Dear Reader

BrokenBottleAurora on FF.net (& AO3 if I remember). Part-time adult, full-time nerd. HP fanfiction writer. Semi-secret TS fan. Way too into adverbs.

[brokenbottleaurora]

Third Eye Tattoo - Ch. 2

"But really, what are you doing here?" Ginny asked.

"Can't a guy come check out two of his best friends' new shop? I've been dying to get over here," Harry replied.

"Well, you're our first real visitor," Luna told him.

His gaped at them. "Seriously? How has no one been in here yet? People know how good Luna's paintings are. Surely someone wants would want to have a piece of her art permanently."

"You know how the magical world is about tattoos," Ginny said. "We didn't think we'd change any opinions over night, but I thought we'd at least get a few Muggleborns or a rebellious young guy or two. But nothing so far."

Harry appeared as though he wanted to console Ginny and Luna, but instead he looked around the shop, studying everything and avoiding their gazes.

Without warning, a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Luna, are you free this afternoon?"

Continued on AO3 and FFN.

[brokenbottleaurora]

Third Eye Tattoo -- Ch. 1

Ginny x Luna.  When life hands you lemons, use them to practice your skills with a tattoo needle! In need of career changes, Ginny and Luna open magical Britain's first tattoo and piercing shop in Diagon Alley—but is the wizarding world ready? A series of interconnected, mostly chronological short stories. Will feature a large cast of supporting characters. TattooShop!AU.

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The idea for it all came to her as they lay in bed late one night.

“Hey Lu,” she whispered, tucking a piece of hair behind her girlfriend’s ear.

Luna flipped over to face her. “Hmmm?”

“How fun would it be to open a tattoo and piercing shop? Like the ones our catalogs are meant for.”

“That would be a nice break from reality. I’ll admit that painting nothing but stuffy rich people can be a bit creatively stifling.”

“Exactly. You’d be able to work on your own art, and I could do the piercings and the management stuff.”

“Hah. Maybe you could pierce Minister Shacklebolt’s nose, and I could offer to tattoo his approval rating to his arm for free!” Luna cackled loudly at her own silliness.

Ginny’s face fell at her laughter. “I’m being serious here, Lu. I know it’s not something that’s really caught on in the magical world yet and that everyone will probably think it’s terribly scandalous, but that just means we could be the ones to make it happen. You hate doing those portraits now, and I’ve got to find something to do with my life. I really think we should give having our our own shop a go.”

Luna opened her mouth to respond when her eyes glazed over and her entire body stilled. After a moment, she shook herself a bit.

“You Saw that decision, didn’t you?” Ginny whispered excitedly. “What do you think? Should we do this? What if—“

“I need to sleep on it,” Luna said firmly before flopping back over.

The next morning, she woke up full of enthusiasm and faith that this venture would be a great opportunity for them both professionally and emotionally. If Luna was all in, then so was Ginny.

After a three month whirlwind of Muggle post deliveries, mountains of legal paperwork, a thousand tears, and one relentless dream, Third Eye Tattoo had become a reality.

Continued on AO3 and FFN

[calamitxtum]

reading my own WIP

[girlofdogs]

sometimes i think about how constellations are an entirely man-made construct and don’t actually exhist inherently in nature. i mean, the universe just gave us stars, and we saw art and myths and stories in them. the capacity that humans have for seeing purpose in the incidental makes me realize just how lonely we are on this planet, desperately searching for meaning elsewhere in the universe.

[cat-cosplay]

“It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer."

"Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going, because they were holding on to something. That there is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.”

[red-lipstick]

Tom Gauld (Scottish, b. 1976) - The Reason I Stayed In The House All Day    Drawings  (All perfectly valid reasons)

[ivan-fyodorovich-deactivated202]

this has aged well

[connielizabetht]

[hayaosmiyazaki]

But the sight of the stars always makes me dream…

Loving Vincent (2017) dir. Dorota Kobiela & Hugh Welchman

[scribbledwriting]

My characters during the editing process:

[harrypotterhousequotes]

GRYFFINDOR: “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” –John Lewis (Twitter: @repjohnlewis: 27 June 2018)

[brokenbottleaurora]

Rest in Power, Rep. Lewis

[thezeroquotes]

I don't feel particularly proud of myself. But when I walk alone in the woods or lie in the meadows, all is well.

— Franz Kafka, Letters to Friends, Family, and Editors

[happy-nervosa]

[holidayeverynight-deactivated20]

In 2020, Little Women has a men problem. But it used to be seen as a story for everyone.

This article is a must read. Some excerpts:

[paty2629-deactivated20200329]

[babyanimalgifs]

[pukicho]

One of the best 

[emilyblunts]

This is it… Don’t get scared now.

[brokenbottleaurora]

The moment you realize that you’re actually Kevin McAllister. 

[nb-nightwing-deactivated2022111]

Dystopian novels be like “there’s no music but our national anthem and this forbidden rebel song” as if all of earth really let go of ABBA music

[celtic-pyro-deactivated20230725]

Consider: the forbidden rebel songs are all from ABBA.

[excellent-monster-girl-ideas]

#mama mia *cocks shotgun as i prepare to overthrow the oppressive regime* here i go again