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artificiallyimplantedmemories · 4 years ago

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[ ooc: FINALLY got around to this, after the foible this morning with it, so this is try number 2 at ep5 liveblog/commentary... under the cut as always ]

this has a speedrun/summary version of impressions the first third of it because I’d already watched all of that before tumblr ate the post so I might miss stuff idk. and then after that it’s my typical sporadic livebloggy madness. this got SUPER long oops

We have a lot of motifs in this episode, including the bloodied shield, the use of the shield as essentially a giant blunt blade rather than a shield, the conflict between different people’s interpretations of what ‘fighting because one has to’ means.

Walker is running from himself at the beginning, but where does one run to when the war is in your head? Particularly poignant for me (because I know that in the comics he joins the army to emulate his deceased brother) is how deeply the loss of a brother-in-arms cuts, but even more so how much the thought that he’s disappointed Lamar hurts. I think that in some ways, Lamar may have been a part of John’s moral compass, and his sustained belief in him has always helped him. It’s a reversed parallel to Steve and Bucky, actually, and I could elaborate on that but it might turn into an essay.

John tries to walk away from the fight at first, partly because he has other priorities, and partly because I think he does genuinely recognize that Bucky and Sam are good people. Of course there’s also the layer that he thinks of them as the original Cap’s sidekicks and therefore as the new Cap shouldn’t fight them, but… anyway the fight sequence is interesting to watch because it does show John as fairly well matched with them despite the fact that MCU Bucky has the serum. Part of this might be their reluctance to kill him while John has given up the façade and is now willing to do that in order to further his own plans as long as he doesn’t get caught. He cannot lose the title he’s given or he’ll be lost, now that he doesn’t have his best friend.

“Don’t go down that road. Believe me, it doesn’t end well.” “I’m not like you.” The difference is that Bucky was brainwashed. Yes, he’s still ruthless even after he’s broken free of it, but he’s taking conscious steps to be better. And thus the determination behind the “Yeah we do.” The shield deserves better than being in John’s care.

I paused to write and stopped on this face I’m laughing

The “why are you making me do this?” is obviously coming from a place of delusion but also speaks to how John’s personal motives are super unclear. Why did he take on the mantle of Captain America when it was established from the very beginning that he wasn’t completely comfortable with it? Was it, as he told Lamar, because he wanted a chance to be good? (In which case, obviously he’s having a breakdown about not achieving that?) Was it for his ego? Because he was commanded to? Having a John muse makes this a very interesting thing to explore.

Seeing Bucky’s arm get electrified and him knocking out because that’s directly tied to his neural implants was not any easier the second time around oof

“This isn’t you, John.” Further proof that Sam Wilson has more heart than legit anyone else, he’s still trying to believe that John is good.

I find it interesting that they have John remove the cowl in order to growl “I am Captain America.” It speaks to a rejection of what the old Cap was (though the cowl is the US Agent / updated Cap one) and his insistence that his version of Captain America is valid. (It’s not.)

Also because my literary obsessed reads way too much into tiny things that the show runners probably didn’t really care about as metaphors, I definitely saw the ripping of Sam’s wing as a reference to the restriction of freedoms by the US government lol just ignore me on that.

Bucky and Sam repeatedly saving each other’s asses is my jam. Also Sam using the power from the wing pack keeps reminding me from my observation back at the beginning that he’d do so well with full out repulsors. Tony totally would have set him up with that if MCU hadn’t killed him alas.

More of me finding parallels where there shouldn’t be any: they broke Walker’s left arm, just like they took away Bucky’s left.

I took a screenshot of this image when I watched it in the previous round, and it’s still going to haunt me. There’s something so tired and haunted and defeated here.

Bucky gives Sam the shield, because there’s nobody who deserves it more. The look on Sam’s face when he takes it and tries to clean the blood off of it (physically and symbolically of course) is heartbreaking. It’s a man who regrets his decision not to take it on originally but also now has to deal with the implications of both taking on that responsibility (in a country that doesn’t treat him fairly) and whether people will approve of anyone carrying the shield after John has fucked it up so badly.

A note that carries over from my first watch: people don’t usually refer to their enemies by first name. It’s done in comic books and movies with some frequency to remind people who is who, and in this case may also be a bit of humanization for Karli, a reminder that she is a sympathetic character despite the vicious way she does things sometimes. I also appreciate them reminding the audience that she’s competent and has a lot of support.

ALSO TORRES MY DARLING I’VE MISSED YOU. I wonder if Sam letting him keep the wings will actually develop into something (a la comics) or if they’re leaving that open ended. Also his smile is literal sunshine I’m not even joking about this, please give me all the Joaquín content thank you. Just look at him!!

I think by this point most viewers are fairly convinced that John Walker is Not A Good Man, but I think that his rant about always having done what he was told and done it well is purposeful and poignant here. His motives have always been to serve, but the matter of who he’s serving (or more importantly what - the military machine, the government that simply gives orders without thinking of the personal ramifications for those who carry them out) is put in contrast to Sam and Bucky, who are also veterans. I can’t help but draw parallels to the Nuremberg trials, people who did heinous things under orders and try to use that as an excuse for their innocence. It’s a reminder that a person doesn’t have to be visibly part of an evil group in order to do evil things. I won’t outline everything here but at least as far as the US Military goes, more info can be found at https://www.thebalancecareers.com/military-orders-3332819 about how and when it is defensible for people in the military to disobey orders.

You can hear John’s voice break during his rant, the conviction that he was doing what he was supposed to. He could have gotten away with more if he hadn’t been such a public figure, but an “other than honorable discharge�� lmao what a diplomatic way to tell him how badly he fucked up xD

Also hey it’s Olivia. Most people forgot that John has a wife. (I’m glad she’s telling him to visit Lemar’s parents, they deserve that.) Also is this Valentina or is this a Skrull? Only time will tell. (She’s probably not a Skrull, FATWS is too short for that, but on the other hand I’m not sure how I feel about the implications otherwise. Is she a SHIELD infiltrator? Is she manipulating him on SHIELD’s behalf? Did they steal the name and get rid of her backstory?)

The resignation on Zemo’s face during his encounter with Bucky (especially with a gun to his face) is unnerving. Zemo calling Bucky “James” made Natasha outright glare though. Her priorities are a little odd. But I’m glad Bucky didn’t kill him, I’m glad he’s not allowing him to be a victim of his conditioning. The Dora Milaje are taking him to the Raft… oh wait there might be Skrulls after all.

“If you ain’t bitter, you’re blind.” I feel that. I feel that hard. But I also understand the misplaced blame, the tendency for people who have been Through It seeing anyone outside their minority as their oppressor.

For someone who has dealt with the immensity of the trauma that Isaiah has, including the experimentation, the social isolation, the experience of being in the jail system for so long, it’s no surprise at all that he would be quick to assign blame. Add to that the risk of being killed for being part of an experiment that you didn’t agree to partake in early on, followed by extensive experimentation after? There are so many factors at play: violation of self, lack of agency, lack of safety… D: and the physical reminders of them are everywhere. look at the scarring D: D: D:

The range of emotion in this is so good, the acting is so good, I’m just overwhelmed with how honest this feels.

“They erased me. My history. But they’ve been doing that for 500 years.” OOF

The crease in Sam’s brow when he’s told that no self-respecting black man would wanna be Captain America, there’s such righteous indignation there, but he has to temper it in the face of Isaiah’s grief. Over and over he proves himself capable of putting compassion first and foremost.

This sibling dynamic has been really nice to see. There’s tension, there’s individual struggles, there’s support (not always in the ways it needs to be, but they’re trying), but more obviously there’s a depth of love there. Seeing it is so rewarding.

LOOK AT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY SHOWING UP!! Oh man so this gets me, because I grew up in a neighborhood where we supported each other and threw block parties and everyone trooped into our backyard to play on the swingset that had been left behind by the previous owner. It wasn’t family, sure, but we took care of each other. In India, it was even more so, and even now when I go there, I crash at my next door neighbors’ place instead of my family’s house most of the time. I miss having that sense of community, that closeness to people because we all had each other’s backs. Where I live now, I don’t even know most of my neighbors’ names. It sucks.

Ahh, there’s the part that I’ve seen the gifs of, with Bucky showing up at the boat. I like the idea that Bucky has slowly come to think of his metal arm as more of a normal part of him despite the ache and heaviness of it. Of course in MCU, he has the serum so maybe he doesn’t notice as much, but I can’t imagine he wouldn’t experience phantom pain in it until at least he internalized it as his own body part, and even then the shoulder joint would probably ache. Still, perhaps it’s more akin to an old injury than a foreign object now, and therefore Bucky still does what he would do naturally, using his dominant hand instead of the ‘enhanced’ one.

I have Feelings about Bucky saying “I’m Bucky” with a smile okay I HAVE FEELINGS

Bucky must have worked the docks a lot way back in the 40s. His level of competence is one of natural instinct, he’s just used to it. I wonder if he worked extra to help pay for medication for Steve after Sarah passed away… oh, more feels :(

Meanwhile Sam is over here doing his human best and I love that. He calls in the crew to help, relies on people, but it never stops him from being a part of it. He’s not taking a managerial role, he’s another tooth on the gear.

“They don’t care if you wear small tee shirts or have six toes or your mom’s your aunt” lmao my brain went ‘You don’t happen to have six toes on your right foot, do you?’ ‘Do you start all of your conversations this way?’ But also look how happy they look here!!!

“Don’t flirt with my sister. Because if you do I’ll have Carlos cut you up, feed you to the fish.” SAM YOU’RE SO RIDICULOUS. But also the way Bucky goes a little pouty after. <3

Lemar’s family! Okay so Walker is straight up lying to them about who it was that killed him, but given the circumstances, I don’t expect anything different. And perhaps part of that is to assuage the family about the fact that there’s ‘justice’ done, but part of it also has to be a slight ego play, and you can see on his face that when they talk about him resting easier, his jaw sets. He’s going to go after who actually did it, whether he has the jurisdiction to or not. He does seem genuinely regretful and I will reiterate the brother-in-arms bit above. Walker needed Lamar as a support system, a confidante, and a nudge in the right direction.

What is Bucky thinking about when he sees the kids playing with the shield? Is he remembering his own childhood? Is he thinking about a future where the shield will be valued and honored and carried right again? Is he thinking about what it’s like to have a family, and missing his own? I need to know these things -_- -> WAIT I THINK IT GOT ANSWERED DURING THE TRAINING MONTAGE. Oh it’s even more than I thought augh. The closest thing he’s got left to a family is the shield because Steve was as much a part of it as it was a part of Captain America dfsjhdgfsd

Sarah telling the boys off! Good for you, girl. (Also I’m laughing at “she’s a very mean person” and “there’s a prowess that goes into my madness” pfft Sam)

“You gotta stop looking to other people to tell you who you are.” is SUCH AN IMPORTANT SENTIMENT. And “You want to climb out of the hell you’re in, do the work.” As someone who deals with a lot of mental illness bullshit, this is the TRUEST statement. Yeah, you might need help. It might be therapy, it might be meds, it might be other coping skills and distractions, but if you don’t want to be better and do better for yourself and face the rawest and most uncomfortable parts of your psyche, you don’t improve. You stay complacent, stay stuck in that rut, doing the same things that didn’t work before. I need to say it doubly because you know some people are going to say that Sam’s not giving Bucky the support he needs to climb out. IT’S NOT HIS JOB. He will choose to give support when Bucky asks/needs because he’s a compassionate person, but this speech right here is compassion, it is exactly the tough love he says it is. Bucky needed to be called out on not coping and I’m glad that it happened.

….also now kiss, thank you.

“We’re partners.” “Co-workers.” “But we’re also a couple of guys with a mutual friend.” “Friend’s now gone.” “So we’re a couple guys.” XD -cue vine- two guys chilling on a boat and…- wait that’s not how it goes.

“This is our history. We can’t lose this fight.”

“But what would be the point of all this pain and sacrifice if I wasn’t willing to stand up and keep fighting?”

Training montage! I hope he doesn’t slice his fingers off on that shield yeesh. Also my Clint muse is watching those flips like oooooh the dude’s got moves on the ground too now, oh no.

Okay we get that the Flag Smashers are going for intimidation but the trope of the red lighting makes me laugh every time. Nobody is going to turn out the lights and then turn on a different set of conveniently red lights that probably weren’t normally installed in that building. Even emergency lighting wouldn’t look like that. It’s just funny, I dunno. And of course we get a cliffhanger ending.

Post-credits we get John’s new shield being built, and all I can say is 1) if he’s able to pound that out, clearly his new shield isn’t vibranium, and 2) LEARN HOW TO WELD NEATLY AUGH THAT WAS AWFUL XD

Overall thoughts: Good episode! Not a huge amount of plot furthering, aside from the very last bit, but good insight into characterization and believably building the relationship between Sam and Bucky while also reading into motivations and differing views from people who come from similar circumstances. I’m really enjoying the compare & contrast I’m getting to do between Isaiah and Bucky and Sam, because there are so many overlaps and stark differences between them. The first half also gave us some great headway into understanding John as a person, though it’s possible some of that is me overanalyzing because I have a muse for him.

#fatws spoilers #onyx watches fatws #cw: death #cw: blood #cw: racism #cw: trauma #cw: ptsd

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stammeringwhitemage · 5 years ago

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PEOPLE I’D LIKE TO KNOW BETTER.

repost, don’t reblog.

– one / name / alias. BP. Clever people will have figured out the real name. – two / birthday. February 17th. – three / zodiac sign. Aquarius. – four / height. 167cm? Ish? – five / hobbies. Video games, creative writing, horseback riding, Warhammer. – six / favourite colors. Red/Black. – seven / favourite books. Hard to say, really. Generally fantasy genre, although recently I’ve started reading more general literary classics. – eight / last song listened to. The Shadowbringers boss theme. Sue me. – nine / last film watched. Probably Spiderman: Homecoming? Before that, Detective Pikachu. – ten / inspiration for muse. God. Out of all the characters I’ve made for FFXIV Kasumi’s always been my main, and I tend to mentally revisit and add to scenes from the game based on her personality and involvement, so... I knew that if I was going to join this community, it was with her. Honestly most of the inspiration I need comes from the game proper. – eleven / dream job. Don’t do this to me, school already reminds me I have no idea. Ideally I’d work in translation or work with old manuscripts? Although researching speech/linguistic disorders also sounds really interesting. – twelve / meaning behind your url. Straightforward, isn’t it? Kasumi is canonically only a White Mage, and she’s got a vicious stutter. Stammering White Mage just sounded better to me than Stuttering White Mage.

tagged by : @hisburden tagging : Have you done it? No? Do it.

#The Bandwagon || Dash Meme

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crimsonrevolt · 7 years ago

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Congratulations Dani you’ve been accepted to Crimson Revolt as Sirius Black!

↳ please refer to our character checklist

Dani you’re back! And we’re so excited to have you back! Sirius is so important to this group, especially with the most recent plot drop and we’re so excited to see you play him out and cause a little trouble. As usual, your writing is wonderful and your characterization is lovely.

application beneath the cut (tw: slurs, mentions of body dysphoria)

INTRODUCTION

Dani here (again, finally!) and I’m 25 now. My preferred pronouns are she/her and I am from Michigan in the US, so EST timezone.

ACTIVITY

I’m going to low-ball and say like 5-6/10 ??? I have a few weeknights free, and then more time on the weekends.

HOW DID YOU FIND US?

Old member, but initially it was through the marauder’s rp tag, I believe.

WHAT HARRY POTTER CHARACTER DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH MOST?

Funnily enough, I’ve always hardcore connected with Sirius. Our personality types are very similar, and I’ve always been the ‘Padfoot’ in groups of friends. And growing older I’ve identified similarities between his upbringing and home life and my own, so yeah. But I also identified with Harry, Hermione, and Luna when I was younger. I don’t exactly remember why, but I did ? Maybe it was the outcast factor or whatever, but those are all tied for second after Sirius, I think

ANYTHING ELSE?

This group is legit the best group ever.

IN CHARACTER

DESIRED CHARACTER

Sirius Orion Black III ——– He is named for the Dog Star, the most brilliant star in the sky, visible from anywhere on Earth - an actuality he embraces and carries with him from the moment he is able to understand its meaning. Ancient namings signify he is scorching, sparkling, bringing destruction and rebirth. He is important, and his name informs everyone of such.

But he is the point of Canis Major, a hunting dog, ever looking towards his master, Orion. Later, he would think it ironic that he was intended to obediently follow the hunter across the sky. When he was young, though, he did follow his father, his master, with wide eyes and a thirst to learn, to emulate. He did, after all, carry his father’s name as one of his own. He thought it only right that he be his hunter. He learned quickly enough to leave Orion Black be.

His name embraces the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black - a reality he despises when he is older. He is taught to believe that to be a Black, to be a Pureblood is to be royalty. He believes it.

He spends the majority of his childhood being trained to be the perfect Pureblood heir, to be the perfect Black. He attends many Pureblood-only balls and events, and is taught the proper way to mingle with other Purebloods. He learns manners and etiquette, and he is expected to be a proper child. There are never many other children at the balls, but he is reminded that it is improper to run about and make a fool of oneself like ordinary children; he is, after all, anything but ordinary.

How could he be? His name attests to his brilliance.

FACE CLAIM

Miles McMillan is my boi, okay

REASON FOR CHOSEN CHARACTER (tw: mania, depression, alcohol)

This is long, I’m so sorry but not really. But Sirius Black has been one of my favorite literary characters since I was in 3rd grade and first read Prisoner of Azkaban. There was just always something about him, and I don’t even know how to put into words how much I love Sirius Black. I remember the moment I fell in love with him, though, was when I was reading PoA and this man who had just spent the last twelve years wrongly imprisoned for an horrific crime he didn’t commit, and who had just spent the last year on the run with his godson thinking him responsible for betraying James and Lily, offers for Harry to leave the Dursley’s and move in with him. Even after everything he had been through, he was still willing to immediately take in Harry and take his place as his rightful guardian. It breaks my heart that they were never able to be a proper family, but that’s discourse for another time!

Sirius was really the first character I ever really roleplayed, and he’s been living and growing in my head for six or seven years now, as silly as that sounds. My Sirius muse is always active and talkative and ready for action, and I love being able to put him out there and develop him further and still learn new things about him even after all this time (reference, yus!). I’ve always just felt a real connection with him. Maybe it’s because I see parts of myself in him, or maybe it’s because it’s just always been really natural and easy for me to get into his head and way of thinking. He’s always been more than just a character to me.

His personality, for me, has developed a lot since the early days. I think it’s easy to get sucked into fanon interpretation early on, especially with characters that have a really strong fandom presence. But I’m really proud of the character he’s become, and I think he strays from a lot of typical fanon stereotypes. One of the biggest stereotypes - and one that really bothers me - is that Sirius is some kind of Don Juan-Lothario-playboy-heartbreaker-type.

“With another shock of excitement, Harry saw Sirius give James the thumbs-up….a girl sitting behind him was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn’t seem to have noticed.”

Sirius’ main concern has always been, and will always be, his friends. He cares far more for his Marauders and their pranks than he does for birds and sleeping around. He’s a flirt, yes, but only because he’s charming and needs to grace everyone with that charm. It’s harmless flirting, and it’s not his fault if anyone takes it as anything other than that.

I also love dabbling in the Black side of Sirius. While Sirius is a very good person, I think a lot of that is due to him being sorted in Gryffindor and befriending James Potter. Without his influence, I think Sirius would be a very different person. Not all of that is inherent, but Sirius definitely has a cruel, cunning streak in him (i.e. that time he almost killed Snape). A lot of it is in his nature, and some remains from his upbringing; our early years and development have a huge impact on the people we become. So, I think it’s interesting, especially in the state of the world as it currently is, to play with just what parts of Sirius’ personality become more dominant. Add to that Sirius being part of the Aversio, and I think it’s a really great combination of ruthless, cunning cruelty and the person the Marauders helped him become to create something new all together. I’d be really interested to see how that changes him and, maybe, influences a shift to the Sirius he could have been had he not met James and the Marauders.

In my headcanon, as well, Sirius is living with undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder. It won’t ever be diagnosed or named in-game since they’re living in 1979 (it’s still fairly misunderstood now), but it definitely affects him. I feel like his upswings are pretty intense, and it usually results in him wanting to be out all the time and doing things, and he feels infallible and invincible, and he’s a lot more likely to be reckless and make snap decisions. He definitely has a tendency towards dangerous ideas that he thinks are absolutely brilliant (see: the Prank with Snape). On the other end of it, though, Sirius’ lows are very low, and he self-medicates with alcohol when he ’s suffering from the worst of his depression (see: pretty much all of Order of the Phoenix). But I don’t think that Sirius recognizes the depression as such. It’s a lot easier for him to acknowledge when he’s feeling great and on top of the world as opposed to when he’s feeling like shit and struggles with getting out of bed in the morning. He’s a lot more likely to hide that side of himself, too, and play it off with a smirk and light-hearted joke at someone else’s expense.

PREFERRED SHIPS // CHARACTER SEXUALITY // GENDER & PRONOUNS (tw: slurs, mentions of body dysphoria)

If someone were to ask Sirius his gender and sexuality, though, he would quirk a brow and scoff and let out a bark of laughter because, obviously, he’s got a cock and he’s not a queer, what sort of daft question is that? But his closest friends know that he enjoys the company of both men and women, although lately he’s sought out men more often than not.

Sirius doesn’t remember the exact moment when he realized that he was attracted to men. Maybe it was sometime in his third year, when he had accompanied James to watch the Quidditch team practice. Maybe he had caught himself staring at one of the seventh years - a boy with shaggy brown hair and a strong jaw - as he flew around the Pitch. Maybe he had felt the distinct swoop in his stomach as he had watched, and maybe he had imagined what it would be like to kiss the older boy.

But Sirius only really remembers being too afraid to say anything to James, Remus, and Peter, being afraid that it would change everything and they would think him a freak, a faggot they didn’t want to be friends with, anymore. James found out, though, and nothing changed between them, and soon after so did Remus and Peter. It became much easier after that to accept that part of himself. He doesn’t hide that amongst his friends or the Order; although the muggle world is less accepting of his sexuality, he doesn’t pay much attention to anyone who gives him shit. He flips them the bird and continues on his way.

What he would never admit to, however, is the many times he has passed frilly shop windows and imagined being able to wear whatever clothes he wants that he sees, or wished he could be as comfortable in his own skin as David Bowie, or Freddie Mercury. Sirius doesn’t always feel exactly right in the body he has, and he doesn’t understand it even a little bit. After all, it’s hard enough to deal with the war; he doesn’t want to even begin to focus on the whole gender bit.

The other thing he would never, ever admit to is the feelings he has harbored for Remus since they were realized in roughly fifth year. He remembers it was an ordinary moment; Remus had been working on an essay and nibbling on the end of his quill, and Sirius had been watching him, entirely too distracted, and it had just…hit him. But, of course, he wasn’t deserving of Remus. He would never be deserving of Remus. Sirius wrestled with the feelings for a good year or so, but he has long since accepted them without hope for it ever changing.

In modern terminology, he would identify as a gender-fluid demiromantic pansexual, but that’s too fancy and way ahead of his time, so all he knows is that he’s queer - just another way in which he would have disappointed his family.

As far as ships go, I’m def wolfstar trash. They were my first real ship and I love them to pieces. That being said, Sirius/Chemistry is my #1 jam. The only thing is that he isn’t always into serious relationships unless he’s good friends with the person first. In my headcanon, he’s never had a real, serious relationship (although every relationship is most certainly a Sirius one, lmao), but he doesn’t feel wanting, necessarily. Relationships aren’t exactly a priority right now when there are bigger things to worry about.

EXTRAS

&;;—— PERSONALITY TRAITS (tw: alcohol, mentioned violence/blood)

✓ Funny ——- “Did you like question ten, Moony?”

He is barking laughter and poorly timed jokes, puns upon puns - seriously. A grin as wide as the day is long, carefree and easy. Light in the black of war; white sheep in the Black family. His good humor has covered him and carried him through all that he’s seen. It’s as much a shield for himself as it is those with whom he surrounds himself.

✓ Loyal | Loving ——- “Died rather than betray your friends, as we would have done for you!”

He is fierce, heart full for those he holds dear. Not many are kept that close, but there is no hesitation when asked to give his life. Warmth and comfort, in the crook of his smile and the corners of his eyes. Brilliance and steadfast companionship: a dog is man’s best friend.

✓/✕ Strong-minded | Judgemental ——- “Besides, the world isn’t split into good people and Death Eaters. We’ve all got both light and dark inside us.”

He is a tree rooted to the earth, tall and proud. Unmoving and firm against the hailing storm. Beliefs, unwavering, unwilling to hear. Opposition is wrong, and he knows it as well as he knows the stories written in the night sky. He is strong-willed and stubborn; a brick wall would be more receptive. He thinks himself open-minded, but it is only another belief.

✕ Doesn’t think through consequences ——- “What is life without a little risk?”

He is snap decisions made in the heat of the moment. Turbulent and emotional, judgement shifts as easily as debris caught in the tide. Words, biting, leaving scars as easily as laughter erases them from his mind. Passing thoughts in an endless stream of chaos - why waste time paying mind to outcomes when you can just act?

✕ Hellacious attitude ——- “There are things worth dying for!”

He is 2 am, leather, and a mess of discarded liquor bottles scattered about the floor. Blood-kissed knuckles and knuckle-kissed jaw. Smirks and sighs toppling from carved lips. Caught in a tempest, winds whipping his hair about his face, unable to see, blindly stumbling along, deafening roars threaten to consume him - one foot in front of the other. Raw magic crackling in the air, electricity against your skin; a beautiful sight when it implodes.

&;;—— WAND: As badly as Sirius sometimes wishes his wand was made from Dogwood (think of the irony! the puns! the beauty of the universe!), he was chosen by a Cypress wood wand with a Dragon Heartstring core, 15 inches, rigid.

“Cypress wands are associated with nobility. The great medieval wandmaker, Geraint Ollivander, wrote that he was always honoured to match a cypress wand, for he knew he was meeting a witch or wizard who would die a heroic death. Fortunately, in these less blood-thirsty times, the possessors of cypress wands are rarely called upon to lay down their lives, though doubtless many of them would do so if required. Wands of cypress find their soul mates among the brave, the bold and the self-sacrificing: those who are unafraid to confront the shadows in their own and others’ natures.”

Sirius won’t think about the wandlore behind cypress wands and their masters dying a heroic death until the fleeting, infinite moment in which he begins to fall in the Department of Mysteries. He will think it ironic, then, that his death is hardly heroic at all; that, naturally, James and Lily had far more heroic deaths than him. (He will also think about finally, finally reuniting with them again, and he will think of how sorry he is for leaving Remus and Harry behind, but James, here I come.)

“As a rule, dragon heartstrings produce wands with the most power, and which are capable of the most flamboyant spells. Dragon wands tend to learn more quickly than other types. While they can change allegiance if won from their original master, they always bond strongly with the current owner. The dragon wand tends to be easiest to turn to the Dark Arts, though it will not incline that way of its own accord. It is also the most prone of the three cores to accidents, being somewhat temperamental.”

It is of interest to note that dragon wands tend to be easily swayed towards the Dark Arts. Sirius thinks it should be noted, and then he will tell it to fuck right off, thank you very much. He knows that, had things gone just a little differently, he wouldn’t have had any difficulty using Dark Magic; in fact, he’d have been rather adept at it. Sirius laughs at the notion - and would like to tell the Dark Lord that he can fuck right off, too.

Sirius is a very quick learner. He is intelligent and, when he puts his mind to a task, he is able to stay determined and focused. Magic runs strong in his veins, so it’s only natural he be paired with a wand that is able to keep up with him and his raw power. That being said, however, Sirius’ magic is - too often - unpredictable. It has been since he was a child, and he still experiences outbursts of unintentional magic when his emotions get the better of him; the dragon wand nurtures his accidental magic, at times.

&;;—— PATRONUS: It’s commonplace that a Patronus will match a witch or wizard’s Animagus form, if they happen to be such, and Sirius is no exception. His Patronus takes the form of a dog, matching that of his Animagus counterpart: a bear-like German Shepherd. German Shepherds are known for being intelligent, loyal, and fiercely over-protective. Any close friend of his would attest to the fact that Sirius exemplifies those qualities. He is a bright wizard, and he would do anything for those he cares about.

&;;—— The best thing that has ever happened: ”I know that you will make us proud, Sirius.”

No one ever expected Sirius to be a Gryffindor; he certainly hadn’t when he had stepped up to the stool to be sorted his first year at Hogwarts. His entire family had come from Slytherin. He even knew that, somewhere in his lineage, he was related to Salazar Slytherin himself. But as Sirius’ attention had drifted to the far table of green and silver, he had felt a tug in his stomach that he hadn’t really understood.

….“GRYFFINDOR!”

He ignored the shouts and jests coming from the Slytherin table to rightfully take his place amongst the lions of Hogwarts. He was joined, thankfully, by James and the redhead he had met with the greasy boy (he was grateful - and always would be - that the greasy one ended up in Slytherin).

It wasn’t before he was whisked away to his dorm and he got to know his fellow dormmates: one sickly-looking boy named Remus and a short, ordinary boy named Peter. Sirius thought he could do without Remus and Peter. Who needed them when he had James, his best friend? But Remus and Peter did prove themselves when they turned the greasy boy’s hair a bright shade of pink for a week. That, Sirius decided, was enough to earn his respect.

The four of them quickly became inseparable, and Sirius decided that being a Lion was worth the consequent Howlers he received, even if meant returning from the Christmas hols with bruises hidden beneath scratchy sweaters.

&;;—— And the worst: “Blood traitor! Filth! Scum!“

He tried not to cry out as he was punished him one final time for being an insolent disgrace; he wouldn’t give them the pleasure. He was worse for the wear, however, when they finished with him and sent him off to think about his disobedience. Again. Sirius sat, on the edge of his bed, trembling; it was out of his control. He thought, but it didn’t take long for him to realize what he must do.

He needed to leave.

He hastily threw what belongings he could into his school trunk, gathering up anything he deemed important. He was able to perform a simple expansion and levitation charm - he decided he could deal with the Ministry later - and led his trunk out of his room. But he knew he needed to stop at his brother’s room before he left.

Sirius loved his brother and he has always loved his brother, but Regulus was not like him. He was weak-minded and bent to the wishes of their parents. Sirius always wanted to keep Regulus safe from them, from Mother, but he went to school and was sorted into Gryffindor and it changed. He became the disgrace, and it had been up to Regulus to be the perfect son. Sirius never wanted that for him, and he didn’t want that for him now. So he tried to bring Regulus with him. He wanted to ask, wanted him to leave and escape the hell they had grown up in.

But Regulus didn’t leave with him. He wasn’t like Sirius. He was an idiot, and he didn’t leave. So Sirius goes. But not before he watched as his mother blasted his name from the family tree.

(Sirius still regrets not making Regulus leave with him.)

&;;—— AESTHETICS here [x] and here [x]

&;;—— PLOT POINTS ~ I really want to explore the conflict that Sirius is facing between his loyalty to his friends and his allegiance to Aversio. He very, very strongly believes that the Order isn’t doing enough, but he knows that a lot of Aversio’s tactics and such clash with the Order. He knows that there are many friends and allies that would look down on his involvement in the group, and he loathes to disappoint them. But Sirius is firm in his convictions. He isn’t one to waver in his decisions, and he truly believes that Aversio is the action the world needs. Again, however, that contradicts his closest friends, and I want to explore how Sirius reacts in such a situation. I want to push his loyalty to the limits and see what he does when it really comes down to it.

~ On the same note, I would love to have some of his closer friends find out about his involvement in the rogue organization. I feel like I know Sirius fairly well, but I honestly don’t know how he would react in such a situation that calls to question where his loyalties truly lie. I think it would be an interesting bit of character development to really put the pressure on him like that.

~ Sirius has a dark side, whether he would like to admit to it or not. It’s part of who he is, so deeply ingrained in his being that he doesn’t recognize it in the slightest. But it’s there. War tends to bring out the worst in people, and I want it to do so to Sirius. I want to mess him up, to play with his mind and pit him against himself until he no longer knows what he is or where he stands. I want to dive into the more psychological aspects of the affect of the war, especially since this is full AU now. If he doesn’t end up getting messed up in Azkaban, I have to mess him up somehow =)

IN CHARACTER QUESTIONNAIRE

♔ 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: “S’pose I’d make one that’d be able to track the greater London area,” Sirius answers with a smirk, wand twirling between slender fingers. He shifts, eyebrows flashing. “Y’know, something along the lines of magical cartography, but…big. Large scale. Easy spell, I’d imagine, if you could figure out the scale.” If they put their minds to it, Sirius is sure he, James, Remus, and Peter could come up with something. “Be able to locate anyone anywhere in all of London just by looking at a map. Imagine how bloody brilliant it’d be!”

♔ 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: “James, Remus, and Peter. Package deal, yeah?” He quirks a brow. “Probably bring James’ cloak - usually do. It’s a bloody miracle, that thing. Gotten us outta loads of trouble over the years.”

♔ What kinds of decisions are the most difficult for you to make? Sirius grins, back straightening - pride rolling off square shoulders. “Well thought out ones. That’s what I’m told, anyhow. I’m better at the quick ones, the real difficult ones.”

♔ What is one thing you would never want said about you? He hesitates, smile faltering - though he catches it, corrects it before it can be noticed (he hopes). “I dunno,” he says, gaze averted, a shoulder shrugging. A pause. A flash of an image behind his eyes - his friends, hollow-eyed, telling him that he’s a Black, through and through, just like them, can never escape it, terrible awful cruel heartless Black. “That I’m like them. Because I’m not. I’m so much better than they are.”

REACTION TO LAST EVENT DROP

Okay so, I really love that the last plot drop has some conflict between Sirius and those he’s closest to. It’s about time for things to come to a head with him and his juxtaposed involvement in the two groups, and I think he’s about ready to begin the process of separating himself from the Order and their non-action. It will also be really interesting to throw him into another party that resonates so closely to him, but under the guise of not himself. I think, with how things have been playing out in his mind in regards to the war, that it could be very interesting to see how well he’s able to keep himself under control and not make rash decisions when it comes to being in the middle of the Death Eaters and their little party.

WRITING SAMPLE

(this is from an old post on here, i hope that’s okay! i’m just hella fond of this one, tbh)

In his youth, when the sky had appeared infinitely brighter and the days seemingly endless, when everywhere could bring forth a new adventure with little to no warning, when the silken tendrils of optimism wound around his body, weaving between pale fingers, toes - gently cradling and protecting; then, Knockturn Alley had not frightened him. But he had been young, naive. He hadn’t known the manner of the witches and wizards who frequented the cobbled street and dark, slanted buildings. They had towered over him, then, and he had stared back, challenging whatever authority they wordlessly claimed. He had challenged the world.

But, as it so often is, childhood naivety gave way to harsh truths, and accompanying his father to Knockturn Alley no longer offered boundless adventure. Instead, he saw the buildings for what they were, the witches and wizards as the cruel people they had always been. He saw the shadowed sky, tucked away behind pointed rooftops, and just how unlike its neighbor, Diagon Alley, it was. The Alley was no place for decent witches or wizards, which was why he supposed the Blacks held such fondness for it.

Now, Sirius had no need to traverse the uneven, dismal avenue, and yet… here he was. Hands stuffed into pockets, fist firm around his wand, Sirius averted his eyes, silently cursing the bloody wanker who had volunteered him for this bloody “mission,” although he was loath to describe it as such. Inquire about such and such item at some shoddy shite-hole shop, speaking only to Git McWanker blah, blah, blah. It was a fucking waste of time, was what it was.

Yet, here he was, pointedly staring at books on a shelf in some corner of Knockturn Alley - many of which he recognized as titles from the walls of the Black family library. They dredge up images of the study and lessons and evenings spent pouring over texts he had no care for, all in the name of properly educating the heir, or some bollocks. He almost scoffed at the thought, adjusting his jacket as he eyed the shopkeeper. Feign interest, then approach him for information; it was a decent enough plan, but Sirius was stopped in his tracks by the woman that rounded the corner.

Eyes locked, drinking up the vision before him - something out of a dream, a nightmare - and he was suddenly eight beneath her gaze, frightened and angry and improper, insolent, yet again. Hands balled at his sides, shoulders tense, and he resisted the visceral pull to back away, run away, get away from her. Instead, his jaw set and he held her gaze - challenging her command over him, because she now had none.

“It’s comforting to know that some things never change,” he remarked brazenly, determination settling squarely atop his shoulders. “Seeing you here, I mean. Of all places. Picking up a new addition to the library, hmm? Perhaps a copy of Magick Moste Pure: Grimoire of Pureblood Fuckery? I hear that’s been selling quite nicely with your crowd.” He sneered, arms crossing over his chest - tight. “Oughta be careful who sees you walking around with that shite. Hear the Ministry’s got eyes and ears everywhere these days. You’d hate to be caught up in all that, now, wouldn’t you, Mother?” The word was spat, harsh and mocking; she was nothing to him now.

#Accepted App

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acehotel · 7 years ago

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Interview: Alexandra Kleeman

For Dear Reader — our monthly one-night writer in residence program —Alexandra Kleeman penned a letter to an audience of imagined strangers, a missive somewhere between a Dear John letter, an exhibitionist missive and a time-based limited edition art object. This letter will be dropped bedside in rooms today at Ace Hotel New York.

Alexandra Kleeman is the author of the novel You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine (Harper, 2015), the short story collection Intimations (Harper, 2016), and short fiction published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Zoetrope: All Story, Conjunctions, Guernica, among others. The mighty New York Times calls her “one of the young wise women of our generation.” We caught up with her to talk about the existential relief of pen pals, sneaking up on your work and the of snacks.

If you could correspond with any fictional character or literary figure via letters, who would it be? And why?

I'd love to correspond with one of Samuel Beckett's melancholy, physically-constrained, existentially-trapped characters — Nagg in the ashbin in Endgame, Winnie buried in sand in Happy Days, or the Unnameable in Beckett's novella of the same name, who is not really anywhere and is forced to endure that ad infinitum. It would be like having a prison pen pal, in a sort of metaphysical register: I feel like anything I said in my letter would relieve some existential pressure, add a little maximalism to their minimalistic existences.

Do you map out your writing, or do you discover your path as you go? How often does your work go in directions you never expected?

I tend to write in one of two ways, differently for short fiction and novels. With short stories, I often "see" the ending before I even have a beginning in mind. With a little thought, I figure out where the story begins, but most of my struggle and uncertainty is in finding a path between the two—especially since my endings are often fairly strange/impossible. But a novel is something that gets written over years and years—I think there has to be a certain amount of discovery while writing it or you'll exhaust the idea. When I wrote my first novel, I played it like a video game—I tried to see as far as the character could see, take the most interesting direction at each crossroads, and work my way toward the feeling I knew I wanted the reader to be left with at the story's close.

Dear Reader tasks you with writing for an imagined audience of strangers. How much do you think about your audience when you write? Have you ever been surprised by who is drawn to your work?

I feel like thinking about your audience in specific is a way to most definitely give yourself stage fright when writing. I just try to imagine I'm talking toward someone I feel close to, I try to let the wall or curtain or whatever it is that separates me from them come down. The feeling should be, I think, the feeling you have when you're going to bed with someone else in the room, you turn off the light and lie there for a moment—and then you start talking.

What's a book that you wish more people knew about?

I adore a wicked little book by Muriel Spark called The Driver's Seat. I recommend it to anyone who wants to have their expectations about a story turned completely inside-out within 60 extremely taut pages. A good book to take to the beach if you like feeling disturbed on beaches.

Do you have any rituals, ceremonies or requirements that accompany your writing process?

I am all rituals, ritual probably takes up half of the time I try to spend writing. I believe in sneaking up on writing problems that I can't quite figure out, so I often watch 3-4 minutes of a movie to distract myself, pause it suddenly, and then try to complete the sentence/paragraph/scene that had me stuck. I'm completely unable to write if I don't have snacks and water close to me—without these I just worry all the time that I'll become hungry. Snacks are a very important element in the writing process.

Dear Reader is a collaboration between Ace Hotel and Tin House. You can read this interview and other delightful literary musings at Tin House Online.

#yes #dear reader #alexandra kleeman #tin house #literary #nyc #books #interview

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forgemaiar · 7 years ago

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everyone sounds sad today so clearly it’s way past time I did one of these

SPONTANEOUS POSITIVITY TIME let me love on you all

@sorrowssinger I have no idea how long ago I followed you but it feels like forever because your blog has that quiet constant presence like idk a monument or something. You want to go and visit just to appreciate the view. I really like your writing (your icons are so cute??) and sometimes I look at your blog just to read your headcanons because they’re really interesting. Can’t remember if we’ve written a thing or not but I want to buT TAKE YOUR TIME AND FEEL BETTER FIRST you can burn yourself out doing anything, even a favorite hobby, too constantly and it’s 1000% okay to take breaks and year long hiatuses to sort out your headspace or even drop muses/threads entirely and move on. People will love your new muses like they were drawn to your first ones and it will be okay.

@shadowedpetrichor An!! you!! are!! such!! a!! cute!! friend!!!! You listen to the music I share with you and let me ramble about random things and when I’m feeling down you come check up on me and share cute cat picture and just. alghsvjkmngk Thank You For Existing. And Yua. Ohhhhhhh man how far he’s come. I love watching him grow and be a dork and he’s clearly got flaws and misconceptions (bEEEEEEES) but he just rolls with it. He’s just so cute and sweet and funny but Clearly Not A Good Guy and I just love him so much. You’re a really kind mun trying to make sure nobody gets forgotten/left out when we do groupchat stuff but be careful not to overload yourself trying to take care of everyone! Take breathers for yourself!

@feralandfair ANOTHER FRIENF fellow artsy dork who lets me cry about trying to shade glass and various drawing hazards and have I ever mentioned how much I like your art?? Talk about expressive pencilwork my god I love it, not to mention I love the diversity you add to your character designs (because let’s face it. the fandom has a bit of a problem with Making Everyone White and it. really annoys me sometimes. so thank.) And your worldbuilding okay is there anything you write that isn’t rich with culture and vibrancy I feel like every post you make is this tiny window into a hugeass world that has just so much in there tell me your headcanons. let me see more. also i swear i’m working on those replies

@lacriimas first of all nIENNA BLOG *clings to tightly* I’m not just following you for what muse you write, though I am excited that there’s an active Valie in our midst. <.< Heard you’ve been kinda insecure with your writing lately and friend I’m here to tell you, as the student that blew through all the english credits in under two years and then took extra writing classes for shits’n’giggles, I don’t think you have much to worry about?? Like if you seriously wanted to go through and nitpick everything yeah sure there are a few words you could have done better here and there but you know what? The same is true for my blog. And all the other blogs. It’s the nature of words, and their authors, to fluctuate and change. The rules are wobbly at best and even people we think of as literary masters have bad days where everything seems shitty. Doesn’t mean they suck.

This is gonna get long here but bear with me I promise it’s worth your time (and frankly applies to everyone who feels bad about their writing). When you write as frequently as roleplayers tend to do, you write so much more than you think. Seriously if you had a word count on your blog even if you’ve gone on hiatus frequently you’d still have more than enough to fill an entire book’s worth of pages. And all that practice adds up. We forget sometimes that as our muses and headcanons expand and grow that we as writers are also growing. We really do! And do you know where the change usually shows up first?

Your eyes.

You may look at your writing now and cringe and go oh god it sucks I’m a horrible writer and then reread some old threads and thing, oh gOD i made the same mistakes back then too. This.... isn’t actually because you suck. It’s not! It’s really not. You were perfectly fine with writing those old threads at the time of their creation because that’s where your skill level was, and people loved it even if you think it’s bad now! It’s still good. Your writing didn’t change, your eyes just got better at distinguishing which word patterns sound better.

I’ve been through this more times than I can count, with writing, with art... you name it. It really does get better, and it really does mean you’re improving, not getting worse. It’s a great time to experiment or even take a break. I promise your followers and rp partners will love you just the same.

Okay that was a lengthy tangent but I meant to mention I like how you format your replies too it’s nice and readable and it makes my inner graphic designer Very Happy.

Anyway i love you all you deserve nice things. *flings glitter*

#ooc #*wheezes* that got long

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katnissdoesnotfollowback · 8 years ago

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Tag you're it! Please read a chapter, drabble, one shot, or whatever and leave a review for the writer with your thoughts! We could all use a little positivity as we head back into another week :) Tag five others when you're done! Thank you 😙

I love this idea so much and smile every time I get one of these in my inbox. I’ve left this neglected for so long because I wanted to actually have it done and post links to the stories because we could all use more love and more Everlark in our lives. Ugh, so sorry. Okay, so here are the most recent fics that I’ve read and highly recommend you read them too if you haven’t already:

Silver Thaw by @eala-musings: I am a total sucker for a well written Everlark in the Dark Days fic. If you are, too...READ THIS NOW. Silver Thaw is a delight to read, emotional and poignant. The world building is drool worthy, and she somehow managed to give them a believable happy ending.

Wanted by @peetaspikelets: This was a re-read as I first read it for @mores2sl this past October, but it is so worth multiple readings. The relationship development accomplished in a relatively small word count is astounding. And the smut...have your fire extinguisher ready. You’re going to need it.

Karma by @pookieh: Another re-read, but again, totally worth the time. This one started as a drabble here on tumblr and is finally posted to AO3 and FF for ease of access. Love, love, LOVE the flirting and the banter between them. Characters are on point, and again...smoking hot smut. Right now, it’s three chapters, but there are rumors of a fourth, and you will not hear a breath of complaint out of me if pookie delivers that fourth chapter.

Quicksilver by @finnicko-loves-anniec: This one is a WIP and my latest find, but I dove in anyways because historical/Regency era trashy romance novels have long been my guilty pleasure. No seriously, I used to read them like they were literary crack. Sadly, at this point, I’ve read so many that it’s difficult to find one that feels unique or special. Apparently, the trick is to add Everlark because I am already in love with this story. Katniss has this fabulous inner monologue that’s already led into great banter with Peeta. Let the sparks fly off the screen!!!

The Firebird and The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude by @wanderleave: Give me five million ballet fics and I’ll be a happy camper. These are here together because I read The Firebird last year??? but anyways, Vertiginous Thrill is it’s sequel, and although it is not completed yet, it’s off to a great start. There is so much emotion packed into the descriptions of them dancing together it is basically like watching the dance unfold on the page. She literally had me in tears at several points in the first installment. Also...the DRAMA!

Unconditional by @titaniasfics: A touch of supernatural, a splash of soulmates, lots of love, gorgeous prose, and Everlark on borrowed time. My kind of fic, but not for the faint of heart.

If you’ve not done so already, go check out the wonderful pieces being put up through the @everlarkficexchange, which also has an AO3 collection HERE, and also over at @loveinpanem. Bless the ladies running these sites for keeping up stocked with fresh content and inspiration.

Other than getting caught up on the stories posted for the two challenge sites mentioned above, here’s what’s next up on my reading list:

The Firebird by @thegirlfromoverthepond

Hello by @peetabreadgirl

Capitol Life by @javistg

Portrait of a Victor by @sponsormusings: A reread, but I was really bad about leaving comments the first time around. Boo.

#so many fics #so little time #javistg #look at that ask

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dogstarsirivs-blog · 7 years ago

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————– OUT OF CHARACTER

♔ INTRODUCTION

Hi! My name is Dani and I’m 24 years old. My preferred pronouns are she/her and I am from Michigan in the US, so I’m in the EST timezone.

♔ ANYTHING ELSE?

I LIVE for AU’s. They give me life, and I’ve been wanting to join a really great AU Harry Potter RP. I love building worlds and characters, and I love throwing characters into new situations and seeing how they react. I really love getting into a character’s head and pushing them to their limits, into dark places. Also, I’m really stoked about the concept of the Aversio. I think it’ll be really interesting to toss some more secrets into the mix and see how that changes people and relationships amidst the already paranoia-driven atmosphere of war.

————– IN CHARACTER

♔ DESIRED CHARACTER

His name embraces the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black - a reality he despises when he is older. He is taught to believe that to be a Black, to be a Pureblood is to be royalty. He believes it.

How could he be? His name attests to his brilliance.

♔ REASON FOR CHOSEN CHARACTER (tw: mania, depression, alcohol)

Sirius Black has been one of my favorite literary characters since I was in 3rd grade and first read Prisoner of Azkaban. There was just always something about him, and I don’t even know how to put into words how much I love Sirius Black. I remember the moment I fell in love with him, though, was when I was reading PoA and this man who had just spent the last twelve years wrongly imprisoned for an horrific crime he didn’t commit, and who had just spent the last year on the run with his godson thinking him responsible for betraying James and Lily, offers for Harry to leave the Dursley’s and move in with him. Even after everything he had been through, he was still willing to immediately take in Harry and take his place as his rightful guardian. It breaks my heart that they were never able to be a proper family, but that’s discourse for another time!

His personality, for me, has developed a lot since the early days. I think it’s easy to get sucked into fanon interpretation early on, especially with characters that have a really strong fandom presence. But I’m really proud of the character he’s become, and I think he strays from a lot of typical fanon stereotypes. One of the biggest stereotypes - and one that really bothers - is that Sirius is some kind of Don Juan-Lothario-playboy-heartbreaker-type.

“With another shock of excitement, Harry saw Sirius give James the thumbs-up….a girl sitting behind him was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn’t seem to have noticed.”

♔ CHARACTER’S SEXUALITY (tw: slurs, mentions of body dysphoria)

If someone were to ask Sirius his gender and sexuality, though, he would quirk a brow and scoff and let out a bark of laughter because, obviously, he has a cock and he’s not a queer, what sort of daft question is that? But his closest friends know that he enjoys the company of both men and women, although lately he’s sought out men more often than not.

As far as ships go, I’m way into Remus/Sirius. They were my first real ship, and I love them to pieces. That being said, I’m open to Sirius/Chemistry. The only thing is that he isn’t always into serious relationships unless he’s good friends with the person first. In my headcanon, he’s never had a real, serious relationship (although every relationship is most certainly a Sirius one, badum-tss!), but he doesn’t feel wanting, necessarily. Relationships aren’t exactly a priority right now when there are bigger things to worry about.

♔ PERSONALITY TRAITS (tw: alcohol, mentioned violence/blood)

✓ Funny ——- “Did you like question ten, Moony?”

✓ Loyal | Loving ——- “Died rather than betray your friends, as we would have done for you!”

✓/✕ Strong-minded | Judgemental ——- “Besides, the world isn’t split into good people and Death Eaters. We’ve all got both light and dark inside us.”

✕ Doesn’t think through consequences ——- “What is life without a little risk?”

✕ Hellacious attitude ——- “There are things worth dying for!”

♔ EXTRAS (tw: abuse)

&;;—— Wand: As badly as Sirius sometimes wishes his wand was made from Dogwood (think of the irony! the puns! the beauty of the universe!), he was chosen by a Cypress wood wand with a Dragon Heartstring core, 15 inches, rigid.

&;;—— Patronus: It’s commonplace that a Patronus will match a witch or wizard’s Animagus form, if they happen to be such, and Sirius is no exception. His Patronus takes the form of a dog, matching that of his Animagus counterpart: a bear-like German Shepherd. German Shepherds are known for being intelligent, loyal, and fiercely over-protective. Any close friend of his would attest to the fact that Sirius exemplifies those qualities. He is a bright wizard, and he would do anything for those he cares about.

&;;—— The best thing that has ever happened: ”I know that you will make us proud, Sirius.”

….“GRYFFINDOR!”

&;;—— And the worst: "Blood traitor! Filth! Scum!“

He tried not to cry out as his mother punished him one final time for being an insolent disgrace; he wouldn’t give her the pleasure. He was worse for the wear, however, when she finished with him and sent him off to think about his disobedience. Again. Sirius sat, on the edge of his bed, trembling; it was out of his control. He thought, but it didn’t take long for him to realize what he must do.

He needed to leave.

But Regulus didn’t leave with him. He wasn’t like Sirius. He was an idiot, and he didn’t leave. So Sirius goes. But not before he watched as his mother blasted his name from the family tree.

(Sirius still regrets not making Regulus leave with him.)

&;;—— Lyrics: “Tremble for yourself, my man, You know that you have seen this all before Tremble little lion man, You’ll never settle any of your scores Your grace is wasted in your face, Your boldness stands alone among the wreck Now learn from your mother or else spend your days biting your own neck” - Little Lion Man, Mumford & Sons

&;;—— A Small Collection of Important Moments:

&;;come into the world, alone. ”it’s a boy.” the news is delivered over the squealing cries of a baby boy by a solemn midwife. walburga black simply nods, black locks sticking out in all directions – she can be likened to some sort of mad scientist – and ushers the woman out with an airy wave of her hand. she is only glad to be done with the birthing process.

(the baby is not held by his mother for approximately seven minutes and thirty-six seconds after entering the world, all of which are spent screaming while the midwife attempts to clean him. it is not necessary for him to cry for all seven minutes and thirty-six seconds, but he does so anyway.)

orion black awaits the birth of his son in his study, joining walburga in the birthing room they’d had prepared in grimmauld place only after being summoned. he stands in the doorway and looks upon his spouse and their firstborn child. ”he is healthy,” the midwife informs him from walburga’s bedside. orion nods, crosses the room, briefly looks the baby over, and grumbles his approval. as he leaves the room, walburga hands the child back to the midwife; she has had enough for one day and desires rest.

november 3rd, 1959 is a normal, ordinary tuesday – there is nothing special about it. but for the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, november 3rd marks the day the heir enters the world. he is born after a grueling thirty-six hours of labor for walburga black (he comes to relish that fact as he grows older), and he is immediately thrust into the life of a proper pureblood. he is primarily cared for by the midwife who helped deliver him, rarely being held by his mother and even less frequently by his father. there is a pureblood celebration of sorts a mere week after his birth to introduce the heir, and nearly every pureblood family attends. walburga holds her son for the entirety of ten minutes – orion musters up the audacity to pat his full head of hair – before he is handed off to someone else.

&;;toujours pur. a five year old sirius black sits in his father’s study, staring up at the motto emblazoned on the family crest above the mantel. since learning to speak, he has been told that that is the most important phrase he will ever know, although he hardly understands it. always pure. it has little meaning for him, yet he knows not to question it.

”pay attention, sirius!” there is the sharp crack of a book being slammed down in front of him, and sirius jumps. he shifts and straightens, raising his gaze to – almost – meet that of his mother. ”now, shall we try again?” walburga’s harsh features fill sirius’ field of vision, and he averts his eyes.

”yes, mother,” he responds obediently, slowly opening the copy of Magick Most Pure that had been placed before him.

&;;i am a wicked child. it occurs when sirius is six years old – six and a half, if you ask him. he is not allowed to have pudding yet again, and he thinks he should. in fact, he thinks that if he had a different family, he would be allowed to eat pudding all the time, whenever he wants. so, naturally, sirius decides to run away. he tries to convince regulus to join him, but regulus is only five; he’s practically a baby and he doesn’t understand. ”we can’t! mother’ll be mad at us!” so, sirius bids farewell to his younger brother and packs a hasty knapsack full of crackers, what biscuits he finds in the kitchen, and a couple of galleons that are hidden in a little wooden box in his room. he manages to slip out of his room and leave number twelve grimmauld place undetected. it is the first time he’s ever been out of grimmauld place without an adult. it is also the first time he explores any of muggle London.

sirius makes his way down the street, around the corner, down another street, and somehow darts across to a park that is surprisingly close to where he has grown up. there are children running about and squealing with delight as they scale a colorful playset. sirius watches them for a minute, a grin stretching across his face. he has never played with children his own age who aren’t his brother, so he excitedly drops his knapsack and runs over to join the fun. he darts up the little steps, flings himself down the slides, chases a girl in a pink romper with pigtails (she says he has cooties when he most certainly does not), and even falls and scrapes his knee on the woodchips. but sirius’ favorite thing are the swings. he imagines real flying to feel something like this. he closes his eyes to focus on the swoop in his belly as he accelerates forward, feet gliding through the air. he sits on the swings for a very long time – the sky is almost dark by the time he opens his eyes – and just swings.

it is orion black who finds sirius huddled under the bridge of the playset stuffing his mouth with biscuits. sirius freezes when he sees his father. orion only has to motion for the boy for him to jump up, brush himself off, grab his knapsack, and follow him home, head hung in shame. he is hardly through the front door when walburga starts yelling. sirius’ eyes remain locked on the floor between them, stumbling only slightly when his father pushes him forward. orion says something to walburga, and she falls silent – though only for a moment.

”a muggle park? you were at a muggle park?” a beat, then, “answer me!” sirius only nods. walburga reaches down and grips tightly onto the boy’s arm; he bites his lower lip. ”muggles are worthless! insolent! obtuse! filth! no son of mine will be dirtied by filth!”

sirius is not sure where the sudden audacity comes from, but he opens his mouth and says, ”but they’re not bad ‘cause they played with me! like they’re my friends or somethin’!”

walburga’s lip curls into an almost snarl, and she jerks sirius forward by his arm. ”never say that again.“ but before sirius can say anything else, his mother’s wand is drawn, pointing at him. he doesn’t even hear what she says. he only knows that, suddenly, he is on the floor and he is crying and there is pain everywhere and he can’t understand just what is so horrible about muggles.

&;;and a lionheart. ”ah, a black. i know where i usually put your lot. but where to put you? you could be in slytherin, yes, but you’re intelligent, too. and loyal, yes. very loyal. perhaps hufflepuff… but no, i know just where to put you…

”GRYFFINDOR!”

&;;i can tell that we are gonna be friends. ”do you really think so?” peter, james, and sirius are huddled together on james’ bed, sirius and peter with their eyes fixed on the other boy. james gives a solemn nod, exchanging a glance with sirius.

”it makes sense, doesn’t it?” he asks the other two. neither of them say anything. ”so what if he is? it’s remus, for merlin’s sake! what’s remus gonna do?”

again, silence.

then sirius shifts and glances down at the book they had swiped from the library; it is opened to the page entitled LYCANTHROPY. he stares at it, taking in the word, recalling everything he been taught as boy about werewolves and half-breeds, in general. he is scared.

”i guess…” peter starts quietly, drawing sirius’ attention, “it doesn’t really matter… it’s still remus, isn’t it?” james nods with a little smile.

it is a long moment before sirius nods, as well.

&;;but mistakes are made. sirius thinks it’s all quite funny, really. snivellus deserves it. he’s going to get what’s coming to him, and sirius really does think it’s funny. in fact, he’s quite proud of what he’s accomplished. he is grinning to himself as he strolls up to the dorms, hands tucked in his pockets.

"what’re you so smug about?” james asks, looking up from his spot on his bed. sirius shrugs, grin plastered across his face. “c'mon, i wanna know! lemme in on whatever you’ve been doing!” sirius can’t deny him that.

“oh, it’s nothing,” he says casually, giving an airy wave, “i’ve just played the most brilliant prank on ol’ snivelly is all.” james perks up and sirius feels a sense of accomplishment.

“oi, don’t hold out on me, black! what’d you do? details! i need details!”

so sirius tells him. he tells him about how snape was being a right prick. he tells him about how he was snooping around and sticking his abnormally large nose in their business. he tells him about how he was asking about remus, about where he was (“conveniently missing on the full moon again”), about how this brilliant idea just came to him. and he tells him about how he told snape the way to find out the truth about remus was through the passage beneath the whomping willow.

“you did what?!” james turns white and calls him a bloody idiot and shoves past him, and it takes sirius a few minutes before he figures out just what he did wrong.

&;;i really fucked it up this time, didn’t i, my dear? sirius has always known that he doesn’t belong in the black family. part of him has known that he would end up leaving, but he never expected it to be like this.

“you don’t have a choice in the matter, sirius.” orion is seated behind the desk in his study, walburga standing beside him. they are both staring at their eldest son, whose fists are balled at his sides. “it has already been decided.”

the dark lord. sirius was to join the dark lord, join his cause, support him like the proper black heir he was. but sirius doesn’t want that. he has never wanted that. he has never wanted what they want. he has never wanted any part in their ideologies of pureblood supremacy. sirius glares at his parents, then shakes his head.

“no. no, i’m not doing it.” walburga’s wand is drawn, pointing at sirius, but sirius doesn’t even flinch this time. “no. i won’t do it. you can’t–”

there is a flash of light, and sirius feels a sting on his cheek and the warm trickle of blood. orion has looked away, but he says, again, “you don’t have a choice,” and sirius, again, shakes his head.

“i won’t! you can’t make me! i’ll–”

“I WON’T STAND TO HAVE A BLOOD TRAITOR IN MY HOUSE!”

&;;dog days are over. sirius knows that he doesn’t have a choice. there is no way he can’t not fight for what’s right, so he decides to join the order of the phoenix without hesitation. dumbledore asks, and he agrees. he doesn’t see any other option. it’s either this, or let people like those he grew up with take control. and he knows all too well what kind of hell that would be. so, sirius decides to fight, no matter what that means.

#{ &.application }#{ &.bio }#//reposting since i had it linked to the main before #look @ me tryna be so fancy and organized lmao #what am i doing with my life #i've spent too long on this already omg #what am i even doing #i'm doing too much that's what #warning: existential crisis happening in these tags

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teufelbcy-arch · 5 years ago

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Making of your character

1. What was the first element of your OC that you remember considering (name, appearance, backstory, etc.)? Mainly his face. When I first made him, I originally had a different face and honestly couldn't get much muse for that face, so I did a "poll" on who I should choose and majority of people from my friends list, chose his face and it sort of stuck, the more I looked into Alex and what he was doing now-a-days. (More under the read more since it’s long)

2. How did you choose their name? I'm one to really dig deep into a character's name. Especially when I want it to be different, yet good. I was thinking of cool last names and such because I didn't have his first name yet. I looked into what the devil was in different languages and Teufel really stuck. Then, I watched Stella's Last Weekend, and wanted to keep Oliver, so that stuck too and his middle name is actually Nat's name and I also love the name Nathaniel, so it stuck as well.

3. How far past the canon events that take place in their world have you extended their story, if at all? I have done a lot of thoughts and writings for future things. Especially since Greg's writer has helped me tremendously with what is to happen in the future. Like with his sister and stuff. There's a lot to happen that has been extended and thought out past his canon events.

4. What is your favorite fact about your OC? Oh man, probably the fact that his main love and focus is film making. I know, a lot of people add elements and stuff into their OCs, that they love but with film making, I wanted it to be a key essential to him. That people think, oh film making? That reminds me of Oliver. Also, same with smoking weed. I know, it's common for many OCs but this kid is a stoner kid through and through. There's a lot of facts, to be honest. The other is probably the bisexual love and the Jewish boy in him. He won't back down for anyone and anything when it comes to his background.

5. If you had to narrow it down to 2 things that you MUST keep in mind while working with your OC, what would those things be? The cult and his mother are probably the two elements because the cult is the biggest thing in his storyline. It's not a lot in play at the moment but it is something that will come into play and it's a key element. And same for his mother. His mother is the terror behind the walls of his home and she's an added element to the cult.

6. Is there any significance behind their height? No significance because Alex is really 6 feet tall.

7. Is there any significance behind their hair color? Just his face. Alex has brown to black hair, so does Oliver. Lol.

8. Is there any significance behind their eye color? Alex has brown eyes, so does Ollie.

9. In developing their backstory, what elements of the world they live in played the most influential parts? The fact of Englewood ( not the real town ) being a religious place. It's a small town but big enough to have a lot going on it but still keep themselves under the radar.

10. What (if anything) do you relate to within their character/story? I relate with Oliver in that fact of always having felt like the outsider. No one likes him, no one wants him around ( unless he's being funny ), and that's how I am in real life.

11. Are they based off of you, in some way? Oh yeah. I added a lot of elements of myself into Oliver. The hearing aids, the glasses ( though Alex wears glasses in rl, so of course, Oliver does too ), the mood swings, and the love for photography. Though, I changed it to film making for Oliver but his love for film making, is truly how I am in real life when it comes to Photography. It's my passion, my life, something I will always love and cherish.

12. Did you know what the OC’s sexuality would be at the time of their creation? I did because I added, yet another personal element, of being bisexual. Most of my characters I've created in the past, have usually ended up being straight or gay but never in between, so I thought adding the personal touch of bisexual.

13. What have you found to be most difficult about creating art for your OC (any form of art: writing, drawing, edits, etc.)? Writing and edits are probably the biggest difficulty. I know I can write things and know I can write but also, like majority of us here, tend to not like my writing or think it's not good enough to post. Though, because of things from the past, my want to continue to show my work, has kind of dwindled because I have my attacked for my writing and how bad it is, so I tend to not post much anymore. And same with edits. I try to work on edits and though there's a lot of things with Alex, it's still hard sometimes to edit things.

14. What is something about your OC that can make you laugh? His sarcasm! It's funny because I'm not a very sarcastic person ( at least not as sarcastic as Oliver ) in real life, so getting to play that out through him, makes me laugh. Oh! and his catch phrase "rude". He literally uses it for everything.

15. What is something about your OC that can make you cry? His life. The fact he's trying to be a normal teenage boy, while hiding his sexuality from his mother, while also trying to hide from the cult that is trying to pull him in, while also trying not to be his mother's punching bag and still be a teenager. Really, just his whole life.

16. Is there some element you regret adding to your OC or their story? Not really, no. I mean, there's some things that I would probably have changed but nothing that I actually regret because everything I've written out, has a story to it and makes sense as to why he's as messed up as he is.

17. What is the most recent thing you’ve discovered about your OC? Oliver doesn't take kindly to people talking bad about his home aka New York aka Manhattan. He knows people have opinions but the moment you talk negative about his home, he shuts down.

18. Is your OC inspired by any literary characters/figures? His back story is inspired by Hereditary, 100% because after I watched that movie, I immediately had a start to his back story. As a character, he's truly based on Oliver from Stella's Last Weekend and also Alex himself ( he's more of a figure but still lmao ). Anything that Alex does, is a representation of Oliver.

#the cult leader ;; { ooc }#just some questions and thought i'd answer them

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awesomelephuoclocblog-blog · 5 years ago

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abitoflit · 5 years ago

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From Fond Childhood Memory to the “Big Screen,” the Story of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

To bewitch, “to attract or delight (someone) in a way that seems magical” (Merriam-Webster). From the time I was very young and first read J.K. Rowling’s novels surrounding the life of Harry Potter, I was bewitched. I was drawn into a magical world, involving both witches and wizards. I entered Harry’s life first in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone around the time I was his age and he first went off to Hogwarts. I walked beside him as Hagrid informed him that he was a wizard and his parents had been killed by the dark Lord Voldemort. I discovered that there was a magical stone, created by an alchemist, which granted eternal life and that dark forces wanted to steal it. Much like Harry and his friends, I assumed that Severus Snape, the “evil” potions master, wanted to take it for himself and easily overlooked the quivering Professor Quirrell, who was actually the novel’s antagonist. I was amazed when three children, very similar in age to myself, outsmarted an adult no matter how ludicrous that seemed. When the movies first started coming out, I rushed to the theaters with my friends to watch them. The first story in the series, The Sorcerer’s Stone, was no different. It was then that I was introduced to the work of Christopher Columbus, the director, Steve Kloves, the screenwriter, and the rest of their team as I was visually drawn into Rowling’s world, a world I had previously created for myself in my own mind. Although the movie wasn’t “perfect” and failed to follow the novel exactly, I was amazed by how similar the characters looked to their literary depictions and how similar they acted to their literary models. I felt as though Daniel Radcliffe fully embodied Harry and Dumbledore had walked out of the novel and onto the screen. I was amazed that for the most part, Columbus’ film adaptation of Rowling’s first “Harry Potter” novel left little out and didn’t rearrange things, which in turn, kept it from losing sight of the original. Overall, I was happy to have been given the chance to revisit a fond memory from my childhood and felt that the positively-acclaimed story of one of our world’s favorite fictional wizards was one of the best ever produced.

The first time I read J.K. Rowling’s novel entitled, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone I was a child in the fifth grade. I read the novel first because the films had not been produced yet. I remember appreciating the novels as a child, as they captivated my boundless imagination, causing my mind to weave images of an alternate, fantastical realm of witches and wizards of which I wished I could be a part. Instead, I settled for a mixture of J.K. Rowling’s story-telling and my own imaginings. When the movies came out, I remember being overjoyed and flocked with my friends to see them; but, as time wore on, I lost interest in both the novels and the films as they grew increasingly less enjoyable in my mind’s eye. Now, I have decided to return to the beginning of the series, as this class has given me an excuse to relive a small portion of my childhood, which I look upon rather fondly. In reading the novel and watching the movie again for the first time in several years, I hoped to find a remnant of my love for the series and I longed to discover if it was time that had colored my judgment of both mediums or if my appreciation for Harry’s story had never faded.

J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone takes place in England, and follows the life of its namesake. At the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to house number four on Privet Drive, where Harry was sent to live after the death of his parents at the hands of Lord Voldemort, the greatest dark wizard of his time. As readers continue on Harry’s path alongside him, we discover that his Uncle Vernon and especially his Aunt Petunia, (his mother’s sister), have a severe hatred for witches and wizards and kept the secret of his magical powers from Harry. Therefore, when Hagrid tracks Harry down after each of his mysterious Hogwarts letters fails to reach him, he informs Harry of the fact that he is a wizard. At this point in time, the recognition scene unfolds, and Harry’s life as a wizard commences. Shortly after being taken to Diagon Alley in London to fetch his school supplies, Harry takes the Hogwarts Express to the mysterious, magical school known as Hogwarts. It is encased within the body of a castle made of stone. It is at the school that the story’s many obstacles begin to reveal themselves. First, there is Potter’s rivalry with Malfoy, as he chooses to forge friendships with Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger as opposed to him. Second, is the conflict surrounding Harry and Professor Snape. Although his true enemy turns out to be Professor Quirrell, whose skull is infused with the energy of the Lord Voldemort, Harry spends most of the novel assuming that Professor Snape is the individual who tried to rob vault 713 at Gringotts Bank.

An omniscient narrator sets a suspenseful tone for the entire novel, which unfolds as would a modern mystery. This is due to the fact that Harry and his two best friends spend a large portion of the novel trying to determine what was in Vault 713, why anyone would have wanted to steal it, where the vault’s contents are hidden, and what a wizard named Nicholas Flamel had to do with it all. Therefore, the story’s conflict arises as the three friends begin to view Severus Snape, their potions master, as the individual attempting to steal the stone. Outmatched by a far more experienced and skilled wizard, they often struggle to find ways to “outsmart him” and keep him from obtaining the stone. A crisis unfolds as Harry and his friends realize that their other teachers will not believe them or do anything to keep the stone from being stolen by Snape, forcing them to take matters into their own hands. However, as the climax unfolds, Harry realizes that he was wrong about Snape and that Quirrell had tricked him (and many other onlookers) into assuming that he wasn’t a threat by stuttering and acting as though he was terrified of everything. After Harry retrieves the stone from the Mirror of Erised and Quirrell is defeated, the denouement ensues, as Harry wakes up three days later in the hospital wing and is visited by the school’s headmaster, Dumbledore. It is Dumbledore who explains what became of Quirrell, Nicholas Flamel, and the stone. It is also he who explains how Harry survived and neatly wraps up Rowling’s novel.

The novel has a single, overriding theme: the old adage, “not everything is what it seems.” This theme can largely be associated with Professors Snape and Quirrell. Although Snape seemed as though he was the book’s main antagonist (because of the way he treated Harry and his friends and the way he was bitten by Fluffy), Professor Quirrell was the book’s largest antagonist. He managed to evade suspicion because he was such an unassuming individual who frequently stuttered and became anxious in many different situations. The second application would be to Harry, who wasn’t aware he was a wizard until Hagrid had told him. Furthermore, he wasn’t aware of the true manner of his parent’s death until he met Hagrid and was told the story of Voldemort.

I don’t feel as though J.K. Rowling has a particularly distinctive writing style, although I would argue that she tries to employ humor. The only issue with this is that she isn’t particularly funny. I know I’m older than her intended audience (the world’s youth), but I don’t think they’d find her writing to be particularly humorous either and I feel as though this is because she doesn’t commit to it. For example, when she has Hagrid try and turn Dudley into a pig, all he manages to do is give him a tail. If Hagrid had turned him into an individual who thought he was a pig and had some pig’s features, (e.g. tail, ears, hooves), then perhaps the scene could have been made all the more amusing. Another example would be when Harry asked Dumbledore what he perceived when he looked into the Mirror of Erised and Dumbledore replied, “I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks… one can never have enough socks,” (Rowling 214). I feel as though an author who uses humor effectively in his novels would be Terry Pratchett, especially when one considers his Tiffany Aching novels, which are part of his Discworld series. This is due to the fact that he takes the novel’s comical moments and stretches them as far as they will go, without spoiling the mood. Examples would include when he has Daft Wullie play against the other wee-free-men, or even Tiffany herself, creating comical conversations and musings. In addition to her failed attempts at being funny, Rowling occasionally invents words, which are limited in their use to her magical realm and meant to add to the wonder her reader’s experience. Examples would include the term “muggle.” I don’t feel as though this practice makes Rowling’s writing style distinct because fantasy authors are meant to fabricate fantastical realms and magical creatures in order to assure that their novels may be clearly defined as part of the “fantasy” genre. For example, Terry Goodkind created “confessors” and the “pristinely ungifted” in his Sword of Truth series, while Brandon Sanderson invented “mistings” and the “mistborn” for his Mistborn Trilogy. Overall, I would say that her style is rather bland, although the story she weaves is “magical.”

The descriptions given by J.K. Rowling in her novels allowed for the natural unfolding of her story’s setting within the minds of her readers. They also provided Chris Columbus with a framework, which would allow for the development of the set, which mirrored Rowling’s imaginings. The set of the “Harry Potter” movies were developed from two separate locations. The first is at the “site of a former Rolls-Royce factory, where aircraft were made during World War II,” (Sibley 10). This site housed locations such as Diagon Alley, where Harry bought his school supplies. The second location was Durham Cathedral, “to which the designers added a pair of spires you might expect to see in the wizarding world,” (Sibley 33). I’ve noticed that the various sets employed by the cast and crew in order to make the first of the Harry Potter films used a lot of dull colors. For example, depending on the time of day, the stones, which made up Hogwarts castle were a mixture of white, dismal greys, and soft browns. The dungeons, where Harry’s potions class was held, were even darker. I felt as though these color choices were meant to reflect that a darkness loomed over the entire school as well as the dismal institutionalism of the educational system, although, the brighter colors they were highlighted with, were meant to add a certain flair to the otherwise drab set. Examples would include banners displaying the Gryffindor lion or the paintings on the wall. I also felt as though these small, subtle bursts of color where meant to represent various sparks of Harry’s curiosity as he and the other first year students explored a world otherwise unknown to them. For the most part, I felt that the lighting throughout the entire movie was low-key, especially when the characters were indoors or in the forest. The only time I felt as though the lighting was particularly bright was upon the quidditch field and that was only because each scene took place on a sunny day. With few exceptions, the school’s lighting merely consisted of what little illumination filtered in through the glass windows or whatever light danced and flickered across the surface of the walls from either torches or sconces. I feel as though they were used in order to add to the “witchy” feel of the school and the medieval aspects displayed within the towering spires and narrow window slits. I also feel as though torches and sconces were used because low-key lighting tends to cast longer shadows and keep part of the screen submerged in darkness or half-light, while the rest is immersed in light. The use of low-key lighting was a symbolic way of showing that there were rival forces battling behind the scenes within Hogwarts’ walls: the forces of good, and the darker forces employed by the Lord Voldemort, which were evil.

A great many of the shots used in the film were done in slow motion or kept very still. There was very little, if anything, that was fast-paced. I felt as though this was done in order to allow for a more natural, gradual unfolding of the plot. The vast majority of shots were either a wide view or a close-up of one or a few of the main characters. The wider shots were used mainly to show a progression-- such as a character’s movement from one location to another, while the close-ups were used to draw attention to a specific person or set of individuals. This allowed the film’s viewers to bear witness to the emotions of each of the film’s characters, (e.g. Harry’s anguish each time his scar began to burn). Finally, the film used various sounds in order to help evoke certain emotions within its viewers. For example, it played bright, lively orchestral music, which featured instruments such as the piano and trumpets during happier scenes. Examples would include the time in which the first years first entered the Great Hall. Another example would be when the crew used computers to generate both “barking” and “snapping” sounds when Harry and his friends unwittingly stepped into Fluffy’s lair. The sounds were used in order to instill fear in their hearts, as well as those of the film’s viewers. This is because the sounds added to the sense of tension and danger experienced by the students.

I think that the set’s overall design added to the film’s atmosphere. The school’s layout--with its winding corridors and shifting stairs, its poor lighting, cast by flickering flames, and high, vaulted towers-- added to the “magical” and “otherworldly” setting depicted within J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world. The “uncertain” light, the presence of shadows, added to the sense that the story’s main plotline involved Harry, Ron, and Hermione clambering out of the darkness, their childish innocence and lack of knowledge about the magical world around them, and into a greater understanding of both magic and the dangers of the world. The occasional display of rich color, (e.g. maroon and gold, green and silver), were meant to display the subtle shift of alliances between rival parties as well as the unity, which bound the story’s three main protagonists together.

The ways in which the characters were portrayed by their respective actors also added to the strength of the film. For example, Emma Watson, who portrayed Hermione, spent a fair amount of time acting “smarter than thou,” as she insulted Ron’s spell on the train, which was supposed to turn Scabbers, (his pet rat), yellow. She also corrected him in their Charms class, when he mispronounced the levitation charm, “Wingardium Leviosa,” etc. Furthermore, she continually made various comments throughout the course of the film, which demonstrated her belief in the fact that studying and reading were the most important things in the world, (e.g. she described the book, which contained information about Nicolas Flamel as a “bit of light reading” and reminded her friends to always do more research). Rupert Grint, who played Ron, also made a fair depiction of his character as he looked largely as I imagined Ron would and acted as the silly, comic-relief character in the series. Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry, also did an outstanding job. With the exception of his eyes, he looked exactly as I expected. In addition, his strong ability to emote allowed viewers to experience the awe, anguish, and large range of emotions, which Harry was meant to throughout the course of the film. Makeup was used on each of the characters to accentuate their features, (such as the color of their eyes), and to demonstrate the hardships each character endured throughout the course of the movie. For example, various forms of makeup were used to represent dirt and grime, which had accumulated on Harry’s person as he made his way through the stone’s trials. In much the same way, cosmetics were used to create cuts and bruises denoting injury. Finally, the wardrobe used in the film added to the viewer’s construct of each of the characters. For example, the robes worn by the students at Hogwarts were like a uniform. This made them relatable to children in the real world, while also managing to lump the school’s student body together in the film. It made them into a unified body, which was making its way through their educational endeavors and the adventures presented by the wizarding world. The robes worn by the school’s Professors allowed for a differentiation between “skilled and “unskilled” wizards. Meanwhile, the “more natural” attire worn by the Dursleys and the rest of the muggle world created a dividing line between the magical world and the non-magical world.

J.K. Rowling’s novel and its film adaptation are fairly similar as far as the plot is concerned. For example, in both the film and the novel, Harry and his friends receive detention. In the novel, he, Neville, and Hermione receive detention, because he and Hermione snuck out after hours in order to deliver Hagrid’s pet, the baby dragon Norbert, to Charlie’s friends. The children needed to perform this favor for Hagrid because raising dragons was illegal. Neville was given detention for stalking around the castle in search of them. In the movie, Ron, Harry, and Hermione were given detention for visiting Hagrid after hours. In both mediums, Harry’s rival, Malfoy, is given detention for tattling on them and breaking curfew. In both cases, the children wind up serving detention with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest, (sometimes referred to as the “Dark Forest” in the films). The night’s goal was to discover who or what had been injuring the unicorns in the forest. In order to get her point across, J.K. Rowling used rather straightforward language during her portrayal of Harry’s and Malfoy’s discovery of the cloaked figure. I don’t feel as though Rowling used as much description as she could of and left a lot up to a person’s imagination, which in many ways, heightened the sense of both suspense and dread, which her scene was meant to evoke. For example, she begins the passage pertaining to the children’s discovery of the cloaked figure with, “Harry had taken one step toward it when a slithering sound made him freeze where he stood,” (Rowling 256). I understand from this sentence that Harry was transfixed by fear and unable to move; but, I was caught off guard by Rowling’s mention of a “slithering” sound. This is due to the fact that I have always seen the term “slithering” used to describe the shifting movement of a snake as they propel their body across the surface of the earth using their stomach muscles. I have never seen it used to describe a sort of sound before, only motion. I found myself struggling to discern just what Rowling meant and I fear that her use of this term may confuse Rowling’s intended audience (children), who may not have as extensive a vocabulary as someone who is older than them. The next line describes how the bushes trembled, which was meant to add to the sense of fear and tension, we as readers are supposed to associate with this passage. It’s easy now to imagine the leaves on the bushes rustling as some unseen entity approaches, an entity, we can sense will pose a threat to Harry and his companions. From there, a hooded figure emerges, “stalking across the ground.” No other description is given. It is simply a hooded figure. Is this figure entirely covered or do they merely have a hood drawn? Are they wearing a hooded cloak, as might the wizards of the area? Or not? What color is the cloak? Is it as dark as the night, allowing the figure to sneak around unseen? Is its color meant to mirror the blackness of its heart? Or is it some different color? Brown, green, or even pink? Again, we are reminded of Harry’s traveling companions-- Fang, (Hagrid’s dog), and Malfoy, as they remain “transfixed.” So again, she states that the children are too terrified of what they see to move. Then, quite simply, Rowling describes how the figure dips its head over the body of the dead unicorn the children had just discovered and begins to drink. Being that she never describes the color of the blood, one might think that it is the bright, crimson red blood we might associate with man or perhaps a horse. However, if one were to think back on what they had already read, they would recall that Hagrid described unicorn blood as “silvery” at the beginning of the chapter. However, I feel as though the fact that the author chose not to bring up the issue again was done purposely; perhaps, to make us forget just enough, where it would be easier for most readers to associate the death with something more human and less otherworldly. This, in turn, may cause it to hit home a little harder and make the unicorn’s death all the more tragic. From there, we see a long, “AAAAAAAAAAARGH!” It is a cry. We can only assume it is one of pain or a simple scream. In the following sentence, Rowling clarifies for us, describing it as Malfoy’s pitiful scream, which is immediately followed by he and Fang turning around and fleeing the scene. The sound causes the figure to look up, as though he had just noticed that he had not been alone and others had been watching him feast. The unicorn’s blood is described “dribbling down its front,” (Rowling 256), which led me to wonder if it was down the cloaked figure’s chest, the edge of his mouth, his face, his lips, etc. It was then that the creature rose and approached Harry. It was described as a swift movement; but, was it more of a jog or a run? Was the movement fluid, as if the assailant was sure of his step even in the darkness of the forest? I simply do not know, only, that a centaur came to save Harry, by frightening away the strange figure, which I can only imagine was like the grim reaper. This is because Rowling failed to define the passage. She left out so much description that while I had a faint inkling of what occurred, I can never quite be certain.

As I mentioned previously, Harry and his friends wind up in detention in Columbus’ film adaptation for a slightly different reason, although, it still culminates in the same scene with the unicorn’s blood being drawn into the lips of a mysterious figure. At the beginning of the scene, Harry, Malfoy, and Fang stop moving and we are given one final look of the forest around them. The trees are blanketed in darkness, which is used to lend an air of both mystery and foreboding to the night. A faint mist rests within the air, its vaporous tendrils tickling the trees, shrouding some of their more precise features and the distinctness and vibrancy of their colors from view. I believe that this feature was added to the setting in order to add an air of mystery, as it reminded viewers that the forest was filled with the unknown and that danger could be lurking around every corner. From there, the picture cuts to an image of the cloaked figure leaning over the body of a pure white, deceased unicorn. Their image is outlined in mist and framed by the body of a broken tree devoid of adornment, such as leaves and branches. The contrast of the darkness of the night, the tree, and the creature’s cloak, when compared to the pure white of the unicorn’s pelt and the silvery nature of the mist, serves to represent the collision of light and dark forces. Part of the broken tree, which lies on the left side of the frame, has a jagged edge, which points like an accusatory finger over the surface of the cloaked figure, as though blaming it for disrupting the tranquility of the night, as it cuts through the lingering tension, which had only hinted at the threat of danger. Now, clearly it has emerged. For the moment, it remains unclear what the figure is doing, why the cloaked individual is hovering over the body of the unicorn. However, as the scene lingers, we can see its head bobbing slightly, as though it is drawing something away from the unicorn and given our knowledge of the novel, we know it is drinking the creature’s blood. Then, the camera cuts away from him and toward Harry. It closes in on his face and his body from his pectoral muscles up. He can be seen wincing and rubbing the scar Voldemort left him with. A sort of ominous, near screeching-type orchestral music can be heard in the background; I believe it to be a mixture of piano and some brass instruments, such as the trumpet. Within a heartbeat, the scene cuts back to the cloaked figure. This time, the image lingers much closer to the body of the figure hovering over the fallen unicorn. We can see the top of the cloak dipping into the indentation of the unicorn’s long neck, where it meets the rest of its body. A thin trickle of silvery blood may be seen dripping down its neck and toward the forest floor. The mist in the background highlights their bodies, making it appear as though the figure is both holding its prey down by its shoulder, while gripping its long horn at the same time. It is as though the figure is defiantly expressing, without words, that it conquered the threat presented to it by the unicorn’s horn, allowing it to become the greatest peril within the forest’s expanse. The ominous music swells, as the figure raises its head and we catch a glimpse of the lower portion of its face. We can see the unicorn blood dripping from its teeth; the strange, silvery-blue coupling with the white crowns. The creature growls, reminding viewers of its vampiric tendencies. From there, the frame shifts to Malfoy. It tightens in on his face; but, keeps the lantern he is holding at the edge of the frame. He can be seen screaming in sheer terror just before the frame shifts and we can see Fang beginning to turn away from the monster, as its own body looms over the unicorn in the back of the frame. Although the two, (Malfoy and Fang), haven’t truly begun to run yet, viewers get a sense that they are about to put some distance between themselves and the monster. Then, we can see the two characters running as Malfoy screams. Harry turns momentarily to watch them go as he removes his hand from his scar as though it has stopped flaring. Now, without the presence of the great dog and the Slytherin first year student, Harry is in more danger than ever, as he is utterly alone in an ill-lit and unfamiliar place. The scene rests for a moment, before the frame cuts back to the cloaked figure, who can be seen rising and moving away from the body of the unicorn. A strange, clanking noise, (as though someone is randomly hitting keys on a keyboard), can be heard intermingling with more ominous sounding orchestral music and Malfoy’s screams. The figure is then shown to be moving away from the unicorn and closer to Harry. It seems to glide over the surface of the ground like a ghost as Harry backs away from it. The next frame tightens around Harry a bit and we can see that his lips are parted in fear and his eyes are getting wider. Slowly, he backs away in trepidation in his best attempt to put distance between himself and the unnamed threat. Harry gulps, and then the scene suddenly shifts to the cloaked figure again. He puts his arms out, allowing the cloak’s long, sweeping fabric to dangle between both its body and the ground. It’s as though it is meant to symbolize that the darkness it presents is becoming all encompassing. Again, the orchestral music swells and the trumpets and percussive instruments can be heard above the winds and other instruments. The body of the beast straightens as it looms closer, the frame tightening again, as viewers are led to feel as though Harry is looking into the eyes of the grim reaper. From there, the frame shifts back and forth from Harry to the figure as the figure comes forward, closer to the front of the screen and Harry moves farther back to avoid it. After a short time, Harry moves too far and stumbles over a tree root. He pulls his legs into himself, as though “tightening up” so he’ll appear smaller and less of a threat. Perhaps, if he seems unimposing enough, he feels, the monster will go away; but, it doesn’t, it keeps on getting closer. We can see a mixture of terror and uncertainty in Harry’s eyes as the scene continues to progress and he backs away on his hands, before looking up as a centaur jumps over his head and frightens the beast away. The monster leaps into the air and is lost within the night sky.

Christopher Columbus was the individual who directed the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, while David Heyman produced it. Steve Kloves wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation. Janet Hirshenson, Susie Figgis, and Jane Jenkins worked together, in order to find an appropriate cast. John Williams wrote the film’s music, while John Seale worked on the cinematography. Stuart Craig was the production designer, Richard Francis-Bruce edited the work, Robert Legato supervised the special effects as did John Richardson and Nick Davis. Cari Thomas and Karen M. Murphy were visual effect producers, Nick Dudman did creature and makeup effects, and Judianna Makovsky designed the costumes. Todd Arnow was the unit production manager, John Midgley was the sound mixer, Keith Hatcher was the location manager, and from what I gathered, a large group of individuals worked on location scouting, which included the director himself. Generally speaking, the film was well-received by critics. I believe a large portion of the film’s positive ratings had to do with the fact that it was both a children’s movie and a film adaptation of a novel. I learned several things about the process of adapting a story from the page to the screen. In the interest of both time and space, I will highlight only a single aspect of the process:

A standard method for filming a scene begins with the master shot, a continuous long shot covering the entire action. Then portions of the action are filmed again, from different distances and angles. Later, the best shots will be selected and edited for continuity, using the master shot as a general guide. To ensure continuity of action, the scene is blocked… by walking the actors through each movement before shooting, (Costanzo 36).

With that being said, I already knew that a large team was involved in the production of the entire movie. What I hadn’t known was that a large portion of the set was at “the site of a former Rolls-Royce factory where aircraft were made during World War Two” (Sibley 11). I also didn’t know what caused Columbus to choose specific actors for their parts. For example, he said that Emma Watson had “Hermione’s sense of humor” and that she “was bright-sharp as a whip,” (Sibley 13). Rupert Grint, who portrayed Ronald Weasley, was chosen because “he had this devilish, mischievous quality, and his face was a wealth of all these emotions. He had a wonderful sense of humor but also a real sense of soul.” Daniel Radcliffe, who portrayed Harry Potter on screen, was chosen because his “screen test was amazingly charming, but there was one thing that he had that you couldn’t teach anyone, which was this sort of haunted quality that Harry Potter had in the books” (Sibley 13).

I feel as though the movie follows the novel fairly well as a lot of the dialogue is the same, as is its progression through Rowling’s original story. However, there were some minor changes and omissions. For example, Peeves (an annoying poltergeist found at Hogwarts) and Piers, Dudley’s friend, with whom he visited the zoo on his birthday, were left out of the film. Furthermore, Daniel Radcliffe, who played the role of Harry, looked largely as I imagined him; although, he had blue eyes, as opposed to the same green as his mother’s. He did a good job of portraying a young individual, unsure of himself and how to navigate the world around him, especially a world, which he viewed through the lens of a child. For, after finding out that he was a wizard, he was allowed to explore a world which had been entirely unknown to him. I liked to see the awe in his face when he first took note of a quidditch field or the amazement in his eyes when he got his first look at Diagon Alley. The Dursleys acted as I envisioned, although Dudley and Petunia were brunettes instead of blondes, as was the case in the novel. I thought Ron would have more freckles; but, he acted as I imagined--the frightened, and most foolish member of Harry’s trio.

With that being said, I noticed that there were a lot of changes between both mediums and that Neville Longbottom had a far smaller role in the film, than he did in the novel. For example, he was kept out of detention and really only came into play when he received the remembral from his grandmother, fell off his broom during riding class, and stood up to Harry and his friends when they tried to sneak out to stop Snape from stealing the sorcerer’s stone. In each case, Harry’s storyline is portrayed in the same fashion as in the novel with few if any changes. The greatest changes, I noticed, tended to occur at the beginning of the story. For example, in the beginning of the novel, Dudley goes to the zoo with his friend Piers for his birthday. The only reason Harry got to come along was because his babysitter was unable to watch him. At the zoo, he talks to the snake in the reptile house, and finds out that it never got to see its homeland, Brazil. However, when the glass to the snake’s enclosure disappears, the snake escapes and no one gets trapped behind the glass. In the film, the Dursleys go to the zoo with Harry, and Piers doesn’t attend as he was not included in the script. Again, Harry talks to the snake from the other side of the glass and discovers that it was born in captivity and has never seen its home in Burma. When the glass vanishes, Dudley somehow falls in. The snake escapes and Dudley gets trapped behind the glass, which magically reappears.

Overall, I think that the film adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s novel entitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was a fair adaptation. This is due to the fact that the movie followed the novel’s storyline fairly well and everything looked largely as I imagined--Hogwarts, the grounds surrounding the school, Harry’s cupboard, etc. In addition, although some of the characters didn’t look exactly as I pictured them and although some of the characters didn’t actprecisely as I imagined they would, I felt as though the casting director did an exceptional job of choosing the actors who would portray Rowling’s characters on screen. Richard Harris, who portrayed Professor Dumbledore, embodied everything that Rowling revealed of his character in the novel. He not only looked the part; but, he was patient, kind, warm and friendly, while also displaying the air of a professor and a wise old wizard. I don’t feel as though Steve Kloves’ screenplay was a work of art in its own right, although Chris Columbus really brought his vision and Rowling’s magical world to life. I think that Columbus managed to do this by using a script similar to the original novel and by deftly choosing a location in which to film and people with which to produce the movie. With that being said, I think I have trouble separating the script from the movie and viewing it as one might view and assess a book because I know that unlike a novel, it was meant to have other people play a part. Therefore, it seems incomplete to me, unless the final project is assessed altogether, at which point all the different elements which go into the production of an epic film (e.g. sound and lighting) come together and transform it into something wonderful.

In conclusion, I read J.K. Rowling’s novel entitled, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone first because it was released before the film. I remember being in awe when I found out that Harry was a wizard and would get to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in order to learn his craft. I was enthralled by Rowling’s ability to weave a tale of mystery, which led me to wonder just who was after the sorcerer’s stone. Much as was Harry, I was amazed to discover that the story’s main antagonist was Professor Quirrell, who was working in conjunction with the parasitic Lord Voldemort. When Harry defeated them, I was glad to know that good would once again triumph over evil. Overall, I felt as though Chris Columbus created a film adaptation similar to the novel, in the sense that it moved very little around, omitted very little, and added very little.

Works Cited

“Bewitch.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster. nd. Web. 29 Oct. 2016.

Costanzo, William V. Great Films and How to Teach Them. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, 2004.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Dir. Chris Columbus. Perf. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson. 2001. DVD.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. N.p.: Scholastic, 1998.

Sibley, Brian. Harry Potter: Film Wizardry. N.p.: Harper Collins, n.d.

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lair-of-books · 7 years ago

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The Valentine’s Day Book Tag was originally created by CC’s Books and As Told by Tina! & I was tagged by the wonderful Mel over at Mel To The Any <3! Thank you Mel XoXo! ❤ Now I know Valentine’s Day was yesterday & some may say that it’s over but…LOL! I don’t celebrate my Valentine’s til’ tomorrow Friday. Such are the woes of a city gal always on the go with two tiny humans 😉

I hope you all had wonderful day yesterday whether you celebrate the holiday or not cause I love ya! I had so much fun watching all of my IG stories and Booktube Q&A’s with significant others & Galantines. Next year I definitely want to squeeze in a date night with my BFF cause it’s been a minute…but I digress haha! onto the tag..

1. Stand Alone Book you love

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

Although If I’m really being honest here I really could go for more Eliza & her world *SOBS*

2. Dystopian Book you Love

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

This book! Gah! Mesmerizing while at the same time carrying a deeper message. This is one you won’t want to miss out on. I am FULLY supporting & showing my love for this book for many reasons, the main one being that in this world Clayton has given us a society who loves all skin tones & complexions. The social commentary on body image & high standards set by this fictional society really mirrors our own. There’s also LGBTQIA+ rep with three of the characters, one of them plays a main role & sexuality in this society is fluid–two women marrying would be considered normal by their society as subtlety mentioned in the book (my heart warmed when I read this). I LOVED This book to pieces!!!!

3. A book that you love but no one else talks about

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins

Why am I not seeing more Bookworms talking about this BEAUTIFUL gem of a book?!?! for all but especially those who enjoy literary fiction from time to time…this YA book about 3 generations of women will warm your heart & leave you smiling! almost entirely made up of female MC’s this book covers an older matriarch, her children & her grandchildren…GAH! LOVED it & want to see more books like this one hit our shelves 🙂

4. Favorite Book Couple

Mustang & Darrow- Red Rising Saga…these two are fierce alone & together they’re a force to be reckoned with.

5. Book that other people love but you haven’t gotten around to read

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor...with reason Bookworms LOL! Laini si one of my top 3 fave authors & I just couldn’t bear the wait til the sequel but now that we have cover art, guess what time it is?!?! (U.K. cover for Muse of Nightmares has yet to be released but this stunner down below is already giving it a run for my $$$)

6. A book with Red on the cover

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas, a recent add-on to my BOTM box that I am really looking forward to reading soon 🙂

7. A book with Pink on the cover

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena. My awesome friend Flavia over at Flaviathebibliophile was kind enough to get me arc copy of this book signed by the author! & I am over the moon happy to get started on it very soon 🙂

8. You were given a book of chocolate what fictional boyfriend/girlfriend would give them to you.

ummm well after this last book (Iron Gold) I don’t know how I’d receive this gesture but I think if Darrow walked up to me with some chocolates I’d be lying if I told you I’d say no….#jussayin

9. You are Single on Valentine’s Day. What Book would you read? What TV show would you watch? What Movie would you watch?

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne which I haven’t read yet but the hype is real & it seems ideal for the day. It’s a tie btwn Sleepless in Seattle and Love & Basketball < ❤ ❤ ❤

10. You are in the Book Store. All of the sudden you get shot with an arrow by Cupid. What New Release will you love.

Easily Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda cause the Universe has been screaming BLOODY READ IT ALREADY! @ me 😉 oh & BTW I’m counting this because the new special edition released 1/30 includes new Simon and Blue emails, a behind-the-scenes scrapbook from the Love, Simon movie set, and Becky Albertalli in conversation with fellow authors Adam Silvera and Angie Thomas….basically all of my faves Gushing about this book *eeeeeK*

11. Spread the Love Who do you tag?

On every other tag I usually list a few but I am a day late with this so instead I’ll say…you’ve all been tagged by me 😉

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

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The Valentine’s Day Book Tag The Valentine’s Day Book Tag was originally created by CC’s Books and As Told by Tina…

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crimsonrevolt · 7 years ago

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Congratulations Dani you’ve been accepted to Crimson Revolt as Sirius Black!

↳ please refer to our character checklist

Sirius shares the spot for my favorite character in the series and your app captures him brilliantly, Dani. It’s hard to pick just one thing we loved but we especially appreciated how you talked about the nature vs nurture aspect of Sirius’ life and how he would have been a very different person had certain turning-points never happened. It’s easy to see how various influences have shaped him yet no one thing defines him. Sirius remains, as ever, his own person. It’s wonderful to have you back, Dani! *your faceclaim change to Miles McMillan has been approved.

application beneath the cut

OUT OF CHARACTER

INTRODUCTION

Surprise! It’s me, ya boi! Dani here and I’m 25 now. My preferred pronouns are she/her and I am from Michigan in the US, so EST timezone.

ACTIVITY

I’m going to low-ball and say like 5-6/10 ??? I’ve been working a lot lately, but things are calming down. So definitely at the very least I’ll have a few weeknights free, and then time on the weekends.

HOW DID YOU FIND US?

Old member here! Initially, though, it was through the marauder’s rp tag, I believe.

WHAT HARRY POTTER CHARACTER DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH MOST?

ANYTHING ELSE?

I’ve missed you guys, ok.

IN CHARACTER

DESIRED CHARACTER

His name embraces the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black - a reality he despises when he is older. He is taught to believe that to be a Black, to be a Pureblood is to be royalty. He believes it.

How could he be? His name attests to his brilliance.

FACE CLAIM

Would Miles McMillan be okay?? He’s my ultimate #1 top fave Sirius face.

REASON FOR CHOSEN CHARACTER (tw: mania, depression, alcohol)

“With another shock of excitement, Harry saw Sirius give James the thumbs-up….a girl sitting behind him was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn’t seem to have noticed.”

PREFERRED SHIPS // CHARACTER SEXUALITY // GENDER & PRONOUNS (tw: slurs, mentions of body dysphoria)

EXTRAS

&;;—— PERSONALITY TRAITS (tw: alcohol, mentioned violence/blood)

✓ Funny ——- “Did you like question ten, Moony?”

✓ Loyal | Loving ——- “Died rather than betray your friends, as we would have done for you!”

✓/✕ Strong-minded | Judgemental ——- “Besides, the world isn’t split into good people and Death Eaters. We’ve all got both light and dark inside us.”

✕ Doesn’t think through consequences ——- “What is life without a little risk?”

✕ Hellacious attitude ——- “There are things worth dying for!”

&;;—— The best thing that has ever happened: ”I know that you will make us proud, Sirius.”

….“GRYFFINDOR!”

&;;—— And the worst:“Blood traitor! Filth! Scum!“

He needed to leave.

But Regulus didn’t leave with him. He wasn’t like Sirius. He was an idiot, and he didn’t leave. So Sirius goes. But not before he watched as his mother blasted his name from the family tree.

(Sirius still regrets not making Regulus leave with him.)

&;;—— AESTHETICS here [x] and here [x]

IN CHARACTER QUESTIONNAIRE

REACTION TO LAST EVENT DROP

One of Sirius’ biggest fears - a pardoned Orion - had been just on the horizon - a horrible truth born of the wavering fealty of the Ministry to the people it should serve. The Ministry had not proven useful in any form when it had come to dismantling the threat of the Death Eaters, nor action been its strong suit. So, it was with gusto that Sirius had volunteered to finally -finally - do something about the useless Ministry. It was with little regret, no mercy that Sirius would have raided the Ministry, striking down anyone in his way, fear and rage and a childhood that haunted his every memory of Orion Black fueling his actions. Until–

It was too late. The Death Eaters had taken the Ministry, and Sirius couldn’t help but blame his hatred for his father for blinding him to what had happened that night. So, he fled, with those closest to him, to a safe house far from London’s ground zero, shame and disgust at his own actions grasping hold of him, crippling any sense of logic that may have remained. Sirius fell back - too quiet, maybe, not as bright as he was supposed to shine.

Still, as they settled in Scotland, worked towards a new goal, a new plan of action, Sirius found himself not quite wavering from the ideals that drew him to Aversio; again, they were waiting, holding back while the Death Eaters took hold of London. Again, inaction, when there should be something, some retaliation to show that they were still there, still fighting, and wouldn’t Lord Voldemort win. But - nothing. And Sirius wondered how differently the war might be if Aversio had full control over the decisions, over the course of action.

WRITING SAMPLE

(this is from an old post on here, i hope that’s okay! i’m just hella fond of this one, tbh)

#Accepted App

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