#who likes to nom nom james

[theicarusconstellation]

regulus who bites so deep into james that it bleeds and he drinks the blood, then continues to bite that spot so it’ll scar <3

[latenightdaydreams]

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSY8mJ1go/

When I watched this clip, 'the attack of triplets' made me laugh so hard and reminded me of Konig immediately. I can't stop thinking about Konig and reader after she gave him triplets. 😩😩

I feel like your writing skills are improved, all your writing recently is so smooth and easy to imagine the scene. And the circumstances are so real too!!! Keep going, I love you sm🎀🎀

You're the sweetest🩷 I always appreciate your support🥰 I decided to turn it into a little Father's Day fluff!

Father's Day (fem)

All fluff!

Master List

>cw: fem/afab, adoption, fluff

1.0k word count

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When König first met you, he had no desire to be a father. Growing up, his own father was abusive and distant. It’s always been a fear of his that he would turn out like him if he has his own. Then he met you. A single mom of a four-year-old daughter. It’s as if everything he thought he wanted suddenly changed.

Becoming a dad to your daughter, Sara, was like second nature. Even though he’s a massive scary man, Sara was never scared of him. Early in the relationship, he brought you a more reliable car and an apartment in a nicer area. While you weren’t his wife yet, but he knew you would be someday.

He was right because only one year later, the two of you got married. After only two months of being married, you missed a period. At your first ultrasound appointment, you were given the surprise of your life. One, two, three sacks. Three.

König nearly fainted looking at the image of three babies in your uterus. From that day on, he would brag to everyone and anyone. His first time getting a woman pregnant and it’s with triplets? That just proves how powerful his sperm is, right?

Today is Father’s Day morning. In the kitchen Sara, now nine, helps you cook breakfast for König. The triplets, two boys named John and James and one girl named Jessica, run around the kitchen screaming and trying to hit each other with plastic swords. They’re three years old and absolutely crazy.

“Hey, James, John, Jessica, why don’t you go get Daddy? Go tell him food is ready.” With mischievous little giggles, the three set off to wake König from his slumber.

Asleep peacefully in bed, König dreams of retirement on the beach when he feels a hard whack on his head. He slowly wakes up when another comes down hard. König can hear the sounds of their giggles, causing him to smile. He opens one eye and looks at Jessica, the one that’s been hitting him. She looks just like König, blondish hair and pale skin.

One more hit before König roars like a wild beast, causing all the kids to scream and scatter. His arm wraps around little Jessica that was the closest and brought her to him, pretending to eat her belly.

“Nom, nom, nom! Yummy children!” He yells as Jessica kicks her feet, giggling.

James and John run from the room laughing and yelling, “Daddy's a monster!” They shout, running to the kitchen.

König places Jessica on his shoulders as he crouches down and rushes after the boys. Jessica points forward at her brothers. “Get them!”

“Daddy will get all of you!”

As you continue to make pancakes and Sara sets the table, you can hear the commotion heading your way. Sara looks back at you with wide eyes as we hear König and Jessica’s evil laughs. James and John come running into the kitchen and hide behind Sara.

“Daddys a monster!” They repeat excitedly. “He ate Jessie!”

“Ahhhhh! I’ve found you!” König stomps, running into the kitchen. He rushes and grabs the boys while Jessica holds on to his head.

König freezes and looks at the table set, the red flowers in a vase, the smell of good food in the air. His gaze lands on the cards lined up on the kitchen counter too. A warm smile rushes over his face as he gently puts the boys down and then Jessica. He walks to Sara with a big smile and hugs her, kissing her forehead. She’s his first baby, who made him a dad, of course he has to thank her first.

“I love you, Blume.”

“I love you too, Dad.” Sara smiles and hugs him back.

Once he pulls away, he walks to you next. A flirty smile on his lips as he gazes down at you. A messy bun and stained pajamas, yet you look like an angel still. His large arms wrap around your body and squeeze you, the true reason he’s a dad. The woman who showed him it’s okay to feel vulnerable. You’re his whole world.

“I love you, Schatz.” König whispers as he leans down to kiss your lips tenderly. “Thank you for everything. My kids, this home, helping me heal, everything.” He picks you up in a deeper kiss.

“Ew.” Sara turns away rolling her eyes making you both laugh.

König sets you back down on your feet. “Thank you for breakfast.”

He takes a seat at the table; James comes over and crawls on to his lap as you sit the other two in their booster seats at the table. Sara leaves for a moment and comes back. She stands watching as König cuts up pancakes for the little ones. He senses her standing there.

“Ja, Blume?” He turns to look at her to see she’s holding a folder in her hand. “What’s this?”

“Um, I guess it’s something that’s been a long time coming.” Sara walks forward and hands it to him.

König opens it to see adoption paper work inside. Instantly tears begin to flood his tear line, making his vision blurry. He has no words as he looks down trying to choke back tears.

Jessica looks at König and points. “Daddy, don’t cry.”

James looks up at König and pats his face, causing König to cry. He stands with James in his arm and used the other to squeeze Sara in a big hug. Tears stream down the usually stoic and cold Austrian man’s face.

“I’ll be your dad.” He whispers to Sara. His silent tears turn to sobs as you place your hand on his back and caress him.

König never imagined his life turning soft. He never saw himself as a step dad or dad, now here he is. He’s been blessed for some reason with a beautiful wife and amazing children. There isn’t a day that doesn’t pass without him thanking which ever god sent you all to him.

[yoshitsuno]

Hogtober Day 7 : Honeydukes

Sebastian went a little further into the shop, pointing out the impressive candyfloss machine. He encouraged Ariane to turn the crank and find out what was going to happen. Curious, the young girl complied and saw the candyfloss levitating, like little coloured clouds. She found it particularly pleasing to look at. But she turned away from this sweet little spectacle and joined Sebastian in another chest of drawers where the "Pepper Imps" were sitting.

"These are Tristan's favourite. I swear, you should see him eat one, it's so scary you'd run for your life. Try one," he said, handing Ariane a pepper imps.

Ariane frowned, not understanding what was so scary about eating one of these pepper imps. Without really paying attention to what might happen to her, Ariane ate the sweet and suddenly felt a strange sensation of heat in her stomach, rising dangerously up her chest and throat. Sebastian barely had time to move before Ariane spat fire for several seconds. She had a huge coughing fit, her eyes were watering without really meaning to and her throat was irritated. Sebastian approached her, placing a hand on her back.

"Are you all right, Princess?" worried the young boy. "Maybe I went a bit too far."

"Nom de dieu," she began, still coughing a little, "how does Tristan manage to eat it? It's atrociously pungent!"

"Don't look, it's Tristan. I don't know how he does it either, but he loves these sweets. Especially when James is around."

"James? Who's James?"

"He's the headmaster's nephew. He and Tristan always get on at each other, so he's taken to keeping pepper imps in his pocket and eating one to scare James away. I have to admit, it wasn't the best idea as he nearly burnt the other idiot's hair. But that didn't stop James from continuing to look for trouble with Tristan."

"I see. Looks like my brother's got a few tricks up his sleeve. On the other hand, do you have anything that might calm my irritation? I don't know, something sweeter and more ordinary."

The Secret Keepers, chapter 6

___________________________________________

Yes this is an illustration for my chapter 6 of my fanfiction 'The Secret Keepers"

[ncoincidences]

All the fics I read this year, part 1: ship I read most this year —

It's James/Lily !! I've read about 80 fics for Jily this year! I've linked them all down below and limited myself to describe every fic in only a line to fit Tumblr's 4066-character limit (I don't think I did any of them justice though ,:) they're all amazing and incredible in their own way). They're not sorted in any order - it's a chaotic mess ,,:,,)

Kindly Stopped for Me* by @nodirectionhome-ao3 - Lily survives AU, an angsty fic with great badass Lily moments!

Lay All Your Love On Me* by @athenasparrow - Jily Hogwarts fic that also has smut :D

The Art of Identification by Athenasparrow - cute one-shot featuring amortentia :D

She Will by @relyingonoldships - ANGSTY! gather your napkins. I have warned you.

The Summer I fell in Love* by @annasghosts - Muggle meet cute + summer love <3

Finding Lily by Annasghosts - unique premise + fake dating for the win :D

Things That Haven't Happened Yet by @kay-elle-cee - SMUT

the silence in the sorrow by kay-elle-cee - secret relationship during war + battle angst

to ache, to hope by kay_elle_cee - unplanned pregnancy that explores both James and Lily's emotions

i'll be fine, i'll be good* by kay-elle-cee - Slytherin!Lily AU focussed on Lily's character + secret relationship

Tall Dark and Glasses by @jamesunderwater - lovely writing and a heart-melting meet cute!

Meet Me At The River by @charmsandtealeaves - PEN PALS JILY, absolutely adorable fic!

Laundry Day by charmsandtealeaves - cheeky fic

Midnight Dip by charmsandtealeaves - ALSO cheeky 😏

Call Me By Name by charmsandtealeaves - feat. Phone Call sex 😏 and strangers to lovers!

Incoming by charmsandtealeaves 'call me by name' but James POV and it's so good!!

Wake Me Up (When September Ends)* by charmsandtealeaves - Hogwarts Jily 7th year coming of age :)

Love Birds by charmsandtealeaves - fluffy ridiculous rom com au where James cannot be separated from his accidentally acquired duck and Lily is a gorgeous vet :D also features insanely cute doodles :D

Something Black and Blue by charmsandtealeaves - what's making Lily Evans so late to her own wedding?

Sugar Quills by charmsandtealeaves - SWEET x

Padfoot's Nose Knows by charmsandtealeaves - indeed sirius can smell the good news from a mile away!

The Exchange Principle by charmsandtealeaves - cute body swap fic!

Nom De Plume by AnnaBtG - !!!!! unique concept! secret erotica writer James needs Lily (his coworker who's totally NOT his muse) to pretend to be his persona but Lily hates his guts...... or does she 😏

Haircut by PetalsToFish - James gets a new haircut!!

Lipstick by PetalsToFish - James bought Lily a lipstick and she's trying it out 😏

WILF by PetalsToFish - Wizard I'd Like to Fuck 😏

Reputation (Wildest Dreams Version) by PetalsToFish - Slytherin!Lily + enemies to lovers fic <3

State of Grace (Never Saw You Coming) by PetalsToFish - Lily never saw James coming..... literally. a car accident meet-cute (no one's hurt tho :))

Prodigal by PetalsToFish - slightly angsty, exploring Lily through her years at Hogwarts from first year

Girl Crush by PetalsToFish - actually Peter's POV centred around Jily

*[The asterisks next to a fic indicate that I haven't caught up to the latest chapter update]

[lulublack90]

Prompt 7 - Morning

@rosekillermicrofic September 7, word count 618

Previous part First Jegulus part

“Oooooo do you think that’s him?” Barty pointed out of the window at the scruffy-haired man in glasses who looked completely lost. Evan shoved him out of the way. 

“Dammmmnnnnn, Regulus can’t half-pick them. Barty, would you be offended if I dumped you for that specimen?” Evan was basically drooling on the window sill. 

“Only if you leave me out of what will obviously be the shag of a lifetime.” He didn’t have time to say more as the buzzer went. He raced out of the bedroom and grabbed the receiver. “Yeah?” He grunted. James stammered an introduction back at him. Barty decided to have a bit of fun. “We’re not interested.” He barked and hung up. James tried again, and again Barty rudely cut him off and went to hang up, but Evan grabbed the phone off him. 

“Barty, what are you doing?” Evan rolled his eyes. He gave him his best devil’s smile and went to wait by the front door. “Oh, are you the new beau? Come on up, I’ll buzz you in,” He heard Evan say. He had to stifle the cackle that was bursting to get out. 

He pressed his face to the door so he could see through the spy hole and watched the stairway for James’s arrival. He spotted the mess of black curls bobbing up the stairs, counted to five and almost ripped the door from its hinges in his haste to open it before James could knock. 

“Oooooo, he wasn’t lying. He’s fit as fuck,” Barty leered, his eyes running up and down James, watching as the other man shifted uncomfortably in the doorway. 

“So handsome and those muscles. Nom,” Evan joined in the game, biting his lip as he looked James over. “Come on in,” Evan waved him through. “I’m Evan and this miscreant is Barty. Welcome to our flat. Regulus is on his way and Pandora is right through here.” Barty tried not to scowl when Evan put on his host voice. It looked like the game was over then. 

But then Pandora grabbed James’s face and did her party trick. Oh, the panic in James’s eyes was to die for. Barty quickly schooled his face into a neutral expression. Panda would have his balls if he disturbed her reading.  

The front door banged open and Regulus shouted through to them. 

“Is James here yet?” Regulus had popped to the shops after he'd had a meltdown over what to cook for James and had decided on a whole new menu. Barty and Evan hadn’t had the heart to stop him, not after the morning he’d had. Regulus had meant to be home before James arrived, at least he was only a few minutes late. 

“Yes, he's here. Your lover boy is getting the Pandora treatment,” Evan shouted back. 

“Merde. Sorry James, I’ll be right there.” Regulus hurried into the living room and went straight to James’s side, giving him a slightly awkward one-armed hug.  

“Oh, come on, you can do better than that,” Evan teased. And to the room’s shocked surprise, James took up the dare. James wrapped his arm around Regulus’s back and dipped him as he stole a kiss. Regulus was flushing violently when James set him back upright and Barty’s jaw was just about touching the floor. 

“Wooooooooo!” He and Evan chorused, keen to see Regulus turn even redder. 

“Shut up,” Regulus grumbled at them. “Let’s go make dinner,” They dutifully followed their friend into the kitchen. Barty thought he might actually grow to like this James fellow. He made Regulus smile, so he was already in Barty’s good books. They’d have to see how the night went as to whether he stayed there. 

Next part

[lunar-serpentinite]

more assorted hjp headcanons

harry's relationship with touch, specifically with asking for and receiving touch of any kind, is very ehhh ?? touches are nice, esp from ppl he likes. but touch him for too long and he starts vibrating like a kettle that has had enough. touch him too suddenly and he's literally clawing out of his skin, and maybe yours too. touch him too often and he'd think theres some Plot going on. touch him too little and his abandonment isssues kick in.

in harry's childhood, every single request for physical aftection or reassurance has been met with sneers, flinches, looks of disgust and, at one very memorable time, a smack to the face. he stopped asking for positive physical contact soon after.

harry has never been to the sea or the beach before that time with the dursleys or when dumbledore took him the inferni cave. after his first proper and positive beach experience, he kinda wants a beach side house.

one of the songs lily and james used as a lullaby for harry was lavender's blue

harry thought of running away from the dursleys but things just start going badly whenever he tried

one of his fave ways to relax and unwind post-war is to fly out to the countryside with nothing but his broom, wand, and guitar to spend the day serenading the wildlife and pretending he's the only human being in the world

there's a whole small book published that has all of the magical species named after harry and hes fucking MORTIFIED

harry's fashion eventually evolves into something that resembles grunge, and by that i mean there's no statement to be found in his fashion choices. he gravitates towards darker colours since he thinks they help him hide in crowds better, and he developed a hobby of reforming whatever clothes he bought to make them feel more like his.

in fact, harry does a lot of customising of his things. hes a serial DIY-er and clothes reformer. nothing he owns looks the way they did when he first bought or got them. he says it makes them feel more like his, since they have his visible mark made by his own hands now

even before hogwarts, harry never thought abt what wld happen when he's an adult bc growing up to adulthood sounded like a luxury he cld never afford

once his life isnt in danger on the daily anymore, harry finds that he actually likes trying new things and new food, but only if other ppl arent perceiving him as he does so

one of harry's love languages is parallel play. hes quite content just being in the company of someone he cares about and theyre both doing their own thing without a word shared between them.

one of his fave foreign drinks is nom yen or thai pink milk

he actually did inherit a sizeable share of the sleekeazys hair potions company. the owner of the company, the dude who bought it from fleamont, actually offered to just hand the entire thing to harry bc Chosen One but he was like 'NOPE im fine not being in a position of power anymore thank u'

he was actually floored when he found out his grandmother euphemia potter was a slytherin LMAO

harry likes collecting random little trinkets that he finds in antique and thrift shops. he has a whole wall dedicated to his trinket collection back in his home

later in life, when he feels in his soul that he has settled and is finally free from the grief of his past, harry's stag patronus wld transform into a crow; transformation, change, freedom, and his love for the skies.

(his crow also pecks at draco's own koi fish patronus but it's neither here nor there)

[rosemaidenvixen]

Little bit of background on some of the name based symbolism I've got going on in the sunshine au.

First is Jim. His name means supplanter, as it was derived from a character in the bible who stole his brother's inheritance by impersonating him. This is emphasized by Jim being a Junior, he's literally a replacement for James Sr. The irony here is that Jim is a far improvement from his father, he's kind and selfless where his father is petty and selfish. Jim may be a supplanter but he's a welcome one.

Going further into this, I've left it ambiguous whether "Lake" is Barbara's maiden name or one they got from James, so the reader can interpret it whatever way they want. But I really like the idea that it was James' name first, but Barbara and Jim stole it and made it their own. Dr. Lake is Barbara's professional nom de plume, James spent ten years whining about how the world screwed him over while Barbara became a professional in that time. And like I said, the younger James Lake is a vast improvement over the elder.

James has become redundant in every sense of the word.

Next up is Mary, her name is also biblically derived and means bitterness (among other things but bitterness is what I decided to go with). But Mary isn't bitter, she's fiery and passionate. These things make her who she is and what drives her forward.

Toby, short for Tobias, means god its good (a lot of bible names here apparently) and most of the time Toby strives to live up to this. He does is best to be the best ever wingman and sidekick. He doesn't need the spotlight himself to be happy, he's glad to support his friends. But even he can get angry and upset sometimes, especially with his friends choices. He learns that getting mad at the others and criticizing their choices doesn't make him a bad friend.

And these last two might be the most on the nose when it comes to ironic symbolism.

Claire means light and bright. But while her name evokes light Claire wields the powers of shadow and darkness, struggling not to sink too deep into the darkness herself more than a few times.

Darci means dark, and not only is she the opposite of Claire in her name, she contrasts her in that her arc will be learning about wielding the power of light. But just because Darci's a warrior of the light doesn't mean she won't struggle with her role just as much as Claire.

Because light isn't purely good any more than darkness is pure evil. Hence why team Trollhunters has both a champion of light and darkness. True balance involves both.

[columbiastapshoes]

hello twin peaks fandom. i just finished the og 2 seasons and for the later half of season 2 i put live reactions in my notes app. here are the highlights <3 (lmk if u want the full version it’s so much longer)

‼️spoiler warning‼️ ALSO if you read me saying ‘evil cooper’ i am talking about windom earle. i did not know there would be a literal evil cooper. at the end of the reactions ‘evil cooper #2’ is referring to cooper’s doppelgänger <3 also also!! the double return means it’s a new collection of notes that i wrote down in the same moment if that makes sense? i wanted to do screenshots instead of the actual text but alas i can only upload ten </3

- "psychological evaluation" he already has an autism diagnosis leave bro alone

- ok hang on. if josie dies and harry couldn't protect her. then. parallels with caroline dying and cooper couldn't protect her. Hm :3 (update! david lynch the man that you are.)

- "what is the greatest gift one human being can give to another?" and bobby and i make the same 🤨 face

- weasel. right. yes. i am following this conversation

- sksksksksk save the weasels

- sorry

- im really sorry

- this is the worst possible person to be helping rn. unfortunately he is incredibly smart.

- earle is dale if he used his autism for evil

- i certainly hate you james fwiw!!

- you guys have started over again like 30473938 times stop it

- "please come home with me" "actually you should go" GUYS

- done with y'all where are the queers

- cooper appears from a bush and goes "you never loved her anywayyyyy"

- christ this is rough where are my boys

- MY BOYS??? oh no it's you :/

- haha you're not gonna tell him right

- ohhhh dear :3

- im going to kms :3

- hello bri ish man would you like a bo'ol of wo'uh

- chess? great! sheriff to fbi agent. they kiss. they both win

- "have someone keep an eye on him" CUDDLE WIFH HIM COWARD HE CLEARLY NEEDS YOU. YOU ARE THE FIRST AND ONLY PERSON TO CALM HIM DOWN AND ALLOW HIM TO CRY INSTEAD OF YELL. WHAT THENFUCK DALE COOPER DO U REALIZE HOW MUCH HE LOVES U. sigh

- I DONT CARE ABOUT THE FUCKING WEASELS THIS IS SO FUCKING. RGH

- no way they have roblox dress to impress in twin peaks

- OH NO HE EVIL WHITTLES HES LIFERALLY RVIL COOPER

- i wanna kiss this sad sad man very desperately

- break it with a hammer ??? dumdum

- WOWEEBOB !! !!

- "not all men" ur right pete martell would never

- my boys have not been together as much and it's making me STBERE THEY ARE WITH A HOMOSEXUAL ARM AROUND THE SHOULDER

- oh there's a bomb! ok!

- HARRY HAS A GRANDPA SWEATERRRRR I LOVE HIMMM

- they touched hands they wanna make out sooooo bad

- the bomb can wait you guys are in love

- cooper so preeeeetttyyyyyy :333

- andy i love you very dearly

- i love how harry is so gentle and kind and patient with lucy and then he's like ANDY SHUT THE FUCK UP

- girls night (cooper interrogating audrey donna and shelly)

- wow thats comforting if i was told this i would burst into tears or flames

- i love it when cooper is in front of a whiteboard

- "for instance?" i KNEW thats how u would approach dirty talk u fancy motherfucker

- THEY ARE NOT MAKING EYE CONTACT IN AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. AUTISM.

- why is bro goth what happened

- evil cooper you need to either do normal foundation or all white WHY ARE HIS TEETH BLAAACK

- bro is NOT siouxsie 😭😭😭

- yeah no shit. is this. news. i knew this before u fbi fuckers did

- URETHRA! ☝️

- you could KISS him? okay evil cooper..

- finished my brownie. crave death

- who is bro talking to

- oh leo hi leo

- it hasn't panned to leo yet i think he's like dead and they'll reveal it in a sec

- oh nom worse than dead ow ow ow ow

- OW OW OW OW OWWWWIEEEEEE

- WHERE DID HE FIND THE TARANTULAS

- dw leo i can take them home. they are my friends

- giggling a lil. about. cooper.

- BY HEAVENS oh my god

- i'm still giggling about cooper but it has turned from "i want him" giggling to "BY HEAVENS!!" giggling

- ok sorry what's the issue i got distracted

- sorry had to rewind two more times BY HEAVENS is taking me out

- i always said this show needed a dance sequence (i never said that)

- jeez u guys suck not u lucy ur eating

- I ALWAYS SAID TWIN PEAKS NEEDED A KICKLINE AND TOP HATS (i never said that)

- closeup on harry's face pls don't i need GRAND THEFT AUTO.

- sorry pete just said grand theft auto.

- can my cats stop beefing i have a show to watch

- WHERE ARE HER DRAPE RUNNERS!!!!

- you don't fucking say things got out of hand Michael.

- most useless side plot i do not care

- CAN MY CATS STOP BEEEEFINGGG

- HOLY SHIT ITS EVIL COOPER TO ME AND EVIL COOPER LITERALLY!!!!!

- how is he not crying and screaming in a fetal position that would be my plan

- why is evil cooper #2 kinda.

- why do i lowkey want evil cooper #2

- TBIS FUCKING KID WITH THE FLASHLIGHT

- bobs camera angle looks like a ring doorbell

thank you!

[roalinda]

☆Feedback Fest 2024☆

In honour of International Fanworks day on 15 Febraury ( you can find more info about it HERE by @transformativeworks ) I have decided to make a rec list as well. We should all support our creators with feedback and sharing after all. 😊

♧♧♧♧

Since this is my Harry Potter side blog, all the fics in my rec list are from Harry Potter.

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On Fire, But We can't feel a thing by @benjamin-ovich

Pairing: Sirius Black/James Potter

Summary: Sirius feels oddly faint, feels like his whole body has turned into vapour and he could just be blown away into nothingness at any moment. Nothing about this has felt real, not when Remus’ head popped into his fireplace after a whole year and not now that he’s telling him that James, his James, won’t remember who he is.

Rating: E

Words: 100, 790 ( In-progress )

♧♧♧♧

Tell me you love me, come back and haunt me by @gracelesslady23

pairing: James Potter/Sirius Black

Summary: Recently exonerated and looking for a new start, Sirius buys a flat to live in with his godson. However, it soon becomes clear they are not alone in the flat when Sirius begins receiving love messages on the mirrors and walls.

Sirius knows who he hopes is behind the messages, but he couldn’t possibly be right… or could he?

Rating: M

Words: 23,113 ( complete )

♧♧♧♧

Nom De Plume by @annabtg

Pairing: James Potter/Lily Evans

Summary: James Potter, renowned potioneer, has a secret side career as an erotica writer under the pen name of Scarlett Goldwing. When his latest book starts to take off, and Scarlett is asked to promote it at a public event, he has no other option but to recruit his colleague Lily Evans to pretend to be Scarlett. The only problem is, Lily Evans hates his guts… or does she?

Rating: E

Words: 46, 486 ( complete )

♧♧♧♧

Supernova by @siriuslyasorceress

pairing: James Potter/Sirius Black

Summary:

From the outside, it may look like James Potter has everything one needs to be happy. An abundance of talent, a prestigious job, a beautiful wife, an adorable child. So why can’t he let go of the past? Why does he still see silver eyes and a crooked smile when he dreams at night?

It's been six years. Six years since Sirius Black left England. He practically ran away from the country and hasn’t stopped running since. When he has to return to parts of his old life, he tries his best not to dwell on the past.

What luck then, that the past is one of the first people he runs into.

- “What, so the French sent a cursed Curse-breaker?”

There is humour in James’ voice, signalling that this isn’t meant to insult, merely falling into the way they always used to talk to each other. It’s almost too easy reciprocate, to answer with banter that still feels too familiar and pulls at Sirius to be released. He bites his tongue.

“I can assure you, cursed or not, I am still excellent at my job, Auror Potter,” he says pointedly.

Rating: M

Words: 73,120 ( in-progress )

♧♧♧♧

CRuSH by @heartofspells

Pairing: James Potter/Sirius Black

Summary: After travelling around the world as a Healer for four years, Sirius thinks it should be simple to return home to aid his best friend through his divorce. James needs him, and Sirius misses his family. With their history locked away inside dorm room beds and dark corners of a castle once called home, Sirius is determined to move forward, convinced James barely remembers it at all. Attempting to reestablish the friendship they'd always had, Sirius is set on pretending it never happened, at least until he realizes the years away haven't changed the weight of the powerful spell James holds over him.

rating: E

Words: 89, 578 ( in-progress )

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The exchange principle by @charmsandtealeaves

pairing: James Potter/Lily Evans

Summary: Partnering for Advanced Potions has some unexpected side effects when Lily and James wake up in the wrong body.

Rating: M

words: 8,788 ( complete )

♧♧♧♧

All monsters are human by ColorfulStabwound

Pairing: Teddy Lupin/James Sirius Potter

Summary: Teddy has always belonged to James, everyone knows that.

Rating: M

Words: 15, 274 ( complete)

♧♧♧♧

Out of my head ( when you are not around ) by quoichiant

Pairing: James Potter/Sirius Black

Summary:

Things are not particularly funny, but when he told Remus that he was going to get over James Potter -- for real this time -- Remus laughed. Because to everybody else, Sirius being in love with James is a fact of the universe.

The Earth turns, the sun rises, and James and Sirius come as a pair. Or Sirius is in love with his best friend, James is late to the party, and Peter is terrible at keeping secrets.

Rating: E

Words: 38, 038 ( In-progress )

♧♧♧♧

Line without a hook by @strugglequill

Pairing: James Potter/Sirius Black

Summary:

Four weeks, two days, and seven hours have passed since James hugged Sirius goodbye on the Hogwarts Express, a long summer of separation stretching ahead of them. With all of their other methods of contact blocked by Sirius's controlling parents, James shifts from disappointment to panic as a month passes with only silence in their two-way mirrors. Their separation just might kill James - or someone else.

After breaking into Number 12 Grimmauld Place with some hard-won cursebreaking and stolen Floo Powder, James wasn't expecting Sirius to ask him to fulfill a birth prophecy: rebirthing the House of stars with Black blood.

Song fic inspired by "Line Without a Hook" by Ricky Montgomery.

Rating: E

Words: 12, 189 ( complete)

♧♧♧♧

The host by Mothboss

Relationship: Spirit of Severus Snape and James Sirius Potter

Summary: James Sirius Potter was prepared right out of the gate to follow in the footsteps of his namesakes. The only thing that could likely have deterred him would have to have been one hell of a distraction.

Rating: G

Words: 9,528 ( complete)

[annabtg]

AnnaBtG - my Ao3

Select works:

@jilyawards favourites

Mistletoe Mishaps (1.3k). Jily, canon, fluff. Winner of Favourite Canon 2023. Completed, rated G.

Lily Evans doesn't know why James Potter keeps on pointing out the mistletoe above her every single time. Well, she does, but she likes to pretend she doesn't.

Nom De Plume (46.5k). Jily, no Voldemort AU. Finalist for Favourite Magic AU and Favourite Fluff 2023. Completed, rated E.

James Potter, renowned potioneer, has a secret side career as an erotica writer under the pen name of Scarlett Goldwing. When his latest book starts to take off, and Scarlett is asked to promote it at a public event, he has no other option but to recruit his colleague Lily Evans to pretend to be Scarlett. The only problem is, Lily Evans hates his guts… or does she?

The Great James Potter (8.7k). Jily, canon, pre-relationship. Finalist for Favourite Canon Oneshot 2022. Completed, rated G.

Lily Evans has never held any appreciation for James Potter, even though he has always been a favourite among girls at Hogwarts. That is, until she starts paying closer attention to him...

Readers' favourites (below the cut)

Priorities (1.1k). Sirius & Lily friendship, background Jily, canon. Completed, rated G. Rec'd by @casquecest and @furiousgardenhologram.

When Lily receives some life-altering news, she turns to Sirius for comfort.

Scandalous (4.9k). Sirius/Lily fake dating, Jily, prophecy AU. Completed, rated M. Rec'd by @casquecest and @furiousgardenhologram.

Sirius Black attends Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black's wedding, with a controversial choice of a plus-one and the explicit intention of stirring up drama.

Are You Experienced? (12.7k). Jily, canon, fluff. Completed, rated T. Rec'd by @abihastastybeans.

James Potter decides to ask Lily Evans to a Muggle live music show. This noble mission, however, requires a series of steps he is entirely clueless about: from procuring the tickets to finding the correct outfit, and most importantly, to spending an evening with Lily Evans without making an absolute fool of himself.

My Best Friend's Girl (12.4k). Sirius/Lily to Jily, canon. Completed, rated M. Rec'd by @casquecest.

Sirius Black and Lily Evans start dating during their sixth year at Hogwarts and their relationship is nothing short of perfect, to James Potter's silent suffering. However, things begin going downhill when next year, she is appointed Head Girl...

The Chaperone (7.5k). Jily, Petunia Evans, Sirius Black, canon. Completed, rated T. Rec'd by @casquecest.

When Lily's father won't let her go out alone on a date with James, she has to resort to desperate measures: make it a double date with Petunia and Sirius.

Fixed Luck (1.3k). Established Jily, angst, no happy ending. Mind the tags! Completed, rated T. Rec'd by @kay-elle-cee.

The books warn: excessive intake can cause giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence. But good luck is addictive.

Over Spilt Coffee (1k). Remadora, angst, canon. Completed, rated T. Rec'd by @nena-96.

Tonks's musings on the night she picked up smoking... the night Remus Lupin broke her heart.

Afterlife (microfic series, 1.1k total). Gen, James and Lily-centric. Rec'd by @nena-96.

James ships Harry/Ginny | Brother | Enemy | Unforgiven

AO3 Is Down (1.4k). Jily, Muggle AU, humour/fluff. Completed, rated T. Rec'd by @tinyluminaryzombie.

AO3 Status: Delayed emails have been sent out and the Archive is back! Thank you so much to our sysadmin james_ for interrupting his sleep to work on and monitor the situation. Inspired by this very real Tweet, an alternate universe where the sysadmin is James Potter, and Lily Evans is his supervisor who had to drag him out of bed so he could resolve the problem.

If you read my works, please feel free to send me asks or messages to add or update your recs!

[broadwaydivastournament]

Broadway Divas Tournament: 2A

Donna Murphy (1959) “DONNA MURPHY (Anna) received the 1996 Tony Award, as well as Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations for her performance in The King and I. She also received the 1994 Tony and Drama Desk Awards for her portrayal of Fosca in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Passion. Last summer she was featured as Dorothy Trowbridge in Mr. Lapine’s Twelve Dreams at Lincoln Center (Drama Desk nomination). Other Broadway Credits include: Edwin Drood in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Human Comedy, and They’re Playing Our Song. Off-B’way: The Whore in Michael John LaChuisa’s Hello Again (Drama Desk nom.), Rose in Song of Singapore (Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle noms.), Hey Love; The Songs of Mary Rodgers, Privates on Parade, Showing Off, Birds of Paradise, A…My Name is Alice, Little Shop of Horrors. Regional work includes Miss Julie (McCarter), Pal Joey (Huntington), Williamstown, Portland Shage Co. and Goodspeed. She made her feature film debut in Jade, and co-stared (sp) in “Someone Had to Be Benny” for HBO. Other TV includes: Francesa Cross on Stephen Bocho’s “Murder One,” “Law & Order,” “A Table at Ciro’s” (PBS Great Performances), “Another World” and the American Playhouse Production of Passion. Ms. Murphy can be heard on the original cast recordings of Passion (Grammy Award), and Hello Again, and is featured on Leonard Bernstein’s New York on Electra/Noneshuch.” – Playbill bio from The King and I, December 1996.

Mary Beth Peil (1940) "MARY BETH PEIL (Anna Leonowens), before joining the 1982 Los Angeles production of The King and I, received national acclaim for her television portrayal of Alma Winemiller in Lee Hoiby's opera Summer and Smoke (based on the Tennessee Williams play), produced by PBS and the Chicago Opera Theatre. As a member of New York's Theatre for a New Audience she has apperaed in many productions of Shakespeare. A Graduate of Northwestern University and a First Prize winner of the Metropolitian Opera Auditions, Mary Beth has been featured in opera and musical theatre with such companies as The Metropolitan Opera National Company, the New York City Opera, the Lake George Opera and the Minnesota Opera. She has appeared as soloist with the New York Philharmonic, Honolulu Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, the New York Young Concert Artists and the Cincinnati Area Artists Series. Favorite musical theatre roles that she has performed include Rosabella in Most Happy Fella, Magnolia in Show Boat and Kate in Kiss Me, Kate." - Playbill bio from The King and I, March, 1985.

NEW PROPAGANDA AND MEDIA UNDER CUT: ALL POLLS HERE

"We have Donna Murphy as Dolly. We have Donna Murphy as Aurelia. What are we doing to get Donna Murphy in a Mame revival so she can hit the Jerry Herman trifecta? I need this woman back on a stage immediately and genuinely, I cannot tell you how much money I'd be realistically willing to shell out. And on a more personal note? What do I have to do to get Donna Murphy to look at me like she wants to devour me whole? The things I want to do to this woman... She has chemistry with every single person she crosses paths with. I need her carnally."

"Mary Beth Peil's hair deserves a Tony Award of its own. She started going grey almost twenty years ago and never looked back. A grey-haired octogenarian who's actively out here being hot and sexy and showing skin is quite possible one of the hottest things in the world. Let me reiterate: I want to fuck this old woman."

[jessythebunny]

🚂 Ttte Oc's 🚂

From left to right

🩵°•Jenny•°🐰

🩵Jenny is a Moroccan engine, she was build in 1930 (in my AU), and she came to sodor in 1987, and she's the number 58 tank engine

🩵Jenny works in the railway by taking the mail train with Percy, they really love to work together and she's Percy's female best friend

🩵She also in her human form, she can turn into a human bunny engine, or a normal humanised engine according to her will, but she prefers to transform into a human bunny because she loves bunnies

🩵Jenny is innocent in front of others, but when she is alone, she performs devilish acts that even Satan himself could not think of, and she always causes confusion and delay

🩵she loves collecting flowers with Rosie, and distributes them to others, and she works also as an Easter engine and her job is distributing the Easter eggs and chocolates around the stations

🩵She doesn't have any interest in love at the moment, but she really simps for James, and she loves teasing him, he's cute when he's angry, Gordon can't help but giving her solutions to calm him down, and she loves to call him some cute nicknames like Jams or cherry pie or nom noms

🩵she's Mia (@miasonyson )'s best friend, and they spend their time by chatting with echother for hours, or drawing, and many things, she's close with Duck and Oliver, and she wished to be their adopted daugther, she loves playing with Toad and Skiff in the beach, and she wants to be really useful like Thomas

💚°•Creater•°✏️

💚this is just me in real life, I'm Hiba (aka Jessy the bunny) I'm the controller who's running this silly railway AU, and I'm responsable in these humanised engines, and I'm the one who gives them the orders or tell them what to do,They call me "the emo controller" because of my gloomy personality so I guess I deserve to be called by that, The human engines have to be useful or I'll smack their asses

🖤°•Mia•°🎧

🖤character made by @miasonyson

🖤Mia is an American engine who came from America to Sodor to start a new life in there, she's a young adult and she is 23 years old

🖤In fact, Mia is a vampire and loves drinking blood, Sometimes she loses control and can drink all of that person's blood and kill him

🖤Mia has a dirty mind, and when she hear someone's moaning in pain or sickness or something, she thinks about something nasty. ngl me either have the same problem

🖤Mia has a massive crush on Murdoch, and her normal Oc has a crush on Aiden (her oc)

🖤She's getting too lazy at work, and she tries as hard as she can to escape from working, but sometimes when she escapes, the controller finds out about her and she get insulted

🖤She's addectid to Odetari's songs, she finds his songs fire

🖤she's really a huge fan of pizza just like Jenny, Hide the pizza from them!!!

🖤She's close with Thomas, Percy and Rosie and she loves to be a mother for them, she finds Diesel 10 an asshole but cool at the same time, She likes to attend Lady's magic lessons

💛°•Marina•°🧜🏻‍♀️

💛she's the sodor resident fish woman™️

💛Marina came to Sodor but she was unconscious because her wrists were cut by a ship's propeller while she was diving on her way there, She was in a hopeless situation

💛She has a massive crush on Skiff, Because he was the only one who helped and comforted her, and he was the first to see her human form after a long discussion that took place between them, and he also told her that he could transform into a rail boat and he's not actuelly a human

💛Marina suffers from severe anxiety for her life, because there are fishermen trying to catch her and kill her, so she tries not to appear much on the island to avoid any harm, and she makes sure to wear her clothes on

💛Marina is an orphan of parents, and she really hopes that she will have a sister, because she was the only one for her parents and she was feeling lonely because of that, and her parents did not allow her to swim outside the water because of the presence of the fishermen, but unfortunately her parents died because they were stubborn, and for this reason Marina suffers from axiety

💛she loves spends her time with Duck and he's her best friend, and also with Oliver and Toad, especially Toad, she would do anything for him, also close with Donald and Douglas and she treats them like her brothers, She doesn't hate Diesel 10 and she treats him very nicely, but she hates Diesel because of his rudeness, She also spends time with some female engines like Emily and Rosie and Mavis and Molly, And also close with Thomas and Percy and she plays the role of a mother to them and ensures that no disaster occurs on their part

[animanightmate]

We need to talk about this bad boy

Émile Bonnaire. Adventurer, mercantile traveller, ladies’ man. Likes a drink, likes a laugh, loves to tell tall tales. Flamboyant, fun, and impressively fleshed out by the tiny, dapper, gravel-voiced charms of James Callis. Even his name derives from the French for “a good time” (or, depending where you look: “good bloodline”).

We first meet him accompanied by jaunty music on his way from the docks to a tavern, tipping his hat to interested women with a smirking flash of big, dark, pretty eyes, before roaring his intentions to pay for everyone’s drinks as he bursts through the door.

A bit of a rogue, Bonnaire. A bit of a weasel too, but a funny one. And he has an excellently aggressive wife.

Bonnaire is the kind of person who gets other people into trouble but always slips free himself. Pay attention - that’s going to be important later.

Once he’s successfully wriggled his way back into the clutches of the Musketeers, he treats Porthos (and us) to the glories of his exotic wanderings, revealing himself to be something of a liar, or just prone to exaggeration and fawning.

So far, so funny.

Except that the people he’s pissed-off have a habit of finding him, and again it’s those around him who pay the price. Our lads drag a potentially mortally wounded Porthos on to Athos’s old house and, despite comedy punching, it’s clear that things have taken a turn for the serious. The music is cluing us in, you see.

And it turns out that being beholden, duty, debts owed, and notions of family and belonging are massive themes here. As well as definitions of humanity, of who gets to be chattel. Of who gets to own the enacted tragedy.

Porthos rails and growls, and Bonnaire defends himself, claiming that the barbaric (“disgusting” - thanks, Athos) acts he’s perpetrating in the name of profit are “strictly business”. Not prejudice. Porthos spells it out for us, time and again: people are not belongings, everyone is free, no man has a right to own and dispose of another living soul. Except Bonnaire is. Except Athos has. Except the King and Richelieu do, and will. Arguably, these men who kill for duty, as Maria Bonnaire threatens for love (and is killed for revenge) are part of that same culture of disposable humanity.

The episode shows us this, asks us to consider a multi-faceted view of people and their motives and actions. People can be noble and be murderers. People can be friendly and polite, and ruthless killers. People can be charming and fun and human traffickers.

We have a problem in this fandom. A pretty big one, and frankly an old one too. Dumas, for example, seemed to be showing us an unredeemably monstrous Milady while simultaneously demonstrating that, in the society where she found herself, she had little choice - drown, or by killed for a witch, essentially. Tragic, noble, beautiful Athos drowns his sorrows under a nom de guerre, and charges at well-armed enemies in a bid to escape from a crime that d’Artagnan labels correctly as murder right from the get-go in the books. And in the show, Athos condemns Milady over and over for the sins that he himself commits, of killing at the command of the powers-that-be, forever drawn to and repulsed by a woman who shows him all-too-clearly what they both are, and have chosen to be. And yet certain facets of fandom cannot see Milady as anything but evil, and Athos as thoroughly blameless. So many adaptations (or perceptions of them) see Richelieu as nothing but a big old panto baddie and d’Artagnan as a beloved puppy who never did anything wrong. Hi. We have some things we need to address. Dumas gave us a raft of characters who are frankly horrible, selfish, violent people, every one of them flawed in some way, every one of them with issues they need to face, sins to atone for. We do the source material an injustice if we reduce them to simply Good Guys and Bad Guys.

And here, in response to an adaptation deliberately rendered for a modern audience, with dozens of layers in every interlocking scene and arc, people persist in seeing Bonnaire as a funny wee guy who was merely a bit greedy. But he’s funny and flash, so no real harm done, huh? Oh, he’s misguided, not evil! 

The late, great Terry Pratchett broke down millennia of debate by saying that evil starts by treating people as things. Oh, it may head elsewhere, become more granular and a matter of opinion, but actually it’s pretty simple: don’t treat people as commodities.

The people who watch that episode and come away uncritical Bonnaire stans stagger me. This one isn’t even subtle - not only does he leave his beloved wife to die; not only does he lie and cheat and slide away from accountability at every turn, but Porthos roars (and later mutters) an absolute and no-holds-barred, emotional and intellectual take-down of the ethical nadir, the moral pit that is perpetrating slavery. He outlines in pitiless detail what it really means to the individuals (“Men, women, and children!”). He show how the long-term effects of that abuse, even once freed, shorten a person’s life, have resounding repercussions through generations. And he must feel so alone - the others holding him back from hurting Bonnaire, Athos telling him “Yes, it’s horrible, but it’s legal, and we have our duty to take this man to the Cardinal,” before ducking out of said duty himself to go on an drinking binge epic even by his standards. The others are more sympathetic, but still follow the course set for them by their superiors.

I want to tell the Bonnaire fans: yeah, he’s supposed to be fun and funny. You’re supposed to pick up that people can be interesting and quirky and ABSOLUTELY, THOUGHTLESSLY EVIL. That evil isn’t just the simple, unattractive thuggery of Labarge et al, it’s men doing ruthless things for the good of their country or for profit or for love or for power. It’s people feeling desperate and it’s people feeling dutiful. It’s not any one thing (except, at root, commoditising people), and just because they sold the role, doesn’t mean that the actor didn’t understand that either.

This is the message that I want them to understand: evil can look pretty. Evil can be charming. Evil can seem absolutely harmless. Evil can make you laugh, feel flattered, feel affection, feel pity. Yes, there are moral grey areas in the world, but human trafficking is not, cannot, and will never be anything other than irredeemable savagery. Slavery is cruel and vile and inhumane. And just because something has never been condemned in law, does not mean it is justifiable if it diminishes lives.

And just because you find someone attractive does not mean they’re the good guy. Come on, now.

[weclassybouquetfun]

Awards season is inching to a close with the last gasp of screenings coming up the week of January 8th. My favourite movie of the year is SALTBURN and Amazon-MGM is holding three screenings of it on the same day to end its FYC run. The same night Disney finally remembers THE CREATOR exists and is having a screening/Q&A with its director Gareth Edwards.

Notable award season dates:

Jan. 6th-7th: The Creative Arts Emmys. This is the portion of the Emmys that awards the winners of the Outstanding Guest Star category. TED LASSO has four in this category: Three who have all been previously nominated for their roles on the show: Harriet Walter, Sarah Niles and Sam Richardson; and newbie Becky Ann Baker as Dottie Lasso.

If James Lance wasn't promoted to regular, surely he would have received and likely won a S3 nomination in this category.

James and his hair situation with his fellow voice-over artists for the BBC Radio 4 show "We Forced a Bot to Write This Show".

Jan. 7th: The Golden Globes

Prayer circles for Barry Keoghan and Rosamund Pike for their work in SALTBURN and TED LASSO, Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham.

Wed. Jan. 10: The SAG-AFTRA awards nominations

Sun. Jan 14th: The Critics Choice Awards . Hate that there was no love for TED LASSO and that SALTBURN actors and the script was ignored (but at least the artisans were recognized).

They were robbed!

Really pulling for Da'Vine Joy Randolph of THE HOLDOVERS, Charles Melton of MAY DECEMBER and for Young Actor/Actress, Milo Machada Graner for ANATOMY OF THE FALL.

If Milo wasn't this category, I would be rooting for THE HOLDOVERS' Dominic Sessa who is in the same category. Though, Sessa will very likely win.

Mon. Jan 15th: The Primetime Emmys. We have nods for Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Phil Dunster, nods for outstanding writing, directing, editing,production design, VFX, hairstyling, original music & lyrics and series. I am just hoping for some wins.

Thurs. Jan. 18th: The BAFTA Film Awards nominations.

Tues. Jan 23rd: The Academy Awards nominations

During this time Sundance Film Festival will be live (Jan 18th-28th) ,there we will likely get a couple of presumptive nominees for 2024-2025 film awards season.

Tues. Jan. 23: Academy Awards nominations. I'm a broken record. I'm all in on SALTBURN, especially hoping for nominations for Barry Keoghan and Rosamund Pike.; and one for Best Film. But as I was all in on BABYLON last year and it got goose eggs, no film should want me as a fan.

I'm hoping for JA Bayona's SOCIETY OF THE SNOW gets a nom and win for Best International.

And as France didn't submit ANATOMY OF A FALL (I assume there's too much English spoken for it to qualify), I hope it gets the same love last year's ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT received and it's put up for Best Picture.

Sun. Feb. 18: BAFTA Awards.

Sat. Feb. 24: Screen Actors Guild Awards

Sun. Feb. 25: Spirit AwardsSun. Mar. 10: Academy Awards

Then we pause until late April and Emmy season kicks right up again and we continue the dance.

[popentertainment-interviews]

Alan Cumming

As Host of The Traitors, the Multi-talented Star Brings a New Flamboyance to The Peacock Network's Hit Reality Game Show

by Brad Balfour

Not one to watch reality TV, I didn't really get what The Traitors (the US version) was all about. But since it was hosted by Alan Cumming, the gender fluid actor/artist, I was intrigued to hear him speak about the show. He's the host of the reality game show, which is based on De Verraders, the Dutch show created by Marc Pos and Jasper Hoogendoorn. 

Having completed two seasons, the offbeat American version features Cumming in flamboyant costumes making grand gestures and arch pronouncements as contestants in the game move into a majestic castle. As a result, Cumming has garnered an Emmy nom for Outstanding Host for A Reality or Reality Competition Program (The Traitors). This further enhances the show's impact – but hopefully positive results will be in when the 75th edition of The Emmys airs September 15th on ABC.

The contestants work as a team to complete a series of dramatic and challenging missions. All of this to earn money for the prize pot. Some contestants are loyal, some are traitors – all of them established characters from other reality series.

Cumming – born on January 27, 1965, in Aberfeldy, Scotland – has had a long and distinguished career. He's done everything from editing pop magazines, a cabaret show, dramatic TV series, various stage versions of Shakespeare's plays and many starring roles in award-winning films. And, according to IMDB.com, "he's able to flawlessly change his voice and appearance for each role."

Now as he tackles The Traitors reality show, as both host and a producer, Cumming creates a new icon to connect to the LGBTQ community. At a recent screening of an episode, he spoke about this series just in time for Pride Month and preceding the Emmy nominations.

Alan Cumming, what makes you such an incredibly fun host to watch is that, unlike a lot of other reality shows, you really get into character. You become part of the cast in so many ways. What were your thought processes in coming into the show and figuring out how to play the role that you do within Traitors?

When they first talked to me about it, this was unlike anything I've ever done before. I couldn't quite understand why they'd ask me, but it sort of sounded fun. My agent said, "Oh, there's some show in a castle and they want you to do it." I took the meeting and realized they wanted me to, in a way, subvert the form of hosting a show like this by playing that sort of character. Everyone does a version of themselves when they host something that's not very true. But in this [case], it was actually a version of me and it's a very down-to-east Scottish layout. [My dog] Lala wasn't allowed to come the first time because of her papers, or COVID or something. But I said, "Oh, I should take my dog and pet her like a James Bond villain." I thought of it, and I still think of it as a character that I play who happens to be hosting all these people in this castle, which happens to be being filmed for American TV. 

What makes the character so interesting is that for long-time fans of reality shows, you have a lot of personalities who are binary in nature and larger-than-life. That is why we watch them year after year, characters like C.T. and Adra, who have been on American television for decades. You somehow manage to out-character them in many ways. It's like navigating a lot of those personalities while playing that character.

In a way, it's because they have characters and they all come with their shtick. That's what's so interesting about doing it. The first series was comprised of half-real and half-reality people. Definitely, the people who are used to the camera and have an inbuilt persona already. They play themselves very well and understand the role they have to do. Then they're thrown into this thing where everything's destabilizing for them. I just guide them into situations that hopefully will destabilize them even more. That's what's fun about it. Everyone has a character in a way. 

I think we're used to C.T. or Phaedra or people we've known for years. We understand their characters. We're now associates getting to know my character in it. I'm the stern daddy of it all. It's interesting to play that role and also, to try to keep some distance from them – the cast – on set. I don't talk to them or do takes. I don't engage with them in a chummy way like you might in a normal [situation] when there's other cast members. I very much think it's important that I have authority. They're scared of me. Then, of course, now, after it's all done, I can be like a normal person with them. I think you find that really overwhelming. They all came to my bar as it was when they were here earlier in the year doing the press thing. It was so hilarious. It was like them seeing Father Christmas having a drink or something.

That's the sign of a good host – that they're scared of you. 

They should be scared of me because I've got to reprimand them sometimes. There's a lot of things, obviously, that are captured in the show that I've got in those situations where I've really got to intervene. My word is law. It's great fun. Clearly, I'm a terrifying figure, but I don't think I'm scary. Also, I don't take any shit. I know how to play a scary person. I'm fair but firm in real life. 

Part of what makes The Traitors so unique is that in so many other reality shows, both competition and lifestyle, there's no real setting other than the competition. You go to Survivor Island and do this thing. Or, if you look at Real Housewives, it is their real-life kind of, from time to time. Here, you have this beautiful gothic backdrop. A lot of the events, whether it's the funeral or going to a cemetery, feels very theatrical – and creepy. We're almost subverting the narrative of what this type of show format really is while also being [true] to the format. 

What I think is liberating is the theatricality of it. Everyone in television is very scared of theatricality. If you ever try to pitch a show to a TV executive, the word "theater" or "theatrical" is poison to them. It's very liberating that theatricality is in its very DNA. It's gothic and camp in the true sense of the term. American people sometimes don't have the same understanding of what camp means to British people. What we're doing on the trade is camp. There's an annoyingness to it, an archness of theatricality, and a winking at the audience all the time about what it is. 

There's me in those insane costumes in this castle saying, "Welcome to my castle." We're bringing all these nutty personalities out of their comfort zones and then making them do insane things and pitting them against each other. It's so amped up already in a sort of gothic [manner] of what it's trying to do. The core of it is just a game. All those shows – as I've discovered now in my crash course in reality competition television over the last couple of years – are basically the same. 

Survivor is the same as RuPaul's Drag Race is the same as the chef one. They're all people doing things and then slowly one person gets put out and then they have to hold. Then there's intrigue. Basically, it's just like schoolyard games of pushing one person out until it's just the next thing. In a way, what's good about this is that that's all it is. But it's got all these psychological layers that I think people underestimate. Also, you're in a castle and they're maddened, these contestants, because they're not allowed to pick up their phones. They're not allowed to talk to each other. All they think about from morning to night is the show and the game. And they go nuts. It's great. 

We mentioned something, this idea of camp in the British sense of the term. Not necessarily what we think of it as evidenced by the Met Gala themes.

The theme was a good idea. People just didn't understand it.

The Traitors has a British counterpart. There was a version of this before the U.S. version. What's your take on what had to change within the format for a different audience, or if there had to be any changes, because television has become so much more globalized? Audiences are more open and receptive to different types of formats of television and different types of humor. 

I don't really know how to answer that question. I saw some of the first season of the British one. It's not as camp and theatrical as ours. I think this is probably the first time in television history that an American version of the show is more camp and theatrical than the British one. I think that's me, in my opinion. But I feel like, in a funny way, we were able to have more leeway in that department. That's partly down to the costumes and Sam Spector, the stylist – he and I had an idea of the character I wanted to play. 

[The British host] Claudia Winkelman has such a lovely personality and a lovely way in which she deals with people. They have real people, as well. They don't have celebrities. It's all a bit toned down and quite British. Whereas we were able – partly because it was a new show and partly because of the costume thing and me being this character – we've amped it up. It's got this higher level of theatricality built into it. I think sometimes other countries try to do that. But I don't think they're quite as nuts as we are. I know that now there's something someone said, "Claudia does your thing when she throws a picture on the floor now." I was like, "Yes, you bitch, throw away my little picture." But it's kind of funny. Sometimes I see little clips of people from other countries' versions. It's like, "Oh, it seems like it's sort of a fever dream." You know vaguely what they're talking about, but the circumstances are all different. 

Going to the opposite of toned down, your outfits on the show are probably some of the best parts of it. They somehow get even more fabulous and glamorous every episode.  How involved are you with choosing the outfits versus someone else? 

Well, very involved. I talk to Sam all the time. especially in the first season, because I said I wanted to be this dandy Scottish laird. You know what a laird means? It's like lord in a Scottish accent, a Scottish dandy, an aristocratic gent. To me, that means a lot of tartan, a lot of cloaks might be featured, things like that. I went to him with that idea and those sorts of things. Then he ran with it. We go back and forward. Then the second season, we were able to amp it up a bit. He themed the missions with my clothes. There's one with birds. I just have a funny big peacock on my hat and stuff like that. For the next one, I'm about to go and do it again. It's amped up again, more about layering things. 

I have this great relationship with him. We text all the time. He sends some stuff to me, just ideas and things to improve. I think we're going more and more and bigger and bigger. I think surely, they're going to stop us soon. But one thing I really do like about it is that – in terms of if we think about what's happening in America and the way that trans people and non-binary people are facing lots of hatred and challenges – me, in this show as a middle-aged man, I'm being quite femme-y and wearing a lot of practically feminine female clothes. What's really interesting is to be able to do that in a mainstream way, and challenge people's perceptions of what male and female is, and maybe be a bit in the middle. 

Hopefully, when the audience sees someone in the street who is non-binary or non-gender conforming, they won't be as shocked or horrified. They'll see me in a fanny dress and a cloak the night before. That's a really positive, accidental thing that's come out of this theatricality of the costumes. One of the things that didn't make it is ... I saw it today in my dressing room in my house because I was doing a fitting for some little film I'm doing. I opened this cupboard in the last episode of the last season. It was all on this big ship, which was another story because we had a hideous storm, and it was like "Triangle of Sadness." It really was. I was vomiting into a metal bowl. I'll never forget it. Thank you. And bon appetit. But there was a funny little hat that had a little galleon on it with sails. It was hilarious. It was this Tracy-esque sort of thing. Absolutely bonkers. So impractical and nuts. It was on theme for the thing. But it was so windy that day that it kept falling off my head. Now I have it as a little memory. 

As hosts, you are effectively the audience of the show. We're seeing a lot of the things that you're seeing and your commentary throughout the challenges is both biting and reflective of how we're thinking. One of the themes that emerges in this episode you all saw as well leads up to this idea with these contestants, of gamers, those who have been on competitive reality shows and the non-gamers – what they refer to as the bravo, basically anyone that sits up and has fancy wine as part of their show. Is there a core advantage to one side or the other?

No, it was the funeral episode. The funeral. Yeah, hilarious. But I just love that because I liked it. As the series went on, they showed me more of me laughing. Obviously, it's Pedro falling in the water. I just loved seeing how he's always getting wet.

Who doesn't? 

Who doesn't? But the thing I think about that, I thought was really interesting about the second season – this truly has been a crash course for me – I'm really at the center of it and I can experience it. I feel that a lot of people said that "Oh, the gamers, they know how to do this, the survivors, the big brothers, the CT did." The challenge, yeah. The perception is they are devious, and they know how to do this game, whereas the outsiders are, oh, you know. That's not true. It was proven wrong in this season because – like, who was the one who worked it all out, blew it in his execution of it – was the cutie little bachelor, Rafaela Peet. So, you know, the other non-gamer. That to me was really exciting because I loved when our perception about the game was just smashed. Although I guess two gamers did win, but you know ... it didn't necessarily mean it was because of their game win. It's that somebody had to win. I think it's really interesting. It's a much more level playing field. Also, it's a game of chance. You're a traitor because I tap you on the shoulder.  

That's why I loved it when, a couple of weeks in, they're going mental. They're like, "I could never be a traitor." I go, "You would if I tapped you on the shoulder." That's why the show is so good. It really screws with people's minds, with the psychological, and the hurt and guilt that people get as well. The guilt [comes from] lying to your friends and everything. It's layer upon layer of awfulness. Having seen people in physical distress, it's always hilarious. 

In the first episode of this [season], as you're walking around, you're going to pick the traitors. You do it a few times, and there's conversation afterwards amongst the cast members about the sound of your jacket rustling as you lift an arm. Or your footsteps and the sound of breathing happening. How did you approach that moment of, "I need to make this as secretive as possible?"

It was absolutely the most terrifying part of the whole thing. I could fuck it up immensely in one fell swoop if they heard me or something. There were more of them this year. I do all sorts of things. The first year, we filmed a thing where I touched every single person. We've got the close-up of my hand going on the thing. We filmed that first. They've got an idea of what it feels like to be touched. Then we go round and round and round and round. In terms of the rustling, I would do this. Right in front of their ears. It's so fun.  

I really enjoy it; it's the scariest part because I have a thing in my ear all the time. I can hear in the control room. When we're inside the castle, they're all in the control room, which is like NASA. It really is insane. I could feel the tension because it was the first thing of the show. Obviously, it's very tense in the room. When you're blindfolded, your other senses get much more aware. So it's really, really scary. I'm trying to get in and just do it without touching anything. I was just talking with Sam, the stylist, this week about what I was going to wear for that bit. Of course, there were things on my lapels. I thought that would be terrible if you heard them. You have to be really conscious of stuff like that. It's because everyone's senses are so heightened. But it is exciting and terrifying. 

Out of all of your friends or celebrities that you know, who do you think would be great on a season of The Traitors? And what would you have more fun with or which role would you think would be better – a traitor or a faithful?

I would like to be a traitor. I think everybody would like to be a traitor. It's just getting to go to the turret late at night and think who you're going to kill. I just think it's such fun. They get extra snacks when they go to the turret sometimes. But I don't know. Some people really don't want to be like that. That's why we do this thing now when I interview them. It's just hilarious. Lala and I are sitting there, and they come in one at a time, and they're really terrified. Some people are adamant they don't want to be a traitor. 

Of course, that's actually quite a good idea to make them a traitor when they're doing that. That's what I love about the game, is all these weird, confounding things you can do. Some people very much do think, well, you're not going to. It's actually really interesting, the mix of people that we choose for the show is all based on a lot of factors. But in terms of people that I know, we were just talking about her actually. 

I think Martha Stewart would be so good at it. She's so bossy and sort of strategic and so accomplished and everything. She would make that raft. She would get that catapult going. And, also, I just think she would be at home in a castle. So there's people like that. But I love those people who come on the show. I don't know who they are. 

Copyright ©2024 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: July 22, 2024.

Photo #1 by Brad Balfour © 2024. All rights reserved.

Photos #2 & 3 © 2024 Ralph Bavaro and Euon Cherry. Courtesy of Peacock. All rights reserved.

[ironyadays]

About Monster High the Movie 2

Ok so I know it's been a couple of weeks ever since the Monster High live action sequel released, and whilst I did enjoy the movie and had a nice time while watching it, there is a specific topic regarding it that I can't stop thinking about it, and probably my biggest issue with the movie and its writing: The movie's allegory of witchcraft and queerness

Ok so first and foremost, I want to preface this by stating that this wasn't exactly an issue of mine regarding the first Monster High Live Action movie. The first movie establishes a metaphor that seems to be the key point of what will be the entire Live Action franchise, the idea that monsters are an allegory for BIPOC communities and humans are a metaphor for whiteness.

And even if some moments weren't laid out exactly the best way, and even if it definitely can't escape the problems every other DCOM or NOM has writingwise, the metaphor the movie was going for works in a way: Clawdeen's struggles represents the situation of biracial individuals struggling to find their place both among white communities and BIPOC communities, and with Komos' story and how it stems from his father being killed by humans due to the rejection of monsters to include him in their community and in their safe spaces as their own kind, it kind of nails into the idea of biracial kids belonging in BIPOC spaces as well, especially due to the lack of safety among white spaces. And especially, looking at the fact clawdeen has been mostly "monster presenting" for her entire life, it could be especially read as the situation of non whitepresenting biracial kids and maybe even some sort of criticism against the one drop rule and adjacent beliefs. Of course you can agree more or less with the way the movie handles this message's execution, but at the end of the day, the message is there and there are no elements in universe that contradict it.

The second movie though

Similarly, the second movie goes for an overarching allegory that is, personally, quite direct in its execution. Having the element of witchcraft been introduced during the first movie, the second movie develops into what witchcraft exactly entails in this universe, and especially leans of the idea that, if monsters are an allegory of POC and humans are an allegory of whiteness, witchcraft is an allegory of queerness, which essentially would make Draculaura an allegory of the experiences of queer children of color (the most obvious evidence being the "going back into the broomcloset" line).

At first glance, I had the same positive outlook for this allegory as I did while watching the first movie: the way draculaura describes witchcraft she does it as an irrepressible part of herself, and the character of Zamara would represent the danger that exclusively white queer spaces can pose, sometimes, for queer individuals of color, and that POC spaces can't marginalise them and leave them exposed to danger. Kind of reminding me about what certain figures like James Baldwin discussed regarding queer white men in comparison to queer black men.

However, when I rewatched the movie after discussing it with a mutual of mine, @lesbianemivanda, I realised one thing that made me have a PRETTY big issue with how this allegory is done. The way witchcraft is portrayed in the second movie versus the first one, it makes it seem as if witches are inherently dangerous and hated by themselves, not ostrasiced just as an "extension of humans". And especially Toralei's character is the one who causes the most harm to this allegory.

If we go back to the first movie, witchcraft is stated to be a dirty practice from humans. The way it is described especially after Draculaura is caught by Clawdeen and Frankie and with the interactions between Dracula and Draculaura during the end of the movie, the general implication we kind of get is that, whilst the war between vampires and witches is mentioned, witchcraft is hated because it is seen as an extension of humankind and thus, monsters associate it with humans. But never because of perceiving exclusively the craft as something harmful against monsters.

Now, what do we get in the first half an hour of the second movie?? Toralei waltzes in after coming back from Scaris and states that she hates witches, and after showing her scars left from having been the victim of a coven that tortured and tried to kill her and her pack, which kind of already bases her beliefs on trauma, she even goes as far as to explain how a lot of witch elements like wraith silver are inherently dangerous and lethal to monsters, to the point to imply they were created specifically with the pursuit of harming and potentially killing them. The same Toralei who is shown passive-aggressively stating that she deems Clawdeen as a human, yet never in the entire movie makes any move against her or any other HuMons, is shown to actively despise witches and establish them, not human witches or even just humans, but witches in general, as an absolute threat to monsterkind.

And the worst part about this? Zamara actually reveals at the latter part of the movie that she was the one who essentially caused Draculaura to develop an interest in witchcraft, essentially spying her and manipulating her from the shadows to execute her plan to kill all vampires. An idea that I definitely consider something that actively hindered this movie's allegory because it kind of implies draculaura was "taunted" into liking witchcraft (the way several conservative outlets will state that queer media "indoctrinates" children to become queer) and maybe not even being a true part of herself, it was such an unnecessary moment and it just causes harm to the overall message.

So essentially the movie, even if it wasn't its intention, proved that Toralei's beliefs and prejudice against witches and witchcraft, whilst it's being simultaneously represented it as an irrepressible part of some people, about it being a dangerous craft meant to target and seek harm upon monsters, were based on reason, and she was right. The last point you would like to make in a movie allegorically about prejudice against minorities of any kind.

It is absolutely saddening to see this because this is a very much important discussion to be had among queer and poc communities, where many queer poc feel ostracised and left out of their communities out of homophobia and transphobia, a lot of times under the guise that queerness is a "white thing" or at least a "western thing". The fact that the only monster we see interact with witchcraft is Draculaura, whilst every other witch is human, the fact that Toralei specifically is disdainful of witchcraft essentially out of trauma and several other arguments the very same movie gives validity to, and Zamara essentially having been behind Draculaura being interested in witchcraft all this time, all of this gives me such a sour taste to what could have been a rounded and exquisite allegory for the experiences of queer BIPOC.

And no, having Ellis AT THE VERY LAST MOMENT stop his mom to save Draculaura's life doesn't change this, this is just a "not all white people" moment rather than anything. If we had been shown other monsters who practiced witchcraft who had to live in hiding in the human world, constantly at the danger of being targeted, because they aren't welcome in monster spaces, it would have been a very much lovely element that would reinstate that witchcraft is a part of who these individuals are, that should not be repressed, and that is not some kind of trend or a "human thing". In that circumstance, Ellis doing what he does, even after being part of his mother's plan to kill Draculaura, and then changing his mind to save her life would have felt absolutely different, but alas, this isn't the case.

So yeah, TL; DR, whilst I consider absolutely great that they went with the route to use witchcraft as a way to code queer poc experiences, I feel like the allegory wasn't done exactly the best way, to the point in universe it is quite easy to excuse the bigotry against witches in comparison to the bigotry against HuMons in the first movie.

Extra: To end in a more positive note, if we are talking about the Monster High second live action movie, I have to say the last conversation between Clawdeen and Toralei was absolutely wonderful and I can't stop thinking about the "We're were-creatures Wolf. We share the moon" line while Toralei traces Clawdeen's scar, and Clawdeen just saying "I guess we do" THIS IS TOO CUTE.