Mostly posts about BOLAS, It Lives, BloodBound, CoP, TCH and Immortal Desires
Content Warning: discussions about themes of sexual violence and incest
Characters I love: Jack (TCH), Lustre, Radiance, Cas Harlow, Gabe Adalhard, ID!MC, ILITW!MC, Noah Marshall, Tom Sato, Dan Pierce, Elizabeth (BB:CB), Gaius Augustine, Lila Sethi, BB!MC, Serafina Dupont/Yvonne, Princess Valax, Nia Ellarious, Bas Thorne, Vasili Thorne, Noah Harris, RoD!MC, Colt Kaneko
Favourite Dynamics (trio/more also include individual dynamics):
Fictional age gap relationships are complicated to me because whilst I do enjoy discussion about how the experience gap affects the relationship and about how power dynamics may manifest, since they are. Products of our mind we literally know Character B’s intentions in forming a romantic relationship with Character A and the age gap doesn’t lead to a power gap, so it’s literally not like real life. What are we doing
Fictional age gap relationships are complicated to me because whilst I do enjoy discussion about how the experience gap affects the relationship and about how power dynamics may manifest, since they are. Products of our mind we literally know Character B’s intentions in forming a romantic relationship with Character A and the age gap doesn’t lead to a power gap, so it’s literally not like real life. What are we doing
When I think about Rowan/Devon, it’s within two scenarios. Either post-canon Devon becomes the new anchor ending where being the only two of a similar kind (the Power turned Human and the Human turned Power), Rowan begins visiting Devon more and more frequently and despite Devon’s deep hatred of Rowan, all their friends are dead and Rowan is all they have. Or the Mixed Ending in which Rowan, having chosen both blood and shadow, and Devon, still recovering from being resurrected and feeling distant from their old life, form a weird not-friends not-lovers relationship because only they understand each other
interesting discussions to be had if we view the dreadlord's possession of nia as rape and her finding freedom in shadow magic after that as a trauma response to rape
idk the "obsession" if i can call it that, people have with purifying nia while treating her character possessed by the shadow reinforces a particularly harmful belief. the scene where aerin takes bodily control of nia and installs shadow in her and the possession she experiences can be read as being forced to conceive and take care of a child of rape. thus, her shadow-half is tainted impure by a losing of her innocence, a contrast to her strictly mentored light magic studies.
the way Some people look into shadow!nia as a sexualised version of nia - having her be way more "sexually experienced" because of her purity being tainted and her magic being vigorous - ties not only into the colorism aspect but also the fact that one can relish nia in both ways - have her be an unexperienced woman unaware of her own sexuality as a wielder of light as well as a sort of femme fatale equivalent when she practices shadow magic. it still views nia through a sexual lens - the conversation still talking about her body and sort of removes context from her past that might offer a helpful explanation. The reader fails to understand the complexities that arise from Aerin being the one to install this shadow magic capability in her and in a similar vein, the temple of light twisting her affinity to magic and roping her into participating in the Temple's propagandizing.
it begs the question as to why we tend to associate sexual purity immediately with that of this light/shadow contrast, why valax's favoured for her "adorkable murder princess" qualities while simultaneously being infantilised and desired for the same and why we cannot critically think about a fem-presenting character's qualities without associating them to whether or not their bodies themselves are "pure"
tbhhhhhh i feel like in most choices books that aren't under the romance/smut genre where it has u explicitly get together with a love interest and the story being about said love arc or whatever, the mc's (with the exception of like, books where you play as an uncustomisable character) role is naught without some ancient prophecy that has them explain why their role is integral to the story which is nice in hindsight, but also really boring because it quickly turns into mc-becomes-an-all-powerful-protagonist.
it is part of the reason why i actually love the terrible smut books lmao because stuff like that, though it comes with its own intrinisic unique explanation/soulmatism reasoning for why mc is so bonded with their love interest(s), still treats mc as a puzzle in a bigger picture. there's shit happening there, there's melodrama on the cruise ship, there's a sub-affair happening someplace else, the li has a secret lovechild, it is soo not boring to have an mc who is actually like a part of the story as opposed to being the all-powerful god for once and that makes them so much more interesting. because seldom do modern-day romance/smut books in choices come with a curation of personality traits or houses for the mc to conveniently fit themselves into - they're 1 one personality and they fit in perfectly with the story it is actually more immersive.
the smut books are not all bad, actually. yes they have their own faults, but i fear we judge them too harshly because they are evidently perversive. bad smut does not warrant a shower of holy water (in fact pb is kinda vanilla anyway so).
some of blades discourse is so... american/europe-centric like i cant w some of yall glossing over obvious undertones of colonialism like no problem, fuck your fav war criminals but like, it is just soo glaringly obvious what u choose to ignore conveniently and "miss" some really important context ykwim
Obsessed with the Aerin/Baldur fic so I’d love to hear more of your thoughts about them/the Valleros Family
My blades hyperfixation is kind of swimming back to me so i'm scrambling to get this answer done before it leaves me again lmaooo (and I'm sorry if this took so long!)
The Valleroses are a dynasty and the way Arlan is, at least, they do not seem to have mighty aspirations. He rules over a period of peace, does not attempt to usurp the general lifestyle of Morellians and does not add anything to the plot besides being a sort of right-hand man for the church. They have a symbiotic relationship, not just in a typical Church and State fashion, but as a king who has pledged fealty to the Temple of Light. He holds them accountable not as a king toward a head a religion, but rather a king against one of his subjects. He is largely subservient to the Light, awards quite liberally to those that protect the realm and his kindness, though ample, is also fickle.
I really like addressing the family aspect of it more because the Valleroses are, unlike a typical dynastical kingdom, a very small family. It makes sense why his focus is more on Baldur - grooming him to be a rigid ruler and keeps Aerin as a safe spare. Arlan's blatant favouritism and excuse of Baldur's behaviour can be read as a father encouraging his son to appear more masculine. Arlan, the gentle king will not prefer to be gentle while raising his son. Baldur is proud, unkind and cruel - what we stereotypically associate kings with. He hunts for fun, collects hides of monsters as conquests and is leagues differnet from his father who vouches outwardly for peace. A king who does not command respect, is no king and Arlan knows his voice has softened and he cannot win wars now, but he can groom his son, arm him with phallic-shaped swords, teach him to sow his seeds everywhere, teach him lessons that Arlan himself, cannot implement.
In a way, Arlan has claimed Baldur as his sword, as much as he's claimed Aerin as the son who will be prey. Perhaps he has attempted to rectify Aerin's own behaviours in the past, to no avail. Perhaps he was a hopeless case from the time of his birth. Aerin learns all that he knows from Aurinae - who teaches him how to poison and how to hide - something that may reflect Aurinae and Arlan's relationship -- the gentle king and his queen that never shows her face. Though we do know little - still, little is a lot, about their relationship, it is never entirely specific. It is entirely possible Arlan had loved Aurinae once, but in an attempt to control and "keep the peace" - a lesson he will pass on to his more violent son, Baldur who exercises fierce control on Aerin.
It is unclear if Baldur and Aurinae shared a relationship beyond a few words, but it is clear Arlan's teachings has had an impact on Baldur who equates quiet, meek people as Aurinae - the most important woman in his life. When he tortures Aerin, Baldur may think of it as getting revenge for his father against Aurinae - to penetrate into his "mother" as taught by his father.
Penetration and possession are taught to the children. As Aerin "penetrates" Nia's body and possesses her of shadow, the entire act is taught to him not only by the Dreadlord but also equally enhanced by his upbringing. Aurinae's poisons possess all men, while Arlan engages Baldur in penetrative combat. By virtue of this, the parents have equally claimed their children's bodies and minds. Aurinae prepares Aerin to be a vessel to the Dreadlord and it can be likened to Arlan's preparation of Baldur to be the next heir - both preparing their children for penetration and possession.
Blood is sacred to kings, as much as their own manhoods in a patriarchal setup. Arlan's viewing of Aerin as the prey, the spare, the forgotten daughter sets him to that of illegitimacy. Mayhaps the same can be said for Aurinae, who clubs both Arlan and Baldur as people she does not associate with - as idiots, essentially (i think it was in that one scene w sarenya when she says that???) who takes Arlan's insults toward Aerin, as insults meant for her. The way she has given Arlan a son who brings valour and a spare, who brings none. Aurinae, as a staunch believer of Possession, seeks to have Aerin for herself - as she owes him that much as her creator and one made of her flesh and blood.
I love fucked-up family dynamics so I'm 100% convinced Aurinae has sexually abused Aerin - between his voluntary intake of her poisons, to being attached to her hip - he takes pride in taking after his mother more than his father. Arlan must have also abused Baldur, as the cycle of abuse continues. Arlan would have also abused Aerin, who does not fit into his neat definition of an heir - and with Aerin experiencing visions from the Dreadlord at a young age, going against the family's services to the Church, he may be very well seen as a monstrous feminine-equivalent - (yknow the horror movie trope where women and/or girls experience visions and possessions at such a young age?)
I would love to write a fic about this. Hopefully my hyperfixation stands long enough so I can like, write it and get it up and running!
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