#britain during the troubles - and still today in some ways)

[mariemariemaria]

when deirdre maguire said ‘punk is the only religion worth fighting for’

#yeah! #derry girls #actually thought about this when i was studying today #the punk scene in ni is soo interesting to me #and how derry girls fits into art created about the troubles #because the vast majority of media about them has focused on the violence and political 'struggles'. and understandably so #but both derry girls and the undertones focused on teenager's lives . with the troubles on the periphery #teenage kicks is about the life of one teenager who fancies a girl basically #and derry girls is about a group of teenagers who struggle with ordinary things about being a teenager like school parents and crushes #and both the undertones in the 70s and derry girls today showed the rest of the uk/ireland (and further afield) that ni is more than just #violence and sectarianism. and that the people (esp teenagers) here are just like people and teenagers everywhere #which was a BIG deal in the 70s and honestly kind of a big deal now too when you think about english ignorance about ni lol #(one commentator on a guardian review of derry girls said that it hadnt occurred to him when he was growing up that catholics in ni were #just ordinary people just like him and his friends and family. which kinda shows the extent to which propaganda regarding ni functioned in #britain during the troubles - and still today in some ways) #it also feels significant that both derry girls and the undertones were created by working class catholics from derry but maintaining #a non sectarian aspect is also important - the point is that they both portrayed the realities of being a teenager which crossed religious #and political barriers. i could write a whole essay on this honestly #kinda moved on from the punk scene aspect hmmm in ep 3x05 of derry girls stiff little finger's 'alternative ulster' was played #which calls on the listener to 'grab it and change it - it's yours' to show that ordinary people - esp teenagers - have the power to create #a better society and a better life and a better ulster. and in 3x07 that's exactly what they did.

[sl-newsie]

Merry And Bright (Dr. Spencer Reid x OC) *Christmas Special* 🎄

(Summary: A coworker is stuck working over the holidays, so Spencer takes them to look at Christmas lights to cheer them up… and maybe confess his feelings?)

Christmas is supposed to be ‘the most wonderful time of the year,’ as the song goes. But how can it be so wonderful when I can’t even visit my family? It’s been a week since my boss scheduled me to work over the holidays, due to the office being “overstaffed.” Basically nobody else wants to work and I’m too soft to say no. Now… Christmas seems so much darker.

“You feeling ok, Darlene?” Spencer asks from behind.

I shake away my sad thoughts and offer a weak smile. “As good as I can.”

Thank God for Spencer Reid. The smartest person I know, my favorite coworker, and a small- er, kinda big, crush of mine. I’ve been working as a secretary for half a year now, and in the short time we’ve known each other Spencer has proven time and time again to be the most supportive and caring person I’ve ever met.

“I wish I worked for the BAU instead. That way I might actually get a break for the holidays.”

Spencer chuckles and hands me a candy cane. “Crime doesn’t take a holiday. You still wouldn’t get a guaranteed break. We’ll all be on call over the holidays.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Spencer.” I take the candy cane and give it a lick. “Thanks. You remember how much I love candy. Before you go, I got a gift for you!”

“Aw you didn’t have to-” Spencer starts to object but then goes quiet when I hand him a small package. “What on Earth…?” He tears off the wrapping and immediately gets a giddy smile. “Oh my God! Is this- is it-?!”

“An autographed photo of Doctor Who! I got it during my work trip to Britain last spring! Merry Christmas-!”

I barely get to finish before Reid suddenly sweeps me in for a hug. “Thank you so much, Darlene!”

“O- Oh! I didn’t think you were one for hugs- only handshakes-” I sputter.

Reid pulls away, almost looking as awkward as I must, and grabs my hand for a handshake.

“Right, right… Um, say if you aren’t doing anything after work tonight I was wondering… if maybe you’d like to go look at Christmas lights?”

Did I- did I hear that right? “Reid, did you say 'look at Christmas lights?'” A smile spreads onto my face.

Spencer mistakes this as mockery. “I- I’m sorry if it seems weird, it’s just I remember you said you usually go out looking at Christmas lights with your family. And since you can’t go home for Christmas I thought I’d take you around.”

He… he remembered! “Spencer, I’d love to! But I couldn’t ask you to do that, you’ve probably already got plans. Heck, today’s Christmas Eve!”

But Reid shakes his head. “Actually, I don’t have plans. My mom’s been too busy for me to visit, and the rest of the team’s off doing their own traditions. Usually during Christmas I just stay home and read a few book series, but thought you might like some company. That is… if you don’t mind…?”

My smile grows wider. “Spencer, I’d absolutely love that!” I swivel around and start sorting my paperwork away, then grab my purse. “I was just about to clock out, and I can’t think of anything else I'd love more than to go see Christmas lights! I can’t believe you remembered!”

Reid keeps trying to think of what to say but instead stands there with his mouth hanging open, so I save him the trouble and squeeze his hand. 

“I’ll go bring my car around! I’m guessing you know all the best spots to look?”

“Y-Yeah- yeah!” Spencer gets a hold on what’s happening and starts following me to the coat closet. “I know a very big house Rossi always talks about that always decorates for Christmas. I think you’ll like it.”

“I’m sure I’ll love it! I’ll meet you out front!” I give a quick wave and dash off towards the parking lot door.

20 minutes later of laughing and listening to classic Christmas carols, Spencer directs me to drive down a street that, quite frankly, has some of the biggest houses I’ve ever seen!

“Jeez, Spencer. This is the richy-rich-rich neighborhood! This place has got to have some nice decorations!”

Sure enough, the farther we drive down the street the more exquisite and extreme the decoration displays become. Gorgeous nativity scenes, cute reindeer, and so many lights that the entire street is lit up! Once we get towards the end, I start to see the cream of the crop.

“Oh my…” My jaw drops and I have to re-grip the steering wheel. “Spencer…”

The cute nerd chuckles. “I thought you’d like it. We can park right over here!”

I park to the side and we both step out to walk over to the giant display in front of us. By now it’s gotten colder and starting to snow.

“How cliché, a white Christmas,” Reid comments as he joins me on the sidewalk. “Be careful, there might be-”

“Oh God-!” I feel my feet slide out from underneath me and I start to slip-!

I feel lanky arms wrap around my waist and pull me up before I face-plant into the snow, bringing me almost face-to-face with Spencer.

“...there might be ice,” he finishes in a whisper. 

“Right. Thanks…” I catch my breath and fight to not keep looking into his chocolate eyes.

He blinks, then seems to get his thoughts together. “Right, um-” He helps steady me and shuffles away to give me space.

“Do they put this up every year?” I try to ignore the itching awkwardness draping the atmosphere and look back at the magnificent decorations.

“I think so. Rossi says they add something every year.” 

We take a few minutes to walk the edge of the fence and take in everything, then Spencer speaks up again.

“Darlene, do you still feel sad about missing out on Christmas?”

After a few seconds of thinking, I have to shake my head. “Actually, no. I’m not missing out on Christmas. I’m spending it differently, that’s all. And for what it’s worth, I’m glad I got to spend it with you.” I discreetly see a small blush grow on Reid’s face. “Still, I do miss my family. But there’s always Easter.”

Spencer nods in agreement. “When it comes to society, family is like the way of life that binds us all together. We all have our own routines and morals that can make each family similar but also individually unique.”

I smile at his philosophical words. “Especially when times are rough, it's assuring to turn to a comforting religion without having to worry about the corruption of humanity.”

“Society is the unavoidable way of life that binds us all together.” 

I can tell Reid’s about to start ranting, but I don’t mind. If anything, I like hearing him talk.

“Americans are subconsciously members of multiple social classes and in doing so they build invisible barriers towards members from different classes, hinting at social prejudice. We all have our own routines and morals that fit us into different social classes. As a society, we are each brought up to have a social role, like the stereotypes we think of.”

“Like the quiet one, the weird one, the loud one, the funny one…?”

He points at me. “Exactly! And if we wish to have a different social role, it’s difficult to change them because we are going against society’s expectations and therefore causing more pressure on ourselves. But if we are unhappy with our current roles, our mental health will still be affected.”

“Like a never-ending roundabout,” I think out loud.

“Huh?” Reid looks confused.

“You know, when you’re stuck in a roundabout and don’t know where to exit. Driving 'round and 'round and 'round. Um, as much as this is entertaining to talk about, what exactly is your point?”

Spencer’s face flushes again and he starts fidgeting with his hands, avoiding my gaze by looking back and forth from the house and the ground.

“Darlene, um… I didn’t just ask you to look at lights just to pass the time.”

I shrug and give him a small smile. “I know. You just feel sorry that I couldn’t go home and want to make sure I’m not alone on Christmas. And I thank you for that.”

But Spencer shakes his head and keeps avoiding my gaze. “No, that’s not it, it’s that- I- You- ugh.” 

He brings a hand to his forehead and tries to piece his thoughts together. I never thought I’d see the great Dr Spencer Reid so flustered. 

“Darling, I wanted to-”

My hand flies to my mouth and my eyes go wide. “Wait. What did you just say?”

Spencer tilts his head and rethinks his statement, then gasps. “Oh God- I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean-! Well, I…”

I hope he’s thinking what I think he is…

I harness my courage and, slightly trembling, grab Reid’s hand. “Spencer… Did you mean to say that? I didn’t even think you knew what pet names are.”

Reid’s just as tense as I am and finally lifts his head to meet my eyes. “This seems wrong. I was hoping to talk to you after the holidays. I’m not so smart with relationship rituals-”

“Spencer.”

“Yeah?” 

“Are you trying to explain how your feelings for me have grown differently from a workplace colleague?”

“Actually I’d phrase it more like- Oh. Um… yes.” Spencer looks down at our intertwined hands. “I’m sorry if I offended you. I know some women aren’t fond of pet names, it’s just that your name is Darlene and, well, darling just comes to mind-”

“I love it,” I reply with a smile.

Reid’s eyes widen. “You do? You’re not just trying to be nice? I’ll stop if you want-”

“Spencer, I love hearing you lecture but for once can you please let me talk?” I can’t keep the joy from spreading on my face. “I feel the same! I love seeing your different vests at work, how you always bring a different book to talk about. I love all your random facts, your mismatched socks! I love how you’re always so thoughtful to ask how I’m doing every day and actually care to listen!”

With every complement Spencer’s eyes go wider and his jaw drops, almost making me believe he’s about to start mocking me-

“D- Do you love… me?” He asks almost too softly for me to hear.

God, what have I gotten myself into? The cliché crush on a coworker? That’s either embarrassing or pathetic!

I struggle to find the right words. “I- You- We- It’s… Yes? Now before you start lecturing about how immature that is-”

“I love you too, darling.”

Before I can utter another syllable Spencer grips my hand tighter and pulls me in to press a soft kiss on my parted lips. For once in my life all logic flies out the window and all I want is him. I use my free hand to grab Reid’s scarf to pull in for a deeper kiss, and I feel him moan against my lips. After what seems like only milliseconds, we both have to pull away to breathe.

“Should have brought some mistletoe,” I pant. “You mean to tell me you wanted to take me here to ask me on a date?”

Reid groans but still doesn’t seem to regret the kiss. “Yes. I’d call that immature. But I’ve been waiting for over a month now, and I couldn’t wait any longer.”

I lean in to press a kiss on his warm cheek. “It’s the best Christmas present I could ever ask for, Spencer. Does this mean I’m yours now?”

Reid smirks and rests his head on top of mine, staring right at me. “I’m yours, Darlene.”

I smile and hug him closer, oblivious to the fluffy snow covering us as the bright Christmas lights illuminate this magical moment. “Merry Christmas, Spencer.”

“Merry Christmas darling.”

#spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid criminal minds #criminal minds #david rossi #aaron hotchner #penelope garcia #derek morgan #jj criminal minds #emily prentiss #criminal minds imagine #criminal minds x reader #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid imagine #christmas time #christmas lights #christmas #snow #merry christmas #matthew gray gubler #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds fic

[j-cooper]

latin phrases/words that are still used in english

today i've learnt about the romans' invasion in britain, and one of its impact is, of course, latin language. it has influenced the development of the english language, and many latin words and concepts were incorporated into the english language during this period, so i wanted to share some latin phrases/words that are still used in everyday english (or are very popular).

carpe diem - "seize the day" - people very often misinterpret this phrase, using to justify spontaneous and reckless actions/behaviour. it originally was used by Roman poet Horace in his collection of poems "Odes" (23 BC), and in fact has a less known continuation: "Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero" or "seize the day, place in tomorrow as little trust as you can". therefore, its actual meaning is not simply about hedonism, but about focusing on the present as much as possible and about recognizing the shortness of life. so it's like appreciating every moment in life and avoid delaying things unnecessarily, because every life eventually comes to an end.

quid pro quo - "something for something" - basically means an equal exchange, "this for that".

status quo - "the state in which" - the current state of affairs; the way things were before something happened. i had some troubles with understanding this phrase, so here's an example: Unless we do, there will be no change, we will be back to the status quo and the complaints will continue.

bona fide - "good faith" - genuine, sincere or nice. In a bona fide way, a bona fide friend.

ex nihilo nihil fit - "nothing comes from nothing" - means that to achieve something you need to work hard. Philosopher Parmenides, who was an influential figure in ancient Greek philosophy, is often considered the author of this phrase. (btw, there is a perfect equivalent of this phrase in Russian: Под лежачий камень вода не течет.)

circa, c. - "around" - approximetely (usually about a date).

ergo - therefore.

id est, i.e. - "that is" - used to provide clarification or explanation for something that has been mentioned.

exempli gratia, e.g. - for example.

et cetera, etc. - and so on.

verbatim - "word for word" - used to indicate a literal and precise repetition of something that was said, written, or spoken.

#langblr #studyblr #english #english vocabulary #language learning #latin

[emptyrule]

--;DREAMSCAPE INFORMATION.

                             oh jesus christ where do i begin

  morgan has lived a very, very long life, she’s over 2000+ years old. she has seen much and experienced much and has forgotten nothing. i will do my best to sum things out without going into things too deep, as it is also spoiler country for those who haven’t read the translations yet/are waiting for the na release next year!

   for length I will put this under the cut because lostbelt 6 was. a lot and spoilers. and morgan’s life was. a lot. and her memories are. a lot.

TONELICO. originally, Morgan was Tonelico, a fae whose birth was interfered with to be the Saviour. (Castoria would later take her place, doing what she failed to do). she was nothing like the woman she is now-- she was a brighter, more eager young girl who genuinely wanted to save Bitain. however, no matter what she did, the faeries would betray her or turn against her or blame her for all she did and she would try again and again and again, only to end up failing. it eventually wore on her, turning her into the person she became-- Morgan. memories from her time as Tonelico will include:

traveling with her band of knights and trusted companions, perhaps the happiest moments of her life overall. these could include those friends she loved betraying her 

her eagerness to be the Saviour and save the Britain she loved, though it held no love for her

the cruelty of the fae and her slow change into the person she has become now, all while still trying to do right for what she loved

her constant changing her choices or actions to get the right outcome, only for each one to end in failure

also something of a determined little brat, according to nasu, enemies would come to respect her because even if she was weak, she always found a way to win 

TYRANT FAERIE QUEEN. not exactly happy, but when she became Morgan, after all that had happened, she was not a kind ruler. Morgan did not trust the fae nor humans and didn’t like them either. she could care less about their fates-- the only thing she wanted to save was Britain, the land that she loved. everything else in it could die for all she cared. memories of this time include:

her burning the Fantasy Tree anchoring the Lostbelt and keeping it attached to the Earth’s surface with her version of Rhongomyniad

some of the battles/wars she raged during this time

that one battle with the bugs, the one where she went ‘ nope not dealing with this today’ and just left for the others to deal with, we love a girlboss

appointing her Fairy Knights

many, many other things thare probably aren’t too happy but hold some weight

MORGAN. that is the person Tonelico is now. she is Morgan, someone who carries the knowledge of PHH’s Morgan and used that to try and save her Britain. but, even if she’s changed in a way she cannot go back from, some parts of Tonelico still persist. Morgan has never forgotten the love she has for others and the trust for them, and still carries her righteousness with her, though doles out justice how she sees fit now. she may be quieter and more emotionally withdrawn, but Morgan is someone who was fundamentally changed and has trouble understanding other’s feelings from it. memories of this part include

spending time with her adopted daughter. Baobhan Sith. contrary to what others may think, she’s a very good mother, someone who was wouldn’t risk putting her in danger, even as it costed Morgan her life and chance to fight back

quiet days in the castle, moments spent reading or simply sitting in the silence after a meeting or the like. 

thinking of the past, her days as Tonelico, maybe even see memories of her visiting the places where she last saw her knights before they were no more

#ooc tbt. #i think....this is good for now #i think #i'm sorry lostbelt 6 really and truly was fucked and i'm sad over morgan every day

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers DARK FATE ー Sakamaki Prologue

← RETURN TO GENERAL PROLOGUE

ー The scene starts in the classroom

Yui: ...I’m going home by car today.

Female student C: I see. Well, we might be getting some bad weather, so that is probably a wise choice.

Yui: Eh? Really?

Female student C: Yeah. They said so on the weather forecast. I’ll be heading home then. Bye bye!

Yui: See you tomorrow! Bye bye!

ー The scene shifts to the outside of Ryoutei Academy

Yui: ( Speaking of which, Ayato-kun didn’t attend classes today. )

( We both went to school together, so I wonder if he was skipping class somewhere? )

( He should know he’ll be in big trouble if Reiji-san finds out though... )

Driver: ーー My apologies for the wait.

Yui: Thank you very much.

ー She gets inside the car

*Thud*

Yui: I’m the first one here. That’s neーー

Ayato: Yo, Chichinashi!

Yui: Ayato-kun! I haven’t seen you around all day, where have you been?

Ayato: Aah? That’s none of your business, is it?

Yui: That’s true but...

Laito: ーー If you’re curious about Ayato-kun’s whereabouts, I spotted him over at the infirmary...Sleeping soundly with a cute expression on his face. Nfu~

Ayato: Wha...!? Cute!? Stop spoutin’ disgustin’ crap!

Laito: Eeh~? I’m complimenting you, so you should just honestly thank me.

Yui: And where did you hang out instead of attending class, Laito-kun?

Laito: Bitch-chan, you want to know my secrets? If you insist, I suppose I could tell you...

Every・single・one, okay~? (1)

Yui: No, I’ll pass.

Laito: Geez! I wish you wouldn’t turn down my offer so quickly?

Kanato: What made you think she would be curious about your secrets? I wouldn’t want to hear about those even if I was forced to.

Yui: Kanato-kun!

Laito: Kanato-kun, how cruel! You don’t have to be so mean, do you?

Kanato: Being forced to listen to something you don’t want to hear is pure torture after all...

That being said, Laito. The space next to her. That’s my seat so could you make some room?

You move away a little further too, Ayato.

Ayato: In your dreams! (2) The seat next to Chichinashi is obviously mine!

Kanato: Haah?

Shuu: ...Noisy as always. I could hear you guys’ voices all the way from outside the car...

Yui: Shuu-san...!

Laito: Oh geez~ You’re acting as if you’re the only outsider.

Shuu: I’m not picky about which seat I take after all.

I understand why you’d want to sit close to her, but making too much of a fuss proves that you’re all still kids.

Ayato: Aah!? Who are ya callin’ a kid!?

Reiji: ...Good grief. You lot are at it again?

Laito: Nfu~ Nice observation, Reiji. I can’t believe you’d guess we’re quarreling.

Reiji: This happens every day after all. How ridiculous. Do you not think it is about time you fight over a different topic for once?

Furthermore...Shuu. Could you not hog the seats all for yourself? You are in the way.

Shuu: There’s plenty to pick from right? Just take one of the other ones.

Reiji: If I sit on the opposite side, I will have no choice but to pain my eyes with the sight of you, no? Come on, make way.

Shuu: Haah, annoying...

Reiji: I am not being ‘annoying’. As the first heir to this family...

Subaru: Can’t you guys pipe the fuck down?...Geez...

*Thud*

Yui: Welcome back, Subaru-kun.

Subaru: Y-Yeah...

Oi, you shitheads. Move out of the way. I’m sittin’ next to her.

Kanato: Hah? You want to sit next to her as well?

Subaru: I never...! It’s not like I want to sit next to her...

I just like the way that seat feels.

Laito: Nfu~ Dare I say that’s a rather cringy excuse? Kukuku~

Subaru: Aah!?

Yui: ( Somehow seeing the guys are still the same as always makes me feel relieved. )

ー The car starts driving

Yui: ( Quite a lot has happened since I came to this house, but I’ve sort of gotten used to it over time... )

( I might just be imagining things, but I feel like the guys have become a lot kinder compared to when I first met them as well. )

( I guess feelings really do change... )

Reiji: ーー Speaking of which, did you all hear?

Ayato: What?

Reiji: Apparently there will be two transfer students coming from the campus in Great Britain.

Yui: Yes, now that you mention it, our teacher said something about that.

Subaru: Props to those guys for goin’ through the extra trouble.

Laito: Do you know something about them?

Reiji: No, not really.

Laito: Then why would you bring that up?

Reiji: It’s simple idle talk. The silence was getting on my nerves.

*CRASH*

Yui: ...!

Kanato: That was the thunder.

Ayato: It started pourin’ as well. What a dragー

Yui: ...The sky is pitch black as well...

Shuu: I mean, it’s night-time after all, so obviously it’d be? What are you saying?

Yui: That’s true but the moon was out earlier so...

Ah, speaking of which, the lunar eclipse will be happening soon, right?

Subaru: The eclipse?

Yui: Yeah.

Reiji: Exactly. I actually wanted to give you all a warning regarding said topic.

Laito: Eh~? What is it~?

Reiji: As you should be well aware, we are not unaffected by the lunar eclipse.

Yui: Eh? Is that so?

Reiji: Well, I doubt there will be any large changes.

We might say or do some things which are out of the ordinary...As well as grow somewhat unstable.

Yui: I see...

Ayato: Oh? Are you worried, Chichinashi?

Yui: Just a little.

Shuu: ーー During last time’s lunar eclipse, the Old Man was so fussy about it, I thought I was gonna go crazy.

Laito: ...Ahー ...I just remembered. We were still living in the Demon World back then, weren’t we?

Kanato: The night is much longer over there, so it was the worst...

Ayato: I remembered. He locked us up inside the castle, didn’t he?

I wonder why that old fart was so wary of it?

Kanato: I picked up some things about that. Apparently...There is a possibility some evildoers could come and attack us...

Yui: Evildoers...?

Ayato: Yeah! You know! He means the bad guys!

Laito: Do you want us to applaud you for that answer? (3)

Reiji: Either way, please be even more cautious than usual, understood? 

Unlike the one in the Demon World, the eclipse will be over in just a few hours this time. I am sure you can at least endure it for that long?

Yui: ( Out of the ordinary...Will everything be okay? I’ve gotten a little worried. )

Laito: Nfufu...

Subaru: The fuck you chucklin’ for, Laito...? It gives me the creeps.

Laito: I figured out what’s on Bitch-chan’s mind~

Yui: Eh...?

Laito: You were wondering just now...What exactly he meant with ‘saying or doing things out of the ordinary’, no?

Yui: ...!

Laito: I figured it out by looking at your expression. You really are such a lewd girl~

Yui: Wha...!? Why does it translate to that!?

Laito: You want to experiment, don’t you? Doing all sorts of things...While we’re being toyed around with by the moon...~

I mean, it would be different from usual, right? I totally relate to you wanting to switch things up every once in a while, nfu~ 

Reiji: ...Laito. I think you’ve said enough. You are corrupting my ears.

Yui: ( The lunar eclipse, huh...? I hope it passes without anything happening. )

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to the living room

Yui: It’s this late already...? I suppose I should hit the hay soon.

Reiji: Oh dear? Going to bed already?

Yui: Yes. It is starting to become a little light outside as well.

Reiji: How about a cup of tea before bed? I got my hands on this new brand of herbal tea.

I would not mind treating you to some?

Yui: Ah, I’ll gladly have some!

Reiji: Very well. Then please wait a few.

ー Reiji walks away as Ayato enters the living room

Ayato: Oh, who do we have here! Not goin’ to bed yet?

Yui: Reiji-san offered me some tea, so I’ll get some rest after I’ve finished my drink.

Ayato: Che...What’s so good ‘bout that crap which tastes of grass?

Yui: Grass...? No way, it’s delicious. 

Ayato: That’s what it tastes like to me. I’m a carnivore (4) rather than a herbivore after all! ...This stuff’s more my ‘cup of tea’. 

ー Ayato moves closer and pins her down

*Thud*

Yui: W-Wait, Ayato-kun! What are you...!? 

Ayato: Lemme suck you. I’m thirsty for blood right now...

*Rustle rustle*

Yui: ( ...At this rate, he’ll take my blood...! )

R-Right! Ayato-kun, did you know?

*Rustle*

Ayato: Aah!? 

Yui: ーー S-Speaking of carnivores, I heard this rumor about a wolf being spotted in the city...

Ayato: A wolf!?

Yui: Y-Yeah. Apparently tons of people witnessed it, so the rumors are spreading like wildfire...

Ayato: Che. What bullshit are you spoutin’? You actually believe there was a wolf!?

Yui: But you know, at school...I alsoーー

Laito: Spotted~ (5)

Yui: L-Laito-kun!

Ayato: ...Laito, don’t get in my way.

Laito: Oh no no. If you want to suck Bitch-chan’s blood, you have to get my permission first.

Ayato: Why do I have to get your permission for everythin’, huh!?

Laito: Ehー? Why, you ask? Well...

*Rustle*

Yui: Kyah!?

Laito: Because Bitch-chan belongs to me~ Right?

Say, Bitch-chan? Wasn’t this ‘wolf’ you saw wearing a hat?

Yui: Eh!? 

Laito: The Big Bad Wolf wearing a hat always has his vision locked on the cute Little Red Riding Hood, you know~?

Ayato: Keh. ‘Big Bad Wolf’, my ass! Anyway, Chichinashi. Did you seriously see a wolf?

Yui: Y-Yeah...Probably...

Laito: When? Where?

Yui: After classes today. On the rooftop at school...

Ayato: Aah? The rooftop? Hah, ridiculous. I bet you just mistook some shadow for a wolf.

Laito: Besides, that’s exactly where I was after classes today.

Reiji: ーー Why were you there after school?

Laito: ...! R-Reiji. Didn’t see you there.

Reiji: Yes. I sure am. Is that a problem for you?

Laito: Not really~?

Reiji: Good grief. With you guys, I never know what to expect the second I take my eyes off you.

You’re either trying to suck her blood, or skipping class...

Ayato: ...! H-How do you know I tried to bite her just now!? You weren’t around earlier, were you!?

Reiji: ーー It became clear as day to me the second I saw her disheveled clothes.

Yui: Eh...! Ah...

*Rustle rustle*

Reiji: You lot truly are beyond hopeless.

ーー Here you go, Yui. I’ve prepared your tea.

Yui: T-Thank you very much!

*Cling*

Reiji: ...Well then, regarding what you said just now...

Yui: Eh?

Reiji: Could you fill me in on the details?

Yui: You mean about the wolf?

Laito: It was just Bitch-chan’s eyes playing tricks on her, no?

Isn’t it like those people who say they can ‘sense’ ghosts after they’ve been told a place is haunted? 

Reiji: I am talking to her.

Yui: U-Uhm...

ー Yui tells him the full story

Reiji: I see.

Yui: However, I’m pretty sure I just saw a wild dog or something along those lines...

Subaru: ...What would a wild dog be doin’ up on the roof? That was a wolf.

Yui: Subaru-kun...?

Subaru: You probably don’t know, but in the Demon World, there are other demonic species who can alter their appearance into those of a snake, eagle or wolf.

We’re livin’ here too, so it wouldn’t be that far-fetched for some wolf to show up.

Yui: T-Then, a resident of the Demon World has changed into a wolf and come to this city?

Subaru: Guess so? There aren’t any wild wolves livin’ ‘round these parts, right?

Reiji: I considered that possibility for a second too, however...

Ayato: What?

Reiji: The Wolf clan living in the Demon World is extremely territorial. Well, the same could be said about the snakes too...

I simply cannot fathom they would come to the human world.

Laito: Ahー ...Now that you mention it, they really are.

I went through hell and back once after messing around with a girl on Wolf territory...

Subaru: ...Then how do you explain the wolf wanderin’ ‘round this city!?

*Thud*

Yui: S-Subaru-kun, calm down.

Reiji: Exactly. Do you really need to lose your temper over everything?

Ayato: Can’t we look at it this way? It’s probably not that concerned ‘bout us.

Vampires aren’t territorial after all.

Reiji: That might be the case for us, but I doubt the same can be said about them.

It is part of their natural instinct after all...

Laito: Nfu~ Then, basically you want to say that the wolf which has been sighted in the city is just a regular one?

Reiji: Or rather, there is one other possibility I can think of.

Yui: Another possibility...?

Reiji: In the Demon World, one more species going by the name of the ‘First Bloods’ exists.

They are said to be the ancestors of every species living in the Demon World.

Ayato: The fuck? That’s a first to me. Besides, I’ve never run into one of those over at the Demon World either.

Reiji: Of course not. They suffered defeat in a war against our Father and Demon Lord Burai, before being banished to a castle.

They are forbidden from leaving.

Laito: Then wouldn’t it be impossible for them to show up here in the first place?

Reiji: You are indeed right. But well, they possess the abilities of the wolf, eagle, snake and bat all at once. 

Therefore, it would be possible for them to transform into wolves as well. I simply wanted to bring it up as one possible explanation.

Subaru: Well, I don’t give a damn. Whether it’s a Wolf or a First Blood.

If they get in the way, I’m gonna crush them!

Reiji: Well, a wolf is hardly a threat to us, but I suppose it would be dangerous for a human such as yourself.

Please be careful, okay? If things take a turn for the worse, do avoid being eaten. Understood?

Yui: Y-Yes...

( Seems like there’s still many things about the Demon World I don’t know. )

( Also the rumored wolf in town...I wonder if he actually exists? Then what I saw might just be... )

( ...I don’t really know yet, but I should definitely be careful for now. )

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to the classroom

Yui: ( Today’s first period is English, huh...? I should take out my textbook and notes...My homework sheet isーー )

*Rattle*

Homeroom teacher: Oiー. Everyone, sit down. I’m going to introduce the new transfer student.

He won’t be transferring into this classroom, but I’ll at least let him introduce himself.

Shin: ...I’m Tsukinami Shin. Nice to meet y’all.

Ayato: ...That guy...

Yui: ( Ayato-kun...? )

Homeroom teacher: He only recently returned to the country after living in Great Britain, so he’ll be taking class in a special classroom for quite some time.

That being said, you’re all students of the same academy, so treat him well, okay?

Homeroom teacher: Ahー Also...If possible, I’d like for someone to show him around the campus.

Shin: Sensei, may I?

Homeroom teacher: Yes, what is it?

Shin: I would like to ask the young lady over there to give me a tour of the school.

Yui: Eh? M-Me?

Shin: Exactly. Can I count on you?

Yui: ...I don’t mind but...

Shin: We’ll see each other during the break then?

ー He leaves the classroom

Yui: ( ...Why me? )

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to the hallway at school

Ayato: Oi, Chichinashi.

Yui: Ayato-kun? And Kanato-kun as well? ...What’s wrong?

Kanato: No, I simply had...somewhat of a weird hunch...

Yui: A weird hunch...?

( Could they be talking about Shin-kun? )

Ayato: You’re gonna show that dude ‘round the place now?

Yui: Yeah, that’s the plan.

Kanato: Do you truly believe you have the right to decide that?

Yui: ( I-I should have figured they’d be upset about that. )

B-But he asked me out of the blue...and the teacher also told us to be nice to him...

Ayato: ...I know that, but still.

Listen up. Be careful of that dude. ...I can’t really put it into words, but he’s givin’ me bad vibes.

Yui: Eh?

Kanato: ...I shall warn you as well. Although I believe it would be best for me to tag along.

For some reason, I feel like I want to keep my distance from him...

Yui: You too, Kanato-kun...?

( I wonder why the two of them are so wary? )

Ayato: Well, we’re ‘round as long as you stay on campus, so it should be fine.

Don’t let your guard down, ‘kay? Understood?

Yui: Y-Yeah.

Kanato: Ah...He has arrived. Well then...

ー Ayato and Kanato leave

Yui: ( ...I wonder what he meant with ‘bad vibes’? )

Shin: Hey, thanks for earlier.

Yui: Yeah. Well then, let me show you around right away...

Shin: I don’t need to see the campus. Instead, why don’t we drop by the rooftop?

Yui: Eh? The roof...? I don’t mind but...Why...?

Shin: ...I figured you might want to witness the lunar eclipse.

Yui: Aah, now that you mention it...

Shin: Also, the inside of this school really reeks (6) for some reason...

Yui: Eh?

Shin: Nothing. Let’s hurry up and go.

Yui: Yeah...

ー The two of them walk away

Shuu: ...

ー The scene shifts to the rooftop

Shin: Aah, the eclipse has begun.

Yui: You’re right...!

( The moon’s colored a bright crimson...slowly becoming chipped, amazing! )

Shin: Is this your first time witnessing one?

Yui: Yeah. It’s a first for me...How beautiful, don’t you think?

Shin: Beautiful, huh?

ー Somebody walks up to them

???: ...Shin.

Shin: Hey, Nii-san.

Yui: Eh?

Shin: Let me introduce him. This is my Nii-san, his name’s...

Carla: I’m Tsukinami Carla.

Yui: N-Nice to meet you...! My name’s Komori Yui.

( I see. Now that you mention it, when the teacher said two transfer students...He must have been talking about Shin-kun and his older brother. )

Carla: ...

Yui: ( ...That being said, he is somewhat of an intimidating individual... )

Shin: Neither of us are used to living here, so we’ll be counting on your help, okay?

Yui: Yeah...If you’re fine with me...

Carla: Shin.

Shin: Yes, Nii-san?

Carla: Take a look.

Shin: Eh?

Yui: ...Ah...!

Shuu: ...

Yui: Shuu-san?

What’s the matter? Are you perhaps here to watch the Lunar Eclipse as we...

Shuu: Haah? Does it look like that to you?

Yui: ...Right.

ー Shuu walks up to Yui

Shuu: ーー Let’s go.

Yui: Eh? M-Me?

Shuu: Yeah. Hurry up.

Yui: B-But...

Carla: I don’t mind. Go if you must.

Shin: Nii-san, are you sure?

Carla: Yes.

Yui: T-Then...See you later. Please tell me if you need anything. Now if you’d excuse me.

ー Yui leaves with Shuu

Shin: Nii-san, do you think we’ll be able to use her?

Carla: No chance.

Shin: Eh? For real? Geez. I was kind to her for nothing then...

If she won’t be of any use to us, why don’t we take her down alongside this school which stinks of Vampires...

Burning everything to the ground...Kukuku. What do you say?

Carla: While it would be impossible in her current state, if we cleanse her, she might just...

Shin: Cleansing, huh? What a drag. For one, I doubt I’ll be able to stand the stench of those Vampires.

But, if we have no other choice, guess it can’t be helped.

Carla: Get everything in order by the end of tonight. Understood?

Shin: Roger. Well, I could probably win against those Vampires while they’re weakened by the lunar eclipse using just one arm.

Carla: Do not let down your guard. That man from just now...He seemed to have caught on somewhat.

Shin: I know.

ー The scene shifts to the hallway

Yui: Wait, Shuu-san!

Shuu: ...Did those guys from earlier tell you anything?

Yui: Eh? No...nothing...

Shuu: I see.

Yui: ...What’s gotten into all of you? I feel as if you’ve been very wary of those two this whole time...

Shuu: You saw it too, right? The lunar eclipse has started.

Because of that, our intuition is off compared to usual. Reiji mentioned it yesterday as well, remember?

We may act or say things out of ordinary...And at the same time, our five senses don’t quite work as well.

Yui: ( Right...That’s why everyone is even more on guard than usual. )

I understand. I’ll be careful.

( I wonder if everything will be okay...While they’re under the eclipse’s effects? )

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to inside the limousine

Yui: ( Phew, I’m glad the day passed without anything happening in the end. )

ー Ayato boards the vehicle

Ayato: Hm? It’s just you today?

Yui: Yup. Where’s everyone else?

Ayato: How should I know? Since they’re not here, I guess they’re not going home by car today?

Yui: ...

Ayato: What are you making that face for?

Yui: No. I’m just a little worried, considering the lunar eclipse has begun as well.

Ayato: Keh. I’m the only one you should be concerned about.

Driver: ーー May I start the vehicle?

Ayato: I don’t mind.

ー The car starts driving

Yui: Will everything be okay...?

Ayato: Are you that worried? You piss me off. You’re just a Chichinashi too!

Yui: I mean, you were all acting kind of off today as well...

Ayato: Che. They’re no kids, I’m sure it’ll be fiーー

ー The car suddenly comes to a halt

Yui: Kyaaah...!!

Ayato: Woah...!?

Driver: A-Ayato-sama...!!

Ayato: ...The fuck was that...!?

Driver: W...Wolves are...!!

Ayato: Aah!?

*HOOOOOOOOWL*

Yui: ...!

Ayato: Oi, Chichinashi...! Move closer!

*Rustle*

Yui: Ayato-kun, what on earth is...?

Ayato: I don’t know...

Either way, don’t leave my side...!!

Yui: Y-Yeah...

*HOOOOOOOOOWL*

Yui: ...!

Ayato: Rest assured...Chichinashi, you belong to me. No way in hell I’m handin’ you over to some wolf!

Yui: Ayato-kun...!!

ー One of the wolves breaks through the window

*SHATTER*

Ayato: Che!!

ー Ayato is attacked by the wolf while protecting Yui

Yui: Ayato-kun!!!!

Ayato: Fuck...That hurt! The fuck’s your problem!!? 

ー The wolf continues its assault

Ayato: Guh...Chichinashi, don’t you dare move from underneath me...!!

Yui: B-But...!

Ayato: Shut up...Guah...!!

*RIIIIIIP*

Ayato: ...Guh...Uu...!!

Yui: ( Oh no, at this rate, Ayato-kun will...!! )

???: Tsk...Where did you all come from...!? Fuck off...!

*THUD*

ー Subaru enters the car

Subaru: What are you doin’!?

*THUD*

ー The wolf backs off

Yui: ...Subaru-kun...!

Subaru: Che...Things are this bad even tho Ayato was ‘round? ...Take that!!

*THUD*

Ayato: Che...

Yui: Ayato-kun...! Things will be okay now...! Hang in there!

Subaru: Oi. Which one of you bastards is next, huh!!?

*Whistle*

*HOOOOOOWL*

Subaru: ...!? Makin’ a run for it...!? Wait...!!

Yui: Subaru-kun...! Wait! Please...Don’t go...!!

Subaru: Che...Fuck...

Yui: Ayato-kun is...!

Ayato: Ugh...

Subaru: He’s out cold...Did he protect you?

Yui: Yeah...!

Subaru: Che...He’s got bite wounds all over...Fuck...They were Wolves from the Demon World after all.

Oi, you. Lend me a hand for a sec. Support this shoulder...

Yui: Okay...!

*Rustle*

Subaru: There we go. I’ll handle the rest. Let’s go. We gotta head back home asap.

Yui: ...Is Ayato-kun okay?

Subaru: Dunno. I’m not a doctor. We gotta show him to Reiji first.

ーー Oi, driver! Che...Our Familiar was beaten as well...

*Whistle*

Yui: What are we gonna do?

Subaru: I called over my Familiar for now. We can leave things be here. Let’s go!

Yui: Okay...!

( Why were we suddenly attacked...? )

( Also, those Wolves from earlier...Where did they...? )

*TIMESKIP*

Yui: Ayato-kun, stay strong...!

Reiji: ...His wounds are rather severe. We will have to make a visit to the Demon World to receive help from a clinic.

Kanato: Is it that bad?

Reiji: If he had been a human, this number of wounds would have resulted in an instant death. 

Yui: ...!

Laito: Ayato-kun tried to play the hero all by himself...

Reiji: We were fortunate Subaru rushed to the scene at once, if he had been even a second delayed...

His throat might have been ripped up to shreds.

Subaru: ...The fuck did those wolves want...? Is the Wolf clan trying to declare war on us!?

Shuu: ...How did you feel about the situation? You’re the only one who actually went head to head with them.

Subaru: I don’t know...I just felt like they were kinda different from the Wolves I would often spot ‘round in the Demon World...

Reiji: If I recall correctly, our Father and the King of the Wolf clan have always been been on good terms.

I find it hard to believe that they - who are so loyal to their own leader - would come and assault us.

Subaru: Then what are they!?

Shuu: First Bloods...

Laito: ...Aren’t those guys locked up in a castle at the Demon World?

Shuu: They should be. However, there’s a possibility they have managed to find an opening to leave the castle.

Reiji: Either way, let us return to the Demon World at once, Shuu.

Shuu: Yeah. Let’s go back. We need to report this to the Old Man too.

Laito: Good grief. We have to return to the Demon World during the eclipse again, huh...?

Kanato: ...We have no other choice...

Yui: Uhm, I...

Shuu: You will stay behind here.

Yui: Eh!? But...

Shuu: The Wolves attacked Ayato. Which means you aren’t their target.

Reiji: That sounds like a good idea. Furthermore, the eclipse is ongoing over at the Demon World as well.

We do not know what may happen. You are a human as well.

Yui: ( Good point...If a human such as myself goes to the Demon World, I’ll only end up slowing them down. )

( I’m worried about Ayato-kun and the others but... )

You’ll be able to come back once the lunar eclipse has ended here, right?

Laito: I’d love to, but I’m not sure?

Reiji: Depending on the wolves’ identity, we might have to end up staying at the Demon World for a while.

Yui: But, there’s an eclipse going on over at the Demon World as well, right? Isn’t it dangerous since you don’t know what may happen...?

Subaru: That’s true but the castle’s bein’ protected by our shitty father’s magic, so don’t worry.

Yui: ...

Subaru: Oh come on, don’t look so anxious. I’m hesitant to leave you all by yourself as well...

Shuu: Haah...It’s a pain but we have no other choice. Oi, let’s get going guys.

ー They start walking away

Shuu: I’m leaving the house in your care.

Yui: Yes...

Laito: It saddens me to have to leave your side...But we can’t leave Ayato-kun like this either.

Kanato: I’ll let you have my pudding, so please wait here like you’ve been told to, okay?

Reiji: Well then...Subaru, please carry Ayato.

Subaru: Haah!? Me again!? Don’t be shittin’ me!!

Yui: ( You guys... )

( Please don’t let anything happen... )

*TIMESKIP*

Yui: Haah...

( Everyone left for the Demon World so I’m all by myself...Somehow the manor feels even more spacious than usual... )

*Rumble*

Yui: ...!!

( I’m a little lonely. Actually, now that I think of it, since I’m alone here now... )

( I could just run away, right? It’s not like anyone’s keeping an eye on me... )

( But...It’s not like I have anywhere to go still...Besides, is there still even a point in running still...? )

I wonder since when I’ve gotten this used to my life here...? 

( At first, I was so terribly scared. It still hurts to have my blood sucked even now...But. )

( Through getting to know everyone, it’s only still a little but...I... )

*HOOOOOWL*

Yui: !!!

( Oh no, the wolves again...? They didn’t target me last time though... )

( Don’t tell me, they think everyone’s still here...? )

...Uu...

ー The scene shifts to the underground waterway

Yui: Haah...haah...!

( In this case, I should try going to the Demon World, even if I end up being a burden. )

( Who knows what will happen to me if I remain here... )

( I’m sure...He will for sure save me... )

[ Choose Shuu ] [ Choose Reiji ] [ Choose Ayato ]

[ Choose Kanato ] [ Choose Laito ] [ Choose Subaru ]

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) He literally just says ‘my secrets’ and pauses between each syllable of secret (ひ・め・ご・と). However, in English ‘se・crets’ doesn’t have the same effect since it’s only 2 syllables, so I changed it a little. He already mentions ‘secret’ in the previous sentence, so it doesn’t change much about the meaning of this interaction.

(2) やーなこった or ‘yaanakotta’ is a very childish and playful way to say ‘no’ or ‘don’t want to’ in Japanese. 

(3) Literally Laito asks if that is the answer they get after he puts on airs while proudly proclaiming his words. Laito often makes these low key sarcastic or snarky comments at Ayato, so I wanted the English translation to have that same feel to it. 

(4) The term 肉食 or ‘nikushoku’ may mean ‘carnivore’, in recent youth culture, it is also used as a synonym for man or woman who are very assertive when it comes to relationship and sex. Meanwhile 草食 or ‘soushoku’ is used for the exact opposite, referring to those who are hesitant to interact with the opposite sex. I don’t know if Rejet intended for it to have this hidden meaning, but I found it an interesting theory nevertheless!

(5) When Laito says ‘見ちゃった’ or ‘micchatta’ here, it can be taken two ways. Either he refers to him walking in on Ayato trying to suck Bitch-chan’s blood, or he actually finished Yui’s sentence, referring that she saw a wolf at school. 

(6) While におう or ‘niou’ could mean ‘to smell’ in general, when it is written as 臭う, it refers to a bad smell. 

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #shuu sakamaki #reiji sakamaki #ayato sakamaki #kanato sakamaki #laito sakamaki #subaru sakamaki #dark fate #diabolik lovers translation #dfsakamakiprologue

[rosaliepostsstuff]

Secret santa - F.W.

This is my fic for @thisismysecrethappyplace​‘s writing challenge, using prompt #27 - "Today, it's like there's rock bottom, then 50 feet of crap, then me."

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Hufflepuff!reader (although the house is not mentioned much)

word count: 2070

a/n: I’m not one of the people who start celebrating Christmas on November 1st (but if you do - live your extra life, love) but the idea of secret santa game just popped into my head and I couldn’t think of any other story to work with the quote. Year is not specified.

If you want to be added to my taglist, let me know!

December rolled around and the castle of Hogwarts has been covered in snow once again. The snow reflecting the little sunlight the area got this time of year, making the inside seem a bit brighter. It reminded you that in just a few weeks’ time it would be Christmas. Even though you were to stay at Hogwarts this year, you were looking forward to it.

During one of the study sessions in the Great Hall, you were sat next to your friends from Gryffindor. You were quietly chatting to Angelina and Katie. One word led to another and you learnt that the girls and a few more friends of yours would be staying for the Christmas break as well.

“Look, we’ll finally get to properly spend the holidays together-“ Katie started, but Angelina quickly joked, “oh, like the big, dysfunctional, happy family we are” and finished with a big grin that quickly fell when she caught Professor Vector’s eye and got back to her notebook. “Hey, that’s not a half-bad idea,” you put your quill down and looked between the girls, “how about we gather the rest and do a ‘secret Santa’ type of deal, huh?” you said enthusiastically. They studied you a bit sceptically, but you got them intrigued.

When you got them convinced, you talked to a few other people and decided to gather the next evening after dinner to draw the names so you’d still have almost three weeks to prepare the gifts.

That’s how you found yourself, all the Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, Lee, Angie and Katie gathered at one of the tables near a huge fireplace at the Great Hall. Being very excited about the idea, you prepped the pieces of parchment with the names beforehand and now everybody was to draw one from a hat passed around the group.

When it reached you, your heart started to beat slightly faster – you were quietly hoping to get Fred – you were friends, but you liked him slightly more and were hoping the act of kindness of a well thought out gift would get you some bonus points. It was now or never.

You reached in, stirred around with your hand a bit and picked one of the folded pieces, then passed the hat on. Carefully, so that no one would see it, you unfolded the parchment that read-

“Lee Jordan”

You tried not to show disappointment on your face. It was fine. You liked Lee and you planned to make the best gift you could think of. You’d still get to see Fred, even if you didn’t make the present for him.

You couldn’t help but wonder who did draw his name. Would they make a nice gift? Maybe a nicer one than you would’ve? Get his gratitude- oh, how you hoped it wasn’t any of the quidditch girls. What if it’s Angie? Oh, he must like her – she’s tall, pretty, and cool-

“Hey, Y/N?” Hermione’s voice snapped you out of your spiralling thoughts. “What’d you think? Do we exchange on Christmas eve? Christmas day, boxing..?” Asked Katie. “Uhm, the eve’s fine,” you mumbled and followed everyone, getting up and heading out.

You said your goodbyes and separated from the group – you were the only one headed to the dungeons. As you were about to go through the door you saw a piece of parchment someone must’ve dropped. Before you got to it, you saw Harry notice it and pick it up.

Passing by, you involuntarily looked at the parchment-

“Y/N Y/L/N”

Dammit, you thought and went on. That was about it for your surprise, or at least half of it.

——————⁛⁙⁘◊⁘⁙⁛——————

Days had passed, then weeks, and you found yourself with just a few days left in this term before the winter break would start.

You woke up late, with weird neck pain – you had slept in a funny position. Throwing on your robes you kicked your shin by accident and took a moment to shout out a few indecent words to help ease the pain and then you pushed through, determined to reach potions on time.

During the break, before your second period, you figured you would stop by the library to pick up a book you were going to need for an assignment you planned to start that evening.

Walking through the aisles with your destination well known, you looked out the large windows at the snow – and with the remnants of any positive attitude you had in you, you smiled to yourself.

“Have you done yours already..?” you suddenly heard Ron’s ineffectual whisper from behind a bookcase. It made you stop in your tracks and against your better judgement, you listened in. “Yeah, I got her a book…” Harry’s voice whispered back. ‘please, don’t say what book’ you repeated in your mind. “… something about the history of wizarding settlements in Britain..? I can’t remember the title, but she’ll like it.”

You grimaced to yourself at the thought – he couldn’t be more wrong. And then to top it, he added some sweets you absolutely loathed.

With heavy steps and a heavy heart, you headed to charms.

You liked charms, and you loved professor Flitwick. He was one of the decent teachers in this school, kind and sometimes even funny.

Today was one of those lessons, this time of year, that he gave up on starting a new topic and decided you were to do some revisions. Your mood slightly lifted, you were practising the banishing charm.

As the end of the lesson was drawing close you got comfortable and your mind started to wander. Thinking about the earlier events, you lost your focus and accidentally knocked over the pile od books Flitwick was standing on, sending the professor flying face down.

He was nice enough to understand your mistake and you were not punished in any way, but it didn’t change how bad you felt about it.

As you headed to lunch, cursing the universe, Merlin, and everything around, you thought the day couldn’t get any worse.

And then you tripped on one of the stone floor slabs.

You heard Fred and George’s booming laughs, lying on the floor and debating whether life was worth getting up. When the twins saw you not getting up, they stopped laughing.

Fred walked up and looked at you a bit confused – the fall wasn’t all that bad and you didn’t look hurt. “You alright there, sunshine?” he said leaning over you. You groaned in response and rolled over, then reluctantly got up from the cold floor with Fred’s help. “Peachy,” you replied, dusting off your robes and Fred snorted, then studied your expression.

He signalled for George to go without him and patted your shoulder lightly. “Today, it's like there's rock bottom, then 50 feet of crap, then me.” You gestured wildly. “Alright then, papa Fred’s got you. What’s troubling you?” he asked, slightly amused, yet genuinely as you began strolling in the direction of the great hall. You took a deep breath, wondering where to start. “I slept in, was almost late to potions which we know would leave me with trauma, I knocked Flitwick to the ground by accident when we practised Depulso  - and now this,” you kicked the cousin slab of the one that made you trip and Fred chuckled at your pout, “Oh and I almost forgot – my Christmas present’s gonna be rubbish,” you exaggerated. “How so?” he asked, confused. “Well, I know who’s my secret Santa already. Found out by accident. Then I overheard what I’m gonna get… I mean, it’s okay, but I guess I was just hoping for something nice…” you rambled looking down to the ground. “Oh. Okay then… you know what? I actually promised Lee I’d pick something up for him before lunch, so – I- I’ll see you later?..” It was your turn to be confused. You looked up at him but before you raised your hand with a little wave and mumbled small “bye”, he walked off.

——————⁛⁙⁘◊⁘⁙⁛——————

You haven’t seen Fred all that much since that weird encounter – you didn’t have any classes together and you were in different houses so it was just a coincidence to you.

The Christmas Eve came around and you were playing wizards’ chess with Ron in the great hall to pass time before the rest of the group gathered. People were slowly pouring in, each of them adding to the small pile on the wooden table, a box enchanted with a concealing spell, so that each gift looked the same – and the secret Santa remained secret. Among the last few was Fred, looking slightly sheepish for himself.

“So are doing it, lads and lassies?” exclaimed Lee rubbing his palms together, making everyone chuckle. You all sat down close in what resembled a circle, making sure no one was left out.

Hermione pointed her wand at the pile of boxes, “Revelio” and they all appeared in different forms, with various name tags attached.

You decided to open the gifts one by one going clockwise, starting with all-too-eager Lee. You couldn’t help the wide grin that appeared on your face when you saw his child-like joy after opening the gift from you. Then it was Angelina’s turn, then yours.

You reached for the package with your name on it, trying to appear enthusiastic and not-at-all like you already knew what was inside. You unwrapped the paper with a mix of shock and confusion on your face.

Inside the paper was a box of your favourite chocolates and underneath a plain-looking book. You opened it and it turned out to be a photo album filled with photographs of you with your friends, along with some captions and thematic drawings on the white-ish pages around them.

With mouth slightly open you flicked through a few pages and ran your hand over the doodles. You looked up at Harry, who had the same expression as anyone in this circle – except for one person who studied your reaction and tried to hide the satisfied smile on his face.

The gift opening continued. It was when Hermione opened hers and you saw what you had thought you’d get that it dawned on you. It started with the assumption that when Harry picked up the note with your name it meant he was your secret Santa, which (obvious for you now) didn’t have to be the case and it wasn’t. Then with your mind set in stone, you just kept assuming things.

“Did you like your gift?” with newfound courage thanks to the good mood, you nudged Fred on the way out. He slowed down to walk beside you and separate from his mates. “Why, were you my Santa?” he asked cheekily. “No, not this year. Just curious.” you shrugged your shoulders. “Yeah, it was nice.” he stated simply, and after a bit of silence added, “d’you like yours?” “Why, were you my Santa?” you giggled. He put his hands in his pockets and avoided your gaze as a smile started creeping upon his face. “Merlin’s beard, you were..?” you cursed yourself for saying that out loud as your heart started thudding. “Maybe.” He looked at you with a mischievous smile and you melted. “Freddie, I loved it. It was really… sweet,” you said, shyly. “Good then, glad it wasn’t rubbish.” he snorted lightly and you wanted to bury yourself right then and there. “I’m soo sorry about that, it was a misunderstanding. I was in a bad mood, I thought somebody else was making a gift for me, I- I didn’t… I’m sorry Freddie.” You smiled awkwardly at him and he chuckled, ruffling your hair. “It’s alright, sunshine. I’m happy you don’t resent me” “I could never.” “Oh?” he stopped and looked you straight in the eye, smirking. “Uh, I mean…” your mind went blank. “You see, I was really happy when I drew your name.” he looked up above the two of you and your eyes remained on him. “It just so happens that I really like you so you must agree it would be convenient if you liked me back.”

You gulped. He looked back down at you, then gestured with his eyes for you to look up.

There it was, hovering above you, in all its glory – the magical mistletoe.

“So?” He leaned down a bit, turned his head to the side and tapped his finger on his cheek, “make it up to me?”

#fred weasley #fred weasley x reader #fred weasley imagine #hp imagine

[ivy-kissobryos]

Ancestor Work and Colonisation

From my own experience, it is a common belief among Thai citizens that Thailand has never been colonised. Many believe that due to the wisdom of the monarchy, our country has maneuvered ourselves in a way that allowed us to avoid the fate of many of our neighbors. And yet, if one look around Thailand as it is today, one has to be blind to not see the westernization that has occurred and is occurring.

Chaloemtiarana (2018) argues that, actually, Thailand has been subtly suffering from the effects of colonisation too.

The court believed Thai society should look modern/civilised to the West, so there would be no excuse for the West to colonise it. At the same time, it should learn about Western culture and language in order to understand better the people they had to deal with. This policy can either be seen as a pragmatic strategy of the weak, or as what others have called auto-colonialism, self-colonisation or crypto-colonialism. Coming to terms with Western culture by appropriating what is seen as helpful to national survival, Thailand did its best to maintain some control over its own affairs, and to find ways to maximise profit from trade.

 Adopting Western clothing, architecture, music and artistic tastes may have made the Thai people appear more Western, and therefore ‘civilised’ (siwilai), but the core of Thai beliefs and character remained essentially unchanged. For example, Christianity never replaced Buddhism as the predominant religion. Nevertheless, adopting Western modernity had its drawbacks—the allure of modernity compromised and changed local social and ethical values. As survival strategy, the Thai ruling elite began to send their children to Europe to learn the ways of the West and therefore become more effective leaders who understood the West—not just speaking their language, but understanding their culture and mindset.

Without giving away too much of who I am, let’s just say that the trend of sending children abroad is common among my family. My mother met her Thai husband whilst studying abroad. My grandmother met her half-Danish and half-Thai husband whilst studying abroad. I assumed my great-grandfather met his Danish wife abroad too.

With the same mindset that prompted my parents and their parents to seek an education abroad, I was raised in an international school and studied undergrad in the UK. I do appreciate my western education, but at the same time, it was only last year in which I began reflecting on how horrendous my ability to read and write Thai is, how much I’ve lost touch with my own culture. A few months ago, I couldn’t even tell the difference between ค่ะ and คะ and it isn’t just me either- many of my internationalized friends faced the same troubles.

How are we supposed to not lose touch with our mother tongue when we were shamed and heavily discouraged to speak Thai during school time, including during breaks and lunches? How are we to know our own history when all we were taught about was the history of Britain and America?

Although Chaloemtiarana (2018) claims that the “influence of the West in Thailand was self-induced, not as a form of submission but as a weapon for resistance”, I still feel that the weapon was a double-edged blade.

In another text by Reynolds (2019), it was discussed how Thailand in an attempt to avoid colonialism, Thailand became a coloniser.

In the process of saving the country from Western colonialism, according to this critique, the Thai monarchs created a colonising state that subordinated smaller centres and brought them under Bangkok’s unitary rule: ‘Reform’, says Thongchai, ‘is merely a euphemism for Siam’s imperial conquests’ (Thongchai 2011: 30). And he is not alone in advancing the idea that Siam was a coloniser. Subject Siam, the title of Tamara Loos’s 2006 study of the Siamese court’s treatment of the southern Malay territories on both sides of the Siam–Malaya border, captures with clever wordplay the double identity of Siam as a subject of Western imperial will and as a subject active in its own expansion.

And not just Malay too. Thailand had “won” parts of Laos and Burma, and to this day, many Thais that I know still hold the racist attitude that Thailand is “better” than the less developed neighbor countries. This is incredibly relevant to me, as my ancestors on my paternal side is from Chiang Mai, known previously as Lanna, which was conquered by Siam (Bangkok, Thailand). This may have been why whenever I travel to Northern Thailand, I feel a deep sense of sorrow amid the beauteous scenery. The land was soaked with blood.

I have ancestors who are from Bangkok, and ancestors who are from Lanna, and ancestors who are from Europe. If I learnt anything from studying history and praying to my ancestors, it is that one must acknowledge the past. Don’t live a delusion, nor view the past through rose-colored lens. Acknowledge how much you have suffered, and also how much you’ve caused others to suffer. Understand and accept, and do better.

Sources:

Chaloemtiarana, T. (2018). Read till it shatters: Nationalism and identity in modern Thai literature. Acton, A.C.T.: ANU Press.

Reynolds, C. J. (2019). Power, protection and magic in Thailand: the cosmos of a southern policeman. ANU Press.

#ancestor work #thailand

[miracul0us-multishipper]

Welcome to the Back (Part 1)

Next Chapter

@a-6-yearold-inside

A Felinette Fanfic where they never changed seats back after Chameleon, Adrien vs Felix in the next parts

- - -

Adrien was a good friend, if you asked him. Not that he had a lot of experience with friendship, but he’d read a lot about it. He could listen well. He could give advice. He was good at bringing out the best in people, at keeping the peace and harmony of the class. Madame Bustier didn’t call him sunshine boy for nothing!

So when Felix Leanne was announced to be their newest student, he figured he was the perfect candidate to welcome him to class. Sure, they hadn’t really gotten along when they’d last met, but maybe Felix had changed in the last year?

“Hi!”, he greeted as soon as he spotted the boy. “I’m Adrien Agreste. We’ve worked together last summer, remember?”

The older blond stilled and eyed him warily. His eyes were eerily colorless; a cool, distant grey. Adrien shivered a little.

“I do” Felix replied after a moment of silence. Then continued to walk towards class.

Struggling to keep up with his long, measured strides, he followed suit.

“You’ve never been to school either, right?” he tried again. “We’ll be in the same class! Madame Bustier is our home teacher, she’ll probably want you to make a short introduction. Do you want to get to know our classmates? I could introduce you!”

Felix kept his eyes straight ahead, his face was devoid of any emotion. Maybe he was shy? Surely, he’d open up sooner or later.

“That appears to be inevitable.”, was his brisk answer, confirming that the new student would need some time to warm up to them.

Alright then. He could do this!

When they entered the classroom, only a few students were already there. They looked up as soon as Felix walked in, his confident posture attracting attention even before he was fully inside.

“Hey, guys!”, Adrien greeted Nino and Alya, who already looked as if she had a million questions to ask their newbie. “This is Felix Leanne! He’s from Great Britain, we modeled together last year.”

Alya jumped up and held out her hand to him, all but squealing in excitement.

“I’m Alya Césaire, from the Ladyblog! I’ve read so much about you, you were the face of Leanne Fashion’s “Lucky Line”! The posters of you in that Ladybug tie were all over Paris!”

She shoved her phone in his face, probably displaying said ad.

“I’m so excited to meet you!”

Felix wrinkled his nose.

“Please take that out of my face.”

“Oh, right!”

“I’m Nino”, her boyfriend followed up, “Nice to meet you, dude! I’m sure you’re gonna love it here.”

One by one, the other students began to crowd around Felix, greeting him and asking about his life. The answers were short, matter-of-fact and a little bit annoyed if you paid enough attention. Chloé threw one look at him and apparently decided it was best not to mess with him.

“Lila’s going to be so happy to meet you!”, Rose said cheerily, catching Adrien’s attention again. She was directly next to Felix, no chance he might have missed that. “She told us all about you, from when she met you at that Fashion Show in London her parents sponsored.”

Felix frowned and opened his mouth, but Adrien beat him to it.

“Let’s not bother him with work details right now!”, he suggested a little too hastily, and probably an octave above his usual tone of voice. “He’s new to school after all, and I’m sure he hears enough about work at home!”

Felix looked at him with raised eye brows, but didn’t press the matter. Adrien sighed with relief. Another day of successfully keeping the peace of this class.

He looked around, searching for missing faces. Kim was sick with the flu, he wouldn’t come today. Sabrina was with Chloé as usual, Marinette was probably late again and Lila should be here any minute now.

As if on cue, the brunette Italian entered the room just as the other students began to go to their places again. With a winning smile and her usual, confident stride she headed for Felix.

“Oh, hello! You’re Felix Leanne, right? I’m Lila Rossi, I’m sort of new myself.”

The tall blond regarded her with hidden suspicion.

“Aha”

Her eyes roamed over his desk and spotted the thermos in his bag.

“I heard you’re from England!” she beamed. “I lived there for a while, my grandparents are famous for their rare teas. Maybe we could go for a cup after school? There’s not that many places where it’s as good as in Britain, but I happen to know one or two.”

The fact that she hadn’t mentioned any Fashion Show in London confirmed Adrien’s assumption that it had been another lie.

Felix eyed her for a moment, then sat down at the last table in the back.

“I hate tea.”, he deadpanned, before taking out the thermos and pouring him a cup of what was obviously coffee without breaking eye contact with Lila. Adrien swore he could see the gears in her head come to screeching halt.

“O-Oh? What a shame” she caught herself. “Then maybe we could-“

“Good Morning, class!”, Madame Bustier interrupted her attempts. Forced to retreat for now, Lila went to her seat next to him and Adrien followed with a nod. During the lesson she wouldn’t have the opportunity to make up another story, which meant for now, crisis was averted. No exposing Lila, no fights, no trouble. He smiled. Another day of perfect school time, just like he’d always imagined it!

He shouldn’t have been so sure of that. It started when Marinette arrived, just in time for saying “present” as Mme Bustier read her name. Since she’d been sitting in the back for a week now, she’d be Felix desk neighbor. He didn’t think anything of it, but Lila shot her a glare that could’ve been both a warning and a threat. Or maybe he’d misinterpreted it? Maybe she’d just been annoyed that Marinette was late again? Must be it.

Still, Madame Bustier didn’t get the chance to start her lesson when Lila stood up and raised her voice.

“Madame, Felix just arrived! He shouldn’t have to sit in the back by himself, does he?”

Adrien wanted to remind her that no, he wasn’t by himself, Marinette was there too, but remembered just in time the last time they had changed the seats. No, it wouldn’t help to speak up now.

Mme Bustier frowned.

“We only changed the seating order last week.”

Lila wasn’t that easy to shake off however.

“Oh, but you have all welcomed me so sweetly when I first arrived. I couldn’t live with myself if I wouldn’t do the same for Felix.”

She looked down.

“If it weren’t for my disability I’d switch with him myself, but...”

Felix coughed.

“I don’t-“

“Oh, we could go to the back!”, Alya volunteered, drowning out whatever Felix had wanted to say, and pulled Nino’s hand up with her. Lila smiled.

“Really? That’s so nice of you guys!”

“Actually-“ Felix tried again but Lila wasn’t done yet.

“Oh, but what about Marinette? We just unseated her last week, we shouldn’t do so again, right? Would you sit with Marinette in the back?”

“Sure!”, Alya beamed and patted Nino on the shoulder in comfort. “We sat together before, too!”

“I-“

“It’s no big deal, really!”

“Madame Bustier!”, Marinette called out of the blue, with enough force to make the entire class jump. Her hands were planted firmly on the desk and her face was grim. He shot her a concerned glance, trying to remind her of her promise. No exposing Lila.

“Yes, Marinette?” the young teacher answerd, looking startled.

“How about”, Marinette said slowly, locking eyes with Mme Bustier, “we offer Felix the chance I didn’t get the last time, and give him a say in this?”

Surprised, she nodded and looked at her latest student.

“O-Of course, yes. Where would you like to sit, Felix?”

The blond teenager sighed, frustrated.

“I am perfectly fine sitting in the back, thank you very much.”

-

Felix hated school. It was full, it was loud and people just wouldn’t leave him alone. He sighed, remembering the promise he’d made to his mother. She was still in England, but she’d called to make sure he was alright. She wanted him to have this experience, to meet other children and be normal, for a while. It was not like he didn’t appreciate her care! But he really, really wished she would’ve expressed it in other ways. Maybe take him along to one of her incentives or business trip. He was old enough to learn about the company he’d inherit, wasn’t he?

But if it made her happy, he’d try this... school life. He’d make an effort, learn something, and then go back to homeschooling. Preferably sooner than later.

“Present!”, yelled a voice next to him and he looked up. He hadn’t even noticed the girl sliding into the seat next to him, but now she was there. Late, obviously.

He hated unpunctuality.

She smiled at him when she noticed his stare and pushed her book over to him, showing him which page they were at. Otherwise, she didn’t try to interrogate him or make Smalltalk.

Huh. He could appreciate that.

Until that Lila-girl from earlier stood up, he was almost thinking this wouldn’t get so bad after all. But alas, his hopes were shattered once again.

Her repeated attempts at changing the seating were, to his surprise, not shut down by the red-haired teacher. Apparently, he had to get active himself. Great.

He coughed, trying to get their attention.

“I don’t-“

“Oh, we could go to the back!”, the Ladyblog girl, Alya, exclaimed enthusiastically. He blinked. She’d just cut him off. How disrespectful!

Shaking his head, he straightened his back. Maybe she just hadn’t heard him. No need to make a fuss just yet.

“Actually-“ he started again, before being interrupted once again, this time by Lila. His eye twitched.

One more time, he told himself, one more time trying to do it the peaceful way. For Mum. He could still walk out after that.

“I-“ really don’t need to sit in the front, he wanted to say, but his third try was as successful as the other two. He sighed, almost happy. He could go home, finally. Tell Mum he’d tried, but public schools just weren’t his forte. Too unprofessional. Too chaotic. Too...

“Madame Bustier!”, an energetic voice pulled him out of his resignation, just as he was about to pack his bag. It was his desk neighbor, Ms Unpunctual. Could that girl even talk in any volume other than “loud”?

“How about we give Felix the chance I didn’t get, the last time,” she said threateningly slow, and bit bitterly if he wasn’t wrong, “and give him a say in this?”

“Of course” the teacher agreed, apparently remembering that she was supposed to be the authority here. “Where would you like to sit, Felix?”

He sighed.

“I am perfectly fine with sitting in the back, thank you very much!”, he uttered a bit salty.

Lila, frustrated that she was ignored, sat down again and the rest of the class calmed as well.

“You didn’t have to do that”, he clarified to his neighbor as soon as the teacher had turned around. Better make clear that she couldn’t expect any favors or benefits from him. “I’m fully capable of speaking for myself.”

Usually. In a professional environment, at least. He hated having to raise his voice, and apparently, that was the only thing that worked on these savages.

But the girl surprised him yet again by simply shrugging.

“Yeah, I figured. But still.” She looked down, where Lila was currently draping herself all over Agreste. “It can be nice to know someone has your back.”

Maybe he’d imagined it, but she sounded a little bitter at that. He turned back to the teacher, but kept stealing glances at his pigtailed classmate.

He was no stranger to people, not like Agreste had been just a year ago. And other than the younger boy, he didn’t see them through rose colored lenses, and didn’t mind telling them off when they crossed a line. His young age and position as the heir and face of an international fashion empire made him a regular target for people that wanted to profit off of him - his sire included. He couldn’t afford to be as carefree as Adrien, who was constantly monitored by his own terror of a father.

Over the time, Felix had acquired a sixth sense for detecting warning signs of manipulators and people who used others for their own gain. He’d seen them in Lila Rossi, and he’d seen them in his father, but no matter how hard he focused, scrutinized or analyzed... he couldn’t find them in his mysterious classmate.

“I’m Felix”, he eventually whispered, half hoping she wouldn’t hear it. Yet her surprised smile failed to disappoint him, for some reason.

“I’m Marinette. Welcome to the back, I guess.”

- - -

To be continued

#miramu writes #welcome to the back #wttb #miraculous ladybug #mlb #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #ml felix #felix leanne #felinette #felinette month #ml felinette #mlb fanfic #felinette fanfic

[k-project-singularity]

The Realism in K Project - The Bombings of Dresden

These days are a time to celebrate our love for our friends and K Project, but also to remember some history. It was during the days of February 13th to 15th 1945 in fact, that the events leading to the start of K Project's story took place: the Bombings of Dresden.

Did you know that K Project is inspired by a real event that took place in World War II?

From February 13 to February 15, 1945, during the final months of World War II (1939-45), Allied forces bombed the historic city of Dresden, located in eastern Germany. The bombing was controversial because Dresden was neither important to German wartime production nor a major industrial center, and before the massive air raid of February 1945 it had not suffered a major Allied attack. By February 15, the city was a smoldering ruin and an unknown number of civilians—estimated at somewhere between 35,000 and 135,000–were dead.

Bombing of Dresden: Background

By February 1945, the jaws of the Allied vise were closing shut on Nazi Germany. In the west, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s (1889-1945) desperate counteroffensive against the Allies in Belgium’s Ardennes forest had ended in total failure. In the east, the Red army had captured East Prussia and reached the Oder River, less than 50 miles from Berlin. The once-proud Luftwaffe was a skeleton of an air fleet, and the Allies ruled the skies over Europe, dropping thousands of tons of bombs on Germany every day.

From February 4 to February 11, the “Big Three” Allied leaders–U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt (1882-1945), British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965) and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin (1878-1953)–met at Yalta in the USSR and compromised on their visions of the postwar world. Other than deciding on what German territory would be conquered by which power, little time was given to military considerations in the war against the Third Reich. However, Churchill and Roosevelt did promise Stalin to continue their bombing campaign against eastern Germany in preparation for the advancing Soviet forces.

World War II and Area Bombing

An important aspect of the Allied air war against Germany involved what is known as “area” or “saturation” bombing. In area bombing, all enemy industry–not just war munitions–is targeted, and civilian portions of cities are obliterated along with troop areas. Before the advent of the atomic bomb, cities were most effectively destroyed through the use of incendiary bombs that caused unnaturally fierce fires in the enemy cities. Such attacks, Allied command reasoned, would ravage the German economy, break the morale of the German people and force an early surrender.

Germany was the first to employ area bombing tactics during its assault on Poland in September 1939. In 1940, during the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe failed to bring Britain to its knees by targeting London and other heavily populated areas with area bombing attacks. Stung but unbowed, the Royal Air Force (RAF) avenged the bombings of London and Coventry in 1942 when it launched the first of many saturation bombing attacks against Germany. In 1944, Hitler named the world’s first long-range offensive missile V-1, after “vergeltung,” the German word for “vengeance” and an expression of his desire to repay Britain for its devastating bombardment of Germany.

The Allies never overtly admitted that they were engaged in saturation bombing; specific military targets were announced in relation to every attack. However, it was but a veneer, and few mourned the destruction of German cities that built the weapons and bred the soldiers that by 1945 had killed more than 10 million Allied soldiers and even more civilians. The firebombing of Dresden would prove the exception to this rule.

Bombing of Dresden: February 1945

Before World War II, Dresden was called “the Florence of the Elbe” and was regarded as one the world’s most beautiful cities for its architecture and museums. Although no German city remained isolated from Hitler’s war machine, Dresden’s contribution to the war effort was minimal compared with other German cities. In February 1945, refugees fleeing the Russian advance in the east took refuge there. As Hitler had thrown much of his surviving forces into a defense of Berlin in the north, city defenses were minimal, and the Russians would have had little trouble capturing Dresden. It seemed an unlikely target for a major Allied air attack.

On the night of February 13, hundreds of RAF bombers descended on Dresden in two waves, dropping their lethal cargo indiscriminately over the city. The city’s air defenses were so weak that only six Lancaster bombers were shot down. By the morning, some 800 British bombers had dropped more than 1,400 tons of high-explosive bombs and more than 1,100 tons of incendiaries on Dresden, creating a great firestorm that destroyed most of the city and killed numerous civilians. Later that day, as survivors made their way out of the smoldering city, more than 300 U.S. bombers began bombing Dresden’s railways, bridges and transportation facilities, killing thousands more. On February 15, another 200 U.S. bombers continued their assault on the city’s infrastructure. All told, the bombers of the U.S. Eighth Air Force dropped more than 950 tons of high-explosive bombs and more than 290 tons of incendiaries on Dresden. Later, the Eighth Air Force would drop 2,800 more tons of bombs on Dresden in three other attacks before the war’s end.

Bombing of Dresden: Aftermath

The Allies claimed that by bombing Dresden, they were disrupting important lines of communication that would have hindered the Soviet offensive. This may be true, but there is no disputing that the British incendiary attack on the night of February 13 to February 14 was conducted also, if not primarily, for the purpose of terrorizing the German population and forcing an early surrender. It should be noted that Germany, unlike Japan later in the year, did not surrender until nearly the last possible moment, when its capital had fallen and Hitler was dead.

Because there were an unknown number of refugees in Dresden at the time of the Allied attack, it is impossible to know exactly how many civilians perished. After the war, investigators from various countries, and with varying political motives, calculated the number of civilians killed to be as little as 8,000 to more than 200,000. Estimates today range from 35,000 to 135,000. Looking at photographs of Dresden after the attack, in which the few buildings still standing are completely gutted, it seems improbable that only 35,000 of the million or so people in Dresden at the time were killed. Cellars and other shelters would have been meager protection against a firestorm that blew poisonous air heated to hundreds of degrees Fahrenheit across the city at hurricane-like speeds.

At the end of the war, Dresden was so badly damaged that the city was basically leveled. A handful of historic buildings–the Zwinger Palace, the Dresden State Opera House and several fine churches–were carefully reconstructed out of the rubble, but the rest of the city was rebuilt with plain modern buildings. American author Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007), who was a prisoner of war in Dresden during the Allied attack and tackled the controversial event in his book “Slaughterhouse-Five,” said of postwar Dresden, “It looked a lot like Dayton, Ohio, more open spaces than Dayton has. There must be tons of human bone meal in the ground.”

Read more at: The Bombing of Dresden - Wikipedia

K Project's Inspiration

The subject that GoRA wished to tackle when taking reference from these events is obviously one: what if there there WAS a reason for the Allies to bomb Dresden?

What if something had been uncovered under the historic city, and was being studied to be turned into a weapon to use in the war?

What if said weapon survived the raid and was taken elsewhere?

How would it affect the people who come in contact with its power?

#k project #trivia #dresden #ww2

[corinnesamuels]

Takes A Little Extra Time, But It All Works Out

    I can’t live without you, set my goals around you

Takes a little extra time, but it all works out

    Lily never had been a morning person.

  And as the sun filters through the curtains of their bedroom window, casting shadows and streams of light across her face, James finds himself grateful for quiet moments like these, taking her in and marveling at how a sod like him had ever gotten so lucky.

  He can’t imagine a version of his life without her, even on their worst days.

  They’d had plenty of them. Their days as kids at Hogwarts before he’d grown out of being an arrogant berk. Petty disagreements that escalated into all-out rows . . . and then, as much as he’d like to forget it, there was the war. 

  He’d hated those days.

  They had given up their lives to become soldiers. They were too young to have seen the things they’d seen during those years. The disappearances and deaths, the stories of torture. It had challenged everything they had thought they were. But Lily had been a beacon for him. Not just a girlfriend or a wife, but a partner he could literally go to war with. James had thrown himself in front of more wands than he could count for her, ready to give his last without a moment’s hesitation. She hated it, but she understood. She had often done the same for him.

  And then they’d had Harry. Their beautiful, happy boy. James beamed with pride at the thought of their son, his spitting image, but with the same eyes he’d fallen in love with a thousand times over. He was perfect, even on the nights he cried all evening and couldn’t be consoled.

  . . . Okay, he was a little less perfect on those nights. But his son hung the moon.

  But somehow, before Harry had even started crawling, he’d ended up with a target on his back. He’d never forget the day Dumbledore told them that Voldemort believed the prophecy referred to their son. To his son.

  They’d gone into hiding right away. James and Lily did their best to make their small cottage feel more like a home and less like a prison, wanting to focus on creating the best life possible for Harry and for each other. Harry and Lily had been troopers and kept him sane. He tried his best to hide how difficult a time he had been having with it, but he never had been good at sitting still for very long.

  And just when it seemed like they were losing hope, Voldemort was gone, and they were free again. They could take Harry to the park and for walks in the pram. They went to quidditch matches, where he told his old teammates at Puddlemere that his son was a star chaser in the making and already had a better arm than them, the wankers. They retaliated by getting him pissed at the pub that night, and Lily was none too pleased. She spent the next morning hiding the hangover potion, letting Harry be as loud as possible in James’ ear, and cooing about what a great seeker Harry would be.

  He’d married an evil genius.

  Once she finally took pity on him and gave him the hangover potion, he took Harry’s miniature stuffed quaffle and did Quidditch drills with him in the back yard. Harry, still in nappies, spent most of the time distracted by various things and yelling “Kidish!” every so often. It mattered not. James had a point to prove.

  Now that Harry was approaching his fourth birthday, James’ work of indoctrinating his son was paying off. Harry pulled James outside nearly every day for a fly, insisting on riding the toy brooms Sirius kept buying him for his birthdays until he wanted to fly higher and allowed James to fly the two of them on his Comet. Until then, James always hovered alongside Harry on his broom, ready to jump into action if necessary, though he was never too worried. Harry had a remarkably strong grip for his age. But yesterday, Harry had gotten distracted by an owl delivering the post, and James had to leap over the broom to catch him. He wasn’t quite in the same shape he had once been in, so the two Potters ended up toppling over into the mud.

  Lily was none too pleased when they trekked mud into the sitting room after flying around for a little longer. James and Harry both grinned at her sheepishly, running muddy hands through their identical mops of jet-black hair. James tidied it up with a wave of his wand, and after giving Harry a bath and putting him down for a nap, he made sure to make it up to her thoroughly.

  He was thinking of making it up to her again right now, actually.

  He pulled her closer to him, and she nuzzled into his neck instinctively, still very much asleep. He ran a hand down her side, skimming the hem of her nightgown as he did some quick calculations. Remus was undoubtedly still exhausted from the full moon, so he wouldn’t have the energy to watch Harry, who had been giving the Marauders a run for their sickles lately. None of them remembered their joints being nearly as achy as they were after spending a day keeping up with Harry.

  He hoped Sirius had been doing his stretches because he was about to call in a favor. Making up his mind, he reached for the mirror in his side-table drawer.

  “Why do I get the idea that you’re up to mischief?” Lily said into his neck, making him shiver a bit.

  “I’m calling Sirius to watch Harry for the day so that we can get into some mischief.” He said, rolling on top of her and pressing his hips into hers to prove his point. “Harry needs a sibling.”

  Lily laughed, a tinkering sound that he could never get enough of. “Making this about Harry’s needs, are we?”

  “More than one thing can be true at a time, love.” He said, kissing her on the neck. She sighed.

  “Unfortunately, I don’t have time for mischief this morning. I have to check on the potions stores at St. Mungo’s today.”

  “Have someone else check. I’ll pay them double their rate for the day.”

  Lily laughed again, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You’re too rich for your own good.”

  “We. What’s mine is yours, love. And I really don’t want to share you with St. Mungo’s today when we could be spending the day in bed.” He said, resuming his work on her neck and that spot behind her ear that he liked.

  “Not even with Harry?” At this, James paused his ministrations and propped himself on his elbows to look her in the eyes.

  “Harry is the most clever, beautiful boy in all of Britain, and a world cup chaser in the making.” He said, ignoring Lily’s eye roll. “But today is a day for him and his Uncle Padfoot to wreak havoc on some unsuspecting township not called Godric’s Hollow. I can feel it in my bones. And I’d very much like to feel you on my bones while they’re gone.”

  She giggled this time, clearly enjoying his suffering, but James powered through.

  “If we’re quick, we can get a round in before Harry wakes up and iron out the rest of the details la—”

  The pitter-patter of tiny feet, followed by a crash in the hallway and the angry howls of their aging cat, quickly derailed that line of thinking. James rolled off of her with a disappointed groan.

  Lily sat up and reached for her dressing gown. “I’ll go see what the damage is. You call Sirius and let Gringotts know your latest plans to be reckless with your galleons.” She said with a wink.

  James’ eyes nearly bulged out his head, and he dove for the side table drawer with such force that he very nearly knocked it over. “Our galleons!” he called, as an afterthought.

  He grabbed the mirror and called for Sirius. “James!” he smiled when his face appeared in the mirror.

  “Padfoot! Listen, I need a favor—”

  “James?”

   “Sirius, can you hear me?” Something wasn’t right. They had never had trouble communicating through their mirrors before.

  “James? Wake up—”

  “Wake up? I’m not asleep. What’s going on?” A rat raced across the bedroom into the hallway. Where did that come from? 

  No, something was wrong.

  He felt someone shaking him, and suddenly he wasn’t talking to Sirius, but Lily. He blinked twice in confusion, but there she was, shaking him awake, a one-year-old Harry—not four—babbling happily at her hip.

  He’d had that dream again. The one where they’d made it to the other side of the war and were a happy family in a comfortable cottage, and not a family in hiding because a madman wanted to kill his son.

  James deflated. It was the third time this week. It had felt so real this time . . .

  “Dah-deeee! ‘ake up!” Harry yelled, bringing a soft smile to James’ face.

  “Harry says it’s time for breakfast. Didn’t you, my darling?” Lily coos into Harry’s cheek.

  “No!” Harry said with glee. It had been his favorite word as of late. 

  James chuckled and put on his brave face again. “Is that so? Well, I can’t let the two of you go unfed, now can I?”

  He ran a hand through his hair before tickling Harry’s round tummy, kissing his temple as he giggled and squirmed in Lily’s arms. “Fairly certain this one wants porridge. But what does my beautiful wife want for breakfast?” James asked, kissing Lily on his favorite spot behind her ear.

  “Mmm . . . surprise me. You’re quite good at that, you know.”

  “Well, you know I’m not the type to pat myself on the back, but if you insist.” He lifted Harry up into his arms as she laughed.

  They walked to the kitchen, and James set about making breakfast while Lily made tea. Harry sat in his highchair playing with his stuffed quaffle and the stuffed black dog Sirius had gotten him last week.

  “You had the dream again, didn’t you?” Lily asked softly. James sighed and nodded, focusing harder than necessary on the empty stove in front of him. He didn’t want to worry her, but it was hard to do when he was worried himself.

  Lily glanced at him before making his tea just the way he liked, which was, coincidentally, the way she hated. She handed him the cup, and he took it gratefully, running a hand through his hair after taking a sip.

  She didn’t tell him it would be okay. They weren’t in the habit of making each other promises they couldn’t keep. But she squeezed his arm before coming to hug him from behind. “We’ve still got a lot of fight left.” She said.

  He took her hand and kissed just below her wedding ring, the solitaire diamond and gold band that had once belonged to his mother. “We do.”

  He took a deep breath and shook his head slightly, almost as if to clear out the dark clouds hovering over him. “Anyways, I’ve been meaning to ask you. What do you think about getting one of Hagrid’s pumpkins for next week? We can’t take Harry out for that barmy trick-or-treating thing, but there’s no reason he can’t have a great Halloween right here.”

  “Where on earth would we put one of Hagrid’s giant pumpkins?” she asked, looking around the sitting room.

  “We’re magic, love. We’ll find a way.”

    Author's Note: Ah! I'd had this idea stuck in my head for months and finally decided to give this a try. I don't get to do much creative writing these days, so it was a fun pandemic activity. The post is also here on ao3.

[things2mustdo]

The Ascent Of Money by Niall Ferguson is an introduction to modern finance and the rise of money lending, presenting a favorable view of their effects upon the world.

…financial innovation has been an indispensable factor in man’s advance from wretched subsistence to the giddy heights of material prosperity that so many people know today.

…poverty is not the result of rapacious financiers exploiting the poor. It has much more to do with the lack of financial institutions, with the absence of banks, not their presence. Only when borrowers have access to efficient credit networks can they escape from the clutches of loan sharks, and only when savers can deposit their money in reliable banks can it be channeled from the idle rich to the industrious poor.

…approximately $1 of every $14 paid to employees in the United States now goes to people working in finance. Finance is even more important in Britain, where it accounted for 9.4% of GDP in 2006.

The book gives an interesting history of some of the world’s most famous bankers and the power they accumulated, particularly the Medicis and Rothchilds, who brought value by facilitating trade and commerce while reducing transaction prices. It also described the role of European bankers during the American Civil War.

Though others had tried before them, the Medici were the first bankers to make the transition from financial success to hereditary status and power  They achieved this by learning a crucial lesson: in finance small is seldom beautiful. By making their bank bigger and more diversified than any previous financial institution, they found a way of spreading their risk.

One of the biggest financial innovations was fractional reserve banking, pioneered by the Swedes. Other European countries improved finance while the Spaniards, still obsessed with silver and gold in their American colonies, kept defaulting time and time again, not understanding that the true nature of money lay in debt and not mineral reserves. One of the more interesting parts of the book was its description of the bond market and its powerful stranglehold on world governments.

…the bond market is powerful partly because it passes a daily judgement on the credibility of every government’s fiscal and monetary policies. But its real power lies in its ability to punish a government with higher borrowing costs. Even an upward move of half a percentage point can hurt a government that is running a deficit, adding higher debt service to its already high expenditures.

…countries that defaulted on their debts risk economic sanctions, the imposition of foreign control over their finances and even, in at least five cases, military intervention.

While the book paints a rosy view of finance, it also highlights cases where the abuse of it through hook and crook caused problems for entire economies, particularly through price inflation. A recent example of that was Goldman Sachs’ commodity manipulation that caused the price of common foodstuffs to rise. On the other hand, ignoring finance and having inflexible monetary policy can turn recessions into depressions. He suggests that Helicopter Ben Bernanke actually did the right thing in showering Wall Street with money to prevent a depression. He also thinks Alan Greenspan is a great man for admitting he shouldn’t have kept interest rates so low.

Economies that combined all these institutional innovations—banks, bond markets, stock markets, insurance and property-owning democracy—performed better over the long run than those that did not, because financial intermediation generally permits a more efficient allocation of resources then, say, feudalism or central planning. For this reason, it is not wholly surprising that the Western financial model tended to spread around the world, first in the guise of imperialism, and then in the guise of globalization.

You’ll also read about:

The abysmal effects of Britain’s weflare system on their economy

Argentina’s failed destiny to become an economic superpower due to bad economic decisions and poor leadership

How the “risk free” LTCM fund imploded and almost took the world economy with it

My problem with the book is that his explanations were too light. He glossed over tough concepts like sovereign bonds and other financial instruments without providing much in the way of examples, unlike a writer such as Matt Taibbi who explains the most complex concept in a way that laymen can understand. I felt like I had to read this book in front of Google so that I could look up things he mentioned only in passing.

The book also seemed hurried with its historical research, especially towards the end when it become a jumbled mess. Overall it’s an okay book but I don’t recommend it for the neophyte.

…it’s not owning property that gives you security; it just gives your creditors security. Real security comes from having a steady income.

Read More: “The Ascent Of Money” on Amazon

https://www.returnofkings.com/10595/there-is-no-hedge-against-inflation

You’ve seen him: an older man sitting next to a roaring fire or maybe  walking the grounds of his ranch or he might be  in a suit facing the camera. The messages are all the same: something about  “troubling times” and “safety and security” —maybe they mention the  federal reserve or money printing. Times are bad and could get worse, but  they can help you. They have the answer. What is this company selling? GOLD.

Why would you want a gold coin or bar? It doesn’t earn interest and it  doesn’t grow or produce anything. It is vulnerable to theft. The price can  move down with astonishing speed as we saw last April (as of the time of this writing it has retraced over 50% of that selloff). But could it go up in value, could it “skyrocket” as the gold shills say?

Keep in mind that gold has already gone up a lot recently, about  fivefold  in the past ten years. And to simply say that gold is a hedge against inflation is misleading. If you compare the price today, let’s say $1500 per oz, to the average price in 1974, about $150/oz, it actually exceeded  inflation. Using CPI over this period gold’s value increased at about double  the rate of inflation. However, if you bought gold in 1980, average price that year about $600/oz, you’d have to wait until 2006 for the price to come back to that level and not inflation adjusted dollars either (inflation destroyed about 65% of the purchasing power in that timeframe – and this is using CPI which notoriously understates real world prices). Gold prices and inflation are not as closely correlated as the gold sellers would have  you think.

But what about “these troubling times”? It’s different now, right? It might be. This is basically what they’re talking about: the federal government and the federal reserve have been acting in tandem to recapitalize the U.S. economy after the 2008 crisis. The government has been spending like crazy and running huge deficits (and buying lots of votes, funny how that  works out for them). These deficits are financed by the issuing of bonds of which the federal reserve bank has been the main buyer under the guise of  Quantitative Easing  and the Zero Interest Rate Policy. This what they mean by printing money –  the fed can buy whatever it wants and it has been buying these bonds that are loans to the government.

The Fed doesn’t need money, rather, it creates it. It is the central bank and it can just put the bonds on its balance sheet. A lot of people, this author  included, think the government and the Fed are nuts to think that this course would enable economic growth and it will probably only lead to  inflation which could become severe and maybe uncontrollable. Without turning this into a financial doomer article, let’s just say both sides make their case and we won’t know which one is right until this QE and ZIRP experiment is over.

This is what it comes down to: if the price of gold in dollars goes exponential in a hyperinflationary situation everything else  priced in dollars is going to do the same. You can’t expect that your gold coin will buy the same goods that it would buy now if this happens. The actual purchasing power of your gold will surely decline as day-to-day essentials  become prioritized. Put another way, if 1500 this week buys you one gold coin or 250 basic meals, in a hyperinflationary situation that gold coin might exchange for the equivalent of 100 meals or maybe not even twenty. Of course, 1500 in a bank account or your mattress would be worth much less – maybe not even one meal. The possible hyperinflation scenario is the most compelling reason to hold gold now. It’s not about getting rich. It’s about retaining some savings in the face of a massive financial collapse.

In reality, nothing keeps up with inflation like you will want. Agriculture futures are seasonal and your position has to be rolled over every so often costing you fees and changing your cost basis. Your  inflation hedge could get destroyed by a good harvest or weak global demand.  Stocks are typically seen as an inflation hedge but in a real collapse your brokerage company or even your local bank might not even exist anymore. You may eventually be made whole on the companies you own but this will take years.

Outside of a financial crisis the case for gold is weak. If you’re holding gold the best case scenario is unclear. Perhaps the price rises faster than inflation but that’s probably a longshot. Consider that if  interest rates start to rise, if the Fed sees the light on the harm ZIRP is doing, and if inflation is mild then those holding gold are going to be screwed as many decide to sell, preferring actual cash. Expect gold to lose at least 30% from today’s prices and it could happen in a day or two. Don’t  expect your dealer to give you a good price or even answer your call or email if everyone comes in selling.

The risk of gold losing value in the face of an improving economy is something you need to be aware of and in a crisis it won’t provide the kind  of financial safety that the gold bugs allege. If you still need a place to park your savings you might consider silver. It’s incrementally cheaper to get into and has more industrial value than gold though it is historically more volatile. Or what about booze? A case of good whiskey or rum is highly barterable, doesn’t spoil, tracks inflation as well as anything, and if times get better (or worse), you can always drink it.

[star-anise]

do you have any sources on the claims you made? im always willing to change my stance if you have legitimate backing for it haha

So first, I’m sorry for blowing up at you the way that I did. I’m not proud that I reacted in such a kneejerk, aggressive fashion. Thank you for being open to hearing what I have to say. I’m sorry for mistaking you for a TERF, and I’m sorry my response has caused other people to direct their own hostility towards you.

So, here’s the thing. “You can’t call bi women femmes” is pretty intrinsically a radfem thing to say, and I am deeply opposed to letting radfems tell me what to do. I’m trying to write this during a weekend packed with childcare and work. I’ll try to hit all the high notes.

The one thing I am having trouble finding is the longass post I talked about in my reply, that was a history of butch/femme relationships in lesbian bars, which had frequent biphobic asides and talked about “the lesbophobic myth of the bi-rejecting lesbian”; the friend who reblogged it without reading it thoroughly has deleted it, and I can’t find it on any of the tags she remembers looking at around that time. If anyone can find it, I’ll put up a link.

As far as possible, I’m linking to really widely accessible sources, because you shouldn’t intrinsically trust a random post on Tumblr as secret privileged knowledge. People have talked about this at length in reputable publications that your local library either has, or can get through interlibrary loan; you can look up any of the people here, read their work, and decide for yourself. This is a narrative of perspectives, and while I obviously have a perspective, many people disagree with me. At the end of the day, the only reason I need for calling bi women femmes is that You Are Not The Boss Of Me. There is no centralized authority on LGBT+ word usage, nor do I think there should be. Hopefully this post will give you a better sense of what the arguments are, and how to evaluate peoples’ claims in the future.

I looked up “butch” and “femme” with my library’s subscription to the Oxford English Dictionary because that’s where you find the most evidence of etymology and early use, and found:

“Femme” is the French word for “woman”.  It’s been a loanword in English for about 200 years, and in the late 19th century in America it was just a slangy word for “women”, as in, “There were lots of femmes there for the boys to dance with”

“Butch” has been used in American English to mean a tough, masculine man since the late 19th century; in the 1930s and 1940s it came to apply to a short masculine haircut, and shortly thereafter, a woman who wore such a haircut. It’s still used as a nickname for masculine cis guys–my godfather’s name is Martin, but his family calls him Butch. By the 1960s in Britain, “butch” was slang for the penetrating partner of a pair of gay men.

Butch/femme as a dichotomy for women arose specifically in the American lesbian bar scene around, enh, about the 1940s, to enh, about the 1960s. Closet-keys has a pretty extensive butch/femme history reader. This scene was predominantly working-class women, and many spaces in it were predominantly for women of colour. This was a time when “lesbian” literally meant anyone who identified as a woman, and who was sexually or romantically interested in other women. A lot of the women in these spaces were closeted in the rest of their lives, and outside of their safe spaces, they had to dress normatively, were financially dependent on husbands, etc. Both modern lesbians, and modern bisexual women, can see themselves represented in this historical period.

These spaces cross-pollinated heavily with ball culture and drag culture, and were largely about working-class POC creating spaces where they could explore different gender expressions, gender as a construct and a performance, and engage in a variety of relationships. Butch/femme was a binary, but it worked as well as most binaries to do with sex and gender do, which is to say, it broke down a lot, despite the best efforts of people to enforce it. It became used by people of many different genders and orientations whose common denominator was the need for safety and discretion. “Butch” and “femme” were words with meanings, not owners.

Lesbianism as distinct from bisexuality comes from the second wave of feminism, which began in, enh, the 1960s, until about, enh, maybe the 1980s, maybe never by the way Tumblr is going. “Radical” feminism means not just that this is a new and more exciting form of feminism compared to the early 20th century suffrage movement; as one self-identified radfem professor of mine liked to tell us every single lecture, it shares an etymology with the word “root”, meaning that sex discrimination is at the root of all oppression.

Radical feminism blossomed among college-educated women, which also meant, predominantly white, middle- or upper-class women whose first sexual encounters with women happened at elite all-girls schools or universities. Most of these women broke open the field of “women’s studies” and the leading lights of radical feminism often achieved careers as prominent scholars and tenured professors.

Radical feminism established itself as counter to “The Patriarchy”, and one of the things many early radfems believed was, all men were the enemy. All men perpetuated patriarchy and were damaging to women. So the logical decision was for women to withdraw from men in all manner and circumstances–financially, legally, politically, socially, and sexually. “Political lesbianism” wasn’t united by its sexual desire for women; many of its members were asexual, or heterosexual women who decided to live celibate lives. This was because associating with men in any form was essentially aiding and abetting the enemy.

Look, I’ll just literally quote Wikipedia quoting an influential early lesbian separatist/radical feminist commune: “The Furies recommended that Lesbian Separatists relate “only (with) women who cut their ties to male privilege” and suggest that “as long as women still benefit from heterosexuality, receive its privileges and security, they will at some point have to betray their sisters, especially Lesbian sisters who do not receive those benefits”“

This cross-pollinated with the average experience of WLW undergraduates, who were attending school at a time when women weren’t expected to have academic careers; college for women was primarily seen as a place to meet eligible men to eventually marry. So there were definitely women who had relationships with other women, but then, partly due to the pressure of economic reality and heteronormativity, married men. This led to the phrase LUG, or “lesbian until graduation”, which is the kind of thing that still got flung at me in the 00s as an openly bisexual undergrad. Calling someone a LUG was basically an invitation to fight.

The assumption was that women who marry men when they’re 22, or women who don’t stay in the feminist academic sphere, end up betraying their ideals and failing to have solidarity with their sisters. Which seriously erases the many contributions of bi, het, and ace women to feminism and queer liberation. For one, I want to point to Brenda Howard, the bisexual woman who worked to turn Pride from the spontaneous riots in 1969 to the nationwide organized protests and parades that began in 1970 and continue to this day. She spent the majority of her life to a male partner, but that didn’t diminish her contribution to the LGBT+ community.

Lesbian separatists, and radical feminists, hated Butch/Femme terminology. They felt it was a replication of unnecessarily heteronormative ideals. Butch/femme existed in an LGBT+ context, where gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people understood themselves to have more in common with each other than with, say, cis feminists who just hated men more than they loved women. 

The other main stream of feminist thought at the time was Liberal Feminism, which was like, “What if we can change society without totally rejecting men?” and had prominent figures like Gloria Steinem, who ran Ms magazine. Even today, you’ll hear radfems railing against “libfems” and I’m like, my good women, liberal feminism got replaced thirty years ago. Please update your internal schema of “the enemy”

Lesbian separatism was… plagued by infighting. To maintain a “woman-only” space, they had to kick out trans women (thus, TERFs), women who slept with men (thus, biphobia), women who enjoyed kinky sex or pornography or engaged in sex work (thus, SWERFS) and they really struggled to raise their male children in a way that was… um… anti-oppressive. (I’m biased; I know people who were raised in lesbian separatist communes and did not have great childhoods.) At the same time, they had other members they very much wanted to keep, even though their behaviour deviated from the expected program, so you ended up with spectacles like Andrea Dworkin self-identifying as a lesbian despite being deeply in love with and married to a self-identified gay man for twenty years, despite beng famous for the theory that no woman could ever have consensual sex with a man, because all she could ever do was acquiesce to her own rape.

There’s a reason radical feminism stopped being a major part of the public discourse, and also a reason why it survives today: While its proponents became increasingly obsolete, they were respected scholars and tenured university professors. This meant people like Camille Paglia and Mary Daly, despite their transphobia and racism, were considered important people to read and guaranteed jobs educating young people who had probably just moved into a space where they could meet other LGBT people for the very first time. So a lot of modern LGBT people (including me) were educated by radical feminist professors or assigned radical feminist books to read in class.

The person I want to point to as a great exemplar is Alison Bechdel, a white woman who discovered she was a lesbian in college, was educated in the second-wave feminist tradition, but also identified as a butch and made art about the butch/femme dichotomy’s persistence and fluidity. You can see part of that tension in her comic; she knows the official lesbian establishment frowns on butch/femme divisions, but it’s relevant to her lived experience.

What actually replaced radical feminism was not liberal feminism, but intersectional feminism and the “Third Wave”. Black radical feminists, like Audre Lorde, bell hooks, and Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, pointed out that many white radical feminists were ignoring race as a possible cause of oppression, and failing to notice how their experiences differed from Black womens’. Which led to a proliferation of feminists talking about other oppressions they faced: Disabled feminists, Latina feminists, queer feminists, working-class feminists. It became clear that even if you eliminated the gender binary from society, there was still a lot of bad shit that you had to unlearn–and also, a lot of oppression that still happened in lesbian separatist spaces.

I’ve talked before about how working in women-only second-wave spaces really destroyed my faith in them and reinforced my belief in intersectional feminism

Meanwhile, back in the broader queer community, “queer” stuck as a label because how people identified was really fluid. Part of it is that you learn by experience, and sometimes the only way to know if something works for you is to try it out, and part of it is that, as society changed, a lot more people became able to take on new identities without as much fear. So for example, you have people like Pat Califia, who identified as a lesbian in the 70s and 80s, found far more in common with gay leather daddies than sex-negative lesbians, and these days identifies as a bisexual trans man.

Another reason radical feminists hate the word “queer”, by the way, is queer theory, which wants to go beyond the concept of men oppressing women, or straights oppressing gays, but to question this entire system we’ve built, of sex, and gender, and orientation. It talks about “queering” things to mean “to deviate from heteronormativity” more than “to be homosexual”. A man who is married to a woman, who stays at home and raises their children while she works, is viewed as “queer” inasmuch as he deviates from heteronormativity, and is discriminated against for it.

So, I love queer theory, but I will agree that it can be infuriating to hear somebody say that as a single (cis het) man he is “queer” in the same way being a trans lesbian of colour is “queer”, and get very upset and precious about being told they’re not actually the same thing. I think that actually, “queer as a slur” originated as the kind of thing you want to scream when listening to too much academic bloviating, like, “This is a slur! Don’t reclaim it if it didn’t originally apply to you! It’s like poor white people trying to call themselves the n-word!” so you should make sure you are speaking about a group actually discriminated against before calling them “queer”. On the other hand, queer theory is where the theory of “toxic masculinity” came from and we realized that we don’t have to eliminate all men from the universe to reduce gender violence; if we actually pay attention to the pressures that make men so shitty, we can reduce or reverse-engineer them and encourage them to be better, less sexist, men.

But since radfems and queer theorists are basically mortal enemies in academia, radical feminists quite welcomed the “queer as a slur” phenomenon as a way to silence and exclude people they wanted silenced and excluded, because frankly until that came along they’ve been losing the culture wars.

This is kind of bad news for lesbians who just want to float off to a happy land of only loving women and not getting sexually harrassed by men. As it turns out, you can’t just turn on your lesbianism and opt out of living in society. Society will follow you wherever you go. If you want to end men saying gross things to lesbians, you can’t just defend lesbianism as meaning “don’t hit on me”; you have to end men saying gross things to all women, including bi and other queer women.  And if you do want a lesbian-only space, you either have to accept that you will have to exclude and discriminate against some people, including members of your community whose identities or partners change in the future, or accept that the cost of not being a TERF and a biphobe is putting up with people in your space whose desires don’t always resemble yours.

Good god, this got extensive and I’ve been writing for two hours.

So here’s the other thing.

My girlfriend is a femme bi woman. She’s married to a man.

She’s also married to two women.

And dating a man.

And dating me (a woman).

When you throw monogamy out the window, it becomes EVEN MORE obvious that “being married to a man” does not exclude a woman from participation in the queer community as a queer woman, a woman whose presentation is relevant in WLW contexts. Like, this woman is in more relationships with women at the moment than some lesbians on this site have been in for their entire lives.

You can start out with really clear-cut ideas about “THIS is what my life is gonna be like” but then your best friend’s sexual orientation changes, or your lover starts to transition, and things in real life are so much messier than they look when you’re planning your future. It’s easy to be cruel, exclusionary, or dismissive to people you don’t know; it’s a lot harder when it’s people you have real relationships with.

And my married-to-a-man girlfriend? Uses “butch” and “femme” for reasons very relevant to her queerness and often fairly unique to femme bi women, like, “I was out with my husband and looking pretty femme, so I guess they didn’t clock me as a queer” or “I was the least butch person there, so they didn’t expect me to be the only one who uses power tools.” Being a femme bi woman is a lot about invisibility, which is worth talking about as a queer experience instead of being assumed to exclude us from the queer community.

#cherryhearrts #staranise original #answered asks #ranting in bisexual #lgbt discourse #terf shit #exclusionist shit #radfem shit #apologies to my girlfriend for not including carole queen in this post #she just didn't fit baby

[alindakb]

How Love Hurts - Chapter 2.1 - by Alinda

Harry can’t believe he’s doing this. But Albus’ letter had been heartbreaking and Harry just has to do what Albus asked. It’s the right thing to do, even if it means more fights at home. Ginny had been civil during Christmas when the kids were at home. They pretended to be happy at the Burrow. Ginny even kissed him and took him to bed afterwards. But as soon as Albus had asked to go visit Scorpius all hell had broken loose. Harry still has trouble bending his knee, not that anyone has noticed, it’s not like he’s doing any field work as the head of the Auror office.

And now, only two weeks later, Harry is going to make things even worse. He stands in front of the gates and takes a couple of deep breaths. He reminds himself that it’s just a house, forces the memories of being dragged down the driveway by Snatchers down. He’s here to check on Malfoy so he can tell Albus that Scorpius doesn’t need to worry. It’s no big deal, it’s just a simple house call. He’s done plenty of those as an Auror, he’s trained for this.

Harry shivers and looks back up at the gate. A face had formed on it and asked him for his business a couple of minutes ago. Harry hasn’t answered it, not sure what to say. Harry looks back at the face. It looks annoyed now. Harry scrapes his throat and opens his mouth.

“I’m here to see Malfoy, his son asked me to see if he was doing okay.”

“Name?” the gate snaps.

“Potter, uhm, Harry Potter. Albus’ father.”

The gate swirls and the face is gone. Harry pushes his hands further into his pockets. He lets out a breath that fogs up in front of him and waits. He’s sure he will be asked to leave once Malfoy hears who’s standing at his gate. It was stupid of him to come, he should have just sent a letter and be done with it. Harry is just about to turn around and leave when the gates open. Harry shakes his head and starts to walk, up the long driveway. One of the house elves is waiting for him at the door. She takes Harry’s coat and then shows him to a small sitting room at the end of the hall. Harry looks around, takes in the light blue wallpaper, the dark wooden floorboards, the cosy fire in the hearth that warms up the room. A sofa stands with its back turned to Harry, accompanied by two smaller lounge chairs. Harry walks towards them, he plans to sit down in front of the fire and wait for Malfoy. He steps around the sofa and stops in his tracks. The sofa isn’t empty. Malfoy lays on it, his face towards the fire, his body covered by a blanket.

“Hi,” Harry stutters.

Malfoy doesn’t respond and Harry wonders if he should check if he’s awake. He looks around the room, at the door he just came from, for only a second before he turns back to stare at Malfoy. Harry knows he should leave, let him sleep, but he’s stuck, glued to the floor.

“Are you just going to stand there all day?” Malfoy utters. “I promise that the chairs won’t harm you in any way.”

Harry shakes his head. “You’re awake?”

“It appears so,” Malfoy answers.

“I’m sorry, I…” Harry isn’t sure what to say. He turns and sits down on the chair closes to Draco’s feet. He claps his hands together and looks at the fire.

“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. You can tell Scorpius that I’m fine.”

“That why you are laying on a sofa in the middle of the day?”

“I don’t have work today, so I don’t see the problem with chilling on the sofa.”

Harry lets out a small laugh. “I guess your right.”

“Is Harry Potter telling me I’m right?” Malfoy lifts his head up so he can look at Harry. A small smile forms on his face and Harry smiles back at him.

“I guess I am, seems miracles still happen.”

They both laugh and Malfoy sits up a little straighter on the sofa. He pulls his legs towards his chest and folds his arms around them. Harry is surprised to see that Malfoy is wearing a comfy sweater, it makes him feel overdressed in his white shirt and blazer.

“So what brings the saviour of the wizarding world to my house on this cold and gloomy Saturday afternoon?”

Harry looks at the floor. “Don’t call me that,” he whispers.

“Okay, I’m sorry, I won’t do it again, Potter. I’m just surprised to see you here. I would think you have better things to do on your day off.”

Harry looks back at Malfoy, he can’t believe the man just apologised. “You’ve changed,” he says.

Malfoy looks at his knees and shakes his head. “Astoria made sure I stopped being an insufferable git. Teach me some real manners, instead of the crab my parents called manners and proper behaviour.”

“You must miss her a lot.”

“You have no idea,” Malfoy looks back up, “she was my compass, showed me how to be a better man. I’m scared I’ll slip now she’s gone.” He blinks with his eyes. Harry watches him swallow before Malfoy continues. “I can’t go back to being that man, Potter. I don’t want to become my father.”

“You won’t,” Harry says with a confidence he didn’t know he had. But when he looks at Malfoy he sees a man that wants to be good, not a man desperate for power and status. Just a man that wants to be a good father to his son. There is no way Malfoy will become like Lucius.

“How can you say that? You hardly know me.”

“I see how you treat your son, Malfoy, it’s nothing like how your father was with you. And you think Albus never talks about how amazing Scorpius’ dad is, it drives Ginny up the wall whenever he starts about you, how much fun it is to stay over at your place.”

Malfoy looks at the fire and Harry joins him. He watches the flames and tries not to think of the fire that still hunts some of his dreams. Of the solid body against his back when they flew to safety while one of Malfoy’s best friends burned. For a moment he wonders if Draco thinks of the same when he looks into the flames. Silence stretches around them.

“I’m scared, Potter,” Malfoy says. His voice is soft and Malfoy keeps his eyes on the fire. Harry looks at him and wonders why they are so open to each other. It’s just as after the funeral. Harry feels like he can just say what’s on his mind, without the fear of being scolded for it. And it looks like it’s the same for Malfoy. Somehow they help each other and Harry would be lying to himself if he’d say he hates it. It feels good, right somehow.  

“You don’t have to be. I’ll help you, tell you when you start being an insufferable git again.”

Malfoy looks at Harry with wide open eyes. “You want to help me?”

“I’m here now, aren’t I?”

“That’s just because your son is best friends with mine and I haven’t been writing Scorpius as much as normal.”

Malfoy starts to turn the ring on his right hand around, the same one he was playing with after the funeral. Harry wonders if it’s a nervous tick, something Malfoy does without realising it. Harry doesn’t really know what to say. Malfoy isn’t wrong, the main reason Harry came all this way was because of Albus’ letter. But he does want to help Malfoy, why he can’t say, it’s just the feeling that this is were Harry should be right now.

“I like hanging out with you, Malfoy. Or little chats are the highlight of my day.”

“You need to get a better life than, Potter.”

“Maybe, still doesn’t change that I’m here now and that I want to help. I’ll try to be a substitute compass until you find someone else that is more acquitted for the job.”

Malfoy looks back at the fire. “You don’t have to save me, Potter.”

“Not trying to save you, just trying to be your friend.”

Harry is surprised when Malfoy let’s out a short laugh and then hides his face between his knees. When Malfoy looks up again he raises his eyebrow. “You want to be my friend?” Malfoy asks.

“Yes, you git, what’s so hard to believe about that?”

“O, nothing at all.” Malfoy flaps his hand around. “Just that you are the saviour, the chosen one, head Auror and role model of the entire wizarding world and I’m a convicted war criminal, a Death Eater, and shunned all through wizarding Britain. How will the world take it when you start hanging out with me?”

Harry turns his face away, he can feel the moisture building up in his eyes. It always comes back to this, the role he’s supposed to live up to. He defeated one crazy wizard and now everyone thinks they can tell him what to be, or how to behave.

“Fine, I won’t bother you again,” Harry says. He slowly gets up from the chair and walks toward the door. He doesn’t look at Draco, afraid he’ll see the pain in Harry’s eyes. “I just thought you could use another friend, guess I was wrong,” he chokes when he opens the door.

“Fuck you, Potter,” Draco spits out as Harry closes the door behind him. Harry just keeps walking, down the hall back to the entrance. The house elf is already there waiting to hand him his coat. Harry thanks her and almost runs back to the gates. As soon as he’s off Malfoy property he disapparates, tears already streaking his face.

#HowLoveHurts #fanfic #drarry #Draco Malfoy #Harry Potter #blooming friendship #AlindasStories #stupid misunderstandings