#⚙️ nonsie

[bookwyrminspiration]

Sophie with a sword. Thoughts?

-⚙️

girl with sword pretty

#kotlc #kotlc fanart #sophie foster #quil's queries #quil's quill #⚙️ nonsie #pretend she has correct sword grip I used zero (0) references or accuracy <3 #anyway. aesthetically? sophie with a sword is great! #realistically? I don't know if she could truly wield one #i think she'd get freaked out being so close to the damage she's inflicting #and that would make her mess up no matter how hard she tried to overcome it #it would take more time than she has to become comfrotable with it #throwing daggers and goblin stars has a distance to it #she can turn away. distance herself from what's happening #not with a sword #and that. would be a challenge for her I think

[bookwyrminspiration]

….uh he gets a better resume?

Honestly Wylie is the unpaid middle aged intern who has to follow a bunch of college age kids, but like worse.

-⚙️

Wylie is part of the elite group of people who did not choose to be a part of any of this and yet. here he is. also consisting of Marella and Sophie, with Keefe in a grey area. Technically he is a part of a lot of this against his will, but he did choose to get involved with things prior to finding that out.

But the thing is, Sophie, Marella, and Keefe's things that drag them kicking and screaming into this all have to do with them. Their origin and extra abilities, their pyrokinesis, their being experimented on and weird new abilities. Wylie's just there. This was his dad's thing, actually. And his mom's a little in a way. He's only here by association

#FreeWylieFromTheNarrative2024

#kotlc #wylie endal #hey have you every thought about how endal sounds like end all before? #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #because I just thought of that #end all endals... #cyrah's gone prentice was for a while and is now...severely impacted #does wylie's kidnapping count as severe enough to fulfill his quota #or in order to end all endals...is he about to experience some horrors...

[bookwyrminspiration]

Quill I have a very serious question.

How do you the main group of guys (Keefe, Fitz, Dex, Tam and maybe Wylie and Jensi) would do if they were a boy band? Like who would be what, what music would they play, how much controversy would they have, etc.

⚙️

I want so badly to be able to answer this ask but I know next to nothing about boy bands. I don't know how they function I don't know what the tropes are, but I'll try </3

I think Keefe would want to be the center of attention, lead singer who may or may not be able to sing. Dex on something electric is obvious, but I don't know what--keyboard?? Some new instrument he made himself?? Maybe Tam and Fitz on drums/guitar, but I feel like either could fit with each. Do. do boy bands even play instruments. or are they purely vocal. Do they have clarinets and can we give one to Wylie? jensi needs something high energy, are accordions allowed??

Okay, music, what kind. I feel like the one thing they could agree on is loud and defiant. They've all been through so much (sans jensi, he's new to the Situations), and they're so fucking tired of it and just want it to be over and for people to listen and get off their assess and do something. They're tired of fixing the world and want to scream it out. But I don't know if that fits "boy band" style. The stereotype I have in my head is pop, upbeat music with light, bright sounds, but that may be wrong.

The amount of controversy, I'm not sure. Tam might get a lot for being so straightforward and unforgiving in what he wants. maybe a fan gets too familiar and he shuts that down immediately and effectively, and then people say he's controversial for being rude to them about it, but then another part of the internet is like um?? he's just enforcing boundaries he was in the right for that actually. Fitz would unknowing reinforce some biased system and get called out, like he doesn't understand how working hard doesn't get you what you want in life it's all about who you know and what privileges you have, so he'd talk meritocracy shit and be baffled when people pushed back. Dex might throw bombs at their shows. Keefe would be hyperanalyzed by unregulated fans. jensi might accidentally join a pyramid scheme. i'm not sure what wylie would do. perhaps never talking to fans, always turning them away--which again, is an understandable thing but the internet would twist it

As a group, I think they might get overpopular. People complain about how it's a group of mostly white boys with tam and Wylie just to seem diverse. And how their lyrics are overrated and just them screaming and complaining. That they're only popular because people think they're hot, they're not real music. I think they'd have mostly really shallow controversy, maybe one or two true significant scandals--but I think they could bounce back from them. Because they'd genuinely try to make it right, apologize, and do better in the future.

Anyway, I think they'd be a dysfunctional but somehow barely managing it boy band, whatever that entails. Dex plays music but is also somehow running sound and everything behind the scenes simultaneously. Tam doesn't want to be there. Jensi doesn't know why he is there. Someone who knows more about boy bands help me

#kotlc #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #when you say boy band do you mean a Boy Band (TM) or a boy band #like a band of boys #you know I'm asking for clarification but I actually. couldn't do much more with either #i wish I had a better answer #hopefully this is sufficient for now

[bookwyrminspiration]

Wait what if the elf sexless thing is like the nonviolence thing, only instead of them being aware of violence existing at all, they straight up have no clue sex is a thing unless you go to the human world; and they never feel any desire. Sophie introducing the others to sex seems so funny.

Also, hi Quil. Why the heck did you have to tell me about one direction. (Not mad) Did you know that Peach flavoured Crush soda existed?

-⚙️

The Elves Never Got the Birds and the Bees Talk is a hilarious take--though given their involvement with the natural world and animals, I'd presume they understand animals' sexual reproduction

But! We could take that to mean they see sexual reproduction as a thing non-intelligent species do. Cue their horror when they find out humans do it, too--and that they once considered this fucking species intelligent! It's barbaric! Stop filling each other with ooze!

Bonus points if elves are the only ones like that; the ogres, trolls, goblins, etc. also sexually reproduce but elves are so up their own ass they didn't realize. Cultural shock/rift of the millennium when they find out.

also hi, I totally forgot I ever mentioned one direction, so really it's your fault for remembering :). and I don't really like soda so no I did not

#kotlc #kinda nsft #kotlc worldbuilding #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #rip sophie I imagine to her that is the most mortifying possible conversation in the world #she was begging for death when grady and sandor even /suggested/ she had a love life

[bookwyrminspiration]

Quill, I am so sorry for bugging you about random stuff I have seen in the keeper fandom, but you have a larger audience than I do.

So, I was thinking about Trans Sophie, right? And I suddenly remembered that there was this one person on keepblr that had this whole au featuring Trans!Sophie and Trans!Fitz, with Sophie being ftm and Fitz being mtf. Pretty sure their choosen names were Simon and Rainera, or something similar to that. I can’t remember literally who wrote about it, but I do remember reading others fics about it. I thought it was by @/everyonehasthoughts, but there’s nothing on their tumblr about it.

I have no clue if I am making this up, but I would like to know if this was actually real or no.

Sincerely, ⚙️

Hello! No need to apologize, you haven't done anything wrong.

You're right, this was very much a real thing! Simon Foster and Reina Vacker--you can search each of their names (alongside "kotlc") and get a handful of old posts about them, which includes some fic snippets! Perhaps those are what you're thinking of.

And it was @/everyonehasthoughts, you're right, although the original posts don't seem to be available anymore. In fact it looks like a couple years of the blog is blank now, including the time when Simon and Reina were created. I don't know why but I won't be prying deeper.

Reina seems to have been lost to time, but Simon still persists to an extent. I think I've gotten a few asks about him recently enough, and I believe @gay-otlc may have posted about him a time or two recently? Unsure, but I feel like there's a kernel or truth to that.

I don't have a whole lot more information unfortunately, but I can say that yes, Simon and Reina were a real thing and you're not making it up. Look up their names ("[name] kotlc" for example) and you'll be able to see what tumblr remembers!

#kotlc #trans!sophie #trans!fitz #simon foster #reina vacker #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #i hope that helps! #i was vaguely aware of it all because I wasn't too active in the fandom at that time #i was here but I was a smaller blog kinda just hanging out so events like that passed me by

[bookwyrminspiration]

Please please please share any and all thoughts you have about Tam being punk. Punk!Tam is a favorite headcanon of mine, and I would love to hear more about your thoughts on him.

-⚙️

(P.S. You have mentioned a few times that you do not enjoy emojis. I wanted to let you know that if you would prefer it, I am willing to change my signature to something else that is not an emoji.)

Oh where to even begin! He and the person most important to him are victims of their system, of course that manifests as a distrust of said system and the functioning of their world. He's directly experienced is atrocities and is disillusioned, his very existence is a politicized. Of course there's the necessary distinction here that punk ideology/culture as we know it in our world is in response to our world's problems (capitalism, consumerism, our particular inequalities, etc.), so the punk ideology Tam would focus on would be separate, focusing on his world's problems. The twin discrimination, shade stigma, talentless marginalization, etc.

I do think that Tam, if given the choice, would rather just disappear with the people important to him and go do their own thing instead of confront the system head on. Perhaps some sort of anarchist society/situation where people do their own thing, though getting into the specifics of what that would mean is beyond the scope of this ask. However, that's not currently an option for him (no society in place, people he cares about want to stay and fight), so he's fighting because that's his best option.

Related, a detail I can't get out of my mind is the blanket mentioned in Neverseen when Sophie first meets the twins, which is described as "patched together from the craziest bits of fabric" (p. 451); the execution and concept reminds me of punk fashion. Of using what you can find/have available, patching things together and creating something usable and beautiful in its salvaging that would've otherwise been abandoned. The skills needed to make that blanket would translate perfectly into appearance and altering/decorating clothing.

There's so many avenues and specifics to explore with this concept, but to summarize: being punk is largely ideological and being against oppressive, harmful, exploitative systems of government and ruling (of course that definition can be argued, I'm working on the fly here), and Tam is, by nature of his place in society and his experiences, disillusioned and against an oppressive, harmful, exploitative system of government. The issues faced by us and by him may be different, but the sentiment is shared. Tam being punk is not at all a long stretch.

#kotlc #tam song #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #also don't worry about your sign off! #i don't personally like using emojis and I'm not the most fond of them. but i have no issue with them as sign offs #you're good! #also disclaimer I am not the most knowledgeable person in the world about punk ideoIogy #i have dabbled that is true. but there is a lot to read and know and so. do not take my word as gospel! #anyway. i love punk tam :) #long post

[bookwyrminspiration]

What was Tam trying to pull out of Keefe???

-⚙️

OH! i thought you knew, my bad. Keefe had a bit of shadowflux in his heart (placed by Umber) that was functioning as a tracker. Tam was pulling it out

it'd apparently been snuck into his meals gradually, and the beat of his heart made it pile up on itself until every 12 hours it fell over, sending a ripple through the shadowplane. a hacked imparter could access the shadowplane and see this ripple to follow it back to its source (keefe)

practically all of the mechanics necessary to make this work to find keefe were introduced immediately before finding him. I am not a fan of this creative choice

#kotlc #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #i have a post somewhere that's like '....THIS is the method we're using to get keefe back? for real?' #so. not a fan of the scene but the shirt thing IS a little funny

[bookwyrminspiration]

Brilliant idea: Shanon pulls a Kane Chronicles and somehow combine Keefe and Fitz into one person, and gave Sophie date them.

⚙️.

I don't think there's any mechanic for mind melding in keeper, but this is somehow still more likely than them just being poly.

if shannon were to do this, I think it'd be a situation where Keefe is, for some reason, dying, and Fitz (his best friend) is at his side, reaching out mentally and holding his mind close as he fades away. but he holds on so tight and promises he'd do anything to keep him here, to take his place. and with his vice grip on Keefe's mind, as it detaches from Keefe's body, it starts following Fitz's voice back to Fitz's body. and Fitz lets it in, until Keefe's mind and self is completely wrapped up and protected inside Fitz's mind

whether from here it's two people using Fitz's body at different times, them constantly using it together as separate people, or them instantly/gradually melding into one person with aspects of each is up for debate. but man you could actually do a lot with this, I was mostly bitter about canon but goddamn it this is fascinating

#kotlc #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #we could go the happily ever after route #or we could explore fitz feeling stuck in between. because he's suddenly in the middle of keefe and sophie. and he can't leave #he's /always/ going to be involved in these circumstances #not to mention everything going on with keefe's body dying and living in someone elses (his BEST FRIENDS) head #or how sophie would feel seeing this happen to two of the people she cares most about in the world and has so much history with #hmm. thoughts

[bookwyrminspiration]

Mangoes are very nice. How do you eat them? I prefer to have them in like strips that I scrap the fruit off, but I also will eat them in cubes. Do you eat the fruit that is around the middle?

-⚙️

the american leaves my body and the mexican part of me takes full control when I eat mangoes, they're delectable

I was taught the cubing method where you slice two directions, then invert each half to slice pieces off from the base. They're not uniform pieces this way, but it's rather efficient at getting most of the flesh.

However! Much more fun experience when you can really sink your teeth into it! So yes, we eat the fruit around the middle and scrape/suck off anything left on the skin after we're done cubing. Though if the texture's a little funky around the seed (we let it sit a little longer than we should've, for example), I won't eat it myself because it feels icky. But otherwise I will!

#fruit #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #i don't know if I did as a kid. probably my dad ate around the seeds mostly #but I am no longer a kid and now also do that :) #mangoes and plums textures are just >>>>>> #when they're right

[bookwyrminspiration]

Hm I have. Thoughts over how Kam would pick a last name if then married. Not even the biggest Kam fan, but it’s widely known that Keefe would take Sophie’s last name over her taking his, and I wonder if Tam would keep his or take Keefe or if they just don’t take either of their last names and instead just give any kids they have both last names.

-⚙️

someone once suggested Sophie would let any of her friends take her last name if they wanted so they wouldn't have their shitty family connections; they wouldn't have to marry her for it she'd just let them also have it. Tam and Keefe Foster.

or, I think Keefe would 100% be the kind of person to make up a kickass completely new last name. the problem would be thinking of one that Tam would also agree to, given his eccentric egotistical tastes. Tam seems the kind of person to just be totally fine without a last name, his entire government name just: Tam.

I am positive that both of them would drop their current last names as soon as possible though, they wouldn't keep or merge or double up or pass them on. Those names are dying with them. Whatever they replace it with is secondary to the fact that those ones are gone

they could be silly and make their last name Shadowheart, which is one of the alternate ship names some people use for them given kam's unfortunate other meaning. keefe and tam shadowheart <3

#kotlc #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #shadowheart... #i can't recall who created the first idea #but I know I didn't think of it. I saw it somewhere #maybe if linh took someone else's last name tam would also take it #who knows! #lots of possibilites #but holding on to their names is not one of them :)

[bookwyrminspiration]

Quill do you like carry one, and will you talk about it? It is one of my favorite books

-⚙️

I presume you mean Carry On by Rainbow Rowell? In which case yes, I enjoyed it. I haven't read it in a while, so I'm fuzzy on some details, but I recall finding it quite sweet.

I also appreciated, at the very least as a thought experiment, the framing of the story time wise. A typical story would follow Simon's journey from learning he was magickal, to going to Watford, to his first meeting with the Humdrum, all building up towards Carry On as the conclusion. Which would've also been a great story, but instead we start near that ending and ask what happens after? What happens when a hero isn't a hero anymore, when his story is over? Does his story have to be over? Or does it just shift? Which is a fascinating concept in my opinion, though I know it's not for everyone.

The idea of magic tied to word usage and meaning is also fascinating; it requires an objective observation and understanding of society's functionings, changing based on region, and that's!! so cool!! how language shapes the world and changes and the meaning behind it. LOVE a magic system with restrictions and specific rules, even though they may not be expected

I'm quite cliche and Baz is my favorite character, and specifically talking about book one I think the dragon scene and the Baz comforting Simon at the very end are my favorite scenes? but like I said, it's been a while, so there may be others

i should give it a reread at some point :)

#carry on #simon snow trilogy #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #the first book was gifted to me by my dad #and I. absolutely devoured it #I think we might've gone to the bookstore same day or day after so I could get the next two? #...I think all three books were out...? #actually no I'm not certain #it's entirely possible I just got book 2 because book 3 wasn't out yet #anyway! quite fond of carry on :) #read it because it felt like a super talked about queer book I'd never read. but that might've been because #someone I knew was talking/blogging about it a lot #i no longer know their blog #but anyway! my impression was that it was a watershed book #so I read it and found it much more charming than I expected

[bookwyrminspiration]

Quill, I am very happy your dad has finished keeper. I have a few questions for him, if you do not mind. Feel free to answer them as well!

Now that he has read it, what was his favorite part?

Is there any moment he would erase/change?

Favorite character? Least favorite?

What does he hope happens next?

Anyway, I hope that you are well, and that you are taking care of yourself as your high school career comes to a close. Please remember to drink water and take any medication you might need.

-⚙️

He said he is happy that internet friend (you) is happy! And I interrogated him over a bowl of mediocre oatmeal, and this is what he had to say:

Favorite part: "I think my favorite part was right at the end, when Sophie and her friends were all taking action. Especially Sophie, Maruca, and Marella, they were all 'We’re going!' When hopping in the portal." He liked that they were actually taking action and not holding back. This blends into the next one a little, but he also mentioned that he liked the scenes where characters finally started just telling the truth. Sophie straight up telling Keefe she liked him, talking things through with Fitz, etc.

Something he'd change: "Not a particular moment, but I don’t care for all the drama." Specifically when they're not being clear with each other. He cited Sophie's confession and how she kept trying to hint and Keefe wasn't taking the bait. "Fucking just say it."

Least Favorite Character: "I dislike Stina, but you’re supposed to dislike Stina. She’s very one sided now—before they (Sophie and Stina) were very nuanced and I kinda got why she was the way she was, but she’s fallen back. She's not my least favorite, but I don't like her."

Favorite Character: "I mean I always like Ro, and I always like Biana. At least since Biana like, figured herself out. They say what they’re thinking and do it." To the point characters!

Hopes happens next: "Honestly, I just hope it ends. Every story has to end eventually." Not that he isn't enjoying it, because he is, just it also needs to end and feels like it's dragging on (citing 70 pages just looking at memories--the cache).

That's what he had to say summarized! Other thing's he's said "another fucking. *sighs* cliffhanger again?" and "well now the cover makes sense." Can't wait until he blames me personally (for fun) for the long wait for the next book because "if you hadn't gotten me into them, I wouldn't have to wait for the next one!"

#kotlc #kotlc stellarlune #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #i am doing well and taking care of myself dw! #drinking water and all that! not taking medication though #oh I suppose my mother will want to borrow stellarlune now too #i was going to say that now I have my copy back and can stop using the online version! #but probably when she finishes her current book she'll take it to read #if you all ever wanted my 40yo parents opinions and thoughts on a middle grade elf series oh boy oh boy do I have the news for you! #odd thing to want but hey. someone here has to have good relationships with their parents and sharing my interests #taking one for the team #long post

[bookwyrminspiration]

Quill, I have a very fun question for you.

So, you know how in Stellarlune, Sophie, Dex, and Tam were volunteered to babysit the triplets? Well, how do you think that would turn out? Cause while Dex and Sophie definitely have experience with annoying little siblings, Tam doesn’t have as much.

-⚙️

I vaguely remember that scene, and I'm not sure how it would go! Perhaps I'll figure it out as I talk.

Here's the thing. I don't think Sophie would actually be very useful, not at first. Sure, she had an annoying little sister. But they were close enough in age and young enough I doubt Sophie was ever seriously responsible for her--especially with how protective William and Emma were. And the triplets are on a whole other level of annoying and destructive. Amy making teasing comments and singly bad karaoke simply doesn't compare to property destruction, constant screaming, the elixirs, etc.

Tam I don't think would want anything to do with the situation and would try to get as far from it as possible. Real permissive. You leave him alone he leaves you alone, you know? I don't imagine he's a fan of kids in general. He seems the type to try and avoid them--not necessarily to be mean to them, he just doesn't want to deal with them.

Sophie would try to help Dex, but I think it would ultimately all come down to him. They're his siblings, so he's a lot more familiar with them and comfortable telling them off. This isn't Sophie, Dex, and Tam babysitting, this is Dex babysitting with some friends over at the same time.

However! That does not mean, just because he's the only one comfortable and willing to be upfront and strict with them, that they're listening! I think them trying to babysit the triplets would ultimately end in chaos no matter how hard they tried. The best they could do is direct them into some activity like running around playing a game outside--but that depends on whether they cooperate, and for how long, and for how long the triplets need to be watched. And even then they could find a way to make it regrettable (playing tag turns into mud wrestling or something).

I don't think the triplets can be babysat, I think they can be resignedly observed--no matter which of the kotlcrew is watching them. Hmm, maybe Stina would stand a chance. Perhaps Marella. But regardless, Sophie, Tam, and Dex are not Stina or Marella. So Kesler and Juline will be coming home to muddy kids, paint on the walls, and scorch marks in the bathtub. And a completely untouched very ugly Yeti statue :)

#kotlc #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #i just don't think the kotlcrew is up to the task of reigning in the triplets #they're very competent people but it would be /exhausting/ #and they don't know what to do with kids #(disregarding the fact that they themselves are kids) #does this make sense? #but anyway! it's a fun prospect!

[bookwyrminspiration]

Quill, I have been going insane about elven clothing and am going to share some thoughts with you, whether you like it or not

Okay, so the whole "multi-layered outfits" make sense for elves who live in a place like Dex's house, which is canonically in a colder places. They need layers to live comfortably, and that makes sense. So I will give Dex a pass on not wearing shorts or short sleeved clothing.

But then I remember the Foxfire uniform and I am full of rage.

They. Are. In. A. DESERT.

Why are they wearing a uniform with a cape (yes I know the cape is decorative but still it is making them warmer)? I have worn American style clothing in Pakistan, which is similar temps to Foxfire, and it is not very comfortable. How are they not sweating buckets? I personally would have them wearing light clothing to help counteract the heat. (Sheer clothing would not be a good idea tho due to the risk of sunburns.)

Also, they really should have embroidery on their clothes! America might not have very decorated clothes, but if you look at a lot Asian clothing, especially more traditional styles, there is so much embroidery and detail in them. That is what I think of when I think of elven clothes, because they should be nicer than our normal clothing.

So like Shannon should have probably used clothes to make a point about show not tell but what can we do about it? Anyway, apologies for rambling, I just had thoughts.

-⚙️

P.S. If you do draw the keeper crew in your clothes, I would be very interested in them. I am fascinated (in a good way) by your sense of style as someone who has the opposite issue with needing to cover up all the time

Well lucky for you, I do like it! You make some excellent points--though your comment about Dex living in a colder climate does make me think. Sure, he lives in a colder climate, but how much time does he spend there?

You know how when Della goes shopping for Sophie, she thinks "Was she going to be wearing five outfits a day?" (p. 126). Since the elves can and do move so rapidly from climate to climate, it's gotta be near impossible to have one outfit suited to the entire day--at least the way the kotlcrew are living life. Maybe when Dex gets dressed at home the layers make sense, but if he's immediately going to somewhere hot like Foxfire, he'll be overdressed. My point in referencing that quote is maybe instead of having so many clothes as part of their wealth, it's instead because they change frequently throughout the day when they go somewhere new.

You're very right about the Foxfire uniforms though--tight, black clothing in layers has got to be one of the worst possible options for the climate. Loose, light colors and material would be best--perhaps we can add back some color in the embroidery; each level decorated in their corresponding color. And yes, sheer fabric wouldn't work well here, but perhaps could be found more commonly in elven garb in less extreme climates. They'd either need something like that or Foxfire has some killer air conditioning

There's a lot of possibilities! Different ways to interpret and tackle "loose, light clothes with embroidery", which makes it a never ending interesting convo :)

#kotlc #kotlc worldbuilding #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #also in regards to your ps #it's so interesting to see how different people have different needs #like I couldn't imagine /needing/ to cover up #the other day I simply did not wear a shirt the whole day because the shirt I liked was in the wash #my sister walks around with oversized tshirts over oversized hoodies and I'm like ?!?!?!?! are you not SO uncomfortable #i've got my system #minimize number of joints obstructed at all times #i'd have to think about what to put each character in but...I could do it... #long post

[bookwyrminspiration]

Quill, I am very very very silly. I forgot that Brant died, and when I remembered he did, I thought he was killed by Grady or Sophie. But no, he was crushed to death. I think that decision was very silly.

Like, it is so forgettable? Like, it already has the issue of being In Lodestar, which already is considered to be kind of anti-climactic in general. And then it isn’t even like related to fire at all? He is just crushed to death, and sure it was to save Oralie, but it feels like it should have been fire or murder that killed Brant. I realize that might have unintentional consequences on the plot, but that is just how it feels like.

Anyway, I am inviting you to tell me all of your thoughts about the fact that Brant died, cause I feel like it would be very interesting. It is okay if you do not, but feel free to if you desire.

-⚙️

(P.S I will be sending you an ask telling you about Ninjago soon. If you don’t want me to, please inform me.)

I'm going to discover my thoughts on this as I write it, let's go! It is a rather forgettable death, especially compared to the dramatic and explosive deaths we've seen of other characters. The characters were just informed of it after the fact, they weren't even there.

Okay so first thought. Characters like him, haunted by a past, there's a sort of circularity to it. They're undone by their own mistakes, their own motif or something similar--what you're mentioning with fire would fit that. He brought this pain upon himself however unintentionally with fire, killing Jolie with it, and so joining her in death via fire references that, right? That's the typical pattern we'd expect?

Except that kind of pattern also tends to rely on repeated characters in their life as well, a confrontation with who they've hurt/who's hurting them. And the thing with Brant? We already got that. Grady had his confrontation with Brant--which involved that return of fire and him being hurt by his own weapon, his own conviction! His hand was burned off by his own flame, which fits that pattern. Everblaze (the book) already did it! And Grady moved on. He turned away from it, and he was the biggest driving force of the kind of rage necessary to meet Brant.

Edaline is ignored in this configuration to an extent, as we never see to the same degree how it's affected her. So if she'd been the one to shove the rubble and ultimately kill Brant, it could've satisfied the pattern and her narrative that way. Though the fact it didn't I don't think is necessary a bad thing? It could've been a moment to show Edaline's processing and her closure, yes, but I don't know if that's necessary for her character. She doesn't need to have a big moment to process and move on, and I do think it fits with how she's written that for this she was quieter in her processing.

Which all brings me back to my point: Grady was Brant's main foil, the main conflict, and he wasn't present or emotionally viable for that kind of event. Without that, there's no one to take it up. He's hurt Sophie in the past, true, but so many characters have that being there to witness every single one's demise isn't necessary. Brant's not special to her, he's just another villain. So there's no depth that truly necessitates something dramatic, being present and seeing it happen. What's happening is he's dying. That's it. Compared to what else Sophie's going through, it takes a backseat.

We could take it as a representation of how alone he was. How he was the only one who clung on to himself and his sufferings. Grady and Edaline left him behind, let go, there's no one to suffer his burning grief and rage alongside him. The Neverseen are a conditional place to belong, one that doesn't truly work together but fights, where you have to earn your place, and none of them understand his grief or connect with him. So in the end he died as he lived: alone, haunted by the memory of someone he loved and hurt. And there was no one there to sympathize. No one to care. No one to match his pain and witness. He died desperate and quiet, without fanfare, because he had lost so much and couldn't achieve the fanfare and rawness he reached for.

We could also take it as a form of self destruction. His actions, his affiliations, led to the complete undoing of who he was until he was so unrecognizable from who he was, so detached from everyone and everything around him that all he could do was fade quietly from the narrative because he'd lost himself.

I'm sure there's more that could be said about it, and that there are plenty of arguments to make in terms of both support and adjustments, but since you brought it up these were my thoughts trying to reason it out!

(p.s. you're welcome to tell me about Ninjago. I can't promise I long response given that it's a topic I know so little about, but please feel free to talk about it!)

#kotlc #kotlc brant #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #brant girlies pspsps where are you I brantposted #anyway my thought is that a dramatic killing with fire doesn't fit with the characters even if it fits the typical pattern #grady won't kill. but he had to have his confrontation #and we got that. complete with fire #so that quota was already filled #meaning there was no one left to give him that dramatic scene with that kind of depth #sophie doesn't have that connection. he's just another villain #they don't share a loss #so no sophie either #that's what I think at least #why I think it played out how it did #tw death

[bookwyrminspiration]

Quil you forgot in god we thrust or whatever it was.

-⚙️

Don't worry, I haven't! Didn't include it in the list of posts that broke containment because it's only at 5k notes. and while a fair number, it's much lower than the 22-40k the three I was thinking of have :)

#quil's queries #shitpost #⚙️ nonsie #i was thinking of that post the other day actually but couldn't find it #i suppose maybe I could include my executive dysfunction post from last week #its around 10k rn but #for some reason breaking containment doesn't really start to me until 20k and that's on the lower side