#(saying harry has enough money he should just come out etc)

[dream-with-a-fever]

in defence of ginny weasley (ft fleur delacour)

never thought i would feel strongly enough about this topic to comment on it, but the ginny bashing in this fandom is just insane so i thought why the hell not. ginny seems to get hate for everything under the sun from being being a mary sue who can do no wrong in anyone’s eyes (meaning she’s boring and uninteresting as a character) to being a nasty bully responsible for hurting those around her (??? and they’re both completely contradictory statements btw). when the latter is brought up, ginny’s “terrible” mistreatment of fleur is always front and centre. ‘she’s nasty, she’s cruel, she is a jealous bully etc!’ and i just feel like we should put on our thinking caps and actually take a step back for a fucking second. people may disagree with me, but i think ginny’s reaction to fleur was totally understandable — and reminder, she is a TEENAGE girl, (not to mention both mrs weasley and hermione held fleur in the same regard but no one seems to focus on that side of things).

now in the books, we do see ginny mocking fleur, calling her ‘phlegm’ behind her back, imitating her gait and elegance, expressing her annoyance at her newfound presence in their lives.

let’s look at why she might have reacted that way. first of all, in general, we see that the w are a very humble and welcoming family; they don’t have much but what they do have, they are more than willing to share with others. their financial circumstance plays a massive role in how the characters in the wea clan react and interact with others (as seen with their refusal to accept money from harry etc). their sense of pride in that regard is also quite prevalent. we see that when harry first goes to the burrow, ron is slightly embarrassed by his home, painfully aware of the way many people in the wizarding community view/judge them. when harry goes on to say it’s best place he’s ever seen, we immediately see how touched ron is. ginny is the same in that sense — embarrassed that she has second hand robes & books etc, but at the same time she, like ron, is fiercely protective of what they do have, and what they as a family stand for. they are also very protective of people they love inside and outside of the family (see, ron with ginny, mrs weasleys with all of them etc).

this is relevant because one of the reasons ginny and in turn mrs weasley, have a problem with fleur is the way she talks to them. despite them inviting her into their home, fleur makes her distaste clear even if it is in small ways. she says it’s boring at their house as there’s nothing to do, she often talks disparagingly about how things are done in the weasley household, she loudly mocks celestina warbeck (who mrs weasley loves to play at christmas time) and insults her, she speaks badly about tonks several times etc. her words and mannerisms are also viewed by some (ginny etc) as very pretentious and arrogant — also rather posh, a sign of her family’s wealth (which might have been a sore spot for ginny also).

now don’t get me wrong. i love fleur as a character. i think she’s really cool, charming and brave, and i wish we got to see more of her honestly!! i think she makes a lovely contrast to the other younger characters, and i think she undergoes some nice character development in the books we do see her in. it’s also very clear to me, that when she acts the way she does, it is never out of malice or cruelty— it comes from a place of openness and honesty — which often comes across as quite blunt. it’s a cultural disconnect in many ways; when she inadvertently insults people throughout the books, i think it’s pretty obvious she isn’t trying to hurt anyone’s feelings. but i also think it’s obvious how this attitude might annoy those around her.

calling ginny is a big bad bully for disliking fleur (in the beginning), when her behaviour towards the weasley family would make anyone a bit frustrated, is a bit far. not to mention, her individual treatment of ginny is understandably annoying - ginny complains that fleur is very condescending when speaking to her (‘you’d think i were about three!’).

there’s also the fact that ginny is bill’s little sister. he is her favourite brother (as seen from the way she respects him and his opinions, looks up to him - she wanted to go to hogwarts ever since bill went!). ginny having a reaction to her brother’s new girlfriend is very normal - he’s her big brother! all his attention is now on his new girlfriend - who ginny finds to be full of herself, patronising & annoying. part of her may also be worried that fleur will end up breaking his heart in the end — because she’s protective of her brother.

add the fact that her brother and old crush and basically every man ever is drawn to her because of her godly beauty (as a part veela), her and bill’s wont to shower each other in public displays of affection (who wants to see their brother doing this!?) and the fact that ginny always gotten along with tonks (the person her and molly had in mind for bill’s future partner) has always treated her kindly and as an equal, and therefore would much prefer as a sister-in-law — it’s not that surprising that ginny feels the way she does towards fleur.

nevertheless, do i think this is something ginny would grow out of? yes, of course. we already see changes in their relationship in the final book. besides, a lot of this stuff is surface level, as ginny and fleur don’t know all that much about each other — i think fleur’s love for bill (especially shown in the hospital wing after he’s been attacked by greyback) definitely changes the way ginny regards her. i also like to think that they grew closer as they got older, as with age comes maturity, and with maturity comes understanding. i also feel that fleur was someone who really stepped up when it came to supporting the weasleys after fred’s death, something that ginny would have appreciated. i see them having a nice relationship later in life.

ANYWAY, this was an exceedingly long rant for which i apologise but i have often seen people talk about how nasty ginny is to fleur, and i think it’s so unfair to not look at the context which leads to her being a little frustrated at her future sister in law. plus, she is allowed to dislike someone who she does not get along with and who she finds unpleasant to be around. we all have people like that in our lives but god forbid ginny does…not to mention, ginny is never openly rude to her EVER, and she’s allowed to voice her frustrations to her friends/family. the fact people call her an outright bully for this is just insane.

people on here will defend so many other dubious characters but the second a teenage character with good intentions makes a mistake / doesn’t act perfectly (i.e ron, ginny), they are suddenly the epitome of evil in human form, i mean get a grip, honestly. also one last quick thing(!!!), i do note some people blame jkr for writing her female characters this way, as we’ve seen the way she seems to frown upon conventional/typical displays of femininity (lavender and parvati being seen as ‘silly’ girls with frivolous thoughts, cho chang as overly emotional - despite having a very rational reaction to the death of her boyfriend, fleur as overly feminine and therefore less serious/intelligent). her heroines are women who often conceal or discard these more feminine traits — and i will say that despite loving these characters very much, i do think some more nuance here, could have been very beneficial to the story, and to the message being sent to young female/female identifying readers. there is strength in femininity, and rejecting feminine traits does not make you more or less a person.

okay, rant over. if you actually got to the end, bless you, if not — well, that’s totally fair (lol). also please don’t kill me in the comment section if you disagree. this is just my two cents. ok that’s all.

[thepilotanon]

Could do write some cute headcaons about dating Draco please?

Boy, do I have plenty!

If there's one thing that Malfoy learned from his parents, is how to be a very affectionate and caring for your partner. He likes to get you little gifts and surprise you with them when you least suspect it; sneaking candies when he passes by your desk, one of his enchanted origami flying to you through your window with handwritten letters or stuffed with flowers inside when you unfolded them - just little things. He willingly holds your hand whenever you want, asks to kiss your cheek in public or will greet you with a hug and head kiss. Depending who is around, he may be a bit prickly, but you know he's softer than a puffskein in reality.

Regardless if you're in Slytherin or not, Malfoy defends and respects you enough to tell others to shove off about you (Malfoy being with you because you're a Slytherin/Malfoy causing issues because you're not a Slytherin). If your relationship lasts to adulthood and Malfoy pursues marrying you, he is very protective of you when it comes to his parents. While he is close with his mother, he doesn't hesitate to shut down anything she deems "negative" about you; Lucius knows to keep his mouth shut around his son, given his past behaviors and tarnishing the family name, but he's still uncomfortable and stiff around you for whatever reason.

You're really the only one to yell, scold, or get mad at Malfoy, and he regrets ever upsetting you. Rarely the time anyone sees Draco Malfoy go quiet and look down at his polished shoes is when he knows you're irritated by him. He will apologize to you, sincerely, and do what he can to make up for it (catch him writing you silly poems, even though he claims poetry is beneath him, etc). I wanna say Malfoy knows that, sometimes, he should either check with you or do his best to make sure you don't find out the next time he duels against Harry Potter to the tenth degree.

What Malfoy really, really likes is meaningful gifts. Homemade, tiny and useless, or even second-hand from your own collection, he thinks your gifts are the absolute best. He treasures the mittens you attempted (and failed) to make him for Christmas; he keeps the charms you made/scavenged into a good luck necklace for him when he deals with exams or stressful situations, and he loves all the birthday cards you make him (he has a book he made for them to keep them safe). Malfoy learns from you that money or high-priced items and gifts are the best compared to something you put a lot of time and effort into.

[shivstar]

I find one thing a little confusing in Hp and the POA.

Its why remus lupin was so interested in killing pettigrew????

I mean we understand where sirius is coming from. He suffered in the worst prison for 12 years because of the rat. His soul mate ( platonic or romantic prongsfoot) is gone all because of peter. The dude didn't even get to grieve properly because of the soul sucking monsters. His godson is an orphan and was abused because Peter stole the chance of sirius raising harry.

Also he broke out of prison to remove the danger to his godson. Ate God knows what. Is in filthy clothes. Has not bathed for God knows how long.

So his emotions overwhelming is understandable. His desire to kill on spite is justified.

But then there is remus on the other hand. The dude got 12 whole years to move on from all the deaths and betrayal and war. He got to live a peaceful life in that period. The opportunity to make a life for himself.

He didn't have money and lived poory. True. But that is not on Peter (or sirius, when he thought he was the real back stabber) . It is the fault of the society.

Because if you say that poor remus suffered from poverty because Peter did what he did then you are implying that if not for the event of Halloween 1981, remus would have leeched on James and sirius to live a decent life.

So money problem cannot be dumped on this event.

Also he did not have any friends or a life then that's on him. He could have put on an effort. Could have learned to make some street food and sold in muggle world as a street vendor, where people are not obsessed with moon cycles. And it would have been his own business, so he would not have been answerable to anyone.

So anyways remus's financial and mental condition cannot be dumped on the Halloween event and Peter singularly. And 12 years are more than enough to put the emotional grief on the back burner.

Also he had a most comfortable life for atleast this year, with food, quarters, money, respectable job, wolfsbane potion, social interaction etc,.

So, was it not super odd for him to say lines like, " You have to die Peter " Like dude. You are an adult. Who should be reasonable one out of all the people present in the shack.

But once again poor harry has to make this idiot see the reason. Like are you for real guy.

Like I can give sirius the concession. The guy is also super selfless, as he wants to kill the threat to his godson rather than seeking justice and clearing his name.

But lupin not even thinking about sirius's unjust imprisonment and ways to make his friend's life bearable after the hell he has been through because people like lupin condemned him.

His first instinct to kill is really terrifying. When just half an hour earlier, for him Peter was the friend who was the good one. Who was killed by that madman black. Just turning 360 degree is doubtful character trait on his part.

I mean imagine a person who is your good friend, who you thought was killed and whenever you remembered them your heart was filled with love and care. Then you just realise that that friend was not at all good. So I atleast will require a few days to come to terms with all the change in the event. I will not go for the kill immediately.

This guy lupin is honestly a psycho, keep him away from kids. He is a walking, living hazard.

[jewishbarbies]

I didn't know about the antisemitism in hp because while I wasn't explicitly taught "this is antisemitic" I still learned those tropes. I just didn't know they they were tropes. The only thing I knew was nazi propaganda, because that was in textbooks. We didn't learn about everyday antisemitism. We didn't learn about the history of jews in any other country. And that doesn't excuse me or the school I went to. But I know better now, and I can look around and recognise certain tropes. But I can also recognise that jkr was hateful to so many different groups of people. Jews, the Irish, asian people, gay people, trans people, ironically women in general (Ginny Weasley in particular who only existed as a character for Harry to save and get married and have babies with) and women who like "girly" things (Lavender Brown deserved better.)

at this point, so much of pop culture is steeped in these antisemitic things (tropes, imagery, caricatures, etc.) and a lot of fantasy lore in some areas is just antisemitic to its core so while I’m angry I have to sift through the distressing nonsense, I try not to get angry at people who genuinely don’t understand. because you can spread antisemitism while not being an antisemite. the entirety of the witch aesthetic is stolen and twisted from jewish caricatures, antisemitic history, and practices appropriated from indigenous cultures - but that’s just The Witch now. same with goblins. that’s just what That Thing is to people now, so if you want to stop it, you have to throw the whole thing away and barely anyone is actually willing to do that. on top of that, they believe they don’t have to.

with HP specifically, I don’t blame anyone for not picking up on the bigotry from the books they read as children. now, if you reread it as an adult and still don’t get it, that’s another issue. but at least with the antisemitism, it’s much more obvious with the movies and a lot of people try to excuse JKR from it bc of that, when she had such a heavy hand in making those films. she had/has enough sway to change literally anything. and I think a lot of people understood the antisemitism more when they could see just what these goblins were supposed to look like, and that brought it all together. however, there are people obsessed with goblins (I think there’s a lot of neurodivergent people who have a special interest in goblins for one reason or another and that makes it more difficult to let go, in my experience) who absolutely refuse to come to terms with the antisemitic nature of the creature to begin with, when it’s antisemitic originally AND in JKR’s interpretation. I never got into HP so I didn’t know about the goblins, having not seen the movies, and it was really easy to not interact with it once I did. I can genuinely understand how heartbreaking it is to find out something you love goes against what you believe in, bc for jews it’s just part of our lives. we find out creators of and the things we like are nazis or antisemitic every single day. moreso than usual as of late.

imo the racism and general bigotry of JKR should be more than enough for HP fans who claim to care about other people, but it’s hella odd that antisemitism is the sticking point for so many people. they’ll say they’re streaming the movies and playing the games and reading the books but but but they’re not giving money to JKR and therefore not supporting her transphobia and racism, but you mention her antisemitism and the fact that the HP game was just antisemitism the simulator and they immediately dismiss it. her bigotry is embedded in the work. it’s in the imagery of the franchise. hell, there’s a storyline where a villain is a villain bc he wanted to stop the holocaust. that speaks for itself, and should be enough for literal adults.

(on the It’s The Thing Now point, it’s happening with lizard people as well. everyone is calling themselves a goblin and making lizard people jokes and it’s just apart of the young people dialogue now. I could go on for hours but I think I made my point.)

[celticcrossanon]

Ah Celta. These so called Wales fans have gone crazy crazy. There are some who support eom3n soccer and they are eating their tails about William not going to the lionesss play. They cite Anne visiting Canada on the QT earlier this year, so they don’t see why William can’t go. Where to begin?

No offence to Anne’s fans but where is Anne on the popularity scale to William? I know she works hard and is respected etc, but seriously, there is no comparison. He’s the heir, one of the most popular, and there are big security concerns. Not to mention I suspect this visit has to cleared by the FO, and we sure as heck don’t know if Charles will approve of such a flying visit, literally. He’s a counsellor of state, and Charles may not approve of his visit. Who the heck knows anymore? But these so called Wales fans are behaving more like Charles Stan’s IMO. People are really showing their true colours.

All this argi bargi started as soon as the lionesses won. The minute I tell you. Disgusting.

Hi AnonymousRetired,

I saw the same argument starting even before the semi finals, as 'what if' speculation. My opinion on it is as follows:

Having William fly in, watch the FIFA World Cup Final, and fly out would be a public relations disaster. Such behaviour would clearly give the message that all he cares about is England, and not the Commonwealth realms.

Australia (a Commonwealth realm) and New Zealand (a Commonwealth realm) are co-hosting the World Cup. Both of these countries have William as the heir to their Head of State. He is our future King.

With respect to Australia, we have not seen William or Charles on tour for quite a few years, despite noises made to the contrary. We haven't seen Prince William since 2014 in Australia, and King Charles's last visit was to attend the Commonwealth games, not a proper tour of the country, in 2018. His last proper tour of Australia was 2015. Our last royal tour was the disaster that was Harry and Meghan inflicting themselves upon us, and we haven't had anything since to remove that bad taste from our mouths.

The sentiment for a Republic is strong and growing stronger in Australia, especially as the current government supports that idea.

We have had covid, which cancelled a tour, and then a coronation, and there has been nothing in the way of our new Head of State or his heir coming to visit us. Nothing. People are feeling that our Head of State simply does not care about us, as for all his fine words his actions say quite clearly that we are not important enough for him to visit. Germany is, but we are not. So, quite a few hurt feelings from people who expected to at least be acknowledged in some way by their new Head of State.

Now, into this mess, throw sports. We know that William supports England over the other realms of which he is the heir. It's not pleasant to have him cheering against you, but we know that he does and it is accepted. However, IG posts or tweets are one thing. Having him fly into the country, support a rival team that just defeated us, and then fly out again, is quite another. That would be rubbing it in our faces that he doesn't give two hoots about Australia or New Zealand (which he wouldn't even visit), and that would definitely feed into the growing republican sentiment.

Then there is the travel factor. It is a long way from the UK to this part of the world. To spend all that money and resources and carbon pollution just to watch a game that he can see perfectly well on TV at home - well, it's not a good look for the founder of Earthshot at all, let along giving off 'entitled rich ponce' vibes.

If William (and Catherine, and the kids) had wanted to be present at the FIFA World Cups games, regardless of who won and who lost, then it should have been planned as part of a 2-3 week tour of Australia and New Zealand. We would all love to see him and his children again, especially George, who won our hearts as a baby. Come over here, bring the children, visit the sights, meet and greet people, and attend a few matches as part of the tour - one where England is playing, one where Australia is playing, and one where New Zealand is playing. Attend at least one match in Australia and at least one match in New Zealand. That would be fair and it would show support for us as a country. If he was charming enough, he might even get people cheering for England with him.

A tour with a few FIFA games included would have been wonderful. Flying in and out just to cheer for England is the opposite.

TL;DR: Having William fly in, watch the finals and fly out would be a disaster for the relationship between Australia and its Head of State and his heir. William staying in England and watching the match on TV is far better for the relationship.

Edited for typos (I bet I still missed some).

[louisisalarrie]

the most annoying thing is Louis google is awash with sc and his bs and nothing about his Mexico concert or afhf. The other guys have one or two mentions about sc and the rest is about their careers except Liam also has that stuff with Mya. Like what gives?

What gives is that SC hates louis and louis hates SC (for very good reason) and so whenever SC has the chance, he fucks him over. That dude has such a big control in the industry, that even after he’s been a bit quiet recently, now that he’s back with the “boyband search”, I imagine there will be a few more interviews of this calibre.

Seen a lot of folks on Twitter today actually, both anti and larries, saying “well what do you expect???? he’s a businessman and he’s incredibly smart” and im like ???? we should be expecting BETTER and hold these leeches accountable. Being good at making money doesn’t mean you have to be an asshole. The industry needs to change.

And I’m not denying that he’s not smart at what he does. He’s built an empire and has a very good team of lawyers around him, and he’s protected at all costs. He writes clauses that are unethical, then has a lawyer look over them, and word it in such a way that it cannot be argued against and it’s full of technicalities to avoid being sued and all that. After years in the business, he knows the ins and outs and has a very solid timeline and structure that he builds these artists through, and it’s a copy of a copy of a copy. Every contract is different, but they also are essentially the same, it just depends on how successful he thinks they’ll be, how much money he’s gonna pour into them etc.

I imagine that because of how much ownership he wanted over 1d, he agreed to give them the name to sweeten the deal. Give a little and take a lot, you know? To seem like he was being generous. But because of how harshly he closeted these guys, ya know, it was, for lack of a better term, a bribe.

On top of that, the boys didn’t even have their own lawyers. Because of course they didn’t. They were assigned X Factor lawyers which aren’t gonna argue against SC lol. They’re gonna be like “hey, that’s a really good deal! you own the name Harry, this band is yours and the boys’!” kinda vibe, and make some very minor adjustments to make it look like they’re doing their due diligence and looking out for the artist. Of course they aren’t gonna let anything illegal slide, but there’s murky water with contracts and the way they’re written. I’ve read enough of them to know that 100% lol.

SC gave them the illusion of control, but still holds so goddamn much power over them to this day. Louis has been routinely sabotaged for acting out over the years, and there’s little attention to Liam these days anyway. SC won’t try and sabotage Harry tho, he’d rather bribe him to come back and be a solo artist with SC or something of the sort. He’s been grooming that dude for years, and will continue to do so.

[jkrowlingbodydouble]

Evidence Masterpost

The following is a masterpost of all evidence I have found that J.K. Rowling is a body double. It will be continuously updated as new evidence is added (and potentially old evidence is proven false or invalid).

The Perfect Storm

The thing that made me first realize something was up was that the whole situation that's been going on with the Harry Potter franchise since 2020 is all a little too convenient. Indeed, that which has happened to Harry Potter could only have happened to Harry Potter, as it's the only franchise in remotely the same financial ballpark owned by an individual human being rather than a publicly traded corporation whose employees all can and will be fired the instant they become a PR liability. If, say, Shigeru Miyamoto were zapped by an alien mind control ray and became just as committed to TERF activism or some other equally odious ideological project, there would be no impetus to boycott Super Mario or The Legend of Zelda, because Nintendo would simply fire him and be done with it. Not as if he would end up begging on the street though, he's made more than enough money on his previous 40 years worth of games to live off for the rest of his life. So what a curious coincidence that of all the independently wealthy famous people to become high-profile anti-trans activists, it just so happens to be the one who can single-handedly throttle the profits of a major multimedia franchise by doing so? And how committed to it she has become, hm? She's practically devoted her entire life to it. Very few real people expressing their genuine opinions are this single-mindedly obsessed with any cause, just or no. Adolf Hitler talked about Jews less in Mein Kampf than JKR does about trans people on her Twitter. It's much like when Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash, or the Iranian president in a helicopter. Aviation accidents happen, of course, but they're rare enough that when one happens to someone with powerful enemies, it's natural to suspect foul play.

Staying Power

"But OP", I hear you say, "Graham Linehan did basically the exact same thing!" To which I would reply, exactly. When was the last time you heard about some horrible new anti-trans thing he said, hm? His time in the spotlight didn't last long. Rowling's, however, shows no sign of stopping. For some reason, she manages to constantly stay in the spotlight and find new outrageous horrible things to say. She probably trends on twitter more often than any other individual non-politician (counting the Pope as a politician) on earth. It's almost as if she's actively trying to attract as much negative press as possible.

Suspicious Absence

The entire reason Disney lost the rights to Harry Potter is that Rowling was extremely meticulous and hands-on with adaptations of her work. She was particular about that only British actors be used in the movies, the precise way Butterbeer should taste at the theme parks, and so on. Should it not raise suspicion, then, that she had no involvement in the development of Hogwarts Legacy? Not only that, but she never even mentioned the game once on her Twitter. Should she not have had anything to say about a major high-profile installment in her franchise, especially since it, as has been the subject of much discussion, featured a canonically trans character? Not only that, but she has also made no response to the numerous accusations that her goblins are antisemitic propaganda, the house elves are slavery apologia, etc etc. If hordes of netizens were accusing your books of being essentially The Turner Diaries with wands, wouldn't you have something to say about it? And speaking of suspicious silences, how come she had nothing to say about Caitlyn Jenner back in 2015 when everyone was talking about her coming out, hm?

Holes In Her Story Within Holes In Her Stories

Famously, Rowling got so pissed at fans for pointing out Time Turner-related plot holes that in Order of the Phoenix, she went "oops, all of the Time-Turners in the world were on one shelf, and someone just knocked it over, so now they've all been smashed, and now all of you miserable ingrates can stop asking me why they didn't just solve XYZ problem with a Time-Turner!" Is it not a bit curious, then, that she had the entire plot of Cursed Child revolve around the Time-Turner?

Supposed Single-Issue Politics

Rowling recently endorsed the Communist Party of Britain, supposedly for their policies on trans people, which evidently amount to... Not wanting to ban conversion therapy for trans people. (They later posted a statement saying their positions had been misrepresented by a third party and disavowing Rowling.) I find it hard to believe that that's some sort of point of unanimous agreement among the other British parties. Why would a famously centrist status quo Blairite endorse the Communist Party before the Tories? Could it perhaps be that she's deliberately trying to get her name trending for saying/doing something stupid regularly?

Appearances

This is, admittedly, the most spurious piece of evidence here, as it could be aging, or her getting her hair dyed, or confirmation bias, but just looking at pre-2011 pictures and videos of JKR and comparing them with more recent ones, she looks subtly different. Look them up for yourself and draw your own conclusions.

Heroes and Villains

You may have heard recently that David Tennant has begun to be positioned as a sort of anti-JKR, the Batman to her Joker, a heroic defender of trans rights. And what is Mr. Tennant famous for? Dr. Who, another iconic quintessentially British spec fic property with a large and passionate American following. And who, might I ask, owns the international distribution rights to Dr. Who? That's right, Disney. Coincidence? I think not!

Full of Shit

I am going to be blunt with you, dear reader. I do not believe that an adult woman capable of dressing herself, let alone managing a billion dollar fortune and writing multiple (subpar, but like, in a normal way, not a "this was written by a dementia patient" way) screenplays would say "before indoor plumbing wizards just shit themselves and made it disappear" and expect people to take it seriously. That was her handlers having her say the most insane outrageous thing they could think of to stress-test the facade before beginning the TERF arc.

Breaking the Mold

You may be aware that Twitter users recently discovered what looked to be black mold on Rowling's walls in her profile picture. Does it not seem a little unusual, dear reader, for a person that incredibly wealthy to have visible mold growing on their walls? I had initially suspected they'd use a gas leak or a house fire as the cover story for her supposed death after Disney buys HP, but now I suspect they're setting up for her to "die" of mold toxicity.

Monopoly Capitalism

If you've ever set foot in a shopping mall in America, you will know two facts. First, literally every conceivable type of consumer product has had Harry Potter branding slapped on it. Second, literally anything with any amount of merch has a licensed Monopoly set. It may come as a shock to you, then, that there was not a Harry Potter Monopoly set until just a few months ago. How could this be? They ought to have made one well over a decade ago, and if something was stopping them then, it ought to still be stopping them now! Well, perhaps the original JKR had some kind of personal thing against Monopoly, and rejected the initial proposal for one, and then time passed, the switcheroo happened, the TERF arc started, and a new crop of execs, who weren't around for the original rejection, desperate to keep the franchise on life support, went down some kind of master list of Harry Potter merch and went "Hold the phone, how the hell do we not have a Monopoly set? Everything has a Monopoly set! Joanne, can we please make a Monopoly set?" to which the impostor, unaware of the original Rowling's stance, went "Yeah, sure, how the hell don't we have one of those already?"

[uefb]

A Love Letter to Newt Scamander’s Autism™ and a Plea to Those Continually Gloating About the ‘Failure’ of the FB Franchise

(this is stream-of-consciousness really, forgive me)

Look. I…dislike…JKR as much as the next politically active gender/queer who was raised on Harry Potter and subsequently spent their 20s raging against the binary and tearing down the system.

But look—

I’m also autistic.

So I can’t pretend to be able to celebrate the potential crash of the first fantasy franchise/series (well, any franchise, really!) to star an empathetic, autistic hero just because I hate her.

The lady has enough money to pave Europe, enough money to buy anyone’s votes—hell, enough money to probably repurchase the entire bloody (pun intended) British empire—

And she frankly has enough money to attempt to destroy trans folks and trans women’s lives whether or not FB continues.

FB is not the root of the problem.

JKR and the increasingly inflammatory political and economic and social moments we keep hurtling through are the problem.

So when I think back on that lonely, autodidactic, quiet, gender nonconforming, gentle, awkward, morally driven (and sometimes-accidentally-in-trouble) eleven-year-old version of me—

That little nerd who clung to the safety of Hermione (as close to a relatable fictional character as I would ever find for decades) like a life raft in the godforsaken sea of adolescence—

Well.

When I think how much Newt Scamander would have meant to that little dork then,

And how much he must mean to so many kids now (let alone adults)…?

I just can’t find it in my heart to purely wish ill on every single one of JKR’s endeavors. Or to celebrate JKR’s failure specifically regarding Fantastic Beasts.

(So maybe Cursed Child can die in a fire, and —yes — JKR’s isms and antisemitisms and absolute crock can—

Well.

You get the idea.)

And maybe it’s the Hufflepuff in me—masked so often by my more ADHD-forward Gryffindor traits—but I just can’t take joy in an atypical, kind, adult autistic character—an unusual hero, in fact!—being [potentially] cancelled when I know it not only hurts me, but so so many others. It’s not joyous to me that people are losing something dear to them, when it’s not the media itself that’s damning but the woman who dreamed it into existence. (Though so much of the good of FB was built by the producers and artists and actors—it was built out by them like a wood-elf in a well-tended garden. The core of it—the trellis, perhaps—was provided by she-who-must-not-be-named, but all that delicate work in between? the moments of worldbuilding, the nuance of character and culture and blah blah blah? they wove the intricacies of the fabric and fashioned the clothes to hang in her closet.)

But I’ve mixed my metaphors and I digress.

What I mean to say is this:

A franchise like FB being cancelled is nuanced and complicated—especially since WB is gonna milk the Wizarding World for all it’s worth even if they do drop FB. This is a multifaceted issue spanning individual, political, capitalistic, societal, etc etc overlapping and contradictory levels, and we should treat it that way, not the way I’ve seen it circulated in posts—just laughing about how JKR had it coming and skimming over all the rest.

Like yes, duh.

Of course she did.

Those of us who grew up on HP rejected her for the very same reasons we loved HP in the first place.

But use your critical thinking skills.

The world is bigger than JKR—art and media have implications and impacts outside of their origin. And, thus, implications for supporting or enjoying something exist on multiple levels that must sometimes be carefully measured and interrogated, even if individually or factionally we come to our own different—and perhaps opposite—conclusions.

So i’m just proposing: maybe we should reconsider taking joy in Fantastic Beasts failure when FB is about so much more than just JKRs considerable sins —

When so many people have seen in Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander the first character who truly acts like them, moves like them, speaks like them—seems to see the world like them!—for the first time in their lives.

Because yes: JKR’s views and horrific anti-trans and—frankly—anti-anti-anti-everything campaigning are personal, but so is what Newt has come to represent.

Words can’t describe that for me. What he means, from an autistic perspective.

Anyway.

I only request that you place your thinking in the complex context it deserves.

.

.

Also, please don’t viciously @ me. I’m open to nuanced conversation, should I have the word-energy to engage—though I have been teetering on the edge of a shutdown for days—but I’m not open to being torn apart for loving quality autistic representation, and for simply wishing I could have more of that character and that content in the world. To not always have to be the one to push for it. To not always have to be the one to write my own representation, to seek it out, to demand I’m worth space and consideration as a reader and consumer with intersectional identities— 

It’s complicated. 

But I’m tired. 

And potentially losing Newt really isn’t funny to me.

[yennefer]

hello, I just wondered if you had thought about changing your blog away from a HP theme? given JKR and the terf problem, if its better not to give it as much of a platform .

No hate just want your take on it

okay i'm finally back from work so i can answer this...

i just want to preface this first by saying that i am not a jkr apologist by any means. i think her opinions about trans people are wrong, disgusting, and very harmful. there's a problem within the harry potter fandom where people get very defensive about still enjoying harry potter to the point where they try to explain or defend jkr because they feel they have to. i'm not one of those people. and i've honestly been let down by cast members who feel like just because she created a world they grew to love, and because they might otherwise like her as a person, that she deserves the benefit of the doubt or some kind of compassion. she doesn't. not when her words can lead to real-life consequences and harm. not when she's proven herself to be a giant hypocrite. how do you write a story where your main characters are looked at as lesser than because of who they are (whether that's harry being a half-blood, hagrid being half-giant, hermione being muggleborn, house elves being treated like slaves, etc.) by the villains, and turn right around and do EXACTLY the same thing? and it makes it so, so much worse because she has such a giant platform and has a lot more influence than, say, the rick riordan or stephanie meyers of the world (for example).

now i will say that harry potter holds a special significance to me, as it was the series that got me into reading. i went to see all the movies the day they came out, i waited at barnes & nobles for the new book releases... my original harry potter books are so worn out from me reading them that they've literally fallen apart. i've spent money on five different book sets and a hell of a lot of merch. my dad will never let me down getting upset with him because he decided he would rather spend money on building our movie room instead of taking me the wizarding world of harry potter the summer it opened (i ended up going two summers after anyway). there were points in my life where i read nothing but harry potter. i just re-read the books over and over again. i've watched all the movies countless times that i can recite the lines verbatim. i say all this to say that i'm a huge harry potter fan. and i will always have a lot of love for the series and the movies.

that being said, it's hard to reconcile being a fan of her work and not being a fan of her. i used to reread the entire series every year or two. it just felt like coming home. but i haven't reread them since the news broke and i don't think i ever will. i also stopped buying all harry potter related merch. for me, it's enough that i don't support her financially in any way. it's enough that i'm mindful when i do watch or engage with the world she created, i am mindful that it's based off a work by a person who held bigoted views and those views certainly influenced certain things in her work. i think that's enough that i don't try in any way to defend or make excuses for some of those things. however, i realize that this is not enough for some people and they would rather not engage with the fandom (and by extension me, or my blog) at all. and they absolutely have that right. i'm not here to tell anyone how they should feel.

as for my blog, tbh, i don't post that much about hp anymore. the fandom has pretty much died out on here, and that's in large part to jkr being a terf. i don't necessarily think that posting hp is giving it a platform, especially when i am not a big blog by any means. i do hope that if someone does decide to watch the movies or read the books because of my blog (doubtful lol), that they are aware of the fact they're engaging with a work created by an author with bigoted views. my blog is also multi-fandom and always has been. i stopped giffing so i don’t create content for it anymore either. as for whether i'll change urls or stop posting about hp entirely, the answer to the first part is probably and as for the second... i really don't know yet myself sorry.

[jlf23tumble]

I wasn’t here for the portraitofalarryonfire drama, what happened?

Yet you know the full name of the blog when I didn't fully spell it out!

[marvelsmostwanted]

Hey American voters! 🇺🇸

Guess what?!!

🚨 It’s time to start worrying about the 2022 and 2024 elections. 🚨

(Yeah. We really gotta do this. It's... not looking great.)

Long story short:

Republicans have been working hard since the 2020 election to enact voter suppression laws, overturn election results, and set themselves up to steal the 2024 presidential election if necessary.

You’ve probably heard about the Georgia voter suppression law. But did you know that “Stop the Steal” conspiracy theorist Republicans are running to be election officials like Secretary of State in several swing states, setting themselves up to overturn future elections? They are dismantling democracy before our eyes.

So what’s the worst case scenario?

...Well, let’s start with the realistic scenario.

Republicans are likely to take back the House in 2022. They are possibly capable of doing it through gerrymandering alone. Is it possible for Democrats to keep the House? Yes, but it will take a huge effort.

Republicans could also win back the Senate since it's currently 50-50 and Democrats only have a narrow majority because we won the presidency.

Even if Republicans only win back the House, the Biden administration would legislatively accomplish very little from 2022-2024. Republicans would have the power to impeach Biden for no reason and cause another constitutional crisis, enable gerrymandering and voter suppression laws, and block any Democratic priorities from becoming law (gun control, climate change, and healthcare are just a few things that would be off the table entirely).

Then comes 2024.

Donald Trump is the most likely Republican candidate to run and win in 2024. In a recent poll (May 2021), 66% of Republicans indicated that they would vote for Trump again.

Yes, Trump can run even if he’s indicted on criminal charges. He can run even if he’s in prison!

Remember, although Biden won by 7 million votes, it was really a difference of about 44,000 votes in three swing states that prevented Trump from winning the Electoral College and becoming president again. That is a frighteningly small margin.

Even if the candidate isn’t Trump, this is still going to be a close election. 85% of Republicans say they would vote for a Trump-aligned candidate (same poll as above).

If Republicans win back or maintain control of Congress in 2024, this could set up an even more dangerous scenario:

The House has the power to choose the president if Congress does not award 270 electoral votes to either candidate.

How could that happen? Well, those "Stop the Steal" Republican election officials in swing states could refuse to certify the election, claiming fraud, and a close election could end up with neither candidate getting enough electoral votes. House Republicans could literally choose the next president without any input from voters and effectively end American democracy as we know it.

Because you know that Republicans will never let go of that power once they have it.

This is not far-fetched.

This is a realistic, highly likely scenario that will happen if we don’t do something to prevent it. Journalists and election experts are trying to sound the alarm, and we should listen:

New York Times - How Republicans Could Steal the 2024 Election

Washington Post - American democracy is in even worse shape than you think

Pod Save America - Stop the 2024 Steal (Discussion at 29:00)

LA Times - Trump’s allies are prepping to steal 2024 election

The only way to prevent this from becoming reality is to fight like hell against it. And I know we just did that in 2018 and 2020. But this fight isn't over until we restore and protect our democracy.

This isn’t about how much you like Biden & Harris, or even if you’re a Democrat in general. It’s about saving democracy in America.

What can we do about it?

Unfortunately, it’s going to be an uphill battle. But if we all engage in this fight, then we can make a difference.

TLDR, we need to raise awareness about the threat to democracy, encourage Democrats to end the filibuster and pass H.R.1 immediately, and organize, organize, organize to get voters back out there in 2022 and 2024.

Specific ways to help & additional resources below the cut.

How to help:

National Level:

*High priority: Call your Democratic Senator(s) right now and tell them to pass H.R.1, the For the People Act, with urgency.

*High priority: Call your Democratic Senator(s) right now and tell them that you are strongly in favor of ending the filibuster (Especially if your Senator is Manchin or Sinema.)

Call your Democratic Senator(s) and tell them to vote for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Call your Republican Senator(s) and tell them you are in favor of all of the above, especially if you live in a swing state.

State Level:

*High priority: Find out who is running for state legislature and other positions that have control over elections, such as Secretary of State. Donate or volunteer for their campaigns. Spread the word amongst your family and friends and make sure they know who to vote for and the date of the election.

If no one is running against the Republican, consider running! I’m not joking. Or if you know someone who is qualified and/or interested in running, encourage them to do so.

Local Level:

*High priority: Same as on the state level: Find out who is running and support the person who is supporting democracy. Local election officials can have a huge impact, especially in swing states and counties. Spread the word about this candidate, the election date, registering to vote, where to vote, etc.

Again, if no one is running, consider running! Incumbents often stay in power because they are unchallenged. And a local position is a great way to get involved in politics and help your community.

Additional ways to help:

Make sure you are registered to vote.

Check in with 3 friends/family members and help them register to vote if they are not already.

Send reminders to friends/family to vote on Election Day - not just in November, but for special elections, local elections, etc.

Volunteer with a group specifically working to help progressives win elections: SwingLeft, EMILY’s List, etc.

Donate to the candidates you support early and often! One of the reasons Democratic House candidates struggled in 2020 was that a lot of money came in at the last minute. Donating early and/or on a monthly basis ensures that they have the funds to run a long, successful campaign.

More Info & Resources:

Read: Washington Post - American democracy is in even worse shape than you think

Excerpt/TLDR: "The radicalization of the Republican Party has outpaced what even most critical observers imagined,” Georgetown University historian Thomas Zimmer told me. “We need to grapple with what that should mean for our expectations going forward and start thinking about real worst-case scenarios." - Perry Bacon Jr.

Read: New York Times - How Republicans Could Steal the 2024 Election

“It occurred to me,” [Erica Newland, counsel for Protect Democracy] told her colleagues then, “as I dug into the rules and watched what happened, that if the current Republican Party controls both Houses of Congress on Jan. 6, 2025, there’s no way if a Democrat is legitimately elected they will get certified as the president-elect.”

Listen: Pod Save America - Stop the 2024 Steal (29:00-36:27 covers the bulk of it, and they go on for about another 10 minutes after that)

Excerpt: "If you just watch what's happening... it is a very clear indication of a minority party that knows it has no path to majority status rigging elections at every level to set the stage for minority rule in this country. (...) People are not alarmed enough about [this]. The great asymmetry in American politics is that Republicans view power as an end in itself, and Democrats view power as a means to an end. Republicans are using the power they have to put in place laws that allow them to hold onto political power. (...) We need to raise the alarm. There are disturbing signs of complacency in our party." - Dan Pfeiffer

Register or check voter registration: Vote.org

Support H.R.1: VoteSaveAmerica.com/ForThePeople

[sassyfrassboss]

I truly think he was manipulated by her and was too dumb to realize it until after it was too late...which was probably about a couple weeks ago...

He is dumb, but dumb is not the same as innocent. He is not a naive person, he has bad intentions and that's why I don't believe he was conned.

I sent an ask to soap talking about this, BUT I will say it again. Meghan didn't put any ideas in Harry's head, it was all him, all of it. He wanted to be bigger than William, he wanted a wife that people would like more than Catherine he wanted to be important in the firm dynamic. For me this was very clear by the PR around Meghan before the wedding, they centered on things Kate had been criticized for, it was always a dig at her. Meghan had a "successful career", was a "self made millionaire", was a feminist, was good at public speaking, was going to hit the ground running etc. And everyone just assumed that was all Meghan's jealousy, but I think it was Harry's as well, for one because he knows where to hit, he knows William will be more upset at a shot at Kate than one at himself, secondly he wanted the world to know how much better for the position his wife was, he made the better pick.

He truly believes Meghan is just like Diana, and in a way, he is not wrong, because the image he has of Diana is unrealistic, the version that he sees is the woman who spoiled him and called him good king Harry, that insisted he should be treated the same as William, the one who was an idol to everyone. He doesn't know any other parts of Diana like William did for being her confidant, he didn't know her in any other way, he never really knew Diana, and it shows.

But the thing is he always felt entitled to be treated the same way as William, to have everything he has, and how unfair it was that William didn't even have to make any effort, that he was taller, more handsome, more likable, the heir, would get the position and the money, and what does Harry get? For him it is just not fair. The palace dropped a ton of money on PR for him, and finally he had something, people liked him a bit more, but it had to be bittersweet, Wiiliam never needed all that, he did believe the hype tho.

Then Meghan comes along, and she is the first one to ever tell him that he was right, it wasn't fair that he wasn't treated the same as William, that he should be ( just like mum said), that he was just so much better, he saw the opportunity. On the surface Meghan is much better than Kate (as her PR likes to point out), she was perfect for the job, she was not shy, didn't mind the media, quite the contrary she had no shame and he knew would do whatever it takes with him, they would get married and the world was going to fall in love with them just like with his mum, and they would have whatever they wanted from RF because they would be desperate for their star power, bonus points because she is biracial and the woke crowd would love them, they would make history.

The problem is Meghan might appear better on the surface, but she has no substance, she is shallow and doesn't deliver. No one will ever be able to convince me that they (even Meghan) planned to leave from the beginning, they didn't, they wanted to have thei cake and eat it too. They wanted to be global stars and adored, the problem tho is the money, they could be stars bigger than William but he wouldn't get the money and they can't stand W&K having more, that is not a problem tho there's a lot of money out there for the taking like Harry himself said. What they wanted to do it was something along the lines of what William did with Apple for the podcast, use their position to get deals, that's why they approached Netflix while still working royals, but the thing is, they wanted to be paid, William donated what would be his money from the podcast to 4 charities, H&M didn't want to do that. They tought if they were big enough stars the RF would make concessions for them (that's why Harry showed William how much he and Meghan were researched as a way to prove their popularity) , but despite their delusions they never got to be global superstars, and the RF was not willing to concede, they kept getting nos, they were not allowed their own court like William, the palace was not going to respond to the media on every little thing like they wanted to.

So, they decided that the Palace was just stifling them, they didn't want them to be successful like Diana was, they had to have some freedom, so they wanted half in half out, they would get their IPP and security, Charles was going to keep providing them money to pay their team, they would go to the big special occasions to keep the family connections while instead of wasting their time on boring engagements, they would be making money and building their independent profile. The RF said no, either in or out.

So no I do not think he was conned, I do not think he saw the light of who Meghan is because I genuinely believe he is worse than her, she never did to her family what he did to his, all she does is discard and ghost people, he slandered them, and allowed her to do the same. One day, he will realise there's no way for him to succeed without the RF, because he has nothing, no talent, no skills, all he has is his "birthright", that is the only special thing about him, his wife ain't much better. He will drop Meghan like she a sack of popatoes, and not because "he saw who she is" but because he won't stay on a sinking ship, his family will never take the lifeboat away from him.

Absolutely excellent.

I do agree with you. While I think Harry is beyond stupid, he 100% was on board with a lot of what Meghan was doing.

I do think she manipulated him in a way that brought out the worst in him. Such as when he took William and Catherine to task for not being more welcoming to Meghan. Meghan was said to have sat on the couch quietly while Harry berated W&C. Meghan definitely knew how to push his buttons to get the results she wanted. This is why Catherine invited her to Wimbledon.

But yes, Harry was on board. It was made obvious Meghan and Harry felt they were just as equal to William and Catherine when they tried to crash the PoW anniversary ceremony.

However, while Charles and Granny might not take the life boat away, I think William will. Harry went too far too many times in his quest for adoration and greed at the expense of William and his family.

William is not one to forgive.

[justapayneaway]

Based on my own experience in the music industry, I doubt Liam has a dedicated publicist or booking agent. He might be on someone’s roster at best, but there’s certainly no one actively working for him. Which is really fucking sad and obviously hurting his music career and all the potential in the world.

This is where the private parties come in. Someone wants an artist for their party/event, and they Google booking say, Harry Styles or Justin Bieber. This puts them in touch with a third party agent (TPA) who doesn’t actually represent any artists exclusively, but has access to a database that lists the artists’ actual representatives, be it an agent, a manager, or even the artist themselves in rare cases. If it’s one of the major agencies like William Morris, the TPA will probably speak to an assistant. They will be quoted an outlandish number and list of other expenses to be covered (private jet, five star accommodations, etc). They may or may not provide a list of alternative artists with a more reasonable (but still insane, mind you) budget. Either way, the TPA goes back to the client with their own lists of suggestions, say, Liam Payne.

This is in no way shade to Liam, who I think deserves far more recognition for his talent than he gets —especially his live performances.

The TPA no doubt tacks on a good amount of money for themself on top of the fee quoted from the agent/management.

I worked for one of these agents for years, and it should come as no surprise that he was a garbage human. I wouldn’t be surprised if some TPA worked with that clown Steve to book a gig for Liam, and has been suggesting him to clients since.

If Liam had a team dedicated to him, he wouldn’t be doing this shit. Or at the very least, the events would restrict the use of phones —even if it was before we all had camera phones and shit, I have attended parties like this that banned the use of cell phones.

As to a publicist, I think it’s obvious to anyone paying attention he doesn’t have one, or at least one that cares. I can elaborate if anyone wants, but I think I’ve rambled on enough lol.

It bums me out to see him doing all these random projects, when his fans just want him to focus on music.

I’m excited for Soccer Aid, and glad he seems to be taking it seriously and is also excited for it himself. Which makes all the partying bullshit over the last few weeks just that much more upsetting.

Side note: I’d bet money should a TPA attempt to contact Zayn, they get Taryn’s number and probably no call back. I don’t think Zayn has any team to speak of at this point. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

Oh I definitely agree with you that Liam doesn't really have a good team behind him with a good publicist and booking agent. He is part of Capitol UK rooster and that seems to be it (I'm not even considering Republic Records because that people left the chat).

We've seen just from the media attention he gets how his team deals with them and even when they have good things to publicitize (like Soccer Aid) it gets lost in all the bullshit associated with him. His team only seems to care about promoting everyone around him but Liam himself.

The same goes for the booking agent!!! I haven't been in the music industry myself, but from the few things I've read about how these things work you're totally right. We also have to take in consideration that at this moment Liam has no management team that could help out with this since KIN Partners is out of the game.

We've Steve and Paul Rose (Prosetouring) that are basically just booking these private events and parties where he gets to perform. Oh and all these crypto events that he seems to be involved in for the next few months. I bet they get a lot of money from a few of these things, but the agency that books these gets even more since it's a 3rd party!

The problem with all this is that they keep alienating his own fanbase. People are leaving or just getting upset. Instead of inserting Liam in environments that could made him feel love and secure (with his own fans), he is out there performing as a background noise in a party. It's heartbreaking to watch because more and more it seems like he isn't loving this anymore.

P.S. I'm excited for Soccer Aid and even glad that he is getting so involved with the content and all that, but got to say that I'm deeply disappointed that he is drinking and partying hard when he should be careful since he is training and he will play :(

P.S.S. Yeah Zayn's case is even worse because he doesn't seem to have anyone but his assistant. At least on an official base!

[ravenadottir]

boat party: NO 💙

if you liked 'boat party' and doesn't want to read my opinion about it, skip this post, 'cause it's negative.

i'm pointing out the things i didn't like, so you know this one might be long.

i'm super late to this, and i wouldn't even play it if it wasn't for this ask. i couldn't give an answer without knowing what was going on.

JUST SO YOU KNOW, THIS WAS A TAI ROUTE, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THE OTHERS GO, AND QUITE FRANKLY I'M NOT GOING BACK TO PLAY AND FIND OUT, I DON'T CARE ABOUT THIS.

if one character didn't get the same treatment the others did i can't give two shits about the whole thing. here's a very quick summon: you can choose everything at the beginning, your bff, if you shared the money or not, your partner and etc.

it all starts when your partner cooks dinner for you. the energy is a little off and he makes one too many jokes, enough to piss off mc, who claims he's not listening to her. in response, he leaves. for weeks. without calling. because apparently talking is not an option.

already off to a mediocre start, but i digress.

it has been implied that bigger problems were the root of the fight so i got excited about that, because there might be some some substance after all.

elladine's text comes in telling you about a one-week-vacation on a boat and it's set to have every islander from season 3. when you're there your LI is in your cabin but t's extremely awkward, so they find a new one for them.

the whole point of ‘boat party’ is to bring the drama that didn't happen during the season, but... the drama never happens! at least not on tai's route!

you're not on good terms with your partner, and the game even gives you the chance to flirt/kiss someone else, which doesn't sound right to me, but pop off. it all comes across very petty and childish and there's no real issues revealed to make either tai or mc to act like this.

you haven't even properly talked to your partner and you're gonna go around and kiss someone else? make it make it sense.

and the fact that your partner says something like "i thought you were having something wth so-and-so and wanted to be here with them instead of me" doesn't come across as cute, it comes across as weird.

now, whenever tai and my mc go to have a chat about their relationship, about four times throughout the entire season, the "bigger problems" are never discussed!

this is how it goes: "we should chat"

"yes, we should." then they go to a place to chat and the chat is:

"well, we have more problems than just you not listening to me."

"yeah, we need to talk about those..."

and it gets awkward and the LI says " well this is awkward."

AND NOBODY EVER TALK ABOUT THEIR FUCKING PROBLEMS AND HE LEAVES! HE WALKS AWAY, LIKE-

if it only happened once or twice i would probably understand, you know... "oh, it's really soon to open up" BUT FOUR MOTHERFUCKING TIMES???

and i could totally see that happening with younger islanders like aj or harry, their brains are not fully developed, but tai??? he's 28!

fusebox couldn't come up with anything that would justify tai walking out so they just keep insisting on "bigger issues", but they don't exist!! they want you to hate mc's partner but there's never a good reason to do it! THERE ISN'T A GOOD REASON TO BE APART FROM EACH OTHER.

and in between those awful scenes you get your best friend saying things like "we should talk about your feelings.", then you tell them what happened on the chat with your LI and they say "yeah, it's tough." and fucking leaves!

i'm not kidding! seb has left every single time! he's just another tchotchke in the boat!

and hear me out, i love the rubbish chats we have as a group, like when bobby asks you about fruit cocktails and the entire group is together talking about it, i love those fluffy pieces. it's great to get a scoop on people's personalities and preferences, but it doesn't work here, guys, it really doesn't.

the whole point of those is to relieve tension or anticipation from dramatic situations, but given there's no real threat or danger in this story those group dialogues become misplaced! it just gives the islanders an idiotic personality because it seems they're interrupting you for nothing.

the whole LI x mc thing is like, almost as if boomers were trying to come up with a good reason for you to break up but they can't bring themselves to actually ruin the character, like making them cheat or choosing something beyond mc like a job. they didn't take risks with any of the storylines here and it sucks!

now, i don't know if the characters that interact with your partner on paddleboarding are interchangeable, but if they are, i still don't care. you get to make them jealous with your own islander on the board but your SO is not doing anything wrong... everything is really friendly and not on purpose... i don't understand!

everything about these episodes is so childish and petty, and not in a good way. marinating in a fight for weeks? without talking or calling or checking on each other to make sure you're both alive?

GROW UP.

and the way your LI keeps it hot and cold all the time honestly gives me whiplash. i hate it. i hate the whole thing because it doesn't make sense.

the only reason why there's 10 episodes is because they're fucking children. because if they talked like two adults they supposedly are, this would've been a solid 10 episodes of fun with your friends and possibly romantic scenes on a boat!

if you wanna make it dramatic, DO IT RIGHT!

and the way the game forces you to interact with someone else is just so dumb. it's so evident they want to create drama but they're not in the mood of making it good.

miki calls you out for "playing" with someone else's feelings but nothing happened!!! you have the option of never kissing the second person but miki still treats you badly for "mistreating them".

MIKI, ARE YOU GOOD? DO YOU NEED A SNACK?

the whole thing is designed to waste your time because it touches on how people are feeling about things, or even invents a mystery about it, only to be revealed after so much build up that the problem they're having is not dramatic at all!

i sincerely thought yasmin had a terminal disease or was pregnant, but it turns out she needs vacation and the whole building up of the matter takes like three episodes. WHY?

i'm not saying exhaustion is not serious, i'm saying "solve that shit better". it took us three episodes to get to the bottom of the truth, and why she was so temperamental, and everything is solved in three frames, with the dumbest resoulution ever!!! IT'S SO STUPID!

she's so annoyed about iona and everyone else, and she finally says "i'm just so tired and stressed out." and the solution is "you should keep your phone in a different room and take some time off." and she goes "oh, yeah, that's a good idea!"

fuck all the way off!

the truth to the build up is so underwhelming, i can't. it's clear they didn't take any risks and actually put the islanders in daring situations. i wish they did. i wish there was more to it than just "i never thought about taking some time off."

WHAT-

the only cool thing to come out of this is that aj realizes she's a lesbian and she has a girlfriend. that's it. that's the only highlight of this entire thing.

oh, and i thought there was gonna be some interesting discussions when nicky brought up the possibility of selling their podcast to a bigger company, but all we got is a rushed dialogue, at the end, with seb saying "nicky decided not to go for it so thanks for talking to him". the conversation didn't even last that long and all the options take you to the same place.

and viv had a job offer to go to australia and she's afraid of telling seb. mc goes "but he loves you, right?"

"i guess."

HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU WITH THE SAME PERSON FOR A YEAR AND YOU DON'T KNOW IF THEY LOVE YOU? GIRL, WHAT?

that's also resolved in the same dialogue seb delivers about nicky and the podcast. everything is just "hey, here's a problem that's really big and it has a lot of potential." and it's resolved in two frames or less without even needing our help or intervention.

there's no reason to call my mc MC because nobody gives two shits about what's going on with her, and you know what? i respect them more for that.

now, the thing that made me chuck my phone in the couch was this: on episode 10 tai comes to you and it's implied you need to make a decision, AGAIN. because mc already made a decision on lie episode 6.

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO MAKE ANY DECISIONS IF WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT OUR SHIT, MY GUY?!

i'm supposed to say "i wanna be with you" but that decision was made before, i sincerely don't understand what this whole ordeal was, and i never want to go back to this again.

and like, i forgot some of the characters were here, like ciaran, rafi, lily, harry. they show up for like six frames on the last couple of episodes. not complaining, just observing. and if bill had a cork in his mouth i could forgive 50% of the bullshit storylines we had.

in summon, i hate it. it's even more shallow than season 3, more childish and filled with useless storylines that don't make any sense or don't have a satisfying ending.

with that being said, i hope the players don't get bamboozled like this on season 4. i'm not playing it but if you are, don't buy any gems nor support them, they don't deserve it.

i was left, once again, hating fusebox. it's a good reminder that they don't give a shit, and will continue not giving a shit.

[early2000smovieimagines]

Meeting and Dating Ron Weasley

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

- Technically, you and Ron didn’t meet until fourth year but the redheaded boy had been in love with you since the moment he saw you, which was during first year at the magical school. 

- While he was certainly too shy to approach you, he did do quite a bit of staring and talking to Harry about you; though he tried to pretend as though he couldn’t care less every time he realized how in love he sounded. 

- So fourth year comes around and he’s still just as infatuated with you; and just as emotionally stunted about it, as ever. But then, it happens.  

“Hey Ginny.” 

- You waved at the redheaded girl as you passed with a few of your friends, causing her older brother to stare at her as though she’d suddenly sprouted another head. 

“How do you know y/n y/l/n?!” Ron immediately asked after you were far away enough not to hear. 

- He spent the rest of their walk questioning her as to how she knew you and how you met and if you were close and blah, blah, blah. Ginny only got him to lay off after she started teasing him for being in love with you, but even then he still sent a few hesitant questions her way, all the while insisting he wasn’t all that interested. 

- Ginny is very pleased with her newfound power. It was like the cat who got the canary the first time she brought you over and introduced you to her blushing brother. Ron could have killed her yet “kissed” her at the same time; not literally.

- Even though you now know each other and are on friendlier terms, he’s still nervous and awkward around you. He’s always messing up his words, stuttering, tripping over things, staring, etc. He’s awful with women if you weren’t aware.

- And yet, you still seem to like him, and over time he does start to relax, even though he still has his moments.

- Ron never actually asks you out, you just sort of have a silent agreement. You start to spend more alone time together, you don’t date anyone else, you share awkward yet almost tender moments, etc. Your relationship status is later solidified with a; long awaited, kiss and a kiss alone.

- Ron is very much so a spontaneous “I’m just gonna kiss her and deal with the consequences later” type of person. He’s bad at expressing his feelings with words so he’ll do it with his actions, and he’ll do it quickly before he has the chance to stop himself; usually after a surge of emotions.

- So, in typical Ron fashion, he heard some guy mention how he was thinking about asking you out, and realized that you never did establish that the two of you were an item. He immediately started to think about how much he’d hate to see you with another guy and how much he cared about you.

- Because of that, he was quite distracted when he finally saw you again. He fidgeted and seemed to be lost in his own thoughts as you walked together but just as you were thinking about saying something to him, he turned and laid one on you.

- Although you were a bit flustered and certainly very surprised, you kissed back and smiled at him as the two of you pulled away.

“I’ve been waiting to do that.” He admitted, his less confident personality returning as a blush creeped its way onto his cheeks.

- It’s in that moment that you’ve realized that you’ve fallen in love with a dork. A wonderful, beautiful dork.

- Though it tends to make him flustered, Ron is definitely a fan of pda. In the beginning of your relationship, he’s a bit defensive about it, like when his friends chuckle at you kissing his cheek or make faces at him while he’s got his arm wrapped around you, but he learns to ignore it and just brush them off. 

- Handholding. 

- Leaning your head on his shoulder. Perhaps it’s because it’s you initiating a type of affection or because it shows that you’re comfortable with him, but either way, he loves it. 

- Hugs. That’s all this boy wants. Just wrap your arms around him and let him hold you close goddamnit!

- You giving him kisses on the cheek; or anywhere else? Unparalleled. Never stop. 

- Abrupt, passionate kisses. 

- Snogging. He’s certainly a bit clumsy at first but you don’t mind; you probably are too. 

- He has a few select terms of endearment that he likes to use: darling, sweetheart, woman, my girlfriend. He doesn’t mind pet names but please stick to a simple “babe” or “honey” and not something like “won won” (shudders). 

- Ron sleeps on his back most of the time so you’ll just usually lay your head on his chest while he wraps his arms around you. That being said, he isn’t particular about the position, and since he has a habit of snoring, you may want to try spooning. 

- Do you know how long he’s waited to brush your hair behind your ear or wipe something off your face? That little action is so important to him and even he doesn’t really know why.

- Bridal carrying and piggyback rides. Ron’s a strong boy and he likes showing it off, and feeling you holding onto him.

- Getting your food stolen.

- Playing chess. 

- Dates at Hogsmeade. Sometimes the two of you just wander around and get yourselves a little privacy from every bodies prying eyes; and third wheeling.

- Going to the three broomsticks. If Ginny is there, he will immediately ask to leave and you oftentimes find it too amusing to be annoyed.

- Obviously, Ron doesn’t have a ton of pocket money so the two of you don’t do anything too expensive. A lot of your dates consist of roaming around the castle and the grounds together, finding somewhere to sit and just enjoying each other’s company.

- Sitting in the courtyard together.

- Cheering Harry on at Quidditch together and later cheering him, Ginny and Harry on with Hermione.

- Exaggerated stories. He’s always trying to impress you and make himself or what he’s done seem cooler than it really is.

- You’re constantly making jabs at each other and lovingly laughing at the other person. How can you not tease him for being in love with Viktor Krum, it’s the only way you can make yourself feel better about his obsession.

- You can practically see the hearts in his eyes when you laugh. He loves seeing and hearing it so much.

- Compliments and flattery. Is it so you’ll do his homework? Is it genuine? The world may never know.

- Making sure he actually does his work and does it well. He would be lost without you.

- You and Hermione talking about your mutual struggles with the boys. Ron and Harry watch from afar, agreeing that your little gathering makes them nervous and wondering what you’re saying.

- He likes when you try to teach him things, it gives him an excuse to be close to and watch you.

- He’s always encouraging you and reassuring you that you’ll do great and that you can do it. He’s so sure of you that you almost feel sure of yourself.

- Although he tries to not let you know just how much he is, he’s very impressed and proud of you at just about any given moment. He’s never met someone as amazing as you.

- Sometimes he surprises you with just how much he listens. Oftentimes at random, he’ll mention something that you once said and surprise you with just how much he’s taken to remembering; sometimes purely because it came out of your mouth.

- He’s always a bit speechless when you give him a gift. Once he’s over the shock, he’ll give you a “bloody hell, thank you” and a kiss on the cheek.

- Ron’s taken on Voldemort and countless other dangers and yet you’ll still have to be the one to kill the spiders in your relationship.

- Showing him muggle stuff. Oh Godric, the amount of time his father spent asking you about the muggle world when you first visited....

- Spending summers at the burrow and writing to each other; even though he teasingly pretends that he won’t.

- Ron is the youngest Weasley boy and Molly’s a momma bear so expect to be sweetly scrutinized and then made into a part of the family.

- The twins and Ginny teasing the two of you; though they do tease him more when they’re alone with him.

- You should probably apologize to Harry I’m advance because this boy never shuts up about you to him.

- Lightly touching and checking on each other’s injuries. He’s very gentle with you when you’re hurt, he treats you like you’re made of glass.

- Ron has always sort of felt like he was second best to Harry and most of his brothers so he loves when you pay special attention to him. Listening to his stories, praising him, having eyes only for him, it all makes him feel so much better about himself.

- Trying to help him smooth things over with people; especially when it comes to Harry and Hermione. It’s awkward to not be able to talk to them because your boyfriend keeps you right by his side so you try to fix things as soon as possible.

- As we all know, Ron is an incredibly jealous person and when he gets jealous, he can get a bit nasty. He’ll most likely interrupt you and make you choose between him or the guy, wanting you to prove that he’s more important to you than them by going with him. 

- Afterwards, he insults the person he’s jealous of, maybe accidentally somewhat insulting you in the process, and tries his best to make you think the other person is a git. 

- Ron is constantly jumping to defend your honor and is always ready to fight someone to do it. He may act like an ass to you at times but he really does love you and your safety is his top priority. Nothing is going to mess with his girlfriend. 

- The two of you have quite a few fights, all of them varying in intensity. Ron isn’t good at expressing his feelings so that’s usually what leads to fighting: him just not being able to communicate properly. Sometimes you have quick, hushed arguments, leaning in close to each others faces. Other times, you’ll be having loud and harsh ones filled with insinuations and insults you don’t mean. 

- You usually give each other space, whether it’s out of respect or because you both refuse to speak to the other one first depends on the situation. He asks Harry how long he thinks you’ll stay mad at him and oftentimes asks the boy to talk to you for him, mainly to see if you’re still mad. His apologies are stilted but he does give them and knowing how he is, you usually accept them. 

- There aren’t a ton of I love you’s in your relationship, given how awkward he is most of the time; particularly when you’re younger, but he will occasionally blurt it out without thinking. 

“Bloody hell,” he’ll say in awe. “Godric I love you.”

- While times certainly get tough in the future, he’s been in love with you since he was eleven and there’s no sign of it stopping any time soon. You’ll stick by each others sides and when the dust settles, you’ll start to build that life he’s been fantasizing about. 

[celticcrossanon]

BRF Reading - 3rd of September 2021

This is speculation only

Cards drawn 3rd of September, 2021

Question: Does Meghan want baby Lili to have a royal christening in the UK? What does HMTQ think about that?

Note: The cards appear to have answered a completely different question to what I asked. My focus was on whether Meghan would be able to go back to the UK for this christening or not. The cards are answering the question: What is Harry feeling right now?

Under a cut as this is long.

Interpretation: Harry is the one that wants to go back to the UK, not Meghan

Card One: The Knight of Wands. The card shows Bellerophon, mounted on his winged steed Pegasus, just after he has killed the fabled monster of the Chimera. Bellerophon's reckless and exuberant natures got him into a lot of trouble in his life. He was killed when he tried to ride Pegasus to Mount Olympus, the home of the Gods, and Zeus sent a gadfly to sting Pegasus so Bellerophon was thrown off and fell to his death.

The Knight of Wands can be a fire sign person, particularly a Sagittarius, or it can be a person who is enthusiastic and full of ideas, someone who is focused on making one or more of those ideas a reality, but who is prone to 'leaping before they look' and biting off more than they can chew. They are impulsive and impatient, thinking first and acting later, and they can be very unreliable in the follow through (they run out of steam and abandon the project).

This card is giving me the energy of Prince Harry and how he regards his past behaviour with Megxit. Harry is slowly coming to see that like Bellerophon, he has fallen from Mount Olympus, i.e. from his position in the BRF. Harry is slowly seeing how his over-confident actions and lack of proper planning (i.e. leaping before he looked) have caused him to be in this position, although I still feel that Harry is blaming everyone else and covid for his position - he is not yet ready to accept responsibility for his actions (this is one of the flaws of the Knight of Wands - being irresponsible). So Harry is regretting his past actions and wants to abandon the Harkle's plan for life in Hollywood and return to the UK.

This card can also show how the BRF regard the idea of a UK christening for baby Lili. They see it as an attempt by Meghan to regain membership of the BRF, like Bellerophon trying to enter Mount Olympus. The BRF view Meghan's request for a Royal Christening as an idea that Meghan is pursuing regardless of anything else (as the Knight of Wands does - she is focused on making this idea into reality). They see that it would be a reckless and ill-judged idea on their part to agree to this.

Card Two: The Knight of Pentacles. This is the card of Virgo, and the energy here is of a sun sign Virgo, Prince Harry. This card is confirmation that it is Harry who wants to return to the UK, not Meghan. The impression I am getting is that Harry wants to return for good and leave the BRF to clean up whatever mess he left behind him in California.

The Knight of Pentacles is the slowest moving card in the deck, so any suggestions of Harry returning to the UK are moving very slowly, if at all. The Knight of Pentacles is also the most reliable and responsible of the knights, with a focus on hard work, planning, and working methodically towards a goal. This Knight does all of the work involved, even the mundane, boring and repetitive tasks. They take care of all the details and never leave a job half done.

If you look at the cards, you can see that the Knight of Pentacles is facing in the opposite direction to the Knight of Wands. This tells me that if Harry wants to return to the UK, he has to do a complete turn around in his attitude and adopt the attitude of the Knight of Pentacles. He has to take responsibility for himself, follow through on his deals or break them and pay the penalty, tidy up all the details, and then, with everything cleared up properly, there might be a chance of him returning to England (just him, Meghan is absent from this reading).

With respect to the Christening, this card says that the BRF is examining the idea from every angle and doing into every detail of not just the idea itself, but of the consequences to them. They are examining every way that the Harkles could use this event to wedge themselves further in the ceremonious life of the BRF (i.e. if we come from the christening then we have to come for Remembrance Day as well, and Trooping, and the Jubilee etc), and every way that the christening could be used against them. Like the Knight of Pentacles, they are being slow and meticulous, looking at all the details and the repercussions of this event. Meghan, of course, is pushing the 'Harry is the daddy and he is a Prince so baby Lili has to have a royal christening' angle.

Card Three: The Four of Cups. This is a card of boredom, emotional dissatisfaction, and missed opportunities. The card shows Psyche sitting with her two sisters who are gossiping and raising questions about Psyche's husband - if he won't allow her to see him at night, he must be a monster - and so Psyche is feeling dissatisfied with her marriage. There are four cups (opportunities) in front of the women, but no one s looking at them, they are too focused on their own concerns.

This card shows Harry's current emotional state. He is bored and dissatisfied. His marriage has not worked out as he hoped, and the move to California has not worked out as he hoped. He is missing out on opportunities, either because he does not see them or because he is not prepared to focus on them to make them work. The gossip about his marriage and his life is upsetting him. He is not at the stage of leaving his marriage, but he is bored and restless, and he wants to do something to make things better.

With respect to the Christening, Meghan is focusing so hard on this idea that she is missing other opportunities around her (like a US christening). She wants to come back and 'prove' she is royal as she thinks that will create more opportunities for her (the cups on the card). The BRF are very dissatisfied with the idea of Meghan returning and play-acting at being a royal again to help promote herself to Hollywood/Netflix/Spotify etc (to say the least). The idea of the christening makes them irritated and annoyed.

Underlying Energy: The Four of Wands. This is a card of celebration, harmony, and homecoming. The card shows Jason gathered with his friends on the shore, having a celebration before they set off on the adventure that is the quest for the golden fleece.

As a card of home, this tells me that Harry wants to come home. He misses the days when the BRF took care of him and did things for him, he misses the safety of having them behind him, and he misses being a part of their ceremonial celebrations (Trooping, Remembrance Day, the Jubilee festivities next year, etc and so on). He wants to go back to being able to participate in those events and to having the BRF look after him.

The christening of a baby should be a celebration of life and a welcoming into the family. While those elements are present in this card, Wands is the suit of PR, and I am getting PR energy from this, so the christening would just be as big PR exercise as far as Meghan is concerned. Like Jason on the card, it would be a big party for her before she goes back to the US and continues her search for her golden fleece (i.e. lots of money). The BRF is well aware of this and they are not inclined to disturb the harmony of their home and their place in British society to support such a scheme. They are royal, with all that entails, and not supporting actors in whatever role Meghan wants to play in the public eye.

Repeated Cards: The reading has two Knights and Two fours. Knights are cards of action. Knights want to get out there and do things. Fours represent security, with each card showing a different aspect of it. So here we have a desire for action that will increase the security of some people (Meghan and Harry) and diminish the security of others (the BRF).

Minor Arcana: These cards are all minor arcana cards, which says that all this stuff is going on behind the scenes and has not been made public by either party concerned (the Harkles or the BRF) - excluding the PR that Meghan uses to try to force things to go her way, of course.

Conclusion: We have two readings for the price of one here.

Firstly, Harry is regretting Megzit as it has not worked out as he hoped. He is blaming everyone but himself for this. He wants to leave and return to the UK, where he thinks the BRF will include him in all the ceremonious events and clean up the mess(es) he left behind him in the US. He is dissatisfied in his marriage, but not enough to leave Meghan. The BRF has the attitude that Harry needs to take responsibility for his actions and clean up his own mess, and then (and only then) will they consider the possibility of Harry returning to the UK (not Meghan).

Secondly, Meghan wants a UK Royal Christening as a PR exercise to show that she is still royal. She thinks that this will create more opportunities for her in the US, and she is laser focused on making this idea a reality. This focus has caused her to miss some opportunities. She is pushing for it using the argument that the baby of a prince needs a royal christening. The BRF is not supporting the Christening idea. They see it for what it is - one of Meghan's PR stunts - and they have no desire to be part of it. They know that supporting the idea would be a reckless and ill judged move that would cost them dearly. They are examining every angle of the event and how it could be used against them, and there is a general feeling of dissatisfaction and irritation around the idea.