tshirt that says NO LIVE ORGANISM CAN CONTINUE FOR LONG TO EXIST SANELY UNDER CONDITIONS OF ABSOLUTE REALITY

“Are you going to complain again that you’re not allowed to hit back?’ said Laurent. The voice sweetened further. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t hit you unless I have a good reason.’ ‘Did I seem worried?’ said Damen.”

LMAO bro really said im not scared of you

Does anyone else feel like almost all of the conflicts that had to do with the various character dynamics in Chain of Thorns didn’t actually get resolved, they just unexplainably ceased to exist after two books of building them up because CC didn’t feel like writing them anymore and she didn’t know how to resolve it naturally after how she’d built the issues up so much?

Like how none of the characters but Cordelia and Thomas had any clue about the Alastair and Charles situation and then suddenly in CoT it was like who doesn’t know? Of course Matthew knew and didn’t say anything before and then randomly brought it up to Cordelia in Paris while assuming she knew too

Or how Alastair and Thomas went from how things were at the end of CoI with Alastair thinking it could never work because Thomas’s friends hate him to oh look everyone suddenly is friends with Alastair with no grudge with no development of that in this book at all, just an abrupt shift

Especially the Alastair and Matthew dynamic where Matthew hated Alastair and wanted him to have nothing to do with any of their friends and he spent CoI ranting about him to Cordelia. And then suddenly in CoT it’s like of course Matthew is supportive of Thomas and Alastair and oh look Matthew and Alastair are suddenly not just tolerating each other for Thomas’s sake but friends despite barely interacting and no development actually showing and never getting any mention of the other in their own POVs, just having Cordelia be like Alastair stop being dumb, you’re literally friends with him now

Or like everyone other than Christopher and Grace where it was like oh we don’t like her for how she’s treated us and her friends straight to anyway she’s one of us. Like yes Grace was useful and yes Tatiana manipulated her whole life, but none of that was why anyone changed their minds or opinions? It was just suddenly the flip of a switch when it was convenient for CC

Or Anna and Ariadne where it didn’t so much develop as Anna just acted mean to Ariadne on and off throughout the series and at the end of CoI she wanted nothing to do with a relationship and then in CoT she was just suddenly like sure I guess I do. Also, slightly different note, but I did not like that Anna barely interacted with anyone else for the entire book and she was just off in the corner being an irrelevant romantic subplot for almost all of the book except when she showed up to barely even be shown in the background being sad about her brother being dead

(Although Anna still got more of a reaction than everyone else and his death was poorly executed all around in the sense of how did you write this so predictably and poorly that no one even knows when he died and it’s so background and 99% of the characters don’t care at all and we don’t see his parents finding out or much of Thomas’s reaction or anything and it’s just as if he wasn’t a character anymore 2 seconds later which is a different genre of issue with CoT but similar problem in the sense that both issues made the book feel a lot more emotionless to read)

And how the issues of Thomas and Alastair being together as two men and Anna and Ariadne being together as two women in this time and the issues of what would happen if the fact that Charles and Alastair were gay got out to the entire Clave just disappeared and never got addressed at all. We know how the ClVe reacted to Alec Lightwood YEARS later. We know society was homophobic at the time TLH is set and that it seems like shadowhunter society was a lot less open-minded than mundanes a century later

I understand that Charles being blackmailed and making shitty decisions was annoying but it was like suddenly everyone finding out wouldn’t have consequences and all the other queer men characters were like how could you possibly be worried about this :/ as if they haven’t spent the whole series knowing they have to be careful about who they tell. And then suddenly it was just of course it’s totally fine and safe to have everyone find out and why wouldn’t you be fine with that. And it was really written in a way that had other queer characters like oh Charles is such a coward for not being ready to publicly tell a bunch of homophobic people his sexuality and it just wasn’t it??? And super weird after Thomas was terrified of telling even Anna and Matthew for years. And also, I did not care for the fact that when Charles did go risk getting outed to finally do the right thing, we didn’t even get to see it through any character’s perspective or how that important meeting went, we just got one line of dialogue from somebody else saying that it happened with no details at all. And I can’t think of other examples right now but there were quite a few moments like that where we got one line saying that something had happened that was important to the plot and to characters’ development that seemed like it would have been more interesting than some of what we did get to see where it was just totally breezed over and way too easy and totally background to less important stuff

And then there was the whole no one reacting to Ariadne and Anna dancing together publicly thing was like yeah that’s nice I guess but not realistic and it doesn’t go with the way things have been presented up to that point, it also just feels like a situation where CC was like well this would be easier for me so there just won’t be consequences and then they can easily end up happily together

And then there was the whole Thomas and Alastair thinking they couldn’t realistically be together thing and knowing they couldn’t get married or be known to be together by anyone they’re not close to and then at the end it’s still not really addressed how they’re going to be together? Like there was the laziest write off of the family tree being wrong and then we still are just left to assume that eventually they move in together and suddenly it’s not a problem and everyone’s fine with it? And then I also feel like we don’t actually know if everyone found out about Alastair and Charles’ sexualities after the blackmail or if people are going to assume about Thomas and Alastair or if that’ll cause issues or if no one knows outside of who they’ve told and they have to be careful or what. Which like wouldn’t necessarily need to be addressed if it wasn’t for the logistics of being together as two men in that time being part of the obstacle that they were struggling with being in their way and then it felt like it was totally forgotten to even be one at the end by CC

Idk like I’d love to think they just lived in a world where homophobia didn’t exist but it felt like homophobia was a plot point when CC wanted it to be an inconvenience and then suddenly disappeared just to make her writing easier the moment she didn’t want it there anymore instead of actually addressing the plots she raised with it if that makes sense?

And sorry, I really did not mean to go on a rant this long. And maybe everyone else had a very different reading experience than I did and other people don’t agree with some or all of this. I personally am just very confused about how the book was almost 800 pages long and it felt like so much of the development in it was us abruptly being told that development had happened rather than actually getting to see it and how so many of the issues were abruptly solved in an I don’t want to write this issue anymore kind of way rather than anything actually needing to be worked at outside of the Belial situation

Edit: You know what, I mentioned it in my tags but I feel like it’s annoying enough to put in the body of the post and make it even longer. What the fuck was with everyone outing or potentially outing everyone else just so that characters could openly talk about the queer characters and tell them to do what they want them to? Why did Matthew out his brother multiple times? Like yes, the people he said it to coincidentally already knew, but he didn’t know that. And why was Thomas outing Alastair? The straights got to keep their secrets as long as they wanted and fix their problems more naturally. Why did I have to sit through queer characters constantly having their sexualities and romantic histories to everyone else when they clearly had not okayed it? Why were the queer characters doing so much of the outing? Why were people who cared about them and knew what it felt like to be afraid of the wrong person finding out just broadcasting their sexualities to make it easier for CC to breeze past development to have their things get resolved fast? Why did no character have an issue with it at all?

I’m listening to The Fellowship of the Ring and I’m so happy! I tried to read these books several times but I couldn’t get thru them. Now I’m like 2 hours in and further than I ever managed and I actually am invested and understand the story! It’s really good!

You have no idea how happy I am to see that other people like you don't like blades 2 as well. Like yes it was decent, but on the same level as book 1 in the LEAST.

And I agree, book 3 seems like an excuse to get fans off of their back about the writing. The finale felt extremely disappointing, compared to the thrill you could feel in book 1 end

Yeah, I’m still gonna play book 3 and (foolishly) hope that it’ll be better. But those hopes aren’t too high because book 2 was not a good set up for book 3 at all in my opinion. There’s so much going on. I don’t like that Valax is a part of our friend group now. However, the group dynamics were off long before that if I’m being real. Mal’s route was ruined for me.

When I was going through and deleting my screenshots the other day, I reread the “You slept through it scene” and just felt a renewed sense of hurt and anger at him and really all of our friends. Mal caught a lot of heat from me specifically because he’s my LI and the one who said such an awful thing. But honestly, the rest of the group essentially agreed with him by expanding on what he said (Imtura and Nia) or not saying anything at all (Tyril) and only getting on one accord to exclude MC.

And then on top of all of that, there are quite a few holes that really should be patched up. The plot was a mess for the majority of the story. Tbh it was almost giving Endless Summer because they were locking important information behind diamond scenes and in the lore tablets.

So all this to say that at this point in time, I no longer have faith that PB can handle complex storytelling. Their parent company and higher ups (unsurprisingly) only care about money. And the writers themselves are too lazy and too biased. Does that mean they can no longer write enjoyable stories? No, of course not. But I do think they need to rein it in and be a bit more realistic about what they can handle right now because there’s nothing wrong with a simpler book/plot that’s aware of what it’s trying to accomplish. And it’s clear that they were far too ambitious with Blades 2

oh yeah. the reason why i decided to reread tbhk (and thus it was able to hit me like a truck this time around) was actually not bc of mitsukou going canon but actually bc i maybe accidentally started a tbhk book club w my kids at work and wanted to check the contents of it justttt in case before i put the books in their hands

It always seems like such a good idea in the moment (Patreon)

The first four are in reference to a great idea I had of - since I’ve finished my lower-limit page number testing for making books; shorter fics take up less page space, and just increasing the font size isn’t as handsome! - simply making a mini book! All it would take would be to halve the pages again, right? Just cut them right down the middle! Easy peasy!

As I’m sure you can tell by the second, no. Not easy peasy. Difficult painful un-fun >:(

Obviously I still did it tho! What do you take me for, someone who could have the idea of an even tinier book and then not do something about it?? No It’s also the only one so far to have a paper bookmark rather than a ribbon!

All told it’s a bit smaller than your average manga (I love the monochrome covers on these under their dust jackets haha <3) - you can see even with effectively doubling up the pages by halving their size, it was still very small-spined!

A quick shot while it was still being made hehe ♪ It’s Out! Paired here - and the earlier one, just without its dust jacket haha - with my Zarla SC2 collection (ft. Family, Negotiations are Going...Well, and With No Obligation) - I absolutely kicked myself after the fact for not including Out as the run-up to everything, I was really trying to make a full collection in probably-chronological order! Out would’ve been a perfect start! And it only would’ve taken like four pages!!

Ah well, it was still quite a learning experience - I probably wouldn’t make another standalone of under 4k-ish just for formatting reasons but I did get some good ideas of how to do so if I wanted to! Although, my next project is going to be even more of a formatting nightmare........I’ll get there when I get there! Lol

interesting how the internet archive has the eagle of the ninth as a tv series from the seventies and as a radio program from 2010 and as the full text of the book in FRENCH... but not the original book :(

hmm i wonder if the fact that i’m in a really bad reading slump and can only read fanfics or reread favorite books (where i’m consuming media with familiar and comforting characters and worlds) says something about my mental state

now that monkie kid season 4 is all out now completely, my brain is bebopping between deciding which media to focus on, so help me decide which I should do (first?)

my bookclubs' inability to understand nuance and to either misinterpret or completely ignore things blatantly stated in the text continues to drive me up the wall and yet i keep going because im desperate to get out of the house and make connections with people, especially people who also read. but after this last bookclub, where im still angry and frustrated a whole 24 hours later, im wondering if i should just stop because it doesn't get better and maybe i need to accept that it's not going to

hopefully it's just tonight but i haven't written at all in the last couple of days and i tried again tonight and it didn't work AGAIN i just can't get myself to write idk sometimes i really feel like the sequel to silence agenda is literally never ever going to actually get written and there's no point in even trying

Might fuck around and start NaNo a day late with zero outline or plan

i have officially read. 40 books this year!! last year i read uhh?? i want to say like seven. wahoo!! :-)

Bridgerton AU

Since I have the patience and self-control of a 5yo child (i just turned 19), here's the first chapter to a fic I'm working on that's more of an introductory kinda chapter. I won't post it on A03 or FFN until I've got a few more chapters done or maybe after I finish Untamable since its a fairly shorter story.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Lady Eldora

Society Papers

Dearest Readers,

Tonight we celebrate the beginning of the social season. After two years of suffering through the plague that has ripped the world of happiness and life, we can finally step out into the world and reunite with the people around us. The time has come to forget the past while we honour the loved ones we have lost and find joy once again.

Let us enter the social season with our hearts and minds open to new experiences, friendships and of course, love.

On that note, shall we begin with the introductions of our lovely debutantes for this season…

Firstly, we have our dear Princess of Solaria, Her Highness, Princess Stella. Although the Princess is now two and twenty, a year late for her debut due to the plague that unfortunately put a pause on social seasons for the past two years, we have no doubt that she will shine her way through her first season. An abundance of matches is for sure waiting for Her Highness, but who will the Princess choose? Will her childhood friendship with the Prince of Eraklyon — who has finally returned from the War victorious — blossom into something more? We will find out soon enough. 

Secondly, we have the spare of the Dominian royalty, Princess Bloom. Her sister, Princess Daphne, who successfully enraptured the Duke of Eraklyon, Prince Consort Thoren, is now expecting her second child in the coming months — what wonders being trapped in the castle without being allowed to leave for two years does for the fertility of young couples. The charming pair that found love and were the first to be married by the end of our last season are a testament to true love. Will the same fate await Princess Bloom this season?

As if this season could not get more special, we will get to bear witness to the first ever public appearance of the Princess of Andros. Princess Aisha’s beauty and grace has been spoken about plentifully throughout the commonwealth, yet no one has been lucky enough to lay eyes on her. I must say, her debut is the one I am looking forward to the most. Let’s hope we shall not be disappointed, and I’m sure her parents, the King and Queen of Andros share the same apprehension after all the efforts they put into defeating their neighbouring country that waged war on us all during an already terrible time. The pressure is on, Princess Aisha, I wish you good luck. 

Princess Isobel of Dyamond, who like our Princess Stella is debuting late at the age three and twenty, has already garnered quite the reputation with her…escapades during the plague. While the rest of us locked ourselves in our homes for the safety of others and ourselves, Princess Isobel hosted soirees and parties that admittedly endangered the lives of many. While she was granted with impeccable care when she unfortunately caught the plague, her guests suffered a different and more lethal fate. I have my reservations about allowing such a careless Princess debut, but I am simply a gossipmonger who shall not interfere with the decisions of Queen Luna who so kindly is hosting the social season in Solaria this year. I am no one to talk about the irony of a divorcee conducting the upcoming matchmaking season now, am I?

Now, we sure have many more beautiful Princesses who will be debuting tonight, but I must admit I am already bored of them. I place my wager on these Princesses to be named as the Diamond of this season.

A lady who will be making her debut tonight that deserves my honourable mention and our warmest thanks is Miss Flora of Linphea. Born to Sir Rhodos and Mrs. Alyssa in a humble village south of Linphea, she enters the season as the daughter of the man who has saved us all. We owe Sir Rhodos, a talented healer and scientist, for the invention of the cure that has abolished the plague. The family of four, including their youngest daughter Miss Miele, has officially moved their residence to Solaria, the head of the commonwealth after an influx of well-deserved money. Many suitors are indeed waiting to snatch up the young lady as it would be a fine honour to marry the daughter of the world’s hero, but we shall see if the men are simply hungry for the new money or if our debutante will find a beautiful love-match.

Talking about the men, let’s see who are our eligible bachelors of this season, shall we?

Of course, we have Prince Sky of Eraklyon, who is now two and twenty and ready to be wed. It is no doubt that the young ladies of society have their eyes set on the biggest prize there is to offer; a War hero and the future King of one of the most powerful kingdoms of the commonwealth. His Highness is indeed a lucky man and we can only wait and see which of these beautiful flowers laid out for his choosing that he will pick to be his wife and future Queen.

This spring, we also welcome the new Duke of Aquila, Duke Helia. God bless the soul of the late Duke, whom we lost to the plague a year ago and my deepest condolences to his son who was away fighting for our safety in the war against the barbarians of Omega Island when his father passed so suddenly. His Grace has inherited his father’s title that was bestowed upon the young knight twenty five years ago by King Radius, and a worthy inheritance indeed for a War hero who was released from duty with highest of honours after sustaining an injury. The Duke, who had spent his growing years from the age of fifteen in the City of Magix, studying the fine arts, will now officially reside in Solaria once again as he takes up his new role. All the best to the artist turned soldier turned Duke in settling into his new life, and my word of advice is to take advantage of all this season has to offer and find himself a lovely maiden to call his home.

With that, I shall bid you goodbye for now and let you continue with your preparations for tonight’s debutante ball. Good luck to the debutantes, may your beauty shine bright and lead the way to promising futures. Do not worry, my dearest readers, I promise to aid in keeping up with the debutantes when I return with new delicious stories of our society in a few days. Until then…

Yours truly,

Lady Eldora

watching the hobbit movies with my dad is making me want to reread the book but the tolkien struggle is so real !!