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#especially important if you ever tell other people about it since some people may bully you if they dont understand it
caffeinatedopossum · 1 year
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it happened again 😭
Skgjfh this took me so long to understand because I thought this was tumblr, I've literally never seen reddit on light mode before
Also skfkfj uh oh I bet the comments are full of people saying this isn't synesthesia and that i need to stop diagnosing people like on here 🤦‍♂️
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eunoiaastralwings · 1 year
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This ask has been on my mind since like FOREVER 💗💗💗💗💗💗
I was wondering if you could do a feanorians x little brother ft nolofinwe where y/n was born very weak and frail but was still loved by his family dearly just that because of his frail body he's constantly bullied and hit by other elflings (and maybe some adults). Whenever he sees his brothers and father he feels so utterly useless but bottles everything up .
Make it end up in fluff please 🙏🙏
Thank you and have a wonderful day/night ❣️
characters feanorians x little brother reader ft. Fingolfin
fandom tolkien- the silmarillion
a/n am still uneasily writing about kids - so I made it into a headcanon. Idk if this is what you intended am sorry - so you can request else where because idk what else to do this - but I hope you at least like it @oggy4god
warnings angry overprotective family members xD
FEANOR:
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As your dad - expect him to treat you the same as any other of your brothers. He doesn’t care whether or not you were born weak - Feanor still wants to achieve your goals and dreams, like each of his other sons did. He would help you achieve it too. 
Eru forbid if he witnesses anyone bullying you he will turn their lives to literal hell. He would protect you with his might and title - the most important to him being a father. He will allow no harm to come upon you. After your bullying incidents he keep just an extra eye and care on you - letting you know you can always talk to him. He will be extra caring on your side. 
If you ever feel useless compared to him - he will tell you otherwise and make you shine with your skills, no matter how small they may be, he is so proud of you.
NERDANEL:
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I love her, OK? I could not miss your hot momma out. Just like Feanor, she wouldn’t see you any less. You receive a little more attention from her (sometimes your brothers are a little jealous of this but they understand and love you) - more care too. She will encourage you and help you every step of the way to help you achieve your dreams - she sits with you day and night.
Nerdanel is someone who doesn’t like to use the terms “weak” or people referring to you having a “condition” - she likes to think you were extra blessed by Eru, especially when you start to show your kindness and uniqueness to the world - showing your hidden talents. She is the proudest mother - and she shows it.
Your mother would be first to witness the change in your moods - you starting to get depressed. She knows you very well and finds the reasons behind it without having to even question. She likes to deal with it quietly - but if your bullies ceases to stop, she is not afraid to take it to the next level. If she uses her title among the Nolder for anyone, it will be for her children - especially you darling.
Sometimes she cries herself to sleep - thinking about all that you had to face alone and how hard it must have been for you and why you didnt come to her.
In seeing you like this - she understands depression and other mental illnesses so she advises and helps to start therapy or retreats among elves - knowing it is more common than one would think.
Oh - and if it comes to having to get getting revenge on the kindergarten moms who bullied her kid. . . oh, she will ! ! !
Nerdanel consoles her son -and then takes her revenge on those who mistreated him.
MAEDHROS:
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As your oldest brother - he advises you like a 2nd father, he isn’t afraid to step in when Feanor is away to come and protect you. He lets you take it a little more easier in training. When you cannot achieve anything as fast as your brothers - he sits down next to you and comforts you with small pet talks. He tries to make you feel better about yourself by telling the number of times he failed before achieving something - letting you know how things take time and life isn’t about a race. Mae tells you to believe in yourself and that is the most important thing - he tells you to listen to yourself and the people that are family - “They say many things - but you mustn’t listen to them, but to the people you keep in here” - points to your heart.
When you finally learn to achieve a level in your training - he has the biggest proud face. He picks you up and places you on his shoulders, cheering for you. 
MAGLOR:
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While your mother invites therapy for mental health - your big brother Maglor creates songs to boost up your self esteem. Ever seen music fights? - Yes, he does that to your bullies, before filling you with a heart warming and encouraging song like in those Disney movies - he becomes Baloo (The Jungle Book) or even Genie (Aladdin).
He becomes your personal cheerleader - singing from the top of his lungs as Mae carries you on his shoulders.
CELEGORM:
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While he doesn’t show it well - he loves you greatly. If he ever sees anyone bullying you and making you feel bad about yourself - big bad brother Tyelko is going to threaten the very lives of your bullies, he becomes the bully of your bullies LMAOO.
He then feels better and drops in front of you - wrapping his arm around your shoulder insisting you go for a hunt that’s the only way he knows how to comfort. Otherwise he gets either Nerdanel, Mae or Maglor.
Expect Huan to be the bestest boi to protect you from big bad brother Tyelko is away to bully the bullies that tried to hurt you.
CARANTHIR:
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If anyone learns of you being mistreated first, it is your overprotective big brother Cara - he sees red when he sees or hears of someone bullying you. Cara would straight up punch them in the face - he doesn’t care who/what they are: “HOW DARE YOU EVEN THINK OF LAYING A HAND ON MY BABY BROTHER?!”
His words are searing with deadly anger - making them cower in fear. He will make sure they apologize to you - the one that you deserve. While Cara is caring, initially he is mad at you for hiding or bottling up everything. Afterwards he vows to let no harm come to you. Cara knows what it is like to be judged on - because of his ruddy freckles skin. 
Slowly the both of you become closer to each other like this - gradually opening up to each other and he has the proudest look on his face when he sees you defending him, small tears even gathers in his eyes.
CURUFIN:
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Like Cara - he is so mad you had no one told anyone of your mistreatments, he will report straight to Feanor. He doesn’t know how to comfort - he never learnt that so he pulls you to the others to give you comfort, though he becomes the extra pair of eyes to protect you from anyone who dares to mistreat you. He can be a little hard on you at times - but when he learns he’s causing you hurt too he immediately stops - he does care deeply for you but he doesn’t know how to help you otherwise.
AMBARUSSA:
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Please - if your older twin brothers ever sees someone hurting you - expect them to prank (and scare) the life out of them. They are letting no one hurt you in any way - they take on their roles of becoming your big brothers very seriously - even if at times it seems like it doesn’t.
Sometimes during training they purposefully fall behind you making you go ahead of them or failing on pretend - because they love seeing that triumphant amazed smile on your face once in a while. They will literally do anything to make you happy - once even daring to cut the hair of your school teacher that was giving you a hard time - “He doesn’t deserve it - if he cannot treat someone as amazing you right ! ! ! - Even Atar isn’t mad at us!”
FINGOLFIN:
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Best Uncle Nolofinwë seeing this precious little nephew getting mistreated? - Oh, he will not allow such a thing to happen, for a split second he is about to lose his anger like your father - but he controls it and does it the right way of reporting it and making sure they achieve their punishment to even dare to think of doing such a thing to you. 
Afterwards - waiting for Feanor to come, he will take your hands in his and talk to you in a calm caring voice - telling you it is OK to feel like the way you and that everyone does feel like this once in a while - but the most important this is not let it cast you down: “You may think you only feel like this, young one - but we all do. . .Some are better at hiding than others and it is never good to hide it. We must accept that sometimes we need a little help. . .a little encouragement from the bad thoughts - and most importantly. . .you must never let these thoughts or words of others plague your heart, my dearest little nephew. . .”
Feanor is a little jealous and scowling at how his half-brother is having a moment with his son - expect your father to be in a sour mood and scowling at Fingolfin for a few moments before he turns to you and provides you the best of comfort - also severing the punishments for your bullying while your uncle shakes his head but offers your something in between a smile and a smirk.
Taglist form
tara's taglist: @wandererindreams @fizzyxcustard @ranhanabi777 @spidergirla5 @asianbutnotjapanese @floraroselaughter
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pumpkincarriage3 · 1 year
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Jade and Floyd Relationship Analysis
The twins themselves, or as the fandom has taken to calling them, the tweels. These are the two characters that people can say without a doubt have literally been with each other through everything, even if it's because they are related, the fact still remains.
The twins themselves are incredibly different people, which reflects in their appearances, and reactions to things. It even reflects within their relationship with one another.
The two definitely care for each other, mainly as siblings would. The both of them could even be spotted affectionately bullying each other (even if it's mostly Jade doing all the bullying.) This aspect is interesting regarding the twins, simply because they are who they are. Typically, they'll only interact with someone if they find that person entertaining in some way.
While that is probably how their relationship was when they were children (In Floyd's Dorm Uniform Vignette, Jade alludes to them having other siblings, and that he "choose" Floyd. Considering in other cases in is said they are the only children their parents currently have, the implication seems to be that they may have killed their other potential siblings. Which -- isn't surprising if you look at it from a marine life perspective instead of a human perspective. Point being, Jade suggests at that point in time he originally "choose" Floyd because Floyd can be so unpredictable, hence full of entertainment.)
The reason that I say that they don't stick together because they find each other entertaining, though they undoubtedly do, actually has to do with their relationship with Azul. Azul says that if he ever stopped being entertaining, they would both abandon him, and just do whatever they wanted. The way it was phrased at the time, add in the fact that Azul originally met them together and not one on one, would imply that they two are a package deal. That if you're going to deal with one, you are going to deal with the other. That wherever one goes in life, the other won't be far behind. Kind of like its own pact.
This is even further reflected in Cater's musings about how the two act during the Spelldrive Tournament. He says that the two are perfectly in sync with one another. Which is interesting, because the two are so different from one another. They trust each other enough and know each other well enough, that they can easily do this. Even if they've only had their legs for two years, an impressive feat.
Though, mainly I would like to say how undeniable they are siblings to one another. Which sounds odd, of course they are siblings, what would that have to do with anything? Siblings bully each other affectionately, they'll be there together through thick in thin even if they don't appear to get along, and that's the twins relationship. (I'm referring to good sibling relationships, not strained ones since those also exist in plenty) This is mainly reflected in two things: One, Jade is one of the only people Floyd calls by name. Sure, Floyd also calls Azul by name, but it's an important thing to take into account. Floyd's names aren't because he really likes someone, it would make no sense that Floyd and Azul are the only people he doesn't call by nicknames otherwise. Two, Jade is extremely open about his affectionate bullying of Floyd. Especially involving mushrooms, since Jade knows Floyd wants nothing to do with his brother's obsession.
In several other types of media, twins are shown to be this close pairing of two peas in a pod. People that finish each other's sentences, and no one can tell apart. Ironically, because Jade and Floyd are nothing like that and are so different, this shows the two have an even closer healthier relationship than the twins in those media types. As long as people understand that, I don't think the two's relationship is an entirely complex one. They simply just are.
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infamousbrad · 5 months
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I don't often get C-PTSD flashbacks from reading ProPublica news articles. I'm going to have to spend some time breathing deliberately and/or take a sleeping pill and go back to bed.
I'm autistic. Job hunting was hell for me at the best of times because I've never met a Human Resources employee who wasn't bigoted against the mentally ill. "You're perfectly qualified for the job, but I just don't think you'd be a good fit." So every job hunt I've ever had, even in boom times, has taken me a year or more to find someone who knew me, personally or professionally from a previous job, who had an opening and could pull rank on H.R. to get me in. And every job ended the same way: I got transferred to a disability-hostile manager ("it's not fair to everyone else if I treat you differently") and almost immediately fired. So threatening to fire me is only one step down from threatening to try to kill me.
And I've been threatened with being fired way more times than I've actually been fired. I'm a naturally scrupulous person, especially when safety issues are involved because I can't not worry, but also I know I'm really bad at telling when the people around me think the rules matter and when they don't (and worse at caring about their feelings about it being okay to break the rules this time). And I have long-since lost track of how many times I've been confronted with the choice:
Either commit a crime that puts people in danger ...
Or else we'll fire you, and you'll have to explain to every human resources department you apply at that you were fired for disobeying an order.
God, I hate this species. "I don't care if it's unsafe or illegal, I need it done." "Everybody cheats, if you don't cheat you can't make money." "We've gotten away with it before, it'll be fine." And "if other people die, they die; it's more important to get the job done." Fuck fuck fuck, I hate it. 'Cause it's real cheap of them to say when they're not going to be the one who gets hurt, isn't it? It's not like their families are going to get killed when (not if) a train derails, so who cares?
Some outlet I read (I think it was the WaPo?) did a long series about whistleblowing a little while back and concluded that most of us won't even say we want more whistleblowers, and most of the people who say they do don't mean it, certainly not when it comes to their own misdeeds. In one of the articles in the series, they cited moral foundations theory and suggested that that's because almost half of us rank "loyalty" above most or all other virtues. As in yes honesty and safety are virtues, but loyalty to your employer, your team, whatever is a more important virtue.
Fuck that. If I've let myself get peer pressured or tricked or bullied into doing something (or worse, ordering something) illegal and unsafe, I want subordinates who'll call me on my bullshit, hold me accountable. I need backup, everybody needs backup! Retaliate against whistleblowers? Fuck that noise; if I were in a position to hire, I'd offer extra to hire people who'd blown the whistle on misconduct to the point where they got fired for it -- I may not be able to trust them to "have my back" (which I don't even want when I'm in the wrong!) but I can trust them to tell the truth and protect others.
Obviously this means I've never worked in H.R. And it probably overlaps heavily with why my last real, professional employer finally told me I'd never make management. And shortly thereafter fired me. In a straight-up case of whistleblower retaliation. And then went so far as to lie to every potential employer I applied to that I was fired for "making terroristic threats," a straight-up frame-up that guaranteed that I'd never work in my industry again.
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andiwriteordie · 1 year
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TELL ME UR FIREBENDING MIKE THOUGHTS
ALRIGHT FIREBENDING MIKE THOUGHTS PART 1 (also hi suni ily <3)
i'm about to go so out of order because i also have some asks from last night i need to still answer, but i want to get the thoughts that prompted all of this out of the way first so *cracks knuckles*
mike struggles with his firebending. i think i've talked a bit about that in some of my other ramblings about this au, but a major part of his story arc over this series that may or may not become a series someday is the fact that mike lowkey kinda sucks at bending. he's just. mediocre. especially when you compare him to nancy, who's a bit of a prodigy.
and it's not for lack of trying either. mike's being going to classes since he was younger—at his parents' insistence but also because he's so damn determined to get better. maybe if he gets better his parents will be proud of him and will notice him and will love him as much as they love nancy. maybe he won't feel as awful about himself if he could just be a better firebender. maybe he could protect his friends from bullies—and later from people like henry—if he could just be a better firebender.
mike struggles with his firebending. he tries everything, and he's impatient and frustrated through all his classes. the teachers try to show him the proper forms, but nothing? ever really clicks? he still can't produce powerful bending. he still keeps falling behind. the way that things should be done just doesn't seem to work for mike. instead, things blow up in his face. his fire is uncontrollable at times, then weak at other times. he can't rein it in, and he's awful at fighting with it.
but then, around when mike is 16, and el has gone off to try and regain her bending, and will has gone with her because like hell he's going to let his sister go off on her own (even if she is the avatar), mike ends up going on the Road Trip Of The Century with the byers-hopper family to track down the missing twins. and somewhere out in the middle of the desert, his breakthrough begins to happen.
it starts off with a conversation, because even though mike is getting on his goddamn nerves, jonathan has known this kid since he was 5. he might as well be jonathan's little brother too, and spirits help him, jonathan gets aggravated at mike sometimes, but he's a good kid. he's will's best friend for a reason, and jonathan knows something's up with mike.
so the two of them get to talking, and jonathan never does quite get mike to come outright and talk about what he's angry over... but jonathan's perceptive. he knows mike fairly well, and he's heard will talk about mike's struggles, and he's also dating nancy. so, he knows what's going on here.
and jonathan takes the opportunity to talk to mike about the beauty that there is in all bending forms—how important it is not to let your bending be limited by rigidity and technique. how that's a trap that most people fall into. they get stuck in their worldviews, in their ways of bending, in the "right" way to do things. and they fail to see the big picture. they fail to learn from others. we get to have an uncle iroh/zuko moment where jonathan and mike talk about the strengths of each of the different elements, and... for mike, it starts to click.
he's seen the different strengths of the four elements—and of nonbenders too—because he's seen those qualities in his friends. the versatility of being a nonbender. how you have to be quick on your feet and adapt to anything and learn how to operate in the world, even if you are a bit of an underdog, and still teach yourself to thrive, just like dustin has. the grounded nature of earthbending and how earthbenders like max don't waver, no matter what is thrown at them. the fluidty and the ever-changing nature of waterbending. how lucas adapts to the situations he finds himself in and how waterbenders can turn their opponent's own bending and energy against their opponents. the freedom and flexibility and ease of airbending and how will is always watching, learning, and changing. how airbenders learn their opponents and anticipate their next moves, so they never have to strike first, and can operate on the defensive instead.
it finally begins to click for mike, and he begins to watch his friends more—how they spar, how they act around each other, how they see the world. and slowly, mike begins to incorporate the other elements' techniques into his bending—in the same way that we actually see zuko do in the last agni kai battle with azula (1:55 - not flinching or moving, much like an earthbender would do; 2:30 - circular movement very reminiscent of airbending technique; and of course 3:12 - his... sort of redirecting the lightning).
once mike stops trying to be someone he isn't and trying to force himself to firebend just like his sister or just like how everyone tells him to do it, he begins to love his bending. maybe his technique isn't perfect. but his fire is more powerful now, and he can hold his own in a fight. and most of all, his firebending is his. it's something that he has done for himself—something that he has learned from the people he loves the most. his firebending becomes a reflection of his friendships with the party, and how fitting is that for mike, who is their leader and the heart?
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animebw · 2 years
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It's really fun seeing you react basically blind to froobs. I've been a fan of it for so long it's interesting seeing it through new eyes again!
The manga (and to a lesser extent the original anime) was such a formative part of growing up for me. I grew up in a fairly conservative environment, and Fruits Basket was probably my first conscious exposure to positive queer rep, as outdated and awkward some of it may be.
The first time most of the subtext I either missed entirely or dismissed as being part of the absurd comedy, because "clearly two boys being interested in each other like that isn't possible in real life" (and also this was before I began habitually analyzing every piece of media I come across).
But when I got to Ritsu? I started thinking about how and why people would dress and act differently than they were "supposed to". I had thought before that gender roles, and specifically gendered clothes, were stupid, and didn't understand why boys couldn't wear dresses. Before Ritsu I thought I was completely alone in thinking anything like that. Fruits Basket, Ritsu and Ayame especially, were my first introduction to people comfortably and casually crossing gender lines, deep relationships that bordered platonic and romantic (like Ayame & Shigeru, or Yuki & Tohru)
It wasn't enough for me to start questioning myself yet, not for several years, but that was so important to me, that I wasn't the only one out there with "odd" ideas about gender, even if it was a fictional setting... Yes there's definitely better rep in media that's come out since. But for a kid that was used to hiding any hint of their true thoughts and feeling like an anomaly among the entire human population it was exactly what I needed to give me a gentle push.
It also gave me the only bullying representation I felt I could relate to at all at the time, with Kisa. When in real life all I ever heard was "tell an adult", which was bullshit. They didn't believe me or never did anything about it. (And, looking back, those adults were somewhat bullies themselves)
This is so much fun, I can't wait to see your reactions to the rest of the series!
-Y
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! It's true that not all of Froobs' rep has aged gracefully, but you can feel the love and understanding in how these characters are so naturally woven into the fabric of the world. It comes from an earnest place, and that's what really makes the difference in the end. I'm so happy it helped you understand yourself better!
And yeah, it's rare to find a piece of media that really understands the dynamics of bullying this well. One of the many reasons I hold Sangatsu no Lion in such high regard is how well its bullying arc captures the reality of what bullying entails and how badly most adult authority figures are equipped to handle it. Froobs is definitely in good company there.
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lovecolibri · 2 years
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Honestly, I wouldn't have minded the Isobel/Kyle/Anatsa stuff too much if it wasn't the last season, but I'm just so annoyed the show is still doing overworked Kyle pining for another woman he thinks he can't have when we only have him for 10 more episodes. It was already a choice to have someone tell Kyle Valenti of all people to push aside his feelings for someone else's happiness, but now Isobel is still oblivious 6 months later AND proclaiming to be in love with someone else? That offscreen I love you is entirely pointless except it's bound to cheapen both relationships when Isobel goes from one to the other in a short time. We get it. RNM wants to claim the queer ships are just as important as the straight ones without ever giving them the onscreen development that would make it so, but at this point, I really want them to just focus on the mains finding some happiness instead of forgetting half of them even exist.
Yeah, Isobel and Anatsa are cute but I am bracing for the "I'm a reporter and people deserve to know this information even if it puts people, and someone I claim to love, in danger" because that's clearly what is going to be happening. Also how many love triangles has this show tried to do, all of which were incredibly unsuccessful? Like, give it a rest. If they really wanted to have Isobel be with a woman, they should have NOT made her and m*ria related, and cut the whole m*luca nonsense and went that route when they saw how well the actresses played off each other.
I agree that had this not be the last season I'd be more willing to put up with Isobel having another relationship for awhile, though I would have gone with a more casual one before having her get serious with her "soulmate". Because we're running into the same problem I had with m*luca. The show literally sets the soulmate precedent in the first episode when Isobel tells Max he needs to move on and he said if he could, he would have already. At this point he hadn't seen or spoken to Liz in a decade and they were never together in high school, just friends with a hint of wanting to be more. So it was bad enough to have Michael tossing out ILYs to m*ria and the show trying to pretend any of that relationship was healthy or good for Michael, but now they're basically doing the same with Isobel having her soulmate right there and just being totally cool dating someone else.
Isobel's situation is definitely different because we don't see her and Kyle interacting as teens and she was with Noah for so long. I actually think it would have been SO much more interesting if she recognized the pull her alien instincts have towards Kyle, and balked at them because she doesn't want to be tied to someone like she was with Noah. Seeing her grappling with those feelings and trying to be with someone else instead while actually acknowledging that she knows it's not quite right and she's running from her feelings for Kyle, while seeing Kyle at every turn respecting her boundaries in a way Noah never did, could have been at least intriguing to watch. And we might get something like that? But with this being the final season I doubt they could do it in a way that does that kind of storyline justice.
The other complaint is, exactly as you said "it's bound to cheapen both relationships when Isobel goes from one to the other in a short time". Kyle may have been the high school dick and bully, but as an adult he has been nothing but supportive and kind and he deserves a big, beautiful love story. So does Isobel! Especially after all she went through with Noah. Can you believe they wasted Kyle in season 2 on that woman that we were all convinced was actually a hallucination or something because she didn't exist outside the hospital? What was that about? They could have been using that time to start establishing Isobel/Kyle if that's the direction they wanted to go.
Here's hoping Kyle is now "important" enough since he's being paired with Isobel that everyone won't forget he exists most of the time, though I would prefer not to see him miserable and pining the whole time. I AM hoping we get some more fun scene with him and Michael and lots of him and Alex, but knowing this show, I'm not holding my breath.
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auliasbookcorner · 2 years
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Review: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
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Book 11 of 2022
Start Reading Time: 21 May 2022
Finish reading Time: 30 May 2022
Page Count: 371
TRIGGER WARNINGS: RAPE, SUICIDE, CHILD ABUSE, VIOLENCE, WAR, RACISM, BULLYING                                                                                               
This is the spoiler-free part of the review. I will put up a spoiler alert before going into the review that contains spoilers.
No amount of warning in the world could have warned and prepared me for the waterfalls and waterfalls of tears I'd shed as a result of reading this book. No, I was not just crying; but sobbing. I was sobbing, and it was really embarrassing to see. Thankfully, no one saw me. So, maybe that's one of the important things to know before you read this book, especially if you're a crybaby like me; don't read this in public, and it is important to have tissues at arm's reach while reading it, other than that, my tip is just be prepared to read one of the saddest stories you'll ever read.
I'm a lover of good poignant stories, I love it when authors make me cry with the stories they tell because it means the book and the story is doing a good job of making me invested in the story. Also, because I'll be crying about something other than my life for once. And in the last week I had been crying about Hassan, the childhood best friend of Amir, the narrator of this book. I had been crying about their friendship, and how it ended. I had been crying about Sohrab. I had been crying about the situation in Afghanistan. I had been crying a lot, and now I can't even read or hear the words "For you, a thousand times over," without getting teary eyed.
This book is about friendship & brotherhood. It's about a son who's desperate for his father's approval and love. It's about the war and it's impacts on civilian lives, but especially children. It's about a family secret. It's about an unconditional love and loyalty that's unrequited. But, ultimately, it's about regret and redemption.
I love this book. It's definitely not an easy read, but the story's incredible, heartbreaking, and poignant. It is told beautifully by the author, and it definitely left a strong impression on me.
To give you a brief non-spoilery synopsis, the story is about Amir, the narrator of the book, during his childhood in Afghanistan, before the war, in the 1970s. When Amir's not in school, he spends most of his time playing with Hassan, the son of his family's housekeeper Ali, who's been with them since Amir's Dad was a little kid. Amir's Dad thinks of Ali as his brother, because they grew up and played together like brothers, and now Amir and Hassan are also growing up and playing together like brothers, just like their fathers. Amir's Dad is a successful business man and respected in their community, and they live in the most beautiful house in their neighborhood. Ali and Hassan, although they're thought of as family by Amir's dad, they are essentially servants working for Amir's Dad. Ali and Hassan live in a modest hut in Amir's family's house's garden, and that's also where Hassan was born. Also, Ali and Hassan are Hazara, an ethnic group in Afghanistan that's looked down on by some people there, and Ali has some physical flaws that were the reminders of the polio he suffered in his childhood, that made him a target of bullying from the children in their neighborhood. Yes, the children straight up calling him names to his face. But he never once retaliated against them.
Hassan is one year younger than Amir and he's illiterate, due to lack of education. However, Hassan loves hearing the stories that Amir read to him from books. Hassan looks up to Amir and is extremely loyal to him, that whenever Amir is being pushed around by other kids, Hassan will bravely defend Amir and take the punches for him. Hassan loves Amir and will do anything for him. But for Amir, he's not even sure if he can honestly call his relationship with Hassan a friendship, as he's never thought of Hassan as a friend, but more of someone who would do anything he wants him to do. And, for Amir, nothing's more important than earning the love and approval from his Dad, who always seems to be too busy to talk to him, or disappointed by him. So, in little Amir's head, he was determined to do anything to be able win his Dad's love and approval, at any cost.
Then, on one winter day, the opportunity to earn that love and approval arises. Amir knew that winning the kite fighting tournament and getting the last fallen kite would make his Dad proud of him, and thus, he’ll win his Dad’s love and approval. So, he promised himself he's gonna be the first winner and he's going to get the last fallen kite. What happens on that winter day will forever change not only Amir's life, but also Hassan's. Amir would learn that getting what he wanted is not always as sweet as he imagined it to be, and he would learn that the cost would be too high, and it will haunt him for the rest of his life.
🚨 SPOILER ALERT 🚨
From this point forward in the review, i will mention spoilers, plot twist and the ending, so if you don’t wish to be spoiled, you can skip the rest of the review and come back once you’ve finished reading this book
Here are my favorite things about the book:
Hassan. I may be biased, but I'm convinced that he's an angel. Despite all of his shortcomings, he still goes through life with a smile, and a pure and kind heart. Hassan is the most precious character with the most heartbreaking life story since Jude from "A little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara. We all go through life wanting to be or have someone as pure, loyal, loving, brilliant, hardworking, kind and precious as Hassan, and I think one of the reasons most of us don't become or have someone like Hassan in our lives is because most of us are more like Amir; cowardly, selfish, always looking for approvals from others. Their tragic story taught me an important lesson, it made me question myself about the kind of person I choose to be, and whether I like that person, or if I would regret being that person, later in my old age. My heart broke for him, and again for his son. But oh, how thankful I am to have come to know and love these characters, because they've inspired me to be stronger and be kinder despite this cruel world slowly crushing my soul.
Amir. He is the most frustrating character I've read in a while, although he does get a great redemption arc, and by the end of the book, I think he's redeemed himself. But what makes me like him is because, as much as I hate to admit it, I can see a little bit of myself in him. I hate him because he's such a coward and selfish, but he knows that, and he hated himself for being that way. I think he just didn't possess the courage to do the right thing, at the time. But his conscience is screaming at him for years, and even decades later, ever since that winter day, that he must do the right thing. Regret is a powerful thing, I think all of us can agree. And finally, he did the right thing with Sohrab, although at that point it was too late to apologize to Hassan. I like that Amir is depicted so realistically; he is incredibly flawed, and he made irreparable mistakes, and he's immensely regretful and ashamed of his mistakes. Also, knowing that he got a second chance to do right by Hassan by rescuing and raising his son as his own (even though it doesn't make what he did to Hassan right) is incredible and it gives me a lot of hope. Also let's not forget the fact that he was just a child when he acted selfishly and decided to not help and defend Hassan that day, he thought his father hated him for a long time because he was weak and his mother died giving birth to him, he blamed himself for his mother's death, and he was kept in the dark for decades by his own father about the truth about his relationship with Hassan, or as his own father would put it, he was robbed of the truth by his own father. It brings forth the realization that the father that he has looked up to and idolized his whole life, is only a human who made mistakes, just like him. I agree with Rahim Khan, that Amir should also forgive himself, as we humans can only live, do our best and when we make inevitable mistakes along the way, we try to learn and do better.
Sohrab. This amazing, resilient and strong little man tugs at my heartstrings and I love him with all my heart. I was so heartbroken because of all of the horrible things he had to go through and endure, and when THAT scene at the hotel bathroom happened, I legit almost threw my phone across the room and scream into my pillow, because I'M NOT READY FOR ANOTHER SAD ENDING SUCH AS JUDE ST. FRANCIS'. THAT scene was so freaking real, I was gonna DNF the book at that point. But oh God, was I RELIEVED when I kept reading and found out the ending. However, I still do NOT appreciate that scare, MY POOR HEART IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR THAT. And, even though the ending is bittersweet, I love that it's an open ending, i think it's believable and it gives me hope that Sohrab will be alright, after all.
Rahim Khan. I think he's so underrated in the book, but so much of the story was able to progress the way it did because of his interventions. I love that he was the one who encouraged and supported Amir to become a writer, I love that he found Hassan and his family and asked them to join him to live in Amir's family's house, I love that he's the one who told Amir the truth about his father and his relation with Hassan, and I love that he's the one who helped Amir to right his wrongs, even in his dying days. I think he's the voice of reason and truth, and I'm just so thankful for his existence in this story. Although, I do wish we got to see and know that he died peacefully and among his loved ones, but I'll make peace with his mysterious ending that the book gave me. I'd like to imagine that he'd find Homaira and die peacefully beside her.
Afghanistan. This book taught me about Afghanistan better than my Geography teacher. Through this book, I have fallen in love with the culture and the people of Afghanistan, and it opened my eyes to the cruelty and suffering that the war brings to the innocent civilians, but especially the children of Afghanistan, and to say that I'm devastated is an understatement. I can honestly rant for hours here but I won't. Instead, I would encourage you to make a donation, if you're available to do so, to any legitimate charities for Afghanistan. Or, in any small ways you can help, maybe through prayers if you're a religious person, or in any other positive ways you can.
The writing style. The pacing. The message. The storytelling. I think I have found my new favorite author and I am beyond excited to  read more of his works.
Usually, I would mention the things I don't like in the book here, but honestly, I think there's not one thing I can criticize about this book. I'm not saying it's perfect, as I know other people will find a lot of flaws with it, but for me, this book is just simply beautiful, and I personally don't have any critics. Well, if I really have to give any criticism, I think I'd say that it has a little of torture porn in it that makes it hard to read at times. But I think that the author didn't include it in the book just for the fun of it, I think it's appropriate given the context of the country being under the tyranny of Taliban, and it depicted the true cruelty of Taliban. Although, I do agree that it's a little too convenient that Assef, the childhood sociopath bully, grew up to be an important figure in the Taliban, and then comes face to face with Amir again, just like in their childhood. But that's just as far as my criticism goes for this book. Otherwise, I think this book hits all the right spots, and I love it.
Here are my favourite moments from the book:
When Amir & Hassan were celebrating, and hugging each other after winning the kite competition, and when Hassan told Amir "For you, a thousand times over".
When Hassan told Amir the story he made up was the best story he'd ever told him, without knowing that Amir had made it up to fool Hassan, but Hassan ended up sincerely loving the story, and Amir kissed Hassan on the cheek, and he told Hassan that he's a prince, and then Amir wrote his first ever short story that same night.
When Amir promised he would buy Hassan a TV with colours.
When Amir's Dad stood up to protect that lady from the Russian officer.
When Amir graduated from High School and his Dad was taking pictures of him, and surprised him with a new used car for him.
When Amir was having a heart to heart talk with Sohrab for the first time.
When Sohrab was trying to talk in English and he said, "Tank you wery match." (this is so adorable, i just wanna squeeze him)
When Amir said “For you, a thousand times over,” to Sohrab, and Sohrab smiled for the first time in a long time, and Amir was running for the kite for Sohrab, just like Hassan did to Amir decades ago, that winter day.
Here are my favourite quotes from the book, but WARNING: these quotes contain "onions" and will most likely make you cry:
"Ali never retaliated against any of his tormentors, I suppose partly because he could never catch them with that twisted leg dragging behind him. But mostly because Ali was immune to the insults of his assailants; he had found his joy, his antidote, the moment Sanaubar had given birth to Hassan. It had been a simple enough affair. No obstetricians, no anesthesiologists, no fancy monitoring devices. Just Sanaubar lying on a stained, naked mattress with Ali and a midwife helping her. She hadn’t needed much help at all, because, even in birth, Hassan was true to his nature: He was incapable of hurting anyone. A few grunts, a couple of pushes, and out came Hassan. Out he came smiling."
"Then he would remind us that there was a brotherhood between people who had fed from the same breast, a kinship that not even time could break.
Hassan and I fed from the same breasts. We took our first steps on the same lawn in the same yard. And, under the same roof, we spoke our first words.
Mine was Baba.
His was Amir. My name.
Looking back on it now, I think the foundation for what happened in the winter of 1975—and all that followed—was already laid in those first words."
"With me as the glaring exception, my father molded the world around him to his liking. The problem, of course, was that Baba saw the world in black and white. And he got to decide what was black and what was white. You can’t love a person who lives that way without fearing him too. Maybe even hating him a little."
"“When you kill a man, you steal a life,” Baba said. “You steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. Do you see?”"
"“Children aren’t coloring books. You don’t get to fill them with your favorite colors.”"
"The curious thing was, I never thought of Hassan and me as friends either. Not in the usual sense, anyhow. Never mind that we taught each other to ride a bicycle with no hands, or to build a fully functional homemade camera out of a cardboard box. Never mind that we spent entire winters flying kites, running kites. Never mind that to me, the face of Afghanistan is that of a boy with a thin-boned frame, a shaved head, and low-set ears, a boy with a Chinese doll face perpetually lit by a harelipped smile.
Never mind any of those things. Because history isn’t easy to overcome. Neither is religion. In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shi’a, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing."
"But his favorite story, and mine, was “Rostam and Sohrab,” the tale of the great warrior Rostam and his fleet-footed horse, Rakhsh. Rostam mortally wounds his valiant nemesis, Sohrab, in battle, only to discover that Sohrab is his long-lost son. Stricken with grief, Rostam hears his son’s dying words:
If thou art indeed my father, then hast thou stained thy sword in the life-blood of thy son. And thou didst it of thine obstinacy. For I sought to turn thee unto love, and I implored of thee thy name, for I thought to behold in thee the tokens recounted of my mother. But I appealed unto thy heart in vain, and now is the time gone for meeting . . .
“Read it again please, Amir agha,” Hassan would say. Sometimes tears pooled in Hassan’s eyes as I read him this passage, and I always wondered whom he wept for, the grief-stricken Rostam who tears his clothes and covers his head with ashes, or the dying Sohrab who only longed for his father’s love? Personally, I couldn’t see the tragedy in Rostam’s fate. After all, didn’t all fathers in their secret hearts harbor a desire to kill their sons?"
"One day, in July 1973, I played another little trick on Hassan. I was reading to him, and suddenly I strayed from the written story. I pretended I was reading from the book, flipping pages regularly, but I had abandoned the text altogether, taken over the story, and made up my own. Hassan, of course, was oblivious to this. To him, the words on the page were a scramble of codes, indecipherable, mysterious. Words were secret doorways and I held all the keys. After, I started to ask him if he’d liked the story, a giggle rising in my throat, when Hassan began to clap.
“What are you doing?” I said.
“That was the best story you’ve read me in a long time,” he said, still clapping.
I laughed. “Really?”
“Really.”
“That’s fascinating,” I muttered. I meant it too. This was . . . wholly unexpected. “Are you sure, Hassan?”
He was still clapping. “It was great, Amir agha. Will you read me more of it tomorrow?”
“Fascinating,” I repeated, a little breathless, feeling like a man who discovers a buried treasure in his own backyard. Walking down the hill, thoughts were exploding in my head like the fireworks at Chaman. Best story you’ve read me in a long time, he’d said. I had read him a lot of stories. Hassan was asking me something.
“What?” I said.
“What does that mean, ‘fascinating’?”
I laughed. Clutched him in a hug and planted a kiss on his cheek.
“What was that for?” he said, startled, blushing.
I gave him a friendly shove. Smiled. “You’re a prince, Hassan. You’re a prince and I love you.”
That same night, I wrote my first short story."
"But he’s not my friend! I almost blurted. He’s my servant! Had I really thought that? Of course I hadn’t. I hadn’t. I treated Hassan well, just like a friend, better even, more like a brother. But if so, then why, when Baba’s friends came to visit with their kids, didn’t I ever include Hassan in our games? Why did I play with Hassan only when no one else was around?"
"“Please leave us alone, Agha,” Hassan said in a flat tone. He’d referred to Assef as “Agha,” and I wondered briefly what it must be like to live with such an ingrained sense of one’s place in a hierarchy."
"And that’s the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too."
"“I’ll buy you one someday,” I said. Hassan’s face brightened. “A television? In truth?” “Sure. And not the black-and-white kind either. We’ll probably be grown-ups by then, but I’ll get us two. One for you and one for me.”
“I’ll put it on my table, where I keep my drawings,” Hassan said. His saying that made me kind of sad. Sad for who Hassan was, where he lived. For how he’d accepted the fact that he’d grow old in that mud shack in the yard, the way his father had."
"“I’m not sure I want to fly a kite today,” I said.
“It’s a beautiful day,” Hassan said.
I shifted on my feet. Tried to peel my gaze away from our rooftop. “I don’t know. Maybe we should go home.”
Then he stepped toward me and, in a low voice, said something that scared me a little. “Remember, Amir agha. There’s no monster, just a beautiful day.” How could I be such an open book to him when, half the time, I had no idea what was milling around in his head? I was the one who went to school, the one who could read, write. I was the smart one. Hassan couldn’t read a first-grade textbook but he’d read me plenty. That was a little unsettling, but also sort of comfortable to have someone who always knew what you needed."
"Then I was screaming, and everything was color and sound, everything was alive and good. I was throwing my free arm around Hassan and we were hopping up and down, both of us laughing, both of us weeping. “You won, Amir agha! You won!”
“We won! We won!” was all I could say. This wasn’t happening. In a moment, I’d blink and rouse from this beautiful dream, get out of bed, march down to the kitchen to eat breakfast with no one to talk to but Hassan. Get dressed. Wait for Baba. Give up. Back to my old life. Then I saw Baba on our roof. He was standing on the edge, pumping both of his fists. Hollering and clapping. And that right there was the single greatest moment of my twelve years of life, seeing Baba on that roof, proud of me at last."
"“Hassan!” I called. “Come back with it!”
He was already turning the street corner, his rubber boots kicking up snow. He stopped, turned. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “For you a thousand times over!” he said. Then he smiled his Hassan smile and disappeared around the corner. The next time I saw him smile unabashedly like that was twenty-six years later, in a faded Polaroid photograph."
"I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan—the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past—and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran.
I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. That’s what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hassan. That’s what I made myself believe. I actually aspired to cowardice, because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba. Was it a fair price? The answer floated to my conscious mind before I could thwart it: He was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?"
"I thought about Hassan’s dream, the one about us swimming in the lake. There is no monster, he’d said, just water. Except he’d been wrong about that. There was a monster in the lake. It had grabbed Hassan by the ankles, dragged him to the murky bottom.
I was that monster."
"I hit him with another pomegranate, in the shoulder this time.
The juice splattered his face. “Hit me back!” I spat. “Hit me back, goddamn you!” I wished he would. I wished he’d give me the punishment I craved, so maybe I’d finally sleep at night. Maybe then things could return to how they used to be between us. But Hassan did nothing as I pelted him again and again. “You’re a coward!” I said. “Nothing but a goddamn coward!”
I don’t know how many times I hit him. All I know is that, when I finally stopped, exhausted and panting, Hassan was smeared in red like he’d been shot by a firing squad. I fell to my knees, tired, spent, frustrated.
Then Hassan did pick up a pomegranate. He walked toward me. He opened it and crushed it against his own forehead.
“There,” he croaked, red dripping down his face like blood. “Are you satisfied? Do you feel better?” He turned around and started down the hill.
I let the tears break free, rocked back and forth on my knees. “What am I going to do with you, Hassan? What am I going to do with you?”"
"“It was Homaira and me against the world. And I’ll tell you this, Amir jan: In the end, the world always wins. That’s just the way of things.”"
"Then I saw Baba do something I had never seen him do before: He cried. It scared me a little, seeing a grown man sob. Fathers weren’t supposed to cry. “Please,” Baba was saying, but Ali had already turned to the door, Hassan trailing him. I’ll never forget the way Baba said that, the pain in his plea, the fear."
"I was sorry, but I didn’t cry and I didn’t chase the car. I watched Baba’s car pull away from the curb, taking with it the person whose first spoken word had been my name. I caught one final blurry glimpse of Hassan slumped in the backseat before Baba turned left at the street corner where we’d played marbles so many times."
"That was when Baba stood up. It was my turn to clamp a hand on his thigh, but Baba pried it loose, snatched his leg away. When he stood, he eclipsed the moonlight. “I want you to ask this man something,” Baba said. He said it to Karim, but looked directly at the Russian officer. “Ask him where his shame is.”
They spoke. “He says this is war. There is no shame in war.” “Tell him he’s wrong. War doesn’t negate decency. It demands it, even more than in times of peace.”
Do you have to always be the hero? I thought, my heart fluttering. Can’t you just let it go for once? But I knew he couldn’t—it wasn’t in his nature. The problem was, his nature was going to get us all killed."
"“Tell him I’ll take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place,” Baba said. My mind flashed to that winter day six years ago. Me, peering around the corner in the alley. Kamal and Wali holding Hassan down. Assef’s buttock muscles clenching and unclenching, his hips thrusting back and forth. Some hero I had been, fretting about the kite. Sometimes, I too wondered if I was really Baba’s son."
"That summer of 1983, I graduated from high school at the age of twenty, by far the oldest senior tossing his mortarboard on the football field that day. I remember losing Baba in the swarm of families, flashing cameras, and blue gowns. I found him near the twenty-yard line, hands shoved in his pockets, camera dangling on his chest. He disappeared and reappeared behind the people moving between us: squealing blue-clad girls hugging, crying, boys high-fiving their fathers, each other. Baba’s beard was graying, his hair thinning at the temples, and hadn’t he been taller in Kabul? He was wearing his brown suit—his only suit, the same one he wore to Afghan weddings and funerals—and the red tie I had bought for his fiftieth birthday that year. Then he saw me and waved. Smiled. He motioned for me to wear my mortarboard, and took a picture of me with the school’s clock tower in the background. I smiled for him—in a way, this was his day more than mine. He walked to me, curled his arm around my neck, and gave my brow a single kiss. “I am moftakhir, Amir,” he said. Proud. His eyes gleamed when he said that and I liked being on the receiving end of that look."
"“It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime, Amir,” he said."
"Afghan men, especially those from reputable families, were fickle creatures. A whisper here, an insinuation there, and they fled like startled birds. So weddings had come and gone and no one had sung ahesta boro for Soraya, no one had painted her palms with henna, no one had held a Koran over her headdress, and it had been General Taheri who’d danced with her at every wedding. And now, this woman, this mother, with her heartbreakingly eager, crooked smile and the barely veiled hope in her eyes. I cringed a little at the position of power I’d been granted, and all because I had won at the genetic lottery that had determined my sex."
"Listening to them, I realized how much of who I was, what I was, had been defined by Baba and the marks he had left on people’s lives. My whole life, I had been “Baba’s son.” Now he was gone. Baba couldn’t show me the way anymore; I’d have to find it on my own.
The thought of it terrified me."
"I have been dreaming a lot lately, Amir agha. Some of them are nightmares, like hanged corpses rotting in soccer fields with bloodred grass. I wake up from those short of breath and sweaty. Mostly, though, I dream of good things, and praise Allah for that. I dream that Rahim Khan sahib will be well. I dream that my son will grow up to be a good person, a free person, and an important person. I dream that lawla flowers will bloom in the streets of Kabul again and rubab music will play in the samovar houses and kites will fly in the skies. And I dream that someday you will return to Kabul to revisit the land of our childhood. If you do, you will find an old faithful friend waiting for you."
"“I’m a dying man and I will not b e insulted! It has never been about money with me, you know that. And why you? I think we both know why it has to be you, don’t we?”
I didn’t want to understand that comment, but I did. I understood it all too well. “I have a wife in America, a home, a career, and a family. Kabul is a dangerous place, you know that, and you’d have me risk everything for . . .” I stopped.
“You know,” Rahim Khan said, “one time, when you weren’t around, your father and I were talking. And you know how he always worried about you in those days. I remember he said to me, ‘Rahim, a boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.’ I wonder, is that what you’ve become?”"
"Here is another cliché my creative writing teacher would have scoffed at; like father, like son. But it was true, wasn’t it? As it turned out, Baba and I were more alike than I’d ever known. We had both betrayed the people who would have given their lives for us. And with that came this realization: that Rahim Khan had summoned me here to atone not just for my sins but for Baba’s too."
"There is a way to be good again, he’d said. A way to end the cycle.
With a little boy. An orphan. Hassan’s son. Somewhere in Kabul."
"I looked at the round face in the Polaroid again, the way the sun fell on it. My brother’s face. Hassan had loved me once, loved me in a way that no one ever had or ever would again. He was gone now, but a little part of him lived on. It was in Kabul.
Waiting."
"It was on this soil that my grandfather had gone on a hunting trip with King Nadir Shah and shot a deer. My mother had died on this soil. And on this soil, I had fought for my father’s love."
"Somewhere over those mountains in the west slept the city where my harelipped brother and I had run kites. Somewhere over there, the blindfolded man from my dream had died a needless death. Once, over those mountains, I had made a choice. And now, a quarter of a century later, that choice had landed me right back on this soil."
"Zaman dropped his hands. “I haven’t been paid in over six months. I’m broke because I’ve spent my life’s savings on this orphanage. Everything I ever owned or inherited I sold to run this godforsaken place. You think I don’t have family in Pakistan and Iran? I could have run like everyone else. But I didn’t. I stayed. I stayed because of them.” He pointed to the door. “If I deny him one child, he takes ten. So I let him take one and leave the judging to Allah. I swallow my pride and take his goddamn filthy . . . dirty money. Then I go to the bazaar and buy food for the children.”"
"“WHAT’S SO FUNNY?” Assef bellowed. Another rib snapped, this time left lower. What was so funny was that, for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace. I laughed because I saw that, in some hidden nook in a corner of my mind, I’d even been looking forward to this. I remembered the day on the hill I had pelted Hassan with pomegranates and tried to provoke him. He’d just stood there, doing nothing, red juice soaking through his shirt like blood. Then he’d taken the pomegranate from my hand, crushed it against his forehead. Are you satisfied now? he’d hissed. Do you feel better? I hadn’t been happy and I hadn’t felt better, not at all. But I did now. My body was broken—just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later—but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed."
"You were right all those years to suspect that I knew. I did know. Hassan told me shortly after it happened. What you did was wrong, Amir jan, but do not forget that you were a boy when it happened. A troubled little boy. You were too hard on yourself then, and you still are—I saw it in your eyes in Peshawar. But I hope you will heed this: A man who has no conscience, no goodness, does not suffer. I hope your suffering comes to an end with this journey to Afghanistan."
"When he saw you, he saw himself. And his guilt. You are still angry and I realize it is far too early to expect you to accept this, but maybe someday you will see that when your father was hard on you, he was also being hard on himself. Your father, like you, was a tortured soul, Amir jan."
"And this is what I want you to understand, that good, real good, was born out of your father’s remorse. Sometimes, I think everything he did, feeding the poor on the streets, building the orphanage, giving money to friends in need, it was all his way of redeeming himself. And that, I believe, is what true redemption is, Amir jan, when guilt leads to good."
"“Your father and I were nursed by the same woman.”
“I know.”
“What . . . what did he tell you about us?”
“That you were the best friend he ever had,” he said.
I twirled the jack of diamonds in my fingers, flipped it back and forth. “I wasn’t such a good friend, I’m afraid,” I said. “But I’d like to be your friend. I think I could be a good friend to you. Would that be all right? Would you like that?”"
"Found the Polaroid snapshot of Hassan and Sohrab. “Here,” I said. He brought the photo to within an inch of his face, turned it so the light from the mosque fell on it. He looked at it for a long time. I thought he might cry, but he didn’t. He just held it in both hands, traced his thumb over its surface. I thought of a line I’d read somewhere, or maybe I’d heard someone say it: There are a lot of children in Afghanistan, but little childhood. He stretched his hand to give it back to me.
“Keep it,” I said. “It’s yours.”
“Thank you.”"
"“But why did people hide it from Father and you?”
“You know, I asked myself that same question the other day. And there’s an answer , but not a good one. Let’s just say they didn’t tell us because your father and I . . . we weren’t supposed to be brothers.”
“Because he was a Hazara?”
I willed my eyes to stay on him. “Yes.”
“Did your father,” he began, eyeing his food, “did your father love you and my father equally?”
I thought of a long ago day at Ghargha Lake, when Baba had allowed himself to pat Hassan on the back when Hassan’s stone had outskipped mine. I pictured Baba in the hospital room, beaming as they removed the bandages from Hassan’s lips. “I think he loved us equally but differently.”
“Was he ashamed of my father?”
“No,” I said. “I think he was ashamed of himself.”"
"I remembered something I had read somewhere a long time ago: That’s how children deal with terror. They fall asleep."
"I throw my makeshift jai-namaz, my prayer rug, on the floor and I get on my knees, lower my forehead to the ground, my tears soaking through the sheet. I bow to the west. Then I remember I haven’t prayed for over fifteen years. I have long forgotten the words. But it doesn’t matter, I will utter those few words I still remember: La illaha il Allah, Muhammad u rasul ullah. There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger. I see now that Baba was wrong, there is a God, there always had been. I see Him here, in the eyes of the people in this corridor of desperation. This is the real house of God, this is where those who have lost God will find Him, not the white masjid with its bright diamond lights and towering minarets. There is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray, I will pray that He forgive that I have neglected Him all of these years, forgive that I have betrayed, lied, and sinned with impunity only to turn to Him now in my hour of need, I pray that He is as merciful, benevolent, and gracious as His book says He is. I bow to the west and kiss the ground and promise that I will do zakat, I will do namaz, I will fast during Ramadan and when Ramadan has passed I will go on fasting, I will commit to memory every last word of His holy book, and I will set on a pilgrimage to that sweltering city in the desert and bow before the Ka’bah too. I will do all of this and I will think of Him everyday from this day on if He only grants me this one wish: My hands are stained with Hassan’s blood; I pray God doesn’t let them get stained with the blood of his boy too.
I hear a whimpering and realize it is mine, my lips are salty with the tears trickling down my face. I feel the eyes of everyone in this corridor on me and still I bow to the west. I pray. I pray that my sins have not caught up with me the way I’d always feared they would."
"Then I realized something: That last thought had brought no sting with it. Closing Sohrab’s door, I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night."
"It would be erroneous to say Sohrab was quiet. Quiet is peace. Tranquillity. Quiet is turning down the VOLUME knob on life.
Silence is pushing the OFF button. Shutting it down. All of it.
Sohrab’s silence wasn’t the self-imposed silence of those with convictions, of protesters who seek to speak their cause by not speaking at all. It was the silence of one who has taken cover in a dark place, curled up all the edges and tucked them under."
"“Do you want me to run that kite for you?”
His Adam’s apple rose and fell as he swallowed. The wind lifted his hair. I thought I saw him nod."
“For you, a thousand times over,” I heard myself say.
Then I turned and ran.
It was only a smile, nothing more. It didn’t make everything all right. It didn’t make anything all right. Only a smile. A tiny thing. A leaf in the woods, shaking in the wake of a startled bird’s flight.
But I’ll take it. With open arms."
"Because when spring comes, it melts the snow one flake at a time, and maybe I just witnessed the first flake melting.
I ran. A grown man running with a swarm of screaming children. But I didn’t care. I ran with the wind blowing in my face, and a smile as wide as the Valley of Panjsher on my lips.
I ran."
This is now officially one of my favorite books of all time, Khaled Hosseini is my new favorite author, and this story and its characters will stay with me for a long, long time. This book is only the 2nd book that I rated 5 stars this year so far (the 1st one was A Little Life), and I think it shows just how much I love this book and how great it is (if this long-ass rave review didn't already). It also shows that my rating is much more serious this year compared to last year when I rated so many books with 5 stars. This book reminds me how much I love reading, and how good it feels to let a book break your heart, then slowly pick up the pieces and put it back together, and make it whole again.
PLOT - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
WRITING STYLE - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ENTERTAINMENT LEVEL PAIN LEVEL- 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔
BOOK COVER DESIGN - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
OVERALL BOOK RATING - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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mental-health-advice · 7 months
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im sorry that it's so long i dont have anyone to share it with and i dont have money for psychological help but i am desperate
i have this problem that i cant listen to people, it's very rare for me to find other people's lives interesting, even my best friends'. sometimes i have this moment when im curious and ask but I don't ever catch myself as little as having thoughts about other people and i can see that i struggle with empathy
i realized lately that all my attempts to help other people in the past were caused by my feelings of superiority towards them, now i just don't attempt to help them at all. i've never been listened by my family, no one ever listens to one another and none of us seems to be truly interested in each other that much. all my friends through my entire life have never been the types to get into any deep conversations as well. ive been heavily bullied my entire life and my parents never asked about anything, my friends witnessed me getting bullied a hundred times and it was all just ignored and no one ever reacted or talked to me about it. since i was 10 i live in some other world in my head and that's all i think about in life, i feel like i built my entire life around it and it's terrifying because it doesn't seem normal to other people. sometimes i get people telling me that i might be autistic but i feel like it's such a heavy word for what im going through and also ill never probably be able to find out
now that im at university in a completely different environment and city, it scares me that i don't know how to fix it. when someone asks questions about my own life i have no idea what to say. i've never been asked about my opinions, my health, things that i like. i barely think about these things myself and to that i am expected to show interest in other people and ask them the same questions
i want to have friends but i feel like i just deserve to be isolated because im not empathetic and it seems like im also fake. it's complicated i guess i just have to ask if there are any advice to find people around me interesting so i can have friends
Hey there,
I’m so sorry that whilst you were growing up, no one really seemed to listen to you or take an interest in you and your life and also that you grew up being bullied. It actually also helps to paint a picture of why you may find it difficult to make friends and hold conversations with them now.
It’s really important that you know and remind yourself that you definitely do not deserve to be isolated from other people. You did not ask to be treated as you were whilst growing up and nor were you always able to stop it from happening and especially in regards to the being bullied by others. When you feel like you don’t deserve to have friends or to socialise with others, it can be helpful to remind yourself that we as people are social beings and so we all need someone in our life, even if it’s just one or two people! Remember that it’s also not about the quantity of friends that we have in our lives either but rather the quality of the friendship!
In regards to making friends now, sometimes it can he helpful to just casually catch up first and then form a bond with them from there. So for example, do something with them where talking is not the main focus. So, maybe go to the movies with them, to a local attraction like to a zoo or a walk with different sceneries. Try and do something that you can talk about what is going on around you as opposed as just ‘talking in depth’ about things. This can also be a great ice breaker as well! From there when you see them, perhaps speak to them about the experience you both shared, likes and dislikes/ what you most enjoyed and didn’t. Again, this can take the pressure off just talking and will allow you both to have a focus in the conversation with them. It will also allow you to get to know the other a bit better and in time you may find that the conversation may flow a bit more easily and especially if together you do different things that you can then both chat about!
Showing empathy to others is a little harder and especially if you weren’t shown it in your early life. It is something you can definitely learn and do though so don’t be too hard on yourself! Maybe a good starting point may be to look at yourself and how you would like someone to treat you or react to you in different situations. This can really help with the learning process as even though people need different things after going through different things in life, often what we all have in common is wanting a friendly ear, someone we can talk too who we feel like really cares about us!
I really hope that this has helped a bit and please do let us know if we can help to support you in any other way!
I’m thinking of you and hope that you are going well!
Take care,
Lauren
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septembercfawkes · 3 years
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Getting Passive Protagonists to Act
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Many beginning writers struggle with protagonists who are too passive. The plot seems to constantly be happening to him or her, but the protagonist doesn’t take an action to make the plot happen.
Ideally, when an event happens to a protagonist, the protagonist responds by taking an action that influences the next event, which then influences the protagonist, which then influences an event—and on and on. But that can be easier said than done. Especially if you have a protagonist who prefers to live life passively.
This could all get confusing, though, because in story structure, almost all protagonists will more or less become more proactive. But for the sake of this post, I'm talking about protagonists who are characteristically passive. A protagonist who may want to kick up his feet in a hammock with a glass of lemonade and watch the world deal with its own problems. How do we write a story about that guy?
Many people will tell you that you can't--you must change the character.
But that is not wholly true.
It's true in a good story, we need the protagonist to act--especially at key moments--but that doesn't mean he innately yearns to act.
Often the best solution in dealing with a passive character is to strengthen the stakes. Let me explain.
Anyone will Act with the Right Stakes
The stakes are potential consequences; they are what are at risk in the story. We often think of them as negative things (someone's life may be at risk), but they can also be positive things (the opportunity to be taught by a professional in your ideal vocation).
Stakes are important because if there is nothing at risk, then what happens, doesn't really matter, which means what the protagonist does, doesn't really matter, because it doesn't change any outcomes. The story only matters insomuch as we understand potential outcomes. The protagonist's choices only matter if they affect the outcomes.
For example, we only care about Frodo destroying the Ring because we know doing so could rid Middle-earth of Sauron’s evil. If we didn't know that, what happened with the Ring wouldn't really matter. And what Frodo did wouldn't carry any weight. (You can learn more about stakes in my article "How to Write Stakes in Storytelling.")
When struggling with getting a passive protagonist to act, (almost) always look at the stakes.
No Stakes
Make sure that you’ve at least laid out stakes. Sometimes writers feel like the stakes are obvious, so they don't mention them. Just as bad, if not worse, the stakes may be too vague. And definitely worse: nonexistent.
If the protagonist doesn't have anything clearly to gain or lose, why would she act? If what happened to the Ring didn't change something, why would Frodo go to Mount Doom? Why would any of us do anything if it didn't make some kind of difference?
In a case like this, clear stakes need to be on the page.
Let's look at some examples of what one might consider passive people within the context of their stories.
Shrek wants nothing more than to live alone on his swamp. If there is nothing at risk, is he really going to go on an adventure to rescue a princess? Probably not.
In The Edge of Tomorrow, I think it could be argued that the protagonist, Bill Cage (played by Tom Cruise) is somewhat passive in relation to the main conflict. The story is about him fighting in a war against aliens, but he has absolutely no desire whatsoever to enter combat--in fact, he's a coward. You think he would sign up to be the first in combat out of the goodness of his heart? No way.
In Trigun by Yasuhiro Nightow, protagonist Vash would rather spend all day, every day eating donuts, playing with kids, and helping out the person down the street. He'd rather live life under an alias than face the fact he's the only one capable of standing up to the antagonist and saving the human race.
If none of these characters ever had anything at risk, then they would have never taken the actions they needed to, to move the story forward. They would have been forever passive.
In short, they only acted once there were stakes.
Wrong Stakes
If there are stakes on the page, and the character still isn't acting, then chances are they are either the wrong stakes (things she doesn’t care about) or the stakes are too small (the potential consequences don’t pose a real threat or a meaningful gain).
If they are the wrong stakes, you need to think about what the protagonist cares about and put it in jeopardy. We all care about something--whether that’s a reputation or a pet.
For a passive person, you might need to dig deeper and brainstorm longer to figure out what it is. And if you are having trouble, keep in mind that it's also possible the passive protagonist wants something for someone else or his environment. Maybe she's satisfied drinking lemonade and getting picked on, but she's not okay with her kid getting bullied--that's not something she can let happen.
Shrek mostly cares about living alone on his swamp. If his distant neighbor is at risk of dying in loneliness, Shrek's likely not going to do much about it. The best way to get him to act, is to put his home and lifestyle at risk. He will be willing to take action to save that.
Bill is afraid of dying (it's part of what makes him a coward). If he's put in a situation where he could die, he'll be forced to act.
Vash is obsessed with saving people. Children, friends, innocents, criminals. It doesn't matter who. He doesn't want anyone to die. If no one is at risk of dying, then it's unlikely he will be drawn to fight his antagonists. Almost always he is led to act because someone's life is at risk.
Small Stakes
If the stakes are too small, you need to make them bigger by making them broader or more personal.
Even the most passive person is unlikely to feel passive with a gun pointed at them. Unless they have a death wish, in which case, you could have the gun pointing at a loved one, or you could threaten torture. Even people who have a death wish don't want to be tortured. Almost all of us will act if the stakes get big enough.
Alternatively, you can promise an opportunity that is too good to pass up. If all I want is to live out my life on a hammock by the beach sipping lemonade, then maybe the best motivation is the promise of getting that. Maybe I'd be willing to act, if it ensured that.
It's bad enough for Shrek to have a few creatures come on his swamp, but the fact that countless numbers of them will be exiled to his swamp, is even worse. This is a big enough issue to get him to act--he decides he must visit Farquaad, which moves the story to the middle.
It's bad enough to die once, but it turns out for Bill, that he has to die over and over and over again. He also has to go on the battlefield over and over and over again, too. He keeps repeating the same events. This is enough to get him to try new tactics (and really, what other choice does he have?).
It's bad enough that Vash can't save everyone. But when it turns out the antagonists plan to destroy the whole human race, well, he can't live out life in donut-filled peace, playing cops and robbers with tykes. He has to act.
Inaction Stakes
If your passive character still really does not want to act, it's worth keeping in mind that inaction is an action--it just needs significant stakes. There needs to be negative ramifications for the protagonist not acting. Ideally, eventually these negative consequences get so big or so personal, that the protagonist has to do something about it.
For example, at one point, Vash decides to live under an alias and do nothing. He decides to be inactive. Unfortunately, this results in an entire town getting wiped out by the antagonist. Doing nothing has steep consequences. He needs to at least try to do something.
This can become a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation--where "damned if you do" at least carries a small chance of success over "damned if you don't."
At one point in Edge of Tomorrow, Bill decides to do nothing. He even goes to a bar to drink in the middle of the day. Guess what? He still has to repeatedly die. Whatever he does, he ends up dying, and having to repeat that time frame. He can either be endlessly in a tortuous loop where he dies, dies, and dies, or he can keep trying to fix the situation. On the surface, it seems like he has a lot of options, since he gets to make different choices each time he repeats the day, but 99% of them lead to the same outcome. So in reality, he has very few choices. Act and maybe die. Or don't act and keep dying.
Limit Options
Related to the last one, one way to push a passive character to act, is to limit her choices and the outcomes. In fact, if we want to take this to the real world, studies show that the more options people have, the less likely they are to make a choice--or even make a good choice.
Like Bill, when there aren't really any options, the protagonist will be pretty much forced to act. Either keep reliving the same torture or try to do something about it.
Add to it some kind of countdown or convergence, so that the protagonist has a very limited window to act, and she'll have to do something.
Stakes Reveal Character
How the protagonist acts when there are things at risk, will reveal what kind of person she is.
In this sense, one might argue, that by strengthening the stakes to get her to act, you are changing her character after all.
Or perhaps, it would be more accurate to say that you are now revealing who she truly is.
Whatever the case, it can become an argument of semantics.
Similar things can happen with the term "passive."
Just understand the concepts and the tools.
The Reluctant Hero
In most, if not all cases, a characteristically passive protagonist will create a reluctant hero. Shrek doesn't want to save Fiona. Bill doesn't want to win the war. Vash doesn't want to confront the antagonist. They just want something to not happen, more than they want to do The Thing™️.
In this sense, while the passive protagonist will ultimately still be acting within the plot (which is necessary to write a good story), he or she may still yearn for passivity.
Of course, the character's arc may possibly shift that yearning by the end.
And it should go without saying, that pretty much all these same tricks will work for passive side characters, as well--when you need to get them to act. For example, in The Office, Stanley is characteristically passive. He pretty much sits in silence and does crossword puzzles. But when pushed far enough, he will back talk his boss. And when he wants something bad enough (like a free pretzel on pretzel day), he'll actually act.  
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bonsai62 · 3 years
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I just realized something... I was talking to this person one time on a post before and as I was typing that’s when i realized something:
This is for my fellow Nobamaki & Itafushi shippers! If you guys don’t ship it then it’s okay! This is just like a small analysis in my eyes and the way I read things! I can be wrong or just love reaching on a shit ton of things but this is all for fun and I love sharing with you guys!
Let’s get started! Also, this contains spoilers!
Do you guys realize that Nobamaki/Itafushi actually parallel to each other? Let me explain in shitty English and basic grammar and vocabulary lol:
As I watch and read Jujutsu Kaisen I see a lot of parallels between characters; Gojo with Megumi or Yuji, Getou with Megumi and Yuji or Nobara and Maki... but what I want to parallel between characters is:
Yuji & Maki
1. Raw strength:
Both are hella fucking strong and for people who don’t have cursed techniques, they know how to kick fucking ass. What made me realize that both of them are the same is honestly during the baseball game. I like how we were able to see Maki and Yuji making a home run... okay well Momo fucked up Maki’s groove! Haha! But during the Tokyo vs Kyoto event, Maki and Yuji go ham on their enemy.
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Yes, Maki used weapons but still, we can’t deny she got good speed and strength that is similar to Yuji’s. That’s why I wish I can see them both doing a bad ass duo fight together.
I have a small headcanon that Yuji actually enjoys training with Maki the most because I feel like he can understand someone who shares similarity in natural raw strength and speed. And Maki feels the same way and it’s a good excuse to bully Yuji as a joke. I would honestly love to see that! Lol!
2. Their story:
Yuji and Maki honestly have it bad. Yuji loosing his only family member (his abuelo) and becoming Sukuna’s vessel which leads him to a future execution. For Maki is the fact that her family treated her like garbage and having to leave her sister behind and eventually her sister dying.
Both Maki and Yuji share that same pain when it comes to loosing someone. We saw Yuji with Junpei and in the Shibuya Arc with Nanamin and Noabra. Again, Maki the same with Mai.
I think what made me even realize it MORE on how alike and how they parallel with each other are these images right here and how they worded their final saying:
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In the Shibuya Arc, Yuji lost it. He lost it with Nanamin and Nobara (but luckily for Todo, he was able to pick his feet back up).
If I was Yuji, I would’ve reacted the same way because imagine having the idea you want to save people no matter what but people keeps dying around you or by you? It’s tiring and I would’ve had a mental breakdown too.
After kicking Mahito’s ass, Yuji says there is no reason anymore. For me, when Maki’s arc came it really reminded me of this:
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When Mai died and was killed by her own dad. Her dad took away someone who was precious to Maki no matter how much they didn’t get along. Maki really wanted to create the Zenin clan just for Mai to be safe and free.
Again, same with Maki, I would’ve killed the whole clan too because of how in general the Zenin clan is and how they treat people.
3. Having a “curse”:
Nanamin to Yuji: “You’ve got it from here”
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Mai to Maki: “destroy everything”
I don’t necessarily mean a curse curse but it’s more like final words that someone important to them said before dying.
For Yuji, he won’t die because Nanamin believes that Yuji can move forward and save the world.
As for Maki, Mai tells her to destroy everything in order for things to change (I might be wrong). It’s for the Zenin clan to start fresh. That is another way I kinda Interpreted (again, I can be wrong). Maki still isn’t done with destroying things plus she is going to move forward just like Yuji. 
I have a thing that if the higher ups find out about Maki, she would be on the verge of being executed as well. So imagine both Maki and Yuji together being executed.
Now on to the next pair!
Megumi & Nobara
Again, this is just me analyzing. But if you ship Itafushi and Nobamaki, you can actually see another pair that parallels to each other but so far I haven’t seen anyone compare them yet, or it’s just me lol!
1. No rivalries:
I think what I love about these ships so damn much is that there is NO RIVALRIES. Even if you don’t ship them you have to admit it is amazing seeing a m/m or f/f getting along without being damn rivals. I’m glad Gege decided not to do that especially towards the women because it does get so tiring that two women don’t like each other for no damn reason or fighting over the main guy or other main guy. At least when Nobara didn’t like Mai or Momo, she had a reason for not liking them.
And don’t get me started with Megumi and Yuji. I was so happy to finally see two boys be friends instead of the usual, boring rivalries. I’m a be honest with you, I was pretty shocked that Gege was able to make Megumi and Yuji be so close and trust each other as friends. It’s a breath of fresh air for the two ships like omg I was happy not seeing the basic shonen bullshit with the f/f and m/m relationship.
2. Hyping up their pairs:
What I mean by hyping them up, I’m talking about the potential that Maki and Yuji has that Nobara and Megumi sees from them. Nobara since the start acknowledge that Maki is strong and vice versa with Megumi with Yuji. What made me see that Nobara knows that Maki is just amazing and strong was during the baseball when Maki was able to hit almost a home run. Nobara just knew that Maki would be able to make that home run but again Momo ruined her moment! Lol!
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As for Megumi, we see while the Tokyo students came up with a strategy to win against the Kyoto students, we see him saying that Yuji can actually beat all their asses without curse energy or energy(one of those). Megumi reassures to people that Yuji can take care of himself and is very useful. Another time Megumi reassured that Yuji is strong is when he was in his bed healing from Hanami’s attacks and when they fought tiger against that one dude (forgot his name)
3. Thinking about them/defending them:
Now… this is really what made me think why Nobara and Megumi parallel with each other
It’s becasue I feel like they’re the ones who are more attached and over protective with Yuji and Maki than how Maki and Yuji are with them.
Now, I’m not saying it’s vice verse with Maki and Yuji. But I’m talking about how Nobara and Megumi expresses it. Let me explain:
While reading and watching JJK, we see how Nobara is with Maki compared to anyone else. And no, I’m not saying that Nobara isn’t overprotective with Megumi or Yuji but just the way she is towards Maki. I would honest love to see how these girls got along and how they became close!
Ever since Maki and Nobara had that deep conversation about why Maki choose to be a sorcerer, that is when I actually started shipping them because of how much respect Nobara has towards Maki and it continues to develop more and more with the two of them. We saw how Nobara got super defensive when she fought against Mai (First time) and started dissing Mai. The second time was with Momo, when she was straight up talking shit about Maki.
I love how when Nobara was talking about Maki and Yuji when fighting against Momo. However, I felt a different vibe towards it as well. What I mean by that is that I got more of a “big sister vibe” toward Yuji and a “I love and respect Maki”
But again, I feel like Nobara had some sort of feeling and attachment toward Maki ever since that fight with Momo and more than anyone else too. However, that is just me though! You do t have to agree with my reaching!
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For Megumi and Yuji… First of all… Megumi would not hesitate to pull a trigger if anyone is trying to harm Yuji. What made me see that was against Kamo and the Kyoto students. I swear that day Megumi was literally about to commit murder.
Yeah, Nobara got pissed but she went easy on them, but Megumi didn’t. Oh no, he was about to commit a felony. He wanted all the smoke. He wanted that curse. I swear I even felt how pissed he was. I just feel like every time and separates, shit goes down the wrong way and everything goes wrong.
For me, shipping Megumi and Yuji is a whole ass different post but I won’t do that lmao same with Nobamaki because I can write a whole ass essay why I love how compatibly/perfect for each other lol
Bonus:
But guess what… during the Kyoto and Tokyo event, same shit happened with Megumi like Nobara: Megumi was thinking of Tsumiki and Yuji. And again, I felt like it was still different when Megumi was thinking of Tsumiki and Yuji. I find it crazy how Nobara and Megumi were thinking about two people during that event:
Nobara: Maki & Yuji Megumi: Yuji & Tsumiki
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This is my personal favorite image of Nobara and Megumi. *wink wink* it’s basically the same image on who is important to to them.
Again, for Nobara and Yuji’s relationship, I just love the way it is. She gives me “big sister” energy towards Yuji and vice verse. Yuji and Nobara are those chaotic siblings that are the hyper ones while Megumi and Maki are the chill ones that can actually keep them down. There has been one occasion where both Megumi and Maki calms Yuji and Nobara down because of how they were acting and I’m not gonna lie it’s kinda cute lmao:
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4. Not leaving them:
During the Shibuya Arc, Maki and Nobara separates but at one panel, Nanamin was telling Nobara and Nitta that he was going to join the Zenins. Nobara quickly picked her head up and suggested that she wanted to join him in order for her to be with Maki (this is a stretch but hey Iike being dramatic) however, Nanamin quickly declines her and tells her that it’s too dangerous. I think she was disappointed that she couldn’t go, but hey, Nanamin is a gentleman and he knows when a child is gonna end up getting hurt. I thought it was cute that she was super worried about Maki and just doesn’t care and wanting to join her.
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Now, up the recent chapters, Megumi really shows us that he doesn’t want Yuji leaving him or he wants to stay by his side. Those few chapters really made my heart feel some type of way because it just the way Megumi is for Yuji and I can honestly feel how much he cares for him. As I mentioned above, I feel like everything goes to shit when those two aren’t together and I hope that they develop more and more. There has been two more occasions where Fushi doesn’t want Yuji to be left behind; one during when they were in prison and the second during the fight against Hanamin. The eyes that Fushiguro gives Yuji is full of trauma and careness.
In conclusion, I can’t wait for Nobamaki and Itafushi to develop more and more in future chapters. Again, you guys don’t have to agree with me on this. This is just for fun and sharing is fun too! If I’m overreaching then I’m sorry I just can’t help it :(!!
I hope you guys enjoyed my lil analysis! I’m sorry for the bad writing, I’m not very good at translating my feelings as I’m typing because my brain goes all over the place lol! But please, feel free to comment or give me an ask! I’ll be happy to elaborate more for you guys!
Stay safe y’all! And good night or morning!
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cjsinkythoughts · 3 years
Text
FATWS One Shot #2 - The Beginning of a Family
Word Count: 1804
Warnings: Cursing, Mentions of Human Trafficking (once, it was a mission Reader did), Minor Character Injury
Setting/Characters: The first half-ish of The Avengers in 2012; Reader, Steve Rogers, Nick Fury, Natasha Romanoff, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Thor, Mentions of Loki, Phil Coulson, and Clint Barton, OC!Agent Anderson
A/N: Here’s One Shot Number 2! I was thinking of making it longer and adding the actual Battle of Manhattan, but I dunno if I’m gonna do that. I just wanted these to be One Shots of first meetings and other smaller events. I didn’t want to do scene-for-scene two parters. If you want me to, I can, I don’t mind doing it, I just wasn’t planning on it. I’ve kinda been slacking today, which is why I haven’t cranked out more than this one, but I’ll see if I can finish one more for tonight. Tomorrow’s another late night for me at work, BUT! Tomorrow night FATWS comes out! So I will be doing the next Episode! I also don’t have Friday off this week, so the Parts might bleed into Saturday, but they will come this weekend!
Reminder that this has nothing to do with FATWS the show, but I don’t have a title for my FATWS Series, which is what these are based off of, so this is what they’re called for now! If you have any ideas for names, feel free to send them in! I’m just too lazy to come up with something clever for the whole Series.
Thank you so much for reading! As always, not beta’d so please excuse any mistakes! Be kind to yourselves and others! Stay tuned and enjoy!
FATWS Masterlist
cjsinkythoughts Masterlist
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You were exhausted, coming back from an assignment that lasted a little over two months. It’d been your first one since you were assigned to help Steve adjust, and you were guessing they’d keep you on desk duty for a few months before sending you back out again. Which frustrated you to no end.
But then you got back your personal cell phone from a fellow agent and, seeing you had a few  voicemails - which you never had - you flipped it on.
“Hi, Y/N.” Your lips turned up at the man you started growing close to over the past year. “I-I know you’re on a mission right now. I mean, you just left last week. Anyways, I just…I hope you’re doin’ okay. You probably won’t get this until later, but…still. I hope you’re safe. I, uh, I got that book. The one you were joking about me getting. The U.S. History for Dummies one. It goes farther back than I need to know, but I still read all of it. It helped. I wish you were here though. But I know you’re working. And that’s important. Um… I guess I’ll see you in a few months.”
The phone beeped before the next message played. “I took your advice. I got a sketchbook and some other stuff. There’s a ton of new supplies. I’m kinda excited to try them out. Maybe they’re not new but they’re more accessible now than they used to be. And I found a gym. In Brooklyn. It’s kinda run down - a hole in the wall type place - but they don’t do memberships and they don’t care how long you stay as long as you pay for your time. So that’s nice. I guess. Anyways…hi. I don’t think I said that earlier. It’s Steve, by the way. But you probably guessed that. Um…that’s all. I just wanted to let you know. Stay safe, honey. Abbyssinia.”
You listened to the next couple ones, all along the same lines. Steve telling you about his day; about the dog he was allowed to pet on his run or the different coffee he tried this morning at your previous suggestion. You snickered a little, shaking your head. You would never guessed that Hitler hitting, Nazi punching Captain America was so…soft. Cute.
His last voicemail was from earlier that morning, and it made her brow furrow. “Hey, honey. I, uh…God, I really wish you were here. I was told you’d be getting back last week, but then they said it might be another couple weeks because something happened? I hope nothing happened. Please be okay. I’ve really missed you. I know it’s only been a year, but…you’re the only familiar thing I have right now. I guess Fury was right to choose you since you were the first person I saw. There’s a, uh, problem. Fury’s got a mission for me. Some guy named Loki stole the Tesseract. Which was HYDRA’s secret weapon. That blue cube thing. I was just getting used to laptops and fast food and this…it’s just a lot. Overwhelming. You were always good at making things less intimidating. I’ve gotta go. Some SHIELD personnel are picking me up now. We’re going to…somewhere. I’m sure you would know, but they haven’t exactly told me. Hoping to see you soon, Y/N. Please be safe.”
You frowned at the information, looking up at one of your fellow agents, Anderson. “Hey.” He turned his head towards you from his conversation with the copilot. “Is something going on at HQ?”
“The Helicarrier.” Anderson corrected. “Fury just called it in. Something with the Tesseract. And some guy’s mind controlling people. He’s got Barton, apparently. The director is bringing a few people on board; Banner, Stark, Romanoff. Rogers, too, I heard. He wants you to be there ASAP, so we’re going there now.”
Letting out a sigh, you rubbed your eyes and nodded. “Alright. Let’s go see what’s going on.”
*************************
Fury met you as you walked off the jet, lugging your duffle bag over your shoulder. You were still in your clothes from the mission; a human trafficking ring in Guam. Dirty, torn up jeans along with a white tank top hugging your torso and a flannel, unbuttoned, over your shoulders. One of your sneakers had a hole in it, too, and you were walking with a slight limp from the dislocated kneecap you got a few days prior.
“Agent.” He nodded in greeting, passing you a file. “The others are waiting. We just brought in Loki.”
You chewed your cheek, narrowing your eyes as you scanned the information in the file. It had personal files of the others, but you didn’t need to look through those. You knew Natasha very well, considering she taught you half the things you know, along with Barton. You knew Stark - of course you did - especially after you helped set Natasha up to be his secretary a while back. Banner you were also knowledgeable about, seeing as you went undercover to find him when he first took off and had been part of the tracking team on him ever since. Thor you had learned about after his fiasco in New Mexico from Coulson. And, last but certainly not least, Steve Rogers, who you knew better than any file could explain.
“Walk me through this; Thor and Loki are the real Thor and Loki? Like, from Norse myths?”
“Apparently so. You know about the New Mexico incident with the two last year, don’t you?”
You nodded, pinching your lips together tightly. “Well, yeah, but I thought…I dunno. I guess it just didn’t click. So,” you tucked the file under your arm securely, raising an eyebrow at Fury. “We’re fighting a god? An actual god?”
“With an army of aliens.” He confirmed.
“Wonderful.” You huffed as the two of you turned a corner, making your way onto the bridge, just in time to hear Stark talking to Banner about him turning into the Hulk.
“Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube.” Fury butted in. You crossed your arms behind Fury, leaning on your good leg. “I was hoping you might join him. Before you do, this is-” 
“Y/N! You’re back!”
You shot a grin to the blonde, who perked up upon seeing you. “Hi, Steve. Just in time, too, huh.” You nudged Natasha slightly. “Hey, Nat. Sorry about Clint.”
She shrugged. “I’m just glad you’re here to help.”
“I’m sorry.” You looked over to find Banner frowning contemplatively at you. “Do I know you?”
You opened your mouth to answer, but Fury beat you to it. “Formalities later. Y/L/N, we’ll bring you up to speed-”
“I’ll get there, sir. How are you boys planning on tracking down the Tesseract?” You questioned, nodding in the two geniuses’ direction.
“I’d start with that stick of his.” Steve suggested, turning to look at the duo as well. “It may be magical but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon.”
“I don’t know about that, but it is powered by the Cube.” Fury stated. “And I’d like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys.”
A tall, broad as hell blonde looked at Fury, confused. “Monkeys? I do not understand-”
“I do!” Steve jumped in, pointing at Thor, before leaning back in his seat at the silence that came after his exclamation. “I-I understood that reference.”
You chuckled and shook your head, winking at Steve when he smiled bashfully at you. As the two scientists - was Stark a scientist? - started heading out, Steve hopped up, padding over to you.
“You’re back early.”
“Late, technically.” You shrugged, letting him pull you in for a hug, your hand rubbing his back. “I got your calls.”
He pulled away, his ears turning red. “Oh, yeah. I, uhm-”
You sniggered. “It’s fine, Steve. You can call me whenever you need to. I’m just sorry I couldn’t answer you sooner.”
“You were working.” He shrugged half heartedly. “Did it go okay? Are you okay?”
“Yes, Steven. I’m fine.” You rolled your eyes just as a yawn threatened to escape your lips. “If not a little tired.” You tapped on the star against his chest. “Nice suit, by the way.”
“Ha ha.” He grinned, eyeing your own clothing. “You’re matching me.” He tugged on the red, white, and blue flannel hanging from your arms. “You also look like shit.”
You snorted. “Wow. What a gentleman. Let’s get this whole Loki situation over with so I can go to bed, yeah?”
He chuckled a little with a nod. “Sounds like a plan, honey.” The two of you started out of the bridge. “You should shower first, though.”
“You’re a bully, you know that?”
“I’m just sayin’!”
“I’m just sayin’!” You mocked with a huff. “Leave me be, Rogers.”
His laughter was cut short, making you look over at him curiously, only to find his slitted eyes studying your movements. “Why are you limping?”
“Relax, Captain. I just dislocated my knee. It’s fine. Shit happens on missions, you know that.”
“Is that why you came back late?”
Shaking your head, you lead him to one of the private rooms the Helicarrier had so you could shower and change. “No. I just needed a little more time. That’s all. Now let’s focus on the problem at hand. We can talk more later.”
He hesitated, leaning against the doorway and watching you set your bag on the small cot.  “Okay. As long as you’re alright.”
Your heart jumped a bit at the concern laced in his tone, the apprehension in those blue eyes - which you found out had some green in them - making your breath hitch slightly. “I am.” You spoke softly with a firm nod of your head, trying to assure him and his worries. “I promise.”
“I’m gonna go check on Banner and Stark, then. Come find me when you’re done.”
You cleared your throat to recover yourself, throwing him a cheeky grin. “Aye, aye, Captain.”
He rolled his eyes with a smile, before turning and walking out, leaving you alone and confused.
What was that? You’d never had that reaction to anything. Your heart doesn’t race whenever someone walks in the room. Not like it did with him. What the hell did that even mean?
You shook your head, clearing your throats. You didn’t have time to dwell on that now. You doubted it was anything more than a fluke. You were just tired and seeing someone familiar, who was genuinely excited to see you was like a breath of fresh air after your operation. That’s all. Yeah.
With that decided, you headed to the shower, head spinning with new thoughts of this problem with the God of Mischief and that stupid blue cube.
All Works Taglist (Open):
@happygoreading​ @bibliophilewednesday​
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animeyanderelover · 3 years
Note
Hey uhh I really liked the Killua with ADHD s/o so... Ciel, Levi, Hange, Shaiapouf and Meruem, with ADHD reader (in the form of headcanons) .. also take your time :)
Wow, not gonna lie. I was already happy when I finally got to write something about the Chimera Ants already once. But to be able to write about a few of them again. I apologize if I didn’t get something accurate.
Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, obsessiveness, possessiveness, threatening, degrading, delusions, ADHD, violence, brutal behavior, killing
ADHD: ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a complex brain disorder. ADHD is a development impairment of the brain’s executive functions. It causes trouble with impulse-control, focusing and organization.
s/o has ADHD
Ciel Phantomhive
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☕️Ciel isn't the best nor is he the worst to have with his darling having ADHD. He doesn't hate you for it, he knows you can't do anything against it since it's not your fault. You were just born with it and there's nothing you could have done. So he does try to be as understanding and patient with you as possible. But keep in mind that Ciel can get rather easily annoyed if his buttons are pushed the right way. So I feel like if he realizes that he's near his limit, he would somewhat push you away and let Sebastian or the other servants deal with you. This might hurt your feelings, but Ciel is actually frightened that he'll say something hurtful to you and for that leaves you. Would later on apologize and try to make it up to you. He himself isn't very familiar with ADHD, but is a smart boy and has his demon butler with him.
☕If you should tend to lose motivation and focus quickly, lose your things and don't seem to listen too someone when being talked to then you actually don't have to worry too much. Because Sebastian and the servants will do anything for you, meaning you don't have to worry about being forced to do cores. You losing things can of course annoy Ciel, especially if they were expensive or he needed them himself. Luckily his butler finds them always quickly. He would grow definitely a lot more controlling over his s/o because they keep forgetting things, leading him to scheduling out their whole day from the moment they wake up to the moment they go back to bed. Ciel also tries to not make you focus on something too long since you lose quickly interest. It's agitating in a way for him since he hates it when he gets the feeling that you don't pay attention to him, but he reminds himself that you can't do anything against it.
☕If you should be the more hyperactive one, Ciel will definitely have to leave you very often alone. Ciel isn't good with very energetic and loud people since he's constantly surrounded by such persons. He really does extend his string of patience a lot with you, but he feels kind of insulted whenever you suddenly blurt in when he's talking. Also nearly goes crazy whenever you can't sit still for a minute somewhere, tapping your feet and playing with your fingers. Your hyperactivity exhausts him and the only reason he puts up with it without lashing out on you is because you can't do anything against it and because he loves you. Hates leaving you alone because he's afraid that you'll climb up somewhere or touch some weapons or things which might hurt you. So whilst it makes him tick off, he will have you stick near him very often and if he needs to calm down, he'll order Sebastian to watch over you since that guy's the most capable of handling you.
☕Reputation is important for Ciel and as arrogant this may sound, feel like he wouldn't tell many people about you since he doesn't want to be judged for being in love with someone many nobles would describe as 'unsuitable'. He can gladly pass on the whole 'You-could-have-chosen-better' talk. A less selfish reason is that he is due to the way you are incredibly overprotective of you. Next to being a bit embarassed, he understands that you would probably not want to hear others talking trash about you. He lives in a very difficult time where people were more judging than they might be today. This openmindness wasn't as present as today and behavior was especially under people from higher society very important. Ciel knows that and it leads him to shielding you from the outside world.
☕I feel like the people in the manor are all really open-minded and would accept you open-heartedly which will lift a bit weight from Ciel's shoulders. Sebastian has infinite patience and Bardroy, Tanaka, Mey-Rin and Finny just really like his darling. It gives Ciel the feeling that he can trust and rely on them and whilst he definitely keeps a sharp eye on the human servants since they tend to be more clumsy which might end in an accident. After Sebastian Tanaka might be the most trusted, that is if he is in his real form. This gives Ciel a sense of ease because when he hurt you unintended, he knows he can count on them to be there for you and comfort you. Mey-Rin, Finny, Bardroy and Tanaka will over time grow just as their master overprotective over you.
Shaiapouf
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🎻Here we have to keep in mind that Shaiapouf changed his type and behavior for his darling. I think during the first time when he was a stricter Yandere, he had a harder time dealing with this. Because back then it was all about perfection for Shaiapouf and this was somewhat of a flaw his darling had. After reading a whole day books about it, he did get that his s/o didn't choose to be this way, but it led him to being a bit harsh on them neverthless. When he reached the point of total adoration and devotion, that changed of course and all of a sudden, his view on all of this changed. It wasn't any longer a flaw, it was a unique trait his royalty had and Shaiapouf swore to himself to treat them like a loyal servant should.
🎻During the first stage he definitely tended to be very controlling, probably even forcing you into doing things even when you lost focus and/or motivation. At that time Shaiapouf just had very high expectations for you and you just happened to go against his perfect and ideal picture he had in mind. He forced you to educate yourself better, he forced you into learning the violin or another instrument, all because this perfect image of you was stuck in his head. And he scolded you every time he noticed that you stopped doing it once again. It was definitely not an easy time. So when he entered his worshipper mode it is most likely a huge relief for his darling. Because now he doesn't care about all of this anymore, the only thing he is focused on is protecting his king/queen and keep them happy. Now he doesn't lash out when you lose your things or seem to not listen to him. He's past total devotion and infatuation and due to his never-ending amount of patience with you a lot easier to be with. You don't have to move a finger anymore because he insists on doing anything for you now.
🎻The stricter version of him also wouldn't tolerate it if you should be too energetic, keep interrupting him or can't sit still without somehow move your limps or even do indecent things. He always tries to keep in mind that it's somewhat of a sickness, but for him it was then all about manners and good behavior and so he did try to forcefully change your way of being, always scolding you and trying to teach you how to act properly. For a worshipper Shaiapouf this is a no-go and even thinking back on how he even dared to think that he had the authority to try to change his already and always perfect majesty has him devastatedly sobbing. HOW DARE HE?! Now he honestly doesn't care anymore when you interrupt him, constantly act energetic or even scream at him in excitement. He's obsessive and due to that tends to focus really intensely on your behavior, he's beyond relieved that he didn't damage you with his previous way of acting. His majesty shouldn't change because of him. The only thing that makes him badly paranoid is when you act a bit too reckless which might end with you getting hurt. This makes Shaiapouf always fly panicked to you, preventing you from doing whatever you were about to do and try to coax you into doing something where he knows you won't get hurt.
🎻He used to somewhat degrade you and make you feel bad about yourself before too, inveighing constantly that you should and could do better if you would just try a bit harder. It has him going on a crying rampage later on because even thinking about how he used to say those words at you and not caring when you looked hurt at him inflicts an unbelievable amount of pain onto him. If he should ever even think that you still resent him for it, you have him kneeling in front of you whilst sobbing and begging for forgiveness even though he knows he doesn't deserve it. That's the exact reason he is even more anxious of ever letting you under humans again. He's frightened that they will not only kill you, but also talk down to you because of your ADHD. It gives him nasty heart attacks all the time and if he should ever find out that there was someone in your old hometown that bullied you because of this, he will remove named disgrace shortly after because it makes him absolutely furious when he hears that someone didn't respects and worships you the way he does. Blames also himself for not making you feel worthy enough if you yourself should think lowly of yourself.
🎻You all can probably guess it, but after becoming a worshipper, it will become a lot more easier for the s/o to endure life a bit better with Shaiapouf because now he doesn't see their ADHD as a flaw anymore, but as a special trait that has to be adored and protected. He will do now about anything and everything for you. Shaiapouf is in this case even more dependent on your approval because he's horrified of how unworthy he used to treat you and misreads things constantly, instantly blaming it on how he used to be. It can be as much as you reacting a bit too late to him because you weren't focused and then you already have him crying. He's still a lot to deal with, but it's better for your mental health to not be discriminated for your ADHD anymore and being told that you could do better.
Meruem
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👑Just like Pouf, he had a change in his overall behavior which needs to be looked over. Let's just say that at first he was totally terrifying with dealing and accepting it. Different from Pouf he's the type to blame you for this even if you really couldn't do anything about it. It's a dangerous gamble in here because he used to expect total obedience and behavior from you and annoying him or going against his wishes ended with him hurting and scaring you on a daily base. After he had his transformation to a slightly better Yandere, he became totally fascinated with this, suddenly being interested a lot more about ADHD and informing himself properly.
👑It won't go well if you don't stay focused whilst he is doing something with you or he gets the impression that you don't listen when he's talking to you. It ends with him talking terribly down to you, pocking cruel fun at you for being so stubborn, dumb and weak and can even end with him hurting you physically when he's had enough. Later on he would be still somewhat grumpy and annoyed whenever you forget things or lose focus and don't listen to him. But now he came to the terms of accepting that this isn't your fault to start with and for that won't lash out on you anymore. He just checks on you and makes sure that you don't forget to look after your own health.
👑Being loud and interrupting others because you can't wait for your turn might be even worse than being unfocused and forgetful in here. Meruem is a king, you have to treat him like one and obey him. And being all impatient, not letting him finish his sentences and even yelling at him is such a huge sign of disrespect that Meruem used to think that you are either out of your mind or have a death wish. It ended so often with you crying afterwards, either because he had terrorized you or really hurt you. That changed of course later on, he still was somewhat annoyed by all of this, but now he just tends to clamp a hand over your mouth when he realizes that you're about to suddenly start speaking again. He doesn't like being interrupted. He proves to have more tolerance with you constantly being hyped up and even expects his royal guards, execept Pouf, to be ready to troll around with you when you seem too energetic. Since he knows that you can be very careless, he never lets you leave his sight, especially when his butterfly servant or another chimera ant is around.
👑He honestly used to be the worst when it came to talking bad to you and about you. He called you weak, pathetic, useless and many other things. He just thought that you should be grateful for him to even keep you since you were a sore for his eyes to see. But he also saw himself at that time as the only one who was allowed to talk like this, ending in him killing everyone who did the same. He owned you and only he had the right to do this to you. That changed after he softened up. Now he kills everyone who talks bad about you because he cares and I believe Shaiapouf might just really get himself killed because he simply does not see you as a worthy partner for his king.
👑Neferpitou and Youpi adore you and whilst Meruem is on alert whenever they are near you, it's nothing compared to hen Pouf is with you in the room. Meruem will never, NEVER, trust this guy when he's near you. The only person he really trusts you around is Komugi, since he cares about her as well and since Komugi never judges you to begin with. He feels sorry if he should have left any sort of trauma on you because he used to try to really break you so you would finally behave. That makes him really careful when he's now acting around you because he's somewhat worried he'll break you if he isn't gentle enough with you.
Hanji/Hange Zoë
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🔬Hanji is someone who doesn't care about this at all. They're incredibly open-minded with everything and tend to be very special and peculiar in their own sense. Similar to their fascination with Titans, they will suddenly become to an unhealthy extent curious about ADHD, staying up nights to read books and maybe even ask people who know someone who has this disorder. It adds oddly up to their obsession they have with you and whenever you do something that is connected to this, they get scarily interested about it. Their interest about ADHD would go because of their darling from zero to thousand in only a short amount of time.
🔬Hange doesn't mind it that much if you don't really pay attention to things even though it can be a bit embarassing from time to time since they tend to start rambling exitedly about things only to realize a lot more later that you stopped listening ages ago. But Hange isn't someone who gets discouraged very easily and won't blame you for it. They are very lenient when it comes to you forgetting things, since they are a bit like you in that matter, even though they only forget things which aren't important for them. Also shows a lot of tolerance when you keep forgetting to do your cores or just lose motivation in it. They are also on the messier and forgetful side when it comes to taking care of themself. But what counts for them, doesn't count for you so the moment they thing you start lacking to look after your own health or the conditions you live in because of your laziness become too extreme, they will step in and help you with cleaning up. Whilst trying to keep you as motivated for as long as possible, they won't be angry or disappointed if they have to do it alone because you lost motivation.
🔬If you should show symptoms of hyperactivity and too much enthusiasm and excitement, you're a match made in heaven for Hanji, even though Levi tends to call you two a match made in hell because now he has to endure two of you. But honestly, Hanji shows a lot of similarities in this case. They can be really thrilled and driven by an invisible motor as well, not to mention that if they're too excited about something, they tend to cut people off before they finished speaking as well. But they do know when to stay quiet or become more serious whilst you don't, but it isn't like Hanji gets ever annoyed or angry with you. They find it even quite endearing since you remind them so much of themself. For the most part they will let you be, even though definitely stopping you when realizing that you're about to get too reckless. I can see them as even being the type of person who will be all excited with you together and do stupid things together. Not only because they just really enjoy being silly together, but also to look after you.
🔬They're not surprisingly very much angered whenever someone makes a wrong comment about their darling's way of acting around. Hange knows that people tend to get annoyed with heir darling and even see them as a nuisance. And that makes them mad. They really have no tolerance for such people who think they can judge someone without even knowing how they feel. And it's their darling we're talking about after all which makes them even more furious. Even Levi has to be a bit more careful. Hange definitely shows a lot more patience with him, Erwin and people they're close too, but even here they can become eerily quiet the moment someone says something too extreme or they notice that you're hurt. Whilst not caring what other people, except their darling, think about them, they care very much when it comes to whether people think bad about their s/o or not. Especially if you should feel insecure they would be a lot more on alert.
🔬Hanji's acceptance is a good thing to have since they don't judge you or get annoyed with you being like you are. They want you to be yourself after all. They don't baby you like many others, but it does lead to them becoming a bit more clingy, especially if you're the hyperactive type. If you don't live together with them, they always pop up very often to check if they have to help you a bit or not. Also has this odd quirk of making notes about your behavior because at this point it's safe to say that they reached the point of unhealthy obsessiveness, everything you do is being absobered by them. It's a bit unhinging to witness, but it makes it easier for Hanji to deal with your behavior even better since they know at some point what to expect and how to counter if it might endanger you. One thing, you're not going to be scout under any means because Hanji totally fears that either you'll lose focus or get too overxcited, and not in a good way.
Levi Ackerman
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⚔️At the beginning it might be a bit more hard for Levi to adjust to all of this. Given the fact that he's obsessive and collects rapidly informations about you, he'll find out about this very early on, talking to neighbours, your friends and other people you're familiar with. And of course he'll start informing himself about all of this, but he has just a short string of patience and is easy to annoy. He knows he really can't let his ire out on you since you can't do anything about it, but sometimes your behavior just really tugs on his nerves since he isn't the best with people who are either unfocused or too active for their own good. So similar to Ciel at the beginning he might distance himself out of fear to say something too harsh to you. He doesn't want to scare you.
⚔️Levi would step in a lot into your private life if you should keep forgetting to clean up a lot and lose daily things. Neglecting hygiene, tidiness and maybe even your own health is such a huge red cross for him. He would be definitely a lot more controlling than usual and come over everyday to check on you and the condition your house is in. And if he thinks it isn't cleaned up? Guess who's staying for a bit longer to wash and scrub, doing your laundry and organizing your things? He might even try due to that to speed things up to get you to move in with him quicker so he can really make sure that you will never forget about such important things again. I can funnily see him as someone who won't be as mad as some people might think he would be. He's of course pissed that you either forget to look after the house and you or just lack motivation, but it gets attenuated due to him knowing that you don't do it because you're really lazy or because you aren't interested in it. He will still try to push you into at least helping a bit, but he can and will play the role of the housewife. Prefers it maybe even that way since he gets things done like he wants too.
⚔️With a more pumped up darling he will have troubles at first. It isn't like he isn't used to such people, he knows quite a few of those. But with his s/o this is just a bit of a different story since he really tries to avoid being harsh or mean to them which he would have been normally with those kind of persons. He might seek some advice from Hange since he knows that he is not the best when it comes to being patient. He might even let you spend time with them when he gets a bit overwhelmed with your energy since despite being annoyed with them most of the time, Levi trusts them. He would be gone for a bit to collect his thoughts before coming back with his emotions having calmed down. Will with time however learn how to deal with you being all bubbly and hyped. But he also will definitely watch over you more carefully since due to your too active personality you tend to do things that might be dangerous. It's one of the reasons he often gets mad at Hanji when he has to leave you alone. They are willing to do such things with you which triggers his overprotective side a lot.
⚔️Disrespectful brats aren't tolerated from him in all scenarios. But when it comes to disrespecting his darling, his reaction is definitely the most intense one. Whilst Levi admits that he himself struggles sometimes and finds himself annoyed by this, he would never insult you on purpose and if he does he apologizes later on. There's of course a difference between just pointing something out or really being mean with the intention to be. Levi can tell which is which and will act accordingly. He doesn't say anything if someone just points something out with the intention of wanting to be friendly since he's like this as well. But if someone insults you or pokes fun at you that's a different story in which Levi will shove someone's face into the dirt with demanding an apology. Would be a bit nagging when you seem to get discouraged very easily, complaining that you're too sensitive, but would still be in the end always comfort you when you're down.
⚔️Will literally not let you do anything dangerous since he's worried you'll lose focus and hurt yourself because you aren't careful enough. If you should even mention that you want to be a scout or anything like this, you'll have him instantly being over you and ordering you to stop thinking such a ridiculous thing. Levi tends to overthink everything a bit due to you having ADHD. Hange is probably the person he's the most calm around when with you since he knows that they are the last person who would judge you and from all persons he knows, he just has the most trust in them even though he tends to give them a rather long and harsh lecture whenever they tried something stupid with you.
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*slides in on heelies* When Todoroki found out what bkg did to Midoriya, he lured bkg out of the dorms to fight. He used his fire this time.
Y E S ! ! !
Thank you so much for this, this is going to be a relatively long post, so I am apologize!
TW: @bu$e
Todoroki never liked bakugou and mudoriya’s interactions. They always seemed so hauntingly familiar to him. When he learned why, he was furious.
He would sigh thinking about how it all started. They had just been studying
Todoroki had asked Midoriya his thoughts on one of the questions, only to find that the other boy had fallen asleep
Todoroki was happy that Midoriya was finally getting some sleep. He always over exerted and over extended himself. Helping their classmates, excessive training, trying to help anything that was breathing.
Or not breathing. Todoroki had caught Midoriya spending a number of hours tending to UA’s gardens and talking to the flowers there. Sunshine incarnate. An angel.
Anyway, he was happy that Midoriya was finally getting some rest. Until, that is, he started having a nightmare.
Todoroki is no stranger to nightmares, but he was still hesitant as to how he should help Midoriya
He tried to help talk the other boy through his nightmare, but when it became apparent that that wasn’t going to work. He shook Midoriya awake, and asked if he wanted to talk about his nightmare
Midoriya ended up talking about how he didn’t get his quirk until the entrance exam, and how Bakugou and his cronies bullied and @bu$ed him for over a decade.
Todoroki was metaphorically, and quite literally, fuming. How could someone hurt sunshine incarnate? Midoriya was the most selfless and kind person Todoroki had ever met, how could Bakugou hurt him to the point of having PTSD?
He felt guilty that he hadn’t done anything before. He had seen how uncomfortable Midoriya had been around bakugou, and he had done nothing?! What kind of a friend was he??
Midoriya had shown him some of the scars Bakugou had given him, and ah yes; that was red he was seeing.
They talk for the next few hours, Midoriya spilling his entire life story. Todoroki offers encouragement and support (he is doing better than he thinks he is)
The next day Todoroki is very robotic. He’s reverted to the way he acted at the beginning of the school year. The main difference, is how protective he is of Midoriya throughout the day.
What’s worse, is that he got paired up to spar with Bakugou.
It does not go well. Todoroki acts a second before the timer starts and freezes bakugou entirely.
Bakugou reacts the exact way you would expect: screaming that it wasn’t a fair fight, and that Todoroki wasn’t using his all, and how he’s better than Todoroki, and will be the #1 hero, etc.
Midoriya is worried for both of them, and tries to smooth things over. Todoroki is just kind of numb right then. Midoriya had been through so much, and was still just trying to help everyone. To mediate the situation and make everyone happy. Todoroki was numb but also in awe at how strong and incredible Midoriya was.
Bakugou did not take it that way. Instead, he says that Deku is looking down on him, and how he needs to, “shut up and mind his own business, useless deku”
That’s the last straw for Todoroki. He snaps and starts yelling at Bakugou. Telling him that if he wants to be a hero, he should stop acting like a villain.
Aizawa breaks up the brewing fight, but later that night Bakugou runs into Todoroki in the courtyard; asking, “what the hell is your problem, icy hot?!”
Todoroki says that bakugou had wanted him to use his full power earlier, well; here he goes.
Property is destroyed. Aizawa is not payed enough. Todoroki and Bakugou both get suspended. Midoriya is frustrated. Todoroki feels guilty.
If he exploded, and used his fire to hurt someone when he was angry, what he that much better than his father? He tormented himself for a majority of the night.
Later that night, Midoriya goes to Todoroki’s room to ask, “hey, what the hell was that about?”
Todoroki tells him more about his father, his “training” methods, and the boys find that their stories are quite similar. He tells him how he felt guilty, but how he wanted to protect Midoriya. How important izuku’s safety and happiness was.
Izuku softens at that, saying that Todoroki was nothing like his father. That he was using his fire for good, to try and help Izuku. That they could bring endeavor down in 24 hours. 24 hours and Todoroki could be safe.
Todoroki says that they could bring bakugou down as well. They could tell Aizawa what he’s done, and he could be expelled, or at the least be moved to a different class!
Izuku says that he would feel too guilty, because Kacchan has people who consider him a friend, and that aren’t just cronies. But Todoroki disagrees. He’s seen the uncomfortable looks sero, Mina, and kaminari have given Bakugou. Sometimes even Kirishima.
Todoroki finds that Uraraka already knows about bakugou, hence why she is also so protective of Izuku when it comes to Bakugou. Tsu, Shinsou, Tokoyami, and Momo had suspected something similar as well. He ends up asking them to help him try and move Bakugou to another class at least, if not have him expelled.
How far they pushed was mainly determined on Izuku, but his safety and well-being came before his moral code. Especially since the fight, bakugou had been even more violent. The Kiricrew started to separate themselves from him, not that Bakugou payed much mind to it.
In the end, they got Izuku to agree and tell Aizawa about Bakugou. He explained his whole past: getting his quirk the day of the entrance exam, the constant bullying and @bu$e, his scars, etc.
Aizawa was horrified that he hadn’t noticed. Guilty that he had pushed them to work together so much because he thought it was simply a childhood feud.
Mic and Midnight were stricken: they had let one of the most determined and hardworking students suffer for months, and didn’t think much of it at all.
Bakugou was expelled, and class A had a lot less tension.
Izuku was still waiting for the go ahead to destroy endeavor. Todoroki wasn’t exactly silent about hating his father, but he hadn’t gone into much detail white those other than Midoriya and a few members of the Izucrew.
After break one time, Todoroki came back with excessive bruises, burns, and a fractured arm. Now it was Izuku’s turn to snap.
He patched Todoroki up, and told him that they had to tell Aizawa about this. That they had enough evidence to get Shouto out of endeavors “care.” And Shouto finally agreed to it.
For the second time that month, Aizawa found himself sitting in his office with two of his most prominent problem children.
After explaining everything, izuku showed them Aizawa and Shouto all the evidence he had against endeavor, and how he had even put together a fifteen pages paper on, “why Endeavor is a villain.”
Todoroki may or may not be in love, that is pending.
Aizawa wanted a raise.
In the end, Shouto got adopted by Midnight (do you guys want me to write an essay on why she’d be a great parent? Because I will👀)
I hope you liked this!!!! I l o v e d this prompt 😭😭👏🙌 you are 10000% correct. Also, huzzah for heelies!👀
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Entertainment Spotlight: Bethany Antonia, Get Even
British actress Bethany Antonia plays Margot Rivers in Get Even, a new thriller series adapted from Gretchen McNeil’s Don’t Get Mad books. The show follows a group of girls who come together as DGM (Don’t Get Mad) to expose school bullies; when they realize they’re being framed for the murder of one of their targets, they set out to uncover the truth. Bethany spent her formative years in rural France, before returning to her hometown of Birmingham, UK, as a teen, and landing her first role in a short film of The Tempest for The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. She went on to land roles on TV in BBC’s Doctors and Channel 4’s Stath Lets Flats, and in the film Pin Cushion, which premiered at the 74th Venice International Film Festival. Bethany is an advocate for social justice issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBTQIA+ rights, veganism, wildlife conservation, and sustainable living practices. 
What kind of research did you do for the role of Margot? Had you read the books before taking the role?
I read both of the books! I read them once after my first callback for the show, and then again while we were filming. I absolutely love the books. There’s something so special about doing a series that’s based on a book and flying through trying to find out what’s going to happen to your character. Margot is also the only American in a British school, so I spent a lot of time thinking about her background and trying to piece together what her story was before we meet her as part of DGM.
Margot is described as shy, but she’s also the brains behind a group that seeks to stop bullying. What drew you to the role?
I got attached to Margot right off the back of reading the audition sides. Her character is everything I wished I’d gotten to see more of when I was younger. A young black girl who is shy, into gaming, and isn’t sassy or argumentative in a lead role? Sign me UP. I just adored the concept for the entire show. I loved the idea of these four teenage girls setting up a secret society in their school because straight away, I saw the bigger picture of what they were doing. It’s telling young girls to stand up for what they believe in and not to be afraid to take matters into their own hands despite living in a world that repeatedly tells them to do otherwise. It felt so empowering, and I was just so determined to be a part of it.
When you hear Black Excellence, what or who comes to mind?
Black Excellence for me is confidence. It’s power and resilience. It’s excelling in your particular area of the industry and leading by an example that others can follow. When I think of black excellence, I think of Michaela Coel, a woman who is completely changing the game in the industry right now. I have been a massive fan of hers since watching her first show, Chewing Gum, but I am so glad she is getting the global recognition she deserves off the back of I May Destroy You. It was one of the best pieces of television I have ever seen.
What role do you think film/tv/radio should have regarding social realities in Britain? What needs to change?
I think that every single form of media should be an accurate depiction of the world we live in. Any individual should be able to tune in at any given time and see themselves represented in some way, shape, or form. Anything less than that, and we have failed. We have been failing for a really long time in Britain. Tuning into the media has felt like an artist painting a blank canvas paint with little droplets of colour for effect for too long. We need to move away from the idea that the stories of white, straight, slim, able-bodied people are the only stories that need to be told, and start reflecting the realities of our country, which is so beautifully diverse.
How do you deal with a bad day, and how do you like to celebrate the good ones?
If I’m having a bad day, I like to do a complete reset: switch off from social media for a few hours, take a hot bath with a face mask or two, pamper myself, listen to a podcast or read a really good book, eat some of my favourite foods, and just take care of myself. Finding time to practice self-care for yourself is something I think is really important. So I do a complete brain reset and remind myself that tomorrow is a brand new day, and none of the day’s bad-day energy has to carry itself onto the next. I like to celebrate the good ones with my family and friends around me, making sure I’m really present and enjoying the moment, being grateful for whatever it is we’re celebrating.
Do you have any advice for young Black women looking to get into acting?
I’d love to get a whole room full of young Black women together and just tell them over and over again that they’re enough. This industry can feel impossible to break into for most up and coming actors, but for Black women, that’s especially true. It’s hard to envision yourself in a career that hasn’t been visible for you. Breaking down the door is only half of the battle. Once you’re in, there’s a million and one more challenges that come as a direct result of being a Black woman. I’d tell them to find confidence in themselves and their abilities, the kind of confidence that comes from within that nobody can take away from them, even if they have to fake it at first. I’d tell them to be proactive and take their careers into their own hands, to look into what they’re doing now and consider if it’s truly benefitting them for the kind of work they want to be doing. And finally, I would tell them to cling onto their love of acting with everything they have. Even if it feels like you’re not hitting the kind of goals you want to be hitting yet. Nobody can take your love of this craft away from you.
If you could choose any book that you’ve read to be adapted into film or tv, which book would you choose, and who would you play?
I read an amazing book recently called While I Was Sleeping by Dani Atkins, and I’ve not stopped thinking about it for weeks. It’s about this young girl named Maddie who wakes up from a coma thinking a few minutes have passed, but actually, six YEARS have passed. She was due to be married and have a baby, and she wakes up to find that her whole life has essentially happened without her while she’s been asleep. In my head, the whole book has already played out as a film over and over, with me as Maddie, ha! It could be so beautifully adapted.
Which song always manages to get you up in the morning?
“You Can Get It If You Really Want” by Desmond Decker. Every single time.
Thanks for taking the time, Bethany! Get Even is now streaming on Netflix.
Photo: Michael Shelford
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The Poor Development of the Marauder's Era
I've recently been listening to Binge Mode and, even now, I honestly believe the Marauder's era is some of Rowling’s worst writing of the series. When I say Marauder's Era, I'm simply referring to characters and events pre Harry.
The Marauder's era isn't poorly developed because I didn't like what happened. It's poorly developed because of how Rowling handled the characters, the events she put them in, and the reaction to said events.
As a kid, I respected Lily and thought she could do no wrong. As an adult, I find her decisions questionable. For transparency purposes, I read these books in real time and was a similar age as the characters. So, I don't want to hear anything about me being "unfair." Of all of the Mauraders era kids back then, I was the most generous to Lily. It's only when I reflected more about her role in the series that I realized how lackluster she is as a character and as a friend.
Rowling relies on Lily being seen as the moral compass to signify who and what is right or wrong during this era. The problem with this is that Rowling undermines Lily in the process. Minus being flat out called Mudblood by Snape, she has no proof that Snape has done anything her friends accused him of doing, but she unequivocally views it as the truth. Despite Lily listening to Snape, it's not really in good faith because she already has her mind made up about Snape's guilt.
Now, this is important to note because since Lily hasn't seen any of Snape's alleged bad behavior for herself, why would she definitively accuse him of these things? Lily claims she was in denial about this when she ended their friendship, but it's quite obvious she does believe Snape is guilty.
What makes Lily's beliefs and choosing to side with others over Snape is that none of the Marauders have ever mentioned ONE instant of Snape doing or saying some fucked up shit. As a reminder: THEY HATED HIM. They never mentioned anything about him bullying others, calling muggles mud blood, or any other troubling behavior. It was merely because he existed. They couldn't even tie him to being a Death Eater.
Also, let's consider the fact that kids like Snape have rumors made up about them all of the time. ALL OF THE TIME. Not even Snape's own bullies could attest to Snape doing the things Lily's friends claimed Snape did, yet Lily believed their words?
And, maybe I'm being nitpicky, but the fact that Lily says "my friends" in reference to defending Snape has always rubbed me the wrong way. Snape IS her friend too. Her best friend, in fact. Why wouldn't she have said, "my OTHER friends." My Gryffindor mates or whatever? IMO, that implies that Snape is just some weirdo she talks to and not the person she's known the longest.
HOW ROWLING COULD'VE FIXED THIS:
Have Lily overhear Snape calling one of his peers Mudblood. Have the Marauders be incensed that Snape called someone a mud blood. Have them call out Lily when she tries to intervene on them confronting (confronting NOT bullying) Snape. Hell, even have Snape fucking bully someone.
Because as far as canon goes, Snape was a bystander as death eater wannabes bullied people and presumably did nothing about it. We don't see any of his alleged wrongdoings and the people who hate him can't even recall that this happened.
There shouldn't be an ambiguity or readers relying on the word and opinion of Lily to guide their opinion.
Some may say, "she's only a kid." To this I say, "You're right." Lily was a teen and teens don't always know how to handle complex situations, I will give her the benefit of the doubt. However, this means we shouldn't hold her as the moral standard.
Lily essentially says that the difference between the Marauder's bullying people and the death eater wannabes doing it is dark magic. I'm sorry, but that's weak sauce. Dark magic is such a vague and broad thing depending on what you're talking about, so nah...Also, is there something not dark about James choking Snape with soap? I mean, that could've traumatized Snape to the extent of him being triggered by soap. Isn't that dark?
HOW ROWLING COULD'VE FIXED THAT.
Jut have Lily acknowledge that behaviors by the Marauders and death eater wannabes are both bad, but for different reasons. Problem solved. She can even emphasize that she takes so much issue with Dark Magic due to why it's being used and what it ties into.
We hear how great Lily is and that everyone loves her, yet Harry meets literally NOT ONE FRIEND of Lily's. He meets James' friends and a former teacher of hers. We don't see Lily hanging out with anyone else. We hear examples of Lily feeling sad for people, but no references to her actually helping people or supporting others somehow.
HOW ROWLING COULD'VE FIXED THAT.
Maybe instead of Lily talking about the bad thing Avery and Mulciber did, she could've intervened, even if it was too late, and "saved" Mary. Hell, we could've had Lily hex James rather than just threatening it. I'm sorry, after literally reading the many ways the Golden Trio are there for each other even before big shit started to happen, Lily threatening to hex someone who is actively bullying her friend doesn't cut it.
And give her her own friends for Harry to meet.
Lily is said to be smart and empathic, but how she deals with Snape and his issues don't exactly support this.
HOW ROWLING COULD'VE FIXED IT.
Have Lily genuinely listen to Snape's grievances about the night he was saved. Don't have her be so dismissive about the Lupin thing. Maybe have Snape set up by the Marauders and the big reveal is a flop.
I know Rowling wanted to tackle people having shady pasts and how they can change, but 1. Either she needed to commit to it being a rivalry or 2. She needed to appropriately deal with the bullshit the Marauder's did. Snape is justifiably angry and distrusting of the Marauders due to one almost killing him as a joke and the other publicly humiliating him. This doesn't even account for YEARS of bullying, which remus admitted happened.
We cannot say that bullying is wrong, and then excuse the bullies because they were on the right side of a war.
HOW ROWLING COULD'VE FIXED THIS.
She should've had Remus flat out acknowledge they were wrong for what they did and that there was no excusing it. Then, have Sirius and Remus privately talk about this where Sirius admits it too. OR, despite loving them and his dad, Harry realizes how flawed they were and that their reasoning is simply to protect their dad not necessarily because James grew up. OR Rowling could've not written James and Sirius behaving as psychopaths AS WELL AS show instances of Snape starting shit with them.
SHOW US Snape deliberately starting shit with the Marauders and James trying to apologize. Show us James' growth outside of that. Don't tell us that James is secretly hexing Snape behind Lily's back because it has her looking like a dumb ass.
Also, all of this James stuff is important because Lily ending up with James is such a bad fucking look. IMO, it makes her disgust at his behavior seem performative. It says that she didn't really care about him bullying others, but rather, the perception of her being with someone who bullied others. And, no, having Lily smile as Snape was actively being bullied, and then poverty shaming him isn't a good look.
"BUT, BUT SNAPE CALLED HER A RACIST SLUR!!!"
It doesn't matter how much you want to give your friend the benefit of the doubt, if you believe he's calling others racist slurs, you need to confront it. And, if you believe it to be true, you need to end it. You don't wait until he calls you the slur to say, "hey, maybe he really is this racist person people claim he is."
HOW ROWLING COULD'VE FIXED THIS.
After James saved Snape's life, this is where he could've matured and his big head lessened. He still hexes others, but leaves Snape alone because he realized that they went to far with him even before Sirius' "prank." Instead of James being the antagonizer, it should've been Sirius. Once again, James breaks this up and he and Sirius gets into a small argument. Snape is let down as Lily runs up and Snape says his mud blood remark.
Snape then tries to hex Sirius and James steps in once Snape refuses to stop. It gets out of hand and Snape accidentally harms Lily.
I won't lie, I'm a HUGE Snape fan. However, because of how Rowling handled this era, there are many ambiguous things, situations that don't make any sense, not enough development of characters, etc which undermines the story she tried to tell.
Yes, I do love the series, except I don't like any of the Marauders or Lily. I don't hate Lily, but she grates. Remus really was a coward and irresponsible as hell. Sirius was childish as fuck and, no, him being in prison doesn't excuse or justify all of his behavior. James saved his peer's life, and then publicly humiliated and sexually assaulted him. He didn't stop bullying, he just stopped how he did it.
This doesn't mean I believe that Snape was faultless, but I believe this era was so poorly told that by default, I believe and sympathize with Snape.
Although I believe Rowling wanted readers to do this, I don't think she planned for some readers such as myself to hold the positions we do. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Snape as is, but I do believe Rowling didn't intend for me to hold the views I do about Lily and the Marauders.
I don't understand her laziness during this era, especially since it's so key in Snape, Lily, and James' stories.
Lastly, she could've developed James and Lily better.
I know she only has so much time, space, pages blah blah blah. However, the best writers find a way to make it work with what they have.
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