Atropos Snipping

So basically, the cultural “naughtiness” of swear words/taboo words in your first language is something that’s very deeply ingrained– you might not hear these words at all in your early years, and if you do hear them there’s a good chance that there was some shame/reproach/anger involved if someone slipped and used them around you, or if your peers whispered them to each other on the playground to show how cool and grown-up they were. Also, people are generally very thoroughly versed in the complex nuances of how and when to use swearwords in their first language, and they fully understand the cultural weight of using these words to convey intense emotions.

When we’re reading, speaking, or writing in a non-primary language, however, we don’t bring all of that cultural baggage with us. For years linguists assumed assumed that it was easier to talk about highly emotional topics in one’s native language, because people generally feel more comfortable speaking the language(s) they’ve grown up with. A newer theory, however, posits that sometimes it’s actually easier to discuss these very taboo topics in a second or non-primary language, because we don’t have that culturally loaded sense of shame and emotional intensity weighing us down. Reading, for instance, smutty fanfic in a second language allows us to have a degree of removal from the topic at hand, which can be very liberating, because we get all the fun and excitement of reading smut with a great deal less socio-cultural nonsense.

Also I definitely have a different voice in different languages, my voice drops several octaves in English and I’ve made the same observation with other people too!

post hogwarts au

special operation: start/end

somewhere in the slytherin dungeons on clear quiet holiday nights (when no children are around, of course)

—

Severus: my apologies here it is

Dumbledore: you can’t even see half of your face. Maybe one less dramatic?

Severus: of course, headmaster.

Severus:

Dumbledore: I said less dramatic and preferably one where you’re not so alarmed

Severus: 

Dumbledore: did you have a photoshoot or something

Severus:

Dumbledore: what no Severus you are not in a boy band what is this pose wait you’re not in one are y-

Severus:

Dumbledore: are those special effects

Severus:

Dumbledore: cool but still a no

Severus:

Dumbledore: dramatic and very fitting for you but you can’t have fanart as your faculty photo who even is your fan and why don’t I have fanart

Severus:

Dumbledore: bold choice going with the profile, I admit I didn’t think you’d go for it, but you can’t have a dramatic death quote on your photo either this is a school for children they still have hope at least until their first class with you

Severus:

Dumbledore: *sigh*

Severus:

Dumbledore: why is the school on fire

Severus:

Dumbledore: is that a Death Eater meeting

Severus:

Dumbledore: oh my god 

Severus:

Dumbledore: seriously did you have a photoshoot

Severus:

Dumbledore: artsy but no

Severus:

Dumbledore: is that a screenshot

Severus:

Dumbledore: please stop

Severus:

Dumbledore: that’s it I’m taking away your photoshop privileges in the muggle studies computer lab

Severus:

Dumbledore: okay you know what fine that’ll do

Severus:

Dumbledore: no.

Severus:

Dumbledore: where are these all coming from

Severus:

Dumbledore: YOU KNOW WHAT NEVER MIND FORGET I ASKED YOU DON’T NEED A PHOTO

Severus:

Severus Snape, Hogwarts school photos