[rambling-tam]

All dividers used in both this post & blog are made by the talented @cafekitsune

Find me at: AO3 | Wattpad | Discord (by request)

Hi! Welcome to my little corner of tumblr - ya'll can call me "Rabbit" or "Tam". I'm old enough to remember DOS, dialup, VHS, cassette tapes, and a world without cellphones and social media - so by tumblr standards, I'm flipping ancient. I started writing when I was 10 and I've been writing for 30 years...so ya'll do the math. My current obsession is Hogwarts Legacy. I'm also going through an extensive edit of an older WIP from LOTR: Rings of Power. I've been writing fanfiction of one sort or another somewhere between 20 and 25 years. I'm also working currently on my own original fiction series with the hope to publish some time before I die... I'm here on tumblr to get to make some friends in the fandoms I love and to share my writing. Feel free to drop me an Owl Post any time if you wanna' chat.

🔥Rank & Ruin🔥(NSFW | MDNI) Pairing: Sebastian x MC | Rating: NSFW🔥| AO3: Link | Wattpad: Link Spice: 🌶︎🌶︎🌶︎🌶︎🌶︎/5

Nothing about a magical war is simple, and falling for someone is probably the fastest way to get hurt. Especially if you're Sebastian Sallow: curse-breaker, combat veteran, former Azkaban convict... and celibate priest. But American witch Thalia Baughmann - independent, fiery, and brimming with an Ancient Magic - has always been a temptation Sebastian can't shake. Once, they were stationed together. For a little while, they had something real - brief, intense, unfinished.

Then she saved his life.

Now he owes her a debt he can never repay, and she's still carrying his heart - whether she knows it or not.

She's a combat witch who keeps others safe from magic gone wild. He's both a wizard and a priest, who sees and feels too much. Their bond is forbidden and tangled in a history neither one of them willingly talks about. But fate, war, and something deeper keeps pulling them back together - and it's only a matter of time before their hearts decide the battle for them.

Ch: 1 & 2 | Ch: 3 | Ch: 4 | Ch: 5 | Ch: 6 | Ch: 7 | Ch: 8 | Ch: 9 | Ch: 10 |

🔥A Dance of Serpents & Surrender🔥(NSFW | MDNI) Pairing: Sebastian x MC x Ominis | Rating: NSFW🔥| AO3: Link | Wattpad: Link Spice: 🌶︎🌶︎🌶︎🌶︎🌶︎/5

Summary: Trust is the sweetest poison - surrender, the only antidote.

Thrust unwillingly into the heart of Pureblood society after a tragic inheritance, Kelys Penhaligon finds herself the last heir to a family whose name carries power and darkness in equal measure. Once hailed as the "Hero of Hogwarts", Kelys now struggles to balance her extraordinary abilities with her desire for a quiet life. But then Sebastian Sallow - criminal kingpin, dark artifact smuggler, and the last man Kelys wants to see - returns bearing a dangerous gift that ignites a dance of seduction and tension. And on his heels comes Ominis Gaunt - both men stirring complicated feelings and blurring lines between ally, enemy, and something more. As corrupted goblin artifacts infused with unstable ancient magic continue wreaking havoc in the wizarding world, Kelys finds herself caught between desire and duty. She must decide whom to trust and which lines she's willing to cross - because when serpents dance, surrender may be the only way to survive.

Ch: 1 | Ch: 2 | Ch: 3 | Ch: 4 | Ch: 5 | Ch: 6 | Ch: 7 | Ch: 8 | Ch: 9 | Ch: 10 |

🔥Like Calls Unto Like🔥(NSFW | MDNI) Pairing: Galadriel x Halbrand/Sauron | Rating: NSFW🔥| AO3: Link Spice: 🌶︎🌶︎🌶︎🌶︎🌶︎/5

Summary: They say darkness cannot love the light. And yet, he kneels.

From the private writings of Galadriel: "I thought I had found a man. Not a hero, not even a king - just a man. Flawed and raw and full of want. He wore his pain on the outside, the way I wore mine on the inside, and I mistook that for honesty. But it was not Halbrand who answered when I pressed my mouth to his, or whispered my doubts into his skin. It was Sauron. And yet...he was the first one to truly see me. He saw the fury I could never purge, the pride I never confessed, the hunger that curled in my belly like fire. I wanted him, not despite what he was, but because of it. Because he matched something I have always carried and never dared name. They say light drives out the dark; I have lived long enough to know better. Light calls to darkness, as surely as darkness calls to light. He was drawn to my light, and I to his darkness. Somewhere, somehow, in between, we became fully known...and perhaps, even, fully loved."

Ch: 1 | Ch: 2 | Ch: 3 | Ch: 4 | Ch: 5 | Ch: 6 | Ch: 7 | Ch: 8 | Ch: 9 | Ch: 10 |

🔥Now Abide These Three🔥(NSFW | MDNI - Ominis x Sebastian x MC) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 |

HL:🔥The Taste of Forbidden Fruit🔥(NSFW | MDNI - Sebastian x MC) HL:🔥Sunshine & Shade🔥(NSFW | MDNI - Ominis x Sebastian x Reader) HL:🔥Sacrament of the Flesh🔥(NSFW | MDNI - priest!military!Sebastian x MC) HL:🔥Vespers Upon Her Thighs🔥(NSFW | MDNI - military AU Sebastian x MC) HL:⚓ Still. Together. Always ⚓ (SFW - priest!military!Sebastian x MC) BG3:🔥From Darkness Into Light🔥(NSFW | MDNI - Halsin x Shadowheart)

The Alphabet Series - NSFW | MDNI 🔥"M" - Mirrored Heat🔥(Sebastian x Reader) 🔥"E" - Eden After Dark🔥(Ominis x Sebastian x Reader) 🔥"B" - Bound By Biology🔥(Ominis x Reader)

The Alphabet Series - SFW "C" - Coming Home (Sebastian x Ominis) "K" - Known By Heart (Sebastian x Ominis)

🔥Veritas Noctis🔥(NSFW | MDNI - Ominis x Sebastian x MC) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Written For: @butternutt613

"Marry Me" Is A Declaration of Intent (SWF) Written for: @leipnau

✧ Sebastian's Tattoos ✧ A Dance of Serpents & Surrender | Rank & Ruin

✧ Character Patronuses ✧ A Dance of Serpents & Surrender | Rank & Ruin

✧ The New & Improved US Wizarding Schools (Rank & Ruin) ✧ Blackbriar: Description & Houses | Freestone: Description & Houses | Gravestead: Description & Houses | Sablemoor: Description & Houses | Eisengarde: Description & Houses | Altavista: Description & Houses | Arx Caelum: Description & Houses | Rainmere: Description & Houses

Graphics

A Dance of Serpents & Surrender "book cover" - link || (made by me)

Rank & Ruin "book cover" - link || (made by me)

Character Art

Sebastian & Caerwyn (DITL) - link || (by @giselsann)

Navy!Modern!Priest! Sebastian Sallow (R&R) - link || (by @noxxytocin)

Sebastian S. - Vintage War Husband Version - link || (by @noxxytocin)

Kelys Penhaligon (ADOSAS) - link || (AI gen by me)

[vanishonichka]

Sebastian Sallow

[oddthesungod]

Unbroken

[rambling-tam]

@tkwritesdumbassassins

[meanao3thoughts]

a feel like the new generation of fanfic readers NEED to understand that clicking on a fic (interaction) does nothing. ao3 has no algorithm. your private discord discussions of fic do not reach the authors. if you do not actively engage with writers they will stop posting. this isn’t social media this is community.

[animentality]

[rythms-of-synthax-deactivated20]

Quote of the day

[baffledtreesquid]

I’m seeing a lot of people saying this post changed their brain chemistry, and as a neuroscientist I wanted to say yes!!! Yes it does!

Wanting something requires dopamine signaling, but liking something doesn’t.

If you have a mental illness/disorder that affects dopamine, you might feel that you don’t want to do the things that you like. You do still like them. You will appreciate having done them.

Let your likes guide you.

(If you want to read more, here’s one experimental paper about it. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5171207/ This theory called the incentive-sensitization theory was originally created to explain behaviors in addiction but can be applied elsewhere as well)

Rewards are both ‘liked’ and ‘wanted’, and those two words seem almost interchangeable. However, the brain circuitry that mediates the psych

[flashbandit]

thanks @twoandahalfdimes @trinketcollectingcrow for hanging out around the better on paper posts every damn time, y'all motivate the shit out of me

[rambling-tam]

The Lord of the Wild Hunt

I've been super duper quiet lately...moving took a lot out of me and I'm enjoying being home again. Just popping in to share this AMAZING piece of art from @noxxytocin .

I have had this character in my mind for 5 years. I started writing his story as part of my COVID quarantine coping. I've been stuck for a few years, but the desire to write him has never left. Lately...he's been clamoring quite loudly...so I decided to commission Noxxy to bring this character to life. And hot damn, they delivered. For the first time, the character I hope to break out into original writing and publishing with, has a drawn face.

Noxxy, I can't thank you enough. This is exquisite work; you captured his True Form and his mythic vibe magnificently👌.

[mxrderscenes]

writing is so funny because i could write nonstop for 9hrs and then hit a block where im like "how do i transition between this moment and the next?" and then i just dont touch it for 6 months

[leighlew3]

[yourmomsbookdust]

Maybe this is a hot take, but as creative people, our #1 priority in our work should be ourselves.

It is not, AND SHOULD NEVER BE, what would get us the most engagement. Dispel "content creation," popularity, and monetization from your brain. Write, paint, draw what you want to! HOLY SHIT!!!!!!

The people who resonate with it will eventually show up. But the people who don't? Who cares???? The art you personally create is meant to help you heal, to help you express, to bring you joy and pain!!!!

You need to learn how to work on something because you deeply care for it and can revel in that self-satisfaction. Of course recognition feels fucking great! We all want it. We are humans, but you need to stop creating with the idea of other people consuming your work!!!

Give into the art movement. Create a renaissance for yourself. Fuck other people. Be that bitch! People are not going to be in your lives forever, and when you're left to your own devices, you should be able to look at what you've created and fucking love it.

[yourmomsbookdust]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately because I've been seeing an uptick in certain behaviors across many places and different people (discord, tt, insta, tumblr, in fandom, out of fandom, etc).

When you ask, "What should I make?", the only correct answer in a recreational setting should be what makes you the most excited. Write/draw/make the thing that you CANNOT get out of your head. That makes you want to do laps around the kitchen just thinking on it. That even without effort, it's flooding your mind with ideas and songs and images and details. Because like all art, it's going to get annoying and tricky after a while, and you need to rediscover that initial passion to be able to complete it.

Don't make something because you think it will get you the most likes or comments, or you'll be able to start a fucking discord (what is everyone's obsession with this lately?), or making what all your friends are making so you need to be part of the group. It's okay to have different interests. If they're decent friends, they'll respect that.

Do not let social media trick you into believing that everything you enjoy doing needs to be necessarily monetized - and I mean that in a literal sense but also in a sense of exposure and fame as well. It is okay to make something, AND STILL LOVE IT YOURSELF even if it's not to most people's tastes. Be proud of yourself for creating whatever it was, and build that self-confidence that you do not need a crowd to feel accomplished.

[hphlseungyeonlee]

hogwarts legacy pride week: die mad about it

greetings, this is quick lee. I've seen that my pals and comrades have been brigaded by sad, pathetic people who refuse to get off their high horses. so, let me clear a few things up and give some reminders.

(1) Liking a piece of media should NOT be construed as support of the author.

Because it's simply not the same thing. I don't know how to break this down any further. It's called having nuance and critical literacy skills. This is not even in defense of the "problematic fave". JKR is no one's fave. but there are some good things you can come away from her literature with. and if you're too narrow-minded to admit that, then… have fun censoring and killing literature lol.

(2) Chasing queer people out of the HP/HL fandom is quite literally what JKR wants.

You're doing her dirty work for her. Please read this post by another tumblr user for more. Without any queer people in the HP fandom who are willing to interrogate the text and sit with the uncomfortableness of the literature, JKR will be allowed to continue her reign of terror. It is only by starting the difficult conversations and acknowledging that JKR is, in fact, an asshat, that we can create a fandom that hates the hell out of her and reclaims the world for our own use. Some of us are unwilling to see the world die a horrid death because its creator is awful.

This video by hbomberguy delves into adapting H.P. Lovecraft for the 21st century. I feel that a lot of this video can be applied to Harry Potter and JKR. I implore you to give it a watch and let me know what you come away with.

You know who you should be railing against? The literal bigots in this fandom. There's a lot of them; I've seen them. Instead of kicking the queer fans out, how about you chase the anti-trans and anti-queer people? They aren't quiet about it.

(3) caring about JKR is a rather Western perspective.

Yes, JKR is doing real harm with her legislation. Your average US/UK queer fan is aware of this. Guess what? You can hold more than one thing in your head at the same time! Wild, I know. See point 1.

But, a lot of countries outside the US or the UK don't give a shit who she is or know much about her bigotry because it doesn't affect them or they don't speak English or they don't know. It reeks of r/USdefaultism energy to assume everyone knows what you know and everyone should do what you do. News flash, anyone outside of the US/UK can't do shit about what JKR's doing. Why the fuck are you stopping them from FREELY (read: without profiting JKR) interacting with the intellectual property (IP)? Do you realize what a waste of time this is? If you're recycling tired talking points and you don't live in the US/UK… dude, go find better use of your time.

(4) Creating fanwork does not equal "promoting" the game.

Many people read fanfic or look at fanart/edits instead of interacting with the canon work. There is an assumption that seeking fanwork means they will seek out the original media as well. This is not the case, a lot of the time, and no one considers fanwork promotion of the original text. Fanwork is inherently derivative, and both the creator and consumer is aware of that.

My friends and I frequently shit-talk the game. But the blandness of the plot and the characters is what makes a great canvas to impart our own perspectives, ideas, goals. The rules of the world are malleable in the best way. Same with the original Harry Potter world as well. It's a blank canvas, and that means it has great potential to be molded into whatever anyone wants. We have the right to take what we want to keep from JKR's IP. Again, see the hbomberguy video for more on this point.

Not to mention, Harry Potter has been a mainstay in Western media (and even non-Western media) for decades. I promise you that our fanwork is not convincing anyone to go out and buy the game.

(5) Yes, the game was financially backed by JKR and she receives royalties from it. No one is denying this fact.

However, there are literally thousands of other people involved in this game that have explicitly stood against JKR's bigotry, and they deserve to have their work celebrated too. Not to mention, a lot of people pirated this game, or bought it secondhand, or waited for the sale, or donated an equal amount to a queer nonprofit. Before you disparage a queer fan for engaging in the world of HP, please ask yourself… what have you done as far as real activism or praxis?

Most fans don't buy anything HP other than this game. In fact, I have said in the past and will continue to say: we don't need to be buying that shit any more. Merch? Books? Other random knickknacks and memorabilia? Don't need it, useless consumerism anyway. But interacting with the IP for free is a whole different thing. You just know it makes JKR mad that a bunch of queers are twisting her work into something better. Enjoy it, lads.

End of the day, you can be a fan of HP IP without putting a single cent into JKR's pocket, or little cents as possible. If at least you are aware of this fact, then move on. There's bigger fish to fry.

(6) Listen, I don't agree with the Bible on a lot, but I like a few of the lines on hypocrisy.

Matthew 7:3–5, NIV:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."

John 8:4–9, NIV:

…and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

I am sure you are actively supporting a shitty person by using social media, or listening to music, or participating in organized religion. Trying to play the Morality Olympics with some hobbyists who want to queer up HP IP as much as possible… is a waste of goddamn time. No one gives a shit that you attacked some queer people. Fat lot of good you've done. Get off your high horse before you are flung off.

Quit being an armchair activist. Go outside and interact with some real life people. Like it or not, Harry Potter is a part of the international lexicon. It's baked into our society. Do you want the fandom to be an accepting community, or do you want to actively usher in yet another un-safe space?

I understand that in the world it is a difficult time right now. A lot of people feel powerless in the face of such outright fascism rearing its head. To the queer people out there, let me remind you—attacking your fellow queers is not the right move. This is what the oppressors want, for us to fight each other instead of collaborating and unifying. You should be directing your energy to assisting your local community, starting conversations about trans rights, standing up for your local trans members, and participating in praxis. If you feel so strongly about this topic, good! I'm glad you feel that way. Go donate your time or resources to a nonprofit—they need your support. Go to protest or riot. Start a coalition. Why tear down a thriving community when you can build up your own?

There is no shame in stepping away from HP because JKR's real life words are too vile for you to consider. But there's also no shame in sticking around in an act of reclamation or spite.

To the queer HL community; thanks for being you. Thank you for having the tough conversations. Thank you for making space. Thank you for being nuanced. Keep up the good work. You're one cool cat.

I'll leave you with some links to nonprofits and organizations that make an actual difference.

Stonewall (public policy campaigns, UK)

Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) (LGBTQ advocacy, USA)

The Trevor Project (youth suicide prevention, USA)

Queerwell (queer mental health and wellness, UK)

PFLAG KOREA

Trans Liberation Front (트랜스해방전선)

Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea (행동하는성소수자인권연대)

Beyond the Rainbow Foundation (BRF: 비온뒤무지개재단)

KQTx (Korean Queer & Trans National Network) (Korean American queer community)

If you live in the North Carolina area, here are some local links.

One Voice Chorus

Time Out Youth

PFLAG CHARLOTTE

Equality North Carolina Foundation

The Plus Collective

RAIN

[theladyofshalott1989]

👏👏👏

[rambling-tam]

Couldn’t have said it better.

[animentality]

[velvet4510]

It’s really a rite of passage for anyone who ever falls into a Harry Potter hyperfixation to realize that the whole book series itself is a tapestry of untapped potential full of (plot) holes, and that only fanfiction actually does that world and those characters justice.

[rambling-tam]

I promise I'm alive... Just a quick little note to say that I've been quiet because I'm moving!! That's been planned since March, but I'm sure many of ya'll know how it is...there's the immediate lead-up to the move, then the move itself, then the settling in on the other side. The good news is, I'm moving back to the place/town/area/region/state I call "home". My mental health should improve SIGNIFICANTLY, which is great news for my productivity and creativity. I'll be going back to my community of friends, where I have good support...and perhaps most importantly, good motivation to get physically active again. There is a definite correlation between my physical well-being and my mental well-being...and neither have been great the last year and a half where I've been.

Good things are on the horizon for the Tam Fam. I'm very excited to get back to a good quality of life. Ya'll should start seeing content from me again (including comments and reading!) at the start of next month (July).

Until then...ya'll take care of yourselves. Keep tagging me in stuff, too, please. I won't be reading or commenting at all in that time, but once I'm settled, I'll be going back through my tag notifications and catching up on all the things I've missed. (This is particularly relevant to @eggzeroni, @whalesongsblog, and @scoldingdarjeeling).

[prophetic-writer]

It's also normal to have weeks where you don't write for no real reason in particular. You don't have to justify unproductivity

[xyywrites]

The most human thing a character can do is contradict themselves.

The cynic who still carries a childhood stuffed animal.

The liar who craves honesty.

The overthinker who makes reckless decisions.

The heartbreaker who believes in soulmates.

The pacifist who holds lifelong grudges.

The tough guy who cries during old movies.

The thrill-seeker who's terrified of commitment.

The grump who’s unfailingly polite to waitstaff.

People aren’t consistent. Your characters shouldn’t be either.

[rambling-tam]

I will die on this hill. I have a good friend who, admittedly, asks really good questions that help me work out plot problems. But she once asked me why a character did something that didn't seem "in character" and I launched into a 10 minute explanation, with full examples, of how much contradictions I've heard and witnessed in the course of my profession (which involves observing people very closely and analyzing them). People make zero sense at times, especially when lives are on the line and/or they're in a high-stress situation. And it's not just the "emotional" and/or "irrational" people. The most logical/rational people have unexplicable quirks and contradictions. The trick is...REASONABY EXPLANING why the person contradicts themselves.

All humans contradict themselves. But there's almost ALWAYS a reason WHY.

[rambling-tam]