Bougainvillea Winds,

Bougainvillea winds,

twisting through rusted iron,

sad and worn by time.

Absolution 

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” - Heraclitus

HP Trans Fest entry. (Bonus sketch art within.) The prompt was: Severus Snape with the doe patronus in trans flag colors.

I love tag games, so thank you for including me, @kellerific-writing & @clarey-potter!

Now the hard part, limiting myself to just one sentence. I wouldn't exactly call this recent, haha, but here you go:

No, I tuck the pinprick hurt somewhere deep behind my ribs where the ache will be just one more amongst its fellows, inconsequential in the scheme of things, surely.

Tagging a few friends in the event that they're up for bit of fun: @triggerlil, @blue-rose-smalls, @likelightinglass, @jovialobservationanchor, @swordprincex, @humblenug.

A little challenge: pick out your favorite sentence that you’ve written recently. One sentence. No context. Tag some friends. Thanks for the tag, @vdoshu! Lately, I’ve been knee-deep in Teen Wolf writing mode (though I’m hoping to pick up some HP ficlet and drabble writing again soon-ish). I honestly couldn’t keep it to one line without there being a punch, so oops?! :P Anyway, here’s something for ya I guess:

It was all the distraction and noise he could handle at the moment. Things to pass the time so he didn’t have to think or do anything. Which was all fine. Except it really wasn’t. Maybe it never had been, even though Stiles had tried so hard to convince himself otherwise.

Tagging (and this is just for funsies, so no pressure): @lumosatnight, @kellerific-writing, @vitaminpops, @sterekbros, @anaxandria-writes, @nerdherderette, @crazybutgood, @phdmama, @raisesomehale, @zaharya, @pineau-noir, @makeitp1nk and anyone else who wants to join in! I’d love to see what you’re writing for any and all of the fandoms! <3

The talent here is just insane! Absolutely blown away. 🤯 😲

Your Pleasurable Pain 🔪

Commissioned by Kalll 💛💛💛💛 25.2.2023 Support Mani on Ko-fi 🍀

Snarry Soulmates Recs

No promises that I've never recced anything on this list before. As a matter of fact, I know I have, but one can really never give a good fic too much love. And hey, be proud of me. There's recs on this list with no smut at all! In no particular order, they are:

The Gift of Kindness by hippocrates460 (E, 105k)

Thoughts: Y'all I'm gonna preface this by saying this is my favorite fanfic of all time. I'm serious. I have a tattoo inspired by it. That's permanent devotion right there. That said, the theme of this fic is so heart-warming that it is a favorite for comfort rereads. Severus is softer in private here, and his devotion to Harry is absolute. If you're a hopeless romantic, this is the fic for you. The courtship rituals are gorgeous and really an overarching backbone throughout the story. I could wax poetic about this fic for ages, no lie. It is always my first rec for anyone if they love Snarry, and it's also the one I dangle in front of people who are willing to give them a shot. It's perfect. You really can't go wrong here.

Soulmate Flowers by Lilian (G, 4k)

Thoughts: This was absolutely, bewitchingly lovely. I was captivated by the concept, enchanted by the content, and I'm smitten with the ending. Stunning work. Hippocrates460's companion piece for it, Bloom, is also phenomenal. P.S. Lilian has several soulmate fics, and they're all amazing. So check out the rest of her stuff.

Corresponding Shapes by bleedcolor (T, 5k)

Thoughts: My comment on this is a rambling mess of devotion. bleedcolor manages to convey what feels like a rewrite of canon in 5.5k. She is a magical being or made a deal with the devil. I can't quite decide which. Harry is exquisitely written in this, and I just went to pieces at the end. Loved it!

Succor by pluperfectsunrise (E, 40k)

Thoughts: This was my first ever girl!Harry story, and it remains my favorite. I appreciated the issues a female Harry would have to contend with that a male Harry would not growing up. The author handled those with a delicate touch, and I related to the character in a whole new way as a result. She was beautifully written, and Severus was as well. This did my favorite trope justice, and it was just a fantastic read. pluperfectsunrise is amazing in general.

World Enough, and Time by Likelightinglass (T, 6k)

Thoughts: I absolutely loved it. The idea of a countdown has always struck me as incredibly morbid, and in reference to Harry and Severus specifically as quite tragic. The author worked it into the framework of canon quite well, and the moments that were all their own were wonderfully emotive and touching. The angst was real and made my heart hurt, but I can always count on Light for a happy ending. This is a must read if you like soulmate AUs.

A Universe of Searching Souls by Writcraft (E, 9k)

Thoughts: I thought that Harry's reaction to having a matching mark as Severus was typical for him, ignore, avoid, put it off. Hah. I had to laugh when he had to hunt Severus down because he lived in the middle of bumfuck nowhere because he's a grumpy sod who dislikes people in general. Everything by Writcraft is magic, so you really can't go wrong here.

Waiting to Divide by emynn (E, 22k)

Thoughts: I keep saying I don't like time travel that much, but it keeps popping up and I keep loving these fics against my will or something. I mean, it's also a soulmate fic, so there is that. I also love emynn in general. The time portal gimmick is neat, and Harry really does have lovely friends. I cried at one point, but I'm a big weenie. I absolutely rec this when all is said and done. I loved it.

Immortal Claim by ladyofsilverdawn (E, 18k)

Thoughts: The murders lent an exciting bit of intrigue to this story, and the sexual tension between Harry and Severus was electric from the very beginning. The descriptions of the art and the buildings was particularly vivid. I very much enjoyed Harry and Severus' dynamic in this, and the smut was delicious. I definitely recommend this one. I enjoyed it a lot.

Tears of the Sun by Eriador117 (E, 66k)

Thoughts: This was so good! I devoured it in like a day and a half. I love bond fics, and Severus rescuing Harry from the Dursleys was a nice addition to that trope. The idea of him being raised afterward in a loving home with the Weasleys, who were basically his adopted family in canon anyway, was so sweet. It was my first time seeing a fic where Harry went to a different school and had such a different experience in general, though I know there are others out there. I still thought it clever and original, and I enjoyed the whole thing immensely. It does have some graphic descriptions of child abuse, so definitely mind the tags.

Pentamerone by ripeteeth (E, 15k)

Thoughts: This is a resurrected classic from a pillar of the Snarry writing community, and it is a thing of beauty. The prose is poetry in motion, truly, which is a hallmark of the author's style. I was glued to this until I finished it, and I had fic hangover for a few days the first time. 15k did that to me. I don't honestly know how to adequately describe how much I love drawlight's way with words. Read this. Read anything by this author. It's an absolute treasure.