#what did we do to deserve mr rain and his absolute commitment to the Bit

[idridian]

listening to the 1980 cbc radio dramatisation of "fifth business" (starring douglas rain; guess why im listening to it) and ngl this book is WILD. the random pieces of media you discover when you’re obsessed with A Guy…

(full disclosure i was zoned out for the first half hour or so and might have missed some essential info in the process but im piecing it together through context clues)

(the lifestory of the reformed tramp felt like being hit by a train going 500mph. what in the actual Fuck was All Of That)

[stillness-in-green]

Thoughts on Chapter 314 (and surrounding events)

Being a loose summary of several things I thought about in relation to the leaks, what they say about the series as a whole, a bit of new operating headcanon on the Peerless Thief, and a dash of how fandom is responding to the revelations. Spoilers, obviously.

This chapter makes it quite clear that the HPSC absolutely would have gone in and eliminated the PLF quietly, lethally, and wholly unlawfully if Hawks hadn't reported back the numbers that he did. The only reason the raid involved non-Commission-affiliated heroes at all is because the PLF's manpower was simply too much for the Commission to deal with via their usual methods. I'm both appalled that the disregard for human rights in HeroAca Land is somehow even worse than I thought it was and smug that that tiny little piece I recently posted criticizing the PLF's treatment has turned out to be totally justified and supported by the canon.[1] (Note that this does not absolve Horikoshi of the responsibility to, himself, treat the PLF better than paper dolls tossed into the incinerator of Plot Irrelevance when they cease being convenient to his story.) The fact that the Commission was forced to involve heroes might mean Re-Destro, Mr. Compress and the others are somewhat safer than might otherwise be the case. Because of the involvement of the unsuspecting stooges law-abiding heroes, and because the botched raid became such a huge disaster, there’s far more public scrutiny on this than would otherwise be the case. Of course, "accidents" can still happen,[2] especially in a chaotic environment, but the factors above (combined with Clone!RD murdering the bejeezus out of the Lady Prez) do, I think, suggest that there probably isn't an organized push for quick solutions going on behind closed doors.

I don't think Nagant has been around for a terribly long time or that there was an uptick in vigilantism in recent years—I think the scene where she mentions vigilantes becoming accepted as heroes is just in reference to the early history of heroism. It's in keeping with what Tsukauchi Makoto described in Vigilantes, and forms the basis of the current system—the current system that Nagant was a single cog in a big machine grinding away to preserve.

Speaking of Nagant and the system, it's interesting to me that one of the groups Nagant apparently targeted at the HPSC's behest was corrupt heroes—those who colluded with villains or specifically goaded/incited civilians into using their quirks illegally, thus turning civilians into capital-V Villains in the eyes of the law. One might easily say that targeting corrupt heroes (albeit using a much broader definition of "corrupt") was Stain's whole shtick, but it actually puts me more in mind of the Peerless Thief, Harima Oji. Harima punished greedy or corrupt heroes with theft, and presumably with a measure of declaration and exposure,[3] then distributed their money back to the streets. Someone who ridicules those who abuse their power, and gets away with it for long enough to build a reputation: that right there is a recipe for a folk hero. The HPSC, in whatever form they existed at the time, obviously couldn't let that go on—such repeated humiliations would weaken peoples’ faith in (and obedience to) the system the HPSC was trying to build. At the same time, though, it would also weaken faith in the system to openly acknowledge that system's flaws, to acknowledge that some pretty awful people had found their way into the heroics business specifically for the power and ability to abuse it that the title of Hero afforded them. Public trials would make it a matter of record that some heroes—and, accordingly, heroes at large—did not deserve the public's unquestioning faith. Obviously in a system that was built from the ground up on faith, that was unacceptable. And so Harima was branded a supervillain for exposing the system's flaws, while the corrupt heroes who embodied those flaws to begin with were—and continue to be—quietly disposed of at the HPSC’s discretion.

There's a lot of talk around about how Lady Nagant is stupid, or hypocritical, or delusional, or whatever other dismissive adjective people want to use, because she expresses a preference for AFO's rule over the HPSC's. Firstly, I think it's dubious Lit Crit to fault a character for not being a Paragon of Rationality, especially when they're under the cascading stressors Nagant has been under since she was, what, 13? 14? Forced to live this dichotomy of smiling gallant hero and ruthless covert assassin, had her life threatened by the man who'd taken her in,[4] probably dumped in Tartarus until such time as her trial could be held,[5] and kept in those ghastly, dehumanizing conditions for who knows how long? How shocking, that her objectivity might be somewhat compromised! Secondly, it's not like she's saying that AFO's rule would be a sunny walk in the park. The kanji she uses doesn't even mean "better"; while it can mean serene or tranquil, her more likely meaning is clear/transparent. Her phrasing indicates that she's aware it would be pretty bad; she's simply of the opinion that at least his rule wouldn't be a sham, a pretty lie. It would be bad, but everyone would know it. No one would have these comforting illusions they could lose at any time; if you stepped out of line and got shot in the head by an assassin, well, at least you would probably know you that being defiant was running that risk, rather than never seeing it coming because you'd been told all your life that Heroes Didn't Do That To People. Again, this is a woman whose life was shattered no less than three times by the duplicity of the highest acting authority in this comic.[6] She doesn't have to be Objectively Correct By The Standards Of Ethical Utilitarianism—nor do you have to agree with her choice that because she doesn’t want to live in the Matrix, no one else should get to either—for her opinion to make sense from her own perspective! Thirdly, while I think it's fair to say that the HPSC and AFO actually use fairly similar methods to recruit followers and punish dissenters, we have no idea how much Nagant herself knows about AFO's recruitment tactics other than her own brief experience of it. And while AFO is a controlling and manipulative bastard, at least in his case it's coming from a man who openly styles himself as a Demon King, not an organization positioning itself as lawful regulators of the protectors of society at large while secretly training child soldiers to flagrantly violate every law protecting the human rights and due process of that society's people.

Overhaul's presence is delightful, and yes, he is a victim of Hero Society, if only because Hero Society could have put him in some kind of prison-based rehab facility after Shigaraki was through with him, but chose to dispose of him in Tartarus instead, for absolutely no justifiable cause. I suspect it's only due to Horikoshi not being very interested in the harsh realities of the trauma caused by enforced isolation[7] that Overhaul is the only Tartarus escapee that talks to himself and has dissociated from reality almost completely. Overhaul's maiming was not the fault of Hero Society, nor did Hero Society force him to torture Eri and repeatedly commit cold-blooded murder. But his madness? Yeah, I'm pretty comfortable laying that one at Hero Society's feet, actually. I can’t wait for Deku to have to face the victim that Chisaki Kai has become due to levels of systemic cruelty and negligence that really ought to be criminal—and which, if this were real life, would be.

--------Lately, footnotes are really popular with us!--------

[1] Lady Nagant: *talks about how the Hero Society everyone believes in is illusory, a thin fake over a brutal reality, and that returning to the false simplicity of that status quo will only cause history to repeat itself* Me, two weeks ago: Hero Society will never stop creating its own villains so long as, every time it fails people, it does nothing but shrug and write off the victims as unavoidable, inevitable sacrifices for the greater good.

[2] Yes, I'm still highly suspicious of the "Destro committed suicide in prison" claim.

[3] Compress tells us Harima “preached reformation,” but regardless, you don’t dress up in a modified kabuki costume and waltz midair through nighttime cityscapes raining cash out of the sky if you’re trying to keep your activities a secret.

[4] And her family situation couldn't have been much better than Hawks', if she was targeted by the HPSC to begin with. I would guess she was an orphan in the childcare system, easy to move from whatever alternative care arrangement she was in, be it an orphanage, a group home, or simply mature enough despite her relative youth that she lived alone on government support payments—that kind of thing isn't as unbelievable in Japan as it is in the U.S.—to the HPSC's care.

[5] And given what we learned between this chapter and 297, I doubt she was even allowed to be present for it. Japanese law states that everyone by default is supposed to be present for their own trial, but as in the U.S, that right can be waived if the defendant proves themselves to be a threat to the safety of the judge, court staff and other attendees. And of course, what a threat the HPSC could have painted her as being!

[6] At least until Hori deigns to show us a damn Diet session.

[7] To say nothing of the physical consequences of spending six months stuck in a tiny room with no natural light while frequently being strapped into a straitjacket, of which there should also be several.

[bubblesuga]

Oblivious To Adoration - 4

Summary: After an intense night of drunken sex, Jungkook realizes he wants more. When he suggests an idea to you, you were shocked. However, who were you to say no to Mr. Jeon Jungkook?

W/C: 2,165

Prev Part - Next Part 

Warnings: angst, mature language, fluff

You weren’t sure when it started to rain. All you knew was as you sat on the swing at the park in the center of your apartment complex, you felt a shiver run through your spine. 

The sky was a dull grey, an intense crack of thunder causing you to jump on the swing. The chains rattled around you, the few kids who played in the field in front of you rushing into the safety of the breezeways as it started to pour. You couldn’t feel the raindrops wetting your hair, the only thing your body could process was the horrendous thud of your heart inside your rib cage. 

It hadn’t been long since you talked to Jungkook in Namjoon’s apartment. Maybe a few days, you weren’t sure. You felt so conflicted that you weren’t sure what to do about everything, or how to sort through the maze of that is your mind. It seems like every time you thought you found a solution, you would over think it to the point where nothing seemed plausible. 

On one hand, you could admit your feelings for Jungkook and live a long and happy life together. It’s the option you wanted the most, because everything Jungkook described was exactly what you wished for. Imagining him in his boxers, humming a song to himself while you sleepily patter into the kitchen and wrap your arms around his waist... 

On the other hand, it could end badly. You didn’t have the best track record with dating, and every time you thought it was going great, they would cheat. That’s not to say you’d thought Jungkook would cheat, but you’ve never had an example of a healthy relationship. Your parents’ constant back and forth and watching your friends get their hearts broken over and over again only caused you to stray away from commitment. 

You wished so badly that you could just go with the flow, to just try, but your anxiety prevents you from doing so. 

“(Y/N)?” You hear a call from the direction of your apartment. 

You tore your eyes away from the sky, gripping the chain tighter while you turn to look. To your surprise, Jimin stands on the grass with an umbrella in his hand. Silently, he makes his way over to you to and grabs your hand. You allow him to guide you, not realizing how much your shivering until you’re back in the comfort of your apartment. 

“Who thought it could rain so hard in the summer?” Jimin chuckles, shaking off the water from the umbrella then looking at you with a smile. 

“Okay, now tell me what happened.” Jimin sits beside you, watching as you curl yourself beneath the throw blanket from the back of your couch. 

You shrug, “I thought you already knew.” 

“I knew about the beginning. I pushed Jungkook to make a move and I shouldn’t have.” Jimin leans back, running a hand through his dark brown locks. He looks stressed, dark bags beneath each of his eyes. Concealer covered them slightly, a sad attempt to hide his exhaustion.

“Why do you say that?” You question, gnawing anxiously at your bottom lip. 

Jimin turns to you, a sad smile on his face, “Jungkook hasn’t talked to me. I wracked my brain for hours trying to figure out what I could have possibly done wrong then I realized it was probably my sad attempt at pushing him out of his comfort zone.” 

To Jimin’s surprise, you let out a laugh before burying your face in the pillow on your thighs. Before you knew it, your laughter turned into a sob and Jimin was quick to comfort you. His hand drew soft circles between your shoulder blades while you quieted your sobs with the pillow.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” 

“No, that’s not it,” you look up, wiping the tears from your face, “I just feel fucking stupid for coming between your guys’ friendship. I shouldn’t have agreed to anything in the first place.” 

Jimin’s pitiful attempt to comfort you seemed to do more harm than good when you begin to wipe more silent tears that slipped out of your eyes. He sighs, pulling you to his chest and resting his chin on the top of your head while you continue to cry. 

“Jungkook told me he wants to be with me,” you finally start, using your sleeve to wipe beneath your nose, “and I got scared.” 

You can feel Jimin nod above you, his hand moving from your back to your arm, “Why are you scared?” 

You swallow, not sure how to put into words exactly what you’re feeling. Deflection seemed to be your best bet, “You don’t seem surprised that Jungkook told me he wants to be with me.” 

“Because I’m not,” he answers truthfully, “that man has liked you since the beginning and we all could see it. I’m more surprised that you couldn’t see it.” 

“I guess I’m oblivious.”

Jimin watches you pull away, giving you a small smile. You are oblivious. Jimin is keenly aware that Jungkook is madly in love with you, from the moment he saw you. There was something different about the way you carried yourself that had Jungkook on his knees begging for you, but only in his mind. He opened himself up to Jimin a lot, and Jimin couldn’t see how Jungkook telling you how he feels could have ended badly. 

He didn’t take you to be the type to run, and he had to figure out why. 

“You are. Now tell me why you’re scared.” Jimin presses gently. He has such a calming voice, you felt your chest loosen with every word, ridding you of your anxiety. 

“I’ve never had an example of a healthy relationship,” You stutter your way through your admission, feeling your throat choke up, “I’m gonna fuck it up with him. I’m gonna inadvertently sabotage the relationship and then I will have lost my best friend, Jimin. He’s the one person that I want around forever and I know I’ll fuck it up.” 

Your ramblings came out clearer than your thoughts were, Jimin only listening intently to every word. As much as he enjoyed being the key advice giver of the friend group, there were times where he heart broke for his friends. 

“Why do you think that?” He says after a moment. 

“I don’t think I deserve this love.” 

Then it all makes sense. 

Your entire life you had blamed your inability to love on the fact that you weren’t sure what love is. Building up a wall and tearing it down repeatedly until you finally gave in and accepted the fact that maybe it just wasn’t meant for you. You weren’t ever going to be able to find someone who can love you until you find the ability to love yourself. 

However, you had found someone who loves you. Who’s willing to work with you, fight for you, until you love yourself as much as he loves you. Maybe the first step to loving someone else isn’t loving yourself, but rather finding someone you can learn to love yourself with. 

“(Y/N)...” Jimin trails off, feeling his own chest swell with pain while he looked at you, “you deserve every ounce of love he gives you. Fuck what happened with your parents, with your exes. How are you ever going to find the one if you’re not willing to work for it?” 

“I- I’ll text him.” 

~*~*~

Jungkook’s foot pressed onto the gas, switching gears and ramming his way through the intersection. 

As soon as he got your text, he was in his car. He hadn’t even thought about putting on shoes or pants, instead rushing out in nothing but his white t-shirt and boxers. Admittedly he regretted the decision once he noticed how wet the sidewalks were, and how cold the breeze was, but he didn’t care because you were finally ready to talk. 

Whether it end badly or well, he needed some sort of closure because he was an absolute mess without you. Namjoon had texted him repeatedly after you left his apartment, asking if everything was okay. Jungkook couldn’t respond, only sighing at the texts and locking his phone before trying to sleep. 

Then he kept that routine, waiting anxiously for your text. 

As soon as he pulled into your parking lot, he was opening his door and running down the breezeway. 

His fist lifts to knock on the door but he’s surprised when the door swings open before he could. 

“Hey.” Jimin says simply, patting Jungkook’s shoulder. 

He slips passed his friend, sending him a wink and disappearing around the corner of the hallway. 

Jungkook furrows his brows, stepping inside of your apartment and spotting you on your couch. He hesitantly moves further inside, shutting the door and turning to you. You look up at him, your eyes red but a sad smile on your face. 

“Should I mentally prepare myself for rejection?” He walks towards you, sitting far enough away from you to give you space but close enough to ease his anxiety from you being away from him. 

“No, honey.” You pat the spot beside you, signalling for him to move closer. 

Jungkook tries to ignore the way his heart races as he does so, but he can’t help the way he falls into your arms the minute you wrap them around him. He’s close to tears, your silent gesture enough to wipe away the fears that surrounded him for the past few days. Beckoning him closer, you allow him to  rest his head on your shoulder and he turns to wrap his arms tightly around you. 

The hoodie you wore was soft, and it smelled like you. He grins, trying to bite back tears. 

“Did you have enough time to think?” He asks, his voice slightly muffled against your shoulder. 

“I did. Jimin helped me out a bit too.” You explain, your earlier tears now gone and replaced with excitement for the future, but also a touch of uncertainty. 

“And?” 

“I’ll try this, but you have to promise me something.” Your hand had a mind of it’s own while you move it up to Jungkook’s head, your nails gently scratching his scalp. 

“Of course, anything.” Jungkook says immediately, relaxing even more in your arms. 

You lay both of you back on the couch, Jungkook cuddling into your side. Despite the seriousness of the conversation, you felt at ease in this position, like you’re meant to be here. 

“If this doesn’t work out, we still have to be friends. I don’t want to lose you, Kookie, and I’d rather have you in my life as a friend than not at all.” You explain. Jimin had taken the time to help you put into words what you were feeling. After you had texted Jungkook, you realized you didn’t know what to say. Jimin took your jumbled mess of words and made it sound like poetry, and you were thankful for that. Had Jimin not shown up today, you would still be moping around your apartment with no intent on contacting Jungkook just yet. 

Jungkook nods against you, “I’ll do anything, (Y/N).” 

“Okay,” you let out a shaky breath, “thank you.” 

Jungkook takes the opportunity to lean up, pressing a chaste kiss against your cheek before taking his spot back on your chest. You feel the heat of his body radiating against you, a stark contrast to the cold rain you felt earlier. 

“So we’re doing this?” Jungkook asks. 

“Yeah.” You reaffirm, letting yourself relax properly for the first time in days. 

“So does this make you my girlfriend?” 

“If that’s okay with you.” 

Jungkook pulls his head off your chest, his eyes blown wild while he looks at you. Without a second thought, Jungkook presses a proper kiss to your lips. He swipes his tongue against your bottom lip, your lips opening for him immediately. His tongue explores your mouth while your hands fly to his hair. 

Something felt different about this kiss. You hadn’t gone into it with the intent of taking it further, only to feel his lips against yours. Jungkook chuckled into the kiss when he heard you sigh happily. 

When he pulls away, your eyes fly to his swollen upturned lips. He turns the smile into a smirk, “Okay, girlfriend.” 

“Ew, let’s not make that a habit.” You cringe, laughing under his gaze. 

“What? The title too much for you?” He questions. Though it came off jokingly, he had to swallow the feeling that you may only be agreeing to spare his feelings.

“No, but I like when you call me baby. Let’s stick to baby.” You explain, your chest fluttering while he smiles above you. 

Jungkook then stands abruptly, “To celebrate, I’m ordering pizza.” 

“Extra--” 

“Extra cheese, I know, baby.” He cuts you off, sending a wink your way and picking up his phone. 

Okay, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all...

[tarmairons]

re: that last hp ask i got

i know i said i wouldn’t be cross-posting my bellamort/dark au/riddle fam headcanons from twitter but i’ve decided to post a lengthy updated masterpost here after all so ENJOY bon apetit 

1. see the thing is that 90% of my hcs can’t be described with words bc they’re just.. feelings.. aesthetics.. vibes.. vague scenarios that make me feel some sort of way… the dark au has a certain Feel and i just stick a bunch of domestic concepts in there and shake it all up and that’s it shshsh

2. disclaimer: im like 75% sure my self indulgent ramblings won’t make sense so sorry about that

3. i was fully serious that one time i said on twitter that voldemort’s no.1 priority after taking over the wizarding world was doing sth about his snace (snake face) so yeah. first things first he’s not as fugly in the dark au. as mentioned previously he just looks like mr. ralph and probably wears ornate haute couture power suits

4. the public doesn’t actually know who the augurey is for YEARS… they know whoever it is is voldemort’s second in command and sure there’s rumors that he has an heir but nobody knows it’s delphi. this way she doesn’t have to be reclusive and hide away, she just lives her life, studies and trains, masters the art of dark magic, hangs around town etc, and no one suspects anything bc who would think this tiny super friendly innocent looking girl is the dark lord’s kid — her identity isn’t revealed until she’s deemed Ready to publicly take up her position. and when she is revealed it’s a Big Moment bc she’s a drama queen and lives for attention

5. delphi is taller than bellatrix

6. speaking of bellatrix. she’s presumed dead after the battle of hogwarts which turns out to be a cool bonus for the dark side. any leftover resistance? she’ll take care of that and they’ll never see her coming. tbh this seems a lot cooler in my head bc movie bellatrix would not be stealthy enough to stay hidden for years she would probs trip over something and accidentally commit arson within a few days. but yeah sneaky assassin sounds sexy. plus to be super honest i imagine bella is a teensy bit more collected than in the films... no shade at helena y’all know i would die for her but there are in fact things i would change about her bella. so yeah for a while the only people who know she’s alive aside from her immediate family are probs rod and the malfoys

7. hm so. the malfoys…. much to think about. narcissa did lie to voldemort’s face during the battle so logically he should have killed her the moment he realized she knew harry was alive all along. but this is a soft dark au so let’s pretend bellatrix was like hey dude don’t kill my sister maybe and voldemort was like k. i mean no harm done, harry potter is properly dead in this universe after all

8. but seriously tho. the only reason voldemort didn’t yeet narcissa into a wall was for bella’s sake. he’s nice like that, he probably promised her at one point that he wouldn’t violently murder her family. peak romance

9. delphi is surprisingly close with both her parents although with voldemort it’s more of a mentor-student relationship than a parent-child one bc he’s Like That. growing up it was always bella who insisted they treat delphi more like a child and less like a weapon and voldemort wasn’t always happy about that bc he’s emotionally constipated and also never had a childhood. also he’s, like, evil. so yes, reminding voldemort that delphi was her daughter too sometimes got bella in trouble bc we all know of voldemort’s superiority issues. but no bella didn’t stop insisting that delphi deserved an actual childhood and in the end they compromised like functional adults and delphi turned out pretty well for someone raised by 2 of the most terrifying people alive

10. but yeah that’s not to say voldemort and kid delphi never had soft moments. they did. he even picked her up every once in a while. everyone was surprised, bella most of all. she probably cried in the bathroom later bc the softness overwhelmed her. i’m not sure if i mean that in a sarcastic shitpost kind of way or if she was really moved to tears. y’all decide for yourselves

11. delphi looks very very much like bella but she has tom riddley eyes.. so dark they’re nearly black. and soulless. maybe they even flash red when she’s enraged. and she has very aristocratic very controlled tom riddley mannerisms. it’s not until you piss her off and she goes off the rails that the bella side of her personality kicks in

12. delphi gets along really well with the malfoys (except lucius. she thinks he’s pathetic and likes to tease him. in a friendly way but it’s still harsh. she gets that from her mom) esp scorp. scorp thinks this makes him cool at school bc he gets to fist bump the augurey and not get murdered for it

13. speaking of hogwarts. umbridge is scared shitless of delphi and it’s always a school-wide spectacle when the augurey drops by unexpectedly on official business and umbridge starts stuttering and quivering. scorp sometimes makes a point to approach umbridge and delphi when they’re talking and act all chummy-chummy with his cousin just to make himself look powerful and Cool in front of umbridge and the other students

14. i still don’t know whether voldemort would call delphi ‘delphini’ or just ‘delphi’… i imagine he’s a strict stick-up-his-ass kinda father but who knows. he does call bellatrix ‘bella’ but that’s different i guess

15. but THEN AGAIN he does have a gigantic soft spot for delphi too. maybe he slips up every so often and calls her delphi. i’m literally making this shit up as i go along i’m just smashing my mf keyboard and occasionally glancing at my messy hcs notebook. I TOLD YALL i don’t have solid hcs i just have VIBES and AESTHETICS. the only way you’ll get specific hcs out of me is if you ask very specific questions

16. weirdest brotp is delphi and rodolphus. nobody knows where that came from but they get along so well and it confuses everybody

17. we been knew that bella is batshit crazy and criminally insane or whatever but against all odds she is a surprisingly good mother. she’s always been soft for family (narcissa etc) so it makes sense that she would legit die for delphi. they have this super casual bantery relationship YALL GET ME bella is so proud of delphi she’s literally that “my little baby off to destroy people” meme!!! honestly mother-daughter relationships are my goddamn weakness i would die for the two of them

18. delphi has a gf (underdeveloped oc time!) who, for the longest time, doesn’t know who she is dating bc delphi is obviously not allowed to say. she finds out the truth eventually and she is properly freaked out for a very very long time. and since all of these hcs are stupidly soft we’re just gonna keep making them softer: the gf is terrified of delphi’s parents at first (obvs) but they’re both extremely fond of her (well, bella is, voldemort probs doesn’t care all that much about who delphi is dating so long as she’s not of subpar blood status or secretly spying for the opposition ya know. as long as delphi trusts her he does too)

19. no but really voldemort trusts delphi and bella implicitly. with delphi it’s bc he raised her and he trusts her to be loyal bc she knows no other way, she was meant to be an extension of his power etc. but with bella it’s something he learns over time, to trust her judgement bc despite her many many flaws she’s very perceptive and usually right

20. voldemort probably makes more horcruxes. still haven’t decided how this ties in with the fact that he’s now safely immortal again and neither delphi nor bella are. who knows maybe they all do the do and split their souls. much to think about. feel free to send ur thots and ideas my way

21. ya know im basic and always on my bellamort bs and therefore: as the years go by voldemort warms up to bella. not that he wasn’t already extremely fond of her before but he kicks it up a notch. i mean, he’s already taken over the world so it’s high time to start experimenting with other wilder things like Feelings. 80/90 years old isn’t too late to experience Love or whatever. might as well wake up one day and realize you’re completely and utterly in love with the woman you’ve spent the last 50+ years with whew. LIKE to be fair bella knows him better than anyone — they understand each other, they’re familiar with each other’s likes, dislikes, mannerisms, nervous tics etc etc. let’s be real it freaked voldemort out at first, being vulnerable to any degree (not that he let it show) but it just became so easy to tell her things that it became a natural thing to do. and obvs he trusts her to keep everything between them and never judge him for anything so that’s sweet

22. y’all keep asking me for domestic hcs but what can i possibly say?? imagine literally any domestic scenario ever and just think bellamort and i’ve probably imagined that same scenario before. except its sexier bc the world is dark and evil and they live in a dark gloomy super fancy manor. so we have these 2 goths right but they’re in love but in that casual familiar way YALL GET ME and sometimes they even drink coffee together in the mornings or like. do that thing where Person A returns from work late at night and its dark and raining and Person B is already home just chilling and they don’t even have to talk they just go about their nighttime routine but it’s soft and familiar and COMFORTABLE. i clearly dont have enough softness in my life i just. love domestic scenarios bye

23. i forgot everything else i wanted to write bc i got distracted by domesticity. im also thinking about how voldemort absolutely despises the thought of any pda but he’ll take bella by the wrist in public every so often when he wants to get her attention, or like. put his hand on her back. small things but oh so soft

24. hhhh okay i have a LOT to say about the power fam’s fashion choices but it’s hard to explain without pictures. i have a wholeass ppt presentation but i’m not about to upload 20+ slides to tumblr. but i seriously was not kidding when i said voldemort wears fancy suits and yes i have references. meanwhile delphi is a fan of feathers but mostly goes with lowkey military-style outfits.. she’s practical yet ostentatious. bella sticks to a conservative yet undeniably sexy selection of evil looking dresses.. i should make all of these into pinterest boards hmm

25. controversial opinion but i think delphi knows she and voldemort are half bloods. so does bella but that’s a whole other story, she been knew. anyhow yeah delphi was told the truth bc it was better for her to find out from the source rather than hear rumors from the opposition and begin to distrust the foundations of voldemort’s whole empire and voldemort himself

26. i used to absolutely hate fics where bella would eventually call voldemort by his name but now im like FUCK THAT we don’t do guilty pleasures anymore we just stan ridiculous things and that’s that. one day voldemort had a Thought (shocking, i know) and was like. Hm so we have a wholeass child and we’re basically married maybe bella shouldn’t have to call me My Lord for the rest of her life. BUT ONLY IN PRIVATE. THATS BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM it’s nobody’s business. It Is Nobody’s Business

27. speaking of marriage. bella and rod got divorced a few years after the battle. it was just a formality tho let’s be real. they remained very close friends tho!!!!!!!! i think that’s an unpopular opinion among bellamort stans but i genuinely believe bella and rod were always close the way best friends or family are ya know. rod really loves bella but as long as she’s happy he’s happy even if it means her fucking the dark lord on the reg or whatever

28. going back to #6 — when the public finally finds out that bella’s alive they obviously start to wonder about her and voldemort and connect the dots re: delphi etc but nobody ever gets any concrete answers bc there’s never any public pda.. any sort of affection is limited to when it’s just the two of them. and obviously it’s not like voldemort gossips about his private life in tabloid interviews or whatnot. ALSO the whole Bella Is Alive reveal isn’t nearly as dramatic as delphi’s big moment.. it’s more discreet and insidious in that way it implies that she was there hiding in plain sight all along. and if the ministry can keep sth this big a secret, what else are they hiding.. ah classic intimidation tactics of an authoritarian regime

29. i dont think this is ever stated in the CC but in terms of politics and bureaucracy i imagine voldemort has a fancy office in the ministry and spends 99% of his time there and rarely spends any time out and about. he’s almost never seen by anyone, rarely attends events etc. delphi’s the one who handles the day to day shit in the wizarding world. she’s like.. the public relations manager.. between the public and voldemort

30. bella is of similar status within the ministry but that’s just bc people are scared shitless of her. she doesn’t actually hold any political power and she most certainly does not want to, that is not her area of expertise at all

31. delphi is dangerously powerful and i think that’s really sexy of her

32. re: #21 it’s like. as voldemort warms up to bella, she in turn chillaxes a bit with the whole blind devotion thing and becomes bolder with him like. she’ll outright question his decisions or tell him what he should do, make judgement calls etc. and it becomes a regular thing.. turns into this casual companionship ya feel.. i won’t say they become equals bc that’s just unrealistic but he certainly stops treating her like his inferior. he recognizes her value and i daresay her authority and stops treating her like shit all the time Wow Romance Is Alive!! (this sounds like some sort of “douche fuckboi changes for his poor mistreated love interest” schtick but it’s really not that bc they’re both monstrous people who do not deserve any pity so jot that down. they’re horrible and they deserve each other and they eventually do make it work and i am so so happy for them)

33. it is never outright stated that voldemort can’t love. jkr has said that he doesn’t understand love and that it’s just symbolism!!! that he’s the child of a loveless union and grew up without knowing love!!! BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN HE PHYSICALLY CANNOT LOVE thanks for coming 2 my ted talk. i wasn’t aware of this until a few months ago and i was thrilled to find out my soft hcs are not entirely ooc after all

34. THE POINT IS. THEY ARE A SEMI-FUNCTIONAL FAMILY and i just really love soft domestic scenarios so sorry jkr but the dark au is the only canon now and it belongs to me. everybody has feelings and everything is soft. i’d like to pitch an idea for a kuwtk style reality show but it’s these 3 sociopaths under one roof navigating family life and wizarding world politics

35. to finish i’d like to apologize for downplaying the fact that all 3 of the people i woobified in this post are psychotic murderers and tyrants etc

—— i’ll be updating this if/when i remember anything i forgot AND ALSO send me ur thoughts and comments and constructive criticism etc pls pls pls 

—— follow me on twitter and also curiouscat bc i get a scary amount of q’s about voldemort’s sex life thank you and goodbye

edits:

36. in this household we stan dark haired delphi. no i will not be taking any criticism regarding this particular fact

37. bella and voldemort never get married. obviously, because that’s a disgustingly romantic and pointless thing to do. it’s sentimental and unnecessary (well, voldemort thinks so, bella might just disagree but she’s not about to force his hand) BUT that’s not to say they’re not basically an old married couple anyway. AND as much as voldemort thinks love is weakness or whatever he knows this, that they’re about as close as two people can get. SO if he just so happens to gift her a ring.. well it’s a purely symbolic gesture but the implication is definitely there

38. it’s the horcrux ring. he trusts her that much. m y  h e a r t

[tessatechaitea]

Teen Titans Spotlight #1: Starfire

Comics in 1986: "Let's begin our new series with Starfire battling Apartheid!" Asshole Fans in 2019: "Comics should go back to the good old days when they weren't political!"

Really, M&M's? Everyone? Haven't you heard about Apartheid?!

So far the craziest thing about this comic book to modern audiences is how boring M&M colors were in 1986. I suspect I don't have the maturity to comment on a story about Apartheid. Oh well! Let's do this! The story is called "Black and White" because, you see, Apartheid was about how whites and blacks experienced two disparate South Africas. It's also a play on how "black and white" is a way to describe issues that have easily recognizable positive and negative sides. It's probably racist that we automatically assume the black side is the negative side. Maybe that also plays into the title! Chess pieces are black and white too so maybe the title alludes to chess. Maybe something about pawns versus the gentry. Marv might even work in some bits about The Beatles seeing as how they're using that zebra crossing on the cover of Abbey Road. Starfire has just returned from Tamaran where she married that dweeby Prince Karras guy. He was Tamaran's version of Terry Long. I'm surprised more panels didn't show Starfire and Donna in the background giggling and holding their index fingers and thumb a teeny, tiny distance apart. Starfire didn't spend eighth grade on Earth so she never learned Earth geography. So instead of flying in from space and looking at Earth and going, "Okay, that's New York right there!", she winds up in South Africa. I bet she came at Earth upside down and got confused. It's easy to get confused in space where up and down don't exist in any objective way. Starfire descends upon a group of black people chanting "Informer" at a woman they eventually soak in gasoline and light on fire. Holy fuck! This comic book just got more real than all 114 issues of New Titans I just recently reread! Except maybe that part where Raven raped Starfire during Starfire's wedding. That was pretty heavy. The white police arrive to commit some justice. Unless I meant "racism" instead of "justice." Sometimes, living in America, it's hard to see the difference.

I bet this guy has a MAGA Twitter account.

How many of your racist family members often bring up black on black crime when discussing gun control or cops shooting unarmed black men? How many of those idiots don't think they're being racist when they bring up that argument and just think they're being logical? It's fucking racism, dudes. Cops killing unarmed black men has nothing to do with black men being killed by criminals who happen to share their same skin color. Nobody ever talks about "white on white" crime. That's just crime perpetuated by criminals against innocent people! But somehow a black person shooting another black person belongs in some kind of special category? Of course a black person is probably going to be the victim of a black criminal because America had this thing called white flight. It caused places to become poor black neighborhoods because white people couldn't handle having even one black neighbor. So people and businesses moved out, local governments ignored infrastructure of those areas (or purposefully simply just built freeways straight through them), and constantly sent the police in to hassle innocent people just trying to live their fucking lives. Systemic racism (and racists!) segregated the races in a fairly efficient manner. So when a black criminal looks for a victim in their neighborhood, of course they're going to almost certainly find a black victim! That's simply crime, not black on black crime. Maybe I would think differently if anybody ever at any time in any of these debates brought up white on white crime. Y'all realize that's the most prevalent crime there is, right? Which means whites are the biggest criminals of all. If you're, you know, going to argue that way, you stupid racist asshole. Plus saying black on black crime is just a way for people to intimate that most crime is caused by black people. "Even though they keep criming us whites, they still have time to crime up their own people!" This comic book taught me that South African police would use purple dye in water cannons to stain people during protests so that they can be identified later as people who participated in the riot that totally didn't erupt later due to the police being overly aggressive and also racist. Wolfman says people "affectionately" called it Purple Rain which led me down a rabbit hole to figure out which came first, the racist ploy to arrest as many people as possible or the Prince album. Apparently the dyed water was named after the Prince album. That's probably why it was an "affectionate" sobriquet.

I'm a little bit worried that Wolfman is about to "both sides" Apartheid.

Starfire winds up with the South African police who tell her all about how terrible South African blacks are and how she's going to get a medal for helping quell the protest. They also call the woman who burned to death a bitch so I'm getting the feeling that they're not really interested in any kind of justice or peace. It's quite possible that — hear me out on this — they just want to oppress the black citizens and make sure they know their place. But I don't want to jump to conclusions! I should wait until I hear their arguments in a frank and logical debate. "Please, white South Africans, explain to me how South Africa needs your violent tactics and racist attitudes to maintain peace and order. Also explain how peace and order aren't different from justice for everybody. I might be convinced to stop calling you racist if you debate well!"

This guy doesn't realize how true it is that he's teaching these black South Africans how to behave.

It would have been easy to read this, at one time, from a privileged position as a citizen of America and think that the white South Africans in this story were caricatures of racist monsters, playing up their terrible qualities to get the reader to sympathize with the plight of the black South Africans. But these caricatures of despicable and horrible systemic racism using tactics to dehumanize a segment of the population are absolute mirrors of Trump and his deplorables. "They're animals." "They're not like us." "They do not think." "They are like children." "They fight amongst themselves." "We are just securing the peace." "This is God's country." "They need to be taught how to behave." "Their flagrant disregard for the law must be stopped." And all of these statements are simply excuses to treat certain people as less than human. "They get what they deserve." I'm so fucking disappointed in so many Americans right now. Starfire is completely confused by everything she's seeing. In her confusion, some journalists get her to sort of say she's for Apartheid. Uh oh! The Teen Titans are going to get worse press than when they destroyed New York City while arguing with their parents about their curfew.

Starfire's response is me on Twitter every fucking day.

The South African leader, Racist McRacisthole, tells Starfire not to worry about the journalists because they're always asking terrible questions and lying about how awful everything is. But Starfire is all, "Just because I have big hair and big tits and my ass is hanging out, don't think I'm a fucking idiot! Not that I'm trying to say people who look like that are idiots! But I know terrible people like you, Mr. Racisthole, think like that! So I just want you to know that I see you! I see what you're doing and how you're trying to snow me with all this fucking dehumanizing garbage! You remind me of the Gordanians!" Then Starfire gets so angry and delivers such a passionate speech that her nose falls off.

"I'b not gobing do libben do yub liebs aby lobber!"

Starfire declares she never cared for politics and tells Governor Racisthole that she's leaving. But instead of going, "Good! Stop interfering with our terrible government!", he says, "I won't let you leave which will probably cause you to stay and help the oppressed!" Starfire hears a prisoner screaming in pain before she leaves and decides to stick around to help him. While doing so, she realizes that maybe she show these government officials real power! No, I don't mean she's going to flash her tits. Jesus. Some of you comic book nerds just don't stop, do you?! Sure, DC panders to your boners by putting Starfire in her underwear. But you do have the choice to stop being such creepy little fucks, you know?

Imagine reading this and instead of thinking, "You tell 'em, Starfire! Way to go!", you think, "Virtue signaler."

Starfire has some more thoughts from 1986 for us here in 2019. She just won't stop!

Virtue signaler!

I swear the rest of this commentary can just be scans of Starfire saying important shit.

I mean, if this 1986 comic book is an example of older comics that Comicsgaters want to go back to, I'm fucking up for that shit.

In the next panel that I'm not going to scan because I'll never finish reading this comic book if I scan every fucking panel, Starfire says, "Unwittingly, my father helped ruin our world by caving in to our enemies rather than fighting for what was right. I won't do that here on Earth. I've got to care." I should probably send that panel to Nancy Pelosi. Starfire frees all of the political prisoners and escorts them back to where they're forced to live outside the city. She tries to figure out what Apartheid means and Father Nelson Mandutu, the rebel leader the police have been searching for, tells her, "Ah, I see — you are trying to make sense of madness." It's as good a reason to dismiss people always pressing you to debate their terrible ideas and worthless topics. How can you win a debate against twisted logic and racist madness? Just ignore them when they call you a coward or an elitist when you refuse to debate. I was always taught that the best way to get shit off of your shoe is to scrape it off, not to get in an argument with it. Starfire follows Mandutu around for the day except for the one moment when he's kidnapped. When she goes to rescue him, she destroys an armory and discovers that Father Mandutu has been killed. BY HER! And there are cameras rolling! Totally not suspicious or anything! I bet we discover she was framed next issue! That's the kind of intelligent speculation you get from a Grandmaster Comic Book Reader like me. I can't be fooled even by the most subtle of plot twists! Teen Titans Spotlight #1: Starfire Rating: A. I should probably apologize to Marv Wolfman for all the insults I've made about his Teen Titans books. This was a well-written infotainment issue putting precisely the right character at the heart of an international travesty. And I thought a story about Apartheid was going to be boring! It's almost as if I forgot that every panel would have tons of side boob! Oh no! I just realized I'm one of those creepy little fucks!

[deducingfangirlsofhell]

Paparazzi

Pairing: Implied:SherlockxReader, Eventual!SherlockxReader (There will be a part II)

Warnings: Cliff hanger, kidnapping, mentions of prostitution (not the reader), mentions of murder and violent/graphic scenes, and very creepy Moriarty.

______________________________________________

"That isn't fair!" How could he give you a 'C' when you did more work than everyone else? Even he admitted it was the best piece, and most supported article! But no- he gave you a 'C' because it had nothing to do with "current events". Because the brutal slaying of a prostitute doesn't seem to qualify. Does no one else think even they deserve some ink? 

"Your essay was supposed to be on a current topic, not the mutilation of a street-" That's where you drew the line.

 "So, if I had done the assassination of a diplomat, I would've gotten an 'A'?" You snapped. No one wanted to admit that they thought whoever killed people like her were "cleaning up the place". But that woman had a life, just like any other victim. How was her death any different, or less impactful on the world? She was someone's little girl, a sister, and a mother to two boys. But that's not how anyone else saw it, and that really burned you up inside. 

Almost sheepishly, he replied, "Yes." Now you wanted to tear his stupid office apart, but you knew it would do you absolutely no good. You'd handle how the general public saw the people working on the streets when you were an actual journalist. For now, you'd have to find away to fix your grade. Taking a deep breath to steady yourself, you carefully chose your words.

 "Can I fix this, in any way?" And that's the question that led you to start researching the one and only: Sherlock Holmes. If you could just get the story to make any other journalists' career- he'd fix your grade. How could you say no to such an opportunity? You couldn't, and that's what lead you to take the flat right below him at 221C Baker Street.

 The first few days were spent unpacking your new flat, enjoying tea with Mrs Hudson, and gathering any information you could on Sherlock Holmes, without actually talking to the man. Really, at first, you were just collecting photographs and clues on the man. Basically, you were his full time stalker that he never let sleep due to his 3 am violin jam sessions. He does understand the concept of sleep, does he not? Still, your sleep-deprived state didn't stop you from stalking him and John to crime scenes in your spare time, at least, it didn't when you still were. 

 John noticed you taking pictures along with all the other reporters and physically pulled Sherlock towards all of the reporters, everyone with their cameras flashing- nearly blinding both himself and Sherlock in the process -just to go off on you. In the process, though, you managed to meet Sherlock Holmes, and he was rather impressed with your stalking abilities. After two weeks of following him near everywhere, he'd had yet to notice you'd even came up more than once in his life. 

You didn't know if that was a compliment or a burn, but damn. Maybe you should've been a professional spy or something. After that, you'd attempt to get Sherlock to talk to you about his methods- to give you the insider scoop- but to barely an avail. It's not like you were going to give up, though. 

 "So, what was it like when you were a kid? Being a super-genius, and all?" You brought up once again, making him an afternoon cuppa, hoping the kind gesture would be reciprocated. 

 "It was fine." Is that literally how he replied to everything? 

 "Alright... how do you do it, then? Solve all those crimes? I want to know what 'deducing' actually is." You set the tea in front of him, sitting in John's chair, leaning in to listen. He must've been getting rather tired with your constant pestering, because he actually seemed to humor your question. 

"Do you want to know what deducing is, or are you asking how it's done?" You thought about the question for a silent moment. If you asked how it was done, the how would lead you to the what- just like a crime scene. How the crime was committed showed you what the main purpose of it was... then, you'd also be able to (maybe) pick up on subtle clues relating to Sherlock Holmes, himself... 

"How." You stated simply, and he eyed you carefully. He seemed to take an odd interest in your answer, because he actually looked like he would tell you! Your excitement had to have been clear, because it felt like a whole thunderstorm was whizzing throughout your body. Rain patterned against your ribcage, mimicking a heartbeat, lightning lit up your veins causing thunder to roar your lungs into an unsteady rhythm. 

"Okay," He agreed, standing up, "What can you tell about John Watson from this room?" He wasn't even going to explain to you what you should be looking for, first? Well, immersion is the best form of teaching... you looked around, part of you trying to sort out what was Sherlock and what was John. The fridge is what stuck out first. 

"He had to have once been in a violent field of work." You pretty much asked, not suggested. He looked at you oddly, trying to pick up on your train of thought. 

"He's a doctor, right now. Works in a clinic, and yet, I've never heard him complain about body parts in the fridge. So, he must have a bit of immunity built up to that gory stuff, right?" You tried, receiving a furrowed brow, half smile, and small head nod in return. So, you kept looking. 

 "Um, he's attracted to danger." You made an inference based on your last deduction, and his relationship with Sherlock. Yet, the detective seemed to be impressed by your skills. And from that point on, whenever you went up to 221B, you and the detective played a game he liked to call "Deductions". You preferred "The Game Sherlock Always Wins, But I Enjoy Nonetheless." 

 It was maybe a month after you and Sherlock began properly getting along that you turned in your completed piece on "Sherlock Holmes: A Mind Like No Other." Sherlock actually appreciated the title, and insisted you let him read it once it was graded. And how could you refuse him with his darling curls, sonorous voice, and eyes that could kill a person with their shimmering beauty? Actually, you were heading back to his flat to show him the pictures of your professor's face when he saw you'd actually manage to get the story on Sherlock Holmes. After you explained the situation with your original piece, Sherlock grew about an equal loathing of the man. It seemed you finally had met a person that hated the politics of police work as much as you did. 

On your way, however, you heard something in an alleyway that was known to be were "professional dates" picked up johns. Most people would've ignored the sounds of struggle that were atypical for the area, not caring what happened to a street whore... then again, as Sherlock liked to say, you were not most people. By the time you made it to the alleyway, she was already dead, holding pieces of her own intestines in a futile last attempt to survive, and a blonde man stood over her, seeming rather bored with what just happened- not a speck of blood on him. You tried to snap a photo, but none of them showed any identifiable markings... an idea struck you. 

Quickly, you turned to a woman a few steps away who was carrying a coffee, and managed to exchange the cup for a twenty. Once the man made it to the mouth of the alley, he was immediately crashed into, scalding coffee drenching his white tee and leather jacket. You gasped like this wasn't an intentional thing, and quickly began profusely apologizing. You looked into his eyes, and recalled every romcom, girl-in-love look you could, plastering it onto your own face. His eyes were a dangerous shade of blue, and he had a scar carved out of part of his face, over his left eye. If it weren't for the scar, actually, he would be rather attractive. 

"I am so, so sorry about that... I-I don't have any cash on me, but... maybe you could give me your information, and w-we could arrange a way for me to pay for your dry cleaning? M-Maybe pay you back for the, heh, c-coffee fiasco?" You tripped over your words as much as possible, bringing any information that could help you look more love-stricken up. Unsurprisingly, your favorite detective was at the forefront of your mind. The waves in his ocean-coloured eyes narrowed as he pulled out a little notebook and a pen, seemingly a bit skeptical about you. 

"Uh, yeah, sure... sounds great.." He scribbled down his name, then his number, his attention still on the notebook as he tore it out and you lifted your camera up, flash on, this time. You quickly snapped your hand out to grab the paper, the flash blinding the Goliath of a man for a long enough moment for you to begin sprinting the two blocks back to Baker Street. You could hear him growl behind you, before beginning to chase you. Three years on track team definitely never paid off anymore than it did in that moment. Making it to Baker Street was a blessing, and you nearly tripped over the steps, you were going so fast. You tried opening the door to 221B, finding it was locked. You could almost sense the murderer nearing, and you started banging wildly on the door. 

"SHERLOCK! LET ME IN, PLEASE!" The door swung open downstairs, at almost an identical time as the detective's did.

"Hello, Darling." A smooth Irish accent welcomed. This wasn't Sherlock, obviously not, but he did look awfully familiar. The man behind you chuckled, a sickening sound. 

"Nice to see ya, Jim." The man behind you was definitely British, but also seemed to know the man in front of you. The name stuck out as something Sherlock had told you, though... Jim Moriarty. You were most definitely screwed. 

 "Now, now, Sebby- you knew she was on to you. Though, that little rouse she used was awfully smart~." The raven haired-madman in front of you purred, freezing you in place as his index finger caressed your jaw.

"I'm going to have so much fun with you, pet." He whispered heavily into your ear while the other jabbed you in the neck. The last thing you could remember was everything turning black, and a lunatic giggling jumbled up with the words, "So... much... fun."