#best magical boy

[yamislittleangel55]

What are you talking about? We’re all aware of it?

…So it’s not our memories of these lot…It’s their memories…so that means we might not see the sixth child as we don’t have vivid memories of him…and Windy will come back as the brainwashed asshole Lightning turned him into…

…Damn…

[egophiliac]

buckle up lads we're going BACK INTO THE BOOK

[thatonedudeinthecorner]

Happy pride month to these two specifically I can’t believe that Merthur is real

[goathouseofficial]

I laughed so hard at evan's ribcage and bug mandibles and proboscis's because 1) I love him 2) k looking at hir watch and saying "oh, he's probably at the tree line by now" sent me into hysterics 3) the cuts back to jammer/lou like "he's my man but at what cost" 4) sam making POPCORN and then hitting jammer with the FLOOR RIB I love her?????? unhinged best friends of all time

[cowgirls-blues]

✨Vox Phantasma ✨

Hocus-pocus, brother.

[raplinenthusiasts]

💐 @cordiallyfuturedwight

{© namuspromised}

[anodesu]

So I latched onto Amir so hard, I also called dibs on his Gemini emote. Here's my final anim pass/drawovers for FX for the swap.

[carouselunique]

They had a bit of a chance encounter on a day where Blueblood was dealing with something that was very difficult and was so caught up in his emotions he didn’t even care that he was in the garden getting grass stans on his coat and Ditzy, with her natural impulse to cheer ponies up, didn’t even notice or care that she was flying into the palace gardens when she saw someone sat in the rain.

At first he was definitely going to call the castle guards to come apprehend this strange filly with the odd eyes who was intruding when this was the last moment he’d want to entertain any desperate debutantes, however she surprised him by not fawning or anything, not even caring about his status, just putting one of her fluffy wings up and asking if he needed somepony to lend an ear.

“Don’t let my eyes fool you, my ears work just fine!”

She was incredibly disarming and while he didn’t reveal everything about why he was upset, he found himself talking about his feelings to her. And she made such cheerful remarks, and was very comforting. In the end, he felt better and she came to check on him the next day, even sharing a blueberry muffin with him. He remarked that he’d never seen her around before, and that he wouldn’t mind terribly seeing her more often.

The rest, as they say, is history.

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

Rose Recaps QL 2024 - Favourite Kisses

Continuing my lists using @abstractelysium prompts. I skipped favourite scenes because they will be on my favourite shows by country recaps (posted Korea already), and favourite lines because my memory sucks. I might go back to that one later if I have the time.

I know I'm repeating myself but it's not like I could leave it out. So I'll start with THE KISS - The Time of Fever

No need to say anything else.

The rehearsal - At 25.00 in Akasaka

The editing and the acting in both of these scenes is amazing. I'm still unwell about it.

The Magical Kiss - Cherry Magic Thailand

They kiss so pretty. I screamed, I cheered, I died. The fact that Achi initiated it was perfection.

Stolen Kisses - Let Free The curse of Taekwondo

Domesticity my beloved. They are too cute. The matching pijamas.The food giving. The music player. And all the kisses. I love them.

The Under the Bed Kiss - Boys Be Brave

What a glorious first kiss.

The Proposal Kiss - Perfect Propose

"It feels like a proposal, doesn't it? It is." I need more of them. 6 episodes is not nearly enough.

The Truth or Dare kiss - Jack & Joker

We waited for so long and were well rewarded. This was an outstanding kiss. YinWar just have amazing chemistry.

The First and the Second Kiss - Love is Better the Second Time Around

I love a good editing moment. And although the kisses are different, there's a nervousness in both of them. I love how these scenes play out parallel to each other.

The long awaited and the softest of the kisses - She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat

I love them. This moment was perfection from beginning to end.

And... I wanna include two shows that are still airing but that kept coming back to me while I was making this list.

The Under the Covers Kiss - Caged Again

BEAUTIFUL.

Smiling Kisses - See Your Love

These two bring me so much joy. What a glorious moment this was.

I'd like to thank all the gifmakers, @pharawee @pothame @wanderlust-in-my-soul @jimmysea @itsallaboutbl @hantaebaram @chinzhilla @theside-b @forcebook, for all the beautiful gifs I used for this post. You are all so talented and you inspire me everyday with your beautiful work. As do so many others here. I invite you all to share your favourite kisses if you are so inclined. No pressure of course.💜💜💜

[absolutebl]

2024 Awards - Quick Picks

I always do the Quirky Awards each year but people often ask about my basic favs as well. Here they are.

Best Music

The Rebound, it was autotuned Stray Kids (more than even JYP's normal sins) only in Thai. I'm not mad about it, and usually Thai intro/outros piss me off.

Dishonorable mention: Sunset x Vibes backing track using instrumental Christmas music. I know it's copyright free but no, Thailand. Just... no.

Best depiction of consent & sex positive message

Every You Every Me, that installment with the rocker character.

AND Knock Knock Boys.

Dishonorable mention: Korea & Thailand black-sliding into dead fish kisses and "pan around the head" no kiss filming.

Best/Most Consistent Kissers

Pond & Phuwin, specifically in We Are (there was lots of kissing) but also just in general.

Best Kiss

YinWar in Jack and Joker

Best Chemistry

SalibPon in both their shows, Pit Babe and This Love Doesn't Have Longbeans.

They also showcased two different KINDS of chemistry, slow burn affection and burn up those health codes out the gate.

Favorite New Pairs

Up & Poom from My Stand-In

GreatInn from Wandee Goodday

I can't WAIT to see their next shows.

Best Support Character

Yai from The Sign

Best Side Couple

AlanJeff from Pit Babe

Favorite 2024 Narrative Structure

Love for Love's Sake

Best Scene 2024

Unknown

Lifetime Achievement Award 2024

OffGun

My Top 10 Shows of 2024

Cosmetic Playlover

Love For Love's Sake

Unknown

We Are

Cherry Magic (Thai remake)

Wandee Goodday

The Sign

Century of Love

Sugar Dog Life

The Rebound

All my end of year round up posts:

2024 BL Trend Report

2024's 10 Best BL Kisses (and more)

Best 24 of BL 2024 - Quirky Awards

MY BEST & WORST BLs of 2024

(source)

[blatantprinterpropaganda]

god i LOVE tv. even better when it's tv that presents relatable problems like "what if i agree to be boyfriends with the cute boy i really really like but then our relationship is great until one day something bad happens and he wants to go back to being a penguin" 💖

[yamislittleangel55]

HOLY SHIT!

They’re actually duelling! And we’re missing it!!!

How dare you upset the Best Magical Boy! Leave him alone!

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Do you think Harry will able to defeat veritaserum?

I mean, It's Harry, so yeah, probably.

I couldn't track down anything about it in the books, but in a JKR F&Q she said this:

4. Why isn’t Veritaserum used in interrogations? It is, but skilled wizards can avoid its effects by using antidotes and charms. A gifted Occlumens could also resist Veritaserum.

(Source)

And as it's said:

“I am about to attempt to break into your mind,” said Snape softly. “We are going to see how well you resist. I have been told that you have already shown aptitude at resisting the Imperius Curse. . . . You will find that similar powers are needed for this. . . . Brace yourself, now. . . . Legilimens!”

(OotP, Ch24)

And we know Harry can resist the Imperius Curse almost easily, but it's different with Occlumency when we see him attempt it in book 5... So, what I want to talk about is how what Harry does (both when he finally blocks his mind in book 7 and how he resists the Imperius) isn't actually Occlumancy at all. But it doesn't matter because the results are the same and it should allow him to resist Veritaserum too!

This is Harry resisting the Imperius curse:

Ah, it was bliss, not to think, it was as though he were floating, dreaming . . . just answer no . . . say no . . . just answer no. . . . I will not, said a stronger voice, in the back of his head, I won’t answer. . . . Just answer no. . . . I won’t do it, I won’t say it. . . . Just answer no. . . . “I WON’T!” And these words burst from Harry’s mouth; they echoed through the graveyard, and the dream state was lifted as suddenly as though cold water had been thrown over him

(GoF, Ch34)

This is Harry practicing "Occlumency" in book 7:

His scar burned, but he was master of the pain, he felt it, yet was apart from it. He had learned control at last, learned to shut his mind to Voldemort, the very thing Dumbledore had wanted him to learn from Snape. Just as Voldemort had not been able to possess Harry while Harry was consumed with grief for Sirius, so his thoughts could not penetrate Harry now while he mourned Dobby. Grief, it seemed, drove Voldemort out. . . though Dumbledore, of course, would have said that it was love

(DH, Ch24)

There are common denominators here. What Harry is doing in both cases isn't anything controlled or well thought out or focused. He and his magic are going on instinct. It's all emotion and resistance. He outright notices his secret to Occlumancy is grief — emotion.

Harry's magic is always very instinctual. He treats magic as a feeling rather than a hard science (the way Dumbledore did most of his life and like Hermione does) and in his case, he is right to do so. Harry's magic reacts to him instinctively and is very intuned with his emotions. Harry's magic is much more influenced by Harry's force of will, rather than if he's actually doing the wand movement right. (More on Harry's magic with evidence: here, here & here).

Now, this actually makes sense with how magic works, but I'll go more into it later.

Now, the reason I'm bringing up these aspects of how Harry practices "Occlumency" is because they outright contradict how Snape explains Occlumency works. Let's recall how Occlumency is described:

“Now, Occlumency. As I told you back in your dear godfather’s kitchen, this branch of magic seals the mind against magical intrusion and influence.” [...] “Clear your mind, Potter,” said Snape’s cold voice. “Let go of all emotion. . . .” But Harry’s anger at Snape continued to pound through his veins like venom. Let go of his anger? He could as easily detach his legs. . . . “You’re not doing it, Potter. . . . You will need more discipline than this. . . . Focus, now. . . .”

(OotP, Ch24)

It's against any influences on the mind. Be it the Imperius, Legilemancy, or Veritaserum. Hell, it would probably help against the mental effects of a dementor. But Snape clearly states it's about focus. For real Occlumency you need a clear mind. You need to let go of all emotion. Something Harry is incapable of doing.

And even when we look at Harry's most successful attempt to defend himself from Snape's Legilemancy in book 5, it's very similar to his reaction to the Imperius, filled with emotion:

No, said a voice in Harry’s head, as the memory of Cho drew nearer, you’re not watching that, you’re not watching it, it’s private — He felt a sharp pain in his knee. Snape’s office had come back into view and he realized that he had fallen to the floor; one of his knees had collided painfully with the leg of Snape’s desk. He looked up at Snape, who had lowered his wand and was rubbing his wrist. There was an angry weal there, like a scorch mark. “Did you mean to produce a Stinging Hex?” asked Snape coolly. “No,” said Harry bitterly, getting up from the floor.

(OotP, Ch24)

His magic casts Snape out with a stinging hex, this isn't Occlumancy, Harry had no idea he was doing it because that's how Harry's magic is. Harry wanted Snape out of his mind and his magic complied, there was no focus, no clear mind — it was all instinct and emotion.

When he throws Voldemort out of his mind in the ministry, it's the same — all emotion and instinct:

“If death is nothing, Dumbledore, kill the boy. . . .” Let the pain stop, thought Harry. Let him kill us. . . . End it, Dumbledore. . . . Death is nothing compared to this. . . . And I’ll see Sirius again. . . . And as Harry’s heart filled with emotion, the creature’s coils loosened, the pain was gone, Harry was lying facedown on the floor, his glasses gone, shivering as though he lay upon ice, not wood. . . .

(OotP, Ch36)

His emotions cast Voldemort out, not his mind. This isn't Occlumency.

I have spoken in the past about how magic in HP seems to work (based on my understanding of alchemical concepts). A spell/potion/any other piece of magic requires 3 things:

Intent - What - The intention and will of the caster to disarm their opponent.

Form - How - The way the spell should do it, make the wand fly from the openent's hand.

Energy - Magic - the power to fuel the spell.

Intent and energy must exist. Accidental magic is basically just intent and energy without the form, hence why it's usually so unpredictable and so few wizards can control it. The form is the part that changes the most between magical disciplines. It's what gives focus to that intention and makes the spell controlled. This is waving your wand while saying an incantation. This is mixing a potion counterclockwise.

The thing is, as I said, the form isn't necessary. Not only is it not necessary, it places a limit on what your magic can do and how spells can be used. We see Harry apparating as a child before he knows he's a wizard. Young Tom can control animals (not just snakes) without a spell, just his intent and magic. Lily, similarly floats unaided as a child, something we're told is considered impossible until Voldemort (and later Snape) does it in the books.

And that's why I'm saying Harry's magic makes sense. If your will is strong enough, and you have enough magic to pull it off, the form aspect doesn't really matter. Your magic can do a lot spells just aren't capable of doing (as Harry repeatedly does as I mentioned in the posts I linked above) if you have the will and magic for it. Like, Voldemort, Harry, and Lily you don't need incantations and wand movements.

(Dumbledore probably could too, he has the magic for it, but I think he's too controlled for that. I think after Grindelwald and his sister he's so terrified of losing control of his magic that he doesn't really see it as an option. I think the concept scared him until Lily's sacrificial magic (which is this instinctual magic that isn't really a spell) when he saw it can do good, but I digress.)

Now, there are two other factors that are occasionally required for magic as I mentioned in the post I linked. These are:

4. Emotion

That's what the Patronus Charm requires — happiness. But it's also what the Unforgivable Curses require, after all:

“You need to mean them, Potter! You need to really want to cause pain — to enjoy it — righteous anger won’t hurt me for long...

(OotP, Ch36)

And we see repeatedly that emotion can change how spells behave. Spells cast with emotion don't act like spells cast with just the 3 base components.

The alternative to emotion as the fourth component is:

4. Focus/clear mind

This is what Snape is talking about for Occlumency. Like the Unforgivable, it requires a particular mindset, but it's the opposite mindset. Instead of emotion, you need none. You need a clear mind.

So what Harry is doing when practicing his "Occlumency" isn't Occlumency at all, but a new piece of magic Harry invented and has no idea he invented. He invented an emotion-based magical defence to your mind and he has no idea. Becouse Occlumency, by definition, requires the absence of emotion — that same emotion Harry actively uses to protect his mind.

So, yes, I think Harry could resist the effects of Veritaserum, but it's not going to be thanks to Occlumency, but thanks to the emotion-based mind protection Harry does that has nothing to do with Occlumency. I mean, Dumbledore doesn't ever call it Occlumency:

“There is a room in the Department of Mysteries,” interrupted Dumbledore, “that is kept locked at all times. It contains a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than forces of nature. It is also, perhaps, the most mysterious of the many subjects for study that reside there. It is the power held within that room that you possess in such quantities and which Voldemort has not at all. That power took you to save Sirius tonight. That power also saved you from possession by Voldemort, because he could not bear to reside in a body so full of the force he detests. In the end, it mattered not that you could not close your mind. It was your heart that saved you.”

(OotP, Ch37)

He considers it a sign of Harry's specialness (which it is). Dumbledore is aware what Harry did is not Occlumency. Harry just misunderstood Dumbledore and now he thinks Occlumency works with emotion.

(That being said, what Harry did is a bit more complicated than how Dumbledore phrases it here, and really an emotion like anger or spite would work just as well as grief or love, and it was mostly because Harry kicked Voldemort out subconsciously and not that Voldemort is allergic to love. But, the point is, no one but Harry thinks it's Occlumency)

I think it could be really funny if post-books someone asks Harry how he learned Occlumency since he's such a good Occlumence and he reveals it's all about emotion, and everyone blinks at him, like: "Mr. Potter, that's not how this works..."

Harry: "What do you mean? It clearly works,"

Them: "Eh..."

And that's how Harry invents a new piece of magic that's an alternative to Occlumency by accident.

[horrendousmustard]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEN KANEKI!!!!!!!!!!! GOD BLESS YOU MY FAVOURITE WONDERFUL BEAUTIFUL BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LIVED FOR YOU!!!!!! HAVE AN AMAZING BIRTHDAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@kaneki-week day 5

[throwawayasoiafaccount]

Why do you think the tides have slightly turned from "Elia deserves better than Rhaegar" to shipping her and Rhaegar together? Like what is the psychology behind these people because I've seen some of them like/reblog anti Rhaegar posts while also shipping Rhaegar x Elia at the same time.

hey anon! my thoughts are a bit messy, but i’ve done my best to explain them coherently :)

so, rhaegar was the best man anyone could have when elia was alive, and most people want the best for their favs. he was considered the most handsome, didn’t have a bad personality, and he was crown prince—meaning elia was almost queen, which is often seen as the greatest role a woman can have. the narrative also treats rhaegar as a beautiful, tragic, haunting figure, and elia actually had this very aesthetically pleasing man all to herself at one point! she was married to him, had children with him, and her life was so close to perfect! but rhaegar just had to go and ruin it. 😠

for many elia stans, if rhaegar hadn’t fallen in love with another woman (they want him to have been a completely different character), then everything would’ve been perfect, and elia would’ve had the best, most desirable life. however, that’s not what happened—elia met a very tragic end, and as a result, these stans feel double the bitterness. because of this bitterness, they blame rhaegar for everything (even though it’s not logical to do so), but he’s just too ‘perfect’ to let go of. so, for years these stans have made rhaegar revolve around elia, filling his tag with posts about her out of bitterness. so, i do believe that this obsession with rhaegar x elia has always been there, but i think it’s become a more favorable stance on the elia stan side of the fandom because of a mix of reasons.

plus, rhaegar is one of the few canon relationships we know elia had, since she’s not much of a character. because of this, and the fact that most people don’t like to stray too far from canon, most elia stans are forced to focus on rhaegar, which has created an echo chamber. basically, if a sentiment about elia and rhaegar’s relationship becomes popular, then the whole elia stan side of the fandom will likely regurgitate the sentiment. (also, this desire to stick close to canon is likely why the elia x arthur ship was so popular. while it’s a total crack ship, it had good aesthetics, and since elia and arthur at least knew each other, it allowed the stans to create their perfect fanfiction whilst sticking it to rhaegar. but remember, elia was actually married to rhaegar and had children with him, so while arthur is cool, rhaegar was always ‘top dog,’ meaning arthur would never be able to match up to rhaegar to most elia stans. also, the arthur x elia crack ship is likely her second most popular ship, which just shows how little elia stans have to work with, so they’re always forced to eventually return back to rhaegar for a lot of things.)

however, even if the elia x rhaegar ship gains more popularity, these stans will never stop hating rhaegar because he wasn’t ‘perfect’—and he wasn’t perfect because he didn’t love elia. plus, rhaegar loving another woman and supposedly kidnapping her is what began the war that led to elia’s tragic death. that’s bitterness times 1000. and while i don’t actually blame rhaegar for the war, i do think that this is how an elia stan sees it. i also don’t view rhaegar’s complex relationship with elia as a bad thing—it’s actually a very realistic take on an arranged marriage between two decent people. but most elia stans will never be able to get over the fact that they almost had everything, which is why many have it out for lyanna, as they consider her a thief who ruined their ‘perfection.’

tbh, that might be why so many elia stans are so obsessed with the idea that rhaegar only got with lyanna because of the prophecy—they don’t want to believe that rhaegar actually loved a different woman and not their perfect self insert elia. that’s a bit mean of me… but i don’t know what else one would call the ‘elia’ elia stans have created.

now that i’ve laid all those thoughts out, i’ll try to explain why the tides seem to be turning… i think it may have something to do with the ‘targaryens are all evil and bad’ sentiment losing popularity. i think this shift has occurred due to a mix of factors, such as years of fandom fights and fandom cycles leading to the targs being more liked now than before. it helps that canon doesn’t actually condemn the targs/favors them quite a bit, and the influx of new targ fans from HOTD has also contributed. this combination of reasons seems to have shifted the way the mainstream fandom discusses all the targaryen characters, including rhaegar. so, with this shift, it’s only natural that some elia stans/elia x rhaegar shippers—who’ve always been there—are using this opportunity to push their agenda. while these stans still hate rhaegar and see him as the bad guy, they just can’t let go of him. and as the mainstream fandom moves away from the anti targaryen sentiment, these smaller corners of the fandom, which tend to be echo chambers, are also affected, which has therefore led to a rise in rhaegar x elia shippers and the ‘shifting tide’ that you’ve also noticed.

[moopiter]

gee whiz get a load of this guy

happy halloween from dumb and dumber over here, nobody dare buckshot to do any party tricks