In a magical world full of shippiness, I hold high the white flag of "No Ship!" That's right: I don't ship. I might allude, imply, hint, or even subtextualize, but there will be no pairing off in whatever I write. Partly because I can't write romance worth a darn, and partly because I think that the characters are so much more, and have much larger "destinies" than who they end up with. *blinkblink*
What epilogue?
Not that I'm against shipping, or have anything against shippers. I just don't do it, and I'm usually not that interested in "romance" stories. I would rather see a psychological thriller over a chick flick any day of the week. However, if a relationship can believably be built during the plot, and isn't actually *the plot itself*, I find the story much more charming and interesting.
Now if only I could write something half as interesting as all of the shipper fics! Ha.
On a more personal (but not too personal) note, I'm big into Astrology. Yes, I know it isn't anything approaching a science, and tends to be too vague to be of any real use, but I think it's interesting. However, it's not the fluffy, brighten your day Horoscope stuff that keeps me entertained: It's the dark, more negative (and completely hilarious) side that I love. For example:
Aries: Contemplates taking a hammer to a computer at least 3 times a week for trivial reasons. And then taking a hammer to that hammer.
Taurus: Secretly wants to break into a stranger's home and eat all of their food. In their kitchen. And then do their dishes.
Gemini: Buys a dozen cell phones so that they can leave messages to themselves on voicemail. Always forgets to get back to them.
Cancer: Stays up late at night waiting for the neighbors to go to bed and put the cat out so they can "adopt" it under the cover of darkness.
Leo: Thinks that a business of "paparazzi for hire" is a great idea, and would sell their motorcycle for a Prom Night entourage of them.
Virgo: Will try to finish your sentence before you've even started it. Claims that they already knew that.
Libra: Wants to clone themself so they can have someone who loves them like they deserve. Creates a 2nd clone behind the 1st clone's back.
Scorpio: Plots your death down to their last alibi, but decides that you get to live because your stupidity causes others suffering.
Sagittarius: Takes candy from strangers, looks at boxes of puppies in unmarked vans, but refuses to bathe for fear of drowning.
Capricorn: Would almost rather be a farmer than a CEO, so that they could live the simple life of genetically engineering trees that grow money.
Aquarius: Aspires to open a private island for orphaned children. Opts-out for robots instead, because of the profound emotional connection.
Pisces: Sometimes experiences bouts of homelessness because they can't actually remember where they live.
See, now wasn't that fun? Don't we all feel good about ourselves?
AHHHHHHH! I gasped aloud when I realized where this was going. Gave me tingles down my spine. Whoa. The Greek Mythology on its own was cool enough, but then you just punch the reader in the gut with this terrifyingly *possible* "what-if?" Yikes.
You really tapped into the angsty side of unrequited love, didn't you? Poor Ginny. I can definintely see Ginny feeling like this about Harry "behind the scenes." Her emotions are so raw and painful - very realistic for this kind of situation. Great, honest poem.
Author's Response: thanks so much for the reveiw I\'m thrilled you enjoyed it! unrequited love can be quite angsty and I\'m so glad you think I did a good job capturing that. thanks again for the reveiw they make my day!
That was... terrible. And great. I feel like I need to go take a shower. This was very dark, but I found it quite visceral. A few lines that felt like a punch to the gut:
"Perhaps we are the last, or maybe there are dozens more
Waiting for their chance?" - The frantic hope in that line kills me.
"Too soon were the dead abandoned, their tomb the battered grass
Or deserted street or cluttered kitchen." - Absolutely terrifying and *real*.
"...if He put down his wand..." - Voldemort is a capital "h" person now? From that single *letter*, you reveal how powerful he's become, and just how defeated the survivors are.
Oh, and I prefer the line that you chose for the ending. Either one would have worked, but mentioning specific loved ones humanizes the nameless characters, since we all know that desperate pain of losing someone. The casualness of the successive way you listed the dead loved ones really drove home the hopeless aspect. There's no coming back from that kind of loss, so why fight?
That was heavy stuff. I'm going to go hug my family now.
Author's Response: Wow, thank you for your lovely review! Yeah, I think I\'m happy with the line I chose too, I\'m just a terribly indecisive person! Tickled Pink
Oh wow, such a surprisingly tender little story. Isn't it weird that the *absence* of a person becomes like a living and breathing thing in and of itself? There's nothing like the first Christmas without lost loved ones, and you captured that perfectly. Also, I loved Hermione's puzzlement at Ron not eating, since she'd never seen that before! Sweet story, and I think Fred would be proud!
Author's Response: Thank you!! I hope Fred would be proud. *sniff* :-(