#there are a lot of incompetent characters in harry potter but it's hard to top fudge

[theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin]

Who do you think is the most incompetent character in Canon HP? I think it's Fudge or Lockhart, but then again they're only incompetent in SOME areas. So, what do you think?

Oh my god, there are so many contenders.

I feel like this is almost every single character. We’re talking Harry who only seems to accomplish his goals by divine luck. We’re talking Umbridge whose methods are so ridiculous I can’t even imagine what she imagines the outcome of her actions will be. We’re talking Lockhart (though I’m not actually sure incompetence is the right word, it’s more that he’s so drowning in narcissism he can’t even recognize his abilities, Lockhart is a wonder). Fudge, for obvious reasons...

I’m not even sure where to begin with this, really.

I guess I have to go with Fudge just because his incompetency is not only a near constant but it’s also often nearly lethal on a catastrophic level. 

Just, god, Fudge, you are a wonder.

Let’s start with Sirius’ breakout from Azkaban.

Fudge panics and thus causes the population to panic. Advertisements are being run by the hour, Sirius Black’s face is on every newspaper page. This is in a society where dropping the very name Voldemort sends the population into fits of terror. Fudge could very easily have inspired riots and then gone and joined the riots himself because Sirius broke out of Azkaban. I am mildly surprised that Diagon Alley wasn’t completely in flames by the time Harry got there. And this is on the competent end for Fudge.

We have Fudge running advertisements on the Muggle television. Now, I’m sure somebody told Fudge this was a brilliant idea. It even sounds like a good idea if you don’t think about it much: this way he can’t even hide in the muggle world. The trouble is what if somebody looks into this? Sirius Black is being mentioned every hour in the muggle media? What high security prison did he come from? What crime did he commit? Did Fudge even bother to make up a fake muggle history for this fake muggle murderer he just made up? Remember, the coverup for the muggles Sirius supposedly murdered was a gas leak, so Sirius can’t be blamed for that. I expect some muggles started asking questions and either the obliviators had to work overtime, Fudge got lucky, or a more insidious but likely answer is that the wizarding world didn’t even notice that they had dropped the ball. They’re so secure in their belief that they have the statute under control, that muggles are inherently gullible and stupid, that one day the statute of secrecy will break without them even knowing.

Fudge then loses Harry Potter. How does he manage this? Harry walks out the door of his muggle home and steps onto a bus. I imagine this nearly gave Fudge a heart attack but the fact was that no one had told Harry to stay there, Harry wasn’t aware that there was even any danger, and there was nothing at all preventing him from doing it. The kid calls the goddamn Night Bus and steps right up on board. Fudge’s solution of what to do with Harry later? He tells Harry to stay in the Leaky Cauldron, doesn’t even assign him a minder, just has him stay there. Good lad, please don’t die.

Fudge then sends soul eating demons who nobody understands to Hogwarts in case Sirius Black might show up to ‘protect the children’. Within only a few hours on the train one student, Harry Potter at that, passes out from dementor exposure. Fudge is convinced he can control these things. The dementors show up to a quidditch match. Fudge is so unbelievably lucky that half the Hogwarts population wasn’t eaten. Fudge, however, is so incompetent and short sighted he doesn’t even realize he’s lucky. Of course the dementors listen to the ministry! He’s the minister of magic! To top this, the dementors aren’t even effective, they fail to catch Sirius Black. 

Also, a smaller thing of Fudge but very in character, Harry learns about Sirius Black through the world’s most contrived means. He happens to be hanging out in Hogsmeade where he’s not supposed to be, hiding under Ron and Hermione’s table, and Fudge drops by. Fudge then loudly says, “Ah, Rosmerta, random barmaid! Have I told you all about the time Sirius Black was responsible for the murder of Harry Potter’s parents? No? WELL SIT RIGHT DOWN” This isn’t quite as bad as murdering all the children, but it’s pretty ridiculous.

But hey, Fudge was there to almost murder a hippogriff who attacked Malfoy’s son? I mean, it escaped, but... FUDGE DOES THINGS!

Later, fifth year, he runs the smear campaign against Harry Potter. Now, running a smear campaign against a fifteen-year-old is a shitty thing to do but that’s not why it’s incompetent. It’s incompetent because he goes all out. Actively calling Harry Potter, beloved savior of the nation, a narcissistic liar just gives him credence. It’s too strong and it only works (not even for the full population at that) because people are so terrified of Voldemort they’d accept this Rita Skeeter tabloid madness rather than face that again. As it is, Harry has his interview in the Quibbler, which is basically the National Inquirer, AND PEOPLE READ IT. THAT’S INSANE. YOU FAILED FUDGE. YOU FAILED SO HARD. 

A better plan would have been to acknowledge Harry had been through a traumatic event. Cedric somehow died in the tournament, Harry has lived all his life with this crushing expectation he’s defeated the dark lord, Harry probably watched this happened and is in such traumatized shock he believes Voldemort did it. Worse, Dumbledore probably convinced Harry somehow that Voldemort had done it, and Harry not knowing what happened and trusting his headmaster agreed. This would have been far more effective. 

But Fudge is panicking. So he goes even more ridiculous than a smear campaign led by Rita Skeeter (which, of all the people to pick, you choose her?) 

He sets loose Delores Umbridge. Umbridge’s first brilliant plan is to send dementors to a muggle neighborhood. What was the outcome of this? Was Harry Potter supposed to be terrified into silence? Was the entire muggle neighborhood supposed to be eaten? Was Harry Potter, savior of the wizarding world who had just claimed Voldemort had returned, supposed to be assassinated without people thinking Voldemort did it? Seriously, I’ve turned this over in my head, and I have no idea what the ideal outcome here was supposed to be. Just that Umbridge is nuts.

As it is, the best thing for them happens, Harry Potter stops it and is put on trial. Except then they get accused of somehow losing track of dementors. They try to brush this away with there being no witnesses and Harry being insane but then Mrs. Figg shows up. So, either the ministry is so incompetent that soul eating demons are roaming the country or the ministry just tried to assassinate Harry James Potter, the boy who lived. Fudge saves himself by going, “Oh gee, look at the time, case dismissed.”

Despite Umbridge having gone completely mad and unhinged, Fudge sends her to Hogwarts. There she tortures students, presumably to silence them, but again it just gives Harry Potter credence. Why is Umbridge trying so hard to silence these people? She directly fuels Harry Potter building a seeming guerilla army of school children planning a coup of Fudge in Dumbledore’s name. It’s Fudge’s worst nightmare. More, she actively sabotages the education of an entire generation, students actually drop out of school. And then she fails to do the one thing she went to Hogwarts to do: silence Harry Potter.

Then, of course, Fudge finds out the ministry is lousy with spies, Voldemort really is back, and he just has to stand there and go, “Welp, guess I’m fired.” Yes, Fudge, you’re fired.

In short, I can’t think of a single action he takes that is in any way competent. More, nearly every action he takes could have very easily resulted in dozens of deaths.

[weapingweasley]

sore loser ~pt. 2~ (george weasley x narrator smut)

Description: Enemies to lovers (kinda). A Slytherin seeker has a minor bragging problem and manages to just get under every single cell of skin George has. After the biggest game of the year George decides he’s had enough.

Note: I am aware Umbridge banned Harry and the twins from quidditch and Draco is typically the seeker but we are going to ignore her and injure him for the sake of fiction.

Also, I am sure the narrator will piss a lot of people off, however I like her attitude a lot. She definitely receives the back lash for being a Slytherin, but is never the instigator. She just knows how to end any confrontation. I gave the boys a bit of a temper. Since the narrator is a Slytherin, I though I could use some of that prejudice to fuel some of the “hatred” between characters.

Disclaimer: NSFW, 18+, cursing, sex, and a lot of words.

I feel meh about the sore loser posts, but I am just trying to learn to write.

“Oh, I look forward to seeing you after the match. With my money.”

~ morning of the match ~

In the changing rooms I made sure to get all my gear on in the corner to avoid any benchwarmer jokes. I focus my mind on the game and how much fun it will be to even watch. Matches against Gryffindor are so much more enjoyable to watch just because of the clear rivalry. Nothing like beating down egos with Bludgers. Draco takes charge of the warm up and not so encouraging pep talk.

“If we lose to those incompetent freaks, practice will be hell for each and every one of you. I have worked too bloody hard to see them win and you should feel just the same. I want to see blood and not ours. So go out there and kill some Gryffindors!”  Such a poetic man, really knows how to control his feelings. 

We approach our tent and everyone gets into their positions, and I take mine right by the water. I swear if I hear one water girl joke I will indeed throw my broom through the commenter’s eye. 

The head referee signals the match to begin and without hesitation Slytherin ambushes the balls. Vaisey is able to get ahold of the Quaffle and pass it back and forth with Montague avoiding the Bludgers coming from the Wealsey twins. It only takes about five minutes for us to score. Lee confirms the goal and I jump up screaming, “Too fast for you, Cowards? Huh?”.

Twenty minutes into the match and the Snitch finally enters. Both teams continue to score back and forth, while Draco and Harry fight to get a hold of the speedy golden flyer. I watch as Draco reaches closer and closer to the Snitch with Harry close behind him. They are approaching a quick dive when Draco lets go of his broom to snatch it. He is so close when I spot Harry suddenly pulling his broom quickly up and out of the race. 

If I had blinked, I would have missed the Bludger hitting the very back of Draco’s broom. It sends him off his broom and down fifty metres where he lands on his wrist. The head referee calls a brief time out and I watch as Draco Malfoy is carried off the field. Panic erupts in my stomach. Yes, Malfoy was a coward when it came to everyday incidents, but not once has he ever allowed himself to be removed from a match. Never one was I expected to ever play seeker. 

I can hear Montague in the distance calling me in, so I hesitantly grab my broom and fly onto the field. Before even getting into position, sweat droplets start forming on my forehead and my hands are pulsing. The noises coming from my gut sounded like I had left Fang in the dark for too long. This is the opportunity I have been waiting for, but now I actually have to prove myself. 

As soon as the referee signals us to resume, I take my place above the action. I refuse to allow Fred and George the satisfaction of being responsible for getting me out of the game. If I keep moving while also keeping an eye out for Potter and the Snitch, I should survive. He stays close to his defense while I stray above the middle. Harry over the years has switched from staying above to being closer to the plays with the protection of the Twins. Too bad I do not have the guaranteed protection of my team.

The cashers on both teams were moving incredibly fast and it had turned into a game of catch me if you can. Each team was making goals and just quickly recovering. After about four goals each, the Snitch is set free again. It is dashing through the air and I can see Harry moving quickly to follow it’s every move. The twins react fast enough to hit any Slytherin that seems to be trying to get in his way. I sneak closer to the Snitch watching as Harry flips around trying to catch it. If he moved right, it moved left. 

I can hear the stands yelling at me to move faster and to get more involved, but I am aware of my strengths and hell I am fast. I just need to figure out where the Snitch is moving to next. Suddenly, Harry dives following it close to the ground and towards the side of the arena. I push down on my broom to get there as fast as possible. As I approach, I can see Harry’s hand millimetres from the Snitch. Then it does exactly as I expected and flies straight up. I add more pressure onto my broom and propel faster than I ever had. If I keep on this path the Snitch will change. So before it could, I grip my legs tighter and flip below my broom. Embarrassingly enough, but I squeeze my eyes shut and reach for it as fast as I physically can. 

I can feel resistance in my hand, but I am just too afraid to look. Lee Jordan’s voice screams out “THE SNITCH HAS BEEN CAUGHT! Slytherin wins (without cheating for once)!” The last part definitely earned him a slap in the back of the head from McGonagall. 

I fucking did it. Holy shit. I actually fucking did it. A wide grin stretches across my face as I fly laps around the arena with the Snitch in my hand and still upside down on my broom. I’m arrogant, I know. As soon as I land a mosh of Slytherins surrounds me and I receive enthusiasm left and right from my teammates. 

I hate to admit this, but all I can think about is look on George’s face when he gives me my 5 galleons.

Once the changing rooms settle, I sneak to the Gryffindor’s rooms. Without knocking I walk right in and up to the tall red head.

“I told you not to bet against me!” George’s facial expression resembles a child approaching their temper tantrum. Not only by the loss, but also from my inappropriate presence. His stare holds my eyes and with every step he takes towards me, I take one step back. We keep moving until the back of my legs meet a bench. 

“You really had to come in here, after everyone left just to brag.” His steps continue closer to me and my heart pumps at a rate I’ve never experienced before.

“Five galleons, please.” My voice is barely audible with the lump that has grown in my throat. Our faces are so close that he can probably feel the irregular rhythm of my breaths. I need to break this eye contact. So my dumbass takes a quick glance at his lips just before he speaks.

“You only came here for your money?” George’s voice is huskier than usual. Most likely due to the intense game and frustration from the loss. He must have noticed my glance because suddenly his hands latch to the side of my neck and face. He connects our lips. Like an instinct, my eyes flutter shut and I follow his hungry movements. I curl my fingers into his shirt to keep myself from falling back onto the bench. There is something sloppy and greedy about the kiss, like every insult we have inside is coming out. 

George leans deeper into me, forcing my grip on him to tighten. One side of my face becomes bare and he snakes his hand around the small of my back. The thumb still resting on my cheek moves in one small stroke and I melt. Before it can get any more affectionate his hand remaining on my face moves to the back of my thigh and grips my leg up to his hip. The gasp that exits my lips earns a grin from George and he shifts his lips from mine to the sensitive spot on my neck. His lips suck and nibble on the spot resulting in my rigid breathing. I grip his neck and his hungry attack encourages a light moan to leave me. My stomach fills with this light feeling and I cannot help but to tug at the hair on the nape of his neck causing a grin to form on George.

I nudge George to move his head from my neck, desperate to feel his mouth on mine again. He immediately takes the hint and reconnects our lips in a frenzy. His tongue parts my lips so he can bite and pull on my bottom lip. A whimper opens my mouth fully and George takes the opportunity to indulge his tongue. The make-out is scrappy with hands everywhere and hair being pulled. Our breathing became intense and wild. The pressure of the moment and George’s weight start paying a toll on my legs and I fall back onto the bench. The thud of my fall paints my cheeks pink and makes George chuckle. With the disconnect of our bodies, I slip off my quidditch robe slowly making sure his attention remains on me the entire time. The new exposure stops his chuckles quickly and the fire in his eyes that he had throughout the last few days returns.

“Five galleons, please?” My voice comes off quiet with a rasp due to our greedy actions. 

George takes advantage of me being seated and dives right into my body with one knee between my legs and an elbow resting on the bench next to my head. The contact of his pelvis with my pulsing lower half makes me moan his name. The tightening of his pants tells me that’s what he likes to hear. My fingers move to pull at his robe as he continues to grind into my body. 

George stands back up to take off his top robe and I took the opportunity to assist him with his pants. Once the button is undone, I look up and hold his eye contact as I pull his zipper down and drag the waistband down his legs. I cannot help but bite my lip as I see the tent in his boxers and his stare fixated on my face and eyes. I reach for the band of his boxers, but George grabs my bum and pulls me into a standing position. I wanted to taste him.

“I need you to keep me warm,” A shiver ripples through my body. I can feel his breath on my ear and the vibrations of his voice on my neck. He rips off the remainder of my clothing and plants wet kisses all over my shoulder and collar bone. 

George’s large hand picks me up from my arse and holds my body up against the lockers with his tense hips. His free hand creeps onto my back and unclasps my bra. The cold air hardens my nipples and makes them sensitive to touch. The mix of our body heats keeps the frost from biting. His lips attach to my nipple and his tongue rolls over the sensitivity causing my back to arch into him.

“S-shit, George!” My shaky voice only encourages his feasting and he pushes our bodies deeper into the locker. My hand grips onto his back while the other strangles his upper arm. The more he works my body the deeper my nails dig into his triceps. His arm moves from under my bum into my panties. While his pointer finger makes circles around my clit, he strokes my folds with his middle finger. I could feel him glide through my moisture and my hips buckle into him.

George’s lips left my chest and he aligns our eyes, “I didn’t know you wanted me so bad, Princess.” The way George said Princess it felt like a dare. 

I grab the sides of his face and hold his eye contact before speaking. “George. You need to fuck me right now,” Without a hesitation, George drops his boxers down just far enough to release his cock. My legs tangle around his waist. The force of the lockers are the only thing truly holding me up. George’s hands are now free and one keeps me by the back of my thigh and the other tears my panties right at the crotch. 

George nuzzles his head into the side of my neck as he inserts himself. The size of him stretches my walls so much I let out a gasp. His hot breath on my neck is sending chills down my spine while each thrust sends them up. I cannot help but let my eyes and head fall back. He feels so sensational inside me.

“Merlin, you’re so tight around my cock.” His voice is deep like a moan and I flex inside. 

George must have liked my response because my arm from behind his back is being pinned up above my head. His thrusts become deeper and harsher. Each movement he makes makes me want to scream in pleasure. My only available hand pulls his lips back to mine. The kisses are sporadic with our shaky breaths and harsh thrusts. I move a hand to the nape of his neck and pull on his hair again. His raspy moan causes my walls clench and legs to shake.

“G-George. F-fuck, I am gonna c-cum!” I grip tightly into his hair and dig my face into the crook of his neck. With his last thrust I plant a wet open-mouth kiss and tighten my legs around him. 

My walls strangle him as I scream out his name one last time. It is enough to send him over the edge with a deep groan leaving him. His warmth fills my core. 

Once we both come down from our orgasms, George sits us down on the bench with me straddling him. An exhausted smile appears on his soft face.

“You’re a sore winner,” he lets out in a baritone chuckle. I have a wide grin growing on my features. Our lips collide in a long soft kiss. I pull away to take in all of his features.

“And you, George Weasley, are a sore loser.”

[shawn-mendes-post]

I Love You

Request:   What if reader is Shawn's PA and he's blatantly hitting on her all the time but she just thinks that he's like that with everyone bc he's friendly and after a night out wher Shawn is extremely drunk she takes him back to his hotel room and he asks her if she likes him and then proceeds to confess his love to her a bit dramatically bc he's drunk and then the morning after he's a bit awkward bc he kind of remembers what he said and she tells him that she likes him too before she leaves for a task

@irespostthingsiwanttoseelater

A/n: I hope you like how it came out. It is longer then I intended, but seems okay. Comment, Heart and Re-blogs would be appreciative. I would love for others to know about my blog.  I finished watching the TV show, Psych again, My favorite character is Carlton Lassiter. I was thinking about writhing some Psych fanfic. Tell me what you think.  Do not own anything.

Content Warning: None

Word Count: 4,000

It was a busy day for Shawn's assistant, that is in charge of various things. (Y/N) was currently on an errand to grab food for Shawn and the others, not knowing why she is the one they sent.  Countless things need her attention before she could go home and do her school work. She was walking into the building with bags of food, sighing as she strides to the men currently working. Her eyes glanced at her boss, loving to watch him sing. 

Shawn's singing would always make her swoon over and felt special when he would sing to her. Shawn would always flirt with her, but she never thought much of it. He does flirt with other women in her opinion whether he knew it or not. 

(Y/N) hands out the food and drinks until the only one left was Shawn and hers. Nervously, she bites her lower lip, heading towards him, despite him being in his zone. "Here is your food—a burger with no tomatoes, and fries with seasoning. Also, the milkshake you requested," she spoke softly, not wanting to disturb him. 

Shawn looks up, smiling as he grabs the food. "Thanks. Will you be joining me today, lovely?" He asked, winking as he pats the spot next to him." I can't eat without your beautiful face in the room. "

(Y/N) rolls her eyes, shaking her head at his ridiculousness before rejecting his offer, "sorry, have a lot of errands to do," she explained before walking off, not noticing his frown and disappoint in his eyes. 

She stops to inform Andrew of the process of what still needs to be taken care of before rushing to grab the things for the party. 

(Y/N) had told Andrew about the good news, and insisted on throwing a party for Shawn. She was in charge of everything, and still had things to get. The party will in a club, where the boys like to go sometimes after a hard day of work. His family was informed, and they would come to the party. (y/n) would eat in between the task before she was able to relax, heading back to Shawn's place.

Everyone was waiting for her to come because they were to head out. She did not see Shawn, which made her nervous to think he was not ready. The party was supposed to start soon, but it can't if the significant person is not there. 

"You are coming with us" The familiar sound of her boss broke her train of thoughts, snapping her head to meet the Hazel eyes that made her feel week in the knees. "I don't think so, you know? I have a lot of school work I need to complete. I was busy because I have a very strict boss, no having fun," she teased, glancing in his eyes, knowing she could just get lost. 

(Y/N) tears her eyes away, not wanting him to think she was creepy, despite knowing he would never believe she was. "Oh, I should talk with your boss," he mushed, his hand on her shoulder gliding up to her cheek. "He sounds like a horrible boss; I would quit if I had a gorgeous face like yours," he mumbled, playing along with her teasing. 

(Y/N) laughs, "he is okay. You know, always so busy flirting with other girls. Drives me completely crazy, having to get his attention for work," she banters, smiling playfully. 

Shawn frowns, not understanding why she would think he flirts with other females. Shawn wanted her. He would always flirt with her, but she acted indifferent to his advances, which made him believe she did not like him. "I think he is trying to get one girl's attention, but she is not noticing. Wonder if she is the one that is driving the boss crazy," Shawn states, glancing at her lips, wanting to kiss them. A taste of those luscious lips that droved him crazy whenever he sees them. 

Things seem to freeze, the two in their little world, and not paying attention to the others. (y/n) felt butterflies in her stomach, seeing Shawn, her boss staring at her lips. She wanted to lean and kiss him, to feel his lips on hers but knew it was unprofessional. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck, smashing their lips together, feeling wanted from the sexy man. Clearing her throat, she steps back, straightens out her pencil skirt and blouse to occupy her mind from the dirty thoughts. 

"I have things to do," she mumbled, cheeks flushed, hoping no one could see how hot she felt. (y/n) shakes her head, moving to walk away, thinking about how to surprise Shawn would be to see her there. She had to go pick up his present before going to the club. The present currently sat in her bedroom, perfectly wrapped with Harry Potter wrapping, and a big bow on top. 

Shawn stares at her with puppy dog eyes, lips pouting,  “come to the club with us," he stops, reaching to grab her hands before continuing, "I will not go if you are not going to be there." Shawn reached a new low with guilt-tripping her, which seemed like a good idea at the time. Shawn should feel embarrassed he was trying to guilt-trip her, but he wanted her to come. He never acted like this before with any girl, but (Y/N) was not any girl. She was the one that made him want to do good in the world with her by his side. 

It was the night he would layout his feeling for her. He is not wishing to flirt with her and her not thinking he was serious. 

The two individuals knew he was not serious, but expected for the boys to drag him there. (Y/N) could not believe he would say that to her, especially when she told him she had a test coming up. She stood her ground, not liking when someone tries to make her feel guilty. It did hurt her, and she would not look at him, not wanting him to see how she is hurt. This was not the Shawn she knew, and wanted to be with. 

"I will try, okay? I make no promises," she flatly said, running her fingers through her locks, already tired from this conversation. "I will not save you when you get drunk if I do show up," she mumbled, walking away without hearing his response. 

Shawn smiled, knowing this was the night he will confess. He wanted to confess his feelings to her. Shawn is in love with her and needed to know if she felt the same way. He knew the two had a more unprofessional relationship because he did consider her as a friend. He slowly realized how much he cared for her, despite thinking they could not be more. He hoped that he would be able to have the courage to say what he needs to say, and not be an incompetent drunk. 

---

(Y/N) reaches the club, wondering if she should go in with the present or wait for when the two are alone. Shrugging off the nervous, she makes her way into the club, seeing Shawn, who seems down in the dumps. (Y/N) unconsciously flips her hair, striding towards him as if she was on a critical mission. She hoped she was not under dressed for the club, especially when she only had twenty minutes to get there. 

"Shawn," she called, smiling brightly as she watches him perk up, making a motion to hug her. "Here you go," she said, stopping him from hugging her, which made him frown. Shawn smiles, trying to hide how hurt he was, grabbing the present, not knowing she would bring anything. "You did not have to," he mumbled, cheeks pink at the thought of her being thoughtful.

---

Hours it was passed by until it was past midnight, to the surprise of (Y/N). She did not intend to stay long since she was not lying about having things to do, such as homework. Brian was near, still having fun, leading to (y/n) to tell him she was leaving because she could not see Shawn. 

"Brian, I am going to go," she yelled, waving goodbye, needing the fresh air after being in the stuffy club. She was not paying attention leading her to collied into something substantial, which surprised her. "Sorry," she mumbled, before gasping when she felt the man's arms around her waist. 

"Hey," she shouted, about to hit him on the head, but she saw the familiar chocolate brown curls of her boss, Shawn. She was furrowing her eyebrows, noticing the familiar scent of alcohol reeking from the man hugging her. "Mhm, you are an amazing assistant," he slurred, glancing down, a bright blush on his cheeks, making him look adorable, as he smiles goofy. 

She laughs, nodding her head, knowing he is drunk, "do not scare me like that, Shawn. Come on; I will take you to Brian before I leave," she told him, trying to walk back into the club. Tried being the key word because she could not move. His grip tightens on her waist, preventing her from moving." I don't wanna," he whines, reminding her like a 5-year-old. 

"Fine, but let me take you home, okay?" She asked, giving him a look that she will not deal with his childish behavior. Shawn nods, letting her go as he follows her, marching behind her. (Y/N), strolled to her car, close to Shawn in case he needed her support, deciding on what she was going to do.  After many failed attempts, she was able to get Shawn in the car, after promising to go on a 'date' with him. 

---

The car ride consisted of the babbling from drunk Shawn, which (Y/N) ignored, other than the occasional nods and "mhm," since she focused on the road. There was a struggle to getting Shawn in his home because she had to hide him from the paparazzi. 'Damn, Andrew or Shawn better give me a raise. I did not sign up for taking care of a drunk Shawn,' she thought, struggling to open the door. 

After opening the door with no help from Shawn, she makes her way to the bedroom, Shawn next to her, practically dragging her down. The simple task to get him in the bed seemed impossible since he was much heavier then she was. "Few more steps, Bubs, you can do this," she encouraged him, which seemed to help as he flops on top of the bed. 

(Y/N) sighs, seeing Shawn is in a nice pair of clothing, which Andrew would freak out if they were to get ruined—debating with herself if she should undress him or get chewed out by Andrew. Deciding the latter option would lead to her terminations, she hesitantly fiddles with the buttons, an attempt to unbutton his shirt. 

"If you wanted me naked, all you had to do is ask," Shawn drawled, lifting himself to see her, propped on his elbows, smirking. (Y/N) rolls her eyes, muttering curses under her breath, knowing her face as red as a tomato. "You can change yourself then," she shot back, getting off the bed, about to head to his kitchen. 

Shawn grips her wrist, stopping her from leaving, knowing he had to express his feelings. The deep secret kept weighing on him since he meets her and could not repress any longer. "I like you," he said, drunkenly, fighting to stay awake, not wanting to sleep just yet.  

"I like you too, sometimes," she said, laughing at how cute he looks and the desire to take a photo-filled her. She ruffles his curls, not knowing why he is confessing this to her. She felt like he was only confessing to like her as a friend, which did sting a bit. 

"No, like like," he mumbled, knowing he did not get the message across. (y/n) She starts to get confused, not believing that this man, her boss, could have any feelings for her. Her heart stopped dead, the idea in her head. He could have any woman he wanted, and it did seem he was crushing on his best friend, Camila. 

"Shawn, stop." She stated, not wanting to hear any more. Not wanting to get her hopes up that the man she likes... no loves could possibly love her back. Shawn frowns, blinking furiously as he tries to understand what she said. 

"Do you like me?" Shawn asked, in a small voice, hoping she would not reject him after telling her the truth. 

"Of course I do, Shawn. I just told you. You are a good boss and friend to me, and that means a lot. I would not be going to college if it was not for you. Shawn, you inspire me to follow my dreams," she confesses, not telling him her real feeling about how she loves him. 

Shawn sits up after many failed attempts, he felt a headache forming, but he could not stop himself. "I love you," he slurred, reaching out to grab her hands, pulling her to the bed. She falls on top of him, with a squeal, and he lets out an "oomph." One of his hands rests on her hip, the other cupping her cheek. 

"I Shawn Peter Raul Mendes is in love with you, (Y/N). I love your cute laugh, which makes me happy by just hearing it. I love it when you get me my favorite food or drink. I love you and how you comfort me when I am stress because of the concert or if I am having a bad day. You are a perfect goddess, and I am lucky you are in my life. I love how brilliant you are, especially when you are doing those puzzles on your phone when you think I am not watching you. I love how kind you are and never mean to anyone, despite the possibility that they deserve it.  You have the biggest heart that I have seen in the world. I notice when you are not working that you volunteer at the homeless shelters or visit the orphanage to spend time with the kids. I love your height and vision us taking turns spooning each other as we cuddle in bed. I love how you will drop everything for anyone to come over to help no matter the time, which gets you in trouble with Andrew at times. I want to marry you someday and have a family with you. You are the one that I want to see every morning and every night. I want to spend every day treating you like the queen you are and hope that I will be your king one day. I want to love you for eternity, and am willing to give up everything for you. I don't need money or fame. Not even the fans and I do love each of them and how they supported me. I need you (Y/N)." Shawn ranted, slurring now and then, before leaning to kiss her. 

(Y/N) 's heart was beating against her chest, rapidly throughout his confession. It brought many mixed feelings for her because she never thought he would feel like this in a million years. Tears slide down her face, which surprised herself since she never cried in front of Shawn. 

When he pressed his lips against hers, she kissed back, wanting to enjoy this kiss, thinking he will not remember what happened last night. She figured, enjoy the moment before it is away in the morning. Reality would set in soon, and Shawn would have no recollection of what transpired between the two. 

The two pull apart, needing air as they breathe slowly, looking at each other. Shawn wore a dopey smile, unbelievably happy that he told the woman he loves his feelings. On the other hand, she was frowning, realizing what would prevent the two of them from dating. 

"Shawn, you are drunk. You need to rest, and in the morning, forget everything that happened. "She told him, a hint of sadness in her voice, as she gets out of his grip. 

"I am not," he said hurt, that she would not believe him. He might have had too much to drink because he was scared in confessing his feeling to her, despite the numerous talks he had with himself. The headache was getting worse, and he could not fight it anymore. He lets out a yawn, tired for all the events that happened but did not want to sleep. 

"You are drunk and sleepy," she states, moving to get him some clothes to sleep in, returning with shorts and a t-shirt. She starts to undress him, as he pouts, losing focus on what he was saying because of her touching him. He felt his body lite up in flames, wanting her to stay with him, and not leave. He desired her more than anything, and he would not let her slip out of his grasp just because she did not think he was telling the truth. 

"I am not tired," he mumbled, fighting back another yawn, wanting to prove her wrong. "Shawn, the two of us will not work anyways," she tried to get him to understand and change. 

Shawn tries to raise an eyebrow, but can't and makes a funny face. "Why not," he asked, feeling the buzz fading. "Shawn, I work for you. I am your assistant, and it would be unprofessional. I do not want people to think I got this position because I opened my legs. You already know how the press will make me look like a harlot. I like my privacy, and do not need any of your fans coming after me. I value my life and my family's life.  I worked hard for this job, and I do not want to get fired. You already know why I needed the money, which will stop me from pursuing my dreams and finishing college. The two of us in a relationship is bad news and will not work out," she explained, gently trying to ease him into understanding why the relationship would be doomed. A happy sigh escaped her lips when she finished helping Shawn change into something he could sleep. She walks off to set his clothes neatly on the drawer, leaving a note to remind her to pick it up for a wash with the rest of his clothes. 

In Shawn's mind, it was hard for him to follow her reasoning, as he was still drunk. He opened his mouth to protest what she said but stopped. He realized she did make some valid points, and there would be problems. He thought that they could handle each problem together as the issue arises. He did not know about her feeling scared about his fans since he knew his fans loves him.  He figured his supporters would be happy to see him in a relationship with a breathtaking woman and not just because of who she is.  His thoughts followed to her fired, and that was something he did not want. She is a fantastic assistant who goes above and beyond things she is told to do, despite juggling all her other activities and schooling. There would be no one like her, and that saddens him to think of losing her. 

Shaking his head to get rid of the negative thoughts, watching her take such care for him warms his heart. In the end, he knew he wanted to be with her and would not let the press, fans, or anyone get in the way of his happiness. "(Y/N)Come talk to me," he whines, wanting to tell her that he will always love her. He watches her make her way towards the bed, very tense with what is going to happen. "What Shawn?" She asked, keeping her distance from him.

"I know there are things we would need to figure out if we do become a couple. I know you are scared, but I want you to know I will not give up. I meant what I said to you, and I hope one day you will realize it. I do love you (Y/N). I will tell you every day if I have to until you believe it. I will scream it on the rooftop for everyone to hear me if needed. I will spend the rest of my life proving I have serious feelings for you, no matter how annoyed you might get with me. I will fight for this relationship, and will not fire you for being with me. I want you by my side, through everything, no matter what. I do not want you to worry about my fans because they will understand that I love you. I am happy with you. Your smile brightens my day just when I see it. I do not need your answer right now. I know you will need to take a while to comprehend everything I told you, and if you believe me. I will wait for you," he explained, very serious, as he fights off the sleepiness.

(Y/N) nods, knowing she would need to sort out her feelings and whether or not if she wanted to be in a relationship with Shawn. She does not deny that she wants to be with Shawn, but the negative thoughts kept popping into her mind. "Okay, Shawn," she said, glancing at him to talk more, but stops. She smiles softly when she realizes he fell asleep and was snoring quietly. Walking over, she tucks him in, making sure he is covering up with his blanket. She then makes her way to the kitchen for a glass of water and pills for his hangover tomorrow. She sets the things on the nightstand next to the bed before pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Night Shawn," she says, exiting the room on her way out. 

---

Shawn woke up to warm morning sun, shining through the bedroom window. Shivering from the cold sheets as he pulls the blanket over his head. The alarm rings earning a small groan from Shawn, knowing (Y/N) would be waiting in the living room for him. He rubs the sleepiness from his eyes as he gets up, knowing he can't go back to sleep, despite wanting to. He moans in pain at the horrible headache he felt, looking at the nightstand to see two pain relievers. A pleased sigh escaped his lips as he drinks the cold water that brings relief to his dry, scaly throat for him to swallow the pills. 

He makes his way to the living room, dreadful as he remembers the confession he made to (Y/N). He felt mortified of how he spilled his guts to her the one woman he never wanted to leave him. He hoped that she would be in the living room waiting for him and that he did not scare her off. Spotting her, Shawn breaths in relief; she was there, but then gulps, not knowing what she will say. 

"How are you this morning?" She asked, looking up from her phone, worried about him not remembering anything from last night. She could not sleep and spent the time thinking about if she will take the step to solidify their relationship. "O-okay. I had this headache," he mumbled, eyes wandering, not wanting to look at her because he was embarrassed. 

"Do you remember last night," she asked, waiting for his answer. Apart of her wanted him to tell her he did not forget, and another hope he forgets. Shawn gulps, not knowing what to say, and stays silent. 

(Y/N) sighs, walking over to Shawn, placing her index finger on his lips. " Stay quiet. Shawn, I love you too. I was afraid of the things that could go wrong, but I do not want that to hold me back. I do not want to live with regret and what-ifs. I am willing to be in a relationship with you, and I will fight for it. I love so many things about you, but I do not have the time to tell you. My schedule is filling up, so I can't stay long. However, if you join me on a date Sunday, I will spend the evening listing all the reasons I love you. I know the risk I am taking by being with you, but your speech last night filled me with the courage to be with you. I never thought I would find a man to love me like you do. I want to be with you," she states, kissing his lips and quickly leaving before responding to her. 

[fantasticworldoffanfics]

HARRY/RIDDLE|VOLDEMORT

Fandom: Harry Potter

Just an extended must read list of awesome fanfics that is in no particular order :) …

top favourites

note: [HP/TMR] and [HP/LV] are placed beside each fanfiction to indicate whether it is between Harry and Tom Marvolo Riddle or Lord Voldemort, respectively. Although there are the same person, some people enjoy reading a younger and handsomer Riddle instead of the Snake-like Voldemort, or otherwise enchanted figure, or vice versa.  [HP/TMR] are usually more light-toned or at a school setting while [HP/LV] are usually during Harry’s hogwarts years/post hogwarts.

Everything's Fine in the Beast Division [HP/TMR]

Author: Merrinpippy

Summary: Harry's lifelong ambition is to become an auror, but as his knowledge of Dangerous Beasts is somewhat lacking, Newt Scamander agrees to take him on as an apprentice. Contrary to the Weasley twins' predictions that Harry would die of boredom, Harry finds his time at the Ministry very interesting, and befriending the very attractive Tom Riddle doesn't hurt at all- in fact, quite the opposite.

sidenote: sidepairings!Credence/Graves

The Love of a Good Wizard [HP/TMR]

Author: SweetSorcery

Summary: History of Magic has something to teach after all, and two resourceful students decide that the key to having any future at all lies in the past, and in Tom Riddle's heart. Assuming he has one.

Captured [HP/LV]

Author: Aries (Zero_Luck)

Summary: "The first thing Harry realised was the fact he was lying on a cold hard surface. The second thing he realised was that he was currently lying down naked, on a cold hard surface."

Inedible [HP/TMR]

Author: Aisling

Summary: Ginny died in the Chamber of Secrets and only Harry and Tom know how it really happened; not to mention the fact that Harry can hear Tom in his head. Dumbledore sends Harry to Azkaban. I suppose Voldemort will have to find another way to get his body back. When he does, will Harry join him, or will he go back to those who betrayed him? He has to choose: it won’t be easy for him to hide when he escapes, especially with that mark on his forehead and a pet Grim named Snuffles. AU. 

Unusual Mates [HP/TMR]

Author: Captain_Rachel_Smith

Summary: There's a new professor whose caught Harry's eye... AU/AR

Unconventional Method [HP/LV]

Author: Seacilin

Summary: What would've happened if Voldemort’s character had been just that little more sinister when he met our hero?

Spellbound [HP/TMR]

Author: DemonYazuha

Summary: Harry is a new student at Hogwarts High and as a closet gay meeting Tom Riddle makes it rather hard to stay in the closet

Bitten [HP/LV]

Author: aznflyingkitty

Summary: Was there any particular reason why no one bothered to tell Harry Potter that the Dark Lord Voldemort was a gay vampire intent on ravishing the Boy-Who-Lived?

Debauched [HP/LV]

Author: Saya

Summary: The pale canvas beneath him was littered with tiny trails of blood, painting a map of tantalizing promise of treasure. He moved his hips ever so slowly, drawing out soft cries of pleasure from the youth beneath him.

Why Harry Loves Ice Cream [HP/LV]

Author: The Dark Lady Voldemort666

Summary: Caramel, chocolate and strawberries, what's Harry to do?

sidenote: Harry/Voldemort/Lucius ship

Love's Loathing [HP/TMR]

Author: The_Fictionist

Summary: Lord Voldemort is head of Magical Britain. Harry Potter is a rebel leader in charge of the last scraps of resistance against his regime. Things would be difficult enough even if they hadn't once been engaged.

Kissed Cursed [HP/LV]

Author: The_Fictionist

Summary: (FairyTale AU!) Some said he was once a man, cursed, and some that he sold his soul to demons and became one in turn. Others said that such evil as he could never have been human. That he was instead a nightmare, left lingering upon the earth a very long time ago. Harry just knew it wasn't safe to walk near the Riddle House after dark.

A Fundamental Ingredient [HP/LV]

Author: stellanti_nocte

Summary: Voldemort, always in search of immortality, uses a ritual to transform himself into an immortal hybrid creature. However, one of the two creatures is a Veela and requires a mate. Voldemort decides that Bellatrix would be adequate for the position of his mate and sends a Death Eater to retrieve one of her hairs to complete the ritual. Unfortunately, his incompetent follower has accidentally gotten the wrong hair and the Dark Lord soon finds himself mated to Harry Potter.

The Warmth Of A Horcrux [HP/TMR]

Author: BigJellyMonster (orphan_account)

Summary: Being a Horcrux means being alone. When Tom finds an opportunity to change that, he will stop and nothing until he does. He is sure that his new host will come around eventually.

Till Sunrise Comes [HP/LV]

Author: CrazyJanaCat

Summary: He had all the time in the world to play some more with his prey. After all, sunset and sunrise were hours away from each other, even in summer.

Angel [HP/TMR]

Author: Kandakicksass

Summary: Harry goes back in time to kill Tom Riddle, but things don't turn out as planned.

“Boyfriend” Works, Too [HP/TMR]

Author: egwenechapters

Summary: Tom Riddle is in sixth year Potions, when Harry Potter bursts in. They get to know each other and find that they have a lot in common.

Marked As His Equal [HP/LV]

Author: juliasejanus

Summary: July 31st 1980, the Potter's had twin sons. The elder larger stronger twin was chosen as the likely protagonist of the Prophecy to destroy the Dark Lord. The younger twin, Hadrian is declared a squib and left in the custody of his muggle Aunt and Uncle. Prophecy discarded by Voldemort who seized power in October 1981.

Red Heat [HP/LV]

Author: wetdandelions

Summary: Magic sends Harry into a heat only ended by impregnation and Tom helps him through it.

The Big Cat And His Kitty [HP/LV]

Author: IsysSkeeter

Summary: Harry and Voldemort both get turned into cats almost at the same time, in different circumstances. They run away in order not to be found by the others, and they end up meeting.They go on talking about their problems and helping each other, without knowing who the other cat is, and finally find a solution.They both re-transform at the same time.How will they react to the fact that the most helpful, understanding person the world is actually your mortal enemy?

A Single Love [HP/TMR]

Author: Vera (Vera_DragonMuse)

Summary: Nature versus Nurture. If Tom had been raised by Harry instead would he have grown up to be Lord Voldemort?

Moments In Time [HP/TMR]

Author: Watermelonsmellinfellon

Summary: Tom Riddle thought he was dreaming the first time, but when he repeatedly visits the same boy, he realizes that bigger things are at work. He watches the boy in the cupboard grow from a small child and into a young man. His brotherly affections begin to wane. What will he do when the boy isn't so little anymore? Could he even imagine? Those Avada eyes calling to him.

Not Ever Again! [HP/TMR]

Author: Isys Luna Skeeter (IsysSkeeter)

Summary: After losing everything he could lose, Harry decides it won't happen again... Until where is he ready to go to be left alone? 

Je Souhaite [HP/LV]

Author: LadySlytherin

Summary: When Harry finds out he's a Genie, he vows to never be enslaved by anyone, ever. Of course, that doesn't really work out for him. When he ends up enslaved to Voldemort, of all people, nothing will be the same for anyone, ever again.

The Black Bunny [HP/LV]

Author: windseeker2305

Summary: Harry's had it with his destined role after the Order does something he can't forgive. Now he's done with both sides of the war and wants to be left alone. But since when have his wishes ever counted for anything?

Pet Trilogy Series [HP/LV]

Author: IsysSkeeter

Part 1: Pet’s Curse

Summary: Harry gets cursed and sent back in time. Now he has to find a way to save himself while getting used to the constant presence of his enemy, how does he always gets himself in these things anyway?

Part 2: Pet’s War

Summary: The Curse in Harry's Magical Core takes a turn for worse, creating consequences that would lead him to an almost pre-mature death. Now with his magical core restored, Harry has to deal with the war between Voldemort and Dumbledore while balancing it with his tutor's courting. Nothing truly is fair in life and war.

Part 3: Pet’s Family

Summary: Finally accepting that the man he is in love with is You Know Who, Harry has now to accept the consequences of being the lover of Lord Voldemort. And all that comes with the package. Can Voldemort give Harry the peace Harry asked for? Does Harry's thirst for war accepts it?

If Them’s The Rules [HP/TMR]

Author: MayMarlow

Summary: Unable to accept the aftermath of the war, Harry decides to travel back in time to become the parent Tom Riddle obviously should have had. Except that things don't go as planned and Harry finds himself part of a game with hidden rules, trying to survive while raising a boy whose understanding of family has nothing to do with love.

Unintentionally Yours [HP/LV]

Author: Dinkel

Summary: What if Voldemort had found another way to get what he wants? What if he wants something else now? He proposes a contract to assure peace between the Light and the Dark... and it involves Harry.

The Courtesan [HP/LV]

Author: Drops_of_Nightshade

Summary: In the prejudiced world where the Dark Lord won, Harry Potter is part of the servile caste, the lowest caste in the new society. Resigned to a life of servitude as a Courtesan, Harry is instead drawn under the wing of the Dark Lord himself. Between the scheming Order and his powerful benefactor, Harry finds himself steadily drawn deeper into the growing conflict.

Boys Just Want To Have Fun [HP/TMR]

Author: rightonthelimit

Summary: This isn’t what Harry had in mind when he went to deface public property.

Captured [HP/LV]

Author: Aries (Zero_Luck)

Summary: "The first thing Harry realised was the fact he was lying on a cold hard surface. The second thing he realised was that he was currently lying down naked, on a cold hard surface."

Three [HP/TMR/LV]

Author: rightonthelimit

Summary: When Harry first laid eyes on the twins, he was instantly intrigued. Little did he know that the feeling was entirely mutual.

The Deal With The Devil [HP/LV]

Author: SpeedyTomato

Summary: In a deal to save his godfather, Harry makes a pact with the one person he never thought he would. 

Possession [HP/LV]

Author: Jade-Tatsu

Summary: The Dark Lord has always known who his mate is but there are Muggles and Wizards to kill before the enjoyment of eternity.

Finding Home [HP/LV]

Author: littlemissadams

Summary: Harry finds home-and love-in a rather unexpected place

Dark Gifts [HP/LV]

Author: lazycrazykitten

Summary: Harry Potter was stolen from number 4's doorstep. What does Lucius mean by gift?

A Darker Future [HP/LV]

Author: Blushingbabe

Summary: Harry was handed over to Voldemort the summer after fifth year. Things go a little wrong for the dark lord.

Artificial Affection [HP/LV]

Author: SalaciousMind

Summary: Voldemort can learn from his mistakes and incidentally ensures Love will end the war. Just... not the way Dumbledore had expected. Harry, naturally, doesn't get any choice.

Desirable Undesirable [HP/TMR]

Author: SpiteSpawnsLies

Summary: Harry fails to escape the ministry and is left behind under his invisibility cloak with Slytherin's locket, which has bound itself around his wrists and held him captive to the Horcrux in inside of it. 

A Spell Named Desire [HP/TMR]

Author: fadingstarlight (Geneveon)

Summary: Hadrian Potter was a Slytherin in Tom's year. Tom intends have him only for Harry to make the first move.

[weddingjewelers]

INTERVIEW: Evan Dorkin, Veronica & Andy Fish explain exactly how Re-Animator influenced Blackwood: The Mourning After

INTERVIEW: Evan Dorkin, Veronica & Andy Fish explain exactly how Re-Animator influenced Blackwood: The Mourning After

And just why dealing with magic and resurrection can be so damn hard

Once the black Horse show Blackwood concluded, a path of systems inside her wake, plus it was as much as a reluctant gang of teenagers to create things appropriate at the school. In Blackwood: The Mourning After , author Evan Dorkin and designers Veronica and Andy Fish look after unfinished company, with more secret, mayhem and mysticism waiting for you for the teenage protectors of Blackwood university. They talked into the Beat about their brand new miniseries and why magical spells are this kind of messy company.

Nancy Powell: the complete Blackwood show feels as though this trippy mix that is nostalgic Scooby-Doo, Archie and Harry Potter. Will you be an admirer of those series?

Evan Dorkin: we enjoyed the very first four books within the Harry Potter show, and I’ve read a lot of old Archie comics. I happened to be a scooby-doo that is big as a youngster. But just what I’d at heart while developing Blackwood was 80’s horror comedies like Return regarding the Living Dead and Re-Animator , and school comedies like genuine Genius and Animal House . The comic has a college environment, there’s miracle, and there’s kids that are meddling and so I absolutely have why those actions show up a whole lot.

Veronica Fish: truthful to Jesus, I became never ever an admirer of every of the, haha!

Powell: just How did Blackwood happen?

Evan: i needed to publish more horror-themed material, and I also needed work because Beasts of Burden was for an unscheduled hiatus. I showed Daniel Chabon (Dark Horse Senior Editor) so I started working on some pitches, and Blackwood was the first one. He asked for revisions and provided me with some extremely notes that are specific assist me personally punch it and acquire it to the stage where we needed seriously to find an musician. We saw Veronica’s work while walking the aisles at Heroes Con and thought she’d be a choice that is excellent Blackwood . She consented to can be bought in as co-creator, and Andy arrived on board once we began the very first series. We now have Greg McKenna lettering so Veronica and Andy can spend more time on designs, art and colors. It absolutely was a long procedure getting Blackwood into printing nonetheless it was worthwhile, it is been lots of fun to operate on.

Andy Fish : we saw just just just what Evan and Veronica had been working up and I also blackmailed them into permitting me personally in—this was the style of series i must say i wished to focus on.

Powell: The series includes a nostalgic, psychedelic check out it which comes from the color scheme. Was that something you considered all along? Or was it a pleased scenario?

Veronica: When I paint i love to deposit a hyper-saturated base layer of neon gouache, therefore I genuinely believe that practice is originating through into the comics. Ideally the colors have actually a little bit of a “susperia” vibe.

Evan: I adore the palette. It’s variety of like a candy-coated Giallo approach that offers the show a really distinct appearance and style.

Powell: just What switches into making an issue that is typical of?

Evan: we compose a lot of and everything that is over-explain my complete script, then Veronica and Andy break it down and work out it into comics. Often we deliver guide for particular things. Often I’ll perform a rough design of something because I’m unsure in the event that script is obvious enough—the sketches aren’t a mandate, they’re simply to place the concept over. Things have kicked backwards and forwards at each stage—I’ll have actually notes, Veronica and Andy could have a few ideas, Daniel could have notes. We discuss whatever pops up and then make revisions. A few ideas don’t result from the scripts. Andy possessed an idea that is great Jamar’s character, while Veronica’s designs have actually sparked brand new plot points and changed exactly exactly how some characters are utilized. It’s a collaboration, there’s a complete great deal of back and forth.

Veronica: Evan’s scripts are available and now we have wonderful time reading it, doing thumbnails in the dining room table. We’ll glance at John Carpenter films, some Eisner, Junji Ito, whatever assists resolve a panel. Andy will need an amount of pages and commence layouts that are doing penciling. I’ll start penciling other pages. I actually do completed inks so it can have a consolidated look. We deliver it set for feedback, and Andy will begin color flats. I actually do last colors, Greg letters. We have a coronary arrest over just what else can be carried out to really make it better, and Andy informs me at some true point you must stop tweaking and move ahead. Perform.

Andy: we have been constantly fine tuning.

Powell: The fine can be a plot that is intriguing — kind of like a elixir of youth or even the pensive (the basin that reveals one’s previous memories) within the Harry Potter publications. And I also suspect perhaps maybe not when it comes to good of this college?

Evan: a while I realized it’s a lot like the Lazarus Pit that R’as Al Ghul has, and I got a little bummed out after I put the well into the storyline. We knew through the get-go it wasn’t a brand new concept, returning to the elixir of youth and mythology. I suppose the distinction with your fine is the fact that you’re resurrected into a body that is new which I’m yes in addition has been done. But i believe the interesting angle is its usage happens to be limited by a team of old control-freaks whom didn’t trust handing Blackwood College up to someone else. Each of them shared a really single-minded function, the cause of which we desire to expose in a future tale. And there’s a key towards the fine it self, how it works and what’s within it, that will make it be an issue later on. There should be a resurrection unit.

Powell: The monkey that is two-headed a pretty wicked set of characters. The thing that was the motivation behind that?

Evan: Chimp Ho Tep was one thing we invest the pitch bible as a tale, a campus metropolitan legend. It will be seen afroromance dating site reviews every now and then such as for instance a cryptid, however it wound up learning to be a of good use character.

Pages courtesy of Black Horse Comics

Powell: associated with the primary figures, which do you realy recognize most abundant in and exactly why?

Evan: Stephen, because he’s scared and incompetent but attempts to make a tale from the jawhorse all. Wren, because she’s enraged, protective and abrasive but deep down she wishes everyone else become pleased. And Chimp Ho Tep since it’s a unfortunate baby that is little contends with itself.

Veronica: we just love Jamar and totally get both their exasperation aided by the pupils along with his drive to complete the proper thing.

Andy: my character that is favorite in show (to date) is Professor Mortlake— the man has design and then he appears like precisely the type of man the college requires at this time. Really i prefer so characters that are many the show. Evan is a writer that is incredible.

Powell: of the many characters in Blackwood: The Mourning After, that are your chosen to create and draw?

Evan: i love composing the core students — Reiko, Wren, Stephen and Jamar. Colby is really a complete great deal of enjoyable because he’s miserable. Mortlake is a character that is new this arc that is become enjoyable to work alongside, aswell. And Chimp Ho Tep is enjoyable considering that the relative minds talk to the other person in screwy stunted English. But i love writing pretty much all the cast. Why introduce figures which you don’t enjoy composing?

Veronica: i like everyone, mostly the way they act as a product. Evan includes a gift that is real making individuals distinctive; you can’t simply swap their discussion. And every mix of figures will yield a fresh and result that is interesting. Wren and Colby are enjoyable to draw simply because they emote a great deal.

Andy: my personal favorite character to draw is Colby. Within the series that is first had him standing with a kind of dark cloud over their mind so we made the spots on their top deliberately Charlie Brown like—as sort of “Lucy relocated the football again” kind of thing—perfect character to exhibit feeling with. He’s got an excellent face.

Powell: Which components of the comic would be the most challenging to publish and draw?

[crimsonrevolt]

Congratulations Erin you’ve been accepted to Crimson Revolt as Millicent Bagnold!

↳ please refer to our character checklist

The first thing that the admin team said about your app was that we got such a strong sense of the character from your entire app! We could hear Millicent in our heads and really fell in love with her -- especially how much you focused in on her devotion to feminism and girl power! You’ve made her an integral character to the roleplay and it’ll be fascinating to see how she reacts to whatever transpires in this world. We’re so excited to see her on the dash and for you to continue exploring every facet of her personality! 

application beneath the cut

OUT OF CHARACTER

INTRODUCTION

Erin (She/Her), 19, CDT

ACTIVITY

During the summer, probably around a 7-8. I’m currently jobless and my class is online, so I’ll always be near a computer.

TRIGGERS

*removed for privacy

HOW DID YOU FIND US?

The promo blog!

WHAT HARRY POTTER CHARACTER DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH MOST?

Hermione! For starters, she had big, frizzy hair, just like I do. I strongly identified with her love of school and her assertive tendencies. I saw a lot of myself in her, and I also wanted to be her.

ANYTHING ELSE?

None

IN CHARACTER

DESIRED CHARACTER - Millicent Bagnold

Millicent – work, labor, strong

Bagnold – of Badgenhall

FACE CLAIM

Priyanka Chopra

REASON FOR CHOSEN CHARACTER

Millicent is strong-willed, a feminist, and in the political world. All of these things are awesome, and I share all of these traits. I’m majoring in political science, and though political life in the Wizarding World of Great Britain is different from modern America, it is still something we have in common. I share her shortcomings as well. I see so much of myself in Millicent, and I so rarely have the opportunity to write a character to which I feel I have so many commonalities. She’s quick-witted with a sense of humor, even though that humor may not always translate to other people. And oh my goodness, she said, “I assert our inalienable right to party,” after Voldemort fell, and I just love her even more.

Of course, Millicent is different from me as well. She’s way more of a bamf than I could ever be, and she’s got an internal battle raging. Does she abandon everything she’s ever worked for, after the countless hours and sacrifices she made, in order to protect her loved ones, or does she ensure that it was all worth it and she makes it to the top? She’s willing to make sacrifices, but she’s hesitant when it comes to something that could ruin her livelihood.

Basically, she’s so nuanced and interesting, and she’s already so precious to me and I love her and I want to wrap her in bubble wrap until she becomes Minister for Magic.

PREFERRED SHIPS // CHARACTER SEXUALITY // GENDER & PRONOUNS

Millicent is a cisgender, heteroromantic, heterosexual woman.

Ships are Millicent/Chemistry above anything else. She doesn’t take shit from anybody, so she definitely won’t suffer through a relationship where there’s no chemistry.

CREATE ONE (OR MORE!) OF THE FOLLOWING FOR YOUR CHARACTER:

-Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/user/12139182618/playlist/7qJAh2yy20IuieNMSTkseN

-Headcanons:

Millicent has one older brother who is ten years her senior. He accomplished quite both in and out of Hogwarts. She was determined not to live in his shadow, which is why she pushed herself so hard in school. She did find that she enjoyed working at the Ministry, so it became her goal and passion for herself, rather than just a goal to outdo her brother.

Millicent became Junior Assistant to the Minister for Magic at the age of 21, and at 25, she became the youngest person to be granted the title of Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic.

When being sorted, Millicent was a near hatstall. The Sorting Hat spent four and a half minutes debating whether to put her in Slytherin (because of her sheer determination and ambitiousness) and Ravenclaw (because of her desire to use said determination and ambitiousness to acquire knowledge. At this time, she had not yet found her calling – Ministry work.) Eventually, the Sorting Hat settled on Ravenclaw.

- Potential plots:

Something happens that causes the push-and-pull within her to come to the surface. Perhaps she faces a setback at work, or something happens with the Order. She suddenly doubts herself, and finds herself in a limbo, a former shell of herself, as she struggles to determine her course of action. The Minister dying certainly stopped her in her tracks, and though it’s a few months later, perhaps the aftermath of that still has her confused. Or perhaps she immediately regained composure, and something else happened to cause her to suddenly become unconfident or unsure of her path.

IN CHARACTER QUESTIONNAIRE

The following section should be looked at like a survey for your character. Answer them in character and feel free to use gifs. Or, if you’d rather, answer them in third person or OOC without gifs. Answers do not have to be extremely lengthy.

♔ If you were able to invent one spell, potion, or charm, what would it do, what would you use it for or how would you use it? Feel free to name it:

If I had to invent a potion, I think I’d create a focusing potion. It would allow for short bursts of intense focus, which would of course allow for me to be more efficient at work. I’d use it to catch up on work, or if I had a particularly heavy load of work to do.

♔ You have to venture deep into the Forbidden Forest one night. Pick one other character and one object (muggle or magical), besides your wand, that you’d want with you:

I’d want my brother with me, because he’s an amazing duelist with fast reflexes. And he relaxes me, so I’d feel safer. As far as objects go, I think I’d like to have a sword. The Forbidden Forest is forbidden for a reason, and I’d like to be prepared for anything I might find myself facing.

♔ What kinds of decisions are the most difficult for you to make?

It is difficult for me to make decisions when both options are bad, or one choice would require sacrificing the other. Decisions that are strictly black and white, though nice when it isn’t deeply personal, are difficult when I am very invested in both options. For instance, choosing between my career and my family is difficult. I love my family above all else, but I have also worked my entire life to get to where I am today. I’m the youngest person to be the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, and knowing that I am so close to being Minister for Magic would make it difficult to choose whether I focus on my career or on my loved ones. Ideally, I could do both – and I try to do both, but that isn’t always possible.

♔ What is one thing you would never want said about you?

I never want it to be said that I quit. I try to make it a point to acquire any knowledge that may help me, regroup, and try again if I fail. I never want to walk away from something, especially if my walking away could have immoral results – such as struggling with a proposed policy that results in the unfair treatment of a minority group. To quit something like that would go against everything I am and everything I believe in.

WRITING SAMPLE

She had awoken to the sound of an owl knocking at her window in the early hours of Christmas morning. The clock read 4 am and the sun had not yet come up as Millicent opened the window to retrieve a hastily tied piece of parchment from the owl. On it, only four words – ‘The Minister is dead.’ Four words had effectively stopped her in her tracks and left her reeling. She couldn’t breathe. Her lungs were collapsing and the world caving in around her. He wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be dead. He was supposed to be found, so he could help her as she navigated the political world. Millicent had just lost her boss and mentor. What would happen now?

Her steely resolve was crumbling. Millicent had been the acting Minister since the 12th of October, when the Minister had been taken. But it was supposed to have been temporary – she wasn’t ready yet. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be voted in when Minister Minchum stepped aside – she wouldn’t dare challenge him if he was running for re-election unless something drastic had happened to suddenly make him incompetent. He had seen her potential and had taken her under his wing. Her rise through the Ministry’s levels, as much as she would like to attribute to her own determination and capability, were undoubtedly aided by an ally in the form of the Minister for Magic.

Quickly, Millicent grabbed a quill and ink and wrote on the other side of the parchment, ‘Press conference at 6.’ A four-worded response to a four-worded message that turned her world upside down was sent away with the owl. She had two hours to collect herself before she faced the press and delivered the news to the rest of the world. Millicent wanted nothing more than to ask to ask Harold how to handle this. She had handled press conferences before, both with the Minister and without him (those occurred after his disappearance). But nothing had quite prepared her for facing the press with the news that the Minister was dead. Formally announcing his disappearance had been difficult enough, but to announce his death – it seemed impossible.

“Stop it, Millicent,” she scolded herself, her voice hoarse. She was Millicent Bagnold. Nothing was impossible for her. She had been through difficult times before, and she had survived and thrived. She would make it through this again, though thriving seemed less likely. Slowly, she left the window and went to her wardrobe. She hastily changed into her dress robes. The mirror at the back of her wardrobe showed the reflection of a tired and confused woman, but Millicent refused to look at it for more than a few moments. She was Millicent Bagnold, and she had a job to do.

[thepinkseat-askthemoonbunny]

To JKR/Dumbledore/Weasley Haters

I was writing my profile on Fanfiction.Net, and was talking about my favorite thing, about how much I hate Dumbledore bashing. But there’s one thing I hate even more than that, JKR bashing. Why?! I figured this would be a great PSA, and would probably cover all my ranting for the month, so I took my bio from there and decided to paste it:

What’s up guys, it’s Bunny as I’m known on here. I am a Harry Potter fan to the max and so most of the stories I write will be Harry Potter centric, although there will be crossovers, other fandoms and pieces of original fic here as well (on my FF page). My favorite characters have to be in order:

Harry

Dumbledore

Hermione

Ron

All the Weasleys (even Percy)

Aberforth

McGonagall

I’m a 20 (soon to be 21) year old Black woman living in Nevada, I’m in college and am majoring in graphic design. I’m single and childless, and as such that gives me plenty of free time when school is out of the way. I love Harry Potter, if I haven’t said that already but I have a HUGE love/hate relationship with my fandom. I don’t even enjoy fanfic the way I used to (but I love writing it) because of:

1: the attacks against JKR. If you hate JKR, WHY in the world are you in her fandom!? Dumbledore and Weasley haters are especially prone to this, especially older haters. Most Dumbledore haters I’ve seen, the worst ones who think he’s the evilest thing are in their forties and fifties and I don’t get that. You’re a little too old to be attacking a fictional character so viciously don’t you think? And they normally hate Jo too, because she loves Dumbledore and says she’s a “shitty writer” because she didn’t torture him or make Harry hate him. This is why I am scared shitless of most older “fans” (although I know one, she’s awesome and I’m Tumblr friends with her). I put fans in quotes because if you hate the books and especially the CREATOR of said books so passionately, then you no longer have the right to call yourself a fan in my book. You can’t be a fan of something you clearly hate.

2: Dumbledore bashing. GAWD, Dumbledore bashing! GRRRRR. Explanation/rant as to why I hate this shit is written below. I cannot get away from it, especially since people have never heard of tagging their shit.

3. Weasley bashing. Why? WHYYYYYYY?! HOW can ANYBODY hate the Weasleys?! I never got the hatred toward them AT ALL, and especially poor Ron, Ginny and Molly! They get attacked by so many “fans”, especially the ones that claim to love Harry and Hermione, and don’t get me STARTED on Harmonians. Not people who ship Harry and Hermione cuz it’s a cool pairing, but Harmonians. There’s a HUGE difference between Harmony shippers and Harmonians. They love Harry, probably more than anyone in the whole series besides his parents and Sirius. Look, Harry would fight all of you if he could hear you talk that way about his SURROGATE FAMILY AND BEST FRIEND. Hermione would kick your ass too. I can’t read Harmony fics because all the bashing of the Weasleys and Dumbledore has ruined it for me

4. Character bashing of any kind, especially bashing of the good guys.

5. Fix-fics, nothing is broken people.

6. Dark Harry

7. Lord Potter-Black. FUCK, Lord Potter-Black! Super Harry who’s heir to everything and has twenty septillion trillion Galleons (that Dumbledore and Ron are totes stealing), is allied with the Goblins and can PWN with his super special awesomeness. AKA, Stu-Harry

Why I Hate Dumbledore Bashing With The Force Of A Thousand Suns and Why It Needs To Die A Fiery Death (and my stance on it)

There will be no Dumbledore bashing or Manipulative!Dumbledore on this page because I utterly despise it and wish that it would just jump into a pit of lava already. I acknowledge that Dumbledore is manipulative in canon and get why people don’t like him, but most manipulative Dumbledore stories have him either over the top manipulative or just stupid and incompetent so that Harry could defeat him easier. He’s also not a cackling evil villain who’s stealing Harry’s money, he’s a man with a very hard job who’s done horrible things but is trying to make them right in my opinion. And way too many people enjoy seeing the man crucified in my opinion, as well as the poor Weasleys who I don’t know why they get so much hate from everybody.

Also, I HATE so called Harry Potter “fans” that hate JKR. And they’re bitching about how she “ruined” everything by “making a mess” of the last books. And it’s mostly because he forgave Dumbledore, don’t insult the creator of the series that you claim to love in the first place just because Harry didn’t become a bitter ass and carry hatred for the rest of his life. The hatred of Dumbledore on this site disturbs the fuck out of me, and it’s so hard to find stories that don’t bash him. He gets the hammer way too hard with these people, like “he shoud’ve fixed the wizarding world!” or one of my personal favorites, we’re Islamic extremists because we agree with Dumbledore. I totally agree with him, this one guy says that anybody who thinks that sacrificing people for the Greater Good is Hitler. I’d do it, if that makes me Hitler than so be it. Dumbledore is NOT a Dark Lord, and where do all these “he sacrificed countless lives!” come from?! Where are these “countless innocent lives that he so ruthlessly sacrificed” in canon?! If you’re talking about the ORDER, a group that were willing to fight to save their world, like any other patriot or soldier would do, please reword your phrasing. I don’t see any of these “millions sacrificed for Dumbledore’s evil plans”, they exaggerate the Death Toll way too much. And y'all are assuming that the man could just make every problem go away, the biggest complaint I get is, “DUMBLEDORE IS A MONSTER FOR NOT USING HIS POWER AND INFLUENCE TO FIX THE WIZARDING WORLD AND STOP VOLDEMORT, HE’S A DARK LORD!” Did y'all not read the books?! He tried, but one man can only do so much! He clearly ain’t have that much power, considering Fudge was able to strip his titles and kick him out TWICE, or are y'all forgetting this? I can’t, Dumbledore isn’t evil. Like why do people think this?! He did it for the good of the world! And one infamous person who compared Dumbledore to an Islamic terrorist talking about “what of the greater good of those innocent lives he sacrificed?!” Well let me tell you something buddy, those “innocent lives” would be DEAD ANYWAY if Dumbledore hadn’t done what he did. Without Dumbledore’s machinations, Voldemort would still be running around and ten times more people would be dead compared to the relative few in the books, is that really better?! It’s not, and yes, in extreme cases sometimes sacrifices have to be made and people don’t get this. Dumbledore did the right thing, instead of calling him the Dark Lord, focus on the REAL Dark Lord and leave him alone.

Harry HAD to die, and there was no “magical other way of making the Horcrux disappear”, Hermione says in the last books that the vessel must be destroyed beyond magical repair. Harry WAS that vessel, and how do you destroy a human body beyond magical repair?! Oh yeah, it’s DEATH. Now I’m not gonna deny that Dumbledore fucked Harry over, but not nearly as much as Voldemort did. If it weren’t for Voldemort, Dumbledore wouldn’t have had to do what he did. And for all the people who says it’s bad that he sacrificed Harry and all of these mystery people that somehow died, that “it’s terrorism to sacrifice some for the many.” No it’s not, it’s utilitarianism. It’s simple military strategy, it’s ensured the survival of many an empire. If we have a population of people and a third of them had a highly contagious, incurable plague like terminal disease, you freakin’ quarantine or get them away from everybody else so that the entire population doesn’t get decimated. I’d rather save the most lives possible, I’d rather save SOME lives rather than have EVERYONE be dead because I didn’t wanna be the next “Dark Lord.”

But he sacrificed Harry for the…Harry is PART of the wizarding world! If Dumbledore hadn’t “set him up”, Harry still would’ve died. STILL, and he wouldn’t have been able to come back either! Not only does Harry die, so does everyone else! Which is what would happen if Harry walked away or “destroyed” Dumbledore or Dumbledore is either killed or ruined like in these so called stories. So congratulations “fix it” authors, you’ve doomed the planet. I hope you’re happy with yourselves. In most of these bash fics, Harry is NO BETTER than Dumbledore. Except he’s ruthlessly killing people off, like the Weasleys or the DEs or anybody else the author doesn’t like to “fix” the wizard world. Sound familiar? Instead of writing a “better than Dumbledore” Harry, you wrote teenage Voldemort. Congrats.

“But WHY DIDN’T DUMBLEDORE STOP THE DARK LORD SOONER?!” Good question, because the series is called Harry Potter. If you want Dumbledore to do it, write the Albus Dumbledore series. Simple as that, and a lot of people going “OH HARRY’S A CHILD!” don’t take genre into consideration. And you need to. Now, am I saying that Dumbledore is perfect and without flaws? No, I’m not saying that. But he’s not Satan either, and people need to see that.

[diabolickonpressofficial]

How does a book get written?

So, if anyone cares: my first novel, Jackie and Craig, was released on October 30th, 2017. I ordered a pizza and drank, because why the hell not, right?

Truth be told, finally getting this book off the ground was less a Dionysiac riot of depravity and shameless debauchery (as most of my celebrations are) and more a long, guttural sigh of relief that lasted until.....well, until Yule rolled around and I just sorta forgot about it. I started illustrating my next book, a picture book that'll be released on January 20th, and I just sort of.....well, moved on.

I didn't know what else to do, really. I mean, somebody was kind enough to put up a TV Tropes page and I heard from around seven or eight people about it, but so far it's just been one more thing to do. Of course, that doesn't mean I'll stop - anyone who can be dissuaded from writing should be, in the words of one of my idols, Harlan Ellison - but in a lot of ways, I'm not sure where to go from here. I hear that this is a symptomatic of the early 20's, so at least I know I'm not alone in that (I hope), but for now all I can think to do regarding this particular book is talk about.....well, how this book came to be.

It started when I was sixteen. See, I had a feeling back then that this whole dark, gritty YA thing was about to become real big (oh, how I wish CreateSpace was around back then - or maybe not) so, to experiment, I wrote a short story that was to be the first chapter of an incredibly vicious, mean-spirited, Roald Dahl/Gremlins-type book about kids and monsters. It was called Diggin' Graves, and you might be able to read it at some point. I could've sworn I published it on this blog, but either I'm mistaken or blogger is a filthy goddamn liar.

I finished that story in spring and decided to sit on it, because I thought it was actually too dark to really be accessible to the preteens I was writing for and also because I loved the way it ended, and decided it should really come to a halt there. So I forgot about it, and then in my senior year of High School (easily one of the absolute worst years of my life, and I can't really say I've had a particularly good one for the past twenty-two) I decided to try again after a failed attempt at two different adult novels - both Clive Barkerish horror/fantasies, one of which is being reworked into a book I'll have out this Summer.

I've always loved the Conan stories, and it's no secret that I always imagined what would eventually become Jackie and Craig as a sort of YA Conan The Barbarian to Harry Potter's Lord of the Rings. (That wasn't originally my phrasing, but a friend who read the first novel-length version of JAC described it this way and it's just stuck since then). So when I sat down to try and create a compilation of stories for preteens, it was in that mold - two characters named Juniper and Gary (he changed names constantly, but this was his name at that point) adventured through the 'Suburban Wasteland' as homeless runaways, fighting chupacabras, lake monsters, sasquatch, feral tribes of other homeless kids, teenaged Lovecraftian Cultists (including a tribe of Girl Scouts who worshiped Bloody Mary as a deity) and othersuch fearsome critters and urban legends, all under the noses of oblivious, incompetent adults who usually got themselves slaughtered. A more Southern version of Will Watson (Big Willy, because dick jokes are always appropriate) told the tale, and it was all very weird, gory and over-the-top; very much in the vein of the Evil Dead movies. Hey - that's what I wanted to read in Middle School!

Though the stories were popular with some kids I knew and got me sent to the office a few times (and even suspended once!), there really wasn't much going for them outside time-killing fun. They were just sort of weird, random vignettes in a world where feral children and extra-dimensional monsters were the norm. One story involved that old Edgar Rice Burroughs standby, the arena battle (God, I'm a sucker for these - I even kick off my annual Star Wars Marathon with Attack of the Clones for that reason). Gary and Juniper slaughter a bunch of 'fearsome critters' (popular staples of lumberjack folklore, which you may or may not have known was a thing) over the course of a few days in a mud-pit in Florida, where of course a group of redneck teenagers have trapped them (and a Hodag, and a Tupilaq, etc.) before rising to the top of that tribe's heirarchy and setting the other children free. Crazy stuff, fun stuff......but not really fulfilling stuff, if you get what I mean. I took a shot at illustrating these stories, but the energy needed to pull this off combined with the stresses and depression I was going through kept me from ever making it beyond just a few conceptual creature drawings. I began work on an Hyborian Age-type essay about the world of Gary and Juniper, but not much ever came of it if I remember correctly. Can't see if I remember correctly, either; as the computer I had then is as dead as I will someday be. I still have a two or three printed or handwritten Gary and Juniper stories, but I'd have to go searching for them and retype them for this blog, something I won't have time for until, maybe, my next book is already done.

After I failed out of high school, I wound up moving to a new town in a fit of really severe stress and anxiety. Terrified of literally everything, I began having frantic, hellish panic attacks just before and after falling asleep for a few hours, as my insomnia tends to do to me. For about a week I had waves of really intensive nostalgia, during which I was overcome by such deep emotions I really didn't know what to do. So of course, I wrote about it.

From this experience came No Sleep 'Till Nu-Urth, as MCA had just died; still a sore spot for me, y'know. No Sleep 'Till Nu-Urth was posted to this blog as it was written, influenced by the books I enjoyed as a kid in school (Harry Potter, Bridge to Terabithia and The Outsiders amongst them) and the books I read outside of school (Barry Lyga, The Chronicles of Prydain, Conan, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and of course H.P. Lovecraft & pals, as should be self-evident from how tonally bizarre my work so often is). It featured Jackie-Lynn, a southern rebel, and Gary Steiger, a neurotic New Yorker, as they discovered a parallel universe where cryptids came from and made it their secret hangout. Their friends, two of whom made it to the final cut of Jackie and Craig, came with them on their adventures until the world was sabotaged by a bully named Timmy Bach; Gary died there trying to escape, and Jackie-Lynn was left to mourn him. A Spider-Goddess named Jykunne showed up, but she wasn't particularly prominent save for three key points in the story.

Besides being crushingly depressing, there wasn't much of a plot to it (I was nineteen and it was my first novel, cut me a break, alright?) and it lacked a great deal of the emotion I was seeking to encapsulate. About 25 percent of what was in No Sleep 'Till Nu-Urth survived to Jackie and Craig - mostly the early chapters, which I still feel capture my own childhood perfectly. Chupacabras, a staple since the Gary and Juniper stories, and the Maraw Sorceresses Talon, Screech and Fang show up, being holdovers from a Gary and Juniper story set in Nashville.....they were promising enough that after my next two books crashed and burned, I decided to return to it. From this we got a book twice as long as the finished version...Greg: Nightmare Hunter. Or G:NH for short.

If I were Stephen King, this would've been the published version you'd read today. Hell, I finally understand why the unstoppable titan George Lucas made all his best movies in the 70's - back then, producers and actors could rein him in when his storylines, exposition or dialogue got too out-of-hand. Nowadays, people like him can do literally anything they want to, and look what we got out of it - The Phantom Menace.

G:NH was all over the place, in every way. Anything I could come up with, I threw in. Talon, Screech and Fang had a major part in Greg and Jackie's crossing between this world and the other (still called Nu-Urth, after Jackie's affinity for misspelled Nu-Metal acts like KoRn and Staind). Any creature I wanted there, from ghosts tied to runestones that the Maraw set up like landmines to goddamn behemoths that slaughtered entire herds of deer. There was a subplot involving Timmy Bach (the world's few dozen Jackie and Craig fans now know him as Travis) starting a Jykunne Cult in exchange for advanced, interdimensional weaponry. He died a gruesome death in G:NH, slain by a domesticated chupacabra (not sure what I was thinking with that). It later turned out that Jykunne, in this book, was a sentient virus that inhabited and co-opted human and animal bodies into a hive mind. This was how it controlled its hordes, including Timmy and his cultists. So, kind of influenced by IT. There was actually a reference to IT in this draft, in that the kids called the junkyard the Barrens. About three or four fights took place here, if I remember correctly. As the junkyard appears only once in the final version, this reference was reduced to one line.

With G:NH, I knew there had to be a series - why? Because that's how all YA novels are nowadays, goddamnit, and that's the way it has to be. So I figured, after Greg died, we could just follow each character through a different part of Greg's (former) world. The spin-off would've followed Jackie, and included scenes I excised from G:NH. After I was done with G:NH, however, I was so sick to death of monsters and the occult that I wrote a screenplay to just get away from creature features for a little while - The Saga of Tabitha Irons. As scripts are so hard to sell, I wound up just using this to cool off before I finally put together Jackie and Craig, two years later. If a sequel to Jackie and Craig ever materializes, it's gonna be a repurposed version of that script; since I don't wanna be stuck in Jikungah writing about monsters for the next three years of my goddamn life, especially with other books I wanna write in the interim.

Which brings us to the final draft: Jackie and Craig. I had begun putting together a short story anthology in early 2017, which was to come out on Halloween to begin my career as an author. Not happy I'm consigned to self-publishing, but I've been exiled to society's gutters and wastelands enough in my short, ugly twenty-two years of life that I've gotten used to it by now. Eventually, though, I decided I wanted my first foray into the world of publishing to be a novel. And as I only had one even close to readable, this became......Jackie and Craig.

Jackie and Craig was the streamlined version of G:NH. I removed any creatures that slowed the book down, or that were just there to be creatively crazy, and put together a version of the story that progressed more smoothly. Craig, who was once Greg, Gary, and a few other names I considered, does not die at the end.......even though this is the logical conclusion of the story as far as I'm concerned and one hinted at all throughout every preceding novel-length version, in some way or another. Still edgy, but not so bad that I couldn't have handled it at thirteen or so. Hopefully, you or your kids can, too.

I cut it down to about half its length (the final version is about 90,000 words, I believe), and the journey to the other world was saved until the book's third act, where it had been a constant back-and-forth before. About twenty-five percent of JAC is preserved from Nu-Urth, while about forty to sixty percent is preserved from G:NH. The surviving elements of the Gary and Juniper stories - The Maraw Sorceresses, the Chupacabras, Portals to other worlds and the existence of Will and Amy - are, to me, deeply nostalgic and nice in-jokes, that show how far the series - and in a way, my writing and my life - has come the past six years, since I first wrote Diggin' Graves in the hope that it'd become a book I could sell and touch people's lives with.

At the time of this writing, a few dozen people have read Jackie and Craig. I am eternally grateful. This is, of course, only the beginning. My first picture book will be out on January 20th, and my aforementioned anthology will be released shortly after that - maybe March or April. If self-publishing is the route I have to take, then that's that. Robert E. Howard wouldn't be Robert E. Howard if he stopped at the first Conan story, and Lovecraft was nobody until near the end of his life. John Dies at the End was a print-on-demand title for the first ten years of its existence, and a public internet story for years before that. I should be grateful that my first novel was released at the tender young age of twenty-two, even if I feel as ancient as Time Itself on bad days. I've made a commitment to a more constant web presence this year, so you'll be seeing a lot more of me, my few dozen constant readers. I can only hope, now, that it was worth it for you.

I know it was sure as hell worth it for me.