Tumgik
#she cares very deeply for the environment
mc-illustrations · 1 year
Photo
Tumblr media
Another pretty NPC 💙
121 notes · View notes
floopsboopdedoops · 1 year
Text
Thinking about one of my Lalafells, a Plainsfolk by the name of Narina - and just how fucking Angry and Violent she is sdjfjlskfdj
Like, if short people complex was a person, It’s Her and her entire 2′10 embodiment of Fury
2 notes · View notes
doberbutts · 4 months
Note
Curious about something you mentioned in your post last week, you said that in your opinion all drugs should be legal and I’m curious about how that would be a positive at all? Like I get weed bc it’s pretty harmless but when I think of drugs I think of cocaine and heroin, which have destroyed so many lives. If it was widely available wouldn’t that end up hurting more people than helping? That’s just my opinion but I’m curious on the other side
I do think all drugs should be legal. This is said knowing that addiction runs in my family and that the only reason my older sister is my *sister* is due to drug use and addiction. Otherwise she'd be my cousin.
Making drugs illegal does not stop people from getting high. It does not stop drug related crime. And it certainly does not stop drugs from tearing families apart.
Addiction is a symptom of a larger problem. Solve the problem and the addict problem goes away. Solve the addict problem and drugs stop ruining lives and destroying families and creating massive amounts of drug related violence. Places that have roled out decriminalization strategies effectively have seen an overall reduction in crime rates across the board, a reduction in recreational drug use, and a reduction in bloodborne illness like HIV. Creating safe needle exchanges as well as safe places to get high with medical staff onhand has also created a locale where very few people die from overdose.
Most people hear "decriminalize all drugs" and think I mean a free-for-all. I don't. I think the drug market should be regulated. I don't think you should be able to get ketamine or heroin over the counter at a walmart like you can get asprin. But I think it's time to stop putting people in jail for getting high.
My aunt tore her life and her family and her health apart for years while she was addicted to heroin. My sister, her daughter, needed to be removed from her care due to the amazingly bad choices she made as a mother due to her addiction and her prioritizing drugs over the health and safety of her daughter. My aunt has had multiple heart attacks from the damage the constant drug use did to her body.
My aunt is more than a decade sober and do you know why? It's not because she got a wakeup call when her daughter was taken away, because at the time she willingly and freely signed her over to my parents because that got her "out of [her] hair". It's not because she had a heart attack, because she went right back to it the moment she was out of the hospital. It's not even because she spent time in rehab and prison, because the moment she was out she was using again.
No, my aunt got sober because her life changed. She was put on a better pain management plan. She got out of her shitty marriage to her shitty husband. She completed some education to make her more hireable so she didn't have to rely on less than safe means of paying her bills. She reconnected with my sister and reforged their relationship once she was 18. She bought her own house. She found love with someone who didn't give a shit about her past and brought out the best in her.
My aunt was a deeply unhappy person. Heroin made life more tolerable for her. Until she couldn't tolerate life without it. Until she'd do anything, anything, to get her next high.
A lot of addicts are addicts because they are self-medicating for something else and their drug of choice has chemical properties that makes their brains crave it more. If you fix the "deeply unhappy" part, you create a healthier environment for that addict to take control over their life again. Without it, they are far more likely to continue to relapse.
Knowing this, why would I then want to add the threat of prison and jailtime- life-ruining things themselves- to an addict's list of concerns?
Look up rat park sometime. In the rat paradise, drugged water was freely offered, and occasional a rat here or there would take a hit or two, but rarely enough to even get high and almost never habitually. Addiction literally didn't exist even though the rats were taking addictive substances. But the rats in cages, seperated from each other, with no enrichment, crammed into small spaces and stressed to hell? Those rats took hit after hit after hit until they overdosed and died. The addict rats were deeply unhappy. The drugs were their only escape. The paradise rats had to be lured in with sweetened drugs to even consider and even then they rejected them. The caged rats did not need sweetner, even though the drugs made the water bitter.
If we can see such a stark difference in rats having their needs met vs rats experiencing isolation and stress, what would happen if we showed human addicts the same consideration?
I think a lot better results than continuing to jail deeply unhappy and desperate people for doing the only thing they can think of to cope.
1K notes · View notes
yzzart · 4 months
Note
hii love!! i'm new to your work but i've fallen deeply in love with your writing and your way of writing Tom 😭😭 i absolutely love the actress!au stories so i thought about one myself: where tom and reader are already in a established, public relationship; and they attend a gala or some kind of event together, and maybe one of them had to host or talk in front of the guests and they keep mentioning and talking about each other. and the fans are going crazy after that interaction 💘 thank youuu
"A peculiar moment."
pairing: tom blyth x actress!reader.
summary: at an event and being the host, Tom interviews the first person of the night, you.
word count: 1.452!
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
“You look so beautiful, Y/n!”
A mix of voices asking, clamoring for photos, autographs or at least a four-second attention exclaimed in your ears and of course, echoed throughout the environment. — Also, accompanied by several flashes, one stronger than the other, from cameras; it bothered you a little, but nothing too profound.
After all, besides being used to it, this had already become a routine for you.
Walking, carefully and holding a small part of your dress so you don't trip in your steps, to a large one that separated the fans from a part of the carpet, you are greeted by more screams, compliments and smiles. — Along with several photos of you, posters for "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" and other films that featured you, and some notebooks looking for her autograph. — Doing your best, you tried, completely, to pay attention to everyone.
There came a time when you needed to draw on a fan's arm, because she warned you that she was going to get a tattoo; a completely surprising request for you. — There were a lot of people, so paying attention to all of them was a very difficult job, but you did your best to welcome and talk to them. — Also, thanking everyone for the support and so much love.
After a specific period of time, which was a little long, preparations for future brief interviews had already begun, along with the photo sessions; the cameras were already recording and capturing everything that passed in front of their lenses. — A good number of the interviewers were already organized, talking and interviewing some people and some were talking to the event employees.
The environment was magnificently exquisite and dazzling; flowers of different colors, but most of them reddish in pigmentation, possibly intended to match the red carpet and the charming decorations that were present. — Everything was impeccable. — And the lights, lighting matching the color palettes.
Continuing to walk along the carpet, and being careful with your steps in your dress, you greet the photographers, quickly answering questions about your well-being and requesting attention for their respective cameras. — While posing, smiling, in a gratifying way, you looked for a certain person who was scheduled to be present at the event.
Perhaps, it could be considered a little rude as your eyes were roaming, freely and lightly, across the large hallway as the flashes captured your every movement. — Well, just maybe. — But your chest was anxious, more than usual, during your silent and barely disguised search.
"Here, Y/n!" — An unknown voice passed through your ears, removing your thoughts from your attention and consideration, and the owner of the request waved holding his camera; trying to attract your focus and succeeding. — "That!" — His small smile of gratitude became visible.
Even though he directed a smile accompanied by a pose for the camera, fulfilling the photographer's request, your eyes remained on his objective, but in a discreet and not so flashy way. — In each flash, you moved your eyes to the side and observed person by person. — Until, instantly, your eye sockets collided with the image of a familiar person. — He turned around quickly, and finally his eyes met yours.
Holding a microphone, which had a marking saying "host", and standing next to the camera that was in front of him, Tom watched your photo session with a proud smile. — The recording, which was live, did not focus on his entire smile, just a part of it. — He wasn't just watching, he was admiring, contemplating you; he always did it and could never get tired of it.
Tom received an exclusive invitation, considered splendid by you, to host the event; a large and responsible role and mission, too. — It was a great emotion, at the same time you received it, your boyfriend immediately told you; and, of course, you were the first to know about it. — Therefore, one of his fundamentalist roles included interviewing the guests.
Blyth was nervous, that was obvious, but also confident; perhaps, due to the fact that you would be the first person he would interview that night.
Your genuine, radiant smile went through the photos and stood out among them, making them all magnificent, and already being planned to be posted. — And the photographers were more than satisfied. — Before leaving and heading towards the interview point, you moved your head towards some cameras and said goodbye to them.
The small point, which resembled a small stage, where the host's interviews began was not far from where you were; Just a few steps and you could walk without any problems or worries about your dress. — Something you were grateful for, mentally.
It was only when you were going up, on one of the steps of the small stage, that you needed a little help. — Your boyfriend offered his hand towards you, which you quickly accepted, and carefully directed you onto the platform. — And yet another camera focused on you, now, broadcasting everything live.
"Look who we have here." — Remembering the microphone in his hands, Tom brought it to her mouth, at an appropriate distance. — "Good night, y/n!" — He tilted his head, with an inviting smile paying attention to the sparkle in his eyes while directing the microphone towards you.
"Good night, Tom!" — You answered. — "How are you, darling?" —Imitating your gesture, your head is tilted, delicately awaiting his answer.
"Better now and you?" — Tom raised his eyebrows, uttering a answer that was perhaps bold but sincere; and there was no trace of concern, even in front of the cameras.
"I can say the same." — Your eyes roamed to a small point that cried out for your attention, the necklace he wore; the one where your initial was carved. — It was the third time Tom had worn it in public; an action that enchanted you. — "I can actually say the same."
"On a night as beautiful as this, did you come with someone?" — He decided to play, relax with you, acting as if your relationship wasn't public; you laughed, understanding what it was about.
"Oh, unfortunately not!" — Your ears heard a brief laugh from the people working behind the cameras. — "However, i met a guy, by pure coincidence, who has your name and looked like you, but i lost track of him." — Anyone would be impressed by how quickly you created that story, Tom thought it was funny. — "He's an incredible man, in fact, a special man to me."
"From your words, i can see that." — Your boyfriend didn't seem embarrassed at all, he was appreciating your words, even though they were short and also coming from a small joke; Tom had forgotten where he was, in fact. — "I know him?" — You turned your eyes upward, pretending to be thoughtful.
"I don't think so, but it should." — A corner of your lower lips were nibbled by your teeth. — "I feel like he's definitely a charming man in my life." — You shook your head, confirming your words, losing the meaning of the little joke. — "The only downside is that i lost track of him."
"I'm sure you'll find him soon, my dear." — Blyth assured with a beautiful smile on her beautiful face, which was probably accompanied by a reddish tone on her cheeks. — "You're perfect, my love." — In just a few seconds, the joke was put aside; Tom couldn't resist, much less you. — "Always is."
"Just like you, dear." — You approached of the oldest, subtly placing your hand on his arm and placing a kiss on his cheek; it was a little slow, but not so slow as to complain, and Tom would never dare make a complaint. — "See you soon?" — You referred to the end of the interviews.
"Of course, love." — He replied holding your hand; noticing the only ring on your finger, the one he gifted you. — "It looks like someone is going to be reunited with a certain companion." — Tom commented, looking briefly at the camera with one eyebrow raised and helping you get down from the small platform.
Tom admired and followed your steps with his eyes, contemplating your sweet smile when greeting people; If he had the chance, he would spend his entire time watching you. — And even forgetting that it was being recorded and broadcast to thousands of people.
Now, it seemed that there was a mark, so soft and delicate, of a kiss with lipstick present on his cheek, it was not very visible, only if it came very close to his face. — The camera managed to capture and notice the small mark, bringing it into focus.
And your fans brought immense focus to the point of commenting about it on twitter, causing an insane moment for them.
992 notes · View notes
secretmellowblog · 6 months
Text
Another reason I dislike Les Mis adaptations that make Jean Valjean constantly openly angry/violent is because they miss that Jean Valjean is not allowed to be angry. The fact he is forbidden from expressing anger is, I argue, actually a very important part of his character in the novel!
One of the subtler political messages of the story is that some people are given freedom to express anger, while others are forced to be excessively meek and conciliatory in order to survive.
Wealthy conservatives like Monsieur Gillenormand can “fly into rages” every five minutes and have it treated as an endearing quirk. Poor characters like Fantine or Jean Valjean must be constantly polite and ingratiating to “their superiors” at all times, even in the face of mockery and violence, or else they will be subjected to punishment. If Gillenormand beats his child with a stick, it’s a silly quirk; if Fantine beats a man harassing her, she is sentenced to months in prison.
(Thenardier and Javert are interesting examples of this too. Thenardier acts superficially polite and ingratiating to his wealthy “superiors” while insulting them behind their backs. Javert, meanwhile, is completely earnest in his mindless bootlicking. But I could write an entire other post on this.)
The point is that….Jean Valjean has to be submissive and self-effacing, or he puts himself in danger. He can’t afford to be angry and make scenes, or he will be punished. The only barrier between himself and prison is his ability to be so “courteous” that no one bothers to pry into his past.
Jean Valjean is excessively polite to people, in the way that you’re excessively polite to an armed cop who pulls you over for speeding when you secretly have a few illegal grams of marijuana in the your car trunk. XD It’s politeness built on fear, is what I mean. It’s politeness built on a desperation to make a powerful person avoid looking too closely at you.
It’s politeness at gunpoint.
Jean Valjean has also spent nineteen years living in an environment where any expression of anger could be punished with severe violence. That trauma is reflected in the overly cautious reserved way he often speaks with people (even people who are kind and would never actually hurt him.)
So adaptations that have Jean Valjean boldly having shouting matches with people in public and beating cops half to death without worrying about the repercussions just make go like “???”
Because that’s part of what’s fascinating about Jean Valjean to me? On one hand, he is a genuinely kind compassionate person, who cares deeply about other people and behaves kindly out of altruism. But on the other hand, he was also “beaten into submission” by prison, and forced into adopting conciliatory bootlicking behaviors in order to survive. And it can sometimes be hard to tell when he is being kind vs. when he is being “polite” — when he is speaking and acting out of earnest compassion vs. when he is speaking and acting out of fear.
The TL;DR is that I think it’s important that even though Jean Valjean is very (justifiably) angry about the injustice that was inflicted on him, his anger is harshly policed at all times— by other people, and by himself. He has been told his anger is wrong/selfish so often that he believes it. His anger takes weirder more unhealthy forms because he has no safe outlet for it. His rage at society becomes a possessiveness towards Cosette and silent hatred of Marius, but primarily it becomes useless self-destructive constant hatred of himself. And while I might be phrasing this wrong, I think that’s what’s interesting about Jean Valjean’s relationship with anger— the way his justified fury at his own mistreatment gets warped into more and more unhealthy forms by the way he’s forced to constantly repress it.
1K notes · View notes
piracytheorist · 6 months
Text
Tumblr media
The moment where Twilight decides to take Anya back home and continue Operation Strix as planned is so simple yet so defining of the entire story.
Just minutes ago Twilight became determined to make another plan to approach Desmond, one that wouldn't involve a kid so that they wouldn't get in danger. He was determined to even give Anya's chances a boost by writing a letter for the police to see and put her in a better orphanage.
Yet when Anya runs to him, keeps calling him Papa and insists on going back home, Twilight's resolve breaks. He knows Operation Strix will be a long-term mission with no immediate results, and he knows by the nature of his job and life Anya may get in danger again. But when he sees how she clings to him, reaching for comfort after the terrifying experience of being kidnapped, he remembers what Franky said about her jumping between orphanages and foster families.
And he doesn't want to be yet another person who will abandon her. As much as he tries to tell himself he's detached, that he's only using Anya for the mission, it's pure emotion here that makes him decide to take her back.
It's as simple as him not wanting to let her down like the other foster families did, and he's willing to go the uncertain route of depending on civilians in order to achieve that for Anya. And as simple as it is, it's also character-defining. Anya will cry if he leaves, and she'll be happy if he stays. The fact that he stays for that says a lot about what his entire character is all about and where his true priorities lie. He's going to do his best, he's going to work hard, under difficult and unprecedented conditions and circumstances, all for her. All so she can have a stable environment for as long as the mission lasts, for as long as she's under his care. He doesn't concern himself with what the future may bring; for now, his main motivation is "She wants me here, so I'll be here for her." Hence why he asks her if she's sure she wants to stay with him. The moment she says she wants him, it's decided for him.
Of course, he buries that deep down because he's so good at lying he doesn't even realize when he's lying to himself. But it's an undeniable fact that from that very early moment, he was deeply touched and invested. His true priority, above anything else, is Anya.
724 notes · View notes
novelconcepts · 11 months
Text
There’s a line from American Gods I keep coming back to in relation to Yellowjackets, an observation made early on by Shadow in prison: “The kind of behavior that works in a specialized environment, such as prison, can fail to work and in fact become harmful when used outside such an environment.” I keep rotating it in my head in thinking about the six survivors, the roles they occupy in the wilderness, and the way the show depicts them as adults in society.
Because in the wilderness, as in prison, they’re trapped—they’re suffering, they’re traumatized, they’re terrified—but they’re also able to construct very specific boxes to live in. And, in a way, that might make it easier. Cut away the fat, narrow the story down to its base arc. You are no longer the complex young woman who weighs a moral compass before acting. You no longer have the luxury of asking questions. You are a survivor. You have only to get to the next day.
Shauna: the scribe. Lottie: the prophet. Van: the acolyte. Taissa: the skeptic. Misty: the knight. Natalie: the queen. Neat, orderly, the bricks of a new kind of society. And it works in the woods; we know this because these six survive. (Add Travis: the hunter, while you’re at it, because he does make it to adulthood).
But then they’re rescued. And it’s not just lost purpose and PTSD they’re dealing with now, but a loss of that intrinsic identity each built in the woods. How do you go home again? How do you rejoin a so-called civilized world, where all the violence is restricted to a soccer field, to an argument, to your own nightmares?
How does the scribe, the one who wrote it all out in black and white to make sense of the horrors, cope with a world that would actively reject her story? She locks that story away. But she can’t stop turning it over in her head. She can’t forget the details. They’re waiting around every corner. In the husband beside her in bed. In the child she can’t connect with across the table. In the best friend whose parents draw her in, make her the object of their grief, the friend who lives on in every corner of their hometown. She can’t forget, so she tries so hard to write a different kind of story instead, to fool everyone into seeing the soft maternal mask and not the butcher beneath, and she winds up with blood on her hands just the same.
How does the prophet come back from the religion a desperate group made of her, a group that took her tortured visions, her slipping mental health, and built a hungry need around the very things whittling her down? She builds over the bones. She creates a place out of all that well-intended damage, and she tells herself she’s helping, she’s saving them, she has to save them, because the world is greedy and needs a leader, needs a martyr, needs someone to stand up tall and reassure everyone at the end of the day that they know what’s best. The world, any world, needs someone who will take those blows so the innocent don’t have to. She’s haunted by everyone she didn’t save, by the godhood assigned to her out of misplaced damage, and when the darkness comes knocking again, there is nothing else to do but repeat old rhymes until there is blood on her hands just the same.
How does the acolyte return to a world that cares nothing for the faith of the desperate, the faith that did nothing to save most of her friends, that indeed pushed her to destroy? She runs from it. She dives into things that are safe to believe in, things that rescue lonely girls from rough home lives, things that show a young queer kid there’s still sunshine out there somewhere. She delves into fiction, makes a home inside old stories to which she already knows the endings, coaxes herself away from the belief that damned her and into a cinemascope safety net where the real stuff never has to get in. She teaches herself surface-level interests, she avoids anything she might believe in too deeply, and still she’s dragged back to the place where blood winds up on her hands just the same.
How does the skeptic make peace with the things she knows happened, the things that she did even without meaning to, without realizing? She buries them. She leans hard into a refusal to believe those skeletons could ever crawl back out of the graves she stuffed them into, because belief is in some ways the opposite of control. She doesn’t talk to her wife. She doesn’t talk to anyone. It’s not about what’s underneath the surface, because that’s just a mess, so instead she actively discounts the girl she became in the woods. She makes something new, something rational and orderly, someone who can’t fail. She polishes the picture to a shine, and she stands up straight, the model achievement. She goes about her original plan like it was always going to be that way, and she winds up with blood on her hands just the same.
How does the knight exist in a world with no one to serve, no one to protect, no reason propelling the devastating choices she had grown comfortable making? She rechannels it. She convinces herself she’s the smartest person in the room, the most capable, the most observant. She convinces herself other people’s mysteries are hers to solve, that she is helping in every single action she takes. She makes a career out of assisting the most fragile, the most helpless souls she can find, and she makes a hobby out of patrolling for crimes to solve, and when a chance comes to strap her armor back on and ride into battle, she rejoices in the return to normalcy. She craves that station as someone needed, someone to rely upon in the darkest of hours, and she winds up with blood on her hands because, in a way, she never left the wilderness at all.
How does the queen keep going without a queendom, without a pack, without people to lead past the horrors of tomorrow? She doesn’t. She simply does not know how. She scrounges for something, anything, that will make her feel connected to the world the way that team did. She moves in and out of a world that rejects trauma, punishes the traumatized, heckles the grieving as a spectacle. She finds comfort in the cohesive ritual of rehabilitation, this place where she gets so close to finding herself again, only to stumble when she opens her eyes and sees she’s alone. All those months feeding and guiding and gripping fast to the fight of making it to another day, and she no longer knows how to rest. How to let go without falling. She no longer wears a crown, and she never wanted it in the first place, so how on earth does she survive a world that doesn’t understand the guilt and shame of being made the centerpiece of a specialized environment you can never explain to anyone else? How, how, how do you survive without winding up with blood on your hands just the same?
All six of these girls found, for better or worse, a place in the woods. All six of them found, for better or worse, a reason to get up the next day. For each other. And then they go home, and even if they all stayed close, stayed friends, it’d still be like stepping out of chains for the first time in years. Where do you go? How do you make small choices when every decision for months was life or death? How do you keep the part of yourself stitched so innately into your survival in a world that would scream to see it? How do you do away with the survivor and still keep going?
They brought it back with them. Of course they did. It was the only way.
1K notes · View notes
minichrismd · 1 year
Text
Welcome to the Family - Ominis Gaunt
Tumblr media
Requested! - I've merged a few requests together for this one :)
Word Count - 1.6k
Themes - Fluff
Ominis’ heart was racing, the end of seventh year was quickly approaching meaning that he’d no longer have the safety of Hogwarts, that he’d have to return to his family in the south of England, away from Sebastian and away from you. It wasn’t something that he wanted to think about, however the harsh reality was starting to set in.
He sighed softly to himself as he perched on a bench in the Transfiguration courtyard, waiting for you and Sebastian to finish your last class for the day.
The warmth from the summer sun felt nice on his skin, he appreciated it. He worried that soon he wouldn’t feel warmth anymore upon his return to the frosty, uncaring atmosphere of his parents home. He was snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of your voice travelling across the courtyard.
“Ominis!” You called out to him, catching his attention. You walked quickly to him, Sebastian following behind you. Ominis smiled as you approached, however the smile seemed half hearted.
“Are you alright?” You asked, slightly concerned at his mood. Ominis was normally very open with you, he trusted you with some of his deepest secrets so to see him closed off was a cause for concern.
“Not particularly, no.” He responded, rubbing the patch of skin between his eyebrows. Sebastian caught your eye, his eyebrows furrowed.
“Undercroft?” Sebastian mentioned, trying to guide all of you to a private place, one that would be more suited to this conversation. Ominis nodded, standing quickly and allowing his wand to guide him. You and Sebastian followed after Ominis in silence, unsure of what to say.
Once you’d arrived at the Undercroft, Ominis sat on the floor, his back against one of the pillars and hands folded into his lap. You and Sebastian took spots on the floor next to him.
“What’s happening Ominis?” You asked, worry lacing your voice. Ominis sighed again, he was unsure of how to explain his situation.
“I can’t go home.” He spoke softly, feeling his eyes stinging slightly at the thought of going back home. It made him feel physically sick. Realisation dawned on you, Ominis had told you about his family and their use of dark magic on muggles for sport, he’d never condoned it and the thought of him returning to that environment was stomach churning for you. You cared deeply for Ominis, spending many a night up late and talking about anything you could think of, it pained you to see him like this.
“Then we come up with a plan so you don’t have to.” You spoke softly, trying to think of a way that you could keep Ominis away from his family. Ominis let out a small laugh at the thought, as kind as you were to suggest trying to help him escape, to him it seemed impossible.
“I agree, you shouldn’t have to go back there Ominis.” Sebastian chimed in; brows furrowed in thought.
“I may have an idea.” You spoke cautiously, unsure as to whether your idea would work. Both boys looked at you, waiting for you to speak. “I need to send an owl, I’ll let you know when I hear back.” You mentioned as you stood, making your way to the Undercroft exit, heading straight for the Owlery. You knew just the person to contact for help but you could only hope that it would happen in time.
By the time you had received a reply from your owl, it was only a day before the start of summer, a day before you would all return home.
As you sat at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, you saw your owl swooping in from above, attached to its foot was a small scroll tied with a blue ribbon, your mothers signature sign off to any letter that she sent. You smiled at the sight of your owl as it landed on the table in front of you. Making quick work of the ribbon, you unfurled the scroll and began reading your mothers response.
My Dearest (Y/N),
After receiving your letter, you’ve reminded me of myself at your age. Please invite your friend to stay with us over the summer until we can arrange a more permanent solution.
Any friend of yours is a friend of the family.
Love
(Y/M/N)
You couldn’t help the smile that broke out across your face, quickly attracting the attention of Sebastian who was sat opposite you.
“What’s that?” He asked curiously, gesturing to the letter in your hands. You quickly passed the letter over to him, letting him read through it. As he read the letter a small smile formed, he glanced up at you, gently handing the letter back.
“I told you I had an idea.” You laughed, overjoyed that your mother would allow Ominis to stay with you. She’d told you of her own troubles as a child, growing up in a prominent wizarding family and being expected to marry a pureblood, however she’d had other ideas, finding love in your father, a squib. She’d packed her belongings one night and disappeared, never contacting her family again. She’d followed her heart, the same way that you were now.
“We need to tell Ominis!” Sebastian exclaimed, almost shooting out of his seat with excitement. You both made your way towards the Slytherin common room, running down the corridors to get there more quickly.
As you entered, you spotted Ominis immediately perched over by the window looking out into the Great Lake.
“Ominis! We have a plan!” You yelled over to him, causing disgruntled glances to be cast in your direction from the other students present in the common room. Ominis’ head snapped around in your direction, a small smile forming.
“Enlighten me?” He asked softly, beckoning you to continue.
“You can stay with my me and my family.” You said happily, his smile grew more but you could tell that he had some reservations. The Gaunt name was well known in the wizarding community and not for pleasant reasons.
“Are you sure your family won’t mind (Y/N)? I don’t want to be a burden.” He asked cautiously. You responded softly that they wouldn’t. You knew your family and everything they’d been through, if they believed that someone needed help, they’d be the first to step in, regardless of their last name.
“I’m sure Ominis, now you need to pack your trunk. My mother will meet us outside of the castle grounds tomorrow morning.” You spoke reassuringly, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Ominis smiled at you gratefully.
“Thank you, I’ll never forget this.” He mumbled, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into a hug which you gladly returned. You stayed that way for a moment, catching Sebastian’s eye as he made kissing motions, referring to you and Ominis. You rolled your eyes at him, shaking your head softly before pulling away from Ominis.
“Now go and pack!” You exclaimed, emphasising the urgency. Ominis quickly stood from his seat at the window and scurried off to his dorm, Sebastian following quickly behind him to help him pack.
You took a seat in Ominis’ place, watching the swell of the water hitting the window as the creatures of the lake swam about. You were grateful to have the family that you had, a kind, supportive family, a stark contrast to Ominis’.
The rest of the day passed in a blur, Ominis had packed all of his things into his trunk and left it by the common room door next to yours. Before you knew it, it was the next day. You had said goodbye to all of the friends you’d made over the few years that you’d been at Hogwarts. Tears flowed, hugs were exchanged and promises to write were made. You and Ominis had promised to visit Sebastian and Anne in Feldcroft over the summer, making plans to explore the area and swim at the local beach, you couldn’t wait.
Your mother arrived to collect you and Ominis shortly after Sebastian departed, greeting you warmly. You ran to her, embracing her in a warm hug.
“I’ve missed you my love.” She spoke softly to you. You smiled into her shoulder.
“I’ve missed you too.” You mumbled. You pulled away gently, stepping back towards Ominis. “Mother, this is Ominis, the friend that I wrote to you about.” Your mother smiled softly at Ominis, greeting him kindly. You saw Ominis relax at your mothers greeting, seeming to believe that he would be accepted into your home.
Your mother took the arms of you and Ominis, quickly apparating away back to your home. You appeared in the living room, startling your father who was sat in his chair reading a muggle newspaper. His eyes were wide to start but they softened when he saw you and your mother, quickly embracing you in a hug. When he pulled away, he turned to Ominis.
“You must be (Y/N)’s friend, what’s your name lad?” He spoke in a friendly tone, smiling at Ominis.
“Ominis Gaunt, sir.” Ominis replied, a tinge of shame lacing his words, worried for the reaction of your father. Even though you’d reassured him that everything would be fine, he wasn’t able to believe that your family would accept him.
Your father paused for a moment, glancing over at your mother, your heart sunk slightly until your mother approached Ominis.
“May I hug you Ominis?” She asked kindly. Ominis looked shocked, unsure of what to say, he simply nodded. Your mother embraced him in a warm, somewhat bone crushing hug. Ominis was unsure at first as to whether he should hug back, but soon returned the hug.
“Welcome to the family dear, you’ll be safe here.”
A/N - As always, feedback is appreciated!
2K notes · View notes
anghraine · 1 year
Text
This is unnecessarily long, but: I was just thinking about Wickham's predation on fifteen-year-old Georgiana Darcy and then, almost exactly a year later, Wickham's predation on sixteen-year-old Lydia Bennet.
There are obvious parallels between the two incidents. In fact, they're so obvious that I think the incidents are sometimes treated as equivalent, with the consequences only differing by happenstance. I don't think that's true, personally.
There are some mechanistic sort of differences—Wickham put a lot more effort and planning into the Georgiana situation. He wanted to marry her for her money and to make her brother suffer. She had to be isolated from people who would look out for her interests, he had Mrs Younge in place, he had known Georgiana as a child and was able to exploit his own previous kindness to her as her father's godson, etc.
And Georgiana, despite all of this, and despite being swept away by a teenage infatuation with an extremely attractive man, was still uncomfortable with it. She was worried about disappointing a brother who raised her and whom she deeply loves and admires. When her brother actually showed up by surprise, she decided to tell him everything; Darcy takes pains to give her credit for this. Adaptations generally downplay Georgiana's active decision-making here, but the only element of chance is Darcy deciding to go to Ramsgate at all. He insists that he was only able to act because Georgiana chose to tell him what was going on.
This isn't meant to be an indictment of Lydia, though. Does she admire the parents who raised her? No. But why would she? Especially why would she admire a father who treats her mother and sisters and herself with profound contempt and no sense of responsibility? Why would she ever confide in him?
It's not like Lydia doesn't confide in anyone. In fact, she too confides in an older sibling, her sister Kitty. And in one sense, her trust in Kitty is not undeserved. Kitty does keep the secret. Presumably, she does this because, despite her occasional annoyance with Lydia, she is very much under her influence and goes along with whatever Lydia does. Regardless, she is trustworthy in that sense. Moreover, we see at the end of the book that Kitty is easily improved by being placed in better environments and taught how to behave. She just didn't know better.
How was she going to judge Lydia's situation correctly? Who was teaching her to judge anything correctly? Certainly not their parents.
If Mr Bennet had bothered to interest himself in his younger daughters and try and influence them for the better, impressionable Kitty is probably the one who would have benefited the most. The whole Lydia/Wickham thing would have fallen apart before it went anywhere if all the girls had been been properly raised, even if Lydia did exactly the same things.
And Lydia likely wouldn't do the same things if she'd been brought up properly and, you know, treated with a baseline of respect rather than being openly mocked by her father, the person most able to affect her development. Instead, at barely sixteen, she's been continually rejected by her father, over-indulged by her mother, and flattered by adult men (28-y-o Darcy says he and Wickham are nearly the same age). And she still tells someone what's going on, even though she doesn't care about her parents' opinions or the consequences of her actions. And she was under the protection of a colonel and his wife at the time, who also could have told someone or acted, and didn't.
It's not that nobody could have done anything about the Lydia/Wickham situation. It's that nobody did until Darcy found out and tried to extract her. But it was, in one sense, too late. To Lydia, he's just some unfun acquaintance who says boring things like "go home to your family and I'll do what I can to cover for you." That is, he tries to do what he did for Georgiana.
But Lydia is not Georgiana—she did not choose to tell him about any of this. She did not want to be extracted because she didn't know and couldn't be quickly made to understand what marriage to Wickham would mean in the long term. And she didn't care what her family thought because she had no reason to, pragmatically or psychologically.
Georgiana, otoh, did care about her family's welfare and the good opinion and affection of the head of her family. But despite their radical differences in personality, the most fundamental difference between the girls IMO is that Georgiana had every reason to believe that disappointing Darcy and losing his respect would be a change from the norm.
Normally he is affectionate and attentive towards her. They write each other long letters, he defends her to other family members, and praises her frequently. Georgiana, quiet and intimidated though she may be, talks more when he's around. Disappointing him had actual stakes for her.
Put another way, the potential loss of his good opinion mattered to her because he's gone to the trouble of raising her as well as he can and forming a good relationship with her. She chose to tell Darcy the whole thing because he had earned her affection and trust in a way that Mr Bennet has utterly failed to do. Even Darcy happening to visit Georgiana at Ramsgate comes from his affection and attention to Georgiana's welfare, even if he couldn't have known what would follow from checking on his sister at that particular moment.
Chance is always part of life, and it's part of the novel and these situations. But a lot of how these scenarios wound out was not determined by chance but by long-existing patterns in these girls' educations and relationships.
3K notes · View notes
ataraxiaspainting · 3 months
Text
A Final Wish.
Yan Geto x F Reader x Yan Gojo.
Synopsis: All you want is the best for your daughter.
Warnings: Yandere themes, past kidnapping, mentions of pregnancy/not SFW, takes place a year or so before JJK 0, very, very unhealthy relationships, major power imbalances, child abandonment, and violence.
Continuation of Banquet of Massacre.
Word Count: 1.5k.
*~*~*~*
It is in a wolf’s nature to be gluttonous, but so is that of a dog’s. 
Dogs come after wolves in the theory of evolution, and with dogs comes the unselfishness to be one. However, while dogs are not as gluttonous as wolves, they still are, in other ways. They seek constant attention, negative or otherwise, and will always have the personality of a human infant, regardless of how they are brought up by their superiors.
They express their emotions with the limited range of sounds they possess, sometimes timid and shrill, other times rough and menacing. They are dogs, experts in getting what they want in their way. Their primary pursuit is garnering the affection, care, and admiration they are unable to give themselves. Isn't it beautiful, people ask and say and wonder? They depend on those in their vicinity and refuse to release their grip, for if they do, they will stumble and remain fallen.
They do nothing, yet ask for everything, much like the wolves that came before them. 
You put in the effort, while they enjoy the benefits that rightfully belong to you, rather than to them. However, you permit this arrangement because they assist you in warding off other threats, coming to your aid when you summon them, and fulfilling other tasks that you are incapable of accomplishing alone.
So, who is the dog, who is the man, and who is the wolf? Is that really up to you to decide, or is that the world’s decision, or is the question at hand supposed to be answered by the one who promised you a new life away from the one you ran away from, Satoru Gojo?
He is the same one that holds your daughter’s hand so gently, while his infinity leads you to not be able to touch him at all.
“I have to take her to kindergarten now, Satoru.”
As you state the task at hand that you must do, if you ever want your daughter to have a good life, Satoru sighs and pushes up his sunglasses. “Rina is a good name for her, I would say.”
“That… isn’t the point.”
“It means joy, doesn’t it?”
Unaware of the situation unfolding, Rina wears a constant smile, her irises almost black and squinting with sheer joy. These eyes, when glanced at by you, inadvertently bring pain, as they vividly resemble Geto’s own.
“It’s her first day, Satoru. Please let me take her, you know she… doesn’t have any friends.”
“She has me!” Satoru bursts with joy, hoisting Rina high above him and twirling her around, their laughter filling the air. You dislike how paternal he acts towards her, yet appreciate it at the same time. Being a mother was never your desire, so maybe Satoru lightens that burden for you, even though his motives are self-serving. He had extended his offer to shelter both of you a few months after your daring escape, while you were cradling baby Rina in your arms, who had just been born in an old, desolate house on the fringes of Tokyo.
You had no desire for her to fall ill, and despite everything, you remained as her mother. You intended to fulfill the role of a good mother, even if it was imposed upon you unintentionally or not by Geto. She is under your care, correct? As her mother, you would go to any lengths to ensure that Geto never discovers her existence. Does she possess the ability to perceive curses? If she does, and Geto were to discover her, she would be confined to a luxurious but restrictive environment. However, if she lacks this ability and he still becomes aware... you are uncertain of the consequences she would face. All you are certain of is that it would be something detrimental, something deeply distressing.
You are both dressed in white fleece, while Satoru wears fully black as he always has. “Let her stay. I’ll hire a tutor for her.”
Can you refuse this? Satoru possesses the demeanor of a loyal canine, whereas Geto embodies the spirit of a cunning wolf. Yet both inflict harm upon you, though in distinct manners. However, they both cause you pain. Don't they both cause you pain? They will forever remain entwined with you and with each other, connected by an unbreakable crimson thread, as they both harm you and strive to control you.
So, just as many, many times before, you bite your tongue and nod. Satoru smiles, then takes Rina back inside, down the hall to the elevators, as you follow them. “Yay, Rina! No school for you!”
“Yay!”
He presses the up button, and you resist the urge to run with Rina in your arms.
*~*~*~*
“She’s my daughter, Satoru.”
“I still don’t know why you decided to keep that brat around.” You never are used to Satoru speaking too coldly, especially when it comes to talking about Rina, but then again it only happens behind closed doors, when Rina has been put to bed for the night and all the lights are turned off aside from the one beside Satoru’s side of the bed. “Sure, she may be your biological daughter, but she is still unwanted, isn’t she? You never wanted to be a mother, so why do you want her to be with you so badly, huh?”
“She can’t survive out there, Satoru. Geto may find her too and… who knows what will happen then?”
“Is that your problem?” He grins, and it makes you almost cry more than this argument you’re having does. “I’ll tell you, it isn’t. She takes up time, money, all sorts of resources, and for what? She does nothing for us, does nothing for you.”
“She’s a child.”
“An unwanted one.”
So, who determines the roles of the dog, the man, and the wolf? Is it your decision, the world's decision, or the responsibility of the one who promised you a fresh start away from your past, Satoru Gojo?
Is your daughter truly a burden? Will she never experience happiness? Will you never find contentment? Will that be due to Rina or because of Satoru?
It is instinctual for a wolf to be voracious, just as it is for a dog.
According to the theory of evolution, dogs follow after wolves, embodying selflessness. However, while dogs may not be as gluttonous as wolves in some aspects, they still possess certain tendencies. They constantly seek attention, whether positive or negative and maintain a childlike personality, regardless of their upbringing by their superiors.
They express their emotions through a limited range of sounds, sometimes timid and high-pitched, other times aggressive and intimidating. They are skilled at manipulating situations to get what they desire, like experts in their own unique way.
Rina's core objective revolves around seeking love, support, and admiration that she cannot provide for herself. It is a captivating notion that often prompts people to ponder and discuss. Rina relies heavily on those around her and is reluctant to let go, fearing that she will falter and stay down. In many ways, she resembles the wolves of old. 
The question arises in your mind: is Rina truly a wolf or merely a dog?
Is either answer just as bad as the other?
“Let me put it this way, sweetie.” Satoru leaned in closer then, and you could smell the artificial scent of cherry in his breath. “If she stays… I will make sure Suguru Geto’s offspring never has a good life. Out there, though… Perhaps if she works enough, she’ll deserve happiness. She’s a sinner’s child, a murderer’s child, and therefore doesn’t she deserve a similar fate? If Geto’s plan succeeded, you would be tied down with him forever, you know? If he finds out about her, he will attempt to do so again.”
Your heart sinks so low you could swear it is being dissolved by stomach acid. 
“She’ll hurt you more, too, if she stays, you know. Whether Suguru finds her or not. So, what do you say? Your choice.”
Is it though, you want to ask? But you can’t. You don’t want to go back on the streets, hiding at every corner.
So, once again, you bite your tongue, and like a good dog, obey.
*~*~*~*
You don’t remember what you said. You only remember what you did, how Rina reacted.
She was crying. Screaming and begging for you to not leave her, snot and tears running down her face along with the chilly midnight air and the rain. With every step she took, you took three back, and when she touched you you kept pushing her to the wall behind the restaurant complex in the center of Tokyo. Behind the whole ordeal, Satoru’s smirk never faded.
But this was for Rina’s own good, right? Geto won’t find out about her, if you never recognize her as your child, right? She’ll be happier, and you’ll be happier too, right?
Right?
347 notes · View notes
geovanag · 3 months
Text
🪐 Astrology Observations 5 🪐
Tumblr media
Capricorn Moon signs start to look more attractive to other people when they reach middle age (after 40).
You may know that the Moon is at its lowest position in Capricorn. So how did I make such an observation despite this position? By middle age, many turning points in a person's life are completed. The moon is one of them. Now the mature (Capricorn) emotions (moon) begin to show themselves.
Then these people, who maximize their emotional maturity, improve the problems in their relationships with their mothers and sometimes succeed in camouflaging their feelings and sometimes in sharing their feelings with people they feel close to.
(This was the position I observed in men).
~
I think the Sun Ascendant square aspect is really challenging for a man. He has a problem with the authority figure, the father from an early age. It may not be completely confrontational (unless Mars, saturn, uranus and pluto are in hard influence)
Being in the same environment together can make them feel like they are being restricted. Maybe they feel that something is wrong. But is it really what they think it is? Yes. With the other person, (the Sun) it is very difficult for them to forget everything and get back together with them. (Orb should be maximum 6)
~
Although they say that Juno is only a marriage indicator and other asteroids can show ceremonies like weddings, I don't go into that much detail. I think even Juno can show the wedding process. For example; I had a friend with Juno in Virgo. Maybe she didn't scrutinize the person she was going to marry down to the most meticulous detail, but the wedding process was exactly like that. She had prepared details down to what the guests would wear. Ugh I think it is very tiring, even though I have Virgo juno, lol
Juno in Virgo may have met the man she will marry at work.
~
Chiron - Moon square aspect, this aspect allows you to feel the healing and wounded spirit of Chiron deep down. Let's not discuss whether it's good or bad, but it's certainly very palpable. Your emotions are shaped by "compassion". For example, you see a homeless man and a little child a little further away. You feel infinite compassion for these two people and a desire to give them a home. You take into account the situation and circumstances and just think that they are in need of help. Independently of this, I find it interesting that people with this aspect do not get enough support from the women around them. Maybe this is how the "lacking" aspect of chiron works. I would like to write a more detailed article about Chiron.
~
Having a Venus-Neptune-Jupiter T-square. The signs and houses where the planets are located will play a serious role. I know someone who has this T-square in 2nd-4th-10th houses. I realized that he is not where he is supposed to be because of his family's pressures. He doesn't want to talk about it but I can observe it. Sometimes his mother and sometimes his father try to shape his future position, how he will earn money without asking him. This will hurt him a lot but he has a very strong character and he will get what he wants at the end of this path.
~
Having Pluto aspects in synastry is known to be quite difficult. But you should know that it is difficult for the planetary person. Because they are both deeply attracted to Pluto's mysterious aura and very annoyed by it. Both of these feelings are exhausting for them. I am not saying that Pluto benefits from this, but things are much simpler for Pluto. It's the other one who gets exhausted.
In the next post I will write about the ascendants in the Composite chart. New post will be coming very soon, please get in touch if you have any observations you would like to share.
TAKE CARE,,, 🌬
Tumblr media
255 notes · View notes
comradekatara · 1 month
Note
hey, so. people on twt (ugh, I need to delete that account) started to compare Zuko and Azula’s relationship to Sokka and Katara. So, I jump in like “they are not comparable in any way” then people are like “Sokka and Katara do have issues even though it’s not the same as Zuko and Azula” (even though the original tweet did imply that but, whatever). and I’m all like “sure, they both have trauma from their upbringing and they fight like siblings and that trauma probably has effected their relationship but it’s still no way like it’s being compared… they love and care for one another” and then they’re coming back like “it’s not the same but they still have issues” and citing the southern raiders (which I have my own opinions about and I feel like people totally miss read that scene) but all in all to say; I’m annoyed because I feel like people are being disingenuous and I feel like your thoughts would be interesting
okay yeah obviously I don’t know what the full arguments were (and I never will because I loathe twitter. I mean X sorry) but i can definitely talk about this more generally. I mean they are the central sibling pairs configured in a similar way for obvious reasons. they are definitely comparable.
sokka and zuko have superficial similarities as older brothers who feel undervalued, struggle to live up to a harmful patriarchal standard of gender (specifically masculinity/manhood) as shaped by imperialism/colonialism/war and the expectations their fathers placed on them to “be a real man” within a very limited framework, and ultimately find their worth via other avenues beyond the limited scope of patriarchal imperialist logic. azula and katara have superficial similarities as younger sisters who are placed on a pedestal by their culture community, are the best benders of their respective elements and outclass all the older more established (male) masters who dismiss and look down on them for being teenage girls, and who feel a deep sense of grief due to the loss of their mothers that informs everything they do and fundamentally who they are as people. and then obviously the REAL foils who are foiling are katara and zuko, and sokka and azula. these pairs are each very obvious mirrors, both in terms of their personalities (as developed differently by their respective environments) and their arcs. zuko is fire nation katara. azula is fire nation sokka. so obviously their relationships are similar in this way. they are narratively constructed as parallels.
that said, I think the key primary difference between these sets of siblings is that zuko and azula are directly opposed due to being pitted against each other by ozai’s abuse, whereas sokka and katara are extremely codependent, to the point that sokka’s entire identity is shaped by his role as katara’s brother and protector. so if you read zuko as a foil to sokka (which he certainly somewhat is, but is not the primary foil to sokka) you’ll get confused because he doesn’t live for others and he doesn’t look out for azula at all. but azula, like sokka, does define her identity through her loyalty and her ability to best serve others, so she does try to help zuko as best she can, which is obviously hindered by the incredibly limited of scope of what she considers “helpful” (much in the same way that sokka’s protection of katara is often limited by his own narrow worldview and unhealthy sense of duty as it corresponds to his identity). azula wants zuko to be a “perfect prince” in the way that she is a “perfect princess” because she refuses to acknowledge how specifically harmful that paradigm is to both of them until it is too late. so her intentions are actually good (don’t @ me), but she’s just deeply misguided and her level of cognitive dissonance is off the charts generally (again, much like sokka).
meanwhile katara and zuko, despite loving their families a lot and feeling defined by their families in many ways, are still very self-focused. which isn’t to say that’s a bad thing or that they’re selfish (they are both defined by an incredibly passionate and outspoken sense of justice for others, of course), but rather that they understand that what they want is to further their own interests for their own benefit even as they are seeking justice for the entire world. (in katara’s worlds: “me. me, personally!”) but like. if anything, the fact that azula and sokka never think in terms of the ego but only in terms of servitude to the point that they are actually detached from their own humanity is deeply unhealthy and awful, which is why so much of sokka’s arc is about getting him to understand his intrinsic worth as a human being and the value of accepting help, and azula’s tragedy and downfall is precipitated by her acknowledgement that she has been deliberately isolated her entire life and now she is alone and utterly helpless.
I do see katara and zuko as quite heroic, inspiring characters, to azula and sokka’s quite tragic, heartbreaking characters (especially azula of course, but like. I don’t think sokka’s deep-seated, copious issues have somehow been magically resolved just because “the boiling rock” is his apotheosis. you get it). but katara was always the “valued” sibling whereas azula began as the valued sibling and zuko rose above her by disrupting/transcending the paradigm that valued her only to end up in the position that she felt teleologically entitled to (not to say that she thought she would become fire lord, but that he does become the most powerful player in the fire nation, at least in name). and a large part of that is the fact that katara and sokka grew up in extremely different conditions than azula and zuko did, even if both their worldviews are informed by imperialism and patriarchy in some way. so katara was valued as a sort of cultural artefact who represents the last hope of a dying people, whereas azula was valued as the obedient daughter of a powerful abusive patriarch. it’s still a way of ascribing “value,” but the criteria are completely different in both cases. which is why I still think that azula and sokka are functionally more similar, because even if azula is valued, it is with the expectation that she function in the same way that sokka is expected to function, as a depersonalized vessel for the good of their people.
so there are similarities for sure, but also those similarities are constantly being complicated through locating their respective cultural contexts as they informed their upbringing, psychologies, and sibling relationships. I will say that it’s true that both of these relationships are unhealthy (to an extent), and both sets of siblings parallel each other in very significant ways, but the ways in which their relationships are in fact “unhealthy” are nonetheless almost diametrically opposed.
110 notes · View notes
caraphernellie · 11 months
Text
Tumblr media
truly, madly, deeply // a.a.
librarian fem reader x abby anderson !! 🍂📚
Tumblr media
an: im starting my training soon!! im gonna be a librarian :D
info: reader overthinks a LOT and is shy, they flirt through sapphic literature ☺️ classic loser lesbian yearning, reader is very lonely, this is kind of very self indulgent i cant lie to you,, im worried i made abby a little ooc but i think it does seem quite like her so IDKKKKKK
Tumblr media
there was nothing you loved more than your job. you were so passionate about it - you loved books so dearly. you loved reading, spreading knowledge, and helping others.
being a librarian was the perfect job. it was a quiet environment and it combined many of the things you loved. it didn’t matter whether you were working behind the scenes cataloguing books, or if you were at the front desk working circulation, or if you were simply shelving books into their correct spaces - you loved it. it was stress free, and the conversations you got to have with customers were pleasant and made you excited.
one particularly chilly and rainy autumn morning, you were working circulation when a very pretty stranger walked up to you. you’d not seen her before, but you knew she must be a regular given the way she immediately placed down both the book and her library card gently before you.
you smiled sweetly at her, trying not to tremble as you picked up her book to scan. she was so pretty you seemed to be getting nervous.
she was all muscle and height, but she didn’t act that way. she was so gentle to you.
eyeing the cover of the book as you turned it over to scan, you spoke up. “i’ve not read this one yet. it’s on my reading list though.”
it was a sapphic novel, and you knew you had to say something - it was the perfect way to try and hint that you liked girls. it was not always obvious to people so you had to take any chance you had.
she laughed politely as you scanned her card, and you took note of her name. abigail anderson.
“it’s been on my list for a while, too,” she admitted, scratching her neck. you almost fell apart over her voice alone - you didn’t know if it was her voice in general, or the way she tried to speak lowly as to not disturb other patrons in the library.
you nodded and passed back her book and card. “they’re all yours until next week. i guess you’ll have to tell me what you thought of the book. an honest review might motivate me to move it up on my list.”
she looked you up and down once more, taking the book from your hands.
“i guess i will, then.”
and with what happened next, you felt your eyes practically turn into love hearts. it was so small, but said so much.
she put the book into a fucking book pouch.
most people wouldn’t think twice about it- but people who take care of their books are huge, huge green flags.
especially when you work a job where you see hundreds of people shove a book into their bag or even drop the book on the floor before even walking out of the building.
with rain gently spattering the windows of the library you glanced at her one last time for the day. if you had self restraint, that is.
“have a good day.”
“you too,” she replied, a pleasant smile on her face.
as she walked out of earshot, suddenly your coworker beside you broke down into quiet giggles.
“you should see how red you are!” they quietly laughed, pointing at your cheeks. “and what a great attempt at flirting that was!”
your face burned in embarrassment as you gasped. “shut up, ezra. she was… she was totally digging it, right?”
Tumblr media
of course, for the entire week that pretty stranger had not left your mind. if anything, she consumed every little space in your mind. you were up pacing at two in the morning some nights, hoping it really was the start of something special, or if it was just another dumb, unrealistic dream your imagination had come up with.
some might say romanticising every part of your life is a blessing, or a beautiful quality to have. but to you, it was just something that came with being a bookworm, your mind filling with cliches and maladaptive thoughts over everything until you went insane.
it was exhausting.
ezra hadn’t forgot, either. they teased you everyday, letting you know that it was a day closer to when you would see abby again.
ezra also knew a bit more about abby than you did, as they worked the circulation desk more than you did on the days abby would come in, and they didn’t hesitate to tell you what would be very helpful information.
abigail, or abby, as she preferred, which ezra had told you, came in weekly to borrow and return primarily classics and sapphic lit.
she was perfect. probably the dreamiest human being ever. tall, buff, and she had good taste in literature.
today was the day! you’d been looking forward to this tuesday for the whole week, but you had this horrible feeling inside of you, too - what if it went wrong?
to ezra’s knowledge, abby was single, so you didn’t have to worry about that, but still - what if she didn’t even like you in general?
what if she didn’t show up at all?
and that was how you knew you were being delusional about this whole thing - you had one conversation that lasted a minute. and now you wondered if she even cared as much as you did, or if she had literally forgotten about you.
it felt like you were staring at the clock all day long, taking note of every time an hour passed.
she didn’t come.
at the end of the day, you tried not to look disappointed as you got ready to leave. you grabbed your umbrella, noticing the pouring rain.
you couldn’t help but feel like maybe you were overreacting, but the miserable rain said exactly how you felt on the inside.
you stepped over orange leaves soaked into the road as you walked to your car and thought about her again.
you just wanted your happily ever after already.
Tumblr media
abby had no idea what had gotten into her - she really spent all of last night writing a spoiler-free review of some dumb romcom for the cute librarian. reading romcoms was typical for her, sure, but writing an in depth, spoiler free review? for the cute librarian?
unusual behaviour, for sure, but there was no way she would let whatever this was lead to a dead end. and as abby was walking towards the door of the library, crunching leaves in her path on a day that finally wasn’t raining, she realised she had forgotten something.
she mumbled a curse quietly to herself as she grabbed the paper she’d typed up and printed out, leaning against the wall and fishing through her bag for a pen.
she finally found one, scribbling down her name and number in what she hoped was legible handwriting, drawing a small heart next to it.
with a small nod at herself she finally mustered the courage to walk through the doors. she paused for a second in defeat, spotting the front desk with no sign of you there. fuck. how embarrassing, she mused.
she’d seen you shelving a few times in the past when she’d come, and admired you from a distance. she was praying to god that that was the case today.
she walked up to ezra, who she’d seen many times, to return the book. they gave her a knowing smile.
abby nervously returned the smile, turning back to walk upstairs. she held the paper so delicately in her hand, trying her best not to crease it, and fiddled with her braid in the other hand.
as she reached the top of the stairs, she was so relieved upon seeing your checkered brown blazer that she almost jumped in the air.
this was the hard part - getting the courage to speak to you. she almost didn’t want to disturb you while you were working, you just looked so cute in the dark lighting, searching through the classifications to find the right spot for every book you shelved.
until she noticed you struggle to lean up and push in a book on the highest shelf. that was her chance.
“hey, you need help?” she asked, walking over and leaning a little closed to you. she cringed a little at the way she sounded, so shaky and nervous for no reason - it’s not like you were going to laugh at her.
you jumped a little, looking at her, unable to stop a wide smile from crossing your face.
“if that’s okay- i just have some trouble with the high shelves sometimes…”
“of course, no big deal.” abby suddenly felt a bit more confident, taking the book from your hands gently. “where am i putting it?”
you pointed up high at a little gap you had created. “just up there, thank you-”
“hey, it’s no problem,” abby said as she shelved the book with ease, then leaned down to squeeze your shoulder. she liked the way you suddenly grew bashful over that. “i know i was supposed to come in yesterday- i needed an extra day to finish…”
“oh! that’s alright,” you laughed off, suddenly feeling a bit dumb. of course she needed an extra day to finish. why hadn’t you thought of that? “one extra day’s not bad. so how was the book?”
now abby didn’t exactly know what to say - she knew there was a chance she’d come across weird. she rehearsed this a million times and yet she strayed so far from the script she’d made in her head.
“uh- s-so i had like a lot of thoughts about it and- i mean, i don’t know, there was a lot to say. so i kinda wrote a- a review? no spoilers, don’t worry! i just-”
“no way!” you exclaimed, a wide smile on your face. you realised you were a little loud then, trying to calm down. “that’s really nice! thank you-”
“it’s no biggie,” abby mumbled shyly, handing you the written review and rubbing the back of her neck. she was close enough that she could smell your perfume - a warm, vanilla scent, almost like cookies.
she couldn’t help the small smirk that played at her lips when she noticed you stutter and pause when you saw her number at the bottom of the page.
“i- thank you- i’ll read it when i get home,” you said, a quiet giggle accompanying it. everything about you drove abby insane.
“you got any recommendations for what i should read this week?” abby asked.
Tumblr media
434 notes · View notes
txttletale · 6 months
Note
idk how to put this sorry if this comes off as rude/confrontational I'm not trying to be — when you say stories about forgiveness/reconciliation, do you mean more the type about forgiving & reconciling with family, or more generally (so like including - this isn't the best example but I can't think of any better rn - catra for example? where it's about being trapped in hurting people because of trauma and breaking out of that)? or is the thing you dislike more stories' framing of forgiveness as a moral imperative?
sorry if this doesn't make sense I'm just curious what you think bc you've raised some interesting points and would really like to see you elaborate on them
don't worry you don't come off as rude whatsoever! while i think my points apply broadly to how forgiveness is treated across media (rare actual example of cultural christianity) -- i obviously am not, like, against forgiveness or stories about forgiveness on principle. what i dislike about all the narratives about people forgiving their abusive parents is that:
like you said, it's always framed as a moral imperative. there is always an underlying assumption that forgiving the abuser is the 'right' and 'correct' thing to do, that not doing so would be wrong. this is tremendously insulting to survivors who have every right to not forgive their abusers!
in most of these narratives, the parent barely does shit to be forgiven. there's very often a narrative equivocation, in fact, between parent and child. like, sometimes the parent won't even be expected to apologize -- sometimes, even more grotesquely, both the parent and child apologize for their shared supposed 'wrongdoing'. this is also obviously insulting to survivors, who are not in any way responsible for their abuse or for having a poor relationship with their parents.
the reason why this in particular pisses me off so much is that it mirrors and in turn contributes to the cultural expectation on abuse victims in real life to maintain contact with their abusers, the constant casual pressure from everything from strangers to friends to acquaintances saying 'well, can't you just put it behind you?' or 'look, he's changed' or 'she's your mom' or 'you'll only have one chance to have a relationship with your siblings' or whatever the fuck. the sanctity of the family is a cardinal value across a lot of societies and this sanctity means a constant, neverending societal pressure to bow to sweeping abuse under the rug. i've seen many people i care about struggle deeply with feeling obligated to maintain relationships with family members who treat them like shit and make htem miserable every time they interact bc of exactly these sorts of sentiments being everpresent in their cultural environment. & these narratives always paint that sort of pressure as being well-founded and fair and ultimately for the better, which is absolutely repellent to me.
so, yeah. i am not against narratives where an abusive person actually confronts their actions and changes and repairs that relationship (that's another fucking thing, these narratives always put the onus and responsiblity on the character who was abused to forgive rather than on the abuser to earn forgiveness, just like in real life familial abuse victims are always fucking expected to be the ones to repair the relationship). i think such narratives can be powerful and compelling and explore questions of what the value of 'forgiveness' or 'redemption' even are, as well as dispel the mystique and exceptionalism often attributed to the 'abuser' as a holistic malevolent figure that can be cleanly separated from every other parent/grandparent/sibling/etc.
what i'm against is narratives where someone who is abused has their feelings delegitimized -- their rage is wrong, counterproductive, they need to let go and move on, they need to forgive their abusers and let them back int otheir lives because oh, they did something wrong too or oh, their abuser had a difficult life, or whatever the fuck. to which the answer should be a flat -- no. they don't. all the more power to people who choose to do that if that's what makes them happiest and safest but absolutely nobody has a moral obligation or need to forgive an abusive family member. obviously i am exaggerating slightly when i say every abusive parent subplot should end with the parent being killed with hammers, but i'm using the hammer murder as a synechdoche for a narrative treating an abuse victim's antipathy towards their abuser as something legitimate and justified and obviously reasonable rather than a flaw or something they need to move past.
192 notes · View notes
strrwbrrryjam · 8 months
Text
okay so its 4:30am, so take it with a grain of salt but one thing ive noticed in a lot of charthur fics is that the authors tend to dismiss, or throw shade on the love arthur shared with mary and eliza.
sometimes they write stuff like "arthur has never felt love like this, not even with eliza or mary," actively dismissing the role that mary and eliza played in arthurs life.
mary for instance, i believe, is one of the first people to recognize that there is more to arthur than being the big dumb brute, a criminal, and that inside arthur is a good man, who can do so much more than steal and beat and kill. she actively encourages arthur and pushes arthur to see and only really wants the best for him
sure, there are flaws to this as mary and arthur come from two entirely different environments, with similar circumstances (their fathers being similar for example,) and entirely different worldviews. i could very well go on with this because there is so much to analyze about their relationship.
generally speaking though, arthur and mary were really the right person for each other, but it was sadly the wrong time in their lifes for both of them, maybe later in life they could have actually be the one for each other-
in canon, arthur is still so in love with mary years after their broken engagement. its so palpable from the moment we see the two meet, that they dont want to care about each other, that they dont want to love each other but they do, they feel it so deeply that it is ingrained into their sense of self that they cant even hide it from each other
eliza we dont know much about, as she wasnt mentioned often, but i refuse to believe that arthur doesnt deeply care for the mother of his child, that while they might not have been in love, like he was with mary, that he would love her, hell, maybe they could have grown to be in love if eliza (and isaac) didnt have their life cruelly ripped away from them
i love charthur so so much, it is my favourite pairing of rdr2 (whether romantic or otherwise) and it means so much to me- but to actively throw shade on two characters who are so important to arthurs life and vital to his character development, is just.. its just wrong
his love for charles doesnt have to replace his love for mary or eliza, he is a big man with a big heart- loving someone new doesnt mean that he has to push those who he loved out
tldr: mary and eliza are important, stop throwing shade on arthurs past relationships to uplift his current relationship, his heart is big enough for them to share, you dont have to push them out
224 notes · View notes
anna-mariadragon · 6 days
Text
I adapted my Poppy Playtime OC Millicent Legrand to the Space Rider AU of @onyxonline
I plan on maybe doing a drawing of her friend Diana in the future, but first I'll move on to Aurora's other outfits before starting another drawing.
I'm not used to drawing anthropomorphic characters, so she might look a little strange (I think I looked at the drawing for too long because now something about it bothers me and I don't know what it is).
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Full name: Millicent Colette Legrand
Preferred name: Aurora/Venus
Age: 20 - 25
Pronouns: Any
Gender: Female (Genderfluid)
Sexuality: Pansexual, ambiamorie
Height: 165 cm (5'5") - 185 cm (6'1") (changing)
Species: Fennec Fox/Nymph
About Aurora:
Aurora is the princess of the planet Galatea. Her job is to ensure the safety of her planet and ensure that other planets' ecosystems can recover after a disaster.
Her mother, Queen Cybele, currently holds the title of “Mother Nature,” which is passed on to Aurora upon completion of her training and studies.
Although she is not a Rider fighting against the Cult of the Prototype, she cares deeply about other planets and will help them (and their ecosystem) recover after a major disaster.
Aurora might not be good with close Combat, but she has enough experience with magic that it makes up for it. (She does her best in hand-to-hand combat training, although she probably needs a few extra sessions.)
Aurora is a sweet pacifist that is willing to see the best in everyone. She is very respectful of other people and loves learning more about planets and their traditions.
While she behaves elegantly and gracefully towards her subjects or in her princely duties, in private she is very lively and cheerful. She loves taking care of the royal garden and even talks to the flowers when no one is looking.
She is currently doing her training on a spaceship while visiting other planets from time to time. She is very dutiful and tries to make a good impression when visiting other planets, as she is the representative of Galatea.
She doesn't like confrontation and tries to settle disputes rather than escalate things. But don't underestimate her because she doesn't hesitate to act when a fight breaks out.
When Aurora needs to fight, she much prefers to stay at a distance, as she is more suited to ranged attacks than close combat. When defense is needed, she creates a wall of thorny vines and heals her injured teammates.
She usually helps with the clean up after fights, such as capturing the cultists.
Power Capabilities:
Aurora is directly connected to the natural world and thus can communicate, influence, manipulate and control nature: all living beings and plants and natural phenomena, such as the weather and geology of the Earth, and the matter and energy of which all these things are composed. She can survive in any natural environment on different planets. She can control animals and plants and mimic their abilities and forms.
Because Aurora can communicate with nature, she becomes instantly familiar with her surroundings, the connection is so deep that the earth can respond to her emotions and desires (blossoming with flowers and calming weather when happy, making skies stormy or cause earthquakes when angry, shifting the landscape to gain the advantage in a fight, etc.)
Aurora can purify, heal and generally influence the health of nature, and considering the fact that they're helping the environment, plants and animals act favorably towards her. They have access to every living species of animal and can also draw strength from them and acquire their abilities. Nature obeys Aurora's every command and operate on a "hive mind", meaning Aurora can control an entire army of animals.
Power Limitations:
Control, discipline, and restraint are extremely important. Unconscious, emotion-influenced, impulsive, or reckless use of this power can be catastrophic.
Since the user's emotions affect nature directly, control is essential.
Distance, mass, precision, etc. depend upon of the knowledge, skill, and strength of the user, and their power's natural limits.
58 notes · View notes