#Book on overcoming evil in prison

[metalomagnetic]

Hi! Do you have any characters that you find slightly similar to Loki or Voldemort/Tom Riddle in terms of personality or backstory or just vibes?

For example, as huge fan of frostiron I LOVE Loki. And after reading fics about him for years I can’t help but notice small similarities between him and Sirius. They’re NOT the same, not at all. But I personally see a lot of stuff that they have in common. Both characters are very prideful, strong magicians, black sheep of their family, have a dark side but ultimately end up doing more good than bad. And that’s if we include both canon and fanon. It’s okay if you disagree, that’s just my personal perception)

For Voldemort I was unable to find any sort of counterpart🤷‍♀️

Soo, my question remains. I am very curious as to what you have in mind;)

I assume you mean Loki from the movies; I am unfortunately unfamiliar with him. The only Loki I know is the one from Norse mythology, and I don't remember very much about him, either. I do remember he was a shapeshifter, like many gods, so I suppose he has that in common with Sirius! I can't speak further of similarities, that's practically all I remember.

As for Voldemort...I don't know. The Evil Queen from Snow White? 😂 They both hear a prophecy warning of their downfall and they act on it and start beef with kids. And the kids end up surviving and winning with the power of love.

If we just take canon V at face value, then he's similar to all fairytale villains. Or to Palpatine, I suppose.

If we look at Voldemort as a more human character, not just Evil TM, then I could see some similarities with Magneto from X-men(at least from one or two universes of that big world): the hate for the muggles/people without mutations that steams from their childhood, their lives were impacted by ww2, both ridiculously powerful, both claiming they fight for wizards/mutants. Also they both have a badass lady as a second in command.

But, ofc, Magneto is allowed to be human, when Voldemort is doomed by the narative and his position as villain in children story. While Magneto is clearly a villain and loves genocide, he at least thinks he's doing the right thing for his kind; Voldemort is just there to be bad.

For Sirius, you can make a case about Aragorn, I suppose? Both come from ancient, noble, rich lineage, but they shy away from the burden of it, they're both good (but rough) men, they are protectors for their respective protagonists, they would die for Harry/Frodo, and they're both fighting this supreme evil that is threatening the world. They both obey basically God on Earth (Albus and Gandalf).

I think it's easier to find Sirius similarities, I can think of some in A song of Ice and Fire, but it's harder for Voldemort because he barely has any 'meat' to his character in canon. He's just there as a lesson for kids, as an obstacle for Harry to overcome.

There is that saying that a story is only as good as it's villain, and it's true. If Harry Potter was anything other than a children's book, than it would be a very bad story, because the villain is just a prop. However, since it's for children, the rules are obviously different. Ironically, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is considered the best book in the series because it had a great villain- Sirius. That book is so beloved because for most of it we believed Sirius to be a villain, and he was real in a way Voldemort never is, he is human, and he is scary.

So it falls on us, the fandom, to give Voldemort something real, to turn him into a person, and we all go in slightly different directions, hence why it's so hard to find a counterpart for him in established literature/cinema.

[katherinakaina]

@strange-aeons , you don’t have to like hpmor at all! It has a non conventional style of storytelling that some people really love and others can’t stand. It’s totally fine. But you are factually wrong about plot points and their meaning and omit a lot of context.

TLDR: Intelligence is a virtue, but it’s not even the main one. The villain is extremely evil and also the smartest person in the story. Most of Harry’s misanthropic thoughts are coming from his horcrux and aren’t meant to be taken as his genuine morals. One of the biggest themes of the fic is immortalism and the value of human life. It does not logically lead to the devaluing of human life in any way whatsoever.

In most stories, plot moving forward should be the product (in full or in part) of the main character’s motivations and choices. The objective is better be clear and the characters all should make progress in achieving it, overcoming difficulties. Such plots are universally engaging and easy to follow. They are good.

The plot in hpmor is not like that at all. Which is the main reason why it’s not enjoyable to many people, I believe. They find it confusing and hard to follow, boring. The most of the fic is a character and lore building filler. And if the characters don’t work for you, yeah, the plot's not going to carry you through it (I mean, you had been warned).

But this doesn’t mean that there’s no plot. It’s just that the plot only becomes clear in the very end or worse – on the second read. And you aren’t going to read it again so let me map it out.

• This summer! Voldemort gained a body and is back in business, baby. He knows, of course, that he accidentally created a horcrux in Harry and now there’s a boy somewhere who shares a part of his mind. Clear objective – create himself a perfect disciple and get back to taking over the world by first obtaining the philosopher's stone. Therefore:

• Voldemort gets himself a position in Hogwarts to kill both birds with as few stones as possible. He starts slowly grooming Harry using every manipulation tactic in the book. He is pretty successful for a while. But alas, Harry is way too good! Therefore:

• Voldemort needs to empower the part of Harry's mind that is his horcrux and weaken whatever it is that makes Harry good. Luckily, there’s a creature who can do just that. So Voldemort gets the permission to teach the patronus spell to the first years to have an excuse to expose Harry to a dementor. This even works for a short burst. But alas, through the power of friendship Harry was able to shake it off and also get an insight into dementor’s nature. With it, he finds a way to completely destroy them. Therefore:

• Change of plans. Voldemort can still use just how much Harry hates dementors against him. He can turn Harry’s burning goodness into blazing rage and corrupt him this way. For that he takes him to Azkaban to rescue Bellatrix (part of taking over the world long term planning) so Harry could see how evil the government that allows this torture prison is (also more trauma bonding). But alas, during the mission Voldemort went too far and tried to kill an auror, which Harry did not like one bit. Therefore:

• Voldemort tries to gaslight Harry and press further, suggesting a second mission, a really crazy one this time – to fabricate a duel with Voldemort (whomever that guy is) to convince Dumbledor and the rest of the world that they are safe so they’d stop watching over Harry and would let him do whatever he wants. But alas, Harry can’t shake the murder thing off and he starts to suspect that Hermione was right the entire time to think that Quirrell is evil. Therefore:

• Voldemort needs to brainwash and recruit Hermione too, make her into ‘Harry’s Bellatrix’. Alas, she has a superb moral intuition and is not fooled by clever ruses. Therefore:

• Voldemort needs to permanently alter Hermione. He frames her for attempting to kill Draco so she would be sent to Azkaban. Perfect, this would reinforce Harry’s hate for the government and every single adult around him, isolating him even further while breaking Hermione’s resolve and making her ripe for brainwashing after all. Alas, he underestimated just how much Harry is willing to do for his best friend. Oh well, therefore:

• Voldemort has to remove Hermione entirely. So she is crushed by the troll. ALAS, he underestimated again just how much Harry likes his best friend. This death shocks Harry to the core and cements him on the path to defeating death. This produces a vague and scary prophecy that could mean that Harry will destroy the world. Voldemort cannot accept this outcome (he lives in the world). Therefore:

• Abort the plan, Harry has to go. But Voldemort knows how close to impossible it is to do anything about a prophecy. So he takes several precautions as well, such as reversing his last move that caused the shift in the first place – he brings Hermione back (with special powers so she wouldn’t die easily again). He also finally gets to the philosopher’s stone, seales Dumbledore away, life's looking good. Alas, prophecy is prophesy. Harry defeated him using one secret weapon Voldemort had no knowledge of (all thanks to Dumbledorer’s foresight).

• Harry realizes what a giant doofus he’s been the entire year, that Hermione was right about everything and that Dumbledore was really the one scheming against Voldemort and leading him to this victory. Together with Hermione and the rest he opens free healthcare for wizards and swears to destroy the torture prison. The end!

As you can see, the plot is driven by Voldemort and his motivations. What Harry and the rest of the kids are doing – they are being kids, fantasizing about their future and messing around. The closest Harry is to moving towards his stated goals is having his research with Hermione and his redemption quest with Draco. He’s 11. No matter how smart he is, the villain is smarter.

The original JKR’s Harry, Ron and Hermione are able to foil Voldemort's plans on their own, hpmor Harry doesn’t even realize there are some sort of Voldemort’s plans happening*. He suspects that Voldemort doesn’t even exist from how absent he is being. And Harry is the one to warn others about not being pessimistic enough while underestimating the danger he is in and what’s being done to him the entire time. Pessimism is one of the main lessons of the fic. (remember feeling it can’t get any worse after 2020?)

The second major thing you missed is that intelligence is NOT the only virtue worth celebrating. The smartest person and the moving force of the plot is literally Voldemort, the most evil bastard out there.

Imagine someone who criticises Fight Club for glorifying Tayler Derden and male violence not understanding that the author is on their side. That’s what you are doing. You assumed that the author glorifies the villain because you assumed that intelligence is all that matters to him. But why would you do that?

You explained yourself in the beginning that Yudkowsky’s biggest fear is misaligned and homicidal super intelligent being. Clearly, he doesn’t believe that being intelligent is all that matters. Intelligence is just a universal problem-solving tool. It’s very impressive and is not given proper credit to. But it’s not a motivation on its own. It obviously needs to be guided by humanism. This distinction is all over hpmor. It’s the only difference between the hero and the villain who are both smart.

And Voldemort is written evil from the very beginning, it's not just a gotcha rugpull in the very end. His grooming is meant to be wrong and creepy. But also believable because everyone is totally fooled by it. Everyone except the reader who’s paying close attention (which is difficult to do if you are bored and skip chapters, I get it) and also knows Quirrell’s real identity from the start.

There are multiple moments where even Harry realizes something Professor Quirell did was wrong and those keep piling up. For example, the games weren’t just cool, they were 1) about Harry getting humbled, making friends, learning to work with others and respect others and feeling like a part of something for the first time in his life (something you said isn’t in the fic at all, while it’s most of the fic actually) and also 2) organized by the villain!

Did you skip Quirrell making his fascist speech on Christmas about how he deliberately was trying to build an army and teach children how to fight at war that leaves Harry horrified? Again, it is literally all spilled in the villain’s monologue and then extra clarified in the main character’s inner thoughts. This fic is very blatant in its messaging.

Grooming is a bit less obvious if you’ve never been groomed by a charming teacher like that. But you should be at least able to notice when he's lying.

When Quirrell sells Harry on the idea of being publicly humiliated for personal growth purposes he tells him a story about him doing the same ritual in his travels. Quirrell also tells that after he completed the ritual and left the school – Voldemort went there and was asked to do the same thing. But Voldemort refused and murdered everybody. If you keep in mind that Quirrell and Voldemort are the same person you can piece together that he didn’t sincerely value humility and being able to lose or whatever. Because the real story is that he killed all those people and never took an L in his entire life. He was trauma bonding Harry so he could manipulate him. It was not a good chapter teaching a lesson about rationality. Because being humble toward the truth (actual rationality) has nothing to do with taking crap from bullies. Half the fic is about fighting bullies actually.

A fight Harry doesn’t win! As well as many other fights he took upon himself, like figuring out the entire magic in his first year. I don’t know who promised you he would and I’m sorry you felt cheated by that not happening. But you said the main character is proven right about everything and succeeds at everything and is never wrong (he is proven wrong about something every other chapter, not to mention the final reveal). And then you complain that he didn’t succeed at something?** Pick one.

But the main appeal of Harry as a character is not how he wins or loses. It’s his moral core. It’s how despite having a part of Voldemort’s mind intertwined with his he still remains driven by his dedication to people around him and humanity in general. He and Voldemort really make perfect twisted reflections of each other.

The fic drills in just how evil Voldemort is by mostly highlighting his disregard for human life. We see it when Quirrell shares his insight into Voldemort’s actions and history as if he was the one fighting him and that’s why he knows all that. But the reader knows that Quirrell is just telling on himself. Like how he can use Avada Kedavra so fast because he just doesn’t care, for example.

We also see it through Harry himself. His misanthropic tendencies you actually took care to notice quite a lot are coming from that part of his soul that is Voldemort’s horcrux. Harry does not endorse it and literally calls it ‘my dark side’***. This behaviour comes out when Harry is annoyed or inconvenienced or threatened by other people (regular human emotion, super relatable if you had to unlearn some toxic trait in your life). Emotions of anger, irritation and vindictiveness are crucial to the dark side (see the endnote again). But when Harry thinks about human life seriously and calmly he is able to suppress it every time. Moreso, he is sure the killing curse is a spell he won’t ever be able to use.

I could go on and on (like how hpmor isn’t about science facts and contains very few of them) but I’ll stop here. I think you should have noticed not paying attention while reading. And yet you wrote and filmed a review anyway, despite obviously zoning out while experiencing the work in question.

Also, I haven’t read the books you recommended and I will. But I’ve read many books that are widely considered Great Art and they sucked. People like hpmor and ratfic in general not because we haven’t read good books. It fulfills a need few other books do, that’s it.

Obviously, I have my own criticism of hpmor that mostly has to do with how Yudkowsky writes women. Which is leagues ahead of what JKR wrote but still leaves a lot to be desired. And yes, it is not polished. It’s serialized fiction, it’s usually like that.

More about rationality. More about zizians.

* A huge hint here is those irritating chapters where Harry and Draco are playing at manipulating each other. They are close to being equals and therefore they can see through each other’s schemes. When Harry has to deal with Dumbledore and especially Voldemort he is completely lost, he does not understand that he is being manipulated at all.

** He actually makes major progress and has a good guess by the end (that magic is like a programming language of the world created by some ancient civilization). I mean, the author had to work with the material he inherited, he couldn’t build a more interesting magical system from the ground up. But he expanded a lot on the lore of dementors, some spells and in general brought a lot of sense to the thing.

*** The entire thing is one huge reference to Star Wars prequels. You have the evil dark lord mastermind who plays both sides of the conflict, trying to brainwash the chosen one hero to his cause and make a disciple out of him. They are to become two sith rulers of the world, ‘bringing order to it’. Dark and Light Sides are common metaphors in the rationalist community. Light Side being all the altruistic uses of intelligence and Dark Side is the opposite of that.

[kamomillee]

The king's fate at the end of Wish

The ending of "Wish" would be perfect for a story that shows the victim breaking free from the control of a pathological narcissist.

Typically, a narcissist's biggest victim is their spouse. In this case, Amaya.

So, in the end, he loses his power, ending up in the mirror where he will be trapped forever, alone in a dungeon.

Narcissists have no redemption. The right way to deal with a narcissist is to use the gray stone technique and cut all ties with them. Their end is loneliness.

That's a great message for a movie to convey.

But that's not the case with Magnifico.

I can't see him as the pathological narcissist that the ending required, simply because he had no malice. Instead, we have someone who cares and shows empathy and respect for others.

Real narcissists are incapable of empathy. They are evil and enjoy causing pain. That's their pleasure. And no, he wasn't faking it. He was genuine. The movie itself tells us that he was good, but then he “turned bad.” That’s not how narcissists work. They were never good to begin with.

It’s a complicated subject. Many people can be mistaken for narcissists because of certain bad, idiotic, and immature behaviors. But they are not really narcissists because they can repent, overcome this, and become better people. Narcissists don’t change and don’t want to change, they don’t think they’re wrong. That’s why they have no redemption.

Let’s look at Amaya, who his victim should be if he were truly a narcissist.

Narcissists deceive and manipulate their victims into bonding, often through marriage. Then they show their true colors once the victim is trapped with them. They make their victim’s life miserable, disregard them, step on them, oppress them, and make them feel guilty about it. The only opinion that matters is their own. They know what they’re doing and they enjoy it.

Amaya and Magnifico have been married for years and… none of that happens. He genuinely loves her, shows her love, and respects her, her opinion matters, and he listens to her, changes his actions when she asks him to, gives her credit, and praises her. And he does all this when they’re alone, with no one to watch the “show.” He’s genuine.

He genuinely cares about people and wants to protect them; that’s his motivation. He showed empathy for Asha’s pain over the loss of her father and shared his own pain with her.

The movie needed the book with the curse for him to do bad things because without it he wouldn’t. And he was already known as the most powerful sorcerer. Why not use that power?

Because they needed a curse. 😑

Also, in films for children, it's important to be clear so that children understand the story. If there's a villain with a hidden agenda who fools everyone by pretending to be good, at some point he'll expose it, usually by bragging about how clever he was and how gullible everyone else was to fall for his lies. In this ''villain's'' case, there's nothing to indicate that he was deceitful before the curse or that he had an ulterior agenda, because, well, he really wasn't and didn't have any of those things.

Did he have a problem? He did. But it wasn’t pathological narcissism. I already talked about his problem in my previous post.

A perfect example of a pathological narcissist in a position of power is Fire Lord Ozai from "Avatar: The Last Airbender". No one was sad when he was arrested and sentenced to life in prison.

An example of a narcissist in the mother position is Mother Gothel. She gaslighted, treated Rapunzel badly, and left her feeling guilty and afraid.

Gaston is also one. He doesn't care about Belle's opinion. He doesn't care about stepping on people. Many people compare Gaston to Magnifico because of the cringe compliments in the mirror. But really put them next to each other and compare how they see and treat people.

When a narcissist loses, usually, he explodes in fury and revenge and curses everyone.

What we got was someone betrayed by everyone, devastated with sad kicked puppy eyes. (WHY????!!) 😑

I don’t understand why they did it that way. They just had to make the guy a true pathological narcissist. Since they didn’t do that, the movie pissed off a lot of people because the ending was unfair. Usually, unfairness makes people angry.

The movie shows that if it weren't for the cursed book he wouldn't have done any of that. If the wish system was bad, they could have resolved it peacefully.

Because he was completely redeemable, the ending was very ugly and unpleasant. It painted all the other characters as really bad, traitors, ungrateful, and selfish. Who only care about their own interests and gain.

In short: a tragedy.

(Edit: I added one more point to this. And hey, thanks for reading 😊)

[fantasticalchaos]

Slay the Princess x Ever After High AU

Okay SO— I’ll be quite honest I saw this post thought “hey that kinda reminds me of Slay the Princess— WAIT A SEC”

And here we are! The Elaboration!

Note: the Voices will come in their own post. For now it will be just 3 characters… in a sense: The Narrator, the Princess, and the Player! Contains also my interpretations of the roles. ALSO SPOILERS!!!!!

The Narrator 🪶

As I said in my previous post: Headmaster Milton Grimm would be the Narrator. One reason is that those two give the most gaslighting, gatekeeping and girlbossing characters in their respective series! Not telling everyone the entire story; Keeping them under the wraps and expecting them to follow through with the story/mission. (Milton = Everyone following their prewritten destinies regardless of how horrific and unfair it is. STP Narrator = Follow through with slaying the Princess.)

Second reason is well… spoilerly!

Here’s the rundown for those who don’t know (and mind spoilers)

Originally, the Player/Hero and the Princess were abstract concepts that were once one being. One that is basically the cycle of life and death.

The Princess, who were forced to slay, is the Shifting Mound (aka Shifty for the fans). Shifty is the concept of change, and changes her form to whatever the Player perceives her to be.

Likewise, the Player/Hero is the Long Quiet. The Long Quiet represents stagnation, having everything be alive and remain in its current state. Something that Narrator considers his creation.

The Narrator fears death, which is contained within Shifty. She is not death, but it is contained within her; Death is a natural part of change and life. He also doesn’t like the amount of suffering and chaos that Shifty brings to both him and his world. So, he does everything in his power, and manages to rip apart the two from the cycle… at the cost of his life.

Thus, he trapped the two entities in Construct away from reality, with the Princess as the prisoner (ironically a route you can take with her) and you - the player - the task to finally slay her. In some cases, he’ll even try to take control of you to do complete his dream. Sounds familiar huh? Who else would try to take such drastic measures to ensure it all will work in their favour/plan?

The Princess 👑

The Princess/Shifty… It could be anyone! It’s your choice!

Me personally? My pick would be Raven! Outside of her being my fave, there is a reason why I pick her! Raven’s one of the major characters in the series that challenges destiny!

Both Shifty and Raven wanted to be free! Albeit for different reasons. For Raven, she just wants to be herself and live the way she wants that is not hexpectated from others. Shifty, on the other hand, wants to free herself from the cabin (after being trapped there for so long) and leave.

And while both have their own level of extremities, they will do what they can to reach their goal. (Raven refusing to sign the book, and do little things that are not fit for being the Evil Queen. Shifty… well, let’s say there’s more than how she looks.)

Raven is also a powerful sorcereress in her own right as well! In fact, eventually she gets to overcome the barrier to use her magic for good! Hell, she wasn’t even supposed to use her powers for good; It’s rebelling her role as the Evil Queen! And she only was able to access her magic for good again when she decided to… let’s say sneak up some forbidden books 😉

Also, the Princess is chained to the wall in the cabin when you first encounter her. Who else was chained in a way? Raven, in the reflection at end after taking a peek into her destiny. (Legacy Day)

Scenes that became a core memory for me fr fr number ♾️ (sorry couldn’t help it)

Alternatively, my other pick would be Cerise! Consider it? Cerise is half werewolf, and her parents deviated from the story by falling in love with each other! And they all have to keep it secret lest they get discovered and go poof! And that is dangerous, something that Milton would not approve at all! Again, another individual wayyy stronger than she looks! It’s quite ironic actually… considering her fairytale…

“You’re on a path in the woods. And on that path is a cabin. In that cabin, there is girl in bright red hood. You need to slay her. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.”

The Player/Hero 🗡️

Again, another one that could be anyone!

For me, it’s Dexter. And, yes I will admit I ship Dexven but I have a legit reason for this lemme cook! Now, we and Dexter himself don’t know his destiny. As in, what his fairytale destiny is; Who and which Prince Charming Dexter is supposed to be. This could work, as the Narrator (Milton) would be giving Dexter his “destiny.”

“Dexter Charming, this is your destiny! Isn’t this what you’ve been wanting to know your entire life once upon a time?”

“Well yeah… but I’m not so sure about—”

“Then I have full faith in you in carrying out your destiny. It is rather important destiny. It is for the greater good for all fairytales”

“But slaying a princess?!? I can’t imagine pulling through that…”

And the conflict with what Dexter knows about being the hero and a Prince Charming???? Yes, he’s supposed to be prince/knight in shining armour and save the day! But slaying a princess to do it??? What??? He’s also taught to save princesses and damsels in distress, not slay them! What will he do?

Additionally, Dexter can also be the Voice of the Hero too! Speaking of which… I will do the Voices in a separate post *rubs hands together with my chef hat* c:

Before we end things here, I will say this:

You don’t have to choose these characters (especially for the Princess and the Player/Hero roles) as there are no wrong choices. No wrong answers. These are my interpretations, and you have your own! This is a love story (au) with any of your EAH ships - and have fun with it! 🤗

[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

The Wolves Chronicles by Joan Aiken

Wicked wolves and a grim governess threaten Bonnie and her cousin Sylvia when Bonnie's parents leave Willoughby Chase for a sea voyage. Left in the care of the cruel Miss Slighcarp, the girls can hardly believe what is happening to their once happy home. The servants are dismissed, the furniture is sold, and Bonnie and Sylvia are sent to a prison-like orphan school. It seems as if the endless hours of drudgery will never cease.

With the help of Simon the gooseboy and his flock, they escape. But how will they ever get Willoughby Chase free from the clutches of the evil Miss Slighcarp?

Leven Thumps by Obert Skye

Fourteen-year-old Leven Thumps (a.k.a. "Lev") lives a wretched life in Burnt Culvert, Oklahoma. But his life is about to change and his destiny be fulfilled as he learns about a secret gateway that bridges two worlds -- the real world and Foo, a place created at the beginning of time in the folds of the mind that makes it possible for mankind to dream and hope, aspire and imagine. But Foo is in chaos, and three transplants from that dreamworld have been sent to retrieve Lev, who alone has the power to save Foo.

Enter Clover, a wisecracking, foot-high sidekick; Winter, a girl with a special power of her own; and Geth, the rightful heir to Foo. Their mission: to convince Lev that he has the power to save Foo. Can this unique band of travelers help Lev overcome his doubt? Will Lev find the gateway in time? Or will Sabine and his dark shadows find the gateway first and destroy mankind?

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

It’s wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler’s inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers’ adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing. But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again. Soon Milo’s home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cook’s daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass House—and themselves.

Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl

This book is filled with revolting rhymes. (Be warned: It's no ordinary Once upon a time).

There's poor Cindy whose heart was torn to shreds, because her Prince, he chops off heads!

Snow White's dwarfs although awfully nice, are guilty of one shocking vice . . .

And what becomes of Goldilocks, that nasty thieving little louse, when she goes sneaking around the three bear's house . . .

Loser by Jerry Spinelli

Just like other kids, Zinkoff rides his bike, hopes for snow days, and wants to be like his dad when he grows up. But Zinkoff also raises his hand with all the wrong answers, trips over his own feet, and falls down with laughter over a word like "Jabip."

Other kids have their own word to describe him, but Zinkoff is too busy to hear it. He doesn't know he's not like everyone else. And one winter night, Zinkoff's differences show that any name can someday become "hero."

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

And if I should die before I awake,

I pray the popular attend my wake.

Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is invisible. Even worse: she's dead. And all because she choked on a gummy bear. But being dead doesn't stop Charlotte from wanting to be popular; it just makes her more creative about achieving her goal.

What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge

Twelve-year-old Katy is constantly making and quickly breaking resolutions about how she will change her ways and treat others, especially her five younger brothers and sisters, with more respect and compassion. When Katy meets her Cousin Helen, an invalid, Katy is awed by her kindness, prettiness, and generosity. Katy is determined to become more like Helen, a resolution that lasts only a few hours. Soon, however, Katy gets a chance to become more like cousin Helen than she ever wished as she finds herself confined to her bedroom for four years as a result of an accident.

Merlin by T. A. Barron

A raging sea tosses a boy upon the shores of ancient Wales. Left for dead, he has no memory, no name, and no home. But it is his determination to find out who he is - to learn the truth about his mysterious powers - that leads him to a strange and enchanted land. And it is there he discovers that the fate of this land and his personal quest are strangely entwined.

He is destined to become the greatest wizard of all time--known to all as Merlin.

Babymouse by Jennifer L. Holm

Meet Babymouse--the spunky mouse beloved by young readers for more than a decade! Babymouse wants an invite to the hottest slumber party in town. But will she forget all about her plans with her best friend? This groundbreaking young graphic novel, full of humor and fun, is the first in the bestselling series that’s sold more than three million copies!

It's the same thing every day for Babymouse. Where is the glamour? The excitement? The fame?!? Nothing ever changes, until…Babymouse hears about Felicia Furrypaws's exclusive slumber party. Will Babymouse get invited? Will her best friend, Wilson, forgive her if she misses their monster movie marathon? Find out in Babymouse #1: Queen of the World!

Austin Family Chronicles by Madeleine L'Engle

Vicky Austin and her siblings must adjust to the presence of a new member of the household-Maggy Hamilton, who is orphaned when her father is killed in a plane crash. Maggy is at first petulant and spoiled, but gradually opens her heart to the Austins to become one of the family.

[popculturebuffet]

For a new Disney TVA comparison thing, which villain posession plot was the most messed up:

Dipper posessed by Bill Cipher in Gravity Falls

Ludo posessed by Toffee in Star vs the Forces of Evil

Lena posessed by Magica in DuckTales 2017

Marcy posessed by the Core in Amphibia

Hunter posessed by Belos in Owl House

Oh god I thought this would be hard and it is hard to still rank them as I recover from my cold as their all some degree of fucked up. Unlike last time where there were more gaps. But in terms of which is the most fucked up we're going from least to most

5. Ludo: Ludo's is still bad: Toffee gaslit him, used him and the idea of huge gaps in your memory where somoene else was using you is terrifying. See the part of the book of Bill after he and ford break up. While Wakey Wakey Here's a Snakey is hilarious, it quickly shows just how fucking horrible this can be. It's why the concept of symbiote spider-man is used so much. This idea your body isn't your own and something ELSE is doing things is chilling.

That said Ludo makes bottom for one simple reason: while he was manipulated, unlike the rest of these poor children (Ludo is a manchild but still a children), Ludo.. was a tad stupid, going from being horribly manipulated to... being horribly manipulated by the same person but it's more obvious something's shady. He just takes his wand half at face value and dosen't realize shit is fucked till it's too late and FULLY intends to do villianous take over mewni shit. He's sympathetic: Mewni is deeply racist, Ludo had a bad childhood, but it dosen't excuse him deciding to fix things by... attacking a teenager and gladly following Toffee's suggestion to enslave his fellow monster. Ludo gives not one iota of a shit about the political strife. He hates the opression , but wants to be the opressor rather than fix it. He becomes a better person, but the show makes it clear he had a lot of villianous tendencies to either overcome or redirect first. At the time of season 2 while his situation is horrific and h'es pitable but he dosen't start from mostly innocent like the rest of the victims here.

4. Marcy. A shock the darcy thing is second lowest here, but it shows just what a fucke dup baseline we got: Marcy's situation is monsterous: a hive mind of terrible people taking a child as their meat puppet and thin king their HONORING her by letting her join them. Her screams and transformation haunt me and what the core did is fucking ghastly. It's low.. because she can't see it. They section her away because they assume correctly once she has agency she might break off.. and she does. It's fucked up to use someone's body to attack their friends, raze their home dimension and .. well everything. Everything the core did. The core is a bastard and a l ine of bastards and i'ts good it's stuck far away from where it can hurt people. Marcy's only this low because she at least didn't have to watch.

3. Dipper: Dipper is 3rd because there's no personal angle. Like the core Bill did this out of convience. It USED marcy's body against sasha

The top two both have a LOT of abuse and history caked on top and it' swhy these three are lower: Ludo was convient, Marcy was convient and Dipper just happened to be there. What puts dipper in the middle is that while Bill dosen't have a history of abusing dipper, he still DELIGHTS in using his body, saying creepy shit and generally fucking up his life. He's not going out of his way to do it but he's willing to kill a child once he's done using his body and made sure dipper was good and tired before playing him. There's more direct manipulation, more horrifying intent and more horrifying use. It combines the worst of the previous two: using someone's body aginst their loved ones and being a prisoner of your own body.. but unlike Ludo or Marcy dipper has to watch. Speaking of which

2. Lena: Lena and Hunter easily got the top two as their situations are similar: both were raised by abusive monsters , both seen as more extentions of them than actual beings and both tossed aside when it was convient. Lena gets number 2 becaues it's more personal than the previous ones. While Bill's impersonal plan to kill dipper and ruin his life is dark, Magica KNOWS how badly sh'es treated Lena, Knows how badly this will hurt her.. and snatches away her will the second she won't play ball. The second she can make Lena just a puppet she does and the second she can kill her she does. Lena's trapped and she only doesn't get #1, the poor poor traumtized angel because Belos has all this.. and worse.

BElos: Belos easily one this one. Lena was close.. but it was always going to be belos infecting hunter. It has everything lena has: the long train of abuse, the lack of seeing their prey as a person, the sheer calusouness.. but unlike Magica who gets a few taunts but gets wolverined Belos really gets to mak ea meal of how much he dosen't see hunter as a person. He tries murdering the boy outright "I can always make another", then tosses him aside, THEN has the gaul to choose him as his target for body possesion. The rest were all convience... while Belos has an element of that, and Magica and Bill were cruel monsters, belos CHOOSE Hutner. Choose someone he watched as he slowly recovered from the years of abuse and gaslighting Belos placed on the poor child, saw him happy.. and had no shred of empathy. Magica has the same issue, but Magica dosen't try to claim the high ground. She knows what she is. Dosen't make her good. She's still a piece of shit.. btu Belos TRULY thinks he's helping people and that this is justified. That trying to remake his brother only to kill him countlessly was okay. That using Hunters body is okay. He RELISHES in hurting the hexasquad. He enjoys it. He may claim it's a higher goal.. but stealing hunter was both convient.. and payback on a bunch of children for daring ot defy him an dhis brother for daring to defy him. He lies to himself.. but the ham he shows in the fight shows just how much he truly ENJOYS his horrible "duty"... and tha'ts why he earned it. IT's that perosnal fuck you to someone he horribly abused and a bunch of chidlren he all horribly affected in some way. That callousness.

[seriousbrat]

>>I mean mostly the fact that he never shows any real remorse for it. I'm not saying that he didn't feel guilty for hurting Remus, I think he did-- and I also think that academically, intellectually, he understood it was wrong. But in SWM we see it doesn't really change anything about his behaviour. And why would it? There weren't any real consequences for what amounts to attempted murder.

this this this. sirius is a fascinating character and imo a big part of what's so fascinating about him is the disconnect between the morals he academically and intellectually holds (judge a man by how he treats his inferiors, die rather than betray your friends, etc.) and the instincts he follows when he can't/doesn't check himself (...how he treats his inferiors, that one time he betrayed lupin's secret for a fun prank, etc). this sounds really anti-sirius lmao but it's not, he's such a good take on the "it's our choices not our nature that define us" thing and is possibly the first adult we see in text genuinely engaging with this theme in a real world-adjacent way rather than transforming into a feral ragemonster each month or having his evil boss growing out of the back of his head or something. i do love me some metaphors but the relative realism is nifty.

exactly!!!!! the girls that get it, get it. honestly i feel like a lot of analysis by people who genuinely love Sirius reads as anti-sirius just because my boy's got a lot of flaws and I think anyone who rly loves the character for who he is (same goes for Snape) actually loves him because of those flaws, not in spite of them. so we love to talk about them lol

it makes him so interesting! the kreacher thing, the way he directly contradicts his own advice from the previous book, is such a clear example of this. I mean, again Sirius has been conditioned to view house-elves as inferior, and not only that but Kreacher is the last living reminder of everything he suffered at home and everything he hates-- it's understandable why he'd react that way to Kreacher, but it's also what proves his undoing.

In a way there's something admirable about it, like Sirius has had to overcome MUCH more than someone like James in terms of challenging his own beliefs. is it any wonder that being thrown in azkaban at age 21 and then forced into a different kind of prison would stunt his growth and understanding about the world? despite that he was still able to be a great godfather to harry.

[marinerainbow]

I'm not entirely sure if I should call these headcannons or just call this a 'if I wrote Happily N'ever After' post, but here are a few thoughts I had.

A trigger warning for child abandonment for the last thought.

The scales the wizard uses are referred to as the scales of good and evil, correct? But if he keeps it in balance, why does every tale get the same happy ending over and over again? You'd think there would be more bad endings if the scales aren't tilted entirely towards the 'good' side. And when Frieda tipped the scales in Repunzels' story, nothing bad necessarily happened? Sure, the prince got a little crushed, but he's at most bruised because of his keys. But Repunzel still escaped her prison with her prince! And Jack, yes, he got stepped on by the giant. But we can hear he's still alive, just a pancake for a little while. It's more of a not-so-good ending, but I wouldn't say it's such a bad ending. Yes, some fairytales are worse off than others, Little Red Riding Hood gets eaten, for example. But also, Frieda still lost despite tipping the scales completely in favor of 'evil'. And remember; fairytales in our world all have some element of chaos- talking animals or plants, impossible circumstances that our heros can overcome, but sometimes they don't. So that's why I suggest that the scales aren't that of Good and Evil, but rather Order and Chaos. Fairy Tales with too much order become droll stories that don't inspire a childs' wonder. But too much chaos, and you get exactly what Frieda had caused when she temporarily held power. And that's why the Wizard keeps them in balance.

I love all of the designs in this movie. It's all so whimsical and fun! But if I were to design Munk and Mambo, knowing myself, I would have shown more of the scales in their designs. Munk, being the neat, good, by-the-book assistant, has the sun mural incorporated into his design, just like the side of order. And Mambo, the mischievous trouble-maker, would have a more lunar pattern, reflecting the scale of chaos. They look almost as if whatever deity- or magically inclined figure with knowledge of the scales- modeled them after the very forces that control destiny in Fairytale Land 👀

A line that Rick said has intrigued me, "It's about you becoming a princess so you can move upstairs and forget people like me exist!" Is what he says to Cinderella, his best friend. Rick, being a background character, doesn't have a set story or life like Cinderella and the Prince. I'm not sure if the wizard creates background characters or if they're born like any other mortal. But we also never hear any implications of Rick's family... What if his father and/or mother used to be a servant in the castle, but he was moved up- maybe got knighted for the father, or became a lady-in-waiting for the mother- and the parent(s) just... Left Rick behind? Leaving him with the other parent and/or the kitchen staff to figure out how to raise a boy on their own? Everyday, Rick has to watch the royal court and see the faces of his own flesh and blood that easily gave him up for riches, and it planted a deep rooted fear that Ella might do the same to him 😥

I know there's like, five people in this Fandom. But i still wanted to post this XD let me know what you guys think!

[vending123]

Before you call yourself a prophet do you know that the prophet Isaiah was cut in half for the GOSPEL we are enjoying today… Before you call yourself a apostle, do you know that Apostles John was thrown into a pot of boiling oil, for the same GOSPEL. Apostle Peter was crucified upside down and that is how the early Christian had died… They died without building a big church but they won souls for JESUS… Today there are many who make themselves apostles, prophet, bishop, pastor but do not know the value of that name. Nobody wants to die for the GOSPEL today. I keep asking, are these people really servants of God or of themselves? So never think your calling is a way to just make money. Remember your calling is for GOD, in winning souls, not just making to get wealth that many big miniseries do nowadays!!! HOW THE APOSTLES DIED. 1. Matthew Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, Killed by a sword wound. 2. Mark Died in Alexandria, Egypt , after being dragged by Horses through the streets until he was dead. 3. Luke Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous Preaching to the lost. 4. John Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge Basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution In Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered From death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve As Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully 5. Peter He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die In the same way that Jesus Christ had died. 6. James The leader of the church in Jerusalem , was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller’s club. * This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation. 7. James the Son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus Called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer Walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and Knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian. 8. Bartholomew Also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip. 9. Andrew Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: ‘I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.’ He continued to preach to his tormentors For two days until he expired. 10. Thomas Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the Sub-continent. 11. Jude Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. 12. Matthias The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded. 13. Paul Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament. Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles and disciples during their ti...

[officialurban]

The Egyptian Book of the Dead - FREE NotebookLM Deep Dive

Additional Deep Dive /w More Sources

Source Materials Available for FREE in Urban's Library Telegram Group!

Additional Notes

Egyptian thought, as presented in the sources, contained layers of meaning, with outward forms for the general populace and deeper, hidden doctrines reserved for the initiated. This distinction between the public and the secret is a key element of the esoteric and occult nature described.

The Mysteries and Secret Doctrine:

The Mysteries were central to Egyptian esoteric tradition. Major centers included Memphis and the rites of Isis, Osiris, and Serapis.

These Mystery systems aimed to realize man's place in the universe and the divine scheme. They involved instruction in geometry and philosophy.

The Secret Doctrine is described as the underlying esoteric wisdom, hidden in symbols, fables, allegories, and philosophy. Much of Egyptian literature is considered cryptic, with meaning concealed beneath familiar words.

Initiated priests and philosophers held sublime notions about the Divine nature in secret.

Initiation:

Initiation was the path to access the secret doctrine and spiritual worlds. It was fundamentally altered by the advent of Christ.

The principle of initiation is man's ability to ascend to the spiritual worlds during life and learn about them.

This process involved developing supersensible organs of vision in the higher bodies (astral and etheric) through specific concentration and meditation exercises. These exercises imprinted lasting impressions on the astral body, which then stamped them onto the etheric body, leading to the illumination needed to perceive the spiritual world.

Initiation included a series of trials characterized by courage and fortitude, such as purification, fasting, prayer, difficult journeys over rough roads, passage through darkness, encountering wild beasts, and symbolic passage through the elements (Earth, Air, Fire, and Water).

The candidate was often blindfolded or hoodwinked to symbolize disciplining the physical senses to perceive spiritual things.

Imprisonment in a subterranean vault was part of the process, symbolizing the body as the soul's sepulchre and mortal life as a prison, with initiation offering release.

Initiation involved degrees and receiving a new name and instruction in the order's symbols, history, and recognition signs.

The Hierophant or keeper of the gate, seen holding a scourge, represented nature's law and the principle that spiritual truths are their own guardians, only accessible to the worthy based on their integrity.

One aim was to recapture the pure flow of the astral body, allegorically represented by the quest for the Golden Fleece.

Initiates of earlier times could learn directly from shades in the spiritual world.

Mystical Interpretation of Myths and Symbols:

Ancient myths and sagas were viewed as pictures of cosmic facts. There were no symbols or legends that were not first seen in vision.

The fable of Isis and Osiris is a prime example of symbolic narrative, often interpreted as a "Dying God" myth prototype for human regeneration.

Interpretations include the conflict between Osiris and Typhon representing the constant warfare between constructive and destructive principles or order/harmony versus disorder.

Osiris can be understood as the personification of Truth, destroyed by evil (Typhon), or as the Secret Doctrine before it was lost.

His body being torn into pieces (fourteen) and Isis's search for the parts symbolizes the scattering of truth and the effort to recover it.

Isis herself is interpreted as signifying knowledge.

In the initiation crypt, the mummy case of Osiris represents physical existence and man's nobility overcome by his animal nature.

Typhon (the adversary) sits on an infernal throne in the initiation ritual; Orus (Horus, the avenger) battles and overcomes Typhon, symbolizing the victory of spiritual powers over perversion. This tableau also served as a warning against breaking vows.

The Soul and Afterlife (Metaphysical Aspects):

Egyptian belief extended beyond physical death, including the reconstitution of family life and recognition in the Other World.

Sources describe states of consciousness after death:

Kamaloka: The state where the spiritual being is still held by the astral body, retaining desires cultivated in the physical body but lacking the means to satisfy them, leading to suffering until these cravings are overcome.

Devachan: The state following Kamaloka, where the soul prepares for a new life, no longer primarily connected to the physical world, feeling like a limb of the entire spiritual world.

The Devachanic consciousness became progressively darker and more shadowy from the Persian period to the Greco-Latin time as humanity became more engaged with the physical world.

The Mysteries existed to illuminate this consciousness through initiation.

The Christ impulse is presented as a later means of illuminating the consciousness after death, providing a force to prevent spiritual death. Great earlier figures like Buddha and Hermes were seen as harbingers of this.

The Underworld (Tuat/Duat) is described not just as a physical location but also as the realm of the Mysteries, where Osiris lives as the god of the hidden fane beneath the earth, representing the subjective sphere of man's inner life.

Magic as a Spiritual and Material Force:

Magic was deeply interwoven with Egyptian religion, influencing views on temporal and spiritual matters.

It encompassed magical names, spells, formulae, figures, amulets, and ceremonies with "words of power" (hekau), intended to produce supernatural results.

While some magic was for nefarious purposes, it also served legitimate ends, benefiting the living and the dead. In religious texts, magic was a "handmaiden of religion".

Magical texts, including portions of the Book of the Dead, were intended to produce specific material results (e.g., health, obtaining favors) and spiritual outcomes (e.g., living among the living, seeing Osiris, having air in the nostrils, avoiding death).

The use of figures (wax or otherwise) was based on the idea that they could contain or represent spirits, and performing ceremonies over them could influence people or events, embodying dramatic actions like those in myths (e.g., Isis saving Ra).

Knowledge of names (of parts of a net, for example) was crucial in magical spells for protection and escape from dangers.

Later periods, particularly the Graeco-Roman era, saw the development of the Graeco-Egyptian magical papyri, which blended Egyptian magic with influences from Greek, Hebrew, and Syrian traditions. These texts sometimes used strange ingredients with secret or symbolic meanings.

Magic books were considered vital to society's functioning.

Beyond practical aims, magical techniques could be used for spiritual ends, such as theurgy, the summoning of divine manifestations, seen as a profound spiritual experience and a secret method for initiates to encounter and unite with the divine. Egyptian priests were renowned for this. Instruction in magic could be a preliminary step in the mysteries of the universe.

Divine Nature and Cosmology:

Egyptian philosophers had sublime notions about the Divine nature.

Gods were understood mystically by initiates as vast beings rooted in eternal principles, sustaining the universe through emanations. To the profane, they were symbols taken literally.

Deities like Amun were described in ways that suggest transcendence, being "hidden," "unknowable," "farther than the sky," and "deeper than the Duat".

Some texts explore concepts related to triads or trinities.

Connection to Later Traditions:

Later traditions, particularly Gnosticism and Hermeticism, show significant connections to Egyptian concepts.

Hermes Trismegistos, the Greek adaptation of Thoth, became a central figure in Hermetic writings. These blended Egyptian religious ideas with Persian, Gnostic, and Jewish mythology, expressed through Hellenic philosophy.

Gnostic documents from Nag Hammadi also exhibit strong connections to Egyptian and Hermetic thought, addressing themes like the descent of the soul, the demiurge, and the pursuit of esoteric knowledge.

The practice of treating funerary texts like the Book of the Dead as the basis for initiation rites has ancient precedents and influenced how later European cultures imagined ancient Egypt.

In summary, the sources reveal a sophisticated system of esoteric knowledge and metaphysical beliefs underlying the public face of Egyptian religion. This included complex initiation rites, symbolic interpretations of myths, beliefs about the post-mortem journey and consciousness, a view of magic as a potent force for both material and spiritual transformation (including theurgy), and concepts of the divine that bordered on transcendence. These ideas also played a significant role in shaping later Western esoteric traditions like Hermeticism and Gnosticism.

[quint-ofbeer]

Let's add a little Russian melancholy!

When I listen to this song I think about Quentin's internal conflict, his determinaton to change, to become better, his regret.

I clearly feel his suspended state in the new issues of X-Men. I am overcome by his despair and fear of the ghosts of the past (Sabretooth), his depressed state from the abandoned forces after beheadings and resurrections.

[First verse ]

В зеркале заднего вида

Среди догорающих фур

Свидетель преступного мира

Любви остывающий труп

Translation:

In a rear-view mirror

Among burning out trucks

There's a witness to the crime of the world

Love's cooling corps

Мы сосчитаем венки на столбах

Мы говорим "До свидания", встретимся во снах

Во снах мы смотрели на звезды

Но видели только из свет

Разоряли кукушкины гнезда

Купили волчий билет

У спальных районов нету сердец

Мы не вернёмся - это конец

Translation:

We’ll count the wreaths on the posts*

We say “Goodbye

We’ll meet in dreams”

In the dreams we looked at the stars

But only saw their light

We were ruining cuckoos’ nests**

Have bought a wolf’s ticket***

Sleeping districts do not have hearts****

We won’t come back — this is the end

1)* - Funeral wreaths on poles are a symbol of grief for people who have met their death on the road(For me it's his longing for Evan)

2)A wolf ticket was the name given to a document in pre-revolutionary Russia that indicated unreliability, which blocked access to government service, an educational institution, etc.

Today, the phraseological unit is used as a sharply negative characteristic of someone's work. (For me, it's Quentin's inability to use his omega level telepathic abilities to their full potential in the latest episodes of the Graymalkin Prison events)

2) ** - Cuckoos do not build nests. The cuckoo, alone of all birds, lays its eggs in other people's nests and never feeds its own chicks (Reference to his adoptive parents, his abandonment and loneliness in childhood in general )

3) *** - By analogy with two logical lines (cuckoos do not build nests, abandoning children, "wolf tickets" were not bought, but issued), the author plays on contrasts.

According to popular opinion, residential areas are a special, atmospheric, "spiritual" place, since the bustle of the big city does not sigh so brightly there, and people return there from work to rest.

That is, in residential areas, in the generally accepted order, there is a "heart". (For me, Quentin's "soul place" is exactly the place he always wanted to leave - the school for gifted mutants.)

[ Chorus Laryvan]

О добре расскажи своей маме

Только не сквозь ладони

Мы кардиналы серой морали

Будь с нами, никто не тронет

Зло — это сказки для бедных

Колючая проволка розы

Ночь — это время рассвета

Оставь для других все вопросы

Translation:

Tell your mom about goodness

Just not through your palms

We are the cardinals of gray morality*

Be with us and no one will touch you

Evil is fairytales for the poor

Rose’s barbed wire

Night is the time of dawn

Leave all the questions for others

1)* - Gray morality is a special concept that goes beyond the standard division into good and bad characters. In books with gray morality, the heroes are not always classic "angels" or "demons", but rather are more like real people with their weaknesses, contradictions, and doubts.

These characters can commit ambiguous actions that are neither entirely heroic nor villainous. (The whole essence of Quentin throughout his life, the endless juggling between moral choices.)

[ Chorus Ivan Kurochkin]

Тебе было так одиноко

В этой битве с собой

По правилу «око за око»

Теперь победитель слепой

Но сбиты прицелы, летишь в никуда

Любовь и насилие с нами навсегда

Translation:

You were so lonely

In this battle with yourself

Eye for an eye* as the rule goes

Now the winner is blind

But the sights are shot down, you are flying to nowhere

Love and violence are with us for ever

1)* - "An eye for an eye" is a principle that comes from the Old Testament and expresses a legal norm that limits revenge and replaces it with a punishment determined by the court on the principle of equal retribution. In jurisprudence, this rule is known as "talion".

What did I want to say with all this?

I want people to understand that Quentin is more than just an annoying kid/punk/anarchist. Marvel editors, fuck off and reveal Quentin, show him a path to regaining his powers. Show him as someone who actually cares about those who are important to him. And for God's sake, don't involve him in a relationship with the Cuckoos! (Keeping my fingers crossed for Quentin + Idie)

The song lyrics and translation together with remarks:

[spikehunter]

i think it might be actually impossible to write a political allegory capable of accomplishing anything more than getting annoying people to say THIS IS JUST LIKE THE BOOK!!!! whenever some evil politics happens irl.

if you write a fictional world setting where the evil governments goals are some nebulous shit about Control and Domination thats not going to fucking do anything because everyone in the real world thinks theyre the protagonists. the trumpmusk administration is not going to ban 1984 dipshits they think theyre winston and the Woke Agenda is big brother. everyone on earth has a persecution complex its just how it is.

on the other hand if you write something where the bad guys basically look directly into the camera and say "We are doing this because we are racist misogynist christofascists who hate women and minorities", which is what i think happens in handmaids tale idk i never read it because reading is for nerds, evildoer goons and cronies will just ignore it because Something fictional happened in that world to make it that way so therefore racist misogynist christofascists who hate women and minorities are just make believe. either that or you just get the true masterclass cronies who go "Yup this is awesome because i also hate women and minorities. We should do this."

if you have watched internet superstar jacob geller's call of duty video essay you already know this but like the average american centrist(-gamer) has an eminently paradoxical worldview where politics is and Only is:

when the bad guys look directly into the camera and say "My name is Donald Henry Rumsfeld and i am consciously allowing and encouraging American soldiers to commit torture on imprisoned civilians at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, because we don't think Arab men are real human beings, because we are evil."

when theres a black person or a woman or a gay or god forbid a Pronouns

i accidentally deleted the huge paragraph i had written here i hate this fucking app. umm. ok

this is because americans are broadly stupid in a way which allows us to simultaneously not know or care overmuch about what politics Is Or Does, while also caring a lot and getting really loud about what we think politics Is And Does. everything in america is political, except for politics, which doesn't exist. or maybe it does but only in a laboratory setting at MIT or something, in which case it is primarily about coloring in maps. this is not unique to americans of course based on their actions in recent years im inclined to believe the british work the same way, and also everyone on earth, generally, for at least the past one thousand years.

basically my point is you cannot write a good enough book to overcome the mindset of the mode reader, who reads a novel exactly once and comes away from it thinking "Oh i get it now! Politics is when bad people do things i dont like, by invoking the immutable forces of Laws, which are created by probably no more than three or four nasty motherfuckers and powered by the votes and acclaim of their endless flocks of sheeple (couldnt be me). and of course these votes and acclaim are converted into spiritual power for The Law, whose will is enacted by nobody in particular, and can only be defied by Enlightened Intellectuals like myself." you cant do it. its just not possible. you also probably cant teach people out of this with any kind of compulsory education. if you went to high school im sure you know that for any given class there's like a 10% chance anyone actually learns anything from it besides lists of keywords. do not ask me for a solution to this problem i dont have one im literally just a blogger

[seafoampages]

Writeblr Intro

hi, welcome to my writeblr! my name is cam, i’m a 20-year-old english lit and publishing student, and i’m creating this new blog because posting about my wips motivates me to work on them!

i’ll be posting info about my wips including character aesthetics, playlists, excerpts and memes, plus updates on what i’m currently reading

pronouns: she/her

hobbies (besides writing): cooking & baking, reading, painting, video games (pokémon, sims, minecraft)

favourite books: the book thief (marcuz zusak), roots of chaos series (samantha shannon), practical magic series (alice hoffman), when women were dragons (kelly barnhill), the lunar chronicles (marissa meyer), the scholomance series (naomi novik), the school for good and evil series (soman chainani) and the miseducation of cameron post (emily danforth)

audience: ya / new adult

genres: high fantasy + urban fantasy, sci-fi, romance

common tropes in my writing: grumpy sunshine pairings, protective siblings overcoming conflict (50% chance the sister is a scientist, 100% chance both of them are queer), faeries, unapolagetically affectionate couples, very tall hot people, defrosting ice queens

my wips include:

WE ARE THE BURNED 🔥⚔️🌊

main wip, high fantasy, new adult,multiple pov, mediterranean-inspired setting

in a world where words are magic, and breaking a promise could take your life, nations battle for territory and glory. avary and ronan must fight to stay together while escaping the country they love, tariq struggles to live between the cruelty of his city’s cartel and the gentle wisdom of his teacher, and abilenne weaves through her responsibilities as a crown princess, eldest sister and future bride

themes include overcoming other people's expectations and found family

UNNAMED HARPY WIP 🕊🗡☀️ 

high fantasy, ya, fairytale retelling, sapphic romance

thayde’s favourite story as a child was the one about an ancient princess who could see the future, locked in a tower prison by a warlock. but it was also her least favourite, because it didn’t have a hero. now a fully grown harpy, thayde wants to win the queen’s tournament and prove herself worthy of finding the kingdom’s best kept secret.

themes include discovering self-worth and enemies to lovers

MAGES 🌃✨💀

urban fantasy, ya, alternate earth

kad’s mother was a murderer, a terrorist, a villain. the whole world is hell-bent on reminding her, despite being taken in by the Dupuis foster home for gifted mages and doing her best to be a normal pyromancer. but her magic refuses to grow and the dangers that ended her old family are threatening her new one. can kad uncover what’s happening and make up for her mother’s atrocities?

themes include found family, magical coffee shop and science-fantasy mashup

[stromuprisahat]

I just couldn’t stand the Girl Bossing that happened s2 Sab. It seemed over the top, very flimsical and well it didn’t seem that they had to overcome or do anything substantial to get the attitude. Like what was Alina pretending to be so superior the entire show? Genya I can understand but why tf was she terrified of the Darkling before the Incident. Why look so terrified when getting rescued from cages and torture. Please explain. Less you talk of Zoya the better.

My favourite character in SoC was Inej but why turn her into fanatic.

No idea why Nina hates the Darkling? She is ok with her bf being a former hunter bit Darkling is BAD.

Ps- Dont like Tamar and Tolya

Also Alina had some of the cringiest lines - You envy our love

Ofc the darkling had The Worst lines. In both seasons.

Unfortunatelly, the writers have about two braincells to rub together, and the result looks accordingly.

Alina fell victim to the idea that a good heroine is a tough heroine, and a tough heroine has no feelings outside the preferred romance. Maybe some righteous anger, but what else could she need?!

Genya probably got kicked in the head, before they hung her in that cage, that's why she was constantly afraid and semi-hysterical.

Zoya's visibly the writers' fav. They're "subtly" setting her up for her queenship. (About as subtle as a herd of mammoths crossing a thawing lake, but nvm.)

Inej has the misfortune of being religious. More primitive mind cannot distinguish between that and a fanatic.

Nina hates the Darkling, because she adores Zoya, who hates him, and he wouldn't approve her semi-fictional relationship with Matthias (Remember that while she's frolicking around, sing-songing about their eternal love, he believes she betrayed him and got him into prison.). We shouldn't forget the Evil Dark Wizard sent one of his best men to look for her, when she was kidnapped by her bf's Nazi cult. Fucking cockblocker!

I've encountred an opinion that Bataar twins are better in the show. I don't know. I think the writers were relying too heavily on viewers already knowing them, but hey- if they don't have time to properly develop their MC, what else should we expect?!

I've written it before and I'll keep repeating it. I don't like book!Alina, but that self-important psychopath in the second season made me miss her. I feel genuinely sorry for Jessie. She deserved some consistency to play, instead of a flat, cruel, unfeeling amplifierfucker.

Aleksander wasn't half bad in first season, but the shit they made him do and say around Miss Psycho in season 2... I guess he's another candidate for brain damage...

[moments777]

HOW THE APOSTLES DIED.~~~

1. Matthew

Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, Killed by a sword wound.

2. Mark (not an apostle,but one of the first missionaries)

Died in Alexandria, Egypt , after being dragged by Horses through the streets until he was dead.

3. Luke ( not an apostle, but was Paul's doctor)

Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous Preaching to the lost.

4. John

Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge Basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution In Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered From death.

John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve As Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully

5. Peter

He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross.

According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die In the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

6. James

The leader of the church in Jerusalem , was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his

enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club.

* This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.

7. James the Son of Zebedee,

was a fisherman by trade when Jesus Called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer Walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and Knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.

8. Bartholomew

Also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.

9. Andrew

Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: 'I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.' He continued to preach to his tormentors For two days until he expired.

10. Thomas

Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the Sub-continent.

11. Jude

Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.

12. Matthias

The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.

13. Paul

Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many

epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.

14. Simon the Zealot

Simon was traditionally martyred by being sawn in half.

15. Philip

Philip evangelized in Phrygia where hostile Jews had him tortured and then crucified upside down. Some sources have him being stoned

Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles and disciples during their times For the sake of the Faith. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: But he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Pass on to encourage other Christians.🪶

[moohnshinescorner]

Book details:

Shattered Dreams by Abbie Roads (Beautiful Nightmare, #3) Publication date: July 11th 2023 Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance

Synopsis:

A crooked cop. Corruption. A woman convicted of murder. A man determined to prove her innocence. When Helena Grayse is released from prison, all she wants is to say a final goodbye to her old life. But when a man finds her trespassing on his property, instead of turning her in, he takes her in. Accepts her. Loves her. But someone decides to serve Helena with a death sentence. Shattered Dreams is the third book in Abbie Roads’ Beautiful Nightmare Series of dark romantic thrillers. It features a felon heroine who never thought she deserved love. If you devour true crime and romance novels then you’ll love a series that combines both in a roller-coaster ride of danger, mind games, and swoon worthy love. Buy this dangerously dark romance today! Trigger warning: Depictions of SA and violence. Previously Published under the title Never Let Me Fall.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123261829-shattered-dreams

Purchase: https://amzn.to/3zr96Nl

MY REVIEW

Wow!!!! This book blew me away. This is almost my favorite in the series. Each book is an intricate web of danger and each book is intertwined into one big huge web. I enjoyed each one immensely.

In this book we get more into Evanee's brother Tommy's story. We find out some more of the horrors that were inflicted upon Evanee and Tommy. And let us just say, they are horrible. So be warned this book is loaded with triggers, rape, physical and emotional abuse and kidnapping. When Tommy sees Helena his grey world becomes bright with colors and he feels a connection that cannot be denied.

Helena has just endured 10 years of abuse at the hands of the Sisters. Now her freedom is here and she doesn't know how to function. Her only mentality is survival. But then she meets the strange man and an unexplainable attraction has her scared and building walls.

This book was dark and dangerous. The story is well written and the author's lays out the storyline in perfect fashion. She does an excellent job of intertwining her stories, so you want to be sure to read them in order. Each book incorporates the story of Fearless and The Bear. Each couple has a unique and strong connection. One that saves them over and over. Each heroine has the power of dreams and a way to save those who are at the hands of evil. Each hero of the story is strong, alpha and part of the BCI working hard to keep the world safe.

These books are amazing reads and they are not PG-13. They are dark, intense and dangerous. There is true evil residing in these stories and to read the characters overcoming evil against all odds is soul lifting. It is an amazing journey. I hope there will be more in this series and they are the perfect mix of heat and mystery.

AUTHOR BIO:

Abbie Roads is the best-selling author of the Fatal Dreams Series and the Fatal Truth Series. Her novels have been finalists in many prestigious contests including The Golden Heart, The Greater Detroit Booksellers Best, The Oklahoma National Readers’ Choice Award, The Write Touch, The Strut Your Stuff Contest, The Aspen Gold Contest, The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, The Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award, The Midnight Sun, The Kathryn Hayes Contest, The Chanticleer, The Daphne du Maurier, The National Readers’ Choice Award, The New England Readers’ Choice Contest, The Beverly Award, and The Maggie Award. Her debut novel Race the Darkness was Publishers Weekly Top 10 Pick for Fall and Never Let Me Fall is an Amazon Editor’s Pick.

By day Abbie Roads is a mental health counselor always focusing on the bright side. By night she writes on the dark side, putting her characters through the wringer before she gives them their happily-ever-after. She loves a good inspirational quote and is a fan of true crime.

Author links: https://www.abbieroads.com/ https://www.facebook.com/abbieroads2 https://twitter.com/Abbie_Roads https://www.instagram.com/Abbie_Roads/ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8179024.Abbie_Roads