#Frances Cain parents

[mossistyping]

family vs moss

[the-right-person-will-stay]

Hi !!

After following a lot of coquette content on TikTok, I decided myself to join the girlblogger/coquette community :3

I’m Emma, 15 (2009 kid ✨), I’m a Libra (Sagittarius rising), I’m a witch, even if I have to hide it bc of my Christian conservative parents.. I’m in HS, and living somewhere in France :D

I LIKE : Lolita (1997) ofc !!!! Virgin Suicides, Priscilla.. Sofia Coppola is my queen fr 🩷 In term of music, Lana Del Rey, Sabrina Carpenter, Ethel Cain..

I do not read much bc uuuuugh reading is annoying, but I plan to make an effort, there’s so many cool books I wanna read since I saw book recs in that community :3

Please don’t hesitate to become mutuals I want besties 👯‍♀️

Check my lovely moot btw : @bowsandbpd mwaaaaah 💋

[give-me-a-minute-to-think]

In a poetry club I attend a friend of mine wrote this poem in light of the current situation, and I wanted to share it on her behalf (translated to english with the original hebrew).

A POEM IN HEBREW / Efrat M. And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations He who shut the heavens that there be no rain And you were left forever dead and forever alone to eat by the sweat of your brow The fruit of knowledge has been bitten and you can never go back home My grandmother was born in Iraq. My family was expelled from Iran. My mother was nine months old when they fled Baghdad. My father is from Libya, his uncle was murdered in the streets. My grandfather had to leave everything he knew behind. My grandfather is from Morocco. My grandfather is from Italy. My grandfather is from Romania. My father is from France, his parents are from Morocco. Both my parents are from Syria. Both my parents are from Russia. My family is Moroccan. My family is from Egypt. My family had to live in a tent for two years. My grandmother is from Austria and Czechoslovakia. My grandparents are from Uruguay and Chile. My grandfather was born in Israel. My grandfather is from France. My great grandmother is from Poland. My great grandfather is from Yemen. My grandmother was born in Israel, but the family is originally from Libya. My grandfather is from Iraq, but the family is originally from Iran. Both my parents are Greek. Both my grandparents are Romanian. My grandfather was in a Libyan prison for five years after attempting to flee. My father is from Iraq, my mother is from Tunisia. My grandmother is from Tel Aviv, but before that from Galicia. My grandfather is from Poland. My grandmother is from Libya. My grandmother is from France. Grandfather from Tunisia. My grandfather is from Tel Aviv, but originally from Poland and Lithuania. My grandmother is from the United States, but before that from Hungary. My great grandfather is from Poland. My great grandmother is from Russia. My mother was born in Israel, her mother was born in Israel, and her parents are from Romania. My grandmother was born in Mexico, her father is from Lithuania, her mother is from Hungary. My father’s parents are from Poland. My mother's parents are from Germany and Ukraine. My mother's mother is from Hungary, my mother's father is from Romania. My father's parents are from Argentina. My great grandfather is from France, or maybe from Germany. My grandfather and his seven children fled Morocco. My father was attacked, and they decided they could not stay. My family was forced to start a life elsewhere. My grandmother fled Yemen. The date of her birth is lost to time. They arrived in Israel with nothing, everything was taken and looted and left behind. My mother tells me of Moldova When the youth movement was still called the Young Communist With her homeland spoken russian half understandable to my ears or With fluent hebrew marked by an indelible accent Even after all those years Her distasteful tone graying with age, she told me of a childhood grudge that no longer mattered No more than words, simple quiet violence Simply a teacher before a room of young students and my mother simply a child Return from whence you came Where Iscariot first betrayed with a yellow kiss To the Jewish country that was made so that We need not carry the burden of abominable life Our parents, brothers, and sisters were torn from us before our eyes Cast from yourself all delusion The rage you feel now will be with you for the rest of your life The sorrow you feel now will not fade once the rest of the world marches on This grief must be spoken We are no longer weak and defenseless And they told us go like lamb to slaughter And we didn't go Return from whence you came To your mansions in New York or New Jersey Where we can comfortably break your glass windows And spray marks of Cain onto your front doors My people Who came from nowhere and belong to no one

'שיר בעברית / אפרת מ והפיץ אלוהים אותך בעמים הוא אשר עצר את השמיים ואת המטר ונשארת לעולם מת ולעולם יחיד לאכול בזיעת אפך פרי הדעת ננגס ולעולם לא תוכל לשוב הביתה סבתי נולדה בעיראק. המשפחה שלי גורשה מאיראן. אימא שלי הייתה בת תשעה חודשים כאשר ברחו מבגדד. אבא שלי מלוב, דודו נרצח ברחובות העיר. סבי נאלץ לעזוב את כל שהוא מכיר. סבא שלי מרוקאי. סבא שלי מאיטליה. סבא שלי מרומניה. אבא שלי מצרפת, הוריו ממרוקו. שני הורי מסוריה. שני הורי מרוסיה. המשפחה שלי מרוקאית. המשפחה שלי ממצרים. המשפחה שלי חיה באוהל במשך שנתיים. סבתי מאוסטריה וצ'כיה. סבא וסבתא מאורוגוואי וצ'ילה. סבא נולד בארץ. סבא מצרפת. סבתא רבא מפולין. סבא רבא מתימן. סבתא נולדה בארץ, המשפחה במקור מלוב. סבא שלי מעיראק, המשפחה במקור מאיראן. שני הורי יוונים. סבא וסבתא רומנים. סבי היה בכלא לוב חמש שנים. אבי מעיראק, אמי מתוניסיה. סבתא מתל אביב, אך לפני זה מגליציה. סבא מפולין. סבתא מלוביה. סבתא מצרפת. סבא מתוניסיה. סבא מתל אביב, אך במקור פולין וליטא. סבתא מארצות הברית, אך לפני זה הונגריה. סבא רבא מפולין. סבתא רבא מרוסיה. אמי נולדה בארץ, ��ימא שלה נולדה בארץ, וההורים שלה מרומניה. סבתא שלי נולדה במקסיקו, אביה מליטא, אמה מהונגריה. ההורים של אבא מפולין. ההורים של אמא מגרמניה ואוקראינה. אמה של אמי מהונגריה, אביה של אמי מרומניה. הוריו של אבי מארגנטינה. סבא רבא מצרפת, או אולי מגרמניה. סבי ושבע ילדיו ברחו ממרוקו. אבי הותקף, והם החליטו שהם אינם יכולים להישאר. משפחתי הוכרחה להתחיל חיים במקום אחר. סבתי ברחה מתימן. תאריך יום הולדתה נאבד לזמן. הם הגיעו לישראל עם כלום, הכל נלקח ונשדד והושאר מאחור. ההקרבות והקורבנות רבים מספור. אמי מספרת לי על מולדובה כאשר תנועת הנוער עוד נקראה הקומוניסט הצעיר ברוסית מולדת החצי מובנת לאוזניי או בעברית שוטפת אך עם מבטא בלתי נמחק אפילו אחרי כל השנים בטון סלידה מזוקן משיבה היא דיברה על טינה מהילדות שכבר לא משנה לא יותר ממילים, רק אלימות שקטה רק מורה מול קהל הילדים ואמי רק תלמידה. חזרו למקום ממנו הגעתם היכן איש קריות בראשית בגד בנשיקה צהובה למדינת היהודים שנוצרה בכדי שלא נצטרך לשאת בנטל חיי תועבה לעינינו קרעו מאיתנו את הורינו, אחינו, ואחיותינו. השליכו מעליכם כל אשליה. הזעם שאתם מרגישים כעת יהיה אתכם לכל חייכם היגון שאתכם כעת לא יתפוגג אחרי ששארית העולם יצעד הלאה. התוגה הזאת אינה אילמת. כבר איננו חלשים ואיננו חסרי מגן. ויאמרו לנו לכו כצאן לטבח ולא הלכנו. חזרו למקום ממנו הגעתם לביתי התפארת בניו יורק או ניו ג'רזי שם נוכל בנוחיות לנפץ זכוכיותכם לרסס אותות קין על פתח ביתכם העם שלי הבאו מאין מקום ושייכים לאין אדם

[no1tolerateitfan]

got lovestruck went straight to my head...

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welcome to my girlblog!

colette , fifteen (taylor's version) , january capricorn , she/her , american-french-spanish , tennis , soccer , estj , pinterest girlie , city girl , cabin 10 , ravenclaw , thought daughter , hector forts wife actually

im a girl who loves...

pasta , shoes , fancy dresses , swans , jane austen , fashion , affirmations , grwms , hector fort , fruit salads , history , rome , mason thames , christmas , picnics , brandy melville , spain , navy blue , pink , snow , music , reading , winter , ivy leagues , fc barcelona , evermore , romcoms , coffee , emma chamberlain , models , concerts , any march , period films , the idea of motherhood , adam brody , traveling , brunettes , vogue magazine , nyt games , staying in , autumn , birthday parties , rhode , my family , the sturniolo triplets , france , doing my hair , learning new words , making new friends , nara smith , daydreaming , piercings , my boyfriend , being on dnd , shopping , matcha , setting goals , vanilla everything , summer roberts , real estate , concerts , stuffed animals , girlbloggers , healthy lifestyle , makeup , flowers , animals , halloween , starbucks , early mornings , subdued<3

fangirl favorites

spotify deep dive;

gracie abrams , taylor swift , olivia rodrigo , sabrina carpenter , chappell roan , madison beer , lana del rey , clairo , billie eilish , lizzy mcalpine , noah kahan , maisie peters , laufey , role model , phoebe bridgers , harry styles , reneé rapp , mitski , tate mcrae , cas , paramore , boygenius , beabadoobee , niall horan , conan gray , billy joel , the neighbourhood , fleetwood mac , ethel cain , marley brown , arctic monkeys , abba , the cranberries , alessi rose , mazzy star , zach bryan , chris stapleton , ariana grande , avril lavigne , mckenna grace<3

film files;

little women , la la land , the princess diaries , lady bird , 10 things i hate about you , 13 going on 30 , pretty woman , 27 dresses , the devil wears prada , scream , when harry met sally , call me by your name , 500 days of summer , how to lose a guy in 10 days , notting hill , runaway bride , clueless , priscilla , a rainy day in new york , midnight in paris , corpse bride , the perks of being a wallflower , black swan , dead poets society , harry potter , narnia , enola holmes , beautiful boy , pride and prejudice , the notebook , the proposal , mamma mia , dirty dancing , grease , the parent trap , white chicks , ella enchanted , sixteen candles , she's the man , miss congeniality , my girl , the virgin suicides , the edge of seventeen , the amazing spiderman , mean girls , legally blonde , thirteen , breakfast at tiffany's , girl, interrupted , twilight , uptown girls , star wars , heathers , old disney<3

tv show archive;

grey's anatomy , gossip girl , gilmore girls , the oc , one tree hill , one day , friends , derry girls , baby , pretty little liars , anne with an e , how i met your mother , the office , criminal minds , supernatural , tsitp , bones , the flash , outer banks , suits , stranger things , you , the crown , emily in paris , satc , agggtm , jane the virgin , the vampire diaries , scream queens , supergirl , killing eve , glee , teen wolf , b99 , boy meets world , dawsons creek , smallville<3

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please please please reach out to me if we have the same interests , need to chat , or wanna be moots, i love meeting new ppl and being able to interact with you guys. my sideblog is @vani11alattes , if you wanna check it out! xoxo💗

!! dni if you are nsfw , 18+ , a mature themed blogs , racist , homophobic , misogynistic , and rude. this is a safe space for myself and others, do NOT ruin it by being oppressive !!

^if you are over the age of 18 and a girlblogger you are exempt from this

i am catholic , pro-palestine , and do not support russia. i don't typically talk about these topics, but if you don't agree with my views and beliefs , simply do not interact with me. thank you!

[eli6abesxo]

Batfam ethnicity and language headcanons

Bruce Wayne

Father is half English half Japanese, and mum is a Jewish polish immigrant

Languages: English, used to speak polish well but has forgotten a lot of it (still knows some stuff)

Dick Grayson

Romani / of the Roma people, probably either from diaspora of romani people in France or Romania (I'm not an expert so if you have any info on this subject or would like to correct me pls feel free)

Languages: English, one of the dialects/ languages of the romani people (although doesn't remember all of it because he hasn't spoken it in years), some Spanish (picked it up from people he knew before his parents died), and probably some others

Jason Todd

Half Mexican half American

Languages: English, does speak Spanish but not fluently

Tim Drake

Half Vietnamese (part Korean), half American Jewish

Languages: English, Vietnamese, doesn't speak Korean but knows hello and goodbye and some other basics

Damian Wayne

Mum is from middle eastern and Chinese descent

Languages: English, speaks both Arabic and Mandarin fluently due to his mother and private education

Stephanie Brown

American (ca caww)

Languages: English

Cassandra Cain

Chinese

Languages: English, Mandarin, also speaks some Spanish and is surprisingly good

Duke Thomas

African American

Languages: English, also headcanon he took up french as a passion project (is kinda shit)

Barbara Gordon

Irish American

Languages: English, also probably speaks some really weird phrases and some useful ones from a bunch of different languages through her time in her position.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

When Our Shadows Disappeared

by HoneyDewed_LemonDrops “Robin, report,” Batman, not Bruce, chimes, and Tim internally breathes out in relief. At least they’d gotten into the normal system, which meant they were free for the most part. The person doesn’t fight him as he stares down at them. “I lost them,” He lies. It doesn’t matter. He tugs the device out of his ear and drops it. He hears it buzz and die when he steps on it. It doesn’t matter, the trackers are still live. If both Batman and Nightwing are free, he gives it about three minutes before one of them shows up. He freezes when he meets their eyes, because they’re the same ones that look back at him in the mirror. No. — Or: I wanted to write a Cass and Tim twin au because there’s tumblr posts of them but no fics and they’re so sosjsbrownanebrbr Words: 8163, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 4 of Mostly Unconnected Batfam One-Shots Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: Gen Characters: Tim Drake, Jack Drake, Janet Drake, Cassandra Cain, Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson Relationships: Janet Drake & Tim Drake, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Cassandra Cain & Tim Drake, Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne, Cassandra Cain & Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Good Parent Janet Drake, like I made myself like her when writing this, BAMF Tim Drake, Jack Drake is Not Tim Drake's Biological Parent, Tim Drake-centric, Janet Drake is Not Tim Drake’s Biological Parent, Cassandra Cain and Tim Drake are Siblings, Assassin Tim Drake, Good Sibling Tim Drake, Tim Drake is Not Okay, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Good Sibling Cassandra Cain, BAMF Cassandra Cain, Protective Cassandra Cain, Assassin Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake Has Issues, Tim Drake Whump, Tim Drake is Not Red Robin, Cassandra Cain is Not Black Bat, Cassandra Cain is a Wayne, Hurt Tim Drake, Hurt Cassandra Cain, Cassandra Cain and Tim Drake Are Twins, Aged-Down Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake is a Menace, Dead Jack Drake and Janet Drake, Good Parent Bruce Wayne, Good Sibling Dick Grayson, Functional Wayne Family, as in their relationships are fine and dandy and nothing is bad, protective batsiblings, that should be a tag fuck off, Yes beta we come back like all the robins, Batfamily (DCU) Feels, Cassandra Cain Joins the Batfamily Early, French Tim Drake, Tim Drake Speaks French, Asian-American Tim Drake, hes technically Japanese but was raised in France, Jason is in this once, there is a planned sequel but idk if I’ll be able to do it, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, No beta we die like janet, for now via https://ift.tt/nZL7fpi

[khaleesiofalicante]

LBAF & Etymology etc

Happiest of Name Days to Vicky. Here is a little treat for you @fangirlingismygame because I love you so. 💙

There is a tradition started by Diego and Cristina in the Rosales family where the children are named after the letter A. Cami and Theia were almost named Athena and Aurora respectively. 

Gwen was named by Lance as such because Lancelot and Guinevere is one of the first love stories David taught Lance. 

Joan and Atlas don’t have a middle name. Cami and Arjun’s middle names are Rosales and Iris’ middle name is Jazmín.

Iris was named after the particular flower because it’s the flower Mallory left over Selena’s ‘grave’ when she buried her under the snow in LBAF IV. Gabriel picked it because it’s the flowers that helped them find and save Selena during that day. 

While Joan was named after a combination of Jonathan and Julian, she is also named after Joan of Arc - who is in fact considered a national and feminist hero in France. 

The name Madeleine derives from the biblical character Mary Magdalene. 

It's mentioned that Joseph and Madeleine are the 'It Couple' in the Clave. Their ship name used to be Belleheart (Bellefleur + Goldheart) meaning beautiful heart.

Régine’s middle name was going to be Davina, a female variant of the name David. Madeleine and Joseph kept it as secret to reveal it to David after she was born, but Madeleine ended up not naming her daughter that way. 

The name Silverstone (Lance and Arthur’s school) is based on a Formula 1 Grand Prix in the England. 

Harry’s surname Anh (Vietnamese) means intellectual and bright. 

Arthur names all the animals he cares for and brings home after characters from his school plays and favourite musicals. 

The Lightwood-Bane, because of Max and David’s mundane wedding and now mundane life, is one of the only names that is registered and documented accordingly to mundane law. It means mavid family can vote in mundane elections - among other things. 

Prince of Darkness is a name actually used to refer to Lucifer in Manichaeism (a former major religion during the the 3rd century). Prince of Darkness, in LBAF, was inspired by the Shakespearean quote in King Lear (Act 3 Scene 4) “The Prince of Darkness is a gentlemen” hinting that devil will disguise himself as a good man in order to deceive you.

The Crimson King, in several interpretations, refers to a malevolent and evil force - including in Stephen King’s Dark Tower Series. 

Both Iris and Hermes are names of two famous greek gods both known for being messengers.

Hermes last name Cain is similar to most warlock names - single syllable and has a dark/sad meaning. Cain refers to ‘first murderer’ from the bible after Cain and Abel. 

Everyone in the family pronounces Lance’s name with the British pronunciation (David was adamant about using it) while everyone in his school (including Harry) uses the American pronunciation. 

The only people (whom he knows) who don’t refer to Arthur as AJ are David and Kincaid.

Joan’s dog’s full name is Oliver Twist - named after a famous fictional character like all Herondale/Fairchild pets.

Other Max no longer goes by Lightwood-Bane and has a different surname in the Other Timeline (his present/our future).  

Arjun is named after an infamous archer in Indian mythology. 

Before Lance found about Kincaid’s destiny, Crimson King used to be one of his favourite bands - they’re a famous rock band from the 1960s and 70s. 

And finally, Lance and Arthur were the names I had picked out for my own children, but I gave it to Mavid because I love them so much and wanted my unborn, imaginary children to have two wonderful parents. 

[back-and-totheleft]

The making of Oliver Stone, the Unmaking of Hollywood

When I think about Oliver Stone, I imagine a gambler at a craps table who bets every chip he’s got, every time, and usually comes out a winner. And, his gain is ours as well, for he has gambled everything on making some of the best films of our generation.

Check out Stone’s oeuvre, and you will be shocked at how many movies he has made; how many of his you have seen but didn’t know were his. The first Oliver Stone movie ever I saw (but I didn’t know until recently that it was his film) was The Hand with Michael Caine. I saw the film on TV when I was 6 or 7. It is about a cartoonist whose hand is cut off in a car accident, and the hand returns to haunt him and others. I couldn’t sleep for a week. I was constantly looking under my bed to see if a severed hand was there waiting to attack me.

Stone’s just-released memoir, Chasing The Light, reads like a movie script, for Stone’s life and career have indeed been worthy of the big screen. As we learn through riveting prose, the story of the boy Oliver Stone could have been written by Charles Dickens, but Stone is more David Copperfield than his namesake, Oliver Twist. Stone is placed in a boarding school during high school, removed from the parents he adores. His loneliness only increases when he is told over the phone at age 15 that his parents are divorcing and that his mother has moved back to France without even so much as a goodbye. He then learns shortly thereafter that his father has lost his fortune, and with it, Oliver’s inheritance. By his own admission, Stone has yet to fully get over this trauma.

Oliver then had to begin life anew, and to forge his own path, ultimately to the silver screen. It is that lonely journey we learn about in Chasing The Light.

The book opens with Stone’s recounting of his making the movie Salvador (one of my favorites) in Mexico on a shoe-string budget with a cast of characters, including James Woods with whom Stone has remained friends. But it is the excitement of creating a film with so little backing, and with such a great risk of failure, that excites Stone, and also the reader of his memoir. The results are stunning, with Stone succeeding at making what I believe to be the defining Hollywood movie about Reagan’s vicious war in Central America.

It is in this section of the book that Stone writes some of my favorite lines of the book:

The truth is, no matter how great my satisfactions in the later part of my life, I don’t think I’ve ever felt as much excitement or adrenaline as when I had no money. A friend who came from the underclass of England once told me, ‘The only thing money can’t buy is poverty.’ Maybe he really meant ‘happiness,’ but the point is, money gives you an edge, and without it, you become, like it or not, more human. It is, in its way, like being back in the infantry with a worm’s-eye view of a world where everything, whether a hot shower or a hot meal, is hugely appreciated.

I have to imagine that, somewhere, there is a sled or other such object for which Oliver pines, reminding him of simpler days, when he was the object of his parents’ love and affection, and when life seemed more certain.

But, as things turned out, Oliver would come to eschew certainty and comfort at every turn. For example, when he was a freshman at Yale, he quit school to volunteer for the US war in Vietnam. To me, it is this which makes Oliver the stand-out individual he is. While cowards like George W. Bush and Bill Clinton would hide behind the ivy walls to avoid service, Oliver went out of his way to sign up to fight. He would become a highly decorated soldier, earning a number of awards, including the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.

In the end, as we learn in his semi-autobiographical film, Platoon, which would win the Academy Award for Best Picture, the war in Vietnam would be a disillusioning experience for Stone. He would learn, as so many others did, that the US was not really fighting for democracy in that far-flung country, and that it was instead brutalizing a poor peasant society trying to shed the yoke of French, and then US, empire.

Platoon was the first Oliver Stone movie I saw on the big screen. I was 17 at the time, and I saw it with my very right-wing father. That movie blew my mind. The scene in which the Charlie Sheen character stops his fellow comrades from raping a Vietnamese girl shook my world. I had no idea until that moment that that sort of thing happened in war, and certainly not by US servicemen. That film, along with Salvador, would help to radicalize me and to make me the person I am today. But what makes Platoon great, I think, is that it captured in a dramatic fashion the cruelty as well as the fog of war. After seeing it, I talked to my boss at the sporting goods store I was working at about it. He was a Vietnam veteran himself, and he readily stated that Platoon was the greatest Vietnam War movie ever made because it told the story of the war so truthfully. This is the highest praise one could receive for such a work.

There is much more to say about Oliver Stone and his memoir. The book is a gripping read, and it is made all the more compelling by Stone’s incredible honesty about himself as a person; about his feelings, including embarrassing feelings that most people would leave to the therapy couch; and about his triumphs and failures. Oliver Stone, first and foremost, is an amazing human being, and to learn about him in his own words, with all his humor and candor, is a delight.

-Dan Kovalik, "The Making of Oliver Stone, The Unmaking of Hollywood," July 24 2020

[godsfavdarling]

Thoughts on The Girl Who Slept with God by Val Berlinski (no spoilers because I need everybody to read it)

I rarely write a post focused on just one book—I usually save everything for a monthly wrap-up (except for that ACOSF rant, of course). But I just can't stay quiet about this one.

I first heard about this book on TikTok about two years ago. Some girl mentioned that if you loved Ethel Cain’s Preacher’s Daughter, you had to read this.

Naturally, I went straight to Amazon and bought it for way too much. It’s not translated into my language, so I had to order it from abroad. 

I started reading it back in 2022, but for some reason, I really struggled to get through the first chapter. Maybe it was because I'd fallen out of the habit of reading in English, or maybe it was the small print that overwhelmed me, but I put it down and kept telling myself I’d come back to it eventually. Well, I finally did, and oh my god.

Was it a perfect book? I’m not sure. It’s one of those that, if it’s for you, you’ll love it. But I know it won’t connect with everyone—it’s slow-paced, and not a lot happens, at least on the surface.

I’ll try not to spoil anything and just focus on a few key aspects.

Let’s start with the basics—what’s it about?

The story centers around three sisters: Grace, the eldest at 17, who is deeply moral and devoted to God, always striving to be a good, kind, and selfless person.

Then there’s Jory, the 13-year-old middle sister, who isn’t as perfect as everyone might expect her to be. She’s a bit rebellious and prone to making questionable choices, but she’s just a young girl trying to figure things out—of course, she won’t be perfect.

And finally, there’s little Frances, the youngest.

The sisters live in Idaho with their parents—a stay-at-home mom and a father who teaches astrology. The entire family is deeply religious and very involved in their church community.

When Grace leaves home for a missionary trip to Mexico, she returns believing she is pregnant with the child of God. In response, their father sends Grace and Jory to an isolated house, away from the rest of the world.

The plot is kind of insane. I wasn’t sure where it was going.

Is Grace actually pregnant with a new baby Jesus? If not, does she genuinely believe she is, or is she lying? And if she’s lying, why would she?

I had so many questions.

What I love, though, is that even though Grace is the one who’s pregnant, the story follows Jory. She’s the main character, trying to navigate everything—her complicated relationship with their mother, starting at a new school, and the typical struggles of growing up. She wants to experience things that most teens do: falling in love, making new friends, testing boundaries. But her parents forbid so much, trying to keep her from living like a “normal” teenager.

Suddenly, Jory and Grace are living alone together. They get more freedom, but they also have to fend for themselves.

I loved reading about how they figured things out on their own, but I was also incredibly angry with their parents. These are just kids, yet they’re expected to act and think like adults.

It’s probably very realistic, but all the projection from their parents was so frustrating. Their father, especially, is neurotic and obsessed with doing things a certain way. He’s more worried about what people will think than actually listening to and taking care of and loving his children.

What enraged me the most, especially toward the end, was how the parents turned everything into being about themselves—their pain, their grief, their struggles. 

It became all about how they were suffering, completely disregarding what their daughters were going through. That really hit me hard because it felt so relatable.

Jory, in particular, was left to handle everything on her own. While Grace had her own issues, Jory was basically abandoned emotionally, expected to navigate this chaos without any real support.

It angered me how, in the middle of all this, her parents never seemed to realize or care that she was still a child. 

They were so wrapped up in their own lives and expectations that they couldn’t see the weight they were putting on her shoulders. Jory was left alone to deal with things that no teenager should have to face, and that isolation, not even the physical one but emotional one, was heartbreaking.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this book. I don’t like knowing too much before I dive into something, and in this case, that was easy because not many people have read it. I’m really glad I stumbled upon it.

That being said, I didn’t expect it to be a coming-of-age story. I definitely didn’t expect it to center around a 13-year-old girl left to figure things out on her own.

I went in thinking it would primarily be about religion, faith, and people trying to hold on to that faith—some clinging more tightly than others as real life unfolded around them.

I found myself underlining so many lines as I read. I was using a pencil as a bookmark. I’ll share some of those parts below, without any spoilers!

[bourgeoning]

we  are  so  glad  to  see  you  safe  ,  LIEUTENANT COLONEL SYLVAIN DE LA TRÉMOÏLLE  of  FRANCE  !  it's  dangerous  out  in  the  world  these  days  ,  but  i  hear  that  you  are  ADROIT  and  UNDAUNTED  enough  to  handle  it  .  just  don't  let  your  RESENTFULNESS  bring  you  down  !  stay  on  your  guard  ,  because  with  your  secret  being  at  risk  for  exposure  ,  you  wouldn't  want  everyone  to  find  out  YOU KILLED YOUR DOPPELGANGER AND ASSUMED HIS IDENTITY  .

BASICS .

BIRTH  NAME :  émile zhihao sun  .

FULL NAME : sylvain lucrèce de la trémoïlle .

NICKNAMES  &  ALIASES :  VIVI and SYLVIE are both childhood nicknames employed by members of the la tremoille family . their mother would sometimes call them EMMY when they were young .

TITLES & OCCUPATION :  lieutenant colonel of the french armed forces , heir apparent to the duchess of thouars  . comfortable being referred to by his military title or " my lord . "

BIRTHDAY  &  AGE :  november 14  (  35  )  .

GENDER :  demi man  .

PRONOUNS :  he / him / his and they / them / theirs  .

ORIENTATION :  bisexual biromantic , polyamorous  .

STATUS :  unwed .

LANGUAGES SPOKEN : french , mandarin chinese , spanish , others .

TRAITS :  adroit , undaunted , resentful , magnetic , duplicitous  . neutral evil .

INSPIRED BY : patrick jane ( the mentalist ) , mizu ( blue eye samurai ) , charles sun ( the brothers sun ) , the prince and the pauper , the cain complex .

HISTORY .

TL;DR : a man born with nothing schemes seeks everything they ever wanted , no matter the price / an injured wolf found at your doorstep — you may let it in , may nurse it back to health , but remember that a wolf will always be a wolf .

born in china , the product of a torrid love affair between a local woman and a sailor . émile quickly learned that they had an older brother once ; their mother's son , from well before she met émile's father . he was gone long before they were born , yet his ghost haunted the child nonetheless . nothing they did seemed to be good enough for their mother , as she cited all of their older brother's feats at their age .

eventually , émile and their mother uprooted their lives and set out for france , their father's home country . they never found the man , but their mother became a laundress for the duchess in a city called poitiers , and there , émile met the duchess' eldest son , sylvain . the first remark , even before greetings , was that their resemblance was uncanny .

as the children played together , puerile antics led to a proposition : to switch clothes , to switch places . with noble parents and an overworked , perpetually grieving mother respectively , the ruse wasn't so difficult to keep up . especially when sylvain was allergic to study , content to live out his days mingling with the common people instead . so émile spent swathes of time in sylvain's shoes ( and pants , and shirt , and the rest of his clothes ) . they even studied his reading materials in their free time , as themself .

the duchess noticed the apparent change . her son , who had suddenly taken an interest in his lessons , in being her heir , became her pride and joy . and émile , masquerading as sylvain , basked in her praises , things they were so unaccustomed to hearing from their own mother .

as  sylvain and émile approached  young  adulthood  ,  their  similarities  were  becoming  fewer  and  far  between  .  they  were  becoming  their  own  people  ,  and  ideas  had  been  swirling  around  émile's  mind  for  quite  some  time  .  they  already  spent  so much  time  as  sylvain  ,  were clearly  worthier  of  the  title  he  was  born  with  .  so  ,  émile  devised  a  plan  .  when  the  two  of  them  swapped  clothes  for  the  final  time  ,  émile  led  sylvain  out  into  the  forest  and  struck  him  down  ,  marking  up  his  face  just  enough  for  his  identity  to  be  ambiguous  .  then  ,  they  ran  .

at  20  ,  émile  returned  to  poitiers  —  claiming to be the long - lost  sylvain  .  no  longer  a  boy  ,  but  a  young  man  ,  surely  he'd  gone  through  enough  change  that  his  appearance  would  hold  up  to  scrutiny  .  weaving  together  a  story  was  much  simpler  ,  anyway  ;  already able to  answer  obscure  questions  about  boyhood  , any gaps could be easily filled in .  and  the  duchess  fell  for  it  wholeheartedly .

once  settled  in  ,  they  expressed  interest  in  enlisting  in  the  army  ,  despite  the  duchess'  protests  .  she'd  only  just  gotten  them  back  ,  why  must  they  leave  again  ?  but  they  insisted  , citing a family history of military service .  really , though , they wished to feel wanted for something . something they couldn't find neither in poitou , nor as they wandered the far corners of the world . so  ,  after  completing  their  studies  , off  they  went  .  over  time  ,  they  rose  through  the  ranks  as  a  member  of  the  cavalry  .

but recognition for their martial achievements , evidently , wasn't enough . not before the reckoning , and certainly not after . they needed more , and set their sights on more lucrative targets , and on opportunities outside of the country he had come to call home .

HEADCANONS .

wanting to one - up the brother he never knew propels nearly every aspect of sylvain's life .

sees  his  biological  mother  on  occasion  ,  as  she's  still  on  the  la  tremoille  payroll  after  all  these  years  .  sometimes  he  wonders  if  he  needs  to  tie  up  that  particular  loose  end  ,  but  it's  been  years  since  he's  seen  any  spark  of  recognition  in  her  eye  .  which  just  …  makes  him  feel  even  worse  tbh  . but there's still an innate desire within sylvain to win her favor .

the  la  tremoille  family  is  known  for  its  influence  —  as  military  leaders  ,  as  politicians  ,  as  friends  to  the  orléans  .  they've  been  a  fixture  of  the  french  court  for  centuries  .

being  a  cavalryman  ,  they  are  also  ,  naturally  ,  a  horse  girl  (  gender  neutral  )  .  they've  got  one  mount  with  them  :  their  war  horse  ,  areion  .  normally  ,  they  also  have  at least one  hack  for  everyday  activity  ,  but  considering  the  distance  from  home  ,  and  resources  required  to  spoil  take  care  of  multiple  horses  ,  they  elected  to  only  bring  areion  along  .

has fully adapted to living as sylvain , and doesn't even react when he hears the name " émile . " rarely , overhearing " emmy " seems to get a moment of pause out of him , but it's more confusion than anything else . he'll shrug it off as hearing the name of " an old friend . "

NAME & ETYMOLOGY .

ÉMILE : french form of the roman family name aemilius , which is derived from the latin aemulus , " rival . "

ZHIHAO : from chinese . it combines 志 ( zhì ) " purpose , will , determination , " and 豪 ( háo ) " brave , heroic , chivalrous . "

SUN : from 孫 ( sūn ) , " grandchild , descendant . "

SYLVAIN : french form of silvanus , derived from the latin silva , " of the woods . " silvanus was a roman cognomen , as well as the name of the roman tutelary of forests .

LUCRÈCE : french form of lucretius , possibly from the latin lucrum " wealth , profit . "

( DE ) LA TRÉMOÏLLE : unknown . descended from la trimouille , the name of a village in poitou , france .

named after my second favorite blue lion from fe3h .

WANTED CONNECTIONS .

HIS YOUNGER SIBLINGS ( ALSO ON THE MAIN ! ) : aware  that  sylvain  had  a  lookalike  when  he  was  younger  ,  perhaps  they have  suspicions  about  his  return  over a decade ago .  despite any distrust , sylvain tries to be a good big brother , in his own way . they are influential  at  court  , within france and / or abroad ,  as  part  of  the  ambitious de  la  tremoille  brood  .  21  to  33  .

A CHILDHOOD FRIEND : someone who knew sylvain well before he became the person he is today ( when they were still just émile ) , and doesn't even realize because he's changed so much ? but he remembers them . and in spite of all the walls he's put up , all the terrible things he's done , he still holds a tenderness for them . essentially , he'll still screw them over if he needs to , but he would think twice about it .

SHIPS IN THE NIGHT : there's  a  four  or  five  year  gap  in  sylvain's  life  they  refuse  to  speak  of  .  during that time  ,  they  traveled  ,  returning  to  china  for  a  stretch  of  time  .  if someone crossed paths with him at the time , they would have witnessed a young man trying  to  find  purpose  ,  seizing  every  opportunity  they  could  to  get  ahead  ,  and  fighting  to  survive  .

ENEMIES & ADVERSARIES : not eager to burn a bridge unless he absolutely must , that certainly doesn't mean sylvain is without enemies . i'd also love to see someone he spurned in his pursuit of power , maybe turning down a betrothal with them in favor of finding a royal to marry instead .

[odetodebunked]

ii. marschall's personal life.

Marschall Cain Marcutio was born on June 9, 1995, in Bordeaux, France. His father was a diplomat, while his mother was a former accountant who now works as a homemaker. Marschall has one older sister named Rhiannon Serenia. Due to their parents' jobs, they frequently moved during their childhood. However, when Rhiannon turned 13, she decided to settle in Indonesia with their grandparents, while Marschall, who was only 10 years old at the time, had to continue living with their parents in Cairo, Egypt.

Marschall was very close to his sister, after she left, he felt extremely lonely. So, as he entered his teenage years, he decided to move in with their grandparents. Marschall spent his teenage years adapting to the Indonesian environment. By the time he went to college, he had grown to love Indonesia more than anything else. As a result, Marschall decided to settle in Indonesia permanently.

He completed his undergraduate studies in social sciences and humanities. Although he initially intended to follow in his father's footsteps, Marschall developed a passion for philosophy during high school. He earned a bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Gadjah Mada University and pursued his master's studies in the Netherlands. Rest assured that Marschall has successfully returned to Indonesia and is currently employed at the highly renowned law firm Assegaf Hamzah & Partners.

[hitchell-mope]

Hypothetical titles for season seventeen of 88

Golem. Season premiere. Part one. Drummond is bequeathed a Golem in his biological grandparents will. He doesn’t want it. So he hatches a plan to offload it.

Yosemite. Season premiere. Part two. Lysander’s continued effort to befriend Drummond puts his life in danger when he offers to help deliver the golem to an old contact of Drummond’s. First appearance of Tom Holland as Roxas “Yosemite” Winchester.

Dull. The team works a cold case from ten years ago when a victim turns up having been killed in the exact same way. Guest starring Nolan Gould as Dahl Kramer.

The long and short of it. Devon has to intervene when Jonah accidentally resurrects William Shakespeare after Andy teaches him how to safely use a ouija board. Guest starring Mat Baynton as William Shakespeare.

The man makers. Part one. The team investigates a cult in a Long Island suburb comprised of mothers who endorse a long disproven Roman belief about masculinity.

Rampage. Part two. A college senior freely admits to killing all the women in his family six years after they’d subjected him to the machinations of the suburban cult.

New Rochelle. Findlay and Sidney go undercover to protect a sitcom star from an assassination attempt. Guest starring John Mulaney as Eugene Mayberry III and Elizabeth Olsen as Charlotte Linter.

What do you need? Findlay takes it upon herself to help an engineering prodigy that took control of his family’s business building after repeated mistreatment from the staff. Guest starring Graham Phillips as Clyde O’Bannon.

Watch the queen conquer. Findlay heads to the Cabal Academy in Russia to deliver a speech on gender equality as a favour to one of Barnaby’s old dorm mates. Guest starring Dara Renee as Naomi Morris and Cobie Smulders as Diocese.

Alakazam. While Findlay’s in Russia, Drummond, Odessa, Coleman and Solaris get trapped in an old board game Gideon was combing for hexes.

Exhumed. Findlay finds herself at odd with Donovan’s ghost and and Celestine when she blocks a protest group who want to dig up Donovan’s body to enact alleged reparations.

Christmas at the White House. Midseason finale. Part one. The DuPont family invite the Five Families to the White House to celebrate Bethany’s final Christmas as president.

The Vice President. Midseason premiere. Part two. Bethany DuPont is offered a new role at the White House by the incoming president. First appearance of Adam Beach as Marcus Marley.

The presidential oath. The Five Families are invited to Marcus Marley’s inauguration as the first male president of the United States of America.

Bad to the bone. Findlay’s fiftieth birthday is coming up. So Sidney conspires with Tatum Mercer to get her a starring role in a music video that Emerson Davenport is making for charity. Guest starring Aubrey Plaza as Tatum Mercer and Chris Pratt as Emerson Davenport

Butterball. Findlay finally relents on her “no pets” rule and allows Jonah to buy a puppy. Especially when she finds out that Zoey’s terrified of corgi’s.

Those who get left behind. Birch bars Findlay from talking to the parent of a teenage boy who killed himself because of her downright atrocious bedside manner.

Brimstone and treacle. Findlay is called as a witness in a competency trial focused on her family’s old nanny. Guest starring Neve Mcintosh as Fiona Abernathy.

Complications. The team is tasked with protecting a senators pregnant daughter after word gets out that her mother had sold her daughter’s first born child to bag the election. Guest starring Alan Cumming as Rumplestiltskin

Extended family. The 400th episode. In this two hander, Lisette Christensen and Drummond have a long talk about jewellery, family and birthrights. NOTE: this episode is a synchronous episode, taking place at the same time as Complications

Suited and booted. Season finale. Part one. Drummond, Andy and Caine set off for the south of France. Features the return of Tom Holland as Roxas Winchester.

Stowaway. Season finale. Part two. Drummond is incensed when he discovers that Jonah’s snuck aboard the plane and refuses to go back home.

Watch the master at work. Season finale. Part three. Drummond’s team lands in the south of France and immediately runs afoul of the smugglers they intend to steal from. Guest starring Matthew Broderick as Ulysses Haven, Alan Ruck as Ulysses’s husband Wallace and Nathan Lane as their enforcer Torvald Macher.

Blood emeralds. Seasons finale. Part four. Drummond enacts a final, last ditch attempt to nab the emeralds right from under Macher and the Haven’s noses.

[soliloquivm]

⸻DANIEL GILLIES HE + HIM / have you ever heard of THE SOUND OF SILENCE BY SIMON & GARFUNKEL., well, it describes EZRA CAINE to a tee! the FORTY SEVEN year old, and PSYCHIATRIST was spotted browsing through the stalls at portobello road market last sunday, do you know them? would you say HE is more resentful or more ANALYTICAL instead? anyway, they remind me of untouched books neatly stacked , the sound of a pen tapping against a notebook and the quiet with only birds in the background , maybe you’ll bump into them soon! interrogation tw ( ? )

time in notting hill : 15 years birthplace : strasbourg , france sexuality : bisexual relationship status : married ( wc )

born in strasbourg , france to two military parents , ezra’s dream was always to be the perfect soldier . always so fascinated by the lifestyle of traveling the world and getting to know the people he thought it would be far more than anything he could imagine at seventeen years old with his father’s sign off , ezra graduated high school early and enlisted in the military with every intention on becoming a great marine for his country while in bootcamp however , his training officer saw something else in the young soldier , his fascination with the culture of others , his willingness to talk and or listen sent him in a special program that was guided by mi6 and to ezra , that meant a chance to see the world , the mi6 after all worked in all parts of the globe — to be studying through them was an honor … but alas , not everything was to be expected . the program that he’d been sent off to once he’d completed boot camp was , along side his other training in which he’d become a master as a sniper , was one of the mi6’s more unethical skillsets … interrogation for ten years ezra worked as a skilled interrogator for the government , brought in on site to question accused terrorists , their families , so called enemies of the country until finally , he’d decided enough was enough and got out , making sure to take his granted md in psychiatry with him . home , however had not been the same while away – his parents had long retired and relocated to the beaches of france but ezra knew he wouldn’t favor that world and chose instead to relocate to nottinghill , london , working through the hospital in the psychology wing , making rounds in the prison , and eventually opening up his very own practice . and on the side . now , ezra is married and loves his spouse more than anything , however , they have only been married since well after his time with mi6 , and he's never shared those stories with them .

[sleepinginmygrave]

omg thank you so much for the tag<333

favorite colour: it changes all the time but currently it's deep blue and dark forest green :]

last song: ptolemaea by ethel cain. this song is absolutely crazy and gives me chills everytime

last movie: black box (watched it yesterday with my parents, it's a french thriller pretty cool)

currently reading: the last man by albert camus

currently watching: nothing but i plan on rewatching skam france really soon :]

currently craving: chicken or crêpes

coffee or tea: iced coffee (i still prefer hot chocolate tho)

npt: @ev-enhotterthanyou @good-oldfashioned-lover-girl @silence-between-seconds @thedvilsinthedetails @noctilucaa and all my other moots<333

Hi Lela ( @staringathesunbabe )!! Oh my gosh, thank you so much for thinking of me! I’m so happy!

Tag game! Rules: answer and tag people you want connected with and get to know better!

Favorite color: turquoise! Light, bright turquoise, like this👗

Last song: Cassandra by Taylor Swift. It’s so Regulus coded 😭😭😭

Last film: Howl’s Moving Castle 🏰 I re-watch it when I’m in a Mood (😡)

Currently reading: I just read What’s in a Name? by writeonclara. It’s a Sherlock fic for Sherlock/John Watson and it’s very cute and lighthearted!

Currently watching: re-runs of Sherlock! I love his deadpan humor haha!

Currently craving: Funyuns 🧅 gimme that onionnnnnn 😮😮😮

Coffee or tea: tea 🫖 please!! 🙏

Tagging @lifeandlies-of-regulusblack and @chasingthestarss ❤️❤️❤️

[miraculous-trinity-leo]

Whacky Gotham, Goofy New York, and Chaotic Paris.

(part 1) (part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7)

Chapter 1: Genius Little Ladybug

★—–—–†–—–—★

It all started when Sabine Cheng and her parents moved from China to America, where she met a rich boy named Tony, they weren't the best of friends at first, but they would always get into crazy shenanigans because of Tony. Sabine always finding a way to get them out of it. After a while they were practically inseparable, they had each others backs, both in the good times, and the bad.

So when Tony lost both his mother and father in a tragic car accident, and had to take over his parents company, she was there to try and ease the pain. It helped a little, but the boy changed and blocked out many people, only keeping a select few close to him. His personality changed, and he started to act differently, it saddened Sabine, but she knew it was his way of coping with his lose.

She would oftentimes find him crying silently in his office. When Tony opened a branch in Paris France, he was paranoid something would go wrong when he wasn't there, so he had Sabine become a sort of co-CEO for the Paris branch. Over the many years of her being a sibling-in-everything-but-blood to Tony, her intelligence was much higher than everyone in the company, other than said boy.

She moved to Paris not long after, always keeping an eye on both the Paris branch and Tony ( because god knows what would happen if she didn't do so). She even met a baker named Tom Dupain. Eventually dating, and marrying him. Tony wasn't the most eager when he heard of Tom, but he accepted him as family (not because if he didn't Sabine would knock some sense into him). He practically exploded with excitement when he heard we would be an uncle a few years after Sabine's wedding.

Tony was there in the waiting room with Tom, when Sabine was having the child ( Tony denies not having a mini heart attack when the nurse came in). Both men looked at the beautiful child through the glass. Tony was put to tears when he read her name "Maria Dupain-Cheng" and was comforted by a teary Tom.

When Maria was 9 months old, her Uncle Tony came to spend time with her, and talk business with Sabine. None of them expected Maria to crawl her way into their conversation and say "Uncle Tony" in the sweetest most adorable laugh both adults had ever heard. Tony had a massive grin on his face, and gave Maria a big hug and lots of kisses saying " I knew i was your favorite hahaha, and you're only 9 months old. Sabine I think we got a little genius on our hands." Sabine was just as happy and told Tom to hurry and grab the camera.

"Come on say it one more time my dear Maria, show your papa who your favorite adult is" Tony said with a very wide grin.

Maria giggled at her uncle's happiness, clapping her hands. "Uncle Tony, Uncle Tony" Tom just smiled giving his baby girl a kiss and handing Tony 10 Euros.

Tony continued to visit his little genius niece over the years. Maria ended up getting the best education a kid could get, becuase his logic was " If she is a genius (which she is) then she is going to have the best education money can buy, for nothing is to much for my Little Genius Maria!" and with that she could officially be called the smartest kid in all of Paris... heck probably in all of Europe even! So when she gained a passion for fashion at 4, Tony didn't hesitate to get her, her very first (kid friendly) sewing set. By the time Maria was 5 she already knew how to speak and write in French, English, Spanish, Russian, and is learning Mandarin.

Maria had met Chloé when they were both 6, although they weren't really friends, they were polite to each other, which surprised a lot of the other kids their age. She had met Alix a few months later. She spent a lot of the time she wasn't studying with her friends, Alix would get in trouble with another kid on the playground, Chloé would criticise the other kid, and Maria would talk to Alix and then apologize to the other kid. Overall, they had a good dynamic going on, and they (as 7 year olds) promised to always have each others backs to the very end.

When Maria was 3½ months away from her 9th birthday, Tony was kidnapped. Maria just broke down, she wanted to help her Uncle, but she didn't know where he was or how she could help if she did. For three months Maria would only speak to Chloé and Alix (they were kinda shocked to find out she was related to THE Tony Stark). A few days before her birthday, Tony came to their home, with rolls of fabric, flowers, and 'I'm sorry cards'. Maria jumped into his arms crying asking what happened, and "If you're the smartest man on the Earth, why the Heck did it take you so long? How did you get out? Are any of your vital organs hurts? Do you need to go to the Hospital? An-"

"Hey slow down My Little Genius Maria, I'm ok. 1, They didn't really give me much to work with at first, and there is only so much a genius like myself can do with so little resources, and time before your Birthday. 2, I made an anime mecha suit and flew out guns a blazing. 3, Nothing I can't live without. and 4, No because I'm spending the week with you lot before a conference I have in about 10 days." He said while holding his small little genius  in his arms.

Wiping away the tears she looked her Uncle in the eyes "Wait, you 'made an anime mecha suit and flew out guns a blazing?' How does it work? what's its power source? And why do you have a weird glowing device in your chest?!" He had a lot of explaining to do.

That week, in her words was 'The best week of her life.' She was really happy for the first time since the Tony-napping happened, although she was sad he had to go, she knew  he was safe, and that she didn't have to worry (as much) now.

When Maria was 13, both Tony and Sabine decided to have her go to public school with her friends. After hearing this Maria called for a meeting, her two commanders (Alix and Chloé) came for the meeting, and had a talk on how she should go about her first day of public school, asking questions like 'How do non-homeschooled kids act? What are their personalities like? What interests do they have? Are some barbaric like Alix is sometimes? Will they like me? Am I allowed to talk to Chloé in or only out of class? What are the seating arrangements? Who do I sit next to?' the list goes on. They were all excited to finally all be in the same study environment, now all they had to do was wait for their first day.

•~—~—~—~—~—~—~•

The night before her first day Maria may or may not have slept well due to her excitement, she woke up a little later than she ever would have preferred, getting breakfast, her clothes, the 'greeting sweets' (as Alix called them) and heading out in a slight panic.

On her way out she noticed an elderly man with a cain crossing the street, and a car coming a little faster than what was allowed, she pulled the man out of the cars way without losing any of the sweets, after making sure the man was ok, she gave him a sweet before saying good day and heading over to school. She never noticed the man walking away without the use of his cain.

She still got to class on time, when her teacher walked in she greeted everyone in the class "Bonjour, je m'appelle Maria Dupain-Cheng, c'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer! (Hello, my name in Maria Dupain-Cheng, it is a pleasure to meet you!)" after the introductions she sat down in the empty seat next to Alix, both giving a fist bump, and a smile to Chloé, who looked away as if she didn't care (the girl had an image to keep after all). When class was over she handed out the sweets and went with her friends to lunch. During lunch, one of the other students from a different class was mocking one of their classmates that Maria remembered as Ivan, for having a crush on Mylène and not saying how he really feels to her. Ivan ran off into one of the locker rooms, and Maria decided to go and comfort him, she explained that she overheard what happened and that he should try and tell Mylène about his feelings, listing many different things he could do or say, and that he should stay positive.

Ivan thanked Maria afterwards and went off to write a song for Mylène. Ivan later showed Mylène the song he wrote for her, but was teased by other students near them, Ivan ran away not wanting to be embarrassed more.

Back in the classroom Alix and Maria are sitting and talking when everyone hears crashing and screams outside, the class looked out to see a giant rock thing destroying everything  on its way to the school. The teachers sent the kids home in an attempt to keep them safe.

When Maria got home she noticed a small box with writing she didn't recognize, she carefully opened it, instantly releasing a glow of bright red-ish pink light.

"Greetings Maria Dupain-Cheng, I am Tikki, the Ladybug Kwami of creation and good Luck, it is a pleasure to meet you." Maria couldn't believe her eyes "Mon dieu..." was all she could say, before going full interrogation mode "You're a Kwami? What is that? How are you floating like that? How am I able to understand you? Do you have some sort of ability to communicate in any language?How did you fit in this box? w-"

"There is no time, Paris needs you! I can only explain the powers I grant and how to use them, so please listen carefully."

•~—~—~—~—~—~—~•

Soon Maria was running in a red suit with black spots and amor. She ended up facing the 'akuma' as Tikki called it in a stadium, meeting her partner (a blonde furry she decided) for the first time.

"Bonjour m'lady, so what's the plan to take this thing down?"

Without hesitation she explained her plan " The plan is for you to have your Cataclysm ready, I'll give you a signal when it's your-"

"Cataclysm!"  The boy proceeded to use his ONE attack on a GOAL POST!

"I said to wait for a SIGNAL! Now you only have five minutes before you power-off."

"Oops" The blonde was really wasting her more useful braincells. After the boy was thrown out of the stadium, Maria was left to fend for herself, and she did really well, considering this was her first non(but sort of) official villain fight, up until she lost her footing and was knocked into the side of the stadium. The akuma was gone before she could get back, more and more people were turned to stone, but it showed just where Stoneheart was heading.

She arrived at the Eiffel Tower, where blonde was fighting stone people, he just managed to get away and actually listened to the plan this time.

They defeated Stoneheart, Maria gave her speech to the villain, and did a fist bump (though at this point Maria just wanted to get some sleep), when a reporter came to interview them.

"What are your names, and where did you come from?"

"My name's Chat Noir an-"

"Ladybug, and we're hear to protect Paris from Moth-Man, as much as we would love to give you a bit more details, we don't have much time at the moment" right on que their Miraculous' beeped signalling they had 2 minutes left " Stay safe, and positive, Bug-Out. "

•~—~—~—~—~—~—~•

"Well done Maria!"

"Thanks Tikki." and with that Maria went downstairs to get something to eat, when she saw her parents watching the news.

"Earlier today Paris gained a villain and two heroes: Ladybug, and Chat Noir. Many of our viewers submitted pictures and videos, but only one of Ladybug came out clear."

"Thank you Ladybug and Chat Noir for protecting us, bonne journée à Paris."

.................

"Maria you're taking self-defense classes starting tomorrow" Sabine spoke, though Maria didn't have any complaints, plus it'll help when fighting akumas so it's a win win.

"Yes maman."

•~~~~~later in Maria's room~~~~~•

"Ok, so you're basically goddess of creation personified into a cute little Ladybug creature?"

"Kwami, but yes."

"And you've existed since basically the Big Bang?"

"Correct."

"... how are you able to float like that? How are we able to talk without any ancient god language in the way? And what other kinds of um kwamis are there?"

"I float with magic. Yes their is a language only for the Kwami, but we've learned every other language in existence, so there would never be an issue with communication. And to your last question, there are many different kinds of Miraculi all over the world, some even across the universe, so I am unable to list every single one in existence, but there are just as many Miraculi out there as there are starts in the sky."

"Impressive... does that mean I could learn magic?"

"As a human you are limited to what you can do with magic, but you have a strong creation soul. So yes it is possible for you to learn basic magic, I can teach you some life magic to help you heal quicker if you get hurt outside the suit. You can also learn other types of basic magic based on what Miraculous you are most aligned to. Surprisingly you have a close affinity to most of my brothers and sisters that are here in Paris."

"Are they in the hands of other Miraculous users?"

"... aside from Chat Noir, only two: one belongs to the Guardian, and the other to Hawkmoth."

"What are their names?"

"...Wayzz is Kwami of Protection, and is the partner of the Guardian. The other is Nooroo Kwami of Transmission, Hawkmoths Kwami.

"Ok, so then I assume the 'Guardian' is who you were with until now, right?"

"That is correct."

"And how was I chosen exactly?"

"The Guardian chose you because he saw your kindness in action, and sensed your strong Creation Soul, he has only ever been wrong once, but I can tell you will be a great Ladybug, maybe even one of the few who achieved a higher sence of life."

"... I feel like you kind of described a Sage, also how would he have seen an act of kindness, I mean, I got my things, went out helped an older man with a cain, wait."Maria squinted her eyes at Tikki as if looking for something.

"The elderly man's the Guardian isn't he?"

"..."

"I get it, you don't have to tell me, it's all apart of the 'plot' like some show, I get it. Welp, good night Tikki, have to get up early tomorrow."

"Good night Maria." Tikki never messed up so badly before, then again she never had a user with such a strong Creation Soul before either... Maria is something special.

•~—~—~—~—~—~—~•

And Tikki was right, she excelled at Life Magic, learning a fair bit of healing, luck and slight plant manipulation and communication magic. Tikki wasn't sure if she should be proud of her Bug, or scared at her fast learning skills.

A few weeks passed and Maria was thankful for the self-defense classes, she even started doing her own training routine with Tikki guiding her. She didn't like that her partner was a flirt, it got distracting and almost got Chat killed a few times. She often wondered 'what the hell did I do in my past life to get a partner like this?'

•~—~—~—~—~—~—~•

Tony Stark was called by Sabine to meet her earlier than they had planned, she informed him that Paris now has a villain and two heroes.

"Ok, so what's the problem? We agreed to put Maria in self-defense classes so she would be safe... is it a boy?! Don't tell me it's a boy, she's to young to be dating!"

"It's not about a boy."

"Then what is this about?"

"She's Ladybug, *sigh* I swear she gets it from you Tony. She learned it from your dumb@ss, and it didn't help the need to protect people she loves when you got kidnapped. I need you to teach her how to be a good hero, good combat strategist, and to give her your support. She already has a tactical mind, I'm proud in a way that she shares your bravery."

"Ffffffffudge... ok, where is she?"

"Upstairs."

•~—~—~—~—~—~—~•

After a slightly awkward conversation Maria started to get even more training, and became a pretty much badass on the field, she incorporated the known fighting styles of: Black Widow (her favorite hero), Captain America, Deadpool (favorite hero to some degree), Daredevil, Wolverine, and some moves from famous villains like, Kraven The Hunter, Red Skull, Doctor Doom, Scorpion, Shocker, and Taskmaster ( her favorite villain). And she used ALL of those skills in battle, it was damn impressive to watch, and then Sabine had a talk with Tony.

〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜Bonus〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜

"Ok Tony wtf? I asked you to teach her how to fight for protection when she's out there, But you turned her into a complete badass, I mean none of the akumas have lasted more than 10 minutes with her! I want to hug you and kick your @ss at the same time."

" Sorry not sorry Sabine, but she is our Genius Little Ladybug after all."

•—–—–†–—–—•

First fic, wahoo (mario stile), hope you're all having an Absolutely wonderful day, stay safe, and stay positive, BUG-OUT!🐞💮🐞

〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜 Tag List 〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜

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@lupagrimm

[starswallowingsea]

conjure up everything you have cause I want to know if you have any book recommendations (any genre will do)

BOY DO I. I ended up going off on all of these but know that I love all of these books deeply.

So first off I have to mention Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. I read this book for the first time when I was 16 and it changed who I am as a person. Also I picked two of my names from this book. It starts off as a kind of journal/diary/confession of our main character (Queenie) about her time in a Nazi prison in France after being caught while trying to infiltrate the country. They tell her to tell them everything she knows about the Allied war effort, specifically looking at aerial assaults, which gives Queenie an excuse to talk about how she met her best friend. The buys her time for a while, as she does sprinkle in what looks like useful information into her narrative but eventually her time runs out. Make no mistake, this book is a tragedy and will tear your heart out in more ways than one. It's very slow going but I promise it'll be worth it if you can get into it.

In the same vein, I also recently finished the Paris Orphan by Natasha Lester. This book follows a model turned journalist named Jessica May (based on the actual photographer Lee Miller) as she deals with sexism and misogyny during the war effort in trying to do what she wants to do, which is reporting on the war front. Jess meets a soldier named Dan who she instantly connects with while trying not to die in a trench because the field hospital she was supposed to be stationed at turned out to be under fire, and he introduces her to a child he has been looking after since his brother was killed (it's not his brother's child, she's the child of two French citizens who were trying to flee the country and couldn't take a child with them, but she takes to Jess and Dan as her parental figures very quickly). This one is also a bit heavier and includes suicide and rape, but it is still very very good.

Next I'll jump briefly to non-fiction and recommend the book T. Rex and the Crater of Doom by Walter Alvarez. It's written by one of the lead scientists trying to figure out what killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. While it is about geology and physics, it's not too dense and written in a way most people will understand what's going on, and explanations are provided for anything that wouldn't be comprehensible to the average lay person. Absolutely fascinating read.

Then we have an Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. I found this one on youtube and it sounded interesting and boy was it. It's a fantasy novel set in the Middle East/Western Asia and incorporates the culture into the story very well. It follows two main characters, the son of the overbearing military leader who just wants to run away and live a quiet life and the daughter of two scholars who wants to see her people free to live their lives without fear of being enslaved. Laia, the scholar girl, watches her only remaining family killed and imprisoned before her very eyes, barely managing to escape herself and looks for help in the resistance. Elias, the military leader's son, is planning on running away to the South before he is nominated to take part in a series of trials to become the next Emperor and decides to stay. While I wasn't the biggest fan of the romance in this book, it's not overbearing. Content warnings for violence, death, rape, and slavery for this one.

And finally, Cain by Jose Saramago. This one was recommended to me by one of my professors last semester and it's a relatively quick read at like 160 pages. It's a bible retelling focusing on Cain, where he is cursed by God to wander the world for the rest of his days. He finds himself traveling through time (or in the words of the book, different presents) and interrupting different bible stories to spite God. The writing style takes a little bit to get used to as it's just very long sentences with dialogue only indicated by the usage of capital letters starting new dialogue tags, but it doesn't take very long to get used to it. As for content warnings, if you'd find it in the bible you'll find it here (death, rape, incest mentions).