i haven't finished htn, but harrow was right, this scene was terrifying

Based on a shitpost by @paramoregf

The Emperor Undying, the Kindly Prince, Necroslut Prime.

I had a vision

John, Paul and Perfect Lyctorhood

Here's the thing: I think One Flesh, One End is the wrong way to think about what lyctorhood is, or at least, what it ideally should be.

Think about it: John never had his "cavalier" die for his lyctorhood. And yes, the reason for that is because he tried to consume the Earth's soul and it was too big for one human. But more importantly: this was non-consensual and one way.

Presumably most cavaliers (besides poor Babs) choose to die for their necros, so that's a step in the right direction. And then we have Paul - the death of two people, melding of two souls to create a third. But at the same time Paul didn't really feel like "the best" of Palamedes and Camilla, and mostly felt like a stranger (despite the fact that they clearly have their memories). Maybe they are too new and still have to discover these parts of themself, I don't know but I think we can all agree we didn't like it and I think that's the point. Pyrrha said Paul is not the end but just "a step in the theorem".

Personally, I'm most curious about what Anastasia was doing. According to John, she "freaked out and couldn't get the soul all the way in" and that's why he killed her cavalier, but how reliable of a narrator is John? We know he has a bias and is trying to make himself look better so personally I think that if he isn't outright lying (and we know he's not above that) there's probably more nuance to what he admitted.

So I would like to pose the following theory: Perfect Lyctorhood is not about one person dying for the other, not two people melding into one. Instead it's a process of exchange where both people take a part of the other 's soul in themselves consensually. They are both split and whole at the same time. And I believe (hope) that is what Gideon and Harrow will achieve by the end of the series.

Mercymorn to John: it's because you always on that damn tablet

I love that the entirety of TLT happened cause God decided to stream his miracles and experiments on Twitch, got canceled by the government for starting a cult, and then decided kill everyone and re-create the universe with his Twitch crew and a Barbie doll.

jods before i do comms :3

The way John tells Harrow he sometimes wishes she were his daughter in htn and then later finding out he *does* in fact have a daughter but she's nothing like Harrow but he still tries to connect with her and share his culture with her and gives her what she wants (I bet she was the one who decided to go fight on the frontlines because it used to be her dream and she was still bitter and hurt over Harrow) but she's still not what he wanted and they both know it and oooouough aurgh eck

every time i see someone say something equivalent to 'John Gaius is great because at the end of the day he's just a little baby guy who is silly and dad jokes and really isn't that the important thing' it drives me a little insane because like. you are playing so beautifully into his hands! you're buying into his guise and you fully know it.

moral of the story is that anything can be forgiven if you're funny enough jodbless and joodnight

JOHN GAIUS, NECROLORD PRIME from THE LOCKED TOMB

(illustration by @/exmakina)

JUSTIFICATION:

"The whole series is about the atrocities of love, in part, but I think she would've had a healthier relationship with Annabelle Lee and maybe wouldn't have murdered every lifeform and planet in the Solar System trying too hard to eat the rich." - Anonymous

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One day more here I am with my old lyctors agenda

"why do we think we think of Harrow and Gideon 's relationship as romantic and Alecto and John as horrifying"

Idk about you, fam, but personally, I think of both of them as both. I just think it's more fun to read about people who love each other in messy and toxic ways. And 'romantic' doesn't necessarily have to mean 'healthy.' There's a lot of softness between Alecto and John (arguably even more than between Gideon and Harrow) but they have both hurt each other and i think that's very fun to explore in fiction.

The same way i don't doubt Ianthe loves Coronabeth but her love is possessive and controlling. (Which to me is a little less interesting.)

Yes I am a jod defender. No I will not apologize. He's my little baby sweetheart and I don't care how any of yall misinterpret him. Someday I WILL write my thesis on him. But for now I'm just gonna say "he's babygirl!" And move on.