"That's not how you clean a gun"

He is strong. He is brave. He is sharp and clever and bright. He is a survivor rather than a victim. He values himself. He knows to look to a golden future rather than a thorny past.

But one particularly awful day, a day when his PTSD feels insurmountable and his clawing, creeping pain can't be kept in his chest, he turns to Thomas.

And all he says is "I didn't deserve it." And, perhaps, "I was scared."

And Thomas says, "no, you most certainly did not deserve it." And, perhaps, "it was okay to be scared. It is still okay to be scared."

And that's that.

Alastair is not one for self-pity. He never was and never will be.

But having said those words aloud was cleansing. Having them repeated to him in Thomas's soft voice is something he always carries around with him.

his star | imagine, flangst | @alpurrtwhizkersss

somnum | one shot, flangst | @futurecorps3

when am i gonna lose you? | one shot, flangst | @crowsmybeloveds

touch | one shot, smut | @skiller0dani

everything | one shot, flangst | @theowritesstuff

buoy | imagine, fluff | @yelenasbraid

call me what you like | imagine, fluff | @sophierequests

touch | drabble, fluff | @thebadgerclan

pocketwatch | imagine, fluff | @writing-havoc

baby steps | two shot, fluff | @heathsbitch

your love could start a war | two shot, flangst | @heathsbitch

dust and rubble | one shot, flangst | @writing-havoc

grateful you're mine | imagine, fluff | @sophierequests

take my hand and don't let go | imagine, flangst | @sophierequests

honeycakes and sweetened words | one shot, fluff | @sophierequests (check this author out!)

that sick bastard | one shot, flangst | @pregnant-piggy

underestimated | one shot, flangst | @jahayla-parker

nightmare | imagine, flangst | @bookishdream

healing hands | imagine, flangst | @talesofesther

a hot drink and a softer side than usual | imagine, fluff | @bey0nd-1he-stars

shattered paintings | one shot, fluff (a little bit of angst) | @writing-havoc

kiss it better | imagine, soft fluff | @yourfellowfandomfiend

sweetheart | imagine, fluff | @poetrieshouse

i'm getting used to you | two shot, fluff | @grimbanes (just so you know, i reblogged part 2 bc it's my favorite)

graphology | imagine, fluff | @syllvane

will you marry me | imagine, fluff | @goldengoddess

the lovers | imagine, fluff | @syllvane

heal his heart | one shot, flangst | @webslinger-holland

he just sounds like that | one shot, flangst (but there's a comforting side!) | @amsgrey

we have past to bury | imagine, flangst | @the-sound-of-her-wings

someone could lose a heart tonight | one shot, flangst | @sophierequests

forgotten | two shot, angst | @ashessonfire

bad kind of butterflies | imagine, flangst | @midnight-rain-fics

—

Inej:

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Jesper:

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Kaz:

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Nina:

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Matthias:

but the sun and the star is coming out at a really important time in the USA -- homophobia is on the rise, books like this are being restricted, and policies are being debated and passed to exterminate queer and trans people from the public sphere. having a positive example of a queer relationship in fiction, especially as part of a mega-popular middle grade series, is going to be important to a lot of the queer 10-14 year olds that make up this book's main demographic.

i have never, ever seen a percy jackson book have such a negative reception online. and it's just a coincidence that this is the first queer-focused installment of the series?

people are seeing the extent of the hate and thinking they shouldn't bother reading tsats at all, that they have already heard enough from people who hate the book. I have had people reblog my positive posts and say "maybe i'll give this book a chance, this is the first nice post i've seen about it." that's really fucking sad yall.

maybe tsats wasn't what you expected, maybe it contradicted your headcanons, maybe you prefer ships other than solangelo. you don't have to like tsats. but the amount of vocal hate for it is ridiculous. other pjo books do not get this kind of hate -- picking apart and complaining about every tiny little detail, ridiculing the writing style of both authors, mocking the attempts at sincerity, even sometimes mocking people who did like the book.

i have never seen this harsh of a response before (and i'm old -- I've been a percy jackson reader since the lightning thief came out in 2005) and especially not from such large portions of the fandom to the point where people who haven't read it are feeling discouraged from doing so.

Like Inej, Jude is skilled with knives and combat and she knows how to move around silently. She was also stolen from her home at a young age.

Like Kaz, Jude is very strategic and is good at manipulating those around her so she can get her way. She's very clever and not at all scared to murder. And Jude gets revenge on those who wronged her-- Valerian, Balekin, and Madoc

One thing that struck me while reading Six of Crows and the Crooked Kingdon was just how good the writing was. Not only the writing itself, as in the words used, but the entire construction of the narrative was refreshing,

The characters are complex, unique, and diverse in a way that never feels forced. They are all flawed, deeply broken, and borderline problematic, but you never doubt that they can be better. It´s so easy to see the main characters described as heroes, the good guys that would always choose to save the world, but I love how they are allowed to be mean. How they are shown as cruel sometimes, how their boundaries are not as completely settled as we would like to think.

Ok so I´ve recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia (a chronic pain condition where I basically just feel pain all around my body for no reason) and that means I´m now considered disabled for all legal matters in my country (honestly, rightly so). That also means that I´m having to come to terms with the fact that I may need to start using some form of mobility aid when things get too bad.

Naturally, that´s the moment where the self-doubt and fear of judgment starts. I mean, I used an accessible elevator one (1) time, and I couldn´t count in one hand the amount of shady looks I´ve collected from people passing by. So, I´m starting to consider using a cane on bad days, either to help my mobility and to visually notify people of my condition.

And naturally (again) that´s the moment where I should be feeling bad for being bound to an object that will make me be perceived as an old lady. I should be afraid of looking weak, broken, or not as useful, intelligent, or mature as people around me. That´s the moment when I start to worry that using a cane won´t fit with my aesthetic or make me look unstylish and pathetic.

But Kaz Brekker exists.

And now my perception of young people using canes is much more badass than it could ever be. To the point where I genuinely think that using a cane will be PERFECT for my silent Slytherin personality. Because if Kaz Brekker can go around the Barrel limping in his cane and still be the scarier, most intelligent character I´ve ever read about, I can totally go around college with my own cane looking like the most stylish, sweet and borderline terrifying bitch that I have always hoped to be.

To most there would be two options, both definitely slotting into Good and Evil. Let her go back to bed and you lose everything in the morning. Kill her and probably be relatively safe...but you'vE KILLED A CHILD.

So, can't let her go back to bed and reveal they were there to her father in the morning. Can't kill her...

Kaz goes with the secret third option, which is to scare the ever-living shit out of her so she never speaks of the two men in the house to anyone...ever.