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romione-trope-fest · 6 months

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Shell Cottage

Title: Shell Cottage

Author: adenei

Trope: Only One Bed

Summary: What if Shell Cottage wasn’t Bill and Fleur’s home/safehouse during the war…because there was no Voldemort? What if the Weasley kids used it for something else entirely? A something that was bestowed upon each Weasley kid before they entered their seventh year. And what if Ron used that something to his advantage, finally giving him a shot at getting together with Hermione?

WC: 7,738 (in 3 parts. part 1 here)

TW: alcohol use, frivolity, bed sharing.

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Part 1

It’s an unusually warm summer day in Ottery St. Catchpole, and Ron welcomes the sun shining down on his face as he ventures outside. Summer’s always been his favorite season. When he was younger it was because his siblings would all be home from Hogwarts, so he had lots of options for playmates. And when he’d started school, it meant a nice long break from never-ending assignments and exams throughout the year.

This summer is different, though. It’s officially his last as a student, which means it could be the final time he’ll have minimal responsibilities before he’s expected to pursue a career—and it’s coming to an end far too quickly. In two short weeks, he’ll be entering his seventh and final year of Hogwarts, and then this time next year? Well, who knows exactly what his future holds.

Ron walks out to the garden, summoned by his brothers for a pick-up game of Quidditch, but no one’s there yet. It’s a rare afternoon when everyone stopped by to visit and hang out, much to Mrs. Weasley’s delight. They rarely spent time together aside from Sunday dinner, so the impromptu visit sent their mum into a tizzy.

They made some excuse about wanting to help Ron and Ginny train for tryouts in a few weeks, but Ron thinks they all secretly miss flying. Nevertheless, it still struck him as peculiar when he couldn’t see anyone around. Especially considering Fred and George already had their brooms when Bill asked him to come play. He figured they’d be flying around warming up already.

Weird.

Nevertheless, Ron keeps his pace toward the broomshed. Even if it’s all some stupid prank, he figures he can still charm some Quaffles and get a little solo practice in at the very least. It doesn’t matter that he’s held the Gryffindor Keeper position for two years now, he still wants to earn it.

Not that Harry would give it to anyone else, unless they totally outperformed him. But every season, every match, he’s gained more confidence and honed his skills. It’s not like he plans on going pro or anything, but still, he wants to maintain his position on the team.

Finally reaching the broomshed, he opens the door to retrieve his Cleansweep, but is met instead with a pair of arms pulling him into the small space.

“What the—”

“It’s about time, Ronniekins,” Fred chides.

George shuts the door behind him and casts some sort of silencing charm on it. “Yeah, can’t say this is where I’d prefer to spend my afternoon waiting for you.”

“So why are you in here and not outside?” Ron asks, completely bewildered. “I thought we were going to play Quidditch?”

“We are, but we have to talk to you first.” Impatience lingers in Fred’s tone before Bill clears his throat.

“It’s a…private matter.”

“Oh, fucking hell, not the sex talk again,” Ron groans.

George grins. “We can if you—”

“No.”

“Suit yourself.” Fred shrugs. “I happen to think we did a stellar job with our brotherly duty.”

George nudges Bill. “Even provided Percy’s diagrams and everything.”

Bill sniggers. “Did you really? Well, as much as I’d love to continue that conversation, we probably don’t have much time before Ginny comes outside and catches us in here.” Ron folds his arms as he waits for his oldest brother to continue. “So, you’re about to start your seventh year in a couple weeks—”

“Really? I had no idea.” Ron can’t help the quip, but he hates when people state the obvious.

“Easy now, Ronniekins. As much as we love a good tradition, we don’t have to share this with you if you want to be all testy,” Fred warns.

“Anyway.” Bill regains everyone’s attention. “As Fred so eloquently stated, we have a bit of a tradition that I started and has since been passed down to everyone.”

“Even Percy,” George interjects.

“Though I don’t think he threw much of a rager,” Fred shakes his head in disappointment.

Bill chuckles. “No. I’m pretty sure he used the weekend for himself and Penelope and—”

“No!” gasps Fred.

A shit-eating grin plasters George’s face. “Did they—is that when he—no wonder he was such a bloody tosser all year!”

“Acting even more pretentious than usual,” Fred continues.

“All because he got—

“Alright, alright. Percy’ll kill me if he finds out I told you so keep that to yourselves, yeah?”

“Oh, come on, Bill. You’d crush him in a duel. He’s got nothing on you,” Fred ignores the point.

Ron doesn’t realize until after the exchange that his eyes have widened at the information, and while he may have been annoyed before, he’s much more interested in what Bill has to say now.

“So, are you going to tell me or…”

Instead of answering right away, Bill digs into his pocket before brandishing a key.

“What’s that to?” Ron presses again, and all three of his brothers grin widely.

“Shell Cottage.”

Shell Cottage. Where’s he heard that name before? He has to delve deep into his mind for any sort of recollection, and then it suddenly hits him.

“Aunt Muriel’s summer home? But how do you—”

“Dad used to check the place regularly when Muriel wasn’t staying there. But she stopped using it as her summer home years ago—just before my seventh year to be exact—and I’ve been in charge of making sure the place is alright ever since. ”

“Okay…so, what? Did you borrow the place for a weekend?”

Bill’s face falls slightly at Ron’s question and the twins stifle a groan. “Wow, Ron, way to ruin it.” George scolds.

“I wasn’t trying to!” he defends. “It’s just—it was obvious…”

Bill doesn’t seem phased, though, as he continues. “Well, yeah. And since then, I’ve passed the key on to Charlie, Percy, and the twins a couple weeks before their seventh year starts at Hogwarts too. Now it’s your turn.”

“Brilliant!” Ron reaches his hand out to take the key, but then hesitates. His eyes narrow slightly as he peers between his brothers. “What’s the catch?”

“No catch,” Bill reassures. “You can have the place for the weekend. Just make sure it’s cleaned up before you leave. And I don’t care who you invite as long as you’ve got a good alibi.”

“Right. Yeah.” Ron takes the key when Bill thrusts it toward him.

The wheels begin to turn, formulating a plan in his mind. Obviously, he wants to invite his dorm-mates. They could hang out on the beach and he knows Seamus would be able to hook them up with Firewhiskey. It could be the ultimate guys weekend. Kind of like the ones they used to have when they were younger before Seamus started chasing girls and he and Harry got wrapped up with Quidditch.

But then he thinks about how Percy supposedly took advantage of the space and—well, if he’s being honest with himself, he’d love to find a way to hang out with Hermione one-on-one. Maybe it would be the kick in the pants he needs to finally take the plunge and ask her out.

Who says you can’t do both?

Both…now there’s an idea. But before he can ruminate on it anymore, Fred interrupts his thoughts.

“Great, now if we’re all set here, let’s get out of this steambox.” He pushes past Ron to open the door.

George follows. “I’ll go find Gin so she doesn’t try to hex our bollocks off for leaving her out.”

Dammit. Ginny.

She’s going to be so pissed if he leaves her out, but as is the tradition, Ron isn’t sure he should tell her. Besides, is it so wrong to have a weekend for just him and his friends without her? Harry’ll understand too, right?

Eh, whatever. He’ll figure it out later. For now, he’ll enjoy an afternoon of Quidditch just like the old times, and later, when Harry comes for dinner, he’ll figure out exactly what his weekend with the key to Shell Cottage will hold.

#submission #romione #romionetropefest #ONLY ONE BED

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allurasrealm · 8 months

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PJO TV DEBRIEF (S1)

First of all I would like to say that episode 8 was my favorite of the season ends down. The pacing was good, the storytelling was good, there was tension, suspense, the fight scenes weren't anticlimactic etc. it gives me hope that maybe these writers aren't totally incompetent. I tried to be brief but this post will be long I fear.

THE TRIO

Overall I like the dynamic between the trio, they really picked the right actors. they bounce off of each other well and I can't get enough of them together. Individually their characterization is close enough to what we get in the books however I feel that Annabeth and Grover got nerfed this season (especially Grover).

Percy: I don't think I have much to say. Walker really nails the character. the action, the humor, the line delivery etc. My only issue is that they made him too knowledgeable for my liking and i feel that it was done at the expense of his quest mates.

Annabeth: Same thing as before, Leah really understands the character well. She IS Annabeth. But as others have mentioned before I wish she could express a wider range of emotions throughout the show. I like her a lot more in scenes where she was allowed to be more than a standoffish tactician and was expressing fear and worry either for herself or her friends. however I was disappointed at her reaction at the reveal in the woods with Luke. I mean this is her brother (or so we are told in the show) so I expected her to be more devastated by it. this is as much of a betrayal for Percy as it is for her.

Grover: this Grover feels slightly different than the one in the book but I don't mind at all. Aryan is crushing it! Unfortunately I can't help but feel that this Grover was severely underwritten and underdeveloped. I wish they properly represented how much the Pan quest means to him and how important it was for him to be on this quest to obtain his Searcher's License, that way the finale could've felt that much more satisfying to watch. Overall I feel that he was sidelined a lot more because the kids are apparently too smart to fall into trap, be sidetracked or be tricked by the Mist so that means that Grover's ability to sense monsters was gone and therefore made him a lot less useful to the team. I've noticed as well that the three were often separate to keep Percabeth together while he was by himself and like... why? and even when he made some efforts to contribute to the quest in a meaningful way, those efforts didn't amount to much.

I also take this opportunity to add this because I was discussing it with friends earlier. this might be a reach but I wanted to share our perspective on this anyway:

We were especially annoyed at how they took out some defining traits and ability from Grover and Annabeth or straight up took said abilities to give them to Percy knowing it would leave the two with not much to show for this quest because:

Percy is already the main character so what is the need for it? Percy in the books was never dumb but he was fairly ignorant about the mythical world which led to Annabeth and Grover being the ones to explain things to him (and therefore the audience/readers) but now he's pretty much the knowledgeable member of this team on top of being the one to get most of the action during fights and confrontation (again the others aren't nearly as active as he is here).

I think it's odd that they chose to add more diversity in the cast for this trio but unfortunately fall into the trap of giving their non-white characters the "besties who are there to prop up the main character but don't seem to get to stand on their own" treatment POC often get in media.

I could go on and on about this but it would be best to save that for another post. For future seasons my main hope for these characters is that they explore Annabeth and Grover's interiority with as much care and effort as they do Percy's. I mean seeing as this is a tv show format, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to do this and dive deeper into their respective arc since it's not a first person POV like in the book and yet not much was done.

Bonus (Sally): While I didn't dislike this portrayal of Sally and like that they made her more active and have more agency since the beginning, I'm still disappointed to not see her go through her original arc in the first book that is precisely about how she grows to be that Sally. ever since Percy's birth, he was her priority (understandingly so) and every decision she made was to protect him even at her own expense. I thought there was something beautiful about how she heard of her son's first quest and how it inspired her to take matters into her own hands to regain her agency and freedom. Though I'm fine with this version of Sally, it still doesn't hit the same way as the original story.

Olympus

I loved the way Mount of Olympus and the Underworld were designed and although I had my own preferences and expectations about the Underworld I still like the show version of it. Mount Olympus looks way bigger and grand than I ever imagined it in my head so I loved that about it. no notes.

I also liked most of the gods but mostly because they stuck with the book's descriptions of them. Dionysus was spot on and well cast. I like Ares too and Poseidon. Hermes and Hades felt too much like some guys™ to me and while I can accept it for Hermes, it's difficult to get over it with Hades. and before anyone starts, I'm not asking for a mustache twirling villain because Hades was never that but you'd think the lord of the Underworld would have more gravita than that.

Now Zeus! I was kinda worried at first for the reasons mentioned above but now I don't even know why, I mean they cast Lance Reddick for the role so I should've known this would turn out great. He actually brought the charisma, gravita and authority I was expecting from some of these gods. He gave such a masterful performance in the finale and is the reason why I will be rewatching it. Lance was such a great talent and phenomenal person, he will be deeply missed </3

THE BETRAYAL

I was worried for this part as well because I didn't think they built up for it well enough but considering how Annabeth reacted to the whole thing, I guess it doesn't matter that they didn't show us how close her and Luke were supposed to be I guess. let's take away how truly meaningful that relationship was to Annabeth that way we don't have to worry about it for the final reveal right?

They finally showed us the training session between Luke and Percy and I'm glad because I honestly thought they scrapped that entirely. Even though I still wish it was included way before that, I'm still content about it being included and used as flashback to create a parallel between Percy and Luke.

Generally this Luke is a bit different from the one in the book and that's why I like this Luke better so far.

From what I remember the character in the book seems friendly at first but definitely comes off as a bit sly later so you know there's something up with the guy. Whereas in this show Luke is genuine from the beginning to the end of season 1. You get the sense that Luke actually sees Percy as a friend. He also sees his greatness and potential which make Percy that good of a potential ally and recruit and on top of that we were shown in the flashbacks that both see eye to eye when it comes to the gods. These changes in the story make the character foils that much better and interesting to me.

Finally I want to add that Charlie gave an incredible performance at the end and I am excited to see more of him and what else they have in store for this character!

NEXT SEASONS

For future seasons, they need to give this show more episodes per season so we don't ever get a bad pacing. It was definitely impacting the quality of the writing as well. I didn't dislike all the changes they made. Some of the elements added or changed I ended up enjoying because it fits well in the overall story and add more depth to it. Meanwhile there were events that happened in the book that I didn't like because of the storytelling and writing decisions they made that in my opinion took away the meaning behind them. A lot of the tension and struggles that make this adventure so thrilling were gone as well and I wish the writers could reevaluate that. as mentioned prior I also want the other characters to be more developed and better written.

#pjo tv crit #pjo tv

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mayakrish08 · 9 months

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Percy Jackson And The Olympians: The Series

Alright fellas, buckle up for the rant. I can’t believe it’s week 4 already and that we are 5 episodes in. I’m gonna start with the current episode. The story is slowly picking up pace, and BOY I loved this episode. The fact that this episode has the FIRST HUG and the FIRST SEAWEED BRAIN are good reasons for that. Another being the way Annabeth dealt with the situation, and how she admitted that Percy was better than her. It must have taken a lot. It’s been… what, a couple of days, and that guy is tilting her world from its axis. Being a self righteous daughter of Athena, and finding yourself with an impulsive guy like Percy? Ha. The most unlikeliest pair, but let’s not forget their parents, hmm? At least their kids don’t have the emotional range of a teaspoon. And I remember thinking that Percy has made Annabeth cry in a matter of few hours. ANNABETH and CRYING do no go in the same sentence that easily. I also remember thinking that Percy was sooo… Percy! “Where is our ride?” And “You think you know me, but you don’t” and ohh, the ultimate, “It’s… smelly.”

Ares was a douche, but I loved his aesthetic with the black leather jacket and the motorcycle. Felt like he jumped right outta the book.

But but, can we like talk about Grover? Ma Man SLAYED it! IS SLAYING IT actually! The way he dealt with Ares, holy gods!! RESPECT!! He was such a SMOOOOTH CRIMINAL! “Pottu vangardhu,” we say in Tamil. That’s exactly what he did with Ares - getting the information he needed from Ares, but in a way that satisfied Ares’ ego. Ah Grover is such a badass. “So, thank you for the emotional abuse and the cheeseburgers. We will take you up on the ride too.” DAAAAMMNNN DUUUDDEEEE!! Ah I feel in love with him right from the consensus song. {Muttering “Oh Golly, the road’s gettin’ bumpy}

Speaking of, that episode was really good too! I loved how Grover kept deflecting every question, how Percy kept questioning the hierarchy, and how Annabeth was constantly rolling her eyes at Percy, BUT they still didn’t give up on each other, and Grover snapped, and hey! They are finally bordering on the friend zone.

Ah, I wish current Percy and Annabeth could revisit their initial years. Or, I keep thinking, how would House of Hades be, with this cast? *Snort* Ironically, when I think about that, it feels like we are JUST five episodes in. It also makes me feel awed because… We may as well be watching these kids grow up! Like, sure, there will be PLENTY of new characters (Personally, after seeing Hephaestus, I can’t wait for Leo), but Percy and Annabeth are going to be constants, even more so than Grover! So, that means, we will be watching Leah and Walker grow, and we will have a chance of coming back to the first few episodes and coo at how small they are. Gosh, watching the cast interviews now makes me see the difference already!

There is one thing with this series: I keep forgetting the book! It feels like that, certainly! I mean, I don’t remember the Golden Throne thingy, nor did I remember the way Medusa was killed! While the scenes fit the series’ storyline, it is making me doubt my demigod-ness 😭 I also think Gabe is too… decent in this series. He is… MUCH worse in my head. Ugh.

All in all, I think they are doing a good job. At first, I was a bit skeptical, but after watching a certain review of a certain YTber I follow, my perspective changed for the better. Like, she is the perfect Demigod and Witch! Finally, someone I can totally relate to!! Check out her content!

youtube

Alright, I am gonna wrap up the rant for now. But I am planning on posting a review every Wednesday, because I NEED PEOPLE TO TALK TO ABOUT THIS DAMMIT!!

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spectralscathath · 9 months

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do you have any voice headcanons for Antares? how they talk, stuff like that?

Okay well here’s the characters that I think would keep the voices similar to what they have in show, because the performances given were excellent and really defined the character to me. The cadence, the tone, all that, these ones work well.

Winter, Ironwood, Tyrian, Watts, Salem, Hazel, Oscar, Ozpin, the Ace Ops are all solid, Robyn, Whitley, Sienna, Raven, Mercury, Vernal.

So here's the ones I'd mess with:

Ruby: I’d want to still have her sound light and innocent, but I’d definitely make her way less squeaky then she was in the show. A voice that can still have a bit of grit, if she needs it. I’m picturing something like Dani Phantom in Danny Phantom, or X-23 in x-men evolution (Andrea Libman’s version). Childish but able to get dangerous.

Weiss: definitely something posh but not necessarily snooty. She should have a very clear voice, one that’s clearly been through a million dictation lessons and speaks quite musically at that. Pick a soprano broadway singer, go from there.

Blake: I think she’d probably have the deepest voice of the main four girls? Not raspy, but resonant. Able to soften up, I picture something like Vi from Arcane or Korra from Legend of Korra.

Yang: Not as deep as Blake’s voice, but definitely with a bit of grit to it that gives her that tough vibe. Where Blake has resonance, Yang does have rasp. Sorta Ryuko Matoi-esque, or like Amethyst from Steven Universe.

Qrow: as much as I like Jason Liebrecht’s work I don’t think he works quite as well for Qrow, which is not anything against him just the voice doesn’t fit as much as I’d prefer. I’ve always felt Qrow should have a voice with a deeper register anyway, so I’d be picking a performance like Wolverine from X-Men Evolution, or Ghazan, Legend of Korra.

Sun: I really like Lego Monkie Kid and all the voice actors are great, I just can’t decide if Sun gets MK’s voice (younger, peppy, excited, also Sokka) or Monkey King’s (equally peppy, a little more deep, a bit tricksy, also Goku).

Ilia: I think Cherami Leigh’s voice acting is great (maybe she can be Blake?) but my Ilia is a bit younger and a lot softer so I’d want her to have more of a higher voice, to contrast Antares-Blake’s lower register. Something that still cracks, a bit like Luz from Owl House, mayhaps, or Marcy from Amphibia.

Summer: if any of you have watched Critical Role 3 Bells Hells and have listened to Ashley Johnson’s voice for Fearne, that’s it exactly. Really soft and breathy and gentle, really distinctive from the rest of the cast.

Tortuga: Tortuga had a very deep voice compared to the other Ace Ops, but not gravelly. Not quite on the levels of like, James Earl Jones, but more like Keith Davids in his Dr Facilier role, able to be quick but with gravitas.

Cinder: needs to be huskier, definitely able to have charisma behind it rather than risking sounding childish, or whiny. I picture something like Meg from Hades or Lust from FMA.

Jaune: I think he’d have one of the higher pitched voices of the male cast? Definitely a tenor, speaks fast and nervously, I picture kinda like Martin Blackwood’s voice from the Magnus Archives (I have no idea what anyone’s accents are and I don’t want to think about it), or Rocky from Lackadaisy.

Nora: super high pitched and nasally, but really sweet and cute nonetheless. I’d say kinda like, Molly from Epithet Erased, or Ivy, Lackadaisy again.

Pyrrha: I think she should have the most standard teenager voice? She deserves it, she deserves normal and not exceptional. I picture, like Gwen Stacy from Spiderverse, or Wendy from Gravity Falls?

Ren: a very subdued, almost monotone voice, its not necessarily particularly low or high, but could totally drop down to something very menacing if pushed. I’m thinking, like, a chilled out version of Percy from Vox Machina, with that same ability to go right down into a danger zone.

Emerald: what if we took Cherami Leigh's Ilia voice and just moved it here what then? Other options I think would suit her would be something like Miriam from Dragon Age (Kimberly Brooks is always a win)

Penny: If Nora was high pitched I think Penny should sound like a literal child, on account of Pietro really leaning into the 'innocent little girl' thing when he was downloading voice clips to make into her synthesizer- or, hear me out: Penny voiced by a vocaloid.

#asks #scorruby au #I watch a lot of media I promise but I have FAVOURITES #this is all purely based on Vibes #I don't hate most of the mainstay rwby voice actors (except for Arryn and Miles and Barb)#but I don't think everyone's performance is great #Kara's is maybe the strongest of the main non-professional cast but there's still a slight quality gap particularly in earlier seasons #Shit I forgot adam uhhhh animated Clone Wars Anakin there we go

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heyharoldsboo · 2 years

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I’m sure Netflix was notified as just a protocol but this isn’t a PR crisis for them - that would only happen if this was mainstream news, which it clearly isn’t. It’s very much concentrated within the Wednesday fandom and the accounts I’ve seen pick it up outside that aren’t big media accounts or anything close to that

it's totally within an internet bubble, but Netflix closely monitores these bubbles. It's how they make many decisions about a lot of things. So they are aware. Even though it's definetely not a PR crisis to the Netflix brand at the moment, because as you said it there aren't any media accounts picking up on it. Only gossip rags or blogs. And not even the major gossip rags. Even though, it would be monitored because it's in close association with one of their main shows of the year and the third most searched Wednesday breakthrough cast member (if we're counting Jenna as breakthrough) after Jenna and Emma.

Here is a comparative Google Trends graph with worldwide interest in the two most searched girls and the two most searched boys in the cast:

The peak in the yellow line is on 20/01/2023, when most people were aware of the shitshow and started searching for news on Percy.

It's a Percy PR crisis, not a Netflix PR crisis. But it interests Netflix greatly. Also, after the whole Joe Quinn story, I'm pretty sure they must have a protocol.

Also I went all numbers and pr nerd on your ask, sorry!

#percy hynes white #percy is innocent #i stand with percy #percy hynes white is innocent #heyharoldsboo

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tsarinatorment · 2 years

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Hi! This is totally random & meant in good faith but i see a lot of people say "Riordan made Nico gay out of nowhere/for diversity attention points only!!1!1" I'm wondering if you have any theories on this- when in the writing process do you think riordan decided to make nico gay and why him? also why will solace be the love interest?

Quite frankly, anon, I don't have a clue when he added that detail to Nico's characterisation. Unfortunately I'm not inside Rick's head, so there's only so much I can guess from the outside anyway, and even from that - when I first read PJO, I was a sheltered good little Christian girl at a Catholic school who didn't even know people could be anything other than straight, and while I took a big gap in keeping up with Riordanverse (I stopped reading after MOA for about a decade), when I did pick it up again, I'd already been spoiled on Nico's sexuality and Solangelo, so I honestly never had a chance to spot where Rick might have started trying to sneak hints in.

That being said, as someone who does work on original stuff as well as fanfiction, and therefore has a whole cast of original characters lurking in the back of my brain, it would not overly surprise me if it just felt right to make Nico gay (heck knows some of my own ocs like to surprise me with little factoids about them I was not intending in the first place). That being said, given the massive push for diverse representation in HOO (regardless of how well or poorly executed parts of it are), especially compared to the far less diverse PJO, I would also not be overly surprised if Rick had thought "I should include a gay character", looked at the interactions he'd already written between Nico and Percy, and went "that works, I don't even need to bring in a new character" (especially given how a lot of Rick's worldbuilding is full of glossed-over holes that he can conveniently fill later without contradicting himself too much; it's certainly not a world-building tactic I could follow - I get way too bogged down in the minute details which is why my original novel has existed for seventeen years but has never got past chapter four - but it's one he's mostly managed to make work for him).

It also works to pulverise/ostracise Nico even more, as though he's not been bullied by the narrative enough already... Rick, bullying Nico is now a very, very dead horse, it's time to let him have his happy ending and not throw him back into Tartarus, just saying...

As for why Will; honestly, I suspect there's at least one of two factors coming into play here. Firstly, Will is an already-existing character of similar age who has no narratively important links to the main cast. (Malcolm could also have fit, except for the fact that he's Annabeth's half-brother and given the whole Nico vs Percabeth thing, a child of Athena was likely out of the question). Rick did not need to pluck a brand new character out of the air, but Will was minor enough that he had a lot of space to expand and explore (which he has still mostly not done, I would add, and the scenes in BOO are painfully obviously setting up the ship - a little too blatant and sudden, if you ask me). Secondly, people love the opposites attract trope, and a son of Apollo is pretty opposite to a son of Hades, especially if the life/sun aspects are emphasised compared to the death/shadows ones.

I don't think he picked Will because Will could be Nico's personal healer, however - for starters, as I keep saying and will continue to keep saying, that's an incredibly unhealthy/toxic relationship dynamic, and throwing your one canon gay character into a toxic relationship... that's a really, really bad move. Also, we clearly see that not being the case in TOA - they have a very good, well-balanced relationship where Nico supports Will at least as much as Will supports Nico (if not moreso), and Nico is going to Dionysus for help, not dumping everything on Will and expecting him to fix it.

#Anonymous #solangelo #nico di angelo #will solace #riordanverse #rrverse #blood of olympus #boo #trials of apollo #toa #tsari analyses things

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sir-phillip-crane · 2 years

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"Stop looking at me like that!" "Like what?" "Like you still care about me!" with Cassandra and percy?

thanks for the request, darlin'!

reblogs > likes!!

warnings: swearing, dick jokes, graphic injuries, violence.

"How's Cassandra?" Vex’ahlia lingered awkwardly at the entrance of Percy's workshop, worry written on her sharp features.

Percy glanced up from his work, taking a moment to remove the dirtied welding goggles. “A usual greeting is something along the lines of ‘hello Percival, how are you?’”

She simply took his sarcasm as an invitation to enter the room, leaning against the table besides his work. She raised an eyebrow and didn’t speak, knowing he would answer her question within a minute.

Percy heaved a sigh, turning his attention to Ripley’s damaged gun in front of him. “I… Don’t know,” he shook his head, “she isn’t the person she used to be.”

“And? Are you?”

“Can’t say I am.” He spoke tentatively, not completely sure where the conversation was headed, or if he wanted to be a part of it.

“Vax and I certainly aren’t the people we were when we were young. Why would she be?”

“I assume I hoped that she had retained her innocence.”

Vex’ahlia pursed her lips, casting her gaze down to her feet.

Percy reached out, his calloused fingers touching her chin to guide her gaze to his. “What is it?”

She took a few moments, unwilling to talk about the matter at hand, but she did. “I’ve spoken to Vax about the time he spent with Sylas and Delilah.” Her arms wrapped around her stomach and she pulled away from him. “He dealt with it, in total, for all of… Maybe two hours? Between being bitten and charmed; maybe two hours.”

“What’s your point?”

“Your sister dealt with it for five years, Percival.” Her tone was harsh, as if she was protective of the younger de Rolo. “I cannot begin to imagine what that was like.”

“I… I understand, but-”

“Of course she isn’t the innocent thirteen year old she was.” She picked up a welding glove and used it to handle the scorching hot gun. “You get this back when you talk to her about it.”

“Vex-”

“I haven’t survived with my brother for twenty eight years by not speaking to him. I can attribute that to our mother,” she took a moment of silence, bowing her head, then looked back up. “She taught Vax and I to talk to one another when frustrated. If that included taking away our toys,” she waved the gun, “she did so. So,” once again, she waved the gun, “you get this back after you talk to her.”

“Vex’ahlia-”

With a shit eating grin, she commented “I live by my mother’s morals!” as she left the room.

“Faster!” Cassandra dodged a blow from Grog, her teeth bore to him like a wild animal. “Faster! Do you know that word!?” She leapt from one of the obstacles in the training room to slash at him with her rapier, “it means more fast!”

He grunted, stumbling as the small girl slid under him, an arm around his ankle to trip him. “Damn!”

She got to her feet, chest heaving and rapier forwards as she waited for his next movement, next attack, next anything.

“You’re a better fighter than your brother,” Grog commented, grinning at her.

“Of course I am.”

She ought to be more nervous than… That. Percy stood in the doorway, watching the fight between Grog and Cass, watching as she thoroughly beat the shit out of him, but her small size was definitely a disadvantage.

Blood seeped from her nose and the corner of her mouth, bruises forming around one of her eyes and her possibly broken nose. But she didn’t falter, eyes locked on Grog as he swung his ax.

And she attempted to parry, but the weapon caught her in the shoulder. She stopped, wheezing as she attempted to stay upright.

Grog stopped, resting his ax and looking at Cassandra. “You okay?”

“I- I… I’m fine.”

Percy made his presence known with a few knocks to the side of the doorway. “Mind if I interrupt?”

“Nah.”

Cassandra, meanwhile, leaned against the wall, chest heaving as she tried to regain her energy.

“Grog, give us a minute, yeah?”

He nodded, picking up his ax and leaving the siblings together.

“Cass… Are you… Alright?”

She straightened up, blood dripping down her arm and jaw. “I’m fine, Percy.” She inhaled sharply, applying pressure to the wound on her shoulder. “Fuck off and send Grog back in.”

“You’re hurt, though-”

“He’s stronger than Sylas,” she grumbled, wiping her rapier on her shirt, “but I’m sure I can beat him. I’ve beaten him and Delilah plenty of times.”

Percy blinked, stepping towards his sister. He reached out for her shoulder, but she yanked away with a soft grunt. “You… You’ve beaten them?”

She sat at a bench against the wall, inspecting the wound from Grog. “Yes.”

“I can get a healer for you, Cass?”

“Don’t need it.”

“It… Looks like you do.” He spoke hesitantly, preparing for her lashing out.

“I said that I’m alright, Percival,” her tone was sharp. “I don’t need your help.”

“Cass, at least let me help with-”

“I fucking said I was fine!”

He took a step back, eyes wide.

She swallowed, tearing some fabric from the collar of her shirt to press to her wound. “Just leave, will you? I’d rather get back to training.”

“…How about I take you on?” Percy made his way to the weapon rack, choosing an ornate dagger to combat her with.

She scoffed from her spot on the bench, “please. I could take on Grog – you wouldn’t stand a chance. Especially not with a dagger.”

“Would you rather talk about your feelings?”

She blinked, standing up from the bench. “Let’s combat, then.” She raised her rapier and stepped forward, head held high… until she stumbled and collapsed, coughing up droplets of blood onto the tiled floor. “Shit.”

“Cass!” He threw the dagger aside, running forward to grab at her. But she tore away from him.

“Don’t fucking touch me.”

“You’re hurt!” He grabbed at her hand, trying to get her to let him help.

She swatted his hand away, baring her teeth like a caged animal and snarling “stop looking at me like that!”

He hesitantly pulled away, worry in his gaze, “like what?”

She stood up, ignoring the blood dripping from the corners of her lips. Her breathing was loud, ragged, pained. “Like you know who the fuck I am! Like you care about me! As if you care about the person I am now!”

He got to his feet, reaching out, “I- I do, Cass. You’re my sister. Of course I care about you.”

“No,” she stepped back, her breathing getting worse with each passing second, “you care about who I was. You care about the thirteen year old you abandoned in the snow.”

“I… I thought that… I thought it was the spell talking?”

“Was the spell that made me say it, not feel it.” She coughed into her elbow, staining the fabric with blood.

“…Please let me get you help. Keyleth has a few healing spells that I am sure would go a long way.”

She only glared at him.

When the sound of Cassandra’s heaving breaths became too much to bear, he spoke again. “I’m only here because Vex’ahlia insisted I talk to you.”

There was a look in her eyes, the same he’d seen countless times in the twins’ eyes before they teased each other. He raised an eyebrow – a wordless demand for her comment. She smirked, bloodstains contrasting the white of her teeth, “men always think with their dicks.”

He grinned.

“…Go fetch me Keyleth, will you?”

“I shall.” He took a moment to linger and press a kiss to her forehead, waiting for an outburst that didn’t come. “Don’t die.”

“I’ll try not to,” she chuckled.

#cassandra de rolo #vox machina #the legend of vox machina #percy de rolo #percival de rolo #vex'ahlia #tlovm #neo writes

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mcmactictac · 3 years

Text

Hello and welcome to the 7 (plus nico and Reyna) watching Encanto headcanons

Leo- likes Camilo. Projects on him and laughs about it as a funny joke. He jokes about being the handsome guy who makes everyone laugh. Sees Julieta and mirabel interact and is no longer laughing. That scene in the kitchen messes him up, he misses his mom so badly. Also being the most fluent Spanish speaker, he picks up on most of the little references and stuff. if people have questions about something he will turn to them and explain what it means. Dos oruguitas Is an incredibly sad song and all of his joking stops when he hears it. He hums the song for days after they watch it and grows to find it comforting. Really appreciates all of the subtle things in the movie that make him go “hey, I do that”

Hazel- her mother reminds her of abuela. She sees herself as Bruno because she also feels outcasted for powers she can’t control. She did the best she could and cared for her mom but it was never enough. The same way Bruno never met Abuelas expectations, she feels like a failure, a curse. Always felt very isolated and out of place when she came back. She feels bad about how poorly he was treated and thinks he forgave abuela too quickly.

Annabeth- Percy did the 👀 thing everyone jokes about to annabeth when surface pressure came on. She totally relates to carrying too much. She won’t say anything but she also feels like Isabella. Especially on her relationship with her mom and Isabella’s relationship with abuela. She wishes she could be perfect and seen as good enough, despite it being inauthentic. It’s refreshing for her to see Isabella let go and grow by letting go of her expectations for herself. She thinks it’s a good movie but will choose to repress any emotions that come with it

Percy- this movie messes with Percy to his core. He’s got a split of Luisa and Mirabel. Man has WAY too much pressure placed on his shoulders yet always feels disconnected from those around him. Julieta and agustin remind him of Sally and Paul. Hispanic Percy lives rent free in my mind so dos orguitas has him absolutley SOBBING and annabeth is like bro are you good. Percy is just doing the silent sob to not get peoples attention. He also thinks about annabeth as Luisa first, talks with her about it and she’s like “yeah but you really remind me of her too like think about these lyrics” and Percy takes a second and is like. “Wait. I AM carrying too much.” He’s also a huge Bruno sympathizer and thinks he deserves so much better.

Frank- Frank thinks this is a great movie! His grandmother and abuela are very similar to him and sees a lot of the sane traits reflected. The unintentional passing of trauma. He relates to mirabel and is not afraid to say it. He heard waiting on a miracle and was kinda like :o . He spent so long waiting on a chance to be recognized, for someone to really SEE him and even after he gets the blessing from Mars he still feels lost like Mirabel is. Likes the end of the movie with the resolution between Mirabel and abuela. He also adores Antonio. Would protect him with his life.

Piper- I’m gonna say she sees herself as Dolores now let me explain myself. She’s always cast aside but not in a Mirabel way. Like she’s there but is just kinda off to the side and no one really pays her any attention. She’s powerful and empathetic, a wonderful character who struggles to find her place and what to do with her family. She’s there, but not quite there. Although this movie isn’t as impactful for her she still talks about how it’s a good movie that showcases intergenerational trauma really well. It’s not a concept she’s foreign too, she just doesn’t feel pulled toward one particular character

Jason- Jason’s just vibing. He relates to Isabella and Luisa but not on an earth shattering level. He goes mhm yeah I get that and moves on. He also sees lupa as abuela and does not see a problem with it. Jason would pull up like “yeah I think abuela was right to be so hard on Mirabel it made her stronger” and 8 different heads spin towards him. He doesn’t really get it. Piper and Leo have to have the “this is not acceptable behaviour and this movie shows the dysfunctional relationship in this family. This is not healthy behaviour” talk with him. It’s awkward

Reyna- my god did she see Isabella at first and go uh the pretty girl gets everything so easy and then she sang and she was like ahaha. Wait. If anyone asks, she did not find any character in the movie super relatable but she thought it was good. Dos oruguitas was a hard hit for her. Hylla reminds her of Luisa

Nico- I know Nicos Italian but I feel like he knows a decent amount of Spanish. My brain just says he picked it up growing up. This movie messes him up and not why everyone thinks. It’s the end with dos oruguitas that ruins his life because it reminds him of Bianca? Like the way abuela is sobbing on the ground all alone that sends him right back to when he learned Bianca was dead. The song reminds him of Bianca. Leo and Reyna understand the words but doesn’t get why it hits him so hard. Percy gets the words but It takes him a while after watching it to understand why it was so hard for Nico. But it’s random one day when Leo is humming it as Nico is in the room and Nico tenses up a bit and Percy has the “oh” moment. He blames himself for making Nico relate to that song. Shocker to no one, Nico is also a big Bruno fan/sympathizer though not really a kin. Nico would have left and never gone back.

These are all just random headcanons of mine but I’d love to hear any other thoughts on it!

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buoyantsaturn · 3 years

Text

I’m all eyes (1/1)

summary: So, obviously, if Nico was wearing Jason’s sweatshirt, then they must be dating, right?

word count: 1,871

read on ao3

Will didn’t think he was the jealous type. Jealousy required some amount of anger, right? But he wasn’t angry - maybe just disappointed. And really, he didn’t even have all of the facts, so he shouldn’t let himself get worked up over it anyway.

It’s just that, well. It sucked to always look over at the Big Three table to see Nico in that giant purple SPQR sweatshirt. Or, it didn’t suck - it was a good look, and purple was definitely Nico’s color, as much as Will would prefer to see him in camp orange. The part that sucked was that Jason was always sitting beside him, and that sweatshirt definitely looked like it was Jason’s size.

So, obviously, if Nico was wearing Jason’s sweatshirt, then they must be dating, right? And on the one hand, it was exciting, because that meant Nico was into guys, which meant that Will might have a chance with him (and bonus points because he, too, was tall, blond, and blue-eyed). On the other hand, Nico was taken, and Will wasn’t a homewrecker (or whatever the fifteen year old version of a homewrecker was).

Anyway, Will had a lot of mixed feelings about seeing Nico in that sweatshirt. And he kept having those mixed feelings when he started to see more and more of Nico around camp. He would come by the archery range while Will was practicing with his shotgun (on his own target that he’d made specifically for shooting practice). He had started going to campfires (where he would pull the sweatshirt over his knees and turn himself into an adorable purple blob). He’d even started coming by the infirmary every few days so that Will could make sure he was keeping his fading in check (so, to be fair, Will had asked him to stop by occasionally, but that was for purely medical reasons).

On one particularly hot day in September, Nico entered the infirmary sans sweatshirt, and Will’s heart jumped in his chest. Sure, he’d seen Nico without that sweatshirt on a few times before, but he’d reacted the same way then, too. He tried to act normal, checking Nico’s solidity and making sure that his arms and legs still cast shadows, but the second Piper stepped into the infirmary, Will’s mind went blank.

She was wearing a giant purple SPQR sweatshirt, the one that looked just like Jason’s that Nico always wore. And hadn’t Jason and Piper been dating before they set off on the Argo II?

“Is that Jason’s sweatshirt?” Will’s mouth asked before his brain could stop it.

Piper paused and glanced down, like she’d forgotten what she was wearing. “Oh, uh, yeah. Nyssa’s got the AC blasting in the bunker, so I snagged this from Jason’s cabin on the way here.”

“Oh.” Did that mean they were still dating? Or maybe they just had a really amicable breakup? Or...Nico, Jason, and Piper were all in some sort of polyamorous relationship? Not that there was anything wrong with that, of course, but the three of them together certainly made for an odd bunch. “Sorry, did you need help?”

She shook her head. “Nah, just came to see what was holding Nico up. He’s been helping us try to track down Leo.”

“Really?” Will asked, glancing at Nico in surprise. “That’s...nice of you.”

Nico shrugged. “I’m just gonna make sure he stays dead this time.”

Will grinned. “Ah. That’s more like it.”

“So, am I good to go?” Nico asked. “I’d like to track Leo down before Thanatos does.”

Will rolled his eyes fondly. “Yeah, go ahead. But as a bit of medical advice, murder might not be best for your mental health.”

Nico scrunched up his nose. “I don’t think you have to worry about that.”

“Sure, Death Boy,” Will said, brushing off his reply. It was probably a joke anyway. Right? “Get out of here already. I’ll see you later.”

As Nico started toward the door, Piper threw an arm around him, which Nico immediately tried to shove off, albeit unsuccessfully. Once he was sure they were gone, and once Kayla returned from her snack break, Will snuck out the back entrance.

He went to the cave under Half Blood Hill, announcing himself as he pushed the curtain aside and walked in. He found Rachel the way he usually did, one bare foot holding a paintbrush as she worked on her current project. “Hey,” she greeted, not lifting her eyes from the canvas.

“Hey,” Will replied moments before flopping down face-first onto a pile of overstuffed pillows. He was pretty sure it was the space that Rachel pretended was her bed whenever she stayed the night at camp so that Chiron wouldn’t realize that she snuck into the Apollo cabin every night to sleep on one of the spare bunks. He’d gotten close with Rachel since the end of the Titan war, seeing as he was usually the one to catch her when she collapsed after giving a prophecy. It had helped them bond. Now Rachel felt like something of a sister, except Will’s only experience with siblings were his godly siblings, who always just felt like close friends. So, anyway, Rachel was somewhere between Will’s newest vaguely-related sister and a close friend. Which meant that they had a good enough relationship that they could sit in silence without it being awkward, which was how the next few minutes passed.

Then, Will lifted his face off of a pillow and glanced to the side, spotting a familiar shade of purple. He picked it up - an oversized SPQR sweatshirt. “Whose is this?”

“Huh?” Rachel barely glanced away for a second before turning back to her easel. “Oh. That’s Nico’s. He must’ve left it here last night.”

Will’s head snapped up. “Nico was here? Wait, you hang out with Nico?”

Rachel shrugged. She leaned forward and pulled the brush out from between her toes, apparently deciding that Will had become too much of a distraction for the time being. “Yeah, we go way back. We both helped Percy and Annabeth with the Labyrinth, remember? And then after that he would check in on me sometimes to, like, make sure nobody came after me. It was kinda creepy at first, you know, because he just sort of appears out of nowhere sometimes? But as soon as I started feeding him, he opened his mouth and never really shut up, so the creepiness kinda faded.”

Will smoothed a hand across the fabric. It was soft, and big enough that it would fit him easily. And Rachel said it was Nico’s, not Jason’s - not that it could be, since he’d just seen Piper wearing Jason’s about ten minutes ago. And if Rachel and Nico were friends, then she would know-- “So Nico’s not dating Jason?”

Rachel blinked, clearly taken aback by the question, and then laughed. “No, definitely not.”

Will’s brain was moving too fast for him to process anything. “He-- I--” He scrambled to his feet and gathered the sweatshirt in his hands. “I gotta go!”

“Uh, bye?” Rachel called after him as Will took off out of the cave. Piper had said that she was with Nyssa at Bunker Nine, so Will took off toward the woods. He was grateful for his long legs that carried him across camp so quickly, leaping over fallen branches and thankfully not tripping up on any roots. He found himself outside Bunker Nine in no time, and it wasn’t long before his eyes landed on Nico. He sprinted up to the other boy, hunching over for half a second to catch his breath before he said, “Can I talk to you?”

Nico nodded, his eyes wide in obvious surprise at having Will suddenly appear in front of him. (Served him right for doing the same to everyone else for the last few years.) Will led him out of the bunker and away from listening ears, and then handed over the sweatshirt.

“Oh,” Nico said, sounding almost disappointed. “Um. Thanks.”

“Rachel told me it was yours, so I...brought it,” Will told him. “I always thought-- I mean, I assumed-- You and Jason are just so close, and I figured--”

“I don’t like Jason,” Nico said quickly, defensively, and his cheeks began to color. “Not… Not like that, I mean. He just got this for me because he was sick of me stealing his all the time.”

“No, right, of course,” Will replied as his heart sank. “I mean-- Oh gods, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to assume you liked guys-- I never should’ve--”

“I do,” Nico cut in, and Will’s mouth snapped shut. “I, um. I’m...gay.”

“Oh. Oh! Cool! I mean, I am too! Or, uh, I’m bi, but, uh. I like guys, too.”

If Will’s arms weren’t frozen at his side, he probably would’ve smacked himself for babbling like a total idiot. But maybe it was worth it to see the way Nico’s cheeks continued to grow red.

“Cool,” Nico said softly, dropping his gaze to his shoes before rapidly looking around at anything that wasn’t Will. “Would you, um. Would you maybe be interested in sitting with me at the campfire tonight?”

Will was pretty sure his soul had left his body, but he still managed to ask, “Like, as a date?”

Nico scuffed the toe of his shoe against the dirt. “If… If you want.”

“Yeah!” Will said quickly, and then, “That would be, um. Cool.”

“Cool,” Nico repeated. He started fidgeting with the sweatshirt in his hands before he suddenly held it out to Will. “You should take this. It’ll probably be cold tonight, so…”

Will barely managed to stop himself from saying, it’s okay, I have my own. Instead, he forced his hands out to take the sweatshirt back. “Cool.” Did he know any other word in the English language besides cool? “I’ll, um. See you tonight then.”

Nico smiled, and Will’s heart soared. “Yeah. See you tonight.”

When Will arrived at the campfire later, happily yet nervously showing off the SPQR laurels on his chest, he made his way straight to Nico, relieved to see that the other boy had shown up in just a t-shirt.

“Hey,” Will said, smiling brightly as he sat down in the open space beside Nico. “You know, it might get cold this far from the fire. Maybe you should borrow this.” Will held out his own neatly folded orange camp hoodie, one with a large 7 on the back and a red cross on one sleeve - a sweatshirt that was unmistakably Will’s.

Nico smiled down at the sweatshirt, and then up at Will like this was exactly what he’d been hoping for. “Okay,” he said as he took the sweatshirt and pulled it on over his head.

“It might be a little big on you,” Will warned, but Nico only smiled brighter when his head popped out of the neck hole.

“That’s okay,” Nico replied. Just the very tips of his fingers stuck out the ends of the sleeves, and Will got the sudden urge to hold Nico’s hand. Maybe he would try later, when Nico didn’t have all of his focus directed at Will. “That’s how I like it.”

thanks for reading!!

buy me a coffee

#solangelo #will solace #nico di angelo #mine #my writing

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vivithefolle · 3 years

Note

Is there anyway you could share the entire livejournal essay about Hermione's reaction to Ron coming back in DH? The few paragraphs that you referred to in your recent answer sound extremely interesting.

[The “recent answer” that goes back to... last December. Oh my god I’m such an ass I left you hanging for so long I’m so sorry.]

Okay, okay, so here goes! KEEP IN MIND: I DIDN’T WRITE THIS. I FOUND THIS ON LIVEJOURNAL AND PICKED EVERYTHING THAT I LIKED ABOUT IT, AS WELL AS SOME COMMENTS THAT INTERESTED ME.

This “essay” was actually more of a “reading the books” thing with the person sharing their thoughts and ideas about it. The person was clearly a Snape fan, but they had sympathy for Ron too. I’ll try to formate it as accurately as I can remember it.

And now, here it is:

---

ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

[About Ron being made a prefect.] The essayist: It’s sad, but this probably is the first time Ron’s beaten Harry at something. And the last time.

A commenter: Ron's had a really difficult life, and this is the book that proved it for me. It made me a Ron fan. Just look at the interactions he has with Fred and George. This is commonplace. I know a lot of people don't like Ron, but just look at this book, this chapter especially. People have accused Ron of being lazy, unambitious, having no emotions, and being a big stupid boy. It's just not true. Look at how Fred and George needle him out of jealousy. Look at how they treat Percy. Imagine Ron having to grow up with two older brothers that will not hesitate to bother, torture and torment people that stand out or that get more attention than they do or that cross them. He saw it happening with Percy, so what's he going to learn? He'll learn to shut up unless he wants to have something happen to him. He'll learn that standing out positively is rewarded with cruelty. I can understand how Mrs. Weasley could not have fully protected him from those two. Not all the time, not while trying to also care for Ginny, keeping up with her other kids in school, and running the household. Worst of all, punishing F&G doesn't seem to do anything. Those two just don't care/they crave the attention, negative or positive. The best thing she could've done would be to give them no attention, but that's so against her nature that unfortunately she just fed the monsters. No emotions? Is it really difficult to understand that sensitivity wouldn't be encouraged in young Ron? He's got these two bullies that only want a reaction out of him. If he cries, it'll only encourage them. Any reaction is encouraging to them, but he has to go with anger. It's a survival thing- puff yourself up, make yourself look bigger than you are so the predator messes with you a little less. Look at the pride Ron's showing in his badge. The desire to do well is there. He likes the good feeling that comes with it, but he's been hard-wired since birth that it's better to be "middle of the pack". In later chapters, I know you'll have to point out the way the power makes Ron behave, so I just want to start on the defence now. It's all Ron knows. It's all he's been taught. It's a huge character flaw, but it's what makes him so human. Rowling did develop this in the book, but only accidentally. We're never going to get a good look at Ron's psychology except through these hints because it's, as usual, All About Harry. Ron's flawed, but I hope we remember that he has a reason why he's got those flaws. It doesn't excuse him, but it really explains him. So yeah... that's why I defend Ron.

...

“I’m not Percy,’ he finished defiantly.”

The essayist: Mmmm-hm. Ron feels nervous at the thought of his good fortune inspiring anger in someone and what's his first defence? "I'm not Percy"? Man, the evidence that the Twins' psychological torment has left lasting scars on Ron could not have been more obvious if he'd shielded himself and said "Please don't jinx me, Fred! ... I mean Harry. ... Shit, what'd I say?"

...

“Excellent,” said Ron, with a kind of groan of longing, and he seized the nearest plate of chops and began piling them onto his plate, watched wistfully by Nearly Headless Nick. “What were you saying before the Sorting?” Hermione asked the ghost. “About the hat giving warnings?” “Oh yes,” said Nick, who seemed glad of a reason to turn away from Ron, who was now eating roast potatoes with almost indecent enthusiasm.

The essayist: Ron’s not being very restrained with his eating, is he?

The commenter: I don't know if it's accidental or not, but this is one of those moments that I love, one of the tellings of Ron's home life via his behavior. In this scenario, he's totally a kitten who just got adopted to a house where he's the only cat. He's at a table with food, so his instinct is to eat as fast as he can or his siblings will yoink it. It doesn't help that there are many other people around, encouraging the "get the good stuff fast or you'll have to sate yourself on bread or whatever nobody wants". Ron is so much more human than Harry! How can Harry not be showing any signs of his "horrendous abuse" for eleven years? Well... I guess he sort of does when he buys all that stuff in his first year. And I guess Ron has to go back home every summer where it gets reinforced. But Harry goes back every summer, too... what the hell?

...

“What’s going on?” Ron had appeared in the doorway. His wide eyes traveled from Harry, who was kneeling on his bed with his wand pointing at Seamus, to Seamus, who was standing there with his fists raised. “He’s having a go at my mother!” Seamus yelled. “What?” said Ron. “Harry wouldn’t do that — we met your mother, we liked her. . .” “That’s before she started believing every word the stinking Daily Prophet writes about me!” said Harry at the top of his voice. “Oh,” said Ron, comprehension dawning across his freckled face. “Oh . . . right.” “You know what?” said Seamus heatedly, casting Harry a venomous look. “He’s right, I don’t want to share a dormitory with him anymore, he’s a madman.” “That’s out of order, Seamus,” said Ron, whose ears were starting to glow red, always a danger sign. “Out of order, am I?” shouted Seamus, who in contrast with Ron was turning paler. “You believe all the rubbish he’s come out with about You-Know-Who, do you, you reckon he’s telling the truth?” “Yeah, I do!” said Ron angrily. “Then you’re mad too,” said Seamus in disgust. “Yeah? Well unfortunately for you, pal, I’m also a prefect!” said Ron, jabbing himself in the chest with a finger. “So unless you want detention, watch your mouth!”

The essayist: Note how Ron’s first reaction is to side with Harry.

The commenter: Not surprising because of the best friends thing (some might argue) but I say it's not surprising considering how Hermione and Ron were treating Harry like a ticking time bomb. Survival!

...

“Hello, Harry!” It was Cho Chang and what was more, she was on her own again. This was most unusual: Cho was almost always surrounded by a gang of giggling girls; Harry remembered the agony of trying to get her by herself to ask her to the Yule Ball. “Hi,” said Harry, feeling his face grow hot. At least you’re not covered in Stinksap this time, he told himself. Cho seemed to be thinking along the same lines. “You got that stuff off, then?” “Yeah,” said Harry, trying to grin as though the memory of their last meeting was funny as opposed to mortifying. “So did you . . . er . . . have a good summer?” The moment he had said this he wished he hadn’t: Cedric had been Cho’s boyfriend and the memory of his death must have affected her holiday almost as badly as it had affected Harry’s. . . Something seemed to tauten in her face, but she said, “Oh, it was all right, you know. . .” “Is that a Tornados badge?” Ron demanded suddenly, pointing at the front of Cho’s robes, to which a sky-blue badge emblazoned with a double gold T was pinned. “You don’t support them, do you?” “Yeah, I do,” said Cho. “Have you always supported them, or just since they started winning the league?” said Ron, in what Harry considered an unnecessarily accusatory tone of voice. “I’ve supported them since I was six,” said Cho coolly. “Anyway . . . see you, Harry.” She walked away. Hermione waited until Cho was halfway across the courtyard before rounding on Ron. “You are so tactless!”

The essayist: So Harry meets Cho, makes a complete faux pas and reminds her of her dead boyfriend. Ron quickly steers the conversation away onto something more happy, i.e., Quidditch, before Cho can get too upset. Nevertheless, Ron is apparently the insensitive jerk around here, not Harry.

[If this reminds you of something, then yes, I absolutely took what the essayist was saying and elaborated on it. I confess, I am a dirty thief.]

...

“Well, I suppose he could’ve played better,” Harry muttered, “but it was only the first training session, like you said. . .” Neither Harry nor Ron seemed to make much headway with their homework that night. Harry knew Ron was too preoccupied with how badly he had performed at Quidditch practice and he himself was having difficulty in getting the chant of “Gryffindor are losers” out of his head. [...] And so they worked on while the sky outside the windows became steadily darker; slowly, the crowd in the common room began to thin again. At half-past eleven, Hermione wandered over to them, yawning. “Nearly done?” “No,” said Ron shortly. “Jupiter’s biggest moon is Ganymede, not Callisto,” she said, pointing over Ron’s shoulder at a line in his Astronomy essay, “and it’s Io that’s got the volcanos.” “Thanks,” snarled Ron, scratching out the offending sentences.

The essayist: So Ron’s getting basic facts wrong in his essays.

The commenter: This is going to look so contrived, but I genuinely believe it, and maybe after these reviews, your standards for contrived have dropped enough for me to pass the bar :3 But... he's not putting in any effort. His ego can't take another beating at the moment (even punching bags have limits). Imagine it- after the Quidditch humiliation with his friend the Star Athlete (when he really was trying) he tries to distract himself by doing school work 1. which he isn't very good at anyway, 2. with the Star Athlete of Academics/Slytherin Spectator Crowd best friend Hermione there 3. with Hermione there to set it right anyway (it sounds as if Hermione isn’t so much correcting their essays as writing them herself). If he tries his best at this and then fails at that, Ron probably would start to consider suicide. It's self-preservation at this point to put in zero effort. This kind of fail is literally "I'm not trying because I have given up."

...

She wrenched her bag open; Harry thought she was about to put her books away, but instead she pulled out two misshapen woolly objects, placed them carefully on a table by the fireplace, covered them with a few screwed-up bits of parchment and a broken quill, and stood back to admire the effect. “What in the name of Merlin are you doing?” said Ron, watching her as though fearful for her sanity. “They’re hats for house-elves,” she said briskly, now stuffing her books back into her bag. “I did them over the summer. I’m a really slow knitter without magic, but now I’m back at school I should be able to make lots more.” “You’re leaving out hats for the house-elves?” said Ron slowly. “And you’re covering them up with rubbish first?” “Yes,” said Hermione defiantly, swinging her bag onto her back. “That’s not on,” said Ron angrily. “You’re trying to trick them into picking up the hats. You’re setting them free when they might not want to be free.” “Of course they want to be free!” said Hermione at once, though her face was turning pink. “Don’t you dare touch those hats, Ron!” She left. Ron waited until she had disappeared through the door to the girls’ dormitories, then cleared the rubbish off the woolly hats. They should at least see what they’re picking up,” he said firmly. “Anyway . . .” He rolled up the parchment on which he had written the title of Snape’s essay. “There’s no point trying to finish this now, I can’t do it without Hermione, I haven’t got a clue what you’re supposed to do with moonstones, have you?”

The essayist: This doesn’t seem like a particularly open-minded and enquiring position to take, although I suppose that Hermione’s open-mindedness has always been something of an informed attribute.

The commenter: This trope among fans has got me riled up beyond belief because they use the "Hermione's word is gospel" thing to make unfair assumptions about other characters: Ron's "emotional range of a teaspoon" thing comes to mind, and right after that, Lavender supposedly being silly about believing Trelawney about her dead pet (Hermione never considered that maybe the thing Lavender was dreading was bad news from home or bad news about her pet). Regarding house elves: This is one case where the fans ought to have seen that Hermione was being very thoughtless as far as strategy. Ron has lived all his life up until this point thinking that there was no problem with house elves and she literally expects to be able to just tell him "it's wrong" and he's supposed to change instantly? Talk about your cultural insensitivity. In this case, maybe Ron knows better than you do, Hermione? You didn't even know about house elves until you were at least twelve (but more likely, she didn't know until this year). She must understand the concept of "he doesn't know it's wrong". That was how she defended Crookshanks when he was chasing Scabbers. ... Hey, Hermione thinks Ron's smarter than her cat. That's something, I guess.

...

The commenter: Competition is seriously the worst thing in the world for Ron. He's got wa-a-ay too much baggage. Do well so they'll love you. Do well so they'll notice you. If they notice you, you'll get praised. And tormented by Fred and George. Then if you fuck up, you'll have let everyone down. My brothers never let anyone down. That's the standard. Oh God, I can't live up to that. Which do I want to chose- being ignored or scorned? I could do well. Then I'll be good enough to be called "just like them"! JFC, when's it ever going to be "Good like Ron"? Chess. Literally everyone else has one thing they shine in, even Neville with his Botany and Dean with his art (and... and I'm going to ignore the fact that Hermione and Luna are the only two I can think of with non-appearance based special stuff... someone please help me out? I guess Tonks' doesn't really count as a shallow one because it makes her a master of disguise...)

...

HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

...

Ron gagged on a large piece of kipper. Hermione spared him one look of disdain before turning back to Harry.

The essayist: “Hermione spared [Ron] one look of disdain before turning back to Harry” pretty much sums up her relationships within the trio. It’s no wonder Ron’s so insecure and keeps worrying that she really fancies Harry.

...

“And you’ve been through all that persecution from the Ministry when they were trying to make out you were unstable and a liar. You can still see the marks on the back of your hand where that evil woman made you write with your own blood, but you stuck to your story anyway...” “You can still see where those brains got hold of me in the Ministry, look,” said Ron, shaking back his sleeves. “And it doesn’t hurt that you’ve grown about a foot over the summer either,” Hermione finished, ignoring Ron. “I’m tall,” said Ron inconsequentially.

The essayist: Ron’s so adorably pathetic here, the way he’s obviously feeling inferior to Harry and being ignored by his so-called friends. *hugs Ron*

...

When they left the Gryffindor table five minutes later to head down to the Quidditch pitch, they passed Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. Remembering what Hermione had said about the Patil twins’ parents wanting them to leave Hogwarts, Harry was unsurprised to see that the two best friends were whispering together, looking distressed. What did surprise him was that when Ron drew level with them, Parvati suddenly nudged Lavender, who looked around and gave Ron a wide smile. Ron blinked at her, then returned the smile uncertainly. His walk instantly became something more like a strut. Harry resisted the temptation to laugh, remembering that Ron had refrained from doing so after Malfoy had broken Harry’s nose; Hermione, however, looked cold and distant all the way down to the stadium through the cool, misty drizzle, and departed to find a place in the stands without wishing Ron good luck.

The essayist: Hermione keeps belittling Ron and doing him down, and reacts quite strongly when he even so much hints at losing interest in her and showing attention to another woman. Can we say “abusive relationship”, anybody?

...

“Harry! Ginny!” Hermione was hurrying toward them, very pink-faced and wearing a cloak, hat, and gloves. “I got back a couple of hours ago, I've just been down to visit Hagrid and Buck--I mean Witherwings,” she said breathlessly. “Did you have a good Christmas?” “Yeah,” said Ron at once, “pretty eventful, Rufus Scrim—” “I've got something for you, Harry,” said Hermione, neither looking at Ron nor giving any sign that she had heard him. “Oh, hang on--password. Abstinence.”

The essayist: Wow, Hermione’s just being so childish here, ignoring Ron when he’s talking directly to her. Incidentally, Ron’s speaking to her like a normal friend, it’s Hermione who’s doing the blanking. Still, I’m sure this argument is all Ron’s fault for daring to go out with another girl. Hermione is totally blameless.

[Just in case: the essayist is being sarcastic, they’re pointing out the double standard of the HP fandom blaming Hermione’s immature behaviour on Ron.]

...

DEATHLY HALLOWS

...

“I think you’re right,” she told him. “It’s just a morality tale, it’s obvious which gift is best, which one you’d choose—” The three of them spoke at the same time; Hermione said, “the Cloak,” Ron said, “the wand,” and Harry said, “the stone.” They looked at each other, half surprised, half amused. “You’re supposed to say the Cloak,” Ron told Hermione, “but you wouldn’t need to be invisible if you had the wand. An unbeatable wand, Hermione, come on!” “We’ve already got an Invisibility Cloak,” said Harry. “And it’s helped us rather a lot, in case you hadn’t noticed!” said Hermione. “Whereas the wand would be bound to attract trouble—” “Only if you shouted about it,” argued Ron. “Only if you were prat enough to go dancing around, waving it over your head, and singing, ‘I’ve got an unbeatable wand, come and have a go if you think you’re good enough.’ As long as you kept your trap shut—” “Yes, but could you keep your trap shut?” said Hermione, looking skeptical. “You know, the only true thing he said to us was that there have been stories about extra-powerful wands for hundreds of years.” “There have?” asked Harry. Hermione looked exasperated: the expression was so endearingly familiar that Harry and Ron grinned at each other.

The commenter (?): Actually, I thought that Ron was proving the errors in the story. Because he’s right. The eldest brother didn’t die because the Elder Wand had corrupted him (like the One Ring). He died because he was an idiot. He died because he randomly decided to start blabbing about his new toy.

“You talk about wands like they’ve got feelings,” said Harry, “like they canthink for themselves.” “The wand chooses the wizard,” said Ollivander. “That much has always been clear to those of us who have studied wandlore.” “A person can still use a wand that hasn’t chosen them, though?” asked Harry. “Oh yes, if you are any wizard at all you will be able to channel your magic through almost any instrument. The best results, however, must always come where there is the strongest affinity between wizard and wand. These connections are complex. An initial attraction, and then a mutual quest for experience, the wand learning from the wizard, the wizard from the wand.”

The essayist: Harry’s wand has to think for and protect him because he’s too stupid and incompetent to think for and protect himself! Ollivander’s the expert, and he just admitted it. He said any halfway decent wizard can perform magic with almost any wand. The reason Harry could only work with the holly wand is because of the phoenix feather core it shares with Voldemort’s wand. That is, it wasn’t Harry doing the magic with Harry’s wand! It was the Voldemort soul piece! Once Harry was forced to use wands that didn’t have that core, the soul piece couldn’t do the work for Harry any more. He was forced to rely on his own magical powers and competence, which are clearly minimal. This is proven by his inability to do effective magic with any other wand. It’s also proven by an incident from Philosopher’s Stone. Remember when Harry was being chased by bullies and inexplicably found himself on top of the shed roof? That was the soul piece allowing him to fly like Voldy. Lily could slow her descent from a height, as if she had an invisible parachute, but that is not the same as flying, and we have no evidence she could fly. Only Voldemort and Snape fly without assistance! The evidence is overwhelming that I am right. How many spells can Harry do effectively? Expelliarmus, Expecto Patronum, Protego--that’s it. Even as a young adult, he is incapable of doing the basic healing or cleaning spells a young child should have down pat before going to Hogwarts. Of course, we’re told the Patronus spell is difficult and advanced, but who told us that? Remus Lupin, friend of Harry’s father, sycophant, and notorious liar, particularly when it comes to flattering Harry. Recall Lupin also said Snape didn’t like James because Snape was envious of Potter Sr.’s Quidditch prowess, and we know that was a lie. Given this evidence, anything Lupin says that cannot be confirmed by an independent source, especially regarding the Potters, should be dismissed out of hand. True, Hermione has trouble with the Patronus spell, and she’s super-competent. Doesn’t that prove it’s a very difficult spell? Not at all. To take an example from a different field, Beethoven was a virtuoso organist, the greatest pianist of his day, one of the greatest pianists in history, and probably the greatest improvisational musician ever. But he was only a decent violinist. Everybody has areas of weakness, no matter how good they are overall. In addition, Hermione is very gullible where authority figures are concerned. If a teacher tells her, “The Patronus is a very difficult, advanced spell that many people can’t ever master,” she’ll believe that, which may create a self-fulfilling prophecy. A couple of years ago, another DTCL member and I facetiously suggested Harry was less intelligent than his wand. We didn’t know we were right. It rarely happens, but this is an occasion when I would have preferred to be wrong.

...

If only there was a way of getting a better wand... And desire for the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, unbeatable, invincible, swal-lowed him once more... They packed up the tent next morning and moved on through a dreary shower of rain. The downpour pursued them to the coast, where they pitched the tent that night, and persisted through the whole week, through sodden landscapes that Harry found bleak and depressing. He could think only of the Deathly Hallows. It was as though a flame had been lit inside him that nothing, not Hermione’s flat disbelief nor Ron’s persistent doubts, could extinguish. And yet the fiercer the longing for the Hallows burned inside him, the less joyful it made him. He blamed Ron and Hermione: Their determined indifference was as bad as the relentless rain for dampening his spirits, but neither could erode his certainty, which remained absolute. Harry’s belief in and longing for the Hallows consumed him so much that he felt isolated from the other two and their obsession with the Horcruxes. [...] As the weeks crept on, Harry could not help but notice, even through his new self-absorption, that Ron seemed to be taking charge. Perhaps because he was determined to make up for having walked out on them, perhaps because Harry’s descent into listlessness galvanized his dormant leadership qualities, Ron was the one now encouraging and exhorting the other two into action. [...] But not until March did luck favor Ron at last.

The essayist: MARCH! That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. The first fifteen pages of this chapter cover three months, and during that entire time, Harry Potter does nothing, nothing, but sit on his ass fantasizing about the Elder Wand and trying to connect with his Voldie-soul mate. Oh, wait. He also tries to open the snitch so he can get the stone out of it. (Nothing gay about that, either.) I wish he’d succeed in that, too. Maybe he’d swallow the stone, and it would end up in his scrotum. He sure needs something that works down there. Harry doesn’t have the right to bail out on his society like this. He can’t have it both ways. He can’t have the adulation that goes with being Mr. Boy-Who-Lived-Chosen-One-Wizarding-World-Savior and abdicate the responsibilities that go along with those titles and that adulation. Look at what happens in this chapter: Harry becomes obsessed with finding and uniting the Hallows, so much so that he withdraws from his friends, bails out on the job his idol Dumbledore gave him, and spends all his time brooding and trying to connect with the Dull Lord. In other words, he acts clinically depressed. Ron and Hermione were exposed to the same information Harry was, but they didn’t become obsessed/depressed. Ron was mildly interested in the Super-Wand, but not enough to distract him from the Horcrux hunt. Hermione dismissed the whole DH story as nonsense and continued following Dumbestbore’s orders. So why weren’t they tempted?

...

The essayist: Harry opens the locket using Parseltongue--interesting that this never occurred to him before now--and two ghostly figures emerge. They’re Voldie-versions of Harry and Hermione, and they articulate Ron’s worst fears: “Least loved, always, by the mother who craved a daughter...Least loved, now, by the girl who prefers your friend...Second best, always, eternally overshadowed...” I’ll say it again: When you’re right, you’re right. The evidence is overwhelming that Molly Weasley treated Ron the worst of all her children. And if Rowling doesn’t want us to ship HP/HG, she needs to quit throwing them together and making them leaders, with Ron either in the background or absent entirely. JKR obviously wants us to automatically dismiss certain statements just because they’re made by “bad guys” such as Voldemort and Rita Skeeter. There are two problems with this: (1) The “lies” make perfect sense, far more sense than what we’re supposed to believe. (2) Even pathological liars sometimes tell the truth, typically when it won’t hurt their own interests to do so. For those of us who live in what cartoonist Garry Trudeau calls “the reality-based community,” the evidence is what matters, not what we’re told by authority figures. Those of us in the higher stages of spiritual development are funny that way.

...

The essayist: Well, whose fault is that, Ms. Rowling? You’re the one who’s spent the last four books making Ron dumber and dumber, depriving him of any meaningful activity, while you shoved Harry and Hermione into increasingly dominant roles.

The commenter: Are we supposed to look down on Ron now so that we can condemn him for leaving Harry and Hermione? Because if so, then that’s just unfair. Every time Ron tries to come up with an idea, Hermione criticizes him or shoots him down. And the twins have done a fine job of intimidating Ron into remaining mediocre and modest so that he doesn’t remind them of Percy, so what is he supposed to do? How is he supposed to come up with ideas when he’s surrounded by people who basically tell him to shut up and sit down?

The essayist: Just then, Hermione comes out of the tent with cups of tea, with tears running down her face and looking terrified her “friend” is going to curse her with her own wand.

The commenter: So, Hermione will snarl at Ron all day long, but cower in fear when Harry gets mad. Is she projecting herself onto Harry and assuming that just because *she’s* quick to hex people who anger her (Ron, Marietta, etc.), Harry will do the same to her?

The essayist: The evidence is overwhelming that Molly Weasley treated Ron the worst of all her children.

The commenter: And blatantly showed favoritism to Harry while snarling at Ron in the same breath. Of course, Horcrux!Tom doesn’t bring that up, because JKR would have to admit that there might be something wrong with Molly favoring Harry the way she does. The essayist: Hermione acts so crazy Harry has to put a protection charm between her and Ron.

The commenter: Yeah…sorry, it’s not “slapstick” anymore when somebody actually has to stop her from hitting Ron. When Harry feels that the situation is dangerous enough that his intervention is necessary. That’s not funny. That’s a true-crime episode. What gets me is that Hermione's tantrum lasts for days. It goes on for several pages into the next chapter. She doesn't start acting normal again until she comes up with the idea of visiting Xeno Lovegood. The essayist: Hermione tells Ron she still hasn’t ruled out attacking him with birds again.

The commenter: *flatly* So, all of the fans who cooed about how “great” it was for Hermione to show “girl power” by sending Ron to the hospital wing in HBP or breezily dismissed the scene as just tired teenage melodrama? Can put a sock in it. Hermione has clearly learned nothing, JKR clearly feels that that scene was funny, and at no point are we supposed to think that Hermione is an abuser. Even though, if the genders were reversed, fans would be calling for Ron’s head on a platter if he dared lay a finger on Hermione. No. This isn’t funny. This isn’t charming. Hermione hurt Ron so badly in HBP that he had to go to the hospital wing. And she tried to repeat the damage she caused here. Is she going to attack him with birds again after they get married? Is she going to do it in front of their children? Will it be “cute” and “funny” then? No, if a man is an abusive monster for losing his temper and trying to hurt his girlfriend, then Hermione is an abusive monster for losing her temper and trying to hurt her boyfriend. Not only did Hermione land Ron in the infirmary with the first attack, but she wants to do it again at a time when they are on the run. She will NOT be able to take an injured Ron to Hogwarts infirmary, nor to St. Mungos. In other words - she intends for him to remain injured and stick with them while camping, or else he must apparate away while injured, risking another splinching so he could be healed.

...

The essayist: Ron and Harry go back to the tent, and Harry fades into the background so as not to interfere with the lovers’ reunion. That’s a mistake. After Harry wakes Hermione, she shows her delight at Ron’s return by--attacking him? She punches him over a dozen times while yelling at him and screaming for her wand from Harry. Remember last chapter, when I talked about how immature Hermione is? Here’s your proof.

[The essayist quotes an article that I haven’t been able to find, but paraphrased: it speaks of a father who came to pick up his 4 y/o daughter from daycare, a little later than usual, and the daughter reacted by punching and hitting her father, upset at his being late. Additional read: “The parents must know that physical aggression is a common yet natural problem faced by toddlers.”]

The essayist: So there you have it: Hermione Granger, know-it-all supergirl, is so immature she acts like a preschool child when the boyfriend she’s been missing finally returns. I’m not suggesting she has a father-daughter relationship with Ron; this kind of anger is found in other relationships, too. What I am saying is that her way of expressing her anger is appropriate for a very young child. While adults may certainly feel this kind of anger and desire to hit when reunited with a loved one under similar circumstances, they don’t act it out. That restraint is what separates adults from children. Hermione acts so crazy Harry has to put a protection charm between her and Ron. I frankly found her behavior so out of control as to suggest mental instability. She engages in two full pages of histrionics before throwing herself into a chair, sitting so tensely I’m surprised the circulation isn’t cut off to her arms and legs. She remains in a bratty snit until the end of the chapter, which is another six pages. Hermione is still pouting the next morning. I’m wondering if her real problem is not that Ron left, but that she didn’t. Is she angry at him because he had the guts to admit they were blowing it and take a time out, while she just kept trailing along after Harry like a lost house elf? I think she’s definitely mad because she’s always controlled Ron and their relationship. How dare he assert his independence of her! Who does he think he is? Her equal? In an AU, maybe. This is called the Potterverse after all, not the Ronverse. Hermione’s having a bad month. First Ron runs out on them; then she saves Harry’s life, but he’s an ungrateful jerk about it; then Harry asserts his independence; then Ron comes back but doesn’t grovel sufficiently for her taste. All this mistreatment is going to give her the idea she’s just a normal character and not an Author’s Darling. While Ron was gone, he was captured by bad guys called Snatchers, who are bounty hunters for Voldemort. In getting away, he got a spare wand, which he gives to Harry. Of course, it doesn’t work as well as Harry’s “real” wand, so Harry’s still in a snit about that, and with Hermione in a snit, too, they’re a cheerful bunch. Honestly, I don’t know why Ron puts up with these two. The Hs are so spoiled and self-centered, they deserve each other, but I don’t think this is what HP/HG shippers mean when they proclaim the two as an OTP. Sane, normal Ron doesn’t deserve either one of them. Run, Ron! Run while you still can!

...

The essayist: As an interesting aside, ròn is the Celtic word for seal. In Druid lore, seals represent love, longing, and dilemma. No more appropriate totem animal could be imagined for this boy whose sense of selfhood is undermined by his longing for love from a rejecting mother and inadequate father, and who, like the selchie wives of folklore, is faced with the impossible choice of being who he truly is and being rejected, or denying the best part of himself to gain love. Ron’s intelligence and independence threaten his insecure wife (and best friend), just as the selchie’s identity as a seal-woman threatens her human husband; Ron imprisons himself by hiding who he is so the Hs can feel smart and in charge, just as the selchie’s human husband imprisons his wife by hiding her sealskin in a trunk.

#vivi answers #ask #ron weasley #hermione granger #hermione critical #hermione granger critical #harry potter #harry potter series #harry potter critical

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remakethestars · 4 years

Text

CABIN 10 — APHRODITE

Headcanons.

❝I want to apologize to all the women I have called pretty before I’ve called them intelligent or brave. I am sorry I made it sound as though something as simple as what you’re born with is the most you have to be proud of when your spirit has crushed mountains. From now on, I will say things like, ‘You are resilient,’ or, ‘You are extraordinary.’ Not because I don’t think you’re pretty. But because you are so much more than that.❞

— Rupi Kaur

Headcanon masterlist.

They’re the camp hairdressers. You need a trim? You want it cut? You want it died? You want to shave it all off? Hit ‘em up.

The type of people that will straight-up chop their hair if it doesn't match their outfit. Somehow, it always works out? I'm looking at Micarah Tewers.

They also run a secret ear piercing — or anything else you need to pierce — parlor.

Okay, but consider: children of Aphrodite that grow up to be models.

They can charm speak the photographers into letting them pick their own poses & not make them do seductive ones if they’re not comfortable with them.

Some create clothing lines that represent sustainable fashion & have big names but small carbon footprints.

Some are spies.

Think about it! They know how to switch subtle bits of their personality to fit in with everyone they come across, when & when not to use their charm.

The hide outfits under other outfits & can slip one off in public to reveal the other & lose a tail.

And they'd probably be great at disguise makeup. Add a prosthetic chin, contour their nose differently, pull off their wig, & they're a completely different person.

Plus, their combat training at C.H.B. makes them the perfect agent.

The floor next to their bunk is scattered with fabric cuttings, pins, needles, their sewing machine, serger, & measuring tape.

The number of times someone's gotten a needle or pin in their foot's a tad concerning.

Will absolutely not wear a top with an overstitched collar. Fast fashion is so tacky! Understitch is the way to go, the staple of a quality garment.

Vintage is better. Not because it's in style (that's a plus, though), but because the seams are big enough for you to let out, & it's made to last.

Experts at thrifting. Not just 'cause it's trendy or whatever, but because they're excellent at upcycling & far too many perfectly good clothes go into the land fill each year.

Make stunning dresses out of Good Will table cloths & curtains.

Or stitch two items together into one better whole.

They iron their clothes; they're not animals.

Really good at getting stains out?

Totally in on the corset bustier top trend, but they're using spiral steel boning in place of zip-ties. Because, again, they want things to last & they're not tacky.

Pass each other tips. Like to tuck your top into your tights to avoid the bulge under your skirt.

Some found big-name, organic makeup companies that don't test on animals. They use packaging that can be recycled or that's biodegradable.

Borrow their clothes, sure, whatever, but double-dip in their makeup & die. The bacteria will give them acne. (Or is it the oils? Either way, you'll perish.)

Happy to drop their skincare routine, though.

You need to cover up that tattoo you got from C7? They got you.

Flawless makeup on a budget. Expensive doesn't always mean better.

They're taking you to the pool for a first date? Take a seat, C10 knows just the stuff. They use what Disney Princesses use.

Can guess the right shade of foundation/lipstick for you on the first couple tries.

A lot of them invest in magnetic lashes because glue's a b¡tch.

Reusable makeup wipes.

Rick says C10 kids just sit around the lake & check their reflection, but consider: working out gets them their dream bod. So, yes, they do, in fact, train.

They just do it with intricate braids/hair gel & stylish sportwear.

And if a potential partner finds it unattractive that they’re “too muscly,” they’re no longer a potential partner.

Weapons disguised as jewelry or chapstick/lipstick.

Thalia had a mace canister that turned into a spear, & I gotta say, I.D.K. how she planned to get that through security. Imagine, alternatively, a tube that appears to be full of bright red lipstick when the T.S.A. agent opens it, but actually turns into a spear when opened by a half-blood.

(I have a headcanon that Riptide would just be a pen in the hands of a mortal. Bounced around for years as random objects until Poseidon nabbed it & took it to Chiron — recall that pen you lost?)

A pink, velvet choker that turns into a kopis with a dove embossed in the handle.

Many choose to train in heels. Might as well wear in training what they’ll be wearing when attacked in the street.

They’ve got no time for internalized misogyny.

“C10′s weak ‘cause they like being pretty!” Good way to lose a kneecap, Annabeth. You’ve grown up in this camp, you knew Selina, & you should know better.

They confront Piper’s misogyny pretty early on after The Lost Hero, but Piper still takes some time to get over her bias toward pink.

Are we not gonna talk about Rick’s fashion choices for Piper throughout the series? “She looks so fashionable.” To whom, Rick? To whom?

You couldn’t’ve done a little internet surfing just to see what was in style? I never leave the house in anything but jeans, Converse, & a graphic t-shirt from Walmart, & even I know she’s dressed like a middle-schooler! Probably because that’s how I dressed in middle-school… That’s not the point.

The point is just because a character likes makeup or fashion or the color pink, doesn’t mean they can’t/won’t fight for their lives & the lives of their friends if/when the time comes. And it doesn’t mean that they’re stupid or judgmental.

I don’t know a lot about makeup. Hades, I don’t even wear makeup — you can’t rub your eyes or scratch your face; it would drive me crazy. I don’t know a lot about fashion either. I don’t understand it, but I can respect it.

❝‘Jesus,’ Sara says as Branley walks past us. ‘Too cold to show off cleavage, so instead she goes for jeans so tight I can see her thong.’ ‘She looks nice,’ I say, and she does. Branley always looks put together in a way that tells me she spends hours in front of a mirror before going outside. And while I don’t understand that, I can respect it.❞

— Alex Craft, Mindy McGinnis’s The Female of the Species

According to The Lost Hero, all children of Aphrodite intuitively speak French. Cool, cool, cool — but consider, all of them also intuitively speak the language of flowers.

They see a red rose, and they just know it symbolizes love & passion. They see an orange lily, to contrast, & they know it symbolizes hatred.

There’s a copy of The Language of Flowers in their cabin, and it’s full of annotations, like, So-and-so gave these to so-and-so for Valentines Day! And, So-and-so gave these to so-and-so after their kiss on the Fourth of July; they obviously didn’t do their research!

They work together with C4 (Demeter) to provide flowers for funerals & the like.

C10 bookshelves also contain a lot of romance novels.

Beaten up copies of Pride & Prejudice & The Fault in Our Stars with faded highlighter over the beautiful lines & annotations in the margins.

The outside walls are a dusty pink, & the wood’s stained a dark brown that goes surprisingly well with the pink.

Inside, the walls are covered in faded wallpaper.

The southwest wall has a bay window with extra storage in the seat. (There’s not a body in there; they swear.)

(That’s an Arsenic & Old Lace reference, for you youngsters.)

The curtains have one chiffon layer closer to the window & a thicker floral fabric for inside. The thick curtains are replaced based on the season & whether or not someone’s decided to make a romper out of them.

They have a real bell jar with a real rose in front of the window. Legend has it it’s from Aphrodite herself.

Said window is a stained glass image of a dove.

The chaise lounge was probably beautiful when it was brought it, but it’s got fingernail polish & makeup stains on it now. Honestly, someone should really have that thing cleaned.

As you might have noticed, I placed a gif of swans at the top instead of a fancast for Aphrodite. This is because I think, as I believe most Percy Jackson fans do, multiple people should play her. I'd cast Arden Cho, Camila Mendes, Candice Patton, Diane Kruger, & Gal Gadot to start with.

Visit my Aphrodite cabin Pinterest board or my headcanon masterlist.

DISCLAIMER ━━━ I know I got a tad political with this one, but I didn’t & don’t intend to offend anyone. ━━━ These headcanons are what I consider to be canon in my fanfictions. They may be others’s headcanons I’ve subconsciously filed away in my noggin. If one’s yours and you want it removed or credited, please send me your post and let me know.

#Aphrodite #Aphrodite cabin #Aphrodite kids #children of Aphrodite #Percy Jackson #PJO #HOO #remakethestars #beauty #makeup #sewing #fashion #headcanons #headcannons #hcs

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shinygoku · 3 years

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James for the character ask

Ahh, the ✨Splendid Engine✨ himself!

First impression

...Red Thomas? :v

Impression now

Honestly, James may be one of the more interesting characters if you really get in close and examine him and his dynamics with the other characters. And maybe this is me having drawn the wrong conclusion, but my own reading into him has me find him actually rather misunderstood, in and out of universe. You've heard of The Sad Story of Henry? You better be ready for the Tragic Tale of James!

So, at a basic, surface level look, James is The Vain One. He's the only Red [Standard Gauge] Engine on the Island (somehow??) and won't let anyone forget about it. He obsesses over the condition and colour of his coat. He resents having to pull trucks, which are often dirty and full of contents that would make him dirtier still. He's astonishingly rude to anyone near him who isn't sufficiently clean but he'll also get jealous of someone who has fresher paint than him.

What if I told you that his Shiny Colouration to the NWR livery is but a small part of the larger picture?

Peering closer, and it's more overt in the books than the show, but of the 7 deadly sins, he's arguably less Prideful (than say, Gordon) and instead, more Wrath?

James has one [red] hot temper, it doesn't take much to set him off and he simmers in resentment for a long time afterwards. While he started it, his tiff with Toby resulted in a completely avoidable headlong crash into the Tar Tankers, all because he was too busy fuming to pay attention to his job. What got him so mad in the first place there? The Bootlace Incident.

Poor James! Much like Henry and the Tunnel, the Bootlaces is one thing that continues to hound him even long after the event, and it seems a bit unfair for that card to get played so much, as he was a total noob at the time with Coaches, but when that button is pressed we always see his angry face.

Even without that particular old saw, he is testy about a lot of things. The aforementioned "DIRTY trucks in DIRTY sidings!" comes to mind. He’s (predicted by the Fat Controller himself!) in a bad mood when he suddenly has to pick up Donald’s work after the latter crashed into the signal box. Sometimes he just snaps when the others are talking (to be fair, often Griping) amongst themselves.

Let's rewind all the way back to James' first day on Sodor. He's in his black livery and has wooden brake blocks. Predictably, these don't last and it only takes some trucks shoving him down the hill for them to burn up and him to spill out in a field. Thomas comes by to save him, but that's still one helluva bumpy start to your new home! After that incident, The Fat Controller offers him a new paint colour and allows him to have Red, completely unique (even moreso if you're in a canon where Henry was blue at the time, meaning James isn't just the only one with Red, but the only one to not follow the Blue uniform).

There's still a bit more!

So, he won't shut up about his distinctive paint? He wants to be seen by passengers and have a nice time pulling coaches? He's the smallest of the "Big 3" Tender Engines? He's a one-off deviation from his class with the extended front end, but the difference wasn't significant so none of the others got the same treatment? He’s anxious the whole day after unintentionally wheeshing steam on FC1 (which is sadly not baseless!)?

James, to me, is a character with a pretty huge Inferiority Complex, and his various posturing and claims that he's the best are him trying very hard to believe it.

Unfortunately, he's so obnoxious about the faking it, generally the others ignore what may be lying beneath.

One last bit here! His attitude definitely declined after he buddied up with Gordon and sometimes pulls the Express, so Big G was something of a toxic (but oblivious) influence.

Favourite moment

His overcoming the trucks, complete with a fab remix of his already dope theme! After his disaster of a first day where trucks ran him off the rails, and then his very bumpy few days after being painted with the Coach Break Fluid Pipe and the Steam and being very unfairly punished, he gets to show some of his worth and ability!

He also gets a number of very funny lines in exchanges which are a bit butchered when I put them up here lol, like “Hello, Gordon! Is it tomorrow~? [...] Must have been Instinct!” or (Percy, taking a metaphor literally: The sky’s empty...) “Like your smokebox, Percy!”

Idea for a story

I would Enjoy something where, as is often the case with these asks, someone examines subjects I’ve been rambling about lol. So yeah, a character who isn’t fooled by his dazzling red coat and sees who he is inside, and the possibilities that spring from that would be real neat!

I also have a more silly [albeit Current Events based] idea which is more shallow, but here it is anyway:

In the time(s) of a pandemic (remember Spanish flu? James would), Engines who pull passenger coaches would be given decorative engine size face masks to show a good example to the customers. Some of them feel Rather Silly but regular passenger trains like Thomas on his branch line, and Mr Express Gordon don’t really get to refuse. They just quietly roll their eyes as their lack of ears or a back of their smokeboxes mean the cloth has to be physically taped to the sides of their head and try to maintain their dignity. 😷

Suddenly, James is uncharacteristically eager to pull goods trains, as these engines are much further away from the passengers and visitors to the railway, and thus don’t need to wear them lol

Unpopular opinion

Not sure how unpopular it is, but I really like Angelis’ Liverpool voice coming through much more strongly for James. His read on “Why are you always complaining all the time??” is just excellent, and other Scouse Moments just sound Right to me. Also gotta mention Ringo’s take on James’ sarcastic, very angry HAR HAR in one of the weird Toby episodes, and thanks to ytp splicing that with the word Harbour I think of it a lot haha

Maybe his voice should be more Yorkshire or Lancaster, as that’s where he was made? But (also applies to Thomas) I vibe with Liverpudlian James.

Favourite relationship

It’s actually a bit hard to think of a particular engine, James tends to get grouped with Gordon and Henry (The Big Engines, The Jerk Trio, etc) but as I’ve said, I think him palling up with Gordon was actually pretty bad for James in hindsight. For merch and prolly in the CGI eps, he’s grouped with Thomas and Percy, because Primary Colours I think (though the same colours as Gordon and Henry offered!) but More Marketable. But I dunno, does James really fit in with either group that well?

I think what James needs is less to hang out in the fringe of a clique, and to instead have a real, frank, genuine connection with someone. Then maybe he can make his friendships with the others a bit healthier, too. I just can’t think of any cast members who fill that role at the mo... 🤔

Favourite headcanon

As he is a Mixed Traffic Engine, he’s a Jack of All Tasks (he just prefers some to others!), also under the issues he has, he’s absolutely trying to be a good engine and friend, he just needs some guidance and tons of patience to get there.

#this is ttte #ttte talk #TTTE James #TTTE #James the Red Engine #Thomas the Tank Engine #this is after cutting a fair bit out of the 2nd section and it's still ruddy long! lol

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