#the electric heir spoilers

[vioreo]

[nycorix]

Y'know back when I first read Gideon the ninth I was coming off my fever king duology hyperfixation and went "hey Jod reminds me of Calix Lehrer lol" and then I read harrow and was like "nah Jod's not nearly as vile/manipulative/sharp he's honestly kind of a wet rag tbh"

Now I have reread gt9 and ht9 and am reading nona and I can say again, with feeling: w ow Jod really IS like Lehrer huh,,,,

[sp0okyghosty]

Shout out to Carter Ames for beating Lehrer's ass after he tried to kill Dara

[hana-no-seiiki]

YANDERE! BATFAM W/ MILES MORALES (BUT GENDER NEUTRAL) ! READER

[ PART ONE ] [ PART THREE ]

GENERAL CW/TW: Spoilers for Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. Typical Yandere themes of stalking, violence and whatnot.

PART CW/TW: Reader gets called a beauty (beauty/beautiful is gender neutral fite me).

EXTRA: also uh mind you most of my knowledge on the boys come from reading fics so if i get any of my info wrong feel free to correct me

current status: unedited

summary: reader gets into multiverse related hi-jinx and almost gets their ass broken if it weren’t for a tired, definitely sleep deprived senior catching them. (it’s tim you guys)

Reply if you’d like to be added to the taglist!

WHAT’S UP DANGER

(PART TWO)

“I like tall buildings so I can leap off of ‘em,

I go hard wit’ it no matter how dark it is.”

Turns out being a hero is hard skill to learn. Especially if you were working on a time limit.

You had recently gained the ability to uh- well you didn’t know what exactly. All you knew is that somehow you were at least 5x as strong as you were before and a lot more sticky.

Not to mention your senses were all over the place.

It’s like you could see, hear, smell and feel everything.

You didn’t really want to avoid Damian, but whenever you came across him — or just went within his immediate vicinity. Your “tingles” and enhanced “senses” would flare up and make you dizzy.

Usually it’d only be that bad when there were projectiles or insects around you. You surmised it was probably your powers warning you of the dangers he may potentially bring. Whether it’d be from himself (the heir must have some sort of self defense skills) or his name (you didn’t want to think of the target you’ve put on your back both in school and life in general by being his acquaintance. Jesus [Y/N]. Being distracted by your future and planned failure in academics doesn’t excuse letting that happen. Stupid.).

You were mostly stumbling around with your strange set of abilities until you met this girl named Gwen.

First of all, she was just — incredibly pretty. You couldn’t but just stare at her sometimes and—

Getting back on track — !

After getting some spidey sense feedback loop and ripping off a massive chunk of her hair. You find out that you’re this universe’s “Spiderman.”

And that she, was from another universe entirely.

Even a big sci-fi junkie like you had to doubt her words, but as she showcased her abilities you pretty much went on your knees and begged her to teach you.

The both of you get to work quickly. Investigating how she got to your universe and practicing the use of your powers.

The first part went really well. You even met a few other dimension traveling spider-people (and animal) along the way. After sneaking into a lab, you found out that it was a rich man’s, King Pin, “bring his family back project” that brought you all together. But that his actions were probably going to destroy the fabric of reality if he kept going.

The second part, not so much. Your stickiness was something you just couldn’t control.

Luckily it was winter break and that prevented you from ripping another schoolmate’s hair off.

Your “universe specific” abilities, as the other spider-people called it, like invisibility and bio-electricity only came out at random. Sometimes at the most inconvenient times.

Your webbing abilities were subpar to say the least. Many attempts led to you breaking several bones.

Praise super-regeneration and all

But f u c k did it still hurt.

and it was during one of those web-swinging practice sessions when you fall into the arms of Tim Drake.

Tim was just trying to get some fresh air.

After passing out on duty last night and having to deal with Damian suddenly abandoning his missions for some reason. He decided that maybe it was time for a break.

He didn’t exactly expect to have a young adult falling into his arms during said break.

He was just talking a casual stroll really. In a relatively quiet part of Gotham, he didn’t expect much to be happening much less a pretty/handsome giving him a small wave as they sheepishly laugh at their . . . strange encounter.

“ Hey. ” You smiled at him. Praying to all that is holy that he doesn’t notice the bits of undissolved webs you have littered across your hoodie. Thank goodness you didn’t wear your makeshift mask today. He was going to think you were even more of a weirdo than you already are!

“ Hey. ” Tim replied. Praying to all that is holy that you don’t notice his heart rate picking up and his ears turning red. It was the cold he swears! The cold!

“What’s a beauty like you doing around in a place like this?”

They both ask in sync with completely awkward delivery to boot.

Taglist: @vanessa-boo @w31rdg1rl

[ PART THREE ]

[blackbyrenflowers]

My thoughts on Season 2, episode 1: A Son for a Son

Some general spoiler-light thoughts:

No mention or presence of Maelor or Daeron, unfortunately.

Jace was definitely the highlight of the episode.

Nice to see more of Aegon - he seems to like being king, to put it lightly.

Overall, I'd say a 6.5/10. Maybe a 7.5, if it hadn't been for the way they did B&C, which was... well I didn't go into the episode with the highest hopes, but I'm still disappointed. I'll make another post on it.

More details below:

Perhaps it's just my unrealistic expectations after so much time waiting, but this episode felt a bit muted. It sort of reminded me of Episode 6 - a general catch up after a long absence, where we see how everyone's doing. Necessary, but it's not going to be electric.

The opening at the Wall felt like it suffered from the need to have Jace back at Dragonstone in time for Luke's funeral. Which is a shame, because what we got of him and Cregan felt really good - my favorite little bit was Jace reminiscing about how Aegon and Torrehn Stark stood where they were, only for Cregan to sarcastically thank Jace for not threatening him with Vermax.

I will say though, the different motivations they gave Cregan was kind of odd - in the book he sends only his Winter Wolves because he needs his men for the harvest (otherwise they'll starve and die), but in the show he needs them to protect the Watch in case the Others show up? Is the implication supposed to be that the North sends thousands of men to protect the Wall at the beginning of winter (which in Westeros, can last for years)? And this happens every year, never mind the logistical strain this would place on the entire North and the Night's Watch? Alright, buddy.

No scenes in the Vale, unfortunately, presumably due to the same reasons for the condensed Wall plot. We're told that Jeyne agreed to support Rhaenyra in exchange for a dragon to defend the Vale, but we don't get to see the Maiden of the Vale. Of course this episode had a lot to cover, but it would've been nice to see her.

In my opinion, the highlight of the episode is Jace reporting to Dragonstone. He stands proud, strong (no pun intended), but has a wavering voice as he struggles to tell Rhaenyra about his diplomatic mission - and then he breaks down and Rhaenyra rushes to embrace her.

Rhaenyra I feel doesn't do much this episode. She spends her time looking for Luke's remains, finds a cloak tangled up in his dragon, she's there at the funeral. I like her pained, subdued entrance to the war council, announcing that she wants Aemond's head - but it feels like a bit of a narrative retread of the end of episode 10.

From all the reviews raving about Tom's acting chops, he was probably my most anticipated character in season 2. I wouldn't say I'm disappointed in his portrayal, but he was a bit more... carefree than I was expecting. A great actor, but the reality of the war doesn't seem to have sunken in for Aegon yet. Definitely my most anticipated watch for the next episode, however. A vengeful, grieving Aegon will be fun to watch.

Moving over to his mother, we see that Alicole is a thing now - our first glimpse of the two is Cole kneeling between Alicent's legs. It's implied this isn't the first time, but it's unclear for how long it's been going on. I feel like this episode could've used a little more time between them. However, I do very much appreciate the touch of Alicent being the one to put Cole's white cloak back on. Very obvious symbolism, but I approve of it all the same.

We get a preview of some upcoming characters - Alyn appears as a shipwright in the Driftmark docks. He gives his condolences to Corlys for the loss of his heir, and Corlys thanks Alyn for being the one to pull him from the sea in episode 6. Interestingly, Alyn seems almost uncomfortable to be thanked by his "lord" (gee, I wonder why?).

Hugh Hammer shows as a blacksmith petitioning Aegon for more funds due to rising iron prices. No real foreshadowing there, though I did find it slightly amusing how he was obviously well-groomed compared to all the other petitioners - he's definitely not a reoccurring character.

And that's all I can think of, I guess. Looking forward to next week.

[iwriteasfotini]

The Heir and The Spare PLAYLIST!

So I was going to save this for after I post the entire work, due to... Spoilers??? IDK exactly what I was saving it for. I decided that was simply silly and I'm sharing it now. So you can listen to the whole thing while you read, duh!

This is the shortest playlist of all the installments by FAR and has the highest number of era accurate songs. But my playlists more thematic, NOT songs which the characters actually encounter in the story. That being said, Sirius does get the T. Rex album Electric Warrior during this story and it's the only album they have for the remainder of the year. Hence all the T. Rex songs.

Context to each song will be mentioned in the chapter ANs on Ao3, just know not EVERY song is a Sirius song, even though this is his book. Enjoy everyone!

[gwen-tolios]

Ace Bookclub Recap - Fire Becomes Her

I love to share ace book recs (it's part of why I run an ace bookclub) and this month we read Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor. Book has been added to my Ace Rep Database.

Summary: With only a drop of flare, one can light the night sky with fireworks or burn a building to the ground -- and seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis wants her fair share. Ingrid doesn't have a family fortune, but at least she has a plan: Rise to the top on the arm of Linden Holt, heir to a hefty political legacy and the largest fortune of flare in all of Candesce. Her only obstacle is Linden's father who refuses to acknowledge her. When Senator Holt announces his run for president, Ingrid strikes a deal to spy on the senator’s opposition in exchange for his approval and the status she so desperately craves. But the longer Ingrid wears two masks, the more she questions where her true allegiances lie.

Spoilers below!

My bookclub really liked this book. There's a delightful cathartic element to the end we all got behind, and I believe this is the first book we've read that ends with a QPR.

There's a range of aspec characters, which always makes a book better, and we had a bit of conversation about Ingrid. What labels, exactly, define her? We had a bit of back and forth (my bet is birogreyromantic at least) but we all agreed she was some flavor of aspec. We also agreed, you know what, it's okay that we don't know. Ingrid's arch through the book really is discovering who she is and what she wants, and this felt like such a real, messy way of figuring out your ace identity: while in the midst of a relationship. (I myself have used my relationships as touchstones to figure my aceness out)

There's some beautiful conversations in here about trying to explain love outside of a romantic capacity and about how you shouldn't mold yourself to the expectations of others. I wish the world-building had been a little more thought out (flare is a source of power like electricity, treated like currency, is a consumable form of magic used for pleasure and policing, and also serves as how one votes even though it's a limited resource mined from the ground, which was a bit much), but for this book taking place on the campaign trail with some rebel action, it's the characters that you're here for.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

more on the shroud bros age swap AU

[Referencing this fic!]

***CONTENT WARNING: mentions of death; contains spoilers for episode 6 of the main story/Idia’s backstory!***

I wasn’t able to go into a ton of detail about this in the fic or in the opening author’s notes, but I wanted to explore and expand on the idea a bit more!!

So basically, since Ortho is the older brother in this alternate universe 🤔 wouldn’t he be the heir instead of Idia (and therefore be the one locked away to prepare for his future)?? In my take on the age swap AU, the Shroud parents (who are focused on "getting results") saw more potential in the genius younger brother, so Ortho was looked over as the heir. This freed Ortho up, but it also had the effect of shackling Idia to his studies, causing guilt to brew in the former.

Ortho tried to make it up to Idia by bringing him souvenirs of the outside world (which is how I like to think of little Idia becoming curious about it) and being the absolute best big brother he can :> because it was due to Ortho's inadequacy that Idia's freedom was taken from him at such a young age. And then comes the fateful day when Ortho gets ballsy and decides to sneak Idia out with him for an outing--so Idia can see the stars and they can pretend to be heroes together out in that big, bright beautiful world... AND OF COURSE IDIA WANTS TO SPEND TIME OUT THERE WITH HIS COOL BIG BRO, SO HE GETS ALL EXCITED AND GOES TO DISARM THE SECURITY SYSTEMS (ignoring Ortho’s warnings to go slowly and to be careful)... THE PHANTOMS ESCAPE...

"Idia-kun, watch out...!!"

Ortho just. Instinctively throwing himself in front of his little brother to protect him 😭😭 and then Idia being so deeply traumatized by that event plus the guilt of knowing that his big brother sacrificed himself and took that deadly blow so he could live 🥲 Little Idia becoming even more of a recluse without Ortho there to be his guiding light… so when Idia puts together an AI version of Ortho, he wants that light back, someone sunny and supportive to lead him through the mess of darkness he’s entangled in. Someone he can look up to, maybe even grow into. That “better version” of himself, his cool brother… And Idia tries to hard to be obedient to this new big brother because the original was so good to him/he wants to be a good person to live up to that legacy AND he feels bad about not listening to Ortho's warnings in the past (which led to Ortho's untimely demise)… But (dead) Ortho just wanting Idia to be happy and to not blame himself, to enjoy all the wonderful things this world has for him without any guilt 🥲

ALSO??? This has nothing to do with the lore for this AU but I think it would be cute if bigbro!Ortho caught a butterfly in his hands and flew down to place it on Idia’s head while Idia is busy gaming 😌 and then Ortho goes, “Look, Idia-san! Your big brother’s dropping by to say hello!!” (The butterfly represents a departing soul in some cultures; I’ve written another fic based on this concept!) AND ORTHO WOULD BE MEANING IT AS BOTH HIMSELF AND THE ORIGINAL CONING TO VISIT HIM 💀

Idia could ride on Ortho’s shoulders!! And Ortho can fly around campus!! Idia makes faces at the mob students while they pass, mocking all the low level noobs that lack the aerial advantage 😌 and Ortho lightly scolds him for being rude to his classmates…

OH OH OH AND???? What about a situation where Ortho is injured and needs repairs??? But he’s still fully conscious while Idia’s working on him so Ortho tries to lighten up the mood by jokingly saying something like, “Sorry you have to parch me up, little guy! It must feel weird for the younger brother to take care of the older one.” AND IDIA, FEELING GUILTY ABOUT OG!ORTHO’S SACRIFICE GOES 🤡 “D-Don’t say that, Ortho nii-san. You… You’ve always taken care of me well, even when…” Then little dude starts crying and Ortho realizes he fucked up, his joke was insensitive… so he tries to cheer Idia up with, “Hey now, no tears. Water and electricity shouldn’t mix. You’ll put yourself in danger.” cbbsjebsjss AnD SOBBing UDUS cLInGS to him… except Ortho can’t exactly hug back because he’s still in maintenance mode, so he just sits there and accepts Idia in all of his grief and sorrow.

“Shhh, shhh. It’s okay. Let it all out. I’m here for you.”

Ortho officially becoming a third year student… 🥺 going off on his own internship… Promising to text and call every day while he’s gone… Idia trying to be a big boy and hold back his tears but they come anyway because he’s happy but he’ll also miss Ortho a lot…

Big bro Ortho, the emotional support robot Idia needs 😭 AHHHHHHH bigbro!Ortho just opens up many cute family bonding opportunities…

[firstelevens]

fake fic title game!! “this crown ain’t worth much” for whatever pairing/fandom you like! ✨

When The Royal first landed on TV screens, it wasn't supposed to be a hit. The network had aired it as a mid-season replacement, nine episodes of a workplace comedy about the events team at a high-end hotel. Its only buzz came from the big names behind the camera (showrunner Tony Stark, scion of not one but two Hollywood dynasties) and in front of it (Steve Rogers, once a pop star in mid 2000s boyband The Howlies and now an actor with a decent number of critically acclaimed movies under his belt.) Flying under the radar seemed to be the secret to the show's success: its blend of offbeat comedy and heartfelt emotional beats (plus a wave of cancellations at the network) earned it a second season and space to hit its stride.

Critics seem to agree that the cast--rounded out by Natasha Romanoff, James Rhodes, and Scott Lang--never felt fully complete until its two major second season additions: writer's room standout Sam Wilson (playing an efficiency consultant sent in to streamline the team's performance) and Rogers' former bandmate Bucky Barnes (turning his guest appearances as the unmotivated heir to the hotel empire into a series regular spot.) By season three, the show has gone from a star vehicle to a true ensemble piece, and when Steve and Natasha announce their intention to not renew their original contracts for a fourth season, the writer's room is thrown into a tizzy.

Eventually, a plan develops to embrace the chaos of the double departure. Sam and Bucky's characters emerge as the de facto leads of the show, contending with the chaos of the staffing change and the slew of new faces brought in for season four. It goes shockingly smoothly when the cameras are rolling, but as soon as the director calls cut, the energy changes. The pressure of their new roles has spun two years of largely silly bickering into something else entirely, and it's anybody's guess whether the electricity between their two leads will translate into sparks or just send the entire production up in flames.

(Spoiler alert: it might do both.)

[rosewaterandivy]

cf & dd timeline

This will not reflect every single aspect of the gilded age (1870s to 1890s) but it will include various points of historical and technological interest in addition to Nell and Steve’s personal histories. As such, spoilers will be included and updated with each chapter; so if you’d rather not deal with that, please avoid this!

Note: Italics denote events of the plot, & updates will occur after chapters are published. This is work in progress so more dates and details will be added as I think of them. Historical dates and information was provided by the National Humanities Center and my own research.

1858 - June: Samuel and Ameila Harrington welcome the birth of their son and heir, Steven.

November: Arthur and Delphine Fairchild welcome the birth of their daughter, Eleanor. (Occurs before the story starts, not depicted.)

1865 - Lincoln Inauguration, Civil War Ends, Lincoln Assassination, Ratification of the 13th Amendment

1866 - the National Labor Union was founded on August 20, First successful transatlantic cable is completed (England to the United States).

1868 - June 25: Congress enacts an 8-hour workday for workers employed by the government, July: Ratification of the 14th Amendment.

1869 - January: Grant Inauguration, Commanche Chief Toch-a-way informs Gen. Philip H. Sheridan that he is a "good Indian," Sheridan reportedly replied: "The only good Indian is a dead Indian."

May: First Transcontinental Railroad completed when Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines met in Utah solidified by a golden railroad spike to link the railroads.

September 24: First “Black Friday” stock market panic due to financier’s attempt to corner the market on gold.

1870 - February: Hiram R. Revels of Mississippi becomes the first African American to serve in the US Senate. Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina becomes the first Black Representative, J.D. Rockefeller establishes Standard Oil of Ohio.

March: 15th Amendment is Ratified

1871 - P.T. Barnum opens his three-ring circus, hailing it as the "Greatest Show on Earth,"

March: Indian Appropriations Act - Congress declares that Indian tribes will no longer be treated as independent nations with whom the government must conduct negotiations; Native Americans legally become wards of the nation.

October 8: The Great Chicago Fire claims 250 lives and destroys 17,500 buildings.

1872 - Montgomery Ward & Co., the first mail-order business, opens in Chicago.

Nov. 5: Susan B. Anthony and other women's suffrage advocates are arrested for attempting to vote in Rochester, N.Y.

1873 - Grant’s second inauguration, The first electric streetcar begins operation in New York City; Free mail delivery begins in all cities above 20,000 population; Mark Twain and C. D. Warner publish the novel The Gilded Age.

Mar. 3: The Comstock Act prohibits the mailing of obscene literature.

Sept. 18: The Financial Panic of 1873 begins. 5,183 business fail; Congress makes gold the national standard and eliminates all silver currency.

Period of recurring epidemics beginning in 1865 comes to an end. From Boston to New Orleans, epidemics of smallpox, cholera, typhus, typhoid, scarlet fever, and yellow fever had killed thousands.

1875 - Steven begins his studies at Harvard; Nell begins hers at Vassar; Christopher, her older brother begins his final year at Harvard. (Occurs before the story starts, not depicted.)

1876 - Centennial Exposition opens in Philadelphia, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Feb. 14: 29-year-old Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone.

May: The nation celebrates its centennial by opening an International Exhibition in Philadelphia.

Christopher graduates from Harvard and goes on his Grand Tour. (Occurs before the story starts, not depicted.)

June 25: Battle of the Little Big Horn - George A. Custer and 265 officers and enlisted men are killed by Sioux Indians led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse at the Little Horn River in Montana.

1877 - Hayes Inauguration, Reconstruction ends with the withdrawal of federal troops in the south, Great Railroad Strike: After West Virginia railroad workers strike to protest wage reductions, sympathy strikes and violence spread across the Midwest. Federal troops break the strikes.

June to Oct.: Nez Percé Indians, led by Chief Joseph, surrender after a 1600-mile trek retreating from U.S. troops through the U.S. northwest. They are sent to a reservation in Indian Territory (Oklahoma).

Thomas Edison patents the phonograph.

Christopher Fairchild weds Marian Hudson. (Occurs before the story starts, not depicted.)

1878 - German engineer Karl Benz produces the first automobile powered by an internal combustion engine; Thomas Edison patents the photograph.

Jan. 10: The Senate defeats a woman's suffrage amendment 34-16.

Steve graduates from Harvard University. (Occurs before the story starts, not depicted.)

1879 - The Carlisle School (Pa.) is opened “Americanize” Indian children.

Feb. 15: Congress grants woman attorneys the right to argue cases before the Supreme Court.

Oct. 21: Edison invents the first practical light bulb.

Steve travels Europe on his Grand Tour; Nell returns to France upon news of her parent’s ill health. (Occurs before the story starts, not depicted.)

1881 - Helen Hunt Jackson's Century of Dishonor recounts the government's unjust treatment of Native Americans.

January: Christopher and Marian Fairchild welcome the birth of their son and heir, August.

May: Steven returns to New York from the Continent; begins working with his father at their various real estate holdings. (Occurs before the story starts, not depicted.)

July 2: President James Garfield is shot by Charles Guiteau, a disgruntled office-seeker. He died on Sept. 19.

July 4: Booker T. Washington opens Tuskegee Institute.

July 19: Sitting Bull and other Sioux Indians return to the United States from Canada.

September: Arthur and Delphine Fairchild pass away after battling tuberculosis; Christopher takes over the family holdings and arranges for his sister to travel back to New York from France; Marian begins paying calls to the Four Hundred and laying the groundwork for Eleanor’s societal debut. (Occurs before the story starts, not depicted but mentioned.)

1882 - Attorney Samuel Dodd devises the trust, under which stockholders turn over control of previously independent companies to a board of trustees; Standard Oil Trust, the first trust, is formed by John D. Rockefeller.

May 6: Congress passes the Chinese Exclusion Act, barring Chinese Chinese immigration for ten years.

December: Eleanor arrives in New York from France entering her half-mourning period and Steven has one-sided meet cute; news the arrival spreads quickly; her debutante ball to be held at the Fairchild manse on 5th Avenue is the talk of the town. (Chapter I. Coup de foudre - story begins here.)

1883 -

January: Mrs. Astor’s annual ball, the most anticipated event of the season, is held; Nell and Steve both receive invitations.

March 26: Mrs. Vanderbilt, feeling snubbed by The Four Hundred, throws her famous masquerade ball, commemorating the completion of her new Fifth Avenue mansion, Petit Château; Nell and Steve are once again invited to the masquerade, but Nell is warned by Marian to keep her distance from Mr. Harrington; each invite has instructions to dress as their assigned characters. (Chapter II. Traîner quelqu'un dans la boue)

[rollercoasterwords]

*look away now if you don’t want spoilers for the feverwake series*

OKAY I OFFICIALLY FINISHED THE ELECTRIC HEIR and I have. so many thoughts about it and I don’t know where to start but!!!!!! Oh my god I have never been so stressed in my LIFE. I was VERY VERY convinced someone was gonna die AND WHEN NOAM STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE STUPID (lovely) FUCKING HOUSE AND THEIR STUPID (lovely) FUTURE LIFE!!!!!!!!!! RAE!!!!! The way I was SCREAMING. Because I was just like “okay, well he’s dead now isn’t he 😐” BECAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS WHEN A CHARACTER SAYS SHIT LIKE THAT THEY THEN DIE!!!!! so I was BEGGING him to shut! up! And then!! Then! When Dara started talking about how HE really wanted that life too….. and how he actually wanted to LIVE now…….. really did think they were building up to tear one of them away from me AND I WAS IN ABSOLUTE AGONY 🤡 so the actual ending was a nice breathe of relief oh my god. Although!!!!! Little bit stressed that leher isn’t actually dead…….. or locked up? They didn’t really clarify and I feel. A lot of fear about that actually. It makes my skin CRAWL to think about… which I guess is maybe the point? It’s a happy ending technically but there’s still that little nagging uncomfortableness in your brain lingering after the last page bc YOU DONT KNOW. Which is actually so insane of the author if that was intentional I AM OBSESSED WITH THAT.

Anyway! Final review! I had a very very fun time with this (pain + stress + fucked up plots + moral complexity + politics are my favourite story ingredients so I went so so so incredibly insane for this <33). I literally have NO WORDS for it I just. !!!!!!!!!!!!. I feel like my guts have been scooped out. Rearranged. And I just need to…. Lie here for a bit. And rest…

I just. There were so many scenes and lines that left me TORN OPEN, I am utterly OBSESSED with the writers writing style!!!! Everything was so clever and intense and HEARTWRENCHING and I really enjoyed the refugee politics and discussions about consent and SA and power imbalances and just. IT WAS SO SO SO GOOD THANK U FOR RECOMMENDING IT I am now going to go crawl under my blanket and be consumed by my thoughts xoxoxoxo

ahhhh hello THANK u 4 giving me the final thoughts!!! i understand the stress whenever a character in a dangerous situation starts talking about their future i'm like no aha don't do that....haven't u read a book....watched a movie, perhaps....

and UGH dara's arc in the second book. like the way he starts the story literally walking to his death and then ends it fighting for his life....makes me crazyinsane every time i read it i love that boy!! and i was also relieved by the happy ending lol tbf i do think i would have enjoyed a bit of death but it was like being wrapped up in a nice warm blanket at the end so...can't complain

anyway SO happy u enjoyed xx have v much enjoyed getting to vicariously live the experience of reading the series 4 the first time thru u <3

[definitelynotgideon]

This is a Genya Shinazugawa x OC (Gideon Azulyss) MLM Fic 🏳️‍🌈

AN/ I'm going to be so sad when my evenings fill up for work after this break, I'm having a good time writing this fic lol. Hope y'all are liking it too 👉👈

CW/ Language, Mention or Reference to Abuse but not detailed. Slight spoiler for Swordsmith Arc I think?

Word Count: 1,780

The Demons We Face | Chapter 3, Partners

Morning sunlight filtered into the room, waking Gideon up first. He gently sat up, blinking to adjust to the lighting and his eyes ventured over to Genya. 

For having such an heir of intimidation yesterday, he looked so calm in his sleep. He was laying down his side, both hands up near his chest and face as if he'd want to cuddle something if given the chance. Perhaps back home he had a couple of pillows on his bed. The thought made Gideon smile, it was sweet.

Further inspection of the room told the silver haired slayer that their hostess had finished laundering their clothing. But Gideon simply needed a little more time in the morning to get going, and he didn't want to rustle around too much and wake Genya up. He was sure that his sleep was needed if he didn't wake up with the sun…

He crept out of the room carefully, and walked into the kitchen area where he found the kind old woman preparing breakfast. He greeted her warmly. 

“May I please have some coffee?” He asked, to which she smiled and got him a cup. Since this village was a bit further away from larger cities, certain electric advances hadn't quite made their way in, so she put a kettle over her fire and prepared a pour over pot for him. 

“It'll just be a moment, dear.”

“Thank you ma'am.”

He sat at the table, kneeling on the cushion and looking out the window. He'd offer to help, but he knew that she would insist on him not doing that. All members of this family were the same way in mannerism; simply grateful to be giving back to the corps. So he'd do his part by simply being a pleasant guest and talking with her. 

“Seems like today will be a nice day, do you have any plans?” 

She smiled to him. “I might go into the town for a bit, pick up some things from the market. Will you boys be staying another night?” 

Gideon hummed in thought. “I could see us hanging around for parts of the day, but hopefully we have enough to go on tonight to hunt the reported demon down. I hope that's alright.” 

“Never any trouble, sweet boy. The demon slayers are always welcome here.”

She poured water over the grounds when the water was hot enough, expertly easing the stream in a circle to soak the beans just right as the previous liquid dropped to the glass caraf below. She handed him his cup and he inhaled the unique woodsy and robust scent of the coffee.  

Gideon looked around the kitchen while he sipped and saw that her kindling for her fire was low. Soft eyes blinked and looked to her. “Shall I fetch you more wood?” 

She looked up at him gratefully. “Please, if you wouldn't mind.” 

He finished his cup and gave it to her as he stood. “I'll be back, then.”

~ ~ 

Genya woke up shortly after Gideon headed outside. He peered over and saw his empty bedding and listened, not really hearing anything inside… what he did hear was the soft thudding sound, buffered by walls, of wood chopping.

He pulled himself up and out of the room to investigate the happenings. 

“Good morning young man,” the lady cooed to him, setting out the meal she'd prepared for them. “Your little friend is outside cutting some kindling for me. He will be back soon. Come sit and eat, before the meal cools.” 

Genya nods, but feels a little torn. Cutting wood? He's going to miss breakfast, and he already missed dinner last night. He looks towards the door and then his amethyst eyes go back to her. “I'll go get him. He needs to eat too.” 

He slips his white boots on and ventures to the back of the house. Gideon had undone the top part of his kimono and tied it around his waist to stay cool while he chopped wood. He was seated and using a small hatchet to produce small pieces for the woman to use in her fire.

Well toned like any of the other slayers their age, the small sheen of sweat highlighted Gideons muscles well. Just in case Genya didn't get enough of an eyeful when he confronted nude Gideon last night. Genya's gaze went to his hands as they worked, and then Gideon looked over to him.

“Good morning Genya! How did you sleep?” 

Genya was startled slightly. “I-I- slept fine… um. Did you sleep okay?” He rubbed the back of his nape. What even was his life? What even was this?

To make matters worse Gideon seemed oblivious, because he stood and stretched with a happy stretch sound. Genya decidedly looked away from him. Pretty guy…

N-No I- I mean… wait am I attracted to him?! What the hell?

“I slept well, thanks for asking!” He said, smiling to him in such a well meant way. “were you looking for me?” 

Genya snapped back into it. “Oh yeah, yes. Breakfast is done. I didn't want you to miss out…” 

Gideon smiled, finally kind of understanding what was happening to his new friend. “That's sweet of you~” he teased.

Genya then got even more flustered and crossed his arms. “Y-yeah? Well you're wrong- I'm not ‘sweet,’ I just ... I need my partner to be in top condition for our mission. Can't have you passing out. You might die.” 

Humor danced in Gideon's eyes and he grinned. “Is that so?” He asked, bending into a squat to pick up his cut kindling. “Glad that I've graduated to partner. Was it the shared slumber?~” 

“I- Shut up!” 

Gideon laughed, musical and loud and genuine. He playfully bumped Genya with his hip as he moved past him, his smile warm. “I'm only teasing you. Thank you for looking out for me.” He said, feeling very warm and fuzzy from the interaction. 

Genya blushed and just tried to turn away enough that Gideon wouldn't see. He followed shortly after Gideon rounded the corner. 

Once inside, Gideon offloaded his efforts and the old lady praised him for it, thanking him. He smiled endearingly to her, telling her it wasn't any trouble. Genya sat down, and after Gideon cleaned himself up with an offered towel and basin water, he decided to sit next to Genya. 

Sure, he did it to be funny, but he also did it out of trust and fondness. Genya was growing on him. He was fun to tease and seemed to have a genuinely good heart underneath all the protective barriers he has up. Gideon wanted to get to know him more.

But poor Genya was frozen. Gideon was so close to him, and he acted like any small change would cause him to move. Like a butterfly landing on a shoulder, and just trying to encourage it to stay…

Gideon carefully served up his own plate from the offered goods, stocking himself up on protein and fiber first. Genya followed his actions, choosing a wide variety of a bit of everything from the table. 

The older lady moved to another part of the house so that the two could speak about corps business… but Genya was curious first. 

“...Did she ask for your help with the wood? I'm surprised doesn't have a family member help her out with it…” 

Gideon shook his head softly, swallowing his bite. “Nah. I asked if she wanted help. I couldn't resist … she reminds me a lot of the old lady who took me in when I was younger.” 

Took him in? He was guessing that Gideon’s parents had been killed by demons. It was a common story.

“So like .. your parents? What happened to them?” 

Gideon shrugged. “Honestly, I don't know. They're probably still alive.” His eyes flash to where the old lady disappeared. “...my father threw me out when I was eleven.” 

Genya looked over to him, a bit shocked. Abuse? Did Gideon and him share a similar horror story? His own dad had become abusive towards their mother especially, and Genya's older brother had done most of the protecting against that wrath. In the end, he got what he deserved… just an asshole in the wrong place. 

“...I'm sorry. My dad was shit too.” 

Gideon looked over to Genya softly. “Sorry for you too.” He gazes down in a solemn moment, but then gives Genya a little smile. “But hey. We made it, right? Who needs them?” 

Gideon didn't know the full extent of Genya's trauma… and yet the words from his mouth were still encouraging and unassuming. 

A moment passes between them, they both nibble at their cooling food. Genya asks him another question.

“What happened to make him throw you out?” 

It was Gideon's then to freeze, but only slightly. He was slightly nervous, because what he'd provide Genya with in full confidence could be easily turned against him out of fear. But Gideon wasn't afraid of shit like this. Not anymore.

“...My parents set up an arranged marriage for me. They wanted me to marry for some sort of wealth exchange. But… I told my father I wanted to marry a man instead. And… yeah.”

Gideon is still sort of frozen. He can't quite look at Genya, but Genya is looking at him in a mix of shock and blankness. He wasn't expecting that. 

Finally after a moment Gideon dares to look to him. He searches his eyes trying to gage what Genya would do. But his amathyst eyes don't look angry. 

“...Genya?” 

“I'm… I wasn't expecting that. Sorry. Um…” he looks away and softly chuckles.

“It's okay. I… understand if you don't want to be friends with me.” 

Genya's eyes immediately lock back onto Gideon's. He sits up a bit. “It doesn't bother me that you're gay. But fucking slow your roll buddy. ‘friends?’ hmm? The fuck do you think this is?” 

He's totally bullshitting him, and they both hold their laughter until it bubbles over. 

“You're right, how dare I?” Gideon says through laughter. “Because obviously I've attained partner. Which is vague but I'd like to think it's just a little above friendship.” He holds up his fingers with a bit of space between a pinch to emphasize his point. 

Genya smirks. “You crafty bastard. Well played. Fine. Partners, then. The slightly above friend kind, I guess.”

“I don't make the rules, Genya.”

“Except you are literally making the rules right now.” 

They giggle a little more, and then Gideon finishes another bite of egg before calling his breakfast done. “So. We should make a plan for today and tonight. What are your thoughts?” 

[archerons-arrow]

i normally yell in comments or tags but you touched on something i had to grapple with so i'm going to add on to this post behind a read more to avoid spoilers.

okay. so. i too am here and ready to read all the future books of elhame that include sizeable amounts of my high king and high queen! to your first point... after the high of this book's ending, i was like you! i wasn't happy to return to the undersea and deal with nicasia or her drama because i never really enjoyed her barbs and i felt like the love triangle of it all was settled. and i really don't like the idea of that trope being revived.

THEN i thought about it. jude is still keeping secrets from 8 years ago. she told no one of the details of the half-curse valerian placed on her... which means there's a real possibility that cardan does not know the details of what transpired during jude's time as a hostage of the undersea.

can you IMAGINE the high king of elhame finding out what his ex-girlfriend allowed to happen to his wife? to find out what his brother did to jude? how she was interrogated, beaten, starved, neglected, dehydrated, tortured, etc.? and how nicasia and jude both knew this and said nothing to him of it... he's going to lose his shit. and i'm ready to see that happen. let the man bite someone please.

and let's face it: jude is gonna have some unresolved trauma from the events of The Wicked King. who knows what personal things she is going to have to face with her return to a place that holds horrible memories for her? nightmares? more death threats? how does one fight in water when all they know is combat on land? does that leave her defenseless? will nightfell survive months underwater? that sword brings her luck (among other things).

alsooooo let's consider that jude has been taking birth control and still poisoning herself. being in the undersea would give her time away to detox from that regiment so-to-speak (the process being done for reasons i am not going to name aloud, but y'all PLEASE read the prisoner's throne i beg of you).

it also gives oak the opportunity to try on the hat of ruler and see if he likes it without committing to the gig. maybe he will take to it and decide to stay on as heir and jude and cardan can be freed from the crowns they wear and can have a life together. who knows! plus there's that not-so-little problem of the fucking troll kingdom (thanks, wren).

i guess i'm now looking at the next adventure less as eyerolling "The 'Joys' of Nicasia Part 2: Electric Boogaloo" and more " Holly finds a new sandbox to play in and we get more of our favorite couple being ICONIC af." i'm surprisingly excited!

Holly, hear me out, I don’t fucking care about Nicasia, whatever, just leave her alone , but I am ready to read all your future books if they are about my babies Jurdan or their own babies

[sosaidvictoria]

Hello, what exactly was Noam treated for at the hospital? Was it fevermadness? Also, was he treated fairly there or like he was a criminal...?

*spoilers*

Fevermadness, yes. I think he was sedated at first, and probably treated somewhat fairly because he was known to be Lehrer’s protege and since he was unconscious when that whole scene happened, no one would have seen him as a culpable party until he woke up and took responsibility for part of it. After that he was probably kept under guard until some clarity started to come out about Lehrer’s culpability.

[wangyourtown]

Spoilers for The Fever King and The Electric Heir

Tw Talks of psychological abuse

I can’t stop thinking about all the little things Leherer did to subtly control Noam. Like, he suspected Noam wasn’t affected by his persuasion anymore, but he knew Noam would still follow his orders because Noam couldn’t reveal if it did or didn’t work. So it basically didn’t matter if the persuasion didn’t work— if Noam was double-crossing Leherer, he still had to follow Leherer’s orders.

Ok but this was mainly about the blood- transfusion stuff. Like I think Leherer was still considering if Noam turned against him or was still working with him. Just the symbolism that Leherer makes Noam depend on him in so many ways, the amount of codependency he holds Noam in. Like that transfusion was basically “If I die, you die.” Noam NEEDED no one to threaten Leherer’s life because if someone did, Noam was the one who was going down first. It also just showed how much importance Noam had to him. I kind of think of it as a dog and owner kind of relationship— Noam strongly desiring to please Leherer and be the sole recipient of his affection.

I am dying to know how Leherer actually feels about Noam, why does he want Noam under his thumb so bad. The only thing I can think of is his past trauma where he was powerless and constantly tortured. Having extremely powerful kids depend and desire him (Dara and Noam) made him feel in control. He needed control of everything, his lifespan, level IV, Carolinia. I think he wants the people to want him in power because I think it’s a trauma thing. He wants people to submit to him and acknowledge his supremacy and stuff. Also him releasing the virus, I think of it as a way to spite those who hurt him. If everyone’s a witching, then discrimination against them is going to diminish. I feel like it’s an empathy kind of thing, judging from how he reacted to hearing about Texas experimenting on witchings. He probably experienced flashbacks to his childhood or something. Or maybe he just wanted more witchings to subjugate and reaffirm is complex.

I might just be reading into some things wrong, cause it’d also make sense if he didn’t actually care about the experimentation in Texas and just truly wanted a reason to go to war with Texas. Him releasing the virus could just be a spite thing and something to fuel his ego.

Ik I got really off topic but just Leherer is such a well written character and I’m excited to read the book centering him. I like thinking about what he does, how he interacts with people, and his reasoning. God, Victoria was so good at writing a character I truly despise but an amazing villain with a complex story of his own.

Anyways thanks for coming to this hodgepodge of a rant— this is making me want to write an actual character analysis of Leherer. I( didn’t read it over so sorry if nothing makes sense)

[forcedtoland]

oh hey what do you mean it’s almost midnight and i’m crying over the last episodes from the fever king webtoon,, again