HP: Drabble, Snape's breath, and hair removal

[prillalar]

Drabble for the snape100 colour challenge: PMS 358. Snape, Hermione, potions.

And again with the questions. I'm hoping the drabble will mitigate things somewhat. *g*

1. Is there a cliché taste or aroma of Snape's breath that I should avoid writing about? I put something down and then wondered if I was going where everyone had gone before.

2. What do you think about wizard hair removal? Do you think they shave in the usual way? Use spells to shave daily? Use long-term depilatory spells? I would go for the latter, but then I worry that people reading my fic would wonder why nobody ever got stubble burn from making out.

I suppose I could put some sort of disclaimer on my stories:

All Hal's characters use Devereaux's Dependable Depilatory. "Once a year, and you're in the clear!" As endorsed by Gilderoy Lockhart.

But sometimes you want the stubble burn, because it's manly. And sometimes you don't, because, ouch. What do you do? Uh, in your fic, that is.

Comments

[jain]

I'm not sure about long-term depilatory spells. It seems as though there'd be too much room for error; you'd have to be extremely careful to spell away the beard and mustache hairs, but not the sideburns, eyebrows, eyelashes, etc. Not to mention the potential to spell away the hair follicles entirely. Or maybe I'm just overthinking this. But, still, I think there's either a long-term depilatory potion--as you cited in your example--or they shave in the ordinary fashion, only with straight razors.

In any case, I doubt that readers are going to be thrown out of the story on account of a lack of stubble. The vast majority (myself most definitely among them) wouldn't even notice its absence.

[prillalar]

Well, when I say "spell" I include potions and magic items in that. Maybe you could have a sort of mould you put on your face and it takes off the hair in specific places. :)

In any case, I doubt that readers are going to be thrown out of the story on account of a lack of stubble.

Maybe I over analyse these things. *g* I can't say I really notice it in other people's fic either. I just obsess over the details in mine.

[xsmoonshine.livejournal.com]

...I can't check at the moment (sneaking in from work), but does Sirius have stubble?

[prillalar]

When the kids first see him, it just says:

A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows.

So that's inconclusive.

[atropos-lee.livejournal.com]

It doesn't have to be a one size fits all solution - as the wizarding world parodies ours (in the best sense) I tend to assume that wizard and witches use as many different approaches to hair management as we do.

So I'd have some characters enjoying the attentions of a barber (possibly non-human) with a straight razor and hot towel, another enthusing about a new magical gadget, which sings the hits of the day and reads the headlines as it buzzes about, some using a potion which turns your clothes blue and furry if you spill it, and some (like the guys I know who wax or use lasers) go to discrete parlours where specialists use carefully controlled spells.

[prillalar]

I like the straight-razor idea. I wonder who'd be most likely to indulge in that. And your singing gadget is wonderful!

[atropos-lee.livejournal.com]

I like the straight-razor idea. I wonder who'd be most likely to indulge in that.

Oh, Lucius, I would think. You'd need to be a man of leisure to be able to enjoy the masculine pampering of a barber, or elf-valet and he'd so appreciate the barber's terror at the idea of nicking that throat.

[franzeska]

I don't know about breath specifically, but the tastes/smells etc. that I think I've seen associated with him the most are mint, cinnamon, herbs, cheap soap (usually given some romantic and fanciful description, but still clearly identifiable as cheap soap), MANliness, and that fanfic favorite:

"Something uniquely Snape"

Gah. Kill me if I use that one. Please. I've seen it used about pretty much every character in every fandom.

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

"Something uniquely Snape"

Gah. Kill me if I use that one. Please. I've seen it used about pretty much every character in every fandom.

For serious. That's a taste one, as well - mouths tasting like the person specifically - and it usually throws me out. People don't smell all that different from each other, under whatever grooming products they use. A little, but mostly? You notice the products, not them.

[prillalar]

Now I'm pondering a situation where Snape's sense of smell and taste is so highly developed due to all those years of potions making that when he kisses someone he can tell them exactly what they had for lunch that day, even if they brushed their teeth after.

OK, done pondering.

[prillalar]

Hee! Maybe there are Snape-flavoured breath mints. So we can all taste like something uniquely Snape. I ended up going with something kind of vague. Mostly, I wanted something not entirely pleasant but not entirely repulsive either.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

It makes sense that there would be depilatory charms, or potions, or that they shave with no-nonsense razors. And women might have eyebrow-plucking solutions and such that are similar. I try to keep in mind the idea that there have to be solutions for underaged wizards, who can't generate their own spells. I'd say you can change it from story to story to fit your needs. Let 'em be all stubbly 'cause they didn't use their DDD that morning, sure!

[prillalar]

God, I wish I had a depilatory charm. I have this theory that if no one in the world had any body hair at all, the attractiveness quotient of the human race would go up considerably. Which reminds me I need to buzz my hair again tomorrow. *g*

[phineasjones.livejournal.com]

i like the depilatory potion idea. it could vary in potency and all too - so you could have your stubble when you want it.

and i think i most often read mint for snape. maybe also anise.

[prillalar]

Anise was what I wrote and then thought: this seems familiar. But Snape does seem like someone who might chew cloves or something similar. I nixed the anise, but I sighed as I did so.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

Stubble is my kink. I love stubble. All my characters have stubble. Except the girls. And the squid.

[prillalar]

No squid stubble? Well, I suppose it's got its suckers for texture variations.

So, who gets paired up with the squid the most?