#it's also like why i don't tend to buy into a lot of the fandom's beliefs that beard's strictly monotone or unemotional...

[coachbeards]

also. there is something about the TWO TIMES we actually see beard shed tears in the show....it's because he's thinking/talking about hurting ted. sure, we got mentions he'll cry during movies + we never actually saw him cry in beard after hours....and we saw him discreetly wipe tears away before but. a full fledged crying scene? with visible tears? mom city speech...aka talking about hurting ted....and so long farewell when beard was crying about leaving ted. okay.

[corkinavoid]

Hi. I saw that angry anon you got. I'm sorry people are being mean to you. I get it. J.K. Rowling sucks major ass, and she has stated that any interaction with hp counts as support of her. At some point a decision has to be made. Not buying shit for hp is easy, but I'm not going to let a bigot influence my decision on whether or not I read fanfic or look at fan art. It is not a moral failing to engage with art, even if the IP belongs to a terf.

p.s. I, personally, am looking forward to the dpxdcxhp crossover.

Not gonna lie, I actually squeaked and kicked my feet at your ask, thank you! <3<3<3

To be fair, I low-key expected some people to have an issue with me going into HP crossover, since, well, there are a lot of issues with J.K. Rowling's charming personality. I tend to see fandoms as not connected to their authors, though, and that is a decision I stand by.

[Which is, now that I think about, one of the reasons why I don't particularly care when people repost my writing (as it came to my attention today lol). I just throw stuff into the void, and the void periodically tells me it loves my stuff, which is great.]

Speaking of that crossover, I'm very much intending on making Waynes a pureblood family. Or, well, more along the lines of they used to be, until Martha and Thomas died, and Bruce flipped shit and decided adoption is an option. I honestly don't know when I'll come around to writing more than, like, some chopped pieces of prompts that don't make sense, but I'm getting there.

Also, I'm still working out the vague idea of incorporating Danny's ghostliness into the whole thing because, well, the ghosts do exist in the HP universe, and it will be such a loss not to use it. As of now, the only thing that's established about that AU is that Sam is definitely a Slytherin, and Damian is very much a Hufflepuff (and he threw a fit at it). Also, I am so writing a Tim x Danny date on the Astronomy Tower.

Thank you for your words!

[cripplecharacters]

I've read the post about how arm prostheses are often more trouble than they're worth and it makes sense. My special interest fandom doesn't have robotics or magic anyway, so a prosthetic there would more or less amount to a stick with possibly a hook on the end, and I'm not trying to argue in favour of making anything more advanced than that here. What I would like to know is if the same practical considerations apply with someone who's lost BOTH hands or analogous gripping appendages. Is it worth it to go for the lightest and least clunky prosthetic possible or is it still easier to do everything with the mouth and/or feet? Does it vary depending on what one is doing, or how much of the arm is lost?

Hello!

[Please note, we don't currently have mods who are amputees; you can try checking with some of our recommended blogs from our navigation post, but I'm not familiar with any bilateral arm amputees doing writing advice on Tumblr.]

There are a lot of factors that would go into this, and the two you mentioned are absolutely important, but I'd say that age plays the biggest role. What I mean is how old the person was where they had their arms amputated, since that's where I generally see the biggest difference in prosthetic use.

For the following sections I'll presume a scenario where the person is financially able to buy prosthetics that would suit their body in the technical aspect and potential assistive devices to get them on etc. aren't a problem to acquire for them.

If someone loses their arms at 70, they're almost certainly going to be using prosthetics, at least part-time. They spent decades doing everything with their hands and probably have close to zero coordination necessary to do these tasks with their feet now, not to mention being in worse condition in general due to their age. Even if their prosthetics are the simplest hooks, they will probably give them more independence since at an older age and with no practice, using their legs would be out of the question and using stumps could be much harder for someone whose way less flexible and strong. This doesn't mean that all the cons of an arm prosthetic disappear, because they don't - in this scenario, it just means that the possible pros outweigh the cons.

If someone is born without their arms or loses them as a younger child, they're probably gonna wear prosthetics at first because their parents will want them to and will stop just as fast. Have you tried to put a shirt on a toddler? Now imagine trying to put two arms on them that they can't fully control. For someone younger they will just instinctively do things however they can, whether that would be by using residual limbs (more common if it's below the elbow) or feet (more common if above the elbow). There might be some tasks that might be impossible or very difficult to do without a prosthetic, and then the person might get a specialized one - Bebe Vio is a wheelchair fencer who uses an arm prosthetic to hold her foil because you can't really do that without one. Some instruments might also require the use of a prosthetic, but children generally tend to figure to do almost everything out with what they got. There are armless drummers and guitarists who play with their feet.

You can check this video out, it's by Isabelle Weall where she talks about why she chooses to not use prosthetics arms. Jessica Cox is one of the most famous people with no arms, and she can do more or less everything - fly a plane, do karate, drive a car. Matt Stutzman is one of the best compound archers in the world, and he doesn't use prosthetics either. All these people lost their arms young or were born without them.

Obviously a lot of people will be in the middle. That's where length of residual limbs will play a major role, but also people's lifestyle or what they do on the daily basis. If someone needs the tactile sensation to be able to do their job, they will probably prefer using their arm stumps or feet if the stumps are too short.

But if someone's stumps are too short, and they don't want or can't use their feet (it's not as easy as just starting to do stuff with your toes, it requires a ton of practice, flexibility, and patience) then they might go for prosthetics or a prosthetic, singular. Some people might find it easier to adapt to a body-powered prosthesis because to them the pros of one are more significant than the cons. I mean, not that many people have the flexibility alone needed to write with a pen with your foot, let alone coordination. They could wear a prosthesis when they know they'll be doing a lot of grabbing work because it's awkward for them to try doing it with their residual forearms and take it off to play with their dog because it feels nicer to pet it when you can feel it's fur on your skin.

There is of course the situation where regardless of factors, neither option really works for someone. They might have minimal to no ability to actually use prosthetics (weakness, other disability), while their legs might be atrophied from the bedrest caused by the illness that required their arms to be amputated (or anything else that prevents them from using their legs). This person might rely on caregivers instead for a lot of tasks, and these people absolutely do exist. Sometimes it's a situation that happens right after the amputation and they later find something that works for them, but sometimes they might not. This is a possibility as well.

All these factors should be considered for a character, and then of course you have to factor in the character themselves - can they afford prosthetics? Do they have a way to learn how to use them effectively? Get them fixed and adjusted? If the learning process of using a prosthetic is frustrating to them, they might not want to use it at all, and if it comes easily to them they might be more inclined to actually wear it.

Of course even if the pros-to-cons analysis decides that using prosthetics would be beneficial, the cons are still very much there. They're still heavy, with not the greatest dexterity, sometimes causing skin issues or muscle soreness. It takes a lot of work in occupational therapy to be proficient in using them. As long as you do research on the reality of using bilateral prosthetics (both negative and positive sides, which will be different for different people so you should get as many perspectives as you can) it's definitely okay to include them. There's no point in painting them as either magical tools that are just like regular arms or making them seem like they're completely useless pieces of junk - though they can be that for many, but for others they can also be what helps them live their life more fully, makes bringing groceries in easier, or just allows them to participate in that one hobby they do once a week.

And of course: when in doubt, have a range of disabled characters.

I hope this helps,

mod Sasza

[olderthannetfic]

https://olderthannetfic.tumblr.com/post/759542930349424641/there-needs-to-be-more-trans-slash-i-dont-like

Not who this person is responding to, and I overall agree with their point here. But I've seen this assumption before and I have to say something: why are we assuming that a distaste for PIV must mean you're not open to reading any cis/trans slash? I'm a trans man myself and I'm not particularly into PIV (in fic or irl) because it makes me feel dysphoric, and while that's very far from a universal among trans people, I know I'm not exactly alone in that feeling either. So I write and read cis-on-trans slash that features other sex acts.

It's very strange to me how much a lot of cis/trans same-gender fic not only is all PIV all the time and seems to ignore that like, a lot of us trans gay and bi men often like anal (pegging or receiving) like other gay men? But also how some of those fics tend to treat PIV like a Sexual Holy Grail. Like I'm not saying this person is doing this or any particular writer is, I assume some people are just drawing on their personal experiences if they're trans, or are following what they see in other fic or see people in their fandom liking. but as a broader pattern it has always felt kind of heteronormative to me. You know, that idea that straight people have where PIV is "real" sex and oral or anal or manual sex are just "third base". (I have also seen individual fics suggest this, usually in other words, but where PIV is the Big Event that anal, oral etc. is just a warm-up for.) Which is another reason the fixation on it in some gay trans fic turns me off, and I assume probably why it turns off some other slash readers both cis and trans.

--

Goddd. Every time I read cis/trans slash it turns out to be full of PiV, and I dislike PiV myself IRL and don't usually want to read it unless I'm geared up to do so (e.g. when I buy a het romance novel I know is more explicit). It's not even a dysphoria thing. It's an owner of a coochie thing.

[galadrieljones]

i actually wonder why you ship daryl and beth? i see them as friends and yeah i watched their scenes over and over and i didn’t see any love between them. And i see beth younger than him and i see daryl see her as a friend and sister So what is your reasons to ship them anyway!?

I'm going to assume this question is in good faith and that you are genuinely interested in why I (and many others) ship bethyl, so I'll answer in good (albeit cautious) faith. I'm also going to tag some of my friends and mutuals at the end who I would like to encourage to share why they, personally, ship bethyl.

First, know that I don't care if people don't ship bethyl. I also am not beholden to shipping "canon" ships. I don't care about any of that, and I think it's boring to restrict one's interest in shipping to what is canon or what the fandom accepts. You're free not to ship bethyl, and I won't be mad. That's your choice!!

BUT, since you're here of your own volition, realize that I personally don't buy the bethyl bond as "sibling-coded" argument at all lol. I can understand if someone just doesn't want them to be together, because they want Daryl to be with another character or something. That's fine and perfectly rational. I can also understand if someone does not like age difference ships, and they reject it on those grounds alone. Okay! That's your preference. BUT, Beth was 18 by the events of "Still." And the argument that they share a "sibling-coded" bond has never held water for me. Believe me when I say that I can see the argument for C*ryl before I can see the argument for Daryl and Beth being "sibling-coded," and that's saying a LOT. I've literally never had anyone successfully explain this perception to me using actual evidence from the show or from the actors/showrunners outside the show. It is ALWAYS subjective. And when confronted with evidence of a bethyl romance, these same people tend to just invoke their *age difference* as if that, in and of itself, is a dealbreaker.

IMPORTANT: It's NOT a dealbreaker, but some people in fandom these days mistake personal preference for moral paradigm, and these people tend to be very judgmental and to screech a lot and to spread rumors and to bully others. The same exact thing is happening to Neggie. But I'm not going to get into that right now.

Now, you say you don't see how they could possibly be "romantic." Of course, that's totally fine, but you will need to try and explain this to thousands of people lol. I am actually not super interested in going through, in detail, why I ship bethyl from a defensive position. I'm very sick of defending something that is, frankly, entirely unproblematic and also...popular! Other than Rickyl (which is a non-canon slash ship), Bethyl, even ten years after her exit from the flagship, is still the most popular TWD ship on AO3. It was popular at the time that the show aired. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's wife ships bethyl lol. Bethyl is not "weird." It's not even a rare pair!

AND YET, to put so briefly, if you *actually* care: I PERSONALLY love bethyl because I believe their characters exist in beautiful harmony. Beth is an artist. Her priority is beauty and continuously discovering what it means to live. She believes in the goodness of people. She is a religious character who has faith in God's love. She is, as Norman put it a long time ago, like a little light at the end of the tunnel for Daryl. She reminds Daryl of what it means to live, what it means to trust people and to have faith. She protects him from his own demons and reconnects him to the beauty that remains in a dying, horrific world. Daryl tends to forget about his own well-being and his own happiness. He prioritizes brute survival, because he was taught to do this over many years of emotional and physical abuse as a child. He is "used to things being ugly" and he frequently blames himself for things that go wrong. He closes himself off to others because he has a difficult time trusting that they won't abandon him or die. At the moonshine shack, Beth confronts him on this, and he confronts her right back. Beth isn't used to being challenged by men. But he challenges her to be better and to face her own insecurities as well. He makes her stronger. She pries open his heart. At the moonshine shack, she physically grabs him to remind him that he is still alive, and that everyone they've lost was once alive, too, and that just because they might be dead now, that's not his fault. The two of them still alive, while others are dead, that's not his fault, and there is still goodness in the world and things worth living for.

Speaking of physical touch, you really should rewatch "Alone" if you want to understand the physical and romantic chemistry between Beth and Daryl. There is literally so much that I could go through, but I don't have time lol.

The moment I fell in love with bethyl was actually in "30 Days Without an Accident," when Beth embraces Daryl in such a way that reassures him that he is not alone in a desperately lonely situation. Both characters are battling demons in this scene. But it's somewhat subtextual. If you don't watch closely, you may miss it.

That said, as has been established, a LOT of people did NOT miss it lol. It's just that a lot of people also want Daryl to be with someone else, or they feel the need to moralize on the internet. Neither one of those things is relevant to me, though I accept them as realities.

Anyway, I hope this helps! ->

@sasusc @frangipanilove @twdmusicboxmystery @pipergirl17 @sweetz1919

@emsee22 @drewmoll03 @bookqueenrules @bethiscomingsoon

@angelthefirst1 @bethgreeneprevails @im-immortal @rose-andthe-thorn @wdway @boltthrutheheart

and anyone else, I know I've forgotten some people 😩. I just went off the top of my head, so please chime in on why you love bethyl, or feel free to completely ignore this ❤️

[sweet-star-sketches]

Sketches + Colour from December 9th-11th, 2024 oops! new blorbos unlocked ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

listen December is Dread Month™ for me so I take whatever my brain can get to survive it emotionally, so in this instance it's joining my buddy @eleanorose123 in her current hyperfixation like I have for the past while :D So while she is still my "target audience" so to speak because she loves Yu-Gi-Oh and I like making art for friends, these are for me too :] (like all of my art is, really. I would not spend this much time on it if it wasn't at least partially for me!) I'm more or less a "fandom tourist" at this point; I don't officially go here but a friend does so I'm here visiting to have a good time, and whatever "souvenirs" I get are all the funny scenes and funky little guys that live in my head rent free now! Yippee :D I have more doodles that are actually older than this set, but I want to do a little more with them so I'll post those later :]

I have a lot to say so I'll put the rest under the cut! (apologies in advance for my verbosity but also this is my blog lol)

I have no reasoning behind why my brain arrived at the idea of Kirby crossover art that parodies an iCarly meme but do I really need it??? Naaaaaaaah :] Two of my funny space creatures together <3 I enjoy the idea of Saiou just carrying him around like "yep you're mine now :)" Ponder the orb (and buy him a smoothie) Unironically this is some of the best art I've made all year, like it turned out so absurdly well that I took it to clean lines and colour/shading, and that too came out well! They both have their respective anime colours, but with some additional highlights and coloured line art because my boys deserve it <3333

This is honestly the most fun I've had with art in a while too, though I know fan art tends to do that for an artist! Don't get me wrong, I've loved everything I've put out for my own projects and commissions this year, as I am not predominantly a fan artist despite how many things I love in that regard.

But considering I've been largely unable to actually let myself do this kind of art as frequently as I used to (the ever-looming anxiety of not getting enough commission work to live or personal project work done to tell my stories is a strong one) I really needed this, even if it was born out of necessity to survive Dread Month than anything else. That's as good a reason as any, I suppose! Might be an odd thing to reflect on for such silly/lighthearted art such as this, but I think that's the point.

I'm a firm believer in the idea that no artistic endeavour is ever truly wasted, even if you don't know how or when it'll come back to you! I actually got some really good analysis of my own art journey and style during my adventures in exploring the Yu-Gi-Oh art style here, which was as unexpected as the rest of this, honestly!

I'm already an introspective person to begin with, but the end of the year makes me reflect on things even more than usual, so thanks for reading this far! If nothing else, I hope you enjoyed the sillies :]

[dust-jacket-analysis]

With the recent potential developments in the My Hero Cannon lately, shipping discourse is at an all time high. Spoilers, by the way.

Izuocha is allegedly made canon in some sort of final chapter of My Hero. And the Togachako and Bakudeku shippers are screaming, crying, throwing up. The Izuocha shippers are ecstatic, and everyone else is watching this absolute dumpster fire of a situation develop. And with this all, some feelings have been spun up. So I'm gonna talk about it.

First and foremost, Izuocha was always going to be canon. Sorry, not sorry. It was implied from the get go. Right off the bat a mutual crush was confirmed. While it focused more on Ochako's feelings, Deku definitely felt the same as the series progressed. All the blushing and awkward tension was there. And I say this not to invalidate the other ships, we'll get too that. But because this is pure fact I want established.

Now, it being well written, is another story. Obviously My Hero was never intended to be a romance. It is a Shonen anime, mainly action. While also making social commentary on corrupt governments, and discriminatory social systems. Those were always the main themes and points of the series. With Bakugou and Deku's complicated dynamic being second to that, and everything else prioritized after this. so naturally Izuku and Ochako's romantic relationship would not be as focused on. Hence why it's writing is not as good. It's just important to clarify this.

Which brings us to my actual main gripe with the whole situation. The way this fandom is invalidating not only just shipping, but relationship dynamics as a whole. And I've seen this with a LOT of fandoms. People tend to find they're OTP and stick to it. Buying their heads in the sand like Ostrich's when it comes to any other dynamics those two characters may have. People will say "My ship makes the most sense, and all the other ships are ridiculous," or, "I can't see them being anything more than platonic. My ship however, is meaningful and romantic."

That all lowkey pisses me off. Because when pushing that we forget a key detail of the human experience. As we go through our lives we meet hundreds of people. Form hundreds of group and individual dynamics, forge relationships with these different people we meet.

It's the beauty of being creatures with consciousness. Because we don't just meet someone, breed and die. We meet so many people who are all unique in their wants and desires. Different life goals and motivations. Different experiences that've shaped them.

Toga met Ochako. A girl who understood her more than anyone she'd met before. Who didn't see her just as the villain she'd become, but the girl she'd been and was still. A connection that meant something. But she also had the League of Villains, and Twice. People she'd found home and family in. As twisted as it was. Another meaningful connection in her life.

Bakugou Deku's dynamic is a huge section of conflict throughout the story. Despite that though, through all their ups and downs, they help each other grow. Become better Hero's and, in Bakugous case specifically, better people. It's meaningful. But Bakugou also meets Kirishima. One of the first people to ignore his threats and anger, her shouting. To put himself next to Bakugou and say "I want to be your equal. Your friend." And Kirishima plays a big role in softening Bakugou. And Bakugou helps Kirishima with his confidence. It's meaningful.

Just like how Deku and Todoroki's dynamic is important for both. Deku helps Todoroki to understand he does not have to hide parts of himself to spite his father. "It's yours! Your quirk, not his!" It's a huge break through for Todoroki. And in turn Todoroki is one of the people that helps Deku realize he can ask for help, he can lean on his friends. That needing support isn't weak (a lesson Deku also helped him learn), and that it doesn't make you a bad hero.

And Deku and Ochako. She's one of the first people to truly believe in him. To look at him and say he will make a good hero. One of his first friends. And Deku helps Ochako in that same way. He also inspires her to work harder and eventually she realizes she wants to be a rescue based Hero.

But Ochako also meets Toga. A girl cast out by society for her quirk, which she uses unashamedly. It helps Ochako see villains in a different light. One of empathy and understanding. While she still wishes to hold them accountable, she now sees the circumstances for how villain's are made. And she makes it her life to help other Children with quirks like Toga's to not become villains through quirk counseling. It's meaningful. All of these different dynamics shape the characters in different aspects of their lives and personality. Each dynamic is important, just as much so as the next. Whether platonic, romantic, or otherwise. They mattered. To invalidate that because it's not a ship you like is asinine.

Also, people can fall in love with more than one person. Toga fell in love for both Deku and Ochako, on different levels. And I argue Ochako did the same. Deku can love Ochako, Bakugou and Todoroki too. Bakugou can love Deku and Kirishima. People can fall in love more than once, regardless of who ends up with who.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what's canon. It never has. Fandom has never cared or let it hinder the way it operates on tumblr, ao3, etc. You still get meaningful dynamics in the source material. Relationships that shaped the characters and their story.

[all-pacas]

Chase - 1,2,3,8,12,22

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

because he's depressed <3 parental trauma is my Thing. parental trauma and abandonment and feeling lost and emotionally repressed and dead inside. its me . add in some of the most fucked up found family (house does not want to be this man's found family), and a wonderful tragic failmarriage doomed yuri romance and i'm there also he's kind of a silly guy. he's very funny. he's smart. whole package

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

kind of a meta thing but honestly? i love how jesse spencer clearly gets bored during takes and starts figeting, thus making chase constantly biting pens, playing with random objects, making faces, like it adds a lot of charm to this very boring character, he's constantly grinning and reacting to what people say in a way that's really… good, really engaged, and also really hard to pull off in a way that doesn't feel like over-acting or distracting. (hugh laurie is also very good at this. to compare, jennifer morrison is a lovely actor, but cameron - reacts when appropriate, reacts to things, but doesn't often do much beyond listen in an engaged fashion if the scene isn't about cameron. this is a perfectly valid acting choice. but laurie and spencer will do the same thing while playing with random objects or… one of my favorite little bits is the scene where chase tries to steal one of house's pancakes and house slaps his hand. that was, i will bet anything, 200% improvised. it was just a funny bit. but they do it completely in character, in a way that makes perfect sense: of course chase would try to steal the pancake. it adds a real layer of charm to the character, and adds a lot to the house-chase dynamic. spencer seems like such a fucking douche but damn him he's a good actor) i also love chase's entire character trajectory. he keeps nepobaby failing upward, ending up the coveted heir to diagnostics. does he want this? does he want any of this? is he happy? his life is wildly successful, everything chase does turns to gold (except his marriage lmaooo), he's rich and a genius and good looking and successful and people admire him and like him and he's dead inside, but. does he want to do anything else? does he have any conception of himself as anything else? he's not pining to… help the needy or become an artist or even be a professional beach bum. he tried to be a professional beach bum and got bored after 6 months. you strip away the facade and there's just nothing and i find that very fun.

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

he can be a douche, and not in a fun, charming way like house but just in a … shut up, bitch kind of way lol. he's mean. he's rude. he talks shit about people. foreman isn't 100% right when he says chase doesn't give a shit about anyone, but 85% of people? chase really, blatantly doesn't care. he can be mean. he will let you know he doesn't care. at least house in his cruelty is engaged, chase just freezes people out.

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

the 1,001 sick crying babey sad fics hahahaha. like i get it, chase is a very good character to torture, far be it from me etc. but while he's definitely a sopping crybaby, he is much more repressed than he's given credit for and i think the woobieing goes way too far a lot of the time: he doesn't sob, he doesn't have panic attacks, he gets a canon whump episode (several actually) and he tends to get mad and kind of whiny and freeze people out / shut down emotionally, not throw up from anxiety. chase is kind of a dick! especially when he's upset! ALSO THE WOMBAT NICKNAME . hate it. actually half the australian jokes fandom makes bug me because they're the same joke over and over and they never… feel tonally correct. almost never. but that's more of a characterization nitpick of house (in that i totally believe he'd make the jokes, i just don't buy the jokes fandom puts in his mouth).

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

he's a fish :( loves to surf, swim, snorkel, takes absurdly long showers, loves a good bath, will happily lounge in or by the pool, he is happiest near or in the water. also something about water as a trope/symbol; adaptability, malleability, still waters running deep: chase is easy-going, he keeps things to himself, he presents this calm facade but is anything but. (i use so much drowning language in my chase fanfics) but also he likes to take baths :(

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to ths character? Something you don't like?

i like useless pining, i think fandom doesn't write nearly enough of chase pining when it's like 80% of his character from s3-6. arguably s2. man really does spend half the show pining for cameron to notice him and how relatable is that tbh. who amongst us, etc. i also love and think we need way more chase&13 and chase&park friendship stories -- emphasis on friendship, because this man will ruin every relationship he has by sleeping with them, and i think he deserves two mean gay best friends who will bully him into therapy and never fuck him. something i don't like is that fandom doesn't write me these stories :(

[hsvh-hp]

what drarry fics would you recommend that are very in character?

Before I get into it, I’d just like to say that I started working on a fic rec sideblog last month. The posting schedule doesn’t kick in until April, so it’s blank at the moment. But, it’s there, if you’re interested in giving it a follow!

Anyway, two caveats about this: one, I read a lot of drarry fic and have a bit of a poor memory, and two, I'm not certain that what I consider in-character to be the majority consensus of the drarry fandom (for example, I don't like down and out Draco, soft Draco, Draco hating either of his parents, or Harry being overly judgmental or unforgiving (though that's not to say I haven't read those tropes and enjoyed them)).

In general, any fics from my ao3 bookmarks will meet my bar on being in-character, since I tend to hit the back button if I start asking myself, 'who are these people?'. I took a cruise through my bookmarks in spirit of the ask though, and I'll post a list below the cut of fics that stick out in my memory as having some of my favourite characterizations:

Twelve Months by dysonrules (14,840 words)

Hermione buys Harry a journal and he ends up using it to record his DEEP THOUGHTS. Not surprisingly, those tend to mostly involve Draco Malfoy.

This one cracked me up. Since it's written in journal form, we get Harry's running internal monologue about his life. And a lot of Draco, because of course we do. I also always enjoy a Draco who actually is up to something, but it’s for a good cause.

The Gentlewizard Club by Sophie_French (28,129 words)

Draco wants what Draco wants. And if he has to snuggle up to Harry to get it, well, surely, Draco can handle that. Problem is, not sure Harry can.

This fic starts with Draco and Harry as both friends and Auror partners. As friends, the high point of every day for Draco is when he gets to read (oft-times aloud, and dramatically so) Harry's fan mail as it's delivered to their office. As Auror partners, Draco is barred in writing their field reports because he sucks at it. He's very happy to put that work onto Harry, and Harry is happy to do it (because he's pining hard, okay?).

That Draco and Harry are Auror partners isn't actually important in this fic (although the sequel has a case that they tackle). Harry gets a letter about having been admitted into a club that Draco really, really, really wants to join, and he begs Harry to sponsor his admittance. Harry can't say no to him, therefore, commence operation fake relationship for a weekend getaway. I love the balance in Harry trying to give Draco what he wants while fearing that what he wants will only hurt him.

Martyred by dothechachaslide (82,004 words)

Harry Potter only wants one thing: to take care of the people he loves. After Teddy’s abrupt departure from his role as Andromeda’s caretaker, Harry decides it’s finally time to step up and handle the job himself. Castoff Manor, an old Black family estate, has never seemed as sinister as the stories make it sound, but it’s there that Harry stumbles upon ghosts, haunting family secrets, and a familiar, snarky blond gardener hell-bent on chasing him out. Maybe if Harry sticks around long enough, he’ll finally learn why all of Andromeda’s previous caretakers have fled without looking back.

Harry and Draco are in their fifties, in this fic. The summary about sums up Harry's characterization: he takes care of the people he loves, and a mystery at hand draws him obsessively in. As for Draco, I would consider him post-redemption. He took the consequences handed down to him after the war seriously, and has grown so used to the Muggle world that he lives there as comfortably as the magical world. He tends the garden at Castoff Manor to prevent anyone else being harmed in the role (part of the fic's mystery), and tutors Squibs in the nearby village.

One small detail that I love about Draco is how every time he gets uncomfortable, he hops on his bike and runs away. It's one of those things that, despite the rather far-flung future from the canon years, it's so absolutely in-character across time and space for him. He's changed so much, but there's still this degree of pettiness and cowardice deep down inside. It's just expressed in a less harmful way than it used to be.

Lethe by QueenieJinny (70,885 words)

A new form of vanishing sickness is sweeping across Britain. Healers Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are on the case. When Draco Malfoy is admitted to the isolation ward, Harry never imagines falling in love with him will be the easiest thing he’s ever done – and watching him fade away to nothing will be the hardest.

Like above, Harry again takes care of the people he loves and cannot resist a mystery to solve. He's a Healer in this fic, a line of work that suits him well for his compassion, and Draco ends up his patient. Draco is on the difficult end of the spectrum as far as patients go (are you surprised?). Watching their Healer-patient power dynamic swing toward equilibrium is wonderful. They fall in love, Draco comes to terms with his (temporary) mortality, and Harry goes as far as he possibly can for Draco after he's gone: finding a way to rescue him from where the vanishing sickness took him.

Draco Malfoy, Bloodsucking Fiend by Kbrick (23,198 words)

There are two things that Draco’s Auror partner, Harry Potter, must never know about him. One is that he’s a vampire. The other is that he’s been completely, pathetically, head-over-heels in love with Harry for years. But when the duo is trapped inside an old shop on Diagon Alley with no means of escape, Draco finds himself fiending for blood and unable to put even a modicum of distance between himself and the man he can’t stop lusting after.

There are 3 of Kbrick's fics on this list, and I could have honestly added more. All of her fics that I haven't gotten to yet are on my to-read list. I just love the way she writes Draco and Harry, okay?? I'm a big baby when it comes to angst and hurt/comfort (more on that further down), but I absolutely trust her to put the boys in a blender on the highest setting that I can personally handle.

Anyway, this fic in particular, I'm all about that pining and the feeling of a countdown being on. Draco is resisting on two fronts: his feelings for Harry and his need as a vampire to feed. Harry is perfectly balanced in his obliviousness and perception.

You See Through My Disguise by aibidil (9,666 words)

Bellatrix's knife flew across the room, but Harry leaped, pushing Dobby and Griphook to safety but stranding himself at Malfoy Manor. Now he and Draco are locked in the cellar with Wormtail's corpse and a rat, waiting for Voldemort to return and decide their fate.

The premise is on the tin. As for their characterizations, Harry and Draco are on a countdown to sort themselves out enough to make an escape from the dungeon at Malfoy Manor during the war. They can't help but poke at each other, so the fic is a compelling balance of ego and necessity.

Criminal by The_Sinking_Ship (83,497 words)

Things were going just fine for Draco Malfoy. He successfully conned and counted cards across Europe and America, amassing a small fortune, along with a lengthy rap sheet. That was until he made the grave mistake of returning to England for a high stakes card game and got himself caught – by Harry Potter no less. Now, Draco is stuck in England under Auror Potter’s guard with no friends, no distractions, and no escape. How the hell will he pass the time? And since when did Potter get so bloody fit?

I'd had this fic on my to-read list for ages before seeing it on a rec list for morally grey Draco. That's my favourite kind of Draco, so I decided to jump this one to the top. Also, like I said about Kbrick above, The_Sinking_Ship is another writer with whom I've either enjoyed everything I've read (recs within recs: Never Mind the Bullocks, Dwelling on Dreams, and Chasing Dragons) or I've simply yet to get to the rest of their work.

For this fic specifically, Draco's done the best he can with the shit situation his life was in post-war, and he's a lion in a cage when he gets legally stuck in England. He and Harry meet for check-ins, and the chemistry goes from there. Draco has some self-harm tendencies, and his want for Harry ends up (temporarily) going that way for him. Harry's in a rut in his life as an Auror. I love fics where he goes into the force and then becomes disillusioned with it. That feels very in-character for Harry, to me.

AITA for being "obsessed" with my childhood nemesis? by RainstormRadish (4,289 words)

Alrakis I [24M] attended a small boarding school in the UK. There was a boy in my year, a couple of months younger than me, and he became my nemesis after we developed an intense rivalry. My friend [25F] told me recently that our dynamic was "weird back then" and that "it’s even weirder" that I still think about him today. She argued that I talk about him all the time, but I believe the amount I talk about him is reasonable. AITA? prongymcprongface i completely get what you mean. i had a nemesis (like a school one, separate to my other nemesis) and we had a dynamic super similar to what you are describing. having a nemesis is a very cool and normal thing dw about it. NTA In which Draco asks the internet if he's being reasonable. Only one commenter is sympathetic. They start talking.

Draco and Harry cross paths on Reddit. Everyone else in the AITA thread thinks Draco (the OP) is absolutely nuts for his 'nemesis' situation. Except one, because of course that one person had a similar situation and it was totally normal, don't worry about it. I'm aware I basically just repeated the summary, but it says it all, really!

Rookie Moves by peu_a_peu (75,328 words)

Aurors Potter and Malfoy crack the case.

More Auror partners with a Draco that is unhinged. Tbh, I am very fussy on Auror Draco fics. I don't see Draco as someone to subject himself to much pain and suffering (like in fics where it's emphasized that he was subject to much bullying/pranks/etc during training, and he persevered regardless). He's too hedonistic, and I don't particularly think that the war would have warmed him to the Ministry or the means it possesses of authoritarian force. Fool me once, and all that.

In this fic, each chapter covers a job or case that Draco and Harry embark upon. It's meant to be funny, and holy shit is it ever. These two are such dumb cops. Even with the genre shift from serious to goofy, they get the work done. It's been long enough now since I read it that I can't remember specifically, but I feel that sometimes Draco and Harry being disasters helped them solve their cases. The other fics in the series Rookie Moves belongs to are 100% reading through as well. I cried happy tears in the end.

Timeshare by astolat (14,156 words)

“It’s not for long,” Hermione said. “By the time we get back to Hogwarts, the Unfettering Brew will be ready.” “Listen to you!” Ron said. “He’s got to get through a month with the Dursleys and a month at Malfoy Manor. With Draco Malfoy.” “Yeah, thanks,” Harry said, because he hadn’t just spent the last week contemplating just how much more horrible his summer holidays were about to be than they’d ever been before.

This fic has wonderful fuck/fight dynamics between the boys. I also like fics where the writer isn't afraid to let Draco be flawed with bigotry. Things like that he cannot fathom 'Potter's Muggles' talking to him and that he whinges the entire month he's at the Dursleys' house that it's too small, and the food isn't up to par, etc. As for Harry, he wants Draco despite all this, as well as despite how uncomfortable his month at the manor with Lucius and Narcissa is. I love when Harry is allowed to be flawed in that way.

Hey, Potter by SunseticMonster (16,024 words)

Harry returns to Hogwarts for his 8th year, determined not to let Malfoy get to him. But when the snarky teasing starts up again, Harry finds that returning the jibes with compliments has a far more interesting outcome.

This fic explores something that I've always headcanoned about how Draco and Harry got along throughout the canon books. We never see them have a single good or even neutral interaction (rather than Draco's part in their Madam Malkin's meet). They're always going at each other with their claws and teeth out, taking everything the other does in the most bad-faith interpretation. So, what happens when Harry starts killing Draco with kindness? I personally believe that if Harry did as such in the canon books, he would have very easily won Draco over.

Lumos by birdsofshore (41,476 words)

Harry never expected to spend eighth year listening to Draco Malfoy wanking.

I love eighth-year fics where Draco doesn't return to Hogwarts with his chin down and shoulders hunched. It doesn't feel in-character to me; he'd feel just as free as anyone else post-war, and I can't see him even hiding his relief and happiness for it to be over for the sensibilities of the other survivors. On top of that, Draco coming back to Hogwarts and immediately pushing Harry's buttons? 100% him. Harry playing into it every time? Also 100%.

A Convenient Impracticality by firethesound (38,540 words)

Somehow Harry ends up agreeing to a fake relationship with his ex-nemesis-turned-friendly-acquaintance-with-benefits, except for some reason it involves an awful lot of actual dating and, sadly, not much sex. Confused? Harry is too, but when has anything with Draco Malfoy ever been as straightforward as it seems?

More fake relationships! Harry and Draco fucking but not being sure what they are or what the other feels in return is so my jam. I can see both of them being attracted enough to each other to land in bed together, but the intimacy is more hard-earned because of their history. It's all the more satisfying once they figure it out.

Who we are in the shadows by Quicksilvermaid (99,714 words)

What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry's justice is his ticket back to everything he's lost. But nothing is exactly as it seems. Not even Harry himself. And as he gets drawn further and further into Malfoy's world of honour and deception he finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew—about his childhood nemesis, the Ministry job he misses so much, and most of all, about himself. What happens when you’re forced to see that you were wrong?

I wrote up above about loving a Draco who's up to something, and it's for a good cause. This fic takes that notion and turns it up to like, 15 at minimum. Draco's an investigative journalist, and he's going after some very dangerous people. He needs muscle, enter security agent Harry who's still adjusting to life as a werewolf. Harry tags along out of (hired) necessity on Draco's job, and they are a team not to be reckoned with. On top of their chemistry, this fic left me gasping for breath. Folks who've read it before will know what I mean when I say my heart was pounding out of my chest during the tunnel scene.

Star Quality by who_la_hoop (118,607 words)

Two years after the war, and Harry’s content with his life. OK, so it’s a little annoying that he keeps winning Witch Weekly’s Most Eligible Bachelor award, and he’s really not looking forward to the unveiling of an enormous gold statue of himself, but he loves his friends, and he loves being an Auror. And if he yearns for something more, something he can barely bring himself to think about, well, he’ll probably get over it. No one’s happy all the time, are they? But then everything changes, and Harry’s thrown into a new and dazzling world he’s not sure he can actually escape from. And as time goes on, he starts to wonder: does he actually want to?

Draco and Harry end up in such a wonderfully ridiculous situation in this fic. Harry wakes up in an alternate (Muggle) universe where Draco is a pop star. The Draco of his universe has come along with him, and he's a total shit about helping Harry get them back home. Harry's grumpy, Draco's having a blast. It's fun. It's them.

The Day Before the Wedding by Kbrick (39,419 words)

Harry's getting married to Ginny tomorrow. The problem is that he can't seem to get beyond today.

Time loops and Kbrick, my beloved (Turning Leaves is another excellent fic of hers with this trope). The summary says it all for the premise. Like Star Quality above, Draco is 'in the know' with Harry (though he doesn't tell Harry right away lmao). Harry makes some Realizations in the time loop. Seeing as it's a Drarry fic and Harry was meant to get married to Ginny, I'm sure it's quite plain as to what that might be.

Bad Habits by No_One_Special_01289 (70,509 words)

Circles can be tiring. They have no end. But sometimes, the path is set for a reason, as anything outside the circle is even worse than what's within. Harry is running in circles with Draco Malfoy, and no matter how hard he tries, he can't escape.

Another fuck/fight kind of Drarry fic. This one takes place through OOTP, HBP, and DH canon, as if Draco and Harry had a secret sexual relationship throughout. I love how they come together like two accelerated particles, only to scatter to lick their wounds or attempt to process just what the hell is going on. It has the explosiveness that I love to see in Hogwarts-era Drarry fics when the war is on and they remain on opposing sides through to the end of it.

Dwelling by aideomai (83,382 words)

Curses, James and Lily Potter ride again, several Ministry balls, a teenage Summer of Love, a grim young adult dystopian winter, a few different Draco Malfoys, secrets and the problems re: not having any, alternate lives, impossible lives, real lives, allusions to Dirty Dancing, and just because it's not called the Mirror of Erised doesn't mean you shouldn't know better.

Listen: I bawled. I'm going to try to say this without spoiling the big twist. The fic nails how Harry and Draco tick together twice. Whether it's in a No Voldemort AU or a canon post-war era, these two cannot stay away from each other. I love the solution Harry and Draco reach at the end of the fic - the only way they can fathom any sort of resolution for what happened to them, despite how turbulent their waters remain.

Lovesick by corvuscrowned (7,688 words)

People keep spiking Auror Harry Potter with love potions. Healer Draco Malfoy keeps having to pick up the pieces. But it's getting harder and harder for Draco to watch Harry fall in love with everyone except for him.

corvuscrowned is another writer I put in the same category as Kbrick and The_Sinking_Ship. I've either read their fics and loved them, or just haven't got to the rest yet. What can I say? I love a slow burn. For more excellent fics from corvuscrowned, I will also humbly offer Loverboys (their first fic I read, which blew me away) and Seeker's High for your future reading consideration.

For this fic, the premise is on the tin, and crow executes it perfectly for characterization. I love their Harry in general, how he has his own complexes and the Harry POV isn't just Harry witnessing Draco's character. This fic is Draco POV, and Harry under a love potion is great. So is Draco's pining. They're perfect.

The Matchmaker's Spell by Kbrick (20,859 words)

Thanks to a spell cast over all of wizarding Britain, Draco is forced to marry Harry Potter, who still hates him. But Draco refuses to live a cold, sexless existence, choosing to fill the emptiness in his life and his bed with a parade of lovers. And while Harry may not be able to stand Draco, he despises seeing him with anyone else.

Remember earlier when I said that I trust Kbrick to put the boys in a blender at the exact intensity I could personally handle? This fic is right on the precipice of that. It's so angsty and dark. Draco and Harry are forced to marry, and their journey is so turbulent. Draco cuckolds Harry to push his buttons, and at one point their marriage goes well for a little while before shit happens and they're back on the rocks. They almost had it! We saw a glimpse of their potential!! Also, Draco's lovers keep mysteriously dying? That's sure weird and coincidental. The last scene in the fic made me gasp out loud.

Salt on the Western Wind by Saras_Girl (60,549 words)

When the war isn’t quite as over as it first appears, a guilt-ridden Harry is sent to a mysterious safe-house. Among sandwiches, insomnia, and Mills & Boon, he discovers something quite unexpected.

This fic starts up right after the Battle of Hogwarts, where Narcissa demands the trio take Draco into forced hiding with them. This leads to Draco and Harry being accidentally bonded. Oops! I don't think I have to make the case for how well Saras_Girl characterizes the boys, but I think this one is my favourite so far of the ones I've read (also, obligatory Turn and All Life is Yours to Miss mentions here).

Recalibrate by Saras_Girl (20,921 words)

Sometimes, you need to step back and think about things from a new perspective. Other times, you’ve just got to open your eyes to what you needed all along.

Yay, more eighth year! I read this one a looong time ago, but I still remember reading this and thinking 'oh, this is so them' at so many points. I am overdue for a reread.

Actually, that's probably true of all of these, lol. I should reread them and give them their own post/shower of love on that rec blog I mentioned.

This list took a couple days to compile. I could never make a wholly comprehensive one, but I believe I answered your question, anon. 🤪

[deeppink-man]

The story of my childhood fondness for Silent Hill

※ Because English is not my native language, sentences can be awkward. Mostly aided by translators.

When I was about 12~13 years old (14 years old in Korea), I was attending an art academy, and one day, my teacher saying today is a special day and played a horror movie with snacks.

The horror movie was Silent Hill, and I was very impressed with it because I loved horror movies and horror games.

Now that I think about it, it wasn't a movie for children, but I was really into it at the time anyway, and I came to love it so much that I asked my teacher what the title of the movie was and wrote it down.

I searched about the movie and found out that it was made based on the game.

The first thing that caught my eye was the overwhelming design of Pyramid Head.

I drew pyramid heads using basic paint tools that existed one by one on my computer at the time, and I became a Silent Hill fan by posting them on my blog.

I started studying about every series and got hooked on the story of the game, looking up the story of the series one by one.

I was a student and young. So I couldn't know the money to buy the original game, nor the route to get it, so playing the game myself was close to impossible, but nevertheless I wanted to know all the information from every series.

The first thing I started liking was Silent Hill's monster design, but more and more I started to love the main characters as well.

(Unusually, my favorite monster was the Butcher who came out of Silent Hill Origin, not Pyramid Head. (IDK Why))

Anyway, I got to like all the main characters in Silent Hill, and I enjoyed drawing them. But as a student, it was difficult for me to draw them perfectly, which is why I practice drawing them in a cute way.

It's a little embarrassing, but it's a painting from my student days.

Back then, I couldn't speak English much better than now, but I still drew cartoons in English and drew a lot of fan art.

If you look at my childhood drawing notes, most of the hard-working paintings were Silent Hill fan art. (And I don't know why, but I used to draw both versions of Harry.(SH1 and SH SM) I accepted two versions of Harry as different personalities.)

It's been a long time, and I'm old enough to interpret and judge Silent Hill objectively. And my drawing skills have improved that much. Since I couldn't play the game myself and tended to rely on the fan art of the fandom and the interpretation of the fans, there was a different interpretation from the original.

Silent Hill is a great memory for me. I even draw cartoons about Silent Hill in my notes, and I also had a dedicated painting style that I practiced to draw Silent Hill fan art. This game means this to me.

So, this fan art means a lot to me. It's because these fan art are things that I draw while looking back on my old memories in a long time ago. It may sound strange, but I grew up with Silent Hill. Remembering them, imagining their stories, drawing them is a pleasure for me.

The conclusion of the story is, I started drawing them again after a long time, and it reminded me of old memories. Recently, I rarely drew fan art because I had to work on a webtoon project. However, it sounds pleasant to me that after working for a long time, I return to my hobby and that someone else likes it. Thank you!

I'm glad there are still so many Silent Hill fans. I still love this game, and I'm waiting for a new reboot. I hope reboot back a good way.

[sleepingdeath-light]

relationship hcs ; poly affogato cookie & clotted cream cookie

requested by ; 🦭 anon (17/08/23)

fandom(s) ; cookie run

fandom masterlist(s) ; hub | epic cookies | super epic cookies

character(s) ; affogato cookie, clotted cream cookie

outline ; “Seal anon here:

Part of me can't resist an idea based off this ask

https://www.tumblr.com/sleepingdeath-light/725883633838211072/coffee-and-cream-18?source=share

Imagine being in a poly with these two...they are both charismatic and can be sweet when they want to be~

Can't decide if I want a drabble or whole hcs of a clotted cream x female reader x affogato...

So surprise me lol!

Also I guess I send in wholesome requests because my mind kinda naturally just avoids sex or is neutral to it. Or idk why but always preferred wholesome stuff over sex stuff...still don't understand myself a little lmao!”

note ; struggled a lot with trying to conceptualise what this relationship would look like, so apologies for any shaky characterisation here haha ^^

warning(s) ; none, just fluff!

it goes almost without saying that once you enter into this relationship, and all of you have established your boundaries regarding one another, you’re going to end up completely and utterly spoiled rotten — of course the boys will also shower each other with gifts, but it’s a sort of competition between the two of them when it comes to who can lavish you with the most thoughtful, expensive, and high quality gifts so you tend to take the brunt of that particular expression of love

affogato cookie tends to focus primarily on the material when it comes to his gifts for you and your other boyfriend: expensive lounge robes, styles of clothing unique to his kingdom made in only the finest of materials, the finest jewellery that money can buy, and boxes upon boxes of handpicked hair and skincare products that he swears will make you both look even more enchanting than usual

clotted cream cookie, meanwhile, focuses mainly on experiences when he picks something up for you or affogato cookie: paying for you all when you’re out on dates, leveraging his status and wealth in order to skip forward on the waitlists of the republic’s finest establishments, taking you both out on surprise trips to various locations within and beyond the republic’s borders, and ensuring you’re both able to accompany him on his work trips just so you each get to experiences the wonders of the world alongside him

both of these men will write you little love letters and reminders for you to find in their absence but they place and word them very differently — for example, affogato cookie is much more likely to leave his notes out in plain sight (e.g. on the bedside table or on his pillow for you to find when you wake up) and he always uses darker coloured envelops with more intricate wax seals to keep them closed, whereas clotted cream cookie hides most of his love letters in the places that you’re most likely to find them (e.g. between the pages of your favourite book, or in one of the pockets of that jacket or bag you never leave the house without) and he always uses lighter coloured paper with no envelope with your name scrawled across one side in intricate cursive

affogato cookie is much quicker to resort to flattery and sweet talk during arguments, especially if he’s trying to get you to side with him after a disagreement with clotted cream cookie, and he’s much more spiteful and petty afterwards if you don’t take his side — these grudges never last particularly long, mind you, and are usually just for show as a way to get you (and clotted cream cookie) to grovel for forgiveness and/or admit that he was right… even when he really wasn’t

clotted cream cookie, on the other hand, is much more levelheaded during arguments and disagrees with bringing in an uninvolved third party to resolve an issue or take sides — that being said he does usually end up playing the mediator and peace maker when affogato cookie’s ego or temper becomes a bit too much for you to handle, and his experience as an authority figure makes him much better suited at finding middle ground or some sort of compromise (as opposed to affogato cookie’s insistence of his way or nothing, which is perfect for leading a cult but… less than ideal for being in a relationship)

whenever you and/or clotted cream cookie visit dark cacao kingdom, affogato cookie takes every possible step he can to ensure you’re both safe and well tended to throughout your stay — this can mean anything from skipping off from his official duties to welcome you himself and walk you back to his home, to having his followers fetch you a variety of flashy gifts, to ensuring at least one or two members of his cult are near you at all times to keep you safe, to actually taking official time off of his work as an adviser to spend some time with you both and show you around his favourite parts of the kingdom, and everything in between!

(he also gets very insistent about you both being properly dressed to handle the colder weather and will refuse to let you go out until you both put on your coats — no not your republic coats, the thicker ones he bought you for this visit… please don’t make this difficult…)

whenever you and/or affogato cookie visit the republic, well it’s safe to say that clotted cream cookie goes all out to make sure you have as relaxing and fun of an experience as possible — even if his duties don’t allow him to be by your side for the whole time… no matter how much he may want to be

of course you two are personally escorted to his family manor and, after finishing up some unavoidable paperwork, clotted cream cookie steps in and helps you unpack whilst you and affogato cookie go through all of the gifts he’s bought you — most of which is just clothing to wear during your stay or assortments of snack foods from local vendors to give you both a taste of the city during the time of year you’re visiting

both men are more than happy to show off you and their relationship with you to the public, but they approach it in different ways: affogato cookie takes on a much more calculated and intentional approach because he’s more mindful of how his reputation influences his plans to seize control of the kingdom (needing to balance his need to claim you both through clear pda due to his possessive streak with his desire to maintain a charismatic and suave image), while clotted cream cookie takes on a more traditional and chivalrous approach that reflects his upbringing (engaging in some mild pda but never shying away from introducing you both as his partners or politely turning someone down himself or on behalf of you or affogato)

affogato cookie is more naturally possessive and covetous of you both, and much more likely to subtly attack and embarrass anyone who tries to interfere with your relationship — especially if they try and flirt with either of you in his presence, at which point he will drop all pretences and ramp up his flirting and touchiness with you both in order to make the other party uncomfortable and embarrassed enough to leave (before having his followers ruin their life even further, of course)

clotted cream cookie doesn’t necessarily have a possessive streak and tends to be much better at keeping a level head, but he’s not above very sternly shooing anyone away who tries to flirt with you or affogato cookie in his presence or anyone whose attention either of you entertain — it’s actually very difficult for most others to see just how jealous he gets, but to you and affogato cookie it’s clear as day (and, honestly, quite cute)

[storkmuffin]

for @iriswashername, A write up of Mingi's live on  June 10, 2023.

It's dark. Why is it dark? Are you having a breakout? What is going on? Dude I'm slowly going blind in one eye - can we not do this?

There are 10,000 people (holy shit) in this chat.

We're in his work room.

He explains that he's drinking water, not anything else (i.e. it's not alcohol). I suspect that this is another flirtation or teasing attempt by the Mingi-biased, who strike me as very valiant in continuing to try to do engage him in this way, given that he just won't play. Wooyoung has drunk alcohol on lives and the 영부인 and he had a lot of fun teasing back and forth about it. But Mingi says, flatly, in monotone, It's water. The end.

He explains why he won't turn on the light. It looks too unaesthetic if he turns on the light. 어두운건 어쩔수 없어. You'll just have to deal with the dark. He doesn't apologize. He explains - he needs to buy a lamp, and this task has been on his to-do list for five months but he just hasn't done it. The overhead light is installed, yes, but it's so unacceptable that his volume goes up several decibels when describing the unacceptability: 하얀색으로 쨍~~ 해서! (it's such a braaassyyy white!). So we the viewers are just going to have to sit in the dark and understand.

There's a discussion about whether he's eating, and what he ate, and exercise. Idols are supposed to be model-thin, wraith-thin, just very slender lines. It's also a Korean cultural thing, to ask people if they ate instead of asking how they are. Long history of famines, invasions, etc, contributed to that, I'm sure.

Mingi delivers the message that he and the others have been on a variety of content shows and says looking them up should be a good time for the fans. I feel like this was on his to do list, to tell people this.

Then comes attempts by the Valiant Mingi-Biased to engage him in small talk, each of which fails so completely it starts to be comical. What games do you ilke? I don't play games. What animations do you like? I don't watch animation. Hahaha. No dice! He does politely respond with a game he's heard is popular, and an animation he's heard someone he works with likes.

He says, 이제 다들 잘 시간이죠? Why is he always sending people off to sleep, when he's the one that turned on the chat? I think this may be his way of being caring. It doesn't feel like it because it's not warm nor appeals to the emotions, but I think he really is like, I hope your fandom participation doesn't encroach on priorities in your actual life.

The World Ep 2: Outlaw is about to come out at this point in time. He says about the title song, Bouncy, that it's easy to follow, easy to do challenges with. Then he says, It fits well with the current trends in the music market. This is very striking. I haven't heard Wooyoung or Seonghwa mention this sort of business assessment of their songs.

I have recently noticed that Mingi's rap portions tend to use very, to use an American colloquialism, Four dollar words, you now, SAT Vocab prep words, that pop out at me. Turns out that he actually just talks like this. When describing how much he likes his own rap-making in This World, he says, 긴 문장은 아니지만 그 문장안에 담아있는 함축적 의미가 표현한 것. 함축적 (implication) is not a word I've ever heard an entertainer say in any interview.

He tells a little joke about the lyrics of Bouncy - he says Song Mingi is in the song itself. Bouncy has him shouting s-o-n-g-m-i-n-g-i in the lyrics, of course. That's very funny but like, it's a very long distance joke, and it isn't actually delivered like a joke.

He says that he does get recognized in the streets (of Seoul?) now (in 2023) and that it makes him happy.

Mingi says again that Bouncy is fun and easy to learn. This is his indirect way of encouraging social media engagement, perhaps.

The Valiant Mingi-Biased try again to engage in flirty, naughty talk. They ask if 청량고추 is a double entendre. Mingi again doesn't bite. This is not what he wants to talk about. 이중적이라기 보다 따라하기 쉬운, 쉽게 들을수 있는 노래. He says, Rather than a double meaning, you should know that it's easy to sing along to, and easy to listen to. It's clear by this point that Mingi thought that their songs before Bouncy were difficult for the average listener.

Mingi launches into serious mode, and again I'm struck by how literary his utterances are. He says that he didn't reveal his works in progress because he was spending the time doing this: 자신을 가꿔 왔다. Cultivating himself. He says that because he received so many expressions of love from fans, he has experienced this: 편협한 생각과 편견들이 깨지기 시작. The shattering of prejudices and narrow minded thoughts (but 편협 is elevated language. You can say 좁다, 작다, 소극적이다 which is in more common usage). He says 결과론적으로 보여줄 수 없더라도. He says 지난과 지금이 부딪혔던 순간들이 있었는데 생각의 전환점이 되어 춤 라이브를 시작했다. He says, 노력을 해서 여러 발자취를 남기면 원하는 결과를 만들어 낼수 있지 않을까. 뭔가 성대하게 보여줄 수 있다는 건 아니지만. What does this guy read or watch that gives him this vocabulary and penchant for complex sentence structures in Korean speech? SO INTERESTING. He speaks in poetic language, and it doesn't seem like's reading from a script.

Mingi does fan service talk about how his fans have helped him grown, how their love has healed him and matured him as an artist, and how apologetic he feels at not giving them 'more' and 'better' art back in return for their love. Except the way he doesn't it doesn't feel like fan service. He's taken off his hat to give this speech. It feels so genuine.

Then he puts his hat back on to say, I've been talking too seriously for too long, haven't I?

Once again, the Mingi Fans try to flirt: "Don't cry about it," and he doesn't smile or anything. I think this might be annoying actually, because he reiterates the bit about being apologetic to his loving fans because of his inability until recently to give them more content.

HongJoong calls and they are so formal with each other. HJ actually calls him 선생님. They just compliment each other, like businessmen who've launched an IPO, in a very professional way. Mingi invites HJ to visit this work room sometime, and HJ leaves by wishing (very very formally) Mingi and his fans a happy rest of chat.

Mingi-Fans strike again: Do you have a name for your workroom? No, he says. The end. HAHAHA. Wooyoung would go, What should I call it? Seonghwa would try to come up with one, something very cute. But Mingi is like, NOPE.

Then comes the song reveal. I don't think it has a title. (Later confirmed that it's actually called 무제 - Untitled). When you ask former 연습생- now Idols to write songs, they seem to come out with stuff like this. Bangchan's lyrics are often in this vein too actually. It's always from the POV of a very uncertain young person whose hopes and plans for the future frightens and hurts them because they want it so badly but the path forward is so strewn with obstacles. The world is harsh and rough and poisonous and cold. They're always alone, too - nobody to talk to, no one on their side. This song, because it's written by Mingi, says this literally: 날 도와줄 사람은 여긴 아무도 없��봐 (there's nobody here that would help me).

He hides his face the entire time this song is playing. When it's over, he doesn't solicit feedback. He just says, I made this for you, thank you for waiting, thank you and sorry.

There's only like, five things that an Idol is actually allowed to say: 감사합니다. 사랑합니다. 노력하겠습니다. 미안합니다. 사랑해주세요. Thank you. I love you. I'll try harder/ keep trying. I'm sorry. Please love us /me. He says all of these except the last one, except again, the awkwardly blunt delivery somehow makes it seem fresh and sincere.

Then he says, I came here to share the song, and since I've done that, I'm going.

Obligatory 애교 moves done in the most obligatory way, and he's gone.

Mingi Song is SO interesting.

[justxtalking]

I'm so mad right now and I need to rant. I know I should get over it, but I literally can't. It's so annoying to meet hxh fans in real life.

I'm buying bit by bit the volumes of yu yu hakusho and hunter x hunter (level e is not available in my country), and reading them (again). I got volume 28 and took some photos of some panels that I liked and shared them as a collage in my story. It looked nice, I liked it and I am really happy that I finally got it. The thing is that a friend I haven't properly talked to for I don't know how long saw my story and realized that I liked hxh. We started talking, but damn, I don't regret sharing what I bought, but why are people like this? This is the second time it happens to me (third time if I include a non-fan but knows hxh): everytime someone hears that I like togashi's work, they start complaining about the popular hiatus (as if he's the only mangaka who does that). I so prefer to meet the guys who act all surprised everytime I go to buy a hxh volume in the comic book store. At least they try to make a conversation about the story and just ask me about my favorite character.

My conversation with this guy started with him just complaining about how togashi doesn't continue the story and he should leave it to someone else but he's too proud and blablabla. I tried to be sympathetic since he seems to be a fan of his work from years ago, but I did defend togashi a whole lot (he said I should stop defending him but never in my life I would do such a thing). I find it awful how some fans still put so much pressure on togashi to continue hxh when we know about his condition. And to just leave the story to someone else? It's clear that those people haven't done anything close to a story to say that.

I literally already made peace with the fact that I don't need an ending. As a fan, of course I want to know how it ends. But also as a fan, I don't want him to sell his soul to the devil only to know the ending.

And something I said to this guy was that he should make his own ending, I have mine and I will throw it away when hxh ends. It was literally a joke to lighten up the situation and it wasn't even something to focus on because in between I was saying other things. And he literally focused on that and said "don't let it be fujoshi" (used as an insult) and I'm here like: are we back into the 2000s and nobody told me?

1. What is the problem?

2. Why do you care?

3. We didn't even speak about any kind of ships, what are you trying to say?

4. Are you sure you know what type of story you're reading?

And this question is for me: How am I meeting dude bros in real life? Why are they in the WILD? AND HOW THE HELL DID I BEFRIEND ONE YEARS AGO WITHOUT ME KNOWING? I want a friend who also likes hxh and togashi's work to talk, but not like this </3

I'm so tired of these kind of people. While living my life outside of the Internet and just being in my corner of the fandom living the great life, I tend to forget that they still exist and there are people who still act like this. What annoys me the most is that literally, they don't know what type of story they're reading. They like to say they like hxh because they know it's good and it gives you some kind of "status" within the anime community because togashi is a really good mangaka and someone who influenced a lot of people within the manga community. Without him, shonen as a genre wouldn't be the same. But then, they also choose to ignore what they don't like about his work, like the queer elements. It's highly known that togashi loves to play with gender and sexuality, but that's only a fact for them when they find it convenient. If you don't like it, don't watch/read it, but it's ignorant and blatant stupid to just act as if it's not there and talk shit about other people only because it's uncomfortable to you. And I'm not even saying that everyone should analyze the story, some people just like to enjoy it and move on with their lives and some others don't know how to analize it, but one thing is that and another thing is just to close off to the possibility when it's clearly there. But of course, the others are sick, not them who are clearly homophobic and don't want to admit it. They should ask themselves why do they get so mad about the possibility of two kids being together romantically and just work on themselves. What's worst is that this guy even said to me he likes NANA and I don’t want to know what kind of interpretation he has because DAMN

To be honest, sometimes I'm a bit surprised about how well togashi seems to know the anime community, but of course he does, he's being a fan for how long now and he's being a mangaka for how long. And I so hope he keeps trolling because DAMN these people are annoying

The worst part is that these fans wouldn't even be friends with togashi or wouldn't like him as a fan because togashi really does look like the type of fan they would hate. Togashi likes BL, mpreg, obscure stories, horror (body horror even) and science fiction (both genres who allow and are known for queerness), he used to make doujinshis (even in an era that was even more bad looked upon than now), he likes to draw bishonen characters (even in a time which was more common to see buff characters in shonen), he drew gender-bender designs of kurama and hiei, he included a homoerotic art of kurama and karasu (a friend made it for him i think) in his doujinshi, he wanted to make a shonen with gay characters and crossdressing and the list goes on and on. He likes so many things that these others fans are disgusted by and it really looks like they don't know who they are admiring. The reason why ending D got so much negative attention when it came out is because it doesn't sound believable that a mangaka like togashi himself, the same person who made level e and is constantly worried of making an interesting story, would make such a bland and heteronormative ending in a story like hxh no less.

They should just shut up and go do their homework instead, they look ridiculous.

And no, I didn't answer this guy again and I don’t think I will, though I really want to troll him.

[ca-suffit]

Do you have a theory on why/how DM became so popular to the point of sidelining LOuis in his relationship with Armand and LOuis in his relationship with Daniel?

If we look without shipping gogoles there is no or barely any DM moments in s2 the both focus are Loudaniel and Loumand (I don't count Loustat because i'm focusing on the Dubai trio) After watching ep05 it was clearly evident that the fandom choose to focus on Armandaniel because why everyone is talking about DM in a episode Armand tried to kill Daniel,Louis had a suicide attempt (people barely talk about this emotional and important point) I'm really not hating i'm watching the show as neutral as possible and don't understand what DM are people seeing at this point of the story?

I'm not totally buying ''the fandom doesn't like two moc together and want them with a white character'' So I'm curious if you look at any tag DM is flooding when,I repeat, DM did not happen yet on our screens,I know it will,but for now I don't/barely saw it ? So either I missed the moments or either there is something I don't understand?

I can already see people thinking I'm a shipper,but the reality is that I really didn't like any romance on the show,like Loustat they tell me they love each other so much but I don't see it in S1, Loumand was convincing in Paris but not so in Dubai.

Well...the racism is definitely present and prominent at times, but just like disliking the show itself doesn't mean ur necessarily racist by default, there are other reasons for this focus too.

DM is a popular ship from the books. The fandom hasn't ever seen any of it in a visual form until now. They've also kind of given us *two* Daniels too. Ppl are jumping ahead a lot bcuz they're excited to see any of this happening. The series flips between books so much too that it makes the desire to find "reason" behind anything even more. We've never had a IWTV / VC *tv series* before. It's only been 2 movies and a play. Ppl can engage in different ways with a tv series, there's more material to look at, more promotional stuff, more flipping between books and timelines, like I said. The show just gave a big boost to DM too with the close of S2 between the show itself and interviews behind the scenes, so now ppl want every look to have meaning even more.

There is also something to be said about how this does distract from the abusive horrors otherwise tho. Bcuz even with Armand and Daniel in 2x5, ppl aren't focusing on the show's abuse a lot. It's more focused on the romantic angles (and a lot mostly coming from the book version). It's ignoring Louis screaming in the background. It's ignoring the larger plot of the trial and all this other stuff. Fandoms don't like to face abuse directly, I've noticed, so usually the worse a story is, the "lighter" a fandom tends to be in what posts are about. So it's a little of this too.

[olderthannetfic]

People who cry about wanting comments on their fic annoy the fuck out of me. Stop being shitty. You're not entitled to me hugging you and telling you that your garbage is gold and even if it is gold, if you need applause from the internet you're so insecure it's embarrassing. Grow the fuck up. Fandom is a support group where we all act as your little yesmen. Real authors don't write hoping they'll get gushing fanmail from strangers, they write to create art. This is why almost none of you get published btw. You're too fragile. Real editors would eat most of you alive.

--

Pretty sure lots of real authors do dream of gushing fanmail from strangers even if they primarily write for autotelic reasons.

And interestingly, writers' groups that are all hug-hug-hug apparently have better success getting people to finish projects than ones that are more critical, which often leads to more overall professional success because finishing anything at all tends to be the biggest hurdle.

Editorial standards are also down, and almost no one gets published compared to how many people want to be, fragile or otherwise...

But, yes, a lot of fic writers do phrase their desire for attention in a way that's pretty offputting, as though only they ever wanted or deserved it and as though some specific (and usually unrealistically large) quantity is a right.

The part I find irksome is when people talk as though A Writer is a special class of being and fic readers are ingrates who don't understand. It's even worse from the hustle culture types, but it's rife regardless.

In reality, of course, large numbers of fic fans who primarily read have at least dabbled in writing in a way that isn't necessarily so for the majority of people buying a book at a bookstore.

These aren't separate groups of people: we're a community. And while I'd like more comments, I'm certainly not shocked that good comments are also hard to write and take time.

[inusmasha]

Just rambling about InuKag dynamics I don't see ppl talk about.

this is 'long post' disclaimer .

Its a ghostly day today, and I have it all to myself. So while defrosting this english muffin I started musing about what sort of dynamics I like most in fiction. Like not just romantic wise. I wanted to figure out what was.. the tension? I enjoyed most... between what two archetypes?

And I what I noticed is that I love a good Mentor/Mentee dynamic. It's something that's been pretttyyyy consistent since childhood. (I can't name any atm to help my argument but you feel compelled to keep reading)

However, I didn't see how this would fit InuKag? My Titanic? My ship of dreams? My childhood? InuKag sometimes stands out like a sore thumb compared to my other interests. I was going to chalk it up to "Well it's baby's first anime so.." UNTIL..

I realized the fandom tends to focus on how Kagome helped Inuyasha (recover his lost heart, humanity, the unconditional selfless love, understanding ect.) but like.. we don't really talk about what he provides for her as much? And I'd love to indulge you with my take but we'd have to go over why I think Kagome decided to leave the modern world and opt for a life in wilderness of the Feudal Era.

Yes, yes. A big part is Inuyasha. That is a huge driving factor. But Im saying step back and see what's happening in the grand scheme of things.

I think..for Kagome..her romance with Inuyasha acted as a portal to a type of freedom she didn't know she craved. He acts as a guide of sort. He gives her access and safe passage to explore this dangerous world fully without fear. It reminds me of when I was with my first bf and I was over the moon happy when I realized I could walk around at night with him. It was THRILLING to my sheltered teen ass. It was like I was holding the key to the VIP room. I was allowed backstage. He was a door that opened me up to new experiences that would not of been available to me at that time otherwise!

And then the benefit of being immersed in nature. With your lover. Who is a figure that exists outside of the society that was keeping you locked up in the first place. Kagome's name is also referencing 'a bird in a cage'.

Like?

Kagome also serves as a guide for Inuyasha. She brings him back from the liminal space of the forest to the village/community/connection. Again opening him up to the possibility of trusting others and forming bonds and setting down roots in the village.

Kagome also represents us the Audience. She is our perspective. She is "The Ordinary Teenage Girl". She's pulled into the well like we are being pulled into the narrative. She grapples with her identity. Her purpose. Her abilities. She's lip singing to Kelly Clarkson with her hairbrush in front of the mirror. She's trying to get to school but...OOP...You know what? I'm 16. I'm suddenly in a fairy tale. The faries spirited me away and I can't take the test right now. The magical jewel was in my hip you see. I'll think about high school entrance exams later when I'm done shooting my sparkly arrows.

You can't sit there and tell me that you didn't long to escape the druggery that came after graduating lol? The what so I do now? The who am I ? And where do I belong? What major do I want? I have to buy a house now? No? I have to fix my credit score-

No babe. You're going to hitch a ride on your bf's back with ya hair down and eat fruit by a waterfall. He's going to ask you wtf a test is to the sound of a million birds chirping in the morning. Then you're going to go back to your loving village that welcomes you home and calls you a hero.

It makes sense that she stayed. It makes sense. You just gotta... see the vision.. you gotta FEEEEL the escapism.

Anyway yeah lol. Not really a mentor to each other per say but their meeting was a catalysis for a lot of growth and learning and trials and tribulations that changed them for the better. And it just feels similar.