There are many reasons I appreciate the Red Rising series. At first, I enjoyed it because it cured my boredom. Then, I was thankful for it because when some people got too loud, I could elect to read a fantastic book instead of throwing rocks.
And then there's everything else, really. There's wayyyy too much to spell out coherently. Jumping between one reason, and then having some god give me a divine boon in the form of yet ANOTHER reason why RR is the most underrated gem I've ever come across.
But right now, after finishing Lightbringer (literally today on the way home from a lecture) the thing I appreciate most about RR is its narrative on strength? And how absolutely soul touching it is?
Like. Pre-Book 1 and during book 1 is just survival mode. You've gone semi-emotionally numb with the strain of just. Getting Through The Bad Times. Darrow has somehow survived the mines, and it took so much out of him that I don't think even he really realised. And then Eo. And then the revelation. So now he lives and pushes through with rage - like a helldiver. It's all he has, along with a goal, so it's gotta be enough. There's no other way.
And then Books 2-3 are, through insurmountable setbacks, even through outgrowing your original goal, which fueled his spite entirely, he rises. He can no longer just be angry, even if its still in grasp, even if it's his oldest friend. He has other things he's discovered - his own abilities, a support network. The mantra 'Stay Strong or Die' continues. And even if it is aided by things other than single-mindedness, it is upheld. Darrow is the strongest he's ever been end of Book 3. He chose option 1. He can take on the world, and then another, and then another, and then all of them at once. It was hard but he stayed strong, so he will be strong.
And then the second part of the series. Um. Well. It does not go well for him exactly. You see, he has been in the mindset of survival for so long- as long as he can remember, really. He believes its natural for him. Its not, its learned, but it hasn't really had a chance to distinguish himself. He severely underestimates exactly how much prolonged service of his mantra takes from him - but at this point, can he even create another one? It's all that's gotten him to this point (not necessarily true), it's his oldest crutch. When in stressful situations, we do not rise to the occasion nor to our ideals, but rather we fall upon our base training. And anger is at his core.
You can see things slowly loosen themselves around him - the Vox, Mercury (Jesus, everything that happened with Mercury). Stay Strong or Die is unravelling at the seams. What do you do when your basic, core tennate, the thing which kept you from falling, the pillar on which you balance to spin various dishes, wobbles?
Darrow comes crashing down, and for once, anger isn't what leaps forward to catch him. In fact, nothing catches him. Instead, he lays, and is blanketed by tiredness. He stays there awhile.
He's not Strong.
He's not strong.
Hesnotstronghesnotstronghesnotstronghesnot
There are two options. If he's not the first, the second one follows, no?
No.
By pure fucking luck, happenstance, or whatever benevolent God saw the absolute shitstorm that was going on with Darrow, clutched their pearls in shock, and with trepidation waved whatever blessing they could Darrow's way, Darrow does not die when he is not strong.
Because that blessing, what used to come second to him whenever his rage bullied itself into the forefront, stays when his rage leaves just as fast as it came.
Eo. Sevro. Virginia. Electra. Orion. Cassius. Ragnar. Alexandar.
Pax.
His strength leaves him, but it is replaced with something else.
Death begets death begets death.
Love begets love begets love.
Begets strength.
44 notes
·
View notes
So I should be moved in to my new place first week of July. This whole process has just been super stressful and time consuming, I can’t wait for it to be done.
I’d like to lose 10 pounds by fall, which is a small goal, but I don’t want to over whelm myself. Im going to be doing a lot more home work outs, I’ll post a list of my favourite ones eventually. Im also moving right by a trail so I’m going to be walking a lot and trying to get back into running
DIET- I’m going to start counting calories, but I’m going to start out by getting into a schedule with my new work first, and see how much I burn in a week and THEN I will set a calorie goal based on my needs so I’m not consuming too little. Also, I am thinking about doing gluten free. This isn’t new to me. I was on a GF diet a few years ago and it worked wonders for me, not just physically but mentally as well, I had so much energy.
Also I need a poll on this one, do you rather tumblr or Instagram to follow peoples progress? If I set up a fitness/food focused progress account on Instagram would you follow it?
1 note
·
View note
Still working on them D6 Playlists
Sadly I have yet to find anything for Zom & Zik
ZAVOK
-Samurai Spirit (Rise of the North Star)
-Le Charnier des Épouvantails (Magoyond)
-End of the Road (The Ferrymen)
ZAZZ
-Baseball Bat (SiM)
-Dot Your Eyes (Five Finger Death Punch)
-Aaj (Bloodywood)
ZEENA
-Me Too (Meghan Trainor)
-Guys Don’t Like Me (IT BOYS!)
-You Don’t Know (Kobra and The Lotus)
-Basilisk (Edge of Paradise)
-Black and Gold (Thundermother)
ZOR
-A Conversation with Death (Khemmis)
-Black is the Brightest Color (Ravenstine)
-Dance Devil Dance (Avatar)
-Mantra (Bring me the Horizon)
3 notes
·
View notes