s t a r d u s t

'who are they?' 'the monsters.'

After finishing the recent Lunar Chronicle's piece, the subject came up about the most satisfying bookish reunions I've read. I thought Scarlett & Wolf were a top-tier reunion, but then thought of these two. I remember when listing to the audiobook the first time, I experienced the rare and involuntary event of dropping what I was doing and lie supine in bed, clutching my pillow through the waves of fear, tension and relief from Chapters 13 & 14. 

This wasn't a rose garden at the end of a rainbow. No fancy dresses or masquerade meetings. This was a dingy motel room with a bandaged-wrapped rat pack welcoming back their runaway. Though without knowing the context of this scene, it's super hard to understand the emotions conveyed. Andrew is holding down Neil by the neck, simmering with anger, but not toward Neil. Neil is in a state of pain and fear, but not by Andrew. What they're both probably feeling is a huge wave of relief knowing that they're both in the same room again.

Okay i'm literally shaking posting this, i've been working on it for days i lost all objectivity about it.

Someone requested this scene when I asked for recommendations on an older post, so this is tkm chapter four:

"Andrew sprawled on the couch in the lounge while Kevin went ahead to change out. Neil hesitated, changed his mind and started after Kevin, and changed his mind again. He stood behind the couch, folding his arms across the back of it, and peered down at Andrew. Andrew had one arm folded under his head and the other draped over his eyes to block the light. 'One of these days you might as well practice with us,' Neil said."

This scene is so long I had to cut some parts (including the incredible "You let us run ourselves into the ground and clean up behind us. You play the game like you play life. That's why you're so good at it.").

Not to mention Andrew's height fear, one of my all-time favorite aftg quotes ("When you said you were afraid of heights, you were joking, right?" "Andrew, you can't be. What were you doing on the roof?" "Feeling." -tkm ch.5).

The whole gang is here! 🦊