m good with either one =)

Least popular fic this year

If judging by kudos only it’s My Heart’s Your Future but that’s kind of understandable since it’s a side story whose broader context is in a different, longer, multi-chapter fic. Yet I was pleasantly surprised by how much feedback it still received so honestly I can’t complain AT ALL. And if judging by comments, technically I received 0 AO3 comments for See No ****, Hear No **** but tbh the only response that mattered to me was my giftee’s, so no complaints there either =)

Fic(s) you completed this year

Five of them!

See No ****, Hear No ****

In Full Bloom

Pray, Love, Remember

My Heart’s Your Future

Closest To My Heart Jp ver

The fact that Liminal Spaces is NOT on this list kind of bums me out since I spent a significant part of the year working on it… but oh well, at least it was only because it was necessary for me to complete a different cool & fun project I wanted to do before a certain deadline. Time is a construct anyway, right? 🤪

Longest/shortest completed fic you wrote this year

My only completed fics this year were one-shots 😝

Longest: See No ****, Hear No **** (6430 words)

Shortest: In Full Bloom (2838 words)

Fics you’ll continue next year

Liminal Spaces, which I can hopefully finish off by late Jan or early Feb. I tried my hardest to get chapter 6 in under the wire for the end of 2024, but as of now it’s only half edited. It’s still extremely close to being finished though, I’m hoping to have it up before my holidays are over!

And of course I’m still working on Where The Dead Forget, which after LS I’m resolving to make my priority for the time being, even if it will surely continue to be part of my New Year’s resolutions for the next couple of years 😆

Favorite character to write about this year

Always Patroclus Hadesgame!! I feel like I got to write him a lot this year and idk his voice is always in my head in a way that isn’t necessarily the case with other characters I write, so it seems easier for me to figure out what he might say in a given situation. No matter the universe he’s always a bit charming and dignified, a bit acerbic, a bit sweet, and sooooo fun!

Favorite writing song/artist/album of this year

I’m pretty sure the Hades 2 soundtrack has been on constant shuffle/repeat since May… although I also spent a lot of the summer listening to my Liminal Spaces playlist. I’m planning to curate it a bit more and then share it sometime soon… possibly when the story is finished!

Favorite closing line from a fic in 2024:

I’m sharing the whole closing scene, because the reason I like it is this narrative payoff, and I enjoy the dialogue & pacing. It’s from the end WTDF chapter 7 so SPOILERS:

“Achilles was the commander of the Myrmidons... Phthia’s own crown prince… You were his own personal companion, were you not?”

Patroclus is perhaps more surprised by this information than he thinks he ought to be. And yet, simply hearing the words spoken, there is the sense that it is true—a truth so natural and plain it would almost feel dishonest to deny it. Still, Patroclus elects to act with restraint, yearning to know more, coveting any modicum about Achilles as he can.

“What makes you say such a thing, son of Zeus?”

Sarpedon inclines his head, perhaps finding the guarded tone of his response to be unexpected.

“I apologize. Forgive me for assuming, but… is that not the son of Peleus? Just there—“ He points to Patroclus’ left shoulder. Patroclus eyes strain to follow, uncomprehending.

“Pardon?”

Sarpedon smiles gently, his kind, dark eyes filled with something akin to pity.

“On your brooch,” he says. His tone is patient, delicate; as if speaking to a beloved relative who is losing himself to dotage. Patroclus is not sure it is something he appreciates, even if it comes from a place of kindness.

“On my— what?” The angle prevents him from seeing it properly, and so he unhooks the fibula, removing it from his cloak for a better look.

“It could also be a woman,” Glaucus leans over to say to Sarpedon. There is a sly smile on his lips, the tip of his winsome canine peeking through. “Perhaps it was the symbol of their cause—the promise of Helen’s lovely visage spurring all the Greeks to battle day in and day out.”

Patroclus laughs. He cannot help it.

How did he not notice it before? The brooch is made of fine polished gold, and engraved with the profile of a beautiful youth whose striking features are framed by lovely, long curls. He can easily imagine Achilles as the same person—older and wearier, perhaps; his shade the mellowing ardency of late summer, rather than the full flush of spring—but certainly just as beautiful.

Patroclus is still staring at the image—the only thing in the world that exists—even as distracted words tumble from his mouth, barely discerned by his own ears.

“I am sorry. I must go.”

Favorite opening line from a fic in 2024:

Kind of stumped on this one again this year because I feel like the ability to write banger, attention-grabbing openings is a weakness of mine. But I think if I had to pick one, it would also be from WTDF chapter 7:

Patroclus looks up at the sound of Achilles’ approach.

Achilles stops short, a few paces away from him at the top of the stone staircase, uncertain if he ought to come any closer. He assesses Patroclus’ mood carefully. There is recognition in his face this time, but it is impassive—whether Patroclus feels joy, annoyance, or nothing at all at the sight of him, Achilles cannot say. He wonders if this is what their reunion would have been like, had none of this happened. If only he had ever tried to imagine it.

Favorite line/scene you wrote this year:

I wish I was sharing some kind of beautiful and deep prose that says something profound about my OTPs in a way that makes the muses weep but unfortunately deep down I am just a simple gooner and I’m afraid the moment from this year that brings me the most joy is this one from Liminal Spaces chapter 3:

He brings a hand between Achilles’ thighs, his upturned fingers smearing oil all over his entrance until it feels slick and wet. He then pushes in curiously, using a single digit. There is resistance at first, but as soon as he gets past it, his finger quickly slides in all the way in without any additional effort.

Achilles moans at the feeling. He sits up on his elbows to clutch at Zagreus’ wrist, controlling his hand so that he can fuck himself with Zagreus’ finger. He makes Zagreus move in and out of him at a brisk pace, rolling his hips slightly, meeting the thrusts. He bites his lip, his face taut with pleasure.

“Holy shit,” Zagreus says, mesmerized. “I need to be inside you so bad.”

Achilles pulls Zagreus’ finger out of him, and directs the hand to Zagreus’ cock, now making him stroke himself, spreading the oil around. Zagreus squeezes himself, already trying to imagine what Achilles will feel like with Zagreus full inside of him. He shakes Achilles off to regain control of his hand, and then grabs Achilles’ hips, pulling him closer. Zagreus holds onto himself as he lines them up, starting to press in.

Behind them, the kitchen door swings open.

The sound of Patroclus’ footsteps stroll past, heading behind the counter. Zagreus hears the clinking of glass, and he turns to watch as Patroclus procures a wine glass from a high cabinet shelf. Patroclus emerges from the kitchen area, approaching them with the glass in one hand and the wine bottle from his room in the other. He hefts his weight onto the dining table before pouring himself a drink. He rests his elbow on a folded knee as he takes dainty sips from the glass, the other leg swinging over the edge. He looks like a king, settling in to preside over the bloodsport he loves; ready to play arbiter over the lives of wild beasts and of men.

“Don’t let me interrupt,” he says. “I just needed to retrieve my wine glass.”

“Come on,” Achilles says. “Hurry up and fuck me.”

The whole thing just cracks me up so bad!!! The mental image of Patroclus casually coming into the room and walking past where this dude is about fuck his boyfriend, taking his time to get a wine glass, and then the first thing out of his mouth is this really obvious statement about what he was just doing. Meanwhile Achilles is so impatient, because of course Zag had to stop and stare at Pat the entire time 😭 idk it is just extremely funny TO MEEE

Fic I’m most proud of in 2024:

I feel like I tried a lot of new things to challenge myself this year that I’m proud of: fics about ships I haven’t written before (Persenyx and Mobuhan), a multi-chapter fic (Liminal Spaces) with a more substantial, but still self-contained plot (and managing it to keep it pretty much within the word count I was expecting for it), and translating one of my fics based on Greek mythology into Japanese, which was really fun but also required a lot of extra reading/research so that I could do it properly… not only did I play Hades in Japanese but I also kept my Japanese translations of the Iliad and The Song Of Achilles close by and all three of them influenced my translation choices in various ways!

BUT idk, if I based my criteria on what I think is nicely composed prose as well as something I like going back to reread for myself, I actually think it’s See No ****, Hear No ****. I just enjoyed the whole concept & challenge of describing the same erotic encounter from two different perspectives which are deprived of their sight and sound respectively, and how relying on other senses affects the experience for them in different ways (but also giving a reader the complete picture when they finish reading both.) I was amused by my own little inserted Easter eggs and parallels, and if you read them side by side, the events more or less lineup (because I actually did write them physically side by side from one another!)

A fic you didn’t expect to write

My Heart’s Your Future. Its existence is definitely a case of the story evolving as I write it… I keep looking for more opportunities to insert references to classic/influential vaporwave songs as I write Liminal Spaces, and what happens in chapter 5 was always in the outline, but I wasn’t sure what music would be playing, other than the fact that it would have particular nostalgic/sentimental value for Achilles & Patroclus. And once I figured out what it would be, I wanted to explore that a bit more, especially since LS is from Zagreus’ POV so he often doesn’t understand what’s going on in A&P’s little world :) It’s just a bit of a bonus if someone read chapter 5 and was confused, or wants a bit of context going in. Or it can just be for anyone who wants a quick fix of Patrochilles banging… because I mean who doesn’t want that?? (Don’t answer that.) :3c

Fics you wanted to write but didn’t

Oh god lmao… there was this one pza fic that I was getting off the ground in a fit of inspiration and literally as I was typing in the document, Hades 2 Early Access dropped and distracted me away from it completely 😂 and then a couple of days after that I was made a group leader for an event at my kid’s kindergarten so it was a one-two punch to not only that fic but also I wouldn’t get any writing done at all for the next month afterwards 💀💀💀 Hopefully I can revisit it again sometime next year!

Something you learned this year

It’s actually ok to split up chapters more, they don’t have to be so long… it’s easier to edit and easier for people to read :)

(But will I take this to heart? Unclear.)

Current number of wips

Number of wips already published and currently being serialized: 2

Number of unpublished wips: uhhhhh I have 12 additional projects in my scrivener program… whether the docs are blank or have decent progress made on them, who can say 😂

Any new fics to start next year

I have a fic due in a couple of weeks for this year’s Hades gift exchange event that I’ve already started working on, so idk if that counts exactly but it’ll certainly be my first newly published fic of 2025!

I think once Liminal Spaces is done, my plan is to just work on WTDF for a while until inspiration compels me to either complete one of my other WIPs or start a new one completely… and as a lot of you probably already know, inspiration striking for a new story is a “suddenly, at any moment” type situation. Who knows what I’ll have done by this time next year! I sure don’t! Kind of an exciting thought, though :)

#emica chat #my fics #fic wrap-up #where the dead forget #liminal spaces (pza dreamers au)#doing another fav fics from this year post too!#not sure when I’ll have it done though #LS & my gift exchange fic keeping me busy!#patrochilles #pza #persenyx #mobuhan

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chromochaotic · 2 years ago

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Reads of 2023 Part II (so far)

i was sad i couldn't fit all the cover pictures in my Part I post without it going off the screen, so might as well split it into 2 posts! update as of 6/11!

thoughts/reviews:

Heaven Official's Blessing: Volume 1

It's happening! My friends have been deep in this author's works/fandom for a while now, I'm pretty late to the party... Well, I guess I've dabbled in some of the animated/live action content that's out there for the different series. Anyway, this was a fun read! There's something so lush about historical dramas that definitely comes through here. When you add in the bits of humor and adventure, the whole story is really refreshing.

Even though the translation is still a tiny bit unprofessional, it's clearer than other options, haha. I was able to get a way better sense of the world and characters on this attempt (I had a good time watching the animated show! But as my friend put it, the season moved lightning fast, so it brushed over a lot of things). I don't have any other real nitpicks, other than like... the odd sexism that pops up now and then. Lmao

I am ofc in love with the main characters... They invented love... They invented devotion... I'm also delighted by the pace of things! Their relationship has managed to be both teasingly slow (like, the gradual reveal of Hua Cheng's true identity) but also very satisfyingly forward (the escorting!! the painting!! the righteous anger!!). Excited to see where things go with them, and the rest of the cast! (3.5/5—would be a 4, but the translation still kind of hampers things.)

Naomi Vandoren's Forest of Light

The second art book I bought from this artist! Same thoughts as before; for a quick browse, this was a refreshing little collection. Her style is just nice and soothing, with some fun surrealism/dreamscape vibes thrown in.

I'm not sure I'll buy any more of these, since the book didn't add quite as much insight into the works as I was hoping. Plus some of the concepts don't really resonate with me/seem that well researched...

I think one of my favorite things included was this abstract work the artist did—she wrote that she started with random watercolor mark-making, and then turned that into a piece. Those were very cool explorations! (2.5/5)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian

Done!! With the series! (Unless... It looks like there might be some followups to the main story?) I understand why the darker tone got dialed up, and other than the excursion with Nico, why the story kind of broke from the wacky-roadtrip vibe of the others. It made sense, while still keeping some of the lighthearted narration from the others, which was nice. I think what I appreciate the most about the series is the fun it has with its world. (Side note—I watched the movie based on the first book recently, and I can only assume it didn't do well! Bc omg, it completely missed the mood of the books. Instead of lingering on the whimsy, they focused on... making Grover a very cringey stereotype? Nah.) (ALSO??? THEY CUT OUT MY DAUGHTER CLARISSE????? THE AUDACITY???????)

I think my biggest gripe with the book was the very weird way the Annabeth-Percy-Rachel dynamic was handled. Like, it just got kind of tiring after a bit, especially with the way Annabeth acted so uncharacteristically catty at times. Plus, like, Percy's off falling in love with Calypso after like 5 minutes, the girl is right that he's kind of flighty. Rachel's ending also felt, just... eh.

Other than that, I was very into the last book!! There were some really moving character moments, like, Nico struggling with his place in the story, everything we learned about Luke... AND THE BIGGEST MASTERSTROKE OF ALL!!! I have been waiting to scream about the sapphic Patrochilles take??? At the end??? Clarisse has two hands and she can hold both Chris's and Silena's. She was moved to go into battle!!!! For her!!!!! She defeated one of the most terrifying foes in NO ARMOR just with a SICK ASS SPEAR and I LOVE HER. Anyway no notes, except they better do Clarisse justice in the new adaptation or I will riot. (4/5)

Secrets of the Oak Woodlands

Ooo I'm out of practice doing these reviews... Mostly from a funny cocktail of outside factors slowing me down, but also because nonfiction can be such a slog for me to get through. Tragic, because I do want to learn more ecology, I'm just... bad at it. Anyway! Bought this book on a fun West Coast road trip, I think I picked this up in the Sequoia National Park gift shop? The writing itself is great, especially how it tackles some pretty complex concepts in a way that's approachable. The book doesn't feel like Baby's First Nature Guide, but it also doesn't completely lose me when it explores why coyote populations actually rise when they're hunted or why Oak Mistletoe is a keystone species.

Even though the watercolor illustrations in the book were lovely, I sort of wish the visuals could have focused more on the tougher scientific concepts being explained. Like, instead of the illustrated "anecdote" of a quail sitting sentry, it could have been good to have a cross-section diagram of an oak gall or something. I guess it's always hard to balance interest and clarity in scientific writing, though. Overall, I think this was a pretty good eco-starter book! I'm just a square peg trying to force myself into a round hole, reading these nonfiction books. (So... 3/5?)

The Dragon's Bride

Hoo boy... Hoo boy... Listened to this audiobook at the recommendation of my friend who's very into erotica/romances. Which was an adventure, for me! To start with the good points, I really like the founding premise of this whole world/story. Deals with demons walk that perfect line for me of intricate and taboo power dynamics—and at the same time, the author satisfied my inner hopeless romantic by making all the demons (that we've met so far, at least) morally viable! So yeah, the world building and characterization is really nice, tbh.

I think my two sticking points are the smut itself, and that I didn't find these particular protags very compelling... It's interesting comparing this to, say, an above-average smut fic. On the one hand this has better prose, but on the other hand the smut veered into being a little too flowery now and then... (not to say all the sex scenes were like that. Uh. There were some choice ones.) I also personally found the frequency of the sex scenes a little ridiculous, but for most people that's probably a positive! 😂 And then, when it comes to the main characters themselves, I think they were well-rounded and the dynamic itself made sense. The personalities just aren't the kind I normally latch onto, though—they're not my blorbos, you know? So, where I'd go into a smut fic already attached (and therefore more into the smut itself), these... I could take it or leave it, haha.

That said, this installment did pique my interest for others in the series. I'm curious about the one with the succubus........ And the one with Eve..................... Those tidbits seem more up my alley. :] Also, the voice acting was pretty fun, tbh. They got separate VAs for Briar and Sol, the two POV characters, and they knocked it out of the park (even/especially in the smut scenes)! (well, except for a very funny instance where the guy VA had to voice Briar's lines in a smut scene in a Sol POV chapter. Damn, did he try.) Might pick up one of the other installments... if they come out on audiobook! (3.5/5)

Legends & Lattes

Another recommendation!! From a different friend! Apparently this book is popular on booktok but since booktok sounds like a cesspool (not really—pls don't come for me) I'm glad I didn't know that going in. As a purveyor and avid consumer of slice-of-life fluff.......... I loved this!!! First of all, the main character is My Kind of Girl, and exactly the kind of character I want to see getting a happy ending. Then, the rest of cast provided so many different kinds of delight—the warm Found Family feeling of a grumpy kind father figure and an adorable little Creature baking actual cinnamon rolls and a prim but secretly dorky girlfriend and and and—so many greats! Even the antagonists were enjoyable, in their way.

Hmmm... for the negative part of my postive-negative-positive sandwich, I think I'd just echo what I've seen in a few other reviews—I could have done with a teensy bit more of the romance. Or I guess, more of the cuteness of it? All we really got was a little bit of lead-up and then a big get-together, but I feel like the romance scenes I like most (shy flirting, a tiny bit of pining) got sort of skipped over. It's not a huge negative! Especially for this story, which seemed like it hit exactly the balance the author intended. Yeah, I might have just had the epilogue cover the main ship being cute and in love, instead of the little righteous vengeance scene that we got.

So this was a perfect little comfort listen (audiobook again! with really nice acting done by the author himself!). I saw other people calling the first chapters slow, but tbh I loved the steady, hopeful mood that came from all that straightforward hard work happening and then paying off. A great story, if you go in with the right expectations! (4.5/5) (P.S.: also this article touches on some other L&L points that I think explain why it resonates so well in post-pandemic life) (P.P.S. now I'm trying to parse out why I liked this book so much more than House in the Cerulean Sea... I think part of it is that the cast felt more respected? Like, it was more than just The Most Special-est Pretty Boy and his Plucky Boyfriend Fix Fantasy Racism)

#hi my name is chromo #book review #?#i got real slowed down on the other nonfiction ecology book that i might dnf #plus i picked up some old crafting hobbies #AND fell into binging some comfort shows after getting bad news from the vet (that turned out maybe not so bad?)#so anyway!#been an interesting few months

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