#Even if it is just spending time doing some research on the situation and history. Or boosting posts that are more articulate

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Wei Wuxian eats a watermelon. Yep!

[vicissicude]

reading the transcript of james somerton's video and here's some notable stuff for people who dont want to watch the 34 minute long thing:

it opens with him saying his media blackout is because he was in the hospital for "trying to do something really stupid"

the first thing approaching an apology in this apology video is at the timestamp 2:20

immediately after saying "i'm really really sorry" he says that in title cards he tried to put "this is based on this person's research or this person's book" but he "knows that isnt enough now"

"there were a lot of times that stuff just got put in and there was no attempt at crediting anybody and i'm really really sorry" nice passive voice james

he claims he didnt know he was hurting people doing this

he spends two minutes explaining how long he's been friends with nick and all their history and that nick has not spoken with him since "this happened"

"I also want to apologize for the misinformation and just outright lies that ended up in the videos I can honestly say that I never intended for any of that stuff to be in the videos. And most cases I didn't write it but I should have […] I should have been more diligent about factchecking" he never intended lies to be in the video, just pure good research that he stole. research that he later says he took for granted

he briefly thanks harris and his team for the fund set up for victims of plagiarism and says he wants to help but doesn't know how

less than a second later he's saying that all claims and estimations of how much he makes online are overestimated and that he split everything 50/50 with nick

he says his plan moving forward is to reupload all the videos, put credit in the description, and then somehow send the ad revenue for those videos to the authors whose research he stole. do those authors want that? wonder if he even asked them. i mean if he stole my shit for a video i wouldnt want him to reupload with a credit in the description and whatever paltry cents i get from the few views he'll manage after this

"I never thought anyone thought that I was doing like journalism on stuff. I don't think anyone did, but the people who actually were doing it should have been given the credit they deserved." wild sentence bro

he once again defends his title card citations in two videos and appends "but now I know that's not how citation works" so why are you still saying it...

at some point he'd like to do videos again, and his plan for that is "videos that are fully sourced where I will put a link to the script where you can find all of the sources so that everyone is properly given the credit that they deserve." now i could be reading this purposefully negatively but this just sounds like a description citation again but with extra steps

he wants to be a "really good example" of proper citation

"People think that I hate ace people and women and bisexual people and lesbians and that's not true. I'm sorry that stuff made it into the videos. I promise you I did not write that stuff. I should have been a lot more extracting when Nick and I would be editing scripts but I promise you that I don't think those things […] when it came to that I would just kind of run with Nick's judgement and his observations and stuff like that." SO THE ONE THING THAT HARRIS SAID WAS NOT PLAGIARIZED AND SEEMED TO BE JAMES'S REAL OPINION HE WANTS US TO KNOW THAT HE DEFINITELY DOESNT FEEL THAT WAY AND WAS JUST PARROTING NICK'S OPINION. but dont worry right after this he assures us he's not trying to "throw Nick under the bus"

he says he thinks they were just trying to do videos too fast and writing and editing too fast

"Telos was never a scam. It was never a grift or anything like that I swear it was not. In the next couple of days I'm going to send out a message to the supporters on Indiegogo and explain the whole situation in more detail to them." can't wait to read that explanation

he spends more time talking about the videos he'd like to make in the future

"I actually liked doing research. I loved doing research, reading the books and articles and stuff like that. The part of me that was lazy was the copy and paste part. I wasn't trying to be malicious that was just laziness." james. that's not as great of an explanation as you might think. it just shows how blatantly you dont respect or care for other creators. you only did it because you believed you could get away with it, not just because you were lazy

he says the reason he's reactivating his patreon is because there were several people online theorizing that his plan was to relaunch in january to pull surprise billing and run with the money. so he said he's relaunching now to give people time to leave ("which i imagine will be the vast majority" can't pass up the opportunity to be self-deprecating)

he ends the video restating what he said earlier in the video

notably he's crying the whole time

one thing i'll say is that i didn't see anything that indicated he communicated with harris or kat or anyone. it sounded like he was coming up with that plan on the fly. i'm not surprised if he claimed it elsewhere or has failed to follow up on that promise, but it has only been 5 hours since release (at the time i'm typing this). so at least he's not making claims quite as bold as "i've been in communication with hbomberguy"

[therecordconnection]

Some Thoughts Regarding James Somerton

I know I'm rather late to the conversation and some of these points may have already been talked about in some form elsewhere on the site, but if you don't mind, I have some thoughts of my own regarding the subject of hbomberguy's latest video and I would like to take time to voice. This blog is normally dedicated to music and music writing, not posts about disgraced Youtubers, so I apologize for the detour in regularly scheduled programming.

First, I think it's important to make the distinction that Somerton isn't just a case of "problematic Youtube guy got owned... twice" but rather a genuine case of academic dishonesty, which is several grades above youtuber drama. This isn't something like Tati Westbrook getting angry at James Charles for sucking dick and cock at a birthday dinner. This isn't Ethan Klein and Trisha Paytas or whomever having beef. It's not Charlie Critikal talking about some stupid drama of the day or someone just using Youtube videos to say a bunch of gross and problematic stuff. No. This is a fucking grifter who not only lied, cheated, and stole his way to the top, but also did it by using a vulnerable community that has long had their voices snuffed out and their history completely rewritten or wiped from existence altogether. What history he didn't plagiarize, he twisted and outright lied about. He just made shit up to suit his own gross agenda.

A lot of things about James Somerton left me absolutely livid, and I admit that I didn't even know who he was until hbomberguy's video. I think what makes me the most mad is that I went to undergrad and grad school with a number of jackoffs that were just like him. People that didn't give a shit about the art of writing and research and just treated academia and the pursuit of knowledge and how to critically engage with art and media into a stupid game that only chumps take seriously. Somerton pisses me off because I AM a writer. When I write the Ranting and Raving series of posts on here, that stuff doesn't just fly out of my ass. I have to sit with a song, study it, research it, and make sure I know what I'm talking about so I don't look like a clown. I also have to make sure that I link and credit where I'm getting information from. It's not just important for my own satisfaction, but it's important for anyone who stumbles upon a post on this blog and takes time out of their day to read it and/or reblog it.

I think that's the part that makes me the most mad. That he and Nick Hergott have so little respect for the work that goes into researching and writing about a topic that other people are really passionate about. Spending time with something, studying it, and figuring out an interesting and unique perspective on it is a great feeling. Sharing what you find or how you see something with others and having them either like or reblog your work is an even greater feeling. That's my writing that somebody enjoyed and thought was worth sharing with others. Fuck fuck fuck Somerton for thinking you can take a million little shortcuts to get to that result.

While I'm on the topic, I don't think Hergott gets a pass for Somerton's actions. I've seen some people make the argument that he isn't complicit and there's a chance that he genuinely had no clue that Somerton was doing this... but I don't buy it. There's no way he didn't know and wasn't in on it in some capacity. Even if he wasn't, as Todd in the Shadows pointed out in his video on this situation, Nick is, whether you like it or not, an accomplice to Somerton's lies and he is complicit in the blame, due to his name being included in the "Written By" credit of a lot of those videos with Somerton. The way I see it, I find it hard to believe that he couldn't have known. I imagine part of Hergott's signing on with Somerton was that in the event that shit hits the fan, Hergott would be used as a fall guy to help deflect accusations of plagiarism.

To return to Somerton, in a way, he's almost worse than AI/Chat-GPT because, really, an AI has no morals. It can only do what someone punches in and tells it to do. Somerton is a guy who does have genuinely insidious ambitions and knows fully what he's doing. That shit about "only the boring gays who didn't mess around in the eighties survived the aids crisis" is the wildest and grossest accusation I've seen about gay people in some time. The wild takes about the Nazis (especially all the wrong things he said about fitness relating to Nazis) should also raise a lot of red flags. I'll say this though, I don't blame anybody in the slightest for not fully realizing Somerton was saying shit like that or doing all of what he was doing until hbomberguy and Todd presented it a certain way and made it all very clear. It's easy to not notice it when Somerton buries it by ripping stuff off from other, better writers. So, if you were someone who was a big fan and was genuinely shocked by the things Todd had to fact-check and debunk and worried that you're a bad person for having not caught any of them, trust me, you're not. Nobody should blame you for not catching it. <3

While I'm ranting about this, I want to say that Somerton's patreon grift was really gross to see exposed as well (through Dan Olson's really great thread, which can be read here). I understand the allure of wanting to buy expensive gear and thinking that's somehow needed in order to make Good Content™️, but there's a stark difference between someone saying "I think I need to shell out a little money in order to get something of higher quality" and "I need to have the appearance of looking like my stuff is being made with high quality stuff." As someone who has been experimenting with trying to turn his writing into video, I did some audio tests this weekend and realized that maybe (just maybe) the old Turtle Beach microphone my brother left behind when he moved out isn't going to cut it. If I want to record something I can be happy with, I'm gonna have to bite it and look at getting something decent, but somewhat affordable from a Best Buy or something. You don't need the best tech in order to make something great, but you can't use copper tools forever if you have the means to be able to enjoy using iron ones, you know?

Somerton's grift reminded me of guys like Onision and Spoony. Grifters who looked to Patreon and other creator donation sites for an easy pay day and would bitch and cry and complain that it's your fault when they don't get it. Somerton making poor financial choices ON TOP of it being money that he scammed from a community of people that were looking to invest in a voice that they genuinely thought was speaking for them in a meaningful way, only makes the grift more disgusting and foul. Even if he's just "some Youtuber," Somerton still had a responsibility to his audience to present queer topics in an ACCURATE manner. He didn't and we all have the right to be angry with him about it. This isn't just silly youtuber controversy, this is academic dishonesty in it's purest form and if it gets you expelled from any college program, it should get you expelled from being able to show your face on Youtube as well, which is how Somerton's story will end.

I've been on the internet for many years. I've seen some of the worst, most problematic creators of all time find a way to bounce back from all kinds of controversy and find some kind of success again. I don't think that will happen for Somerton. Not one bit. What he's done is something you can never come back from, no matter how much you try to reform. If two different youtubers can make two completely different videos about why you suck, I don't think there's any recovery. What happened this weekend is a now classic episode of World's Most One Sided Fist Fights Caught on Film.

This post has gone on for a while, so let me wrap it up. I mean this without hyperbole and without exaggeration: James Somerton is a disgrace to both media criticism and the art of video creation. I genuinely hope he remains propped up as a cautionary tale of what can happen when you fully decide you have absolutely no respect for the Humanities and decide that lying, cheating, and stealing your way to the top, all while scamming and being incredibly shitty towards a community that has long suffered and is STILL suffering greatly to this day, is better than any kind of academic honesty. I understand that Somerton is just "some youtube fraud" to some people, but the problem lies more in what Somerton's actions and motivations represent. I really think hbomberguy's video on plagiarism is going to do a lot of good. It's going to help a lot of people avoid doing it as well as help people become more aware of what it really looks like and all the damage it can do.

Thank you for your time.

P.S. It doesn't really need to be said at this point, but make sure you support the queer voices and writers that did the work Somerton thought was good enough to just copy and paste into a video. They're the ones that suffered the most through all of this and my heart goes out to them, from one writer to another. <3

[harus-simp]

Ricky as a boyfriend

-Ricky x reader-

Warning: none

Author's note: well this is technically not a request but after speaking with it with my 🐯 anon it inida gave me some ideas 👀, so this goes for you pookie :))

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How would ricky act as your boyfriend?

(This men would be the death of me I swear to God)

So I'm convinced he would be a little bit awkward and shy at first

I mean he's not too extroverted in itself but not too introverted with people he knows

So I'm sure he'd behave the same on a relationship

You both first met on your language academy as you were both foreigners

Initially you hadn't approached each other due to shyness and just don't knowing how to start up a conversation

Like what were you supposed to ask? Enjoyed the lesson? No, that'd be embarrassing

So you opted to see when the situation would come were you both could establish some contact

And the universe seemed to be on your side as you were both paired to make a research about korea's history to understand more the cultural aspect of the country

So he approached you quietly tapping on your shoulder to get your attention

You both started to talk about the project and exchanged numbers just for the sake of your grade

Totally not because you wanted to talk 👀

After you finishes tho, you kept talking and found you actually had a lot in common

So you started to hang out and eventually caught feelings for you as he found you so reliable and someone with whom he could act as himself :))

His confession was actually so romantic?

Like the put lots of efforts on it

He took you to the beach where you both spend the day just swimming, playing and messing around

Then you started to walk through the sand as the sun was setting, he stopped making you look back at him asking him what was wrong

"Is everything good?"

He took your hands in his giving you the most adoring gaze and a small smile

"Please be my girlfriend"

You accepted immediately and my boy here didn't waste a single second and brought you closer pulling you into a soft kiss

He really took his shot 👀

His favourite dates are probably coffee dates or tea dates, he just enjoys sitting with you and talking about anything

Although you end up talking most of the time, but he just loves to hear your voice <3

He is a man that likes to spoil his partner, so he'd buy you gifts once in a while

They could go from little necklaces to clothes to much simpler things such as flowers or taking you out to your favourite restaurant

Speaking of clothes, he's love to see you wearing his clothes, he'd think you fit them better

He's really young and rich, TALL and handsome

So if you are smaller than him he'd find so cute how big his hoodies were on you

And if you are taller or the same height as him he'd find you incredibly gorgeous and beautiful, you could be a model couple together 🤭

When he's away for too long he misses you like hell, so he'd have a picture of you as his wallpaper to look at it whenever he wants

The picture was really simple: you cuddling a plushie he had gifted you, finding the scene too adorable he couldn't help but take a photo

Now does he get jealous?

Yes (a lot)

Does he show it?

No

But he does glares with deadly eyes at whoever is flirting with you

However, if he sees you are uncomfortable he doesn't doubt to make an intervention right there

And you do know he's jealous, he literally stops speaking to you with this sweet tone

And just spaces out a lot

But a few kisses here and there will solve that in no time 😘

Also he's just a rizzler and a tease 💀

When he wants to kiss you he would just stare down your lips making you so nervous and giddy

"Stop being a jerk!"

"Make me stop"he says as he smirks and gets even closer to you

Nah you just *puff*, you are now officially a tomato 🍅

He would eventually kiss you taking your chin and tilting your head upwards to have a better position

You end up laying on your back with your hands wrapped around his shoulders and his grabbing your waist ;))

Yeah things got definitely a little bit hot there 😳

But all in all he would be a sweet lover that would love you unconditionally, you made him feel so loved and appreciated

So yeah a really nice boyfie he would be <3

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[laceyjane44]

GaaSaku 2023 FanFest day20

Prompt: Joint Village Mission

“They sent you?”

Sakura quirked her brow, staring down the man before her and his quizzical gaze. “I could say the same thing,” she stated.

Finding herself in the land of snow, she pulled the cloak closer to her neck, the wind was biting, and she cared not for these pleasantries happening amidst a snowstorm. She was here to better understand the current illness sweeping through the small villages in the area and bring reports back to her homeland. It was a matter of diplomacy; other nations had sent their representatives, like her companion here, and their mission would be to assist in identifying the cause and synthesizing a cure or treatment.

Gaara was the last person she thought that the sand would send, he seemed far too out of place with flakes of snow sticking in his hair and the tinge of red across his nose and cheeks. Even his ears looked to be on the verge of frostbite.

She would forgo the mild insult he’d just given her; it didn’t appear like he was aware of it anyway, and figured he wouldn’t have known of her extensive knowledge of medicine. “Come on,” she said as she turned from him, the snow falling quietly around them. “Our cabin is over here.”

Spread across the land, pairs of the traveling researchers were strewn about the fringe villages afflicted with the mysterious blight. She had been paired with Gaara, it seemed, and she figured it had to do with his history with Naruto and her knowledge of his temperament. They were acquainted already, so this arrangement was likely best.

Their cabin was small but cozy, a woodburning stove kept it plenty warm, a pair of beds were in the corner, though since Gaara didn’t even sleep she hadn’t the need to feel shy about it, and they’d been stocked with provisions of food rations, some sweets, and even some tea. The first few days had been spent meeting with medical staff providing care for the area, gathering information and getting a grasp on the current situation. Sakura had involved herself with the patients after that, whether it be at the meager clinics or during home visits, and she was able to help isolate those suffering from the illness from those suffering from other ailments with similar symptoms.

It had been busy, they didn’t spend much time in the cabin, but then the blizzard came.

Unexpectedly, the clouds dumped several inches of snow in just a few hours and once it began, Sakura had been encouraged to shelter in her cabin for the remainder of the night. It had been empty when she had gotten there, the fire had gone out, and it was incredibly chilly.

With a bit of elbow grease, the fire was started, the stove began to radiate heat throughout the small space, and she set a kettle of water to boil. These were among the nicest accommodations she’d had on a mission and, even though the conditions were serious, she felt at ease enough to make herself a relaxing cup of tea. Sat on the couch, knit blanket thrown over her lap, feet pulled up and huddled next to her for warmth, she sipped her tea and enjoyed the quiet of the falling snow.

Then the door burst open. Frigid wind whipped around her, and a flurry of snow followed Gaara inside. His cloak was covered in a dusting of white powder, his hair the same, and he stepped quickly over to the stove. Shedding his covering, he knelt in front of the fire and held out his hands, sighing as they began to thaw in the heat.

Sakura, perplexed since she first saw him, spoke up from the couch behind where he knelt. “Long time no see,” she greeted.

Gaara nodded; perhaps it was for her, but he had seen her each time he returned in the early hours of the morning, though, she was always asleep in her bed. He hadn’t been sticking around the cabin much for the sake of her comfort, it had been a surprise to be lodged with a woman, and he thought it only polite.

“I don’t mean to sound rude,” she began, the warm cup nestled in her fingers coming to rest at her lips for a sip. “But you have been way out of your element.”

Gaara sighed, picking himself up from the floor and joining her on the couch to enjoy the warmth of the fire. “Tell me about it.” He kicked off his boots, they were soaked, and when Sakura pointed to the door, he tossed his over with hers.

She observed him for a moment as he did so; his hands were going red, the tips of his ears looked wind burnt, and he appeared to be suppressing a chill. She set her cup down and got up from the couch. “Jasmine or honeysuckle?” she asked as she approached the stove. Tapping the side of the kettle, Sakura tested how hot it still was and it gave Gaara the hint he needed.

“Jasmine,” he responded, his answer a bit hesitant.

Pouring him a cup, she joined him on the couch again, facing him this time, and Gaara gladly warmed his hands with the hot drink. “If the cold bothers you so much, why did you accept the mission?” she asked, the question had been on her mind since she first saw him stood frigid and miserable their first day on the job.

Gaara blew on his tea, enjoying the way the hot steam wafted across his icy skin. He was a man of the scorching sands and the blazing sun, his body radiated the heat of the desert, and it made the cold all the more noticeable. “I was tempted to decline, but I’m trying to move up in my station,” he explained. “I’ve been told I need to work on my relations and diplomacy.”

Sakura snickered, Gaara glanced at her before looking back at the fire. “I suppose this would be your ultimate test; a noncombative goodwill mission to the frozen wilderness.”

Gaara rolled his eyes. “Precisely,” he groaned before he sipped his tea. Finally, he was able to feel the warmth permeating him from within and banishing the chill of the blizzard.

She smiled; she hadn’t thought he could look so endearing when put out in the cold. “You’ve been well received,” she said. “I’ve had several people ask me where to find you, but I never knew where you were. Seems like your relations are getting along just fine.”

He pondered that for a moment, replaying the many interactions he’d had during his time out here, and found a small smile forming on his lips. “Good,” he said, his voice quiet, and then he looked over to her, his expression guarded yet determined. “What about you?” he asked, only gaining a look of confusion from her. “Have I made you uncomfortable?”

Sakura laughed and shook her head. “Oh, goodness, no! You’ve barely even been here, you’re a lot of people’s idea of the perfect roommate.”

He watched her as she laughed, the casual and friendly demeanor was almost as warming as the fire they sat before, and there was gratitude to be had for getting paired with her. He wasn’t sure anyone else would understand his peculiarities or be comfortable with his lack of conversation. “Good.”

“It won’t be much longer,” she encouraged him. “We’ve only got a few more days before we should have what we need to research this on our own. You can bring word of your successes back home with you.”

Gaara nodded, there was a feeling a fullness to the atmosphere that had always been so empty as it followed him before. A warm fire, the quiet snow and whistling of the blizzard winds, the smell of jasmine and an easy company in his presence; Gaara began to think he should have spent more time in the cabin, he was sure the next few days would feel far too short.

Thanks for reading!

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaceyJane

FanFiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2120361/WiccadBaltane0501

[evelina18-6-blog]

(this is so long, i am so sorry)

i understand why the artist was offended because your post made some pretty strong if not aggressive arguments, and i'm sure some assholes took the opportunity to send that person anon hate which probably made it feel more like a personal attack than it actually was, but i am honestly so sick and tired of people using their real life trauma as an excuse for every single thing. i may not have some deep, life altering trauma but i have my own issues and experiences and i too use fiction and art to cope but here we're not just talking about fiction and art, hell we're not talking about fiction at all. the ethics of shipping real life people are already questionable enough and i don't think there's a clear cut and dry answer but taking someone so repulsive, so downright dangerous, as Vargs and not only making cute artworks of him a if he's your casual anime boy, but also shipping him with a person who hated him, is inexcusable. just saying that you don't like or support Vargs is not enough when you have practically dedicated an entire account to making fanart of him. the Mayhem community is already messy enough and by doing that, they downplay what a piece of shit Vargs is and the pain he caused. (no matter how unintentional). also can we talk about Pelle for a moment? claiming to like him and pair him with such a horrible person? using him as a prop and completely ignoring his real life relationships and beliefs? how is that fair? people are already infantalizing him enough because of his mental illness and possible autism. how about realizing that Pelle is not a prop? that he was a person who deserves respect and that drawing him in the embrace of his friends murderer, is not being respectful to say the least? what about Oystein? no one seems to want to address were Olystein fits in this situation at all, why? was he not the person affected the most by Vargs? was he not his victim? putting his friend with his murderer feels like a huge fuck you to him. overall, painting someone in a positive light and later going 'lol im just kidding' is not good enough. Vargs (amongst others..) has spend the majority of his time insulting, belittling, even sexualizing Oystein, in an attempt to ruin his legacy and he has mostly succeeded because he's surrounded by cowards like himself who don't have the balls to stand up and speak the truth. the first thing people come across when researching Mayhem is the same bullshit about what a ''terrible'' person Oystein was and how he ''needed to be stopped''. this is the narrative Vargs has created and if you don't care enough to look deeper, you'll end up believing his lies and blaming a dead person. therefore such artwork, that completely rewrites the history and relationships of these people, can be very dangerous because it can actualy help Vargs into better selling his stupid narrative. i'm not saying that this particular artist is a bad person or that they're lying about their trauma or any bullshit like that, but art affects real life and the moment you post sth online you've opened yourself to criticism. do these Vargs/Pelle fics have more depth than initially presented? maybe. maybe they truly are a great psychological analysis of Vargs (although i don't understand why the hell you'd want to touch that with a ten-foot pole) but you can't blame people for not seeing that. whenever i see fanart of a ship, i don't sit wondering what the artist wants to say with their piece, i either like it bc i like the ship or i don't. if this is your copying mechanism, fine. can't criticize someone's copying mechanisms without sounding like an asshole i guess. but my advice is that maybe people need to take a better look at themselves and see how their interests affect others as well. you can do whatever in your own time but when you post it online it contributes to sth bigger whether you like it or not.

Don't worry about the length of your messages. I like that you elaborate. I agree with everything and thank you for your message. I honestly don't understand when this person says that she is NOT a fan of Varg, or that she doesn't like him and makes fun of him. I haven't seen anything mocking. I've only seen a great idealization of the young Varg, who was a horrible person, more violent than the current Varg. And a certain idealization of the "wonderful" intellect of the current Varg. I'm sorry to say that "the mockery" is poorly done. Like when you have to explain a joke, if no one understand it, it's because it's done poorly. About Pelle, I liked this: "claiming to like him and pair him with such a horrible person? using him as a prop and completely ignoring his real life relationships and beliefs?" Yes, that's why I said Pelle is not a ball that goes from here to there. I also agree that no one seems to think what's going on with Euro in this situation. In my case, it is almost the first thing that shocks me, it is a double offense towards him. That's why I wonder if there is something, deep down, against the Euro. Because romanticizing Varg SO MUCH, yes or yes, for me, brings with it some kind of sympathy for his ideologies, therefore, some kind of resentment towards Euro. When people attack Euro, they generally resort to two things: lies about the mistreatment of Pelle, and his political inclinations, painting him as an authoritarian extremist fanatic. And therefore, Varg as a person who was encouraged to go further and do "something that many would want to do." Varg is a failure who does not know how to value the only good thing in him, his musical talent. He did not know how to value the influence of Euro and the environment in which he found himself. Now he is a clown who needs to resort to ridiculing himself on the internet to stay current, so that his morbid followers consume him "as ironic consumption." It's an internet phenomenon. And he is free only because the Norwegian prison regime is very soft. I think he should be under psychiatric treatment because he can't stop being a bad influence, even on his children, or they should send him to hard labor, so that he can channel his anger through physical labor instead of the internet. Perhaps the girls who draw Varg romantically and the people who are big fans of him beyond his music do not specifically have his same ideologies, but they admire him in some way, and it is clear that his systematically offensive attitudes are not enough to stop them and scare them away I sincerely feel that they see him as a master. I see Varg as the typical cult leader, and I feel cringe at the adoration they profess of him. "i'm not saying that this particular artist is a bad person or that they're lying about their trauma or any bullshit like that, but art affects real life and the moment you post sth online you've opened yourself to criticism." What you said sums it up. I don't doubt that this girl could be harmless in real life, and that she has traumas and that her art and fanfics help her in her introspection. I fully believe her when she says it, but the debate does not end with whether something is therapeutic or not. It is up to her to choose what things to express her art on. She don't lack talent, why do you choose Varg? That's what's shocking, I mean, it's shocking that she brings Pelle into this and twists history to support her capricious ship and celebrate that more and more people join her ship. There you can see that she doesn't do it for herself, she wants more people to romanticize Varg and have the vision of Pelle that she has, which, in my opinion, is a bit humiliating and objectifying.

[your-devoted-domme]

About me

I'm an introvert who is a huge dork at heart. I love spending time in nature (particularly the forest), reading and writing, learning new things (particularly about languages/linguistics, anthropology and history, mythology and different religions), going to the theatre and opera, listening to outdated music and playing with my dog.

I consider myself a (female) bisexual dominant stone top, meaning I like being in charge and making my subs feel good but I do not enjoy being on the receiving end of any sort of penetration and most other sex acts. I'm interested in both male and female subs with a preference for other women.

What I'm looking for on here:

Friends or a long-term romantic relationship (I'm not interested in polyamory but it wouldn't be a deal breaker if my partner was). I'm not interested in casual play at all and I will only engage in D/s with a romantic partner.

What I'm looking for in a partner:

looking for a long-term romantic relationship

in my age range (~ 21-35, roughly)

I'm very attracted to people who are just good (kind, helpful). I don’t need someone to be the smartest person or the most confident or the funniest, just try to be the kindest version of yourself you can be.

good communication, willingness to listen and speak up if there are problems

mutual respect (especially when it comes to personal boundaries) and trust

willingness to compromise

strong sense of self and independence, maturity

overall emotional connection

I adore gentle people and even those who are a bit shy.

"naturally submissive" as in not just looking to have a certain kink fulfilled but who is happy to let me take charge in the bedroom

feminist/feminist ally

has done their homework with regards to kink -- it's fine to be inexperienced (I am as well) but I would hope any person wanting to engage in kink has at least done some research

someone who doesn't view me as a "kink dispenser" and sees me as a human being who is flawed and imperfect just like everyone else

Me as a partner:

Of course, it's a bit silly to just write a whole essay about what I am like in a relationship so I'm not going to do that and just hope my positive qualities will become clear during actual conversation. :)

That being said, I try to embody all of the traits I look for in a partner myself (kindness, empathy, independence, maturity, mutual respect, loyalty, honesty...). Since my biggest love languages are Acts of Service and Quality Time, it's important to me to put aside time for my partner and really focus on them as well as performing small acts that make them happy, such as getting their favourite drink from the coffee shop or helping them with a task they've been struggling with.

I also try to actively improve myself, mostly by journaling (doing shadow work), meditating and going to therapy.

One of the things I'm still working on is my tendency to withdraw when I'm stressed and wanting to solve all my problems by myself.

I'm also still finishing up university right now, so in case of a potential long-distance relationship, I don't know what my situation will look like in a year or so. Ideally, my partner would be open to re-locating to Germany.

One last thing to note is that I've only had relationships with other women before but I am bisexual so I'm open to men as well. I've mostly avoided dating men because I am a stone top and I figured most men wouldn't be into that and because I don't enjoy all of the gender roles and expectations in straight relationships. Let me buy a beautiful boy flowers if I want to!

Me as a domme:

I don't have much experience with domming per se but I have been a stone top in all of my previous relationships. I learnt that I like being the "active" partner, the one who does things rather than being the one who gets acted upon. I don't enjoy being penetrated at all, I would be okay with receiving cunnilingus but frankly, my sexuality is more focused on my partner and making them feel good. That's why long-term chastity/orgasm denial doesn't interest me, I enjoy making my partner come too much to be satisfied with that.

In general, I would consider myself more along the lines of a gentle domme, I'm very into giving praise and taking care of my partner in the bedroom. I don't like being harsh at all and I do not want to insult/degrade my sub (making them fell embarrassed is another matter entirely -- especially if my sub becomes flustered because of the praise I heap onto them).

I think there are two overall "schools" of femdom, with the focus either being on the sub or the dom and of course most people fall somewhere in the middle. I consider "dom-focused" to be acts like a sub attending to their domme in the bath or performing body worship on them or admiring their beauty while "sub-focused" would be the reverse of that -- it can also be a dominant act to want to care for a sub. I'm more in the latter camp, I want to adore my sub and it's important to me that they are okay with being the object of my affection (and desire).

My ideal dynamic:

The most important thing I crave in a dynamic is being able to feel like I'm taking care of my sub in some manner. I love providing pleasure and making them feel 'safe'.

I'm also looking for a mostly bedroom-only dynamic. I don't mind having a couple of general rules if that's something my partner is interested in but I don't think the 24/7 high protocol life is for me. I want my partner to still feel like an equal outside of kink.

My ideal dynamic would involve a lot of mutual reassurance and communication. I would love to be with someone I feel safe exploring with, someone that makes it easy to just be myself and where I don't have to worry about not meeting their expectations. I also want to hear my partner's thoughts about everything, they need to let me know what they like/dislike and generally have an open communication style.

I also like it when my subs show some initiative, especially in the beginning when we're both still trying to figure out the other I think it's so important to know that this is what they want.

Occasional bratting can be fun but more for when the dynamic is actually established. Right in the beginning I think I would lose my confidence as a domme too much if my sub constantly sassed me and I felt I had to always "make" them do things rather than them being excited about obeying me. I'm also more generally interested in obedience, there is something very beautiful about someone giving me this "gift" of their obedience.

Now for some specific insights:

a dream would be to be able to dress my subs, decide what outfit they'll wear for the day and what clothes to buy when out shopping. For long-distance it would even be fun to receive an "outfit of the day" selfie

I'm looking for a good girl/boy to shower with attention and take care of (while they are still a mature/capable adult outside of the bedroom)

I love obedience and "casual" non-sexual submission, especially a sub kneeling before me while I run my fingers through their hair, maybe hand feed them a snack if they get hungry.

I don't really like gender roles, I look quite traditionally feminine and I'm usually attracted to feminine women and masculine men but when it comes to behaviour, I do not like to stick to certain requirements. I like opening doors for my sub but I also love it when they offer me their arm so I can hold it and steer them where I want to go

I enjoy giving a lot of praise, maybe even in a slightly patronising/condescending way during a scene but I'm not overly fond of degradation. Some slight verbal humiliation would be okay for me but I honestly prefer giving praise.

Kinks

praise

pegging/strap on use

toys

spanking

fingering

overstimulation

edging

pet names

collars/leashes

kneeling

handcuffs/soft bondage

shibari

obedience +devotion

shy subs

body worship (giving)

size kink

fingers in mouth

marking/biting

fucking machine

remote controlled toys

anal

free use

...

Limits:

ABDL, age regression

incest (simulated or otherwise)

watersports, scat

feederism

sissy, feminization (not because I don't like feminine men but because it often tends towards being misogynistic as in "being feminine makes me feel submissive")

cuckolding

forced bi

chastity (short term denial or edging is okay but I would lose interest if I didn't get to see my sub come regularly <3)

degradation (I don't mind making a sub feel embarrassed about something but I prefer praise to insults)

any fetishes that are based in misogyny, homophobia or racism

[moonstruckloverwritings]

Can you please do something with Yandre! Peter Parker and a reader who just fully accepts it? I reader your general headcanons and loved like the sweet side of things lol. Like she thinks she’ll hate it but she hasn’t got to do anything and can research stuff she’s interested in (like History), and then Peter comes home and she just gets love and someone cares for her. idk, hopefully my message is put across well lol. Thank you!

Yandere! Peter Parker With Accepting Reader

Hopefully this is adequate for what you requested. I hope you like it. Also, I just wanna explain that I imagine this to be the Peter Parker who’s living in his own apartment at the end of the last movie. 🕷♥️

Ooo I love this idea. But you’re right he would be really sweet. I think the only times a yandere tendency would come into play with him is when you were in potential danger of harm by someone else, in potential danger of being taken by someone else, and when he’s had a bad day and just wants to indulge in you.

I see that last one happening a lot with the work he does. But I’ll come back to that later and just go in chronological order; by events.

When he first takes you and you begin to heavily hesitate, he understands. He’s not a delusional yandere. He would know this is a big change for you that you had to get adjusted to and he’d do whatever you want to make that more comfortable. (Except for going back home that’s out of the question)

He would definitely try talking to you about things first. Your worries about the situation, things to make the transition easier, rules, punishments with an emphasis on how he’d never physically hurt you though because he never wants to see you upset.

“Well we can go over everything to maybe ease your mind.”

“Um.. not right now but if I know I can trust you then later you might can talk to your friends and things.”

“I’m sorry.. I don’t want to make this miserable for you. Is there anything I can get you that you like that’ll make it easier to be in here? You like history facts? Ok, I’ll pay for the history channel and get some books for you. What kind of history do you like? Heh, there’s a lot of it”

“well I do have some basic rules that I have to go over with you but again, they won’t be permanent if I know I can trust you.”

He would get a part time job to fund everything he needed for you. You ask and you shall receive!

After the tension has settled down between you two and you become more open to the idea. He would slowly introduce new aspects. He’ll come home showing you his new Lego set and asked what you found out about history that day. Spending general time together makes him, well, giddy.

He would think about introducing physical touch but was still weary of how you would react. He knew you were probably still adjusting but.. he just wanted to hold you.

“Hey uh.. can-can I hug you? If not I understand I just..I want to.”

If you said no, he’d totally respect it and wait til you guys felt a bit closer to ask again. But if you said yes, prepare for cuddles!

Remember when I said he’d want to indulge in you after a bad day? This is where that comes into play. I 100% can imagine him coming in with cuts and bruises and those puppy eyes just wanting to cuddle. He’d deny any treatment you’d offer at first. He’d just want to wrap his arms around you and nuzzle his head into your neck or even lap. Very golden retriever, this guy.

“I’ll get the first aid kit in a minute, I just… can I lay with you for a little while.. please?” 🥺

He would cook breakfast for you before he left, have a mini fridge with drinks and snacks for when he’s gone, and would come home to make dinner for you. He didn’t know much about cooking before, he learned to cook just because of you.

He’d clean the room as well and would ask you didn’t do anything too strenuous. Leave it up to him. That’s what he wants. He wants to take care of you any way you’d let him. If you one day asked him to comb your hair, he’d almost jump with glee then calm down enough so he can be incredibly gentle when combing. He did not want to tug on it or hurt you so it would take him a while and he’d go really slow. If you asked him to hand feed you, he’d love to and make sure to blow on each bite before feeding it to you. He’d get a little anxious not knowing if what he was doing was good enough though. If he was combing your hair and there was even the slightest tug, he’d gasp and ask if he hurt you. Or if he was feeding you and you grimaced or your facial expression faltered, he would turn into: 🥺 that emoji with the puppy eyes and ask if it was too hot, cold, or if you didn’t like it. So, in other words, he’s extremely, if not overboard in his attentiveness.

But it’s all for you and because he loves you. He just wants the best for you!

After your relationship developed and he could completely trust you, he’d allow you more freedoms. He’d at first allow you to text one, just one, of your family members of your choice just to take it slow for now. He will also be watching over your shoulder. He’d gradually allow more freedoms with who you spoke to. He’d then allow you to go out into town with him once your family knows you’re okay and that, “you just needed time alone.” Although you had to by with him every time you went out in town but he would buy you absolutely anything you wanted. One of the big freedoms he’s kind of scared to give you is to see your parents again because of course, he’d have to be there and that means he’d be meeting your family. What if they don’t like him? What if they try to take you away from him? He would express these feelings to you and ask what you thought as you knew your parents and what they’d accept in their daughters partner.

Also, quick note. He acts very much in the dating phase but in his head he thinks (knows) that marriage and kids are going to happen with you guys at some point. Like it is just natural information in his mind. So while he’s easing you both into more scenarios/freedoms/situations, he already sees you as his wife. He always had. He is committed to you and nobody but you.

Hopefully everything went well with your family and friends and they all got along with Peter. Otherwise you might “need to take a break” again. Contact via cell phone would still be open with them, but no way in hell were they going to separate you both. Unless you can convince them to think otherwise.

He just wants to be with you. Nothing is going to change that from happening. As long as your friends and family accept that, you’re life will be lived happily ever after.

[mysterious-moonstruck-musings]

Hej,

please…please tag me in the list I nearly overlook you next chapter 23!

I praised you work before and i really freak out about it, because it’s so dam good.

I have a little request!

If you have the time 🙏 Tell me a little bit about the inspiration for the story? You create such an deep and real universe and brings the characters to life.

Both Dieter and Talia… I can’t get over it….think about the backstory/you description about Dieters behavior about relationships and it’s haunt’s me.

How did you start with the story in the first place? Is there some personal experience you weave into the story? And it’s this your first posting a story like this or did you write other story before?

Sorry, I have so much more question’s to you, but these haunting me the most!

And I know the story between these two lovebirds isn’t over…but i personally hope to read much more from you in the future ☺️

Praises, praise, praise… for you talents!

And thanks for tell about the good and bad parts of life! Where there is darkness, there is also light 😍 ah i love Happy Ends!

I move over to chapter 23 now…can’t wait to read his finally!

Best wishes and thank you!!

Thanks for the ask and kind words! 😭💜

More after the cut because it got kind of long…

This is indeed the first fic I have written on Tumblr. I used to write a lot when I was younger. I wrote a lot of poetry. I even did a horror trilogy once in high school for creative writing, which several of my teachers loved and others thought I was off my rocker…but I digress. 🤣

Once I started college and got my big girl job in higher education, I pretty much stopped writing for fun. I just didn’t have the time or the mental energy to do it. I finally gave up on higher education work after 16 years for a job that has a better work/life balance and I’m finally getting back into writing again. It’s been hard to get my mind reprogrammed from writing data driven reports and evidence based research, to this. It’s two very different things that uses very different language and I feel sooo out of practice. I am, however, slowly finding my way back.

I have mentioned little tidbits about my personal experiences in the Today’s Musings Extras for this fic. I’ve not gone into too many details because I don’t want to inadvertently spoil anything. I am indeed drawing heavily from life experiences for this fic unfortunately.

Everything I have witnessed, I wasn’t always directly involved in. Some of it was just the nature of my job. I did spend three years working in student conduct and behavioral intervention. A lot of the conduct issues really came down to students who were having personal troubles and really just needed help. A lot of it was mental health struggles or problems at home related to mental health struggles of family members. I worked closely with our counseling center during this time. I gained some amazing friends and learned a lot in the process.

With that said, A LOT of this is coming from things I have dealt with directly. There is a lot of me in Talia…the high functioning anxiety, the self doubt, the compartmentalization and rationalization. I work in IT and I’m a big crafting nerd too. So all those parts of her, do come from me. The other parts like the PTSD, history of emotional and psychological abuse, and drinking come from people I’m close to and have witnessed the affects of firsthand.

Dieter is one of my favorite Pedro boys and I felt like he was a great vehicle for exploring these topics. This version of Dieter is inspired by people in my life as well. The experiences he is having are very much pulling from multiple real life situations. They were and still are hard to deal with some days. I feel like it’s important that readers get to see all sides of these types of situations. Especially the side of those who are affected by the mental health struggles of those closest to them. That is something that is often overlooked and those people suffer in silence, just as much as the individuals who are experiencing the mental health crises themselves. That’s all I’ll say for now to avoid spoiling anything. Check back with me after we find out what is going on with Dieter and I might share more about what inspired his journey.

As far a the actual storyline goes, it’s all made up based around the traits I have created for these two and Dieter’s character in The Bubble.

Thank you for the ask and no worries about all the questions! I love that you want to know more about the story!

And lastly, I tried adding you to the tag list, but it won’t let me tag you. Do you possibly have your visibility settings turned off? I’m not sure what else would cause that. ☹️

[rabbitcruiser]

Penguin Awareness Day 

Learn about these birds through documentaries, get up close and personal at your local zoo or donate to conservation charities working to protect them.

Penguins are fun and interesting animals that are unique in many different ways. There are currently over 18 different known species of penguin and some of them have been around the planet for well over 65 million years. They’re a beloved animal thanks to many popular depictions in movies and children’s stories, but they’re also fascinating birds that have piqued the interest of many people all over the world.

However, what most people don’t realize is that penguin numbers around the world are dwindling. Every year, the penguin population shrinks at an alarming rate and most of the world doesn’t realize this because they don’t get to see “real” penguins in their natural habitat. That’s why Penguin Awareness Day is such a good opportunity to learn more about penguins and understand the situation they’re in. It could lead to an appreciation for penguins and could even convince you to donate to help ensure that they can continue living on our planet for another 65 million years!

Penguin Awareness Day helps to bring some reality to people’s depictions of penguins that typically come from animated films and cartoons. Penguins are often seen as laid-back animals that love to swim around, take care of their children and socialize. This is a pretty accurate representation of what penguins do on a daily basis, but it doesn’t show the environment that the penguins live in and how it’s constantly changing around them.

Penguin Awareness Day is a time to celebrate and commemorate penguins, but unless we do something as a collective to help penguins thrive in the wild, there may be none left in the near future. That’s why the main focus of Penguin Awareness Day is to educate people on their situation, learn how climate change has affected them and also learn about the different species and where they live.

History of Penguin Awareness Day

Penguins are a barometer of the effects of human activity on the poles, according to scientists from institutions around the world. Raising awareness about them, therefore, is seen by many as a way to communicate with people about the impending dangers of climate change. If people can see how these birds are being affected, perhaps they will make changes to their lives.

Laboratories and scientific institutions worldwide became increasingly interested in Penguin Awareness Day after 2010. Their main aim is to highlight their penguin-related research and get the public interested in conservation.

For instance, Polito Lab released a video talking about what it was doing to study the lives of these lovable birds in Antarctica in 2017. LSU College of the Coast and Environment also jumped on the bandwagon, posting video content on Facebook. It featured short clips of penguins getting up to their usual antics with important messages posted over the top about how they live. According to the informational piece, penguins spend the majority of their lives either on the ice or in the water. Their colonies vary in size considerably, from just a few dozen to millions. Their diet is mainly krill and fish, and they create so-called “penguin highways” through the ice to make it easier to collect food.

Penguins, however, picky eaters. When you live in Antarctica, you have to consume whatever calories you can find, even if it is shrimp caught in the ice from years. Penguins need to consume specific types of food to keep their feathers and eggshells healthy. Scientists now say that they can take samples from these components and determine the quality of their diet. Now that’s quite an achievement!

In 2020, Cincinnati Zoo jumped on the Penguin Awareness Day bandwagon following the Twitter frenzy on the subject. The public amenity released a press release about the new habitat it had created for its blue penguins.

Penguin Awareness Day is, for that reason, an opportunity for everyone involved in the life of penguins to chip in and talk about this vital creature. Remember, the penguin is the largest animal to venture into the heart of Antarctica to breed. It is a tough little cookie and worth celebrating.

How to celebrate Penguin Awareness Day

Celebrating Penguin Awareness Day usually involves visiting a penguin exhibit at a local zoo. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about penguins, what they eat, how they socialize and also the environment they live in. However, it’s also a good opportunity to learn more about how climate change has affected them and what can be done to help their situation. You might get suggestions on charities that help penguins and donations are always appreciated to help their cause.

However, if you don’t have a local zoo nearby, then celebrating Penguin Awareness Day can be done indoors, even with your children. Penguin documentaries are a great way to learn more about penguins if you have teenage children, but if they’re still young and are expecting something fun and quirky for Penguin Awareness Day, then you could watch a penguin-related film together, even if it’s a cartoon. You can also watch videos on YouTube that talk about penguins and their situation to learn more about the wonderful species.

You can also think about donating to charities that specifically cater to the needs of penguins. The Global Penguin Society, for instance, does conservation work designed to protect the penguin’s natural habitat. It also advocates for the protection of the Southern Oceans – the principal place where penguins live. It wants to protect all eighteen species of wild penguins found throughout the southern hemisphere so that future generations can enjoy them.

Some charities also let you “adopt a penguin,” for a small amount of money every month. In return, you get regular updates on how your penguins are doing. And you can find out more about ongoing efforts to reduce fishing encroachment on their feeding grounds. Penguins are susceptible to fishing stock depletion so conservationists need to manage this carefully.

Lastly, you can also use the hashtag #PenguinAwarenessDay on social media to either learn more about penguins or even educate others about penguins and their situation.

Source

[ddarker-dreams]

🤔 or 🧐 I forgot which emoji it was lmao

🥺, 😈, and 🤯

[ask game]

🧐 Do you spend much time researching for your stories?

oh god absolutely yes. i love to learn so it never feels like a hassle though!! i typically break my writing research down into two categories: character and setting. character research consists of me combing through dialogue, reading through their history multiple times, and figuring out what their core principles are. i want the character to still be consistent and recognizable even if they're being placed in scenarios they normally wouldn't be in canon. i'll also look at the creator's interviews where they share their thoughts on the character if there are any out there.

then there's setting research, which i consider equally important. when you're writing fanfiction (unless it's an AU, but even those tend to retain qualities from the canon universe), the world itself is a 'character' too imo. it has rules to follow and an establish history. getting things wrong can break the reader's immersion. getting things right though makes your story seem all the more grounded. i remember simply losing my mind when i was like, 13, because i read an attack on titan fanfic where the author had the characters using oil lamps as their light source. i went feral over the detail and thought it was the coolest thing ever.

paying extra attention to the time period and culture creates this very pleasing cohesive effect. i also think it's crucial to do extensive research if you're about to write for a culture you're not familiar with, otherwise a disconnect can form. i have East Coast American Brain™ and i try to stop it from oozing into my writing whenever possible. like no. no one in genshin impact is gonna say "the whole nine yards", stop it brain. >:(

😈 Has there been a point in a story where you did something just to be playfully mean to your readers?

honestly everything yandere i write is probably playfully mean HKGKMEGR although i do try to find a balance. i want the powerlessness that comes from yandere stories to be frustrating, yes, but like. sexily frustrating. is that a term? it is now. for example, the yan might be saying something condescending, but there's this underlying flirtatious nature to it that makes you feel frustrated yet flustered. even if the situation itself is hopeless, i let the MC retain some power through their ability to converse/make choices. the MC can also get into the yandere's head, play along, act purposefully aggravating, etc etc... this give and take is what i find the most interesting. so my goal is to be a little playfully mean, but like, in a way that makes you twirl your hair and giggle.

🤯 What's a genre you struggle with as a writer (ex. romance, action, etc.)?

ACTION!!! it's action. man. i can write a full story where two characters talk about a rock, but make me do an action scene and i'll crumble. i'm so bad at it. it looks so cool in my head, so dynamic, then i go to write it down and it's like. the dude goes to punch. you dodge. you kick. dude dodges. zzzzz. zzzzzz. how long do i make the sequence? what clever tricks should be used to gain an upper hand? i don't know. i have no clever tricks. i know i need to practice it to get better but it's physically painful for me. please let me make them talk about a rock instead. i'll do better at that.

🥺 is answered here !!

[katyspersonal]

i hate to be that guy but i wish there were more bb fics that were less smut and more lore bc for such a rich story there is mostly just nsfw stuff in the ao3 tag lol. but no offense if ppl like that..

Your feelings are valid, anon!

Like, yeah, it is one of those 'kinda petty gripe' moments I was talking about! People are completely valid to spend their time and effort on what makes them (and often their mutuals and fans) happy! Yet at the same time, I am myself a huge fucking NERD about timeline, concepts, worldbuilding, messages, philosophy, specifics of factions and covenants, systems of 'magic' and science within the lore and all that, and if presented with a choice between the hottest fanfic for my OTP or an oddly detailed fictional research paper on something complex that went within the lore, I'd not even hesitate to pick the latter xd

There ARE many things to think about in BB, yes! My personal favorite to dissect were how Kin works and headanons about Great Ones (ALL of them). I have not found a cool way to put my BB worldbuilding dissections into a fic, tho... :') Me and @val-of-the-north also dream of writing a large prequel of Pthumerians history with what predated dungeons and some known characters. But we are more visual artists than writers. Sigh!

I could offer an advice for the situation when you have a gripe with something that is most popular in a fandom, and wish people did more interesting stuff:

1) Have a tiny group of people who are bitter about the same thing (can also be conveniently put in a Discord chat)! It is extremely therapeutic to have a few friends with whom you can be haters together, so you vent it all out and go to the 'public' fandom all happy and cheerful, not carrying this negativity to the open internet where people that love [a thing] can see it. I mean- I do have a group like this! Our most frequient petty haters sessions are pouting at the fact that this or that character only gets remembered as part of a ship and not as their own person xd Feeling heard in a small group where your words can't hurt anyone, nor anyone will guilt you for being "entitled" is just. good.

2) Create the stuff you would like to see more of (drawings, fanfics, essays, theories, headcanons, memes prompting an idea in a subtle way even), or encourage people to think more about this stuff (prompting discussions, buying art/fic commissions, doing trades (art for fic, for example), catching a person that accepts requests and spending yours on what you'd like to see more of, sending people asks that could trigger to develop something about lore etc). Really mind the latter, though! Like... trust me dude, even if you can't draw or write, nor have enough money for commissions, you can still cause pretty tangible influence on creativity! If you just say right things at the right time to the right people. Heck- I more or less got some skill at inspiring people creatively <:3 Like... I prompt a person to think of this or that theme or character, and before I know it they already developed something because of that discussion? (not tryna boast xd) Or another good example is @heraldofcrow who mastered the skill of prompting discussions about Bloody Crow sooooo well that people keep becoming his fans because of her, and some are even drawing him thanks to her! I constantly see people creating more content of the boy thanks to her, and all she did was simply talking to them! xD A gripe at a character, theme, concept etc not being popular enough can cause GREAT things to happen and you can become people's MUSE! 😎

_______________

Hmmmm I think that's it! Basically? You probably have more charisma to inspire writers (including to fiddle with lore) than you are aware of. They need readers, AND they need ideas. You will figure this out! ...or even write a killer fanfic yourself.

[qqueenofhades]

Since you mentioned that you may be taking requests and also that you did that Dreamling oneshot the other day, I would like very much to humbly request an “every one of my family members is an eldritch abomination myself included however I should very much like to just go to uni and hopefully not destroy the entire world thanks” girlfriends, Rose and Nile?

It goes without saying that there are many things about this whole situation -- uprooting her life, moving to a new country, becoming her brother's legal guardian, helping him adjust while still feeling horrendously guilty about not saving him from his previous abusive situation sooner, sorting through her wealthy and late great-grandmother's extensive estate, and trying to start a graduate degree, while the mellifluous tones of Yakety Sax echo constantly through said country's government and she's not sure if the whole place is about to explode in a puff of clown-car smoke -- which are very, very stressful. Rose has always been good at making up more things to worry about, but even she doesn't need to search for ways to whet her anxiety, because it's already there and then some. Not to mention the whole part where she nearly destroyed the universe, became a dream vortex and then un-became it, inadvertently helped her friend have a baby with her dead husband, and almost agreed to let her creepy immortal great-uncle murder her for the greater good, before calamity was averted at the last minute and she turned out to be something called a Child of the Endless. Surely that won't be a problem again. Right?

In any event, amid this whirlwind of chaos, change, anxiety, and effort, Rose is very grateful to have met Nile Freeman, and they've taken to spending more and more time together. They have instantly bonded as young black women from America (or rather, Rose thinks Nile is from America, but she hasn't actually said) who both live in London and have endured the headaches of obtaining graduate degrees in history. Nile finished her PhD at KCL a few years ago, and is now doing that oh-so-fun early-career-researcher shuffle as she decides what she wants to do next, though she's made several cryptic references to wealthy parents who live in Malta and send her enough money to make sure she doesn't sleep under a bridge. "I appreciate it," she says as they walk through Bloomsbury, en route to Senate House so Rose can use the University of London's main library. "And considering all the disasters happening back in 2018, I was lucky to survive, truly. But sometimes I still want to do it on my own, you know."

"Mmm-hmm." Rose looks at her curiously. "What exactly do your parents do, by the way?"

"They..." Nile pauses. They come to a halt at the crosswalk and wait for the light. "You know, this and that."

Rose finds this answer rather vague, but maybe it's a sensitive subject, or Nile just doesn't want to talk about it yet. After all, they've only known each other for a few months, and Rose can't deny that she's very keen to impress the older girl. Nile is so gorgeous, so self-assured, with a strange eerie sheen to her skin and eyes that sometimes looks almost unearthly, but she's definitely the most normal person that Rose has recently met, and their interactions are the most refreshing part of her life. She has a bit (or maybe more than a bit) of a crush on Nile, but is too shy to see if that is actively reciprocated. As the light turns green and they cross, Rose says, "Are you from Malta, then? I thought you were American."

"Ethiopia," Nile says. "I was born there, at least. My parents adopted me a... a long time ago."

There definitely seems to be something she isn't saying, but Rose decides to let it pass, and they spend an enjoyable afternoon working at Senate House. Afterward, they trek off into the Bloomsbury streets in search of dinner, select a charming underground restaurant, and sit down in a candlelit corner. Nile orders her steak rare -- rare enough, in fact, that it's still practically mooing on the plate -- and Rose says jokingly, "Don't tell me, let me guess. You're a vampire."

Nile, who has just taken a sip of some indeed rather blood-red wine, chokes, starts coughing, and takes several minutes to compose herself, as Rose apologizes profusely. But she isn't laughing or treating it like a joke; she looks deeply startled. "How did you -- "

"Wait." Rose frowns. Oh no. Not her nice, normal, lovely friend who-she-kind-of-wants-to-be-her-girlfriend. Not in the one relationship and/or person she foolishly thought was not at all magical, creepy, supernatural, insane, or otherwise weird. "Are you...? I was just joking. I didn't..."

There's a very, very long pause. Nile seems to be weighing something up. At last she says, "If, hypothetically, I was... well, something like that, would you be upset?"

"I, uh." Rose considers what to say. After all, her horizons of what is possible have been recently and drastically broadened, and she's certainly not about to claim out of hand that vampires don't exist. "I don't think so?"

"I'm..." Nile looks around shiftily to make sure that all the other diners are happily absorbed, then lowers her voice anyway. "Technically half-vampire, half-djinn. My dads are one each. Nicky's a vampire and Joe's a djinn, and they sired me together, so it's... a long story."

"Okay." Rose blinks several times. "So your parents are...."

"Magical creatures, yeah." Nile eyes her. "You're taking this very well. Wait, are your parents also some kind of...?"

"My biological parents are both dead, but it turns out that I'm descended from something called the Endless." Rose feels awkward saying it, but there it is. "Do you, er, know what those are?"

"I don't think so. I could ask?"

"My great-uncle is the King of Dreams," Rose confesses, in something of a rush. "Lord Morpheus. Do you know him?"

"Maybe. It's been a long time, I can't remember everyone we've crossed paths with over the centu -- years." Nile nods her thanks as the waiter sets down a fresh basket of bread. "But again, I could -- "

"Wait. Centuries? How old are you?"

There is another long and deeply awkward pause. Then Nile says, "Technically, nineteen. But I was sired in 1104, so that means..." She calculates, then ventures, "Nine hundred and eighteen?"

"I knew it," Rose mutters. She is apparently just a magnet for every ever-living (literally) eldritch weirdo in the Western Hemisphere, and this isn't even touching the fact that her likewise-seemingly-nice-and-normal history professor/thesis supervisor is evidently also an ageless immortal and her aforementioned creepy King of Dreams great-uncle is valiantly attempting to not only date him, but ask Rose for advice. Truly. Her life is ridiculous.

[controversialhottakes]

I deleted my old tumblr about a year ago but then decided to make a new account with the intention of logging on every now and then to see what was going on in the fandoms I interested in. I wasn't going to interact with the posts or post anything myself but I can't keep my mouth shut anymore. I know that tumblr is a very far-left-chronically-online-teenagers kind of website (where "teenagers" does not necessarily refer to the actual age but rather to the black and white thinking and inability to understand that the real world is much more complex than that) and I'm not a fan of social media in general, plus I'm a very busy person, so I don't really like spending a lot of time on here but sometimes it can be fun.

Imagine my surprise when I created my new account sometime in December or January, only to find out that Noah Schnapp had apparently been cancelled, when only a year earlier he was being praised for being "so brave and queer" (I have my thoughts on all of this too but they're irrelevant right now). Knowing tumblr, I obviously rolled my eyes and moved on, wondering briefly what he might have done to warrant people cursing him left, right, and centre. Then I came across that photo and was like... I have no idea what's going on. Because I literally didn't. I learn about the news from newspaper headlines and only occasionally glance through New York Times, The Guardian, Süddeutsche Zeitung, or some other reputable newspapers when I have the time and nothing better to do.

So I decided to do my research. Cambridge Dictionary told me that Zionism was "a political movement that had as its original aim the creation of a country for Jewish people, and that now supports the state of Israel" which sounded more than reasonable to me, I could 100% get behind that myself. This left me even more confused as to why everyone was freaking out. At that point, I knew that there was a war in the Middle East but I didn't pay much attention to it. But by that point I was so invested in finding out what started this witch-hunt that I decided to sacrifice some time I didn't really have and dig deep into the topic.

Since my knowledge of the history and politics of the Middle East was close to nill at that point, I just knew that it'd been very tense and very messy ever since I could remember, I had to do a lot of reading, and I quickly realised that the situation was extremely complicated. The whole region was a ticking time bomb and I couldn't think of any potential solution to the problem. In other words, I still don't think there was any chance of this not turning into an armed conflict sooner rather than later.

Armed with this new knowledge, I then returned to tumblr, thinking that people were upset that Noah was making a joke about the war, which is perfectly understandable. Instead I found out that the woke American left was now supporting terrorists. Which was an interesting development, to say the least. More terrifying was the realisation that they were getting all their information from Islamic sources, including the Hamas itself, because the West is apparently evil now (neo-orientalism, anyone? just me? okay...) and can't be trusted. Also, the Jews are responsible for that because they're controlling the governments and the media and basically everything else? Correct me if I got that wrong, I'm not very good at conspiracy theories, they confuse me, but I think that's what a lot of people are implying?

Let's take a moment to let it sink in: people believe everything a terrorist group tells them (see sources at the end if you have any doubts that that's what they are) as opposed to consulting different sources from various places where the press are reasonably free to tell the truth... Not only that, they are now "rooting for" Hamas (it's a war, not a football match, but fine) and, on the more extreme end, want to see Israel destroyed. In the same breath, with no sense of irony, they renounce genocide and praise the Nazis (which is what I actually wanted to talk about, but this has got too long, so more on those charming chaps, their modern counterparts, and how the far left has become the far right in my next post).

As for Noah, I find the post itself rather off-putting but not the fact that he might support Zionism (in its original form; people on this site seem to have redefined it and now I see it used as an insult, but I can't for the life of me figure out what you think it means, not to mention that none of you can actually agree on what it means, so I'm just going to stick to the original definition, thank you very much). But he's 19 and teenagers will always be teenagers, they rarely stop to think before doing or saying something. If he was 20 years older than he is, I'd think he should know better, but I've seen kids (and many adults) do much dumber, not to mention dangerous (as in could actually get them and/or other people killed), things in real life. I've done much dumber things myself. It's just that the most of us have the privilege of doing those dumb things in private, without millions of people analysing our every move.

Sources:

EU list of external terrorists (see 9 on p. 6); for more information, including criteria for listing, see this

An article from The Guardian from July 2017. Especially interesting:

The US classifies Hamas as a terrorist organisation, although in the UK it is not banned in its entirety. The Home Office’s list of proscribed groups only includes its military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, for their “aims to end Israeli occupation in Palestine and establish an Islamic State”.

US list of FTOs (Hamas designated as a FTO on October 8, 1997)

[romirola]

romiiii, i need to ask about your thoughts about a potential alternate universe where darlin' leads a normal life and becomes a lawyerrrr

@zozo-01! YES, lawyer!Darling is a wonderful thought.

For context, zo is alluding to Chapter 7 of my fic, Packed with Love, where Darling has to intervene on Angel's and Babe's behalf to appease their mates over a particularly dangerous action they took. Darling presents themselves as a lawyer of sorts, deftly defending their pals and persuading Asher and David to think critically about the situation.

More thoughts on actual lawyer!Darling under the cut...

I definitely think Darling would make an incredible lawyer. They have the drive. The passion. The brash tenacity it takes to see yourself as someone capable of ensuring that laws be upheld to protect citizens' rights and, by and large, help society grow and evolve without compromising its governing, social, or civil values. To tell you the truth, I don't think Darling needs to live a normal life to pursue a law degree and, eventually, to begin practicing law. After all, they've got to do something post-Quinn! Many paths lead to the same destination!

Darling starts out taking night courses at D.A.M.N.. They work at the security company in the day and study at night, perhaps part time. It's rough work. Very rough work. To study law is to study language, logic, and history. It's writing, researching, and synthesizing. And somehow, you have to do all that, under massive pressure from profs, classmates, and more, while still remembering that your future clients are people who need help. (No matter what type of law specialty they decide to pursue!) That people will be depending on Darling to see they are justly served, whatever that might look like.

Darling struggles. They struggle hard. And that's not an indication of Darling's abilities (they are a logical whiz, capable of analysis and practical application unlike any other.) Darling has so much on their plate (security company jobs to make money, trying to keep up social ties to be integrated into the pack, spending time with Sam as they explore what it means to be mated...) Some days, they just barely squeak by with their exams. They ask for (needed and deserved) extensions, as much as they hate asking. It is a difficult thing, to put yourself at the mercy of others, in the way that being a student inherently asks you to do. It rubs someone like Darling the wrong way. They never really get used to it. Despite the way it makes Darling skin crawl and makes them want to just give up and call it quits, they persevere. They continue with the program, even though they didn't quite imagine their experience would look or feel like this.

But amidst all that struggle, who better than Darling knows just how important it for those responsible for applying the laws to do so accurately and equitably? Who better than Darling understands the hurt that principates from people slipping through the cracks when justice remains an elusive option?

So, they keep working. They keep studying. They keep trying. Some days, they aren't sure what is harder: reading through the dense legal documents, crafting articulate responses and analyses of those documents, or admitting that to fulfill this goal, they've periodically got to reevaluate themselves and readjust their ambitious expectations they have for themselves in order to reach their goal of finishing.

And, eventually, they finish. Sure, Darling is already worried about internships, the bar exam, and all the other "next steps" that never stop coming. But when they quiet their mind long enough to reflect on their accomplishment, they nearly burst into tears and feel a weight lift off of their shoulders. They're proud of what they've done, and ready for whatever's to come.

When they graduate, both the Shaw Pack and Solaire Clan attends their commencement ceremony.

[fantasywriter19]

Amortentia

"All You Need is Love"

The theme for February on @hp-12monthsofmagic being "All You Need is Love," I was ecstatic to find that, though I was uninspired last month and missed making an entry, I was able to pull this scene from my proverbial hat!

This is just a little snippet showing some never-before-seen history of the mother of my Voldemort's daughter OC. It's shorter than what I originally wrote, since all that I had written in my notebook nearly gave everything away for the series of Melody Riddle... so I had to clip quite a bit.

Anyway! I hope it's enjoyable! ^_^

February 13, 1978 3:10 PM

For a woman who causes her own healthy amount of trouble on a regular basis, even Orele Ollivander had to admit to herself that she’d really stepped into it this time.

It had been nearly a year since she finally graduated Hogwarts, and yet the former Ravenclaw had been adamant about continuing her seventh year research project beyond the castle’s protective walls — a project she hadn’t told anyone about due to the level of danger she was putting herself in to accomplish it.

It all started with a passage in a book hidden in the restricted section of the library that struck her as off… one mentioning the dangers of witches or wizards conceived after ingesting a love potion. The lack of basic psychologically human tendencies thus induced so the poor soul(s) may never know love.

It was so simple and short… and yet it gnawed at Orele’s very being. Magic could do many things, that was true, but to completely erase such a base emotion in a human being sounded ludicrous. No matter what she, herself, or anyone else did, love was not something she could easily discard from her very existence.

From there, an idea stemmed and spiraled into her current situation. One she reasoned she wouldn’t — couldn’t — shake no matter how idiotic she knew it was to act on it.

Now, all she could do was think back on everything she’d done to get to her current situation. Everything from the wise headmaster she’d managed to con into giving her the identity of a known love potion child, to the Slytherin friends she’d forced to tell her what they knew, to the identity she created as the Predator, and the atrocities she’d committed to get the attention of the one and only….

Lord Voldemort.

A rough shake of Orele’s shoulder pulled her out of her deep thoughts to find Severus Snape towering before her.

She was seated on a bench outside the Royal Ground Coffee Shop in Diagon Alley. However long she’d been sitting there, she wasn’t sure, but her coffee cup no longer provided her hands with comforting warmth against the freezing cold.

Orele scowled up at her hook-nosed friend with glaring silvery gray eyes, “I’ve been waiting here for hours! What took you so long?”

“Certainly not hours,” Severus drawled with a roll of his eyes.

Muttering obscenities under her breath, she stood, pulling out her wand to cast a warmth spell over her hands. Her height barely reached past his — or, really, anyone’s — stomach. Her short stature an ongoing joke amongst all her friends, only offset by the enormity of her temperament.

When she looked back up at Severus to say she was ready to go, she was floored at the addition to his face. “Wait, I could have sworn I’ve seen you recently. When did you grow a beard?”

His beard was thick yet silky, but it just barely covered his responding sneer as he started walking and Orele worked at matching his pace. “Your attention span tends to be lacking. Of course you haven’t noticed.”

“It’s only when I’m distracted,” she pouted, crossing her arms, “… or bored.”

“Yes, well, shockingly I know it hasn’t been boredom, though that is the usual culprit. Your distraction has been… him.”

Orele had to stop herself from giving a loud gasp, wondering just how much he knew about her secret crush.

It hadn’t been the original plan. Not by a long shot. But becoming a powerful ally alongside the darkest wizard of all time, she ended up spending a lot of time around him. Somehow, while secretly trying to figure out what or who he would have love for, her heart started pounding faster whenever they were alone together.

Despite Voldemort’s appearance looking mangled from his use of Dark Magic, Orele found she actually began to admire his appearance and enjoy the time she spent with him. Though she’d, as of yet, never brought up love potions to him, she was finding her dangerous predicament turning into something rather ironic…

Orele was slowly, but surely, falling in love with Lord Voldemort. Somehow managing to look past his cold demeanor to find a lost soul who didn’t know what it was to be loved — who leaned instinctively, yet unknowingly, into the gentle touches she stole on occasion.

She’d even found his cruel streak endearing, their spurred arguments over how he treats his Death Eaters becoming more and more like playful banter the longer they quarreled.

She also loved how, when he would get lost in a good book, he’d tilt his head against his hand  and get comfortable wherever he was sitting. When a thoughtful smile would escape him in the middle of a passage, Orele found it difficult to want to look at anything else.

Clearing her throat to interrupt her ongoing inner admiration, she asked, “What ‘him’ are you even referring to?”

Severus’ eyebrows furrowed as he looked back down at her, “Lockhart. Who else?”

Orele’s mind drew a blank on the name, strangely enough, until it suddenly clicked in and her eyes were as round as saucers. “Craaaap, I forgot to owl him!”

Furrowed eyebrows rose at her outburst, but Severus gave no response.

Gilderoy Lockhart was her boyfriend of a year and a half, still a student at Hogwarts. He’d only just recently sent her a Valentine’s Day card, and no doubt expected one… or a thousand… back in return.

Groaning exhaustedly, Orele brushed closer to Severus to avoid a passerby as they stepped up to the entrance of the apothecary. He opened the door and silently ushered her in first, allowing the door to freely slam shut behind them.

“Gil has been the last person on my mind,” she admitted regrettably.

“Then what are we even doing this for?”

“It’s… well… Tom…” she said shyly, drawn to one of the first shelves in front of the door to pick up a few packets of aromatic red rose petals and razor-sharp rose thorns. She twirled a strand of her curly brown hair with one finger, a deep blush covering her nose and cheeks.

Her companion’s black eyes narrowed in her direction, so deeply that she felt as if they were burning the side of her face. “Who?”

Orele sighed in exasperation, “Fine, it’s for — as you so call him — ‘the Dark Lord.’” The latter part of her sentence, she mimicked Severus’ usual droning tone of voice… which he did not appreciate.

Severus’ expression turned stormy, and he nearly dropped the jar of powdered moonstone he’d just picked up. “Orele..!!”

“What?” she asked defensively, reaching forward to snatch the jar from him for fear of having to pay more galleons than she’d brought.

“What would you want to give him a love potion for? It would be —”

“Completely ridiculous..!!” she sputtered, feeling deeply offended. “How insane do you think I am? The change in his behavior would be too obvious!”

“I don’t know! You’re the one asking me to make it!”

Despite not being in a library, they both paused and glanced around as they realized they were getting too loud. Fortunately, the owner and other patrons paid them no mind, merely continuing with their shopping.

Still, Orele took a deep breath and stepped closer to him so she could keep her voice low. “What, or who, in the world did you think I was going to use it for? Gil? Please. Even with a love potion in his system, he’d still probably go on about how perfect his hair is.”

Severus released a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose in thought. “I suppose I was more under the assumption that it was a romantic gesture in the form of fragrance for Lockhart…. Where, if your scent is what he smells, then he’d have something of you while he’s still at Hogwarts.”

A small smile involuntarily tugged at Orele’s lips at his thought. “Awe… Sev, that’s such a sweet idea. Albeit, it’s not one for Gil — I imagine he’d only smell himself… and quite possibly his mother.

“Anyways, what I intend to do with it does have to do with the fragrances it gives off, so you were almost completely correct…. I do need to ask, though. Amortentia is potent enough to cover any smell, right? No matter what?”

“By itself, without mixing it into anything, yes. Why? What do you intend to do?”

“Come now, Sev, the less you know about my transgressions, the better your chances are of not being blamed if he manages to catch me.”

Severus’ frown seemed almost worried. “Orele, be serious. Why do you really want me to make Amortentia? You’ve been spending a lot of time with the Dark Lord, but I never presumed anything would be less than… business related.”

“And thus far it hasn’t,” she said candidly. “But what if I told you… that I think I’m falling in love with the darkest Lord of all time? What then?”

“I’d said you’d gone mad — no, you’ve gone mental,” he whispered back.

“Perhaps I have,” she said, raising one challenging eyebrow before wandering away to find more ingredients. “Is that so wrong?”

Following quickly, Severus’ strides fell into her pace and he rejoined the search. “I just…” he ventured solemnly, “… never took you for a backstabbing cheater.”

Orele howled with a laughter one could only describe as maniacal. “Oh, please! With Lord Voldemort —“ Severus shushed her frantically, other clientele of the shop scurrying out of there immediately, “— expressing an interest in me, what is a girl supposed to do?  In the perspective of many, it would be an honor to be his right hand. I’m merely taking advantage of the possible offer.”

Severus’ frown was deeper than ever. “Possible offer?”

“Yes,” she gave a prideful grin. “Between you and me, he asked me to have dinner alone with him tomorrow night. And you know, if a certain someone found out about that, I’d have a pretty large target on my head.”

“You mean Bellatrix.”

“Of course I mean Bellatrix!” her smile dropped into a sneer as the image of the dark wizard’s biggest sycophant — emphasis on psycho, of course — crossed her mind. “I mean, the way she turns her head the minute I catch her giving me a death glare — like I didn’t already sense it! She would love such a relationship with him. But, of course, the difference between me and her is that she’s a married woman.”

Shaking his head, Severus replied, “The marriage is only for protecting the sacred pureblood line. Not one she’d have chosen for herself.”

“Clearly,” she dryly stated. “Ridiculous excuse considering that, in order to protect the pureblood line, you’re supposed to have children. They haven’t even  —“

“Meanwhile,” Severus interrupted, continuing his point, “you’re choosing to sneak behind the back of someone who is, shall we say, ‘head over heels’ for you. I may not have any particular fondness for the boy, but even he deserves better than that. It’s not like you.”

“Who says it’s not like me?” she asked, pointing out a vial of pearl dust for him to grab, along with a carton of ashwinder eggs. “If I so choose to do it, then that changes everything you think you know about me, right? I’m supposed to be evil incarnate along with the wizard who deems me a worthy ally. Who would question my cruelty?”

“That heart beating inside your chest.”

“Shows what you know,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Severus still seemed to doubt everything that had been written about Orele’s alter-ego, the Predator, in the Daily Prophet, despite all the evidence to the contrary showing that they were actually telling the truth about her. She rationalized that it was only because he had never seen her in action… and that the Daily Prophet generally laced some lies in… but, even though she rolled her eyes at his comment, some part of her knew he was right.

She cared enough about Severus’ friendship that she didn’t yet want him to see her in the bad light she deserved to be seen in. He was one of the few closest friends she had. And that was another form of love she knew she couldn’t go through life without.

When they left the apothecary, Orele bemoaned the price of all the ingredients she had to buy, but she hoped the end result would be worth it. She held the bag tenderly against her chest, her heart pounding roughly at the realization that the time was ticking ever closer.

“Are you really not going to tell me what you’re doing with the potion when I’m finished?” Severus prodded her again.

Orele smirked, waggling her finger at him. “I told you why I’m not telling you that. The most I'll reveal is that I’m first hoping to confirm he likes the smell of my pie.”

Severus’ pale face contorted in surprise, “You’ve baked pie for him?”

“Oh, yes, plenty of times,” she said proudly. “I even let him watch me make one once — ooh, can I watch you brew the Amortentia? Where are you —?”

“No!” he immediately refused, taking the bag of ingredients from her with a look of absolute dismay. “I don’t need you breathing over my shoulder while I work. You are still the most impatient witch I’ve ever met. Write a Valentine’s card for Lockhart to pass the time.”

“Fine…” she relented with a sigh, turning to walk away. “I’ll leave you to it.”

“What are you going to tell Lockhart about his card arriving late?”

“Easy,” she called back over her shoulder. “I’ll tell him Ebony was being difficult, and didn’t come back with his card when she was supposed to.” For being a trained owl Orele had owned since she first got accepted to Hogwarts, Ebony had a nasty attitude. And Eeylops would never take her back.

Severus merely gave her a long, dubious stare.

“What? It’s not that hard to believe. Ebony is a downright menace, and even you know it.”

For once that evening, Severus gave no form of disagreement.