Hamartia

Hamartia: What is their worst character flaw that they themselves don’t recognize?

Playing judge – jury – executioner is not a viable moral ground to stand upon and yet —

Severus greatest flaw that he himself does not and cannot recognize is the fact that cathartic though it may have been, committing patricide was a horrific crime and not a fate Tobias deserved.

Tobias was not a good father – that is a fact – but there was more to him and his actions than Severus ever came to understand – more than Severus has any desire to learn – and while these factors do not justify Tobias’ actions they do explain them.

Severus cannot stomach the idea that his father might have been human. That the man might have had reasons for his actions would mean reflecting on himself in ways he cannot even begin to swallow yet. Killing Tobias opened the floodgates for Severus – it was the gateway crime to many more, and the coffins on his conscience are things he still wrestles with in some cases.

To accept that what he did with Tobias – that what he did with Mia Maestro’s father – were unforgivable crimes in their own right is something he cannot accept. He sees himself as righteous in these murders ( and in truth, he views himself as a mercy killer, a force of justice and a man who acted in self defense when it comes to his war crimes, depending on the victim in question ) means accepting that he is, in some ways, worse than his father ever was.

To learn of the factors in play with his father would be even worse. His greatest fear is to be anything like the man – to learn how similar they truly are when it comes to protecting what truly matters to them – even if it means doing unforgivable things, even if it means being harsh, even if it means breaking yourself apart again and again would destroy him.

It would force him to acknowledge the deepest, darkest part of his heart – the part that still wonders why – and worse yet, yearns for a closure he stole from himself with the act.

Leptosome

{ Unusual Word Headcanons }

Leptosome: How is their body image?

It depends on the timeline. Severus didn’t really have a lot of self-confidence in his youth but he also wasn’t very focused on it either. It wasn’t until he was a teenager that this had any sort of major impact on him – though around that time, his friends were present to compensate and help him mitigate the trials of puberty and self esteem compacted by poverty in a classist society.

Around the ages of sixteen through twenty one, Severus’ self image was at its best. His friends in Slytherin became a lot more involved after his mother’s death, and this ( combined with Eric’s habit of treating Severus as something like a pet project ) resulted in shopping trips and some adjustments to his appearance that helped to boost his confidence.

In verses that tear away from canon ( Such as Edge of Revolution or March to Our Own ) in which Severus and his friends opt not to join the Dark Lord, or Severus refuses to work at Hogwarts, the need for subterfuge and the deep depression cloak behind which Severus shrouds himself don’t come into play – so his confidence, his appearance and his self esteem all stay rather level and healthy.

In canon lines, he loses all interest in maintaining himself after the war ends. This isn’t just because Lily is dead – while her loss is a high contributor to his depression, it is not the only factor in play.

Destin Wilkes, the only friend Severus had a wholly healthy relationship with, died when he decided being a Death Eater was bullshit and had a breakdown that resulted in several casualties and a very sticky end.
Eric Avery is on the run, and his family have cut Severus off completely.
Lucas Mulciber is in prison, and his family was never all that involved with Severus to begin with.
The Malfoy family is ( rightfully ) suspicious of him, which puts a strain on the friendships there.
He has been strongarmed out of his position at the Ministry to work beneath Albus Dumbledore who openly manipulates his grief.
He is surrounded by older adults who distrust him and question his right to his position consistently.
He is now teaching his own fucking peers ( friendly reminder that at 21, Severus will have at least three to four years worth of students who went to school with him as his juniors ) and the political situation is rife with complications.

The last thing on his mind is whether or not he looks good today. He falls into a horrible pit of depression and the only thing keeping him from succumbing to it is his own determination to keep his promise to Lily. Over time he does begin to get better, but by the time he does he has developed an unintentional subterfuge that further protects him from the world around him. He sees no need to ‘clean up’ or really, to ‘get better’ because he sees his value as limited to what he can obtain as a ‘bad guy’ and frankly, looking the part doesn’t hurt.

When the war is over and Severus survives as of my main verse, his approach to his appearance is rather subtle. His hair is clean and well kept, his attire is softer and more varied, he always looks very put together. In truth he is getting better, day by day, but nothing is really all that better – it is merely the loss of the pressure upon him, and the awareness he kept his promise, that allows him to carry on and begin to develop a healthier projection of himself.

Internally, he isn’t really focused on it – he knows what to present to the world to keep them at bay, be it negatively or positively, and that is what he offers. As a spy, it benefited him not to give a shit. As a ‘redeemed ex-criminal’ it benefits him most to look clean, put together and pleasant seeming; the less suspicious he looks the less reason people have to come at him. Everything is a mask, even his self esteem and self-projection, in the end. In truth, post war, he really doesn’t care – what he does is more on autopilot than any true focus on it.

Acersecomic

{ Unusual Word Headcanons }

Acersecomic: How much effort do they put into personal grooming and hygiene?

This is actually covered already on the blog; most notably in my headcanon regarding Severus’ hair. His attention to hygiene varies depending on his age and his verse.

Enantiodromia: What’s the most extreme personality shift they’ve gone through in their life?

{ Unusual Word Headcanons }

Honestly Severus’ most extreme shift occurred when he was nineteen, after he had murdered his father. He went from being biting and reclusive in dealing with his anger and bitterness to proactively violent, which had varying effects on his psyche overall.

He found a thrill in working alongside Lucas and engaging in the type of things his friend specialized in – which was, in essence, mercenary work with a side order of torturing potentially valuable individuals for information. He learned the power in being the aggressor and the way in which it could be manipulated to protect his morals, vault his status in the Dark Lord’s ranks and ultimately give him a recognizable reputation all whilst granting an outlet for his aggressive frustrations.

Though his turn to healthier coping mechanisms could be argued as his most extreme change, the truth is that took time and effort on Severus’ part to achieve. It took a lot of self reflection and a great deal of personal management to overcome and grow from – whereas his shift toward violence came almost naturally and was something that escalated extremely quickly, especially with the external factors of the war and his peer group encouraging the usage of more volatile methods.

CHARACTER FLAWS

^{absent-minded | abusive | addict | adrenaline junkie | aggressive | aimless | alcoholic | anxious | arrogant | audacious | bad liar | bigmouth | bigot | blindly loyal | blunt | callous | childish | chronic heroism | cheater | clingy | clumsy | cocky | codependent | competitive | corrupt | cowardly | cruel | cynical | delinquent | delusional | dependent | depressed | deranged | disloyal | ditzy | egotistical | envious | erratic | fickle | finicky | fixated | flaky | frail | fraudulent | foul mouthed | guilt complex | gloomy | gluttonous | gossiper | gruff | grudge holding | gullible | hedonistic | humorless | hypochondriac | hypocritical | idealist | idiotic | ignorant | immature | impatient | incompetent | indecisive | insecure | insensitive | lazy | lewd | liar | lustful | manipulative | masochistic | meddlesome | melodramatic | money-loving | moody | naive | nervous | nosy | ornery | overprotective | overly sensitive | paranoid | passive-aggressive | perfectionist | pessimist | petty | power-hungry | proud | possessive | pushover | reckless | reclusive | remorseless | rigorous | sadistic | sarcastic | senile | selfish | self destructive | self-martyr | shallow | sociopathic | sore loser | spineless | spiteful | spoiled | stubborn | suspicious | suicidal | tactless | temperamental | timid | thief | tone-deaf | traitorous | unathletic | ungracious | unlucky | unsophisticated | untrustworthy | vain | withdrawn | workaholic}

^{RULES: bold the ones that apply to your character & tag some people.
TAGGED BY: @holyheadharpv @sxpremacist
TAGGING: @betterrat @braverytaught @brokenpair @caediteos @cleavedsoul @defiantcharms @enchantiinglynasty @fullmoonys @lamentedhope @lockhcrts @ofsubtlearts @the-defected-one @wildmoored && anyone seeing this who hasn’t done it can @me and say I tagged them so I don’t miss it ;3}

braverytaught replied to your post:
Regarding Severus’ Cats

has he adopted minerva

Without realizing it I’m certain he has.

WHICH ELEMENT ARE YOU ?

take the quiz HERE

You are water!

There is a lot of depth to you, probably much more than you let on. You prefer peace and little conflict but have no issue standing your ground when you are wronged. You have deep emotional currents, some you can’t even explain, many might be intuitive. You must remember that despite your strong empathy, you cannot judge people so quickly. You also need to learn that it is okay to say no. Your avoidance of problems leaves you in more trouble then when you deal with them. That aside you are seen to be full of love and wonderful energy. You can help people relax and bring them back to a healthy state from a toxic one.

Tagged By: @lockhcrts
Tagging: @braverytaught @extremelyxshabby @maskforged @sempertenebris @sxpremacist @caediteos @caecusignis @amestriansniper @halfofxerxes @flca @rexeitou @defiantcharms @ofsubtlearts @fcrestmaiden @edhelaran IDK literally everyone should do this I’m shook

How did Severus feel going from his probably very crappy mattress at home to luxurious Slytherin house beds? It’s a big jump- did it affect his sleep in any way? And how did going BACK to his not-so-great mattress at home affect him?

You would
think he would have been overjoyed – but in fact the change was one of the more
daunting ones at Hogwarts. First of all, the beds are higher than what he was
used to – a low, thin mattress kept above ground by an undersized wire frame is
significantly lower to the ground than a mattress and box spring supported by
an ornate wooden frame complete with its own resplendent curtains and canopy.
Just getting in was a bit of a trial
when he was younger as Severus was very short
as a kid. He found that he had to go in early so nobody could watch him, as
it was a bit of an awkward scramble before he figured out how to flop down and
roll himself up.

Then there is
the matter of the overall change in mattress firmness – his old one was not
that much better from sleeping on the floor, and he had to arrange himself very
carefully to keep things from tipping. In Hogwarts, this stiff positioning on a
very foamy, springy mattress was detrimental
as it caused his body to be unnecessarily tense, resulting in knots and
strained muscles for the first two months before he finally learned to sleep
properly. He developed a habit of sleeping on his stomach in a starfish
position after that, reveling in the spaciousness and softness and welcoming
how rested he would feel come day.

Returning
home, Severus had learned the hard way how sleeping awkwardly could affect
things, so he got his mother to help him set his mattress on the floor. While
it was not soft by any means, he didn’t have to contort himself to maintain
balance on the frame, either. He continued to sleep on his stomach, not
trusting enough to leave it vulnerable, and when he returned to Hogwarts he
sank into his bed with great relief. That said, he was usually stiff for the
first couple weeks regardless, as he would generally have to sleep funky in
order to alleviate pain due to other damages.

bold what your muse can do. italicize for something they can do to some extent
repost !! do not reblog !!

tagged by: @braverytaught !

tagging: @sxpremacist @technicallyaferret @caediteos @defiantcharms @wandchoosesthewizard @survivalcfthefittest & anyone who sees this and wants to snag it.

Popsicle

{ Headcanon Meme }

Popsicle: What does your muse do to cool down in the heat? Does your muse overheat often?

Honestly for the most part Severus is usually so chilly that he rarely needs to employ anything more than a mild cooling charm to his robes in the event that it actually gets hot enough to impact him negatively. Though he used to wear t-shirts in the summer, after obtaining his Mark he went out of his way to ensure his arms were always covered, so even in summer he tends to be in varying layers and long sleeves.

For many years this caused little issue, as summers in England are not particularly hot and tend to be rather rainy. In his main verse however, the climb in global temperature has altered the weather in his country so dramatically that he’s actually had to employ cooling charms not only on his clothes, but in his house and on his sheets in particular, as he cannot sleep without at least a sheet over him and with the humidity being so high and the heat so intense this would be stifling without the aid of magic.