#this is just for me and the few people who are interested in these two idiots /affectionate

[deadhands69]

Ramen & Rain

Katsuki Bakugo x gn Reader

Ramen Date

just a weird fluff Bakugo fic mostly written at 3am. not quite the direction it was intended to go but it still ends ish as planned. mentions of angst, turns into fluff.

“Sorry for your breakup,” you say to the messy haired blonde seated next to you at the hero rankings after-party, “are you doing okay?”

“Huh?” he grumbled before remembering the bullshit his PR team spun earlier that week. 

“Oh, that.” He sits uncomfortably, staring down the tablecloth at the tiny high top the two of you were perched at. “Um, that was fake.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah, my PR team thinks it’ll humanize me to date likable people so they have me take models and whatever on dates.” He pauses, considering if he’d like to tell you the next part, “and a few times they also did this when I was photographed with one night stands. I guess that’s not so likable either or something,” he mumbles down at his lap.  

Your thoughts flash back to every headline you’d read about pro-hero Dynamite’s intriguing love life. Much to his team’s credit, you did fall for it.

“So, you haven’t actually dated any of those girls in the pictures?” 

“Nope,” his finishes his drink, hoping the glass blocked at least some of his blushing face.

“Have you dated anyone?”

“Have you?” he retorts, barely able to make eye contact.

Please say no, he hopes. 

He tried to ask you out once, in your second year of high school together. But he was going through some things. And you are you. He couldn’t imagine you being interested in anything but perfect when it’s what you deserve. One day, he figured, he could give you that. So he waited.

And of course you had no idea he liked you. Not when his way of showing it was hitting you harder while sparing, having higher expectations of you than everyone else, and exploding at you every time you so much as glanced at him (because he thought you caught him staring.)

“Well, there was Shouto in high school,” you begin.

Of course Bakugo knows about this, he hated it. 

You and Shouto had been best friends since halfway through your first year. So, it didn't surprise too many people in your third year when he asked you to go out with him. Of course you had a massive crush on him for years at that point. He's beautiful, who in your class hadn't been into him?

And it was… Cute. 

While it lasted. 

You held hands. He walked you to class. The two of you always had meals together, but it felt different once you were officially together. You never kissed or anything but that's okay, it was new. 

Exactly nine days and four hours is when it all came crashing down. 

Feeling worked after training, you went to bed early. You'd meet up with your boyfriend in the morning. No big deal. 

Little did you know, your puppy love relationship was falling apart before your head even hit the pillow. 

“Hey, Icy Hot! What are you doing checking out Ponytail when you're already dating the hottest person in our class?” Bakugo berated Todoroki. 

Confused, he responded as bluntly as he ever did, “but y/n isn't the hottest one in our class. Momo is.”

Katsuki’s red eyes pierced through him, clearly he was missing something. 

“Wait, are you not dating y/n??”

“No, I am.”

“...then what the fuck.”

After much back and forth, it came out that Iida told Todoroki everyone should aspire to date their best friend. He took that to heart and asked you out without considering if he like liked you. 

He didn't. 

And he told you that the next morning.

It’s not Shouto’s fault his comprehension of human emotion is so limited. This didn’t make being broken up with by him any easier though. Everything was matter of fact, no sugar coating. 

“Thanks for letting me know,” you mumbled to your feet, trying to think of any excuse to leave and save yourself the embarrassment of bursting into tears in front of your classmates. His mismatched eyes stared at you, still confused about the whole situation. 

“I have to go finish some homework now, see ya later.” Turning away, you hope you played it off well enough. No one seemed to notice as you walked heavily through the common space with a face made of stone until you reached the elevator. 

Bakugo did though, and he was pissed at Todoroki for fumbling so hard that you got hurt. Their already unstable friendship took a massive hit after that. Eventually, after a lot of adjusting, Katsuki reasoned he could be okay with you dating someone else if it meant you were happy (and they were perfect and checked every single box he decided someone would need to in order to be worthy of you.) This wasn’t it though.

“I don't mean high school. That one didn't count, ” he says, remembering how helpless he felt watching you being heartbroken when you never did anything to deserve it. 

“Okay, well there was…”

The girl you were with for a whole month before discovering she was a villain, just using you because she thought she could get top secret information. She didn’t.

Then there was the guy you met at a coffee shop who stuck around for a while. He thought you were attractive but didn’t want more than sex and wasn’t sure how to bring that up. You being a hero was terrifying to him and he thought you’d stop sleeping with him when you realized that’s all he was there for. You did. 

And Shinsou, who had the most amicable breakup with. He’s nocturnal and you’re well, not quite. After not seeing each other for three weeks, you decided your schedules just weren’t compatible and called it. No media outlets picked up on it since there was nothing to pick up on. 

Bakugo shifts uncomfortably in front of you. Brows furrowed and face unreadable to most. A twinge of jealousy overtakes him. Sure, the two of you haven’t talked much since graduation, but he still has feelings for you. And hearing about all the losers who had a chance when he never did didn’t sit right with him.

On top of that, admittedly, he also feels guilty. Maybe if he'd asked you out all those years ago he could have saved you from this pain. His assumption you’d settle for nothing but perfect had been shattered, leaving him to accept that he shouldn’t have left you craving closeness from anyone but him. He should have been there. 

He’s here now though. At this point in life, he knows he isn’t perfect but he could at least do better than everyone else you mentioned. If you let him.

“You wanna get out of here?” he asks abruptly.

“What?”

“Wanna go somewhere else? The food sucks here, there’s a good ramen shop that’s open late down the street.” 

“You asking me on a date, Dynamite?” you joke.

“Yeah,” he replies dead serious, “I am.”

 Suddenly you’re the one feeling flustered. A date with Katsuki Bakugo? 

After a quick stop at coat check, the two of you are out the door. Running down the marble stairs to the rough sidewalk, his hand lightly around your wrist to guide you. A rain storm earlier left the streets glimmering, neon reflections from the surrounding shops. A few people trickle in and out of businesses in the typically bustling area, but tonight it feels like a ghost town. 

Then you’re there.

He pulls you through an unassuming door. With a quick wave to the person behind the counter, they informally gesture the two of you towards the small seating area. 

Sit wherever.

You slide over the cracked upholstery at a table in the corner. The pink sign lighting up the window casts a glow over his face, the warm color suits him.

When you left your place earlier, you never expected to end up on a date. Especially not here. The location being as much of a surprise as his sudden interest. 

Sure, you always thought he was cute, but you never knew him. He spent all of high school keeping you at arm’s length. Then after, you’ve spent years basing your assumptions about Bakugo off the headlines you’d read. The dates he went on. Always models and idols. Fancy restaurants, valets, and expensive cars.

But this is real.

Across the table, you watch as he slides his suit jacket off. You hadn’t realized how stuffy the atmosphere was earlier until you see him relax, top buttons of his shirt undone and sleeves rolled up. You forgot about the scars.

The woman running the shop approaches to take your order, not bothering to ask him - it appears he gets the same thing every time he comes in. Having been distracted, you quickly pick the first menu item that jumps out to you. She disappears into the kitchen.

“So, what do you want,” he asks, sitting too casually for the depth of the conversation he’s bringing up. He needs to ask though, otherwise how will he know what to do? “You told me what didn’t work but not what you actually wanted in any of that.”

“I guess I haven’t thought about it. I’ve just been working and-”

“Bullshit,” direct, but his tone is playful as he flashes a slightly crooked smile at you.

Two bowls of ramen float through the air to your table - likely the quirk of the woman before. You’re glad for the momentary distraction, giving you time to consider your answer. The food arrived suspiciously fast but with one sip from the oversized spoon, you know it’s amazing. 

“Holy shit,” you exclaim. 

“Like I’d take you somewhere shitty,” he laughs, “still dodging my question?”

“No,” you pause, pulling a piece of bok choy from the bowl while you consider, “not a villain would be nice.”

“Bar’s that low, huh?”

“...and being able to spend time together at least once a week would be good.”

“Only once a week?” he scoffs, “too easy.”

“What about you?”

He says nothing for a while, chasing a green onion around his spicy ramen with his chopsticks.

“This is good,” he mumbles suddenly uncharacteristically shy, “like a real, actual date.”

Looks like you aren’t the only one with lowered standards.

“Too easy,” you smile.

If he told you how serious of a relationship he actually wants with you, he might scare you off. This is a great start though.

Abruptly, he changes the topic to hero work. You compare stories, scars. 

He tells you how he got the small mark on his neck from a villain with a slashing quirk. How he took out a small area of buildings before Bakugo arrived to apprehend him.

You show him a similar scar on your wrist after the same villain escaped prison. 

The evening passes far too quickly.

As he approaches the counter to pay, you don’t miss the exchange between him and the older woman working. She looks overjoyed, saying something while glancing at you in the booth. He smiles awkwardly, his flushed face apparent even in the dim neon lighting.

“Alright, let’s get outta here,” he asserts while grabbing both of your hands to pull you to your feet.

“Can I take you out again?” he asks, as your feet have barely hit the pavement.

“Yeah.”

“Tomorrow night?”

“Perfect.”

more Bakugo: masterlist

[shiningmystic]

Close your eyes and pick a numbered flower:

PAC - 🧲 what attracts people to you?/what do people find attractive about you?

🍀⚘❁

Welcome to my short and sweet PAC reading, hope you enjoy your stay! If you did reblog to spread the reading, like or tip, Thank you stars. Don't be afraid to pick a second pile or even all of them; let me know what you picked! Take what resonates and leave what doesn’t ❤️

[Ko-fi]

Flower One: Queen of wands (rx), King of Wands (rx), The sun (rx), Two of pentacles, The Fool, Five of cups (rx)

For the people who pick pile one I see your anger and strong personality as the first thing that draws people to you. The rage within you is a powerful thing, the injustice and the empty-headed people who surround you only make this side of you worse. I see plenty of attractive things like your maturity, and yet you also have a really fun side that's equally attractive; you’re gorgeous when you relax btw. I see this balance of sass and feistiness paired well with the fun and free side. Some of you are jokesters, making people laugh will always draw them in, very flirty energy even if you’re not trying. You look like you have your life together even if you don't, you may give off this energy of always having the answer but it’s more like you know what you can do and you’re confident in yourself or at least in your abilities. You always seem to handle things with grace as you go through life; people see this about you and are like, wow (I’m getting you have a lot of admirers).

I can see a few rebels in here, lots of different clothing styles in this pile and enjoying your self-expression; you enjoying yourself is just breathtaking. I see people also think your attractive even when you are in a negative mood which is interesting (resting bitch face?); maybe it's more like they (people around you) see your layered personality plus how you handle situations so maturely yet still so you. I'm also getting a message of you being able to call out something for what it is. You candidly pointing out someone's lies is suuuuuper admirable thanks for existing. Just to add if you don't think you're attractive the energy says otherwise; much thirst from your admirers in this pile, that’s all I'm saying.

Flower Two: Ace of Pentacles, Seven of pentacles (rx), Page of wands (rx), High priestess (rx), Nine of wands (rx), Ten of pentacles (rx)

There is a natural magnetic energy that comes from you. I see with a steady hand and some time investment you attract everything pretty easily but I can see this slow tasking your time thing may be a bit difficult for you because you are an excitable person or at least with the things that interest you; with this, people find very endearing, I’m getting your charming in your own way. There is a naivety here, a pure fun and positive person. You are a light bulb in a room, someone different and refreshing to experience and this is what makes you magnetic to many people. I cannot see what you do exactly, but there is this passive charm I keep having to mention. I also see a giver, someone who is thoughtful and considerate.

I feel like a lot of the people who have picked this pile have a bit of a lack of awareness at times when it comes to social stuff (maybe like cues or just not reading the room right). This is an attractive trait because it means you have no ulterior motive, people may read you pretty clearly and know you mean no harm; someone you can let your guard down with, that is you. This can be charming, but this can also attract the wrong people to so be aware. You are a magnet to many types of energies which just gives me a peak of how many types of people pick this pile but also gives me the vibes of intuitives and psychics; this is the mixed bag pile for sure so remember to just take what resonates.

I see a stubborn streak with half of you, someone who won't back down which is similar to the first pile; Both piles won't turn away from something that is in their way but for you it’s more about defending the ones closest to you. These things make you magnetic to others and they want to open you up. I see a down to earth person, someone who cares and wants to learn but also can sympathize. Ok Ok, some of you are shy, people who feel restricted when trying to connect with others but that is ok, you do have attractive traits, and your voice deserves to be heard. huh, it's kinda silly that even when you try to stay unseen people still see you.

Flower Three: Three of wands (rx), Five of cups, Nine of swords, Three of cups, Six of cups (rx), Page of swords (rx)

So, I am instantly getting that even with the burdens in the past you seem to always bring joy and love to the people you surround yourself with; similar vibes to pile two but you are way more active and try to show your love and care through actions. You're a person who lives in the moment, a great listener and partier all at the same time. I keep hearing someone saying you are a great friend and have a trustworthy opinion because you give unbais straight thoughts even if you have your own opinion you don't just stay ignorant, you hear and listen to truth. I see you take accountability for the things you say and do, holy crap that is so attractive to read haha. You are a fair person and try your best which is all anyone could ask of you, this humble yet thoughtful energy makes a lot of sense if a heavy past has shaped you.

It's interesting to see a duality in this pile, what I see is a person who can let go and have fun in the moment enjoying their friends and the ones they love yet also able to reflect and understand deep dark concepts about reality, philosopher energy. I see you may not show everyone every part of you and may be shy but some of you just don't see the need for everyone to see what you're doing with your life which brings a mystery energy, this draws people too you believe it or not. There may be some smart mouth people in this pile who enjoy dark humor. Interesting to see this as something others around you are attracted to. I don't think your hardcore dark humor (maybe some of you are), but I see you being able to crack a joke about hardship and the bull that has happened in life because it's a way you let go and heal. Healing looks different for everyone, you know who you want in your space and that is something respectable and a sign of an intelligent person.

- ShiningMystic 🦢

Only decks used were the original Rider-Waite Tarot Card Deck

[signanothername]

Weird question but I’m just curious

If you could add any character- doesn’t have to be a sans, into the bad sans’s who would you add?

this isn’t really about if it would work with your take on nm but more what character would you find the most interesting to have in that situation

Ngl can’t choose one single character so imma give a few dhhdhdhdhhd

Horror!Undyne, fell Papyrus, Geno, Fatal Error, or Color

Having H!Undyne in the same work space as Horror would be a bit fun I think, they hate each other with a passion, but I think that this might be an experience that they both see eye to eye to, definitely will not make them like each other, but their relationship might develop into something a tiny bit better (either that or become even worse than it already is), it will definitely a humbling experience for Undyne tho, can’t be a queen under the king

Fell Papyrus is still Papyrus at his core despite his edgier look, I think it’ll be fun to see his relationship with MTT, and how it might develop, whether for better or worse, and whether MTT be willing to take a punch or two for him or vice versa, and how he might handle Nightmare considering he’s already in the royal guard

Geno to me is someone who’s pretty much done with life, i don’t think Nightmare would be intimidating to him, regardless of how powerful he is or his otherworldly abilities, or his emotional and mental manipulation, Nightmare cannot break what’s already broken, and he sure as hell will never change Geno’s moral views, it would be fun to see Geno be at odds with Nightmare, and how he might view MTT

Fatal, a highly unstable error with one goal in mind, so the question of how he might take his kidnapping by Nightmare is an interesting one, obviously badly, but how badly? How will he react to his mission being interrupted and even taken away from him? What does an error do when their one purpose is out of reach? What will he do to MTT, considering the fact two of them killed their brothers themselves and one fed human meat to his own? I don’t think Fatal would like any of them at all, and he sure is not going to like Nightmare

Color obviously isn’t fond of hurting people, and that in of itself might cause problems, but I think Color’s existence might end in him getting under Nightmare’s nonexistent skin as time goes on, Color isn’t afraid of speaking his mind and he will call Nightmare’s bullshit out, go out of his way to help MTT where he can, and has enough patience to outlast Nightmare’s games

[louve-garoue]

Ok sorry everyone I was gonna put this in the tags but then tumblr then went end erased half of it, which I had to rewrite so now you get it to have here :D ! Here we go :DD !

You ! You get it !

Twilight Princess has such an interesting story around Power. You seek it out with the Fused Shadow despite seeing exactly what harm and unwanted changes it could cause. whetever it be to those fighting against it or to those that dares touch it (hi there Fyrus and Wolf Link). And to make it even clearer Lanaryu give you a very graphic yet metaphorical warning to be careful with it.

And yet you don't hesitate to seek it. Even though it the same kind of power that attacked your home. You see how powerful it is and fighting fire with fire is the only plan you have. You see how dangerous it can be for both the wielder and the people around them and yet it's your only option. The Light World was so clearly beaten what else is there but seeking Shadows or admitting defeat.

And you refuse to admit defeat. And once you get to the second part of the game to find the Mirror Shards, you're confronted to those thoughts all over again. You have to go find the Master Sword. You have to go seek power yet again.

But it’s the power of Light this time. The same power that nearly killed Midna a few days ago. But still you go for it, and you get the Curse Out. And then instead of destroying you decide to keep and use it for yourself. Because it was powerful and you got it with you now so why would you throw it away. And just like that you are reclaiming what was used to hurt you. You reclaim the curse but you also reclaim your wolf form and Midna now no longer have to be a shadow in the Light Realm. You saw that Power was dangerous but you refuse let your fear of it control you (or to fear it at all), refuse to let it stop you from using something that will help you saves those you love. And on the way of doing just that you discover the beauty of what your people would simply dismiss as harmful and evil.

But still Power is dangerous, even if it’s not Evil and nothing teach you that better that Matornia (Yeta in English) and Blizzarnia, the first boss you have to fight to get the Mirror Shards. Now the Twilight Mirror is meant to be a get. It’s not a weapon, it’s not meant to harm and it’s certainly not evil, but it is powerful. And Power corrupts, change people. And so in the hand of people who don’t know of their power they became dangerous. It makes Matornia ills, attracted monsters and yet Matornia herself is fond of it and is reluctant to give it away, up until Power overtake her. Still even if dangerous, it’s not evil. The Twilight Mirror just need extra care and caution when handling them. And now finding them is not just about you getting power, it’s also about stopping people who don’t know to be careful from getting hurt, from getting changed or corrupted. You have been warned, the rest of the world have not. And you and Midna know what you are doing, know how to make sure the Mirror won’t bring harm to anyone else. The Mirror isn’t evil, it’s just been Misplaced, just like the Twilight Realm has been in the first half of the game.

And when it’s finally time for you two to unleash the power you earned throughout your journey to defeat Xanto (Zant), Midna is horrified by how much she had, how easy it was to kill. Perhaps it’s why she never let power overtake her. Power by itself is neutral, not evil nor good, like you said it’s just a tool. A tool that can show all it’s possibilities used by capable hands.

Anyway all that to say that 1. This comic is awesome and 2. This may feel like it comes from nowhere, but this blog is a “Tp Link (or Midna) got the Triforce of Power after defeating Ganondorf” Supremacy household. First because he deserve it and also it’s literally how it works ! You defeat the dude with a piece of the Triforce and you get to take it for yourself ! Come on I don’t make the rules ! Join me !

Anyway thank you for coming to my long-ass rant and fuck you tumblr.

power

[pretentiousbrownie]

Art by @red-wood-raven

Art by @jadequarze

Art by jinxpawz

A lovingly curated collection of my OC power couple, Alto and Katherine: Bonded by the weight of shared responsibility, a common cause, and a fiercely protective instinct, the two are driven by a self-sacrificing love and the unyielding desire to fight for everything they believe in, to give their loved ones the happiness and safety they themselves so desperately sought.

This unlikely werewolf and angel pairing is one that represents two extremely distinct aspects of myself. Embodying strength, perseverance, and a quiet determination to persist, Alto is the protector of my true self - the savior of my younger self, and the guiding light towards the realization and acceptance of who I was then and who I am today. Characterizing grit, resolve, and a fighting spirit that is so unabashedly true to them, Katherine is the determination to not only exist and persist, but thrive, in all senses of the word. Together, they are the forces that helped me become the person I am today; they are the personified aspects of my past, present, and future selves, and all struggles they’ve dealt with in order to reach this point right now.

They are the story of how I came to be, how I came to understand and accept myself, and how I persevered - against all the odds - in realizing that self, and that is why each piece is so much more than the sum of their many stunning colors, rich depths, and powerful expressions.

To the artists and friends that have continued to work with me in creating these pieces and more, you have my eternal gratitude and love for giving these characters shape and form and color and life. They are everything to me, and more. Thank you all so very much!

As one final aside, I wanted to leave each of you with this as well; these pieces (and the other commissions I have done over the past few years), have also been a way of recapturing what was taken from me so long ago; I'm not sure you could quite call it a dream, or even a goal, but I was an artist. From young, I always carried a sketch book or drawing pad with me. Armed with pencil in hand and the spark of creativity, I used to lose myself for hours, completely tuned out of the world, engrossed in each and every line and detail I so painstakingly drew.

I did it for myself, but I also did it to explore more than what I was. It started with architecture, design, decor, and abstracts, before delving into people and creatures and animals. I won't ever claim to be "good" - I was a kid without any formal training and only the world around me as my inspiration, but I always hated qualifying terms like "good" and "bad" with art. I just created art, and I did so because I enjoyed it and it was comforting.

Throughout grades school, the relative value of my art had been recognized by the teachers and peers who shared in those same interests and goals as myself, and I was welcomed into so many spaces that encouraged and helped develop those skills further. For the longest time, I was so incredibly happy to be doing what I loved more than (almost) anything.

And then came high school.

I won't lie, I had a wonderful time in high school. Yes, even contending with difficult situations, certain traumas, a great deal of depression, and the loss of multiple people very close to me, but one thing beyond all of that did change in an irrecoverable way; art.

Coming out of middle school, I was recommended for studio art and the honors art track that could further hone and nurture those skills/passions I shared. In my final year of middle school, I had the immense good fortune of having an arts teacher that actively encouraged her students to explore art in whatever forms it took, and was set aside from the typical art class to develop my own portfolio throughout the school year. I was set to work on several smaller pieces and one large piece for an exhibition in a local arts competition.

I was given free reign and ended up with several pieces featured on display at local events and at the statewide exhibition. I was thrilled beyond all belief that I was experiencing art in its freest forms and being actively encouraged to pursue it.

But as luck (or rather misfortune, or I suppose more misunderstanding than misfortune) would have it, that same recognition and appreciation for art did not resonate with my parents as well.

They were supportive, to many degrees - they certainly loved the skills and talents I'd worked so hard to develop and commit myself to, but they weren't convinced there was any real purpose to my arts beyond the hobbies they saw. So, when the time came to make a decision towards my educational track in high school, they pushed me away from art and "encouraged" me to think more about practical things.

I was denied the arts track as I was pushed towards a long-term language goal (four years of foreign languages), I was placed in the music program (which, in fairness, represented some of the very best times I had in high school), and was then set up for an intensive program in double maths and sciences for the next several years (in addition to sports, other AP/honors classes, and part-time work).

The workload was grueling and positively miserable.

In the end, art had to take a backseat otherwise I'd lose myself and my time towards the things that supposedly mattered more. By my sophomore year of high school, I'd all but given up on art, and pushed out maybe a few last pieces before never returning to the supply store to buy more materials.

Fast forward almost a decade, and here we are.

I am an adult, living (mostly) my own life, and rediscovering the things that have made me, well, me.

The irony is that my job is art, in some loose sense of the word.

I operate a photography studio and shoot commercial photography for automotive clients. I work with a local dealership and one of the foremost importers of enthusiast vehicles in my region. I have deep connections to other prominent names in industry, including motorsports and NASCAR, and engineering and design. I shoot for all of them, they value my inputs, and many of my long-term goals are aimed at improving automotive design and ergonomics in design for more human-centric interaction in an increasingly disconnected driving world.

Between the work I have done, the goals that I've encountered, and the people I've surrounded myself with in my personal and professional lives, it's given me the time and the space to focus on the things that matter to me.

Art has been a way of recapturing the love my younger self shared for creativity and free will/expression. After coming out years ago, it's also been a way to engage in the spaces and ideas that have long faced me without answer. Art has allowed me to be truer to who I am, who I was, and who I'd ultimately like to be. These commissions are a partial reflection of all of that, and everything it's taken to achieve that, and they're also the goals I've set as I rediscover my love for arts with the newfound freedoms to explore it.

So, it way too many words, these pieces are everything to me. I don't quite know how else to put this other than thank you. Thank you to everyone that shares a common appreciation for art, that has enjoyed seeing these pieces as much as I have, and that feels in some way (no matter how large or small) a connection or relation to the words I've said here.

And to the artists that have made these pieces and others for me; you may never quite know what they mean to me. These are all the ideas I could fit on a page while working, so I am a bit pressed for time, but your time and your creativity and your energy spent realizing what I could not - that means so much to me. It means more than I could every reasonably tell you or pay you or otherwise verbalize in some actionable way. So, seriously, thank you all so very much. From the bottom of my heart, I love and appreciate all you each done for me.

And I will leave it there for now. Thank you all for sticking around - I know this has been a very long read. I really do hope you love my OCs as much as I can. And hey, if you have a sec, if you've got a couple ideas, go make some OCs of your own. If it's within your realm of attainable, commish some of your favorite artists, or doodle out some of your doods - I promise it'll be some of the most fun you can have!

[olderthannetfic]

the femslash shipper to radfem pipeline should be studied. I'm not claiming this person is radfem but I feel like she's almost there.

it all started with me shipping snamione a couple years ago and my friend who is only into femslash ships was sort of rolling her eyes and not saying anything bad just little things about the age gap but whatever, she never liked age gaps. So it was fine. I was writing a lot of fanfics and she was reading some of them, and she mildly started getting interested in the fics where I wrote F/m relationship and she kept saying how important that is that the roles are reversed, what a wonderful work am i doing and it felt nice cause my fics were never that popular in the fandom to begin with. so it got better for a time. and last year I got into some mlm ships, oh my god you should've seen her face, you should've seen her disappointment when I stopped writing snamione abandoned a few wips even and started writing mlm ships, and then like around two months ago she sent me a whole ass rant about Edward/Envy ship from the full metal alchemist unprompted! Mind you I never shipped Edward/Envy I'm in totally another fandom! And she just decided to sent me that and blabbering how people should respect canon and Edward/Envy is shipped because of the way Envy is looking. And when I asked her to elaborate why, she went on and on how Envy is feminine looking man and that people are replacing Winry with a man because they hate women in ships. When I pointed out how wrong that is she started yelling that mlm ships are overall made because people don't like seeing women in their work the whole anti-fujoshi rant you know? And today she sent me a message saying she will not be talking about fandom stuff iwth me because she's anti-mlm ships and doesn't like them... 👁️👁️

--

[clairedaring]

brief points from spare me your mercy press con interviews

disclaimer: with VERY limited thai comprehension skills and auto subs, here are the few points i picked up from two torjj interviews (one with director wo and screenwriter lux, one without them). if any kind fans would like to fansub interesting bits from the interview, i'd love to be tagged in (boop @recentadultburnout)

1. The TorJJ interview with Wo and Lux

it took them FIVE years to find the right cast for spare me your mercy. they bought the rights to the novel 5 years ago.

screenwriter lux says that it's less a matter of finding talented actors with capability to play the roles but rather finding the people with the right age, ability, same attitude, same passion to tell the story of euthanasia because it's a sensitive subject matter

director wo compliments saying that he met a lot of talented actors but it's by chance that they were able to get tor and jj who share the same passion in telling the story

tor jokes that it's not easy to get a compliment from director wo like that. tor says that the subject matter is what pulled him into doing this project and that if he's decided to do something, he's fully committed to it.

jj says he feels the same and hope that everyone follows the story because not just his and tor's characters but everyone else is great

tor says he had to do homework for his character too since dr. kan is not like the doctor we usually see at the hospital, but one that specialises in treating terminally ill patients.

jj says that he was nervouse since it's his first time working with screenwriter lux and director wo, first time leading a one31 original. he wants everyone to follow the story since his character wasan will face a lot of problems in the story.

jj says everyone already know his first work with tor is in family we trust and at the time they were still getting to know each other so there's a bit of tuning and adjusting to each other but coming into this work (spare me your mercy), it just flows and is already easy for him when paired up with tor since the chemistry comes easily.

(on the subject of a very experienced supporting cast ) director wo says it's like he didn't have to direct at all because it's really easy to work with these experienced older actors. he doesn't want to spoil anything but the supporting actors are really good.

screenwriter lux says that since the story being told is quite complex, it was established from the beginning that they would cast actors who have the capability of delivering difficult performances, even if they're not main roles

2. The TorJJ only interview

jj says the first challenge is that smym is a series that follows an ongoing investigation so it'll be interesting for viewers to follow what's going on with each timeline and each case

for tor it's the fact that its neo? suspense genre. at first he thought it wouldn't be that difficult but he's grateful to learn a lot from elder doctors for his role. so it's a new experience.

when asked about his character being the one taking care of terminally ill patients, tor says he thinks that's the secondary story because the main story is the suspense (investigation). tor thinks the beats of the suspense genre is hard for his style of acting

but you've done dramas like this before? tor says but he doesn't really encounter suspense (genre) very often. for suspense genre, it's like you know it in your heart but you can't say it at all (i'm guessing he's talking about his character). it's verrrry difficult for me.

jj jokes that it's because tor met him (re: tor got jj as a partner for this drama) that tor's good at it. "i'm just joking joking joking"

from tor perspective, dr. kan is a doctor that we don't get to meet very often, even for tor himself, he's also getting to know this character as he took on the role of dr. kan -> proceeds to talk about how his character doesn't really treat/cure patients but is more like a partner with them until they end their life peacefully

tor did a lot of research for this role, with real palliative doctors but he has to admit that even with his research he does draw a line and he can't interfere to research real terminally ill patients because it will involve with their family as well. so he did as much research as he could but to see things that will disturb the privacy of real families, he can't do that

tor says he can only make assumptions from what he's researched and he accepts criticism if ppl say "you can't understand fully like that", he admits he can't bc he can only do so much research without affecting real life people.

jj says that it's difficult for him as well (in the role of police officer) because when entering crime scene, there's a lot of details. and the timelines for the series is a bit confusing (maybe he's talking about non-linear narrative?). so wasan may not be done with one case yet we're already jumping into another plotline (ah maybe he's talking about there being many different ongoing plot threads) which makes it interesting to follow along

for jj's character, he says it's not difficult like tor's character because his character is a detective who doesn't have things to hide so the approach to their respective characters is not the same

jj says it's not just enough that each characters have their own self-conflicts but there's also conflicts between them as a couple.

who's the one playing with the other's heart? tor says "if you think jj's character or mine is playing with the other's heart then you're WRONG"

so no one is playing with the other's heart? no one is fooling the other? no one is using love to trick the other? tor "no, love isn't something to be played with. BUT… EVERYONE in this story will be playing/tricking on each other. everyone is playing the everyone else's heart in this series"

tor "you will be able to see it from the first episode, that our identities (he's probably referring to their sexualities?????) are already told/being shown"

jj "let's talk about the first scene, when we first met. i think everyone will be able to tell that there's "something" going on" 🏳‍🌈🏳‍🌈🏳‍🌈🏳‍🌈🏳‍🌈????? "i hope everyone will follow the series, because if i reveal it then you won't be excited for it"

"oooh you're playing a couple. how do you level up?" jj jokes "are you excited? 😏i'm excited too ☺"

tor "this one i can spoil for you. the chemistry in our relationship will develop naturally and smoothly. very normally, very smoothly. i believe that if the actors could feel [the chemistry] the audience who watch it will be able to feel it as well"

"how complex/confusing is the series?" tor says "oooh do i have to count/quantify that? hmm, if you ask me if it's confusing or not, i'd say that it's not confusing but it's the overlapping events/plot threads that makes it confusing"

is there pressure to work/act in this? (i'm guessing the interviewer is implying abt starring in a bl series 🙄) jj says not much pressure on the acting aspect because they can communicate and it's easy between the two of them because they're already close with each other

are you prepared to face what will come next like the sns discussions or questions about this subject matter "euthanasia?" tor feels like they don't have to prepare for it because even though it is a sensitive subject, the series doesn't point to what's wrong/right idea about euthanasia. if you look more closely, it's more like a series that presents clashing beliefs on the subject matter of "euthanasia" to stimulate this discussion/debate in society. we can't control what ppl say on sns but what we're clear about is that the series does not intend to "teach" anyone anything. it's not like we're forcing ppl to debate this question. if you finish the series and have questions, then we can discuss. if you finish the series and just enjoy it for the investigation/ whodunit story, that's good as well.

jj was happy that the series was filmed in his hometown chiang mai and praises the production team for being very professional, arranging travelling and staying very convenient and comfortable.

[professorjirt]

ok I’m gonna bitch a little bit but I’m not going to feel bad about it bc I believe being a lover and a hater in equal measure is the key to balance or whatever.

I saw this image on Pinterest and it was the final straw for me lol. I can’t STAND this kind of interpretation of The Hobbit or Bagginshield/Thilbo because it’s so blatantly untrue. Yes, Bilbo dealt with a LOT of sadness and loneliness. Yes, he was forever changed by his journey and didn’t have the proper ways to heal and cope. But Bilbo DID move onwards. Of course he remembered Thorin and was always sad about losing him and Kíli and Fíli, and of course he still dealt with the trauma from all of that, but he wasn’t dwelling on that loss every day after he got back home. He became a social outcast not because he was mourning but because he went on an adventure at all. He could have had the happiest and non-tragic adventure in Middle Earth and he still would have ended up as “cracked” Bilbo Baggins because of the way hobbit society views that sort of behavior. He was sad for a very long time after Thorin’s death, stated directly from the book, but the implication there is that Bilbo DID eventually begin to heal and move forward. He found happiness in things again, he wasn’t wailing every night for his lost love, he was doing exactly what Thorin’s last request was, that Bilbo live his life well. Bilbo wasn’t alone forever either— Frodo came into his life as a like-minded companion and Bilbo clearly enjoyed having him around (and it wasn’t because Frodo reminded him of Thorin. I don’t mind people saying that Frodo had similarities Bilbo noticed but putting that as the only connection and draw for Bilbo towards Frodo feels like such a disservice to the true depth of Bilbo and Frodo’s relationship). When the Ring began to affect him, he was able to let it go and left to see as much as he could of his old adventures (it IS sad that he couldn’t make it to the Lonely Mountain but that doesn’t cancel out what he WAS able to get to) and reunited with quite a few of his old dwarvish companions. He was sobered by the realization of the true nature of his magic ring and, after Frodo volunteers (and Bilbo is prevented from going bc he was going to try) he is saddened that someone so close to him must deal with the burden of something he felt he started, but he stayed in Rivendell safe and taken care of until Frodo returned, and was happy to reunite with him. Bilbo then spent a few years in his advanced age but well taken care of and honored, and then got to have one final adventure. His story isn’t miserable, and it does have an end, eventually, even despite his own fears that it wouldn’t. I love Bagginshield and I acknowledge the sadness and tragedy in Bilbo’s story, but acting like he had nothing good in his life and the adventure was the single worst thing to ever happen to him is such a gross misunderstanding of not only The Hobbit but Lord of the Rings that it makes me wonder if these people care about the actual characters and not just the ‘fandom’ characters and stories they have in their head. Yes it was a tragedy that Thorin and Bilbo were parted in such a way, but making his story freeze right there isn’t fair to either of them! It feels similar to that popular fandom ship thing where people begin to act like romantic and sexual love is the only relevant aspect of any characters relationships and interactions, and center every single thing around a ‘ship’ instead of engaging with the characters entire worlds and why their relationships are interesting beyond tropes and aus. Bilbo did get to live a good and simple life!! I like tragedy, I wouldn’t be a fan of two of the most miserable characters in Tolkien’s legendarium if I didn’t, but not everything has to be that way, and it flattens the effect of the story to reduce things to only sadness.

I’m not sure how to sign off on this one, but hopefully this doesn’t come across like I’m a party pooper who hates fandom. I really don’t, I greatly enjoy participating in fandom and I don’t mind some trope work or aus being built from the original story, but when people begin to willfully twist said original story in ways it wasn’t meant to be simply because they only really care about two characters in a ship instead of the greater narrative. It feels like it disrespects who these characters are on their own, like they’re lesser when they’re not paired up, if that makes sense. Anyway, I’ve seen the sentiment about Bilbo’s life being nothing but misery after his adventure quite a few times now and I wanted to say something, even if it’s just for me, although I’m curious if anyone has anything to add or a different perspective to bring.

TLDR: Bilbo was happy and lived a good life! Let him have that! He had friends and family around him that supported him and cared about him and he did have a conclusion to his story, however long it took. Losing Thorin doesn’t mean Bilbo has nothing else.

[mellxncollie]

The results are in! Thank you everyone who voted, this was super interesting to see.

The difference between these four gifs is the sharpening and export settings! Many of you picked up on the sharpening difference, as well as A and C being similar, and B and D being similar.

The super quick answer is:

Gif A = soft sharpening settings, export with pattern dithering

Gif B = sharp sharpening settings (slightly more blurred), export with diffusion dithering

Gif C = soft sharpening settings, export with diffusion dithering

Gif D = sharp sharpening settings (slightly less blurred), export with diffusion dithering

The longer explanation is:

Gifs B and D are the two 'extremes' of my typical sharpening. B being on the less sharpened end, and D being on the more sharpened end.

The sharpening settings are as follows:

The 2 layers of Smart Sharpen have the same settings. The Gaussian Blur has a radius of 1.0 pixels.

For Gif B, the opacity of the Gaussian blur layer is set to 40% (more blurred)

For Gif D, the opacity of the Gaussian blur layer is set to 20% (less blurred)

(I used to only use 20% opacity for my earlier gifs. The last 3-4 months, I now use anywhere between 20 and 40%, depending on the scene)

---

Gifs A and C are both sharpened the same way, a new softer sharpening that I haven't really used much before.

The sharpening settings are as follows (I'm using the settings from this tutorial):

Both layers have the following Smart Sharpen filter settings and the Gaussian blur is also set to 1.0 pixels. The Gaussian Blur filter is set to an opacity of 85%, and the top layer opacity is set to 50%.

For Gif A, the gif was exported using pattern dithering.

For Gif C, the gif was exported using diffusion dithering.

but A is exported using a pattern dithering, whereas C is exported using a diffusion dithering. It was so fascinating to see the a preference for C arise over A.

For a bunch of analysis, head below the cut!

Gifs B and D will be referred to as the 'sharp gifs' and A and C will be referred to as the 'soft gifs'

The Data

I'd like to start with the two most grand-overview kind of observations.

First, a bit more than a quarter of people could not see any difference between the gifs. This was super encouraging to me, since I do stress over sharpening at times, and the differences between these four gifs demonstrate some of the stuff I stress over. Nice to know that for a fairly sizeable portion of you, it doesn't matter too much.

Secondly, wayyyyyy more people use mobile than I realized. About 2/3 of responses (of the repsonses that included a device) used mobile. Now a few people did mention looking on desktop afterward, and those "second" responses aren't included in these charts. What this does mean is that most of the people seeing my gifs are doing so, at least initially, on their phones (with the tumblr mobile gif compression).

Here's a pie chart of all the responses, with the mobile/desktop scores added together, just so we can get a baseline visual of which gifs people liked the most. I've color coded a bit so that A and C are visually distinct from B and D.

If we remove all those who couldn't see a difference/found some differences but not enough to pick a favorite, we ge the following results, with gif C as the desktop favorite, and the sharp gifs as the mobile favorites:

The following shows the overall preferences. About 2/3 of voters who expressed a preference liked the sharp gifs more than the soft gifs.

However, this is a bit misleading, since theres a notable difference between desktop and mobile viewers.

On desktop, just over half of voters preferred the soft gifs. However, they didn't just prefer the soft gifs, they preferred gif C.

Gif D also fared well, whereas the other soft gif, gif A, did the poorest.

Many of the stronger reactions in the tags were to the gifs on desktop, including statements that D, and to some extent, B, was too noisy, crisp, or over-sharpened.

!! This should not be taken to mean that A is the least favorite, since my question was simply "which gif is your favorite" and says nothing of which gifs people would consider 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place.

On the other hand, mobile viewers strongly preferred the sharp gifs, with 71% of mobile votes going to the sharp gifs. Voters were divided evenly between gifs B and D.

Mobile viewers did seem to like A a little less than C.

Before moving onto some analysis, I do feel the need to note that all of these are all sharpened about equal to or less than the 'standard' sharpening settings that a majority of tutorials across tumblr will use (smart sharpen at 500%, 0.4px, and again at 10%, 10.0px).

This is a grainy, indoor shot, so it does look a bit noisier than other gifs may look with the same sharpening, which was intentional on my part. With a shot like this, I would typically put out a gif with the settings in between B and D.

Analysis

The main reason I think we get these results, including the difference between the mobile and desktop votes is (to probably no suprise of anyone who has ever published a gif on tumblr), the gif compression on the mobile app.

I've downloaded the gifs from the post from the app onto my phone so that we can compare the frames.

The left image is the top corner of a gif, as displayed on desktop. The right image is the top corner of a gif, as displayed on the mobile app.

As you can see (zoom in if you can't), you loose a ton of detail to the compression, and even some color (check out Jenny's lipstick!)

Looking at gifs on mobile is, admittedly, not as good of an experience as it is on desktop. If you want to really appreciate the work that gifmakers across this site do, check out their gifs on desktop. They look better on there (or at least, they look more like the creator intended).

So, back to the gifs in the poll.

(NOTE: These are not cropped perfectly so there is some shape distortion and slight pixel differences. That's all on my end, not wanting to spend that much time on this. Try to just pay attention to the pixellation/compression)

Starting with gif A:

The left side, desktop, image, is a nice, soft gif. It makes sense to me that people on desktop would like this. I specifically looked at pattern vs diffusion dithering since I personally prefer pattern dithering on softer gifs like this (it decreases the effect of banding in the backgrounds), but it seems like C was slightly preferred over this. Either way, it looks okay on desktop. Mobile, on the other hand, it's a bit of a disaster. Charles' face is alright (although there are some splotchy yellow bits around his face and his neck isn't looking too great), but the background gets turned into this blocky mess.

Perhaps this is the fault of pattern dithering? Maybe gif C will fare better on mobile?

Gif C:

Nope. Gif C looks just as bad on mobile. The blocks are even more noticeable in the background, though I could concede that his face looks marginally better on mobile than Gif A. Also, up close like this, you may be able to better tell the difference between the dithering export settings for the soft gifs.

Given how these two gis look on mobile, it is no surprise to me that they did not do as well on mobile than they did on desktop.

So let's check in on the sharp gifs.

Gif B:

Okay! This looks a bit better! So there's still some compressing going on with mobile, you can see it in the background, and in the colors of his face. But, a lot less detail is being lost to the compression. It's not noticeably blurrier the way the soft gifs are.

A super simplified explanation of the compression is that the algorithm is looking for clusters of similar-looking pixels to reduce into even simipler, monolithic clusters, and when there's more noise and more contrast between individual pixels, it's harder for the algorithm to find things to simplify.

A gif with sharpening like this is like a preventative measure against Tumblr's compression.

(Also of note: The file size for the compressed, mobile gifs for A and C are smaller than the original files. However, for gifs B and D, the compressed files are actually larger.)

Finally, let's look at Gif D:

Gif D is like the more extreme version of Gif B. It is even sharper, so the compression algorithm seems to be having an even harder time. The major loss on mobile on this gif seems to be the colors (check out the lips and the eyes) as opposed to the image quality.

What do people seem to prefer in a gif?

To me, these results indicate that people tend to look for two things in a gif:

Image definition

A soft, smooth look

These can exist in the same gif on Desktop, which seems to be why the soft gifs were so popular. However, I would also argue that definition is a bit more important, which was why the results were a bit more evenly spread on desktop, since all four gifs have good definition on desktop.

However, on mobile, a softer or smoother gif will often come at the loss of image definition. So, in these cases, people will gravitate towards something that has some definition. It seems like for mobile users, there was really not too much of a difference in the appearance of the two sharp gifs, so results were split.

Final reflections

Personally, on mobile I prefer B and D about evenly, and on desktop I like the look of A and B. My least favorite of these gifs was actually C, and so seeing it do so well on desktop was surprising. I was also surprised by how many people didn't see a difference between the gifs, but as I mentioned, this was more reassuring than anything else.

Most of you who shared your preferences for both platforms generally picked the soft gifs on desktop, and the sharp gifs on mobile. I suspsect if somehow it was allowed to vote once for mobile and once for desktop, this would have only served to strengthen the current results.

Thanks to everyone who voted, and thanks to everyone who added additional info in the tags or provided additional opinions over on discord. This was massively interesting for me!

out of curiosity... here's 4 iterations of the same gif with some slight differences

let me know if you are on the mobile app or on desktop, and which one you prefer. feel free to leave additional notes about your opinions in the tags or in a comment. (i have no attatchment to these gifs, they were made for science, so if you really hate the look of one, i will not be offended)

if you are super confident you know what the difference is, please refrain from putting that info in the tags or comments, i'm trying to get a sample of what people prefer when they're not looking for anything in particular

i will reblog this once the poll is over with what the difference is

[jonathan-cranes-mistress-of-fear]

Genuine question, as someone who has characters of my own: how do I get over my embarrassment for having OC’s? I’d never make fun of someone for having them, but whenever it comes across my dash (especially if it’s ship art) I can’t help but… (for lack of a better word), cringe. I love people being creative but it feels like I can’t get over the backlash against things like that.

It's something you have to unlearn, and that's not always easy. I think as a whole, most fandoms are not OC friendly unless it's something like a videogame in which you create the main character from scratch. Most people will stick to already established characters, because that's easy to write. Very few are brave enough to make their own story.

Firstly, l'm going to discuss comics, this is a world of many worlds. DC as example has so many universes, and there's no way I could name them all. I think many of them are numbered, and fans who create their own usually make a numbered or named verse. Like, Codotverse! (if Codot can put his whole voice out there, you can do it too, btw)

Personally, I think the open ended-ness of comic worlds is a positive for fandom. It makes it so anyone can tell a story and despite it being fannon, it's really no less canon than what's in between the pages. Comic writers themselves can't get things straight half the time, heck I've been known to nit pick comics because they forget some fact about Jonathan that SHOULD be well known.

Now, lets talk OCs. The fact is, and this probably sounds mean, people would rather read about Scarecrow or Riddler then -insert Hench character for shipping here-

The reason is as stated above, it's easier to get into. They know what to expect. And unless this OC is someone you've been talking about for years and they have curated their own mini fandom within the fandom, most ARE gonna scroll by. That's sad, I know.

BUT that doesn't mean you should quit or be embarrassed about an OC. People can come to love them, but this usually takes effort and dedication on your part. You are the one and only author and content creator of this OC. Nobody else is gonna make content for them without insensitive. That means you gotta talk talk talk, and draw draw draw, then write write write. MAKE them care. People can very easily come to love and OC,. and i know this for a fact because I used to have my own and I always got asks, people wanted to draw them, or write stories, etc.

The thing is, you gotta embrace being potentiality embarrassing. If you don't take a step forward and put yourself out there, who will? This sounds very internal for you, and it's literally something that is taught to the youngins of fandom very quickly. Fandom, as a whole (think big here) will squash or despise anything that isn't palatable. And what is palatable? that changes often. Usually, fandom is a progressive space but that doesn't mean each and every sect doesn't have issues. Big issues that are spread between a lot of fandoms include misogyny and fetishization. This is why you sometimes see creators and fandom goers attacking canon female love interests and OCs. This is also why you see a huge influx of men being shipped together and any mention of either man loving or having a relationship with a woman is often erased. These two things go hand in hand quiiiite a lot actually. Just, a thing to watch out for and think critically about.

In the end, it boils down to making your audience care amongst a sea of easy to read and already palatable content. You gotta swim against the current. Make a space for yourself, provide something that doesn't exist yet. (for me, it was hi res comic scans)

Basically, don't let the haters win.

[httpvomitello]

Miss Right *⁠.⁠✧

request: the reader is Severus's biological daughter, her best friend is Luna. She herself is in Slytherin, despite the reputation of the house. The reader is a very kind and sweet person

The corridors of Hogwarts buzzed with excitement as students darted between classes, their robes billowing behind them. You, however, walked calmly, your Slytherin tie neatly in place, offering warm smiles to the few who greeted you. Your house’s reputation often preceded you, but you had made it your mission to challenge the stereotypes that clung to Slytherin like vines.

"Y/N!" Luna's dreamy voice called from behind. You turned to see her skipping lightly toward you, her Ravenclaw blue blending harmoniously with the castle’s stone walls.

"Hi, Luna," you greeted warmly, waiting as she fell into step beside you.

"You look radiant today," she said, tilting her head. "I think the Nargles must be keeping their distance."

You chuckled. "Maybe they’re finally learning to behave."

Luna’s airy laugh echoed in the corridor as the two of you headed to the Great Hall. Fred Weasley was already there, lounging at the Gryffindor table. His eyes lit up when he spotted you, and he made a show of standing and bowing exaggeratedly as you approached.

"Your Majesty," he teased, his grin as mischievous as ever.

"Fred," you said with mock exasperation, but your smile betrayed you. "You’re causing a scene."

"Anything for you, my dear Slytherin," he said, pulling you into a quick hug before you settled at the Gryffindor table with him, ignoring the curious looks from nearby students.

Luna sat beside you, her plate already piling with odd combinations of food. "I think some people are confused," she said casually, her gaze drifting toward a group of younger students whispering.

"Let them wonder," Fred said, his hand finding yours under the table. "We’re the best-kept secret in Hogwarts."

You squeezed his hand, feeling a warmth that chased away any lingering self-doubt. Being Severus Snape’s daughter came with its own set of challenges, but you had found solace in unexpected places—Luna’s unwavering friendship and Fred’s contagious joy.

Later that evening, you found yourself in the Slytherin common room, curled up in one of the armchairs near the fire. The room was quieter than usual, and you used the moment to catch up on your Potions homework. Your father had high expectations, and you were determined not to disappoint him.

"Lost in thought, Y/N?" Draco Malfoy’s voice broke the silence. He was leaning against the mantel, his usual smirk in place.

"Just focused," you replied without looking up.

"Must be hard, balancing your perfect grades and your Gryffindor boyfriend," he said, his tone laced with mockery.

You met his gaze calmly. "Fred makes me happy, Draco. Isn’t that what matters?"

He shrugged, clearly not interested in a debate. "Just don’t forget where your loyalties lie."

"I know exactly where my loyalties lie," you said firmly, turning back to your work.

The next day, you met Luna in the library. She was flipping through a book on magical creatures when she looked up and said, "Have you ever wondered what your Patronus would be?"

You tilted your head thoughtfully. "I’ve never really thought about it. Why?"

Luna’s eyes sparkled. "It says a lot about a person. I think yours would be something gentle, but strong.”

"Maybe," you said softly, though part of you hoped it would be something unique to you.

Fred appeared a moment later, leaning over your chair to press a quick kiss to your temple. "What are we talking about?"

"Patronuses," Luna supplied.

Fred grinned. "Yours would be a fox, for sure. Clever and sly."

You laughed, leaning into him. "I guess we’ll have to see."

The corridors were mostly empty, the few lingering students too preoccupied with their own holiday plans to notice you slipping away.

When you arrived at the clock tower, Fred was waiting, his hands tucked into his pockets and a playful grin lighting up his face.

"You’re late," he teased.

"You’re lucky I even came," you shot back, though the smile tugging at your lips betrayed you.

He held out his hand. "Come with me."

You took it without hesitation, letting him lead you outside into the crisp winter night. The snow crunched softly beneath your boots as Fred guided you toward a spot near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. There, in a small clearing, stood a table draped in a checkered blanket, candles glowing softly around it. Steam rose from two mugs of hot cocoa, and a plate of biscuits sat invitingly in the center.

Your eyes widened in surprise. "Fred… what is this?"

"Well," he began, rubbing the back of his neck, "I figured we don’t get enough time to ourselves, especially with you always hiding away in that dungeon of yours. So I thought… why not make tonight special?"

You stared at him, a warmth blooming in your chest that had nothing to do with the cocoa. "You did all this for me?"

"Of course," he said, pulling out a chair for you. "Only the best for my favorite Slytherin."

You laughed, sitting down as Fred joined you. The two of you sipped your cocoa, the rich, warm sweetness melting away the chill of the night. Fred kept the conversation light, recounting one of his latest pranks on Filch, and you found yourself laughing so hard your sides ached.

As the night went on, the conversation grew softer, more intimate. Fred reached across the table to take your hand, his thumb brushing over your knuckles.

"I know we joke around a lot," he said quietly, his eyes locking onto yours. "But I want you to know… you mean everything to me, Y/N. I don’t care what house you’re in, who your father is, or what anyone else thinks. You’re my person."

Your breath hitched, the sincerity in his voice catching you off guard. You squeezed his hand, feeling a lump rise in your throat.

"You're my person too, Fred," you whispered.

Fred smiled, leaning across the table to press a gentle kiss to your lips. The world seemed to fade away, leaving only the warmth of his touch and the steady rhythm of your heart.

When he pulled back, his grin was as wide as ever. "Good. Because I’ve got a lot more surprises up my sleeve."

You laughed, shaking your head. "With you, I’d expect nothing less."

[iwriteasfotini]

Where do we draw the villain line?

Something which is so intriguing to me about the Harry Potter fandom is how flexible *most/some/a few* (honestly IDK how many) people are in giving the villains of the story their own story. Personally I LOVE THIS. Because the best villains are the ones who aren't simply macho bad guys (or gals) who are bad because the author said so. The best villains are the ones you are almost rooting for. The ones you begin to think... wait maybe that person isn't so bad. Or the ones who earn some empathy. And then go and be total arse holes anyways. Because a good story needs a villain, it's simply a fact.

If there was ever a time to remember humans are each living our own story, it is now. It doesn't excuse ANYTHING. It is infuriating and sad. But it is reality. Someone's villain is someone else's hero. And vice versa. But let's not get off on a tangent.

Now the curious thing is while certain HP characters are given some grace where their evil deeds are concerned, others are not. Like at all. Have any of you read Crimson Rivers? Of course you have! If you want to shift your mindset on how you view most of the Death Eaters, read that fic. But in it, I do not remember Mulciber or Avery being mentioned in any sort of good light. Walburga... her terrible parenting is quite undisputed. Umbridge! Barty Crouch Senior! I think Vernon Dursley falls into this category. There are still characters who are seen as simply evil for the sake of evil.

So how did Tom, Bella, Barty, Draco (but I mean, Draco is really a terrible villain to begin with) and a few others end up with backstory, humanity, and quite a few people invested in them. I don't have the answer, but it is an interesting phenomena. Because I am quite new to the fandom and it took all of three tumblr posts to get me fully on board with Rosekiller. Bella, I don't like her, but she is a fascinating character to write for. And she has redeemable qualities. Tom is a cold hearted killer who might have turned out completely different if he didn't have the childhood trauma he did. I imagine Tom's orphanage life was about as void of love and affection as it is possible to be. Sure his basic survival needs were taken care of, but he wasn't loved. And that was his life from birth.

Perhaps it is the fact there is just enough humanity given to these characters in canon that in fandom we take that nugget of humanity and turn it into a full fledged backstory. Barty is a great example. He is screaming at his father during his trial and his father flat up ignores him, all while his mother is weeping in the background. His mother sacrifices herself for him, then DIES two days later (clearly she wasn't in good health to begin with... hmmmmm...). Does Barty even have a Dark Mark? WE DON'T KNOW. Does Barty feel like he has a personal connection with Voldemort, yes, their fathers were both pieces of shite. How did Barty learn this about Tom? It means Tom went out of his way to connect with Barty on a PERSONAL level at some point. Why would he bother, he so rarely give away personal information? Also I feel Barty has a relationship with Winky which is reminiscent of Regulus and Kreacher. Basically there is mutual love and respect on some level (while some wizards see house-elves as servants only).

The fact we can ask all these questions about someone who essentially guided Harry to his should have been death and then was kissed by a dementor (which Dumbledore was LIVID about BTW) makes him such great fodder for the fandom to sculpt a intriguing if not rich back story. It's why I was able to get on board with the Barty isn't a pure villain idea so fast. And I think it really enhances the fandom.

On a side note, Peter's an interesting one as I feel like he is often either forgotten about or lumped into the evil for evil's sake category. Peter made appalling choices, but I think he has a backstory, just like everyone, which can at least account for some of why he did what he did. And it does not have to do with him being bullied, pushed around, or constantly berated by his supposed friends. The Marauders loved each other, and Peter was included in that love.

That being said, there are plenty of people who disagree. Who like to see the Death Eaters as evil. Who cannot fathom how anyone in their right mind can ship Jegulus or be invested in a villain. But to those people I say, Regulus committed suicide as part of taking down Voldemort, Remus put peoples lives at risk every time he left the shack while he was at Hogwarts, Sirius has made some very questionable choices, Harry uses Sectumsempra on Draco, Severus was a Death Eater who changed allegiance, Ron deserts his friends/Harry when they need him, even Fred and George test products on first years and give Hermione a black eye. The lines between good and bad (which are at least somewhat defined in canon) become far less clear in fandom. As Sirius says, the world isn't split between good people and Death Eaters.

If you have read this far into my rant, kuddos to you. If you enjoy thinking and talking about backstory of HP villains, maybe we can connect in some capacity and exchange HC's and thoughts. I also hope you will check out my very epic series which has started posting on Ao3 because I am striving to tell a lot of people's stories in a fast paced, entertaining way.

Thank you for your time and attention. This concludes my rant.

[archduchessofnowhere]

The tropification of Elisabeth of Austria and the perils of historical dramas without history: A review of Die Kaiserin season 1

Back in 2022 Netflix long awaited (by me at least) new historical drama about Empress Elisabeth of Austria premiered. And to my great disappointment, the series had little to nothing to do with history. Now, two years later, we are on the eve of the premiere of the series’ second season. Since I’d forgotten most of the story, I decided to do a rewatch of season 1, despite my deep dislike of it back in the day. I usually don’t do this, I truly believe that (unless you’re a paid reviewer and it’s your literal job) the only reason for watching a series should be that you like it. If it wasn’t because of my completionist drive to finish every piece of media relating to Elisabeth and analyze the hell out of it, I would’ve dropped it two episodes in. But I promised a review in 2022, and I still feel bad for not finishing writing it then. So at last, here is my review of Die Kaiserin.

Revisiting Die Kaiserin was an interesting experience, if just as frustrating as my first watch was. The character assassination of literally every real person depicted in this series is still infuriating, the costumes and hairstyles are dreadful, and the portrayal of the few historical events is so bad it makes any person with some knowledge of the time period roll their eyes and wish the series had gotten canceled in pre-production. And yet, looking at it from the outside, trying to watch it as if I were an spectator who doesn’t know nor cares about the time period and only wants to kill time with Netflix’s shine new period drama series, Die Kaiserin reveals itself exactly for what it is: a mediocre soap opera set in a half-assed court setting. Upon this rewatch I realized that the biggest crime of this series isn’t that it’s inaccurate, but how boringly predictable it truly is. It’s not that the characters are nothing like their historical counterparts, it’s that they are not characters at all. They are stereotypes, walking tropes crashed against each other like dolls in the hands of a child. And the entire plot of this series is built around serving these tropes.

Although we are not given a clear year at any point on-screen, the story begins in 1853 as it always does when it comes to Sisi media: with a young and rebellious Elisabeth learning that her elder sister Helene is going to be the emperor of Austria’s future bride. The first episode proceeds to re-imagine the fated encounter of the Duchesses in Bavaria with Franz Josef and his family, finishing with the climatic moment in which the emperor reveals that he will marry the younger Elisabeth instead of her sister, shocking everyone present (in fiction, for in real life the entire family realized right away that he had fallen in love with his cousin at first sight).

So far, the typical beginning of every piece of media about young Elisabeth under the sun. But then the series makes the bizarre choice of setting the entire season in an atemporal space in which nothing of note happens. The episodes usually take place during a brief period of time (from a couple of hours to a single day at most), yet it is uncertain how much time passes between them: days? months? Who even knows. The timeline is fuzzy, bending to the whims of the script.

You now may wonder: why does that matter? Plenty of good series don’t have clear timelines. And I agree, there are indeed good series which don’t need a clear timeline. I just don’t believe historical series about real people whose lives are well documented are one of them. Why am I tuning in the history based series and finding no history at all? Why can’t I even guess in which month are we supposed to be in?

In the later years there has been a boom of period dramas which are historical satires, historical fantasies and/or alternative history. These series take history and throw it out of the window for the sake of their plot (whether it’s romance or comedy or both). And I don’t hate them, in fact I thoroughly enjoyed plenty of them. But Die Kaiserin doesn’t belong to this genre. Die Kaiserin is supposed to be a serious historical drama. I still remember that before the series premiered the screenwriters talked about how they wanted to follow the steps of The Crown. Yet the quality of the script is far more reminiscent of the alternative history teen drama Reign. If Reign thought it was The Crown.

What is the point of taking these real people, ignoring the entire context in which they lived, and throwing them into completely fictional settings, while still claiming you’re adapting their lives? If Die Kaiserin had owned what it was, if it had not pretended to be a serious historical drama, I don’t think I would’ve been as upset as I was when the series was released. 

I realize this is a personal frustration since I know and care for the real history, and that someone who doesn’t probably didn’t notice the dozens of inaccuracies that plague this series. That’s okay. But I can’t help but feeling a deep disappointment in the fact that I’m not the target audience of a series about one of my favorite women from history. Which also makes me wonder: if not us, the people with a genuine interest in history, then who is the audience for this series?

I don’t have an answer. Not only “the general public” is as vague as it gets, time and time again “the general public” has shown they can and will love historical dramas more grounded in fact. I wholly disagree on this notion that you must “dumb down” history in order to make it more palatable. Again, audiences have shown they can enjoy complex writing - a memo I wish the screenwriters of Die Kaiserin had received. 

Because even putting the inaccuracies aside, I ultimately just don’t think the writing of this series is good. Going back to the beginning of the review, upon my rewatch I realized something: this series is almost entirely made up of well defined but poorly developed tropes. This series feels written as if it was one of those viral Tiktok books whose entire plot is just a list of popular tropes. “Love triangle with a villain”, “fierce FMC”, “betrayal”, “falls first/falls harder”; and I could go on. Any complexity is simplified in order to create an easy to watch story, every character is made into a one-dimensional caricature. It is also ironic that, despite the screenwriters’ clear attempts to distance their series from every previous portrayal of the empress - to the point of having Elisabeth disdain her nickname “Sisi”, which is never be used after the first episode - they fall into almost every already existing stereotype on Sisi media anyways. Elisabeth as a humble country girl deemed the “troublemaker” of the family? Check. Sophie as an evil mother-in-law who manipulates her son and daughter-in-law? Check. The empress reconciling the discontent masses of the empire with her kindness alone? Check check check. 

I highly doubt I’ll ever watch this season again. I simply do not like it, and I know it may not seem like it given how much I’ve been talking about this series lately, but I don’t enjoy being a hater. It’s just that I’ve been following this series since the project was first announced years ago, and I’m still mad about how much it missed the mark. Will there ever be an Elisabeth - or just 19th century Habsburg/Wittelsbach - historical series with actual history in it? As of now, sadly, it still feels like an impossible dream.

[mjrtaurus]

Have you considered the comedy potential? Of Dragon and Robin teaming up to pull on of the biggest pranks in history?

And by that I mean they pretend to be father daughter

Cause like the theory is awesome but it’s so much funnier if the whole thing is just them lying

Dragon (known homosexual) - ah yes this is my daughter who I got from a woman I was in a sexual relationship with

Robin (known shitdisturber) - yes it is I his daughter who was produced through sexual intercourse with my female mother.

The whole thing gets way too out of hand during the two year arc and results in one very angry ex warlord kicking down Dragons door.

You’re right, this is so much funnier.

And people believe it because not only do they look similar enough to pull it off, but Robin’s weirdgirl energy and Dragon’s commit to any and all bits energy just. Click. Right into place. No gaps. Seamless.

I’m on Zou Arc right now and Robin is fucking with everyone like “my god, they’re cannibals”. Meanwhile, if he were there, Dragon- 100% running with her shit-stirring because it’s the funniest thing ever- would have gone “can they really be called cannibals since they’re Mink? Or does the term apply to all sapient humanoid species?” Cut to Usopp screaming because if the leader of the Revs (who’s there for whatever reason) is saying that, then it MUST be true!

Except everyone knows he’s bullshitting because everyone knows- including him- that Robin is bullshitting.

And it just kind of happens one day at the end of a discussion, back in her two year stay on Baltigo. Dragon’s been talking with her a lot, getting to know her, making sure she knows that she’s as welcome and accepted among the RA as she is with the Strawhats. The standard practice of “feed the stray cat so they know you’re a nice human and can be trusted”. You know the one.

Just.

A sip from the drink in her hand, like she’s already concocting more schemes.

“I hope you’ll forgive me, but some have been asking me- indirectly at least- if I’m your daughter. And I’ve been telling a few fibs here and there because of it.”

A twitch at the corner of his mouth, like he’s fighting a grin.

“Interesting… What sort of fibs, for the sake of keeping the story straight?”

Full shit-stirrer to shit-stirrer communication. Except it goes a little too well when Robin has reunited with the Strawhats for a while, and Dragon gets a very livid call from his dear and beloved nicotine addicted reptile. Accusing him of… sleeping with a woman? How rude! How unoriginal!

And that’s how Dragon learns that Robin’s been using her talents for fucking with people in a “good and friendly” manner to routinely put Crocodile through the wringer. Untraceable calls in the middle of the night that have the man feeling like he needs to be locked in a padded cell. Seastone muzzle and straitjacket optional.

The sudden shock of that revelation makes Dragon break, and then he’s cackling and wheezing like a madman until even the snail is concerned for his health.

“Wani, are you really that surprised that she would gaslight you for fun?”

“… Fair point…”

Oh, if Robin wasn’t going to get adopted into his dysfunctional garbage fire of a family before, she definitely is now.

[inthehouseoffinwe]

Ooooo love this!!! Adding on and agreeing to this and your tags op! Listen, I love a politically smart Maglor as much as the next person, as the son of the Crown Prince you kinda have to be. But I love the idea that his songs didn’t really cross his mind as a political tool until several years into Beleriand.

Even then it remained a passion. Sure, he’ll make a piece for certain occasions if it’s called for, but even his brothers don’t push him into that. Maedhros has only asked him to do so maybe two or three times? Because it’s one of the few things left from a time they can never go back to, and it’s something so *Maglor* they don’t want to turn that part of him into a weapon too.

Like with my siblings, there are certain things they do that I’d never ask them to turn into a rigid job, because it’s something that brings them joy and I don’t want to take that away from them. Especially during difficult times.

So yeah, the Fëanorions could do with him being a little more aware to the ramifications of some of his compositions, but everyone has their vices. The comfort from seeing him do something purely from his heart is worth more than anything else.

Moving into Maglor as a person, he’s good at violence, had to be to survive an Age of high stress battles. But it doesn’t seem to be as deeply rooted in him as his brothers, and singing is something he does on the daily without thinking too deeply on general impact. Including songs for battle. It’s just. What he does.

He thinks on the emotional power but not specifically as a weapon, but as a ‘what tune/words/etc work best for this moment. What seems right.’ Get me?

The Noldolantë was probably one such work. Created as a release for his and his people’s pain, a way to process everything that’s happened. Probably what helped him stick around for longer than Mae in the end. He’d already accepted everything he’d done, good and bad, long before we got to the end of the Age.

Maglor ultimately became a villain in the story and made some pretty messed up choices. But he’s not inherently evil, is specifically pulled out the narrative for his compassion and the redeemable aspects (as you mentioned in your tags) and that’s what makes makes him so interesting.

Especially when you consider Pengolodh as an in-universe narrator who highlights this softer more redeemable side, when Maglor should be despised the most as the survivor who partly led four kinslayings, without the saving grace of military victories against Morgoth that Maedhros had.

But yeah, Maglor’s such a fascinating character because we know so little about him. He exists silently in the background until very specific moments and it’s fun to play around with who he actually might be.

(Also, agreed. The only real similarly I see between Fëanor and Maglor is their passion for their craft. But specifically the passion a young Fëanor had, inventing for the sake of inventing.)

TBH my ‘vision’ of Maglor is more of a music nerd than any kind of drama queen fanon makes him out to be sometimes.

Like someone who just doesn’t see the political ramifications other people saw in his songs, when it really was just a good metaphor. Someone with messy hair and pulls it back without even brushing it before going to a royal festival. The geeky, melancholic version of Finrod in his own family. A Maglor so obsessed with music and words he thinks about the sheer art of the Oath’s words rather than the context within itself or what it entails. Someone who wasn’t aware of how the Noldolantë could have been taken the wrong way and didn’t even finish it before he vanished from history (or, who knows, he probably forgot to bring the lyrics written with him when the Gap burned), probably had a meltdown when he realized that he had lost it. Someone who loves music so much that, after all is finished, he fades while singing, because it was all he had left.

Someone who once had a joyful, innocent spirit which was brutally killed after he did.

[tubbytarchia]

I see so so many videos and comments and discussion from people including artists expressing grievance and cringing in one way or another at modern and performance art, and all I can think is damn. That sort of art is really goddamn effective when it gets this much publicity and attention from people trying to cope because it gets under their skin so easily and not realizing the irony

At this point there's no modern or performance art I don't respect (other than ones that cause harm to animals 😐) just for being able to so effortlessly get reactions out of people. Like the "who's afraid of yellow, red and blue" paintings that to most people look like solid boring colors, 'how in the world is that art?' and all that, and yet, fittingly for its name, it gets vandalized (and is also impossible to restore because no one can replicate the intricate technique of the author). Some things never change. Godspeed modern and performance artists