"Business Owners Around The Country Are Offering Up A Lament: 'no One Wants To Work.' A McDonalds Franchise

thinking about this picture from 1975 taken in san fran on this day period

i am not usually one to repost my tweets and i dont know if tumblr is into chappell roan but i thought this needed sharing (ALSO since i originally drafted this post i went to sleep and woke up with this tweet having over 1000 likes)

At this point I think some fantasy author should just bite the bullet and write a novel where a teenager protagonist lives as a secret magic-user in our world and tries to master their skills in a magic school, but it is explicitly not an English or American protagonist, and the more they start to understand the world they live in, they more they realise that globally magic practicioners are being heavily scrutinisied and supressed by an anglo-american hegemony, which was established during England’s imperial years and has survived to this day as the “global magical hegemony” where England has an unfair advantage over all others because they stole almost all powerful magical artefacts and now refuse to give them back.

And as the protagonist gets more involved in the ways magic outside of anglo-saxon cultural sphere is being supressed, the more the reader will realise that we are referencing Harry Potter here. People will talk about “That English school” where most hegemony enforcers are alumni from. People will share urban legends that they still allow segrecation and slavery in England, and no one will believe them “because come one, we live in the 21st century” but that one character who worked with the English keeps unnervingly quiet. And there are references to a dangerous high-level enforcer with green eyes who is also a war veteran, who isn’t an evil guy, but from the point of view of the story is very much an antagonist.

And the world is built in such a way that it slots seamlessly into Rowling’s canon, but at the same time not a single Harry Potter related thing is actually named. And obviously there should be a lot of friction regarding the fact that a lot of magic traditions around the world are built around the assumption that Gender-noncomformity and crossdressing and gender-identities outside from the “mundane” two sex system are signs of magical identity, expect for the Anglo-saxon hegemony which very agressively will stamp down on those traditions.

And now that I’m stream-of-consciousness writing all this down, I realise that the story should obviously climax with a heist, where a group misfits try to break into the hidden magical floor of the British Museum and steal back some artefacts.

And the story should be an anthology between several different writers from different countries, all disillusioned HP fans.

There's nothing Remus and Sirius won't give up for each other, including their marriage.

(Seems like Angst, but I promise it's more Fluff!)

For Better or for Worse

“I’ve gone over your prenuptial agreement,” the judge says, studying the document in front of her. “And it is well-documented that possessions you had before the marriage will remain yours after the divorce. However,” the judge looks up from her paper and into the courtroom. “That leaves any possessions acquired while you were married. According to my information, the house, for example, was bought in the second year of your marriage.”

Sirius’ lawyer gets to her feet. “The house was financed entirely with the money my client had inherited from his late uncle. Before his passing, he decided to leave his money to Mr Black and Mr Black alone. It is nonsensical that my client’s decision to invest that money into real estate would suddenly make Mr Lupin entitled to it.”

As the lawyer sits back down, the judge looks over at Remus, sat on the other side of the courtroom, alone, without a lawyer. Remus just averts his eyes.

The judge sighs, and turns back to Sirius and his legal support. “Then can you confirm that Mr Black has, for the duration of the marriage, been the sole breadwinner?”

“Correct,” the lawyer says.

“And can you confirm that it was in agreement with both parties that Mr Lupin has, for the duration of the marriage, been dependent on Mr Black’s income?”

“...Correct,” the lawyer says, a bit more hesitant this time.

“And taking that into consideration,” the judge continues. “Don’t you agree that your client owes it to Mr Lupin to financially support him by means of alimony at least until Mr Lupin has had the opportunity to get matters in order and arrange his finances?”

“Forgive me, your honour, but I must disagree.” The lawyer is standing again end crosses her arms over her chest. “Mr Lupin’s inability to find paid employment is solely due to his... condition. Now, discrimination against Lycanthropes in the labour market is a discussion that falls outside the scope of this lawsuit, but it is evident that it is not my client’s responsibility, nor does he have to pay the costs for it.”

Remus looks down at the table. Embarrassed doesn’t really cover how he’s feeling. It’s humiliating.

“So you truly wish to leave your ex-husband with absolutely nothing?” The judge is now addressing Sirius directly, and Remus can hear the barely suppressed frustration in her voice.

Sirius’ eyes narrow, and he opens his mouth to reply, but his lawyer cuts him off.

“Objection! That question is subjective, and implies a moral judgment of my client. The morality of his actions is not what is being called into question here, only the legality.”

The judge purses her lips, but gives the lawyer a stiff nod before turning to Remus. “Mr Lupin,” she sounds a lot more gentle now. “Do you wish to say anything?”

Remus steadies himself, taking a deep breath and hardening his expression, before looking up at the judge with a steady gaze. “He can keep his money. I don’t want it.”

The judge looks at him for a long moment, but Remus’ determined expression does not waver. Then she nods and looks back at Sirius and his lawyer. “Then I hereby grant Mr Black’s request that all assets will be his and he shall be exempt from the obligation to pay alimony, and with that, I declare the divorce between Sirius Orion Black and Remus John Lupin officially finalized.”

The judge bangs her hammer and that’s it. Their marriage is now officially over. Remus feels an emptiness inside that he hadn’t anticipated. He knows it’s for the best, doesn’t he? They’ve been fighting for so long, at some point, it’s just been enough.

Once all papers are signed and Remus is standing at the side of the courtroom, he briefly meets Sirius’ eyes, and for a moment, he sees reflected in them the same pain and regret that he’s feeling inside. Then Sirius’ lawyer walks up to Sirius with a broad smile, and his expression changes to a huge grin as he happily shakes his lawyer’s hand, all previous emotion having disappeared.

Remus quietly leaves the courtroom.

Sirius is walking down the street, having opted to walk home, as he really needed some fresh air after all that. The people around must think him incredibly vain, walking whilst looking in a mirror. Either that, or completely crazy, for talking to said mirror.

“So, how did it go today?” James asks on the other side of the mirror.

Sirius runs a hand through his hair. “I suppose it went well. As good as could be expected. Everything was assigned to me, so we got what we wanted.”

“That’s great,” James says with a relieved sigh. “Or, well, this whole situation is shitty of course, so it’s sucks that it had to happen in the first place, but I’m glad you at least managed to get the best possible outcome.”

“Yeah,” Sirius says. “I mean, we tried, but in the end, there was truly nothing else we could’ve done.”

James smiles at him. “Exactly. Take care, Padfoot. I’m here if you need anything.”

“Thanks, mate. I appreciate it.”

Sirius closes the front door with his foot, kicks off his shoes and starts to take off his suit jacket. “Babe, I’m home,” he says, as he throws his suit jacket over a kitchen chair and walks into the living room. “Went for a short walk to clear my mind and let Prongs know how today it went.” He walks over to the couch and flops down facedown, letting out a groan. “Today was awful.”

Remus closes his book and places it on the small table next to him, before gently carding his fingers through Sirius’ hair. “It really was,” he agrees.

Sirius shuffles further towards Remus and presses his face in his neck.

Remus hears the unasked question there: Please hold me. I need to be close to you right now.

So Remus wraps his arms tight around Sirius and pulls him even closer.

“Today was probably the worst day of my life,” Sirius mumbles against Remus’ neck.

“Yeah, it was like being in some dystopian future in which we didn’t love each other anymore.” Remus shudders.

“I’m sorry my lawyer was so awful. I didn’t know she’d go in that hard.”

Remus shrugs. “We needed her to be cut-throat, and she was.”

“I guess that’s true,” Sirius says. “I didn’t know she was going to use the Lycanthropy argument.”

“She wasn’t wrong though.” Remus can’t quite keep the bitterness from his voice. “They can sit there and call you out for being cruel, but they shouldn’t forget it’s their own policy that has put me in this position in the first place.”

And then to think that this whole mess started with something that seemed so positive at first:

Wolfsbane.

Hell, it’s still positive. Okay, it’s not a cure, but it’s a step, and a huge step at that. Ask any werewolf, and they will say that the worst thing about the whole transformation is the feeling of losing control, of losing yourself, of being pushed out of your own mind. With the Wolfsbane Potion, you still have the monthly transformations, the pain in your bones and joints as they bend and snap into place, the tiredness before and after the transformation, sure, but that hopelessness, that fear of yourself, of what you might do, that’s no longer there, and that makes all the difference in the world.

You will never be a monster again.

But Wolfsbane Potion comes at a high prize. Literally and figuratively. The Potion is incredibly difficult to brew, and can only be prepared by experienced Potions Masters, which makes it incredibly expensive. On top of that, for it to have the proper effect, a person has to take it every single day. And werewolves aren’t exactly a population that has money to spare.

When the Ministry announced that they were going to provide Wolfsbane Potion for free to every Lycanthrope who can’t afford it, Remus could barely believe it. It seemed too good to be true.

And alas, it was.

You see, with ‘Lycanthropes who can’t afford it’, the Ministry actually meant ‘Lycanthropes who had used every knut they owned, who sold their house and every possession that was worth something and used that money too, who ended up on the street possessing nothing more than the clothes on their body’. Then, and only then, will the Ministry provide them with free Wolfsbane Potion.

What it came down to, was that werewolves were given the choice between giving up everything they have and end up with nothing whilst being on Wolfsbane, or simply don’t take Wolfsbane. Basically, the only ones for whom Wolfsbane Potion was actually a feasible option, were the werewolves who are already living out on the street. And while this population, the population of werewolves who have given up on trying to make something out of their lives due to discriminatory anti-lycanthrope laws and are living together in camps, is rather large, these people are often so angry with the society that has rejected them, that they have embraced their identity as werewolves, revel in being monsters, and gain satisfaction from the fear they install in people. For most of them, Wolfsbane Potion would have no appeal. For some of them, staying in control and being themselves while transformed wouldn’t make them any less dangerous. And for a few- Remus shudders to remember the man who bit him all those years ago- it would make them a lot more dangerous.

And even if Wolfsbane Potion would be a good option for this group, what will that mean? Remus has been working his whole adult life to empower werewolves. But what incentive will they have now to make something out of their lives? Why get a job when every knut you make will immediately go to the Ministry if you still want your Wolfsbane? Why even try to find a place to live when you will be forced to choose between rent or Wolfsbane, and buying a house per definition means no longer getting Wolfsbane?

It’s unfair, and Remus has spent months fighting it, with the continuous support of his husband. He has written articles and opinion pieces in newspapers, has spoken at political gatherings, has been to meetings with several ministers. In the worst-case-scenario, he got a rude dismissal, and in the best-case-scenario, an empty promise. Also the general public couldn’t be bothered, werewolves just weren’t a group they particularly cared about. Besides, they had heard the Ministry was going to provide free Wolfsbane Potion to Lycanthropes who can’t afford it, so what more do they want? It was already more than they deserved.

Remus eventually had to accept he won’t be able to change the policy.

And he still desperately wanted the Wolfsbane.

Now, Remus was so lucky to be in a position werewolves don’t often find themselves in: he had a partner he could fully rely on. The ministry wouldn’t give him free Wolfsbane if he has an income, savings, a house, but they would give him free Wolfsbane if Sirius has an income, savings, a house, while Remus has, at least on paper, nothing.

It’s the perfect solution. Remus can get Wolfsbane, while still having a roof over his head and food on the table. He keeps reminding himself how it’s truly the best of both worlds, how lucky he is, how hardly any werewolves, hell, hardly any people period, have someone they not only can rely on the way he can rely on Sirius, but also trust as completely the way Remus can trust Sirius.

Because Remus is truly putting himself in an incredibly vulnerable position.

If Sirius would want to, Remus would be left with nothing. Technically, Sirius has everything, and Remus is completely dependent on him, but in reality, it just doesn’t feel like that. Sirius works really hard in the hospital every day, and Remus works really hard on his social justice cases, his campaigning for werewolf rights, his articles and talks at political conferences, and in the end, it’s their income, their savings, their house, even if Sirius is technically the only one who actually gets paid for the work he does.

Remus doesn’t feel like Sirius is financially supporting him, and doesn’t feel like he should be thankful. Don’t get him wrong, he’s incredibly thankful to have Sirius in his life, and incredibly thankful to have him return his love, but he’ll never say he’s thankful that Sirius is providing for him. Sirius will have none of that if he heard Remus say it. They are equals, and they both see it that way.

When Remus realised what needed to happen, Sirius had not wanted to hear it. He refused to accept there was no other way. He still had money left from his uncle’s inheritance, he had family heirlooms they could sell, they could move to a smaller house, and in the mean time, Sirius could take on another job during the weekends and evenings. Remus, on the other hand, refused to put that kind of pressure on Sirius. Only when he said that he would not go on Wolfsbane if Sirius did not agree to a divorce, words Remus never thought would ever come out of his mouth, Sirius caved.

The first results on the effects from Wolfsbane are incredibly. Not only psychologically, because again, not being a monster, but also physically. There are no more wounds, bruises or broken bones, the strain on your body is so much less, and there are even studies that show Wolfsbane Potion can increase a Lycanthrope’s life expectancy! And that’s probably the only thing Sirius cares about more than his marriage to Remus: Remus’ wellbeing.

So yes, Remus has the best of both worlds, Remus is so very lucky, other werewolves can only dream to have what Remus has, and all that. But it’s so hard to see it as a good deal when the price he had to pay was his marriage to Sirius.

Sirius sees the signed divorce papers lying on the table and hides his face in Remus’ sweater, where Remus can just make out his muffled voice. “Can you put those away somewhere I don’t ever have to see them again?”

Remus kisses the top of his head. “It’s nothing but paperwork.”

Sirius huffs. “We sighed paperwork stating ‘till death does us part’, not ‘till public policy does us part’.”

Remus can’t help but chuckle. “I must say, I much prefer this over one of us being dead.”

“Yeah, but it’s...” Sirius trials off.

“Talk to me,” Remus presses gently. “I know it’s not what we had envisioned, but why is it so hard on you?”

“I promised you forever,” Sirius says so softly Remus can barely make out the words. “And I feel like I’ve let you down.”

“Oh, love.” Remus squeezes him closer for a moment. “You’re still here, aren’t you? And I’m still here. The way I see it, ‘forever’ is still very much on the table.”

Sirius lifts his head to look at Remus. He smiles, but it’s a weak smile. “Of course, you’re right.”

Remus places a hand on hid cheek. “You did it for me, because you want me to be on Wolfsbane. I did it for you, because I don’t want you to suffer the costs. Now, what shows that we love each other more? That, or some piece of paper?”

Sirius averts his eyes. “Is that really all it ever was to you?”

Remus thinks about it for a moment. “I love you,” he eventually says. “And I guess it was nice to have a confirmation of that on paper, but it never defined us. What there is between us could never be captured by paperwork. It’s an indescribable feeling of belonging together that I’m never going to find with anyone else, it’s an unexplainable knowledge of just being meant to be, of having found ‘the one’, it’s so much that, quite frankly, the idea of a piece of paper adding anything to it or taking anything away from it just seems ridiculous.”

“And I love you,” Sirius says, before he kisses him briefly. “I love you, and even if you’re not my husband anymore, you’ll always be my person.”

We are receiving unconfirmed reports that it is bedtime. Citizens are advised to get into their pajamas and remain on high alert

how fucking crazy will the posting be the day jk rowling dies

finally got around to coloring some valentine’s day sketches 💞

jk rowling: look at all these canon straight couples i made!

literally everyone:

holy trinity of going to school in germany:

"don't throw snowballs, there could be stones in them"

"can i become a steak =/= can i get a steak"

mitternachtsformel