firstfluke

[firstfluke]

*in the middle of a breakdown* Omg wait. this is just like the character

[firstfluke]

because i've noticed people (especially in the marauders fandom) call more and more long works on ao3 short fics, and because i saw this post of ao3 word count statics, i was curious what this looks like now and did some statistics myself

specific notes here:

the line graph follows the same pattern as the pie charts. the points are merely set at the maximum word count included, but they represent all the works between the marked wordcount and the previous one (so a marker at 10k means works from 5001-10000 words).

the grey part of the pie chart combines all the works that are novel length and longer. note that between the marauders fandom and all of ao3 that percentage more than doubles

there is most definitely an overlap between wolfstar and jegulus fics, so i would assume that several of the jegulus fics at 500k+ are also included in the wolfstar fics and vice versa. i wanted a marauders overview overall, but since we don't have a certain way to view that, i simply went with the most popular marauders ship to get a rough overview of the fandom

i did a seperate category with works for 0 words because these are usually podfics and fanart, however i realise that even in the 1-100 words category there are a lot of 'placeholder fics' (which, btw, go against ao3 tos). the 0 word marker is missing in the line graph, so imagine there are some more lower point towards the right

the last marker on the line graph just indicates fics longer than 500k, i just sat it to an arbitrary number >500k for visualisation

so i think it is in fact noticable that the harry potter fandoms, but especially the marauders one have a tendency for very long works, which also explains why we are not very good at judging when something is a long fic

as a reminder, in traditional literature, 20-50k words is considered a novella, 50-100k is a novel, 100-200k is an epic, and above that we don't really have a word for it. use this knowledge to be more impressed with your local fic writers and give them a pat on the shoulder and a comment in their inbox to let them know they're incredible for writing fics, both the short ones and ones that are several novels long :)

[firstfluke]

Just finished Princess Weekes's new video on the HP fandom and I gotta say, if you're here---engaging with queer + trans stories, engaging with works by queer + trans authors, benefiting from fandom when fandom has always been a space for underrepresented communities---and are in any way still financially supporting JKR, what the actual fuck are you doing here lmfao. I keep assuming it's common knowledge that by participating in this space, we're all of the understanding that engaging with the actual IP (resharing things about the HBO show, commenting on official HP tiktoks, spending MONEY on the game, the books, the movies, the merchandise, the parks, the theatrical performances) is actively harmful. It boggles my mind that there could still be people in this fandom who choose to disengage with critical thinking in regards to the harm being done because they don't want to feel bad, when this could easily become a space used to call for boycotts and disperse information on the ways to materially help trans people, both in the UK and abroad. Luckily, I think that's the part of the fandom I see most often, but if for whatever reason you follow me and still monetarily support JKR, I beg you to self reflect. I'm not a big believer in fanwork itself being an additional harm, but it CAN be if the people participating in that fandom aren't using their voices to speak out, and aren't boycotting anything that financially supports someone using their money to actively disenfranchise trans people. Anyway, I'd highly recommend the video for anyone who doesn't have the full context of the harm being done, or doubts that their single actions can have a larger impact. You can watch it here

[firstfluke]

give me the reg/evan fluke thesis. what does their rship/dynamic look like in ur head

Asking me this when I’m trying to zero in on a jegulus fic is diabolical. I’ve been trying so hard to not think about the ways that they work HAHA but for you. I will.

I’m putting this under a read more bc I wrote an essay.

To me, Evan is like, the first effortless friend Regulus ever has. Evan just does not give a shit if Reg is cold/quiet/awkward and will continue to needle him cause he thinks it’s kinda funny that this little weirdo is in his periphery, and so he just keeps making conversation with him + eventually Regulus is just like “I will ride or die for him I guess idk. He won’t leave me alone.”

First and foremost is their friend dynamic, just because any further relationship would be informed by that. Evan is the foil to Regulus’s over-thinking anxiety. So he’s very go-with-the-flow for most situations, very undiscerning about the people he takes the time to talk to, charismatic in an unpretentious + natural way. If I could distill it down to a scene it would be like:

Evan: Reg, loosen up.

Regulus: (Clenching his fists + shoulders raised to his ears) I am loose.

I think Evan would also get Regulus to do stuff he’s never tried before all the time just because he’s so blasé about it. He would make Regulus feel totally un-judged because he so clearly doesn’t care one way or the other. He’s like, “Sure if you wanna try that it’s cool, but if not, whatever. Not my problem.” Which imo would be a big contrast to everyone else in Regulus’s life who’s so concerned with what decisions he’s making and whether he’s living well enough, hence why ultimately Evan would be someone he feels comfortable going to even when he’s overwhelmed. I think it’d be one of the first relationships Regulus had where he was able to sit back and think about what HE wanted, as opposed to what the other person wanted him to be, because Evan is really just okay with whoever Regulus decides that is. At the end of the day, they’d both have that fierce protectiveness for each other too. I think Regulus has a much more obvious wall up at all times and when you’re in his inner circle you KNOW because he just will not talk to other people like that. But Evan is a friend of everyone kind of guy, he will smile and laugh with whoever is talking to him, but if someone says something hurtful or harms his actual close friends in some way it is game fucking over. Ruthless. They’re very emo loser kid x popular jock to me. Which is certainly reflected in the little of Keep Score that’s out so far lmfao.

This leads me into the potential romantic relationship dynamic. I am obsessed with the idea of them as a friend’s with benefits situation, where Evan is someone who flirts constantly with anyone + anything including Regulus, and Regulus is like “yeah whatever”. But one day Evan just looks at him and is like “You know you’re like, actually really hot, right?” And their start of this fwb situation could go one of a few ways to me. It could start as a jealousy instigator, like say if, oh idk, Regulus was pining after James. Where Evan is like “We should make out about it + piss him off.” And Regulus is like “I don’t think that’s gonna work.” And Evan is like “Maybe we should just make out then :/ For fun :/“

I ALSO think it could start with one of those deep convos Reg is only comfortable having with Evan where he’s like “I get too in my head about physical stuff I’m shit at it” and Evan is like “We can practice :)” and Regulus is like “…..Okay.”

Ultimately I have to compare them to Jegulus bc that helps me understand the True Differences in the two, because I do think I characterize Evan and James in similar but slightly different ways. James is, at his core, a fucking sap and so is Regulus when it comes to James. When you put James and Regulus together you get something that has the potential to be explosive because they’re both so deeply needy and romantic. You open a closed door that Jegulus is behind and they’re either whispering sweet nothings or screaming + crying at each other over a misunderstanding that makes them both feel unloved.

Evan/Reg would be so much more under the surface. When they’re good they’d be like, a Dan and Phil dynamic to me in public honestly HAHA like, you have these two best friends who are clearly deeply invested in each other, but in a way that almost comes across as tongue and cheek sometimes. They’re willing to trip the other in the hall, but if Evan calls Regulus hot and presses him into a wall to kiss him Regulus is gonna be like *rolls eyes* “yeah whatever” and then immediately be so into it. At the end of the day, Regulus wouldn’t feel the need to put on a performance and be more than what he is, and Evan wouldn’t ask him to. You open a door that Evan/Reg are behind and you either find them sitting on opposite sides of the room doing parallel play or having crazy sex idk.

[firstfluke]

I forget that Effie isn’t a fat milf to everyone in their minds eye sometimes

[firstfluke]

And I've been meaning to tell you I think your house is haunted Your dad is always mad and that must be why

[firstfluke]

Yes your blorbo is tortured and pathetic and slutty and pretty and suffers more than jesus and all that but never forget that your blorbo is, first and foremost, a loser.

[firstfluke]

Keep Score Chapter Two Birthday II

Jegulus, Modern University AU

“You good?” James asks, looks up at him with half a smile still pressed to his face, brown eyes bright and earnest. “Yeah,” Regulus says, and James pushes off, trailing the pack at a leisurely pace. Regulus tightens his grip as the bike jostles, watches the sun-dappled trees pass on either side of the empty street, each long blink a starburst of darkness and light against his lids. The breeze feels nice, a welcome wash of relief in the sticky air, tickling against his skin, through his curls. “You like Tennessee so far?” James asks, turns a bright face up to look at him. Regulus nearly loses his balance. “I’ve only been here a few hours,” he says. “You strike me as someone with strong opinions.” Regulus feels the twitch of a smile against his lips, furrows his brows instead. “I like the trees.”

[firstfluke]

There’s actually nothing i love more than writing a party scene but u all probably knew that already

[firstfluke]

when I was a kid I wished I had nosebleeds. I had some friends who had them and I was like. that looks so fucking cool. you're just sitting there and suddenly you're covered in blood. it looks so dramatic. it looks so... and here my language failed me. at such a humble age I did not have the vocabulary to describe the sublime. I just sat in incomprehensible jealousy. I turned out totally normal by the way

[firstfluke]

really underrated sibling dynamic is eldest freak loser sister no friends no bitches strange and offputting. and her really normal younger sister who loves her and hangs out with her.

[firstfluke]

Book club and nap time

[firstfluke]

no homo but the deer in headlights look you got going on is doing it for me

[firstfluke]

Keep Score Chapter One Birthday I

Jegulus, Modern University AU

“We’re here,” Sirius says, squeezes Regulus’s shoulder as his eyes snap open. They didn’t make it before sunrise. Regulus rubs at his eyes, vision dotted with the last sparks of sleep and the first spots of morning light. A stone building sits nestled past the windshield glare, uneven juts of gray and brown bricks sprouting up from the overgrown yard, shadowed in swathes of ivy and the bent limbs of circled trees. Two cars already sit in the make-shift driveway, uneven patches of grass giving way to rock and dirt where tires have run it down over the years, front porch an eclectic mix of scuffed plastic lawn chairs and beat up outdoor equipment. The sun has barely risen over the treetops, but Regulus already feels the heat soaking through his shirt, hops out of the car and moves through the air like it’s a tangled fabric clinging to his skin. “You wanna grab one suitcase and I’ll grab the other?” James asks, pops the trunk. Regulus nods.

[firstfluke]

just looked dumb asf at work. i swear to christ i was typing in the exact right password because i checked it 1000 times and typed it 1000 times and copy + pasted it after typing it elsewhere where i could see 1000 times and it kept rejecting so I go to IT and I go hi my password won't work?? and they go hm. looks like you're entering it wrong. and I'm like ...i know i'm not...but i try again and it works so. i guess i have to quit now.

[firstfluke]

This fic is so older brother’s best friend you guys don’t understand……I’m holding back my finished first chapter with weak fingers while I finish the second. Just know that the dynamic is this:

Sirius: Hey everyone, this is my little brother! We’re all adopting him now!

James: So cool!! I always wanted a little brother. I’m gonna win him over + help him however I can. This is our Shared Little Brother.

Regulus: I need James bad

[firstfluke]

The Subtle Art of Deception

Notorious con artist James Potter escapes from prison and is quickly recaptured by FBI Agent Remus Lupin. In a bold move, James convinces Remus to let him act as a criminal informant for the duration of his sentence. With James out of prison, the lines are blurred between trust and deception, with danger and riches lurking at every turn.

read chapter one