#don't quote the deep magic to me i was there when it was written

[brightlotusmoon]

Okay, TMNT Fandom.

I saw a post by a young fan saying that the Ninja ninja Turtles were now as old as their parents at forty. So I'd like to know who else is as old as or older than the ninja turtles franchise.

I'll start: in 1984 I was five years old. I saw the cartoon in 1988 and fell in love and I'm still there, in love. It's really deep. I don't think I can climb out.

Goobers.

[mamathemeritus]

every time i listen to no angels now i think about how My Chef Friend tried to tell me he had a bastille song that i didn't know, the AUDACITY

[savemyballsplease]

My review on ACFTL 3.1/5⭐⭐⭐

SPOILERSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

you have been warned.

One year and 30 days. i waited. impulsively,selfishly being the first to look up any new updates on the book, the title, a quote, a word? everything. all for it to end up like this AGAIN. it felt very rushed. and was sooooooooo underwhelming. eva had to always rush behind him like she had to do the work while he just gave up. i read another review saying he is the villain so wasn't he supposed to be the one not giving up,he should have been endlessly pursuing her/ so true, couldn't agree more.

JACKS changed all of a sudden in this book, he generally is flirtatious, kind and cruel+charming.but here in this one he isnt trying at all. he wasnt doing anything for her.i wanted him to apologise and plead for her forgiveness after she lost her memories after his wholerude ass tantrum at the arch.but he didn't, instead he sort of blamed her for losing her memories. isnt he resposible in the first place.he was not even involved in this book. he felt like a SIDE character.

EVERYTIME I SAW ASSOLO's pov i had to take a deep breath because it was gonna suck.i didnt wanna see aurora or Appolo. gosh were they annoying.

it had very magical writing. But Garber has written better. the plotline seemed bland to me since the previous book was a filler book[but now looking back i was too harsh on the previous book] and this one was just adding to the second book.

okay we readers have been waiting for these two to kiss for like three years. and she gave us what one page? maybe two? couldn't she have given us a wedding? an epilogue to the epilogue???? likeeee the epilogue was not a good epilogue. what about when she saw her vision, where she was gonna married in a place like the hollow in the first book in her dad's curiosity shop??? was this there in this acftl or did i just miss it?? cuz i feel like she was supposed to be adding that as the epilogue.

i am soooo pisssed bout the fact that she GAVE US BARELY TWO PAGES OF THEM BEING TOGETHER AND THATS IT ???LIKE WHATTT. AND lala deserved better like her dude Dane's alive. shouldnt she know about this shit?? the whole deal with castor and lala what about that?? what happened to Marisol or LUCIEN??

i cant believe reading this book has made me think the previous book was wayy better. jesus i have a newfound respect for the previous book as the plot was more involved,pacing and everything was better than this one. ughhhhhh so many elements missing.

EDIT:i just read the waterstone and B&N epilogues.

in the waterstone one why tf did the epilogue have to be about such a frivolous thing.whyyy eva do u want to be so naive? after everything Apollo had done she wants to set him free or sum shit.i swear i hate evangeline sometimes. but jacks stops herself from doing that. i don't know this felt very unnecessary and tedious to be an epilogue.

the B&Noble's one was more sweet and emotional. i liked it but my statement still stands. stephanie could have given us more EVAJACKS.

[jrooc]

Answer the Questions and Tag 5 Fanfic Authors

Thank you so much to @crestfallercanyon for the tag!

1. How did you get into writing fanfiction?

Fell into it accidentally after finding the fandom on ao3 and reading as much as I could consume before I had to write something down. Shameless for all it's glory has so many gaps in the Gallavich story that there's a lot of room for creativity.

2. How many fandoms have you written in?

Just the one. Hi, hello!

3. How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

One whole year as of March 24

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

I read a lot.

5. What is one way you’ve improved as a writer?

So so so many ways. I'm better at describing a scene and letting characters sit in angst and moments. I figured out you don't have to rush your writing to add urgency to a scene. Dialogue. All the ways 😂.

6. What’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Good lord so many. ABO stuff? How to become an Airline pilot? So many Google maps things. Information on guns.

7. What’s your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

All. of. them. Seriously there is no better feeling than getting a comment. But def when someone reacts to something - that's so fun to read even if its just an emoji or incoherent yelling. And the ones who quote lines back to me basically make my entire life.

8. What’s the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

ABO - felt weird to put it out there.

9. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

Deep angst. Any story that I'm not implicitly feeling - I struggle to conjure creativity.

10. What is the easiest type?

Fun fast paced stories with a lot of ups and downs.

11. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

Bear app. Mostly when I'm out walking or running.

12. What is something you’ve been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

A magical story - you have to create a whole universe. I'll do it one day - already putting it together in my head.

13. What made you choose your username?

It's part of my name and the ooc which stands for 'out of character' which is what I felt I was when I started to write fanfic - only to discover how in character it actually was 😂

Tagging @mybrainismelted @blue-disco-lights @sgtmickeyslaughter @ms-moonlight-inn @roryonic

@astaraels @palepinkgoat @whatthebodygraspsnot @heymacy

[emsuemsu]

So, occasionally I do adventure out of my comfort zone and read something other than Harry and Draco falling in love for the 1246th time in a row. This month I've been enjoying some magnificent entries in HP rare pair fair (@hprarepairfest) - all the love for this fest. Also I've been exploring some jegulus which I'm absolutely obsessed, at least in theory. In reality I don't think I'm honestly strong enough for the marauders era at all, that shit fucking hurts and I salute all those who go through it day to day. You're amazing.

So, without futher ado, my november non-drarry favorites:

Apple Tree and Juniper by @trueliarose 💫 Harry/Charlie, 17,732 words

Charlie Weasley: dragon tamer, single, attractive and the man Harry had had a crush on for years - what will happen when said man has to take some time off at work and decides to occupy himself by helping out with Harry's business?

Now, the thing about me is that I'm the biggest simp for Charlie Weasley. He makes me absolutely feral. The whole idea of getting it on with your best friends brother is like fucking ecstasy to me, and this might or might not stem from personal experiences. Out of all the Weasley siblings Charlie with Harry is just 🤌🤌 Now this fic had it all. A little angst, lots of fluff, Harry being all crafty crafty, TENSION and PINING, amazing magical woodworking lore (??? idk but i love it).. and the best part is that I noticed the author started a series with this fic being the opening act - I've never in my life hit that subscribe button as fast as I did with this one. God is good.

Choices by @sophsicle 💫 Regulus/James, 624,178 words

People make mistakes, but they also make choices. It’s important to James, that difference. He does his best not to confuse the two.

This is an honourable mention on this list since I read this already in October. But listen, I'm fucking traumatized by this fic. This was my first jegulus, my first marauders I've ever finished, and my 13th goddamn reason. And I can't even blame anybody other than myself, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. I binge-read this in a day and a half and in retrospect I should've taken it a little more easy. But what can I say, I'm an all or nothing kinda girl. Chapter 53 hits different at 4am, just saying. The writing was hauntingly beautiful and I still think daily about some quotes and scenes from this fic. This fic is a journey and I'm glad I took it.

Light Bringer by meanwhiletimely 💫 Albus/Gellert, 10,678 words

Gellert doesn't simply shine—Gellert blazes, casting all around him into shadow with sheer dazzling force of being. When he turns that beatific gaze on you, your whole body comes alive for him: heat flaring up from within, blood in your veins turned to light.

This story is EVERYTHING. I was holding by breath while reading this. Beautiful. I love grindeldore (even though my resentment of Albus is as deep as the Mariana Trench), and this has to be one of the most beautiful fics I've ever read. This was written in second person POV which made the fic even more intense. Like I felt every word in my soul. Lots of love.

Mystic Lake of Memory by @sliebman10 💫 Harry/George, 5,055 words

As George's thirtieth birthday approaches, Harry convinces him to go on holiday to Loch Ness, where he and Fred had originally planned to spend their birthday in search of the sea monster.

Fred and George remain as an open wound for me still after all these years. This fic was sweet and melancholic at the same time, I absolutely loved how their relationship had grown and this fic was pretty as a picture. Absolute joy.

Sleeping With Ghosts by @ghaniblue 💫 Regulus/Harry/Draco, 27,902 words

Harry wakes in an unfamiliar bed to Regulus pointing a wand at his head, and then Draco moves into his house. Harry just wants the world to fuck off; being able to sleep through the night would be appreciated, too. This is the story of one very tired saviour of the wizarding world, a resurrected corpse and a mean little ferret living in Grimmauld Place together, drinking too much tea, talking less than is warranted, and falling in love.

I'm a slut for triads. Even more of a slut if two thirds of the triad is drarry. This fic was everything. It was so witty and funny and I was seriously laughing out loud reading this. I need this relationship tag to BLOW THE FUCK UP in 2024. I loved the build up and the ending was perfect. I really enjoyed Regulus' characterization and I think this fic really hits the spot with how I imagine him being. The interaction between the three of them was amazing.

Sweet Boy by @maraudersaffair 💫 Harry/Narcissa, 6,261 words

Harry agrees to date Narcissa to help her improve the reputation of her family. The intensity of their sexual chemistry takes them both by surprise, and it turns out there is nothing fake about their arrangement.

After reading this I decided that being a MILF is a state of mind and that being said I am one now. Do I have any kids? No. Will I have any kids? God knows. This fic was delicious in all the ways and more and I love Narcissa. So much.

Two of the Easiest Words in Gaelic by sky_watcher_rose 💫 Druella/Minerva, 27,902 words

Minerva will be the first to admit that Druella Rosier was the love of her life. But it’s been twenty years since they last saw each other, and she’s done her best to move on. When Druella unexpectedly arrives at a parents’ evening - the first she’s attended in the four years that Minerva has been teaching her children - both of them have to face up to certain feelings that never went away.

I usually shy away from muggle au's, but this was magical nevertheless. It was the first fic with this pairing I've ever read (and yes I have to admit I had to google who Druella was). The Scottish winter vibes were immaculate. I absolutely adore the "one that got away" kinda vibe in this one. There was this one quote from Minerva which was something like "I'm Scottish, nothing depresses me except bad whiskey" and I felt that in my core. Feel u sis, even though I'm not a Scot.

Unguarded-series by birdsofshore 💫 Draco/Albus Severus, 5 works, 38,834 words in total

Dilf-Draco is all I need in my life. So fucking hot.

[petitsdieu]

FIVE SONGS for your muse.

I have a semi-recent (seven) song list from another tagged meme thing here.

FIVE QUOTES for your muse.

((I don't have source material like movie or book quotes but I do have amazing writing partners (current or not ) that treat my muse like a canon and give me the most lovely written excerpts that could have been ripped right out of a book. If I searched more, I could have probably found more. But here are some of my favs. God bless you all.))

i.     (See the lamb’s flush betide her face; a bruise of muffled wanting.) (Behind Hara’s ear, hidden in her crown, is a softness kin to lambswool. She would hide it — bury it under garb and seam.) — written by @nightmarefuele

ii.   ( i hate how fuckin stubborn you are. it’s 5 am and i cant sleep and i’ll probably never send this but...) (...i think it’s because you’re scared. you’re fucking scared of someone knowing you so you go for the ones who just see you as a play thing and don’t want to know you and then you sit there with your fuck me eyes and act like none of us can see straight through your act. well i see you, hara ora, bright as fuckin day. you don’t fool me) — written by @drugstoreglitter

iii.     She was the damn antithesis of everything that he was: gentle, soft, good, perfect—he ought to have some guilt for wanting her this way, for knowing he was taking something far too fucking virtuous for a being such a malicious son of a bitch.  But he doesn’t care. That’s the problem. He wants her. Selfishly, without regret, and with absolute no remorse. It should be a blaring red alarm for her to be signaled to stay the hell away from him. Whether she’s naive, or hopeful, or misguided on who he is… he cannot bring himself to care. She accepts him. And for that, he would devour her.  — written by @godstrayed

iv.     "You’ve never been so lost, Hara. Have you? Ah, but you have. Only now you feel its full brunt, that it spreads over your mouth like the weeds — and in so suffocating, you turn to an inexplicable oppressor. To me. You’re not sure which I am: vulgar, or obscure. And that beguiles you. Revives you. You’ve been dead, ogled inside an old king’s birdcage, for so long…" — written by @nightmarefuele

v.   ...because it’s the energy she gives off, isn’t it, that, fuck me on speed kawaii angelic something that makes her head go all fucking spun, and yeah maybe hara’s less pastel pink and neon orange, but her existence looks streaked in glitter and glory and temporary flings and love and the way that something quick and easy can leave you feeling as if you were choking on the aftereffects of it, oh - it’s a hell of a lot, isn’t it. — written by @redemptioninterlude

vi.   Wants to feel his hands all over her ; wants to find salvation in the sweet flavour of her sugared lips . Would pull the wings off angels just to pull moans from the depths of her core . Almost forgot how pleasantly overwhelming it is to make love to her. — written by an old rp partner that's no longer around / blog gone.

vii.   Hara was obsessed with the idea of closing doors, of protecting what little she had of herself, for herself. And that was all fine and charming when you were on the outside, clamouring for an idea, a taste, of just what made that magic woman come to life. But in the reality, it was mud and sticks and stones that bore her, and inside, she sensed a deep emptiness… the way that she pushed people away, and howled at the proverbial moon, all the messages that she’d ever need to know just how fucked up she was. — written by @redemptioninterlude

viii.   One, two … four. He counts drops as they wet Hara’s skin. Shimmering, like honey. Five. Would they taste like the buttery warmth of her lotion? He might run his tongue along the lattice of her veins. Lace himself inside her salt and skin. — written by @nightmarefuele

tagged by: the ever talented @corruptedforce tagging: @nightmarefuele @redemptioninterlude @v1ctimplagued @ofdrivensnow @fawnworked @everyoneismytoy @cava1ier @cnlyluck @luckhissoul @bakerscars @triicksters @unwaivering + ANYONE AND EVERYONE THIS IS A GOOD GOOD ONE. <3

[shibainu2006]

Welcome to the queen's quarters!

Requests are open!!

3 characters at a time

No smut

Only fluff, angst, and comfort

I do art as well!!

I take requests regarding my MC and yours as well!!

Depending on your request and how detailed it is, you'll either get a headcanon or x reader.

It's gonna be a surprise

I might not be able to get ideas for certain requests, so don't get your hopes up too high for it to be written. I wanna be able to give good quality, and sometimes my brain doesn't do what it should.

Twisted Wonderland MC ✨️deep dive✨️ (will get updated every now and again)

Reign was born and raised on Earth. Y'all know this.

Before reaching Twisted Wonderland, she was taken from her own house, and taken to a special place in Egypt where they do rituals n shit to make you what is basically a vessel to one or more deities.

Reign didn't consent to this. Not even a lil.

Tattoos were painted on her back from pure molten gold.

One representing Sekhmet and the other Bastet.

Of course, after days of being there, and being treated like an actual goddess, she was brought to twisted wonderland.

She had no memory of this ritual, and only by Jamil's overblot did she learn of what abilities she had.

Turns out, she can take the form of the two goddesses, or turn into the animal they represent.

So lioness or cat.

The sad thing is that she has bad control and almost turned Jamil into a Magicam hashtag.

Eventually she does learn to control it, and can better use it to protect loved ones.

Of course, using these abilities takes a huge toll on her body if she does it long enough.

No. This is not magic.

No. The crimson flowers won't do a damn thing.

No. Riddle's unique magic can not stop her on a rampage.

Yes. She does remember Disney movies. History class can be quite a doozy when she's in the room!

Physical strength: 10/10

Mental strength: 6/10

Emotional strength: 7/10

Magic: 0/10

Stamina: depends... what is she doing?

Leadership capability: 10/10

Patience for others: 5/10

Academics: 8/10

Potions: 9/10

History: 20/10

P.E: 3/10 (she will sit and do nothing)

Social skills: .... People are scary...

Empathy: 10/10

Height: 6'0 ft

Weight: 213 lbs

If sorted into a dorm: Savanaclaw

Age: 19

Favorite subject: History

Best subject: History

Least favorite subject: Physical education

Worst subject: physical education

Favorite activity: Drawing and literature

Favorite food: anything sweet

Least favorite food: Peas

Club: Basketball club

Floyd's nickname for her: Shachi-Chan (Orca)

Nicknames: Prefect, Herbivore, evil Prefect, mom, couch potato

Talent(s): Singing and drawing

MBTI: INTP

Quotes

"You're not the sharpest tool in the shed, are you?"

"WHAT WAS THE REASON!?"

"I hate suck ups..."

"Your prefect has arrived to save the day... As per usual..."

"Y'all got a pool!?"

"We worked really hard on that...."

"If you wanna fight, then I'm right here."

"GRIM NO!!"

"If another one of you overblots, I'm gonna commit a crime so heinous that even prisons won't know what to do with me"

"You're not alone, y'know.. I completely understand that feeling."

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I WAS!?"

"Please stop..."

"I certainly would have lost my sanity without your help. Thank you!"

"WHY IS IT ALWAYS THINKING!?"

Other MC's

My moots

@killersweetie

@vtoriacore

@vtoriacore-rbs

@moonsforher

@the-dumber-scaramouche

@marcythehumble

@atcordare

@love-thanatopsis

@thesillyruler

@leonasdoll

@b0nkers-papaya

@onedayimgonnasnap

@starplatnium029

@strawberrymilk-sunshine

@h3apm3ch4n151m

@seraphni

@lionar0und

My sister

@captain-liminal

WARNING: Any who act out of line here will be handed logic, get reported, and blocked.

ShibaInu2006's content: Do not copy my content. I will find out, and you will be publicly embarrassed for it. I'm not working hard just to be copied.

[mittenskittensslay]

Hi!

I'm doing a project for school, and I need to have some stories from real people to back up my point. My topic is representation in media and how it affects mental health. I was wondering if you had any stories about a movie/show that has helped your mental health or educated you on something? I know media and representation have really helped me to figure myself out and made me feel seen, so I wanted to do this topic because of that. I really need more stories from real people, so I'm asking people online and hoping some of them reply lol. Thank you!

Wow, thanks for asking me! When is your project due? I don't know when it is but I hope I replied fast enough and I hope this helps you! :D

Well, for me personally, the way The Owl House handles neurodiversity, and LGBTQ2S+, and disability is an eye-opening experience because it was previously unseen to this extent! Notable examples are all how all the characters are shown as no less! They don't have to be "normal" or fit in! What is normal, anyway? They're celebrated and valued for being wholeheartedly, shamelessly, and unapologetically their amazing, authentic selves! No matter who you are, you're valid, there's no normal and it's not frowned upon! The manner in which they're portrayed, they're so well written and that has helped people understand that they're actually neurodiverse, or LGBTQ2S+, has helped them reach out to others and seek for help when needed, myself included!

Luz struggles to fit in on Earth and Eda as well as King, Hooty, and the Collector have a hard time belonging on the Boiling Isles. However, by being open and accepting, they realize that "us weirdos gotta stick together!" to quote the Owl Lady, which is one of the pivotal, if not the main message of this show which is "You gotta be your own witch!" Also how "magic (literally) comes from the heart" it's one of the endless reasons why I love the Owl House so much and my love for it will never die.

The Owl House has allowed me to embrace myself, love myself wholeheartedly and practice more self-care. It's helped me come out of my shell and make friends thanks to the treasure it is that we fans cherish and its beautiful fandom that lets us form profound bonds by sharing this deep love and creating our own fan arts and fan fics. Luz teaches us and helps us, reminds us to be even more vulnerable, and spread sunshine and joy, love, goodness and kindness everywhere we go, to go with all our heart wherever we go! I love myself for being autistic and a genderfluid aroace lesbian even more now thanks to them. This cartoon has even aided me in realzing my sexuality and neurodiversity.

Look, kid, everyone wants to believe they're "chosen". But if we all waited around for a prophecy to make us special, we'd die waiting. And that's why you need to choose yourself." - Eda Clawthorne

"You know, you can't hide from your fears forever, which is why you've gotta get the jump on them. Give 'em a whack right in the face." - Eda Clawthorne

Please, do yourself a favor. Never hide. I've been different than others around me all my life and will proudly continue to do so, wearing it as a badge of honor because if you don't then you insult yourself, you don't live with integrity. Easier said than done but you've got to because if you're not you, then who are you? Never let the haters get you down. I relate to Luz and the others as being a proud outsider who found friends and found family also! Imagine if Luz and the others conformed. I have always found it difficult to be who I am, it doesn't always come out but Luz is so inspiring she's so herself, unique, and spontaneous in everything, makes us accept ourselves and that way I have never been happier to be me, you feel connection to the characters: they represent you, they're others just like you: this is a part of you and I love every part of you. Break free from toxicity and recognize it. Being understood is one of the best feelings. Eda accepting her curse has allowed me to accept every part of myself. It show people that LGBTQ2S+ exists and there's no need to be afraid. Change your life, you're not a tree that's stuck, find your tribe. Keeping things in is self destructive. "Does it have to be perfect?" like the most powerful witch of the Boiling Isles says again. True friendship is also shown, being there for each other. This show also tells us that we make the labels for ourselves, we define. It's how you feel, not trying to fit in the mold, you don't need to meet every single thing on a checklist or match all criteria. The labels are what they are precisely because every beautiful individual adds their own meaning and flavor to it.

Basically, to sum it all up, it portrays neurodiverse and LGBTQ2S+ folks accurately and most importantly in a way that people can relate to and feel good about themselves. For example, for me personally, it helped me open up more, embracing and expressing my true and best self, every day we get better and better. We become more social and actually truly connect with others deeply due to our shared love for the owl house which is usually hard for me to do as a high-functioning, self-advocating, and self-diagnosed autistic (or Aspie, though I don't use this label now since its no longer in use). It shatters stigma and stereotypes. It's simply groundbreaking. With love, and support, found friends, and family both biological and found, you can thrive, not just survive, and be loved, and accepted for exactly who you are nothing lees you're just weird enough to be the awesome you that you are. These and countless others are the feel good messages of this show.

Of course this essay wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention Amity Blight! Almost everyone in the Owl House undergoes key character development and their life as they know it changes in the best possible way, no less than thanks to Luz Noceda, which is an astonishingly beautiful thing but I believe I can safely speak for many, if not all of us (also yours truly), when I say that Amity undergoes the most amazing and impressive character development I've ever seen so far! Goes without saying! She starts off being seen as a bully when in fact it is later revealed she never was. It's never taken for granted that Luz with the sunshine she is and spreads selflessly everywhere, helped Amity rediscover her true self. Amity understands and goes on a journey or self improvement. If that's not inspiring, then I don't know what it and I'm not exaggerating here! Amity does a lot of self work, recognised her mistakes and attempts to become a better friend to Luz pretty quickly.

Hm, I wonder if when Luz said, "I'm not a witch but I'm training hard to be one." and showed Amity the ball of light emerging from the light glyph, she was speaking to her essence and broke through/got through to her!

And then, when Amity said "remember to turn on the light" to Luz and saved her in WAD, she woke her up bc she reminded her that Luz is light, literally!

Luz helps Amity remember who she really is, to return to her true self, who she always has been deep down, not just sb trying to achieve ultimate status and Amity helps Luz remember that she's the light of everyone's life! To continue to be who they really are! They saw through each other! I think they also literally became each other - Amity became Luz's light and Luz was suffering with the same issues as Amity, thinking that she ruined everyone's lives which was definitely not true in both cases! Neither Luz nor Amity ruined everyone's lives, ofc! It was the complete opposite! And they did what one did for the other as I said above but reversed!

Bc Amity and Luz are essentially the same -both so positive, carefree (maybe not always but eventually and unafraid to be themselves), dorky, nerdy goofballs who are so kind and sweet and powerful and so much more and full of love! (But also different in their own unique way)!

Love and kindness always win in the end and we have them inside us! We are love and kindness themselves! We just need to give each other a chance!

Luz, Raine, Masha, The Collector, King, Papa Titan, Amity, Hunter, and basically everyone is probably on the spectrum so hats off to everyone and them. Eda helped me confirm my gayness, something I was already aware of before the Owl House. Same goes for the characters mentioned above: Luz as genderfluid; Raine, Masha and The Collector non-binary; Papa Titan as probably non-binary/agender genderfluid? (Feel free to correct me, sorry if I'm wrong)! Vee also (however, I don't think the creators have canonically confirmed whether she's/they're envy or demigirl or something similar but I'm assuming this headcanon respectfully and again, if I'm wrong, please feel free to correct me and educate me because I believe we're all always stil learning! However, again because people are allowed to be truly themselves - as it should be -and not marginalized and hiding for that, we can thrive. I understood that I can actually be attracted to women (I already knew that before, I believe I even had a type already, Eda basically confirmed that or the feelings around that time just happened to coincidentally appear and feel more real not because necessarily because of their frequency and intensity because you can still be attracted to someone even if the attraction isn't always there and strong (hence my aroace label) whether it's frequent and or not intense. Aroace folks can feel or not feel love and attraction and want or not want a relationship and sometimes I have felt not wanting that but it's always very brief, I do want love, I'm too much of a hopeless romantic at heart not too! I also already knew i was genderfluid. I'm a cis woman, I've always mainly identified as a woman but I'm more than just that "label": its doesn't define me fully. It's broad and vague so I feel it fluctuates. I can be and express myself as any gender: no gender, both genders - its never fixed. Before however I always knew I wasn't straight but I wasn't sure if i was LGBTQ2S+. I used to think I was demi sexual, panromantic but it's exactly why all kinds of representation is vital! It's ok to be a late bloomer but if this cartoon existed earlier it would have helped. Dana Terrace herself claimed to be a late bloomer also. Speaking of which, a huge thank you to her and her crew for creating the Owl House! They changed our lives forever in the best possible way! The connection and love between us fans, whether casual viewers or die hard fans will always be priceless: this show means everything to me and always will!

There's a lot more that can be covered but the essay would go on far too long and I don't know the word limit for your project but I hope this is enough!

This is an awesome post I found Life lessons from TOH

[crescenthoax]

Hi I’m that anon who sent you the GOT quote and I just wanna say to this beautiful bit 😭 “As for Floris and Aemond I know [my] Aemond is not everyone’s favourite but I don’t know… I feel like the lore about them I think every night before falling asleep is too deep and complex to even begin with. I adore them, even though he’s terrible and she deserves so much better, and yes, I see everyone pointing out that he’s not exactly mourning her but I think he is in his own way -and I will write about it. Just because.”

GIRLLL YOU DONT KNOW HOW MUCH /I/ LOVED THEM. They weren’t the main couple but I feel like all your side pairings are so much full of intrigue and drip with life. But yeaaahh um I loved them, I loved the whole “they prefer to look at each other than touch each other” thing and how less physical They were, I loved their opposite personalities, and I loved how they kept their relationship to themselves and away from prying eyes of not just the other characters like Annika but to the reader as well (unfortunately I’m a nosy bitch who wanted to see) They also reminded sooo much of Joanna and Tywin “Only Lady Joanna truly knows the man beneath the armor, and all his smiles belong to her and her alone.” LIKE.. ugh my heart.

I definitely overromanticized them to a problematic degree in my head 😭 I’m an optimist but I was so excited for the Christmas au bc I thought they’d get the happy ending they’d been robbed of by the Caswells in the main verse, I thought starting with them being broken up meant that their arc would be them getting back together so imagine my surprise and heartbreak when I read part 2 😭😭😭😭😭

I definitely feel more than a little silly for misinterpreting their relationship so much and hearing that they don’t actually “belong” together in that way, Idk. I don’t hate your Aemond but I do want to shake him and scream that he needs to get his act together and BECOME BETTER AND BECOME DESERVING of her because in my head, she was all he wanted. Idk. It’s stupid but I wanted them to be happy together so badly. I still really ship them even after alla dat which makes me a little bit of a 🤡 but I LOVE pain if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have made it this far into Aegon and Annika’s story.

I think so many of the readers associated the found family with all three of the couples just being siblings together so it’s easy to forget how much Aemond loves our girl Annika, if he’s disloyal to his wife which I think is sad and a little unfair but a valid reading. I’m also not ready to let go of this familial dynamic, it was definitely my favorite. I just hope for the best for all of the Targtowers and their remaining wives especially Aegon and Annika, but I know whatever you come up with, I’ll be happy with even if I’m sobbing on the floor.

Jeez that Tywin and Joanna’s comparison was truly something.

And, to be fair, I don’t think there’s such a thing as 'misinterpreting them.' I believe you can interpret their relationship however you want and also perceive the characters alone as you please. That's what's fun and magical about reading. As a writer, I would never say, 'no, actually…' when someone tells me their views on a character or a pairing—unless you're saying something absolutely out of context, like when someone said Annika enjoyed being with Jacaerys or that she didn’t love Floris. I want people to feel a genuine connection to the story and perhaps find themselves in the characters, to relate to them. I also love to see how what I’ve written is interpreted because it helps me a lot to see if people understand where I’m pointing. So, if you think they were in love (they were, I just think that if it were up to him he would’ve never taken a wife at all), then it’s okay. Aemond is a complicated dude driven by duty and greed, but yes, he loved her, and he’s in pain right now though he doesn’t let it show. Modern Aemond and Floris, however… I don't know I feel like modern Aemond would be so insufferable about women. Love him though.

On a side note, of course he loves and deeply cares about Annika too. I think I already talked about this, but he cares about her as an individual and also as an extension of his brother’s honour. That's why he’s mad and upset about the entire baby situation, perhaps even more than Aegon. I think Aegon feels guilty, and he’s sick with worry thinking about everything Aemond is pointing out. But I believe we can all agree that we are all going to miss this family so much. I even have to confess that I wrote that Christmas au because I was too depressed about the main fic and I missed Floris and the six of them and I wanted Helaena to be happy lol.

[scottyistired]

gender coining dump

was gunna make flag 4 these but got bored :// im prolly gunna make more 2 you can make flags 4 these if you want, you can also just take them if you want free 4 any1 regardless of my dni, just don't be rude directly 2 me :3 gendas under the cut

Overrueretasiegender- a gender relating to overgrown ruins in a fantastical sense. like an adventurer coming across an overgrown castle or temple, maybe inhabited by a magical creature or being. this gender feels whimsical and in awe, like discovering something new, something to behold.

Overgrouenbiengender- a gender relating to overgrown bones. this gender feels old, lost deep in the woods, but repurposed. something dead giving way to new life, a renewal cycle. despite being lost, it is not discarded nor forgotten as the woods reclaimed the bones as their own.

TSPliminalgender- a gender relating to the liminalness of the stanley parable. the best example is the confusion ending but any setting and/or scene/room in the stanley parable (ultra deluxe too) can apply to this gender. either you going through the rooms or you being the rooms itself

Skipplantgender- a gender relating to the skip button scene with plants. this gender either feels like a moment of peace during an unfortunate, painful, and/or terrifying situation or a peaceful setting with something more malicious brooding under the surface. or maybe its just the plants during the skip button

Phosskipplantial- a gender that is lit by the green light during the skip button scene with the plants

Bettermcshadergender- a gender relating to the better minecraft modpack with shaders, thats really it i just like the better minecraft modpack. this gender is whimsical n is very high fantasy but doesnt have 2 b. Baredteethquoteic- gender relating to the quote "I kiss you with bared teeth in fear that you might bite back." from a drabble written by me

Yourclothesquoteic- a gender relating to the quote "Your clothes are dirtied, whether it is with my blood or yours it is hard to tell, I doubt it ever mattered in the first place." from a drabble written by me

Hardtolovequoteic- a gender relating to the quote "It's hard to love a man who only knows how to love through spilled blood. It's hard to love a man who only knows how to bare his teeth and snarl. It's hard to love something that only knows how to bite back at the hand that feeds. It's hard to love a beast who only knows how to hurt and how to bleed." from a drabble written by me

Youwereatestquoteic- a gender relating to the quote "You were nothing but a test, a casualty." from a poem written by me

Onyourhandsquoteic- a gender relating to the quote "Their blood is on your hands, yet you have the gall to be disgusted by it." from a short story written by me

Smellslikeironquoteic- a gender relating to the quote "No tears will spill. No wails will be heard. No one is watching. No one cares. The leaves sway in an unapologetic apathy. You close your eyes in tired acceptance. It smells like iron." from a short story written by me

Bloodanddirtquoteic- a gender relating to the quote "Hands covered in blood and dirt. A new stain is added for every truth you buried, for every sin you committed, for every vow you have broken." from a poem written by me

Gnashyourteethquoteic- a gender relating to the quote "What would you do afterward; when you are finally pure, wash free of the stains that bind you? Do you expect to stay clean? To stay so…divine? Do you think you can keep your jaw clenched? You expect yourself to not snarl, to not gnash your teeth and bite?" from a poem written by me

Ungodlysnarlsquoteic- a gender relating to the quote "So your cries echo into screeches, into ungodly snarls made by a beast whose broken more than it has made. Who asks for more than it gave." from a poem written by me

Hurtcrybleedquoteic- a gender relating to the quote "Did it hurt? Did you cry? Did you bleed?" from a poem written by me

Storyisoverquoteic- a gender relating to the quote "The damage has been done, the wounds have bled, the building has collapsed, the story is over, and he's gone. Stanley is gone" from a fanfic written by me

Fragilevowsquoteic- a gender relating to the quote "Fragile vows in the hands of beasts, their nature only to break and destroy." from a fanfic written by me

Whatafernseesquoteic- a gender relating to the quote "I wish I knew what a fern sees in a clearing. Unseen, untouched, unnoticed by man. I want to know what pure nature looks like without the restraint of human eyes." written by me

[stormblessed95]

Hi Stormie!

Non-BTS ask. Aside from the Stormlight series, what is your favorite Sanderson work? I read them all in a frenzy when I first discovered him, so I need to go back and start over because my adhd means I essentially forget what I’ve read. I enjoy them all immensely while I’m reading, but I can’t for the life of me remember any of the details.

Stormlight is my favorite, but Mistborn would probably be after that! Era 1 and era 2 for different reasons! Lol

Mistborn official description: For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Then Kelsier reveals his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets. She will have to learn trust if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

Basically it's an epic heist novel with some of the best found family vibes snd the emotional punches that don't hold back. It has some cliches, including Vin being one of tbe only female characyers and it can be very "not like the other girls", which Sanderson has admitted to regretting and has since grown from in his future books. But otherwise she is VERY well written and she is a BADASS. While it does have cliches, its twists them on their head more often then not. Its got multiple POVs and the magic system is one of the highlights of the book for me, being incredible complex, but logical and easy to understand and follow.

The quote "there is always another secret" is basically one of the defining characteristics of the plot and novel as a whole and it all is done SO WELL. The novel started out as the whole idea and premise of what happens if the hero/chosen one fails? And that's where the story picks up, with the Dark One having won and taken over the world, and it's now been thousands of years of people living under his domain. It's also ultimately a story about never giving up hope. It's got crazy twists and an amazing OTP, one that I'll cherish forever. "You've managed-- in our short three years together-- to kill not only my god, but my father, my brother, and my fiance. That's kind of like a homicidal hat trick. It's a strange foundation for a relationship, wouldn't you say?" (No, I don't think so! Lol) It dives deep in morally ambiguity and morally Grey is who are Characters are at their core. It starts off by pushing you straight into the deep end with some crazy action and then you learn as you go and it's amazing. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. It explores fallacies of religion, faith and politics in a way that's respectful but still critical. And it doesn't take you out of the story while it does so either.

Content warnings for Abuse of a sibling, Death, Gore, Murder, prostitution, SA, Slavery, Violence, blood, self harm, war, decapitation, hallucinations, child's death, stalking starvation, suicidal ideation, torture, hostage situations

[doctorofmagic]

Ahoy there !

Love your blog, love your love and extensive knowledge of the character. Got a question tho: i recently saw you recommend Aaron's work on Stephen, and it left me wondering.

I genuinely like v4 (because of the art, how weird magic can be, almost Fables-like, and because Last Days of Magic is a frankly compelling arc) but it's a version of Stephen I don't really like.

I mean, in it, Strange primary weapon (even before being depowered) is a knife and a sword ; he's a dog, to quote Wanda ; he's making desperate quips faster than Tony Stark and magic is a lot, lot more twisted and painful than it is just about anywhere else in Marvel comics. It felt like DC magic, but on LSD.

Don't get me wrong, the story is good. But it feels a bit off, compared to Stephen's character (to me at least). I read it a bit (a little bit) like Strange's time as an Illuminati: it's good on it own, but it feels like a very different Stephen than the one I love (and it very much feels like the starting point of the all "Actually Strange is just Tony Stark with a magic cloak" school of thoughts).

That's more of a rant than an ask, true, so I'll end on a question: would you mind expand a bit on what makes v4 so compelling to you ?

Anyway, lots of love, thank you for everything and have a lovely day !

Ahoy, mate! How are you doing?

Thank you for your kind words, I'm really glad!!

About your thoughts, in fact, I agree with you. These details are what prevent v4 from being perfect. But overall, they don't bother me that much. Some people do agree that Aaron's characterization is not accurate to classic Stephen, which is true. But it also made him more relatable, in the sense that he's just a normal guy trying his best when magic is dying, not the flamboyant arrogant sorcerer we're used to. Also they needed to grab the newer audiences thanks to the movie.

The dog thing is more of a consequence of his 2000's characterization, and that's not on Aaron. I can't really remember when the night stands began but I'm allowed to mention Gerry Duggan and Cullen Bunn, and then Bendis as writers who "helped" establishing him this way. Hickman tends to give a more mature (and darker) version of the character, so it's not odd to realize how many people absolutely adore his New Avengers run (me included hihihi)

You're not wrong about the feeling that Stephen looks similar to Tony, though! Chris Bachalo actually told me on a tweet that Stephen's look in v4 was inspired by Tony. But truth be told, Aaron's Tony is.... *deep breath* not the best, at least in the first issues of his Avengers run. I'm still reading some of the current isses (things we do for Doom) but I noticed a shift in the way he writes Tony. It's more mature, I believe? But I digress.

Overall, since 2015 I've been fighting comments on Tony x Stephen by people who watched the movie and immediately concluded that Stephen is just Tony with magic. On top of that, I don't believe v4 featured a Stephen who is similar to Tony in terms of personality and portrayal, especially when you compare Avengers v8 to v4, both written by Aaron. In fact, I simply love Aaron's take on Stephen whenever he's able to write him (Valkyrie: Jane Foster being one of these moments when he reassures a civilian with deep sensibility and empathy).

I JUST LOVE THIS MOMENT SO. MUCH.

From Valkyrie - Jane Foster #9 (2020)

Now, about what makes v4 so special and compelling to me is the fact that everything that Stephen has been through since the 60's as a sorcerer changed him in ways that left some indelible marks in his heart and soul. And we're finally able to see this kind of "development" throughout v4, the consequences and shifts in his behavior, the guilt and loneliness and pain, manifesting as Mr. Misery. Stephen is deeply hurt but no one sees how far he has gone to protect this world. Only Wong. So when Wong leaves, he's truly alone, mostly because it doesn't take long for Zelma to follow.

It's just so hard to see an old character as Stephen being cared for in terms of chronology. 60 years of stories. When you read it all, you slowly see this kind of "progress", from pushing Clea away to the constant guilt of not being enough to love or be loved. From losing Yao, his only father figure, to feeling powerless as a sorcerer when facing the end of the world. It's just too much for him to bear.

Stephen was not made to be alone, he's desperate to be surrounded by people who love him, despite all his flaws. But at the same time, he feels unworthy. He's deeply in pain.

And this is why I love v4 so much. No one has ever delved into Stephen's layers as Aaron has, to the point of creating such a perfect metaphor for his depression. I'm glad to see that he's better now (as far as being dead can be considered fine lol) but from the little I saw of his current self in DODS, Jed still made him a fortress for others even though he's constantly lonely.

Wong is around, he has Bats, and Clea returned for the brief moment they stayed together. But it took him a long way to see that he was not doing fine. I wish Jed did something similar to his Moon Knight by showing Marc's progress thanks to therapy, but given Stephen's current status, it's hard to tell if this is ever going to happen.

In any case, sorry about the long response. I get really inspired whenever someone asks me about v4 ;-; I just really love it.

Lastly, about the magic community... ah, let's see... Perhaps Doctor Strange v5 Annual #1, although I really don't like the way Stephen is portrayed there. Still, it's a nice Halloween story. There's always... oof, Strange Academy, if you don't mind adults being portrayed like absolute jerks.

But if I have to recommend THE BEST TEAM OF SORCERERS, I'd go with Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme. We were introduced to two of my favorite sorcerers ever, Nina and Kushala!! And they were not forgotten cause Marvel made some comics with them!! Hope there's more to come soon :3

And this is it! Thank you for passing by!

[apocalypticavolition]

Let's (re)Read the Hobbit! Chapter 5

Well, I suppose it’s time to get into the chapter that received the most attention from Tolkien. As The Hobbit was originally written with the intent of being a fairy tale for his kids, and only got turned into a significant aspect of the Legendarium as he began writing the sequel, quite a few aspects of the One Ring needed to be changed. Thus, there are two versions of this chapter, and as I’ve never read the original before I did so and will point out the differences as we go.

When Bilbo opened his eyes, he wondered if he had; for it was just as dark as with them shut. No one was anywhere near him. Just imagine his fright! I don't have to too much. I've been spelunking and when you can't see shit it's awful. Kinda surprised my mom still likes this book so much considering that when she was a girl in Iceland she fell down a hole spelunking. He guessed as well as he could, and crawled along for a good way, till suddenly his hand met what felt like a tiny ring of cold metal lying on the floor of the tunnel. It was a turning point in his career, but he did not know it. He put the ring in his pocket almost without thinking; certainly it did not seem of any particular use at the moment. You might think Bilbo’s coming into his own as a burglar here, but this is dark magic. Very corrupting influence already that ring. Most rings would at least have you think about how they came to be there. He thought of himself frying bacon and eggs in his own kitchen at home—for he could feel inside that it was high time for some meal or other; but that only made him miserabler. First time in awhile we aren't told it wouldn't be the last time Bilbo thinks of home so I guess this is the last? “So it is an elvish blade, too,” he thought; “and goblins are not very near, and yet not far enough.” It's a shame he didn't think to show it off to Elrond in Rivendell. It would have been cool to hear him tell its story, if it had one. Some of these caves, too, go back in their beginnings to ages before the goblins, who only widened them and joined them up with passages, and the original owners are still there in odd corners, slinking and nosing about. Honestly this whole sequence is a beautiful bit of environmental description that makes this cave feel truly unsettling and unpleasant in ways that thankfully real life caves avoid. I’d quote it all but I think illegally downloading 1600+ ebooks in a week is as much copyright infringement as I should risk right now. Deep down here by the dark water lived old Gollum, a small slimy creature. I don’t know where he came from, nor who or what he was. So that's a lie. Gollum got into his boat and shot off from the island, while Bilbo was sitting on the brink altogether flummoxed and at the end of his way and his wits. Bruh. You saw all those other passages. I get that going forward feels good, but you're in a cave. No reason not to think that the path to safety might not end up curving around.

And when he said gollum he made a horrible swallowing noise in his throat. That is how he got his name, though he always called himself ‘my precious’. I feel like there's a great joke here about how people who don't respect His Precious's chosen name and use the derogatory one are bad allies or something, but I can't quite get it in a way that doesn't feel low key shitty when I just want to be silly so consider this your chance to come up with an appropriate one for me! Winner of this contest will receive laughter! (Also, who gave Gollum his name? The goblins don't survive encounters with him. Did Bilbo do it because of this encounter? Dick move, Bilbo.)

“A sword, a blade which came out of Gondolin!” “Sssss” said Gollum, and became quite polite. Kinda cool that Gollum knew what Gondolin was. Hobbits a few hundred years back must have had better stories. Maybe because Gollum's family wasn't in the Shire but east of the Misty Mountains. Riddles were all he could think of. Asking them, and sometimes guessing them, had been the only game he had ever played with other funny creatures sitting in their holes in the long, long ago, before he lost all his friends and was driven away, alone, and crept down, down, into the dark under the mountains. They're called hobbits buddy. “Does it guess easy? It must have a competition with us, my preciouss! If precious asks, and it doesn’t answer, we eats it, my preciousss. If it asks us, and we doesn’t answer, then we does what it wants, eh? We shows it the way out, yes!” In the OG version of the text, Gollum offers to give Bilbo a present, which explains why Bilbo is very blithe about the offer going forward because it's nowhere near as nice a promise as taking him to safety. Doesn’t explain why he’s so chill about being eaten but let’s say “shock”. That was all he could think of to ask—the idea of eating was rather on his mind. It was rather an old one, too, and Gollum knew the answer as well as you do. Sadly I'm not much of a riddle guy, Tolkien. Gollum would be eating the shit out of me if I were in Bilbo's place and I know how the story goes! But just as Bilbo was beginning to hope that the wretch would not be able to answer, Gollum brought up memories of ages and ages and ages before, when he lived with his grandmother in a hole in a bank by a river... In the OG version Bilbo starts wondering about the present at this point. I am definitely going with “shock” to explain why he’s not so focused on the being eaten thing.

“Well,” said Bilbo after giving him a long chance, “what about your guess?” In the OG, he asks about the present at this point. I am rapidly moving toward “affluenza” being Bilbo is being such a spoiled little rich kid. [Gollum] also in his turn thought this was a dreadfully easy one, because he was always thinking of the answer. There's a good lesson here about how different environments train people for very different things and provide drastically different expectations of normal. Should you ever find yoursely in a riddle-game with a cave beast, keep this in mind.

I wish I had more to say about the riddles themselves except that they’re all pretty well-written. I wonder if Tolkien made up any himself or if he got them all from somewhere. Bilbo was saved by pure luck. Twice he was saved by luck at this point. Twice he’s getting answers by pure luck, which is a bit disappointing even though of course as a Wooster-esque figure we can't expect Bilbo to know much of anything. Or maybe even in the “final” text he’s still lying through his teeth so elves and dwarves will think he’s a punk at riddle games and then he can smoke their asses and get 1/14th of their estates. “What have I got in my pocket?” And of course, if getting answers by pure luck is unfair, getting the questions this way seems even worse, especially when it's such poor form! I'm rooting for His Precious now. [Gollum] tried to think what other people kept in their pockets.“Knife!” he said at last. Let's be real here Smeagol, knives are totally something you kept in your pocket, you creepy murderer you. But he felt he could not trust this slimy thing to keep any promise at a pinch. Any excuse would do for him to slide out of it. And after all that last question had not been a genuine riddle according to the ancient laws. In the OG version (yes we're back to the differences now and no I'm not going to stop giving it the stupidest title possible), the text says that Bilbo need not have worried because Gollum was on the up-and-up. No wonder Gandalf didn’t fall for it for more than the two seconds it took him to remember that “Hobbits cannot write down lies,” was only a hobbit fact he told dwarves. “Well?” [Bilbo] said. “What about your promise? I want to go. You must show me the way.” In the OG version, Bilbo asks about the present which he feels he "won fairly", which is so incredibly bullshit that maybe it disoriented Gandalf and made him unable to focus on anything else in the text. That's some Zapp Brannigan tier delusions there BB. But who knows how Gollum came by that present, ages ago in the old days when such rings were still at large in the world? Perhaps even the Master who ruled them could not have said. I can. Gollum recovered the ring about five centuries earlier. Thank goodness Bilbo only kept it to 111. It would have been horrible if he'd just skulked about Bag-End for centuries, eating fish and throwing spoons at the Sackville-Bagginses at night. Gollum was cursing and wailing away in the gloom, not very far off by the sound of it. He was on his island, scrabbling here and there, searching and seeking in vain. Literally everything between my last OG note and this one is entirely new and a bit of an expansion. In Bilbo's text, Gollum simply sails acros the lake to get the present as promised and can't find it.

The new version’s still amazingly atmospheric too. Tolkien was great with all of his landscapes, but he does caves so well that I kinda have to wonder when he went spelunking and what horrible monsters he must have found down there to write about Gollum’s hunting. “Losst it is, my precious, lost, lost! Curse us and crush us, my precious is lost!” Gollum is originally upset because not only does he not have the present to honor the game but he doesn't have it for himself either. “What has it got in its pocketses? Tell us that. It must tell first.” Instead of all this misery and cajoling culminating in Gollum demanding the answer to the riddle, Gollum just comes back, tail between his legs, really upset about not being able to honor his deal. He also tells Bilbo about the ring, that he got it as a birthday present and that it makes you invisible. But now the light in Gollum’s eyes had become a green fire, and it was coming swiftly nearer. Frankly this is only an improvement over the original, as it was quite unbelievable that Bilbo could threaten a so much as a paralyzed child with a sword, let alone successfully intimidate a semi-monster. Dude needs to spend more time in danger. He put his left hand in his pocket. The ring felt very cold as it quietly slipped on to his groping forefinger. This is not a convenient deus ex machina because of course he's corrupted to hell and back by the ring, which claimed the soul of a dandy like him in about fifteen seconds. No clue how Frodo pulled it off. Terrified he tried to run faster, but suddenly he struck his toes on a snag in the floor, and fell flat with his little sword under him. Normally I'd say it was a miracle he didn't stab himself, but as we're talking about Bilbo I think it's fair to say that not being able to stab anything under any conditions is entirely in character for him. Suddenly Gollum sat down and began to weep, a whistling and gurgling sound horrible to listen to. Frankly I just feel a bit bad for the guy. Like yeah he's a creepy cave cannibal but he's been a plaything of the ring for five centuries so it's hard to hold much of any of it against him – even the initial murder is a part of that. Poor Gollum. “Then let’s stop talking, precious, and make haste. If the Baggins has gone that way, we must go quick and see. Go! Not far now. Make haste!” Please do stop talking. This little monologue stretches on a bit long, it feels much more reflective of LotR's epic style than it does the Hobbit's plain fairy tale, and really could have been trimmed a little bit. Still there it was: Gollum with his bright eyes had passed him by, only a yard to one side. In the Bilbo variant, boy just gets escorted up and away. He puts on the ring briefly to try it out but takes it back off to be visible around Gollum for obvious reasons. “Seven right, yes. Six left, yes!” Intriguingly to pedants, originally it was six right, four left – one wonders why Bilbo lied about that little detail in universe or how Frodo could correct him. Also, obviously Gollum just takes him up quickly instead of crying at any point. There was Gollum sitting humped up right in the opening, and his eyes gleamed cold in his head, as he swayed it from side to side between his knees. You could try stabbing him, Bilbo. He can't see you. Good thing Bilbo didn't of course. Not because of the sequel. Just because, as I observed earlier, dude can't even manage to stab himself.

No, not a fair fight. He was invisible now. Gollum had no sword. Gollum had not actually threatened to kill him, or tried to yet. I pity Gollum too Bilbo, but he DID threaten to kill you way back at the beginning of this whole exchange. Did you just mishear him? Is that why you’re so chill about all this? Straight over Gollum’s head he jumped, seven feet forward and three in the air; indeed, had he known it, he only just missed cracking his skull on the low arch of the passage. Literally the only reason he could do this is that the DM- I mean, Eru Iluvatar- didn't want him to kill Gollum yet. If it were not for the literal grace of God Bilbo wouldn't have leapt half so high and still would have managed to bash his skull in somehow.

“If goblins are so near that he smelt them,” he thought, “then they’ll have heard his shrieking and cursing. Careful now, or this way will lead you to worse things.” In the lying version of the text, Gollum just refuses to go further and goes back to the lake. Bilbo listens to make sure of that before going on, but nothing comes of it. The passage was low and roughly made. It was not too difficult for the hobbit, except when, in spite of all care, he stubbed his poor toes again, several times, on nasty jagged stones in the floor. “A bit low for goblins, at least for the big ones,” thought Bilbo, not knowing that even the big ones, the orcs of the mountains, go along at a great speed stooping low with their hands almost on the ground. Half of this paragraph, in interspersed chunks, is different in the new version, but not in any significant way. The word "orc" not being used is the closest big change I see. They saw him sooner than he saw them. Yes, they saw him. Whether it was an accident, or a last trick of the ring before it took a new master, it was not on his finger. Fucking asshole ring. I think it just likes doing this. Probably jumped off of Sauron right before Isildur struck him down for the lols. A pang of fear and loss, like an echo of Gollum’s misery, smote Bilbo, and forgetting even to draw his sword he struck his hands into his pockets. I don’t wanna hear anyone say that my claims of Bilbo already being thoroughly claimed by the ring are just my usual hyperbolic, reductionist nonsense for comedic purposes. He’s had it for like an hour and he’s already echoing Gollum.

They yelled twice as loud as before, but not so delightedly.

By the by, these paragraphs are also a little different, mostly tightened up and written more strongly, so that's nice. At this point, the two texts converge again. It was still ajar, but a goblin had pushed it nearly to. Bilbo struggled but he could not move it. He tried to squeeze through the crack. He squeezed and squeezed, and he stuck! Imagine how awful it would have been if the goblins had tried shutting the door then. Also: thank goodness he’s been on such a restricted diet lately or he wouldn’t have even gotten this far! He was through, with a torn coat and waistcoat, leaping down the steps like a goat, while bewildered goblins were still picking up his nice brass buttons on the doorstep. “That creepy fish creature in the lake must have found a new toy!”

Bilbo had escaped. And so we end another chapter. Bilbo is alone in the wilderness! How will he fare with his slow wits, physical failings, and near-complete ignorance of the outdoors now that his entire party is-

*checks the next page*

Four paragraphs away?

Not much of a cliffhanger I guess, sorry.

[stillbeatingheart]

I posted 474 times in 2022

22 posts created (5%)

452 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@amazinglybeautifulphotography

@metamorphesque

@neverdust

@utwo

@lousydrawingsforgoodpeople

I tagged 338 of my posts in 2022

Only 29% of my posts had no tags

#nature - 38 posts

#photography - 38 posts

#landscape - 31 posts

#eddie munson - 26 posts

#stiles stilinski - 24 posts

#writing prompt - 22 posts

#stranger things - 19 posts

#quotes - 18 posts

#derek hale - 18 posts

#tyler hoechlin - 16 posts

Longest Tag: 87 characters

#i don't know any of these and it looks like i should add some things to my reading list

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

📝📝📝 Share 5 fics of yours that you feel best represents your writing style and talent (your resume so to speak), and then send this on to five writers who you adore 💖💖💖

Thanks for the ask @adventuresofprettyboyandthekid :) I'm excited to be adored - and it's coming right back at you (even though that's probably not how it's supposed to work, but what are rules if not to be broken for truth?) :)

This is kind of a hard one, I feel like I shuffle around my style and so many of the highest kudos fics are not really representative of my strong suits since it's typically just a right trope at the right time that decides kudos counts so I can't just cheat and use those ones. Um... I guess for my own personal preference then my best written fic is probably The World is Round and the Sky is Infinite (Harringrove). Followed closely by There's Not Much Left (Deran/Adrian). Blue Stained Glass (Gallavich) was another that I think had solid writing in it. Will You Remember Me When I Can't Remember Myself? (Sterek) is decently written. There's some chapter gems in Uneasy In This Skin (Sterek). And what do they all have in common? Angst. So much angst.

8 notes - Posted February 7, 2022

#4

The editing train has just entered the Magic is Kind of My Shtick series.  The first work, Magic Finds You, is complete!  And by complete, I mean the first chapter is an eternal mess but it gets better.  Series features: Magic Stiles, the pack lives, good Alpha Derek, full shift Derek, understanding Sheriff, Mpreg (second work), and a kid fic there at the end.  

8 notes - Posted January 12, 2022

#3

First Lines

First Line Meme

Got tagged by @ms-moonlight-inn to do this. 💕 Thank you so much! Rules: List the first lines of the last ten (10) stories you published. Look to see any patterns you notice yourself and see if anyone else notices any. Then tag some friends. ***

1. Derek leans back on his hands, planting them firmly in the sand at his back, against his butt and dug between his toes. Maybe In Other Lives

2. It’s not like Stiles wants to be here. With So Much Wrong, Let's Do This Right

3. The lights are brighter than Ian expected. You're Different, You're Allowed To Be

4. It has been a long, long, long day. Beginnings Are Awesome

5. A bag of bones with blood red cheeks, skin pale as fallen snow drawn tight over sharp edges. Uneasy In This Skin

6. Frankly, it’s been long fucking night. Death By Peanut Butter Cup

7. “No. Absolutely not. No.” Getting There

8. “I just don’t even…” Stiles takes a deep breath that shakes anyway, his hand rising to rub snot across his upper lip. Carve Your Name

9. There’s a time, a time when the bush sunflowers are in bloom. smile (though your heart is aching)

10. Stiles is knocking on the door. The Hottest Boyfriend

So the patterns:

Well, I guess there are two that open with dialogue. There are two that open with it being a long day/night. There are two that seem as though the person does not want to be there. Crying, sad Stiles is still the worst thing on the planet. I feel like I should point out that the second line of that last one is: Of his own apartment. (because he's drunk and being a fool).

I'm bad at picking stuff apart because I always feel like that's not the point, the point is to just sit down and write. Have fun. Maybe learn a few things along the way, maybe not. The only person that needs to enjoy the process is the writer, it's just a bonus if the readers do too. And it always makes my day if one of them does :)

And looking at some of these standing alone makes me wonder why anyone keeps reading, lol! I salute all of you who made it past those first lines :)

Tagging: @gnpwdrnwhiskey, @adventuresofprettyboyandthekid, @mtlyfe, and anyone who wants to play. But as always, no pressure. It's all for fun :) If you don't have ten, just do whatever you feel like doing.

9 notes - Posted February 7, 2022

#2

📝📝📝 Share 5 fics of yours that you feel best represents your writing style and talent (your resume so to speak), and then send this on to five writers who you adore 💖💖💖

Thanks @ms-moonlight-inn - it's always wonderful to be adored! We both did this though, right? I asked you first! I think... If I didn't then I somehow overlooked you, but I can't imagine that happened :)

10 notes - Posted February 21, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I didn’t think I’d have anything to post this week but I guess the good part of having about half a dozen 20k+ documents that I’ve been pouting over for months just lying around means I can pick a poison and start drinking.  

So the current poison is Maybe In Other Lives , a Sterek work that includes Derek renovating a cabin, Stiles being a badass, and soulmates in infinite lives.  Beware the canon landmines in this one.  Heavy on Derek’s awful past, the first two chapters are pretty depressing and they’re up now.  Woo hoo!

21 notes - Posted January 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[oh-three]

7, 11, 17, 18, 34, 41, 58, 65, 78 and 94 for the ask game

7) Tell us about the plot of the first fanfic you ever wrote.

Oh god.

It was a Transformers fic, three chapters long, about Hubcap (red version) getting kidnapped by Decepticons then rescued by Blurr and Ironhide. It's actually pretty cringey, and I hate the dialogue so much. My writing has improve so much since then.

11) What’s something neat you’ve learned while doing research for something you were writing? Also, how much do you worry about doing research in general?

[TW- slavery]

I don't worry about research too much, unless it's like historical or medical stuff (occasional Wookieepedia use aside).

I did write a Pirates Of The Caribbean fic a year and a half (or two and a half years) ago, spent days researching slavery. I learned all kinds of stuff from that, stored it on a document for safekeeping. Have this on there:

Slaves were scrubbed and their wounds filled with hot tar before auction. The unsold and frail were often sold by scramble auctions, where after agreeing a flat rate, plantation owners would race to grab the best workforce.

17) What is your favorite line you’ve ever written?

I don't really memorize them, but whenever I look back on a fic and read one of them, I remember how much I love it. For the sake of saving time, here's one from A Hand In Refuge:

Because even though his master had discouraged the voicing of his opinion, the desire to share had lingered deep beneath his rigorous teachings, waiting oh-so-patiently to arise.

18) What is your most and least favorite part of writing?

My most favorite part of writing is watching it turn from outline material into fully fleshed out conversations and ideas. There's a certain magic to watching it happen, to comparing the two afterward.

My least favorite part is figuring out how to pick something up again from where I've left off. Really struggling to start the next chapter of my Cobb Vanth series at the moment. I know what I want to do, I just don't know how to execute it.

34) How do you name characters and places?

Honestly? I usually just run a name generator until I come upon one that just fits. Something that I like the sound of aesthetically, something that feels like it suits the personality of the character receiving the name.

41. What is the weirdest story idea you’ve ever had?

I'm part of a (now -inactive) Discord server with a few other Pirates Of The Caribbean writers. Went to a feed store one night, shared a few pictures of chicks staying warm.

That turned into me writing a story about Jack Sparrow smuggling a couple pocket-fulls of chicks onto the Black Pearl. It's the most random thing I've ever written, and I love it.

58) What is the last thing that a fic made you google when you were writing it?

"hyperspace lane"

Yeah, I was trying to figure out what skylanes were called. I got there.

65) What is your favourite title for a fic you’ve written? 

Me, who's written over four-hundred fics: ...

I've Seen Things In This House I've Never Spoken Of is a good one. It's a Spider-Man fic, the title itself being a quote from one of the characters.

When The Suns Grow Low, The Fight Only Gets Tougher is the title of the first fic in my Cobb Vanth series. I don't even remember how I came up with it, but I really do love it a lot.

Solus Tome (Alone Together) is another favorite, the fic surrounding the Bad Batch and Fives, an AU in which he survives and they find him. The first part of the title is in Mando'a, the translation being the part that's in parenthesis.

I'm going to stop there before I get ahead of myself.

78) How do you choose where to end a chapter?

Yeah, that's always a tad difficult.

I usually just chop it up between scenes to make it a bit more natural, though I sometimes cut it in the middle of scenes for the sake of length consistency or dramatic effect.

94) Do you prefer dialogue or description?

I really like both, if I'm being honest. I can't say I prefer one over the other. I love description, going in-depth on how things look, but there's just something about nailing a character's line that is pretty magical itself.

[ashestrashes]

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (2015) by Elizabeth Gilbert

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

~3.5 hours (~1 min/pg)

"Creativity is sacred, and it is not sacred. What we make matters enormously, and it doesn't matter at all. We toil alone, and we are accompanied by spirits. We are terrified, and we are brave. Art is a crushing chore and a wonderful privilege. The work wants to be made, and it wants to be made through you."

Are you a creative person? Do you often feel like you're the "tortured artist" type? Do you love to create but the process loses it's excitement once you're deep in the trenches of an idea?

In this book Gilbert uses her talents in clear explanations and quick storytelling to put together an easily digestible idea: creativity is not something you have. Creativity is a force of nature that finds you. You can choose to work with this force or you can let it find someone else. You can work in harmony with this creative spirit, or you can let it torture you. Only one thing is certain- working with the spirit of creativity leads to a very interesting life.

From the perspective of a relatively new folk witch, it was refreshing to read a surprisingly very spiritual book written before the spiritual/occult book boom that we are currently in and post the Wicca book popularity of the 90s. Some parts of Big Magic are so witchy in fact that they reminded me of alter spaces, novena prayers, and cross roads contracts!

I feel like I got a lot out of this book. I definitely have much to think about regarding how I work through my creative process. I didn't realize how fearful I was until Gilbert called me out with examples of why people don't follow through with their creative endeavors. I also think that (due to my fears) I became numb to when an idea was actually coming to me. I found this quote written in my journal after my first reading session:

"The hairs on the back of my neck stood up for an instant, and I felt a little sick, a little dizzy. I felt like I was falling in love, or had just heard alarming news, or was looking over a precipice at something beautiful and mesmerizing, but dangerous." -Elizabeth Gilbert