#kick ass women in literature

[dancerinthestorm]

Fic Recs: Awesome OFCs edition

For some reason OCs tend to draw a lot of fire in certain fandom circles but I love them unapologetically. For me they are a brilliant way to add something new, something unexpected to a well known and well loved story. So, here‘s my utterly incomplete list of „fics that should be read for their awesome OFCs alone“.

Make way Lizzie Bennett, Sophie Hatter and Tiffany Aching, there are a some new girls in town! 😁

Theodora Byrne in @esta-elavaris epic "Catch the Wind" (AO3).

Oh dear, where to start. I am forever in love with Theo. I'd kill for her, I'd die for her. Her sass, her indomitable spirit, her way of throwing poor James Norrington off kilter. The whole story is just shy of 418k words and a beautiful, terrifying beast to behold. I unwisely started it on a Friday night shortly before going to bed and simply could not stop until my darling, long-suffering husband put his foot down on Sunday and made me eat, drink, shower, sleep and (most cruelly) sent me off on Monday morning to resume adulting.

I'm not sure if I should own up to it in public but to tell you the truth: I have not been able to pick it up since that day. Not because I do not want to (oh how I want to!) but because I am afraid. Afraid that the story will end and I am not ready for it. Afraid for what might happen to Theo and James. When I left them in chapter 63/101 they were happy, comfortable and (relatively) save but with the whole ordeal of "At World's End" still ahead of them.

Should you still put down everything else to read it? Yes! Absolutely! Go! Now! Shoo! And don't be a wuss like me, the story deserves so much more!

Pirates of the Carribeans. James Norrington x OFC. Rated E.

***

Nika in "This Destiny is Mine" (AO3) by @messy-insomniac-bookgirl

I knew I was done for when one of my favourite authors decided to let one of her gorgeous female leads tackle one of literature’s most heinous crimes: The fate of Boromir. No way I would not root for her, rage with her, fear for her, laugh with her. A beautifully nuanced and overall kick-ass female lead that I cannot get enough of.

The story itself is not too long yet and is intriguingly hard to place. The author calls it a fix-it. And it is... but also not... not really... It gives us an OFC but she's no 10th walker. It has already made me feel everything it is humanly possible to feel, sometimes within the span of one short chapter alone.

Amazing storytelling and I cannot wait to find out where this journey will take Nika.

Lord of the Rings. Boromir x OFC. Rated E.

***

Jenya in Bramandian0336's "Black Honey" (AO3)

Having to deal with the emotional hot house that is Kylo Ren/Ben Solo is nothing for the faint-hearted and calls for especially intrepid female leads. So, this list would be utterly incomplete without her.

Meet, Jeyna: historian, archeologist and - suddenly and unnervingly - subject of Kylo Ren's scrutiny. I absolutely devoured her stroy with all it's amazing world building, obscure Star Wars lore and action.

Star Wars. Kylo Ren/Ben Solo x OFC. Rated E.

***

Asta in "Where I am needed most" (AO3) by @scyllas-revenge

Unable or unwilling to commit to any of the literary behemoths above? Then I have just the thing for you! A beautiful one-shot set in the chaos of the Battle of Helm's Deep. Wonderfully dense story telling garnished with spot on characterizations. Headstrong, brave, resourceful, sharp-tongued Asta is a sight to behold and I could not get enough of her clashing with Eomer.

Eomer/OFC. Idiots in love, shouting matches and kisses. Rated T.

****

As mentioned: this list is totally incomplete. Please feel free to yell your own favourites at me in the comment section, regardless of fandom! 😁

And as always: a huge shout out to all the authors for your time, your talent and your dedication! You guys are absolute rock stars!

[musclesandhammering]

Ok but consider 1901 Castiel realising Ishim is harassing and abusing Lily and that being the reason she rebels against her siblings. So the whole show is set in the early 1900s with fem!Cas and Lily as the lead protagonists and the Winchesters just… don’t exist lol.

Also yeah Lily Sunder is 100% a lesbian, I’m tinhatting but listen. Right off the bat she’s remarkably independent and is a professor of history and the occult in 1901 which already has gay power + energy, and then she’s walking around in 2016 in a gay pantsuit and an eyepatch like……. and then you have her relationship with Akobel which is very clearly not romantic but they let people think they were which I mean thats bearding. And she certainly didnt love Ishim, he disgusted her and she cut ties with him when he started being obsessively in love with her, long before the Incident. Yes she has a daughter but it was the turn of the 20th century so comp het is NOT a stretch, never mind that May’s actual father is evidently not around anymore, if he ever even was since he’s never seen or described or even actually mentioned iirc. The situation is weirdly ambiguous so may could have even been adopted (also not a stretch for the time period) or who knows. Regardless it looks like Lily has been traumatised by men her whole long life and she managed to survive to a year where gay marriage is now legal and thats why i think she deserves a girlfriend

[strwbgirls]

Random Jason Todd headcanons that are now canon because I said so

~ As we know Jason Todd is big ass shit canonically being 6′0 and 225lbs I believe he is 6′3 but his boots defiantly add height so just imagine this 6′7 225lb man towering over whispering the dirtiest shit ever in your ear I'm combusting

~ I also heavily believe Jason smokes he's not a chain smoker he only does it when he gets in a shit mood or just needs to relax. it is very attractive watching him smoke

~ That being said when is in a shitty mood he finds comfort in your presence so just be there don't say relax with him, he appreciates more than you'll know

~ He has mommy and daddy issues so he definitely babies you but wants you to baby him back. he's the little spoon

~ He definitely looks out for the kids around Gotham. Bringing them groceries, and new clothes, getting them away from drugs, getting their parents into rehabs,  and letting them spend a couple nights at his warehouse.

~ I always used to headcanon that Jason was Latino but when I started reading Red Hood: Outlaws the webtoon  his shoulder tattoo reminded me of a Polynesian Tribal tattoo so now I believe he is defiantly mixed(latino&poly)

~ He is a feminist through and through. He actually believes women are the shit and is into powerful women. likes being dominated sometimes. 

~ He is into WOC I don't make the rules. He would wholeheartedly embrace your culture, any food, and special events. If you had curly hair he would learn how to take care of it and ask to help out with it sometimes. He would take time to research your culture. Definitely either cuss out racist or just kicks their ass really depends on his mood.

~ He is the world's biggest literature NERD. Reads people like William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, George Orwell, Alexandre Dumas, and Sir Conan Arthur Doyle. He would quote certain lines to you.

~ He loves it when you play nurse patching him up after patrol even if your medical knowledge is limited he would walk you through. Even better if you both heroes and you're just patch each other up trying making to make each other as comfortable as possible. 

[lovemyromance]

I think objectively, it is very difficult to pull off writing a traditionally feminine woman in the fantasy genre.

Because fantasy used to be kind of a "guy" thing. It used to be exclusively written by men, for men. That's where we get the wizards, the warlocks, the damsel in distress tropes. The women characters existing for the sole purpose to be love interests or sexual objects or witches or cruel succubi.

The introduction of romantasy as a genre is a double edged sword. On one hand, it allowed for a whole new generation of women to join the industry, dip their toes into a genre that used to be predominately men. It drew in women with the romance element, and empowered them through a main character that was typically also a woman. She was strong, she was brave, and she kicked ass. We all wanted to be Daenerys, or even someone like Susan from Narnia. It was meant to be empowering.

But I say it is a double edged sword because I'm uncertain if it really had that desired effect.

Kicking ass and fighting in epic battles, being cunning and brave and clever - these were all qualities of a male MC in most fantasy novels. With romantasy, we see those traits in many FMCs now as well. And they are very popular. Violet, Feyre, Katniss, Aelin, etc. are all extremely popular female MCs. But why are they popular? What is it about them that really drew people in?

In other words, are they popular and so adored because now instead of the soft, feminine and grace women were typically known for - they have hardened, masculine traits instead?

Is that all it took for these FMCs to earn respect and admiration? Switch their knitting needles and gardening gloves out for crude humor and a sword?

I don't even know how to explain it. I understand there are women with those qualities and they feel validated by the change in pace in literature now having real characters, women who have a purpose outside sex and serving as the arm candy for some hero. I appreciate how amazing it is that women are now painted in a light that shows how capable and brave they are.

But I think, in the process of doing that, we went a little too far on the other extreme. Instead of showing how "Hey, women are also brave and strong and beautiful and bold and clever" we have gone all the way down to "If you're not a fighter, if you're not a kickass warrior - then you're weak. Then you're boring. Then you're unworthy."

We are looking at traditionally soft, feminine women the same way men used to look at the whole lot of us. We are considering them 'less than' because they don't have a sword in their hands, they aren't spitting and fighting back, so therefore they must be weak. They must be boring. They must be useless.

I think that's why I fight so hard for Elain. Why I want her desires to be heard. Why I protest when I see her wishes and wants and actions so adamantly ignored in this fandom. Why I get so annoyed when I see her callously referred to as "Gardner girl" and "the useless sister"

Because as an individual? I am nothing like Elain. I probably have more things in common with the likes of Kim Kardashain than I do with Elain Archeron. But I still fight tooth and nail for this fictional character because fighting for her is in some way a representation of fighting for those women who hold onto that femininity. The graceful way they act, the kindness, the compassion they show and spread in this world. All they want is peace.

And we need that in this world. If everyone were a fighter, we'd always be in some war. These types of people (not limited to only women) hold a different kind of strength. These are the types of women that hold a family together, that create a sense of safety and belonging, and bring a community together. They care, they nurture, and they grow.

And I'm so tired of people suddenly acting like that kind of strength pales in comparison to a traditional warrior carrying a sword and shield.

[bri-sonat]

NSFW Questions About Gwen's Big Five - Part Three

Questions are taken from this. The original poster deactivated their account, so it's the reblog that is linked. All the questions are modified and some are removed (either because the question had already been answered or because it referred to hetero relations.)

NSFW Questions About Gwen's Big Five Masterlist

As always, a glorious team effort between @daydream-cement and I. With the occasional assistance from my love, @na-shoba.

Have they ever sent someone a dirty text/picture/video?

Brienne: In modern times, the farthest she has gone was to indulge in a few sexts with her partner at their initiation.

Larissa: A tasteful nude never hurt anyone. With a long-term partner, she may even indulge in an audio message on rare occasions.

Lucifer: No.

Phasma: Yes. To her romantic partner, definitely. All of the above. She loves teasing them and making them “ready” for her planned ventures.

Miranda: Absolutely! She loves sexting and taking nudes for her person. 

Would they have sex with their best friend?

Brienne: No.

Larissa: She did in high school and she would again. She loves having a strong bond with the people she has sex with so she would definitely have sex with her best friend.

Lucifer: Mazikeen? Yeah, totally.

Phasma: She doesn’t have a best friend. If she did and it was a woman… probably.

Miranda: She wouldn’t say no to Robin…

Is there anything they do after sex? (for example, smoke, eat, drink)

Brienne: If she was a smoker: she’d need a cigarette after that cause she’d be so stressed after the first couple of times. However, she’d go straight to aftercare for her partner or drink water for herself, depending on if she’s given or received it. 

Larissa: B-A-T-H. SHE LOVES TAKING BATHS (especially if the person she just had sex with is her romantic partner). It’s relaxing, there is the option for more sex, but most of all, it’s incredibly intimate and she loves that.

Lucifer: They love a good cuddle, pulling their partner to them and holding them while they both recover.

Phasma: If it’s a “conquest,” she either leaves the place of sex or kicks the person out of her quarters. If it’s her romantic partner, she’d let them hold her until they fall asleep.

Miranda: She loves snuggling and chatting. The most important thing to her is continuing the physical touch aspect as they have quality time together.

Something that will never fail to get them horny?

Brienne: Her partner’s moans, whimpers, whines, groans. Just her partner in general as well.

Larissa: Physically strong women.

Lucifer: Their partner.

Phasma: Having someone completely under her control, having them submit sexually to her.

Miranda: Hearing a woman moan.

Early-morning sex or late-night sex?

Brienne: She dabbles in whatever her partner wishes. She doesn’t have a preferred one.

Larissa: Early-morning sex.

Lucifer: Late-night sex.

Phasma: Whenever sex. But it’s mostly during the evenings. Sometimes morning sex.

Miranda: Late-night sex.

Favorite body part of the same sex?

Brienne: Boobs and thighs.

Larissa: Strong shoulders and a nice ass.

Lucifer: They cannot choose a favorite part of their partner. 

Phasma: Ass. Loves seeing it bright red. 

Miranda: Boobies :D

Something that they have hidden in their room that they don’t want anyone to find:

Brienne: In modern times: her (possible) sex toys. In olden times: maybe some lesbian literature.

Larissa: Preferably not her sex toys.

Lucifer: No one should be going through their belongings, lest they wish to suffer the consequences.

Phasma: She doesn’t care if someone finds anything in her room, they wouldn’t live long enough to share the knowledge. Also, no one would dare enter her room without her consent and even if they were allowed, they wouldn’t dare snoop around.

Miranda: Her strap-on.

Weirdest sexual act someone has performed [or tried to perform] on/with them:

Brienne: Heterosexuality. Someone tried and failed.

Larissa: Shapeshifting in the bedroom. She did not like shapeshifting her entire being for sex, but on the rare occasion, she doesn’t mind shapeshifting to have a penis.

Lucifer: They only smirked when asked this question.

Phasma: She only chuckled in disbelief when asked this question. She then smirked and said, “No one would dare to try anything with me.” Her romantic partner is excluded.

Miranda: In college, she once had a one-night stand with a guy who had a thing for women’s socks. She doesn’t like to talk about it.

Have they ever tasted themselves? [If no, would they?] [If yes, what did they think?]

Brienne: Yes, because she’s insecure about it and wanted to see how she tasted. At first, she’d feel insecure and a bit weirded out, but after some time she’d start to feel much better about it, especially if her partner tells her she tastes good. After this, she also starts licking off her partner’s fingers after they have fingered her and can appreciate kissing her partner after they have given her oral.

Larissa: Only after kissing her partner after receiving oral. She didn’t care for the taste, but the act itself was very erotic.

Lucifer: Of course. It was delightful.

Phasma: Yes. She loves it.

Miranda: Yep! She didn’t mind it, but she would rather taste herself on her partner’s lips.

[ninadove]

fav french media? (films, books, shows, games etc)

OH I LOVE THIS QUESTION THANK YOU SO MUCH 💖

I’m sure I’ll forget a lot of things and smack my own forehead in shame afterwards, but this is what comes to mind right away:

Literature:

Anything ever written by Victor Hugo is a masterpiece. This dude was a terrible human being, but he sure knew how to write, and he contributed to major changes in the social conscience of his contemporaries on many important topics (including but not limited to the death penalty and child labour). To give you a taste, here is my favourite poem ever, which he wrote, because of course he did.

My favourite piece of literature across all categories, though, is and forever will be Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand — the story of a man who convinced himself his unusually long nose makes him monstruous. The concept sounds so silly, I know, but this play is a masterpiece and a wonderful love letter to the French language.

Which brings me to my favourite comic series: De Cape et de Crocs by Alain Ayroles and Jean-Luc Masbou! Basically a twelve-volume-long fix-it fic, disguised as a tribute to French literature. Also, a beautiful bromance.

Visual arts:

Basically everyone in France can quote at least one line from Kaamelott, a comedic (?) series derived from the Arthurian legend. It is so well researched and hilarious — until it isn’t.

I’m sure there’s like, a very obvious movie choice that will come back to me in a minute, but I was raised on Disney and Scooby-Doo, so these are clogging my brain at the moment. Just give it time.

When I was very young, I would watch TV at my grandparents’ and enjoy Les Hydronautes, an animated series about an extraterrestrial explorer documenting the Earth’s marine wildlife in an effort to learn how to better protect her own planet (Aka There Are Many Benefits To Being A Marine Biologist: The Series), as well as C’est pas sorcier, a series of very fun documentaries on a plethora of subjects, from lavender farming to volcanic eruptions.

Obviously, Miraculous gets a place on the list too! 🐞🐈‍⬛

EDIT BECAUSE I FORGOT: Fantomette the animated series! This show is single-handedly responsible for my taste for smart women with amazing hair who ride motorbikes and kick ass. It even had Egytpology as a key part of the plot.

Music:

For me Formidable by Charles Aznavour is a classic, a very cute song, and a great place to start if you want to learn French!

A few other favourites include Fanny Ardant et moi by Vincent Delerm, Le Dîner by Bénabar (extremely funny to listen to while thinking about the Diamonds’ Dance) and J’ai cherché by Amir (This one is… Borderline when it comes to grammar, but cute enough that I grin and bear it. Also, it got us an honourable ranking at the Eurovision a while back, which is rare enough to be celebrated).

ALSO. I complain too much about bad translations and poor writing (see previous bullet point) not to show you kids how it’s done with Je vole from Aladdin (a genius play on words which delves into the two significations of the verb “voler”: to fly or to steal).

Video games:

Long ago, before I discovered the wonderful world of Nintendo, I would wait patiently every month for the new issue of Toboclic. This game had everything: cute animal mascots, stories, mini-games, arts-and-crafts suggestions, catchy songs, interactive documentaries… I’m sure my parents still have the CDs somewhere, but they probably don’t run anymore, which is a shame. I miss my friends.

Thank you so much for the ask, this was so fun to write!

@dragongutsixofficial please do this too so we can compare notes! 👀💖

[hyacinth-sims]

Il mio raggio di sole

Summary: A Mercutio Monty character study. Often seen as the jokester who is second in line to the Monty throne, many don’t know what lurks beneath the surface.

Warning: Vague descriptions of death, SAAAAAD :(

Pairings: None, Even more vaguely implied past Tybalt Capp/Mercutio Monty, Past Consort Capp/Patrizio Monty

Word Count: 1.8k

Author’s Note: I really didn’t know if this one would be as sad as Tybalt’s but I think it is, oops! I’m also amazed at the fact that Mercutio’s character study and Tybalt’s are almost the exact same length, maybe give or take 5-10 words. While I feel like I’ve always “gotten” Tybalt, Mercutio was a bit more of a challenge but I feel like I really learned a lot about what I think of him through writing this 😁 Also if you have any one shot ideas (preferably VV/Tycutio) for me, feel free to send them! I’ve had so much fun with my current iterations of Tybalt and Mercutio (does that make me a sadist?) and I’m excited to see how they’ll interact with each other. 

There were a few important facts about Mercutio Monty. He spoke English and Italian fluently but mostly kept the Italian within the family. He wanted to master the electric guitar before the age of 25 and the acoustic guitar before 28. His favorite food was calamari with a spritz of lemon juice. All of the romantic poetry he’d written in his literature classes wasn’t actually about anyone but rather some cool bugs he’d seen outside of his house. He liked tall men and women of any height and liked it if both looked as if they could kick his ass. He’d only let his hair be as short as just beneath the chin and as long as his collarbone. And most importantly, he never wanted to be the Monty heir. 

He was fine with letting that responsibility fall onto his younger brother, Romeo, who seemed rather excited to one day lead the family. Mercutio, on the other hand, couldn’t imagine being tied to Veronaville for the rest of his life. He wanted to see what else was out there for him, past the rolling hills, dividing rivers, and the feud that hung over his hometown like a dark cloud. 

It would be impossible to talk about himself and his life without mentioning ‘the feud,’ as it was aptly yet uncreatively called. It started long before he was born, and much as he wanted to believe otherwise—it would likely continue on past his death. Mercutio never wanted any part in it, but it seems as though his pure existence as a member of the Monty family was enough to be involved. Of course, he would defend his family when insulted, but the entire thing was just stupid. 

It initially started generations ago over a geographical dispute; both families wanted to claim the lands by the river as their own. Clearly, it was never resolved because it only gave way to more violence and more death. The current iteration of the feud began with his Nonno and Consort Capp on the other side of town. What was interesting, though, was the fact Consort was not born a Capp. They were matriarchal on their side of town, and the feud started before Consort even married into the family. Supposedly, it was due to their shared business going under, but plot twist—Nonno was actually dating Contessa Capp, and Consort had stolen her from right under his nose. That’s not all, though, double plot twist! Consort and Nonno had actually been a thing before the entire thing with Contessa happened. Nobody else knew about this except for Mercutio and the eldest generation, of course. He really had no idea who he’d tell or if it was worth talking about at all. 

Even after this, though, there were ebbs and flows of the feud. The most peaceful the town had been in a long while had been during his childhood. There were no fights in the streets, no murmured threats, and even some positive interactions were had between the Montys and Capps. His parents often encouraged the latter, allowing their children to have playdates with the Capp children on occasion and rebuking Nonno and Nonna’s disapproval of it. His father had even been childhood friends with Cordelia Capp, the heiress before her untimely death. 

He recalled times on the playground as children, hitting each other with foam swords and playing pretend—as if they were the Capp and Monty heiress and heir, respectively, in 1600s Veronaville. 

Things had seemed to be on an upward path throughout his early years, with his father on the Monty side and Cordelia on the Capp side. Neither of them was interested in continuing the feud, and there were even talks of peace in the future. It all seemed too good to be true, and it turned out to be just that. There was a fire in their home, and the kids had managed to escape without any scratches somehow—but Cordelia and Caliban had not been so lucky. 

Mercutio was 12 years old when this happened, and he wanted to attend the funeral. He knew Cordelia and Caliban; they had never been anything but nice to him. He wanted to show his support and make sure that the Capp siblings were okay. His parents were both wrecks; leaving the house seemed nearly impossible for them. His Nonno yelled at him for even thinking of such a thing.

He wasn’t able to go to the funeral. 

There were whispers on the other side of town that the fire was deliberately caused by a member of the Monty family. Mercutio never wanted to imagine that someone he was related to was capable of something like that. Whether or not they were true, they had brought back the feud in full force. Friends he thought he’d made had become strangers again, and the town had become more divided than ever. 

It caused a particularly bad falling out, one that had yet to be topped. Childhood crushes should never be affected by adult problems, but the feud seemed to truly want to take over every aspect of his life. 

His parents were never quite the same after the fire. His mother was becoming heavily pregnant, but she was also growing sicker. She was bedridden most days and often in too much pain to even speak to Mercutio. There was a feeling of impending doom that hung over their home; they all knew that something bad was going to come eventually.

Mercutio found her. She was still in bed, but she no longer looked in pain. For the first time in months, she looked at peace, but he still had tried his hardest to wake her up. 

Olivia Monty had passed away during the night. The doctors said it was due to something called eclampsia, something she had never discussed with her children before. Everyone was too distraught to plan a proper funeral for her, especially his father. Mercutio did not know the man his father had become during his last 6 months of life. He was withdrawn, solemn, as if he had lost his will to live the day his wife had died.

Claudio Monty passed away exactly half a year after his wife. They called it broken heart syndrome—it seems even his body didn’t have much of a reason to go on either. Mercutio was lucky to have not been the one to find him, but he’ll never forget the wails of his grandmother as she begged for him to come back. 

The funeral was one for both his mother and father. There was no burial or casket, and his father had wanted to be cremated alongside his mother. He made that very clear before his death. It was a quiet affair inside his grandparent's home, and he’d chosen to block out most of his memories of it except for one. 

His nonno had pulled him aside as his brother and sister cried and cried. He’d told him that while he was taking them in now, he and Nonna would not be there forever. As the oldest, it was now Mercutio’s responsibility to look out for his younger siblings. He needed to guide them, to protect them, to lead them through the dark and uncertainty of what life would bring now.  

So Mercutio stood by them as they cried, his face unwavering as he tried to be the image of strength and resilience. Ever since that day, he had cried only maybe twice more in his life. His grandparents never seemed to be too concerned with his well-being, taking his positive attitude at face value. It was as if they had forgotten that Mercutio was the one to find his mother dead, not Romeo or Viola. 

Nonna would call him il mio raggio di sole, her ray of sunshine. She said their home wouldn’t be as bright without him, as he brought the light into what became a deeply dark period of time for them. It was at that very moment that Mercutio knew what he was born for. Romeo was born to be the heir, to become the leader of their family and take up that responsibility. Viola was born to be doted on, the youngest girl with two older brothers with a coy smile and a face identical to their mother’s.

Mercutio was born to keep everyone happy. He was born to pretend that he was fine, that if he could be nothing but jokes and laughter after such a tragedy—maybe the rest of the family could heal as well. But as with many things in Veronaville, it was all a facade.

More often than not, Mercutio couldn’t get the image of his deceased mother out of his head. He wanted to yell at the urns of his mother and father, asking just why they couldn’t hold on for their children. Why his mother couldn’t take better care of herself during her pregnancy, why his father couldn’t have found a will to live through his struggling kids, just why, why, why. 

He never spoke about his parents, not to anybody. He knew he’d fall apart if their names left his lips. He never wanted to be that vulnerable, he never wanted to cry, and he never wanted to show that side of him to anyone. 

Mercutio wrote love poems about bugs. He wrote a sonnet about an orchid mantis on the blooming flowers in their garden. A haiku about a ladybug that had made its way onto the dashboard of his car. A ballad about a butterfly that had fluttered around his head for what felt like a lifetime. It was easier to lie, to lie and say he was letting his guard down through the writing he submitted to his literature teacher. 

He kept everything that was real locked away inside a leather-bound journal, which was gifted to him by his Nonna after his report card showed an A- in Literature. He wrote about death, despair, hopelessness, depression, about how he really felt. He wrote about love, about what it would mean to let someone fully in, about freedom, about escaping this hell hole that threatened to destroy him before he could graduate. The leather-bound journal held the key to his very soul, and he would never let anyone see the inside of it. 

Not now, anyway. 

[kairiscorner]

Ri. Ri. Ri the rizz master. Meron akong brainrot ulit 😭

beh, u should def watch maria clara at ibarra. Its so good like man 😩

but imagine… miguel/noir in a noli au. The clothes???? The plot??? The tagalog OMGGG, like imagine miguel using really old tagalog, as in, the days where ppl still used señor/señorita. Words like maharlika and the like. (Sana tama yung spelling ko hahahsj)

i could go on and on about imagining them in old filipino literature. I can’t. Im so far gone.

-leonara <3

NAKO ATE ARE YOU TRYNA KILL ME????????? man i found ibarra hot there though HE'S THE STANDARD YOU CAN'T BLAME MEEEEE

anyway, so imagine,

miguel o'hara in a noli au

ok so we were both colonized by the spanish right, so i think that YES, YOU BOTH WOULD'VE UNDERSTOOD EACH OTHER IN SPANISH KUNG MESTIZO/A KAYO; but if not, bc from what i remember, the indios weren't taught spanish, you'd kind of just..... listen to him, and if he says a word you understand in tagalog, you'd answer him in tagalog and JUST--

i think if you really didn't understand him bc of how malalim tagalog was back then, which was way more common than how my conyo ass speaks, you two probably wouldn't come to an understanding, you'd probably resort to using your body language to tell him LMAO

also am i the only one who thinks filipino/filipina beauty, doesn't matter if you're moreno/morena or pale or darker than that, really captivates miggy? like even if you didn't look like mestiza women at the time and were a pure-blooded filipino/filipina, HE WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH HOW YOU LOOKED EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T GO ALL OUT FOR HIM (he knows you're perfect :>)

he would try to impress you with his spanish, but honestly, you couldn't care less bc YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HALF THE SHIT HE'S SAYING, so you just... nod... and... leave.......

when you're waiting out by your window, or nagpapahangin lang ykyk kasi mas malamig noon, he'd call out to you and say you look lovely tonight in the MOST FANCY OLD TAGALOG WAY (fuck di ko alam kung paano, BUT LEMME TRY SOMETHING HUHU)

"aba'y binibini/ginoo... ikaw ay punong-puno ng kagandahan ngayong gabi; ang mga tala sa langit ay daig pa sa iyong ning-ning."

then he fuckin winks and you're dead

if you knew him ever since you were younger, he would write those letters ibarra sends maria clara, AND HE'D GAZE OVER AT YOU SO LOVINGLY AS YOU READ THEM OUT LOUD, AND WHEN HE CATCHES YOU BLUSHING HE'D SAY IT, HE'D CALL YOU OUT

"aking binibini, ika'y... namumula. kay ganda ng pula sa iyong mukha, ika'y tilang isang rosas na namumukadkad."

(((oh the urge to kiss him right then and there fuckkk)))

he would harana you. that is FINAL. he would sing in spanish because that's how he expresses himself best, and because he's more familiar with them. but i think he'd compose his own songs in spanish AND TAGALOG FOR U

IF YOU FR DON'T GET THE HINT HE LIKES YOU, HE WILL STRAIGHT UP ASK YOU ONE DAY IF YOU'D WANT TO RUN AWAY WITH HIM AND LET HIM TAKE CARE OF YOU

HE WANTS A FUCKING FUTURE WITH YOU AWAY FROM THE COLONIZERS AND BULLSHIT THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE NOLI AND WANTS TO SEE YOU SAFE AND SOUND. HE WILL KICK THE SHIT OUT OF THE GUARDIA CIVIL IF THEY FUCKING HURT YOU !!!!!!

"aking sinta, ipinapangako ko. hindi kita pakakawalan, hindi kita iiwanan sa impyernong ito, sapagkat ikaw ang natatanging liwanang sa aking buhay, ang tanging minamahal at mamahalin ko hanggang ako'y yumao't mawala sa mundo. nais kong maramdaman at maranasan mo na ikaw lang ang mundo ko. tu eres mi unico mundo." (shit sana tama AAAAAAA)

a/n: BIG THANK YOU TO ATE @binibinileonara FOR THE REQ AND INSPO, LOVE YOU PO ATEEE /platonically <333

tags !! @thecoolerdor @miguelswifey04 @luvstarrstruck @binibinileonara

[cerool]

this one's for my kroomfies

I love Kromer. not only is she a fantastic character but the intricacies of her character especially in correlation to her novel source material exemplify her as one of the greatest fictional characters in literature. This is not a work of satire. Every claim should be taken with the utmost respect Kromer deserves. Your eyes are being blessed by these very words appearing on your screen. << CANTO III SPOILERS AHEAD >>

We'll be dividing the aspects of Kromer into three core parts:

𝔊𝔞𝔰𝔩𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔊𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔨𝔢𝔢𝔭 𝔊𝔦𝔯𝔩𝔟𝔬𝔰𝔰

𝔊𝔞𝔰𝔩𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱: Lets be honest with ourselves- Sinclair is a little baby boy. If you kicked him into a McDonalds ball pit he would be swept along the endless waves of sweat-stained plastic spheres. If it weren't for his equally twinky little boyfriend he would be no different from those tiny hamsters you could pop in your mouth like a to-go snack. "waaah I wanna make friends waah i'm going to spill my family's top secret contract operations for clout-"

STOP!

Oh hey little baby boy. It's a shame you look so lost, you're so mature for your age. You don't like prosthetics? Wow, we're so alike haha. Look at her. Look at how amazing she is. Taking this sad small gerbil creature and taking him under her wing. They're such good friends, look how well they get along with each other. You don't need anyone else, especially not that pale floating gay rat child.

They're so perfect for each other. She's nurturing his twink-ass to the best that he can be, working together to make a noble and beautiful change for the world filled with golden kromer statues and public kromer kissing boo-

If you're not impaling with your bestie then are you even besties???

𝔊𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔨𝔢𝔢𝔭: Put yourself in Sinclair's shoes again. You feel so pathetic already, don't you. Your toes wriggling around in your Gucci slides. The scent of white boy elitism. Now imagine you're hanging with your weirdo family and you're eating dinner together.

this is what phones do to your brain in 2016. Look at that idiot trying to eat a battery. Don't you feel silly? Don't you feel stupid?

I bet you do, you silly little boy. That's why every one of them should be put to death. Just as our goddess believes.

ALL. 👏 NATURAL. 👏 JUST LIKE GOD INTENDED. 💅 erm beep boop beep boop sorry I can't understand a Busch Systems Aristata Double XL Recycling & Trash Can, Mixed Recyclables/Waste, 56 Gallon, Slate keep on crying

Look at this smile. Those beautiful moonlit eyes. I dunno why Sinclair was crying the whole time look how pretty she is omg if she's The One Who Grips then call me The One Getting Gripped if you know what i m 𝔊𝔦𝔯𝔩𝔟𝔬𝔰𝔰: she's a lady of conviction and strength. the only men she needs are ones on a leash (me). she's a model advocate of women's rights and women's wrongs.

she’s a leader devoted to a just cause

just cause I want her bust cause I wanna feel her thrust cause I-

god the things I would let this woman do to me

[daenystheedreamer]

i thoght the yaoi thing was joke? :(

its /hj. tbc i haaaate most yaoi the majority of it is tasteless voyeuristic erotica which isnt like an evil thing to make but still extremely bad. i think its funny and i mostly read it cos its hilarious. more thoughts under the cut

it's misrepresented and #misunderstood especially by western gay people. its not representation, it's not 'led by queer people', and the difference between 'yaoi' and 'boy's love' is marginal. it's predominantly heterosexual women who enjoy writing drawing reading two (or more..) guys fuck which is fine. yaoi vs bl is often used as both a categorical distinction (yaoi is erotica, bl isn't) and a moral one (yaoi is cringe/homophobic/bad and bl is pure/wholesome/untainted) which is like fundamentally so wrong if you know anything about the genre.

the history is really interesting. It's roots are firmly in shojou manga, as in, explicitly for young women. early works are often taboo-breaking and deal with sexual abuse, incest, etc. an early muse for the genre was bjorn andressen as tadzio in the film 'death in venice' and if you know anything about that film and andressen says A Lot. shonen ai (literally boy love) was originally a term which was pederastic in nature but became the name for the genre. to crib from the wikipedia article cos it summarises it well:

While the term shōnen-ai historically connoted ephebophilia or pederasty, beginning in the 1970s it was used to describe a new genre of shōjo manga (girls' manga) featuring romance between bishōnen (lit. "beautiful boys"), a term for androgynous or effeminate male characters. Early shōnen-ai works were inspired by European literature, the writings of Taruho Inagaki, and the Bildungsroman genre Shōnen-ai often features references to literature, history, science, and philosophy; Suzuki describes the genre as being "pedantic" and "difficult to understand", with "philosophical and abstract musings" that challenged young readers who were often only able to understand the references and deeper themes as they grew older.

Yaoi, on the other hand:

Coined in the late 1970s by manga artists Yasuko Sakata and Akiko Hatsu, yaoi is a portmanteau of yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi (山[場]なし、落ちなし、意味なし), which translates to "no climax, no point, no meaning".[f] Initially used by artists as a self-deprecating and ironic euphemism, the portmanteau refers to how early yaoi works typically focused on sex to the exclusion of plot and character development; it is also a subversive reference to the classical Japanese narrative structure of introduction, development, twist, and conclusion

by the way, that [f] note is: "The acronym yamete, oshiri ga itai (やめて お尻が 痛い, "stop, my ass hurts!") is also less commonly used."

Like the term fujoshi, meaning 'rotten girl', is the same it's very silly and self-deprecating. That's so fun! I think the yaoi genre in general is a really interesting phenomena that's rooted so deeply in Japan as a culture. I think it's great that women are able to sincerely enjoy something fun, I think it's great that women were able and continue to have successful careers in writing, and I also think it's mostly bad.

A lot of modern stuff, especially the works getting pumped out of korea by genuinely evil webtoon companies, suffer from the fundamental problems with serialisation. It putters from chapter to chapter and every single one is the same as the other. A lot of Japanese bl/yaoi is in the form of short fiction, about 5-10 chapters, and again there are fundamental problems with this. they often suffer from too much crammed in AND from so little stretched thin.

I also think yes morally or 'representationally' or whatever they are like Pretty cringe. like sorry uke/seme is BAD. sexual assault is not even handled so much as it is kicked around. Women are non-existent at best and horrifically sexist at worst. Also the writing, though ofc i read (often fan-) translated works, just sucks.

You guys don't know how bad it gets. like ok example.... it's hard giving examples cos most of its just boring or bad in a lame way. okay there's this korean rom-com drama webtoon about a boss and his employee and the boss is actually an immortal snake-deity who fell in love with this guy and his employee is the reincarnation of that guy. sounds fine right? well the snake boss has two dicks. So.

[ahiddenpath]

Recently, I've been thinking about reading for pleasure and reading for challenge and I remembered your answer to that ask game where you mentioned your friend's list of literature. If you feel comfortable, could you share the list?

Sure thing! This is going to get really long so... List beneath the cut.

So my friend split these into two groups: authors you must read for a masters in literature (that you will actually enjoy bc they kick ass) and books you will enjoy that kick ass. Her recs were centered on fantasy and magical realism, at my request.

Magical realism you’d be forced to read in a masters program that’s also good actually (tm) Salman Rushdie

Morrison obviously

Louise Erdrich (tho she’d prolly object to being called magical realism)

Haruki Murakami

Stuff that is Not School Stuff but Actually Good (tm):

The Witcher novels

These are the Witcher novels in order:

blood of elves time of contempt baptism of fire the tower of the swallow lady of the lake

There are also two short stories.

Kingkiller chronicles (unfinished but worth it anyway)

The entire hainish cycle by Leguin

Michal moorecock’s elric saga (as or maybe more influential than Tolkien in pop culture fantasy, why D&D exists) read this before the Witcher books maybe

Pratchett obviously

Kelly Link’s stories (all over the genre map)

Gene Wolfe shadow and claw collection

Books to Grow By

This is a combination of recs from my friend and stuff I found myself, apologies for linking out but typing it again seems redundant.

-List 1

-More on the biographies of women mentioned at the bottom of the post linked above

-More on The Left Hand of Darkness, LeGuin

-More on Beloved, Morrison and how it impacted the writing I was doing at the time, although it's embarrassing to say that bc Beloved is an absolute master class in the novel and is incomparable and I feel almost blasphemous even talking about it, except that it might inspire other people to read it, so I will talk about it!!!! In the hopes that people read it!!!! Please read it.

I haven't spoken about it yet, but I really want to add Ducks, Kate Beaton to the list. It's an autobio graphic novel about Kate, a woman from Nova Scotia who took a job on the oil sands to pay off her history degree. It gets dark fast, I would check out trigger warnings first.

This book is so packed with... So many things that I... I hate that they exist, but I really want people to see them, to know about them. I grew up in a lower middle class family on the east coast of the USA. My parents spoke about money problems constantly, so I legit thought we were poor. We were not, although my parents struggled with money their whole lives and will likely never retire and will pass away in debt.

When I was in college, I made friends with my literature pal above online. We've been friends for... God, probably about 12 years now, chatting daily online. I don't want to get into her life too much on Tumblr.com, but she actually grew up in poverty, and graciously taught me what poverty actually is. That might sound sarcastic, but it isn't at all. Sharing your life experience like that takes a lot of trust, time, and emotional energy, and it isn't something we can just... expect to be given for the sake of our own growth (ick, right??).

Like Beaton, lots of people are born in places where comfortable and lucrative jobs are not readily available. Also like Beaton, many folks earn a college degree that will almost certainly not pay for itself in terms of securing gainful employment. People in those circumstances often end up in jobs that destroy their body, their mental health, and their dignity. Class status isn't only dependent on income; it's also dependent on the type of work a family unit does. Jobs that wreck your body can pay well, but at what price?

There are a million themes and glimpses of humanity and horror in this book, I wish everyone would read it. The book was a huge success, and most libraries carry it, so try to check it out!

[mostdontknowit]

It’s weird hearing criticisms about things that I’ve love pretty much the second I learned about them. And agreeing about them. I wonder how I would have felt about these criticisms when I was younger.

Like Chronicles of Narnia was (and still is) one of my favorites. I loved the world building. One criticism is there’s obvious reference towards the bible. I’ve always recognized that but always felt it was for everyone. That meaning I think if you never heard a peep about Christianity, you’re not going to be indoctrinated into something. Like every piece of literature could, in theory, be an gateway to some kind of cult/religion. It’s probably a bit more direct with Narnia. But I guess I kind of don’t think of it as a legitimate concern. Like kids are smart, they’re not going to suddenly adapt a religion from a book. They might adapt other idealogies, but that’s true for any form of media/entertainment they consume. Also I think most people MUST experience spirituality on their own. So even if this was something more influential I think the exposure is good. I would say that about most religions/spiritual beliefs so long as they’re not harming them.

A criticism I do think is worth paying attention to is racism/sexism. There are some stereotypical things about the middle east. I’m pretty ignorant about all of that but when the books talked about some of the more villainous groups of people I did picture middle eastern people when I was younger due to harmful stereotypes. And I think that is something a bit more influential in the long run.

Sexism too has been noted. I will admit it’s harder for me to recognize but the more obvious things (the men being the fighters, women being the nurturers) are apparent. I think I have a hard time with this because I am so exposed to this being the thing in most forms of story-telling that I don’t think of it as much. I love a story with women breaking those boundaries and always have. But I guess I’ve been so exposed to so many stories and societal factors that I don’t know that it’s fair to criticize the world of Narnia. I think it would be more fair to criticize many stories as a whole and just how society is in that department... I think one of the reasons where I love stories with kick ass women is because I agree with the idea of representation. I remember thinking at a young age I could probably count on my hands what type of roles women play in movies and books. (Roles being like motherly figure, emotional, and other sexist tropes).

I was going to include a few other things (Lord of the Ring another obvious example) but didn’t expect this to be so long. So I’m gonna stop for now.

[water-mellie-seeds]

Lake I’ve become so rejection sensitive dysphoria-ly upset by something so trivial tell me about your fos

I TRULY understand this one RSD is a cruel mistress for Real

OH BOY at risk of talking about serizawa AGAIN and at risk of talking about upwards of 50 f/os lets talk about our f/o fight finalists!

Approaching this as if the people reading Do Not Know all of these characters,just in case some people in fact do not know anything about them

Luigi! He's definitely the f/o I've known and loved the longest! The year of luigi was catered to me specifically/j I just think his evolution as a character is SO interesting,especially in the M&L series. He is just such a genuinely good guy,he's sweet and even competitive (moreso in the party/kart/sports games) and I would legitimately do anything for him. I feel this way about a lot of my f/os but i genuinely wish i could just tell him how important he is BECAUSE EVERYONE IS SO MEAN TO HIM SO MUCH(i know its for the bit but cmon!) oh yeah mario and that other guy type thing YOU LNOW HIS NAME >:(

Kumatora. I could literally talk at length about her but ultimately id just go in circles. Her recklessness when she was younger reminds me of mine. She's a badass,and she's sassy and headstrong and super powerful and yet so chill. She's also just. A good person. I know that if shit got real she would protect me,and even though i am absolutely all talk when it comes to my ability to kick ass,id do my best to protect her too. Also she has PSI so i mean. Kind of a pattern with me,huh?

Dr. Jan. I've always loved people who work in museums or amusement parks and the like. I love to see people who actually...like their jobs. Who make it their own and have fun with it! So..it's only natural id end up liking her. She's an enthusiast of all things ancient and an avid cryptid nerd. I LOVE her enthusiasm. I LOVE her vibe she is also very pretty.

Shuichi. I'm gonna be so honest i do not much like Danganronpa V3 as a game. I love the characters in it,though. but he's a really good protagonist and he just feels...very organic. His struggles with self worth and confidence really resonate with me and i love how he slowly starts to open up and really get into it during cases/trials! I'm also a voice guy and. I really like his voice very much i sometimes listen to like. Shuichi saihara voice files compilations on YouTube it scratches my brain.

Monika. Look. Again I'm a voice guy. Also,i stayed with her for every. Single. Topic she could bring up. Multiple times over. I am down fucking bad. I tried to start a literature club because of her in my own school. I started writing poems again because of her. She told me to put her file on a usb and carry it with me always and i did. I bought a lil white ribbon and tied it on there and then i put the usb on a neckace made of frayed computer wire and i BROUGHT HER EVERYWHERE I WENT. I am in love with her. She is. The true concept of an f/o. And she loves us back,that's the part that gets me.

Queen. Yeah i like silly women i like robots. No one is surprised. She is so cool i want to drink battery acid with her. Ill become a peon i dont even carw

CAPT. SPACEBOY. I haven't ever really been able to pinpoint why EXACTLY im so into him,but i am. I could treat him so so well. I couldn't fit him absolutely not but we could be worse together <3 he sings,he travels through space he's a pirate and also super nice and hospitable. We both got funky mental illnesses going on also hes just hot. Like objectively.

Jessie and James. Package deal. Im glad tumblr seems to appreciate them as much as i do. Theyre both SUCH well written characters. I have known them forever. When i saw them crossdressing as a kid it blew my mind. PEOPLE CAN DO THAT???? Indigo league in general is so so good,but jessie and james really steal the show. They have such interesting and compelling backstories and they are poor just like me fr.(well ok team rocket is. James' family doesnt count i would have also left) we could go on a date to the clearance section in the supermarket./hj i just love them very much ALSO THEY SHOULDNT HAVE TAKEN AWAY JAMES' FAKE BOOBIES! NOT FAIR! I would never do that to him.

Thank you for listening if you guys ever wanna pick an f/o on the list for me to go off about i will do it. For you all

[marimeeko]

Makes you wonder are they also going to change Master Pakku? 🤔 are they going to take out that sexism too? Humblimg that geezer and changing the SWTs gender roles is one of Kataras greatest moments in the show.

What about Zuko who starts out really rude and angry towards his team and his uncle?

Like... there is a difference between seeing something problematic and changing it, and completely overcorrecting..stop neutralizing all of these very well written character development beats. Stop being afraid for your characters to have FLAWS that they confront/are confronted about, and overcome. STOP NEUTRALIZING CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.

Sokka was sexist but it was a learned, societal view placed on him as the ONE remaining boy who was over the age of 5 in a village with no men because of a war!! That is important to his character! And he gets humbled EARLY on in the first season. He gets his ass kicked by a girl in a village run by warrior women, and his sister also never puts up with his shit.

That is part of his ARC.

Do writers not know what an arc is anymore?? Can we not have nuanced characters who start in a not perfect state and progress, unlearn and become better people by the end?? Having a character LEARN something is a part of storytelling, and part of what makes a character compelling, this is literature 101.

My god what are they going to do to Zukos arc? Is he going to still be a catty, pouty little grouch in the first season..???

Alright now this pissed me off

What do you MEAN you're going to remove one of the most important aspects of Sokka's character arc in the first season? What do you MEAN you're going to remove Sokka unlearning misogyny, accepting change and embracing his role as a fighter and protector of the Avatar in order to end the war? What do you MEAN???

[iindieiinfestation]

Sapphic love story about a vampire and a human. (Pending Title)

So, one of my favourite things to read is paranormal romance. And something I felt I've been lacking on my shelf are queer romances of women loving women but one of them happens to be a vampire. So I have decided to take the liberty (again) to try to create a story about two roommates who slowly discover that they love each other- while the other has no idea that she's a vampire.

In essence I mainly made this account to give a crack at motivating myself to write and post after a few years hiatus from the internet. I am excited to share with the world my ideas for stories and my love of reading, art, and literature!

About my vampire universe:

(BIIIG work in progress things may change in the future as I hash out more ideas and flesh out lore.)

In this universe, humans know of the existence of vampires and have since the dawn of time. Often the vampires are believed to be born from darkness, while humans were born of light. Humans believed that vampires were born as a mockery of the human race and were thought to be only capable of evil. Most, lived in fear of their corroborators- the "wretched" they shared the Earth with. But as times moved on, may wars ebbed and flowed over the centuries-. rival species fighting for dominance, control, power and blood. Eventually they struck a truce...

Present time, vampires live with humans- peaceful for the most part but the stigma of the species still lingers in some spaces; making existence difficult for some. The main heroine of the story is Lilith, the daughter of a large political figure in the vampire world. Lilith wan't nothing to do with her family's business and desires to live with the humans and try to salvage a normal life for herself. She works a night shift at an undisclosed location (until I figure out were I want her to work, lol!) and lives with her roommate, Aurora.

What I hope to convey in this story is a tale of light and dark, two unlikely people coming together and honestly kicking some ass. A sweet romance that will make people laugh, cry, and fall in love with my characters and universe. (even if I abandon this idea, I hope future ideas pique interest in others!!! I also draw so stay tuned for that!!)

Some things to note about this universe!

Vampires are born, not made. It is not a disease. They burn in the sunlight, and the sclera (the whites) of their eyes turn a deep black when agitated, excited, eating. they have fangs that are *not* retractable. Their body temperature is lower than a humans, causing them to be colder as well as healing slowly unless they recently fed on fresh blood. They cannot die of old age (like a lobster lol) but can die from substantial blood loss. Also they have black blood, which when agatated, pumps faster in their veins causing black lines to appear in their skin.

Will add more later! have a lovely night!

[daddyd0nt]

Okay but what is that sort of famous short story about the bored rich girl who gets herself sent to a girls reform school and gets her ass kicked? I remember having to read it in my "Women In Literature" class sophomore year, the title was something like "Form an X County Girls Reformatory" or something like that and its the first thing i think of when I think of Ginger Bronson