#i used to follow people on my old account but now the idea of seeing my internet friends join the letterboxd

[girltomboy]

I talk a lot of shit about Letterboxd for someone who spends a lot of time on there during movies. But the truth is, I renewed my account thinking it would help me keep track of my movies and maybe make a watchlist. But I'm still crossing movies off of my notes app list, and throwing my thoughts about the ones I watch on here. Because I'm deeply uncomfortable with the Letterboxd experience, all people do on there is write one-sentence meme reviews that have mostly nothing to do with the movie itself, just for the likes, and perform. That's literally the word for what's going on there. That, or they just compare a contemporary movie to some random cult classic from 50 years ago that vaguely has the same theme or is inspired by the same phenomena. And it just gets so tired and boring really quickly. And I can't be on there without hurting from the cringe. So far ever since I recreated my account it's only helped me keep track of the movies I watch. And tbh I've been watching a lot more movies recently, but I think that's due to my bf having exams and spending less time with me during the evenings.

[markscherz]

Can I ask how you feel about your Tumblr fame?

I get the impression you just made this account for normal casual funsies reasons, but it kinda blew up by happenstance. If that's right, I'm curious if now you feel like it's kind of a more serious thing, where you have an opportunity to sorta act as a science communicator with a reach you otherwise might not?

Or maybe something else? You gonna see if you can somehow leverage your Tumblr fame to get research funding? Deputize us to harass polluters and developers destroying habitats? Crowdsource name ideas for new species?

It's a bit bizarre, in that it has very little real-world-ness to it. I showed my mother the ongoing tumblr celebrity poll, and she was like 'how many people could possibly be interested in frogs?', to which I replied 'well as of today about 46,000 and counting'.

I have always had an unhealthy relationship with fame. I spent most of my teen and young adult life fawning after it, as is I suppose very often the case.

More after the cut…

I always really wanted to be famous, but I was never really interested in changing who I was or what I represented in that pursuit. That is to say, I wanted to be known for what I was already doing, or for things that were already interesting for me, rather than things that might have much higher chances of success but require more effort or be less in line with the things that I am interested in.

I had my first brush with virality in 2012, when a poem I wrote went a little viral (largely thanks to StumbleUpon). I remember the rush of seeing how much attention it was getting, and staying up late to keep refreshing the page as the visitor numbers went up and up and up.

But not long after that, I had some closer encounters with fame and people becoming famous. That was extremely eye-opening. I witnessed first hand how strongly that can affect someone's life, for good and for bad. That experience also made me realise, quite jarringly, that famous people are still just people; that celebrity is something extrinsic to them; that they also wipe their own butts (if they are able); and that in many cases, it is a substantial inconvenience if not downright pain in the ass for them. I think this is why we see so many of the big celebrities having mental health crises or trying to live as much of their lives out of the public eye as possible.

That experience pretty much stifled my desire to achieve fame, and really changed my relationship with it. I should add that I could say much more on this topic, but nothing so coherent or insightful as John and Hank Green, who have given me so much clarity on this topic over the years through their thoughtful commentary on youtube and their podcasts.

Anyway, in spite of the fact that fame itself doesn't really appeal to me anymore, I do still have a problem wherein I quickly became addicted to the microdosing of euphoria associated with every reblog and like and follow. So I put huge efforts into social media in order to try to gain traction in the space that I felt I could really compete in—Very Niche SciComm™—and build up a following.

Tumblr was the first platform where I felt that really succeed; I managed to fight my way to a few thousand followers with a thick queue of regular posts about herpetology and other science. At that time, there was a great community building up in the rudimentary private messaging system—I am still friends with several other tumblr bloggers from that era (none of whom I have ever met in person). From that early time (2013), I think my most successful post was probably this one about germination of 32,000 year old seeds—a post that, as of today, has 836 notes, but at the time felt huge and exhilarating.

As I went through gradschool, I got more and more active on twitter, and less and less active on tumblr (by the time I wound down, I had about 8,000 followers on tumblr). This was partly because of the pornbot takeover on tumblr, which meant I basically could not go on the platform in public or at work, but also because the audience and interactions are just fundamentally different. Twitter had a different kind of vibe and energy than tumblr, and there were real SciComm experts there, who were doing it just completely differently. More importantly, I became more focussed on doing outreach aimed at colleagues, rather than non-experts.

Then, in 2017, I hit headlines for the first time. The description of Geckolepis megalepis made it big on social and traditional media, and I had my first experience with real media attention. I had a flurry of late-night phone-calls with journalists in the US. This was a different animal altogether than the few viral posts I had had until that point. It was extremely stressful, but exhilarating. Then in 2018, our chameleon fluorescence story made similar headlines, and in 2019 the Mini frogs, and in 2021 with gecko fluorescence and the smallest chameleon.

Seeing my name on the BBC News website and in the New York Times and National Geographic—those things have been the most surreal moments of near-fame I have experienced so far. The number of followers on social media is quite difficult to conceptualise, but seeing your own name in a media outlet that you consume regularly, or have grown up with, is more palpable.

In any case, I continued to run with twitter as my main platform for years, because I found the interaction with colleagues and other academics highly stimulating. In 2021, I even posted a twitter thread about a different species of frog from Madagascar every day for the full year. All this work was ultimately greeted with mediocre success; I just crested over 10,000 followers a few months before the Musth takeover. But then the platform became basically unusable. And in the fallout, I came back to tumblr, where, just by chance, I happened to find a post about the Mini frogs and reply to it and it went properly viral and now here we are. In the space of a year, I went from having 8000 followers to having >46,000.

How do I feel about that? It's bonkers. I think it is great that so many people are interested in hearing the Good News about frogs and other creatures. But I also feel like I am not really on the same playing field as most of the others in that poll mentioned above, in that I do not have any of the celebrity that several others have. And I know for a fact that there are fanblogs with far, far larger followings than I have. But perhaps that is the great thing about tumblr; that the playing field is somehow levelled…

What's the point of this ramble? Well, first I guess it is to outline that I have given fame a lot of thought over the years, and I have a long-standing and complicated relationship with it, and take it quite seriously. Second, to illustrate that I have been working on as a science communicator or person in outreach for many years—it has kind of been my social media brand since I started gradschool in 2013. And third, to kind of outline how we got here, because I often feel like you have to know where an arrow has come from in order to figure out which direction it will continue to fly.

You asked if I would somehow try to leverage my tumblr fame to get research funding—I already do that. In fact, my social media activity had a signfiicant role in landing me my current job, and will continue to help me achieve tenure. Outreach is an important part of my job, and funders like it too.

I would love to have the community-building power and tenacity of the brothers Green; Nerdfighteria has achieved some incredible things over the years, and the power of that community is now being seen at an unprecedented scale in their battle for equitable access for tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment. But I do not have that in me; this platform is the wrong one for community activation, and my community is still too small for that. Moreover, it is not organised or structured, in the way that I think effective deputisation would require.

As for the crowdsourcing of name ideas, that is currently off the table. I like to try to name things on my own or with my colleauges; it is a very good part of the process. And I have yet to hear a suggestion for a Mini species epithet that I had not already come up with myself, so I am not convinced that this would really augment the experience.

So for now, I hope that the main way I use the platform, and the power that comes with a few thousand followers, will be to spread the Good News about frogs and other wonderful animals, and the other kinds of science happening around us (and occasional other off-topic content). I hope that you are encouraged to explore the world around you, and to do your own reading to find out more about the subjects that interest you. And also I will continue to try to make meme-worthy content, because it does nice, if addictive, things in my brain when I get the clicks.

Thanks for asking, anon, and sorry for the Wall of Text.

[bubble-dream-inc]

i walk the line.

You had joked with Ghost before about getting married, never with a tone serious enough for it to be taken into account, even if it was something you dreamed about whenever you were alone with your thoughts. What you hadn’t expected was the question to come up at such an inopportune time. 

Pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Sergeant Reader

rbs greatly appreciated!

WC: 2.1 K

a/n: i hate giving my fics titles so just assume the song in the title is the vibe i want the fic to have lmao. also this is unedited and not beta read so beware of typos and shit

warnings: estabilished relationship, profanity, whump, description of wound, mentions of death, badly timed marriage proposal, medical inaccuracies, fluff, happy ending

It’s cold.

No, scratch that. It’s fucking freezing.

God, you hate the cold. Considering how much you despise it, it amuses you to think you might have been a desert creature in another life. A lizard, maybe. The types to scurry really fast and eat small insects all day. What a life.

You’re lost in your musings but you think there are a few very faint voices calling for you. Where are they coming from? Above? Seems like it. First, you hear their voices getting clearer, and recognize a word. It’s your codename, meaning, it’s your teammates voices. But why do they sound so agitated? Next, you feel pain. Quickly rising, scorching hot pain in your abdomen. 

Oh, that’s right. You were shot.

A scream echoes out wherever you are and only later you’d recognize it as your own, in the same moment you recognize Ghost’s own booming voice frantically calling out for you, and the heavy weight of Soap’s large hands holding you down so you wouldn’t trash as much. It had been ironic, really, how much the mission went smoothly, 99% of it being completed without a hitch, but right as you were about to celebrate success, some fucker neither of you had seen before had decided to put a bullet in you - any of you - blindly, and it so happened it would hit you. The offender was long gone, a throw knife lodged in his skull as quick as a blink of an eye in the split second after the gunshot was heard, but the damage was already done. A few seconds before it happened, you had groaned how much you couldn’t wait for evac to come so you could take a hot shower and sleep, since your bones were aching, and Gaz had laughed and called you old-spirited. So much for that shower, you think as you take in the surroundings of what you could see of the abandoned safe house from your position on the blood stained table. It was painful to think about if that same table was used in the past for a family reunion or to gather folks around for good news, before hell broke loose and war tore apart the people, so you didn’t think about it. Ghost called your codename again and you cast your eyes downwards to look at him, the fear in his eyes sending a chill down your spine.

“Hey! Talk to me, don’t you dare close your eyes!”

You had screamed as he was removing the projectile from your flesh, you realized. Was not your first rodeo, a thought that made you want to laugh bitterly, but just the idea of laughing made you wince in pain. His hands were currently trying to stop the bleeding, and after taking one look at the wound, you suddenly felt at peace. 

It was pretty shitty you were going to die in an equally shitty safehouse, but that’s the life you chose. So, against your better judgment, you chuckle lowly and decide to follow your superior’s orders.

“Keep talking, eh? Alright.” You groaned once more when he applied more pressure to your gaping wound. “L.t, do you- do you remember when i told you…I wanted to retire early and - fuck - get to the countryside and get a big ass dog?”

He looked up at you briefly, glad you were talking but clearly wondering where you were going with this. You knew he hated when you spoke of the future as if you were going to die - which, right now, you were pretty sure it was really happening this time - but you couldn’t help yourself. Of course he remembers that conversation, it was in the beginning of your secret-not-so-secret relationship. You had asked him what he would do if he wasn’t a soldier, and he had given you a very cryptic and vague answer that resembled a lot like nothing. In turn, you told him your wishes half heartedly, as if thinking of living for 10 more years was a very distant dream. 

The relationship between the 141’s Lieutenant and one of its Sargeants was a sort of urban legend going around. People knew it was happening, but didn’t dare speak of it, and no one had ever really seen any proof of it, so, it was best to avoid prying into Ghost’s private matters as to not risk being at the receiving end of his annoyance, and, in turn, you both found solace in having something that only the two of you knew about. It never hindered your professionalism and it had been going on for a few good years now, so it became somewhat naturalized between the folks coexisting in the same space as you and Simon after a while. However, that never stopped the natural curiosity to flourish in a few people - namely, your comrades, who always knew there was something going on given the fact you’d literally look at your superior with hearts in your eyes - so you had to ignore Gaz and Soap’s expectant eyes on you as you spoke so tenderly, the intensity of witnessing the start of what seemed like a very intimate talk momentarily sharing space with the worry they were feeling over you. 

“...Yes. I remember.”

He never forgets the things you say, even if you think it’s not important at the time. You hummed, ignoring the pain that came with it.

“Big dogs were never really my thing. I just-” A cough ripped out of you, and you didn’t need to look to know there was blood in it. “ I just thought it was the kind of thing you’d want. Big dogs fit you. It felt less scary to think about retiring once I added you in the equation.”

You were slurring your words and you knew it. As you regained your breath, you briefly saw a very wide-eyed and angry looking Price curse into his comm asking where the fuck was the goddamn chopper. Your codename being barked alongside the word “WIA” to a poor fellow soldier on the other side of the line left you with a bad taste in your mouth. You hate how scared Ghost looked, your big, scary, stoic Ghost, and you can’t help but feel selfish for leaving him, even if being shot was not your fault and wasn’t really in your plans when you left the base that morning.

“Stop talking like you’re fucking d-”

“We could have done it, you know?” Your laugh is, once again, bitter, and you’re acutely aware of the tears streaming down your face. Death has never scared you, but now that you got a reason to stay, you’re terrified. “Could’ve gotten hitched somewhere nice. Can’t really imagine you in a suit, though.”

The pain doesn’t stop, but it gets duller as you feel your consciousness slipping away, and you never fought so much to stay awake in your entire life. Simon yells something to Soap among the lines of getting something from somewhere so he can continue trying to save you, but you don’t register his words. His tone softens once his eyes are back on you.

“I’d wear a suit if you asked me to, sweetheart.”

“I know. I wouldn’t ask, though.”

Not caring there are other people in the room, you smile at him, well aware it must be uncanny to see Ghost be so tender towards another person, but again, you were the lucky one who got to see it every time it was just the two of you, so you got used to it with time.

Your vision starts spinning more and more, and your eyes start to close the moment you hear the familiar, faint sound of a helicopter getting closer, Simon’s big hands suddenly on your face to try to keep you grounded, and he sounds even more exasperated than before. He calls your name - not your codename, for once.

“Stay alive, do you hear me?! You gotta stay the fuck alive so i can take you to the bloody countryside and get bloody hitched-”

“You askin’ me to marry ya’ in my deathbed, sir?” You manage to slur out, your smile growing despite the panic you don’t have the energy to express settling in your bones, and Simon’s eyes widen even more behind the mask.

“Yes, I am, so stay with me, that’s a fucking order-”

You chuckle, closing your eyes as the frantic sounds around you all blur into a garbled mess. Faintly you feel your body being moved around, a strong wind on your blood and dirt caked hair, hear some more shouting, but then,

Silence.

——————————

Feels like the thousandth time you have woken up, and the feeling of coming in and out of consciousness is unbearable at best.

The first time - or the second, you don’t remember - there was a strong light above you, but you had no energy to open your eyes, so it lasted a measly second before you were out again. Later, you heard an unfamiliar voice saying something about an induced coma for a few days for a better recovery. You wondered if they were talking about you (they probably were). This happens a few more times before you actually feel your consciousness coming back for good, and, before you open your eyes, the first thing you notice is how warm it is, and, if you could, you’d smile. The spring air smells good, and you think you catch a whiff of cleaning products while you inhale, suddenly aware of how empty your lungs felt. The third thing you notice is the weight on your hand, and once you open your eyes, you find a familiar set of skeleton gloved hands on top of your own. A few years back you had told him with a laugh the print was very 2000’s, and he had just brushed you off with a scowl, but you’ve never been so glad to see the tacky thing. His thumb caresses your skin as he patiently waits for you to become more aware of your surroundings, and you instantly smile when you finally meet his gaze, which looks extremely relieved.

“Hi.” Your throat feels parched, voice straining as if you’d swallowed a kilo of sand, but Simon thinks your voice never sounded so sweet to his ears.

“Hi.” 

It hurts to move, but you do so anyway, slowly sitting up despite Simon’s protests just so you can see him more clearly and grasp his hand a little better. While you are busy cringing at the dull pain in your stomach from the stitches, he extends a glass of water for you, to which you grab and gulp down immediately, quenching your thirst and looking over at your partner with such gratitude an onlooker would have thought he was a literal godsend. 

“How bad is it?” Your voice still felt rough from disuse, but at least it sounded a bit more familiar to your ears. 

“Pretty bad.” He doesn’t bother you with details; he knows you were never a fan of hearing about your wounds descriptively. “But you’ve always been tough.”

You flash him a grin that has him silently flabbergasted both with how beautiful you are and how quickly you seem to bounce back from a near fatal injury. Suddenly, you remember your last words before you blacked out, and your smile turns shy as you cast your gaze down to where your hands meet.

“...Did you mean it?” 

Simon has always been extremely observant and smart, he knows what you are talking about immediately, and you like to think he is smiling under the mask as he goes back to gingerly caressing the top of your smaller hand with his thumb.

“I did, sweetheart.” His voice is low, and every time he calls you a pet name it has your heart doing somersaults. “I’m sorry I don't have a ring yet and I don't know when we would have some time off to have a ceremony, but I want to marry ya’. If you’ll have me, that is.”

Feeling like your smile would grow so big it would rip your face, you beamed at him, acutely aware of how you must have been looking like a mess with a - hospital - bed head and tired eyes, but you’d hoped he could notice the hearts in your eyes as obviously as you felt them. Things always seemed to fall in place with Ghost; no need for extravagance or huge acts, and the fact that your marriage proposal was exactly that, made you fall even more in love with him. You watched lovingly as he raised your hand to press a mask covered kiss on the top of it, and shook your head, laughing gently.

“Of course i’ll marry you, Simon.”

[fryingpan1234567]

superheroes and social media

do you KNOW how often I see a cute trend on ig or tiktok or anything and I’m just like “man that would be cute for (insert hero ship)”

but that’s an issue because like… putting your face on the internet is DANGEROUS🙅‍♂️

I had. an idea. to solve all the issues!

as fun as it is to imagine the RobinOfficial account having 4 million followers, I think it’s more fun for everyone to have accounts that only follow and allow following in the caped community

so basically Instagram for just superheroes

the ones whose identities are known can post their faces, and the ones who are still under the radar have a close friends list that consists of the people who do know them

a very few amount of people who aren’t heroes are allowed on this Super IG

including Lois Lane, whose entire presence is standard mom posts but with like. Superkids and other Kryptonians. you get it

uhh Bernard Dowd too but he only follows Tim and Steph

Alfred, who only posts the Manor and London with captions like poetry

Selina Kyle because she already had a regular account but B was like “oh that’s dangerous now that we’re affiliated”

she was like “well how am I supposed to fuel my ego with no instagram for people to thirst after me”

B sighed and was like “well,,,,,”

Harley Quinn fluctuates between being banned and interacting with EVERYONE’S content with offensive amounts of emojis

anyways tell me WHY Conner Kent has the most iconic page on the internet

it’s full of these aesthetic photo dumps and crackhead videos of YJ doing dumb shit

also Tim. he’s got chaotic gen z billionaire vibes and most of his stuff is on his close friends list because B doesn’t need to see the REALLY dumb shit he gets up to

yeah they’re both hot and yeah they’re both elite pages. but Kon’s is Sabrina Carpenter energy and Tim’s is P!ATD energy so they’re different flavors of slay

on the opposite end of the spectrum we’ve got B, who has four posts, all exactly 365 days apart

it’s the yearly Father’s Day family portrait

Dick Grayson does that millennial vlog thing but Not

“a day in the life of a 24 year old cop (who also happens to be a vigilante)”

also a compilation of clips of him jumping off buildings, some taken by him and some by other people

can you IMAGINE this dumbass with a gopro

Red Bull wants to sponsor him what can I say

he lets his favorite villains follow him

WHEN I TELL YOU BILLY BATSON HAS THE MOST FAMOUS PAGE OF ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY

because he was a public figure ANYWAYS. this is the idiot who used to walk around charging people’s phones with his powers and taking selfies for cash. people know him

so Captain Marvel has this crazy account with him doing memes and slo mo compilations of him punching guys from his body cam

his most hit post is a video where he found a cop harassing a bunch of kids on the street (who he happened to KNOW) and without saying anything at first just kindaaaaa walked over and fried the cruiser’s entire inner workings

“yo, copper! I think somethin’s up with your system, man!”

while the cop was trying to figure out how to start his fucking car again, Billy herded the kids down the sidewalk and they all took off running, giggling like maniacs

Damian Wayne doesn’t post a lot, but when he does, it’s to match with Jon

I mean like taking pictures of each other from across the same table and the captions are each half of a whole song lyric, stuff like that

his personal favorite is actually their softlaunch— they found an entire wall of mirrors at the planetarium on a date, Jon had his right hand on Dami’s waist and the other in his pocket, and Dami was standing in front of him, holding the phone with his right and tilting Jon’s face down with his left to press a kiss to the underside of his jaw. neither of their faces are in it and it was Damian’s wallpaper for a WHILE

my babies ANYWAYS

Diana Prince posts exclusively about her favorite ice cream shops

Bart is the kid whose note is always like “in the hospital👍” / “sick again” / “hate broken ribs I can’t eat seven burgers in this condition” / “got possessed by a death god again :/ third time this week” and it’s like jesus man can you catch a break

can you imagine finding fucking Superman has a verified instagram account but it’s private so you can’t even follow freaking SUPERMAN

Duke Thomas is thoroughly over his siblings’ shit and there’s a ton of videos of them being dumbasses with captions like “someone save me it’s two in the morning”

anyways A COMPILATION OF TRENDS

“nobody move, there’s blood on the floor” for LITERALLY any ship it’s so funny

“what? you’re not coming to my tea party? Bethany, I made BISCUITS” with increasingly low res crack pics of Red Hood falling off of things, generously edited and posted by Tim Drake

dance trends with Steph and Cass

“guess which outfit is whose” with Tim and Steph but they’re both in their Robin uniforms

Tim making a cringey thirst trap edit of Jason who in response posted a clip of Tim tripping his own gear and setting off an alarm

“wearing the same outfit so no one can tell us apart” and it’s all the Batkids in their Robin uniforms (most of which barely fit) ((Bruce and Alfred cried))

the Superkids did the same thing a few days later and dragged Clark into it

not-quite-thirst-traps where they just kinda stand there over music but everyone in normal comments would’ve gone crazy

calisthenics trends. Thanks

it’s like a THING between all the Titans where they’ll sneak up behind each other, yell “THIS IS SPARTA,” and kick each other off roofs

someone sneaking up behind Jason while he’s belting Seasons of Love

MOTORCYCLE CONTENT

somewhere out in the world there’s a shaky, blurry video of Robin, Superboy, Spoiler, Blue Beetle, and Beast Boy dancing to and half-singing-half-yelling Tell Your Girlfriend

if you think of any more social media trends or videos or pics you see that remind you of a hero tag me because I’m obsessed with the idea of these idiots on socials

[captain-n-crunchies]

Miles 42 Headcannons ( We got a man yall 🤭🤭

Miles 42x Black Reader

OK first off, THIS IS A 15/16 YEAR OLD CHILD HE BROKE AS HELL

Like he not broke broke but, hell shadow box for $5 and win ts. To me I feel he got a little money saved form how his dad taught his savings, and he got a back account because remember he's like a hitman he gets paid, but he's not like rich enough to the point he buys you like Rolex watches, Catier, Dior vintage bags from the 70's spring collection.

Next, I feel like to me evry says hes like some bad boy to me i just think hes troubled but, hes a good kid. In the first movie Miles acted the same way and in the second movie he's more mature I feel like Miles-42 matured faster since his dad died; he could never play with action figures when no action was taken to save his dad

It very sad how they describe him in fics as like a drug dealer bad kid when really, I think he's just a matured yet still goofy version of Miles like imagine Hobie attitude with miles it practically the same!

Also, more on the dating side of things Miles-42 I believe would not trust his s/o til 3 months later or even more. Miles-42 is a hitman, and he may have been taught people are going to burn your bridge when they have the chance so, Miles stays clear of really revealing his inner turmoil's til he can fully trust you.

But, when Miles does open up he's like a little flower all nice and smells good yet can still have you in the bed sick and tired if tried hard enough, I feel like his emotions would turn more gentler like he wasn't neglecting you but he kind of was condescending when you show a lot of affection and until you prove your real, hell just make the relationship picture worthy and not living worthy.

But an opinion I know people would say is true is that Miles both of them cannot flirt. Remember than most likely Miles-42 dad and Miles-1160 uncle died at or around the same time which means they both experienced the same ' I almost messed up my chances with this cool girl because my uncle/dad didn't teach me how to be a smooth criminal' but to me with how he put his hand on Miles-1160 shoulder..that man had one girlfriend in the 5th grade and he's been feelin himself since then.

Now before you two started dating you have crushes, Miles didn't have many crushes to my idea. I feel like he didn't see it like he thought of kids as friends and if he did like smb it would be like quick and over with simply because he would try to be friends more.

Like imagine you tryna shoot your shot with him and he just asks you what your favorite power ranger...that what I mage would happen but he's 15/16 so instead it him saying ' cool but, not interested' like he's not rude about it but, you would feel he not messin with you,

Buttt if he does have like a real crush on you, I feel like he would try to get to know you by socials than irl, like asking Ganke can he ask for your socials and then following you and from there trying bag you by cheesy but smooth texts. He would ask about your day, what was the homework, what clubs you do ask a conversation starter but, if you feelin him hell asking about music because I feel like Miles-42 and Miles-1160 both have a music bone in them, and you know Miles-42 listens to good music (won't ever catch him listening to mf Lil Pump ass) I also feel like Miles would ask about pop culture opinions to see how you are as a person like do you watch any popular tv shows? Ohhhh your favorite is Greys Anatomy... so you have nothing to do in your time? That what hell thinks.

My last little head cannon is more of what he would do if Ms. Rio liked you, which because he respectful baddies she likes us quickly, so What would miles do if Rio likes us 🧐

First, Miles wouldn't tell but shell know simply because Miles never smiles at a text, it doesn't matter if he won $128302 million, he not smiling until he met our lovely baddie reader now, he is giggling and kicking his feet. To Ms. Rio that's not normal, it gives her a sense of his old self and she doesn't pry into his social like a helicopter parent but, she doesn't take a peek over his shoulder and when Miles does get the courage to tell her she just smiling acting like she aint know.

Miles seeing his mom like would take a big relief off his shoulders because he thought about the reddit stories where the mom is crazy and now, he thinks his momma gonna run us over with a truck and blame it on the next-door neighbor (true miles fashion)

His mom liking you also lets him know he picked the right one, mothers know best when it comes to fake people for some odd reason and if Rio didn't side-eye you when she met you then your good and he's inviting you to his house more often. I'm not going to talking about Uncle Aaron because I feel like they not as close like that but that a head cannon for a sad day.

But, at the end of the day Miles wants us bad 🤭🤭

[pipwritesoccasionally]

the love we share (two little lines part 4)

toji x reader

in which you go to your last appointment of your pregnancy with toji.

technically AFAB reader, but i've left it as gender neutral as possible.

wc: 1188

parts: 1 2 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

goodness gracious does your back hurt. after carrying a whole other human in your body for over 37 weeks, you’re ready to give birth. unfortunately, the universe has other plans for you, and so instead of going to the hospital to give birth, you’re getting ready for yet another appointment. 

you waddle around the house, ankles burning with your newfound weight, getting all of your records and doctor’s notes to bring with you to your appointment. 

“toji! we need to go!” you yell, holding onto the handrail to make your way down the stairs. toji’s footsteps stomp down the hall, and he meets you at the bottom of the stairs, supporting you with a hand in yours.

“i got the keys already, and i got you a car snack so you don’t get sick,” he hands over a granola bar, and you feel your eyes well up with tears. 

“i’m so in love with you,” you cry, and he wipes your cheeks. at this point, he is so used to your hormones that he does not even question why you’re crying. 

“let’s go see our baby,” he says, and you nod, following him to the car.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

you’re laying on your back, cold lotion rubbed over your belly to aid the ultrasound. the doctor brings the machine over, and you see your baby once again. 

“they’re beautiful,” you whisper, holding onto toji’s hand. looking over, you see your husband’s eyes full of light and love for your coming baby.

“yeah. they are.” he says softly, and you squeeze his hand. 

“now, i know you’ve said that you don’t want to know the gender, but i just want to double check one more time,” the doctor asks, and you shake your head. 

“we want it to be a total surprise,” the two of you had discussed this as you slowly moved into your second trimester, and you had both decided that you wanted to find out the baby’s gender when you give birth. in order to make it easier on your bank account, the nursery was full of both megumi and tsumiki’s old baby supplies, still giving you enough money to take care of the two kids. 

“alright. well, the baby looks almost fully developed, and their heartbeat sounds normal. they should be coming sometime within the next week, and if you need anything, or if anything happens, please come see me again,” you and toji thank the doctor, and start the effortful journey back to the car, where you eventually slump into the passenger seat. 

toji slides into the driver seat, hand resting on top of yours. 

“so,” he begins, “how are you feeling?” 

this is a question that he’s posed to you many times throughout the duration of your pregnancy, but with the idea of giving birth casting a shadow over you, it had never been more appropriate. 

“i guess i’m nervous,” you say, completely understating your true feelings. you were positively terrified. all your life, you’d heard people recounting stories about how birth was one of the most painful things ever. 

“you know you can’t lie to me, doll,” toji says, him squeezing your hand this time. you sigh, but nod. 

“i’m so scared toji. i mean, it’s supposed to be some of the most insane pain of my life. also, what about the kids? a baby is exhausting, and i don’t want them to feel abandoned.” 

“hey, breathe. remember how we talked about making time for the kids months ago? we will make it work. and you’re not alone, i’m here to help take care of all of our kids,” his large, warm hand comes to cup your cheek, and you lean against him. 

“what if i’m not ready?” you ask, and he shakes his head. 

“you’re already the world’s best step-parent, so raising our biological will be a walk in the park for you,” you laugh lightly, but he continues. “i’m serious. megumi and tsumiki really do like you more than me.” 

“i doubt that. they love you,” your face breaks into a grin. 

“which means that they love you a lot too,” toji smiles softly at you, and you don’t know if you can love someone more. 

“stop being so handsome!” you exclaim, turning away from him. 

“only when you stop being so attractive every single day,” he responds without missing a beat, amplifying your embarrassment. 

“stop!” you laugh. 

“i can’t, doll.” 

how can you keep a normal heartrate around your beautiful husband when he compliments you like that? you turn your head back, staring at him. 

“what? is there something on my face?” he asks, running a hand down said face. 

“no. i’m just wondering how i got so lucky,” his ears turn pink, and he tries to cough to hide his blush. 

“if anyone’s lucky in this relationship, it’s me,” he says, and you smile. 

“can we just say we’re both lucky? we do live with megumi and tsumiki,” you both laugh, before pulling on your seatbelts. 

“that sounds right. those brats are, well, brats, but they’re pretty cool too.” 

“i’m pretty sure that’s a contradictory statement,” the car revs to life, and he hums. 

“maybe. either way, they’re pretty cool kids.” 

“wait. is toji fushiguro not calling his amazing kids brats for once? i’m shocked,” you feign shock, with your hand placed against your chest. he scoffs, pulling out of your parking spot. 

“okay, i don’t always call my kids brats, and never to their faces. i can’t have them misconstrue my meaning,” his pretend annoyance at his kids is something you understand as sarcasm, but the kids might not.

“besides,” he continues, “we both know that they’re the greatest gifts the world has ever given us. and i’m sure baby #3 will be just as great a gift,” warmth envelopes your body as toji cups your belly, looking lovingly at your bump. 

“we love you,” you whisper, rubbing your belly. while you know that most parents talk to their babies in the womb, you and your husband were more reserved. you mostly just told the baby how much you love them, and how excited you are for they to come home. 

“yeah, we love you so much. so do megumi and tsumiki, though they might be grumpy teens when you’re old enough to know it,” toji says, and you laugh. the car develops into a serious silence, and you find toji looking at you with serene look in his eye. 

“is something wrong?” you ask. 

“no, nothing’s wrong. i’m just thinking about how i’m so grateful for you and our baby. my life is better because you’re in it,” toji can seem gruff or standoffish, but he can be such a sweet-talker to the people he loves. 

“i thought i couldn’t fall more in love with you, and you’ve proved me wrong. you’re the best husband i could ask for,” you lean in, and he meets you halfway with a kiss. 

“alright, should we go home?” he asks, holding your hand over the middle console. 

“yes, we should.” you reply, the car crackling with warmth from the love you share.

[bethanysmiled]

uughghg I feel so disconnected from this username but I'll put it under a cut. CW: suicide/death mention

As an artist, I'm always changing in some way. I always accept the changes wholeheartedly, bc that's what growth is. I feel this username is associated with a part of me who is gone now and I worry sometimes people except a certain sort of content, which I obviously wouldn't force myself to produce. I heavily associate this username with a horrific time in my life bc things began to get really rough around the time I began to use this username and then ofc I went on long hiatuses during the use of this username. My sister's death was not an overnight event. Her physical and mental health deteriorated over the course of years. During those years, it consumed me entirely. Mind, body and soul. That's when I became less and less active. That chapter of my life was horrific, but it has passed. When I say 'passed', I mean to say that my sister is gone and will never come back to me. I am existing in a way I never have before, I'm learning to cope and carry on without someone who made up half of my fucking soul and shaped me in too many ways to count. I'm now in a new place mentally and physically, and using this old username really just reminds me of the difficult times and the art I had created back then. I also draw Fortune much less bc my sister and I heavily bonded over her. She became a comfort character for my sister, and she drew her almost daily for me and made me various other gifts. I often see Fortune now as someone who harbors sadness and loss. It's not entirely the case, but in a lot of ways its hard to draw her now. She was my happiness, and I am blessed she was happiness for my sister too. Now, it's hard to find that comfort in her. Anyway, those reasons are why I want to change my username but have no ideas! ALL of my usernames have been inspired by BMSR/Tobacco in the past but I haven't really connected to any songs lately. WOW rant but it's been on my mind for years. If I go with a new username, I won't abandon this account or anything. At least I'm super happy to say I've finally connected to a new nickname! I have been going by Pony for a long time now, I wish it were my real name lol But it's really really nice to have found a connection with a nickname. Anyway thank you for reading and for following me through all my ups and downs and hiatuses and changes.

edit also:

I still heavily associate with the word ‘hole’, so it would be cool to find username with that word. I love the idea of holes and not knowing what is in them. I also have a connection to sunflowers in more recent years, but the word is so long. Idk! Usernames tend to just come to me, so that’s partially why I haven’t officially moved on from this username even tho I have tried 💀 I always revert back bc others didn’t feel right. Anyway.

[sturniololoco]

Could u do a Colby Brock x sturnilio triplets sister? Like shes a part of the triplets channel and goes with them to Collab with Sam and Colby

Are you Scared?

Colby Brock x Sturniolo Little Sister (SLS)

Warnings: Kissing, ghosts, random shit, etc.

Note: Kinda set from the collab but some event r out of order, might do a part two, let me know

SLS's POV

Today was the day I've been looking forward to for months:

My triplet brothers and I are going to film with Sam and Colby!

I've been "stalking" their account since we got the invite, and I must admit, their channel is pretty cool, not to mention Colby, who just so happens to be very good-looking.

I got ready, wearing a pair of black cargo pants with a cropped baby tee for the occasion. I put my hair into an elegant slicked-back bun, making sure everything was perfect.

"Hurry up SLS/N! I gotta pee!" Yelled Chris's sleepy voice from outside of our hotel bathroom.

rolling my eyes, I unlocked the bathroom door and walked out, lightly punching his arm in the process.

"Okay, cutie! I see you!" Nick said as I walked out of the bathroom and sat next to him on the bed as he put his shoes on.

I smiled at him, grabbing my airforces to slide on as we waited for Matt and Chris to get ready.

-

"Alright! Who's ready to get gohstified?"Nick asked once were driving to the haunted hotel.

I laughed at his choice of words while Chris and Matt cheered from the front seat.

Leaning over, I snapped a quick selfie with Nick, mentally reminding myself to post it to my Instagram when the collab was posted.

As we pulled up to the hotel, I could tell that people thought it was haunted. The place just screamed old, scary, and ghost-filled.

I felt nervous butterflies erupt in my stomach as we walked through the threshold of the hotel's front door.

"Hey, guys!" I heard a voice say.

I could tell it was Sam's since we've watched about 30+ hours of their channel in the past week.

We smiled as we walked over to them, my brothers dabbing him up as I gave him a polite side hug. He told us to follow him so we could go find Colby.

But when he said his name, I got butterflies again, but I don't think they were scary ones.

Weird.

-

"What's up, you guys!" Colby said as we met him in the main lobby sitting area.

And I was right, he was very good-looking, even more so in person.

My brothers performed the same actions as they did with Sam, dabbing him up casually, and talking with them about how excited they were.

But I felt my face get hot as I wrapped my arm around Colby's midsection for a side hug. And the height difference was so extreme that he had to lean down to wrap his long, muscular arm around my shoulders.

as I walked back to stand next to Nick, I looked back at him to see him looking at me, with a slight smile on his lips.

My face was officially as red as a tomato.

-

Colby's POV

I knew the triplets had a little sister, but I had no idea that they had a little sister who was hot as fuck and had a great sense of style.

She was so perfect in every way, from her slicked-back hair to the shoelaces on her airforces.

She gave me a side hug in greeting and I had to lean down to wrap my arm around her perfect shoulders.

I was kind of upset as she let go to stand with her brothers, but she looked at me on her way there, her cheeks perfectly pink with a small smile playing on her lips.

She might not of been able to see it from the outside, but on the inside I was smiling like an idiot.

-

We started with a tour from the nice lady who worked at the front desk. She did a very good job interacting with the camera, as well as flirting with Chris.

That left me enough time to stand behind the camera, which just so happened to be where SLS/N was standing.

From "stalking" the triplet's YouTube channel, I could tell she was a little camera shy, hence why she didn't appear in a whole bunch of their videos.

But all the same, she came. She's now walking behind Sam who had the camera on the tour guide and her brothers.

Halfway through, she stopped to look at a painting, letting the others walk a little ahead of her. I stopped too, and decided to take my chances.

"You like this one?" I asked her, hands behind my back while I stood next to her, admiring her as she admired the picture.

She turned her head, looking a little startled as her cheeks started to turn pink.

Fucking adorable.

"oh-I, uh... guess it just caught my eye." She said, adding a cute little giggle to the end of her excuse.

I couldn't help but smile at her, just her presence alone was enough to make my chest flutter.

we began walking side by side as we caught up with the others.

"Are you having fun so far?" I asked her, trying to make the silence less awkward.

"Oh my gosh, yes! when I heard I got so excited!" She said, turning her body slightly to look at me.

I smiled at her again, happy that she was happy to be here.

-

SLS/N's POV

I was honestly so happy that Colby stopped to talk with me. He must have noticed that I shied away from the YouTube videos and came to talk with me.

We caught up with the others as the tour guide left, right beside a picture of a little girl with faded, green skin.

sam explained that we were all going to put candy on the frame as Colby got out a bag of candy from their backpack.

Everyone grabbed one as he held the bag open, then set them on the frame.

I was last, reaching to grab a strawberry-looking candy from the bag As I pulled my hand out, I brushed his, earning another red face from me.

I looked up at him with nervous eyes, but he looked down at me, giving me a smile while whispering,

"You're okay. Go put your candy up there."

I instantly obeyed, following his orders as he put his candy next to mine.

"oh my gosh! This is a great picture for the photo dump SLS/N! Get together with Colby real quick!" Nick said, whipping out his phone.

Colby and I looked at each other stunned for a moment before wrapping our arms around each other in a side hug, leaning into each other to pose for the camera.

I could feel the muscles in his torso and back as we smiled, making my heart flutter and my face turn pink,

again.

-

Colby's POV

I felt bad putting my hand on SLS/N's bare torso for the picture, but her arm around my back caused the baby tee she was wearing to slide up, exposing a little bit of her perfect frame.

Her cheeks turned pink once again as we pulled apart, smiling at each other.

Once we were done, Sam began explaining the elevator game.

-

Once Matt and Sam began their journey up, Nick, Chris, SLS/N, and I were supposed to start our own challenge, but then SLS/N spoke.

"Is there a bathroom in this place?" She said, looking around slightly.

"yea, there's one down the hall, I'll show you if you want," I said, mentally cursing myself, knowing we had a job to do.

She gave me a small smile as she followed me down the hall and back to the main sitting area of the lobby.

"it's right in there, just walk to the right," I said, pointing to the women's side of the bathroom.

"By myself?!" She asked, fiddling with her fingers slightly.

"I laughed under my breath.

"Well, seeing as I'm a guy, I can't really go with you, now can I?" I said to her, feeling the goofy smile spread across my face.

"I uh don't really have to pee anymore actually, you can go through." She said leaning against the wall, trying to look casual.

It didn't work. She looked completely terrified of going into the bathroom alone. She was still picking at her nails and her face had gone bright red.

But now I decided to use this to my advantage.

-

SLS/N's POV

Colby walked over to me and rested his forearm on the wall above my head. I could smell his musky, warm scent as he leaned in closer.

"Are you scared?" He whispered, his hot breath fanning over my face.

A smirk was playing over his perfect lips, knowing exactly what I wanted him to do next.

I nervously shook my head yes at his question, not knowing what else to do as my face burned hotter than the sun.

At this point, he was smiling lustfully at me, only leaning in closer.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." He said in his husky voice, finally leaning in and closing the gaps between our mouths.

The kiss was soft and sweet. Warm and protecting. Our mouths moved in sink with each other and his hands grabbed my sides, no longer hesitant to touch my bear skin.

He pulled away, leaning his forehead on mine. Just as it looked like he was about to say something, he quickly pulled away and sped down the hallway.

I stood there, shocked, but then regained my surroundings and chased after him.

Just as I was about to say something, we rounded the corner to see my brothers, Sam and Matt back from their trip, and the camera pointed at us.

the red light on,

recording.

Lemme know if you want a part two!!!???

@idkwhosnyla @babypat08 @eyelessdemon00 @christopherowensturniolo @sturnsxx @freshloveforthefit @matty443355 @sleepysturnss @emeraldgreenbeautiesstu @sunsetsturniolos @hoesturniolo @x4nd3rsukz @chr1sgirl4life @sstvrnioloo @sturns-posts @chrisstopherfilmed @kylasrealityx @zoeysturnioloooooo @comet235 @islaasblog @sturnioloblogs @defnotayonna @mattsleftnipple03 @thematthewlover @mattsaq @idkhowtosleep

[vesselsscarlet]

Hey my loves of my besties.

This post is a bit personal now. It is a story about Sleep Token, to be exact it is my story with them.

Because it still feels surreal to me.

So... it all started on January 7 in Dusseldorf, Germany, Mitsubishi Electric Hall.

I was there with one of my friends from uni, and also with my male best friend, we decided to see Architects and Northlane. We couldnt care less about the boys (I am very sorry for that now), they weren't relevant to us.

But after opening up with Chokehold and playing Alkaline, dude holy shit, they got me.

I started digging into their music, listened to every song ever since. And then I realized, they once were in my Spotify suggestions with "Hypnosis". But hell, that was back in 2022, and I had no idea.

But when Vore was released and they announced their Wembley ritual I tried to find someone who wanted to go with me. This is how I met a friend who now is coming with me to Birmingham and Cardiff. My friend from uni also wanted to join us.

My old blog went through so many changes, from James McAvoy to Pedro Pascal to Sleep Token. And then it got deleted. It didn't stop me. Tumblr couldn't stop my obsession.

So... I created an account again, ...

This baby, vesselsscarlet.

I didn't know it would end up as a blog with at least 200 followers, and people actually liking my stuff and ... Most importantly..

Me. Lia. That person that runs this account.

My darlings.. oh my darlings..

@moonchild-in-blue @ittwuh (I miss you darling) @autumns-veil @a-s-levynn and @con-clavi-con-jae were the first people that decided to be my besties. And then it was followed by lovie herself @fivewholeminutes and also dearest @thejawsoffate ...

Like ... how did this happen? I barely knew any people and now... I've got these people here. Wanted to be friends with me.

My account blew up... I didn't know what to do..

But @takemetoasgard @sleeby-vessel @polteergeistt @aquareegia @sleep-token @sleepanonymous @alexghost07 @the-devoured @nullcode @ccsven and even the ones I barely/never really talked to (I am sorry, I suck at interactions but ily) but are also worth mentioning... as for: @loveinthemindpalace @houseofache @ghxstly-death @crying-neptune @eepymonstrr @thevenomousseprent .. and so many more..

I cannot express anything that is showing my gratitude towards you all.

You all... made it special. You are the reason why I am still up here.

And when it comes to the UK Tour this year...

I cannot believe it but I am gonna do it with so many amazing people (either for the entire four rituals or a few or just meeting up for one particular ritual):

@fivewholeminutes @a-s-levynn @thejawsoffate @moonchild-in-blue @sleeby-vessel @alexghost07 Alina (my very first sleep token friend who got me the Wembley tickets) and Philipp (my uni friend)...

If you made it this far...

Thank you for being here. Thank you for being my friend/mutual.

And if you are specifically tagged..

I hope you don't mind it. But ....

Thank you so much to you as well for being my bestie. You are the best.

And thank you to Sleep Token for gifting me these incredible people.

With that being said...

Lets keep this up, and I am glad to be here.🥺

[catoperated]

At some point we’re gonna have to talk about how toxic websites like 4chan and Something Awful (rest in piss, Lowtax) influenced trans spaces online.

I only ever used SA back in the day, and it’s now mostly forgotten that “troon” came from a portmanteau of “trans goon” (goon being a member of something awful, not like a gooner… but, eh, it’s still apt), though it was always meant to be belittling.

And then there I was, a transmasc egg surrounded by transfemmes. I didn’t know how to express that I wanted what they had but different, cause I seriously didn’t know trans men existed back then. All I saw were transfemmes, and most of them were transmedicalists. I got called a transphobe when I said wearing a skirt shouldn’t be a required part of transitioning. I have since met many cool trans ladies who aren’t truscum, but the scars remain.

At the time I couldn’t fully articulate how uncomfortable I was with the idea of transitioning to the same old binary, because I also didn’t know GNC was a thing. So for a time I was suicidal because I had no idea of the options open to me. I’m not sure that reading Theory back then would have helped. Having read Theory now (both feminist and communist), I’ve come to the conclusion people lean on it way too much, take it way too literally, never considering that the things proposed have to be adapted to changing times and circumstances. It’s almost like evangelicals interpreting the Bible literally—to everyone’s detriment.

My point being, you can read anything, watch any YouTuber, but for fuck’s sake form your own opinions instead of just throwing books and videos at people like it’ll explain everything and also must be followed to the letter. It won’t, and it shouldn’t.

Yeah, I was also briefly suicidal over leftists dogpiling disability activists for daring to get groceries delivered or using plastic straws. Only other disabled people probably remember this, but it was perpetuated by that butter cat account, which was the most surreal fucking thing to watch unfold.

I’m just tired. Tired of self-proclaimed feminists failing to recognize the patriarchy is what makes us all suffer, including cis men, and that’s the real enemy. I know radfems are largely to blame for pushing the “all men bad” narrative again with the express purpose of dividing trans people, I’ve seen them cackling about what they get away with on accounts where they pretend to be trans. It’s sad people are making their work so easy for them.

I don’t hate or resent transwomen (I can’t remember if the space is preferred or not, but I’m sitting here sweating over it, afraid someone will call out my language when “troon” is already up there), but here I am right back at that awful feeling I had when trying to say skirts should not equal femininity. Fuck, I would probably be suicidal again if not for my partner, who is the best thing to ever happen in my life (love you, babe).

I don’t know how to word this better or more succinctly. My mind wanders a lot when writing. But it’s not just me, right? I see the schism forming and it’s bad for all of us, because the people who want us dead do not care how we present ourselves or how well we pass. We desperately need to support and uplift each other if we’re going to survive all the shit they keep throwing at us all in governments across the entire goddamn world.

So yeah, we need to look at how those websites poisoned the well, as it’s where that mentality of “if you’re not queer/trans in the proper way I deserve to call you a slur” mentality comes from. The pickme urge to go “I’m not like those cringe fags/trannies, I’m one of the cool ones,” too. To reiterate, the people who want us dead for existing do not care one way or the other.

Fuck, why am I worrying about how I word this? If people are gonna interpret this in bad faith there’s nothing I can do to stop them. I just wanted to get this off my zipper-tits—which I’m stealing from you fuckers who use it against transmascs. I got my dirty testosterone fingers all over it and it’s ruined now, sorry.

[cambion-companion]

Hey lovely! Can I request a Aemond x reader where the reader is also a princess, but it is said that she is a witch and in fact she is just a bit weird and intimidating, an outsider, also maybe fierce warrior (but indeed she has a gift for seeing things, has dreams and reads tarot, in really into astrology); she catches his attention and from there on you can develop the story further, like how their relationship evolves? I ADORE how you write to i trust you 10000% Also, thank you to all 7 Gods if you do this :D (and sorry if the request is a bit...all over the place? i suck at expressing my ideas)

I adore this idea, it took me a while to get to it because I want to write a longer oneshot for it. If any of you have seen Merlin...yes I am imagine Morgana and her powers. A little more magick than simply tarot and astrology, hope you don't mind Nonny :)

word count: 2516

Aemond x sorceress!reader

“Princess Y/N, it is a pleasure to welcome you to the Red Keep.”  Queen Alicent smiled at you from where she stood upon the steps leading to the Iron Throne.  

You curtsied low, your keen eyes flickering over the faces of the rest of the royal family, lingering only slightly longer on that of the tallest Targaryen boy.  He wore a black leather eyepatch over his left eye, a vertical scar running from brow to cheek, his hands clasped neatly behind his straight back.  

Your lips remained smiling as Aemond noticed your attention focus on him, giving you a short nod, his lilac eye flicking down to the ground before returning to your face.  He had the most lovely plush lips, you noticed, pushed together in a perpetual pout.  His long silver hair also gave you pause, only when Alicent cleared her throat delicately did you tear your eyes away, heat rising to your cheeks.

“Thank you, my queen.  It is an honor to be invited here for the Festival.” You gave her a winning smile before stepping to the side, allowing those behind you to have their turn to be greeted by the royal family.  

You felt Aemond’s gaze still upon you, Aegon’s as well, so you kept your eyes straight ahead, studying the seven-pointed star with forced interest.  Truth be told, you cared not for the new religion spreading across Westeros.  It held little power when compared to the Old Ways.  Though you were now forced to practice in secret lest you be discovered and held accountable for heresy.

Your feet ached by the time people started to disperse, Alicent descending the steps and motioning her children to depart the throne room.  You glanced surreptitiously to where Aemond and his siblings walked, following them out of the grand hall.  The Targaryen princess, Helaena, looked around, catching your eye.  She smiled and beckoned you to join her. “It’s so rare for anyone my age to come visit the Keep.  I do hope we will be friends.”

“As do I, princess!”  You were thrilled to make an acquaintance so quickly, having traveled to the Red Keep with only your retinue of servants to accompany you.

“I hope you also enjoy the company of many insects.”  Aegon noticed you walking with them.  He smiled ruefully as he appraised you with an appreciative eye. “My beloved sister knows more bugs than she does most people.”

The four of you had stopped upon reaching the courtyard hallway, standing in a circle together.  Aemond looked down his nose at Aegon, opening his mouth as if to reprimand him but you beat him to it. “When they are as charming as you, who can blame her?”

Aemond choked, hiding his laughter by coughing loudly behind a hand.  Helaena, who had been frowning, brightened slightly, looking at you with newfound fondness.  Aegon was gaping at you like a fish, it took him a moment to rearrange his shocked expression into a petulant glare.  “I am a prince and won’t suffer some insolent woman to speak to me in such a manner.”

“I am a princess and so is your sister…wife…Helaena. You will treat us with respect.”

Aemond placed a restraining hand upon Aegon’s arm as the latter moved menacingly toward you. “Brother, leave it be.”  He warned.

“Women are made to serve men, not give them lectures.”  Aegon snarled, trying to pry Aemond’s fingers off his arm. “Your pretty mouth has much better uses.”

A gout of burning anger flared in your chest, a familiar electric sensation coursing under your skin.  The cold torch beside Aegon’s head burst into suddenly into flame, almost catching his silver hair on fire as it singed a few strands before he had the time to leap away.  Aegon cursed, his attention completely diverted.  Helaena covered her ears and turned away, distraut.  Aemond, however, looked in confusion at the burning torch before looking at you with a calculating gleam in his eye.

“Might I have a word, princess Y/N?”  He stepped away from the wall, motioning down the corridor.

“I almost caught fire!”  Aegon continued to bat at his smoking hair.

“That would be appropriate for a Targaryen.”  You muttered, only Aemond heard you.  He frowned, taking your elbow non-too-gently and steered you away from his panicked siblings.

“Let go.” You yanked your arm free, the two of you facing each other in a narrow stone hallway.  

“What was that?”  Aemond asked bluntly, his eye intent upon your face.

“What was what?”

“That torch caught fire out of nothing.”

“I have no idea!  How would I know?”  You blustered, putting on a show of brushing invisible dust from your dress.

“So, your eyes turning yellow is just a normal occurrence?”

Shit.

You smoothed your expression into what you hoped was careful indifference. “What you are suggesting is impossible, my prince.  My eyes are certainly not yellow.”

Aemond’s mouth thinned into a line as he looked down at you, displeased. You raised your eyebrows at him.  The two of you stared at each other for several long moments before he relented, breathing sharply out of his nose, making a “hmm” sound in his throat.

“If you’ll excuse me, it is time for me to retire.” You gathered your skirts, moving to leave for your chambers.

Aemond nodded curtly, still looking you over with suspicious interest. You felt his gaze hot on your back all the way down the hallway, until you rounded the corner and out of sight.

That night sleep would not come to you.  

Donning your velvet nightgown, you slipped out of your chambers, padding down the labyrinthian halls until you found the great oaken door to the library.  It was late enough that the large book-filled room was empty, the door swung shut silently behind you on oiled hinges, a large fireplace the only source of light within the massive space.

You had lost control earlier with Aegon, the anger you had felt acted of its own accord, sparking your magick to life, quite literally in the case of the torch.  You twisted your hands together as you moved deeper into the library, looking around at all the dusty books.  Sitting at one of the many wooden tables, you pulled a candelabra over to you, looking at the cold wax of the candles intently.  

You closed your eyes, focusing your attention, arms resting loosely atop the table, on either side of the candle.  You felt your skin prickle, the familiar magick flowing through your blood to your fingertips.  You felt it everywhere all the time, but when you concentrated on expelling it into the world it burned at your fingers and behind your eyes more than anywhere else on your body.

A sound, like a sharp gust of wind through trees, and all six candles ignited, the flames spouting high into the air before they settled to flicker on the wicks.  You sat back, satisfied.

“Fascinating.”  

The chair clattered to the stone floor as you whirled from your seat, a ball of purple flame instinctively held aloft ready in your palm.  

Aemond Targaryen stood near the fireplace, his posture tense, on hand upon the hilt of his sword.  You straightened, looking at him warily, the magickal fire still conjured in your hand.  

“I knew it.”  Aemond breathed, stepping carefully toward you, his hand slipping off the pommel of his sword. “You’re like those I’ve read about in the Forgotten Histories.”

He was very close to you now; you could’ve reached out and set him on fire if you wanted.  He looked at you in fascination, still talking, his voice low and soothing as though he approached a dangerous creature. “A sorceress.”

“Most would name me ‘witch’ and have me executed.”  You snapped, still very much on the defensive.

“Do you plan to kill me here and now?”  Aemond asked, tilting his head, his silver hair falling across his shoulders as he leaned forward. “Murder me in cold blood when I mean you no harm?”

“I wouldn’t trust you if you were the last person in the world.”  Still, you let the lilac fire die in your palm.

Aemond watched it vanish, his lips parting slightly.  His expression was awed. “I thought your kind had all but gone extinct.”

“My kind?”  You scoffed, stepping away from him, just out of arm’s reach. “You should know of magic better than anyone, having the blood of Old Valyria running in your veins.”

“I do.”  He said softly, still poised as if he expected you to strike at any moment. “That is why you will find me more forgiving than most.”

“Forgiving.”  You sneered, a spark gold flashing in your eyes.

“You know as well as I the Faith of the Seven harbors no tender feelings toward magick.”  Aemond’s voice sharpened, almost as though he reprimanded you. “You would do well to temper your emotions before they get you in trouble.”

“You don’t know what it’s like to be an outsider!”  You cried, your raised voice muffled by the many tomes surrounding you. “To have to be ashamed of what you can do, to have to hide who you are!”

“I know all too well.”  He murmured, a flicker of pain twisting his features.  “Please, princess.”  He extended a hand. “Allow me to help you.”

“How?”  

“There are many books, restricted as they are, that I have saved from being purged from the archives.”  Aemond explained, speaking quickly now. “They detail the use of Old Magick and how it can be controlled. My study of these texts is how I recognized what you did with the torch earlier today.”

“I didn’t mean to almost roast your brother.”

“No indeed, your cutting words did that quite well on their own.”  Aemond chuckled, the sound sending pleasant tingles across your skin, quite unrelated to magick.  

You hesitated a moment longer before reaching forward to accept his proffered hand.  Aemond smiled. “We will need to be discreet, if you are capable.”  His smile widened as you scowled at him. “The books are hidden safe in my chambers.”

“This isn’t some elaborate ruse to get me into bed with you, is it?”  You teased, Aemond rewarded you with another delicious huff of low laughter.

“I will admit you are…alluring even aside from your ability to wield magick.”

“How forward of you, my prince.”

“Don’t get used to it.”  

Aemond led you on quick, quiet feet up flights of stairs and winding through corridors.  You had to duck around corners, waiting together for patrols of guards to pass before continuing on.  Soon you reached your destination, Aemond leading the way into his lavish quarters.  “Make yourself comfortable.”  He instructed.

You sat down by one of the many bookshelves, the space of his chambers reminding you very much of the library as you watched him rummage under his large bed.  “I know they’re here somewhere.” You heard him mutter. “Aha!”

He retrieved two very aged books, they looked to be barely held together by the fraying spines, their pages crumpled and yellow.  You took on into your lap, leafing gingerly through, the smell of old book burning your nostrils.  “It’s in Old Valyrian.” You commented, looking despairingly up to where Aemond still stood. “I don’t know Old Valyrian.”

“I do.”  He placed the other book carefully into your lap for you to comb through. “I offered to help, and so I shall.”

“Teaching me Valyrian?”  Incredulity laced your tone. “That seems like a mammoth task for someone you just met today.”  You shut the book with a dusty snap. “Why are you helping me, really?”

Aemond was silent a moment, taking back the books when you offered them up to him. “There are few things I take interest in, and even fewer people.  You should be grateful.”  He moved to place the tomes gently atop his bed, sitting beside them. “I could just as easily be your enemy and give you over to the Faith.”

“You think so, do you?”  Magick fire sparked lilac along the exposed skin of your arms, gathering at your fingertips.

Aemond’s gaze dropped to watch the energy gather along your hands, his pupil dilating slightly.  “Focus your will, channel that emotion you feel into purpose.”

You did as he suggested, honing your attention on pinpointing the exact emotion you were feeling strongest.  Your focus settled on the growing hope swirling in your chest, the thought of a future where you didn’t have to be afraid of being found, where you could become powerful and practiced in who you were born to be.  

The fire dancing along your fingers flashed brightly, your eyes glowed briefly once more, then the magickal fire transformed from a violent shade of purple to a soft pastel yellow.  It felt different in your blood, you could taste it like citrus on your tongue.  “What…”  You wondered aloud, raising your hand to appraise the sparkling yellow light.

“I believe…if memory serves.  That is the color associated with healing magicks.”  Aemond remarked from his perch atop the mattress.  

“How do you know all this?  You aren’t a magick user too, are you?”

“No, I am not.”  Aemond shook his head. “I have simply studied…and I know what it is like to temper my emotions, to channel what I feel into action rather than reaction.”  He tapped his long fingers upon his knee. “It’s a work in progress.”

“Thank you.”  You said, finally allowing your guard to drop a little. “I still don’t know why you’re so intent on helping me, but I am grateful.”

“I’m not entirely sure myself, Y/N.”  Aemond rose, ushering you back to the door. “I do know, however, that dawn is soon approaching and if you are found in my room…there would be such an uproar not even your powers could save us.”

You laughed, raising your hands up in mock defeat as you stepped into the cool hall. “Thank you again, prince Aemond.  I…I don’t know how I can repay you.”

“Please, Aemond is how I wish you to address me if we are to be friends.”  He said graciously. “As for repayment, I’m sure we can come up with something.”

You nodded, trying to fight down the blush rising to your cheeks. “Goodnight, Aemond.”

“Sleep well, Y/N.”  

You departed, artfully dodging the King’s Guard patrols as you made your way stealthily back to your rooms, still wondering how you’d gotten so lucky as to fall into the good graces of Aemond Targaryen.  Rumors had reached your ears of how harsh and cruel the prince was, but the man you’d met and befriended was nothing like what the gossipers whispered.  He had alluded to being familiar with hiding who he was, being ashamed much the same as you.

You mused to yourself as you slipped beneath the covers of your bed, perhaps it had something to do with the eyepatch and the scar that ran down his face.  You did not know the prince well, not yet, but you were eager to learn more about him. Especially since you found him so appealing to look at, and by the way his eye had trailed across your features, he felt the same. Your heart fluttered with something other than fear for the first time in too long.  Smiling to yourself, you curled up and soon drifted into sleep, dreaming of a silver dragon engulfed in lilac flame.

[cowboyjen68]

Hi, I want to advise you, Miss Jen . I am a 19-year-old girl, and I am a lesbian, but unfortunately, my family does not accept this idea and do not like gay people, and I have not yet told them this. I don't know what to do. I want to tell them, but at the same time, I'm afraid of their reaction. The problem is that I don't have close friends to tell this to.

So can you please give me some advice?

Because I have been following you for a while, and you make me feel comfortable when you share your stories and advice here or on TikTok. I really love you and wish you all the best 💕💕

I had a few moments on Monday so i did a quick Tiktok addressing your question.

My advice it to not tell them. Your first priority is to stay safe and maintain stability (housing, healthcare, education, etc. You don't owe them that part of your life.

I completely understand the desire to share such an important things with our parents and family. We love them and we want them to know all about things that are important to us and that includes such a core part of us, our sexual orientation. You are not any less of a lesbian if you keep that part of yourself private from them.

Put your focus on a job, a driver's license, a bank account, collection documents like your social security card and birth certificate and finishing your education. Once you are on your own and are paying for housing, health insurance and other necessary things then you can make the decision to tell them. Even once you are on your own, you do not have to. If you fear loosing them there is no shame in not coming out to them, now or ever.

You will eventually meet friends at jobs or school who will understand you and love you for all your core values and you can be yourself. Or choose what to share and what not to share. You are allowed the boundaries of some things being private with some people.

Even back in my youth the line of "Silence equals Death" was used by some to force others to come out when they were not ready or not in a safe place to do so. To be clear, that is not what it meant.

To this day I see others encouraging younger people to be "out and proud " because "we" will support you. The fact is, strangers on the internet are not able to take on the truly hard stuff of parenting that goes well beyond emotional support. It entails being responsible for a young person's mental. physical and monetary well being and it does not end at early adulthood.

Stay in the closet at home, seek friendships at work or in school that are fulfilling and trustworthy. You are not being shameful to stay safe in your home.

I am glad you found me on social media. And remember, just because I am out and loud now does not mean I always was. Taking our time to get to a good and safe place to be out takes time and courage.

[yermes]

The start of school and fall term 🍁 how will it go 🍂

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Pick a meme

123

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Disclaimer: please take what I say with a grain of salt and not as the gospel. I just want to share some ideas of practicing and giving advice using the medium as often as I can with school, work, and my own personal studies and practice. But I am working on sharing my notes soon so that will be exciting! Liking and sharing does a lot 🥰

Socials: TipJar | Follow me! | Podcast | challenge

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The cards

Page of swords reversed 👂

You are FLYING into your school term like a ball of fire, unorganized, scattered, and trying to claw and any kind of structure you can possibly find because you have new personal situations in your life. Your old personal living and emotional situations kept you in check but now you are all over the place. Its a hard thing trying to take hold of personal accountability but it will come. But at the moment it will not be easy.

IX of swords 🦉 

Do not let your anxiety of the situation ruin your experience. This is hard, its something new, you are around new teachers and people who may be un-empathetic to your spectacular condition of being. If you see this fear penetrating your dreams and causing nightmares its a good idea to step back and to come up with plans for yourself. You can do anything if you know where to start

X of wands 🫁

You carry a large academic burden and it is crumbling your sense of self because are you actually you? Or is it that all you are is your sense of academic validation. Its okay to learn, if you knew everything you would be teaching the class. Its okay to go through the trials and tribulations of learning. Its hard to place a barrier around yourself as a know-it all and then have it shatter as you admit you know nothing. Admitting we know nothing can be freeing.

Extras:

Story/vent:

With family for 10 days, will try and do some cute tarot exercises for the girls

[transparencyboo]

A Ghost. Forever.

I've been thinking recently about that strange disconnect to my past I have earned as a trans person. When I was 16 years old I graduated from my old school (as per the Swedish education system), leaving behind over a decade together with classmates I had known for practically my entire life at that point. I bumped into one or two in public during the following year or so, but it's been 15 years since I heard anything from any of them. Contact networks change, people go their separate ways, time moves on, etc. That's a regular part of life.

Still, those connections are formative ones. These were people I used to call friends, although in hindsight I think of them more as mutuals – acquaintances. We didn't share more than broad interests, every now and then we got into fights, some hurt me quite a lot, but in an awkward sense I know a part of my soul is connected to these people through a substantially shared past.

Sometimes I remember them with fondness, other times with anger. And then I realize all I have left of them are frozen snapshots that have remained unchanged since June 2008. I moved on, went out into the world, visited new places, met new people, I never ever returned. Some part of me imagines that I could walk back to our old school, step into one of the classrooms and see their ghosts waiting for me.

"You are late." "Where have you been all this time?" "Now, where were we?"

But I understand that's not true, they too have lived full rich lives ever since our last shared moment. I remember a lot of names, I can search them online and find the traces. Privated Facebook accounts, superficial Linked In pages, the odd Instagram profile. Everyone looks frighteningly adult, like they somehow lived at least ten more years than me. They got old, but I believe they're doing well.

I'm sure one or two of them have shared this curiosity and occasionally peeked at the glimpses of each others lives. Except mine.

All ties to the past have been severed. Many years ago I came out as trans, changed all of my personal info and got a new ID. My old name, my old identity, has been wiped off the face of the Earth. If someone where to look for that person they would find less than nothing. A ghastly absence. Of course, everyone of any importance to me knows about this change. I never disappeared, I am still here. But to the outsiders with nothing more than a faded memory and an outdated name, I must simply have vanished into thin air.

In the beginning, I took relief in this. "Now, no one will ever find me again. I won't have to deal with some awkward school reunion. They can't touch me anymore." But now I'm not so sure. I've changed so much, and discovered so much about myself. The idea that two dozen people are still walking around out there with vividly detailed conceptions of me based on nothing but a long forgotten and rejected past feels wrong. It feels perverted. But that's the price you pay. In exchange for becoming my real self, I allowed those strangers to keep me as a frozen snapshot.

June 2008. 16 years old. Forever.

But does it have to be that way? Can I not mend this? Suddenly I want nothing more in the world. I want to show these people what became of me. How much I grew. Maybe I want to prove myself? I had the grandest adventure, I learned the most about myself, I completed my metamorphosis, no change was as drastic as mine, I won. They become involuntary ambassadors for everything I resent about my old self. I reduce these regular people to demons of all my buried insecurities and bottled up doubt. Little perpetual 16 year old brats. As dehumanized by our separation as I fear myself to be. How I hate them. How I hate that I hate them.

Of course I could solve this. It's laughably simple. I can reach out, try to reestablish contact. I certainly have the means.

"Hello, you might not remember me. We went to school together. I changed my name since then, though. Yes, I'm trans. Yes, I was in the closet even back then. I just wanted someone, anyone, to know. How have you been?"

I seriously thought about this. It's a scary move, I know nothing about how these people are now. Maybe they remember me with contempt as a collage of only their absolute worst memories? Maybe they've grown to be bigots eager to harass the unwitting victim landing in their lap? Maybe they don't remember me at all? Maybe they don't care?

Maybe I don't want to talk to any of these people?

In my mind I quickly narrowed it down to one person who I would feel the most safe and willing to reach out to. The last feasible bridge to my past. The one person I could still imagine being my friend after all these years. I'd known her since preschool. She was always really smart, we were always on good terms, but never really hung out together. We were merely in the same friend group. She was one of the few people I'd stumbled into past graduation. We had sporadically discussed music over MSN. When I was 17 years old she relayed an invitation for me to go to a punk show with her. She had said I was so kind. I neglected the offer. I deeply regret this. Not because I'd expect anything for showing up; anything but, I was already taken. It just felt rude of me. Maybe who I was back then wanted to sever my last connection to the past? Maybe who I am now wants to apologize more than anything? I realize of all the people from my old life, she would have the most unique last impression. As this distant, faceless loner holed up in a dark bedroom. Hopelessly unwilling to do anything at all. To be anything at all.

17 years old. Forever.

I decide it's no good. I don't actually feel strongly about this and I can't imagine she would either. It's been 15 years, any semblance of remorse is long gone. That version of me doesn't exist anymore, that version of her doesn't exist anymore. There is nothing to salvage, nothing to mend. I left all of that behind half my life ago. The past is gone.

I have nothing to say to whoever this person is now.

So I will remain as I was for all of those people. A skewed shadow of the truth. They will never know the real me. It is not my responsibility to reconnect and inform them about what I've been up to. I don't owe them anything. I can't get hung up on my imagination of what imagined specters would imagine me to be. This reflects more about me than anyone else. I am mourning my unfulfilled potential. Projecting it upon the memories that will never go away.

I just fear that one day my old classmates will arrange a school reunion. They'll all find each other with ease, but be stumped by my absence. They'll believe I'm dead. Died young as nothing but their incomplete picture of who I was. Perhaps at least one of them would have the detective knowhow to contact my parents and ask about me, so they could find me, discover my miraculous change and invite me to show who I finally became. I could complete the fragmented part of my childhood and finally illuminate my shadow. I could stop this looming feeling from growing ever larger with each year. But I'm not holding out hope. For all I know this reunion has already taken place. They held a silent moment for my unknown demise and promptly forgot all about me. Without ever knowing who I could've been, who I became.

A ghost. Forever.

/Kiki

[testudoaubrei-blog]

So being in both the she Ra and tLT fandoms I definitely see a lot of posts about religious trauma. Which, fair. But Tasmin (Edit: Tasmyn whoa I am dumb) Muir is a practicing Catholic and Nate Stevenson is an atheist who was raised Calvinist. And in addition to tLT being arguably more in the tradition of Very Gay, very subversive Catholic art rather than a more straightforward account of trauma written by someone now 'on the outside' there is also the theological specificity to think about.

She Ra isn't just about the psychological harms of Christianity or Evangelicalism but -Calvinism specifically-. This is true of a lot of Nate's work. The rejection of total depravity in Catra's redemption of herself, of a 'good' elect and 'bad' damned in the shows consistent ambiguities/humanization of everyone, and the shows rejection of (pre)destiny in Adora and Catra's arcs are extremely anti Calvinist. And of course Horde Prime claims to be a Calvinist God (but he isn't, this acting as a proxy for the -people- who claim their abuses and oppressions are the will of God - there is no actual deity on Nate's universe, only people).

But I have no idea what is going on, religiously, in the Locked Tomb. However I suspect that while Nate, raised Calvinist, is interested in the terror of damnation, Tasmin (EDIT: Tasmyn) Muir might be exploring much more ambivalent Catholic ideas of Purgation and of course, the Harrowing of Hell. TBH while I adore Nate's cartoon theological critique I am hoping Muir gives us some Man Who Was Thursday theological what the fuckery.

Note: if you want to read more about Catra and Calvinism here is one of the most batshit posts I have written on this website. (Note this was written before Nate transitioned to Nate so it uses his former name and both genders of pronouns since that was his preference at time of writing). I treat my old posts like articles so I don't keep them continuously up to date but linking to anything that doesn't say Nate still feels odd.

[olderthannetfic]

https://www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/663370772509802496/do-you-know-what-the-origin-of-the-sold-to-one

So I was looking at this old post of yours (in your fandom meta tag) and has anyone else noticed that Hogwarts AU fanfic and meta about if this or that character from another fandom would be Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw has completely disappeared? I assume that this is related to JKR’s transphobia making her (understandably) persona non grata to a lot of online queer people of the kind who dominate fanfic fandom at least on AO3 (I’m less familiar with Wattpad or other corners of fandom that are overwhelmingly cishet and writing het, and the Bridgerton drama has taught me a lot about just how out of pace a lot of them are with even elementary queer stuff, yeesh). but I was wondering if others have noticed that. It did seem to really start to crater around 2019-20 when she stopped being coy and blaming it on “middle aged moments,” and started openly making transphobic tweets and writing essays about it rather than just “liking” others’. Like when I was into Yuri on Ice circa 2016-18, it was still all over that fandom, even though people were already souring on the actual official franchise stuff such as those terrible Fantastic Beasts movies.

So I’m mostly active in anime, JRPG and Western genre TV fandoms so I was curious if this was also happening elsewhere. I’m also wondering if the fact that actual HP fandom seems to be increasingly divorced from canon (like fanon pairings of characters who never interacted in canon being the most popular lately) is related to this too.

Cuz having a Hogwarts AU used to be a sign that a fandom had Arrived. I remember in 2016 you saw people doing house sortings for the people on the frickin 538 political podcast. Now I never see any of that even with huge fandoms.

It’s interesting to me given that it feels like her transphobia hasn’t dented much of her popularity with non online nerd culture. Like the third Fantastic Beasts movie failed but those had never been good and had been declining in box office numbers already. But the Hogwarts Legacy game sold really well. You still see HP in stores all over the place with other nerd culture staples like Star Wars and Marvel. Still constantly see brands doing collabs. I often find non online friends and family, including many who are genuine allies to the trans people in their lives, who have no idea about her transphobia. Or they’ve only heard a little and assume it’s some weird insular online culture thing that is just fans nitpicking, maybe having heard about some other Twitter “canceling” over nothing and figuring it’s like that. They’re always shocked and horrified when I tell them what she’s actually saying and doing.

--

Interesting question.

For me, as an Old, it just feels like Hogwarts AUs are part of my childhood, and why wouldn't they be less common now? But realistically, if they actually are declining, it does mean something.

There's no way for us to know if the "Would X be a Hufflepuff?" posts are really a thing of the past. That could be a question of whom one follows or of fans leaving one's platform. But we can at least poke at some AO3 tags and see if they show a pattern.

The relevant tags are Alternate Universe - Hogwarts and its metatag Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting.

There are 21,426 works in the metatag. Obviously, not everything uses the tag, but it's a starting point. (Some cursory playing with filters on big tags makes me think that maybe around 3/4 of HP AUs are actually tagged with a relevant AU tag.)

If we look at the AU tag itself, the numbers have come down in the last few years. (This year is obviously only half over, so we'd expect those numbers to be smaller.)

But we have to take into account how big the archive itself was. It's been growing significantly since it opened to staff accounts in late 2008 and then more widely in late 2009, so the overall rise doesn't mean much, but the recent drop might.

It does seem like there's a downward trend lately, but it doesn't look like it's falling off a cliff.