#in the books she hates her powers!!!!! she hates herself!!! she thinks she's a monster!!!! in the movie she doesn't give a fuck

[rubybaely]

rewatched the darkest minds movie and rereading the book and i think that

a) movie still sucks but

b) i don't think they ever could have made a faithful and interesting movie bc so much of what makes the book and ruby compelling is her internal dialogue and her mental development and it's just so hard to translate to the screen in any way

(though the movie didn't seem to care abt giving ruby any development at all, even if they had tried it wouldn't have hit as hard as the book imo)

[spacerockfloater]

Me watching Feyre convince herself that Tamlin is a disgusting monster who only used her to get his power back and then stopped caring for her the moment she became his because he was some selfish lunatic who wanted to keep her as his useless plaything the more time she spends with Rhysand and his Inner Court:

Tamlin. The guy who helped her family even if he only needed Feyre. The guy who had to watch the love of his life die screaming in pain as Amarantha broke every bone in her body. The guy who crawled in front of Amarantha and begged her to spare her while his own blood drowned him. The guy who slept at Feyre’s feet each night out of paranoia that something would happen to her, not him. The guy who let Feyre roam his court and help whomever she wants until she found out that these people had their own healing to do and the help they actually needed, looking up to someone, was not something she wanted to offer. The guy who had to watch her reject him publicly by hesitating at the altar and never even mentioned it because he didn’t want to embarrass or upset her. The guy who had to watch her get abducted every month by his nemesis, a known masochist. The guy who waited and gave her space. The guy who was searching for a way to break the bond all of these months even though she furiously blamed him that he was not doing enough to cancel her bargain with Rhys, a bargain she willingly made and was responsible for. The guy who was willing to let her go even if it meant condemning an entire world. The guy who launched himself at Hybern to save her sisters.

And he’s crazy because he wanted to keep her safe in their fucking palace for one evening?

Reading Feyre’s narrative after she started hanging out with the people of the Night Court made my skin crawl. I kept gripping the book furiously and mentally telling her “Wait, that’s not what fucking happened” every time she spoke about Tamlin. It was horrifying because this is exactly what I always imagined people who abandon you do: leave you and then tell people their own, made up version of events.

Watching her stop speaking about him with love and slowly paint him as her tormentor was like watching a train wreck you couldn’t prevent:

- I love Tamlin and he loves me and we have sacrificed so much for one another.

- I love Tamlin and both of us are dealing with a lot right now, but we’re trying and we’ll make it.

- Tamlin loved me and he made some wrong decisions but I still feel like I’m cheating on him.

- Tamlin’s actions were wrong and I hope we’ll sort things out once we all calm down.

- Tamlin gave me everything but he still made some wrong decisions.

- Tamlin really cared for me but I don’t need what he has to offer me anymore.

- Tamlin was right about my safety after all but I have decided I don’t care and don’t forgive him.

- Tamlin only wanted me because I was useful and then stopped caring for me.

- Tamlin is a selfish prick who used me and then tossed me aside and wanted me to be his stupid ignorant pet and he didn’t give a fuck about me and I hate him and want him to die.

Feyre. Feyre. FEYRE. Wake up. None of this is true. You’re spiralling and you’re blaming him for every little thing he ever did that slightly inconvenienced you while you forgive and justify each and every one of Rhysand’s horrendous crimes against you, all of his countless lies, all of his manipulation.

I think she just never loved Tamlin and that’s why it was easier to hate him.

[yazthebookish]

I avoid talking about the other ship specifically but I feel like letting my thoughts out on some arguments I see sometimes. Not that I have any interest in engaging in any discourse with the other side but it's my page so I can post whatever I feel like posting.

"Gwyn's purpose in the bonus chapter is to hint at her Lightsinger powers"

Okay, so you think one of the most important points about the bonus chapter is to prove Gwyn has luring powers so my question is what are the implications of that? Her drawing Azriel away from Elain? Azriel and Elain exposing her true powers in front of everyone to reveal she is the reason she's been keeping them apart? She is being manipulated by Merrill and Koschei? She has powers she's using unknowingly and can't control them so she'll need Az and Elain to help her?

You're setting up Gwyn to be prominent in an Azriel/Elain book because of her powers, so will they spend time dealing with other plotlines or mainly focus on Gwyn? Because that kind of thing definitely needs resolution since it directly impacts Nesta and the Valkyries dynamic.

So do Azriel and Elain's fantastic romance needs another female character to be used as a scapegoat to pin all their issues on her because the bonus chapter wasn't a good look on them? Or simply because his scene with Gwyn and with Clotho ended on a hopeful note than his scenes with Elain and Rhysand?

Gwyn is an irrelevant character and serves Nesta's story only.

But your argument is she has luring powers and is using them on Azriel, so will that go unaddressed? Then why would SJM throw hints about her powers if it won't mean anything?

Gwyn was used just as a marketing ploy in the bonus chapter.

She's considered a new character and no one knew she was in Azriel's bonus chapter and the bonus chapter was strictly advertised to be focused on Azriel, please be serious.

The bonus chapter is irrelevant.

The author confirmed she planted things in it specifically and in ACOSF in relation to Azriel so I would disagree. The great "forbidden romance" trope wouldn't exist without it and Azriel and Elain spoke to each other more in the bonus chapter than they ever did in the main book, I can pin-point the scene where they speak to each other only ONCE in a 800+ page book and it was about Nesta dancing with the Duke.

Gwyn has powers.

She's Fae of course she has powers but why is the immediate assumption that her powers are nefarious? She didn't harm any character and there was zero hints of her having any bad intentions towards anyone. She deals with survivor's guilt and her trauma, but she had many opportunities to let that evil secret side show but it never did. Why? Because she's obviously not set up to be an evil character or even one with questionable intentions. This is the same character who was ready to sacrifice herself to save her friends and stood by Nesta to face hateful males who wanted to k*ll them.

She's a Lightsinger.

Pretty easy to debunk because there is no correlation based on what we know and we never even see any Lightsingers. Even if she happens to be one, I believe it'll play out way differently than what some people try to push. And come on, Lightsinger and Shadowsinger? You think SJM wouldn't go for that dynamic? But for now I disagree with it since canon tells us they're monsters who k*ll for sport and Gwyn does none of that. Even if she had other different powers that are not wholly good, it's not a point of concern because many characters have questionable powers that did not erase the fact that they were good characters. It's like people never read fantasy books with characters who had dark powers but it didn't corrupt them, for some reason there's an insistence that Gwyn already caused harm despite the serious implications of having a character who is SA victim portrayed as someone luring other people against their will.

Azriel ended up at the library because Gwyn was singing during the service.

1. Clotho is seen at the service, so her being at her desk when Azriel shows up at the library is a good hint that the services didn't start yet.

2. For a singing power to work, the victim should be able to hear the singing and Azriel made no note of any singing at the library.

3. The image he sees of Gwyn's joy didn't pop up randomly, it was triggered by Clotho after she thanks him for the joy the gift will bring her and tells him that Gwyn deserves something as beautiful as this.

The shadows stay around him because they sense a threat but she's luring them.

How is she luring them when she's not even singing if it's been established that her singing has powers? Also, that statement contradicts what's in the text because the shadows were curious at start of the scene and by the end they were described to have calmed and were content to watch Gwyn. In ACOSF, they were seen dancing around Az when Gwyn addresses him.

Nesta reacted to Gwyn's singing the same way Azriel did.

Context matters and a lot of arguments that support this statement are always taken out of context. Nesta loves music so if she is going to admire Gwyn's beautiful voice, it'll be simply for that and nothing more.

There is no way to 100% pin point what caused Nesta to have visions of the Prison during the services but it doesn't only have to be Gwyn's singing but also the lyrics which were found under Level Seven and are written in an ancient language. When Nesta gets the vision she says she can visualize what the song spoke of, meaning the song itself could be talking about story of the Prison/Land of Dusk.

"But Azriel's shadows reacted to her singing"

— "How was the party?" Her breath curled in front of her mouth, and one of his shadows darted out to dance with it before twirling back to him. Like it heard some silent music.

Silent music, not singing. Not song. Just like how Hunt mentioned hearing some beautiful music between his and Bryce's souls. Just like how Nesta and Cassian when they consummated their bond heard the music between their souls. Strong sign of Mateism friends.

"But Azriel still heard a beautiful singing, not just music."

— Azriel entered the warmth of the stairwell, and as he descended, he could have sworn a faint, beautiful singing followed him. Could have sworn his shadows sang in answer.

Could she be singing? Maybe though unlikely since she returned to training to cut the ribbon right after he left. If she did, maybe the shadows like her voice? Maybe that's a sign they're fond of her? And if it's not maybe that's another sign that the singing they're hearing is the mating bond, which was once described as the Song of the Soul.

The Shadows having a reaction to singing isn't necessarily a bad sign, we saw them dance to Azriel's humming in HOFAS.

Gwyn returned to the library, her story is over.

I have to assume you haven't read ACOSF or skimmed it if that's the conclusion you came to, because there were clear signs that not only Gwyn but Emerie have ongoing journeys and they will leave where they are right now to see the world outside. Gwyn literally states at around the 70%-80% mark that she's sick of staying in the library for two years and wants to leave. She returned to the library because that's her current residence and where she works, it's not like she'll immediately move out right after facing the Blood Rite. This is one argument I can't take seriously because it clearly contradicts what canon points out and I think it's mostly out of convenience to invalidate any discussions about her healing journey and incomplete arc.

Casual readers don't even ship Azriel and Gwyn and have no knowledge about the bonus chapter

A lot of casual readers do in fact see a potential in Azriel and Gwyn as a romantic pairing because they have canon interactions in ACOSF. Plenty of readers shipped them even before they read the bonus chapter. Casual readers are dismissed when they address that and are claimed to be hardcore shippers that hate Elain when it's not the case since they just point out what they think is the obvious in the book to them. Every casual reader will have a different opinion but for some reason if theirs is not in favor of Elain and Azriel, they'll be dismissed so that says much.

Just a hot take that I wanted to put out there since I'll be avoiding fandom discourse moving on (unless I feel like it Lol).

[punkeropercyjackson]

Transfem Percy Jackson is a hilarious ass headcanon not because of 'huehuehue men being called women is so funni!!' transmisogyny bullshit but because it was completely untentional coding yet it's so instrinctly built into her writing that it becomes funny

Percy's always like 'Sigh.....I wish i didn't have to be a stereotypical guy but i guess i have to be to fit in......Anyway time to never actually try to act like one'.She's canonically described by the unlabeled butch and first gay boy as 'not their type' because she's not masc looking/presenting enough for her and isn't the ideal man he thought she was.The book where she officially becomes a teenager by virtue of being 13 in it introduces The Hunters of Artemis,an archaic mythological group who were a metaphor for lesbians and confirmed in-universe to accept trans girls,and a major plot point is her proving herself to be extremely different from the men they've known before along with the death of the aformentioned gay boy's older sister who she becomes an older sibling figure and pseudo-parent to and she acted the same towards said sister AND it also had her being jealous of a punk girl because she wanted to be treated and seen as same as her.She said her female love interest has princess hair when she first saw her and then it turns out Percy's dad is the king of Atlantis and told her 'The sea does not like to be restrained' and he's the same guy who found out one of his crush's was transmasc so he gave him a male body with his god powers

Her first girlfriend was a bombshell redhead weirdgirl who's obsessed with art and is an activist despite being only in high school and she was in love with her because she made her feel normal and because they could be completely honest with eachother.Her male best friend is a Team Dad like how she's a Team Mom and who's werewolf-adjacent and the walking embodiment of positive and healthy masculinity and her idea of calling him hot was to compare him to Superman and he worships the ground she walks on and they're 'two sides of the same coin' narratively.This one's not funny but her biggest villain was that older creepy guy who pretended to be her friend at her summer camp when she was 12 only to turn out to have been using her and he spends up until his death stalking her and acting entitled to her attention and he's also a canon pedophile who's meant to be an illustration of how 'hot older men' who go after younger people are in fact just losers and child abusers that use conventional attractiveness and practiced charming abilities to their advantage to hide what monsters they are so they can deny it to themselves too

She's surroended by literal male sex gods but hates all of them,Persephone favors her over other demigods,Artemis fw's her and the last book of the og series is her befriending the first ever eldest daughter in Hestia.The second book of the sequel has a SECOND instance where Percy gets an all girl mythos group plotline in the Amazons who she ALSO proves herself to.These are all literally canon,i am NOT joking guys.She deserves a blue estrogen burger and she/sea themed pronouns fries i think

[tragicbeauty1991]

So I know I’m extremely late to the party, but I FINALLY got around to watching Wish now that it’s up on Disney+ and…I genuinely don’t understand why it got so much hate?? Sure, maybe it wasn’t on par with things like The Lion King or Frozen in terms of the lasting effect it’ll have on pop culture but it was still a good, fun film with original characters and plot and catchy songs. While I can see where some of the complaints are coming from, I feel like ultimately most of them blow the issues out of proportion. As for my personal thoughts on the film…

- The songs were good overall. Maybe not as memorable as some of my favorite ‘90s Disney jams, but topping Phil Collins and Elton John is admittedly hard to do. Ariana DeBose and Chris Pine were great, though. I honestly had no idea Chris Pine could sing so well. “At All Costs” was by far my favorite song of the entire film. I would have loved to see it as a love duet rather than singing to the wishes but regardless, it’s beautiful. “This is the Thanks I Get” got a lot of flak, but honestly, I thought it was catchy and fun—rather reminiscent of Gaston’s pub song about himself.

- Speaking of Magnifico… More backstory, please! I would love for a sequel to do what they did with Frozen and explain all the things that were not fully developed in the first film. I want to know details on what happened to Magnifico’s family… But man, oh man… Was I EVER happy to get a “real villain” again with more of a classic Disney feel—dramatic, over the top, a little unhinged…and just FUN. I think the reason so many people seem to be having a problem with him is that they don’t quite know how to categorize him, though, before his ultimate downward spiral after being possessed by the book. (I think after that point, no one would argue about him being a villain.) But before…while he’s definitely narcissistic and has a temper…he’s not straight-up evil. There’s a big difference in being a bit of a jerk and being someone who makes you legitimately fear for your life. In fact, we have several heroic characters in the Disney canon who at least start out their story in a similar vein. Prince Naveen, Peter Pan, and Emperor Kuzco, for example, are all full of themselves and entitled…but they ultimately choose to do the right thing when it comes down to people they care about. That is to say, Magnifico’s less than ideal character traits we see early on in the film shouldn’t automatically qualify him as a villain. He could frankly go either way. And then when he does “go dark” it’s ONE stupid decision on his part (going for the book) that ruins any chance he had of being like the aforementioned characters. Personally, I like the complexity…and the tragedy of what it means for Queen Amaya. Which reminds me…

- Yes, a villain power couple would have been fun. But honestly, I think I like this better. Partly because of the angst potential here. For all his faults, Amaya DOES genuinely love him, and watching him slowly lose his mind and himself to the power-hungry monster he becomes has to be absolutely heartbreaking for her. Also…maybe it’s just because I identify with Amaya here. I have been in a bad relationship where I did truly love the other person and thought they loved me…but ultimately, they seemed to love themselves more. And I made excuse after excuse for his behavior for a long time because I couldn’t see what he was doing to me…didn’t want to see it…because I loved him. People say Amaya had to have known sooner that something rotten was going on but I don’t know that she ever allowed herself to think anything other than the best of him. Amaya has a good heart…and sometimes those people see the best in others even when it isn’t there. What I really would have loved is to have Amaya and Magnifico sing a short reprise of “At All Costs” in which Amaya is asking, “Really? You’ll hoard all these wishes for your own selfish reasons even at the cost of losing your people’s love? Of losing me?” And Magnifico is just…stoically resolute. That would have hurt but it would have been so good!

- Similarly, I don’t get the complaint about Star. I wouldn’t mind seeing Star Boy like he was in the concept art and having a romance with Asha. But also…Star is ADORABLE, okay?? He may not speak but he has so much personality. Makes me think of like…Pascal in Tangled or even Tinkerbell.

- I know a lot of people complained about there being too many references to other Disney films but this just seems like a silly argument to me. Disney has always liked to leave little Easter eggs in their films and have some fun with crossovers. I am thinking of the Genie imitating Pinocchio and pulling Sebastian out of nowhere in Aladdin. Hidden characters in the background of other films like Flynn and Rapunzel showing up in Arendelle. Hidden Mickeys. And of course shows that were all about a Disney multi-verse that sort of pokes fun at itself like Once Upon a Time, House of Mouse, and even Ralph Breaks the Internet. With this being a special anniversary film, of course we ought to expect more nods to other films and Disney animation history. I thought it was cute. Especially Magnifico’s jab at Asha’s little moving drawing. (“Is that a talent?”) Made me literally laugh out loud.

- I think the one complaint I do agree with at least in part is the, “But Magnifico was right, though??” Some dreams shouldn’t come true. Especially if it’s a wish you’re making when you’re 18. There are definitely things I wished for at 18 that I am glad I did not get in hindsight. Sometimes what we wish for isn’t what’s best for us or others. And while Asha’s wishes are selfless and for others…she seems to assume that everyone else will also have equally harmless, selfless wishes. It’s sweet but perhaps a bit naive. Also…Asha has good intentions but it is rather funny and frustrating as the adult to watch this teenager come in and try to upset the whole system thinking she knows better than the person who has been running the kingdom for years. That said… Asha isn’t totally wrong either. The wishes do ultimately belong to the people who made them and it’s better even if it’s painful to have a dream in your heart than to be lacking purpose. It may be easier to forget the wishes entirely but certainly not healthier. Ironically, if only these two could have worked together, they actually would have made a great team.

Overall, I liked the film. And I think if I was still a child myself, I would have enjoyed it even more.

[solverse]

A carol for the souls. (iii)

Quo; Give a character a song. (SAGAU)

Characters; Amber, Nilou, Diluc and Candace.

Notes; The previous two were kinda angsty in nature so I thought this one would be a good change! Also, thank you for all the support, I didn't think anyone would enjoy this series but I was proven wrong. So I hope you enjoy this light-hearted one!

Dics; This is not a character study whatsoever. Just a little self-indulgent.

| (i) | | (ii) |

Carly Rae Jepsen – I Really Like You

Candace huffed, holding up her shield as it thumped with Hydro energy before a burst of flame flew over her, sending the barrage of monsters shredded in Pyro.

She jumped back as a different wave of Hydro slammed into the monsters. Candace heard the slight sharpness of wind and ducked as a Pyro-infused arrow attacked a poor Rifthound who became the (un)fortunate victim. 

With another rain burst of Pyro, the enemies were burnt to a crisp, crumbling in a spectacle of ashes. Candace’s Hydro shield retreated into its normal form as she relaxed. With the battle coming to an end, she quickly made her way to the others, ready to check up on them.

“ Is everyone alright? “ She questioned, worries evident all over her face. Candace was the Shield of the team, which meant that it was her responsibility to negate all attacks towards her so the rest of her teammates wouldn’t have to suffer the damage. She was more than strong enough to handle such a thing, so the prospect of her friends getting injured was something she feared immensely.

But fortunately, all of her teammates were healthy and fine. Diluc brandished his claymore, a new gift he had gotten from the Guide, which anyone could tell he really liked, no matter how much he denied it. 

He nodded, “ All of us are fine. There is no need to worry. “ he said casually, which can come off as cold but from what Candace heard of his tone, it was anything but that. Amber bounced a little, a bright smile on her face. “ Diluc is right, Candace. We all are fine, you did a good job shielding us! “ she chastised and Nilou nodded in agreement.

Candace exhaled once she heard their words, deflating in relief over the situation. Despite her laps of judgement, Candace was grateful that their Spiral Abyss rotation went smoothly. She got quite worried when she saw the lineup of monsters during the briefing, as well as her incoming doubt about fulfilling her role.

But they somehow got through it just fine, which was a green light in Candace’s book. She would have hated it if anybody got hurt terribly. Although she doubted the Guide would let that happen, since they were really careful when it came to the Spiral Abyss. She also hoped that the next team wouldn’t have much of a problem. 

Candace blinked before she felt a sudden, powerful tugging her down. A second later, she found herself and her teammates at Windrise of Monstadt. She shook her head, sighing at the weird prospect of teleporting. Amber blanched for a moment, she was looking a little pale at first until she shuddered, some colours returning to her face. 

Diluc raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms, “ Are you not used to that? “

Amber shook her head furiously, looking scandalised by Diluc’s question. She coughed and flicked her wrist, “ No, it’s just- it happens when I don’t expect the sudden teleportation. Usually, I’m fine. “ she explained, eyebrows furrowed as she calmed herself down. Diluc nodded at the explanation and didn't prod further.

The four of them took the moment to rest, letting the breeze of wind fill their lungs and spirit, basking in the soothing warmth of the sun that healed them. Candace closed her eyes and let her senses travel through the space that is Tevyat. Monstadt was different from Sumeru in a multitude of (obvious) ways, one being their seasons. 

The desert had always been a part of Candace's life, from her childhood to now. It was a home to her, especially Aaru Village, the one place she held dear to her heart and protected with every fiber of her being. But as much as she loved the desert, sometimes Candace likes to take in the atmosphere of different regions, particularly one like Monstadt. 

She figured she could see why it was called the Nation of Freedom. 

Diluc breathed in the cool air of Windrise, sensing the subtle wave of elemental energy from the tree. Windrise had always been the area that was abundant with elemental energy, making it an ideal spot to rest for vision users. But Windrise's energy was dense enough that even a normal person could subtly feel it. 

The energy does wonders for Diluc, who had just finished fighting the Spiral Abyss. He had been a little excited when he was chosen to enter the Spiral Abyss, his Pyro vision glimmering in an intense red at the prospect of beating up something. His hatred for the Abyss Order had always been clear as the sky and the chance to have the front seat to destroy them was amazing. 

Diluc was slowly dragged away from his thoughts when he noticed the sudden silence of his surroundings. He was immediately alerted, body tensing which his vigilant red eyes observed. And yet, there was no danger in sight. 

Amber jerked out of her thoughts, alarmed at the sudden loss of ambient noise. She had been subtly humming to the music in the background before it suddenly disappeared. She locked eyes with Candace and Nilou, the latter looking nervous while the former was worried. 

That was until a foreign noise entered, loud and hasty. Amber winced at the action, covering her ears slightly. Diluc steeled himself as he listened to the bizarre music that had started playing.

It was unlike anything he had heard. It was not soothing or melodic like those he heard from the bards. Nilou also couldn't pinpoint was this bizarre music was. It was most definitely not Sumeru's as the intensity of the song is unlike any other. 

The four of them were all confused until–

I really wanna stop, but I just got the taste for it,

I feel like I could fly with the boy on the moon,

All four were startled at that. Their first thoughts were, what. Diluc couldn't comprehend what he was hearing or how he was hearing this. Was this one of the Guide's powers? 

So, honey, hold my hand, you like making me wait for it,

I feel like I could die walking up to the room, oh yeah,

Amber let out a confused sound from her throat, coughing indignantly while Nilou patted her back in concern. The two girls tried to catch their breath, wondering what this was all about. Candace furrowed her eyebrows, mind trailing off to different thoughts but none of them quite answered her questions. 

Late night, watching television

But how'd we get in this position?

It's way too soon, I know this isn't love

But I need to tell you something

Amber coughed again, mind reeling as she tried to automatically decipher the meaning of those words. She couldn't understand a part of it but Amber rubbed her neck as she felt the sudden arrival of heat traveling up her face. Archons, she couldn't stop herself from assuming what this music was about. 

Nilou only let out a curious hum as she listened to the woman singing the song. She knew the lyrics meant something, as the tone seemed to cater to the romance aspect, which made her face heat up at the thought of that. Was the Guide telling her something? Oh Lord Kusanali, was she even supposed to hear this?! 

Diluc on the other hand could not understand the meanings behind these words (yet). His eyebrows were slightly downturned, no doubt trying his best to decipher this… music. He couldn't help but be suspicious of such an occurrence. What is that Guide doing?

Candace listened with a thoughtful mind, opening herself to the interpretation of the foreign song. It was unlike anything that she had heard, both the music and the lyrics. The latter being a rare thing in Sumeru, songs with meaningful lyrics were a rarity on their own. She wondered what this was about–

I really, really, really, really, really, really like you

And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?

–Oh. 

Oh. 

I really, really, really, really, really, really like you

And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?

Amber almost choked, Nilou shrieked, Diluc froze and Candace blinked. The variety of reactions was entertaining, so to say, while all of them continued to hear the song repeatedly saying that I really, really, really, really, like you. That got a rise out of all of them. 

W-w-w-what?! Amber shrieked internally, covering her face in embarrassment and shyness due to the lyrics. Nilou shared the same sentiment, cradling her face, which was as red as her hair now. She could almost feel smoke coming out of her head. 

Diluc, honestly, didn't know how to react. He stood there, frozen in time as his brain tried to process the words that were told to him. His waves of thought crashed apart immediately after hearing the word I really like you. He couldn't explain anything going on inside his head. 

Candace was more calm, albeit slightly surprised at the sudden declaration she never saw coming. It was a little surreal at the moment before she couldn't stop the smile stretching across her face. It's not every day you get the Guide confessing they like you. 

Oh, did I say too much?

I'm so in my head

When we're out of touch

Nilou wanted to agree with the first line more than anything. Her poor heart! She had never foreseen this kind of scenario, where someone would just suddenly declare that they like her.

It's a little shocking, especially in the form of a song! But she couldn't help but also think it was a bit romantic. She was really wondering what the Guide was trying to tell her. 

Yes, yes, yes! That was too much! You should have given me a warning! My poor heart! Amber silently lamented her fate while trying her best to cover her red beet face, which was redder than her entire outfit.

Amber really couldn't keep calm, what does it mean by out of touch?! Was the Guide saying that they liked her so much, they couldn't handle it anymore? Oh no, my poor heart! 

I really, really, really, really, really, really like you

And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?

Diluc finally snapped out of his trance, clearing his throat as a distraction from the song that was telling him things he would have never heard from the average person. He pinched the bridge of his nose, gosh, Diluc was really speechless. 

Candace placed her hands behind her, silently enjoying the tune of the song. It was unlike anything she heard but definitely a welcomed one. It wasn't every day you heard someone say they liked you so much it turned into a song. She smiled, exhaling in contentment. 

It's like everything you say is a sweet revelation

All I wanna do is get into your head

Yeah, we could stay alone, you and me in this temptation

Sipping on your lips, hanging on by thread, baby

Amber really couldn't believe it was possible for someone to feel this giddy-embarrassed-shy– just- just all in one! If she didn't get the meaning well into the start of the song, oh she sure does now. And Amber couldn't help but squeal internally, clutching her chest because it felt like it was about to burst. 

Diluc well by now could already see where this song was heading into. It wasn't a song quite particular for him as he found it a tad bit lousy, but he couldn't deny that it didn't bake some kind of… feeling in him. It was weird, to say the least, Diluc wasn't one to enjoy romance but it wasn't entirely bad. 

Late night watching television

But how we get in this position?

It's way too soon, I know this isn't love

But I need to tell you something

Nilou was pretty sure she had gotten a dozen heart attacks in the past few minutes. If it wasn't the startling music, it was surely the going onslaught of confessions towards her. Sure, she might be stretching this way too far, but no one can blame her poor maiden heart when this happened. Cut her some slack!

Candace, of course, was entirely unfazed. Although she could admit there was a sense of bashfulness growing up the lump in her throat. As the song went on, Candace couldn't help but feel the slight increase of heat at her neck. Oh, good lord. Candace let out a mirthful chuckle, heterochromia's eyes beaming with amusement. 

I really, really, really, really, really, really like you

And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?

Diluc covered his mouth, face somehow relaxed at the connotation. Even with his admission, Diluc couldn't help but tap his finger against his forearm, following the cheerful beat of the song. It felt surreal to hear this kind of music but Diluc doesn't really mind it. It wasn't bad. Not at all. 

It… might feel a little nice. Nice to hear that someone likes you and wasn't afraid to show such a thing. It might come off as annoying to others but sometimes it was nice to know that someone genuinely likes you. Although Diluc wasn't sure what the Guide was trying to tell him with this. 

I really, really, really, really, really, really like you

And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?

Someone might need to call Barbara before Amber faints. The Outrider still couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. The foreign song that boldly confided their feelings for her was atrocious for her heart. Sure, she knew it was a song! But it was a confession song! Maybe it is, maybe it's not– BUT! It still doesn't take away from the fact that it is such a sweet song. 

It was so sweet that Amber felt like her teeth might rot from all this sweetness. Really, what was the Guide trying to tell her? 

Oh, did I say too much?

I'm so in my head, when we're out of touch

I really really really really really really like you

And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?

Oh, Nilou was going to combust because of all of these words. Her face was already as red as her hair and steam was rising from her head, which should be humanly impossible. And yet the giddiness filling her up was unbearable. She hadn't felt this way in such a long time and she didn't know why! 

This whole song had her taken aback. This was her first time hearing such music, lyrics, voice, and meanings. It was unbelievable.

Who gave you eyes like that?

Said you could keep them

I don't know how to act

Or if I should be leaving

Candace jerked out of her thoughts, eyes wide when she heard those words. She blinked a few times, subtly identifying the weird sensation in her chest. It made her body tingle, in a good way. It filled her chest with a warmth that she hadn't felt before. 

Candace had never questioned her appearance, especially not her eyes. Why would she? Her heterochromia eyes were unique, she knew that. But they also symbolized the existence of her bloodline, her ancestors who became the Guardians of Aaru Village. But Candace could acknowledge how it might be a foreign sight. 

And yet, hearing the fact that the Guide thought her eyes were beautiful, opened a new gate of appreciation from Candace. 

I'm running out of time

Going out of my mind

I need to tell you something

Yeah, I need to tell you something, yeah!

 

Amber was screaming internally. She felt like she had won the best lottery in the world. Nilou covered her face, which was beet red. She raised a fist, celebrating cheerfully on the fact that the Guide likes her. 

Diluc cleared his throat, ignoring the rise of heat to his face. He kept his gaze straight but the corner of his mouth was twitching. Candace smiled gracefully, warmth filling her chest while she relished. Her Hydro glowed and pulsed a beautiful dark blue, affected by her glee. 

I really, really, really, really, really, really like you

And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?

I, really, really, really, really like you

And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?

Yes, yes, yes! I like you too! Amber cheered, feeling the threat of her heart trying to burst out of her chest. She was being filled with so much happiness, so much glee from such a simple song. No! This was no simple song, this was a confession song! And for Barbatos' sake, Amber had never experienced a confession before. Let her be!

Nilou on the other hand, had experienced many confessions. Especially when she danced in front of the Akademiya as an act of distraction as well as a rebellion against the abolishment of Art. But this, this was different. The amount of sincerity and dedication to make a song for a simple confession was enough to win her over. I like you too!

Oh, did I say too much?

I'm so in my head, when we're out of touch

I really really really really really really like you

And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?

Diluc coughed, trying to distract himself from the onslaught of confession towards him. Sure, he was not alone but the song itself was conflicting. It was pouring some kind of sweetness into Diluc, one that he wasn't denying. It was nice, a nice and refreshing feeling. Maybe Diluc could do something to, acquire, this song. Maybe the Guide would let him. 

Yeah! (I really, really, really, really, really, really like you)

(And I want you, do you want me)

Yeah I need to tell you something

(Do you want me, too??)

Candace couldn't help the stretch of her smile, to the point that her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. She chuckled, voice airy and filled with so much happiness. She didn't even know someone could feel this much love from such a simple confession.

I like you. Few words but it held so much weight. Especially with such earnestness, it's bound to make someone feel good. She shook her head in amusement. Never change, never change, Guide. 

I really, really, really, really, really, really like you

And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?

The song ended on a soft note, a contrast to its explosive start that had all of them startled. The deafening silence that followed after that was funny to say, especially to Candace who silently laughed at the expression of her teammates. 

Then–

“ What? No! You can't just leave after– after– after all of that! Hey, come back! ” Amber fumed in embarrassment. Her face was as red as her aesthetic. Diluc shook his head in exasperation, Nilou shrieked and Candace finally laughed.

( Candace swore she heard an echoing, ambient laugh. )

–

[lemon-natalia]

Gideon the Ninth Reaction - Chapter 27

‘pure humbuggery’ sound the alarm bells, palamedes is using british-isms, in this book thats a sure sign someone’s gonna die

ooohh it literally only just occurred to me as Harrow was talking about ‘lyctoral power’ that its very likely all of the facility stuff, the key challenges themselves etc. were probaly all set up by previous Lyctors 🤦

i mean given the one clue they were given was about locked doors, Harrow’s whole ‘secret door’ theory actually makes a lot of sense

i won’t lie, i still don’t really understand all of the thanergy stuff, so the beginning of this chapter was a little hard to parse. i don't think its because of bad writing or anything, i'm just not really into magic systems or understanding how they work honestly

i mean the five deadlocks on the door make some sense, but given Jeannemary got killed in a sealed room unfortunately i doubt they’re gonna do the Sixth much good now

ok someone, possibly the same someone involved with the constructs is actively trying to stop them from accessing another door. the question is whether it’s another member of the Houses wanting to prevent competition, or something that only just occurred to me is that some outside/other force is trying to stop all of them. which given the fact that the big amalgamate monster things were made by someone apparently very necromantically powerful … are the lyctors somehow involved in all of the deaths? maybe they don’t want to give up their positions, we only have the emperor’s word for it that they do after all

listen i don't think this is actually the case, its against the singular rule and there's probably some kind of magic stopping it, but it would be funny if someone just like, picked the lock on any of these doors. just speed-run the entire thing without any necromancy

wow Palamedes isn’t wrong the both of them are getting wayyy too comfortable using the whole energy transfer thing 

i’m not so sure coronabeth is the one to really watch out for - she seems more confident/outgoing than ianthe, but ianthe is clearly comfortable keeping things from her 

aaaand things are really kicking off between Harrow and Gideon. there’s unresolved issues for days here, it was only really a matter of time before their tentative alliance started disintegrating honestly

there’s a Lot to unpack here about their fight… on one hand, Harrow is clearly a lot more jealous than she wants to admit and making a real dick move to keep Gideon away from Dulcinea, no matter how far they’ve come Harrow still seems to be in that mindset of being in control of/feeling superior to Gideon as she was back on the Ninth. 

but on the other hand, Gideon is very clearly projecting her own feelings of guilt about Jeannemary and everything else onto Harrow. plus Dulcinea has proven herself to be more clever and shady than she initally appears already, i don’t think Harrow’s wrong to still be wary of her. there’s just, y'know, an infinite number of ways she could have handled it better

‘Jeannemary the Fourth was ten times the cavalier I am’ i’m SOBBING

ohhhh and now they’re back at where they were at the start … Gideon saying she hates Harrow, Harrow saying she doesn’t think about Gideon. except now after everything they’ve been through, and how much they clearly do care, it hurts so much worse. Tamsyn Muir you’re driving me crazy

‘Gideon decided there and then her betrayal’ what an absolute banger of a line to end the chapter with

[rukafais]

pspspsps people who are interested in Forgotten Realms devils have you heard the good word of Brimstone Angels, an excellent series by Erin M Evans that has two tiefling protagonists that are sisters raised by their dragonborn dad who adopted them, and covers Nine Hells hierarchy stuff, what it means to be a devil, life as a tiefling during a specific time period, and ALSO features a specific dragonborn culture?

Cause here's my recommendation, you should read it, it's fucking good actually.

Farideh made herself keep smiling, as if she couldn’t hear Criella’s implication that she ought not to have the book in the first place. “From Garago,” she said, naming the wizard whose book it was. “He lends books to Havilar and me sometimes.”

“Havilar and I, dear.” Farideh bit her tongue as Criella continued. “And where is your sister?”

“Inside, probably,” Farideh said. Criella pursed her lips, and the younger tiefling quickly added, “I haven’t seen her in some hours. She’s likely with Mehen.”

“Does Mehen know you’re borrowing magic books?” Criella asked.

Farideh turned it over and opened it to show the frontispiece. “It’s just a history book.”

“The Legacy of the Skyfire Emirates in the Calim?” Criella said. “What has you so interested in there of all places?”

Far, far to the west, other tieflings sometimes joined the fiery efreets in the Calim Desert in their perpetual war against their enemies, the djinns of the air. Criella didn’t have to say another word—Farideh knew what she was implying: Why was Farideh reading a book about rogue tieflings who aided monsters and known slavers? Didn’t Farideh understand that she—just like everyone else descended from devils and fiends—had to know her place, to stay safe somewhere like Arush Vayem, to be quiet and unnoticeable?

Or did Farideh want to be the sort of tiefling who made life hard for the rest of them?

“He mentioned them,” Farideh amended. “It seems like such a silly thing, don’t you think? For so many hostilities to range around something as unchangeable as one’s nature?”

Criella’s smile vanished altogether. “Ah. Is that something else Mehen has taught you?”

Farideh flushed. “That … the djinn shall always be djinn?” she said as innocently as she could, but her pulse raced. It had been too near to admitting there was something like fear lurking in herself. That the lines of descent that linked her to some long ago and faraway fiend were more powerful than anything she could affect. “I believe that’s why they’re called elemental,” Farideh added.

“Of course,” Criella said, but already she was studying Farideh as if there might be some sign of her true nature unfolding. Farideh blushed harder. Any of the human villagers would find Criella’s scrutiny too subtle to notice. But Farideh’s eyes were like Criella’s—she knew the shifts and flickers of a tiefling’s eyes. Criella wasn’t trying to hide her disquiet.

Farideh longed to tell Criella that she knew. That she hated it. That it was worse coming from someone like Criella, who was a tiefling too. Who had gotten the same scrutiny from someone else when she was Farideh’s age. Who had cut off her horns and clubbed her tail because of those looks and run away to Arush Vayem, a community of tieflings, dragonborn, and anyone else who wanted to disappear. ----

His path crossed a balcony that overlooked the Court of the Sixth, and Lorcan paused a moment. The archduchess herself perched on the throne, carved from the ivory that had been her predecessor’s teeth, her batlike wings curved around her like an icon’s niche. Coppery skinned and dark-haired, Glasya made Rohini look common. Glasya made everything look common. If corruption had a form, it was Glasya, and not a soul looked upon her that didn’t feel the urge to throw itself headlong into that corruption. She radiated like a star and she swallowed up the light around her. To look upon Glasya, Lord of the Sixth and Princess of the Hells, was a special sort of madness.

---

“His destruction would benefit many,” Ilstan said. “It would be a boon to us all, and—”

“Is he like Shar?” Farideh asked. Ilstan frowned at her. “Dahl told me once you worship Shar when grief overtakes you. You give her a little honor so that she eases the sadness through your life. That the evil of Shar is that she’ll try to pull you down into that darkness, to make you stay. Is he like that?”

Ilstan shifted uneasily. “One might say so.”

“Have you given him worship then?”

“I’ve … You can’t ask me that.”

Perhaps, but Farideh could picture it: you pray to Asmodeus in the dark, for protection from the darker things, from the darkness inside you, for the blindness of other gods to the sins of your heart, for a silver tongue and a weight on Kelemvor’s scales, come the day. Freedom from consequence.

Asmodeus is the god of easy paths, Farideh thought. A god of happiness, as he says it.

[ruegarding]

Hey, quick question if you don't mind me asking, what were your thoughts on Chalice of the Gods?

overall, i wish rick stopped at toa like he said he was going to. the more rick adds, the more the world-building suffers as a result. that being said, i didn't completely hate cotg like i thought i would. there's a few good moments, but, in general, it reads like a cash-grab.

let's start with the good. percy has some of the most in-character moments he's had in the universe since pjo.

percy's confrontation w geras was so good that i actually wish this was part of percy's character arc in hoo. percy spent almost all of pjo knowing he was going to die—he saw the fates cut the string in tlt and in som he put together what the prophecy meant: he was going to die either at or before 16. and this is exactly why this confrontation works and why i think it's better than new rome. new rome can protect a demigod from monsters, not from fate. percy wasn't scared of monsters. if he was, he would've stayed at chb year-round.

and i really like that geras was willing to entertain percy bc he had turned down godhood. like the first time percy ever thinks abt immortality seriously (in botl) this is what he has to say:

so immortality is fundamentally at odds w percy's character bc he defines himself so thoroughly w the ppl he loves. and this is exactly what allows him to get through to geras! it's such a good exploration of percy's character and the future he's now able to consider.

similarly, this section

is more in-character than almost all of hoo. this is a prime example of how percy's loyalty works and addresses how it's misconstrued in fandom. percy has a desire for freedom, and that desire informs how he respects ppl. percy's loyalty isn't a possessive "i won't let you do this" bc he will, he will always let someone make their own choice at the end of the day bc it's what he would want. and this was actually established in tlt, when sally says "you're enough like me to understand" and asks percy to let her save herself. so percy lets bianca fight talus, he lets nico walk away, he gives luke the knife, he lets ganymede choose his own story, even when he disagrees w it. and this is why percy's arc in hoo sucked! rick tried to give percy the typical hero complex, but it's contradictory w percy's character. so when i saw this passage i was so relieved. i thought this part of percy died w pjo.

also, to talk abt someone other than percy, this moment

is good. i love this abt annabeth.

and grover saying the hardest thing is sitting by and not being able to do anything. bc grover is usually in a support role and he wasn't there at all in hoo. i also like that percy is confronted w the fact that he's not expendable. thumbs up from me.

the bad...i'm just going to keep short bullet points.

what even is this plot

it doesn't work as part of pjo and yet it's marketed as the sixth book in the series

why is zeus a disney villain. i hate everything abt it

the inconsistencies...annabeth's cap...why are we continuing to treat percy like he's disinterested in learning??? also. what do you mean you're not allowed at camp after you turn 18? WHAT DO YOU MEAN????? this was not a thing. and wasn't rhea in hiding or something?? now she's casually having brunch?

there's too much "percy is the stupid bf and annabeth is the competent gf who takes care of him." i hated every second of this. also annabeth is disabled. her being intelligent does not remove her disability. she struggles.

i rbed that post abt disaster cook annabeth and good cook percy and i stand by that.

the power monologue makes no damn sense (and another addition by op in the tags)

no seriously i'm begging someone to have a real conversation and understand percy is terrified of how powerful he is. i've been waiting for this since botl. WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN 2008 BTW

i'm not a huge estelle or paul fan. like they're fine they're just not compelling.

the only time i feel sally and percy have the same connection as they had in tlt is when they're alone. this is a problem i've had for a while, but cotg does not fix it. when paul and annabeth are in the equation, it feels like percy is the outsider.

in summary, cotg is like a fanfic i would leave kudos for being a good percy character study despite having questionable moments. except it's canon. and these questionable things affect the world-building.

[diamondperfumes]

The assertions that Dany will "succumb" to her family's allegedly "evil legacy" or the "taint" in her blood require pathologizing her for being an abuse victim borne of rape and incest, buying into bioessentialist "genetics is destiny" argument, and decontextualizing most of the passages from her book arc. This post, with a song juxtaposed with out-of-context quotes from Dany's chapters, is an excellent example.

"Every child knows the Targaryens have always danced too close to madness." The only "mad" Targaryens were Rhaegel, Aerion, Aerys II, and Viserys III. If you want to stretch it, you can include Baelor, though he was more pious and fanatic than mad. Maegor was cruel but lucid. Rhaegar was not mad, despite being Aerys II's son. And the narrative has distanced Dany from Aerys II several times, because one of ASOIAF's central theses is not "you are your father's child," but "you can overcome your father."

"She could not look behind her, must not look behind her" is not Dany "refusing to look at her family's history." This is taken from her fever dreams in AGOT Dany IX, and what she can't look back at is an icy breath that would cause her a "death worse than death, howling forever alone in the darkness." It's the first time Dany sees the Others in her dreams, and she is the only other character in AGOT to dream of them, the other character being Bran.

"I made a horror just as great, but surely they deserved it. Harsh justice is still justice." This is Dany feeling guilty for crucifying 163 slavers. How is that a sign of madness or refusal to confront her family legacy? It's actually a sign that Dany has empathy even for the worst of humanity, even for her enemies. Also, crucifying slavers isn't evil. It's odd that the same fandom that calls Dany a slaver, slave trader, slave profiteer, and slavery enabler, also calls her a tyrant or mad for crucifying slavers. What is she supposed to do with slavers? What is the "proper" way to handle them?

The mother of monsters passage is more proof that Dany is introspective and self-critical. In children's media, shounen anime, and Marvel movies, a villain may unironically call themselves a monster, but in more complicated, nuanced, adult literature, characters who call themselves monsters usually aren't bad people. They're the self-deprecating, humble, and thoughtful characters who are reflecting on their flaws and mistakes. Again, if Dany is someone who refuses to think about the dark side of her family, she would not agonize over the consequences of using her power. Monstrosity is associated with being stigmatized, ostracized, and alienated by hegemonic forces in society, and those characters who identify with monstrosity often have something to reveal about the violence of the status quo and the normalization of oppression.

George is deconstructing the coin quote, not reinforcing it. Madness/greatness, ice/fire, east/west, north/south, sun/moon, pain/pleasure, love/hate, are all dichotomies in the novel that George sets out to show can unite in some way. As I said, most Targaryens were not "mad," and I find it odd that for a fandom as progressive as it frames itself to be, the ableist stereotyping of "foreign otherized race from the East is genetically predisposed toward madness" isn't something fans problematize more.

Dany longing for the house with the red door and wanting to rest, laugh, plant trees and see them grow, are also seen as signs of madness because of her statelessness and homelessness. If a teenage girl has been raped and abused, and is herself a product of rape and abuse, and comes from an exotic Eastern family, then apparently her longing for home is actually a bomb waiting to detonate inside her, because she's unfit to belong anywhere. It's shocking that this mentality is seen as media literate or subversive.

"Dragons plant no trees" has already been disproven by Dany's arc itself. Dany reclaims fire and blood by the end of ADWD because she realizes the peace in Meereen is false (which it is). Jon Snow goes from wanting to hire glassblowing apprentices to plant crops in greenhouses to grow food, to abandoning his vows and declaring war to save his sister, and then dies. Why is that not seen as a sign of "succumbing to madness?" The acts are narratively paralleled. Perhaps––and this may be crazy, but stay with me––the thesis of FeastDance is that you cannot grow, build, and heal a nation in soil watered with blood. No such rebuilding or regrowing is possible unless and until real change occurs, and for real change to happen, the corrupt old guard cannot stay alive.

Certainly TWOW will be a darker book for every viewpoint character, but it's interesting to see how a combination of pathologizing Dany for her gender, ethnicity, genes/biology, trauma, and stateless/rootless/homeless status as an exile/diaspora, with decontextualizing her chapters, quotes, and passages, and an overall misunderstanding of the themes of ASOIAF, to single Dany out as a "dark" character who won't be able to "outrun" her "negative family history."

[athena-rocks]

I hate Percy Jackson.

I hate the plot that is, and many MANY parts of it. Now that’s not to say the actors are bad or anything, in fact I think they’re incredible. I haven’t watched the show or read the books but from the clips I’ve seen those actors are amazing and deserve respect and praise. But I am going to go over everything I have against the show in this mini essay of mine.

Like the show and want to counter my points? Feel free to! Leave a comment, reblog with your response, send an ask, all is welcome! I may think very strongly on my points but that doesn’t mean I’m not willing to hear others out, but please welcome my response as well (also anon is on so if you have thoughts but don’t really feel confident sharing them on your account you can send by anon instead, still gonna get answered and no judgement passed :) )

NOW! ONTO MY RAMBLINGS!

First of all, Athena. As someone whose name is literally ‘athena-rocks’ I’m sure you can guess that I feel very passionately about this and have a lot to say.

The first thing I want to bring up is the whole child thing. Athena is a virgin goddess why does she have a child? From what I understand Annabeth is born from her mind, as in thought. Which is immensely stupid. The only account of asexual reproduction I can think of is Hera and the birth of Hephaestus, but even then she had a pregnancy and he was born, he didn’t just show up?? The only being I can think of that just pop up is Chaos, who is seen as both a God and a thing, it is, it’s primordial, so are Athena’s children in this also primordial? No they’re demigods.

Also the idea that Athena just abandons her children? No! There’s literally a myth that directly opposes it! Erichthonius!

Erichthonius is the first king of Athens, before Athens got super amazing and awesome and totally cool and really popular and thus got the totally cool founding myth of Athena vs Poseidon. He was born after Hephaestus tried to assault Athena, he’s autochthonous meaning born of the earth. Some of Hephaestus’s… seed, got onto Athena’s thigh, she wiped it off and threw it to the earth as she ran away and Erichthonius is born.

Now Athena has no obligation to this child, it’s not hers in any form, it came from the man who tried to assault her, yet she still chooses to look after and raise the child! There! She has no reason to do this but does, so why she would abandon the children that she does have an obligation to?

And by all accounts I can find Erichthonius had a good childhood, he’s half snake creature thing and when the daughters of Cecrops (who Athena had given Erichthonius to with him in a basket and told them not to open it while she did something) saw him and were horrified Athena either drove them mad so they killed themselves or dropped a mountain she was carrying in rage. So she cares about him.

Now, the Medusa thing.

Medusa was a monster, the original Greek myth she was always a monster. I understand the appeal of a woman who can defend herself from any man who would dare harm her by just glaring at them, but can’t she just have always been that? Can’t she have just always been a powerful monster who can always protect herself? I’m mostly upset at the Medusa thing in this context because I’ve seen people shipping her with Athena, which is weird as Athena is not only a virgin goddess but a mythological figure who was and in some sense still is worshipped to this day.

There are myths that also actively oppose this, when Cassandra was raped Athena was so furious she drive lesser Ajax mad so he killed himself and for 1000 years they had to send maidens to become Athena’s priestesses to appease her. But Medusa being raped by Poseidon, someone who she’s been known to have beef with? No. Fuck her.

AND ARES!!

Ares who killed someone for harassing his daughter, Ares who is the only God to have never assaulted someone, A BAD FATHER?? A CRUEL MAN??? Anger issues? Sure! I can accept that! But bad father? No.

I think the PJO series just hates the idea of war God’s being good parents and it shows.

I’ll end here, but if anyone would like to add on to this post or argue against me please feel free to. Just don’t be an asshole, I’m fine to discuss peacefully I’m not fine with just being flat out attacked.

Thank you for reading!

[radish-club]

It may be a few weeks before I start, but I'm probably gonna finally read Worm here soon. May even do a liveread if I feel like it.

I already know several of the major plot points BUT I I'm probably wrong in many places (as I was with Pact).

So before I start, I wanted to write a synopsis of what I think I know about Worm. This way I can refer back to this post and see how much I got wrong, what major things I was missing, etc.

What Worm is About (by someone who hasn't read Worm)

Big picture: there's alien entities called incubators shards who implant themselves in people and give them powers. Powers are triggered by traumatic events and are usually themed to said events. There is also an organization called Cauldron who tries to give powers in a controlled manner. Powered beings are called parahumans.

The main character is Taylor. She has the power to control bugs. She was triggerd by being bullied in high school. She was shoved into a locker full of used tampons and left there. I don't recall if that was the specific trigger event or just one instance of bullying.

She wants to be a hero and thinks of herself as a good, well intentioned person but is so so stupid. She goes out to fight crime, and meets up with teenage villains (called the Undersiders??). Against advice of established hero(es) she goes "undercover" with teen villains.

In doing so she gets deeper and deeper in. Does like bank robberies or some shit that go badly. People die. And so on.

At some point she officially joins heroes and there is a time skip but I don't know if these two things happen together.

Halfwayish through the book there is a big fight with a creature called Levithan in which several characters dies (and apparently the author rolled dice to see who would die, so it was possible even Taylor could have died in that fight).

At some point in the story Taylor kills several people. These include an established hero (Alexandria?) by suffocating her with bugs and also a baby but for the baby she uses a gun.

There is a parahuman with gold skin who was one of the OG parahumans back in the 80s. I don't remember his name but I do remember he is very Dead Wife Man Pain, so let's call him DWMP. DWMP has a fateful conversation with a villain named Jack Slash. Slash convinces him to destroy the world. Maybe alos other realities too?? (or maybe the same conversation is happening on multiple realities with multiple Slashes and DWMPs??)

There's apocalyptic event and Taylor gets someone (Amy/Panacea, I think) to enhance/alter her power so she can jump between realities. She then begins to gather parahumans from differently realities into a team to come together and take out DWMP with the power of teamwork and a giant laser.

They are not able to save the world they are currently on but a portion of Earth's population are evacuated from their current reality to an Earth with no humans where Ward takes place. One of these two earths is called Earth Bet.

Taylor's fate is left ambiguous. She maybe dies, she maybe fucks off to another reality. Maybe she become meguca idk.

Other Notes:

Taylor goes by 3 names: Skitter, Weaver, and Khepri

There a suite of powers called the Alexandrian Package bc they are the ones the parahuman Alexandria has. I think they are flight, semi-invulnerability, and strength (or maybe one of those is energy blasts)

there is a character named Bitch whose power is turning dogs into monster dogs. Media calls her Hellhound to be less controversial and she hates that.

There are sisters named Victoria (Glory Girl) and Amy (Panacea) the former of who is the protagonist of Ward. Amy turns Victoria into a Cronenberg at some point. Their relationship and respective characterizations across both books is a point of great controversy among fans. To put it lightly.

There is a character named Lab Rat who died(?) but he, in the form of one of his clones, comes back in Ward as a guy named Chris.

Browbeat's fate was ambiguous, so him secretly being this or that character in Ward became a meme. Because the author hates fun memes, he went back and changed Worm so BB unambiguously died.

Numbers Man is hung

[trashboatprince]

I've been thinking on this for a while now, and I decided to rework the beginning of the sea monster wives au.

Especially with the new ideas I have for it.

So, here's a new, updated version of how Aziraphale and Crowley meet.

On with the fic!

--

The letters creased in the tight hold of Aziraphale's fingers as she read them over a fifth time.

They still said the same thing as they had the previous four times, in the two familiar scripts and words of her brothers. It was the same message, one more friendly and apologetic than the one, which was more stern and to-the-point.

'We will not be arriving back to England like we had promised.'

Jim had been kinder in his letter, but Gabriel had written to her as if she were an associate from a partnering company that he worked with.

Her eldest brothers, Gabriel James and James Gabriel (Jim, as he preferred), were in charge of their family's shipping and trading companies, currently doing business in America. They had been over there for over a year now, and had promised they'd return by the time Aziraphale would be reaching the age of twenty-six, which was in a few months.

But Aziraphale should have known better, promises are just words that can easily be broken with the twins. Jim was so sorry, having said that while he would love to return to see his dearly loved sister, Gabriel was not letting him return home for something like this. Business was booming in America, Jim had to be there to help!

And... well... from what he had written in his letter, Jim had met someone. The heir to a very successful meat processing venture, Bea Prince, apparently things were going well with the courting. Aziraphale could not fault her brother for staying not just because Gabriel told him to, but because his heart was full of love.

She was herself a hopeless romantic, she adored romance and such. However, she only really experienced it through the characters in the books of her shop. She had never really felt anything for anyone.

Well.

While love wasn't really in the picture, attraction was. Attraction that her family was very much against. The youngest child, the only daughter, in the Eastgate family, could not prefer the company of women over men!

It was bad enough that Aziraphale was pushing her luck with wearing trousers and clothing more inclined for gentlemen than ladies, if she were even to feed her appetite for the fairer sex, she'd be sent to a nunnery!

Or she'd be forced to marry someone her brothers picked. Michael had threatened her with this when he had spotted her being a bit too friendly to a young woman in town some years ago. And Michael's threats had the power of a military captain behind them, considering that was his rank.

Even if she didn't have feelings for women, the thought of arranged marriage was always looming over her head. Gabriel and Michael had been talking before the eldest Eastgate had left for the United States. They had been discussing Aziraphale's age, and how she was practically a spinster.

They had talked about marrying her off to someone.

She had nearly burst into the drawing room of the family's estate home, nearly screamed and shouted and acted like a child.

But she held her tongue, and continued to eavesdrop.

Until she heard a name of a potential suitor and she left.

Mr. Salt, her brother's main business partner, after Jim. He was smarmy man with gold teeth who liked to be a little too close to Aziraphale's seat whenever he came over for dinner. She hated him more than she had ever hated a person.

He was a constant in her life, especially right now, with her brothers away. He was running the business from its main base here on Tadfield Isle, and he was constantly over at the family home. Practically moved in the day her brothers left the port! Michael and his wife, Uriel, were not thrilled, but put up with it due to Gabriel saying it was perfectly fine.

Aziraphale stopped living at home two months after this, and had been living in the flat above her bookshop just to avoid him. Except for Wednesdays and Sundays, when she was required to attend family dinners at the estate.

Mr. Salt did not like her living at the bookshop, in fact, he was quite vocal about how she shouldn't even own the place.

'A young lady has no need for a job! Her place is at home!' He had told Gabriel, who nearly agreed, especially to the idea of selling it. But Jim had put his foot down, saying that it was Aziraphale's, left to her by their grandfather, who loved books just as much as she did. It was in her name, it was hers.

Jim was always in her corner, he was a good man, even if he could sometimes be a dim as a dying oil lamp.

With a sigh, Aziraphale pocketed his letter. The one from Gabriel was held between her fingers before she let it go, watching it fly away with the wind.

She stood silently on the beach, watching the piece of paper move through the air, as if it were dancing.

The beach was her quiet place, like her shop. Only it didn't have the occasional annoyance of a customer, it just had birds that sometimes tried to eat her nibbles she'd bring. It was a small cove a distance from town, a private place that no one ever came to because it was hidden away, ugly and rocky, but it had a charm to it that Aziraphale liked.

Like the cave hidden in the cliff side nearby, the tide pools, the cute crabs she liked watching.

And the quiet, peacefulness of it, where no one could bother her.

She watched the paper as it landed on the water's surface, near the end of the line of weather-worn rocks that reached into the sea.

And that's when she saw it.

Something red and black, right at the furthest rock. Curiously, she watched it, what was it? Debris? An article of clothing floating on the water? A fish of some sort?

No... it looked like hair, with some sort of strange, black plant coming out of the tangles.

The black things fluttered as the paper drifted closer to it, and then something grabbed a paper.

A hand.

Aziraphale's eyes widened and she found herself moving close to the shore.

"H-hello?" She called out.

She watched as the red thing tore into the paper, then suddenly made a harsh sound. Paper was spat out, and what was still grasped was snarled at.

"Hello?!" Aziraphale called out again, now worried, but her curious nature was getting the better of her.

Could this be someone in danger? The hand certainly looks human, even if the skin seems... strange. And the red stuff does look like hair...

But there was a rumor going around town, told by the salty, old sea captain with a weird hatred and fascination with witches, Shadwell, that he had seen and captured a mermaid. Until this 'mermaid' fought back and escaped his fishing boat some weeks ago when they had that massive storm.

Adam Young and his little group of friends had even claimed to have seen the 'mermaid', but they could just be messing with Shadwell, as they tended to enjoy getting him riled up.

Aziraphale was open minded to the wonders of the world, there was always a kernel of truth to folklore and myths, but a mermaid sounded so... outlandish.

And yet...

The strange thing in the water moved fast when it finally heard her, hiding behind the rock.

"Oh, oh please, don't hide! It's... it's okay!" She said, removing her shoes and her stockings, moving to climb up on the rocks. They were a long line, a bit jagged, but flat enough that she could, carefully move across them. She'd done it tons of times over the years, she'd be fine.

Aziraphale got near the last rock, watching as the red stuff drifted through the water, it was hair, beautiful, bright red hair, darkened by the waters. A hand grabbed the rock, long, black claw-like nails scratched as it. She could see a strange thing between the fingers, a blushing red, it looks like very thin skin.

"It's alright, I won't hurt you." She said softly over the waved, though she felt ridiculous, sounded like she was talking to a scared dog.

Aziraphale got down to sit on the stone, looking at the hand and the hair, hearing something that sounded oddly like clicking and chirping.

The figure then slowly moved, letting Aziraphale see their face.

The figure was a deathly pale, with freckles scattered over their cheeks and nose, a mouth that was frowning, but the thin lips parted just enough to show unusually sharp teeth.

The black things from before were thin, like the skin between the figures, fluttering around what had to be ears hidden behind them and the red hair.

And eyes, golden and snake-like, stared at her in a way Aziraphale had never been stared at before.

Then they moved, and Aziraphale suddenly found herself on her back, staring up at the slightly gray sky, and the stranger.

The beautiful, frightening stranger, who continued to look at her with large, golden eyes.

And the frown became a smile.

A smile of shark teeth.

Aziraphale had found the so-called mermaid.

--

Aziraphale, meet your future wife, Crowley. :)

Yes, Jim is now a character in this, the only brother that actually likes Aziraphale. He'll be in support of his sister being in love with a monster, because Crowley makes her happy. And yes, Jim and Beelzebub are a couple in this.

[evilphrog]

Something I love a lot about He Who Fights with Monsters is the large running theme about how self-improvement does not mean growing closer to a singular ideal of behavior and values. It means learning what your own personal talents and flaws are, and optimizing them.

Most of Jason's worst mistakes in the book come about when he tries to act the way he thinks a good person is supposed to act. He always falls short, with catastrophic results, because he is not that ideal in his head. He will never be that good person. Instead, he has to learn what it means to be a good Jason Asano.

Rufus can never be the adventurer he thinks he should be, because, at his core, he is not one. He doesn't have the compartmentalization necessary to face death on a daily basis. What he does have is boundless empathy that cannot be contained. He is a teacher. He is an amazing teacher, and makes the world a better place by embracing that role. He is able to see the potential in everyone, and knows what to say and do to draw it out. He is not able to handle seeing that potential snuffed out in front of him. Much of his main conflict comes from wishing he was someone he is not, and hating himself for falling short of that.

Belinda tries to be a sidekick. She suppresses her own brilliance and agency, and instead assigns herself as the support person of Sophie, then Clive. She was raised in a world where her intelligence was not valued, so she tries to hide it, and act like an air-headed lackey. I think, deep down, she has the same fears as Jason about growing too powerful to be relatable to anyone around her, and ending up alone. When she embraces her full potential and self-sufficiency, she saves the day on solo missions, and returns to a team who loves her and trusts her. When she tries to obscure those traits, she fractures that trust. Her desire for a secure place to belong can only be achieved if she lets herself be independent.

When characters fail to embrace their true identities, or try to take on other ones, they hurt the people they love. The book does not shy away from the pain they cause, but also does not condemn them for it. Instead, they have to face the consequences of their actions, and work towards fixing things. And every time, their friends understand. They don't walk away. They give each other space to screw up, and to learn. They are allowed to try to do better. And better does not mean becoming a better person. It means becoming better at being themselves.

That is such a powerful message.

[zukotheartist]

Pjo show + books spoilers

Clarisse is such a tragic female character.

It breaks my heart...

All she wants is love and respects from a father that will never give it to her because she was born female and that leads her to lash out and attack kids weaker than her to show her strength making others hate her and thus also making her an easy suspect for who could've stolen the lightning bolt.

When Percy gets back she's fuming due to jealousy and he takes it as anger because he's foiled her plans and hurt her dad meanwhile it really is just jealousy at him gaining that glory (kleos) they all fight for while being both male, younger and newer than her at camp.

She'll eventually learn to trust others, be kinder and care for others but the two people closest to her will turn out to be traitors though (unlike in her own case) no one was expecting it because you're supposed to suspect "evil, angry" people like her and Nico*, not someone like Silena, a daughter of Aphrodite.

(* really important to note how both him and Clarisse are accused by Percy and other demigods at different points because of their powers and dads being seen as scarier and inherently more evil.)

She'll have bettered herself but she's still a kid with flaws and her pride (her fatal flaw, like it was for Achilles as well) leads her to refuse to fight for the big war against Kronos and that will lead to her friend (girlfriend) pulling a Patroclus;

Silena dressing up as Clarisse and bringing the Ares cabin to the fight, changing the tides of the battle, but dying on the battlefield and by the time Clarisse joins it's too late to save her.

So she goes on a rampage, with zero armour, because of the death of her loved one and THAT's when her dad FINALLY acknowledges her and gives her "Ares' blessing", making her even deadlier than she already was.

And finally she'll kill the monster that killed her friend, Percy being in shock of her strength and thinking to himself that he wishes he could've helped but Clarisse was like a death machine on the battlefield and didn't need his help, and then

EXACTLY like Achilles, she'll attach its body to her chariot and drive it around...

Clarisse La Rue you will always be famous (and Dior Goodjohn I'll always be thankful for you rallying for a masc lesbian Clarisse and for the amazing portrayal of young female rage).

[coraniaid]

If Buffy's first Watcher when she'd arrived in Sunnydale had been played by a middle-aged woman but otherwise said and done everything that Rupert Giles did in canon she would be the most hated character on the show by a long way.

Think of all the crimes she'd be accused of. Repeatedly trying to micromanage Buffy's life (not just giving her orders as a Slayer but trying to decide who she could spend time with outside class and who she could date? how controlling. how abusive), talking down to her and second-guessing her decisions, hiding important information from her (when not too clueless to know anything about it herself, which she would be repeatedly), forcing her to fight vampires every night and not even offering to do something simple like complete Buffy's homework on her behalf, constantly lying to her, cheerfully pocketing a salary from the Council and keeping it for herself, never showing Buffy the emotional support Buffy so desperately craved from her and actively recoiling whenever Buffy suggested she was a parental figure, working with Buffy's enemies (on multiple occasions! and being trivially forgiven for it off-screen!), sulking and refusing to help whenever she felt she wasn't being given enough respect, threatening to run back to England on a regular basis, hoarding dangerous magical books in her shop where Buffy's sister and anybody else could easily find them, drugging Buffy and robbing her of her powers while knowing Buffy was about to be forced to fight a dangerous vampire, murdering people Buffy had actively chosen to spare, being responsible for Buffy's death twice and being too self-absorbed afterwards to stay and look after Buffy's grieving teenage sister.

Large parts of the fandom would, I'm sure, be utterly convinced that she was the only reason Buffy left town at the end of Season 2. I mean, of course she was to blame; didn't she spend months insisting Buffy couldn't tell anyone about being a Slayer? and all keeping that secret managed to do was cause Buffy problems; it didn't keep anyone safe at all. No wonder Buffy was upset. So you see, it wasn't anything to do with Angel or the pressure of having to save the world by sending her first real boyfriend to hell that meant Buffy left: no, it was all Buffy's Watcher's fault. And then she has the audacity to chase after Buffy and try to force her back to Sunnydale, when it's clear that Buffy left for a reason and doesn't want to be found? What a monster.

I'm kidding, of course.

If Buffy's first Watcher had been played by a middle-aged woman the writers would have killed her off before the first season was over and replaced her with a man.

(Most of the fandom would still passionately hate her though, I'm not wrong about that.)