#also lily centric obv and

[seriousbrat]

Falls the Shadow, chapter 8 Read on Ao3

THE DARKEST DAYS, a multi-part, canon-compliant series spanning from 1975-1981, covering the events of the First Wizarding War. Follows Lily, Sev, and the Marauders through their final years at Hogwarts to the end of the war, as friendships are put to the test and the Wizarding World crumbles around them... READ FROM THE BEGINNING

CHAPTER 8: For Better For Worse --------------------------------------------

Vernon stammers. “What— that— you— I mean to say—” Petunia shoots Lily a dirty look and then places a soothing hand on his arm. This seems to rally him. “So, you know a few magic tricks, do you? Am I supposed to be impressed?”

“Not especially,” James says, grinning. “That was a fairly bog-standard bit of Transfiguration. Of course, transfiguring inanimate objects into living thing’s always got its complications— it’s not really alive, you see, it’s just the illusion of life. The theory’s a bit murky, but there you are.”

From the looks on their faces he may as well be speaking Greek. Lily has to stifle a laugh.

At that moment the waitress returns bearing a tray loaded with their drinks; these she doles out, setting Petunia’s water on the beer mat that had recently been a butterfly. Petunia pushes it away from her with an expression of distaste.

“How’d you get here, anyway?” Petunia asks Lily. “Did you drive?”

“No,” Lily says, taking a sip of lager. “We Apparated. You know, when you—”

“Car at the mechanic’s, is it?” Vernon interrupts loudly, addressing James. “I suppose you drive some rusty, clapped-out old banger, don’t you?”

“Er,” James says, looking perplexedly at Lily. “What?”

“He’s asking what sort of car you’ve got,” Lily says heavily, sipping at her beer.

“Vernon’s got a Triumph Spitfire,” Petunia says glowingly, as if this is supposed to mean something to them.

“Oh, right— well, I haven’t got a car,” James says, shrugging. “I have got a fairly good racing broom, though, the Nimbus 1001— not the latest model anymore, but sound, wouldn’t change it for the world— does nought to seventy in under ten seconds.” He takes a swig of beer, oblivious to Vernon swelling with rage, a vein pulsing in his temple— from the look on his face Lily surmises that his Triumph Spitfire doesn’t do anything of the sort.

[domini-porter]

Double apple! 🍏 🍎

Also 🍑

🍏: Oh lord, what don’t I overuse. Dropping subjects and articles. Opening with unattributed dialogue. Triple emphasis. Run-on sentences. I could name specifics but highlighting them feels like a risky move, and I feel like I’m just barely skating by on calling it writerly voice as it is. (I’m only partly self-deprecating here; I’m hyper-aware of many of my writing tics and flourishes, and it’s a constant battle to make them intentional, and not just tics and flourishes.)

🍎: Happy domesticity, especially babies. I’m someone who has never experienced a maternal instinct/desire for children, so I just wouldn’t know how to do it in an authentic way, and I’m a lifelong, legendary hater of the trope of Cute Kids™️ being every woman’s dream. I never bought Jane being baby-crazy; it always felt pretty out of character. I’m aware she’s married with kids in the books, but on the show? Absolutely not. Until a baby shows up, and it’s all she’s ever wanted? It just really struck me as one of those meta choices—suddenly Jane loves babies, wants a baby, as a way to, I dunno, prove something, but they couldn’t even make that read as comfortably hetero, what with the plan being Baby Rizzoli Has Two Mommies.

So it’s both me not liking or understanding the innate desire to have kids, or be around kids (I mean, I don’t hate being around kids; I do lots of kid-centric arts education and love it), coupled with it just not jiving with the characters, at least for me, at least until consistent characterization became optional (season 4, I wanna say?). 

Plus, or mainly: just let two powerful, professional female characters in traditionally male spaces own it. Particularly when their lives seemed satisfying and complete without babies, without even getting into that sort of gross misogyny-adjacent conservatism that a woman can only be truly happy when she’s a mother.

Uh, lots of feelings on this one, it seems 😬 

🍑: The gimme here is Edith Wharton, since the whole Age of Wickedness series is basically an homage, down to the name. And as an AU-forward writer, I spend most of my time dropping them into other worlds. But let’s see—Maura is obv my baby, and she (both the character and Sasha Alexander) have a vibe that feels timeless, that could fit into pretty much any setting or era (Jane can too, but more as a generator of conflict in the individual-vs-society mold; Angie Harmon has def seen an iPhone, or at least a cordless). I absolutely see her in some candlelit ballroom wearing a fancy gown, just as bewildered and oppressed by rigid social norms as she is in the modern era. Honestly she could vibe with any of the great romantic heroines of that era—Jo March, Anna Karenina, Lily Bart (hopefully not as tragically as those last two). Certainly that has a lot to do with high society being the same as it ever was, no matter the time period, but that makes it so easy and fun for me. And Maura’s internality makes her a useful and intriguing cipher in ways that really allow for explorations of culture, society, relationships, etc by using her as the lens. 

Anyway, I’m pretty sure she and Countess Olenska would’ve gotten along like a house on fire, even though it meant displacing Maura as Mrs. Manson Mingott’s favorite granddaughter when Ellen came back from Europe.

[spacematriarchy]

SPN Thoughts

What!!! An!! Emotional Rollercoaster!!!!!!!!

poignant and powerful grief moments, that wonderful drinking montage, the joys of the various reunions throughout (Jack and Kelly, Jack and Cas, etc.), the horror of The Empty (Erica Cerra, who plays Duma, KILLED IT), the awful feelings around Cas giving himself up, the exciting return to the main myth arc with Michael progres......

anyway good ep, good ep

So I’ve already mentioned that the grief stuff was on point. I love the extra painful touch of Jack passing while Cas and Dean are out of the room. (did i say love??? i mean run me over with a truck i can’t)

I won’t go over all of it but each TFW member’s reaction is uniquely them and ultimately it all comes from a place of trying to care for each other and for Jack’s memory.

Cas chugging whiskey and eating gooey candy bars (with his boyfriends). my HEART

So Lily Sunder showing up is tonal whiplash but it’s a plot necessity so I kinda forgive it?

Jack’s heaven being a missing scene from Tombstone..... i cry.....

Anubis is pretty cool. He seems like a chill dude. I’d buy that guy a beer.

I also like the way they incorporated pagan and Abrahamic worldviews, there. Still obvs a Chuck-centric universe, but it’s really cool to see the belief systems intertwined rather than all the pagans just being monsters.

I’m falling in love with Duma bye

Honestly? Cas giving himself up for Jack is one thing. This is nothing in the grand scheme of the show. Cas giving himself up knowing he’ll have to carry this knowledge until the moment he’s truly happy, and then have it destroyed????? damn it. fuck. how could you do this to me.

Cas already struggles so much to get any moments of joy u fucking monsters

that Dean/Jack hug. omg. quality hug

anyway Cas smiled a lot in this episode and it watered my crops and cleared my skin