#Cath Creative Corner

[beehappyval]

Gatekeeping & Discord Thievery

It has been brought to my attention from an anonymous source, that once again - Jocelyn of Equiliberty Discord Server - has done something completely unsurprising and stolen my content via her Discord bot.

Unfortunately, there is no way for me to get into contact with her or even join that server as she banned me a long time ago due to me bringing up issues she did not want to face and for me protecting friends that were victimized by her.

I'm banned from reaching out at all, in any form of Social Media, directly to Jocelyn or whatever she happens to be calling herself these days. (I know she went by Moe, and Cath Creative Corner etc... for some time) Anyways, regardless of my past history and beef with her, it says specifically in my TOU to not gatekeep my content and that I will get after you about it. I consider this gatekeeping due to her handing out ban hammers like crazy eons ago, keeping people from rejoining. Not only that, but she didn't even ask before ripping these photos, links, and downloads with her Discord Bot in order to reupload to her own server.

Let me say this - Please do not download any of my content from bot links or websites that are not trusted. Preferably, always use the original links. Downloading from discord bots or other types of bots, is how you invite malicious content onto your pc and you do not want that. It screws up your whole game and possibly other pc related things. It is polite to ask before RE-UPLOADING CC on another platform. I apologize if this post comes off as aggressive to anyone, however I am extremely ticked off about this and have no way of personally reaching out to Equiliberty, their Admins, or Jocelyn herself.

CC Thievery is appalling and I never thought I'd have to deal with this. Equiliberty has done this to other creators as well and it is getting extremely tiresome that this person and their server keeps creating this havoc for the CC community for Sims 4. If anyone who participates in Equiliberty Sims Discord Server reads this, whether Admin, Mod, or Member - Please remove those posts/links from your server and do not allow your bot to do this again, whether to me or any other creator - without permission. This is extremely rude and unwarranted behavior of the Admin.

[wickedts4finds]

This is the message I posted to announce my departure from Equiliberty - as a screenshot because the word "transphobic" was auto-filtered to keep people from talking about Jocelyn's remarks - upon learning after returning from a hiatus of Jocelyn (Cath Creative Corner)'s disgusting transphobic remarks and doubling down on it in a since deleted tumblr post in which she cries victim and claims she's being unfairly accused of transphobia and persecuted for her belief that there are only 2 genders.

As I expected, she deleted this post within two minutes despite promising not to delete posts she didn't agree with ten minutes prior, so i wanted to share it with you guys here. Reblogs so people who didn't get to see it know why I left/that I left are appreciated, as are likes to bring this forward in the topic feed. Trans people, gay people, and our allies deserve to know that this is not a safe space and they will not be protected or treated fairly in Equiliberty. Thank you!

[daisy1728]

6 Horse Traits by Cath Creative Corner

Polish translation only

Tłumaczenie w języku polskim moda do  TS4 od Cath Creative Corner. Mod dodaje do gry 6 nowych cech dla naszych koników :)

Wymagania:  Nie ma w opisie, ale na pewno wymagane jest TS4 Ranczo :D

Link do moda: https://cathcreativecorner.wixsite.com/shop/product-page/6-horse-traits

Link do PL: https://simfileshare.net/filedetails/4622280/

Pamiętajcie proszę, że tłumaczenie musi się znajdować w tym samym folderze co mod oryginalny. Tłumaczenie cech scalone w 1 plik.

[rembrandtdesigns]

Important Notice:

Copyright Infringement of Custom Content

Dear Equestrian Sims Community,

I am writing to bring to your attention an ongoing issue concerning the misuse of my custom content by another creator who is falsely claiming it as their own.

Ironically, I've made this mistake myself in the past. I publicly apologised and took every step possible to correct it, ensuring that I created original work that I could be proud of. Now, the person who ridiculed me for my mistake is repeating it themselves.

*The mesh is exactly the same*

**About the Perpetrator:**

The individual in question has consistently violated the terms of use set by me and other creators by uploading our work to their server without giving proper credit or providing links to the original creator's pages. This not only disrespects the hard work and creativity of the original creators but also misleads the community.

Recently, this individual has escalated their actions by stealing creators' meshes and claiming that they have the right to use them because "all custom content is owned by EA." This claim is false.

**EA's Policy on Custom Content:**

EA does not claim ownership of custom content created by players. According to EA’s User Agreement, while creators retain ownership of their content, they grant EA a non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free license to use, distribute, and modify it. This means creators own their work, but EA can use it as per their terms.

The perpetrator's claim that EA owns all custom content is incorrect and misleading.

**Why This Matters:**

Custom content creators dedicate significant time and effort to enhance the gaming experience for all players. Plagiarism not only disrespects the original creator but also disrupts the integrity of our creative community.

**How You Can Help:**

1. **Report Infringing Content:** If you come across the content in question or other similar instances, please report it to the respective platform.

2. **Spread Awareness:** Share this notice to inform others and prevent further misuse of content.

3. **Support Original Creators:** Encourage proper attribution and support creators who contribute genuinely to the community.

I appreciate your understanding and support in this matter. Let’s work together to maintain a respectful and creative environment.

Thank you for your attention.

Links :

My grooming box " maple collection"

https://www.patreon.com/posts/104156977?utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_source=android

Links to Cath creative corner

https://www.tumblr.com/cath-creative-corner

https://cathcreativecorner.wixsite.com/shop/product-page/grooming-box

[ck-sims]

ATTENTION: To anyone who uses my breed templates

It has come to my attention that Jocelyn (known as maplewood-estate, cath-creative-corner, jocelynxflores, eqsims, EquestrianEssentials and several other alts) of the Equiliberty Discord server has uploaded my breed template files to her server without my knowledge or consent. This is a problem for two reasons:

One.

I specifically state in my TOS not to re-upload my work anywhere else, as it is hosted on Simfileshare, with backup copies on my google drive in the event Simfileshare goes down. I do not mind if my work is privately shared between friends (especially through imports etc) or in small groups, but I do mind when someone re-uploads the files somewhere themselves without credit or a direct link to my blog. That this person did this doesn't actually surprise me, as she is well known within the TS4 community for stealing cc from other creators, removing their names/IDs from the file, and refusing to give credit where credit is due. I formally requested that she remove my files from her server, which she refused to do. I was also accused of being a bully for pointing out this theft and for asking that the files be taken down.

Two.

Earlier today, it came to my attention that one of my breed templates - the Thoroughbred breed template - was corrupting save files. Upon further investigation with the affected person, it was revealed to me that they downloaded this corrupted template not from my simfileshare link, but from the Equiliberty discord server. None of the templates from the direct download from simfileshare have this issue, which leads me to believe that whatever copies got uploaded to that server, they were corrupted. I do not know if this corruption was intentional or not. It is important to always download my files (or files from any creator, really), directly from the source, as those files will always be the most up-to-date versions and also guaranteed not to be corrupted. If you wish to share cc to a wider audience (like a server), simply link to the relevant post on my blog or simfileshare page. This ensures that other people can also access the most up-to-date version, as well as discover more of my work.

Unfortunately, because Jocelyn reacted with hostility to my request, I was unable to explain the very good reason why I was asking that my work be taken down and replaced with links. This entire issue could have been avoided had my Terms of Service been followed, as the original upload was not corrupted at all. Unfortunately, because of this, a handful of people lost hours of hard work, which makes me incredibly sad. Obviously, as a creator, there really isn't anything I can do if my TOS are violated beyond blocking known violators, but I would like to think that observing any creator's TOS is a simple sign of respect. Going forward, I will continue to share my breed templates through this blog. I am also certain they will continue to be stolen, but there is little I can do about that. All I ask is that people remember that the safest files will always be those downloaded directly from the content creator's page, and that anyone who reuploads my files elsewhere instead of directly linking to my blog is violating my TOS and also possibly sharing corrupted files with you. Be aware and be safe!

[equestriannon-essentials]

TS3 to TS4 Conversions

All Sugar Legacy conversions!!! ENJOY!! MUAH link below!!!

@cath-creative-corner

[wolfsongstablests4]

for those unfamiliar, “cath creative corner” is jocelyn. she’s back on her bs and being a bitch (as per usual) so i figured now would be a good time to share these here.

someone needs to get her a shirt that says “i ❤️ hypocrisy”

[respectpeoplestousims4]

Cath's Creative Corner - Jocelyn' FLores 's CC

Hey! It seems like this person doesn’t want to respect others' Terms of Use (TOU), claiming that according to EA’s policy, everyone has access to custom content (CC) regardless of any creator’s TOU. Yet, ironically, she has her own TOU in place. Jocelyn, I’m not going to show respect if you don’t. While EA may have rights over CC, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t respect each other’s TOU—it just means there's always a risk someone might not follow it. BTW, paywalling content is wrong, but taking someone’s CC and getting defensive about it is just as equally wrong.

Here’s CCC’s content I still have before she removed it from her site—probably because she knows she’s in the wrong:

No need to join her server for these, they’re right here for you.

[zenith--sims]

Let’s support and respect creators ❤️

My content and my TOU has also been breached by the same person (Cath Creative Corner / Cath CC / Jocelyn Maplewood Estate) in her server, Equiliberty-Sims. I will still be creating, but wanted to inform others of this situation. Thank you Tabby!

Stopping public uploads.

Sad I have to post this, however I have had a breach of my Terms of Use by EquilibertySims, more specifically the1moe or theevilqueen (as one of her alts last I checked). Not only has my content been reuploaded through file links (against my TOU for my poses and general content), but I have also had my images that are NOT here on tumblr stolen and put on Equiliberty without my permission as well. Multiple other creators have been stolen from as well. I ask that no one, and I mean NO ONE, unless directly involved in this situation as a creator message the1moe or try to start anything. I have filed a report with Discord and will be trying to handle this in a civil manner and do not need people attacking the1moe and harming the current situation further. Thank you and I hope to be back to uploading publicly soon.

[h50europe]

Why the ending of the series finale felt off for many of us (and what PL could have had really in mind) - Aphorisms

As you can easily see from the photos, season 11 was a safe bet, as was a new team member, McCole. What could have been, it says, written by Justin, the wife of Alex stunt/stand-in double. I'm going to play the advocatus diaboli.

In the penultimate episode of H50, Lenkov created a new character. He was sort of based on Steve, but also not. As it turned out in the last episode, Cole and Steve also had a mutual friend: Catherine. Why does that not really surprise us? The rumor mill was really churning, and it was a given that PL was definitely going to bring her on board. So, without further ado, he made her a key person. She was the one who cracked the ominous code that Doris had left for her son. Question, couldn't Jerry have done that just as well?

Anyway, PL set up Cole and Steve. But the chemistry - for us - wasn't really there. They could have just as easily put anyone next to Steve. PL built on the military past of the two (what else) and finally the common denominator: Catherine. Oh, how original. NOT. If you look at this constellation, you can already guess where this was going. But there remained this one obstacle: Danny.

Well, no problem, Lenkov thought and had him kidnapped without further ado. All planned because of all the great McDanno moments we got to see in season 10. So appropriately for lulling, even if these moments did not have nearly as much heart as in previous seasons, but hey, the fans would swallow and relish it, PL thought.

Then came the obligatory threatening call from Daiyu Mei (note the clever pun ala Yoda: die you may...), and the drama unfolded. The whole thing was further clarified by the words of Wo Fat's ex: "I have the person you care about most in the world." Bummer, as she is not talking about Catherine but Danny. Queerbaiting at its worst. Then comes the usual. And during the escape attempt, Danny, who is already half-dead, gets shot. So far, so good, or not.

Danny's injuries could have easily been fatal. So now I'm going off the premise and just claiming that this was PL's original plan. Why? PL did mention at one point that he could imagine H50 without Steve or Danny, but he certainly wasn't stupid enough to believe that. It was nothing more than a smoke grenade. But what PL had wanted for a long time was the end of McDanno. He preferred another ship. But while McDanno sailed blithely across the seven seas, PL's fav ship never left the harbor. But now, he had the ultimate opportunity with a new, equal partner at Steve's side (Book'em Cole), who also pulled Catherine out of a hat.

PL's heart did somersaults. What a great plan that was. Alex didn't say anything about really wanting to quit, even after the series ended. While he had been open about his departure after season 7, there was no need to hide this fact now in season 10. And as you can easily see, all signs were pointing toward season 11. What PL didn't count on was the massive resistance from CBS.

In contrast to PL, they had no problems with Scott/Danny or McDanno. They knew that this was the heart and soul of the show. And PL's protector Moonves was no longer available because he had been kicked out of the network. So PL's back was against the wall. And nothing and nobody could change that. Too bad, because actually, PL had everything perfectly planned.

Danny would either die on the way to the hospital or later in the hospital. This would lead Steve to a massive revenge attack, which should have ended in a brilliant showdown (brilliant for PL, not necessarily for the fans), but Daiyu Mei escapes eventually. Then, Steve would have been driving around aimlessly. We were possibly shown some flashbacks, only to end up at Casa McGarrett, where Catherine would have already been waiting for him. Nice reversal of the goodbye scene from season 6.

The conversation between Steve and her would have been similar to Danny's, except that it wouldn't have been about his parents, but about Danny and that he just can't take it in Hawaii any longer. Too much reminds him of his dead friend. Steve also wanted to pay his final respect and bring him back home to Jersey. Of course, Catherine suggests joining him. What else? Now that one ship sunk, PL could easily replace it with HIS fav ship. And because Cole has done so well, Steve also entrusts him with the task force's leadership. Before Steve leaves to accompany Danny on his last journey, he hands Cole his credentials.

Steve and Cath stand next to each other at the airport and watch as Danny's coffin is loaded onto the plane. Then they board the plane together, ending with them holding hands as we know it. Fade out, season 10 ends.

How would it have continued in season 10? Danny's funeral would have happened off-screen, like so many other pivotal scenes. Steve would have maybe spent an episode or two mulling it over and then returned to Hawaii to hunt down Daiyu Mei with Cole and the team, which now included Catherine.

So much for Lenkov's wet dream, um, plan. However, because CBS knew that McDanno was the heart and soul of the series, they found this idea more than lousy and turned PL down. We could imagine that Alex also threw in that he would certainly not continue without Scott. There was a short back and forth, and it was decided to cancel the show. So we've come full circle to the sloppy, heartless execution of the last episode and the absolutely meaningless words PL put in Steve's mouth as a result. Due to lack of creativity and apparent lack of time, the deadline seemed to be predetermined, considering how quickly the soundstages at Diamond Studios were obliterated.

The crew was equally surprised when PL succinctly informed them that there would be no season 11. See the post from an angry crew member on IG.

Can we prove any of this? Nope, but it's the only reasonable explanation for why the show ended the way it did. Namely, completely illogical, with a Steve who was more than just off the rails. At the very beginning of the series, Steve gives completely different reasons for staying. If you do a rewatch, you'll see.

Everybody knows that you don't solve problems by running away. You don't get rid of the weight that you carry around with you. Steve may be a stubborn mule, but one thing he has never been: self-centered. And if Danny was really the most important thing in the world to him, as Mei said, then he wouldn't have dumped him in the end. Because that's what you do when you really love someone, you stay and fight against all odds. Especially when someone is in a bad place, like Danny, who has just jumped from the brink of death.

You don't suddenly go on a self-realization trip and kick the person who's already lying on the ground. But that's exactly what Steve did. At least the way PL wrote the part. The man must have really lost it when he wrote those lines. I'm sure he was enjoying pure schadenfreude.

And if you take a close look at the two protagonists, you can clearly see the reluctance with which they shared it all with the audience. There was no more room for any affectionate ad-lib actions that we knew from before. They could only stubbornly reel off what was in the script. PL would have done well to sit down with Scott and Alex and find a common solution instead of imposing his version on them and the audience. That's what people with integrity do, but the man never any.

In our opinion, the show's ending ranks among the dumbest and most unimaginative of all time. Rarely a person manages to drive a show against the wall in such a way and at the same time assassinated the main characters. PL shouldn't be proud of it. He should rather stand in a corner and be ashamed of himself.

And now you can go ahead and bash us, or just ignore the whole thing and keep on scrolling. Thank you for your time and for letting us share our thoughts with you.

[itsyourchoice-hp]

Year 2: Disarming Spells and Dangerous Creatures

At ten o’clock that night, Cath pulled the curtains of her four-poster bed shut around her and flopped down on her bed. She had forgotten how tiring classes could be, and Professor Snape and Professor Sinistra (the Astronomy professor) had already assigned homework on the second day of classes.          

Cath fell asleep thinking about her timetable for the next day. Herbology… Transfiguration… Defence Against the Dark Arts…

***

It couldn’t have been more than a few hours that Cath was asleep when she woke up with a jolt as someone screamed.          

The other girls in their dorm started whispering.           

“What happened?” someone asked.

The lights went on and Cath blinked as she opened her curtains, trying to adjust her eyes to the light. All the other girls were out of their beds with wide eyes, except for Ginny.

Cath saw two of them exchange uncomfortable glances. “Just go back to bed,” Cath said to them, feeling defensive of Ginny. Cath went over to Ginny’s bed as everyone returned to their own. “Ginny?” she whispered.

She could hear her sniffing on the other side of the curtains. “I’m fine,” she replied, her voice shaking.

“Open the curtain,” Cath said.

After a moment, the curtain opened a crack. Ginny sat there with her knees hugged against her chest. It was clear that she was crying, but now she had her jaws set and her eyes on the bed in front of her.

“Are you okay?” Cath asked hesitantly.

 She nodded. “I’m fine… I’m fine.” It sounded as though she were trying to convince herself of the fact. Then she sighed and said in a quiet voice, “I’ve been having nightmares.”

“Let’s go down to the Common Room,” Cath suggested. They got up and silently exited the dormitory, heading down the spiral staircase on tip toes. Once they were seated in comfortable chairs in front of the dying fire, she waited for Ginny to start, not knowing how exactly to approach the subject.

“I started getting nightmares during the summer,” Ginny finally said after a lengthy silence. “About everything last year with… You-Know-Who. I think my parents thought they would stop after a while, but they haven’t.”

Cath hadn’t even thought about how hard life must be for Ginny. She had spent her first year of Hogwarts being manipulated and possessed by Lord Voldemort, forced to do whatever he asked her to do. Suddenly Cath’s worrying over the fact that she had been sorted into Gryffindor and not Slytherin last year seem small and unimportant.

“I’m not mad,” Ginny said.

“Of course you’re not!” Cath replied. “I’ve never thought that.”

“Some people do,” Ginny said, frowning and staring at the embers in the giant fireplace. “People treat me differently now. Like I’m fragile. Like I’ve snapped.”

“I don’t think you’re fragile,” Cath told her. She wasn’t sure what good her words would do, but she felt like she had to say something to her. “It takes an incredibly strong person to make it through what you did.”

Ginny looked up at her and smiled. “Thanks.”

“And don’t worry about those other girls. They’ll see it too,” said Cath. She yawned widely and glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner. When she saw that it read two-twenty, she realized just how tired she was.

“I suppose we should go to bed now,” Ginny said through a yawn. “We only have five hours and forty minutes until breakfast.”

***

The next morning, Cath woke up wanting classes to start. Everyone had been raving about Professor Lupin and how he was the best professor at Hogwarts. He was sure to be better than their last Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart.

Cath smiled and shook her head as she remembered when he had attempted a memory charm on her, Ron and Harry with Ron’s broken wand. The spell had ended up backfiring, and Gilderoy Lockhart was now at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries being treated for his memory loss.

Herbology and Transfiguration seemed to drag on. At last, after lunch break, Ginny and Cath hurried together to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Most of the students arrived before the bell even rang. At last, Professor Lupin entered. He wore a dark blue knitted jumper with a white dress shirt and tie underneath, and the same worn trousers and shoes as he had worn on the train. He walked with his head down and shoulders slightly hunched in a way that made him look old and weak.

He stepped forward to face the class, into the full light with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. He looked about in his thirties, but the way he dressed and held himself made him look older. A few students started whispering — the bright sunlight highlighted three faint scars that drew from one side of his forehead down until they were concealed under his clothes.

“Are you always this early to class? Or do I already have an impression I have to live up to?” he asked us, causing the students to laugh and start to relax in their chairs. “My name is Professor Lupin, as you know from the Opening Feast. I was a student at Hogwarts like you, not too long ago… although I hope none of you got into as much trouble as I did with my friends.”

“Have you met my brothers?” Ginny joked.

The class laughed, along with Professor Lupin. Cath wished she had Ginny’s wit and confidence.

“You must be the youngest Weasley, then,” Lupin said knowingly. “I thought we’d start off the year with something fun. Our first unit is the foundations of duelling, an essential skill to any witch or wizard. Your wands possess power, but duelling is about quick thinking, creativity and precision. I’m going to teach you a few basic spells that will prove to be very helpful in duelling. The first is the Disarming Spell. If you’ll please turn to page twelve in your textbooks…”

Cath was already rapidly interested. She couldn’t wait to start learning how to use these spells.

“We all know theory is the most boring part,” Professor Lupin said after they had finish going through the section on the textbook and practicing the arm movement without their wands. “But without it, how can we put what we’ve learned to practice? Now, everyone out of your chairs and have your wands out.”

The students obeyed. Cath eagerly pulled her wand out of her bag. She remembered that she loved the way it sounded when Olivander presented it to her at the wand shop before she started her first year at Hogwarts. “Aspen, thirteen inches, with a dragon heartstring core.”

Professor Lupin cleared a wide aisle in the middle of the room and instructed everyone to line up. People bumped and squeezed to try and be first in line, excited to practice this new spell. “Remember the motion! Focus on pushing your energy through your hand and into your wand,” he said to them.

A few students were able to disarm Professor Lupin. He kept giving everyone pointers along the way and had everyone clap for whoever had just gone. At last it was Cath’s turn.

She planted her feet firmly with her wand at the ready, like she imagined people would do during a duel. She raised her wand and said confidently, “Expelliarmus!” remembering the arm movement.

To her delight, Professor Lupin’s wand shot out of his hand and into her own. He even stumbled backwards a bit from the force of her spell. He clapped enthusiastically for her and the rest of the class joined in.

“Excellent, Cathryn!” he said as he stepped forward to take his wand back. “Great form. Next!”

Cath stood there stupidly for a moment, wondering how he knew her name, before Ginny poked her in the back.

“Sorry,” she said, going to the back of the line.

The students were all buzzing with excitement at the end of class. Professor Lupin had definitely exceeded all of their expectations. Defence Against the Dark Arts was definitely Cath’s favourite class so far.

“He’s so mysterious,” Ginny said with a dreamy smile to Cath and a few other girls.

They giggled and left the classroom. Cath took her time putting her things back into her bag until she was the last one left in class. Professor Lupin used his wand to rearrange the desks back into order and erase the blackboard absentmindedly, looking like he was deep in thought about something.

“Professor?” she asked timidly.

“Very well done today Cathryn,” he told her, quickly erasing his thoughtful frown with a kind smile. His eyes were light blue, with a ring of chocolate brown closest to his pupils. “I think you have a knack for duelling.”

“Thank you!” she replied, feeling excitement and pride rise inside of her. “Professor, I was wondering, how did you know my name?”

“I’m well acquainted with your parents,” he replied.

Cath frowned. “Really? I had no idea, neither have them have mentioned you before.”

For a moment, Professor Lupin looked like she had caught him off guard. “Ah - well, your father is quite well known at the Ministry. And I’ve er - done some work there.”

She nodded, but still found it quite strange that he would be well acquainted with her parents. Professor Lupin looked like someone that her father would cross the street in order to avoid.

“You’re friends Ms. Weasley?” he asked conversationally. “And if I’m not mistaken, her older brother, Potter, and Granger?”

Cath nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“A good bunch,” Professor Lupin smiled. “Friends are the most important thing about Hogwarts. They become like family. But of course, if anyone asks, your marks should be top priority.”

Cath laughed, warming up to him. “Noted,” she replied.

A few older students started to trickle into the classroom and Professor Lupin nodded his head at her. “Good day, Cathryn.”

“Good day,” she replied.

On her way to the Gryffindor Common Room, she passed Draco who was flanked by two large, stupid looking boys. She recognized both of them, Vincent and Gregory. Their parents were good friends with her and Draco’s. Usually, she just called them the Trolls. Draco’s eyes passed over Cath as they walked by, but he made no acknowledgement that she was there.

She tried not to let it bother her; Draco loved attention in every way, shape and form. He always had. Perhaps Slytherins didn’t like being seen with their younger sisters. Sometimes she was shocked at just how different they were.

Cath was cheered up right away when she received a wave from Ron upon entering the Common Room. With Ron sat Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George and the twins’ friend Lee Jordan.

Hermione was buried in a textbook, not surprising, while the rest of the group was watching as Fred, George and Lee presented a various array of sweets and prank supplies on a large table.

Cath sat down and opened her Potions textbook, hoping to get a start on her homework. Of course, Fred, George and Lee proved to be a bit of a distraction.

“These here,” Fred held up a candy in a green wrapper and grinned excitedly. “Will give you green spots all over your face.”

“How long do they last?” Harry asked.

He shrugged. “Days? A week at the most.”

“Why would you want green spots all over your face?” Ron asked, frowning at the candy.

“Obviously you wouldn’t take it yourself, Ron, don’t be daft,” George said as if it were obvious. “It’s for your enemies. We’ve been dreaming up a way to get old Snape to take one.”

“He could probably make a potion to cure it in minutes,” said Hermione from behind her textbook.

“You’re no fun,” Fred said teasingly.

“What’s this?” Ginny asked, picking up a brown, circular object.

“You won’t want to handle that with bare hands,” Lee warned her.

Ginny set it down immediately and looked at her hand, which was now covered in dirt. “Ugh,” she grimaced. She tried to wipe the dirt off on the couch, but to her dismay it wouldn’t come off

“That, dear friends is a dungbomb,” Fred informed them. “A staple in the prankster’s arsenal. Don’t worry, Gin, that’ll wear off in a few hours.”

“Nasty little buggers, those are,” George added. “Don’t know how we would have made it through at Hogwarts without them.”

“You’ve got to be gentle with them,” Lee said, seeing Ron look curiously at it, even prodding it with a finger. “I once had one go off in my trunk on the train. The smell was in my clothes for weeks!”

Cath and the others laughed at him. Eventually, when a game of Exploding Snap, her favourite card game, was brought out, she put her textbook away and chose to put her Potions homework off for another night.

***

Saturday afternoon found Cath and Harry waving goodbye to Ron, Hermione and Draco who were on their way to Hogsmeade in the pouring rain. Cath could see Harry staring enviously after them, his unsigned permission form crumpled in his hand. After several attempts to persuade Professor McGonagall to let him go, he had given up and joined Cath where she stood on the steps overlooking the entrance.

Cath didn’t say anything until the carriages had departed from the castle. “You don’t suppose they’ll bring us anything back?”

“If they remember,” Harry replied glumly, turning back into the castle.

Cath followed him nervously. She almost wondered if she should be with him. She’d only ever been around Draco’s friends when they were in a group. A part of her didn’t want to steal them from him, but the other part felt like they were her friends too. But being just with one of them felt different. Especially Harry, the Boy Who Lived, of all people.

“So, your uncle and aunt,” Cath said, hurrying to find something to talk about. “They’re Muggles?”

“In every sense of the word,” Harry replied. “They are the most normal, boring people you could ever meet.”

“You could have asked another relative to sign your form, couldn’t you?” Cath asked.

“I don’t have any other living relatives,” Harry replied. “That I know of, anyways. My uncle and aunt are the only ones.”

“Oh,” Cath said stupidly. “I’m sorry. That must be awful.”

Harry shrugged. “It was worse before I knew I was a wizard. Now I can at least threaten them with magic if they’re being really awful. They’re absolutely terrified.”

Cath laughed. “Are all Muggles like that?”

“Don’t you know any?” Harry asked.

Cath shook her head. “No, I don’t. My parents don’t have any non-magic friends. And my father works at the Ministry, so we don’t have any reason to go outside the Wizarding World, really. Unless we take a trip into London, or go on vacation or something.”

Cath tried not to stare at the lightning shaped scare on Harry’s forehead, so instead she focused on his glasses. She hadn’t really noticed his eyes before. They looked exactly like hers, a bright emerald green. She wondered which of his parents he got them from. Cath and no idea where she got her green eyes from; her mothers were brown and her fathers were grey just like Draco’s.

“You’re lucky,” Harry said wistfully, bringing Cath back out of her thoughts. “The Muggle world doesn’t compare. I wish I’d grown up in the Wizarding World.”

“Well,” said Cath. “At least your aunt and uncle let you come to Hogwarts.”

Harry smiled. “They almost stopped me. If it weren’t for Hagrid, I probably wouldn’t have gone.”

Hagrid was the giant gamekeeper of Hogwarts who had a passion for wild and exotic animals that any other person would find incredibly dangerous. This year he had taken a teaching position for Care of Magical Creatures, which was a class that students could start taking in Third Year.

“My aunt and uncle wanted to escape from all the Hogwarts letters we’d been receiving,” Harry said. “So, they took my cousin Dudley and I out to this tiny island to what they said was a rustic cabin. It really was just a rundown shack. But that night, Hagrid showed up to take me to Hogwarts. He broke down the door and twisted my uncles’ gun into a giant knot—”

“Gun…?” Cath asked, wondering what on earth that word meant.

“Oh, right,” Harry said. “It’s a Muggle weapon. Hey — would you want to visit Hagrid? I’m sure he’d love to meet you. And he rarely gets visitors. If you’re lucky you’ll get to try one of his rock cakes.”

Cath agreed, and so the two of them went outside, pulling the hoods of their cloaks up as the rain continued to pour outside. She felt fear like ice in her stomach as the Dementors floated around the grounds, like big black ghosts.

“They’re awful, aren’t they?” said Harry, quickening his steps as they made their way down the hill. “Black had better be caught soon.”

“I can’t believe he escaped,” Cath remarked. “Nobody’s ever escaped Azkaban. Going there is basically like getting a death sentence. People aren’t the same after they arrive.”

As she said this, Cath had a sudden memory of a woman on the cover of the Daily Prophet years ago. She had wild, black hair, pale skin and crazed eyes. In the picture, she held her prisoner number and laughed maniacally, shackled at her wrists and her ankles. It was her Mother’s sister, Bellatrix. Cath could only vaguely remember her, save for her picture in the Prophet, but her mother had explained to her and Draco that her sister had done some very bad things and was going to Azkaban so that she could learn not to do those things anymore.

Of course, now Cath actually knew what Azkaban was — what a terrible, dark place it was and that it was a place where the darkest of witches and wizards who had committed the worst of crimes went. She wondered what her Aunt Bellatrix had done that had landed her in that place.

“Could Black even get into Hogwarts? There are enchantments around the gates, aren’t there?” Harry asked.

“He killed twelve people with one spell. He sounds like a pretty powerful wizard to me…” Cath said. She shivered, perhaps from the cold or perhaps from the icy chill that the Dementors seemed to bring as they floated around the grounds.

Harry and Cath approached a house on the edge of the Forest. Cath now understood why people called it Hagrid’s Hut. It was a small wooden cabin with a sloping roof and a chimney, resting just at the edge of the Forest. Moss covered most of the shingles of the roof, and off to one side was a pumpkin patch that held pumpkins that were at least five feet tall, some taller.

Harry knocked on the door and Cath could hear a dog barking inside. A moment later, the door opened, and they were greeted by Hagrid, who filled up the whole doorway. Cath wondered how he could possibly fit inside — he had to crouch a bit under the door frame.

“Harry!” he boomed, beaming down at him. “Great to see ye. And you must be…” he peered down at Cath with merry eyes over his large, bushy beard.

“Er — Cathryn. Malfoy,” she replied.

“Why of course ye are! How could I have forgotten.” Hagrid said, as though he had previously known her. He held out a massive hand, which Cath took and shook. “Pleased to see the two of ye together. Come inside!”

Again, Cath was a bit taken aback by his comment, especially since it seemed that Hagrid already knew who she was. There was no way that he was acquainted with her parents too.

He moved aside so that Harry and Cath could enter. It must have been enchanted, because the inside was much bigger than it looked, and Hagrid didn’t even have to duck under the ceiling.

“Can I get ye some tea? Coffee?” Hagrid asked, moving over to the stove.

“Tea, thanks,” Harry replied.

A massive grey Mastiff walked over to the two of them, sniffing at their feet and hands.

“No beggin’, Fang,” Hagrid said over his shoulder to the dog. “So, what brings the two of ye over ‘ere? Harry, shouldn’t you be in Hogsmeade?”

Cath gave Fang a little scratch behind the ears and his tail began to wag, drool dripping from his massive, wrinkly mouth.

“I couldn’t get my permission form signed,” Harry replied. “You know, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia hating magic and all.”

“Well, Dursley’s will be Dursley’s,” Hagrid said, chuckling. “Don’ worry, Harry. Ye’ll get it sorted out somehow. Have a seat.” Hagrid motioned to a very tall table with equally tall chairs, which looked like they had been hand carved.

Cath tried to hoist herself onto the chair as gracefully has possible, her feet dangling above the ground. Hagrid set three teacups and saucers on the table, and then a pot of steaming tea.

“I hope Gryffindor is treatin’ ye well?” Hagrid asked her, taking a sip from the tiny teacup that he held with two massive fingers.

Cath nodded, smiling. “Very well. I’m thinking of taking Care of Magical Creatures next year. It sounds really interesting.” 

Hagrid beamed at this. “Well, if we’re bein’ honest, I’d say it’s the best class at Hogwarts. Mind you, now that Professor Lupin is here, I think he might give me a run for me money.” He chuckled and dropped another sugar cube into his tea.

Cath swallowed a sip of her tea and struggled not to cough — it was probably the strongest tea she’d ever had. She put some more cream in it and saw Harry trying to hide his laughter.

“Speakin’ of magical creatures…” Hagrid got an excited glint in his eyes. “I’ve got a little somethin’ to show the two of ye. As long as ye keep it a secret, that is.”   

“It’s not a dragon, is it?” Harry asked warily.      

“Of course not, Harry! Don’t know why ye’d say such a thing…” Hagrid stood up from the table and made for the back door. “Follow me.”

“Hagrid tried to raise a dragon in here in our first year,” Harry whispered to Cath as they followed him outside.           

She raised her eyebrows. A wood cabin probably wasn't the best place to raise a dragon…

Hagrid led them inside the forest until they reached a clearing with a big pen. “Best not disturb him… he isn’t too used to people yet,” he said quietly, looking around the pen.

Cath and Harry exchanged glances, not sure what they were supposed to see.

“What is it?” Harry asked quietly.

“There he is,” Hagrid said, pointing. Cath and Harry both craned their necks to see.           

On the other side of the pen was a creature that she’d only seen in story books. The front half and head looked like a giant eagle with white and grey feathers, but the body and hind legs were that of a horse — it even had a long tail swishing back and forth. It was currently gnawing on some sort of dead animal.

Cath stared open mouthed.

“That is Buckbeak,” Hagrid said proudly. “He’s a Hippogriff. Rare and beautiful creatures, they are… But ye’ll have to wait until next week to touch him, Harry.”

“Touch him?” Harry said warily.

“Once ye get them to trust ye, Hippogriffs are pretty friendly. I think it’ll make for a good lesson,” Hagrid said.

Cath didn’t say this out loud, but she didn’t think she could ever have the nerve to go near one of those creatures. It looked like Buckbeak could tear someone apart with one blow of his massive talons.    

Hagrid looked expectantly at her and Harry, like he was waiting for a reaction.

“A real Hippogriff!” Cath said earnestly, hoping the fear didn’t come across in her voice as much as she thought it did. “Too bad I’m not a third year.”      

“Yeah, I’m sure it’ll be a great lesson,” Harry put in, smiling weakly.

“I knew ye’d like it,” Hagrid said, beaming. “Well, Cath if ye ever want to pet him, you just let me know. Don’ tell Professor Dumbledore, of course.”

“Right! Thanks, Hagrid. I’ll, ah—keep that in mind,” she said, doubtful that she would ever take him up on the offer. She knew just how dangerous Hippogriffs could be.

“Anyways,” Hagrid said, turning back for the cabin. “Ye’d best not stay outside much longer. All students are supposed to be inside the castle by dark, and the sun will be settin’ soon. I wouldn’ want to be outside in the dark with them Dementors floatin’ around the place.”

“Do you think they’ll be here all year?” Harry asked.

“Well, until they catch Sirius Black, that’s for sure,” he replied. “Thanks for visiting, you two. Come by anytime!”         

Cath and Harry said their goodbyes and then headed back up for the castle. The dark rain clouds were slowly but surely moving away from the castle as the sky grew dim.

[wickedts4finds]

"This is what makes LGBTQ so toxic."

Jocelyn/Moe/CathCreativeCorner/Equiliberty Sims Admin would then proceed to screech about how her words were twisted and backpedal saying "there are two types of LGBTQ".

[captain-aralias]

Reading meme

tags from @wellbelesbian and @ninemagicks thank you :D

Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

i don’t. although i generally sit in one of the chairs with my feet on the sofa - but i also read in bed/in other chairs. 

Do you use bookmarks? If so, what kind?

i do not. i don’t use them on AO3 and i definitely don’t use them in real books because - they fall out! and then i’ve lost a thing i had, and also my page. i mainly read in kindle now, which solves this problem for me, but if i am reading a real book, there’s at least a possibility it will be a hardback and then i might use the dust jacket flap as a bookmark - but i’m a classic fold-the-corner-over criminal. 

Can you just stop reading or do you have to wait until the end of the chapter?

it depends on how long the chapters are - and whether the chapter ends at something that is exciting and therefore un-put-downable. generally i read until the end of a chapter. 

Do you eat or drink while reading?

sometimes.

Music or tv reading?

no one knows what this means. what does this mean?

One book at a time or several at once?

several at a time - although in some cases this is just code for ‘i didn’t want to read those other books, but i’m not ready to call it quits yet’. at the moment i have stoped reading some books i’m pretty certain i’ll come back to. 

Reading at home or out?

i used to read mainly on the train :( 

Reading silently or out loud?

i primarily read silently - but i like reading out loud because i am secretly (?) a ham, but also too self-conscious to act. so reading aloud is like acting, but easier. but it’s too slow for every day. i dont have kids, but if i did and i was actually interested in the story i was supposed to be reading, i’d go away and read the whole thing and then come back and pretend i hadn’t. that bit in fangirl where cath doesn’t read ‘eighth dance’ immediately is incomprehensible to me, and shows she really loves him. 

Do you read ahead? Skip pages?

not on purpose. my brain does definitely mentally skip over description to the next chunk of dialogue. 

Breaking the spine?

i might turn over the corners of my pages, but i’m not a monster.

Do you mark your books?

only in the way previously described. i actually love the idea of writing in books and particularly drawing art in books, as it increases their value as desirable physical objects, which seems super necessary in a world where getting ebooks is just so much easier and (for me) better. 

i mean - i’m sitting here in my living room, which is essentially a library - we coated the room in books. but i’ve bought very few new ones in the last decade, and really only for the collectability (cough - three copies of wayward son - cough). 

tags for: @sharkmartini @ddefenestrate  @ilsa-fireswan @stackcats @cup-of-creativity @fight-surrender

[phandomficfests]

Writer’s Corner: phloridas

Introductions 

First things first, tell us a little about yourself. Hi, I’m Claire! I’m 22 years old, from Illinois, and like most 20-somethings, have no idea what I’m doing with my life. Things have been been pretty turbulent these last few years, as I started college studying Elementary Education but transferred schools a couple years ago to study Creative Writing. I had recently fallen in love with writing all over again and wanted to improve my craft/possibly work with books as a career. That school, however, wasn’t a great fit for me and after months of struggling, I dropped out last October and have been slowly putting myself back together since. I’m now hoping to transfer again to a school closer to home to finish my Elementary Ed degree, as I really do have a passion for teaching and children and thoroughly enjoyed those classes when I was taking them. So fingers crossed things can work out there! :)

How long have you been writing for?  I wrote and posted my first phanfiction in October 2016 but if you’re talking fanfiction in general, my first ever fic was a terrible Glee one that I scribbled in my 9th grade biology notebook in the spring of 2012 and thankfully never posted anywhere. I’ve also been writing original stories and keeping journals on and off since I was 6--which is a really long time, now that I’m thinking about it!

Tell us about your current project. Ok! I’m currently working on a few things: first is my PRB, second is a fic I was commissioned to write for the Phandom Gives charity drive and the third is a much longer thing I’ve been working on for about a year now, where Dan and Phil are telling the story of their lives and releasing it as a book for their 10th anniversary, and dealing with all the emotions that arise from all that—so basically my fever dream for 2019, which feels more possible than ever now in this post-coming out universe.0 unread message

What is your current word count?  245,379 or 259,014 counting my wips! (Damn, I wish I had that much in dollars lmao)

Questions on Writing

Do you try to write daily? Do you have a word count or other goals you try to hit for each writing session? As long as my mental health is decent and I’m not sick or anything, I try to write every day! I haven’t had a word count goal for a while but recently, I’ve started using a word count tracker and it’s been amazing to see my progress through that! My base goal is normally 500 words but if I’m not working that day, I try to go for 1k or to the end of whatever scene I’m working on.

How do you feel about the arguments against real person fic? I totally understand why some people may be uncomfortable reading it--I personally hate talking about it, even with my closest irl friends--but I don’t think anyone should tell someone what they can and can’t write. Does it sometimes feel weird, especially after seeing them at TATINOF and II and meeting them at II? Sure, but it helps that dnp themselves are cool about it. For me, writing is all about getting these stories out of my head, and it just so happens that all my stories feature Dan and Phil. So yeah, I’m gonna write and post them no matter what anyone else says.

What challenges you most in your writing? Myself. Much like Dan, my perfectionism makes me my own harshest critic and so many times, has completely destroyed my productivity. I also have a really bad habit of comparing myself to others, which only got worse after I started taking writing classes and saw just how talented some of my peers were. However, after speed writing most of my last fic in the two weeks before its posting date and seeing the amazing response that’s gotten, I’ve gained a lot more confidence in my writing abilities and don’t overthink as much, which has been really nice!

What's your favorite piece of feedback you've ever gotten? All the comments on my most recent fic, an act of infinite optimism, have been incredible and I’m SO happy it got such a good response! I was a bit hesitant about it, as it’s from Dan’s mum’s point of view and seeing as I’m not a mother myself (and currently have no interest in becoming one), I wasn’t sure how well it would resonate. But I think reading Michelle Obama’s memoir helped a lot, since her story helped me see exactly what being a working mom is like, which gave me so much more empathy for moms everywhere. And people have said this fic resonates well with them, whether or not they’re a mom themselves, which is so amazing to hear!

What do you think makes a good story? I’m quite easy to please so honestly, if the author has put lots of love and hard work into a story, I’m so here for it! But some of my favorite stories are the ones that focus most on character development and that follow the characters through an emotional journey. Basically, if your premise is Dan and Phil talking about their feelings and learning more about themselves in the process, it’s an automatic yes from me. Like I said, I’m not picky :)

How do you balance writing for yourself vs. writing what people want to read? Honestly, it’s not something I think about all that much? If I have an idea I really like, there’s a 95% chance I’ll write it just so I can get it out of my head. And normally what people want to read is the kind of thing I want to write (like my take on the 2017 Lester family Christmas, which was super well received), so it works out quite well! 

What inspired whatever you’re currently working on? For my current wip (the one I’ve been working on since August), I actually was inspired by Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl and its use of excerpts from Cath’s fics or the Simon Snow books before each chapter. As a dnp tell all book is something I’ve dreamed of for years, it occured to me that I could write that book, or little bits of it anyway, and the story of how that book gets created! And maybe confronting their past selves will allow dnp to move on with the rest of their lives, finally settling down and living their domestic dreams! So beyond the initial idea, the rest is pretty much all the hopes and dreams I had for 2019 before the reality of this year came crashing down on us all :D

What is your ideal writing environment? Literally, in my bed, snuggled under the covers. I don’t have a desk in my room and don’t feel comfortable writing anywhere else so 99% of my it happens here, on my semi-functional laptop. Or hastily typed out on my phone whilst hiding behind a large clothing display at work, but idk if I would call that ideal lmao

Don’t forget that you can check out Claire on tumblr at @phloridas or on AO3 here. If you’d like to be on the list for a Writer’s Corner feature, sign up here!

[misstex89sims]

See ‘Red to Orange’ Captions 

Multicolors:

17 Eyes Non Default by Vesim

17 Eyes Non Default by Vesim

Realistic Eyes No 3 by Manueapinny

Tigerlilly Eyeset by Tigerlillyyyy

Sora Eyes by Elphine

Eyecolors 7 by Mia84

Eyecolors 7 by Mia84

N11 by Aveira

Mouseyblue’s Eye Recolors by cuttingcubeofice

Eyes 5 by Mia84

17 Eyes Non Default by Vesim

Random Contact Lenses by Cath-Creative-Corner

Shining Eyes by Lhonna

Unique Eyes V1 by Ms Blue

N3 by Averia (also in default)

N4 by Averia

Eyecolors 11 Mix by Mia84

Tigerlilly Eyeset by Tigerlillyyyy

Soleil Eyes by Y-Sim

Geneticin Eyes by RemusSirion

Paraspeckle Eyes by RemusSirion

Paraspeckle Eyes by RemusSirion

Duo Eyes by Tatygagg

Realistic Iris Rainbow by Sil_Coke2

Enchanting Eyes by Kelly-Hannah

Paraspeckle Eyes by RemusSirion

Enchanting Eyes by Kelly-Hannah

Delta Natural Eyes by Delta

[lifewithfamily]

The Money Tree (Chapter 3)

Catherine and Frank lived on Jefferson Rd. right on the lake in St Clair Shores. Their were always two landmarks to look for that made it easier to find their house, since the traffic moved very fast off the busy road on Jefferson. The first landmark was to look for their neighbor's ugly, brown and white, checkered garage door that was located right before their house. And the second landmark was to look for the bar called the "The Blue Goose Inn", that had a blue goose sitting in a claw bathtub on the corner of the bar's parking lot. Catherine was always seemed humored by that bar, especially when the goose had been stolen, and she was going to replace it someday with something funnier. Though living across from the bar with the music blaring, made them want to lock their doors because they didn't want any unexpected visitors sleeping on their couch. Then as I arrived at their house and went up the three wide cement steps, I would see a small tree with curved over dense twigs that seemed to hardly ever grow any leaves. I think it was some kind of dwarf weeping willow tree and was the only plant used for landscaping their house. Though sometimes Catherine would get creative and put some artificial, fall colored flowers in pots, placed on each side of the garage door. Then as I would wait patiently standing on the front porch by the double doors, I would usually hear Frank stomping down the long hallway, since Catherine was usually preoccupied most of the time doing something. But the wait at their front door seemed to always take take awhile, because Catherine and Frank both resided in the back of the house , near the lake front. Then as Frank would disrupt the blinds on the front door to check who the visitor was and he would then proceed to unlock the double bolted door, and I would be greeted most of the time with a smile on his face. Unless he was not expecting me and then he would look at me with a complex stare. And as Frank would open the door, he would always come properly dressed with trousers, shoes and a collared shirt, while yelling out to Catherine, "Cath your sisters here!". And then I would see Catherine pop out of one of the rooms in the house, with earplugs in her ears and she would be really enjoying her music by dancing, and singing along to favorite tunes. Page 3