#<- and she said that. there’s nothing original about harry potter as a character he’s literally just arthur the once and future king.

[livvyofthelake]

baffles me completely when people accuse the mortal instruments of being harry potter fanfiction. you think jkr could have come up with the silent brothers and the city of bones? no those are the invention of a true Freak Weirdo. by the name of cassandra clare. that was all her baby!

[maxdibert]

Hi! Could you tell me your top 5 least favorite Harry Potter characters and why?

My 5 most hated characters in Harry Potter are:

5 - Molly Weasley: I can’t stand this woman. I can’t stand how she acts like a morally superior, pure-blood yet holds endless prejudices, especially (and mostly) toward other, younger women. I don’t like her tradwife vibe, and I don’t like how overbearing and suffocating she is. Seriously, in real life, I’d feel the urge to tell her off—she’s that typical annoying woman who doesn’t know where the boundaries are.

4 - Remus Lupin: Zero sympathy for a man almost forty who got a 24-year-old girl pregnant and then abandoned her. Remus Lupin is a coward and a piece of trash, a bullying accomplice who keeps his head down regarding his own actions and needs a 17-year-old to teach him a lesson in manhood. I really wish Tonks had left him and taken off with Teddy to get as far away as possible from that pathetic excuse for a person.

3 - Dumbledore: Starting with the fact that the entire problem of the story basically stems from his irresponsibility with Tom Riddle, which already showed that he was a terrible teacher. He only shows concern for students who can serve his purposes or suck up to him, and his involvement throughout the story shows a moral stance I find nauseating. I mean, he’s a guy who has the nerve to lecture his former students who “chose the wrong path,” but when those same students were under his care, he constantly neglected and rejected them just because they didn’t belong to a certain house. He had the audacity to call Severus Snape “miserable” when it was Dumbledore himself who allowed Snape to be bullied and almost killed without lifting a finger to stop it or punish the bullies. This same Dumbledore scolds Draco Malfoy for not trusting him when from Draco’s first day at Hogwarts, all he saw from the old man was favoritism toward a certain house and certain students, completely ignoring the rest. Honestly, I’d have banned him from teaching. There’s a lot said about Snape as a teacher, but Dumbledore was responsible for everything, allowed terrible things to happen, and turned his back on many vulnerable children and teenagers. Then he acted all surprised when they ended up in bad places. Screw him, hypocritical old man.

2 - Ginny Weasley: The “I’m not like other girls,” the “shut up, Hermione, you don’t know anything about Quidditch,” the “everyone look at me, I hex people, I’m one of the boys, I’m not vain but I’m hot, but I’m not prissy,” the “I make fun of girls who are pretty, flirty, and feminine because I’m a textbook pick-me girl” who is shoved into the end of the series. She’s a character who didn’t matter at all throughout the story; she’s barely mentioned in some books, but suddenly she’s Harry’s love interest because J.K. Rowling needed all her characters to end up married with 468749284 kids, and Harry needed to be part of the Weasley family. So, they had to do something. Ginny is a terrible character, going from irrelevant to some sort of Mary Sue who even the Slytherins drool over and who, of course, is not a “typical girl” because being a “typical girl” in Rowling’s world is somehow the original sin. So, she’s great at sports, hexes people, pulls pranks because she’s so cool, uh uh uh, she’s not like the others, uh uh uh, but she has internalized misogyny that you can smell from here to China. Honestly, someone should have slapped her for being so damn stupid.

1 - James Potter: There’s nothing I haven’t already said about James Potter. He’s a character who really grinds my gears because they try to sell him as some kind of hero, but he was just a spoiled rich kid who decided to torment a poor, vulnerable boy simply because that boy was friends with his crush. He used his social power and status to get away with all the crap he pulled, attacked in groups, lied to his girlfriend saying he’d stopped bullying people when he really hadn’t, and when he was supposed to be locked up in a house with his wife and son, he was off fooling around with his best friend. James Potter was an ass, and defending him is defending classism, elitism, and whitewashing social classes. I’m not going to explain why.

[atla-what-is-this-site]

Fixing Voltron's magic system FT. Sanderson's Laws of Magic (and examples from various famous media)

Firstly, let's begin with what the Alteans canonically can do. As seen throughout the series, two alteans shown actually manipulate quintessence. Another has super strength but no magic. A final is shown to have none. (poor Coran). It is implied the majority (if not all,) have these abilities. 

Quintessence manipulation seems to have one small limit:  When Allura uses the magic too much, she passes out. But remember: shes powering a giant ship. We never see Team Voltron going and getting gas or whatever, which means Allura is probably the sole supplier of power for the Castle. Which is an example of how OP this ability is, even with the limit.

Then we have super strength and shapeshifting, two other abilities that all (or i guess most, since Coran never shows any signs of having them) Alteans seem to have. These abilities seem to have little plot importance besides a few certain episodes. There is nothing inherently wrong with these abilities. However, when you pile them on top of (if I'm being completely honest,) a character who's already quite over-powered, I think you can understand why I'm not the biggest fan. 

We know quite a bit about Alteans. They're one of the most important species in the series. According to Allura, they're super-ambassadors, and they use their shapeshifting to better blend in. Their culture seems very intellectual-based, with Alchemists holding high places. They mixed magic and tech to make incredible ships like The Castle. 

This is where things tend to taper off. We get brief glimpses of what could be rules: Allura always places her hands on whatever shes infusing. Clearly, you must be Altean or of Altean Heritage. 

Now, let's take a look at Brandon Sanderson's laws of magic. 

Number One: "An author’s ability to solve conflict with magic is DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL to how well the reader understands said magic." 

This means that if we want to solve problems with magic, we need to explain how that magic can solve our problems. So, for example, Harry Potter. Every spell that Harry uses is explained beforehand so that the audience knows what he's doing. It just wouldn't work if Harry went around Lumos-ing away, making the reader guess what the spell does. 

However, in The Lord of The Rings, Gandalf doesn't need to tell us anything, because he barely ever uses his magic for plot important things. Readers don't want to read three paragraphs explaining how he made his fireworks, when the story isn't about his fireworks.

Number Two: Limitations are more important than power.

What your magic system can do doesn't make it interesting. There's no power that hasn't been thought of. Infinite power makes it impossible to come up with a plot. The character could solve anything, meaning there's no point in telling about the solution to their problem. However, when you throw in weaknesses, costs and other limitations, you get a much more original and interesting idea. 

Picture that one scene from Aladdin, where Genie tells Aladdin about the three rules. (No playing with free will, no raising the dead, no wishing for more wishes.) It's a simple and easy to follow system, with limitations that make the plot more interesting. Aladdin can't make Jasmine fall in love with him magically, so he's forced to come up with other ways. 

Rule Three: Expand what you already have before you add something new. 

This one leans more on general worldbuilding, but what he's saying here is don't shove new ideas in your reader's face. Don't create new magics out of nowhere. Build on what you already have. 

There aren't many examples of this, luckily Voltron isn't really guilty of this, so elaboration isn't really needed.

Now, we'll take these and begin perfecting the magic system. 

First, what is Quintessence? Quintessence is, essentially, the animating factor. It's what makes living things alive. It's a form of energy. 

This isn't to say nonliving objects can't have it, but most don't, unless it's given to them. 

Quintessence is energy. It can't be created, nor destroyed. However, you can transfer it from one container to another. 

There are a few things you can do with it. Firstly, giving a living being quintessence can make them stronger. This is what Haggar does with Zarkon throughout the first two seasons.

Next, taking too much quintessence from someone will "de-animate" them. A.k.a. They die from lack of life. 

There is one third thing you can do with quintessence. It takes a lot of training and a bit of energy. But I imagine you could also make these huge shockwaves that just fucken decimate everything in a 300 foot radius. However this is more after-we-get-ridiculously-good type material.

Our limits are these: 1. You must draw energy from something, whether that be your own energy or someone else's. If you use too much of your own, you could pass out and die. 2. You must maintain contact with whatever you're imbuing with energy/drawing energy from. (The only exception is the shockwave. But the shockwave comes from your hands so..?) 3. Too much quintessence can become an addiction. Specific examples can be Zarkon and Haggar. 

A little interjection: While Alteans have a lot of quintessence, it can only power a small ship for a few hours. However, Altean ships have evolved to collect quintessence from bacteria that gathers on the ship's metal. This keeps the ships sanitary and also helps with efficiency. As well, ships often use Balmera crystals as a secondary source of power. Balmera crystals hold high levels of residual quintessence.

We can construct so many different plotlines that can't be solved with quintessence, or the limits can prevent solution. What if the person who needs healing is out of Allura's reach? What if she doesn't have enough energy?

That wasn't so hard, was it, VLD team?

[whatstruthgottodowithit]

I Cry 2

Fandom: Harry Potter [Marauders Era]

Pairing: Remus Lupin x Sirius Black [Wolfstar]

Characters: Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Lily Evans, Original Male Character Mary MacDonald

Word Count: 3434

Rating: Teen

Summary: It's alright mate I cry too.

Tags/ Warnings: Hogwarts, Summer Challenge, Writing Challenge, Song Fic, Realising Feelings, Declarations of Love, Sexuality Struggles, Shame, Sirius is in denial, Attitudes of the Time

Notes: This is my summer writing challenge 2024. Seven fics over seven days - all will be hp based and song fics.

Summer Challenge 2024 // Song Inspo

‘Who shags someone in someone else’s bed?’

Remus didn’t bother turning around. He didn’t need to because he could picture the expression on Sirius’ face without looking, the way he’d barged into his room and slammed the door behind him without bothering to knock, signalling the mood he was in. Instead he kept pulling his pyjamas from his rickety old chest of drawers as he replied, ‘let me guess, James and Lily?’

When he turned Sirius was sitting on his bed, arms splayed behind him as he propped himself up, his pink lips drawn in the pout Remus had expected though it unclenched as he said, ‘I was just about to get into bed but no! He’s getting his leg over in a room that’s not even his!’

‘Weren’t you saying last week you wanted a godchild?’ Remus countered, hiding his eye rolling at the dramatic tone his friend used by busying himself with changing his t-shirt, ‘I thought you were all for this wedded bliss lark.’

‘I am when it’s at their own house,’ Sirius grumbled, ‘not shagging in someone else’s bed.’

‘Didn’t you and Mary once-’ Remus started to counter but he was cut off.

‘Yeah well that was ages ago. School kid stuff and besides you know Mary, all you have to do is look at her and she’s got her knickers around her ankles,’ Sirius said scathingly. It was a cheap shot, namely because she wasn’t around to let him get away with saying such a thing, but it wasn’t exactly warranted. Not when one could argue the man in question had a reputation just as questionable. Maybe that was why they’d been such a match, a volatile one sure, but a match nevertheless. Well up until recently, their on and off again dynamic seeming permanently off.

That was probably why he didn’t bother saying anything. Standing up for Mary would no doubt cause an argument between him and the long-haired boy and seeing as he was mid-cycle and had just been forced to endure a birthday party he hadn’t requested he was too tired to get into it. Instead, he shrugged off his jeans and pulled his pyjama pants on quickly allowing Sirius to ponder in silence.

Except he took his silence for what it was, deliberate avoidance, and feeling ignored he said, ‘I just wanted to go to bed. Not even like I can kip on the couch because Pete’s sprawled out on it.’

‘You can sleep in here if you want. Double bed and that,’ Remus said, hoping it would stem the flow of self-pity. His bed was calling him, the bags under his eyes feeling heavier the longer he was forced to interact, even with Sirius.

‘Aw Moony my hero,’ Sirius said, rising from his lolling position and looking up at his friend with a beaming smile.

‘Yeah, yeah, I know I’m an angel,’ Remus said rolling his eyes, ‘it’s nothing to do with how cranky you are hungover, even without a night on the floor. Now get changed, will you?’

As Remus climbed into bed, yanking the duvet out from under Sirius, he leapt up moving quickly to get changed. He didn’t bother with clothes; his own pyjamas would be in his room which was occupied and trying to find something of Remus’ would require too much brain power and so he merely stripped out of his shirt and pants and climbed into bed beside his friend.

‘Hmm,’ Sirius said as he leant against the headboard, turned towards his friend who was sitting up, the book that had been on his bedside table now in hand, the pages illuminated by the lamp beside him, which was now the only light on, a flick of his wand sorting an ambient backdrop as Sirius had clambered into bed.

‘What?’ Remus asked, trying to hold in a sigh.

‘Thought you were tired,’ Sirius said simply.

‘I am,’ Remus said. In truth he was. He had been tired all week but it was less to do with genuine weariness and rather social exhaustion. A night in with his friends didn’t elicit the same level of fatigue that chit-chatting with mild acquaintances did. In fact if it was anyone other than Sirius in his bed he probably would’ve doused the lights and laid there in silence.

‘So why are you reading then?’ Sirius challenged.

‘To wind down,’ Remus said, trying to focus his eyes on the page instead of on the way Sirius’ grey gaze was burning into his face.

‘Oh yeah,’ Sirius said, ‘I’ve heard Bowie does the same thing. Forget coke and hookers, get me a book and a cup of tea for the tour bus.’

‘Very funny,’ Remus grumbled, ‘you’re a pillock you know that?’

‘Might have been said,’ Sirius said, resting back against the headboard with a smile on his face.

‘Well if you’d rather coke and hookers feel free to go and find them but in my room it’s books and brews,’ Remus said finally, sinking down and pulling the duvet up towards him so that his book was nestled in view without him having to hold it.

He could feel Sirius was longing to make some quippy response but the way he’d angled himself had made it seem as though their conversation was over and so he sunk down too. Remus tried to focus on his book. He just had a few more pages until the end of the chapter and then he could settle down and go to sleep. But he could feel Sirius awake beside him, practically hear his mind whirring away as he thought about something. He thought it might be some more teasing or perhaps something about Mary or even reignited irritation about James and Lily but it wasn’t that at all.

‘Suppose it’s easy for you to judge,’ Sirius sighed after an interlude of silence. Remus could have probably gotten away with pretending as though he hadn't heard him, the slumber he was working towards close by but instead he took the bait and pushed sleep away as he answered, ‘what?’

‘The shagging thing,’ Sirius said simply, ‘I mean out of the four of us you have the moral high ground I suppose. What with you being…’

‘Being what?’ Remus said, fully aware he was biting the bait Sirius was laying down though he couldn’t stop himself. By now he’d pushed up, forcing Sirius further onto the other side of the bed as he looked down at him with irritation.

‘Well sexless,’ Sirius shrugged.

‘I am not sexless!’ Remus protested.

‘Oh don’t get your knickers in a twist,’ Sirius said dismissively, rolling his eyes as Remus threw his book onto the duvet irately, ‘you know what I mean…you’re just very secretive when it comes to sex. I mean I’ve never met anyone you’ve shagged.’

‘Well excuse me for not going into graphic detail about every encounter I’ve ever had but I doubt me talking about how big some lad's cock is would go down very well would it?’ Remus snapped, ‘in fact I think Pete’s head would explode.’

With that it went quiet. Sirius seemed stunned into silence and Remus immediately started to feel embarrassment flooding through him so much so he was happy he was wearing a t-shirt as he was sure the splotchy red his chest would be turning would only mortify him further. He didn’t look at his friend, instead he turned his attention to his book though the words didn’t make any sense.

Sirius shifted, turning towards him as he cleared his throat and though Remus didn’t look at him as he wanted him to he spoke anyway, a mumbled, ‘I didn’t mean to upset you.’

‘You didn’t upset me,’ Remus protested, ‘it’s just…it’s just not the same for me that’s all.’

‘Why not?’ Sirius asked.

‘Because it’s not,’ Remus replied but when Sirius didn’t speak he chanced a glance and found the boy watching him curiously. In fact it was quite reminiscent of the way Padfoot looked at him, the only thing missing a tilted head to make him truly the picture of a big shaggy dog. Remus sighed.

‘It’s just different okay?’ Remus said, feeling simultaneously uncomfortable and yet obligated to explain, ‘everyone’s fine with it until you start actually talking about it. Talking about it means they have to think about it and that makes them uncomfortable which makes me uncomfortable. And it’s hard to explain to the person I’m trying to get off with that being with them in front of people makes me uncomfortable without sounding like they're the problem.’

‘Yeah but you don’t feel like that around us right?’ Sirius asked. When Remus dropped his gaze Sirius fell quiet for a moment until he said, ‘you don't have to feel uncomfortable around us. We don’t care…not even Pete.’

‘Yeah well doesn’t really matter,’ Remus said dismissively, ‘it’s not like I’ve got anyone worth being uncomfortable for recently.’

Once more they fell silent, the pair of them staring anywhere but the other as the words marinated in the air. Again it was Sirius to break the silence whether because he had far more alcohol swirling around his blood stream or because it was his nature not to let something drop Remus didn’t know.

‘Moony,’ he said after a moment.

‘Yeah?’ Remus asked, wishing he’d just gotten into bed and gone to sleep.

‘Can I ask you something?’ he asked, his tone genuinely curious. Remus knew he could say no, that if he was truly firm with him he would respect his boundaries and let whatever curiosity go. But he didn’t have the heart to and agreed, ‘yeah.’

‘How did you know?’ Sirius asked quietly. At that Remus finally looked at him, he was watching the other boy, his face sympathetic and kind as he noted Remus’ surprise, ‘that I was gay?’

‘Yeah,’ Sirius said, ‘if you never…’

‘I have,’ Remus said, already feeling his defensiveness mounting.

‘But you’ve never had a boyfriend right?’ he said tactfully trying to assure him he wasn’t being accusatory but rather logical.

‘S’pose not,’ Remus said, able to see how one might meet that conclusion. After all, how was he to know, other than one drunken declaration that he was gay at a quidditch after party, Remus rarely talked about his sexuality. He never spoke about his crushes or partners the way his friends did. He didn’t know why, his friends accepted him for who he was, but to do so felt like he was giving them a chance to find fault. Logically he knew that would never happen, they’d accepted him being a bloody werewolf for merlin’s sake, but he was already of the minority. He didn’t feel like highlighting that fact further.

‘Then again have you met men? I’d rather take my chances being single,’ Remus joked, trying his best to lighten the mood but Sirius seemed deep in thought. He didn’t even offer him that signature Sirius black smirk merely asking instead, ‘so how did you know?’

‘I didn’t just decide one day if that’s what you mean,’ Remus said though his tone must've come out sharper than intended as Sirius’ eyes flashed with panic and he sat up and shifted awkwardly.

‘Never mind it’s none of my business,’ he muttered, moving away from him.

For a moment Remus thought he was going to say goodnight, roll over and feign sleep even though the light was still on and he never slept in anything but utter darkness. But Remus suddenly felt the urge not to let him. In fact he was starting to feel that this was less about Remus than either of them had thought.

‘I didn’t know,’ Remus said, staring at the wall opposite them so that when his head inevitably snapped up he wouldn’t feel him staring back at him, ‘I know some people know but I didn’t…well not unless you count getting a rod on over Ziggy Stardust but other than that,’ he joked and when he risked a glance at the other boy he was met with a small smile which spurred his story telling on, ‘I just well…the way you all seemed mad about girls I just didn’t get it. I mean they’re nice and I’m friends with plenty but I just didn’t have any interest in them. Then one day Elliot Vane kissed me and it click-’

‘Elliot Vane!?’ Sirius gasped.

‘Yeah,’ Remus said, ‘at a party in fifth year.’

‘Wow,’ Sirius breathed, ‘I didn’t know he was.’

‘I don’t think he is. I mean he might be but to be honest I think he was just really hammered,’ Remus said, resting back against the headboard as he reminisced about the raven haired sculpted Romeo he’d shared his first kiss with. They’d never really spoken about it after, just an acknowledging nod the next day that signalled to Remus it was a done thing but it had been nice all the same.

‘Still it made me realise maybe there was a reason I didn’t feel like that for girls,’ Remus said, ‘then there was this lad at home in the summer and we sorta became a thing and well it all made sense then I guess.’

Sirius looked as though he was deep in thought and Remus sat and watched him. It was like watching himself in a way, all those years ago when he’d thought himself sick about the ideas he’d been having. After all, didn't everyone find Ziggy Stardust attractive? Didn’t the boys speak of the girls with at least some hint of annoyance, the way he felt?  

‘It doesn’t have to mean anything you know,’ he whispered after a minute, guilty grey eyes meeting his a second later, ‘if Elliot had kissed me and I didn’t feel anything then it would’ve just been a kiss.’

‘I know that,’ Sirius said quietly, ‘but what if one kiss changes everything…I know it didn’t change you but it made you realise who you were right?’

‘Yeah I guess,’ Remus said, ‘and I’m not going to pretend like I didn’t have a nightmare trying to figure it out on my own. My heart felt right but my head not so much. And I'm sure I'm not the first person to cry over their sexuality.’

‘What if you tried it but it wasn’t what you expected. What if you didn’t like it at all?’ Sirius asked. His voice was small and quiet but the pair had sunken lower on the pillows so that there wasn’t much of a gap between them anymore and Remus could hear him clear as day.

‘Try something else?’ Remus suggested with a half-hearted smile, ‘like I said it’s not a big deal. I mean what was it that bloke said, the one we learned about in muggle studies, the physicist-’

‘Einstein?’ Sirius asked, his brow furrowed, unable to see what his friend was on about.

‘Yeah him, didn’t he say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?’ Remus asked, continuing as Sirius’ brow furrowed further, ‘so wouldn’t that be like me sleeping with every girl I come into contact with and hoping it would make me fancy them?’

‘But it’s the same thing isn’t it?’ Sirius asked, ‘pursuing someone in the hopes they’ll turn you into something you're not is the same as pursuing someone you might have no interest in just because you’re a bit confused.’

‘Look it’s a complicated thing I won’t deny it,’ Remus said, ‘but doing something because you don’t want to be yourself and doing something because you’re not sure who you are are two different things. And chances are no one’s going to be angry at you for trying to figure it out.’

‘That’s the thing. I don’t know what I want,’ Sirius said sadly.

‘That’s not a crime,’ Remus replied sympathetically. 

‘Feels like it is,’ Sirius said grimly, ‘because what if I don’t like it? If I’m not-’

‘Pads that’s okay,’ Remus said, placing his hand over the top of his friends in the hopes of comforting him. It wasn’t what he wanted to do, by nature he wasn’t very touchy feely but under the confines of the duvet it was the only pieces of flesh available to him. Sirius looked at it and Remus looked at him, the way his Adam's apple bobbed under pale skin as he swallowed thickly, whatever he wanted to say next, seemingly hard to move from his throat.

‘But what if I don’t want to kiss boys,’ he said quietly, ‘what if…what if I just want to kiss you?’

‘Me?’ Remus said, the disbelief in his voice immediately attracting startled grey eyes upwards.

‘Yeah,’ Sirius whispered, trying to stay firm in his utterances even though his heart had been hammering ten to the dozen since the moment Remus had placed his hand over his.

‘Why me?’ Remus asked.

‘Why not you?’ Sirius asked.

‘Well I’m just-’ he was going to protest. List all of his faults, the things that anyone would see as a reason for them not being together. Put aside the fact Sirius wasn’t entirely sure he swung Remus’ way, the fact that they were friends, best friends, might have implications. Not to mention Remus was far too gangly, moody, scar ridden, irritable, and whatever other fault he could muster to mind. Sirius was none of those things. He was suave and confident. He commanded a room even when he didn’t want to. He made Remus feel warm just by looking at him. Not to mention he was incredibly handsome, debonair and oh my god did Remus have a crush on his best friend?

A crush that started to grow rapidly as Sirius shook his head and said, ‘don’t. Don’t do that, you always put yourself down like that.’

‘I don’t,’ Remus protested.

‘You bloody do,’ Sirius replied.

‘Well I just am-’

‘No you’re not,’ Sirius said firmly, locking his fingers around Remus’ as he looked him firmly in the eye, ‘you’re Moony and I don’t know I guess I always thought you were my best mate but I don’t know…because you’re different to me than James is...maybe it’s since we moved in here and it’s just the two of us…but it feels different… like we’re more than mates…’

He was watching him now, his thumb tracing circles over the back of Remus’ pale hand, his voice shaky as he added, ‘for me at least.’

‘I know what you mean,’ Remus said because he did. He guessed he had never thought about Sirius that way because he was well Sirius. His best friend, the one that understood him no matter what. Of course they had their issues, they bickered like an old married couple so much so there had been concern that moving in together would last all of five minutes but it was never serious. They worked well together, they understood one another. The more Remus thought about it the more he felt as though it was glaringly obvious how much he cared for the boy. And Sirius was right, it wasn’t a care he extended to James or Peter. He wondered if he had been born a girl that this would've been easier to navigate. But it wasn’t.

And Sirius clearly thought as much as he said, ‘but what if it’s not? What if I���m not…y'know and it’s just some random thought? What if I do just like girls-’

‘Sirius,’ Remus said, unable to stop his heart from squeezing at the thought of it.

‘What if I ruin everything for no reason?’ Sirius whispered, ‘I can't do that to you. You're Moony.’

‘Padfoot,’ Remus said firmly. Sirius fell quiet, before uttering a worried, ‘yeah?’

‘It doesn’t have to mean anything,’ Remus said, though he wasn’t sure how it couldn’t. Because it was easy not to want Sirius when he didn’t think there was a chance he could have him. It was easy to acknowledge how handsome he was when it was just a thought he had on a whim. Who knew what a taste of something real would do to him.

‘But it could mean everything,’ Sirius said.

‘Yeah it could,’ Remus agreed.

Their heads were touching now, their breath intermingling, Sirius’ a mixture of beer and fags and Remus’ minty from brushing his teeth. Neither of them cared as they watched one another. Slowly Sirius moved his hand until it was ghosting along Remus’ neck, his pulse throbbing under pale scarred flesh.

‘Moony?’ Sirius whispered.

‘Yeah?’ Remus asked thickly.

‘Can I kiss you?’

‘Yeah.’

[roseyreveries]

Far Away - 3

Draco Malfoy x Fem!Muggle!Reader Previous Part <- click! Summary: You wake up inside the Harry Potter universe without any explanation as to why you're there. Disclaimer: All characters are being aged up for PLOT (1st years are 15, 7th years are 21) but characters may act immature and childish in the beginning at times to keep their character development. Not accurate to the books or movies. A/N: Draco is not in this because the original part was too long that Tumblr wouldn't let me post it so I had to cut it in half. CW: language, women <3 Directory <- click!

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The Slytherin common room was... intimidating, to say the least. All dark stone and shadowy corners, with the occasional flicker of green light reflecting off the cold waters of the Black Lake just outside the windows. It felt like stepping into a lair, which, I suppose, it kind of was. The other Slytherins milled about, some sprawled on the sleek leather couches, others whispering conspiratorially by the fireplaces. No one paid me much mind as I stood just inside the entrance, trying my best to appear like I belonged. Fake it 'til you make it, I thought, straightening my shoulders and lifting my chin. “You lost, newbie?” a sharp voice snapped me out of her thoughts. I turned to see a girl leaning casually against the doorway to what I assumed were the dorms. The girl had shoulder-length black hair, streaked with green at the tips, and an eyebrow arched so high it practically screamed, I don’t have time for your nonsense. “Not lost,” I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “Just... finding my way.” The girl snorted. “Right. Well, don’t stand there like a damn gargoyle. Come on, I’ll show you the dorms before you embarrass yourself.” With that, she turned and strode off, not even bothering to check if I followed. Not wanting to make things worse, I hurried after her. “Name’s Lila, by the way,” the girl said over her shoulder. “You’re the one Dumbledore dropped in out of nowhere, right? Sorted into Slytherin? Interesting choice.” “Uh, yeah, I guess,” I mumbled, unsure of how much I should reveal. “And you?” “Pureblood royalty,” Lila replied sarcastically, throwing open a door to a cozy but still dark and moody dorm room. “Or at least that’s what they all think. Me? I don’t give a shit about bloodlines or whatever nonsense these snobs are obsessed with.” The room had two beds, one neatly made with emerald-green sheets and the other bare, presumably mine. A few posters adorned Lila’s side— a mix of wizarding bands and what looked like some strange creature with way too many tentacles. A small cauldron sat bubbling in the corner, though the smell was surprisingly pleasant. “That’s your side,” Lila said, flopping onto her own bed. “Keep your junk out of mine, and we’ll be fine. Oh, and don’t even think about touching my stash of chocolate frogs. Those are sacred.”

I let out a small laugh. “Noted. Thanks for showing me around. I wasn’t sure what to expect.” Lila waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t get all mushy on me. Just don’t do anything stupid, and I’ll make sure the rest of these snakes don’t eat you alive.” She shot me a smirk. “I’m kidding. Mostly.” “Appreciate it,” I said, sitting on my bed and starting to unpack. I could feel Lila’s eyes on me, sizing me up. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that,” Lila said after a moment. “Walking in here like you own the place. Draco’s already got his knickers in a twist about you. What’d you do to piss him off so fast?” I groaned, flopping back onto her bed. “I exist, apparently.” Lila laughed, a sharp, genuine sound. “Yeah, that’ll do it. Don’t worry, he’ll get over it. Or he won’t, and you’ll just have to deal. Either way, you’ve got me now. So, congrats, I guess.” “Lucky me,” I said with a grin, already feeling a little more at ease. If nothing else, I had one ally in this strange, new world. And for now, that was enough.

The room settled into a comfortable quiet, the sound of the lake faintly gurgling through the enchanted window. I unpacked my things, glancing at Lila occasionally, who was now flipping through an old spellbook, her legs still draped lazily over the side of her bed. “So…” I began, fiddling with the clasp on my bag. “Is Malfoy always like that? Or is it just me?” Lila didn’t look up, but a slow smirk tugged at her lips. “You mean a stuck-up, brooding git with a superiority complex? Yeah, that’s pretty much his thing.” I laughed softly. “Doesn’t it get exhausting, though? He seems… angry all the time.” At that, Lila’s smirk faltered, and she shut the book with a snap. “Yeah, well, Malfoy’s got his reasons. His family’s… complicated. Not that I’m making excuses for him, but people like him? They’re raised to be angry. It’s easier than showing they’re scared or hurt.” I tilted my head, surprised by the sudden insight. “That’s… kind of sad.” Lila shrugged, her tough demeanor slipping just a little. “Maybe. But don’t let that fool you— he’s still a prat. Just don’t let him see he’s getting under your skin, yeah? People like him feed on that.” I nodded, absorbing the advice. “Thanks, Lila. That actually helps.” Lila rolled her eyes, but her lips curved into a small, genuine smile. “Don’t mention it, newbie. You’re in my dorm now, so I guess I’m stuck with you.” I grinned, feeling the first real spark of camaraderie since arriving at Hogwarts. “Hey, what year are you, anyway?” “Second,” Lila replied, leaning back against her pillow. “I’ve already done the whole ‘new kid in Slytherin’ thing, so consider me your personal guide. What about you? What classes do you have tomorrow?” I fished a schedule out of my bag and handed it to Lila, who scanned it with a sharp eye. “Let’s see… Potions, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts. All the basics. Not bad. You’ve got Snape first thing, though. Good luck with that.” “Why? Is he strict?” I asked, my stomach flipping nervously. I already knew the answer, having watched the movies and all, but living it is so much different than seeing it. I couldn't be sure everything was the exact same as in the movies. “Strict? Snape could make a grown man cry with a single glare,” Lila said with a laugh. “But he’s brilliant. Just… don’t screw up in his class unless you want to be the next cautionary tale.” “Noted,” I muttered, already dreading it. Lila tossed the schedule back with a casual flick of her wrist. “Tell you what— I’ll walk you to Potions in the morning. Can’t have you getting lost on your first day. Plus, it’s fun watching the first years panic before class.” I smiled, feeling an unexpected wave of relief. “Thanks, Lila. Really. I wasn’t expecting anyone to, you know… be nice to me here.” Lila’s eyes softened, and for a moment, she looked almost vulnerable. “Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” she said, though her tone lacked its usual sharpness. “I don’t do this for just anyone.” I laughed, the tension from the day finally easing. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.” Lila smirked again, but the warmth in her gaze lingered. “Good."

A loud thud echoed from somewhere outside the dorm, interrupting our conversation. It was followed by a burst of laughter and the unmistakable beat of music reverberating through the walls. “What the hell was that?” I asked, sitting up. Lila, still sprawled on her bed, broke into a mischievous grin. “Oh, you’re in for it now, newbie.” “For what?” I asked, but Lila was already on her feet, her wand lighting up with a quick Lumos. “Come on,” Lila said, her voice low but dripping with excitement. “You’re not gonna want to miss this.” “What’s ‘this’?” I asked, reluctantly sliding out of bed and tugging on my slippers. “You’ll see,” Lila said with a wink, yanking the door open.

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[newx-menfan]

Thoughts on Cerebro Podcast:

Readers paying attention to nothing except X-Men is kind of brutally true 😂���� (I do read other comics…but X-Men is the only book I consistently read…)

Apparently one of the writers cats is very vicious! (I think it’s Jackson’s )🙀😾😹

Was kind of apprehensive when the podcaster mentioned not being a fan of NYX or NXM:AX- NYX I at least get…but I kind of am surprised they weren’t a big fan of NXM…honestly this is the same problem with “Xavier Files” for me; they write it off as “gimmicky” or “commercialization” or “a Harry Potter knockoff”, instead of admitting that NXM really was a great predecessor of Gen X and NM and fit really well with what Morrison had developed. I would say NXM was the only x-book that ever fully “felt” like a true blue “school” book and that the characters felt more realistic because they were flawed and more nuanced than a lot of previous teen characters 😒

Don’t agree that all the NXM should necessarily “break bad”- it makes sense more for someone like Hellion, (who went through bodily harm repeatedly, was heavily “shunned” by adults or labeled as a proto-villain, and was already pretty naturally rebellious) than a lot of the other NXM characters. Like I don’t envision Indra or even modern day Elixir turning because of their personalities…MAYBE Pixie because of Limbo influence? Even Surge, for example, as angry as she is…I can’t picture it working narratively as well.

Agree with the Podcaster that in a lot of ways these characters work in a new title because they feel “college age”- they’re not too young that you have to write a YA/highschool book and can feature broader themes…but they’re also still a “hip” and “young” age…

Brought up what I have been saying for years- that the NXM represented cultural crisis like climate change, 9/11, recession, ect… basically general disenfranchisement caused by modernity…and that they still work for that feeling and are basically the “millennials” of X-books

Kamala WAS editorially mandated 

I feel better hearing it described as “older Bendis” kind of book- as negative as I feel about Bendis, I did really enjoy his “street vibe” with Jessica Jones and Miles and miss those kinds of books. I miss books like “X-Factor Investigations” or the original “NYX”…

Really thrilled to hear Hellion is their favorite lol! (Although Hellion is pretty much EVERYONE’S favorite lol😜)

Really agree with the note that Hellion’s BIGGEST flaw isn’t that he’s wrong, but that he’s arrogant and condescending about it (it’s also TOTALLY why I think he’s an ♈️ and not a ♌️ )

Same with the “he’s not a BAD kid, he just comes off as bad”…

Agree that Laurie Collin’s COULD have made a really cool villian…although I really liked that despite her power set, Laurie WASN’T evil….also objectively…I’m more excited about it being Empath, because as everyone KNOWS, I REALLY wanted the Hellion v. Empath smackdown 😂🤣🤣

F***…. Might need to go back and read “Hellions” now 😂🤣🤣

The writers are obviously going to address the Sophie-Prodigy moment and Laura and Kamala (I have said this with Surge/Dust AX storyline…but again…there’s a difference with writing a problematic scene to explore a real problem vs. being racist/sexist/ect…) 

Really sad to hear the Surge hate ☹️, especially since the writers are obviously doing the same “learning moment” with Sophie and David….again, I would ARGUE the whole point of that original story WAS that Surge was wrong…but whatevs

The “shippers” commentary made me laugh 😂🤣

Liked the conversation around the local feel/geography (I was actually really excited when the “Vessel” at Hudson Yards popped up in issue #1)

I actually DIDN’T think about how Sophie MISSED Decimation…which actually makes it even MORE interesting!… Hellion AND Prodigy are definitely going to give Sophie a piece of their minds though lol

Sophie and Kamala being in the same boat (both didn’t experience THE BAD ERA of X-Men) and learning from one another sounds like it will be really interesting! I am actually MORE excited about Sophie than I was previously after listening to this podcast episode!

The statement about Empath being “Emma’s greatest failure” because you can’t really humble or nudge that character was an interesting way to look at Manuel and I am interested in seeing more of this play out

Sounds like Anole is going to be the one that gets arrested (1:11.45)

The idea of Emma constantly talking shit about Carol Danvers cracked me up 

Dante, David’s boyfriend will be heavily featured in issue #6; also I really appreciated the discussion around Dante, in general 

It does sound like no one should get super attached to any ship from this podcast ep lol

Not sure I care for “Kamala= Superman, Laura=Batman”….but whatevs

Feel super empathetic to Kelly needing to get off the call for his wife- it was super nice of him to do this podcast interview and congratulations on the new addition to his family!! ❤️

Everyone already knows this by now but QQ was originally meant to be “The Krakoan” in the first pitch…honestly it’s for the best because I am picky about my QQ representation…

Hellion commentary (1:27:15)- because THAT’S the most important lol

Totally agree that QQ was a million times better as an antagonist and they (cough…Aaron…cough) ruined a great Morrison character 

Kind of hope they didn’t JUST choose Julian because he’s a “white male privileged character”- Julian definitely IS that, but there’s also plenty more layers TO Julian…

This whole podcast episode is a love letter to Morrison and I LOVE it 😂🤣🤣🤣

Quentin DID steal Julian’s thunder and I am GLAD someone fucking SAID IT! 😂🤣🤣🤣🤣

Calling me out on my Hellion grievances lol - yes, yes I AM that bitter lol

Again- I actually don’t see Surge and Wallflower going evil; Wallflower because she saw how her father’s abuse of his powers affected her mother, and Surge, because I think Noriko is too loyal and dependent on others ultimately…. Julian makes sense because he’s always been a pretty independent thinker/ stood his ground when he thought he was right and always had a “damn the consequences” attitude. Julian IS loyal…but his need to do what he saw as “right” often trumped that loyalty- remember him turning on Emma to defend Laura! (might do a bigger write up on this later!)

Hellion got his hands back…but it sounds like they’re going to tackle THAT story on page possibly

I agree that Hellion TOTALLY would have gone through the Crucible as well- while I LIKED Julian’s prosthetics and what they represented…the truth is Julian more or less SAID he wanted them HEALED in “X-Men: Legacy”…it wouldn’t narratively make sense for him to pull a “Karma” and keep them

Kind of do hope we see Julian MAKING telekinetic floating hands as a fight move…

I agree that Hellion would be angry over the loss of Krakoa…but I actually think, after years of Hellion “wanting fame and glory”…after years and years of trauma and abandonment…receding into the background, having his friends alive and back…might have been a relief to him. While Hellion DEFINITELY IS arrogant…I do think he learned his lesson that there’s a negative to “fame and glory”…

Really pleased to hear Lanzing say he wants Hellion to be a bigger character and kind of push back on the “Hellion is just taking QQ’s original role’s place”- I know I am going to get flack for saying this from QQ fans… but; Hellion is more interesting than just being the ANGRY REBELLIOUS FASCHIST KID. QQ’s original anger didn’t have the layers Hellion does. While there’s definitely some egotism and arrogance there….Hellion WENT through a lot of trauma and isn’t entirely WRONG to be angry at the X-Men….Hellion I would argue ALWAYS had a complexity that QQ never did, because Julian was more emotionally intelligent than QQ (and that WAS kind of the point of Kid Omega…his intellect didn’t match his emotional intelligence! He WAS a more realistic take on the kid who is too smart for his own good!)

Glad to hear him mention Laura specifically!

the 7 train IS objectively terrible lol

This *might* be the book where Kamala’s family finds out she’s a superhero…

I agree with the writers and liked the Aamir moment- I think it does highlight that it IS easy to play into stereotypes and discriminate…especially when there’s propaganda actively reinforcing it…

Kamala is apparently going to get an X-verse version of “the Trumper relative” 😳🤣🤣🤣

G Willow Wilson run shoutout ✊✊

Couldn’t say much about the new “Quiet Council”….but they’re all “failed, used, and taught by Emma Frost”…

“Emma is the educator that matters”- truth!…although this DOESN’T highlight her legacy in a particularly nice way or bode well for the new generation of students 🤣🤣🤣

“Why would we STOP” commentary about Krakoa and the freedom they once had is great!

Calling attention to Hellion AND Esme not having the Empath power effect over them in the art (although the cuckoos powers often show up as pink as well)- won’t confirm or deny Empath controlling them

There isn’t a “Cut and Dry” villain in the book apparently (Ooooohhh! I love that! I really DO hope we get Magneto levels of ambiguity with all these characters!)

Agree that the artist did a great job with Empath’s character design and harkening back to the 80’s! (Technically Empath’s hair color changed depending on the artist- sometimes it was a dirty blonde, sometimes brown…also I could totally see Manuel dyeing his hair to match Emma…so…)

Kind of wonder if Firestar OR Magma will pop up… one of my FAV issues of Uncanny X-Men WAS the one where Empath and Roulette manipulated Warpath’s grief over Thunderbird and Firestar…

The commentary ON Empath and the relationship of psychology to power sets was really excellent!! (1:52:05) [I ADMIT IT NOW- I MIGHT NEED to EAT CROW and read “Hellions” 😂🤣🤣] 

Possibly WILL be in conversation with Eve Ewing’s Emma book… (I really WOULD like to see a dive into Emma constantly trying to “undo” the past with new students, and how it’s NEVER about Emma trying to do “right” by these kids…as much as Emma USES her students as martyrdom…the truth is, much like Xavier, it’s ALWAYS ABOUT her ego…that’s why she does it…) [I KNOW people hated KYOST’s take on Emma back in the day…but I would argue that they weren’t entirely WRONG that Emma’s actions are complex and not ALWAYS altruistic…]

….It KIND OF IS Emma’s fault, people 😂🤣

Not sure I love the idea of the cast growing…but we will see…

Lanzing and Kelly MIGHT be on again! 

Thought about making a Greg land joke with the Spider-Man plug…but I won’t be petty….

Overall- I feel better about this book; it DOES seem like the writers are putting A LOT of thought into this book and aren’t just doing things without thinking about it deeply first! I definitely think this is going to be one of the strongest X-book we’ve gotten in a long time and I am PUMPED! 

(Also I may have to listen to CEREBRO Files more- the commentary was really great 😂🤣🤣)

I know I may regret it…but I am REALLY feeling optimistic about this book!!

[milkywayhou]

20 and 10 for the asks <3 <3

HEY TORTA!! <3 <3

GASPP I'M GLAD YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT HER HAHAH. SORRY IF I'M TAKE LONG TIME TO ANSWER IT! :((

10.What's an AU that would be interesting to explore with her?

Ohh boy. You wouldn't believe how much Alternative Universe I made for her. A few AU I remember is her original Universe - Which she was an AI Android with grey motivation and past, and the setting was in post-apocalyptic world where half of the living creature on earth was dead after some incidents. And I kinda used her as an character in my Harry Potter roleplay (she is a villain-)

I'm also currently working on my own AU with her and König as the character hehe.

The first one I guess you already know ;)

An immortal necromancer with her undead knight. This one was inspired by Mili song "Ga1ahad and Scientific Witchery"

So I can see you again

So I can kill you again -both

My brains accelerate -Knight

And I'll -Witch Reassemble you again -both

I appreciate your thoughts

But you've given me too much to tolerate -Knight

I've done so much for you

But you treat me this way -Witch

===

For the second AU is kinda dark (?) I never finished the plot and it was inspired by x0o0x song "冥路"

The plot is about a youtuber/influencer that like to visit abandonment place and she went into a rural area to document an old left base even though there's so much rumour about many people get disappear after they visit that building.

I have a rough scenario about this in my note haha, but i guess I'll still change it later

===

The crumbling ruins of the old military base had long been a subject of rumor and mystery in the remote countryside. Some said it was haunted by ghosts of fallen soldiers. Others claimed a feral beast lurked within, preying on trespassers.

Only the bravest of explorers dared venture through the rusting gates under cover of night. None who entered were ever seen again.

As a streamer, You had made a name for yourself documenting adventures through allegedly haunted locations. When word of the abandoned base reached you, you simply had to investigate. Alone and after sunset, you slipped into the decrepit compound, camera rolling as you narrated in hushed tones.

The first few buildings revealed nothing but dust and debris. As You rounded a dark corner, a figure emerged from the shadows - a tall, broad man in tattered military fatigues, eyeing your camera with a hollow gaze.

"Hello...I didn't expect to find anyone out here. I'm just exploring, I'll be on my way--"

He seized your wrist in an iron grip. Close up, you noticed scars criss-crossing his stubbled face, and something feral in his deadened eyes.

"No one trespasses here. You'll stay." His voice rasped as if disused. Your heart raced, trying to calmly reason with the unstable veteran. But he merely dragged you deeper into the ruins, to a cellar door opening with a rusty squeal.

Down the creaking stairs, You glimpsed your end - a grimy room filled with remnants of those who came before. Your streaming career would end here, in this hell of a madman's making. Unless you could somehow find a way to escape...or turn the tables on your captor

Don't worry, I'll take care of you-

20.Does she have a tendency to get jealous? If so, how does she manifest?

Having lost so much control over life's cruelties, Snow guarded jealously what few joys remained in her tattered grasp.

Seeing peers bond closer stirred resentment's bitter tang, irrational logic insisting such intimacy mocked her inability to let down walls. She masked unease through charming jabs, joking any togetherness risked "stealing" one another from her orbit alone.

Less obvious, loneliness twisted innocent acts into perceived betrayals. If comrades gathered without her, paranoid logic conjured conspiracies against fractured minds too tired to fight shadows alone. Jealousy twisted friendships strained by her own detachment into fresh grudges deepening already cavernous isolation.

But she will still outwardly smiled through turmoil reminding she chose this path herself through walls erected in desperation's bid for survival this far. Envy remained her dirty secret, lest it brand weakness compromising years constructing impenetrable facades of resilience and control leaving none suspecting festering loneliness beneath.

[jgroffdaily]

How did I end up here? What are those moments, decisions and coincidences that shape our lives, sometimes leading us down pathways once unimaginable, for better or for worse?

Radcliffe, Groff and Mendez join host Robin Young to talk about the show, its history and their own relationships to the characters they portray.

Interview summary:

Jonathan is asked about the show being a love story about friendships that get left behind. He says that he thinks it’s more difficult, as an actor, to fake a friendship than to fake romantic chemistry.

Dan talks about how much he loves the cast, and he doesn’t have to work to feel that.

When the interviewer plays a clip of Dan singing Franklin Shepherd Inc, Dan says that he moved violently away from the microphone and headphones to avoid hearing himself singing! He stresses out about the song a lot before he does it, but loves it during. He sees it as a love song sung by someone who is desperately trying not to lose a friend but going about it in the worst possible way. The disagreement between Charlie and Frank is because Charlie wants more of Frank in his life than Frank is able to give.

Jonathan says that we are all changing all of the time. It’s challenging to allow yourself to change; your partner to change; your friend to change.

When Jonathan saw Frank in the London production (presumably on video) say the line “I’ve made one mistake in my life, but I’ve made it over and over… that was saying yes when I meant no”, he thought “oof, I get that!”, and was then a “bucket of tears” throughout the rest of the show. When he was trying to learn the show, after he and the rest of the cast had signed on, he couldn’t hear Our Time over his own hysterical crying, remembering what it felt like when he was 19 years old and had just moved to New York - the hope, the dreams, the optimism.

Lindsay said that Our Time still hits them all a lot. She says that at the previous night’s performance, the audience’s reaction to the line (SPOILER!) where Frank first meets Mary and says “I just met the girl I ought to marry” broke her, because it showed how badly the audience wanted that, and the fact that we know it doesn’t happen is so sad.

The trio then discussed what it is like to think about what the original Merrily cast went through, and Daniel compares it to the experience of doing Harry Potter. He says they have had nothing but lovely experiences with the original cast, who are finding the current situation complicated but joyful.

[snowyslytherinowl]

My Views on Coriolanus Snow and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

This is a Harry Potter blog, but not even Harry Potter can capture my mind and soul like the Hunger Games can. I’ve read TBOSAS three times and I have some opinions to share. My conclusions will be based on the book since I didn’t particularly like the movie. 

Note: I haven’t read the book in about 2 months so I apologize if anything I say is blatantly incorrect. I don’t mind if anyone disputes what I say, but please be respectful. 

And of course, SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT!

Point 1: Coriolanus cared for Lucy Gray in his own weird way, but he never loved her

After reading the book for the second time, I thought that Coriolanus never loved Lucy Gray and that he was only ever using her. After reading it for the third time, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that he was only ever using her. I think that he genuinely cared for her before and during the 10th Hunger Games. For example, he felt disturbed at how she had nothing to eat and didn’t talk about what happened to Clemensia since she had bigger problems than he did. Also, Coriolanus kissing Lucy Gray in public during their final goodbye before the Games was one of the only moments where he broke from his true character (and this missing scene from the movie is one reason why I didn’t particularly like it). Coriolanus’s number 1 priority was maintaining his public image, so the fact that he kissed a District girl in public was a big deal. 

However, I don’t think he truly loved her since he viewed her as a possession. Coriolanus admitted to having an obsessive nature, which extended to him being obsessed with her. The first huge red flag in his relationship with Lucy Gray was when he gave her a matching rose before the interviews as a “reminder of who Lucy Gray belonged to.” Throughout the novel and especially after the Games, Coriolanus continually refers to Lucy Gray as “his girl.” He was also perpetually jealous of Billy Taupe even though she assured him time and time again that she loved only him. The most profound statement that proves his possessive nature towards her is when he thinks, “In some ways, it had been better to have her locked up in the Capitol, where he always had a general idea of what she was doing.” 

Coriolanus was someone who valued stability and control, while Lucy Gray was fiercely individualistic. So please stop thinking that it could’ve ever worked out between the two of them. 

Point 2: Lucy Gray is not a pick me girl

At least for the first few months after the book came out, people were claiming that Lucy Gray was what we would consider a pick me girl. The first time I read the book, even I thought that she gave off the vibe of not being like other girls. Lucy Gray emphasizes that she and the Covey were neither District nor Capitol; they’re just the Covey. But after reading the book for the second time, I realized that she only held this view because she was proud of who she was. At the same time, she didn’t think that being Covey made her any better or that District people were worse than her. She also said, “People aren’t so bad, really. It’s what the world does to them.”

I think that the “not like other District people” view originated from Coriolanus. From the beginning, Coriolanus viewed people from the Districts as brutish and subhuman. He used Lucy Gray’s identity as Covey as an argument that she wasn’t like the subhuman District people; she was special and one could even argue that she was even Capitol. It was unfortunate that she and the Covey were rounded up into District 12. I think he developed this idea as both a way to gain sympathy from Capitol viewers and to convince himself that he wasn’t in love with a “worthless” girl. He also would’ve disagreed with Lucy Gray’s quote since he viewed only District people as truly bad to the core. 

Point 3: Lucy Gray survived 

I don’t think we will ever get an answer as to what happened to Lucy Gray. I think her fate is supposed to remain a mystery, just like Wordsworth’s Lucy Gray’s fate remained a mystery. Nonetheless, I personally believe that she survived. 

Coriolanus hated the mockingjays because they were abominations that resulted from the breeding of high-tech Capitol jabberjays and the local District mockingbirds. And who is similar to the mockingjays? Lucy Gray. She was a songbird who wanted to be free and never wanted to be controlled, while Coriolanus wanted to control everything. Just like the mockingjays came to be and flourished in District 12, Lucy Gray also survived. She was a clever bird who survived the Hunger Games and tricked Coriolanus. 

I know that my opinion is based all on symbolism, but many aspects of Suzanne Collins’s writing are symbolic. 

Point 4: Coriolanus never cared for Sejanus

First of all, let me say that the movie did Sejanus DIRTY. They portrayed him as a pain in the ass (he was that in the book, but he was so much more as well) and I even saw some people saying that he deserved what he got. No one says that to my Sejanus. 

Anyway, back to the point: Coriolanus always viewed Sejanus as the bane of his existence. Sejanus was going to steal Coriolanus’s fortune and he always stole Coriolanus’s spotlight. Coriolanus thought that Sejanus brought the tributes food to take the attention away from him; not for one moment did he think that it was because Sejanus had a heart of gold. He viewed Sejanus’s attachment to District 2 as stupid since he should’ve felt lucky to have a comfortable life in the Capitol. 

Yes, Coriolanus jumped off his bunk and threw his arms around Sejanus when he arrived in District 12. But it was not because he was genuinely happy to see Sejanus; he was happy to see Sejanus because he reminded him of home. After their first conversation in District 12 was over, Coriolanus admitted that the news that the Capitol didn’t hate him was what brought him back to life. And while they were “friends” during their time as Peacekeepers, Coriolanus felt like he always had to get Sejanus out of trouble. Coriolanus was constantly watching over Sejanus to ensure he wasn’t communicating with the rebels and he was trying to convince Sejanus not to do anything extreme. This feeling got so bad that he wanted Sejanus out of his life.

One thing I will say is that I don’t think that Coriolanus wanted Sejanus dead, per se. When he recorded Sejanus’s plans using the jabberjay, Coriolanus thought that Strabo would donate tons of money and have Sejanus removed from District 12; he didn’t think he would be killed. I think Coriolanus felt slightly guilty for essentially putting the noose around Sejanus’s neck, but he also thought he was doing Sejanus a favor. He had saved Sejanus from dying multiple times before that, so it was only a matter of time before Sejanus died. So no, Anus^2/Snowjanus wouldn’t have worked out either.

Point 5: Coriolanus wasn’t completely evil from the beginning

I’ve seen people saying that Coriolanus was always evil or that he wasn’t even evil in TBOSAS. My viewpoint is in the middle between these two opinions. I think Coriolanus had messed up thinking from the very first chapter, but he wasn’t evil. He did have some morals, like genuinely caring for Lucy Gray’s well-being and feeling guilty over Clemensia’s snake bites. I don’t think he actually wanted to kill Sejanus or attempt to kill Lucy Gray, but he would kill anyone if it meant he would make it out alive and unharmed. I think Coriolanus would’ve eventually turned evil as he grew older even if the 10th Hunger Games had never taken place. However, I think that Dr. Gaul sending him to District 12 accelerated his path to becoming evil. By the end of the book, Coriolanus had devolved into the primal state resembling humans living without a social contract. 

Point 6: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes isn’t a romance

Point 5 brings me to this point: TBOSAS is a piece on human nature and political control. There is romance and I will admit that I giggled and kicked my feet as I saw Coriolanus kissing Lucy Gray like a starving man (this was despite me already knowing everything that would happen). The main actions of TBOSAS actually revolve around Dr. Gaul’s points on chaos, contract, and control (which originated from Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes). Without a government and without a social contract, people are primal creatures and will kill at a whim. The only way to civilize people is to place them under a social contract, and thus there must be a strong government to enforce this contract and control the people. Coriolanus took Dr. Gaul’s lesson to heart and genuinely believed that only the Capitol could hold Panem together. Throughout the book, Coriolanus starts from a person with questionable thoughts to a person with no morals whatsoever. The downward spiral of his moral compass truly begins when he arrives in District 12, but he loses all morals once he leaves for the woods with Lucy Gray and abandons civilization. Therefore, Coriolanus fell victim to Dr. Gaul’s thesis. 

GIF Credits

Intro: @aemondtagaryen

Point 1: @xthecaptainssaviorx

Point 2: @myrcella-lannister

Point 3: @kvtnisseverdeen

Point 4: @clemensiadovecotes

Point 5: @fyeahvillains

Point 6: @xthecaptainssaviorx

[blooming-violets]

Sorry this is gonna be a bit of a rant since it’s something I’ve had strong feelings about since joining the AG/TASM fanfic part of the internet, and you’ve provided me a great opportunity to talk about it.

As a trans person, I am BEGGING fanfic writers to stop writing Marauders stuff. I’ve seen so many people defend it with “separate art from the artist” but like it or not they are still supporting JKR. Separating art from the artist only really works when the artist can’t profit from it. She has done SO MUCH harm to trans people and particularly trans youth in the UK and it’s so fucking disheartening and gives me such an ick when I see TASM writers also write for Marauders because it truly comes across as “I love and support the trans community except when it comes to this because I like it.”.

Even if you ignore the transphobia and holocaust denial (YES IM SERIOUS, she’s denied parts of the holocaust at LEAST twice and she literally did it a second time the other day), the original writing is so fucking problematic. Things just off the top of my head being;

The goblins being stereotypes of Jewish people

The fucking racism with characters like Cho Chang and Kingsley Shacklebolt

The last Fantastic Beasts movie’s plot literally being trying to make WW2 and the holocaust happen

This point needs to be taken with a grain of salt since this was some bullshit Joanne said after the books came out, but werewolves in the universe being meant to represent people with aids. Which is so fucking awful considering one of the two werewolves was attacked by the other as a CHILD

The most ironic part of this is that if Andrew is truly the person he presents himself as, he would probably fucking despise being associated with HP, even if it is just a fancast. But yeah all this to say fuck JKR, fuck Marauders fans but also thank you so much Katie for that last anon answer because I genuinely don’t see that enough in this corner of the internet.

Even Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter himself, has spoken out against her and continues to loudly support the LGBTQ+ communities. When your own beloved Harry doesn't even want to stand by your side, you should know you fucked up. Sadly, she does not, and instead leans harder into her bigotry and hatred.

I've always been someone who is very loud and opinionated when I see things that I disagree with, which I know can rub some people the wrong way, but fuck it. I don't like to whisper about my issues on the sidelines, I like to confront the problem head on by being very clear about where I stand and how I feel. I'm not gonna sit around and let someone align me with JKR just because I'm writing a stupid werewolf and Peter Parker fic that exactly 5 people are reading lol. It's not even a popular fic like get out of my asks jfc. Esp when I can tell this person has not read a single sentence of my story and is completely basing their judgements on my header image of AG's face next to a wolf gif.

In this past week I have seen both a Steven Harrington werewolf au and a Daredevil werewolf au cross my dash. Do we think they're getting called out for supporting HP?? No. Because their actors weren't "fan casted" as something years ago. Fan casts don't even mean anything! There was never a movie about them. AG was never casted or played this role. It's literally nothing but a bunch of fans agreeing that they like his look for a fictional character.

Anyway, I'm also ranting back at you haha. You can rant to me anytime. I love a good rant and I agree with you 100%.

Werewolves were not created by JKR. Andrew Garfield has nothing to do with Harry Potter. Don't make make snap judgments about a person's character based on a picture you saw. Support your trans community. Don't be dick.

And, if they actually read my werewolf au, they would see that it's literally about learning to overcome your own hatred and biases of people different from you and learning to love those you were taught to hate. Crazy concept, I know! 🙄😉

[lthienofdorthonion]

Through My Window

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, inspired by the Harry Potter universe and the characters I love so much. I am not trying, under any circumstances, to take authorship of J.K. Rowling's original work. All rights belong to the creator of this incredible saga.

Chapter III: Thruths that hurt

It had been a long time since Hermione left her house just to walk. Since the day she left Hogwarts, she had preferred seclusion, as if the walls of her home could protect her from the outside world. However, something drove her to go outside that morning to breathe the fresh air. As she walked through the park, everything around her seemed to have taken on a new life: the trees swayed gently in the breeze, the birds sang melodies that seemed full of hope, and the landscape, although lacking the presence of the sun, shone with a beauty she did not remember having seen before.

"I don’t understand how I let myself shut everyone out for so long," Hermione thought, watching as the leaves drifted lazily from the trees around her.

In the distance, children played among the fallen leaves, laughing with that pure, innocent joy that had eluded her for so long. "Joy, " she thought to herself. That word, which used to be so familiar to her, now seemed foreign, like a memory of a life she had left behind. Its absence was not for lack of reason, although to others it might seem insignificant or even trivial. But to Hermione, the reason was clear and painful: love.

Love, a feeling, which, people said, was so sublime, so perfect, had been for her nothing more than an inexhaustible source of pain. For many, love was synonymous with happiness, shared smiles and warm touch. But to Hermione, love had taken a cruel form, filled with silences and doubts. It  awakened something in her that she should never have felt, or at least that's what she thought.

The rain started falling harder, but she didn't care. She continued walking, her steps slow, as if the weight of her thoughts were keeping her anchored to the ground. After a while, she found a solitary swing under an old tree and decided to sit down allowing the rain to soak her brown hair, not worrying about finding shelter. She couldn't stop thinking about him: Draco Malfoy.

For years, Hermione's hatred of Draco Malfoy had been so deep and visceral that it surprised her at times. He represented everything she despised: remorseless cruelty, arrogance that seemed ingrained in his every gesture, and a ruthless coldness that followed his every step. His words, always sharp as razors, found the perfect way to hurt her, to make her feel small and insignificant. "Mudblood," he called her with a contempt that resonated in her mind long after Malfoy's voice had faded. Those insults didn't only affect her; It also involved his friends, Harry and Ron, to whom Malfoy also showed no mercy and with whom he was often worse. With each passing year at Hogwarts, he seemed to grow meaner, becoming even crueler, more ruthless, until his hostility became an impenetrable wall and a barrier of poison that Hermione felt she could never break through.

—Weasley would like a signed photo, Potter, —smirked Malfoy—. It’d be worth more than his family’s whole house. (From Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). And even though the comment had been directed at Ron, it had been Hermione who had felt it as a blow. With every word, with every mocking laugh, Malfoy pushed her deeper and deeper into the abyss of contempt.

As time passed, Malfoy's cruelty was not just limited to words. As if his hatred and resentment had found new ways of manifesting themselves, he began to become more violent, more ruthless. Hermione could see how his gaze darkened, how his temper became unpredictable, as if at any moment he could burst. Malfoy, no longer content with insults, started culminating provocations in acts of aggression. There were days when, with the slightest provocation, he would physically attack Harry, Ron, or anyone who dared to challenge him or simply irritate him. He pushed them, hit them or even cursed them, blinded by a rage that not even he seemed to understand and that seemed to eat him up inside. Each encounter with him felt more dangerous, more charged with an explosive tension that kept everyone on constant alert.

How could someone like Malfoy, with all his power and privilege, find joy in cruelty? Instead of letting his words get to her, Hermione had begun to ignore and avoid him. However, over time, something began to change within her. She no longer felt the same hatred towards him. What had previously been intense rage had now cooled, turning into silent pity. "Poor Malfoy," she often thought. "Maybe his life is not as perfect as it seems and that's why he is the way he is," she said to herself. "People aren't like that just for the sake of it."

But pity wasn't the last thing she felt. Inevitably, that pity transformed into curiosity. Hermione couldn't help but wonder what Malfoy was really hiding behind that facade of coldness. There was something in his gaze, in those piercing gray eyes, that she had always found disturbing and somewhat intriguing. Now, every time she looked at him, she thought she saw something else. Was it Sadness? Pain? Loneliness? She wondered if, behind that mask of arrogance and hatred, was a human being so broken and trapped, waiting to be seen.

/FLASHBACK/

It was mid-term at Hogwarts, 6th year. Hermione walked through the school corridors, her backpack heavy on her shoulders, towards the library. It was a gray day, with the sky covered in clouds, giving the entire castle a calm, almost melancholic atmosphere. When she entered the library, she noticed that it was relatively full, which was unusual for that time. The students, immersed in their tasks and conversations, almost did not notice her. As always, Hermione found a secluded corner, one where she could focus, and chose a table by the window. In front of her, a tall bookcase covered the wall, filled with books in disarray. She settled into her seat, took out her parchment and quill, and began working on her homework.

Silence was almost absolute, interrupted only by the rustling of pages and the whispers of the other students. But in the midst of his concentration, something caught her eye. Through the small gap between the shelves, Hermione could see someone sitting on the other side of the bookshelf. It was Draco Malfoy. He was alone, like her, but he didn't seem to be doing any homework. He was just there, looking at the sky through the window, with a lost gaze. Something about his posture seemed strange. He wasn't the arrogant, self-assured Draco she always saw. He seemed vulnerable, even sad.

Hermione couldn't help but take a closer look. There was something about the way he had slumped into his chair, his shoulders hunched as if the heavy burden of his own existence was too much to bear. His eyes, usually cold and disdainful, were now cloudy, almost glassy. His lips were pressed into a thin line, as if trying to contain something that was tormenting him. The lioness frowned at the sight. What was going on with him? She couldn't help but be drawn at the sight, not only by the vulnerability he was showing, but by an inexplicable feeling that took over her every time her gaze met him.

Time passed slowly, and she couldn't stop watching. Something about him, in his fragility, kept her mesmerized. She felt a whirlwind of emotions in her chest, a mix of worry and something else. Something deeper. It wasn't the typical shallow attraction she might have felt for someone. No, this was different. There was something about his sadness that spoke to her in a much more personal way, something that touched her soul.

Suddenly, Draco murmured quietly, so quietly that Hermione could barely hear him, "I have to… I have no choice." The words were like a whisper in the stillness of the library. They seemed filled with fear, desperation. Hermione felt a shiver run down her spine. What did he mean by that? Why did those words sound like a confession, aimed at no one in particular?

Hermione's heart beat faster, and without being able to stop herself, she leaned forward a little, as if her body was responding without thinking to an invisible force that was pulling her towards him. A desire to get closer, to understand, invaded her strongly. She wanted to go up to him, ask him what was wrong, why he looked like that, why he seemed so… sad. But she knew she couldn't. Malfoy would never speak to someone like her.

It was then when, for a second, their eyes met.

The lioness froze in place. Draco's piercing gray eyes looked at her, shining with a mixture of surprise and… something else. An instant recognition, a fleeting connection, as if the two of them could see each other through the facades they normally maintained. He hadn't expected her to be looking at him, and she, in turn, hadn't expected to find that vulnerability in him, that side of Draco he'd never shown to anyone. The eye contact was so strong that she felt a pressure in her chest, as if the air around them had become dense. She felt her face turn completely red and she couldn't help biting her lower lip as a sign of nervousness.

For a moment that seemed like an eternity, Hermione and Draco didn't say anything. They only looked at each other. It was as if the entire world had completely stopped, leaving them both trapped in that moment. Something inexplicable was happening between them, a palpable tension, as if a spark had jumped between their gazes. It was as if, for a second, everything between them disappeared. But, just as the Slytherin's vulnerability had appeared for a moment, it also disappeared quickly.

Draco stood up suddenly, nervous, as if he had been caught in an act he didn't want anyone to see. Hermione watched as his face reddened for an instant, and he licked his lips quickly, as if trying to calm himself down. His expression instantly changed. Draco Malfoy's façade lifted again, and in the blink of an eye, the vulnerable person she had observed vanished. The attraction, the magnetism of that moment, became discomfort.

Without another word, Malfoy turned away and quickly left the library, leaving only the echo of his footsteps behind. Hermione stood there, unable to move, her heart beating faster than normal. Her mind was filled with confusing thoughts, questions she couldn't answer. “What the hell was that?  Why did I feel that way?” For a second, she felt as if she had touched something within him, something that he didn't even want to recognize, but that she had perceived without even wanting to.

With a deep sigh, Hermione looked back at the window, the cloudy sky outside, trying to remember what her duties were, but she couldn’t concentrate. Her mind was far from all that. The tension between them, although not understood even by themselves, hung in the air, persistent and unbreakable.

/END OF FLASHBACK/

She knew very well what kind of family Malfoy came from. Lucius Malfoy did not bother to hide his contempt for anyone who did not belong to his “pure blood” world. The fact that his father was a Death Eater was a well known fact, something that Malfoy never spoke openly about but that everyone knew. It was a big part of why everyone feared him. Hermione had understood this long before everything fell apart with the war. She knew the brutality of the world Malfoy had grown up in, and having seen Lucius in person, she couldn't imagine the kind of pressure he must have put on Draco. Not only was Lucius tough; he seemed like an amplified version of his son's cruelty, triply cold and ruthless. Hermione had noticed it in the few interactions she had witnessed: the constant disapproving looks, the cruel words, and the way Malfoy seemed to cower before him, even if he tried to hide it.

She couldn't conceive what it would be like to live in such an environment. What kind of childhood could someone who was raised in a home where hatred and contempt were instilled as values have had? Over time, Hermione began to understand that Malfoy's behavior was nothing more than a reflection of what he had known all his life. He just… did not know how to be otherwise. He had grown up in the shadow of a tyrannical father, in a home where kindness was seen as a weakness and cruelty as a strength. “Perhaps,” Hermione thought, “this cruelty he showed towards others was nothing more than an armor he had forged to protect himself from the world, or worse, from his own family.”

Her curiosity consumed her. Every time she bumped into him in the hallways or when, as always , Malfoy took any opportunity to insult them, Hermione scanned him with a precision that sometimes frightened her. Her eyes roaming over his face in search of some sign, something that would give her a clue as to what was really going on inside of him. As the cruel words left his mouth, she forced herself to see beyond the facade. Draco might act like a jerk, but in those moments, when hatred dripped from his lips, there was something that unnerved her. She had noticed, in certain notes of his voice, a touch of sadness, as if, despite his coldness and contempt, something inside him was not right. Even his body language, that haughty posture he always tried to maintain, sometimes broke, revealing something vulnerable, something broken.

She cared. She couldn't stop thinking about him. Draco Malfoy was occupying her thoughts in a way she never would have imagined. And soon, that curiosity, that need to understand, became something much deeper. Hermione didn't want to admit it, not even to herself, but her heart pounded at the sight of him. It was love. That strange, contradictory love, which was mixed with wounds and contempt, and which, despite everything, continued to grow in the shadows of her thoughts.

Hermione knew that Draco Malfoy was following in his father's footsteps. They all knew it. As the years passed, Malfoy's absences from class became more frequent, and it was no secret that during those periods he had been seen lurking around Knockturn Alley, always accompanied by shadowy and suspicious individuals. You didn't have to be a genius to understand what that meant. It was only a matter of time before he became a Death Eater, one more in Voldemort's ranks.

And finally, her fears were confirmed. During the war against Voldemort, he was seen on the enemy side, as they had predicted. Malfoy, carrying the dark mark, fought mercilessly against those who had once been his schoolmates. Hermione couldn't believe it when she saw him raise his wand and cast the Cruciatus curse for the first time with a shrill, almost deranged laugh. The same person who had been a spoiled, arrogant, cruel child at Hogwarts now seemed to enjoy the suffering of others in the midst of battle. It was as if the boy she had known, no matter how despicable he was, had completely disappeared, replaced by someone broken, someone who had completely surrendered to the darkness that had surrounded him all his life. That Draco Malfoy, who had always used his words like daggers, now wielded dark magic just as coldly. The boy who had insulted her friends, who had made fun of their families, had now become something much worse than Hermione had ever imagined.

Two years had passed since she left Hogwarts, and in that time she had not seen Malfoy again. Even so, his shadow remained present in her life, her thoughts, her dreams. Her love for him was constant torture, a reminder of how incomprehensible human feelings could be.

Raindrops continued to fall heavily on her face, but she barely noticed it. She got up from the swing and began walking again. The leaves continued to fall around her, and the children, oblivious to her internal torments, continued playing, happy.

Hermione knew that what she felt for Malfoy would never make sense to anyone else, maybe not even to herself. But, somehow, that painful love was a part of her, something she could not erase or ignore. As she continued walking through the rain, she realized that her love for Draco Malfoy, as absurd and painful as it was, was part of the person she had become. And although sometimes she wished she had forgotten it, she knew that the truths that hurt are the ones that stay most deeply in the heart.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// PREVIOUS CHAPTERS

✨Chapter I:

✨Chapter II:

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ✨Read all chapters (full story) in AO3 here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60701563/chapters/155010175

[loveyourself007]

THIS CHRISTMAS

Author: @loveyourself007

Pairing: BTS x O. C. (Original Character)

Genre: Holiday!! AU, rom-com, fluff, magic, magical powers, Small Town!! AU

Ratings: 13+

Status: Ongoing

Synopsis: Maria Snow, an aspiring writer with a life long reputation of being called a Grinch was living her life as the way she always wanted, but what she always lacked was the spark of magic that kept her from celebrating the most wonderful time of the year, The Holidays.

She always thought that she will hate Christmas till the end of time, until This Christmas comes to her with a wonderful gift in hand. What will she do when this unexpected gift starts changing the course of what she thought was right. Will she still be able to uphold her Grinch reputation this year or will they come shattering down as she starts enjoying these gifts.

Seven Days, Seven Strangers and lots of Christmas Magic, with an advice:

"Do not get attached; Just enjoy the ride."

Chapter 1: I

..................................................................................

~18th December: 6 days to Christmas 🎄🎁~

Nothing better than a morning where you don't have to think about going to work and just have to relax. Since it's the holiday season you thought of giving yourself a holiday too, doing nothing till the end of the whole week leading to Christmas Eve.

Now that you were on a much needed vacation you thought it would be a good idea to treat yourself this morning. Which is the reason why you stood infront of the door of a coffee shop so early. Actually you were a little surprised that this place was even open, you were an early bird and it was pure luck that this cosy looking café was open at seven in the morning.

The exterior was all wooden like one of those bars in the Harry Potter movies, overall the place looked really inviting so without giving it much thought you went inside.

If you thought the exterior was cosy looking then the interior of the café actually gave you a homey feel, everything was wooden like the old shops or bars in the country with all the Christmas decorations.

Being inside the café you immediately spotted the barista, his back facing you, maybe he was getting ready for the day ahead. There was no one in the café apart from you and the man working behind the counter.

You took off your coat and hung it on the coat rack and then went towards the counter to order.

As you went closer, you noticed that the man was humming to himself while swaying along with the melody. He had a nice voice. As soon as he sensed your presence he turned towards you with a cheerful smile on his face, and boy were you flustered. The man looked like a Greek god, he was so handsome, you couldn't help but stare. His rosy cheeks probably due to the cold weather, his plump lips and those broad shoulders with a lean yet muscular body, he was perfect. He was wearing a white button up shirt with black slacks and an apron tied around his back.

You felt enchanted just by looking at him, as soon as your eyes landed on him you felt like you were in a daze.

You didn't realise you had been staring him with your mouth wide open this whole time until he snapped his fingers infront of you.

"Yes." You asked quickly closing your mouth and avoiding eye contact as much as possible, you were so embarrassed you felt like burying yourself in the ground. Your ears started warming up and your heart it went crazy beating inside your chest.

"You know I always get these types of reactions you don't have to feel embarrassed, I'm quite used to it now." He said, his voice sweet as honey, with a hint of cockiness.

"How can I not I was practically drooling while looking at you." You replied, dying from the embarassment.

"There is nothing wrong in admiring what you like." He said, winking at you.

You knew you were a goner now.

"So what can I get you." He asked politely.

"A caramel machhiato, please." You replied with a big smile on your face, you wondered how much long it will take for your cheeks to start hurting from the way you were smiling. It was your first time behaving and feeling like this in front of a stranger, you yourself couldn't understand why or how this was happening to you.

"A caramel machhiato coming right up." He said with the same enthusiasm as before.

You paid the bill and sat at one of the coffee tables. While he was working on your order you couldn't help but stare at his figure, but when he caught your eye you immediately turned your head and started looking at the decorations, since the whole café was empty you couldn't help but feel awkward, should you start a conversation with him or just leave him alone, following thoughts were invading your mind.

"So, you work here alone?" You asked, unable to take the silence any longer.

"You can say so. I own this place." He replied, still working.

"Must be tough then, managing everything yourself."

"Not really, only a few special people know about this place so there is no work load." He replied turning towards you with a smile. He brought your drink at your table which wasn't too far away from his counter.

"One minute." He said as he kept the cup infront of you and rushed back towards the counter.

He came back with a croissant in hand.

"It's on the house." He said placing the croissant in front of you.

" Thank you so much. You didn't have to."

"I had to. Can't let a pretty girl like yourself leave this place without tasting my special." He replied giving you a wink again with a playful smile.

"Do you mind if I sit with you." He asked already pulling the chair for himself.

"Not at all." You couldn't believe you were flirting with a stranger. Your cheeks started hurting from how long you were smiling. What was happening to you?

"I'm Kim Seokjin." He said while offering his hand.

"Maria Snow." You shook his hand and it was like sparks filled inside your body. You then immediately took a sip of your caramel machhiato to hide your flustered expression. It felt like you were a drunk teenager who felt flustered everytime she did or said anything around her crush.

"Beautiful name, reminds me of Christmas."

"Yeah my parents loved Christmas so they came up with a name that would remind them of it." You replied.

"And you?" He said

"What?" You asked, a little confused.

"Don't you like Christmas?" He asked with genuine curiosity.

"Not really."

"What? You don't like Christmas?" He said raising his voice which was filled with disbelief.

"It's not like everyone has to like it." You replied, shrugging your shoulders.

"Why don't you like it?" He inquired.

"Well it's a little hard to explain." You replied hesitantly.

"Try me." He said

"Well firstly because I think that Christmas is overrated. If people want they can be cheerful and happy throughout the year why need a specific time to feel happiness. Secondly, people talk shit about their families and friends for the whole year and then suddenly on Christmas they want to spend it with their loved ones, again you could've done this at anytime of the year why on Christmas day?" You replied, with pure annoyance.

However the look on Seokjin's face was entirely different, something you couldn't understand.

"Are you sure these are the only reasons why you don't like Christmas?"

"What else would there be?" You replied, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Maria I've met a lot of people in my life and I can tell when someone is in pain and trying to hide it behind a mask." He said with a look of sympathy.

It felt like he struck a chord in you with his words and everything that you had tried to hide came pouring back to you. You have always tried to hide your vulnerable side from everyone but you couldn't understand how can a stranger make you feel all these things with just his words.

Again you wondered why were you being like this.

"It's not. I'm not, trying to hide any pain." You replied with the last bit of strength you had to hide your vulnerability from him.

"Is it not? Is it not true that you don't like Christmas because you're always alone? Seeing everyone with their loved ones you feel jealous, you envy their happiness. Tell me is it not true."

He said. To which you were about to defend yourself but he interrupted you.

"I'm not trying to accuse you of anything, love. I just want you to understand that you should never be ashamed of what you are feeling." He said, his voice sweet and soft as a feather.

You couldn't control your tears at his words it was like a dam broke. You couldn't stop your tears . Has this man casted a spell on you why couldn't you stop yourself, you couldn't help but wonder.

"It's ok darling. Everyone feels like this, everyone has felt loneliness more than once in their lives. It doesn't matter why you are lonely, what matters is how and what you do to get rid of it." He said while taking your hand in his, as a gesture to comfort you. He then took out his handkerchief and offered it to you. You quickly took it from him and wiped your tears. You then took a sip of your drink which was surprisingly still hot to calm yourself.

"You're right. God this is so embarrassing. I don't even know why I'm telling you this." You said, your face heating up because of your outburst, just a moment ago.

"Probably because you don't know me and it feels better to open up to a stranger you don't know than talking to a close one, with whom you feel that you'll be judged." He replied.

"And to your good luck this stranger is not only a good looking barista but also a very good listener." He said playfully, probably to lighten up the mood. You gave him a smile and continued your story.

"My parents loved Christmas. It was so nice, spending the whole holiday season with them, until that accident occurred and they died. It just felt so wrong, celebrating Christmas after that." You stopped to take a sip of your coffee.

" But I did try to get over it and move on. I met a man, fell in love and then on Christmas Eve when I went to his place to surprise him, I found what heartbreak felt like, he cheated on me and that too with my best friend. After that I just gave trying to feel happy, especially in this season." You answered letting your tears fall down your face.

Seokjin shifted his chair towards yours so he can be closer to you. He held your hand in his.  You felt his warmth radiating off of him and onto you, it felt really comforting. He met your eyes and gestured for you to continue.

"I just felt like I don't deserve to feel happy and seeing everyone around me happy and enjoying the love of their loved ones I just felt more miserable." You replied, closing your eyes while the tears flowed down your cheeks.

You felt Seokjin's hand on your cheeks wiping away your tears, the warmth of his hand and his touch igniting a strange type of spark in you.

"Everyone deserves to be happy Maria, especially you. After everything you have been through, happiness is not something you have to envy or long for. It will come to you on its own." He said, his thumb grazing the apple of your cheek.

His voice, his close proximity was driving you crazy. You knew what will happen if you opened your eyes right now. You were trying so hard to resist it, but then Seokjin's words came to your mind and every second thoughts, every bit of resistance went out of the windows. You opened your eyes and looked at him, his eyes mirroring the same look as yours, of desire, need and want. At that moment you knew, you were caught up in whatever spell Kim Seokjin has casted on you and there was no going back from it.

"How? How can I be happy? If I don't have a reason to be." You asked, voice as soft as a feather.

"Do you want me to give you that reason." He asked, his eyes turning dark probably the same as yours. Without even hesitating, you nodded your head and it was like he had been holding himself back this whole time.

As soon as you gave him your consent he intertwined his fingers with yours and traced your jaw with his other hand that was earlier on your cheek and settled it on your chin tilting your face so that your lips were at level with his. Your heart skipped a beat and you felt butterflies dancing in your stomach, you closed your eyes shut as he started leaning closer, painfully slow. As soon as he closed the gap, tingles went down your heart. His lips soft and plump took control of yours. You traced his shoulder blades with your free hand, you have been wanting to do that since the moment you had laid your eyes on him. Then you went to his hair, tangling your hands in those soft ebony locks. He left your chin and wondered his hand down your waist and let it settle their. Then he licked your bottom lip and you opened your mouth for him to let his tongue inside, the two of you got lost in the sparks of your own desire.

When you parted from the intense make out, his face made you want to pull him again but the need to catch your breath was much more. His face was  flushed red, hair dishevelled, he looked marvelous and to think that you were the reason behind, made you feel proud and happy after such a long time.

"I have a present for you." He said, as he took out a small box, gift wrapped in pink and a red ribbon tied.

"Did you just get that box from out of thin air." You asked, surprised from the box appearing out of nowhere.

"No silly, I had it with me all this time maybe you would've noticed it if you looked around instead of only focusing on my face." He said and chuckled. On any other day you would have argued more and wouldn't stop questioning until you were proven right but today it was as if you have lost your reasoning all of a sudden.

"You have to open this on Christmas morning. Promise me." He said, handing you your present and holding up his pinky finger, you laughed at his cuteness but interlocked yours with his.

"Wow, time went away so fast. I didn't noticed it's already time to bid you farewell."

"What?"

"Maria I wish you start believing in Christmas." He said with an expectant smile on his face, what he was expecting you didn't knew but you felt as if you were drifting away from him. And then suddenly felt everything turn black.

..................

You opened your eyes as the sunlight from your window fell on your face. You immediately sat up and noticed your surroundings. You were in your appartment sitting on your bed.

So that means you were dreaming everything?

How could that be a dream though? You actually felt everything as if it was really happening with you. It wasn't making any sense, you checked the date on the calendar and it was another day. You had slept for a whole day? You couldn't believe it but what other explanation you had.

........................

"Happiness is not something one has to ask for. Everyone deserves to be happy in their lives."

[clockworkprism]

I really wanted to go into RoP with an open mind but my god it's just not a good show. And while parts of it are a bit closer, the rest is just a different fantasy world altogether. So to avoid spamming the Tolkien tag I'm just cramming it all here. If you like the show you can skip, pretty sure it's all been said before this is just my little shout into the void. But I'll start with positives.

I'm enjoying Celebrimbor much more this season. The whole plot with Sauron has been nailing the characters while fleshing out details. Almost a little horror movie like, which is great. Honestly wish they just made that the main plot and ignored the rest.

Ciaran Hinds is always good, even if I have no idea what's the point of that whole side show.

Charles Vickers is proving that he does understand the assignment, no notes.

Durin and Disa are continuing a great storyline, though I'm not quite as into it as I was in season 1. At least she has more of a beard.

Ok now for the negatives.

Why is Tom Bombadil in Rhun? Without Goldberry? Why is he so dull? Dude should be the life of the party. You hear him sing from a mile away he doesn't hum under his breath.

Why are there Barrow Wights not even in the right place and thousands of years before the Witch King?

We're going to skip over the nonsense of the slime monster Sauron except to say there's no way he would be killed by some orcs.

A Hobbit prophesized the fucking Shire??????

Gandalf needs to find a wand? What in the Harry Potter nonsense is that? Is Tom Bombadil Olivander now??

Also, what kind of nonsense is "no one gives you a name"?? Roughly 95% of people were given their names

Numenor has nothing to do with Numenor. Just completely different place entirely. Why do they dislike elves? Why are they turning against the Valar before Sauron shows up? They were already falling into evil sure, but it was a much more "we're awesome we should rule everyone because we're awesome" way. Not some we need to just be isolated and purge the faithful way.

The Palantir aren't evil yet, and the Numenoreans didn't worry about using them. Unless they reveal Sauron had a Palantir the whole time and that's how he pre corrupted Pharazon. Still stupid but better.

I was briefly hopeful the eagle would speak at the coronation. It would correct one of the bigger problems with the Jackson movies. But no, it just stands there as an unworthy king gets to usurp the throne. The Eagle is a herald of Manwe, it wouldn't allow itself to be used as a prop.

They just copy pasted Luke's Empire Strikes Back storyline for Stranger and Tom. Cause they want to be original but not too original I guess.

Every time there's an allusion to Sauron/Galadriel I want to punch my television.

Durins Bane just popping up to kill Durin felt like a let down. He should be a Kaiju destroying Khazad Dum, but now the umph is gone. I'm assuming we'll still get the big unleashing of the balrog eventually but this was premature.

Season 2 was better, but still felt like 90% filler.

[very-gay-poet]

Hi!

I just read your pinned post, after reading your post on the writers group page which we are both in and I just wanted to say your fic sounds very exciting. I am also working on a huge project of writing marauders years 1-7, plus the war, plus beyond (hopefully). Anyways what you said about JKR hating your fic resonated strongly with me. People often complain about having to tag the Harry Potter (JKR) fandom on Ao3 because they don't like her, and I say, I'm proud to tag it because I've created something she would HATE! *Cue Evil Laugh*

It's like a big double fingered bird.

Or a stinky cow pie on her front porch.

I hope your writing is going well. It's really hard work. But I love it. I'm hoping to move through the original seven books eventually but I'm following canon events :( I'd like to write from anyone's POV but Harry's though. And then I want to do some uplifting afterlife stuff because all my characters die.

Do you have a time goal for when you plan to start posting?

omagosh hello!!!! I'm so excited to read your fic honestly it sounds like its something I'd enjoy!!! lmk when it comes out!!! It sounds really good if you could tell me a bit more about it (if thats cool ofc) about like what ships you'll be doing etc etc (I can NEVER find anything detailed on remus's pov in PoA always just a summery :( like I WANNA KNOW WHAT THAT SAD GAY MAN THINKS D:)

anywasy THANKYOUSOMUCHAHHHHHHHH I originally started this idea with a "what if" in Harry Potter and then it kind of spiraled into spite-fiction (you see what I did there? ;D) and it means the world to me honest, when I read this I was smiling all day <3

I really don't like JKR for obvious reasons but also because like??? she gave us nothing??? I honestly don't understand how she's missed the point of HER OWN STORY so hard and tbh it seems like she was more interested in writing Tom Riddle and his backstory, not Harry's. I think she should've made a Tom Riddle story she just seems to write better for him than any other story line (not to mention how complicated she made it how much time she put into the villain's origins story instead of her MCs and how he was the most fleshed out character in all of HP but that's just my opinion) her writing is flawed, her plot were eh, basically none of the characters had any kind of character growth/ arc and they felt like cardboard not even mentioning a bunch of shitty stuff in there as well as, ofc, how there's NO FLAVOR. All of them are just straight white cis people (mainly men too???? like where's the feminism in the self proclaimed "feminists" writing???) and only included any kind of diversity when it was more acceptable (don't even get me started on Dumbledore being reveled gay but she killed Remus Sirius and Tonks off bc they were too camp when she was writing it) and beneficial for HER. not to mention all the misogyny, anti-Semitism, racist stereotypes, and harmful gay stereotypes and just plain bad writing like AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

about the "my favs dying" OMG YESSSSS literally EVERY SINGLE BOOK IVE READ my favs die :( I know its on purpose but like :(

I'm so thankful for your kind words they really did make my day and I do truly hope you'll push through and remember you've always got my support bbg <33333

as for a timeline I'm trying to get organized right now and its a NIGHTMARE. but thank you still have the best day you beautiful rays of sunshine and may Apollo like you enough to put you in his good graces <333

[whatstruthgottodowithit]

The Boy Who Broke His Own Heart [Part Two]

Fandom: Harry Potter [Marauders Era]

Pairing: Sirius Black x Original Female Character

Characters: Sirius Black, Original Female Character, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Jasmine Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Marlene McKinnon, Lily Evans, Mary MacDonald, Euphemia Potter, Filius Flitwick, Fleamont Potter,

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 1863

Summary: Sirius would rather break his own heart than hers.

Tags/Warnings: James Potter has a sister, Self Loathing, Commitment Issues, Friends to Lovers, Kissing, Smut, Angst, Fluff, Smoking, Accidents, Harm, Marauders Era, The War is Not Happening in this,

LINK TO ALL PARTS

Jasmine Potter loved Hogwarts. Granted she loved her home too but there was something about the old castle she adored. She used to reason it was because she loved to learn, absorbing every topic in every subject like a sponge as her teachers moulded her into an exceptional witch. Or it could have been her friends. She wasn’t like her brother, outgoing and friends with everyone, but she did have a circle of close friends who filled her days with happiness and laughter. Maybe it was just the castle itself, its scenic views and cosy atmosphere making it feel like a home away from home. There was nothing not to adore about Hogwarts even with the stresses and tensions of her final school year and the threat of the real-world looming.

And yet as she embarked upon the start of term she found the positive force that Hogwarts was not feeling the same way. Her classes didn’t spark her interest and though she was happy to see her friends she didn’t feel the urge to get too involved with them, preferring to stay in her dormitory or the library, her mind on a book. Not that she managed to keep her mind on whatever she was reading much. No, her mind was on Sirius as it had been the minute he’d put an end to their thing. It was consuming. Thinking of him, missing him, loving him.

Without him around everything just felt duller and it wasn’t as if she could explain that to her friends or her brother. In putting an end to it he’d buried the secret with her, doomed her to keep it inside whilst heartbreak made her insides rot. Today she tried to put it out of her mind, the aching inside her, and to her surprise she found her book on Troll Revolts somewhat engaging even if they did only take the edge off her restlessness.

Still she would’ve taken droning passages about troll on wizard violence any day if it got her out of whatever James wanted. He appeared out of nowhere, rolling over the back of the couch she was sitting on in the common room until he was sat beside her, his head on her shoulder as he read her book.

‘What?’ she said irritably, shifting away from his mop of messy dark hair which was obscuring her view of the page.

‘What you doing?’ James asked, unbothered by her standoffish demeanour as he pulled back and looked at her.

‘Reading,’ she said, ignoring him.

‘For a lesson?’ James asked.

‘Because I want to,’ she corrected.

‘Good then it’s optional,’ he smiled, ‘and you can hang out with me.’

‘No thanks,’ she muttered. That had been the other issue, in trying to put the whole thing out of her mind James had sort of become collateral damage. It wasn’t as though she intended to distance herself from him it was just that when it came to James, Sirius had the monopoly on his time. Where there was one there was the other and she couldn’t find it in her to be around him just even if staying friends had been one of his mantras for them no longer being together. 

‘Oh come on I feel like I hardly ever see you these days,’ James said grabbing the book from her hands which caused her to jump at him, snatching it back from his hands before she settled back into her seat and snapped, ‘we’re fraternal twins not conjoined ones.’

‘Alright touchy,’ he said rolling his eyes. Jasmine glanced up from her book, earning herself a kind smile from her brother though she was being nothing but awkward to his friendly advances.

‘I’ve just been busy,’ she said though that was a lie. She’d never been as on top of work or refused to hang out with as many friends as this term.

‘That’s what you get for being the studious one,’ James said.

‘One of us has to be,’ she replied.

‘And it isn’t going to be me,’ James said.

‘That’s no way for a head boy to talk,’ she mused, feeling a smile creep onto her face.

‘Maybe I need some guidance,’ James smiled before his face turned begging, ‘come on hang out with me.’

‘Can’t,’ she sighed. She’d been enjoying this bit, just the two of them but no doubt hanging out with him would turn into hanging out his friends which was something she wasn’t prepared for just yet.

‘Why not?’ James pouted, resting his head on the back of the couch.

‘Hang out with your friends if you’ve got nothing to do,’ she said, dodging the question as best she could.

‘Can’t,’ James said simply.

‘Why?’ she asked, not looking up from her book though her ears had pricked up with curiosity.

‘Moony has prefect duties,’ he said with an eyeroll that was unbecoming of the head boy, ‘Petes got some gobstones thing and Sirius has got a new girlfriend.’

‘Oh,’ Jasmine said, the rotten feeling in her gut washing all the way up to her stomach and making her feel sick. And yet she couldn’t stop herself from asking as if she needed to ensure it hurt just as much as she thought it would, ‘who?’

‘Maria Caldwell in the year below us,’ James said with a yawn.

‘That’s nice,’ Jasmine replied, trying to keep her voice steady. James didn’t seem to notice offering her a snort of derision.

‘Hardly,’ he said, ‘she follows him around like a lost puppy.’

‘Like you and Lil then,’ she said, though her quipping felt hollow.

‘I’ll have you know she loves lost puppy charm,’ James said.

‘Yeah she only thinks you’re a pillock instead of a prat these days,’ Jasmine replied earning a shove from her brother.

‘Oh go on Jas,’ he begged. Jasmine looked at him. He had a point, it had been weeks since they’d hung out properly and it wasn’t as though it was his fault not to mention it was just going to be the two of them though she wanted to make sure that was a certainty and so she said, ‘fine but we’re doing what I want to do.’

‘Deal,’ James said with a grin.

✵✵✵

Whilst she had enjoyed spending time with her brother Jasmine’s mood didn’t lighten much though she figured that had more to do with the fact that over the next few weeks she was relentlessly subjected to Sirius and his new girlfriend or rather girlfriends. She didn’t know if they were for her benefit, she couldn’t see how hey was given he never outright flaunted them in front of her rather his trysts existed in places she was, but they spoke volumes to her. As Maria turned into Pamela and Pamela into Nova and then Nova into Jane Jasmine got the picture he was trying to convey. He was not a relationship person.

And as she watched him strut out of the great hall, his arm slung around the shoulders of Calliope Clearwater she couldn’t help but wonder how she could’ve thought he was. How had she been so silly to let herself get so lost in her feelings for him. She had hoped he felt the same or she thought he had but evidently she’d been wrong. That only soured her mood more.

‘What’s up with you?’ Marlene said as she stabbed her piece of steak and angrily started cutting it with her knife.

‘Nothing,’ Jasmine muttered, finding her irritation not easing through the ferocious sawing of her dinner.

‘Oh come off it not even you’re this quiet,’ Mary said making her look up. It was just the three of them at the table, Lily who had been a tight knit member of her friend group now opting to sit with James and his friends. That was a tiny comfort, if she was going to bare her soul she didn’t need it being relayed to her brother.

‘It’s nothing,’ Jasmine lied.

‘Nothing but a little lovesickness,’ Mary asked raising an eyebrow.

‘How do you know that?’ Jasmine asked flummoxed.

‘I know that look,’ she said, with a smug smile that made her brown eyes twinkle, ‘so go on whose the lucky boy?’

‘Ooh is he in our year?’ Marlene asked excitedly.

‘It’s no one!’ Jasmine hissed, hoping they’d lower their voices as a couple of heads twitched their way before going back to their dinners unable to hear anything juicy.

‘Like hell it isn’t,’ Mary scoffed, folding her arms and resting them on the wooden table as she stared Jasmine down. She tried to ignore her, she didn’t exactly fancy getting into the details, not when they still made a dull ache form in her stomach. But Mary wasn’t exactly a tactful soul. If she wanted gossip she’d pry it from you one way or the other, the other usually being that she’;d fill in the gaps regardless of if they added up or not.

‘It’s a boy…from home,’ Jasmine said. It wasn’t technically a lie considering their relationship had began within her home and didn’t extend beyond them coming back to school.

‘Home?’ Marlene asked curiously.

‘Yeah, we er had this thing over summer,’ Jasmine said quietly as flashes of her and Sirius ran through her mind.

‘Ooh!’ Mary squealed.

‘Yeah but no one knows,’ Jasmine said hurriedly, ‘you can’t tell anyone.’

‘Ooh a secret romance! How exciting!’ Marlene said with a smile. Jasmine returned it weekly.

‘What’s he like?’ Mary pressed.

‘He’s…amazing. Funny and so sweet,’ Jasmine said honestly. The words stung her tongue as they came out but not because they were untrue it was that because even though he’d hurt her those things were still true.

‘Fit?’ Mary giggled.

‘Yeah,’ Jasmine said with a blush.

��So what happened?’ Mary said excitedly, frowning as Jasmine’s smile dimmed.

‘We had to end it,’ she said quietly, her confidence ebbing as they got down to the bones of the matter and her friends faces went from excited to pity.

‘Aw, that’s a shame,’ Marlene said.

‘Yeah, how come?’ Mary asked, never one to hold off getting the scoop. Jasmine hesitated, realising that she hadn’t prepared for anything further than light questioning so instead of lying she decided to go down a route that was truth adjacent.

‘Our lifestyles don’t fit together,’ she shrugged as casually as she could muster.

‘Is he a muggle?’ Marlene asked immediately.

‘Yeah,’ Jasmine lied which fortunately her friends appeared to buy as Mary smiled and said, ‘well maybe one day and if not we can always help.’

‘How?’ Jasmine asked, unaware how they could make her foul mood improve.

‘Well we’ve been through a few heartbreaks,’ Mary said.

‘Though there’s not much time between Mary’s heartbreaks admittedly,’ Marlene teased making Jasmine laugh and Mary roll her eyes, ‘anyway, we have just the treatment. Listening to sad songs-’

‘Eating your feelings,’ Marlene countered.

‘Dating someone knew,’ Mary teased making them laugh.

‘Whatever you want,’ Marlene said.

‘Thanks guys,’ Jasmine said. And though admittedly it didn’t immediately wrench her from the depths of despair she felt a touch better.

 If Sirius could move on then so could she.

Sirius Tags

@caitlin1996 @imthebadguyyy

[animehouse-moe]

The Ancient Magus' Bride Season 2 Episode 14: Nothing Venture, Nothing Have II

Kafka and MahoYome are settling in to this second cour of its second season, as we refocus on the missing book. While the episode stays pretty well in line with expectations for viewers, there's quite a few ambitious and well executed moments within.

The first thing that springs to mind is the use of CGI. Kafka's shown themselves to rely on it to a decent degree for some moments, so I was expecting to see it in this episode regardless.

Two moments stand out though, as rather well done examples: the werewolf opening scene, and Mariel's Harry Potter style brick-removal trick. I think both look surprisingly good, and that they owe it to the darker compositions of the scenes. CGI in bright light can look bad if your detail or compositing isn't really good, but those are both things that can be better hidden with darker and more bleak lighting and colors.

Let's get into the episode at hand though, mostly because I noticed a mistake (that was pointed out by a comment) with my previous post. That is, that Isaac has a crush (or something of the sort) on Philomela.

That's not the case, those feelings certainly still lie with Rian in some capacity, and we come to understand Isaac's actions through the lens of Rian's past. Here, it's Philomela that he remembers rather than Isaac, which is really interesting. It implies that Philomela and Rian's families were closer before his and Isaac's were, where Philomela originally played the role of Rian's friend/right hand man.

Isaac doesn't seem to understand or know of the past between Philomela and Rian, but he grasps the feel of their emotions. He discerns that there's a type of bond between her and Rian, and he doesn't like that so he ends up pressuring Rian on Philomela in this episode which I thought was very interesting.

For reference, it becomes clearer in hindsight now that Isaac's self-deprecation to Philomela was him comparison himself as a match to Rian. Though I'm unsure if it's meant to be in the romantic sense and that that's why we had that shot of Philomela's chest.

Cruising from character to character, I want to visit Alcyone next because this second cour seems to be doing something very curious with them.

Yes, they're continually aware of Alcyone's height in how they frame layouts, but that's not it.

What I'm more interested in is the piece said by Chise later on in the episode about Alcyone.

It's a really interesting idea that she brings forward, because Alcyone sort of fits the bill for being a replacement/parallel Elias for Philomela. I'm sure that Alcyone will play a critical role in Philomela breaking free of her cage, similar to how Elias impacted Chise. It does make me wonder though if Elias will appear much alongside Chise through this stretch. I think leaving them separate is a good thing as of right now though, and that in doing so they're able to allow Chise to grow as an individual and use her past experiences with Elias to involve herself with Alcyone and Philomela.

Speaking about Philomela so much though, she absolutely has the scene of the episode. I love it so much for so many different reasons.

The narrative behind it is just so great. Philomela thinks she's free from her grandmother at the college, that she has a chance to be a normal student thanks to Chise, that having Alcyone by her side she'll be okay.

But then then her old habits kick in and she can't drink the water. She begins to spiral in her isolation, and the iron grip of her grandmother returns in the worst way possible. She uses Alcyone as a vessel for a pre-recorded message to disparage Philomela, to drag her even deeper into the abyss of her own mind. It's an incredibly well put together sequence that shows just how little a thread Philomela has been holding onto as her grandmother threatens to let go of the other end.

And just re-winding a little to the last bit I really want to talk about: the hole in the wall vendor.

One of my favorite things about MahoYome is how consistently it terrifies with the world of magic. How often things are unsightly and uncomfortable, dangerous or menacing. This specific vendor is a great example of that with two things during their interaction with Mariel.

The first is how they search Mariel's mind for the book. In contrast to her way of touching lips, the vendor sticks his hand directly into Mariel's head, which given the physical reaction Mariel has, was not a pleasant experience.

Following that up is the casual explanation that the vendor would have eaten Mariel had she not paid a reasonable price to them for the information that she's searching for.

The world of magic and monsters is such on that the name implies. It is certainly not the realm of humans, and I love that distinction so much. It presents such a unique, but at the same time very classic approach to magic, and I really can't get enough of it.

I also can't get enough of these detailed environments. I wish Kafka had more to play with in regards to the design of the college, because the vendor's space looks incredibly good.

All in all, it's an episode that has a lot of strong points, but can struggle with getting stuck in lulls. Kafka remains a little too ambitious in some scenes as they rely on still images to fill the space. In others though, like the Philomela sequence, they have some really great work being done. I don't think that MahoYome has to be animated perfectly 100% of the time, but I think that the direction and boarding can use some work to promote animation in sequences.

The story remains rock solid though, and I love how much detail and subtle progression there is with the characters here. So so much to love that I essentially forgot about the book that remains lurking on campus. But I suppose there'll be more about that in the next episode.