#like that does not affect my life

[harrylights]

.

#i’m just :( #i’ve managed to keep this site a well curated alcove of love and safety and happiness and it sucks that sm people i respected have like #so much bitterness in their hearts and a willful desire to misunderstand ppl #i can’t get over that post saying that he OWES it to ‘the gays’ to come out #that fr just makes me so sad to see confirmation that ppl think that way #ik i shouldn’t let it affect me this much but this month has been rough and it doesn’t seem to take much to ruffle me these days #and like #he is just such a constant source of joy and love like #idc if he never comes out publicly #like that does not affect my life #he still represents being oneself unapologetically and with love #and that’s all that rly matters to me at the end of the day #that’s part of what makes me admire him sm #even if he was straight i’d feel the same way but you have to be a fucking idiot to think that at this point i’m sorry #but again it doesn’t!!!!! matter!!!!!!!!!! #ppl’s private lives are theirs to do w as they please and god knows harry barely has any privacy any more #i wish ppl would just go to therapy instead of shitting on someone who is a ray of fucking sunshine and happiness to so many people #ugh #guess i’ll just go listen to ALBUM OF THE YEAR and maybe cry a bit and work on my harry drawing and maybe i’ll calm down #i hope ppl smarten up soon tho fuck

[tubbytarchia]

I don't know what this is all I know is that LimL Joel makes me really emotional

#I know he has a tendency to go deranged on his red lives but idk something about him beginning to lose it after Jimmy died and killing Grian #joel smallishbeans #smallishbeans fanart #trafficblr #Again its his red life shenanigans but... If only Jimmy had known how affected someone was by his death. I'm choosing to believe this #and him then going out like a sad pathetic wet cat even with Grian's sacrifice... He really deserves a win one of these days lmao please #Also I cant stop thinking about how Jimmy wouldn't have left him. Grian was sensible to and most players probs would have #Joel really does become a lost cause so its fair and Grian did still care (and went to say goodbye as well as sacrifice his time for him) #But Jimmy would have stuck by even if Joel were in this state (and they'd both get themselves killed pathetically but) #And Joel having shown such genuine care for Jimmy and concern over his limited time... man anything w Jimmy makes me so emotional lol #I love them so #oh Ig about the art itself. I dont like it but hey thats how it tends to go when you try smth new. And no shame in trying #but if one person likes this then yayy I will still feel accomplished and happy #Im looking at this again and hey its not that bad actually yay I love to approve of my own art. self love hell yea #tubby art

[icewindandboringhorror]

I know this is just a silly bad quality random screencap of a screencap that I found on facebook lol, BUT it's a succinct enough image to easily describe the concept in a quick/accessible way hopefully :

-

(and of course, feel free to elaborate in tags, etc.! (especially elaborating about other senses as well.. can you "hear" in your mind just as well as you can "see"? taste? etc.) It's an interesting topic to me, as someone who's like a 4.5 at MOST lol. I'm curious what option will be the most common :0c )

#tumblr polls #hrmm... a little poll perhaps.. about a subject I find interesting.. since this image came across my facebook today #still really not feeling that well. no longer shaking violently and such but I still feel weird and weak much more than usual #They did say my markers for like infection or inflammation were elevated but that they werent sure of the cause so hopefully #it's nothing too serious. they did also say a lot of different things can cause that thing to be higher than normal but didn't go into spec #fics of what. maybe some of them are relatively benign or something. I still havent felt much back to normal since #I got really sick that one time though. I feel fine on and off but then little bouts of feeling weird and sick happen. hrmmm #ANYWAY.. looking for small ways to be productive. such as little doodles on evil ipad or editing game videos #or posting polls or cat pictures or some other like not very labor intensive things #I WISH I COULD FOCUS on writing HHRGGhh... I need to finish my game.. it would be so freeing.. a project that's been looming #over my head for like 5 years even though througouht that 5yrs I've probably spent a total of 3 months working on it lo.. ANYWAY #I still partially really cannot beleive that people CAN see stuff in their heads. There's always part of me that's thinking like. well mayb #e everyone DOES see the same exact thing but we just describe/conceptualize it so differently that we think we're talking about #different things when we're really not. But I have been assured by people I've talked to about it that they can GENUINELY really see #stuff in their heads like as vivid as an actual picture in real life or something. And the other senses are neat too. Like for exmaple I #can hear in my head much better than I can see imagery. I still CANNOT hear vividly like as if I were listening to actual music out loud.. #but I think it's developed more than my sight. AND interesting how this varies the creative process. a friend I was talking to on the phone #said they write by literally just watching stuff play before them like a movie. where my process is COMPLETELY different. AND that affects #the content/what details we focus on as well as our individual styles of writing have differences that can be traced back to that.. hrmm

[uncanny-tranny]

I've found the same people who claim a trans person is making being trans their "whole personality" are the same people who quite literally cannot see past a person's transness - in fact, that's the only thing they will see.

#trans #transgender #lgbt #lgbtq #ftm #mtf #nonbinary #it's funny how that works /s #but like... not going to lie i've probably made being a smash bros. peach main more my personality more than i made being trans it lmao #like does being trans affect a TON of shit in my life? yes. do i talk about it? only here ngl not irl. is it my personality? not really. #being trans is like. my little clay sculpture i throw on a wheel and fuck around with and then i'll walk away for as long as i need to #so if you're worried about ~making trans your personality~ i promise you most likely are not #but even if it's the case that being trans is like your personality who tf should care enough to stop you y'know?

[manygreetingsfriend]

i’m sooooooo normal about the god of war series. so incredibly normal i liked it a normal amount and would be so chill talking about it. don’t worry about the sign

#god of war #i’m so so so so so normal about it it’s so whatever it’s so haha you know #something something when it comes to yourself you’ll let yourself drown before you change. you’ll die before you change who you’ve become #to survive this long #up to and until it affects the ones you’ve come to love in this life you’ve made for yourself and you suddenly have no choice but to change #it’s fine it’s ok it’s chill. everyone does this. #it’s becoming a parent and loving your child so much you HAVE to change. you HAVE to be better #we MUST be better. than they were. #who’s they. our parents. the gods that come before us. yes. #i’m screaming i’m crying i’m wasting away im disintegrating. there’s no coming back there no return #you are on your knees. you are gripping your son’s shoulders like they’re the only thing keeping you tethered to the earth. #you are struggling with who you are and who you want to become. you are promising to be better. #i’m so normal about parent(al figures) taking responsibility for their actions and choosing to do better #i’m not high enough to really express what’s going on here. can you feel it? can you fucking feel it? #this series has destroyed me. #dad of boy. dad(s) of boy. i will never be the same (affectionate) #can’t remember the last time i finished a series and went ‘oh well i’ve GOT to play it again Now That I Know’ #AND I HAVENT EVEN TALKED ABOUT THE BROTHER HULDRA!!!!!!!!! #sindri’s face. has not left my memory #i’m dying scoob #gow #gowr

[fictionadventurer]

...Is Persuasion home-front fiction?

Obviously there's not a war happening just then, but you still get a story taking place in a vast world with all sorts of exciting things happening, but we focus on the people living small domestic lives far away from all that.

#persuasion #jane austen #i keep thinking about that cinderella retelling #getting pretty excited about how things are developing #but then it hit me that i have this vast world of flying sailing ships and explorers and daring pilots #but the story is all about a character who's left behind in ordinary life away from all that #so like isn't that a waste of a world? #on the one hand maybe #but on the other hand the austen type of stories i'm drawing from already *are* this #(and my mc does get a bit of adventure) #(and has been shaped by experience in the more exciting elements of that world) #(plus there's nothing wrong with focusing on how all the changes brought about by the exciting explorers and airships stuff) #(affects the culture of ordinary life) #adventures in writing

[froqpi-art]

new gen lore according to twitter (sorry wish i had a better source haha)

according to japanese fans, in the extra information in vol. 27, gen seems to have?? a rare condition in which the organs are reversed (visceral inversion).

#according to wikipedia it doesn’t actually affect the body much except perhaps cardiac issues #which may explain why he always seems out of shape haha #also ppl r saying the senku found out when gen got attacked my magma #also that petrification basically saved him (so does that mean his health was bad?) #but idk if that’s from the vol 27 info or fan speculation #if his health WAS bad ppl say that may be why he likes junk food so much #cuz he didn’t care if he knew he didn’t have a full healthy life #anyways things to think about #i hope we can get a good source/translation soon! #plz correct me if i’m wrong! #i haven’t seen ppl talk about it on tumblr so i thought i should bring over the info #dr stone #not art

[total-drama-brainrot]

Alenoah, where Noah cares about Alejandro, more than Alejandro's family did:

Noah: I will now torture you.

Alejandro: Kinky!~

Noah: I think you are brilliant and beautiful.

Alejandro: Wait!

Noah: You deserve to be cared for and loved, despite your mistakes.

Alejandro: No!

Noah: Your feelings and needs are valid, and deserve to be heard.

Alejandro: I need a safeword! 😳

Real.

#almost went on a whole rant here about how alejandro wouldn't know how to process unconditional care and support-- #for himself as a person instead of the praise he receives for his persona/mask/“charming” act #and also how this ties in to him being starved for genuine affection/love which is why it's so ironic shipping him with noah of all people #since noah is not the type to show a lot of affection. at least not publicly- and even when he does it's usually veiled behind a layer of-- #sarcasm and/or prickliness. he's like a hedgehog. #but noah WOULD absolutely break out the big guns once he's realised just how fucked up alejandro's home life and subsequent psyche is #“i am going to hurt you emotionally” #“do your best” #“i love and cherish you as a person and expect nothing in return. i care about you and your feelings. you're my top priority.” #cue alejandro ugly crying into a tub of ice cream #noah's trying to comfort him (awkwardly) but it's making it worse because noah caring about him even at his worst is The Issue #alejandro gets to have a breakdown over finally having a healthy relationship. as a treat. #total drama #td alejandro #td noah #alenoah #others' ideas #ophe's ranting in the tags again #replies

[thebisexualwreckoning]

Yk my family may not be perfect but at least despite the fact that literally everyone in my family is technically disabled(except my brother. He’s an outlier) we don’t park in the disabled parking space because we are still able enough to walk the five minutes from our parking spot to the ikea. If WE, people who are disabled, can walk 5 mins so that people who can’t can park in the disabled spot then YOU, the able bodied person, definitely can

#disability #disability talk #I am fucking tired of able bodied people taking disabled spots #disabled people need them for a reason #disabilities #disabled #disabled people #disability rights #like fucking walk bitch #cuz some people can’t and they need that more than you #I’m not saying actual disabled people should give up parking spots because they think they’re disabilities aren’t serious enough #this only applies to able bodied people #the reason my family and I don’t take them is because while we are disabled it does not affect our life in a major manner #and we can still walk around #albeit with a little pain #but that’s worth it so that people who can’t can also exist in spaces they have a right to exist in

[wonder-worker]

"The newly widowed Elizabeth (Woodville) was exceptionally vulnerable. Several of the trustees responsible for her jointure refused to hand over the manors that were meant to sustain her in her widowhood. Moreover, her brother-in-law, Edward Grey, had seized estates that her son Thomas should have inherited from his paternal grandfather, while her mother-in-law’s new young husband, Sir John Bourchier, had prevailed on Lady Ferrers to settle her principal properties on them jointly for life, ensuring that Thomas would have to wait far longer for this inheritance too. Rivers and Scales were pardoned in July 1461 and swiftly moved into the Yorkist establishment, which perhaps explains the success of the chancery suits Elizabeth launched to regain her jointure. Her son’s inheritance proved harder to recover. By 1463, Rivers was often in (Edward IV's) company and on his council, but Elizabeth needed someone with much stronger influence over the King. She turned to a distant kinsman, William, Lord Hastings, the King’s chamberlain. Hastings drove a very hard bargain for his aid but it was probably amid these negotiations that the King’s desire for Elizabeth was kindled."

-J.L. Laynesmith, "Elizabeth Woodville: the Knight's Widow", "Later Plantagenet and Wars of the Roses Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty"

#historicwomendaily #elizabeth woodville #Elizabeth really had terrible in-laws #And these people weren't even the worst of them - that particular award goes to Richard of Gloucester #As complicated as her first widowhood sounds it was a breeze compared to the literal nightmare she went through during her second. #Honestly though: part me wonders what Elizabeth's first marriage was like because we know absolutely nothing about it. #The marriage itself is a blank slate but the fact that her husband's parents & siblings were so indifferent and uncooperative #to her - and their own kid-grandchildren?? - after he died indicates that his family may have been rather dysfunctional imo? #Certainly they (or most of them) don't seem to have cared about the wellbeing or dignity of his young and newly widowed wife which #doesn't exactly suggest closeness or support during the marriage itself from their end. #Elizabeth doesn't mention John Gray in her deathbed will either though she mentions Edward IV. She may have thought it was #'inappropriate' to mention her first husband beside her significantly higher-ranked second husband...but she DOES mention her son by #her first marriage - which would have drawn attention to it anyway - alongside her royal daughter so that's unlikely to have been a reason. #Maybe it was simply the passage of time? She and John had been married for very few years and she lived such a different life after that #So it's possible that her first marriage simply seemed very distant and faraway to her. #Alternatively it may have simply been undivided affection for Edward IV (her husband of 19 years who she married for love) #which fits well into the relatively personal nature of her will. #Of course we don't actually know anything about any of this and this is all pure wild speculation on my end...but I'm curious. #It's really a shame how little we actually know about Elizabeth's life - made worse by the very limited primary records of Edward IV's #reign and the fact that his chamber records don't survive. And it's even more frustrating that this is so rarely actually acknowledged #by historians. I'd argue we know far more about the life & interests of most other 'prominent' women of the Wars of the Roses #(sans the Neville sisters) than we do about Elizabeth Woodville.

[thedeafprophet]

my last comment for the night is sharing the scenario in my head of one of the very rare times the princess and jamie fall asleep at the same time and jamie wakes up first and has to expeirence what it must be like to be an overly squeezed teddy bear

...and the princess subsequently being EXTREMELY embaressed when she wakes up and realizes she was *shudders* cuddling

#the princess is so strong and she is Not letting go #jamie is like 'well i guess this is my life now' #.... and maybe does enjoy the closeness. they are so pathetic and desperate for affection lmao #jamie and the princess

[lokittystuckinatree]

2 months later almost to the day and I’m still literally sobbing into my pillow about the Shakespearean tragedy that was Sylki

#I’m a strange mix of pissed and heartbroken and frustrated and confused and bitter and bittersweet #it’s like my own breakup #Sylki #now I’m seeing people argue that Sylvie doesn’t love Loki back anymore or even in the first place???? really???? #it’s in written and live interviews that she LOVES him like no one she’s ever known #by the end of season 2 she is emotionally glued to him the way she was in season one #is Lokis love of her more obsessive and codependent and unconditional to the point of being unhealthy? #yes. #does she still love him as deeply as someone with her level of attachment and trust issues and stunted emotions physically can? #yesssss #stop the mental gymnastics #they just have realistic attachment styles #and she needs to be warmed up to opening herself and her life and heart to people and coaxed into a relationship like a feral cat #while Loki glomps onto anyone that shows him affection like a touch starved baby monkey #I feel like the only one who freaking GETS them

[leezuhh]

it's crazy to me that there are people out there who still think that media and fiction do not affect how people think at all

#like that whole 'does fiction affect reality?' debate is so stupid to me cuz it's like #i mean just think about it for a second. what is propaganda? what did jaws do for people's perceptions of sharks? #i think studying the effect that popular media and fiction has on people in real life is really interesting #and it's crazy to me that there are people on the internet who think that it genuinely doesn't #like umm shoutout vit sisler for his paper 'digital arabs' i just read it for my game studies class and it's super interesting #about like orientalization how western shooter games' usage of middle eastern/muslim stereotypes as enemies created both a negative - #- stereotype for people who arent in that group and how it negatively affects the mental health and self-image of the people who are #also shoutout stuart hall and richard dyer they're really cool people and also have some super interesting papers on how representation - #- in media affects people's IRL perceptions of certain groups #i know online this focus tends to lean on that whole shipping discussion but i think it's more worthwhile to look at it on a wider scale #because 'does fiction affect reality?' is not just a 'fandom ship war' discussion it's like. the basis for many fields of study #anyways umm #liza post #actually this is more like a #liza ramble #i love tumblr bc i can write a one sentence post and put my body paragraphs in the tags #it's really late and i am tired ‼️ i wish i could be more concise i just adore my game studies class and visual culture studies in general

[takumishu]

Just going to accept that I'm gonna have a permanent "Ugh, well fine, whatever" reaction to RFTA Edgeworth because honestly the direction they took for his character works in some ways I do find interesting, and does not work in others. And by others I mean please stop comforting and reassurring him and let there be weight to his actions here narratively.

#send post #c: Edgeworth #It's not that ''character did not do specific bad thing they were accused of and the focus is more on their enthusiastic #participation in a violent status quo rather than specific individual wrongs'' can't work. Like it does work in theory. And it especially #does w a lot of who Edgeworth is as a person and professionally being affected by him being a public figure and him taking care to try and #balance a moral compass and controlling his image and his own sense of justice; him being target to an especially nasty rumour mill and thi #contributing to his drastic complete disappearance from the public eye works and makes sense. #I just feel like there's something lost if every character is reacting to him like ''but you didn't know so it's fine!'' every time he beat #himself up regarding what he's participated in? Like sure ultimately the fact that he had to leave and work on himself and he came back a #new man is the narrative saying ''yeah there was something wrong going on here'' but it undermines the feeling of This is His Fault and He #Still Did Bad when he's the only one saying it. Then to the audience it feels more like exaggerated guilt and self-hatred rather than guilt #based on something Actual that he did wrong even if he wasn't the sole perpetrator; or even a willing one! Bc yadda yadda participating in #the system as it is without inclination towards change or moving against it makes its crimes your own. #Silver-lining is he really had the worst time of his life and I love watching him suffer (affectionate) so I had that at least #I definitely put my foot down when Lana said ''It was us who acted corruptly not you'' though like we were almost there... you almost had #it and then you said this at the eleventh hour and now I have to grumble about this lol

[backpackingspace]

thinking about that post that was "all hannibal thought (on the way down from the cliff) was that he was holding the man he loved. With that in mind:

Hannibal would give up anything if will start holding his hand

#Hannibal #Nbc hannibal #Like does hannibal want will to murder with him absolutely #But would between will hugging him regularly Mayne petting his hair a little and murder the affection wins out #The pipe line between this is a fun new plaything and I desperately love him was a steep quick slope for hannibal #hannibal lecter #will graham #hannigram #Will I didn't fucking ask for this but I guess this is my life now #Okay but hannibal just clining to will while wills at work #Jack so uh what's going on with all this #Will 100% serious if I stop touching him he's going to murder everyone I care about #Jack thinking it's another dark hunor thing never pegged you as the possessive type Dr. Lecturer

[padfootastic]

summary: from euphemia to james to sirius to harry to lily luna—traditions passed down through the generations of potters. love in the form of feeding your people, aloo paranthas as a labor of love etc etc

a labor of love

(also on ao3!)

August, 1970

“Jamie, breakfast’s ready!”

Loud steps thundered around the house as her ten year old raced down the stairs. Euphemia didn’t even bother to reprimand him at this point—she knew it was a pointless endeavour. Instead, she made sure the safety charms on the staircase were always updated.

“HiMumGoodMorningWhatsForBreakfast,” James’ words came out in one single whoosh of air and it was only because this was her child that she had extensive experience with that she could decode what he was saying.

She smiled gently while placing the plate in front of him. “Aloo parantha, honey.”

“Yesss,” James hissed in pleasure, a quick fist pumped in the air, before bending forward with his nose mere millimetres away from the paranthas.

Euphemia swapped the back of his head with a ‘tsk’. “James. How many times have I told you not to smell your food? You’re not a dog.”

“Ma, you don’t get it, okay. It smells so good,” he replied with a goofy, cross-eyed expression. “Seriously, whenever I go to heaven, I just know it’ll smell like fried potato and ghee and coriander. Life can’t get any better than this.”

Euphemia could only smile at the innocent look of wonder on her son’s face as he tore a piece off to stuff it in his mouth, hoping it always stayed there. If she had to keep making him aloo paranthas every morning to keep it there, she’d happily do so. 

August, 1976

Sirius huddled closer into the wall, pulling his knees up to his chest and trying to count his breaths so he didn’t go so fast anymore.

It was some ungodly time of the day and he was sitting on the floor, pressed right up against the corner of the living room of Potter Manor, having a minor—really, not a big deal at all—panic attack about…well, everything.

It hadn’t been two days since he’d run away from Grimmauld Place and already the hopelessness was settling into his bones. He couldn’t stop replaying the words and curses and taunts and Reg’s face and—

“Sirius?” A drowsy voice cut through his spiral. He shouldn’t be surprised.

James always had a way of doing that.

“H-Hi, Jamie,” he replied, straightening up and wiping his eyes in a futile attempt to hide the tears he could feel pooling there. It wouldn’t work, he knew that, James always, always knew but he still had to try.

Sure enough, a pair of sock clad feet (adorned in little animated snitches) stopped right in front of him. His gaze traveled slowly, reluctantly, up to see James looking at him with a complicated look on his face. It was a mixture of sadness and frustration and resignation. Sirius hated that he put it there. James wasn’t made for expressions like that—he should always be happy, smiling, and this felt wrong, wrong, wrong.

Before he could do anything, though (not that there was much in his control), a hand entered his vision, palm up in invitation. Without even thinking twice about it—he would always choose James—he let himself be pulled up and straight into strong arms that were the only thing keeping him whole and grounded so far.

The hug ended in less time than it took for him to draw a full, shaky, breath. The abruptness of it left him reeling. 

“Come on,” James said, tugging him in the direction of the kitchen. Sirius followed, confused, letting himself be manhandled into the kitchen stool and watched James take something out of the cooking cabinet.

“Boiled potatoes,” he explained, already moving on to the spice rack. “Mum always keeps some ready to go.”

With quick, practiced movements, James had them peeled and mashed. Another sealed container was retrieved—‘Dough. For the rotis’—and a flat top griddle was placed on the stove.

Sirius watched the whole thing in a daze, unable to identify a single thing but being comforted all the same. It felt almost like a ritual; the rhythmic movements of James’ hands as he rolled the dough into balls, and stuffed them with the potatoes. Watching him smooth it out into a round, flat shape. 

“I didn’t know you were so proficient in the kitchen, Prongs,” Sirius finally said as the kitchen warmed up from his best mate’s ministrations, the smell of ghee-fried dough and spiced potatoes permeating the air.

“I’m not, really,” James shrugged. “But aloo paranthas are—they’re different, you know? Everyone should know how to make them.“

“I’ve never even tried them.”

“Well, then, everyone should have them at least once in their lives,” James said, firmly.

He placed a plate full of warm, steaming—aloo paranthas in front of Sirius and without even knowing what they really were, he could feel the rest of the tension seeping out of him. It’s a temporary relief, to be sure, but that it happened at all is enough to both awe and excite him.

He looked up at James with wide eyes, only to receive a knowing smile in return.

“Have a bite, Pads,” James pushed the plate closer. “I promise you won’t regret it.”

And he didn’t.

As he sat there and entirely demolished four of the wonderful paranthas—after days of not feeling the slightest pang of hunger—Sirius was helpless against the warmth that suffused his entire being, not just from the heat of the potatoes, but from the boy in front of him who’d decided to take a chance on him. Decided to welcome him not just in his arms but his house, his family. 

August, 1995

“Sirius, why are we here?” Harry asked, confused. A minute ago, they were in the garden, talking about something or the other, and then suddenly his godfather had grabbed his wrist and dragged him into the kitchen.

“Because you, my dear Prongslet, have been severely, unforgivably wronged and it’s time to start rectifying that,” Sirius proclaimed, which really didn’t help.

“…huh?”

“You just told me you’ve never had anything but bland, boring British food. Ever.” Sirius stressed the last word, making a point Harry wasn’t quite sure of.

“Yes…because the Dursleys are raging racists and Hogwarts isn’t too creative with its culinary choices,” Harry slowly said, feeling eerily like he was defending himself for…not being able to have a diverse palette?

“Exactly. If James had a grave, he’d be rolling around in it.”

Harry’s eyebrows raised in disbelief.

“Look, I was supposed to do this for you since the day you were old enough to eat solids. That I didn’t…well. Let’s not go there right now. But now that I do have the chance, it’s practically first on the list of my godfatherly duties—“

“What is, Sirius?” Harry asked, slightly exasperated. The man was making no sense.

“Making aloo paranthas, Harry! Come on, keep up, it’s bad enough you’ve gone this far without—any longer and I swear, James will find a way to come back to wring my neck and tie you to a chair just so he could force feed you,” Sirius finished, a slightly haunted look in his eyes like he was speaking from experience.

Harry blinked. What—?

“Now, luckily for us, the boiled potatoes are already done. You’ve got me to thank for that bit of foresight, of course, never go without since fifth year—“

“Why?”

“—because they’re so versatile—“

“Right, of course, how silly of me.”

“Yes. So, now you’ve gotta peel and mash it, and none of that ricer or fork nonsense, either, okay? You’ve gotta really get in there with your hands.” Sirius demonstrated by taking one slightly cold potato from the bowl, expertly peeling and crushing it between his fingers. He kept going until it was almost smooth, with just the smallest hint of texture. Once done, he turned expectantly towards Harry, eyebrow raised and ‘go on’ written all over his face.

Still slightly bemused, Harry stepped forward and gingerly took a potato of his own. Trying to peel it was—not as easy as he thought and everything else faded away as he concentrated on making sure no brown bits remained. It was a surprisingly soothing task. When he had his first potato peeled and mashed, he turned to Sirius proudly.

“There. What next?”

Sirius nodded in approval. “Now, we do the rest of it.”

And standing there shoulder to shoulder, the two of them managed to get through a veritable mountain of boiled potatoes, interspersed with Sirius’ stories of the Potters, a rare, greedy pleasure for Harry.

“Your grandmum, Euphemia, she’d make this for breakfast every so often. It was James’ favorite and she could never resist his great, big eyes—you get that from him, by the way. Not many people could, mind, but it was particularly effective when he wanted to scam some paranthas out of her.”

and “Your dad wasn’t the best in the kitchen, but this was one thing he was absolutely adamant he learn. Spent hours with Effie and Rani perfecting it, as well.”

Once the potatoes were done, Sirius directed him to the spice cabinet. “Now, this is the most important bit, Harry. Everyone makes their aloo paranthas in their own way. You can have different people following the same recipe and all of their final results would still taste different.”

Harry nodded in understanding. It was a bit like Aunt Petunia’s prized Roast Dinner—she always claimed no one else could make it the way she could, not even letting Harry close to the preparation of it. 

“The first time I had this was in fifth year—similar to you, come to think of it—and I’ve experimented after, right? It was so good I had to. I went to many, many places in muggle London—roadside stalls to fine dining, you name it—and not once have I felt the same as when your dad made it with his eyes still half closed and the paranthas a little burnt on the edges and a bit undercooked in the middle. There’s no competition. So. It’s all in the spice, yes?”

Sirius handed him the container of carom seeds. “That being said, the most important bit?”

Harry leaned forward, eager, all hesitation forgotten in the face of a piece of his culture, his family being passed down to him like this.

“You’ve got to—“

August, 2017

“—measure with your heart, okay, Lils?”

Little Lily Luna Potter, only nine but adopting an air of maturity of someone much older, nodded solemnly, taking her dad’s word as gospel.

“This isn’t just food—this is you telling someone you love them. It’s a warm hug. Feeding someone, taking care of them, is no small job. So, forget all this measurements nonsense and just get in there,” Harry finished, nostalgia coating his words as he quoted his own godfather word for word.

“Get in there, Daddy!” Lily-Lu repeated empathetically.

“That’s right,” Harry chuckled, using one hand to ruffle the riotous mane of red curls piled on top of her head. “The next thing to go in is the powdered spices. Which ones are those, again?”

Lily-Lu squinted thoughtfully. “Coriander powder, red chili powder, tyoo-mer-ic, and cumin powder. That’s all of it, right, Daddy?”

Harry smiled at her serious countenance. “There’s just one more you’re missing.”

She frowned, biting her lip and mumbling under breath. “One more? Coriander…chili…cumin…and—and—garam masala! It’s garam masala, isn’t it?” The last few words were said in an excited shout, almost loud enough to startle him but he could only lean forward and place a quick kiss on her forehead in approval.

“Sure is, sweetheart. You’re a quick one, aren’t you?”

“I’m smart, Daddy, you and Mummy say so,” Lily-Lu returned, self-satisfaction radiating from every inch of her little frame

“That’s because you are; the smartest of us all, isn’t it?” Harry teased, while carefully mixing the spices with the potatoes. This one he’d do himself—Lily-Lu’s hands weren’t the steadiest yet.

“Oh!” She exclaimed suddenly, leaning forward. “The salt! You forgot the salt, Daddy.”

Harry blinked in surprise, looking down at his array of ingredients and realised he had.

“Huh. So I have, it seems. Would you like to do the honours, Lulu?” He extended the container towards her, smiling once again at how she was practically vibrating in excitement.

Harry was—not just glad but utterly ecstatic that he could do this, had the opportunity and ability for it. And he had no one but Sirius to thank for it.

Taking care of me even from the afterlife, aren’t you, Siri? he thinks with a silent offering of gratitude to the universe. I don’t think I can ever thank you enough for it, for everything. 

“And now, the absolute final step?”

“The chopped coriander!” Lily-Lu chirped, already reaching forward to clasp a handful of coriander he’d prepared beforehand. She sprinkled it all over their mixture with a high, bright giggle and Harry could’ve spent an eternity in that moment, with his child beside him and the weight of his family behind him.

#euphemia potter #james potter #sirius black #harry potter #lily luna potter #this is perhaps the most personal thing i’ve ever written. #no other piece of work has more of me and my life in it #and i don’t it will either. i’m not a huge fan of ~reality yeah? #but i was eating aloo paranthas my aunt made me today. feeling exceptionally content. #and remembering the time my grandma made the same for me #and how the way my aunt and mom make it is the literal same taste bc rhe learnt from their mom (grandma) #and how i’m learning to make it the exact same way (about. 75% there i’d say) #and i’m feeding my friends and enjoying seeing the joy on their face #so aloo paranthas are like. nostalgic. and a labor of love. and a symbol of family and affection and generational habits passed down #so u have a whole fic around it bc projection is what i do best #i’m still v apathetic to identity headcanons for the same reasons as before #but this had to be done so that issue is put to the side for a while #also like. why is posting on tumblr so fkn difficult my god #why does it not accept formatted stuff 😭 #i’m sure there’s a way to do it but i’m either too stupid or too lazy #but that and the weird spaces it adds between paragraphs will be the death of me some day #anyway. enjoy! i have lots of thoughts about it so feel free to come talk to me about it #massively restraint in myself in the tags & authors notes #this was just supposed to be a lil tumblr drabble but it. just. Grew? #so yah. #pen’s writing