#what's REALLY funny is if no one is thinking that and i am the one to introduce that thought to you.... huh

[redjaybathood]

yeah it was less of a criticism and more like "wow people really do that??? still???". tankies and putin lovin and even genocide-sympathisizing or whatever it was your projection tho. hissy fit? was it a remark about genocide you classify as a hissy fit? wow yeah talk about genocide-sympathisizing. bc i really didn't address anything else much in my initial comment otherwise, and in a second one it was rather making fun of you, because for a linguist you don't understand what people are saying in a language i presume is native for you. and i am yet to accuse you of anything, again, this is you expecting that accusation. is it because you think you do deserve that? idk, mister linguist, idc either.

Everythin' I addressed to other users was not addressed to you, and it was not even about learning russian either. just correcting some russian propaganda talking points of that other user, about banned dogs and poets. like, i provided links and everything. but you read all that and still decided to take offense for things that user said?? 'cause they assumed it was about "Slavic language=tankie". which i explicitly said isn't true in any shape or form. huh, funny that.

there's literally no justification for giving people shit about what languages they've chosen to learn btw. some of you might not have dealt with it the same as i have, but it's been an annoyingly consistant theme in my life.

[kanmom51]

Chapter 3 in the making

Traveling together to "film a show" was big (yes, this was to film a show, but we all know it was mainly to spend much needed time together, and if we didn't, let's be honest that we did, but if we didn't, then JK literally confirmed this for us in episode 1 of AYS). But back in 2023 when a public Jikook was a scarcity, left us with more question marks than anything else as to how this will actually be coming to fruition.

Enlisting together was HUGE. Like H U G E. Them being the only ones to do so not only within BTS but the first and only idols to do so. A choice made by the two of them. To do this together. With each other. Not with anyone else.

Are You Sure?! Do we need any words here? Like really? Because AYS was as loud as F$@&. No, seriously, idk what you want to call it, a soft launch, a smack in the noggin, whatever you do, it was quite clear to those who have eyes and a brain. With or without knowing who JM and JK are, their history, their culture. Louder to those who do know them.

Since their enlistment and even through Muse and AYS we got practically nothing from the two. Oh, we did have a couple of interesting pics from their basic training and graduation, a few pics from the unit, a shit ton of signatures, some more interesting than others (joint messages, pretty decorations...) and a few nice messages, but mostly silence from the two. This stood out even more so in comparison to the almost barrage we've been getting from NJ and Tae, both enlisted only a day before Jikook.

And then came December. With less than 6 months to go.

JK going live from his new place. Dare I say their new place? It's not like we haven't talked about this over the past 18 months. Speculating, wondering. But man (figure of speech y'all), these last couple of months, they are sure making me feel like what we saw as leaning to the delusional side or more so wishful thinking, ain't no delusion or wish, but more so a very possible reality to come.

But let's get back on track.

So, December gave us:

"We spend our free time together", "we sing together", "we sing while we shower daily together", not to mention JK's btw remark about seeking privacy away from others "to sing".

Then came JM in January with their "conversations before going bed" about "what kind of image we want to show" and "what kind of lives we will live moving forward".

And February rolls in and we think that we will be back to their silent treatment, but JK comes to us with a heartfelt message (they really feel the end and want out). But nothing prepared us for Hobi's birthday live and once again those two with their "we share a room" and "we have stories to tell, but not sure how much we actually can..." that won't scare us off, lol.

Funny how every single hysterical claim made by those who were hit so very hard by their joint enlistment has been shut down by the two of them by now!!

Anyway, do we see a pattern here? Can we call this a pattern? Is there more to come? Well, obviously there is post military service, but seeing as to how they have been in the past couple of months, I'm thinking that we will be getting more even before that.

I'm guessing that conclusion isn't a far fetched one, seeing what we got last night.

And OMG, that was another HUGE loud af Jikook statement.

Ribbon on right: "I love you 🖤"

Ribbon on left: "BTS Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook".

Yes, a statement.

I stand by that.

Because even if you don't think it's anymore than a cute thing, just another thing that Jikook do together, then you are not seeing the cultural context here.

So, several content producers/directors that were Hybe employees (directors of I am still, AYS and JM's production diary amongst others) have left the company to open their own company (Idk too much about the company they opened, but my guess is that they will continue working with Hybe as contractors rather than employees, but also allowing them to work with other companies and create their own content, including producing a new boy band). And they posted the congratulation they have received.

From Hobi.

Hoshi and Woonhoo of Seventeen.

Each sending a separate wreath.

Zico

And there are wreaths they received from more than one sender. Joint wreaths. But this was from companies (joint ceos), or business partners. Not two separate idols or people.

Now, if you don't see what's huge here, let me show you the K side of this to maybe get some perspective (although, let's be honest, you don't need to be on the K side to see this is a couple thing).

Yes, I wonder the same thing!!!

There is more.

So much more.

The K side of things is literally going mad. Good mad.

And there is a reason they are.

This is most definitley not something friends, as close as they might be, would do. Not friends, not multimillionaire friends. They most definitley can afford two wreaths. And that's one of the points here.

Once again.

This was a choice.

Not to send separate congratulative wreaths. They sure can afford to do so. Even if they aren't on vacation at the moment and are in the base. Seriously, two young men closing in on their 30s, independently financially sufficient and so much more.

Yeah, this most definitley was a statement.

And the frenzy K Jikookers are in at this very moment is well enough proof to that.

Btw, haven't been to the dark side, don't know just how crazy and rabid the cult and antiis are going, but my guess would be...

Anyways, sitting here smile plastered on my face, I'm kind of starting to think, that this is maybe, just maybe, going to become our new normal. Jikook doing couplie things, openly, proudly, unapologetically.

And if this is them even before they are discharged...

What a great time this is going to be.

[mychemicalweevil]

Absolutely no one was waiting for this but here’s my unofficial ranking of TLT characters based on how much they’d like pickles:

1. Gideon

I know they didn’t have food with flavor on the Ninth but the vibes are overtaking me. Gideon loves pickles. She’s drinking pickle juice straight from the jar before a workout to avoid cramping. She’s eating Harrow’s dill pickle off her plate because Harrow can’t even handle touching it. I know this in my heart to be true.

2. Dulcinea

Do all chronically ill people love pickles or is that just my specific crowd? Either way I think she’d love a really sour pickle and would eat them straight out of the jar on the regular.

3. Jeannemary

I don’t know what kind of food they have on the Fourth but this kid would be so happy to eat a pickle. (nooooo Magnus don’t tell them they forgot the extra pickles on my sandwich)

4. Magnus

The aforementioned Magnus. He’s pro-pickle but not a freak about it. He’d grill hot dogs for the Fourth kids and put relish on them.

5. Ianthe

She likes gherkins and she likes eating them suggestively. Sorry to any gherkin lovers out there…

6. Camilla

Make no mistake, she can deal with a pickle, but I feel like she’d rather not. She makes fun of Gideon drinking pickle juice before a workout.

7. Palamedes

He doesn’t like the texture. I am confident that in a present day setting he’d eat terribly, just whatever he can get down quickly that has enough nutrients to keep him going. He doesn’t understand the true value of pickles.

8. Coronabeth

If there’s a pickle on her plate she’s making Babs send it back. I don’t even know if she’d hate pickles at all if she tried them but she’s convinced herself she does.

9. Harrow

You know those videos of babies trying a lemon for the first time and it’s kind of funny but also sad because they had no idea what was coming? That’s Harrow trying a pickle.

[pink-pone]

i went through tartarus and back to land on this color scheme, and so help me, if i decide i don't like it in the morning i will cry

final design may look different-ish cause this was really just me mashing colors together in a vaguely pony shape lol

[jiraen]

My Very Own Cupid

Summary: Valerie Valentine, known as “Hogwarts’ Cupid” for her matchmaking prowess, finds herself heartbroken upon finding out George Weasley, her crush since 4th year, likes Angelina Johnson. This leads her to abandon her romantic endeavors, only to later discover something unexpected.

Warnings: None

Word Count: 2.5k+

A/N: This is my first ever story on tumblr, I really hope you guys enjoy! 🫰

⊱ ─── ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ ─── ⊰

Valerie Valentine lived for Valentine's Day. It was in her name, after all.

Ever since she was little, Valentine’s Day had been her favorite holiday—the chocolates, the roses, the handwritten love letters. She adored how, just for a day, everything seemed sweeter, softer, filled with endless possibilities. When she arrived at Hogwarts, she quickly made it her mission to bring that magic to the castle.

It started in her second year when her best friend, Hannah Abbott, had fallen hopelessly in love with Roger Davies.

“I can’t tell him,” Hannah had groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I’ll probably trip over my own feet and embarrass myself for life.”

Valerie, ever the romantic, had taken that as a challenge. With a carefully written anonymous love letter, a bit of strategic maneuvering, and the right nudge at the right time, Roger had ended up asking Hannah to Hogsmeade. By Valentine’s Day, they were sitting at the Hufflepuff table, sharing a box of Honeydukes chocolates.

“You’re amazing at this, Val,” Hannah had gushed. “You should be Hogwarts’ Cupid!”

And just like that, Valerie Valentine became a legend.

---

Valerie took on the title of Hogwarts’ Cupid with pride, dedicating herself to helping students find love. Over the years, she orchestrated dozens of successful love stories, each one becoming a fond memory.

One of her most ambitious plans involved a nervous third-year Hufflepuff, Andrew Macmillan, who had a crush on a Ravenclaw named Helena Clearwater. Andrew was a wreck whenever Helena was around, stammering through his words and turning bright red.

“She’s so smart, Val,” he had sighed. “She probably thinks I’m a complete idiot.”

Valerie had an idea.

“Girls love grand gestures,” she told him, handing him a crumpled parchment. “And you know what’s grand? A love song performed by the Hogwarts suits of armor.”

Andrew had stared at her in horror. “You cannot be serious.”

“I am serious.” She smirked. “I also may or may not have bribed the suits of armor to serenade her during lunch.”

Sure enough, the next day, as Helena was walking to the Great Hall, one of the enchanted suits of armor clanked forward, raised its sword like a conductor’s baton, and began to sing.

“O fair Helena, with eyes so bright,

You make my heart take glorious flight!

Oh, would you fancy a date with me?

For Butterbeer and cakes of treacle sweet?”

Andrew looked like he was about to pass out from sheer embarrassment.

But then—Helena laughed. A real, delighted laugh. “This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen,” she said, turning to Andrew. “Did you do this?”

He stammered for a moment before nodding.

She smiled. “It’s cute. I’d love to go to Hogsmeade with you.”

Valerie cheered from the sidelines. Another successful match.

---

By her third year, Valerie had students seeking her out for help. One of them was a shy Gryffindor named Ethan Wood, who had a major crush on Katie Bell.

“She’s so cool,” he groaned. “She’s an amazing Chaser, and she’s funny, and—and she probably doesn’t even know I exist.”

“Well, let’s change that,” Valerie had said.

Knowing Katie loved Chocolate Frogs, Valerie devised a plan. Ethan would send her a Chocolate Frog every morning for a week, each one accompanied by a tiny, anonymous note with a compliment.

The first note: You play Quidditch like a star.

The second: Your laugh is the best sound in the world.

By the time the seventh note arrived, Katie was determined to find out who her secret admirer was. She cornered Valerie at the common room, eyes shining with curiosity.

“You know, don’t you?” she asked.

Valerie grinned. “What would you do if I did?”

“I’d probably want to talk to him.”

So, later that evening, Valerie orchestrated the grand reveal. Ethan, nervous as ever, stood by the fireplace, hands fidgeting at his sides. When Katie walked up to him, Chocolate Frog in hand, she smirked.

“So,” she said, tossing the frog at him playfully. “You’ve been feeding me an unhealthy amount of sugar.”

Ethan stammered. “Uh—uh—sorry?”

Katie laughed. “Don’t be. Want to go to Hogsmeade with me?”

Ethan nearly fainted. Valerie patted herself on the back. Another victory.

---

For three years, Valerie had been Hogwarts’ Cupid. She loved it. She lived for it.

"Hogwarts' Cupid" had always been surrounded by love—not just romantic love, but the kind of warmth that came from friendships, from laughter, from the little things that made life feel magical. And yet, nothing had prepared her for the moment she realized she was in love with George Weasley.

She never meant to. It just happened—the way his laughter echoed through the common room, the way he always had a joke up his sleeve, the way his mischievous grin made her stomach flip.

---

It happened one evening in her fourth year, during the first snowfall of the winter. The Gryffindor common room was cozy, the fire crackling in the hearth, but Valerie had always been drawn to the magic of fresh snow. So when she saw the first flakes drifting past the castle windows, she slipped outside.

She didn’t expect anyone else to be out there, but of course—George Weasley never did the expected.

“Oi, Valentine,” he called from behind her as she stood in the courtyard, snowflakes catching in her hair. “Fancy meeting you out here. What’s a Cupid like you doing standing alone in the cold?”

She turned to find him grinning, his red hair dusted with snow, his cheeks pink from the chill.

“I could ask you the same thing,” she shot back. “Shouldn’t you be inside, plotting your next great prank?”

George put a hand to his chest, feigning offense. “I do have other interests, you know.”

“Oh? Like what?”

“Like this,” he said, before suddenly scooping up a handful of snow and launching it at her.

Valerie shrieked as the snow hit her shoulder. “George!”

“What? Cupid needs to learn how to dodge!” he teased, already gathering more snow.

She didn’t hesitate. She bent down, packed a snowball, and threw it at him with all her might—only for him to duck at the last second. It sailed past him and hit none other than Professor McGonagall’s window.

Both of them froze.

George turned to her, his eyes wide, and then—he grinned. “Run.”

Valerie didn’t need to be told twice. She bolted, George right beside her, the two of them slipping and sliding across the snowy courtyard as laughter bubbled out of them. They only stopped when they reached the covered bridge, breathless and shivering but giddy.

“That was all your fault,” Valerie panted, leaning against the railing.

George smirked. “Oh, definitely yours. I was just an innocent bystander.”

She rolled her eyes, but before she could retort, he reached out, brushing a bit of snow from her hair. It was such a small gesture, but it sent a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold.

Their eyes met. And for the first time, standing there in the soft glow of moonlight reflecting off the snow, Valerie saw him differently.

Not just as the prankster. Not just as her friend.

But as someone who made her heart race.

Someone she wanted.

The realization hit her so suddenly that she barely managed to breathe.

George tilted his head, a slow, teasing smile forming on his lips. “You alright there, Val?”

She swallowed, forcing herself to laugh. “Y-Yeah. Just cold.”

“Then we’d better get inside before you freeze,” he said, throwing an arm around her shoulders and steering her back toward the castle.

She barely heard him over the sound of her own heartbeat.

Because that was the moment she knew—

She had fallen for George Weasley.

---

By her sixth year, Valentine’s Day at Hogwarts was practically synonymous with Valerie Valentine.

The weeks leading up to the holiday were always the busiest. Students whispered in hallways, love letters passed hands, and Valerie’s name floated through conversations like a spell. As usual, she was in high demand—helping a lovestruck Ravenclaw compose a heartfelt poem, advising a nervous Hufflepuff on how to casually bump into his crush, and sneaking sweets into the Gryffindor common room for a surprise confession plan.

She should have been thrilled.

And yet, for the first time, Valerie felt tired. Something about it felt off this year. Maybe it was because, despite all the magic she created for others, she had never been on the receiving end of it.

Then, just a few days before Valentine’s Day, George Weasley walked up to her.

“Hey, Val,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, looking almost shy. “Got a minute?”

Her heart gave a traitorous little flutter—an automatic reaction at this point.

“Of course,” she said, forcing herself to act normal. “Need help with a prank?"

“Not exactly.” He hesitated, then asked, “Do you know if Angelina’s dating anyone?”

The world seemed to tilt.

The words were a Bludger to the stomach, knocking the breath right out of her.

Angelina. Of course.

She was smart, confident, talented—his best friend. They were already close, always sitting together at meals, always joking and laughing in that effortless way that made Valerie’s heart ache.

And why wouldn’t he like her?

Valerie swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to smile. “I—I don’t think so. Why?”

“Oh, no reason,” George said with a shrug, a slight smile plastered on his face. “Just wondering.”

That was all the confirmation she needed.

She barely remembered the rest of the conversation. Somehow, she managed to act normal—laughing at all the right moments, nodding along as if her heart wasn’t shattering into pieces. The moment George walked away, she turned on her heel and fled to her dormitory.

She barely noticed the way her hands trembled as she grabbed the stack of love letters from her desk—the ones she had spent years helping craft, the delicate parchment filled with confessions she had helped others deliver.

With a shaking breath, she threw them into the fireplace.

The flames swallowed them up, turning love into ashes.

Hogwarts’ Cupid was officially retired.

---

For the first time in three years, Valerie refused to help anyone with their Valentine’s Day plans.

When a nervous fourth-year approached her in the library with a love letter, she shoved it back at them without a word. When Hannah Abbott asked for advice on which chocolates to get Roger, Valerie snapped, “Does it really matter?”

Hannah folded her arms. “Okay, what is going on with you?”

“Nothing,” Valerie muttered, burying herself deeper into her Potions textbook.

Hannah wasn’t convinced. “You love this holiday. It’s your thing.”

“Not anymore.”

Hannah stared at her, then realization dawned on her face. “This is about him, isn’t it?”

Valerie stiffened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Hannah sighed. “Val, if you’re upset about something, talk to him. You never just give up.”

But Valerie shook her head. What was the point? George had already made his choice.

So, on Valentine’s Day, while the Great Hall buzzed with excitement, while couples exchanged gifts and friends laughed over ridiculous love notes, Valerie sat in the Gryffindor common room, alone.

She refused to look at the door. She would not let herself wonder if George had asked Angelina out.

Then, just as she was debating whether to go hide in her dormitory for the rest of the night, George plopped down beside her.

“Alright, Valentine,” he said, stretching his arms over the back of the couch. “What’s going on?”

Valerie scowled. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re usually running around playing matchmaker, making sure everyone has a perfect day,” George said, eyeing her closely. “And yet, here you are, sulking like someone just told you Chocolate Frogs were being discontinued.”

She crossed her arms. “Maybe I’m just sick of love stories.”

George blinked, clearly taken aback. “Alright, who are you and what have you done with Valerie Valentine?”

She huffed. “Why do you even care? Shouldn’t you be off with Angelina?”

George frowned. “Angelina?”

Valerie glared at him. “You asked about her.”

George tilted his head. “Yeah…? So?”

“So,” she snapped, “if you’re going to ask her out, just do it already.”

For a moment, George just stared at her. Then, suddenly—

He laughed.

A real, full-bodied laugh.

Valerie gaped. “What’s so funny?!”

George grinned at her like she was the biggest idiot in the world. “Oh, Merlin, you’re thick.”

She scowled. “Excuse me?!”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Val, I asked about Angelina because Fred fancies her. I was helping him.”

The world came to a screeching halt.

Her mouth opened. Closed. Then opened again. “Wait—you don’t like her?”

George smirked. “Of course not. She’s great, but she’s not the one I wanted to spend Valentine’s Day with.”

Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might burst out of her chest. “Then… who do you want to spend it with?”

George raised an eyebrow. “Who do you think?”

She froze.

Everything—the endless matchmaking, the stolen glances, the little moments between them—it all suddenly clicked into place.

“You,” he said simply.

Her breath hitched.

For the first time in her life, Valerie Valentine was speechless.

George smirked, tilting his head. “Now, if our former Hogwarts’ Cupid is done sulking, can I take her on a proper date?”

Valerie stared at him, her heart pounding, before a slow, hesitant smile tugged at her lips. “I suppose…” She tapped a finger against her chin, pretending to consider it. “I could make an exception.”

George laughed, reaching out to ruffle her hair. “That’s my girl.”

And just like that, Hogwarts’ Cupid finally found herself caught in the love story she never saw coming.

---

[wisteria-lodge]

Now the last thing I want is to start beef on the internet about Snape, although I suppose that would be very 2005 of me. I like Snape. I like Snape, a lot. I just finished a 160K fanfiction where he's the only viewpoint character, I would hope I'd like him. But I'm kind of interested to see what you'd have to say to my counterpoint to your rebuttal.

You give me a couple examples of funny Snape moments from the first few books. He's absolutely funny the whole way through, I talked about how that was the *fun* of 1-3 Snape. I will say that the later books will have Snape being dry and funny-on-purpose, in a way that 1-3 really don't. Like book 3 will have a moment like:

“Fascinating,” said Snape, without looking at it.

where the humor is in the framing. but later books will constantly have him him make (dry, dark, sarcastic) on-purpose jokes.

"He'd have me!" said Bellatrix passionately. "I, who spent many years in Azkaban for him!" "Yes, indeed, most admirable," said Snape in a bored voice. "Of course, you weren't a lot of use to him in prison, but the gesture was undoubtedly fine —"

“I have already told you,” said Snape smoothly, “that I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter —and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did — I cannot help you.

"Crabbe, loosen your hold a little, if Longbottom suffocates it will mean a lot of tedious paperwork, and I am afraid I shall have to mention it on your reference if ever you apply for a job.”

"Yes, it is easy to see that nearly six years of magical education have not been wasted on you, Potter. Ghosts are transparent."

“You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?” Professor Umbridge asked Snape. “Yes,” said Snape quietly. “But you were unsuccessful?” Snape’s lip curled. “Obviously.”

(... and loads more. Actually it would be really fun to do a deep-dive into how Snape uses humor. The "no part of your body is allowed in Hogsmeade" - that is from book 1-3, and I think it is an on-purpose joke. But is it the only one?)

You also bring up that he brews Wolfsbane, and that's fair. "Not very many wizards are up to brewing it." But I'd say there's still a difference between 'potion teacher able to brew a difficult potion' and 'prodigy savant correcting the textbook so much that the margins look black, and inventing his own spells.' You could have set that up if you wanted, probably in the context of Harry thinking it's unfair that in Snape's class there's nothing but miles of note-taking while he's got a textbook in every other class, which would then be a set-up for when *Slughorn* starts using a textbook. I mean Book 6 is *named* after Snape's potion textbook, I don't think some set-up would be out of the question.

(My main analytical angle to approaching the books is always trying to figure out - what do I think JKR intended, vs what made it onto the page, vs what the fan interpretations are, and why they exist.)

The point that he gets Book 3 levels of emotional in Book 6, after the Worst Memory and killing Dumbledore - that is fair. He totally does, positioning Snape as guy who feels very intensely, which is cool. I think you make a very important point that Snape losing control in Book 6 is framed as *scary.* It certainly is. Which make it very different from Book 3, where it is absolutely framed as funny. A threatening character, defanged. Similar behavior, treated differently by the overall text, which is kinda my thesis here.

I do disagree that the later books push silly school stuff to the side. I think there's actually *more,* because the books are longer, and JKR really seems to like writing... quidditch team shenanigans, Hermione's ill-fated house elf-campaign, the Cormac subplot, the Lavender subplot, Harry's terrible date, the kids becoming prefects and reacting in different ways, like that's good stuff. A lot of that stuff even involves Snape, because he is a funny character - like the example I used up top of him finding ways to sabotage the Gryffindor Quidditch team like spam-booking the pitch. We are even still getting on-the-page scenes that take place during his class. It's just the narrative framing that changes, lots of little tweaks to make him less unreasonable, and less of a bully.

And the main difference between a plot twist and a ret-con is that plot twists are set up. I don't have a problem with either, but that's how it is. Like JKR is good at writing mysteries. If she wanted to, she could have dropped in a detail about James Potter early on that in retrospect seems a little iffy, but doesn't bother you at the time. She does that masterfully with Moody/Barty. If she wanted to set up the twist that Snape was actually extremely brilliant, heck I wrote the thing about making him dislike the textbook, that would have worked just fine.

Also the 'Snape stays out of a sense of duty thing' - I said that books 1-3 seem to give him a different motive for staying (wants the DADA job, which wasn't written as cursed at that point) and that motive changes in Book 4. In Book 1, Snape protecting Harry is presented as repaying a debt he feels he owes to James... which is strange in itself, when the later books are taken into context. But that's why my point is that Severus and James were both developed over the course of the books, and that development necessitated some ret-cons and clever re-framing.

And my last thing, about a sad backstory explaining vs excusing bad behavior, and what the difference is there exactly? You might have read that a million times, but I haven't. I read though your backlog of original posts trying to find the one you were referring to, and couldn't. So maybe link it, if it's around?

Since you’ve talked about Molly and Draco, can you talk about Snape as well? When you said that there was a disconnect with Snape’s character I honestly wasn’t sure if you meant the audience was supposed to like him more or less than they actually do.

This is a complicated one, because Book 1-3 Snape and Book 5-7 Snape are written so differently that I actually want to talk about them as two separate characters. 

Book 1-3 Snape… kind of sucks. Maybe he sucks in a way you find funny (which I completely get. A lot of comedy - especially British comedy - revolves around finding the humor in really *mean* people. Snape is *written* to be funny in a dry, acerbic, Roald Dahl kind of way.) But maybe Snape sucks in a way that’s not fun for you, he’s just upsetting and cruel. Either way, he’s petty, unfair, a bully, completely unreasonable, and doesn’t really appear to have any redeeming qualities. Snape protects Harry in Book 1 only because James Potter saved his life and, according to Dumbledore:  

“Professor Snape couldn’t bear being in your father’s debt. . . . I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father’s memory in peace. . . .” 

Later on, Snape’s motivation will become “Protect Harry because you couldn’t protect Lily.” But there’s no hint of that here.

I actually think it’s very likely that ‘Snape was in love with Lily’ is a plotline added during Book 4, because 1-3 Snape’s motivation is so completely focused on JAMES. He hates Harry because he looks like James, he hates James because (according to Lupin) he’s “jealous, I think, of James’s talent on the Quidditch field.” Within the context of the series it’s easy to say that Lupin is lying, and with good reason… but in the context of the first three books, I think that’s just meant to be true? Snape, as we know, is a stealth quidditch hooligan the way McGonagall is. Also… James’ characterization shifts around. He’s not a bully in the first three books, he’s Head Boy… and that Head Boy thing doesn’t quite gel with what we hear from Sirius later: 

“No one would have made me a prefect, I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge.”

(I know JKR plans things out in advance, but she absolutely does change things on the fly. Arthur Weasley not getting killed by Nagini is an easy example that we definitely know about. And come on - the entire last book is a Deathly Hallows fetch-quest. Was there really no way to slip in a reference to Beedle the Bard - or a super-powerful semi-mythical wand - anywhere in the first six books?) 

So, in books 1-3, there's no hint that Snape is a potion prodigy, particularly powerful, or even particularly clever. He wrote a logic puzzle and “knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts.” But that’s it. “Potion Master” isn’t an advanced rank, it’s just the posh British boarding school way of saying “teacher.” (Like headmaster = head teacher.) Early Snape is also a lot more *emotional* than he is later on, when his ability to “Master yourself!... control your anger, discipline your mind!” becomes extremely plot relevant. Like, can you picture 5-7 Snape (or Alan Rickman, who plays a distinctly later-books Snape) doing any of this? 

Snape was beside himself. “OUT WITH IT, POTTER!” he bellowed. “WHAT DID YOU DO?”  “Professor Snape!” shrieked Madam Pomfrey. “Control yourself!”  “See here, Snape, be reasonable,” said Fudge. “This door’s been locked, we just saw —”  “THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!” Snape howled, pointing at Harry and Hermione. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth.  “Calm down, man!” Fudge barked. “You’re talking nonsense!”  “YOU DON’T KNOW POTTER!” shrieked Snape. “HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT —”

In Movie 3, Snape gets a cool protective moment where he shoves the kids behind him during the werewolf attack. In Book 3, Snape is unconscious during the entire werewolf attack because Harry, Ron and Hermione simultaneously decide he’s too dangerous, and too much of a liability to keep around. Here are are some bangers from Book 3 Snape: 

- “Don’t ask me to fathom the way a werewolf’s mind works.”   - “KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!” Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. “DON’T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!” - “Up to the castle?... I don’t think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the dementors once we get out of the Willow. They’ll be very pleased to see you, Black . . . pleased enough to give you a little Kiss, I daresay. . . .”  - “I’ll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the dementors will have a Kiss for him too —”

If you sort of squint you can maybe say - okay, maybe this is a PTSD response. Like I’m writing a Snape POV fic right now, you can make it work. But it’s not work the books do for you, and it’s not the characterization choice they make in the films. 

BUT. Snape goes through a little bit of a revamp/retcon in Book 4. It’s totally deliberate - he’s Book 1-3 Snape at the beginning, then he basically vanishes from the narrative… the reader kind of forgets about him…  until it comes up during Karkaroff’s trial that Dumbledore ABSOLUTELY trusts him, even though he was a Death Eater. So now when Snape turns up at the climax - he’s a figure of intrigue, and it makes sense that he’s one of the two people Dumbledore brings with him to deal with Barty. Honestly, it’s a pretty cool magic trick. We buy it when - instead of hissing and spitting and hopping around like he does when he confronts Fudge at the end of Book 3 - Book 4 Snape deals with Fudge like this: 

Snape strode forward… pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled.  “There,” said Snape harshly. “There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. (...) This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff’s too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord’s vengeance.”

Calm, collected, focused. This is a character who you’re supposed to take seriously, a character who you are supposed to respect. 

I think it’s very interesting that after Book 4, we don’t see Snape *bully* the students during class again. He’s strict, and he’s a hard grader, and Harry still thinks he’s unfair, but like… the narrative framing is on his side now. 

“Tell me, Potter,” said Snape softly, “can you read?”  Draco Malfoy laughed.  “Yes, I can,” said Harry, his fingers clenched tightly around his wand.  “Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter.”  Harry squinted at the blackboard(… ) His heart sank. He had not added syrup of hellebore, but had proceeded straight to the fourth line of the instructions after allowing his potion to simmer for seven minutes.  “Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?” “No,” said Harry very quietly.  “I beg your pardon?” “No,” said Harry, more loudly. “I forgot the hellebore...”  “I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. Evanesco.” The contents of Harry’s potion vanished; he was left standing foolishly beside an empty cauldron. “Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing.” (...)  “That was really unfair,” said Hermione consolingly, sitting down next to Harry  (...) “Yeah, well,” said Harry, glowering at his plate, “since when has Snape ever been fair to me?”

Like he isn’t nice, but he also isn’t asking Harry questions he can’t possibly know the answers to, threatening to kill someone’s pet, or calling Hermione ugly. He didn’t even take away house points. And - during the next lesson, we are told that the approach Snape took with Harry actually worked?

Determined not to give Snape an excuse to fail him this lesson, Harry read and reread every line of the instructions on the blackboard at least three times before acting on them. His Strengthening Solution was not precisely the clear turquoise shade of Hermione’s but it was at least blue rather than pink, like Neville’s, and he delivered a flask of it to Snape’s desk at the end of the lesson with a feeling of mingled defiance and relief. 

I want to do one more close read, on a excerpt from Book 5: 

Harry realized how much Professor McGonagall cared about beating Slytherin when she abstained from giving them homework in the week leading up to the match. (...)  Nobody could quite believe their ears until she looked directly at Harry and Ron and said grimly, “I’ve become accustomed to seeing the Quidditch Cup in my study, boys, and I really don’t want to have to hand it over to Professor Snape, so use the extra time to practice, won’t you?” Snape was no less obviously partisan: He had booked the Quidditch pitch for Slytherin practice so often that the Gryffindors had difficulty getting on it to play. He was also turning a deaf ear to the many reports of Slytherin attempts to hex Gryffindor players in the corridors. When Alicia Spinnet turned up in the hospital wing with her eyebrows growing so thick and fast that they obscured her vision and obstructed her mouth, Snape insisted that she must have attempted a Hair-Thickening Charm on herself and refused to listen to the fourteen eyewitnesses who insisted that they had seen the Slytherin Keeper, Miles Bletchley, hit her from behind with a jinx.

This has a very similar structure to the sequence when Snape refuses to punish Draco for enlarging Hermione’s teeth. Slytherins and Gryffindors having an altercation, Gryffindor girl gets caught in the crossfire. BUT a few key things have been changed. One - the section is told in second-hand narration, which makes it less emotional than the teeth-scene. Two - the section begins with comparing Snape to McGonagall: she’s being biased/helping out her students too, so it’s only fair if he does it as well. Three - his insult isn’t “Your face has always looked like that,” it’s “You must have messed up a spell,” which is a lot less personal, and a lot less mean. (If anything, Snape is subtly insulting her for casting a cosmetic charm/being too girly… and being a girly-girl is an inherently suspect characteristic in JKR’s world.) Everything about this passage is set up to create a “Snape the Bully” moment… that kind of excuses Snape. 

So, what do we have? There are the people that think Book 1-3 Snape just went too far, and you can soften the narrative framing around him, and you can add in as many tragic backstories as you want, and it doesn’t really matter. THAT is definitely not what JKR wants you to think. She wants to bring you along for the ride, and (as you can tell from the framing) she's started to like Snape a lot.

HOWEVER. I do not think that the fan who likes 5-7 Alan Rickman Snape is… quite seeing the same thing she is. I get the sense that in the text, Snape’s tragic backstory is not meant to *explain* his bad behavior so much as it is meant to *excuse* it. He stays mean and bad-tempered… but he’s allowed to be, both because he is always acting in service to a Good Cause, and because he was abused at home, bullied at school, etc. A big part of why I think JKR likes writing Snape so much (and why she’s so protective of him) is because she finds something cathartic in letting a character be nasty… but for it to be allowed because they’ve suffered, and also because they're in the right. Sadly I think this describes a lot of her current online interactions. 

JKR also loves the idea of *pining.* (It is crazy how long the main characters’ pining/longing/will-they-won’t-they thing in the Cormoran Strike books has lasted.) It’s a very safe kind of romance, and (again, sadly) you can tell from her writing that romance is not generally something that feels safe to her. Snape is sometimes characterized by those who dislike the character as an incel-type who wants to possess Lily, and I just don’t think that’s in the text. If anything it’s the other way around. Snape has some unconsummated, medieval courtly love thing going on, where he has decided to live his life in Lily’s service. 

I wrote about why I think Draco Malfoy (unintentionally) appeals to fans. With Snape…  I actually think a lot of his current (unintentional) appeal comes from the way a softer Snape reframes the narrative into something more complex, and especially the way it reframes Dumbledore. Manipulative/Morally Grey Dumbledore is a *very* popular fan interpretation, and the way you get that is with a sympathetic Severus Snape. 

“You disgust me,” said Dumbledore, and Harry had never heard so much contempt in his voice. Snape seemed to shrink a little. (...)  “Hide them all, then,” he croaked. “Keep her — them — safe. Please.”  “And what will you give me in return, Severus?”  “In — in return?” Snape gaped at Dumbledore, and Harry expected him to protest, but after a long moment he said, “Anything.”

The implications here are really far reaching. Because to me, the main question when it comes to Snape is - why does he STAY at Hogwarts? He clearly hates it, why doesn’t he just leave? If you’re talking about 1-3 Snape, it's because he’s eternally holding out for the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, and he’s just kind of a twisted miserable guy who would probably be equally miserable everywhere. 

But books 5-7 add the context that he’s brilliant, he’s brave, he’s principled, he’s got a sense of humor. He seems close with the Malfoys. He has *options.* So now the (unintended?) implication is… he doesn’t leave because Dumbledore won’t let him. The fact that he keeps applying for the DADA job becomes dark and borderline suicidal when we learn it’s cursed, and that Snape knows it’s cursed. If he takes it, he’ll leave (or die) at the end of the year. That means, every year, he’s tacitly asking Dumbledore “Can I leave?” And Dumbledore is answering “No.” 

That’s such an interesting, juicy character dynamic. Snape is being kept miserable on purpose because… he’s easier to control that way? And if that’s true… then oh boy is it sinister that Dumbledore left Harry with the Dursleys. He knew he was raising Harry “like a pig for slaughter” (as Snape puts it.) And if Harry doesn’t have a support system, if he’s miserable, if Dumbledore can swoop in as his savior… then doesn’t that make him so much easier to control? 

[starlightshore]

So thematically a similar witchy hat would be best (you can’t go back no matter how hard you try or how close you think you can get) but I also just really like the newsies cap loop look

so for context: this is Loop IF Winning Hats has a happy ending. I am NOT disclosing how the story will end! But yeah this would be "Winifrid" Loop. Tho, honetly, this is a tad TOO detailed but despite that I like how it turned out. Oddly feels nicely balanced tho?

But yea the big idea is that Winnie is building a new identity out their old one, mix-matching north islander aesthetics with Vangaurd's more visual-orientated styles. This ends up in a more "witchy" vibe than "wizard"

In the fic Loop prefers feel and style over practical and/or form fitting.

that said! this is the end-goal. This is 100k + storyline result. In the meantime Loop is going to try out more Vangaurd clothes because, well, that's what's available.

i like to imagine Loop is going to be collecting their own lil pile of "mine," hoarding it like crazy

(Loop's outfit transcription will be below a read more, since its so text heavy.)

long hair result of body craft (after self butchering it on accident)

cloak now open, has new trim b/c it got so roughed up

post story okay w/ showing star-heart

forever wink eyepatch

joined the Funny Noises Appreciation Crew

Fingerless gloves to experience touch (no longer chews on nails)

shirt (unintentionally on their part) mimicks starform\

flowy sleeves and skirt are for fun!

new boots! own new things!

slowly gaining weight!

[mirensiart]

You get me on how feral I am about the Lu boys being brothers and like, I think we as a fandom are passing up a major opportunity between Wind and Legend and them both knowing the wind fish. Like, Winds so happy to see Captain Link and Mask again but him and Legend probably both wondered if this quest is all secretly just a dream in the mind of a god or something. One of ‘em would probably cry about it eventually, and the other,,, would probably also cry. Or, Wars keeps a closer eye on Wind if he starts acting a little weird because he kinda knows and is worried Wind might think this is all a dream, and if something happens he breaks and says so, and Legend just,,, Can Relate To That.

I do like the legend+wind duo a lot, it's so funny cause they have such a "I would sell my brother for one corn chip but I would also destroy anyone who dares hurt him" kinda vibe, what with the funny beef they've got going on in the main LU comic lmao

But both of them vibing with seagulls and being seagull enjoyers, legend being the only other hero with sailing experience and their shared experience with the Wind Fish is just *chef's kiss*

I like the idea that legend only opens up to wind about koholint, and they make a system to reassure the other they're not in a dream, kinda like the movie Inception

Also wind showing legend hyoi pears so he can see through the eyes of a seagull 👀 and bonding over it

Anyway, yes.

I really like those two supporting each other but also being bros and teasing/bullying the other lol

[kcdarchives]

my kcd2 experience

in the following post, i am going to describe my kcd2 experience and how it bred brainworms that have drilled into my grey matter and turned it into ye olde swiss cheese

i think one of the big reasons why i latched so hard onto kcd2 (and hansry) is: i actually went into kcd2 almost completely blind. the main reason i started playing was i read in a news article that there was a gay relationship in the game and i was like "oh! fun! i'm in the mood to play a new rpg anyways!" i had no idea who it was you could romance, or what form it would take. after the opening scenes, i was of course squinting VERY hard at hans. but after the stocks, he fell to the wayside for me as a player. i made henry as reasonable and conciliatory as possible and he still left? for me, as a player who hadn't played the 1st game, i shrugged and said "ok then! fine!" they let me loose and the world was my rpg oyster! i spent over 30 hours wandering around the map, doing side quests and having a generally wonderful time because the game is, above all else, a very well-made game with a ton of attention to detail, fun NPCs, and systems that i still hadn't fully learned even after a few dozens of hours in the game. as i finally attended the semine wedding, i FINALLY ran into hans again (i hadn't found him prior to this) and was reminded "oh! henry's buddy! he's here!" i went from having a funny silly carefree time at the wedding to the plot escalating so suddenly and severely. henry and hans finally reconcile. as a player, i've forgiven hans. his apology was really genuine and heartfelt and i could tell he was also probably a little lonely without the only other survivor from their company. after over 30 hours in the game, i'm VERY attached to henry, and this i am attached to hans, who he so clearly is also attached to. i can celebrate henry finally having a companion again only to have hans wrested away from henry in one of the most distressing ways possible. for whom the bell tolls was an amazingly stressful quest, and definitely one of my favorite main story segments i have played in a video game in recent memory. after this, when the first romantic dialogue option with hans appeared, i was honestly a little stunned. i felt so vindicated with my initial eye-squinting during the opening part of the game, but also, at this point i understood just how much hans was a part of the game's main plot. i was like "oh...this is a romance with...someone actually really relevant and showing up a lot!" when the second romantic dialogue option eventually showed up, that's when i really realized that their romance was going to be tied to progress in the main plot and thus i spiraled into taking several days off of work just to make progress. i was so happy whenever hans showed up and henry got to interact with him. romance aside, their friendship is well-written and it was difficult for me to forget that, besides godwin, hans is the only other person henry really knew before kcd2 that he has with him over the course of the game. so much of the main story is directly related to hans, and the consequences of both henry and hans' actions. i was constantly amazed, thinking "wow, hans is REALLY relevant to the plot! i love to see him involved!" after over a hundred hours in the game, i finally reached the culmination of their romance. and i was paralyzed. as soon as they started talking, i started yelling. i couldn't believe this was happening. it was SO romantic, so emotional, and felt like such a natural progression of their relationship over the course of the story. as soon as the "kiss him" option showed up, I stood up and had to take a minute to collect myself because i couldn't believe it was really happening. and when i finally pressed it.

the screen faded to black.

I was confused. the screen faded back in to a shot of the fireplace. i immediately started cackling uncontrollably. i had a mental breakdown. i thought "oh! they're not gonna show the kiss! that's so incredibly funny! that's so funny i'm going to die." then the shot transitioned back to them sitting on the bed. i had assumed "ah ok, they kissed offscreen. this is what i get after playing through the game for over 100 hours trying to nurture their romance. this is what all of the anti-woke gamer warriors were getting up into arms for. this is so funny. this is so monumentally hilarious." and i could not stop cackling until - wait - henry puts his hand over hans. so sweet! i gasped. perhaps now they will actually kiss? was i wrong? but then he gets up. and i'm once again given whiplash, assuming the scene is over and now he's leaving. do i have to play even further into the story? do they make progress after he comes back from his mission? only for hans to pull henry back to him and my "i sink hundreds of hours into RPGs to eat the little gay romantic breadcrumbs they leave me in relatively unimportant side conversations" brain BROKE.

every single movement elicited a scream from me. i almost couldn't understand what was happening. henry pulls away, he looks like he's going to leave. he's going to leave and they'll resolve this when he comes back? but then he LOCKS THE DOOR!!! HE LOCKS THE DOOR!!! he power walks across the room and I CANNOT STOP SCREAMING. i have to pause the game every 5 seconds so i don't have an aneurysm. the passion!!! i hadn't imagined such passion in all of my years of gaming!!! yes, the fire in the hearth was burning, but not nearly as hot as the flames of their relationship!!!!

the screen faded to black once again after they made it to the bed, and i thought "ok...it's over...i can breathe again...my god...that was crazy...that was so much more intense than i was expecting for a 'kiss him' dialogue option" only for it to fade back in to THEIR NUDE BODIES EMBRACING?? I PLAYED THIS GAME EXPECTING MAYBE A KISS OR TWO???? I was pounding my fists into my beanbag, screaming and yelling, what was HAPPENING ON MY TV SCREEN RIGHT NOW??? then the screen panned over to the shot of the two crossed swords in the foreground and I tell you, I let out the loudest, ugliest, most delighted cackle i have ever made in my life. whoever came up with that shot is so DIABOLICAL. warhorse may actually be the funniest game studio i have ever seen in my life. thank you warhorse for my life. i was exhausted by the biggest emotional rollercoaster a video game romance had ever put me through, but also simultaneously re-invigorated by, i think, perhaps the best video game romance cutscene i have ever had the pleasure of playing through in all my 20+ years of romancing fictional characters.

i ended up staying up all night finishing up the rest of the main story, and then i spent the next couple of days trying to just. absorb everything that happened and process my experience. i know its very early to make this kind of declaration but kcd2 might literally be my favorite game of 2025, and it was SO unexpected for me as something that i just arbitrarily picked up because i was just looking for a new game to play. I was seriously expecting just a kiss at the most, some not particularly important dialogue options that develop a small romantic relationship with a few conversations. maybe a fade-to-black, not much else. the kind of stuff i've grown used to in the games i've played. i think going in with no expectations made its iron-fisted grip on me that much stronger because when it delivered, it did it by crashing the airplane that is hansry into the twin towers of my heart and brain. both the main story and the gameplay just made everything feel so RIGHT and had me so emotionally invested in them, i felt like I was going insane.

for those of you who haven't actually played kcd2 for yourselves, please do try playing for yourself if you have the ability to, or at least watch a playthrough. experiencing how their relationship slowly develops over the course of the game makes the conclusion of it that much more satisfying (i still have to watch/play the 1st game, which i do intend on doing). but also the side quests are so fun and interesting!!! and the other characters are SO charming and likeable.

i am #1 janosh fan!!!

anyways my big rant is over, i feel much better now ahaha

[ckret2]

i am FASCINATED by the little scraps i've heard about bill's uncle. am i allowed to know more about him. and if the answer is no do you have a chapter estimate for when i am

yeah sure, I already made a post on Bill's mom, I've finally got enough material to make a post on Bill's dad.

Bill got his gorgeous eyelashes, warm color scheme, black limbs, and personality from his mom. He got his shape, his brick lines, and his slitted pupil from his dad. His dad's a self-made businessman*! (*His dad got suckered into joining a multi-level marketing scheme and now he makes money by suckering other people into joining the MLM scheme.)

And: his dad has a brother. They're twiiins!

Bill keeps targeting twins. (The Stans, the kids, TBOB says Pyronica's got a twin sister Hydronica...) I imagine Bill's twin obsession is rooted in something close to home.

Because Euclid & Euler's eye split in half mid-development, they have unusually oval-shaped eyes—a common sign of twins. They've been going to an optometrist since they were toddlers to deal with poor eyesight and floaters in their peripheral vision. They've had a mix of surgery, corrective lenses, and medication to narrow their field of view to the area they can see clearly. So when baby Billy said he was seeing "bright white dots" on "the outside of everything," Euclid went aha! He knows exactly what Bill's seeing!

He did not, in fact, know what Bill was seeing.

Bill's parents didn't regularly visit family, but Euler was the one relative they saw most often. He was the first person to snap out of the "haha it sure is funny how Bill can guess when somebody's about to knock on the door" rationalizations to realize that Bill really could see things no one else did.

And since Bill's parents are sort of disasters who think starting a cult is a great get-rich-quick scheme, Euler was one of the most emotionally stable role models in Bill's life. It sure is a good thing that Euler was a constant presence and nothing happened to him during Bill's tender formative years!

"But wait," you say, "you told us that Bill got his shape and slit pupil from his dad. But wouldn't that mean he got genes for a square? And how could he have gotten a slit pupil if that wasn't a genetic trait, but a consequence of an eyeball splitting in half?"

Triangles and slit pupils don't run in Euclid's side of the family. But squares and twins do.

I imagine Bill's twin obsession is rooted in something close to home.

"So Steve exists in your headcanon—?" No. He's a stillbirth his parents pretend doesn't exist. He's a crime Bill committed before he was born. He's the imaginary phantom Bill's parents are searching for when they look at Bill—starting fires, hallucinating, spitting up his medicine—and wonder what he'd be like if he was different. He's a symbol representing a source of unconditional love and support that Bill deserved and needed, but never had. Steve's all those things—but he doesn't and never has existed.

And there at last is my Euclid headcanons post. If y'all are interested & didn't see it, here's my Scalene headcanons post! And some headcanons about shape twins that still basically work post-TBOB, we just know now that Euclideans don't need a line and a polygon to reproduce.

(95% of my headcanons about Bill's dad & uncle are pre-TBOB. The only difference is that I originally designed Euclid & Euler as green trapezoids that had split from a hexagon. Trapezoids so that Bill and his dad could do this, green so that Bill's dad could be the original color Bill was designed as before the Gravity Falls crew made him yellow & so that his family could be money-colored: gold-colored Bill & mom, dollar-bill-colored dad.)

(After TBOB/TINAWDC revealed his dad's a triangle and either red or blue, I decided to make the twins blue-green (because I wanted to keep in that "bill's original color scheme" reference) and finagle it so that Euler could still be a trapezoid; after Pyramid Steve came out, I suddenly had a really good thematic reason to make them blue-green. I'd been playing with the idea of making Bill a shoulda-beena twin, Steve finalized that decision by giving me a physical design that could tie into Bill's extended family.)

[ecargmura]

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 31 Review - Escape Room

This is certainly an episode that requires a lot of thought, whether it be about Jinshi’s lineage or about the contents of this episode. It really sets the tone for what’s to come for Jinshi. As I am an anime-only watcher for now, my theories may or may not be correct.

With the nightmare Jinshi had, I’m assuming that he knows his entire life is a facade. I think he is aware that he is Ah Duo’s son given their extremely strong resemblance and he did describe the current Emperor as “The man I thought was my father but was actually my brother”, meaning that he knows the current Emperor is his father, but has to play the role of his brother. Earlier in the first season, Maomao, and the viewers, learned about how the actual second prince died due to Fengming feeding him honey and how Jinshi had to take his place. Though, there is something that is puzzling me a bit. Weren’t the second prince and Jinshi born around the same time? So, why is Jinshi, who’s actually 19 years old, posing as the 23-year-old prince? Shouldn’t the Second Prince be 19 years old too? Did the Prince die when he was four?

It seems that he wasn’t aware of the other members of his family, given that he didn’t know that the old man who had approached him as a kid was his “father”, and the previous Emperor who is a pedophile and the old woman was his grandmother. All I can say is that Jinshi’s family lineage is really confusing and it’s crazy how Fengming’s one mistake spiraled this entire convolution.

Basically, the current Emperor and Jinshi share the same blood, so the escape room sort of thing was sort of a test to see if Jinshi is worthy of the throne, but it doesn’t seem as if he’s interested in being Emperor. I think the whole colorblind thing was creative and that it belongs to those of the royal family. I wonder if the whole test thing is to see if someone has the intelligence to figure it out even if they aren’t colorblind because it seems that trait has been diluted out of the bloodline. Since the Emperor and Jinshi aren’t colorblind, it befalls to someone who has to be knowledgable to figure it out.

That’s where Maomao comes in. The old teacher was basically provoking her to solve the mystery, so she did just that. I also think that this whole thing is to show that Jinshi has a fine prospect by his side, even if he isn’t willing to take the throne. Heck, the whole ordeal just seems like the Emperor wanted the Jinmao ship to progress. Maomao’s intelligence is the key point of this episode as she also figures out Jinshi’s lineage, but chose not to speak about it—correct me if Im wrong. Though, there is another thing I’m curious about: how come the Emperor knows about Maomao being Lakan’s daughter? Does word spread that fast?

Speaking of the Emperor, it’s crazy how we’re thirty-one episodes in and this is when he gets some spotlight. He’s surprisingly a chill man. It’s funny how he had thought about Maomao becoming one of his consorts, but it wasn’t mean to be taken seriously as he has a type in well-endowed women and Maomao does NOT fit that—he even said that aloud. Given that the royal family has colorblindness but he doesn’t, I wonder if such a trait will ever return in one of his kids?

Overall, Jinshi’s lineage is super complicated and I don’t want to think too much about it now that I’ve theorized and discussed about it. I do wonder what Jinshi is going to do. Will he get together with Maomao in the future? Is he even allowed to do so? Let me know your thoughts about this episode and feel free to answer any questions I have.

[storkmuffin]

The Magic of San (4/n)

Marilyn Monroe Sidebar Part 2 /4

Basically I just want to talk about Marilyn Monroe and San at the same time for no very good reason.

"Dumb", Guilelessness, Softness, Sweetness. San reminds me of Marilyn Monroe, of all people, because they both manage to combine things that you wouldn't think would normally go very well together - being brilliant performers, very funny and witty, competent at surviving and thriving in a cut-throat artistic and commercial environment, and yet still very appearing very approachable, touchable, vulnerable, and real. You could argue that the word DUMB might apply - and often is applied - to both: Marilyn is the 'dumb' blonde, San is often the 'dumb' jock or the 'naive' country boy, especially in comparison to the fast talking, huckster style swagger of his actual best friend cum frequent dance and acting partner, Wooyoung.

And this is where San being a boy gives him a major advantage over Marilyn Monroe. What would immediately be called stupidity in a woman is just guilesness, and openness, in a man. Even cuteness, which is very amusing given how mascular he is.

San is given to malapropisms in Korean and also apparently in English, that KQ has just adapted as part of his persona. He calls beam projectors 'holograms.' He's learning English as he goes (and honestly, Korean and English are the hardest languages for natives speakers of either to learn, without there being a full on immersion experience, so anyone doing this, KUDOS, so he made a transliteration error (Ateez of San - which is just plugging in English words into a Korean word order: 에이티즈의 산입니다).

He's such a country boy that even after 2 years of training to be a kpop idol and then several years as a globe trotting international pop star who lives in Seoul, he doesn't know boundaries of what's actually considered 강남, as seen in Wanteez Episode 28. It's confusing, potentially, because there's an actual subway stop caled 강남역 (Gangnam Station) which isn't fully in 강남구 (Gangnam district) - it straddles 서초구 and 강남구 - and then we call a really specific part of the city that is the eastern portion of the area south of the Han River 강남 to denote the 'fancy' and 'moneyed' part. (Once you're in the 강남 discussion it further subdivides into specific districts, which has their own 'strengths' - luxury shopping is in 청담, the fanciest education happens in 도곡 etc).

It does say something about Idol life too, by the way, that this guy from Namhae has one of the most 강남 type jobs (Kpop Idol) but doesn't know exactly what area 강남 actually covers.

Moreover, the guilelessness, the slight 'not sharp'ness that both San and Marilyn Monroe give off is combind with a sense of vulnerability. I want to protect them, somehow, which is not actually factually necessary.

Marilyn was actually a very tough woman - she survived trauma after disappointment after betrayal to get to where she got in her career, any one of which would have made me collapse in on myself. San is someone who can sing and dance fluidly in front of 50,000 people at a time, which - even the thought of standing in front of a crowd like that makes me want to go to the bathroom really really badly.

Nevertheless, everyone who loves Marilyn Monroe wants to go back in time to save her, and protect her. She needed that protection too, and never got it.

The thing that I find very reassuring about San's life as portrayed in KQ media material is that he has been given the sort of childhood that Marilyn would've longed for. He was absolutely adored by his parents, from the sounds of it. He was one of several KQ boys who said to his mother, "I am so glad I had you as my parents. I would want to have you as my parents again." His mother said to San, "I had such a wonderful time raising you. It was an entirely joyful experience." Norma Jean Baker would've given anything to either have that childhood herself or be able to provide it to someone else. San's mother also seems to have been an ideal sort of not-stage-mom: Enthused about her child's potential, very supportive about his dreams, but not living vicariously through him or hijacking his life to fulfill some gap in hers.

The nurse tending to Marilyn during a very traumatic intake at a mental institution where she'd been forcibly committed - her ultimate nightmare - said of her that while the nurse had expected a spoiled, slick Hollywood character, what she encountered was an exceptionally sweet, gentle-mannered and frightened woman, whom the nurse at this mental institution in the 50s (!) wanted to protect. Workmen who were doing roadwork outside of Marilyn's house one time told a biographer this story about how she loved to come out and hang out with them. They treated her like a kid sister, and she'd come and talk and bring them drinks and just be a darling, being nice.

San's behavior during the 'reality' content that Ateez makes has this same, sweet, gentle mannered, and considerateness that I very much want to believe is real. Like this time on the promotional content for Bouncy, San had the penalty for going to help some older ladies prep peppers. The content was OVER. The staff told him it was OVER but he insists that Ateez, the pop boy band, have to finish this farm country chore of prepping the peppers for drying.

San was the only one of the Ateez boys who knew how to talk to old country women. He was so at ease with them and with himself, and made fun conversation. The other Ateez members did give me a bit of an unwelcome insight into what Korean stiffness looks like when we get like that - more afraid of being wrong than considering what the other person may experience as coldness or stiffness, and as a consequence coming off as both rude and awkward. San has said he watched his grandparents be happily married and good friends to each oher, and how that affected his view on family. He knew to ask these old ladies, What are you working on? He asked them if they'd eaten and so on. When Jongho began to sing in his "I'm a Virtuouso Actually" way, San was the one that provided call-and-response back up so he wouldn't be singing into an uncomfortable silence. San is a LOVELY person.

And yet, for all that? After all of that? None of the old biddies chose him as her favorite! Oof! Poor showing, old ladies! And yet even this didn't phase him. He just was sad about it aloud, and then got over it.

The final kicker though, the thing that sealed my love for him forever, was that after the old ladies left because they had done their bit, filming was supposed to wrap. But San sat himself back down and despite the staff telling him, You're finished for the day, he said, But weren't they actually working on the peppers? We're just going to leave it for them? They can't do all this by themselves! We have to help. And because he was so adamant, all these other Ateez boys, who I would hazard would never actually do this work of pepper prep at home or anywhere, all sat down next to him and finished the work for the old ladies. Because San said so.

[glamorous-egoist]

Whitaker, please he’s just the best.

More under the cut for Ep. 9

Mr. Silent Heart Attack, honestly the only words out of my mouth was asshole, what a fucking dick. My girl Dana?!?! Are you serious? I hope that’s the last we’ve seen of him, but I doubt it. Dana is the best, the end.

Whitaker catching the rat and killing it? You go farm boy! I was dying of laughter because they were all amused by it, also the nurse flirting with him? Give my boy a win! A girl and clean scrubs he is on top of the world. Seriously though, I do like that he cares enough about the kraken and is willing to go out into the field. He’s probably one of my favorites with Mel, just both really well written. I hope next season we get to see that outreach team with McKay!

Speaking of McKay, she had a rough hour. Trying to get a human trafficking girl help she didn’t want, though the pen with the hotline was so smart! Then the UTI that wasn’t a UTI coming back in, I felt for her, especially with the bias mention from Collins. Which is another thing that happens, bias with heavy set people, I really like that this show is addressing that along with the POC struggle.

Also Robby tweaking his back? Ok old man (I love this old man very much, so very much affectionate). It’s either a tweaked back or a urine infection, that man has not known a moment of peace today. Two things 1) I had to go back and listen to what he said to Langdon after he walked in on him reaming Santos out because of how he appeared behind the curtain it was giving “hello there” and 2) trying to distract Collins with the rat, again a glimpse of Dr. Carter (the lawsuit wants to know my location). Also the Robby school of compartmentalizing emotions was in session briefly, sir I know why you have been having issues getting over Adamson’s death…

He was right to ream out Langdon, he’s been riding Santos hard, but also two sides to every story, I mean Santos has been out of control all day. I get it but she also keeps doing things to set people off. It’s just not kosher. Though figuring out what the MDMA patient needed was a great save, but not taking credit and how she spoke to Mohan after was odd. Also I think the drug thing with Langdon is a red herring, I just get this suspicion it’s Abbott I don’t know why… we shall see. Enough about Santos, I don’t want her redeemed, we need a bad guy of sorts.

Collins, I feel for her, I really do this is so rough. Dana and her have such a sweet relationship. Collins cares a lot which I love, just despite everything she’s still going above and beyond for her patients. Speaking of relationships, are we ever going to get what in the ever loving fuck happened between her and Robby, that banter was flirtatious as hell excuse me y’all.

Mel! First off the excitement about getting to pick gravel out of the man? Please my girl was so happy, I love it! Also her and Langdon, he’s a really good mentor to her and I love that, but also I am suspecting he may have a special needs son, because he just knows what to do. I just really really love her character and their friendship. Also not Langdon calling her his least problematic trainee, please you dork. I like the guy and his dog, not going to lie gave me a good laugh.

Speaking of Langdon, mask on or off during surgery, sent me reeling, like get her! That whole debacle in chairs was funny, I know it wasn’t supposed to be, but between poor Earl on the floor and Dana absolutely taking a shot at Philly, just great. The tooth thing freaked me out, but I’m also squeamish about teeth, this show gets too graphic sometimes.

We’re starting to see the first glimpses of issues at Pitt Fest and the cops for her incel shooter. We know it’s hinting towards mass causality for the season finale just from where is the question.

Honorable mentions this week? Javadi and Mateo girl we have all been there, Mateo not knowing how Erik Estrada is and of course Earl with his rom com quip.

I’ll miss episode 10 live, I’m traveling, but I’ll try to catch up Sunday when I get back!

See you next week!

[pascalitobarnes]

pregnancy wish - javier peña

Summary: A cozy little adventure when going to the kitchen to devour an ice cream in the middle of the night and Javier being extremely patient.

Tw: None, just a couple being cute.

Word count: 3,074k

Author's notes: This is the first narrative I post in English, it's not my native language so please forgive me for any mistakes. I hope you like it.

Life in Laredo is peaceful but terribly hot all the time, being pregnant seems to have only increased my sensitivity to such conditions.

So today is another one of those early mornings when I feel uncomfortable and don't even want to think about when I have a big belly.

Javier, my husband, is in the third level of sleep, sleeping deeply, on his back, his torso bare, one arm resting on his belly while the other was above his head. Even sleeping he was exaggeratedly spacious.

I sit up in bed trying not to wake him, I stretch my arms lazily before standing up, it's two thirty in the morning but my mind only asks for one thing: ice cream with hazelnut cream.

I leave the room, walk down the short hallway, go down the stairs and go straight to the kitchen, crossing the living room, guided by the light coming from the windows, the night lights from the street and the moonlight.

I'm wearing an exaggeratedly short and low-cut outfit but it makes me very comfortable to sleep in.

I take the vanilla ice cream with cookie pieces from the fridge and then the hazelnut cream. I take a spoon from the drawer, all this with the night lighting that reflects the large kitchen window giving me a view.

I sit on the marble counter of the island, opening both containers and mixing the ice cream with the cream. The first spoonful that I take in my mouth practically makes me moan with satisfaction.

My mind is in pure pleasure, worried about nothing else but the sensations, my legs dangling absentmindedly in the air.

I don't know how long I stay there, until I see that the light in the space that connects the living room with the kitchen has been turned on and soon Javier's figure appears, entering the same place I am.

"What are you doing?" He asks me, I think he's still sleepy.

"Ice cream," I answer.

"Cariño, what did the doctor say about…" he begins to say as he approaches my body, standing between my legs, his strong arms surrounding me as they lean on the counter. He was interrupted because I ran the spoon full of ice cream over his cheek. I laugh at the expression of shock when I feel the cold temperature on his skin.

“Funny” he comments sarcastically.

To complement my action, I grab his hand before he can wipe his face with it and I lick where I shamelessly spread the ice cream.

“You ate almost all the ice cream,” he says when he notices the pot.

“It’s really good, I’m really hot, I couldn’t sleep,” I justify.

“Hot, is it?” He says provocatively.

I put the pot aside along with the spoon and now put my hands on the broad neck of the man in front of me. His hands are on my hips, I bring my face closer to his, the tip of my nose brushing against his. Our eyes fixed on each other.

“I love you,” I say practically in a whisper, as if it were a secret only ours.

“I love you too,” he says in the same tone.

With that, I press my lips against his in a loving kiss and Javier simply responds.

It doesn't take long for my lips to warm up, as does my tongue.

[multiheadcanons]

THE MERCS WATCHING ME DO MY JOB BECAUSE IM SICK OF WATCHING THEM DO THEIRS

scout: what if i throat chopped him instead. he will want to talk and i can’t work and talk at the same time… at all. he’d be asking veterinary questions and i’d have to be like bro… i’m not that guy. you may think i’m that guy but i’m not that guy. i’m not that guy at all bro. his puny brain cannot comprehend how i take a dirty nasty dog and turn it into a beautiful, clean, fresh smelling dog. like the process baffles him after the scrubbing part of the bath. but he enjoys watching it.

soldier: he will try to help and i will have to politely tell him to sit his ass down and watch. might have him lift the big dogs on my table. also marginally baffled at how i manage to do my job. finds it funny when i have to climb into the tub. he asks questions i should feasibly know, but i just can’t talk and work at the same time. if he has questions he should wait until after i’m off. he’d be fun to bitch to off the clock.

pyro: they will watch politely, and occasionally ask to pet a dog, and then i’d have to tell them i’m not insured for anyone else except me touching the dog. i might let them pet the ones i know are very nice and friendly. but not for long, since i do still have to do my job. but they’d be a very nice spectator, and i’d let them pick bandanas and bows if they so wished to. every animal that steps off my table looks nice to them, and sometimes i will have to cringe and accept the uneducated compliment.

demo: asleep in the kennel. joking! kinda. but in all seriousness he’s genuinely interested in my work! he recognizes the necessity of it, and applauds my efforts to do my best. finds it somewhat humorous this is my occupation; though the more he thinks about it, he finds that he couldn’t imagine me doing anything else, really. happy i made something of myself.

heavy: a quiet watcher. will not give an opinion unless i ask for it, which is incredibly welcomed. very much a rubber duck type. he won’t talk while i’m working, and if anything will tell me to quit talking and work, that i do better work when i’m quiet, and he is very right about that, so i will oblige. but as we both look at the dog, he might point out something i don’t see, especially if it’s a larger dog and he knows i’m losing steam from staring at the dog for so long. best for last minute catches and fixes.

engineer: appalled and frightened by the state of my clippers. work will stop so he can fix them. and the entire time i am getting an earful about the importance of maintaining my tools. while i get it, if the guy only comes on fridays, and i gotta call… i just ain’t got the brain for it sometimes engie, im sorry. he does still realize the quality of my work, he just knows it’ll be easier with a new blade drive. and he’s certainly not wrong.

medic: the doc doesn’t want to see me do a good job on a nice dog where it’s sunshine and rainbows and happiness and love and joy and i can make the dog look great. call him when i’m suffering. he’ll be there when i’m sitting with the dog on my table and my head in my hands. he wants to see the work come to a complete stop. he wants to see the ones that wreck my time management for the day. he wants to see the crisis cases. he wants watch me cry so he can laugh about it. tell me this is the job. shape up and finish it.

sniper: every dog looks great. once i pull out the thinners he’s impressed. but it is only occasionally when he is interested in details. will normally watch in silence. polite enough to wait for me to be off work to ask his questions. and if i can answer them, i will! he finds it to be an odd, niche job. but he doesn’t think it in a negative way, he himself has an odd, niche job. just interesting to see how odd and niche it can get on both ends.

spy: finally, a man with some strong opinions. spy will be critical and i will welcome it, no question. he’s so picky that when i parse through his comments on my technique i find that he’s actually saying things i can use. or at least things i should consider. he’s a good stand in for a client, staring over my shoulder, parsing through my notes, especially if i got to interact with the client beforehand. i get good results with him.

[lesmiix]

HELLO, a bit of a strange request but could I have a Hyung-juu x male reader who, when she realizes that he likes her, feels bad for not being woman enough? Ilv =3

ONE SHOT: Pretty girl.

Hyun-ju x g/n reader

Summary: You and Hyun-ju are very close friends. And when you started to fall in love with her, she started to feel bad, thinking that you deserve "a real woman".

Warnings: g/n: gender neutral reader, just fluff.

a/n: I preferred to write it with a g/n reader because I don't feel really comfortable writing with a male reader in particular, it doesn't make a big difference though, hope you don't mind🫶💗

Enjoy!!

💗 HYUN-JU REQUESTS ARE OPEN 💗

It was a warm spring evening, when you and Hyun-ju were sitting on a park bench. You’d been friends for years, inseparable since the day you met. She was your confidante, your partner in crime, the person who made you laugh when the world felt heavy. But lately, you have been thinking about something, something you couldn’t ignore.

You glanced at her, her dark hair catching the sunlight, her eyes focused on the distant playground where children laughed and played. She looked beautiful, but there was a slight sadness in her expression that wasn't there before. It had started a few weeks ago, around the same time you realized your feelings for her had deepened into something more. You’d tried to push it down, to keep things as they were, but your heart had other plans.

She was so good for you, she treated you like a treasure, she always took good care of you and worried about you. Honestly, that melted your heart.

“Hey” you said softly, breaking the silence. “You’ve been quiet today. Is everything okay?”

She hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the ring you gifted her.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, but her voice lacked its usual warmth. She turned to you, her lips curving into a small, forced smile. “Just thinking.”

"About what?”" you asked, your chest tightening with concern.

She sighed, her gaze dropping to her hands. "About… you. About us."

Your heart skipped a beat. “What about us?”

She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself.

"Y/n, it's so obvious that you like me, and... I've just been thinking about it. You're amazing. You’re kind, and funny, and so full of life. But you don't deserve someone like me."

"What do you mean beautiful?" You asked, holding her hand between yours, knowing what was about to come.

"You deserve to be with a real woman, y/n"

Her words hit you like a punch to the gut.

"Idiot" you started.

"You are a real woman."

She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes.

"Don’t say that just to make me feel better. I know what I am. And I know you deserve more than… than someone like me."

You reached out, taking her hand in yours. Her fingers were cold, trembling slightly. "Listen to me" you said, your voice steady. "You’re not ‘someone like you. You’re Hyun-ju. You’re the person who makes me laugh when I’m having a bad day. You’re the one who knows me better than anyone else. You’re brave, and strong, and beautiful, and I…"You paused, your throat tightening.

"I’m in love with you. Not because of who you were or who you think you should be, but because of who you are. Right here, right now."

Her breath hitched, and she looked at you, her eyes searching yours for any hint of doubt.

"You don’t have to say that" she whispered. "I don’t want you to regret this later."

"I won’t" You said firmly.

"I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. You’re not a placeholder, Hyun-ju. You’re not second best. You’re my first choice. You always have been."

For a moment, she just stared at you, tears streaming down her cheeks. Then, you slowly caressed her cheek, cupping it in your hand, as you leaned in for a kiss. A few inches separated your lips, as you looked into her eyes, seeking consent.

She hesitated for a moment, but finally, she closed the space between you.

The kiss was soft. Full of love. You wanted to show her everything you felt for her. Everything you have been holding back.

After some seconds, you pulled away. Looking at her in the eyes.

"I love you, Hyun-ju. I truly do"

She let out a shaky laugh, her hand tightening around yours.

"You're so corny, you know that?"

You smiled, brushing a tear from her cheek. "Yeah, but you love me anyway."

And for the first time in weeks, her smile reached her eyes.

"Yeah" she said softly.

"I do"

a/n: This is so sweet I can't.