#sophos my beloved

[daisywords]

I just. probably the reason I love Sophos Queensthief so much is because he and I are both the kind of people who were made to stay at home and learn things and love people with your whole heart and that's it. but then he has to go be brave and take on responsibilities and be a little undignified about it and so so scared and then choose to do the harder thing anyway even when there's an easier option. And then even when he gets help and people supporting him, it's not like the problems are taken away! He still has to be the adult! He still has to be in charge! He still has to make the hard choices! and if Sophos can be king of Sounis then maybe I can. idk. work a 9-5 or something

[the-lincyclopedia]

For the au meme check please meets modern queen's thief characters?

Ohhhh man, let's see.

The Queen's Thief characters are all affiliated with Harvard's hockey program in some way--I think Irene is the manager of the men's team, Helen is the captain of the women's team, Sophos plays defense on the men's team, and Gen is manager of the women's team. (Gen is fiercely loyal to the women's team, both on its merits and because of Helen, and Irene wants the exposure and prestige that comes with being associated with the men's team and mayyyybe has some internalized misogyny to work through.)

Relius and the Magus co-coach the men's team. I'm thinking maybe Ornon coaches the women's team, and he and Gen butt heads a lot. And maybe Teleus is athletic director or something.

But anyway, worlds colliding! Lardo finds Irene arrogant and inflexible when they both manage their respective schools' men's teams. For some reason, my mind is very stuck on the idea that Holster and Sophos have a homoerotic rivalry involving intense checking that definitely doubles as foreplay and eventually hook up. And since we never see Samwell Women's Hockey in Check Please . . .

Gen and Helen remain blissfully unaware of SMH until most of both crews have graduated and Irene, Gen, and Helen go to watch Sophos (and the rest of Irene’s beloved knucklehead men's hockey players who are still on the team) while Jack, Shitty, Lardo, Ransom, and Holster are supporting Bitty. The two groups collide due to some shenanigans (there are so many possibilities with these two sets of characters).

At which point: Shitty and Gen bond over being deeply intelligent agents of chaos who also drink their Respect Women Juice, Irene and Jack bond over being incredibly competent hard-asses whose relationships are teaching them to loosen up a bit, and Lardo develops a crush on Helen. I don't know what Ransom and Holster do, but I'm guessing they're happy to be along for the ride. Maybe Holster's hookup with Sophos comes up at some point and everyone teases Holster a bit (since they can't currently tease Sophos given that he's on the ice).

[lilaccatholic]

I'm new to the Queen's Thief fandom (I was avoiding most online content while reading the books to avoid big spoilers). I wanted to ask you how you would personally rank the books? Is any one book a particular favorite of yours, or do multiple books tie for you?

Oooh this is a good question! Buckle up, because my answer to this one is far from popular consensus lol.

King of Attolia: MY MOST BELOVED. This book is everything to me and I have to physically restrain myself from reading it more often. It's the first time we really see an outside view to Gen's machinations, but joy of all joys, Costis loves him just as we do! Everyone grows to respect him! Everything is resolved beautifully, but almost never in the way you'd think it would! AND EVERYTHING WITH GEN AND IRENE HAS ME ABSOLUTELY FERAL.

Return of the Thief: Maybe I'm just a sucker for happy endings and stories where the little guy wins, but this book and all its twists and turns is so beloved to me. I knew I'd love it so much that finishing it would break my heart, so I deliberately put off finishing it for months. This was such a perfect completion of Gen's story, and it made me want to dance on the rooftops with everyone at the end.

Queen of Attolia: So many of my friends place this one lower, and while I respect them for that, I certainly don't agree! Firstly, I love stories where a character is fundamentally altered in a dramatic way and has to fight to regain who they were, even though they'll never truly be the same again. I also love stories of someone who's closed off and cold learning to open up and let themself be loved again...you can see, then, why I rank QoA so high. That, and nothing has ever been so satisfying as reading "Diplomacy. In my own name." YEAH!!!!!!

A Conspiracy of Kings: Sophos! Going from Bunny to lion!!!! Descovering he's loved more than he ever thought he was! Smacking Gen into remembering they're friends! His adorably sweet relationship with Helen! This book would be my favorite in any other series, but this isn't just any other series, is it?

The Thief: I think my experience with this one might be skewed because it's the only one I read via audiobook instead of in print. I liked it, very much! I love the very grumpy road trip, and I love that, despite the big twist, Gen is still a whiny little brat. Speaking of, WHAT a big twist. It was the first real taste I had that this was going to be a series unlike any other I've experienced.

Thick as Thieves: Despite putting this book last, I actually really did like it, it just didn't have nearly enough Gen in it for me, personally. I like Costis and Kamet is a very fun unreliable narrator, I just really missed the characters I'd grown to care so much about!

I haven't gotten to read Moira's Pen yet, so I don't know how that will rank, but suffice to say I'm sure I'll like it because I adore this series!

Anyone else who wants to give their own ranking is welcome to!

[if-one-of-us-falls]

Moira's Pen stories/ entries in order of how much I loved them

Burning Down the House of Kallicertes - what a masterpiece. So short, so cutting.

In the Queen's Prison - partially for the irenides feels but mostly because the angst hurts so good

Alyta's Missing Earring - more irenides feels, and as someone in the tag said Gen feels so human there.

Knife Dance - that part with the two hands? chills.

The End of Eddis - this story straight out murdered me. It was done very well but I'm so angry I can't place it higher.

The Princess and the Pastry Chef - baby Irene broke my heart

Breia's Earrings - I was hoping for a story like that to demonstrate what we were told about Gen's childhood. Also I'm sad for Stenides

Wineshop - I loved the subtlety of this one. It was very well written.

The Watch Takes the Thief - very amusing. Almost feels like it should have been in book 1, but got cut to make sure the readers properly underestimate Gen.

Eddis Goes Camping - baby Helen my beloved. I loved the ending.

The Cook and the King of Attolia - a true missing scene. It was very cute

Eddis's Earrings - funny! I sent it to my friend to try to entice her to read the rest

Gitta - more and more questions and the neat happy ending spoiled. Also it's bold of them to call another country "backwards" while arranging a marriage for a 13 year old girl. But the emotion was there

News from the Palace - it was cute. I liked the kids and I liked that Pheris is getting the respect he deserves and that other people learned to sign, but I'm confused about Kamet and Cosits' family situation. I really hoped to get some closure for them here and I don't feel like we got that.

Ina and Eurydice Borrow a Beehive - cute.

Envoy - wasn't this one part of ACoK itself? but still, solid

The Destruction of Hamiathes's Gift - I feel like I missed something there and might have to reread it. I didn't really get the point of Gen and Attolia staring at each other the entire time, as this is pre QoA. But I enjoyed the vibe and Attolia's description of Gen.

The Games of Kings - great prose in this one but also made me kind of uncomfortable. not sure why. I don't mind the implication of them being bi, and the remarks about "robbing the cradle" seemed joking, but something just felt deeply uncomfortable.

Music To Delight The Ear - cute, and makes a lot of sense. I loved Ion's small role in this story.

The River Knows - not much to say, but I liked it

Melheret's Earring - another one where the emotion was there. Even ambassadors of evil empires love their wives

The Arrival - ??? didn't really care about this one. We already knew Laela was freed.

Immakuk and Ennikar and the Gates of Heaven - it was ok I guess but tbh I found all the I&E stories kind of boring. Their style grates on me

I also want to say, from the bottom of my heart, where is Sophos???

[laughinglynx]

Fandom asks, 1 and 7 for Queen’s Thief

Ahhh Queen's Thief my beloved XD

1. which character do you relate to the most from your fandom?

Oh, Sophos, 100% no questions asked. I would explain, but that would mean spoilers XD

7. when did you join the fandom?

I first found the series some 10 years ago, but didn't really engage with anything online until... Mid 2019? And even then, I don't really think I've 'joined' the fandom community; I'm part of the discord server, but find it far too overwhelming to actually do more than lurk, and I don't seek out fan content very often. So, tldr: I've been a fan for over a decade, but am barely involved in the fandom!

[sailforvalinor]

This is amazing and I love Eddis and Eugenides’ dynamic and Attolia being fixated on Eugenides for some reason and Eugenides stealing the Magus while everyone thinks he’s moping in his room, however there is a distinct lack of Sophos so far and I miss him

She-she cut off his hand?!

[zurmuhta]

Tried to draw doodles for ITSOU.

[aradeia]

Between a crazy spring semester and writing my MA thesis this fall, I didn't get to read for fun too much this year unfortunately. But here are my five favorite books of the few I did get to in 2022:

(1). The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood. One of the best myth retellings I've ever read. Atwood presents Penelope as an unreliable narrator with an agenda of her own (this is an Odyssey retelling after all!). She then counters Penelope's version of events with the maids' point of view. Penelope's relationship with the maids, as well as her relationship with Helen, were the highlights of the book for me.

(2). A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. I know, I know. Game of Thrones. I blame beloved House of the Dragon for making me finally pick this one up. I'm so glad I did. I love Martin's characters. They're so well designed; each point of view character provides a different critique of chivalric society and the fantasy genre. Martin does a good job bringing each characters' story to a satisfying end in this one (especially Daenerys, Sansa, and Catelyn). The execution of the honorable Ned Stark is a shocking subversion of tropes.

(3). Carrie by Stephen King. I felt so bad for Carrie! I related to her very strongly. The most interesting relationship in this book for me was Carrie and Sue Snell. Between them was the complicated and ugly female bullying story I wanted to explore–– especially after the simplistic, boring story I'd gotten from Stranger Things 4. I wish Carrie and Sue had interacted more (I think it would have made Carrie's death scene more impactful for me), but Sue got replaced by her boyfriend Tommy in the narrative. Heteronormativity strikes again.

(4). A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner. So fun, and I love Sophos! I found it really compelling that Sophos had to come to the realization that there was no nonviolent solution before him if he wanted to stay alive. He lost innocence in this way. In retrospect, that kind of character development reminds me of what I love most about Game of Thrones. Also, Sophos' relationship with Helen/Eddis is wonderful. I love that Helen helps to deceive him, because it's for the good of her country. I don't often come across stories about women in power who are not guided first by their personal loves and interests. (Thinking of Cersei Lannister here. Also Rhaenyra Targaryen by the end of dragon show.)

(5). Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I love the characters! I love Sophie, and Howl, and most of all, Calcifer! I hadn't read this book as a kid or watched the movie, so it was all new to me. I think my favorite part about this story was the decision to present old age as liberating for Sophie. Becoming old allowed Sophie to shed her inhibitions, grow more confident, and more powerful in her magic. I like that story, especially for young girls, who are told that becoming old is the worst thing that can possibly happen to them. It's not!

Even though I didn't get to read so much this year, I still read some pretty compelling stories and met really fascinating characters– my favorite part of reading. Definitely getting back into the A Song of Ice and Fire universe has been a big deal for me. It's replaced Star Wars in my heart, I can't believe...

Here's to hoping I get to read more next year!

[shsenhaji]

📚 August Reading Round-Up 📚

Definitely read some great books in August.

Finally started the Vorkosigan Saga! I’ve also been making my way through the Rivers of London series as well as the Queen’s Thief series.

- The Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold (fast-paced, delightful, emotional, great worldbuilding, slight Penric vibes)

- “The Mountains of Mourning” by Lois McMaster Bujold (lyrical, poignant, important themes)

- The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold (great character development, love the characters and their relationships)

- The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah (poetic, engaging, love the characters and the worldbuilding and the themes)

- Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch (loved the themes and how Peter Grant’s identity impacted the plot, more sad but less stressful than Midnight Riot)

- Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch (great worldbuilding and characters, a twisty plot, some great revelations)

- The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison (Beautiful, a bit more quiet, highly enjoyable, loved the themes and the friendships)

- The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (Entertaining, fun, Costis my beloved)

- A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner (Loved the worldbuilding and themes, Sophos my beloved, friendship, badass women)

- Divergent by Veronica Roth (a re-read, thoughtful and fun)

- Hunt the Stars by Jesse Mihalik (fun, MC is so caring, great worldbuilding and relationship development, thoughtful and sensitive depictions of trauma and PTSD)

- All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Delightful, unexpected, THE ENDING, the themes, Murderbot my beloved!!!!)

- A Kiss for Midwinter by Courtney Milan (cute, fun, all the feels)

- The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan (Gripping, loved the relationship and the characters, great themes, very moving)

[daisywords]

stealing this game from some open tags/I can do whatever I want:

[alecscudder1987]

Hi egan was I hallucinating or did you tease a poetry event a while back? No pressure, I know events can be a lot, I just think that would be really cool to see!

SOPHOS MY BELOVED I DID💗💖💘💓💌 im amazed anyone remembered that post lmao!!! im currently in the process of moving so give me a few weeks to brainstorm and work out the details and then yes. egan poetry event real on your dash!!!!!!!!!

[swordbreakerz]

YOU sophos bingo <3 also do your fave sonic chara!

SOPHOS the absolute beloved. I'm rotating him in my head but like a washing machine not a microwave. I'm transgendering him

And KNUCKLES my best boy my little guy. Holds him. He is gay

Blows u a kiss Mwah

[ihamtmus]

ngl gabi, I'm also very entertained by your descent into queen's thief madness. One of my irl besties has been hard core obsessed since middle school (you have, in fact, reblogged some of her art!) so it's like honorarily one of my things. Feel free to holler in this direction, especially if it's about how great costis is :D

HELLO WHY YES LET'S SCREAM ABOUT COSTIS THEN

dude so i love costis so much. i love him with my whole entire heart. and - what's curious - i loved him instantly the moment he appeared in koa which is probably because i did know some spoilers and saw some qt posts before starting the series - and i think one of the posts i saw was that heart locket meme with the caption "costis my beloved" and i, the impressionable fool that i am, took one look at the guy and (despite knowing next to nothing about him except that he was the Big Soldier from some fanart) immediately went "OH IT'S COSTIS MY BELOVED" and it went downhill from there. and here i am. here i am, and wherever it is (it's in love with costis obviously), i'm deep in it.

here i'll admit an uncomfortable truth: the entirety of acok, while sophos was the narrator, i was waiting for gen to appear again but with costis??? he has my undivided attention, yeah, let's read an entire book about the guy and then another! it's honestly amazing how i wasn't annoyed At All by his pov in koa despite him being a new character (probably because the book focused on gen anyway but STILL). it's even more remarkable how utterly i adored thick as thieves despite my fave character appearing only near the end - granted, kamet was a HUGE reason for that but costis too. omg costis too. oh my costis oh my friend

what a madman, honestly. like what is this guy even, what is he doing. like, who punches a king like that. omg i adore him

i adore seeing gen through his eyes, i adore seeing how he went from hatred and disdain to being ready to die for the guy. and i adore him on his own, how he's so honest and reliable but also quick tempered and So Exaspersted and he stresses so much about doing the right thing and being true to himself (the whole self respect thing) - and when he went to the king to confess he told the queen and that baron about him looking out the window, like... costis my beloved indeed but also why are you so embarrassingly relatable at times my guy? ahhhh

and when i thought that i couldn't love him any more and that his relationship with eugenides was all i needed, thick as thieves happened and i lost my mind. which is why this answer is so utterly incomprehensible - i finished reading tat like two hours ago and i barely got up from the floor i ended up on and i can't make myself start reading the last book because it's the last one and it will kill me. so so so

but anyway costis in tat has my heart (and kamet obviously too but that's another story). the guy is so resourceful and quick-thinking and smart actually?? but more importantly he's SO gentle and patient and kind. he does lose his temper but he's quick to apologise. so he's the king's favorite obviously but he's also my favorite, one of my favorites at least, and i'd die for him. so

now i'll try to start the next book while y'all either prepare for a lot of screaming or block queen's thief tag because i will not shut up about it for the foreseeable future

also dude omg now you have to tell me which art was by your friend fjdncksndkcn 👀👀👀

[knife-dad]

Right back at ya, friendo! TQT or The Mandalorian for the fandom nonsense asks?

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most)

Costis, my beloved. Thinking about him for just five minutes every day has been shown to restore health, improve quality of life, and make you mildly unhinged for 24 hours

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped)

Sophos! little baby Sophos in the Thief? precious.

Also Pheris, of course.

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave)

Heiro! She's lovely.

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week)

The Eddisian pirates. We know virtually nothing about them, no names, no identities, nothing. And yet. I lose it any time they are referenced

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave)

Gen uses meow meow energy to great effect some times, one might say he is a viper in sad cat clothing. It works for him though :)

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason)

I enjoy watching the Magus be tormented for fun. I love him a lot but his life is a comedy and watching his plans fall apart is hilarious

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell)

All Mede ambassadors go directly to eeby deeby. May they suffer each other's wretched company for an eternity in superhell

[whocalledhimannux]

@peregrer the What. 👀👀👀 *insert John Mulaney gif of "say more right now"*

ok so when I say "the extent to which I've fleshed out the QT GBBO AU in my head is getting to be embarrassing," I truly and deeply mean it, please enjoy 1,900 words of utter ridiculousness.

first, our competitors:

Legarus - performs so poorly that viewers are a bit confused how he got on the show in the first place, a la Jamie (series 10) or that one guy who made a lime and chocolate cake in the first week.

Chloe - nice flavors and good ideas for decorations, but pretty sloppy. was up for elimination in the first week but came back with a great showstopper.

Melheret - good but not as good as he thinks he is (hence his bread week elimination because of sloppy technique), heavy-handed with the alcohol flavoring

Agape - solid competitor, not flashy but tasty + pretty results. I haven't worked out exact week-by-week themes (that would indeed be Too Much) but I imagine this is something like "Dairy" or "Caramel" or "Vegan," some particular element she just happens to not be strong on. viewers are disappointed by her early elimination

Teleus - Dad contestant. brings in a bunch of weird pans and gadgets he made up himself, does pretty well until it comes to Fiddly Foreign Foods he doesn't know (probably eliminated in French or Patisserie week)

Laela - typically has good flavors and pretty designs but technical knowledge is a bit lacking, so there are usually some flaws in the execution and she's often in the bottom half of technicals

Phresine - Grandma contestant. nails the classics but ultimately isn't creative enough to make it further.

Magus - the "Ian (series 6)" flavor of Dad contestant, often brings in foraged ingredients or eggs from his own chickens or whatnot and revives old recipes/flavor combinations no one else knows about. one week, some of those turn out to just be too weird, leading to his elimination.

Sophos - pretty elaborate decorations and good flavors (on the border of classic and new), but he tends to try a million different embellishments on everything and struggles with timing, occasionally to the detriment of technique.

Kamet - always has really interesting and different flavors and tends to do well in technicals especially, assuming he doesn't get overwhelmed. which is... an assumption (Finalist)

Costis - leans towards classic and indulgent flavors, although sometimes a bit sloppy--the kind of contestant where the judges look at his dishes and say "it's a bit of a mess" and then Paul Hollywood starts laughing because it still tastes delicious (Finalist)

Irene - absolutely stunning visually, queen of the technicals, occasionally gets the "style over substance" warning (Winner)

more details below the cut

I've gone back and forth on whether Eugenides should be in it but ultimately I decided no because I wanted to maintain a pre-show relationship between Laela + Kamet (I thought otherwise at first but then I realized I hadn't left Kamet any longterm friends or family for his finalist video and that's depressing af) and Irene and Sophos which to my knowledge hasn't happened once on the show so far? so having a married couple on top of that seems like it would be a stretch, and also then I think I'd need to make Eugenides the winner on principle and you know what? he can stand to be second fiddle to his wife for a little bit. My alternate backstory for him is that he was actually the winner of MasterChef one year (good with knives), so in the first episode Irene's first little chat to camera is something like "my husband's been bugging me for years to try out and I keep telling him he's got a skewed perspective on cooking competitions, finally I applied just to shut him up... and here we are." Her little video introduction is about how baking is a stress relief from her bigshot job. Her decorations tend to be abstract and gorgeous rather than cutesy.

Kamet, likewise, was nagged into applying by Laela, but she very cleverly framed it as she wanted to apply and wanted him to do it to for moral support. both were confident the other would get in and surprised that they did themselves. This is one of those series where everyone's friendships are immediate and obvious and super adorable (cast of series 10 my beloved...), and in particular these two are holding hands in episode 1. Laela's deep blue robe from TaT sticks in my head for whatever reason so I imagine her making an elaborate blue peacock cake or something one week that wins her star baker. somebody always does a peacock something and it's always impressiev.

Phresine is cool as a cucumber under pressure, always has lovely things to say about everyone else's bakes, and is the go-to last-minute helper because she usually comes in under the time. Irene starts out similar but as the weeks go by she starts to feel the pressure a bit more and cuts it a bit close. Sophos is the worst on timings, and mentions his wife at least once an episode. (I also played with him being single on the show and meeting Helen later through Irene and Eugenides, but this idea is too cute to pass up tbh.) Teleus lives with Relius, a fact that isn't mentioned until a few weeks in when he comments that Relius likes a recipe or gave him an idea for a flavor or something (Relius does not bake himself but will happily sample practice bakes), to the surprised delight of every viewer whose favorite contestant is the oldest gay in any given series (me, me, that person is me).

Costis tends to use a lot of chocolate and, as I said, pretty "classic" flavors--one of those people who makes a full English savory bake at some point. He's usually in the top half of the competition but doesn't get the top until one of the later weeks in the competition, which is a Honey themed week, and he absolutely nails it. The delicate decorations of his honey nut cakes and his use of honeycomb are particularly praised and that's the week he gets star baker. One of those bakers who flirts with elimination the first few weeks but noticeably improves over the course of the show.

My most, like, plot-y ideas are about Kamet (SHOCKER). I imagine he was born in Setra (I usually make Setra a non-autonomous region in my AUs) but arrived in Britain as a child due to [Unspecified Crisis] and ended up with foster dad Jeffa, who was roughly from the same region but not Setra itself; whenever Kamet wanted Setran food as a kid, Jeffa would take him to the library to find recipes and that was what sparked his love of baking. He's well-read on the subject and knows about foods from a lot of different cultures, so he's usually heard of the technical challenges even if he hasn't made or eaten them. He does a lot of fusion flavors, and is ALL ABOUT bread week.

I don't usually make the his-relationship-with-Nahuseresh-is-romantic leap in modern AUs but I think it works for this one because of the nature of the format--Nahuseresh doesn't actually appear on camera but is alluded to once or twice, ends up being Very Displeased that Kamet is doing something for himself, and during the week following Laela's elimination they have the fight that makes Kamet realizes this is actually a terrible relationship and he needs to leave now. He calls Laela to let her know what's up and mentions that, since he'll need to stay in a motel and has presumbly lost his job as a secretary (yeah working for your boyfriend is Bad, he's realized that now), he's going to have to drop out of the show. Laela, despite living in a studio flat without room to host him, immediately thinks "um fuck that" and calls Costis, and within an hour Costis and Aris and a few rugby buddies have moved all of Kamet's things into Costis and Aris's flat, where Costis insists that he'll squeeze into Aris's room (they've shared before, it's fine) and that Kamet gets first dibs on the kitchen for all bake off practices.

None of them actually reveal any of this to the show's producers. Kamet gets a little overwhelmed the following week and nearly walks away from the tent, but Costis jumps in to keep his bake from being ruined, and some soothing words from Irene + the hosts calm him down and he returns to finish. The only mention of the Drama comes in the finale, during the longer video clips they do on each of the contestants. Kamet is deliberately vague about the details of the situation, but Aris shows up in both Costis's and Kamet's videos and references the fact that having TWO flatmates in the bake off is a bit difficult because they only have a standard size kitchen, so he hasn't cooked for himself in a month and has been living off cake and savory breads. one of the hosts talks to Kamet in the tent after that clip is shown and he still won't talk about it in more detail, but says that he wanted to tell people so they could appreciate why Costis hasn't practiced as much the last few weeks (the judges scolded him for winging it a couple of times), and admits that he totally copied some of Costis's techniques for honey week based on watching him at home.

I imagine the finale task is something like an illusion cake--probably with a bunch of additional required elements because the show has been going bonkers with the finale showstoppers in the newer seasons--and Irene wins with a jewelry box containing, among other things, ruby earrings made out of candy. Kamet does a stepwell, and Costis does something architectural (I was thinking castle but something visibly Greek-ish so maybe a temple or a megaron? idk). Irene wins but they're all BFFs and that's obvious, so everyone's delighted for her. The little montage at the end reveals that Irene + Gen are expecting twins, that everybody hangs out all the time, and that Costis + co recently helped Kamet move into his own flat where he's now working on a novel (Immakuk and Ennikar inspired, obvi, leaning heavily on the honey-shared-on-the-road thing and including some recipes that actually work in the narration, albeit still written in an ancient-novel-like-way).

[Obviously not part of the show, but when Kamet mentions that it's time for him to look for his own place, Costis tries to v awkwardly invite him to stay forever and Kamet is like "nope I've got to try this on my own but yes we will go on a date once I've moved out and see how it goes from there."]

[This is so far beyond the scope of the show but also several of them go on to have more baking-related careers and have active social media presences and at one point they're all hanging out and Eugenides pulls out a camera and demands they all produce baking pick-up lines. Teleus refuses and also doesn't believe anyone knows baking pick-up lines off the top of their head or could make them up on the spot. Sophos sort of proves him right by coming up with "you're the apple of my pie," which Eugenides instantly mocks because Sophos's three greatest loves are baking, Helen, and poetry, and that's the best he can do? Helen comes up with "I like my cake the way I like my men--rich, sweet, and bright red," to which Sophos blushes on cue. Irene's is "when I'm with you, I feel like chocolate heated to 50 degrees--I struggle to maintain my temper." Eugenides protests this is more like an anti-pickup line. Irene insists this is the most accurate marriage-related baking pun anyone could ever come up with.

[Laela's is "You and I are like custard--I hope we never split." Kamet's is "You remind me of bread, because I knead you." Costis freezes for a minute and finally comes up with "Fancy a cream horn?" which produces a lot of giggling and makes Kamet slap his arm in such a way that, hen Eugenides posts this video to instagram, fans of the show all go WAIT ARE THEY DATING NOW] [by this point, yes they are] [I didn't even have to google baking pickup lines for this, guys, I legit came up with them on my own, please clap.]

am I obsessed? I might be obsessed

[sailforvalinor]

I FINISHED THE THIEF EEEK