#i am what they would call. the knower of the facts

[bbq-potato-chip]

ALSO I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT but this is his official theme song that the creator of bleach picked out for him. it is such a banger

HI HAI HOPE IM NOT TOO LATE FOR TH ASK GAME BUT ✨ your silly lil green guy. yknow the one. ulquiorra. please please tell me about him ive been spectating from afar and i need to know abt him so bad. as silly or as serious as you want, say anything, ijust wanna hear abt him from a certified Appreciator(tm). be free :]

Aaaaaag!!!!! SHAKING FOAMING AT THE MOUTH !!!!

At last I am enabled HE IS MY FUNNY LITTLE GREEN GUY AND I LOVE HIM I am honored to be chosen as a certified appreciatior ANYWAY SO UM let me just explain like. What he is rlly quick because there are so many different types of guys in the whole bleach world

you have humans, who live in the world of the living and souls (dead people) who also live in the world of the living and then you have hollows which are like corrupted souls that the soul reapers gotta defeat to get them to love on to the next life (which is in the soul society)(the soul reapers also live there)(the soul reapers are also dead people)(it’s like a whole reincarnation thing)

the hollows live in this other dimension called hueco mundo they look like this (the guy on the left- hollows are more “monster-y” looking whereas arrancars are more human looking but they still have the holes where their hearts should be-hence the term hollow)

So these guys called arrancars (that’s what ulquiorra is!!!) they’re hollows that have been modified to be kind of…like a cross between a soul reaper and hollows because they have swords (soul reaper thing) but are also hollows. Basically like. You have a bear and your like let me give that bear a gun. Like that. The main antagonist is responsible for all that for reasons™️ but that’s a whole other thing in it of itself. But yeah he’s like an an evil henchmen.

but onto greater, more important things

ok completely on a surface level his charcter design is like. 10/10

I don’t know much abt charcter design but since his colors are limited he really like stands out (it’s part of the reason why I think kny characters have such good designs because they stick to the two main color plus accent color)

He’s mostly black n white with accents with green which is just so striking and the green tear makeup is just *chefs kiss* PLUS the combination of the traditional Japanese hakufu pants combined with the almost (not rlly sure how to put it) like European tail coat kind of deal he’s got going on really is such an interesting combination of two different cultural fashions. Ichigo (the guy on the right) has kind of a similar deal going on with the pants and the more western looking tuxedo looking deal and they’re design are supposed to Parallel each other for thematic reasons but PERSONALLY I think ulquiorra does it way better . But idk Maybe I’m biased!!

And there’s his other powered up forms which are just so cool

He’s so edgy. I love him this slaps so hard I cannot deny he’s so creaturecore

ok so now. Plot stuff

so basically his whole deal is that he’s a nihilist. Throughout his appearance he’s always like oooh nothing matters I don’t care blah blah blah despite the fact that he has emo make up. He does NOT put the emotion in emo. (Which, at least my impression of emo is about wearing emotions on your sleeve. I don’t know much abt emo as like a whole but if anyone has any like critique on my definition please let me know I’d love to learn more) My man is emo in style but is like yeah whatever I don’t feel emotions I don’t have a heart I’m not human don’t think of me as a human I’m a logical emotionless creature yadayada.

it’s such an interesting design choice to me because it really highlights how…hypocritical his worldview is. As the story goes on you can see his whole nothing matters deal kind of crack, towards his finally battle we see him get angry and surprised and then (spoiler alert) love right before he dies.

And you really can’t talk about ulquiorra without talking about orihime.

orihime was kidnapped basically by orders of the main antagonist because she has powers that he needs for reasons™️. It’s kind of a long explanation why so I’ll just leave it at that. But the whole reason Orihime is there was because she loves her friends, and she goes over to the side of the enemy because she didn’t want her friends to get hurt (basically the “bad guys” were like come with us or we’ll kill your friends and she was like. Well I guess I have to go because I love my friends) which is like the complete opposite of ulquiorra because he’s all like whatever friendship love and bonds are all bull. But as he interacts with her he gets (upset?curious? Not sure of the wording) about what it means to have a heart (or a bond with another person really). I just love how as we move through the arc we see him gradually more humanized, partly as a result of orihime being all like. You’re wrong things DO matter but also because he IS human in a way.

specifically there’s a scene in his backstory one shot where orihime catches him sleeping and brings him food and it just shows that yeah maybe he’s not technically a regular guy but he gets sleepy and needs a little snack!!! He’s grumpy about it but I just love how it portrays him in such a different way than we usually get to see him. (He’s embarrassed he’s so funny. “Ooooh I take naps and eat snacks 🙄so embarrassing” He’s so silly)

As he talks to orihime throughout this arc he gets CLOSER to understanding as his whole nothing matters deal keeps getting shut down by her when he tries to convince her that nothing matters. But he really doesn’t GET it until right before his death when he realizes what “the heart” is. Because orihime showed him humanity and kindness he’s like oooohhhh I get it now. But at the last second which just is so…cries

anyway. He finally realizes what it means to care about something as he dies and it’s so tragic because this is the first time he’s ever felt anything and now he’s going to die reaching out to her. It’s probably THE most tragic anime scene I’ve ever watched it kills me literally Everytime I watch it screaming crying throwing up. You know the deal!!!

Then after that whole arc is finished the author published this art . And look at him. He’s so silly look at him

Anyway. *does jazz hands 👐 * that’s my guy!!!

!!!

Also!!! Fun facts(tm)

-Ulquiorras name was based off of Spanish architect and the castle that he lives in is based off of abstract Spanish architecture . Which I just think is really neat

-His birthday is on December 1!!!

-i just think he’s neat!!!

Anyway thank you so much for the ask I am so sorry this took forever to respond to I jus have SO many thoughts and typing on my phone takes FOREVER anyway I hope I did him justice!!!

[polutrope]

Hello resident Daeron knower. I am... well I'm not actually writing anything with Daeron in it and in fact my thinking about Daeron is probably a form of procrastination, but, regardless, I was trying to figure out what we know of Daeron's appearance.

I see Tolkiengateway says that Daeron is tall, with dark hair and grey eyes, but I suspect this is one of the many times Tolkiengateway has just slapped on Tolkien's favorite descriptors to a character with no regard to canon.

I think the Lay of Leithian calls him "Dairon the dark" at some point, but that could be reference to hair, skin, eyes, personality, voice even, and I would not call that definitive proof of hair color.

Are you aware of any other hints at Daeron's appearance?

DAERON!!! A great guy to procrastinate on.

As a silver-haired Daeron truther, this question delights me. You're right: no canon on Daeron's hair colour, eye colour, and definitely not on his height.

(Unnecessary preamble:) The published Silmarillion says very little about him at all. His name has six index entries, two of which are just to remind us he's better than Maglor. Otherwise, he invented the Cirth, went to Mereth Aderthad, was Thingol's loremaster, and was the greatest minstrel (east of the sea) because he put his love of Luthien into his music. Also of course that he betrayed her meetings with Beren and then her intention to follow him, then wandered east after she went missing. Nothing about his appearance. (Sorry, I can't help being thorough with my guy.)

Lay of Leithian (1925-31) and Lay of Leithian Recommenced (c. 1950) give us a lot more characterisation but not much on appearance, either.

He is, as you say, "Dairon the dark with ferny crown" at line 500 (repeated in Recommenced, line 41 of 'Canto III Continued'), but at line 884 Thingol addresses him: "O Dairon fair, / thou master of all musics rare.' The latter does change to "O Daeron wise" in the 1950s rewrites, so if one wanted to argue that dark and fair refer to hair colour, then one might make a case that Tolkien was settling on dark for Daeron here. Not a strong case, and not definitive, but still.

As for his eyes, he has "fiery eyes" at line 841 and "his eyes were dark" at 1063. In both these cases I think they're pretty clearly intended as a reflection of his emotional state (pissed off) than the actual colour or hue of his eyes.

So, long story short, you're right: no canon on Daeron's appearance specifically, TG seems to be just slapping the general Teler/Elf look on him. Which, fair to assume, but not certain -- and I'll continue to cherish my silver-haired, dark-eyed aesthetic for him.

It is canonical, however, that he has lean and very skilled fingers:

When sky was clear and stars were keen, then Dairon with his fingers lean

and

Daeron the dark with ferny crown played on his pipes with elvish art unbearable my mortal heart. No other player has their been, no other lips or fingers seen so skilled, 'tis said in elven lore, save Maelor son of Feanor

Lay of Leithian Recommenced, lines 79-80 and 'Canto III Continued', lines 41-48

So. There's that ��.

[petluck]

My family doesn't think I'm smart and frankly I don't think I am either. Only college failure/dropout. But by god I had my moment at a trivia night at a restaurant they dragged me to. Everyone was quite shocked and we won second place out of 17 teams of 4- 9 people.

Just because you don't think you're smart doesn't mean you can't have your moments. One of those moments might be teaching all your little cousins how to do loon calls. Maybe you'll know how to fix someone favorite pair of shoes because you know a special knot.

Youre always learning. You just gotta remember your good moments.

awh anon you're so sweet, I love you 🥺 thank you for saying this, and for what it's worth I think u sound smart as hell!! I too am a knower of many trivia facts and would love to join a team with u

also that anon asking if I have a learning disability was mostly just funny to me more than anything else lmao

[sunstranded]

INTJ: Aversion to Critical Thinking

There is this ideation for intellectualism, but when faced with the reality— hot forge one must go through to refine their thinking into critical thinking— people start justifying ignorance (willful and weaponized) with anti-intellectualism? I am getting tired of this mostly because it's the louder most obnoxious people that go through this pipeline.

Definition of terms in the interest of how I use them in this post

Ideation for intellectualism

Wanting to be deemed as smart, knowledgeable, and putting intellectuals in an untouchable and infallible pedestal.

Willful ignorance

Knowing you are wrong and or part of the problem but you willfully deny it because [of a plethora of reasons that we should just call,] convenience.

Weaponized ignorance

you use the fact that you do not know to excuse yourself from doing something when in the first place you could have known it.

Anti-intellectualism

someone feels oppressed by intellectuals and wants to be treated as an equal. This oppression is the "feeling restricted by rights and wrongs."

I can define these more academically but for the interest of this post, I opt out of it. The point is to simplify and vent, not intellectualize and understand.

I can understand and intellectualize, but people have this tendency to use my capacity to understand and articulate THEM better than they themselves to JUSTIFY themselves. I am no one's apologist but myself. If I made the effort to understand someone, that would not get rid of the fact that they were wrong. I am extending mercy— you did me wrong but I am sparing you from an otherwise justifiable frustration and anger.

But I digress. Back to the matter at hand: aversion to critical thinking but ideation to intellectualism. I have an anecdote for this.

It is with an unknown type but a professor. I had witnessed her irritation because some of her students had literally given her a bullshit of an answer. A mishmash of highfalutin bullshit to cover up a lack of answer. I witnessed the fuming agitation with disappointment when she had literally asked a question with a blatant answer on the board.

Obviously, the student was consumed by equal amounts of frustration, disappointment, and embarrassment. Clearly, it manifested as anger and petty annoyance towards someone who is justified to have called out the bullshit and the lack of presentmindedness.

Then, in a different setting, the professor asked this student a critical thinking question after their presentation— they had answered and caused another variant of frustration. It was the lack of critical thought, they were able to present details but with no real meaning, no proper conclusion.

I have no intent of painting one right and one wrong. I merely want to show that the frustration is justifiable; the professor is showing her disappointment. It is apparent that they no longer wanted to show mercy. The professor wanted to hold them accountable. It's also understandable how students react to this. They're embarrassed. However nothing justifies anything they would have done. It would excuse them, but not justify that they were unable to answer— the tone and the context is set. Do not enter a classroom if you do not want to be tested, humbled, challenged.

The anecdote proves I that I can understand the emotions I identify, but I deviate understanding someone's feelings and justification of an action or reaction.

This goes back to my opening salvo on ideation on intellectualism. Do note that the ideation is different from not wanting to be embarrassed or revealed as someone who does not know. Everyone does not want to be revealed as the unknowing idiot and embarrassed. The difference is that there are people who helplessly idealize this intellectualism. "Of course, you'd know. You'd get it. You're smart." This helplessness or hopelessness to not be a knower is what I particularly find tiresome. Add into that the weaponized and willful ignorance that is used as a justification or plea for understanding that really tests my strength—my patience.

Now where does the title lie, how does this all lead to the title: aversion to critical thinking? Well, there's this idea that if you have a longer argument because someone you are arguing with has one liner, you lose or that you are wrong?

This is another reason why I don't spend much time interacting online. A one-liner is always more attractive than a comprehensible and clear argumentation? Then it is these same folks that when their intellect is put under scrutiny, suddenly they are an advocate for anti-intellectualism?

Do people, those who want to be called or recognized as revered intellectuals, not realize that there are things called humility, and integrity?

Do people not realize the brain fog and mental lethargy of just consuming information and not processing it? Do people find silence and the chance for self reflection so scary?

I had met this writer before, and they coined the term zombie horde. I prefer that than the term echo chamber. Why would I make such an unattractive behavior of a collective be detached from them? It is more accurate to call them the brainless but brain hungry horde they tend to behave like.

I wish these zombie hordes find that the cure is something inherent to them. They were (figuratively) human they must go back to that.

People need to stop trying to be different. They just end up the same. People need to realize that they already are.

[eddeha-art]

So I was playing In Space With Markiplier last night, and I noticed something about Ms. Whitacre... At least in relation to the theories I have in my video.

The last we see her in the first half--when she takes Burt's place to fix the reactor--she says this:

They're not the type of dreams that I forget, either. They linger, like a shadow. And they don't go away when the day comes.

"You know, I've had the strangest dreams, lately... Must be something about that cryo thing you put me in. But oh, my word, the dreams...

Makes you feel like you've been through all of this before... Do you understand, dearie?

If you can't have second chances, then what does it mean for Actor to be trying to have a second chance with the manor? Does this play into the parallels? Was the wormhole an inevitable result because he's trying to redo Markiplier Manor? Why does Darkiplier want us to know this? Are they warning us that we could end up shot, or killed, or trapped in a mirror, or used by The Entity? Do we need to be extra cautious in our approach to Part 2?

But these funny dreams aren't to be trusted, oh no. They may seem nice, but they're not what they seem, are they? You can't really have second chances. Seems too good to be true, right dearie?"

Then she kinda snaps out of staring at the camera, predicts that the reactor will need to be resolved before it gets worse, and says, "But don't worry; I'm sure this dream will sort itself out right quick. It's just a matter of finding the right answer, right captain?"

And then she opens the reactor door and we die.

SO

My relevant theories are; 1) Mr. Whitacre is Darkiplier, with Celine in control instead of Damien, and possibly having time travelled from part 2, hence her age. 2) Actor Mark (aka The Head Engineer) is trying to redo the events of WKM to some extent, but doesn't remember much of the meta stuff when he's playing the role of The Engineer; The Invincible I is Markiplier Manor, and he's trying to do things "better" this time, whatever that might mean. (Maybe he regrets the outcome? Which could either mean redemption arc, or that he wants to get further revenge? Or maybe he just wants to make a better mystery story? Hard to say)

Now, while her reference to "dreams" and "second chances" could be the alternate dimensions spawning from our choices--in fact it probably does, I just think there's a possible double meaning--there's something about the way she looks at the camera and asks if we understand that makes me feel like there could be more in what she's saying. Like. We can figure out pretty easily from other routes that each choice isn't a second chance, but the creation of a new dimension; If I am right about her being Darkiplier, then we have to stop thinking of this as Ms. Whitacre talking to the camera/the captain, and as Darkiplier-meta-truth-knower talking to US. We have to think about what could possibly be so important to them to convey to us, especially when they seem to be talking in code, like speaking directly creates a risk.

Imagine Darkiplier is trying to give YOU a direct message--not the captain, but YOU, the viewer, sitting on the couch watching this on TV, or on your phone, or on your computer. Imagine that they cannot say things TOO directly, because Actor Mark is right there, and jogging his memory would be bad. Think about that, and what they are saying. Think about how it could benefit them to try and convey a message to us, what could be important for them to say to us, to warn us about, ect.

They're saying we've been through all of this before. And we have! Within just Space itself, sure, but I've also seen loads of parallels you guys have drawn from the plot of Space to the plot of WKM. I've seen it too, especially in what I call The Order Route. So, maybe second chances doesn't JUST refer to the options in Space, but in how Actor is approaching The Invincible II as his second chance for, as he says in the first video, "The Invincible to live up to her name."

It could also just mean that Actor doesn't get to forget what happened at Markiplier Manor. That if Actor DOES want redemption, he can't just set a new stage and shift the genre over and then act like that's all there ever was; he still hurt his friends. He still got them killed. He still caved to The Entity's manipulation, whether that was inevitable or not. If he wants a chance at doing better--being better--then he has to acknowledge and face that, not just run off and try to invent a clean slate for himself. History will just repeat itself, over and over, until he recognizes that there are consequences for his actions and that he needs to be held accountable for them.

....or maybe we're 1 day away from Part 2 and my mind is racing through theories, lol. Even if I'm wrong, I'm still hyped to see what happens.

[threefrogsinacoat]

Anywho, here’s the thing I’m going to regret, please give feedback if you can. 

Spreading the trans agenda with me (special guest: Natasha Romanoff)

Something had always felt a little bit off to Natasha. It wasn’t something that affected her greatly, she didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about it, it wasn’t too severe, it was just that something felt a little off about her if she thought about it. She honestly thought that it was normal, nobody feels completely secure in who they are, it made sense that she didn’t either.

�� She continued thinking that it was normal for a long time, until she casually mentioned it in conversation with Clint. He cocked his eyebrow at her and informed her that this feeling was not, in fact, normal. “Sounds a whole lot like my gender dysphoria.” “Your what?” Natasha says, unimpressed. She had heard of it, but she didn’t like it when Clint brought things up and then didn’t explain them when she made it clear she was uninformed just so that he could gloat, so she decided to play dumb. “You know I’m trans, which means that things are a little off with my body in my mind, it makes me feel wrong about my body sometimes. Like, “hey, you’re not supposed to be like that! That feels wrong!”” “Yeah, but I’m not trans, I am not at all interested in being a man.” Clint sat there for a few seconds, looking at her with exaggerated surprise. “You mean to tell me that you, knower of all things, who has been on this earth for 24 years, do not know about non-binary identities?” Natasha took it upon herself to not dignify Clint’s teasing with a response, once again just raising an eyebrow. Clint, having successfully finished his gloating at knowing something more than Natasha, decided to finally explain what was going on. “So, one of the things you can be is a trans man or woman, but those aren’t the only two trans labels. There’s also people who aren’t strictly a man or a woman, or people that aren’t a man or woman at all. There’s a lot of different options for labels and pronouns that people can use…” And so, Clint explained what he knew about different gender identities to Natasha, and then realised that he was about to be late for a meeting, and left Natasha to marinate in all that new information.

  Natasha was intrigued. She had no idea there were so many different identities. And so, what little free time Natasha had for the next week or so was spent gathering information on different gender identities and different people’s experience with them. She decided that she probably was genderqueer, and that what she was experiencing probably was gender dysphoria. There was really only one way to tell for sure what she wanted though, and that was through experimentation. For the next two weeks, she narrated herself in her head using different pronouns and calling herself by different labels for her gender. This, she found, was an efficient strategy for her, and she had decided by the end of those two weeks that, while different sets of pronouns besides for the ones given to her were cool, she would rather stick with she/her. By the end of those two weeks she had also come to realise that she was agender. She wasn’t a woman, man, or anything in between, she simply was.

  She came to Clint with these findings.

  “I’m agender,” She said one day after letting herself into his apartment. Clint, who hadn’t even realised she was in his apartment yet, squawked and fell off of the hammock that he had half climbed on top of. Natasha watched him start to shout at her indignantly for once again startling him, but then the words registered in his head and he smiled instead. “Oh shit, you said something important didn’t you. Congratulations, thanks for telling me, what are your pronouns, who else knows, all the usual initial questions.” Natasha rolled her eyes and smiled, “everything I say is important, dipshit. And of course I’d tell you. Nobody else knows yet. I still use she/her pronouns, I just officially don’t have a gender now. All the initial answers.” After she said this all she invited herself further into his apartment, and the rest of the afternoon was spent on talking, and just general tomfoolery. Natasha still felt off sometimes, but she was slowly starting to tell people not to refer to her as a woman, and she knew what was different now. It was a relief. Natasha Romanoff is agender, and figuring that out felt amazing to her.

[pinkjeanist]

“the garden.” || tomura shigaraki

desc.: The God of Death has fallen for Wisdom. Against your divine judgement, you fall for him, too. [gods/goddesses au - 1.1k words]

a/n: this was for the weekly prompt event by @bnhabookclub​! ive been wanting to write more for shiggy, so this was really fun!! tomura and reader are named as whatever theyre god of, not their actual names. also i got a little too deep with my writing again, my bad. and if this reads weird, it’s meant to be like that. i think it’s safe to assume that gods dont experience love like humans, so. yeah [navigation]

Not many Gods passed through your garden. It was not secluded, nor was it secret, but not many Gods were willing to face truth, especially those with wrongdoings, and so you were left alone amongst the flowers that never faded nor dwindled. The only times your flowers came close to dying was when you welcomed a certain and rare visitor. 

The first time you saw him, he was dressed all in black as one imagined a man of his power would be. He wore gowns and a billowing cape, yet his feet walked bare upon the dying grass beneath him. The light blue hair that fell to his shoulders was dull and unkempt. His skin was sickly pale and all life was gone from his eyes- if it had ever been there, anyway. It was a befitting image of Death. Dark, mysterious, something to be feared. And yet, for all you knew of the Gods’ speculation of him, you were not afraid. In fact, something drew you dangerously near to hopefulness and oddful longing for him.

“This is your Garden of Wisdom.” He’d said it as more of a question than an observation, and with a throat that would have begged for water had he been mortal. “The blossoms falter but do not die. You are strange.” 

“You call me strange for the way of my flowers.” You looked to the greying bushes, and then to the God that stood at the other end of your bench. “Wisdom is eternal. It can be clouded, but never killed. Do you intend to kill my garden?” 

“I cannot kill what cannot die. And I do not wish to kill it, either way.” 

You smiled up at him. “You are Death, then?” 

He hesitated before nodding.

“Come. Sit.”

He obeyed, though reluctantly, and didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands. You began to feel that, even for all things gloomy and dull about Death, he was not the ugly being you’d expected him to be before you’d met. But with as hesitant as he seemed, you wondered if he thought as such of himself. “Most are not as welcoming as you. Many are afraid of me.” 

“Well, I, for one, do not fear you. In fact, I am rather curious. I know many things, but I know not much of you.” You’d been born without dishonesty, but he looked at you then as if you’d told some divine fable. 

“Surely you’ve heard of me from the other Gods.” His tone was anything but prideful. You frowned and turned again to face him. 

“But I have not heard from you. I wish to know you as you know yourself, not as they do.” You wouldn’t mention the tale you’d heard of Death slaughtering millions of mortals with disease out of rage, nor how he’d spurred War to divide mankind out of greed. Death came to you bare, and ungodly. “Why have you come to my garden? Do you seek wisdom?” 

Death hung his head. “No…” 

“Do you come for judgement?” 

“I...come for you.” 

You blinked, and sat back in the bench seat. “Wisdom is not so easily slain.” 

“I do not wish to slay you.” 

“If you do not wish for wisdom, and you do not wish for glory, then what do you seek?” He looked you in the eye for the first time since his arrival. He was nervous. It was not often you saw an anxious God. It made you more hopeful he would give you the answer you’d best not receive. 

He swallowed and spoke, embarrassed, “I seek your companionship.” 

You were still as you considered it. “Why have you chosen me, of all Gods and creatures? It is unwise to be acquainted with a Knower of Secrets.” 

“I have nothing to hide. My hands are stained, but they are empty, as well.” He clutched his gowns at his thighs, glaring down at it. “I will not beg. I am not so low.” 

“But you are lonely.” 

“You needn’t say it, wench.” 

“I am lonely, as well.” He looked at you incredulously. You folded your hands in your lap. “Although, two beings cannot simply agree to be companions, be them insects or Gods. Companionship is built with trust, care, and understanding. These things are earned in time.” 

“We have eternity on our side. I will earn your companionship, as long as it takes.” You smiled again, and assumed Death wasn’t the type to return such a gesture without coercion. But even so, you knew Death was nothing if not a promise, and the very pinnacle of honestly. Even a fool could see that from how he looked at you. 

He held out his palm, and after only a moment of hesitation, you took his hand. If you had been curious before, you drowned in him, now. His skin was as cold as it looked, and yet, you felt a warmth blossoming in your chest, flowing through you clear to your toes and the tip of your tongue. You hadn’t felt the touch of another for what must have been a thousand years, but nothing had ever compared to this feeling. And by the look in his eye, he seemed to feel it, too.

Something told you this was unwise. It was not the best of ideas to befriend Death, or seek warmth in him, or allow yourself his comfort. You weren’t even sure what his “companionship” entailed, though you were beginning to selfishly know what you wanted from it. You’d seen the way mortals indulged in each other- kisses of greetings and departures, longer ones given in playful shadows and secrecy. Desperate grabbing and soft touches that lingered even after they’d gone. Embraces that must have felt like eternity. You wondered how warm Death would make you feel with a kiss. You weren’t quite ready to find out, but you were hopeful, as unwise as it was. 

Against your best judgement, you said: “I do not think it will take long. You are as convincing as you are intoxicating.”

“You can feel it, too?” He asked, bringing himself closer. You nodded. “What does this mean?” 

“It means my wisdom means nothing, as well as your promise of death. Eternity has more in store for us than we’ve been created to believe.” 

Not many ventured the Garden of Wisdom, but those who did never left without taking something with them. Some took a rose, or a daisy if they favored it more. Some took the wisdom that they had seeked when they arrived. But you allowed Death something no one had ever even come close to having- your utter being, wisdom be damned. You gave him what Death didn’t need, but what a being devoid of companionship spent its whole life searching for. 

He didn’t realize it just yet, and perhaps you didn’t either, but you had already found what you searched for. A purpose beyond what you were meant to be. Fate was a fickle thing, anyway.

-

ALL WORKS TAGLIST: @keigos-dove​ @knifeewifee​ @hanniejji​ @wesparklebitch​ @bvnnyclouds​ @katsukis-sad-angel​

- dm/inbox to be added/removed from a taglist.

[thefingerfuckingfemalefury]

“ So he used a terrible shield so he wouldn’t have to hurt Tony’s feelings. And that’s magical. “

I can absolutely believe that Steve is the kind of cinammon roll who would do this

:D

“Anyway, all this science is making Cap think of Bucky and that makes him sad so Thor pulls a stack of fan mail out of nowhere to cheer him up. Thor apparently just carries fan mail with him at all times. “

WHERE WAS HE KEEPING THAT O.O

“Zemo was Hitler’s top scientist and he was working on a special glue. Cap threw his mighty shield and the tube of glue fell all on Zemo.

We’ll politely decline to question how Zemo eats or drinks or what his 20-years of unwashed head smells like.”

Zemo being cursed with the worlds most appalling B.O is what he deserves for his crimes!

“ The Avenges are ill-equipped to deal with old foes and glue at the same time “

I mean who could possibly face such a twin menace O.O

“ With the scientific acumen of Iron Man and Giant Man on the table, its only a matter of time before they fail to come up with anything. Thankfully Wasp remembers a thing and she puts in a call to the police that are holding Paste Pot Pete. He is an expert in glues after all and he’s smarter than Zemo in that he never made a glue that he couldn’t unstick. “

Not joining the nazis and not gluing a bright purple sock to your face are low bars to clear but kudos to Paste Pot Pete for achieving this :D

True facts!

Paste Pot Pete aka “The Trapster” is in fact kind of a science whiz

Peter Parker even had a “We’re not so different you and I” moment when he teamed up with him once (LONG STORY) which the writers hammered home by revealing that his real name is, no lie, Peter Petruski which does legit sound like the name a writer creating a Spider-Man parody would give them

“And then Thor attacks Black Knight and is just way out of his league. Giant Man and Iron Man take care of Radioactive Man with the ol’ shrinkey-grow misdirect and a radiation safety device that shoots lead foil (don’t worry, its transistor powered). And then Iron Man ruins everything by beating the Melter himself. You were supposed to swap enemies, idiot, not beat your own.”

“THIS IS WHY YOUR SUPPOSED TO LISTEN DURING TEAM MEETINGS TONY”

“ Cap arrives to also not swap enemies (goddamnit, it was your own plan) “

I am more forgiving of this because when there are nazis around, Steve Rogers is gonna kick the shit out of them

No force on earth is gonna keep him from delivering a red white and blue ass kicking of justice <3

“Oh, and Thor beat Black Knight off-panel because that was a foregone conclusion. He’s having some fun riding around on the Knight’s flying horse but he tells the Teen Brigade he can’t keep it because its still the Black Knight’s property. (THOR: KNOWER OF PROPERTY LAW)”

Learn from his example, Batman

You need to stop stealing shit from your defeated enemies and hoarding it in your cave, this is what makes them swear vengeance on you O.O

“So. I love that the Masters of Evil’s introduction has them gluing everything to everything else. I love 'the villains are gluing things!’ was a legitimate serious threat that the Avengers had to overcome. Its so gloriously goofy, so comic booky.“

THE TERRIBLE MENACE OF MAD SCIENCE GLUE :D

“The Masters of Evil continue to be a thing that is occurring off and on from now until issue 16, although the roster is a bit different. So next time, more Masters of Evil.”

Avengers and X-men in these early issues basically followed the Power Rangers format of “These villains are going to come back each and every insallment with a new Evil Scheme”

Essential Avengers: Avengers #6: "The Mighty Avengers Meet the 'Masters of Evil!'"

July, 1964

I wonder if Darth Vader was ever offered membership.

Anyway, evil villain teams! You’re not a superhero team until you have a villain team forming against you. The X-Men have their Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the Super Friends have the Legion of Doom and the Avengers have the Avengers more often than is healthy. But they also have the Masters of Evil.

So anyway, the Avengers are headed back to New York to respond to the Teen Brigade’s emergency call. They stop in Chicago for refueling and so Captain America can show off his new shield that he got… at some point. It has miniaturized transistors and glove magnets so Cap can control it in midair.

Fun story about this: when it was retconned that Cap got his vibranium shield in World War 2 they had to explain how his shields kept getting melted in the early Avengers comics. So canonically, Iron Man built a nifty keen radio controlled shield for Cap and Cap was too nice to point out that the vibranium shield was pretty much a billion percent better. So he used a terrible shield so he wouldn’t have to hurt Tony’s feelings. And that’s magical.

Anyway, all this science is making Cap think of Bucky and that makes him sad so Thor pulls a stack of fan mail out of nowhere to cheer him up. Thor apparently just carries fan mail with him at all times.

(I’m only on the second page, dear god)

Keep reading

[wild-magick-child]

Merlyn: the Wildman of the Woods

Master Merlyn, the all powerful Wizard of history whose magick is highly coveted, is actually Myrddhin & is a Welsh God. He is the Lord of Nature, Poetry, Smithcraft, Healing, Knowledge, & Magick. He historically was a Pheryllt Druid & part of the original Dragon Priesthood (a fact few know about because of biased opinions no one asked for). He is MUCH older than the legends make him out to be! Since he is the Lord of Nature he is the God of Druidry (Art of the Oak Knower), and laid down the laws that govern how magick works. The British, Gaulish, & Gaelic Druids gathered at Stonehenge every turn of the season & paid homage to "a God of poetry, magick, & knowledge," and did the same thing upon the discovery of Mistletoe upon an Oak (a very sacred occurrence that was revered with ceremony & a golden sickle). This God was discovered to actually be Myrddhin. He is the Wildman of the Woods who rules over Madness, Revelry, & Liberation, a Title given to him after earning it upon his retreat into the woods after war to reconnect with the Old Gods & rediscover his magick. He is Nature, & we work with Nature as well as enjoy natural pleasures. We are of Merlyn & therefore are Merlyneans. His Staff is the Torch of Knowledge which he uses to light the way through the Shadow into the Light. His Mark is the Faeryblood given to His people being born of Faerie & therefore Changelings. Master Merlyn is the Gnaddr (pronounced NAH-thare) known in our Tradition as the original Dragon-Derwyd. It was He who had the prophecy of the Reg & White Dragons of Pendragon, which represents His connection to the Pheryllt Priesthood. This Draconic association of the Druids was lost long ago, but has always been remembered by the Welsh Bards who have always called Druids "Adders." (This would make that legend of St Patrick much more gruesome) What the Devil/Man In Black is to Traditional Witches, Master Merlyn is to Merlyneans.

If you reverse engineer the name of Merlyn's home, Carmarthen, from it's original name of Caer Myrddhin in Welsh, you eventually get Moridunum. It means "Sea-Fortress" and refers to an ancient name for Great Britain called Albion. This points to the Arthurian side of Master Merlyn. Do the same exact reverse engineering using the rules of the Welsh language with the name Myrddhin & you come up with Moridunos, meaning "He of the Sea-Fortress." This comes up with his Title as the Fortress of Albion. This bit of info comes from John Michael Greer's "The Mysteries of Merlin."

Master Merlyn's Wizardry is probably the most coveted in history due to how powerful he is. I am truly honored to be taught by Master Merlyn, and therefore his child: a Merlynean Wizard. I am a sworn Guardian of the Grimoire of Merlin, and some of the most sought after spells & incantations in history. For this reason the magickal community is after me & often tries to burn me at the stake (VERY hypocritical BTW! But if the world is after me then I take it as a compliment!). Merlyn isn't just an idea or a legend that unites us all, He is our deity & our father, the Father of Faeryblood. He is a Pheryllt Druid & the most powerful Wizard who ever lived.

[11toe11-blog]

Time

I enter quietly for illumination and insight, on the trail of some thought to take me past it, to the realms of truth, pure are clear.

____

Time, so relative,

made absolute by the clock.

A veil over eternity,

made into a wall.

____

Who is this person talking about movie and wanting to watch something and keep occupied? Who is this person who cant do much? Who wants a moment to be over and done with as soon as possible so that the next moment can emerge which promises to be better that what is?

Who is this person thinking of excuses? Who is this person who rather talk than act?

Who is the person who thinks the phone to be evil, is blaming the phone and all that is in the phone?

Who is this person whose gaze is constantly shifting?

Who is this person who is slinking?

Who is this person, roaring one moment and the next moment shivering?

Who is this person who feels she is a fraud?

Who is this person who has nothing to share?

Who is this person trying to fill up silences with incessant words and questions “whatsup?”

Who is this person checking and rechecking for messages?

Who is this person comparing?

Who is this person who is thinking o fwhat is the best response to the moment?

Who is this person who knows fruits but orders pizza?

Who is this person who cant listen?

Who is this person who cant turn off her phone and wait for it to break?

Who is this person who needs the clock to know the time?

Who is this person who is checking if her sentences emit nothing but “pure intentions”?

Who is this person, the prisoner and the prison guard?

Who is this person who cant listen to her heart?

Who is this person who can understand her heart?

Who is this person who cant know from the heart?

Who ever she is. I look at her. I bless her. She will soon know.

__

Biological Speed

My dear westernized mind, this interview comes to remind you…

¬Excerpts from the second of the Six Interviews of Itsuo Tsuda « Breathing living philosophy » by André Libioulle broadcast published on France Culture in the 1980s.¬

“Q: Europeans elsewhere, you write, need to understand before acting. They do not engage immediately in action.

I.t.: What I am doing here, it is not precisely the same as what we would do in Japan. Often in Japan we do not explain, we found ourselves immediately into the experience path, it’s up to everyone to learn the lesson, isn’t it. Well, in the West this does not work. We need to understand first. But understanding is not enough. I have explained those people who were listening the explanation about swimming, but this does not allow people to be able to dive into the water. If we have not felt the first touch of the water, one can fill his head with all sorts of explanations, but it is useless.”

Q: But people will perhaps argue about this, « but why do I need to be able to feel? Why is that so important for me? «

I.t.: Well, this is the concept of « Seitai » precisely that one that Noguchi created after the war. At the moment people think in a dualistic way: « here – that is good, that is bad. We must fight the evil. When we have fought the evil, we will have the good.  » But in fact, we do not search this: we nomalize the terrain. That’s what he called « Seitai »: a well harmonized body. In the West we keep on finding the cause, we try to exterminate the cause. But as soon as we finished with the cause, here there are other causes that arise. But that’s the method that complies with this mental structure. But Noguchi brought this view which is quite different, which transcends all. If your organism is normalized, the problem itself becomes less important. In the West we say: there is such a problem. That’s a way of defining it, it does not change volume, it’s still there. We must attack this way etc.

Q. So there is in fact for the West an anatomical way of understanding, discursive kind, in which we distinguish cause and effect and in order to be able to act on a particular item. The concept introduced by the Seitai is a different concept. It is the notion of sensation. But this is the notion, if I understand, in which knowledge is not excluded. But it is another type of knowledge, intuitive knowledge, qualitative I would say, in relation to the Western notion of measure or quantification.

I.t.: The same problem increases or decreases importance depending on sensation. A bottle is half empty or half full. But the quantity is exactly the same. But the sensation is different in both cases. So just a little nothing can change human behavior. If one says, « that’s it, I’m done, » from that moment on one can no longer move forward. While if I say « I have already made three steps forward, » then Iam ready to make a fourth step, isn’t it.

Q. You talked about Master Noguchi repeatedly. Could we try to understand what the whole is, the unit in an individual through some examples of the practice of Master Noguchi, Noguchi was a therapist, wasn’t he. He is the creator of the Seitai method. So how is his job? What enabled him to understand those concrete things, spontaneously?

I.t.: For example, each one has its own biological speed, which determines the behavior, actions, movements etc. It is viewed in a quite detached way, objective, as per minute etc., etc., but for Noguchi, well that’s something concrete. Everything comes from that biological speed that is inherent in the individual. Without this notion of speed he can do nothing. But this…

Q: … as we know it, it’s something else …

I.t.: No. We need to create the contact with the biological speed of that particular person. No need to apply a general and objective speed. Well, for example, there is a kid who comes while crying, he is crying because he broke his arm. Parents say: « It is impossible to touch him, he keeps on crying and crying … ». But Noguchi has already touched him. « Ah, ah good then it is because he does not dare to cry in front of a master. » No it’s not that. He touched him at a , biological speed, the breathing speed of the child, which is peculiar to him. At that time, the kid does not feel the contact, it’s part of him, and that it’s so important.

http://www.ecole-itsuo-tsuda.org/en/2-la-respiration-philosophie-vivante/

(Noguchi was one of the teachers of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, withwhom i have no started learning, unlearning)

____

And Wikipedia also reminds youOf the process of spiritual knowledge[edit]

Yoga Vasistha teachings are divided into six parts: dispassion, qualifications of the seeker, creation, existence, dissolution and liberation. It sums up the spiritual process in the seven Bhoomikas:[citation needed]

Śubhecchā (longing for the Truth): The yogi (or sādhaka) rightly distinguishes between permanent and impermanent; cultivates dislike for worldly pleasures; acquires mastery over his physical and mental faculties; and feels a deep yearning to be free from Saṃsāra.

Vicāraṇa (right inquiry): The yogi has pondered over what he or she has read and heard, and has realized it in his or her life.

Tanumānasa (attenuation – or thinning out – of mental activities): The mind abandons the many, and remains fixed on the One.

Sattvāpatti (attainment of sattva, "reality"): The Yogi, at this stage, is called Brahmavid ("knower of Brahman"). In the previous four stages, the yogi is subject to sañcita, Prārabdha and Āgamī forms of karma. He or she has been practicing Samprajñāta Samādhi (contemplation), in which the consciousness of duality still exists.

Asaṃsakti (unaffected by anything): The yogi (now called Brahmavidvara) performs his or her necessary duties, without a sense of involvement.

Padārtha abhāvana (sees Brahman everywhere): External things do not appear to exist to the yogi (now called Brahmavidvarīyas); in essence there is a non-cognition of 'objects' as the separation between subject and a distinct object is dissolved; and tasks get performed without any sense of agency (doership). Sañcita and Āgamī karma are now destroyed; only a small amount of Prārabdha karma remains.

Turīya (perpetual samādhi): The yogi is known as Brahmavidvariṣṭha and does not perform activities, either by his will or the promptings of others.

In the spiral, I recognize, I am once again in Śubhecchā and starting on Vicharana.

Some voice tells me i have reentered as my father. It doesnt matter. The story doesnt matter. There are so many. Too confusing.

The sensation. I am learning to let the story be and look at movements and sensations.

[dailytafsirofquran]

Daily Tafsir of Ibn Kathir

The Qur'an was revealed to serve as a Warning

Allah says, `just as We sent revelation to the Prophets before you,'

(thus We have revealed to you a Qur'an in Arabic) meaning, plain, clear, and manifest

(that you may warn the Mother of the Towns), i.e., Makkah,

(and all around it,) means, all the lands, east and west. Makkah is called Umm Al-Qura (the Mother of the Towns) because it is nobler than all other lands, as indicated by much evidence that has been discussed elsewhere. Among the most concise and clear proofs of that is the report recorded by Imam Ahmad from `Abdullah bin `Adi bin Al-Hamra' Az-Zuhri, who heard the Messenger of Allah say, as he was standing in the market place of Makkah;

(By Allah, you are the best land of Allah, the most beloved land to Allah; were it not for the fact that I was driven out from you, I would never have left you.) This was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah; At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih. ''

(and warn (them) of the Day of Assembling) i.e., the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will assemble the first and the last in one plain.

(of which there is no doubt,) means, there is no doubt that it will happen and will most certainly come to pass.

(a party will be in Paradise and a party in the blazing Fire.) This is like the Ayah:

((And remember) the Day when He will gather you (all) on the Day of Gathering, --- that will be the Day of mutual loss and gain) (64:9). which means that the people of Paradise and the people of Hell will gain and lose, respectively. And it is like the Ayah:

(Indeed in that (there) is a sure lesson for those who fear the torment of the Hereafter. That is a Day whereon will be gathered together, and that is a Day when all (the dwellers of the heavens and the earth) will be present. And We delay it only for a term fixed. On the Day when it comes, no person shall speak except by His leave. Some among them will be wretched and (others) blessed.) (11:103-105) Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah came out to us, holding two books in his hand. He said,

(Do you know what these two books are) We said, "We do not know unless you tell us, O Messenger of Allah.'' Concerning the book in his right hand, He said:

(This is a book from the Lord of the worlds, containing the names of the people of Paradise and of their fathers and tribes; all of them are detailed, down to the last one of them, and nothing will be added or taken away from it.) Then concerning the book in his left hand, he said:

(This is the book of the people of Hell, containing their names and the names of their fathers and tribes, all of them are detailed down to the last one of them, and nothing will be added or taken away from it.) The Companions of the Messenger of Allah said, "Why should we strive if it is something that is already cut and dried'' The Messenger of Allah said:

(Strive with your deeds as hard as you can for middle course or close to it, for the person who is destined for Paradise will die doing the deeds of the people of Paradise, regardless of what he did before, and the person who is destined for Hell will die doing the deeds of the people of Hell, regardless of what he did before.) Then he made a gesture with his fist and said,

(Your Lord has settled the matter of His servants) and he opened his right hand as if throwing something;

(A party in Paradise.) and he made a similar gesture with his left hand;

(And a party in the blazing Fire.)'' This was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi, and An-Nasa'i; At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih Gharib.'' Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Nadrah said, "One of the Companions of the Prophet , whose name was Abu Abdullah, was visited by some of his friends, and they found him weeping. They asked him, `What has caused you to weep Didn't the Messenger of Allah say to you,

(Trim your moustache and adhere to that practice until you meet me)' He said, `Yes, but I heard the Messenger of Allah say;

(Allah picked up a handful in His Right Hand and another in His other Hand, and said, "This is for this and this is for this, and I do not care.'') `And I do not know in which of the two handfuls I am.''' There are several Hadiths about Al-Qadr (the Divine Decree) in the books of Sahih, Sunan and Musnad. Including those narrated by `Ali, Ibn Mas`ud, `A'ishah and a large number of Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all.

(And if Allah had willed, He could have made them one nation,) means, either all following guidance or all following misguidance, but He made them all different, and He guides whomsoever He wills to the truth and He sends astray whomsoever He wills, and He has complete wisdom and perfect proof. Allah says:

(but He admits whom He wills to His mercy. And the wrongdoers will have neither a protector nor a helper.)

(9. Or have they taken protecting friends besides Him But Allah --- He Alone is the protector. And He Who gives life to the dead, and He is Able to do all things.) (10. And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allah. Such is Allah, my Lord in Whom I put my trust, and to Him I turn in repentance.) (11. The Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you mates from yourselves, and for the cattle (also) mates. By this means He creates you. There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.) (12. To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. He enlarges provision for whom He wills, and straitens. Verily, He is the All-Knower of everything.)

[syllabyll-writes]

Drinks and Secrets

Virgil failed to keep his secret from his new friend Logan. Now he has to sit through a dinner with Logan's friends and somehow hide the fact that he is an assassin. Of course, the fact that Logan's friends are all prominent in the criminal world makes everything so much harder.

Word count: 1457

Read on ao3

Based on the prompt: 

“You're an assassin!?”

“We’ve been friends for literally two days. Why are you so shocked?”

“I just thought I’d get a normal friend for once.”

“What do you mean ‘for once’?”

Logan stared at the man in front of him. Of course, his new friend couldn’t be normal. Why would he? None of his friends was anyways. He took a deep breath.

“You’re an assassin!?” he shouted, startling the man.

“We’ve been friends for literally two days. Why are you so shocked?” Virgil asked. Sure, this was not the most ideal way of letting Logan know the truth, but they barely knew each other. How could it be such a shocking reveal? Virgil shook his head, knowing that it would be a long night.

Logan looked at Virgil. Taking deep breaths, he managed to calm himself down a bit. “I just thought I would get a normal friend for once” Logan mumbled. It was the truth, after all. Logan only had two friends, four if you counted acquaintances. None of them was normal.

Virgil narrowed his eyes at Logan. “What do you mean ‘for once’?” He asked, hoping it was some kind of joke or Logan’s way of coping with the unsettling news.

Logan raised an eyebrow. “I simply mean that so far, none of my friends, or acquaintances for that matter, have been what would be considered normal” Logan picked his keys up from the table they were laying on, and started walking towards his front door.

“Now, do you have any more hidden facts to tell me about yourself, or can we leave? I promised to meet up with my friends and I already told them I was bringing someone, so you are not getting out of this.” Virgil sighed and followed Logan out of the apartment. He had a feeling this night would be interesting.

 When Logan told him that none of his friends was normal, Virgil expected people with odd interests. Perhaps the stereotypical anime lover or someone who was way too into going to the gym. What he did not expect was a bunch of criminals. They sat down at the booth, and Virgil scanned the people around him.

His eyes landed on Roman and Remus Harp, twins and oldest children of the feared mafia boss Mark Harp. Roman was known for his ability to charm his way out of anything, and Remus was known for his sort and deadly temperament.

He moved on to the bubbly boy next to Roman, Patton Beam. Charity worker, nursing student, and skilled finance thief. He was well known in the underground world for being able to get any amount of money out of the rich living here.

The last guy Virgil had to work a bit more to place, but eventually, it clicked. Deacon White, master forger and liar, knower of all the secrets in the city. If you ever needed a fake document or blackmail material, he was the guy to turn to.

Virgil glanced at Logan, worry building up in him. He didn’t think these people knew who he was, and he preferred if it stayed like that. Logan smiled a soft smile at the four others. “I’m sorry we’re late, I lost track of time” He grabbed a menu “This is Virgil. A new friend of mine.”

The others at the table smiled, and Patton spoke up. “Hi, there! I’m Patton. This is Roman, Remus, and Dee” he said, pointing to them respectively. “It’s nice to meet you”

“It’s nice to meet you too” Virgil responded, glancing at the menu Logan was holding. He knew he needed to be careful with how much he drank so that no secrets would slip out.

As the first order of drinks came in, small talk started to settle in. At first, they didn’t address Virgil at all, but sooner than he hoped Deacon turned his attention to him. “So, Virgil,” Deacon spoke, slowly sipping at his drink “what do you do for a living?”

Virgil felt his anxiety spike. How do you explain assassin without telling someone exactly what you do? “I do contracting jobs” was all he said, quickly grabbing his drink and sipping at it painfully slow.

“Oh?” Roman inquired, starting to gain interest in the newcomer. “What kind of contracting work?”

Virgil took another sip of his drink, trying to give himself some more time to think. “Mainly cleaning” he answered, hoping that he sounded convincing.

Remus perked up at the words. “You think you could clean your apartment? It looks like trash goblins live there”

Virgil went to answer, but Deacon beat him to it.” Maybe because you are one?” He countered, leaving Remus with an offended look.

“Am not!” Remus shouted, but the laughs of his peers gave the impression that he was lying. He crossed his arms and pouted. 

“Falsehood” Logan stated “you are the definition of a ‘trash goblin’” He pulled a pile of cards out of his pockets and went trough them “See?” he said, holding one of them up. The card had ‘Trash Goblin’ written on it in large letters, and under in smaller letters, it simply said ‘Remus’.

Remus stared at Logan, the offence clear in his face. Virgil felt the panic rise in him. How could Logan be so stupid to insult Remus Harp? Surely he knew what Remus was capable of. He sipped his drink again, glancing around the table. Remus pouted again, going back to his drink. 

Conversation from there flowed easily, although a few more jabs at Remus were had. Virgil started getting more comfortable but made sure to watch his tongue. He did not need to make someone angry.

The night seemed to go well until a group of three men entered the restaurant. The new arrivals looked around until one spotted Virgils table. He nudged the taller of them and pointed at their table.

They froze as the tall man approached them, sunglasses covering his eyes. The man stopped at their table and handed a note to Virgil. Virgil unfolded it and read it quickly, then sighed.

“You’ll have it done by the end of next week. Make sure the payment is made before tomorrow.” The man nodded and walked off, not saying a single word. Virgil stuffed the note into his pocket.

“What was that about?” Deacon asked, eyes scanning Virgil.

“Just-” Virgil started, trying to think of any way to explain this. “Work-related. We’ve had some issues with clients not paying.” He quickly grabbed his drink and sipped it again, praying to every god he could remember that they wouldn’t ask more questions.

They kept sipping at their drinks, Deacon’s eyes never fully leaving Virgil. “Tell me, Virgil” He eventually said, all eyes on him now. “How do you know Remy Lebeau?”

Virgil made a grimace, looking at his drink. “Good question, I don’t know. I’ve been trying to get rid of him for years. Haven’t succeeded yet.” He looked up at Deacon. “ How do you know him?”

Deacon gave a small laugh. “We became familiar when he decided to hit one of my informants with a baseball bat. He always has the latest gossip and knows how to make himself useful, so I kept him around”

Virgil stared at him. “That- Sound like Remy alright.” he sighed “Absolutely no ability to think ahead or think of consequences.” Virgil rubbed his forehead, remembering many of the times Remy had gotten them in trouble. And how he had to get them out of it every time. 

Deacon smiles as he sets his glass down “I’m surprised I haven’t heard about you. Remy does quite like talking.” He looked right at Virgil “Although it’s interesting to see how connected we are, having friends in common. Not exactly what I expect from a cleaner.”

Virgil looked down, mind racing. This was bad, this was really bad. Deacon was on to him. He took a deep breath, trying to stop his mind from racing. “Yeah, I have some weird friends”

Deacon smiled. “You wouldn’t have any other name I would know you under?” He asked. Virgil only shook his head, and so Deacon decided to drop it.

As the night drew to a close, the friends packed up their things and started to head out. Virgil was standing a few feet away, having a discussion with Logan. He sighed and walked over to the others.

“I had fun tonight. It was nice getting to know you guys.” He smiled. “Logan thought I should give you this, in case you need anything, well, ‘cleaned up’” Virgil handed them a business card and walked away, bidding them a good night.

As they looked at the card, a smile crept onto Deacon’s face. “Ah, I have heard about him. Remy usually just calls him ‘the Assassin’” He smiled, making a mental note to contact Virgil about some business he needed to be taken care of.

[beaubcxton]

Unexpected problems. Part 3

Lily Evans stared at herself happily in the mirror. The grin on her face nearly blinded her but she continued the act, sometimes letting a giggle burst through.

How very insane, how maddening, how palpitating.

She was getting married.

Married.

Would you believe it?

She, Lily Evans, was getting married to James Potter at exactly seven thirty today and was three seconds close to screaming.

It wasn’t so much that she never thought she would get married. Well, it was partly that if she was being honest. Petunia’s constant cheers of encouragement-note the sarcasm- helped her self-esteem. In a very negative way.

Moreover, she was a romantic at heart. Late at night, she had read dozens of cliché romances by the flicker of the torch and to the sound of crickets while her parents snored upstairs, blissfully unaware that their perfect daughter heart swooped when Mr. Darcy held his lover’s gaze.

And it wasn’t like she held a pillow behind her head and pretended it was a veil- she did do this, for the record but she likes to imagine technicalities could go to hell-  but it was more the fact that she had found the man of her dreams.

James Potter was technically a boy since he was only nineteen as she merrily liked to rub it into his face. He was her bloody nightmare just a few springs ago but now, she couldn’t stop blushing every time his hazel eyes grinned at her and his smirk kissed her lips as he murmured, “Alright, Evans?”

She shivered at the memory and willed the butterflies to settle down. Most brides got cold feet on their wedding day and many of them climbed out of the window, perhaps, slid down the pipe she was looking at now after they wrote a note, stained with tears and consisting of either only two words, I’m sorry or some heartfelt speech that would most definitely not translate into a vow.

But Lily?

If cold feet were the phrase, she thought she might have warm feet. Paradox, indeed. The only way she would ever jump out of the window and ruin her beautiful dress would be to marry James sooner. She was scared, of course, of the war. Of what it might entail and what she might lose. Several of her friends got married, recently and quite a few of them had lost their spouses rather soon. Lily was adamant that they’d both survive this war together.

And Merlin, she wanted to marry him. She really bloody wanted to marry him.

Memories flood her mind but a one sticks out. The first time they said, ‘I love you,’ funnily enough.

They were on rounds and Lily was frustrated with school and how it hardly allowed her to spend time eating. James kept pestering her about it and eventually, he decided to take matters into his own hands. That night, they snuck to the kitchen and he forced her to eat a satisfying burger. (It was her mother’s specialty and she was feeling homesick with all the terrible news going around.) While they were eating dessert, a sizzling brownie with ice cream on its top, he just took one look at her, chewing happily and blurted it out. ‘I-Merlin, Lily, I love you.’

Not very poetic, sadly but so James. She nodded and resumed her consumption. He stopped though and slid his pink (not that she noticed how his tongue looked like because that would be ridiculous) tongue over is front teeth.

“What?” She had said, finally. “Are you waiting for a response?”

His eyes rolled. “If you’d be willing, yeah.”

“I effing kissed you in front of the whole tower, Potter. If that doesn’t say I love you, I don’t know what will.”

He grinned so hard, she worried his cheeks would hurt. They didn’t say anything else but before they went to sleep, they kissed for a few seconds longer.

They had been so childish then and hid their feelings, their joy from the other. Lily didn’t know that James had whooped and woken up his friends. None of the Marauders were happy to be woken up at an ‘ungodly hour’ and shoved James with many pillows.

And something James didn’t know? Lily had screamed into her pillow for five minutes straight.

Almost nostalgic, she searches for a mirror and once located, stares at it for a second before she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

Clearing her throat, she calls out, “James?”

The mirror shimmers for a second, almost like a ripple in a lake and for a second, she takes note of the silence in her room and then, a flurry of noise clangs through her ears.

“You’re not supposed to see her, James!” Sirius is saying loudly. Lily rolls her eyes at the so und.

“It’s bad luck!” Remus agrees, somewhere behind.                                                                  

James protests. “It-but you guys, she called me. What if she needs something?”

The trio collectively scoffs. Lily can almost hear the scowl in Sirius’s face when he draws out his words, “Lily only wants to see your pretty face, don’t you, flower?”

“Hey! I resent that! I do not have a pretty face. More like, a handsome-“

“I do!” She calls out ironically. She hears James’s warm laughs and a fond smile overcomes her face. Could it be possible that she was marrying this man? “Give me the mirror, Padfoot.”

“I shall not! Superstations be ringing true.”

She nearly misses the familiar ebony messy hair flashing into view when Sirius pushes her fiancé behind and raises the mirror.

James curses. “-you for being taller.” Directing his words to Lily, he calls out, “You’re not thinking about backing out, are you Lily?”

Lily mocks a sigh. “It’s rather late for that.”

“Wait-Lils,”

“Merlin, James. I’m kidding.”

Lily almost smirks at the breath of relief James emitted.

“You’ll see her soon, James. Say goodbye like a good boy. Can’t tempt fate, now can we?”

She knows James is rolling his eyes. Neither of them were superstitious. That title belonged to the eldest Potter. “I love you, Lils.”

“Love you too, sweetheart. Hey1” Lily abruptly cuts off her sentence. “Reckon we should get married, yeah?”

“Took you long enough. Hey, say we elope right now?”

“I find the idea brilliant.”

“Well, I rather am brilliant.”

“Don’t forget arrogant!” And before he can continue with some protest or worse, a self-compliment, she continues, “Oh! Our ship name is Jily, by the way.”

“Wait, what?”

“What’s a ship name?” Peter articulates.

“It’s basically when someone ships- “Moony, the all knower, begins.

“Ships? You mean, they’re pirates?”

“Well, not exactly.”

“Disconnecting in three, two- “Sirius cries. “Also, Red, I need to know more about this later but your ship name is Lames but it doesn’t include me so we’ll have to change it later. Two-one”

They both call out a quick I love you before the light and noises fade away.

The wedding was a warm one and quite magical, if things went to plan. She’d walk under an arch coated with pressed flowers and petite birds would fly down and hand them their rings. James and she had wanted some muggle aspect to their otherwise wizarding wedding and the symbolism for rings was one way to achieve that.

Lily plucks a chocolate dressed strawberry from the plate and chews it thoughtfully. She’d invited Petunia but highly doubted that her sister would show up. After her sister sent back a letter in the post saying, ‘I’ve got other plans.’ Just the five words, Lily thought about it in great length (thought being sobbing on James’s shoulder miserably for several nights and him convincing her that she was not a freak, she really wasn’t and pressing a million kisses on her hair) She decided that she wouldn’t invite her parents.

“It wouldn’t be safe for them. You know, how it’s like with Death Eaters.” James had reasoned multiple times when she started to bite her nails in worry. “-they killed Andrew’s, you remember him, right? Big blue eyes and curly blonde hair? Yes-that guy who charmed McGonagall to puff up cats. Still can’t believe he had the guts to do that. They killed his parents, Lily solely for the reason he’s a muggleborn. I-Merlin, their house looked like a bloody murder sight. It was but you get the point. Bloody nightmare.”

“Poor guy,” she only murmured. And she didn’t-not even for the love of Merlin- want to be regarded as a ‘poor guy.’

Still, her guilt remained. It was hard not to invite her parents, the two people who had seen her bloom into the woman she was today. Her mother was immediately in tears when Lily told them about the wedding. And now? She wasn’t even inviting them. It would have been good too for them, some celebration. Times were dark and rough, not only in the wizarding world but in the Evans household too. Had been ever since Mr. Evans coughed up blood before he fainted last winter.

Decisions were set in stone, however and it was too late to do anything. (Did she really want to?) James had been wonderful to ease her plight.

If asked, Lily wouldn’t tell you the first time she realized she loved James Potter. She’ll say, “I reckon I always did, now don’t give me that cynical look. It’s a funny thing, I realize since it’s known fact I hated Potter. Believe me, that wasn’t a lie but when we did become friends and he brought me hot chocolate when I was sick, made me laugh like a loon while we did rounds, it wasn’t surprising that I loved Potter. He was my friend and obviously, it was a platonic love but then, he’d ask this girl out and my stomach just burned, you know? So, when he asked me out, I just-I had to say yes to understand why. Guess the love I felt for James Potter wasn’t platonic, after all.”

A rather long speech for an introvert but love makes you a poet or in Lily’s case, a bloody satisfactory rambler.

Someone knocks at the door and she’s interrupted from her musings of conjuring up how her fiancé would look like a suit. (Scoff you might but Lily had never seen James in a muggle suit and it send shivers down her spine, imagining it. How the rays of light would fall on his messed-up hair and the way his abs would be seen with the light sheen of sweat. Merlin, he’d make a fantastic and hot Olympian.)

Marlene enters, her rustic brown dress twinkling in the room. She was a fine beauty and Lily’s best friend. They’d been stuck to the hip ever since Lily introduced the former to ‘nail polish.’ Being a pureblood, Marlene had been awestruck. “It makes your nails looked all dolled up, ain’t it?”

With a beautiful brown bob that bounced with each step and star kissed eyes, Marlene had no problem finding a suitor if need be. Adding to her appearance, she had an eccentric personality. She was constantly so kind to her friends, so warm to strangers and so bloody callous to assholes. Honestly, she was one of the few people who didn’t find all Slytherins wicked and it was refreshing to be friends with someone who wasn’t predisposed. It wasn’t shocking when Lily appointed her maid of honor.

She blubbers at the sight of her best friend and Lily beckons her over and they sit on the cozy and luxurious bed.

“You look stunning.”

“Look who’s talking. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were the bride with the way you’re glowing.” Lily teases and bumps her best friend’s shoulder playfully.

Marlene shakes her head but she’s grinning. “You know I shipped you and Potter since day one. It was like some bloody romance that you found in books and movies, you know. Tags: Sexual tension, mutual stupid pining, enemies to friends to lover’s trope.”

Lily snorts and Marlene scrunches up her brow. “Ratings: Some teenage fluff.”

“Oh hush, Marls. You’re ruining my makeup with your hilarious rubbish.”

“I can’t believe you’re getting married.”

Lily smiles fondly and hugs her friend as she rubs her nose.

“Me neither. I don’t reckon I’ve told you but do you know the groom is Potter?”

Marlene gasps.

“You’re kidding me!”

Frowning, Lily nods as she sighs wearily. “I can’t imagine it either.”

Mirth bubbles from the duo. Abruptly, Marlene seizes her friend in a hug. “I love you, alright?”

“I love you the most.”

“You’ve got the wedding we’ve dreamed of as children. A posh wedding, albeit cheap which I do not approve of in an art bleeding history museum.”

“The wedding band looks strange, though.”

Marlene makes a noise of agreement. “True. Someday, The Weird Cauldron will get famous.” (Spoiler Alert: It didn’t.)

“Maybe.”

“Potter’s going to pale when he says you. I’ll bet a galleon on it.”

Lily really did look beautiful. A blushing and glowing bride, sentimental ones would tearfully sniffle. While she did look the role, several of her friends would praise her on owning a badass gown. Certainly, not very easy to pull off. Her hair was in ringlets, all ruby embers twirled down and her eyes were coated with a thin black mascara. Her v- neck dress was ankle length and hugged her curves in all the right places as she spun around. Lace decorated the borders of her cleavage and concluded at her toes.

Someone’s fingers dance on a piano, playing some long and forgotten melody that made people hum and ponder their own weddings or wonder at the posterity.

“Ready?”

With a smile biting at her lips, Lily says, “Marauder Ready.”

And her maid of honor rolls her eyes and murmurs about a perfect pair.

   A FEW METRES AWAY:

The trio huddle around James like he’s a rugby player about to be mauled. (Well, he envisages it so. He never understood the damned game. A frustration that Mr. Evans shared. Lily’s dad had tried to make him understand the rules and other shits ‘bout the game but judging by his skill and intelligence, you can assume it did not end well.)

“-so typical of James to dream about something else than his wedding day. “Sirius is saying as he shakes off his reverie of things he can’t do. (James assures you that it is the only thing he cannot do, if you know what he means.)

The lot of them were rather attractive in their own sense and they looked identical. A muggle might have looked at them and assumed them to be in a boy band. Despite his heritage, James finds himself wanting to hum a muggle tune. (Tell me why, ohh)

“Shut up, Padfoot. I was thinking about Lily.”

“Mate,” Remus says as he adjusts James’s Gryffindor tie, “-we know you better than that and the face you were sporting was most definitely not your, uh Lily face.”

“I have a Lily face?”

Peter pipes, “You have a lot of faces.” and shuts up promptly, almost like he can’t believe he had the gall to speak.

“Like what?!”

“Well,” Sirius says lazily as he sips his complimentary champagne, “Your Lily face is soft eyes, like a doe, mate. And you have this weird grin on your face like you don’t know whether you want to laugh or cry and your nose gets pink.”

Testing it out, James thinks about the last time he had seen Lily. They were in bed together and she was reading a book. Just the sight of her, emerald orbs completely hooked on the poetic words, her plump and pink lips as she murmured, “Oh, Nasuda” and the crease on her forehead and the blush on her cheek as she pronounced, “Murtgah.” (James had kissed her then, overcome with adoration for his fiancée. How happy he was that they adored each other and partly jealous of a fictional character.)

Laughter cuts his out of his thoughts. Remus barely restraining his chuckles says, “That’s your Lily face.”

Only Peter seemed to fake his laughter. James squints his eyes at him and studies his friend. The boy is looking rather pale, almost clammy with sweat beading on his ears. A telltale that something is not alright.

“Mate,” James says, “You good?”

The three of them all stare at Peter who is furiously biting his nails. With a jerk, he looks up when the room falls silent as if he’s forgotten there’s a crowd. “Oh-um, yeah.”

James knows not to push it but he can’t seem to help himself as Peter’s eyes look downcast. “You know you can tell us everything, right? I know you’re not- “

“I’m fine.”

Sirius cocks his head at the boy. “Well, if you’re su- “

“I have a girlfriend!” Peter blurts out, seeming it out of his non- volition as his hands tremble soon afterwards and he shuts his eyes in a remarkable display of acting. His friends are speechless but before they can interrupt, he continues, almost whispering the words like he’s afraid his ex is going to apparate, “I-well, I had one. I’m sorry I never told you guys. I really did want to but Samantha, that was her name said it was too much of a big deal and stuff.” Peter stops his monologue to groan. “And-And I know it’s wrong but you and Lily are getting married and you guys are so happy and I don’t know if I’ll ever get that again.”

The room is enveloped by silence like fire being iced by a thick blanket, so very heavy and you feel like choking.

“I-Merlin, Peter.” Sirius begins, standing up quickly and lending a hug to Wormtail who now has tears running down his face.

Moony doesn’t say anything but instead, stares at Peter with confusion. James blinks and he misses the look Peter sends to Remus. Please, the rat seemed to implore.

“Peter, I wish-no, that doesn’t matter. Look Pete, you of all people should know that it was terribly hard for Evans to like me. Wait, that came out wrong. She’s not obligated to like me or anything but urgh. I never thought I had a chance with her, remember? It might take years but have hope! Everyone deserves love, Pete and you deserve it more than others.”

Orator, he is not. It’s not really a great speech but the topic was sprung up on him and half of his thoughts are Lily related, but it’ll have to do and gathering by the wince Peter barely manages to hide, his immediate thought was to start again but with better vocabulary and more depth. Peter nods and then, James nods. And then, Remus and Sirius nods. That’s how it goes amongst them. If one does something, the others follow immediately.

“We need to go.” Remus says, glancing at his watch. Peter looks relieved. They can’t really blame him. They’ve had conversations with Peter like this. He was always the helper; the motivator and it threw them off course when the intelligent boy came to them with a problem.

The trio stampede over to the door and Remus calls out a good luck before the door shuts. A second later, Sirius throws it open and launches himself onto his brother.

“Merlin left saggy- “Sirius mumbles onto James’s shoulder. “I can’t bloody believe you’re leaving me.”

Prongs rolls his eyes and reciprocates the hug and they clutch each other tightly like men that have just won the bloody war.  “I can’t bloody believe Lily is marrying me.”

Sirius laughs through his tears. “Yeah, me neither.”

“Oh, shove off.” James admonishes but the tone is soft as he punches his brother’s arm.

Sirius raises a hand and for a moment, James has a weird premonition that Sirius is about to lean in but then he ruffles up James’s hair and runs out a moment before the poor groom can even groan.

The bespectacled boy stares at himself in the mirror.

It’d be alright, he told himself, Lily would show up and they’d go off in the sunset wide grins. Merlin, the woman of his dreams would be saying I do to him in a few minutes. They’d have the rest of their lives together and it would be jovial with their dogs, cats and children. Hardly human and more angel-like, Lily Evans would soon become Lily Potter and he’d wake up to her scarlet lips and emerald jewels of eyes every day.

He groans.

Now was not the time to be fantasizing.

It was hard not to when your fiancée looked like she belonged in the bloody museum.

He was wearing a fine suit which looked almost crisp against his skin. The white shirt was almost transparent because of the thin layer of sweat but it contrasted well with his tanned, lean and muscular body.  Against his will, he smirked as he thought of Lily. (When does he not, really?)

“I knew you were vain, Potter but I never guessed how much.”

James spins around at the voice and a grimace forms as he locates Severus Snape sitting idly on the sofa, wand rolling around his palm. Although annoyance surged through him, he was hardly to see the man. He was bound to make an entrance on his ex-best-friend’s wedding.

Despite the anger, some intelligent subconscious urged to call Sirius but he decided that it wouldn’t bode well with his character and instead retorts, “Here to stop the wedding, Snivellus or lost your way to the dumps?”

The man grits his teeth at the nickname but makes a great show of rolling his eyes. “Now, why would I want that?”

James shrugs and plucks out his wand, almost casually and points it at the Death Eater. “I can think of many reasons why. None of which I want to bother myself with but I’m afraid, oh wait, I’m not afraid but actually happy you’re too late.”

“I wouldn’t bet my money on it.”

“Well,” James smirks. “You don’t have any money in the first place to begin with so I recommend not betting anything.”

Almost growling, Snape makes a noise of dissatisfaction. “You’ve always been a fool, Potter.”

It was strange that there was no retort but James let it slide and mocks. “I suppose you hope to stop the wedding with your greasy hair. I hardly think the priest would consider that as an objection but we all know Lily would prefer mine.”

James is stalling. They both know it. Despite him being a Gryffindor, he knew not to underestimate Snape. Coming here was a huge risk after all and surely, the man had some sense not to break up a light wedding. So, why did he come?

The man winces at the mention of the bride.

“It’s not just me, Potter, this once.”

James curses internally. “Look Snape, it’s my wedding day and I really really don’t want to hex you today. Contrary to popular belief, I’m actually a pacifist.”

“Lily was right when she called you an arrogant toe rag.”

“Funny,” James bites out. “That’s not the only nickname y ’all used that day. At least toe rag sounds better than Extraordinary Death Eater.”

Scoffing, Snape shakes his head as if he’s almost reproaching James. “I, fortunately, do not have time for this insolence, Potter. I hope you rot.”

“Well, you had time for yourself.”

“CRUCIO!”

He’s expecting it. “PROTEGO!”

Time for pleasantries were over, James guesses. The room is immediately basked in a blue glow and both men are blasted with jet beams of light and are thrown feet backward, neither spell marring their skin. James rolls over to a chair and arching his neck, calls out a body binding spell.

Snape roars. “Sectumsempra! You shall pay, Potter!”

“EXPELLIARMUS! Need a loan?”

“Imperio!”

James almost gets hit with the spell in shock. This wasn’t some retribution. Snivellus-and perhaps the Death Eaters- were out for something. Oh bugger, Lily. She wouldn’t be safe here. He had to warn her somehow.

“Imperio!”

Where was that blasted two-way mirror?

Answer: Sirius had taken it. James had thought it’d be sensible, in case there were any wedding fiascos.

He was a fool. A stupid-stupid- fool.

Crying out a jinx almost instinctively, he jumps out of the way as a table hurls at him. (Couldn’t furniture be at his side, at least? Really bloody unfair.)

The spell hits his target and James is rewarded by the sight of blood dripping down the shins of Snape’s knee. Amazingly, it doesn’t seem to bother him. The only sign he showed of pain was a slight wince.

Where was everybody? Dead and deaf? The question has an answer.

“You cast a silence charm.” He thinks out loud.

Really ass-effing unfair.

The room was in ruins but James was positive that it he was captured; the room would return to being spotless. He supposes they want him to join the Death Eaters. The very thought makes him barks a laugh. As if he’d ever agree to that. He’d rather die. Rather live and marry but he thinks he might have to cut his losses.

It’s like he appears in thin air for Snape stands in front of him, arm poised for attack. James kicks his leg in a defense that Lily and Mr. Evans had taught him and pushes away. (Muggle techniques were brilliant, weren’t they?) Severus-the bugger-is also fast though James did not know how. (You’d think his grease would weigh him down, right?) The positions are awkward enough for James to suddenly lose control of his wand as the expelliarmus is called out.

Satisfaction or regret flashes on Snape’s face for a second but James’s doesn’t bother deciphering it. If he can’t get away, he needs to save Lily at least. Jumping up, he runs like his life is dependent on it, ducking behind furniture when the need calls for it.

Suddenly, the cold dims a little as the door opens. “Got him?” A voice calls out from the doorway and he’s so surprised to see Pettigrew that he stumbles. “Wormtail?” The boy looks at him and shifts his glance away.

Got him? Got whom? Oh. Oh no. No, no, no.

“You’re-you’re with him-them?” He manages to splutter. It had to be impossible, surely. Maybe he was imperio-d. Or maybe, they wanted to take him out for another stag party and got Snape involved?

He dismisses either of his suspicions. They boy’s eyes are clear. James almost slaps himself. Of course, Peter wouldn’t have a girlfriend. He didn’t even have one in Hogwarts.

“IMPERIO!” Snivellus calls again, almost booming the curse.

James falls on the ground and stares at his friend in shock who’s standing up casually. “Peter?” He calls out in a pained voice. His sadness evolves into anger.

“I hope both of you rot in hell.” He knows he’s lost but he tries to take on Peter and both brawl. James tucks his shoulder into Peter’s armpit and jabs and the boy falls and his escape is right there and so clear. He’d see Lily again. And he’s running and he’s hollering. Then:

“This has gone on for far too long.” Snape bites. “Imperio!”

There’s nowhere to duck and he goes down but Snape’s anticipated that and he’s full on hit by the incantation. And James is submerged. It’s like his thoughts are befuddled and time stands still or the seconds tick past in honey. He’s in his own bubble. It’s like being in the ocean, he manages to tell his friends later, but when someone wants you to drown, you can’t push up, you’re sinking instead.

“Go somewhere no one will find you.” Snape murmurs, velvety and caressing.

Several steps forward, James hacks onto their plan. They’re monsters, worse than that. At least, monsters are born cruel. These, these people want to be terrible. He tries to wrangle his way out of the spell, tries to make a move for his wand but it’s so painful that he’s desperately tired and run out of energy after the first time he tries to break free.

They overpower him in no time and then he seemingly walks out the door out of his own will and he walks on the empty corridor in silence except for a steady ticking voice at the back of his mind saying, Leave.

James listens.

[returquoise]

Cracky Harry Potter theory for the masses: Sirius Black is Voldemort's son.

A lot of these pieces fit very neatly and logically together. Not all of them, but a lot. I don’t think this is actually true, but once I had the initial idea, I had a lot of fun coming up with the rest of it. Also, imagine all the drama if this was actually true.

Why? Walburga Black (Sirius’s mum) is a year older than Voldemort and without a doubt was in Slytherin. This means that they shared 5 or 6 years of school together (depending on Walburga’s month of birth, which is not stated). Walburga was from a Sacred 28 family, rich and influential – who wouldn’t want to be friends with her? Especially a poor but ambitious orphan boy who wants to make connections in a new world. 

Voldemort stated in CoS that his closest friends already called him Voldemort in school and we could presume that he had also told them he was the heir of Slytherin (because what kind of Slytherin would take the possibility that Rubeus Hagrid was the heir seriously?). This prestigious background and clear intelligence would make him interesting to Walburga. 

But would she get romantically involved with him? She married her second cousin Orion but I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t stop her from cheating on him in 1959 and 1960 (assuming Sirius and Regulus share a father, I somehow get the impression that they looked similar enough to have the same parents – of course they might also have different fathers). Riddle was handsome, intelligent and charming, I’m pretty sure he could talk himself into bed with pureblooded ladies if he wanted to and Walburga looks like a good catch. Maybe this way he could get extra support for his new movement. Walburga might have just been having fun and cheating just because (seems to happen in the real world too) or she and Orion might have had a fight and she did it out of spite. 

There’s also the interesting detail of Death Eaters originally being called the Knights of Walburgis. It does have German and Dutch witch myth explanation floating around the internet, but I’m not totally sure Voldemort would go looking abroad for name inspiration. Although Voldemort in itself is French so maybe he would. Or maybe that’s just the convenient explanation he uses to cover up his relationship with Walburga Black. 

Voldemort most definitely did not love her and would have been only interested in her resources; the family name, influence and money. Flattery will get you anywhere and all that, especially if the cause is named partially after you. 

But are there any similarities between Voldemort/Riddle and Sirius? 

Sirius was, I believe, at one point mentioned as one of the most handsome male characters in the books. Judging by the way Riddle was written, he was handsome too. Both have black hair and are pale, their eye colour does differ but nothing stops Sirius from inheriting Walburga’s eye colour so that covers looks. Both were very intelligent – Sirius became an Animagus during his fifth year at Hogwarts and Riddle opened the Chamber of Secrets in his sixth year and created a Horcrux. Both also have somewhat troubled relationships with their families; Sirius being an outcast and a disappointment and Riddle having grown up in an orphanage. There’s also this delicious contrast; Riddle growing up in a Muggle orphanage and coming to hate Muggles and being sorted into Slytherin, whereas Sirius grew up in a pureblood family, came to hate their ideologies and was sorted into Gryffindor. 

Is Sirius a parselmouth? Well, we never see him with living snakes but he does hate the decor at Grimmauld Place. He could be and if he was, he would definitely hide it. He certainly didn’t seem bothered by Harry’s ability.

Was Regulus also Voldemort’s son?

Maybe, but probably not. Voldemort would probably have been a tad more interested about what was going on with him if he was. 

Would they know of the connection? 

I want to say yes.

It gives Sirius one extra reason to hate the blood purity ideology. Also his certainty that Voldemort would go after him to figure out where the Potters were hiding. Sure it could just be explanation he gave in the book, but if a Fidelius secret cannot be tortured out of the secret keeper… maybe he had an additional reason to not want to be the secret keeper? A Star Wars-y ”I am your father” scenario might be an extra incentive because Voldemort might be especially intent on torturing or turning him because of the connection in which case he would be at greater risk of revealing the Potter’s location.

As for Voldemort… well, Sirius being a Gryffindor would be a huge disappointment to him and it might make him extra interested in going after his friends personally. The Prophecy and Dumbledore’s explanation of it did imply, that the Potters had personally crossed wands with Voldemort three times. And while Potters appear to be an influential Light side family, having their best friend be Voldemort’s own son would make them extra interesting as targets. 

Why would they hide it?

Well Sirius’ reasons for hiding this would be very obvious and has been mentioned above. 

Walburga would probably keep her mouth shut to protect the Black family reputation – or at least her own reputation, considering how much time she spent complaining about Sirius’ affect on it. I doubt she would want to be known as a cheater. Blacks as a family never did officially, as a whole, join Voldemort so she or Orion must have seen something questionable about it. Maybe Walburga found out Voldemort is a half blood and now that one quarter Muggle blood had sullied Sirius oops. And keeping quiet about the connection would keep Aurors from investigating them and then revealing it to all and sundry who Sirius’ father actually was. 

As for Voldemort… he doesn’t seem to care that much about families as a concept – probably the orphanage thing – and Sirius was a Gryffindor so telling about it would sully his reputation. And he only really started going all out with the blood purity campaign in 1970s when Sirius was at Hogwarts. So before that it might have been an ace in a hole sort of thing – there’s an heir lined up, awesome, but no need to tell anyone so they don’t try to kill you and hold your heir into whatever they want. And then said heir proved to be unsuitable. 

Why to gloat about it to at the very least Harry? There was no reason to bring it up in PS, in CoS young Riddle didn’t know anything, in PoA Voldemort was MIA, in GoF there were more prudent things going on, and in OotP by the time Voldemort showed up Sirius was dead and Dumbledore showed up pretty much immediately. After that there was really no use bringing it up to Harry. 

Did someone else in the Order know?

James Potter was a very potential knower, just due to how close he and Sirius were. I don’t think it likely that Wormtail would have known. Lupin, maybe. I’m a bit torn if he knew before 1981 – it would explain his readiness to believe Sirius was evil but then again, Sirius suspected Remus of dublicity due to the werewolf thing so not telling him is just as likely. I find it more likely that Sirius would have told Lupin during OotP, if he ever told him.

Dumbledore probably knew and here’s why: 

He didn’t get Sirius a trial in 1981. 

Bellatrix Lestrange – a huge Voldemort supporter – got a trial, Igor Karkaroff – who was somewhat inconsequential – did too. Sirius was an alleged huge Voldemort supporter, giving him a trial to air all of his dirty laundry would make sense. But it didn’t happen. Why? 

Because Dumbledore, for some reason, wanted to be sure that he wouldn’t pull a Lucius Malfoy and use money or influence to escape punishment and abscond with his godson, the Boy-Who-Lived Harry Potter. If Dumbledore believed Sirius was the secret keeper and knew Sirius was Voldemort’s son, then he probably didn’t try as hard as he should have to get him a trial. He was probably still a bit scared of this fact – and Azkaban’s effects – after PoA, which is why Sirius didn’t get a trial then either. 

[racingtoaredlight]

RTARL’s 2020 NFL Season Week 3 Extravapalooza

Immediately coming out of Week 2 the national conversation was focused mainly on the fact that my picks went a very respectable 10-5. But, after running out of superlatives to describe my handicapping skills, the discourse shifted in the direction of the absolutely brutal spate of injuries that took place. Saquon Barkley, Nick Bosa, and Courtland Sutton were all lost for the season with torn ACLs, and Christian McCaffery, Brandon Scherff, Jimmy Garoppolo, Drew Lock and a whole bunch of others went down with various tweaks and tears that will keep them out of game action for multiple weeks. That’s a lot of really good players! And Jimmy Garoppolo! 

There seemed to be a desire to chalk up a lot of the injuries to a lack of preseason game action, but I’m not smart enough to know if that theory has any merit. Hopefully, it was just a freak occurrence and we won’t see another week like that any time soon. If I can make a bold statement that I’m sure nobody has ever mentioned before: the NFL is a lot more fun when the best players are on the field.

My picks are in BOLD, and the lines come to us courtesy of our friends at Vegas Insider. I use the “VI Consensus” line, which is the line that occurs most frequently across Vegas Insider’s list of sportsbooks. Your sportsbook of choice may offer a different number, and if you’d like my opinion on said number A) you are insane, and B) leave a comment below and I’ll try to answer at some point before things kickoff today.

EARLY GAMES

Los Angeles Rams at Buffalo Bills (-2)

The Bills have looked great in their first two games, no doubt about it. BUT, those two games were against the incomprehensibly shitty Jets and a Dolphins team that I don’t think anyone would call world-beaters. The Rams represent a huge step up in weight class, and I’m not sure how the Bills will handle it. I still love Josh Allen and believe in the Bills in general, but this game might be a little shock to the system for them.

Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons (-3)

I’ve read a few takes saying that a trip to Atlanta to play against a ghastly Falcons secondary is going to make Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears offense look much better than they are, but what this pick presupposes is that a meeting with Mitchell will make the Falcons secondary look better than they are.

Washington Football Team at Cleveland Browns (-7)

I know they gave up 30 points last week, but The Football Team’s defense has played really well through two games so far. They mauled the Eagles in a Week 1 victory that saw them sack Carson Wentz 8 times, intercept him twice and hold Philly to 57 rushing yards (3.4 yards per attempt) TOTAL. In Week 2, they held Arizona RB Kenyan Drake in check for the most part (86 total yards, 4.3 per rush) and managed to pick off Kyler Murray once while sacking him three times. Washington was done in by Calimari’s running ability, which is gonna happen to a lot of teams, I reckon. Baker Mayfield is no Kyler Murray when it comes to his wheels, so I’m taking the 7 points.

Tennessee Titans (-2.5) at Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota has looked DREADFUL so far, getting whomped by the Packers and then the Colts. I honestly don’t have a great reason for picking them, other than thinking “they can’t be THIS bad.” If this year has taught us anything, it’s that thinking things can’t get worse is pretty stupid, yet here I am. The only aspect of this game I have any confidence in prediction-wise is in saying that it’ll be the first early game to wrap up. These teams are gonna run, run, and then run some more.

Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots (-6.5)

Last week, I once again picked against the Raiders, and they once again made me look stupid by not only covering, but winning outright. So help me if Cam Newton leads New England to an absolute thrashing of this collection of assholes he will immediately become my favorite Patriot ever. 

If I wanted to give a non-spite related reason for my pick, I’d mention that Las Vegas will be without rookie WR Henry Ruggs , LB Nick Kwiatkoski and T Trent Brown, and that G Denzelle Good, T Sam Young, TE Darren Waller and RB Josh Jacobs are all Questionable as of this writing. I’m totally picking against them out of spite, though.

San Francisco 49ers (-3) at New York Giants

The Niners were absolutely wrecked by injuries last week, and now they’re playing again on the same turf that they feel took out their comrades. I can’t help but wonder if that’ll be in their heads a little bit, and if there’s anyone who knows the minds of NFL players, it’s a guy who’s never even attended a school at any level that fielded a football team. Nick Mullens is a pretty good backup QB, and it’s not like he’s replacing Russell Wilson, but still. I can’t take an injury-riddled road favorite starting a backup QB. Seats are rapidly opening up on the Daniel Jones bandwagon, but I remain resolute...for now.

Cincinnati Bengals at Philadelphia Eagles (-4)

I’m really torn here, because I am all the way in on The Joe Burrow Experience and want good things for him, but if the Eagles come out looking like an exploded diaper again it’s gonna get really awkward and depressing in Philadelphia, and I can’t handle feeling even more secondhand cringe and despair in these trying times. I’d greatly prefer a middling Eagles season that keeps their fans’ rage at no more than a simmer, and for that to be the case they’re gonna need to win decisively here. Sorry, Joe.

Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers (-4)

After dealing with Daniel Jones in Week 1 and the Drew Lock/Jeff Driskel Combo Meal in Week 2, the Steelers defense will now have to contend with DeShaun Watson. In my expert football-knower opinion, this will be a more difficult challenge for them. Conversely, the Texans started their year with games against the Chiefs and then the Ravens, and while I do think the Steelers are pretty good, they’re a step below those two death squads. In what’s become a running theme in my picks this week, I think a bit of equilibrium is restored and the Texans have somewhat of a get-right game while Pittsburgh gets taken down a peg.

LATE GAMES

Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers (-6.5)

This is a tough one. Conventional wisdom says 6.5 is a pretty big number for a rookie QB in his second start, though like everyone else I thought Justin Herbert looked more than legit in his debut. The L.A. defense has been fantastic, and they’re plenty good enough to paper over any potential rookie mistakes from their QB. 

I’m going with the Chargers less because of them and more because of how poor the Carolina offense has looked so far. Teddy Bridgewater is a great story and I’m glad he got himself a nice contract after his horrific leg injury in Minnesota, but he hasn’t looked like an NFL starter this year. New Panthers OC Joe Brady performed a miracle and gave the LSU Tigers an offense for the ages, so he clearly knows what he’s doing. Maybe the Panthers will get it together as the season goes on, but for this week I don’t see it, especially without all-world RB Christian McCaffery. 

New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts (-11.5)

11.5! That’s a large number for a pro game, and it’s terrible that I didn’t have to grapple all that much with laying the points. The Jets have looked historically awful and I feel bad for everyone on their sideline except for Adam Gase and Gregg Williams. Fuck those two. I don’t have a solid read on the Colts quite yet, but I’ve been around long enough to know that a Phillip Rivers-led squad would NEVER blow a layup like this.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6) at Denver Broncos

I get that Tampa Bay is the road team here, but A) there are no fans in the stands, B) Denver has lost several key players to injury and C) they’re starting Jeff Driskel at Quarterback. The Bucs giving less than a TD seems odd to me. Maybe there’s some concern about the altitude affecting Tom Brady’s elderly lungs, or about the possibility of Rob Gronkowski buying thousands of dollars worth of edibles in Denver and mixing them in with the pregame spread. Classic Gronk move, imo.

Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals (-5.5)

I don’t see any way the Lions slow down this Cardinals offense, so their only hope is to outscore them. If stud WR Kenny Golladay were healthy I’d like Detroit’s chances a whole lot more, but he’s listed as Questionable with an injured hammy at the moment and on Friday assessed his situation as follows: “Wouldn’t say it’s 100 percent. I really wouldn’t even put a percentage on it, I just know I’m not 100 percent.” That doesn’t sound great to me, but I don’t come from an All Medical family, so I could be wrong.

Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks (-5)

The formerly formidable Seattle Seahawks secondary has given up 450 passing yards to Matt Ryan, and 397 yards to Cam Newton in their two games this season, while the Cowboys were also carved up by Matty Ice (lol) in their insanely improbable Week 2 win. Both of these passing attacks are fantastic, so this feels like an absolute orgy of touchdowns in the making. This game has the week’s highest over-under at 56.5, so I’m not exactly breaking any new ground with this analysis. That’s really the main hallmark of this blog series, now that I think about it. 

SNF: Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints (-3)

This game would be a lot more fun if All-Pro WRs Michael Thomas and Davante Adams were suiting up at 100% for their respective teams, but sometimes the Football Gods are dicks. Thomas is OUT with an ankle injury, and as of this writing Adams is being called a game-time decision with a bad hamstring. I’m guessing the game is gonna be more Aaron Jones vs Alvin Kamara than the Aaron Rodgers vs Drew Brees matchup it’s being billed as. That’s still plenty good enough to get me to tune in, as those guys are great in their own right. All things being equal, I trust Aaron Rodgers more to make chicken salad out of chicken shit against the Saints D at this point in time, so I’m giving Green Bay the edge. 

Every time Sean Payton takes his 1st ballot Hall of Fame QB off the field in favor of Taysom Hill, an angel gets its oxycodone prescription refilled. 

MNF: Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens (-3.5)

My feelings on this game can be summed up by one of the great orators of modern times, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair:

Last Week’s Record: 10-5

Season Record: 19-11-1

[fem-mem-mine]

It’s common. It’s cringeworthy. And it’s been documented, some might argue, since at least the 17th century. It happens on Twitter. It happens at work and at Thanksgiving dinners. In barrooms and in classrooms. Famous men do it. Uncles do it. Politicians, colleagues, bad dates, bureaucrats and neighbors do it. (Some of you may do it, ironically, in response to reading this.) Yes, we’re talking about mansplaining.

The portmanteau describes the act of a man’s unsolicited explaining, generally to a woman, something he thinks he knows more about than she does — occasionally at anesthetizing length — whether he knows anything or not.

The apt articulation of this phenomenon began with Rebecca Solnit’s 2008 essay, “Men Explain Things to Me,” which describes a conversation with a man at a party whose “eyes were fixed on the fuzzy far horizon of his own authority.” After he discovers that Ms. Solnit’s latest book was about the British photographer Eadweard Muybridge, he cuts her off, to pontificate, relentlessly, on a “very important” Muybridge book he thinks she should read.

Turns out, it was her book. And he hadn’t read it.

By Ms. Solnit’s telling, it took three or four interjections by her friend to get through to the mansplainer that Ms. Solnit was indeed the author, before he finally heard it. Tellingly, it also took time for Ms. Solnit to recognize the book he was referring to was in fact her own: “So caught up was I in my assigned role as ingénue that I was perfectly willing to entertain the possibility that another book on the same subject had come out simultaneously and I’d somehow missed it.”

“Mansplain,” a word that reaches far beyond the borders of the United States, was inspired by that essay. Today, an ever-evolving list of international iterations exist. In German, it’s “herrklären.” In French, “mecspliquer.” Italians have “maschiegazione.” There’s a Spanish version of mansplain, and there’s a word for it in Russian, Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Mandarin, Ukrainian, Japanese and dozens of other languages.

Mansplaining illuminates a much deeper problem than the bore of patronizing monologues. As Ms. Solnit notes, it “crushes young women into silence” by telling them “that this is not their world.” She adds, “It trains us in self-doubt and self-limitation just as it exercises men’s unsupported overconfidence.” More than a decade on, why is men’s interruption of women to explain things — often things they know less about than the women to whom they’re explaining — still so common?

Kate Manne, an associate professor of philosophy at Cornell University, explores the issue in a chapter of her new book, “Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women.” On a recent call from her home in upstate New York, where she lives with her husband, their 8-month-old and a corgi, she unpacked the problem.

How did we arrive at the idea that men are the authorities of knowledge?

Mansplaining may be recently named, but it’s most likely a phenomenon as old as time. Inherent in patriarchy is men’s entitlement to all valuable human goods: things like love, care, adoration, sex, power — and knowledge. When it comes to knowledge, especially of a prestigious sort, the idea that men have a prior claim to it is as venerable as the patriarchy itself. Sometimes it’s connected to the idea that women are incapable of being authority figures. In “Politics,” for example, Aristotle wrote: “The slave is wholly lacking the deliberative element; the female has it but it lacks authority.”

We know from the classic “John vs. Jennifer” study at Yale that both men and women hold biases that women are less competent. Is this an essential part of mansplaining?

Absolutely. Part of what’s going on is the presumption that a woman will be less knowledgeable, less competent and somehow in need of a man to explain things to her.

That doesn’t explain the fact that mansplaining often also involves men’s resistance to evidence that the woman is more knowledgeable on the subject than he is, and sometimes, the anger when that turns out to be the case.

Why do some men mansplain even when they know of a woman’s qualifications?

I connect it to the sense of entitlement of certain privileged men to be the expert, the knower in the exchange. Whereas, paradigmatically, the expert woman is the ingénue, in need of his injection of information, as Rebecca Solnit put it.

You say “privileged men,” but men who are less privileged, aside from their maleness, also mansplain.

While it tends to be worse with men who are more privileged, there’s a powerful gender dynamic where he’s often been socialized to feel like he’s the authority.

Girls, on the other hand, are socialized to be pleasing and polite, to not embarrass men …

Absolutely, there’s a very strong sense in women that she should provide a pleasant audience to him, one that doesn’t interrupt him. Correcting someone is an inherently hierarchical act. It’s saying “You’re wrong; I’m right.” Jumping in when he’s mistaken or less expert is inverting the gender hierarchy. Even though a woman is perfectly entitled to intervene, it’s perceived by men who feel entitled to a smooth exchange as socially abrupt, rude and even a form of violence. Because it disrupts the status quo and overturns his position as the default authority in the exchange.

Does interruption go hand in hand with mansplaining?

Yes. It’s linked to the sense of entitlement to be the knower and the one who issues explanations. That sense of epistemic entitlement makes it very natural to speak over others, and to hold the floor for longer than is proper. It also makes men more willing to assume the floor. A 2004 study of Harvard law students found that men were 50 percent more likely to offer at least one comment in class, and nearly 150 percent more likely to volunteer to speak three times or more.

What’s an example of mansplaining in culture?

In Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants,” a man and his pregnant girlfriend sit at a bar, waiting for a train. He tries to convince her that having an abortion is “perfectly simple.” As well as making no space in the conversation for her own reservations, desires and plans, he keeps repeating himself. Finally, the woman has enough: “Would you please please please please please please please stop talking.” As a reader, it’s hard not to echo her sentiments.

“Himpathy” is the idea that we feel sorry for men even when they’ve behaved abhorrently. How do himpathy and mansplaining go together?

Himpathy is what I think of as the excessive or undue sympathy given to men over their female victims in cases of misogynistic behavior, like sexual assault. Himpathy and mansplaining interact by making us feel sorry for men we would otherwise sharply correct. We feel preemptively sorry for him if he would feel humiliated, or even chastened, by being corrected. And it makes us feel guilty, or even ashamed, for thinking of it.

To avoid being a mansplainer, what should a man ask himself?

Is she interested? Did she express some desire to have this information imparted to her? Do I know this? Is she more expert than I am? Might she be asking a merely rhetorical question?

Maybe look at her face?

[Laughs] Yes, read the room. If other people are registering profound discomfort, that might be a sign that you’ve made a misstep in the dialogue.