under-the-mud

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he did......the song came out in 1962. his parents were older than most so he probably grew up on the song. in fact:

his parents, esp monty, would hold or rock baby/toddler james while singing that song

effie and monty would dance to the song in the kitchen while james watched in the background and they would sing to him

when effie and monty sent james off on the train the first year, they both loudly called him "pretty little baby" and he pretended to be embarrassed but deep down he knew he was really going to miss his parents

the first time james ever sang it was when sirius had his first nightmare in year one dorms and bc james always calmed down and felt safer when his parents sang it to him, he sang it to sirius (platonic prongsfoot beginnings)

the second time james sang it was to regulus when they were slow dancing in the room of requirement and the song was playing on the stereo

james always singings it on reg's worst dysphoria days

canon compliant ending:

the third and fourth (and probably fifth and sixth and...) times james sang it was to baby harry after he was born

hc ending:

after regulus/barty/james/evan get together and barty "messes up" and does some impulsive shit bc he's worried that james doesn't like him and also he wants to impress james and in the aftermath he just breaks down in front of james and james just holds him and sings pretty little baby

around the same time evan gets really insecure that he's "too weird" or "freakish" for james and so he goes to james for comfort and reassurance and james sings it

after they all move into a flat together after they all graduate, they slow dance in the kitchen lazily having a good time in each others presences and the song is playing on the stereo and it's giving james flashbacks to his parents (bonus points if baby harry is there watching in a high chair) (james definitely changes it to "pretty little babies")

rip james potter you would have loved singing pretty little baby

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a

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so I got into grad school today with my shitty 2.8 gpa and the moral of the story is reblog those good luck posts for the love of god

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⭐️⭐️⭐️ NEW CHAPTER ALERT ⭐️⭐️⭐️

🔥 CHAPTER 26: VIRAL SENSATIONS 🔥

.　. • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

💫 THE ICE PRINCE HAS OFFICIALLY MELTED 💫

that kiss broke more than just the internet

"Stop thinking so loudly," James mumbles, his face half-buried in a pillow. "It's too early for existential crises."

"I'm not having an existential crisis," Regulus protests, though the tsunami of notifications on his phone might suggest otherwise.

✨ In which our boys wake up to discover they've gone viral, Sirius claims "dual qualification" as potential best man, Marlene reveals her meticulously documented PowerPoint presentation titled "How I Called It From Day One," and management calls with news of 28 brands wanting to sponsor esports' new power couple.

✨ Featuring: morning-after realizations, trending hashtags, supportive friends with zero chill, and Regulus coming to terms with the fact that his carefully cultivated Ice Prince persona has melted into something messier but infinitely more real.

"Now everyone's seen me abandon strategic advantage to save you," Regulus says wryly. "Not exactly maintaining the image."

James smiles. "For what it's worth, I think most people find the reality more impressive than the image."

.　. • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

🖋️ Curious? [Read the new chapter here]

🖋️ New to the story? [Start from the beginning]

🖋️ Just want to scream? Keyboard smashing welcome in the notes 👇

.　. • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

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📢✨ OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ✨📢

play to win (my heart) - THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

lies face down on the floor

it’s happening besties… the end is near 😭💕

after [checks notes] TOO MANY months of pouring my entire soul into this gaming au, i can officially announce that…

🎮 PLAY TO WIN (MY HEART) IS COMPLETE! 🎮

muffled sobbing

that’s right folks - the entire fic is WRITTEN. FINISHED. DONE.

i’ve been sitting on this secret for WEEKS while i edit and now i can finally tell you all that i’ve typed “THE END” on this labor of love!

📝 what this means for you, my beloved readers:

• i’m pacing out the final few chapters for maximum emotional damage

• updates will continue on the regular schedule

• there will be NO unexpected hiatus (i see you, serial wip abandoners)

• the tournament WILL conclude

• all your burning questions WILL be answered

• you WILL find out if they win the finals

• emotional closure WILL be provided

• tissues WILL be required

🥹 how am i feeling about this? EXTREMELY COMPLICATED THANKS FOR ASKING

the pros of finishing:

• i can finally SLEEP

• my browser history is no longer 90% esports terminology

• i can stop dreaming about gaming mechanics

• the validation of actually completing a longfic

• the sweet release of resolution

the cons of finishing:

• what do i DO with myself now???

• i’ve spent so long with these idiots in my head

• letting go of regulus and james feels like saying goodbye to friends (for very little time)

• post-fic depression is ALREADY setting in

• what if i never write anything this good again?? 🙃

💌 a genuine thank you from the bottom of my heart:

i genuinely wouldn’t have made it through writing this beast without:

• your comments that i’ve read approximately 6000 times each

• your enthusiasm when i thought nobody would care about a niche gaming au

• your patience during that month-long hiatus when last semester tried to kill me

• your welcome back messages when i emerged from finals week like a feral gremlin

🔮 what’s next?

• once this is complete, i’ll be taking a short break

• MORE JEGULUS FICS are absolutely coming!! this is not the end of my jegulus era

• but this specific story will be completely wrapped up - no bonus content/epilogues planned

• this gaming universe is getting its definitive ending (pour one out for marlene’s gaming romance that will remain in our imaginations)

clutches chest dramatically

i’m equal parts relieved and devastated to be wrapping this up. writing this fic has been one of the most rewarding creative experiences of my life and watching you all fall in love with these characters alongside me has been EVERYTHING.

please continue screaming in the comments as the final chapters drop - your reactions are what make this whole journey worth it 💖

now excuse me while i go have an existential crisis about what to write next!

T 🫶✨

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prompt: highway, may 14

@wolfstarmicrofic 812 words

Remus leaned wearily against the grey concrete facade of the 7-Eleven they had stopped at. Holding his motorcycle helmet under one arm, he contently munched the pizza slice he’d just purchased. From across the petrol station—or the gas station, rather, as he should really say since they were in the US now—he watched Sirius refuel his motorcycle.

It was a task that Sirius was always excited to do. Any kind of muggle mechanics was something he found endlessly fascinating, and Remus watched with amusement as he pulled the pump out of the motorcycle, looking at the petrol meter curiously. No matter how many times Sirius used the pump he never ceased to be surprised that it worked, that muggles had a non-magical way of fueling vehicles.

Remus explained it to him one time: “Petrol. It‘s mined deep from out of the earth. The engine in Dusty—” (which was what Sirius had taken to calling his lilac motorcycle, after muggle musician Dusty Springfield) “—burns the petrol, and that gets th….” Remus explained the basics and then Sirius read a heap of manuals until he easily knew more than Remus regarding the specifics of muggle mechanics, gaining a wealth of knowledge that he became eager to impose on anyone who’d listen. Which was usually only Remus.

Sirius’ long black curls were falling out of the bun he’d hastily pulled his hair in. His leather jacket was unbuttoned, a dark blue handkerchief tied around his neck to keep out the sharp chill of the wind. He sauntered towards Remus in his indigo checkerboard jeans and heavy black boots, fussing simultaneously with his pockets, pulling out their contents as he rummaged impatiently—an undetectable extension charm rendering their capacity ridiculously large: he pulled out spare clothes, a bottle of wine, three books and a souvenir cowboy hat he’d bought for James—before at last he found the map he’d been looking for and waved it at Remus.

Remus sighed. They could only bring one trunk on the motorcycle—Remus’, which was packed with some of Sirius’ things too—but Sirius had decided that illegally charming his muggle jacket was the best solution to carry the rest of his belongings.

“Wanna check the route?” Sirius offered, holding out the map lazily. He eyed Remus’ pizza.

In exchange for Sirius being the one who drove them—long hours on the road as they crossed the US, Remus’ arms tucked tight around Sirius as they sped along highways, Sirius having insisted on doing everything the muggle way—Remus was in charge of the directions and planning.

Remus shrugged. “We stay on the motorway—I mean, the highway—that we’re on.” He didn’t take the map from Sirius’ hand and instead continued to eat his pizza slice, ignoring Sirius’ unsubtle glances.

“Hmff,” said Sirius, unfolding it himself until it was completely open and his arms were held out wide, clutching it. “Interstate 376, right?”

“Yes,” replied Remus. “Which is the one we are currently on. Like I said.”

“Okay,” said Sirius diligently, used enough by now to Remus’ bluntness to be unoffended, folding the map back up with only a small amount of difficulty. He leaned into Remus’ side with a sigh.

They stood like that for a few minutes, enjoying the reassuring solidity of the other next to them. Sirius rested his head on Remus’ shoulder: “We should really get going, y’know.”

They were aiming to make their way through Pittsburgh and up to Allegheny National Forest before tomorrow’s full moon, where Remus could transform safely and Sirius could join him as Padfoot. A two-person wolf pack.

Remus ignored the curious stares of the gas station clientele as he pressed against Sirius: prolonging the moments before they’d be back on the road.

“We really should,” said Remus, and yet neither of them moved.

Eventually, Sirius pulled away from him. It was a sudden but slight step back to stand face-to-face with Remus as he reached near the end of eating his pizza slice.

Sirius was still and unmoving—until he looked down. The quickest of glances, the smallest of smirks: Remus realised too slow, and before he could pull away, Sirius leaned in and bit half of the remaining crust right out from Remus’ hand.

“You bastard!” Remus yelled, but it was half a chuckle, smiling wide as Sirius sped away laughing: a comical rendition of guilt. He slid his denim-clad leg over the motorcycle, looking back to Remus with a grin as the engine whirred to life with a tap of his fingers.

Remus merely rolled his eyes, quickly swallowing the last part of his now-cold crust. He followed Sirius and slid behind him onto the seat, smiling into his shoulder as they drove off.

The rest of their trip awaited them: running wild through seemingly endless forests; postcards sent home to James and Lily; more 7-Eleven pizza slices for Sirius to steal a bite of.

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SEA OF MONSTERS POSTER!! 🔱🌊

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Sirius, at the Jegulus wedding reception: Hey everyone, wanna play a game?

Dorcas: Sure. What game?

Sirius: It's called "James or Kreacher". I tell you things Reg has said, and you have to guess who he said it to.

Lily: This doesn't sound hard at all

Sirius: You sure? Quote one: "I would die for you."

All the wedding guests:

Barty, under his breath: Fuck

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good luck!! my brother is in that right now!!

AP LANG EXAM TOMORROW 8 AM EVERYONE GET HYPEEEE‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

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kill - @into-the-jeggyverse - words: 493

James finds the body on the floor of his living room.

It’s splayed across the floorboards in a puddle of blood, limbs askew as though it’s been positioned intentionally. As though it’s been dismantled, limb-by-limb, and reconstructed in the middle of his living space as a blatant reminder of where the mistake of existing will get him.

“Fucks sake,” James mutters. He carefully steps around it and picks his way across the room, dropping his satchel bag on the side table and his robe on the couch.

Spitefully, James tugs off a sock and tosses it this way, tugs off another sock and tosses it that way. Regulus will be on the warpath when he gets back from work, but there’s something about a thoroughly riled up and homicidal Regulus that really does it for James.

When Regulus gets angry (and Regulus, because he’s a mean and particular little man, gets angry often), he goes hunting. And then James, because James is stupidly in love with him, is dragged into the whole mess and becomes an accessory to murder.

He’s left to help mop up the blood, bag up the body and bury the evidence. After all, isn’t that what one does when they’re in love? Help their significant other hide dead bodies?

“You’re going to pick that up,” a voice says from the far corner of the room, “now.”

James stops in his tracks by the doorway leading from the living room to the kitchen. Regulus sits in what James has fondly dubbed his “book chair”, the squashy one by the fireplace, half-shrouded in darkness. Whether he’s been there the whole time, or whether he’s somehow crept in while James was unawares, James doesn’t know.

James will never know.

One of the skills that had made Regulus a remarkable seeker back when they were at Hogwarts had been his ability to materialise out of thin air. He’d won many a-game by creeping up on his opponent and swiping the snitch from beneath their nose. So of course when they got together, Regulus had started weaponising this skill against James, leaving James with this uneasy feeling that even half-way across the world, Regulus might suddenly appear from around a corner and start bitching at him about leaving his socks on the floor or his shoes by the door.

James smiles easily and leans against the doorframe. “Pick what up?” he asks innocently. “You mean that?” He looks pointedly at the body still in the middle of the living room floor, at the puddle of blood that will soon start coagulating in the cold winter air.

“The socks, James.”

“Ah, the socks.” James nods. “How about I stop leaving dirty socks everywhere when you stop leaving dead fucking mice everywhere!”

Regulus stares at him, unblinking, and then says in a flat, deadpan voice that James wants to laugh at (but doesn’t, because he knows not to cross Regulus when Regulus is feeling a little bit homicidal): “Meow.”

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story - @black-brothers-microfic - wc: 597

Harry Potter was seven years old, and tonight, he wasn’t sleepy.

He wriggled under his dinosaur-printed duvet, peeking out at the figure sitting beside his bed. James Potter, his dad, was flipping through a book absently, his glasses slipping down his nose.

“Dad?” Harry whispered.

James glanced up, smiling tiredly. “Yeah, kiddo?”

Harry hesitated, biting his lip. “Can you tell me a story?”

James chuckled. “I just read you Where the Wild Things Are. Twice.”

“No,” Harry insisted, sitting up straighter. “A real story. About you. And Papa.”

That made James pause. His smile softened into something warmer, more private. “Me and Reg, huh?”

Harry nodded eagerly. “I wanna know how you met. And—” he fidgeted with his blanket, voice quieter, “—and why you didn’t marry Auntie Lily.”

James leaned back in the chair, tilting his head thoughtfully. “That’s a good question.” He reached out to brush Harry’s messy hair. “Alright. Once upon a time, there was a boy named James. That’s me, obviously. I was loud, reckless, and kinda stupid sometimes—”

“You’re still loud,” Harry pointed out seriously.

James laughed. “Yeah, well. Some things never change. Anyway, I was at Hogwarts, and I thought I was gonna marry Lily Evans one day. I told everyone I would. But there was this other boy—quiet, mysterious, way too clever for his own good. His name was Regulus Black.”

Harry’s eyes lit up. “Papa!”

“Yep.” James’ grin widened. “But back then, I didn’t notice him much. He was in Slytherin, I was in Gryffindor—we didn’t really… mix. But then something funny happened.”

“What?” Harry asked, already enchanted.

“I got into trouble.” James winked. “Big trouble. And guess who showed up to help me?”

Harry gasped. “Papa saved you?”

James chuckled. “He did. He didn’t even like me yet. But he hated injustice more. And he was braver than anyone ever gave him credit for.”

Harry snuggled deeper into his blanket. “Did you fall in love then?”

James hummed. “Not right away. I was an idiot for a long time. I chased after Lily because… well, because I thought I was supposed to. But Lily was smart. She told me, ‘James, you’re looking at the wrong person.’”

Harry blinked. “Auntie Lily said that?”

“She did.” James’ voice softened again. “She told me I was happiest when I was talking about Regulus. That every time he walked into a room, I smiled like a fool. And that maybe… maybe I didn’t love her the way I thought I did.”

Harry thought about that. “So you and Auntie Lily weren’t sad?”

James shook his head. “Not even a little. She married someone else. And I—” he smiled, gaze distant, “—I finally asked Regulus if he wanted to go flying with me. And that was the start of everything.”

“Like a fairy tale,” Harry murmured, eyes fluttering.

“Yeah, kiddo,” James whispered, leaning down to kiss his forehead. “Like a fairy tale.”

From the doorway, a quiet voice added, “You’re telling him the abridged version, I hope.”

James turned to see Regulus standing there, arms crossed but eyes fond.

Harry’s face split into a grin. “Papa! Dad’s telling me the story of you and him!”

Regulus walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Hmm. Did he tell you about the time he fell off his broom trying to impress me?”

“Reg!” James groaned, covering his face.

Harry giggled wildly. “Tell me! Tell me!”

And as James pouted and Regulus smirked, the night stretched on—filled with laughter, love, and stories.

Because sometimes, the best bedtime stories were the true ones.

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JUST READ IT OH MY LORDY LORD MWAH MWAH

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: CHAPTER 25: FINALS FRENZY :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

🎮 PLAY TO WIN (MY HEART) - NEW CHAPTER ALERT 🎮

screams into the void IT’S FINALLY HERE!!! Chapter 25 has arrived and I AM NOT OKAY!!!

“That,” Regulus said quietly, still close enough that only James could hear, “was highly unprofessional.”

“Worth it, though?” James asked, suddenly uncertain.

Regulus’s smile – genuine and unguarded in a way few had ever seen – was answer enough. “Absolutely worth it.”

✨ In this chapter:

• Championship finals tension

• The most chaotic Marlene commentary yet

• A mysterious fire alarm interruption (suspiciously timed???)

• Regulus Black sacrificing STRATEGY for FEELINGS

• THE CHAMPIONSHIP KISS HEARD ROUND THE WORLD

• Three million witnesses to our boys finally getting it together

• Sirius Black being the most embarrassing brother possible

6.8k words of gaming action, pining finally resolved, and management needing group therapy!

Read on AO3!

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@meemoop

i know we're not mutuals or anything but this made me think of you <3 (ron would do this and laugh at draco's anger)

My favorite jokes are about mispronouncing philosophers' names but I'm afraid it's a nietzsche subgenre

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I hope fic writers know they’re the reason someone’s heart feels a little less heavy today.

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rose - may 12 - black brothers - jegulus - @black-brothers-microfic - word count: 371

“Reg?”

Regulus, who had been minding his own business, eating his cereal, looked up to see Sirius standing in front of him holding a single, red rose.

“You, too?” he asked, trying to decide if he wanted to laugh or cry. 

“Yeah,” Sirius chuckled, handing him the flower. “I think I’m the last one. Or I should be, I’m the most important, damnit.”

“You are.” For ten days now, Regulus had been given a rose from a different person every single day. His friends, his boss, James’s parents, and now his brother. It didn’t take a genius to know who was sending them, nor the reasoning behind it: he and James had known each other for ten years, now. And the anniversary of their meeting–September 1st–was tomorrow.

“Thanks,” Regulus murmured, inhaling the light scent and trying not to overthink.

“You know why he’s doing this, right? You know what’s coming?” Sirius asked gently, sitting down with him at the small, rickety table in the kitchen of the flat he’d shared with Barty and Evan since graduating. 

He took a deep, shuddering breath. “I think so.”

“You gonna say yes?” the older man probed.

The answer came to him without a second thought. “Of course,” he nodded, sending his brother a little half-smile. “He’s…the only ‘yes’ I’m sure of. But I’m still…”

“Scared? Yeah, I get that,” Sirius nodded, letting out a single, barking laugh. “I’ve known I was going to marry Moony since I was sixteen and I still nearly shat myself when I proposed.”

“He proposed to you, idiot,” Regulus murmured, smirking.

Sirius pouted. “Only after I suggested it!” 

“Sure, Sirius. Whatever you say,” he rolled his eyes. 

But as the two of them sat there, the reality hit Regulus like a brick wall–James was going to propose to him. Tomorrow. 

“You’ll walk me down the aisle?”

The question popped out of his mouth before he thought it through, and even though it was something he’d wanted for ages, Sirius’s open-mouthed, watery-eyed, overjoyed expression made him rethink his approach. He should’ve at least had tissues ready, or something, fuck. “Shit, Sirius, no, no tears, I–” he stammered as his brother, tears streaming down his face, flung himself toward him.

“Reggieeeeee!”

[under-the-mud]

i know that everyone pushes that fandom is a safe place, and yes, usually it is. for your identity, but fandom is still the internet and the internet is never a safe place.

the internet is full of creeps, just because someone is interested in the same things as you does not mean that theyre not a threat, just because someone is queer doesn't mean that theyre not a threat to you.

this is coming from someone who got groomed for two years by another minor (though much older) within the lgbtq community because i, as a 12 year old, assumed that she was safe.

i have had people like 11/12/13 tell me that they saw my pronouns and assumed im safe. i may be. not every non-binary 17 year old on the internet is.

being friends with another minor, as a minor, may not seem like a big deal but the emotional maturity at 16/17/18 is vastly different from 11-15, and no matter how mature you consider yourself, you cant race ahead of your brain development.

you never know any true information about anyone on the internet, just what they want you to know. makinh friends with in your age range is the safest bet, but if youre forming other friendships, never rush into them, never give your address/full birthname/any sort of information that can be traced back to you.

also, people do often pose on the internet to entice and draw in people, dont let yourself fall for it.

internet security is important.

and the moment somebody gives off creep vibes, ghost and block. no need to confront them, no need to do anything. ghost and block. then inform a trusted adult.

[under-the-mud]

propaganda i'm not falling for:

straight remus lupin

the MCD tag on ao3

kittywater

lily evans hate

the marauders hated peter

dumb sirius black

halloween 1981

the new hbo tv show

james cheating on lily

straight marlene mckinnon