fret not, dear heart @littleoldrachel - Tumblr Blog

🦖💫🦕 intro & fic masterlist 🦖💫🦕

hello! i'm rachel/rach. she/her. late 20s. UK-based. welcome to my silly little blog!!

here are all the places i tend to lurk:

ao3 | bluesky | twitter | tiktok | storygraph

jkr's views are fucking abhorrent and that is a non-negotiable to me. trans lives are precious.

💫 fic guide below the cut 💫

#pinned

fakelawyerbug

I've seen a bunch of "fandom etiquette" posts on my dash today and I'm going to say something that is maybe going to be unpopular but;

The absolutely pervasive mentality that unwanted criticism or critique shouldn't be given and should be ignored is why fans of color don't stay in fan spaces.

And I am not going to mince words here:

A lot of you are racist. A lot of your fan works are racist.

That might have been difficult to hear. And if it was, you should probably reflect on why that was.

"Fandom etiquette" has created a space where fans of color either bite our tongues and eventually leave or say something, get dogged on, and then eventually leave.

So much of "fandom etiquette" seems to be about insulating creatives from Feeling Bad and hostility to any kind of negative feedback is a pretty big contributor to why bigotry festers in these spaces.

iridescentoracle

#imo the potluck analogy applies- it would be rude to critique someone's icing technique at a potluck bc it wasn't as good as at the bakery #but if they had decorated their cupcakes w hate symbols it wouldn't be rude to tell them that's gross and gtfo #in fact it would be inappropriate to NOT say anything in that situation #or to complain that another guest who did point it out was 'ruining everyone's potluck' #and pointing out racism in fan works is 100% the second thing not the first! (via destructions-daughter)

swamp-spirit

There's also a tendency to conflate anyone who critiques general trends with bad faith randos. Like, there is fandom behavior that is 100% racist and should be talked about, but there are also trends of racist/sexist/ableist preferences.

If I say "I am uncomfortable with fandom's tendency to write trans men as feminine and submissive" I do not mean "I think every person who writes feminine submissive trans men should be chased with pitchforks". I don't even mean "any cis-person who writes feminine or submissive trans men should be chased with pitchforks". I mean "I would like writers to seriously think about why this is so common, why they write that, and if it fairly and genuinely engages with what it means to be a trans man, or if they just think it's hot when submissive people have vaginas and didn't want to write omegaverse of m/f".

Similarly, when people say "fandom is systemically less interested in black characters, less willing to give flat black characters rich fanon than flat white characters, and less interested in black characters in ships", the response is not to explain why you, personally, just happen to like popular white guy in that fanon. Your job is to look at yourself and ask if you tend to "just happen to be more interested" in the popular white guy across fandoms, be honest, and start unpacking that. Sometimes it's easier to love the flat character who's already getting 10,000 fics with headcanons and art and meta.

If somebody says "I wish there were more gluten free options at the potluck. I hate always showing up and not finding anything I can eat*", they are not asking you to throw your cake in the trash and weep. They do not want to hear your long speech about how actually this is your grandmother's recipe, and you've tried it with rice flour actually, but it just didn't work. You think about what you can do, and you listen to how they feel.

*The metaphor here not being that you can't read fic that isn't "good rep". The metaphor here is that it can be isolating to be in spaces where nobody is trying to make sure people like you are welcome.

#!!!!!

josketches

alan grant once said...

#rest in peace my king #😭😭😭#sam neill you were everything

warmfigure

i am massively overdue for a very very good week where not a single bad thing happens and everything is easy

unlettered-heathen

reblog to give prev a very good week where not a single bad thing happens and everything is easy

ceruleanheaven

[looking at people younger than me] you have your whole life ahead of you [looking at people older than me] you have your whole life ahead of you [looking at myself] its over

Hey Rachel, hope you're doing well, I was wondering how you felt about your fics being bound for personal use? I'm very new but wanting to give it a go 💙

hi darling 💚💚 oh my goodness, i would be so so honoured!!!!! i'd love to see what you create!! 💚💚

#brandi tag 💙

mybelovedmoon

ace wolfstar art

drawn for @wolfstarbingo2025 prompt “Ace!Sirius”!! (bingo card below the cut) i had SO much fun drawing this and i’m so so excited that it’s finally done and i can share it with you all :))

#i am screECHING #this is perfection and Nini is a genius!!!!#i beg you to look closely at all the details bc they have poured so much love and care into this!!#Sirius' sunburn and Remus' scars are my personal faves 🥹🥹🥹#beautiful stunning showstopping adore this #nini tag 💛

mybelovedmoon

i’ve been holding onto this wolfstar art for ages and i really wanted to post at least one piece before RSBB pairings sooo here! have a cute summery baby wolfstar :)

also on ao3!

#aaaaaAAAAAaaaaaaaaa #guys i'm obsessed with this #and with nini and their beautiful talented brain #LOOK AT THEM!!!!!!#i must SQUISH them they are TOO cute #look at all the details!!!! the pretty rocks!!! the curls!!! their lil smiles!!!#i can't cope #nini is magic #nini tag 💛

aaloosshitposting

"If I were orpheus I wouldn't look back"

But we look back everyday- rechecking emails, making sure a friend is still behind you, checking to see if you remebered to pick up your keys. It's second nature, a habit of care.

It was second nature for him too. He looked back, not out of weakness, but love. For what is love, if not to look back?

naumaxia-art

POV: you were mean about the bard

#perfection #he must be protected at all costs #found family my beloved

skullchicken

If you have achieved something, please remember to observe a mandatory period of basking in the warm glow of your achievement like a lizard on a stone, lest you teach your brain that effort is futile, actually, because it didn't get to enjoy its happy chemicals, so, naturally, nothing good ever comes of trying. (And no, avoiding punishment is not a reward!)

I recommend, like, 5% of basking time in relation to whatever time you invested into achieving the thing minimum. And if you can't make your own bask, friend-brought is fine (= tell your friends!).

peanut-jelly

you dont have to be useful to be loved btw

trans lives are more precious than ever

i've spent the last couple of days feeling truly sickened and hopeless, and i haven't yet figured out what it all means for my place in fandom. it has felt like there hasn't been anything i could add to the conversations taking place as someone with almost no platform, and at a time when voices far more eloquent and important than mine were already having an impact.

however, more than ever the events of the last few days have shown me how important it is to speak up, even in my tiny corner of the world, even if it's clumsy, even if I cannot see the visible impact. this should not - and cannot - be the burden for trans people to speak about alone, and i am ashamed it took me so long to say something.

trans women are women and trans rights are human rights and the world is a better place with you in it.

if you are reading this and you are trans: i love you. i love you and your life is precious and you deserve the entire world. you are a miracle. please know my inbox is always open if you ever need a place to just be Heard. i love you 🫂🫂🫂

this list is as much for me as for anyone - when i feel overwhelmed and helpless like this, it helps to know what steps i can take to make it slightly more manageable. i hope it helps 🤍

for support:

Mermaids: 0808 801 0400 or webchat (open mon-fri 1pm-8:30pm), supporting trans people under 20 and their loved ones. also runs local support groups!

Gendered Intelligence: 0800 640 8046, WhatsApp 07592 650 496, email [email protected] for people over 18. also runs local/online support groups, residentials, workshops, etc. etc.!

A list of trans-friendly therapists/counsellors (accredited by GI)

LGBT Switchboard: 0800 0119 100 or webchat

AKT: supporting LGBTQ+ people aged 16-25 experiencing homelessness

for solidarity:

if you have the funds to do so, donate to support any of the charities linked above. donate to a trans person's gender affirming (life-saving) care.

reach out to your trans loved ones and make sure they know how loved, precious and vital their lives are, how tight you are holding them, and how hard you are going to fight for them.

follow TransActual's steps for taking action.

write to your local MP.

attend the emergency demonstration at Parliament Square (London) on Saturday 19th April, 1pm.

leave a message of love and solidarity on the TransPride wall of hope.

i am a therapist irl and i cannot recommend Gendered Intelligence's training on Working with Trans clients enough if you are also in this field!

for fandom:

do not look away. listen and engage and stay educated. be vocal about the harm jkr has done/is doing, have those conversations with others if you can, both irl and online, and do not leave the labour of this task to those most impacted by its harm.

dearest heart messrsrobyn (on tiktok) has put together some truly incredible resources on ethical fandom engagement, including his podcast.

idk how much longer i will be in this space, but however long it ends up being, i intend to be loud about this. trans folks are too important not to be.

*I'm happy to add to/remove links on here as needed.

#trans lives are precious!!!#fuck jkr #protect trans lives at all costs #the marauders #trans rights are human rights

irrevocablecondition

okay big talk time. in light of the UK Supreme Court ruling, i'm seeing a lot of posts about fandom spaces. i woke up to see a tiktok that says "if you write fanfic, there's blood on your hands too",,, so let's talk about it.

because there is no refuting that fandom spaces keep JKR relevant. there is no refuting that by producing any kind of media based on this franchise, we are engaging with her and we are keeping her universe relevant. we cannot deny that.

we often see people turn around and say "jkr would hateee what we write!" and that's true. that's so very true, but it isn't enough. your headcanons and your stories and your art Are Not Enough. particularly over on tiktok: if you post HP content over on that platform, you are promoting JKR. my existence in this space as a trans man is NOT an act of protest. everything else i do is, so what do we do about that?

we NEED to be talking about these things. about jkr, about her money, about her actions, about the bigotry in the source material, and if you are not in a position where you can have those conversations, then you need to be listening. because engagement with jkr is infact life of death.

and we carry that guilt. we do, of course we do. if you are somebody who hasn't yet been able to let go of this series like me, then we carry that guilt. even more so if you are a member of any of the communities that jkr has harmed - the guilt is heavy.

but,,, let me make one thing clear: this is not your guilt.

if you are not profiting her. directly, then you are carrying guilt that is not yours to carry. that guilt is hers to bear, and the lives we are about to lose are on her conscious. we have been forced, time and time again, to carry the weight of her bigotry.

but,,, we're carrying it. and i think there's a certain amount of guilt that makes us better. i think there's a certain amount of guilt that makes us more conscious human beings, and that makes us more receptive to these discussions.

you can use that guilt, you really can. you can talk. you can listen. you can educate. you can step away if the guilt gets too much. you can use that guilt for something good.

do NOT push it away. whilst it isn't ours to carry, we are not in a position where we can throw that guilt away and wash our hands of it - we are here, we are engaging, we have to accept that. if we simply pretend as though we are not, then all we do is cause harm.

because fandom spaces can do a lot of good, especially for those that jkr has harmed. fandom spaces can do so much good, but only if we are conscious of the ways in which we are engaging, and we are willing to sit and have these difficult conversations.

if i were not in the position i am in now, i would leave. i would leave this fandom space and at this point? i am in fact urging those of you are able to, to go. for your own sakes and the sakes of everyone around you.

but as someone who has been having conversations about JKR for ages? i am in no position to step back. i'm in no position to turn away and give up. not when there are so many people who benefit from these discussions and who benefit from safe spaces.

and the reason it's a safe space? it's because I Talk. because i Have These Discussions. and no matter how much i do, i am still promoting her when i go on to post a headcanon or update my fics. i am still promoting her when i engage in this space.

and there's still guilt.

don't chuck that guilt aside, let it fuel you in making safe spaces safe again.

there is absolutely no refuting that by being in this space we are causing harm. so if you are not in a position to leave this space, here's some things you can do to make it easier for everyone both in and out of it:

Listen. if you are not in a position to talk about JKR, then actively listen. actively listen, understand, process, and adapt.

Merchandise: stop posting your merch, secondhand or not. you know that you get comments asking "where did you get this!?", stop posting it. makes that small adjustment for wider good

Keep educated: on the bigotry in the books so that you aren't perpetuating it, on jkr's actions, on politics. keep educated as much as you can to make sure that you are not unwillingly causing harm in what you are doing

Block: block those who are going to the studios, who are posting merch, who are talking about the reboot, who are doing ANYTHING to support her. if you see a video? comment on it. the continued relevance of people in this space who have supported a bigot is Immense. do not allow for complacency - bigotry is bigotry no matter how many views it gets you.

and above all, hold that guilt. hold it. feel it. utilise it.

and if you are in a position where you can leave this space? then i encourage you to do so. i encourage you to Move On, and find new ventures. i encourage you to do that if you can. and if you can't, then i'll still be here to guide you through it all and keep having these difficult talks.

notyournecromancer

being a POC in the Marauders/HP fandom is really interesting to me because it seems and feels like a really predominantly white space, which, hey, nothing new! and that does come with some challenges. for the most part, they're fairly under the radar.

it's things like being able to count the POC in a discord server on one hand, even though there's 100+ people in the community.

it's people not taking into account racial dynamics whether that be in a fic, or in a tiktok, tumblr, whatever. there are innate power imbalances in our society (regardless of what country you live in) and to assume because this fandom is a largely open, liberal and leftist space, that they don't carry over to fandom, is exceptionally naive. buuuuut, we live and learn, so people can and should be given a certain amount of grace. but what is unforgivable is to have them pointed out to you and for you to dismiss, ignore or belittle them. Not only that, but you as a white person, do not get to be the forgiving voice to another white person when they make one of these mistakes. please please please respect and understand that.

there's also (and i'm sorry if this is controversial and frankly it makes me really nervous to even write this), a trend of assigning ethnicities, cultures and races to characters in stories without having a proper understanding of them, or having a particular reason for doing so. I'm never going to sit here and say "you as a white person shouldn't write about ____ race!", because I don't believe that. but what I would really, really love to see, is for white creators and writers to ask themselves some questions beforehand:

what does the race of this character add to the story outside of me chasing clout with a particular group of people/is it necessary for me to be writing the lived experience of a culture/ethnicity I've never taken the time to learn about?

if so, why?

am i the right person to be doing this?

are my actions outside of my writing towards these POC reflective of this?

i also think it's really important to remember that unconscious bias is a thing, and it's really easy for us to spot in your writing if it isn't something you've addressed. Not only that, but even if you write the most well-researched POC in your fic, even if you're sharing posts about Lebanon and Palestine, none of that matters if your actions when interacting with us show us that you are indifferent to the power dynamics at play with you being a white person, often with a large audience, in this space. virtue signalling is spectacularly unhelpful if you're writing checks your ass can't cash.

that being said, I think throwing 'racist' around as a term at people who make mistakes is really unhelpful. because every situation has context and nuance, and dogpiling never helps anybody. there are opportunities for learning, developing and understanding here. but please remember, if a POC tells you something is upsetting, harmful or offensive - even if other POC haven't said that to you - it's not your place as a white person to dismiss that.

anyway, hope that helps, love u very much xo

#this is so important!!!!

noah-wyles

trans women, i love you.

you were a woman yesterday. you're a woman today. you're a woman tomorrow. you're a woman forever.

trans women have existed long before those stuffy bigots sitting in a court room have. trans women will continue to exist long after they're dead and rotting in the earth.

#trans lives are precious!!!

nightmarist

A COMINT !!

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fret not, dear heart