#Alecto: are you angry with me

[cutetanuki-chan]

do you have any alecto/anastasia hcs?

I think my biggest hc is that Anastasia wanted to be present at laying Alecto down in the tomb, but something went not as planned, cause she helped design it and it's her house, where is she

and not quite a hc but I want Alecto snatch some of Anastasia's bones before leaving the tomb

but tbh the moment I got the ask my mind completely blanked out on everything I was thinking about them, I'll add more to this post if I remember some of it

but thank you for asking!

#but it's complicated cause I don't have a lot of understanding of how canaan house and the ninth was back then #and what timeline of events looked like so i keep rotating in my head dif scenarios with dif ideas #Anasatasia could've had her own way of calming Alecto during tantrums but Alecto still could accidentally hurt her in out rage #at least Anastasia is great at mending broken bones #them hanging out in the pool is everyone's hc #but once had an idea that telling the true started with them both submerged and Alecto just unpromptedly started bluntly blurting out stuff #but in the gist of 'I'm eating pencils' and then it escalated with time #someone said before that Alecto being sorry about Samael in her nature might mean that she somehow was responsible even if not in direct wa #it could be eating her out after Samael's death and seeing how heartbroken Anastasia was #so later on the ninth she drags Anastasia into the water and reveals something that makes Anastasia realize John fucked her over #Anastasia's breaking down and after on it could lead to the vow being made #cause I'm still thinking about that one line that John says 'Anastasia knew 'at the time' that killing Samael was a necessity' #like she could've figure out something #keep rotating in my mind conversation that goes like #Alecto: are you angry with me #Anastasia: yes. but I'm not being fair

[mayasaura]

I see a lot of meta talking about how the John Verses are John telling the story of the leadup to the apocalypse with the most sympathetic biased self-justifying gloss to make it sound like nothing was his fault, and I guess that's why so many readings go for a hardline worst-faith interpretation of them, but.... I don't really see it.

When he tells about how he murdered everyone who had a gun, he could have played up the self-defense angle. He could have claimed he was scared, and he did it to protect everyone. He could have emphasized that he was killing cops, instead of emphasizing the civilians. He could have stuck with the story he told at the time, that he freaked out and made a mistake and hadn't meant to kill them all. He doesn't. He admits to mass murder, and he admits to having done it because he was angry. And he admits to still not regretting it one bit.

The story John tells just doesn't paint him in the best possible light. He does include all of the justifications he used at the time, he does explain why on earth any of this ever seemed like a good idea to anyone, and he does want to be understood, but he doesn't really try to sell it as having been right.

I really don't see the verse chapters as being John's justification. They're his confession. That's why they feel so good to condemn.

#the locked tomb #emperor john gaius #ntn spoilers #nona the ninth #he isn't even really looking for absolution #whenever Harrow/Alecto says she still loves him he HATES it #the last time he says there can be no forgiveness Harrow asks him for whom #and he doesn't answer #he knows exactly what he is #amd whether there can be forgiveness or not does remain to be seen #just feeling like shit about it does jackshit #he hasn't done a goddamn thing in his life to try to make up for or to even stop ACTIVELY CAUSING harm #amd that's where the real challenge lies #but it's exhausting to me to see him engaged with as a Symbol Of Evil rather than as a human being #he was a person and he got very very very angry for aot of very good reasons and some not so good ones #this is the big boy all grown up version of the scene where Gideon strangled Harrow to the brink of death #the part where I hurt you #and how do you come back from that? #john has decided that you can't #you can't come back you can only double down #and it just doesnt feel right to agree with him on that

[katakaluptastrophy]

Continuing to think about the horror of what happens to John, and the horrors of love...

When Alecto has first been created, she says to him "I picked you to change, and this is how you repay me?" and "What have you done to me?"

They're heartbreaking questions she has every right to ask, but there's something awful and ironic about them too. Because John also might have asked "what have you done to me?"

It's easy to get distracted by the cartoonish awfulness of John's own narration: "talk about police abuse", "come on, love. Guys as careful as me don't have accidents," "love a working tram system." But all of these comments come after moments where John has unwittingly come into proximity with violent death, an experience he repeatedly likens to having drugs forcibly injected into him; an omniscient, dream-like, out of body experience that seems to propel him forward through his basest impulses. The first time this happens, he's brought back from "the verge of something insane" by being shaken violently by P-. Lines like these aren't revealing John's diabolical plotting. They're a man who would rather own atrocities as premeditated than admit that he was losing his grip.

The second is when he encounters the soul of the earth. His human mind makes contact with the incoherent, furious soul of a planet. In any other context, this would be straightforwardly Lovecraftian. And everything he describes after that is full of elipses, jumbled, and detached. His friends are shot by gun-toting cultists and he says it was like a dream.

Hearing the earth screaming, feeling his friends' deaths under his skin like a drug, he might well have asked "what have you done to me?"

Alecto said to him, "I picked you to change, and this is how you repay me?" But as everything collapses, John says:

"I thought you were going to take me, somehow. Purge me. Use me as an instrument. But you didn't say anything...I was babbling, Show me. Come on. I'm ready. You kept screaming and screaming..."

John has spent months becoming something terrifying, an entity with yellow eyes and uncanny powers. He's discovered that death has an overwhelming impact on him that he cannot fully control. Everyone was relying on him to do something. And he did so many things: well-meaning things and stupid things and things that were lashing out in rage and frustration. Hundreds of people have died because of him. His friends have died because of him. Surely, surely there was a point to this. Surely there was meaning. Surely whatever did this to him, made him into this, had a greater plan.

But there is no plan. There is no great revelation. He tries to hurt the earth, to provoke some kind of answer, but the screaming continues. And when P dies, the person who snapped him out of it the last time, John lets go and the whole world dies.

John is kneeling on the grass vomiting up dirt and tearing out his own ribs, saying "there was still too much of me that was just a human being...", trying to swallow the soul of the earth. And by the end, the one shred he has to hold onto is a memory of playing with a doll as a child. That, and his anger...

The earth tried to reach out in the only way it could, amidst its incoherent suffering. And John tried to use the abilities it gave him, but he was only human. Fallible and proud and angry.

She said, "I still love you." And the horror; the horror of love, the horror of this story, is that to begin with they did this to each other.

To be clear: I don't mean to diminish the awfulness or the very specific forms that John's violence against Alecto takes, and continues to take across the story. I don't mean to excuse his own self-mythologisation. I certainly don't think he's blameless for the decisions he made and the agenda he pursued. But if there's one thing that happens over and over again in TLT, it's that the horror of love is not a one-way street.

And I wonder, in light of what we now know about the permeability of the soul, quite where John ends and Alecto begins. And when that blurring began...

#the locked tomb #tlt meta #john gaius #alecto the first #Can't wait to see what the Eldritch Alpha Couple get up to in ATN

[nercynorning]

I’ve seen a couple people saying that Alecto’s “kiss” was her attempting to show affection to Harrow but my interpretation was a little different.

Here’s the passage:

Alecto is angry. Alecto is angry at John, who killed and ate her, and at his disciples, who killed and ate each other. My interpretation of what she’s saying is this: “You love me? Well this is how your kind love each other.”

However, I’m not exactly sure how to parse “for Alecto knew not how…”, since it seems to imply that she would have kissed Harrow properly had she known how. To me it stands in contrast with how the kiss is presented as a direct continuation of Alecto’s anger: “Alecto was angry, and raised her up, and kissed her.”

Alecto also doesn’t seem to have much affection for Harrow at that point. She “stays the sword” for Harrow because she recognizes her from her dreams, but her anger awakens again when Harrow says she loves her. She only truly softens to her once she realizes she’s Anastasia’s descendant.

I will say that I think it would be cool conceptually if Alecto's love had some bite to it. Her children have been devouring each other for billions of years, after all. I’m just not sure that’s what’s happening here.

Would love to hear people’s thoughts!

#Alecto #the locked tomb #nona the ninth #harrow #harrowhark nonagesimus #this isn't a thesis statement or anything just something i've been rotating in my head #nercyposting

[blessyouhawkeye]

i simply think that in alecto the ninth harrow, faced with having gideon back, being able to see her face and hear her voice, should drop all pretences and just be incredibly romantic. first flower of my house romantic. i just think that gideon, who has become angry and bitter and jaded, should make cracks like "don't look now nonagesimus, i'm a corpse. you getting the hots for me?" only for harrow to reply "I would treasure you in any form you take"

#and if they kiss about it that would be nice too #i just think!!! that after everything after Watching Gideon Die harrow couldn't be a bitch anymore #she kept the glasses everyone. one flesh one end. how dare you ask her to live with it. #and prince kiriona gaia being faced with that sudden affection from harrow! i mean come on! #tamsyn please. please. #let harrow be profoundly changed by the loss of gideon. please. #the locked tomb #griddlehark #nona the ninth #nona the ninth spoilers #gideon nav #harrowhark nonagesimus

[crowbaruser]

dude it took me like four or five reads of tlt to understand that not only is alecto the resurrected soul of the earth, she’s also all ten billion souls of the people who died with earth. NO WONDER this bitch is Abnormal !!!!! no wonder my girl is A Horror to Behold!!!!!!! no wonder she’s So Fucking Angry !!!!! (side note: alecto, in greek mythology, was one of the furies—her name directly translates to “Unceasing Rage”) but it’s not just that, either—all those souls aren’t just the reason she’s so Wrong and angry—they’re also the reason she loves the way she does. can you imagine every single person in the world’s emotional capacities in one body? jesus christ. i’d be massively unhinged too !!! i’d love everyone i met too!! i’d be furious with God too!!!! he made her this!!! he created this !!!!! he is dr. frankenstein and she is HIS. MONSTER !!!!!

#can you tell i’m normal about this #i’m normal about this right #i swear i’m normal about this #the locked tomb #alecto the first #jod #the first house #nona the ninth #the locked tomb spoilers #nona the ninth spoilers

[no-man-no-woman]

On Cows, Alecto and Phyrra.

I've lived all my life in an agricultural area, my family has a farm and I've grown up surrounded by many animals, but especially cows. Let me tell you something about cows: they are vicious, like, the ready to start goring at any given time kind of vicious. At least once a month some drunk idiot dies in my area cause they snuck into a meadow full of cows and started fooling around.

Still, if you don't mess with them, they won't hurt you... probably.

(This part it's just a little part of my country girl showing, not necesary to the post, but pleasuring, nontheless. Having said that ↓)

So when Jhon said they killed a several hundred of cows and sheeps I was shocked. Like, you are telling me that two scientists, an engineer, a policewoman, a lawyer and an artist killed several hundred of the stubbornest beings I have ever seen?

So I started thinking about it. I rereaded multiple times and then I remembered: Pyrrha's trick with the marble. Of course, it's after years and years of practice of being Jhon's guard dog, still… it would make sense she was as good before the resurection. To check this teory I thalked with my cousin, a hunter, about how good would you have to be to hit a marble first shot from a considerable distance, he said "as good as to hit a rabid cow first try, why?".

So, yeah. That part was about my short trip of dumb investigation.

Now, remember what I said about cows? About them being vicious and ready to brawl at any given time?

Only the ones who have feel threatened when young are like that™

The thing it's that all cows who grow up in a field feel threatened at some point; and you know what that remembered me to? To Alecto/Nona.

Alecto being angry and vengative because she remembers being free, including the bad parts of it. Nona being soft and loving without a second tought because she just remembers the meat jail and still, without knowing, wishing for freedom as much as she runs from it. Something about cows being dangerous even if they don't know. Something about neding a perfect aim to kill a rabid one.

Something about cow breeders usually slaughtering them when it's time. Something about the only way to stop Nona's tantrums is by knocking her out.

#tlt #nona the ninth #alecto the first #alecto tlt #pyrrha dve #tlt spoilers #the locked tomb #brainrot is real #ntn spoilers #nona the 9th

[harrowharks-iliac-crest]

Alecto

Characters

<< Previous: John | Masterpost

-

Alecto, the most important character who we know the least about.

Here are some theories:

She was an alien of some kind: she's been described as "not human", and a "monster". Monsterhood can take on different forms, so it's fairly nondescript. But she was certainly exceptional in many ways.

She could have been a genetic anomaly, human but not, and it gave her powers.

Was she already this wild, angry, powerful, nonhuman monster before John resurrected her? None of the other Lyctors knew her before John resurrected her, and fused with her via perfect Lyctorhood. At this point, she would have been enormously powerful, and possibly using this power willfully; she wasn't just herself, she was an amalgam of her and John.

Here's how John describes her:

He said, “It stood for a couple of things. A joke, mostly. I often called her Annabel Lee. Annie Laurie. When I first met her I just called her First, One. She had a real name, but I buried it with her, and nobody says it anymore. “She has been dead for nearly ten thousand years, but she keeps her vigil with me, as a memory, if nothing else … Annabel Lee was my—what do I call her? Guide? Friend? I’d hoped so…” You did not know how to respond to this. He did not seem to need a response. God said, “She was the first Resurrection. She was my Adam. As the dust settled and I beheld what was left and what was gone, I was entirely alone. The world had been ended, Harrowhark. One moment I was a man, and then the next moment I was the Necrolord Prime, the first necromancer, and more importantly, a landlord with no tenants.”

No lie, John knowing Alecto as "First", and "One", to me creepily suggests that she was a specimen. That John was some kind of scientist studying her. (Yuck.) Perhaps even a genetically engineered fetus he created and grew himself. I could be misreading this of course. She could be an alien with alien powers. She might not have been human at all, though compatible enough with humans to Lyctor with them and possibly even reproduce.

John says she was his first resurrection. The way he describes the event makes it sound like he needed all the energy in the whole entire universe to do it, and that this was what killed the First House, and all the other Houses that existed at the time, and the planets, and the sun.

Then there's this:

The dead corse of the Locked Tomb—the death of the Emperor—the maiden with the sword and the chains, the girl in the ice, the woman of the cold rock, the being behind the stone that could never be rolled away—said, in half-confused tones she had never taken with you: “I don’t know. I died, once … no, twice,” but then she had said no more.

(Hinting at Alecto the Ninth - the future book - continuing the trend of being told from the perspective of the person who knows least about what's going on.)

But she died twice - once presumably before John resurrected her (allegedly), and the second time - when she got locked away? Or was there another one? (Still convinced Alecto isn't dead currently.)

Was Alecto's resurrection the same incident, or a different one, to John and Alecto's Lyctoral Ascension?

And who was Alecto... before she died the first time?

The Alecto we see in Harrow's "hallucinations" is quiet, protective of Harrow, secretive. She betrays little emotion, but when she does, it's never... vicious, her spirit so different from Wake in this respect. She seems genuinely sweet, far from the monster we've heard described. Her presence is comforting for Harrow.

We've also heard Augustine say:

“My lord,” said Augustine formally, “you told us the truth about Annabel—about Alecto—because she knew the truth about it too, and you never could control her. Even after two centuries, I’m not sure she ever managed to lie. That was what stayed my hand for such a long time. How would you have asked Alecto the First to lie—how would you have persuaded that mad monster into even an unsophisticated con?” God said, “Don’t call her that.” “A monster, John!” Augustine barked. “She was a bloody monster in a human suit! She was a monster the moment you resurrected her, and you went and made her worse!”

So she couldn't lie, but still "a monster" who John managed to "make worse". But also maybe not the brightest? Excepting the Monster part, she sounds like almost more of a himbo than Gideon.

What powers did she have then, to be so frequently called a monster?

It's very difficult to tangle apart what's actually Alecto, which of John's powers are actually her powers, and which of her post-resurrection/Lyctorhood powers are John's.

I think John's tangy type of magic which heals instantly and puts him back together again from atoms after Mercymorn "kills" him, the power which makes people so compelled to talk and tell him the truth, that's actually Alecto's powers - as discussed in the previous post.

Her powers - hers, not John's, or hers being used through John - post-resurrection and pre - are not very defined, at all, but it is safe to say that she must be very powerful. If I'm right and the citrus instant-powers John uses are actually Alecto's, then she is quite close to being a necromancer herself. I don't think her and John correspond neatly to the necro/cav dichotomy.

The whole thing with Ortus and Nonius shows that words are powerful in the River and possibly outside. I think Alecto's powers are as such that even saying her name can invoke her spirit - which is why John doesn't want her name to be said, ever. I think she is still alive - and the ice and tomb and wards are there to keep her out, and keep her spirit from attaching itself to people and things. I think that's what happened with Harrow when she opened the tomb. Alecto doesn't need a connection to something, or someone, to attach herself to them. Or maybe Harrow's instant love for her was enough. Or maybe the love itself is a manifestation of Alecto's powers? Either way, she did not have to be related to Harrow, or attached to Harrow, to hitch a ride with her. An impenetrable ice cave warded to all hell - not even a mouse would have been able to get in. Probably, Alecto would have been able to possess a mouse and get her spirit, at least, out that way. This is why it was important to keep everyone and everything out of the tomb and lock it forever. Alecto's powers are on the same level, if not higher, than God's.

I think Alecto must have figured out first that resurrection and necromancy was an awful, horrible thing to do that would draw the wrath of dead planets and souls.

I think a lot of the plotting against the emperor is by her design, somehow. That when she "went away" from Harrow in the last few weeks of HtN, she was Doing Something, her soul connecting to the Blood of Eden, or the Resurrection Beasts, or something. It's been established by now, quite formly, that just cus someone's dead - or incapacitated - this doesn't keep them from having influence on the plot. At least for the past eight years, Alecto has been with Harrow, and therefore much freer in how her soul would roam.

I'm hella excited to find out what will happen with Alecto.

This concludes the character section; I'm going to briefly attempt to predict some plot and theorise about Nona before actually getting this liveblog back off the ground!

>> Next: Plot Predictions

#tlt liveblog #the locked tomb liveblog #tlt spoilers #the locked tomb #tlt #gideon the ninth #harrow the ninth #tlt theories #no nona the ninth spoilers please #alecto the first

[frociaggine]

Dissecting John and Wake’s conversation

Or, at least, a specific section of it. Way before NtN came out, Wake’s specific phrasing when she accuses John struck me as odd. I’ve been obsessing over these lines since 2021.

Given the context, she’s most likely talking about Earth here, not his post-resurrection actions. She is charging him with the genocide of humanity on the day he destroyed Earth. But her language is very specific, and at odds with how Wake usually talks. It sounds rehearsed; it sounds very dogmatic, like another line that has been passed down the generations, just as BoE names are.

According to the HtN glossary, BoE members pick their names from the names of previous Edenites. It goes back all the way to Earth, but they don’t seem to have the context for these references. Wake’s list of accusations against John has the tone of another litany, as if this specific wording has been passed down. John has “heard this ALL before,” which IMO supports this interpretation. He has heard these exact accusations before, down to the wording. They’re ritualised.

Wake recites her charges without any hint of doubt; she’s definitely convinced she IS telling the truth. What I find interesting is the contrast between her very precisely worded charges, and the fact that she follows them up with factually incorrect information. This:

Ok, here’s the thing. John didn’t kill ten billion people with “A” BOMB. Note the singular here. It’s peculiar, because she was SO specific just before, and because this is Wake—she knows her shit about weapons; she would know that it’s way, way more likely to kill billions of people with repeated strikes instead of one (1) huge bomb. And “bomb” it’s not a word that people tend to use in the singular whee they mean multiple bombs. I really think that, given the context, she TRULY means to say that BoE lore has it that John Gaius wiped out all of humanity in one blow. She believes it. This isn’t a historical account; this is a flood myth.

I may be overthinking this, but it’s fun to do it, so. What this conversation says (TO ME, until Alecto proves me wrong etc.) is

BoE believe they know how the destruction of humanity came about.

Their account was probably passed down the generation, and it’s become part of their mythology. It’s entirely not factually correct.

This could be due to simply the fact that it’s been millennia and many records went lost, leaving legends. OR it could be because of other reasons (propaganda?). Also: if we take the apparent (but not confirmed) implication that the non-House planets were settled by descendants of the FTL fleet, there’s the fact that the ships were in orbit while Earth was actually being destroyed—they may have been aware of a bomb exploding as they took off, causing a loss of communication with Earth, but it’s a massive fucking leap from “Melbourne went dark” to “kiwi necro guy killed off all of humanity”. They were already at the edge of the solar system when John “grabbed one” of the ships, but I doubt he was in any way recognisable, you know? It’s more likely he looked like an angry nebula. The FTL fleet would Not know exactly what happened.

(Anyway I’m writing out this because I’m about to start a NtN reread and I remember finishing up my Harrow reread in August and being yet again struck by all the details in this conversation—hence tagging it as #nona reread. Very excited to go obsessing over NtN now.)

#tlt thoughts #nona reread #commander wake #ejg #tlt #htn #blood of eden

[g1deonthefirst]

sorry to be annoying in your asks, but i just don't get how people can defend the way john treats women. the other women in john's circle (harrow, kiriona, Anastasia and even Alecto) have been abused into silence so they can't verbally challenge him the way mercy,ianthe & wake do. they're not "bitches or nags", they're women stuck in a house with an angry man, and that's fucking terrifying

please don't apologize i love getting asks. and LITERALLY you are so right!! i actually wouldn't say that ianthe verbally challenges john at all — she badmouths him behind his back for sure, but we see that she's very much doing the groveling routine to his face. and for good reason! he positions himself as an omnipotent god! he grooms harrow and kills alecto and anastasia, and eventually he kills mercymorn too, even as he gives augustine a second chance. the smartest thing to do in ianthe's position is to suck up to him, because he's made it clear that he has a pattern of violence toward the women around him. and what really startles me is when people don't seem to notice the difference in the way john treats augustine and mercymorn: augustine calls him john, they make your mom jokes together and rib each other, and the power that john wields over him is still present but a little more subtle. meanwhile mercymorn calls him teacher, and he's constantly undermining her authority and mocking her in front of both other lyctors and cohort officials. and by undermining and ignoring her, he forces her to nag him to get anywhere, which only serves to further undermine her. i just don't understand how people can read this playing out and conclude that mercymorn is just a bitch and that john's dynamics with harrow and ianthe are all well and fine.

#john #tlt #asks

[thewhitefluffyhat]

thinking about saltwater

You know, before reading Nona the Ninth, I’d headcanoned pretty hard that saltwater offers some kind of protection against necromancy. Hence the Ninth’s tradition about secrets. Hence the moat with tides in the Locked Tomb. Hence Canaan House being on an island surrounded by the stuff, potentially to keep those ten billion angry ghosts at bay.

And yet, in NtN, Nona’s love of saltwater seems much less an arcane property of necromancy, and much more a simple longing for what Alecto once was. The saltwater creature, the ghost of the planet Earth that is notably covered in the substance.

So with the new details from NtN in mind - where does the Ninth’s tradition stem from? Did Alecto and Anastasia make their secret vow in a pool? If so, why?

Honestly, I’d find it tragic even if there isn’t some Important Necromancy Reason behind it. Like, maybe the ceremonial pool was originally just a plain old pool that someone in Anastasia’s day installed for Alecto so she could chill in it whenever she visited. But regardless, after the passing of a myriad, what may have once been a gesture intended for comfort and solace became instead a symbol of horror and guilt for Harrow.

Relatedly, here’s another mystery I hadn’t puzzled out even by the end of the NtN: why is Nona dreaming of the Pool Scene from GtN? And not just once, that’s literally the only dream she ever has. It’s unusual enough it seems like a detail that should have some magical explanation - like how Harrow on the Mithraeum only ever dreamed of her River Bubbles or conversations with the Body.

But unlike Harrow, Nona isn’t able to communicate in her dreams - so they’re probably not the River. Meanwhile, if Nona’s dreams were merely emotional moments that were important to Gideon and Harrow, then I’d expect the fight with Cytherea or other GtN scenes to also make an appearance.

So is it something about the presence of saltwater that made the Pool Scene conversation transmit or resonate with Alecto-as-the-Body, and therefore Alecto-as-Nona? ...That kind of brings me back to my original theory about saltwater having some magical property to it, doesn’t it?

But what if I got it backwards? What if, rather than blocking out necromantic interference and eavesdropping, saltwater does the opposite?

Perhaps, when you speak in saltwater - particularly in the Nine Houses - you may get the sense that someone is listening, as though your words were a prayer spoken in a church. Perhaps the Ninth’s tradition was thus: that to speak a secret in saltwater is to whisper it to the sacred Tomb, to bare your words and your sins before Alecto herself.

#the locked tomb #nona the ninth #alecto the first #nona #harrowhark nonagesimus #ntn spoilers #tlt analysis #my ramblings #my tlt stuff #much like harrow's parents knowing the importance of her bloodline #but clearly not the reason *why* it was important #one imagines they would have been horrified had they known this...

[mayasaura]

Here to share your confusion about John & the RBs because I too am Puzzled! He says he 'acted' scared but he can't actually be killed, but the he turns around in NtN and says 'we were on the clock for the resurrection beasts' as a reason for? lying about the lyctor process? locking alecto in the tomb? both? and it's all clear as mud. I'm still trying to understand if the RBs are attracted to the lyctors or just to John (he implies the first one but... liar) and what even would happen if they caught up to him. I figure John is part RB himself but that doesn't make it any clearer *massive shrug* can't trust anything he says. Why even lie!

Anyway. Glad to know I'm not the only one extremely confused by this.

Yeah! There is so much missing or conflicting information around John and the Resurrection Beasts. What do they want? Why is John keyed up about them if they can't kill him? What can they do to him?

Looking at the exchange where he dismisses them as a threat, I think not being afraid of the RBs might be the lie by implication:

Augustine pressed his lips together; that was it. God said, “It was a lovely bit of work on Mercymorn’s part. She must have been training for thousands of years, to bring that off. But I didn’t get to where I am by being able to die, you know?” The Lyctor said, “The Resurrection Beasts—” “Can’t kill me.” “You acted afraid—” “Acted is operative. But this is not an FAQ. Let’s get a move on. Gideon,” he said.

He's avoiding talking about it. He's just been blindsided by a murder attempt from one of his oldest friends, he's putting on a show of not caring about something we know is going to send him into a manic depression spiral later, and he's about to puff himself up like an angry bird, demanding oaths of loyalty from everyone present (except his kid). He feels threatened, and instead of using the opening to rub in just how invincible he is, he brusquely changes the topic away from the RBs. That suggests to me he is afraid of them, just not of being killed by them. So what are you afraid of, John?

“You don’t get your power from Dominicus,” said Augustine. “It gets its power from you. There’s no exchange involved, no symbiosis. You draw nothing from the system. It relies on you entirely, as we all know. You’re God, John. But—as the Edenites are fond of pointing out—you were once a man. So whither that transition? Where does your power come from? Even if the Resurrection had been the greatest thanergy bloom ever triggered, it would drain away over time. And then Mercy said to me—in a moment of true Mercy vileness—she said, What is God afraid of?”

He's afraid of Alecto. He's afraid of her waking up, and by extension he's afraid of losing control over his system and his power. He's afraid of ever being powerless again, of being reliant on anyone who might be able to fail or abuse him. But it can't be that he's afraid of the Resurrection Beasts waking Alecto, because she wasn't entombed yet when he knew he was "on the clock" for them eventually turning up. So what is he afraid of? What can the Resurrection Beasts do?

Hm. Well, we found out two very important things in Nona: They can talk. And they consider Alecto to be one of them.

The Captain opened her mouth and said, “Get him. Get him. Get him. He flees.” “I can’t,” said Nona. “I can’t do anything. I don’t want to do anything.”

“Do you love?” said the Captain’s mouth. Nona struggled. “Yes—no—yes,” she said, then: “I don’t know what it means. I say it, and I don’t know what it means … Did I ever know what it meant?” “Green thing,” said the Captain. “Green-and-breathing thing, big ghost, the drinker, transformed, what will you eat now? Where will your body go? What did he do to you, to make you this way? You eat yourself. I gorge on unliving marrow.”

He's afraid of losing Alecto, so maybe he's afraid of the Resurrection Beasts turning her against him. He's afraid of her being able to speak to others of her kind, her kin, who might understand her in a way he can never hope to. Who might be able to make her understand what he's done.

And he may be right to be afraid.

Nona lay on her back atop the stretched canvas, and Nona’s mouth said— “Just wait. Just help me … help me do this. I might be different … soon.”

#well that was a fun romp through the string board thank you!! #I had no idea where I was going with this when I started but as I gathered the bits and pieces and rotated them in my mind.... #now I have a theory #nona the ninth #ntn spoilers #tlt meta #the locked tomb #emperor john gaius #resurrection beasts #alecto the first

[katakaluptastrophy]

Thinking some more about Harrow's horror at Jod's touch.

Harrow arriving on the Mithraeum, led 'like sacrifices to the bier', unable to refuse god because the 'meat of [her] meat' belongs to him:

He stood and, horror upon horrors, came down the aisle to you; he looked you both over, as though he were glad to see you... some nameless softening in his face and in those white-ringed, primordial eyes. He reached out for your hands. You could not refuse him, and in any case had no choice of doing so; your body reacted long before your mind did, and the meat of your meat and the flesh of your flesh belonged to God.

Alecto to Pyrrah, as her memories surface:

“Did you think this was fun, Pyrrha Dve? Did you think this was lovely? Family. Blood. Together. Kiss, kiss. A child’s game. You say nice words and everyone pretends they are the words you say. Here is a house. We live in it. Worms slithering over each other … Did you like playing pretend? Did you like being mother and father? You should have given into your desires and eaten us. Chew and swallow. More natural. Would have respected you for it…”

And Alecto, on her 'altar', reaching out to Harrow:

The child rose and said, O corse of the Locked Tomb, I have loved thee all my life, with mine whole soul, and with mine whole strength. I would to God that I find grace in thy eyes. Destroy me according to thy word, for I love thee. Alecto was angry, and raised her up, and kissed her. The child did not cry out, though blood fell from her lips and tongue, and she was wounded sore. For Alecto knew not how to kiss, except such as it involved the mouth and teeth. And Alecto said to her, Why are you not appeased? That is how meat loves meat.

Thinking about John playing father. Both as a paternal god and in his much more human desire to see himself in Harrow.

About John killing the earth and putting her soul in the body of his favourite childhood toy, telling her he did it for her, and her telling him that she loves him.

About how Harrow and Alecto both perceive John's paternal love as possession, as a natural violence.

#the locked tomb #tlt meta #john gaius #harrowhark nonagesimus #alecto tlt

[alloutofgoddesses]

Percy Jackson TV thoughts -

Season 1, Episode 3

(I’m a book reader and I’m not holding back book spoilers)

The attic is show creaky

And apparently so is Percy

Walker is doing an incredible job portraying Percy’s “I hate everything” attitude

The craziest line reading it’s so stilted thank you Timm Sharp. Also condescending which is very Gabe

That’s awkward as hell why would you gather all the “good candidates”

BLACKJACK HIIIIIII BLACKJACK

Grover you’re killing me

That backpacks full of apples and tin cans you can’t fool me Underwood

Percy is SO FUNNY HELP

“Don’t mix ‘em up” Luke I know I can’t trust you stop being witty

THERE THEY ARE

Annabeth saying goodbye to Thalia… I’m losing it she’s just a BABY

I shouldn’t laugh but I think Thalia would so we’re good

Percy. She’s always in charge.

So no Seaweed Brain and Wisegirl? Rick when I find you

Percy you could’ve put them in your bag and left the box

The way Grover’s hair is styled to cover the horns more when they’re in the mortal world… hairdressers I love you

Can I have the full consensus song please I think it would actually be helpful

Also Grover being a 24 year old dealing with squabbling twelve year olds… Gods speed dude

Annabeth is so perfect. Like. She’s so annoying. It’s spot on. Annabeth is annoying in the books

SCREAM ALECTO!!! They hired the perfect actress for these lines

I get the plot reasons but if you had time to pick up anything WHY THE SHOES AND NOT THE BAG WITH MONEY IN IT PERCY

Please tell me they’re getting rid of the idea that demigods can’t use technology. I always thought it was dumb

Oh no Uncle Ferdinand…

Absolutely laying the tracks for Percy telling the gods to do better by their kids *chef’s kiss*

SO YOU FOLLOW IT? Grover you’re better than this

Hey. If the cyclops next season have those talons. I’m gonna be SO SCARED the whole time

MEEEDDDUUUUSSSSAAAAA!!!! I desperately want to cosplay this

I love the changes already

Percy… that beautiful fatal flaw

I mean yeah you’re mom is almost always right but still be on guard little man

Annabeth. I can’t wait for you to loosen up. She’s wound as right as a violin string.

*cheers from the crowd* I am fully on Medusa’s side btw. No matter what she was a victim of the god’s whims.

Annabeth my little baby you gotta think about multiple perspectives

The little milkshakes on the side. Does Medusa just wait for people to come along to feed or did she smell Percy from a couple miles away and really quickly whip stuff up

Thank god the box is being left behind

THE BASEMENT REALLY GUYS. There had to have been a back door

A MAIL CARRIER? What did a mail carrier do Medusa

I love that the snakes aren’t standing up like a lot of Medusa artworks portray… they’re noodles they wouldn’t be at attention all the time

Oh now THAT’S INSPIRED. Nkt as iconic as the reflective surface of an iPod though

Who’s gonna remind them there’s still one more. Also does this mean she’s a broken statue forever or since she’s a monster she’s reincarnating in Tartarus? I have so many questions

Oh Uncle Ferdinand. I’m glad Grover got to have an emotional moment that he wasn’t afforded in the book

Hell yeah good job Grover. Sometimes you Do have to be a little mean to get past some stuff.

Oh so we get the “I am impertinent” line verbatim but not SEAWEED BRAIN AND WISE GIRL

Percy I’m obsessed with you

Now who could this be

GAH LOOK AT HIM… he looks just a tad angry though lol

So does he have express straight to the throne room since he’s Hermes or did they change the placement of the elevator

AAAAAHHHHHH I need more immediately

Preview for next ep

Why are they splashing him

SHE’S ON THE BUS?!?!?!

Very excited for the arch… I’ve been there and I will be honest I only remember some of the museum stuff at the bottom and how claustrophobic the top is so I’m excited to hopefully jog my memory

#PJO tv #percy jackson #percy jackson and the olympians

[toomanyfandoms-notenoughfics]

Celestial Beings

Chapter Seven: New Faces

Characters: Reader, Molly Weasley, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Kreatcher, Alecto Carrow, Nymphadora Tonks, Ginny, Fred, George, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger

Summary: With the keen eye of Kreatcher an intruder is found, and all before an interesting breakfast.

Word Count: 2,819

Warnings: Cursing, Mentions of Torture, Use of a paralyzing spell

Reminders: @rainychaosmiracle

A/N: Hi guys, I meant to post a lil update the other day but completely spaced. I think I'll be moving my posting days to Sunday rather than Fridays, it's easier for me to keep up with.

Sirius called for Kreatcher as soon as (y/n) left his room. The house elf instantly appeared, rubbing his eyes, tired. He glared up at his master, very obviously displeased with being woken up.

“There’s a mirror on the floor down the hall, Kreatcher. I need you to put it in the off-limits room downstairs.” Sirius ordered.

“Whatever you say, Master Black.” Kreatcher snaps his fingers and vanishes, coming back nearly instantly. “There isn’t any mirror, sir.”

“What? I saw it, (y/n) even kicked it away from me.” Sirius looked puzzled, running a hand through his hair. “Check again Kreatcher, check the entire house for it.”

“Any old mirror, sir?” Kreatcher raised an eyebrow.

“No, small, hand-held. Possibly silver.” Sirius instructed. “Something you’ve not seen before.”

“Sirius, what if only (y/n) can see it, or make it seen?” Remus thought aloud.

“I’ll see what I can find,” Kreatcher muttered, vanishing once more.

“She was the only one that could hear it, she found it in a section of the hall not commonly used, she’s the one that moved it before you could touch it.” Remus scratched his head. “Sirius, if You-Know-Who knows she’s not being tortured anymore, that she’s at least partially cooperating, he won’t just be angry with her…”

“He’ll be enraged. And with the sight she has, he’ll do his best to drive her towards him somehow, but not without punishing her first.” Sirius sighed. “How are we supposed to fight against something neither of us can see?”

“That’s not entirely true though is it?” Remus plopped down into the old chair (y/n) had previously been sitting in. “You saw it when you were reaching for it.”

“Yeah, but I don’t remember seeing it after I got her to stand up.” the dark-haired man grabbed a bottle of fire whiskey out from his desk, sitting in the wooden chair. “Actually, the only time I saw the mirror was when she kicked it away.”

“Were you touching her?” Remus asked, stretching his legs out. “You told me you were trying to comfort her at first, so she could tell you what was wrong. How?”

“I hugged her, my hand was still on her shoulder when she kicked it away.” Sirius realized. “Of course, why would he trust what she told him about seeing the spells when he could just as easily see them himself by using her.”

“That’s why she’s important to him. But why would he want the Order to take her prisoner?” Remus scratched his chin. “We know Lucius is the one who tipped us off, we’ve never been able to find her before. So what did he need her gone for, or rather need her to be here for?”

“(Y/n) has been in a cell until yesterday.” Sirius was perplexed. “She could only see the barrier spells we had, so far that’s all she’s seen. What good could that do?” the men both sat in silence, trying to figure out what could possibly be the Dark Lord’s motive for letting his own daughter get kidnapped.

They both ended up falling asleep in their respective chairs, Sirius halfway flopped over onto the desk, the bottle of whiskey still in his hand. Remus had laid his head back against the wall, his mouth slightly agape, snoring softly. They were both awoken by Kreatcher’s return, making both men jump awake. Sirius knocked the whiskey over, spilling the remainder onto the floor.

“Damnit!” he grabbed a dirty towel and started soaking it up off the wooden floor. “What’d find Kreatcher?”

“No unknown hand-held mirrors, Master Black,” Kreatcher reported, holding up a small wriggling bag. “However I did find a pest. A small field mouse, quite far from home.”

“Animagus or mouse?” Remus asked, leaning forwards.

“Not certain. Found her hiding in a spot she shouldn’t have been able to get to though.” the house-elf handed Sirius the bag, backing away quickly. Sirius dumps the mouse out of the bag onto his hand, grasping it quickly.

“Homenum Revelio!” Remus casts, his wand pointed at the small creature. Suddenly a woman appears, growing out of Sirius’s hand and falling to the ground. “Petrificus Totalus!”

“Merlin’s beard! Is that, no it couldn’t be. Alecto Carrow, of course.” Sirius stood up, hoisting the angry-looking woman onto her feet. “Now, how about you explain what it is you’re doing here, in my house?”

“What do you think I’m doin, fucking blood traitor?” she sneers, glaring daggers at him.

“Sirius, perhaps we should get her downstairs?” Remus urges, looking at her nervously. “If, if a certain someone sees it could turn pretty badly.” he nods his head towards the wall against (y/n)‘s room.

“Kreatcher, take Ms. Carrow downstairs. Put her in the cell, make sure she can’t escape in any way.” Sirius barks at his house-elf.

“Sure thing, Master Black.” the house-elf grumbles, looking quite upset. He grabbed Alecto’s arm, vanishing quickly.

“I think it’s time we make up Molly, don’t you?” Remus says fixing his ruffled shirt.

“Better tell her she has someone else to make food for. What are we going to tell (y/n)?” Sirius asked. “We’ll have to, can’t exactly preach about honesty and doing the right thing if we can’t do it either.”

“We’ll just tell them the truth, Kreatcher caught an intruder.” Remus shrugged, opening the door and walking out into the hall. “We put them in the cell and will question them later, after they’ve had some time to stew.”

“So, you want to leave out the important parts, such as who it is and what they were most likely doing here?” Sirius rolled his eyes. “And people think I’m the sketchy one.”

“Don’t judge, she just still isn’t quite sure who she is yet. I don’t want her to feel pressured to make a choice too soon.” Remus explains, lowering his voice as they pass by (y/n)‘s room. “You should’ve seen them yesterday after they accidentally woke your mother’s portrait… she’s in a delicate place. And with what happened last night, she’s got more than enough to worry about.”

“You’re right.” Sirius gave in. “If Alecto is here, her brother probably isn’t far behind. We’ll have to eventually let her go if we don’t want the entirety of You-Know-Who’s army on us.”

“We can let her go later tonight, oblivate all her memories of Grimwald Place and leave her in the Forbidden Forest.” Remus suggests. “See what we can get from her first, which won’t be much.”

“Yeah, but anything is better than nothing,” Sirius says, heading up a flight of stairs and knocking on Molly Weasley’s door. After a few minutes of waiting she comes to the door, rubbing the crusties out of her eyes and yawning.

“Remus? Sirius? Is something wrong?” she asked.

“We have another guest in the basement, Alecto Carrow,” Sirius tells her. “Also, (y/n) had an ‘incident’ earlier tonight.”

“An incident?” Molly quirks an eyebrow. “What kind of incident? She didn’t let Carrow in did she?”

“No, no, not at all,” Remus assures her. “Rather when she was going to bed she heard whispers, followed them, and found a mirror with You-Know-Who staring directly at her.”

“You mean, he knows she’s not in the basement anymore?” Molly seems more alert. “Is she okay?”

“She isn’t, not that she’ll admit it to either us or herself right now.” Sirius sighs. “And we think that he might’ve been banking on that somehow, though we aren’t sure why.”

“What time is it?” Molly asks, pushing past the two men. “Tonks said she would be here by breakfast today. And with what you’ve just told me, we could use her help.”

“I’m not sure, three? Four maybe.” Remus guesses, lifting his watch up to check. “I was close, it’s a quarter to four in the morning.”

“Right well, I’ll head downstairs and start on breakfast for everyone. You two should go check the defenses. I’m assuming one of you has a plan for our friend in the basement?”

“We’re going to obliviate her tonight, drop her in the Forbidden Forest,” Sirius confirms for her. She nods, heading down the stairs, using her wand for light. Sirius looks at his friend. “I’ll check the top floors, you check the bottom?”

“Meet you in the dining room in an hour.” Remus heads down the stairs, his wand in hand.

(Y/n) headed down the stairs as soon as the sun hit the top of her door. She hadn’t slept much, at most she had an hour she believed. The dining room was mostly empty, only Ginny was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper aloud so her mother could hear. She gave (y/n) a small wave. Molly placed a basket of freshly made croissants on the table, giving (y/n) a sweet smile.

“I didn’t hear you come in, (y/n).” The older woman said, brushing her hands onto her apron. “Have a seat, everyone else should be down shortly. Oh, we also have another member of the Order joining us today.”

“She’s great, you’ll love her,” Ginny said, grabbing a croissant. “She’s a little strange though, at least most people seem to think so.”

“Okay.” (Y/n) sat down in the same place she had been the night before.

“You alright, dear?” Molly asked, looking worried. “If you’re not feeling up to it I can always bring you breakfast in bed.”

“I’m fine.” (Y/n) forced a tired smile onto her face. “Just not used to sleeping in an actual bed again is all.”

“Are you sure?” the older woman walked over to her, putting her hand on (y/n)‘s forehead. “You don’t have a fever… if you swear that you’re fine, you’re fine I guess.” she leans in close enough to whisper in the young woman’s ear. “Remus and Sirius told me about last night, just let me know if there is anything I can do, okay?”

“I promise, I’m fine.” (Y/n) avoided eye contact, her face reddening.

“Morning, Ginny. Molly.” Remus said entering the room, pausing when he saw (y/n) in her seat. “Morning (y/n), how’d you sleep?”

“Not used to the bed yet.” she lied smoothly, not looking at him directly. “Morning George, morning Fred,” she told the twins as they entered in behind Remus.

“Morning.” They said in unison.

“Is she here yet?” Fred asked his mother, a hopeful look on his face.

“Not yet, should be any minute though,” Molly told him, heading back towards the kitchen. “Ginny, would you mind helping me with the rest of breakfast?”

“Coming!” Ginny hopped out of her seat, handing her brothers the paper. Hermione and Ron walked in soon after, wishing everyone good morning as they took their own seats.

“Good morning Weasleys, morning Remus!” a woman with pink hair exclaimed as she entered, followed closely by Sirius. “A new face, you must be (y/n).” she held her hand out. “Name’s Nymphadora Tonks, but everyone just calls me Tonks.”

“Hi.” (Y/n) carefully shook her hand. “Uh, nice to meet you?”

“You sure put the “Mad” in Mad-Eye’s nickname, huh? Merlin, he wouldn’t stop complaining, hell he’s still complaining.” Tonks laughed. “And of course, I’m the one that has to listen to it all. Last time I apprentice under someone with the title “mad” in their nickname, huh? Just non-stop; “She won’t say a word, only laughs when I try to get information from her. I’ve been interrogating her for weeks, and still haven’t learned a thing! If i could just find some way to prove to her that it’s in her best interest to cooperate, oh I’ll be the happiest person alive!”

“Tonks, I don’t think this is an approp-” Remus starts, but Tonks waves him off, not listening.

“I tried to tell him, you know. You’re You-Know-Who’s kid, of course you aren’t gonna crack under torture.” Tonks munches on a croissant, leaning back in one of the seats. “I told him, you’re gonna have to get creative. Think outside of the box.”

(Y/n)‘s face must’ve given her thoughts away, Sirius putting his hand on her should as she abruptly stood up. Tonks’s smile fell and she pointed her wand at (y/n) defensively. (Y/n) pushed Sirius’s hand away, glaring at him and storming out of the room. Remus shot Tonk’s a glare, shaking his head at her.

“I tried to warn you, you don’t know what all Moody did to her down there. Hell, I doubt we know everything either.” Remus growled. Sirius chased after (y/n), following her into the hallway.

“Hey, I’m sorry about her. She doesn’t mean anything by it-” Sirius starts apologizing.

“Why does everyone always have to bring it up?” (Y/n) turns towards him, tears in her eyes, fists balled up. “Every time I’ve met someone after I graduated, it’s been brought up. No one ever can ignore the fact that he’s my father. As if I had a say in the matter!”

“(Y/n)…” Sirius says softly, looking at her carefully.

“And then gloating about how she was the one that pushed Moody to “get creative”? Just icing on the fucking cake.” she paced up and down the hall. “Even Lucius wouldn’t have gone as far as Moody did. Stealing memories from someone who can’t defend themself? It’s low, like something my father would think of low. And she’s laughing about it? To my face?”

“She doesn’t know. Not all of it at least.” Sirius tells her, stopping her in her tracks. “We haven’t had the chance to tell her yet. Didn’t want to risk anyone other than the Order finding out.”

“What?” she is taken aback, not sure what to say. Sirius steps towards her, closing the distance.

“Tonks doesn’t know about what Moody did. I doubt he even told her exactly what he did in his “interrogations”. She just doesn’t have the best of social skills.” Sirius explains. “She means well, truly, she just isn’t the best with expressing it.”

“Does that include pointing her wand at me?” (Y/n) spits back. “Or was that part of her charm too?”

“No, that was out of line.” Sirius agrees. “I’ll have a talk with her later about it.” They were both quiet for a moment. “C’mon, let’s go eat breakfast. Just let me know if you need a second okay?”

“Fine, but I’m not talking to her.” (Y/n) huffs, reluctantly heading back into the dining room. Everyone was quiet when she entered, Tonks was sitting at the farthest end of the table from(Y/n)‘s seat. Remus flashed (y/n) a small smile, pulling out her chair for her as Molly placed the last plate of food onto the table.

Breakfast was painstakingly slow, with very little chit-chat. Hermione and Ginny spoke in hushed tones, eyeing Tonks and (y/n) while talking. (Y/n) barely ate any food, mostly just moving it around on her plate. Sirius and Molly both tried to get a conversation going, to no avail. Tonks avoided looking anywhere near (y/n)‘s direction the entire time.

(Y/n) rushed out as soon as Molly grabbed the first of the dishes from the table, making her way up the stairs and to her room. She quickly shut the door and grabbed a book she had started reading, perching on the bench by the window. She ignored the knocks at her door, not wanting to face the reality that was on the other side of it. No one knew that she had heard them earlier this morning, talking about Alecto Carrow being the new guest in the basement, their plans to obliviate her memories of this place.

Knowledge at this point felt like the ultimate bane of her existence, a curse worse than anything her father could think of. She knew no one found the mirror last night, as it was currently sitting in her desk drawer, the bright purple glow seeping through the cracks. She didn’t remember putting it in there, let alone leaving her room to grab it. The whispering was muffled, still not quite making sense. She wasn’t sure how to get rid of it, every time she thought about it she felt like her head was going to explode, a pain like a red-hot fire poker directly behind her eyes.

The same pain happened when she thought about telling someone about the mirror and its location. She wanted to, desperately, she wanted to tell them everything but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. The pain was too immense and the guilt of lying to them was starting to become just as bad. She felt like she wasn’t worth all the trouble everyone was going through, trying to make her feel safe and not judged. What was the point if all she brought was problems and more lies?

~~{𝘌𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯}~~

#remus lupin x reader x sirius black #sirius black #remus lupin #sirius black x reader #harry potter #harry potter imagine #sirius black imagine #remus lupin imagine #molly weasley #george weasley #ron weasley #ginny weasley #fred weasley #hermione granger #alecto carrow #kreatcher #nymphadora tonks #tonks

[paradoxcase]

@wellhappybirthdaytomeiguess:

A couple things: Pash and Cam/Pal eliminated all the Merv Wing folks, so this is We Suffers branch. The security measures they put in place I think assumed ‘Sweet Simple Nona’ and not ‘Eldritch Monster Nona.’

I mean, I feel like they were expecting her to be an eldritch monster since they were still shooting her? Well, someone at some point said to disengage, but that was after they all lined up outside the room to shoot at her

There is definite debate over who is saying ‘Fool. You’re killing her.’ In this instance, I personally think the ‘her’ is Harrow (her body) and I think it’s said by some piece of Gideon still in there to the overarching Nona. But I am probably massively wrong.

Well, it makes me feel better that that question is never actually answered in the book, since I don't have any better idea, either

I think you are spot on about Nona’s tantrum reminds Pyrrha of. And if the body horror of the opening part of this chapter is any indication…oh my.

Yeah, back in Harrow the Ninth I wasn't sure what the Lyctors meant about Alecto being monstrous since by all accounts she seemed to have a regular human body and they seemed to think she was a regular human. But if she sometimes treated her body the way Nona treats her body here, I can see them saying that

‘Remembering her teeth’ simply means she’s about to start tearing flesh with them pretty soon, I think!

Oh, like since she's feeling like her body is foreign to her right now, she's only sometimes remembering what body parts she has that she can use to express her anger?

At its core, most folks think the cause of this third tantrum was Nona being chained/tied/zipped/locked up. And there are definitely a couple of characters who might reasonably be enraged about waking up tied to a chair or bed in a locked room. Interesting too that Nona holding the chair leg is described as holding it as if it were a broadsword if I recall correctly.

Hmm, it says she brandished it "like a sword", but I don't know if that's enough to indicate Gideon? I think Nona has said that she's familiar with Camilla's swords, right?

And yeah, I mean, I would probably freak out too, if someone ziptied me to some chairs. I can see why BOE maybe thought that was a smart idea since they tie them up when bringing them to the facility, too, but still.

@eye-lantern:

For the strength thing, to me it's like neural adaptation and hysteric strength. Our mind muscle connexion has a set strain that it can inflict on muscles and tendons to avoid us injuring ourselves. Powerlifters and athletes train to add muscle mass but also to make this limit adapt closer to their max strength, but it mostly stays below permanent damage. Some lifters clean break their tendons, tear muscle fibers by going to hard. After Eddy Hall lifted 500 p he fainted and had to be hospitalized. During that one biggest effort they deploy strength way beyond what a non lifter can exert per kg of muscle. Nona can go further, and absolutely destroy her body to create impossible proportional strength. Hitting a door with all you strength would do little because you hit under the strength you will shatter your bones at, but Nona's hits would render her unable to move. Because she has no instinct of preserving her own body.

Thanks, that's interesting! And Nona destroying her body this way still doesn't stop her because she has the Lyctor healing ability, so as long as she doesn't damage herself faster than her body can heal she can just keep going

@wellhappybirthdaytomeiguess:

yeah, I feel like we are really seeing a sort of mental breakdown of John here, at least a bit. Cassieopia was so right. You can save the world, or you can have revenge. You can't do both. John says he wants both, but I personally think he was so so so angry about the trillionaires that he couldn't think straight.

Yeah, it's making more and more sense that John is Gen Z - I feel like so many younger online spaces are sort of focused on people being angry and less on like, what can we do to help. Maybe that's just how it is when you're younger, but I don't remember being that angry when I was a teenager? And like, we had stuff to be angry about, that was back when Dubya was in office and doing the "War on Terror" because of the "WMDs" that turned out not to actually exist and so forth. But I feel like I see more irrational anger like this in some places now

#the locked tomb #wellhappybirthdaytomeiguess #eye-lantern