#also really want to reread Borne

[books-coffee-and-the-woods]

current reading mood is what if i just read Kelly Link and Jeff Vandermeer for a whole year?

[rawliverandgoronspice]

behold: my second least favorite string of words in the entirety of Tears of the Kingdom.

(it's a little less transparent why this time so I'll explain my thoughts under the cut)

So why do I not like this?

In so many words: because if you remove it, the scene still works, but you lose the moral certainty of what is going on.

This single sentence does so much legwork for the entire game (the kind I dislike), to the point where I'm about 60% sure it's the product of a rework that realized how ambiguous Rauru's position was as the Good Rightful King and needed to nervously reassure the players that Ganondorf Is and Always Was the Invader, Actually.

(no matter that it leaves the gerudos in this awkward in-between state of both invaders and victims, while never dwelling in the specifics of their history and their own agency in the entire thing; brushed off as a sin they have to expiate through loyalty to the winners of that particular strife, but without explicitely blaming them either to avoid the implications of what that would have looked like)

If you remove it, not only do you lose a pretty clunky line that detracts from Ganondorf's intimidating presence (who is he even speaking to? who needs to hear this right now?) that honestly speaks for itself when it comes to his experience with warfare, but also you lose any tension and any mystery regarding why he is attacking in the first place.

You also... kind of rob Ganondorf's motivations of their meaning. "Hyrule will bow down before me" leads to asking... why? What does he want? What does he see in those lands? And what little we get with Rauru and then Link during the final fight begs more questions; why do you prefer hardship to peace? Why do you value strength? What leads you to want to rule a land devoid of survivors, become a king without a kingdom? I don't think we ever get satisfactory answers. If you remove this sentence, on the other hand... Subtextually, it becomes pretty clear that his motivations is that he felt threatened by Rauru's power, which is ripe with subtext and questions about whether this is a legitimate reaction, whether his "no survivor" stance is due to a feeling of betrayal when his own people turned against him post the Demon King shenanigans... I'm not saying it would fix the entire game's writing, far from it, but it would already do *so much more*.

(genuinely, I think he could have stayed completely silent during the Molduga Assault, speaking only in the Show of Fealty before going completely nuts after Sonia's murder, and it would have worked MUCH better in terms of characterization but anyway anyway

EDIT: ALSO!!! that way he wouldn't speak hylian to fellow gerudos, which is weird inherently)

Without this line, the core of the tension between the gerudos and Hyrule comes front in his conversation with Rauru; it allows the cause of his hostility to be Rauru's invitations, that he would have taken as a threat, and would have still made him warlike and domineering without making him cartoonishly flat, because, once again, Rauru is not acting in a particularly more legitimate way when Zelda arrives in Ancient Hyrule; and it would have been... fair to point that out. And make for better characterization for Rauru, and Sonia, and Mineru, and everybody. But the priority was for Hyrule to be pictured as unquestionably holy; always legitimate, always truthful, always beautiful, always just.

Also, and this is more of a nitpick but: why would Ganondorf want Hyrule, specifically, to bow down before him also? Was he at war with the rest of the disparate tribes before, and just carried on his ambitions to the very very newly-founded kingdom as they allied under a new banner? (though it seems to be implies the lands were crawling under monsters in a generic sense, and not Ganondorf's attacks in particular) Why would he even consider Hyrule a legitimate entity worth taking over then, if it is so new, born from the will of a powerful rival, founded by what is basically a stranger to these lands? Why would he covet something so young instead of destroying it and just calling the lands Gerudo Lands II or Grooseland or something?

I don't think any of that was even accounted for, because, beyond everything else: to me, this sentence is so clearly and painfully crammed in here to shield Hyrule from any potential blame and immediately characterize Ganondorf as Bad without having to remove any of the causes that could lead one to side-eye Rauru's little pet project as equally questionable.

Beyond the clumsiness, it is cowardly --and, I think, a little damning.

[feyarchived]

quick note with tbosbas being out and what will likely lead to a resurgence of the thg rpc: i am not really a fan of the book, nor do i plan on interacting with characters from it or considering it part of my canon. i will respect writers who use it, ofc, but any connections that are popular fanon theories to do with katniss are just that in my portrayal: fanon, and will not be acknowledged when it comes to my take on her.

[andthebubbles]

not me writing 8.7k words of anthony angst fic, finally being possibly happy with it (read: the first section), then realising that i fORGOT DAPHNE WOULD BE PREGNANT WITH AUGIE AND SKFJGKG I WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO SHOVE SOMETHING IN SOMEWHERE

[incarnadin3]

How Obey Me Brothers realized they were in love with MC: Part One, Lucifer

A/N: This idea was in my brain for a while so I decided why not write it? Also, am I the only one who writes well in their head but struggles to write it on paper??? Like wtf should I yap on here.

Lucifer: The Mighty Firstborn

Since Lucifer was the first born, all the major responsibilities were naturally given to him. From paying bills, and managing Mammon's spending, to ensuring the House of Lamentation was running properly, it was quite a lot for the Avatar of Pride.

But his pride refused to let him show weakness, instead working himself overtime to stay on top of things, which often led to him burning himself out, like today.

Mammon had somehow managed to steal Lord Diavolo's card and spent a hefty amount on gambling. While the Prince seemed unfazed, perhaps even a bit amused by the ordeal, Lucifer had been livid.

After lecturing and tying him up to the ceiling as usual, he had been working through a stack of papers, ranging from letters from angry witches demanding their money back from Mammon, to debts that had to be payed because of his greedy brother.

As the moon rose higher in the sky, the stack of papers did not seem to lower, towering over him, waiting to be reviewed.

Even though it didn't outwardly appear that Lucifer loved his brothers, at heart, he really truly did.

Which was currently the reason why he had Mammon's homework in front of him, one of the many he had forgotten to do in his haste to go gambling.

Lucifer sighed, scribbling in the answers, wrinkling his nose ever so slightly at the messy handwriting. Mammon wasn't one to have good handwriting, and if Lucifer wanted to pretend that Mammon was the one who wrote in th answers, he had to copy his handwriting.

As soon as he wrote the last few words, his pen instantly slipped from his fingers, and his head dropped forward onto his desk, and he was knocked out cold.

The next day, as he discreetly slid the homework papers into Mammon's bag before the teacher began to collect them, he realized that in his haste to do Mammon's homework, he had forgotten to do his. Him, Lucifer, Avatar of Pride, the Mighty Firstborn, the one who never missed a single assignment, was about to get berated for not doing his homework.

He tensed up as the Teacher approached, nodding approvingly as she took Mammon's homework, then held out her hand expectantly at Lucifer, wait for him to hand in his homework.

"𝘐…𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬…."

"𝘌𝘹-𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘦?"the teacher stammered, staring at him as if he head sprouted two heads.

He merely sighed, his head dropping as he heard Mammon snicker in the background. Suddenly he heard another voice intervene.

"Teacher! Lucifer did do his homework! I accidentally took it thinking it was mine!"

Lucifer just stared in surprise, confusion, and shock as you gave an embarrassed smile, holding out the homework, his name written across the top. He watched as the teacher glared and lectured you on not stealing other's homework and passing it off as their own, even if it was by mistake.

As the class continued, he could barely focus, as he noticed you place a comforting hand on his thigh, occasionally squeezing it in comfort as they continued their lesson. As he finally began writing his notes in for the class, a small note suddenly got slipped into his hands.

We all appreciate your efforts, especially your brothers. You are truly amazing for doing what you did. We love you -MC

Lucifer couldn't help but blush slightly, a few tears at the corners of his eyes, as he reread each kind word.

He looked sideways at MC, who was ever so focused on their notes, thoughtfully chewing their bottom lip as the worked. It was at this moment that he realized that he truly loved you, and would be willing to kill for them.

After Lilith's death, it was as if no one wanted to appreciate his efforts. True, his sin made it harder to express himself, but his brothers refused to even try to understand him or appreciate why he did what he did. But today, seeing you go out of your way to appreciate him, made him realize that maybe, just maybe, there was some happiness in store for him.

[kakiastro]

Lunar Return-Your month ahead

Solar return is talked about a lot but did you know that you have a Lunar return too?

What the difference?

Solar- when the Sun orbits back into the sign & date you were born in, Aka, your birthday. Solar returns happen every year. It shows the outlook of your year ahead until your next birthday comes.

Lunar - when the Moon orbits back into the sign you were born in. Instead of a yearly analysis like the solar, this will be a monthly analysis. Every 29ish days, you have a new lunar return chart.

How do I read my lunar return chart?

- The same you would any other chart but you have to read it from a moon point of a view.

-the Moon rules over our private and home life. It rules over our family and other loved ones. It rules over our emotional needs and wants. It’s our most intimate and safe space from the outside world.

*THIS DOES NOT CHANGE YOUR NATAL CHART! Your natal chart will always be the same forever. Return charts are to show the themes of our lives. I just wanted to make that clear.

The breakdown of the chart

For example: Scorpio rising

South/North Nodes- this is important because this shows you what you learned from the previous month and early on in this month (SN) to what you want to learn at the end of this month(NN). SN Taurus 7h /NN Scorpio 1h, this shows the you learned how to connect with people in a surface level and the material side of relationships. Now you you’re learning about how you emotionally connect with others but you’re looking deep within yourself first. “What do I need to feel intimacy on a deeper level”

Ascendant & Chart ruler - overall outlook for the month and what the theme is. Let’s say you have a Scorpio rising with ruler Pluto Capricorn in the 3h for this month. Themes of power, money topics such as loans and debts, sex, intellectual and emotional bonds, research, grandparents/elders, career, siblings, cars related topics, short travel and your local neighborhood will be the main topics

Moon- since this is a Lunar chart, the moon is the first planet after the chart ruler that we should be looking at. The moon sign will always be the same as your natal moon, hence “lunar return” the house the moon falls in is the most important. If you have a Libra moon, it would be in your 12h for this month. So you may feel like going into hermit mode, being more creative, traveling to a foreign unknown land or territory, if you’re interested in spirituality or holistic, traveling to the beach or being near water, going to the hospital, prison visit(hey, you never know)

Sun- this will be the not so private part of our lives out in the open. The Sun is the one that highlights everything in our life. It’s our life force. Let’s say the Sun is in Gemini 8h. This really enhanced the Scorpio energy so reread those themes that I wrote above now add the Gemini energy. This may be the month a lot of secrets or just deeply hidden emotions boil over to the surface. It’s giving death and rebirth season

Mercury-this will show your daily routine(s) throughout the month. It’s your health and possible health concerns, what you’ll be mostly thinking, talking about throughout this month. It also rules over your pets. If Mercury is in Gemini 8h along with the Sun then this could be time you really talk about your fears, worries, trauma, your healing growth journey, money problems or blessings, you may change something drastic about your routine, getting 2 new pets or giving one away, your hands such as breaking a nail or finger, getting new rings .

Venus- this will show you what your relationship(s), finances, your physical home and your personal possessions in it, food habits . Let’s say you have a Venus Virgo 11h. Posting a life update on social media, changing up your diet, you could be more vocal about your struggles or just struggles in general on social media, being of service and helping strangers more this month

Mars- this will show you where you’re putting your most energy in this month. Mars rules over our physical body and what get us up and moving. Mars is in Aries 6h for this month, yore putting a lot of your energy into yourself, your health, your job, your pets,it’s all about healing you this month, keep in mind too mars is also your chart ruler because it also rules Scorpio.

Jupiter- this will show you where you’re doing too much lol jk..sort of😅 this can show you where in will be expanded upon, your faith, what you’ll learn, your ideals, long distance travels, court case(if you have one), your good luck for this month. Jupiter Aries 6h with Mars, remember when I said you’ll be focused on you lol, oh with Jupiter, it’s even more intense and heightened

Saturn-this will show the sucky but rewarding parts of the month. Saturn is always trying to teach us some lessons which is never fun. However, if you applied what you know then this is growth which is the goal right? Saturn in Pisces 5h, getting serious about your creativity projects, expressing yourself in a more fluid but serious. You know you could express more of your subconscious thoughts to others

Uranus-the shocking and I didn’t see that coming moments for the month. Where you will want to progress. Uranus Taurus 7h, you may have a different outlook on relationships, meeting someone unexpectedly, unexpected money or buying something you didn’t think you would where.

Neptune- your subconscious thoughts for the month, only you will see this side of you. Neptune Pisces 5h, diving into unknown territory with dating, your dreams, new locations.

Pluto- transformations that we go through this month. Saturn is the hard but rewarding lessons while Pluto is the lessons that damn near breaks us and put us in a fetal position while crying with a blanket over our head, but he transforms us(up to us if it makes a good or bad one). Our fears and traumas live here so it’s not easy to go through. I don’t need to put an example here since it’s our chart ruler.

If you want to see how this plays out, keep a journal and just document the important parts that resonate with you that month. Then go back and look at your lunar chart and start connecting the dots. I would recommend to look at your lunar chart at the beginning of the month then relook at the end to see the storyline of that month in the chart. I’ll bet you 5$ you’ll be blown away!

I’m open for readings!

[illdowhatiwantthanks]

Home Again

Does anyone even read Hunger Games fanfics anymore?? I don't know, and I don't really care! I recently reread the series to get out of a reading slump, and now I'm hyperfixating again so... you guys get this which will probably turn into a multipart series because I FEEL LIKE IT, OKAY? Tl;dr: I'll do what I want.

Johanna Mason x fem!reader Warnings: Massive HUGE warnings for violence, blood, murder, etc., but also an especially HUGE warning for sexual assault, trauma in general, explicit language (let me know if I've missed anything) Word count: 2.5k

Summary: You're freshly home from winning the 73rd Hunger Games, and all you really want is for things to go back to normal for you and your brother. But now you're in the Victor's Village. And now Johanna Mason, who won the year before you, is your neighbor.

It’s not that you didn’t like the house in the Victor’s Village. It was objectively better than the cabin you and Leevee had lived in before. But at the cabin, you’d had neighbors. People who knew you, who looked after you and Leevee after the fever took your parents, even though you insisted you work in exchange for every loaf of bread, every mended pair of pants.

You took care of him as best you could, after your parents died. You dropped out of school and went to work in the lumber yards. Leevee went to school, of course, but his teachers didn’t teach him much of anything. There was something different about him, a bit off. Always had been, since he was born. The people in Seven called him slow, and maybe he was in some ways, but he was also kind and bighearted and quick to laugh and full of joy–traits hard-pressed to come by in a place like this. So everyone took to him and everyone looked out for him. They had a name for his affliction in the Capitol. But you didn’t like them naming something wrong with Leevee, as if what made him different was all there was to him. So you paid it no mind. To you, he was just your Leevee. Perfect just like he was.

It was hard to believe it'd only been three weeks since the Reaping. When your name had been called, you kept your eyes lasered in on the branches of a pine tree in the distance. You could hear Leevee calling your name from the crowd, confused about why you were on stage, and your heart felt like it was being pulled apart. But you would not cry. You wouldn’t let these Capitol people see you cry. It was not for them to see.

Your neighbor, Otta, a widow, had brought Leevee to see you before you had to leave. Only then did you let yourself cry and, even then, he hadn’t understood. He’d taken his handkerchief out of his pocket and pressed it to your face, and you told him to listen to Otta and the neighbors. That you were going away and you might not be back for a while, but that you loved him very much. Listen to Otta, you said. Keep those listening ears on, young man. And then he was gone. Or, rather, you were.

Before the Games, you hadn’t fancied your chances at winning. Sure, you were strong and, at eighteen, one of the oldest tributes. But you were very small, barely five feet tall, lithe and wiry. You could handle a saw and an ax fairly well from your time in the lumber yard, but you couldn’t imagine sawing through someone. You couldn’t imagine killing someone at all. Even worse was the thought of Leevee watching you kill someone or watching you die. You hoped Otta would cover his eyes.

The arena was the only thing in your favor during the 73rd Hunger Games. A coastal ecosystem. Not rainforest, like parts of Seven, but tall, spindly pines that bent in the wind. It wasn’t exactly like home, but you were nothing if not comfortable around trees. Your saving grace in the Games turned out to be your size. The trees were impossible but all for the smallest of the tributes–you and the youngest–to climb. The first night you spent in one of those pines, you thought you might crash to your death from all the swaying, but once you acclimated, it was like the tree was rocking you. It would have been nice if not for the cannons in the air, if not for the constant terror.

You managed to find plants to eat, to catch fish in the small river that trickled into the artificial ocean. Your Games lasted six days, and you spent most of it in the trees.

That last night… You knew you’d have to kill him. The Career from One. But he was so big–a full foot and a half taller than you and stocky to boot–and vicious. You didn’t even have a real weapon, just some river rocks and a bit of your shirt you’d been using as a sling. But One–you didn’t even like to hear his name now, didn’t like to remember it–he’d found the superior weapon. You’d woken up to your tree shaking, to the tell-tale crackling and groaning of a trunk in distress. One had an ax, and the trees here were so spindly, it’d be a matter of minutes before it toppled, especially with your weight at the top. You tried to scramble down far enough that when the tree fell, you wouldn’t die from it, but you still had a long way to go when the trunk cracked.

It was the landing that did you in. You hit the ground so hard it knocked your breath out. Knocked your brain pretty good, too, based on how blurry everything was afterward. You couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe for a few seconds, and that few seconds was all One needed. He was on top of you, and the weight of him made it even harder to catch your breath. You were faintly aware of your body fighting back, but it was like fighting back against a mountain. You screamed when he stabbed long hunting knives into either of your forearms, all the way through, pinning you to the ground, and almost passed out from the pain. This was it. This was how you'd die. You’d like to say you thought of Leevee, but all you thought of was how scared you were.

But… he wasn’t killing you. He wasn’t getting another weapon. He was… undressing? And suddenly you remembered that there were things worse than death. You screamed and screamed until your throat gave out. You didn’t care who saw you cry now, couldn’t have stopped the tears if you’d wanted to. People didn’t do this in the Games. They murdered each other. They hurt each other. They tore one another to bits. But they didn’t do this. Surely, the Capitol wouldn’t let this happen, wouldn’t let this air on TV. There was a line, surely. But as soon as you thought it, the hope left your body deflated and empty except for the man–the boy, mere months older than you–grunting above you. There was no line. Not where the Capitol was involved.

But somewhere in your pain-addled brain, you realized that he was… occupied, which meant he wasn’t keeping a close enough eye on his weapons. You screamed as you wrenched one of your arms out of the ground and pulled the knife from your other wrist. There was a moment, right at the last second, where he looked up and understood what you were doing, but it was too late by then. The last thing you remembered from the arena was plunging the knife into his neck.

When they made you watch the replay of your “victory,” you’d hardly recognized yourself. Covered in blood, lips curled up in a snarl, as if you were an animal. You hadn’t stopped at his neck. You’d stabbed him over and over and over. You’d stabbed his genitals so many times there was nothing left but a mangled, bloody mess. And then you’d passed out.

And, to be frank, you could never bring yourself to feel any remorse over it. For the others you’d killed, the ones who’d happened by your perch over the river, and died quickly from a stone to the temple–you felt awful. It tore you apart. But One? For what he had done to you, he deserved every moment of his gruesome, painful death.

Now that you were back in Seven, back with Leevee, and moved into the Victor’s Village, you knew that it would never be the same. Not with the people that knew you before. Everyone looked at you like a wounded animal, like someone to be pitied. The assault had traumatized the entire nation. Even the Capitol viewers had so disliked the “assault narrative,” that the Games Committee had put forth a blanket statement that, in the future, sexual violence would be met with a swift and immediate death. One of your old neighbors told you that you should feel proud that you made a difference in the future games, protecting future tributes. You’d gone home and vomited, as you did every night after you woke up screaming, sweating, feeling the weight of One on top of you.

Your solace these days was Leevee. You were struggling to get used to the isolation of the Victor’s Village, even though your tendency now was to isolate yourself anyway. He was so happy to have you back. He didn’t really understand where you’d gone. Otta and the others had told him you were “camping,” and that’s where you were when he saw you on the screens.

You didn’t need to work in the lumber yard anymore, so you spent long days with Leevee. Now that you had time, you were teaching him things that the instructors at school didn’t bother with, like how to read. And you’d left school so early to take care of him that you had learning to do, too. There wasn’t much of a library to speak of, in Seven, but oddly enough your house at the Victor’s Village had come stocked with books, and you were making your way through all of them.

Your favorite part of the day was your afternoon walk with Leevee. Long and leisurely. You spent a lot of time at the fountain in the center of the Victor’s houses. You gave him stones to throw in and fished them out, barefoot in the water. You had the fountain and the Village pretty much to yourself. Just Blight, who kept to himself, and Johanna, who’d won two years ago. You had known Johanna a little, at school, but you'd never spoken much, just in passing. You’d dropped out so early, there hadn’t been much time for friends.

Johanna seemed to have built some kind of improvised woodshop outside of her house, and she was out there quite a bit, but you never approached her. She didn’t seem like the kind of person who took kindly to strangers, especially since her Games, two years before yours. She’d been belligerent and hostile in the Capitol and, in retaliation, they’d killed her family. Officially, of course, they’d died of the fever. Unofficially, Snow’s roses, left on each of their deathbeds for Johanna to find when she’d returned from a day in the forest, were warning enough.

But you noticed her watching you on your walks with Leevee, when you played with him at the fountain. Felt her eyes on you and tried to ignore them. They were like everyone else’s–full of pity. And you were so tired of being pitied. Yes, it had been awful. Yes, there were nights that you jerked awake and wished One had just killed you instead of leaving you like this. But then who would Leevee have? He needed you.

One day, when you and Leevee walked past Johanna's house on the way to the fountain, you found her sitting on her porch steps, staring as usual. Her eyes were hard and direct, and you found it hard to meet them. You were tired of this. So tired.

“Leevee, go ahead to the fountain, young man. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Leevee happily ran ahead, and you whipped your head around to face Johanna, pulling yourself into as imposing a figure as you could manage in your tiny frame. Which, given that you had stabbed a man to death, was maybe more than you could hope for otherwise. 

You glared at her, finally meeting her cool eyes. “Stop looking at me like that,” you spat, your voice steady and sharp.

Johanna looked almost… amused? She stood and walked toward you, smirking. “Like what, half-pint?”

You hadn’t really expected her to engage with you at all, and you were losing confidence quickly. Johanna was taller than you, more confident than you, cooler than you, tougher than you, prettier than you. You stopped yourself. Prettier? Who cares about prettier?!

“Like you feel sorry for me! Look at me like an animal or a fucking murderer, I don’t care. Just…” You deflated slightly, shifting your eyes to the ground. “Don’t look at me like that.”

Johanna was quiet for a moment, as if she was sizing you up. You wished you could tell what she was thinking. You wanted Johanna to like you or at least tolerate you but, then, did Johanna actually like anybody?

“Okay,” she said and shrugged. You couldn’t quite believe it. Would it really be that easy? “I’ll look at you like you are.”

“Like I am?”

“Mmhm.”

You waited for her to elaborate, but she never did, instead turning and walking back toward her porch. You shook your head and went to meet Leevee by the fountain. You hoped you hadn’t fucked it up. Was this Johanna’s version of friendly? You weren’t really sure. You got the feeling you’d know if she didn’t like you.

“Hey, Y/N!”

You stopped and looked behind you to find Johanna trotting up, holding something in her hands. She handed you the object–a small sailboat carved out of wood. You looked at the boat–so smooth, so beautifully crafted–and then at Johanna, confused.

“For your brother,” she explained. “To use in the fountain. It’s made of cedar, so it’ll float.”

You were stunned speechless, watching Johanna, who kept her eyes on some fixed point in the distance and wrung her hands as if she were… nervous? Johanna, nervous? And suddenly, she didn’t seem so intimidating to you, this girl who’d orchestrated a bloodbath to win the Games. Who’d been so filled with rage and hurt by the part she’d been forced to play, only to have everyone she loved taken from her. She wasn’t scary at all, you realized. Not really. She was like you. She was a scared, angry girl who’d done what she had to do to survive.

“Anyway,” she said, eager for the moment to end. “See you never, shortstuff.” She hurried back toward her house, but you yelled after her.

“Hey, Johanna! You could go on a walk with us sometime. You know, if you wanted.”

“Why would I want to hang out with you!?” she called without turning back.

You grinned. So Johanna might take a little work. That was okay. You had time. You had nothing but time now.

You approached Leevee, who was finding nearby sticks to throw in the fountain.

“Hey, young man,” you said, beckoning him over. “Look at this! Johanna made it for you!”

And, oh, you wished she could have seen his eyes light up. You had a hunch that she was still watching, from her window or her woodshop or wherever she’d planted herself. Leevee could melt anyone’s heart, even yours. Maybe even hers.

[ameriatenebrae]

Updated version

Why was Bellamort always canon

Delphini Riddle;

I actually don’t believe Delphini was born in 1998. I think it was in 97.

The reason is that in the books, Bellatrix is absent from the entire book. (Except that event in Spinner’s End, which happened in the summer-autumn of 96 and after that we see Bellatrix at the Death Eater meeting, which happens in July 97 but that's in the Deathly Hallows).

That means Bellatrix was absent for at least nine or ten months in that book. You think that’s just a coincidence? And where was she?

In my opinion, after rereading the books for I don't know how many times now (xD) she was glued to LV, who was in my opinion, fully aware of her pregnancy. And since he was traumatized by his mother dying in childbirth (which is also implied in the books), it also makes sense that he wanted her by his side. Another thing is that he certainly didn’t want anyone to see her pregnant. Because I think the death eaters were aware of something going on between them two and LV didn’t want anyone to know that Bellatrix is, indeed, pregnant with his child.

Bella wasn’t there, when Dumbledore was killed. Which I consider strange, because if you like it or not, Bellatrix was a very powerful witch and the highest ranking death eater, considering Lucius failing LV over and over. And no, Snape wasn't the highest ranking either, since LV didn't trust him 100%. LV sent Peter Pettigrew to Spinner's End so he and Snape could spy on each other basically (xD, very mindful, Tom, very demure). (And do you know why? Because Bellatrix had been telling Tom constantly that she doesn’t trust Snape, it seemed like LV ignored her opinion but I think he rethought it and sent PP there just to be sure.)

So why on earth ?! From a strategical point of view, it doesn’t make sense for Bellatrix not to be there?! And LV was aware of that so it must’ve been his meant decision to not send her there.

Just think… It had to be something really, really important… She would’ve been there if it wasn’t.

Delphini could be born in May – June 97. (It would be actually ironic, if she was born the same day Dumbledore died, 30th June 1997… Just a thought!)

Bellamort;

Secondly, I know it’s hard for some people to accept this, but Voldemort did CARE… He maybe didn’t love her or maybe he did, in his own twisted way, because we aren’t talking about fairytale love with these two. But he certainly wasn’t ignorant towards her. (opposite of love). It was unhealthy and toxic but at the same time they were kindred spirits who just accepted each other and even tho LV would never say it out loud, they also needed each other.

“But hE TrEaTeD hER BaDLy”

When exactly did Lord Voldemort treat Bellatrix badly? I can’t recall one time he was harsher to her than to other death eaters. And if you want to bring up that scene at Malfoy Manor, when he humiliated her and the Malfoys. You're right, he did, he enjoyed humiliating people. And yet, he took the shame from her in the next few sentances and focused solely on the Malfoys, because Lucius failed the Ministy mission, not Bellatrix. And he even made it up to her in the next paragraph. He didn't have a reason to be mad at her.

He actually treated her with the most respect he could.

He never punished her badly. Not so harshly like the Malfoys. She is described as unharmed after that fiasco at Malfoy Manor. And what’s more, she is by LVs side in public shortly after, whereas the Malfoys are home prisoned and I think Lucius might've been tortured even. He personally trained her, put his energy and time into her, because he saw potential in her. He saw her madness as a source for her powerful dark magic, not something she should suppress, that’s also why she was so devoted to him. Because he was the only person who respected her for who she was. Because in the end, they were both just two extremly broken souls (pun intended).

Further:

He was the happiest he had been in 14 years when she escaped from Azkaban. You may try to say that he was happy because he had 10 more death eaters. That would make sense if the other page wasn’t talking mainly about Bella. (Remember, JK Rowling was intentional when writing, it’s not a coincidence, that she’s focusing on Bellatrix after that statement. She chose every word of all their interactions and Harry's perspective on them intentionally).

He called her “Bella”, a short version of her name, that only few wizards, mainly her family used. He even called her Bella when he was angry about the borken prophecy.

She was the only one, who wasn't scared to speak first when talking to him or touch him even when he said no.

He entrusted her with his soul, whereas he gave the diary to Lucius just to get it to Hogwarts, never telling him that it’s his horcrux. But the cup was given to Bellatrix for protection. And it’s even symbolic, because that cup was Helga Hufflepuff’s, the founder of the Hufflepuff house which stands for loyalty… and who’s the most loyal servent of the Dark Lord?

He rescued her from the Ministry, I think that’s obvious. He certainly didn’t have to. And yet he did risk the whole operation and exposed himself to the whole Ministry. And we’re still talking about the most selfish man here… but he did it… and he did it just for HER, because he CARED. There’s no other logical explanation to this. He came the second she called him and rescued her because he didn’t want her in Azkaban again.

And you can see the difference in LV's behavior towards Bellatrix, Lucius and the other DEs. He didn't help Lucius to get out of Azkaban right away. Instead, he tasked his only son to kill a man, he himself wasn't able to kill simply to mock and torture him mentally.

Yes, from Dumbledore’s words, we were made to think that Tom really doesn’t care for anyone other than himself. But Dumbledore wasn’t aware of Bellatrix’s status at all! Because he didn’t suspect that Voldemort would give his horcrux to her. But we know, Voldemort did just that. And another problem with Dumbledore's preception on this is that he didn’t know much about Tom’s life (certainly not his private life) after his years at Hogwarts, so he couldn’t know about Tom’s realtionship with Bella. It was just his opinion, not a fact. He said, he *thinks*.

And Voldemort’s reaction to her death… That made everything clear, He cared for Bellatrix more than for the piece of his own soul living in Nagini. He had a worse reaction to Bellatrix's death than to, mind you, Nagini’s death… and she was HIS LAST HORCRUX. He lost the control of his magic (which doesn't happen often, since we're talking about THE Lord Voldemort here). He was so furious that McGonagall, Kingsley and Slughorn (all three very powerful wizards) were blasted through the air because: "Voldemort's fury at the fall of his last best lieutenant exploded with the force of a bomb. Voldemort raised his hand and directed it at Molly Weasley" he even tried to avenge her death and kill Molly. If Bellatrix hadn't meant so much to him, why would he waste his energy and time on killing Molly? Have you seen him avenging the death of someone else except Bellatrix? And if Harry didn't intervene, he would do just that. Because he lost it at that point. Death took another person (first his mother), who loved and admired him uncoditionally. All of his other DEs fleed or died. He knew he was alone and mortal. A human.

In my opinion they led, let's call it a Dual Relationship. As Bellatrix implies that LV tells her everything and yet he tells her to be quiet often. He calls her Bella when they're is just the two of them and mocks her in front of others. There's a disconnect between his behaviour towards her. So, in my deduction; there was Bellatrix Lestrange, the most loyal sevent of Lord Voldemort: which was basically their work mode. (And I'm a bit sad we didn't get more of their team work while fighting because I think they made an excellent work duo.) And then there was Bella and her Lord and their private life. Bellatrix wouldn't be against it being public, I'm sure about that. But I think LV didn't want others to know about him having some feelings or a soft spot for her, it would make both of them more vulnerable = since as you can see above, he lost control over his magic because of her dying. But he didn't manage to hide it that well because even Harry (from whose perspective are the books written) notices that there is something between them; "As to a lover"...

And on top of that, Bellatrix was the ideal match for Tom; a very beautiful, powerful witch from a pureblood family. Devoted solely to him.

So Bellamort had been canon even before the CC was released.

But the biggest question is; Why would Lord Voldemort want a child? A hard one… yes

Some explanations:

a) to continue with the Slytherin bloodline.

b) it was an accident, but he let Bellatrix keep the child, so she could be later trained into really powerful weapon (just like Bella)

c) it was that reward beyond Bellatrix’s dreams, he mentioned earlier in the series. He talked about it in the fourth book when he said that the Lestranges will be rewarded beyond their dreams.

d) last possibility, the most out of Voldemort’s character; In the case horcruxes failed, he would be still “alive” through his daughter. – I personally don’t believe this was the case… but who knows?

To sum it up: Bellamort makes more sense than people think. And the CC just confirmed it. period.

Delphini could be conceived around October 1996 and could be born, not in 1998, but in 1997 (before the Battle of Hogwarts). THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS <3

[fatkish]

Heyy i just read your present mic scenario and i was wondering if you could do semething similar with Aizawa.

Maybe he finds his child in the tub bleeding out or with an OD.

Thanksss, and sorry if its a really dark theme

Aizawa x Child Reader

TRIGGER WARNING: SPIDER FACE BELOW CUT! If you’re sensitive to spiders please be warned. This fic also contains mentions of self mutilation and self harm. It mentions bullying and harassment as well. Please be advised

You were born with a spider quirk that is a mutant/emitter type. You have 6 eyes that exactly resemble a spider’s. Your quirk gives you excellent vision and each hair on your body is extremely sensitive to vibrations in the air. You’re able to shoot and release webs from your wrists and you’re able to climb walls and ceilings. Despite your amazing quirk and incredible reflexes and athleticism, you’ve ha always been seen as scary, gross or creepy and despite a loving father, you’re starting to think that you are hideous and don’t deserve to live.

Others would say things like ‘eww they look like a spider’ ‘their eyes are so creepy’ ‘I hate spiders’ ‘they freak me out’ ‘I can’t stand to even look at them’. People would advert their eyes from from your many ones. You could hear their whispers everywhere you went. When you were first born even Present Mic freaked out at seeing your eyes and spider-ish features.

As people’s words began to slowly chip away at your self confidence, you started to believe that even your own dad didn’t actually love you. You started to believe that you were a freak and the fact that Aizawa isn’t really the super affectionate type didn’t help. He probably forgets to tell you that he loves you since it’s not really his thing. He notices that you’re quieter but just suspects that it’s puberty and writes it off.

Eventually you become depressed and decide that removing the parts you hate about yourself is the best route. You decide to gouge out four of your eyes and have a plastic surgeon sew up the skin to make you look normal. At least, you wanted to, but you just couldn’t do it, so you decided to slit you wrists in the bathtub to make it easier to clean up. You had written your dad a note and left it on the counter.

Aizawa had gotten home relatively early from teaching and was going to make dinner when he saw the note.

Dear Dad,

I’m sorry. Thank you for looking after me and putting up with me all these years. I know it must be hard looking after a hideous thing like me. I’m a monster, but you won’t have to deal with me much longer. Thank you for being so good to me and treating me kindly even if you don’t love me. I love you, I’m sorry I was born looking like I do, I think you deserve to know why I did this. I can’t stand living looking like this anymore. I love you. Please look after yourself.

Love,

(Y/n)

The moment Aizawa read the note he dropped it and began to search the house. He looked in every room but when he saw the blood coming from underneath the bathroom door he immediately tried to get in. Tears fell down his face as he panicked, shouting your name. He broke the door’s lock by kicking it hard, only to lose his breath when he saw your body in the tub. He immediately ran to you and began to do everything in his power to stop the bleeding. Your pulse was extremely weak and he cried as he held your body.

He cried as he called the ambulance and made sure to tell them what happened and what blood type you were. When they got there, he had them hook him up to you and he gave you some of his own blood, acting as a human blood bank. He held your hand the entire time. When they got to the hospital they unhooked him and began to give you as much blood as you needed. While Aizawa waited he began to reread the note and that’s when he realized how he messed up.

Hizashi got to the hospital and brought some food as well as a get well plushie of your favorite animal. They sat and talked, questioning what brought this on. When Aizawa looked into it, he discovered the dark side of society and how they treat heteromorphs like you. He realized how hard it must be for you, hearing people talk about you and dealing with the fear and discomfort people experience when they see you. Aizawa realized you had become depressed and that your mood changes weren’t due to puberty.

“It’s going to be alright Sho. They’re tough”

“They shouldn’t have to deal with this, and it’s my fault for not realizing this sooner.”

“No, none of this is your fault Shota!”

“I don’t tell them that I love them enough, of course they’d question it. I just hope I wasn’t too late.”

As the men sat outside your door waiting on the doctors to tell them whether or not you were okay, Aizawa worried and prayed that you would live. When the doctors finally came out and told them you were alive, Aizawa was relieved.

“(Y/n) has yet to wake up but you can go in now. We have them on a suicide watch and a psychoanalyst will be by later once they wake up to evaluate them.”

“Thank you so much” Aizawa thanked them as he entered your room to see you hooked up to machines and still asleep. He walked over to you and held your hand and stayed by your side until you woke up.

The next morning you awoke to see your dad’s sleeping figure resting his head on your bed while he sat in a chair. You looked around the room and saw a bunch of small gifts like plushies, flowers and get well soon cards and balloons.

“The rest of the staff at UA came by and visited, they left those things here for you.”

You turned to see your dad smiling at you. You clutched at the blanket covering you as you looked down at your lap.

“Dad.. I-“

“No, there’s no need to apologize for what you did. I understand now that you were struggling and I’m so sorry you felt that this was your only option. I love you, (y/n). You’ll always be my beloved child. I’m sorry, I know I don’t tell you this enough but I truly love you. When I first held you in my arms I fell truly in love with you. I love you and I hope that you’re able to forgive me”

You cried as your dad gave you a soft smile. You wrapped your arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder as you snuggled into him.

“Dad, I so sorry. I’m sorry I doubted you. I love you”

“I love you too sweetheart”

That night you and Aizawa watched all kinds of movies while you gained your strength back. You snuggled up to your dad while you both talked things over and he decided that you would go to UA with him for the foreseeable future until you were ready to be on your own.

[nonexistentirl]

Went back to reread the part where Cale visited Jour's grave and got the Annual Rings ancient power and... How come I didn't notice (or was it that I just forgot?) that Raon's attribute was slowly starting to manifest there. OMG!

And the part where Jour says "you need to be a part of the Thames household to use this power properly." I'm unsure if this is an implication to White Star's last body being a part of the Thames household or just saying that White Star would not have been able to use the power properly.

Also, this part

Our Cale is not a single lifer though? OgCale is a regressor and transmigrator, but our Cale is merely a victim of that transmigrator. Though he can be considered a variable since he did end up transmigrating into this world. However, instead of a transmigrator, Jour here calls him a single-lifer. Like the Choi's. Isn't it kinda...

I have a hunch that it somehow has something to do with Kim Roksoo sharing a birthday with the Choi's. Does everyone born on November 8th end up being a single lifer? But then there'd be thousands of them. There has to be a couple more criteria at least to be met to become a single lifer.

But if Cale really is a single lifer... I don't want him to turn out to be one. I don't want him to become a God either. I want him to live a long life with his family who also all have long life spans. But I want him to die first. I don't want him to attend the funeral of anyone in his family. He has seen enough loved ones die before him for a lifetime. Let him pass with all of his family surrounding him for once. Don't let him ascend to the divine or heavenly world after death either. Let him continue in the cycle of reincarnation. And let him find his family again in those cycles. Let him continue to be happy forever without remembering the pain of it all.

[theangelwithawand]

I reread this snippet from the book:

“Aziraphale had tried to explain it to him once. The whole point, he’d said—this was somewhere around 1020, when they’d first reached their little Arrangement—the whole point was that when a human was good or bad it was because they wanted to be. Whereas people like Crowley and, of course, himself, were set in their ways right from the start. People couldn’t become truly holy, he said, unless they also had the opportunity to be definitively wicked. Crowley had thought about this for some time and, around about 1023, had said, Hang on, that only works, right, if you start everyone off equal, okay? You can’t start someone off in a muddy shack in the middle of a war zone and expect them to do as well as someone born in a castle.”

And I had a few thoughts:

1. Aziraphale and Crowley spent 3 years straight having a philosophical debate. (This isn’t a whole lot of time considering their lifespans). Or they just spent three years around each other, then this rebuttal spontaneously occurred to him, and he blurted this out to Aziraphale out of nowhere (kind of like how the “ducks! That’s what water slides off” incident, just more prolonged).

2. Aziraphale and Crowley saw each other once in 1020, had this debate, and Crowley thought of nothing else but Aziraphale (more specifically Aziraphale’s argument, but still…). He came with this answer and either hung onto it in nervous excitement until he sees Aziraphale again or actively seeks out Aziraphale immediately to make this counter argument. He says it even in lieu of greeting before he can forget it.

Side note: I also think Crowley really wants to show off to his bookish angel that he’s smart too.

[epickiya722]

You know what, let's talk about it. I have thoughts on 268, specifically the "end" between Yuji and Sukuna.

(Jumping off this post and this one.)

Maybe because I'm a fan of both (with Yuji being overall favorite), but I don't see how anyone can be a Sukuna fan and hate Yuji. Especially after 268.

After everything Sukuna has done to him, Yuji still has empathy for him. He connects with Sukuna while holding him as he (Sukuna) fades away (assumingly, I'll get to that).

The scene does start off like Yuji's final confrontation with Mahito (chapter 132 for reference). Yuji looking down at his enemy in his defeated form, says his name and then "I am you", but in reverse.

To me when Yuji says that "You are me", he's telling Sukuna that they are one in the same, that Sukuna could have been Yuji had he had a different life. He's letting Sukuna to accept that, that he is human just as much as when Yuji told Mahito he is no different from the curse.

With Mahito, Yuji was trying to deny, deny, deny until he accepts that "Yeah, we are the same". That's what he wants Sukuna to do. He wants Sukuna to be the Yuji here.

However, it's to see that Sukuna is human and there's value in living. How you die doesn't matter, it's how you live that does. He wants Sukuna to have that second chance even if Sukuna doesn't deserve it.

Let's be real, out of all the characters it is Yuji who came to understand Sukuna the most, probably even more than Sukuna himself.

And I don't think Yuji just gets that him and Sukuna are one. He also gets that humans and curses are one and as such should the idea of humans and curses coexisting is what he accepts. Yuji is the embodiment of an enlightening.

Visually pleasing, I do like that when Yuji speaks here, he still has his facial injuries, his hair slicked back and even his eyes still have the rings. He looks like his own version of Sukuna here. To me, it brings more meaning to his "You are me" line because the last Sukuna sees isn't just Yuji, but also a different version of himself that he could have been.

And at first, it did seem odd (I'll use that word) that Yuji didn't keep the scars he had from that final fight, but it made sense to me because he does have RCT and most of the Cursed energy he was using did go into his techniques and Domain.

But also, a visual reminder that he is still Yuji.

I think about how some of the fandom sees Yuji as the next Sukuna, but I don't think is ever something the mangaka had planned.

Yes, Yuji Itadori is Ryomen Sukuna and Ryomen Sukuna is Yuji Itadori.

But also, they're not each other.

They're still two different beings, two different individuals. They're opposites just as much as they are alike.

Yuji without his scars that would have made him look like Sukuna is a visual reminder that at the end of the day, he is still him.

He was born with his life already planned for him and now he can live how he wants to because he has value in himself and in living.

Yuji Itadori will always be Yuji Itadori.

Not a cog, not a vessel. But Yuji Itadori.

☆

Rereading the posts I linked above and thinking about how their souls are so intertwined that the other characters had to be careful about their plans around Yuji, I remembered a post I wrote way back when about how "it would be so funny if Yuji was Sukuna reincarnated".

Thinking about all that put together what if Yuji is?

Just hear me out.

Remember when Sukuna said he "doesn't feel anything"? Well, what if Yuji is that "anything"? He's the piece of Sukuna that Sukuna didn't feel, the "humanity and empathy". Sukuna doesn't have to feel, Yuji does it for him.

Yuji is that regret, despair, genuine happiness, concern and other forms of emotions that Sukuna can't bring himself to feel.

Now, I do want to bring up something else. A part of me has a feeling that Sukuna isn't really dead. Technically, with Yuji being him and vice versa, metaphorically he isn't. But also... we didn't actually see him completely disintegrate.

It cuts to Yuji's eyes.

Here, it could be Yuji just watching Sukuna fade away completely in regret. Or could be him being anxious over a decision he may have been about to make and said decision he could have gone through with it.

Maybe he ate what remained of Sukuna just before he was completely gone? Maybe that small piece that was left in his hands?

I know, I know. There's this bit here when Uraume is shattering like an icicle hitting the ground.

But what if that final piece of incarnated piece of Sukuna died when (hypothetically) Yuji ate it?

Just me now! I've said it before plenty of times, but I don't expect anyone to agree with me or even think I'm right about this.

Overall, 268 so far has reminded why Yuji easily is my favorite JJK character. He's compassionate, even when he doesn't have to be. He's a fighter, but not to indulge some enjoyment. It's to help. He will sacrifice physical parts of himself, even his humanity just so he can do his job as a jujutsu sorcerer. He's selfless, a strength and a weakness.

Yuji is just a perfect balance of flaws and strengths that define him that I admire.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

ive been rereading hp recently and one thing that confuses me is ron's first wand bcs its charlies but charlie gave it to ron after leaving hogwarts?? i dont understand why. did charlie not need a wand? did he get a new one? (if he did get a new one, why? and why could ron not have gotten a new one too?) it just seems so strange and goes against everything else we seem to learn about wands later.

i also suspect the reason ron struggled so much in early years is because of his second hand wand. ron is quite smart (the chess game) and even magically pretty decent (he learns a patronus fairly quickly in ootp and thats deemed hard magic, can hold his own in fights, etc).

im curious on ur opinions on this and about ron's wand situation. (sorry if uve discussed it before and ive just missed it!)

I didn't discuss this before, and it is interesting. I don't think we have a canon answer to why Chalrie replaced his wand, but we do know he still has a wand. He'd have to, considering wands are everything for European wizards and he'd need it as a dragon tamer.

Charlie was born in December 1972, so he started Hogwarts in September of 1984 and graduated his seventh year in June of 1991, a few months before Ron started Hogwarts in September of 1991.

Why would he choose to get a new wand and give his old one to Ron at that point? I don't actually know, but I have a few possibilities, from least likely to most likely:

1. The wand stopped working for him. Charlie's personality or goals or something else changed drastically during his final year or graduation, and he needed to get a new wand because his old one didn't really work for him anymore.

2. There's a superstition that wizards who want to work with dragons should have a dragon heartstring wand. As Charlie knew he was going to work at a dragon reserve and his wand had a unicorn hair core, he might have chosen to replace it from the misguided belief a different core would be better for his profession. (I don't actually know if this superstition is a thing, I made it up as something that could get him to replace his wand and it seems reasonable with the kind of wand superstitions they have in the wizarding world).

3. It's possible that the wand wasn't even bought for Charlie, but used to belong to Grandpa Septimus or something and he used it while at school, then when he graduated, he saved up his own money to buy himself a wand of his own, since his wasn't actually made for him. So, then, Ron was using an even older family wand.

And yeah, I agree. We see it with Neville too, who is using his father's wand and it affects his magic negatively. However, I think Ron was much less affected than Neville since the core and wood of Charlie's wand did suit him. It wasn't the best fit, but it was a decent one, unlike Neville who had to fight his wand and feared it.

[gojosbf]

Can we just all agree that gojo being alone is his own fault because if geto leaves was so bad why didn’t he just go with him and if he was so lonely why didn’t he just try and be friends with the other people at the school?

And don’t say because they didn’t see him as human because that would be a lie he’s the reason that nobody wants to be around him anymore because he doesn’t respect people’s boundaries and has been getting on these people’s last nerve since high school so I don’t blame anybody but him for that 🤷‍♀️

no we cannot. "why didn't he just go with him" do you understand what that implies? did you read geto's dialogue during the kfc breakup? gojo could've single handedly killed all the non sorcerers. that means 1) the further plot of jjk wouldn't have existed and 2) it'd mean supporting masscare, to support geto he would also have to kill innocent humans. he thought he could change geto's mind because geto's methods were wrong, which is why gojo did not go with him.

now, gojo had friends he's even close to his students but the difference here is only geto UNDERSTOOD gojo completely (this is what he continues to say as well) and by the way none of the sorcerers he was close to ever really hated him, it was an annoyance towards his silliness and childish behaviour that's all. they tolerated it because they respected him. i would like you to give me an example of him "not respecting people's boundaries". when we talk about gojo satoru being lonely we mean the loneliness that comes with being the strongest and a genius, when you have no one else to accompany you in missions and battles because they'll only get in your way, when you don't even need care (healing by rct) from anyone else because you can do it yourself, when you're overworked to the bone because again it's easier for gojo satoru to handle it, when you are the only one left behind with hope for future generation and are trying to save your students while also handling the nasty higher ups, when the person who taught you about morals is also the one who ends up breaking them, when you've seen so many of your peers die and you couldn't do anything about it inspite of being a born genius. i don't know what you're getting at but the gojo satoru you're talking about doesn't exist in manga, maybe reread it again and you'll probably understand it better.

[angelsstranger]

everyone can hate me for tjis but i started reading the locked tomb in 2018 so i have had more than enough time to realize i really find the fandom so so annoying and almost all my criticism for tm as a white author dipping her toes into writing about Maori people and their relations to colonialism have never been adressed after years and the fans still can only compare it to baru another speculative fantasy about colonialism written by a white author. the books are powerful but please i think there is something to be said of white authors making up genocides as allegories for real ethnic cleansings instead of simply platforming indigenous authors. i am willing to do a reread on baru to give it another chance and i love tlt. but i think a bit too much credit is given to Tamsyn Muir as an author for taking the typical approach of never confirming in text the race or ethnicity of her characters beyond a few vague mentions of skin tone and a tumblr post she made after the publication explaining things that should have been adressed straight on in the narrative.

and seth dickinson is clearly very educated and well-read but also my read of baru kind of had me thinking about how i never hear fans of the locked tomb raving about authors like Octavia Butler, Carmen Maria Machado, Andrea L. Rogers, Benjanun Sriduankaew, Jewelle Gomez or any other related fiction authors of queer stories born from their cultures and of their people.

as a white reader writer and creative, i want to encourage other white people to broaden your horizons and read lesbian and queer stories that weren’t written by white people and read new perspectives outside of your ethnicity. I have found deeper narratives that challenge colonialism here and without the need to invent fictionalized indigenous people and fictional brutalizations. Enough subtext ! Read something explicit!

[rooigseix]

I can never find myself see the same perspective with the khr fandom of how the girls' role in the future arc is supposed to be misogynist.

Like, what's wrong with doing chores? What wrong with providing basic necessities like food and clean clothes? What's wrong with "We do our part so you boys can go fight in the battlefield"? What's wrong BEING THE SUPPORT IN THE REAR? Asking any generals from any countries out there, how important the rear detachment of supplying contribute to the overall win. Actually no, just reread the arc again and see how a mess it is after the girl boycotts.

And Kyoko and Haru are civilians. They don't go through Kokuyo arc. They don't go through the Ring Battle. They have zero battle experience. They are not reduced to the "housework", that implies they can do something else other than the housework. No, the housework is the ONLY thing they can do. Can they fight like Tsuna? No. (And remember at the strength level of Tsuna he still has fucking hell time with this battle) Can they activate their flame? No. Can they maintain or fix the weapon? No. What they can do is providing everyone with food so they have energy to be stronger to fight in this battle. If they are pushed to the fight with Millifiore their fate would be an absolute death. So really, forcing Kyoko and Haru to fight and it would result in: 1) their death or 2) the boys defending them which would lead to more burden onto the boys. (Bonus to this, stop dreaming of the girls being badass kicking ass. Natural born hitman like Yamamoto and monster like Hibari still have to train like hell to fight with the Millifiore. How many years would it take for Kyoko and Haru to reach 1/10 of their power? There is absolutely no way for them to be like hella fucking strong fighters in mere few days so they can stand side by side with Tsuna's gang on this)

Tl;dr:

1) Asking the girl to fight in the future arc is a hella impossible task.

2) They are doing what they can do. Underestimating their supporting role is an insult to every rear detachment workers in general and provisions department people in specific.

3) Underestimating their roles in the future arc because they do chores, the only thing they can do, and telling they have to fight in the front line aka something they can't do, is actually a mysogynist mindset itself. Also sum up as "if a female character can't fight and they can only support then they are fucking useless."

And finally: let supporter be supporter people. If you write an alternative universe when Kyoko and Haru being absolute monster from the very beginning, sure, do whatever you want with their role in the future arc. But let them be supporters in canon. There is nothing wrong with them being supporter, they are doing their best.