#The Christmas Prince

[unmask-strange-aeons]

"I am Vanessa Hudgens"

[i-review-christmas-rom-coms]

the emotional rollercoaster that is the christmas prince series continues to be one of the greatest mysteries of modern television because how do you go from

1: pure trash. could barely make it through the second time. every second of watching this sends me closer to the edge. i hate you amber you are my enemy

2: ... camp?? crazy bc it actually took me a year after my first experience with the shitshow that is the christmas prince 1 to force myself to try again but i was actually having a good time here. everyone is so silly like I <3 you guys [not you amber. never you] yess unintentional gold

3: the finale. climax. apothéose. literally insane. an absolute journey. went into this not knowing whether to get out the popcorn or the vomit bucket and somehow left both untouched. this film is a tragedy named king tai and queen ming. the tragedy is that it wasn't about them wtf. literally crying wdym they only appear in this film and leave forever. THE PRINCESS SWITCH TWO REFERENCE WASN'T ENOUGH I DEMAND BLOOD

[ro-doodles]

This is maybe really stupid, but what if Steddie the Christmas Prince au, here me out:

Steve as Richard, the prince who everyone thinks is a playboy asshole but turns out to be really sweet and a real life Prince Charming

Eddie as Amber, the slightly cynical reporter in way over his head and slowly falling for Prince Charming

Dustin as Emily the crazy smart younger sibling to the prince with a clinical disability that the reporter bonds with to ingratiate himself in the family (and also randomly becomes a hacker in the second movie. That’s not important to the au but I think it’s really funny)

I feel like this works kind of disturbingly well, also Robin can be the obligatory gay best friend (which is a reductive trope, but I wanted to have her there and they’re all gay anyway so what does it matter) Not sure who would be Simon, but I’m sure we could figure that out.

This is all I’m going to be able to think about for the foreseeable future

[the-lonelybarricade]

Top 5 MB fics?

LOL this is the most difficult ask probably EVER. There's a lot of @separatist-apologist fic I've yet to explore and every one I've read has been a masterpiece so I'm sure my top 5 will be missing some gems.

They Say I Did Something Bad

Is There A Word For Bad Miracle?

Wonderland

I'll Bet You Think About Me

All He Thinks About Is Me

[danpuff-ao3]

The Making of: The Christmas Prince

If you know me, you know how much I love the holidays. All holidays, really, but especially Christmastime. (Which is funny considering I'm fully agnostic LOL.) In truth, I love any reason to celebrate. I love an excuse to have fun and be happy. And at Christmastime, I'm not alone. The Christmas spirit is infectious. There are songs to sing, decorations to hang, sweets to bake. There is a sense of magic in the air, and the spark of magic in others.

Since I have a great love of Christmas, I have a great love of Christmas stories. And in 2020 I really leaned into my love of fandom and of the holidays with a fic series called Christmas in Hogsmeade. And while the other 2 stories in that series are worth reading, and worth discussing, I'm here today to tell you about:

The Christmas Prince

Of all the Christmas stories I've written, The Christmas Prince is my favorite. More than that, it is also among my favorite of all the Snarries I've written. Quite the accomplishment that is! Definitely Top 5 Snarry material.

The Perfect Tree, a Neville/Percy fic, I wrote first. It was a ship I wanted to play with, and I had a blast with that story. And in it, there is background Snarry. Somewhere along the way, I decided: well, I have to tell that story, too, don't I?!

There was a very specific goal with The Christmas Prince. One that would, inevitably, be difficult (but not impossible) to pull off. What I wanted from it was to be a Christmas romance. I wanted fluff, or at least fluffy elements. I needed it to be injected with holiday spirit. It had to be merry and bright, gosh darn it!

But it also had to be Snarry. I wanted my boys as true to character as I could manage, and for their dynamic to be as alive and electric as I love it to be. I have a preference when it comes to my Snarry stories, a preference with how they and their relationship are portrayed. And reconciling all of that dysfunction and difficulty with a fun Christmas love story?

Well...I did the damn thing.

But it took work.

The opening scene was set from the start. I knew my best bet in achieving my goal was pushing an unlikely pair together through force. And by force, I mean matchmaking. So: holiday matchmaking event: check!

In the early stages, I was determined to have Severus be the one pursuing Harry. There had been a conversation on Discord a while back of someone wanting to see more of that dynamic. Of Severus being the one chasing Harry, rather than Harry instigating matters. Which led me to "Severus manipulating a matchmaking service to get a date with Harry." In my mind, it made more sense for Severus to quietly take action, rather than to boldly announce his intentions.

With that in mind, I began in Severus' POV.

What is funny about this is that, were you to ask me what POV I prefer to write, I'd tell you Harry. But I find myself writing Severus' POV more often than not. And with my mind set on "Severus pursuing Harry", it made sense to be in Severus' head for that. Right?

I fought with it for...I don't even know how long. I kept trying and trying. I'd start over from the top. I knew where I was going. I knew what Severus was thinking and feeling.

But Severus Snape's voice does not lend itself to "fluffy Christmas story." He's too heavy of a character, too intense, too dark. The tone of the story was off.

(Side note: if you've read Close Enough you'll know part of the problem. I'd injected that specific headcanon into the original version of The Christmas Prince. And I stand by it! That man was totally working through his feelings for Harry with sex workers before the start of the story.)

The trouble is this: I'm quite stubborn and set in my ways. Changing track was not easy, even when I knew it needed to happen. I started the fic yet again, this time from Harry's POV.

There were a few bumps in the road at the start, primarily stemming from a difficulty in letting go of my original plans. Also: for some reason I decided to write it in past tense, even though I primarily write in present tense?? There was a lot of tense slippage, let me tell you!

Once I moved past the initial hurdles, the story flowed out of me. The tone was exactly what I wanted! Harry's voice is better suited for balancing drama and humor, angst and fluff. Not only his voice, but his circumstances. Harry is more charming and more social. He has more connections to others, to friends and to family. He has more shameless sentimentality and silliness to him. Harry would have more appreciation for the holiday season, and for the magic of Hogsmeade at Christmastime.

What I appreciated only later was the opportunity Harry's POV gave me, as well. Harry's initial shock/confusion/horror at being paired up with Severus was the right amount of fun, while injecting a bit of delicious angst when we (outsiders) realize Severus' feelings. It was less of a punch to the gut as it was in Severus' POV. And it was self-indulgent on my end to be in that frame of mind.

As much as I love Snarry, I'm such a sucker for other characters being baffled by it. Even Harry himself.

For Severus, it is a whim that leads him to Harry's table. An opportunity he grasps with both hands, and follows to the end. He's in love with Harry, but it takes the right moment, the right circumstances, for him to act at all. And it only works due to Harry's curiosity and kindness. A glimpse at Severus' vulnerability intrigues him. They are both set down a path that they walk warily, prepared to bolt, and along the way they find themselves closer and, by the end, walking hand in hand.

To tell this story as originally envisioned, and in the tone I wanted, took a lot of work. My boys are not easy by any stretch of the imagination. That's what I love about them! I love the tension and the antagonism and the angst...but sometimes a gal just wants to have fun and indulge in a bit of holiday magic.

I truly love this story so much (even if it was a pain in my backside), and I hope others love it, too!

[cutiepatutie13]

Yall get me q man with a British accent😭😭

Cause I'm watching christmasprince the Royal baby on Netflix and then Simon's gf gets suspicion that he is cheating and stuff like that and so they are having a confrontation and then he asks what's wrong in a soft British accent sjshejejojfke I SAY THIS AGAIN GET ME A MAN WITH A BRITISH ACCENT

Thank you for listening to me rant

Ciao

[palfriendpatine66]

The most accurate read on my mental health is whether or not I have the need to watch The Christmas Prince

[fisheem4mmal]

A true gentleman

[rubadubdub3nunsinatub]

Why does the flag of the fake country in the Christmas Prince look like the flag of Rhodesia 💀💀💀

[solarwreathe]

what must be on his mind to make him so happy? only one thing

[lastoneout]

I've seen these five films sweep COUNTLESS themed polls, so guess what?

No "other" option. You have to pick one. Good luck.

[shirmirart]

decorating the christmas tree ✨🎄❄️

(the "tree" being alex)

[fangirltothefullest]

I don't care that you're of lower station

Or primed to sate my dark temptations

Why can't you understand?

Let me explain...

It feels SO good to have time off so I can have the inspiration to draw again. Anyways this song makes me think of Roman and I'm proud of this piece.

If you like it, please reblog it.

[aiuredsworld]

So they said Harry and Draco went to Hogsmeade tgt huh🤨?

[quelmdn]

more side chars... Erasmus, Ancel and Nicaise this time

(Adding the little crop bellow bc i forgot Nic's earrings in the full version 😭)

[havanasroses]

firstprince — what more can i say?, falsettos