#thomas erwin

[chocfrog-enjoyer]

BINGO!

@ficreadingchallenge took me long enough to finally getting the bingo, as I was super busy. I’ve got to rush now and try to get at least one more before the challenge ends! ✊

Square: 1 - oldest fic in the fandom - this is the first known fanfiction written for Harry Potter. It was published in 1999 on fanfiction.net before the Prisoner of Azkaban was released in the USA ( the author is american )

Title: Harry Potter and the Man of Unknown

Author: Gypsy Silverleaf

Summary: First fanfic of HP here, 'tis about an unknown man in Harry's life & that's all I'll give out! :-)

Status: Finished

Word count: 13,605

~* Well the story is certainly something. It’s weird but intriguing. The concept that Harry has a relative that almost nobody knows about is fun, although I’ve never liked the guy ( probably the authors intention ) and thus, I liked the way the story ended for him *~

[the-most-faithful]

Please let's make this tragic character known in the fandom, it's only thanks to him that we have harry potter fanfiction and specific sites. Justice for Thomas Erwin

They didn't know what the news of Voldemort's disappearance was doing to him.

[agender-wolfie]

When you’re reading a fic that says it’s gender neutral but then “You wore a short skirt and tied up your hair”

[salv12dexter]

Tagging

Y'all need start tagging y'all fanfics correctly. I don't want to read y'all sucking dick. Y'all be doing that on purpose.

You giving head while they used to chop off yours.

It's not feminist if you're attacking women for being uncomfortable with something. Fiction or not.

[o-hora-o]

starvation for more content made me go delulu and finally, after 3 years, I'm here

[the-most-faithful]

Thomas Erwin deserves to go viral, without him and this story the fandom wouldn't be what it is today

Harry Potter and the Man of Unknown

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3URPBbY

by gsilverleaf

This is the first Harry Potter fic posted on fanfiction.net.

Original summary: First fanfic of HP here, ‘tis about an unknown man in Harry’s life & that’s all I’ll give out! :-)

Words: 16823, Chapters: 4/4, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, Gen

Characters: Original Characters, Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall

Additional Tags: My First Fanfic, My First AO3 Post, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, FanFiction.Net

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3URPBbY

[rosalietodd013]

Idk, I respect what you’re saying, but I don’t entirely agree. Comparing fanfic writers and published writers is like comparing apples and oranges.

Also, that “you are not entitled to engagement” argument, while founded in a way, is unhelpful when you pair it with how writing on this app works and the current climate on writeblr.

Nobody’s being forced. A tag is a way for people to filter content. One or two stories that aren’t interesting won’t hurt anyone. All you can do is… scroll. Or block.

These conversations are valid, but they’re unhelpful because the root cause isn’t being discussed. Saying writers aren’t entitled isn’t helping. These writers don’t feel entitled (i’m speaking of the general vast majority), but if people ask to be on taglists and even those people don’t respond, it is discouraging and fosters an unhealthy environment within a fandom. In the grand scheme of things, the mistagging feels like a non-issue.

I do get what you mean and people should tag things correctly. But knowing why they don’t is also important. Fandom culture and community is effectively dying in many fandoms because of the imbalance between people who work hard to provide free entertainment and consumers who believe it is their right. And the only argument they have is “you aren’t entitled to feedback” when all some of these writers are asking is for an acknowledgment that they didn’t just post something to yell into a void.

Some people use likes like bookmarks and then unlike when they’re done reading a post. You may think it doesn’t matter but the person behind the blog can see. Especially if the like count is low.

This isn’t meant to guilt trip anyone. But we can all sort of… meet in the middle and be compassionate. I’ve seen too many writers heartbroken on this app because people send hate and death threats and expect free content and suck the fun out of a fandom for these writers until they leave (zero exaggeration).

We can have conversations about respect and proper tagging, but we also need to have conversations on how to prop up and support writers as well, so they’re not compelled to grasp at straws trying to get their work seen. Only then can we truly sit here and expect change. Might sound dramatic, but for a lot of people, these communities are very valuable. So yeah, talk about mistagging all you want. It’s completely valid.

But please acknowledge one of the major reasons for why it happens and (i don’t really follow you but this is for anyone reading) reblog and share work of your fav artists on here to support them. If you enjoyed something, say so! Just a small “hey this was nice” is enough. Or even a silent reblog. It helps keep a community going. If you value your fandom, you need to value the people that are a part of running said fandom—the artists.

Just offering a different perspective :)

POTENTIAL TL;DR. The very last paragraph is honestly a good summary.

I do see where you’re coming from and you make some valid points. Are there bigger issues on here? Absolutely. I support and comment on writers when I am genuinely moved by a piece. I am one of those people who runs through stories and posts on here by the hundreds a day and thousands per week. Would I like to like and reblog more? Yes. But I tailor my content and posts by my own tastes. Is it selfish and not great that I don’t interact more with writers? Sure, but that’s also my choice. I’m very highly aware of the big issues here, but I’m focusing on one part at a time. I’m voicing my opinion on an issue I see regularly.

I think it’s interesting that your say “comparing published writers and fanfiction writers is totally different”. What makes them different? The fact that one makes money and the other doesn’t? Not all published authors are experts in their field or majored in some form of English or literature or even went to college so that can’t be it either. So if you could explain that part I’d appreciate it.

I do stand by my “no one is entitled to engagement” statement. Just because you post something doesn’t mean I have to respond or give positive feedback. It’s a choice. Not everyone agrees with or likes what someone posts on here or any other platform. When you ask for feedback on something publicly you have to understand that you’re likely gonna get both positive AND negative responses. I personally would prefer if someone skips the comment if it’s not nice or helpful which is what I do for other writers as well. If I don’t like or am not moved by something I’m not gonna comment, post, like or reblog it. No one is entitled to a response. It sometimes does more harm than good.

By saying “a tag is a way to filter content” then say “one or two stories that aren’t interesting won’t hurt anyone” are highly contradicting to your point. You’re acknowledging that tags are ways for people to find stories and content they want to see. The reasons we search for tags and filters is so we only see the content we want to. By saying those one or two stories won’t interest us confirms that it doesn’t belong there and could spark frustration. So just because a writer wants more views on content that audience doesn’t want to see means I should just suffer the frustration? How is that fair? If someone wants to read what is posted and the tags are correct then the audience will find it the right way. It doesn’t have to be forced. It also opens the door for more criticism to that writer which could make their situation/mental status worse.

If I want to be one someone’s tag list and reach out to ask and compliment their story, isn’t that engagement? Doesn’t that say “I care about and am invested in this story and want to know when another chapter or installment comes out”? But that also means I have to do something every time something else comes out? I’ve already engaged so you know I’m interested. What else are you looking for?

Mistagging might be a “non-issue” to some people but it matters to me. That was the whole point of my original post. It matters to the people who comment and like and reblog that post. That post has gotten more attention than any story I’ve ever written. And yes you can check that. I didn’t do it for attention. I just wanted to express something I felt. Whether or not someone responded or interacted was NOT my intention. People interact because they were moved or thought about it at least once. Isn’t that the whole idea of doing that? Because they connected? Shouldn’t people who are moved or appreciate a work or message say it if they mean it but also not feel obligated to do so? The people who saw and didn’t agree either commented or kept scrolling and that should be ok.

As for the whole liking posts to save them and unliking them once you’re done, I’m guilty of that. I will admit that is a problem I am a part of and I wish it wasn’t the case. Unless I’m missing something, tumblr doesn’t have a way to save stories that I don’t finish immediately or want to revisit once or twice and never see again. I used to use my likes as just that. But I realized that it didn’t give me a way to sort the stories I wanted to go back to from the ones I genuinely liked. That I will say is an issue that tumblr can fix and is a larger issue. That’s something I will own. I’ve never been proud of it but I’m not sure how else to combat this. I’m not gonna keep something liked that I have zero interest in or has nothing to do with me. I’m just not.

Again, I understand that there are larger issues at play and to some this is considered something inconsequential. But to those of us who are affected regularly and care, this IS our issue. We shouldn’t be made to feel bad or care about more than we choose to. People should care about climate change, famine, animal cruelty, war, racism, nationalism, misogyny and a litany of other things but not everyone does. That should be a choice. I should be allowed to care about and express issues that I care about. Is it selfish to not acknowledge the entire picture? Yes but what I consider a major issue and what someone else does isn’t always gonna match.

You used logic and reasoning and terms that made sense but the main reason this response is so long is because even with all you were saying, you were minimizing and brushing off an issue that I care about. It probably wasn’t your intention but that’s what happened. It didn’t inspire sympathy from me at all which is why it took a minute for me to respond. I do hear what you’re saying though. That has to be enough right now.

[bluebellhairpin]

i've begun cooking a leatherface fic that is so fandom typical. y'all are getting another cake.

[thedesertfox]

From left to right:

Colonel Siegfried Westphal, General Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma, Colonel Fritz Bayerlein, and Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

This must have been taken during the Second Battle of El Alamein between October-November 1942, as Rommel did not meet von Thoma beforehand.

Von Thoma deserted to the British lines late into the battle, just as Rommel was debating whether to retreat or stand fast.

[pp4rtyp0is0n]

Drew a bunch of characters I like. :o) They all are pathetic wet cats except for Dante.

[owensgrumpyoranges]

Y'know what's even more heartbreaking than Ein and Tesla waking up to Welt being dead? They had no clue.

I'm writing ✨a scene✨ and going over all the Jan. 1st deaths.

They saw Finn go down. They heard Edison go. They probably assumed Reanna died- they saw Otto taking over her body.

But they didn't know about Welt or Erwin.

As far as I can tell, they fell into a coma right after Otto stabbed them with the Divine Key.

It looks like Erwin managed to wake Welt up before dispersing, and then he went and did his heroics... and he and Reanna died.

(I also found something about Margaret, AKA the AEVN's biggest mystery. It seems that Otto killed her, or at the very least paralyzed her. Figures.)

Anyway. Imagine, Ein's just woken up... and Tesla is right beside her, doing fine. Welt was with them last they knew... so where is he? Is he in a different room? Did he wake up already? Where is he?

And poor Emma, who already had to tell Lieserl that Carl died, three years ago that day... has to do it again, but knows that it is so much worse this time.

Because, no matter what she said, she loved him.

Lieserl loved him.

[pinkpuppipawz]

﹒⪩🕹️⪨﹐I WANNA RIDE﹐♡

╰┈➤ summary; how they react when you ride them

╰┈➤ includes; gn! afab reader, switch! reader, switch! characters, reverse cowgirl, cowgirl, spanking, choking, hair pulling, p in v — jjk (gojo satoru, geto suguru, kento nanami, choso kamo, sukuna ryomen, toji fushiguro), aot — (eren jeager, armin arlert, jean krischtien, connie springer, reiner braun, porco galliard, levi ackerman, erwin smith), genshin impact — (kaeya alberich, diluc ragnivnder, zhongli, xiao, thoma, cyno, tighnari)

╰┈➤ a/n; minors dni! this is 18+ content

THE WHIMPERERS

when you ride him, 9/10 you have to take charge despite him starting off as the dom, as he just becomes too pussy drunk to really think of anything other than your pussy squeezing his cock. you have to shut him up a lot too, as he’s too damn loud, you usually do this via making out with him, your hands against his shoulders to help move yourself up and down.

(jjk) — gojo satoru, CHOSO KAMO (aot) — armin arlert, REINER BRAUN (genshin) — XIAO, THOMA

THE GROANERS

when you ride him, he’ll let you think you’re in charge for the first few minutes, but as soon as he wants to go harder and faster, this man will grab your hips and just pound into you from behind, watching as your ass jiggles against his thighs.

this man will be groaning through the entire thing too, right into your ear to be an ass about it, as he knows that just gets you even more riled up than before, he will spank your ass in this position too, so once you’re finished you won’t be able to sit for a good week or two

(jjk) — KENTO NANAMI, sukuna ryomen, TOJI FUSHIGURO (aot) — jean krischtien, connie springer, ERWIN SMITH (genshin) — ZHONGLI

THE MOANERS

this man fucking moans, low key moans more than you do in this position. wanna be a menace and make him moan more? pull his hair, pull his fucking hair, he can take it like the slut he is

if you spit in his mouth, that just gets him even more riled up, yes this motherfucker is kinky as shit. likes the feeling of your chest pressed against his, also enjoys the intimacy of seeing your facial expressions whilst you use him like a dildo

and that’s why you love him so much <3

(jjk) — geto suguru (aot) — EREN JEAGER, levi ackerman (genshin) — KAEYA ALBERICH, diluc ragnivnder, cyno, TIGHNARI

© content belongs to @huboi on tumblr, DO NOT REPOST ON ANY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS WHATSOEVER

I DON’T OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS, THEY ALL BELONG TO THE PEOPLE THAT MADE THE SHOW/GAME THEY’RE FROM

[the-most-faithful]

The oldest known Harry Potter fanfiction

I only discovered yesterday the first Harry Potter fanfiction ever published, it dates back to 1999, even before the release of Prisoner of Azkaban. The story is available on Fanfiction.net and on Ao3 in full. It's thanks to this story that we have fanfiction platforms on the Harry Potter fandom. This story, however simple, started it all. It deserves more recognition. Thomas P. Erwin is such a tragic Character 🥺

[cherry-romper]

How you met them

+ Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Marco, Jean, Connie, Sasha, Levi, Erwin, Hange, Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie, Porco, Pieck, Zeke

Eren; Practicing ODM gear

You were in the crowd when he lost his balance and fell over. You couldn't help but stifle a laugh, the scene was quite funny. Some people seemed to take notice over you lost composure, Mikasa in particular. She stared daggers into you while Keith asked Thomas to swap belts with Eren. You watched on, an amused smile still on your face, as Eren now balanced perfectly with the gear. Keith explained that Eren's gear was rusty and broken. You had to admit, you were impressed. He'd been using broken gear all day and was still able to keep up with people. He looked at Mikasa with eyes of determination. "Take that!" His focus now on you. Confused, you cocked your head a little. "Yeah, I saw you laughing at me! Now look at me! Im gonna beat you and the titans!" He bellowed. His words lit a fire in you. A fire only he could extinguish.

Mikasa; Mess Hall

You had just finished the first day of training and were now sat alone in the mess hall eating your meal. Soon though, more and more recruits filtered in to get their food. A couple of people approached your table and asked to join you. You learned their names to be Eren, Armin and Mikasa. You all got to talking and bonded over small things like how Keith was overly mean and how you all came from Shiganshina. Mikasa didn't talk much, she just sat and observed while eating her food. Even so, she caught your eye the most, and you were curious about her scarf. It was boiling out, so you questioned why she wore it her. You could tell it meant a lot to her by the way she clutched it. "It looks good on you" you stated, "it compliments your eyes," you finished before getting up and leaving a blushing Mikasa at the table.

Armin; Met as kids

You tried to save him from the bullies, to no avail, and ended up getting your asses kicked together. Ever since then you didn't leave each others side. Neither of you had any luck with life and had always seemed to be handed the short straw. You saw yourselves in each other and bonded. He'd talk to you for hours about the ocean. You didn't care much about what was beyond the walls just that armin finally had something he was passionate about, and that made you happy. You'd protected one another, as best you could, mostly having your backs saved by Eren and Mikasa. You were both one half of a whole.

Marco; Mess Hall

Jean was picking a fight with Eren, or vice versa, at this point you couldn't tell, with Marco and Armin once again trying to stop them. You were uninterested and quite frankly annoyed at the two's antics. With a sigh, you got up to clean your dishes; the sooner you were out of the hall the better. Just as you were walking past, Eren shoved Jean a little too hard causing him to collide into you, the two of you tumbled to the ground. You stared up at the audience of slack-jawed soldiers. Only Marco rushed over to help you. The remainder of your stew now soaked into your hair and clothes. You gave Jean and Eren a stern look and they both apologised profusely. Jean made his way over to you to help, but you shoved him away, only letting Marco help you up. You whispered a thank you to the freckled boy as he picked your pots up and escorted you out the mess hall, his arm tight around you waist.

Jean; Line-up Introduction

You technically didn't officially introduce yourselves to one another, you just sort of stole glances at each other while waiting for Keith to come and humiliate you. You both were blushing and smiling at each other from across the way, giggling a little as Keith made his way down the new recruits. You watched on as Jean introduced himself and his wishes to join the military police. You couldn't blame him for wanting an easy life, hell you'd even considered joining the MP's yourself, but you didn't expect Keith to headbutt him. You gasped a little as Jean fell to the floor, holding his head in pain. Without thinking you moved to help him slightly before realising what you were doing. You rushed back into place, not before Keith took notice of you action. "Who told you to move, maggot!" He approached you fast.

"Sir, sorry sir!"

"State your name!" He demanded.

"Y/N L/N from the Trost district, sir!" 

"I see," a mischievous glint appeared in Keith's eye. "This your boyfriend is it?" He asked pointing to Jean. 

"No, sir!" 

"Don't you lie to me recruit! I can see right through you!" 

Without warning he grabbed hold of your arm and pushed you into Jean. "Help your pathetic little boyfriend, then do laps until the sun sets, you piece of filth!" 

"Sir, yes sir!" 

"You too, kirstein!" 

Connie; First Day

You were watching Sasha run her laps around the base as the sun slowly set. Connie and a few others joined you. He expressed his sympathy for the girl, you agreed with him but decided to make a joke about how it wasn't even half the potato that she'd offered him. Connie laughed "Yeh, I saw that too," he looked back at you with a smile, the sun's last light framing his face. The two of you then retired to the mess hall where you spent the remainder of the night cracking jokes with each other.

Sasha; After she'd finished laps

She'd just finished her laps around the base and fell into a heap on the ground. You'd stashed away some bread in your pockets for later but before you could get to back to the barracks a figure came lunging out of the darkness and stole to food right out of your pocket. "Hey! That's mine!" You protested, the person now on all fours in the corner. "Give it back!" You demanded but you were just met with growling as you watched in horror as they devoured your snack infront of your eyes. Without thought, you launched onto her in a fit of anger. The two of you became a tangled mess of limbs . You sighed in defeat and fell back onto the ground, watching the person, who you now know to be Sasha, finish the reminder of your bread. Once she'd cleaned the crumbs from her mouth she slumped down next to you. You both looked at each other for a moment before the two of you burst out laughing.

Levi; On the Battle Field

You miss-judged how far away the titan was from you and failed to slice its nape. You landed on the roof next to it and readied yourself to attack it from a different angle, but another titan caught you before you could take off. You tried desperately to cut yourself out of its hands but to no avail. Time seemed to move slower as you were lowered into its jaws. 'So this is how I go out,' you thought, 'not how I imagined it.'  You were about to succumb to your fate when a flash of green sliced the nape of its neck and you were thrown back onto the roof. Your saviour landed next you you. "Are you okay?" 

Still shell shocked from staring death in the face you just nodded. "Get up, the fights not over," he held out his hand and pulled you to your feet. "What squad are you with?" He asked. 

"Fourth," you mumbled.

"Fourth, sir," he reminded. In the chaos you hadn't realised who had saved you. You gasped, "Captain Levi, sir! I'm so sorry, I didn't realise-" 

"There's no time for apologies, find me after the fight. For now, regroup with your squad. And do me a favour, don't get caught this time." With that he was off, you watched on in awe as he cut down titan after titan as he went.

Erwin; Caught arguing with another soldier

You were given a task to deliver an important message to Commander Erwin Smith, who was currently in Mitras after a summoning. Being in the capital wasn't your normal scene. For one, the sheer amount of people was new, but even worse was the MP's. You were weaving your way around the soldiers in the courtyard, trying desperately not to be noticed so you could get back to the scouts asap, but an MP saw you and jumped at the opportunity for some fun. He was clearly drunk and started yelling insults at you, mostly to do with you being a scout. He was mumbling something along the lines of "wings of freedom more like wings of freeloaders," as his colleagues howled with laughter. 'Oh, the irony,' you thought as you tried your best to ignore it.  When he realised his words weren't working, he started getting handsy. Not in a sexual way, instead he put an arm around you and kept poking your side as you walked. You pushed him off and kept your head straight, but he was persistent. It was when he tugged at your hair and started sniffing it that you snapped and told him to take his "bug-eyed, no-brain, small-dicked self back to whatever pigsty he came from." You were just met with more anger as the two of you got louder and louder, screaming insult after insult at each other. You'd had enough of him and muttered a final "whoreson" under you breath, which took him over the edge and he raised his fist to you, but it was caught quickly by none other than Erwin Smith himself, "That's enough, both of you."

Hange; Meeting about the Titans

A few days after the fall of Wall Maria, a meeting was called to assess damage and to plan the next steps in action against the titans. You were a newly appointed section commander and, due to the recent attacks, hadn't been able to fully introduce yourself to everyone yet. Hange had been around and your squads had worked together before but the two of you had never actually spoken. During the meeting Hange proposed that they capture a titan or two for research. You couldn't believe what you were hearing. "Are you mad?" you asked, impulsively.

"Quite," Hange smirked. You let out a string of outraged sounds in protest.

"You can't do that!" You announced, many of your colleagues agreed, stating it was far too dangerous and could risk too many lives. Hange continued to argue their case, declaring that the information gained from taking such risks would be invaluable to the salvation of humanity. As Hange spoke, you couldn't help but be entranced by their voice. They spoke with passion and authority. Safe to say, they won you over pretty quick. Commander Erwin Smith thought for a moment before giving the go ahead for Hange's plan. "Alright, fine," you started, throwing you hands up in defeat, "you make a good point. I'll even give you help if you need." 

"Well, isn't that kind of you," Hange smiled, walking over to you. They stood in front of you, not too close but not far away either, they were only a couple inches taller but still seemed too loom over you. "Thank you, in advance. And, if you're lucky, I might even name one after you, section commander Y/N." There was a hint of mischief in their voice as they looked down on you, a small smirk played at Hange's lips. This was the start of a very strong partnership. 

Reiner; Sneaking Out

You couldn't sleep, the ghosts of your past lingered like fog on the moors. Your camp was next to a mountain side, so naturally, you thought some time spend looking at the stars would help rid you of your woes. You hadn't been walking for long when you came across a cliff with a view of a river. Moonlight danced over its surface, and you knew this is right where you wanted to be. Sitting close to the cliff's edge, you dangled your legs over it and laid back to star gaze for a while. You must have fallen asleep because when you opened your eyes, you were staring at a blonde haired man. You jumped slightly at the sight, "Hey hey hey, its okay. I was just checking you were still alive, that all," he explained, putting his hands up defensively. You sat up right, moving your legs back onto the cliff and gazed around at the other men that were staring back at you. You recognised them to be your fellow cadets, Armin, Bertholdt, Eren and Reiner; the latter being by your side. You laughed slightly, looking apologetically at Reiner. "Sorry if I worried you."  

"Its fine, don't sweat it," he smiled. "Besides, I wouldn't mind worrying about a pretty thing like you."

Bertholdt; Cleaning Duty

You'd seen Bertholdt around camp, it was hard not to since he was so tall, but he'd never really stuck out to you. Until, Captain Levi had tasked you with cleaning out one of the storage rooms and had paired you with Bertholdt. "I can't believe that little man is forcing the two of us to clean all this in just an hour," you stated, looking around hopelessly at all the broken equipment.

"Yeah, it's a pain." He replied simply. The two of you didn't really talk much after that. He took it upon himself to clean the top shelves and you the bottoms. That was until you saw something shiny on one of the top shelves. Using the other shelves as a makeshift ladder, you climbed your way up to the object. "Hey, Bert, come look at this!" It was a knife, with some kind of engraving on it. Bertholdt faltered for a moment at the nickname, but soon came around to look at what you'd found. You both stared at the craftsmanship in awe. You were still on the shelves, so you were eye level with him. It was the first time the two of you had made eye contact. Was he always this handsome? you thought to yourself. Breaking the gaze, you pocketed the knife and attempted to climb down; it didn't go well. The shelves shifted under your weight and started to fall but a hand on the small of your back caught you and the shelves. You took a moment to process what happened and thanked bertholdt awkwardly, his hand still on your back. He helped you push the shelf back up and then just looked at each other, the two of you blushing messes.

Annie; Training

It was safe to say it wasn't your first time being knocked to the ground, still the pain doesn't get any better. "Hey, Annie," you started, still winded from the blow, "do you think you could go easy on me for a bit? At least till I learn to defend myself." She looked down on you from where she stood, scowling a little at the request.

"Do you think your enemies will go easy on you?" she asked, deadpanned. 

You sighed, helping yourself up from the floor, "that's not what I'm saying-"

She cut you off, "don't make me laugh." She was deadly serious. Her eyes said it all, like she were scouting out her prey. 

"What I'm trying to say is I want you to teach me self-defence first," you straightened out your jacket a little. Annie watched you cautiously as you approached her. "Listen, I'm not the best at the whole offensive thing, and being bashed up none stop is starting to take its toll." You gestured to your black eye. You'd been doing one-on-one training non-stop for a few days now and still had learnt nothing on how to defend yourself. "That's why I asked to be your partner, coz you're good at combining both defence and offence!" She stood silently for a moment, glancing you up and down. 

"Alright, fine, I'll teach you," she agreed. You jumped for joy at her words, planting  your hands on her shoulders. "Thank you so much, Annie! You're the best!" As you pulled your arms away, you could have sworn you saw a slight blush on her face.

Porco; Invading Liberio

You were with the scouts when Eren launched an attack on Liberio. Porco had severely underestimated the abilities of the Survey Corps, you included. During the fight, he rushed into battle without thinking, leaving himself and his comrades susceptible to attacks - he reminded you of someone. You took the first chance you had to take him down, but his titans small stature and erratic movements were hard to follow. You'd managed to cut his arms a little making it hard for him to climb. After that, he cornered himself and you seized the opportunity to take him out, but he twisted and contorted before you got the chance to slice his nape, you flew right into his jaws. Now, struggling around in the titan's mouth, you desperately tried to stop it from swallowing you whole. 

"Trust me, you don't wanna eat me," you joked, "I'll probably give you worms or something ." You stabbed your sword into the back of its throat and used it as an anchor so you wouldn't slide down its gullet. You must have stabbed Porco's body at the same time because you heard him yelp in pain. His throat crushed you and pushed you around, desperately trying you get you to go down it or out of it. You cursed him out as his saliva began to coat around you making it harder for you to hold on, but instead of forcing you down his throat, he pushed you back up and into his mouth. The lack of oxygen was getting to you and you slowly began to pass out, but you could feel his titan running around, as though he was taking you somewhere. 

Pieck; Warrior Candidate

You were both lined up to inherit a titan. You weren't sure what titan you were hoping for, but you knew you wanted to prove yourself to you mother. She'd always wanted you to become a strong, independent person, who fought for what they believed was right, and that's exactly what you intended on doing. You weren't anything special, but you didn't fall behind either, you were right in the middle. Where you lacked physical ability, you possessed brains. Porco didn't see it as much use and mocked you for always being useless, but Pieck couldn't get enough of you. You always hung out, making sure neither of you would fall behind and always picking each other up. Both of you seemed to have a mutual understanding of how short your lives would be and that the two of you would never leave without the other. 

Zeke; Met as Kids.

As a child, you couldn't say you had many friends, but you also couldn't say you were lonely. You played with some kids who lived in your area but never really had anyone to talk to. You'd never had a true friend. Most days, you'd end up taking strolls by yourself, wondering around, until someone would come out and play. You were taking one of your usual walks when a small ball rolled into your foot. You bent over and picked it up, examining it a bit. Soon, a young, blonde boy around the same age jogged over to you.

"Hey, can I have that back please?" he gestured to the ball in your hand. Looking behind him, you saw an older man waiting patiently in a courtyard. You nodded shyly and handed him the ball, your hands brushing slightly. "Thank you!" he bowed and joined back up with the other man. You watched from afar curiously, they were talking but you couldn't hear much.

They continued to throw the ball to one another, smiling and laughing when they dropped it. It seemed so nice. Bravely, you made your way towards them. You stood just outside the courtyard, watching on longingly. Until, once again, the ball was dropped and it rolled to you feet. Picking it up, you looked back at the boy. "Oh, you're still here?" he stopped in front of you.

 You nodded, "you look like you're having fun," you stated. The boy looked back at the man, they seemed to communicate wordlessly. "Do you wanna join in?" You perked up at his words, now full of excitement. You never played this game before and couldn't wait to see how it worked. "I'm Zeke, by the way," the boy added, as he walked you over to the man. 

"Y/N. My name's Y/N," you informed, looking happily at your new friend.

[redgoldsparks]

May Reading & Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut. Unfortunately, I must include the usual set of bad news for book lovers :(

Texas SB-13, a senate bill that, according to the Austin American-Statesman, “would require school districts to pull books with ‘indecent,’ ‘profane’ or ‘sexually explicit’ content and grant elected board members veto power over new purchases," passed in the Senate and is now headed to Governor Greg Abbott's desk where he will either approve or veto it. If you live in Texas, or know anyone who lives in Texas, please ask them to tell Greg Abbot they oppose this bill. In addition to the quote above, any new book that a school library wishes to acquire would be subject to a 30-day public review period, after which the school board would have another month to approve or reject the book. This would be such a nightmare headache.

Book banning is now becoming more common in Canada. Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides from Alberta, Canada, announced a public feedback process around what he called “extremely graphic and age-inappropriate content” in K-12 school library books. The four books singled out by the government as containing examples of such content are Blankets by Craig Thompson, Flamer by Mike Curato, Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, and Gender Queer, all of which are comics, three of which are queer. Folks in Alberta, Canada can share their opinion on book banning in this (very biased) survey before June 6. Please share this with your Canadian friends! (source)

This isn't related to books, but please keep contacting your Representatives about the Republican Budget Reconciliation, HR 1. Every single thing I learn about it sounds like a new level of hell. In addition to blocking states from regulating AI for ten years, stripping Medicaid from approximately 21% of trans adults and cutting abortion and healthcare access from millions more people, I now hear there's a hidden provision seeking to limit the ability of courts—including the U.S. Supreme Court—from enforcing their orders. "No court of the United States may use appropriated funds to enforce a contempt citation for failure to comply with an injunction or temporary restraining order if no security was given when the injunction or order was issued," the provision in the bill, which is more than 1,000 pages long, says.

The provision "would make most existing injunctions—in antitrust cases, police reform cases, school desegregation cases, and others—unenforceable," Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of the University of California Berkeley School of Law, told Newsweek. "It serves no purpose but to weaken the power of the federal courts." (source) This is all extremely terrible, obviously. Please call your Senators, especially if they are Republicans, to tell them you oppose this.

I also have some good news! Two of the worst anti-library bills in the nation died earlier this month when Alabama SB6 and HB4—nicknamed the “Jail the Librarians Act”—failed to make it out of committee before the legislative session ended. The victory was the result of months of work by Read Freely Alabama, and the thousands of Alabama residents who rallied to their cause. If you live in a state with active book ban legislative battles, please join a state Freedom to Read group!

Okay thank you for sticking with me, here are the book reviews:

The Prisoner of Limnos by Lois McMaster Bujold read by Grover Gardener

Bujold had so much fun putting Penric in drag and in prison in the previous books, so she decided to do it again! Another fun installment of this series, with some character development that I did not expect. 

Idlewild by James Frankie Thomas 

This book walloped me! Set in 2002, which technically makes it historical fiction, this book follows a pair of nerdy queer high schoolers who develop an intense co-dependent friendship which is then destroyed just shy of their graduation by a series of painful emotional mistakes and unprocessed traumas. Nell is the only out lesbian at the small Quaker school in New York City. Fay is a self-professed 'fag hag' (a term which body slammed me back to the early 00s) or someone obsessed with gay men and gay male culture. I immediately clocked and read Fay as a gay trans man who lacked the language to express or definite himself as such. The book supports this reading, but also keeps the majority of the plot in an 18 month stretch of time in which Fay and Nell waltz through school joined at the hip, heckling their teachers, ignoring much of their homework, acting in the school play and musical, writing fan fiction about their classmates, and DMing each other on AOL until 2 or 3am every morning but never talking about their deepest emotional wounds. There were so many feelings and moments from this book which felt deeply, or even uncomfortably, familiar from my own gender confused teen years. But also this is a novel deeply interested in the concept of narrative foils and baby does it deliver on the mirrors, the parallels, and the consequences of layering your own expectations over a real human person in your life. I have some quibbles with the epilogue of the book (part of me wants to cut that part off completely) but overall I had a great time reading this and if you were gender nonconforming and in high school between like 1998-2008 it will likely hit you very hard as well. 

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar read by Gem Carmella 

I listened to the audiobook and it is SO gorgeously well produced; full of singing and atmospheric background sounds of water, rain, and rustling willows. If you like audio and can handle soundscaping I highly recommend that as the way to experience this fairly short but lovely queer fairy tale. One thing to note is that the audiobook is 4 hours long; but that it's actually one 3 hour story called "The River Has Roots" and then a second 1 hour long story which is a teaser for El-Mohtar's forthcoming short story collection. I enjoyed both but the second one doesn't have the emotional impact (in part provided by the music and sounds) of the first. 

Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present Day by Alex L Combs and Andrew Eakett

A well-researched, thoughtful, engaging look at trans and gender nonconforming people through history and from all around the world. This book is very welcoming to newcomers, but also full of little gems for those of us who have been reading trans histories for years. Combs and Eakett come from within the trans community, but they also pass the mic to many other trans folks of different ages, races, nationalities, and identities to share non-white and non-Western experiences. A beautiful and compassionate primer!

Side Quest: A Visual History of Roleplaying Games by Samuel Sattin and Steenz 

A brief but engaging history of role playing games, which dips into some of the most ancient forms of recorded human gaming and the diverse development of war games, courtroom games, and board games which directly proceeded the creation Dungeons and Dragons in 1974. I should have guessed that D&D wasn't the first game that Gary Gygax or Dave Arneson created, and that it borrowed many mechanics, rules, and aesthetics of previous games but remixed into a more potently successful package. The back matter includes a short playable adventure! 

Unbecoming by Seema Yasmin 

In an alternate near future so close to our own it hardly feels speculative, two Muslim teens work on a guide on how to access abortion in Texas now that it is completely illegal, with prison sentences for anyone who even aids abortion access. For Laylah this is need is not theoretical- she's over two months pregnant and desperate to end the pregnancy without anyone in her life finding out. This stubborn shameful secrecy is not based in any specific logic, as it was made clear that Laylah's mother, grandmother, and best friend would immediately all support her and offer help if she asked. Meanwhile, Laylah's bestie Noor, a student journalist, is chasing the rumor of stolen donations made to the local mosque and an Iman's wife who might have taken them for her own purposes. There was a lot I enjoyed in this book, from very fun mixed media formatting choices, to the strong female friendship, to seeing two characters different relationship to religion. As an adult reader I was at times somewhat frustrated by the teens making foolish, self-sabotaging choices (please just be honest with your very supportive family!) but as a teen I think this book would have knocked my socks off. 

The Killing Moon by NK Jemisin read by Sarah Zimmerman 

Another home run of a book from NK Jemisin. This one is set in an alternate version of ancient Egypt, a city-state called Gujaareh, in which dreams serve as a source of magic. Sharers take dream-tithes from the citizens which they use to heal wounds and mental illness. Gatherers take a person's dreamblood- their life force- to be used in the service of Hananja, the moon goddess, ruler of the realm of dreams and the afterlife. One of these Gatherers is Ehiru, whose faith in his work and his mission is absolute- until he botches a gathering, accidentally sending a man's soul into the nightmare realm instead of a peaceful eternity. The man's angry spirit warns Ehiru that he is being used for corrupt purposes before it is ripped apart. Meanwhile, a diplomat from a neighboring country investigates her predecessor's probable murder; an apprentice-Gatherer begins his final training, not hiding the feelings he harbors for his mentor; and the Prince of the city, who killed his father and all of his siblings except one to gain the thrown plots a course towards immortality and domination. This book was written before the Broken Earth trilogy, and it's a bit easier of a read, partly because it is shorter. If you want to get into Jemisin but have been a bit intimidated, this is great book to start with. If you've already read Broken Earth, pick up this one too! It's a delightful treat. Re-read (audiobook) in 2025 and enjoyed it very much again!

Firebird by Sunmi 

This is a quiet, gentle coming of age story about two Korean American teens both trying to balance responsibilities of family and school with a search for their own identities and priorities. Caroline is a sophomore whose days are shaped by zero periods, band practice, studying, and reading fantasy romance comics when people aren't paying attention. Kim is a senior failing Algebra 2, possibly because she is in constant motion: picking her younger siblings up from school, working at a mechanic shop, teaching guitar lessons, helping her mom, and showing up at every social occasion even at very last minute notice. Caroline is assigned as Kim's math tutor, and that connection blooms into a friendship which pulls Caroline out of their shell and slows Kim down a little bit. I loved the hand inked line art and the soft way the story unfolded; it felt like real life. 

Watson’s Sketchbook by Molly Knox Ostertag 

The best reading experience of this book would be as a companion piece to a re-read of the complete set of Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, as these sketches and short comics weave in between the canon filling in a compelling love story that can be glimpsed between the lines. As a long time Sherlock Holmes AU enjoyer, I am very happy to add this version to my collection! These comics can also be read on tumblr.

Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Reis 

Beautiful, but at times baffling, this comic follows Oberon, a trans college dropout living in a terraformed space colony where many people have developed superpowers of some sort, called Ghosts. Oberon has been struggling with burnout and migraines which doctors can't cure or diagnose. He's also the only person in his family without a magic power, which he has a real chip on his shoulder about. But then he starts manifesting things from his dreams, and also manifesting a grown up version of his high school crush, Kon. Oberon knows that this version of Kon is just a manifestation of his own fantasy and thoughts, but he started working with Kon to try and explore and train his new powers. I LOVED the art in this and was wowed by many of the action sequences but will admit I was at times kind of lost as to what was happening. It's a trippy, dreamy book! Pick it up when you are in the mood for a dream logic ride, not when you are in the mood for hard sci-fi.  

The King’s Companion by Hannah Hallman 

A sexy, self-aware fantasy story of an immortal elf lord falling for a human king. This comic was clearly born out of a Legolas/Aragorn fanfiction, but then grew into its own tender meditation on unrequited love and mismatched lifespans in a world of magic, danger, and adventure. It's spicy, it's funny, it's beautifully drawn, what's not to love? 

The Shadowed Sun by NK Jemisin read by Sarah Zimmerman 

NK Jemisin is a master world builder, and there was a lot of sensual pleasure in simply returning to the world of Gujaareh, a city infused with dream magic, ten years after the end of the events of the previous book. This second volume picks up a very minor character from book one (Wanahomen, son of the previous Prince) as well as some completely new characters (including Hanani, the first woman ever to be trained as a healer by the Hetawa) as its leads. This unlikely pair must work together to free their city from the Kisuati occupation which resulted from the last war. While I enjoyed how this book explored some of the indigenous tribes who live in the desert between Gujaareh and Kisua, I have some fundamental questions about the ethics underlying the plot. Gujaareh's justice system includes religious mercy killings, performed by characters who are written as sympathetic heroes. There's also a pretty black and white system for determining whether someone is corrupt, and so merits a mercy killing, or not corrupt, and so is allowed to continue on with their life. Multiple characters express that "intentions matter more than actions", a belief that is directly opposite of what I believe in our real world. Because intentions justify actions, it is okay for Wanahomen to start a violent uprising because his ultimate goal is to rule Gujaareh peacefully. SPOILERS: It's also apparently okay for him to put Hanani in a position where she is probably going to be raped, in order to cement a political alliance and his war plans. Hanani learns that Wanahomen set her up for a sexual assault but forgives him and ultimately falls in love with him. In addition to this, the main "villain" of this story is a disabled child, who is accidentally killing innocent people with her powerful nightmares; nightmares fueled by the abuse she has received at the hands of her father, who is also her grandfather, because she is the produce of incest and rape. This story is set in a world where healers can use magic to cure 90% of all wounds and illnesses, as well as some types of mental health issues. Yet Hanani makes the call the disabled child is too damaged to be healed, and that the best option for her is a mercy killing, since as long as she lives she will continue to kill other people around her unintentionally. Why isn't the dream blood magic strong enough to heal the child? Why is it the right choice to kill the child, who is killing people but without intention, in a world where supposedly intentions are more important than actions? In some ways the ending of this book feels like an echo of Omelas, but instead of keeping the child alive and suffering in the hole, Hanani must peacefully kill the child in her sleep in order for the utopian city life to continue. I don't know man. I'm just really not sure about the values this book seems to be arguing for. 

[ratbastardz]

MASC SCIENTIST – NPT / ID PACK — ★

System names: The Alchemist, The Rabbit Hole Of Science, The Wonders Of Discovery, The Answer Seekers, The Earth Travelers, The Learners Of Truth, The Periodic System Of Elements, The Researchers

Names: Arthur, Isaac, Atlas, Benjamin, Jonas, Dimitri, Christian, Andreas, Carson, Erwin, Jacques, Leo, James, Louis, Thomas, Vincent, Axon, Alan, Bill, Edward

Pronouns: he/him, hy/hym, hx/hxm, h?/h?m, DNA/DNAs, chem/chems, vial/vials, lab/labs, cell/cells, sci/science, tox/toxic, bio/bios , experi/experis, goggle/goggles, haz/hazard, test/tests, subject/subjects, electro/electros, mole/cule, atom/atoms, dis/cover, geni/genius, beaker/beakers, micro/scope, lab/coat, test/tube, petri/dish, clamp/clamps, burner/burners, carbon/dioxide, alka/line, tele/scope, study/studys, clean/cleans, 🧬/🧬s, 📋/📋s, 💉/💉s, 🧫/🧫s, 🧪/🧪s, 🔭/🔭s, 🥼/🥼s, 🥽/🥽s, 🔬/🔬s, ⚗️/⚗️s

Titles: He Who Has All The Answers, He Who Studies, He Who Works Relentlessly, He Who Experiments, He Who Balances Chemicals, He Who Craves Knowledge, He Who Seeks The Truth, He Who Creates Compounds, He Who Creates, He Who Destroys, He Who Creates And Destroys, He Who Creates But Never Destroys, He Who Holds Vials, He Who Is Intellectually Inclined, He Who Has Reached A Breakthrough, He Who Is Ever So Brilliant

(He/him is used for the purpose of the theme, it can be swapped for any pronoun :3!!)

Labels: scientist xenination, scientystian, lorciaen, abandonedlabmulviboard, sciencehubris, syrtubicien, scientistmagic, magicscientist,magiencetion, parasitelexic, scientist alterhuman, scientist nonhuman, scientist kin, scientist occuden, geniusscientist, weirdsciencegender, madscientistgender, chemigender, scientistkinic, madscihoppian, mukerix, madscientistaesic, acisciengender, vilegender, selfspersciic, experistudial, bloodvialic

Other: science lover userboxes, scientist alter blinkies

See also: Fem vers (has a lot of the same stuff but is more masc oriented.)