#I grew up on the harry potter films

[to-draw-time]

The opinion I have for ppl playing the stupid wizard game but claiming to still support trans lives is this:

You care more about your choice to play a game over the safety of trans lives.

Full stop. 

JK Rowling HAS and STILL DOES have clout and power to sway others. She has successfully used her funds to cause harm to others. If you value a shitty game that in all likelihood you will never touch again in like 2-4 years over real people, you suck. 

[riarevenge]

i actually do not understand why people find it so hard to say jk rowling bad and maybe i shouldn’t buy her new stuff or stream the HP films when she literally continues to spout her shit and tweets like this but sure

[saintsenara]

Why Harry being short and frail (or even petite and delicate) past puberty is such a popular take these days? Sure, he is not bulky, but don't we know from Voldemort himself that James was tall and don't we know that Harry was exactly the same height as James during the final battle? Don't we know that Harry works out 3 times a week and is generally athletic? Is it the same thing that is happening with fanon Sirius or is it something different? Is it because he was short as a child and grew up in a cupboard, thus unlikely to end up like he did at the end of the series? What do you think about it? How likely is it? I keep seeing it in many slash ships and I am genuinely baffled. Is it me who has it backwards? Please solve this mystery, dear Asenora!

thank you very much for the ask, anon!

i think several things are at play, tbh - some of which are more understandable than others.

the first is that daniel radcliffe genuinely is short [for a british man, at least] - his height is given online as 165cm [or 5'5], but looking at pictures of him leads me to suspect that's an exaggeration - and was, unsurprisingly, even shorter when he was a teenager. many of the other actors in the films are much, much taller than him - especially people like alan rickman and david thewlis, both of whom were over six foot - and since the films inevitably influence how people picture the characters physically, the height differences we see on screen end up becoming part of that.

the second is that, while harry is described as "tall" in canon, that term appears to be doing a fair amount of heavy-lifting. numerous male characters are described as taller than him in both half-blood prince and deathly hallows - with the example which always stands out to me being the fact that fred and george weasley are said to "shrink" when they polyjuice into harry before the seven potters chase. fred and george - like charlie - are described in canon as being noticeably shorter and stockier in build than bill, percy, and ron. unless ron et al. are so tall that it would be thought of as really unusual - let's say above 6'6/198cm - harry probably isn't over 6'0/182cm tall.

thirdly, it's worth saying that what is meant by "tall" is culturally contingent. i've said that daniel radcliffe is shorter than average for a british man - and that's true - but his height isn't going to be thought of in that way in different parts of the world. similarly, there are parts of the world where describing a man who was, say, 5'10/178cm as "tall" would be considered quite strange - but i don't think the uk [where the average male height in 1998 was just over 5'8/174cm] is one of them. certainly, i picture harry as around that height [allowing characters like ron, sirius, dumbledore, and voldemort - who are all described as such - to be noticeably taller than him, but not so tall that their height would be considered abnormal], and i don't think it precludes him still being thought of as "tall" within the context in which he lives. but an author from, for example, the netherlands - where the average male height is 6'0.5/183cm - would probably think differently.

[there's a point about cultural contingency in the quip he makes about being short because of the cupboard too: i would read that as a dark joke which he doesn't actually think has any truth behind it specifically when it comes to his height, but which nonetheless expresses that the dursleys abuse him generally and this abuse has had a long-term impact upon him; readers from other parts of the world take it more literally.]

and finally, harry is definitely physically fit and - of course - works out a lot as part of playing quidditch, but both he and james are emphasised in canon as having slender builds - and it's also implied in the text that seekers are generally slim. harry doesn't need to be seen as any less sporty if we presume that he has the physique of a distance runner or triathlete rather than that of a sprinter.

however, there are definitely some aspects to the tendency for harry to be written as short and slender which do bother me a fair amount - and i do think that these have something in common with what we see with fanon sirius.

that is, that harry and sirius aren't written as short and slender because the author wants them to just happen to be short and slender. they're written as short and slender because the author wants them to be passive. their height/build is emphasised in the story in order to hammer this home - and it's often accompanied by them being assigned other aspects of physical appearance, personality, dress, or manner [especially ones which might be considered as "effeminate"] which, once again, aren't intended to communicate anything other than this passivity.

and - of course - in the writing of vast amounts of slash, any indication of passivity, submissiveness, or femininity - and the physical traits which end up equated with them - is taken as an indication that the character in question would be an exclusive - and submissive - bottom, who defers to the whims of their partner, an exclusive - and dominant - top.

and - unsurprisingly - topping ends up being associated with masculinity - and the personality traits and physical characteristics - above all a tall, muscular build - which are equated with that.

frail!harry seems to be most prominent - in my experience - in ships like tomarrymort, not so much because people really care about the implications of harry's characterisation, but because they're hugely opposed to the suggestion that characters like tom riddle would ever bottom [since - of course - they associate the act of being penetrated with femininity and femininity with weakness...]. great lengths have to be gone to, then, to emphasise that voldemort - or whoever else - is powerful and proud and authoritative and masculine and tall. and, for some reason, this is apparently incompatible with the idea that he might also like to get railed... which means that harry has to make sure nobody is in any doubt about who's the woman bottom by becoming as teeny tiny as he possibly can...

[kittarts]

Hey. I’m a trans nonbinary person who is a HP fan, and thanks for being transparent and acknowledging that JKR sucks while also still holding a space in your heart for what HP was to you in your youth. It feels so difficult to find people like that online? The common consensus has become to condemn entirely and while that’s understandable, there are people who still love this series because it helped them through tough times and made them feel less alone. I think that’s worth noticing. Not everyone who still likes HP is automatically transphobic, nor are they someone who condones JKR’s awfulness on the many other things she unfortunately has an opinion about, and it seems like people forget you can separate the art from the artist—yes, even if said artist is still alive and kicking. Sorry if this ask is a lot. I don’t mean to start or engage in discourse. I just wanted to thank you, so again, thank you. Love your art.

I really appreciate you sharing your feelings on it! :) you’re not the first one to send me something similar actually. 

Social media really shrunk my worldview, and it wasn’t until I started having these conversations outside of the internet that I realised those condemning others are actually the smaller majority haha. They’re just loud, and therefore they’re scary. 

I can go to a friends house right now and have this discussion without fear of them hurting me. 

I think it’s important for people to be given the space to decide how they feel about these things. To set their own boundaries.

To be an adult and say “Jk did this. And I’m not okay with it. Therefore I won’t be consuming any more Harry Potter” or to say “Jk did this. And I’m not okay with it. But I grew up with these films and they’ll always mean a-lot to me”. These two things can co exist, and neither side is evil lol. It’s literally just about deciding what is and isn’t okay for you. 

Adding on; I'm referring to enjoying the films from your youth, don't financially support her in any capacity. I would like to think this goes without saying, but just to make sure.

[azrakaban]

Movie Night - Platonic! Slytherin gang

A/N: I WORKED FOR OVER TEN HOURS ON THIS AND IT DIDN'T SAVE! Gonna scream and cry but instead I'm rewriting while watching Baby which fyi is where editors get their clips of our much loved theodore nott, played by Lorenzo Zurzolo. Also, the chosen movie didn't come out before this fillm, I'm aware, but suck it up buttercups <3

Summary: Movie night with your best friends. What could go right?

warnings: swearing

...

You flopped down onto the bed between Pansy and Astoria, the latter of which immediately smacked you around the head with a frog plushie. "Finally, what took you so long? It's popcorn, not rocket science." She laughed, Pansy rolling her eyes.

"I managed to perfevt the popcorn first try. Alone. However, when I first tried to make it, someone wanted to help, and someone managed to burn the popcorn and nearly blow up the pan!" You said, glaring playfully at Enzo. He gave you an apologetic look, before sitting beside Rhia on a beanbag.

You handed the popcorn bowl to Pansy, who threw a piece at Theodore, who caught it in his mouth, resulting in a triumphant yell, until Astoria's frog plushie smacked him in the face. Mattheo snorted.

You giggled, turning to look at Blaise and Tom, who were fiddling around with a projector.

"You two need some help?" Rhia called, watching as Tom grew more and more frustrated.

"No, we're perfectly capable of doing it by ourselves. Piss off." Tom said, frowning. He then noticed who was talking. "Sorry Rhia, too harsh." He said, voice a shade softer. Rhia smiled and turned back to Enzo, who was showing her an action figure of one of the Irish Quidditch team.

You turned away, tuning back into your conversation with Pansy and Astoria before a loud crash interrupted you. You turned back to Blaise and Tom, the latter of which was muttering 'Reparo' at the projector.

"You sure you still don't need help?" Rhia is just sat there, a small smile on her face as she watches them. 

"Again, we're fi-" Blaise cuts Tom off, slapping a hand over his mouth. "He's lying Rhia, help us, please, we're incapable." Blaise says, a pleading look in his eyes.

You laugh as Rhia goes over and sets it up within a minute. Tom is looking very disgruntled, feeling slightly stupid but also slightly impressed by Rhia' capabilities with muggle technology. 

Everyone gets comfortable for the film, which is going to be 'Mean Girls'. Tom gives you a look, as you were the one to choose the film, but ultimately he decides to trust your judgement. The film begins, with everyone getting comfortable and snuggly, blankets everywhere.

*a little bit later*

"I don't think my father, the inventor of Toaster Strudel, would be too pleased to hear about this." Gretchen's voice came from the screen, and Theodore laughed. "Wow guys, it's Draco!" He was met with a few laughs, and an extremely sour expression form Draco. 

"No no, that's not Draco. She is." Mattheo pointed to Regina. "How do I even begin to explain Draco Malfoy?" He smirked, adopting an exaggerated dreamy expression. 

"Draco Malfoy is flawless." Theodore says, sitting up and opening his eyes wide in imitation of the girl from earlier on in the movie. 

"He has two fendi purses and a silver lexus." Blaise continued, giving side eyes to either side of him as if someone was listening to him sharing Draco's secrets.

"I've heard his hair's insured for 10,000 dollars." Lorenzo said, gasping and enunciating for dramatic effect. "It's 50,000 actually." Draco muttered.

"I hear he does car commercials... in Japan." Mattheo said furtively, still smirking. Draco rolled his eyes.

"One time he met Harry Potter in a robe shop, and he told her he was pretty." Theodore said, grinning. Draco glared. "Leave Potter out of this." He grumbled quietly. 

Then the unthinkable happened.

"One time he punched me in the face. It. Was. Awesome." Tom adopted an american accent, nailing the line perfectly.

Blaise gasped. Theodore did a double take. Lorenzo rubbed his eyes, as if to be sure of what he was seeing. Draco gaped. Mattheo fainted. Rhia, Pansy, Astoria and you bit your lips to keep from laughing. 

Mattheo magically regained consciousness after a second, sitting bolt upright. "Do mine ears decieve me?" He said fervently. 

"Indeed cousin they do not. I believe thou own kindred hath quoted a line from a movie." Drsco said, clapping Tom on the shoulder. 

Tom glared, shrugging it off. "It's thine, not thou. Buffoon." Tom said, rolling his eyes.

"Come on brother, where are the curse words in your sentence? It's not a crime to say them! LOOK! Fuck fuck fuckity fuck. Was I struck by lightning? No sir!" Mattheo exclaimed, laughing and falling off the bed. 

"Sorry, what is he on?" Blaise said, raising an eyebrow. You peered over the side of the bed to look at the floor, finding the culprit rather fast. 

You help up some elastic circles, and a half empty packet of fizzy cola bottles. "Judging by the debris site, far too many candy necklaces and half a packet of cola bottles." Theodore cackled, lifting his friend off of the floor with Enzo's help and dumping him back on the bed. 

Mattheo continued to fidget throughout the movie, clearly still coming down from the sugar high. 

...

"It's like I have ESPN or something. My breasts can always tell when it's going to rain. Well, they can tell when it's raining."  Karen's voice rang out from the speakers. Blaise cackled. 

"Miss girl, your boobs do not have Atmokinesis." He rolled his eyes, finding it far too funny for what the line was.

...

"I'm sorry that people are so jealous of me, but I can't help it that I'm popular." Gretchen's voice came from the film. "MATTHEO CORE!" Yelled Pansy, laughing. He threw a pillow at her, missing and wacking Astoria. There was a scream that shook the heavens. 

"YOU'RE A DEAD MAN RIDDLE!" Astoria yelled, snapping off her acrylics in less than thirty seconds and running at him, tackling him and repeatedly hitting him with her pillow. 

"Nobody-" Smack "Ruins-" Smack "My Maybelline Sky High Mascara-" Smack "WITHOUT FACING-" smack "THE CONSEQUENCES!" Smack. The girl was feral (understandable.)

Mattheo cowered in fear, not even bothering to fight back. 

"Apologize and we can get this over with Mattheo." You said, completely unbothered by the frequent occurence, just letting it happen.

"I'M SORRY ASTORIA! FORGIVE ME PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU!" Mattheo yelled, finally ceasing the pillow abuse. 

Astoria finally relented, and joined you back on the bed, gratefully accepting Rhia's mascara. 

...

"It's not my fault you're, like, in love with me or something!" 

"GIRL SAID WHAT?!" You yelled, jumping up excitedly. Theo rolled his eyes. 

"YN you've seen this movie eight times before. You know what she said." He said, turning back to the screen, where Regina was delivering her next line. "Just wait." You muttered.

"See? That's the thing with you plastics. You think everybody is in love with you when actually, everybody HATES you! Like, Aaron Samuels, for example, he broke up with Regina and guess what? He still doesn't want you! So why are you still messing with Regina, Cady? I'll tell you why, because you are a mean girl! You're a bitch! Here. You can have this. It won a prize." Theo audiblu gasped. 

"GIRL SAID WHAAAT?" He yelled. You grinned. "Told you."

...

"No! Do you know what everyone says about you behind your back? Hmm? They say that you're a homeschooled jungle freak, that's a less hot version of me! Yeah, so don't try to act so innocent! You can take that fake apology, and shove it right up your hairy c..."

Tom shook his head as Regina was hit by a bus. 

"Both of them went too far in that sitch, Bus was deserved." He said, groaning as he realised he'd spoken his thoughts aloud. However, there were no giggles or smirks from the other guys. Instead he was met with five solemn nods. 

"When Tom Riddle says it's too far, you know it's too far." Enzo said, nodding his head in agreement.

...

"Oh no, you're not going to end on that are you?" The film credits rolled, and you looked around at your friends, many of whom were passed out tired. You locked eyes with Draco, shaking your heads with a smile. 

Tom was sat in silent contemplation. "What's on your mind Riddle?" You said, smiling. 

"I think... maybe... not all American high school movies are bad." He said quietly. You gasped. 

"Small victories." You whispered to yourself happily, shortly after falling asleep on Astoria's shoulder. Tom followed shortly after, and Draco too, on his silk pillowcase to protect his luxury insured hair.

...

A/N: Thank you for reading! I'm still taking requests, so just comment and I'll try do them quickly. Love you all xx

[violeteclipseboaty]

So I recently went to go watch KOTPOTA again. I wanted to share my thoughts overall on the film, I couldn't properly do it before because I had forgotten some stuff lol

The pacing: at first watch I though it was kinda weird but watching it again I realized it pretty much went straight to the point, if anything I wanted MORE but you know the movie would've been too long but I wouldn't have minded either way. I mean, I've watched the Avatar and Harry Potter movies, so yeah I could've handled that lol

I really like the environment they set up with the eagle clan; their culture, their tradition with the eggs, and their bond with the eagles. I hope we get to see more details in the next movie.

The cinematography was amazing, they really nailed it. The sceneries were outstanding. A lot of that stuff reminded me back to Rise, back when it was filled with human life, now sadly the structures are abandoned and overtaken by nature but look pretty either way. The action scenes omg were so engaging and just done so well.

Let's talk about the main characters:

Noa: Great character. He's curious, smart, brave, and compassionate. I know a lot of people wanted him to be Caesar's descendant but i didnt really care about that. I'm excited where his next journey will take us if they have the chance to make a sequel (please 🙏) I'm pretty sure at the end of the film, Noa now has a new view of the world he lives in and now questioning his entire existence lol

Raka: loved him!! I really like how he truly understood what Caesar stood for. I did notice some things he believed were wrong lol but he's got the spirit and would lighten up the mood after what happened with Noa's clan. He's got a good heart, he sacrificed himself for Mae despite knowing her for a very short amount of time after all. Also I refuse to believe he's dead so there's that also and I hope he comes back to guide both Mae and Noa onto the path for the coexistence of both apes and humans.

Soona: I really wish we could've gotten more scenes with her, but I really like her. She's brave, sweet, and a ride or die for both Noa and Anaya. I hope we get to see her more in the next film

Anaya: yall already know cause I made a seperate post lol but loved him and I wish we had more scenes with him as well! I felt so bad for him when we see him again with Proximus, he's been through enough!

Proximus: he was a great villian and I did not like him, which is good! Not all villians need a sad backstory, this dude was clearly only hungry for power. He was twisting Caesar's words, enslaving other apes, killing humans, and wanted access to technology capable of bringing destruction and chaos. He's smart and knows how to be resourceful. I find it funny that he was talking smack about humans yet his way of thinking and actions are similar to the bad side of humanity. I only wish we could've gotten more scenes with him; he was underused and I thought he would have a much bigger role based on the trailers, but I enjoyed his presence overall.

Mae: I've already made a seperate post about her character and I still sorta feel the same way about her. Rewatching it again, I got to sympathize more with her situation. She's a survivor who clearly grew up and was taught misinformation about apes, but after meeting Raka and bonding with Noa; i truly believe she'll come around and change her mind. I believe in her, and I hope we get to see her again and get more of her backstory to understand her better.

The movie was great. The plot, visuals, and acting were so well done. I took about 5 years for them to work on this, and it SHOWS. Their dedication shows that when enough time is given; movies that involve CGI can be done properly. I'm sick of projects being crunched and the visuals ending up looking like 💩 because the teams/artists aren't appreciated enough. I definitely recommend watching at least twice, and I pray for a sequel.

[bbrissonn]

𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 - 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢

little fall blurb + insta edit with my fav at the moment... luca !! warnings: not proofread wc: 1.01k

“Babe!” Luca called out, walking into your off campus apartment. A bag full of your favourite fall treats along with a special activity he had planned, in his hand. 

“In here!” You answered from your living room. You had brought every blanket you owned into the room, throwing them on the ground as all your pillows were laying on the floor. 

“Jesus.” Your boyfriend mumbled under his lips as he walked in. He knew you had lots of them, but he never realized just how many you truly had. Your face light up as you saw him walk into the room, quickly walking over to him and hugging his body. 

“I missed you.” You mumbled against his chest, making him chuckle a bit as he dropped the bag and wrapped his arms around you. 

“I missed you too, baby.” He whispered against the top of your head, pressing a small kiss. The two of you stayed like that until the sound of thunder made you jump slightly. 

“Come on, it’s fort building time, bubs.” You said excitedly as you took his hand and dragged him to where you had put everything. Your fall playlist was playing in the background as the two of you started on your build. Luca wasn’t very good at it, the blankets always falling, so you did most of the work. But, that didn’t matter to you. You were spending time together, and you couldn’t ask for anything more. 

“How was practice?” You asked, now sitting inside the fort as Luca went to grab the bag he had dropped. Meanwhile, you were scrolling throught Netflix, finding Harry Potter and the Philosophy’s stone. 

“Fine, I guess. Duker kept falling all the time.” He answered, joining you under the fort. Thankfully, you had baked the cookies before he arrived, and they were still a little warm. A smile grew on your face as you saw him pull out your favourite snacks and drinks from the bag, but confusion soon grew on your face when you saw him pull out paint brushes and fake pumpkins. 

“I saw this thing on tiktok, I looked cool.” He admitted when you looked over at him. He had a shy look on his face, most of the time it was always you coming up with things to do during your date nights. 

“Painting pumpkin?” 

“Pumpkin carving is messy.” He added, his cheeks growing a little as you smiled. You pressed a long kiss to his lips before mumbling something. 

“I think it’s a wonderful idea, love.” You said before pressing another kiss to his lips. The two of you prepared your whole set up, and then finally hit play. It was Friday, and Luca had the weekend off and the two of you had made the irresponsible decisions of starting a Harry Potter marathon at four pm. There was a good chance you would both fall asleep before finishing all of the, but you didn’t care. 

Truly, the film was more of a background noise as the two of you painted, but you often took breaks to just cuddle and watch the movie while eating. Your evening was perfect, really, the rain drops hitting your window making the whole night feel even more comfy and welcoming as the scent from your candles filled your noses. 

“Mine’s the best!” Luca exclaimed, half way through Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. You rolled your eyes at his state. 

“Nu-uh. Mine is, yours is only cute because I added the bow.” You responded as you grabbed your second pumpkin and started painting again. 

“Lies!” 

“Fine then, we can ask our friends. But, now, shut up and watch the movie.” You mumbled as you cuddle closer to him, making sure not to make any paint go on your matching Halloween pijama pants and hoodies. 

“I love you.” The boy mumbled against your ear a couple of minutes later. You looked up at him, a soft smile on your face as your eyes stared into his. 

“I love you more.” Your eyes slowly closing as sleep took over. 

~ 

It was fully dark outside the next time your eyes opened, but the light from your television was still shining bright. One of Luca’s hand was rubbing your head, which was resting on his shoulder as the other played with your fingers that were on his lap. 

“Lu?” 

“Hi, bubba. Did I wake up?” He asked, his voice calm and soft. You nodded no slightly, cuddling even closer into him. That’s when you realized a couple of blanks were now covering the two of you. 

“What time is it?” 

“6:30. The sunrise is soon.” He answered, the tone in his voice the same. You slowly opened your eyes, the Half-Blood Prince now playing on the screen.

“Did you sleep?” You asked, pulling your head away from him so you could look at him. 

“An hour or two maybe.” The boy answered, looking down at you before pressing a small kiss to your lips. For the next thirty minutes or you, you were snoozing in and out of sleep, the movie always waking you up. 

“Babe, the sun is rising.” Luca said eventually, making your eyes shoot open. You looked over him with a wide smile before walking over to the window of your living room. You loved sunrises, not as much as sunset, but enough to the point where you put a couch facing your window so you could watch it. 

“Coffee?” Luca asked as he sat down, pulling out his phone from his pocket and ordering your every day starbucks order once you nodded. The two of you sat in silent, his arms wrapped around you as the sun slowly appeared in the horizon. The light hitting the yellow and red leaves, making you sigh in happiness. 

The two of you enjoyed your last moments of peace for a while, knowing your roommate would be back soon, and eventually you’d find yourself in one of the hockey homes. Yelling and screaming would be the only thing you’d hear during the whole night.

~

yourusername

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yourusername we need your opinion peoples!! who did it best? me (original and cute idea as seen on slide 1) or lu (who stole my idea and only looks cute because i added a bow)?

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luca.fantilli ME

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yourusername @/rutgermcgroarty this is why you're my fav luca.fantilli @/rutgermcgroarty i see how it is bud

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luca.fantilli @/seamuscasey26 WHY IS EVERYONE TURNING ON ME?? yourusername @/luca.fantilli cause they love me more babe

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[greenerteacups]

In future film adaptations of the HP series, DH is the one book I'm happy for future filmmakers to "mess around" with as much as they like to improve the visual / story experience for all the reasons you mentioned. I'm very happy for them to do a somewhat Twilight film Breaking Dawn-esque departure. Like, instead of focusing on the trio in the woods the whole time, let's get into what the Order are up to, let's show our friends keeping the DA alive at Hogwarts, let's show the other muggleborns having to go into hiding, let's flash over to Draco suffering the worst house guests ever... like we have this expansive cast of characters, let's not waste them for the extended camping trip from hell... also the best part of HP is the wizarding world itself, so many amazing magical set pieces in the world... and we spend the last book mostly in the forest...

Speaking of which, with there being a new series adaptation in the works (with rumours of potentially more HP series to come... perhaps even a Lily Potter / Marauders/ Snape based one...) is there anything you're excited about finally seeing adapted from canon or are terrified of potentially seeing butchered onscreen?

Yeah like and also it isn't even an INTERESTING forest. Like the "children wander into the enchanted forest and face [insert monstrous metaphor for adulthood]" is one of the oldest fairytales in recorded history, with a ton of creepy lore to draw on — you could have had the kids running through mystical haunted forests of ancient Britain! Running into the ghosts of Roman soldiers and Celtic ruins and magical creatures! Forest of Dean could have been COOL.

To your other point: I'd much prefer a Marauders series to a remake of the original. I'm of the not-unpopular opinion that the HP movies are as good as any adaptation of any book can get (save probably the Lord of the Rings movies) in terms of how they balance story structure, fidelity to the text, and onscreen pacing. The cinematography decreases sharply in energy and verve after Alfonso Cuarón, and the later movies unfortunately suffer from the mid-2000s trend of desaturating the frame, but they're solid movies and like — okay, in my heart of hearts, there's a little part of me that's like. Daniel Radcliffe will always be my Harry. I grew up with Rupert Grint and Emma Watson and Tom Felton, and seeing someone else in those roles will never hit me like it did to see eleven-year-old Hermione Granger alive for the first time on that screen. Which is not a real reason. But there you go.

There's also the problem of the genre pivot — the first few movies are obviously children's films, and a whole generation of millennials got to grow up as they gradually changed to Y/A films. But how many children are going to be watching a full season of a HBO miniseries? And how many adults are going to watch that miniseries and then complain it was underwhelming because, again, it's a children's series? It would be better, in my opinion, to start over with the Marauders, whom you can write into adventures that more naturally fit the pacing of a TV show. You can also start with them at like, age 14, which would solve the problem of years 1-3 essentially being about kids in middle school. Unlike HP, nothing happens that we know of in the first 3 years of the Marauders Era that's plot-essential, so strong writing in the pilot and a carefully chosen flashback or two could easily set the stage for a series starting in Year 4.

What I'm nervous about is the contingent of fandom that would expect it to be essentially a TV adaptation of All the Young Dudes, which — while it's an all-time legendary work of fanfiction, like all-time, incredible, wonderful story — does not much resemble what I think HBO writers' room would come up with. ATYD is a slice-of-life bildungsroman about Remus Lupin, and most of its stakes come through emotional tension — you can really easily transplant it outside of a magical setting, and you lose almost nothing. A Marauders show would be an action-adventure series modeled after the Harry Potter books, and it would need an episode-by-episode plot. In ATYD, Remus's development is the engine powering the story. That's not enough in a television series pitching itself as an action-adventure fantasy story, and I don't think the HBO team would be bold enough to depart from genre in this respect. After the failure of Fantastic Beasts, the execs are probably going to clock "Harry Potter show without Harry Potter in it" as a major business risk. Sowhile I'm open-minded and eager to see what the creatives would come up with, I wouldn't envy them the job of having to build out new personalities and arcs for characters that fans have already grown quite attached to their self-designed interpretations of.

It strikes me, too, that Rowling has never gone back to the Marauders as a potential vein for more books, even though she easily could have. She clearly doesn't mind dabbling in the HP universe, and the Fantastic Beasts movies show she's happy to bring the audience back to Hogwarts when she wants to. But for some reason, Harry's parents has always been a little too close to the original series, and I think maybe there's something in her that's afraid of revisiting that period — like if she fucks it up, she's damaging something directly connected to the books that made her famous, cheapening them. Or maybe she just doesn't want to write those stories. Who knows!

I do know that the most important name in that show would be the writing credit, because JKR has demonstrated (1) she isn't great at writing original stories for the screen, and (2) it's really easy to fuck up the pacing of a TV show, and if you don't get the pacing of Harry Potter, then you're not going to adapt it well. The HP books are essentially mystery novels that turn into spy novels. If you don't have that — if you think you're writing a high-fantasy epic from the jump, as the Fantastic Beasts writers seemed to believe, and as the Cursed Child writers seemed to believe — then you're going to write something that doesn't feel like Harry Potter, and most people will notice, even if they don't understand why.

[keikotwins]

Mokumokuren

Birds of different feathers flock together

Noticed online by head-hunting publishers, Mokumokuren hasn’t waited very long before polarising the attention of Japanese readers. With strange The Summer Hikaru Died, horrific bromance dealing with body dispossession, the mangaka signs a series of sophisticated oddity, that sets itself apart from the predictability of current fantasy productions.

Interview by Fausto Fasulo. Original translation: Aurélien Estager. English translation: “Keikotwins”. Bibliography: Marius Chapuis. Thanks: Camille Hospital & Clarisse Langlet (Pika), Yuta Nabatame, Mayuko Yamamoto & Mana Kukimoto (Kadokawa), Chiho Muramatsu (Tohan)

(T/N: Interview given to ATOM in winter 2023; 2 volumes were out in French.)

-

In an interview given to the CREA website in November 2022, you confided inventing stories since very young. Did your first fictions resemble the ones you draw nowadays?

It’s true that there are quite a lot of common points between the stories I imagined when I was a child and the ones I tell nowadays in my mangas. Especially a specific motif, that has been haunting me since the time when I wasn’t really aware of the world surrounding me: the presence amongst us of “non-human” beings, that nonetheless have a perfectly normal, ordinary appearance…

And how was this “obsession” born?

Precisely identifying the origins is complicated, my memories are too blurry, I think… What I can tell you is that I’ve always been fascinated by “creatures”. For example, I remember being very impressed by Peter Jackson’s bestiary in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. By the way, still in a fantasy register, I am also a big fan of Harry Potter adaptations… (She thinks.) And I’ve always liked yōkai stories, you know. I think that what I like in all these mythologies is the idea of species classification: each has its own characteristics – physical, biological – its own way to apprehend its environment.

In Japan, yōkai are integral part of regional folklore. Did the place you grew up in have some specific beliefs?

I was born and grew up in Tokyo, and, as you must know, yōkai are mostly associated with rural areas. I was thus never really bathed in this type of regional fantasy folklore. There are all kinds of yōkai and we can perhaps see in some more contemporary urban legends the echo of certain past beliefs? (She thinks.) I am a bit frustrated, because I believe that I could remember a legend that would have impacted me, but nothing comes to mind immediately, sorry!

You have already said so in an interview and it’s quite obvious when reading your work: you are a big amateur of horrific fiction. What has been your first contact with the genre, all medium included?

It was television that introduced me to horror: special shows, television films, series, I was watching these programs with a mix of fear and enthusiasm, a confused sensation that particularly delighted me! (She thinks.) And amongst all the aired shows, I will remember two titles: Hontō ni atta kowai hanashi and Kaidan shin mimibukuro*.

* Inspired by the homonymous manga magazine published by Asahi Shimbun, Hontō ni atta kowai hanashi (lit. “Scary stories that really happened”) is a series produced by Fuji Television that has been airing more or less weekly since 2004. Derived from literary material (a series of compilations of hundreds of short stories by Hirokatsu Kihara and Ichirō Nakayama, published from 1990 to 2005) Kaidan shin mimibukuro is a series made of several short movies depicting ghost stories based on real testimony.

Did you read horror mangas when you were young?

Let’s say that I was more interested in live-action productions. Nowadays, I obviously appreciate some horror manga authors, without pretending to be any expert in the subject. For example, I like Junji Itō’s work, but I am far from knowing it for a long time… (She thinks.) I could also talk about Shigeru Mizuki, who I also appreciate a lot.

The mechanics of fear aren’t the same in occidental and oriental fictions. You like American horrific productions – like Ari Aster movies – as much as ones from Japanese origin – you notably quote Ichi Sawamura novels and Kōji Shiraishi feature films. Can we say that you are tying these two perspectives with The Summer Hikaru Died?

My relationship with horror is more imbued with oriental sensitivity. But what I find remarkable in occidental horrific productions is work on image. In The Shining like in Ari Aster movies, for example, there is real research made on frame composition and choice of colours. I also try to follow this aesthetic reflection in my work as a mangaka.

In Ari Aster’s work, beyond the very precise staging, there is this permanent desire of ambiguity. Do you try to dig this same equivocal trench?

Absolutely. I try to tell complex feelings as well in The Summer Hikaru Died, like fear dyed with nostalgia or attachment, repulsion mixed with fascination, with attraction…

How do you “sort out” the shots that inspire you in cinema?

I don’t draw while freeze-framing during specific scenes. I would always rather watch a movie as a “focussed” spectator. However, I pay a lot of attention to the way the director composes their frame. I sometimes take some notes, but I most often simply keep it in a corner of my mind.

Could you tell us when and how the story and characters of The Summer Hikaru Died appeared to you? Have they matured a long time within you?

I’ve started thinking about this story when I was preparing university entrance exams. I was aspiring to join an art uni, and I was drawing every day. I can’t really say I made my characters “mature”: back then, I wasn’t thinking that the drawings I was making would one day end up being published, way less being serialised! I innocently created characters close to me, without guessing that one day they’d become manga protagonists.

One of your foundational reads was Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul manga. Can you tell us how you discovered it and what effect it had on you?

I don’t really remember how I discovered this series, but what I know is that I became crazy about it at first read. What I liked – and what I still like – is this idea of telling a story that confronts humans to these “different” beings while following the point of view of a character that represents alterity. Beyond this strictly dramatic aspect, Sui Ishida’s storyboarding and character design have had a strong impact on my work. However, I want to add that Tokyo Ghoul isn’t the only title I took inspiration from, I obviously have other references…

Do you do a lot of researches to define the design of your characters? You seem to draw them easily, in a very natural gesture…

I haven’t spent a long time defining my protagonists. First, there are few in the manga, then, they evolve in a rather realistic universe. My goal was rather simple: they had to look believable in the reader’s eyes. I wanted people to be able to imagine crossing them in the street, you see?

It’s after seeing illustrations posted on social media that depicted the future characters of The Summer Hikaru Died that the publishing department of the Young Ace Up magazine noticed you. How have you reacted when approached?

I was very surprised, because I absolutely wasn’t trying to become a mangaka. I would have never projected in such a future, you see. And, very honestly, if they hadn’t suggested working on this series, I don’t think I would ever had pushed the doors of a publishing house… I am then very thankful towards the persons who have allowed me to enter.

And what would you have done if you hadn’t been solicited?

Back when I’ve been contacted, I was considering – still vaguely – working in the video games field. But I wasn’t really proactive, I wasn’t contacting anyone, wasn’t sending resumes…

Did you want to do chara-design?

Why not, yes. What I like in video games is the range of possibilities they offer. You can then create an entire universe and this is rather exhilarating.

So you’re a gamer…

I have dropped my controller since I’ve started drawing manga. But yes, when I had more time, I played rather regularly, especially Nintendo productions…

Even if you play rather little nowadays, do video games influence your work?

I can’t say whether it really is an influence, but the Undertale game has left a big mark on me. I felt its creator’s strong will to surprise players, to make them feel unprecedented sensations…

Horror manga only relies on art and storyboard to provoke fear, whereas cinema and video games can also rely on sound. Is it from this observation that you have decided to particularly work on your sound effects?

Absolutely. I have thought a lot about the way to introduce and stage sound in The Summer Hikaru Died. The sound effects that you can find in the manga are indeed the result of this approach.

In an interview given to the Realsound website, you mention the use of the シャワシャワ (“shawa shawa”) sound effect. Knowing that occidental readers are way less sensitive to these graphicoustic details, can you explain its meaning?

“Shawa shawa” expresses the song cicadas make in western Japan. It’s a very special noise because in the different regions live different species that make specific sounds. So when I choose this specific sound effect, I convey a geographic and temporal piece of information to the reader, who can then guess the location and season the action takes place in. (She thinks.) When using this sound – that we especially find in the beginning of the manga – my goal was to play with silence, particularly when the song stops. I thus had the idea of representing this sound effect with an easily readable font, so the reader would make no effort to decipher it, as if the sound was asserting itself naturally, you see? I hoped to suggest a saturation they couldn’t avoid and that, when it’d stop, would immerse them in absolute silence.

The Summer Hikaru Died transcribes very well this particular atmosphere of Japanese summers…

Yes, I really wanted to signify this languor in my manga. And the cicadas’ song we discussed earlier contributes to creating this atmosphere: it’s an overwhelming sound, sometimes irritating, you cannot escape from in summer – Japanese readers obviously know what I’m talking about. (She thinks.) I also gave special attention to shadows: summer light being very bright, shadows are very sharp, very deep.

Do digital tools allow you to get this result more efficiently than traditional?

I work on Clip Studio Paint, and it’s true that it sometimes allow me to save time. Consider the work on shadows: I never apply solid black because I like saturating space with hatches and, with digital tools, I can obtain the desired result faster because I can duplicate each of my lines.

Your use of hatches is sometimes reminiscent of Shūzō Oshimi’s…

I don’t know his mangas very well, but it’s funny that you mention him because I recently read his latest series, Okaeri Alice. In any case, I really like his style and I perfectly understand how you can bring his universe and mine together.

The Summer Hikaru Died relies on the concept of body dispossession, that obviously takes back to the Body Snatcher novel by Jack Finney and its movie adaptations. Did you think about it?

I don’t know this book very well, but I know its theme has been approached often, especially in movies. As I was saying at the beginning of this interview, my idea was to adopt the point of view of a non-human and tell his indecision, his moral questions…

We also find this idea in Hitoshi Iwaaki’s Parasite…

I haven’t read the manga fully, but I’ve watched the anime adaptation that was released a few years ago (R/N: in 2014). I remember rather liking it, even if I think I offer something different with The Summer Hikaru Died. What interests me is sounding the inwardness of my non-human character out and expose all his dilemmas. What is his place amongst men? Is he legitimate in our world? Here is the type of questions that pushed me.

One of the impacting scenes of volume 1 of The Summer Hikaru Died is the one when Yoshiki penetrated Hikaru’s body by shoving his arm into his torso. It’s a sequence that is both very sensuaI – to not say sexuaI – and also very horrific. How did you get this idea?

I wanted to put the readers in an uncomfortable position. A stressful situation that could take several forms because, according to your sensitivity, you can feel very different emotions in front of this scene: sexuaI arousaI, fear or disgust. For me, it was supposed to put the reader in some kind of catatonia, you see?

Do you chat a lot with your tantō, especially around these slightly “complicated” scenes?

I have free rein, you know, I can draw everything I want. My editorial supervisor has never asked me to temper some sexuaIIy connotated parts. My discussions with him don’t revolve around this kind of things, but rather around the structure of the scenario itself: where to place this scene in the narration? Is it better to put this sequence before this other one? Nowadays, I am more at ease with all the scripting layout but, at the beginning, I needed support.

What allows you to get, from a dramatic point of view, the mix between bromance and horror?

I wanted to show the differences in sensitivities and values between a human being and an “other than human”, and tell the misunderstandings this can cause when both meet. When Yoshiki “scratches” under the appearance of the one who is supposed to be his best friend, it creates a first point of conflict in the story. I then hoped to make his relationship with Hikaru – or rather with the “entity” that pretends to embody him – a kind of undefinable bond, that wouldn’t be friendship, nor love.

Do you know today where this strange relationship between your two heroes will lead you?

I know more or less how all of this will evolve, yes. I have decided on my story’s general plot since the beginning. I can only tell you that The Summer Hikaru Died won’t be a long series.

How do you explain the almost instant public plebiscite of your series in Japan? You perhaps cannot have perspective on it but, in a saturated publishing landscape, you have managed to stand out…

Hm… Indeed, I don’t really have precise explanations to give you about this success. Maybe the covers’ design has been in favour of the manga? I asked the person in charge of graphics to make sure that the visuals would be noticeable in bookstores. That’s why the books have this monochrome aspect, with the title discreetly placed. I didn’t want obvious advertisement banners, but something simple, like this blue background for the first volume, on which the character stands out. I also wished to create contrast between the jacket’s and the inner cover’s drawings. I thus had requirements that didn’t quite go alongside what we can nowadays see on the shelves of Japanese bookstores.

[nobodybutapathetic]

Let’s Make Out Memories

pairing: Tom and Y/N

Warning: May include spice, making out and words that’ll make you blush (not THOSE words)

summary: Tom and Y/N filming the Yule ball scene in the Harry Potter 4th movie but then something spicy happens…

a/n: I’m truly sorry for being not active anymore. I just started taking breaks for the past few weeks and now, I feel motivated here on tumblr again. Anyways, I thank you @qrvmlfoy for choosing this since I convinced you to choose a oneshot for me to write. And for @slytherinqueenrose, I’m gonna write the rest of the other oneshot you requested, k? Love you all!

“Draco won’t be having much screen time tho” Tom said to one of the directors.

“Yeah but he’d be seen in the background. Y/N can start practicing the dance with you now.” The director patted Tom’s shoulders as Tom just chuckles.

“Yeah okay. Y/N, mind if we take a quick practice? I mean, I already got my feet ready that it’s excited to burst out of these polished shoes.” Tom smiled which caused me to laugh awkwardly.

“Yeah totally. Okay, let’s go to the ballroom.” I chuckled which made him smirk and grab my hand.

He lead me to the big, mesmerizing ballroom which made me distracted a lot. Well, of course, no one knows when I’d step on his foot every time.

We started taking it slow, slow dancing. Which made the feeling so joyful. I haven’t felt this joy for a while since I’ve been busy filming with Tom.

Later then, he started twirling me around as if I was a princess and a ballerina at the same time.

“Tom, you’re gonna make me dizzy.” I whispered which made him laugh.

“You’re too irresistible, do you know that?” He whispered back, grabbing my waist with his right hand and his left hand grabbing my chin.

“Tom..” I mumbled but he just forms a grin.

“There’s loads of people here so.. Do you mind?” He signaled me to go to the toilet in the corner of the ball.

“Tom, we still have to film. Maybe later?” I tried to convince but he just pouts.

“You’re no fun” He whispered which I rolled my eyes at.

“Yeah whatever.” I went to Emma and Daniel who was busy practicing their lines.

*A FEW HOURS LATER*

“Gosh! Did you really have to pick me up and spin me?” I whispered-yelled to Tom.

“Well, don’t blame me. The director told.” He grabs a chocolate and munches it while fixing his bow tie.

“Typical Tom.” I rolled my eyes.

“Okay okay break time over! Back to dancing!” The director said.

Me and Tom came in position, hand in hand and my head on his shoulder.

The dance was again slow but then we started going in circles, him twirling me around and do some salsa.

To be honest, I loved this day. The way Tom would dance with me is enough to fill my heart with joy. This is what I always wanted. Happiness.

“Do you still wanna dance or?.. Go to the toilet?” He asked, smirking while whispering it to my ear.

“You know what? I feel bad for you so, I’m going to the toilet you’ve been begging to go.” I grabbed his hand and lead him to the bathroom.

His smirk grew wider before locking the bathroom door.

“Don’t go too far tho.” I placed my arms around his neck as he lowly laughs.

“I can’t promise or swear that.” He pulled me into a kiss which, I gladly did as well.

We both loved each other. Ever since the beginning and ever since we met. We knew we were a match.

He then started playing my mouth with his tongue. I was surprised on how he managed to fight the dominance between us but I didn’t mind.

He started pinning me against the wall, removing his white suit in a rush.

“Tom.. I told you not to take it too far..” I whispered, in between kisses.

“Darling. I just can’t resist you. I told you, you’re irresistible. You’re so goddamn perfect, Y/N. I love you a lot. And if you love me back, I love you even more.” He said before pulling out from the kiss and then started kissing my neck.

Before I could even moan out, someone came inside the bathroom.

“OH MY GOD- I AM SO SORRY.” Emma said before she immediately left.

“That was-“ I got cut off by Tom.

“-Awkward.”

[mrsarnasdelicious]

EAC 3 - November 3 - 5

What a weekend y'all....

What a travel, firstly. I took the eurostar from Schiphol or Charles de Gaule. I had orginially planned to meet up with @sihtricfedaraaahvicius, but it was soo busy we could not move from our assigned seats. We met once we left the train and crossed the airport in search of a bus that would bring us to the hotel, which we did not find. So instead she ordered us an uber-ish ride, which also was half an adventure.

But we got to the hotel in the end and we had a full welcome commity waiting for us. It was so good reuniting with all the people I met in the Nowalls discord and grew close with after Dortmund. It was like coming home to so many loved ones. I also met a great many new friends and took many of them into my heart.

I received a few wonderful gifts from my friends.

After settling into the hotel, we went to the mall with a group, which was rather chaotic. We had lunch there and I found a Thestral figurine.

Once back from the mall we hung out at the hotel for a while and I changed into my 'party' clothes; white jeans, white tank, hard rock london shirt and black thin cardigan. I looked good, NGL.

While waiting in line for the cocktail party, I met Lucile, who is now my bestie. We supported each other through our nerves and when I felt a litlte faint. This was mostly because I hadn't eaten or drank enough. After two glasses of cola, I was most certainly feeling more perky.

[Photo credit by Lucile]

First at our table [us being Rike, Gemma, Lucile and I and later Carlotta also] was Jacob. Young man was carrying a cup of tea, going 'how British am I, I brought tea to a champain party.' which was too cute. I tried to guess it was fennel tea, to which he said he wished it was fennel, but it was mint. I told him my late granddad was also named Jacob and showed off my newest tattoo. Jacob liked the tat a lot.

Second was Tim and I am still not used to that thin ear ring. It suits him, but somehow still surprises me when I see it, every time. He asked us about halloween and I want to ask him about Fallen, but the convo did not go that way.

I am not sure of the order after this, so bear with me as I sort of wing it.

Stefanie was 'omg you have Eadith hair' right away and I was very awkward about taking the compliment on my hair, even though I am quite confident about my hair.

Eliza started about halloween, but it meandered and she ended up spotting my tattoos. My hands were admired and she was like 'Arnas is gona scream the moment he sees these' and she was not wrong...

James decided he wanted to ask us a question and he asked us what film had most influence on our lives. I of course said Harry Potter. The Wizarding world has absolutely been formative for my passion for stories in all forms. James defo loved that answer.

Christian talked mainly with my friends, demonstrating his talent for languages. I couldn't help getting lost in those beautiful blue eyes, though.

I don't remember what Ossian talked about, I just remember that he came in for a hug right away.

Harry talked about his appearance on Nowalls' first live show, which was a good little laugh. He also remarked on how the cocktail party felt much more posh than it actually was.

Mark greeted me with 'your hair has grown' which made me feel some type of way. I mean, this man remembers enough of me to recall an approximation of my hair length. We then talked about his moustache and how most of us really disliked it.

Last to our table was Arnas and he came in loud. I scolded him for it and he went on a whole spiel about how he still had all the gifts I had given him and how he kept it all on his nighstand and that I was too hard on him. He took a good look at my tats and said mine looked so much better than his on the show, which is of course absolute nonsense, but I appreciate the effort. He comlained about missing the eurostar, because he missed the boarding time. I asked himif he had checked his ticked for the boarding time, which of course he said he hadn't, like a true ADHD man. When he made to leave, I pulled out my rings to put them back on and this absolute man holds out his hands (only later I realised the missed opportunity for me to put a ring on this guy and forever joke about him being my fiance). I go 'Excuse!?!' and he sasses me back with 'wat wil je?'

There was a group photo after that and we were ushered out to await the werewolf games.

Werewolves was an invaritable mess.

I was in a village with Mark, James, Jacob and a reasonable measure of my friends. Barely anyone had ever played the game and the GM was very basic in the story telling.

I had quite a good back and forth with James before the game got started and he was pretty down for having me GM, but I knew that would not be in the cards. No, in the cards for me was the Witch.

We first got a round of introducing our 'characters' and then it was right off to the first night. Cupid matched my friend Angela with Mark, completely at random, but Angela suspected it was me. The werewolves were allowed a victim right after, which happened to be me. I resurrected myself with my potion and the day started. Mark had the bright idea of all putting their hand down and raise your hand if you are a villager. My autism needs computing time, so I was of course the last to raise my hand and I was once more set to die.

I got to spectate the rest of the game. It was quite a mess and Mark ended up either fogetting he was matched with Angela, or going into his role too deep, because he decided to off her and then he had to go too, because the lovers cannot continue the game if one of them dies. Mark and James were the werewolves and James ended up surviving the whole game on his own and thus winning.

We had some time after that and ended up playing word chain for a good while, until we took another group photo and I rough housed with Angela and Jacob a little bit.

After the games there was a viewing of SKMD, but I was very tired, so Mary and I headed to her friend's flat. The friend was not home that night, so we could get some fangirling in before sleep.

We got up early in the morning, because I had to be in time for the selfie lounge.

I had the selfie lounge with everyone's favourite Sihtric-fic writer. So we waited together and once admitted sat on the last chairs of the first line of chairs. It looked like an AA meeting at first, but once the guests came in, it was more like a fashion runway. Especially Arnas enjoyed showing off.

@sihtricfedaraaahvicius and I stuck together and we even got a selfie with the both of us and Eliza and with James, which was very sweet.

I noticed that most of the guests had to be sort of directed towards us, because we sort of stayed on one side of the room. I am not the person to just accost the guests for a picture.

We got pics with all the guests, but I did not get to the plans I had. No due selfie with Arnas and no Sihtric + Sigtryggr for my friend. I'm sorry bestie. We also both got an Eys hug, which was adorable.

Arnas was the before last to come to us. He had a good back and forth with my friend, but to me he said 'our lives are so intertwined now' and that is genuinly all I recall he said to be in the Selfie Lounge. The sentence most certainly had a running up, but I can't recall it.

My friend said, once we left the Lounge that Arnas enjoys getting a rise out of me. Gee thanks, Guy...

After the opening ceremony, I lined up for the photo op with James.

I left it up to James to make up a pose and he decided he wanted to pretend to take a pic of me, which turned out cute as much as imaginative. Another friend says it looks like he is using the force on me instead, which is also a fun interperation.

I felt very at ease around James, not at all nervous. He is so sweet and kind.

Secondly I had the photo op with Stefanie. We did s simple, sweet hug and I quite like the pic. Stefanie is so wonderful and sweet and I can't wait to see her again. Hopefully next year!

And then I had Arnas' Photo OP...

I still had some nerves about him, so I came up to him a bit tense. 'Oh we're going for nervous, are we' he told me and I just could not let him tease me, so I tried to pull him over.

And he went with it, giving me some pressure in return even.

And then came my moment, the individual meeting with Arnas.

Good gods, this man. He asked about my daughter and what her thing was now. We had a small confusion about miffy/nijntje until I indicated the bracelet I had given him in Dortmund, that is when the dime dropped. It really warmed my heart when he asked about her.

I gave him his giftbag and we just spent the five minutes calmly going through it, along with some small talk. He loved the Jellycat plush, proclaiming he'd take it everywhere and wanted some weed to go with the donuts I brought him. So next year we are bring him edibles.

He was also ravingly enthusiastic about the scribble-drawing Fayen made him and even took a selfie with it. I have yet to recieve it though, hoping he did not forget, Don Chaot!

Then it was time for me to get some autographs and first was Stefanie. She is just such a lovely person to talk to. She gave me a sweet hug and even asked me to sign the rose photo and Nowallsona pics I brought her. I hope she'll return next year because I soooo wana talk to her and hug her again. (Woman Crush Wednesday fo sho!)

I went to Eliza next and that woman is an absolute queen. She said that I attract people to me with my sweet and warm personality and that meant so much to me. She also gave me the sweetest hug and I swear I fell in love a teensy tiny bit with the woman, because Gods she is just everyone's hype woman and I feel that on a spiritual level!

Then I went to James and he sort of got me stumped, and I don't know how, guess I was hit with his awesomeness all of a sudden.

I got a big hug and he wanted me to sign my rose photo for him and he was just so sweet and there were too many things I had wanted to ask him, but I forgot all of them, because he is just too sweet and kind.

Next I went to Timothy, who looked like he was about done with his day. I asked him if he was okay and he admitted to having had a coughing fit a few minutes before. We talked a tiny bit and he gave me a sweet hug.

I saved Arnas for last that day and my Gods was I not disappointed by what he gave me. I told him he would hate me for what I was going to ask of him, but he was such a good sport about it, telling me knew what this is for. He did his very best and I am actually so enamoured with his handwriting. I adore it.

He gave me a big hug as well and that was a good end of the day.

The next day I had the Marnas shoot I had purchased the day before, first.

I told Mark they had artisic liberty/liscene and they set to work right away. Mark grabbed my pendant, yelling that I was not a real Dane and Arnas jumped right in, knowing that I am indeed a mostly Norse leaning Pagan. That was a lovely little nod to what I had told him in Dortmund, which warmed my heart as well.

Swiftly afterwards I had my OP with Mark and I asked him for a big squeeze. And let me tell you, this man has made up for his loosey goosey hug from Dortmund ten times over. What a squeeze, I adored it!

The photographer had to tell me to lower my shoulder for some reason, but hey, the photo is defo one of my best so far. I am not at all nervous around Mark anymore, after having scolded him, haha.

I had myself a double with Arnas, because I could not choose if I wanted something sweet or something bookspo, so I got myself an extra OP.

First was the sweet one and Arnas offered me his arm and I swear I did not mean to look like I was ready to take my mans home, but here we are.

The bookspo one is the one that really got to me, though.

I asked Arnas to pretend to be angry with me, explaining it was for the book I was writing. And by the Gods did he deliver, shouting 'not this again Tessa, I told you not to do this' or something much like it, grabbing my hand firmly and making an angy Sihtric face. In the moment it was exactly what I needed from him.

Once the photo was shot, he petered off to the side and I was so in my feels that I backhugged him, which made him chuckle and nudge me to go in a gentle way.

After lunch it was time for my Marnas polaroid, my favourite moment of the entire weekend.

I was the first to show up, so I got to be the first in line, before anyone with prio. Sometimes it pays off to be anxious early. I got to see James get his stuff ready and watch Mark and Arnas get themselves amped up. I think they spotted me, because they started to overshout each other.

Mark won.

I sat down between them and Mark asked if I had something in mind, which I obvi did not. So Mark goes 'I am going to look at you very affectionately.' He's set the edge. And Arnas walses his arse right over it with 'I just realised I am madly in love with you.'. HAHAHAHAHAHIMNOTOKAY.

James had left the safety on his camera and it took him like four tries to realise this, but I was happy enough to sit between these two warm men, looking at me like I was the best thing since sliced bread.

Afterwards I got sent two pictures by about all my friends on several insta pages with two different angles from my polaroid. My favourite is on top of the post and the second one is below.

There after I went to Jacob for a signature and got a sweet hug from him as well. I told him I'd whisk him away and adopt him. He said he would not be able to breathe in my luggage though. We had a little laugh together and he was very happy with his gifts.

Ossian was next. Got my hug in, told him I wanted to adopt him and he wrote a very sweet message in my booklet.

He is so adorable.

Later when I was in line for Harry, he came over to Nat for a goodbye hug, which warmed my heart so so so much!

Then I went to Eysteinn, telling his I smelled something about free hugs.

Eysteinn was very gentle and kind and gave me another loosey goosey hug. But I also got the feeling he wasn't fully at ease. I am not sure if that was me or the entire situation.

Next up I went to Christian.

He is such a darling. He loved his afirmation card and we had a lil back and forth about creating your own joy and that he doesn't really agree with carpe diem and is more a crea diem kind of guy.

He gave me a sweet hug and wasn't really good at me telling him he has stunning blue eyes, he made a joke about blaming his parents for it.

Thereafter I lined for up Harry.

I was a few paces behind @charming-merlin who made Harry's fanbook. It was such a well made all round piece of art and I adored Harry's reaction to it, he was so so so happy and so impressed and I have hardly ever seen a man filled with so much awe and delight. All kudo's to her.

Harry tore into my bag of gifts right away, too and I got a big hug as well. He is such a joy to talk to and his hug was real tight.

And off I rushed to Mark.

Mark was already standing on 'my side' of the table, which was great for handing him his gift bag. He loved the Nowalls shirt and the pepernoten.

I got two hugs from Mark. One was for practise and one was for real. He was such a good sport about it and we had a brief little chat. He is genuinly a delight to be around and I just want this man to be my friend!

And last, but not least, of course I had to go to Arnas one more time.

Or ... two times, because I forgot my selfie so I had to line up again like a dumbass, but Arnas was very sweet about it.

I told him a little bit about the inspiration for my book and asked him to write something motivational for when I have writers block. He listened closely, which sort of messed up his writing, but I love it all the more because of that.

I got in a few more hugs and the selfie turned great!

I had an amazing weekend, making new friends and meeting so many lovely people. I laughed and loved so much and I fell in love a little deeper.

Thank you, friends and fabulous people for Paris!

[scotianostra]

Anthony Robert McMillan was born on March 30th, 1950 in Rutherglen, we knew him better as Robbie Coltrane.

Robbie was educated at Glenalmond College, an independent school in Perthshire, from which he was nearly expelled after hanging the prefects' gowns from the school clocktower. Though he later described his experiences there as deeply unhappy, he played for the rugby First XV, was head of the school's debating society and won prizes for his art.

From Glenalmond, Coltrane went on to Glasgow School of Art, where he was ridiculed for "having an accent like Prince Charles" (of which he quickly disposed, though not before gaining the nickname "Lord Fauntleroy"), and thereafter the Moray House College of Education (part of the University of Edinburgh) in Edinburgh.

In the early 70's Robbie took the name Coltrane, due to his love of jazz musician John Coltrane, and began a career of a stand-up comedian at night clubs, at the Edinburgh Festival, as well as an actor with Edinburgh's renowned Traverse Theatre.

After picking up a few bit parts in films and TV series I first remember Robbie appearing in the BBC Scotland comedy sketch series A kick up the Eighties, he went on from there to appear in The Comic Strip Presents films during the 80's The Supergrass and The Pope must die being the most successful. At that time Coltrane had a drinking problem, downing as much as a bottle of whisky a day. In 1986 he flew to a clinic in Mexico and was treated for obesity. In 1987 his partner for 15 years, Robin Paine, left him for good. A year later he met Rhona Gemmell in a pub. They married and had a son, Spencer, and a daughter, Alice. His career took off during the early 1990s with the leading role as Dr. Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald, a forensic psychologist, in the popular TV series Cracker.

Coltrane is one of only a few to have played "baddies" in 2 Bond films, playing Russian mafia man Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky in GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough. He went on to play Rubeus Hagrid in seven Harry Potter films.

Robbie has also featured in factual TV series, Coltrane's Planes and Automobiles, as well as a host of other TV series, none of which, surprisingly are Taggart! He was voted No. 11 in ITV's TV's 50 Greatest Stars and sixth in a poll of 2000 adults across the UK to find the 'most famous Scot', behind the Loch Ness Monster, Robert Burns, Sean Connery, Robert the Bruce and William Wallace.

Robbie passed away on October 14th 2022, he had become a virtual recluse, living a a rented converted barn near Stirling, living off takeaways from a local Chinese. Coltrane was cremated and his family spread his ashes around several of his favourite places around Manhattan, New York.

His death certificate shows that the actor died from a string of conditions including multiple organ failure, the causes of death given were sepsis, where an infection triggers an extreme reaction throughout the body, lower respiratory tract infection and heart block.

I always loved Robbie, from his early days right through his career, it's sad when the people you grew up laughing at and enjoyed in folms and TV pass away.............Rest in Peace big man.

[imarileina]

these two songs remind me greatly of two of my childhood favorite ships of all time: jily and percabeth.

these ships were prominent in my childhood and how i had shaped my own perception when it comes to love and as a big swiftie (since 2008 and i was 4 yo), the immediate comfort that you start to dwell on is when you hear everything has changed. it's one of taylor's timeless songs and whenever i listen to it, it seriously brings me back to summer 2013-2014 when my world circulated on percabeth. i had first watched the films wayback 2011, on DVD after my mum borrowed a CD of it from the school library (and never really got to return it because my sisters and i kept rewatching pjo over and over again).

i started shipping jily when i was in seventh grade bc the summer before i entered freshman high school was the time that i really obsessed over harry potter. i just love them. like. i cant even explain it properly (and i seriously think that being an active member of this dead-fandom (jily specifically), it is my duty to reawaken the ancestor shippers of jily for real).

these ships have a temple in my heart. i literally grew up with them bc never underestimate the love of an 9 year old and a 13 year old girl (major age changes of girls tbh u hit this age u just remember a lot from it)

I want to do lots and lots of fanarts for these two ships. idk. i want to write fics and participate on other creative endeavors about my ships bc they bring me utmost comfort no one in real life and a real person has given me.

[thedrarrylibrarian]

Several people have been kind enough to let me publish their thoughts on fandom, community, and queerness to celebrate Pride in the Library. Today's piece comes from @wolfpants.

Dear readers, dreamers, and purveyors of the glittering, gilded aisles of the Drarry Library,

Fandom life began for me at age fifteen. We just got our first family computer, taking pride of place in the utility room between the boiler and my dad’s boxes of tools. I had recently come out as bisexual to my friends at school, who, props to them, had all taken it quite well despite the small town we grew up in (I was very lucky, they were great - everyone else though? Not so much). Still, even with supportive friends offline, I never felt like I could talk to them about what I really enjoyed: watching Buffy, reading Harry Potter and looking for queer subtext (I could never have convinced any of them that Harry’s story screams gay allegory–no matter what JKR has to say on the topic back then or now), scouring bookshops and libraries for any sort of queer content I could get my hands on, desperate as I was to read something that spoke to me, to read about love outside of the heteronormative landscape of the popular media. I wasn’t just tired of boy-meets-girl; I had never identified with it in the first place.

The year we got dial-up internet was the year I discovered Livejournal. The absolute joy I felt, stumbling upon an LJ community specifically dedicated to roleplaying Harry Potter characters in queer pairings. Discovering, beyond that, that people wrote stories about Harry and my other favourite queer-coded character of the series: Draco Malfoy. And then it was Wolfstar (specifically Sirius), then Drarry again, and somewhere along the way my lurking fell off and I stopped reading fic for a while when I moved to London and settled into my first job, my first real relationship, and sitting uncomfortably atop my bisexual identity and not really knowing where that shift happened and why. All the while, I was pursuing a writing career on the more journalistic side: writing for music and film outlets, doing a little bit of secret creative writing on the side, dipping in and out of HP RPGs but never really—connecting. In “real life”, my relationship with my ex was falling apart, and I felt very disconnected from the LGBTQIA+ community because, even though I knew I belonged, I never felt like I could be truly me with anyone—perhaps because I was, unknowingly, still discovering who I really was.

When the pandemic happened, it gave me the breathing space I needed to get to that point. It brought me back to fandom.

It started with reading The Popular Wolfstar Fic Everyone Was Reading, and reopening my ao3 account to re-read some old favourites from over the years. It then unrolled to, hey, I have some free time, why don’t I try writing my own Wolfstar fic for my oldest, dearest friend (who I met RPing on LJ at 15!), which then turned into: you should publish this, and see what happens.

So, I did. And I made a tumblr account, and I lurked for a while, shyly reblogging things and scrolling through author accounts I’d admired from a very young age, astonished and really fucking impressed that they were still in the game. I read their new fics, I was drawn back into Drarry, and from there I discovered what a wonderful community this is, not only for its immensely talented creatives, but for its values as a inclusive, equitable, supportive, uplifting, and joyful group of individuals who genuinely welcome everyone with open arms and love. That, in itself, has made it easy to reach out to like-minded folks here, to make life-long friends, to chat to people who have been through similar experiences in questioning their identities (it is truly thanks to this fandom and the many discussions I’ve had with people here that I’ve been able to realise my identity as a NB lesbian). To write! To share! To not be ashamed of my kinks and to discover fun, delicious rare pairs! To look at breathtaking art and read some of the best goddamn writing I’ve ever set eyes on!

I have spent thirty-seven years on this planet. A good chunk of that time has been spent questioning many parts, pieces, and niggly jiggly bits of my identity. Who am I? What am I? Is there anyone out there who is just like me?

After many years of searching in the dark, of asking these questions over and over, I can joyously say that the answer is: yes. And oh, how thankful I am for that, for all of you, because fandom has really been the community I can categorically point to and say: they did that for me, we did that for we, and I will do anything for you.

Happy pride.

Thank you, Wolf, for joining me in the Library. Your love and joy for fandom have left me feeling quite tender-hearted, in the best way. It's so so good to ask the question "Is there anyone out there who is just like me?" and find over and over that the answer chorusing back is "yes." Thank you for adding your yes to our chorus, and joining me for Pride in the Library.

If you want more @wolfpants be sure to check out their work on AO3! I can't help but recommend the fic that made me fall in love with her writing in the first place, Pages of You, which I've featured previously for Happy Hour. It's got Drarry and Wolfstar, and is one of my favorite comfort rereads.

🏳️‍🌈 Lots of Love and Happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈

[silveragelovechild]

Wow… as the saying goes, I was today years old when I found out…

Actor William Russell played the Ian Chesterton, a companion of the First Doctor Who.

He was born in 1924. Russell is his middle name. His last name is Enoch.

William Russell Enoch second wife Etheline Lewis is Brazilian.

In 1988 (when WRE was 64 years old) they had a son.

The son grew up to be Alfred Enoch who played Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter films (plus many other acting credits.)

(William Russell will have his 100th birthday in 2024!)