#Irene Williams

[applbottmjeens]

PREDECESSOR AND PROGENY

tags: mentions of domestic violence, implied abuse, divorced Phillip Graves bc that is a man who has 100% been married before, age gap mention, power dynamic mention, Jack Graves mention, I DO NOT WRITE GRAVES AS A GOOD MAN.

summary: The woman once known as Irene Graves tries to save a girl from a similar fate.

She heard about her only in passing and in fits of frustration. He never called her by name. Just his “bitch of an ex wife” or “the ex”, dehumanizing her and demonizing the mother of his only son.

She's met his son. The closeness in age was enough to shake them. His name was Jack, and he was a splitting image of his dad- with a kindness in his eyes that was missing from it's father.

She recalls meeting Jack being looked upon with a mix of concern, pity, and horror behind a veneer of southern politeness Annie couldn't penetrate.

It isn't until she meets Irene, really meets her, that Annie understands Jack- he has Phillip's face. He has his mind. But that heart, that humanity…

Its all Irene Williams.

Strawberry blonde with red lips and a pair of baby blues that saw right through her. This woman was elegant. Beautiful. Nothing like the vindictive witch Phillip made her to be.

She sits across from her at this Cafe, assuring Anna that “he doesn't know this place. And if he did, he wouldn't think of showing up.” To reassure her. She knows Anna is at an edge. Scared.

Across from her, Irene assesses the fly caught in Phillip's web. She's young. And yet she already looks like he's put her through the fucking wringer. God this man had a talent. She thinks sarcastically, the hunched over young woman sheepishly drinking her tea.

Phillip always did like his share of pretty, tan brunettes. He'd cheated on her with one when they were still in highschool- but she'd forgiven him easily back then- After all, she wasn't being too loyal either.

“...I'm glad you finally decided to answer my emails, Miss Pham.” Irene speaks. “Can I call you Anna?” The girl nods.

Anna finally meets her eyes. Such sad, brown little eyes. “...He always told me to-”

“Ignore them.” They say at the same time.

“Ignore them?- That what I was saying was a bunch of horseshit? Yeah. I figured.” Irene shakes her head. Phillip Graves was still so predictable to her.

She laughs. Anna’s guard is still up. But of course. Irene was always the bad guy in Phillip’s stories.

“How long have you and Phillip been…together?” Irene asks.

Annie pauses. “Officially?...About…Two years.”

“Marriage?” Irene interrogates the girl. She knows she's coming off a bit strong- but from what she's heard of that girl? She should be biting back.

“He…Implies it.” Anna says meekly, almost shy, embarrassed.

“Any babies in the picture?”

“...I have a son.”

“His?” Irene raises a brow, sighing when the younger woman shakes her head no.

“I'm guessing Phillip's sinking his teeth into that one.” Her green eyes glance down at her cup. “I'm not proud to say I deprived that man of fatherhood. I wouldn't let him see Jack till he was around fifteen. Didn't want him ruining my boy.” Irene shifts in her chair. “I suppose Phillip is doing some…compensating on his part for yours.”

She thinks about when Jack told her about his encounter with Phillip's new squeeze when he came to visit once last year- the girl was mortified upon meeting him, but so sweet and bubbly nonetheless.

“I don't think she knew I existed ‘til we met that day.” Jack admitted to his mother over the phone. He recalled seeing his father a bit anxious as Anna told him, “Phillip never mentioned a son to me.” With a strained smile.

She'd never have dated him if she knew he had a kid her age for sure.

Irene was admittedly, a bit miffed realizing Phillip had roped someone else into his bullshit- learning she's young. She's pretty. Not surprised she's military either.

And to meet her and see the damage done is, pitying.

“...What's your son's name?” Irene asks, and Annie takes her phone to show a little baby with the most furrowed brow in irritation she's ever seen- but cute. Undeniably so.

“His name is Sylas Thomas- But…I just call him Tommy.” She says quietly.

“His father is…?”

“...Not in the picture” Annie admits, looking sad. “He…got deported the day I found out I was pregnant. I…I don’t know why he won’t talk to me.”

“...Sad coincidence.” Irene mumbles. Maybe not so much of a coincidence- but it would hurt to kick her while she's still down. It would be just like Phillip to deport her man… And threaten him into no contact. He was fiercely protective of what he thought was his.

“When I found out I was pregnant with Jack, I was already finishing the divorce proceedings.” Irene explains. She had a solid case for primary custody- bruises. Settled out of court, without any charges and he fucked off once he realized she'd won.

“I'm not going to tell you what to do, Anna.” Irene speaks low. “...But I'm sure you've heard your fair share of warnings. And this is me, someone who's been in your shoes, warning you to run before you end up carryin’ his baby too.”

But the girl only wilts like a flower deprived of water.

“I can't go.” Anna sighs. “He's all I have now.”

“He will take more if you keep letting him take at all.” Irene insisted. “...I'm sure you think he loves you. I'm sure he thinks he does too…” Irene's eyes close as she remembers their old life. Church on Sundays. Dancing in the kitchen. Calling when he could. “...Don't let him make you a victim, Anna. Don't make him the one that'll save you- because he won't be.”

Irene gives her her number. She registers it under “Salon” in case Phillip peeks through her contacts again. He’d begun doing that lately.

Irene leaves that Cafe hoping she got through to her somehow. That even if she stays, she won't let that bastard step on her.

Phillip Graves was a wound on women. He couldn't help but forget they're people, not toys. It was in his nature to conquer.

And that girl was finding out the hard way.

“Bless your heart, Annabelle Pham.” Irene murmurs as she gets in the back of her chauffered car.

[banji-effect]

Blocks and strips quilt by Irene Williams, 2003

[mmagpye]

Irene Williams, Blocks and strips, c. 1970, Polyester knit, double knit, polyester/cotton blend, 76 x 73 inches

[toooldtotobedoingthis]

It's funny because nearly all of the fanfic I read, had Sarah having a good relationship with Irene. Maybe I just self-selected away from the Irene as a bad person fic.

In defense of a "Wicked Stepmother":

Sarah's Stepmother in "Labyrinth", named Irene in tie-in media, only gets about a minute of screen time before Sarah rushes off to her room in a soaked snit. Fanfic writers usually turn her into an evil bitch and even the manga sequel, "Return to Labyrinth", has her cold and abusive to Toby, her biological child. But here's the thing...

I think Sarah's mother gets a bum rap.

Dressing nicely for an evening out and having mild conflict with a teenager does not a Lady Tremaine make. And as someone who actually lived with a narcissistic, manipulative, emotionally abusive stepfather, I can tell you that Irene doesn't even come close to wicked step parent territory.

Backstory first. It's never spoken of in the film, but clues in Sarah's room tell us that her real mother is a stage actress who abandoned her and her father for another actor. Sarah idolizes her mother and tries to emulate her with play acting. Sarah's father met and married Irene sometime after Linda ran off, and Sarah, who thinks her mom walks on water, resents the hell out of Irene for taking her place. A place that Linda abandoned for another man.

She couldn't help it. He looked like David Bowie.

Let's look at her first alledged transgression. She won't let Merlin into the house. Instead she orders him into the garage. Heartless, we assume because we all love dogs and only the most soulless of monsters don't. But slow down. She didn't leave him out in the rain. She put him in the garage. Furthermore, Merlin is an Old English Sheepdog. Is he a nice dog? Sure, but he's also a breed that's notorious for being high maintenance and hard to keep clean and right now he's soaking wet and filthy. Irene isn't being cruel, she's trying to keep him from ruining the carpet.

So now Sarah and Irene are in the house about to have their confrontation. "Sarah, you're an hour late..."

Sarah lost track of time. Sarah is the one who screwed up. Irene has every right to be frustrated. For all we know, she and Robert were supposed to see a movie or meet someone and Sarah's tardiness wrecks their plans. Note, please, that while she is frustrated, she's not even yelling. My mom would have screamed bloody murder and then held it over my head for weeks.

"Your father and I go out very rarely..."

"You go out every single weekend!"

There is no way to confirm who is right on this. I will say Sarah is the one prone to hysterics and exaggeration, so it's not looking good for her.

"And I ask you to babysit only if it won't interfere with your plans."

I ask. Irene asks. She doesn't demand, and she doesn't expect Sarah to give up her previous plans.

"Well how would you know what my plans are? You don't even ask me anymore!"

Sarah, you were LARPing in a park by yourself. Furthermore, with the storm you would have gone home anyway.

"Well I assume you would tell me if you had a date. I'd like it if you had a date. You should have dates at your age."

Irene doesn't want Sarah to be a Cinderella stuck at home every night. She wants her to go out and have a social life. This is literally the opposite of the bedtime story Sarah tells Toby later.

Also, "I'd assume you tell me..." Irene might not be wording it in the best way here, but she wants Sarah to communicate with her. She wants them to have a relationship.

Then Robert enters the scene. "Sarah, you're home. We were worried about you."

WE were worried. As in both he and Irene. You think that's the reason she was waiting on the porch? Because their sixteen year old daughter is an hour past when she said she'd be home and now it's raining and getting dark?

It's not like she'd ever talk to a stranger.

Sarah runs up the stairs in a snit, not even acknowledging her father and leaving Irene dismayed. "She treats me like a wicked stepmother in a fairy story no matter what I say." Her voice isn't angry, it's hurt. She's making an effort to reach Sarah, but nothings working. She can't break through the tantrums and the anger and the hero worship of Linda.

Sarah is a fantasy junkie. It's all over her room. Her books are all fairy tales. Her dog and her teddy bear are named after figures from Arthurian legend. But she's wrapped herself in a different kind of fantasy, a toxic one. One where Irene, well meaning and kind, is one of the evil stepmothers from her fairytale books, while Linda is good and virtuous like one of the dead moms at the beginning. Except Linda isn't dead. She's shtupping a costar.

Part of Sarah's coming of age and maturity is rejecting Jareth, the stand in for her mother's lover and therefore finally rejecting following her mother's selfish path. We see her finally let go of Linda by putting her picture and clippings in the drawer. Hopefully, the next morning, after she picks the confetti out of her hair, she'll finally be able to start over with Irene.

[detectivejay]

I have no idea if this poll will have as much widespread appeal as some of the others, but this idea popped into my head and felt like a fun one to me, so...

Now you can take this whatever direction you'd like: who you realistically think you're the closest match to, or pure wish fulfillment who'd you most enjoy being. I'd love to see people's reasonings for their choices in the comments and tags. x3 Please reblog for a larger sample size!

In my case, I'd love to think I'm the Watson as a loyal friend, but I'm far too squeamish to be helpful with most medical needs besides basic first aid, and I would NOT be any help in a fight, I'm running in the other direction and yanking Sherly with me the second there's gunshots, bye. I think I'm mostly likely Mrs. Hudson--responsible, own a home, love Sherly and Watson despite their faults, still deeply loyal and tough in my own way even if I'm not in the thick of the danger, a bit of a homebody probably and good at whipping up some tea/food.

With all that said, interpret these roles any way you want! That will be a big part of the fun for this one, seeing how people decide and back up their picks. :)

[katerinaaqu]

The one that forced him and the one that waited for him

Odysseus had a choice to make and he made it clearly. Just like Penelope chose him as her husband. Odysseus rejected Calypso even if everyone would say the choice was easy; she was young immortal amazingly beautiful (Odysseus admitted that Penelope didn't hold a candle before her beauty) and yet Odysseus had no trouble choosing to grow old with the woman he loved rather than be immortal just staying with a beautiful goddess.

My two designs of Calypso and Penelope

Calypso is the protagonist (or rather antagonist) of my story Survivor's Guilt and Survivor's Duty as well as in the one-shot The Will to Die the Need to Survive Penelope is mentioned as well as appearing as a vision to the second part of Survivor's Guilt story

The design of Calypso was inspired by Vanessa Williams as well as Aaliyah (see also the drawing by @margaretkart who was inspired by my sketch:

Also inspired by the homeric description as "the fine-locked goddess" as well as the locations suggested for her isle (mainly Malta and Tynisia) Penelope was of course inspired by the amazing performnce of Irene Papas to the version of RAI Odyssey in 1968 as well as of course her descriptions in the Odyssey (Tall, stout, white like ivory).

[rifulofthewest]

[muqingswife]

FINALLY MY MORIARTY THE PATRIOT COLLECTION IS COMPLETE 😈😈😈😈😈

the posters of the two last volumes so beautiful 😭

[starlostlix]

Albert's Masquerade Ball, his role as a Mastermind and trivialisation by the aristocracy

The Masquerade Ball, about half way through the Scandal of the British Empire arc, is a really cool scene that exemplifies the reasons for the necessity of the Moriarty plan in a way that is specifically designed by Albert, with the intention of helping Irene support their cause and inform him of what her stolen papers contain.

As a reflection of the aristocracy

The Masquerde Ball's activity of the evening is a game, where the Lord of Crime 'kills' people by spilling wine on them and the guests must figure out who he is to save the day. This shows how the nobility have trivialised the concept of the Lord of Crime, turning his genuinely threatening acts into a simple game with a quick solution. They see the Lord of Crime as either a 'gentlemanly criminal', a trend, or simply an illusion to scare others. They, since they feel untouchable due to their wealth, ignore the seriousness of the issue and turn it into an evening jaunt.

The general customs of a Masquerade, as explained in the chapters, is to be unidentifiable and unconventional. They are allowed to be rude or controversial here, but only because it comes at no price to their reputations. It accentuates the surface level nature of nobility, with its focus on reputation and social standing over anything else, including empathy.

The event's 'Lord of Crime', Baron Rollinson, doubts the general existence of a real Lord of Crime whilst essentially masquerading as a satirical take of him. His choice to target Albert for just simply being 'rude' in front of him shows that the nobles are extremely insecure at the slightest hint of dissent, and are willing to go to extreme lengths to stifle it (as seen at many points of the series). In this way, Rollinson also acts as a stand-in for any of the nobles the Moriartys' have targeted - adding to another point related to Albert which I will get to later.

When Rollinson, after being found out as the evening's Lord of Crime, dies of a heart attack, the aristocracy simply brush it off and move on as if nothing happened. This not only simulates their general ignorance and detachment from death and its effects, but their detachment from the Lord of Crime. The Ball's satirical take on the Lord of Crime is a way to reveal their genuine apathy to death and those of lower class, constructed by Albert himself.

Albert as the mastermind of this ball/'play'

Albert is clearly shown to have orchestrated this event down to the smallest detail. He is one of the main sponsors of the event, knows who their 'Lord of Crime' is, knows how to provoke him into being targeted so his meeting with Irene can go ahead, and knows how Rollinson is eventually to die. It's also set up to include a noble who is connected to Irene (since her friend died in a fire that Rollinson started to gain insurance money), and acts as a form of 'society in miniature' to show Irene just how in need of change the world is.

Once they have been targeted and 'killed' by Rollinson's 'Lord of Crime', they have their conversation on the balcony floor above the main ballroom. From there, they can see all the people and events happening from above, as if watching a play. The Moriartys continually mention crime as a performance, and this ball is essentially that but for an audience of two (Albert the creator and Irene the spectator) rather than a mass audience. Being above the main ballroom acts a representation of the way Irene and Albert have differing knowledge that makes them see the nobility through a lense that is more critical of and perhaps morally 'above' the culture of victorian aristocracy. They watch the performance unfold as Irene eventually realises not only the power Albert holds as Em and the Lord of Crime, but also the goals he has in mind - goals that she somewhat agrees with, or can be convinced to agree with.

So what point does Albert make with this? Well, in essence, this whole Masquerade - the representation of aristocratic society, the power of the Lord of Crime, the issues in society that need to be fixed - it is all in an effort to get Irene to side with them. Albert sees Irene as a useful asset with not only the papers she possesses, but her own skills and goals in changing society to be less classist too. Albert specifically mentions her successor, Martina Meier (who was murdered for simply being working class and successful in the acting/performance industry), as what pushed Irene into extortion of the rich - and shows her a taste of a more permanent solution to what she has being trying. It is Albert's knowledge of Irene's past and friends that helps him truly win her over, tailoring a situation and noble victim to her experiences.

But the event is also in itself generalisable to any noble who has committed evil acts. Rollinson (as mentioned) could act as representation of any noble, and the method of death (heart attack) is much reminiscent of Chapter 2's Baron Dublin's death. In this way, whilst the plot has many personal relations to Irene, it is also able to be seen as generalisable enough where she can see how it may affect many other of the 'evil nobles' the Moriartys target. She can see the usefulness and possible future targeting of the plan through Albert's 'play'.

So, Albert has created a performance that acts as somewhat of a mini test run of the idea of 'crime as a performance', tailored to one specific person as a recruitment tool. Albert has proved himself to be a mastermind of crime and also persuasion, and they have managed to progress their goal of removing 'rotten nobles' in the process. And it's all executed in such a gripping and interesting way, which I adore.

[I freaking love this scene man. Perhaps one of the best Albert centric plots if not THE best. It's all so interesting in the way it's staged and what it says about society, Albert and also Irene. There was probably more I could mention but it's nearly 11pm and I am tired. I hope to make more of these as I reread the manga from time to time, to talk more about scenes that deserve analysis.This part is Volume 6, or Scandal of the British Empire Act 4-5 specifically.]

[localfandom]

If you're having a bad day, remember that William is canonically a trans ally.

[citizenscreen]

Day family portrait from Michael Curtiz’s LIFE WITH FATHER (1947):

Johnny Calkins, Martin Milner, Irene Dunne, William Powell, Jimmy Lydon, Derek Scott

[getosbf]

Moriarty the patriot as tumblr text posts: pt. 1/?

[mmagpye]

Irene Williams, Blocks and strips, 2003, Polyester double knit, 101 x 76 inches

[theintrovertedextrovert]

•°•°Moriarty the Patriot°•°•

"you jump, I jump, right?"

(~Titanic, 1997)

[dia-draws]

Binding thread au

Heads up any and all of this is subject to change as I grow the idea and fledge it out but this is what it is for now. Y’all are welcome to ask abt it!

Everyone but Sally is over 18 (if I did the math right but that’s the intention) no ship war discourse under this pls and thank you💕

(1/21/25 edit) gonna have ticciwork be end game and ticcijeff just be a fling.

Hopefully I got everyone lol it’s a lot I feel fucking insane rn looking at this

Friends:

Ej & Liu

Ej & Toby

Liu & Jane

Liu & Helen

Nina & Ben

Lulu & Kate

Cody & Ben

Cody & Nat

Cody & Helen

Toby & Kate & Brain & Tim

One sided Ann towards Kate

Bffs:

Ann & Lulu

Jeff & Ben

Nina & Nat & Toby

Tim & Brian

Complicated:

Sally has complicated feelings about all the others as a ghost stuck at 10 but is technically one of the oldest.

Liu has mixed and very complicated feelings toward his brother

EJ’s feelings toward Dina is because she reminds him of his sister but she keeps trying to kill him

Dislike/hate:

Jeff & Jane

Ben and Helen

Toby & Cody

Dina toward EJ

Tim toward Jeff

Flings: (oh god there’s so many what have I done)

Ann & Dina

Ann & Lulu

Ann & Jane

EJ & Liu

EJ & Toby

Jeff & Ben

Jeff & Toby

Nina & Jane

Nina & Cody

Nina & Toby

Nina & Kate

Jane & Lulu

Cody & Ben

Cody & Kate

Cody & Helen

Nat & Toby

End goal:

Ann & Jane & Lulu

EJ & Liu

Nat & Toby

Nina & Kate

Cody & Helen

Tim & Brian

[seulcaty]

  𐚁 ꫬ   ۪   joy ( red velvet ) lockscreen