#Bellou?

[invisiblequeen]

The Howell-Goth Household: My Version

This is a little different than the other townie couples I've made up here. There's no luxury house on the edge of the region, and no established marriage of decades of centuries. This version of Lou and Bella found each other at the lowest point of their lives, fell in love, and ran away hand in hand from the trappings of their homes (a violent pack war and a suffocating marriage respectively).

Now they live in a two-bedroom fixer-upper in San Myshuno, with a little money and a LOT of old clothes (that the two share constantly). Lou is mastering his wolf on his own terms, and Bella is getting to know herself. So they might not have the right clothes for a courthouse wedding yet...but they do have freedom. And they're in love. Amidst all the guilt and fear and discomfort adjusting to a new world, this love is sacred.

Enjoy their photoshoot. :)

And a set of course....

"You sure you want me to have your necklace?"

"Of course I do! So you know I'm always with you wherever you go."

"C'mere." *nuzzle-nuzzle*

[moiroloi]

Sotiria Bellou and Christopher Lee, circa 1980

A journalist had been horrified when, upon coming into Bellou’s house for an interview, he caught sight of a framed picture of Dracula. “Don’t be scared now,” Bellou had soothed, “Dracula’s my fan!”, then went on to explain that Lee had been an avid collector of her records ever since the 1950s.

[gemsofgreece]

Christopher Lee and Sotiria Bellou, the emblematic Greek rebetiko singer in the 80s. 

Fun fact: Lee had met Bellou during his vacation in Greece in the late 80s. Lee described himself as a fan; he was a collector of her 50s recordings and he told her her voice reminded him of Billy Holiday. Naturally, Bellou took a liking to him. When a journalist visited her at her house for an interview, he was startled by a frame of Lee as Count Dracula hanging on the wall. This is how Bellou told him and we know about their encounter and mutual appreciation.  

We all know Christopher Lee but here’s a song with the unique voice of Sotiria Bellou from 1951, so he definitely knew this song and probably loved it :) 

This is rare footage from a live in 1972. The man with the mustache playing the bouzouki, Vassilis Tsitsanis, is also the composer of the song and extremely prominent in Greece’s music history. 

[toutplacid]

Meules, la Houssaye, Bellou-sur-Huisne — gouache, 9 août 2024.

Cette gouache visible dans l’exposition OBSERVATION, librairie-galerie Actualités, 15, rue Gay-Lussac 75005 Paris, jusqu’au 16 novembre, ouverture du mardi au samedi de 14h30 à 19 h.

[labellerose-acheron]

Running Reconnaissance *** [Loud Bell]

@trip-downtheriverstyx

Once again, the children were tucked away asleep, the house relatively quiet. Toulouse was in his favourite armchair. Belle was curled on one end of the couch, Hades sat on the other. The only difference from a usual evening was the lack of Belle's book, Hades' Sudoku, Toulouse's sketchpad.

Instead, the air crackled with tension. Belle sat with both feet on the floor, leaning forward slightly, her arms crossed, resting on her knees. She was frowning.

"Holley found something. We're not sure what it means but--there is no records of her adoption."

"Is that strange?" Lou inquired, rubbing a thumb thoughtfully over his lips. He was lounging back in his chair, looking much less concerned than he was.

"According to Holley? Yes. Very strange. She--found her birth family as well, back in Japan."

[outfit][lou's outfit]

[alatismeni-theitsa]

Σωτηρία Μπέλλου στον Διονύση Σαββόπουλο: "Αχ Διονύση με έκανες και τραγουδάω ποπ!"

Εγ�� στη Σωτηρία Μπέλλου: "ΚΑΙ ΚΑΛΑ ΕΚΑΝΕ"

[sotiriabellou]

Ειδα το υρλ σου και εσπευσα να σε ακολουθησω. Η Σωτηρία Μπέλλου έκανε λαικ/ριμπλογκ το ποστ μου!? Τρελάθηκα

τα url μου κάνουν θραύση βλέπω λλ

[lou-bonfightme]

Fenêtres Simultanée sur la Ville || [Loud Bell]

In which Belle and Hades come to Meadowview to attend therapy with Toulouse...[takes place: mid-November]

@trip-downtheriverstyx, @labellerose-acheron

[cw -- talk of mental health, vague references to suicide and suicidal ideation (nothing too detailed tho)]

|| || ||

TOULOUSE: Today, Toulouse was sitting down with his new therapist—and Hades and Belle.

They had arrived by train yesterday to the small town where Meadowview was located. Lou had felt a pang of regret, knowing that this was not only the first time either of them had been to America, but the furthest they had been from the children. 

For such a stupid reason.

And yet, Lou had taken them around the grounds. Shown them his favourite trees and the half-dead garden, still struggling along due to the unseasonably warm weather for upstate New York. He had introduced them to Merry Dandelion (or, rather, she had taken it upon herself to introduce herself to them.) They had eaten together in the mess hall (which was actually rather good, there was an in-house chef, though Toulouse was still picky and had survived mostly off of pasta and bread the last few weeks. Not out of any protest, but because he couldn’t stomach the rest of the food. He had lost weight long before his internment.)

The day had ended with Hades and Belle returning to their hotel with a scheduled time to return the next day for a session with Toulouse and Dr. Horne. 

Dr. Horne had a discerning personality. She was not overly coddling and she wore sensible, designer suits. Today’s was a dark brown St. John number that complimented her dark brown skin. She had half-moon glasses that she liked to look over the top of when she knew you were lying about something. She always stood to greet her patients when they entered the room and today was no different.

|| || ||

[link here]

|| || ||

[alwayswiselight]

Wow! I knew nothing about this courageous and talented woman. Just another good reason for me being here. Thank you!

AUGUST 22: Sotiria Bellou (1921-1997)

On this day in 1921, the Greek singer Sotiria Bellou was born. Today, she is remembered as one of the greatest performers of the traditional rebetiko style to ever live and as one of the few celebrities of her time to live openly as a lesbian.

Although she was forced into marriage by her family in 1938, the marriage ended after Sotiria threw sulfuric acid onto her husband and spent several months in prison. After escaping her abusive husband and moving to Athens, she lived as an out lesbian (x).

The oldest of five siblings, Sotiria was born on August 22, 1921 in Halia on the island Euboia. Her grandfather was an Orthodox priest and her family was one of great wealth and prestige. She was first exposed to music in the form of Byzantine hymns heard in her grandfather’s church and she began singing at the young age of 3. As a child, Sotiria made homemade guitars out of wood and wire, but after much internal discord between her family – her conservative mother disapproving of artistic careers – it was decided that Sotiria could began studying music seriously.

Sitting in the center of a crowd with her guitar, Sotiria performs live with her band in 1948 (x). 

Sotiria moved to Athens to pursue music in 1940, but in the madness of World War II, she lost touch with her family and without their financial assistance she was forced to take on menial jobs. For a while, she worked as a waitress in a rebetiko club in the Exarheia neighborhood of downtown Athens and one night after losing a bet with a customer, she was force to sing a song. Wowed by her obvious talent, an agent named Kimonas Kapetanakis signed her on the spot and introduced her to the powerful music producer Tsitsanis, with whom she recorded the first of her many 78 rpm gramophone records. Sotiria would go on to become one of the most sought-after nightclub acts in Greece and performed in some of the most popular clubs of the time such as the Rosiniol, Tzimis o Hontros, Hydra, Triana, and Falirikon.

Sotiria Bellou’s performance of “O Bohoris” in the traditional Rebetiko style.

Although she was a celebrity, Sotiria was also a hugely controversial figure. It was well-known that she had joined the Greek resistance against the Nazi occupation of World War II, had supported the leftist Greek People’s Liberation Army during the Dekemvriana (Greek Civil War), and made no effort to conceal her many lesbian love affairs. In December of 1948, Sotiria was performing at a club called Tzimis O Hontros when a group of extreme right-wing men entered the club and demanded that she perform a nationalist anthem. When Sotiria refused, the men dragged her out of the club and beat her severely. The inability of anyone else in the club to intervene on her behalf haunted her the rest of her life. Although the Greek government and many public figures were reluctant to acknowledge her fame or her artistic contributions during Sotiria’s lifetime, after her death on August 27, 1997, her discography slowly but surely came to be a staple of 20th century Greek art and culture.

-LC

[kittyit]

If you missed the Lesbian Heritages show, you can still see it stream on demand til April 15. Just register and Max Dashu will send you the link.

Regular $20: https://py.pl/1zNJJD

Supporter $25: https://py.pl/1H2wsh

Low-Income: $15: https://py.pl/wkOhd

Lesbian Heritages

International view of woman-loving women, from archaeological finds of paired and embracing women, up to recent history. Khotylevo, Çatal Hüyük, Mycenae, Nayarit, Etruria, Nok, and the Begram ivories. Lesbian love in Hellenistic art, Thai murals, Indian temple carvings, and Japanese erotic books. Some called us mati, zami, hwame, sakhiyani, bofe or sapatão. Lesbians as female rebels: the Amazons, Izumo no Okuni, Juana Asbaje, Louise Michel, Stormé DeLarverie. Women who passed as men in order to practice medicine and roam the world. Punishing the lesbian: in the Bible, Zend Avesta, Laws of Manu; and demonological fantasies. Lesbian musicians (Sotiria Bellou, Chavela Vargas, Ethyl Waters), artists (Edmonia Lewis, Romaine Brooks, Yan María Castro), writers (Emily Dickinson), and actors (Garbo!) Lesbian clubs and scenes in Paris, Berlin, and New York. Lesbian feminists, and Arab, South African, Australian lesbians. And more…

"I am a lesbian, I am reality; I insist on living in freedom: --Rebeldí­as Lesbicas, Peru

[glikozi]

posa aura points kerdizo me to na mazevo axladia akoygontas sotiria bellou?

[labellerose-acheron]

Paper Thin *** [Loud Bell]

In which Belle, Hades, and Toulouse try to enjoy their anniversary dinner at Gusteau's but things get a little heated...[takes place: June 20]

@trip-downtheriverstyx, @lou-bonfightme

[cw -- none really]

*** *** ***

[link here]

*** *** ***

[lou-bonfightme]

Lou wasn't sure what to do or say. He felt--strangely guilty. It wasn't a feeling he understood or was even particularly familiar with. Guilt was a useless emotion, more often than not. He easily brushed it away most days, if he felt it at all. (He rarely did. That was the kind of indulgence for when he had been at Meadowview and guilty for the trajectory of his behaviour.)

There was no reason to feel guilty about this.

He had not encouraged Opal to want a sister. In fact, he never would, because it wasn't his place. Yes, he was married to Hades and Belle, but he couldn't have children (due to his curse)--if they wanted more, it would be up to them. And they didn't. Hades' vasectomy was quite clear about that.

Not to mention, he was quite sure Belle wasn't keen on going through what she had the last two times again.

The guilt came with the thought that--well, Lou would not be opposed to more children. He felt the twins and Opal were growing so fast already. They were in school now. The older they got, the more they would not need him. And, besides, he hadn't--really been part of the family when the children were decided on and born. He loved them dearly, of course, and saw them as his but...he hadn't been there for the decision making. He had only come along for the ride.

"He said not this year, but next year, definitely! Which is okay because the baby has to grow in Maman's belly first," Opal said with the sage wisdom of a five-year old who had had such things explained to her.

"Opal, you have siblings," Belle pointed out, trying to be gentle, but Lou heard the slight strain in her voice. She didn't want to disappoint her precocious daughter, he was sure.

"But I want more! Daddy has a sister! And Tonton has a sister! I want one too! It isn't fair!"

@trip-downtheriverstyx

Santa Claus Is Coming To NTO || Loud Bell

[invisiblequeen]

Howell-Goth : Swim Wear

Louella? Bellou? Gothwell? Hoth? Howelloth? Gowell? WHAT IS THE SHIP NAME--

[sotiriabellou]

just remembered i dont have pronouns name gender in my bio.i wonder what im perceived as by the tumblr population

[lou-bonfightme]

The Wolf Sings for the Moon: Part Six: The Standstill Moon or Deva Snana Purnima |O| [Self-para]

@raksha-bhediya, @labellerose-acheron

[cw -- sick children, CPS, medical situation discussions]

|| || ||

Toulouse’s phone rang.

He had mostly been ignoring his phone for the day, sulking in his studio. He wasn’t even painting, just laying on the couch, staring up at the perfectly white ceiling. Far too high and new for there to be any paint splattered that marked it. He was missing home and his studio there, which had been much smaller and a far deal messier. His mind felt messy, an unbelievable twist of truths and half-truths and lies. He could not tell one from the other. 

His phone was ringing. 

At first, he thought his mind was once again playing tricks on him. There was a piece of him that wanted someone to reach out: his brother, his partners--someone. But, the other piece of him wanted to continue to sulk. 

The phone stopped vibrating.

And then it rang again.

This time, Lou glanced at the screen. The name made him pick up the phone at once.

“Raksha?” 

|| || ||

[link here]