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lobey-scribbles · 2 years ago

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Can I please request a fic with post-Azkaban Sirius Black where he’s really happy during Christmas in OoTP and celebrates with his wife (the reader) the Order and the kids?

a/n: thank you so much for the request! i really hope you like it :)

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Grimmauld Place’s First Merry Christmas - Sirius Black X Wife!Reader

summary: Sirius Black had largely considered Grimmauld Place to be the most miserable place on Earth, second only to Azkaban itself. So when, for the first time in his life, he feels genuinely happy there, surrounded by his loved ones, he can’t help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude.

word count: 1.2k

themes: FLUFF

warnings: none

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The radiance of the fire and the joyous laughter of his friends enveloped Sirius Black as he leaned against the mantelpiece, watching the snowflakes dance in the glow of the street lights outside. He took a sip of his mulled wine, relishing in the spices that tingled on his tongue.

As he enjoyed his quiet moment, Sirius couldn't help but overhear the boisterous conversation happening across the room between Mad-Eye Moody and Mundungus Fletcher.

"Oi, Dung, keep your eyes off the presents under the tree," Moody grumbled, his magical eye fixed on the thief.

Mundungus let out a nervous laugh, his eyes darting towards the twinkling Christmas tree. "Who, me? I was just admiring them from afar."

Arthur Weasley chuckled at the exchange, "You know, Moody, maybe we should put someone on watch duty for the night. Make sure he doesn't try anything."

Mundungus shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but before he could protest, Bill Weasley spoke up, "Maybe we should let him have one present as a reward for being such a good boy this year. After all, he’s not been chucked into Azkaban just yet."

Laughter erupted around the room, and Sirius couldn't help but join in. He was surrounded by his loved ones, and their playful banter was just another reminder of how lucky he was to have them.

His eyes then settled on you, who was sitting on a plush armchair by the fire, lost in thought as you observed Fred, George and Ginny‘s antics as they played a particularly competitive game of exploding snap. Sirius smiled softly, admiring how beautiful you looked in the warm glow of the firelight.

He walked over to you, taking a seat on the armrest of your chair,

“I could feel you staring, you know.” you remarked, playfully

“Can’t I appreciate my stunning wife on Christmas Eve?” a smirk played at Sirius’s lips, “You know I can’t help myself when you’re around, darling,” he responded, as his fingers traced your back lightly, his eyes still transfixed on you, causing your heart to flutter rapidly.

"What are you thinking about?" you asked, regaining your composure and taking his hand in yours.

"Just enjoying the moment," he replied, candidly.

Sirius couldn't help but feel an overwhelming gratitude that fuelled his entire body, for being alive and surrounded by the people he loved. He looked around at the members of the Order who were gathered in the room, all chatting and laughing together.

"Merlin, I never thought I'd see the day when you'd hear jubilation in this house," he joked, nudging your shoulder lightly.

You chuckled softly, gazing lovingly at the gathering of all their friends. "It's amazing how much things can change, isn't it?"

Sirius nodded, smiling at her. "Yeah, it is. And I'm so grateful for every moment we have together."

You turned your head to look at him, a soft smile gracing her lips. "Me too, Sirius. You have no idea how much you mean to me."

Sirius leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I think I do," he whispered, his eyes never leaving yours.

At that moment, Lupin approached you both, a warm smile spread across his face.

“What are you two lovebirds talking about?” he teases, taking a seat on the armchair next to you.

“Oh, nothing much.” you replied, playfully nudging Sirius, “Just relishing in the Christmas spirit.”

“Don’t think we’re the only lovebirds here if I'm not mistaken.” Sirius said, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “Could have sworn I saw you and Tonks snogging in the hall earlier.”

Remus chuckled, though his face had gone slightly pink. He took a sip of his own mulled wine. “Well, it's good to see you both so happy. You deserve it, after everything you've been through.”

Sirius nodded, a sombre expression crossing his face for a moment before he shook it off. He sighed, “Yeah we do. And I'm glad we have all of you to celebrate it with.”

The three of you chatted for a while, Sirius and Remus reminiscing about their time at Hogwarts. “Remember the time you and James levitated all the furniture to the ceiling in McGonagall’s office?”

Sirius let out a bark of laughter, “Oh, she was livid! But it was worth it just to see Minnie’s face when she walked into her empty office.”

“Yeah, but if I remember correctly it was up to me to get you both out of detention.”

“Yeah, we were a pair of right little terrors. We needed you, Remus, to keep us out of trouble.”

At the mention of James, Sirius’s eyes fell on Harry, Ron and Hermione who were joking and chatting amongst themselves in the corner of the room. A wave of happiness crashed over him. It meant everything to Sirius to know that despite the danger they faced, Harry was still able to find joy in these small moments and just be a teenager.

“Hey, you lot!” he called out, gesturing for them to come over. “Why don't you join the old folks for a couple of drinks?”

The trio grinned and made their way over, settling themselves on the floor by the fire.

As the night began to wind down, one by one, everyone began to make their way up to bed, saying their goodnights and exchanging heartfelt hugs and kisses. You had gotten up to make your way to your bedroom too, when Sirius wrapped his hand around your wrist and pulled you back to the armchair.

“Sirius- it’s nearly midnight!” you let out a gasp of surprise.

“Just stay here with me a little bit longer,” Sirius pleaded, his eyes locking onto yours. “I don't want the night to end just yet.”, peppering gentle kisses down the side of your neck.

A blush began to dust your cheeks, unable to ignore the way his lips burnt into your skin, “Alright, but only for a little while.”

Sirius sighed contentedly, resting his head on your shoulder. The two of you sat there in silence for a few moments, just enjoying the warmth of each other's company.

“You know, I never thought I'd be able to celebrate Christmas like this,” Sirius spoke up, breaking the silence. “With you, Harry, and all our friends. It's more than I could have ever hoped for.”

You ran your fingers through his curls, smiling softly. “I'm just glad you're here with us, Sirius. You deserve all the happiness in the world.”

Sirius lifted his head to look at you, his eyes glassy with emotion. “I am happy, Y/N,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Happier than I've been in a long time. And it's all because of you.”

You leaned in, capturing his lips in a tender kiss. It was a kiss that conveyed all the love and gratitude that Sirius had felt in his heart. When you pulled away, he smiled at you, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Come on, let's go to bed,” you said, standing up and pulling him with you.

As you made your way up the stairs, Sirius's heart felt as though it had swelled about ten times its size. He had found happiness after all those years of despair and loneliness.

As he climbed into bed, wrapping his arms around you, and pulling you close, he knew that he had everything he needed right here in this moment : his family, his friends, and the love of his life. And for the first time in a long time, he felt truly content.

#harry potter #harry potter fandom #hp fandom #marauders #sirius black #sirius black x reader #remus and tonks #sirius black fanfiction #order of the phoenix #sirius deserved better #sirius black fanfic #sirius black fluff #lobey-scribbles #lobey-scribbles fanfic requests #guys i’m actually a wolfstar shipper promise #harry potter sirius black

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yan-senna · 4 years ago

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The Keeper of the Diamond 3 (Severus Snape x reader, Lucius Malfoy x reader & Negan x reader)

By yan-senna

Other links to the story: Wattpad / AO3

Want to be tagged when I post a fanfic?

Book 1 / Chapter 1 / Next chapter / All chapters

Chapter 21

The next day, the girls prepare before their guests arrive. They have cleaned up the entire house. They have bought snacks and sodas. And the Switch and Wii U are ready to be played on. All the gaming equipment is in Laura’s room, of course, so that’s where they will all stay.

When it’s all ready, the girls suddenly hear voices in the living room. They are here! They enter the room to greet them. “Hey, guys. Ready for some video games?” Laura asks.

They all eagerly nod. “I told my dad about it. He can’t bloody wait to hear more when we return to the Burrow” Ron exclaims, sounding excited.

Draco looks at the Gryffindor. “Merlin, you kind of sound like me, Weasley” he says as he smirks.

Ron glares at him. “I do not!” he defends himself. Everybody laughs. He does sound like Draco.

Y/N clears her throat. “Well, let’s head to Laura’s room, shall we? Will you stay, Professor Lupin and Black?” she offers the two grown wizards.

They both chuckle. “We appreciate the invitation, but we have promised Arthur and Molly Weasley to join them for lunch at the Burrow” Lupin states as he smiles.

Black grins. “That is right. Have fun, kiddos” he says as he winks. The two men then apparate to the Burrow.

All the teenagers then enter Laura’s room. The wizards and witches look at the Switch and Wii U in awe including Harry and Hermione. “That’s bloody cool!” Ron exclaims, astonished.

Laura then gains everyone’s attention. “Okay, guys, we got snacks and sodas over here” she says as she gestures to a table.

“We were thinking of playing something called Mario Kart on the Wii U. Four people can play that at once” she states.

“And then we were thinking of playing Miitopia on the Switch. Sadly, only one person can play it at once. But don’t worry, we will all switch up after each turn” she says as she finishes giving the information.

Nodding, they all agree to play Mario Kart on the Wii U first. Laura demonstrates how to play and what the different buttons do.

They then make four teams. The first team to play is Harry, Ron, Draco and Laura. Harry chooses to be Mario, Ron chooses Toad, Draco chooses King Boo and Laura chooses Princess Peach.

During the game, Harry, Ron and Draco focus way too much on hitting each other that they don’t notice Laura at all.

Which of course results in her being way ahead of them as she wins. Harry is second place, Draco is third place and Ron is fourth place.

The three boys groan. “This is your fault, Potter and Weasley!” Draco exclaims.

“Us? It was you who kept going after us, Malfoy!” Harry snaps.

Sighing, Laura then hands over the controllers to the next group which is an all girl’s group. Ginny, Luna, Hermione and Vera. Vera chooses Pauline, Ginny chooses Daisy, Hermione chooses Toadette and Luna chooses Rosalina.

There’s a big competition between the four girls. They all keep hitting each other, going after first place.

In the end, Luna wins. Vera is second place, Hermione is third place and Ginny is fourth place. Finally something Hermione isn’t the best at.

The next group is Neville, Dean, Seamus and Y/N. Neville chooses Koopa Troopa, Dean chooses Shy Guy, Seamus chooses Donkey Kong and Y/N chooses Yoshi.

Both Dean and Seamus are pretty good at the game. Neville and Y/N - not so much. They are having a good time, though. They are all laughing.

Dean wins the game. Seamus is second place, Y/N is third place and Neville is fourth place. At least they had fun.

The last group is Fred, George, Ginny and Ron. They all agree that this should be a family group, which is why Ginny and Ron get to play again. Fred chooses Wario, George chooses Waluigi, Ginny chooses Daisy again and Ron chooses Toad again.

“May the best Weasley win,” George starts. “Which is either George or I” Fred ends as they both give a mischievous grin.

As the race is pretty heated, Ginny ends up winning. Much to everyone’s surprise. “Good job, Ginny!” Hermione praises her friend. Ron is second place, George is third place and Fred fourth place.

The twins groan while Ron smirks. “Bloody hell, at least I got a better score than you guys” he says as he looks at the twins who glare at their younger brother.

Laura then turns off the Wii U and turns on the Switch. “Okay, let’s play Miitopia!” she announces.

Even though only one can play at a time, everyone is having a lot of fun.

They all agree to make Voldemort the Dark Lord. Yes, they agreed to use the name Voldemort. Harry Potter is the Great Sage.

As there can only be ten people on the team, they have agreed to use other people than themselves. They have, after some discussion, agreed that Snape is the Hero which is the main character. Y/N is obviously the one who convinced the others.

Then there’s Lucius, Narcissa, Black, Lupin, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley and Hagrid.

They play for a long time. As they finally defeat the Dark Lord, all the wizards and witches are shocked to see a Darker Lord - Harry Potter the Great Sage.

“Bloody hell, Harry. You are more evil than You-Know-Who!” Ron exclaims as everybody laughs.

“It is getting pretty late, we should probably head back to the Burrow since we are all staying there for a few days. Otherwise your parents, especially your mother, will just get mad at us” Hermione says to the Weasleys, giving a serious look. Nodding, the twins apparate them to the Burrow as they are the only ones who can apparate in the group.

Draco stays behind. “Well, you are going to stay at the Manor, right, Y/N? Then we can go there together” he suggests as he looks at Y/N.

She smiles. “Yeah, of course. I have already packed my bag” she says as she grabs her weekend bag which contains the two diamonds, her phone, her Snape t-shirt, a Harry Potter book, some extra clothes, her hairbrush and toothbrush.

She then hugs Laura and Vera. “See you guys later. I think I will stay there for a few days” she tells them.

The two girls nod at their friend as they wave goodbye. Draco and Y/N then go to the Manor by using Y/N’s powers.

#harry potter #the walking dead #twd #fanfiction #the keeper of the diamond #negan #severus snape #lucius malfoy #negan x reader #severus snape x reader #lucius malfoy x reader #reader #crossover

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and-damntheconsequences · 5 years ago

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Merlin Astrology — Part 2: The Zodiac of the Celtic Druids

No one asked for it. You're getting it anyway.

So, in the other post, I've made up birthdays for both Merlin and Arthur in the other post, and gave them sun, moon, and rising signs according to how I viewed them and what fit that best. The zodiac I used there is (I think) western tropical astrology, the greek/roman based zodiac that most people are familiar with in the modern western world.

However, that wasn't the only type of astrology I looked at. And given that the calendar they were using in Merlin is heavily influenced by the celtic traditions, and druids are actually in the show, using the Druidic Zodiac seemed to make a lot of sense. I decided that Merlin's birthday would be December 23rd almost solely on the meaning that holds in this zodiac, and I used it a lot for Arthurs sun sign too.

If you know how the Druidic Zodiac works, or just really don't care at all, scroll down for a bit — until you see the bigger text and names — and I've written what I think their signs would be and the explanation. If not, I'll give some brief context and a little education first.

***

The main difference between the Celtic calender and the modern calendar is the number of months — and therefore the number of signs within the zodiac. In modern western astrology, there are 12 zodiacs, and the sun (main sign) lasts for a month in each one.

((Side note: sun signs aren't actually exactly decided by the placements of the actual constellations they're named after, it's generally more to do with the beginnings, middles, and ends, of the four seasons, but that's besides the point.))

Anyways, in the Druidic Zodiac, there are 13 months of 28 days, for the 13 moon cycles that happen in a year (plus one extra day — I'll come back to that). This means that while meanings overlap heavily between the Druidic Zodiac and the astrology we're most familiar with today, the signs do cross, and and the meanings are changed.

The Druidic Zodiac signs are named after trees, and have their own symbols (usually animals, but one of them is a chalice... so not always). The festivals near to a child's birth are also linked heavily to these signs, as the festivals would have spiritual significance.

It's also probably worth noting that the actual legends of King Arthur ARE mentioned within some of these traditions and the original characters of King Arthur and Merlin are supposedly linked to certain signs — but I've completely disregarded that here because these are characters in a show only based on those legends, and that's not at all the same thing.

***

Okay let's go

Arthur Pendragon

Birthday: July 28th

Druidic Zodiac: Holly

The eighth sign of this zodiac, the Holly Tree might seem an odd tree to represent some of the hottest months in the year, but this is because it falls just after the summer solstice. It is the first month of the waning year as summer comes towards its end. Within this month falls the first festival of harvest — Lughnasadh (or Lammas), where the fruits of the earth would begin to be collected, and feasts would be held.

Represented by the unicorn, the Holly zodiac is one of royalty and nobility, and their horn was likened to a spiralling spear of fire, a symbol of the sun's power in the days of summer. Those born under this sign will move through life in a confident and powerful manner, which can sometimes appear arrogant or snobbish if left unchecked. However, past that appearance, they are truly kind hearted and generous people, who act as both inspirations and leaders when they are called upon in times of crisis.

They are also often energetic and athletic, with great physical stamina and sporty capabilities. As well as this, they can be incredibly competitive and ambitious, though not to the ruthlessness that others may show. They likely won't take kindly to personal criticism or being told what to do, and can be impulsive and rash in defending themselves and their pride. However, their sincerity and loyalty is unparalleled in the zodiac, and their dedication to those they are about never goes underappreciated.

Holly also has an important meaning in the wheel of the year, which is the basis on which the celtic calendar was set as it went between seasons. In some pagan stories and traditions, an ongoing battle was always being fought between the Oak King and the Holly King. On the winter solstice (longest night of the year), the Oak King would win, and bring the earth away from winter and into summer. On the summer solstice, the Holly King would win again, and start to return the earth to winter. This is only my personal interpretation, but I would take that to mean that those born under the sign of the Holly are blessed with power and success. They are the new rulers, the strong, the winners, who in time will continue to grow and improve themselves. They are the true Kings and Queens of the zodiac, with the potential to do many great things.

*******

Merlin (Emrys)

Birthday: December 23rd

Druidic Zodiac: Mistletoe

Yes, mistletoe isn't one of the 13 zodiacs, but hear me out it works I promise. December 23rd was the last day of the Celtic calendar, and as such has special significance — it doesn't exactly fall under the Elder Tree sign. A year of 365 days can divide 13 times into months of 28 days, but there will be one day left over — the Nameless Day. People born on this day don't quite fall within the zodiac, and as such are given the symbol of Mistletoe, represented by the spiralling tail of the dragon constellation Draco, that was never fully visible.

Mistletoe people share most of their characteristics and nature with that of Elder Tree people, but this day also represents great potential that continues to evolve. There is a sense of destiny or fate that surrounds them, and they may find themselves as outcasts in life, or with questions surrounding their ancestors and origins.

For the most part however, they are considered to be partially within the Elder Tree zodiac, and share those traits — so I'll talk about that too.

Elder Tree people are represented by the black colt, and greatly value their freedom to learn about and explore life. They are born at the end of the year, as darkness is spreading across the land and nights are at their shortest, and therefore come into the world with their eyes fixed on the faded light in the sky. They may spend their lives, metaphorically, constantly searching to find that light, and will often be seeking to make the world a brighter place. They know the darkness well, but remain optimistic in spite of it.

They are naturally intuitive and sharp, and likely to have a deep connection to the outdoors and natural world in some way. Though they have a kind and considerate heart, they may also be a little too quick-witted, and prone to upsetting or offending people with their strong views or blunt honesty — especially if the humour of their comments isn't picked up on.

As their symbol would suggest, they can be something of a "black horse", which can make them outsiders, and destined to seek out their own path as a conventional lifestyle may not suit them best. But despite the doubts of others, they will see many great personal victories. They have a keen sense of justice and morality, and will strive to do what is right, even if its unpopular.

There's not much more to say on these, at least that I know of, but I might do another post talking about other characters, if anyone has a character they'd like me to do.

Here are the dates for the zodiacs if anyone's interested:

#bbc merlin #merlin #merthur #merlin astrology #druidic astrology #celtic astrology

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profoundlyxbonded · 5 years ago

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12 signs a storyteller is building romantic and sexual chemistry

Dean/Cas FOR SURE hits 9/12 of these and arguably 11. DESTIEL IS REAL.

LOONG POST AND THE FANDOM EXAMPLES AREN’T SPN , BUT IT’S WORTH THE TIME.

THE BOLDED SPN EXAMPLES ARE MINE.

When it comes to possible romances in popular work, fans and storytellers do a lot of finger-pointing. People have varied tastes and can view the same interaction differently, causing fights over whether the romantic or sexual chemistry in a story was intentional. These feuds are particularly likely in cases where storytellers may be taunting queer audiences.

However, the question of whether chemistry was inserted by the storyteller isn’t as subjective as you might think. Storytellers use the same tactics over and over again when developing a romance. Let’s go over twelve of the most common. You can use them to analyze your favorite stories or to build chemistry yourself. To make things simpler, I use the term “peer” to indicate people who are similar in age and aren’t closely related. In other words, they qualify for a non-platonic relationship.

Let’s start with signals that could be platonic if used in isolation and count down to ones that are almost never platonic.

12. Banter & Teasing

Multiple episodes during seasons 4 and 5. Bickering and acting as if married after that.

When the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy came out, fans felt the chemistry between a pair of people that Peter Jackson probably didn’t expect: Legolas and Gimli. However, Jackson should have seen it coming. These contrasting characters start as natural adversaries, and once they’re on the same team, that transforms into competitive banter. This makes for fun and endearing scenes between them.

Even though banter can be platonic, there’s a very blurry line between banter and flirtation. That means interactions between peers that are familiar and yet have that teasing edge are particularly effective at building sexual and romantic chemistry.

If banter is all there is between the characters, the storyteller may not be creating that chemistry on purpose. However, in popular stories where everyone knows that fans want those characters to hook up, storytellers who include teasing are at least willing to encourage it. For instance, Merlin and Arthur on BBC’s Merlin are also known for their banter, and since it’s obvious that the show’s writers were cultivating chemistry, it’s very likely that banter was part of their strategy.

11. Staring & Close Eye Contact

Multiple episodes ARE YOU F- ING KIDDING ME??

In the Star Trek: Next Generation episode The Big Goodbye, Dr. Crusher dresses up in a 1940s outfit to join Picard’s Dixon Hill game on the holodeck. When Picard sees her there, he first stops, stares, and then has a close face-to-face conversation. The scene even has cheesy romantic music.

While that example is over the top, storytellers can do this with a lot more subtlety if they want to. Visual storytellers typically have a character conversation in almost every scene, and it’s easy to nudge characters closer together or have them stare a little longer. However, some shows like Star Trek are also in the habit of making their actors talk really close together all the time. That makes the line between what is romantic and what is platonic really blurry.

Building chemistry via staring isn’t limited to visual works. In narrated works, description is used to focus the camera and show what the viewpoint character is paying attention to. The choice to describe the eyes of a peer, assuming they aren’t supernatural looking, creates romantic chemistry. Using a disproportionate amount of description on a peer, especially if that description makes them sound attractive, will also be interpreted as non-platonic. While narration can also describe how close characters are together, it won’t have the same subtlety as it would in a visual story.

10. Domestic Activities

(”Co-parenting”Jack/ being two of his three four dads.)

In season seven of The 100, viewers discover that Octavia spent ten years stranded with her former enemy, Diyoza. They took shelter in an abandoned home, and since Diyoza was already pregnant, they ended up raising her child together. For many years, Octavia tries to leave and go back to her brother, but Diyoza tells her that she shouldn’t abandon her family. Diyoza finally sabotages Octavia’s efforts to leave, but Octavia quickly forgives her. That sure sounds like a love story.

While characters don’t have to be romantic to be roommates, making peers into roommates is likely to get fans invested in a hookup. This is partly because living together is associated with romantic partnerships, but it also means that the characters are around each other a lot. The more they are together, the more opportunities they have to build chemistry.

Aside from that, simply seeing characters handle (or refuse to handle) domestic tasks like cooking, doing dishes, or house cleaning builds romantic chemistry between them. This goes double if the characters raise a kid together.

9. Bonds of Magic or Destiny

Multiple episodes ARE YOU F- ING KIDDING ME??

In BBC’s Merlin, a wise dragon tells the titular Merlin that it’s his destiny to protect Arthur so that Arthur can bring about a new golden age. The dragon refers to them as two sides of a coin, and it emphasizes more than once that their fates are intertwined. Because he wants to stay close to Arthur, Merlin spends the entire show hiding his magic and working as a lowly manservant.

Our culture has countless stories about characters thrust into roles that make them essential to both the world and each other. These characters might be magically linked together, perhaps even hearing each other’s thoughts. The bond might be one of prophecy, with the characters needing each other to save the world. Or their society might make a big deal out of the two interdependent roles the characters play. For instance, in Gideon the Ninth, lots of time is spent describing how important a necromancer and their cavalier are to each other. Often, characters with these special bonds will gain abilities that can only be used when they’re together.

Storytellers have used this trope so many times in their romances that it carries a strong romantic connotation. While the trope can also be used for platonic relationships, a storyteller doing that may need to explicitly state that the relationship is platonic.

8. Voicing How Much They Care

Multiple episodes ARE YOU F- ING KIDDING ME??

In Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the students Albus and Scorpius form a close relationship that is forbidden by Harry himself. This relationship is of central importance to the play, and it includes a conversation where Albus tells Scorpius “you make me stronger” and Scorpius responds “I didn’t much like my life without you in it either.” This sounds like a conversation from a romance novel with the direct “I love you” lines conveniently clipped out.

Friends and siblings in popular stories don’t spend much time talking about how they are friends and siblings. Most platonic relationships in stories are also not as emotionally intense, and they come across as less needy and codependent than romantic ones.

As we get more deep and meaningful platonic relationships in popular stories, these conversations may be less associated with romance in the future. Even so, having peers spend time discussing their relationship or what they mean to each other definitely builds romantic chemistry. And since we can’t credit most popular storytellers with caring about meaningful platonic relationships, conversations like this one between Albus and Scorpius are a strong sign that the storyteller is creating romantic chemistry on purpose.

Storytellers who are covertly building romantic chemistry are particularly fond of using the word “love” in ambiguous ways. They know interested audiences will interpret this as “in love,” while others will interpret it as platonic love.

7. Activities Associated With Dating

Multiple episodes - meals together

The Good Omens miniseries added original scenes for the fan-favorite demon and angel pair, Crowley and Aziraphale. The series shows them meet for the first time, go through ups and downs together, and as a secondary concern, deal with the events of the actual plot. They’re shown drinking wine at a fancy restaurant together more than once. When things look bad, Crowley practically begs Aziraphale to run away with him. After Aziraphale’s shop burns down, Crowley invites Aziraphale to come home with him. Aziraphale often appears scandalized by Crowley’s advances, which only makes those scenes more suggestive.

While two friends could have a candlelit dinner together, storytellers don’t depict characters having candlelit dinners for the purpose of developing a platonic relationship. That’s why in a story, just having two peers eat at a restaurant by themselves implies a romance in progress. Other dating-associated activities might include watching the sunset together or dressing up to attend a fancy event together.

This category also includes any outing referred to with the word “date” – even if it is a “friend date.” Your friend date in real life might not be romantic, but storytellers choose that word for a reason.

6. Absent Clothing ?

(09x06) There’s Cas’ discarded vest and unbuttoned shirt during the scene in the car outside Nora’s.

In The Last Jedi, director Rian Johnson decided to develop a romance between Rey and Kylo by giving them a magical bond in the form of long-distance telepathy. But Johnson must have decided the obviously romantic implication of this connection was too subtle, so Kylo also happens to be shirtless in one of these scenes.

Fictional clothing doesn’t just evaporate in storyland. If a character is bathing, is in their underwear, is missing their shirt, or even just has buttons undone, the storyteller has chosen to create sexual tension. This isn’t always to develop sexual chemistry specifically between two characters. In visual media, it might be to give the audience some eye candy. But if one peer’s shirt goes missing when the other appears, that’s a big sign.

Perhaps the most common method of doing this is putting characters in the same room when one of them is changing. Injuries are another common excuse for clothing removal and close contact. A remarkable number of characters have trouble applying their own bandages; somehow, they always need first aid from an attractive peer.

5. Flirtation & Flattery

Multiple episodes - (5x22) Dean outright flirting with Cas before saying yes to Archangelic possession and just Dean’s body language in other episodes.

X-Files was notorious for taunting viewers with a possible romance between its two leads, something that started right with the pilot. One of the many tactics used to build up a possible romance was for Mulder to inappropriately hit on Scully while they were working. In one scene where they are undercover as a married couple who just moved into the neighborhood, he tells a neighbor that he and Scully spooned like kittens all night. Generally, Mulder’s advances are disguised as jokes, and when he’s too serious to be joking, Scully treats his comments as if they were jokes.

It’s obvious that when one character hits on another, they have sexual or romantic interest. The only question is whether that interest is being used to develop romantic or sexual chemistry. Many stories have a scene where a minor male character hits on a female protagonist only for her to turn him down, and it’s supposed to be funny. Since most women do not find this funny, these scenes aren’t as common as they once were. Occasionally, a male antagonist will make threatening advances. That’s even worse.

However, it’s different when a relatable protagonist is initiating the flirtation. Even if the subject of their affections isn’t interested, being turned down will create sympathy. The scene may still be written as though it’s funny, but then it’s humble or self-deprecating humor. Failed flirtation establishes that the protagonist is looking for romance, creating the expectation that they will hook up with someone. If they’ve tried to flirt with a recurring character, it’s almost certainly a romantic setup.

4. Emphasis on Hugs and Physical Contact

Multiple episodes ARE YOU F- ING KIDDING ME??

Many fans of the show Teen Wolf wanted Stiles and Derek to hook up. Stiles is the fan-favorite character, Derek is really hot, and the two have some great banter scenes. Unfortunately, the writers of the show wouldn’t create a romance between them, but at the end of the show’s long run, they decided to give these fans something to remember. How did they do that? With the bridal carry. Even though the scene was written to be humorous, this specific hold has incredibly romantic connotations.

While the bridal carry is pretty blatant, storytellers will use all kinds of physical contact between peers to create romantic and sexual chemistry. One of the most common is hugging. Yes, friends hug, but visual stories don’t include extended shots of friends hugging. Narrated works don’t spend a whole paragraph describing the way friends hug. If a hug between peers is rendered in artistic loving detail instead of as a casual and brief aside, that was intentional chemistry-building.

Other blatant signs of non-platonic physical contact include showing whether their hands are close enough to touch, making one character fall on top of another (classic), hair tucking, and, for storytellers with no shame whatsoever, mouth-to-mouth such as CPR or “water transfer.”

3. Blushing

In Netflix’s She-Ra, the characters Bow and Glimmer start off as best friends and hook up in the final season. In depicting this transition, She-Ra gives us a beautiful reversal, in which this straight romance is much more subtle than the central queer hookup. Because they were already friends, some viewers might miss that Bow and Glimmer end the show as a couple. However, close observation of one scene in particular leaves no room for doubt. In it, Glimmer praises Bow’s music, and they both blush.

Blushing is a little odd because it doesn’t appear in live action for practical reasons. But in animated, illustrated, or narrated works, storytellers use blushing to communicate that a character is experiencing non-platonic feelings. While it occasionally indicates general embarrassment, context almost always makes it clear which is which. If the character blushes after dropping all their books in the middle of class, it’s embarrassment. If they blush after speaking to or staring at a peer, it’s romance.

Since blushing is involuntary, it’s particularly useful when characters aren’t willing to show their feelings. This means it often gets used as early buildup to a romance or to create chemistry between characters who will never admit their feelings at all.

2. Jealousy ?

OPEN TO INTERPRETATION BUT - (4X10) Cas’ reaction to Dean and Anna.

In Gideon the Ninth, Harrow is a necromancer and Gideon is her cavalier. However, at the beginning they’re almost enemies. When they’re summoned to an abandoned castle to train for a great honor, Harrow goes off on her own. This leaves Gideon to socialize with the other nobles present – in particular, the lovely and kind Dulcinea. As Gideon and Harrow begin to make up, Harrow increasingly voices her displeasure with this association, finally forbidding Gideon to see Dulcinea. While Harrow insists it’s because Dulcinea is dangerous, Gideon accuses Harrow of being jealous.

In stories, jealousy is an obvious sign of romantic feelings. That’s simply because while the vast majority of romances in popular stories are monogamous, friendships are never exclusive. Someone who wants to be a friend doesn’t have much reason to get jealous. Factor in conscious choices by storytellers, and platonic jealousy is rare indeed.

Characters rarely admit to being jealous, so storytellers who want to clarify usually have another character say it. Even if it looks like that character could be wrong, the storyteller wouldn’t have used the word “jealous” unless they wanted their audience to think about it. The romantic chemistry that comes with this is intentional.

Unlike other items on this list, I don’t recommend using this one yourself for romantic buildup. Like other negative emotions, occasional jealousy is natural. However, it’s not a sign of a healthy relationship, and it’s associated with domestic abuse. When storytellers use it in romances, they are encouraging everyone to think of jealousy as romantic. That can have deadly consequences.

1. Onlookers Assume They’re Dating

Multiple episodes - Meg, Balthazar, and others making joking (or very serious) comments about their relationship.

In the BBC Sherlock episode A Study in Pink, Watson and Sherlock have dinner together at an Italian restaurant. For those who’ve been paying attention so far, that’s a dating-associated activity. The waiter is an old associate of Sherlock, and he casually refers to Watson as Sherlock’s “date.”

I cannot count the number of times I have seen this used as early buildup in straight romances. The likely couple goes out together – often to a restaurant but not always – and some stranger assumes they’re a couple. Embarrassed, they hurriedly correct the stranger. Several episodes later, they’re admitting their feelings for one another. In BBC Sherlock, this trick from the old romantic playbook was clearly not enough for the show writers. Following this is a conversation where Sherlock concludes that Watson is interested in dating him. He says he’s flattered, but he’s “married to his work.”

The denial of the characters doesn’t cancel out the intentional romantic chemistry. If the storyteller didn’t want the audience to think about the pair hooking up, they wouldn’t do this song-and-dance in the first place. In fact, if the denial is enthusiastic, it just indicates these comments about being a couple are hitting close to home.

For all the other signs I’ve listed here, I can at least conceive of a situation in which a plot would call for something similar between people intended as platonic. These little snippets of dialogue have no such cover. They are irrelevant to the plot at hand, inserted entirely for the character moment they create. They are the furthest thing from organic, especially with a same-gender pairing. The storytellers can claim they’re jokes (homophobic ones), but they have many jokes at their disposal that do not build romantic chemistry. They chose a joke that would.

When these romantic or sexual signals are used on same-gender pairings, it may fly under the radar for audiences with a heteronormative gaze. However, these signals don’t end up in the story by accident. That goes double if this is a big-budget story in a visual medium, where the story has been written, animated, or filmed, and finally edited under supervision. Remember: it’s a storyteller’s job to shape the response that audiences have to their story. They may not be perfect, but they still know what they’re doing.

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minimarker · 7 years ago

Text

The Talllle of Glennnn and Daaaale

(and Gaiiiil and Marrrrsha)

(Note: some of the footage of the 2017 P4A was lost. This compilation was the best I could do from my memory and the footage available. If I made any mistakes or forgot any parts I apologize.)

In the 2017 Project for Awesome the Missoula crew were hanging out the first night when Brit Garner brought a bunch of props from a local theatre. As Hank said, “Brit is here and she brought… something terrifying.” That terrifying thing was Glennnn the sheep. From one angle Glennnn looks like he smoked a bunch of weed and then killed someone. From another angle Glennnn looks like he’s very tired and knows a lot about you. From yet another angle Glennnn looks proud, like a spiritual teacher. Like a gentler Rafiki mentor. Apparently, Victoria looks at Hank like Glennnn a lot, especially when he has “ideas.” Glennnn reminds Hank of Undertale. At one point Glennnn was called the Merlin to Hank’s King Arthur. Hank quickly became so attached to Glennnn that he promised to work Glennnn into the sequel to his book.

Glennnn came to the stream with two hats: a green visor and a gold crown. When wearing the green visor, it seemed like he will do your shady taxes and launder your money for you. Or maybe play poker with his friends. Does he have a gambling problem? No, he’s just a CPA. When wearing the crown, he is King Glennnn. We will get to that later.

Soon a consensus was made on the spelling of Glennnn. Glennnn must have 4 n’s, three of which are silent. It does not matter which three are silent. Later we learned that Glennnn is pronounced “Glen” if the last three n’s are silent and “Gle-n” if one of the later n’s is the audible one. At this point chat was overtaken with sheep emojis, all from Glennnn the Sheep Father. Some chatters went overboard and were informed that Glennnn can’t have five n’s, we must keep it reasonable!

Quickly we learned more about Glennnn: he is a hollow shell full of wisdom … and MURDER. Hank claimed that NASA is hiding the fact that for years they have observed Glennnn through a powerful telescope. Someone claimed that Deadpool wishes he didn’t wear such a skin-tight suit and instead wore Glennnn’s hat… and nothing else.

Meanwhile, the nerdfighters quickly made social media accounts for him. Glennnn The Sheep soon had an Instagram with a screenshot of the P4A stream as the profile picture. The bio read “Hi, my name is Glennnn, the last three n’s are silent. My favorite people are the Nerdfighters that are currently watching the livestream of the Project for Awesome!” A twitter account was also made for Glennnn, @GlennTheSheep. Later, when describing the discrepancy in n’s on social media, we were advised to type as many n’s as your heart tells you to find Glennnn on social media.

Soon Matthew Gaydos joined the stream and was introduced to Glennnn. Matt found his legs “interesting” and when chat asked him how to buy the sheep Matt said “You can’t! Glennnn is a human! No, he’s not!” Hank questioned if Glennnn is 100% sheep and Matt clarified that he is 4% wood and 96% sheep. When Matt had to step away he left Glennnn in charge of the stream.

Somehow Glennnn lost his hat. Matt gave him the crown and declared him King Glennnn. King Glennnn of the Glen, Hank added. It is Glennnn’s Glen, he is not king of the forest. Daaaale is his brother, King of the Dale. And Marrrrsha, of the Marsh, is their sister. Clearly glens were named for Glennnn. As Hank said “If Glennnn can see you, you are in his Glen. You are turning into a sheep. Can you feel it?”

Hank invented a new version of Instagram for Glennnn: Glennnnstagram. All pictures on it are of sheep and glens, except the one picture of a dale from when Glennnn visited Daaaale. Chat suggested a Glennnn theme park and Matt seemed confused about what that would entail. Hank suggested making a hat with Glennnn on it as a perk for P4A 2018 (as of the posting of this it has not been announced as a perk but Glennnn and Daaaale plushies are totally a thing!). Much of this conversation happened while Hank’s face was being painted to look like Pizza John. Hank then declared that Hank-Pizza John Green of the Glen is a subject of King Glennnn. Chat requested that someone kiss Glennnn and Matt promised that someone would at 1.4 million dollars. Hank offered to kiss Glennnn, although I am not sure if he ever did.

Soon talk turned to a major event in Glennnn’s past. Apparently, a sheep’s hair is only shorn when he loses in battle. Glennnn’s hair is the longest in the Glen. Daaaale’s hair is slightly longer. Glennnn of the Glen is the hero of the Battle of Glen-Dale. The elves know him. Songs have been dedicated to Glennnn. It is proposed that Lin-Manuel Miranda or Al Roker should write a musical of the battle of Glen-Dale.

Then Rodney appeared and it was confirmed that Glennnn has Rodney’s back because, of course he does. Rodney said, “the sheep is everything” and as Glennnn was passed from person to person we learned that holding Glennnn feels so right that you forget he’s there. For a time Glennnn wore the frog hat instead of his crown. We also learned that Glennnn plays the banjo just like Ed Helms and Ryan is his middle name. Maia and Valerie drew Glennnn eating corn in a timed competition.

The next day we learned that Glennnn is everyone’s baby. He belongs to the world. Unknowingly, Destin was encouraging donations by offering to write donors’ names on magnets and one was a sheep. The chat insisted that the sheep was Glennnn. Soon a donation came in from Glennnn but Destin rejected his name because he “is not a real person.” The chat declared that while other magnets were worth a certain donation amount the sheep should cost $1000 in honor of Glennnn. Ben donated $1000 and Destin insisted “but does he want the sheep?” He then offered that Ben could name the sheep whatever he wanted. When Destin wrote on the sheep he could feel how much it mattered to chat. “This is the most important thing I’m gonna write on a sheep, probably in my life.” Destin writes “Ben (Glenn)” and chat quickly corrected: Glennnn has four n’s.

Back with the Missoula crew we learned that Glennnn is Tuna’s favorite quadruped. Since we had last seen the Missoula crew, Ashe had made a painting of Glennnn. The donations reached a milestone and Brit brought in a surprise. DAAAALE HAD ARRIVED! Daaaale bowed to Glennnn, for he was the hero of the Battle of Glen-Dale.

“All hail Daaaale!” someone declared. “Disagree!” countered Hank. Soon it was questioned where Marrrrsha is and Brit clarified “I drive a Honda Civic, I can only do so much.” After a brief debate, it is confirmed that Daaaale has four a’s and can be pronounced as “Dale” or with a bleating sound in the middle (like a sheep). Soon the battle between Glennnn and Daaaale was sparking again, they began to tally a donation battle between the brothers. “Is the vote just a tally? I’ve made a spreadsheet!” someone said, proving how nerdy we all are. The spreadsheet was put to use as the tally was called the “popular vote” and the spreadsheet was used to count the amount donated to each sheep. Suddenly most of the Missoula crew was on Daaaale’s side. “We’re just excited by the new thing” said Caitlin (and seconded by Hank).

The following was determined about the First Battle of Glen-Dale:

-It took place in 1994 (Possibly 640? Possibly yesterday? It couldn’t have been yesterday!)

-Different spellings are all accepted: Glen-Dale, Glennnndale, Glennnn-Daaaale

-Hank’s recap of the Battle: “This is Glennnn, king of the Glen. This is Daaaale, king (queen?) of the Dale. The Dale and Glen were once one land until the Battle of Glennnndaaaale. Very sad for Gaiiiil, their mom. Their sister, Marrrrsha, inherited the Marsh that no one wanted, so it is a peaceful land.”

Now we are in the Second Battle of GlennnnDale! Accusations were thrown at the brothers and slogans were created:

-Glennnn had cow pox and did not tell his lady-friends about it

-A vote for Glennnn is a vote for cow pox for the entire flock

-Tip the scale for Daaaale

-Justice for Daaaale

-A win for Glennnn is a fail for Daaaale

-Daaaale has kind eyes (contrasting the discussion of Glennnn’s eyes from the first day)

-“If Daaaale fails I will wail”- Julie

-Glennnn is such a good friend!

-RiverDAAAALE!

-What do we know about Daaaale? Nothing!

-Daaaale is against Net Neutrality

-We are feeling sheepish about Glennnn

-Daaaale will prevail

-Tip the scale for Daaaale

-Glennnn and Daaaale have beef with each other

-A vote for Daaaale is a vote for a world of snacks

The Battle paused to introduce and catch up the new guests. Brit explained everything as “Brit brings props from community theatre but they are now their own things and stories.” At this point Daaaale was wearing Shrek ears because Shrek lives in a swamp. (I’m still confused on this one since a dale is not a swamp.) The new guests were happy to jump into the Battle and insisted that cow pox gave us vaccines. As their connection to the stream went in and out it was commented that the Battle is causing wooly connections and shear brilliance of puns. I’m not sure you herd me. Chat declared the puns to be flocking awesome.

As the Battle waged on and the donations continued to pour in Brit called for peace: “I need to take them back in the same vehicle.” Hank agreed, adding that Glennnn and Daaaale need to go sit in the same basement together. Soon donations were submitted for peace and were tallied under the joint ticket of Gaiiiil and Marrrrrsha. Unfortunately, this peace was short-lived as the debate was reignited by the question of if Glennnn or Daaaale is older. Eventually it was decided that they are twins but Glennnn is older.

As is to be expected, Harry Potter was soon pulled into the battle. In the heat of anger Glennnn was declared a Slytherin but it was soon walked back. He is a Gryffindor. Daaaale is definitely a Hufflepuff. Both Glennnn and Daaaale love Harry Potter. The discussion of Harry Potter brought us back to Nerdfighteria and Brotherherd 2.0 was born, as were its fans the Herdfighters of Herdfighteria. Quietly Brit lamented, “Why do I feel like they are never going to be returned?”

“I’m for Daaaale, but when I look into Glennnn’s eyes I feel the need to vote for him” commented Hank. There is definitely something about Glennnn’s eyes. Ben (possibly the same Ben from before) made a big donation in Glennnn’s name. He was declared Glennnn’s SuperPAC which was soon replaced with SuperHERD (or SuperFLOCK). Since Glennnn was given larger donations than Daaaale, Glennnn was declared a puppet for Big Sheep. Soon the Second Battle of GlennnnDaaaale was ended due to the $5154 donation that did not vote for either sheep. The votes were tallied and Glennnn won the Second Battle of GlennnnDaaaale.

As they were finishing up for the night Brit went to wash dishes and found a picture of Reed hugging a different sheep from the theatre… and also a large goat (which Brit did not bring to the stream because it was too big).

You would think that would be the end of Glennnn and Daaaale for the evening BUT NO! They traveled to Synema Studios to visit that crew into the wee hours of the morning. Michael Aranda questioned why Glennnn gets to be the lord and savior (and wear the crown). He was then given a quick recap of the story. Soon it was discovered that Glennnn and Daaaale were in marching band together as drummers. As the stream continued the Synema crew gave Daaaale a lot more attention than Glennnn because Glennnn is a king and “Daaaale just lives in a swamp” (Note: a dale is not a swamp). At the end of their shift Michael declared that it was more of an honor to be in Daaaale’s presence than Glennnn’s and chat was offended.

As the 2017 Project for Awesome came to a close Hank thanked Glennnn and Daaaale for their efforts. Glennnn appeared to celebrate the end of the livestream. After John and Hank said goodbye the last shot of the stream was Glennnn.

(Here’s a link to my Butfartman Lore Compliation.)

#Glennnn #Daaaale #Project for Awesome #P4A #Nerdfigher #Nerdfighteria #Butfatman

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