#I think Harry would have very thought provoking questions

[theoneofshame]

Salutations! Here's more half-baked scribbles because I just can't help myself.

Voldemort has a love for books that rivals Hermione’s. The nebulous feel of Voldemort’s consciousness at the periphery of Harry’s would suddenly snap into laser focus at the forefront of his mindscape whenever Harry studied from a text that piqued his interests. Would practically push Harry aside if he found his attention or notes lacking.

Voldemort's hunger for knowledge was limitless in subject-matter, and makes for a surprising complement to Harry’s wandering mind. Voldemort indulges Harry’s genuine questions where other’s brushed him off or scolded, even finding some amusing. Especially the random thoughts like: aren’t Santa’s elves an awful lot like house elves and did that make Santa a wizard, and what exactly was the difference between alchemy and chemistry, or if there's applied mathematics, does that mean there’s unapplied mathematics?

If the current topics are connected to one of Harry’s classes, Voldemort has him search through specific readings, and circles around conversations with pointed remarks until Harry comes to his own conclusions. He makes learning… enjoyable for Harry. Reminds him that professor Quirell’s instruction was partially responsible for Defense being Harry's favorite subject.

[thestorycomesalive]

And I Would Do it Again

George Weasley x Reader

Summary: When you stick up for George in front of your whole Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Professor Umbridge has a certain consequence in mind for you.

Angst and Fluff, Hurt/Comfort.

TW: Mentions of Blood

****

“Eh hem, Mr. Weasley,” hummed a trilling voice from behind the tall red head next to you.

“Professor?” George raised an eyebrow to the pink clad woman behind him, wondering what in the world the small, angry lady could possibly want. Afterall, he hadn’t done anything wrong. And he knew better than to test her at this point. Or at least he knew his limits. Ron had told him of the tragic events that took place in Harry’s detention. Ever since then, he and his twin brother had gotten quieter and cleverer about pulling their tricks around school. Of course, they hadn’t stopped altogether. George wouldn’t be George without his pranks. But George knew he couldn’t get detention. Not out of a kindness for himself, but rather for your sake. He knew you’d worry too much.

But this time, he hadn’t done anything to provoke Professor Umbridge. He racked his brain for a moment, but he couldn’t think of one thing that would call her attention to him.

“You have received a generous amount of our class time today to complete your writing assignment, and while even Ms. L/N next to you has come up with a few paragraphs, you seem to have nearly nothing on your page. Care to explain what you’ve been up to all of this time?” The woman teetered to the front of your table, peering down at George.

He gave her a look of disbelief. “Well, it is not for lack of trying. I just have a hard time learning on paper. And you don’t let us use our wands,” he pointed out.

She giggled a single, ugly giggle. “Mr. Weasley… I can’t say I’m surprised. Afterall, I have come to expect less than from you. You shouldn’t need your wand to learn. Perhaps it is time for you to accept the fact that your own stupidity is to blame for your shortcomings. I really do my very best, but some students are just purely unteachable.” She hummed the last part to herself, shaking her head.

Your eyes shot up to her instantly. You had been watching her for some time, but in this instance, your eyes had been on the boy next to you, offering looks of kindness and sympathy without words. But now you were angry. Practically fuming. “Excuse me,” you muttered sharply, grabbing her attention with a whip of her head. “That is not, in any way, fair or warranted. George is one of the smartest people I know.” Your eyes were shooting darts at her as a piercing, condescending smile crept up to her ears.

“Ms. L/N. Talking out of turn will not be tolerated in my classroom. Especially not when it is used to talk back to your superiors,” she huffed.

You felt the smallest sensation of George’s pinky finger entwining with yours, as he tried to simmer down some of the anger, he knew was bubbling within you. You sighed and decided to leave the subject, having said your piece.

“You shall not question my knowledge and wisdom in any sense. If I say he is stupid, he is stupid, and if I say you are a flying Niffler, well then, you must be a flying Niffler. Do you understand, young lady?” she grinned, clearly having been satisfied with what she thought was winning the argument. You feel the heat and anger rising even higher than before at the mention of the sweet boy next to you. And then you finally realized what it is she was asking of you. She was asking you to agree with her cruel assumption about your George in front of the whole class. She cocks an eyebrow in the air with a wild smirk on her face. The rage pools over as you finally let it escape your mouth.

“No. I do not. I do not understand how you can call someone so bright and creative stupid, simply because you lack the skills and empathy to teach them what you would like them to know. Or because their knowledge simply extends beyond concepts that you can understand. You might not agree with me, Professor, but not everyone is like you. Not everyone wants to sit in a dark room and just pretend to learn for the rest of their lives. You want to give me detention, Professor? Fine. But I will not stand by while you abuse really great wizards, let alone, the ones that I love.” You cock your eyebrows back at her, knowing she has you right where she wants you. You don’t have a care in the world as the steam almost rises from your ears. It is now you notice that George’s hand had moved from your pinky to your wrist, gently trying to stop you from making the decision you had just made, his eyes pleading with yours with a gentle sadness and slight shock. However, for the briefest moment, you thought you could make out the tiniest glimpse of pride pass his eyes at the same time.

“Detention, Ms. L/N. I will not have anyone tell me how to teach in my classroom or question my abilities and judgement as a witch. Let alone someone so new to magic, as yourself.” She smiled smugly as she returned to the front of the classroom continuing her lesson immediately, not giving George or you a chance to respond to her. It was this act that left George hunting her down with a glare that could kill for the rest of the class, hand still in yours.

****

George spent every moment away from you that day, skipping his classes, trying in every way to get himself detention with Umbridge as well. However, every attempt ended with a quiet humph and scolding from her filled with cruel and nasty words. It was clear that even though she dreadfully wanted to, she was not going to give in and give George the detention he so desperately desired. She knew his punishment would be far more effective if she let you suffer and put him in a position where he would not be able to do anything about it whatsoever. It was the only time that he had the freedom to do nearly anything he wanted at Hogwarts, to break almost any rule he wanted to break, and get away with it. The painful irony is, he hated every second of it.

*****

Your detention arrived quickly that night when the corridors of the castles quieted. You had spent all day since your class with Umbridge quiet by George’s side. On the moments that you would be separated, you would go find a place in the Gryffindor Common Room to sit and wait for him to return from his classes or what you thought must be prank trials with Fred. But you weren’t worried about your detention like most people probably assumed you had been. Hell, you probably should’ve been. No. You were furious. Furious at Umbridge for targeting George, furious at her for backing you into a corner until you couldn’t take it anymore, furious at her for hurting Harry, furious at her for getting away with all of the terrible things she has done… furious.

When darkness befell the Common Room, only George, Fred, Lee, and you remained. You hadn’t told Harry or anyone else about your detention. You didn’t want him to worry. However, Fred and Lee, of course, had known of your soon-to-be punishment, considering they had been in the class when you received it. When you left the classroom, George pulled you into his side protectively and Lee had given you proud pat on the shoulder. With an exaggerated wink, Fred had run up and exclaimed, “Blimey, that was amazing, L/N! Nice craftsmanship, excellent execution.” Fred had tried to wipe some of the anger from your face throughout the day with a few, “don’t mess with that one, she’s fiery” and “Oi, Lee, careful. Catch yourself even looking at ol’ Georgie too long, and you might have to answer to that one,” with a point in your direction. These usually earned a genuine, soft smile from you as you chuckled to yourself. Freddie was the one person in the world who could make any person laugh no matter the circumstances. George would blush, and if he saw you laughing, he would also laugh to himself at the mention of the last joke from Fred. Part of you wondered if he may have enjoyed feeling your protectiveness over him. And you didn’t mind. You liked that he liked it. Even now.

But as the four of you sat late in the quiet Common Room, you felt the jokes wash away as George twiddled with his fingers, your head on his chest. You could tell he was feeling worried and helpless as you waited for your time to leave for detention. When that time came, you gave them a gentle smile and said, “Alright, I’m off. I’ll see you guys in the morning. Don’t go worrying about me too much.” You gave Fred and Lee a wink and kissed the top of George’s head.

As if on instinct, George grabbed your hand, pleading with his face, as if he were trying to keep you from going. But he knew that if you did not show up tonight, it would only earn you an even bigger punishment with the nasty, pink-shoed woman later. You took his hand and held it to your cheek as you gave him a little smile and whispered, “I love you. Goodnight.” And off you went, George watching your back as you left.

*****

As you creaked through the half open door of Umbridge’s office, you heard her squeal in delight. She toned out, “Do come in, Ms. L/N.”

You walked in without a word, eyes piercing through the small woman as she continued. “I do hope tonight will serve you nicely. You will be writing lines for me, dear.” You nodded your head, eyes still shooting at the Professor. This is what you had expected to hear from her. “Take a seat. There is a quill and parchment already for you at the desk there.”

 You took a seat at the desk she pointed to as she tutted. “Hmm… What lesson is to be learned tonight, do you think?” You, of course, didn’t answer. “There are many lessons I believe you could benefit from learning, Ms. L/N, but I have chosen to be generous to you, for reasons unbeknownst to me. I believe the lines, ‘I will learn my place and be respectful to my superiors’, will do just fine.”

 Your mouth dropped. You were expecting to write lines, and you knew the pain that would come with that, but you had not expected the number of words she would give you to write to be so extensive. You only prayed that the number of lines she would have you complete would be less, to even out your sentence to compare to the stories you had heard from others, including Harry. You dared to ask. “How many- “

“One hundred,” she interrupted without hesitation.

You nodded, eyes still a bit wide from shock. You assumed that you had really struck a nerve with your defiance towards Umbridge. Afterall, why else would your sentence be nearly double that of any other student you have heard from so far? You figured that you also were being used as punishment towards those you loved as well. Those who have also unmeaningly struck a nerve of Umbridge’s too: Harry and George. But you wouldn’t be used as bait. No, you quite refused to be used as such.

As you dared to hover the dry quill over the paper, you prepared yourself for the pain that would inevitably begin once you touched them down to meet. And when it did, the pain was one hundred times more unbearable than you had even begun to imagine, just like the number of lines you were to complete.

By the time you had arrived halfway through your assignment, blood was dripping down your fingertips, drenching your parchment along with the tears crawling down your face. Finally, soft whimpers that you had tried to hold back for so long, began to escape.

 The clock ticking echoed in your ears, taunting your brain with the idea of freedom. After what felt like an eternity, you had finished the lines, and you were a both dry and wet bloodied mess. You sat up from your seat and handed the now quiet professor your scarlet stained parchment full of scratches reading, “I will learn my place and be respectful to my superiors”, front and back.

“May I leave now?” you uttered.

She simply nodded with a conniving grin plastered on her face as she watched you walk out the door.

*****

You held your breath until you arrived back past the portrait into the Gryffindor Common Room, not wanting that evil woman to hear you cry. When you stepped into the room, you pressed your back to the cold wall next to you and grabbed your wrist, blood flow never-ending, and finally let the tears and sobs escape you, as your back fell down the wall. You were so blinded by the pain that you didn’t even notice there was someone in the room with you. They ran up from the couch, over to your place by the wall, and sat right next to you, pulling you into their lap. From the moment you discovered the figure, your brain and your heart knew it would be your George. Part of you had a feeling he wouldn’t sleep until you were back, and you didn’t want him to see you like this. You fought your brain which told you that you were allowing yourself to be the live weapon that Umbridge wanted you to be. You just hadn’t expected the pain to be so much. You hadn’t expected that you would collapse right in front of George. You so desperately wanted to be strong. To stay strong for him. For yourself. But, oh merlin, did it hurt.

His big arms wrapped around your shoulders and brought his hand to pull your bloodied one into his line of sight. His breathing hitched and he felt his blood run to his cheeks and his ears as his other hand clenched into a fist. He was seeing red at the extra bloodied hand you fostered, much worse than he had ever seen, even on Harry. But the rage he felt was nothing compared to the crunch of his heart splitting in two as your cries of pain reached his ears. He didn’t know what to do, he felt so helpless, just as he had all day, but a million times worse.

“Darling, I know. I’m so sorry. I’m- I’m so sorry. Please. Please, I have to wrap this. You have to let me wrap this,” he struggled, pleading with you.

Your head heard his words, and it told you to move, to stop crying, to say something. But your skin was on fire, and the roar of the flames outspoke the language of your brain trying to reason with your body. You were able to lean your head into his shoulder, as you tried to compose yourself as best as you could, but the best you could do was quiet your sobs ever so slightly, as any and all words fell silent in the back of your throat. Your tears soaked through his shirt and coated his upper arm that still held you. He began to take his arms and pull himself up, untangling himself from you. He moved to sit on his knees in front of you, eyes searching for yours as he tilted your chin up to look at him.

“My love. Please. I need to wrap your hand. Can I bring you to the couch?” he asked, peering through your eyes for an answer.

You slightly nodded your head, barely noticeable. But George, he saw it. He always saw it. He could read you better than anyone in the world. The moment he saw your head move, he scooped his arm under your bent legs and placed his other one across your back and under your arms. You turned your head into his shoulder as he gently move to place you on the couch, your back pressed to the arm of the chair. You pulled your knees up on the couch, moving your heels to touch your bottom. Splayed out across the table in front of you were bandages and a wrap for your hand. As the tears began finding themselves more and more scarce at the hope of relief, the smaller of the words at the back of your throat began to find their way out.

“Georgie?” you asked, coming out in a high-pitched whimper.

His deep, worrying eyes looked to you, hands finding your cheeks. He followed your eyes to the table and the equipment laying on it. An embarrassed blush came to his cheeks as his brows furrowed. Supplies. It was pathetic, he thought. He should’ve been the one being punished. But instead, it was you and there was absolutely nothing he could do except for find some simple supplies. Unable to even think about sleeping, he had snuck his way over to Madame Pomfrey in the medical wing as soon as you had exited the Common Room. He asked her for some supplies and after more than a lot of convincing that everything was okay and that he wasn’t up to anything that would get her in trouble, she suspiciously obliged. He knew you would refuse to see her anyways, not wanting to take up her time. And deep down, he too knew that there was not much she would be able to do for you, no matter how much he begged. Afterall, this was a punishment enacted by Umbridge herself, and no matter how much she wanted to, Pomfrey could not disregard the rules set in place by the self-proclaimed headmaster and inquisitor.

He turns back to you quickly trying to cover the look of shame and guilt on his face.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry,” his voice breaks, tears of his own forming.

You could see him fighting with his own mind over something that you were sure would split your heart right down the middle.

“George?” you squeaked out once more.

“I’m so sorry…It’s my fault. I was behind in class. It should’ve been me. Not you. I should’ve protected you, I-,” he finally lets it all come rushing out.

You cut him off by placing your good hand on his cheek, giving him a difficult and very broken smile. Your voice comes out raspy from the sobs you had forced down but determined now, as soon as you hear the pain in George's own voice. “No. This decision was mine, George. All mine…” you give the faintest of laughs, almost in disbelief. “And yet, I can’t find the mind to regret it… I would do it again… and again.”

He leaned into your touch, eyes wincing as you revealed to him that you would take this punishment and this pain for him once again.

“Look at me?” you whispered.

He brought his eyes up to meet yours. Your voice was a little bit clearer now, although wavering ever so slightly.

“My decision. Please do not take that away from me, Georgie. It was my decision to make, and I am so glad that I did. You are so smart. You know that, right?” You looked up at him from under your eyelashes through the now silent and mild tears that streamed down your face.

He shook his head. He couldn’t bring himself to even begin to describe himself as smart. If that were true, he thought, he would’ve found a way to be there with you. If that were true, you wouldn’t have been there at all. He couldn’t understand, how through all of the terror and pain, you were the one to comfort him. He simply began to unwrap the bandages from their place on the table and started to wrap them tightly around your hand to stop the blood from dripping any longer, a lot of it starting to dry already. When he was finished, you took your good hand and placed it on his cheek once again. You pulled him into a sweet, soft, salty kiss.

“Smart. Clever. Kind. Brave. Gentle,” you muttered these words in his ear as you rested your head on his shoulder, and he once again pulled you into his lap, this time, towards him.

“The strongest girl I know, so beautiful, so loving…,” he muttered back, caressing your hair, trailing off into magical, sweet nothings that mean quite everything to both of you.

“I love you, Georgie,” you whisper.

“I love you, darling,” he says.

“Will you stay with me tonight?” you ask the beautiful, ginger boy that you love so dearly.

“I will always stay with you, my love,” he says as he begins to lift your body from the couch to carry to your dorm. There the two of you find comfort in each other’s embrace, finally drifting off into a deep sleep.

[saintsenara]

📖🖤

thank you very much for the asks, anons!

if you had to remove one book from the series, which would you choose?

answered here.

which character is not as morally good as everyone else seems to think?

i'm going to bend the terms of this question a little bit, so that i can talk about how little i vibe with a common way of writing luna - the one which presents the things she believes as correct, and the rest of the world as simply too narrow-minded to see it.

this turns luna into - essentially - a flawless clairvoyant, working tirelessly to get others to see the truth, and it therefore turns her canonical naivety, stubbornness, inability to accept that she might be wrong, and refusal to consider multiple viewpoints into displays of moral fortitude.

instead of what they actually are... flaws. all of which have made her a conspiracy theorist, rather than the one person in the world who gets it.

i'd be really interested in a fic which takes this aspect of luna's character seriously - whether it looks at her beliefs becoming more entrenched, or thinks about what it would be like for her as she began to drift away from the certainties of her conspiracist thinking. i'd also like to see fics take the implication of canon that she is - to some extent - indoctrinated by her father seriously. and - of course - i'd also like to see the crack fics of luna managing to genuinely convince swathes of people to get into snorcack hunting...

i'm not interested one bit in manic-pixie-dream!luna.

what does everyone else get wrong about your favourite character?

snape is not a good occlumens because he's emotionally controlled. nor because he's emotionally repressed.

he's good occlumens because he's incredibly petty.

contrary to its fanon interpretation, occlumency is not building a mental fortress - putting up an occlumency shield/wall isn't a thing [and, indeed, can't be - because then the legilimens you're protecting your thoughts from would realise that you were doing this...] - and nor is it the total control of any emotion other than bland calm.

occlumency is, essentially, being able to lie [or, at the very least, to bend the truth] fluently - and to manage your emotional response [including responses which appear to be unstable, like glee, anger, or sorrow] with sufficient ease that nobody ever guesses that you're lying or withholding information.

this requires a certain level of performativity. it also requires a certain level of self-awareness - and, especially, self-awareness of your negative characteristics. one of the reasons why i think harry isn't a good occlumens is because - while he's a very good liar when he knows that what he's saying is exclusively a lie - he's prone to righteousness in situations in which he knows [or thinks he knows] that what he's saying has any level of truth to it. he finds it incredibly difficult to hold his temper - that is, to manage his emotional response, or to perform anger, rather than letting it overtake him unrestrainedly - in front of people like snape or umbridge because they're wrong in how they interpret his views and behaviours, and this is something which he never learns [during the canon series, at least] to not be provoked by.

but snape is clearly aware that he has a tendency towards delighting in the misfortune of others - as well as an evident loathing for people who think that they're cleverer than he is, whom he loves misleading.

and it's this which makes him such a good occlumens - he likes lying, especially to people who are arrogant enough to believe that they've got him all figured out.

or, as he puts it in half-blood prince:

“You think he is mistaken? Or that I have somehow hoodwinked him? Fooled the Dark Lord, the greatest wizard, the most accomplished Legilimens the world has ever seen?”

he has - of course - done just that. and he clearly finds it enormously entertaining - thereby making him relaxed enough to allow him to manage his emotional performance while lying - that both voldemort and bellatrix never seriously consider the fact that this might be the case...

[atopvisenyashill]

thoughts on the grand northern conspiracy theory?

it makes some points but i think most of it is deeply silly and relies on far too many leaps in logic and characters acting in a way they would never act all to push a “jon will be king” theory, which as i’m sure everyone knows, i am a big hater of.

The basis of the theory is that the Northern lords are purposefully playing Stannis & the Bolton/Freys against each other so they can take each other out, and free the North up for a Stark King & Northern Independence. That, on its face, I fully believe. It’s the details in the theory that I don’t fully buy into.

It’s basically canon that the Northern lords & ladies are really taking advantage of the chaotic politics & lack of a real centralized leader at the moment to make their own political moves. Some examples here include:

Arnolf & Cregan Karstark are explicitly doing this, something Alys comments on and something several other lords point out: "My uncle declared for Stannis, in hopes it might provoke the Lannisters to take poor Harry's head. Should my brother die, Karhold should pass to me, but my uncles want my birthright for their own." They don't really care about Stannis, they want Harry dead so they can have Karhold.

Alysane Mormont is potentially working off orders from her mother, when she says here, "Five, we were. All girls. Lyanna is back on Bear Island. Lyra and Jory are with our mother. Dacey was murdered." Even though as far as we know before that, all of Maege's girls were at Bear Island (except Dacey, who was with Maege in Robb's campaign).

There's the Umbers refusing to fight each other while picking two different sides, and this theory here that it was likely a plan between Mors and Hother to keep the Greatjon alive.

The Manderly Of It All re: very obviously using his granddaughter's anger as a cover for his own brutal plans for revenge and a Stark restoration.

The North is all clearly playing the game & attempting to oust the Boltons & Freys from power. I also don’t think the grumbling for Northern Independence would have died down since Robb died - if anything, after their King is brutally, viciously murdered, his mother’s corpse made a mockery of, his little Queen now a prisoner, and his sisters married off to enemies & humiliated, I imagine the calls for Northern Independence have gotten louder. This is a people that has suffered not just death and violence, but a lot of humiliation on top of that, and all of that is the perfect recipe for some sort of nationalist call for independence.

But the theory has. Some points that I just cannot co-sign because they make absolutely zero sense to me.

The idea that the only thing stopping Jon from being king is Jeyne being pregnant or the witnesses of Robb’s will being dead is just silly. He isn’t Ned Stark’s son, he is Lyanna’s! That puts Robb’s entire will in question, and you can bet your ass that there will be some grumbling or discussion about whether Winterfell should bypass Ned‘a line despite him having TWO true born sons and TWO true born daughters still alive, or whether it goes to Lyanna and therefore to Jon. The succession question is just NOT as simple as the meta makes it out to be because it completely ignores that Jon is, I cannot stress this enough, NOT actually Ned Stark’s son.

The meta is right that it’s likely Maege & Gallbart got a message to Howland because Theon notes that there’s been attacks by craggoman. But. Howland is one of - possible thee only - person left alive that knows Jon is Lyanna’s son. There is just no way he doesn’t have a strong opinion on whether Jon should inherit winterfell without knowing the truth.

Irrelevant but it’s really mean to Jeyne Westerling. Whatever role she may have - even if it’s to die in the prologue of TWOW - her life and her death are important regardless of whether she’s pregnant! She is the widow of a King, and if she dies by LSH’s hand, it’s going to be a huge point in showing us the violence in the Riverlands. Maybe the continued breakdown in the Riverlands, Lady Stoneheart’s anger, and Jeyne’s defiance of her family is not relevant to the King Jon pushers, but it IS thematically relevant to the plot thank you very fucking much. THE GIRL IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE BOY.

More relevant to this point is there’s just no way in fuck that Lady Stoneheart is trying to crown Jon. “oh she has bigger problems” she is going to crown one of her children if she crowns anyone, likely Arya, not her husband’s bastard who she fucking hated & asked to be banished to a glorified penal colony. Look at Brynden’s comments about Jon:

The Blackfish narrowed his eyes. "Did your father arrange for that as well? Catelyn never trusted the boy, as I recall, no more than she ever trusted Theon Greyjoy. It would seem she was right about them both.

Cat hates that kid so much she wrote letters to her uncle talking shit about him but we are supposed to believe this is proof she wants to crown him? When she's so far gone she's willing to kill Podrick and Brienne off a perceived slight against her? When she's heard several rumors that her daughters may still be alive and well? No. Don't buy it even a little.

Also, Brynden is flying Robb’s banner bc Robb was his family, because he loved Catelyn, and because what else is he supposed to do when he’s in the middle of a siege?? This point is silly and nonsensical.

Harwin as the Hooded Man - i mean. there’s nothing for or against this really, but also the Theon Durden theory aka Theon is the hooded man and doesn’t realize bc he’s having a psychotic episode, is much more believable to me & much more in line with everything that’s happening in theon’s chapter.

So like. Yes, the basic premise of “the northern lords are desperately looking for a stark, any stark, to make king/queen in the north, bc they are tired of All This Bullshit” is something i completely agree with. I do think it’s likely Maege has been in contact with her daughters, & that she and Gallbart made contact with Howland, who is about to enter the scene in a big way. But all that ish about LSH, the BWB, and Blackfish? Absolutely not. LSH is about Arya’s story (and Brienne & Jaime’s), not Jon. Stoneheart doesn’t care about the politics in Westeros; she cares that she followed all the rules and it got her family killed, so now she will break every rule there is to get revenge for her slaughtered children. she is Alyssa Arryn except she has the power to cause a lot of suffering before her tears drown her. she is not wasting her second life crowning jon snow!

[forestdeath1]

Trigger warning - this question contains ask about domestic abuse/ abuse by a partner. If this makes you uncomfortable, please don't read further ahead and just ignore this ask.

Do you think Remus (canon) is capable of becoming an abusive partner????

Apologize for the in the face and dark question.

But whenever I think about the things he did and didn't do and what he said and what he lied, I somehow feel scared Or uncomfortable reading a canonical version of him. (Like I get the feeling that I won't want someone like him to be my freind Or partner. But that is a personal thing. )

So bit back story....

A friend of mine recently got our of the clutches of this man, her husband, who abused her.

And i am really obsessed now in comparing what she told me about her ex husband and Lupin.

Like she said he was a different person with her alone and a different person with his friends and colleagues. She honestly thought that she was in the wrong because everyone just loved her husband this quite guy with the most sarcastic comments made at right time to make everyone laugh and admire him for.

And the funny thing was he himself kept on apologizing and then saying he didn't mean to hit her, it just happened. I dont know but I get the feel that with how much Remus is a person who holds his cards close to his heart and wishes to present himself ...

And I am talking about all sorts of abuses here. Physical, emotional, mental, verbal, sexual.

Listen, this is an interesting version. Remus actually showed that he could lose control of himself even with people who are weaker and younger than him (that case with Harry). But in his case, I don't see that he is specifically seeking power over a partner (abuse is about one having power over another). He reacts very sharply to Harry, which is naturally not good, but would this be some kind of standard scenario in his relationships, or is it a one-off explosion that he then reflected on and realised? Abusers often apologise, playing their partner on a hot-cold swing to keep the partner hooked with "I'm not really that bad, just a bit uncontrolled, but I actually love you, it's actually you who provoked me, it's all because I LOVE YOU, I didn't want this, I feel very bad, BUT IT'S YOUR FAULT, I can't do anything with my love, forgive me, I love you so much that this love destroys me, WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME, why do you make me hit you" etc.

Does Remus use his reactions as a way to assert his dominance and control over another? Honestly, Remus doesn't really seem like someone who seeks to control and dominate a partner. His reaction is more likely triggered by not being allowed to run away again, i.e., activating his typical avoidance pattern. This is also not the healthiest mechanism, but it all doesn't seem like asserting dominance and control.

[therealvinelle]

Wait this is super late and already February BUUt

what was your tumblr blog wrapped? Favorite ask of 2023? Most thought provoking?? Strangest ask of 2023?

Better late than never! Although we have an immediate problem: I have absolutely no recollection of which asks I received in 2023, so we'll have to dig through my drafts for this one (as interesting questions are the ones I start answering only to be overwhelmed by, and then shove into drafts where they are forgotten).

So, looking through my 2023 drafts we have:

Most thought provoking

Which Agatha Christie plot would Carlisle actually stand a chance of solving? Like he wakes up human and is told he's the famous Hercule Poirot, what's the best case scenario there?

Anon has no idea how much joy they bring me when they ask me to think about murder mysteries, my only gripe is that anon is clearly not a Christie veteran because while Poirot was her most famous detective, the woman had lots of detectives. Poirot, Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence, Superintendent Battle, or one-off characters such as Calgary in Ordeal by Innocence. The one-off characters are typically ordinary people who suddenly find themselves in the middle of some insane plot unfolding (see: Calgary finding out that he was supposed to be a hanged man's alibi, now he wants to set things right, or the narrator of Crooked House who got engaged to a nice girl only to find out her family is insane).

All of this to say: Carlisle doesn't wake up as Poirot, he is the Poirot, our Christie hero of the day who gets entangled in a conspiracy of some kind.

Which means I'd have to think of an Agatha Christie-esque plot of my own to fit Carlisle into it, and then explain how he solves it and this frankly is a fic, not a tumblr post.

Kudos also go to the person who very stupidly asked me why I'm so obsessed with Alphard Black recently when he's a non-character in the Harry Potter franchise, they got this reply. (TLDR: I squinted at the Black family tree until I'd gone insane.)

Favorite ask

Somebody asked me about the RMS Titanic :')

Also this one: Voldie metamorphosis anon here, I can't believe someone already asked you that lol. Weird! Now that you're a wizard terrorist with mind control spells, what terrible Oslo city planning decisions would you interfere with?

Splendid question, anon, but I was overwhelmed and just wanted to type "Barcode. Barcode!! THE PLANS FOR GAUSTAD SYKEHUS" and attach lots of pictures of Ullevål hospital, my beloved, and ended up stepping away from the keyboard with my hands in the air.

Strangest asks

I'll just list a few as I scroll down my inbox.

You have purgatory, where there are Tom Riddles from different "universes". What would Edward Cullen's purgatory look like? Are they all sad because they're in hell? Do they have complex polycules? They don't talk to each other at all? I want to know your thought What gets me about this one is the first sentence, where we take a Purgatory of Tom Riddles for an established fact. I feel @thecarnivorousmuffinmeta probably made a post about it at some point except neither of us have any recollection of such a post actually existing.

Do you think the cullen would like you Never have I felt more like Regina George walked into my inbox than when I received this one. No, anon, and I know you know it too.

klaus wants to date rebekah & elijah ?? would you please explain I've never been more flabbergasted than by anon watching one of the CW Incest Shows and being shocked, just shocked, by the idea there might have been hints there. I wonder what anon made of Wincest, I really really do.

[pleas3pretendimnothere]

My mystery pain improved somewhat this month, so I was able to read four books! I'm still behind my 1-book-a-week goal, but whatever! I care more about my body feeling better. And it's too bad none of these books really stood out this month!

The Door In the Moon

By Catherine Fisher - This is the third book in Fisher's Obsidian Mirror series. The previous two books I enjoyed for their fast pacing and colorful characters. I did recommend adventure-enthusiasts read them! However, this third book may have changed my opinion somewhat...

This book feels like filler. By the end, I was asking, "Was an adventure in mid-revolution Paris really necessary?" It all felt a bit like pandering to the dramatic allure of this historical time period. The reader realizes the setting and thinks, "Uh-oh! How will our heroes get out of this one!" At least, I suppose that's what was the intended effect... It didn't pay off for me. Instead, the book shuffles things around in a way that should feel refreshing, but instead disappoints. Side characters whom I care very little for are reintroduced and made pivotal to the plot. Meanwhile, the series' most likeable characters are pushed into the background. This mix-up destroyed Fisher's usual intense pacing! And the big ending...well, it could have easily been the ending to the previous book. Why, why, why? What happened here!?

It's tough to be three books into a series and realize you've just read a worse book. You ask, "Do I still care?" And I think I do. The previous books were strong enough, so I will be finishing the series. I'll give my final verdict then!

Life After Life

By Kate Atkinson - A book opens with a woman assassinating Hitler. You, having freshly opened the scene in your mind, must decide: heroic, or campy? That question haunted my entire read.

The majority of Life is fantastic. Our protagonist Ursula Todd is reliving her own life over and over again. Each time she dies, she relives her life with new instincts, her own intuition linking her to the mistakes of her past failed lives. We as the readers see Ursula make mistakes, and then improve upon them in the next life. We see her at her lowest, and then at her highest. She makes decisions that have positive effects in some ways, and negative effects in others. Consequences riddle each small decision. Atkinson's ability to jump between lives, sometimes in ways that can be quite confusing to the reader, brings a huge amount of fun to this read. The reader constantly asks, "What will she do different? Will her life be better or worse? Do any of her decisions actually matter at all?"

And then you remember she is somehow going to kill Hitler. Huh???

Ultimately, Atkinson made it make sense. I too would kill Hitler if I realized he was the source of all despair in all my multitude of lives! Most importantly, this is emotional, thought-provoking literature. I often found myself reflecting on my own life and the decisions I make every day, how the smallest things might affect me years down the line. And then, I wonder if any of it really matters, or if it will all just end up undone.

I really enjoyed this read, but it is quite long, and the Hitler stuff comes off as quite distracting in this year of 2024. Still, I'd highly recommend you RENT IT!

Akata Witch

By Nnedi Okorafor - A thirteen-year-old American, albino girl of Nigerian parents returns to Nigeria, where she discovers she is part of a secret society of magic-users that spans the globe. It's giving Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, folks. It's a lot of fun.

Okorafor has written a children's novel that brings the readers into the world of African magic. It's tantalizing, it's magical, it's whimsical, and, in a wonderful Riordan-esque way, still quite serious! There are stakes and risk, and our adorable cast of characters must navigate huge responsibilities suddenly placed on their shoulders. And the story, the world, always, always, it's strange, and it's fun! I had a blast reading this.

Not a lot to say about Witch, but it's a delightful, quick and easy read. If you're looking for something light and refreshing like Rick Riordan, definitely RENT IT!

God Emperor of Dune

By Frank Herbert - And now for something completely different. The brilliant new Dune film inspired my return to the books, all of which I'd gobbled up. Dune was incredibly detailed and wise. Dune Messiah was a reflective finale to its predecessor. Children of Dune brought us back into the weird intrigue and horror of Arrakis. And God Emperor...um. Don't read this book....

Wow. This book was bad. I didn't think it possible, but hoo boy! The people weren't kidding when they said "Just read the first three!" This book is a miserable, patronizing slog.

There is virtually no plot. The God Emperor Leto II spends 80% of the book taking guests into his chamber and philosophizing at them. Herbert's writing is astonishingly nuanced and intelligent--to a fault. There's so much nonsense wordplay, that at some point, you just stop trying to understand any of it. You lose interest. You ask, 300 pages in, "Wait, what the hell happened to Siona???" Then, when Duncan cries out in fear of two girls kissing, you ask, "Is Dune bad??"

And the philosophy! Good god, it's dated. Hope you enjoy sexism and homophobia in your worldly discussions! Just know I spent a lot of time laughing. (That's right! Male armies always tend towards homosexuality, which always leads to self-destruction! I so agree, Frank!!)

If you loved Dune like I did, you will not love this book. If you MUST read it, I'd advise a tailored reading experience, where all the pointless nonsense is skipped. That would be a good 70%. Otherwise, SKIP IT!

[scarletofhufflepuff]

Harry Potter x His Dark Materials

So I read the Harry Potter books for the first time a while ago. While I did, I randomly got the idea of what if the characters had their own Dæmons? If so, what forms would they settle as? Now for anyone who doesn’t know what a Dæmon is, it’s essentially a person’s soul given physical form outside the body.

I didn’t figure out/assign every character in the books a Dæmon cause let’s be honest, there are a lot of characters. For the characters I did assign a Dæmon, I mainly relied on descriptions of the Dæmon List BBC made when the His Dark Materials tv show came out. Mostly because figuring out what animal aligns with a character’s personality the most on my own is kinda hard without something to go off of.

Also note, these are just my thoughts. Something I did for fun that is not meant to be taken seriously. If you think a different animal suits the character’s personality better, feel free to leave a comment. :)

So the characters I did assign a Dæmon to are of course the golden trio. There were a lot of good Dæmon candidates but I think the ones I ended up assigning match the characters well enough. Granted some of the descriptions may not fit perfectly but I did my best.

For Harry: Kestrel

According to the Dæmon description it says, “You are impulsive, determined and courageous. You want the best for the world but your methods can be questionable. Sometimes sacrifices must be made in order to achieve the greatest outcome and it takes real bravery to be the scapegoat.”

I believe this describes Harry very well. There are many moments in the books where he acts on impulse, determined to do what he thinks is right, and is courageous in the face of danger. That last sentence in the description especially, given what happens at The Battle of Hogwarts.

For Hermione: Wildcat

There were two other Dæmon forms I was considering for Hermione, but then after reading the description given to Wildcat, I dropped the other two Dæmons.

Said description given to Wildcat reads as follows, “You are independent, brave and logical. You have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and are extremely diligent. You weigh up your options without acting impulsively, but you never let this get in the way of a good adventure! You take your responsibilities seriously, acting with great care and tact. You are very protective of those you love and have a great desire to do good in this world.”

I believe this description matches best with Hermione. For she has shown many times the bravery of a Gryffindor, while using her intelligence to persevere in various situations at the same time.

For Ron: Border Terrier Cross

As with the previously discussed characters, there were two other Dæmon forms I had been considering for Ron. Before of course settling on this one after reading its description.

The description reads as follows, “You’re honest, hardworking, and kind. You are often cheerful and happiest working in the service of others but if provoked, you will do what you have to in order to protect those you love. You are a loyal friend and a rock for them during troubled times.”

I believe this fits Ron the best mostly because he is indeed very loyal and the rock of the friend group. The rock but definitely shows with how shaken Harry and Hermione are when he leaves them during The Deathly Hallows. They feel his absence deeply. That and the fact Ron has stayed being friends with Hermione and Harry throughout all the crazy stuff that happens throughout the books.

————

That’s pretty much it. The only other character I tried assigning a Dæmon to was Cedric, but I’m not certain if the description for Black Squirrel really fits him. So I left that out of this post. Also if I were to try to think up more Dæmon forms with other characters, I would leave out those with a known animagus form. Since an animagus form often reflects who the character is as a person anyhow.

[whinlatter]

On the veil

TW: Discussion of suicide and suicidal thoughts

Thanks to @four2andnew for this post responding to the meta I posted earlier - the post shares some really thought-provoking reflections on the veil, and why Harry, Luna, Neville and Ginny are the characters most drawn to this boundary between this life and the next.

In many ways, it seems very possible that all characters entranced by the veil might well have experienced suicidal thoughts or suicidal ideation. I’m writing a Ginny-centric piece at the moment, and it’s a prospect I’ve been thinking a lot about: both the context of both Ginny’s lingering guilt, but also whether her desperation to be rid of Riddle and the diary horcrux, or to stop people getting hurt on her account, might also led to her a very dark place in the year she was possessed.

That said, I have come down on the side of thinking to that characters’ response to the veil represents less a present or past desire to end their own life, than a curiosity about what happens after death. I think that’s why Luna, a character defined by her curiosity, her own experience of grief, and her acceptance of mysteries and magic much greater than herself, finds such peace with the idea of the veil. Hermione shares no signs of this speculative interest in death or what comes after, and fears when other character's seem fascinated or even attracted to it. Ron repeatedly shares a fear of death, sometimes - sorry Ron, love you! - even sounding a bit like Voldemort about it (Ron asks: 'What's worse than death?' OotP, 100 - later, Voldemort says: 'There's nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!' OotP, 814).

It's such an interesting question, then: why is it Harry, Neville and Ginny that are the three most entranced by the veil, aside from Luna?

Harry's curiosity about death is a persistent theme throughout the series, and is in some ways the most obvious. But Neville's view of death is less clear, and it's something I think a lot about. In OotP, Moody says of Frank and Alice Longbottom: 'Better dead than what happened to them.' (173, US edition). I’m so taken with idea that this idea that the people talk about the Longbottoms as suffering a fate worse than death, in ways that might well have changed how Neville views death - that he might fear death less than other terrible things that can happen to a person.

That Ginny would have this curiosity and/or a belief in some form of life after death is fascinating to me. I think a lot about where that came from. Until the end of the series, Ginny's experiences of loss are less acute that other character's - the deaths of her uncles happens before she's born, for instance, and the deaths that occur before the final battle (Sirius, Dumbledore, Moody) affect her, but much more indirectly than they do other characters.

Two helpful things have shaped how I've thought Ginny's views of death. One is the train station by dirgewithoutmusic, which is a fic that explores Ginny's experiences of hovering on the border of life and death in the Chamber. It's so compelling as an exploration of what Ginny might have gone through as the life slips from her as the Horcrux Riddle drains her soul from her, and I've sort of accepted it as a headcanon now.

The other is this really insightful meta by @thegirlwhowrites642 on the significance of Ginny and Riddle being the two characters with wands made of yew. I wonder if, in Ginny's interactions with the diary, she and Riddle ever discussed their shared wand woods, and if Riddle ever conveyed or alluded to his enormous fear of death. It seems likely Ginny would think a lot about why Voldemort would trap a part of himself in a diary, an obvious sign of a quest for immortality even if Ginny doesn't know anything about the horcruxes. (I also just love the idea of a yew tree growing over Ginny's grave after her death: of new life growing after she's gone, a sign that she understood something about death that Harry also knew, and that Riddle never did. It's the same idea that is inscribed on Lily and James' gravestones: the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.) I think she and Harry would, one day, discuss these things, but even in its unspoken form in the series, I think it's the basis of a lot of really profound mutual understanding between the two of them.

[vodkacranberrywitch]

How Harry feels about fans (Short)

This ended up not being short.

What does he think of his fans? And just for fun, I'm also going to do what his family thinks of his fans and what his friends think of them.

Harry's thoughts - 8 of swords rx, the world rx, and 3 of cups rx. The world rx is lack of bond or severed bond. Could also be an ingenuine bond. 8 of Swords rx is seeing things differently but can also be no longer relying on excuses. 3 of cups rx is neglect and engaging in isolation.

So, how do I read this? I think at one point, his fans were behaving badly and he was making a lot of excuses for them. Then they must have done something really out of pocket because suddenly he is pulling back from them and isolating himself. The side of him that he shows fans publicly may be constructed because he doesn't feel as comfortable with them as he did in the beginning of his career. I am curious and if I could have one of his fans. ONLY ONE. Inbox me and let me know if you feel disconnected from him because I feel like he wants to be disconnected from his fans and he's doing it on purpose.

Harry's Family's thoughts - death, the chariot rx, and the hermit rx

Harry's family at one point saw the fans differently than they do now. I think similar to Harry, there was a time when they felt they could be open, but with death, it's like the other party/ the fans changed. Maybe they got a little too comfortable. Because of this, the family also had to change how they saw the fans and how they treated them. So the family might have put up some more boundaries towards fans. With the chariot, the fans may at times do things or say things about Harry that provoke an emotional reaction out of the family. So this could be annoyance, happiness, or anger. Regardless, the family still hasn't learned to ignore things the fans say and they let it get them riled up. The chariot can be being powerless against or not having control of your emotions in a relationship spread. With the Hermit, they want to isolate themselves from the fans. This is more long periods of silence, so you may hear from them or see them once and then not for a long time. They may also be critical of the fans and have expectations on how they should behave, so once again, boundaries.

Harry's Friends thoughts - the star rx, 2 of cups rx, the sun lol

The star tells me that his friends enjoy the attention and perks they can get from his fans. However, because it is reversed, they also get frustrated by them. The star rx would tell me you are overstepping, giving too much attention to things. The sun is happiness. So this kind of goes with the star in that they are happy with the perks and attention the fans bring. When the fans are giving them what they want they like the fans. What conjuncts these two cards is 2 of cups rx, so this is like codependency and lack of co-operation. So it's kind of like every good deal comes without a kick in the ass. (Sorry, couldn't think of the phrase). Basically, they feel like they need the fans but they also want to control how the fans interact with them. So this is like, I want the attention you bring, but I don't want the stalking, I don't want the obsessive attention to my life, I don't want you knowing my show size.

Okay, it's all clicking now. These fans did this to Harry and his family and it creeped them out and it made them want nothing to do with them. Or at the very least, it made them less open to revealing information. I think probably everyone in Harry's life goes through something similar to his friends in that they enjoy the fan attention at first but then the fans start crossing a line.

Ugh there's another question I want to ask that involves Olivia Wilde but this post is so long. I'm going to touch on it in the upcoming reading about them.

As always, thank you for reading! These readings are alleged and for entertainment purposes.

Requests are closed!

[arthurdrakoni]

A Different Flesh is an alternate history novel that asks what it means to be human. This is my review.

A Different Flesh by Harry Turtledove is an alternate history novel that imagines a world where Ice Age megafauna, and Homo Erectus, never died out. This is my review.

So, I’ve got a review of an alternate history novel I think people around here might enjoy. It does include some, albeit a bit might, speculative evolution elements.

A Different Flesh by Harry Turtledove is a collection of short stories set in the same universe. In the world of A Different Flesh, the ancestors of the Native Americans never crossed the Bering land bridge during the Ice Age. However, Homo Erectus did cross into the Americas. Thus, when the Europeans discover the Americas, they don't find any Native American civilizations, but they do find tribes of Homo Erectus, whom they refer to as sims. Also, the Ice Age megafauna of the Americas never went extinct, so the Europeans also discover a land full of woolly mammoths, sabertooth cats, giant ground sloths, and giant armadillos among other things.

The stories follow the history of the Federated Commonwealths of America, this world's equivalent of the United States of America. Before the start of each story, the mood is set with an excerpt from a book about the history of the FCA. It also provides great details about the history of this world that don't quite make it into the stories. The excerpts also chronicle the relationship between humans and sims.

Harry Turtledove says that he got the idea for this series when he read an article by the late great paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould. Gould pondered what might have happened if John Smith and the Jamestown colonists had discovered Australopithecus rather than Native Americans in Virginia. Gould concluded that it would not have ended well for Australopithecus. Turtledove certainly seems to have come to the same conclusion. One thing I think he did well was that, though he wrote the sims as sympathetic, he never made them too anthropomorphized. You can definitely see similarities between humans and sims, as is to be expected, but at the same time sims clearly act and think differently than humans.

I can safely say that this book was worth the wait. I loved the structure of this book being seven short story set in different eras of this alternate worlds. I wish there were more books that employed that sort of structure. I’m a sucker for prehistoric animals, and I’m a sucker for books about alternate colonizations of the Americas. As such, A Different Flesh was like a match made in heaven for me.

In terms of speculative evolution, things are a bit light admittedly. The Ice Age megafauna aren’t too dissimilar to the ones in our world. Although, the presence of an obvious “missing link” does lead to the theory of evolution being developed in the 1660s rather than the 1860s.

The depiction of Homo Erectus also shows some age. They’re shown as incapable to human speech, but they are capable of learning sign language. At the time the book was written, 1988, this was the prevailing view among paleontologists, but I believe subsequent findings suggest that Homo Erectus was indeed capable or verbal speech of a sort.

Still, it is a very entertaining novel exploring the history of an alternate America, and the relationship between humans and sims. It also asks the question what does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be sentient? The sims represent a moral grey area; more intelligent than an animal, but not quite at human levels. So, where do they fit in human society? What rights should they have? All very interesting and thought provoking stuff.

Have you read A Different Flesh? If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2019/04/book-review-different-flesh-by-harry.html?m=0

[necarion]

I thought about this a lot with the US v Trump ruling. The president flatly saying "fuck you the president isn't above the law" would have provoked a small crisis. But it's also the type that could be very narrowly constrained. It would be the president making a categorical statement on the limit of presidential power. Tell Congress they need to break the tie, with "are there actions the president can do with no consequences?"

Biden literally could have called a joint session, and then with Harris as VP of the Senate refusing to adjourn, Biden could have declared the session non-adjourned.

he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper;

If you really want to push the boundaries, you call in Seal Team Six to join you in the chamber.

"Do I, the President of the United States, have the power to order these soldiers to assassinate you?"

Which is a really fascinating threat, right, coming from a place of "no, I do not, and I want you to agree". It's definitely extortion. But one in which you can categorically make the problem go away.

That would have been way too much, obviously. But repeatedly calling joint sessions until they voted one way or the other? On a question of such massive constitutional legitimacy?

"Well, shucks, I guess the president can do whatever" is such a pathetic response to a ruling that is just so flagrantly anti-constitutional.

i know democrats want to be the party of institutional strength and rule of law and all that but sometimes protecting the rule of law means being willing to provoke a constitutional crisis. if a SCOTUS ruling flagrantly violates the constitution by saying the president is above the law or birthright citizenship isn't real, deferring to that unconstitutional opinion is not actually protecting the rule of law. if SCOTUS ruled tomorrow that based on their freakish fedsoc doctrines of interpretation, all elections were over forever and Donald Trump was god-emperor of the United States, the correct response would be "bullshit! that's not what the constitution says."

[millylouedward]

The Very Worst Books of 2023

I've shared with the world my favorite books from this year, so it only feels fair for me to release my diss track and spit all over some of the worst literature my eyes have ever seen.

When you read more than 50 books in a single year, there are bound to be some baddies. And I don't mean the kind that slay. I'm talking about the kind you want to drop kick into a dumpster fire where it belongs.

Let's discuss my criteria for the title of Worst Book. I'm not one to shame a book without valid reason. I don't think that's fair to the author.

The prose is flat, one dimensional, or uncreative

The plot lacks good foundation, structure, or has unignorable holes

My suspension of disbelief was not held

I found myself disliking the author's portrayal and direction of the characters which went beyond them being unlikable or unreliable

Generally speaking, I'm a nice person. I like to praise writers for accomplishing something so huge rather than rip them apart because I didn't like their book. Frankly, it was kind of hard to pick 5 of the worst books I read simply because I don't dislike books that often. But alas, here I have the chosen ones.

5. School Spirits - Rachel Hawkins

I went on a Rachel Hawkins binge this year. I read her Hex Hall series in an effort to heal my inner child. I could distinctly recall being 12 years old and begging my mom to buy me the first Hex Hall book at Books A Million. I'd seen it on the back of a J-14 magazine and I just had to have it. But she said no. And for over 10 years, I wondered what I had missed out on.

As it turns out, not much. The story is mid. It's just another Harry Potter rip off that lacks creativity. I still had a good time reading it, but it had a lot of problems. And somehow, at the end of the series, I just couldn't let it go. Don't look at me like that, YA witch school stories are fun! So I moved on to School Spirits.

This book had Issues. First of all, it's a spinoff of the original Hex Hall books and the series got killed before Hawkins could finish it. So it ends with two major plot points completely unresolved. Along with that, there were many smaller plot holes and simple continuity errors which made me think this book as hastily thrown together after the success of the original books.

However, if I'd been 14 years old and reading this book, I probably would've ate it up and left no crumbs. It's funny at times and has a good story. The characters are likable and true to their nature. Unfortunately, it's just the unresolved ending that pushed this one to the bottom of the barrel for me.

4. The Half of It - Madison Beer

I know what you're thinking. Milly, you must be so evil to rate someone's life story so poorly. But that's just it. This ISN'T a life story. It's not a memoir in the slightest.

Most of the chapters go like this: Beer tells us something happened. She only half describes something and doesn't show us anything. Then she gets into her feelings about it for the rest of the chapter. Then the next chapter would be an "Ask Amy" style section where she offers advice to her reader. Then the next is a journal prompt for the reader. Girlypop, I'm sorry but that is not what a memoir is. The whole time I was reading this book I kept wanting so badly for her to give me something, ANYTHING. It wasn't until the very last chapter when she finally showed the reader a scene that was super well described and I realized this is what I've been wanting from her the whole time.

This "memoir" was written exclusively for her superfans who know everything about her life and just want more of her heart. That's fine. But for the casual memoir reader, this was not a good book. Miss Beer could've put all of this on a Tumblr blog and it would've sufficed.

For a young reader though, I could see some parts of this book being beneficial. She poses a lot of thought-provoking questions. She went through something really challenging that some girls would want to end their lives over, and I think her sharing how she handled it and felt about it is really powerful.

3. Magpie - Elizabeth Day

(spoilers ahead)

How would you feel if you read a book, and then half way through it you had to read it again but from a different perspective? Well, that's what Magpie is. In this book, you're following a woman (Marisa) who is pregnant and living with her husband when they invite another woman (Kate) to live in their house and pay them rent to help with pregnancy/baby costs.

Except half way through, we find out the narrator is unreliable. And then we go back in time and see everything that happened from the beginning up to the point when we learn about the unreliability from the perspective of Kate. And even then, we still don't know how the story is going to end or who the real villain is.

It really felt to me as if the author had had one idea, got half way through, and then thought, "what if I do something else instead?" and then created Magpie. I honestly would have been totally okay with an unreliable narrator if I hadn't had to see everything happen again from Kate's perspective. The story would have been a much better read to me had we not gone the route of Marisa being the crazy one and sent the plot in a different direction.

2. Girlfriend on Mars - Deborah Willis

We have taken the space shuttle past a number of dying stars, and here we arrive at the black hole.

Girlfriend on Mars was nothing like I thought it would be. I was expecting a fun, goofy reality show up on Mars. Sounds like a good enough time for me. But this book was in the same vein as My Year of Rest and Relaxation. It's about two mentally unstable people who need to go to therapy and maybe move somewhere with more sun.

Aside from the characters giving me absolutely no reason to root for them, the writing is downright atrocious. There were so many grammatical errors in the ebook version that I wanted to barf. Quotation marks are stylized differently from chapter to chapter and I couldn't find any reason for them being so. So many pop culture references are made, and I think putting pop culture in a work of literature is vile. It ages a book faster than parmigiano reggiano.

There is also a major plot hole at the end that I could not forgive.

But, I did like "Season 2" despite it only being the last 20% of the book. I liked how real shit got when the two contestants made it to Mars. I thought this was the best part of the book. It was poignant and it stuck with me. I finally felt like all that reading wasn't for nothing.

1. Ugly Love - Colleen Hoover

(spoilers ahead)

A lot of people will hate me for this but this was one of the worst books I ever read period. Like, everything that could go wrong went wrong for me.

Let me just do a bullet point list.

The writing of the characters is weak and unrealistic. No one really develops as a character and their stage direction is confusing at times. Dillon was unnecessary and so was Cap.

The male stereotypes made me cringe so hard. Colleen makes it seem like men only want sex, men feel no physical pain, men have to keep their emotions bottled up.

There was mild homophobia in Corbin repeatedly being like "Are you gay? No? I wish you were gay."

Miles' poetry-esque chapters also made me cringe and came across as creepy and weird

He did WHAT with his teen stepsister in the shower???

Tate is not a character I can root for. She has no self respect, no drive, no personality, no growth. She's immature and lets people walk all over her. She lies about what she wants and cannot be honest with herself. She needs THERAPY. Nothing about her made me like her or want to see her happy.

The biggest sin here is that Colleen chose the wrong people to write the story about. I did not care about Tate one bit, but I did think there was huge potential in the story of Miles and Rachel. If I'd seen this story in a writing workshop, I would've told her to toss Tate and keep writing their story instead. Had we been able to get into Rachel's head, witness her pain at the death of her newborn, and see her and Miles find love again after being apart and maybe even having another baby together (and NOT being step siblings, bc ew) would've been an infinitely better love story.

I almost, and I mean almost put Girlfriend on Mars as my worst book of 2023. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized there was absolutely nothing I liked about Ugly Love. Even the ending, which was somewhat romantic, stung for me because I didn't think these people belonged together. They're the kind of couple that will break up during a spat and then get back together 2 days later like nothing happened.

I will be giving Colleen Hoover a chance at redemption when I read Verity in 2024. Who knows, maybe she'll top the list of my Worst Books two years in a row.

[frankterranella]

“Living” is a small film with a big heart

What would you do if you suddenly found out you had only six months to live? That is the simple premise of Living, a wonderful British film now making the rounds of American cinemas. The basic story comes from a novella by Leo Tolstoy called “The Death of Ivan Ilyich.” That was adapted and made into the film Ikiru (translated as “To Live”) back in 1952 by the renowned Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. And now Kazuo Ishiguro has adapted it again and set it in 1950s England. Oliver Hermanus directs. Living stars Bill Nighy in probably the greatest performance of his long career. He plays a bowler-hat-wearing British civil servant Rodney Williams who gets terrible, life-altering news. Ishiguro has chosen 1953 London as his setting because it epitomizes the era of the soulless bureaucrat. The film shows the almost mechanical way Mr. Williams and his colleagues commute to an office where the chain of command, propriety and respect governs their actions in every way. The system does not allow for independent thinking or emotion. They all know their place. Each is just a cog in a wheel that may or may not serve a purpose. Theirs is not to question why. Into this ordered existence comes the monkey wrench of a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Mr. Williams, a widower, has no idea what he should do. He finds that he can’t bring himself to talk to his son about his condition. His first thought is to kill himself. So he withdraws half of his life savings and heads for a seashore resort hoping to live for the first time before he ends his life. There he meets a writer who takes him for a night on the town. Mr. Williams is invigorated and replaces his bowler hat with a trilby to signal his new attitude toward life. He returns to his civil servant job in London, but now he is no longer content to just do his job as part of the bureaucracy. Now he rocks the boat to actually accomplish things. Now he is concerned about his life and work having meaning. Now he is living. I won’t reveal any more of the story, but strongly recommend you see this film. There are no car chases, no superheroes, and not a single gunshot. If you want an antidote to Top Gun, see Living. It’s a charming, quiet film that touches the soul and makes you think about the way you live. Bill Nighy has been nominated for an Oscar and I’m rooting for him. This is a stellar performance. Screenwriter Kazuo Ishiguro also has a well-deserved Oscar nomination. I have to say that the poignant ending of the film brought a tear to my eyes to my surprise and delight. Art that moves me and provokes thought is the only art I find worthwhile these days. But while films like this are very enjoyable, they’re not for everyone. If you go to the movies to see spectacle, save your money. I think it has been a trend in all the arts in this century to prefer spectacle to thoughtful storytelling. Bigger is better. I see it on Broadway where shows like The Lion King and Harry Potter have replaced straight plays of the sort formerly written by Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams. And those few new straight plays that can still be seen on Broadway all seem to be British imports like Leopoldstadt. Fortunately, because the new technology to make a film has dropped the cost, independent filmmakers (particularly foreign filmmakers) can give us the little stories that Hollywood no longer can. The trick will be to make the public aware of these films so that they can earn enough money to continue to be made. So here’s to the “small” film with its big impact on our souls. Living is among the best of that genre.

[ear-worthy]

Ten Percent Happier Partners With Dalai Lama on Meditation Training

Several studies on the effectiveness of antidepressants came to a similar conclusion that, no doubt, upset the pharmaceutical industry. Antidepressants were no more effective — and sometimes less so — at treating anxiety and depression than meditation and mindfulness.

Suddenly, meditation and mindfulness were legitimate tools in the treatment of anxiety and depression.

That’s why on January 9th, Ten Percent Happier and The Dalai Lama are launching The Dalai Lama’s Guide to Happiness, a free 10-day meditation challenge featuring practices that have been cultivated and refined for thousands of years, and are now being proven by science.

With wisdom and guidance from both The Dalai Lama and Ten Percent Happier founder + Mindfulness Expert Dan Harris, The Dalai Lama’s Guide to Happiness confronts the question: if the purpose of life is to be happy, how do we go about achieving that? Over the course of 10 daily lessons, Dan + His Holiness employ a suite of meditation skills that will help listeners achieve happiness that goes beyond individual pleasure-seeking to include collective well-being, joy, and meaning.

The 14th Dalai Lama (spiritual name Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso), known as Gyalwa Rinpoche to the Tibetan people, is the current Dalai Lama. He is the highest spiritual leader and former head of the country of Tibet. He is also the leader and a monk of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism, formally headed by the Ganden Tripa.

This project is a true collaboration, with Jade Weston, a Ten Percent Happier Meditation Teacher, being heavily involved in developing the lesson content.

If you don’t know, Ten Percent Happier is more than just a podcast or business to founder Dan Harris.

Harris has assembled an impressive career at ABC. He joined ABC News in 2000. He anchored World News Sunday from 2006 to 2011 and frequently anchored World News, ABC World News Tonight weekend editions and Nightline. In August 2021, Harris announced that he would be leaving ABC News to focus on his meditation company, which is Ten Percent Happier.

After having a nationally televised panic attack, Dan Harris knew he had to make some changes. A lifelong nonbeliever, he found himself on a bizarre adventure involving a disgraced pastor, a mysterious self-help guru, and a gaggle of brain scientists.

Eventually, Harris realized that the source of his problems was the very thing he always thought was his greatest asset: the incessant, insatiable voice in his head, which had propelled him through the ranks of a hyper-competitive business, but had also led him to make the profoundly stupid decisions that provoked his on-air freak-out.

Eventually Harris stumbled upon an effective way to rein in that voice, something he always assumed to be either impossible or useless: meditation, a tool that research suggests can do everything from lower your blood pressure to essentially rewire your brain.

Harris’s epiphany was the catalyst to his founding of Ten Percent Happier — the podcast, the app, and the meditation training.

Listeners can join the Dalai Lama meditation challenge here.

For skeptics, Harris may be hawking lifestyle habits for a price. Or, he may be advocating for tools that can help all of us cope more effectively with life. I think that the fact that Harris made drastic and wholesale changes to his life leads me, and possibly you, to the latter conclusion.

[kodzuksn]

chap 3

“I’m already having alone time with you, Customer with Lilac Eyes.” Seriously? He thought, if he wasn’t trying to court you right now, he would park his car somewhere and fuck the brat outta you. Bending you over his car, grabbing your luscious hair, cupping one of your tits and fucking his fat cock into your pussy while degrading you. All the sexual possibilities that could happen brought excitement in his nether regions. His fantasies were cut short when you spoke again. “But of course, please bring your colleagues. The more the merrier!”

chap 4

“The hell?” Rin sneaks a peek behind Ran to see what is making him so concentrated on his phone and to find him taking a quiz. “Why the fuck you taking a Harry Potter quiz?” He knows for a fact Ran doesn’t read and has no interest in the franchise. Where was this coming from?

“Is this because of the girl you’re stalking?” Kokonoi takes a guess on why Ran has a sudden interest in taking the official quiz.

“For the last time, I’m not stalking her.” Ran rolls his purple orbs, then continues to answer the next question. “I’m taking the quiz because she likes Harry Potter.”

“Did you know that because you stalked her or she told you.” Rin provokes his brother.

“No,” Ran’s angry vein pops on his forehead, “we went out on a date last night and she told me.” Rin grumpily mumbles his disappointment, “By the way, this Friday night we’re all eating at [Restaurant Name] (A/N: Not very creative with restaurant names - if anyone can think of a name feel free to comment lol).

“Why?” Kakucho passes out the agenda for this meeting.

“The restaurant she is helping is having a grand reopening and she needs customers.” Ran explains, he answers the last question of the quiz and gives him his result. “Huh, she is right. I am a Slytherin.” Ran reads through the description of his Slytherin House.

“What’s a Slytherin?” Rin scrunches his eyebrows together, before Ran could respond, someone unexpectedly answers.

“It’s one of the Harry Potter’s houses. Your personality traits determine which house you belong to. I’m a Slytherin too!” Sanzu replies confidently while popping a pill. Everyone is staring at him like he’s some kind of alien. “What?��

“Honestly … we didn’t know you could still read.” Kokonoi isn’t trying to be funny, he is genuinely surprised. He never thought Sanzu would know any literature and probably thought anyone who reads are ‘losers’.

“Don’t think I ever saw you pick up a book.” Takeomi recalling back to Sanzu’s adolescent days. He was never a reader, he enjoyed being a little troublemaker. Every time he was assigned reading from his schooling, Sanzu would make Takeomi to summarize it for him.

“Hey, I still know how to read you bastards!” Sanzu dramatically scowls, just cause he pops pills doesn’t mean he suddenly forgot how to read.

“I took the quiz too but I’m a Ravenclaw.” Takeomi ignores Sanzu’s outburst. It’s been awhile since he read the series, he was never interested in watching the movies but because of Senju, he had to.

“I am as well.” Kokonoi reveals his house too, when he wasn’t reading finance or business books he enjoyed reading classic literature. However, he read the series when he was in grade school because it was popular and seen the movies too. Overall, it was interesting but not enough for him to be obsessive about. It doesn’t compare to money.

Rin never cared for reading either, just like his brother. However, seeing how everyone appears to know this series and their houses, he feels left out. “Ran, send me the link!” Rin whips out his cell phone to take the quiz too. Ran immediately sends the link to his brother and Rin carefully reads the question then selects his answers.

“Can I get the link too?” Kakucho shyly asks Ran, he too wanted to feel included and know what they are talking about.

“Already sent.” Ran sincerely smiled at Kakucho, he knew Kakucho would be interested. Everyone is sitting quietly to wait for Rin’s and Kakucho’s results.

-

“She’s the one in the tight red dress.” Sanzu describes you, then everyone else follows the approximate direction with that description. Ran didn’t like how Sanzu emphasized how tight your dress was. Their waitress approaches you, then leans into your ear to whisper. Everyone (except for Mikey) is surprised to see you.

“She doesn’t look like your usual type.” Kakucho is the first to comment. He has seen Ran’s type of women but they were the complete opposite of you. You are a natural beauty, no extensive make up needed.

“Agreed.” Kokonoi’s dark pupils are dilated. “She is much more elegant and refined than I had imagined.” His eyes wander on your dress, it hugs your beautiful curves. Ran is certainly right, he will be eating his words.

“I guess she is pretty.” Rin hates to admit it, he wanted to tease Ran’s taste in bimbo women but he couldn’t find a fault in your looks. Of all the women his brother has been with, you are the prettiest he has seen. Guess he will have to see what your personality is like.

“She does have a nice figure.” Takeomi openly checking you out. Like Kokonoi, he paid attention to your curves. He prefers his woman to be thick.

“Even though her dress is covered up, I can tell she has sweet tits and ass.” Sanzu vulgarly compliments you. Clearly he has seen your evening wear when he was stalking you and knows how delicious your body looks.

“Don’t look at her like that.” Ran snaps at Sanzu, no one should speak indelicately of you. Then he notices Mikey’s change of expression. Not with his face, but his dark onyx eyes. They’re normally empty but there’s emotion in his eyes. What changed? Ran turns to see you smiling at their table. Not that anyone is looking at each other, but all of them had a tint of pink blushing on their cheeks. Your smile won them all. You gracefully make your way to their table along with their waitress with their drink orders.

It Started with A Smile - Chapter 4

Characters: Ran Haitani x fem!Reader, 

Warnings: Cursing, brief mention of pill popping, and a bit sexual. 

A/N: I know the last chapter was a bit boring 👉👈 but I promise the upcoming chapters will be more interesting!

Like, reblogging, and kind comments are appreciated!

As always, if you want to be on the tag list for this mini series, comment below. But I will not tag you if you are a minor or there's no age in your bio/profile. This will get sexual, so MDNI!

Chapter 3 - Master List

“The hell?” Rin sneaks a peek behind Ran to see what is making him so concentrated on his phone and to find him taking a quiz. “Why the fuck you taking a Harry Potter quiz?” He knows for a fact Ran doesn’t read and has no interest in the franchise. Where was this coming from?

“Is this because of the girl you’re stalking?” Kokonoi takes a guess on why Ran has a sudden interest in taking the official quiz.

“For the last time, I’m not stalking her.” Ran rolls his purple orbs, then continues to answer the next question. “I’m taking the quiz because she likes Harry Potter.”

“Did you know that because you stalked her or she told you.” Rin provokes his brother.

“No,” Ran’s angry vein pops on his forehead, “we went out on a date last night and she told me.” Rin grumpily mumbles his disappointment, “By the way, this Friday night we’re all eating at [Restaurant Name] (A/N: Not very creative with restaurant names - if anyone can think of a name feel free to comment lol). 

“Why?” Kakucho passes out the agenda for this meeting.

“The restaurant she is helping is having a grand reopening and she needs customers.” Ran explains, he answers the last question of the quiz and gives him his result. “Huh, she is right. I am a Slytherin.” Ran reads through the description of his Slytherin House.

“What’s a Slytherin?” Rin scrunches his eyebrows together, before Ran could respond, someone unexpectedly answers.

“It’s one of the Harry Potter’s houses. Your personality traits determine which house you belong to. I’m a Slytherin too!” Sanzu replies confidently while popping a pill. Everyone is staring at him like he’s some kind of alien. “What?”

“Honestly … we didn’t know you could still read.” Kokonoi isn’t trying to be funny, he is genuinely surprised. He never thought Sanzu would know any literature and probably thought anyone who reads are ‘losers’.

“Don’t think I ever saw you pick up a book.” Takeomi recalling back to Sanzu’s adolescent days. He was never a reader, he enjoyed being a little troublemaker. Every time he was assigned reading from his schooling, Sanzu would make Takeomi to summarize it for him.

“Hey, I still know how to read you bastards!” Sanzu dramatically scowls, just cause he pops pills doesn’t mean he suddenly forgot how to read.

“I took the quiz too but I’m a Ravenclaw.” Takeomi ignores Sanzu’s outburst. It’s been awhile since he read the series, he was never interested in watching the movies but because of Senju, he had to.

“I am as well.” Kokonoi reveals his house too, when he wasn’t reading finance or business books he enjoyed reading classic literature. However, he read the series when he was in grade school because it was popular and seen the movies too. Overall, it was interesting but not enough for him to be obsessive about. It doesn’t compare to money. 

Rin never cared for reading either, just like his brother. However, seeing how everyone appears to know this series and their houses, he feels left out. “Ran, send me the link!” Rin whips out his cell phone to take the quiz too. Ran immediately sends the link to his brother and Rin carefully reads the question then selects his answers. 

“Can I get the link too?” Kakucho shyly asks Ran, he too wanted to feel included and know what they are talking about.

“Already sent.” Ran sincerely smiled at Kakucho, he knew Kakucho would be interested. Everyone is sitting quietly to wait for Rin’s and Kakucho’s results.

The grand reopening is finally here. There were long lines waiting outside of the restaurant, the hostesses helped navigate all the customers from the outside and seat the customers. All the staff training is paid off, their cheerfulness and hospitality are shining through. The customers were happily chatting and having a good time. The vibe is right compared to when you first observed the restaurant. You analyzed the interactions between staff and customers and so far, you received several positive feedback. You did however, catch a few things that needed to be fixed and improve the flow which is normal. Other than that, this is a great grand reopening. 

Ran and the other Bonten Executives are seated at a big round table. He kept his eyes out for you but you were nowhere to be found. He had a slight panic that you completely disappeared again. No, you wouldn’t miss this. Maybe you’re in the back? I probably should’ve texted you. Shit no, you wouldn’t have answered anyways.

“Is she here?” Mikey breaks Ran’s worrisome thoughts while taking off his white blazer and adjusting his black sweater. Ran mentioned he didn’t need to dress formally since it’s a casual restaurant but Mikey insisted on making a good first impression for some reason. 

“She should be,” Ran is still searching for you in the busy crowd, “maybe she’s in the back.”

“This girl better be worth it.” Kokonoi isn’t fond of this type of restaurant, especially if it’s not his own restaurants, Bonten owned, or Michelin worthy.

“You’ll be eating those words once you see her.” Ran is confident Kokonoi will fall instantly for you because you are his type of woman. Obviously, he wouldn’t allow him to pursue you but admiring you from a distance is somewhat tolerable.

“Good evening, gentlemen. Could we start you off with some water? Or would you prefer something else on the drink menu?” A waitress approaches their table with a friendly and professional demeanor. If Ran had never met you, he would probably be hitting on this girl right about now.

“Hi darling,” Sanzu grabs her attention, “is [Y/n] [L/n] here?” Ran glares at him, what the hell is he doing? Sanzu ignores Ran’s death glares and continues a cheery smile.

“Oh yes, she’s here.” The waitress smiles proudly, “Are you all friends of hers?”

“Yes, we would like to say hi if she’s free.” Ran answers her before Sanzu does. Sanzu sees Ran’s irritation and snickers. 

“I’ll go and find her once I grab your drink orders.” She smiles, the executives give her the orders and she swiftly walks away with her task. Ran follows her movements then he finally sees you coming in the front and chatting with the staff members. You are wearing a scarlet red crepe square-neck dress that featured three quarter sleeves and a seamed waist. You are a masterpiece. 

“There she is!” Sanzu also finds you, he is excitedly bouncing in his seat. What is with him? Ran couldn’t understand why Sanzu is so excited to see you. It’s not like he actually likes you … does he?

“Calm down, Pinky.” Takeomi places his hand on his brother’s shoulder for him to sit still.

“Where is she?” Rin is looking in the general direction where Sanzu was staring. He is also curious who you are and why is Ran obsessive with you.  

“She’s the one in the tight red dress.” Sanzu describes you, then everyone else follows the approximate direction with that description. Ran didn’t like how Sanzu emphasized how tight your dress was. Their waitress approaches you, then leans into your ear to whisper. Everyone (except for Mikey) is surprised to see you.

“She doesn’t look like your usual type.” Kakucho is the first to comment. He has seen Ran’s type of women but they were the complete opposite of you. You are a natural beauty, no extensive make up needed. 

“Agreed.” Kokonoi’s dark pupils are dilated. “She is much more elegant and refined than I had imagined.” His eyes wander on your dress, it hugs your beautiful curves. Ran is certainly right, he will be eating his words.

“I guess she is pretty.” Rin hates to admit it, he wanted to tease Ran’s taste in bimbo women but he couldn’t find a fault in your looks. Of all the women his brother has been with, you are the prettiest he has seen. Guess he will have to see what your personality is like. 

“She does have a nice figure.” Takeomi openly checking you out. Like Kokonoi, he paid attention to your curves. He prefers his woman to be thick.

“Even though her dress is covered up, I can tell she has sweet tits and ass.” Sanzu vulgarly compliments you. Clearly he has seen your evening wear when he was stalking you and knows how delicious your body looks.

“Don’t look at her like that.” Ran snaps at Sanzu, no one should speak indelicately of you. Then he notices Mikey’s change of expression. Not with his face, but his dark onyx eyes. They’re normally empty but there’s emotion in his eyes. What changed? Ran turns to see you smiling at their table. Not that anyone is looking at each other, but all of them had a tint of pink blushing on their cheeks. Your smile won them all. You gracefully make your way to their table along with their waitress with their drink orders. 

“Hi Ran.” Your saccharine smile melts his irritation. Mina chan, their waitress, set all their drink orders as quietly as possible. “I’m so glad you made it here with your colleagues.” You look at each of them. They all have such unique looks, except for one who has familiar lilac eyes like Ran. You guessed they are possibly brothers.

“I keep my promises.” Ran has a triumphant smirk. “I do hope you keep your end of the deal.” The others had no idea what he was talking about.

“Alright, alright.” You raise both of your hands up in defeat. “I’ll change your contact name as promised.” Your cute pout makes Ran want to kiss them. 

“What did you call him on your contact?” Sanzu asks you with curiosity, he hoped it would be something humiliating or hysterical. 

“Don’t.” Ran’s tone gives you a warning, however his purple hues are pleading you to never speak of the god awful nickname. You couldn’t resist the chance to tease him, you are going to change the nickname anyways. Why bother hiding it?

“Customer with Lilac Eyes.” You smile proudly of the nickname, the executives burst into laughter and even Mikey seems to be smiling. This is exactly what Sanzu had hoped. I swear one day, I will make good with my word to spank the brat outta her.

“What were you planning to change his contact name to?” Kokonoi, who is intrigued by you but knows better than to try to fight Ran over you. But who to say you may be interested in him instead. 

“Well I made a promise that if he took the official Harry Potter Patronus quiz, I would change it to that.” You explain the deal between you two, “It will be changed to ‘Black Stallion’.” Oh yeah, that’s a sexy contact name. Ran looks so smug with the new contact name, however Rin looks disgusted. 

“What a lame contact name.”

“Yeah, that’s not funny.” Sanzu is disappointed with the new name change. “It sounds like he has a big dick or something.”

“You should keep it as ‘Customer with Lilac Eyes.’” Kokonoi reluctantly agrees with Sanzu’s brazen opinion. They’re just haters who are not on her contact list. Ran’s deadpan expression made you laugh along with them. 

“You guys are so funny.” You compliment them which they take to heart. They love the way you smile and hope it never goes away. “Let me formally introduce myself. I’m [Y/n] [L/n] and welcome to the grand reopening. We’re so happy to have you here.” You politely bow with your bewitching smile.

“I’m Haruchiyo Sanzu.” He introduced himself with a bright smile, “But you can call me ‘Haru’. Or ‘darling’. Whichever you prefer.” He gives you a playful wink. Ran is close to punching him but he notices you had a small laugh which calms him down. He knows your real laugh and this isn’t it.

“Takeomi Akashi.”

“Kakucho.”

“Hajime Kokonoi.”

“Rindou Haitani.” Your eyes light up, you are right about his eyes looking like Ran’s. 

“Oh, you're his brother?” 

“Yeah, I’m the more mature and good looking brother.” Rin has a lazy smirk while eyeing Ran’s reaction. “So you can call me Rin, if you like.”

“Hmmm,” You have a mischievous smile on your face, “since your Ran’s brother I really should keep the names in the family. You should be called Customer with Lilac Eyes No. 2.” Rin’s expression also went deadpan and everyone else snickers.

“Now you know how it feels.” Ran chuckles to see Rin, who isn’t happy with that name either. 

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” You politely pat on Rin’s shoulder, his eyes notice how small your hands are and delicate. Your natural nails are short, manicured and well kept. This is definitely not Ran’s usual type of girl. 

“[Y/n],” Ran grabs your attention again, “I would like to introduce you to our boss.” Mikey who has been silent the whole time and watching your interactions with everyone. You almost forgot he was even here, he hasn't spoken a word since you’ve arrived. 

“Mikey.” He quietly introduces himself.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mikey.” You smile at him sweetly. “Well I shouldn’t keep you guys from starving. If you have any questions, please let Mina chan know.” Right before you are about to take off, Ran grab your soft hand. “Hm?” 

“You said you would show me which ones are your recipes.” Ran reminds you of the conversation in his car. 

“Still promise you would give the other restaurant’s items a try?”

“Always keeping my promises.” He flashes you his charming smile. You lean forward to open up the menu. Your floral and fruity fragrance is enticing. He wants to be smother with your scent. You point to the two items that are your recipes. Everyone else was trying to follow what you are pointing at.

“I hope you enjoy the food.” You move away from Ran, he holds back his whine. He didn’t want you to leave. You release your hand out of his grip and apologize to Mina for taking up her time. You make your leave to continue your observation of the restaurant. 

“She’s nice.” Mikey quietly comments for only Ran to hear. Mina is walking around the table for their orders. Ran takes this as a sign of Mikey’s approval of you. His eyes flicker back to you but what he didn’t expect to see was you leading Sanzu somewhere to the back. What the fuck is going on? Ran’s anger is building up, is Sanzu trying to steal you away from him? He needed to put Sanzu back in his place.

“Where are you going?” Rin sees Ran suddenly standing up with a pissed off look.

“To take care of a stray dog.” 

Chapter 5

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