#generally i just associate him with lily's

[meimi-haneoka]

Do you guys ever think about how many times CLAMP tiptoe around the word "death", in Clear Card? (you: what kind of question is that???)

Because it's an awful lot.

The actual verb 死ぬ (to die), the classical one, is never mentioned* to indicate "death", and I totally see the reasons why: mainly target and "world view" of the series (lord, if there's something I learned during these 8 years of observing the reactions from the JP fans is that the 世界観, the "world view" is EVERYTHING and if the authors dare doing something that goes against it, they won't forgive them. Especially for a series rooted deep in everybody's childhood).

* (Actually, it is used in chapter 43 in a funny skit with Kero, Suppy and Nakuru, where Kero says "I thought I would die!!!" because he's too embarrassed by the SyaoSaku scene he had to forcefully witness hidden in Sakura's bag 😂but it's a foolish scene)

I think the first time where they actually start to dangle it in our faces is in chapter 28, when they make Momo scream in panic: "If you rewind that far, the repercussions will be immesurable!!" and then Kaito confirming right after "Time magic shortens the caster's lifespan". 命を削る indeed means "to shorten one's lifespan", and what else does that mean, if not that he's killing himself little by little, by using time magic? Sure, magicians have a longer lifespan, but...

Another instance where they make us "sniff" the smell of death but they don't serve the actual meal is in chapter 33, when Kaito goes out in the garden to counter the attack coming from the Association. He condescendingly says 力不足と己の身が滅ぶのを恐れて, mocking them for not including time magic in their collective attack because they're afraid their power won't be enough and they'll literally wreck their bodies in the process. Kaito doesn't straight up say "they're afraid to die", but the verb 滅ぶ means "to perish, to be ruined, to be destroyed" and we all saw what effects time magic had on Kaito's body. He's basically calling them p*ssies, yes.

And excuse me, but the most apparent one....when Kaito (or the Clan) says multiple times "Her soul will break", should Akiho write on herself more power than her body can sustain....isn't that just a very generous way to avoid saying "Akiho WILL DIE" to not scare the young readers away? Because, think about it...if her soul breaks...what is left of her? What is left of Akiho, as we know her? Yes, just a shell, a corpse for use and consumption of the Association/Clan, exactly.

And what to say about the scene of chapter 41 when Nadeshiko is trying to mom-talk Kaito into reason and the guy answers "I guess it's because I'm getting closer to become the same kind of entity as you", meaning, a ghost??? Hence, he's basically saying "I'm about to die"? I always snicker when I read that part because I'm like "OH COME ON, CLAMP, MAKE HIM SAY THE WORD" 😂

Another instance where the characters dance around the concept of death is in chapter 51, when Momo gets to have this very mom-son talk with Kaito (yes, exactly, Kaito set into motion several mother figures throughout the story - Lilie, Momo, Nadeshiko herself - that should tell you SOMETHING). Momo is trying to make him understand that he's literally betted his life away when he made the contract with her, so that should give him an idea of how important this mission is to him, and for whom he's doing this for. She says "When you made the contract with me, you revealed your true name. We could say I hold your heart as magician in the palm of my hand". Here Momo is basically already mentioning the concept I've been saying time and time again when Kaito revealed his true name to Akiho in chapter 80: in CLAMP works, revealing your true name to someone is like placing the most vulnerable part of yourself in their hands. The "imagery" Momo suggests here is actually pretty disturbing: the word 心臓 (heart) is the one commonly used to indicate the actual organ, more than "heart as core of the emotions", and so what she's suggesting is that at any moment, without notice, she might close that hand and crush his heart, basically killing him. Of course Momo would never do that, but she wants to remind him of what damned situation he's put himself in, how far he went for the person he still isn't ready to recognize at this point of the story.

I think the closer they went to say the "forbidden word" was when Lilie in chapter 72 explained to Sakura the extent of her premonitory dreams: "I know things that will happen shortly ahead...things way far ahead in the future...and even things that will happen when I'll be gone".

Another instance where they TOTALLY dance around the real situation (that is, Kaito should've been dead-dead-dead by then) is in chapter 80 when Eriol explains to Akiho what Kaito had been doing: I'm not sure if it's Eriol who sugarcoated it in his speech, or Akiho herself while recounting it to Sakura, but she says "He messed with lots (of dangerous magic), so his condition wasn't supposed to be that good", another polite way to say "he should've been dead by now". In fact, what's keeping him alive is literally the fact that the pocket watch (and therefore, his time) is frozen for now.

And sometimes I wonder if the "unhappiness" or "grief" that Yelan foresaw for Sakura, in the eventuality she couldn't gain control of her own powers, included....death too....NAAAAAAAHHHH

(well, I mean, who didn't think of THAT when they made Kaito say that he could see Nadeshiko because he was close to dying?? Well knowing that Sakura could suddenly see her too?? they did that on purpose jfc)

#card captor sakura #ccsakura #clear card arc #just very randomly musing about stuff #I've been keeping tabs of how many times they've danced around the concept of death in this arc #and it's surprisingly a lot #lmao I feel like Barbie asking THAT question while they're dancing in the movie #but fear not cause even like this the arc never crosses the line #it's like saying well it's time for children to get accustomed with the concept and we'll gradually start to introduce it #gently very gently #but it's useless to keep avoiding it forever #I mean we got someone who was literally throwing his life away as one of the main characters and themes in this arc #sooo...

[lily-ohfally]

WoL QotD: Do you relate/associate any flower any flower with your WoL and if so, what does it symbolize if anything?

Follow up: What made you pick the flower?

#besides the obvious of lily of the valleys i actually wanna talk about them and why #bc some of you may not know #for Lily's lore tho #theyre related to his late mother #but i choose lily of the valleys bc 1. theyre my birth month flower and 2. theyre my favorite #they where some of the first flowers from outside of his village he saw which gave him an interest in the world outside the jungle #and even tho his circumstances of leaving the jungle were unfortunate #he still treasures the memory of his mother in/with lily of the valley's #generally i just associate him with lily's #but lily of the valleys have a special place in our hearts :) #also since lily and i share a birthday it's both our birth month flower! #which makes it feel even more special to me #and not to go into personal stuff but Lily has become such a comfort oc for me due to around when i started playing ffxiv #so having associate him with my favorite flower brings me so much joy #i hope everyone who sees and answers this wolqotd will also be filled with happiness when typing their answer #wolqotd #wol qotd #wol questions #wol question of the day #ff14 #ffxiv #ffxiv qotd #ffxiv wolqotd #ff14 qotd #ff14 wolqotd

[peppermintbiotics]

Things we know: Leander

this is mainly a post to summarize (and draw conclusions from) the info we get on leander from the demo (bc he is the one i can make least sense of and i need to change that :’D)

read more for length. tl;dr: we may have to pay more attention to the fogfall and how it relates to leander

let’s get started with a quick overview of the scenes he appears in: - we first get a glimpse at him from the posters advertising him and his services with his silhouette, the name of his group (”bloodhounds”), and the phrase “as above, so below” printed on it

curiously, this phrase is, among other occult connections, associated with the rider-waite depiction of the magician card in tarot that is often interpreted as a conduit between the spiritual and the mundane/the world at large and man himself. given that leander is explicitly referred to as a mage, this feels very much intentional

- we find leander in “the wet wick”, a bar in the entertainment district, filled with people in green cloaks (the bloodhounds) and leander on a table, putting on a magic show for them (not sure if it’s relevant but leander is wearing gilded boots). he conjures up lilies (the magic is described as pale green, so i assume the lilies are the same) and offers them to mc

in this instance, and in general, leander is heavily associated with the color green

an alchemist mc will note that leander doesn’t use incantations or spell circles, implying he wields immense power

- leander then takes mc to the bar counter, deduces it’s their first time in eridia and offers them a drink. mc asks him for help to get to the senobium, the bloodhounds don’t react well to it, and leander takes mc outside, warning them against the senobium and asking to see their curse (after warding against it). mc is hesitant but ends up touching him

if you choose to touch him, leander grins and reassures mc that he is fine. if you hesitate, he grabs your hand, his expression goes blank, and he goes so far as to reach for your throat before catching himself (unclear whether this is just mc’s perception or whether his control really slips there)

an alchemist mc will recognize the ward as an enchantment for protection

- leander confirms that mc’s curse is one of a kind and offers them a room at the bar (that the barkeeper apparently keeps for him and his “escapades”). later, while mc is accompanying kuras and mhin to the bar, we see him pour shots for ais and vere. the group shares a drink (ais noting that leander “has tried to kill [him] a dozen times by now”). kuras and mhin head off to discuss their business with leander

- in his epilogue, aside from telling mc his opinion on the other characters, leander offers mc to let them touch him again (red choice lets you touch his face) and stresses that if they need “a taste of normalcy”, he’ll be there

notable: leander is the only character who doesn’t seem to actively dislike anybody (although the “rivalry” with ais doesn’t feel convincing to me)

all in all, the demo tries very hard to give him an aura of normalcy, which, of course, makes him pretty suspicious. the other characters’ reactions to him are also fairly telling, in my opinion

kuras expresses confidence in him, although he finds the company he keeps questionable. when mc calls the bloodhounds “rough around the edges”, he says leander prefers the company of those like him, implying leander is the same, and that his people trust him with their lives

ais talks about his charm and how it has gotten leander far. he also says leander has done a good job (for a human) but that his resolve will be tested in the future

mhin blushes at the mention of leander and calls him an idiot (in typical tsundere fashion) who can’t shut up to save his life. they compliment his work as well (with a tone that is “almost fond”)

vere is the most colorful with his expressions, calling leander a “pathetic, slimy, little man child in big shiny shoes”

what strikes me as somewhat curious is that leander is the only character to not voice a direct personal opinion on the senobium, although he does disapprove of the way they treat vere. additionally, his worst relationship is with vere, who is a prisoner of the senobium and subsequently hates ist, while his best relationships are with people who either seek entry to the senobium (mhin) or openly have business with it (kuras; though how close that connection is remains to be seen, given that he does mess with a senobium cleric lmao) (leander does have a good relationship with ais on the surface but something is straining it, especially since his relationship chart describes his “murder attempts” as being “funny...until they’re not”). at this moment i’m not entirely convinced he has a direct connection to the senobium but i certainly think it’s a possibility.

a much stronger connection, in my opinion, is fogfall. the prologue describes it as “spectral mist [that] bled from the seams where reality wore so thin it split.” ais also offhandedly mentions planes in his dialogue about leander’s resolve (direct quote being “Naturally, there’ll come a time when his resolve is tested. Same could be said for anyone, in this plane or the next.”). while this turn of phrase seems to reference an existence after death, it has to be considered that monsters (such as vere and ais) did emerge from the fog and thus from those seams in reality. whether or not the fabric of reality seperated distinct planes of existence remains to be seen but given the information we have, it’s likely. now, how does that relate to leander? for that we have to consider the phrase on his poster and its common usage. as mentioned previously, “as above so below” is a phrase strongly associated with bridging the gap between either the world and man, or, which is quite interesting in this case, the gap between different planes of existence (also known as the theory of correspondence in theology). and that second association fits very well into the worldbuilding established by the game. my guess? he’s either some sort of “barrier maiden” or has some sort of connection to either the fogfall itself or the plane that lies beyond it.

where does that leave us? while you could theorize that leander is a monster as well since they came from the fog, i don’t think that’s very likely. leander is the only character to not have a monstrous shadow on his character card; his is the only one to simply have a human form. the other possibilities are, then, that it’s either his personality that is the monstrous part of him or it’s his magic - it’s green, just as his eyes (which is drawn attention to multiple times), and his character’s shadow’s defining feature is his glowing eyes. i suspect it will be the latter but i’m open to be suprised :’D

in conclusion,

#touchstarved #touchstarved game #touchstarved leander #truly feeling just a lil bit like a conspiracy theorist but i think i may be onto something

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hi, Miss Raven! What're your thoughts on the new characters' designs and the new cards we're getting?

[You can see the designs for the Halloween 2023 cards and other related TWST news here!]

I'll post my general thoughts below! I unfortunately don't know enough about Pinocchio myself to point out all the little easter eggs in their outfits, so I'll leave that to those who are more knowledgeable than me.

***Spoilers below the cut!!***

Regarding the NRC boys' looks overall, I think it's a very fun theme and very fitting for the location of the event. I like that they all still wear masks, just in a different context than in Glorious Masquerade. One thing I did notice is that the masks seem... same-y? Like they all resemble thick tree roots or something like that. So maybe they aren't masks at all, but they're associated with whatever the conflict in the story is. (I previously suggested mind control or the loss of consciousness, so maybe the "roots" play into that???) You can see the marionette theme Yana was going for, as well as some design elements from Black Butler's circus arc, very clearly. The poses for each of the boys, even the R cards, are extremely dynamic and imply a strong sense of movement. The ribbons are such a simple detail that contributes a lot to this sense of whimsy and flow.

Some comments I have on specific designs and poses:

Suspenders are so... Trey 💀 THERE'S REALLY NOTHING ELSE FOR ME TO ADD HERE, THEY JUST SUIT HIM

I like it when Trey makes these kind of slightly sus but plausibly deniable faces... He should make more of them...

I can't see the front of Jack's outfit that well, so I don't know if I can fully comment on it??? But I can see his. Like. Physique... coming through... That chest to waist ratio/j

Seeing Jack's tail like that kinda weirds me out. I think that's the first time we've gotten a "full" view of how the tails look coming out of the pants??? So maybe I'll get more used to it with time...

J WORD MY BELOVED dghgqwktvwukdviu1vdutw1513FR7vuofOTVUofvfaafvfyivs.,bk;mobsdb;ibuafetvuqoffSEythTOTqebivfguovqnafCUtuiUIEtt please ignore my bias 🤡 The way his top hat is angled and how there's a dark blue ribbon around him... It vaguely looks like he's trying to pass as Crowley, LOL

I like how his undershirt is frilled and how he has that sash at his waist it reminds me of the genderbent design for my TWST OC! The fact that both he and Floyd have the eel emblem that resembles a heart is also really cute~

Lilis is my favorite design of the R cards!! There's a very good distribution of ruffles throughout the look, and his knotted skirts fit well with his personal flair.

I'm not a huge fan of the style of hat Cater's wearing (sorry to all the Cay-kun stans out there), but I can appreciate his look. His dress appears more militant than Trey's, and his posing is certainly more aggressive--it's nice to see him in this new light.

FHIBBAILAIBASIADIHBLBUDB EVERY TIME I SEE L*ONA NOW I'M GOING TO THINK OF THE ONE REBLOG I SAW THAT SAID "of course leona has his tits out again" BECAUSE THEY'RE RIGHT, HE'S LITERALLY THE GIRLIE THAT DRESSES SLUTTY ON HALLOWEEN AND SOMEHOW NEVER GETS COLD 😭 You go, king... Live your best life!!

Love L*ona-san’s new hairstyle here!! 👀

The way Floyd is posed reminds me of those people that walk around on stilts. I think I much prefer the coloration on Floyd's outfit than on Jade's, but I prefer Floyd's jacket to Jade's. I think Floyd's the best of the SR designs!

Shockingly, Vil's look doesn't stand out to me that much??? I enjoy his sash, but I don't immediately pick up on anything in his illustration that catches my eye.

His pose resembles that of a ballerina, which just makes me think about the time he assigned Epel and Deuce extra (ballet) dance lessons in book 5 ajdbhasivldsadued

Of the SSRs, Ace is definitely my favorite one. He just looks so dramatic soaking up that spotlight and trying to look cool while doing it... Bro's 100% thinking, "heheheheh, I'm SO awesome :))" in his head.

Ace's design also reminds me a lot of Jack Hearts (from Disney Villain Recruiters). Not sure if it was intentional or not, but I'm definitely super into it!

HHNNNNNGNGHGHHGHGNGNGHHGHGHGHGHHHHH I WANNA BITE HIS HEAD OFF AND BULLY HIM SO BAD, I WANNA WIPE THAT SMIRK OF FHIS DUMB FACEe Am I seriously about to revert back to my Brat Loving era for Trappola... Maybe so...

I was pretty much expecting a SSR Ace (because he's a trickster with a brother that works in an amusement park) and Ortho (literally a robot that became a real boy), but Kalim took me by surprise. In hindsight, I guess it makes sense though...? Kalim has a similar immature vibe as the other two (plus I do remember there being this one scene in Aladdin where the Sultan was dressed like a jester that was being maneuvered on puppet strings).

It's great that Kalim gets to be a little out of his usual element and make darker, more mysterious expressions like what we see in his new illustration. I'm not sure if I entirely agree with how he's dressed (the yellow jacket is WAY too bright), but I love his his coattails (???) trail behind him in waves.

OR-KUN MY SON 😭😭😭 As is the case with all of his gears, I adore how the devs creatively adapted clothing into metal parts for Ortho! The half-caplet is easily the best part of the whole look for me (the pattern on it reminds me of stars falling down)--and because Ortho has a smaller stature, the type of hat he's wearing isn't as offputting; it actually looks very cute on him.

ANYWAY, VERY HAPPY THAT ORTHO GETS TO HAVE A HALLOWEEN SSR TO MATCH HIS BROTHER'S HALLOWEEN SSR FROM LAST YEAR... They match!!!

... Is that the fucking cricket on Ortho’s cape... and the goldfish on Kalim’s scarf… AND THE CAT ON ACE’S WAIST… What does this meeeean 🤡

And now for my thoughts on the two new boys!! Honestly?? I don't actually have much to comment on in this regard because I try to reserve my judgment of characters until I've actually seen them in action. I haven't seen Pinocchio either, so I don't have a strong basis for what their personalities would be like based on their original Disney counterpart. I only vaguely understand that Honest John and Gideon trick children into visiting Pleasure Island... That's it, that's the full extent of my knowledge on that pair. I don't have any other expectations going in other than "yeah, these two are going to swindle me".

Gidel looks like a mix of Cheka and Ruggie to me (because of the hair and the eye shape). He seems like he’ll be the other guy’s goon, similar to how Jade and Floyd/Ruggie follow Azul/Leona. Nothing else for me to add, Gidel seems alright… Just a silly lil’ guy!

I have more… mixed thoughts on Ferro. One one hand, he looks like the exact kind of shady bitch I’d love. (You know, the ones that smile and lie and manipulate and drive a knife into your back and—LOOK, HE’S VERY J WORD CORE) On the other hand, I’m beating back the “you like cat/dog boys” allegations from my friends, so 💀 I can’t give in so easily/j

Looks-wise, Ferro’s iteration of the rat tail hair is not as ugly to me as Malleus’s is. (I think it’s because it looks more windswept!) I also really like how he dresses—very dapper 😌 and he can pull off green eyeshadow well!

I’m wondering how they’ll make Ferro different than the other con artists we’ve seen so far *eyes Octavinelle* but I’m keeping my hopes up since the devs did a good job remixing the “I have a dead brother and I feel immense guilt about it” backstory for Rollo (when Idia had a similar one). Looking forward to that~

I’m sure my thoughts will chance once I actually get to see them in the event! ^^ I’ll keep you posted. For now, I’ll keep cautious. (Actually, this fan art basically summarizes my current feelings on the two! I’m Rollo/j)

#twisted wonderland #twst #Ace Trappola #Floyd Leech #Leona Kingscholar #Ortho Shroud #Kalim Al-Asim #Cater Diamond #Trey Clover #Jade Leech #Tweels #Jack Howl #Lilia Vanrouge #Vil Schoenheit #disney twisted wonderland #notes from the writing raven #spoilers #question #Ferro Honest #Gidel #Gidell #Pinocchio #Honest John #Gideon #Fellow Honest #Gideru

[artful-aries]

Genshin Men: Thoughts on Marriage + How They Would Propose

ok so it's not ALL the genshin men in this post but I do plan to do all of them at some point... (Feat. Diluc, Childe, and Cyno)

Diluc

Diluc is a very traditional man, he would be open to the idea of marriage within reason (ie; after being in a relationship for a significant amount of time)

There would be a small part of him that would have reservations about marrying you; not because of you, but because of his own traumas and issues. He's scared he won't measure up to be the husband you deserve, or that he might lose you

He's a man who pushes past his fears and shortcomings though, especially for the sake of those he cares about. He'll often find himself pondering the idea of marrying you

He would want the proposal to be absolutely perfect, it was the bare minimum of what you deserved after all, but every plan that he would begin to formulate would never come to fruition; he would find some unacceptable flaw and start the process all over again in his head

And then, suddenly one evening as the setting sun lights your face and hair aglow in an ethereal light, he finds the words tumbling out of him like a drunkard leaving the Angel's Share

"Will you marry me, my love?"

Childe (Tartaglia)

This man is all about family, and wants nothing more than to start his own family with you, so of course he likes the idea of marriage

He does worry about his position as a Harbinger though; marrying him would surely put a target on your back, and while he never had any doubts about his own ability to protect you, he didn't like the idea of you being put in danger because of him

Nonetheless, this man loves you so. He would rip out his still beating heart if you asked him to. And it won't be long before he considers the option of marriage before he proposes to you

It's surprisingly sweet and traditional; he takes you to the fanciest place to eat in Liyue, buys you a bouquet of glaze lilies, and takes you on a moonlight walk along the coast just outside of Liyue Harbor for privacy

It's there that he gets down on one knee and proposes, "I used to fight for the sake of getting stronger and beating each opponent, but now...I do the fighting for you, Darling. You mean the world to me. Would you do the honor of being my spouse, now and forever?"

Cyno

Cyno doesn't think much about the concept of marriage until you bring it up idly in conversation one day. It's not that you weren't good enough for him to consider the possibility, it's just that his work as the General Mahamatra keeps him so busy he literally didn't have the time to consider the future with you

He would listen to what you have to say about the idea, but he will hold back his concerns and deflect the conversation. He doesn't want to rain on your parade, but he has his doubt about being able to balance being a good husband and being the General Mahamatra, not to mention the danger you would be put in by association

Cyno takes the longest out of the three to finally decide to propose to you, reasoning that he's been able to keep you safe so far in your relationship, and marriage would bind you to him; in his mind, it would be like he was always with you in some way

His proposal would be a mix; he would prepare you a nice meal or take you somewhere to eat, and ask if he can speak to you privately. With the serious tone, for a minute you're sweating bullets thinking he was upset with you

In his proposal, he wouldn't make any of his awful jokes. He takes the matter too seriously to feel like delivering puns. Cyno will take your hands and look deep into your eyes before finally speaking, "As a General Mahamatra, it is my duty to carry out judgement. When it comes to you, I can think of no better judgement than for me to remain by your side, until the day I draw my final breath. Will you marry me, (Y/n)?"

He is thoroughly shocked when you start crying, thinking he has deeply offended you somehow with his proposal. It's at this point he cracks a joke, trying to soothe you.

Cyno: "B-Before you say yes to a proposal, there is one thing you have to consider..."

Y/N: "What is that?"

Cyno: "On one hand, you get a really nice ring, but on the other hand, you won't.

In Gandharva Ville, Tighnari is stricken by a sudden migraine of an unknown cause

#genshin impact #genshin #genshin x reader #genshin imagines #genshin headcanons #Diluc #Tartaglia #Childe #Cyno #diluc x reader #tartaglia x reader #cyno x reader #diluc x y/n #tartaglia x y/n #cyno x y/n #childe x reader #childe x y/n

[florsial]

It's been a while since I looked at flowers so here are Marauders era characters as plants:

James Potter: Sunflowers since he's commonly associated with the sun. Or delphinium for positivity and a big heart!

Sirius Black: Ivy, the common ivy, or English or European ivy. It's a symbol of loyalty and fidelity. Fits enough for me.

Remus Lupin: Wolfsbane. Believed to repel werewolves, and it's used in a potion in the Wizarding World. But if we want a less angsty plant there is also the tropical white morning glory. It's also known as a moonflower and symbolizes the ability of beauty to emerge in dark times, and is used to provide hope.

Peter Pettigrew: Burgundy dahlias for betrayal, for obvious reasons. But also purple hyacinths for a desire for forgiveness. Cuz I'm hell bent that Peter was regretful of what he did in canon

Lily Evans: I'm not gonna give her lily, that seems a little too obvious lol but, peonies! They symbolize love, honor, happiness wealth, romance, and beauty. Which yk, works well in my eyes

Mary Macdonald: Poppies for remembrance of the death and consolation. It's based on the headcanon she obliviated herself sometime before to during the first wizarding war because everything was getting too much for her. Also, poppies are used to create opium, which relieves pain. It's pretty sad ngl, that hc always gets me.

Marlene McKinnon: King Protea, it's very sharp-looking flower that symbolizes strength and resilience. Not much info is given about Marlene during the war except her entire family was wiped out, but given her personality in fanon. I imagine she put up a hella good fight. I would give this to Dorcas but I have another one for her.

Slytherins! (Including Pandora!)

Regulus Black: Thorns! Rose thorns mostly, but just thorns in general. From what I read, rose thorns show adversity and sacrifice. Regulus had the misfortune of being born into a family with shit views and never having a morally correct input his entire life and he basically sacrificed his life to bring down the Dark Lord. Thorns are always ways for a plant to deter herbivores from eating them, take that as you will!

Barty Crouch Jr: Bleeding hearts, cuz yeahhhh, everlasting love? Unrequited love?? Tragedy compacted into one. His daddy issues too?? Him pleading for his dad to love him?? HIS MOTHER GIVING UP HER LAST MOMENTS FOR HIM??? EVAN AND REGULUS???? CMON CMONNNNN

Evan Rosier: Venus Fly Trap for persistence. This man was not willing to end up in Azkaban and took Moody's fucking nose with him. Venus fly traps are also known to die right after digestion aka eating a fly so it fits! (I LOVEEE carnivorous plants)

Dorcas Meadows: Laurel leaves for victory and achievement. Specifically, laurel leaves in a wreath. I think it's neat since she was powerful enough that Voldemort had to kill her himself. Mf was takin them out one by one until Voldy decided she was too op. LOVE HER FOR THAT

Pandora Rosier: Not the most hottest flower (lol), but the amaranth, while it could also mean everlasting last love, but it also means hopelessness or hopeless love. This only really works if you see Pandora as a seer. Something I think is interesting is the fact that fate is fate, it's sealed and final, and there is never a way around it. If you try to get around fate, you walk right into it because you never a chance. Pandora as a seer would've saw her friends and classmates dying and can't do anything about it because fate is sealed from the very beginning. It's hopeless.

#marauders era #marauders #regulus black #james potter #sirius black #remus lupin #peter pettigrew #barty crouch junior #evan rosier #pandora rosier #lily evans #mary macdonald #marlene mckinnon #dorcas meadowes #the marauders era #the marauders #flowers #dead gay wizards #dead wizards from the 70s

[holdupjack]

They’ll Be Much More Interested In My Wife

——————

Pairing: Hermione Granger x Fem!Reader

AU: Hollywood film stars hiding their love.

WARNING: SMUT 18+/MINORS DNI

——————

Third Person P.O.V:

Los Angeles California, 1958

Hermione had moved to the States in 1955, a month after her 18th birthday, She had hugged her mother and father goodbye to pursue a career in the biggest film industry in the world.

She was destined to become a star.

Her soul yearned for it.

The young girl was cast fairly quickly due to her beauty and the seemingly natural talent she had for capturing her emotions onto film.

Hermione did many movies within the last few years, having to mask her accent for most due to the 'all-American girl fantasy' the whole word was stuck on.

Then again, she understood the charm.

She had reluctantly gone on dates with many male stars, all of them being less than fruitful as they talked on and on about their successful movies and Oscar wins.

On one of the days on the set of a 'romantic' war film, she was the lead. Y/n Y/l/n walked in dressed as a secretary, her character's 'roommate'. Whom she was supposed to fight with, in the next scene.

This movie had more secret gay underlining than straight movie buffs would ever realize.

She hoped the future generations would see it and appreciate the risks the writers took.

Y/n is a beautiful woman, always smiling as she read her lines, or laughing at something one of the stagehands said.

Hermione couldn't keep her eyes off her as they waited for everyone to be ready for shooting, their eyes met from time to time as Hermione sat in her chair with her legs crossed, her thumb holding her chin as she blocked her growing smile with her index finger.

This wasn't their first encounter, not even their second, and you could tell from the way they greeted and looked at one another.

It wasn't a surprise that in the time they lived in, openly dating someone of the same sex was a death sentence, with your career and literally.

They had first met a few months into Hermione's first year as an Actress, circling each other like predators.

It was a secret hostility they shared, since Y/n had a few years on her in acting, even though they were the same age, and considered Hermione a threat to her career when it came to the chances of getting leads in movies.

Y/n had been a child star, and Hermione even grew up watching her in the family-friendly movies she saw with her parents.

Hermione found her pretty then, and even more gorgeous now.

She had known of her feelings towards women for many years now, she honestly knew it was the whole reason she detested men.

Yet, she had to keep up the act. No journalist or paper could know how she felt, so if that meant unfulfilling dates and sex, so be it.

They only had a month left with each other until this movie wrapped up for editing, and the male lead, Joesph Cotten was hitting on them relentlessly.

(A/N: actual actor back then btw, but I know him best from Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte...also no idea if he was a lady's man, so consider this satire)

The girls just gave fake giggles and thanked him for his kind words before they were called onto the stage. They took their places and waited for the director to call the scene to action. Y/n sat at a desk while Hermione stood behind a door that led into the area.

"Action!"

Hermione walked into the room and shut the door behind her, Y/n didn't look up as she pretended to sign papers, she then glared at her.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered in her very convincing American accent as Y/n looked up and had a confused look on her face.

"Pardon me?"

"You told me that you were going to stay home today" Hermione states as she walks toward the desk and peeked past her and into the window that had her boss (Joseph) sitting inside talking to an associate.

"I'm a secretary for an important general of the U.S. Army, I can't call off because you told me to Lily" Y/n replied as she stood up and walked over to a filing cabinet, opening it to a slew of blank papers inside.

Hermione loomed next to her and stared at her face in a soft panic, the corner of their eyes saw the camera slowly make its way to capture their emotions.

"Please Mary, go home after lunch." Hermione whispers as she stands closer to capture Y/n's gaze.

This movie wasn't focused on expressions like the others they had been in, instead of close up of their faces to make a statement, it was told through body movement.

Yet, the gazes shared between them told another story, a relationship between a spy and her 'roommate'.

The whole plot was that Hermione's character, Lily Sullivan, is tasked by the United States military to coax a confession out of Scott Willis (Joseph Cotten) as an enemy of the country. When in reality, "Lily" was the one selling secrets to other countries, she was covering her tracks by killing Scott. The man that was hot on her trail.

Yet, she only says goodbye to one person before she goes on the run.

Mary, her 'roommate' for many years.

They end up leaving together.

The studio said it was a friendship built on lies but was still strong after everything. While Hermione and Y/n knew what it really was.

The girls have on-screen chemistry better than most male and female actors, the papers had said it paid off that they were such good friends off-screen.

"If it bothers you that much Lily, I'll go home after lunch. May I ask why with the urgency?" Y/n asks as she shuts the filing cabinet and Hermione freezes as she pretends to think of a reason.

"I'll explain everything to you later, alright?" She replies and Y/n nods with a bit of hesitation, before ultimately verbally agreeing.

"Okay, Lily."

Y/n then walks out of frame, leaving Hermione to act as if she was thinking deeply for a few moments as the camera zooms in closer.

Her eyes just flickered up and down Y/n's body as she stood a few feet away, it took everything in Hermione to not smile and ruin this take.

Y/n didn't smile, but the glint in her eye showed her that she was enjoying their little staring contest.

"Cut! Great job everyone let's take five and do the next scene with Y/n and Joseph, then will do another take of this after!" the director yells as a bell rings for their dismissal.

A few assistants crowded around the girls as they were pulled towards their chairs for any hair or makeup fixes.

It was late into the night, and they were behind schedule due to a broken camera last week. So today everyone was forced to pull an all-nighter and come back the day after next.

Hermione loved an all-night shooting, it happened once in a blue moon, but when it did?

Y/n came home with her.

No paparazzi would be staying out late to catch them holding hands inside her car, where they could hear the giggles as she chased Y/n into her home and kept the lights off.

Where they would worship each other without fear of being caught by unwanted eyes.

Oh, Hermione loved all-nighters.

——————

When the set was closed and everyone had gone home for the...well it was 3 A.M, so morning. Hermione parked her car behind the studio and waited for Y/n to jump in, the walls were high around the Hollywood set buildings, and even bushes blocked anyone dumb enough to try and climb it for a rare photo.

Hermione loved it when the entire studio was almost vacant, besides the security that watched the gates. They never cared that Y/n had been coming with Hermione to set every morning, or that they left at night together too.

Everyone knew they lived close by, so in their heads, it was just carpooling with a good friend. Of course, the tabloids wouldn't see it that way during all-nighters like this. Where she didn't drop her off at home, or at times where they didn't even make it out of Hermione's garage.

She couldn't keep her hands off her all-American girlfriend, and Y/n couldn't stay away from the British Vixen.

Y/n emerged from the shadows beside the building and quickly slipped into the passenger side of Hermione's 1957 Chevy Bel Air.

"Hello my darling" the Brit whispers as she looks around for any prying eyes, then kisses her cheek softly.

"Hiya doll, did you have as much fun as I did on set?" Y/n asks as Hermione starts the car and drives off to the exit, her hands were aching to touch her like she wants to.

"Very much, but Joseph needs to back off" Hermione mutters as they turn into a small alleyway between two set buildings. The windows were down, the air softly blowing on their faces.

"Awe, still jealous that he grabbed my ass?" Y/n snickered as her girlfriend groaned softly as she thought back on the action from earlier today.

They both knew that if they wanted to get far in this world, they had to let a few hands touch them without objection.

The women could only hold back slaps to the face when this happened, and act as if it didn't bother them.

Of course, when Hermione watched their male lead grab her girlfriend's ass, it took everything in her not to stake her claim in front of everyone.

"I'm not jealous. I'm pissed" Hermione responded as they pulled up to the security guard, who smiled at them as he came up to the passenger side window.

"Get some rest Ms.Granger and Ms.Y/l/n," He says as they smile back at him as he walks towards the gate and opens it for them.

The car crept out into the street and then turned to the start of their way home. Y/n looked out towards the high-end clothing stores, their display windows dim, but you could see the shine the fashion produced.

"I'm still surprised you haven't gone shopping during our lunch breaks," Hermione says as she catches her stare, to which Y/n chuckled in response.

"No time, you know our 'breaks' are only fifteen minutes" Y/n sighed as she looked back at Hermione. They were stopped at a red light, the glow of all the street lights illuminated Hermione's face as they stared at one another.

"I've missed you as of late my love" Hermione whispers as she rests her hand on the space between them, her palm open and ready.

(A/N: this was in the days when there was no center console in between the front seats so you could literally lay someone down in the front and have a grand old time lol)

"We've seen each other almost every day for the last three months" Y/n replied as she slipped her fingers between her girlfriends. Hermione squeezed slightly and hummed in dissatisfaction at her lover's answer.

"I know, but if I had it my way, I'd hug and kiss you after every scene and performance you gave" Hermione whispers as she notices the streets are empty, no cars coming or going, or even a single person walking the lonely sidewalks.

"You just want to find every reason to touch me" Y/n whispers back as Hermione looks around them one last time before through the car in park and unbuckling herself, leaning over their intertwined hands.

"If God told me touching you was a sin, I’d go down to hell with a grin on my face" Hermione states as she kisses Y/n's neck, leaving a bright red lipstick stain in its wake.

A guilty moan slipped past Y/n's lips as her girlfriend happily nipped and kissed her sensitive skin like a hungry mosquito.

"Hermione" Y/n warns as she feels a hand land on her knee and slowly trail under her skirt. Her eyes fluttered closed and snapped open multiple times as she kept watch for any signs of life.

Hermione's fingers traced the lining of Y/n's undergarments, earning another moan as she leaned her head back.

Suddenly Hermione backed away and put the car back in drive, but her hand grasped Y/n's thigh and pulled her close enough to not raise any suspicion.

Y/n looked back up and realized a car was coming up behind them, thankfully the light turned green and they were on their way.

Hermione was now only less than an arm's length away, which worked in her favor as she hooked her fingers around the fabric covering Y/n from the greedy hands of her girlfriend.

"Hermione are you-"

"Shhh, just enjoy our extended ride home" she states as she pulls her garments away enough to slip her hand under it with less resistance.

Hermione kept her nails short, which was unusual for most actresses, but she cared about her Y/n more than nonsensical questions from the media about her defiance of social norms.

If only they knew.

Her fingers slowly circle Y/n's clit as she turned onto a back street neighborhood.

Y/n's legs spread slightly as Hermione trailed down her folds, teasingly slipping the tip of her finger inside her, and then removing it swiftly.

Hermione just chuckled as Y/n moaned softly, and looked at her with pleading eyes as they cruised down the quiet neighborhood.

"Be quiet my love, as much as I want the world to hear how good I make you feel, you have to be quiet" she whispers as trailed back up to her clit and gently pinched it. Y/n hissed and gave a glare to the side of her head, to which her girlfriend chuckled in response as she stared at the road.

The pads of her fingers seemed to apologize for her as she soothed the bundle of nerves with small circular motions.

Hermione slowly halted at the stop sign and let her eyes fall onto her beautiful co-star as she tried to bite her lips from moaning in pleasure.

"Lay your head on my lap" she whispers as she retracts her hand and lets Y/n lay down on her thighs.

Hermione could see her underwear had fallen below her knees, peaking out under the skirt, showing the beautiful purple she was wearing,

The Brit's hand snuck back under the fabric of her skirt in desperation, feeling her fingers begin to coat with her slick as she traced her folds again.

"Please Hermione" Y/n pleads in a hushed voice as she grasps the seat in agony. Hermione cooed in response as she turned onto a long narrow street, finally slipping two fingers into her lover's aching entrance.

A moan got caught in Y/n's throat as her head was thrown back in pleasure, a hand grasping Hermione's shirt so she wouldn't crack the leather of her car.

Hermione stalled her fingers and buried them deep inside of her favorite girl, watching from the corner of her eye as she squirmed under her touch.

"Fucking tease!" Y/n whispers as Hermione curls and separates her digits inside her. A soft chuckle left the woman's throat as she continued her sweet torture.

"But you feel so nice around me, can you blame my passion for you?" Hermione asks as her eyes darted around the road, feeling her cunt quiver around her fingers.

"Are you going to cum just from my motionless hand?" She teases as she curls them again, Y/n's mouth hangs open from the sensation.

"You know, if we had soundproof dressing rooms, I'd fuck you senseless during every break. No matter how short it was." Hermione admits as she begins thrusting her fingers at a slow and calculated pace.

"W-We'd never get anything done" Y/n replies between her groans, to which her girlfriend chuckled again.

"Oh my love, if you weren't so headstrong about acting, I would have moved us out to the middle of nowhere by now, so I can have you like this all the time" she whispers as the car rumbles over a pothole, causing the vibrations to stimulate Y/n for a moment.

"Oh god" She whispers as Hermione's pace speeds up slightly, quiet lewd sounds fill the space. If anyone got close enough to the open windows, they would certainly hear the heavenly noises.

Jazz played from the only lit house on the block, tons of people stood within its walls as the starlights drove by.

"Would you like to host parties if our kind is ever allowed to love freely?" Hermione asks as the curling of her fingers becomes more constant with each thrust.

Y/n tried to respond, but the curve of Hermione's palm began to rub against her clit in delicious circular motions.

"You'd be a cute little host, I'd smile proudly as you greeted our friends and introduced me as your lover" Hermione whispered as they turned onto a street that was a straight shot to their homes.

Y/n's hands grasped Hermione's forearm as the pit of her stomach began to tighten familiarly. It took everything in the woman not to dig her nails into her girlfriend's skin, knowing that the bruises would be hard to cover up with makeup.

"You're going to cum already? I was ready to drive around the block a few times" Hermione hums, but the smug and teasing tone didn't slip past Y/n's fading coherent thoughts.

The Brit quickened her pace, noticing cars she recognized all too well, that were parked around the corner to their homes. Also her hand was starting to cramp at this angle.

Fuck, why are they out here?

Paparazzi are waiting nearby, ready to pounce on the women unprovoked from the open windows. She should stop, and just ask Y/n to, loudly, ask her in for a quick drink in case any cameras were watching them.

But, Hermione was too enamored by the fact that only she could bring Y/n to this state. Feeling her body squeeze and tremble around her fingers was delightfully maddening.

Hermione continued down to Y/n's home, they had maybe less than a minute.

"Cum for me my love, we're almost to your house" Hermione whispered as her palm slapped against her clit in a frantic motion from her thrusting.

Y/n's mouth hung open as she uncontrollably dug her nails into her lover's skin. Oops.

Hermione watched from the corner of her eye as Y/n's legs shook and a generous amount of slick covered her fingers, dripping onto the fabric of Y/n's skirt.

"F-Fuck!" Y/n moaned quietly as her head pressed into her girlfriend's lap, and her back arched from the pleasure. Dots of white poked holes in her vision as she stared at the ceiling of the car.

"I think some of our 'friends' are waiting for us." Hermione commented as she reluctantly pulled away her hand and sucked them clean. So she wouldn't ruin her steering wheel...obviously.

Y/n didn't even give herself time to recompose, slipping her underwear back around her hips and sitting back up. Even after a quick session in the car, Y/n still looked as if she had just come out of makeup.

A bright red lipstick stain shined through the dark.

"Don't forget my signature on your neck" Hermione chuckled as Y/n quickly rubbed away the stain, not wanting to take any chances with the journalists.

Hermione had been right, when the headlights hit the tree line when she was turning into Y/n's driveway, two photographers were waiting for a chance at a picture of Y/n or herself bringing home a costar.

Technically it would be true, but they would just say that they two shared drinks after a long day on set. Oh to be so naïve.

The girls acted as if they didn't see them, instead as Y/n got out of the car, she asked her 'friend' in for a cocktail and to talk about some...unfinished business.

Hermione accepted and shut off her car, locking it behind her as she got out. They could hear the clicking of cameras as they walked to the front door. It took everything in the English woman to flip them off.

They slipped into the house with ease, Hermione watched Y/n lock the door and flip on the living area light. She signaled her to follow, and they instead went upstairs and stepped into her bedroom.

It was pitch black, but Hermione knew this room better than her own, so she easily made her way onto the bed.

Somewhere in the darkness, she could feel Y/n's eyes on her, Hermione then felt a hand start from her calf and trail up to between her thighs.

Goosebumps were left in its wake.

"Let me return the favor, won't you Granger?"

#harry potter #hermione granger #hermione granger x reader #lesbian #fanfic #fluff #smut

[emeritus-fuckers]

“Alstroemeria” ♡ Cardinal Primo x gn!reader platonic drabble (fluff)

Dedicated to @thecuriouss. I suck at fluff. I'm sorry.

There was something peaceful about the Ministry's garden. Maybe it was the colorful flowers. Maybe it was the fact that not many people spend much time there, each Sibling of Sin dealing with their own work and responsibilities.

Maybe it was the fact that it was a good place to hide from all your worries. You could hide behind a tree, observe the colorful flowers and just wait until you felt like you could function again.

Or... you could be caught by a certain long haired blonde Cardinal in his early thirties. The oldest son of Papa Nihil Emeritus, Primo, seemed to share your fondness for the garden, though he never exactly said why. He just seemed to always gravitate here in his limited free time, usually with his two younger brothers, who would run around playfully or enjoy calm walks with him and ask him all about the flowers. Surprisingly, he seemed to always know the answer.

It took some time, since he wasn't too fond of people in general, but you became rather close friends with him. And since Primo Emeritus didn't have many friends, he seemed to really cherish the ones he did have.

And somehow, he seemed to know when one of said friends needed him. Which meant that, of course, he found you, sitting under a tree and watching the colorful flowers.

"That's alstroemeria." Primo announced instead of greeting you like anyone else would. He seemed to like making you jump in surprise, as there was always a sparkle of amusement in his eyes whenever he saw you acting like him randomly popping up was giving you a heart attack.

"Alstro... what?"

"Alstroemeria. The Lily of the Incas. Represents compassion, patience, appreciation, humor, understanding and loyalty." he explained, his gaze focused on the flowers. Primo rarely looked at you directly. He seemed to associate it with all the nonsense he had to deal with as future Papa.

You were both silent for a while, you still sitting on the ground, your back against the tree and him... well, he stood like he was taught to. Perfectly. His back completely straight, his hands behind his back as he looked in front of him. He almost looked like a statue.

Then again, considering his upbringing, being born only to ensure the bloodline wouldn't be broken... and yet, he was a good person. A complicated, yet good person. After all, he took raising his brothers onto himself, just so they could have a childhood.

"It's a... flower of friendship." He added after a while, hunching slightly. A sign that he was relaxed. And a habit that will probably cause him back issues when he gets older.

"Friendship?"

He hummed, clicking his tongue before slowly sitting down on the ground as well, despite how he'd usually scold you for doing that. You were tempted to point it out and maybe if you were in a better mood, you'd actually do it. But not right now. Right now you just wanted to enjoy his presence.

You rested your head against his shoulder, closing your eyes. He didn't really do anything about it, but you knew by now that he was comfortable with you, since he didn't even flinch. If he was uncomfortable, he'd simply get up and leave.

"Yes. I have personally requested to have them planted here." He admitted, his voice much quieter than usual, but not quite a whisper. It was a rare moment of peace in his life.

"Why?" You asked quietly, closing your eyes for a bit as you gently reached to hold his hand. He let you do that, intertwining your fingers together and humming softly.

"Because I've noticed how... fond... you are of this spot. It's always the same tree, facing the same direction. I figured... you'd enjoy those flowers here." He admitted, looking away, using his free hand to play with his hair. One of the small ways he allowed himself relax around people he trusted. There was something almost cute in it.

"You... had the Siblings plant those flowers here for me?"

"Don't think too much about it." He blurted out quickly, looking away with a slight blush. You giggled at his reaction. For someone so good with people, Primo was terrible when it came to dealing with those he actually held close. Unless, of course, it was about his brothers.

You smiled softly, relaxing against him. It was now that you noticed just how much all those negative emotions you felt earlier have worn you out. And his presence was soothing. Comforting. So soothing and comforting, in fact, that you ended up napping against him.

And Primo, despite all the work he still had to do, let you do that. Because he knew he wasn't good at showing affection. So instead, he would go along with what you did. And if you decided to use his shoulder as your pillow, then Primo Emeritus would not be moved until your nap was over.

And while you slept, he could look at the alstroemerias. The flowers he grew so fond of recently, because they reminded him of you. One of his closest friends.

This really was a good place to plant the flowers of friendship.

~

Written by Jez.

Taglist: @charlie-is-a-menace @copias-fluffy-asscheeks @lunarsromantichomicide @randodummy @tuttifuckinfruttifriday @calliedion-dungeon @randominstake @nuntia @dio-niisio @mamacarlyle @firefirevampire @mybotanicaldemise @emo-mess @natoncesaid @sirlsplayland @ouijaboardemo @lightbluuestars @igodownjustlikeholymary

#ghost band #ghost bc #ghost #ghost band x reader #ghost bc x reader #ghost x reader #papa emeritus i #cardinal primo #primo #primo emeritus #papa emeritus 1 #papa emeritus i x reader #cardinal primo x reader #primo x reader #primo emeritus x reader #papa emeritus 1 x reader

[181patheticpaperclips]

having thoughts about marlene mckinnon for way too many words

In honour of breaking up the fanon characterisation of Marlene a little, here’s every bit of information I could find about Marlene from canon, and variants of Marlene that aren't a Marauders' year Gryffindor that I think could be really fun to write! As a fandom we all seem to stick to the same few traits for the characters like Marlene, to the point where it almost creates a kind of ‘canon’ which kind of defeats the creative freedom which makes writing in the Marauders era so interesting.

And please note that this is not a criticism of fanon at all, headcanon what you want to headcanon, there are so many talented writers and artists who do amazing Marlene work within her fanon characterisation as a Gryffindor classmate in the Marauders’ year. I just had a lot of thoughts.

So anyway, here’s the three quotes we have that mention her:

“No one lived after he decided ter kill ‘em, no one except you, an’ he killed some o’ the best witches an’ wizards of the age - the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts - an’ you was only a baby, an’ you lived,” - Hagrid, The Philosopher's Stone

“That’s Marlene McKinnon, she was killed two weeks after this was taken, they got her whole family,” - Moody, Order of the Phoenix

“Wormy was here last weekend, I thought he seemed down, but that was probably the news about the McKinnons; I cried all evening when I heard,” - Lily, The Deathly Hallows

Let’s get into it. Alright, so to get an indication of what Hagrid means when he’s talking about “the best witches an’ wizards of the age,” we can look at the Bones and the Prewetts.

“That’s Edgar Bones… brother of Amelia Bones, they got him and his family, too, he was a great wizard” from Order of the Phoenix. Apparently, his mother and father were also murdered by Voldemort (fandom wiki). It’s unclear whether “great” refers to magical skill or strength of character; however, we know Amelia Bones, his sister, was a fair and principled woman, so it probably includes elements of both. 

“Gideon Prewett, it took five Death Eaters to kill him and his brother Fabian, they fought like heroes.” Combining this with the Hagrid quote, we can gather that the “best witches an’ wizards” likely refers to prodigal magical skill, as well as strength of character - generally acting like a hero. 

So from these quotes, we can gather that Marlene was either a great witch herself, or at the very least, most of her family was skilled at magic, and that they all had great strength of character. By strength of character, I guess, from looking at the type of people the Prewetts and the Bones were, I mean that she valued stuff like justice, compassion and courage, and also, to put it simply, had a backbone and could stand up for what she believed in. 

I don’t think this necessarily makes her a Gryffindor, although it does make it more likely. The Bones family was known to be affiliated with Hufflepuff (Susan Bones), and people of every house can exhibit these traits. Although still very much possible, I find Slytherin to be the most unlikely house for her, as Hagrid does tend to harbour certain biases towards Slytherins (i.e. he tells Harry that there wasn’t a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn’t in Slytherin) so would be less likely to describe a Slytherin-affiliated family in such a positive manner. However, realistically, all four houses are open options for Marlene. 

Now, onto her relationship with Lily Evans. Lily does not refer to her by name, only as part of a collective “the McKinnons,” implying that to the extent Lily knew Marlene, she was also associated with more than one member of the McKinnon family. Her death is also mentioned in a throwaway sort of line, as an explanation of Peter’s sadness, meaning she had to be somewhat close to Peter for it to be reasonable that he’s at least as sad as Lily about her death. This also reads like it’s the first time Lily has discussed her death with Sirius, and it’s been about a week. This, to me, seems to indicate a relationship that isn’t necessarily very close, more like coworkers than anything - if they were closer, I think we could expect more of a specific comment about Marlene rather than a generalised one about her family. As this letter is addressed to Sirius, it’s also likely that Sirius wasn’t particularly close with Marlene either, as Lily offers no attempt to comfort him about her death, which occurred sometime close to “last weekend.” Given Lily is often shown as quite a caring character, if either Lily or Sirius were extremely close to her, I think you’d expect more from Lily. However, Lily still does “[cry] all evening” when she hears, so it isn’t completely detached news of something happening to a stranger. Casual friends or acquaintances, maybe, but probably not a deep friendship.

We’re looking at a relationship close enough to warrant an initial shock reaction from Lily, but not close enough to warrant continual intense grief for more than a week, with a connection that was to the whole McKinnon family, not simply Marlene. In my personal view, while being Gryffindor classmates fits this model (allows Lily, Peter and Sirius to all be familiar with her, and could have a similar level of detachment as Harry has from Dean or Seamus), I’d think sharing a dormitory for seven years and also fighting in a war together would form a deeper connection between Marlene and Lily (think of Harry’s connection with Neville by the end of Deathly Hallows), or at least warrant a mention of Marlene in particular rather than “the McKinnons” in her letter. 

Moody also doesn’t point out additional members of the McKinnon family in the photo, implying that they were absent when the photograph was taken or were not members of the Order. I think it likely that more McKinnons than Marlene were in the Order, as this would allow Lily, Sirius and Peter to be connected to the family. There are three scenarios: the McKinnons are in the Order photograph and are simply not mentioned by Moody, the McKinnons are in the Order but not the photograph, and the McKinnons are not in the Order. In the first scenario, Marlene is singled out as the most significant member of the McKinnons, as she is the only one named and the others are referred to as “her family” - she could be more involved in the Order than the others, or she acts as some kind of leading figure for the household, or she was simply better known to Moody than the others. In the second scenario, she is mentioned as the only one present, while the others are absent - they could be in hiding, although Lily and James were in hiding and were still present for the photograph, or are on some kind of Order activity (like Lupin, who is also not mentioned as being in this photograph). In the third scenario, Marlene is the only Order member in her family. The way Moody describes her death as “got her whole family” also suggests an element of being caught, as if the whole family was wanted to some extent by the Death Eaters. Hagrid also says that Voldemort had “decided ter kill ‘em,” further implying that the whole family were targets, not just collateral damage from targeting Marlene. For these reasons, I find it more likely that she is not the only member of the Order in her family.

Lily, James, Sirius and Peter are seated in the same row of the photograph - from this, we can gather that there likely wasn’t arranged seating and people sat with those they were friendly with. Marlene is standing nearby to Dedalus Diggle, Frank and Alice Longbottom and Moody, implying these were the Order members she was closest to, not the Marauders. For this reason, I think it’s reasonable to interpret Marlene as older than she often is portrayed. Frank and Alice’s ages are unknown, but they are well-accomplished Aurors, repeatedly stated throughout the series to be an extremely challenging career with training for at least three years after graduation to even enter the position, although they are not too old to have Neville (the average age of first-time mothers in 1981 was about 25, but given that Alice was a well-established Auror by the time Neville was born, she was probably a bit older), likely placing them somewhere in the mid twenties to thirties range. Dedalus Diggle could be any age, but he is quite an eccentric and cheerful character, wearing a purple top hat, known for enthusiastic displays like summoning shooting stars in Kent upon Voldemort’s downfall, bowing to Harry in a shop, and attempting to be friendly to Vernon Dursley (a monumental task). Her association with Dedalus Diggle implies she isn’t bothered by this kind of behaviour - or maybe she is, and she’s unfortunately stuck standing near him. Moody is described as having grey hair, and just generally comes across as an older man (grizzled appearance, gruff, battle-hardened cynic). Given Moody is also nearby, Marlene is now associated with at least three Aurors, so she could reasonably be interpreted as an Auror, or Auror-in-training.

So, in conclusion:

Marlene is a member of the Order, likely at least a few years older than Lily and James. Her family members, whether that be her children or parents or siblings, are also in the order, and she is probably fairly close with them, given they were all murdered together. The McKinnons are highly skilled wizards and have strength of character, standing up for their beliefs, to the extent that they become a specific target for Death Eaters. Her closest associates in the Order are probably the Longbottoms and Dedalus Diggle, as well as Mad-Eye Moody. 

Marlene Variants!!

I think being described as one of the best of the age, not her age, but the age, might imply that she was either a younger member of a well-known magical family like the Potters (James Potter’s parents), or was an older, well-accomplished witch in her own right. 

Marlene, part of a large family affiliated with the Order, who knew Sirius, Lily and Peter through having been the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor one year. We know that, in Harry’s time, Dumbledore asked at least two former Order members to teach DADA in a six year time span (Moody and Lupin, from Harry’s first to sixth year), so it isn’t unlikely that Order members could be asked to fill in the role for a year. Professor McKinnon, who puts her students through almost military paces, but who sits on her desk while teaching, who knows which students are friends, who arranges her seating plans accordingly to make sure everyone has someone they can ask for help nearby. Marlene, who teaches the first years how to duel and goes tramping through the forbidden forest searching for Hinkypunks and takes her third years to the lake with Gillyweed to hunt for Grindylows, because doing is the best way to learn.

Marlene McKinnon and Dedalus Diggle as friends; whether Marlene is similar to him in being enthusiastic and just generally kind of extra, or whether she’s a kind of down to earth character foil for him, just… I think those two would be very interesting to see interacting. Marlene and Dedalus as old schoolmates, who love magic for the wild and the untameable, who charm rain into shooting stars and charm autumn leaves to fly in dizzying dances.

Marlene as an Auror. Marlene as Moody’s colleague, as around his age, as Frank and Alice’s colleague. Marlene who can hold her own against any given Death Eater, even when caught by surprise. Marlene, who can cast spells so powerful they make the floor crack under her feet and sear the walls with energy. Marlene McKinnon, who makes Death Eaters flee when she appears in the doorway, who can never be ambushed and can never be beaten, who decimates the ranks of every opposing force. Marlene, who isn’t afraid to kill where Moody spares, who can snap from kind to deadly in an instant. 

Marlene who is delighted when Alice tells her she’s having a baby, who comes around for lunch on Saturdays, who helps design the wards, and patches loopholes in the magic until it's impenetrable, and who makes Neville a quilt that is never finished. Marlene, who would have been an incredible aunt figure to Neville Longbottom. 

Marlene as an Auror in training, with parents who are already Aurors, potentially siblings too. Marlene who goofs around with Moody, who Tonks reminds him of years later, Marlene who dies despite her training. Maybe Evan Rosier is the one who kills her; maybe Moody remembers this when Rosier refuses to come quietly; maybe Marlene McKinnon is half the reason Rosier ends up dead that day.

There’s my brainrot analysis! This turned out a bit longer than I intended it to be. Feel free to use any of this in anything you make (maybe I’ll cough up some art eventually… tag me if you do, I’d love to see). And a friendly reminder that if you do headcanon Marlene differently, in the end, it’s all for fun, and you’re free to view her any way you’d like. And who knows, maybe I’ll get around to doing this for the other characters one day.

#*aggressively points at a fictional character* #“listen i just think she's neat” #marauders era #marlene mckinnon #the marauders #marauders fandom #marauders girls #mad eye moody #alice longbottom #frank longbottom #dedalus diggle #lily evans #lily potter #order of the phoenix #mwpp era #my post #marauders

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

hi fellow bsd enthusiast ? in the most respectful way possible because i don't know how to start this normally

would you like to help an artist out of an art block? just a small personal project.

if so, what flowers do you consider most suitable for your favorite bsd characters?

based on your own preferences. for example: flower symbolism, colors, scenarios you've been thinking about , or from said character's backstory ( or general development ).

though i'd like you to explain if it's a little complicated so i can capture it accurately.

if i manage to finish it, i'll be sure to give credit.

if you're ok with it, thank you. if you aren't, feel free to ignore this ask.

Hello hello! I'd love to help if I can!

Ahaha you know anon I regularly check out flower meanings and stuff like that so this was really fun. I did a selection of characters for you to pick and choose from if you'd like (ones who are on the brain right now) but if this list doesn't include a character you really love and want to draw, then please leave a comment here or send another ask and I'll pick a flower for that character too!

I'm using a mix of hanakotoba and western meanings here.

Yosano - Red Spider Lily (death, abandonment, never to meet again, but can also be a sign that celebration will soon occur - Yosano is drawn with these flowers on the cover of the volume containing her backstory... the number has escaped me sorry. You could also give her the Red Poppy for the wartime connotation if you want extra pain.)

Aya - Black Eyed Susan (the flower of justice! also it's bright and cheery and I thought they suited her)

Wells - Begonia (they are a sign to take caution or warning, much like Wells is a similar sign - they are also associated with deep thought, something that suits her intellectual nature)

Atsushi - Hibiscus (there's a lot I could do for Atsushi but I like this one - these flowers represent a person who is gentle, welcoming and friendly, which reminded me of the way he is usually the one to reach out to people who remind him of his younger self and "welcome" them into a new chapter of their lives)

Kyouka - Violet (I am unsure what the flowers are in her hair exactly, and while Kyouka loves hydrangeas the meaning doesn't apply to her - I picked violets as they mean honesty, watchfulness and loyalty, things that apply to her quite well, but also because the Japanese word for violet is "sumire"... which is the same name as her seiyuu :D)

Akutagawa - Hydrangea (oof this was a hard one. These flowers have wildly contrasting meanings, ranging from pride, to gratitude for being understood, to a cold person. All of which I feel represents him fairly well. Their flowers can also change colour depending on the pH of the soil in which they were planted - something that calls to mind Akutagawa's differing paths in canon vs beast depending on where he was "planted".)

Higuchi - Yellow Tulip (one-sided love. rip girl. can also mean sunshine-smile and a trustworthy person though so it's still sweet and suits her character.)

Mushitarou - Aloe (Associated with grief and affection, but outwardly it looks spiky and rather unfriendly (well I suppose. I think aloe plants are cute personally). Has a nice green colour and is cultivated and used for all sorts of practical purposes, much like Mushitarou is constantly being captured and sought after for the use of his ability. Sorry lol)

Jouno - Dahlia (another tricky one... dahlias can have negative meanings such as dishonesty and instability, but largely the positive ones overtake that - being symbols of positive change, dignity, and inner strength. They can also symbolize having good taste, something I'm sure he believes he has, at least over Tecchou lol)

Chuuya - Peach Blossom (I could've gone the official skk route and said red camellia... but I like the meaning of momohana much better for Chuuya, and it's also the flower people send to the real poet's museum - I believe he liked them. They represent the transience of life and the importance of every moment. They begin to grow in winter and bloom in the spring - symbolizing the transition from hardship to growth. They are also apparently considered somewhat protective against evil spirits, which fits well into his role as protector)

Teruko - Larkspur (symbolizes commitment to responsibility and duty, as well as pride and the capacity to face challenges directly. They can also be used to symbolize youth as well as remembrance - which I think captures that age ability she has. Once we learn more about her I might be able to find a better flower, but I wanted this to go by what we know so far, not my own headcanons about her for which I have several).

Nikolai - Strelitzia (Meaning joy, freedom and immortality, also known as the Bird of Paradise flower. It's a very striking and unusual looking flower that I'm sure Nikolai would enjoy. I had wanted to give him a flower that's important symbolically in Ukraine, but I didn't feel the meanings of the ones I found made a lot of sense... unless you'd like to get ironic with it and give him the Mallow, which symbolizes love and attachment for family, homeland and potentially a lover - like the way he has yet to fully break free from these tethers, hard as he tries)

I have images for reference here and here. I hope this helps!

#thanks for the ask! #flower language #bsd #bsd yosano #bsd aya #bsd wells #bsd atsushi #bsd kyouka #bsd akutagawa #bsd higuchi #bsd mushitarou #bsd jouno #bsd chuuya #bsd teruko #bsd nikolai #storyrambles

[k-martins]

Honestly guys, I'm not very positive about Megumi. Of course, I really believe that this countdown to Megumi's death thing might just be a marketing ploy (seriously, dropping the bombshell that the most popular character in manga can die and then take a break is a very smart thing to do and that will generate a huge buzz on twitter until chapter 232 comes out.) But I also don't think Megumi will last long in the manga. Let's write it down. _ Mind in complete collapse. _ Sunken in evil. _ Lost the most important person in his life. _ Shattered soul. I don't think the power of true love can save him from dying (or becoming something worse than Sukuna even)

But it's definitely not Fushigurover until I see a coffin.

My theories are: _ Tsumiki will appear to talk to Megumi. It became a little clear to me that the "brothers" relationship is something very important to GG. Megumi and Tsumiki, Mai and Maki, Todo/Choso and Yuji. And one of the constants is that whenever one of the brothers is about to fall, he is helped by the older one. Think of Mai, even if she felt a bit of resentment towards Maki, she was still there to help her get back on her feet. When Yuji fell in Shibuya, Todo appeared to pick him up. Choso was about to die, but the thought of his brothers made him struggle to defeat Kenjaku. Did you notice the pattern? So, it makes sense to me that the one who will get Megumi back to fighting will be Tsumiki. GG didn't just raise her to be the "girl in the fridge", I'm sure of that. Tsumiki barely appears, being just a person we know through Megumi's eyes, so this would be the moment to really see her on screen. And if there's anyone who can make Megumi fight, it's Tsumiki. Yuji and Gojo can help, but she is the big sister who will lift him up. Furthermore, Lilies also symbolize "protection", and they were associated with Tsumiki. If anyone can protect Megumi from harm, it's Tsumiki.

_ Megumi won't come back… Completely. Now forget everything I said above. Megumi will still come back, but he will come back the same way as Maki. He lost his sister, the good part that kept him in line. He killed her with his own hands. Megumi is not the hero. He's just a kid thrown into a dangerous world, with powers he didn't even want, relying only on Gojo's "kindness" for him and Tsumiki to survive. Megumi saves people because he trusts him own conscience. He's not saving because it's the right thing to do (like Gojo and Yuji) or because he has to (like Geto). He kills curses because it will make a better world for Tsumiki. Now, he doesn't have Tsumiki anymore. What he has is a broken soul, a stolen body, and powers that can't help him. Megumi is not Geto, with his desire to make the world more evolved. He is not Yuji, determined to save as many people as possible. Megumi is someone who will set the world on fire by taking everything out of it. Then, it will be left to Yuji to defeat him and give his soul rest. If that happens, we'll only have two options: Either Yuji brings him back to the light, or we'll parallel Satosugu again (please GG, if that's your plan, do it masterfully)

#It doesn't really matter if he's going to be good or bad #I'll still be there to support him #I still want a happy ending though #so work GG #fushiguro megumi #jjk spoilers #megumi fushiguro #jjk #itadori yuji #gojo satoru #jujutsu kaisen #ryomen sukuna #tsumiki fushiguro #dad gojo #jjk231 #jjk231leaks

[thebibutterflyao3]

Day One - Spring @sapphicmicrofics

April Daily Series - 717 words

**Series 5/5 of a continuous multi-ship story**

<<<Previous Series OR Beginning

The train station was busier than she expected for this time of day. It was too bloody early for normal people to be awake and yet here they were flooding Cardiff’s Central station. Ridiculous.

Marlene dug through her backpack until she felt the tangled cord of her earbuds. “Ah-ha! There she is.”

“Is everything feminine to you?” Regulus asked. His head was tilted slightly toward James to accommodate headphones they shared. The cord was still wrapped around Regulus’s neck while James listened intently to the song that Regulus played for him.

“Only things I value,” she replied, grinning wickedly at him.

Regulus rolled his eyes, as seemed to be his habit. The bloke was certainly a different breed from his brother. Their similarities were entirely skin deep, but it startled her to see the same features that she associated with general merriment contort into a glare or bored apathy so often.

Except for the similarly adoring expressions the brothers turned on James. It was impressive how thoroughly he’d charmed both of them. Not that Marlene was surprised. She’d watched James charm nearly everyone he’d ever met rather quickly.

They were complements in many ways. Where James was bold and confident, Marlene was bold and brash. Where James was eager and determined, Marlene was eager and hungry. They were different branches springing from the same tree and worked well together. Which was why they were old childhood friends and current hockey teammates.

Sirius prodded her hip. “Are you sure you don’t want to go back to Edinburgh with me? Those two will be all over each other the entire time. Last chance.”

“As if you and Remus will be any better?” Regulus snarked. “You’re like dogs in heat.”

Sirius flipped him off. Before he could retaliate, James stuck the headphones back onto Regulus’s ears and distracted him with a quick kiss. It was becoming a common interaction between the brothers. Sirius loved winding Regulus up and Regulus enjoyed lashing out.

Marlene shrugged. “I’m due a holiday anyway and Pandora insisted that she and Lily needed help rearranging things at the London flat. Who am I to tell a pair of pretty women ‘no?’”

“Fair,” James agreed. He then swatted Regulus’s boot away from Sirius’s shin with a sigh. When his feral boyfriend grumbled a threat, James picked him up and promptly settled him into his lap. “Both of you, behave.”

Sirius smirked at Regulus, but his brother was entirely unbothered now that he was comfortably snuggled into James’s chest. It was probably best that Sirius wasn’t joining them on the train to London. Marlene was just about sick of the bickering.

“Can you not?” she said, budging Sirius’s shoulder.

“We have lost time to make up for, Marls.”

“Which you want to spend quarreling?”

He flashed a bright grin at her, then draped an arm over her shoulders. “It’s what siblings do. You know how it is.”

She definitely did. Her three brothers were constantly scrapping with each other or poking fun at her when she lived at home. It was just as irritating.

“James is being entirely too nice about it. I’d have knocked you about by now.”

Sirius laughed, loud and sharp. “Nonsense. Our rows give him an excuse to ‘rescue’ Reggie. He loves it.”

Marlene glanced back at James to find him smiling fondly at Regulus while he stroked his back to soothe him. He always was the righteous peacemaker type. It sort of tracked that he’d take advantage of the chaos to play hero.

“Utter twats.”

“You should be used to it by now,” Sirius said, leaning his head against hers. “Honestly, Marls. I think you’re jealous.”

She stared at him incredulously. “Of who?”

“Regulus.”

“What? Why?”

Sirius nodded at his brother again. “Didn’t you have that in London? The calm to your chaos?”

Marlene immediately dropped her gaze to her backpack and toyed with a loose thread. She couldn’t think about that right now. Walking away was the worst decision that she didn’t make.

Dorcas was right, of course. Long-distance was shite and they were never “just friends.” It was entirely logical to end things cleanly when they did, and also complete bullshite.

“Are you going to look her up?” he persisted.

“London is a big city and I doubt she’d want me to.”

Next Part>>>

#dorcas x marlene #marlene x dorcas #dorlene #marlene mckinnon #dorcas meadowes #marlene mckinnon x dorcas meadows #hp sapphics #marauders women #marauders era

[spacelazarwolf]

I have some questions, if you're still open to them!

Jewish question: What's some of your favorite jewish imagery/symbolism?

Trans question: Do you have favorite visual things/themes to see in trans art specifically?

Plant question: In keeping with the general theme of these questions, what are some plant symbolism type things that you like? Either flower language or just general (eg I like lilies because they are associated with beauty and purity but also death and are poisonous).

i love pomegranate imagery. i think it's so bright and organic and i love the saying that there's 613 seeds in a pomegranate like there are 613 mitzvot.

one of my friends is a professional painter and he recently finished an incredible painting that represents how he feels as a trans man when he's among cis men. it's a bunch of green plastic army men, then in the middle is one hot pink army man that represents himself and how he feels like he sticks out. it represents the journey he's been on where now that he "passes" as cis to cis men, they've started to say misogynistic things to him that they didn't before, and he's navigating how to handle those situations. i think it's something a lot of trans guys struggle with because on the one hand we want to call it out, because most of us have spent at least some time being perceived as and treated as women, so we know what it's like to be on the receiving end of talk like that. but as trans people we know that if we out ourselves, there are a lot of ways that could go and some of them do not end well for us. it's a really beautiful painting and when he starts making prints of it i'm absolutely going to buy one.

it's kinda morbid, but i love the way that sometimes old leaves will die off in order to give the plant enough energy to push out new ones. when old leaves start to droop and die, they take up a lot of the plant's energy just to keep it alive, so when you're taking care of plants and notice a leaf is yellow you should prune it so the plant can focus on making new and bigger leaves. feels like a metaphor for life. sometimes you have to cut off the old drooping parts in order to put out new leaves.

#ask avishai

[sideprince]

What’s your general thoughts and opinions on James?

I don't know how general my thoughts and opinions of him are, but here goes... (under the cut because long post)

To me, James was the kind of kid who was made to feel special by his parents and didn't realize, as he grew up, that the rest of the world wasn't duty-bound to share this view of him. I think the backstory Rowling gave was that his parents struggled to have a child and had him when they were older, so he was very valued and spoiled, in a family that had money and lived comfortably. There are people who will come out of an upbringing like this with a strong sense of self and security and feel empathy for those who struggle, and there are people who will come out of it feeling entitled and affronted that the rest of the world doesn't understand how special they are. I think James was the latter. He has the vibe of a kid whose parents never taught him to share. When he got to Hogwarts and was thrust into a world where he didn't get the constant positive reinforcement he did at home, his response was to feel insecure in its absence and I'm not sure he ever outgrew that.

His first interaction with both Snape, Lily, and Sirius on the Hogwarts Express says a lot about him. When Snape says he wants to be in Slytherin, James scoffs, but when Sirius says his whole family have been in that house, James is surprised, because he's already formed an opinion of Sirius and has started to like him. James and Sirius met on the train, which had probably just left London, since Snape and Lily were picking up their conversation from the platform, Snape having just changed into his school robes, which he presumably did as soon as he got on the train. In that short time, because James made a connection with him, he can excuse Sirius' association with the house because he already likes him, but he doesn't know Snape so it's easier to dismiss him for the same house preference. Young James shows a lot of bias and we see through his Hogwarts years that he doesn't grow out of it. The fact that he judges people with such certainty based on their house or house preference shows this too.

Though Snape and Lily are clearly friends when he meets them, James seems only interested in targeting Snape. Lily, with her face pressed against the window, doesn't seem interested in interacting with the other boys in the compartment before Snape enters, but they also seem to have put little effort into cheering up this girl who's unhappy and alone. While it might be that James is nicer to Lily because she's a girl (whether because he's immediately interested in her or just because he feels it unchivalrous to bully girls), I think that both James and Sirius immediately pick up on Snape's otherness.

The first description of James we see is, “slight, black-haired like Snape, with that indefinable air of having been well cared for, even adored, that Snape so conspicuously lacked.” A clear differentiation is drawn between the two of them in this scene, and I think the implication is that James perceived this difference too, and it drove him to dismiss Snape and treat him with contempt all the more. I wonder sometimes if James didn't look at Lily and worry that someone like her (cared for, middle class) was friends with someone like Snape (neglected, poor), and whether his interest in her wasn't borne out of a sort of savior complex where he imagined himself as some kind of knight saving the princess from the terrible monster. Perhaps that image comes to mind because of this moment:

James lifted an invisible sword. ‘ “Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!” Like my dad.’

In any case, I think that James' contempt for Snape was driven by his visible poverty and neglect as much, if not more so, than his feelings for Lily, especially in their first few years at school.

Most of what we know of James' Hogwarts years comes from Sirius and Lupin, Snape's memories, and the detention cards Harry has to sort after nearly killing Malfoy with Sectumsempra. Sirius and Lupin remember James as having been popular, but I think they're biased, given they were good friends. In Snape's Worst Memory we see a James who's arrogant, wants attention, and bullies Snape. It's Sirius who says he's bored, but James is the one who points out Snape and leads the bullying. A few minutes before they round on Snape, we see this moment, as James is playing with the snitch while Wormtail marvels sycophantically:

Harry noticed that his father had a habit of rumpling up his hair as though to keep it from getting too tidy, and he also kept looking over at the girls by the water’s edge.

It doesn't take long until:

Snape let out a stream of mixed swear words and hexes, but with his wand ten feet away nothing happened. ‘Wash out your mouth,’ said James coldly. ‘Scourgify!’ Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape’s mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him - ‘Leave him ALONE!’ James and Sirius looked round. James’s free hand immediately jumped to his hair. It was one of the girls from the lake edge. She had thick, dark red hair that fell to her shoulders, and startlingly green almond-shaped eyes - Harry’s eyes. Harry’s mother.

There are a few things to unpack here. One, it's clear that James is bullying Snape to get Lily's attention, as shown by the hand in his hair and his self-consciousness as he looks over at the girls by the lake and again when Lily comes over. His choice to get her attention through Snape says a lot about his personality and his values. He's 15, a bit too old to flirt through bullying, whether directly or indirectly. He's like a five year old pulling a girl's pigtails on the playground because he likes her. It shows immaturity, but then if you think about Harry at the same age and his own immaturity, it manifested in his inability to understand Cho and his liking her because she was pretty even though they weren't well-suited to each other. It never occurred to Harry to get Cho's attention by bullying someone, not only because Harry wasn't a bully, but because despite being a Quidditch player who played the same position as his father had, he never felt compelled to flex in front of the girl he liked. That, however, seems to be James' go-to move. He doesn't really care what damage he does to Snape, because he objectifies him - Snape is just something he uses to get Lily's attention.

The other thing that sticks out to me about that passage is James' viciousness the second he feels disrespected. It's reminiscent of an abuser's behavior in the way he lashes out disproportionately the moment Snape challenges his sense of authority. Snape uses words, but James responds with physical violence, specifically to silence Snape. It's not just that James' actions show a complete disregard for his victim's well-being (after all, we see Harry and Malfoy butt heads several times but neither hits the other in such a disproportionate way, but then Harry and Malfoy aren't really a parallel for Snape and James because they're rivals and James and Snape have a bully/victim relationship). James seems to feel perfectly entitled to his treatment of Snape as if his response was proportionate. I think the cartoonish imagery of a bubbling bar of soap distracts some readers, but in essence this exchange is as if Snape said "go fuck yourself" and James responded by wrapping his hands around Snape's throat and throttling him. What I find disturbing is the ease with which James does it. When, only moments later, Lily asks what Snape ever did to him, James' casual reply is, “it’s more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean …” He doesn't see Snape as a person capable of feeling and reacting on the same level he sees himself, and frankly, I find that chilling.

I have a hard time reading James in this moment as anything but abusive. His goal with his actions towards Snape is to exert control through violence, which is what abusers do (I'm including emotional abuse in this statement too, given that emotional violence is still violence). To add to this, this incident happens after the werewolf incident, so James is treating Snape this way after Sirius almost got him killed/maimed/turned by Lupin deliberately. He doesn't seem to have grown or changed after that experience at all when it comes to understanding the impact and influence of his bullying. In fact, he uses Sirius' boredom as an excuse to target Snape, which doesn't seem likely to discourage the same behavior that nearly got Snape killed only a few months earlier.

I think James had a strong relationship with Sirius, but his intervening to prevent Snape getting to the Shrieking Shack shows a difference between the two of them. The incident in SWM seems to indicate that James, who so reflexively attacks Snape with viciousness, was probably acting on behalf of his friends and not Snape when savinghim. My personal meta is that he, unlike Sirius, understood what it would do to Lupin psychologically if he attacked Snape while transformed, and that's why he intervened. I like to think James' view of Sirius changed a bit after that, and his trust in him faltered somewhat, in a way that they never quite fixed, which is why James could be convinced to switch from Sirius to Peter as their secret keeper. That sense of, "when is this friend going to make me vulnerable through his carelessness when he gets lost in his antagonism of someone else."

His empathy for Lupin didn't affect his contempt for someone like Snape, though. We know from Harry's sorting of old detention cards and Lily's accusation in SWM that James would hex people in the halls just because he could. Again, he's using violence to assert himself and doesn't care how it affects people. His friends, though, remember him with fondness. Lily eventually started dating him and liked, presumably loved, him enough to marry him soon after they finished school. We see through Voldemort's memory of the night he killed them that James was affectionate with Harry and that he was willing to put himself between Voldemort and his son and wife to protect the latter (though he was ineffectual given he carelessly left his wand on the couch and bought them no more than a few seconds, which to me shows hubris). So we know that James could be a loving person, but it seems he was selective about who deserved his humanity and affection. He could show contempt just as strongly to others, whether someone he knew casually or someone he actively disliked. It reminds me a bit of the loving letters home from Nazi concentration camp officers who showed that they did have humanity, they just treated their prisoners as undeserving of it in deeply chilling ways. This isn't to say that James was a Nazi by any means (so please don't try to come at me in the comments thx), but rather to illustrate that he, too, displays the ability to be both deeply human and then turn around and dehumanize others when it suits him.

This dischord makes sense when you realize how much of JK Rowling's first husband, Jorge Arantes, is in James, down to his dark hair and round glasses, and especially the dichotomy of how lovable he is meant to be yet how controlling and violent his behavior is. I think James is a character who is often hinted at more than described because of Rowling's own difficulty in processing that relationship and dealing with Arantes as a character on the page. We hear about James more than we see him, but when we do it's:

when Harry sees him and Lily in the Mirror of Erised (which isn't the real James but Harry's idealized version of him)

in moments of grave peril facing his family, ie. when his echo comes out of Voldemort's wand at the end of GoF and when Voldemort recalls the night he killed the Potters

in Snape's memories where he acts violent, entitled, and controlling

What's interesting to me is that in the moments where we see James (ie. pseudo-Arantes) being protective of his family, he's either already dead and an echo, or he is immediately killed. The bulk of the moments in which we see James in his normal, everyday life, he's controlling, violent, arrogant, and insecure. Put in the context of him being an avatar for Arantes, there's enough to unpack there for a trained therapist, but my tl;dr is that Rowling either deliberately or subconsciously has chosen to put him on a pedestal and let his own actions knock him off it. It's unclear to me whether she's struggling to identify her own feelings as she projects them onto the page, or if she's making a considered statement about how even the affectionately thought of father figure can have a dangerously ugly side. The fact that so many Marauders stans look past this behavior, let alone justify it, makes me skeptical of their intentions because I have difficulty seeing James outside the context of the clear parallels between him and Rowling's actual, real-life abuser.

While Lupin and Sirius say that James changed and that's why Lily started dating him, we see signs that he didn't. The fact he kept sneaking out under the invisibility cloak after the Fidelius Charm was put on his house shows that he still put himself and his whims first, implying his entitlement and the difficulty he continued to have putting responsibilities ahead of his own wants. It's indicated he didn't stop bullying at school once he started dating Lily, he just learned to hide it from her better.

Many others have written at length about this, so I'll just touch on it briefly, but I think James justified his behavior on the basis that he felt he was on the right side and against the dark side. Lupin and Sirius talk about Snape and his fascination with dark magic when they were at school, but we see James using innocuous charms like scourgify to enact violence, which mostly just makes me question the distinction between light and dark magic (ie. what matters is how a spell is used, not what category it falls into). James, as a Gryffindor, sees himself to be on the side of righteousness and valor, and though his actions contradict this, he doesn't question himself because he sees himself through the lens of being a Gryffindor, not an individual defined by his choices. His bullying of Snape certainly helped push the latter towards becoming a Death Eater, a cult-like group that preyed on the kind of vulnerability that James exarcebated in Snape. While that is ultimately Snape's journey and part of his character and choices, it's undeniable that, in some way (great or small), James was complicit in that process, and in ways that can be drawn back to his own perception of light vs. dark, his inability to empathize, the viciousness of his bullying, and his judgmental delineation between who deserves to be treated with humanity and who doesn't.

All in all I see James as a spoiled, privileged child who grew up to be an insecure, entitled bully. I think being thrust into the world of Hogwarts, where he had no parents to reinforce the idea that he's a precious angel, brought out his insecurities and instead of outgrowing them he dealt with them by exerting control over everyone around him as much as he could (or as much as he could get away with). I think if he had lived past his early 20s he might have grown more as a person, but as we see him when he dies, he seems to have retained many traits of the boy on the Hogwarts Express who judged others and reflexively bullied the kid he perceived as an outsider. I hope that what people take away from his character is that bullies and abusers can also be fathers and father figures, people capable of affection. Their dangerous side just shows that people like this are complex and their actions nuanced, they aren't just two dimensional villains.

#meta #long post #asks

[loudgaybug]

because I'm autistic I decided to catalogue all the flower language meanings in pommes gift to pepito and em

regrettably I'm not including sunny because there were no flowers in her gift. this is mainly for me to have an archive of it. pomme did say she looked into flower meanings for em ! if anyone has anything to add/correct please do, I tried my best to find the names of some of the modded flowers but I'm not familiar with the mods so I didn't know for sure, just guessed based off appearance

Pepito

blue amaranth (amaranthus in general) - longevity, immortality (amaranthus is derived from Greek meaning unfading)

red amaranth (also known as love-lies-bleeding) - hopeless love or intense and genuine love, deep emotion, warmth, energy

purple amaranth - unchanging affection, independence, individuality, abundance, prosperity

pink amaranth - vitality, empathy, compassion, understanding, given to show support, comfort, affection

additional info : red, pink and purple amaranth are colours that amaranth cockscomb comes in, amaranth cockscomb is most associated with red, amaranth cockscomb means affectation (pretentious manner) and foppery (excessive attention paid to clothes/appearance)

Em

cornflowers (pomme's favourite flower) - beauty, purity, grace, love, fertility, nature and its independence, bravery, loyalty, hope, anticipation, patience, elegance, delicacy, refinement, single blessedness

the cornflower has ties to France; there is a story that when Napoleon invaded Prussia Queen Louise hid her children in a field of cornflowers, making flower crowns for their heads so they would blend in. It was also worn by the french military. Cornfowers in France are a symbol of remembrance, known as the Bleuet de France.

black rose - death, mourning, tragedy, farewell to a loved one, danger, sorrow, revenge, endings, new beginnings, rebirth, eternal love. historically it was a symbol of dark magic, but also a symbol of resistance for anarchist and anti-authoritarian groups

poppies - consolation, remembrance, death, peace, loss, deep sleep, eternal rest, imagination, resurrection

peony - good luck, compassion, love, honour, happiness, wealth, elegance, beauty, bashfulness, shame

The association between peonies and bashfulness is from folklore where pesky nymphs hid in the petals of peonies. In China they symbolise rank/wealth. It is said that Empress Wu Zetian walked through the imperial gardens and became upset the flowers weren't blooming, issuing a decree for them to bloom. The next day they all bloomed apart from the peonies, which enraged her, and she ordered them burnt. The next day, however, they grew back from the ashes as red flowers, then she banished them to Luoyang Palace.

That one red and white/cream flower in the pack is my greatest enemy. it could be a red and white carnation, in which case it would mean purity, luck, love and affection, or more likely the incan lily meaning devotion, pure friendship, support, love, faithfulness, "you are beloved" condolences at a time of sorrow, or it could also be a red and white rose symbolising unity

I think the flowers at the bottom are red marigolds? I'm working under the assumption they are. Red marigolds - love, passion, marigolds - grief, despair, genuine hurt from mourning, compassion, remembrance, the beauty and warmth of the rising sun, resurrection. In Shakespeare's A Winters Tale Perdita hands flowers out saying "The marigold, that goes to bed wi'th' sun, And with him rises,weeping.”

#qsmp pomme #qsmp #qsmp pepito #qsmp empanada #q!pomme #q!pepito #q!empanada #pomme the egg #pepito the egg #empanada the egg #qsmp analysis

[thepoetsvortex]

I understand why Lily ends her friendship with Severus who associates with aspiring DE, people associated with Dark Magic, who are prejudiced against her kind.

But I don’t understand why she would marry James. James, who bullies her best friend from the time they are 11 until the time he DIES. James, who hung him upside down and put soap in his mouth- until he ALMOST CHOKED; who exposed his underwear before the whole school and threatened to take them off. For no reason.

Why- like, why is that okay? Why is she able to take a stand against Dark Magic, etc but marries someone guilty of sexual assault, abuse, and general harassment? Narratively, it makes NO sense for her character. The point of James (And Snape, Dumbles, Remus, etc) is that even the “good” guys are gray.

Why is Lily okay with that? Because quite honestly, the little we see of James in SWM is TEN TIMES WORSE than anything we see Severus do as a child- or, frankly, as a Death Eater. It kinda confuses me why the “morally pure” girl would fall for a jock, a bully, and just generally someone with no principles when her own principles are shown to be so strong.

But this is the same Lily who says “Old Bathilda,” calls her childhood friend Snivellus and doesn’t even ask him if he is okay in the middle of his assault, and has a baby in the middle of the war. So maybe she doesn’t usually have the best judgment.

#snape meta #severus snape #prosnape #anti marauders #anti remus lupin #anti lily evans #anti lily potter