COMMUNICATION ID: Anonymous[9/11/2015 4:58:15 PM] cw: liam: WHERE ARE THE MOONS
[9/11/2015 4:58:17 PM] cw: liam: I DEMAND RANDOM MOONS
“ shut up, chosen one! ”
[9/9/2015 9:28:51 PM] cw: liam: it’s never too early to sin cas
COMMUNICATION ID: Anonymous
HELLO FRIEND! sorry i’m just now getting to this (idk how long ago you sent this, so many you just sent it yesterday haha) bc i’ve been on my other blogs: rose tyler @bronzetyler & james bond @viewtokill BUT to answer your question:
it depends on what TYPE of character you’re thinking of making? are you looking more for a STUDENT or a PROFESSOR, perhaps an older sibling of tom’s “gang” or - - ? i’ll try to provide links to wiki pages but here we go:
“there were half a dozen teenage boys sitting around slughorn with tom riddle in the middle of them, marvolo’s black and gold ring gleaming on his finger.” tom riddle’s gang back in the day
avery sr
lestrange sr
rosier sr
mulciber sr
nott sr
antonin dolohov
& hogwarts students in the riddle era
horace slughorn
galatea merrythought
minerva mcgonagall
BASICALLY tom & i would be a+++ with any characters he can interact with as a student? and also prior his hogwarts graduation. i want students who can both be on HIS SIDE as well as ones who AREN’T (but not because they “know” he’s “evil” or anything, bc tom kept that side of him under tight wraps and i don’t like people saying their character “knows what tom’s really like” bc no you really don’t lmao)
COMMUNICATION ID: Anonymousoeoiwyoeiywoueow you’re always welcome to ask questions! now, this is gonna be a bit tricky thanks to tom’s skewed take on relationships/everything good in the world [harry potter voice] you’ll never know love, or friendship & i think nagini sort of falls in no man’s land when it comes to her worth in tom’s eyes. (as in, it’s difficult to come up with an exact/precise definition.)
“after an interval of some years, however, [voldemort] used nagini to kill an old muggle man, and it might then have
occurred to him to turn her into his last horcrux. she underlines
the slytherin connection, which enhances lord voldemort’s mystique; i think he is perhaps as fond of her as he can be of anything; he certainly likes to keep her close, and he seems to have an unusual
amount of control over her, even for a parselmouth.” (hbp ch.23)
fond·ness ; affection or liking for someone or something.
“i trust that you also noticed that tom riddle was already highly
self-sufficient, secretive, and, apparently, friendless? […] he preferred
to operate alone. the adult voldemort is the same. you will
hear many of his death eaters claiming that they are in his confidence,
that they alone are close to him, even understand him. they
are deluded. lord voldemort has never had a friend, nor do i believe
that he has ever wanted one.
[a]nd lastly […] the young tom riddle liked to collect trophies. you
saw the box of stolen articles he had hidden in his room. these
were taken from victims of his bullying behavior, souvenirs, if you
will, of particularly unpleasant bits of magic. bear in mind this
magpie-like tendency, for this, particularly, will be important later.” (hbp ch.13)
naturally, horcruxes can be considered “particularly unpleasant bits of magic” & tom’s got a mean streak a country mile wide when it comes to getting what he wants – i’ve always been under the impression that their “connection” started in albania, when he was hopping from creature to creature, losing hope & going mad (“only one power remained to me. i could possess the bodies of others. […] i sometimes inhabited animals — snakes, of course, being my preference — but i was little better off inside them than as pure spirit, for their bodies were ill adapted to perform magic.” [gof ch.33]) – even if he’s voldemort, darkest wizard of all time, he started as a human. he’s not incapable (entirely) of feeling fear, or pain, or helplessness & i believe meeting/talking to nagini may have grounded him, even if only the slightest bit. as a young boy, he appears to be delighted/smug that he can speak to snakes, he’s got the basilisk at hogwarts & his family line – truly, serpents are more a comfort to him than a common fear. it’s different, when you can actually interact with them.
because nagini’s his only (planned) horcrux via another living creature, his fondness for her is simply magnified – she’d probably put up with his shit back in albania, her venom was used in the potion that helped him regain strength (goblet of fire), and now she’s carrying around a bit of his soul. let’s not forget how he reacted when he learned that harry & co. broke into the lestranges’ vault at gringotts:
“the scream of rage, of denial left him as if it were a stranger’s: he was crazed, frenzied, it could not be true, it was impossible, nobody had ever known: how was it possible that the boy could have discovered his secret? […] the elder wand slashed through the air and green light erupted through the room; the kneeling goblin rolled over, dead; the watching wizards scattered before him, terrified […] and again and again his wand fell, and those who were left were slain, all of them, for bringing him this news, for hearing about the golden cup — alone amongst the dead he stormed up and down, and they passed before him in vision: his treasures, his safeguards, his anchors to immortality — the diary was destroyed and the cup was stolen: what if, what if, the boy knew about the others?” (deathly hallows ch.27)
note: he legit walks around, alone, in a room full of corpses (witches & wizards & goblins he killed himself) & looks back on his horcruxes. the seventh book is the best example of tom riddle fucking losing his shit, just when everything was working out.
“[a]nd there was still nagini, who must remain close now, no longer
sent to do his bidding, under his protection….” (deathly hallows ch.27) & this shows, in one small line, how highly tom thought of nagini – he’d send a snake to do his bidding. & when you’ve got a god knows how long (edit: “it was a gigantic snake, at least twelve feet long” ch.1) snake, weighing idk, but BORN & RAISED IN THE WILD, AS A PREDATOR – hell, even the thought freaks me out. snakes can bite, they can suffocate, they can swallow some creatures whole – nagini’s at least twice as long as harry is tall, and in bathilda bagshot’s tiny ass house, that doesn’t leave either party with much room to work. EITHER WAY, tom trusts nagini, and you have to give her that.
once upon a time i had a point/direction for this ask, buuuuut there’s a bee that keeps flying around my head. can we not. (also that paragraph above is shit but idc i’m keeping it bc i’m lazy. whoo-hoo.)
TLDR; voldemort doesn’t have friends. he has followers, and he has nagini – she’s both a follower & a trophy, and the resulting affection means she’s pretty much the closest thing to a “friend” the tiny dark lord has ever had. he trusts her completely (lbr it’s not like she’d be easy to kill anyway) & when push comes to shove, he pretty much takes away her car keys & sends her to her room so he can protect her. so…if he were to see her broken? see her weakened, beaten? people will die & it won’t be pretty.
COMMUNICATION ID: Anonymous
well that depends on what you mean by “starting out” – are you just now getting into the series, or into the rp side? either way, my first bit of advice is to HAVE FUN, for fuck’s sake, because hp is no exception – you get a bunch of people online & you’ll either be involved in drama or you’ll hear about it. or you’ll be unfortunate enough to hear “rumors” of drama that never actually happened, but people want to start shit.
we’re all human. when you get us in groups, especially with tumblr’s vast age range & anonymity (if you choose) some people will be dumb & try to start shit. more advice: be bigger than that. be better. let this be a place where you kick back and enjoy yourself. if someone bothers you, either be honest with them (a personal example: i don’t enjoy when people say things like “wow that’s retarded” & if i see you say that, or anything of the sort, i’ll let you know) or to stop interacting with them (i.e.: if i politely ask you to stop using “retarded” in a degrading manner & you continue, i’ll unfollow & stop talking to you ooc.)
go ahead & browse the new pottermore site. while i still miss the old format, you can still find a shit ton of information. don’t forget the hp wiki (shut up the dark mark tab was still open and i’m lazy) & the pottermore wiki (the entry on wand woods is my default search, still lazy, still shut up) because you can browse for things there as well.
follow portrayals that you enjoy, or can understand. don’t let yourself get fooled/guilt-tripped into following people your friends know, just because they say “this is the best [character name here]” because maybe you don’t agree with their headcanons. maybe your writing just doesn’t mix. maybe you can’t keep up with their formatting (i.e.: their chosen format doesn’t sit well with you, not that i’m implying that formatting is bad. don’t be a bitch.)
a typical pet peeve for hp rpers (those i know, at least) is when people make ocs (original characters) for children/siblings/relatives of canon characters: i.e. harry potter’s long lost sibling, or tom riddle’s daughter. writers like myself who play canon characters have already based our portrayals on canon interactions & circumstances – throwing a sudden sibling/child into the mix can be exhausting, and sometimes we know/believe our characters would act in certain ways that may clash with what the oc writers have in their character’s bio. (i.e.: that tom would take any child under his wing & teach her how to be a dark lady. please no.) remember, i’m not saying you can never write whomever you please – i’m just saying it’ll be difficult, in some situations, to write with people.
basic advice based on personal experience in any fandom:
– there will always be people you disagree with. be the bigger person and move on – don’t be mistaken, i’m not saying call out posts are terrible, but try to talk to the person ooc first. if you skip directly to a call out post, it’ll backfire.
– you will never be the only person to write your chosen canon character. you’ve got choices though, for how to deal with this: either you don’t interact with them at all (don’t follow, block them if they follow if you feel it’s necessary) or interact with them either ic or ooc (i.e.: twin/parallel verses, or just adding fellow fans on skype so you can all talk shit on your fav chars.) the worst thing you can do in my opinion is to openly talk shit on other portrayals to make yourself feel better. there’s a classy way of doing this. you can make a post, start it out with “hey i’ve seen this theory/headcanon/fanon going around, and this is my opinion” or “i know this theory is popular in the fandom, but here’s my take”
– treat your fellow writers with respect. no one likes to be nagged or guilt-tripped into writing with anyone, whether it’s a new follower or your best online friend. we all have lives outside of tumblr, and maybe we haven’t replied to your thread/ask/starter because we simply can’t find the inspiration that day. a friendly reminder after a certain time is alright with most people (i.e.: “hey idk if you saw on your activity page, but last week i tagged you in a thing) but shit like “wow ok so you can write with so-and-so but not me? bitch move” will only piss us off (in my case) or make others anxious, and reluctant to interact.
– meta-gaming is a huge pet peeve with all writers i know. this happens when your character can dodge every spell/attack and knows everything about other characters without logical reason. for example, it’s never said that tom’s family history (specifically the gaunts/his mother’s love for his father, etc) is public knowledge: while his closer followers may know he’d been raised in a muggle orphanage, i will refuse to write with anyone who “happens to know” that his mother was a witch and his father was a muggle. the audience knows all about tom’s history because we read it through harry’s eyes, but your character didn’t. and one of the most ANNOYING things is starters that include characters talking shit on tom: i.e. if they say shit like “am i supposed to be scared?” the only exception so far is @mastereddeath because harry potter is an asshole & tom’s been trying to kill him for years. granted, if your character is prone to talking shit/cracking jokes in the face of death/mortal terror, go ahead – just know that i’ll respond in kind & tom despises people who disrespect him.
COMMUNICATION ID: Anonymous
COMMUNICATION ID: Anonymous“ the most immediate sign, ” he begins, with a careful air of dark amusement (as if he’s waiting for the trap to spring, or perhaps for the serpent to strike) “ is what remains of those who foolishly approach her. ”
lord voldemort stares with crimson, slitted eyes at the visitor; is he content or disappointed? both wizard and serpent present with fixed expressions – indecipherable, cold.
“ i can speak to her, ” he says, voice soft and dangerous, “ it is an ancient and rare ability, to be a parselmouth, ” he explains. the fire crackles in the fireplace behind his chair, not quite enough to mask the faint scrape of scales across the wooden floor at their feet.
“ would you like a demonstration? ” he asks mildly, his words more a warning than an invitation, though it’s not clear yet as to why. but then he speaks, the words hissed and incomprehensible to those unfamiliar with parseltongue, the language of serpent & man.
COMMUNICATION ID: Anonymousthe wizard was irritating over all he reckons, thinking back on the months spent as a parasite latched to quirinus’ soul. voldemort spares a laugh, cold & high & humorless in the face of the deceased wizard’s memory.
“ professor quirrel was weak, ” he states, sitting patiently in the hard-backed chair as his precious nagini slithers up the side & drapes herself with careful familiarity across his shoulders. he strokes her head, thoughtful. where to begin?
“ foolishly, he sought my advice, deep within albania where i waited in exile – he believed that i would help him, teach him to prove himself to all those who mocked him. once i discovered his position, that he had accepted the teaching post at hogwarts, i left behind the small creatures & unfortunate wanderers of the forest and possessed him instead. he tried to fight against me, in vain, but i knew he would play a crucial part in my first attempt at resurrection. ”
silence falls & fills the room, as voldemort turns his gaze to nagini with a particular, unnerving fondness. but he continues.
“ while i understand the necessity, ” he begins, “ i often found myself annoyed with his stuttered speech – his lessons were dull & difficult to follow. ah – you asked for habits? here is one: the pathetic ease with which he’d cry, when i reminded him of his duties, the importance of our mission. i detest listening to the cries of others, or their whimpered pleas for forgiveness or mercy. he always failed to embrace lord voldemort’s generosity…”
COMMUNICATION ID: Anonymousto be perfectly honest i have very very few ship ideas in regards to riddle – simply because i’ve been overwhelmed by the forced ships in fanfic in which they alter tom’s personality/core values to better fit their ideal ships. or they have “love” as a step towards his “redemption” arc.
i know bellamort & voldy/barty is a thing, but i’ve never looked deep enough into the latter to form a bias either way ? but ?? i don’t appreciate romanticizing tom’s sway over his death eaters – he’s cruel, he’ll torture them at the drop of his hat, he’ll force their children to take on dangerous/near impossible missions, etc. it’s not meant to be pretty. and after his first fall, when lily’s sacrifice first thwarts him, if anything he’s desperate once barty finds him – in his speech in goblet of fire he mentions how he very nearly lost hope of resurrection/assistance, describing it himself as his “darkest hour” & tbh most relationships formed under those circumstances, when one party is known for their cruelty/cold-heartedness, never ends well. and bellamort – that’s more an obsession; she admires him, yes, his power & his lack of sentiment, but the fact that tom instantly, after realizing harry’s out destroying horcruxes, reminds himself that trusting lucius & bella was a grave mistake. that friends are worthless, and if you want something done you’ve got to do it yourself. that isn’t healthy either.
so i guess my point is this: if you’re asking about the ship as a romantic pairing, one where tom goes against canon and learns to “love” one of his faithful servants, that would pretty much go against my portrayal. and while i’m open to au’s & verses, i’d rather not veer drastically off-course in the name of romantic, sappy ships.
& my exclusive list isn’t on my blog, you’re correct! i haven’t added a page/updates tab yet, and i’m exclusive with such a small number of people, that i guess i should’ve said something more like “those to whom i show a preference” – at the moment, i’m exclusive with aaron’s blogs (scorpius/titanist ; charlie/withdragcns ; & his sirius whenever that comes to light) as well as herroyaldarknessbloodtraiitor, whitetombed, phosphorrous, kythereiia, malucro, iindiscriminate.
—— preferences (may become exclusive, this is simply to show those with whom i’ve plotted ooc) include: abovcgod, booksmarting, mastereddeath, slytherrus, defiantcharms, strongandsiilent…
COMMUNICATION ID: Anonymous
oeiywoieuwe oh god friend, i haven’t been around nearly long enough to know who all is played and who isn’t, i’m still combing through my followers to find blogs to follow back – you can ask booksmarting whitetombed slytherrus mastereddeath & co maybe ? as well ??
i’m only exclusive to a small handful of people right now in the hp fandom (nothing personal, darlings, i’m still developing tom as a muse and want to test the waters) but some characters i’d like to see (idk if these are already made, but always remember if you’re a fan you be a fan & make whomever you wish) in regards to my hp muses (tom, lucius, umbridge, etc):
it’s established that i suck at this & i’m sorry eoiwyoieuw but ty ty for asking!
COMMUNICATION ID: Anonymous
“ you will address me with the full respect befitting your head boy. TEN POINTS from whichever house you’re in, for your audacity, and i will be speaking to your head of house. i hope, for your sake, it isn’t professor slughorn. ”
“he seemed to all the world a student like any other” dumbledore tells all those gathered in the great hall & his words ring true: just as tom riddle was a student, he’d been a boy as well, no more impervious to the trials & tribulations of puberty than his housemates.
embarrassing though the topic may be, growing boys & girls experience a vast number of uncontrolled, inconvenient changes (physical, emotional, and otherwise) due to fluctuating hormonal levels. perfectly, unfortunately normal.
it happened in study of ancient runes. (this memory & others of similar, vexing situations are willingly eclipsed by dreams of his future regime.) graciously, his predicament went unnoticed; though, as is his nature, he would laugh alongside his housemates should theirs be recognized, and on one memorable occasion he managed to spare a smirk & charmingly diffuse the situation by blaming his excitement on the upcoming arithmancy exam. (for which, of course, he received top marks.)