#more intellectually arrogant than i want to sound

[liskantope]

Exactly, @self-winding!

And @postsforposting's response has a lot of useful insights that I'm going to be suggesting (and which I'm inclined to agree with, although I could pick out issues with a couple of particular minor things you mentioned like implying that ED is a form of asexuality, and I can't quite parse something you said about autism). The main reason I want to amplify your response is that it lends insight into (possibly) why a certain class of conditions have become held up by a certain subculture as Not Unfortunate By Any Objective Standard and Not To Be Cured, while others haven't.

This all comes back to the social model of disability, of course.

I'm actually very emotional about the "other side is trying to kill trans people" thing. I've never expanded on why, and I don't know how much it shows in my writing. The people who say that thing are clearly very emotional as well, for the very obvious and understandable reason that people tend to be emotional when they're convinced that a large swath of the population actively wants them dead. But anyway, the night before last, I and a non-mutual got ourselves and each other a bit riled up in the reply section of this post and another one, each clearly very frustrated by the end, and while I was trying to fall asleep that night I was seriously contemplating making a short-ish new OP which would say roughly the following thing uncharacteristicly bluntly and harshly (not fully endorsed, and adorned with some qualifications and content warnings before and after):

Conservatives are correct that there is some new, main poisonous ideology afflicting the Left, but they're wrong about what it is, and I'm not sure they're even properly aware of the actual ideology existing and the nature of how it's confusing people. The poisonous ideology is... the social model of disability.

(Or rather, a sort of simplistic Very Online pop version of it, because I'm pretty sure there are plenty of ideas in the actual nuanced scholarship surrounding the social model of disability that do have merit: what I'm attacking is the absolutist idea that viewing conditions/traits/disabilities falling into a certain class as inherently unfortunate is a form of bigotry and essentially indistinguishable from other forms of bigotry, including genocidal beliefs.)

I don't believe that fallacious reasoning of the form "X people want this policy which I believe will get Y people killed" ==> "X people actively want Y people dead" or "X people want Y people to no longer have condition Y" ==> "X people want to exterminate all people with condition Y (because I know it's impossible for people with condition Y to stop having condition Y)" comes directly from the social model of disability: rather, the fallacy mostly follows directly from a failure to exercise Theory of Mind, and to some extent from a different fallacy I don't know the name for (but have intended to write about for years) where someone confuses [existence of a person with a particular trait] with [existence of a particular trait in a person]. But I believe that being profoundly steeped in the mentality that comes with (this pop version of) the social model of disability seriously has the potential to dull one's ability to overcome the two fallacies I just mentioned.

And I should mention that failure to use Theory of Mind is a widespread issue that's probably as old as time (feeling acutely aware of it from the age of around 12 is what I consider the main formative event that made me into an (aspiring) rationalist), whereas the version of the social model of disability that I'm complaining about is quite new, as in it wasn't really visible to me as recently as a decade ago outside of being aware that some in the deaf community wanted their kids to be or remain deaf (and dismissing that attitude as absolutely bonkers at the time).

As for the pop social model of disability itself, I never examined that closely what might be driving it; I always assumed it was a matter of the Left wanting to not only remove blame from the individual (this is what I call low-agency-ism and have thought extensively about) but also remove blame from nature or The Universe Being Unfair, so as to put all of the blame for what harm comes from someone's condition/disorder on Society.

But postsforposting, your analysis goes much deeper, better addresses why certain conditions/disabilities fall into the Wanting To Cure Them Is Bigotry category while certain others don't, and while not necessarily the actual primary correct explanation is certainly one worth considering.

I think part of the reason I tend to get so argumentative nowadays about "what your side proposes kills people" -type political talking points is that it seems that this is being used more and more frequently as a rhetorical bludgeon, mainly (though not entirely) from the Left. There's a lot of shutting down of arguments based on "but HUMAN LIVES", and it's begun to feel to me like a disturbing trend. For instance, a good bit of the rhetoric in favor of shutting down schools in 2020-2021 seemed to center on "here, look at my computation that the expected value of children's lives lost if we don't shut down schools is greater than zero; anyone who disagrees with us doesn't VALUE HUMAN LIVES", with the effect that a lot of us (including to some extent me) were blinded for a long time to the absolutely devastating effect such extensive school shutdowns (in some geographic areas) had on children and their whole families, an effect that is still scarring them today. I'm not saying anything about whether or how far those school shutdown policies went wrong, just that they had very substantial harmful effects that don't vanish relative to the VALUE OF HUMAN LIVES.

Then there's the now-everyday claim that the anti-trans culture warriors "ARE KILLING US [TRANS PEOPLE]", which is true under a particular interpretation of "killing" and tragically true to an extent pretty well beyond some vanishingly rare extreme cases but is also transparently being used to drown out most other aspects of the debates around trans issues. Much more disturbing still is the accusation I now semi-regularly see casually flung that conservatives "actively want us [trans or LGBT+ people in general] dead" (I think I've occasionally seen left-wing variations on this that aren't even about LGBT+ people). A couple of months ago I called it "stomach-turning" ("it" being both the content of the accusation itself and the fact that so many people in our cultural discourse have seen fit to use it; this of course was semi-willfully misinterpreted by someone as my saying that trans people turn my stomach), and I reiterate now that it's still completely turning my stomach. This example is different from others in some fundamental ways, some of which make me more sympathetic with why people feel driven to use it (and it's not being used to drown out completely unrelated issues, for instance, like the guns thing is), and the general rhetorical weapon of "the other side wants to kill us" deserves its own effortpost which I intend to write later this summer.

So anyway, yeah, I'm also getting a kind of short fuse around insinuations of "what they show kids in school won't kill them, but guns could, so that's the only issue involving schoolchildren that anyone should care about" that I now see daily.

Of course, invocations of "my cause is the one whose stakes directly involve life or death so it outranks everything else" isn't exclusive to the Left at all. The Right has been doing it for decades with abortion to shut down both the abortion debate and whatever unrelated debate they didn't want to have ("millions of babies are being MURDERED each year, while liberals obsess over [women's bodies] [or] [just about any totally unrelated issue which appears frivolous next to MURDER]"). I also vaguely remember something that sounded like this in the post-9/11 years ("we're the ones looking out for Americans who might be KILLED in the next terrorist attack, that has to be the only priority right now"). And there was that bizarre "death panels" accusation around 2010-2011 when Obamacare was being debated which I guess might also count.

Only loosely related, but I'm reminded of a moment in the very first vice presidential debate, between Bob Dole and Walter Mondale in 1976, where Dole invoked a computation of the number of deaths in wars the US engaged in under Democratic versus Republican presidents, and apparently he got a lot of blowback from how underhanded this rhetorical move came across.

[kolyasupremanxy]

Hellooo

Love your work lots💗

A smart, well spoken and highly intelligent/strategic reader with an knowledge that may challenge Dazai and Fyodors brain, how does that sound? I think it's a nice change of scenery when the s/o gets to play the clever witted character every once in a while

With Ranpo, Dazai, Fyodor, Nikolai and Chuuya please (or just anyone you want)

Hugs and kisses 💋

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬/𝐨

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 + 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 :

𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 : 𝐅𝐲𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐬𝐤𝐲, 𝐃𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐢 𝐎𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐮, 𝐍𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐮𝐲𝐚, 𝐄𝐝𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐩𝐨, 𝐍𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐢 𝐆𝐨𝐠𝐨𝐥

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: fluff ( ? )

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 2.9k

𝐀/𝐧: Sorry for the wait—

𝐅𝐲𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐬𝐤𝐲

Fyodor would be initially intrigued by the intelligence and strategic mind of his s/o, finding their ability to challenge him intellectually to be refreshing and engaging.

He would enjoy engaging in deep, philosophical discussions with his s/o, relishing the opportunity to bounce ideas off of someone who can keep up with him intellectually.

Fyodor would be impressed by his s/o's ability to read and understand complex texts, and may even ask for their input on his own writing.

Despite his arrogance, Fyodor would be willing to listen to his s/o's opinions and ideas, and may even incorporate them into his own strategies and plans.

Fyodor would appreciate his s/o's ability to see through people's lies and deception, and may even ask for their help in identifying potential threats within his organization.

He would be attracted to his s/o's confident and well-spoken demeanor, finding it to be a rare trait among those he associates with.

Fyodor may become possessive of his s/o, seeing their intelligence and strategic mind as valuable assets that he cannot afford to lose.

He would enjoy testing his s/o's limits and seeing how far they can push themselves intellectually, often challenging them to solve complex problems or puzzles.

Fyodor may become jealous of his s/o's other intellectual pursuits, feeling threatened by the possibility that they may find someone who can challenge them even more than he can.

Despite his sinister personality, Fyodor would have a soft spot for his s/o, often showing a gentler side of himself when they are alone.

He would appreciate his s/o's ability to keep up with his fast-paced and complex way of thinking, finding it to be a rare and valuable trait.

Fyodor would see his s/o as an intellectual equal, and would value their input and opinions on a variety of topics, both personal and professional.

𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 :

Fyodor and you were sitting in his study, surrounded by books and papers strewn across the room. The two of you had been discussing various philosophical ideas and debating different theories for hours, both thoroughly engrossed in the conversation.

Fyodor leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on you as you spoke. He was impressed by your ability to articulate complex ideas in a clear and concise manner, and found himself admiring your intelligence and strategic mind.

"You truly are an impressive individual," Fyodor said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

You returned the smile, feeling a sense of pride at Fyodor's words. "Thank you, Fyodor. It means a lot coming from you."

Fyodor's expression turned serious as he leaned forward, his gaze intense. "You know that I value your intelligence and your abilities, don't you?"

You nodded, feeling a sense of warmth spread through them at Fyodor's words.

"Good," Fyodor said, a note of possessiveness creeping into his voice. "Because I cannot afford to lose you. You are too valuable to me."

You felt a thrill of fear mixed with excitement at Fyodor's possessiveness, knowing that it was a side of him that few people saw.

"Of course, Fyodor," they said softly, knowing that it was best to placate him for now. "I will always be here for you."

Fyodor nodded, his expression softening once more. "Good," he said again, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

𝐃𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐢 𝐎𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐮

Dazai would be immediately intrigued by his s/o's intelligence and strategic mind, seeing them as a worthy challenge to his own intellect.

He would enjoy teasing and bantering with his s/o, relishing the opportunity to spar with someone who can keep up with him intellectually.

Dazai would appreciate his s/o's ability to read and analyze complex texts, and may even ask for their opinion on his own writing.

Despite his tendency to take things as a joke, Dazai would respect his s/o's intelligence and strategic thinking, valuing their input and ideas.

He would enjoy playing mind games with his s/o, testing their ability to read between the lines and uncover hidden meanings.

Dazai would be attracted to his s/o's well-spoken and intelligent demeanor, finding it to be a rare and valuable trait.

He may become jealous of his s/o's other intellectual pursuits, feeling threatened by the possibility that they may find someone who can challenge them even more than he can.

Dazai would be flirty and charming with his s/o, using his wit and intelligence to win them over.

He would appreciate his s/o's ability to see through people's lies and deception, often using them as a sounding board for his own strategies and plans.

Despite his tendency to take things lightly, Dazai would have a soft spot for his s/o, often showing a caring and protective side of himself when they are alone.

He would enjoy debating and discussing various philosophical ideas with his s/o, relishing the opportunity to learn from them and challenge his own beliefs.

Dazai would see his s/o as a true intellectual equal, valuing their input and ideas on a variety of topics, both personal and professional.

𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 :

You sat in your favorite armchair, engrossed in a thick tome about existentialism. Dazai was lying on the couch nearby, his eyes closed and a bored expression on his face.

"What are you reading, Y/N?" he asked, not bothering to open his eyes.

"An interesting book about philosophy and existentialism," you replied, not looking up from your book.

Dazai let out a groan. "Ugh, that sounds so boring. How do you even read that stuff?"

You chuckled. "It's fascinating, Dazai. It challenges my mind and makes me think about the world in a different way."

Dazai shrugged. "To each their own, I guess. Personally, I prefer books that are a little more... entertaining."

"Entertaining?" you repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Dazai sat up, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, how about we play a game? I'll give you a word, and you have to come up with as many synonyms as you can in 30 seconds."

You couldn't help but smile at Dazai's silly suggestion. "Alright, let's do it."

Dazai gave you the word "happy," and you quickly rattled off synonyms like "joyful," "ecstatic," and "elated." Dazai was impressed by your quick thinking and challenged you with more difficult words.

The two of you continued the game, laughing and joking along the way. Even though Dazai didn't share your love for philosophy, he appreciated your intelligence and enjoyed testing it in his own silly way.

As the night wore on, you realized that sometimes, it's not about the subject matter of what you're reading, but the joy of learning and challenging your mind. And with Dazai by your side, you could do both.

𝐍𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐮𝐲𝐚

Chuuya is initially surprised when he meets his intelligent and strategic s/o, but he quickly finds himself drawn to their wit and intelligence.

Despite his initial arrogance, Chuuya is willing to listen to his s/o's ideas and opinions and often engages in deep conversations with them.

His s/o's intelligence and knowledge often impress Chuuya, and he loves to hear them talk about their favorite books and ideas.

Chuuya enjoys testing his s/o's knowledge and challenging them to think in new ways.

He is impressed by his s/o's ability to think on their feet and come up with creative solutions to problems.

Chuuya appreciates his s/o's confidence and intelligence, and often relies on them for advice and support.

His s/o's intelligence also makes him want to better himself and learn more about different subjects.

Chuuya often surprises his s/o with romantic gestures and fancy dates, enjoying the opportunity to impress them with his taste.

His s/o's intelligence and quick wit often lead to playful banter between the two of them, which they both enjoy.

Chuuya's respect for women extends to his s/o, whom he treats with chivalry and kindness.

While he can be brash and impulsive, Chuuya's s/o helps to ground him and provide a different perspective on situations.

Despite their differences, Chuuya and his s/o share a deep connection based on mutual respect and admiration for each other's intellect and personality.

𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 :

You and Chuuya were assigned to work on a difficult case that required a lot of strategy and quick thinking. Chuuya was confident in his abilities, but you surprised him with your intelligence and problem-solving skills.

As the two of you were brainstorming, Chuuya suggested a plan that seemed too risky to you. "I don't know, Chuuya, that plan seems too dangerous," you said, your brow furrowed with concern.

Chuuya rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you're going to start doubting my abilities now, too," he scoffed.

You shook your head. "No, it's not that. I just think there might be a better way to approach this."

Chuuya raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And what's your genius plan, then?"

You took a deep breath and outlined your idea, explaining your reasoning and analysis. Chuuya listened intently, his expression gradually shifting from skepticism to interest.

"Hmm, that could work," he said, nodding slowly. "I didn't think of that. You're pretty smart, aren't you?"

You couldn't help but feel a little smug at the compliment. "I try," you replied with a small smile.

Chuuya looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking again. "You know, I have to admit, I underestimated you at first. But you're proving to be quite the asset on this case."

You felt a warm sense of satisfaction at his words. "Thanks, Chuuya. I appreciate that."

From that point on, you and Chuuya worked together seamlessly, using your combined intelligence and skills to successfully solve the case. Chuuya admired your intelligence and even asked for your advice on future cases.

Despite his initial doubts, Chuuya learned that intelligence comes in many different forms, and he was grateful to have you as his partner in the investigation.

𝐄𝐝𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐩𝐨

Ranpo is initially intrigued by their s/o's intelligence and finds it refreshing to have someone who can keep up with him.

He's often playful with his s/o, teasing them and challenging them to solve riddles and puzzles with him.

His s/o finds him incredibly entertaining and is often amused by his childlike antics, despite his incredible intelligence.

Ranpo can sometimes come off as arrogant, but his s/o has a way of humbling him and bringing him back down to earth.

He's always eager to learn from his s/o and is open to exploring new ideas and concepts.

Ranpo's s/o is often the one who helps him stay organized and focused, as he can get easily distracted by his own thoughts and interests.

Despite his childish behavior, Ranpo is incredibly loyal and protective of his s/o, and will go to great lengths to keep them safe.

He loves to surprise his s/o with thoughtful gifts and surprises, often going to great lengths to plan elaborate surprises and scavenger hunts.

Ranpo's s/o is often impressed by his quick wit and ability to solve complex mysteries, and enjoys watching him in action.

He can be stubborn at times, but is always willing to listen to his s/o's opinions and ideas, and values their input greatly.

Ranpo is not one to shy away from a challenge, and often encourages his s/o to take on difficult tasks and challenges.

Despite his incredible intelligence and detective skills, Ranpo is still a human being with emotions and vulnerabilities, and his s/o is always there to support and comfort him when he needs it.

𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 :

You and Ranpo were walking down the street when suddenly, you both saw a group of people gathered around something. Curious, you both made your way towards the crowd and found that there had been a murder. The police had just arrived and were starting their investigation.

Ranpo was already analyzing the situation, and you could see his eyes darting around as he took in all the details. You, on the other hand, were also trying to piece together what had happened, and you began to explain your theories to Ranpo.

As you spoke, you noticed that Ranpo was listening intently to everything you said, and even nodding in agreement at times. You could tell that he was impressed by your intelligence and analytical skills, and it made you feel proud.

At one point, as you were explaining your theory about the motive behind the murder, Ranpo interrupted you with an excited exclamation.

"Did you see that? She's my girlfriend, and she's very smart, but I'm smarter, of course!" he said with a grin.

You couldn't help but roll your eyes at his cockiness, but it was clear that he was proud of you and wanted to show it off to everyone around.

The police officers were also impressed by your analysis, and they began to ask you questions about your theory. You answered them confidently, and Ranpo stood by your side the entire time, nodding along and occasionally adding his own comments.

Eventually, the police were able to solve the case with your help, and they thanked you and Ranpo for your assistance. As you walked away from the scene, Ranpo wrapped his arm around your shoulder and grinned.

"Looks like we make a pretty good team, huh?" he said.

You smiled and leaned into him, happy to have someone who appreciated your intelligence and analytical skills as much as Ranpo did.

𝐍𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐢 𝐆𝐨𝐠𝐨𝐥

Despite being a criminal, Nikolai is always willing to learn and expand his knowledge. He admires his s/o's intelligence and often asks them questions about a wide range of subjects.

Nikolai loves to challenge his s/o's mind with puzzles and riddles. He finds it entertaining to watch them solve problems and is always amazed by their abilities.

Nikolai is a big fan of birds and often talks to his s/o about them. He dreams of one day having a pet bird of his own.

Despite being a sadistic criminal, Nikolai is incredibly cute and joyful. He has a tendency to act like a child at times, especially when he is excited about something.

Nikolai loves to use his body language to communicate. He is not afraid to be silly or make a fool of himself in front of his s/o.

Nikolai is also very affectionate towards his s/o. He loves to cuddle and give them small gifts to show his love and appreciation.

Nikolai has a unique sense of humor and loves to make his s/o laugh. He finds joy in the little things in life and is always looking for ways to brighten up their day.

Despite his joyful nature, Nikolai is also very determined when it comes to his work. He takes his job seriously and will do whatever it takes to succeed, even if it means making tough decisions.

Nikolai is very intuitive and often knows what his s/o is feeling without them having to say anything. He is very empathetic and always tries to make them feel better when they are down.

Nikolai is very proud of his Ukrainian heritage and often talks about his homeland with his s/o. He enjoys teaching them about his culture and traditions.

Nikolai's scar is a constant reminder of his past, but he wears it with pride. He sees it as a symbol of his strength and resilience.

Nikolai's s/o is his biggest source of inspiration. He loves watching them succeed and is always in awe of their intelligence and strategic thinking.

𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 :

Nikolai Gogol, with his love for theatrics and quizzes, challenges his intelligent and strategic s/o to a game of wits.

The two of you are sitting in Nikolai's luxurious office, surrounded by expensive furniture and paintings. Nikolai is wearing his usual silly grin as he poses a challenge to you.

"Let's play a game, my dear," he says, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "I'll ask you a series of riddles, and if you can answer them all correctly, I'll give you a reward."

You raise an eyebrow, intrigued. "And what if I can't answer them?"

Nikolai chuckles. "Then I get to ask you a question of my own choosing."

You agree to the terms, feeling confident in your intelligence. Nikolai starts with an easy riddle, which you answer quickly. He follows it up with a more difficult one, but again, you answer it with ease.

Nikolai becomes more and more impressed with each correct answer you give. He can't help but smile at your intelligence and wit.

As the game goes on, the riddles become increasingly difficult. You can see the gears turning in your brain as you try to figure out the answers. Nikolai, on the other hand, continues to wear his silly grin, thoroughly enjoying the game.

Finally, you reach the last riddle. It's a particularly tricky one, but you manage to solve it after a few moments of intense concentration.

Nikolai claps his hands in delight. "Well done, my dear! You truly are a formidable opponent."

He reaches into his desk drawer and pulls out a small box. "As promised, here is your reward." Inside the box is a beautifully crafted brooch, studded with diamonds.

You thank him graciously, feeling both satisfied and pleased with yourself. Nikolai, still beaming with pride, can't resist one last comment.

"Looks like I've finally met my match. But don't worry, my dear, I'm still the silly one in this relationship."

Do Not Copy or Plagiarize Any of My Works. Reblogs Are Very Appreciated.

[assortedseaglass]

Talk Refined - Chapter Two

Michael Gavey x Reader

[Masterlist]

Summary: When Michael Gavey unwittingly insults a fellow Oxford student, they enter into a game of intellectual cat and mouse.

Content Warnings (this chapter in bold): Language, Smut, Saltburn Spoilers

Esme did not let you live your encounter with Michael Gavey down.

“You should have heard her. Like she was interviewing all over again!” At any given opportunity, she took the chance to tell the story of how her best friend had shot down the genius from Brasenose.

“Esme, everyone’s heard this story a hundred times,” you’d said when she once again brought the matter up at the pub. “And anyway, he didn’t even reply when I shouted at him. Just said he needed a piss.” People at the table tittered. Michael’s reputation as a genius made had its way around the university’s colleges. Mainly because he was the one telling them.

It was a fact begrudgingly agreed upon at each recounting of the tale. Esme would tell her college mates, or new friends at the pub, the story of you and Michael getting into a fight, and inevitably they would say “The self-proclaimed genius?”

“The maths nerd?”

“That dickhead?”

Before resigning to the fact that, despite his arrogance, Michael Gavey really was a genius.

“Didn’t you hear him shouting at dining hall first night?”

“Heard he got 100% on the maths admissions test!”

“Pretty funny really. If he wasn’t such a twat I’d invite him out, he’s great entertainment.”

Luckily for you, the spectre of his reputation loomed larger than the man himself who, since your encounter at the pub, you had not seen. Perhaps he was too embarrassed after his very public rejection. More likely, it was because you were preparing for your extended essay deadline. Burrowed in your room at the desk, or else tucked in a dark corner of the library, Esme almost had to drag you to leave your room these days.

“Should have done something on Gentileschi,” you muttered into the open book on the library table. Your endless studying on the use of women as decoration that formed the basis of your essay was slowly crushing you. “Wanted to do a feminist essay but this is fucking depressing.”

Esme shifted in her seat next to you, leant over your book to look at the pictures on the open page, then pushed it from your view. Before you could protest, she spoke.

“One minute not looking at that dull picture,” she gestured to the image of Turner’s Reclining Nude on a Bed, “-isn’t gonna hurt you. But I’ll tell you what won’t be depressing. My end of year party!” Esme grabbed your shoulders and shook you.

You laughed, stifling it behind your hand when a few pug-nosed students frowned at you.

“I thought you’d settled for a cheese and wine night? ‘Sophisticated with a chance of minor sluttiness’,” you quoted her and she winked.

“Yeah, well, it’ll still be a cheese and wine night,” she opened another textbook and riffled through the pages absent-mindedly. “With slightly more wine than cheese-”

“And about sixty people.”

“Only after the meal! Had to take the chance and get in there before Catton. No-one’d come otherwise.” Esme’s face dropped, a flash of worry crossing her bonny face at the prospect of competing with Felix Catton for the Party of the Year.

“It’ll be grand,” you grabbed her hand reassuringly. “Who wants Catton’s friends there anyway? Load of stuck-up snobs-”

“You sound like Gavey!”

You shot an irritated look at Esme. She grinned back and busied herself with the work in front of her. You looked at the title scribbled across the top of the page. “Semper femina: misogyny’s early beginnings.”. You really picked a corker when you saw her at the humanities social. You nudged her shoulder affectionately, rubbing off her last comment and, still a little distracted, look around the library.

Not all libraries in Oxford had vaulted ceilings of ancient oak, or were decorated with elaborately carved roses. Some had harsh fluorescent lighting and tiled navy carpets. It just so happened that you and Esme preferred the grander of buildings. So too, did most other students. When dedication and inspiration waned, the quickest way to feel inspired was to pop to the libraries with ancient tomes alongside the course textbooks, sharing silent exchanges with other students gazing in awe at the latticed windows and rows of paper possibility.

“By the way,” Esme whispered, not due to the setting but what she was about to say next. “Who are you bringing?”

Your eyes didn’t flicker from the book in front of you. “Bringing where?”

“To the cheese and wine party,”

You looked at her, a mixture of exasperation and amusement on your face. “Since when did I have to bring someone?”

“Well,” Esme fully turned in her seat to look at you. “You don’t, but I’m bringing Eleanor-”

“Pretty girl from the pub.”

Esme nodded and continued counting people on her fingers. “Laura’s boyfriend is visiting that weekend, Holly’s bringing some rugby lad, Joe’s best mate is coming and the other three all have boyfriends. Bit sad if you’re the loner.”

“How can I be a loner at a party?”

“You know what I mean! Come on, it’s the end of the year, loosen up a bit. Doesn’t have to be a bloke, just pick someone!”

You thought a moment. Though you hated to admit it, Michael Gavey had been right; a lot of the people on your History of Art course were public school wankers and horsey girls fast-tracked to jobs in their parents’ cosmopolitan art galleries.

Nope. No-one there you could bring, and all of Esme’s friends were already going.

“I don’t know!” You despaired, slumping back in your seat comically in mock defeat.

Esme laughed. “Tell you what, next person that comes round that corner,” she pointed to the last bookshelf of a long row, right by the library entrance. “You’ve got to take. Deal?”

“Absolutely not.”

“I’ll buy your cheese and wine for the night.”

You stared at her. Trinity term was almost up, and so too was your scholarship loan. “Fine.”

Esme laughed excitedly and stared excitedly at the shelves. You did so with apprehension. A minute passed and no-one rounded the corner. A group of gorgeous boys left the library, but not one person entered.

“Looks like you’ll be coming alone after all.” You pinched Esme’s side and she giggled. “Aha!” She pointed behind you and your stomach dropped. Turning slowly, you faced your fate. Date.

A wizened old man no taller that the fourth shelf shuffled along the wooden floor, his worn leather shoes squeaking with every step. There were more lines on his face than the tube map.

“No.”

“Don’t be a bitch!”

“People don’t want their fucking lecturers there, Esme.”

“Fine,” she huffed. “But it has to be the next person or my share of the food is on you.”

“Fine.”

You both stared at the bookshelf. The wizened old man shuffled past you, and soon the sound of his leather shoes faded. You glanced over your shoulder at Esme. “This is stupid-”

“Oh. My. God.” Esme was looking past you, and what had momentarily been shock was turning to unbridled glee.

“What?” You span in your chair. “No. Absolutely not.” Panic prickled the hairs of your neck. You whipped back to face Esme. She was laughing. “I can’t. Fuck. No!”

“This is brilliant,” Esme clapped her hands together. Some students shushed her and she sent them a two fingered salute.  “He’s coming this way! Go on, ask him!”

You took a deep breath and, with growing unease, turned to face your unknowing date.

Michael Gavey was walking stiffly along the rows of bookshelves. The muscles of his jaw were set in a tight line; he wasn’t here to browse; he knew what he wanted and was making his determined way towards it. You watched him carefully, waiting until the perfect moment to speak. How the hell were you going to ask?

“Let’s wait a minute-” Esme made to cut you off but you continued quickly. “Just to see where he goes. I don’t want to ask in front of everyone.”

Esme huffed but nodded, and you both went back to watching him.

“This feels creepy,” you said, watching as he got closer.

“All we’re doing is looking at him.” Esme said matter of factly. But that wasn’t quite true. It felt altogether more like you were studying him. Something about Michael Gavey meant you couldn’t look away.

Just as when you last saw him, his clothes looked second hand. Or like something an aunt would by. A crisp, short-sleeved shirt, starchly ironed, tucked into a pair of beige cargo trousers. Vile. Around his belt swung a number of carabiners, one containing his keys, another a collection of USB sticks. They jangled as he walked past.

You ducked your head to avoid being seen. Esme scoffed. You kicked her under the table.

The two of you watched his retreating back. You noticed you weren’t the only ones looking at him. A few other students, some boys smirking and some girls, were watching him to. None indicated that they knew him personally, for none sent him a smile or a wave. They simply watched as he passed. His reputation really did precede him.

You tried to think on what it was that made Michael Gavey so hard to ignore. He had done nothing today but enter the library and, by now, everyone knew him to be a stuck-up knobhead. So what was it that was making everyone stare?

Perhaps it was the rigidity with which he walked, so upright and solid. For one so thin, you imagined that if someone bumped into him now he would just continue walking as though nothing happened. Maybe it was the unnerving way in which his grey eyes stared. You remembered them from before. How he analysed people, unblinking, as he spoke to them, dissecting every minutia of their movement behind his glasses.

Could it be, that underneath the dreadful clothes and frankly alarming attitude, he was quite handsome? You blushed at the thought and turned away from Esme.

In another life, with better clothes, better glasses, a kinder face, he might have been attractive. Afterall, his hair was that Gisele Bündchen colour girls in your sixth form tried unsuccessfully to get from the bottle. His face was all angles, like the bassist in some boy band. Not front man handsome, but with a little something that appealed to the weird girls. And he was tall. God, was he tall. Not Felix Catton tall, but after him he’d been the tallest at the pub. You remembered the way he’s unfurled his body uncomfortably from the chair. Even now, he was almost half the height of some of the old bookshelves. When he came to a stop, depositing his Tesco carrier bag on the table with a rustle, his shoulder bumped into one of the shelves, and you noticed how broad they were, accentuated by the black leather belt holding up his trousers. Who’d have thought it? Michael Gavey vaguely good-looking. Shame he was a prick.

“There you go,” Esme whispered in your ear as Michael disappeared between two shelves. “Perfect chance.”

Your mouth went dry. You’d momentarily forgotten the reason you were both watching Michael. Sensing your apprehension, Esme turned you by the shoulder and looked you deep in the eye. “It’s fine, I’ll help.” She was loving this, and the two of you spent the next five minutes working out how to approach the Bastard from Brasenose.

You tried to get rid of Esme as quietly as possible.

“Just let me do it on my own!” you hissed.

“I don’t trust you, not after last time!” She was pushing you towards the bookshelf Michael was browsing. You were digging your feet in.

“Please, just let me-”

“No,” Esme giggled, pushing you closer to the shelves. “You’ll either have an argument or not ask at all. I want to see this.”

Your hand gripped the wooden bookcase just as you arrived and blocked her from going any further. She pushed against you, trying to force you towards Michael.

“I’ll do it, Esme, just give me a second!”

“Just get on with it, for God’s sake!” she whispered with a shove.

“Ouch! You’re hurting me!”

“Can I help you?”

You both jolted. Michael was staring at you, his hands balled into fists at his side. He looked…nervous. Esme had clearly pushed you closer to him than you’d thought.

“No, er, sorry,” you took a step backwards only to be blocked by Esme.

“Oh,” Michael relaxed a little, a tight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “It’s you.”

You stared at him. “You don’t need to sound so offended by my presence.”

“You’re the one stumbling around the library hissing like a banshee.”

You were about to retort when Esme caught your arm warningly. You looked back at her with annoyance. She simply nodded at you and gestured to take a deep breath.

“Sorry, Michael,” you said. He flinched a little as you said his name, not that you noticed. Esme did. “Erm,”

“She has something she wants to ask you, Michael.”

“Ask me?”

Fucking hell, here goes. You tired to smile at him. He stared back blankly. Why did he make everything so bloody difficult?

“Yeah, um,” you stepped forward and leant against the bookshelf for support, to make it seem less formal. “Well, Esme is having an end of year party-”

“A dinner party,” Esme cut in.

“-and we wondered.”

“She wondered!”

“We wondered,” you said louder, drowning out your friend. “If you’d like to come? Maybe?”

Michael stared at you. His head jerked almost imperceptibly, as if it had suddenly fallen out with his neck, and he scoffed quietly. “Is this a joke?”

“What?” You and Esme said together.

“Are you taking the piss?”

“What? No-”

Michael placed the book he was reading back on the shelf and faced you both fully. “Get out of the way please, you’re blocking the exit.”

“Michael,” he stopped again when you said his name.

“Honestly, we’re not taking the piss.” Esme said kindly.

“We saw you come in, and Esme keeps reminding me what a bitch I was at the pub.” Never mind the fact that you were an absolute arsehole. “And we just thought, as a way to apologise, you might like to come to the party? Fresh start?”

“I don’t do parties.”

“It’s-a-cheese-and-wine-night-actually.” Esme said quickly.

“Right,” he continued staring at you. The longer he did it, the more you regretted asking. Fucking blink. He glanced quickly back at the shelves of books, and screwed his eyes tightly shut, as if working out something impossibly difficult. When he opened his eyes again, you weren’t sure whether he was going to scream or cry.

Then you realised he wasn’t looking at you. He was looking past you. With surprising force and speed, Michael pushed past the both of you.

“Oliver Quick.”

Esme looked at you with excitement. Without a word, you both hurried to the end of the bookcase. There he was. Oliver Quick, caught in a staring contest with Michael Gavey. Oliver glanced quickly at the two of you, eagerly poking your heads around the shelf to get the gossip.

Michael hadn’t noticed. “You look different.”

“Do I?” Oliver sounded bored and you wanted to smack him. What was it with the boys at Oxford? He turned away from you all, but Michael wasn’t done with him.

“He’ll get bored of you.” A pang of pity twisted your stomach. Esme had been right. Oliver’s abandonment at the pub had hurt Michael more than he let on.

Oliver stopped and turned around. “Excuse me?”

You glanced at Michael, waiting for his retaliation with bated breath. He said nothing.

“G’wan, Mikey,” Esme whispered.

Oliver walked away, but not before Michael could twist the dagger. “Bootlicker.” He enunciated every delicious, vicious syllable.

Oliver looked back again, only to cast an uncomfortable look at Michael and see Esme swearing at him behind Michael’s back. “For that Michael,” she clapped her hands. “You can be guest of honour!”

Notes: Short one this time but I’m getting back into writing by doing shorter chapters. SO excited to write the party.

Tags: @lexwolfhale* @theoneeyedprince @lovebittenbyevans @fan-goddess @ellrond @very-straight-blog @arcielee @tsujifreya @liv-cole @myfandomprompts @annoyingkittydetective* @elizarbell @solisarium @thekinslayersswordhand @nightdiamond8663* @slowlysparklyninja* @kate-to-the-ki @bellaisasleep @xxxkat3xxx @lacebvnny @moonriseoverkyoto @ewanmitchellcrumbs @moonlightfoxx @pendragora @aemonds-holy-milk @st-eve-barnes @sapphire-writes @babyblue711 @targaryenrealnessdarling @slytherincursebreaker @bottlesandbarricades @valeskafics @anjelicawrites @exitpursuedbyavulcan @barbieaemond @chattylurker @itbmojojoejo @humanpurposes @cyeco13 @heimtathurs @in-a-mountain-pool @aemondsfavouritebastard @marysucks-blog @rheaxes @xivilivix

*could not tag

[srbachchan]

DAY 5943

Jalsa, Mumbai May 26, 2024 Sun 11:18 PM

🪔 ,

May 27 .. birthday greetings to Ef Bhanu Kumar Bilala .. 🙏🏻🚩❤️

एक और संडे निकल गया , आशाएँ जो मन को डराती थीं दूर हो गयीं , प्यार आदर समर्पण मेरा सदा आप सब के प्रति । इससे बड़ी उपलब्धि मेरे लिये नहीं ।

🙏

... and here on this lit desk of mine , with thoughts that contemplate what needs to be expressed here and in what dimension and contextual content .. I sit .. at times a gaze on the clock, at times on the reflection on the day passed .. and at times just listening to a creative .. and the immediate visualisation of a cinematic representation, if at all it were to see the light of day ..

Happens so often .. an immediate putting of yourself in a situation which you have devised and associated with the sounds of the tone trunk and tenor of the music ..

There is dislike towards the idea of putting the self in the creativity of an event, a product, a campaign .. as has been expressed often enough here and several other states - the barricaded wall towards the I ME MINE syndrome ..

Many that make such consider it a moment of great sale value ..

Could be for them .. do it if you want to ..

But doing it with me , for me , from me ,does not .. repeat, DOES NOT have compliance ..

Never catered to it and never subscribed to it either .. you or any other brings joy to you .. do it without my participation .. that is a independent right .. you have an opinion, a criticism, laudatory or otherwise , a documented record not contributed by me - fine ..

But my participation in the exercise is uncomfortable for me ..

"Abhorrence towards self-aggrandizement stems from the distaste for excessive self-promotion and narcissism. Society values humility and teamwork, viewing self-aggrandizing behavior as a sign of insecurity and a lack of genuine accomplishment. This disdain is rooted in the belief that true success and worth are recognized through actions and contributions rather than boastful proclamations. Individuals who excessively promote themselves often alienate others, undermining trust and collaboration. The collective preference for modesty and authenticity over self-serving arrogance fosters a more cohesive and respectful community, where achievements are celebrated for their intrinsic value rather than the loudness of their declaration."

... and I glance through the pages of one that has corresponded with Babuji and has , with the collection of his letters, brought out a book ..

one such letter, Babuji's content text says :

.. he that writes a complicated mind set, does not give a suitable proof of the purity of the writing .. 'why' did Tulsidas write the Ramayan, 'how' did he write it , could be the subject of dissertation among some of the learned intellectual beings .. most of the people just know that Tulsidas wrote the Ramayan .. when there is no deeper thought on 'what' .. then to beat the drum on the 'why' and the 'how' does not clarify or contribute to any meaning ..

It is a response to a letter by someone that has been brought to his notice, and asked him why he does not refute these insincere and absolutely wrong impressions that people have expressed towards his works - in particular 'Madhushala', - which the letter writer complains, is a propagation and a promotion for alcoholism !

मेरे पास सीमित-शक्ति है । मूर्खताओं को उत्तर दूँ या किसी रचनात्मक कार्य में लगाऊँ

I have limited time and strengths .. do I spend my time replying and responding to foolish idiots, or putting my efforts in use towards more creative cognitive work ..

And here endeth the lesson for the day ..

The IPL Final is over and KKR have WON a most convincing victory .. SRH were simply outplayed .. disappointing in many ways becuse SRH is a good team and one has seen their very grand performances over the days when they played other matches ..

But what was most touching to observe was the pretty young lady , .. the owner of SRH, in the Stadium, get emotional after the loss and break into tears, turning her face away from the cameras, so as not to display her emotion .. I felt bad for her !!

Never mind .. tomorrow is another day .. my dear !!

Indeed .. to quote that famous line from the film 'Gone with the Wind' when the character of Rhett Butler, played by the great Clark Gable turns away from his lady love Scarlett O' Hara, played by the inimitable Vivien Leigh, in the climax and leaves saying :

" Frankly .. I couldn't give a damn ..!!

and she responds as he walks away :

'.. i'll get him back .. after all tomorrow is another day .. '

YES yes , yes ..

to all that fail .. do not give up .. for ..

'tomorrow is another day ...

My love .. ❤️

Amitabh Bachchan

[roachliquid]

When it comes to H.P. Lovecraft, one of the most common mistakes that I see people make is interpreting his writing through a Helleno-Christian lens. Specifically, there is a strong tendency to lean on the idea of the universe as hierarchical, with the nebulous but undoubtedly powerful gods at the top of the cosmic order, and man - that weak, writhing worm that he is - the arrogant fool, the sorcerer's apprentice, who steps out of line in his pursuit of knowledge and power, and is punished accordingly by the forces that possess it.

This is an understandable mistake. Hubris is absolutely a major theme in Lovecraft's writing, and he touches often on the idea of Knowledge That Man Was Not Meant To Know, and the folly of humans acting like they can simply mess with whatever they want and get away with it. On the surface, it doesn't sound all that different from your mom going "NEVER, EVER mess with a ouija board! You'll invite evil spirits to take control of you!"

But what Lovecraft was criticizing wasn't some defiance of a Grand Cosmic Order, or the imaginary sin of "playing G*d". He was addressing a very specific brand of arrogance, and one that he was very well-acquainted with: colonialist entitlement.

Don't get me wrong, Lovecraft was no anti-colonialist champion. He held the same racist beliefs about minorities as any of his similarly-reviled contemporaries, such as Rudyard Kipling or Winston Churchill. But while they and other people of their ilk saw colonialism as their born right and moral duty, Lovecraft took a more pragmatic view of the situation.

During his life, Lovecraft wrestled often with the concept of white entitlement. He believed for multiple decades that he himself was part of some superior subgroup, inherently more deserving of wealth and power. But he was also very well aware that entitlement didn't automatically reap rewards. There was no cosmic balance awarding greatness to the people who sought to claim it; the universe simply did not give two shits what wealthy white racists thought they should be doing. Colonization projects could fail as easily as they could succeed. Wealth was much easier to lose than it was to win. Despite what many of his contemporaries seemed to believe, the forces that managed the universe simply did not care.

This theme permeates his work so powerfully that it's difficult to single out specific examples. At the Mountains of Madness is an obvious choice - a story that tells the history of people who literally created all life on earth, only to fall to the banal inevitability of the Ice Age. Both The Moon-Bog and The Doom That Came To Sarnath depict people who decide they can simply purge the land they want to use of unwanted elements - in the latter case, an entire people - only to invite the vengeance of ancient forces.

It's important to note that H.P. Lovecraft was an atheist. His entire attitude toward religion seemed to be that it was an interesting intellectual curiosity, and a useful plot device that he relied on frequently - but he gave no truck to common Christian ideals like objective good and evil, or the notion that people should hold themselves back simply out of respect for their mortal limitations. The fact that consequences often come from gods in his stories is a product of willing engagement in fantastic ideas, not a genuine belief in humanity's cosmic inferiority. And in many cases, even those gods are just metaphors for the horrors he really believed in - the natural forces that unseated the insisted-on narrative of the white man's greatness.

And that, in his writing, was the real Horrible Truth. The Secret That Man Was Not Meant To Know, because facing it meant facing that the confidence with which his peers lived their lives was based in self-deception - which he felt sure would agonize them as painfully as it agonized him. Lovecraft was a man torn between a comforting illusion and a hard reality, and he wrote about it a lot.

[moonchild033]

Hello I want to understand my vedic placements more and I saw you accept ask about it 🙂

So I have these planets in my Aquarius 10H:

Shatabhisha Moon 10°, Purva Bhadra Mercury 27°, Dhanishtha Venus 6° and Purva Bhadra Saturn 23°

What does it mean? Thank you 🙏🏽

Hey there! ❤💫

Ohhh I'm excited about the Aqua 10H, it's a good 10H imo.

Shatabhisha Moon 10°:

You can be into IT fields, interested in tech oriented studies. You may also have huge dreams of owning a tech related company rather than working in it. Your capricorn degrees also show that you're hardworking and absolutely want to be your own boss. Since it's a rahu ruled star and moon is your mind, you may have the kind of thought process which is objected by the majority of people. You strive to be unique from others, especially your thoughts and dreams regarding your career and personal growth. Your ambitions may also seem to fluctuate as rahu's star in the moon can make you have unrealistic dreams built for oneself. Your 10H creativity and calculative tendency of capri degrees may act as a driving force to fulfil these dreams of the rahu moon.

Purva Bhadra mercury 27°:

You can have good communication skills, people listen when you speak as you're perceived to be an intellectual. When you give a speech, it has a passion and fire to it, inspiring people, rather than sounding like a bored afternoon lecture. Even though you have commendable problem solving tendencies, people may sometimes see you as an arrogant personality who wants to only talk and never listen to other's opinions. You may be too stubborn about your own opinions, unwilling to accept other sides and may come off as a money-minded person too. Dw, it's just that you believe in your knowledge and wield it in the right way. Gemini degrees make all these qualities 2x:) and you may also love proving people wrong with factual checks. If you argue, it's about the controversy on a topic which you believe to know very well.

Dhanishta Venus 6°:

As dhanishta is ruled by mars, many astrologers would say that this is not a favorable position for Venus to be in, as Venus plays a role in relationships and marriage. Imo, dhanishta teaches you to choose your partner wisely. You're a meticulous lover once you're truly committed. Your Virgo degrees make you even less flirtatious and concentrate more on serious long term relationships where you can happily share a home. You may come off as guarded or aloof or distant in relationships but you just take your own sweet time to make sure they're the one and it's possibly the best protection God offers. I've seen people with strong Venus placements get into many relationships before finding the one and experiencing more heartbreaks than the ones with the stereotypical unfavorable positions. I would say it's a way of protection and ur placement also suggests that you may find someone attractive in your workplace- especially in a friends group at work. You may also have high expectations about your partner to be/ your current partner, if you learn to control those, your love life will be a great success and there's a huge possibility of becoming a power couple. Also, you hear a lot of songs, maybe attracted to drummers (as the star is represented by drums) Your taste in music hugely depends on the heartfelt lyrics more than the tune.

Purvabhadrapada saturn 23°:

It's lucky that you have Saturn in it's own sign and also in it's own degrees. This is a lucky placement imo. Saturn usually gives late results and pushes you to your utmost limits. In your case tho, you can get fruitful and timely results if you aren't lazy. Sometimes you may feel like you're getting blessed easily, which may lead to lagging and procrastination. If you avoid that tendency, you will see immediate good results in everything you do, especially career related since it's ur 10H. You can have your own successful business after the age of 30 if other planetary placements also support this. Also, make a note to respect your seniors or mentors, because this may backlash at you if you fail to provide your reverence for the people who guided you.

This is my interpretation of your placements, this may change in accordance with your other placements and aspects. I hope you find at least some points to be absolutely relatable. Let me know your thoughts! ❤🤗

With Love-Yashi❤⚡

[e1ectrostatic]

30 Day Fictionkind Challenge Day 24

Q: What's the worst anti-fictkin take you've ever seen?

A: There are so many, but it has to be a hard tie between things I've literally heard transphobes say verbatim, and art theft accusations.

"I'm not going to feed into their delusions by playing along and pretending they are who they say they are."

^ Literally shit I see every time I go on anti-kin blocking sprees. How they say this with zero self-awareness, I have no idea. Especially in cases where it comes from otherwise "progressive" folk. When overall intolerant people say this, it's like, yeah man I expected you to say as much, you know? Don't get me wrong, it's still shitty no matter who it comes from, but I'm particularly unimpressed when it comes from non-kin who otherwise consider themselves "accepting". I'm sure they've had these same kinds of slop arguments thrown at them and their communities from bad actors before, so why they're turning around and throwing the same at us is lost on me. It's probably just concern trolling.

I've talked about it in previous posts, but it's so incredibly disrespectful to armchair diagnose people or try and be some kind of backseat psychologist for them. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, fictionkinity isn't inherently a delusion or any other kind of symptom, and to assume it is is beyond counterproductive.

On top of that, fictionkind who do consider their identities to be influenced by or borne from delusions or mental illness deserve the same respect, dignity, and agency everyone else does. I don't understand what makes this fact so hard to accept in some circles. Let fictionkind (and all fictionfolk in general) determine for themselves who or what they are, how they want to be referred to, and what their boundaries are. You (general you) don't have any authority over others' identity, nor are you entitled to their personal information, especially not medical information.

—

"Fictionkin are stealing intellectual property/copyrighted material and claiming it as their own."

^ Another argument I see more often than I'd like to. On the bright side, it's way too absurd to really bother me all that much, it's just so egregiously incorrect it almost loops back around to being funny.

I don't even know what the logic behind that is. You couldn't pay me any amount of money to take credit for my source LMFAO. Keep it, I don't want it, I didn't make it, and every day I sleep soundly knowing I didn't.

If I had to come up with a possible thought process behind this argument, maybe it's just an uncharitable interpretation of how we go about our identities. People understand that one's own identity is uniquely theirs, but when it comes to fictionkin, that understanding may expand into "...so they must also consider the source material to be theirs/under their jurisdiction".

If we're fictionkind of media we didn't create ourselves, what do we gain from claiming we made it or that it's under our control? Usually nothing or worse. It's pointless to do that. We're just existing. Not to mention, many of us are canon-divergent.

That's about all I have to say. In general, I find that anti-fictkin arguments assume an element of arrogance and presumptuousness to being fictionkind that just isn't there.

[sunstranded]

INTJ: Accused of Arrogance

I enjoy intellectual conversations and socratic-esque discussions so much more than small talk and aimless conversations. Despite my preference, I am capable of small talk— I just slowly die inside. Yet I am cursed with being called arrogant. No matter what intricate string of words I craft, no matter how docile my question sounds, the moment I critically challenge someone is the same moment a logical conversation becomes personal? Good heavens isn't this a special kind of hell.

I am, once again, gracing my grievances with a post full of complaints.

People find me arrogant. I can be proven wrong; I can make mistakes; and I can recognize this margin of error. If anything, I seek to make it as small as possible. This is why I always seek that challenge that sharpens my thinking and points out things I failed to see or establish.

People always argue that I need to know when I should criticize and when I shouldn't. I also learned from my rookie mistakes that being the first shot doesn't guarantee the blow. If anything, it is an announcement— a blowhorn of your own progress. Among other things, this is why I keep to myself.

Hence, when people start asking for me to speak only to be on the receiving end of an accusation less based on reality and appropriate context, I am absolutely and utterly pissed about it. As much as I am pissed with yes-men and sorry-men.

Do not apologize for learning when someone critiques you with something you can work on. Do not just agree and say yes to every information. Moreover, do not use your feelings and personal matter as a shield for everything— even deflecting the good things.

But let me define arrogance as I have defined humility. Arrogance is dominating over someone else with non-substantial or fabricated claims or putting one's self-importance and impact above others by means of overestimation.

I am the person who tends to be precise to a fault. Even my goals, my present moment skills, and the orchestration of my forward life plan are precise in respect of what I want to be and what I am now. So when I am called arrogant and I, like any accused, would ask for evidence only to find irrelevant emotions.

I acknowledge the chances of people losing their cool and/or having an off-day. I understand this, and I also have such chances. If anything, those are what I usually apologize for. Forcing myself when I am not in a good state of mind; letting my restraint loose; all of which, I would understand.

However, in the interest of my complaints, I highlight the people those individuals that have the gall— the audacity— to call me arrogant for giving constructive criticism, for answeing their question, and for defending someone who is unjustly accused.

That is the aggravating part. If you are butthurt for being proven wrong, if you had no clapback after a retaliation to your challenge, do not start appealing to pity. It's not going to work on me, and I have been used to social exile because of my coldness and cruelty. I keep my principles, I will not fall for an informal fallacy, nor will I fall for weaponization of emotions.

I can apologize for maybe losing my cool and having raised my voice, but I will not apologize because I made someone cry. Truth hurts, I cry about it too, but I am not so shameless to solicit pity, so my mistake would be excused. Like everyone, I seek to be understood; but unlike everyone, I only seek to be understood by those who want to do so.

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

i know is sound insane but im already thinking about Michael's character from that 2 sec clip. He sounds like he's trying to act better that the party college types but the fact that he brought up the cristmas party at all def makes me think he kinda wished he could go. idk im just rambling seeing ewan in those nerdy glasses has scrambled my brain like eggs in a pan

Nah, I get what you mean. It’s the sour grapes attitude - when you’re denied something, you try to appease your disappointment by convincing yourself you didn’t really want it anyway.

I am effectively Birdboxing any fics I see until Saltburn comes out, as I don’t want fanon to become canon for me, if that makes sense?

But my own interpretation (which may well change once I’ve watched the film!) is that Michael likely thinks he’s better than others because of his intellect, which makes his company offputting, people find him arrogant and weird. He doesn’t mind the isolation too much, because he doesn’t want to hang around with people he finds intellectually inferior, but at the same time is envious of their popularity and social status because he feels he is more deserving of it as he’s academically gifted. Deep down he is probably quite lonely!

I could be way, way off the mark though.

[circledemptiness]

Once, I wanted to be the greatest

Chapter 1: Thats' unfortunate

Fandom: Batman (Arkham Knight) Pairing: Edward Nigma (The Riddler) x Reader ✦ Chapter index ✦ Read on AO3 – Older work (and it shows)

The sound of the heavy rain crashing against the windows of the Iceberg Lounge echoed in the imposing private room located on the last floor of the bar, where an important meeting was about to happen.

Only the most important figures of Gotham’s underbelly were expected. Oswald Cobblepot, the master of ceremonies, was patiently waiting, sitting on one of the large leather sofas, while discreet employees were running in and out of the room, bringing alcohol and food for the invaluable guests, and making sure that everything was perfect and welcoming.

Nursing his drink, Oswald nervously checked his watch, when one of the employees notified him of the presence of his first guest. A man in a familiarly green jacket, adorned with an infamous question mark pin on its lapel appeared at the door; Oswald flashed a faint grin before rubbing his hand on his shirt and extending it to the taller man.

“Nigma, always the first one.” Oswald stated.

“I value punctuality, Cobblepot.” Edward Nigma retorted before shaking his colleague’s hand. 

At these words, Oswald gestured at the sofa, inviting Edward to take place. The two men did not even have the time to exchange the usual pleasantries that two other criminals joined them.

As Oswald welcomed his guests personally, offering them a drink and a seat, Edward simply stared at his peers with an impenetrable look on his face. Frankly, he did not like these invitations; he did not care for any form of socialization, and preferred by far his own company. However, he was smart enough to know that such gatherings could potentially benefit him, and thus with the right amount of mental preparation he was capable of tolerating other people’s presence for a few hours.

Edward Nigma, the Riddler, was mostly lost in his thoughts. His remarkable mind was capable of simultaneously conceiving intricate plans for a death trap, imagining the most complex riddles and anticipating dozens of potential scenarios, preparing him for whatever could possibly happen tonight.

As the last rogues joined the group, Edward sighed. In truth, he was effectively bored and could not wait for the real intent of the event to start. He despised small talk, and correcting his peers and showing off his brilliant intellect with a clever statement was not enough to keep him captivated anymore.

One last person finally closed the door behind her, removing her drenched leather coat and politely greeting the assembly. Edward glared at her from head to toe, while she flattened her long skirt before sitting on the couch, right next to him. Feeling his stare burning the back of her skull, she sighed.

“Good evening, Mister Nigma” she calmly said, not looking at him.

“Miss (…)” he coldly answered.

It was no secret that the Riddler and (…) went along like oil and water. She despised his insufferable arrogance and never missed an opportunity to remind him how unimpressed she was; he absolutely loathed being disrespected by someone immensely intellectually inferior than him. More than once did their encounters end in a screaming contest, but most of the time they simply politely tore each other apart.

The last time they saw each other, Edward had placed particular emphasis on how academically disappointing she was, and the tension in the air tonight proved that she had not yet digested his colorful words. But tonight was not about the two of them, and so they both perfectly ignored each other while Oswald Cobblepot finally explained the meaning of his invitation.

In front of a somewhat focused group, the Penguin described the elaborate plan of an important heist in which everyone would have a crucial part to play. Edward listened carefully to the plan, while taking mental notes of all of its flaws –and there were a plethora of them. His body language however was not as subtle; a mocking grin here, a soft chuckle there, and a pair of rolling eyes was enough to show just how unimpressed he was. He could not wait for Oswald to finish his speech so that he could finally properly educate the assembly.

Birdy noticed Edward’s arrogant smile, and cocked a brow. Fully aware of the imminent narcissistic rent that was about to take place, she mentally prepared herself. Once it was Edward’s turn to speak, she calmly started counting to 10.

– Thank you, Cobblepot, for your remarkable attempt …

One .

– …while we can commend your efforts, the questionable quality of your plan…

Two .

– …you have provided an excellent opportunity for me to enlighten the group…

Three.

– …what you are trying to achieve is frankly amusing, but not even close to a mediocre idea I’m afraid…

– Dear God, Nigma, just get to the point and spare us your monologue, I have other things to do later tonight” she interrupted, incapable of hearing one more syllable from the man. 

Edward glared at her with gigantic eyes that reflected all the anger and fury he was feeling in this moment. In the otherwise silent room, an amused Harvey Dent quietly chuckled, while Oswald only sighed “here we go again”. 

She maintained eye contact, absolutely refusing to feel intimidated by the Riddler. How everyone else was putting up with his arrogance truly was a mystery to her, but she couldn't take it anymore. Admittedly, her patience grew thinner over the last two years they’ve known each other, and their last unresolved altercation did not help one bit. As she could see the rage glowing his eyes, she doubled down.

– Well? Your point?

– My point , my dear, is that this whole project is absolutely beneath me and destined for failure, unless you take my invaluable expertise into careful consideration.

– But can your “invaluable expertise” be fast and stick to facts only, please? If I hear you one more time insulting everyone’s intelligence, I might liquify right here and then.”

Edward chuckled, rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief, as if she just said the stupidest thing in the entire world. She did not like it one bit, and banged her fist on the table.

– Right here! This? This attitude? You are a sad and despicable man, Edward Nigma.

– Delightful! Now, I will give your little observation all the consideration it deserves, and end this conversation.”

She raised her hand, before slamming it on her thigh. She had enough, and refused to endure his presence one second longer. Leaving her seat, she flattened her skirt, adjusted her shirt, and took a deep breath. With all the grace and elegance that she was known for, she thanked Oswald for the invitation, bid farewell to everyone, and picked up her coat. 

– I will be present at the discussed location, and will do my part. If there is a change of plan, you have my number” she finally said to Oswald, who nodded at her in response. Edward glared at her, a proud and arrogant look on his face, and in a last attempt to show his superiority waved goodbye to her. She clenched her jaw, and quickly left the room.

Burning from a passionate anger, she exited the building at a fast pace, her mind replaying the scene over and over again, wondering what she could have told him to make him finally shut up. Edward was brilliant, she will give him that, and her wit was not as remarkable as his, which made their encounters even more unfair and frustrating. But she did not have to tolerate his behavior, and preferred removing herself from the situation than fight an hopeless fight.

Yet, the intense desire to humiliate him, put him in his place for once, was growing stronger inside of her. A part of her, however, regretted that she was unable to maintain her composure and ignore him instead. Every time they met ended in a fight, and every time she promised herself that it would be the last. 

Lost in her thoughts, she did not immediately notice the rain still pouring, nor that she forgot her umbrella at the Iceberg Lounge. Only when she was already drenched did she curse under her breath and grunt in frustration. She decided to take a taxi, go back home, and call it a night.

Her heart still pounding in her chest, she stared through the window of the car and observed the city at night. The stars were barely visible, even above all the light pollution that created Gotham. The soft purr of the engine, and the gentle rocking motion soon calmed her down slightly. She placed a strand of wet hair behind her ear and sighed.

Once at her apartment, she removed her coat and reached the bathroom, where she got out of her drenched clothes. Putting her hands on the white porcelain of the sink, she peaked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked like a wet mess, with her hair dripping on the floor, her mascara smudged, and her cheeks carmine red.

A few minutes later, she heard her phone vibrate, hidden somewhere in the pile of clothes on the tiled floor. Kneeling, she searched her pockets for her phone, and immediately felt a knot in her stomach. A now familiar and quite upsetting name was displayed on the screen, next to the notification of an unread message. At first, she debated the idea of even reading it, but curiosity got the best of her.

“What goes up when the rain comes down?”

Not even the noise of Gotham on a Saturday night could have possibly covered the frustrated scream she made that night.

[wbwoqlqxoxxms]

Yishun Revengers Episode 16 "Unleash the magic, free the magic,"

"ᗯᕼY ᗯOᑎ'T ᗪᗩᗪ ᒪOᐯᗴ ᗰᗴ??"

-because you're using this font

Breaking news, breaking news, ok not really breaking news, I just said that to catch your attention, but anyway you decided to stay on, so, let's get into it, shall we?

I'm your host, Stefen Hua, and today I'll be bringing you through the horrors and great terrors of Yishun-and about how it's probably just a misunderstood neighbourhood.

Firstly, a fairly recent reason for why Yishun might just deserve its reputation after all-some weird middle-aged man, well, not man, really, more of like alien creature with horns and insect wings-wait, is that Ming? Is that what he's been doing after he got the Culpable blood-the hell, you gotta be kidding me. Although it still doesn't explain why he was acting so eccentrically like some mad scientist-eh, maybe that's just how he always is.

Anyway. This alleged 35-year old ma-ALIEN has been going around touching little kids and asking them if they want to be injected with something to become an immortal god and Yishun's protector, possibly to help keep up Yishun's bad reputation. Because trust me. I would know.

Despite claims that he poses a threat to the little kids, in fact, most of the little kids have not been stupid enough to listen to him, and safely removed themselves from the crisis. Although, some of the…less intellectually gifted that were tricked were in the end only injected with a harmless placebo vaccine. Regardless, authorities have ascertained that locking him up would be far worse than-ok, no authorities have done that, it's me, I'm the authority, and I can say this one thing-do not lock that man up. It will do more harm than good.

Alright, next on the list, we have a rather heartbreaking reason for why Yishun deserves its reputation. Although most of the atrocities have suddenly disappeared and all reverted back to that of a normal neighbourhood on the 21st of April this year, which is quite recent, there have been reports of residents living in the vicinity hearing a soft sobbing sound every night after midnight at the void deck, which some people believe is a ghost crying for something. Or someone. Aw. That's so sad. And also none of my concern anymore.

Reports have also mentioned another adolescent male playing cards with the ghost, possibly to cheer him up. Lol, I bet he's probably the only person willing to play that…Nacalevia or something with him, pfft, pathetic.

And one good, convincing reason why Yishun is just a misunderstood neighbourhood-and could be perhaps one of the safest-is that every time that there's something bad happening, be it a fire broke out, or a guy collapses and needs CPR, there are almost always 6 distinct shadows in the distant appearing out of nowhere to call the ambulance or jump into the burning building to rescue any trapped civilians inside. Of course, this too happens in other neighbourhoods, but not as frequently.

There have also been reports of a certain bird-ok, fine EAGLE, I'd probably be bashed if I called him a bird…anyway, an eagle and a woman, possibly its handler, near the happenings of bad things too, and also appearing as distant shadows-though whether or not they are allied with the six other shadows remains to be seen. Hah, I'll tell yah, there's no way Luna could be allied together with them, maybe a temporary alliance, sure, but with her arrogant temper definitely not. Or maybe she's changed for the sake of the greater good? Meh, not my problem anymore.

She has also been alleged on the hunt for a certain man wearing a black cap and black shirt and black pants, and sunglasses with a face mask-hah, I knew it, Skorpius wouldn't ever do something like whatever this guy did to her. Anyway, she says that the described man “owes her a favour” after traumatising her in her kidnapping experience. Nah, don't listen to her, she probably doesn't even care.

Alright, and that about wraps up all the big happenings that's been occuring in Yishun lately. Frankly, no more calls of pontianaks or chess ghost masters anymore, which leads multiple to believe that something has cured…or “purified” Yishun. Yishun has now become just like any other ordinary neighbourhood, with the occasional guy going crazy, but to be fair, that happens in other neighbourhoods too. We can no longer fairly award Yishun its “crazy neighbourhood” medal if there's nothing crazy happening in Yishun when compared to the other neighbourhoods, no?

You should probably all be tired after hearing me rant on. I sure am. Go and take a break, drink some water, look out the window, take a walk, touch some grass, ok? This definitely isn't being addressed to a certain mourning ghost of Yishun, but…live the life he would have wanted you to.

Once again, I’m your host, Stefen Hua, signing off!”

[yhhhkisses]

The New York Times Magazine / September 9, 2001

//There is something banally obvious about beauty, which is why the camera loves it so much. The way all babies can look the same and the way all happy families are happy in the same way, beauty can be utterly boring. Thus the Hollywood fantasy of the beautiful-boring girl being aced by the witty-plain girl. But given the choice, would most people choose a beauty pill or an intelligence pill? Has anyone done a study?

Many great photographers are uncomfortable shooting beauties; others revel in the suspicion that a world with beautiful people is a better place.

The problems of beautiful people are another big Hollywood fantasy, probably because Hollywood is full of beautiful people trying to convince themselves that their beauty is a burden. There have been times when some of the most beautiful Hollywood people have worn eyeglasses without prescriptions, to make their faces project something besides mere aston-Thing loveliness. Most recently, "Legally Blonde" fearlessly explored the intellectual prejudices at Harvard Law School against the beautiful.

But the truth is, it's not bad being beautiful, even if most beautiful people won't admit it. Sara Ziff, the 19-year-old New Yorker whom Jennifer Starr found for us, will admit it. Her beauty gets her tables in hot restaurants without a reservation. It gets off-duty cabs to stop for her. It gets her past the long lines at nightclubs and into VI.P rooms. It gets her discounts on clothes. More important, it got her a modeling agent and a Hollywood agent. While other struggling actors sit at home, it gets her auditions. And recently, it got Sara her first major national modeling campaign.

But beauty does not solve all her problems. It isn't enough to get her a discount on her rent, though she asks for one. When she goes for an audi-tion, it isn't enough to make the guy at the front desk let her use the phone

-even though she's wearing a bikini. (There were a lot of beautiful girls there in bikinis, after all, and only one phone.) And it makes her boyfriend jealous. But one way or another, her beauty affects every transaction, every interaction, every action, not just because of other people's awareness of it, but because of her own. And her willingness to let her beauty work for her.

"It's sort of unchartered territory, talking about it," she says, weighing the pluses and minuses. "This topic sounds so big-headed to discuss. I don't want to come across as arrogant, but it is a reality of my life.

One restaurant offers a 75 percent discount to models from her agency, but only if they eat their meals at the restaurant. In the window. "What the hell, if I get 75 percent off, I'll sit in the window and eat it," she says.

Ziff also gets a lot of unwanted attention, catcalls and gropes and wince-inducing suggestions. Her mother, a lawyer, thinks she should wear a big jacket so she won't be harassed. Her father, a professor, has pronounced himself horrified that she deferred her college education to pursue her career - which "won't get any easier," her agent has warned.

"I've gone in for parts and been told I was too pretty,"

"she says. "But

when it comes down to it, I can't complain. It has worked more in my favor than against me. I wouldn't be seeing any of these casting directors if I didn't look a certain way.

"Doing this acting work is really important to me," she adds. Even if she's already tired of the character descriptions: "Every script says beautiful sexy blonde seductress' or something.//

[litsetaure]

Oh, I could go into so much about why this is 100% true and in fact, I absolutely will because YES. 

Here we go! *cracks knuckles*

(By the way, if you ever watch Troy, just try to ignore the fact that Brad Pitt plays  Achilles. No disrespect to him, but if either of them was the cute twink, it was Achilles, not Patroclus. Granted, he was a very powerful twink, but he was still a twink.)

Okay, anyway, first things first, let’s get the superficial stuff out of the way and take their looks. We don’t have a huge amount to go off of with Patroclus, but I am positive I’ve seen something written that he had reddish hair, mind you there’s more that say he’s got dark hair, so there’s not really much to go on there. But then you look at Achilles. I’ve already mentioned that he’s a gorgeous twink, but he’s usually depicted as having golden curls, which...yeah, kind of sounds familiar. (His hair has also been described as ‘flaming’, which could imply a hint of red in there, but more often than not, he’s shown as being blonde, but that descriptor also makes me think of Gellert ‘inflaming’ Albus with his ideas.)

Put it this way, Jamie Campbell Bower could ABSOLUTELY play him, given the opportunity. And yes, I would absolutely LOVE a film version of The Song of Achilles, but only if it’s done PROPERLY, otherwise what’s the point?? Also, Achilles is known for his proficiency with a spear, and Gellert’s first name literally means ‘spear’, which I think is kind of hilarious. 

But anyway...let’s move on, because this is about to get REALLY interesting. Why? Because of how Patroclus ends up basically staying with Achilles. According to mythology, Patroclus is exiled from his home after killing a boy during a game, at which point he was taken to the house of Peleus and grew up alongside Achilles, where they formed a deep and close bond (you might say they ‘got on like a cauldron on fire’ even.) Of course, we don’t know the full details of why Gellert was expelled from Durmstrang, and it’s a subject of debate as to whether Patroclus killing the boy was intentional or accidental, but...does that sound familiar at all? I mean, yeah, that could easily be me saying that Patroclus is the equivalent to Gellert, but I actually don’t think so. I mean, yes, he’s objectively the outsider in the house of Peleus (though not for very long, I don’t think!), but I think it’s equally possible that Albus was also an outsider himself. Not because of him having a bad temper or that he killed someone (that we know of!), but because he was so brilliant-minded and he stood out amongst the others. You could also make the argument that Patroclus being forced away from his home after the death of his friend parallels Albus being forced back to his home at Godric’s Hollow following Kendra’s death; his freedom was snatched away from him in one terrible moment. (Actually, you could even equate the death of Patroclus’ friend to the death of Kendra when Ariana lost control since we don’t really know what happened there either.) But then, following his return to Godric’s Hollow, Albus finds a semblance of freedom when Gellert arrives. Finally, Albus has someone who understands him, who wants the same things he does, who can give him the intellectual stimulation - among other things - that he not only craves, but that he so desperately needs. Just as Achilles gave Patroclus the companionship that he wished for and that he had thought was lost. For a short time, they were both free to be who they wanted to be. But then came...

The Trojan War. (Ha, you thought I was going to mention the threeway duel, didn’t you? Give me a minute...)

And suddenly, two young men are forced into an insane war that neither of them asked for. It would perhaps be inevitable that their relationship might strain under the pressure, especially with an arrogant and egocentric leader like Agamemnon, who openly despised Achilles. And if you think I am basically comparing Agamemnon to Aberforth...you’re absolutely right. I've talked previously about how Aberforth’s attitude towards Albus and Gellert leaving with Ariana feels very controlling (when he has zero authority over Gellert and not much more over Albus, considering he’s an adult and can really do as he pleases), but in this case, you see Agamemnon and Achilles practically come to blows - only divine intervention (no, literally) stops Achilles from outright killing Agamemnon - over Briseis, Achilles’ war prize. Now, while Agamemnon’s and Aberforth’s motivations with regards to Briseis and Ariana are markedly different (at least I really hope they are, good lord!), the point still stands that two powerful men are at odds over a young woman, who should have the right to her own voice, but who does not, albeit for very different reasons. Either way, neither Achilles nor Gellert take the situation well and it almost deteriorates, ending with our blonde boys leaving, just in very different circumstances. Achilles eventually leaves in a furious temper with Patroclus by his side and Briseis (sadly) left with Agamemnon, whereas Gellert leaves alone in a terrible state with Ariana dead. (Interestingly, there’s fairly little mention in the Iliad as to what Patroclus is doing, thought we know he's there with Achilles, just as in the books there is relatively little mention of what Albus was doing during the duel, until he stops Gellert using the Cruciatus Curse on Aberforth, though the Secrets of Dumbledore film sheds some interesting context on this when Albus reveals that he drew his wand after Aberforth did, and only mentions that Gellert laughed, but that’s another story.)

Anyway, we mostly know the next part, the war continues without Achilles and his Myrmidons and the Greeks are not doing well because they’ve lost their best warrior...but then something very interesting happens. Namely, Patroclus begging Achilles to allow HIM to go and fight wearing his (Achilles’) armour if he will not do so himself. This is quite interesting, because it shows that Patroclus is basically the only person who can actually talk bluntly with Achilles and outright tell him when he’s acting like a dick. Similarly, we see that Albus wrote a letter to Gellert cautioning him against going too far when they came to begin their revolution. Of course, we know that this never came to pass for the two of them, but it’s an interesting note that Albus felt able to voice these concerns to Gellert. It gives the impression that, just as Patroclus can do so with Achilles, Albus can also speak freely with Gellert and communicate openly with him. Granted, they may not agree, but Albus is able to say what he thinks. He and Gellert are on equal footing, just as Achilles and Patroclus are - evidenced by how Achilles agrees to the plan, but tells Patroclus very clearly to only save the Greek ships and not to go further and attack Troy. Unfortunately, Patroclus disobeys this request and eventually gets killed. Yeah, I think we can see the parallel here; Albus puts on the Gaunt ring, which brings about the curse that is slowly killing him and...well, eventually Snape kills him. Spoiler alert. 

Needless to say, Achilles does not take the news of his beloved’s death well at all. He’s absolutely devastated. Interestingly, he also remarks about how he suspects Patroclus is dead and irritably grumbles about his hot temper, which may well be a parallel to the fact that Gellert is a Seer. There’s every likelihood that Gellert had a vision of Albus putting on the ring and eventually also dying, which would have shattered him, just as much as the death of Patroclus shattered Achilles. Granted, we don’t know this for sure, but it’s a reasonable assumption. 

Now, here’s where things get really tragic, as if they hadn’t already. With Patroclus dead, Achilles agrees to rejoin the Greek army and put aside his feud with Agamemnon. Which is kind of good for the Greeks, but maybe not so good for Achilles. Now that he has lost his reason to live, Achilles has gone wild. He’s unstoppable. He’s spilling rivers of blood. He’s literally fighting the river (oh, fun fact! It’s the River Scamander that he’s fighting, paralleling Gellert’s rage towards Newt!) blinded by rage and grief at his loss. At this point, Xanthus, his horse, prophesies his death, to which Achilles replies that he is well aware that he will die at Troy, but he is going to take down as many Trojans as he can first, which seems to imply a certain level of suicidal ideation about his actions. He knows he’s going to die, but he will go out in a blaze of glory first. He will take down Hector and avenge the man he loves.  

I mean...I don’t even need to spell out what the comparison is here, do I? Oh well, I'm going to do it anyway. Yeah. It’s Gellert’s last stand. The moment where Voldemort comes to Nurmengard in search of information about the Elder Wand and Gellert laughs in his face, taunts him and refuses to tell him anything. He knows that this will lead to his death, but he doesn’t care. He revels in it, he begs for it. Of course, he knows damn well where the wand is, knows who has it, but he has to protect Albus, has to ensure his tomb is not desecrated. But of course, the tragedy is that it doesn’t work. Voldemort gets the wand. He violates Albus’ tomb. Gellert’s sacrifice, as noble and brave and magnificent as it was...ultimately, was in vain. (Or perhaps not, since Harry needed to get the wand anyway, but who knows if Gellert knows that, or if he’d even care if he did. All that mattered to him was Albus.) In the same way, Achilles finally gets his heroic moment. He finally gets to fight and kill Hector. He gets his vengeance. But Patroclus still lies unmourned and (literally) haunts him, asking him to let him go, to bury him and let him go to the afterlife (in, I might add, what is an UNBEARABLY sad passage in the Iliad, implying that Patroclus is lingering somewhere, possibly in limbo...just as Albus is lingering in Kings Cross, his business unfinished.) Some days later, Achilles also agrees to return Hector’s body to his father, King Priam, finally doing what is right after going to such violent extremes...just as Gellert did with his brave final stand. 

Of course, we know that not long after, Achilles himself is also killed and his ashes are mixed with those of his beloved and they are buried together, just as they should be. And while we don’t know what happened to Gellert after his death, I like to think that he and Albus found each other once again and lived (or after-lived?) happily ever after. 

(I also have a funny feeling, considering JKR has a classics degree - just like I do - that this parallel was completely intentional. But...who knows?)

grindeldore is a patrochilles variant. its true and you cant say no to me.

[columboscreens]

thoughts on ransom for a dead man? i noticed no one really acknowledges it when discussing the pilots even though it came before murder by the book (i think), so isn't it considered a pilot too? or am i wrong and it was meant as a standalone?

ransom for a dead man did indeed precede murder by the book, as it was a second pilot ordered by NBC. prescription: murder was the actual pilot, but after finally snagging peter falk for a full first season, the network wanted to whet the popular appetite in preparation for the mystery wheel.

if you can believe it, falk was reluctant to sign on in the first place. he wanted time to do films, he'd enjoyed but gotten burned doing network serial television with trials of o'brien, and friends john cassavetes and elaine may tried to talk him out of doing it! "luckily", he'd been swindled out of a hefty sum of money by one of his managers, so the man needed a paycheck, and judging by the public reception to rx: murder, NBC was willing to hand him anything on a silver platter. and so columbo we got.

that said, this episode is actually one of my personal favorites. while rx: murder showed us a surprisingly fleshed-out character for just a pilot, this is the first episode where we get a fully mature columbo; the whole team now knew who the character was. characteristics were solidified all around: the (dyed brown, at falk's request) suit, the unseen wife, the lack of firearm, the raincoat (he wears one in the previous episode but it's a different garment), the shaggier hair, the fear of heights, the love of chili. the format, the banter, the gotcha. all of these were codified in episode two.

but the true star of this episode in my opinion is lady lawyer leslie williams, one of my all-time favorite columbo villains. lee grant portrays her pitch-perfectly, lending beauty, cunning, and intellectual gravitas to a character that commands all of the above.

i'd let her shoot me in my own living room. what? i didn't say anything

in this era especially, she is truly special in that she is written like a man. by that, i mean she is given the same treatment of multifaceted characterization and competence that a man would. she's not owed the lachrymose sympathy of the forgotten lady or given the erratic hysteria of the lady in waiting. she kills simply to get what she wants.

peter falk was sort of benevolently sexist in that he tended to push back against having too many female murderers on the show, especially those who were less than sympathetic. he didn't like portraying women as villains, and you'll notice that each season has on average only one female killer.

and sure, that sounds about par for the course for murder statistics, but women are flawed in interesting ways too, and i believe true equitable treatment in media includes showing that they, too, can be evil, greedy, and cold-blooded, without making them one-note. leslie williams embodies every hypercapable, calculating aspect of a culp or cassidy killer, but is also feminine and charming, with a certain softness, vulnerability, and calmness about her. she has no inclination towards children, but isn't cruel for cruelty's sake--it is only when her stepdaughter stands in the way of her plans that she incurs her wrath.

what i also like about this episode is that it's not her arrogance that leads to her downfall per se, it's her avarice and lack of empathy. naturally, nearly every columbo villain is filled with great amounts of arrogance; you kind of have to be to take someone's life like that in the first place, right? but though she initially considers him little more than rumpled window dressing, and though she taunts him when she's nearly gotten away with her crime, this esquire senses columbo's frightening intellect as soon as he begins engaging with her at length.

while partly for the audience's expository benefit, this insight does rattle columbo somewhat, and he's mildly taken aback at just how accurately she's pegged him. it solidifies his opinion of her outstanding ability, and, now on the back foot in this exchange, he immediately shifts gears in his approach. he now knows that he needs to get creative in the way columbo gets creative in order to arrest her. to me, it's one of the most interesting villain dynamics of the series.

uh......shit. listen ma'am do you wanna do a show on broadway together

so yeah, i highly enjoy this outing. it tickles the little girl in me who always loved seeing badass female characters, especially ones who didnt necessarily have to punch and kick their way through things. and because leslie williams' badassery lies in her strength, complexity, and intellect, i'll always have a soft spot for this episode.

their PALPABLE chemistry aside....

[astro-chisme]

Sex with Mars Signs

1. Aries - good toxic sex. Everything is done well but only for their ego. Has minimal interest in cuddling if they aren’t in love with you. Doesn’t have the patience to lead you on, so will not talk to you after sex if they aren’t interested as it’s more fun to find a new one anyway. Flirts by giving you shit, turning everything into a game (and taking it way too personally when they win, but gracefully if they lose), and fucking on the first date

2. Taurus - thinks licking honey or peanut butter off of you sounds fun. Will literally devour you if they’re attracted, but you may feel like you were purchased by them to be enjoyed. You probably won’t mind. Cuddling is an excuse to touch you in other places. IMO most likely to be a misogynist, will be very old fashioned in pursuit and want you to dress either masc or femme to appreciate the full visual

3. Gemini - talkers! Cuddling is whatever. Will just talk straight shit the entire time; prepare to know their dirtiest thoughts while their hands work you or themselves. They’re not toxic, they’re just not into you. Their sin is they’re too busy intellectualizing their emotions that they, too, are also not sure why they’re playing games - or they’re very aware, which you won’t know but their friends will. A consistent memelord if interested in more, expect political commentary and sharing books as flirting

4. Cancer - hope you love head, cuddling, quiet missionary, and talking about your childhoods and watching old reruns in bed afterwards. Will assume you’re dating afterwards or at least will apply for the position. They flirt by folding your laundry while you’re at work and finding art that reminds them of you

5. Virgo - thorough and perfect technique. Does not open up so much as show you their feelings with their technique. Will pick little spoon position in hopes you like them but will stop once secure. Pretty sure you have to gently guide these folks if you want more

6. Leo - showy! Sex is only kinky if you make it theatrical with them. Would totally film a porno with you but would take it so seriously lmao - buy them a ring light to introduce the idea. Cuddling is a chance to show off how much they spoil you. Will put on a romantic performance if they’re into you

7. Libra - afraid of not looking pretty when they finish, has a hard time relaxing into things. Can be convinced to relax. Cuddling is only happening if you pass the ✨v i b e c h e c k✨ Would be super into a reciprocal home spa day as a 3rd date.

8. Scorpio - sex is the only time they’re self-assured and confident. Shy and awkward and socially clumsy in the streets, know how to seduce you also in the streets. Can make you wet with just a look, it’s pretty wild. Loves loves loves cuddling, hates hates hates asking for it. Will like to observe you from afar, won’t admit to this if they’re able. Is *shy* anxious and a little weird af. Their first move is to sting the threat making them feel anxious, but tbh this always backfires on them pretty much immediately. Instinctively seduces, will try to make the first move but it WILL be clumsy and awkward

9. Sagittarius - build a blanket fort in their bedroom and fuck them in it. Get high and go to the bookstore and come back and bang them again in the blanket fort. Get rid of the bed frame and turn your bedroom into a giant secret fort with the mattress having a tent over it. Loves the idea of cuddling but won’t be super into it. Wants to fall asleep talking to you, otherwise please leave lmao

10. Capricorn - loves cuddling. Probably more into gender swapping than comfortable admitting. If they see you as put together, they’ll carry a torch for you forever. Sex is a job, your pleasure is a job, and they want to do all jobs well. Amazing in bed because their pride is on the line if they can’t take care of you. Arrogant and uncompromising but my god the sex. Will be very formal in their pursuit (and cheap until they’re sure it’s mutual and serious, Jesus Christ).

11. Aquarius - exploratory sex. Wants to cuddle if they’re obsessed with you, otherwise indifferent. Will obsess over every sensation until they’ve figured each sensation out, but will never be satisfied and insist on larger data sampling. Will talk about existentialist ideas in the middle of the act but it’s foreplay. If they want more they’re just always around and don’t make you wait, which is better than roses imo. If they find you amusing they ✨🍄a d o r e🍄✨ you

12. Pisces - bottoms. Loves cuddling. Throw them down and rough and gag them and do things with them they never thought they’d allow but here they are begging for it. Romantic to the extent of never seeing you as an individual. Easiest to be toxic because they really don’t see it: Is totally content to make up your whole relationship together in their head and can’t compute their false reality apart from actuality. Really fun in bed though lol

[ashesandhackles]

The Hogwarts Express scene in Prince's Tale: A Sirius and Snape analysis

I really, really enjoy Sirius and Snape as characters and their respective narrative functions in story. But what gets me most about them is how much Rowling hints about their backgrounds and so much of it makes sense with regard to who they are as adults. So I am going to be breaking down a very small scene from Prince Tale and getting into long winded hypothesis about their respective childhoods.

So, let's start with Snape. The scene begins with Snape rushing to find Lily, already in his Hogwarts clothes. Harry notes he must have been eager to get out of his clothes - ones that look like he borrowed from his mother, as Petunia spitefully pointed out. This has always been a very interesting detail to me - first off, it indicates how poor Snape's family is. Second, this indicates his tiny rebellion from his father - he refuses to wear clothes of the abusive man, and prefers his mother's. I admit, I am partial to the reading that Snape refuses to associate with his father in tiny ways, rather than Tobias refusing to hand his son clothes.

(I have seen readings which say that it is also a sign of neglect - perhaps his parents bought clothes that simply don't fit him, but I am more inclined to think it's a hand me down, simply because Harry identifies so strongly with it. Because Harry knows what it is like to wear a hand me down that don't quite fit, that are too big for you, or the ones that make you look ridiculous.)

Lily and Petunia's relationship is fraught with Petunia's jealousy. And young Lily is upset over it when Snape meets her. "I am not talking to you. Tuney hates me" she tells him. "Because we saw the letter from Dumbledore". Young Lily shows signs of being extremely emotionally reactive and this scene is one of them. It's easier for her to deal with Petunia's rejection of her by telling Snape she doesn't want to talk to him. It's a childish displacement of her hurt over her sister's rejection. (I am genuinely baffled by interpretations that Lily and Hermione are similar. Hermione is very cognitive person, Lily, as we have been shown repeatedly in memories, is not).

Snape, however, with his bad history with Petunia and his inability/ poor social skills to understand why this matters to her, goes: "So what?"

Lily, who throws him a look of deep dislike, says "So she's my sister". This seed is important because this is what develops into "he doesn't get me" feeling she later displays in her teenage scenes with him. Interestingly, most of Lily's personal relationships have deeply interwined love and dislike - Petunia (whose rejection bothers her but she cheerfully informs Sirius that Harry nearly broke a vase her sister sent - which means there is resentment on her end too), James - who she was attracted to even before 7th year but also disliked at one point, and Snape - again, a contentious friendship filled with love and distance.

"She's only a -" we dont get to hear what Snape intended to say. And given his own acrimony with Petunia, it could be anything. However, I read it as "She's only a Muggle" because it ties into his feelings about his father. Snape, who is proud of being half a Prince, emphasizing his magical lineage from his mother's side, his refuge in a violent, neglectful home. (Barty Crouch Jr and Snape with their disappointing fathers - I imagine Voldemort is supremely attractive leader to people with broken homes like this)

Snape, by all accounts, shows a disorganised attachment style. His caregiver, his mother - and perhaps the only parent he seems to have regard for, is too preoccupied by her own abuse to be there for her son - we see this in glimpses Harry sees in OOTP: " woman cowering" where a man shouts at her, and a young, neglected Snape cries in the corner. Children born in homes like this have trouble regulating their emotions, simultaneously displaying tendencies to aggressively lash out or show disassociative symptoms. Both of which Snape displays. Statistically, this is also seen more in low income households where economic instability and resulting domestic instability creates an unsafe environment for the kids to safely form ideas of their identity, or express emotions in healthy ways, modelling instead out of behaviour seen at home.

Then, Snape reminds her that they are going to Hogwarts. He is already in his Hogwarts clothes - now, Snape gets to be the impressive figure. The one who told her about magic, who theorised about how Muggles get letters from magical people, the one who told her about Dementors and Azkaban. He has already left behind the Spinner's End version of him, he wants to bigger than that, and is keen to be in place of magical learning and to join Slytherin. Essentially, he shows signs of unstable identity, insecurity - all prime for grooming into a cult.

And here comes along James Potter, who looks around at the mention of Slytherin. James's comment uses Snape's line and directs it to Sirius instead and it becomes a conversation between them, as a way to bond more with a fellow "rowdy boy" Sirius. Effectively ignoring the other two.

Sirius as we see here, "does not smile" when James talks about Slytherin. He essentially says something that can be construed as a way to nip that conversation in bud: "My whole family has been in. Slytherin". This suggests to me that there is some loyalty to his family there and his disillusionment with them isn't entirely fixed yet. After all, Sirius's intense loyalty to his friends, more specifically James, did not come out of thin air. It is reasonable to suggest that he felt some loyalty to his family at some point and the intensity with which he regards his friends is a reaction to burned off and being a "displaced person without a family" as Rowling put it.

Interestingly, while his reaction to his mother and Bellatrix are obviously sore spots, his response to Regulus is comparatively quite soft. ("Stupid, idiot" - something he calls James later on in the same book, OOTP). I imagine Sirius has quite complicated feelings about his brother and he is capable of nuance (when the person isn't Snape, where his dislike seems to be borne of an intense projection): "The world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". As someone who is grown up among them, Sirius would understand that.

His framing of Regulus's need to please his parents also further highlights what exactly is the source of disillusionment. He calls Regulus "soft enough to believe them" - which means he is crediting his own intelligence to see through his parents bigoted world view. Clearly, bigotry is not something the Blacks explained in a way that Sirius, eldest of their male line and their heir, bought it. It also probably didn't help the Blacks case that Grimmauld Place is in a Muggle neighborhood and that their eldest son is a bit of a wild boy with interest in pushing boundaries. His intellectual disconnect leads to the righteous rage he later feels but it began there. (Boy, it must suck to discover that everything you have been taught to value in the world and in yourself as the heir is essentially rubbish). Since his differences with his family began with seeds of intellectual disconnect rather than on intense empathy with downtrodden, it makes him, as a pureblooded privileged boy, unable to truly understand Lupin's fears regarding his lycanthropy. Hence, the Werewolf prank (I am not getting to the Snape bit, just the Lupin bit). To James' credit, he does understand what that means for Lupin and saves all three of them from different set of consequences.

Anyway, back to the scene. James, who has made an ass of himself in front of his new friend, who he was getting along with fine until now, then goes "Blimey, I thought you seemed alright". (Btw, I find James wildly large ego kind of hilarious here, especially in light of Snape's comment about him to Sirius in OOTP: "You will know he is so arrogant that criticism simply bounces off him"). Sirius, who I believe has been raised like "royalty" as Blacks would, has good enough social skills to defuse a situation. He grins and says: "Maybe I will break the tradition".

This line is an indication of Sirius's desire for independence, an identity seperate from his family. The use of the word "tradition" is interesting. It sounds like Sirius is expected to behave in a certain way, the heir of Black family whose parents thought being a Black "made you practically royal". Adult Sirius is contemptuous of this, or their "valuable contribution to Ministry" which means they just gave gold - it tells me that any and all conditions put on him by his family were to fulfill tradition that is either worthless or holds no meaning in his eyes. The root of the emotional abuse Sirius suffers from his family is this - realising his parents love for him is conditional on him being a certain way. (In fact, you can read Regulus desire to emphasise his connection to the family as a reaction to what he sees with Sirius - Sirius does not behave, Mum and Dad don't love him). As a child with unconscious knowledge of lack of love, Sirius then acts out, they react, rinse and repeat "until he has had enough". Sirius chafes against boundaries well into adulthood and doesn't react well to people enforcing it on him, even if it is out of love for him. Cue the fire scene with Harry where he behaves as if Harry is rejecting him instead of protecting him.

Sirius asks James about where he wants to go, and Snape, who is incensed about James being insulting about a House he put stock in, which he made part of new identity (so that he is no longer that Snape boy from Spinner's End) and was in general trying to be impressive about in front of Lily, "makes a disparaging noise" once James talks of Gryffindor. Snape's response to James' : "Got a problem with that?" is interesting. He says: "If you'd rather be brawny, rather than brainy-"

This is an important value for Snape. He knows he is clever and values it. He spends his spare time inventing hexes, making great shortcuts to Potions. He has genuine thirst for learning and he hones it. In SWM, we see that he has written far more longer answers than anyone else, he is poring over his paper after exams. He even mocks Hermione's lack of inventive answers: "Answer copied word to word from the textbook, but correct in essentials". He values originality. It may be me stretching this, but I am partial to the reading: this is his way of rejecting his father once again, who is implied to be a violent man. (in other words, someone who is hypermasculine - "brawny". In fact, Snape's rejection of hypermasculinity is a huge post on it's own - Potions (brewing, cauldrons - coded as feminine arts), the doe Patronus, his proficiency in Occlumency and Legliemency (intuitive mind arts, again seen archetypically feminine) etc).

"Where are you hoping to go, seeing as you are neither?" - Sirius is quick with emotionally cutting insults. Snape hasn't even finished his sentence, but Sirius is already on his case. Which suggests growing up in a household with sharp tongues. It's a fair assumption, given Mrs Black's half mad portrait. It also tallies with Sirius's talking about his mother: "My mother didn't have a heart Kreacher, she kept herself alive out of pure spite" . The wounds are fresh enough on this. (Another interesting way Snape and Sirius act as inverse mirrors - Snape rejects his father, Sirius rejects his mother. Sirius acts as proxy for James for Harry while Snape takes on Lily's role of protecting him). However, you know who else is spiteful? Sirius.

While James is the physical bully (the tripping Snape, doing most of the bullying in SWM), Sirius attacks emotionally. ( Sample the one about Snape's appearance - "I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment, there will be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word" or even the carelessly vicious- "Put that away, before Wormtail wets himself in excitement"). Curiously, with all that talk of how his mother being spiteful, it's her room he spends time in when he is depressed. (Again, in inverse mirror way, we can talk of how Snape looks for a father figure in Dumbledore - craves his validation and is proud of Dumbledore's trust in him). We could argue it's also because Buckbeak is there, and perhaps it's the largest room in the house, but it's very telling that's where Sirius spends time when he is "in a fit of sullens". Sirius's sense of abandonment from his family, makes him look for family connections with friends - a trait he shares with Harry. Interestingly, the first time he glimpses Harry in Privet Drive, Harry is also running away from home - just like he did. Anyway, I could go on.