#need you all to know this is a representation of exactly how i feel right now

[tofics]

I finally made time to listen to this and I am so glad I did. Let's dive straight in, shall we?

This was my very first time hearing your voice, and I feel the need to point out what a pleasant voice you have, Alex! And I do mean this in the most sincere way, coming from someone who can be very very picky about what voices to listen to. I know this wasn't the point of the podcast, but I had to let you know :)

I took notes while listening, so I'll just be going through them and kind of sort them into something more tangible as I go.

It was awesome getting to hear so many "behind the scene" thoughts from you about your writing. There were a couple of small things you mentioned that I wanted to comment on just for the fun of it:

Something that draws you to a fanfiction is if characters are canonically written. It's funny you should say that, because your characters are some of the most in-tune-with-canon characters that I have ever read. I've mostly consumed your Dean stories, and even in an AU setting (I'm looking at you, Smoke Eater) he is 100% Dean as seen on the show. As far as fanfiction goes, that puts yours on a pedestal imo.

You considered doing something with Dean and Yellowstone for the Jacklesverse Bingo. (insert gif of me hysterically crying and hyperventilating) I've only just started watching Yellowstone this year and I am obsessed. I think you would have fried all my synapses if you had gone down that road, in the best way possible 😁

Hearing you talk about your friends on Tumblr and knowing you've included me in that group felt so so special! I'm so proud to be able to call you my friend on here. 🥹🫶🏼

But now! On to the actual topic of the episode :)

First of all, I found it very interesting that despite your own heritage, you grew up with a white reader in mind. Just goes to show how predominantly a white person is and has been the main character in so much of media that that's what your brain defaulted to.

I also thought your discussion about what makes an OC an OC and where a reader insert stops being a reader insert suuuper interesting. Because that's a genuine question! Where does a blank slate stop being a blank slate, and how much character do you have to give to the reader role in a reader insert fic for the story still to work, right? I loved to hear your take on it, especially where you said that writing reader inserts is basically like writing OCs without giving them a name. - I had never thought about it that way!

But of course, you're right. Because a reader that is an active participant in a story can't be a completely blank slate. They have to be assigned certain traits, not necessarily body-wise but character wise - if you're doing more than a drabble, imo. For there to be dialogue and a story that feels full, that feels alive, the reader has to have some sort of character to be a character.

Which brings me to my next point: projectability is always a thing of perspective and the ability to put yourself into someone's shoes. As far as fanfiction goes, the reader insert genre tries to make that as easy as possible by offering a mostly blank slate (that is very often white-coded, unfortunately, but that's not the point I'm trying to make in this paragraph). I have seen people complain more than once about the character!reader being unrelatable because of certain character traits and/or backstories that were assigned to them, and I wonder: people, where has your media literacy gone? Do they not teach to adapt to a person's perspective via literature in schools anymore? Must all media cater exactly to your every taste, down to each very nuance?

And I write all of this distinctively separating characteristic traits from body traits. I am not at all talking about the lack of ethnic representation within the x reader genre.

I love how you give personality to your reader characters, Alex. Especially when it comes to your own representation. You said in the podcast that you were worried about how the traits you assigned to your reader in the Midnight Espresso-verse would be received by your audience and that you received great feedback. I want to reiterate that by saying how despite myself not having the same background as you, I could absolutely relate to the plus-size aspect of the reader, as well as her love for cooking. You said it so beautifully in the podcast, that this version of the reader is one that came from the intent of Dean having a (Latino) girlfriend that nurtured him in the same way he nurtures the people around him, and I fully 100% could relate to that as well :)

Which might be my very complicated and long way of saying: Please do not worry about how much the reader can adapt to the traits you're giving to the character!reader. If most character!readers have been predominantly white for the longest time and so so many people that where not white made it work, then so can we white folks when we are given a reader that does not fit all of "our" typical criteria.

It made me very happy to hear that you're seeing more and more diversity within the SPN fandom these days. I've spent most of my time in the PPCU fandom this past year and all across it, but specifically in the Joel Miller fandom, there have been too many racist instances. It's great to hear that it's going better in other fandoms!

Which brings me to my next point - the anon request you got that led you to writing Unravel Me 👀 Wow. I haven't read it yet. It was on my TBR list anyway, but hearing you talk about how it came to be and how much thought you put into it (understandably so) it's now an absolute must-read for me. (Sort of unrelated but still related: I've seen your playlist covers for the story, and - wow??? A masterpiece??? Visually, I mean?! The EFFORT. I'll be speaking about this in a second, but I needed to mention it now in case I forget! Gorgeous!)

Another point that had me thinking a lot was the question about how much of an immigrant's identity should be kept and how much should be adapted to the country they've moved to also captivated me. I know US politics in regards to immigrants are ""problematic"" atm to say the least, and it's been a widely discussed topic over here in Germany for years now as well, especially with the heavy influx of immigrants over the past years. I can't imagine how complicated it must be, figuring out a sense of self that both fits to where you live and still keeps the core parts of who you are and were before coming to said country.

I want to wrap this up by saying how incredibly impressed I am every single time I hear/read about how you prep for your stories. I think you are by far the most in-depth fanfiction writer that I know. You put so much research into it, and not just for The Honorable Choice, but everything you put out. I'm struggling to find the correct words to properly express how admiring I find it, especially for a story like The Honorable Choice where you take on the perspective of someone of a different ethnic background than you.

You are an inspiration, Alex. Truly.

Thank you for welcoming me into the writing space when I came back. Thank you for answering every question I had, and thank you for the work you put into all of your stories.

To you, to your talent, your inspiration and work ethic, and to many more stories to come! 🩵

Racial & Ethnic Representation in Fanfiction

[🎙️ Podcast Interview]

Hey, friends! Sandra and Kasey, the lovely hosts of @idlingintheimpalapodcast — the podcast for all things SPN and fanfiction — invited me back on the pod for an interview on a topic that's very close to my heart…

With @rubyvhs, we talked about the fun moments and challenges about reading and writing fanfiction that represents specific racial and ethnic cultures, being bicultural/multicultural, the immigrant experience, and much more.

I offered my own experience as a Latina POC writing in the fandom space, specifically Supernatural and The Boys (and adjacent Jackles fandoms).

Check it out here: ⤵️

Interview Timestamps –

(Plus fic recs, SPN writer/reader shoutouts, and more! Links to all the fics we mentioned are at each time stamp.)

2:54 – When did you start writing fanfiction, and when did you join SPN fandom?

⟡ You can check out my first author interview with Sandra and Kasey over here. We chatted about Dean Winchester and Jensen Ackles’ early roles, the best and worst seasons of SPN, the joys and pains of writing Soldier Boy, and much, much more. For all the timestamps of key moments, fic recs, and SPN writer shoutouts, see this post (you'll find the link to the video there too).

6:18 – What is your ethnic, racial, and cultural background? (And how me and Sandra bond over “food and family” ties between Hispanics/Latinos and Italians.)

13:05 – The immigrant experience in America, what you take with you from the “Motherland,” the struggles of bicultural identity, my personal experience being a second-generation child of an immigrant family, and Sandra’s experience as a first-generation child of Italian immigrants.

16:58 – What do you look for when you’re reading fanfiction? (Canon-compliant, AU, romance, etc.) Does the length of a story matter?

19:52 – Bonus: The merits of drabble writing vs. long-fic writing.

25:54 – Have you ever actively searched for fanfiction that represented your ethnicity? (Whenever I do, it’s like finding gold.) Plus, the challenge of writing reader characters, the “gray area” of writing reader characters like OCs.

32:38 – The inherent “bias” of reading and writing reader characters as White. The concept of diversity being “cool” in popular media, TV shows, and movies is still pretty new.

36:36 – Why I started writing reader characters that might have a specific body type, race, and/or ethnicity.

Examples:

⟡ Midnight Espresso – Dean Winchester x Plus-size Latina!Reader

⟡ If I Stay – Dean Winchester x Plus-size!Reader

⟡ 10 ‘Til Midnight – Professor!Dean Winchester x Plus-size Grad Student!Reader

⟡ Unravel Me – Soldier Boy x Afro-Latina!Reader

⟡ The Honorable Choice & Outlander – Cowboy!Dean Winchester x OFC

40:14 – The fun challenges: like giving Dean a partner who takes care of him as much as he takes care of others in Midnight Espresso.

45:28 – The BIG challenges: like writing Soldier Boy being himself with a “person of color” (POC) in this new series, Unravel Me. What even is a POC? Where do you start with Soldier Boy, the Sandra-proclaimed “bowl of fishhooks?"

51:38 – Is there ever an element of fear when you publicly post a story that represents your culture, which is something very personal to you? What happens when you get haters in the comments?

1:05:33 – When and how did you begin to break out of the “ingrained biases” in your writing? (AKA: Always assuming my own characters are White.)

1:08:04 – When did you decide to explore writing plus-size!readers?

1:13:20 – What has your experience been in writing a race/culture outside of your personal experience? The Honorable Choice and Outlander, a western AU where Dean Winchester falls in love with a Native American Lakota Indian. (Shoutout to @jacklesversebingo!)

Plus, the ethical responsibility to “do no harm” when you represent different cultures, and answering question of not only can I write this, but should I write this?

1:32:42 – What advice would you give a writer interested in writing about a culture outside of their own that they don’t have first-hand knowledge of? How can a writer avoid cultural appropriation if their goal is cultural appreciation? How important is a sensitivity reader/beta reader for this effort?

1:40:35 – Final thoughts on diversity and representation of culture in fanfiction, whether it’s your own or someone else’s:

“Write what you know. Write what you can research. Write what you’re interested in. Remember that words have power, so be careful how you use them.”

1:45:30 – Sandra and Kasey’s outro: The importance of representation and diversity in fandom.

I hope you enjoy the ride!~ 💜

💗💗💗 Shoutouts to some of my beautiful friends and lovely readers who've supported my attempts to explore ethnic and cultural diversity in my writing:

@luci-in-trenchcoats @lamentationsofalonelypotato @waynes-multiverse @rizlowwritessortof @roseblue373

@tofics @deanwinchesterswitch @deanbrainrotwritings @deansbbyx @waywardlatina

@supernotnatural2005 @wayward-dreamer @spnwoman @waywardxwords @mostlymarvelgirl

@chevroletdean (shoutout to your 500 follower fic challenge at around 19:52 😘) @siampie @bettystonewell @wvffles

@iprobablyshipit91 @my-stories-vault @littlesoulshine @thatonewriter15 @jessjad

@deans-spinster-witch @winchestergirl2 @kazsrm67 @chernayawidow @jackles010378

@jollyhunter @leigh70 @foxyjwls007 @beakaleak32 @alwaystiredandconfused

[undynedaily]

Undyne Daily!

Day #15

Undyne except she's that one Steven universe meme lol

[hylemorph]

Anna and Friedrich in Nosferatu (2024)

In a previous post I mentioned how important I think Friedrich is in the story as a representation of the patriarchal ideal, and how it/he crumbles when confronted by everything that has been suppressed in Ellen (manifested in the unavoidable, terrifying form of Orlok). I also think he is a mirror to Orlok in some ways: he says twice how he just cannot resist Anna, he subtly frames his desire for her as an unwilling "affliction." He also defiles Anna's body and his sacred marriage vows by engaging in necrophilia, because his appetite for her is so consuming - he can't resist her even when she's not even there anymore. Ellen's necrophilic act with Orlok represents her unification with the parts of herself that are suppressed/rejected by the men in her life, good and bad. It's dark and fucked up but metaphorically transformative, and consent is absolutely central. Friedrich's necrophilic act involves no consent, no Anna, and it lacks any metaphorical power. He didn't accomplish anything, he just succumbed to his own horror and amplified it.

Friedrich's unhealthy approach to his relationship with Anna consumes them both, and I think this theme is especially evident in the way Anna's pregnancy is discussed. Friedrich tells Thomas that they are expecting but doesn't want it mentioned in front of Anna or Ellen, probably because it wasn't supposed to be public yet. In victorian times people would rarely confirm a pregnancy before the woman was "showing" both because it was considered a private matter and because miscarriage was way more common. But Friedrich tells Thomas early anyways, because he is excited and proud, which is understandable but also selfish in this context. Furthermore, Anna says that "little Friedrich" is "very hungry, just like his father" and later on after Orlok has fed on her, she passes it off as feeling drained by the baby. Even though she seems happy and loves her family, she associates pregnancy with being drained.

This alienated way of understanding parenthood is also evident in the way Friedrich and Anna treat their girls (Louise and Clara I think?) They obviously both adore the girls, but they ignore their terror and assume the monster they see in their room is totally unrelated to all the other scary shit going on, because they're just silly little kids imagining things, right? One girl literally says "I can hear him breathing under my neck!" and they beg Anna not to leave them alone at night, but they are just hushed and told that they're totally safe. It's exactly the kind of dismissal Ellen has been getting her whole life, and so it's not surprising that the girls are haunted by Orlok before anyone else. It's not enough to adore little girls, they will never be safe until they are heard and believed.

Anna as a character apart from her role as wife and mother is a bit harder to parse out, but I think she is also a mirror for Ellen. Ellen's spiritual power is the catalyst for everything that happens, and von Franz says that "in heathen times you might have been a Priestess of Isis." Anna's spiritual inclination is less obvious, but it's there: she seriously listens to Ellen and believes that she is perceiving something real, she just assumes it must be God. Later when she lets Ellen stay with her for the night, she says "God is with us Lenny, I know it." On some level Anna is also in touch with that supernatural, suppressed feminine truth, and she seems to see through the patriarchal facade that Friedrich represents to some degree. But ultimately Anna wants to convince herself and Ellen that the night terrors were just caused by Thomas' absence, and that Ellen just needed her husband back and all would be well. When Thomas does return and Ellen has her faculties again, Anna is very eager to put it all behind them; 'no more talk of demons please, let's just focus on Christmas and being a happy family'. Anna's downfall is that she puts all her faith in the Christian patriarchal narrative even when she can clearly see that there's more going on. Her faith in the Christian God contrasts Ellen's "heathen" spirituality - both women have an innate spiritual sense, but one is more willing to make it fit into the values of their society. Ultimately Anna was consumed by the horror of their alienated position in society just like Ellen was, she just died with less agency.

[for-a-longlongtime]

You Can't Chase Away The Queers & Gays & They's

aka: have your little delulu fantasies but don't you dare be a homophobic/queerphobic cunt about it.

I'm so fucking serious right now.

A certain amount of people are being absolutely psychotically ridiculous right now over that Pedro poem published in the project by Mustafa (the poem isn't new, he had this on his blog in the early 2010s, btw). Within hours, people are yelling in public comments tHiS pROveS hE iS iNTo pUsSY + hEArTbRoKEn ovEr a wOmAN, PLUS sending anons to me and other queers saying 'this poem proves he's not gay!', 'stop writing f***** shit about him now!', further speculating, wanting receipts whether he ever talked about specific genders, etc.

You're losing the plot. STOP IT.

I'm not even gonna go into how appalled Pedro would be to know there's literally a Straight Crusade group that has been scouting socials since forever just to post fake stories. No, my concern is about all the queers, gays, and they's (the LGBTQIAS2+ community) among us fans -- especially the young ones, who are seeing all that anti-queerness and homophobia happening. It's 2025 and in so many countries queer rights are under attack, queer youths are suicidal at much higher rates than straight kids, and it still happens every fucking day that queers coming out means they're losing family, friends, jobs, housing, custody of kids, etcetc.

Let me clarify: I don't give a shit about Pedro's sexuality or who he sleeps with/dates. I’m not the person you’re gonna want to ask about any of that. Do I as a queer feel (and a lot of others with me) like he's been doing plenty of queer signalling through the years? Yeah, but that doesn't mean it's gospel/fact, and I'm sure as hell not trying to prove it or convince other people.

What IS a fuckin' problem though is when people and blogs are whipping up other fans into a literal frenzy, making them think that they need to 'defend' P or prove he's not gay. Sure, disect the poem and whatever else, knock yourself out, but do not send other people - especially not queers - plain ass hate about it, just because you want to impose your POV on them. Because you are harming people by making them feel like it's not okay to be queer/gay, and you're using Pedro as a means to do so. That's fucked up.

I'm not here to police anyone, but I'm telling y'all to have some common sense if this is something that you have either inadvertently or deliberately been doing. This is exactly why there are so few gay and queer male fans active in this fandom, because they see how much negativity there is at and how obsessive the compulsory heterosexuality is in some corners of the fandom. This is exactly why queer and trans folks feel unsafe to reach out and get to know other fans. This is why a lot of writers (queer and straight) often feel reluctant to write mlm/gay fanfic (be it P Boy x male reader/male OC, or P Boy x P Boy, or P Boy x canon character). This is why new queer/gay fans feel hesitant to put out work with queer representation, because they're afraid of negative comments or anons. And that SUCKS, because they want to tell their stories as much as other writers do, but it's damn hard when you look at the queer/homophobia that has been on the rise in this fandom as well as in society.

Is your ability to like his work, to like him as an actor, or even just as a person who does a lot of good stuff for marginalized communities, actually DEPENDENT on his (perceived) sexual orientation? On who he sleeps with or dates/has dated? To the point that you feel like you need to 'defend' him or prove things to other people? Because, first of all, in case nobody told you and it didn't occur to ya: he's not gonna fuck YOU. Second of all: wow. Get it together.

Finally, I can't believe I need to make this point, but: just because you don't like queers, doesn't mean they're gonna go away. Why are you reading my blog or Erin's or anyone else's tumblr that's clearly about queer stuff (we actually do indicate that already in our bio/pinned posts, you know) if you don't like it? WHY are you reading gay fanfic (which is about Pedro characters, not even RPF/Real Person Fiction, and YES - that is a very big difference) if it makes you angry? Most of all, why do you feel like it's okay to act like a fuckin asshole?

Stop reading things you don't like. Block people you don't like. Dislike stuff all you want, but just don't be a homophobic piece of shit about it.

Also, go read Erin's post right here.

[apricustar]

there’s been a lot of talk about the kitchen scene—a lot of people calling eddie abusive, cruel, and emotionally volatile. but i think what that completely misses—what it refuses to see—is the truth about grief:

grief is not gentle or pretty. it is often an angry, twisting, acridic beast that refuses to leave you. it comes out in sharpness, in silence; in saying exactly the wrong thing to the person you love most because you don't know how else to make them hear you.

that is what we see in 8x17.

eddie wasn't being abusive; YOU are completely misunderstanding that scene—and eddie himself; buck, too.

buck is psychologically self-referential. not selfish, exactly—more self-centered, but not in the egotistical sense—in the trauma-informed sense. it's an adaptive behavior that helped him survive a childhood where love had terms and affection and prerequisites. he learned to monitor every mood shift, every silence, every closed door—because if something went wrong, it had to be his fault. and this was reinforced by his parents' behavior towards him!!!

so now? everything still feels like it's about him. because it had to be. because that was the only way to feel safe. buck internalizes everything. when something goes wrong, his first thoughts are: what did i do? what did i miss? that's not ego, that's fear.

but eddie deals with emotion like a live wire. he bottles it up, he locks it down. he was taught growing up that's what it takes to be a man—don't cry. don't ask for help, grit your teeth and keep moving. he waits. he stews. and when it finally breaks through? it comes out like it did last night—sharp, reactive, a ribbon of hurt tying everything together.

and this is not new! eddie does this when he feels powerless. when something big is shifting inside of him and he feels helpless—when he doesn't know how admit the true feelings inside of him. so instead we get things like the grocery store fight during the lawsuit, accusing buck of sabotaging the showings earlier this season, and the kitchen scene.

same structure. same rupture. same desperate attempt to push back because he doesn't know how to pull in.

when eddie says these things to buck—you're exhausting, you're making it all about you—he's poking where it hurts, on purpose. all of it—every jab, every flare of anger—comes from a place of not knowing how to properly articulate the truth underneath.

eddie expresses his needs rarely, if ever. he doesn't ask for closeness—he tests for it. more than anything, in that kitchen, i think he was trying to provoke buck into something—a reaction, a fight, anything.

because buck has been so shut down, largely unreachable, and imagine being eddie—watching the one person you always turn to drift out of orbit. being physically closer than you've been to him in months, and still, he feels further away than when you were in texas.

how do you ask for someone back when you don't know how to ask for anything at all?

this is all that people keep missing when they reduce eddie to 'abusive' or buck to 'selfish'. they see the surface of their words, but not the wounds they're coming from.

on a fundamental level, buck and eddie are incompatible in how they handle emotion, communicate, and cope, but they are unshakably bound in how they love. because underneath all the misfires and misunderstandings, they are two people shaped by trauma and silence—by never being taught how to ask for what they need.

and still—somehow—they keep trying. with each other.

so when buck apologizes for being sad bobby’s dead and eddie snaps—he isn't rejecting buck's grief. he's rejecting the idea that buck's pain is somehow exceptional; he's saying: why aren't you here you haven't talked to me you haven't asked me how its been for me you're right in front of me and i can't reach you i want to do this together—

the scene wasn't abuse—it was human; a very raw representation of the way grief twists its way into every corner of your love, your relationships, your voice. it was love—sharp-edged and realistic in its imperfection and messiness, ever fighting to be seen.

eddie's feeling invisible and alone inside his grief; he's seeking connection. he wants buck to react, to be present, to talk to him.

the beauty of all of this is that after everything, eddie brings christopher for buck. its not just an apology. it's a gesture of reclamation. because eddie knows buck has been feeling isolated—not just from him, but from the entire team. buck himself expresses that everyone's been walking on eggshells, treating him like something fragile, like grief made him untouchable.

so eddie does the one thing he knows how to do: he acts. he brings buck his (their) son. he brings pepa. he brings family.

regardless of how eddie responded in the kitchen, he walks it back in the way he always does: through action. and wordlessly, he's saying: you belong you're ours you are wanted.

and no one gets to make buck feel otherwise. no one gets to be mean to buck.

not the team, and certainly not eddie himself.

buck and eddie are able to hurt each other as acutely as they do because they know one another. that is the risk of love: you open yourself to the possibility of pain; to be loved is to be known, changed, and vulnerable in ways you can’t take back.

eddie is able to be mad and feel these emotions and express them in these ways because he knows he—in his entirety—is safe with buck. even the ugly stuff. take note of this fight vs. how gentle eddie was with taking chris back from his parents. he can feel and act without filtering it first with buck. he can just be.

both buck and eddie keep choosing one another in a variety of ways—keep showing up, keep staying. even when they’re being harsh, even when they’re being unfair—even when they’re at their worst. they keep going, keep trying. love is persistence, dedication, devotion; buddie is all that and more.

[ambermotta]

6 Types of Protection Magick

There are many ways one can do protective magick. In this post I'll be going into 6 of the most common and accessible ones!

Please understand that even one "protection magick type" can be done in an infinity of ways, some of which are closed to certain practices.

Disclaimer: based on my experience and research. I don't claim to know all truth. Further study is encouraged!

_________________♡♤��♧_________________

#1 — Magic circle

The magic circle consists of creating a protection and delimiting a sacred space for magic and/or ritual.

The magic circle is probably one of the most popular protection methods thanks to its encouraged use in Wicca. However, other traditions have made use of similar concepts, such as in the afro-brazillian Umbanda concept of "chain".

The circle can be physically drawn on the ground, delimited by the members inside the circle, or visualized.

Casting one is fairly simple since it can be done in different ways, either in groups or solitary practice. You can use tools such as wands, chalk or physical objects to draw it, but what matters most is intention and successful visualization.

Before casting a circle it's important to have everything you will need already within grasp and inside the circle, since once created it is advisable that no one leaves it until the work is complete.

#2 — Amulets, and Enchanted Items

Enchanted Items are a very popular and effective form of magic, especially for personal use. These are often common objects that have been enchanted for protection.

They are often necklaces, rings and other jewelry since these are the most practical to carry around without suspicion. However, they can be any object.

Amulets can be created via enchanting, charms, or by asking deities and spirits to bless them with protective qualities.

The material and imagery used to create the talisman is also important in determining the kind of job it wants to do.

#3 — Sigils and other drawn Symbols

Sigils and Symbols can be used both for personal protection and for warding spaces. Here I am also including Runes.

They can be carved into objects, drawn upon skin and surfaces, or even tattooed.

However, before using any sigil, symbol or rune it is of extreme importance that you know exactly what they do, and know as much about them as possible. Especially if you plan on drawing them on your skin (either temporarily or permanently).

Unless specifically used only for protection purposes, inadequate use of them can lead to disaster. Even then, the type of protection they bring can vary.

For example, a protection sigil that works by hiding you from threats is different from a sigil that fights threats that come to you. It's important to set or to know how their protection work so that you do not come across unwanted results.

#4 — Prayer

My definition of praying: focusing on sending a message to a higher spiritual power, be it an entity, deity or energy.

Prayers are a great way of manifesting protection, though since you are asking for it to a higher power you must understand that it may choose to not grant it, or not grant it in the way you expect.

Plus, it is very important to know where you stand with this energy or entity. Do you work with them already? For how long? What is the nature of the relationship? Do you truly know them well enough to ask them for this? Is it really appropriate?

Cultivating a good relationship and having manners can be decisive factors for manifesting this sort of protection. Plus, it's always good to "give back" in some way. To receive something, something must be given eventually.

#5 — Affirmations and Visualizations

Words and the mind have innate power. Affirmations and visualizations are great ways to manifest protections because they rely only on yourself.

They are easier to do right if you use them together with other methods, or if you have physical representations of the work being done. To be successful one must focus, "feel" them happening, and maintaining that without help can be difficult. Frequent practice will help you get the hang of it.

There are also techniques that make affirmations and visualizations both more powerful and easier to accomplish.

#6 — Warding

Warding is when you set up a semi-permanent protection in a specific place, such as your house.

It can be done in many different ways. One of the most common is to have an object or place designated as the "holder" of the ward, which should be well kept.

Warding will be more powerful if you are frequently cleansing the space and recharging the ward. Leaving it alone for too long can weaken in or make it lose its properties altogether.

Some plants are used for this kind of protection, since they (usually) stay in place, can be powerful magical allies, and you'll be checking on them often anyway. The ones usued are often those with thorns, threatening-looking leaves, or even poison.

Note: always be very careful about bringing poisonous plants home, especially if you have children or pets.

Conclusion

This was an overview of the most common types of protective magick. A lot of protection spells and works fall somewhere within these categories, or are a combination of them.

Each tradition has a certain way of going about spiritual protection, so if you are exploring an specific path, I encourage you to not only research about protection in general but to also look into what unique techniques your path has to offer!

Many blessings and thank you for reading! ♡

[attabxy]

Hi :D I saw your hc for erik was open, and I wanted to ask for erik x clingy reader ones if that's okay? Thank you!

With a Clingy Reader - E. Campbell

Pairing: Erik Campbell X Reader (romantic, gender-neutral).

Media: Final Destination Bloodlines.

Content Warning(s): Mentions of anxiety and mental health, these headcanons are a bit on the shorter side, the nickname 'sweets' is used.

(Author's Note: Hi, Anonymous! I hope you enjoy these headcanons, and I'm a bit nervous to write them because I've never written for a clingy reader. HOWEVER, I'll still try my best with these, and still get them out in a timely fashion [within four days; I started writing on 06/15/2025]. As well, I hope this is a correct representation of being clingy correct, because I'm actually the opposite of such tehe).

So, let's say you're clingy. Great, Erik is as well!

I'm of the belief that Erik will absolutely deny the fact that he's clingy, then proceed to cling to you like a koala.

It's a common occurrence for him to wake up to you clinging to him. An arm around his shoulders, leg wrapped around his waist to effectively trap him.

He's not mad about it, since you act as a comforting weight to him. He might be annoyed if he didn't sleep great or had a rough night, but he understands that's just how you are.

He once tried to pull your limbs off of him. Failed miserably.

"Sweets, I need to get up." Erik told you, his voice thick due to just waking up.

"Too bad."

He's a big fan of hugging you from behind as you're cooking. He'll probably say something cheesy like, 'what's cooking, good-looking?'

He won't realize that he's leaned into your hug until you point it out. He'll deny it, but secretly loves it.

He's found himself wanting to cuddle on the couch after you accidentally fell asleep on him. If you were a cat, you'd be purring. If he was a cat, he'd be purring from how content he was.

If he's driving, he'll rest his hand on your thigh to let you know that he's there and he's paying attention to you.

If you're driving, his hand is on yours as it rests on the gear shift. This is especially comforting if you find driving stressful.

Let's say you're anxious, so you cling to him for comfort. He may not even realize you're anxious since you like being close to him, but his love language is physical touch.

Maybe it's an off day for you, you're feeling down or just not right. Erik doesn't realize it, but he still let's you cuddle next to him as he's working on a tattoo design or playing video games.

It eventually hits him that you need him. He pauses the game, puts down the sketchpad, and his attention is focused on you.

Erik probably didn't realize he had clingy tendencies himself until he began dating you.

Not that it's a bad thing that he realized such when dating you, but more of he's never been in a serious relationship and didn't have the opportunity to realize his tendencies.

I headcanon that Erik suffers from some anxiety disorder. Not from anything traumatic that happened, rather it just popped up out of nowhere.

He usually won't tell you if he's feeling anxious, but he secretly takes solace in your touch. It grounds him, just as much as his touch grounds you.

(Author's Note: I'm not exactly too proud of this one. Maybe it's my own anxieties talking here, but I'm worried that I totally misrepresented being clingy because I'm not a clingy person and I sometimes draw from my own experiences when writing. But if you, Anonymous, are happy with this, then I consider this a win! I apologize for the slower release of this; my mental health has been in the trash and I've had non-existent motivation. However, I'm slowly getting better. Also, I've almost made it to 100 followers, so I thank all of you so much for giving love to my silly blog! If you're interested, I made a post yesterday about what to do to celebrate, so go check that out if you'd like!

Signing off for now,

-Libby)

[vettelsvee]

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE | Sebastian Vettel

High School History Teacher!Sebastian Vettel x Primary School Teacher!Reader ↳ Teacher AU ⋆ Part of CLASSROOM GOSSIPS

SUMMARY: Seb is stressed because his students did pretty bad in their latest History exam, but he gets more stressed and grumpy when Y/N, the cutest Primary School teacher according to Seb, arrives to the teacher's lounge to "annoy" him, but the truth is that there's more than that ↳ BASED ON THIS POST I MADE THE OTHER DAY!

WORD COUNT: 3099

WARNINGS: LOTS OF GRUMPY (Seb) X SUNSHINE (Reader), some bad words, cursing, nothing else but wait till the end because I assure you you're gonna love it!

TAGLIST: @koalapastries @vampsarereal @gracie23x @cutelittlefakejourneys @scopeiguess @hoziersfrancesca

VEE'S NOTES: I ABSOLUTELY adored writing this, and I hope you like it as much as I do! This goes all the way up to the top of my fave fics written by me. Also, a toast to you because you liked all this Teacher!Seb thing a lot 🥹 I'd love to read your opinions on this, so feel free to leave me a comment, an anon message or reblogging since it helps us creators a lot. Thank you so much for reading, and hope you like it! <3 ↳ TALK TO ME / REQUESTS! | FORMULA 1 MASTERLIST | BUY ME A COFFEE

© VETTELSVEE (2025). please, do not steal, copy or translate my works. thanks for reading!

“How can you say that World War II ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall? My God...”

“It makes no sense at all, but if you ask whoever told you that, they’ll give you a convincing enough answer to make you pass their exam.”

Sebastian lifted his head, even though he didn't need to in order to know who was speaking.

Y/N Y/L/N, the second-grade teacher who is the pure representation of the sunshine itself. Your smile, always revealing your teeth, and your energy, isn’t exactly contagious to him, and even sometimes that'd be enough to make someone want to throw up.

You were standing in front of him, holding an absurd amount of papers. Seb couldn't avoid looking at you. No matter how much you might irritate him at times, he found you more than fascinating. He admired you in every single aspect and, somehow, that made him pretty angry with himself. You took the opportunity to silently show him some drawings of bees. Bees. Happy bees. Sad bees. Damn it, there were even bees wearing party hats and surrounded by confetti, and other baking and having coffee.

Sebastian said nothing. Instead, he ignored you and continued grading exams, but you didn't take it personally since you know how stressed he had to be with his class.

It didn't take long before a series of increasingly loud bangs started to get on his nerves.

When he looked up again, he saw you struggling with the printer, which seemed to have decided not to work.

“Why is it that every time I come here, this stupid, useless piece of junk decides to stop working?” you huffed, nearly shouting. “It’s like… like it’s out to get me!”

“Maybe it’s because you make too many copies every week,” Vettel replies.

“I have to give my students a quality education, Seb. And a quality education includes, among other things, making as many copies as I need to teach the contents properly!”

“And does your quality education include printing an entire colony of bees?”

You shrugged, offering no further explanation. Instead, you grabbed a nearby chair and dragged it until it was next to Sebastian. To his utter surprise, you sat down beside him, placing your absurdly thick stack of papers on top of the ungraded exams.

If you didn’t leave in the next few seconds, Seb swore he'd have a heart attack.

“My kids need all of this, Seb,” you said again, showing him those ridiculous drawings once more. “They’re learning about pollination, and what better way than by coloring little bees and then putting them all over the classroom to represent how they work?”

“I’m currently questioning whether I’m a complete failure as a teacher so, to be completely honest with you, the last thing I need right now is you showing me this... nonsense.”

You scoffed, knowing he didn’t mean it. He was just too stressed. His students failing with embarrassingly low grades didn’t mean his skills as a teacher were declining, but it did mean he’d have an army of parents breathing down his neck, demanding explanations for why their children’s performance was so poor.

“Stop saying things like that!” You smacked his shoulder, and his patience wore even thinner when he noticed a red pen mark on the exam he was grading. One that, knowing all too well his students and their thoughts, they’d probably say looked like a penis.

“You’re not a failure. Teenagers are just… idiots.”

“Is that your opinion as a professional in the education field?2

“Of course!” you shouted, waving your hands dramatically. “Why do you think I teach Primary school? Little kids are way cuter, and they think I’m a genius just because I can spell difficult words without getting any help.”

Seb tried not to, but a small smile started creeping onto his face. He quickly bit his lower lip and shifted in his seat, attempting to maintain his composure even though sitting next to you made him more nervous and, especially, more entertained, than he would have liked to admit.

“Look at you! I made you smile!”

“If I admit that you're almost funny, will you leave me alone?”

“Let me think about it… No.”

Sebastian didn’t even get a chance to answer before you suddenly jumped out of your chair and rushed toward the printer again.

“I just remembered why I came here! Oh my god, why do I have to be sooooooo forgetful?”

“I suppose that’s to make my life more miserable,” the German replied, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s just a bonus, Seb,” you turned to him, still smiling. “So, yeah, this printer isn’t working because… Well, I don’t know why. But I really need to make these copies, so I guess I’ll have to go back to the Primary school teachers' lounge…”

Sebastian stared at you, unsure of what to say.

Was he misunderstanding things because of stress, or he understood that you had actually walked all the way to the High School section, which was not anywhere near the Primary one, just to make copies, despite having a perfectly good printer in your own area?

“Did you come all the way from the Primary section to the High School one just for… some photocopies?”

“Yes!” you nodded enthusiastically.

“You're perfectly aware that there's a much better printer over there, right?”

“Well, that’s debatable if you consider…”

“Y/N, cut the bullshit.”

You pressed your lips together, unsure of how to tell him that your free period, and your desire to see him, was the real reason you had come all this way, even if it had earned you a few questioning looks and whispered comments from some of your colleagues in the upper grades.

“Well… Maybe I also decided to come here to see you,” you admitted.

Vettel had no idea how to reply to that. He tried to think of something friendly and lighthearted, but his stress seemed to take over before he could filter his words.

“I'm this close to kicking you out, Y/N.”

You only laughed, placing a dramatic hand over your chest and letting out a fake gasp. Seb loved when you acted like this, but right now, he hated it more than ever.

“Oh, please, you wouldn’t dare. I’m your favorite person out of all the people in this school.”

“Funny, because right now you happen to be exactly the opposite,” he muttered.

“You didn’t mean that. I know you didn’t.”

Seb shook his head and buried himself back in grading exams. Of course, he hadn’t meant it. No one was perfect, but somehow, you came pretty damn close without even trying.

“Stop making that weird face, or you’re going to get wrinkles ahead of time,” you teased. By now, you had sat back down beside him and were carefully cutting out flower-shaped drawings with impressive precision.

“You are insufferable, Y/N, really,” Vettel shot back as he meticulously corrected a student's answer about the causes of World War II.

“And yet, you still haven’t told me to shut up.”

Seb frowned. He wanted to do it. He should do it. But he couldn’t. You were too kind to him for him to snap at you… just like what was happening now.

He cursed himself mentally and swore that, from now on, he would grade exams at home to avoid this kind of altercation. Though, deep down, he also knew he would do it because, maybe, it would give him a little more time to spend with you.

Suddenly, you moved closer to him, too close, and took his chin. Your eyes locked, and for a few seconds, neither of you could say anything, let alone voice everything running through your minds about each other.

“You need a break, Seb.”

Your hand instinctively moved to his cheek, caressing it with a kind of affection that neither of you expected. He swallowed hard, trying to stay calm, but his heart only pounded faster and faster, and he couldn’t see it as anything other than a betrayal of his feelings for you.

“Why do you always have to be a threat to me, Y/N?”

You simply smiled before leaving a kiss on his cheek and standing up.

“You can keep pretending all you want, but you know you love it,” you said, grabbing your things and heading toward the door, though not before turning back to him.

Sebastian knew exactly what you meant by doing that. He let out a deep sigh and carefully gathered all the exams, placing them in his briefcase along with his pencil case and phone.

“If I go with you wherever you’re going, do you promise to shut up?”

“Nop, there’s no way I’m doing that,” you replied cheerfully, taking his arm the moment he was beside you and dragging him out of the teachers’ lounge with no real destination in mind.

The German was beyond exhausted. He felt his head throbbing more than usual, which he knew was a sign of an oncoming migraine. He felt drained, frustrated, and more plagued by imposter syndrome than ever. It wasn’t the first time he’d had bad results on an exam, but it was the first time they had been this awful.

He decided not to dwell on it and did his best to push his intrusive thoughts aside, focusing instead on the woman beside him.

You couldn’t stop talking. First, you told him about how your kids, as you called your second-grade students, had made Christmas cards for you and even brought you a gift after the holidays. Then, you talked about how, today, your favorite student (because, according to you, yes, teachers had favorites) had dropped a piece of her sandwich on the floor, and you had to give her your own breakfast but it was worth it since she was more than happy to be having Ms. Y/L/N handmade cheesecake.

Now, you had launched into an explanation of the biodiversity project you were preparing for your students, focusing specifically on the importance of bees in the ecosystem. You even showed him some pictures of what you had been working on at home because you wanted it to turn out so well that you couldn’t just work on it during school hours.

“So…” you said after finishing your explanation. “What do you think about my project so far?”

Sebastian kept walking, trying to process the flood of information you had just given him in such a short time. While some of the pictures looked like pure chaos, something completely opposite to him, the embodiment of perfection, he had to admit that it was good. Really good, actually.

“Well… it looked fun,” he admitted.

“Are you serious!?” you squealed, your eyes sparkling with excitement.

He gave you a shy smile.

“Yes, of course, I mean it.”

“Oh, look at him! Grumpy Seb handing out compliments so easily!” you shouted again, now bouncing on your feet, earning a few disapproving looks from the teachers passing by. “This calls for me to get you a coffee!”

“Y/N, I don’t feel like having coffee. I already had one this morning, and I don’t think it’s the best idea, considering how nervous I—”

“That’s nonsense!” you interrupted, marching toward the Primary school section. “You’re going to have coffee with me, no matter what, and you’re going to thank me because I’m convinced my coffee is way better than that vending machine garbage you drink daily.”

“I’ll thank you the day not a single one of my students fails one of my exams,” he told you.

The Primary school teachers' lounge was empty when you both walked in. You didn’t say much, just offered Seb a seat and told him to make himself at home while you headed to your locker. The German pulled out the stack of exams once again, ready to continue grading them, if you didn’t annoy him again. As he kept marking the papers, he glanced at you out of the corner of his eye. Not only were you making him a cup of coffee, but you also seemed to be decorating it. And, if he wasn’t mistaken, you were writing something on a piece of paper.

When you returned, you placed the mug in front of him. It had “Bee positive” written on it, and it was decorated, of course, with a little bee making a heart with its tiny hands. As if that wasn’t enough, you had somehow managed to create an impressive amount of cream, topped with a smiley face that looked like it had been made with cinnamon.

Then, as you took a seat beside him, you slid a note his way, the one he assumed you had been writing earlier.

“Even if you’re having a gray day, remember that you can always make the sun shine! Sincerely, your very own little Miss Sunshine,” followed by a heart and, unsurprisingly, a bunch of smiley faces.

He didn’t know what to say. His eyes, however, when they met yours, seemed to say everything.

“You know, maybe all you need is just a new approach.”

Your sudden change of topic, spoken as you took another bite of your chocolate cupcake, threw him off a little. But he preferred it over the uncomfortable silence you both knew was bound to settle in.

“I’ve already tried, Y/N.”

“Have you tried bribing them?”

Seb narrowed his eyes, impressed and clearly not convinced by what you had just suggested.

“I’m not going to bribe my students, Y/N.”

“Not even by making them work in teams and offering extra credit?” You widened your eyes in surprise. “Have you considered bringing cookies and handing them out? That works incredibly great as a positive reinforcement, trust me”

“I’m not giving my students cookies or anything else,” Seb stated firmly. “I don’t know what to do with them, and that’s what worries me the most. What if I start acting like, no offense, a Primary school teacher, when they’re only two years away from university?”

You shook your head. It annoyed you that Sebastian was so… rigid, so unwilling to change. But what annoyed you even more was that you couldn’t seem to find the right way to help him.

“If you help me with the biodiversity project and actively participate in it, I promise I’ll find a way to make sure all your kids pass the remaining exams this year,” you proposed.

“And what exactly does a primary school teacher know about teenagers and History?”

“First of all, stop being so grumpy with me… I’m just trying to help you!” You huffed, crossing your arms. He wasn’t expecting that answer, and honestly, neither were you. Sebastian straightened in his seat, a bit uncomfortable. “Second, I happen to have a few tricks up my sleeve, but I’m not sharing them until you agree with helping me with the project.”

“Y/N…”

“What is it? What you don’t like: bees, seven-year-olds, or me?"

“I don’t like bees that much, I love being around little kids, and I’m completely captivated by you.”

That was what Sebastian wanted to say. Instead, he stayed silent, absentmindedly playing with the coffee spoon while staring at the note you had written for him.

“You do realize how many exams I still have to grade, right?” was all he managed to reply.

“Seb, you need to relax. I’ve told you before, but I’ll keep saying it as many times as necessary until you actually listen to me.”

“I can’t relax,” Vettel muttered, furrowing his brows. “Do you have any idea how painful it is to read that…?”

You didn’t let him time to finish speaking. You approached him faster than you’d planned, took his face in your hands, and kissed him. At first, Seb was completely caught off guard, but then he placed his right hand on your neck, pulling you closer and making sure the contact between you didn’t break.

Sebastian wondered why he hadn’t done this sooner, while you were more than happy to finally have the courage to take the initiative, especially since it seemed like your work crush was responding with a lot of enthusiasm.

The lack of air forced you to pull away. You readjusted yourself in your seat and couldn’t help but laugh when you saw your lipstick smeared all over Seb’s mouth.

“Did you just…?” Seb tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out.

“Yes, and I don’t mind doing it again,” you kissed him once again, but this time it was shorter. “Sebastian Vettel, I need you to stop worrying about those fucking exams and take a break.”

Now, Sebastian couldn’t stop smiling, and that’s exactly when you knew you had won that battle.

“You’re so lucky you’re too cute and beautiful and you’re keeping me at my feet somehow, because I swear I wouldn’t stop talking and be annoying just for you to shut me up by kissing me.”

Your eyes lit up at his tease, and your mouth opened in surprise at what Seb had just confessed.

“Sorry, did you just call me cute and beautiful, and also say you want me to shut you up by kissing you?” you pressed him.

Seb didn’t know what to say. His cheeks started to turn red out of embarrassment.

“If I’d known this was going to happen between us, I should’ve asked you to work together waaaay sooner!” you shouted, jumping up in excitement and sitting on his lap. If he hadn’t grabbed you tightly around the waist and balanced the chair, you would’ve ended up on the floor. “Say it again, come on!”

“No way I’m repeating that, Y/N.”

“Please, Seb,” you pouted, then kissed him all over his face. “Just one more time, please…”

“No.”

“Please…”

“Y/N…”

“Seeeeeeebastian.”

“You’re the most annoying person I’ve ever met,” Seb started, “but, somehow, you’re also my very own Little Miss Sunshine.”

You smiled brightly at his words, but you knew this wouldn’t be the end of things between you.

“I’m not your Little Miss Sunshine yet. At least, not officially,” you teased.

“Oh, really?”

You shook your head.

“I’ll be when you finally have the courage to ask me on a date,” you replied cheerfully, wrapping your hands around his neck and kissing him once more. “I’ve taken the first step and kissed you not once, but twice, so now it’s your turn. We’ve got to work as a team, Seb. Haven’t you learned that all these years working as a teacher?”

[neil-gaiman]

I wanted to thank you for the Good Omens S2E2 “A Companion to Owls” “minisode” which I found personally very moving as something that stands on its own (independent of the season 2 arc or the relationship arc in the show).

The choice to do what is right in real life is a hard one. It keeps you up at night, makes you grind your teeth, wring your hands, pace the floors. Depending on the situation, the pressures can be enormous, and frankly terrifying. And yes, the reality is that once you have made your decision, doing what is right can indeed be very, very lonely. It has consequences, and even if you form temporary alliances, in my own experience, potential consequences are still faced alone (whether in the impact on one’s career, or personal life, etc.). Doing the right thing usually does *not* get you a gold star or a pat on the back.

As someone past the half-century mark now who has found myself in these circumstances a number of times before in life, I cannot even begin to express how important it was to me to see this represented in mainstream media like this, and that we were allowed to sit with that feeling, that struggle. When Aziraphale is looking out at the sea, in that last scene, I looked at his face and said to myself “I *know* that, exactly that, right there, I have felt that. Someone else understands.”

Thank you so much for what you have created (along with thanks to all those who have worked to bring it to life – especially Michael Sheen whose performance I found so moving). Watching “A Companion to Owls” has offered a sort of peace in its representation of that struggle, and I think about it often. It is what I needed, when I needed it.

While I thank you, your thanks really are for John Finnemore, who wrote the Job story and wrote it so beautifully.

[thetrialsandtribulationsofeb]

thinking about how buck and eddie’s love story is so beautiful exactly because they were written as friends first throughout the show

just to count all the small and grand gestures they did for each other, from the very beginning -

and they did it not because of some physical attraction, but because they just devoted themselves to each other platonically

because they didn’t have the instruments to recognize their romantic and sexual feelings for each other (like eddie repressing every single emotion known to mankind and therefore not being able to recognize his feelings most of the time, and buck keeping these thoughts somewhere very deep in his mind as irrelevant), they kind of had no physical spark that would motivate their actions. so they literally fell in love with each other’s souls

this is the definition of unconditional love

i think that’s my problem with bucktommy - because they really can’t compare to what buck and eddie have, what they built

like, i really don’t get bt shippers, ‘cause when i have buddie’s relationship right in front of my eyes, i can’t take bt seriously. they pale in comparison

and that’s not to diminish the relationships built on obvious romantic and physical attraction, like bathena and henren (madney probably counts as friends-to-lovers) - these couples are beautiful and amazing in their own way, and i consider them soulmates too

but i guess something about the best-friends-to-lovers trope will always scratch my brain, especially when it’s between two characters who believe - or genuinely don’t know - that they can have each other in a romantic way

it’s just such a raw and pure kind of love. and the longer these characters think they’re just friends, the more foundation for an otherworldly love they build with each brick of their platonic fondness and dedication

i really think that if the writers made shannon eddie’s endgame, and had them forgive each other and create a beautiful relationship like all the other couples on the show, i would’ve liked them. i think the actors had chemistry and looked good together, plus the characters already had deep history

and if they gave buck an actually interesting and fitting partner, i’d probably like them too

but then again, i’m so glad they didn’t - because eddie and buck’s characters are so perfect for each other in so many ways, i really can’t imagine them with anyone else but each other

there’s too much stuff between them, and the chemistry between the actors definitely plays a huge role too

when you have something so great in your hands, you don’t fumble it. (this is a message to the writers, because buck and eddie have been fighting the narrative for their love since day one)

and that’s also not to say romantic love is somehow superior to platonic love. as someone who cherishes her friendships even more than her romantic life at times, that’s definitely not the point i’m trying to make

but it’s just that, first of all, it’s what makes sense for these characters. and second of all, we as a society really need such a beautiful queer friends-to-lovers slow burn. i swear it will make history and lay the foundation for more layered and deep queer representation in the future

so, yeah, buddie being best friends who slowly fell in love with each other is my favorite thing about them

it’s the “i don’t have to want to sleep with everyone i have feelings for” part of it all

but they do want to sleep with each other, obviously, so i think they deserve it

just let’s go. let’s fucking go. let them kiss already

[hello-nichya-here]

Did Sia insult topic of autism somehow?

Oh honey, it's sooooooooo much worse than that.

Sia wanted to make a movie about an autistic girl that manages to connect to people/feel safe and confident through music. So far, nothing outrageous, just a simple concept that would obviously put Sia's music front and center while doing something nice and educating people on autism.

There was controversy about her not casting an autistic actress as it would have been nice representation, but she could have totally gotten away with that since, come on, hollywood hasn't even figured out Rain Man isn't exactly true to life, they're not ready to have an autistic person playing an autistic character. Baby steps.

The real problem started when Sia started promoting the "charity/support group" that was helping "educate" her on the topic to make the movie. The "charity" in question was Autism Speaks - which is absolutely HATED by the autistic community for things like:

1 - Spreading the myth that autism is a mental illness that one can develop/catch like the freaking flue and potentially be cured of, instead of a neurotype, aka something starts in the woomb and cannot be "cured" because to do that you'd need to replace someone's entire nervous system, which is impossible.

2 - Using that myth to get outrageous amounts of money from people so they "search for a cure" - that doesn't exist and will never exist because curing autism is biologically impossible, AND despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of autistic people don't even want to be "cured" (plus, since said "cure" would essentially mean giving the person a new brain, it leads to the question of "Would I even be the same person, or would that just kill and replace me?")

3 - Using the myth of "We don't know what causes autism" (we do, it's genetic) to, of course, get MORE money from people so they can "do research to find the missing puzzle piece" (if you ever see autistic people complaining about a puzzle piece being used to represent the condition, that's why, it was started by Autism Speak's massive disinformation campains).

4 - Falsely "confirming" things like soy milk cause autism with one of the world's most ridiculous "research", losing only to "vaccines totally make kids autistic, buy MY vaccine instead, guys, I am totally not an unbelievably biased person, it's ALL the other doctors/scientists lying to you. GIVE ME MONEY!"

5 - Pushing the narrative of "autism is inherently a tragedy" to distract from the fact that all the money they waste on stupid shit could be used to help autistic people and their families. Instead, they focus on creating more and more panic, making parents in particular despair even more - to the point that one of their "awareness videos" includes a mother talking about how she wants to murder her autistic daughter and then kill herself... while sitting right next to said daughter.

6 - Promoting ABA "therapy" - which was created by the same guy responsible for the attrocity that is gay conversion "therapy." Both have led to unbelievably high rates of confirmed PTSD and suicidal ideation in patients (victims), and ABA in particular has been compared to literal dog training. Very fitting since it was created by a guy who famously did not believe autistic people truly counted as thinking, feeling human beings, and said as much several times. Despite that, it is still praised by some utter bastards because "it makes the patients act less autistic when they're not crying in the corner or trying to jump out a window"

So yeah, working with these guys is a genuinely horrible thing to do since they're basically a scam/hate group pretending to be a charity - and people were STILL willing to give Sia the benefit of the doubt, since Autism Speak uses all their resources to make sure they're the first thing people see when looking up how to help autistic people.

Lots of Sia's fans, both autistic and allistic, warned her repeatedly, politely, that she needed to supporting them IMMEDIATELY as their goal was the exact opposite of the one she claimed to have - aka raise awareness through an accurate portrail of autism. People were even kind enough to name organizations like ASAN as replacements to help her fix any damage done to the project.

And instead of being a decent human being, Sia decided to cry on twitter about how the mean retar-I mean, autistics were bullying her even when she was so kindly using them for her vanity project.

Because yes, that's how the movie turned out. An unwatcheable piece of garbage, with the autistic "character" being so fucking bad even the people who actively use "autistic" as insulted being offended on our behalf - and of course, she was used just a prop to show how awesome Sia's character was.

Seriously, it was so bad the actress playing the autistic girl was sobbing in between scenes because she knew how it was horrible and she didn't want to insult anyone, but Sia is literally her godmother and helped her career by putting her in nearly all her music videos so she felt obligated to go along with it.

So yeah, fuck Sia and fuck Autism Speaks.

[blazepanda17]

“He’s a Nazi”: Why This Episode Hurts—And Why It Might Be the Point

The Handmaid’s Tale S6x07 Thoughts

So many Nick fans are spiraling right now, and I get it. This episode hurts. It feels like a slap in the face after six seasons of complex character work and a slow-burn emotional arc. Suddenly characters are echoing online discourse—calling Nick a Nazi, reducing his relationship with June to superficiality or betrayal, framing his actions in the most black-and-white terms possible. It’s jarring. It’s frustrating. It feels like the show is invalidating everything they’ve spent years building.

But I want to offer another lens:

What if we’re not meant to agree with these characters? What if the tonal whiplash is part of the point?

This calls out the representation equals endorsement logical fallacy. Just because characters are voicing negative comments about a character doesn’t mean the writers actually believe those things about Nick. They’re trying to stay true to character intentions and emotions.

Every character in this episode is seeing Nick through the distortion of grief, fear, jealousy, and pain:

Luke lashes out from a place of deep insecurity, loss, and jealousy.

Lawrence mocks Nick to deflect his own hypocrisy (because let’s be real—Lawrence is just as guilty).

June is bleeding from heartbreak and is trying to armor herself by hardening her view of Nick.

Moira has some understanding but is still hurt by the failed mission and murdered women.

Even Rita, who knows Nick, is pushed away by his self-loathing.

They’re all projecting. And what do they project? The exact same arguments people have used online for years:

“He’s just hot.”

“He’s a Nazi.”

“You’re an idiot to trust him.”

“You’re romanticizing abuse.”

“He only helps to protect himself.”

It’s internet-level discourse… coming out of the mouths of characters who have no room left for nuance. And that should tell us something.

Because here’s the thing: the writers have shown us who Nick is. They’ve shown:

His quiet acts of resistance.

His refusal/reluctance to rise in a system that rewards cruelty.

His aching need to protect the people he loves.

His awareness of his own complicity—and his growing discomfort and despair with it.

So when characters start telling us that he’s a villain, it rings hollow. Because it is hollow.

The show is asking us to do the work of remembering what’s been shown, not just blindly believing what’s being said in moments of emotional chaos. That’s good writing (assuming that’s their intention and they don’t utterly fumble the last 3 episodes). It respects the audience’s intelligence.

And no, this episode isn’t a victory lap for the “Nick is evil” crowd. It’s a trap. It gives them exactly what they’ve always said—and if the story continues with the integrity it’s had so far, they’ll find out just how shaky those takes really are.

So yes, it’s hard to sit in the discomfort of a weekly release. It’s hard to watch a character you love be misunderstood, even within the story. But this? This feels like a setup for catharsis. For vindication and truth.

Nick isn’t done.

And neither is the story they’re telling about him.

Maybe I’m making this all up and projecting my own opinions onto the writers. But I need to stay hopeful. This show has always been incredibly nuanced, so let’s stay in that nuance and complexity. Trust the writing we’ve seen, not just the words characters say in emotionally charged moments.

Edit:

I forgot to add another thought. The term “Nazi” being used multiple times to describe Nick but not Lawrence or Serena at face value feels like a shock. At second glance, it feels grossly irresponsible. But now after careful thought and analysis, this continues to reinforce the point I made above. The writers want us to confront why it feels jarring.

If they wanted us to believe Nick is a Nazi, they wouldn’t make his most consistent trait be protecting the vulnerable at great personal cost.

That means we, as the audience, are meant to question it.

[ai-satin-chic]

Another day, another trial with a different AI image generator. This time, I thought I'd do a bit of a comparison and provide some insight into what AI engines I use.

Firstly, this is my "usual" secret sauce, fully optimised and edited image. My "best", if you like.

All of the below use exactly the same prompt. All of them are "raw" with no editing except the Reve one. I've made some notes too.

Reve: Very interesting - the only one to catch the "blonde streak" part of the prompt for the hair. Facial shapes are more varied. Hands awful, but very nice skirt effect.

Leonardo (Phoenix 1.0): Very good image adherence, and nice metallic effect on skirt. Face needs editing.

Mage (Flux Schnell): Quite nice, but the quad bike doesn't look right at all. And two baskets?

Bing: Ah, the old favourite. This looks quite nice, but needs a bit of work on the face to bring it up to standard. These always look a little fuzzy.

Recraft: A little bit bug-eyed and the hands look terrible. And I'm pretty sure that's not a skirt.

DeviantArt's DreamUp: This one has never been great. I like the pleats in the skirt, but hands and other detail all just looks a bit odd.

Deep AI: This is definitely a motorbike, but the model looks quite good and the overall "feel" of the image is nice. Wouldn't take to much to fix.

Qwen: Uh..

Grok: Uh...

Kling Image: This one looks nice, and probably one of the better representations of the quad bike. But the hands don't quite look like they are positioned right on the handlebars. Plus, how short is that skirt!

What do you think? Let me know below!

[for-a-longlongtime]

To all the fans in the Pedro fandom who feel like they don't belong

I see you. We see you. You have a place here among all of us, and we want you to be here - we really do.

No, this isn't a Kumbaya post, I'm fuckin' for real.

To all the writers...

... who receive racist messages, death threats, are being told their reader insert isn't good enough, that this and this character wouldn't be with someone who looks and sounds like you, that you're not using the right words or that you misspelled something --

I am so fucking sorry people had the fuckin' gall to direct that hate at you, because you don't deserve it. You share your stories and characters with us, and they are adored and read and celebrated exactly for who they are - not despite of who they are.

To everybody who lurks, reads, but doesn't feel like they can participate...

... who see how their skin tone, language, identity, gender, body type, sexual orientation, culture, type of relationships, and so much more is underrepresented or actively treated with hostility --

I'm so fucking sorry, and I - as many of us - understand completely why you feel that way, because it's absolutely valid. But I promise it's not how the majority of people feel about you. I know that doesn't make up for shit, but I do want you to know that most of us care a lot.

Nobody should stay in an environment where they feel like they're not wanted, or where remarks are made carelessly without regard for how hurtful stereotypes are. But if this has ever happened to you, be it out of ignorance (or at times malice), please know - your presence matters.

To everybody who has ever felt insecure about their kinks or liking smut... ...please don't. Seriously. Your kinks are what they are and they are completely fine. Liking smut is fine. Liking Pedro characters in smutty fic is fine too. Kink exploration in fic should be a safe space and respected.

Don't shame others here, especially not as an anon. Yes, certain topics that writers address in fic may be challenging for you for a number of reasons, but guess what? You don't have to read it! You don't have to dissect *why* someone wrote that! Don't like smutty fic? Cool, so don't wade into fics marked as explicit. Don't like certain kinks? That's cool, just read the warnings and skip fic when it doesn't appeal to you. Sure you're entitled to your own opinions, but you do not need to air them out in public or trash an author because you didn't like how they wrote something.

To everybody in this fandom...

... especially those of us who are white, able-bodied, straight, cisgender, had formal education, are a native English speaker, and/or many of the other privileges that a lot of us carry in our backpack every day:

We need to do better. Please. For so many reasons.

We need to be aware of our blind spots, biases, the fact that at times everybody fucks up - because we live in a racist, homophobic capitalist patriarchy -, and that occasionally means admitting we were wrong. That we unintentionally said something that was hurtful and that we're sorry for hurting people with our words. That ignorance can slip so easily into words that we type, and that the only way. But own up to it and please don't pull the 'I'm sorry you feel hurt' card - no. Take actual responsibility. Particularly when underrepresented voices explained to you why something is wrong.

And please, call out your friends on things like this - especially if you're white/straight/cis. It's your responsibility to speak up because you're closer to them. White people should be the first to call out racism; it's not up to the people that already are on the receiving end of prejudice (or worse, hatred) to fight that battle.

Exclusion doesn't only happen if you're actively spreading hate - it also happens by not taking accountability for when you fuck up, or when you are erasing and ignoring identities. If the word 'representation' doesn't mean much to you, that's probably because you constantly see yourself reflected in the stories and people in society (that, in itself, is privilege too) - and hey, good for you! But there are many of us who that doesn't apply to in the same measure.

I've had many conversations lately about this with fellow queers as well as brown/black/Latinx folks, so I really wanted to post this. Not as virtue signaling or whatever the hell, but because I know a lot of people are seeing and reading things that are understandably make them reluctant to engage.

So hey, let's do better and look after folks in our community whether we directly engage with them or not. The amount of comments that are always gushing about 'I love how Pedro cares about others/is an ally!' is very disproportionate to seeing similar support expressed for creators and fellow fans. Let's also not forget he's a Chilean man, the son of socialist refugees, who has always actively been on the barricades for LGBTQIA+, rallies against white supremacy and the toxicity of patriarchy -- so if you appreciate his dedication to 'causes', lets apply that to the very real people in this fandom too. And fyi, this isn't just about a single instance or a single person - it's so much bigger than that, and we all know it.

(oh, and if you feel like I'm being a moralist about this - feel free to unfollow or block my ass. You do you! I don't care. I care about the people here who don't want the community harmed by anons who get their kicks from being a bully.)

[emeritusemeritus]

Hi I love your work can you do a george Weasley x reader at they wedding day at the end they make out ?

Hello my love! Please accept this gift as a token of my appreciation and forgiveness for taking so long to finish! When I tell you my inbox is FULL of George wedding night asks… keep turned because they are more coming! 🖤

Word count: 1.6k

Warnings: none? A bit sexual in places much no graphic descriptions of sex. Wedding day bliss and slight torment with George. Slightly dominant George?

Waiting is the hardest part

You gulped down a sip of your champagne, choking slightly as your eyes fixed upon your new husband from across the dance floor, the hard look in his eyes making you wish that all of your guests could collectively disapparate right now.

It had been a truly magical day, right from start to finish, finally marrying the undisputed love of your life and best friend. George Weasley was everything you never knew you needed when you met aboard the Hogwarts Express on your first ever journey to school. The first meet turned into the first friendship, first friendship turned into first love and here you were over a decade later, still just as infatuated as you were right from the start.

The day was a jubilant celebration with friends and family, held at the Burrow just as you'd always wanted; now an official member of the Weasley family. It was rustic and homely, perfect in your eyes and a perfect representation of George, a little nod to all the summers you'd spent here with the family entwined in the best day of your life. The vows you made to each other were honest and personal, with a formality that Molly had insisted upon, though of course you didn't mind. It was perfect, everything was perfect, even with aunt Muriel there.

George's eyes were burning into your soul, feeling his gaze upon your body with a fiery sensation passing over you, as if he was setting you alight as his eyes roamed your curves greedily. You knew exactly what that look in his eyes meant and you forced yourself to be good, to not squeeze your legs together in anticipation. He looked devastatingly handsome in his wedding suit, a tailored fit that cling to his manly shoulders like molasses, accentuating his best features. Godric you were ready for your wedding night, hardly able to deny yourself any longer.

"Mind if I steal my husband?" You say to Angelina, who had been dancing with George when you approached. Your eyes flickered under your lashes up to George, who noticed your tone and demeanour instantly. Ang was none the wiser and excitedly giggled before dragging an unwitting Lee across the dance floor. George's hands upon your waist feel like a complete juxtaposition of fire and ice, soothing the ache of his touch but also alighting more flames deeper within you. Your arms stretched up to his shoulders, linking behind his head just as they had all those years ago at the Yule Ball when you'd danced together properly for the first time, but that in comparison was much, much tamer than this.

The darkness in his hazel orbs was enough to consume you, feeling like he was ready to devour you completely.

"Have I told you how absolutely breathtaking you look tonight?" He says, slightly breathlessly as he looks across your face and down to your cleavage.

"Not in the last 30 minutes," you smirk, reaching to okay with the little hairs at the nape of his neck.

"Straight to Azkaban for me," he smirks, "you look so beautiful, my beautiful wife."

He knew exactly what he was doing, so smoothly saying 'wife', just as you had moments ago saying 'husband', knowing how greatly it would affect him.

His big hands engulf your waist, etching closer to the curve of your bum with every shuffle as you glide around the dance floor slowly. You push yourself ever closer to the solid frame of his body, pressing your breasts against him as you seek comfort, wanting to feel him all around you. He senses it instantly, no doubt feeling the weight of your breasts against him. It's electric, the invisible spark between the two of you, an energy that seems to vibrate and resonate deep; the undeniable anticipation.

"Ready to slip away?" George says to you, leaning down to whisper closer to your ear, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl that makes you suck in a breath. You daren't speak, hardly trusting your voice and chose instead to simply nod in reply. He smirks, his eyes dangerously mischievous as he takes your small hand in his much larger one and leads you across the dance floor until you were handed over to Ginny for 'safe keeping'. You look around in silent reflection at the scene before you, getting one last glance to commit to your memory of this magical day. You glanced at your loved ones around you, watching your friends and new family mingling and dancing together with wide smiles. There were gifts and cards in abundance, piled high on a table near the back, a cake which had been cut that needed to be sliced and shared, decorations which were to be saved and some to be returned- all of which you knew Molly would sort out for you without hesitation. You couldn't think of those things, only of George and the night ahead.

"Oi Sis! Your carriage awaits!" You hear Fred shout and turn around, realising he was shouting to you, his new sister. You laugh and then laugh again when you realise both he and George are stood beside the Old Ford anglia that had been decorated with thick ribbon on the bonnet, metal cans tied to the back bumper and a huge 'just married' painted across the rear window in Fred's awful writing. George has a smirk plastered on his face as he holds out his hand for you to take whilst Fred stands beside him with a massive shit-eating grin on his face, clearly pleased with his decorations.

You go to take George's hand but hesitate, turning instead to Fred and throw your arms around him, catching him off guard with a little 'oof'. He chuckles and wraps his arms around you in return, being somewhat careful of your dress as he rocks you back and forth in his hold.

"Thank you," you whisper in his ear, knowing how much he'd done for the both of you not just today but in general.

"Take care of him," he says back, knowing that George would the able to hear you speaking this quietly on his left side. You smile, pulling away and give a subtle little nod to your new brother in law, who turns to his twin and slaps him on the back. They share a moment, which you try not to invade and within moments Fred had disappeared and George has opened the passenger door for you.

Your guests line in and cheer as George pulls away, driving down the familiar dirt road away from the Burrow, his left hand resting on your clothed leg as you excitedly wave at your guests. Once you're away from the burrow, driving through the winding roads of Ottery, you finally breathe out a sigh of relief, a smile still frozen on your face from the wonderful day.

"I can't wait to get out of this dress," you say to George, watching the hills sprawling around you at the last sunlight of the day crests disappearing into the landscape.

"My thoughts exactly," George says darkly, his grip on your leg momentarily getting tighter. You cast a glance at him and see that he's hardly paying attention to the road at all, his eyes gazing over your body hungrily. You bite your lip, legs closing as you work to steady your breathing, one little comment from him being enough to renew the arousal you felt.

Thirty minutes of driving felt like pure torture as the unspoken tension increased within the tight space, your need for George too consuming. You wanted him to claim you anew, make you his wife entirely. You were his now, officially, legally, shared his last name and in all the other ways that made his claim on you known.

You couldn't hold in your gasp when George stopped the car, pulling up outside a beautiful little cottage that had the coziest lights on it, a lit beacon that pleaded for entry.

"George, it's beautiful!" You gasped, turning to him with an excited smile that had him chuckling as he killed the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt.

"It's nothing compared to you."

You squeal as you soar through the air, George's strong arms pulling you into a fireman's carry as per tradition as he carries you over the threshold to the little cottage that is yours for the week. The mass of your dress is poofed up around you as he carries you as if you weigh little more than a feather, directing you straight to the bedroom. You hardly have time to look around as he walks directly to the bedroom before launching you onto the huge bed with a boyish laugh. You sit up and watch carefully as he doesn't move, stood resolute at the foot of the bed gazing down at you with hungry, dark eyes.

"I want to remember this forever," he says, the sentimentality of his words hitting you like a freight train. "You look so beautiful, so pure... I want to destroy that."

Your chest heaves to claim your lost breath, the harshness of his words and his eyes making you breathless. His eyes wander your curves in the dress, following a line up from your cleavage up to your face as he finally looks in your eyes. You sit up, finding your courage and begin to crawl over to him, wanting that beautifully tailored suit ripped from his body as soon as possible. His lips twist to a gentle smirk as his eyes follow your every moment. As you reach the end of the bed, your eyes trail up to his, the purest little doe eyes you can muster meeting his much more fierce gaze and you wait...

Part 2 posted HERE for the ✨Smut ✨

[cripplecharacters]

hello! so, i currently have an oc in the works. i dont have much for his character yet, and hes kind of a blank slate at the moment, however, whilst trying to develop him i had the idea to give him a disability; its something i dont do with my characters very often, and i feel like it could give some depth and realism to his character. however, i..... dont know where to really start with it? i have the vague idea that i think id like him to have crutches, so some sort of leg disability, but just going off that its been hard for me to find any condition that feels quite right. im unsure about making him an amputee either; seemingly the "go to" for anyone who wants to make a physically disabled character. i want to try and represent a disability thats less fetishized by the general public, and looking through this blog here its definitely apparent that a lot of people are tired of seeing basic half amputee characters with overly functional prosthetics; i wanna avoid that. sorry this has gotten a bit rambly, but basically what im asking is,, do you have advice for what i could use as just. a general starting point in this? im terribly uneducated and lost at the moment and id love some help. thank you :]

Hey!

It's great that you're interested in writing a disabled character (with care). I'm always happy to see more writers/artists/creatives do that.

You mentioned wanting to give him crutches, which is cool. However, you mentioned crutches as meaning a leg disability, which isn't always the case — and while I don't have statistics on it, I believe that most crutch users do not use them for leg-only problems, and a lot of them have the not-so-fetishized conditions. Here are some suggestions of what you could give your character, which hopefully gives you some ideas. If you need, you can get back to us with a more specific question after you figure out what exactly your character has.

Cerebral palsy — probably the most common reason for using crutches in non-elderly people, and the most common (physical) disability in younger people in general. If your character has diplegic (meaning lower limbs affected) CP, he could use crutches and if he has hemiplegic (one arm and one leg affected) CP, then he could use a single crutch or a cane. Cerebral palsy is generally extremely underrepresented when compared to how many people have it IRL. Just be aware that there is a lot of research involved just about the condition itself — multiple types (spastic/ataxic/dyskinetic), different kinds of body involvement, tons of different mobility aids and orthotics to learn about. There is also hereditary spastic paraplegia, which is not the same as CP but similar and progressive.

Spinal cord injury — the general assumption is that all people with spinal cord injuries are fully paralyzed below the neck or waist, and that's not the case. If your character has an incomplete SCI on any level or just a very low level injury, he could be using crutches or switch between a wheelchair and crutches. It's essential to research SCIs to have them be more than “legs don't work, but that's literally it”. SCI can come with severe nerve pain, spasticity, atrophy, and a lot of other things. Worth noting that spinal cord injury could be traumatic, but could also be congenital (spina bifida) or illness related (polio, transverse myelitis, spinal stroke, or cancer, for example). You could think that it's overrepresented in media, but SCI is generally just used as a “default condition” for why a character is in a wheelchair, and a lot of these representations are unfortunately very shallow.

Paralysis — in the monoplegic sense here. Much more rare than the rest of the things here, but your character could have a single paralyzed leg, largely due to nerve damage. Could be traumatic or illness-related (e.g., cancer, infection, or multiple sclerosis).

Stroke (and other traumatic/acquired brain injuries) — stroke can cause a million different symptoms and depending on what happens to your character exactly, he might need crutches. A big portion of stroke survivors deal with hemiplegia and could use a crutch on their non-affected side, for example. Some kinds of stroke might cause your character to have troubles with balance and require a mobility aid to not fall. Of course stroke will also cause other symptoms for your character (it wouldn't be too realistic to only have him have problems with his legs) for example speech issues, headaches, or seizures. Stroke can happen to anyone, and it wouldn't be weird to have a younger character with it. Very common in real life but very rarely represented in fiction.

Limb difference — you can definitely write a character with a limb difference or an amputation without fetishizing it. The main concern with the fetishization is the concept of the robotic limb that works just as well as or even better than a meat leg, and thus the character is “fixed”. But your character could just… have a realistic prosthetic (people do use prosthetics with crutches) or not use one at all. A lot of congenital amputees, people with limb differences, or with high level (above knee) amputations might do that. He could also have a leg length difference, which could cause him to need crutches (for example, Morteza Mehrzad has one of his legs significantly shorter after a pelvic injury, and he uses crutches among other mobility aids).

Chronic pain — very broad category for too many specific conditions to count. Neuropathy in the legs and/or lower back could be a reason for using crutches, for example. Unhealed, or poorly healed past injuries. Arthritis in knees or hips. Hypermobility that makes him unsteady or dislocate joints. Pain in bones or muscles where he can't fully weight-bear.

Gait disorders — another broad category (sorry). Your character could have problems with his gait and need aids for that. It could be caused by dyspraxia (I have it), ataxia, progressive muscular dystrophy (there is a lot of different types), Parkinson's disease, or a lot of other things. Could also be injury related.

And of course you could have multiple characters that are disabled to make sure that there is some variety.

I hope that the above list gave you some ideas for your character. If you have more questions, feel free to send another ask

mod Sasza