#im normal about this book

[digupyourbones]

kira jane buxton: the crow is best friends with the dog.

me, sobbing uncontrollably and generally making everyone uncomfortable:

THE CROW IS BEST FRIENDS WITH THE DOG

[inkclover]

TWO OF THEM!!! 🐏🐐

they are so silly… silly little fellas…!

[1spooky2me]

I’m sorry for all of the toxic old men fan art that is going to come because of this damn book…

[p4nishers]

i cant get over the ball being so CLEARLY all for crowley i can't get over aziraphale trying to woo him with a WHOLE FUCKING BALL because that's what he knows that's what romance IS for him because he's been wanting to dance with crowley ever since dancing was invented and he's so stuck in time with the way he dresses and talks and he still thinks a dance is the high of romance AND HE MADE A WHOLE ENTIRE FUCKING BALL FOR CROWLEY JUST SO HE COULD DANCE WITH HIM like now it's so fucking obvious he gave away his BOOKS without a second thought and it was all for crowley he organised a whole JANE AUSTEN THEME BALL just so he could have an excuse to finally dance with the love of his life and i can't get over this i'm shaking my fists and pacing up and down he did not give a single fuck about anything other than dancing with crowley and HE BARELY TOUCHED OTHER PEOPLE'S HANDS WHILE HIS WHOLE FUCKING PALM WAS PRESSED TO CROWLEY'S AND i need to lie down

[babygirl-but-a-boy]

DC PAY FOR MY FUCKING Therspy bill istg

[al-luviec]

Making a list of Kai / Zane quotes that sound like they're out of a fanfiction.

[huginsmemory]

On ad astra per aspera ✨

Can we talk about the repeated use of ad astra per aspera? Cause uhhhh it shows up twice, once on the website and once in the Book of Bill, and OH BOY this has connotations, both for Bill and Ford's relation in the literal and figurative meaning on the word, and for Bill's own history:

(extra addition added 16/09/2024! 🌝 )

First, in the website (if I recall correctly) if the phrase ad astra per aspera is inputted into the computer, you get the two pages on Bill's 'funeral':

And within, in the pages, at the very end before signing there names is the phrase itself (highlighted in red) .

Secondly, a joke version of it is seen in the Book Of Bill, specifically on the night where Bill and Ford fucked 'one thing led to another':

In this one, it's clearly a joke off of aspirin used for his hangover, used again to close the entry.

Now the phrase ad astra per aspera itself means 'through suffering to the stars', which also has... wider connotations then just these two piece alone, which I'll unpack later. But first, the interesting choice of connection of these two pieces;

Both times the phrases occur, they occur closing the entry; a bit too much of a coincidence to me (and in this fandom there is no such thing as a coincidence). Considering that the 'one thing led to another' night is a night that was important to their relationship as it hints at the intimacy they had with each other, it showing up again in Ford's 'funeral' entry about Bill feels very much like an allusion to that night. Especially considering in the funeral entry Ford is very open about how much he cared about Bill, with how he at one point "considered him the centre of his life". The entry from Ford reads as someone who is moving on, and part of this is acknowledgement of the grief and sadness for the more positive part of the abusive relationship that he lost. As a result, having him acknowledge the intimacy of their relationship, it makes sense for him to tongue in cheek allude back to his first writing down of the phrase, where they were quite clearly implied to fuck be intimate.

While it alludes to their Bill and Ford's intimacy, the literal and metaphorical meaning of the phrase also rings true here; through suffering to the stars. If we talk literally, then through Ford's relationship with Bill, something that ultimately was full of suffering, he built the portal, and ended up wandering the myriad worlds out there in space; one may say out there among the stars. He literally was out there wandering the stars as a result of suffering.

Now metaphorically, the phrase means through suffering/adversity one gains beautiful/worthwhile things. Considering this entry is Ford moving on from Bill, this is very apt; again, their relationship caused Ford immense suffering, and as he is now letting that relationship and suffering go, he's instead prioritizing creating healthy relationships with Stanley, the other twins and Fiddleford (the something beautiful and worthwhile part!). In fact, the entry on Bill's funeral is half on him strengthening his relationship with Mabel, the shooting star, another layer of wordplay; case in point about the healthy relationships. He's weathered through his abusive relationship, to discover and create a loving family.

It doesn't quite end there however; although that's fairly it for specifically Ford and Bill's relationship, we also haven't talked about what the stars mean to Bill himself. Which, well; it's very clearly implied that Bill accidentally killed everyone in his dimension in an attempt to show his parents (and other people in his dimension) the stars. And on top of that, to quote; "I looked up and saw the stars. And I was ready to become one of them". Which he then in a way, becomes, considering the page in journal 3 on constellations, in which Ford remarks that one of his favourite constellations is the constellation 'William' (obviously Bill). It's a bittersweet immortalization of himself after everything that occurs around trying to see the stars for Bill.

So I find it very interesting that for Ford, a phrase about suffering and stars is something he ends up correlating to his relationship with Bill, considering that to Bill, to get to the stars is something he deeply suffered for as a result. It's also important to note that Bill's suffering was something that occurred out of love, and ultimately an attempt to be understood and create a deeper relationship with his parents where they could trust him. And then for Ford, all this while later, to look up to the stars (to see them) and to see the Bill constellation and go 'oh that's one of my favourites' is fulfillment. Because Ford during that time trusted and cared deeply for Bill, fulfilling that relationship of trust, love and understanding(at least surface level, considering the way they banter together), that Bill had yearned for when he was younger and killed his plane.

So all in all(tldr): ad aspera per astra, (through suffering the stars), is quite the fun phrase to unpack in regards to Bill and Ford's relationship, considering the deliberate reference to the phrase on the entry about the night 'where one thing led to another' and Bill's funeral entry. The phrase is a combination of references; tongue in cheek allusion to the intimacy, but also references to the literal (space fugitive) and figurative (abusive relationship, to loving family again pipeline) hardships Ford endured as a result of the relationship. There is also irony in the way that Ford seems to correlate this phrase about suffering and stars with Bill and his relationship, considering that out of an effort to be understood and share the stars with his parents, Bill accidentally killed his whole dimension; later he also made a constellation of himself. As well, as Ford says that one of his favourite constellations is a constellation that's clearly Bill in Journal 3, it alludes to that Bill's wish to show his parents the stars and be recognized is fulfilled by Ford (pre-portal incident that is).

EDIT: extra details added on the constellation piece as of Aug 14 2024 (less than 24 hours after og posting, because I'm deranged). Big thanks to @bowl-o-nudel for the nudge :)

Edit (16/09/2024): I've had a few people say that the saying has appeared in Journal 3 multiple times, and having reread journal 3, to my delight it is indeed correct! And oh the CONTEXT they give. The two instances are those seem below; the first appearance in the title page of Journal 3, and second time is a page from when the twins graduate.

As well as all the parallels of how the phrase is applied for both Bill and Ford, as @zoizyboigy suggested, it seems to be a phrase that Ford takes as his own motto. It seems to be a highly personal motto to him; after all, they all are written around important turning moments in Ford's life; graduating, the journals which where to be his ticket to fame, fucking a triangle finding acceptance and intimacy with Bill , and lastly, moving on in his life from Bill and his destructive obsession with recognition. 

And it makes sense WHY this motto is one that is highly personal to Ford; the first time it is seen chronologically is when he's graduating, chosen when he believes he's going to be accepted into the university. It's a motto he chose because he was excited, because he thought he was already through his suffering and arriving to the stars of his fancy university, where validation and acceptance would abound; only that doesn't happen, and the suffering part within the motto is the only thing that's accurate, especially as that's when he rejects Stan. It's a motto chosen in celebration, that becomes a reminder of the failure to become someone who is accepted and important (and his prioritization of validation over relationships); it's now something he holds that reminds him of the validation he believes he deserves and he obsessively chases. 

And that's why you see it in the journal pages, because these journals are going to change his life, he's going to become finally a person of importance and be accepted with the information he's compiled in the journals. And in the same way, you see it after Bill (and interdimensional being of ancient knowledge) and him are intimate; he's become someone of importance to Bill, he's been accepted by Bill, even attractive to Bill (romance Ford seems to have terrible luck in).

And that's why you see it at the end of Ford's farewell to Bill; it's another turning point, it's Ford letting his obsession with world validation go which characterized it's meaning from the beginning, Ford letting go of his relationship with Bill, which it also came to mean, and instead celebrates his acceptance within his family and the strengthening of those bonds, and of prioritizing healthy, loving relationships.

Ps, if you enjoyed this meta post, I've also made another one, on exceptionalism!

[mmira-d]

new percy jackson new percy jackson new percy jackson

(click for higher quality lol)

[hellenhighwater]

wait, you're a lawyer? for real?

I got an associates in stage tech, a double BFA in Graphic Design and 3D Design, and then went to law school on full academic scholarship, booked twelve classes, fell asleep during the Bar Exam three times (but passed with flying colors before the curve), and the motion for my admission to practice (put forward by my brother, also a lawyer), started, "My sister has many issues, but the one before the Court today is that of her admission to the State Bar of Michigan."

And somehow yes, they do let me practice law.

[atlas-the-idiot-2]

BILLFORD COMMUNITY, WHY AREN'T WE TALKING ABOUT THIS MORE????

[the-ratmans-shiny-rock]

I hate people who legitimately expected rick Riordan to write the tsats book for mature audiences and whine when it obviously wasn't and scream "well he's aware that he has a lot of adult fans so he should accommodate us" LIKE?? NO??? THATS NOT HOW IT WORKS???

YES, Rick Riordan IS aware you exist but you are no longer his target audience. You can appreciate the book as an adult for being great literature but if you're looking for a mature book THEN GO READ A FUCKING BIG BOY BOOK??

There's plenty of great YA fantasy out there.

Rick isn't going to stop writing books for middle schoolers just because you feel entitled to it?? That's not how it fucking works???

[chilledstrawberrysoda]

Say it with me kids

Andrew never thought he was hallucinating Neil

"you were supposed to be a side effect of the drugs"

His FEELINGS for Neil were supposed to be the side effect that would disappear once he was sober.

"I'm not a hallucination"

Andrew never thought he was, Neil misinterpreting this because Andrew speaks in riddles half the time is acceptable since he canonically has to have everything spelled out for him when it pertains to people's feelings toward him. I.e. being called a friend, thinking Andrew will choose Aaron over him, etc.

"you are a pipe dream"

This is both Andrew correcting Neil and a statement about his feelings toward Neil. A pipe dream is defined as an unrealistic and unattainable goal or an impossible hope. This sentence is as close to a confession of feelings as we get from Andrew. He WANTS.

This is the same scene, mind you, where Andrew says he hates Neil. And that's relevant because in order to hate something you have to care. This entire exchange happens in response to Neil expressing his desire to protect Andrew. When was the last time someone wanted to protect Andrew at their own expense? Insisted that Andrew was important?

"if it means losing you, then no"

Andrew knows Neil is real and here and he Wants him but Andrew is not delusional and knows that wanting things is pointless and only leads to pain.

"you are a pipe dream"

As much as this is a confession, it is also Andrew denying himself what he wants by declaring it impossible. Why hope for something when it's impossible anyway? When Neil finally finds out about Andrew's attraction to him he's shocked.

"you never said anything"

Why would he say anything to Neil or proposition him if it's impossible? Neil has said he doesn't swing and Andrew does not Want.

"nothing will come of it"

Andrew will not ask for something when he knows the answer is no. He's through being disappointed.

"I am self-destructive, not stupid"

For someone self destructive, this sure is an act of self preservation. Andrew won't pursue something pointless. He would rather pine and wait for it to pass than subject himself to trying to hold on to something he cares about. Not again. Never again.

"I know better"

[mosslingg]

doodles

[one-vivid-judgment]

The Buddy Bingo is the best addition to the series cause some of this information is just ??? 

• Saeko has 8 different apps on her phone to pay at stores

• Zhao has 20 pairs of the same glasses

• Seonhee cooks gyoza for everyone at the Geomijul pretty much every day

• Tomizawa's favorite food is MOVIE THEATER HOT DOGS

• Seonhee is lowkey an astrology girlie

• Joongi goes fucking nuts renting DVDs (Thank you Seonhee, very cool) 

• Zhao is into gacha and a fucking whale to boot

• Nanba fought A FUCKING RACOON

• Tomi wants to run a café and go on a roadtrip with his friends and I think that shit is adorable

• Zhao wants to contact aliens

• Saeko works out lifting an 8 kilos pot

• Adachi's special skill is preparing the shogi board

• Chitose can dance. Saeko can't. Insert something sapphic

• Adachi learned flower language and how to surf to get laid

[skyiiskyii]

gravity falls coming back has ripped me out of my shell hello..... have billy... being silly.....

[lemondoddle]

i'm so normal about bill's hateful poem about stan

someone who screwed up and screwed over his family but was able to be redeemed, to be loved again, to be given a another chance.

bill sees himself in stan,

but there will be no chance at a family reunion for bill.