#he was my obsession right before i got back to my hp obsession

[profoundmakerdreamerss-blog]

Alright, I don't know how many of you have watched Umbrella Academy but guys, guys to me number five is Tom and Harry's love child. No, no hear me out — number five's eye colour is green (harry), he is an academic genius (Tom) but mostly uses that brain for things he is obsessed with (Harry and Tom), he is fucking crazy (again both), he is a killer, and will kill without remorse for his goals (Tom), he would destroy himself to save the world (Harry), he came back just so he could save his siblings and is loyal to a fault (Harry), and — he didn't give up even after he found himself in a world without a single life and went on living just so he could go back; the iron will and the need to survive (both of them again). He has the snark (harry), and he is godly at mind games (Tom). Like y'all, I'm telling u he's their son!

[wisteria-lodge]

I’d love if you ever expanded your thoughts on the way JKR writes romance, because it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. One thing that’s very interesting to me is that jealousy is used as a driving force for both of the main romantic storylines in HP. It’s more obvious with Ron/Hermione (the Yule Ball, basically everything that happens between them in book 6, the locket horcrux stuff) but also plays a big role in Harry/Ginny. Harry’s jealousy of her relationship with Dean is what makes him realize he’s into her, and moments where he’s pining for Ginny tend to focus on that jealousy more than an actual appreciation of Ginny’s personality. The most important part of writing a convincing romance is making readers believe that these characters actually care about each other and want to spend time together, and it feels like maybe what you describe as JKR’s obsession with pining made her lose sight of that. What do you think?

We've also got jealousy as a motif in Harry/Cho and Severus/Lily. It is absolutely a trope she uses, a lot. 

When I was trying to get my head around how JKR writes romance, the main thing that made it click for me was realizing that, to her - romance is inherently threatening. And/or embarrassing, overpowering, animalistic, dangerous. (thanks to @the-phoenix-heart for that line.) 

Really, the Harry Potter books are kind of a romance-free zone. It is incredibly unusual to see a romantic couple, acting like a couple, on the page. We spend a lot of time with Arthur and Molly, and while they’re both pretty fleshed out as characters, we get almost nothing of their couple dynamic (and what we do get doesn’t seem all that positive…) The blocking tends to physically separate them - Molly isn’t at the World Cup or Harry’s hearing, Arthur is working overtime when Harry is at the Burrow, etc. This is a pattern: her romantic couples, of which there are not many, have a way of being in different rooms, on different side quests, one of them is mind-controlled, one of them is unconscious, it cuts to black right before Harry kisses Cho, and right after he kisses Ginny.

Ron/Hermione takes place mostly outside of Harry’s perspective, and Harry/Ginny takes place mostly out of *the reader's* perspective. It’s a lot of narration, a lot of “Harry could not help himself talking to Ginny, laughing with her, walking back from practice with her” and “[Harry] was supposedly finishing his Herbology homework but in reality reliving a particularly happy hour he had spent down by the lake with Ginny at lunchtime.” Like, I don’t know. I might have liked to see those scenes play out.  

Bill/Fleur is probably her most successful couple (I mean, who doesn't like Bill and Fleur?) But even they almost never interact with each other. They talk about their relationship to other people, other people talk about them, but like… I’m just going to go through a rundown of every single time we see Bill and Fleur interact: 

 “’E is always so thoughtful,” purred Fleur adoringly, stroking Bill’s nose. Ginny mimed vomiting into her cereal behind Fleur. Harry choked over his cornflakes.

(Romance = embarrassing) 

What if [Ron and Hermione] became like Bill and Fleur, and it became excruciatingly embarrassing to be in their presence, so that he was shut out for good?

(Romance = embarassing, threatening)

Most [of the people at Dumbledore’s funeral] Harry did not recognize, but a few he did, including (...) Bill supported by Fleur and followed by Fred and George

(put a pin in this one, I’m going to come back to it) 

“Bah,” said Fleur [in Harry’s body], checking herself in the microwave door, “Bill, don’t look at me — I’m ’ideous.”

(I actually think this is kind of cute in context, but unfortunately JKR is being uncharitable to her hyper-femme characters again, and making a joke about woman-in-male-body, which unfortunately makes it less cute in the grand scheme of things) 

“I’m taking Fleur on a thestral,” said Bill. “She’s not that fond of brooms.” Fleur walked over to stand beside him, giving him a soppy, slavish look that Harry hoped with all his heart would never appear on his face again.

(Romance = embarrassing) 

“We saw [Mad-Eye die]” said Bill; Fleur nodded, tear tracks glittering on her cheeks... 

(Not sure if this counts as them interacting, but they are at least next to each other)

“No,” said Bill at once, “I’ll do it, I’ll come.” “Where are you going?” said Tonks and Fleur together. “Mad-Eye’s body,” said Lupin. “We need to recover it.”

(this one doesn’t even frame them as a couple, since the teams have split into Bill and Lupin and Tonks and Fleur.) 

“We can’t tell you what we’re doing,” said Harry flatly. “You’re in the Order, Bill, you know Dumbledore left us a mission. We’re not supposed to talk about it to anyone else.” Fleur made an impatient noise, but Bill did not look at her.”

(... does this imply that Fleur isn’t in the Order? Anyway, they’re married at this point, and kinda disagreeing a la Molly and Arthur) 

[Griphook] continued to request trays of food in his room, like the still frail Ollivander, until Bill (following an angry outburst from Fleur) went upstairs to tell him that the arrangement could not continue.

(Another conflict, but hey, at least it sounds like they resolved it. We hear about their daughter Victoire in the epilogue, but this is the last time we see Bill and Fleur together.) 

But, okay. Not putting romance in the Harry Potter books is a perfectly fine creative choice. JKR can absolutely decide she just wants to give other things more emotional weight. What clarified this for me was the Fantastic Beasts films and her adult literature (particularly the Cormoran Strike books.) In those, JKR is wanting to write romance. And yet....

In Fantastic Beasts, she can write the awkward getting-to-know-you pre-romance stuff, but the second Jacob and Queenie are actually a couple - he loses his memory, then he’s brainwashed, she’s with Grindelwald, they’re different plot lines that never intersect… and then they just get married at the end of Secrets of Dumbledore. So it’s not even a slow-burn, will-they-won’t-they thing. Tina and Newt get the same treatment, except their pre-romance getting-to-know-you beats are so subtle that a lot of people missed them completely. Then Tina's angry at Newt for a very silly misunderstanding… then in a separate plotline… and is only in the third film for two minutes at the end. People compare the structure of these films to Indiana Jones, but in those movies the love interest is actually hanging out with Indy the whole time. In the Cormoran Strike books, the romantic leads do spend time together, but they’ve also been doing a pining, bad timing, will they/won’t they back-and-forth thing for seven books. And they’re long books. 

So okay. What’s going on. Why is this. 

JK Rowling has been very public about the trauma she has from abusive relationships and sexual assault, and I’m afraid I do have to bring that up in a conversation about why she treats romance so negatively. More specifically - if I had to guess - I think she finds male attraction towards women threatening. (I’m sure we all remember Harry’s chest monster.)  I think she feels a little icky writing it, which is why when she does do it… it feels perfunctory, generic, repetitive, and also not the sort of thing that would come from a teenage boy. (Like when has a 14-year-old boy ever thought a girl was pretty because she had nice teeth. That’s such a straight girl compliment.) BUT, when she writes about the attractiveness of guys - it gets more specific, more nuanced, more interesting, and also a lot less uncomfortable. J.K. Rowling likes guys! She’s allowed. 

But of course, she also tends to write male viewpoint characters, and I think this is why a lot of her guys (and Harry specifically) kinda read as queer to a lot of people. We’re told Harry is distracted by/attracted to Cho Chang… but is he though? Compared to the way “pretty boy” Cedric, or “sleek haired” Draco get under his skin? 

I want to take a look at her adult romantic leads for a second. Because in Fantastic Beasts, she really did pull out all the stops to make Newt and Jacob as non-threatening as humanly possible. Newt is a gentle, pacifist, Doctor Dolittle-type conservationist who barely seems interested in women at all, and Jacob… is a Muggle baker. She pairs Newt with Tina, tough as nails American star auror. Jacob is with Queenie, who is constantly literally reading his mind. Which is an ability we’ve only seen with the most powerful wizards. These guys are not a threat to these ladies. In Queenie’s case, the power balance is tipped so insanely far in her direction that I’m a little bit worried for Jacob (and she does in fact, bewitch him into doing stuff.) I think JKR wrote her couples this way so any romance she wrote with them would also feel safe… and sadly I don’t think it worked. The most fleshed out couple dynamic we get is Dumbledore/Grindelwald, who have a coffee date and a duel in the third movie. But - that’s the one movie where she doesn’t have sole screenwriting credit, they’re exes, and they're also both GUYS, so she doesn’t have to worry about any kind of male/female power imbalance gunk, or put herself in the headspace of a guy being attracted to women.

Now I do want to talk about Cormoran Strike. Of all her non-threatening male love interests, this is the one who seems to work best for her. She’s stuck with him the longest, and it actually seems possible that we might get an actual romantic scene with him in the next book. 

Here’s my theory. I think that when JKR was writing Goblet of Fire, and it came time to introduce the real Mad-Eye Moody - imprisoned in the bottom of his own trunk, weak, down a leg and an eye -  something clicked. Because that is someone who is both entirely masculine, and entirely safe, and that makes him the perfect romantic figure. And I absolutely think she grabbed that archetype when it came to writing Cormoran Strike.

Basically, this character just is Mad-Eye Moody, only 15(ish) years younger, and non-magical. Strike is an ex-military cop who now freelances. He’s older than his love interest, he’s been around the block a few times. He’s gruff, but careful and kind, world-weary and grizzled, extremely capable, principled, tough, and just sort of hyper aware of what’s going on around him. He is also a bigger guy with some access weight who is not “conventionally attractive” - and for JKR this is a feature, not a bug. If your female character is into someone who is not *~*~handsome~*~* that means they’re cool, deep, not like other girls. Viktor Krum is not conventionally attractive, and (after the werewolf attack) neither is Bill. In fact “he now bore a distinct resemblance to Mad-Eye Moody.” JKR likes Mad-Eye Moody. 

And you better believe that Cormoran Strike has a broken nose and a missing leg, just like Mad-Eye Moody. Strike’s prosthetic leg comes up a *lot.* I think it’s telling that the loving interaction we see between Bill and Fleur is her physically supporting him at Dumbledore's funeral post werewolf attack, and the loving little wrist squeeze we get between Lucius and Narcissa is right before Lucius hands his wand over. Basically, JKR likes someone who is sexy and capable and has a lot of presence, but who you get to take care of, and who… can’t chase you. Doesn’t pose a threat. That's the fantasy. 

[marvel-ous-m]

Eddie Munson’s Guide for How to Adopt a Jock in Four Easy Steps (4/5)

Part One / Part Two / Part Three / Part Five

Ao3 Link

A.N.: I can’t believe we’re already at the penultimate chapter! I know it seems crazy that it’ll all get wrapped up after this, but I promise it will. You’ll have to forgive me for the D&D game description... in addition to being a Stranger Things nerd, I have been a D&D nerd for the last ten or so years, so describing a campaign is super fun for me and I sometimes can get off-track. Speaking of which, I did some 1st edition research but I mostly play 5th, so apologies if there are any discrepancies! All that to say, hopefully you can pick up on the symbolism in the campaign scene, too! Okay, rant over, now onto the chapter. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

“Alright, Sir Grant the Good, roll a perception check.” 

The familiar clatter of dice against the wood tabletop filled the room, and it seemed that the entire party held their breath to hear Grant’s result. 

“15 plus three- what’ll an 18 get me?”

Eddie hummed, tapping a finger on his chin. “You see a pair of eyes staring back at you from deep in the tree line. They’re slightly yellow, certainly belonging to an animal, and seemingly a large one.” Eddie pauses to roll a die, then hisses under his breath. “The animal meets your eyes and sees you’ve spotted it. It lets out a low growl- what do you do?” 

Grant groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Shit, um- I draw my sword and I wave to Mistress Emery and Sir Geoffrey.” 

“Sir Geoffrey stands beside Sir Grant and readies his bow.” Jeff speaks from his seat next to Grant, holding a D20 between his fingers, ready to roll initiative.

Gareth grinned, leaning forward in his chair to get a better view of the map on the table. “I come up to stand next to Sir Grant and ready myself to cast call lightning.”

“Um, sorry, can I-” Steve whispered from his place at the table, a chair that Eddie had moved up to have Steve sit next to him while he DM’d. Eddie turned to Steve, raising an eyebrow. 

“What’s up, Steve? You’re free to speak whenever you want, you don’t have to just watch quietly.” Eddie nudged Steve’s side, encouraging the jock to speak. 

“Yeah, um, it’s just-” Steve cleared his throat, then looked at the other three members of Hellfire. “Mistress Emery is a Druid, right? So like, isn’t her animal handling through the roof or whatever? Why don’t you try and take care of the animal before you try to kill it?” 

Gareth blinked in surprise, shot a look at Jeff and Grant, then turned to Eddie. “He knows D&D?!”

“He is sitting right here.” Steve muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes. 

“Right- sorry, what Gareth meant to say is- how do you know D&D?” Jeff gave Gareth a warning glare, then turned his attention Steve’s way. 

Steve sighed, shrugging somewhat awkwardly. “I babysit some middle schoolers. This one kid, Dustin, he’s obsessed with this stuff. Honestly all of them are, but I spend the most time with Dustin. He brought up a druid recently when we were walking around the tracks- sounded kinda interesting, so I listened.” Steve’s eyes shifted to stare down at the tabletop then, and he frowned to himself. “I used to pick up Nancy’s little brother from their campaigns, too. I’d usually have to wait around for at least thirty minutes for them to wrap things up before we could get a move on.” 

The party sat in silence for a few moments, processing the revelation about Steve’s D&D knowledge. Finally Grant hummed in thought, then turned to Gareth. “He’s got a point. Plus, if we don’t attack immediately we save some spell slots, potentially some HP too.” 

“Yeah, but the thing is growling! It’s probably going to pounce at us any minute now.” Gareth huffed, crossing his arms. 

“Maybe it’s hurt. That could be a warning growl rather than it trying to pounce at us.” Jeff reasoned. “Just give it a try, Gareth. I’ll keep an arrow loaded and I can flank while you do an animal handling check so that if it attacks I can try and shoot at it before it does any damage.” 

Gareth frowned, clearly annoyed, but nevertheless held up a D20. “Fine. I approach the forest line and hold a hand out in the direction of the animal.” 

“Roll for animal handling.” Eddie flipped through his binder of notes as he spoke, easily finding the page he was looking for. 

Gareth dropped the dice on the table, eyebrows shooting up in surprise when he read the resulting roll. “Huh- Nat 20, and I’ve got a plus five on my modifier. What’ll that do for me?” 

“The animal walks out of the forest, and you know from your studies that you’re now face to face with an Owlbear. The beast makes another growling sound, but is far less menacing. You see that Jeff was correct- the animal has a deep slash running from one of its talons up to its chest. You can tell that it originated from a sword, but the blood around the beast’s beak tells you that whatever fighter that had tried to attack the owlbear previously lost that battle. You can tell that the animal is more scared than anything. What do you do?” 

“Um… okay. I cast cure wounds and then reach into my pack and provide the Owlbear with a piece of dried meat to show it that it can trust me?” 

Eddie nodded, pulling a sticky note from his binder and handing it to Gareth, smirking as he did. “The Owlbear takes the food, trusts you, and decides to stay with your party. Here are its stats, it’ll now obey your commands and fight alongside you until its dying breath. Congratulations, Mistress Emery.” 

“Holy shit! We have an Owlbear now, that’s so fucking cool.�� Grant grins, nudging Gareth’s side. “Good work, man.”

Gareth scanned the sticky note, then smiled at Steve. “Thank Steve, he’s the one who suggested it. Did you sneak a look at Eddie’s notes or something?” 

Steve chuckled, shaking his head. “Nah, it just sounded like a better alternative.” 

“I made it injured so your band of fighters would have a better chance of killing the thing, but Steve’s little stunt had me thinking on my feet.” Eddie spoke up, then winked in Steve’s direction. Steve ducked his head in response, a blush playing at his cheeks. Interesting. 

“Thanks, man.” Jeff nodded in Steve’s direction. “Maybe you should play with us next time. You seem to know your stuff.”

Steve snorted at that, shaking his head once again. “I barely know anything. Besides, all the dice and numbers would probably confuse the hell outta me. But… uh, thanks for the offer. Maybe one day.” 

The party moved on with the campaign, killing some goblins on their route as they followed a map they had received from a barkeep at the beginning of the adventure. Steve chimed in occasionally when he found something interesting, and Eddie even had him roll a few times for some of the encounters. By the end of the campaign, the party was actively strategizing with him, and Steve was grinning ear to ear and giving his opinions on what to do next. The party ended up defeating the ‘big bad’ at the end, a goblin king and four of its soldiers. They recovered some treasure and a map, which Eddie told them would be the subject of the next chapter of their campaign. 

It was about 7pm when they finally wrapped everything up, cleaned the room out, locked up, and walked together out to the parking lot. Steve, who had been pretty awake and alert for the entirety of the playthrough, was now looking much more exhausted. He waved goodbye to the boys and pulled his coat tighter around himself, then rushed from the back door of the school to his car through the biting November air. 

The four members of Hellfire watched as Steve sped off, then stood together quietly under the awning of Hawkins High. Gareth broke the silence, crossing his arms to stave off the cold. “Alright, I’ll admit it. I was hesitant to believe it, but you’re right. Harrington’s cool.” 

“You were right about the other stuff too, Eddie. He didn’t look too good. Do you know what happened? Why Billy pounded on him last weekend?” Jeff spoke up next, fidgeting with a string hanging off of his sweater. 

Eddie sighed, producing a cigarette from his coat pocket and lighting it with his zippo. “Nope.” Eddie popped the ‘p’ when he spoke, then took a long drag of the cigarette. “Barely had a chance to ask him about it, and he deflected any time I tried to get more information outta him. I think it all really messed him up, but he doesn’t want to admit it.” 

The party stood in silence for a few more minutes, all lost in thought. This time, Grant broke the silence. “My mom wants me home for dinner by 7:30, so I gotta get going. But I’m cool with letting Steve into the party if everyone else is. Looks like it’d be good for him- probably good for us, too. He’s cool.” Grant zipped up his sweatshirt as he spoke, then pulled car keys out of his pocket. “Need a ride, Gareth?”

“Yeah, thanks man. I’m cool with letting Steve hang with us, too. Just let us know what we need to do Eddie.” Gareth waved goodbye to Jeff and Eddie, then followed Grant to his car. 

“How ‘bout you, Jeff? Got anything against letting Steve into Hellfire?” Eddie questioned quietly. He took another long drag from the cigarette, watching as the smoke he breathed out disappeared into the cold night air. 

“You know it’s fine by me, man.” Jeff paused, then sighed. “I am a little concerned, though.” 

Eddie frowned. “About what?”

“About you.” Jeff moved his attention from the stray thread on his sweater to Eddie, crossing his arms. “About him, too. I’ve known you the longest out of everyone here, Eds. I can tell when you’ve got a crush. Harrington’s fragile- you said it yourself, and you saw how he was when he mentioned Nancy. It looks like everything is really fresh for him right now. All I’m asking is for you to keep that in mind as you move forward in making him feel welcome. I’m worried that things could go sideways. Either one of you, or both of you, for that matter, could be really hurt if things go wrong. Just… take it slow.” Jeff checked his watch then, wincing when he saw the time. “I gotta run. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Like Gareth said, just let us know what we can do to help Steve feel welcome.” 

Eddie nodded, watching as Jeff got into his car and drove off, leaving Eddie and his van alone in the parking lot. Eddie leaned against the brick wall of the school and dropped his cigarette onto the ground, watching as the light fizzled out in the thin layer of snow. 

Step Two: Get the Party to Come Around on Steve Harrington, complete. Time for the Step Three (which would likely be the last step in his plan): Get Steve Fully Integrated Into Hellfire. 

…with one important caveat. Do not fall harder for Steve Harrington. 

Easier said than done. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tag List:  @ellietheasexylibrarian @cuips-not-cute @melodymeddler @i-have-three-feelings @sc00ps-ahoy @singmeyoursimpsong @patchworkgargoyle @spectrum-spectre @devondespresso @thesuninyaface @obsessivlyme @angeldreamsoffanfic @carlyv @nburkhardt @inspirationorinsanity @rebelspykatie @my2amgaythoughts @lavenderagenda @just-a-tiny-void @mamafaithful @breadboi66 @beholdingloser @randomfandomcontent @oftirnanog @yellowdevilkitten @steves-strapcollection @keep-er-steddie @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @bisexualdisastersworld @jinxjinn @copingmechanizm @blackpanzy @failedstarsandgoldenclouds @evix-syne666 @crisisinverted17 @satan-is-obsessed @shrimply-a-menace @anaibis @trashcanniballecter   @thoughtfulbreadpolice @awholedamnmesstbh @chaoticvictorianspirit @jcmadgirl @satan-is-obsessed @tommyvelvet @sleepdeprivedflower @fruitmix @carvingsnowdogs @annabanannabeth @rhyswritesreadsandcries @a-little-unsteddie 

[devdevlin]

hello! hope ur doing well :>> just wanna thank u for making peremo! it's such a wonderful piece of written work. the dialogue, the prose, the characterization of the two leads, the way the dynamic was fleshed out, etc etc everything! was so engaging! u weaved a tale that had me SEDUCED. i love how slow burn it all was!! tom had to see these intriguing sides of her bit by bit, that hermione had to get pushed into it, before he gets to form an obsession!! i was hitting that next chapter button like a fool crawling back to a paramour that i would gratefully allow to step on my balls (pls excuse the crass & nonsensical metaphor).

i'll try to keep this as short as possible omg (narrator: she did not, in fact, keep it as short as possible) but there's so much to love in peremo! like:

noncon/dark fics that feature a megalomaniac that underestimates the grit & acuity of the seemingly unremarkable female lead GETS meeee (rare as it is). like u rlly hit the nail on the head in depicting that aspect in peremo! every time tom succumbed to that crazed "who tf are u!!" state i was like clapping & pointing at my phone leonardo di caprio gif style. every time they got into some fucked up homicidal tom (tom) & jerry (hermione) ass scenario: standing ovation! i love it! bc as much as hermione is traumatized & is the constant recipient of the short end of the stick, tom cannot go on without her either !!! he didnt think she'd have that gorilla grip pussy on her but SURPRISE BITCH ! SHE'S UNDER UR SKIN !

hermione! love her!! im not even an hp fan lol but i love how she was written as flawed & unhingedly determined. the sexual assault scenes actually made me sob (a testament to ur power as the writer!). when she had that breakdown after almost flinging herself off the roof, hoo. boy. i was in pieces.

ur commitment to the darkness of the fic! that hermione in the worst-case scenario (letting an abusive man in her household that she fought tooth & nail to build, having him get his hands on her son, having all her sacrifices mean nothing in the end) is all so tragic & kudos to u for taking it there. im too much of a weakling :")) i wouldve sprinkled in some corny psychoanalysis just to somehow justify tom forming a suggestion of an affection towards klaus & their family cause i gots to soften the blow. i see ur vision & i admire it very much.

anw! thank u, thank u so much! i was in a depressive rut when i read ur fic & it rlly helped lift my spirit :)) i hope ur always well & best of luck in all that u do!

P.S. if u are in the mood for entertaining questions, i'd be in ur debt for the answers to these:

how'd u think tom would respond if somebody (perhaps klaus) asked him if he loves hermione?

i wonder how differently tom would treat a daughter? (ik ik, probably just the same but hey, a lady can have her girldad! tom delusion, right?)

how do u feel about peremo-inspired fics (w/ proper credits ofc!) ??? i've read the amazing ones on ao3 but i wanted to ask just in case! & ?? would it be alright if the depiction/interpretation of peremo tomione is slightly different from urs, like the same but slightly to the left & a bit sappy with it lmao

Oh my lord thank you so much for this anon! I read this at 4 am and had to forcibly restrain my happy squeals, and have since read it about twelve times over 🥹🖤😭

As for your questions:

1. “To the ends of the earth.”

2. Overall, I don’t see him treating a daughter too differently. Though I do see him being more aware of the company she keeps, and in the long term, I envision he’d bring her into his regime for different purposes (such as political manipulation, whereas with Klaus, I envision a loyal, hands-on groundwork sort of asset, if that makes sense)

3. Of course, I’m more than honoured that anyone would feel strongly enough about my story to write their own 🖤😭🖤😭 it’s an overwhelmingly huge compliment 🥹

[panie-wanie-dean-bean]

Ok, sorry, I just need to rant about my version of Swap Sans

So, to me, the main building blocks of Underswap is that the characters who are swapped swap both their vibe and their place. What does this mean? Well, the place thing is easy, it just means that whenever you're supposed to meet a character you will meet their swapped counter part instead (That's why Asgore is in the Ruins) The vibes thing is a little trickier

I say vibes rather than personality for a reason, they don't swap personalities in my version of the au. Sans still loves puns, Papyrus is still a little obsessed with humans and puzzles, and Asgore still loves to garden! Their vibes are just a little different. Sans actually has the motivation to get up in the morning, Papyrus can now sit still on occasion, stuff like that. But they're still themselves, and that's what I find so fun about them

See, when you get to Snowdin town the boss you have to beat to get to Waterfall is Sans, as you may expect. But this Sans is still the Sans you meet in Undertale proper, and we all know how he can fight when he goes all out. So he doesn't!

So long as you're doing a neutral or pacifist run his fight is more like a test! He straight up tells you that he has 1 HP and any hit will kill him, so you'll need to show him how good you are at ACTing and talking your way out of fights. This is for a few reasons, but one I'll mention is that he's still really close to Toriel in this au. And some part of him wants to hope that maybe, maybe if you're skilled enough, his friend won't have to kill another human and break herself down even further

So it's a pretty easy fight, about as easy as the Papyrus fight in Undertale. He even offers to take you on a date for all the trouble, which is just as silly as the Papyrus date. But all of that is assuming that you play along

If you take your chance to attack him during the fight, he'll dodge out of the way. He'll scold you but chalk it up to butter fingers and let you off the hook. Do it three times though, and his eyelights go out. His smile drops. and he lets out a great sigh

"Huh, I don't know what I expected. Jokes on me for thinking it might be different this time I guess. Alright kid, you want a fight? I'll give you one"

And the fun little fight you were supposed to have early in the game goes full genocide run. He does not hold back, he does not show mercy, and he will taunt you about how many times he's killed you if you try hitting him again once you respawn. This Sans is VERY aware of your timeline shenanigans and unlike Undertale Sans, he has the motivation to cut your little game short before you can do any real harm

If you're doing a geno run he doesn't even pretend to like you once Pap is out of ear shot. He wants you dead, and the only reason he waits at all when he sees you step out of the Ruins covered in dust is because of how much faith he has in his brother. Surely someone as nice, and confident, and cool and Papyrus could get you to turn your ways around, right? If you were doing a geno run but don't clear out all the monsters before you fight Sans he'll have something to say about it

"Wow, look at you. Honestly, I didn't think it would work, but look at you! You've changed a lot huh? Sure, all that dust won't come out easy, but you haven't added to it since you got here. Want a medal? Look, I still don't trust you, but you've shown me there's at least some part of you that doesn't want to murder anything that moves. So I'll let you pass though to Waterfall, we don't even have to fight. Just hit that Spare button and we walk away like none of this ever happened"

He's true to his word too. You can go on a neutral run from here. But if you take this moment of Mercy to show Sans your true colors, he isn't prepared for it. Your attack hits him hard, bringing him to his knees as he starts to bleed. He laughs, telling you he should have expected as much from you, giving you one last warning to stay the fuck away from his brother before walking off screen. Getting to the tree line before his dust scatters into the snow, only leaving his little blue bandana for Papyrus to find later

[starzzmissthesun]

your honest opinion on Sirius and Regulus black? Oh and your honest opinion on Deamus!

Hiii!!! So if you're talking about them together as brothers I made a post about it here, I go way more into depth about their main traits and how they kind of parrallel each other. But individually, I'll start with Sirius. I love him so much. He such a loser, lol. He's literally the "I wanna be cool and mysterious but I can't stop talking". Maybe this is a bit of a hot take, but I genuinely think he's one of the most patient people, especially out of the marauders. I mean, his family had lots of waiting (time outs, dinners, parties, lectures, tutoring, etc) and he also had a little brother. I think they butt heads a lot, and Sirius would bully reg when they were younger, but he still had to help him and help take care of him. Maybe this is just what I've seen and experienced, but lots of older siblings I've met tend to be very patient, no matter the age gap. Hes incredibly smart in a breezy way, but still works for it. He attentive and conscientious, he always has perked ears and works hard to do stuff the right way. Hes LOYAL all the way‼️like too loyal, it's his fatal flaw. Love him always!

Regulus, also one of the faves. I think I love him a lot because he's such a conflicted character. I believe his main trait is obsession and devotion(which I go in depth about in the other post), and that's why I think he got SO into the DE beliefs and Voldemort. He grew up being told these beliefs and just spun out of control with them. Regulus was so ambitious and a perfectionist (to me), everything he did he had to do it all the way. He had strong beliefs, he threw himself headfirst into the war doing dark horrible stuff as a young teen. Once he doubted those beliefs and saw that Voldemort wasn't all he was made out to be, he went on his suicide mission. I also believe him and Sirius are opposite in what they find interest in, while Sirius wants everything completely unlike what he's seen before, Regulus wants everything similar. He sees things like himself and his family and what's more and more. He is ultimately a Black. He is comfortable with what he knows, while Sirius is uncomfortable with what he knows. I think he is full of shame and guilt integrated into him from childhood, especially towards the end of his short life. (My personal hc is that he's got ocd, so if anyone wants to hear about it lmk)

And deamus!!!!!! God I love them so much, being honest I haven't heard much of them in the past years cause I'm not in the main hp universe fandom anymore, but they were MY THING about 4-5years ago. They're very near and dear to me. I might have to check back in with the main hp fandom soon now that you've mentioned them... Probably an 8.5/10 not higher purely cause I don't remember enough about them😭but (best) friends to lovers will always and forever be a win. (Also they ARE canon in my mind)

[icannotreadcursive]

Fannish Fest February, day 1: My First Fandom

Prompt from @thepromptfoundry

I really have two first fandoms, that I initially got into right around the same time, and I don’t think it’s worth digging into the calendar month by month to confirm which preceded the other.

One was Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats. My local PBS station ran every filmed version available of a bunch of ALW musicals one day, and I liked Joseph, wasn’t really into Jesus Christ Superstar, but Cats just tickled my little child brain something special.

I learned the whole show, front to back, including a fair bit of the choreography. I didn’t write it down because I couldn’t really write at the time, but I was making up fic—not that I knew to call it that.

I still love the show with my whole heart, have been in a production, it’ll always be dear to me, but I was obsessed as a kid.

The other was Harry Potter.

My mom started reading the series first, cuz she was unwell and couldn’t do a lot more than read. Then, she read the first two books to me.

Then we started getting me the audiobooks read by Jim Dale, and I really ought to find a fan mail address for him and send a thank you letter because that man taught me how to read.

I’m dyslexic and learning to read was a struggle for me, but long before I was diagnosed I learned to read by reading along over and over to the first few Harry Potter books. And, come to think of it, I’m not sure but I think my mom’s original copies must have been British editions because I picked up some British terminology and spellings that I’m pretty sure the original American releases localized.

As the series went on, I grew up with it, and was introduced to the concept of fannish community through it. My first written fanfic and my first published fanfic were for HP—that first published one is no longer up, and thinking back on it I cringe, but there’s also a fondness there for my unabashed unashamed enthusiasm and the real fun I had with that obvious self insert OC.

I learned media analysis and began honing my own story instincts, sitting down with my mom with those fan theory and prediction books that used to come out between HP book releases. We’d talk through the theories in those books, discuss their merits, how likely we thought they were based on the narrative trajectory so far. There’s a few things I called years before they were revealed, and in a couple cases, before me or my mom had seen anyone else in the fandom speculate about them.

That process, starting from when I was quite young, undoubtedly contributed to molding my brain into the story machine it is now and pointed me to my career and my calling as a writer.

I went from younger than the main cast, to their age, to older than them. Now I’m closer in age to Remus and Sirius. And, not entirely unlike them, I’ve had this dear part of my growing up cut off and the associations with it tainted by a betrayal from someone I respected and trusted.

That may sound overdramatic, and yeah yeah “it’s just a book,” but the sense of betrayal and loss is real.

There’s a line that I wrote in a fic a while back, where Remus is talking about finding a happy memory to cast a patronus, and the fact that all the memories he has for that are painful now, they’re bittersweet at best, because of the loss and betrayal that have come since. But regardless of all of that, they will always have been happy moments when he lived them, and that’s what he has to remember.

That’s kinda how I feel about the Harry Potter fandom now. It will always have been what it was to me, and no one can take that away.

[fussingoverfassbender]

“I've never been really good at anything in my life.”

Interview with Michael Fassbender Monsieur - 01 - Spring 2023

The German-Irish Michael Fassbender belongs to the ranks of successful actors who are appreciated by both critics and audiences. But his real obsession is racing. A conversation about Paul Newman, Michael Schumacher and a shy boy who liked to play with slingshots and climb trees.

Mr. Fassbender, have you ever heard the German word Nervenkitzel? Sorry, my German is a bit rusty. Something to do with nerves, that's clear. But what does Kitzel mean? Handbag maybe? (laughs)

Not quite. The word Nervenkitzel describes the nervous tension that a person feels when they go into dangerous situations. Ah understand. But I have to disappoint you: I don't go into dangerous situations.

Speeding down a race track in a 500 hp car at 300 km/h, do you think it's safe? Well, people always say, "Wow, you're driving 300 kilometers an hour, that's crazy!" But there's really nothing wrong with driving 300 in a straight line, almost anyone can do it.

If you don't care about the adrenaline rush, then what about? Adrenaline is important, no question. But for me it's about reaching a state of non-thinking. Do you know that feeling when everything flows together?

You mean kind of a zen moment when mind and body become one? Exactly! I'm addicted to this feeling. Because I think it's very rare in life that we surrender ourselves completely to something, become absorbed in it.

At what moments do you reach this status? For example, when I take a corner in the racing car at the right speed on the tracks in Monza or Spa, without letting the car skid, but precisely feeling that I'm driving on edge - I feel one with the car.

Five years ago you were a guest on Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show and he asked you what car you drive. Her reply was, "I don't have a car." It's a long way from a man who doesn't own a car to a statement like this just now, isn't it? (laughs) Yeah, I remember. I bought my first car in the early 2000s and drove it around London for almost a year. Eventually my money ran out and I had to go back to Ireland to my parents. Just before the ferry at Fishguard there was a bang and smoke billowed out of the radiator. I just made it onto the ship with the engine roaring and called my father. He waited on the other side and towed me all the way to Killarney in his car. That's more than 250 kilometers!

Not every father does that. No, I know. But my father is always positive. He's the guy whose glass is always half full.

What kind of car was that back then? It was a Peugeot 306 Spinnaker, special edition.

And what happened to it? We had the motor replaced and six months later I had an accident. Total loss.

No!? Yes!

Is your father a mechanic? No, he worked as a chef. And I don't have the faintest idea about the inner workings of a car.

So where does your enthusiasm for racing come from? Hm, we never had fast cars. My father drove a Renault 16, he always said: A car is like an animal. You have to feel the engine, listen to its mood and sounds. I always wanted to sit on his lap. He taught me to drive when I was 12. Only on private roads, of course.

Naturally. What kind of boy were you back then: adventurous and daring or more quiet and thoughtful? I think I was pretty quiet.

No bleeding wounds, no fights? No, not that I remember. I was a shy boy, loved climbing trees, running, track and field because I couldn't play football or basketball.

Richard Lietz, Porsche works driver and something like your mentor, said about you: You are not the greatest racing talent... Oh, he has no idea! (laughs; Richard Lietz is only a few meters away).

...but you are a meticulous worker who tries very hard and is eager to learn and learn. Are you satisfied with this description? No, I'm not. I originally wanted to stop acting at the age of 40 and just go racing. Go-kart racing mind you. But then I got this opportunity: Porsche sports car, 500 hp, a whole team supporting me, perfect conditions. A dream.

There are some fellow actors who have lived the same dream in the past: Steve McQueen, Gene Hackman, Paul Newman. When asked why he races, Newman once replied, "I've always been about competition. My wife thought I raced because I was bored of acting, but the thing is, you can't compete in acting . And I'm a competitive guy." Do you feel the same? I've studied almost all of his interviews, and at one point he says, "Racing was the only thing I could do with grace and decency." And that's how I feel too.

You don't want to compete with the competition? In racing, you're either the fastest or you're not. Thats is quite easy. And I would say I'm definitely competitive in my league of lousy amateur riders (laughs). But the thing is, I've never been really good at anything in my life. It was just different when driving. When I sat in a go-kart for the first time, I thought: hey, I can do this. I had a good feeling, not scared. I loved it straight away.

Your fellow actor Patrick Dempsey, who owns his own racing team, praises you as a great driver with a lot of talent. That's very kind of him to say that. Of course I have talent. But to me, talent is just the first step in a connection or believing in something you're tackling. Everything else is back-breaking work.

Do you like to torment yourself? Torment? I want to improve, yes. Especially when something goes wrong, it's very difficult for me to tick something off and go home. I hate standing still. I also believe that there are no secrets in life. And you probably know the theory that you need 10,000 hours of practice to be good at something. Real racing drivers have been in the cockpit since they were six years old. They are one with the car with every fiber of their being.

Michael Schumacher is said to have sat in a converted five-horsepower Kettcar at the age of four. Michael Schumacher is my hero. I was very fortunate to meet him once in Monaco when he was driving for Mercedes-Benz. I will never complete my 10,000 hours of driving, that's clear and also far too expensive. But I'm trying everything in my power to take as much as possible out of this experience.

Have you ever felt that zen moment we spoke of at the beginning in any other activity? Hm. I had the same feeling when I was a boy and I ran. You know: just me and the road.

And in acting? Not often, but sometimes.

When was it? When I was shooting the movie "Hunger". The film is about the hunger strike by IRA members in a Northern Irish prison. We shot a 24-minute shot non-stop, and we were just two actors in the scene. It was a tough experience and at the same time almost a surreal experience.

Does that mean there are definitely similarities between racing and acting? Yes, of course, you have to be super focused and relaxed at the same time. And sometimes you should have the feeling that you don't understand what's happening to you.

Isn't that the point where you start loving something? What if it doesn't make sense? Absolutely! Because as soon as something makes sense to me, I start liking it less. As a kid, I had a real steering wheel from an old car and used it to run around my room simulating racing. I don't think I understood what I was doing back then. it was a game

Seems you're a hopeless romantic. Are you living the boy's dream from back then? (laughs) Yes, a large part of my entry into racing was pure naivety - that's for sure.

What kind of car do you actually own today? A van. For my surfboard and my family.

[justsomerandomfanfic]

hi! i‘m not sure if you are still taking match up requests, but i read your HP works, and I REALLY hope that you do ahahaha

if so, could i request a romantic match up for HP (preferably, marauders era, but any, really). i go by she/her, and i am happy to be matched with a character of any gender. i am a short young woman, with short blonde wavy hair and bangs, i have heterochromia also.

i study history of art and architecture and also visual arts. i love architecture, interior and furniture design, urban planning, and such. i‘m a huge dramatic theater lover, and I act. i love dressing up - my style is kind of like if Paris and Berlin had a child on a budget and none of them had an eating disorder. i work in a museum, and i also volunteer in media and publications. so i love written words. i live reading a lot!! virginia wolf is my forever favorite. i love the colors green and blue. i am vegan, and i love sour green apples, coconut-milk curry with tofu, and oat-milk flat whites. i also obsess over anything that smells or tastes like cherries. i am a libra, infp. i paint my nails dark red pretty much at all times. i love dancing and generally moving my body a lot. i can walk all day and anywhere. i grew up with my mom, and she is the best. i also have a collection of tote bags, obviously😌 and that was my last bit of chaotic info splurge.

thank you so much!

Hello! Yes, I am still doing matchup! Thanks for requesting one! I hope you enjoy it! <33333 I went a bit crazy ;) (A Room Of One's Own is my fav!)

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Harry Potter -

Marauders Era;

Remus Lupin:

🐾 You meet Remus when you were in Hogsmeade looking at some cute tote bags that a shop had for some reason, who wouldn't want a tote bag? You ended up buying three; turning to go purchase them, you almost ran right into Remus, who looked as surprised as you

🐾 It was pretty awkward, Remus apologizing and then you insisting that it was fine, nothing broken right? But after the initial embarrassment and shyness, you asked if Remus would like to join you for a drink before heading back to the school; you didn't really realize you had asked him that until after, startling you slightly, but Remus agreed and you both went to a cute place to eat

🐾 You had ordered a Shirley Temple, mentally obsessing about the cherry flavoring before you and Remus got to know each other a bit, from classes, to favorite subjects; both of you felt like you had a connection, some sort of electricity that coursed through both of your bodies and into your souls

🐾 From then on, you and Remus hung out a lot when you both could, sometimes the other Marauders joined, sometimes, (most of the time), teasing Remus about his obvious crush on you; Sirius mostly teased you, (James was smart enough not to since you were friends with Lily), but Sirius would always either nudge you or wiggle his eyebrows when you were near Remus

🐾 Finally, finally, Remus asked you to the Yule Ball, which led to your first kiss, which led to becoming a couple for the next three years and even after Hogwarts; Remus greatly admired you, finding you the most beautiful woman he has ever met, from your intelligence to your love of architecture, (not to mention, you are incredibly understanding and always made sure he was alright), you are his soulmate

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Lightning Era;

Draco Malfoy:

🍏 You met Draco, (you've heard about him around school, but never had really seen him surprisingly), but you had recently become friends with Harry, Hermione, and Ron and with being friends with them, you'd have to face the wrath of the Draco Malfoy; and boy or boy did you think he was exactly what your friends had told you he was like, (rude, entitled, cute, cunning, etc.)

🍏 Now you were at an impasse with your heart and your brain, you hated that you thought Draco was cute and you hated how much of a git he was, your thoughts were all over the place; but nothing ever really happened, besides Draco being a little ferret jerk, until the last two years of Hogwarts

🍏 You had been wandering the school, reading a book by Virginia Woolf, when you heard crying... Odd... Ignoring your instincts, you decided to see if you could find this obviously upset person and help them; surprisingly, it was Draco, and in the beginning Draco didn't want or need your help, sympathy, or pity, (in Draco's words)

🍏 Though, somehow, Draco did let down his red brick walls and let you in, and it did help him a lot, you were understanding, you never judged him, and you didn't run away when he told you what good ol' Voldy wanted him to do; when you could, you'd find Draco and spend as much time as you could with him, whether that being studying, eating sour green apples, or just talking... (you both were getting pretty close)

🍏 At the battle, you stood beside Draco, holding his hand tight as his mother called to him, your hand tightened, worried he'd leave and go to the other side, but he stayed; you and Draco's connection was a deep one, you both understood each other and were there for each other, through thick and thin

---

[x-authorship-x]

91

Wait why is the number so big

91 with hp/naruto crossover please go wild~

#91- “That’s in the past.”

"Is it?" Shisui asked, voice echoing around the empty hall and lingering in the arches so high overhead that the light of the wall lamps could not reach them. "See, I don't think it is. You know why?"

He didn't wait for an answer.

Zabuza couldn't give him one, anyway.

"Because you've been sat across from me for one whole week...and you've never even pretended to make eye contact. You're avoiding me."

Fuck. Fuck, he'd noticed, and then that thought made Zabuza want to laugh aloud because of fucking course he had, this was the Uncatchable Uchiha and he noticed every little thing.

And yeah, maybe things really had changed, because once upon a time Zabuza would've snarked something about Shisui being obsessive, Shisui would've cracked a grin and taken the challenge, and they'd have ended up crammed in some kind of cupboard, necking like the horny teens they weren't anymore.

Now, though-

"I'm not here to play games, Uchiha. We catch the bastard, we part ways, done. Don't make this any more complicated than it needs to be."

Zabuza didn't think it would get Shisui to shut up but it still felt good to curse at him. Right on both accounts, in the end.

Shisui didn't make a sound as he moved closer, both of them too well trained for that, but there was the faint whisper of displaced air from behind Zabuza's shoulder. When he spoke, he couldn't have been more than a few feet away.

"Who says I'm playing games?"

That was bullshit if ever Zabuza had heard it and then he couldn't not turn around.

Shisui was pale under the lanterns, the lights always dimmed this late and this far down in the Ministry. It had a ghoulish effect on him, throwing his features into sharp relief, shadows cast by long lashes and tired eyebags and the dissatisfied press of his mouth. He was monochrome, black eyes and curls, hands shoved into the pockets of his Interrogator's coat, which was buttoned up to his jugular.

This was a different man from the boy who'd laughed freely, wild curls caught in the sea spray and skin freckled under the unending Uzushio sunshine. The thought, as it had been every time Zabuza caught sight of his temporary mission partner, was a resigned, if bitter one.

Zabuza had meant what he said, that it was in the past now. But, fuck, if he also wished it would stay there too.

"Your jokes have only gotten shitter."

Everything is a game to you.

And this was the really annoying thing. Because Shisui, when they were stupid kids who had the same stupid beach side holiday every year, had always been so alert and sensitive and knowing, big black eyes watching everything like he didn't want to miss a thing. And, now, he had the training to back it up; whilst Zabuza had gone on to be a top Hit Wix, Shisui had joined the bowels of the Ministry. An Unspeakable, no doubt, but known only as an 'Interrogator' for the sake of the red tape on the homicide case they'd been pulled across Departments for.

Zabuza hadn't said shit aloud; Shisui still heard his meaning clear as day.

Something flickered in those dark eyes, softening the line of his mouth with what could only be realisation.

"You think I played you."

Zabuza bit down on the urge to shove Shisui against the nearest wall, breaking the frames of whatever stupid portraits where trying to eavesdrop even though a privacy charm, and bloody that stupid mouth with his knuckles like the dirty Clanless filth he really was.

Most Clan Wix wouldn't even fathom brawling like they had no magic, they'd be so scandalised that Zabuza would probably manage to get them unconscious before they remembered to go for their wand.

The Uchiha weren't 'most Wix'.

Shisui's eyes glinted again, so annoyingly knowing, as he shifted on his feet. "I didn't, but if you've got the idea in your stubborn head then you're not going to take me at my word."

Zabuza lifted his chin at that, already looming because of their height difference but enjoying the gap regardless. Immature? A win was a win. "You're a professional liar."

"And you're a professional brawler, but I'd still take you in a fight." A pause before Shisui's mouth flashed a parody of a smile. "Go out to dinner with me."

Zabuza- stared.

"...why the fuck would I do that?"

Shisui's expression had softened again, a dimple appearing in one of his cheeks, and, oh, but Zabuza knew that look. He couldn't believe it, this little shit really thought he could swagger up and bat his lashes and-

"If Madara said something to you when you joined the Hit Wix, that's nothing to do with me. As far as I knew, we graduated and then you didn't want to waste time with someone up to their eyes in confidentiality vows. I wasn't playing you, I didn't take one look at Haku and run for the hills because you were taking in a kid, I didn't lie about any of that."

A touch of colour, pink gathering in the apples of Shisui's cheeks and the shells of his ears where they peeked out from under his curls, and Shisui kept going.

Kami fucking knew Zabuza didn't have any damn words.

"So," he huffed a heavy breath, shifting his hands in his pockets like he didn't trust himself not to resist reaching out, "let's get a drink. You don't believe how it ended, you won't take my word for it. So, let's just start again."

Then, because he was such a stupid bastard, Shisui shoved a hand out between them.

"Hi, I'm Uchiha Shisui. I'm twenty-six, an Interrogator with the Ministry, and I don't give a shit if you've not got a Clan but you've got a kid."

Zabuza still hadn't blinked.

"You can't be fucking serious."

"You're the one who said it's in the past. Nothing about it not being in the future too."

[creationofacentury]

Hermitcraft Fanfic Prompts

Here are five prompts for platonic Hermitcraft fanfics that I came up with. At the moment, I know I don’t have what it takes (time, skill, whatever) to carry out the ideas, so I thought I would share them with you. Feel free to use them- rules on the bottom.

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1. There are always little scratches on Grian, and Scar wonders why. (The life series. I was thinking Double Life, but you don't need to stick with the settings.)

2. It’s almost like there’s a bubble around them. Etho and Bdubs, they seem to have their own kind of communication. Iskall had seen it before, the both of them standing in front of a redstone shop, balancing flower pots on their heads while giggling uncontrollably, which still baffles him to this day. (A 5+1 fanfic was what I was thinking, but you don’t need to stick with this. So my thought process was, a ten-year friendship has got to give people lots of inside jokes, right? This one is for the long time Minecraft YouTube fans, or for those who wants to write about them having inside jokes...?)

3. “I’m obsessive? I AM OBSESSIVE?! You are the one that built me THREE TIMES, DAD! You don’t get to say I’m obsessive! It’s YOU who wants Mumbo Jumbo back, it’s YOU who wrote my code, and YOU say I’m obsessive!” (The Grumbot on the Empires server having a fight with Grian during the crossover. I planned this for a fanfic that I wrote, but I think it would take a million years for me to get to this point in the story. So, I am now putting this idea into your hands, because I’m genuinely curious about what happens next :P)

4. First day of Hogwarts! How exciting! But as they get up to the front, waiting to be sorted, one of the professors suddenly starts laughing uncontrollably, and the Headmistress McGonagall is looking very displeased. (A self-indulgent HP professor AU where Hermits are all wizards, and some of them are professors at Hogwarts. There’s a lot of things that you could play with, for instance: Mumbo being a Slytherin, Grian pranks the students, etc. The one that laughed in the opening feast was probably Scar :P)

5. The music is very, very loud. So loud, in fact, that when Ren realizes the chorus of the song is coming up, his legs give out. It seems like a job at night club isn’t for him. “Ren? What are you doing here?” Or, After graduated from college, Ren couldn’t find a proper job and he’s getting desperate. He doesn't want his friends to find out about his situation, but his friends find him, when Ren is balancing about ten cups on one hand and twelve more on the other. (Whoever is fine. This was mainly about sensory overload, do what you want with the info :D This is a college AU...I guess? But they are no longer in college here...)

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Rules:

Credit me and link this post when you use the prompt!

The prompts are in bold letters. You could ignore what’s going on in the parenthesis.

You could twist the prompts too, it’s fine, but still, credit me as the creator of the original prompts, please!

These prompts are for everyone to create fanworks with, including myself. Feel free to use! Except for commercial use, commercial use I won’t allow.

I may add new rules in the future. I don’t think the rules will get too outrageous, so don't worry :D

If you have any questions or things that you want to discuss, don’t hesitate!

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To the person who read through this, somehow you find this post despite how they always seem to disappear. Lots and lots of luv to you for reading till the end!

[80-ursa-major]

i was going through blogs and saw an old hp meta and i mostly respect that person's opinion so i went back and reread the last 2 books and that was fun and now i have so many feeling i need to let them out

-the main one is that i don't hate snape? like he's an asshole for bullying kids but after seeing his entire life flash before my eyes there was no room for anything but pity. mind you not the aw poor bb pity but the damn life really is a bitch and then you die. like your family's shit and you're ugly and everyone hates and you can't let go so you end up perpetuating the abuse cycle and there's no redemption. you failed, the end. kinda amazing tbh that she wrote him like that i.e a brave dude who managed to do the right thing after he ruined everything but also a thoroughly unpleasant human being till the end.

p.s: is he even a bad teacher? most of his students pass, his detention is scrubbing pots and he makes mean girls tier remarks. Meanwhile the good guys send children to the forbidden forest and expose them to dangeorus animals without protection lmao

+ the always~ line is overused and criiiinge just like the ship itself. The real goat line is ''And my soul? Mine? It cut me deeply cause i was also dumbledore's (wo)man's through and through and i didn't care about his hitler boyfriend and his secrets and i even went as far as to make a note in the book (the only note) to plead with harry not to doubt him. and he was the only thing remotely close to a friend snape had cause he was the ony one who knew the truth but he did use him cause he wanted to save harry and the world and even fucking draco and it just sucks, it all suuuucks

++and it's not like draco got a redemption, his entire family was dogshit and still got away with everything. i felt this so hard cause thanks to churchil the nazi collaborators in my country never got their comeuppance so their descendants also hold positions of power now and keep eroding our democracy

+++still can't believe the one that got rehabilitated was kreacher, like i hated him so much for sirius but hermione was kinda right. and it was so sad when he must have waited and waited for them to show up and eat that kidney pie

-i remember i hated how my precious perfect hermione ending up with he's just ron but this time i didn't care much. his rapid fire cool AND considerate moments in the battle were very forced in my opinion and a little too little too late but eh whatever as long as she's happy.

+i think it's cause as a kid i wanted her with harry but now he was kinda annoying, idk he can be a pretty annoying kid. i mean it makes sense considering what the poor child had to got Through. But also he's basically the messiah with his love spiel and dying for everyone and i'm sitting here with my hurt cheek and a core that craves a proportionate justice that doesn't exist.

btw i'll never understand people who still complain about albus severus. it's a shit name to be sure but if you spend 7 years with harry it should be obvious this is a 200% in character thing to do.

++adulthood is realising krum was the best and deserved better and we deserved better instead of unrepentant asshole malfoys

-i still hate ginny and molly. molly was poor but had seven kids and the only one who would always get the short end of the stick was ron. it was just so pitiful with the wand, and the cloak and the rat. and she was so obsessed with being harry's mom she got pissed at sirius for being the cool dad (dude had his issues too obviously but they should have met in the middle) and she thought the sun shined out of harry's ass so she froze a teen girl she knew cause of something she read in the Sun. Kinda hated how she got the bella kill too

ginny went from nobody to best at hexing AND sports AND doesn't cry AND she's so hot everyone wants her and lmao what kind of cardboard dating game self-insert is this?Her sense of humour has asuch a mean streak too. And the way they treated fleur argh I felt like i was in an aita about the stereotypical evil mil and sil. and the people who say it was mutual cause fluer was snob? yeah she was and i ripped her one too when she looked down on my favorite chaotic magic murderschool but they weren't bullying her because of that? they were being mean cause they were jealous she was beautiful and men went gaga, because they thought that meant she was shallow and of course she wasn't good enough for their son/bro

and the trashiest thing was when they made fun of accents. these people who only knew english and had never tried learning any other languages! like come on dude

-i had forgotten how hedwig dies aaaaaaa i still can't believe it was so fast and then nothing it still hurts...

[legendtraineremily]

Day 4 of My Pokémon Yellow Nuzlocke Challenge!

Today we’ve got some great stuff happening because we finally get to the first couple gift Pokémon, there’s a bunch of nice items we can get, and we can knock out another gym on our list! First up is another rival battle. That little dork has been trying to train up his Pokémon in spite of being defeated twice. Let’s really teach him a lesson this time! (Spoiler alert: he doesn’t learn.)

Spearow leads again is is again wiped by Zippy. I’m gonna try using Stinky to take out his Sandshrew then smash his Rattata with Lily’s Double Kick. And it works no problem! I’ll keep Lily out for his Eevee and finish this battle without a second thought. You know buddy? Even “Growl-ing” and lowering my attack won’t work; Eevee is just too cute, sorry! 🤷‍♀️

Let’s heal up just a tad and take on Nugget Bridge. This is just a bunch of trainers basically making you battle as a toll but end up paying you a toll in prize money, EXP, and a gold Nugget at the end. It should be pretty easy for my team.

Ouch! That dang Caterpie landed a crit on AngryBoi! At least he gained a level for the trouble… Anywho, that’s 1 of 5 trainers on the “bridge” down. Zippy and Stinky made short work of No.2. And in spite of what No. 3 says, he was actually quite easy.

Nooooooo!!!!!! I accidentally reset the game when I went to leave to finish some errands! I’ve got to redo the rival and the first two trainers on the bridge. Bleh. That’s super annoying.

Rival battle again, no problems there. Went mostly the same as last time thankfully. This time, however, I’m saving after I heal so I don’t have to repeat that again. I’ll probably get into an obsessive, constant saving routine for a while before returning to my irregular style of saving. Gotta love crazed over-correction, right?

Also, while it’s on my mind, I’m going to evolve Lily so we’ve already got an extra strong member on the team this early into the run. Oh yeah, No. 3’s Rattata went down even faster this time.

I’ll admit, I have mostly forgotten what Pokémon each of these trainers have so it’s just a tad embarrassing when I have one Pokémon out first and have to immediately switch for another before I get smooshed. It’s spreading out the EXP sure, but I like to think I can predict the computer pretty easily when it comes to these older games. Eh, might as well place Goober up in front anyhow so he gets a bit of EXP too. And if I predict disastrously wrong, he can take the brunt of the damage and let someone else sweep up.

Or, ya know, BIRBY could get smashed with a critical hit and go down.

…

What? Did you expect some tears or something? I’m annoyed if anything! That Mankey just squashed my poor Pidgey in one hit! And on top of that, it almost wrecked Zippy!! It took Lily to finally put it down. Thank goodness I evolved her or we might have been swept by a stupid martial arts monkey. Into the box BIRBY goes to await a transfer to a better life.

BIRBY—Final stats

Lv. 12

Hp: 34

Attack: 19

Defense: 15

Speed: 19

Special: 15

Cause of Defeat: a Trainer’s Mankey’s critical hit Karate Chop.

Location: Route 24, Nugget Bridge

In the meantime, I’ll just head a little farther north and grab the Charmander from the self-proclaimed bad trainer there. Additionally, there’s some grass to the left of the bridge I can grab another Pokémon from.

Gift Pokémon—Charmander/Crispy

Lv. 10

Hp: 30

Attack: 18

Defense: 13

Speed: 20

Special: 15

I had forgotten that this little derp is so low leveled compared to the typical party at this point. We’re gonna have to grind him up a bit to be at fit fighting status.

Gift Pokémon—Bulbasaur/Frogasaur

Lv. 10

Hp: 30

Attack: 17

Defense: 17

Speed: 15

Special: 18

Back down in Cerulean City, we got our next gift Pokémon, a Bulbasaur, due to having higher friendship levels with Pikachu. Again, we’ll have to grind up a bit before it’s ready to battle but a reliable Grass/Poison type is pretty handy. Definitely could’ve used him back against Brock at least.

Route 24 Encounter—Bellsprout/Belle

Lv. 12

Hp: 37

Attack: 23

Defense: 17

Speed: 16

Special: 22

And just in case Frogasaur doesn’t work or gets ruined, we’ve got a pretty decent backup Grass/Poison type. And on top of that, it already has Vine Whip and Growth (which is a big thing as it boosts Special in battle). Actually, I might just bring Belle instead of Frogasaur for now. I’d rather lose a Bellsprout I can find more of another time. Yes, that’s a callous way of thinking. Counterpoint- all of these creatures are a bunch of pixels&chunks of code, so phbbbtt! >:P

Route 25 Encounter—Venonat/Natti

Lv. 13

Hp: 42

Attack: 23

Defense: 21

Speed: 19

Special: 18

Nice little purple guy, sweet! And even better? Venomoth (this little friend’s evolution) has higher stats in Gen 1 than Butterfree and access to great moves naturally without any TM’s! Sorry Stinky, once Natti evolves, you’ll have to go to the sidelines. Thanks for your service to the team.

Enough Lallygagging and catching Pokémon! Time to go to Bills house on Route 25 to get the SS Ticket for our trip to Vermillion City. I’m fueled up with my last bottle of Spark (don’t worry; we got some cans of Code Red today so I’ll still be gamer fueled going forward), and now I’m ready to finish this chunk of the game.

So I’m having loads of fun battling with Natti even though she doesn’t even have to really good moves in her learnset yet. Same with Belle. This is concerning especially since I talked them both up a bit.

Where’s a distraction? Bill being turned into a human/Pokémon mixed up monster. That’s a good distraction! Heh-heh. 😅

Sudden weird but interesting thought: Bill was working on a special transporter for Pokémon; in the second generation Bill is fine tuning and working on a time-traveling transporter. Related research? I think so!

Before we head to the party on the boat with Bill’s gifted SS Ticket, we’ve got a gym to beat! Misty’s Water-types may seem like an easy job when you’ve got a reliable Electric-type but the issue is both of her Pokémon have decent Special stats and, therefore, have a higher resistance to Electric moves regardless of being super effective. My previous play through of Yellow had some issues because of that. Oh and her Starmie’s Bubblebeam attack can be really nasty.

Here we go! I’m going for some evasion set-up with Zippy’s Double-Team then try to sweep with Thundershock. I’m keeping my one healing per battle in mind and may have to do that. Now, Misty is programmed to occasionally use an X-Defend. This is kinda cool but ultimately useless, as all Electric moves in this Generation use the Special stat. But it looks like my evasion strategy is paying off well since her attacks are missing and I’m chopping off large chunks of Hp with each attack.

And Zippy wins it with a reliable crit. Sweet! And with that, we have our 2nd badge out of 8. Now, she gives the TM for Bubblebeam which I would have sold with the rest of the TMs and junk items, but I’m actually going to store this one to use on one of my losing Pokémon that will be transferred. It’s a fun move, don’t judge me! I’m not going to use it on any of my viable Pokémon, so don’t worry about telling me my own rules.

Now, before I turn in for tonight, I’m going to beat up this Team Rocket grunt that stole some people’s TM for Dig and head out for Vermilion City. Cya and love ya’ everyone! -Emily

[shiftylinguini]

Ooooo. Can I try a prompt 'why is it so dark?' HP. Any pairing you desire, although I'm fond of Drarry, Jeddy and Perciver. No worries if this doesn't spark anything! Take care.

HI @skeptiquex I love this, thank youuuuu! Please enjoy this short Jeddy nonsense (that I am posting right now instead of leaving it in my drafts until I decide I hate it). Xxx

General premise: Teddy is a big deal, James is a fan. Having a crush is fucking exhausting. 

::::::::::

Whys it so dark 

James hits send and lies back on his bed, cool as a cucumber. Not really, he's trying not to hyperventilate, but hopefully his carefully curated lack of punctuation will make it seem like he's channeling cucumber. 

Teddy probably won't reply. He already has 6 million comments (roughly, James isn't counting) and he only posted the photo an hour ago. It's him, smiling over his dinner, being generally hot, ruining James's life (and several other people's too, judging by the level of thirst comments he's garnering. James lied, he is counting.) 

Teddy's always been hot. Even in his awkward, gangly teenage phase, he still had it going on as far as James was concerned. Maybe it's the age gap that meant that whatever stage James was going through, Teddy was going through the accompanying cool version of it. 

It was only when he got older that's he put together that thinking Teddy was perpetually cool, and great, and amazing, and fit, and smart―was called having a fucking crush on him. 

At eighteen, that was a devastating revelation, but now at twenty one it's just…exhausting. He just can't be normal around Teddy. Teddy says, "hey we hang out a bit now you're older, we drink, add me so I can tag you in my photos!" and James says yeah sure, like a dickhead, and now he's stuck here, a week later, leaving borderline rude comments on his God brother's stupidly popular post from his stupidly popular account in front of all his thousands of cool followers. 

He shouldn't have capitalised the w. If he was going for casual and devoid of punctuation and grammar, then he should have committed. Teddy's gonna see right through him. 

James is a dickhead. He needs to learn to be normal. Teddy is his friend, or something. Crushes burn out, right? 

James sighs and puts his feet up on his coffee table. It makes a worrying creak, but doesn't break, so that's a win. He Summons his wand from the back of the sofa (oops) and some crisps from the pantry (yayy) and wiggles his toes as he flicks the telly on. 

He can be normal. He can be chill. He's not gonna obsess over this. 

"Fuck!" His phone pings and James dives on it like the proverbial Potter on a Snitch. He's not chill, he never was, it was all a lie. 

He's got a comment reply from Teddy. And a pending heart attack. He shoves a cheese and onion crisp in his mouth, so he can at least have a delicious death. 

Ha ha its squid ink, idiot, Teddy's written, along with a string of emojis: a squid, the spaghetti, an octopus for some reason, and a laugh cry. And a heart. 

James files that last one away to obsess over later. 

One of James's best, and worst, qualities (depending who you ask, and what day of the week it is) is his impulsiveness. He's neurotic, but he's also got borderline 0 impulse control, and that's kicked into full gear when he replies: so it's meant to look like concrete? 

That might be funny. Is that funny? Whatever  the pasta does look road-adjacent. James soothes himself with more crisps. 

He's just considering that he might obsess over the heart emoji now, actually (he's finished half his bag of crisps, his schedule is free) when he gets a DM. 

Have you really never had squid ink pasta before??

James is frozen, sucking cheese and onion flavour remnants of his thumb. He's stuck like this forever. 

Nope, he replies with his non-chip hand. His phone vibrates on his thigh again just as James is extracting his thumb from his mouth and his head from his arse. 

It's good!! 

Prove it, James replies before he can stop himself, and then realises its both extremely flirtatious and kind of jerky. That's apparently his thing today. Fuck. 

Come with me next time and I'll buy it for you x 

"Oh no," James mumbles. He should have left his thumb in his mouth, or possibly shoved his whole hand in there, and his phone with it. He's fucked. 

That was a flirty reply. Was it? Yes. Probably. A kiss is flirty. But Teddy is Teddy and is just being nice, most likely, and broadening his baby Godbrother's food horizons via squid juice and flour. 

James replies, I'm free Friday and you're definitely paying x , chucks his phone on the floor and goes to stand outside and take a few (several) deep breaths. 

[heartofspells]

I’m still obsessed with 5SOS5, so I want to focus on Bad Omens for the Marauders’ era. It can even apply to platonic relationships, like Lily and Snape because we canonically know that Snape was hurling slurs at other Muggleborns and Lily was justifying her friendship with him to towers (“It’s too late. I’ve made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends—you see, you don’t even deny it! You don’t even deny that’s what you’re all aiming to be! You can’t wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?”), so Lily ignored the signs of what her best friend had become until she no longer could (“Can't help the way I keep ignoring every omen / Every omen / Heaven knows I should let go / It's nothing that I don't already know”), that song is ridiculously fitting for the backdrop of the war and how it’s tearing apart every relationship (romantic relationships [like Jegulus if that’s your ship, Wolfstar where Remus and Sirius canonically distrusted each other, but probably tried to ignore the signs until they had to acknowledge “there’s a spy, and I think it’s the man sleeping beside me right now”], platonic relationships [Peter and the Marauders where none of them realized his betrayal until far too later, Lily and Snape], familial relationships [Sirius with his family depending on how one views his relationship with them in the years before he left.]) People who tried to keep their relationships, hoping that eventually they’d go back to the way things were if they just ignored the warning signs, but eventually they were no longer able to pretend and had to acknowledge that this was irreparable.

Also, unrequited love (“I cried in your dark brown eyes for the thousandth time / 'Cause you love somebody / I died when you left that night for the thousandth time / 'Cause you love somebody else”) fits great, so Snape/Lily from Snape’s perspective in Seventh year, where he utterly destroyed his friendship with her but still is in love with her, and then watched her fall in love with James. Unrequited relationship set during the first war are honestly perfect for this song, because it’s got the distrust element and the “watching the person you love be in love with someone else” aspect; 5SOS decided the First Wizarding War was the theme of their 5th album (note, this is a joke, they have not made any comments regarding Harry Potter, the album just has great vibes for it)

It's fine, I'm not hyperventilating or anything.

Look, I've actually listened to this album (at least the songs i like from it) a lot since it was brought to my attention after its release. And as I've said before, I've never been a follower of 5SOS. I think before someone actively began passing me their songs, I'd listened to one by choice and knew it was them, and that was only because I came across it on the radio one day.

But it's like they really did craft the perfect album here for the First War years within HP, and I love that so much. I could rant on and on about several of these songs in relation to headcanons for that era/ships/characters, but Bad Omens is a BIG ONE. It's actually become one of my favorites, right up there with Caramel. And then I was guided to the music video, which was admittedly a trip, but it was also so very perfect.

I think in my initial review, I compared it to Wolfstar (also Jegulus), but I think I remember saying it gave me strong First War vibes in general, and it definitely does that. It can honestly apply to every relationship during that time period, whether platonic or romantic, no matter what side of the war someone fell on.

I love your comparison to Lily's and Snape's friendship and how it fell apart. I have...some issues with Snape that I try not to vocalize to often in a serious way, mostly sticking to joking headcanons that don't amount to much, the him watching Lily slip away from him and fall in with James, fall in love with him as he stood back and was forced to watch must have hurt so badly. I think Snape was too obsessive to a degree that any relationship between him and Lily couldn't have been sustained for long, regardless of his meddling with the Dark Arts and who Lily considered to be bad people, but the song fits so well because of that and everything else.

The whole Peter betrayal thing as well. None of them saw it, not a one. Peter was that good. He blended into his surroundings that well and was so easily overlooked that no one had the slightest idea of what he was truly doing. But you can't tell me that somewhere in him there wasn't guilt. There are numerous substantial reasons to dislike JKR, but the fact that she never once even tried to explain why Peter did what he did will forever be one of mine. Those were his best friends all through school and beyond. No, we don't know what happened, how they treated him, and maybe it's a fandom thing (though i don't think it completely is) but I've always thought James cared a lot about Pete. I think he kept Peter close because he liked him. They must have liked him, otherwise why stay his friend? Why trust him enough to give him the responsibility of keeping your family safe?

Say what you will, but they loved Peter, and he must have loved them at some point. It makes no sense why Peter would have betrayed James of all people. Sirius, maybe. That actually lines up because I think Sirius was cruel to Peter when he wanted to be, had little patience for him overall, so him framing Sirius is sort of like his just desserts. He didn't do anything to Remus that we know of, and I think that's because Peter likely always idolized Remus just as much as he did James and Sirius, but Remus was always far kinder to him in the grand scope of things. So something must have happened at some point to make Peter think that betraying James and essentially being the cause of his death was warranted. Was it because he drifted away, focused on the war and his family more than his friends? I don't know, but I'd like to, because there are gaps there.

(sorry. that was a tangent i didn't initially intend. oops)

Back on the main point, Peter must have had some sort of guilt for what he was doing and what he did. You can't be that cruel after spending half your life with people you claim to like/love and then blow everything up with one action and decision. So relating this song back to him and the way everyone circled around him and never focused in on his true nature is so very fitting.

I could write an entire ten page essay on this song in relation to Wolfstar. I've been thinking about it a lot and trying desperately not to do so, because I know the more I do, I'll want to write a fic about it. And that's the very definition of been there, done that repeatedly, not just myself, but the Wolfstar fandom as a whole. The entire Remus/Sirius distrust, slipping away from one another but still clinging on out of desperation has been done so many times and I'm trying incredibly hard not to add more to it unless it just won't leave me alone.

What I really want to talk about with this song is Jegulus. And I'm no expert. I'm only just pushing my toes into the water with it, trying to acclimate myself with the whole thing because I actually really like it in a way I thought I wouldn't we I jumped back into fandom and found it to be this large, growing thing that I'd never even seen mention of back in the day when I was writing before. It was a bit baffling, but...I dunno. I'm coming around to it more and more. But my point is don't judge anything I say to harshly because I'm only going off of the small amount of things I've seen/read.

But just think about their relationship in relation to how we know canon goes. James gets tired of chasing after Lily, falls in with Regulus somehow at some point, possibly before he gives up the ghost. Maybe it's Reg that makes him see reason and that James is being a knob, I don't know. They gravitate to one another, fall in love, but it's never the most stable of relationships because it can't be. Regulus is still a Black, James is exactly who he is in every way, that golden boy, head in the sun, pure to his core no matter what you want to say about him bullying (which has two completely different sides, but that's not the topic at hand here). Regulus is a Slytherin, James a Gryffindor. Tensions are mounting higher because of the growing war. They're constantly being tugged apart, in different directions, but they try so hard.

They ignore the signs when they can, they focus on one another as much as possible, but it's never enough to avoid the outside world circling around them like vultures. Regulus takes the mark and James can't sit by and watch his life go up in flames because of his decision, so he finally says enough and pulls back. He dives into his Head Boy duties headfirst, sways Lily to him in the process, but maybe him and Regulus continue to drift to one another because they can't help themselves and James still holds onto the hope that he can convince Regulus to turn his back on his choices. It doesn't work. James finally says enough, sets off into a life with Lily instead, fully committed, and Regulus can't tell him why he has to stay where he is, why it's so important, but he goes after the locket for James, to try and make it easier to put an end to the war. And we all know how that ended.

[sneverussape]

What kind of person do you think lily was? There's a lot said about her in the series, but i have trouble reconciling pure, shining paragon lily with someone who would marry someone that spent years tormenting her friend, 4 on 1.

ooh boy this will be a LOT. i can't even promise it will be coherent but i'll make an attempt to be. (going under a cut to save us all the grief).

first off, i think it's fair to state that one of the biggest drawbacks of lily's character is how she was written. she is a plot device. she exists to boost other characters’ narratives: she's simultaneously the Rich Boy's trophy wife, the self-sacrificing mother of the Boy Who Lived, the best friend slash lost love of the Fallen Hero, and, at the same time, also no one at all. lily is a character with little to no background and character development that she can barely stand on her own two feet without any of the associated (usually male) characters to prop her up. it absolutely sucks but that's how it is. that's how jk wrote her.

given that and working with the scraps that we do have, my opinion of lily is...complex. i try to give her justice by trying to understand her context, the workings of her mind, and the possible pressures she was subjected to, but it can be challenging especially since lack of canon pushes you into a space where you have to put them in Either/Or situations. my opinion of her has also changed as i got older. when i was younger (i read the books waaaay back, as they were getting released in fact) i only saw her as an extra character (i was most interested in snape, if that's not obvious enough, but neither did i think snape was 'obsessed' with her as a lot of hp fans now think). i saw her and snape as good friends who had had a falling out, and that he'd probably had a crush on her at some point, and it got naturally overtaken by guilt etc when she died. then when i reread some chapters containing her, i was quick to put her in the Bad Friend camp. i don't think that now. i think that she, like snape, was a complex human being who made a lot of questionable decisions but shouldn't be entirely vilified for them.

my main thoughts of her that are kind of built on material from canon as well as what jkr has said herself:

- she was not posh. she grew up in cokeworth, in the same town as severus. i don't think she was middle class as a lot of fics portray her. i think the evanses were slightly better off than the snapes but they were all working-class, and living was a day-to-day struggle. the kids spoke in the local accent, their clothes were all worn and patched over, there were no green spaces or public infrastructure for kids to safely play in, and they were all mostly running wild about the town since all their parents had to work. food was something to be thankful for because there was never enough, and sometimes they had to share with their neighbors. that's the kind of setting i think lily and severus grew up in, although severus suffered abuse on top of it all. it's possible that lily did too because of the setting (post-world war 2, poverty, adults dealing with repressed trauma from the war, etc) and it wouldn't even be that surprising if she had been;

- she and petunia got along fairly well up until the point lily found out she was a witch and, as a result, became friends with severus. it's stated in canon that petunia had also wanted to attend hogwarts with them, going as far as writing to dumbledore to allow her admittance. her jealousy upon his rejection had festered and grown into outright hate that she projected onto harry as an adult, but i don't doubt that she continued to love lily even after her death and despite how she treated harry. i think as kids they had stuck together and were very close, but magic had torn them apart. suddenly lily had a world of her own that petunia wasn't welcome in, and that would have hurt. pottermore stated lily attended vernon and petunia's wedding or engagement party but james made a right mess of it. i think lily TRIED to maintain their relationship but external factors always got in the way. i don't doubt she had also loved her sister very much;

- i don't think she had any other friends. she may have had a lot of acquaintances but i think her only real friend, the one who saw her for who she really was, was severus, and i think, at a certain point in their lives, she saw that as a weakness and resented it;

- i think, from the interactions we saw in canon of lily with other people, that lily had a penchant to please people, especially the ones who ranked higher than her in terms of power dynamics - petunia (who was the older sister), professors (sluggy comes to mind, the head of slytherin with a lot of connections), even the marauders whose actions she defended. it's not necessarily a bad thing, but i've always seen it as her being borderline manipulative. i noted that she wasn't the same with severus (based on their conversations, especially the ones in 5th year, before SWM) because he's lower than her in a lot of aspects, being a slytherin and quite likely of a lower social standing. she could boss him around and tell him to piss off and he probably wouldn't have minded. she actually strikes me as someone who could have been in slytherin; a perfect arrangement, save for the fact that she was a muggleborn. i think lily knew her place and the cards she was dealt with more than anyone, but she was also determined not to stay there;

- this brings me to the point as to why she ever went out with james potter in the first place. i think her friendship breakup with severus was inevitable because they were in the middle of a burgeoning war and both of them were being pulled to opposite and opposing ends. as an added complexity, i think she also wanted to be better than being muggleborn lily evans of cokeworth, best friend of the evil greasy slytherin git, and her way out was to associate with housemates who were in the upper echelons of power. like, we don't even know what her life was like in gryffindor tower. ron was poor, but he was also a pureblood, so that may have saved him from ridicule. but what if you were a poor muggleborn, with a northern accent to boot? in the same way severus trained himself to be more posh, lily could have done the same and could have furiously tried to blend in. maintaining a friendship with severus would have ended in heartbreak as there were too many risks and it likely outweighed the gains. this was the wizarding world too which is much much smaller than the muggle world and relied on connections more than anything. openly siding with the marauders would have saved her skin and secured her a future (which, as we all know, was forfeit anyway but whatever);

- jumping to the jily relationship, i honestly think it was also not one that was meant to last. iirc jkr projected a lot onto lily, so i'm surmising jily reflected a lot of her own failed relationships. i think james and lily had a less-than-ideal relationship, one that involved abuse (verbal, emotional, mental, physical, take your pick, but at least one form of it), and i think she may have been unhappy in the last year of her life, living in hiding with none of her own friends (if they even existed) and seeing no one else but james' pals. her only light in that darkness was likely harry as she couldn't even see her own family. i think, during those times, she thought a lot about the home she left behind and, as a consequence, her lost friendship with severus. she probably missed him, and i'm sure she must have been very lonely.

in sum, i don't think she was the Virgin Mary figure a lot of hp fans paint her to be. imho she had her own questionable but utterly human moments, and i just tried to fill in the blanks as to why she would have acted the way she did. i don't think it was easy to be lily evans at all, and majority of the 21 years of her life was likely a struggle.