#the fact that most of these were actually texts

[verdancy-hime]

So...

There is a ton of history that we take as fact based on the accounts of Greek and Roman chronicles.

There are cultures who never wrote any written records at all. There are cultures who did keep written records, but we don't have a way to translate their language even today. There are cultures who wrote we didn't translate until modern times. By comparing what we believed from Greek and Roman chronicles vs what we later discovered when translating written records from people in a specific culture- we know that the Greeks and Romans were reliable narrators about certain topics but not others.

You know how there are posts on tumblr a lot about how the nazis burned a lot of records about LGBT people in pre war Berlin? And how the official records are often scrubbed of trans people's identity or their identity is written as "cross dressing" or mental illness or just to do with a job when the person in question in their own words describes wanting to be buried as their gender and changing their name and going to prison over and over for attempting to live as their gender all the time? Or when I was a kid people used to get angry about the idea of black people in period dramas set in Europe in times when there actually definitely were black people in that part of Europe and we can name them. Because people grew up hearing a specific narrative of history that didn't include them, or made one specific famous person white washed or made their race seem completely unusual.

It took until the napoleonic era for people to discover the Rosetta Stone for us to know what Egypt was like from it's own sources rather than records from the Romans and Greeks. It changed how people thought about the ancient world. It changed a lot of what people thought they knew about history to be able to read the surviving records from ancient Egyptian scribes.

There was a point in history where most people didn't even have access to a lot of the modern stuff we have from Rome and Greece- the church carefully preserved history by monks and copied out specific texts they found important- we know that people made changes to the official histories to support a Catholic worldview. We know that when we found records later that didn't get handed down to us from church related sources some of them told different versions of tales we thought we knew.

People in the medieval era, some of them, never heard those original sources and never saw those texts. They accepted specifically the world view of ancient pagan sources that they read in the Bible. We know that the biblical Latin or king James versions of the Bible that describe historical events today do not line up with histories written in Egypt, Rome, Mesopotamia or by Jewish historians.

It's possible that if the Library of Alexandria had been maintained or converted to parchment or stone, we would have a different view of other cultures and know things about their religious practices, myth, and culture that we don't know today. It's also possible, though, that those records might have been recovered earlier or not ever faded into obscurity during the medieval period and that we would have fewer holes in our knowledge and less control over the narrative of history by the church. Less cultural hegemony. More idea of the history of communities or practices the church didn't like.

Remember that we had leaps and bounds culturally every time new ancient works were discovered and every time we came into contact with another culture with better records who didn't have a "dark age" like China or Arabic cultures, we made huge leaps forward in math, science, technology, agriculture, etc.

The idea is that we would have made our own, different leaps if we hadn't lost certain records. Or that we would have found those records at some point and they would have inspired and sparked new ideas.

All of this is correct. No notes.

[rollinouttahere-writes-misc]

Platonic Yandere Gojo and sister reader

Next of Kin

Yandere Gojo Satoru x Sister reader

4.1k words

Summary: Your brother has always been a little overprotective, but you hope that he'll be willing to back off just this once. He doesn't.

Warnings: female presenting reader, toxic family, unhealthy sibling relationship, manipulation, blood, yandere themes, mild violence, loss of consciousness

Family is so complicated. You’re sure this is true for any, but yours surely must be a special case. Sorcerer clans were notoriously messy, and the Gojo clan was no exception.

Frankly, you feel like calling that clan a family was extremely generous on your part. It felt more like a family business than anything. One filled with drama, tensions, and pride. Satoru was the pride and joy of the family. A god amongst men. A divine blessing.

But you? You were the forgotten older sister. Even before his birth and the discovery of his perfect combination of techniques, you were little more than a sidenote. You were the family disappointment. A fluke born without either of the clan’s techniques. Your cursed technique was construction, an infamously inefficient technique that drained its users more than it helped them. While you did have more cursed energy than the average sorcerer, you could still only create slightly more than others with this ability could.

It was a disgrace. You were a disgrace.

While your mother was subjected to a lot of harsh treatment and rumors following your technique coming to light, she had been absolved of all of it by bringing Satoru into the world. You never received the same redemption arc. Which is why you decided to leave the world of sorcery.

There had been some fuss over it. A Gojo doing this was unheard of, and the clan was unhappy at the prospect of being the topic of discussion among the other clans, but you were ultimately able to leave thanks to your brother.

For all of the envy you felt towards him in your youth, he was the only person you saw as being real family. He was a good brother, even if he could be a handful at times… Most of the time. Sure, he loved to annoy you in typical little brother fashion, but you knew you could count on him to always have your back when it mattered; and even when it didn’t.

Tonight, there was a family gathering that you were invited to out of obligation. You know for a fact that no one really cared about you being there besides Satoru. He was the only reason you bothered going to them. You knew that he hated them, so you figured the least you could do is be around for him to talk to.

But you were making an exception this time. It was about time for you to put yourself first for once. He’ll be okay on his own for one night. Or he just won’t go, one of the two.

As you’re standing in front of your bathroom mirror and styling your hair, you hear your front door unlock and someone enter without announcing their presence. Of course, you recognized those footsteps, so you call out from the bathroom, “What are you doing here, ‘toru?”

He goes straight to the kitchen and starts rummaging through the sweets filled cupboard you had just for him. “I’m here to pick you up for the get together tonight. Did you forget about it?”

“I’m not going, did you not get my text?” You swipe up a tube of lipstick and carefully apply it.

“What text? You didn’t text me,” From the way he’s speaking, you can tell that he’s already helped himself to one of the snacks.

You put the cap back onto the lipstick and toss it onto the counter before grabbing your phone. You pull open your recent texts to your brother and, “Ah, dammit. I didn’t hit send.”

Satoru cackles at the revelation, “Haha, dumbass!”

“Shut up, jackass! Don’t act like you’ve never done this!” You turn off the bathroom light and walk out, heading where his voice is coming from, the living room. You sigh and shake your head, “Sorry for not actually letting you know. I wasn’t trying to make you waste your time by coming all the way out here.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s cool.” Satoru is sprawled out on your couch, popping mochi into his mouth, “Now I have no reason to go, so this works out great for me!”

That’s definitely going to come back to bite you later. Your parents will absolutely call you up to scold you for being a “bad influence” on your brother. Whatever. You’ll cross that bridge when you get to it.

When your brother finally looks you way, you see a brief flash of confusion in his eyes before he covers it back up. He smiles casually as he stands, “So where are we going tonight?”

A tiny pit of irrational guilt settles in your stomach. An instinctive reaction to doing anything not involving your brother after a childhood of being admonished any time you tried to do anything that excluded him. You shake it off and remind yourself that you’re both adults now, it’s okay for you to be independent now.

Despite your internal thoughts, you still can’t help but avert your gaze as you deliver the news, “I actually have a date tonight, so you’re going to have to find a way to entertain yourself.”

“A… date?” There is an immediate shift in the air. “You never told me you were seeing someone.”

“It’s our first date, I didn’t think it was worth bringing up yet.” You hazard a glance at Satoru and find his piercing eyes staring at you over the rim of his sunglasses.

“Who is it?”

“He’s a coworker of mine. We’ve known each other for years.” Satoru rolls his hand, prompting you to go on, which you do, “His name is Kiyoshi. He’s a sweetheart, never has a bad thing to say about anyone.”

Satoru’s foot starts tapping on the floor, and his frown deepens into a full on scowl, “If he’s so nice, why have you never so much as mentioned him to me? Since when did you start keeping secrets? I thought we told each other everything.”

“I wasn’t keeping him a secret, he just… never came up in conversation.” It’s a lame excuse, but it’s all you have.

“Cut the bullshit, I can tell when you’re lying.” 

The sharpness of the statement makes you recoil, and you can feel yourself getting more defensive, “Excuse me? Don’t talk to me like that.”

He quickly closes the gap between you until he’s mere centimeters from you, “Then stop lying to me. What’s the real reason you didn’t tell me about him?”

“It’s just…” Your gaze drops to the floor. Frustration and shame fills you because you always do this. You always cave, and this incident is no different. “You always… interfere. Every time I’ve told you about someone, you always end up interrogating them. And then they stop talking to me after that.”

Satoru scoffs. “What’s the problem? I have to make sure that they’re good for you, it’s not my fault that they never are.” 

“That’s not true, and you know it! You’re too hard on them!”

His expression takes a turn for the patronizing, and he pats your head, “That’s what you think, but I know better. I can see people for who they really are. You choose to only see the best in people, even if you have to make it up.”

You slap his hand away and step back, “I’m not stupid, and I’m not helpless either! I don’t need you hovering over me like this! I’m a sorcerer for crying out loud!” Before your brother can retort, you push past him, “Just forget it. I’m going to be late if I keep arguing with you.”

“Want me to give you a ride?”

“No!” You grab your purse and start slipping on your heels, “I know what you’re trying to do, and it’s not happening. Just go home and leave me alone.”

As soon as your shoes are on, you bolt out the door. Satoru could easily follow you if he wanted to, you know this, but you’re hoping against all odds that he’ll respect you for once and back off. 

—

“Thank you again for agreeing to this, I still can’t believe you said yes.” Kiyoshi tugs nervously on his tie and smiles sheepishly, a light blush on his face, “Y-You look beautiful, by the way. Not that you don’t everyday!”

You can’t help but giggle, “It’s okay, I know what you meant. And I think that you clean up quite nice as well.”

The blush spreads to his ears, and he stammers more, “Th-Thank you!”

How cute. He’s absolutely precious. Definitely not the wolf in sheep’s clothing your brother no doubt thinks he is despite never having even met the man. You decide to lay off and give Kiyoshi a chance to calm down.

The high end restaurant he made a reservation at is gorgeous. Floor to ceiling windows allow you to look down on the lively city of Yokohama. The Cosmo World ferris wheel can be seen in the distance, lighting up the night with its bright and colorful presence.

“The view from there is unbeatable.” Kiyoshi smiles wistfully as he joins you in watching the ferris wheel. “When I was a kid, I used to beg my mom to take me there just so I could go on it. You can see clear to Tokyo on a good day.”

“Really? That’s amazing.” 

Kiyoshi’s eyes widen. “Wait, have you never been on it?”

“No. I was already an adult by the time I moved here, and I thought I might look weird going to an amusement park by myself.” That, and you weren’t exactly an expert on having fun considering your oppressive childhood, but it’s probably not a good idea to trauma dump on a first date.

“Maybe we could go there together next time?” Kiyoshi’s face immediately flushes, and he shrinks back, “N-Not that I’m assuming that you’ll want to go on another date with me!”

“Calm down, Kiyoshi.” You reach out and gently rest your hand on his, “I’d like that. It sounds like fun.”

“Really? Wow, I still can’t believe you even wanted to go on a first date, but now you’re already agreeing to a second one before the first is even over.” Kiyoshi is positively beaming.

“Give yourself some credit. You’re great, anyone would be lucky to go on a date with you.” Your smile only grows more as you see how flustered he is.

Movement out of the corner of your eye catches your attention, and you instinctively look over expecting to see your waiter coming back to deliver the appetizers. You sit up straight as an arrow when you lock eyes with your brother instead.

No. This cannot be happening.

Satoru smirks when he sees you mouthing at him ‘don’t you dare’, but he doesn’t stop. He fully intends to dare. He snags an empty chair from a nearby table, flinging some yen at the people at the table to keep them from making a scene. The chair is dragged over to your table with the back facing it, and he plops down on it with his arms crossed over the top of it.

You kick the chair and hiss at him, “What are you doing? Go away!”

“I’m just checking in on you, is that a crime?”

“No, but what I’m going to do to you if you don’t leave will be!”

“Um… Is everything okay? Do you want me to call someone?” Kiyoshi is openly confused by what is happening in front of him.

Great, just great. This is an absolutely appalling impression to make on a first date. You groan and drag a hand down your face, “No, it’s fine. Kiyoshi, this is my little brother, Satoru. He’s just being a nuisance, as per usual.”

“Oh, this is Satoru?” Kiyoshi smiles politely and extends his hand to Satoru, “I’ve heard so much about you, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, I know it is.” Satoru waves off his hand instead of shaking it, “So what clan are you from?”

A dumbfounded expression settles on Kiyoshi’s face, “C… Clan?” You frantically shake your head and make a cutting motion over your throat.

Satoru’s eyes shoot wide, “Oh damn, really?” He looks over your date with a scrutinizing gaze, then back at you with raised brows and a wrinkled nose, “Really?”

“Stop it, you’re being rude!”

“I-It’s okay, I’m not offended.” Kiyoshi tries to defuse the situation desperately, but you can tell that he’s uncomfortable. He’s never done well with conflict. 

“Yeah, (Y/N), it’s fine. Relax.” The smarmy grin on his face combined with his words makes you snap.

“Please excuse us.” You stand up sharply and grab your brother by the ear before dragging him away. Satoru points at his eyes, then at Kiyoshi back and forth as he leaves, making you yank on his ear harder. 

You march to the womens’ restroom and throw your brother inside. After ducking down and confirming no one is in the stalls, you lock the door and whip around to confront him, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Nothing. I’m just looking out for you. You’re the one getting all bent out of shape.��� Satoru leans against the counter, examining his nails in a frustratingly nonchalant manner. “Family is supposed to look out for each other, and I’m essentially all you got, so excuse the shit out of me if I go the extra mile to make sure you don’t get mixed up with the wrong people.”

“I’m not a child, Satoru! I think I can make my own decisions!” You storm up to him, then retreat immediately to keep yourself from assaulting him. You kick a stall door in anger instead. It doesn’t help.  “Dammit, you always do this! You ruin everything!”

The smirk is completely wiped off his face by that. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, don’t play dumb! You know exactly what I mean!” You whip around and glare at him, “You’ve been doing this shit since you were a kid. Every time I tried to hang out with my friends, you tagged along. If I told you no, I got in trouble, so I had to start bringing you with me every time. And guess what? All of my friends stopped hanging out with me because guess what else: a bunch of teenagers don’t want to listen to some little kid ramble about Digimon for three hours! You cost me all of my friends, and now you’re ruining my relationships too! If you don’t outright intimidate them, you make yourself such a fucking annoying presence that they can’t get away from me fast enough! I’m sick of this! I’m sick of you ruining my life!”

A tense silence falls over the room as you catch your breath after your outburst. Getting all of that off your chest felt good, but only for a fleeting moment. Then the weight of your words hit you.

“Ruining your life? That’s what I’m doing?” A bitter resentment drips off his words like a potent venom, “And here I thought I was helping you when I forced the clan to let you leave. I thought that I was being a good brother when I willingly took on everything so that the clan had no reason to ever pester you. I thought that intimidating people out of contacting you every time something came up in the sorcery world was really nice of me, but what the fuck do I know? I’m just some annoying, life ruining, little brother.” 

“Satoru… I didn’t…”

He holds up a hand to silence you, “I don’t want to hear it. You’ve changed. We used to be so close, but now you treat me like I’m some kind of parasite.”

“You’re not… I’m sorry, I went too far. I shouldn’t have said all of that.” You hang your head in shame and hug yourself, “I just… I get so frustrated sometimes. You’re my brother, and I care about you deeply, but I care about other people too. I just want you to understand that. I don’t want to leave you out, I want to be able to bring you around my friends and partners without being afraid of you sabotaging it. Can’t you work with me here and let that happen?”

Satoru doesn’t respond, he just continues staring down at the floor with a dejected look on his face. For such a powerful man, he looks absolutely pathetic right now, and it tugs on your heart strings. That face has always been your weakness.

Silently, you open your arms to him, offering a hug as an olive branch. He looks up when he sees this and just watches you for what feels like a solid minute, but then he cracks and pushes himself off the counter.

The distance between you is closed, and he hugs you as if you’ll vanish if he doesn’t hold on tight enough. Silence lingers in the air a while longer before he softly speaks up again, “You’re all I have. I don’t want to lose you.”

That familiar pit of guilt is back. It’s times like these when rather than the grown man you know he is, all you can see is a little boy clambering for your attention. You know how isolating and taxing his life has been. While you can remember a life before Satoru, Satoru has only ever known a life with you. Few people have ever truly been able to call themselves his friend, and after what happened with Geto… it’s understandable that he’d be scared of losing you, too. 

“I’m not going anywhere, ‘toru. You aren’t going to lose me just because I go on a date with someone.” You pull away a little and give him a crooked smile, “You’re going to have to try a lot harder than that to get rid of me. Someone has to stick around and keep you in line.”

A quiet chuckle escapes him, “Yeah, no one else has the balls to drag me through a restaurant by the ear like that. Not even our parents.”

“That’s why you’re such a spoiled brat. I should have been meaner when you were a child.” You take a chance and jab your fingers into his side, making him yelp and fling himself back.

“You said you wouldn’t do that again!” His arms drop down to guard his sides as he glares at you with betrayal in his eyes. Thanks to his limitless ability, his usually untouched skin was especially sensitive. Only you knew that he was secretly extremely ticklish.

“And you believed me? That’s on you. I’m your older sister, it’s my right to torment you.” All of the previous tension appears to finally have dissipated from the air.

“Ugh, you’re the worst. I can’t believe I ever trusted you.” The “anger” in his voice was completely fake, especially when you took into account the smile tugging at his lips. He stands up straight and fixes his wrinkled shirt, “So can we get out of here now?”

Shit. And here you thought you were making progress with him. You speak evenly, trying your damnedest to not start another fight, “Satoru. I’m still on a date, and I’m going to finish it. If you want to stick around the city until I’m done and hang out with me then, we can do that, but I’m not leaving this date early. Okay?”

Satoru’s face hardens, and you notice his fingers twitch, then tighten into fists. Just as you’re bracing for another outburst, his muscles relax. He sighs deeply and pushes his glasses back up his nose. “Alright, fine. I get it. I’ll go now.”

Just like that, he leaves the restroom without another word. He was definitely upset, but at least he seems to have let you win this round. You slump over in a combination of relief and exhaustion. As happy as you are that this battle is done, you know that the war is far from over. Another bridge that you’ll cross when you get to it. For now, you want to focus on trying to salvage your date, if that’s even possible. After taking a moment to tidy up your appearance and give yourself a little pep talk, you exit the restroom and head back to the table.

Only to find it empty. Your heart falls into your stomach. Kiyoshi left. Made a run for it as soon as the coast was clear. You can’t blame him, you suppose. If one of his siblings had crashed your date to mean mug you from across the table, you would have bailed on him too.

Despite everything, you see that he still had the good will to leave enough money on the table to cover the bill instead of just sticking you with it. He really was a sweetheart. You didn’t deserve him. And now you would never have him. You wouldn’t be surprised if he put in a request to transfer out of the department you both worked in just to avoid any future awkward encounters.

Such is life… It wasn’t meant to be. If one run in with your brother was enough to scare him off, this never would have worked out long term. You dejectedly pick up your purse and exit the restaurant with plans to grab some ice cream on the way home so you can eat your feelings. You’ll keep the failure of this date to yourself. The last thing you want to do is give your brother an excuse to harass your coworker further.

By the time you get home, you’re emotionally drained and eager to get out of your heels. You unlock your door and slip inside, setting your purse aside and kicking off your shoes. You make a beeline for the kitchen to grab a spoon for your frozen treat, but you stop dead in your tracks after turning on the kitchen light. Someone is on your couch. The living room is pitch black, and he’s facing away from you.

“Satoru? Is that you?” Your hand is poised, ready to conjure a weapon if need be.

The intruder’s head turns, allowing you to see the glasses perched on his nose. Relief floods your nervous system, “Dammit, you scared me! Don’t just sit around like some sort of serial killer like that!”

“He wasn’t good for you…”

“W… What?”

“He was going to take you away from me.” Satoru stands up and starts stalking toward you. His voice was trembling, “He was isolating you, making you keep secrets from me. He was trying to drive a wedge between us.”

Not this shit again. An exasperated groan escapes you, and the ice cream is tossed onto the counter, “No he wasn’t! He didn’t even care enough to stick around for the rest of the date, much less do everything you’re accusing him of! I mean really, what-”

Words die on your tongue as soon as Satoru steps into the light. His once baby blue shirt is stained red with what you know is blood before the smell even gets to you.

“What did you do?”

Silence.

“Satoru, what the fuck have you done?!” You rush forward and shove him, only to instantly regret it the instant that warm blood transfers onto your hands. You recoil and feel bile singe at the back of your throat. “You didn’t! Please tell me you didn’t!”

“I did what I had to. You aren’t strong enough to take care of yourself. You need me to watch out for you. To get rid of threats.” His voice is hollow, lacking any hint of humanity. His eyes are worse. There isn’t so much as a semblance of a soul behind them.

“Kiyoshi wasn’t a threat! He was a good man! He has a family! Friends! People who love him!” A sob rips out of you, “Please tell me he’s okay! Please tell me you didn’t kill him!”

“Do you really want me to lie to you?”

Coherent thoughts cease to exist in your mind. Only instincts remain. Terror. Anger. Hate. A dagger manifests in your hands without you even realizing it, and you charge at your kin.

Satoru doesn’t show any reaction as he casually side steps out of the way, hitting your wrist in just the right place to make you drop the weapon. “See? You never would have done this before. He changed you. It’s okay, though. I understand.

“I’ll fix this. Fix you.”

That’s the last thing you hear before he brings his hand down on your neck and everything goes black.

[lovezbrownies]

My Loser! (Yandere!Pop Idol)

General Masterlist - Yuna's Masterlist.

Synopsis: You are NEET. Not in Education, Employment, or Training. No job, yet somehow making it by enough to buy games and sit around in your very small apartment. Unfortunately you've caught the attention of Yuna, much to your disbelief.

PAIRING: Yuna Claire x GN!Reader.

WARNINGS: Nada. Request can be found here

You always knew your life would take a turn one day. You didn’t expect it to be so... weird. So when the infamous pop idol Yuna Claire—yes, the Yuna Claire—decided to fall head over heels for you, an introverted, NEET with absolutely zero social skills, you figured there was no way this was real. Like, absolutely no way. This was either an elaborate prank, a marketing stunt, or you had accidentally crossed into a dimension where your life was now the plot of the world's most bizarre romcom. Either way, you weren’t buying it.

It all started with the flowers. You had just finished binge-watching a show you’d seen four times already (hey, it was comforting), when the doorbell rang. You dragged yourself out of bed, half-expecting it to be another one of those delivery mishaps where your neighbor gets your Amazon order. But no. It was a delivery man with an enormous bouquet of roses that looked like something out of a cheesy romance movie. You squinted at the card attached: “To my love, with endless affection—Yuna Claire <3.” You blinked twice. Okay, you thought, “No way. This is a joke, right?” You looked around, half expecting Ashton Kutcher to jump out and yell, “You’ve been punked!” But no. It was just you, the flowers, and the overwhelming sense of something being very, very off.

You shrugged, placing the massive bouquet on the couch, then went back to your game. “Haha, okay. I get it. Very funny, Yuna. You’re really committed to this joke.” You chuckled to yourself as you clicked through the next level, completely oblivious to the fact that someone as famous as Yuna Claire could actually be serious about you.

Then came the chocolates. Not your usual, run-of-the-mill chocolate bar. No, these were artisanal, gourmet chocolates that looked like they belonged in a five-star restaurant. You took one look at the perfectly decorated box and thought, Okay, now she’s just being extra. The note inside read, “For you, darling, because you're the sweetest. With love, Yuna Claire <3.” You sighed dramatically. "This has got to be a prank. It's gotta be. There’s no way a pop idol would send chocolates to a total loser like me." You took a bite anyway. They were incredibly good. Too good. And you found yourself oddly comforted by the fact that a part of you, deep down, kind of wanted to believe it was real.

But then, it escalated.

You were lounging around in your room, doing the usual—scrolling through your phone in a half-conscious stupor—when you heard a knock at the door. You opened it, expecting maybe a pizza delivery or something equally mundane, but no. No, no. It was another gift. This time, a giant stuffed bear that was way too big for you to handle. In fact, the bear was so massive that you had to struggle to drag it inside like you were moving furniture. You stared at it in utter disbelief as it took up almost half of your living room. And the note? “I hope this brings a smile to your face, darling. Love, Yuna.” You stared at the note. “This is a joke, right?” you mumbled to yourself, rubbing your eyes. “This has to be a joke.” You threw yourself onto the couch next to the bear and sighed, letting the absurdity of the situation wash over you.

You were pretty sure this had to be the peak. This was where the joke ended. But then... the text came.

You didn’t even know how to process it. There it was, right in front of you, a message from Yuna Claire herself.

“Yuna Claire: Hey, darling! How’s your day going? I was thinking about you today. Let me know if you need anything! <3”

You froze. Nope. No way. This was the part where you’d laugh it off. The part where you’d text back something clever. "Haha, you're really funny, Yuna. But no thanks. I’m just chilling, being a loser in my room." But instead, you were staring at the message for way too long. The logical part of your brain screamed, “This is a scam! This is a joke! Wake up!” But the other part of you—the part that had been secretly hoping that someone like her would pay attention to you—felt a strange fluttering sensation in your chest. You couldn’t bring yourself to respond immediately. Instead, you paced around your room, panicking. “What do I even say to her? What if she actually loves me?!” You took a deep breath, typed back a completely normal (but maybe just a little bit too casual) response: “Oh, yeah. Thanks! Just chillin’ as usual. No biggie.”

You waited.

The reply came almost immediately.

“Yuna Claire: You’re always welcome to come to my concert. I’ll save you a seat next to me. It’ll be special <3”

You gasped. Your first instinct was to scream and run for the hills. You didn’t deserve to sit next to Yuna Claire at her concert! You were a total loser, remember? But then it hit you—the real horror of the situation. She was being serious. This wasn’t some weird fan interaction. This wasn’t some bizarre publicity stunt. Yuna Claire, the pop idol of your dreams, was actually in love with you. The biggest star in the country was not only thinking about you, but also wanting to hang out with you. And... you couldn’t bring yourself to laugh it off anymore.

But just as you were trying to process this new level of ridiculousness, the doorbell rang once again. And who was standing there? None other than Yuna Claire herself, looking like an angel straight out of a K-pop music video, her smile gleaming in the sunlight. You blinked at her, mouth hanging open.

“Hi, darling,” she cooed, practically radiating with affection. “I thought you might need a little company, so I brought you some lunch.” In her hands was a bento box, beautifully arranged with perfect little rolls and desserts.

Your jaw dropped. “What... What are you doing here?”

Yuna giggled. “I couldn’t just leave you all alone, could I? I’ve been thinking about you all day, and I just had to see you.” She stepped inside, brushing past you with a grace that made you feel like you were in the middle of a dream.

You were not prepared for what happened next.

She placed the bento box down on your coffee table, then turned to you with a predatory glint in her eye. “You know, darling,” she said softly, “I’m not joking anymore. You’re mine, and I’ll make sure you know that.”

And with that, she leaned in, her lips barely brushing against your ear. “No more running. I’ll make you mine in every way.”

You swallowed hard, your face turning bright red. “I... I’m not running!” you stammered, trying (and failing) to keep your cool.

Yuna simply smiled, her eyes gleaming with possessive delight. “Good. Because I don’t like it when my darling runs away.”

And suddenly, your life became way more complicated. But also, undeniably... romantic in its own twisted, obsessive way.

[homestuckreplay]

Recap of the recap of the first year of Homestuck

(page 1674)

I’m still gonna think more thoughts on ‘[S] Jack: Ascend.’ soon but today I am actually super excited to go through this recap and pick out some interesting points, so I’m doing that first!

At over 5,500 words, this is by far the longest page in Homestuck so far, more than three times as long as the previous record holder (p.253). As a DM, this page reminds me a lot of the recaps I’ll do at the start of sessions, going over what happened last game or in the campaign so far. It’s about reminding players of important things they might have forgotten, bringing a little extra attention to things that they didn’t pick up on enough (while skipping over anything they focused way too much on, unless I’m doing an intentional red herring) and making a bunch of on-the-spot improv look a little more seamless.

For the most part, I think Hussie’s recap is pretty faithful to the actual story of Homestuck so far, especially in the first few paragraphs. I also think it’s genuinely helpful for a lot of readers, I don’t see it as a nefarious move to try to make the story look more seamless than it actually is or anything, and most longform serial storytelling could probably benefit from something like this. That said, I noticed a lot of slight reconfiguring in here, which I can loosely divide into ‘clarifications’ – things that were already pretty clear in the text for close readers, but haven’t been outright stated before – and ‘brand new information’, where things that might’ve been fan theories or possible explanations before become officially facts.

List of everything I noticed below the cut!

Clarifications

- Clear information on how the prototyping process works, and the fact that only pre-Medium/pre-’hatching’ prototypings affect enemies. From reading forums it seems like this is one of the most confusing things to a lot of readers, so I’m not surprised that it’s explained in detail here.

- Dave’s living room is now referred to as ‘Bro’s room’.

- Rose’s entry item is specifically a wine bottle.

- WV’s wall drawings (p.702-4) are stated to be a map of the Incipisphere.

- ‘Skaia, a huge sphere of blue sky and clouds, which nanna describes as a "dormant crucible of unlimited creative potential."’ This is the only instance where the recap directly quotes the earlier text, suggesting that this phrase is important.

- Jade uses a combination of memories of her dreams and video logs from her dreambot to piece together (and consequently orchestrate) future events.

- The ‘dream world’ and the ‘game session’ are referred to as one and the same.

- It is reinforced that the players must ‘first wake, and then kill’ their denizens; waking is crucial for both players and enemies.

- All three of John’s friends were deeply influenced by the 13th birthday presents he gave them. (very sweet <3)

- The White Queen understands the need to recover Jade’s green package as crucial, and this was a big factor in her abdication.

- Jade sending this package to John is the action that causes the kids’ session to go off the rails, which leads the trolls to begin their trolling campaign. Jade also fucks up in other ways later that will cause trouble for both the kids and trolls.

- Jack Noir in the kids' Sburb session is equivalent to Spades Slick in the trolls' session. Jack being exiled in the trolls’ session and not in the kids’ is an important difference between their two games.

- Sburb command terminals ‘grow’ in the location of a server player’s house, and have the ability to send commands to that person’s client player. This is also final confirmation that John will be Jade’s server player.

- There's a focus on which aspects of Sburb are part of its 'generic template' and which are session-specific to the kids, as well as a reminder that the mythology is separate session to session.

Brand New Information

- Nannasprite has all of John’s nanna’s memories. By extension, all sprites must contain the memories of their original forms, not only their general personalities.

- The Sburb terminal bunkers are intended to be ‘advanced science stations’, which links them to the ‘labs’ carcinoGeneticist mentions existing in the Veil (p.1667).

- When the Peregrine Mendicant attempts to command Jade from her terminal (p.898-900), Jade has only just entered the Medium. PM’s greeting is the first exile command she’s received. This also confirms that Jade’s planet is cold and snowy, a direct contrast to Dave’s.

- Jade’s grandpa ‘pioneered’ the island Jade lives on, and built her house.

- John seeing his dad’s room is what caused him to suddenly see the clown graffiti on his walls, which he’d previously mentally suppressed. This was previously stated as a theory by Rose; this is the narrator’s confirmation that she’s right.

- WV, PM and AR were all former agents of the light and dark kingdoms (we’ve only seen PM, AR and WQ in the past, with WV remaining an unknown quantity). WV, PM and AR were forcibly exiled ‘by some means’ to post-apocalyptic Earth, while WQ chose to exile herself.

- Grandpa Harley has been dead ‘for many years’, and Bec has raised Jade since then. When Bec found Jade in the mystic ruins and teleported her into bed, he was ‘grounding’ her.

- The turntable devices Dave uses to time travel are called ‘time tables’, which I think is a delightful play on words.

- Dave’s entry item, the red egg being incubated by his crowsprite, hatched to allow him to enter the Medium.

- gallowsCalibrator was intentionally trying to get John killed, meaning that she lied about this to Davesprite (p.1657) Her stated goal of trying to fuck up the timeline was likely true, but her other stated goal of wanting to help the kids definitely wasn't.

- The green package Jade sends to John contains ‘a powerful weapon he will need later’.

- The White and Black Kings’ job is to ‘command armies on the Battlefield’ within Skaia.

- In the trolls’ session, Snowman only got her ‘special powers’, where if you kill her you destroy the universe, after she was exiled. This means that Jack killing the Black Queen in the kids’ session will not lead to these same consequences.

- The end of the Intermission was the first time Spades Slick found the Sburb terminal that allowed him to command carcinoGeneticist. This means that Lord English and the Felt may have already been present in the post-apocalyptic wasteland when the exiles arrived, and found and sealed away the terminal before Slick could find it. Alternatively, this could have been Snowman’s work, with the Felt joining her later. Therefore, Slick’s comment ‘This guy again? Been a long time.’ (p.1353) means that he’s previously encountered CG in person, likely on Derse, in a similar way to how Jade and PM first met on Prospit and PM later saw Jade through the terminal.

- When Dave traveled back to fix the timeline, Future Dream Rose ‘assumed the position of Rose’s present dream self’, instead of merging with her current waking self.

- Jack’s new form is called ‘Jackspers Noirlecrow’ (I will not be calling him this but it is very good.)

[fableforger]

Saw this on another if.

So how would the Ros react to seeing a short Mc wearing their clothes (shirt)?

Ahh, thank you for the question! That was actually really exciting - especially since, at that point (or so I assume), the romance between the MC and the ROs has already progressed a bit. I'm really looking forward to exploring that part in the main story. (For the sake of simplicity and smoother text flow, I'll assume that the Romance Options are the male versions.)

So, here we go:

Alexos

Alexos would never admit it - he might not even fully realize it himself - but he is a deeply yearning, passionate soul. Seeing you in his clothes would stir something in him so intensely, it might almost feel uncomfortable. His heart would beat louder, faster, in ways he doesn't quite know how to handle. A flush might rise to his cheeks, not from shyness, but from a sudden loss of composure. He wouldn’t know what to do with the sight - or with the way it makes him feel. But control? That would be long gone.

Zephiron

It doesn’t strike Zephiron at the heart. The sight is sweet - perhaps even beautiful in its way - but it doesn’t awaken anything profound. He’s moved by other things. Not because it wouldn’t be a lovely sight, but because he’s a creature of freedom. Anything that binds you to him - be it fabric or expectation - feels wrong in his bones. The way you wear his clothes might bring a faint smile to his lips, but it won’t undo him. And truth be told - he prefers you without anything at all.

Dorian

This is exactly the kind of thing Dorian lives to mock - and exactly the kind of thing that wrecks him when he isn’t looking. He’ll joke. He’ll scoff. He’ll roll his eyes with theatrical disdain. But inside, it gets to him. It’s almost too perfect - soft, intimate, foolish in a way that tugs at something buried too deep for comfort. He hides the ache behind a smirk, a sharp remark, a lazy tilt of his head. But the fact that it affects him at all? That’s what truly unnerves him. Because it means you’re under his skin.

Theron

Theron carries a quiet, unwavering urge to protect you - and the sight of you in his clothes only magnifies it. The way the fabric drapes over your frame makes you look softer, smaller, like something precious he’s been entrusted with. It touches that part of him that longs not just to guard, but to hold. Not out of control, but out of devotion. He’d simply want to pull you close, rest his forehead against yours, and breathe in the quiet peace of having you near.

Rhaelos

Rhaelos wouldn’t understand the gesture - not fully. His first instinct would be to question it: why wear something of his, when it clearly doesn’t fit? It’s impractical, illogical. And yet… it unsettles him. Not because the sight is romantic - he doesn’t think in those terms - but because it’s personal. Intimate in a way he’s not prepared for. You’ve already come closer than most, but this... this is different. It disturbs the quiet order he’s built around himself. And for someone like Rhaelos, that is far more dangerous than desire.

Drakon

Drakon is possessive by nature, and seeing you in his clothes hits that instinct with brutal precision. It turns him on - deeply, physically, unmistakably. But more than that, it satisfies something primal and territorial in him, as if the fabric itself were a visible mark of claim. He loves it. Openly, shamelessly. Because in that moment, you look smaller, his presence looks larger, and the lines between you blur. You’re wrapped in him - and that alone makes his blood burn.

[forgottenarthur]

OOC | What was at Kil-kennar?

ok so kate said

phabblebabbles 3d @quillington We haven’t discussed much abt Kil Kennar I guess beyond it being where the High Seeress lived BUT it could also have/had her acolytes who maybe were able to save some of the ancient texts before Kil Kennar fell???

and i realized like!!!!!! that we never like...talked about it???? lasjkdfkljsdf so i wanted to launch a full discussion!!!

so i ~do have some hc's that i thought id pop up here (in no particular order) which we may or may not want to use but can at least get us chatting!!

but ~first, some things we ~have established

its the religious center of the astairan faith

its effectively its own ~county but w a chosen ~high seer~ as its lord/lady rather than a great house

its high up in the mountains

its a fortress that was (pre!arthur) considered nigh impregnable (i have some madness in mind a la a certain alexander the great re how he did ~that which...i don't think ive ever actually talked abt!!)

its at a v strategic spot and ik we had ideas as to why but idr them atm alksjdfjsdf i think it had to do w being able to command both sea lanes ~and passages through the natural land barrier that is the mountains -- also there's def both the symbolic and the morale component w it being the faith center etc but i feel like it had the big north-to-south pass besides the fens in those mountains and kil-kennar protected/commanded that kinda thing or smth?? maybe it was the east to west...idk...

it has a huge ~chapterhouse where representatives from every county in the country can meet -- and i ~think we said its where the vote is cast for the ruler?? and/or the ~high seer?? but idr that distinctly

i think?? that's everything we've already decided abt it?

ok so like when i ~first envisaged kil-kennar i was heavily inspired by carcassone but like extreme edition -- this sprawling fortress built ~into the mountains and like...you trip off the tower you will be falling foreverrrrr its up there in the clouds pr much

ok so let me just get my vision of the siege of kil-kennar out of the way!

THE SIEGE OF KIL-KENNAR & THE EAGLE'S FEATHERS

ok so basically my thought was that our boy arthur went through his army and found the best rock climbers and pulled them out of the army, having them go a different way, trekking through the almost impassable mountain rocks and clefts itself rather than the narrow passages the main army took, so that the ppl of kil-kennar would never see them at all

then w the soldiers he had left, he sent the usual expected thing of a useless assault on the walls, including improvised siege ladders and towers etc but this was mostly to distract them (tho arthur himself was the first to mount the walls before the invaders from behind got there, even tho he was quickly repelled) from the fact that his real forces weren't assaulting the manmade part of the fortress but, rather, scaling the sheer rockface of the mountain and speed climbing and rapelling inside from the most impregnable part of the walls, from which point they attacked, opened the gates to arthur's troops outside them, etc, and thus the fall of kil-kennar. i do think there was a traditional siege component for awhile before hand tho-- supposedly tryna starve them out etc esp bc i think it took awhile for everyone to assemble and messages to relay between arthur's split forces etc

like alexander the great, arthur def offered big rewards to the first several to get there too given the huge risks of the whole thing and probs ~did say smth a la alexander the great that: "Nature has placed nothing so high, that valor cannot overcome it. It is by trying what others have despaired that we have [an Empire] in our power." (i think alexander the great was an ass but he really went off w that speech huh) arthur probs ended his vers of that w a crusader-esque cry of smth along the lines of 'the god wills it' and there we go

ik this sounds insane but its really happened so i feel perfectly justified! im referencing Alexander the Great's legendary Siege of the Sogdian Rock (or of the Rock of Ariamazes there're disagreements etc yknow ancient history be like that kladsjflkjsdf -- the whole thing tbf ~is shrouded in hella legend but i say its fair game here!) and his famous Flying Soldiers (besides there was a siege of a city in Sicily by the tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse where smth similar -- if less impressive bc siege ladders -- also happened). [ "In a siege of a mountaintop fortress, Alexander offered prizes to soldiers who climbed towering cliff faces in the fastest time. Dozens of men died attempting to scale the sheer walls, but others made it to the top using a[n improvised] combination of iron spikes [tent pegs] and linen ropes—techniques still used by climbers today." ]

"'[W]hen they came to very steep places, some grasped projecting stones with their hands and pulled themselves up, others made their way by using nooses of rope, still others drove wedges between the stones and made steps on which to stand.' But without modern safety equipment like belays, harnesses and carabiners, Alexander’s men were one misstep away from disaster, and at least 30 men died attempting the ascent. 'They spent a day amid fear and toil. After having struggled over rough places, still harder ones awaited them, and the height of the rock seemed to grow. That indeed was a pitiful sight, when those whom their unsteady step had betrayed were hurled down a sheer drop; and the example of others’ disaster showed that they must soon suffer the same fate.'"

arthur was def expecting to be known as like ~the eagle of kil-kennar~ or smth after this fabulous exploit esp w his eagle and winged sun imagery and his troops' apparent ability to fly etc but instead he got butcher of kil-kennar bc ppl focused in on the beheading and not the marvelous and innovative military tactics he pioneered alkdjsfjdf and now his not!gf (he thinks) hates him for it LKSDAJFLSJKDF its rough being arthur ;DDDDD

i feel like arthur's 'flying troops' did fare better than their leader that way and got nicknamed the eagle's feathers from there on out -- thanks, guys!! a special new branch (or should i say...wing ;DDDDD) of arthur's pre-existing order of the dawn (bc yes he did battlefield knight everyone who was brave enough to dare that climb, no matter their rank -- even if you fell to your death you did so as a knight, and a knight of the dawn, at that! and if you were lucky and survived ur to this day sir so-and-so even if you started a peasant and arthur thinks that's incredibly egalitarian of him to have done laksjdfkjds)

but i feel like their thrilling, death-defying exploit probs ~was pr widely circulated throughout the empire esp as damage control for the whole beheading a witch and subsequent rioting thing laksjfjdskf but idk that it got v attached to ~arthur himself and was probs more just a cool thing that ~house varmont~ (lowkey implied twas the emperor himself no doubt...) did which ngl def does irk arthur HE WANTED THAT CREDIT!!!!!! lkajdsfjksdfj instead he's just a butcher laksdjfkljdsf ;DDD

also genuine question -- why hasn't anyone made a movie abt the siege of the sogdian rock????????? like this just feels like prime for that but anyway alsdkjflkjsdf

PONTENTIAL PRE-CONQUEST USES OF KIL-KENNAR?? (aka the actual point of this whole post...)

ok so like i was sort of thinking of the fortress of kil-kennar ig as like...ig kinda like a medieval monastery? this haven of learning and prayer that's like this really remote but incredible place sorta living outside the regular run of time kinda thing??? ~lay ppl may or may not live there as well but like sort of a religious retreat kinda vibe???? but also obv a center of pilgrimage and a restful place in these treacherous mountains where you can stop and given offerings to the guardians and get a hot meal and a good sleep etc before continuing your way across, kinda thing?

and/or maybe it was a university of some sort??? like iirc our girl @forgottenarias took a retreat there w her mom while dom was still king to help her learn abt being a seer? and, while aria's situation was secret, maybe smth it offered lotsa benefits for seers seeking to learn? so according to [ lizzy's og post abt witchery <3 ], there is 1 general thing that all witches get which is the ability to ~see the guardians~ (unless ur @forgottensaoirse ;D), but from there guardians can also gift you further low level magics, healing and/or premonitions so!! im thinking that maybe there were sort of...for lack of a better term...courses where you could learn to manage the sight and more advanced classes on magical healing and interpretting dreams and visions and such?? or even if not formal training sm then like...a bunchfof seers for emotional support/advice etc?? idk i just feel like astaira is v much a helpful place so having a place for banding together to work through this stuff just feels like smth they'd have?? esp bc it can be so confusing/scary but is also simultaneously so important/revered!!!

i also feel like, since we established that the head seer and the ruler occasionally have clashes and such, the chapterhouse might also lowkey serve as a court for them and that sort of thing as well as like a teaching place for doctrine and such but also oracle of delphi-esque readings and proclomations and such!

also yesssss deffffffff think there were acolytes and non-lay folk aplenty!!!!! and also a MASSIVE library, not just religious tho probs tHE biggest religious library in all astaira would have been located there i would guess, etc!! but full of all kinds of subjects! history, magic, you name it! still think the biggest number of astronomic books was at stafford for reasons and the biggest natural history section probs at malconaire etc buT i feel like astaira is all abt learning and so i feel like all these places have massive libraries!!!!

also roderick defffff burned all magic/religious books that weren't smuggled out!!!! an id i love love love the idea that some ~were!!!!!! ppl risking their lives to save this precious information SOB <3 hopefully some of it can be gotten into the right hands eventually...i can see aria, @forgottenbrigit , saoirse, and any other seers benefitting from it big time too, should they ever get their hands on it!

anyway idk!! just some thoughts...as always i defffff feel like ive left smth out but i can't think what it was so we're gonna just! go w it! laksdjflksdf id looooooove to hear everyone's thoughts on this/hcs of your own etc!!!! i feel like there's sm worldbuilding we can do here lajsldfkdsf <3333333

[mathildeaquisexta]

I agree with pretty much everything that has been said and I'll just add a few things:

On Olympe's opposition to defending women's right to be part of the military force: Women like Théroigne de Mérincourt and Pauline Léon weren't only thinking about giving the army extra soldiers by including 50% of the population, even if this was probably a strong argument. Besides, it wasn't "the army" that these two women were targeting, but the National Guard, and for a very precise reason. French society was very different from today. The notion of citizenship was not linked to the right to vote (or, at least, not as significantly as it is today), but, as in the Ancient Greek societies that the French Republic took as its model, you became a French citizen once you had completed your military service in the National Guard. And this completely changes the way we perceive Olympe's reluctance to support women's right to bear arms.

"If the National Guard is the union of all citizens, its service was a duty for active citizens and a reward for passive ones."

Regarding the utterly despicable excerpt in which she criticizes the black slaves for having revolted against their masters by using violence: this text is not exactly part of the theater play, it's a preface that was included, and was probably delivered as a speech just before the performance of March 1792, and only appeared on that occasion. So it is indeed Olympe de Gouges' reaction to the early struggles of the Haitian Revolution. (doesn't make her words less shocking, that was just a little contextualization)

In her Réponse au champion américain, Olympe explains how, according to her, the independence of black slaves should unfold:

“It [her play] will bring men back to their duty, expecting from the colonists and the French nation the abolition of the slave trade and a happier fate.”

Yeah okay Olympe, except that you can't proclaim yourself an abolitionist while being so timorous and incapable of comprehending that black slaves won't free themselves from their chains without violence, and ESPECIALLY while thinking that the white colonists WHOSE WHOLE ECONOMIC SYSTEM DEPENDS ON SLAVERY are going to participate in this superb project wholeheartedly! On that point, indeed, I think she's being very naive.

I'm not saying she's a secret agent of the Massiac Club, that would be cynical beyond belief, but it seems she likes to make speeches, she likes to hear herself talk, but the idea of people actually putting ideas into practice terrifies her completely:

“I didn't intend, under the circumstances, to make it a torch of discord, a signal for insurrection; on the contrary, I have since softened its effect.”

As for her so-called “feminism”, I'll quote directly from the postamble to the Declaration of the Rights of Women, and we'll save ourselves a lot of time:

“Let us now turn to the appalling picture of what you [women] have been in society; and since there is talk, at this moment, of a national education, let us see if our wise Legislators will think sanely about the education of women. Women have done more harm than good. Coercion and dissimulation have been their lot. What force had taken from them, cunning gave back; they used all the resources of their charms, and the most blameless could not resist them. Poison, steel, everything was subject to them; they commanded crime as well as virtue. The French government, above all, has depended for centuries on the nocturnal administration of women; the cabinet had no secrets from their indiscretion: embassy, command, ministry, presidency, pontificate, cardinalate, in short everything that characterizes the silliness of men, profane and sacred, everything has been subject to the greed and ambition of this sex, once contemptible and respected, and since the revolution, respectable and despised.”

On a more anecdotic note, the fact she dedicated her Declaration of the Rights of Women to Marie-Antoinette is also a problem, because even if we all know she is a monarchist, this dedication is dated SEPTEMBER 1791, three months after the Flight to Varennes.

And I know @nesiacha has already mentioned it, but I'm still going to pile it on, because this fact has been taken far too lightly in my opinion:

Here's what this article from Médiapart, a benchmark in French journalism, has to say:

“She was condemned to death because, after daring to protest against the arrest of the Girondins, she still had the temerity to post a text inviting each department to choose the political regime it considered best”

So this is not moderation, this is straight up treason.

If you don't understand what exactly is happening here : with this attempt to sway public opinion in favor of federalism, Olympe is calling into question the legitimacy of the National Convention and blithely trampling on the values of unity and indivisibility of France, which is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS and indeed an act of treason given that we're in the middle of an external and internal war and that several pro-royalist departments are already in revolt. The word “temerity” is quite an understatement, in this context.

No, Olympe de Gouges Was Not Executed for Being a Feminist

As @mathildeaquisexta and @robespapier already explained so well in this post, let’s be clear once and for all: Olympe de Gouges was not executed because she was a feminist, nor for any misogynistic reason.

She was executed under suspicion of modérantisme—a political stance that did not necessarily imply opposition to executions or support for clemency—and more crucially, under accusations of counter-revolutionary activity. In her writings, she advocated either a return to constitutional monarchy or the establishment of a federal republic. Given the intense internal and external civil war at the time, such views were considered dangerously destabilizing. The Montagnards, under mounting pressure, resorted to increasingly harsh measures—something that does not excuse their actions, many of which were indefensible, but places them in a broader revolutionary context.

Some sources—though I’ve yet to locate them again, so this should be taken cautiously—even suggest that she may have called for Robespierre’s death. In any case, she was far from the saintly figure some portray her as.

Did Olympe de Gouges deserve to die? Absolutely not. Was her execution condemnable, especially from a human standpoint? Yes. But from a legal perspective—however flawed the laws may have been—her writings were seen as criminal and therefore her trial was not, strictly speaking, unlawful.

Her feminism itself was full of contradictions. She opposed revolutionary women taking up arms, for instance. An interesting detail: historian Mathilde Larrère pointed out in a video that when de Gouges rewrote Article 12 of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen(La Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen) for her Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen (Déclarations des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne), she significantly altered its meaning.

Here is the original Article 12: "The security of the rights of man and citizen requires public military forces: these forces are therefore instituted for the benefit of all, and not for the personal use of those to whom they are entrusted."

Now Olympe's version: "The guarantee of the rights of woman and citizen requires a major utility; this guarantee must be instituted for the advantage of all and for the particular benefit of those to whom it is entrusted."

Where other revolutionary women were requesting weapons—and rightly so, given that they were at war—de Gouges stood firmly against it. At times, I can’t help but wonder if she wasn’t somewhat disconnected from the reality on the ground.

Yes, it's necessary to condemn lynchings, murders, and other excesses of the Revolution. But we must also avoid the "black legend" narrative that demonizes figures like the Montagnards, the CSP of the year II, Hébertistes, or the Enragés, just as we must reject the "golden legend" that romanticizes the Revolution. Much of the Revolution’s progress was driven by violent struggle: the storming of the Bastille, the fall of the Tuileries (which finally removed Louis XVI—a serious threat to the nation and the revolution because of his betrayal), or even the uprisings of enslaved Black people in the colonies.

These were violent acts—but how else could centuries of brutal oppression be overthrown? Enslavers were never going to relinquish power simply because someone asked nicely. The system itself was inventive in its cruelty and designed to resist any path toward Black liberation.

And yet, Olympe de Gouges, despite being an abolitionist, condemned the Haitian revolt in 1792. In a striking and disturbing passage from her play L'Esclavage des Noirs ou l'Heureux Naufrage, she directly addresses the enslaved and says:

"It is to you, now, slaves, men of color, that I am going to speak; I may have undeniable rights to condemn your ferocity: cruel ones, by imitating the tyrants, you justify them. Most of your masters were humane and kind, and in your blind rage, you do not distinguish innocent victims from your persecutors.

Men were not born for chains, and yet you prove they are necessary. If overwhelming force is on your side, why unleash all the furies of your burning lands? Poison, iron, daggers, the invention of the most barbaric and atrocious tortures cost you nothing, they say. What cruelty! What inhumanity! Ah! How deeply you make those groan who sought to prepare, through tempered means, a gentler fate for you — a fate more worthy of envy than all those illusory advantages with which the authors of France’s and America’s calamities have misled you.

Tyranny will follow you, as crime clings to those perverse men. Nothing will ever bring harmony among you. Fear my prediction — you know whether it is founded on true and solid grounds. I speak my oracles based on reason and divine justice. I do not recant: I abhor your tyrants; your cruelties fill me with horror »

Frankly, this is appalling. To suggest that enslaved people—who had endured horrors that defy comprehension—were just as bad as their oppressors is a cruel and absurd false equivalence when we know all the horrors of the slavery system and even if there were deaths on the other side who were truly regrettable, it is clearly not comparable. And what “tyrants” is she referring to? At the time, there was no formal revolutionary government in place in Saint-Domingue. There was no “major force” on their side. At that point in time, slavery had not yet been abolished, and the arrival of Sonthonax — a proponent of the gradual abolition of slavery — marked a turning point. One of the key factors behind the push for abolition was the execution of Louis XVI, which led some white royalist planters to seriously consider turning Saint-Domingue over to the British. In this context, the text appears, in my view, somewhat disconnected from the historical and political realities of the time.

In short, this is a deeply misjudged and insulting passage. That said, she's far from the only historical figure with contradictory views on slavery—Brissot and even Robespierre had their own problematic moments.

To her credit, de Gouges was lucid in other respects. She opposed the war that Brissot advocated, aligning instead—whether consciously or not—with Danton, Robespierre, and Billaud-Varenne, who foresaw the catastrophe it would bring. According to historian Antoine Resche, she supported constitutional monarchy but rejected the property-based voting system (suffrage censitaire).

Still, Olympe de Gouges was not widely known among revolutionary women of her time. Her Déclaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne (Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen) had limited impact. The true revolutionary womens "stars" were Théroigne de Méricourt, Pauline Léon, Claire Lacombe, Sophie de Grouchy, Louise Reine Audu, Manon Roland, Louise de Kéralio, Simone Evrard, Albertine Marat, the Ferning sisters, Rosalie Jullien, Sophie Momoro (as Goddess of Reason), Jeanne Odo, and perhaps Marguerite David ( of the group of Enragés).

In fact, it’s likely that de Gouges knew of these women, but not necessarily the other way around. Even after her execution, I’ve found almost no evidence of posthumous recognition during the revolutionary period.

From Year III to IV, women like Sylvie Audouin, Thérésia Tallien, Marie-Anne Babeuf, Sophie Lapierre, and possibly Élisabeth Le Bon (widow of Joseph Le Bon) gained more visibility — though Thérésia and Babeuf were probably more famous than Audouin or Lapierre. Still, Olympe remained largely absent from the collective memory ( at least to my knowledge). So she wasn't completely unknown, but her importance wasn't as great as some people would have us believe.

According to Mathilde Larrère, Olympe de Gouges only emerged from oblivion thanks to feminist Benoîte Groult, who revived her memory and her declaration. This was a fantastic move—it's always good to recover lost revolutionary voices.

But ironically, her legacy has since been co-opted by people who hold a very dark view of the French Revolution, some even veering toward counter-revolutionary ideals—because, yes, de Gouges was a staunch monarchist. Even worse, some who now praise her aren’t feminists at all, but use her image dishonestly to discredit the Revolution as a whole.

And the tragic twist? The women who were famous during the Revolution—Louise-Reine Audu, the Ferning sisters, Sophie Momoro, Marguerite David, Jeanne Odo, Rosalie Jullien, Sylvie Audouin, Sophie Lapierre, Marie-Anne Babeuf, Elisabeth Le Bon, Louise de Kéralio—have largely disappeared from collective memory. Others have been demonized or reduced to caricatures: Pauline Léon, Claire Lacombe, Simone Evrard, Albertine Marat.

Once again, my point is not to demonize Olympe de Gouges, but to highlight the problem of turning her into the only legitimate feminist voice of the French Revolution, while erasing or vilifying all others just because they held different political views.

If people genuinely want to honor Olympe de Gouges, they should portray her in full:

Her strengths—her opposition to property-based voting, her fight for the rights of children born out of wedlock, her courage in speaking out, her revolutionary spirit, her willingness to denounce Louis XVI’s betrayal despite her monarchist leanings.

And her flaws—her rejection of women bearing arms, her naivety about nonviolent change, her harsh and misguided condemnation of enslaved people fighting for their freedom.

She was sincere in her convictions, passionate about justice, and undoubtedly brave. But she was also human, with contradictions and limits like any of us.

One day, I hope to see a real film that portrays all the women of the French Revolution—regardless of their political alignment—without distortion or demonization.

[calamitoustide]

first lines of my fics

thank you @angel-daydreams @chericheribaby @courfee @messrsrarchives and @where-is-vivian for the tags ily all <33 this is fun

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don't be shy and share anyway!

interlinked - timeloop adjacent/universe hopping + jegulus soulmates + this is how we save james and regulus both

As a child James used to have very vivid dreams.

The Next Best Thing - regulus and remus find comfort (PLATONICALLY) in each other after james is in an accident

Regulus should've known something was wrong. James is always on time, almost to an annoying degree. He should've known something happened when he didn't show up when he was supposed to, but Regulus lost track of time.

So High School! - high school teachers jeg + secret relationship + raising harry

James is fully aware that when his students ask him about his weekend plans they don’t actually care about his weekend plans. He was a student before too, he knows what it’s like.

Fuck It, I Love You! - moonchaser falling in love during the aftermath "the prank"

For a moment it’s peaceful and James doesn’t remember any of it. It’s a distant call of the wind or a soft-spoken lullaby. His mind is hazy and foggy and nothing else matters, like he’s on a cloud above it all. Floating endlessly in the crystal clear blue, like the sea surrounds him completely. He’s buried in its calming tides taking in breaths and feeling them cover him; protect him.

Meet Me Halfway - jamesley + baby harry + sad james

“Help.” Kingsley blinks; it’s clear that he just woke up. If the wrinkles in his T-shirt don't show enough, his eyes are covered in sleep. Also, it’s three am, but James doesn’t find himself caring about that. In fact, Kingsley might deserve being woken up at this hour. “What?” He sputters.

You Don’t Get To Tell Me About Sad - sad james + band au + exes to lovers jeg

Regulus heard that James left the band on Twitter. There were no calls, or lousy text messages, not that he was expecting anything. They don’t really talk like that anymore.

Vanishing Grace - jegulus tlou au + forced proximity + falling in love

“What are you doing?” Regulus doesn’t need to look over to know Sirius is leaning on the doorway. He keeps looking through the cabinets, occasionally shoving food into his open bag. Swiftly moving through the room careful to not let his footsteps carry throughout the rest of the house.

His Parents' Beautiful Boy - sad james + becoming your own imaginary friend after you die

The morning after James kills himself he wakes up in his childhood bedroom.

Stay With Him - jegingsley + sad james + established relationship

James isn’t sure how long he’s been awake. He knows it’s probably longer than it should be considering the sun hasn’t even come through the windows and it feels like it’s been hours, but he hasn’t moved. He hasn’t fallen back to sleep either. He feels Regulus pressed against his back, his arm thrown over his waist, and he doesn’t want to wake him. Plus waking Regulus will wake Kingsley whose soft breathing is on the other side of the bed so James really can’t move.

is it new years yet? - jegulus christmas/new years fic + line cook james + waiter regulus

The first thing Regulus is met with when walking into work is “Yeah” by Usher blasting from deep within the kitchen. It isn’t even eleven am. He’s going to kill James Potter. 

tagging (no pressure): @inevitablestars @starsworth @pissmotif @otrtbs @ephemeralstarss @jeguluses @static-radio-ao3 @kalegreeneyes @shoopsthereitis @messymoony

[minhosimthings]

Enhypen as questionably gay things I have said to my gf

Heeseung - Babe have you seen my hoodie? You know the one you let me borrow before I realised I actually wanted the owner of the hoodie instead? (I said this at my dorm and i kid you not she slapped me)

Jay - Should we get the rainbow ice-cream so that society knows we are gay and accepts us instead of being Hitler and telling us we are assholes. (Alright look. I was very burnt out and I just wrote a history essay so yeah. Gf was very impressed tho)

Jake - Dude I think I'm hella gay for you (I said this at a party when I was drunk as fuck. There's a video of me saying it and it's so funny because that night was her birthday)

Sunghoon - I don't know if I wanna be Wonyoung or be with Wonyoung (this was in my Wonyoung phase where I just thirsted over her and my gf didn't talk to me until I bought her a muffin)

Sunoo - Dude George Clooney is so hot. His wife's even hotter. (Look they are the ORIGINAL mommy and daddy ok? I would thank them if they stepped on me)

[frostgnawdraws]

failure and futility

for day 2 of campfire fest! prompt: third eye (and i guess could also count for explosion, or a lack thereof lol) @outerwilds-events

[cent-scratchnsniff]

something bad did indeed happen to that man. spent abt 25 minutes trying to find a better picture of that one (1) offical piece with his eyes open that wasnt compressed or tiny

[camgoloud]

you ever just. become overwhelmed by a sudden out-of-nowhere wave of tenderness and affection and longing for reconnection directed towards someone to whom you no longer speak for Very Good Reasons

[nexus-nebulae]

"why are you so worried abt random accidents, stuff like that rarely ever happens" well you see I'm too disabled to ever evacuate a situation on my own, so I'd rather be a safety advocate now than become a statistic later

[wonder-worker]

Margaret of Anjou’s visit to Coventry [in 1456], which was part of her dower and that of her son, Edward of Lancaster, was much more elaborate. It essentially reasserted Lancastrian power. The presence of Henry and the infant Edward was recognised in the pageantry. The ceremonial route between the Bablake gate and the commercial centre was short, skirting the area controlled by the cathedral priory, but it made up for its brevity with no fewer than fourteen pageants. Since Coventry had an established cycle of mystery plays, there were presumably enough local resources and experience to mount an impressive display; but one John Wetherby was summoned from Leicester to compose verses and stage the scenes. As at Margaret’s coronation the iconography was elaborate, though it built upon earlier developments.

Starting at Bablake gate, next to the Trinity Guild church of St. Michael, Bablake, the party was welcomed with a Tree of Jesse, set up on the gate itself, with the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah explaining the symbolism. Outside St. Michael’s church the party was greeted by Edward the Confessor and St. John the Evangelist; and proceeding to Smithford Street, they found on the conduit the four Cardinal Virtues—Righteousness (Justice?), Prudence, Temperance, and Fortitude. In Cross Cheaping wine flowed freely, as in London, and angels stood on the cross, censing Margaret as she passed. Beyond the cross was pitched a series of pageants, each displaying one of the Nine Worthies, who offered to serve Margaret. Finally, the queen was shown a pageant of her patron saint, Margaret, slaying the dragon [which 'turned out to be strictly an intercessor on the queen's behalf', as Helen Maurer points out].

The meanings here are complex and have been variously interpreted. An initial reading of the programme found a message of messianic kingship: the Jesse tree equating royal genealogy with that of Christ had been used at the welcome for Henry VI on his return from Paris in 1432. A more recent, feminist view is that the symbolism is essentially Marian, and to be associated with Margaret both as queen and mother of the heir rather than Henry himself. The theme is shared sovereignty, with Margaret equal to her husband and son. Ideal kingship was symbolised by the presence of Edward the Confessor, but Margaret was the person to whom the speeches were specifically addressed and she, not Henry, was seen as the saviour of the house of Lancaster. This reading tips the balance too far the other way: the tableau of Edward the Confessor and St. John was a direct reference to the legend of the Ring and the Pilgrim, one of Henry III’s favourite stories, which was illustrated in Westminster Abbey, several of his houses, and in manuscript. It symbolised royal largesse, and its message at Coventry would certainly have encompassed the reigning king. Again, the presence of allegorical figures, first used for Henry, seems to acknowledge his presence. Yet, while the message of the Coventry pageants was directed at contemporary events it emphasised Margaret’s motherhood and duties as queen; and it was expressed as a traditional spiritual journey from the Old Testament, via the incarnation represented by the cross, to the final triumph over evil, with the help of the Virgin, allegory, and the Worthies. The only true thematic innovation was the commentary by the prophets.

[...] The messages of the pageants firmly reminded the royal women of their place as mothers and mediators, honoured but subordinate. Yet, if passive, these young women were not without significance. It is clear from the pageantry of 1392 and 1426 in London and 1456 in Coventry that when a crisis needed to be resolved, the queen (or regent’s wife) was accorded extra recognition. Her duty as mediator—or the good aspect of a misdirected man—suddenly became more than a pious wish. At Coventry, Margaret of Anjou was even presented as the rock upon which the monarchy rested. [However,] a crisis had to be sensed in order to provoke such emphasis [...].

— Nicola Coldstream, "Roles of Women in Late Medieval Civic Pageantry", Reassessing the Roles of Women as 'Makers' of Medieval Art and Culture

[scullys]

finally reading literary classics that became oversaturated in cinema and tv is so crazy you're telling me these people were children all along???

[94erz]

Semi-related to the stuff I post here but anyone else aware of the RIIZE situation? The fact they put him on hiatus just because of a ''dating scandal'' only to finally announce he's coming back TWO DAYS ago and now he's been officially kicked out 'cause Korean fans (mostly girls who are insane and don't view idols as humans) threw a huge fit about it.

As an outsider of the group/fandom I can't speak too much about them but as a k-pop industry anti there's a lot to say about that. It's just so insane to me that in the year 2024, going on 2025, the built-in conception that idols belong to fans, love fans, are dedicated to their fans, and cannot have ACTUAL real love lives without it ruining their entire career is PSYCHOTIC. I cannot stress enough how ABNORMAL and WEIRD that is. I literally do not care to say that at all like if you (general) think it's okay to harass and bully any celebrity, but in this specific case k-pop idols, for doing the most human of things like going out with someone you're a freak, a loser, and you don't deserve to be a fan of anyone.

This idea that fans genuinely believe they have power to control another person's life, because they've been sold that idea by a corporation that makes money off of it, is so fucked up. But what's even worse in this situation is that the company completely threw him under the fucking bus once he lost value in their eyes. They don't care about talent, they don't care about the years of training he put in, they don't care about the relationships and bonds formed between the members that they are now tearing apart, all they wanted to use him for was to sell an image of him to fans, and now that the image has been ''ruined'' to a subset of that fandom, he's worthless to them, so they threw him away.

It's some nasty business. I have so little respect for fans who treat other people like toys, the complete and utter dehumanization of these people just doing a job, and it affects all of them. Like this is not the first and sadly won't be the last a situation like this happens until something about the industry and fan behavior changes.