Rewrite - Blog Posts
Hi! For anyone wanting to know when I'll update my fic (the chaos of Peter's life and everyone discovering it), I have some bittersweet news. From now to july, I'll be on hiatus rewriting what I've done, because I've been getting the itch to write more professional and I want to make a whole lot of new development I didn't do. I don't know if I'll do it by chapters, or if I'll just make 8 chapters and add them at the same time. I don't know if I'll get to finish it before then or how long the fic will get to, but I can assure you it'll become at least twice it's length now.
Ellie’s (lack of a) character arc & why the result is an unsatisfying story
Let’s state the obvious: Ellie does not have a character arc in The Last of Us Part 2. A character arc is defined as a gradual transformation or inner journey of a character in response to changing developments in the story. And you may argue that Ellie from the beginning of the game is not the same as the one at the end of the game, and I would agree with you. She went from a woman consumed by revenge (not really but we will stick with that for now) to a woman able to forgive her aggressor and move on. However, there are problems with this supposed inner change on multiple levels. a) the change is not gradual b) the change comes out of nowhere c) the change is not informed by anything I don’t think there’s any need to thoroughly explain the first statement. Ellie has the same goal from the beginning to the very last second before attaining her goal. At no point in the story is she self-reflective, questions her methods, there’s no moral dilemma for her, no inner conflict, no doubt that causes her to put her own actions into a new perspective and possibly change her motivation. From beginning to end she believes to be 100% justified in her goal to kill Abby. Subsequently, if Ellie were actually consumed by revenge, the only logical conclusion to her story would be for her to eventually drown Abby.
Which neatly leads me to the next point: her change comes out of nowhere. The decision to let Abby go, as is implied by the narrative, is triggered by a random, arbitrary flashback of Joel. First of all, the timing here is outright comical. For what reason is she having this specific flashback at this very moment? Sounds like contrived, convenient bs to me to give the appearance that her decision is informed by something (which it isn’t, and we'll get to that in a moment). Second of all, getting a flashback to the most important person in your life that has been brutally murdered in front of you, seeing an image of what could have been and what was unjustly taken from you, is not gonna inspire you to forgive your aggressor. If anything, it would make you more determined and sadistic. And third of all, I hear you all yelling "but it was a flashback to their conversation about forgiveness and that inspired her to forgive Abby." And I have multiple qualms regarding this line of thinking. Number one, forgiving the person you love most in this world for having lied to you cannot be compared to forgiving the person who brutally took said person from you. This actually further accentuates my previous point, this is the person that robbed you of your opportunity for reconciliation. Implying that Ellie's thought process here is „I wanted to forgive Joel, but this person robbed me of any opportunity to, so I have to forgive her” is muddled, nonsensical and quite frankly unrealistic. And number two, is the implication here that this is the first time Ellie has thought back to that conversation? That’s a whole new level of nonsense. She will have reflected on all moments with Joel, including this one, and yet at no point prior to this moment had she considered even the possibility of forgiveness, as I have illustrated earlier. So why now? Very obviously to get a payoff, which was neither set up nor properly developed. And moving on to my last point: it is not informed by anything. I know a lot of players didn’t want Ellie to kill Abby, and even I felt that way at first, albeit presumably for entirely different reasons (I was so drained and removed from the narrative by that point that I only thought to myself "just go home, you psychos"). But upon reflection, I concluded that that would have been an unsatisfying conclusion narratively speaking. Nevertheless, Abby seems to have grown dear to many players. After all, they have spent several hours with her, they have seen her struggle, overcome her obstacles, fight for what she believes to be right. Their feelings towards Abby are informed by the person they have seen her to be and by the experiences they went through with her. Yet Ellie is missing all of that context. She has not been with us throughout our three days in Seattle, she doesn’t know Abby outside of her having horrifically killed Joel and she has not gained any new information that would lead her to change her opinion about her. And so, we have another example of the story making characters do things that are not informed by anything, for the sake of a poor payoff. And since we're talking about characters acting nonsensically, let's talk about the roughly three minutes leading up to Ellie nearly drowning Abby, shall we? Ellie approaches the beach absolutely determined to find and kill Abby (repeatedly murmuring Abby’s name to herself). Yet when she reaches the pillars, she cuts Abby down, letting her free Lev and follows them to the boats, indicating that Ellie has changed her mind, showing pity/empathy upon seeing Abby a mere shadow of her former self. And yet again, we have Ellie acting in a way she never has before. She didn’t have pity for Nora who was coughing her lungs out, or for Jordan who had advocated for letting her live, or for any other innocent WLF or Seraphite that came in between her and killing Abby. But the one person she holds a grudge against to the point of killing hundreds of innocent people without batting an eye, that is the person she is suddenly capable of feeling pity/empathy for? Is it really that surprising that Ellie's actions here feel forced, uncharacteristic, and illogical? But it actually gets worse. In an additional display of Druckmann not knowing how humans work, we have Ellie putting her backpack with all her gear in the boat, looking at her bloody hand and then remembering "Oh yeah, that's the woman who killed Joel. I almost forgot.” And at this point in my playthrough I was laughing out loud. And so, we have Ellie all of sudden determined to kill Abby again, so much so that she is willing to threaten an innocent child’s life (this by the way was the final nail in the coffin for me, they thoroughly obliterated Ellie’s character throughout the entire game, but this goes against the very core of her being). And we know the rest, they fight, Ellie nearly kills Abby but eventually lets her go. To summarize what happened in the three minutes before our big emotional payoff to our 25 hour-long journey of playing this epitome of misery porn: Ellie has 3 - count them 3!!! - changes of heart. Her motivation does a perfect 180 almost every minute. This is not how people work! That’s lazy, contrived beyond believe, and borderline comical levels of writing, because Druckmann prioritized having a final boss battle on a beach over organic, coherent, and logical storytelling (but I guess it was worth it for the goddamn visuals). However, what’s most infuriating is that there are such easy fixes if one only thinks about it for more than two minutes that could erase nearly all for the major issues I just illustrated while maintaining the plot points of the two fighting on a beach and Ellie letting Abby go. If we have Ellie walk to the beach immediately, finding Abby there untying the boat (Lev nearly passed out in the boat, Ellie not seeing him) and she then attacks Abby, immediately we have erased two of Ellie’s changes of heart, she remains consistent in her goals/motivation, not jumping back and forth between two extremes. The two women fight much like we see it in the game, and then as Ellie is about to finish it, we hear Lev calling out to Abby. And there we have our motivation for Ellie to not kill her. Not because she gets a random, convenient flashback, not because she forgives Abby (Abby has done nothing to earn Ellie’s forgiveness), not because Abby has earned her redemption, but because Ellie cannot find it in her to put an innocent child through the pain Abby has put her through. Because at the end of the day, Ellie’s hatred for Abby does not outweigh her capacity for compassion and empathy for those deserving of it (a core characteristic of hers that was established in the first game). Because Ellie would rather let an individual live that is undeserving of it than cause the same pain she was put through to an innocent child that is undeserving of it. Granted, if we were to go with this ending, we would still have to build towards it properly and therefore would have to tweak the rest of the game, mainly by showing Ellie being self-reflective, merciful towards innocents, and even doubtful about her goals at times to make her final decision informed by prior developments in order to have the character arc actually be a gradual transformation leading to a logical conclusion. I have been a writer for nearly 4 years now, which means I am in no way an expert, or the most creatively talented person around and yet I would argue that this ending would be much more satisfying to most players than the alternative we were presented with. Because as it stands, none of our actions or decisions (and yes that is something important to consider when we are working within the medium of video games), or Ellie’s for that matter, lead up to this conclusion. The conclusion to this story, the final moment, the big emotional payoff hinges on a random flashback, not on any other developments that previously occurred in the story. Subsequently rendering all of the 25 hours entirely pointless, none of it had an influence on the finale, none of it mattered narratively speaking. So, is it even a surprise that many found this to be dissatisfying? I noticed a few people who are fond of Abby accusing people feeling differently of having too much of an emotional bias or even going as far as to say they are less emotionally intelligent. This is problematic for two reasons, a) different people have different reasons for disliking Ellie’s final choice. Some still hate Abby as much as in the beginning, others feel drained and indifferent, and others still feel similarly to how I feel in that it’s mainly narratively dissatisfying. And b) the same story can have a different effect on any amount of people (otherwise, we would have settled the discussion about what the greatest movie all of time is long ago). My point being, that no matter how you feel about this particular story you are 100% justified in feeling this way, and yes that includes people that by the end of the game still hate Abby just as much as they did the moment she bashed Joel’s skull in. That does not necessarily have to be personal bias, more often than not it’s the ability to see through the storytelling techniques used, rendering them mostly ineffective for these people (and I include myself in this). I wanted Ellie to kill Abby not because I was unable to empathize with her or couldn’t see past my own personal bias, but because that would have been the logical, narratively satisfying conclusion to this specific story.
Why did I hyperfixiate on a Sonic Lost World rewrite instead of studying for my fucking business exam? No clue there's something wrong with me today
You know what would be really cool? If his motives for driving stonekeepers insane and stuff was not for serving a different species (looking at you, you creepy ass shadows) but something more malicious.
TW: Genocide
Lemme explain, so in my headcanon I thought the Voice caused people to go mad and become monsters to cause destruction but only to their own species or people protecting them. This is because the Voice wants a superior species living on Alledia. Other previous species have gone extinct by previous stonekeepers that lost themselves and unknowingly genocides their own people.
The Voice is like a toxic parent to Alledia, wanting the best for it but in its own twisted ways. I also headcanon humans to be rare in Alledia because of the curse that turns some into animal-like species (that Ikol still doesn't like) and also because of other human stonekeepers the Voice had turned mad. The Voice will only accept a species he thinks is best for Alledia, to preserve its planet while also having lifeforms in it.
Also, each species in Alledia isn't native to the planet at all, because the motherstone was the one that created the portals to other planets that other people went into. And after pieces of it was borrowed the motherstone grew weaker until the portals started to close. Ikol as a part of the motherstone became well, the voices to every stonekeeper and corrupted them to turn on their own kind. And when all the stones have been released from their deceased masters, the motherstone will join again and open up the portals leading to Alledia, thus restating the process of finding a superior species... until a certain group of shadows came in secret
And that's basically how I would've written Ikol, just a picky and evil spirit of the stones that manipulates and watches over the planet until it finds a species it prefers on it. Almost like a collector of toys that throws away stuff they don't want later on until it finds something they favor and decides "welp, I don't wanna play with theses anymore" *throws away rest of the Alledians.
I wished he was more interesting to the story but alas, he's was a servant to the shadows and probably isn't gonna be fought or anything. But he could've been scarier, he could've been like a villain you get anxiety from every time they're on screen. He could've been a nightmare to deal with, just not in the annoying way
Any thoughts on Ikol? He’s a bit confusing to me
*grasps your shoulder* I don't get Him either.
Controversial thoughts below:
The Voice is unnecessary as a character.
Unpopular af opinion I know. The Voice was a charismatic character and pretty much the lynchpin on why Emily came to Alledia but listen. He's a tumor on the story. There can be another alternative that could push her to go to Alledia. If he was done well then maybe yes he could've been the horror and mystery factor the story had but no. More often than not he's pretty much the default reason why characters get absolved of their actions bc "wah they were influenced by the Voice that's why he was pushed to transform into a giant" wenk wenk that's kinda boring I say. Where's the agency. He's basically just a really loud conscience/impulsive or intrusive thought turned into an entity. People already do that themselves. Like the entire premise is already terrifying enough on its own. Idk. Maybe it's bc I'm already viewing it as an already older person lens that I can't seem to incorporate the more lighthearted part of the kid's fantasy but seriously. A dark entity can make things interesting I guess but ngl people can already be horrible people on their own. No dark spirit required. It's already about war and tyranny. It's already about putting power and responsibilities and blame on already fragile shoulders. It's about adults who failed children. Wouldn't be more interesting if they focused on characters with autonomy who fucked up and then explores on how those mistakes affect everyone else.
Agh fuck I know the story is also trying to discuss abt fate and choices and whether or not a person has the freedom to make those choices and actions and it's about defiance against that helplessness, but my main complaint about the characters is that they have zero fucking agency. They don't push the plot at all. The plot just happens. It's so ironic for a series that's supposed to be a celebration of that defiance have a protagonist that is only is what she is and does things she does because she feels like she has to be and has its entire plot crumble in on itself by characters that are treated not as characters but just paper maches. What then.
Havent watched helluva boss in ages and I dont even like the show anymore but what if I took these guys:
and rewrote/redesigned tf out of them:
Traversing Tel'anor: Legends of Unsundered Kalimdor
Tel'anor, the grave city of ancient Kaldorei, still stands as a monument of ancestral reverence. Many plaques here are illegible, but some have withstood the sands of time, and grant us a glimpse into those who played important roles in the War of the Ancients, or had a lasting impact on Kaldorei culture.
Lilyiana Meadowblade
"Her blade was second to none, and flowed through her foes like a blade of grass dances in the wind."
A legendary warrior famed for her prowess, Meadowblade introduces some interesting concepts about Kaldorei surname conventions.
Considering the myth surrounding her bladework, it could be that she was given this name by others as a token of her mastery, or even took this name for herself; in contrast to the typical passing down of names from one generation to another. We do not know her social status, but a third possibility is that perhaps an ancient custom was to bestow surnames with the idea of prophecy in mind. In times of old, star augurs may have had a hand in reading one’s stellar birthchart, and interpreting omens or premonitions of a newborn’s life path, experiences, or destiny. The parallels between Meadowblade’s name and skills could, from a certain perspective, seem fated for the stuff of legends from the beginning. There was a sentiment in the same vein before the Sundering in regards to Kaldorei born with amber eyes, most of whom with this characteristic were of mythical and powerful stature (Queen Azshara, the Stormrage brothers, Moon Guard sorcerers recruiting those with golden eyes.)
Lilyiana's resting place is in the same pavilion as Dorendil Wildcaller's memorial; though whether they are related in some way is unknown. Perhaps they were life-partners, comrades, friends, or were simply considered of equal reverential status.
Dorendil Wildcaller
"Nature and society called to him alike, and he was one of the first to speak with the hippogryphs. His legacy lives on in our eternal kinship with them."
The quest [Forces of Nature: Hippogryphs] speaks of a legend that "they were created by Cenarius himself as a gift for the night elves. They're wary of other races, but they're intelligent enough to recognize a friend of a friend." Perhaps Dorendil was an ancient naturalist, ranger, or hunter; considering as well his surname of Wildcaller, who proved himself a worthy ally to Cenarius and the forests, similar to Malfurion Stormrage. It seems that Dorendil was able to walk the line between these two worlds - one of the Kaldorei forebears who sowed the seeds of trust between hippogryphs and night elven culture.
General Startalon
General Startalon, one of the finest generals our people has ever known. He commanded the Hippogryph riders during the War of the Ancients.
Startalon's description implies that companionship with hippogryphs is such a long-standing practice in Kaldorei culture, that it extends as far back as the Pre-Sundering age. By extension, it reveals that there was a specific hippogryph rider wing of the ancient night elven military; though whether it was an established force for many years, or created spontaneously during this monumental war, is uncertain.
These creatures seem to have been integrated into ancient society somehow, as we see with the Leyfeather Hippogryphs. They are described as having been “ancient mounts of the highborne” that possess “latent magical powers.” This begs the question of where this family of hippogryphs originated from: perhaps they evolved into an inherently magical creature due to their proximity to the Well of Eternity, or they were bred/created by ancient Highborne society. Due to their vivid plumage and arcane nature, perhaps these could have served as ceremonial mounts for parades, airshows, and the like to entertain the noble caste prior to the Sundering. Additionally, the hippogryphs of the Moon Guard Stronghold on the outskirts of Suramar may indicate that they were used by these peacekeepers while on guard duty, or even for traveling.
Thaedris also reveals that he meditates near Startalon’s grave for guidance, which may lend to the notion of receiving signs, messages, or premonitions from the act of venerating spirits and spending time in resting places for the dead.
The Windstrikers
"Marksmen without peer, their skill with a bow was an inspiration to generations of archers. Their family developed the gauntlets the Sentinels wear, carefully articulated mail links that empower our archers to this day."
The Windstriker epitaph indicates that they were a well-known name in the realm of archery during the eras before the Sundering as exemplars, artisans or instructors.
The craftsmanship of these ‘carefully articulated mail links’ somehow survived the Sundering, and then the several centuries after until Tyrande established the Sentinel Army we know today. We are not given much detail about what these links are exactly, but there are a few possibilities: they could have been any combination of protective arm guards, gloves, mail bracers, or thumb rings. Since they are described as empowering to archers, there may also be some sort of enchantment or magical blessing involved in their creation as well. Given that these gauntlets carried over into the newly established Kaldorei culture, the magic may have been some sort of heightened vision, strength, or accuracy bestowed by priestesses, druids, or wilderness spirits.
Above their monument is the head of an owl, perhaps hinting at an old heraldic system tying symbols to family names; or that the Windstrikers had a renowned kinship with these birds of the night.
Aelynn and Banlorus Truecaller
"Brave Aelynn and noble Banlorus ruled the battlefields and courts alike. They fell as they lived, protecting our people from threats on all sides."
The wording of this plaque insinuates that Aelynn was likely a renowned warrior, and Banlorus was perhaps a Moon Guard, noble, or other person of high status who held some political sway in the Kaldorei Empire. Their involvement in "the courts" could be the Highborne social circles of old, or possibly courts in reference to areas of law and justice given the wording of “protecting our people from threats on all sides.” The Well of Eternity novel reveals that there was a system of social punishment in ancient Kalimdor, ranging anywhere from exile to outright execution, as evidenced by Malfurion fearing being shunned, which was “the most dire punishment that could be inflicted upon a night elf other than death.” (Ch. 13.)
Arnaera
"In service to a mythical cause, they were a shining gem to our people, giving aid where they could in assisting the populace. Alas, the hammer fell and Arnaera made a journey west. They were reborn in winter's heart, and their grand design continues."
Arnaera's entry is the vaguest of them all, and this grave lies hidden in the riverbed of Tel'anor. It's fun to speculate what this mythical cause could have been: perhaps something in service to the Kaldorei Empire, one of the dragonflights, the Wild Gods, the titans, or some other influential force on Azeroth? The thematic word choice between shining gem, hammer, and grand design feel evocative of jewelcrafting or some kind of artisanry; though they may also just be meant to mythify Arnaera.
'The hammer fell' could be a reference to something involving the Hammer of Khaz'goroth, the sacrifice of Tyr, or a metaphor for some other historical event entirely. The 'rebirth in winter's heart' could be the ancient settlement of Shandaral, modern-day Winterspring, Dragonblight, or the afterlife realm of Ardenweald.
Latara Feathersong
"A huntress of the Sentinels, she led the vanguard in many campaigns. Her bravery and compassion were endless. Anu dorah, I remember.”
Latara is the wife of Thaedris Feathersong, the Nightfallen we meet in Tel'anor who, after 10,000 years of isolation, seeks to free her spirit and reunite with her in the afterlife. It seems that Thaedris was the one to engrave her plaque, though we do not know if this was prior to the War of the Ancients, or in more recent times after the Suramar barrier was lowered. She appears to have held a high station in the Sentinels, yet another reference (alongside the Windstrikers epitaph and Cathedral of Eternal Night) that may allude to an organization of the same name predating the Sundering. Latara may have led the vanguard during the expansion of the Kaldorei Empire, or perhaps in defense against incursions from rivaling world powers such as the myriad troll nations, qiraji, nerubians, klaxxi, earthen, vrykul, mogu, tauren, etc.
During the quest [The Final Ingredient] we retrieve her bow, which "glows with a faint white light" and "has potent magic in it" according to Thaedris. Latara may have been a priestess before her role as a Sentinel leader, her weapon carrying over from this past occupation; as was common with many of the Sentinels in times past.
At the conclusion of Thaedris’s questline, we free the grounds of Tel’anor from a powerful hex that has been taking hold of the grave city. As Latara is released from her suffering as a banshee, she whispers to us, “My mind is… cleared. I will sleep now. Give Thaedris my love.” Perhaps as a final act of gratitude, “a great power enveloped one of the arrows left in her quiver." It seems then, that a spirit can use the very last of their essence to leave behind a blessing or boon in the physical realm; in this case, an arrow laced with Latara’s love for Thaedris.
Not unlike the offerings given to the dead at the memorials here, the departed have their own way of paying respects to the living who honor them, too.
Ande ka bindel kalar'dormir. Anu dorah. (May they rest in the terrace of stars. We remember.)
Hi again!
I have to say that I throughly enjoyed your take on Draco Malfoy and his family. There are things that I hadn’t thought of, and agreed. Others, not so much.
Firstly, if you want to publish your own version of the rewrite, go ahead! It’s a difficult task, for sure, but it can also be so much fun. Also, you said you weren’t sure of where to publish it, I recommend you do it on AO3 since it’s a platform made specifically for fan fiction and they don’t get any kind of profit so it protects you as a fanfiction writer and them. Hope this helps!
Now, on to your view on Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.
For the longest time, I believed the same thing as you did. But it wasn’t until very recently that I changed my mind a bit. I think that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were the products of generational trauma—this is not to excuse their failings as parents and people, don’t misunderstand—, just like everyone else in the Sacred Twenty-Eight. They are people who grew up in an environment where they are forced to give up all control over their lives (they cannot even choose who they marry), they’re taught so many vile things throughout their childhoods—actually, they don’t even get to be kids. There’s just so many things wrong with these people.
But I do agree that Lucius might’ve been emotionally and mentally abusive, and it really would explain Draco’s desperate need to make him proud. However, I don’t think that means that Lucius didn’t love his son. I simply think that Lucius was stuck in a cycle he couldn’t or didn’t know how to break. This parenting style that Lucius uses is likely the same one his parents used when raising him, which would be the same his grandparents used on his parents and so on. It’s an endless loop of children learning that you have to hate a group of people for no reason and marry your cousin to keep the family line “pure” and gain as much power as possible because only then will you be deemed respectable. And Lucius clearly wants Draco to become respectable a young man in the wixen world, to have such an easy life such as his own.
Narcissa, on the other hand, I believe to be much more gentle and nurturing towards her son. She’s also stuck in a cycle, but she’s also seen firsthand what happens when you break it and what happens when you don’t. Narcissa had two sisters, Andromeda and Bellatrix. Andromeda disappointed her family to the point of being disowned—which, I should remind you, is the worst that could happen to you when you’re from a family like theirs—when she married a muggleborn and renounced her place as a Black. Now her family doesn’t acknowledge her existence unless it’s probably to discuss how much of a disappointment she is/was. Then you have Bellatrix, who followed the steps so many had carved before her, but it probably cost her her sanity with the way she behaves. But Bellatrix is the gem of the family, and she’s doing so well, she’s so respectable; she married a cousin who’s rich and very convenient and follows the Dark Lord and became a part of his inner circle. And this is without bringing her cousins, Sirius and Regulus, into this mess. Who would you follow?
As for whether Lucius and Narcissa married out of love or not: I think it started out as the typical arranged marriage, but they slowly fell in love as their relationship continued to grow. I like to think they’re the perfect example of a couple growing in love rather than falling. And I believe that this love and mutual respect that they share in this marriage would explain why Lucius listens to Narcissa and often does as she asks. You’re right about Narcissa using tradition to convince her husband to allow Draco to attend Hogwarts, but Durmstrang is also a very well-respected school of magic—especially amongst dark wixes like themselves. But Lucius knew that Narcissa wasn’t ready to have her only child live so far, and gave in.
With all of that said, I like to think that Draco knows what love should look like. He knows how to treat his lovers (regardless of gender), and he knows that communication, respect and love are the keys to a successful relationship. I would even dare to say that he was a romantic at heart, even if he didn’t show it. Draco might’ve been a bit soft, as he was a child growing and trying to make a name for himself while the world changed around him constantly. His views were sick and twisted due to the environment he grew up in, but this can all be changed over time.
Draco probably had a very complicated relationship with his parents, because they weren’t the best but I don’t think their mistakes were from lack of love—more from lack of acceptance. Draco is allowed to be angry and distant, he’s allowed to leave his parents to rot in Azkaban for all the hardships he’d had to endure because of them. But as someone who grew up in a toxic environment, it’s difficult to keep that mindset when you know the love was there and that your parents were working with what they knew and thought to be right, even if their views were misguided.
Also, I’d never thought of Draco being into goth until you brought it up and honestly, I’m really digging it. So thank you for that!
Finally, I have a love-hate relationship with Drarry mostly because I love my personal headcanons on Hinny and Drastoria. Not to mention that a part of me prefers Albus and Scorpius to be together rather than Draco and Harry.
Anyways! Thank you! 💞
Hi, what are your thougths about Draco Malfoy? I really like your rewrite, but I always feel like Draco could be like, the catarsis of a familiar chain. The one who survived his family toxicity and became a better person. I'm just saying he had potential.
Hey Anon! I apologize for taking a bit to respond, I haven’t been on Tumblr very much. But this is an excellent question, so thank you for the opportunity to discuss it!
Draco Malfoy is a complex character. He comes from a rich family that are proud members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, who followed the Dark Lord until they couldn’t anymore. From afar, many would think that they’re the perfect example of evil people. However, as we look closer, all we see is fear.
We see Lucius trying to protect his son whenever Voldemort put him on the spot. We see Narcissa going behind the Lord’s back to protect her child. We see Draco being forced to do a lot of things out of fear and out of wanting to keep his family safe.
I believe that Draco really was as obnoxious as we meet him as in the first book/film. But, like all children, he grew up. As the war intensified, his actions became less about getting a reaction out of Hari and more about keeping himself and those around him alive—which is something that Hari fails to see at first.
I like the idea of Draco getting a redemption arc, but I don’t think it would be easy for him. I mean, sometimes I imagine him attempting to disappear into the muggle world for a few years where he learns a lot more about the world and himself. Who knows what he might have done during that time? Worked at a bakery shop? Maybe.
In my visions, though, Draco always comes back to the wixen world and becomes a Healer. He apologizes for his wrongdoings and is actively looking to make things better.
Do Hari and Draco become friends or more? I’m not sure yet, but it certainly doesn’t happen until a couple of years after the war’s over.
On a somewhat different note, this is one of the things I love about the rewrite. I get to explore so many different family dynamics and how the kids respond to it. Some people change for the better, others for the worst, and others don’t change at all. It’s interesting to see how I slowly watch them unfold and bloom.
Hi, what are your thougths about Draco Malfoy? I really like your rewrite, but I always feel like Draco could be like, the catarsis of a familiar chain. The one who survived his family toxicity and became a better person. I'm just saying he had potential.
Hey Anon! I apologize for taking a bit to respond, I haven’t been on Tumblr very much. But this is an excellent question, so thank you for the opportunity to discuss it!
Draco Malfoy is a complex character. He comes from a rich family that are proud members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, who followed the Dark Lord until they couldn’t anymore. From afar, many would think that they’re the perfect example of evil people. However, as we look closer, all we see is fear.
We see Lucius trying to protect his son whenever Voldemort put him on the spot. We see Narcissa going behind the Lord’s back to protect her child. We see Draco being forced to do a lot of things out of fear and out of wanting to keep his family safe.
I believe that Draco really was as obnoxious as we meet him as in the first book/film. But, like all children, he grew up. As the war intensified, his actions became less about getting a reaction out of Hari and more about keeping himself and those around him alive—which is something that Hari fails to see at first.
I like the idea of Draco getting a redemption arc, but I don’t think it would be easy for him. I mean, sometimes I imagine him attempting to disappear into the muggle world for a few years where he learns a lot more about the world and himself. Who knows what he might have done during that time? Worked at a bakery shop? Maybe.
In my visions, though, Draco always comes back to the wixen world and becomes a Healer. He apologizes for his wrongdoings and is actively looking to make things better.
Do Hari and Draco become friends or more? I’m not sure yet, but it certainly doesn’t happen until a couple of years after the war’s over.
On a somewhat different note, this is one of the things I love about the rewrite. I get to explore so many different family dynamics and how the kids respond to it. Some people change for the better, others for the worst, and others don’t change at all. It’s interesting to see how I slowly watch them unfold and bloom.
REASONS TO STAY: BOOK ONE.
SOMEONE TO STAY; Chapter One.
❛ 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩, 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘪𝘵’𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. . . ❜
WORD COUNT. 2,369
BETA-READER. @fen1s ( show her some love! )
WATTPAD. AO3.
Before I get into the main post, I wanted to adress the tags. I appreciate you being unbiased, and respectful towards my own opinions on the Marauders, truly appreciate it. Also, I don’t remember seeing you interacting with the post, and I can’t really go back to the post and its notifications since I deleted it and also muted the notifications received from reblogs. Either way, I think the comments were fine, my main concern were the anonymous asks I was receiving. Neither you, nor any other Snape stan have to apologize, by the way. I know the death threats were wrong, but I am also partly to blame considering that I recognize that I came off very aggressive, so I guess you can say that I also have tone issues. I am okay, thank you for asking.
Now, on to the main point of this post. For the Marauders’ Era of the rewrite, since there’s so little that we know of them, it’ll follow some of the main plots like the “The Prank”, the Sectumsempra incident, the Marauders becoming Animagi and such. However, once they graduate, I’ll take matters into my own hands. I think that the Marauders’ era will be more about fixing the original, messy worldbuilding and making the war to be a bit darker. I’m excited, as I’ve got a couple of twists up my sleeves.
Anyway, I hadn’t really considered the scenes when Remus and Sirius try to keep Harry from going nuts on the assumptions that Snape is a Death Eater by this I mean I completely forgot about that, but if you can tell me which chapters, I’ll be sure to reread them and see how it works for me. Thank you!
I do believe a lot of what we’re canonically shown through Snape’s memories, I just have a hard time believing that it’s exactly as he says it is because there’s also a lot of other things that we also know that really don’t match up for me. However, you’re right. The Marauders, as we’ve seen several times, were more about actions than words - which I think worked well (given all the lengths they went for each other, and later, for Lily), but also horribly (considering how they would react to getting insulted).
In my rewrite, I want to balance it out a bit so that it’s them constantly trying to one-up each other because of their rivalry (sort of like Harry and Draco). But, like I said, once the Marauders cross the line to humiliate Snape, a lot is going to shift for them.
I would love to chat with you about personal headcanons or theories, as I find myself enjoying that quite a bit! Only if you’d like to, of course.
I have some advice for a way to portray the Marauders and Snape's relationship! They bullied him, but Snape was never defenseless (except for That Prank) and I think it started from some animosity on the train during their first year, them Snape continued to be a jerk. Snape seemed to be the only person that they were constantly picking on, so must've done something to earn their ire. They were pranksters, but not normally bullies. Most of the students and teachers had mostly good things to say about them.
I think a good way to portray it is that the Marauders and Snape constantly being at each other's throats in small, petty ways. The Marauders would only go after Snape when he deserved it or was being extra bloodcult-y. They were bullies because they all ganged up on him, but I don't think that was always the case.
I think they had some kind of moral code - they were Gryffindors after all, if nothing else, their honor would've stopped them from always going after him physically - so it was usually just one on one or two to one. The others would be the lookouts, or help them plan. They'd insult him and he'd fire right back.
Most of their pranks were harmless, I think, except for The Prank. Mostly cutting words and petty actions that didn't mean much at the time, but mounted up to he quite annoying.
Hope this helps!
Hey Anon!
Firstly, thank you for the advice. I really appreciate it.
Secondly, I've been interacting with some Snape stans because I wanted him to be humanized. Snape, as well as the Marauders, are going to have a lot of flaws, but also a lot of good traits. There are going to be times in which the Marauders prank Snape unprovoked. There are going to be other times where it is going to be Snape who's going after them.
We're going to see a lot of Snape's softer side during their fifth and sixth years, after his relationship with Lily ends. Lily will be grieving for their lost friendship, and will sometimes talk about fond memories with Snape. I don't want to spoil it too much, that is all you'll be getting.
Now, Snape is not going to be defenseless. He will lash out and get his revenge when he feels is needed. But neither will the Marauders. For the majority of the story, it's going to be a mutual rivalry, until the moment they humiliated him in front of the school - this incident is going to shift something within a lot of people, for the better or for the worst.
I have some advice for a way to portray the Marauders and Snape's relationship! They bullied him, but Snape was never defenseless (except for That Prank) and I think it started from some animosity on the train during their first year, them Snape continued to be a jerk. Snape seemed to be the only person that they were constantly picking on, so must've done something to earn their ire. They were pranksters, but not normally bullies. Most of the students and teachers had mostly good things to say about them.
I think a good way to portray it is that the Marauders and Snape constantly being at each other's throats in small, petty ways. The Marauders would only go after Snape when he deserved it or was being extra bloodcult-y. They were bullies because they all ganged up on him, but I don't think that was always the case.
I think they had some kind of moral code - they were Gryffindors after all, if nothing else, their honor would've stopped them from always going after him physically - so it was usually just one on one or two to one. The others would be the lookouts, or help them plan. They'd insult him and he'd fire right back.
Most of their pranks were harmless, I think, except for The Prank. Mostly cutting words and petty actions that didn't mean much at the time, but mounted up to he quite annoying.
Hope this helps!
Hey Anon!
Firstly, thank you for the advice. I really appreciate it.
Secondly, I've been interacting with some Snape stans because I wanted him to be humanized. Snape, as well as the Marauders, are going to have a lot of flaws, but also a lot of good traits. There are going to be times in which the Marauders prank Snape unprovoked. There are going to be other times where it is going to be Snape who's going after them.
We're going to see a lot of Snape's softer side during their fifth and sixth years, after his relationship with Lily ends. Lily will be grieving for their lost friendship, and will sometimes talk about fond memories with Snape. I don't want to spoil it too much, that is all you'll be getting.
Now, Snape is not going to be defenseless. He will lash out and get his revenge when he feels is needed. But neither will the Marauders. For the majority of the story, it's going to be a mutual rivalry, until the moment they humiliated him in front of the school - this incident is going to shift something within a lot of people, for the better or for the worst.
Can you please give us more Luna in the rewrite? I think her story is very fun, and considering Pandora and Xenophelius existed roughly in the Maurderer Era, it could be cool to see how them and the Potters (and Longbottoms) got along
I can definitely try to work that in! I know that Pandora and Xenophilius will show up in my Marauders fic (which is part of the rewrite).
One thing is, Luna’s role in the story depends on what Hari’s childhood looks like, which is something I am yet to decide. I ask about it here. Please let me know what you think!
Random photos on a gallery
one day i’m gonna end up writing a miraculous rewrite because this stupid ass show has way too much potential to let it go to waste more than it already did
I rewrote the lyrics to A Day In Life by the Beatles from a modern day lens when Trump got elected in November, and thought today would be a proper day to share it. Got my good friend @larrybarnesmusic to play it with me.
I could talk about all the ways this is scary and upsetting, but at the end of that day, I think all that's important right now is to be here for one another. Hug your friends today, and take care of yourself.
Chapters: 2/13 Fandom: Lego Ninjago Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Sensei Wu, Kai Smith, Nya Smith, Jay Walker, Zane Julien, Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, Hypnobrai Tribe (Ninjago), Skales (Ninjago), The Serpentine (Ninjago), Cole Brookstone, Slithraa (Ninjago) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Action/Adventure, Episodes: 01-13, Mild Language, Language, Explicit Language Series: Part 2 of Ninjago Rewrite Summary:
While Garmadon lurks in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike, the ninja meet his young son, Lloyd, who carelessly unleashes a fearsome new enemy upon NINJAGO – the ancient tribes of the Serpentine.
Chapters: 1/13 Fandom: Lego Ninjago Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Sensei Wu, Kai Smith, Nya Smith, Cole Hence, Jay Walker, Zane Julien, Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, Hypnobrai Tribe (Ninjago), Skales (Ninjago), The Serpentine (Ninjago) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Action/Adventure, Episodes: 01-13, Swearing Series: Part 2 of Ninjago Rewrite Summary: Months after that encounter with Lord Garmadon, the ninja are basking in their post-hero complacency, when Lord Garmadon’s son Lloyd shows up to pick up where his father left off.
Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Lego Ninjago Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Sensei Wu, Lord Garmadon, Kai Smith, Nya Smith, Jay Walker, Cole Hence, Samukai, Zane Julien Additional Tags: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s00e01 Way of The Ninja, Episode: s00e02 King of Shadows, i don’t know how to tag Series: Part 1 of Ninjago Rewrite Summary: After his sister is kidnaped, Kai sets out on a mission to get her back. However in order to do so, he must first train and become a Spinjitzu Master, Kai with the help of his new found Sensei and team mates must collect the four Weapons of Spinjitzu in order to rescue his sister from the clutches of Lord Garmadon I’m rewriting Ninjago, it’s going to be relatively the same to the show but with a more mature theme to it. Some dialog and scenarios will be my own, a UA (Universe Alterations.) I do not own Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu, it is owned by The LEGO Group located in Billind, Denmark.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/27447787/chapters/67100419
So over on AO3 I’ve finally posted my first fanfic, it’s a rewrite of Ninjago. I wanted to add and edit somethings I didn’t feel like it fit and patch up some plot hole's.
Guys give me problematic media to rewrite
So far I'm rewriting The Coffin of Andy and Leyley, Hazbin Hotel, Danganronpa, and MHA
Feel free to suggest non-problematic media too!! I'm already doing MLP