#but never say I don't do my research

[chronal-anomaly]

Yeah that checks out...

[cl4ssyjazzy]

I used to always leave a comment on a fic if I saw anything about my interests not being accurately described, but thanks to SVSSS, now whenever I get the urge to correct someone the face of Shen Yuan pops into my head like a ghost of Christmas Past and I avoid being the insufferable "Uuuum.... actually!!" Guy.

[northern-passage]

i've been thinking a lot about the word "representation" and what it means and how it's changed over the last few years, particularly when it comes to the writing/publishing landscape but also in movies and tv shows… and i really don't like it anymore. to be clear, of course i think it's important to have diversity in your work, i'm not saying i hate the concept of representation. but i do really dislike the way it's used now, and i really just hate the word itself

in a broader sense it's just become a marketing tool. i'm not impressed by any publisher or author who just describes their book by listing all of the minorities/identities the characters represent as if that should be enough. it feels very gross, very exploitative and disingenuous. it also really bothers me because it's always marginalized identities- which i understand Why, but it feels very othering to me (and again. Very exploitative as an advertisement). you would never list out "cishet able-bodied white man" as a character description to pat yourself on the back over. so why do it to everyone else? why insinuate that one is the "default" and the other one is "special"? (and when i say this i'm mainly talking about advertisements/marketing. i understand why people would specify about characters in descriptions with the plot, but i don't like to see an ad that's just "this book has gay people!" with nothing else)

which then leads me to my other point, which is that a lot of people treat "representation" as if it's "too hard." like "oh i don't know enough to write about that, i don't have that experience, etc" which is a fair way to feel! however… it's weird that people only say this about writing trans characters or characters of color. i'm writing a story right now with a character who is really into motorcycles. i personally do not know that much about motorcycles, so i researched what parts are what & what different kinds of models there are & what basic bike care looks like. i guarantee Most people will have to google something at some point in their writing process. so what's the problem? it also, again, feels very othering when authors treat certain groups of people as "impossible" to write, "too hard" to understand. they are just.. people. you write them as a person. and then you figure out the rest later.

and i think part of the refusal or fear to write something outside of your experience is because of the way representation is treated as So Special. these characters are So Special that they aren't allowed to be anything other than "representation." they're Not allowed to be characters with complex emotions and interesting motivations, they have to just be Trans or Gay or Disabled or whatever. they're not allowed to be people. which means, at the end of the day, we loop right back around to where we were at the start….

there is bad representation. there are depictions of certain marginalized people that are harmful and that are damaging, i'm not trying to minimize that or argue against it at all, in fact we should all be mindful of that while writing and reading. but i also think it's possible to swing too far in the opposite direction as well and put certain groups of people on a pedestal and not allow them to do anything at all but be Perfect Representation, if that makes sense.

[skylarbee]

if any of you are still feeling weird about that infamous interview, here is what alex said about it (and why that ashley girl doesn't like him). i really want to point out that what alex says here is the exact same thing us, miles fans have been saying since forever. so, if you are a fan of alex, but throw shit at miles, just remember that your favourite also supports him. and maybe think twice before starting arguments with miles fans and keep in mind that alex has the same opinion about it all.

Alongside Arctic Monkeys, Turner has a long-term side-project called The Last Shadow Puppets with his best friend, the Birkenhead singer-songwriter Miles Kane. During the promotion for their last album, the two did an interview with a female journalist from the music webzine Spin. Turner was being his usual unforthcoming self, so Kane attempted to break the ice with some groan-inducing banter. This included inviting the journalist up to his hotel room when she asked what he was doing after the interview, which, in hindsight, was pretty stupid (he realised as much the next day and emailed her to say sorry). The result, though, was a lengthy op-ed calling out Kane’s unprofessionalism and the misogyny of the music industry at large. Personally, I found some of her complaints against him a tad flimsy — holding eye contact for too long, high-fiving her, “yanking” her in “for a not entirely consensual kiss on the cheek” as she said goodbye, and not least the idea that interviewing a rock star is ever supposed to be an exercise in professionalism. What did Turner make of it all? He sighs. “I think he made a joke he shouldn’t have made and realised he had misjudged the situation.” I thought it was a bit OTT, I tell him. “Yeah, I’m not sure it was deserving of that response honestly, but you just can’t make a joke like that.”

(from 2018, this interview)

[causenessus]

just so u guys know i haven't been this attached to someone (suna) since oikawa tooru which started like 4 years ago i kid u not

[gender-euphowrya]

spell of explode all transphobes Activate

[the-busy-ghost]

There are many reasons my interests are more geared towards mediaeval Scotland than mediaeval England, but at least one of them has to be the fact that I am completely incapable of Being Normal about the Lion in Winter and Shakespeare's second tetralogy.

[hauntedorpheum]

first time people tell a content creator GIVE US MORE ADS

[sea-owl]

Okay, so the Addams family (yes, I will make this reference even though the Featherintons are not gothic in this AU) are an ancestral and powerful family in the world of magic. And Penelope's mother just happened to be born in this family.

Portia Featherinton went to Hogwarts and had wonderful years in its halls, laughing at the ghosts and paintings on the wall. Somehow, she ended up in a marriage with a muggle.

Penelope grew up in two worlds, one full of magic, where her mother was actually happy, and the world of her father, surrounded by the restrictions of the ton, but she had Eloise, she had the Bridgertons, and most importantly, she had Colin.

On her eleventh birthday, she didn't pray, she didn't know which world to pick, so destiny choose to her. Weeks later, her mother woke her up, smiling and giggling. Penelope was going to Hogwarts, even with her obvious lack in talent in magic. So, she packed her bags, promising her mother she would never tell a soul about the school, and trying to calm Eloise nerves about being separated from her close friend. She didn't get to say goodbye to Colin, him starting his travels and not being home.

And the thing is, she adored the school, and even made friends who weren't Eloise. There's Simon, a former Slytherin who now worked as a teaching assistant in potions, and Kate, the brave Gryffindor that shined bright on the quidditch team, Sophie, a kind Hufflepuff with a talent for divination, and Gareth, her fellow Ravenclaw, a year younger, whom she took under her wing. Then there's Phillip, a sweet Hufflepuff who spent his days in the gardens, and Michael, a talented in transfigurations Gryffindor who spent his trying to get him out of there.

In comparison, she just kinda hated going back. She missed Eloise, just like someone misses their limb, but she hated the ton. Hated being looked as if she's weird just because she goes to an unknown school with her sisters, hated being ignored, just an unpleasant feeling by being there.

At 18, she graduates and starts working at the Daily Prophet, and spends most of her days away from her dad's side of the world. Away from Eloise, and the Bridgertons, and Colin.

In her 28th birthday she apparates to her mother's birthday party, only to be discovered by Colin.

Chaos ensues as her, her friends, with the addition of genius Lucy, a Slytherin who is claimed as the brightest witch, and who somehow likes arithmancy, and her family try to gaslight the boy into thinking he's crazy. Colin falls in love amist this.

Wait, I somewhat have a Harry Potter au! Link

The post is more to do with Michael kidnapping, I mean force befriending, I mean adopting, Phillip and Penelope at Hogwarts. Still applied the whole spouses only thing for the magical world but this a great expansion for it!

Again, fair warning everything I know about Harry Potter was absorbed through the fandom with random videos popping up on my tiktok. So this is highly me just winging it. I might tweak this though just a little bit.

Penelope, for all her life, had heard the whispers around her about how weird her family is. Even when others weren't making a sound. They say her family dressed oddly, that her mother miserable old bat, and that she was so unnoticeable it was creepy how she somehow always seemed to answer others even without them saying a word.

It was true that her mother dressed her daughters differently than others, but what they don't know is that citrus colors were to hide the reminisce of the magical world her mother was born into.

Yes, her mother was miserable at times, but wouldn't you also be miserable if you were forced to hide the one part of yourself that you loved the most? Her mother's misery was derived from being forced to stay in a world that forces her to supress herself.

As for Penelope herself, she can't help she hears things others say. Maybe they shouldn't be speaking if they don't want her to hear.

The truth was Penelope's mother, Portia Featherington, was not from the world of the ton. Born Portia Addams, Penelope's mother was a witch, born into the Addams family, a powerful and old magical family in Spain. During Portia's childhood she was brought to England's wizarding world, and later attended Hogwarts. Portia adored her time in school, and she adored magic. Things after Hogwarts became murky but somehow, she ended up married to Penelope's father, Lord Featherington. This marriage forced Portia to stay in her husband's world and hide her magic. Now the only time Penelope sees her mother smile is when they visit their Addams family members or during the nights when Portia brings her daughters outside and teaches them about magic under the moonlight. If Portia could, she would leave the ton behind and fully rejoin the magical world.

Penelope herself wasn't sure what world she would prefer to live in. Despite the whispers and restrictions of the ton she had her best friend Eloise, and her family the Bridgertons, who sometimes felt like Penelope's second family. Of course, there also Colin Bridgerton, Eloise's older brother, and the man Penelope was secretly in love with. But the magical world was also quite fascinating to Penelope, and there were times that she found herself smiling more in the magical world than she did in the ton. Even though Penelope does not have the same accidental magic bursts that her sisters displayed she knows her mother is hopeful all her four of her daughters will go to the same school she did.

On Penelope's 11th birthday she did not pray for one way or another. She was still unsure what world she wanted to be in. She decided to let destiny take the wheel.

About a month after Penelope's 11th birthday she was awoken with her rmother laying next to her, giddy as a child.

"Oh Penelope," Portia sang. "You have a letter."

Turns out Penelope was going to Hogwarts after all. With a promise to her mother to not tell a soul about the magical world, and reassuring Eloise that they will write to one another Penelope found herself in a carriage on it's way to her mother's world.

Once Penelope was at Hogwarts she found out why her mother loved it so much. There was something freeing about magic and Hogwarts felt like endless possibilities. That hat hesitated when sorting her, it had debated between Ravenclaw and Slytherin before ultimaly deciding to put her in Ravenclaw. Penelope also found out why she kept hearing whispers in the ton at Hogwarts. Turns out she had an affinity for legilimency and what she thought were whispers was really her going into people's minds and reading their thoughts. Oops.

Sorted into Ravenclaw Penelope found herself quickly making new friends too. It started with her fellow first year, and fellow Ravenclaw Edwina Sharma. Edwina proceeded to introduce Penelope to her older sister, Kate Sharma. Kate Sharma was a Gryffindor, a talented quidditch player, and had an affinity for magic associated with magical beasts. Next came her kidnapping, okay fine surprised friend adoption, from Hufflepuff Michael Stirling, who has a talent for transfigurations. Through Michael Penelope met one of his other surprise adoptees Phillip Crane, a fellow Ravenclaw who spends more time in the herbology greenhouse than he does in his dorm. While being dragged by Michael to the Huffelpuff common room Penelope met Sophie Beckett, another Huffelpuff who had a talent for healing spells. It was a slow build to friendship with Simon who was a Slytherin graduate at Hogwarts and now assists the arithmancy teacher, hiding from his father Penelope will accidentally learn later. During Penelope's second year Kate came bounding in the group study session with a nervous looking first year Gryffindor Gareth St Clair, who turns out was semi related to Simon and had a talent for charms. The last one came after Penelope's graduation in the form of Lucy Abernathy, a Huffelpuff divination specialist, who Penelope's sister, Felicity, had befriend.

During her time at Hogwarts Penelope found she did not want to return to her father's world of the ton. She found the longer she was away from it the more she came to hate it. She found even less reason to keep coming back when her letters with the Bridgertons lessened until they were practically non-existent, then her father died too when she was 14. Without a son Penelope's father wrote in his will that whichever of his daughters had the first son would inherit the estate and their son would become the new Lord Featherington.

Portia raged that it was one final jab at her, another reason to force her to stay around the ton.

When she was 17 and graduated Penelope had begged her mother not to debut her like she did with Prudence and Philippa. She argued that there was no way she would have the first grandson since the ton didn't even notice her for one thing, and Penelope wanted to stay in the magical world.

Portia gave her daughter her blessing and Penelope fled to the magical world, finally staying. In the magical world Penelope had a well-known novelist under the name Lady Whistledown. She's known for her characters being so lifelike and the enchantments she used to let readers hear the voices of the characters as they read. Penelope doesn't mention that the reason her characters are so lifelike is because she'll study people and with her legilimency she can casually hear their passing thoughts as they walk by her.

When Penelope is 19 and getting ready to write her next book Edwina drops a bomshell on her.

"You want to what?" She could not have been hearing Edwina right.

"I want to participate in a London season as a debutant," Edwina repeated.

"Why?" Penelope asked beyond confused. "And why do you want me to join you? What of Mr. Bagwell?"

Charles Bagwell was a scholarly man Edwina had met as she continued her studies at University. Since their first conversation Edwina has been infatuated with him, possibly love him. Penelope could not think of any reason why her friend would want to give up a rarity like that for a London social season of all things.

"Actually, it's all for research," Edwina answered. "I am researching on how enchanted instruments sound to muggels vs witches and wizards. I figured the balls of the London social season would give me both instruments to enchant and a group to study off of with the debutants."

Penelope raised an eyebrow because Edwina still hasn't explained why she wants Penelope to run the London social season with her.

"And I was hoping my very good friend with knowledge of the social season and the ability to hear others' thoughts would join me so I know what the debutants internal thoughts are when they hear the enchanted music."

"Edwina!" Penelope exclaimed.

"What? I'm not asking you to dig into their minds," Edwina said. "Just do what you normally do and passively listen."

Penelope stared down her friend, and Edwina stared right back.

"Fine," Penelope said," but I want that nice new quill set, the one with the raven feather."

"Deal," Edwina said.

"And," Penelope stressed. "You must get all of our friends who are of age to come too. So that means Simon, Michael, Phillip, Sophie, and of course Kate."

Edwina's jaw dropped. "How am I supposed to drag Simon and Phillip to London? And why do we need all three? Can't we just get Michael?"

"A debutant can only dance with a gentleman twice my dear Edwina, and you know the ton does think my family weird," Penelope said. "If you want me to gather as much information as possible we'll need all three."

Edwina groaned and plopped her head against her friend.

Somehow by some miracle (probably Kate) Edwina had gotten all their friends to come. She even got Gareth and Lucy. Though those two are on a break from Hogwarts and came with Felicity to laugh at them.

Portia had to hide her laughs when Penelope informed her of Edwina's research and that Penelope must debut to help her. With her husband dead Portia was much more relaxed. While she was still forced to stay within the ton until a grandson was born, she was now free to do as much magic as she wanted in her home. The staff to the Featherington home has dwindled as well but those who are on staff like the butler Briarly, and Mrs. Varley the head maid, are witches and wizards themselves.

Penelope had already sent her luggage ahead to her mother's house and was just grabbing a new journal to draft her new story in with her new raven quill.

"Here we go," Penelope sighed as she apparates to the Featherington House in Mayfair.

Well, not exactly to the house, but on a corner of it where one would have a hard time seeing her. While most should still be in bed or at breakfast before morning calls, one couldn't be too careful.

"Pen?"

Penelope froze. It's been years since she's heard that voice. The last time she heard it she was 16.

Turning around Penelope's horror grew as she saw Colin Bridgerton on his horse, most likely returning from one of his travels.

"Colin, it's been so long." Penelope said, her voice too high.

"Did you just appear out of thin air?" Colin asked, bewildered.

Damn, damn, damn! Deny, deny, deny!

"Colin don't be silly," Penelope said. "Humans appearing out of thin air? It's only the stuff of fantasies."

Penelope began to walk back towards her house. "If you will excuse me, my mother is waiting."

Once inside Penelope ran to the drawing room. Thankfully only her friends and Felicity were in there. "I fucked up! I fucked up!"

[ruvviks]

made the realization my vampire story would work best as a video game and now i can't stop thinking about it

[carcarrot]

so because im insane i tried to find that sweatshirt harry anderson was wearing in that friday night videos thing and found out it was a reversible disney sweatshirt, with one side being mickey mouse comics, and the other side being a huge image of minnie mouse

[goleb]

C. barnesi 

[gxlden-angels]

how do i stop my internalized homophobia?

Ngl anon, it's less stopping it and more talking over it. If you were raised in a strict, homophobic environment, that little voice is still going to be there cause it was a part of your development. So you shout over it instead with new data

"Being gay is a sin" okay I hear you but my friends are gay and I can't really see them as sinful people

"You're broken/wrong/living in sin" okay speak your truth bestie but I'm happier living my life authentically so I'm okay being wrong for now

"You're going to Hell" cool cool but what about now? Am I happy right now? Am I living this life in a way that benefits me now? I'm focusing on this life, not a potential afterlife

I'm very STEM-oriented so my therapist and I refer to it as "Plotting new data points" You kinda just have to listen to the internalized homophobia, say okay okay I hear you but have you considered this new data point that suggest a positive correlation between being openly LGBTQ and my own happiness? Yea I know this was regarded as a sin before but statistically speaking the chances of it actually being sin are insignificant. Yea it doesn't even have a 95% confidence interval. Loving who I am seems to have a positive outcome though but I'll need more positive queer experiences to be certain

[sherlock-is-ace]

.

[girl-bateman]

One of those nights again where I try to remember things and gets facts in order while my brain hurts because of how much it wants me to stop

[confinesofmy]

me and my cousin i'm barely on speaking terms with (but in a relatively casual way) repotted her deceased grandmother's pothos today. this was our first time actually properly repotting it bc last summer it was in such a fragile state and we were so scared to hurt it that we just lifted it out of its pot and placed it in a bigger one but this go round we basically dismantled it entirely. we got eight discrete plants and placed it into four different pots!! in nine months it went from the edge of death to that many plants and like ninety leaves altogether. so if you're bad with plants but still wanna fool with them, i guess you should get a pothos.