Random Things I Hear Pt 4

I'm the type of person to destroy myself with knowledge.. needing to know exactly how something happened, even if its gruesome. So when nesta looked into the dead eyes of the king I felt that

you are good even when you are unemployed.

you are good even when you need to rely on others’ help.

you are good even when you are depressed.

you are good even when you are hurt.

you are good even when you are scared.

you are good even when you are overwhelmed.

you are good even when you are not tidy.

you are good even when you are confused.

you are good even when you have difficulty performing tasks.

you are good even when you feel like you’ll never measure up to being an adult.

symptoms are not morality.

My day in keywords: annoying headache, unsatisfying nap, sexy Eris dream

Throne of Glass Rant - chapter 34 is actually so vile

This might be early since I haven't finished the book yet but

SJM is a misogynistic mastermind, like to the point that her work should be studied to understand it

This last chapter so perfectly encapsulated the hierarchy of misogyny and white supremacy

500 black freedom fighters are murdered by the oppressive colonial regime

The black Princess of that kingdom comes to her white friend, the FMC, crying and seeking comfort

This is summed up in two paragraphs, saying the Princess cried then went back to being a Strong Black Woman™ "tears dried and shoulders squared once more."

The narrative then shifts completely to the white FMC but instead of sitting with what has happened and resolving to kill the head of the regime.

The focus is on the fact that she's having her period and it's particularly painful. Already her personal pain eclipses the horror of the systemic oppression of black people and the grief of her friend.

The Male Lead #2 comes along and tries to talk about his own disillusionment with his country after the horrific event but FMC vomits to shift the audience's attention once again. It's played off a little humourous, what a dopey guy - he realises she's on her period, blushes and leaves.

Enter Male Lead #1 : first, he must flirt correctly by ignoring her discomfort and downplaying her pain, staying when she asks him to leave.

Then when she has snapped and become the bad guy for reacting to him, her guilt eases the way for her to ignore her pain to accommodate him.

She is on the back foot but he saves her by reaching out a hand to put them on a more equal and intimate ground - "don't call me by my title, call me by my name"

(The narrative will ignore that he is in her bedroom while she's on her period and therefore it has been quite the intimate setting all along because that's not sexy, it's just an invasion of personal space)

Now that they've slipped into this intimacy he reaches for the go to "you probably hate me🥺" knowing damn well she has every right to not like him. In this case his father invaded and conquered her country only 10 years ago, she was enslaved in a mine only 3 months ago and now she's forced to fight to earn her own freedom

Still though, the guilt of her earlier outburst and his sudden vulnerability will soften her

He carries on about how he's ashamed of his father and afraid to act out against him.

"I have no choice 😔" says the prince to the prisoner

And she eats it up - look how soft and lonely he is in this palace, thinks the girl with whip scars on her back, guards outside her door and no family left living. She forgets her cramps and suddenly it's her heart not her vagina that's bleeding

a white man's emotional pain >

a white woman's physical pain >

the murder and grief of black people >

The perfect hierarchy of misogyny + racism

FUCK THIS FUCKING CHAPTER AND FUCK SJM FOR REAL

u ever in such a bad mood u feel urself turning evil?

I’m pretty deep in the autumn court rabbit hole so I wanted to share a few things I’ve noticed/decided on that will be included or part of Exile (which is having a name change but it’s what we’re working with atm):

The Autumn Court is likely culturally European (more specifically it is an amalgamation of Britain and France).

Why? Of all the people we know from The Autumn Court (Beron, Eris and Lucien), two out of three of those names are French and additionally Beron is also from the Old English word Baron.

Then the name Vanserra is made up of ‘Van’ and ‘Serra’.

‘Van’ can be both a given name and a Dutch prefix, ‘Van’ is a Dutch prefix meaning ‘of’ or ‘from’.

‘Van’ as a given name is derived from the English surname ‘Vance’ meaning ‘marshland’.

‘Serra’ is derived from the Latin word for ‘saw’, and later Italian.

The naming traditions in Autumn are ultimately rooted in Latin origin; as are both the French and English languages. Both are heavily reliant on Latin as the origins of the majority of their words.

Therefore culturally, I believe Autumn has a very distinct European feel (think the English and French Courts circa 1500-1600)

In terms of politics and court relations.

Aesthetically I think Autumn is once again the union of French baroque/rococo and English country manor.

Lots of greenery and sprawling gardens; jewel tones with architecture inspired by Versailles and the French Courts.

Fashion I think Autumn would favour heavier and more modest dresses that The Night Court to both accommodate the colder weather and the ceremony of court life.

Lots of Autumnal tones and colours, damask fabrics and intricate needlework.

The men all wear beautiful tunics and robes that are a mix between Tudor style doublets and the long coats of the Rococo era. & lots of riding boots.

Of course at the timeline of the acotar series Autumn still worship The Mother and the creation story involving the cauldron.

But there are those in Autumn that still worship the Old Gods or the First Gods, primordial spirits of the forest and land.

Distinctly Pagan vibes; heavily inspired by Celtic paganism & the festivals celebrated by the Romans (these two things might seem very different but share a lot in common)

Even though these Old Gods are not worshipped widely anymore in Autumn, their festivals are still a large part of the culture and way of life in Autumn.

The celebrate the equinox, solstices, and special holidays that honour specific stages of the life cycle/seasons (they celebrate, the spring, the harvest, the winter solstice, the summer solstice, and then festivals to honour the gods of the forests, and hunting goddesses)

All very nature focused and giving thanks for all the earth provides.

A lot of these festivals and the rituals performed during them is a celebration and a time to give back to the earth.

Lots of campfires and ritual dances, oracles and prophecy.

& drinking!

Oh before I forget! The Vanserra motto is ‘vulpes pilum mutat, non mores’ meaning ‘a fox may change its skin but never it’s character’

Eris’ own personal motto is ‘le tiemps viendra’ which translates to ‘the time will come’.

Lil Anne Boleyn reference there for you guys

But seriously he’s just waiting for his dad to die, or be killed.

The seven Vanserra brothers are all named; Eris, Torian, Aurin, Leon, Julien, Adrien and Lucien.

Eris is a massive asshole with many layers of trauma so I need his mate to be fucking insane, like worse than him. Jude and Cardan style but they’re both murderers <3

narratives about doomed love that aren’t romantic in nature. the love between siblings who understand each other the most but are growing apart no matter how much they try to come back to one another. the love between friends whose life paths pull them apart and they never see each other again, only remembering the face of a once kind childhood. the love for a hometown that year by year becomes less and less the one that raised you until you are a foreigner in your own backyard. there was no stopping it. the love was there and it mattered and you can never come back again.