#by fforsythiaaa

[wolfstarwarehouse]

#febficaday2 - Day 7 (Holidays)

Author: fforsythiaaa Rating: Mature Word Count: 7,314 Type: Non-magic AU

Summary: Sirius had put his hand under Remus’s chin and kissed him gently on the mouth as though they had done it a million times before. “See you next week.” Just like that.

That week between Christmas and New Year’s always feels a little disorienting, with no real attention paid to the exact time or the day of the week. But for Remus, with hardly a word between them while Sirius was upstate with the Potters and Lily, it was dizzying.

Trigger/Content Info: alcohol use, marijuana use, cigarettes, non-explicit sex. There's a scene describing the support of friends/professionals after a sexual assault. No details about the assault are given and it's not brought up during/in the context of sex. The scene is marked out in italics so you can skip it.

Comments: A journey through Remus’ loving, worrying thoughts. There was a beautiful, gentle tone to it that was soothing to read.

[wolfstarhaven]

🌸FLUFFY FRIDAY #45🌸

Bring a toothbrush✨

A Cup Half Full Kind of Day, fforsythiaaa (1,6k)

Remus smiled back at Sirius before he could help it. He recognizes me, he thought. This day is getting better and better. Finding himself without any free hands, he decided to raise his coffee cup, a hello, a morning iteration of the tap on the bar during a toast. In that moment, Remus’s good day was completely, horribly, irrevocably undone.

A coffee shop!au (also American!au) meet-ugly! Perfect to brighten up a cold autumn day☕️

Succession of Halos, orphaned (7k)

When Remus gets talked into seeing his favourite author--Astronomy Professor S. Black--hold a stargazing lecture, he anticipates a stodgy old man in tweed. He does not expect the ripped jeans and rolling-stones t-shirt wearing, motor-bike riding Sirius Black with his wicked smile and passion for the stars. Remus is sure there's no chance between them, but little does he know, Sirius has a passion for many things in life, one of which being Remus Lupin.

This fic is written by LadyFaceElena (all of their fics have been orphaned), and like most of their fics, this one is adorable! I remember binge-reading all of their fics back in like 2015/2016… good times!!

xx Elliot

[fforsythiaaa]

Weird Muggle Loop Magic

I have this headcanon that since Sirius is so good at mechanical things like fixing up a motorcycle, he’d also be really good at knitting, which involves a lot more math than I’m personally comfortable with. So here’s my contribution for Hat & Gloves day from @remus-john-lupin ‘s Wolfstar Holiday 2020 prompt list! 

The Homonculus charm had worked, for a little while, but lately it had started to falter, and slowly the Hufflepuffs disappeared from the map one by one. It was contemplating this problem, shoulder to shoulder with Remus on the couch in the common room, that Sirius accidentally found a new fascination in the tiny, quick movements of Lily’s muggle knitting project next to the fire. She counted under her breath as she switched between the colored yarns, and every once in a while she levitated some scribbled notes in front of her face to consult while her hands were busy. He found himself trying to work out from across the room how the little knots worked together, and how Evans had managed to turn them into the hooded shawl draped over her shoulder without magic.

“Come on, Evans, please. I need to know how it works,” he pleaded later, racking his brain for something he could trade for knitting lessons. “And I want to make a hat and some gloves. Once I get to that point, I’ll never talk to you about your weird muggle loop magic again.” 

Lily kept walking towards their Arithmancy classroom. “You won’t be surprised that I don’t trust you, Black.”

“Why not?”

“Well, to start, you’re you. And secondly, knitting isn’t exactly… I don’t know any men who knit. Aren’t you afraid of what people will say?”

“I don’t care a whit about what people think. And I don’t know any other witches that knit the muggle way, either, so I could ask you the same question.” She didn’t have a retort for this. “If you help me, I’ll… uh…”

“You’ll get James to quit submitting op eds to the Hippogriff?”

“Yes! Exactly. Never again will you or any other Hogwarts student have to read about your unmatched beauty in the school newspaper.”

Now this was worth something. Gloves would be too advanced, but Black was smart and could certainly manage a hat without too much energy on her part. “Okay, it’s a deal.”

He took to knitting more quickly than she expected, and Lily almost felt bad for underestimating him. Their first practice session had gone rather well. He followed her instructions patiently, at first, and then experimented wildly, producing a very strange and uneven little knitted square that he studied like it was the Rosetta stone. He acted so pleasant and grateful for her help. Lily found herself wondering if Potter, too, could act so differently - so nicely - when there wasn’t an audience around. But then again, there was something that felt strange about it. She wouldn’t call Sirius Black a friend, by any stretch, but she’d know him long enough to know that something was up.

The following Saturday, Sirius arrived at the library earlier than they had agreed, with two hanks of a cheerful yellow yarn carefully wrapped in a cotton handkerchief in his bookbag. Lily watched his movements carefully until he got to the third round. Then, she decided to get some answers.

“So who’s the hat for?”

He paused and adjusted the yarn in his left hand. “I can’t knit a hat for myself?”

“There’s no way that’s for you.”

“How would you know?”

Lily cleared her throat. “Well, yellow isn’t really your color, and I know you know that.” She waited, watching, but his hair had fallen over his eyes as he looked down at his project and she couldn’t gauge his reaction. 

“And you wouldn’t let me measure you when we talked about sizing; somehow you already had that in mind. And we’re in the library, in the divination section of all places, so I think you don’t want anyone to see you working on this. This is some kind of secret present, isn’t it? So who’s it for?”

“Well done, Evans, maybe you should’ve been in Ravenclaw.”

Lily rolled her eyes at him. “Come on, tell me. Why are you so nervous about it? You don’t get nervous about things.”

He carefully set down the needles on the table in front of him. She sat up straighter, feeling a little small as his eyes scanned hers. He is nervous, she thought, wondering what it was that he was looking for in her expression. A witty insult might throw him off a little and keep it light. But it was clear to Lily that he had something to say. Something to tell her. Something that might make him feel better - not that she cared, but it was the right thing to do, to let him speak. 

“I want to make something for Remus. I want… I want to give him something he’ll like.” Lily hoped her eyes weren’t getting wide as his voice faded out quietly. “I want to make it myself, so that it’s just from me, and just for him.” 

Sirius didn’t say anything else; he waited, looking, his eyes moving back and forth as he watched her face for some kind of reaction, acknowledgement, anything.

“Well,” Lily said, looking down at the hank she was winding. “Remus looks really nice in yellow.”

This, apparently, was the answer he’d hoped for. With a smile, he said, “I’ve noticed.”

The finished hat was, Lily had to admit, something to be proud of. Sirius had experimented on some leftover yarn and figured out a waterproofing charm didn’t mat the wool too much. He gave her a hug before she left for the train home; it was unexpected, coming from Black, but started her Christmas holiday on a happy note. It was clear when she came back from break that her first foray into teaching had been successful.  Remus really did look nice in yellow, and he looked nice holding hands with Sirius, too.

[wolfstar-in-color]

August colorful column: AUgust special - The World Needs Your Highly Niche AU

During August, here in Wolfstar in Color we decided to celebrate AUgust - or, the existence of Alternative Universes in fandom. Because of this, we invited @fforsythiaaa​ to talk a bit about AUs from a literary point of view - and let me tell you, folks, we are beyond amazed and inspired by her words.

So we invite you to read the column that follows. If you want to know who @fforsythiaaa​ is, here’s a primer from herself: “I post about wolfstar, fanfiction as an art and experience, and whatever words, fanart, thoughts, tips, or anecdotes that I can't let go unshared.”

Read under the cut for the full column!

The World Needs Your Highly Niche AU

@fforsythiaaa​

I don’t remember when I found out that fanfiction came in AU flavor, but looking back, that was definitely the moment I fell head over heels for the fandom. Reading wolfstar come together, fall apart, orbit around each other, or weather the storm in a thousand different settings is amazing. It’s romantic to think that they would find each other no matter which plane of reality they’re on, and it’s satisfying to see their core traits manifested in so many different contexts. And considering JKR’s harmful views and actions, as well as how her views make it into the text, I’m finding myself much less inclined to interact with fics that are even canon-divergent. 

That said, there’s one thing that gets me so, so excited, and that’s when I see someone refer to a fic as a “highly niche” or “weirdly specific” AU. Stories that are specific to time, place, culture or identity are my favorite kind. It’s Remus and Sirius as scientists doing fieldwork together in a fellowship program in the mountains! It’s Remus and Sirius as communist organizers in 1920s Chile! It’s Remus and Sirius in a rural town impacted by the opioid epidemic! It’s Remus and Sirius as an architect and a contractor at odds on a very important and difficult project! (I made that one up, but if you write it, please, please tag me.) You’re telling me I get to read about these two starcrossed idiots and learn stuff at the same time? Count me in.

“But no one will want to read this,” the author will post. “It’s too specific, no one will be able to relate, and people won’t be interested in this kind of premise.” 

To which I say, unequivocally, I WANT TO READ YOUR HIGHLY NICHE AU. And what’s more, I think your highly niche AU is going to make the fandom a better place.

Let me start by saying that I completely understand why you think no one would be interested. People like stories that they can relate to; fewer people can relate to a very specific setting; therefore, fewer people would like a very specific story. Right?

The main problem with this logic is the assumption that people can only relate to stories that they have some prior experience with. With every story, the reader is learning about the time period, the place, the norms and rules and societies, and the characters. As readers, this learning is what makes reading fun, and as wolfstar fans, learning about these characters is the reason we read fic in the first place. So my logical conclusion is that the more we get to learn about Remus and Sirius and the world they inhabit, the more we enjoy reading. And in a highly niche au, there’s a lot of learning to do.

Full disclosure, I did not make this idea up. There was one post that made me think of Viktor Shklovsky, a literary critic who coined the term “defamiliarization.” They wrote something like: “I’m worried that all the details would be distracting for the reader and interrupt the story.” Shklovsky basically says that that’s the whole point. 

For extra credit, you can certainly read “Art as Technique” in its entirety, but I’ll dig up my literature degree and give you the gist. When you think you know something, you don’t really see it or perceive it. Think about a stretch of sidewalk you walk on every day. How much time do you spend noticing weeds growing up through the pavement, or where the concrete was repaired with a different material, and how much time do you spend just walking to work? Your brain skips right over the details to be more efficient. Art is meant to make us perceive the world instead of skip right to knowing it; it’s meant to make us notice those weeds and that concrete. Shklovsky says that the technique of art is to make objects unfamiliar so it takes us longer to perceive, to understand. In poetry, each unfamiliar word or detail is a rock in the path that makes us walk more slowly and look more carefully at a road we thought we knew. 

In your super specific AU, that niche setting that your readers aren’t familiar with is part of what makes reading enjoyable. You’re making us walk more slowly through Remus and Sirius’s story so we can perceive their character and conflict differently; that gives us more time to enjoy the story. You’re making us think differently about what the human experience can look like. 

That’s where I start making my argument that branching out from coffee shop and college AUs (which I also love dearly) is a positive step for the whole fandom. We know that representation of people outside the dominant culture is really, really beneficial (that’s another post, and also the whole point of Wolfstar In Color; if you want some Cliff notes to share with the class, check the classic Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie TED talk). When we’re in the habit of hearing lots of different stories instead of only one, we’re in the habit of being curious about each other; it’s much easier to build compassion, understanding, and solidarity when we genuinely want to know more about other people. 

But my push for highly niche AUs is not about filling AO3 with a thousand million stories that perfectly represent the lived experience of every individual reader (unless…?). It’s more about filling the fandom with enough different types of stories that people start thinking, “you know what? If their story belongs here, so does mine.” 

That’s how we make this space feel safe enough for people to participate, whether as writers, readers, or tumblr posters. It’s a much more effective way of demonstrating that the fandom values diverse voices than just saying platitudes about how everyone’s voices matter. Sometimes your existence is radical enough. We need it, and we want to hear about it.

So the next time you think about writing “literally no one asked for this highly niche au,” come back to this post and think again. I’m asking for you to give me an opportunity to learn new things. I’m asking for you to add one more reason for a budding author to think that maybe their fic belongs here, too, and maybe their experiences are more valuable than they thought. I’m asking for you to give me an opportunity to discover new facets of human experience with this painfully tragic and romantic pair as my companions. Here it is: I’m asking.

[woundjob]

happy wolfstar okay: when they get their little house in the countryside, sirius gets very excited about growing muggle plants. they walk around together to see what’s already growing before they get new things. every few feet sirius crouches down like “omg what’s this it’s beautiful” and remus, hope lupin’s child for sure, is like “that’s a weed but if you like it we’ll keep it.” they (read: sirius) can’t bear to take out anything that’s already there, so they plant coreopsis and mountain laurel and parsley and chamomile, but also their entire property is covered in asters and goldenrod and garlic mustard and motherwort, and the mint & thyme have completely colonized the whole damn place. sirius is so proud like “this is my garden” and remus is like so proud like “this is my husband.” hope comes to visit and remus has to pull her aside to tell her that the weeds are Not To Be Killed and of course she finds this wonderful and teaches sirius the names for all the weeds in his lil garden

oh my god i’m gonna cry remus takes good care of sirius...

i love a wild natural garden yard tbh it’s great for the environment even if it is a little messy hehe :) i rlly love remus being like mam i need u to be cool he doesn’t get it. no don’t explain it to him he’s so happy.

this reminds me of the conversation with @bleiddiaidsiocled last night (? i think?) about how remus and sirius can cultivate plants when they can’t have kids. you know, nurturing and feeding and keeping them safe all the while thinking they don’t want a big family lol

[we-are-swearwolves]

Sweater Weather Tarot: Round 1

OK SO @fforsythiaaa made a really fucking cool list of @lumosinlove ‘s Sweater Weather as cards of the Major Arcana & I was like 👀 “Moon Logan” and then I Did Not Stop. And now I’m really enjoying making these, they’re great practice & I cannot describe how much I love not having a deadline. 

SO HERE WE HAVE:

XVIII | The Moon : Logan Tremblay
Tremz back from all stars in his suit about to go on a feelings rollercoaster circa C2C Ch5 because Changing and Phases and Hiding and Truths Surfacing. IX | The Hermit : 36 Missed Calls
SW Ch14: “Call me when you’re ready to talk.” Almost like he’s literally,,, in the dark (😬) VI | The Lovers : Coops
There are lots of moments to choose from for this, but I picked something from before they actually dived in because Moving Forward Together. So, from SW Ch6′s cutie hotel hangs part 2: “They each had their fingers around each other’s wrists, not holding exactly, but close enough.” IV | The Emperor : Orion Black
Okayy I deviated a little, but tbh my NHL knowledge is still only enough to follow these stories, so I didn’t feel like I had enough of a grasp on it to abstract it in an effective way. Also Orion is everything I hate about the Emperor whoops. XVII | The Star : Remus Lupin
First of all, “Mon vœu.” and second of all “You’re my wish, okay? This happened because we’re each other’s.” and finally, a soupçon of “God, Remus, when I look at you how could I wish for anything else?” and like maybe he’s shirtless here for my own wish related reasons don’t worry about it I have a bad habit of abandoning passion projects & I am determined to finish these so I’m posting a few to keep myself accountable but also FIVE DONE so i’m like allllllmost 25% there 🎉

[halictus-writer]

someone who fixes shoes is a cobbler, but someone who makes shoes is called a cordwainer. (or, *was called. i can’t guarantee how current my language facts are.)

This is a very good one, thank you. I never would have known this. I did some really quick research (emphasis on really quick), and it looks like the distinction is because the two were divided into 2 separate guilds from way back when.

Apparently the Mayor of London in 1395 banned cobblers from working with new leather, and banned cordwainers from working with old shoes. So... pretty sure it’s because of capitalism? Though, with the way language works, apparently we call them all cobblers now lol.

[goodboylupin]

🍬💕 (so exciting!!! thank you!)

I’m excited too! Thank you for participating!

I give my great big box of candy hearts a shake...

I open it up to pull one out for @fforsythiaaa and see the inscription...

EW NO

[flaggermousseart]

for words, your choice: dark OR quiet

(but i won’t complain if you choose both 😊)

In the stream of light from the open door Sirius could see dark red blood smeared on the bricks, like someone wounded had thrown themselves at the wall to try and get out.

AND

“It’s too noisy here, let’s find someplace more quiet.”

[aryastark-valarmorghulis]

happy birthday!!! 🎉

Thank you so much! 😙

[wolfstarwarehouse]

#febficaday2 - masterlist

That’s a wrap for #febficaday2! I hope it introduced you to some new and wonderful fics. :)

Days 1-7: Holidays Days 8-14: Angst Days 15-21: Confessions & First Kisses Days 22-28: AUs

December, 1978 by dearmoons

Of Queer Werewolves, Blood Traitors, and Snogging by Vixeree

Christmas 1977 by Thistlerose

A Good League Hence by @eyra

The Marauders' Spectacularly Chaotic Christmas Extravaganza by asininemind

A Number of Things Which Sirius Black Did Not Give to Remus Lupin for Christmas by throughadoor

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? by @fforsythiaaa

Connect by AllAboutTheDrama

all that's beautiful drifts away, like the waters by @aryastark-valarmorghulis

Not Waving But Drowning by possessingtheproperspirit

And They Did Unfold by Shay_Fae

that’s the art of getting by by sarewolf

you were only a ghost that has stolen my heart away by @treacherous-talks

In Dreams by oddsbobs

a perfect moment by pleasedontcryy

so please hurry leave me by new_space

Through the Endless Summer by @grey-wardens

Don't Make Me Beg For You (Because I'll Beg For You) by CuriousMay

for your pleasure by @steelycunt

it's a sweet thing, sweet thing by @stevethehairington

ode to a conversation stuck in your throat by inkedhearts

Basilisks, Boggarts and Boyfriends (oh my) by @mostlyoptimisticdinosaur

Neon Moon by @allhalloweve

East of Sun and West of Moon by flora_tyronelle

Au Pif by @smodernlife, art by @yumenouveau

No Bright Line by @the-grey-lady

I Don't Sleep, I Dream by escribo

this desperate in love by @drowsyanddazed

See previous rec fest masterlists here.

[wolfstarlibrarian]

Hi, do you have any fortune teller or similar fics? Ideally they'd be medium length but I don't really mind. Thank you in advance!

Thank you for the unique ask, friend! The Librarian found a variety of fics for this list featuring tarot reading, palmistry, future visions in dreams, etc. The fics are listed in descending word length order so you can find the right fit! Also linked are two related lists in case you need ever more.

Wolfstar + Strange Magic

Witchy/Paranormal Wolfstar Fics

🔮 Wolfstar + Fortune Tellers 🔮

The Killing Moon by @kattlupin 23k words

After a lifetime of dreaming of another mans life, Sirius finds himself in a race against time to find and save the man from the tragic fate that has befallen him in each of his previous lives.

Runes by @yumenouveau 21k words

In 1860 Hogwarts is a prestigious and diverse learning environment filled with bright young minds and forward thinking wizards. When Remus takes a job teaching Herbology, an incredibly annoying yet roguishly handsome Professor Sirius Black has inexplicably taken a keen interest in him. For whatever reason he can't seem to say no to this man and finds himself surrounded by friends and companionship for the first time in his life. But something mysterious is happening under the castle eves and Remus and Sirius take it upon themselves to discover an evil hiding in plain sight.

Grimsfall by @remus-john-lupin 11k words

There is a legend in the old city of Grimsfall that a large, black creature used to emerge from the forest at night, and anyone who met its gaze would be driven to madness before the thing dragged them into the depths of hell.

The Warrior by olivier_dathos 9k words

When Sirius receives a prophecy everything changes.

Star-Crossed -orphaned account 6k words

When Lily talks Sirius into a tarot card reading, at best he's expecting nothing. He certainly didn't expect the cutest bloke he's ever seen. And he certainly didn't expect to get all the answers--even ones he hadn't realised he was looking for.

The Art of Palmistry by @elixirsoflife 3k words

A finger traces one of the lines on his palm, making him jump. The boy pays it no mind, saying, “This is your happiness line. It starts a little late but coincides with the beginning of your love line here.” He presses down on the line parallel to it. Remus’ pulse jumps. “You’re not in love, are you?” he asks abruptly. I think I’m about to be, Remus thinks absurdly. (Alternatively: Remus, a sceptic, goes to get his palm read by a fortune teller. Panic ensues.)

Magic by @neondomino 3k words

Fortune Teller AU! Sirius see's Remus' future when Remus comes in for a reading, and it includes him.

Madam Marlene and the Six of Cups by @fforsythiaaa 2k

“Don’t look so nervous, Lupin. I’m not going to predict your time of death or something.” “I didn’t think you would.” He pulled his sleeves down over his hands, looking nervous that Marlene was going to predict his time of death or something. Marlene reads Tarot for Sirius and Remus, and it tells them what they already know.

heartlines by @persephhoney 1k words

Sirius’ hands were something Remus had noticed about him first.

[fforsythiaaa]

Mistletoe

for Wolfstar Holiday 2020 prompts from @remus-john-lupin

“It’s poisonous, you know.” Remus leaned against the wall, exhausted from supervising the weekly play-date. At this time of year, the rules about sugar consumption just flew out the window, and he had decided it was time to surrender and get another cup of coffee. 

Sirius didn’t look up from his handiwork. “Well, Harry’s almost seven. I don’t think we have to worry too much about him eating random plants this year.”

As if summoned, Harry and Ron tore through the doorway to the kitchen, right under the mistletoe they were discussing. Ginny followed on their heels, screaming. Remus sipped his coffee.

“Oh come on, Moony. What’s wrong with a little mistletoe, getting you to kiss me in the kitchen?” Sirius rested his hands on Remus’s waist and pulled him in against his hips. “I think I get entirely too few kisses around here. This holiday season, I’m doing something about it.”

Remus had to raise his coffee cup high over their heads, a little awkwardly, but settled into Sirius’s embrace. “Mistletoe is a parasite, Pads. Well, technically, it’s a hemiparasite. It can photosynthesize on its own a little, but mostly it just survives stealing nutrients from trees. It’s not exactly romantic!”

“Why is it so sexy when you manage to be grumpy and nerdy at the same time?”

Harry and Ron ran back the way they came, Ginny close behind, still screaming.

“I give up,” Remus sighed, and let Sirius have his kiss.

[woundjob]

okay, follow up because it’s very important: sirius wearing his farmer’s market skirt and sitting on the porch with a bb gun that hope gave him because there’s a woodchuck that keeps eating his tomatoes

THIS MAKES ME WANNA SCREAM I LOVE IT SO MUCH. GUN.

[we-are-swearwolves]

Get To Know You Tag Game

Tagged by @quoththethestral <3

Rules: Tag people that you would like to get to know better by playing the game!

Three Ships: Wolfstar, Steve/Bucky, Ewan McGregor/singing

First Ever Ship: I come from a West Wing household, Josh and Donna 4ever

Currently Consuming: honey lavender latte

Last Song: (cheating w/two, but I’m very spoiled by two favs releasing new albums within a month of each other) Hexie Mountains by Orville Peck & My Love by Florence + the Machine

Last Film: Pierrot le Fou

Currently Reading: Hot Cold Heavy Light, 100 art writings by Peter Schjeldahl

Tagging: @fforsythiaaa , @wanderingbandurria , @halictus-writer , and honestly literally everyone, I’m such a snoop, gimme the info

[halictus-writer]

It’s Free Therapy

For the wonderful @wanderingbandurria​ and @fforsythiaaa​ lol. I feel like I didn’t really hit the prompt so consider this a challenge to write your versions too!:)

It’s Free Therapy (link to AO3)

Wolfstar, 1669 words, rated Teen. (They aren't together yet when this starts.) Modern AU, College AU, Non-Magic AU. (CW for therapy-things, and there is a vague reference to conversion therapy but it’s not at all a thing in this so don’t worry?)

Snippet: 

“It’s free therapy,” Sirius defended.

“Well—I—” Remus tried. “I thought we weren’t pretending to be a couple! I thought I was just your—I don’t know—plus one!”

At this, Sirius grinned—crookedly, the bastard (it was Remus’s weakness, but Sirius didn’t need to know that). “When I was checking in they said it was singles with their own plans or couples if one person had a plan. So I checked that box. It’s fine.”

“Sirius, what—” Remus sputtered. He was still whispering, and Sirius’s nonchalance, while impractical and infuriating, was—as always—infectious. Sirius felt like adventure to Remus, whether for good or bad. “We’re not a couple.”

“It’s free therapy,” Sirius repeated.

Read it on AO3 here!