Save a broom, Ride a dragon

I'm a classicist, chocoholic who loves writing, reading, dragons and cricket. And I like to make jewellery, so if anyone wants something, feel free to ask! I don't bite. Ravenclaw and proud!

[myrosecolouredgirl]

Can you explain why many people think Harry Potter is desi? Not hating just curious! That's so lovely!!

Tbh because there’s no good reason not to.

All the blood status in the hp universe is a metaphor for racism but you know what’s boring? Metaphors for racism that only involve white people. Harry is often described as “dark” and like if James Potter’s family was desi and Lily Evans’s was white, that would enhance Harry’s feelings of otherness while growing up with the Dursleys because lbr Vernon was probs a flaming racist.

“Potter” could easily be an anglicized version of a south Asian last name like Potdar or Potluri, and you could make an argument for a pure blood family like the Potters engaging in and profiting from cultural exchange through the British colonization of India so there was an opportunity to establish generational wealth there.

Also on the night he died, James was making pretty-colored lights for Harry. That was October 31st. In 1981, Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, started on October 27th. It lasts five days.

[boxboxcelebrini]

Reblogging this in dedication to the asshole running around and complaining there’s not enough white drarry fan art

[litsetaure]

Okay, but also…having James be desi and POC adds a really interesting layer to his backstory. Because we know that he had a very antagonistic relationship with (most of) the Slytherins and Snape. We also know that said Slytherins were not above using ‘Mudblood’ as a slur for Muggleborns. So, what exactly would stop them using racist slurs against James?

I mean, he was so furious when Snape called Lily a Mudblood, and downright horrified and offended at the idea that she might think he’d ever call her that. Obviously, whichever way you look at it, he knows it’s a dreadful thing to call someone, but now, it hits harder. Because being abused and called names for something you can’t help? Facing prejudice because of it?

Yeah.

James knows damn well how that feels. He knows how deeply those words cut. He knows that something like that leaves a wound that never goes away. He might put on an arrogant face, throw out a hex or play a prank or something, but underneath that…it fucking well hurts. (And yes, I speak from experience.)

And it’s even worse coming from a trusted friend. (He might think Snape is a slimy scumbag and cannot for the life of him understand why Lily would be his friend, but the fact is, she is.)

Also…think who James’ most loyal friend is. Basically his brother from another mother. Fiercely loyal to those he loves, but quick to anger and with a wild, rash streak.

Yep. Sirius. Who’s to say some of his anger and hatred towards the Slytherins, especially Snape, came from him seeing and hearing them throw racist slurs at James? Not to mention the knowledge that, in a different situation, he could have been one of them too. And that makes him all the more vociferously, ferociously determined to have James’ back, no matter what. (Especially if Regulus was one of the ones throwing those slurs around…yikes.)

[litsetaure]

Strictly Speaking - Chapter 40

As the semi-finals begin, a certain part of Albus’ body gets some not entirely unwelcome attention, while Vinda takes the time to do some reflecting on how her life has changed over the last several weeks, and considers her feelings for her dance partner.

[ariaste]

The Fantasy Romans book, at last

So excited to reveal the cover to my new book today, The Wisdom of Emperors! You can check it out on Kickstarter, along with the full summary!

Inspired by the story of the Ancient Roman emperor Hadrian and his lover Antinous, The Wisdom of Emperors is a second-world adult fantasy novel written in the style of a fictional academic text. It documents the translation and study of a world-changing artifact discovered in an archaeological dig: a manuscript which provides the clues to finally unravel the mysteries surrounding one of the most famous emperors of the ancient world. 

The Kickstarter campaign is for the deluxe collector's edition, but you'll be able to preorder the standard hardback/paperback, PLUS the early-access ebook, available to backers well before general publication to everyone else. And there's going to be some really, REALLY cool merch as well (genuine papyrus bookmarks, designed and blockprinted by my own hands!)

Anyway, the Kickstarter goes live on May 5th at 4:00pm EST, so if you are the sort of person who reads news articles about major new archaeological discoveries and gets SUPER MAD that they don't tell you absolutely everything about why it's important and what it changes about what we thought we knew..... this one's for you, babe. ;)

[ariaste]

Also I was told by a publishing industry insider that this book probably wouldn't sell because publishers are explicitly saying that they don't want "challenging" books, they want books that (and i QUOTE) "aren't necessarily making readers think"

So if that pisses you the FUCK off, sauce me a signal boost.

[leoreturns-deactivated20110811]

[christopher-bryant]

leoreturns:

I have been waiting all year to post this.

[litsetaure]

Okay, I have tried Google and found it deeply unhelpful, so I’m coming here.

Can someone please explain like I’m five exactly what bag skates are???? Other than, presumably, unpleasant.

(And, if possible, where the name came from.)

Thank you!

[litsetaure]

I will never not be disappointed that we didn’t get to see Cliff Marlow in TLG for a variety of reasons. (I mean, the man was Ilya’s best friend for a decade, come on!)

But one of those reasons is that it deprived us of the chance to see him introduced to some of Ilya’s new teammates. Specifically, Troy Barrett.

Now, I can’t say how, or if, they’d get along. In fact, I could easily believe that there might be some tension on both sides; Troy because Cliff has had this special bond with Ilya for so long, and Cliff because he feels a bit replaced. (The whole ‘was friends with Dallas Kent’ thing might also be a factor, but I think Cliff knows a thing or two about looking past someone’s surface level reputation and actually getting to know the person.)

However. There is one thing they both wholeheartedly agree on. If anyone, whoever they might be says as much as a word or even a syllable against Ilya, they will drop their gloves and throw hands. No one speaks unkindly of their captain and gets away with it. I’m not sure who became captain of the Raiders, but Cliff would like it to be known that Roz will always be his captain, fuck you very much.

Either way, whatever they might think of each other, both Troy and Cliff are in total agreement that they will protect their boy with their lives. Teeth will be knocked out if necessary. Not metaphorically.

And yes, I do have a lot of headcanons about Cliff and Ilya’s friendship - as well as a deep love of the idea that Cliff finds out exactly how badly Hayden treated Ilya, and is SCARY angry about it, thus spawning a whole new rivalry! - but that may be for another time, as it’s starting to get late and I haven’t slept in three days.

[litsetaure]

Okay, I know that we all love the idea of the Centaurs meeting the Metros in the final and absolutely trouncing the life out of them (possibly literally) to win the Cup and yes, because, obviously, fuck the Metros.

But. Consider this. (And yes, I admit, I have no idea how the divisions or whatever in the league work, but fuck it, I need to get this thing out!!)

They actually meet and batter the Metros much, much earlier. As in, there is no chance of those fuckers even coming close to seeing that trophy. (Hayden Pike now also doesn’t need that vasectomy any more, but that’s another story. Also, not for nothing, but now that Shane is out of that toxic cesspit - and playing alongside his husband - he’s actually able to really let go on the ice and…well, he might actually be the reason Hayden doesn’t need that vasectomy. Oops.)

Anyways, the Centaurs have a fairytale run, unbeaten in the playoffs, it’s all getting better and better, and then they get to the final…

Which is against the Boston Raiders.

Here’s the thing. We know exactly how the Metros reacted to everything. We know how shitty they were.

But we know nothing about how the Raiders reacted. Did they feel betrayed or angry when Ilya left? Did they just shrug it off and figure he has his reasons? How did they react to the relationship reveal? Was it as bad as the Metros? Would they have been supportive of them?

We don’t know that. And, chances are, Ilya doesn’t know either. (Granted, my headcanon is that Cliff, at least, had known for years that Ilya was bi and was absolutely cool with it, but that’s no guarantee that he’d be cool with The Rest.)

And, honestly? I can’t decide which is worse. On the one hand, if they’re arseholes about it then, yeah, sure, he’d feel no guilt about absolutely hammering them, but they were still his friends once and…yeah. That’s going to suck, but at least it reassures Ilya that he made the right choice.

But what if they weren’t shitty about it? What if they would’ve been supportive? What if Ilya has to step out onto the ice and face off against Cliff, his best friend of over a decade, having to look him in the face, and seeing how much he unintentionally hurt him? How much his sudden departure and his secrecy actually broke his friend’s heart?

Yeah. How can he even begin to reconcile that? Sure, he could try and tell himself that any of them could’ve reached out to tell him that they supported him, but also, he knew these guys for ten years. Cliff was his best friend, for fuck’s sake. And he just walked away like that meant nothing. Yes, he definitely had his reasons, but come on. He’d probably hate himself just a little. (Whether he should or not is another matter, but let’s be honest, this is Ilya we’re talking about. He’s damn good at hating himself.)

And even as he’s lifting the Cup, his teammates surrounding him, being kissed by his husband, at what should be the happiest moment of his life (okay, apart from his wedding day)…he can’t not see the look of hurt disappointment on Cliff’s face.

But who could he tell about it? Not his teammates, not Shane, it can’t seem like he regrets his move. Because he doesn’t. He absolutely doesn’t. He knows it was worth it. It’s just…well. Yeah.

Okay, I have absolutely no idea where I’m going with this, but it popped in my head and wouldn’t leave so…do with it what you will.

[lyraisnotonfire]

favorite thing about tumblr is having a fandom in law. no i haven't watched this show and i'm not planning to. but my moot is having fun!! look how much they love it!!! i'm supportive from the sidelines!

[aphantasias]

"you think i am asshole" "i know you're an asshole" [tilts his head like that hurt] "i would not leave you like that" "no?" [dead fucking serious] "no"

it is actually devastating to me that ilya is being so sincere here and shane filters their interactions through the characters of rozanov and hollander The Rivals for SO LONG that it literally sets them back years.

this got. long so the rest is under the cut

between this and the vegas rooftop, it feels like ilya tries to connect with shane on a personal level several times from the beginning and just keeps getting curbed by shane's assumptions of who he is, so by the time the award show swings around he's like okay fine you clearly want Rozanov and have no interest in ilya so. i can be rozanov if i get to keep seeing you. cue bathroom scene where he's extra douchey and dominant, because he thinks this is what shane wants. so when shane comes to see him later, he tucks ilya away and rozanov fucks shane instead. it's why it feels so different from their other hookups. where did sweet loving ilya go? he buried that motherfucker. no one wants to see him. they want rozanov. his father, the fans, everyone, want rozanov. shane wants rozanov.

and he thinks he can keep it up to have a piece of shane at least, his little oasis in his horrifically vast desert, but he's. just a boy. and he's in love before he knows it, but he never forgets that shane only wants rozanov, so in boston at his place when he tries to connect again with shane personally without going too far out of character, trying to talk casually about girls and his experience with them because shane knows rozanov has a reputation, hoping that will interest shane into talking more or excite him or something, but shane is just weirded out and thinks ilya is nohomoing him, and then the phone rings and his family is ruining everything again, exposing ilya in front of shane when he's trying so fucking hard to be rozanov right now, and then he goes and fucks it by calling him shane instead of hollander when he cums, and then shane runs, reaffirming to ilya that shane doesn't want him, he wants rozanov.

so in florida when ilya says "you don't like me" he really means, you don't like me, you like rozanov. you want HIM, not ilya. ilya is a pathetic and broken thing. rozanov is confident and strong and a fantastic fuck. ilya is... nothing. you don't like ME.

so when shane sees him cry, sees his weakness, sees ilya despite how hard he's trying to keep rozanov in place, and holds him, ilya has to now reconcile with the fact that the main thing stopping him from falling into shane entirely and blowing up his fucking life to be with him, the assumption that shane wouldn't like the real him, may actually be entirely untrue

[galecstatic]

reading the whole post got me choking in tears while i eat my bowl of oatmeal but reading over the tags got me choking myself thanks op for this morning angst meal

[litsetaure]

Tagging @aphantasias because I jumped on this and forgot to tag you earlier, sorry!

Oh, ouch that hurts. And I’m going to add something else, though it’s definitely not going to be worded as well, though I’ve been chewing over it for the last two weeks. (I may also be projecting a bit, because I know that I do this and it’s fucking exhausting.)

I think one of Ilya’s love languages is acts of service. Yes, he comes across as brash and arrogant, but he’s generous to a fault. He’s basically financing his brother’s family and he’s doing what he can for his sick father, despite their messy relationship. He’s Shane’s service top (I had to look up what that meant, and well, yeah, that fits). Basically, the man would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. With a sarcastic quip, maybe, but he’s gotta keep up the facade. And everyone loves a villain.

But I think there’s another, sadder, side to it all. I think that this generosity is also a bid for connection. Not just with Shane, but with everyone. With his family. With his teammates. The hope that, if he does enough, if he gives enough, maybe someone might give a hint of a damn about him. Not love him. Not even really care about him. Just something.

But it’s not enough. It’s never enough. No matter what he does, however much he keeps giving, how hard he tries, it won’t ever be enough. All he hears are demands, orders, judgements, expectations. Nothing to tell him that someone might actually care. Not since his mama, and if she couldn’t love him enough to stay, then how can anyone else?

But he still does it. Because it’s all he has. It’s all he can do. And because he still, somehow, clings onto that tiny bit of hope that, if he does enough, if he gives enough, if he does well enough, maybe someone will say he’s worth it. Maybe he might just be good enough for someone. Maybe.

But it never is enough.

You can see the toll it’s taking by the time the Olympics come around - on top of Everything Fucking Else. (Personally, I think there’s an argument to be made that Ilya didn’t want to compete, all things considered, but that’s another can of worms) Basically, by now, he’s running on fumes. He’s barely got anything left and he knows it, even if he can’t let himself admit it. He’s getting it from all angles; from Shane trying to talk to him (in a very dangerous environment, holy shit!) to his father lambasting him for his team’s performance to, well, basically everyone having an opinion and expectation of him. Even Svetlana, when she talks about Boston winning the Cup that year, adds another obligation to his list, another expectation, another thing he has to give. Granted, she’s not intending it that way, but it’s yet more pressure on not very stable shoulders.

But then he does win. And he gets that beautiful moment where he’s glowing with joy. Where he did it. He made it. He’s so happy. But even that can’t last. How long before something gets in the way? How long before even more is put on him, before his father starts saying he can still do better, that it’s not enough? Before everyone demands he give more. After all, he did it once, he’s practically expected to do it again. To keep giving them more. That shit will start up pretty damn quick, before he’s even had chance to enjoy his success. But even if he does get time, even if he does get the credit he deserves, it’s not going to undo years of damage that’s already been done. It just Never. Fucking. Stops.

All of this to say…by the time Vegas rolls around, Ilya has had years of this and it’s reached the point where he has nothing left to give. He’s empty, he can’t muster up anything - effectively, he’s burned out.

But then, there’s Shane. And, God help him, Ilya can’t let there be nothing else. Not now, not after so long. He has to have something, one last effort. Just one last thing. He has to have one more thing to give. For Shane. Please.

And somehow, there is something. One tiny, dark piece of something, deep down. It’s all he has, but it’s there. It’s sharp. It’s cold. It’s detached and harsh. But it’s there. And he grabs onto it. Because he fucking has to.

But, again it’s not enough. He knows it’s not enough. It’s never enough. But it’s all he has left to give. It’s the only part of him that Shane wants, the only part he won’t reject, the only side of Ilya that he has any interest in. But it’s so cold, so harsh and full of sharp edges that it almost feels wrong. There has to be something else, but there isn’t. This is all he has left, and it’s nowhere near enough. It’s never going to be enough - Ilya is never going to be enough for Shane. He’s never going to be good enough. It breaks both of them a little.

And then the ‘tuna melt date’ happens and he realises there’s an opportunity. He wants to do it right, to give Shane more, like he deserves. But he’s still so conscious of who he has to be, that he can’t let any weakness show. He knows Shane doesn’t like that, knows he doesn’t want that. And he tries, he really tries, and it seems to be sort of working, until that phone call where his walls crack a little against his will, and he’s horrified, terrified, that Shane is going to hate what he sees - but then the First Names happen and, just for an instant, he lets himself wonder, lets himself hope that maybe…

But it’s only for that one second before Shane pulls away, before he runs away, just confirming to Ilya that Shane doesn’t want his vulnerable side, his weak and undesirable side - that Shane doesn’t want him.

(Jesus, someone get that boy a life raft, he’s fucking drowning.)

And then there’s the clusterfuck that is Rose and The Club and everything (reinforcing to Ilya that Shane doesn’t want him, that he’s not enough, that he can’t give him what he wants), but then they’re in a hotel room in Florida and Shane is coming out to him, and fuck, Ilya is not equipped for this. No one ever gave him the ‘what to do when someone comes out to you’ speech. All he has is sarcasm and being an asshole. But even then, he finds himself admitting that the last time, before it all went to shit, was nice, that it felt different, it felt better, while he’s tearing himself apart, knowing he can’t have what he wants so badly, knowing he’s not worth it. But he can’t help but open up a little, even though it’s letting Ilya out, exposing that part of him that Shane rejected, that he has no interest in, that he promised he would never let Shane be exposed to. Because that softness? Vulnerability? That’s undesirable. He can’t let himself be that. Shane doesn’t want that. Ilya knows he doesn’t want that, so he has to keep it locked away, even if it kills him. He has to give Shane what he really wants. Maybe he can’t do much, but he can at least give him that.

But…he can’t. And he can fucking feel himself starting to break apart and it’s so stupid and all he can say is ‘sorry’. Sorry, because this isn’t what Shane needs. Sorry, because he can’t keep it inside. Sorry, because he’s so worthless and pathetic he can’t give Shane what he wants - he can’t be who Shane wants.

Except that, suddenly, Shane is kissing him and pulling him close, holding him like he hasn’t been held in years. It feels safe and comforting and Ilya can feel himself breaking, piece by piece, and he knows he shouldn’t, knows he can’t take this when he has nothing to give in return, but he can’t stop himself. So he tells himself, okay, but just this once. Never again. He can’t do this again, he can’t be selfish like this, he can’t take from Shane like this, he doesn’t deserve it, he hasn’t earned it.

But Shane doesn’t let go. He doesn’t run. He keeps holding him, and then they’re together again and then Shane calls him Ilya again, only this time, it’s real. This time, he means it. And, somehow, in spite of everything, that tiny hint of hope he felt in Boston doesn’t seem as foolish now. Sure, their situation hasn’t changed, but maybe there is a chance. Maybe he doesn’t have to hide himself away now. Maybe Shane actually does like him. Maybe they don’t have to hate each other. Maybe they could…

Maybe. Maybe.

(Okay, I’m done. Woah, that got away from me and I think I gave myself a concussion and lost some brain cells hitting my head against my desk trying to word this right, though it still feels like complete word salad! Oh well. TLDR: Ow.)

[ashstfu]

the “pleasure to have in class” to overly active tumblr user pipeline

[sensiblereblogifposts]

Reblog if you were a pleasure to have in class

[litsetaure]

Wow don’t call me out like that.

[litsetaure]

No I didn’t just wake up at 5:00 in the morning and spend two hours checking a cake recipe, what’re you talking about???

…also, I need eggs. And butter. And possibly flour.

[litsetaure]

I’m now imagining a scenario where Ilya gets wind of the whole ‘Shane deliberately tripped and threw the game’ thing and goes into an absolute blinding rage. As in, he goes to confront the Metros and unleashes every single microgram of his shit on them. He’s so angry, he keeps unintentionally switching between English and Russian mid-sentence. Not that it matters, since it’s pretty clear what he’s saying.

The Metros are terrified. Lives flash before eyes. Several tonnes of bricks are shat. Pants are (literally) soiled. There are no survivors. The Ilya Rozanov they see in that moment makes the Ilya Rozanov you see on the ice look like a frightened kitten.

Hayden Pike is stood just out of the blast zone, alternating between scared out of his fucking mind, and immensely impressed, and maybe…nope, he’s NOT admitting that it’s a tiny bit attractive.

Eventually Ilya rounds on him. ‘As for you, Pike…’

Hayden takes in the sorry ruins of his teammates and prepares for possibly (no, definitely) the worst ass-kicking of his life.

But Ilya just says ‘Next time, close your fucking curtains’ and walks out. Which, yeah, okay, Hayden will own that.

As the years go on, new generations of Metros will walk into that dressing room and wonder what the absolute fuck happened in there. It may look normal, but there is a very Angry Presence. They can feel it, even if they can’t see it.

(Mind you, the thought of Shane - gentle, mild-mannered Shane Hollander - losing his shit on them is also hilarious. After all, ignoring how insulting that is to him, it’s also kind of insulting to Ilya and the Centaurs. Plus, let’s face it, he is Yuna’s son.)

[litsetaure]

I saw a post recently about Ilya being spooked by various Canadian wildlife while at the cottage during the summers, and I thought…okay, how to make it even funnier.

Well. What if, once he’s gotten used to Canadian wildlife (a slight mishap with a Canadian goose notwithstanding), Shane thinks ‘okay, time to level my boy up’…

And takes him to Australia. Aka, the land where you might accidentally get killed by something.

It starts off well as they hit the cities, though Ilya doesn’t dare go near Bondi Beach after hearing rumours of sharks and jellyfish. In fairness, Shane was also fine with that, as it’s ’too people-y.’ (Yes, that is a thing.) In fact, the most dramatic thing they have to deal with is pigeon droppings.

And then…they venture towards the Outback. Where, if rumours are true, everything will try to kill you.

Surprisingly, at first, it goes well. Ilya is absolutely charmed by the baby kangaroos. There was a minor hiccup involving a dingo, but so far so good. (Though Shane had to awkwardly point out that those two snakes were not fighting…) Weirdly, Ilya was also not running away screaming from the huge spiders. (He actually tried to adopt one of them, before realising it might kill him, then he avoided them like the plague.)

And then came The Incident. It involved a cassowary. At this point, Shane is starting to suspect Ilya is simply afraid of birds.

Either way, during the rest of their time in the Outback, Ilya refuses to go outside alone.

He relaxes a bit when they get back to civilisation - aka, Port Douglas, in northern Queensland. The beaches are gorgeous (albeit full of curious crabs) and it’s a nice place to wander around and hold his husband’s hand. And kiss his husband. He even gets comfortable enough, much to Shane’s horror, to cuddle a koala. (‘It might have chlamydia!’ ‘Hollander, I am not going to fuck the koala.’)

Anyway, minor issues aside, the trip seems to be a success…until Ilya is woken up at three in the morning by Shane’s screams from the bathroom, where a huge fuckass snake is sleeping in their toilet.

They both agree never to go back to Australia again.

[b4bysitter-deactivated20210208]

shout out to ace and aro kids who are constantly bombarded with the opinion that sex and romantic love are directly connected to living a happy life.

[b4bysitter-deactivated20210208]

Y’all are just reblogging this at the speed of sound tonight

[beaniebaneenie]

Since it’s almost valentines day, and this message is about to get hammered in even more, reblogging this again.

[litsetaure]

Okay, so we know that Ilya basically gets adopted by the Hollanders, which is awesome, but can you imagine Shane meeting (what’s left of) the Rozanovs???

Like, imagine him wondering why the fuck Ilya is Like That, and then - through some unfathomable circumstances - ending up having a very unsettling encounter with his father and brother, and instantly going ‘okay, yep, got it, now you make sense.’ (In as much as a person can make sense to Shane at least…)

After the cottage and learning Everything Else, he comes to the conclusion that Ilya didn’t need an ice hockey career. He needed a fucking therapist.

[litsetaure]

Random cracky idea:

Some time later, two young players are thrown into the spotlight and pitted as arch-rivals…except they’re actually genuine friends off the ice. A couple of years later, it turns out they’re now a couple.

During an interview, the pair are asked ‘did you take any inspiration from Hollander and Rozanov’s story?’

The reply? ‘Yes, they’re our role models. We looked at what they did, and did the opposite.’

Ilya, upon hearing this, is giggling excitedly because ‘we’re role models, Shane, this is awesome!’ (He’s also chuffed because he figured those boys out in about twenty seconds, and Hayden Pike now owes him a substantial amount of money.)

Shane is slightly less enthusiastic because ‘yeah - role models for what not to do, Ilya, did you miss that?’

In fairness, those boys were not wrong.

Ilya also starts a ‘How To’ guide for falling in love with your arch-rival. It includes things like ‘if Hollander and I did it, is probably bad idea’, and ‘sometimes you need a shove in the right direction’ (That one came from Cliff, who is still quite annoyed that he isn’t getting the recognition he deserves. Sure, he didn’t mean to hurt Shane that day, but he insists that it was the actual catalyst for making those idiots get their shit together!)

[litsetaure]

Strictly Speaking - Chapter 39

As well as the semi-finals, Christmas is also coming, and the friends decide to do some festive shopping, which brings some entertainment to the crowds, as well as a discussion on the future of US politics. Later, Jacob is forced to face an uncomfortable conversation with his wife and question the state of his marriage, while Newt and Tina battle a dance that leaves the young zoologist discomforted. Meanwhile, Albus and Gellert contemplate some daring choreography and take another step in their relationship, while Sirius and Remus enjoy some quality time before the big night.