#thecat rambles

[ashesandhackles]

I posted 1,105 times in 2022

299 posts created (27%)

806 posts reblogged (73%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@thecat-isblogging-blog

@artemisia-black

@urupotter

@incalculablepower

@thedreamermusing

I tagged 1,000 of my posts in 2022

Only 10% of my posts had no tags

#asks - 258 posts

#anon - 182 posts

#sirius black - 99 posts

#harry potter - 78 posts

#severus snape - 77 posts

#hp fanart - 67 posts

#fruits basket - 64 posts

#remus lupin - 58 posts

#harry james potter - 51 posts

#shigure sohma - 41 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#also this idea puts an undeserved amount of importance on romantic relationships when romantic relationships are simply not more important

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Harry and The Dursleys: Examining His Response to his Abusers

This is a musing/rambling, because I have been rereading and I have been noticing shifts in how Harry responds to the Dursleys. It is largely a companion piece that expands the ideas that I touch upon in my meta Deconstructing Harry , and it is to underline how Harry was shaped by surviving and living in an abusive household, one that specifically posits the "golden child vs scapegoat" dynamic in the worst possible way. I have been doing a reread and I have a lot of thoughts!

Finding Safety

Harry's relationship with his abusers is quite understandably, fragmented. He is used to their neglect ("the house held no other sign another boy lived there") and prefers to stay out of their way, and he is used to being the scapegoat to Dudley's golden child. The stark difference in how the Dursleys treat Dudley vs himself contributes to the very little sense of self Harry begins the series with. This, of course, changes when he is removed from their presence and Hogwarts, specifically Ron and Hermione offer him the safety that is required for him to develop beyond his constant survival mode.

What was interesting to me beyond him being used to their neglect is that....at least in the first two books of the series, he wants their attention. He attempts at connection with his abusers ( he tells them about the dream with flying motorbike, he considers waking Dudley up at the hut before his birthday - to annoy him i.e just to have his attention, when Uncle Vernon says "now we know today is an important day" in CoS on Harry's birthday, Harry actually looks up, "hardly daring to believe it").

Why does he do this? Harry has been constantly told - repeatedly consciously and unconsciously that he is a burden on the Dursleys. So he copes - spotting danger ("Harry didn't look it but he was very fast") and evading, not draw attention to himself unless necessary, or trying to maintain a relationship with them in an effort for both need for connection - because they are all he has at the moment and he is a lonely boy, and to try and be safe from complete abandonment.

His abandonment issues inform both his aversion to conflict in personal relationships ( I talk about it in my meta about his relationship with conflict and evolution of his dynamic with Ron and Hermione here) as well as his interesting ambivalence to Ron and Hermione's budding romance in later books ("It wasn't as though he was surprised - but he wasn't sure how he felt about it .. ()...Would he be shut out for good?)

Ease With Violent Contact

There are plenty of implications of physical abuse Harry suffers throughout the series, referred to in the narrative in offhand ways ("You need more than good sense to liase with Uncle. A good sense of when to duck more like" in OOTP, "Long experience had told Harry it is best to stay out of Uncle Vernon's arms reach" in HBP) and we see instances of Vernon threatening him ( Uncle Vernon advanced on him with first raised. "You'll get the stuffing knocked out of you, won't you?" in POA, and his promise to "flay Harry within inch of his life" in beginning chapters of CoS after Dobby crashed the pudding).

See the full post

302 notes - Posted May 19, 2022

#4

“And now you face me, like a man … straight-backed and proud, the way your father died…”

James is such an athlete that Voldemort really went like, "That posture tho. The dude has a straight spine after a year of sitting at home? Respect dude."

369 notes - Posted February 11, 2022

#3

Reading Marauders Dynamics in SWM

By @thecat-isblogging-blog and myself

The fact that SWM happened after the werewolf prank lends an interesting colour to the dynamics we see in text.

We'd like to start with the two differing ways Remus responded to werewolf jokes. Number one:

Did you like question ten, Moony?' asked Sirius as they emerged into the Entrance Hall.

'Loved it, said Lupin briskly. 'Give five signs that identify the werewolf.Excellent question.'

'D'you think you managed to get all the signs?' said James in tones of mock concern.

'Think I did,' said Lupin seriously, as they joined the crowd thronging around the front doors eager to get out into the sunlit grounds. 'One: he's sitting on my chair. Two: he's wearing my clothes. Three: his name's Remus Lupin.'

Wormtail was the only one who didn't laugh.

To

I'm bored,' said Sirius. 'Wish it was full moon.'

'You might,' said Lupin darkly from behind his book. 'We've still got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me. Here ...' and he held out his book.

In the first instance, Remus feeds into the werewolf joke and laughs at his own dry joke - and in the second instance, he reacts slightly negatively.

We know from what Remus says in HBP that he is not averse to these jokes. He laughs when Harry says fiercely, "But you are normal - you've just got a problem!". Remus says in nostalgia-tinted affection, "Sometimes you remind me a lot of James. He called it my 'furry little problem' in company. Many people were under the impression I owned a badly behaved rabbit."

The difference, especially given the light of what happened in the werewolf prank (James saves Snape and by extension Remus, Sirius endangers him), is the presence of James. (Reference our meta here as to understand why he sees James and Sirius as his protectors in wolf form, which James unconsciously still fulfills here)

Remus feeds into the joke when James is around, and the moment James is off doing his own thing with the snitch, Sirius' own reference is met slightly passive aggressively. Remus is simultaneously telling Sirius his boundary is being crossed while redirecting his boredom somewhere else (hey, test me?).

[An important addition by @dragonlordette here: The dark "you might" response could be seen as Remus remembering the prank. The first joke is a joke among friends about his condition, the second one is reminder that Sirius still doesn't truly grasp how much danger he put Remus in during the prank. Hence "you might" - like, reminders that Sirius Doesn't Get It aren't appreciated the way other jokes are. It serves as a marker of how Remus might feel Sirius has burned him before - he is forgiven, and still loved, but it's not forgotten. Whereas the way he talks about James forever demonstrates that he clearly feels James never let him down.]

Cat goes further to describe Remus handing the book to Sirius as "a handout before the other person can respond to the initial negative response". (Remus and his hyper awareness of social situations is underused in fics!)

The third werewolf reference looks very different in the light of POA:

'How thick are you, Wormtail?' said James impatiently. 'You run round with a werewolf once a month--'

'Keep your voice down,' implored Lupin.

Yes, Remus is reacting to his secret, but given he just made the joke about himself being a werewolf ("Three, his name is Remus Lupin"), his primary concern feels like something else. He seems more sensitive about the Animagus secret - it is the same fact he actively hides from Dumbledore in POA, manifesting in one of the worst things he did: not informing Dumbledore of that secret when he still believed Sirius to be a mass murderer.

Here is how he describes it in POA:

"All this year, I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus. But I didn't do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. It would have meant admitting that I'd betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that I'd led others along with me. . . and Dumbledore's trust has meant everything to me. He let me into Hogwarts as a boy, and he gave me a job when I have been shunned all my adult life, unable to find paid work because of what I am. And so I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using dark arts he learned from Voldemort, that being an Animagus had nothing to do with it.."

Moving on, it's also interesting that when Sirius declares he is bored, both Remus and James offer ways out.

Remus asks him to test him (which he rejects), while James offers going after Snape (which he accepts). This dynamic establishes Sirius as the instigator - he begins the werewolf joke ("did you like question ten, Moony?"), he is the one who is bored which both James and Remus try to address. However, when it comes to attacking Snape, after Sirius accepts, James takes the lead whereas Sirius falls back on a supporting role.

Peter also is exclusively attached to James through the scene - cheering him on, which James enjoys and doesn't challenge Sirius's disparaging, "Put that away, will you. Before Wormtail wets himself in excitement." (Peter turns pink, and James does put the snitch away with, "If it bothers you" xD)

Essentially, Sirius keeps pushing boundaries (begins werewolf joke, is bored, the prank), but it is James who sets them (joins in the first joke which makes Remus join in without any passive aggressiveness, offers the attack for boredom, and has his actions save his everyone from dire consequences in the prank).

James Potter is essentially the center of the Marauders, who is everyone's favourite. Sirius is James' favourite - which other two are aware of.

400 notes - Posted January 19, 2022

#2

Snape to Tonks about her Patronus: The new one looks weak. I think you were better off with the old one:

Meanwhile Snape with his own Patronus:

484 notes - Posted July 25, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I know it's often debated how powerful Harry is meant to be (aVeRaGe vs ExTraOP) - but I just finished reading Goblet of Fire, where both Barty Crouch Jnr (implied to have struggled with this for years) and Barty Crouch Snr struggle with their Imperius curses (for months, and he is still struggling with it when Harry meets him in the forest).

And yet, Harry throws it off the first time someone tries it on him. And if the spell's strength lies in the power of the caster, Harry throws it off when Voldemort casts it on him. It's not something the book draws attention to as much, but this little feral boy is a force.

571 notes - Posted November 4, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[professor--sycamore]

its been ages since i inflicted you guys with my face so heres some cute selfies, im beautiful

[penny-quinn]

In a alphabetical order:-

@alderiasamantha - my daughter

@azure-arcanum - the fun supporting moot

@bbeary - berry! Miss sim

@buttabomma - June! Awesome writer

@diffuserlover - ARA! My only rambling listener yet who always is there for me!

@dimplehyunn - have just met you've got that vibes

@en-jakey - P! Haven't seen you around buy your Hella cool

@fairycob - Lili! Your so squishy!

@haechanhues - NIWA!!! YOUR SO BRILLIANT! CUZ LIKE YOU TAUGHT ME HOW TO USE THIS TUMBLR THING!

@highkeygolden - ANOTHER awesome writer here!

@hoonluvs - hey there! Aki!

@imddeonu - ddeonu! Your hearts made of gold!

@i-stole-jimins-jams - your just too cool for school man!

@jay-durian - hi! Your very sweet and spicy! I mean like your the perfect combo!

@jessiccajessie - Jessie my love! You always make my darkest days into brightest!

@jungwon-luv-bot-returns-deactiv - KYUUUUU! I feel non existent when I don't see you on my dash!

@moonshappiness-fanfics - moon! Your my twin flame! Like I live talking to you and meeting you was like a destiny! Uwuw!

@nya-thecat - your reaction are so fun especially with anons!

@nikieskoo - that Niki fic had me go crazy! What have you done to my heart!

@onenormalperson4012 - honestly, I really like your blog! Your such a savage person? But your also so sweet.

@petuniadoescollege - I am so inspired by you. I love reading your posts!

@sweetrainwrites - your absolutely sweet! Like a honey miss!

@sierrawr - where are you? I miss you and your awesome

@shrutiajit - hi! Didi! I live seeing on my dash! Your posts make me feel so positive

@shytreecheesecake - Tanny! You inspire me to study! Honestly, I'm just copying you BESTIE

@vixenwerr - emoji queen! She's a swag who stand the right one

@wonvelvet - hi! Yeonie! Your writing are awesome and your such a homie! Like you give cottage core vibes

@wonjaems - hi! I know we have known each other no too long ago but let me tell you!, Let's have a party

(I'm so thankful to have met all of you and your all awesome! I'm always inspired by all of you and remember that I love all of you so much! ... I may not have spoken much but-

[desidarling123]

chronic -- chapter 2

Summary: Pain is a touchstone of Remus’ life. Part of the whole werewolf deal, you know. OR: Remus’ attempts at understanding love, told through the lens of chronic pain.

Chapter 2: Things come together, then quickly fall apart. Pain, hurt, resolution.

Author’s Note: Thank you as always to @your-girl-is-lovely​ for beta reading/sanity checking this for me! I know it’s been a while since I updated, so if you need the refresher, go read Chapter 1 first! May help it flow better, too.

I’ve really enjoyed writing this piece, it’s been cathartic in so many ways.

But at last, it’s finally come to an end. Enjoy!

READ ON AO3 | READ ON FANFICTION.NET

Tag list under the read-more:

@nymphietonkslupin @in-love-with-remus-lupin@moonysdora@cocojamboooo

@wannabe16 @mrsdoralupin@acciocrzychick@regaltonks@theshityoucallmyheart @enimia13@toricarter94 @grimmauldcrack@quirky-little-penguin-blog@alyweasley@lilydarlingx@megand2017  @messrmoonyy @moony-221-b@harrypotterandotherthings @over-the-moon3@wibilow@shizarianathania@timeandpixiedust@lattethebrit@weasleyshungry @romulus-on-potterwatch @screechingneckfarmlight @callmejo@forcverandalways@percyjacksonwriter@songlikeyou@weasleyjumpeer@riddikuluslad @xinfully​ @freaking-nix​ @whatsoeversstuff @luna-weasley-rambles@agentsofpsych99@lilydarlingx @wibilow@amaliabuoli @toricarter94@callmejo@timeandpixiedust @louse-d00 @elekterion @screechingneckfarmlight @banishedprincess@over-the-moon3@riddikuluslad@thatclumsybitch16@messrmarauder@glitterybonkrascalknight

@chaoticturkeyfloweropera@top-notch-daddy​ @wwebeckyfan​

@boldlyshamelessfun  @thatclumsybitch16 @wolfshadow16

@amaliabuoli @naloxonetwothree @masternalex @alyweasley@luna-weasley-rambles @potterwotcherr @ellaslawblr-258 @your-local-radio-host @thatcatholicgentleman​ @all-about-remadora​ @thecat-isblogging-blog​

Please let me know if you don’t want to be tagged, or want to be removed from any future tags! Or, if you want to be added.

[professor--sycamore]

it makes me sad when i think how badly the yogs fandom died and how i lost touch with so many good friends because of that, literally an entire huge band of people fell out because a couple fans were super self righteous and thought they were better than others for whatever reason i miss my friends a lot and it makes me sad to think i lost touch with so many people over this if any of y'all used to talk to me im so sorry i lost contact i love you all please if you wanna talk ever you know where i am hmu im happy to add literally anyone on skype or discord or whatever i just miss you all and im so sad i lost such good friends and such a sweet community got broken up i just miss everyone wow

[ashesandhackles]

META LIST

To help keep things organised, putting a list. Looking at this, I am sensing a larger patterns in things I choose to talk about. It's all about abuse, cults, power and damaged characters here lol.

Fruits Basket:

Shigure Sohma

1. The Multi-Layered Characterisation of Shigure Sohma

2. Shigure and Hatori: Reading into scene in S2E24- 25

3. Shigure and Akito -The Power Play in Beach arc.

4. Shigure And Mayu - Quick Musings

5. Shigure and Akito - Scene S3E2 breakdown

Rin Sohma

1. The Doll Metaphor in S2E18

2. The Narrative Shafting of Izusu "Rin" Sohma

Kureno Sohma and the Arc That Wasn't

Kagura Sohma - Visual Cue On Her Feelings

Thoughts on Tohru and Akito Hospital Scene

Fruits Basket Rejects "Good Guys" vs "Bad Guys" morality

The Hat Is The Literal Embodiment Of "I Wanted To Be You"

The Cat Speech: Manga Vs Anime

Tohru Third Act Content: Kyoko, Katsuya, God

Making A Case For Rehabilitative Justice in Fruits Basket

Akito And "Redemption" Arc

Haru and Akito: Breakdown of S3E4 scene

Harry Potter:

Worldbuilding

1. House elf plotline: A Critique of Author Choices

2. The importance of soul in HP verse with @artemisia-black

3. Dumbledore and Reflections of Himself

Harry James Potter

1. Deconstructing Harry: The Boy We Meet In Philosopher's Stone to man in Deathly Hallows

2. Harry and Personal Conflict: Meta On Evolving Dynamic With Ron And Hermione

3. Resurrection Stone Scene: Culmination of Harry's Emotional Arc

4. Harry and Tom: Parents, Love and Death

5. The Lightning-Struck Tower: "It is My Mercy, Not Yours That Matters Now"

6. A Cold Blooded Walk to Destruction: The Deaths of Harry and Dumbledore

7. Harry and the Dursleys: (Companion Piece to Deconstructing Harry)

8. 'Be Brave Like My Mother Professor': Harry and Slughorn scene in HBP

Sirius Black

1. Shame Of My Flesh: Reading Into Sirius' Thoughts On Crouch Family

2. Snape and Sirius: The Hogwarts Express Scene In Prince's Tale

3. Sirius and Molly: An Alternate Reading Into Their Argument

4. Someone Like A Parent: The Beginning Of Bond In POA

5. Reading Marauder Dynamics At SWM

Remus Lupin

1. The Gentleman Monster: How Marginalisation and Comparitive Privilege Plays A Part In Characterisation with @thecat-isblogging-blog

2. Remus And His Use of Language + Sirius' Dark Humor with @urupotter and @thecat-isblogging-blog

3. The Marauders Map scene: Verbal Fencing Between Snape and Remus

4. Neither Likes Nor Dislikes Severus with @thecat-isblogging-blog

5. Reading Marauder Dynamics At SWM

6. Nearly Always Right: Remus and Harry

Tom Riddle

1. Tom, Peter and Nagini: The Symbols Of Dark Childhood with @pet-genius

2. The Importance of Soul in HP verse with @artemisia-black

Severus Snape

1. The Abandoned Boy and the Problematic Fathers: Snape with Voldemort & Dumbledore

2. Snape and Sirius: The Hogwarts Express Scene In Prince's Tale

3. The Extremely Dysfunctional Friendship of Snape and Lily

4. Spinner's End: The Use Of Truth, Half Truths And Lies

5. Snape and Harry: Flight of the Prince Analysis

6. The Lightning-Struck Tower: "It is My Mercy, Not Yours That Matters Now"

7. A Cold Blooded Walk to Destruction: The Imagery Surrounding Death Of Snape

Musings on Love and Sex in Shoujo Manga

1. Yuki and Nishikado in Hana Yori Dango: A refreshing sex-positive storyline

2. Arimi and Ginta in Marmalade Boy: Subverting scene expectations

3. Takiko's Sexual Desire in Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden

4. Akigure and Kyoru: A Contrast

5. Rimudo Roun: Crafting a Dimensional Characters

6. Buffy: A Horror Rambling

7. Buffy and Willow: Season 6

[desidarling123]

infatuation

Summary: Severus has a chat with Remus Lupin regarding the nature of his relationship with Nymphadora Tonks. Set during the Half Blood Prince, before Christmastime. Oneshot.

A/N: This is… messy. I love Severus as a character for all his greys and complexities, but like, he’s canonically a dick about this relationship. So I had fun exploring that, even though the below scenario almost certainly didn’t happen in canon. Anyways, enough said. Enjoy!

READ ON AO3 | READ ON FANFICTION.NET

I don’t even know if this works but tag list under the read-more:

@nymphietonkslupin @in-love-with-remus-lupin@moonysdora@cocojamboooo

@wannabe16@mrsdoralupin@acciocrzychick@regaltonks@theshityoucallmyheart@enimia13@toricarter94 @grimmauldcrack@quirky-little-penguin-blog@alyweasley@lilydarlingx@megand2017  @messrmoonyy@moony-221-b@harrypotterandotherthings @over-the-moon3@wibilow@shizarianathania@timeandpixiedust@lattethebrit@weasleyshungry @romulus-on-potterwatch @screechingneckfarmlight @callmejo@forcverandalways@percyjacksonwriter@songlikeyou@weasleyjumpeer@riddikuluslad @xinfully​ @freaking-nix​ @whatsoeversstuff @luna-weasley-rambles@agentsofpsych99@lilydarlingx @wibilow@amaliabuoli@toricarter94@callmejo@timeandpixiedust @louse-d00 @elekterion @screechingneckfarmlight @banishedprincess@over-the-moon3@riddikuluslad@thatclumsybitch16@messrmarauder@glitterybonkrascalknight

@chaoticturkeyfloweropera@top-notch-daddy​ @wwebeckyfan​

@boldlyshamelessfun  @thatclumsybitch16 @wolfshadow16

@amaliabuoli @naloxonetwothree @masternalex @alyweasley@luna-weasley-rambles @potterwotcherr @ellaslawblr-258 @your-local-radio-host @thatcatholicgentleman​ @all-about-remadora​ @thecat-isblogging-blog​

Please let me know if you don’t want to be tagged, or want to be removed from any future tags! Or, if you want to be added.

[professor--sycamore]

can we all sit the fuck down now

[professor--sycamore]

Sorry for being so down last night everyone /: I'm going to see mcbusted tonight so don't expect to hear from me much, but I love you all to bits and ill try not to do that again

[professor--sycamore]

never ever whatever you do EVER undermine someone’s anxiety.

for YEARS i had people telling me that it was just my age, i wasnt that bad, other people couldnt even go out so i wasnt that bad, etc!

i got diagnosed like 3-4 months ago after finally getting to a point where i was so fed up of throwing up if i wanted to do anything, so i went down and explained it to my doctor. i was fucking shocked when he told me he was gonna put me on meds, because it had gotten to a point where i just thought i was over reacting. i’ve had people speculate on it and tell me im lying or over exaggerating, even my sister tells me that im “showing off” as though not being able to do anythnig without having anxiety attacks is worth showing off?

there are so many different types of anxiety, it cannot be confined down to one symptom. my anxiety is very different from my friend’s, yet we’re on the same stuff.

also, my pills do not make me brave, they do not make me able to talk and they dont stop me from panicking whenever im outside. i still think that every creak in my house is someone trying to kill me, and that everyone who walks past is out to get me. i still feel ill and terrified if i go out, i just dont throw up anymore. i can’t talk to people however if i need to speak (for example in work) i wont just puke or have an anxiety attack.

stop telling people their anxiety isnt real, and stop thinking that the meds make you better straight away.

[professor--sycamore]

next year my sweets

comic con is always on around the same time isnt it? bc then 18th birthday present too ayy

but like

for real

this time next year im going to go ok im gonna meet y’all 

i stg i wanna go so baaad

[professor--sycamore]

C

cats

i dont think i need to explain this?? cats are my life my love the fuel of my energy cats are my fave holy shit guys c a t s

also me lel c;

[professor--sycamore]

ok so apparently jacks uni friends have been saying really dickish things abt me because im in college??

i mean its probably because they’re still jerking off alone to fucking hentai or some shit, but im ready to cut a bitch from the things theyve been saying lel

[professor--sycamore]

ok so quick update mums gone back to hospital now which is 100% where she should be rn so im back to living alone aha

[professor--sycamore]

so the doctors are refusing to take my mum back into hospital despite her being clearly unwell and not getting better from any antibiotics, and she could literally go neutropenic from her treatment and die??

Jesus christ, I really hope none of you ever end up in this situation, it’s fucking terrifying.

[professor--sycamore]

“im over mcr” i say while i cry over their fucking songs jfc