#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.

[aure-entuluva-2407]

@majorproblems77

BEHOLD. DAS BRUDERS

I cannot break the number one rule of Star Wars and post them separately. So here they are together, as it should be :D

Featuring: A totally-normal-looking Fives and Actual Ray Of Sunshine Cadet Echo, with whom I had to get creative while shading XD

Enjoy!!!

(part of this game)

hey! if you enjoy my work, please reblog it :)

[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 🎣✨

[rmelster]

WIP: The lady and lord Allenbrought, circa 1835.

@lordbettany

Edition:

[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

[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.