#21 is so young

[juniperpyre]

Do you think it was more essential for James to develop a more binary way of thinking than the others? I imagine James growing up as Voldemort is coming into power and in family that’s known for radical beliefs may have influenced him. It is probably easier to develop a simpler view as a way of coping and understanding as a child. James hating the dark arts isn’t inherently bad because he is more vulnerable than the others to Voldemort - adding to the necessity and weakness of his worldview. Yet, James not recognizing that most things are not as easily categorized as Voldemort is dangerous.

I wouldn't say it's essential for James to have black and white thinking on a human level, but on a narrative level I think it's a great character trait. black and white thinking is an ideology of purity, which james, and his son, the protagonist of the series, are both fighting against.

I think you're arguing that James' position as a wealthy pure blood man who is growing up with a genocidal war looming makes his childhood intellectual resistance to pure blood supremacy aggressively rejecting anything associated with pure blood supremacy. this includes the Dark Arts and the conservative, reactionary pure blood/wizarding world culture. since he is being invited in he will not risk accidentally being charmed by the ideology.

I think this is logical. I'm sure his parents raised him with inclusive, compassionate values, and he is clearly a loyal, helpful, loving person to those he cares about. he takes a left turn in thinking he owes none of this compassion to people he categorizes as "bad", and I doubt he spends a lot of time questioning why he considers certain people bad and certain people good until his late teens. to him it is abundantly clear, and people are stupid or stubborn when they refuse to acknowledge the universal truth that, coincidentally, aligns with his own perspective.

*cough*this adds to his fixation on lily and severus*cough*

Another element to consider in James' black & white thinking is that he is categorized as "good" by his society. this means his perspective is in alignment with the dominant culture, since obviously he sees himself as good. the dominant culture, which he opposes, enforces this core belief. this is a complicated knot for anyone to undo, much less a child.

untangling the knot would require James to inspect his core beliefs and his own goodness. is there an itch in him, somewhere, that something in his morality is wrong? um, yes. I doubt his bullying actually aligns with the values his parents taught him, but it's very easy to ignore the itch you get when a core part of your identity is challenged.

I don't even think his core beliefs are disrupted or shattered when he does start to untangle the knot, like, James is right. pure blood supremacy is bad. it is okay to use violence in your resistance. taking the fight to the bigots is brave, and he, as a wealthy pure blood, trying to fight back against discrimination is good!

I see one of James' core identity traits is him as a protector. that comes across in his care for Remus, his home being where Sirius runs, his demands for Severus to apologize to Lily, his role in the Order, and, finally, in his self-sacrifice when he uses his life as an obstacle between Voldemort and Lily & Harry. so if actions he justified as being good because they're against baby Death Eaters and therefore protecting muggle born students, are actually bad (what he did to Severus in SWM was harmful) is he even a protector?

like, yes, he still is, no one is perfect, but having to ask that question is painful for him. I discuss Lily saying he's as bad as Severus here, but tl;dr James thinks because he's not using slurs he's "good" and therefore does not need to introspect. right? he has never laid awake at night wondering if he is just as bad as Snape. he never shoves down a feeling of wrongness when he and Sirius harass a student who is obviously less skilled than they. he is good, so what he does is good.

I think jkr stumbled on great character writing with the way she portrays James' morality. it would be better if we got more time, but I believe he represents a common kind of privileged person who, for all of their good intentions, has trouble unlearning the dominant cultural values. it's a very sharp portrayal of that kind of person, who is usually displayed as ignorant and silly.

not seeing more of James weakens this (because jkr can't follow thru with the og ideas presented bc to do so would critique liberalism in a possibly radical way). nonetheless, I really like how horrible he's allowed to be as a teenager. it is developmentally appropriate for teens to be egotistical and be black & white thinkers, as long as they're growing out of it.

I do want to note a positive of this: it takes a lot of James to stop believing in someone. he trusts his friends immensely and it would take a lot for him to give up on them. Lily is the same.

haha "than the others" and I've only discussed James. yes, I think the struggles of the other character's lives put them in constant grey areas, and none of the other characters have both family and society reinforce their inherent goodness in a way they agree with. this makes it way easier for James to develop black and white thinking than the rest of them.

[otpadsis]

i want to squish him so bad he would make the funniest sound

[robby-bobby-tommy]

The parallels that hurt so much

They both jinxed the most important event in their lives trying to help...

They both lost their closest friends to this....

And both were abandoned and hurt in the worst way possible by the sibling they've looked up to....

They had good intentions, they were so young......

And they're the monsters others have created.

[kacievvbbbb]

The fact that doffy at the very grown age of 41 is still making his people call him young master is soooo funny, especially given his immortality obsession.

41 isn't even particularly old or anything, but dude saw his hairline receding and couldn't take it anymore. And decided to make his mid-life crisis everyone else's problem.

His bathroom is probably filled with bottles on bottles of bombshell blonde hair dye. his blonde hair is all he’s got left.

he is refusing to die his twink death.

[idontmindifuforgetme]

The whole “be responsible not for other people’s feelings but to them” distinction is so so true… at some point you need to realize that other people’s insecurities really are their responsibility & dimming or contorting yourself to make them feel better helps neither you nor them. Firstly, bc they need to realize what they’re doing and grow up. And secondly, bc you’re not just compromising on a one-time thing. You’re comprising on who you are as a person. I don’t want to look back when I’m older and stay stuck wishing I held my ground despite people’s projections or asserted my presence more or didn’t apologize so much for who I am. I really just want to own everything (the good and bad) & continue doing what makes me happy

[xbomboi]

Growing Pains

as raven finally gets to be free from her shackles, apple silently chooses to shoulder all the pain that comes their way and bear the burdens of dealing with the horrors of the world so that raven can be happy. because raven has suffered so much and apple decides it’s only fair that she do all she can to prevent raven from any further suffering. it’s her way of atoning for all the hurt she caused raven, because apple knows raven has been and always will be a better person than her. to apple, if either of them deserves to smile, it’s raven.

[jamiethebeeart]

I don't know where all these Spinaraki shippers came from in the last few months but hello hi welcome thanks for being here I love that y'all are here

[venti-death-watch]

so glad the hearth timeline is like… slightly more understandable than before. previously i had freminet down as being given to the hearth at about 5, arle killing the previous knave when he was about 8, and the twins being taken in a few months later at about 12 when he was still 8. for my au, that makes them about four years apart, which feels slightly large of an age gap but ultimately it works better than making them a year or two apart.

apparently, canonically arle was 16 when clervie died at 16, 17 when she killed the previous knave, and then spent an unknown amount of time in prison before becoming a harbinger and taking over as the director of the house of hearth.

freminet was taken in during the year between clervie’s death and crucabena’s death. the twins were taken in a few months after that.

if freminet was taken in at 5-6, the twins taken in around 9-10, that keeps the age gap between the trio as well as explains the ~10 year gap between this and canon. that would make freminet 15-16 and the twins 19-20, which fits them really well. i wish arlecchino was older, though; she definitely feels older than ~27.

[lillymakesart]

my new OC: cempaka!

she is based on the story/universe that my friend @haydardotjpg's OCs indra and yuwei exist in! pls go checkout haydar's art he is amazing!! his ocs can be found more easily on his ig but if you're lazy this is his oc indra (cempaka's one-sided love interest) and yuwei (indra's fated lover)

also, cempaka means "magnolia" in malay!! (she gets a flower name bc my name is lilly which is also flower c:)

bonus first iteration under the cut!

i accidentally had "poinsettia" flower in mind when i did this iteration instead of an actual magnolia, hence the color scheme. but yeah, this is as self-insert as it gets LOL like she's literally MEEEEEE but still very different and i love her as she is <3

[isaacthedruid]

i wonder if jensen ackles knows the chokehold that dean winchester (and him omg) have on young trans men/masc's and non binary people?

[incornarei]

fishers of men 🎣✨

[rosekasa]

who is getting married at 21 lol

i literally went to my 21 yo friend's wedding last year... my family has been vetting rishta proposals for me since my 20th birthday... LMFAO

[mostlyvampires]

Lestat on Despair

from The Vampire Lestat, when Nicolas is being held captive, just before Lestat and Gabrielle meet Armand for the first time:

I felt weary suddenly; it was almost a feeling of despair. And I thought confusedly, This is ridiculous, I never despair! Others do that, not me. I go on fighting no matter what happens. Always.

[idontmindifuforgetme]

I think there’s something to be said for the fact that I used to dread presentations when I was younger but now plan to go out of my way to sign myself up for them so I can improve my public speaking. Me from not even two years ago would’ve never. But now ?? The more the merrier let me at them

[kattythingz]

I absolutely, 100% want you babbling to me about this AU, yes, PLEASE

So I accidentally wrote an entire ass scene kvjnrekjbe

I got way into it, and this is only one of the scenes I have in mind!! Now that I've written one I kinda wanna do more, fuuuuu--

ANYWAY, ask and ye shall receive! :D. First, the overarching context:

So my main Vision starts with Ling being tossed into YJ, around... three years post-canon of Solaris when edling are engaged and Ed's still traveling around. Some idiot was tryna off the emperor and Ling fucked around with a transmutation circle or sth blah blah crossover logic he's yeeted into YJ.

He lands himself in some kinda facility (I'm thinking cadmus), at the same time that the YJ are conducting a recon operation. He aids in their mission and winds up going back to the cave with them until he can get home. He serves as a good confidant for leadership advice when Kaldur needs it, and Wally calls bullshit on him being an emperor; M'gann is delighted at the new friend, Conner doesn't care, and Robin thrives on Ling's sheer chaos.

Despite that, the team somehow knows even more about this guy's fiance back home than Ling himself. Ed's all he talks about.

This scene happens about a month into Ling's unfortunate stay.

Ling insisted on joining the team—his new friends in this world, if he dared call them such—on their most recent recon mission to cadmus again. Batman reported that there’d been hearsay of strange emissions around cadmus. Mystical emissions, though not any kind the JL had encountered before sans once: when Ling had crash-landed into this world a month ago.

If it’d get him closer to finding a way home, this was completely his business, and nobody could stop him. The YJ, born of such rebellion, backed Ling on his stance.

They split up to cover different corners of the lab, and Robin and Ling, the resident lurkers, got the catwalk in the main lab where Ling originally landed. The giant transmutation circle was still there, littered with random knick-knacks that very likely could’ve been pulled from Amestris, and the reason for those emissions the JL were concerned about. Perhaps the sheer number of the “summonings” had made it seem worse than it was, or—

Robin halted in his intense scrutiny of the circle at the heavy sound of the double doors opening. Ling halted for another reason entirely, as a familiar energy flared in the back of his mind.

He whirled without thinking, stumbling to his knees in his haste to get a closer look down below. 

Robin barely reacted, crouching beside him to peer at the head scientist striding in, the two guards following behind, and—

“—get your fucking hands off me!”

And gold.

Ed, spitting and snarling at the guards.

He was still dressed in a similar manner to when they’d last seen each other a year ago, when Ed had dropped by Xing for a brief, surprise visit after two years apart already. The state of his clothes, however... His maroon cargo pants were torn at the bottom, like they’d been caught on something, and he was only in a black high-neck short-sleeve—not a jacket in sight like usual, showing off the flamel tattoo on his right bicep. His face was scratched and bruised and stray hairs fell from his bangs and clung to his sweat-laden brow.

Ed had been here a while. It was obvious to anyone who could see.

Ling couldn’t breathe.

“You’ll have to forgive my men for their… rougher precautions with you,” the head scientist spoke over the fire. “Our last guest wasn’t nearly so testy as you, you understand. And I rather prefer these parts of my lab intact as solid.”

We’ve got a prisoner in the vicinity, Robin’s voice startled Ling when it echoed through the team’s mind link. Motion?

Strictly observe, for now, came Aqualad’s prompt answer. Who is it?

Looks like a teenager—

“I understand what I’m going to melt next, if that’s what you’re saying,” Ed’s snarl interrupted Robin, and, oh—Ling hadn’t noticed at all, but his heart squeezed at the tone. He’d missed Ed like a limb, and that ferocious baring of teeth, that no-doubt flare of his eyes like—

“Yang’er,” Ling breathed.

Robin spun on him that time. “What?”

He’d forgotten Xingese translated cleanly as “Mandarin” in this world. Robin understood the nickname instantly, and epiphany didn’t lag after.

“Hold on. You mean—?”

“That’s Ed,” Ling choked out, eyes frozen on the scene below with his heart. “That’s—”

“Your fiance?” Robin asked sharply. When Ling didn’t, couldn’t, answer, he cursed and said into their link, Guys, that’s Ling’s Ed down there.

The fiance?! M’gann yelped. Wait, so that means—

So, that’s why, Kaldur intoned somberly. Those emissions Batman warned us about, they must’ve been caused by summoning of another person.

Wait, then, shouldn’t we intervene now? Superboy said.

Not yet, Superboy. We must observe—

They were talking about Ed. Like he was just anyone, a mere prisoner. Ling knew none of it was personal, but with the scientist looming so close to Ed, his mind was blurring into tunnel vision on the scientist’s smug voice continuing, “You can certainly try. Though I doubt you’ll be able to with that necklace on now. It might be amusing to watch you test its limits.”

“I’ll show you fucking amusing, you son of a—!”

It didn’t occur to Ling immediately. But his eyes dropped to take in Ed’s snarling expression again, reassure himself of his safety for now, and he froze on Ed’s neck.

His neck, that was collared.

They’d collared Ed—

White noise erupted in Ling’s ears, barely catching Robin’s hissed noise at him to—do something. He wasn’t sure. It bled into darkness when Ed was held back by the guards from lunging at the scientist.

“And what does that say about you, huh?” Ed continued growling. “So scared of one me, you need shackles and a collar on me? You can’t even face me on my level.”

“You spit a lot of poison,” the scientist remarked, dismissing the words, to Ed’s visible incensation. “The other one was much keener on keeping his fangs to himself. Smarter, too, for that. It’s a shame about not having been able to figure him out before he fled.”

Ed’s head snapped up, then. Daggers locking on the scientist’s words.

The scientist caught the look, and smirked. “Oh, yes. You aren’t my first honored guest from your world. My only mistake with that one was underestimating him under all his blathering. But—” 

“Dude!” It was Robin’s hiss that snapped through Ling’s nerves, and his hand that abruptly shot to keep him from leaping with a searing rage when the scientist grabbed Ed’s chin to make eye contact.

“That is all redundant,” the scientist drawled, amused at Ed’s resistance, “considering you already seem familiar with each other.”

“That’s world-cist.” Ed breathed heavily to hold steady in the scientist’s grip and avoid giving him further satisfaction. “You assuming everyone in my world knows each other now?”

The scientist’s gaze wandered, and without warning, he released Ed’s chin, leaving him to stumble—just in time to take advantage and yank Ed’s restrained arms up by the wrist.

“Hey!” Ed barked at the painful angle, refusing to give but clearly wincing, and Ling’s breathing was requiring its own heavy steadying now to keep from shrugging off Robin’s hand and lunging anyway. The man was touching Ed’s battered arm, squeezing especially the bruises and turning them white from the force—

Ling inhaled shakily. And again. 

“Not everyone,” the scientist hummed, observing Ed’s ring, “but most certainly you two. The other one was wearing a ring too, and a matching earring as well. Now, I don’t gamble much with coincidence, but… it’s a rather funny timing, two in a row, don’t you think?”

“I think,” Ed growled, “you should let go of me, right. Now—”

“This is gold too, isn’t it? I was pondering testing the precious metals of your world against ours. If I melt this dow—”

He cut off on a yelling grunt when Ed slammed his shackled wrists upward into his jaw. The scientist spat blood with the motion, and Ed recoiled as far as he could before a guard was on him again. 

Ling could just taste the fire in Ed’s glare when he snarled, “Try that, and I’m melting your face next. I know… exactly where to break down your structure.”

Holy shit, Wally’s thought echoed in the deafening silence that followed.

You could say that again, Artemis agreed.

Ling ignored them both, his heart reaching in favor of Ed’s direction. That was right. Ed wasn’t just any prisoner. He wouldn’t let himself be. He’d sooner bite every hand that tried to feed him here than give them satisfaction.

Ling’s next breath carried through his lungs, that time, and Robin let out his own exhale next to him.

The scientist knows Ed and Ling are connected, Robin reported, at ease now. It’s not insane to guess that—

He’ll try and use one as bait for the other, Kaldur finished. 

Ling clenched his jaw. That’s not happening.

Obviously! Wally said. So, what’s our plan now—?

I’m getting Ed before that passes.

Wait, what—?

The others voiced their concerns, but Ling had already blocked them out, his sole focus in sight. And he wasn’t planning on digressing from it.

“You don’t have to help me,” he said as he stood, aware of Robin’s silent gaze on him. The two of them were… similar, in their practiced masks, however much younger Robin was. They had a mutual understanding, and so he continued, “I will carry this out on my own if I must. You can—”

“Dude, are you kidding?” Robin’s laugh thawed Ling’s solemnity, and he glanced, surprised, at him. “I am so in for a rescue mission. I’ve gotta meet your fiance now!”

Ling’s grin snuck up on him, perhaps a little too wide with the heat in his blood.

“Ed’ll be delighted,” he said, and even as the guards escorted Ed out of room again, his knees didn’t crumple that time. He took a deep breath, and gripped his sword. 

“Let’s move, then.”

next ->

[faggylittleleatherboy]

I’m not excluding Peter because I think he wasn’t a part of the four, I am excluding Peter because I don’t like him. Hope this helps