the last time i read all of these i was nine. NINE!!!

[elapses]

If you have ever indulged yourself with Tamora Pierce/the Song of the Lioness books, THIS IS A POLL FOR YOU:

Poll this is not a judge-free zone sorry

Comments

[elapses]

Oh man I was going to hold back my answer ~for the integrity of the poll~ but it makes me so happy that you (both of you!) felt that way. BECAUSE I DID TOO, but my friends (Tamora Pierce really big in ~my circle~ in fourth grade) always made me feel like I was a crazy person who was just being contrary because someone had spoiled me for the ending when I was still in the middle of book 2. AND I ALWAYS KIND OF WONDERED IF THAT WAS TRUE, and if, as an adult, I would feel differently, but no, I am rereading them and I feel exactly specifically the same way about it that I did at 9. (Which is to say: they should have totally broken up in the desert but then ended up together at the end.)

[elapses]

HOW WERE THE IMMORTALS?? I'm a little afraid to go back to those because for some reason I refused to finish the fourth one?? And somehow that ended in my friend trying to force-read it to me and me ripping her book (ah, elementary school). But I also don't remember anything about them except that I really loved book 3?? So I don't know if I want to try them or not.

But yes!! Alanna and Jon have this like... idk really specific kind of best-friend intimacy that I looooooove, I can't articulate it. ALSO I'M NOT GOING TO LIE, sometimes I find George a lil creepy?? I mean I love their friendship SO MUCH in book 1 and there's like, a way a romance between them could have been written that I would have been into but it's.. not the way it was written.

[elapses]

Hahaha yes that's what I hated about the Immortals too. He was like, a grown-up!! It was greatly offensive to bb me.

Yeah the thing about the George/Alanna age difference is that it's actually not that much technically, and if they'd just kind of slipped into a romance at the very end, when she's an adult, it wouldn't be weird at all. But that isn't what happens! He starts hitting on her in book 2! When she's like 14 and he's like 21! And yes, he totally does treat her as a kid the whole time -- there was a line in the First Adventure where he's like, "I'm going to enjoy watching you grow up" which is SUPER weird to me if you consider she probably knew he was going to marry her as she wrote that. (I also don't like like -- the way he hits on her?? THE PART WHERE HE KISSED HER BECAUSE SHE HAD STUFF IN HER ARMS/COULDN'T STOP HIM REALLY IRKED ME.)

but it could also be argued that I will find any fault with George because I JUST WANTED HER TO END UP WITH JON, DAMMIT.

[kindness_says]

don't worry we inserted them into like millions of au-y type things where they do work out

...

alex i need you i can't remember when/how we actually did that??? but i am PRETTY SURE it happened more than the only once that i can think of for sure and don't remember like really playing with but maybe it was because we did the shoebox and everything???

[kindness_says]

AUUUUUGH CAN I JUST FOR ONE SECOND LIKE ALL OF THE FUCKING FEELINGS JUST SUDDENLY SUDDENLY BECAUSE YOU TALKED ABOUT SPECIFIC SCENAGE AND NOW I AM ALL LIKE

LIKE

EVOKED

FUL

WITH THE

FEELINGS AND THE

...

or, you know, as a sane person would say: Suddenly I'm remembering super-clearly the complicated thick-with-emotion nature of like...MOST OF THE SECOND BOOK... forget where i said as a sane person would say fuck that

specifically, when it comes to a head at the door adjoining their rooms AND AT LEAST THEY CAN BE SCARED TOGETHER

i love you more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is from the first book but i'm like also weirdly super into the part where he insists on seeing her i guess black eye? idk it's just that alanna herself is CLEARLY SO TAKEN WITH JON AND HIS SYMMETRICAL FUCKING FACE FOR THE WHOLE LIKE EIGHT YEARS THAT THEY ARE IN EACH OTHER'S POCKETS I AM JUST SAYING

[elapses]

Suddenly I'm remembering super-clearly the complicated thick-with-emotion nature of like...MOST OF THE SECOND BOOK

YES ugh for real I just really love them!! And the thing about them being scared together is like -- what I love?? There's just this like, constant togetherness and also their affection for each other sort of blossoms into romance at the same time?? I d k.

I never particularly latched onto that part!! Idk I love how everyone has different favorite 'bits' though. I love them so much in book one though, like, I just -- the way they she's sort of almost distant from him because she's intimidated when she first becomes friends with all of them?? But then once everyone else graduates into squiredom they sort of become two and then never go back? I LOVE the scene when she's telling Gary she's a girl for a lot of reasons, but one of the pieces I love is that he just sort of accepts that of course Jon already knows. Because of course he does.

[kindness_says]

QUOTE MORE THINGS AT ME

hahahahahahaha yeah they're just like ".........clearly."

[elapses]

If you're going to fall in love with the Prince, don't show it, the cat advised. Unless you want the whole camp talking about you both.

"I'm not fa-" Alanna stopped, aware that Jonathan was listening intently, one of his arms still around her waist.

"Are you two talking?" he wanted to know.

"Ask Faithful," Alanna said tersely. "I just answer his questions."

[elapses]

Yes I'm sure you're right -- it's been a really, really long time since I've picked the Immortals up.

I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY. I'm torn about book 3 because on the one hand -- 'personality transplant is a rpetty good way to describe it?? He's very grounded and not at all intimidated by his position in the first two books. But on the other -- I mean, I don't know, I don't 'get where he's coming from' because he really is being a bratty dickwad -- but I think a period of rebellion does make some sense, especially since he's never had one. I mean he's still like... 21 or 22 when all that is going down, which is young. I don't think I objected to his characterization in THAT sense, and I don't even think I think it's weird he pushed marriage on her because of it -- but I do think that his sudden lack of consideration for Alanna's wishes was weird and out of character

[kindness_says]

ummm...

it's so hard to talk about early ship stuff because you're like WHAT CAME FIRST OH MAN YOU GUYS THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG?????

i'm also now thinking of "both of you!" and trying to like...remember if we've ever really disagreed about a ship. i mean i don't think we have ever like PASSIONATELY disagreed about a ship... erm... hrm... well i can't even really say why this would be because WHAT CAME FIRST THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG

i'm extra punchy because i didn't sleep >> i tried!!!!!! idfk. i'm trying to decide if i want to go running now, like will that help or hurt the situation orrrrr what -.-