Latest Posts by siarah - Page 5

You know you're sleep deprieved when the newest chapter of your WIP is named "Dexter Vex and the clueless mages of the round kitchen table"

What do you think China’s childhood was like? Every book, her view on it seems to change..

tbh it’s actually quite interesting seeing China’s different takes on her childhood, because in a way I don’t think she’s ever really recovered from it unlike Bliss, who got out at such an early age. Indeed, often when discussing her past, China always compares herself to her brother, portraying herself as weaker, slower in escaping - but the interesting thing is, she never really mentions what it was they escaped from, rather than just the mentioned indoctrination of all believers.

But the first time she really mentions her opinion of her childhood, and not just her general experience as a worshipper, she brushes it off, saying:

It had been a happy childhood. Completely insane, but happy. - MC

What’s even more interesting is through the rest of this extract, China keeps making jokes about her questions of faith + the general situation

True, she had generally had more fun in the old days... and she didn’t have to spend half her day praying. She’d never been able to understand why the Faceless Ones weren’t praying to her. - MC

But then, what I find interesting is the subtext in any of her memories of her childhood - they’re awful and yet she almost normalises them. And even when she admits to some of her troubling memories, they’re pretty watered down:

All though her childhood she’d had trouble sleeping, plagued as she was by the stories her parents would tell her of the Faceless Ones.

Doesn’t that make you feel happy? And China had said, No, Mother, it gives me bad dreams, and her mother’s face had changed in an instant and China had spent the next three days on her knees, praying to the Faceless Ones, begging for their forgiveness. - B

It’s a pretty horrifying image, a young girl (which China is very much implied to be in this extract) being forced onto her knees for three days straight because she dared to voice her fears.

Idk if it’s a coping method or something, but in a way, I see it as China almost blocking out the trauma of her childhood - we see her mention it occasionally, but most of the time she just laughs it off (which is really worrying)

I think something people often forget is that unlike some worshippers of the Faceless ones, China didn’t choose to be one, she was born into it - she had no choice, she was practically indoctrinated and it’s clear that some traumatic things happened behind the scenes that enforced her to stay obedient

What’s even more interesting is that when China leaves the church of the Faceless Ones, she doesn’t go straight to the good guys, she isolates herself and she also has some very interesting conversations about myths/fantastical elements in the world, with this being one example:

“I’ve heard nonsense. I’ve heard something that doesn’t even deserve to be called a rumour. - SP

Seems like another one of her coping methods up until TFO is to deny the existence of these gods, these legends, because in a way China never got over the indoctrination of the Church - if she fled and the gods were real, she’s damned. So if she brushes it off, just like her childhood trauma, pretending it’s not real, then she can cope - she’s not damned, which seems to be a prominent fear of her childhood

untroubled by half-remembered visions of doom and damnation + she had hidden her fears from her parents and suffered those nightmares in silence. - B

It’s interesting to see the relapse of faith in this most recent book - I’ve discussed my predictions for China in this post but I think it’s pointing towards an unraveling mind in many ways, as we also see China having a lot of flashbacks to her past as if she’s starting to relieve a lot of her repressed trauma - that could be because of Solace’s influence or something else, who knows..

You know the China from Mortal Coil that wears slinky & tight yet comfortable black clothes, dives out of a high-rise window, is The Reluctant Member of the anti-remnant ‘group’, has an elaborate sword-fighting duel, and is too cool to fight with Tanith but grudgingly does anyway? 

I miss her. 

How could i pass up the opportunity to do Darquesse as well.

*shop in bio, commissions open*

Dexter puts this sign up in front of his house in phase 2 because he’s sick of skulduggery returning into his life and messing it up

I don’t know what it is about Star Wars but even if it’s not your biggest fandom, it still has the funniest memes by a long shot I mean “look at all the fucks i give anakin” and “your poncho is a piece of junk” and anakin hates sand it’s all just 1000% pure class

Also he calls it "scharf" which can mean both sharp or hot, so it kinda is a double entendre

we all talk about tanith being a bicon but let’s just have a moment of appreciation for these two

So I looked it up and turns out the German translation actually says buttocks muscle

we all talk about tanith being a bicon but let’s just have a moment of appreciation for these two

Wait, what? I could have sworn Donegan said he was afraid of cutting himself on Dexter's buttocks?! My entire life has been a lie!

we all talk about tanith being a bicon but let’s just have a moment of appreciation for these two

a character you think isn’t appreciated enough?

I actually really like Militsia?? She seems really sweet and I like her interactions with Val (although sometimes they can feel a bit one sided)

Like she actually raises some good points early on when they first meet + genuinely cares for Val (so far..) rather than using her as some weird ego boost and entertainment unlike a certain scamdullery pheasant

and we’re back babey

Not to be that person but can I have a China Sorrows stand-alone book yet? Preferably pre-phase one and involving Eliza in some way???

Back to the Saracen mentoring Val au and here’s Saracen introducing Val to Dexter

Dexter: so this is your new partner?

Saracen: yep. This is Valkyrie and I’m moulding her into a fine, upstanding citizen

Dexter:

Dexter: so Valkyrie what’s your magic

Saracen: *winks and nods at Val*

Valkyrie: I know things

Dexter:

I made a Skulduggery Pleasant tier list! :D

If anyone’s interested in ranking some of the characters:

https://tiermaker.com/create/skulduggery-pleasant-characters-aruairi-langermann-493663

PS: sorry if the character names are a bit small

More of my if Saracen mentored Valkyrie au because I can’t get it out of my head

Valkyrie and Saracen surrounded by a group trying to kill them:

Saracen: okay Valkyrie you’ve got this

Valkyrie: there a five grown men here Saracen.

Saracen: it’s a chance for you to practice what I’ve taught you, good luck!

Valkyrie: *fighting the group off on her own*

Saracen, standing back:

carol & crystal

re-reading (well– listening, technically) has made me realise how SAD the plotline with the twins and beryl + fergus is ):

when i first read it, i just saw them all as comic relief and the death didnt hit me that hard, but now?? its honestly heartbreaking,, having seen the massive character development of the twins and then seeing the effect that carol’s death had on the rest of the family even though they didn’t know what had really happened etc etc is rlly sad

“Am I in love? Absolutely. I’m in love with ancient philosophers, foreign painters, classic authors, and musicians who have died long ago. I’m a passionate lover. I fawn over these people. I have given them my heart and my soul. The trouble is, I’m unable to love anyone tangible. I have sacrificed a physical bond, for a metaphysical relationship. I am the ultimate idealistic lover.”

— James Dean

valkyrie being afraid of penguins is so funny to me. penguins are like 95% fat with brains smaller than their eyeballs and all they do is fall of rocks and try to steal each other’s eggs. like, i understand that she was dropped in the penguin tank as a baby, but???? pls give her some therapy and make her watch happy feet

in the slytherin common room

I keep thinking about that tweet asking what would sp be like if one of the other dead men mentored Valkyrie and I can’t stop imagining the chaos that would have been Val and Saracen. Instead of the romantically inept straight™️ phase 1 val we could’ve had smooth talking lesbian/bisexual Val (whichever you’re preference) from the start

Just imagine how the Caelan situation would’ve played out:

Valkyrie: so there’s this vampire...

Saracen: ah, we’ve all been there Valkyrie. My best advice is to just sleep with him and get it out of your system.

Valkyrie: you’ve slept with a vampire?

Saracen: Valkyrie at this point there’s not much I haven’t slept with... except maybe the sea hag, but that’s purely because I can never seem to find her.

Valkyrie (looking horrified): what about the children of the spider?

Saracen:

Saracen: Anyway, moving on...

Irish Sanctuary : Don't worry, we've sent out our finest team to find Nefarian Serpine.

The Dead Men :

Imagine a Skulduggery Pleasant AU where everyone is Australian:

Everyone swears 120% more than in canon.

The perpetually changing Grand Mages fits with what's been happening in mortal Australia.

Anton has a shack in the bush instead of the hotel, he grows a beard and fits in perfectly.

Saracen is a hipster.

Skulduggery was a bush ranger back in the day.

Valkyrie's school is so much more feral and out of control. There's a reason she's so quick to become Skulduggery's partner - she just wants to escape.

They all have different Australian accents.

Children of the Spider makes more sense considering ...

Valkyrie has to say "that's dog" at least once. Lots of Australian slang should be included.

Larrikin tried to ride a kangaroo and succeeded (nobody can ride a kangaroo).

Much more wildlife and dangerous animals that nobody really cares about.

Dexter Vex went from

to

And i miss the old book!6 Dexter … ;___;

“ the fact is that we have no way of knowing if the person who we think we are is at the core of our being. are you a decent girl with the potential to someday become an evil monster, or are you an evil monster that thinks it’s a decent girl? ” — “ wouldn’t i know which one i was? ” “ good god, no. the lies we tell other people are nothing to the lies we tell ourselves. ”

Shameless self promotion, but I´m about 50k words deep into a (German, sorry to all of you British folks) story about what could have happened if Valkyrie and Skulduggery had joined Dexter´s team during TM7... the main POVs are Dexter´s, Val´s and Saracen´s and the focus is on the mission as well as on the characters´ feelings / relationships. 

had to google it too after reading that post and you are totally right: this car is the most british thing to ever exist but it also just screams Skulduggery

i jsut googled what a bentley 1954 r-type looks like and they look so british wtf

Thanks for the tag! I love your blog as well :)

@dextervexprotectionsquad @ravenna-x @adler-obsessed @someeragonmemes @murderandmbti @sw-incorrect-quotes @starwarsmemes71 @incorrectswtcwquotes @incorrecthouseofblack

literally never talked to half of you guys before, but I love your blogs <3

support each other! uplift and unite! tag someone who has a blog you like, who you’ve always admired, who you thought was pretty; don’t be shy! spread the love

10. Dex in a tux at the requiem ball

11. talking about his cat Sabrina who showed her love by scratching him

because The Maleficant 7 and Armageddin Outa Here are also valid

Okay, listen up gang, what was your favorite Dexter Vex moment:

1. “Thanks Gladys!”

2. “Wilhelm, this is a private conversation!”

3. “Oh God I’m blushing, I’m actually blushing for you!” 

4. “They just want to hand me over which is actually pretty nice.”

5. the draugr / draugar explanation scene “They’re two different words.”

6. the t-shirt scene ya know

7. “the dead not-gender-specific persons??”

8. the cowboy dexter in the “apocalypse now” collection  

9. when they were about to jump down the hole in book 8 and skulduggery went: “first one at the bottom wins” and dexter was first to jump 

Skulduggery headcanons that I love and need to share 

- Dexter giving Valkyrie piggie back rides, when Sulduggery doesn’t oblige to do it - “DExter, you undermine my auThorITY!”  - “What authority?” - Tanith and Dexter are punch line people who sit in the back and high five each other whenever they say one - Ghastly once got super drunk because of the whole Tanith situation and Skulduggery accompanied him, listened to his sorrow and afterwards drove him home and tugged him in. He’s a friend like that.  - Dexter Vex is ticklish af  - Valkyrie first sees him get tickled by Saracen and she finds it adorable especially bc Dexter is like the most flawless looking guy on the team - Skulduggery actually adores hugging and cuddling Valkyrie, but he is self conscious bc of his bones - China and Saracen are the only ones who have absolutely no doubts about Dexter’s sexuality  - Everyone else keeps wondering  - “He never tells us anything!” “Well, maybe, he doesn’t want to!” “Ghastly, that’s not the point! We’re his friends.” “What if he has a thing for… monsters.. and aliens?”  - Saracen laughing nervously in the back after he’d just spent night #120053 with Dexter  - China remembering that moment she’d realized Dexter was like the only person in existence who doesn’t crush on her in the slightest bit and sighing  - on Dexter’s and Saracen’s wedding Dexter slowdances with Tanith and she cries bc for some reason it reminds her of Ghastly and of all she was robbed of  - Skulduggery and Valkyrie watching crappy TV and Skulduggery tugging her in afterwards when she fell asleep  - Ghastly gives the best hugs and Valkyrie keeps stealing them, especially when a mission took an extra toll on her  - “Val, I’m a very respectful member of the Elders…” “I respect and cuddle you!”  - He can’t help loving it even tho he keeps making a show of how big of an exception this is it’s not  - Dexter gets tired when drunk, Ghastly gets mad, Saracen gets funny and Valkyrie causes riots - we don’t talk about tanith, she rarely drinks for good reasons  - Saracen is basically Valkyrie’s mom when Melissa isn’t around  - “have you had any breakfast yet?” “are you alright?” “should we call a doctor?” “write me a message when you got home safely.” skulduggery: “I’m literally driving her to the front door!!!” Saracen: “I’m painfully aware!!”  - tanith and saracen have this amazing vibe that only people who used to have a thing going on but mutually decided it doesn’t work out have: they wear sunglasses and judge others and it only takes one meaningful look for them to communicate  - it drives Dexter crazy  - “What are you guys telling each other???” 

friendly reminder that people canonically fuck spiders in the sp universe