Nepenthe-of-the-nutcracker - Nutcracker

This rant was inspired by @freddycartr's post here because it's all I can ever think about and I'm probably insane 😈

enjoy <3

Cinder and Kai are truly two sides of the same coin, and their connection is so powerful because it's rooted in shared trauma and mutual understanding. Both are thrust into unimaginable circumstances at a young age -- for Kai, it's the death of his father and the pressure of marrying Levana to save his country. For Cinder, it's the death of Peony and years of abuse from her adoptive family. They're both carrying the weight of responsibility while also battling internal fears: Kai fears losing his autonomy and becoming a puppet, while Cinder fears she'll die alone, never seen as fully human because of the prejudice against cyborgs.

Kai was drawn to Cinder because she was refreshingly honest and didn’t treat him like a prince or a celebrity -- she saw him. Her lack of awe challenged him and made him feel real in a way few others ever had. In contrast, Cinder was so used to being avoided or looked down on, and Kai was the first person who looked her in the eyes and treated her like she mattered. For someone who had spent her whole life being dehumanized, that kind of genuine attention was revolutionary. She was terrified of him discovering who she really was, not because she didn’t trust him, but because she finally felt safe, and the idea of losing that was unbearable.

They both craved something rare: to be seen for who they are beneath the labels -- not the prince, not the cyborg, but just Kai and Cinder. And in each other, they finally found that.

That elevator scene in Cinder -- when Kai asks, “Imagine there was a cure, but finding it would cost you everything…” -- becomes hauntingly prophetic. Once Cinder learns she’s Princess Selene, that question isn’t hypothetical anymore. She’s literally forced to choose between her life as she knows it and the hope of saving others. It’s a turning point, and it links them even more deeply: both of them carry the crushing weight of their nations, expected to sacrifice everything for the greater good.

And that’s why they’re such a perfect match -- not because they complete each other in a cliche way, but because they understand each other in a way no one else possibly could. They know what it’s like to be seen as something other than human. They know what it’s like to feel completely alone -- until they found each other.

Okay, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk 😊

Search Parties Continue To Sweep Ocean For Halt’s Mysterious Friend, Albert

The search continues throughout the seven seas for the elusive “Albert,” who the famous Ranger Halt of Araluen has been seen earnestly searching for from the decks of the Skandian ship Wolfwill on many a voyage. Many a Skandian wolfship has promised to keep a sharp lookout for the Ranger’s friend, amid puzzling bouts of laughter. Presumably, this unfortunate was swept overboard, and though it’s almost certain that he has drowned, Halt’s extended search would indicate that the Ranger has reason to believe he is still alive.

We spoke to Gundar Hardstriker, skirl of Wolfwill, who was seen to clutch his helmet tightly and look about to ensure the Ranger wasn’t on deck before responding. Here’s what he had to say about the search:

“We’ll keep looking, all right, and none harder than our Ranger friend. He spends hours huddled at the bow of the deck, calling Albert’s name over and over…. at least, that’s what I think he’s saying.”

We also spoke to Will, Halt’s former apprentice, who glared at our reporter. “Things are really going to go south if Halt gets wind of this,” he muttered darkly. When pressed as to his meaning, he glanced back apprehensively towards Halt’s cabin and refused to answer further questions.

Halt will not come out of his cabin and thus could not be reached for comment. According to Courier Alyss, he is suffering from a mysterious Gallican illness known as mal-de-mer. We don’t know what this means, but it certainly sounds scary, and we can only hope for his speedy recovery and reunion with his missing friend.

Banana Yoshimoto, from her novel titled "The Premonition," originally published in 2015

Currently thinking about that scene in book 8 where Halt’s checking out the sheep, looks into the mouth of one and just shakes his head. And when Horace questions him like “so… what was wrong with its teeth?” Halt just goes “how should i know? i’m not a farmer. that’s just what people seem to do.”

Absolutely took me out. I love this man

Hello May

please bring me and the ones i love peace, blessings, happiness and financial stability. i hope this month is the beginning of all good things to come 🪻🌿

Martin Buxbaum

My friend recommended it to me as her favourite series after I told her I wanted to read more books with knights and the like. Read RoG and… didn’t vibe with it. Four years after that I received yet another recommendation (+ felt bad for not giving it more of a chance) so I tried again and now here we are. Whacking my high-school self with a sledgehammer for missing out on it all this time

fun fact i only got into rangers apprentice because the first like 5 books were in a free box from the library because they didn't want them for whatever reason and i took all 5 because the covers looked cool.

In the lunar chronicles universe there are hour long compilations of every time Cinder or Kai has ever accidentally called the other by their informal name during an official government meeting or press conference

Like ✨Kaider being bad at hiding their relationship for 10 minutes straight✨

And then it’s just clips of Cinder going “Kai— Kai— Emperor Kai— Kai….to—“ Kai calling her Cinder instead of Selene over and over again.

“Well, there’s no proof that will happen. You can’t count on things happening tomorrow just because they happened in the past. It’s faulty logic.”

How are we holding up? I’m still crying about Lenore Dove and the gumdrops

chocolate academia

request of @jolivers-wonder 🤎🍫