Fandom Discussion -- Characters and addictions

[themostepotente]

Somebody asked me the other day what my hang up with absinthe was -- and why I write Snape as having an addiction to it.

That got the old wheels a turnin'.

Simple -- Snape as well as any other character should have a weakness if you will. Since Severus is a potionscrafter, an addiction to something he'd have easy access to made great sense to me. And there is something very glamorous about absinthe in the hands of a very unglamorous man that trips my trigger.

I've actually seen a few people addict Snape to (or have a fondness for) absinthe besides scribbulus_ink and myself. Stand the fuck up and be counted people!

And what about poor Remus Lupin? Is he addicted to the wolfsbane potion yet or has he built up a tolerance to it?

I hate, hate, hate when people write characters as being infallible. JFC -- since when did the Q Continuum cross over into the Potterverse?

And Goddess bless the hotness that is Lucius Malfoy, but goddammit when I pinpoint his achilles heel, I will use and abuse it.

So what about other addictive substances? I've a bit of a kink with characters being addicted to Muggle narcotics as well as cigarettes and organics.

I've seen fics with opium and snuff addictions. Yes -- I find this exceedingly hot as well. I'm strange, I know. You knew this or you wouldn't be over here reading :P

What about hardcore abuse and addiction? Cocaine, heroin? Why don't more Snapes have a datura addiction? Bigtime painkiller, folks.

And okay, what about nymphomania and satyriasis? Can't you just picture poor Harry seated in a circle of chairs, eyes upon him as he stands to say;

"Hi, I'm Harry Potter, and I'm a sex addict."

I'm getting off the beaten path here, folks. I want to hear your thoughts on HP characters and addictions. Have a link to leave? By all means, please do.

--P

Comments

[lunarennui.livejournal.com]

i very much support the snape/absinthe connection. it's just something i SEE him using.

it is entirely possible that this is because i'm in love with snape and absinthe, but hey.

[cranberryink.livejournal.com]

I don't necessarily like to see characters with addictions as their weaknesses. I mean, Snape and absinthe is obvious, right? But for me, it's a little too obvious. I think what turns me off the most about it is that while not everyone has addictive personalities, a lot of writers do, and I feel like a writer is projecting their own quirks onto a character when they give him or her substance addictions. It seems too...almost Mary Sue-ish, if you will.

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

We should start a support group :-)

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

I like to see well written obsessive-compulsive Hermione.

Not an HP writer, but I have played with cocaine addiction in one of my main fandoms, and I was writing self-harm (as a pretty minor plot point, and mostly combined with substance abuse) in another fandom before it reached epidemic proportions elsewhere.

Gina

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

You make a very interesting point, and I am certainly guilty of inflicting my clove smoking obsession off on Snape and Black.

But Mary Sue-ish?

What's an acceptable weakness for you then?

[lunarennui.livejournal.com]

we SHOULD.

[dphearson.livejournal.com]

*os laughing heartily*

Actually, in a WIP of mine ( that will hopefully be done) Snape is initially addicted to marijuana. I have written (and taken down)a fic where Severus was addicted to heroin and opium-proximity to ingredients and all. And Lucius would join him in nightly orgies of kissing, shooting up, and attempted lovemaking. However, Severus seems to be the type who would know when to say when.

Sirius has been written as a former heroin addict ( see fabularasa)- person who may have been chasing some sort of feeling through experimentation. That would suit his devil may care attitude.

Remus is addicted to comfort, and so is wary of it. Chocolate has a subtle, relaxing effect upon the body-perfect for a person who has to go through a bitter life.

Albus is addicted to nothing. He has probably go through it all. Same with Minerva.

Also, note that the kids in HP sure start in withthe drink rather early.

[alchemia.livejournal.com]

Why does the use of soemthign in a fic have to equal addiction? People could enjoy a glass of wine, or absinthe, occassioanlly and have no additiction to it.

The addiction thing seems in some (not all) cases to be writers also going the "extreem" route- very similar to the Harry can't just have had a crummy neglectful childhood he had to be repeatedly beaten with crushed ribs and broken bones and gang-raped everynight by all of the dursleys, etc until snape or whoever comes to rescue him. Moderation- be it for Harry's upbringing or Snape's recreational enjoyments works better IMHO for most fics.

Oh and FWIW, absinthe I think does make sense to snape because absinthe strikes me at potion-y- its herbal, there's a certain ritual to preparing it to drink, and its shrouded in a sort of cultural mystery that fits with the secrecy/mystery of the wizarding world, IMHO. I think Snape would be familiar with, if not use absinthe, but I think he's not a highly-addictive person and would guard himself against extended overuse and resultign dependance. I see him occassioanlly testing his own potions on himself, being reckless like that with his life- because if he dies, then its over... but not reckless with his ability to think clearly, because i dont think he'd want to live with that.

[alchemia.livejournal.com]

Albus is addicted to nothing.

hmmm, I dunno- you know what I heard was in those lemon drops....?

;-)

[fiendling.livejournal.com]

*wants you to get on aim so she can show you how the merry smutmas is comoingkjaherg ommmgggg*

[lunarennui.livejournal.com]

mmmmmmmmm your ICON...i LOVE didodikali!!!

[mandrill.livejournal.com]

I also agree that Snape would certainly indulge in something like absinthe once in a while. I remember some fic where Snape smoked opium/hashish on occassion, which also seemed to make sense. I could see him using cannabis, as well. He'd go for depressants that would have a calming effect on him.

[iibnf.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I've got a cupboard full of absinthe. No one will drink it!

[puppy-tenchan.livejournal.com]

I can totally see the attractiveness in addiction. The total dependance on some substance or action is a sexy weakness. However, to say I hate drugs, would be an understatement. I am absolutely apalled by them, and even more so by anything that makes them appear more harmless than they are. Which sadly, most addiction fic does. That renders me unable to really enjoy those fics. (With some rare exceptions.) I just immediatly get a feeling of rage and disgust when I am confronted with anything about drugs and addiction. It's a completely emotional reaction. But, like I said, on a rational level, I completely understand the appeal. Which gives me a nice conflict =D

[alchemia.livejournal.com]

Come visit me, bring absinthe =P

[prettyclever.livejournal.com]

Liz has commanded me to friend you, and here I am. I'm going to sleep now, but I'll likely be back to annoy entertain with my lusty rambling.

I agree about the absinthe. It's delightful stuff, no? I enjoy addicted characters as well, possibly because of my own addictive personality, possibly because I adore human frailty. That's all then. Nothing else to say just now.

[ptyx.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Snape/Absinthe forever. I wrote about that on my first story, "Baphomet".

[lunulet.livejournal.com]

Oh, OH!! Drug use in fic is one of my HUGEST KINKS. But so is the presence of interesting magic, and I want to see the author come up with something that suits the spirit of the Potterverse. Muggle synthetics and derivatives, like cocaine and heroin, have no place in HP. Datura, hell yes. ;) But I want to see henbane, morning glory seed.. come up with something of your own, in fact. Absinthe has a folk-magical sort of history to it, and is pretty otherworldly. I think it's lovely in fics. But POTIONS, people. Give me POTIONS.

Hmmm..... a list of drug use in fics would be funnn. :D

[lunulet.livejournal.com]

Hmm, actually, I take that back.. For characters that interact in Muggle society (like Sirius) I think Muggle drug use is just fine. I'd believe it. But not for Snape, I think?

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

I once started an (unfinished) HP-parody version of "A Christmas Carol". Snape was crushing up nightshade berries and attributed his vision of Lucius Malfoy beseeching him to accept love into his life as a drug-induced hallucination. He reasoned that a) the real Lucius would never say such a thing without bursting into hysterical laughter and b) he'd just had a squirt of belladonna juice up his nose.

I'm not sure whether or not nightshade is actually a hallucinogen or not, which is one reason out of many that the fic never got very far.

[theladyfeylene.livejournal.com]

I've given Remus an opium addiction before. I can easily see him using it to dull the pain of the change, and getting hooked.

[roitelet.livejournal.com]

I enjoy fics that include an addicted character. The addiction puts an interesting spin on a character, and certainly makes that character's life more dangerous and unpredictable - an addict's behavior can be controlled very effectively by manipulating their supply. I love fabularasa's Sirius, who is a reformed heroin addict. It gives him a level of insight and compassion that is attractive (read attractive as HOT). I've also seen heroin-addicted Lupin, which seemed to fit, given his level of loneliness and pain after the Potters died. Another addiction scenario that makes sense to me is an addicted DE Snape turning to Dumbledore for help, willing to give up Voldemort in return.

And, for some reason, addicted Alpha males are much sexier than other addicts. I suppose it's just a desire to see a weakness or "softness" in a very driven man...

This is a fascinating thread to me, and one which I will follow with great interest. Thanks for bringing it up!

BTW, how can one procure absinthe? It isn't anything that can be purchased at the liquor store, right? I think I have read that it's illegal in the US; is that correct? Not that I want to, you know, buy any or anything like that...

[a_belladonna]

One of my favourite fics is this fic where Snape is a heroin addict and also an alcoholic: For Tomorrow Ye May Die at Fanfiction.net. (It's a WiP)

I like how Snape and his addiction is described, and how Lupin is absolutely appalled at Snape's actions- the author isn't glorifying drug use here, in fact Snape is described (through Lupin's eyes) as being a disgusting wreck. (And Snape hates himself for being that weak to use Muggles drugs, but is torn between his addiction and his pride.) Perhaps I should add that so far this story is gen, Snape being too busy to get his next fix to have sex ;)

Somehow I can mostly imagine Snape being addicted to something (I think it was dovielr who once said that Snape's mood changes could be because he wanted his drugs ^^), but I could imagine Sirius and Lupin being addicted to something as well. (And wasn't there a smell of alcohol around Sirius, when Harry came to Grimmauld Place after the attack on Arthur?)

And yes, there should be more stories about nymphomania and satyriasis, I've only read two, one about Harry dealing with Sirius's death and "Hogwarts a Rehabilitated History" (Which features a marijuana-addicted Lupin, btw...)

[cranberryink.livejournal.com]

To preface, let me say that I generally read fic because I'm interested in relationships and character dynamics. Therefore the weaknesses I like to see are related to emotional abilities. Substance addiction is both physical and psychological, and while it can have a significant effect on a relationship, it's almost more of an external influence. I prefer weakensses that are shortcomings in the emotional maturity necessary for a relationship--lack of trust, communication issues, family, how does one cope with change, etc. True addiction is all about the addict, all the time (ask anyone who's dated or been married to an addict--when they're using you worry about when they're going to stop, when they're not using you worry about when they're going to start). I want to read a story that's about two people coping simultaneously with both of their issues and working to overcome what they can.

As far as it being Mary Sue-ish, I think of a Mary Sue as a character that the author would want to be, and giving that character the author's addictions takes them one step closer. I don't think it is a Mary Sue, just shades of.

[cranberryink.livejournal.com]

Hrm. You posted this to my comment, but did you mean to post it to themostepotente?