#kingsley & fawn

[ins1ders]

○    NOW DELIVERING TO . . .    ⏤ @chappcdlips !

kingsley squints at the familiar figure walking on the other side of the street . that slumping of shoulders is par to his own , although kingsley leans back more as he walks ( like something out of ed , edd and eddy ) . people walk in very distinct ways , and kingsley has always enjoyed seeing the tiny mannerisms that make up a person . for fawn , she walks leaning forward , hair curtaining off everyone , quick steps that slow down every now and then as if she's remembering she's not in a race . his lips quirk up and he crosses the street easily , picking up his pace to try and catch up with fawn . even though he's tall , fawn is FAST . it takes him a few moments to realise that a grown man following a woman right now is probably not something that is very ASSURING . he clears his throat . " i'm not the boogeyman . i have a feeling that guy's white . 82% of american serial killers were white , so that's just statistics, you know ? " kingsley states as way of introduction . " then again , gender isn't real . i guess it could be a hot girl killing everyone . or some cute NB . " he shrugs , thoughts spinning in his mind . " also , should we even be calling him boogeyman ? isn't that SERIAL KILLER 101 ? don't call them by their name cause it gives them more power ? " kingsley has a lot of thoughts on the entirety of the situation , but he mainly keeps them to himself . well . to himself, and to fawn .

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Give me headcanons for the sillies 🔫🔫

you got it! 🥰

The kids raise quail! Though, Perrine does most of the work for them, just because she likes being around them. They’re strictly off limits from slaughtering…for the most part.

There was a harsh winter, when food was short, that Perrine had to kill a few to feed the group.

It…wasn’t fun.

BUT ANYWAY!

Perrine sings to the quails when she’s alone.

Everyone has their own chores to keep the house together, something that was forced by Perrine.

Clémentine loves to make soap and candles!

Kingsley has the most chicken scratch handwriting ever. It’s borderline unintelligible.

Cole is so unathletic. They suck as tag. Can’t run ten feet without having an asthma attack.

Clémentine is surprisingly really strong and can pick up everyone in the group.

The kids were once in the woods, and they found a fawn in the grass. The others began to coo over it, while Perrine told them to keep their distance, just in case. And her warnings were correct when they got charged at by a very protective mama deer.

Perrine is really good at mimicking bird calls.

Perrine really likes snakes and spiders. Cole, on the other hand, does not.

Cole screams like a banshee at the sight of a spider and begs the others to kill it. Clémentine and Perrine are the ones who set the spider free outside.

Also Cole is afraid of moths.

Perrine is touch-starved.

[carolinanadeau]

In Praise of Sally Ann Howes

As I've made it one of the purposes of my blog to share photos and songs and general positivity about the wonderful English actress Sally Ann Howes, I thought I'd make a post to talk in much more detail about all the great things about her and why I adore her so much!

This classy English beauty possessed a highly expressive face and eyes, an astonishingly powerful soprano, a great sense of humor, and the world's most charming laugh. One thing I cannot stop saying about Sally Ann is that she did not and does not get nearly enough credit and recognition for her immense talent and prolific career, and it's precisely for that reason that I'm here to do my part in giving it to her!

This overlong rambling post is a combination of biographical information and my personal fawning over her performances... whatever I felt I most wanted to put out there in the world and what I'd like people less familiar with her to know.

Click on Keep Reading and I'll take you on a journey!

As she preferred to work on the stage and didn't really pursue a film career, the catalog of Sally Ann's work that can still be viewed today is unfortunately small - though you can find almost all of her early films on the internet if you look hard! In her early film days, mostly made before she was able to pursue her true passion of musical theatre, her extraordinary singing talents weren't utilized by the producers at all.

However, we were fortunately blessed with exactly one musical film role from her, and it's an iconic one: the aptly-named role of Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), the golden-haired, golden-hearted candy heiress who falls in love with and eventually marries Dick van Dyke's character Caractacus Potts after joining him and his children on a madcap adventure. She's a sweet, intelligent ingenue with hidden depths and one of my favorite sorts of character arcs - the uptight, lonely woman who becomes more and more warm and open as she discovers newfound freedom and joy in life and falls in love.

There is something about Sally Ann that just glows in every scene of Chitty, and it's not only that bright blonde hair! The way she widens her eyes sometimes, the way she raises her eyebrows, her gentle and soft presence in the happiest scenes, and the particular airy lilt she has to her speaking voice are all so distinctive and appealing, and I can't take my eyes off her. And her smile! When I say she glows it's barely even a metaphor, the woman just emits light. 

(Funnily enough, I started to realize that many of the laudatory quotes I've found about her also refer to her in this way, like this quote from a 1965 TV Guide article, from playwright Sidney Kingsley: "She's luminous as an actress. I mean that literally. In Brigadoon she really lit up the stage.")

For me, I'm weak for any actress who can do the defrosted-ice-queen trope so incredibly well. Truly starts out as closed-off and prim, and nearly reverts to that state when she and Caractacus have a Big Misunderstanding near the end, but in the scenes where she's happy and carefree, the warmth just radiates off of her.

She also has the most adorable chemistry with Dick van Dyke in an annoyances-to-friends-to-lovers relationship that absolutely shaped my young brain. Whenever Sally Ann and Dick glance at each other, whether with irritation and frustration early in the film or with warmth and affection later on, their chemistry is obvious and natural, and there's so much expressed in each one of those glances. One has no difficulty believing that these characters are going to be very happily married.

(Here's a cute on-set interview where she talks about, among other things, how easily she and van Dyke clicked.)

While I acknowledge that the character of Caractacus Potts was absolutely originally planned to be an actual Englishman, Dick van Dyke played him with an American accent, and to me they will always be an adorable English-American couple. It's a whole part of the charm of this pairing to me!

Sally Ann also had a great relationship with child actors Adrian Hall and Heather Ripley who played Jeremy and Jemima Potts, and did her best to help make them more comfortable and happy during the many very long days on set. Having been a child film star herself, she knew a great deal about how difficult and alienating it could be. The genuine affection the three of them shared is obvious in their scenes together, especially in the extremely adorable "Truly Scrumptious" number, and it really makes the developing mother-child relationship between the characters so believable.

The beach scene, where so much of the relationship between Truly and Caractacus and the Potts children is developed, is incredibly cute and heartwarming, and a lot of that rides on Sally Ann's performance and how her previously prim-and-proper character shows herself to be warm and loving, once she (literally) lets her hair down. We've already seen how happy the Potts family is together; now we see how Truly fits in perfectly and makes them all even happier.

Look at her! Literally glowing!

(One thing I should mention: I think both the plot and the love story of CCBB are greatly improved if one just treats the "dream sequence" as real events, which was possibly the original intention anyway, so just note that is always the perspective I'm coming from here. It's the only way to make some things make sense and for the characters and their relationships to fully develop.)

"Lovely, Lonely Man" is Truly's big solo moment, and was probably the least comprehensible part of the movie to me as a kid (lol), but is now indisputably one of the very best parts to me as an adult. It's an exquisitely beautiful love song, especially the bridge, and I somehow love it more and more every time I rewatch it. Sally Ann's dreamy, graceful movements and the way the whole scene is shot make her look like a princess, and the slow build of the song is masterfully done. She has this distinctive crisp way of articulating her words while singing, especially the closing consonants like N and M, that I just love to listen to. The string section and the building countermelodies are so beautiful it makes me want to weep. Everyone involved in creating this scene and song deserved an award, I'm being so serious. While it's not the highest of soprano songs and doesn't fully show off Sally Ann's astonishing range, she shows an incredible amount of vocal control here through the many diminuendos and crescendos, and she's mesmerizing to watch and listen to. One of her "glowiest" scenes, for sure!

While I've seen people call this song irrelevant to the plot, I strongly disagree - the romance is part of the plot, of course, and while I didn't fully understand the meaning as a kid, this song establishes how much Truly's outlook on life and hopes for the future have already changed since meeting Caractacus, and how much happier she is with the poor Potts family than she's ever been in her life of luxury. Plus, now we know for certain that she's head over heels for Caractacus, but he doesn't know... increasing the dramatic irony of the pining and yearning to follow!

In the reprise of "Hushabye Mountain", which was sung in a much earlier scene by Dick van Dyke alone, Caractacus loses the will to continue the song because he's overwhelmed with emotion thinking of his children being held captive. Truly comes in to aid him with the final verse - another pivotal moment in the developing romance - and Sally Ann's singing here is nothing short of breathtaking.

And of course, I can't neglect to mention the "Doll on a Music Box" number, where Sally Ann, who was not a trained dancer and in fact considered herself to be "appalling" at it, performs an incredibly precise, incredibly impressive clockwork song-and-dance number while on a spinning turntable! She practiced it so well that she managed to successfully complete the shot in a single take, prompting the stage full of extras to burst into applause.

This is another important character moment for Truly, though it's disguised in a diegetic performance: though it's another thing that went over my head as a child who only got to see the movie once, the lyrics about being trapped up on a music box and longing to be freed by love pretty clearly symbolize how trapped the real Truly's high-society life makes her feel, and how she yearns to break free from class restrictions and live happily-ever-after with Caractacus, as it's only with him and his family that she really feels free.

Then there's that incredibly warm romantic look that Truly and Caractacus share at the end of the song when she silently acknowledges the love confession he's just made while singing in counterpoint with her, though they're still in a dangerous situation and can't give themselves away by appearing too human and breaking their disguises... sadly this vital moment is cut off on all the Youtube videos of the scene I can find, because none of the people who clipped it understand that that's the whole point of it all, apparently. But here's a gif!

The character of Truly doesn't exist at all in the original (quite different) book by James Bond author Ian Fleming - surprising, I know, given her name! - and, honestly, the fact that Truly and the romantic subplot of this movie exist are why it had such a strong impact on me as a child, and very much why I fell in love with it again as an adult. Even though the score is wonderful anyway and the story is charming and magical, I can confidently say that I would not have become as completely enchanted or had such a strong desire to revisit it again and again if there'd been no Truly and no love story. The fact that Sally Ann's performance makes Truly so loveable is, obviously, a pretty crucial factor there.

Sally Ann's delivery of "Well, Mr. Potts... now you'll have to marry me!" after Caractacus kisses Truly... that slide from prim mock-outrage to the playful, warm, you-can-hear-the-smile-in her-voice conclusion is flawless. Not even exaggerating when I say that this was the moment that made me into a hopeless romantic as a 9-year-old child. Sure, this wasn't the first movie I'd seen where two people fall in love and live happily ever after, but I distinctly remember that this was the first romance story that had me in a giggling, kicking-my-feet, "I ship it so hard" state of mind. And after revisiting it as an adult for the first time last year, I have confirmed that yes, child me already had great taste in fictional romances!

Oh, I could say so much about the difference in her body language between the two scenes where Caractacus carries Truly out of her car that's become stuck in a pond. The first time, Truly is affronted and extremely embarrassed by the situation, holding herself so stiffly and awkwardly to avoid an accidental embrace that she causes him to nearly lose his balance and drop her. The second time, when they're in love and they know it, she snuggles right up into his arms without hesitation and it's the cutest thing ever. Sally Ann was 5'6" but looks so tiny in that scene!

(And that kiss! Maybe I'm getting off-topic here in terms of strictly focusing on Sally Ann's contributions, because Dick van Dyke deserves tons of credit for making this kiss so good... but wow, the kiss. Several times I have called it "the Most Kiss they could have gotten away with in a children's movie." Again, giggling, kicking my feet etc.)

While Truly's costumes and hairstyling are rarely historically accurate (the film is set around 1910), the stylized nature of her fashion is iconic and memorable in itself. Sally Ann also completely pulls off playing a fresh-faced ingenue who is 12+ years younger than her actual age - and I do wonder if the aging-down of Sally Ann is at least part of the reason why Truly wears her hair loose throughout most of the movie! Either way, it works perfectly and I was shocked when I first learned how much older she was than her character. (If you watch her in The Admirable Crichton, where she is also in Edwardian costume and was closer to Truly's actual age, she really doesn't look all that much different. If anything, I think she looks even more glowingly beautiful in Chitty!)

Also, as for Truly wearing her hair down... it may just have been an intentionally anachronistic stylistic choice, but in-story, I think it actually contributes to her character by showing a willingness to flout convention and pursue whatever will make her happy instead of what's expected of her, which happens to be a key theme of her character arc.

Another thing that led me to adore Sally Ann as a person as I learned more about her over the last year: in the 1960s, she appeared as a panelist in quite a few episodes of the game show To Tell the Truth (as well as a few episodes of Password), and these can be found on Youtube. I really adore how her personality shines through - she's unfailingly bubbly, witty, self-deprecating, and a bit quirky. Just listening to her speak is a delight and she has one of the best laughs I've ever heard. Here is one of my favorite little moments that I clipped. 

By all accounts, she was a delightful person to know and work with, witty and clever, very professional, and very serious about her craft. She also always maintained a great affection for and pride in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and her role as Truly, which is always a wonderful thing to know about an actor in a beloved role.

Another bonus: here is a super charming interview with her after a backstage disaster at What Makes Sammy Run? on Broadway.

She was also, along with Twiggy and Diahann Carroll (as Julia Baker), one of the first three celebrities to have her likeness made into a Barbie doll.

Two of her earlier films I recommend are the comedies Fools Rush In (1949) and The Admirable Crichton (1957), if you can find them (hint-hint, you can.) You may also be able to find the 1966 TV movie of her reprising her Tony-nominated role of Fiona in Brigadoon with Robert Goulet, and although I feel like the oddly close-up way the film was shot kinda does a disservice to the actors at times, it's still amazing to be able to see and hear her in a role she performed on Broadway.

Richard Rodgers once called Sally Ann "the greatest singer who ever sang on the American musical stage." Now, I don't quote this to claim this superlative as some kind of objective fact. If you know anything about me, I am very, very strongly opposed to pitting women against each other and all the Golden Age sopranos are absolute queens who deserve crowns, no matter how much mainstream success or present-day name-recognition they have/had. I just think it's phenomenal that she received such high praise from a man who worked with many of the best musical theatre singers who ever lived... and to think, many people today have never even heard her voice. Without her performance as Truly Scrumptious, it's possible almost nobody would in the future! I am so glad that Sally Ann's lasting legacy was ensured by such a beloved film role.

Sadly for us, many of the theatrical roles which she originated (and thus, for which cast albums featuring her exist) were in shows that either flopped quickly or at least did not enter the theatrical canon, so she never achieved the level of mainstream recognition she clearly deserves. But Sally Ann also played such legendary and challenging roles as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Fiona MacLaren in Brigadoon (for which she received a Tony nomination), Maria Rainer von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Anna Leonowens in The King and I, and, much later, Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music. She received great acclaim for all of these performances and, judging by what we know of her process on My Fair Lady, was excellent at making roles distinctly her own and never merely imitating another performer.

Even in her iconic original role of Truly Scrumptious, you don't get to hear the true full power of Sally Ann's extraordinary soprano. For that, I highly recommend listening to "Another Time, Another Place" from Kwamina (1961), and "Something to Live For" from What Makes Sammy Run? (1964). I'm always sad that we don't have any recordings of her in her "fiery" star turn as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, but you can at least hear her do a Cockney accent, be silly, and sing "With a Little Bit of Luck" with Bing Crosby here!

If it weren't for the enduring success of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, few people might have even heard of Sally Ann Howes today, and that would be a terrible loss. I cannot overstate that I am so grateful that we all know who she is because she played this role and we get to see her give this radiant performance of a character that's all her own. Maybe this sounds strange, but I think the fact that this was Sally Ann's only musical film role (and the ONLY role most people will ever see her in) makes it even more precious, and makes everything she brings to the character that much more distinctive and unique and special.

Both for all of the talent and charm she brings to the role itself, and everything else that I and many other fans have been able to learn of so much of her otherwise-obscure work because of it, the world is incredibly lucky to have the lovely Sally Ann Howes immortalized as our Truly Scrumptious, and I wouldn't have it any other way 💖

[againaweasel]

002 for remus please

Thank you for the ask!!

How I feel about this character: 

My ultimate favourite character in everything. The standard to which all characters are judged. My Roman Empire.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: 

Tonks

James potter

Benjy fenwick

Peter Pettigrew (sorta)

Emmeline Vance (but only in But He Didnt Want The Moon tbh)

Frank and Alice Longbottom as long as it’s at the same time (I haven’t thought about it too hard but I know I’m right)

My non-romantic OTP for this character: 

His and Sirius’ deliciously complex post - POA friendship

The marauders as a unit

With James

With peter

With Kingsley

My unpopular opinion about this character: 

He fawns or flights as a trauma response. It doesn’t mean he’s not developed as a character or not 3- dimensional if he doesn’t fix things with his fists or going off in violent rages. Man is terrified of confrontation and people pleasing to an absolute fault and people get hurt because of it.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

His arc is greatly restricted by the fact he dies in DH. It’s already a fairly ambitious thing to attempt to pull off with an adult side character that Harry can only really see 3 times a year and who isn’t the type to share his every thought, but the fact it ends and there’s no further prospect for growth off screen is detrimental to the whole thing.

He should have had the chance at recovery and healing by living a life with Tonks and working through issues rather than running away from them. I understand that he doesn’t because war isn’t that kind, but still.

my OTP

Remus x Tonks all day every day

my cross over ship:

I don’t think I have one, sorry.

(Remus and Vision. Are they too similar? yes. Do I care all that much? No. I love them both so I will make them kiss like lil Ken dolls)

a headcanon fact:

He’s not great at growing facial hair. That moustache in PoA? The only thing he can grow that’s not incredibly patchy.

He’s also a vegetarian after spending the year in Greybacks camp

[bibuckleykinard]

Okay fun little BuckTommy question 🥰 let’s say they’re going to the movies - something that’s out, maybe an indie theater playing an old movie. What movie are Buck and Tommy seeing on their date?

Oh, I have so many ideas; the last thing I watched in cinemas was Venom 3, which I do think would be hilarious.

I also saw listings at my local cinema for Paddington 2, which I love and think Buck and Tommy would, too (I would love it if it was Tommy's idea cause he loves Hugh Grant).

But if I'm imagining Buck and Tommy are going to see a movie, especially if they going to an old historic or indie theatre, I would really love to imagine them watching a romantic movie of sorts, whether my personal favourite - Pride and Prejudice (2005) - which I think would be so cute as buck could fawn over Mr Darcy as his initially stoic but ultimately sweet and loyal character reminding him of Tommy, and Lizzie's loyalty to her family, compassion for others and stubbornness reminding Tommy of Buck- i think that would be cute. I would also love it if it was a costumed event, I think Buck and Tommy would look so charming.

I also think Emma (2020) or Clueless could be fun, I think Kingsley's pining is adorable in the 2020 Emma but I feel like Clueless might be more up their alley, both finding paul rudd attractive, buck having never seen it cause seemingly him and maddie did not consume pop culture as children would absolutely make Tommy take Buck to see it even though he's absolutely got it on dvd.

[arvonoon]

I like you, have this unorganised list of character names I’ve accumulated

Moxxi

Crash

Warden

Fawn

Samuel

Mack

Lacey

Georgia

Clarissa

Fredrick

Bonnie

Chime

Florence

Gregory

Kyler

Quincy

Paula

Emmet

Jack

Larry

Victor

Liam

Henry

Kich

Tambre

Eurypterid

Blithe

Jubilant/Jubilee

Barchan

Argent

Billow

Zephyr

Axel

Lyle

Leif

Ace

Grey

Alizarin

Arylide

Bleu

Sienna

Umber

Carmine

Carnelian

Celeste

Celadon

Cordovan

Crimson

Fuchsia

Cairo

Otto

Briggs

Colby

Rocco

Rory

Brielle

Emery

Oaklee

Vienna

Frankie

Aubriella

Clementine

Charli

Piper

Saffron

Cleo

Luz

Clover

Delphinium

Dogwood

Filbert

Hollyhock

Hyacinth

Magnolia

Mimosas

Mugwort

Mallow

Nosegay

Orchid

Cattleya

Osmunda

Ophir

Phlox

Rhododendron

Wisteria

Zinnia

Agate

Malachite

Topaz

Onyx

January

April

May

June

August

Jasper

Rosaline

Tourmaline

Lotte

Camibeth

Lillian

Parsley

Belliana

Moonbow

Bush

Zippy

Wyrd

Amaranth

Amberjack

Oribi

Joyce

Wilby

Leto

Jett

Dahlia

Harriet

Hilda

Loretta

Maude

Molly

Phoebe

Rook

Mallard

Auk

Kagu

Cashew

Yale

Yara

Sunny

Yvonne

Yoland

Yonder

Zora

Zaire

Zuri

Nifty

Breezy

Finicky

Gaud

Ampersand

Yogh

Wynn

Ethel

Hoosier

Jamie

Kaira

Fox

Hale

Orla

Rielle

Raine

Sabrina

Indigo

Axton

North

Augury

Alchemy

Sanguine

Florid

Chroma

Saffron

Ochre

Sepia

Tawny

Henna

Ecru

Lichen

Plumose

Beryl

Fir

Conifer

Creek

Rivulet

Bourn

Rill

Spate

Monsoon

Sleet

Sirocco

Graupel

Morass

Jovian

Presley

Clint

Helge

Reggie

Rosine

Cyrus

Bowie

Atlas

Phoebe

Hannah

Aster

Sirius

Leo

Jupiter

Neptune

Kara

Prima

Freyr

Freyja

Vili

Ymir

Ananke

Erebus

Gaea/Gaia

Theia

Arete

Bia

Corus

Zelos

Angelos

Charon

Hecate

Arke

Addax

Alk

Hemlock

Belladonna

Agave

Chervil

Laurelf

Verbena

Gazania

Amaranth

Holly

Snapdragon

Alyssum

Dicentra

Clarkia

Clematis

Bob

Rome

Chester

Arien

Granger

Yarrow

Eranthus

Aconite

Snowgum

Josephine

Aria

Adele

Agatha

Juno

Livvy

Marissa

Nerida

Noelle

Pandora

Simone

Wren

Verity

Georgina

Roxanne

Camille

Addison

Vince

Kei

Erin

Drew

Dakota

Morgan

Marley

Kingsley

Salem

Parker

Darrian

Vireo

Ocelot

Maxton

Raleigh

Zyrille

Pangea

Narah

Enzo

Aubade

Aureate

Kalon

Paralian

Serein

Mycelium

Reishi

Agarikon

Godfrey

Hughes

Rolfe

Keld

Howe

Mell

Liard

Lockram

Nacre

Nim

Nisus

Nivial

Nyala

Ingle

Inkhorn

Iridal

Iroko

Ixora

Rach

Rorulent

Russet

Genevieve

Urushiol

Cullet

Herman

Regent

Towser

Joyce

Gail

Dale

Goldie

Mildred

Irene

Leroy

Marian

Alvin

Milton

Leona

Roland

Leslie

Loretta

Hattie

Lottie

Vivian

Vera

Vance

Sloane

Elkhorn

Caligo

Achlys

Cecilia
Mila

Rufus

Cassia

Marius

Canigula

Lutrine

Astaroth

Arcturus

Cygnus

Cetus
Baxter

Correa

Marianna

Daphne

Ciar
Myra

Reuben

Rhoda

Manuel

Lori

Beverly

Colby

Elias

Brody

Colton
Mulberry
Myrrh

Myrtle

Holm

Valonia

Aleppo

Corsican

Leuke

Rhodon

Karya

Datura

Petra
Enoch

Ada

Adelaide

Edith
Argent
Iain

Maskrey

Alston

Bingley

[jonathanssweatercollection]

tag game yay! <3 tagged by @peculiaritybending ty bestie!!

last song: hey by the pixies. best song EVER actually. non-debatable factoid

currently watching: futurama possibly my special interest of the season and also boy meets world at the behest of the behestie (sorry) kingsley <3

currently reading: batman fear state saga. bc comics are just fucking WEIRD and have odd approaches to continuity so mcuh of the time i had to watch two (2) 2.5 hour explanation video of the previous arc the “joker war” which i don’t really have much interest in bc joker sucks ass generally. still don’t know whats going on in this comic either so. moot effort but at least scarecrow is cool in this one so far <3

(also just finished reading the worst horror novel ever written ever of all time “night shoot” by cuntbucket piece of shit david sodergren who i will bludgeon if ever given the opportunity. only adding this bc it’s like a book book rather than a comic book but also was the biggest waste of time i’ve endured all year in terms of fiction good fucking god)

current hyperfixations: okok so like i said futurama bc matt groening cartoons are like my lifesblood in terms of special interests since i was but a lad but also guardians of the galaxy (been playing the game soooo much lately and made my superhero hater dad watch the new one and the first one, both of which he actually enjoyed !!) and cleo cazo from the suicide squad (2021) who im so beyond mentally ill about. best character ever she only has one appearance in all of fiction and it’s that movie bc shes an original iteration of a c-list batman villain and she’s sosososososo special to me everyone needs to fawn over her whenever i bring her up otherwise i’ll cry and blow this whole place to smithereens. real ones get it (ppl who have been subjected to my instagram)

tagging: @vanweezer @lesbyers @studiousbotanist @milfcoded @pinktinselmonstrosity @stranger-awakening and anyone else who wants to!!

[delightfulshrimp]

Another new character, meet Kingsley the Merwhal!

The cutest prince of the cove, at least that's what he calls himself.

Kingsley is a peppy fellow that has a serious attitude problem, thinks the whole world should fawn over him and treat him like royalty, and will pitch a fit if he's not given "enough" attention from the other merfolk.

He's sorta rich compared to the others, which doesn't help with his bratty and egotistical attitude at all.

despite his cute look, he's not afraid to use his tusk to defend himself if he's in a sticky situation, he will jab you with that and it WILL hurt.

[sidenote, yea I know the tusk is where the nose is but I just wanted to play into the "narwhals are sea unicorns" thing media does.]

[fantastica-daily]

Daliland Movie Review

When the best part of a movie is a retro clip from the popular 1950s television show “What’s My Line?” you know you’re in trouble. But since it’s the very opening to Daliland, you won’t know that… yet. (Oh… spoiler alert!)

That’s not to say Daliland is all bad; it’s just that I hold director Mary Harron to a pretty high standard. She’s made several thoroughly entertaining biopics—I Shot Andy Warhol, The Anna Nicole Story, The Notorious Bettie Page—not to mention the cult-classic off-the-rails metrosexual slasher, American Psycho. Daliland does have its moments; there just aren’t enough of them.

Daliland stars Sir Ben Kingsley as the surrealist superstar, Salvador Dalí, one of the most renowned artists and personalities of the 20th century. The focus is on his twilight years, as he clutches the last vestiges of his fame by partying with Warholian glitterati in New York, circa 1974. Fawning over him are the likes of Alice Cooper (Mark McKenna), Amanda Lear (Andreja Pejić), and Ginesta (Suki Waterhouse), but his longtime muse, Gala Dali (Barbara Sukowa), is slipping away and losing interest. Dali is at loose ends, unable to concentrate on his work, so the gallery that makes money off him hires a young assistant, James Linton (Christopher Briney), to keep the eccentric and mercurial cash cow on track. The entourage heads to Spain, where things not only unravel but spiral into that old cinematic standby: flashback land. Young Dali is played by Ezra Miller, and observed by old Dali and James using the hoary A Christmas Carol trope.

Fortunately, the cast is top-notch. Kingsley chews the scenery just enough, while the scenery itself is lovely and lushly period-correct—the posh New York party and galley scenes are a delight. (However, for a film about a surrealist artist, there’s not nearly enough visual play; I’m not sure if that was a budgetary or creative decision but the film does suffer for it.) Daliland centers mostly on James and is seen through his eyes—a conceit that could have worked, but doesn’t quite. No shade on the actor, though; Briney is fine in the role, given an underwritten character.

It’s a strange tack, making a paint-by-numbers biopic about a wildly original artist. But Daliland is an adequate watch and better than most of the drivel out there now—not exactly a ringing endorsement I suppose, but in the words of Dali himself, “Have no fear of perfection—you’ll never reach it.”

= = =

S.L. Wilson

[thechaosmuses]

Below the cut is a list of all my original characters, from every fandom, organized by such. I figured I would go ahead and put this up, as well as a canon muse one, for my oc and canon starters so that way it's easier for y'all to see who is included without going to every separate muse list.

The Vampire Diaries

Elizabeth Haven Mikaelson Roman Ryker Mikaelson Erik Flynn Mikaelson Kareena Dawn Mikaelson Thyra Selene Mikaelson Karsyn Devyn Mikaelson Mateo Maxwell Mikaelson Serenity Faye Mikaelson Sawyer Finch Mikaelson Aurelia Nova Mikaelson Felix Ares Mikaelson Willow Luna Mikaelson Tobias Floyd Mikaelson Zephyr Raven Parker Zariyah Dove Parker Kennedy Taylor Parker Myles Zane Parker Mariana Joy Parker Paisley Juniper Parker Braeden Talia Salvatore Holden Atlas Salvatore Ezra Grant Salvatore Liberty Faye Salvatore Jensen Graham Gilbert Easton Reed Gilbert Jesse Jonathan Gilbert Elias Rhodes Gilbert Jazmyn Sophia Gilbert Atlas Rowan Petrova Titus Izaiah Petrova Kamen Maverick Pierce Natalie Adrianna Pierce Eleanor Marie Bennett Salem Elijah Bennett Gabriel Graham Gustin Belladonna Sharie Bennett Seraphina Rose Ward Theodore Joseph Brickenden Kaia Asherah Halloran Carter William Forbes Cameron Myles Lawrence Jameson Tyler Rosza Tatum Jaxson Lockwood Tatiana Jade Lockwood Taylor Jacob Lockwood Axel Madden Hughes Ashton Malik Hughes Sebastian Sawyer Sharpe Niall Nash Novak Montgomery Felix Langston Ophelia Esme Lovell Sapphire Lee McGuire Rami Calder McGuire Warren Jaxon Kingsley Jeremiah Michael Kenner Cecilia Jaklyn Labonair Rosemary Belle Whitlock Hadley Kamryn Fuller Kamryn Avery Marshall Lorella Diane St. John Andrew Kolton Rogers Blair Lilith Walsh Zachariah Cole Norwood Matthias Lucien Delacour Matias Camilo Garcia Cyrus Boyd Mikaelson (spn to tvdu) Harmony Iris Johnson (tw to tvdu) Chandler Matthew Rawlins (tw to tvdu)

Containment

Jubilee Fawn Ellison Carson Elijah Mayes Maddox Rhett Lancaster Malia Rayne Lancaster Makai Reid Lancaster Delilah Anne Malone Austin Blake Coleman Damian James Taylor

Teen Wolf

Aspen Bella Stilinski Adrian Archer Argent Addison Athena Argent Lyla Sage Martin Amaia Tala Alexander Malik Elias Hale Madelaine Emery Hale Isaiah Parker Lahey Amadora Constance Sharpe Callum Tate Raeken Dawson Cole Reynolds Jared Taylor Parrish Stephen Ezekiel Hemming

Supernatural

Amelia Mae Allen Melody Athena Hayes Lucilla Marie Nightstar Eden Faith Cruz Elijah Luke Cruz Valentina Rosalie Hart Adaliah Ember Darhk Alexandria Skye Earp Lillian Dahlia Campbell Adriel Xavier Grant Talon Colt Ashford Silas Kai Parker Josephina Jazmyn Walker Elyza Alice Pierson (tvdu to spn)

DC Comics

Kiera Jaylin Davis

Marvel

Kailee Elizabeth Holtz (hero and villain verse) Kaiden Edward Holtz (villain and hero verse) Camelia Waverly Maximoff Kaleb Jonas Barnes Maxine Josephine Rogers Melody Elizabeth Young Anastasia Sloane Lenkov Wren Nika Volkov Wynter Nadia Volkov Cordelia Ara Odinsdottir Amora Delphine Brantley Celeste Juliet Livingston Nikolai Nathaniel Novak (tvdu to mcu) Charmeine Ayla Hanlon (spn to mcu)

Stranger Things

Stella Blake Russell Scarlet Ember Ward Valerie Mae Henderson Mitchell Elliot Mayfield Meredith Eleanor Mayfield

Misc

Ambrosia Nyx Tartarus Acacius Nile Tartarus Duncan David Dalveron Damien Dawson Dalveron Brantley Cole Kline Rosalie Grace Anderson Rowena Greyson Andrews Ryker Grant Andrews Aviana Summer Archer Dylan Bryce Thatcher Sterling Atlas Ward

9-1-1

Evelyn June Buckley Ethan Jace Buckley Hazel Jayne Walker Hayes Jesse Walker Izaiah Edison Hendrix Waverly Chloe Hendrix Matilda Iris Monroe Fallon Pierce Richards

Book Babes

Cyra Lux Vespara Wilder Blaze Hawthorne Dion Ignis Vanserra Pyralis Jax Vanserra Warren Forrest Hayward Solana Aruna Meridian Anatole Cyrus Solari Althea Zaria Cadlawon Tynan Kerrell Visita Kirsi Gwyneira Nieves Lyall Colden Whittaker Caspian Calder Conway Maribelle Aelia Sommer

Zodiacs

Wyatt Keegan aka Aries Kianni Phoenix aka Sagittarius Leon Cyrus aka Leo River Mira aka Cancer Dylan Lucas aka Pisces Josephine Nova aka Scorpio Conrad Atlas aka Taurus Kailynn Amelia aka Capricorn Taron Sage aka Virgo Alice Skye aka Libra Aaron Micah aka Aquarius Adelaide June aka Gemini Arianna Rose aka Gemini

[hxuse-xf-black]

Tonks: Bad News: Kingsley lost his keys to the room.

Tonks: Good News: we didn’t have to wait around for a locksmith.

Tonks: Bad News: Kingsley finds it very concerning that I know how to pick locks, and tried to unlock my Tragic Backstory™. I was too embarrassed to admit that the reason I learned was because, at thirteen, I figured that was the kind of skill that would impress hot people.

Tonks: Good News: a hot person saw me do it.

Tonks: Bad News: it was Charlie, and since he’s already seen me fall out of several trees, cry because I saw a fawn that was just too small, and knows I can ride a unicycle, he’ll never think I’m cool no matter what I do. It’s too late. He knows.

[ins1ders]

○    NOW DELIVERING TO . . .    ⏤ @bittenmoths! (STARTER LOTTERY)

" what'd they get you in for ? " kingsley asks , voice pleasant as always as he looks across to june from where they're both sitting in the waiting room of the police station . kingsley is a familiar sight here . he never quite grew out of always walking into trouble , talking back to the police in a way that made a bad situation worse , and getting caught but only when he wanted to get caught . kingsley is never in a place unless he exactly needs to be there . while everyone looks at him and sees a lazy smoker with a greyed out future , kingsley relishes in the shadows and the knowledge it feeds him . but nobody else is as much of a reoccurring guest in the station than JUNIPER LIAO is . kingsley's eyes scan over them and the sense of familiarity is there , while also the knowledge that she is a complete stranger . the similarities between fawn and june both stop and start at the bridge of their nose . he stares for a moment longer before breaking his gaze away , slumped against the uncomfortable plastic . " i keep telling 'em to get leather chairs in here . "

[seagrovegossip]

who would look good on foster's arm?

me. I would.

okay, but all jokes aside...I think @apollosism, @emmcperez, @odettekingsley, or @chasefawn would look good on the mountain of a man that is @fosxcs.

[thequimmqueen]

🍕Updated Next-gen Character Name List🍕

Timm+Quinn:

Lynn💘

Liamm🎵

Duke gotcha+Shannon:

Raymond📰

Sarah🔎

Joy+Moe:

Jamie🐦

Maya💮

Roy+Olivia:

Rolland📋

Hollie🍍

Hank+Kayla:

Dannah🚨

Safiyah💅

Cameo+Cherissa:

Sandy🍉 (previously known as Cairo)

Cori+Robby:

Russell🎣

Coralina🎏

Ember+Hacky Zack:

Burnett🚒

Axel👔

Zack🚧

Vesta✳️ (previously known as Ambar)

~~~

Romanos🇮🇹:

Guy Mortadello+Bruna Romano:

Marianna🚔 

Gavin🍷

Clover+Carlo Romano+Koilee:

Kōi🐠

Lotta🍜

Bento🎸

Ginevra🥁

Gino Romano+Okalani:

Georgina🍳 

Kalea👑

~~~

Mindy+Whiff:

Rebecco💄(also known as Becky)

Iggy+Sasha:

Haley🔬

Taylor+Peggy:

Stella📷

Marty+Rita:

Matilda🏈

Arthur📽️

Brody+Skyler:

Brandon📚

Abel🎨

Cielo🖌️

Emmlette+Kingsley:

Anastasia🎬

Kellen📹

Sarge fan+Radlynn:

Randall🍠

Sweety🎮

Radha🌟 (Adopted,Failed Offspring Harvest Experiment of Radley Madish)

Alberto+Penny:

Pilar🏵️

Benny🎤

Houton⚽️

Noemi🌼

Scarlett+Rudy:

Adonis♦️ 

Kore♥️

Cooper+Prudence:

Carrie🐈

Brooklynn🐕

Greg+Yippy:

Courtney🌻

Lily🐞

Johnny+Boomer:

Bloom🍀

Arán🌰

Autumn🍁

Chuck+Nevada:

Helena💐

Fawn💍

Snow❄️

Utah+Gremmie:

Caspian🐚

Genaya🌠

Hugo+Janana:

Tanner🎼

Maggie+Mitch:

Magnolia💼

Gunther🌮

Mousse+Sienna:

Gelatta🍦

Syrup🍮

Julep+Deano:

Tulip🌷

Leandro💉

Willow+James:

Jhonnen🛵

Whitney👻

Jenni🔧

Kenji+Zoe:

Eijirou👾

Amanda🦋

Scooter+Austin:

Roopert🌟

Audrey🛍️ (changed from Adrianna)

Connor×Wylan B:

Iza-B🎋 (adopted)

Deckard 🎧 (adopted)

Cassidy🥇(adopted)

Whippa+Georgito

Créme🍬

Graham📋

Drakson+Kasey O:

Kate🥋

Diego💌

Pinch+Bertha:

Paula⚾️

Abraham🏋️

"Ace"⭐ (real name is Jack, changed from "Jack Derby" due to the nickname not making sense)

Rico+Rhonda:

Roberto🏺

Jazz🏆

Xolo+Sprinks the Clown:

Xefferson🤹

Xandra+Rollie:

Xanna💥

Romeo⚗️

Professor Fitz+Edna:

🍀Jerry & Betsy☘️ (Clones)

LePete+Tohru:

Petra☀️

Koko🥊 (previously known as Kumako)

Ryu🎐

Haru🕹️

Cletus🐰

Pablo🪴

Pally+Trishna🍊:

Nina🍊 (adopted)

Nick🛶

Michael💙

Wendy:

Wendyl🔩

Índigo+NuMarcus:

Magenta👗

NuMabel

Cecilia:

Josefina🎒 (surrogate kid)

Allan+Akari:

Allison💰 (In custody of Allan)

Kuro🍋 (In custody of Akari)

Allan+Ivy

Eva🛩️ (child from second marriage)

JoJo+Louie:

Johann✒️

Lauren🥘

Mayor Mallow:

Molly💎

Crystal:

Shard🃏

Fila-sophie📚

Luau Lepunch+Betty Pecan:

Toasty Coconut🍨 (Scoopian+LePunch Hybrid,Looks More like Betty)

Gala Donut🍩 (adopted Scoopian Child)

Shelly Coir🌴 (Scoopian+LePunch Hybrid, looks more like Luau)

4th of July Scoopian:

Stardust🎆

Rocky Road:

Terrance Milch🍡

Jill Berry+Chip Mcmint:

Cranberry Jelly💝

Bianco Ciocco🍫

Sue x Mary:

Susan☎️ (adopted)

Sarge×Radley Madish:

Onnelious & Brown (Adopted/Used to be Two of Sarge's youngest soldiers)

💜Pines and Payne💙 (Mutated+Adopted Pinacoolada Twins)

Annana💛(Mutated+Adopted Bananapants Daughter)

Radetta💗(Sucessful Offspring Harvest Experiment)

Mr. Sherbet

Tiger Dail🐯

Tomatoe Lady:🍅

Campari🥫

Foodini:

Gabriel🎩

Ripley+Chase

Rodrigo🤓

Stephen🐍

Sprout:

Horia🥕

Skip+Daniela:

Railey🛎️

Kahuna+Makaila:

Koa🏄‍♂️

Big Pauly:

🧂Salt & Pepper🧂

Gabitha:

Tessa🐔

Bonnie & Yalanda:

Klaus💤 (Adopted grandson/apprentice)

Liezel+Kaleb

Scoops🍦

Hector🐻

Treble+Perri:

Damon⚙️

Geezer📻

Budwin+Lisa

Bucky💭

Zandro👾

Boopsy

Barnum 🪆 (Son)

~~~~~~~~~

Possible new Nextgens:

Simone:

Shira🎥

Didar:

Noah🎙

Yuko:

Ichika

Chester

Gordon ⛺

Petrona

Roman

~~~~

Roger GearSpeed🏁 (Real Name: ???)

[xanthippe74]

Drarry ficlet: Momento mei

2399 words | general audiences | angst with a happy ending

Thanks to @glittering-git for the beta!

Read below or on AO3 here.

Memento mei

It seemed like a blessing at first.

In the months after the war ended, the articles chronicling Harry’s deeds in the Prophet slowly waned from full pages of lavish words and photographs, to barely a mention of his name. Harry felt lighter for it, free. By the time the first term back at Hogwarts was almost over, he could go to Hogsmeade without worrying about flash bulbs startling him every time he stepped out of a shop.

“They finally got tired of you, mate,” Ron said with a laugh as they trudged back to the school after a morning of Christmas shopping. Harry scooped up a handful of snow and rubbed it, none too gently, into Ron’s grinning face.

Harry and Ginny’s break-up didn’t get so much as a mention, even in Rita Skeeter’s gossip column, which had been relegated to an ignominious corner ten pages back from the front page. When he came out as bisexual and briefly dated Terry Boot that spring, he braced himself for a fresh round of publicity. It never materialised.

Harry looked in the mirror of the eighth-year boys’ bathroom and found he was truly comfortable in his own skin for the first time. His life wasn’t going to be scrutinised and dissected for public consumption anymore. The people around him didn’t think he was a freak or a waste of space.

One year after the war, with a handful of NEWTs to his name, Harry was at a loss for what to do next. There was no particular career he felt inclined to pursue, so he put his energy into renovating Grimmauld Place and spending time with his godson. He wondered at times why no one had offered him a job—Ron and Hermione had been deluged with letters—but he never mentioned it to anyone. It would have sounded awfully big-headed to expect anything to be handed to him like that, much less complain about it. While his friends began training programmes and apprenticeships, Harry Vanished broken furniture and stripped mildewy wallpaper off the walls. On the weekends, he met the usual Hogwarts gang for pub night or a party in someone’s cramped flat.

Harry looked in the mirror on his way out to meet his friends, giving his hair one last check. Maybe he’d meet someone new tonight. He winked at his reflection before leaving his newly-renovated bedroom.

Two years after the war, Harry didn’t think twice about walking through Diagon Alley on a busy Saturday. There were no stares or requests for autographs, no whispers when he paused to look into a shop window. He met friends for leisurely lunches. He ate ice cream at a table in front of Fortescue’s and watched people strolling by in the summer sunshine. Once, Harry walked the entire length of Diagon without realising that George had flicked a spell at the back of his head as he’d left the joke shop.

Harry looked in the mirror when he got home and was bemused by the things that didn’t warrant a second glance in the magical world, like hair that shifted between purple and orange every five seconds. He went over to Andromeda’s house to show Teddy, who laughed to see his godfather’s hair change colours like his did.

Three years after the war, Harry’s friends started forgetting to invite him to things. At first, they laughed it off as absentmindedness or a simple oversight. “I’m sorry, Harry! It must have slipped my mind,” was an excuse he began to hear more and more often. And then they began to look confused when he confronted them, like it was strange for Harry to expect to be included at all. As the months went by, the hosts of the get-togethers weren’t the only offenders—not a single person seemed to notice when Harry didn’t show up for something. When he mentioned it later, they would only lament all the fun he’d missed out on. His frustration curdled into self-pity.

Harry looked in the mirror the day he found out he’d missed Lavender’s engagement party, studying his unremarkable features and the unremarkable haircut he’d had since he was eighteen. Was he really so boring and unimportant that nobody thought about him much anymore? He didn’t mind in the least that the wizarding world wasn’t fawning over him, but it cut deeply that the people dearest to him no longer seemed to want or need his company.

It was only when his closest friends stopped recognising him that Harry began to suspect that something was terribly wrong. The first one was Luna, but she was often so lost in her own thoughts that it didn’t strike him as odd that she’d drifted past him in Diagon without saying hello. Then Molly looked at him blankly one day when he arrived at the Burrow for Sunday roast, as if Harry were a stranger who’d wandered in by accident. Thankfully, Ron was passing through the kitchen and greeted him as he usually did. Molly gave herself a little shake and ushered them both into the lounge.

Four years after the war ended, Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt didn’t mention Harry’s name in his speech commemorating the Battle of Hogwarts.

Hagrid didn’t invite Harry to tea for his birthday, as he did every year.

And when Harry popped into Neville’s flower shop to wish him happy birthday, Neville responded to his greeting with a baffled look. Harry watched in horror as he turned to Hannah and mouthed the words, “Who’s that?”

Harry spun on his heel and went right back out the door.

Either he was going mad or everyone else was. He walked around London for half the night, unable to think straight. The city was a vast ocean, and Harry felt like a small boat that had been set adrift, tossed around by waves of panic. When he was calmer, he decided to turn to the two people he knew he could always count on for help.

On his twenty-second birthday, Harry woke up on his sofa and rushed to the Floo to call Hermione before she left for work. He was flooded with relief when he heard footsteps approaching the fireplace. Ron’s face appeared in the flames—and immediately twisted into anger when he saw Harry.

“How did you get this address? Who let you into our wards? Get out!”

Harry sat on the floor for a long time after Ron had slammed the Floo connection closed.

Alone. Alone. Alone.

Oh, god—Teddy. Harry scrambled to his feet. Would Teddy shy away from Harry as he would from a stranger, the next time they saw each other? He stumbled up the stairs and dry heaved over the toilet.

Harry looked in the mirror and prodded his chalky face with his forefinger. Did he look unrecognisable to everyone but himself now? Did they see a different face, a different person when they looked at him? Or were they all under some kind of spell that erased their memories?

How had he been forgotten by everyone who loved him?

Forgotten.

You will be forgotten.

The phrase echoed in Harry’s head, causing him to sink down onto the bathroom floor. Over four years ago he’d heard those very words, snarled by a Death Eater as she’d been dragged out of the Great Hall by Aurors after the final battle. Harry had been so exhausted that the dank weight of her magic settling upon him had immediately vanished from his mind.

“The Dark Lord will always be remembered! But you will not, Harry Potter. You are nothing compared to him—utterly insignificant! You will be forgotten!”

Harry went to St Mungo’s to see the Healers, who shook their heads at the young man who insisted he was supposed to be famous. When they couldn’t fix him, they called in an Unspeakable who specialised in breaking obscure curses. After an hour of waiting, a man in hooded grey robes swept into the examining room. He didn’t show the slightest sign of recognition when he introduced himself to Harry as Unspeakable Malfoy.

Harry looked in the mirror above the sink while Malfoy cast diagnostic spells at him. He tried not to cry.

Malfoy didn’t make any promises when he was done with his spells, the results of which he recorded in a small notebook. He promised to send an owl if he found anything and asked for Harry’s name again so he could write it down.

If Malfoy couldn’t fix this, Harry decided on his walk home, he’d have to leave England. If he went someplace where no one had heard of him, they couldn’t forget him, right? The tears he’d held back at St Mungo’s slid down his cheeks as he thought about how much he’d gained, and now lost, since his eleventh birthday. Maybe he didn’t have the most exciting life or a career to boast about, but there were people who loved him. There were happy times and an old house that he’d turned into a home with his own hands.

Harry went back to Grimmauld Place and waited for word from Malfoy. He paced through the high-ceilinged rooms and climbed the long flights of stairs until his legs ached. He caught himself holding his breath, listening for a knock on the door or the roar of the Floo. When they never came, he went out to the back garden instead and lay on its small rectangle of grass. He considered where he might go—California or New Zealand. Or maybe some South Pacific island where it never got cold.

At last, Malfoy’s owl arrived four days after he had examined Harry. He’d identified the curse and, more importantly, found the countercurse.

Back at St Mungo’s, Malfoy greeted Harry coolly and ordered him into a chair. The countercurse was a droning chant in a language that Harry didn’t recognise, accompanied by complex wand motions that made him dizzy to watch. He closed his eyes until it was over, hardly able to breathe.

When the casting was finished and the room silent again, Harry opened his eyes and found Malfoy gaping at him.

“Potter? What the hell?” Malfoy looked over at his notes on the table, then back at Harry, his eyes widening even further. Then he said, faintly, “Well, Scarhead, that was quite the predicament you got yourself—”

He didn’t get the chance to finish. Harry launched himself out of the chair and crushed Malfoy in a hug, laughing tearfully into the shoulder of his Unspeakable robes.

“Gracious, Potter, a simple thank-you would suffice.” Malfoy wriggled out of Harry’s arms and stepped back to cast a diagnostic spell at him. “Do you feel any different?”

Harry thought about it for a moment. “Not really. Lighter, maybe?”

“You’re probably just relieved to be famous again,” Malfoy said, rolling his eyes. “It must have been terrible not to see your own picture in the newspaper every day.”

“No, that part was actually nice. It was having my friends not even recognise me anymore…”

The rest of the words got caught in Harry’s throat. Malfoy’s expression turned sympathetic, and when he spoke again, it was with surprising gentleness.

“Well, then. I suppose you’d better go see them now, hmm?”

He accompanied Harry to the Floo in the reception area. Harry tried to glance at him as they walked, but he’d pulled up his hood to hide his face from the other people in the corridor. No wonder Harry hadn’t heard anything about Malfoy in the past few years—he’d buried himself in the depths of the Ministry, learning to undo Dark curses.

And letting the wizarding world forget him, Harry thought with a pang.

Harry shook Malfoy’s hand and thanked him. Whatever happened next, he knew he wouldn’t stop thinking about Malfoy, with his sharp gaze and clever mind, anytime soon. Malfoy, too, seemed to consider Harry for a few long moments before he stepped into the Floo.

This time, the only reason why Hermione and Ron were surprised to see Harry was because they weren’t expecting him on a Thursday evening as they were squabbling over what to make for dinner. He almost started crying again when Ron cuffed him on the shoulder and asked him if he wanted a beer.

Hermione noticed that he was upset first, of course. When Harry explained the curse, she blamed herself for not catching that something was wrong. Ron looked towards the pictures on the mantelpiece and swore under his breath. There weren’t any pictures of Harry there.

The good parts of Harry’s life returned to normal after that, and he was almost bursting with renewed gratitude for the people around him. Diagon was off limits again, since the vultures at the Prophet remembered to hound him, but that was a small price to pay. Harry threw himself a belated birthday party in Grimmauld Place, and the rooms were filled with music and laughter and shouted toasts in his honour. He never wanted the night to end.

Harry looked in the mirror before going to bed in the wee small hours, and he smiled with contentment at his bleary eyes and the glitter caught in his hair.

He’d invited Malfoy to the party on a whim, but received a polite note declining. Harry tried again and again—a Seekers game? Lunch in Muggle London? Tea at Grimmauld Place?—until Malfoy finally gave in. He showed up on Harry’s doorstep in jeans and a soft, well-fitted jumper. Harry found himself staring.

“Did you forget that you asked me to dinner, Potter?” Malfoy smirked.

“Oh, no,” Harry breathed. “How could I forget you?”

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Five years after the war ended, Harry spends his Saturdays teaching Teddy how to fly on his first broom and Sundays being climbed on by two or three small Weasleys who know he keeps sweets in pockets. He orders Christmas gifts by owl post to avoid star-struck witches in the Diagon shops. He slips into the Leaky Cauldron under his invisibility cloak to meet his friends for drinks.

And when Draco reads out the ridiculous articles about him from the Daily Prophet, Harry chucks the crusts of his toast across the breakfast table at his boyfriend and says he almost forgot how much of a prat he could be.

“You didn’t forget anything,” Draco says pointedly.

And Harry has to agree. He didn’t.

[enablesllamas]