#Not a service at all is it? If I am the one getting some thing out of it?

[fromchaostocosmos]

I'm going to post some sections from this highly relevant article that I think are helpful, but I really really suggest reading the whole thing because of important I think it is. As well of just how much insight it gives into RFK Jr's thinking which is one that is based on extremely outdated model of understanding science.

one thing is plain: Kennedy's thoughts and actions make a lot more sense when you realize he doesn't believe in a foundational scientific principle: germ theory.

It's important to note here that our understanding of Kennedy's disbelief in germ theory isn't based on speculation or deduction; it's based on Kennedy's own words. He wrote an entire section on it in his 2021 book vilifying Fauci, titled The Real Anthony Fauci. The section is titled "Miasma vs. Germ Theory," in the chapter "The White Man's Burden."

In the chapter, Kennedy promotes the "miasma theory" but gets the definition completely wrong. Instead of actual miasma theory, he describes something more like terrain theory. He writes: "'Miasma theory' emphasizes preventing disease by fortifying the immune system through nutrition and by reducing exposures to environmental toxins and stresses."

In all, the chapter provides a clear explanation of why Kennedy relentlessly attacks evidence-based medicines; vilifies the pharmaceutical industry; suggests HIV doesn't cause AIDS and antidepressants are behind mass shootings; believes that vaccines are harmful, not protective; claims 5G wireless networks cause cancer; suggests chemicals in water are changing children's gender identities; and is quick to promote supplements to prevent and treat diseases, such as recently recommending vitamin A for measles and falsely claiming children who die from the viral infection are malnourished.

For some experts, the chapter was like a light bulb going on. "I thought 'it now all makes sense'… I mean, it all adds up," Paul Offit, pediatrician and infectious disease expert at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told Ars Technica. It's still astonishing, though, he added. "It's so unbelievable, because you can't imagine that someone who's the head of Health and Human Services doesn't believe that specific viruses or bacteria cause specific diseases, and that the prevention or treatment of them is lifesaving."

There is a lot in the full article that is so alarming and again insightful. Since there is no paywall I'm not comfortable with posting the whole article here. I really suggest you read the article especially for all the information and nuance that these small bits I posted can not provide.

I am disgusted that RFK Jr. would actually title a chapter "The White Man's Burden" and yet I not all that surprised by it. He comes across as the type of person who adhere to that type of thinking. Now maybe, just maybe, there is some greater context that puts the title of that chapter in a better light or something. But, I highly doubt it. There is very few places that phrase could be used in a non-racist context and I do not think this is one of those rare instances.

Reading the article gave me a lot of clarity on the choices of RFK JR. and I too, based on what I read and thinking critically about his behavior and actions, think that he does not believe in the germ theory. Something that is beyond worrisome especially for a person in position in the government to believe or in this case not believe in.

This is like saying you don't believe in gravity. It is not really a matter of belief at a certain point, it just is. Reality is reality. Germ theory is the reality.

I was trying to think of a way to explain why this is stupid and also ghoulish. I think I came up with something.

Imagine you are an engineer designing body armor. You are tasked with making sure the body armor can stop 10 different types of bullets. In your first attempt, you create body armor that stops 6 of the 10 bullets. You start selling those because that's pretty good protection. You can save some lives while you continue to improve things.

You already know how to stop 6 bullets, but you really want to figure out how to stop the last 4. So you do exactly what you did before, but add a few more layers of Kevlar and a steel plate.

Your boss, RFK Jr., says he wants a test of the new and improved body armor. But he says you have to give one test subject the real thing and the other test subject fake body armor that does nothing.

And you're like, "Hey, can I at least give them the body armor that stops 6 bullets? We already know that gives some protection. We only need to compare the new armor to what we already accomplished."

And RFK says, "No, please shoot a person dead. It's science."

[andcars]

🍒 ✦ LIKE A MARATHON

﹙ 33 ﹚ ─────── i'll be kind for you

PREMISE " approaching the summer break, you know there's only one thing you want in mind. letting max verstappen use you as your stress toy—for you to use him too

RELATIONSHIP(S) " max verstappen/you TAGS " light submissive max verstappen, light dom max verstappen, service top max verstappen, implied marathon sex,makeup sex handjobs, cunnilingus, open ending, reader is an F1 driver WC " 2.8k

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When Max wins, you’re neutral—supportive, even. When you win, suddenly it’s his mission to be bitter about it. Mostly it’s the fault of his own car, occasionally it’s because you braked too early and decided to push him off the tracks and got away with it. But after he rants to the press about it, he returns to you with no problem.

But then you and a few others have more wins than he has. That’s a problem. Max is ultimately upset about having that many losses after dominating seasons, it sours his mood with you outside of racing.

It was first in the living room while he was simracing, giving you half-hearted responses when you wanna be involved. You excused it to just be him focusing on the game, but then he does that—

Everwhere

Anytime

All the fucking time.

You confront him about it, and he looks at you from the bed. He asks, “What?”

“You’re upset, I know that. But whatever it is, I don’t think you have the right to be upset at me over it.” You cross your arms, being a little considerate and mature about this, “Unless I did something wrong. But I would like to be told what I did and not have to read your mind.”

He sighs, hand over his face. “It’s nothing.”

“Max, be a bit mature over this.”

“Oh, of course I’m the childish one. Always fucking am.” That gets him to half-throw his phone to the bed.

You try your best to figure out what has gotten him pissed. However, he spells it out for you. “You know what I was promised? A good fucking car. Not the best, but a good car. 

“And you’re over here, promoting the NV14 with these stupid videos and going on social media about how you just love the podium. Well, good for you because I’m fighting my own team.”

Amidst his rant about the shitty RB21 (and holy fuck, was it bad last year and even worse this year), you realise something. “Hold on, you’re upset at me for having a good car?”

“No!” he pauses, unsure, “yes! Fuck off, I do not know.”

“What the fuck,” you don’t even know how to respond to this, “What the actual fuck?”

He rolls his eyes and takes his phone again to put it aside, going under the covers after. “Whatever, I’m upset. I’ve been upset. We go to Hungary tomorrow and I need to get some sleep. Just turn off the lights.”

This brat thinks he can rant at you off and then shut you off just like that. He forced you to sleep in his bed. Act like nothing is wrong in this situationship.

You made sure to face away from him when you lay down, saving yourself some dignity.

Hungary happens, and he still doesn’t podium. You didn’t either, but that doesn’t seem to matter. He still doesn’t like the car, he’s still giving you the cold shoulder. Even getting a place up doesn’t cheer him.

You’re determined to fix something. He goes home, you pack your stuff and don’t even bother to call his name when you enter.

He only knows you’re here when you’re sitting half-naked in his bed after he finishes his shower.

“Jesus fuck,” he gasped out as he fell back inside the bathroom. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

You don’t really care. “I’m on a mission.”

He steps back in, and you very much notice the way his eyes look you up and down. “What mission? Break into my house and perform Female Magic Mike?”

“How do you know—okay, whatever. No, that’s not my mission.

“I need you to fuck me stupid.”

Catching him off guard while naked might not have been the best idea. You saw his cock twitch under his towel and his cheeks flushed pink while water was still dripping down from it.

He chuckles, trying to play it cool. “Aren’t you blunt? I would’ve thought you were too upset with me to be with me during the summer break.”

“I was upset at you. I also decided that I’m tired of being upset with you. So let’s have me,” your fingers dance on the sheets before you stand to face him, “in bed, face down on the sheets, and fucked for days until the week before your home race.”

You can see the exact moment that it clicks in his head. “So you want to fuck? Is that it?”

“Yes and no. It’s about me loving you,” your lips trail to his cheeks, “appreciating you,” going further down his neck, “driving a tractor and still scoring fifth,” and feeling his chuckle against his Adam's apple, “wanting to get your dick wet because you deserve to let your anger out.”

The towel is a barrier to you and Max’s very healthy relationship, letting it fall with one single pull. He stands bare naked to you while you still have your trousers on.

His hands are determined to change that, going for the buttons and the zipper before pulling it down.

“You love me?” he asks, stupidly.

“Always,” you answer, stupider.

Pulling him into a kiss, you press him against the closet door to feel his cock twitch between the two of you. You’re not so much as a shameless person, but you have to admit that you’ve been wet from the idea of spending the entire summer with Max buried in you.

You know he loves the idea, too. “All of these burdens on your shoulder—... they don’t know that all you need is is to be deep in this fucking pussy?

“Need someone to guide you as you fuck me deep,” he groans into your mouth as you whisper to him between kisses. “Need to fuck me? Make you dumb on my pussy?”

“Jesus,” he all but moans as your hand caresses his pelvis. He pull to hit you on the chest, “Stop being such a fucking tease.”

A short laugh comes out of you before you go ahead and hold his cock. You thumb the tip and feel his cum on your fingers. His eyes are half open and his mouth agape; you have half a mind to kiss those lips again.

Instead, you just use your mouth to make him weak. “My pretty boy. My little lion, so fucking hot moaning like that.”

His moans were cut off short, opting to bite his lip instead. You tsk, your hand jerking him off quickly after spitting on your hand to ease the pace. “Don’t be like that, Max. You know how much I love listening to you.”

In your grasp, he thrusts his hips along your hand. One of his hands lay on your shoulder as his head fell into the curve of your neck.

You can feel him pant against your skin, making small sounds that drive you to the wall. The little wet noises increase when you spit on his cock, wetting the tip with more than just his pre-cum.

His other hand goes to your waistband, tugging on it. You laugh at him and don’t do anything. “If you want something, you gotta do it yourself, Max.”

From this angle, you can’t see his face. However, you feel his glare as he takes both of his hands to at least push your pants and panties below your ass.

You slow your pace a little, making sure to caress and twist your hand from the base of his cock to the hip. His breathing is shaky as he puts a hand on you as well.

“Good boy,” you breathe out as he spits at his hand. “Good boy, Max.”

Instead of verbally replying, he goes to match your earlier pace. The suddenness of it catches you off guard, but you take his fingers well, even if his hand is still somewhat dry.

“God, Max,” you grunt, “I wanna ride your face so bad.”

He moans, caught off guard. “Fuck… Yeah?”

“Yeah. I wanna feel your mouth on me, tonguing my fucking pussy and eating me like you wanna devour me.” Spitting more, he looks as if he’s trying to recreate the wet feeling. “And you’d love to just be used like that, yeah?”

He doesn't really reply. “I’m gonna cum,” he whispers as his hand fucks faster in you.

You see his silent plea and do the same with him. Kissing his neck, you whisper to him lowly about all the things you want to do to him. 

Ride his mouth. Grab and bite on those thighs. Ride him without stop as you cum from his cock alone.

When Max finishes, he’s loud and twitchy against you. His hand on you doesn’t slow until he feels your cock jerk and squirt on his hand.

Throughout his orgasm, your hand slows in pace before stopping completely. You push him a little so your eyes meet as you lick the cum off your fingers.

“Fuck, you’re such a pervert.”

You laugh. “I know. And you’re due for another shower.”

He groans but melts against you anyways. Post sex always got him so soft, despite all of his brat mumblings. It’s really endearing.

Both of you head for the shower, he for the second time, and enjoy the afternoon by sleeping. It doesn't surprise either of you that neither of you awakens for dinner. Just cuddled in each other’s arms, contented in bed.

Early in the morning, you don’t register anything. You think about how there could be a bombing outside, and you wouldn’t even stir, just a little maybe—but you do wake up to something today.

There's something heavy on your lap. You can barely open your eyes when you process Max’s head between your thighs, mouthing on your cunt like it’s a normal morning routine.

You gasp, Max’s lips wrap on your clit with his tongue flat between your pussy. His breath is hot against your skin. He’s moaning into your sex as his hands grip your thighs, begging for more of your sweet release.

“Max…” Despite knowing you’re awake, he doesn’t stop. It makes him more eager to please you. He’s practically addicted to the way you taste, not even pulling away to greet you good morning. He only stays comfortable with his mouth on you. His hand squeezes gently as he pays his full attention to you.

You reach for his hair, petting him like a dog, “That’s so good, Max. Fucking hell.” His eyes are half-closed, unfocused and clouded. The morning haze was still on his face. He moans, in bliss from just having a cunt on his mouth. 

On your cunt. 

“Good fucking morning to me,” you grind into his face and he didn’t even pull away. With his tongue on you, he lets you use him however you want. His nose presses into your clit now, his tongue fucking you over and over over as his drool drops to his chin. 

Finally remembering to take a pause, he pulls out. He’s panting heavily against your hips, and he’s flicking your clit off lazily with one hand. 

“Good morning,” his voice is raspier than usual, “sleep well?”

You stare at him like he’s the stupidest person in the world. But he is your boyfriend, so. “What are you doing?” 

Max smiles, a slow, sly grin that makes you wanna fuck him stupid. “You told me you wanted to get fucked throughout summer… and I wanted you to start earlier.” He leans back on his heels, still a hand on your pussy, giving it slow, deliberate rubs. “Plus, sometimes I like having you in my mouth, so.”

Fuck. Fucking hell.

It takes everything in you to not just fuck his mouth until you make his face a mess. You know he’d like it, he’d like it a lot. But you try to get your head out of the gutter because it is early in the morning. Then again, he was eating you out for god knows how long.

“You’re such a fucking brat,” you moan, pulling him closer to press at his mouth.

He laughs, “I haven’t even done anything.”

His tongue comes out to lick at your fingertips, teasing you just a bit more. You tell him, “I want you to keep eating me out, yeah? Give me something sweet for once.”

Max hums before shaking his head. “I don’t wanna,” he smiles, “I know you wanna be in control the entire summer, but I want you to just lie there. Do nothing. Watch me use your body.

“You’d like that, don’t you?”

You grunt as Max kisses your stomach. He doesn’t wait for you to respond as two fingers slip inside of you. He moans in time with you, as if this were giving him some simulation. You think that he just likes it when he pleases you.

“Max…” His tongue goes down to lap you up again, craving your taste wholeheartedly.

“Shh,” he whispers, his voice barely audible. “Just relax. Let me take care of you.”

And somehow, you relax. You let go of the tension in your muscles, sinking back into the mattress as Max resumes his ministrations. His mouth is heaven, his tongue a relentless force of pleasure, and you find yourself arching into his touch, desperate for more.

But just as you start to get close, Max pulls off again, this time with a trail of saliva. He looks up at you, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Not yet,” he says, his voice low and sultry. “I’m not done with you yet.”

You whimper in frustration, your body trembling with need. “Max, please…” you beg, your voice cracking. “I need…”

“I know what you need,” he interrupts, his tone firm. “And I’m going to give it to you. But first, you have to earn it.”

Your heart skips a beat. Earn it? What the hell does that mean? But before you can ask, Max shifts position, moving up to put you on his lap. He reaches down, grabbing your wrists and pinning them above your head, his grip strong.

“Max…” you protest, but he silences you with a glare.

“No talking,” he orders, his voice brooking no argument. “Just listen.”

You gulp, your pulse racing as you obey. Max stares down at you, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, deliberately, he pushes you on his cock, impaling you with one smooth motion.

You cry out, your back arching off the bed as you take him inside. Finally. The sensation is overwhelming, too much to handle all at once. Your walls clench tightly around him, squeezing him in a vice-like grip that sends waves of pleasure crashing over you.

“Fuck…” you groan, your hips twitching as he thrusts up into him, but Max pins you down, his weight pressing you into the mattress.

“No,” he says firmly, his voice laced with authority. “Stay still.”

You whine in frustration, but you obey, your body quivering with anticipation. Max begins to move, rocking his hips slowly, grinding against you in a way that makes your toes curl. His movements are languid, almost lazy, but they’re effective—every slide in your body against yours sends jolts of electricity coursing through your veins.

“That’s it,” Max murmurs, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “Take it. Take everything I’m giving you.”

You moan, your body trembling as you struggle to hold back. But it’s impossible—the pleasure is too intense, too consuming. You can feel your orgasm building, coiling tight in your gut, threatening to explode at any moment.

But just as you start to lose control, Max stops, his body going rigid above you. He stares down at you, his eyes dark with lust. “Not yet,” he whispers, his voice hoarse with desire. “I’m not done with you yet.”

You whimper in frustration, your body aching with need. “Max, please…” you beg, your voice cracking. “I can’t…”

“Yes, you can,” he insists, his tone firm. “You can do anything I tell you to. Because you’re mine, aren’t you?”

You nod, your vision blurring with tears of frustration. “Yes…” you whisper, your voice barely audible. “I’m yours…”

Max smiles, a slow, satisfied smile that makes your heart skip a beat. “Good girl,” he purrs, his voice dripping with praise. “Now, let’s see how long you can last.”

With that, he resumes his movements, this time picking up the pace. His hips snap against yours, driving him deeper inside you with each thrust. The sound of flesh meeting flesh fills the room, punctuated by your ragged breaths and Max’s soft moans.

“Fuck, Max…” you groan, your body straining against the restraints of your own self-control. “I’m so close…”

“I know,” Max replies, his voice calm and steady. “But you’re not allowed to come yet. Not until I say so.”

You whimper, your body trembling with the effort of holding back. But you don’t dare disobey—not when Max is looking at you like that, with such fierce determination in his eyes.

Instead, you grit your teeth, focusing on the sensations flooding your body. You know that you’re not going to cum this morning—not really. He’s going to fuck you so good until you’re begging. This fucking brat.

But that doesn’t matter, right? He’s going to fuck you the entire summer. The thought has you only craving more.

@Delululeclerc @hiireadstuff @fallingforpvris @rtorresblog @Tribbisweetdear @Jamie2305 @nichmeddar @vannylen2144

FOOTNOTE ────── missed my sched for this banger. i had to stop or else like this would've been 10k words... and i still have my finals this week... love u guys

[trothplighted]

I was going through some of Rowling’s old interviews and came across one in 2004 where she spoke of Sirius:

“I am so proud of the fact that a character, whom I always liked very much, though he never appeared as much more than a brooding presence in the books, has gained a passionate fan-club.”

This wasn’t the only time she expressed surprise that Sirius became a fan favourite, and it’s honestly baffling to me??? He had an entire book named after and primarily revolving around him, and is canonically the closest thing to a parent that Harry, the protagonist of the series, ever had. Even if we disregard everything else we know about Sirius and his storyline, there’s no way in hell he wasn’t going to be popular. If I didn’t know better, I’d have said that a character like that was specifically designed for fan service (I mean...he's hot, has a flying motorbike, and is literally named after a star, lol). It’s bizarre that Rowling seems to have had no idea, and that she believed he was / intended him to be nothing more than a “brooding presence” in the series – which is at any rate an appalling and deeply unsympathetic way to describe his trauma and depression.

It made me think of how there's such a major disconnect between authorial intent and authorial execution when it comes to his character as well, especially in Order of the Phoenix. Characters like Molly or Hermione call him irresponsible/reckless/immature, claim he confused Harry and James, that he treated Harry like a friend rather than a godson, that he was biased against Snape, etc. Rowling’s interviews confirm that she intended to characterize Sirius in such a way and that Hermione and Molly are meant to be viewed as her mouthpieces. But Sirius’s actual behavior and relationship with Harry does not correspond with any of this and his actions + dialogue are for the most part very reasonable and sympathetic. (There’s also Kreacher’s storyline, which made me dislike Sirius a lot when I was younger, but upon my reread comes across as almost entirely nonsensical, contradictory, and seems specifically designed to paint Sirius in a bad light to the point where he’s compared to VOLDEMORT of all people by Hermione - who, in the process of criticizing Sirius, dehumanizes house elves entirely by claiming that none of them are capable of individual morality or have any ethical agency of their own. It's frustrating because she's 100% right that house elves should be freed but the way she infantalizes them is...pretty shitty and not the way to go about it. But I digress.)

Rowling seems to have done a complete 180 degree turn on how Sirius is presented by the narrative between Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix, and I can’t really understand why.

I get the sense that the creation of Sirius’s character in particular was, at the very least, partly accidental on Rowling’s part. She didn’t expect him to blow up the way he did, and I get the sense that she doesn’t seem to have been thrilled by how much the early HP fandom liked/valorized him. There was an interview where she was asked if she liked him, and she said that she did, only to immediately list down all his alleged flaws and emphasize that “I do not think he was wholly wonderful” (which character in the series is wholly wonderful, lol? Sirius came across as a great deal better than most to me). There have been so many other interviews where she’s done the same thing despite the fact that Sirius's faults or perceived faults had absolutely nothing to do with the questions at hand. It’s such a startling contrast how she talks about pretty much everyone else from his generation, all of whom she seems considerably warmer and more sympathetic towards in varying degrees.

As I haven’t been back in the fandom for very long, this is the first time I’ve come across her interviews - I’m not sure if I’m reading too much into them or not. I wondered if you agree/disagree, as you’ve been in the fandom for much longer and I love all your metas about the series. Thanks :)

You’ve hit upon my personal Rage Point for the entire series, anon.

I want to start by pointing something out about Sirius and Kreacher, which is that in GoF Sirius tells Ron and Harry (and Hermione, though he brings it up to compliment her observational skills) that Crouch Sr.’s mistreatment of Winky is an indicator of his character. (“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”) This is, somehow, the same man who one book later is egregiously dismissive of and abusive toward his family’s house-elf, to the point that this dismissal causes his death (oh, and Albus blames him for dying, too.) Despite Sirius expressing two wildly different viewpoints from book to book, we’re intended to take that as his true self, as the authentic expression of his beliefs and position.

I’ve spoken before more than once about other drastic character shifts that happened as a result of the Three Year Summer, both as a writing break and as a paradigm shift in the notoriety of and ubiquity of the series thanks to the movies being released starting in 2001. I was in elementary and middle school while the books were being published, and OotP was the first book I remember seeing large-scale advertisement for in my school outside of a book fair - there was a big larger-than-life poster teasing the book cover with a release date during the summer to get us all hyped up for it. I’d obviously heard of Harry Potter before that, but that was the moment when the books went from “famous book series” to “cultural phenomenon,” at least in my mind. And I think that we can trace this shift in opinion on Sirius Black back to the Three Year Summer, too.

In my opinion it’s obvious that Joanne really liked Sirius, when she first developed him. I don’t think she’s telling the truth when she says she doesn’t think he’s wholly wonderful - when she first came up with him she absolutely did. He’s got pride of place as a Cool Character in all the ways she loves to lavish attention on someone. He’s set up with a phenomenal entrance in PS chapter one and then he spends all of PoA in the spotlight. He has a dramatic reveal of his true allegiances and his innocence, and he’s Harry’s best and most supportive parental figure throughout GoF who consistently gives good advice and who risks his own life and liberty to make sure his godson is safe. He considers coming back to England and living in a cave and eating rats to be his duty as a godfather, and while Harry feels responsible for his circumstances he’s always really clear that he (1. doesn’t care about the risks to his health and safety (2. will gladly sacrifice comfort and stability if it means being able to protect this boy (3. will not let Harry feel guilty.

These aren’t the actions of a man who confuses Harry with James - throughout GoF he continues to insist that his decisions are his own, made as an adult trying to parent and support a kid who desperately needs a stable presence in his life. Harry’s used to taking the blame for the actions of adults (my heart is still rent asunder by his expectation that Lupin is going to gaslight him about denying him the chance to face the boggart in their first DADA lesson) and he’s also used to feeling like he has to manage the emotional state of a household (see: all the times he plans out what to say or not to say to the Dursleys to get them to do what he wants), and Sirius doesn’t let him sink into either of those pits. He also prevents Harry from bottling up his feelings or concealing his distress, and never lies or twists the truth. He’s being very deliberately written as someone who serves as a positive role model and positive mentor figure for Harry, and then suddenly come OotP he’s moody and immature and subject to a number of very strange smear campaigns from characters the author confirms are intended to reflect her real opinions.

So… what happened, over the course of the Three Year Summer, to make her change her mind? We can’t ever know for sure, obviously, because Joanne hasn’t ever bothered to lay out how her feelings on each member of her cast changed and evolved, and she’s unlikely to do so at any point in the future because now when people talk to her they mostly talk to her about transphobia. But I have a theory.

See, between 1998 and 2003, the HMS Wolfstar set sail. While most of the seminal meta came out after OotP (see “The Case for R/S” as probably the one I and others my age are most familiar with as an introduction to the ship) and most of the really famous fanfics started trickling out around that time (The Shoebox Project started in 2004), there were fanfics before that point, a growing fan community, and a number of pieces of fanart and fancomics (check out the list of doujinshi in the linked Fanlore article, some of those date back to 2001). Edit: here is an archived humorous/gently snarky list of Wolfstar fanfic tropes created in 2002 - while I can’t personally remember the names of fics from before 2004 or so I want to point to this as evidence that there was an established fan community, even using the “WolfStar” name, prior to the publication of OotP.

Normally, I wouldn’t think that fanfic from prior to 2010 or so had much of anything to do with the author’s opinions on their work, because norms and fan culture around fanfic were much more focused around keeping these stories private and away from the prying eyes of The Powers That Be/TPTB.

I say normally, because Joanne was aware of fanfiction, and aware of fanfiction remarkably early in her career as a public figure.

Younger fans are almost certainly not going to know this, but one of the first real fandom divides in HP had to do with fanfiction, and specifically the question of how to treat fanfiction written by and for adults that featured sex scenes or other mature content. Since the books were children’s books (though there was an adult fandom since the start, especially online - the Harry Potter For Grown-Ups/HP4GU mailing list and its descendant communities still loom large in fan history as some of the early pillars of today’s digital scene) a lot of people didn’t know what to do or how to treat fanfic. This was also compounded by fanfic being a lot more subject to legal action or takedown notices - Anne Rice, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and Anne McCaffrey all became infamous either for pursuing individual authors and archives until they took down their stories or instituting guidelines about what kinds of transformative works were acceptable, or both in McCaffrey’s case.

Rowling, however, was different. Rowling said that noncommercial fanfic was completely fine, that she wasn’t going to pursue any kind of legal action against fanfic authors, and that as long as adult-oriented fanfic was appropriately warned for and not shown to or targeted to children, she didn’t care if it existed.

This laid the groundwork for the founding of Fanfiction.net, for fanfic communities on LiveJournal, and eventually for Archive of our Own and the Organization for Transformative Works. In an era where legal disclaimers were common on fanfics as a mostly-useless attempt to prevent being shut down by IP holders, Rowling threw the doors open and democratized her stories in a way she - I would argue - ultimately came to regret.

I can’t prove that her sudden slander of Sirius was a result of latent unexamined homophobia and a desire for revenge against the fandom for daring to claim one of her favorite characters as a gay man. I can’t prove that his backstory of being kicked out of his house (for unspoken Family Drama reasons centering around him being filthy and disgraceful) only to be shoved back into it, or Trustworthy Adults suddenly painting him as dangerous to children and inherently irresponsible and reckless, or all of his trauma being ignored and painted over, or every scrap of his heroism being erased, has to do with Joanne deciding that if we’ve made him gay he shouldn’t get to be a character anymore.

I can’t prove it.

But I do believe it. I believe it because when you ask yourself “is this queercoded character being subjected to authorial homophobia”, suddenly everything about Sirius’s arc in OotP makes complete and total sense in the worst way possible. This is also why I think Tonks and Remus were paired off, why Tonks suddenly becomes more gender-conforming, and why Bill Weasley transforms into Normal Settled-Down Hetero William. It feels like her desperate attempts to take her characters and shove them back into a box that she controls. I don’t think she was at that point consciously and virulently homophobic, but I think her clear and evident discomfort with fans interpreting these characters who she wanted to be straight comes through in her writing.

I also believe it because she does the same thing to Albus, after his death. Someone who’s been uncomplicatedly heroic and praised by all parties and even used as her mouthpiece to pass judgment on Sirius suddenly becomes morally suspect and untrustworthy and shady and secretive, with enemies lining up as soon as he’s dead to slander him - and again, just like with Sirius, we’re meant to accept this as the correct version of events. He even confirms all of this to Harry himself in the King’s Cross afterlife. The old Albus can’t come to the phone right now, he’s dead, and only his critics remain. Coincidentally, Albus is of course the only confirmed gay character in the entire story. Funny how that works out, isn’t it?

I’ve been angry at her for 20 years for killing Sirius, and angrier still at her straightwashing efforts. I wouldn’t believe her if she said she wasn’t doing that, at this point.

It’s not as if I expected her to be a perfect ally as a center-left moderate cishet white woman in the late 90s/early 2000s, and I do think that Dumbledore being gay was revolutionary in a way that most modern audiences seriously fail to appreciate, but I wish she wasn’t so damned insistent that no one else could be queer in any way at any point. She’s also really evidently uncomfortable about any displays of affection between confirmed same-sex pairings - she was absolutely neurotic about the amount of physical contact between Mads Mikkelsen and Jude Law during FB3, to the point that she fought with David Yates about it. And her behavior contributed to the intense homophobia I and others experienced in our formative early years in fandom - no-slash mailing lists and archives, the immediate classification of all queer fanfic as inherently more mature or more sexual simply by virtue of having queer people in it, Wizards For Bush, etc. As a result, boycott or no boycott, I hope that Wolfstar is canon in the new series, I hope Mundungus stays the crossdressing icon that they are, I hope Tonks is canonically nonbinary, and I hope Joanne loses sleep over it.

[jmdbjk]

I have some fun news.

I am going to NYC to see Jimin's The Truth Untold Exhibition!!!! I'm so glad I bought tickets before it SOLD OUT! It is not sold out, only the early bird tickets are sold out. Regular price tickets are still available.

But see? That's how misinformation is spread, when one person on X screams it's sold out and random people (me, I'm random people) scroll through and see the post and run with it.... (rolls eyes).

ANYWAY...

I need to see Jimin's outfits in real life. I need to see the size and shape of that man up close and personal. I won't ever dream that I'd ever get to actually see Jimin in the flesh within touching distance but I will see his actual clothing within inches of myself and that's almost the next best thing.

I am going in June the week after the four are discharged, the tickets I bought are for June 21, the day Yoongi is released from his social service.

If there is a group live from the Hybe building lounge room couch while I'm in that exhibit I will scream with everyone else. My family will be traumatized but oh well, right?

It'll be a day to remember.

And... I discovered AFTER THE FACT that we booked our hotel right in the middle of Koreatown. I HAD NO IDEA until I started to look for restaurants and guess what? Antoya is 2 blocks from my hotel. I will take pictures. Not sure if we'll go eat there but who knows. We'll try.

[Yes, I used that potato quality, non-official pic.]

Of course I'll blog about the trip when I get back.

But WE HAVE SO MUCH TO ACCOMPLISH BEFORE THEN!!!

Jin's Echo album and subsequent tour!

FESTA!!! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE SCHEDULE!!!!

AND THE FREEDOM OF OUR SEVEN!!!! HOW WILL IT UNFOLD??? WHO WILL MEET WHO AT THE GATES??? I CAN'T WAIT!! I'M GONNA CRY, LOSE SLEEP, CRY SOME MORE!!!

Hobi wrapping up HOS tour and the HOS Final in Seoul ON FESTA DAY! And ANOTHER new song at some point!

The timing of Hobi's HOS Final concerts has been known for a long time. Securing that stadium for those dates had to be planned well ahead. I will be watching the livestream of both nights.

There is no way we will not see the freshly discharged members in some way, they will be there, in the audience or on stage or at the very least in photos from backstage. They will be there. Why wouldn't they? The timing was timed as if the Universe said "let it be so."

As far as performing, I won't wish too hard for it but they might?! The timing of these shows is just giving so much potential for anything to happen!

In a blog post on July 2, 2024, I said they would hit the ground running. Look at Jin and Hobi since.

They aren't going to "rest" after discharge. If you think that, you clearly have not been paying attention to what they've been saying for the past 3 years.

They've looked forward to all of this for YEARS, "this" meaning "this time of post-military enlistment" where nothing is in the way of their artistic freedom and living their lives the way they wish. It was such an ordeal to get to this point in time, years of delays, they are not going to sit around and let more time pass before they get back on stage.

Successful people are DRIVEN. They are ready to hit the ground running.

I am overwhelmed knowing in less than five weeks 6 out of 7 will be free. I don't want to get my hopes up but I feel strongly that at the very very least, a 7-member group photo will be shared at some point during those few days of total chaos.

I will watch the livestream of Jin's concert, but as of this moment, I am not going to go see him. Never say never though,right? But after watching his concert livestream, I might change my mind. We'll see. I reserve the right to book a last minute trip (its the way I roll anyway). I am very excited for his album next week!

This is going to be an unpopular opinion with some: Anyone who knows me knows I support all of them, right? But I gotta be real here. The AMAs are the American Music Awards. Jimin's Who went furthest over here than any of the others this past year. The no-brainer to me is to vote for Jimin for this particular award. I have to weigh the circumstances and the numbers.

The context was not taken into consideration in this case and now the votes are going to be split.

We need to be smarter and stop being driven by emotions when there clearly were numbers to show how big Who was in the U.S. this past year.

The drama and fighting was unnecessary. RPWP and Come Back to Me have won so many critical awards – real, peer reviewed and film industry awards – that trying to "give" Namjoon this AMA award just seems very manipulative.

Don't get me wrong, if Namjoon wins this I WILL BE ECSTATIC that Army actually pulled it off. But I will also be surprised if he wins because I know the votes are split between he and Jimin. I'm afraid it will be a sad situation of self-sabotage and the BP girl is going to win because of that.

In other instances, if I am faced with choosing between Jimin and any of the others... Jimin is my man y'all. It is what it is.

Regarding fans who also went on hiatus: Let the fans who took a break come back without criticizing them. Let the casual fans be casual. Just because they weren't obsessed with social media these past few years does not make them "less" of a fan or unimportant. There will always be someone doing something "more" than you in some aspect so just shut up and let them come back and get off your high horse of self-importance.

I do not sustain a constant social media presence but I'm here with my face in the BTS business every single day. I know what is going on to obsessive levels.

I also have a life, a job, family, etc that I must pay attention to as well. But in my down time, everything BTS is what I'm obsessed with. You just don't see me needlessly posting about myself doing it 24/7.

Let. Them. Be. The world needs BTS, let the world come as they are, casual, hardcore, baby Army, OG Army, everyone come to the BTS table and feast! No one has a right to gate keep the 7.

Every day that comes keeps getting brighter and brighter knowing our 7 will be back together NEXT MONTH! 30 days left for Jimin and Jungkook, 40 for Yoongi, 29 for Namjoon and Tae.

[lostpiewrites]

Hi, can I request wb boys ( nirei, suo, sakura, sugishita n kiryu) pursuing reader whos really popular like people fawn over them n all, and + points if reader always rejects their advances playfully? example: wb boys will be like confessing their feelings for reader and they would only say: “thank you!” with such a sweet smile? + bonus points if reader knows about their feelings since they were kids? Thats all, thank you!

a/n : give us some sassy y/n... lezzgooo. i hope i didn't misinterpret the prompt because i made y/n acting clueless most of the time , and cruel at some. anyways... art credits unknown.

I love you ?

Ft: Haruka Sakura , Hayato Suo , Kiryu Mitsuki , Akihiko Nirei , Sugishita Kyotaro.

Haruka Sakura

People things are hard for him to begin with .But you make it harder.

Approaching you is a big problem for him already because you have got big group of friends and your sides are always crowded.

It took him a lot of time just to try.

He didn't really know what to say to talk to you so he just went :

"Well that sounds good." about sth you have suggested.

It took a lot of help from his friends , convincing , denial and what-if's to build up enough courage to tell you sth so simple yet so big foming from him.

"I love being around you."

Your response was diabolical for everyone that heard it.

"I mean who doesn't come on... "

You laughed it off and went away , not knowing that it scarred him.

For a good amount of time , he wouldn't try anything about opening up like this , not to anyone.

Hayato Suo

He was a gentleman through and through.

He held doors open , carried your purse etc like a living epitome of chivalry.

But all of it went over your head , at least you pretended so.

You knew he loved you , you loved him back too but it wouldn't do any harm to toy with him for a short while right ?

That short while lasted years

He didn't understand how this clueless sbd can be.

In his thoughts you are already planning to get married but he keeps getting friendzoned by you.

Thinks that he has to be open because or else you wouldn't understand his intentions for the next decade.

"I am in love with you y/n"

"What a coincidence , i love me too. Tell me sth i haven't heard of..."

He gave a blue screen trying to process it. Then dragged his palm down his face.

"God why are you torturing me like this ? What sin have i committed ?"

Akihiko Nirei

Growing up with him made you two really close friends , that sometimes people even mistake you for a couple.

He was a social butterfly that made friends with everyone.

You were a popular princess that gathered all the people around you.

Same vibes , similar personality. It would be easy to ask you out right ? Nope.

He is always helpful to people and you being the btch you are , you are using it to your advantage.

He helps you for anything you want without any complaints or questions , thinking you will see through his acts of service love type.

You act clueless , then go :

"Isn't this what you do for other people too , how come i am special to you ? "

He is this 🤏 close to scratching the walls of his bedroom in frustration.

Mitsuki Kiryu

He was always that rich friend who forcefully took care of you , his popular but not-rich and lazy friend.

He still doesn't know how or when did he fall in love with you but gosh pursuing you was harder than fighting a gang of people.

He always paid for your food , bought you your make-up products/clothes , bought you gifts etc...

But to you he was filthy rich and you were counting pennies , so all of that was normal.

One day he gifted you a whole bouquet of RED roses , with a HEART-SHAPED necklace as a confession. You went :

"Awww that's so sweet , thank u Kiryu-kun. You're the bestest bestfriend i have ever had."

Best believe that he is searching through Shein and Temu for ropes and chairs that night.

Sugishita Kyotaro

You have always believed he wanted to marry Umemiya ever since middle school ,after when he was allowed to say that he was a Furin member.

You did notice how his attention shifted to you when you were near him , how his growling lasted longer when lots of guy were in your big group of friends etc.

But you paid no attention because you found it funny and wanted it continue because you liked the attention.

He is a nonverbal guy , so he didn't tell you what he felt. He showed it. With the way he was always there when you needed someone the most.

Did you see it ? No. You pretended not to.

He wrote a letter this time , only to not say it out loud.

"I love you y/n"

You took your time reading the whole letter , and wrote one back.

"Thank u. For the letter. It makes me feel better."

You haven't heard from him ever since.

[prettysatomii]

Treats!

Synopsis : Killua loves to eat, specifically sweets. You work at a small bakery filled with treats. It's convenient for him to come to your bakery and skip the other ones. Not for any other reason…

Killua zoldyck ❦

The bakery would open at 7:30am, and each morning you would be there. Rolling dough, making coffees, taking orders…Not that you minded of course! It was a rewarding job filled with the sweetest customers. The regulars consisted of a variety of old people, little kids, and a close friend of yours, Killua.

Today, you were set up at the register. Clicking away at the numbers and fetching pastries the customers wanted.

“Strawberry shortcake, banana bread, and coffee jelly, correct?“

The lady in front of you nodded along to your words. You smiled at her before moving away from the counter. A hum of words followed after.

“I’ll get that for you right away..!”

After tending to her, you sighed softly before looking back up to the next customer. A smile spread on your face after scanning him.

“Killua, back so soon?”

You slyly laughed as you looked back down at the register.

“Yeah, I just wanted some chocolate” Killua grumbled, turning his gaze away from you and toward the pastries on display. After a moment, his eyes dropped to your apron, lingering on the heart stitched in the center. You brought him back to reality when you spoke, pulling his attention back to your face.

“Hellooo?? What would you like?” You elongated your words with impatience but your smile said the opposite. “I said chocolate, idiot!”

“We have multiple chocolate desserts and a variety of chocolate. How am I supposed to know what you want? You try something new everyday!” You giggled quietly, your hand covering your mouth. Killua got a bit flustered but pushed it aside the best he could. He liked hearing your laugh although he would never admit that to you.

Good thing there wasn't anyone to see your customer service with him. You couldn't be sure that you wouldn't get into trouble for making fun of the boy.

“Did you make anything today?” His words broke the momentarily silence. His tone was different from earlier..perhaps softer? The prior look of frustration was replaced by a calm one. Killua was curious if you had made anything he saw through the glass.

“Most of our pastries are made the same day, Killua,” you replied, brows furrowing. “You know that.” Of course everything in the bakery was freshly made. You could've sworn you told him this before.

“That's not what I asked, did you make any of it?”

He tilted his head slightly, gaze flicking from the pastries back to your face and settling there. You tilted your head in return, a small smile forming before you looked away. With a light pop of your glossed lips, you answered.

“Uhm... yes! Well, I made them last night, but they had to be set overnight, so technically they're finished today. These brownies over here...”

You walked over to the display case, sliding the glass to the side to pull out a large chocolate brownie. He stood on the other side staring at the dessert in your hands. Seriously, you were too good at this. If he had it his way, you’d be his personal baker. His eyes flicked to the white gloves you wore, tiny flowers embroidered at the wrists. Cute.

“I'll take it, how many did you make?”

“I made fifteen, they're all pretty big and very chocolatey. I hope you like it!” You reached below the counter and pulled out a small pink box, quickly folding it into shape.

“That box is pretty small for all of them don't you think?” He raised an eyebrow at you leaning against the counter to watch.

“All fifteen?” You didn't doubt he could eat them all but it was excessive at that. You set the pink box aside and reached for two larger ones, unfolding the cardboard with ease. After laying down a sheet of white paper, you began neatly placing the brownies inside.

Killua rested his chin in his hand, quietly watching. He’d probably inhale them the second he walked out the door. You looked pretty when you were so focused.

—

Gon and Killua went on an adventure for a week. So you didn't see him for a while. However while he was gone an amazing idea popped up into your head. Killua loves chocolate robots right?

The bakery closed early today, 1:30pm. You had asked Killua to hang out after your shift the day prior. The plan was to meet in your usual spot. A quiet, tucked away part of the park where you both liked to spend time together. A large pastry box propped up in your hands as you walked over there.

It was warm outside, the birds were quite active too. Chirping away in the trees. You eventually arrived, slipping through a few trees in the process. Of course, he was already there. His silver hair caught by the sun, a curious smile plastered on his face as soon as he saw the pastry box.

Killua was quick on his feet, suddenly behind you. Looking over your shoulder, “Heyy what's in the box?” He turned his head to look at you. A measly amount away from you. He noticed quickly looking away and back at the box. A faint pink covered his pale skin.

Your grip on the box became a bit firmer when he got closer. Killua noticed the slight change. “I made something for you, just a treat.” You smiled, shrugging your shoulders acting like it was nothing. Although you did feel a bit nervous handing the box off to him.

Killua opened the box with ease, having done so many times before. A surprised laugh came from him, you amazed him more everyday. His eyes sparkled as he looked back at you with something warmer.

“You made me a ginormous chocolate robot?! How long did this even take??” He wasted no time trying to bite into it all at once, only to fail miserably. Still, his mouth was full as he mumbled, “It tastes exactly the same too, you really are the best! No doubt.”

You couldn’t help but smile, watching him devour it over the next eighteen minutes. Yes, you’d timed it on your phone. You watched half amused and half worried. “It's not too much chocolate for you?” His hands weren't even dirty, he didn't give it a chance to melt.

Killua shook his head vigorously, “No way, you should make these more often.” He sat down on the bench patting on the seat next to him for you to follow.

“Thank you,” He said softly. He was like a cat, subtly inching closer but acting like it wasn't on purpose. His hand hovered near yours, barely brushing it as he tapped his foot, trying to act casual.

“You're welcome,” You murmured, then curiosity got the best of you. “You pass like three bakeries to get to mine, why not go to one of those?” You looked at him, the corners of your mouth lifting.

“I don't like them,” He shrugged, trying to seem indifferent, but there was something different in the way he avoided your gaze. You bit your tongue but decided to try to push just a little more. What was there to lose?

“Why not?” His response came rather quickly. Almost like it was instinct, Killua didn't have to think about it. “Cause you're not in them.” His embarrassment followed quickly. His face flushed as he shifted like he wanted to disappear into the bench.

You didn't respond, instead you gently laced your fingers with his. That was just enough to keep him grounded.

Killua didn't speak either, but the way his hand tightening around yours told you everything you needed to know.

[bunnyboy-juice]

NO MORE ASSOCIATING THINGS WITH FEMMES ONLY BECAUSE THEY ARE PINK!HYPERFEM FEMMES ARE GREAT AND I LOVE YOU CAMPY FEMMES WHO EMBODY PINK BUT ALSO JESUS CHRIST CAN YOU GUYS NOT GO MORE THAN ONE DAY W/O TRYING TO SHOEHORN FEMMES INTO BEING ONLY PINK UWU BABIES. I AM FEMME AS IN GRASS AS IN DIRT AS IN TREE BARK AS IN WEEDS SPROUTING THROUGH THE SIDEWALK CEMENT. FEMME AS IN GENDER NONCONFORMITY AS IN FUCK YOU MY FEMININITY IS WHAT *I* SAY IT IS. FEMME AS IN DEPTH AND DARKNESS AND WARMTH AND TERROR. FEMME AS IN CAVES. FEMME AS IN LIGHTNING. FEMME AS IN AN AMALGAMATION OF TRAITS THAT I HAVE DECIDED ARE FEMININE REGARDLESS OF WHAT SOCIETY SAYS. FUCK IS IT THAT HARD TO UNDERSTAND?!???

[bisclavret]

like many who have suffered at the hands of bbc merlin before me, i recently indulged in a thought experiment in which i outlined my own version of seasons 3-5 that stay thematically and tonally in line with the show (except they're less fucking stupid). but then i quickly realized that focusing on details is pointless: all you need is to solve the one Big Problem the show has, and the rest will follow. the problem in question? ✨morgana✨

i like the first two seasons. s1 achieves what it sets out to do and has fun while doing it, and s2, while flawed, sets up a ton of potential that the following seasons unfortunately squander, beginning with the insidious season 3. you can only distract me with cute knights and goblins and fart jokes for so long before i start seeing through you, evil, evil season of television.

my hypothesis is that if the writers had crafted s3 morgana into anything more sympathetic than a violent half-alive poltergeist that can never be reasoned with because she's suddenly terminally off her rocker, everything would've fallen into place. a sympathetic morgana would've made real, valid arguments against uther (and arthur) that wouldn't just be the ramblings of a woman possessed. her betrayal of arthur would have stemmed from her feeling increasingly morally superior to him because of his complacency in the face of their father's tyranny. under morgause's guidance she would stop believing that arthur is capable of change, and the whole point would be that she might actually be right. arthur would have to actively try and prove her wrong, instead of getting praised for doing the bare minimum because the bar is on the floor.

furthermore, morgana's prophetic dream about arthur and gwen becoming king and queen and her decision to prevent this however she can is a direct parallel to merlin learning about that same prophecy and making it happen by any means necessary. merlin's desires about his and arthur's futures are subtextually fueled by gay love and devotion, so why couldn't morgana's be? why couldn't she properly express her bitterness that arthur gets to be with gwen in a way she can't "took gwen away" from her, instead of suddenly declaring that gwen is nothing more than a servant, after two seasons of demonstrating again and again that she loves, values, and respects gwen more than anyone else in that godforsaken castle?

following this, an angry and emotionally volatile but still sensible morgana asking gwen to stay by her side during the coup of the castle in the s3 finale and gwen going behind her back to help arthur and the knights would've hurt like a bitch. double-sided betrayal! gwen having a real plot! the proper beginnings of a toxic yuri that would shape a generation!

then there's the utter hubris of having morgana shoot arrows at the same civilians she worried herself sick over for 2 seasons — even morgan, her medieval counterpart that was rooted in every sexist trope in existence, doesn't just go around killing senselessly but instead has (often petty!) personal vendettas against gwen, arthur, and the knights. morgana had every right to be sick of the pretensions around chivalry in camelot (she was always quick to mock it, even in s1), and to lash out at the knights and soldiers after years of feeling powerless in a castle full of armed men that blindly followed her oppressor. the show conveniently forgets that morgana was victimized as a woman as well as a sorcerer those first 2 seasons.

but like i said, this is not just about morgana. allowing her to remain a real and multifaceted character even as she betrays everyone in pursuit of her ambitions would've given the rest of the core four more interesting conflict to work with: merlin because he would have to experience real consequences to his actions, arthur because he would watch his sister go against his father (and his knights, and his birthright) and experience some actual internal dilemmas about it, and gwen because she would be forced to choose between morgana and arthur without the pretense that it's an obvious or easy choice for her to make.

even morgause and gaius would come off more interesting as mentors: neither one inherently evil or inherently good, both jaded by events that happened before our protagonists were even born, both heavily influencing morgana and merlin into fulfilling roles that they think are appropriate, but that morgana and merlin may not have chosen for themselves had they not been under their care.

you get the gist. if the show followed its own setup, morgana's mistakes wouldn't lie in cheap and senseless acts of violence but in alienating the people she loves because she is too hurt and jaded to trust them. meanwhile, everybody else would feel guilt over "failing" her and yet they would be too caught up in their own (sometimes flawed!) beliefs of right and wrong to truly see her point of view.

arthur would convince himself it was sorcery that corrupted her. merlin would know that isn't true but he wouldn't be able to argue without confessing everything, which is the defining conflict between him and morgana and it's cheapened when she's just an evil witch caricature and merlin is framed as inherently virtuous in contrast. gwen, too, would become a more active participant in her own life by choosing arthur over morgana and choosing to rule camelot with him instead of just waiting politely to see where things go.

and, of course, uther's downfall and death would be quick, final, and completely earned — when and why did the show even decide he of all people was the sympathetic villain, anyway?

lastly, and perhaps controversially, i think morgana should've learned merlin's true identity by season 4. her being the first of the main characters to find out makes perfect sense considering their shared history and their interconnected and mirrored arcs. even the show seems to agree, considering she does find out a little before arthur. but the narrative itself tried pointing flashing neon arrows towards this way earlier — there is a whole entire episode in s4 where merlin being emrys is repeatedly spelled out for morgana and she still isn't allowed to see it. that episode makes her look like the stupidest person to ever live, which is pretty funny im not gonna lie, but also another frustrating thing in the endless string of frustrating things that make up this show.

morgana learning that merlin has magic would've transformed the source of merlin's anxiety from a crippling fear of being outed someday to the crippling fear of knowing she could out him at any moment. this would make him want to beat her to the punch (perhaps he'd consider killing her for a minute and decide against it because she isn't a cartoonishly insane evil person in my version of events) and maybe he would even feel some tentative excitement at the idea of coming clean, now that it seems inevitable. after all, he always intended to tell arthur eventually! and i think gaius would have to admit outright that he does not want merlin to tell arthur he has magic because he, gaius, simply cannot risk such a gamble. it would be so interesting to see gaius and merlin clash and disagree once it becomes obvious that it's not merlin that isn't ready for the reveal, it's gaius. delicious!

with morgana's knowledge looming, things would inevitably spiral into a magic reveal by the end of season 4. i picture this season as an absolute mess of miscommunication between everyone at camelot, which is, y'know, canon. growing increasingly cunning and vengeful, morgana would use this tension to her advantage, destabilizing the court from the outside while she creates alliances with other sorcerers outside of camelot (instead of living alone in a hovel for no reason — morgana le fay i'm sorry i'm so sorry they gave you agravaine instead of your all-female entourage oh my god).

and here's where the events would change beyond recognition (aka here's where the meta becomes the fanfic i refuse to write). picture it with me: a militia of sorcerers infiltrates camelot and arthur and gwen have to set aside their differences (assuming gwen kissing lancelot and arthur overreacting happens, which it should) for the good of the kingdom as well as for love. picture high priestess morgana in her element, side by side with a bunch of misfit sorcerers that aren't so easily vilified, chopping down camelot's soldiers and knights and assuredly making their way to the newly-minted king.

then, just as it starts to seem that all hope is lost, in swoops merlin (the actual merlin, not his old fart disguise) on dragonback (kilgharrah hates morgana so much i know his sexist ass would stoop to anything to stop her)!!! imagine merlin showing off the extent of his powers in front of everyone and preventing the sorcerers from getting any further, declaring loud and clear that camelot is protected by him, by emrys. imagine that display of power alone being enough to send everyone home.

imagine the loyalties clearly drawn: merlin on arthur's side, morgana on the sorcerers'. imagine arthur, feeling confused and betrayed by everyone at this point, banishing merlin despite everything he's done for him in the angstiest, most emotionally dysregulated scene the show had ever put to screen. imagine merlin starting season 5 free at last but very lonesome, an embittered dragonlord like his father. imagine the absolute mess camelot would become without him, even with gwen — now queen guinevere — there to pick up the slack. imagine arthur actually earning merlin back, finally growing into his role as king as he does so. imagine the reunion.

all this and more could've been not just possible but inevitable if morgana was allowed to remain a complex character that is neither inherently good nor inherently evil: it was undeniably the biased and one-note treatment of morgana's downfall by the writers that set the precedent for literally everything else that happened after merlin chose to poison her. the show wouldn't have even had to jeopardize its tone or the monster-of-the-week vibe, all it would've had to do is admit that even the "good guys" are capable of mistakes and what makes them good is the ability to feel remorse and change for the better. (as opposed to uther, who was miles beyond redemption since way before the pilot and deserved to lose everything and die alone. OBVIOUSLY???)

in a world where morgana remains multifaceted and sympathetic, mordred would get a better arc as well, so if we really wanted to, we could still end on the same tragic note that the show ended on. with so much harm inflicted onto so many innocent people by the pendragons for so long (including mordred and the many druids and sorcerers that raised him), it could realistically end up being a little too late for anything more than one shining glimpse of king arthur and the sorcerer merlin's short-lived golden age before fate catches up to them. glimpsing that reality just to immediately lose it would've been far more satisfying and far more tragic than whatever the writers thought they were doing with all that pointless carrot-dangling.

and finally, an ending in line with morgana's new and improved arc. in this version, rather than bleeding out on the forest floor alone, she would channel the morgan le fay we know from the legends: sobered up by the reality of her brother dying, she would use her high priestess status (and perhaps also her pendragon status) to be granted passage over to avalon alongside arthur on the boat — a one-way ride — just to make sure he gets there safely. this is her penance for the harm she has caused, the same way arthur's penance is to die and leave the true ruler of camelot (gwen) behind to achieve everything he was too slow and indecisive to build while he still had time.

merlin's penance, then, would be to stay behind and watch them cross over without him, waiting and waiting and waiting until they come back or until he can finally join them. which is a bit fucking harsh if i'm honest, so i'd at least make it slightly more faithful to the legends by having him return as an old man and letting him take a long nap under a tree by the shore, his body slowly enveloped by vines like the cobwebbed fisher king in 3x08, never fully sure if he's dreaming or if there really are strange shapes fading in and out of the fog over the lake. still tragic, but nevertheless a little more open-ended and whimsical than [TRUCK NOISES] THE END!

[acequeenking]

Fandom: Tekken

Relationship: Kazama Jun/Mishima Kazuya

Rating: Explicit (this one has sexy times so not for kiddos)

THIS IS POST TEKKEN 8. BIG TEKKEN 8 SPOILERS. DON'T READ IT WITHOUT FINISHING THE GAME UNLESS YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT SPOILERS.

Additional Tags: Reunion, Reunion sex, Vaginal Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Awkward Conversations About Not-So-Accidentally Trying to Murder Your Son and Actually Murdering Your Dad and Kind of Accidentally Abandoning Your Unknown Baby-Mama, Forgiveness, Getting Back Together, Dealing with the mental fallout of Tekken 2 to Tekken 8, which for both of them is...a lot, but they're getting there

"I am not the man you want me to be," Kazuya admits. "But that does not mean the man I am does not love you."

"...Still?" Jun asks, the word the only thing that can quite get out of her throat.

[angeltrapz]

Y'ALL (marijuana tw/weed tw below the cut; it's just a bong. but it's a screenshot from the website cannastyle lol)

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I don't know who to tell but I'm super super excited so: look at what I ordered today 🥺 she's gonna be here by tuesday at the latest but hopefully it'll be before then 💖

[bluegarners]

what if i told you robin IS a performance and is much harder than being batman....

[strohller27]

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[pkmndaisuki]

god i hope tomorrow isn't as disprienting as today was.

[sysig]

Tamagotchi hype, haircut hype! (Patreon)

[bambino1294]

and when I get out of this FUCKING HOUSE

[light-wrath-paradise]

Btwww I might have. A disorder. I will not specify. But it is a new one. One I don't have yet. It is not known yet.

Like it's probably nothing I mean just forget about it it's totally fine and probably nothing and I'm just being hysterical and I managed to subconsciously manipulate my doctors aha. Like don't worry about it I'm sure this is just a hell of my own making and if I really wanted it to stop I could totally just stop it. So don't even worry about it.

The fact that the only people who fully relate to me and whom I relate to are people with said disorder just means that I subconsciously manipulated them into relating to me. Somehow.