#and I fudged up

[moonlight-fawn]

the seasonal job I applied for really ghosted me huh ?

[sufjanswidow]

Isolated Connection

[codename-adler]

17.

Almost there my boys!!!! They grow up so fast… 🥹 Thank god for Nicky 🌈

i’m too impatient & posting this rn even tho tumblr is dead today

[proventobeaj3lover]

ONE WORD

SMASH

(read tags)

[laurrelise]

i did a little doodle

[bloodfin]

Unedited Raindrop thigh riding in the new uniforms ft fingers in mouth have fun lads !

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Dew laments, holding up a small bedazzled skeleton shirt.

"I liked the bug masks better."

"I dunno," Rain chirps from the dressing room next door. "I kind of dig it."

Dew drops his shirt and throws the curtain open, scrambling to get into Rain's dressing room. The first to see him in this uniform, and it steals the breath from his lungs.

"So this is what it feels like to be Satan's favorite," Dew smiles, eyes raking over Rain's lithe form in skintight pants.

"Shit Rainy, you look so good."

Dew's heart does something weird in his chest when Rain looks over his shoulder at him, carefully unglamoured fangs on full display in a bright smile.

It's criminal, really, the way the tailcoat hides his plump ass from view. He can't be blamed when he palms at the fabric, pushing it to the side and loosing an appreciative whistle.

"Maybe the tails are a good thing, no one else can see what's mine."

He drops the fabric and swats at his firm left cheek before gliding around Rain to stand in front of him, chin up as he assesses the habit.

"And that's just unfair."

"Hm?"

"I have to look at you like this all night, and act professionally? Talk about a sin."

"So you like it then," Rain smiles, each crooked fang glimmering in the low light.

"You could say that."

Rain swallows Dew's gasp as he bullies him into the wall, wedging his knee between his legs.

"Show me," Rain pants into his mouth, bumping his knee against Dew just right.

"Show me how much you like it."

Dew whines and rocks his hips, pressing harder onto Rain's thigh. His delicate bone structure hides pure muscle strength, his firm corded quad flexed for Dew's pleasure.

There's a low growl in Dew's chest, and Rain smirks before capturing his lips in a searing kiss. Dewdrop slowly drags himself across the hard muscle of Rain's thigh, whimpering as the friction starts to build against his cock. Dew sighs into it, groans with every push and pull.

Rain flexes his fingers around Dew's little waist, nipping at his ear.

"Gotta be quiet baby," he breathes, cold breath meeting overheated skin. "Don't need any interruptions, yeah?"

Rain makes it a challenge when he drags the cold tip of his tongue along the shell of Dew's ear, pausing to plant a kiss where it meets his jaw. Dew moans quietly against him, thows his hands around his neck and grinds, feeling pre start to soak into his pants.

"Not fair," he grunts, fingers searching for a button, a clasp, anything to get Rain out of his uniform. Rain shrugs and dips his head into the crook of Dew's shoulder, tongue tracing over scar after scar. Many from him, serrated scars from shark like teeth sunk into tender flesh.

"Not my fault you're easy," Rain huffs.

He reaches one hand down to squeeze at Dew's barely there ass, slowing his grind to a near halt. Dew has to bite his tongue to keep from whining, feels his claws unglamour as they itch to tear into sparkling black fabric.

Dew shifts the weight in his hips, unable to suppress his moan this time, the pressure growing low in his belly. Rain squeezes him once more before trailing his fingers up Dew's chest, pausing to tug at one of his piercings on the way. Rain drags his fingers up Dew's neck, gently traces them around his lips.

"Open for me?"

Rain's voice had hit that lower register, the one that never fails to make Dew shoot in thirty-two seconds or less. He squeezes his eyes shut for just a moment before darting his tongue out and licking the tip of Rain's pointer and middle fingers before sucking them into his mouth.

His taste buds are flooded with the tang of metal from his bass strings, a hint of blood from that hangnail he pulled out earlier, that sweet sea grass flavor that seems to come off of him in waves, and an undertone of driftwood bonfire that has permeated into his skin from all the time they spend together.

Before, now, and after.

"Getting sentimental on me, baby?"

Rain is purring into his ear, and it's then that Dewdrop realizes he and Rain had both dropped their glamours completely. He has to hope to Satan that Cumulus won't be too mad, her hard work destroyed in the name of Rain's more than ample ass.

Well. At least she'll understand.

Dew rocks harder against Rain, feels the friction of his now soaked pants dragging across his cock, pushing him closer to his release. He groans against Rain's fingers as he flexes them against his tongue, picking up more citrus and jasmine. His grip on Rain's jacket tightens as his breath hitches, chasing, chasing, chasing.

"C'mon, come for me."

That's all it takes for Dew, really. Rain's voice sounding like that, dressed like that, fingers crammed so deep in his mouth they might as well be in his throat. He comes hard against Rain's thigh, shout muffled by Rain petting his tongue.

Before he knows it Rain is kissing along his jaw, pulling his fingers from his mouth to undo his own buttons. Dew feels himself sinking, being deposited on his knees as Rain gathers his hair in his hand.

"My turn," Rain smiles.

Dew knows he's in for later, but it's worth it when he takes Rain to the back of his throat with little preamble, his knees shaking as he threatens to come just as fast as Dew did.

[fedorah-the-explorah]

going off of the sheer amount of fanfiction i've read saying the contrary, I think this may be considered an unpopular opinion, but I firmly believe that player is like scary good at lying. I don't think he particularly likes lying, but he can, you know? like on the rare occasion that he has to, carmen will listen to him lie straight through his teeth like it's nothing and get really really concerned. because like. hello? where did you learn to do that? sir?

I don't know, watching s2e7 is so funny to me because this is the first time he's interacted with someone outside the team for a caper, and he immediately gets into the deception, fake accent and all. no hesitation. carmen switches the plan on him, and he's the one who has to relay that to gray while still maintaining the lie. and he does it! full confidence! and when graham pushes back, player pulls out the "haha yeah the crowds going crazy :)" and gets him to go along.

and hey! this plan was fucking ludicrous and stupid. I have such a love-hate relationship with this episode. it is everything to me. it's fucking idiotic. it's beautiful. it's a god damn joke. when the plan DOES eventually fall apart, that is not on player because buddy did his best with the silliest plan known to mankind. okay? he was ON it in this episode, I love it.

it's also the screening he did during the second act of the pilot. "strange people kept answering your phone!" and you kept calling?? did you have these silly goofy little lies already made? or were you just coming up with them on the fly?

or what about in season 4 when zack and ivy come to his school posing as exterminators? they can't agree on a lie and arrive at making up a new kind of insect, and player is so quick to back it up. the embodiment of "yes, and?" kid can roll with the punches, it's great.

like, there's a reason he and carmen are best friends. she was raised to be a thief and was pretty much born for their line of work, but player is kind of perfectly made for it as well. that's a guy who can continue a bit. his confidence with this stuff is both impressive and reckless, and it has GOT to keep carmen up at night. I love him.

[medicalunprofessional]

play dentist

[mytimeinthesun]

Colored some Mike Wozniak inspired Harveys based on these doodles I did the other night

Transcript of handwriting below the cut:

From top to bottom left to right:

-got goaded into starting a village-wide snowball fight at the Festival of Ice by spouse and isn't sure yet if this is fun or terrifying

-<-Reaction to tasteless (but complimentary) innuendo from spouse

-*bemused skepticism*

-Results of having to take children to the toy store ->

(pose reference: Taskmaster Series 11 E5 13:32)

-"Um, darling? I don't think this is how bondage is supposed to go, even on a budget..."

(he is definitely being pranked)

<-duct tape

(for context: Taskmaster Series 11 Ep5 10:30)

[strawberrysundi]

WELL I WAS PLANNING ON PLAYING CELESTE THIS EVENING BUT INSTEAD I WILL NOW DEVOTE IT ENTIRELY TO INDULGING MY HYPERFIXATION

IT'S FINALLY TIME FOR A PORKY POST

Are Ness and Porky Friends...?

Let's talk about that 😏

First things first, I think this single moment from the beginning of the game is by FAR the most important thing to consider when thinking about how Ness and Porky's relationship is presented to us

Right at the start, when you make your way up to the meteorite, you will encounter the cops and their blockade This also serves as our first introduction to our wonderful neighbor, Porky Minch, who is currently making a nuisance of himself trying to get up to the meteorite, much to the cops' chagrin

One of the cops asks if we could help deal with Porky, and asks this vital question:

What's Ness's answer? Yes!

...or no.

I cannot understate how obsessed with this I am. Ness can't say whether or not Porky is really his friend. This is something he's unable to answer on his own. I really think this is a fantastic way to introduce Porky to the player. If he is Ness's friend... it doesn't seem like he's a very good one.

Now shortly after this, Porky begs for Ness's help in finding Picky. We get a pretty good look at Porky's character here. He's obnoxious, rude, doesn't take responsibility for his actions, and above all is pretty meek and cowardly. Now, I think some people go a little far in interpreting him as "bad" here. Porky's undeniably a jerk even now, but he's still just a kid, and a pretty pathetic one at that. If you look on the Earthbound wiki, you'll see that his age is listed as 14. As far as I'm aware, this only has one source, being Saori Kumi's Earthbound novelization. If you know even the slightest thing about this book, you will understand how ludicrous it is to use this as a source. Porky's age is never specified ingame, but I think his overall presentation implies that he should be the same age as Ness. It's fairly well-known that Ness's age is given as 13 in the American guide, but 12 in Japanese. 12 is also the age given in, again, Saori Kumi's novelization, unfortunately I don't know if this is stated elsewhere. It can also be noted that Shigesato Itoi has actually said he never thought of a specific age for Ness, just that he had his daughter in mind who at this time was in grade 4 or 5. So this gives us a range that could be as old as 13 or as young as 9. Personally, I skew toward 11-12 for how I envision the characters. In any case, Porky's clearly very young, so you really have to keep that in mind when considering... kinda everything about him, actually. But in this instance, it really contextualizes the stuff he says. For example, if you say no to him when he asks for your help, he threatens to "say something that'll cut you like a knife." I think it's silly to take this seriously (i've even heard someone describe it as Porky blackmailing Ness). He's clearly just gonna call Ness some mean name or something. ...Except he doesn't. Say no to him again, and he'll immediately deflate.

Porky is in no way a bully. He's annoying, but he's pretty lousy at being intimidating. Instead, his favorite way of getting what he wants is to appeal to others' sympathy. He's relying on Ness to help him by virtue of being "his bestest friend." Or think of his actions in battle: smiling insincerely, apologizing profusely, pretending to cry. He plays up being a sweet innocent kid whenever he's in trouble.

So, I think the picture we've painted is of a kid who's sort of a jerk, and tricks others to get what he wants. It becomes pretty clear why Ness isn't sure if he can really call Porky his friend.

...But what about Porky's side? Is he really only pretending to like Ness for his own gain, or are his own feelings much more complicated?

First off, just some minor things. While Porky leaves a pretty bad, if not altogether inaccurate first impression, there's a few things in his dialogue that speak to him thinking of Ness as more than just 'that loser who thinks we're friends.'

He promises that he'll tell Ness all about the meteorite in the morning. Probably this'd be in his typically boastful Porky-fashion, but even so, this shows that he wants to share things with Ness.

It's easy to miss because most people playing Earthbound have played A Video Game's before, and also tend not to ignore directions the game is clearly telegraphing, but Porky will actually give you advice if you're not properly prepared.

If you don't grab the Cracked Bat:

You're not taking anything on our big adventure? Why don't you look around for your Cracked bat or something?

Taking the bat but not equipping it:

Sorry about giving you this game-type advice, but you should equip your weapon! Do you know what "equip" means?

Yes:

Okay, that's good. Be sure to pay attention to details like that.

No:

It means "use" or "wear." You must equip items in order to use or wear them. "Equip" is used a lot in games like this, but you already knew that...

Finally, not answering your dad:

The phone is ringing! Answer it! At my house, my dad gets bent if I don't get the phone... within the first three rings!

These aren't anything groundbreaking, but they do show how Porky acts with Ness in casual contexts, plus how the game presents Porky surprisingly neutrally in the beginning, rather than just immediately telegraphing him as the villain. Also, nobody's seen these so hey, some obscure trivia for you.

Finally, Porky's reaction to hearing the prophecy is pretty telling of the kind of character Porky is pre-Giygas. He just talks about how much trouble Ness is in now, how he hopes he doesn't have to come, and how freaked out he is. I think this sums him up pretty well. He's the meek comic-relief friend character. Sniff from Moomin, for example. Or go watch Monster House, because Chowder is literally exactly Porky.

But none of that is super juicy. Let's dive into something juicy. This little bit murdered my brother when we got to it in our playthrough.

A quick detour to Magicant...

Ness... I envy you. You have all the luck. I have no luck. Ness... well, okay... Let's be friends forever, alright?

still hurts

Yeah so first off, I think this totally clears up Ness's feelings towards Porky. He can't say if they're really friends... But he WANTS them to be.

This is Ness's vision of Porky, the Porky he used to know before Giygas corrupted him, and the one he wishes was still around.

But even if this is just a manifestation of Ness's consciousness, I think it also gives us a look into Porky's inner self. This is what Ness sees in Porky, the confession that Porky is too insecure to say out loud. He hides it behind all his boasting and rudeness, but he really, really wants to keep his friendship with Ness.

Well.

If only.

Let's get to MOTHER 3.

This game gives us SO much more of Porky's character, and it's all sooooo deep. I cannot understate how much I hate seeing Porky reduced to 'that Eric Cartman kid who is an absolutely irredeemable suchnsuch.' King P is the culmination of a lot of aspects of Porky's character arc (you think this post is long, it's only the first of many more...), but one of the most prominent aspects is his unbelievably, painful, PATHETIC loneliness. This kid... man... is so desperate for a friend after he left the only person who ever wanted to connect with him that he literally brainwashes a whole city's worth of people into loving him.

And of course that's not enough, because all he wants is his next-door neighbor, his good buddy, his bestest friend Ness.

In closing, are Ness and Porky friends? It's complicated. Both clearly, desperately want to be. They have a history, they know each other intimately, by Itoi's own words they literally grew up playing together. But, for a number of reasons (that I've thought all too much about...), Porky just can't help but make it difficult. I'd sum it up by listening to the song that plays during Earthbound's cast credits. In the end, there are good friends, and...

[yetanothersomebody]

Debate: what does the Professor hide under his hat?

Happy Luke Lunes!

Also...

It was hidden puzzle all along! Of course...

[anna-lilies]

Happy birthday @corviids! I have been following your stories and art for a while and I wanted to share some fan art I made of your lovely characters!

[zombocomme]

Gawd please, gimme GRIFTWOOD in the Skeletour Setlist, I'm begging you, waaaahh!!!

[padawansuggest]

When my gf and sis first met (over text because all of us live in different places) the first year Christmas came around and they compared fudge recipes… and they fight over those recipes every year.

I’m not gonna lie at first my autistic ass thought they were being serious and were gonna hate each other over how to make fudge, but now I’m just glad cause yes. They are sisters of the truest sort. Meaning they are besties but willing to Throw Down sometimes. I like that. I lucked out.

[darsynia]

Oh it's gotta be Tony🥰

#48 kisses to shut them up

Victorian AU

I swear I don't know what I expected but to have Tony sweep me creatively off my feet. Tony/Reader, Austenesque language, 1,500 words. FFS. I give you, Arranged

MCU | TONY | BUCKY | STEVE

Excerpt:

“My dear lady, I’m affronted!”

“You will recover, my lord,” you inform him, spreading some honey on one of the scones in your basket. With a bite of sweet and a deft subject change on your part, Lord Anthony will forget his foolish mission and remember he is also your friend.

“How would you know, you’ve barely laid eyes on me,” he says, feigning petulance.

You raise your eyes to regard the man. He is, as always, impeccably dressed, handsome as a satyr, and the architect of your own heart’s ruination. At ten years your senior and your brother’s dearest friend besides, there’s no hope for that, so you school your features to neutrality as usual, offering him a cool nod.

Then he smiles at you and all resolve is lost.

ARRANGED

The good thing about being the beloved ‘spinster’ sister of a sometimes surly Viscount is that the gossipmongers don’t harass you about your marriage prospects.

The bad thing about being the beloved ‘spinster’ sister of a sometimes surly Viscount is that one can become a slight bit complacent about the idea of remaining unmarried.

It appears that your sense of peace in such matters is finally at an end. Just minutes before your guests were set to arrive, your kind, generous, conflict-avoidant brother brought up the touchy subject of matrimonial bliss. Not only did he express doubt that you could live a fulfilled life as ‘merely’ the aunt to his delightful children, but he framed the question as one of your own happiness. He even dismissed your argument that a person can live a fulfilled life without a spouse, as his dearest friend is quite content being unmarried! The only difference between yourself and Lord Anthony is that of gender; you are perfectly well set up by the inheritance your father laid aside for you before his untimely death.

Bruce, clever as he is, knows you wouldn’t risk setting off his temper right before a gathering, so now the damnable concept of marriage will float above your head like a cloud throughout the picnic.

You settle yourself with a small basket in a quiet section of the picnic grounds, near enough to a copse of trees that you could retreat with a book if necessary.

The peace doesn’t last.

“There you are! Your esteemed brother--”

“No.” You don’t even allow Lord Anthony to continue, because as always, here there be dragons. The man is a roadmap to frustration, even if the journey is frequently amusing.

“My dear lady, I’m affronted!”

“You will recover, my lord,” you inform him, spreading some honey on one of the scones in your basket. With a bite of sweet and a deft subject change on your part, Lord Anthony will forget his foolish mission and remember he is also your friend.

“How would you know, you’ve barely laid eyes on me,” he says, feigning petulance.

You raise your eyes to regard the man. He is, as always, impeccably dressed, handsome as a satyr, and the architect of your own heart’s ruination. At ten years your senior and your brother’s dearest friend besides, there’s no hope for that, so you school your features to neutrality as usual, offering him a cool nod.

Then he smiles at you and all resolve is lost.

Twisting your lips to the side to avoid smiling from the joy he sets loose in your chest, you hold up the scone. “Bruce is merely suffering from a fit of conscience. It will pass.”

“He wishes for your happiness.”

“I wish the same for him! The best way to achieve that is for the subject to be dropped.”

Speaking with his mouth full, Tony says, “He told me he may need to look to his peers for a good prospect.” You rise to your feet, instantly furious, but your tormentor holds up both hands in surrender. After a few seconds of glaring stand-off, he starts to lick honey off of his thumb.

You turn your back on him in a show of pique, as well as to conceal your reaction to his display.

“If you’re so distressed, I suppose I could offer for your hand,” Tony says casually.

You’ve never spun on your heel faster in your life. “You wish to end your friendship with both of us so thoroughly, then?” you gasp out, hurt at the level of cruelty in his jest. 

“How so? It seems the simplest of arrangements to me,” he says, pulling out his handkerchief to dab at the corners of his mouth. You’re certain he’s doing it to hide his amusement, so you step forward, accusatory.

“Bruce will threaten to tear you limb from limb for the very suggestion, and I--”

Tony’s expression sharpens, eyes fixed on yours. “And you?”

You scoff, speechless. How dare he mock you and sully his association with your family in this way? Without speaking a word, you gather your skirts and stalk off toward the trees to signal the end of the conversation. You’re a wounded animal, struck in the heart, and you wish to be left alone to bleed out.

He calls your name, but your steps don’t even falter. Only when you’re surrounded by the familiar trees in this part of the grounds do you stop, resting your back against one and bowing your head.

Tony says your name softly, his voice very close.

“Leave me be,” you whisper. “Take your japes elsewhere.”

“I haven’t made any.”

You hug your arms, feeling defensive and exposed. This is nothing like the casual banter and deep philosophical discussions the two of you usually engage in. “I would rather you tell Bruce he’s lost all sense and to forget the whole business than give him the impression you would ever--” your resolve falters. Naming a thing gives it power, when there are so many possible descriptions of it. Lord Anthony would likely pity you if he could discern your true opinion of him.

“Go on,” Tony says. His tone is low, as he steps closer. ‘Dangerous’ is as apt a descriptor of him in this moment as any ever has been.

Escape hadn’t worked, so it’s time to fight back, it seems. “Your presence in this area is practically a scandal, friendly association with our family or not,” you tell him, lifting your chin.

Tony steps forward again, resting his hand on the tree next to yours to lean in and whisper, conspiratorially, “I thought I just proposed to you.”

You’ve burned for him in secret for years, and now he’s put you in a position to argue against his farce of a ‘proposal?’ Your fury is incandescent. 

“You manifestly did not! You--”

Tony dips his head and swiftly steals the words right from your lips, pulling back to declare, “I did. You must not have been paying attention.”

Your lips are buzzing, your head is spinning, and you can’t breathe. You close your eyes tightly. “You have had too much sun, my lord. I suggest that you--”

This time you have the barest of warnings before his lips touch yours, the soft brush of his fingertips angling your face toward him. This kiss is nothing like his earlier teases. There’s heat, intention, and oh, a sweetness that has nothing to do with the honey you know he’d just had. 

If it wasn’t for the tree at your back, you don’t know how you would remain upright--but just as you think this, Tony catches your clenched fist in his hand and brings it to his collar. The act is fond, familiar, and you pull your head back to blink up at him, charmed but confused.

“I have had too much sun,” Tony says, his brown eyes more sincere than you’ve ever seen them. “You shine brighter than any other jewel, and I cannot allow you to be placed in any other setting than mine. I had thought to trick you with a mutually beneficial agreement and woo you into complacency, but I lost my head.”

“I--I don’t know how to believe you,” you whisper, but the shock-melted pleasure in your veins calls you a liar.

Tony brushes his nose with yours in a mischievous caress, then pushes off of the trees, throws his arms out beside him and says, “Have my hand, fair maiden? My heart, however tarnished, is already yours.”

Your own heart aches, for though this is more believable, it’s still in the realm of Lord Anthony Stark’s well-known impish sense of humor, however cruel that might be. Before you can speak, though, he lets out a long breath and nods.

“No, I see, I recognize-- I am quite serious. All you see here, the lightness, the jesting, it’s fear. My happiness lies in your hands, you see. It has for quite a while. When your brother expressed his concern, I--”

“You panicked,” you realize aloud. “Oh, Tony. I know that fear quite well. It inhabited me every summer the marriageable young ladies flocked to your banner. If you--”

“No ifs!”

You finally feel strong enough to stand on your own two feet without the tree or Tony to bear you up, so you step toward him, lifting your eyebrows. “Aha! I could make up anything to finish that sentence of mine, and you would be caught, my lord.”

“A more pleasant outcome couldn’t be fathomed,” he teases back. Then, quietly, “Marry me?”

Your smile of teasing pride is matched only by Tony’s when you respond, “I do believe that can be arranged.”

[seriousbrat]

How do you think others perceived Lily and James' relationship once they started dating?

Many people seem to believe the main obstacle was that Lily hated James, but both the author and other characters clarify that this wasn’t true. It’s more likely that she found him too immature at first, but not that she actually hated him.

What I like to focus on, however, is the idea that the real challenge in their relationship may have been tied to blood status and the societal pressure that came with it. I can see how some people who weren’t purists themselves might still harbor biases against Muggle-borns, leading them to distance themselves from them in an attempt to evade the attention of real purists. People might see it as foolish for these two to be together. Others, especially those who had crushes on James, might wonder why he would choose a Muggle-born when he could easily be with someone who is half-blood or pure-blood. The most extreme ones would gossip and say hurtful things that no teenage couple would want to hear.

It’s been mentioned multiple times that Harry, at his core, takes after Lily. We see how he broke up with Ginny to protect her, so I can imagine that, while Lily may not have wanted to break up with James in the same way, she might have been hesitant to enter relationships. During the time they lived in, being friends with a Muggle-born is one thing, but dating one is another.

There isn’t much information about the Potter family, but James’ black-and-white woldview likely came from them. To him, you’re either opposed to blood purity, or you’re on the wrong side. The Potters have a long history of being open toward Muggles, and there’s some great meta on Tumblr that explores James’ grandfather, Henry, and his support for Muggles during World War I. The theory suggests that if Henry lived in Godric’s Hollow, surrounded by Muggles, he might have formed friendships with them and watched as generations of men he knew were lost to the war. This could explain his disappointment with the Wizengamot’s ignorance to Muggle suffering. That frustration may have carried over to his son Fleamont, who later passed it on to James. Therefore, I think that James's parents were more familiar with Muggles than Weasleys, and that's why they had no problems with Lily

Another thing to consider is that Lily and James were asked to join Voldemort when they came of age, which in wizarding society is 17. This would place them in the latter part of their sixth year at Hogwarts. While it’s harder to pinpoint exactly when Lily was approached (and even more puzzling as to why Voldemort would recruit her), we know from the prequel, set in 1977, that James and Sirius were already being pursued by Death Eaters at that time.

On a subconscious level, James likely felt a sense of security in his status, which would have been completely shattered by the attempt to recruit him, especially since Voldemort had a habit of killing those who refused him. Moreover, it would be a harsh blow for him to realize that the Death Eaters even thought someone like him could be persuaded to join them.

the real challenge in their relationship may have been tied to blood status and the societal pressure that came with it.

I mean, I think this was something that was definitely operating on some level in their relationship, as well as class-- the Potters were very wealthy, while Lily was from a working-class Muggle family. I think these two things caused some difference between them and possibly some friction or argument, but I don't think it was a HUGE challenge in their relationship, exactly.

I had another anon mention recently that they thought Lily would have been very careful around dating purebloods because of her Muggle-born status (and I didn't address it because my reply was long enough lol) but I don't see this as particularly true, honestly. Not for how I see Lily's character-- generally trusting, determined to see the good in others-- but also not for the way I think the general culture at Hogwarts is in canon, even during the first war.

Similarly, I sometimes find it a bit exaggerated in fics when everyone at Hogwarts, including Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs, openly despises and shuns Lily for being Muggleborn and goes around insulting her. Not only do we know she was popular at school, personally I think that's also a bit of an oversimplification of what we see in canon. That's not to say bigotry didn't exist among non-Slytherins; I'm going to try and explain this as well as I can because I think it's quite complex, and also quite complex to portray.

The way bigotry against Muggle-borns functions in mainstream wizarding society appears to be in general quite subtle, largely rooted in apathy and a sort of seemingly "benign prejudice," the "Cornelius Fudge Mindset," if you will. Unless you're in a very particular pureblood supremacist context, it's not socially acceptable to openly call someone a Mudblood, as we see in the Gryffindor team's reactions to Malfoy using the slur in CoS. Your average Hufflepuff is likely not going to be actively hostile towards Muggle-borns-- remember that those three houses include and have always included plenty of Muggle-born students.

Ernie MacMillan and Hannah Abbott, both purebloods, are very fierce in their defence of Justin Finch-Fletchley in CoS. In OotP we learn that Ernie's family, who definitely lived through the first war, has similar views to his, which is where he probably learnt them. I think simply growing up in a house alongside Muggle-born kids helps with this immensely.

Open bigotry has festered so acutely in Slytherin because Muggle-borns are NOT allowed to be sorted into the house (ik people differ on this but I understood it as the Hat physically cannot sort them into Slytherin by design.) Any half-bloods like Snape probably learn quickly to downplay their Muggle side.

As I said, though, bigotry still exists, even among non-Slytherin purebloods, and the subtle nature of it doesn't make things any less difficult for Muggle-borns. I brought this up in my fic when a pureblood girl on the Gryffindor team, who has a crush on James, can't understand why he'd date Lily because 'they don't have anything in common.' But James has to drag this confession out of her, and she's (rightly) very, very ashamed of herself immediately upon expressing it in public. And this sort of prejudice can be much harder to see and combat, because it usually goes unspoken. It exists, though, and it's the reason why anti-muggleborn propaganda was accepted so easily in DH. (though per Arthur, not by everyone- most are just too scared to do anything about it.)

Many purebloods might assume that Muggle-borns are less talented at magic like Slughorn does, but I think most normal people wouldn't generally say this to a Muggle-born's face, and on some level they'd recognise that this belief is shameful (as Slughorn appears to do: "You mustn't think me prejudiced!") Even if they believe it, it would simply be impolite. These people wouldn't consider themselves bigoted, they might even have Muggle-born friends and colleagues. But ultimately they wouldn't do anything to actively address the struggles that Muggle-borns face (especially out of fear during the war,) nor would they stop to question the world around them. They might not question, for example, why Muggle-borns are passed over for job opportunities, because it works in their favour.

After the Ministry coup in DH, Voldemort puts a great deal of effort into a propaganda campaign against Muggle-borns, but this hadn't been done previously, at least not on that level. As I said, he's able to take advantage of existing "mild" prejudice very easily, which is precisely what makes it dangerous. But even during the first war, I don't think Voldemort's or the Blacks' view on Muggle-borns was supposed to have been the mainstream-- not at Hogwarts under Dumbledore, and not wholly at the Ministry either-- and I think expressing such views publicly would be generally considered impolite. Outside of Slytherins, I don't get the feeling that admitting that you think Muggle-borns and purebloods shouldn't date would be very socially acceptable at Hogwarts, even if it's what you secretly believe. Now, obviously Slytherins would be saying this, but at the point that James and Lily got together, they're not setting much store by what any Slytherins think.

James is VERY openly pro-Muggleborn, as is his family, as is everyone he surrounds himself with. He and Lily were both popular, they were Head Boy and Girl, so largely due to social pressure (also knowing how strongly James and Sirius feel on the subject and how jinx-happy they are) I'm not sure that many Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, or Ravenclaws would really dare comment, especially not to their faces.

All this being said, I can imagine certain people, maybe even acquaintances of the Potters, thinking that Lily's 'taking advantage' of James for his wealth and the safety of his pureblood status, especially as she probably wasn't working while in the Order. I will actually deal with this in my fic too, though it appears to have more to do with class than blood status. Of course, we can't forget that those things are in many ways intertwined in the wizarding world, so there is an underlying bigotry there even if it's not intentional. I can definitely see Lily struggling with this a bit, especially because James would be more than willing to support her financially and buy her things, which might make her uncomfortable. And James not really understanding this (because he wants to make her happy and has never struggled with money himself) might be a bit of an issue, but one they can overcome I'm sure.

I know this reply is already incredibly long, but I wanted to say that, like you, the fact of Voldemort trying to recruit Lily has always puzzled me. I've dealt with it in a way that makes sense, I think. Perhaps if Voldemort really wanted James onside he'd realise that James wouldn't join without Lily, so he made a concession, especially since Lily is also a capable witch herself. I've no doubt it would have bothered James to be asked, but his immediate reaction was probably to loudly, clearly, and angrily refuse, and to spit in Voldy's face basically. I had a lot of fun writing that scene actually heehee