So I read this post, which inspired me to write this ramble.
When I write a fanfic, I always write Walburga to be the one with power in her and Orion's relationship, with her even sometimes going as far as to groom him (yuck!) because she's older than him by 4 years, so was maybe manipulative enough to convince him to marry her to keep things 'pure'. Walburga loved having power, and what other way could she have lordship unless it was through her husband? Taking it from him, even. Regardless of gender, there's a power dynamic. If Orion was 16, Walburga was probably 19-20. This goes against another headcanon I've made, but food for thought.
When I write Tobias it can get complicated, because I want more than just 'abusive dad'. There is the possibility that Tobias very much loved Severus, but they weren't on speaking terms because of the whole magic thing. I don't think we're even aware of the real reason they didn't get along. We can assume it was magic, but what if it was something else? What if Tobias occasionally got in trouble with the police? What if he was bad with money and the landlord was threatening to throw them out if they didn't find a solution? Maybe the biggest problem Tobias had with Eileen isn't the fact that she was a witch, but the fact that she presumably hid it from him? Deceived him? "If this is what you're hiding from me, what else are you hiding that I don't know about?" I also headcanon/believe that Severus was autistic, so maybe Tobias was really lost on how to communicate with him.
The Black Family Itself (Mostly headcanons)
I like to believe Sirius was raised to be a carbon copy of Walburga by Walburga herself, but she was too successful,which ended up back firing on her. He inherited all her rebellious traits because he was modelled after her. I like to believe Sirius' obsession with tormenting Severus started out of his own insecurities, but soon began to become a power thing. Sirius enjoys feeling power, at least I like to believe so.
Just because Sirius surrounded himself with 'mudbloods' doesn't mean his family's views on them magically disappeared from his mind. He could easily be keeping any rude comments to himself. He did maintain his friendship with James out of rebellion as well, not to say they weren't true friends.
I like to believe it was Pollux's side of the family that inherited the madness, and thus it spread to Sirius and Bellatrix. Both of them had to deal with the pressure of being the oldest, and being the face of their families, so they must always be ready. Always high strung, smug and confident. I think that Bellatrix was specifically married to Rodolphus because she was the strongest out of her siblings. The Lestranges didn't treat women well, so if it ever came down to it, Bellatrix would set Rodolphus straight before he could ever lay a hand on her. She's ruthless, and all too willing to go off the deep end if it means getting what she wants. She and Walburga have that in common.
Cygnus II having Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa during his school years (+ Pollux having Walburga) actually sets up a tone for an interesting, yet messy story. The fandom dismissing it as Rowling getting her maths wrong is actually so boring, and they refuse to experiment with what's written in canon. If you guys are interested, I have experimented. (Not to be that person that advertises, but my name is CruelBritania on Ao3). I think Cygnus ended up being a little distant, but also involved with his daughters. He wanted to live his life freely, but also be there for his daughters. Being a teen dad is chaotic, and I guess his relationship with Druella was messy, because she kind of resented him for not being there enough. Cygnus isn't treated seriously because his parents had to help him raise his children. Even at an older age, he's immature. He never truly knows what to do, and always runs to his parents for help. Bellatrix was closest to her grandparents anyways, but Andromeda grew to resent his absence. Narcissa was a mommy's girl, so she didn't really care.
Regulus is the opposite of Sirius, which makes him an Orion copy. He doesn't rebel out of lack of control, but because he genuinely believes he should. That's why he died the way he did. Sirius was erratic, whilst Regulus was calm and collected. Regulus the embodiment of what a Black was supposed to present themselves as.
Arcturus didn't approve of the whole Voldemort thing, but Regulus was obedient to his mother. As I said, the Blacks loved power. Infiltrating the Death Eater circle was Bellatrix's and Narcissa's husband's job, not a heir's. He was suspicious of Voldemort, and what his intentions could be for the future of magical Britain. Being a descendant of Salazar Slytherin and speaking parseltongue doesn't make you special, it makes you worthy company.
The very second he learned Regulus took the mark, Arcturus knew it wasn't going to lead to anything good. He had to embrace that his family's long history was coming to an end. He watched as his family's influence became forgotten as The Boy Who Lived rose to fame. Magical Britain became more open to muggle influence.
I think the family having sexist views isn't too out of place, but I don't believe they were against the women having independence. For example, Elladora and Cassiopeia were unwed for their entire lives. The women of the family possibly acted like Genghis Khan's daughters, which is to get married to a prince and then send them off to war, while the daughter rules the kingdom in her husband's absence. In this case, infiltrate a family and spread their influence through their husband regarding their occupation. If I remember correctly, the Black family were known for being influential. The women were just as important as the men. Not enough to be heirs, but still very important.
I don't think the Black family took the Hogwarts house thing too seriously. Yeah, they were competitive, but at the end of the day, these are just traits that they valued. They still married into non Slytherin families if the surnames are anything to go by (Macmillan, Potter, ect.). When Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor he wasn't disowned for it, unlike Marius who got burnt off for being a squib. Who even knows if Marius was killed or given away? Phineas and Cygnus were brothers, so maybe Phineas ended up caring for Marius. Who knows?
I believe that not all of them had extreme views on muggles and muggleborns. Some of them preferred to be segregated, others didn't mind their presence so long as they remembered their roles in life, while a handful did believe in exterminating them. Racism comes in levels, after all. Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa are classic examples of this, with Andromeda learning that her family's beliefs on muggles are ridiculous, and even going as far as to marry one. They were normal every day people, in a 1950s white power kind of way.
I headcanon that the hatred the Blacks had for muggles wasn't too bad until they started losing some family members to them (marriage, witch trials, ect.), and only then did their resentment for muggles become more prevalent. How is it that some family members were able to have enough empathy to fall in love with mudbloods and blood traitors? Support muggles? They have madness, but they're not all heartless.
Here are some of the headcanons I've made:
I just discovered your page, and I’m so loving your musings and your vibes. I fuck with the MK men heavy, especially them Lin Kuei bois. Have you done any more writing prompts for Scorpion, Smoke, and SubZero from MK1? Maybe something a little X-rated. 😈
Yes, to all this blackity-blackness 🖤✨
I haven't done much, but I have done other prompts, but not enough. I'm glad that you're enjoying my vibes and I am very flattered, and I can only hope that I continue to deliver.
I don't write anything nsfw related, only sexual innuendos since I'm not only very inexperienced when it comes to sex, but getting too close to the deeper parts makes me squeamish. I still feel like a naive 16 year old, so I can't be trusted regardless.
Writing for MK11 Shang Tsung was tricky, but Shang Tsung in MK1 is quite different so I guess this one was easier.
Shang Tsung wasn't a kindred spirit, but you could understand what his deal was from time to time. It was just everything else. When a former classmate of yours won as prom queen instead of you it was a day when conquest was ignited within you, so you could understand where Shang was coming from in that department. Most of the time he just bewildered you in ways you could fathom.
"I can't believe you were able to get Sindel's trust dressed like that." you said to Shang Tsung.
"What do you mean?" his brows furrowed. He was a small town boy, and a poor orphan. Surely he didn't look like it.
"It isn't..." you waved your hand around trying to think of a word, "Slutty enough."
He didn't know what that word meant, but he didn't approve. "Slutty?"
"You need a titty window somewhere." you pulled open the top of his robe. "Like here, you just need to style things up a bit more. I should take you shopping." You feigned a careful look at his hair. "You need to fix that too."
Your hands went up and Shang did attempt to restrain them but you were quicker and stronger. You untied it and proceeded to braid it. He sulked but dropped his hands.
"You know if you weren't so fussy you could've been a model." you said to him, almost finished.
"Fussy isn't the word I would give myself."
"You tried to take over the world or something, I'm pretty sure that counts as fussy." you patted his head where there were nicely done braids. "There, now your hair looks nicer."
He narrowed his eyes before carefully touching the newly braided strands. "Thank you." he said, almost reluctant. Almost.
"Your titan self can shapeshift, right? Can you shapeshift too? If so, when you shapeshift into a woman do you have female organs or anything?"
While Shang could smell your promiscuity, he couldn't help his disbelief. "That's the only thing on your mind?"
"Yeah, I'm very curious." you looked down towards his lower region but quickly made eye contact.
He saw what you did, "Why does Liu Kang value you?"
You happily rubbed your chest, "My allure is my weapon, besides the fact that I can hold my own well enough."
He tilted his head to the side, "How can you be so confident?"
"Well, you didn't stop me, now did you." there was a playfulness in your eyes. "Go ahead, test my strength."
He seemed annoyed, but he wasn't saying no, nor did he walk away. You sighed and rolled your eyes.
"Fine then. Experiment on me, or whatever."
You've been with nerds before, so Shang wasn't bizarre on the list of men you held an attraction for. Not to say nerds were bizarre, sometimes they just didn't get it.
Shang looked you up and down for himself. You walked towards you, with confidence but a curiosity. Being a small town street boy stunted him from giving eyes at any body, but he still felt attraction towards people. He did feel something towards you, he just didn't think much of it.
He looked into your eyes, "I want to hurt you." he admitted.
BDSM? No pressure, you could handle this.
"How bad?" you asked.
He kissed you, it was sweet at first but then it turned bruising. There was something immature about it that made you thankful you were still young. He started sucking on your neck, but you felt a bit of teeth in there.
"Let's go somewhere private." you urged.
He chuckled, a smirk to his lips. His gaze wasn't one of admiration, which was new, but you appreciated his playfulness and honesty.
"Lead the way, princess."
Yukako Yamagishi - People often think her to be related to Josuke and she doesn't understand why. She refuses to believe there are any facial similarities. If not Josuke then Tomoko. Her stand is Bruford reincarnated.
Holly Joestar Kujo - Holly was a rebellious teenager: She was going around crashing cars, and dated a foreigner just to spite Joseph, only to actually fall in love with him. Holly has Hamon, but just like George 2nd she doesn't really use it. She has an overwhelming amount of physical strength, so she never needs help with shopping.
Tomoko Higashikata - Has a thing for older men, not interested in men her own age. Bonus if the guy is foreign. Her rage reminds the Morioh residents of Yukako. (I just really love the twins au). She's the hottest woman at her workplace.
Shizuka Joestar - She grows up having the same personality as Suzy Q, but has the wit and quick thinking of Joseph. She's been taught how to use hamon since Joseph had to halt his own ageing process when raising her.
Santana - He was a teenager when he woke up from him slumber. He finds a way to escape the Speedwagon foundation. He has a lot of internalised inferiority due to the treatment he experienced under Kars and Esidisi, and the constant comparison to Wamuu. He gets annoyed easily.
Narciso Anasui - He's also on the spectrum. Has a tendency to take things apart, and his intentions are often misread, which puts him in a sticky limelight. He has a hard time understanding why certain things are wrong (like creepy behaviour that was intended as romantic gestures). Picks and chooses when he wants to feel the weather. Doesn't like the rain's wetness, so he'll wear a hat. Definitely explains his fashion sense.
So I'm working on a story on archive of our own where Severus Snape leaves Hogwarts, but it's a fem Snape and it's tagged as Snape/Sirius and James, which I'm still unsure about. I love stories where characters realise their self worth and the toxic people behind and having character growth. Fanfiction or not those stories are the best.
But I'm mostly wondering what people think young female Severus Snape would look and be like, ignoring my fanfic counterpart that I already wrote up. I will be switching between him and her for addressing canon and fanmade Snape.
Now before any Snape supporters or bashers get onto me, I'll just quickly reveal that I haven't read the books and have only watched at least 4 films, but did some research in my mid teens in curiosity. I've always been interested in the characters, their dynamics, and what if scenarios, but never the magic.
There's a lot of fanart where she's given the same hair style as her male counterpart, and honestly I believe her hair would be much longer. Long to the point where it's unusual and makes her look unhinged. Long to the point where it's too easy for someone to pull it. Most of the time using it to cover her face, unsuccessfully hiding herself from the marauders. I can imagine her eyes and face glaring creepily at anyone who disturbs her, with her nose sticking out through it. She would have a really ghostly appearance, and if you count the mudblood incident you would sense the distress, anger and sadness waving off of her. I'm also thinking of this fanart made by @iscawen.
For an obsessive personality I would take inspiration from Palm Siberia. Palm starts off as creepy but goes off to become someone we sympathise with. Not saying that you have to sympathise with Snape, but I think he's someone to pity at a logical standpoint. I'm also speaking as someone who could relate to certain parts of his character.
Her obsession with Lily has more to do with being her first and only true friend. I think Snape wants love, but that love needs to come in different forms other than romance. With the whole unpleasant parents thing, and people staying many feet away from her due to her unruly appearance, it's safe to say that Snape latches onto Lily for a reason. She wants to be appreciated, cared for, recognised for something good rather than the bad omen that the people she's stuck with think she is. And she doesn't want to be punished for being a bad omen. I guess the same could be said for canon young Snape.
I don't ship them together, and I cringe whenever I come across a fanfic that does. Not only is it fun to hate Lily, but the whole marrying your former friend's childhood bully even though he's changed is super suspicious.
With the leaving Hogwarts thing Snape would have to realise that Lily isn't the angel that her mind made her out to be, but I don't know if that's while she's at Hogwarts or after she leaves.
By this time Snape gets a makeover, none of that altering physical features stuff. Just giving her healthier hair and skin, I don't think she needs make up but I think something Goth related would suit her. The story is set in the 70s so it was more of a decade filled with punk fashion (not everywhere of course) which would suit Sirius. (Another note that isn't relevant, when the fandom gives Snape makeover stories they always change his nose to be smaller, you'll be some hating ass people). I bet Snape had a thing for formal attire so I think she'd wear something similar to Wednesday Addams. I can definitely picture her with a black pencil skirt and blouse.
Also the 70s where a different time when it comes to beauty standards compared to the ones of today, I genuinely think a lot of guys would be into her even though a lot of people in the fandom love making Snape out to be some hideous creature. I think she would resemble Shelly Duvall or Angelica Hudson.
Note: @iscawen sorry that I didn't use your permission before putting up the art, if you want I can edit this post and remove the picture. I really love it and wanted to use it as a reference as well as inspiration.
Coming from a card-carrying Kitana stan who also thinks Jade is super dope:
You forgot the part where Kabal accuses Jade of torture and we have no reason not to believe him.
Seriously, you are the second person I've seen hold Jade accountable for anything. Kitana deserves every bit of condemnation she gets (and possibly more) for how cruel she can be, but Jade gets off easy because people only see the Super Chill Bestie and not someone with very low regard for Tarkatans and their lives.
Having said that, what /do/ you admire about Jade and Kitana? I'm not sure what would be more dope than "at least somewhat racist" and "despot in training" are crappy. (Personally, I think it's super badass that Kitana defeated Shao Kahn, gained a masculine title, and led armies into battle. And Jade, well, who wouldn't want Jade as their bestie? Other than a Tarkatan, obviously.)
This is a mouthful, I know, but it's been driving me nuts and I'd be remiss not to address the seamy side of my favorite dynamic duo.
P.S. God tier username. Britney Spears and the Spice Girls were my jam as a kid, and I'm glad to see someone else remembers them. My sister and I had the Scary Spice doll with the tongue piercing lol
Thank you for the compliments on my user name, I listened to them a lot growing up.
When writing the headcanons I had to try my best to not be distracted by the fact that I'm a Mileena stan, and even then I will hold Mileena accountable, so Kitana and Jade do not get a free pass.
There's many occasions where they've shown that they are pretty terrible, and even though they are cool characters, they are unlikable people. Golly, I'd even say that they are hypocrites. They call everyone else out for their ego when they themselves are egotistical. To be fair, it's not just them that have a holier than thou attitude, but quick reminder that Sonya beat them both one on two in MK9 and they both continued showing hostility towards Earthrealmers and a sense of underestimating others.
Kitana is more Outworld than she is Edenian regardless of blood, and if she grew up thinking her father to be Shao Kahn then how did she even know she was Edenian? How did Jade know?
Edenian supremacy is just wild because their realm got conquered and are living in servitude to Shao Kahn or any big bad that comes along. Jade's parents literally gave her away for their own skin.
I pictured the alliance Kitana had with the Tarkatans not going well because she clearly still holds some discriminating views against them. It doesn't help that the Tarkatans are only shown to be servants meaning they (Kitana and Jade) grew up with the mentality of looking down on them.
The only thing I admire about Jade and Kitana is that they are fun to play as and have nice wardrobes, but that's it. I'm supposed to be rooting for her, yet she has a poor attitude. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the good guys have flaws that I can't look over. It's hinted that Sonya abused Cassie by randomly attacking her and Jacqui with arm bars (what the...), and she also looks down on people who don't have similar interests as her (from what I've interpreted). She's also terrible at parenting. I also headcanon that Cassie joined the special forces in order to impress Sonya, not because she actually wanted to.
I could say a lot about the characters, not just Kitana and Jade. And don't get me started on Kotal Kahn, he is such a clown. He and Jade deserve each other, honestly.