#Death and the Maiden|Death and Beth

[brooklynislandgirl]

A tall lanky man knocks on the door and pokes his head in. "Hey. Im here to pick up some perfumes for my daughter? Is this the right spot?"

Beth blinks. She blinks a second time.

Normally she tends to be unflappable when she's at work. And it isn't as if she'd never met someone that was so ridiculously tall she might as well have been a child by comparison. The man before her has to be at least a half a foot over six feet, and the leanness of his frame only makes him seem longer. She's pretty sure she could cut glass with his cheekbones alone. But that alone isn't the part that's got her confused. Her clinic lies in Hell's Kitchen, a beacon of hope and health for those who don't have the funds to pay insurances. A good majority of her patients tend to be the forgotten or unseen of society. It operates on her personal funding, and the donations from people in the Admiral's social spheres. Not exactly the place someone would come looking for-- And then it dawns on her. She must have given Rockelle the wrong business card, one for the clinic and not her personal information and suddenly it all makes sense. Today Beth is wearing scrubs and a lab coat. Her stethoscope hangs around her neck, and her hair is mostly pulled into a bun. Her crocks are so very quiet on the clinic's tile floor as she approaches him. "Uhm. Hi. Gonna go onna limb an' assume ya Rockelle's dad? Dis...dis gonna sound funny but dere's been a slight mix-up. I do have a batch of new ones for her, but I kinda lef' dem at home. So...we can eiddah reschedule f' lattah, or I can have dem brought here if ya don' mind an hour or so wait. I was gonna close up for lunch and you'd be welcome t' join me... Mistah...ah...Simmonds?"

[hbma]

I headcanon (and include unconfirmed canon comics) that reboot Simon Ghost Riley’s last name isn’t actually his father’s surname. It’s his mom’s maiden name.

For most his life he tolerated having his father’s last name on legal documents and hearing others refer to him with the surname. Probably signs up for the military using Riley instead of his father’s name. After returning from his first tour and kicking out his father from their home he had the surnames legally changed for his mom, Tommy, and himself to Riley.

He wants no association or connection to his father, and cuts him out. And after the death of his family, he’ll always see Riley as continuing his mother’s memory, and will forever have a negative association with his father’s surname when he hears it, even if it’s someone good. Not that he really acts out on it.

He’ll always be grateful for making that decision once he finds someone willing to take his last name as their own, and hopes his mom, Tommy, and Beth are smiling down on him.

I’LL TAKE HIS LAST NAME

[lady-ashfade]

Two Idiots, One smile.

Amy March x Fem!Reader. Drabble.

I watched the movie for the first time a few days ago. I just love bubbly woman.

Warnings: Drinking, taking care of drunk jo and Laurie, nothing really but fun and fluff.

You had no clue how you had gotten wrapped up into the two laughing idiots, or why you didn’t just leave them alone. Both of them had their arms wrapped around your shoulders as you helped them walk. “I can’t believe she’s such a beauty, you know y/n, you and my sister could be the best actors in the world.” The girls slurred words made you laugh and grip onto her waist as she tripped.

“She’d forgot the lines.” You looked over at the boy you’ve known all your life at his comment to tease you. “Don’t look at me! I didn’t say anything.” He tried to defend himself but the two took one glance at each other and got caught into a laughing fit. You had to keep dragging them by the arms or the clothes when they wouldn’t follow you.

The dark house came into view and you sighed, finally getting one of them home. It has been hours since you left the ball but they didn’t make it easy from being drunk off their asses. You knocked at the door but Jo reached the handle and pushed it open. Her voice yelling as she was the one to pull you both in, making you both trip.

Soon Jo and Laurie rushed to the cough and almost knocked it over from how hard they fell on it. The mother came in the view along with the maiden, three other girls rushing down the steps. You looked at your watched and cursed at the time. You explained that you had caught them drinking after it was too late, and got her home as quickly as you could.

What you didn’t expect was a girl with blonde hair and dark roots stare at you with a kind smile and sit before you. “I’m Amy.” You looked at her, a warm feeling in your chest built up at her beauty. You bowed your hand, cleaning off your skirt trying not to look like a mess in front of her.

“Nice to meet you, Amy.” Her eyes stayed on you but you decided to looked away, getting flustered by the second. “Hope to see you again.” You walked away and towards the whining boy that cringed to Jo’s hand. You took him by the stomach and yanked him away and off the cough in a death grip.

“It was nice to meet you all, I do apologize for his behavior.” You rushed him out the house as they bid farewell to the both of you. The girls, Amy and the smaller one followed you to the door and watched you to walk out the house.

The night was dark but they watched you until you couldn’t be seen anymore, Amy blushing and followed her eyes on you. “She seems nice…” Beth wrapped her arm with her sisters. “And pretty, she said she hopes we meet again.” The happy tone in her voice matched her feet that bounced at the thought. The two were called back inside. Amy went to sleep think of you, Beth went to bed with a matching smile she saw on her sisters face.

The next morning as the sun shined through the windows and the family came down for breakfast they found a nice big basket of fruits and baked goods. “Strawberries.” Beth ran over as the others girls laughed and rushed down the steps. Each girl looked at different pastries with different flavors, ones that tasted fresh.

“Who’s it from?” Jo asked as she sat down and stuffed her face with a muffin. Hannah smiled and rushed to get something. A few seconds later she walked back in with a vase of flowers that were bright yellow and white. The girls watched her come to the table and set it down in front of Amy.

“From the little lady who came last night.” They all giggled and shouted at her to read the note attached to the case. Amy laughed and tugged it off, ripping it open with no patience. Beth leaned forward at get a look.

“I wish to have you smile once’s more. Until we meet again.” she smiled and blushed. The girls squealed and flooded her with questions and how amazing that was.

All Amy could do was think of you.

[thefudge]

DR FUDGE I NEED YOUR OPINION ON NIGHT HOUSE. I just watched because I heard you mention it on this blog before and cause it's just so intriguing! I know the nothingness is ment to symbolize depression and the whole movie is just a refrence to "l'appel du vide" but still theres something so romantic about an unknown entity being so utterly in love with a girl. Would u ever maybe consider writing something for beth x the emptiness??👉👈

it is EMINENTLY romantic!! yes, beyond the obvious metaphorizing of depression, it goes back to all those wonderful death & the maiden archetypes. it is both so sinister and yet so gentle??? and the fact that the void is nothingness/emptiness waiting to be filled and that is what her soul craves too, to give meaning and shape to death, it's just so!!! i also think it's so rad that, as you say, we're dealing with this unknown entity/being, a negative god that can be anything and anywhere, that reorders the world for her. insane levels of romance!! i'm tempted to write something, of course; it'll probably be something very short, like a small drabble on the intensity of this connection between them

[stealsbreeches]

Fanfic Masterlist

Fandom: American Girl

Pairing: Benjamin Davidson/Felicity Merriman

I haven't personally read many of these (yet!), so this isn't a recommendation list. The relationship may be in the background, and fics might feature other pairings. Word counts have been rounded.

Remember to check all tags and warnings before reading.

Authors love kudos and kind comments.

Please let me know if I've missed anything or if you would like to be tagged!

❧ = posted on both AO3 and FFN

⁘ = archive locked (must be logged in to read)

AO3

Stolen Heart and Free Spirit by devilinthedetails. T, 50 words

An Honorable Name by devilinthedetails. T, 100 words

All Promises Kept by thelovelylonesome. G, 2.1k words ❧

Green Thumb by thelovelylonesome. G, 1k words ❧

Hasty Plots by thelovelylonesome. T, 2k words

Anchor by thelovelylonesome. T, 300 words

Always So Quiet by MackenzieL. G, 4.6k words ❧

Even the Light by thelovelylonesome. E, 4.9k words ⁘

Balm & Bridles by thelovelylonesome. T, 20.4k words ❧

A Winter's Ball by LadyReisling. G, 3.2k words

029. Prospects by aimmyarrowshigh. T, 100 words

058. Consuming by aimmyarrowshigh. T, 100 words

069. Soaked by aimmyarrowshigh. T, 100 words

Heart's Desire Beach by FriendvilleFan. G, 4.7k words

A Real Rain by localsportsteam. T, 3.6k words ❧

I Heard A Tapping by (orphaned). T, 3.5k words. WIP

Role Play by MelyndaR. G, 4.1k words ❧

Redbird by MelyndaR. G, 300 words ❧

Ride to the Rescue by ami_ven. G, 500 words

Silk Breeches and Everything After by SaraJaye. G, 2.2k words

Wrongheaded by Lunarblue21. T, 1.8k words ❧

Annabelle’s Surprise by DaggerQuill. G, 1k words ❧

Freedom for Felicity by osprey_archer. G, 9.4k words

Furlough by mrstater. T, 1k words ❧

Doll Story (Or, How Felicity Merriman Found Love) by automaticdoor. T, 1.3k words

When they are both full grown by lesspopped. G, 1.2k words

The Blessings of Liberty by Jougetsu. G; 1.3k words

FF.net

All Promises Kept by thelovelylonesome. G, 2.1k words ❧

Green Thumb by theloveleylonesome. G, 1k words ❧

Balm & Bridles by thelovelylonesome. T, 20.3k words ❧

A Real Rain by localsportsteam. T, 3.9k words ❧

Nonsense by Kierielle Huntington. K+, 1.4k words

Pursuit by localsportsteam. K+, 2.7k words. WIP

The Autumn Maiden by fringebenefit. T, 5.9k words. WIP

The Ceiling by fringebenefit. K+, 6.4k words

Scoundrels by fringebenefit. T, 270.9k words. WIP

Westward Escape by Princess.Leia.D. T, 8.1k words. WIP

The Best Intentions by localsportsteam. T, 24.1k words

I Will Wait for You by Cookiecutter97. K+, 59.5k words. WIP

Ben's Proposal by darkknightsrevenge. K, 900 words

Annabelle’s Surprise by DaggerQuill. K, 1k words ❧

The War by The Kinetic Violinist. T, 7.9k words. WIP

The Loyalist and the Patriot by audemady. T, 10.7k words. WIP

Death of a Merriman by Beth Poppet. T, 12.8k words

Sparks by Saizo's Little Lady. T, 9k words. WIP

Lissie Nye by Beth Poppet. M, 24k words

Letters to Lissie by Katy Rose15. T, 150k words

O Come, All Ye Faithful by Ryan Brooklyn. K+, 5.6k words

Felicity Grows Up by quinnyandcompany. K+, 11k words. WIP

Bananabelle Davidson by kmckissick. K, 7.8 words. Originally posted as Bananabelle Davidson by ballerinastar7. Revised as (NEW) Bananabelle Davidson by kmckissick16. Same author.

It's Hard To Refuse You by MRSTJ1. K+, 79.2k words

Before I Say Goodbye by Grania. T, 200 words

Firelight by Argentus. K+, 600 words

War and Peace and the sequel War and Peace revised by bookfaerie. K+, 4.3k words combined. WIP

Felicity's Search and the sequel Finding a New World by FallRose. K+ and T, 19k and 13.8k words

Can You Hear The Liberty Bell Ringing? by KnifeInTheCrayonBox. T, 4.5k words. WIP

Redbird by Kathryn Claire O'Connor. K, 300 words ❧

Granted by SummerStarWatcher. K+, 6k words

Flour for Blackberry Pie by LinleyHamilton123. K+, 1k words

Courtship by TotallyNonchalantFBI. T, 53.8k words. WIP

Role Play by Kathryn Claire O'Connor. K, 4.5k words ❧

The War Is Over by ILoveWillRiker and  LinleyHamilton123. K+, 300 words

Inevitable Predictability by schaferdramaqueen. T, 38.5k words

Fear Makes You Strong by darkknightsrevenge. K+, 1.7k words. WIP

Always So Quiet by Mackenzie L. K+, 4.7k words ❧

Flipping by TotallyNonchalantFBI. K+, 900 words

Furlough by MrsTater. T, 1k words ❧

Battlefield by TotallyNonchalantFBI. T, 28k words

Wrongheaded by DiegoRedeemedLover. T, 1.9k words ❧

A Kindred Romance by RedeemedHeartOfPaper. T, 2.3k words. WIP

Mistletoe A young Benicity oneshot by felicityphoenix. K, 5k words

Here's Your Gift by AwkwardTurtle007. K+, 1.5k words. WIP

A Year To Live by P.B. Fluff. K+, 3.4k words. WIP

His Excellency's Orders by Commander Cody CC-2224. T, 47.3k words

Duel For You, Ben Davidson by Commander Cody CC-2224. T, 80.8k words

Felicity: An American Girl ROMANCE by felicityphoenix. K-M, ~585,000 words for the 5-part story. Part 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5

Felicity: The Continuing Story by Jordannn. K, 6.3k words

Save her by darkknightsrevenge. K, 2k words

The Wedding Of Felicity And Ben by Commander Cody CC-2224. K+, 17.2K

More Than This by DaggerQuill. K+, 15.9k words. WIP

Why Do We Think About Age by Esme123 (revised and reposted by Captain Jag CT-55-11 9009 with permission.) K+, ~9k words

Benstown by Commander Cody CC-2224. T, 25.3k words

Felicity And Ben's Romantic Honeymoon Moment by Commander Cody CC-2224. T, 1.8k words

The Silent Romantic Moment of Felicity and Ben by Commander Cody CC-2224. K, 3.8k words

The Return of Bananabelle by MackenzieW. T, 30.9k words

Three Things That Last by MackenzieW. K+, 5.6k words

A promise and a future by Liberty Ferall. K+, 600 words

The Perils of Love by burlesquexprincess. T, 3.4k words. WIP

Felicity Meets her Match by Rose103. 50.2k words

All That He Taught Her by tigersmeleth. K, 2.2k words

When Your Life Ends by Peridot Tears. T, 800 words

[idv-fifis-toybox]

YES i know i have 918832938 skins to do but i can’t help myself <3 ( SINNE CORPS)

These characters are based off the Flame-Chasers from Honkai Impact 3 but if you don’t wanna read up to find out who they are, these characters are tl:dr, galactic superheros who work together to protect mankind. Unlike the Flame Chasers, they are very much alive and well! Their genders (or lack thereof) are labelled next to their name! Each mun is allowed 2 skins~

Skins are below~

Morgana (The Existence) (F)

“To worry about what’s yet to come is to rob your present self of the essence of life~” — The Riper of Fate (Taken: Marise)

Evia (The Creation) (F)

“All that is beautiful must be protected. No matter the cost.” — The World Walker (Taken: Beth)

Cerritus (The Destruction) (M)

“Underneath? We are all the same! Flesh, bones, screams, insanity? You are no different from me.” — The Tyrant’s Tower (Taken: Shadowed Man)

Iolite (The Resolute) (None)

“Words, and actions, can lie. See beyond them.” — The Jewelled Warrior

Yukina (The Prosperity) (F)

“And I fight to bring joy! Joy to the world over! For no one deserves more peace than the powerless.” — The Maiden of Flowers

Eulalia (The Derision) (F)

“I don’t fear dying, I fear being nothing at all” — The Diva of Damnation

Volina (The Reticent) (None)

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” — The Helix’s Judgment

D’Or (The Clarity) (None)

“Fight your way into the light or fade into the darkness.” — The Moondust’s Glow (Taken: Naib)

Jörmungandr (The Consumption) (None)

“Even if what we do is futile to us, if we stop, we’ll be cut from the cycle of survival.” — The World Serpent

Rhiannon ε (The Sustenance) (F)

“One death is tragic. A million is a statistic, that can’t be right.” — The Queen Bee

Solandis (The Enigma) (None)

“Normality is a facade. What’s normal for the spider is terror for the fly.” — The Illusory Artist

Evren (The Null) (None)

“We live on a placid island of ignorance among the black seas of infinity. It was never meant that we will venture far.” — The Void’s Vail (Taken: Gabriel)

[unrclypirxte]

A list of bands Beth listened to as a kid/teenager that she now listens to in secret bc she's ashamed about it due to her father:

Limp Bizkit

Korn

Nirvana

Iron Maiden

Metallica

Pantera

Deftones

System Of a Down

Disturbed

Slayer

Napalm Death

Black Sabbath

Megadeth

Anthrax

Alice In Chains

[thebrightpreciousthings]

All right, this three-year-old post has started gaining traction and so I finally dug up my old essay. It's under the cut.

The Subtle Feminism of Little Women’s Marriage Plot

         Modern 21st-century readers and critics have long debated the ending to Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women: is the novel feminist, or does it betray its intended message by marrying off its spirited, independent heroine Jo March? Alcott did not originally intend for Jo to marry at all, but her publisher and fan reception forced her to find a husband for Jo to meet society’s expectations. The most recent Little Women film adaptation by Greta Gerwig sought to rectify this perceived slight by depicting Jo’s marriage to Professor Bhaer as merely a fictional event within the text of Jo’s novel, while the real Jo remains unmarried and independent. Though the ending of Little Women is definitely controversial, it is more nuanced than many of its critics are willing to see or admit, as the ending still contains the feminist undercurrent of the earlier sections due to its depiction of egalitarian marriage and family relationships. Alcott imagines a non-patriarchal marriage and family arrangement in which neither party must submit or lose their sense of self – rather, the members of the familial unit come together to add to each other’s happiness and provide a network of mutual support and even work distribution.

Many readers and critics of Little Women have failed to reconcile Jo’s character with the eventual marriage plot. In their essay “Dismembering the Text: The Horror of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women,” Angela M. Estes and Kathleen Margaret Lant argue that the hidden horror of Little Women lies in the novel’s “spiritual killing” (Estes and Lant 569) of Jo.  Since “Alcott could never have allowed her to marry for love – in other words, to love and marry Laurie – for…marriage for love reduces women to ‘submission’” (Estes and Lant 569), this results in “Alcott’s violence against this very character” (Estes and Lant 569). The authors argue that once Laurie punctuates the Marches female-dominated world, Jo’s life is “immutably altered” (Estes and Lant 570) and upon Beth’s eventual death, Jo experiences a spiritual death to fill the role her sister left behind. To them, Jo is virtually unrecognizable at the end of the novel when she transforms “into the blushing, halting maiden and the dutiful wife and mother” (Estes and Lant 578), her marriage to Professor Bhaer having metaphorically stripped “Jo of all vestiges of self until she is indeed ‘Bhaer,’ or bare” (Estes and Lant 579).

         However, critic Anne Dalke argues that the real violence is perpetrated by those who misinterpret the ending of the novel and Alcott’s intentions by ignoring how the ending to Little Women imagines a non-patriarchal system of marriage and family that can “rework masculinity on a female model” (Dalke 557). Indeed, Estes and Lant’s argument relies on some far-reaching assumptions, and while marrying Jo may not have been Alcott’s original intention, that does not mean the ultimate ending is not still subversive. Estes and Lant argue that Marmee counsels Jo against marrying Laurie because they are both masculine, and therefore neither will be willing to play the feminine role and submit, but Alcott’s ideal vision of marriage does not involve either party submitting: it imagines a situation of mutual betterment for both parties, in which they can forge a familial unit based on love, equality, and mutual respect. As Dalke says, the reason Laurie and Amy are so well-matched is that they are each other’s “best educator” (Dalke 559), and Laurie’s relationship with the March sisters has always been a “reciprocal” (Dalke 558) one. Both parties are benefiting from the relationship and become better people from knowing each other.

         The introduction of men into the female world does not necessarily mean that feminist ideals have to be abandoned. Alcott may have described Bhaer as a funny match for Jo, but their pairing is still consistent with the tone of Alcott’s work. Though Bhaer is a funny match in the conventional sense, being foreign, older, unattractive, and poor, it is his eccentricities that make him an apt partner for Jo, the person with which she can achieve the mutual betterment of an egalitarian partnership. Consistently, Bhaer’s defining traits are his kindness, generosity, and love for children – he takes on a parental role for his two nephews, displays such affection with Tina at the boarding house that Jo thought “she must be his own” (Alcott 265), and “money doesn't stay in his pocket long enough” (Alcott 374) as he focuses on helping others before himself. The traits that earn Bhaer the most admiration are stereotypically feminine qualities of charity, love, and goodness, and he respects Jo’s free will enough to keep his feelings to himself when he believes her to be engaged to her “handsome friend” (Alcott 369). Comparatively, Laurie’s proposal is littered with forceful language such as “you must hear me…I’m going to make you hear” (Alcott 284) and “I don’t believe you’ve got any heart” (Alcott 286), punctuated by fits of entitled melodrama that show the love he had for Jo was never true love at all. He merely thought he loved her because she introduced him to the warm March family unit, and he longed to solidify his ties to that home through marriage. His love for the family was displaced and in reality Jo and Laurie were more suited for their eventual marital partners than they were for each other.

         While Estes and Lant contend that Jo at the end of the novel is unrecognizable, and  Professor Bhaer “destroys Jo’s one authentic means of self-assertion – writing” (Estes and Lant 580), this is fundamentally untrue. It is reading Jo’s poem that tells Professor Bhaer she might welcome his romantic feelings, and Jo at the end of the novel has not “given up hope that [she] may write a good book yet” (Alcott 379), even if writing is not the center of her life. Though she is a wife and mother, Jo has not given up all vestiges of her former self, as the narrator outright acknowledges that she “would never learn to be proper” (Alcott 373) and she will still follow the directions of her heart. Even when she is doing what seems to be the conventional thing, Jo continues to be unconventional, and she always will. To say that Jo is an unrecognizable character is a major oversimplification.  

Though Estes and Lant say that Jo gives up her identity to become the replacement Beth, it might be more accurate to say it is Bhaer who effectively becomes the new Beth in Jo’s life. In her life, Beth acted as Jo’s companion and her “conscience” (Alcott 148), and this is the role the professor effectively fills as Jo’s husband and egalitarian partner who “steered her safely into calmer waters” (Alcott 376). The professor takes on the role of Jo’s moral counsel, and his new role is signified by the songs sung at the March home on his first visit, bringing music back into the family’s lives. Jo admires the professor for his morals and opinions, and he brings joy and comfort to the rest of the family, who enjoy his “conversations” (Alcott 379) and “good” (Alcott 354) nature. In return, Jo is able to fill his empty hands. Jo and Bhaer’s partnership does not equate to Jo’s submission, but rather a marriage of mutuality where each is to “carry [their] share” (Alcott 372).

As Dalke says, the introduction of men into the family unit does not, as Jo feared, make a hole in the family but rather fills the holes the Marches did not previously know existed. Little Women depicts “a family unit in which husband and wife share the economic and, more significantly, the emotional responsibilities of group existence” (Dalke 562), and the love between women serves as a model for male relationships. Little Women imagines an egalitarian view of male-female relationships in which burdens are shared and a “new world, one that demands [men’s] active participation in those activities conventionally reserved for women” (Dalke 563).

Roles within the family are not determined solely based on gender, but natural aptitude, such as how Jo says she will work on the gardens and orchards at Plumfield because “farming isn’t in Bhaer’s line” (Alcott 373). Mr. and Mrs. March have a relationship in which each “helped and comforted” (Alcott 69) the other – Mr. March helping Marmee with her temper, and she tending to him in his time of need – and the most important lesson Meg and John need to learn in their marriage is to be more understanding of the other’s emotional needs. Amy and Laurie, a controversial couple in the history of Little Women fan reaction, are also incredibly well-suited – Laurie grounds Amy, while Amy’s influence helps Laurie overcome his worst characteristic, his “passivity” (Dalke 559).

Perhaps this state is not exactly independence, but it is interdependence, in which the characters can rely on each other and find comfort in the marriage and family unit. Alcott imagines a new world based on a new set of gender principles, in which marriage does not have to equal submission for either party. To love is not innately weak, and partnership is not innately bad. If male heroes in literature are allowed to find love and get married while still staying true to their character and personality, then female heroes in literature should be allowed to do the same thing. It does not mean they are less of a feminist or not a whole person on their own.

In part one of the novel, Marmee gives Meg and Jo two pieces of advice: that “to be loved and chosen by a good man is the best and sweetest thing which can happen to a woman” and “better be happy old maids than unhappy wives” (Alcott 84). Both of these maxims can be true simultaneously. To be loved by another person is a wonderful experience that Marmee wishes for her daughters, but only assuming that love is true, and based on respect, devotion, and mutual felicity. Yet, marriage is not the be-all, end-all goal of a woman’s life. She still has to remain true to her character, and she should not be willing to compromise for a man who does not love, respect, and support her the way a marital partner ought. Whether or not a woman marries does not define her self-worth, and she should not settle for anything less than an equal, loving partnership. She can still live a full life without marriage, or live a displeasing life with a marriage. However, when love and marriage are done right, it is a beautiful thing that can only add to one’s happiness as two people devote their souls to each other in a marriage of equality. This is an important distinction that critics like Estes and Lant overlook in their analysis.

To argue that including marriage in the story equals the female characters losing themselves and giving in to patriarchal standards is a blatant misunderstanding of the world Alcott is trying to create. Like Jo, Alcott’s ending is unconventional under the guise of being conventional. Her ending is an act of subversive compliance. Literary heroines were expected to marry in this period, but Alcott was astute enough to realize that did not mean she had to uphold the patriarchal system by doing so. The feminism of Little Women is intricate and complex, if the reader is willing to see it.

Works Cited

Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. Edited by Anne K. Phillips and Gregory Eiselein, Norton, 2004.

Dalke, Anne. “‘The House-Band’: The Education of Men in Little Women.” Little Women, edited by Anne K. Phillips and Gregory Eiselein, Norton Critical Edition, 2004, pp. 556–563.

Estes, Angela M., and Kathleen Margaret Lant. “Dismembering the Text: The Horror of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.” Little Women, edited by Anne K. Phillips and Gregory Eiselein, Norton Critical Edition, 2004, pp. 564–583.

Writing my Little Women essay for class is just reminding how much I hate how Greta Gerwig mangled the professor and Jo’s relationship in the most recent film adaptation to push a pseudo-feminist message that willfully misunderstands the meaning of Alcott’s ending. Alcott didn’t want to marry Jo, that’s true, but instead she did the next best thing and imagined a non-patriarchal marriage based on mutual respect where each partner carries their own weight in the relationship. Also any message Gerwig was trying to push is ruined by the fact that she has Jo doubt her refusal to Laurie and makes her seem bitter af.

In part one of Little Women, Marmee gives Meg and Jo two pieces of advice: that “to be loved and chosen by a good man is the best and sweetest thing which can happen to a woman” and “better be happy old maids than unhappy wives.” I.e. marriage is not the be-all, end-all of a woman’s life but when you find someone who loves and respects you, that is an absolutely beautiful thing. Love and marriage does not make you weaker, but it has to be with someone who is right for you and will help you be a better person without changing your intrinsic self. That’s what Bhaer does for Jo.  

If male characters are allowed to have true love and retain their sense of self, women can too, and there is nothing un-feminist about it.  

[yourbespokeartisanalapocalypse]

A Game of Chess

I’m a big fan of chess - I play a lot (though not very well!) and I love hearing about chess in literature and art. So it makes sense that I’ve been absolutely loving The Queen’s Gambit. It’s ticked quite a few boxes for me, and it’s so rare to see a show involving chess that not only understands the game and features real, plausible moves, but which is steeped in the lore of the game. Characters often discuss the lives and games of the greats - players like Morphy and Steinitz and Capablanca are common points of reference for these characters - but the way the show uses chess itself is an intelligent nod to the role of chess as a literary motif. 

For young Beth, chess gives her a contained, controlled world in which to escape from her harsh reality. 

Later, chess is a social interaction, a way of making friends, of spending time with friends, and of flirting and even seducing and being seduced. These symbolic roles of the game are subtly and cleverly done in the show and they draw on a long history of protrayals of chess games. So how can I not ramble on about it for a bit? I make no apologies.

You probably know the famous motif of a game with death, immortalised in The Seventh Seal...

When you think about chess, you might well think of serious, concentrating old white dudes as in Honore Daumier’s 1863 painting The Chess Players...

...but chess is always a bit more playful than that. The game with Death in The Seventh Seal draws on a tradition in medieval romances of games and riddles. Tales like “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” revolve around the allegorical (though heaven knows what for) use of riddles and games, and some of the Grail romances, for example, the hero comes to a chessboard castle where he meets a water-maiden. 

Modern chess really came about in 19th-century Europe when people like the first World Champions, Wilhelm Steinitz and Emmanual Lasker, helped codify it into systems of play (”openings”, “middle” and “end” games), but before that we had the “Romantic” era of chess filled with dramatic gambits and sharp, tactical play rather than the slow-burning positional strategy that came later. And chess has always featured women. In 15th-century Italy, for example, chess was respectable for women because it did not rely on chance (and so wasn’t gambling) like dice and cards. 

Sofonisba Anguissola’s 1555 painting, ‘The Game of Chess’, is a nice example of chess being playful, social, and not at all just stern old men. Anguissola, just as a point of interest, was a court painter at the royal court in Spain, having trained informally with Michelangelo, and she tutored the queen, Elizabeth of Valois, who was herself a keen amateur painter. She painted ‘The Game of Chess’ when she was 20, and it broke from convention at the time in its informality and lack of allegory - it literally just shows her three sisters, Lucia, Minerva and Europa (great names, right?!), playing chess. 

Most things in the renaissance were allegorical and chess was no different. In Elizabethan and Jocobean theatre, chess was often used as a symbol for human life and government. Thomas Middleton’s satire A Game of Chess (1624) for example is structured around a game of chess, using it to satirise conflict between England and Spain (so controversial was its satire that it was shut down after only 9 days). Chess is a political allegory, as well as both a battle between Virtue and Vice, and a metaphor for the transience of human life. Ah, ambiguity, my old friend...

I first came across this tradition via T.S. Eliot’s long poem The Waste Land (1922) in which part two is entitled “A Game of Chess”...

Eliot draws on a range of Jacobean drama, including Middleton’s Women Beware Women (1657) where chess is used as a foil for seduction and rape (it being a bloody Jacobean tragedy after all). 

But chess seductions are not all forceful and morally uncomfortable, nor are all these references purely of artistic interest. Because there weren’t many chess “manuals” before Steinitz and Lasker came along in the late 19th century, a lot of our chess history comes from literature. For example, the Centre-Counter Opening or Scandinavia Defence was first recorded in Scachs d'amor (Chess of Love) a Spanish poem from the end of the 15th century where chess symbolises love.

Which is perhaps what is happening in George Goodwin Kilburne’s painting A Game of Chess...

And is definitely what is happening in The Queen’s Gambit when Beth plays Benny where fast, frenetic, transactional games of speed chess symbolise the heated, superficial attraction between them...

And when she first plays Townes, the game is slow, full of adolescent nerves...

...and her games with Beltik are so calm and thoughtful that no one seems to have made a gif of them! 

[brooklynislandgirl]

@smolcuriouskitten {{xx}}

Blessed are the ignorant. With her hearing disorder, Beth doesn't catch the vocal misstep, so similar to her own name that that is how the partial word registers in her mind, which itself is far more interested in the way he suddenly....looms. But she is nothing if not polite and she is used to being usually the smallest person in the room. "Pleasure to meet ya, Damon," she murmurs in return, that little smile bright and welcoming. Some people are said to be full of life and in Beth's case, this is literal. A preternatural force of vitality flows through her and radiates outward like light and heat flow from the sun. Abruptly Damon excuses himself and she does nothing to try and stop him. It's good to have a moment to gather herself together. Most of Beth's days are a matter of routine, the ins-and-outs of people struggling with the demands of making a living in a city like New York, and still trying to take care of themselves, their children on very limited funds. Most of her work is preventative; check-ups, colds and scrapes and casts. More serious things she refers to Sacred Heart with an assurance that the bill won't be an issue. Maybe this is the Universe's way of telling Beth that she needs to come out of her shell, connect with the eternal flow of change and growth. Before she can explore the idea further, Damon returns. With permission given, Beth makes an apologetic nod and holds up a delicate finger. Her phone out in one swift movement, she sends a text. There's Callie ~his given name Calhoun~ who lives in the building and has a spare key to let himself in, usually to take care of Houdini when she's running late. She tells him what to pick up and where to bring it. There's the promise of a little pocket cash as recompense for his time. "Done an' done. Should be here very soon. An' again I am so sorry for da misunderstandin' Mistah Richards." Phone back into it's pocket, she settles tiny hand in his and gives it a surprising shake for its size. "D'you have a preference f' lunch? Dere's an incredible diversity here. Italian, Jamaican, Indian...."

[carbonateddelusion]

so you want to know the lore, huh?

(part 1 of ???)

there will be discussions of things like abuse, child abuse, child neglect, domestic abuse, child murder, homicide, self-harm, and torture; these are all mentioned briefly and not further elaborated on, but are still integral parts of the 80s universe, ESPECIALLY with Chuck. you have been warned.

I have my own universes comprised of ONLY my characters, but let's start with the gang I share with Ben first.

it's the same cast of characters (minus a few side characters essentially) for what I call the Sane/Modern and 80s universes.

the 80s universe is split into two subsections: a story where Elijah is the main killer we focus on and Jack died young, and a story where Jack is the main killer and Elijah died young. I'll go into further detail about the differences between the two in a later post with Ben's help, but all you need to know right now is that I'm usually talking about the story where Jack is the serial killer, aka Jack's universe, because the two main characters (Edgar and Jack) both belong to me. here's the rundown on Jack's universe:

Jack has a total of 15 murder victims that we focus on, them being his twin Eli, his little sister Maddison, his older sister Hannah, his father, Olivia, Leah, Beth, Owen, Alexa, Mason, Jiang, Jun, Noah, Dew, and his son Sal

11/15 are ghosts that possess the home Edgar lives in because that was Jack's dumping grounds for the bodies

Edgar's home used to be Jack's childhood home that Jack burnt down (that's how he got the burn scars and extreme fear of fire)

Eddie and Jack met when Eddie was 18 and Jack was 16, 2 years after Eddie came from France to America

Jack is a very very very abusive partner to Eddie (and later Dew, who dies because she had a son without him knowing)

Isaac, the only biological family of Jack's that isn't dead, was traumatized by the death of the rest of his family and subsequently seeing Jack's (15) half-burned body and dead stare in the hospital

Isaac (8) went on to be raised by his dad alone, Jack's step-dad

Jack disappears after this incident and goes under a new name, Chuck Young

Edgar finds out about the whole murder thing sometime before Isaac and Noah pop up

Isaac and Noah enter Eddie's life and red flags go off in their head when they see Jack and Eddie together

Jack eventually disappears (which is normal for him) and doesn't return for years, leaving Eddie to slowly start to rebuild after the trauma and fall in love with Isaac and Noah, believing that Jack's dead

Isaac and Noah find out about the ghosts, Isaac is horribly confused and upset and joyful to see his sisters again

Isaac and Noah proceed to become father figures to the ghosts as they get closer and closer with Eddie

Jack murders Dew and Sal and returns to Eddie's home, where he ends up killing Noah in an altercation

Isaac, terrified of his brother, flees

Edgar is forced to pick up the pieces and deal with Jack for the next several years

Eddie eventually kills Jack in "self-defense" and has a breakdown immediately after

Isaac returns since Jack has been killed

the ghosts slowly fade away and move on

story ends when Edgar dies

the modern universe is predicated on the concept of "what if Jack and Elijah were normal people and didn't commit serial killings?" the 80s universe is definitely the more fleshed out of the two, given it's been worked on for nearly a decade now. here's the rundown of the sane universe:

set in the modern era

primarily follows the Robinson-Nhat family (which I call the Le Family because of Jack, Eli, Hannah, Mads, and Isaac's mother's maiden name; Maddie and Isaac are full siblings to each other but half-siblings to the other 3)

nobody is dead!!

everybody is younger and has birthdates to match

Isaac and Edgar are usually best friends

Elijah is less "school shooter" and more "edgy young adult who thinks listening to MCR makes him unique"

here's a helpful guide to illustrate the differences (and similiarities) between Modern Jack and 80s Jack!

Jack is less "extreme sadist who commits prolonged torture for his enjoyment and actively searched for new ways to kill" and more "dude who robs people and loves his family"

is more of a sandbox for ideas than anything super story-based

a big theme of Jack's story in both cases is the cycle of abuse. modern him fights to stop it, and 80s him eventually ends up so, so much worse than his father ever was.

that concludes part 1.

link to part 2

[queenlucythevaliant]

For the hypothetical English curriculum: Variations on the Psyche and Eros/Beauty and the Beast myth?

I'm not especially knowledgeable on the subject, so this was a fun challenge!

Section 1: The Cupid and Psyche family of tales

“Cupid and Psyche,” Apuleius (true confessions, I haven’t actually read this)

“Homeric Hymn to Demeter,” Homer

East of the Sun, West of the Moon, trans. Andrew Lang

Beauty and the Beast, Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve

“Tam Lin,” Robert Burns

Bluebeard, Charles Perrault

Essay: Compare one of the derivative tales to the story of Cupid and Psyche in the context of its native culture. Why did this culture frame the tale the way it did?

Section 2: Cupid and Psyche tales retold

The Bloody Chamber, Angela Carter

“Alice Brand,” Sir Walter Scott and “Bluebeard,” Edna St. Vincent Millay

Ice, Sarah Beth Durst

Till We Have Faces, C.S. Lewis

Essay: What role does change in perspective have in the retelling of a tale?

Section 3: The far-reaching influence of Cupid and Psyche tales

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare

The Phantom of the Opera, Gustave Leroux

Cyrano De Bergerac, Edmond Rostand

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte

Essay: Topic up to students, but must involve one of the texts from this section and a tale from which it borrows.

So section one introduces the Cupid and Psyche myth, contrasts it with Hades and Persephone (which, bonus, also gives us an opportunity to discuss Death and the Maiden), and then introduces several other famous myths and fairy tales that are directly descended from different aspects of the Cupid/Psyche myth. Section two discusses retellings of those myths across several different genres. Finally, section three presents several influential works of literature that are arguably types of one or several Cupid/Psyche tales. There'd be a midterm and a final in there somewhere too, but I don't generally bother with those.

[bitimdrake]

Do you know if any of the Bats and adjacent characters have extended family in canon? I know Kate Kane is Bruce’s cousin and Damian has/had an aunt. But is that it? Are they all only children of only children? Tim had to make up an uncle. Both Dick and Damian have evil immortal grandfathers. I can’t remember if even Steph or Barbara have mentioned anyone.

Generally the answer is no here. Family members just tend to not be introduced unless they are plot relevant, so we do have a lot of only children floating around.

That intro make make it seem weird that this list is still pretty long, but most relatives here (outside of the Kanes and Al-Ghuls) are very short-lived characters who had one or two plotlines. As far as regular civilian relatives floating out there in the world...yeah, not a lot.

The Kane-Wayne family is a bit bigger, since post-Flashpoint it ties Bruce and Kate together. Bruce has a cousin in Kate and an uncle in her father Jacob. Kate has a twin sister, Beth Kane/Alice, who was thought to die as a kid, before returning in adulthood as a supervillain under the name Alice. Not sure if Bruce has ever interacted with Alice.

In the New 52, they have an uncle Phillip, who died shortly after Bruce became Batman. He and Kate are also related to Bette Kane/Flamebird....somehow. Another cousin? I think??? And there have been a whole bunch of old Wayne ancestors referenced in various stories, but no others I can think of in the present day.

The Al-Ghul family also has a fair few relatives. Beside Talia, Ra's has both another daughter, Nyssa Raatko (major appearance: Death and the Maidens) and a son, Dusan (major appearance: Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul). Dusan was rejected on account of Ra's deciding his albinism made him unworthy, but remained loyal anyway. He essentially died when Ra's took over his body. Nyssa was more opposed to Ra's, but also died late in pre-Crisis in a League power struggle. There's also "the Sensei", father to Ra's, who pops up on occasion, and the "Daughter of Archeon", half-sister to Ra's who appears briefly in Red Robin.

Post-Flashpoint, Dusan has a daughter Mara, Damian's cousin. She is apparently from Teen Titans vol 6, and has definitely met Damian, but I haven't gotten there yet so I can't comment on their relationship, nor Dusan's post-flashpoint incarnation.

Post-Crisis/Pre-Flashpoint, Barbara was adopted by Jim, so she has additional relatives in original parents Roger and Thelma Gordon. Post-Flashpoint, she's just Jim's daughter to begin with. Either way, she has a brother, James Gordon Jr, making her the only batkid to have a biological sibling (and even then, only in post-Flashpoint, as he's her cousin/adoptive brother post-Crisis).

Cass has a few siblings or pseudo-siblings in the kids David Cain tried to train before her. There's a boy only known as "Mad Dog" in her original Batgirl run, who shares no biological relation. Cass finds out about a now dead sister, Annalea, in the terrible evil!Cass arc in Robin. And Cass meets "Marque" in Batgirl vol 2, who is confirmed to share genetics with her.

Stephanie has an uncle Dave on her mother's side, who appeared in a single issue (Batman Chronicles #22) to be creepy and make her uncomfortable. Unlike every other batkid, Steph has never lost both parents or needed adoption, so it's totally possible she could have more extended relatives who just haven't been plot-relevant.

Post-Flashpoint adds Dick's evil resurrected ancestor, William Cobb/Talon, and (apparently, haven't gotten to these yet) reveals Faye Gunn to be Jason's grandmother, adds in Ra's mother as another apparently immoral Al-Ghul, and is currently teasing that Melina Zucco might be Dick's secret half sister.

And that leaves Tim. Technically he had family via his step-mom Dana--at least one sister and two nieces who Tim meets at Jack and Dana's wedding (Robin 80-page Giant). But he obviously didn't know them growing up, and Dana never adopted Tim, so they didn't come up after he was orphaned.....and I assume it's just a matter of time before he gets a shocking secret sibling/uncle/cousin/grandparent reveal.

[mirthofbooks]

2022 anticipated book releases

Based on US release dates and starting in April. I put genre/theme where I know it, but they might not be 100% accurate.

True Biz, by Sara Novic - April 5th (literary, students at a school for deaf/HOH kids)

Portrait of a Thief, by Grace Li - April 5th (thriller/mystery)

Young Mungo, by Douglas Stuart - April 5th (literary, LGBT)

The Candy House, by Jennifer Egan - April 5th 

The Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. John Mandel - April 5th (sci-fi/speculative)

The No-Show, by Beth O’Leary - April 12th (romance)

Nettle and Bone, by T. Kingfisher - April 26th (horror)

Book of Night, Holly Black - May 3rd 

Seasonal Fears (Alchemical Journeys #2), by Seanan McGuire - May 3rd

Book Lovers, by Emily Henry - May 3rd (romance)

I Kissed Sarah Wheeler, by Casey McQuiston - May 3rd (YA queer romance)

Not Good for Maidens, by Tori Bovalino - May 3rd (horror)

Trust, by Hernan Diaz - May 3rd (literary, historical)

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo - May 10th (literary, historical)

The Dance Tree, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave - May 10th (historical)

This Time Tomorrow, by Emma Straub - May 17th (contemporary)

You Made A Fool of Death with Your Beauty, by Akwaeke Amezi - May 24th (romance but not traditional)

Either/Or, by Elif Batuman - May 24th (sequel to The Idiot)

All the Things We Don’t Talk About, by Amy Feltman - May 24th (literary)

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, by Juno Dawson - May 31st (historical fantasy)

Screams From the Dark: 29 Tales of Monsters and the Monstrous, by various - June 7th

For the Throne, by Hannah Whitten - June 7th (fantasy, sequel)

Nightcrawling, by Leila Mottley - June 7th (literary)

We All Fall Down, by Rose Szabo - June 7th (YA fantasy)

Lapvona, by Ottessa Moshfegh - June 21st (literary, she’s a weird writer y’all)

The Final Strife, by Saara El-Arifi - June 21st (YA fantasy)

Godmersham Park, by Gill Hornby - June 23rd (historical)

Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels, and Crooks, by Patrick Raden O’Keefe - June 28th (nonfiction)

The Bodyguard, by Katherine Center - July 19th (romance)

The Drowned Woods, by Emily-Lloyd Jones - August 16th (YA fantasy)

Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution, by R.F. Kuang - August 23rd (adult fantasy)

Ruby Fever, by Ilona Andrews - August 23rd (adult fantasy, Hidden Legacies)

A Taste of Gold and Iron, by Alexandra Rowland - August 30th (adult fantasy probably queer)

The House of Fortune, by Jesse Burton - August 30th (sequel to The Miniaturist)

Unraveller, by Francis Hardinge - September 2nd (children’s fantasy)

The Marriage Portrait, by Maggie O’Farrell - September 6th (literary)

Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match, by Sally Thorne - September 6th (romance)

Nona the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir - September 13th (sequel Gideon and Harrow the Ninth)

Stone Blind: Medusa’s Story, by Natalie Haynes - September 15th (mythology/fantasy)

What Monstrous Gods, by Rosamund Hodge - October 12th (YA fantasy)

A Restless Truth, by Freya Marske - November 1st (sequel to A Marvellous Light)

The Lost Metal, by Brandon Sanderson - November 15th (fourth Mistborn novel)

[vintagegoddess12]

5 Times Agatha Pushed the Limits and the 1 Time She Shouldn’t Have (4)

Relationship: Young!Agatha x Reader

Prequel to The Purple Brick Road

A/N: Enjoy this chaper, y’all. Last 2 chapters left. Are you ready?

First Time

Second Time

Third Time

Fifth Time

Fourth Time

The Forbidden Forest is originally called the Cursed Forest. The Witch Mother before Mother Evanora decided to change the name to keep the hunters and seekers of the forest out. It was known to be a place where Dark Magic is strongest. Any spells or curses cast in here are stronger and can last for a lifetime. Magic wielders look for this place to perform rituals that can be considered dangerous or too powerful. Only the Crones and Mothers know of its history and dangers which is why they are the only ones allowed to bypass the protection spell keeping people out of the woods.

You grew up only knowing that the woods are not a place to visit, especially when your father lost his life defending it from the seekers. Upon your ascension and knowing its true story, protecting the forest and the people from it is a duty you have accepted.

Together with the Mothers, you roam the Forbidden Forest to search for an intruder. They were notified of a break in the protection spell.

“It is important to find them but never cast a spell you do not understand,” the Witch Mother reminded everyone of you.

The forest was quiet, save for the occasional blowing of the wind or animal noises. It was too quiet but you paid no attention to it. You continue to walk when you catch a glimpse of an all-too-familiar figure.

For Agatha however, the forest was anything but quiet. She can hear the thrum of magic fill the air. It feels electrifying every time it grazes her skin, getting stronger as she goes deeper into the woods. She does not have any idea what’s waiting for her but she continues exploring, excitement overpowering rationality.

The young witch was practicing her transfiguration earlier that day when the forest caught her eye. For weeks, it has been pulling her in. She tried every day to turn away and deny her mind the secrets the woods may possess. Today is not that day.

Knowledge is indeed her greatest strength and weakness.

“It’s forbidden for a reason, Agatha.” Her mother sternly replies every time she asks about the restricted place.

Flashes of different conversations earning the same answer with her Mother appear in her mind. Agatha shook her head at the image. She’s inquisitive, there’s no fault to that. The young witch insists that what she’s doing is not wrong nor a violation of their rules. This opportunity was presented to her.

She did not break the protection spell, it opened for her.

She did not seek this power, it called her.

She did not break any rules, it bent for her.

Once she focused on the force pulling her into the forest, it latched on to her. She noticed how a part of the barrier separating the forest and their village was wide open. It feels like someone paved the way for her; all she has to do is travel down it.

Agatha was so close to the heart of the woods when she sensed someone coming, She turned on her invisibility charm, preparing to attack. The figure, however, was nonthreatening. It felt comforting even. A small smile spread across the witch’s face. She knows who this is.

The figure stopped a couple of steps away from Agatha, assessing the situation. Donning the coveted Witch’s Cloak, the person remained unfazed by the stillness around her. The young witch can see a smirk forming on the lips of the person under the hood.

“Try as you might, darling, I know you’re here,” you announced. You can see the remnants of Agatha’s last performed magic. Invisibility. Clever. The streaks of blue hang in the air, slowly fading. It’s still a mystery to you how such a powerful witch can be so careless with her footprint.

Agatha watched as you removed the hood covering your face. God, she missed that face. You have been out with the Mothers these past few days. She was told you were visiting the next village, introducing yourself to other witches. She took her time taking in your presence.

Your voice, commanding yet caring.

Your witchcraft, precise and disciplined.

Your heart.

Well, there are not enough praises to sing about how big your heart is. Agatha couldn’t help but smile at how the playful, young [Y/N] grew up to be the responsible, charming Mother that stood in front of her. Always looking out for her. Always there for her. Slowly, a warm sensation spreads across her chest. Just the mere idea of you takes her breath away.

Before the Witch Mother’s daughter can make sense of what she’s feeling, you have reversed the invisibility spell and exposed her position.

“[Y/N],” Agatha whispered your name cheekily.

“Agatha,” your voice filled with concern, “you shouldn’t really be playing around here, dear.”

The witch dramatically gasped. “The village was getting too small for me,” she replies, feigning innocence.

You let out a large sigh before taking a step closer to your friend. “Well, the village will have to do,” you saw her pout before continuing, “because you need to go home.”

“[Y/n], can’t you feel it?” Agatha’s baby blue eyes widened in excitement. “This place is full of magic and it’s calling me.” Her forefinger pointed to herself.

You tried to hide how your breath hitched at her statement. Maybe you shouldn’t have left. Or maybe you should have come home sooner. You knew weeks ago how this place is affecting your friend. Now, Agatha had a taste of what the woods can give her. It’s only a matter of time before she comes back here and takes it for herself. You’re losing her.

She was never yours.

You try to calm the beating of your heart and the voice in your head. She’s still Agatha. She will still listen.

“The Mothers are here and they wouldn’t be happy to see you.” You can see her body tense a little bit but was replaced by a playful smirk across her face.

She stepped closer to you while asking,” you’re not going to tell on me, are you?” The beating in your chest just sped up more, if that is even possible. This woman will be the death of you. You swallowed the lump forming on your throat before you replied, “you know I won’t.”

Agatha offered you a big smile. There is nothing more attractive to her than someone having her back. For you though, nothing is more attractive than her.

Her eyes looked at your face and the accessory on your neck.”That’s a really nice necklace you got there.” You instinctively touched the pendant - a sapphire with a crescent moon and waves carved on it. Suddenly, every thought of Agatha on your head felt wrong.

“Thank you,” a weak smile on your face. “It was a gift.”

“By whom?” Your eyes, now unable to look at hers, tried to focus elsewhere when you heard steps coming close to your position.

Before the Witch Princess can ask further, you immediately cast a concealment spell around the both of you.

“You need to go,” you say more like a command. She was about to reply when you cut her off. “It’s forbidden for a reason, Agatha.”

Agatha felt her jaw tense hearing those words out of you. She can’t believe this. The longer you become a Mother, the more you become like her mother. She shook her head before replying.

“Well, I don’t want to.” her voice firm and devoid of any playfulness it used to carry, “besides, they’re just asking us to gather by sundown for this announcement.”

The Maiden noticed how uneasy you became. Your hands started fidgeting. You can’t even look at her. She asks, “do you know what it is?” as curiosity got the best of her.

You took a deep breath before nodding your head. “They’re announcing a wedding.”

She scoffed at the notion. “Why would they? There’s no one in the village who’s beth-”

Before she can finish the sentence, Agatha’s gaze landed once again on the necklace on your being. A gifted necklace with a pendant that signifies the essence of its wearer. No. No, it can’t be.

With the witch in front of you trailing off, you took that as a sign to fill in the blanks. You knew this moment would come, you just didn’t think it would unravel this way. Feeling the weight of your necklace against your chest, you decided it’s better for her to hear it from you.

“I’m getting married.”

[pynkhues]

4 for Stuby?

Thank you, anon! This ended up being more Ruby-centric than Stan x Ruby, but hopefully you like it still. :-)

4. Mint Leaves

When her mother leaves her the house, she leaves her clean floors and tired walls and boxes of her father’s things, stacked low in the basement, inched in dust and memories. She leaves her some of her grandmother’s furniture – the old dining room table she’d done her homework at as a kid and the armchair with the scorch on the leg from where her brother tried to put out a cigarette before she saw. She leaves her the old camphorwood chest that smells of damp earth and mothballs, the herb garden by the fence, and the lopsided bookshelf in the hall.

Leaves her everything she can’t take with her to the home, and Ruby tries her best to be grateful, tries to smile and take it even though it feels like being handed the keys to a museum. A glass-cased history of her maiden name while she’s in the middle of changing it on her driver’s license, phone bill - - god, in her head. Tries to pretend that accepting the weight of her family’s small legacy is a choice instead of the only option her and Stan’s combined minimum wage income will afford them.

Tries to pretend she’s ever had options when it comes to the roof over her head and the crumpled bills in her purse.

And it’s okay, she thinks, because Stan’s grateful enough for both of them. Grateful enough to visit her mother twice a week, to get her approval before painting the walls, fixing those shelves, sanding back the old dining room table and varnishing it until it shines beneath the warm light, and Ruby lets him fix the old while she tries to bring in the new. To buy new throws to cover the scorch mark on the armchair, and pictures to hang that feel like the woman Ruby Hill and not the girl Ruby Johnson, and maybe it would feel stupid if Stan didn’t watch her do it, a tender, thoughtful look on his tender, thoughtful face as he told her all the recipes he knows how to cook are his mom’s.

“Every time I try something new, it feels like it won’t ever be as good as one of hers. Sometimes I want to just find that one thing I can make to surprise her. Make her realise I got my own thing going too.”

(It’s weird, Ruby thinks as she kisses him, her hand gentle as it cups the back of his head.

The way even the biggest of loves can sometimes leave a shadow.)

Still.

It’s not until her mother’s death that they rediscover her herb garden.

Find the crush of dead leaves – basil, sage, bay – a graveyard beneath the stiff, wooden stalks of rosemary, cobwebs damp with dew between branches, the shriveled remains of what once was thyme.

Ruby’s eyes are still swollen, red and puffy from tears, and they start easy again now, the memories of her mother bended on tired knees as she pulled weeds and tended soil. As she plucked these herbs for ziti and stuffed peppers, for roast chicken, turkey, and chili. The smell of it all finds her nose even though it isn’t here, and she rubs her hands into her shirt just for something to cling to, hold to, to ground her in this moment and let her mother go.

Only - -

Stan’s voice.

Easy, open, surprised.

Ruby turns around, finds him not at the fence, but by the corner of the house, and she blinks, because that’s - -

“Mint,” Stan tells her. “I think it’s wild.”

Parts of it have gone to flower already – the tiny purple flowers springing from the centre like a fistful of thrown confetti, paused mid-flight – and the leaves are bigger, wider than what Ruby’s used to in the mint she sees at the diner, at the store, at the markets when she goes with Beth, and she turns back to look at the fallen remains of her mother’s garden, and she looks back at this scrap of wild, new life, and the pressure behind her eyes is back, her face stiff and her chest aching, and she tries to keep her voice flippant instead of hoarse when she says:

“Mojitos?”

They drink a few, and they’re a little tart (she’s not sure if it’s because they’ve gone to flower already, or because the herb is wild. She’s not sure if she cares), and then Stan cooks.

He cooks mushroom and mint pastries, pea and mint fritters, cooks salty, tangy larb and mint chocolate brownies, and they’re all good, but the last melts on her tongue until she pulls Stanley close, has him lick it out of her mouth so he’s there and he’s close when she tells him they’re better than his mom’s.

She regrows her own mother’s garden.

She pulls out the dead herbs and she plants new ones, and she transplants the wild mint from the corner of the house to rest with them, and when she gets pregnant, she thinks she’ll let her daughter pick the next thing they plant and she won’t be mad when she doesn’t get it. Won’t be mad when she wants something new, something that’s just hers, because she thinks maybe you have to know yourself, and what you have to lose, before you’re grateful for what you had.

Send me a sensory prompt (Good Girls, The Umbrella Academy or Succession)