#a wannabe-discovery of witches that i also want to like

[qqueenofhades]

Oh, enemies-to-lovers professionally published romance novel written by a heterosexual white woman, why must you disappoint me in this way.

[esepoimipullula]

Indiana Pipps/Dr. Kranz comics I’m planning on scanlating

as a reminder to myself because I’m not that good at keeping track of things and also to see if literally anyone besides me is interested in these characters and/or this ship, but these are only coming when 20+-pages stories stop feeling like such a daunting challenge tbh. also they won’t probably even be in this order because what even is proper organization. I mean, I don’t even know if I should use the Italian name I’m familiar with or the official English “Arizona Goof.”

titles definitely NOT definitive.

Stories I already have scanlated copies of to work on:

Mickey Mouse and Goofy in: Raiders of the Lost Temple - Goofy’s weird archaeologist cousin comes to Mouseton to enlist Goofy’s help in the search for the titular lost temple, as he suspects he’s being spied on by a ruthless rival. Indiana’s and Kranz’s first appearance, which I feel is pretty important because... do people outside of Italy even know who these characters are? Maybe the hardcore Goofy fans do, idk.

Indiana Pipps and the Lost Island - Indiana is searching for the location of a mysterious wandering island mentioned in texts going all the way from Ancient Greece to the 15th century, but of course, Kranz finds a way to tag along in hopes of stealing his discovery. The whole thing ends with Kranz imprisoned on the wandering island. This one is mostly relevant because of its sequel, Indiana Pipps and the Return of Dr. Kranz.

Indiana Pipps and the Return of Dr. Kranz - Kranz finds a way to escape from the wandering island and aims to reveal its current position to some Evil Rich Man who’d pay a lot to exploit its secrets. Indiana, of course, sets out to stop him... and in the process, he ends up telling Mickey that he and Kranz used to be friends, and how and why they eventually fell out and became enemies.

Indiana Pipps and the rescue out of obligation - After an unfortunate mishap involving two lost idols and an overly smug Indiana, Kranz is kidnapped by someone who wants to get their hands on an incredible (and potentially, incredibly dangerous) archaeological discovery he’s been working on. Indiana, still feeling a bit bad about their last meeting and also feeling his nemesis is kind of his responsibility, rushes to his rescue with Mickey’s help... except, not everything is as it seems. My favorite Indiana Pipps story, and the one that got me shipping this ship in the first place. Featuring hilarious amounts of pettiness and a bunch of conflicted feelings that are honestly the main reason why I want to translate this, because I kinda want to write meta about them without people stumbling on my post and being like “... okay but what the actual fuck are you talking about.”

Indiana Pipps and the Gardens of Asgard - Nothing shippy about this one, but it involves Norse mythology and few things make me happier than Mouseverse or Duckverse stuff involving Norse mythology.

Indiana Pipps and Circe’s enchantments - Sort of a WAY more lighthearted and comedic counterpart to The rescue out of obligation. Kranz thinks Indiana has been turned into a boar by a descendant of Circe, the witch from the Odyssey. He allies with Mickey to save him.

Indiana Pipps and the resounding stones - Indiana finds himself allying with Kranz and another archaeologist they both can’t stand to find the last of four special stones that, when put together, will reveal the way to a lost emerald idol. This one has a nice little bit of characterization for Kranz right at the end, plus I like stories where he and Indiana can at least agree on disliking another character more than they dislike each other.

Indiana Pipps and the King of Waves’ surfboard - Indiana and Kranz find themselves working together (more or less...) to find an ancient Hawaiian king’s “magic” surfboard on a behalf of a college they’d both studied in for some time and the wannabe surfer rockstar who’s ready to pay said college a million dollars in funding if they’ll be able to find him the surfboard.

Young Indiana - A six-episodes series about Indiana’s college years, when he was just starting to fall back in love with archaeology after some misadventures in his childhood had left him discouraged. Featuring Kranz as Indiana’s best friend and roommate, Indiana’s crush on a girl that doesn’t really go anywhere in the end and is much less important than his friendship with Kranz, and some intense friendship drama with a happy ending. Can you guess why I like it so much?

Stories I’m still looking for a copy of:

Indiana Pipps and the unbearable fixation - Indiana is so used to Kranz randomly popping out of nowhere and trying to steal his discoveries that justified caution and alertness turn into obsession: he starts thinking everyone he meets is actually his disguised nemesis, and Mickey has to try and cure him! The kind of story for when you like your friends to enemies to “it’s complicated” ship to have that extra little bit of obsession.

Indiana Pipps and the Chocofelix - Don’t remember this one at all, but there’s Martina Ubersetzen in it and I like Martina.

Indiana Pipps and the Desert Games - Indiana and Kranz, together with Professor Zapotec’s niece, Filippa Zapotec, are called on by their old college professor to accompany him in a desert expedition to find a Pharaoh’s board games. Except both of them are constantly at each other’s throat, and that pisses off both their professore and Filippa, and then they all realize someone might be sabotaging the expedition, and Indiana is sure Kranz is the saboteur, and they both think Filippa isn’t a “real” archaeologist because she’s obsessed with the paranormal and hunting for ghost in the ruins of the Pharaoh’s palace, and Filippa keeps getting offended, and... in the end, things do get better (at least for a while) and everybody manages to be surprisingly civil and even friendly with everyobdy else. Yes, even Kranz and Indiana. I actually still have the Topolino issue this story was published on, but it’s a bit ruined and also both my scanner and my ability to scan comics are kind of crap, so... still looking.

Indiana Pipps and the Foresight Stele - Indiana teams up with a cute, perky female archaeologist... but this time, she turns out to be Kranz’s cousin, working with him to set a trap for Indiana. Contains literally the only background on Kranz’s family besides a couple of details in Young Indiana.

Indiana Pipps and the Crystal Temple - Another one I don’t remember but want to include anyway because Martina.

Dining with Indiana: Indiana Pipps and the Survival Plant - Part of the Dining with Indiana series, where different characters have dinner with Indiana Pipps in his Mouseton house. Indiana and Kranz find themselves stranded in the desert and have to collaborate to survive, and swear to each other that if they manage to get out of this adventure alive, they will have dinner together once every year. They make it, and years later, they remember their adventure and how it all started during their latest dinner together.

[theomnilegent]

2019 Upcoming LGBTQA Fiction I’m Excited For!

A new year, a new top nine for women-lead LGBT fiction I’m looking forward to reading! There are, of course, a great many more books than the nine I’ve chosen this time ‘round - I think I will eventually make a part two to this post. I am so, so happy to see that this year we have even more diversity, even more stories about characters from all walks of life, from different parts of the LGBTQA umbrella, and even more LGBT novels. I remember a time where it’d be hard to find more than two YA novels with LGBT themes published in a single year - and now we have so many amazing works coming out!

The themes for 2019 seem to be gay witches, space gays, and explorations of mental illness in the LGBT community. I am so excited to read stories about girls and magic! I am more excited to read stories about girls and love! And I am definitely excited to see multiple books seriously addressing the issues of mental illness in young lesbian and bisexual women - it is a serious topic that has often been glossed over in the past, and to see multiple works that want to tackle these issues, and the issues of toxic relationships, in a healthy way is refreshing. 

Below you’ll find titles, summaries, and goodreads links.

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki Laura Dean, the most popular girl in high school, was Frederica Riley's dream girl: charming, confident, and SO cute. There's just one problem: Laura Dean is maybe not the greatest girlfriend. Reeling from her latest break up, Freddy's best friend, Doodle, introduces her to the Seek-Her, a mysterious medium, who leaves Freddy some cryptic parting words: break up with her. But Laura Dean keeps coming back, and as their relationship spirals further out of her control, Freddy has to wonder if it's really Laura Dean that's the problem. Maybe it's Freddy, who is rapidly losing her friends, including Doodle, who needs her now more than ever. Fortunately for Freddy, there are new friends, and the insight of advice columnists like Anna Vice to help her through being a teenager in love.

Starworld by Audrey Coulthurst & Paula Garner Sam Jones and Zoe Miller have one thing in common: they both want an escape from reality. Loner Sam flies under the radar at school and walks on eggshells at home to manage her mom’s obsessive-compulsive disorder, wondering how she can ever leave to pursue her dream of studying aerospace engineering. Popular, people-pleasing Zoe puts up walls so no one can see her true self: the girl who was abandoned as an infant, whose adoptive mother has cancer, and whose disabled brother is being sent away to live in a facility. When an unexpected encounter results in the girls’ exchanging phone numbers, they forge a connection through text messages that expands into a private universe they call Starworld. In Starworld, they find hilarious adventures, kindness and understanding, and the magic of being seen for who they really are. But when Sam’s feelings for Zoe turn into something more, will the universe they’ve built survive the inevitable explosion?

The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta Danny didn't know what she was looking for when she and her mother spread out a map of the United States and Danny put her finger down on Tempest, California. What she finds are the Grays: a group of friends who throw around terms like queer and witch like they're ordinary and everyday, though they feel like an earthquake to Danny. But Danny didn't just find the Grays. They cast a spell that calls her halfway across the country, because she has something they need: she can bring back Imogen, the most powerful of the Grays, missing since the summer night she wandered into the woods alone. But before Danny can find Imogen, she finds a dead boy with a redwood branch through his heart. Something is very wrong amid the trees and fog of the Lost Coast, and whatever it is, it can kill. Lush, eerie, and imaginative, Amy Rose Capetta's tale overflows with the perils and power of discovery — and what it means to find your home, yourself, and your way forward.

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi Sana Khan is a cheerleader and a straight A student. She's the classic (somewhat obnoxious) overachiever determined to win. Rachel Recht is a wannabe director who's obsesssed with movies and ready to make her own masterpiece. As she's casting her senior film project, she knows she's found the perfect lead - Sana. There's only one problem. Rachel hates Sana. Rachel was the first girl Sana ever asked out, but Rachel thought it was a cruel prank and has detested Sana ever since. Told in alternative viewpoints and inspired by classic romantic comedies, this engaging and edgy YA novel follows two strongwilled young women falling for each other despite themselves.

The Meaning of Birds by Jaye Robin Brown Before, Jessica has always struggled with anger issues, but come sophomore year that all changes when Vivi crashes into her life. As their relationship blossoms, Vivi not only helps Jess deal with her pain, she also encourages her to embrace her talent as an artist. And for the first time, it feels like the future is filled with possibilities. After In the midst of senior year, Jess’s perfect world is erased when Vivi suddenly passes away. Reeling from the devastating loss, Jess pushes everyone away, and throws out her plans to go to art school. Because art is Vivi and Vivi is gone forever. Desperate for an escape, Jess gets consumed in her work-study program, letting all of her dreams die. Until she makes an unexpected new friend who shows her a new way to channel her anger, passion, and creativity. Although Jess may never draw again, if she can find a way to heal and room in her heart, she just might be able to forge a new path for herself without Vivi.

The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum Ryann Bird dreams of traveling across the stars. But a career in space isn’t an option for a girl who lives in a trailer park on the wrong side of town. So Ryann becomes her circumstances and settles for acting out and skipping school to hang out with her delinquent friends. One day she meets Alexandria: a furious loner who spurns Ryann’s offer of friendship. After a horrific accident leaves Alexandria with a broken arm, the two misfits are brought together despite themselves—and Ryann learns her secret: Alexandria’s mother is an astronaut who volunteered for a one-way trip to the edge of the solar system. Every night without fail, Alexandria waits to catch radio signals from her mother. And its up to Ryann to lift her onto the roof day after day until the silence between them grows into friendship, and eventually something more...   

How It Feels To Float by Helena Fox Biz knows how to float. She has her people, her posse, her mom and the twins. She has Grace. And she has her dad, who tells her about the little kid she was, who loves her so hard, and who shouldn't be here but is. So Biz doesn't tell anyone anything. Not about her dark, runaway thoughts, not about kissing Grace or noticing Jasper, the new boy. And she doesn't tell anyone about her dad. Because her dad died when she was six. And Biz knows how to float, right there on the surface--normal okay regular fine. But after what happens on the beach--first in the ocean, and then in the sand--the tethers that hold Biz steady come undone. Dad disappears, and with him, all comfort. It might be easier, better, sweeter to float all the way away? Or maybe stay a little longer, find her father, bring him back to her. Or maybe--maybe maybe maybe--there's a third way Biz just can't see yet.

Going Off Script by Jen Wilde Seventeen-year-old Bex is thrilled when she gets an internship on her favorite tv show, Silver Falls. Unfortunately, the internship isn't quite what she expected... instead of sitting in a crowded writer's room volleying ideas back and forth, Production Interns are stuck picking up the coffee. Determined to prove her worth as a writer, Bex drafts her own script and shares it with the head writer―who promptly reworks it and passes it off as his own! Bex is understandably furious, yet...maybe this is just how the industry works? But when they rewrite her proudly lesbian character as straight, that's the last straw! It's time for Bex and her crush to fight back.

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling Hannah's a witch, but not the kind you're thinking of. She's the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If she's ever caught using it in front of a Reg (read: non-witch), she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans. But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah's concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem, and Hannah's sure it's the work of a deadly Blood Witch. The issue is, her coven is less than convinced, forcing Hannah to team up with the last person she wants to see: Veronica. While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch at a house party, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis is easier said than done, and Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if she's going to save her coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salem's witches become deadlier by the day.

[killingeveobsessed]

Legacies Talk (Part 2)

Ok, so here’s what I would love to see in Legacies(mostly hosie x posie) after S01x14. And yes, fanfic wrtiers, please feel free to develop my ideas into your fic if JP and her writers do not want to steal it.

- Hope will try to patch the sisters up as she pinky-promised Lizzie but Josie may get mad at Hope when she finds out that Hope only did it coz Lizzie promised to help Hope patch up with Landon - But Hope has no time to explain to Josie when she finds out Landon is kidnapped AGAIN. Yup, she needs to stop saving his ass already. 

(I’ll skip the predictions of season 1 after that coz I want the writers to surprise me in the season finale so I’ll jump into my season 2 wannabe predictions now)

- In season 2, I would like to see a blooming BFF friendship between Hope and Josie and with Josie trying to mend her heart from the breakup with Penelope, she is slowly falling for her teenage crush, Hope. - Hope is probably still with Landon(coz he's likely the Stefan to her Elena) but a new big bad villain will appear and Hope is on rescue mission again. However, this incident would involve both Josie and Landon. - While helping Hope in the mission to save Landon, Josie gets seriously injured. Yes, this new villain has the power to stop them from using their witchy powers. Hope quickly gives Josie her blood to cure her. - But when they finally reached Baddie zone of where Landon is held, Baddie somehow manages to capture Josie as well. -  Now baddie threatens Hope to choose between saving Josie or Landon. Because Landon had risen from the dead before, Hope chooses Josie. But Baddie surprises Hope and kills Josie instead, yes, he must be one baddie who hated Klaus to the core and wants Klaus' daughter to suffer. - Hope is devastated by Josie's death but hey, Josie rises coz she has Hope's vamp blood in her system. Josie's a rare siphon witch-vampire hybrid now like her uncle Kai and mind you, heretics are fuckin powerful. - Oh don't forget that now that Josie's a witch-vamp, her emotions are heightened and she is more upfront about her feelings and I'm talking about her feelings for Hope. - Also don't forget that Josie is turned by tribrid Hope so she is SIRED to Hope. Now that isn't good news to Hope though she kind of enjoys the new open and confident Josie - I forgot about Landon but anyways he's mad at Hope for choosing Josie over him in that baddie incident saying that who would know whether he would rise again from the dead. There's a 1% chance he might die since that baddie disabled all their magical powers. And Hope is like "fuck this shit. I'm done justifying his jealousy." - So post-breakup with Landon and in a mission to help the twins prevent the merge, Hope n the twins head off to New Orleans to visit her Aunt Freya who noticed Josie n Hope's close connection. Hope tells her aunt the whole story and Freya reminds Hope that Josie is sired to her and she must remember that Josie's feelings for her may not be real. - Ok, time for Penelope to reappear. She appears in New Orleans as well due to discovery of some new clue about the merge. Josie's feelings for Pen get stirred up again and Hope notices. Hope also realizes she's hurting from this, that her feelings for Josie may be deeper than she thought. - Pen is blown away by the new witch-vamp Josie and she can't wait to sweep Josie off her feet again. Josie is obviously kind of torn between Hope and Pen. Pen also tells Hope about what she had been doing to save Josie from all that merge mess and why she had to leave the love of her life then. - Touched by Pen's love for Josie, Hope decided to break the sire bond with Josie, reluctantly(like Damon). Damn, i can imagine the tortuous scene of Hope telling Josie not to love her and move on. - Un-sired witch-vamp Josie then went on a wild night out with Pen and they have amazing sex. The next morning, Pen notices Josie at the edge of their bed crying. Pen checks on Josie who asks Pen "Why do you love me? I didn't say it back to you. I can't even say it now." and Pen's like "I don't care if you don't love me!" - Josie then confesses that even though she feels free from being un-sired by Hope, she still cannot stop her feelings for Hope. That Hope was there for her when her heart was shattered once again by Pen. That unconditional love Pen feels for Josie is what Josie is feeling for Hope. She confessed she crushed so hard on Hope when she was 13 and did not care if Hope did not know. Now she was contented loving Hope even without having Hope too. - Pen's heart is shattered. Urgh, sorry but Josie needs to choose coz Pen needs go back to Belgium where she needs to go back to school and if Josie says stay, she'll ask her parents to let her come back to Salvatore School. Josie don't want to lose Pen again but her feelings for Hope won't be gone that easily and she needs to be fair to Pen. - Pen decides to confront Hope about her feelings for Josie and Hope is surprised that un-sired Josie's feelings for her did not go away as she expected which means Josie's feelings were real from the beginning. - Hope talks to Josie and they both admit their feelings for each other. They finally KISS and they like it.

That's probably end of season 2 or 3 if slow-burn's the theme for Hosie. Honestly, Posie is not over (depends on Lulu's availability and contract status) but my next season will see the beginning of the most powerful badass couple in the TVD world - A tribrid and witch-vamp hybrid!!

[locke-writes]

*kicks down your inbox door, mumbling about putting off writing fics and using this as a means to release my conspiratorial thoughts as I put up a projector screen complete with charts and my mad ravings*

Okay so since I do not have the guts, smarts, or dedication to start a Youtube channel, friends and family have had to suffer through my mad ramblings. We thank you for your sacrifice. Suffice to say that because the otherwise wasn’t stated, I’m gonna try to keep this as spoiler-free as I can, which may or may not be easy depending on how I delve into this. Because despite running lines through my head for an entire shift, I still have no idea how these thoughts are going to come out. Either way, something’s gonna plop out like a metaphorical dump cake so prepare yourself. Anywho!

As stated in my post, I have read and completed three children’s books between early May and late July. Are three books enough to sustain this theory? My MatPat wannabe ass says yes, considering that it’s rather coincidental how much in common these books have. Could that just be because books aimed at children tend to follow similar beats in order to familiarize and captivate young readers with tropes and trends? Also yes. But also, I’ve seen people come up with crazier or deeper with even less. So without further ado:

Magic as Power. Or, more specifically, magic as a means of socioeconomic opportunity.

The three books being focused on are Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, Amari and the Night Brothers, and Wildseed Witch.

To give the rundown, here are the gists:

Skandar takes place in a world much like our own, except that a tiny island appearing off the coast of England reveals that unicorns exist. Not only that, but they’re deadly and fierce creatures that require taming by their destined person, or else they go feral and exist in a constant state of living even as their body begins to decay. In this world, children can test to be selected to become a unicorn rider, which is a coveted position both because of the hysteria of having one’s own unicorn, but also because becoming a unicorn rider offers financial benefits if they become professionals. While Skandar, a boy from the mainland, is initially denied the chance to take the test in the first place, it is only by interference that he manages to get to the island at all. But it is upon hatching his unicorn that he discovers that his unicorn harnesses a magic now deemed illegal. If he wants to stay, he has to keep this a secret.

In Amari, the titular character is a black girl from a low-income neighborhood who begins the story getting expelled for standing up for herself when a well-off bully mocks her over her brother’s disappearance. The same brother (whom Amari insists is still out there) leaves behind items and a message saying that he has elected her to participate in a “camp” he personally attended. Seeing it as a chance to find him, Amari takes it. The camp, however, is an organization involved with the paranormal. And if Amari wants to stay there and find her brother, she has to compete for a spot. However, when she learns that her abilities are forbidden, Amari is faced with more challenges that hit too close to home.

Wildseed Witch focuses on a 13-year-old black girl named Hasani whose discovery of being a witch is accompanied by an invitation to attend a prestigious all-girls finishing school. While she desires little more than to simply grow her makeup Youtube channel, her excited mother encourages her to go, seeing it as an opportunity to blossom (no pun intended), especially upon learning that many illustrious women had also attended the school at some point. From the get-go, however, Hasani is faced with a gap between herself and her classmates, many of whom were raised with magic or at least possessed some familiarity with it. Furthermore, many of them also come from distinct lineage with traditions understood only amongst themselves. The book focuses on Hasani struggling to catch up and gain confidence in her abilities, as well as learning to control her emotional outbursts while holding her position in the school.

I honestly don’t know how to segue here so let me start off with comparisons that were so loud that I had to take note of them:

2/3 protagonists came from flatout lower-class backgrounds. These are Skandar and Amari. While Hasani is mocked by her wealthier peers and looked down on, I have reason to believe that she isn’t especially lower-class given that she (like myself) lives in New Orleans and while this place has a tragic socioeconomic backbone, she also lives with her single mother who appears to be able to afford an ecofriendly car, as well as having a father who drives an electric car. Both appear to live comfortably.

It should be noted as well that while Skandar does get bullied for being poor, this predominately happens while on the Mainland – he doesn’t really get this kind of treatment on the Island, save for some snobbery on the part of a brat who frankly treats everyone the same way.

All three are presented with opportunities seen as beneficial on either a social scale or a financial scale, with Skandar’s unicorn training offering potential for money and Hasani’s magic training being seen as a means to hone in potential. While money isn’t seen as the biggest factor for Amari joining the organization, it should be noted that her brother had worked the same job and managed to make enough money to send back to her and her mother. It is also lowkey seen as an outreach program by Amari at the end of the book for reasons I will get into if I remember to lol

2/3 protagonists exhibit a magical ability or boon that are deemed illegal or frowned upon in their respective stories. As a result, they felt pressured to either stifle or completely hide these ties in order to continue their education, though one was eventually allowed to use their abilities (albeit not without some protest)

It should also be noted that the reason why these abilities were prosecuted was because of a previous wielder’s actions. In both instances, all those who exhibit the abilities are either imprisoned or forced into hiding

2/3 protagonists (both black) had to be invited into their respective societies.

All protagonists risked expulsion if they failed to meet standards presented by their respective establishments. In more cases than not, the standards expected were far more favorable towards those allowed the experience or tutelage necessary to understand what was asked of them.

(This is already long and I feel like I'm rambling so I'll stop here. For now. ...Might pick this back up in literally five minutes who knows!)

Yes it wasn’t stated but honestly that should be considered error on my part as spoilers being utilized in the analysis of these three texts is something I would not mind. Plus, and this is based on assumption, it does seem that perhaps in depth discussion of certain plot points in the novels may aid in further connections between the texts.

While I do agree with your own point that there could be something regarding shared tropes in middle grade novels as part of an inherent way of allowing for readers to develop habits and preferences to aide them in their book choices later in life. I also think based on what you’ve pointed out that there really are a far larger amount of i similarities amongst the three novels that this might not wholeheartedly be the case.

Any further discussion or analysis is more than welcome

[voltronisbae]

As Many Times As It Takes

Summary: Keith finally returns to the castle, with his mother coming along. But when he discovers Shiro's been acting strange, he goes off to find him. It leads to a frighting discovery.

The feeling of blood, mixed with tears, was an odd sensation. The pull of torn skin, cut deep from his cheek down to shoulder, white hot with pain, was a feeling Keith had only experienced once before. But those two sensations couldn't contend with the feeling of dread as he watched Shiro walked toward him, acting nothing like himself, with gleaming a sickly yellow eyes that lay before him, eyes he knew as grey and full of life.

This wasn’t the Shiro he knew.

This was someone completely different.

Someone who wanted him dead.

Why the hell didn’t he listen to Lance?

It was Keith's first time stepping foot into the castle since the coalition’s largest and most successful fight against the Galra Empire. It was refreshing to see his friends, and their shocked faces when he introduced his newly discovered mother to them. Allura, shockingly, was the first to introduce herself, giving the other woman a warm welcome and introducing her to the paladins in front of her. The most important one, Keith noted, was missing from the welcoming party.

Lance must of caught his eyes wandering around the ship deck, and quickly pulled him away from everyone.

“Keith… I don’t really know what’s been going on with him, but Shiro has been, I don’t know, weird?”

He could feel his nerves begin to stir, worry flooding his system.

“What do you mean by weird?”

“Like, he’s super short tempered, going off on his own without tell anyone, he snapped at Allura and disappears all the time. Keith, he’s not acting normal… it doesn’t even feel like the same Shiro sometimes.”

Now he knew something was wrong, this didn’t sound like the Shiro he knows. He has always been kind and calm, even after coming back from a year of torture. And if he was angry, he never attacked anyone because of it. He needed to talk to him, he needed to make sure Shiro was okay.

“I’ll figure it out, Lance.” Just as he was heading to find Shiro he felt a hand pull on wrist. Shocked, Keith looked back at Lance, surprised by the worry that was etched upon his face.

“Keith, please, be careful. Call me or anyone else when you find him?”

“I will. Promise.”

He had tried to contact the others multiple times, but every time he was stopped by Shiro, his last attempt earned him the horrible cut on the side of his face. He hoped that someone had figured out that there was something very wrong happening in the training deck.

He had nowhere to go, he had to stay here and face this monster that had disguised itself as Shiro.

“Ah, nowhere run now Paladin…” The grin that lit up its face, Shiro’s face, made the anger running through him burn even more. He could even feel Black and Red, growling in the back of his mind, a feeling that he had missed these past months.

“Now I can completely destroy Voltron, starting with the outcast, wannabe leader Red Paladin. But maybe I’ll keep you alive long enough to hear the screams of your friends as I kill them, one by one.”

‘Don’t listen. This isn’t Shiro. It has to be that witch. He would never say these things.’

And he knew, he knew, that the real Shiro was still with him when he saw the yellow within Shiro’s eyes flash a bright silver, the color filled with fear and anxiety.

This wasn’t some fake like he had thought. This was Shiro, his Shiro, and he needed to snap him out of this.

“STOP IT!” He had heard enough. Moving quickly, he aimed for the middle of the monster’s chest, landing a kick hard and fast, knocking it back. He followed up with a punch to it’s face, all of his anger behind it. Keith watched as it landed hard on the floor with a crash. He needed Shiro to snap out of this.

“You won’t be getting anywhere near them! This isn’t you Shiro! You have to fight whatever is controlling you… Shiro, please come back to me.” He watched the body that stood before him slowly stand, ready for the next attack. He could feel his body shake with fatigue, ready to collapse, but if he gave up, now he knew that whatever was controlling Shiro would kill him.

The terrible laugh that filled the darkness made his gut twist, fear swelling through him. Before he could so anything, he felt a hand wrap tightly around his throat, slamming him into the ground, all of the air in his lungs rushing out.

“So you finally figured it out… But it's too late for you paladin. This body's now mine to control. But you should know something…” Shiro’s galra hand glowed brightly next him, brushing against the new cut, igniting even more pain within it. He wanted to scream, to tell him to stop, but the hand wrapped around his throat kept him from doing so.

“He’s still able to see all of this… and he is screaming for me to stop.”

More tears fell from his eyes, he knew that at this point, he was done for. He was losing the fight to stay conscious, but he need to try to get Shiro to break through and stop whoever was controlling him.

“Good riddance, paladin.”

The bright purple moved above his head, readying to land the strike that would end his life.

“Shiro... Please… stop this...“

Suddenly everything went still. He could feel the hand wrapped around his throat give enough to let him breathe again. He tried taking in as much air as possible, but still his body tried to pull him into the darkness. When he finally could see pass the tears he could see Shiro’s galra hand stopped just inches away from his face. Glancing up at his face, he could see that Shiro's face was blank, void of all emotions, but he could see the natural grey of his eyes fight back sickly yellow that had invaded them.

Shiro was fighting against the control.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” Shiro’s hand finally left Keith’s throat, tangling itself within Shiro’s hair. Keith knew he had little time left before he finally passed out but he knew Shiro needed him. Reaching out to him, Keith placed his hands on Shiro’s cheeks, getting him to look at him.

“Fight Shiro, you need to fight it Shiro. I know you can do it.”

Their eyes locked and Keith watched as the yellow completely disappeared, being replaced with the grey he had known for years. They were still filled with fear, but he could also see something like happiness flash within them and he couldn’t help but smile.

“Shiro…”

He felt arms wrap around him, keeping him from hitting the floor just as he felt his body give up, and the sound of something crashing to ground, voices all around him shouting his name, though only one stood out the most. One that, in the end of all of this, finally let him fall into darkness, now that he knew that he was free.

“Keith!”

So I’ve already posted this on AO3, if you want to read it there here is the link. (x)

But I hope that everyone enjoyed this, I maybe doing second piece to this, seeing how Keith and Shiro might recover from this. 

Thanks for Reading! <3

[recentanimenews]

10 Laid-Back Stories to Stay Cozy After Camp

Today marks the final day of our laid-back camping trip with OutClub and it’s time to come home. We may be returning from the great outdoors but there’s no reason we can’t keep things cozy. Although Laid-Back Camp has come to an end, there are plenty of sweet and silly stories to keep us all feeling warm. Below are some of the best slice of life anime has to offer, featuring equally endearing casts and maybe even a little bit of education about the shared hobby that brings them together.

Tanaka-kun is Always Listless

The title says it all. Tanaka is a high school student stricken by an eternal feeling of listlessness that affects his everyday life in unique ways. His best friend and near opposite, the tall and athletic Ohta typically has to carry Tanaka between classes but finds ways to admire even the daily lassitude of his unusual classmate. Introduce the adorable and energetic, Miyano, the wannabe delinquent with an addition to cute things, Echizen, and the school idol with a secret alter ego, Shiraishi, and you have a wonderful cast of characters discovering eccentric ways to confront the bland tribulations of high school life. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless is one of the most comfortable, wholesome, and genuinely funny anime ever made and is guaranteed to replicate that feeling of sitting back and following along that Laid-Back Camp has offered us for the past 12 weeks.

Flying Witch

Slice of life meets fantasy in Flying Witch. High schooler and witch-in-training Makoto moves to the sleepy rural city of Hirosaki to live with her extended family, the Kuramoto family, while continuing her studies. It’s a small town so they don’t have many witches out there, leading to a few surprises as her social circle discovers her ability to make potions and fly on a broom. She’s just one of many quirky characters inhabiting the town, however. Flying Witch follows their lazy everyday lives as the youngest of the Kuramoto family, Chinatsu, becomes enthralled with the glimpses of the magical world Makoto affords them. The series is populated by a charming, well-meaning cast that are always looking out for, or poking fun at, one another. Each episode offers new discoveries, whether mundane wonders of their family’s agricultural traditions or magical revelations that lay just out of site in the city of Hirosaki.

Amanchu!

Futaba is lonely. A new arrival in the small coastal city of Shizuoka, coming from a larger city and leaving behind her entire life, she now has only her phone for company. Uncertain of her ability to make new friends, she nervously enters her first day of school and becomes subject of attention by the most eccentric girl in school, Hikari. Before Futaba knows it, Hikari has pulled her into the scuba diving club room and has her trying on wetsuits to join her in diving. Through her unexpected friendship, Futaba discovers a love of the sea and scuba diving. Joining the club, we follow her education in the finer details of scuba while being introduced alongside her to its advisor and fellow members. A beautiful series about finding new friends, learning new skills, and discovering a brand new world under the waves.

This Art Club Has a Problem!

The tale of Tsukimori Middle School's dysfunctional art club. Mizuki Usami is dedicated to improving her skills at illustration and painting but must fight an uphill battle against their lazy president, known only as “President” and her art partner Subaru, who is practicing art in the pursuit of creating the perfect 2D waifu. Unfortunately, Mizuki’s curse is tremendously powerful and she discovers she has unwittingly developed a crush on the eccentric Subaru despite all his perversions, eccentricities, and disregard for women who exist in three dimensions. A relationship you actively root against somehow transforms into a genuinely heartwarming series as the kids grow up little-by-little through their club hijinks and tumultuous emotions. Despite being the victim of such a tremendous curse, you begin to believe Mizuki will come out alright in the end.

Minami Kamakura High School Girls Cycling Club

Hiromi is a girl so air-headed she represents the exception that makes the rule about getting back on a bike. Having just moved from Nagasaki, Hiromi is looking forward to her first day at the Minami Kamakura Girls High School, but experiences difficulties reaching it by bike. After having to relearn how to pilot a bicycle with the help of a friendly local and classmate, Tomoe. Through cycling, Hiromi continues to make new friends and ends up joining the schools cycling club. From there, the series takes us on an extended tour of Kamakura through the girls’ biking adventures. Like Laid-Back Camp, each episode concludes with a real-life segment in which two of the show's voice actresses learn more about bicycling and the Kamakura region first-hand. A cheerful series about friendship through a shared hobby.

Non Non Biyori

Another slice of life taking place in a rural Japan, this time with an emphasis on rural. The cast of Non Non Biyori live in the tiny countryside village of Asahigaoka, far away from modern amenities the rest of us take for granted. Hotaru, having just transferred from Tokyo, struggles to adapt to the rural lifestyle with the aid of her classmates, all four of them, each different ages and grade levels, who together form the entire student body of their school. Even as she struggles with the concept of a town with only two stores, the locals find her confusion and city customs just as nonsensical as she perceives theirs to be. It’s a sweet series with frequent gags about a girl confronting culture shock within her own country and, eventually, learning to love a new land and lifestyle.

Aria The ANIMATION

Unique among the items of this list as a science fiction series. Aria takes place in the far future on the planet Aqua (formerly Mars) in the city of Neo-Venezia, a futuristic take on modern Venice. The setting is utopic, presenting a future free of conflict with advanced technology existing alongside anachronism like a recreation of the ancient city of canals. Akari, originally from Japan, works for the Aria Company in Neo-Venezia as an undine, an all-female profession of gondoliers that ferry people through the city’s canals and act as tour guides. The series meanders like a gentle current, following Akari’s life and her work as an undine. In addition to discovering more about her respected profession, Akari encounters a number of characters through her work who have their own stories to tell. Through Akari we learn about life in the alien city through the melancholic tales of its residents.

Silver Spoon

Created by Hiromu Arakawa, the mangaka behind Fullmetal Alchemist, Silver Spoon is set in the Ooezo Agricultural High School in Hokkaido. Yuugo enrolls in the school, believing it will have an easy workload and to escape his stressful home life. He quickly learns he’s underestimated both the school and its students as he learns firsthand the scientific knowledge and physical labor that drive modern-day agriculture and animal husbandry. As he gets to know his peers, he also discovers that each of them are driven and passionate about their area of study, a far cry from the content inheritors of their family trade he had believed them to be. Over the course of his term, Yuugo learns valuable lessons about compassion and prejudice alongside his rigorous curriculum, which allow him to begin to sort out his own troubled relationship with his family.

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid

One of the most wonderful slice of life series of last year, a reverse-isekai found-family series about a woman, her maid who is actually a dragon, and their daughter is also actually a dragon. Miss Kobayashi awakens after a night of drinking to discover Tohru on her doorstep. During her drunken wandering, she had saved Tohru’s life and, after bonding over drinks, invited Tohru to stay at her house as a maid. Both uncomfortable and unfamiliar with love, Kobayashi struggles with Tohru’s awkward romantic overtures as the dragon tries to understand and assimilate herself into human society. Add in a few more dragons and the series becomes a wonderful story of love, family, and finding ways to reach out to others, through awkwardness and misunderstanding, and form real connections.

Arakawa Under the Bridge

An unlikely slice of life set in a homeless encampment under a bridge in the Japanese city of Arakawa. Ko was taught by his father to never allow himself to be indebted to anyone but falls into the river and is saved by a girl in a tracksuit who calls herself Nino. To rid himself of his debt, he asks how he can repay her and, wanting for nothing, she asks that he experience love with her. Through Nino, Ko is introduced to the malcontents, eccentrics, and outcasts that reside in the surprisingly sophisticated community alongside the river. The series leans heavily into comedy and magical realism to present a diverse, almost circus-like community, but it’s not all gags. There are melancholic chords hidden among light-hearted humor about life as a social outcast and a thread of romance as Ko, despite himself, finds he is beginning to grant Nino’s request.

Hopefully, these series prove to be a peaceful way to pass the time and warm your heart just as well as a toasty campfire and, perhaps, you find one of them just as enjoyable as experiencing the great outdoors with OutClub. We're sad to see Laid-Back Camp go, but there are always new adventures on the horizon. Did I miss any particularly cozy series in this list? Find any of these recommendations recapture that same wonderful feeling? Let us know in the comments below!

---

Peter Fobian is an Associate Features Editor for Crunchyroll, author of Monthly Mangaka Spotlight, writer for Anime Academy, and contributor at Anime Feminist. You can follow him on Twitter @PeterFobian.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[puddingcatbeans]

wip meme

tagged by both @risquetendencies and @matsinko, thank you!!

i’m working on like a bazillion things at once, which is... what writing is about, i guess /chugs a shot glass of green tea i also recently did a wip thread on twitter with several screenshot previews, so here’s my shameless promo of that............

mhabb fic - tododeku + most of the cast up to training camp arc?

the deadline’s changed for this one which is good for me because i hit a major block, but i’ve been very ambitious with this one, plot-wise. it’s set in a fictional japanese city where no one has superpowers but UA is still a prestigious school; there’s vigilantism involved, college kids, thank gods for uraraka, awkward flirting, gods bless midoriya inko, todoroki angst, bakugou fucking katsuki, platonic cuddling, and then some wannabe hero action stuff. fun times, if i ever figure out how to write midoriya properly.

owl-setter character study - akaashi-centric, subtle bokuaka

this is me projecting onto my faves again, but it’s along the same vein as the angsty bokuto study i did a long while ago. not a companion piece, but will probably go in the same collection... focuses on akaashi and his anxiety + hand habits, he has a little brother, he’s trying his best, he’ll be okay. this monster is already 10k words and i’m still only two-thirds done, rip me

“prompto manifesto” - prompto-centric, angsty

i want to try my hand at the prompto angst and potential that square dropped out the window. this one will explore his niff past, briefly touching on the human experimentation + possible side effects, his lonely childhood, his friendship with noctis and the rest, and how he grows and flourishes despite and with all that. most likely bends canon quite a bit, will be heavy on the high school era and hurt/comfort, and will probably end pre-road trip from hell. i love prompto, i swear i do, but there’s just so much angst potential in this sunshine kid........

talk me down iwaoi - post high school, aaaangst

most of this fic is found scribbled in the margins and in between my notes for sociology class, so that tells you something. inspired by the song “talk me down” and will focus on this one night where oikawa decides to finally visit iwaizumi at 3am in the fucking morning after a year or more of radio silence... i’m in the process of typing up the broken scenes i handwrote but i also want to insert voicemail/text messages from iwaizumi in between the scenes?? so idk when this will be finished but i want to do it right because if you’ve heard that song, you know why. it’s worth it. add this to the pile of iwaoi angst this fandom seems to like so much,,

witchy business - original fic, urban fantasy-ish??, gayyyy

this is probably more of a fandom wip meme? but pls just hear me out on this pet project of mine since... last autumn! basically haoyu (浩宇) runs a tea shop with his ah-mah and absentee father, but it also doubles as a magic shop upstairs!! except haoyu does not want anything to do with magic at all. he’s good at it, but you must be at least level 15 friend to unlock his ~tragic backstory~. one day, reese comes in, looking for some rare items to make a magic charm, and pretty much falls in love with the shop and with haoyu, because i’m weak and these are my OCs, they can be as sappy as they want. reese is a pretty capable witch, but he’s on the run from his family because they suck and also he ran off with a rare spellbook, smh reese. he ends up moving into the spare room in the shop and helping out---which leads to some Conversations and Discoveries between haoyu and reese. i mostly have character sketches and short scenes to figure out who these kids are, but this is my go-to comfort universe to write in at the moment!!

idk who hasn’t done this yet, but please feel free to share and @ me!! i love to know about these things and i know we all love to share our babies ehehe

[theatresleepovers]

hogwarts houses

I’m interested in the intersections and contrasts between fanon house identities and canon house identities. The houses in the books are fairly simplistic, not to mention seen through a biased lens (Harry!). When readers took the houses for themselves, all the houses have expanded and become much more complex, because now they apply to real people. One thing I’ve been thinking about though, is how often fans talk about Gryffindor in terms of traits I consider to be pretty Hufflepuff (fighting for justice etc). So I decided to go back to canon, looking for the least biased descriptions available: the words of the Sorting Hat itself, and the house welcome letters on the old Pottermore (of course these are biased, as written by prefects of the house, but at least they’re all biased toward themselves, not like Harry seeing everything from a Gryffindor viewpoint).

Gryffindor:

Hat describing the house: boldest, brave, bravest, brave deeds to their name, chivalry, daring, nerve.

Hat describing Godric: best friends with Slytherin, bold, came up with the idea of the hat, daring, from wild moor.

Pottermore welcome message: 

Not arrogant or too brave for our own good.

The lion is the bravest of all creatures.

The best house in the school.

The bravest and boldest.

Quidditch rivals of Slytherin.

My impression of fanon identities: fun-loving, doing what’s right, standing up for people (even strangers), social, people-oriented, enjoying group activities like sports, fun, vibrant, loving, people are afraid to start shit with them, everything is better when it’s together, the more the merrier, wanting to do good for the world, don’t appreciate dishonorable actions like lying, take the high road, dedicated, romantic, not afraid of the risk of mistakes because you can’t succeed if you don’t try in the first place, sometimes they do dumb shit but hey that’s how you learn and get better at things, noble, really love music-- there’s a perfect song for every situation, they don’t shut down in difficult situations, always up for adventure, appreciate a good prank, get a thrill out of overcoming their fears, there are things more important than wasting your life cleaning, fierce protectors of children, spontaneous, they value courtesy, honor, helping the less fortunate, express affection physically, can be a bit loud, make the best of every situation, actions speak louder than words, unabashedly love traditions, not wimps when it comes to exercising.

Hufflepuff:

Hat describing the house: hard workers, unafraid of toil, just, loyal, patient, true.

Hat describing Helga: best friends with Ravenclaw, from valley broad, good, “I’ll teach the lot and treat them all the same,” sweet.

Pottermore welcome message:

The badger is often underestimated, because it lives quietly until attacked, but when provoked, can fight off animals much larger than itself. Like badgers, we know exactly how to lie low – and how to defend ourselves.

Not the least clever house: has produced just as many brilliant witches and wizards as any other.

The least boastful house: we don’t shout about it, we don’t get the credit we deserve, we don’t shoot our mouths off.

Trustworthy and loyal; the friendliest, most decent and most tenacious house.

Cross us at your peril; like our emblem, the badger, we will protect ourselves, our friends and our families. Nobody intimidates us.

Get along best with Gryffindors but thinks they’re slightly less moral. Don’t like Slytherins (consider them cheaters, averse to fair play and hard work). They think Ravenclaws are boastful and claim undue credit.

My impression of fanon identities: want everyone to be happy, supportive friends, love comforts like food and coziness, love plants and animals, easy to get along with, will always go to the defense of a friend, want everything to be fair, stand up for injustices, but still pretty chill, if something inspires them they want to share it so others can feel inspired too, strive for mental peace, driven by the need to help others, loyal but also value doing what’s right, don’t despair, really love their friends, good at keeping secrets, love underappreciated details, will wait patiently for a good outcome, like cute stuff, appreciate useful inventions, guilt-free indulging, love guerrilla art, don’t get worked up about things not going as planned, love to give their friends things to show they’re thinking of them, will finish something once they start, want to see the best in everyone, empathetic, nostalgic, actively try to act without favoritism or discrimination.

Ravenclaw:

Hat describing the house: cleverest, learning, ready mind, sharpest mind, surest intelligence, wise, wit.

Hat describing Rowena: best friends with Hufflepuff, fair, from glen.

Pottermore welcome message: 

This is the house where the cleverest witches and wizards live.

Our founder prized learning above all else – and so do we.

Our emblem is the eagle, which soars where others cannot climb.

Ravenclaws learn quickly and enjoy challenges.

They like to work together to solve problems, and learn from students in different years.

Our people are the most individual – some might even call them eccentrics. We think you’ve got the right to wear what you like, believe what you want, and say what you feel. We value people who march to a different tune.

Might speculate about personal questions, but not rude enough to ask.

The cleverest, quirkiest and most interesting house.

Somewhat allied with Slytherin, but guarded. They like Gryffindors okay but think they’re show-offs and intolerant of individual differences. They think Hufflepuffs are very nice but not academic.

My impression of fanon identities: get really excited about/distracted by fun facts, love books, creativity, arts and sciences are equally respected, they like things that blend analytic and creative ways of thinking, appreciate people who make things and do things but they also appreciate people who just love things, analytic, democratic, like being seen as the friend with all the answers, get really into specific interests, enjoy debates for the sake of learning about and developing different points of view, read the news, prefer arguments that have numbers to back them up, strive for both knowledge and wisdom (and knowing the difference), want to preserve ancient knowledge but also pursue new discoveries, accepting of everyone, want to be the best and stand out from the group, imaginative, some are procrastinators while others are super organized, want to help bring out the best in their friends, original ideas, often put school/work/passions before their own well-being, some are good at memorizing and others are scatter-brained, sometimes making things and achieving things is more important than asking why are we doing this, value individuality over conformity, see aesthetics and value in most things, they know they’re smarter than others but try not to show off too much, interested in people and machines and books and art and everything, some prefer people-watching and others prefer meeting everyone, see sleep as a waste of time, insatiable curiosity, always creating, make friends by trading witticisms, mind is always buzzing, don’t immediately dismiss wild ideas, “great things – terrible, yes, but great” -- achievement can stand for itself not just when it does something good, if you start a fight with a Ravenclaw they will use words you’ve never heard before to explain exactly how stupid you are.

Slytherin:

Hat describing the house: ambition, ancestry’s purest, only pure-blood, any means to achieve the ends, cunning, great cunning, greatness, real friends.

Hat describing Salazar: best friends with Gryffindor, from fen, great cunning, left the school due to infighting, power-hungry, shrewd.

Pottermore welcome message: 

The serpent is the wisest of creatures. Like the snake, we are sleek, powerful, and frequently misunderstood.

Not all into the Dark Arts, not snobby to non-famous people, not bad people.

We have traditionally tended to take students who come from long lines of witches and wizards, but nowadays you’ll find plenty of people in Slytherin house who have at least one Muggle parent.

The coolest and edgiest house.

We play to win, because we care about the honour and traditions of Slytherin.

We look after our own. We are brothers. Once you’ve become a snake, you’re one of ours – one of the elite.

We get respect from fellow students. It can be fun, having a reputation for walking on the wild side.

Slytherins are chosen for their potential to be great. If you think someone in Slytherin doesn’t seem special, keep it to yourself. They’re Slytherins and we support them.

They think Ravenclaws are embarrassing for their lack of group camaraderie, and for their nerdiness. Gryffindors are wannabe Slytherins, more similar to Slytherins than they like to think, but rivals.

My impression of fanon identities: if it’s necessary it must be done, like mystery, fabulous, fashionable, amazing parties, keep private things private but have very close friendships, classy, diplomatic, love challenges, appreciate clean and classic aesthetics, always striving to be the best version of themselves, organized goal-setters, don’t see much point in having skills and abilities if you don’t use them, good at solving problems, prefer to come and collect their own if someone’s misbehaving and deal with them in private rather than see a Slytherin punished publicly, love the feeling of well-earned pride, half-truths don’t count as lies, not afraid to admit that they’re better than some people, love group fun and mischief, want to be the best but they want to uphold their people, don’t get nervous talking to celebrities, make beautiful gifts for their friends, not afraid to call people out, always have the perfect outfit for the weather and the event, outsiders might not think they’re friendly but they put all their energy into their friends, determined, into genealogy and history, appreciate honesty but supporting your friends comes first, resourceful, not afraid of daring makeup/clothing/hair Looks, value traditions and long-standing customs, see it as dishonorable to dissociate themselves from unsavory Slytherins, love to succeed to spite people who didn’t believe in them, would rather be a nobody than remembered for something embarrassing.

Wisdom

Here’s something I was curious about: the Slytherin welcome letter says their mascot is a snake because “the serpent is the wisest of creatures.” Is this a common concept in folklore? I googled ‘wise serpent’ and the overwhelming was this Jesus quote from the book of Matthew: “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” One church’s webpage explains the “wise as serpents” phrase like this, in the most Slytherin description I have ever read:

To be wise means to be marked by understanding of people and situations, to have keen and unusual discernment, and a capacity for sound judgment in dealing with people and situations. Prudent would also be an appropriate synonym.

To discern means to detect with the eyes and with senses other than vision. It also means to read character or motives. We would all do well to have this ability. In place of “wise,” other translations use “shrewd” and “wary.” Shrewd means to be practical and to be given to an artful way of dealing with situations and people. To be wary is to use watchful prudence in detecting and escaping danger.

Now consider several facts from snake experts.

Snakes are pros at escaping. Their most common form of self-protection is avoidance. A snake’s first line of defense is to escape to safety among rocks or vegetation. Snakes have to be alert to dangers. Most snakes are not aggressive. Snakes do not want to attack humans. Snakes bite humans only in self-defense. They would rather not confront us.

Remember, a synonym for wise is prudent. Do these facts bring any scriptures to mind? Let’s read Proverbs 27:12 in the New International Version: “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” Another verse earlier in Proverbs mentions both wisdom and prudence: “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways” (14:8, NIV).

So it seems that we can be as wise as serpents by perceiving and avoiding danger and escaping from it!

This passage basically sums up the Malfoys. They like to be the most important person just behind the figurehead, not the figurehead themselves-- and when their leader was brought down, they cleverly slithered out of danger. Is this snake-wisdom different from the eagle-wisdom of Ravenclaw? Google’s suggestions for ‘eagle wisdom’ are much more varied; it appears that the eagle is a common symbol of wisdom. Here is an explanation of eagle wisdom from a website about mindfulness:

If you wish to see an eagle in flight, you must take the time to be thorough and look far beyond the places you might expect to see a bird in the sky. Eagles often soar at amazing altitudes and may even seem to disappear behind the clouds from time to time. So, lesson number one: SIT, BE PATIENT, AND OPEN TO EXPLORING NEW HEIGHTS.

When you find an eagle in flight, you quickly notice that eagles are masters of energy conservation. By completely spreading its wings and by paying careful attention to balance, it uses only a minimal expenditure of energy to remain aloft, moving at great speeds, buoyed by the natural currents of air, and trusting that the wind will carry it precisely where it needs to be. So, lesson number two: STRETCH OUT FULLY, FIND YOUR BALANCE AND LET IT UNFOLD.

Finally, when you dedicate an afternoon to being with the eagles, you may witness an eagle at play. Somehow even amidst the work to thrive in the wild, an eagle values play. Without warning, it will sometimes break from the expected trajectory of its flight path and cartwheel through the air, seemingly for no reason other than because it can. So, the final lesson of the day: FIND TIME TO BE JOYFUL.

This does sound pretty Slytherin as well, but I see the Ravenclaw especially in the second point, about using what you know about your tools to achieve your best.

Individual vs. group values

In my perceptions of the houses, I tend to think of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff as more social, more group-oriented, and Ravenclaw and Slytherin as more individual, more proving yourself on your own worth. I was surprised to see how much the Slytherin welcome letter emphasizes group cohesion, loyalty, camaraderie, and unwavering support for your group. This doesn’t really come across in the hat’s songs (emphasis on ambition and cunning). But I don’t see any hypocrisy with seeking ambition for yourself and for your group, while also being staunchly supportive of your friends and family.

We know Ravenclaws are individualists, and they seem to look down on Gryffindors for being intolerant of people who are different. So, are Gryffindor and Slytherin really the most group-oriented of the four? Where does Hufflepuff sit? I think Hufflepuffs are concerned about group dynamics, but now rethinking I do think they’re more individualist than I’d thought before. After all, the Hufflepuff house was seemingly founded on an objection to the concept of dividing students in the first place-- “I’ll teach the lot and treat them all the same.” Getting along with each other doesn’t necessitate conformity.

Hufflepuff’s hat verses and welcome letter both mention loyalty by name. Slytherin’s doesn’t, but it certainly employs the concept (“You might see a couple of people hanging around the common room whom you might not think are destined for anything special. Well, keep that to yourself. If the Sorting Hat put them in here, there’s something great about them, and don’t you forget it.”). 

As usual, the answer is much more complicated than the books would make it seem. I don’t have a nice neat spectrum chart. I think all traits are present in all houses. 

Another too-simplistic four-cornered spectrum: cold pricklies vs. warm fuzzies. A friend of mine had a theory that all people can be sorted into these two groups. Neither felt right for most people we tried to categorize, though, so we mixed and matched: Cold pricklies are unfriendly to outsiders and pessimistic privately (Slytherin?). Cold fuzzies seem unfriendly but are privately full of love (Ravenclaw?). Warm fuzzies seem affectionate and loving, and they have everyone’s best interests at heart (Hufflepuff?). Warm pricklies are friendly and fun, but can be catty and rude (Gryffindor?).

Again, too simple. But it’s fun to think about. Here’s another one for you:

Burritos by houses

“Oh no,” he said, trying to roll up his burrito. “I overstuffed it again. My burrito was too ambitious.”

“A Slytherin burrito,” I replied. “Its ambition was its own downfall.”

But was it? Which house is most likely to overstuff a burrito too big to roll up?

Gryffindor: “I want beans, I want guacamole, I’m hungry and I know what I want, so fuck it, I don’t care if it doesn’t roll up. I’m sure I’ll be an amazing burrito-roller soon, but you gotta commit and fail before you succeed.”

Hufflepuff: “This is all so delicious. Fat burritos are the best burritos. I love comfort food and rationing portions brings negative feelings, but eating should bring only positive feelings. I will still love this burrito even if it’s ugly. I have a spoon in case it falls apart.”

Ravenclaw: “You say I shouldn’t pack the burrito too big? You say it’ll fall apart if I do? Well, maybe so, but I need to test your theory before I believe it. I have to test my limits to find out what the best strategy really is. I’ll get good at this eventually, but you have to try all approaches so you know you’re not missing out on a good option.”

Slytherin: “I can totally fit in all this food. I don’t care what you say, I’m doing it. ... Ah well, maybe it was too ambitious, but at least I got all the food that I wanted! You can’t value ambition without also being supportive of failure.”

And this is why house sorting quizzes are usually bad. It’s not the *action* that determines which house you should be in, it’s the *rationale* behind the action that matters.

Associations

The four houses are associated with the four most classical elements: air, earth, fire, and water. Aristotle organized these four into a four-cornered spectrum.

Each house has a main color and a metal.

Each house is represented by a predatory animal.

Each founder was from a different part of the British Isles.

Gryffindor: fire -- red and gold -- lion -- wild moor 

Aristotle’s element spectrum: fire is hot and dry.

Red on wikipedia: “Since red is the colour of blood, it has historically been associated with sacrifice, danger and courage... Red is also the colour most commonly associated with heat, activity, passion, sexuality, anger, love and joy... happiness and good fortune.” “During post-classical and early modern Europe, the color was reserved for nobility.”

Gold has a lot of heavy cultural significance, e.g. medals, trophies, crowns, wedding rings, perfect & divine principles (golden ratio, golden rule), wisdom of aging and fruition (golden anniversary, golden years, the golden age of a civilization).

The lion is a carnivorous mammal from Africa. This is the only house emblem that doesn’t live in the British Isles (at least not within written history). Lions have been a big deal in British symbolism for a very long time, though I don’t know if lions in British heraldry go back as far as the founding of Hogwarts (c. 990 CE). However, the British knew about lions back then (since they’re in the Bible, which was introduced to the UK long before the founding of Hogwarts). Perhaps the exotic lion symbolizes foreign power and greatness to Gryffindors.

Gryffindor is presumably from Godric’s Hollow, a small West Country village in England. 

Hufflepuff: earth -- yellow and black (iron) -- badger -- valley broad

Aristotle’s element spectrum: earth is cold and dry.

Yellow on wikipedia: “Yellow is associated with amusement, gentleness, humor, spontaneity, duplicity, envy, jealousy, avarice, cowardice, pallor, sickness, wisdom, connection, happiness, glory, harmony, wisdom, ambivalence, contradiction, optimism, betrayal, virtue, nobility.”

Black is the only secondary color that’s not the name of a metal; I’ve extrapolated that it might stand for iron. Iron is associated with Mars, and the Iron Age is associated with Rome. Iron may symbolize strength, obstinacy, fortitude, honor, courage, sharpness (of body and mind), tenacity, and confidence in power, physical power, aggression, growth, dependence, protection, lust, confidence, courage, strength, stamina, and resilience.

The badger is an omnivorous mammal from many places, including the British Isles. This is the only house emblem that is omnivorous. Two of the emblems are mammals, so the badger and the lion are not unique in that sense. This seems to evoke the Hufflepuff values of down-to-earth inclusiveness.

HP wikia: “The Sorting Hat refers to Helga as "sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad", which is likely a reference to the Welsh valleys. Furthermore, in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Helga's portrait speaks with a Welsh accent."

Ravenclaw: air -- blue and bronze -- eagle -- glen

Aristotle’s element spectrum: air is hot and wet. 

Blue on wikipedia: “Blue is associated with harmony, faithfulness, confidence, distance, infinity, the imagination, cold, sadness, masculinity, intelligence, knowledge, calm, concentration, spirituality, eternity, serious but not grim, authoritative but not threatening, peacekeeping, friendly forces, melancholy, fidelity, loyalty.”

In the Bible, bronze may symbolize the physical world of sin, while gold represents the divine world. Bronze also may symbolize that which is firm, stubborn, strong, enduring, physically beautiful, judgment, tests.

The eagle is a carnivorous bird from many places, including the British Isles. This is the only bird among the house emblems. Eagles are known for soaring far above what anyone else can achieve, inspiring envy among ground-bound humans. But this skill and freedom come naturally to eagles -- and to Ravenclaws.

Ravenclaw was Scottish.

Slytherin: water -- green and silver -- snake -- fen

Aristotle’s element spectrum: water is cold and wet. 

Green on wikipedia: “During post-classical and early modern Europe, green was the color commonly associated with wealth, merchants, bankers and the gentry... green is the color of nature, life, health, youth, spring, hope and envy... toxicity and poor health... fertility and happiness... the color of environmental friendliness... the traditional color of safety and permission.” Slytherin is the only house with a secondary color as its main theme color. (Say a prayer for the orange and purple houses.) Maybe this secondary color represents a nuance to the Slytherin identity that the others don’t have? Or maybe it’s placing the Slytherin identity as a mixture of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, as green is a mixture of blue and yellow. Or maybe it simply means that green is the opposite -- aka complementary -- color to red. Hmm. (Of course that sort of implies that Gryff is the alpha in that dynamic, haha. Let the slash commence.)

Silver represents second-best (again, after Gryff’s alpha gold...), mystic powers (silver bullet is the only effective weapon against certain monsters, so symbolically it’s a simple solution with very high effectiveness or almost miraculous results), “thirty pieces of silver” is a biblical representation of betrayal, also represents greed and degradation of consciousness.

The snake is a carnivorous reptile native to many places, including the British Isles. This is the only reptile among the house emblems, and the only cold-blooded animal. Cold-blooded animals adjust to the environment around them, and depend on other things to generate the heat that they need. Snakes are extremely well-adapted to fulfill the niche that they are born into. Snakes live pretty much everywhere in the world that’s not polar; they are amazingly good at survival and adaptation. The snake has significant biblical symbolism as well, of temptation and knowledge. In other cultures, snakes are often symbols of rebirth and fertility, since they shed their skins as they grow (which of course is itself an idiom in English for moving on from one’s past).

Slytherin’s color is green, and he departed from a union of four -- this sounds a lot like Ireland to me, even though the word “fen” is heavily associated with The Fens in England. Of course there are fens in Ireland as well.

u/hawksfan81 on harry potter reddit points out an interesting parallel: “St. Patrick is said to have driven all the snakes out of Ireland. Most people believe that this refers to him driving the enemies of the Church out. I would definitely believe that wizards and witches would qualify as enemies of the Church. So, perhaps Slytherin took the symbol of a snake to refer to Irish wizards and witches being called snakes?”

(This is a classic move that still has cultural import today, cough taylor swift cough)