#LIKE AS EVIDENCED BY HER FEELINGS FOR HER DAUGHTER

[crymeariveronceagain]

hi! so i was bored, so i decided to read Anna Karenina because you said it was good

i'm in love. it was so good

OMG OMG OMG BELOVED YESSSS

ISNT IT GREAT???? THE THEMES AND THE CONVERSATION IT STARTS AND THE INSIGHTS INTO THE MINDS OF BOTH MEN AND WOMEN AND THE FACT THAT TOLSTOY LOST LITERAL INTEREST IN IT AFTER THE FIRST COUPLE CHAPTERS??? LIKE HE WROTE IT WITHOUT CARING ABOUT IT???? AND HE WROTE THAT MASTERPIECE??? ITS SO GOOD!?!?!? ADKASDKSLKDJASKDSJ!!!!

Also dearest did you read that like just real quick? It took me two whole months lmao.

BUT ISNT IT SO GOOD???

[reignpage]

First Friend

Your daughter has an imaginary friend. 

The doctors, all six of them, explained that it’s normal for toddlers to have an over-active imagination, in fact, it’s a good sign. She must be really smart. And when the top paediatricians in the country tell you all is well, who are you to argue?

‘She’s only four, she’ll grow out of it,’ your mother-in-law says. 

And you’re inclined to believe her; she’s done this before, after all. 

Warm and welcoming, you never turn her away when she shows up at your door unannounced multiple times a week with various gifts: cookies, banana bread, baby clothes, groceries, and tonight, a bottle of wine. 

‘How are you?’ Her eyes are full of worry, and right as you open your mouth, she clarifies, ‘How are you really?’

You tell her you’re fine, that your daughter’s a handful and she’s the best distraction around. The woman doesn’t seem to believe you, instead she wordlessly pours you another glass, and you watch the red liquid swirl as if entranced. 

She’s been the greatest support you could ever have; radiating comfort, grace, and kindness, you know she’ll be a much better role model for your daughter than you will ever be, because no matter how hard you try, you can’t ever seem to replicate that patient smile she always has. 

‘My son loved you very much.’

You gulp the blood-red liquid down. 

Most times she doesn’t dare mention him, and you assume it was because it was just as painful for her as it is for you, but now you know it’s because she’s walking on eggshells, worried you will snap. 

It’s laughable, really. A woman with a variety of health problems, fighting a losing battle with time as evidenced by the wrinkles that map her face, is worried about you. She should worry about herself, if she knows what’s good for her.

Guilt starts to gnaw at you; you shouldn’t think about her like that. She’s been nothing but kind, picking up the pieces that you’ve left to fester, and taking charge every time you’ve stumbled. 

She may be your greatest supporter. 

She’s also the most painful reminder of what you stand to lose as a mother. 

Looser and calmer, you feel your inhibitions slip with every glass. your mind starts to wander, about a past life, and a man long gone, and everything that could have been. This always happened at night, when your daughter’s asleep, all the chores are done, and all that’s left to do is to watch the lights flicker in silence. 

‘I’m worried the imaginary friend’s a cause of, I don’t know, trauma or something.’

You hadn’t meant to say that. 

You aren’t supposed to say that.

She sighs. 

‘She’s too young to remember.’

That isn’t true, you almost say, but you don’t. She wouldn’t be able to bear it — her hands are shaking with both the burn of the loss and the coldness of the time ticking away in the distance. It’s likely she believes that as much as you do, maybe she repeats that mantra as often as she can, the way you do, and maybe she needs to believe in that, in something, to ease the sorrow. 

You don’t get that relief. 

Because you know your daughter has been affected by the sudden loss. Psychologically tainted. The doctors disagree but you’re a mother, you know these things. 

Otherwise, how can it be possible that she calls her imaginary friend something you’ve never taught her, something she never got to learn?

‘Dada Kenny.’

[yamujiburo]

Do you think you could info dump all that you know about Madame Boss and Mayomoto with drawings? I would love to know more about their dynamic and about young Giovanni with baby Jessie. Maybe Delia could ask Jessie about it in a comic? Would it be sad or nostalgic? Maybe both? Like a flashback or something would be cool! Anyway, love your art and everything that you do!! ❤️

I'm not sure I can get it out in just drawings (just because it's a lot) but I have quite a few I've already done if you wanna look through my tags~ I'll also explain a bit here with some of my old comics. Long post under the cut~

Canonically, Madame Boss is the founder of Team Rocket and Giovnanni's mother. Miyamoto was one of her elite agents and Jessie's mother. They're REALLY close as evidenced by how they talk to one another (ex. Madame Boss calling Miyamoto "Miyamoto chan", Miyamoto's informal way of speaking to Madame Boss despite her being her superior, their friendly banter, etc.). Madame Boss sends Miyamoto and two other Team Rocket members on a mission to find Mew, but she and the other members never return. Miyamoto's implied to still be alive, endlessly chasing Mew with Jessie as her north star and reason to keep going. Madame Boss passes away sometime between the radio drama and before the events of the first Pokémon Movie. You can listen to the whole drama here! Madame Boss and Miyamoto are primarily in the first part, but Miyamoto pops up at the end of each of the other parts at different periods of time.

This is more where my headcanons begin! Miyamoto, whose dub name I hc being (Calamity) Jane, joined Team Rocket mostly because of her not great circumstances. She works her way up the ladder quickly and impresses Madame Boss. They become close but at the time, Miyamoto was dating a charismatic performer/con man that MB, not so subtly, doesn't approve of. She was right to not approve as this man got Miyamoto pregnant but left her before he'd known.

Madame Boss, despite her penny pinching behavior (Team Rocket wasn't that big yet), does what she can to help out Miyamoto. They had to tread carefully though, they didn't want anyone thinking there was any sort of favoritism happening.

Jessie is born, and for a little while Miyamoto keeps her and raises her the best she can. On more short term missions she'd leave her with Madame Boss, who's not super fond of children, and would have her own son Giovanni watch her (or have another grunt in Team Rocket watch her). This wasn't sustainable, so Miyamoto quickly puts Jessie in foster care (the foster care part is canon). Miyamoto would still visit her daughter whenever she could.

Ultimately, Miyamoto was a very driven, one track minded woman. She would constantly go on missions and after discovering Mew, became obsessed. It was around this time Madame Boss was starting to catch feelings for Miyamoto. Miyamoto would play along but was not nearly as invested in their relationship is Madame Boss was. Not in a malicious or leading on sort of way, she just had a job she wanted to get done

When it was time for Miyamoto to go on the mission to actually find Mew, Madame Boss, while excited at the prospect of getting her hands on a legendary Pokémon and the money that came with that, began to worry in the days leading up to the mission and tried to get Miyamoto to stay. She offered to send a different team out. To her they were disposable, but Miyamoto wasn't. Miyamoto didn't take the offer, wanting the glory and money of finding Mew for herself (but also had a daughter she wanted to get back to and be able to provide for). She leaves and goes MIA

Madame Boss is brokenhearted and after several years of Miyamoto going missing, is not able to run Team Rocket, troubled by the immense amount of guilt and heartache, and Giovanni takes over. She remains in the organization, more so operating in the background. It was rare for agents to see her out and about. But years later she sees Jessie's joined Team Rocket as a trainee. She requests Viper and Giovanni keep an eye out for her. Viper doesn't know why but does as he's told. Giovanni understands, remembering Jessie as the little toddler he'd have to take care of many years ago as well as her mother Miyamoto, who he knew was very close to his mother.

Not too long after, Madame Boss passes away but Giovanni keeps his promise and continues to keep Jessie employed.

I don't think Jessie remembers much of her mom or anything from around this time. I don't think she even remembers her mom being in Team Rocket or Giovanni babysitting her. She just remembers her mother leaving and never coming back and holds some resentment, not knowing the context of why Miyamoto disappeared.

I've thought about doing a story where Miyamoto returns in my hanamusa au but I still gotta think it out more. It starts with Miyamoto stopping by Delia's restaurant and she and Delia talk, not knowing the little connection they have via Jessie.

[luveline]

Hii I adore your writing and am in desperate need of more single dad Spencer <333

many thanks, Anon in love :)

tysm!!

Spencer named his daughter Amanda because it means worthy of love. He told Emily he wanted there to be no confusion, that Amanda was loved from the very second she was born. You've been hopeless since you found out. 

"Amy, please stop," Spencer says, looking down between the picnic table and the white and red tablecloths, where Amanda sits in the grass beneath tying his shoelaces together. 

"Don't know what you're saying," Amy mumbles, frustrated as her fingers get caught in another knot. 

Spencer gives you a look you're all too thrilled to receive, like Amanda's cuteness has something to do with you. "Can you make her stop?" he asks. 

"I don't want to," you say, not whining but maybe close, "she's so sweet, who am I to stop her?" 

"You know, I'll fall if I stand up. She wants to see me in pain. Amy, you're exhibiting signs of a budding psychopath." He smiles at her lovingly. "I'm gonna fall when I stand up!" 

"You won't!" 

"I will! I will, and then Y/N's gonna be embarrassed to be seen with me, and you're gonna have a dad covered in bruises." Spencer pouts at her. You love how he winds her up, how he talks to her like she's a little grown up and the charming way she responds, big words in little tones. 

"You're beautiful no matter what, dad," Amy says. 

It's too practised to be natural. Spencer must say it to Amy often for her to know it off by heart. You swoon like a cheap tent in a hurricane, casting your gaze around Rossi's huge garden for saving. Everyone has purposefully left you to suffer here in paradise, uncaring when Spencer torments you with all his loveliness.

His daughter is worse, climbing up onto the bench between you and Spencer before widening her eyes at you. She looks sort of like Spencer but perhaps more like her mother. Whoever that is must be pretty, and good at giving puppy dog eyes. 

"Do you want something?" you ask her, attempting to sound like JJ does when she talks to her. You're wobbly but getting there, evidenced by the honey-thick smile you've earned. 

"Can I sit on your lap?" she asks. 

You open your arms obediently. She's slight like her dad and doesn't feel like she weighs much as she sits on your thighs, her face smushed into your cardigan. 

"Is everything okay?" you ask, bringing your hand up behind her back automatically. You're not sure if you should be hugging her but Spencer doesn't protest. 

"Can I asked you something?" 

"Sure, you can ask me." You turn your head to expose your ear. 

Amy grins and leans up, whispering, "Can we go get– can we get jelly, please? Pink jelly." 

"Does Uncle Rossi have jelly?" Spencer asks. 

"Yeah, daddy, I saw it in the kitchen." 

"I can't come, I'll fall. Will you take her, please?" Spencer asks with a frown. "It's a lot of knots." 

"Yeah, I can take her. I don't mind. Come on, honey, let's go look."

Amy jumps down off of your lap but waits for you, holding out her hand. You take it and she leads you past your coworkers crowding a hot grill to Rossi's patio doors. It's cooler inside, and you've no need for your sunglasses. You put them on the table next to covered bowls of pasta and salad, poking at lids and tin foil curiously. "Which one did you see the jelly in?" 

"I don't think there's jelly. I want to ask you a secret question." 

You look down at Any with wide eyes. "What question is that, honey?" 

"Are you and my dad in love?"

You laugh sudden enough to make you cough, looking down at Spencer's little girl totally speechless. Smarts are genetic for sure. She asks huge questions. 

"Why do you think that?" you ask, trying for gentle and sounding strangled.

"Because you're really nice to dad and he told me that you're pretty and funny and you'd definitely play Cracker Cards with me." 

"He said that?" 

"Yes!" she says, looking up at you with a smile. "Are you going to get married?" 

You rub your face. Ten minutes later and you're carrying Amy on your hip as she carries a big bowl of pasta, a metal fork in her hands. Spencer has opted to take his shoes off completely and untie the knots, but he seems to have made little progress. "That's not jelly," he says. 

"We couldn't find it." 

"Are you okay?" Spencer asks, abandoning his shoes to put his hand behind your arm and shoulder. 

"I'm okay. Are you okay, Amy?" you ask. 

Amy stabs a piece of pasta with her fork with a big smile on her little face. "I think I said the wrong thing, dad." 

"What did you say?" he asks, looking between you both in concern. "I'm sorry, we're working on context clues." 

"It's okay. It wasn't wrong, it's just, I wasn't expecting it," you say. 

"Well, what did she say?" 

You shrug, "It wasn't really–" 

"I asked her if she'd want marry you, dad, and about the photo of you at the christmas party. It was nice!" Amy insists. 

Spencer flushes with a bright red blush instantaneously. It's shocking how fast his cheeks blossom considering the sun's been out for hours now. He laughs nervously. "I see." 

"Amy!" Hotch calls. "Sweetheart, do you want a hotdog?" 

Amy pushes the bowl of cold pasta you'd made her onto Spencer's lap. "Yes, please," she says, hopping off of the bench. 

You and Spencer meet eyes and swiftly look away. There's something between you both, longing and long looks, too much affection, excuses to be near one another. You really do like him, and maybe he likes you, but you aren't ready to deal with it now. 

"Do you want to go get a hotdog too?" Spencer asks. 

"Yep." You jump up. "Good idea." 

Maybe you can confess your feelings at the next family barbecue. (Probably not.) 

[hermosavidagg]

The Romanticism of ASOIAF

The idea that ASOIAF is "nihilistic" and that the message should be that nothing matters and the world is terrible, therefore caring and being kind is pointless is a fundamental misunderstanding of the story. George himself says that his favorite characters are the heroes “My own heroes are the dreamers, those men and women who tried to make the world a better place than when they found it, whether in small ways or great ones. Some succeeded, some failed, most had mixed results… but it is the effort that’s heroic, as I see it. ” The romance of the story. Chivalry, courtesy, courage, being good in spite of evil. Being good because of evil. These are the fundamentals of A Song of Ice and Fire. “We’re here for a short time and we should be conscious of our own mortality, but the important thing is that love, compassion and empathy with other human beings is still possible! Even laughter in the face of death…The struggle to make the world a better place…We have things like war, murder, rape…Horrible things that still exist, but we dont have to accept them, we can fight the good fight.”GRRM, Ideas At The House

Some examples of this are exemplified by characters such as Brienne. Briennes’ belief in doing good regardless of whether or not she benefits from it is inspiring. No chance, No choice is obviously extremely heroic. “Willow stepped out into the rain, a crossbow in her hands. The girl was shouting at the riders, but a clap of thunder rolled across the yard, drowning out her words. As it faded, Brienne heard the man in the Hound's helm say, "Loose a quarrel at me and I'll shove that crossbow up your cunt and fuck you with it. Then I'll pop your fucking eyes out and make you eat them." The fury in the man's voice drove Willow back a step, trembling. Seven, Brienne thought again, despairing. She had no chance against seven, she knew. No chance, and no choice. She stepped out into the rain, Oathkeeper in hand. "Leave her be. If you want to rape someone, try me." AFFC Chapter 37 This is exactly the kind of chivalry George is in love with. Her chivalry, courtesy and courage inspire someone like Jaime, a man who has lost his way due to his family, his own carelessness and his mental health. Now this isn't to make it seem like Jaime is a man with zero faults. As evidenced by him pushing Bran out of a window. But focusing only on Jamies worst moment does a disservice to his greatest act, the one act he is reviled for. Killing mad king Aerys. He is the one who hears Rhaellas cries. The cries that continue to haunt him, well past her death.

Now personally I want to talk about the moments that provide Compassion, Empathy, and Courage. Courage- Theon, specifically Theon in regards to Jeyne Poole. Theon has done terrible things and I am not trying to absolve him of any of those things. If I did he would be a significantly less interesting character and his next act which I'm about to bring up wouldn't be as powerful. There is something to be said about the Theon/Jeyne plotline that really touches me. Everyone in the North wants to save “Ned’s girl”. Everyone wants to save Arya Stark. But part of why they want to save her is because of who she is attached to in terms of her father and what Arya's status is in society as a highborn lady. Theon is the only person who knows that “Arya” isn’t actually Arya, but Jeyne Poole. And I feel as though there's something to be said here. There are probably hundreds if not thousands of women and girls who go through what Jeyne is going through, but how many of them are going to actually be saved? How many of them will be remembered? How many of them will be forgotten? To me there is something very heartwarming that the one person who knows who Jeyne really is, is the person saving her.

He’s not saving her because she’s Ned Stark's daughter, or because she’s some high lord's daughter. He’s saving her because even though he's been traumatized beyond belief and he’s terrified, he knows that it is the right thing to do. And with what he’s been through, when it comes to Ramsey, what he does is so very courageous. And it inspires that hope and heroism that George RR Martin is writing about.

Next a moment that is extremely popular and also iconic is when Daenerys decides to free the slaves of Astapor. Something that isn't brought up very often I feel is that when Daenerys does this she’s nervous. Her heart is pounding. And it takes me back to the beginning of the story with Ned and Bran. When Bran asks if someone who is afraid can be brave? And Ned says the iconic response that we all know. “That is the only time a man can be brave” There are a plethora of moments of chivalry, honor and courage. When Brienne follows Lady Catelyn because she has “woman's kind of courage” it hit me because a lot of stories, especially ones where a mother is a character in a medieval setting, tend to fall into one of two categories. Pure, saintly, and all good or evil, terrible nasty stepmother trope. Essentially the madonna/whore complex, but Brienne recognizes the courage and strength in a woman like Catelyn in this society which doesn't value the strength of women. In a story where Brienne says “Women die in childbirth and no one sings songs about them.” She sees Catelyns strength and I think that’s beautiful.

sorry for the ranting 😭

[onehelluvafan]

Will Stolas lose his immortality?

I’ve seen several mentions of Mission: Weeaboo-boo being a parallel to Blitz’s first encounter with Stolas (as an adult), which I can totally get behind. Right out the gate we have the “you were here to ravish me” similarity as well as Blitz “sneaking in, under the cover of night.”

I've also seen the hypothesis that Emberlynn's fan fiction includes an element of foreshadowing for what’s going to happen in the climax of Season 2.

Her episode is also the only one of the shorts with that "ticking" sound during the content warning, which lends further credence to the idea that it is tied in with the main plot somehow, even if merely thematically.

This got me pondering the possible parallels related to Emberlynn's functional immortality against demonkind and her decision to give it up in order to "be with Blitz."

Which now has me wondering—is Stolas going to have to give up his immortality to be with Blitz? Or lose it due to the illegal arrangement they've had going on?

Or, leaning into the idea that her episode is merely a reflection of how Blitz views his relationship with Stolas, could it simply be a parallel to the fact that Stolas has already been in mortal danger as a result of choosing to be with Blitz? And that Blitz feels responsible for Stolas' “undoing?”

We’re shown in Ghostfuckers that one of Blitz’s fears is that Millie could have died during any of the missions from episodes 1-4 of season one. Couple that with the fact that he believes that he “makes everyone’s lives worse,” it’s reasonable to assume that he not only fears, but feels responsible for her life being in mortal danger during their missions.

Whether he cared more about Stolas or the arrangement when he stopped the first assassination attempt, Striker was without the angelic weapon when he fled, which Moxxie had expressed complete shock in Striker's ability to have in the first place.

I think that Blitz allowed his cognitive dissonance to convince himself that Striker was no longer a threat without this weapon. Because deep down, he may have been afraid that telling Stolas about the assassination attempt might not be a neutral event for him. That he didn’t even want to contemplate the idea that he might actually care beyond the loss of their "arrangement."

In the very next episode, Truth Seekers, we see these feelings forced to the surface during his drug-induced hallucination—with Stolas at the top of a long flight of stairs, saying, “Are you afraid to love people, Blitzy?”

With the knowledge that he’s afraid that he makes “everyone’s lives worse,” it adds layers to many Stolitz scenes that follow throughout the series. Data points that someone like Blitz could easily see as evidence of that very fear. “Proof” that he’s responsible for Stolas’ life “falling apart.”

- He knew that Stolas was married as evidenced by his “Sorry, I fucked your husband” after their first night together. Stolas was clearly not only consenting to sex with Blitz, but was expressing a joyous desperation for it. Despite this, it was actually the “first ever friend” comment that caused Blitz to hesitate and return to Stolas, which we now know was a soft spot for him due to his experience with Fizz. But it was Blitz’s choice to stay or go, and staying is what kicked off the arrangement, is the reason for the sexual nature of its terms, and caused a domino effect that impacted Stolas’ entire life, including his family.

- When the two of them were being roasted at Ozzie’s, it wasn’t Stolas’ perspective that was showcased for Blitz, but Ozzie and Wally Wackford’s. Not only does the narrative begin early with Wally’s “Are you sleeping with an imp?!” but it’s followed up by Ozzie’s “My dark lord, how the mighty do fall,” and continues with Stolas being called out for “giving up” his wife and daughter specifically for his choice to be with Blitz. And the way that the narrative plays out, it almost sounds like his downfall was less for cheating than it was for sleeping with an imp.

Either way, seeing Stolas hide his face behind the menu likely “confirmed” multiple things for Blitz. That despite Stolas’ “public” flirting in front of other imps, when confronted by someone actually associated with Stolas’ upper class society, Blitz was reduced to being an embarrassment for Stolas.

Believing that, left no room for even a glimmer of hope that they could be anything more than what they already were: a prince who enjoyed “sleeping with an imp” and was apparently paying a pretty steep price for it.

- Then there’s Octavia. In Loo Loo Land, Stolas takes her to the theme park but spends most of his time flirting with Blitz. Not only does she comment on this in front of Blitz, but he’s there to witness when she’s finally had enough and storms off, mad at her father. In Seeing Stars, Octavia came to I.M.P., stole the grimoire, and disappeared with it. Why? Because her father was so wrapped up in the divorce, that she felt angry and neglected.

- In Full Moon, his fight with Stolas took them through part of the palace. This is very likely the first time he’s seen it since he was apprehended at the “Not Divorced” party, and what has it become? When he came back into Stolas’ life, it was bright, vibrant, and full of people. That night in Full Moon, it was dark, muted, and the only person visible in his photos were of Via.

While Blitz may have inferred at the time that Stolas’ marriage wasn’t in a good place, he doesn’t know just how miserable Stolas was in the life he had before. From Blitz’s perspective, he may have appeared fairly content overall when they first reconnected.

Compare that to Apology Tour, which Blitz sees as the natural outcome of what people experience when they are around him long enough.

Data point after data point, to feed into the idea that Stolas’ life has been “ruined,” just by Blitz being in it. His marriage ended, his relationship with his daughter was negatively impacted, and by Ghostfuckers, someone had tried to kill him twice.

I don't think Blitz is aware that Stella is the one who has been putting out the hits, but I could see him internalizing the idea that if Stolas had died during the second attempt, it would have been his fault. Because not only had he chosen not to warn Stolas that someone was trying to assassinate him, he was also the person that Stolas had reached out to for help and he had let M&M go in his stead.

It is after this attempt on Stolas’ life that we see Blitz absolutely shook by the idea that Stolas not only could be hurt, but that he was hurt and had almost died.

This is also several months after the night at Ozzie’s, when he had first begun to realize that, painful as it was, he may care for Stolas after all. Months during which they hadn’t seen each other and he had time to actually miss their time together.

Between that and finding out that he can actually get hurt, I can see Stolas becoming one of the people that Blitz feels the desire to protect. Unfortunately, this also seems to come with the anxiety of being responsible for what he perceives as the “collateral damage” of being associated with him.

Finally, in Truth Seekers, where the "ticking" began, Stolas had exposed himself via "real" demonic power to the D.H.O.R.K.S. and by extension, the living world. But the only reason he was there and got himself caught on camera is because he came to rescue Blitz.

This could be linked to the scene where we see Blitz attempting to protect and defend Stolas against someone. My bet is on Paimon, who, while ranking below the 7 Sins in power, is still depicted as a fairly powerful being. Stolas had not only exposed their existence to the living world, but had showcased his power in his attempt to scare the agents into submission. We know there’s going to be consequences for that, as well as for the divorce, and I expect Paimon will have a part to play, one way or another.

Stolas mentioned in Seeing Stars that without the grimoire, his powers are rather limited. I assumed that the worst outcome for him at the end of Season 2 was being stripped of his status and grimoire, which would vastly reduce his raw power as well as the power his position in society affords him.

Obviously, the actual worst-case scenario would be the loss of his life, which it's assumed Blitz is trying to protect him from in the snippet from the trailer. But it didn't occur to me until now that even with my own certainty that he'll survive the Season 2 climax, there was a third possible outcome... that along with his power and status, Stolas could also be stripped of his immortality.

[the-crooked-library]

I also would like to point out that while we don’t know Ellen’s social status before her marriage in 1922 Nosferatu, in 2024 Nosferatu she comes from wealthy background as evidenced by her childhood home. So in 2024 movie she actually marries down to more poor Thomas Hutter. Yet the movie frames that the entity who understands her nature the most is actually wealthy undead nobleman and she dies with him in his arms….it kinda subverts the whole “rich dick preys on the unwealthy common woman” because Ellen initially comes from wealth. Just interesting!

^^^^ Oh absolutely she does "marry down," and that actually serves to provide a deeper context for Ellen's vulnerability in the human world!

Unlike common-born women, the daughter of a man wealthy enough for his own country estate would not have received an education of the sort that is required for working - because she would never have been expected to work for a living. She would have been educated as a lady instead. As such, when a woman like that found herself trapped or financially jeopardized for any reason (e.g. domestic abuse, severe debts in the family, no living male heir to take care of her), she had no marketable skills and no recommendations necessary to find work; all in all, she would be truly, properly in trouble. A similar predicament is a primary source of anxiety for the Bennet family in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (though that story is set in an earlier era).

We know that in the 2024 film, Ellen's father was extremely controlling and abusive; and, due to her social status, her only way of escaping his home is through marriage, and that fundamentally creates a precarious dynamic between her and Thomas. He feels an obligation to provide for her in accordance with her father's station, which is one of the reasons he is so fixated on his social and financial advancement; and meanwhile, she is all too aware of the power he wields over her in actuality, being her only chance at a "normal" existence. Despite the tentative fondness they do share, each of them sees the other as their social superior - with all the bitterness that entails.

At the same time, and exactly as you said, these complications are absent in her relationship with Orlok. He only ever views her as his equal, and their dynamic is not transactional - in the sense that it does not affect her financial security. Instead, what he wants is a mutual obsession; and his vampiric existence offers a complete escape from the constraints and risks that are inherent in her human life. Naturally, to escape a life is always to die in one way or another; and the film plays that up for all the horror it's worth.

There is both terror and ecstasy in self-actualization, isn't there?..

[valacirya]

Indis appreciation post!

Disclaimer: All the canon info is taken from Morgoth's Ring and Peoples of Middle Earth. Also, this isn't a character analysis/meta. It's just a list of stuff I love (plus some headcanons) about one of my favorite characters in the legendarium.

1. She's athletic and outdoorsy. We're told that Indis is "exceedingly swift of foot" and that "she walked often alone in the fields and friths of the Valar, turning her thought to things that grow untended." When Finwe sees her, she's chilling on a mountainside. I love that she's associated with nature, specifically the wilderness. She parallels Feanor in her exploration of Aman and interest in the imperfect. Also, this is purely self-indulgent but ever since reading HoME for the first time, I've pictured Indis as tall and broad, and muscular beneath a layer of fat.

2. She doesn't let her unrequited love affect her life. "There was ever light and mirth about her." She's not the pining, languishing princess stereotype. She goes on. She doesn't let it make her bitter or depressed, and she is so restrained that only Mandos and possibly Ingwe are aware of her feelings.

3. Part of her attraction to Finwe is intellectual. In HoME we're told that his "mastery of words delighted her." Considering that Indis is also a poet/composer ("wove words into song") and that the Vanyar enjoy linguistics, it makes sense. It's also just really cute.

4. She's politically minded. Her reasoning for pronouncing 's' instead of 'th' is: "I have joined the Noldor, and I will speak as they do." This is the right thing to do to gain the respect of the Noldor and their acceptance of her authority. I also think she makes a statement with Fingolfin and Finarfin's mother-names. Arakano ("high chieftain") and Ingoldo ("the Noldo, eminent among the kindred") are not only powerful, prophetic names, they're also strikingly similar to Ingwe ("chief of chieftains") who is the High King not just of the Vanyar, but all Eldar. What a power move.

5. She's able to balance her own culture with the culture she marries into. Indis integrates into Noldorin society easily while remaining Vanyarin at her core, as is evidenced by Finwe saying that "above all her heart now yearns for the halls of Ingwe and the peace of the Vanyar." Her sons also respect and are proud of their mixed heritage; Finarfin "loved the Vanyar, his mother's people" and is said to be like them (as are Finrod and Galadriel), and Fingolfin's daughter-in-law is Vanyarin (plus the Nolofinweans have a special connection to Manwe).

6. She gets an awesome prophecy about her line. "But I say unto you that the children of Indis shall also be great, and the Tale of Arda more glorious because of their coming. And from them shall spring things so fair that no tears shall dim their beauty; in whose being the Valar, and the Kindreds both of Elves and of Men that are to come shall all have part, and in whose deeds they shall rejoice. So that, long hence when all that here is, and seemeth yet fair and impregnable, shall nonetheless have faded and passed away, the Light of Aman shall not wholly cease among the free peoples of Arda until the end." Fuck yeah.

7. Her name means "valiant woman." This is the only definition given in Morgoth's Ring, I believe. I highly prefer it over the "bride" meaning because it's a badass name and is similar to Artanis ("noble woman") and Astaldo ("the valiant"). A headcanon that I'm particularly attached to is that Indis's mother-name is Indome, meaning "will of Eru."

8. She's popular with most of the Noldor. We're told that "Finwe, King of the Noldor, wedded Indis, sister of Ingwe; and the Vanyar and Noldor for the most part rejoiced." The majority of the Noldor also follow Fingolfin and Finarfin instead of Feanor.

9. She's friends with Nerdanel. HoME states that Nerdanel went to "abide with Indis, whom she had ever esteemed."

10. She gets pissed off at Finwe when he sides with Feanor. So much so that he thinks she won't want to see him if he's re-embodied. I know this is from his perspective but I'm inclined to agree. [However, this is still very presumptive of him, and his comment that "Indis parted from me without death" is super shitty. Eugh.]

11. She's close to her kids. Finarfin takes after her, Fingolfin passes on the name she gave him, Findis lives with her, Lalwen goes by the name she gave her. Finwe also says that "she hath dear children to comfort her."

So there we have it! What little info we get about Indis is pretty awesome. And this is just a list; I could write a whole essay on her fortitude and unconventionality and my numerous headcanons about her.

[dragonanon]

Y’all I need Jesus 😭 My mind is running wild with an idea that’s a bit of Hellaverse and One Piece crossover.

——

As a succubus working under Asmodeus, your job is to basically portal up to the human world and spread lust amongst the humans. You’re damn good at your job as evidenced by the fact that your numbers always exceed the minimum quota you’re given, so as one of the top employees you have the privilege of getting to be much closer with Asmodeus and Fizzaroli than most other demons working for them; they’re honestly more like father figures to you rather than your superiors, and you welcome being their lowkey unofficially adopted daughter.

Between your excellent work performance and the love and support of your unofficial dads, life is pretty damn easy and straightforward for you…until it isn’t.

You don’t know how the hell it happened, you had been in human disguise on Earth and drumming up some nice lust in a small village, literally just doing you job as normal. Your markvictim, a slim blond with facial hair, had been one of the EASIEST people to ensnare in a long time. You barely had to say “hello” before the man already had hearts in his eyes and was practically falling at your feet, and when you invited him to go someplace private for a bit of “fun”, he damn near died on the spot due to blood loss from a massive nosebleed. Needless to say, you quickly had him in bed and oozing with yummy lust for you.

From there it all happened so fast(let’s be real here, it was probably Luffy’s fault lol), one thing led to another and after a series of shenanigans, your true form and identity are revealed to a group of humans, a group of pirates to be exact…Sure you knew that taking such an easy target would have SOME consequence, but fuck man!

Now standing before the “straw hat pirates”, as they call themselves, in your true demonic form with horns, wings, and tail all out for the whole world to see, you’re stared at in a cocktail mixture of awe, fear, and curiosity by all these humans. With the uncomfortable silence hanging in the air, you feel more naked and vulnerable than you ever have been in your entire life. And as a succubus, that’s saying quite a lot!

You’re in quite the predicament here, and your fear only grows as you realize just how completely and utterly fucked you are here. You can’t just fuck off back to Hell when there’s a whole gaggle of humans running around that now knows about the existence of Demons and Hell, but you can’t exactly kill any of them either. Not just because you’re SEVERELY outnumbered, but you’d ALSO get into some pretty deep shit with your dads.

So that leaves you with one option, offer a deal and hope to Lucifer that they accept. With that plan in mind, a green haired man you’d later come to know as “Zoro”, FINALLY breaks the agonizing silence with a simple question; “What the fuck are you?” and with that, you get to work setting this admittedly ridiculous plan into motion.

As calmly as you can, you explain that you’re a succubus; a demon from Hell just here to do her job of getting people to be horny on main. From there, you explain the predicament you’re all in right now, how you can’t just leave them to their devices because they all know, and have seen too much now. They all seem to tense for a moment as one of them, a man with a long nose who you’d later know as “Usopp”, asks in a shaky voice if you’re going to kill them now. They all breathe a sigh of relief and Usopp actually sobs when you clarify that no, that’s not happening. “I couldn’t kill you all even if I wanted to. Not only do you have me completely outnumbered, but even if I did succeed somehow, it would land me in MAJOR hot water with my bosses. So yeah, I’m not doing that.”

A red headed woman who later introduced herself as “Nami”, responds by asking what it is you plan to do then. This whole time, you’ve noticed that she’s been eyeing the hell out of your Asmodean crystal; a huge magenta jewel set in the center of a beautiful golden cuff that encases nearly half of your left forearm. It was a gift from Asmodeus himself on your first day of work, and it hasn’t left your arm since. You know damn well what the glint of greed in one’s eyes looks like, and you’re all too happy to use that to your advantage.

“Well, given that I can’t leave you all alone and death isn’t an option, I’d like to make a proposal; You all keep your mouths shut about what you’ve seen and learned, and let me continue my work as needed and in peace. You’re not to utter even a peep to another soul not already in this room. In exchange…You’ll have a succubus eternally at your service~”

This prompts the captain who you’ve been told is named “Luffy”, an admittedly boyishly cute man in your humble opinion, to speak up and ask what exactly you mean. Up to this point, he’d just been staring at you in slack jawed awe, but your proposal seemed to bring him back to reality and now he had to sate his growing curiosity and excitement.

A playful smirk paints itself on your black lips as you begin to elaborate, your fangs poking out ever so slightly as you speak. “Well hon, being a succubus, I have MANY powers at my disposal~ You’ve already seen that I can disguise myself as one of you humans, AND charm my way into getting whatever I want from humans. But that’s BARELY scratching the surface of what I’m capable of~ For starters, I can change my disguise as I see fit, what you all saw was just one of the millions of different appearances I can take.” To back up this claim, you quickly cycle through a few different human disguises you’ve used throughout the years; completely changing your form into at least 12 completely different women of all different shapes, sizes, and races. With your point having been made, you shift back to your Demon form and continue.

“That combined with my charming powers means I can EASILY spy and obtain any information you want~ But more than that, I can INSTANTLY take you anywhere you could possibly want.”

That last bit seemed to really pique everyone’s interest, especially Luffy’s; his eyes sparkled with curiosity and excitement as he asked you how that was possible.

“Time to make the hard sale here.” You think to yourself. With a smile, you raise your left arm and with a flourish of your right hand, show off your Asmodean crystal. You have to bite back a laugh as Luffy audibly “oohs” and “ahhs” at the glowing magenta stone while Nami practically salivates over it.

“With this lovely thing right here~ This bad boy is an Asmodean crystal; a mystical jewel bestowed upon me as a succubus working for Asmodeus. With it, I can open a direct portal to ANYWHERE in Hell AND the Human world~”

Zoro is quick to call bullshit, but you’re more than willing to prove otherwise as you respond by asking for a destination, anywhere in the entire world. The green haired man huffs in amusement, and sarcastically suggests an island clear on the other side of the world.

Smirking, you hold your crystal clad arm up close you and with quick, firm, rub of your right hand, the crystal glows brightly and suddenly shoots out a bright beam of light that stops just shy of hitting the wall before a large, diamond shaped portal appears. The edges of the portal glow brightly and the aforementioned island is now CLEARLY visible to everyone in the room.

With a shit eating grin, you strut up to Zoro, who seems bewildered by what he’s seeing as gets up close to check out the portal. With a giggle, you give him a hearty shove, causing him to fall through with a shout and you hop through after him, completely ignoring the concerned shouts of the remaining crew as the portal snaps shut behind you, blinking out of existence like it was never there to begin with.

The room devolves into chaos, with Luffy whining about how it’s not fair that he didn’t get to go too, while Nami yells at him for not being more concerned about Zoro just disappearing.

After a few minutes, the portal reappears with a flash, and out of it hops you followed closely by a noticeably paler Zoro, much to Sanji’s disappointment. The portal disappears again whilst Zoro goes to sit down, and just says “She’s not fucking joking, she really CAN go anywhere.”

The room erupts into chaos again, this time however, Luffy is practically on top of you, demanding you join his crew right now.

You’re a bit taken aback, you’d expected you’d have to list at least a LITTLE more of what you’re capable of to win them over, but this was not an unwelcome surprise in the slightest.

“Are you sure you’re willing to accept my proposition so quickly? I haven’t even finished telling you what all I can-“

Luffy interrupts you before you can finish your sentence saying that there’d be plenty of time for you to talk about your powers later, right now he just wants to start teleporting to different places.

You smile, fangs on full display. “Guess it’s a deal then~ It’ll be a pleasure working with y-“

You’re cut off again, this time by Luffy stretching his limbs around you in a tight hug whilst rambling about all the different places he wants to go right now.

As you’re stood in the middle of everyone buzzing with excitement and curiosity, all you can think to yourself is “What in the Seven Rings have I gotten myself into??”

[lukeria314]

What an odd thing to say…

Are you sure you’re accusing right person of pedophilia and violence? Let’s break down his life step by step, focusing on his interactions with children and discussing the so-called “abuse cycle” where he allegedly played the role of the initiator.

The first child who fell into his hands was Akiko Yosano, a girl whose ability was valuable to the state during the Great War. Mori did not view her as a person but as a useful ability user. “Thou Shalt Not Die”—the power to heal those on the brink of death—was exactly what the government needed during the war. They wanted eternal soldiers, and Mori exploited that.

Mori Ougai cherishes Yokohama. He considers the city his home and believes no one should disturb its peace. Even so, this does not justify his exploitation of a young girl and the soul-shattering actions he committed. Mori seeks advantage in everyone—that is a fact. But let’s set that aside. Deep down, he would have wanted to care for and cherish Yosano as if she were his own daughter if given the chance. This is evidenced by the fact that Elise was modeled after Yosano: a capricious, little girl who craves attention and is always indulged by Mori. He even admits to Yosano that he finds it hard to refuse her. Additionally, his words about “his Yosano” carried a protective tone. A little girl among a group of grown men—it’s common for fathers to express similar sentiments when in “protective mode” (let’s call it that).

Later, when he wanted to recruit her into the Mafia, her abilities were, once again, his primary concern. This is further supported by “Storm Bringer”, where it’s explicitly stated that mafia members were forced to seek treatment at state hospitals for severe injuries and that Doc was their prized possession. Doc, whom Albatross was so desperate to save. Still, this does not change the fact that Mori cares for Elise the way he wishes he could have cared for Yosano—or any other child. In private with Elise, he doesn’t need to act like the terrifying, authoritative mafia boss. Through Elise, he expresses the emotions he cannot show publicly. Children are his solace. Caring for them is his deepest desire.

Do you honestly believe that joke about younger children wasn’t just a jest shared with Koyo Ozaki? Amusing.

Osamu Dazai—a boy Mori Ougai saved from suicide. People say Mori tormented him and drove him to such a state. But it was Mori who saved him. He tried to pull Dazai out of his despair. The boy came to him already damaged, traumatized long before Mori found him in the river. As always, Mori saw an opportunity and used the boy, whose life was hanging by a thread, in a plan Dazai himself helped formulate and actively participated in. Mori didn’t force him into it. He offered a deal. There was no cycle of abuse initiated.

Chuuya Nakahara was a small obstacle, and a deal was proposed to him as well—a harsh one, but Chuuya accepted it. Later, Chuuya willingly bowed to Mori, without any deals, choosing on his own to become his subordinate. Mori is one of the people who helped Chuuya find his parents’ home, told him about the pencil scar, and went out of his way to gather all that information for him.

Yumeno is a particularly difficult case. A child born with such a horrifying ability needed to be restrained. They ended up in the Mafia’s hands, where their power could be controlled and made useful. Yumeno’s ability is good for little else besides chaos.

In the “BEAST” universe, we finally see a happy Mori. Ougai becomes the new director of an orphanage, and the children there are incredibly happy. Even the manga conveys the difference in atmosphere. Under the previous director, everything was gloomy and dark. When Mori arrives, the background suddenly turns white, and the curtains add a sense of lightness to the space. It finally feels like a place where both the children and Ougai can breathe freely—where he is exactly where he belongs.

“And until then—I am your father.” Do you think these are the words of a true pedophile and child abuser?

[thequeer07puss]

On Hera and Zeus’s marriage: a rant

I’ve seen a lot people get mad at Zeus because his application of marriage in mythology is a bit more flexible than what we’re used to, while misunderstanding the theological and cultural realities that surround it

The Native Hera and the Foreign Zeus

Long ago, before what is now known as the Greek pantheon was a thing, the Greeks worshipped the goddess now known as Hera, and she was their main goddess. Some time later, another group of people, recognisable as derived from Proto-Indo-European descent through their worship of a sky father (Zeus), either conquered or merged with the existing culture of the time.

These two groups, to avoid too violent of a clash while merging, made their patron deities spouses to make the transition more smooth for everyone, effectively breaking the Proto-Indo-European pattern of sky god-earth goddess duos, while still being present to a lesser extent in the form Demeter’s brief marriage with Zeus.

Divine marriage

Now, we all know Zeus in his myths was quite a womaniser, both because of his function as an All-Father, and as his function as the representation of Ancient Greek patriarchal society where men could have as many extramarital affairs and women could not. Note the fact that this was completely allowed and accepted in Ancient Greece, and that other male deities with known spouses still slept around without their wives getting angry (eg Poseidon and Dionysus).

Why is that so? One could simply dismiss this by saying that Hera is just “being jealous”, but the answer is deeper than the surface level.

The marriage of Zeus and Hera is meant to be egalitarian, meaning that they occupy the same position and receive the same amount of honour in Olympian society, and Hera, as defender and mistress of Olympus, has to constantly check whether or not there is a breach of that egalitarian semi-open marriage or an attack on her honours as both queen of the gods and equal partner of Zeus.

Now, Hera is well-known for her fury against Zeus’s mistresses, and while this may seem funny/tragic to people, it’s not rlly ALL of them that had that treatment. The only ones of Zeus’s mistresses (that I know of) that received any kind of attack from Hera were Leto, Alcmene and Semele. (This ill reputation of Hera as a jealous wife might mostly be due to Heracles, but we’ll get back to him later)

Leto and Semele

Leto was one of Zeus’s previous wives before Hera came in power, and she conceived her children, Apollo and Artemis after Zeus and Hera got married (UPG). Semele was a mortal princess from a very important family line, who Zeus took a liking to and came down to often, even swearing to her on the river Styx to give her anything she wanted. This could tickle Hera the wrong way for 2 reasons: Leto, a previous queen, and Semele, a mortal, may have started to feel proud of Zeus’s special attention, and that their children (Apollo & Artemis, and Dionysus respectively) were destined to eventually enter her home due to them being very important. The first point could just be a reminder of Hera’s supremacy as Queen of Heaven, and sends a clear message: “Just because the King gives you special favours doesn’t mean you are above, or better than me”.

The trials that face Heracles, Apollon and Dionysus (ie madness followed by redemption, Python, and a period of madness respectively) could therefore be tests to prove their worth and proof that Zeus did not waste his time and energy making children unfit to integrate the Olympian family without some pushback. Zeus famously spent 3 days conceiving Heracles, whose famous fate at the hands of Hera could be seen as trials in her honour, as evidenced by his name which means “the glory of Hera”. When he ascends to Olympus, he even goes as far as marrying Hera’s daughter, Hebe.

Conclusion

Hera is not a jealous wife, and her marriage with Zeus is certainly not dysfunctional. They love each other deeply (see: the foundation myth of the Daidala festival) and their relationship is certainly not something to be questioned or made fun of. Honouring Hera properly means honouring Zeus, and vice-versa.

On that note, I wish you all a happy Theogamia.

[herefortheships]

I looooved Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and I absolutely adore how much Beetlejuice swoons over Lydia at times, (blowing kisses and dancing with her in the air) however, I’m not exactly sure WHY he fell in love with her? Is it because when they talked the first time he felt sympathetic towards her feelings of loneliness? Is it because she is different than others for her tastes and interests? Is it her bravery, (as she is not scared as him as normal people are, didn’t even faint when he did his scary face! I think she’s more wary of his powers and potential danger) is it her kindness and patience towards others? (Like dealing with Rory?) I wanna know your opinion!

I probably answered a similar question already, but I can talk about this all the time (and who knows if my thoughts have changed and maybe I say something different lol). I so love to muse over this one 💜✨.

Headcanons ahead! There is also this post I talked about this topic (probably rambled way too much in that one lol).

I just want to center this post on which qualities I personally think made Betelgeuse fall in love with Lydia, not necessarily the how or when it happened.

Truly the first thing Betelgeuse noticed about Lydia was her dark and mysterious looks. He's attracted to dark, goth ladies as evidenced by Delores, and here came this beautiful young woman, all dressed in black, with dark hair and mysterious eyes which carried a tangible loneliness in them he probably identified with. He was intrigued.

But it wasn't her beauty, what captured and secured his affection.

There is something that Lydia has that Delores never had, and that something started piercing through his heart, making him fall in love. Lydia is gentle and kind; she's a caring soul, willing to make a sacrifice for those she loves. She may be a dark and mysterious lady, but she has a big, caring heart. And (headcanon of mine) Betelgeuse, who has always desired a loving relationship, was attracted to the warmth of that heart like a moth to the light.

Lydia knows she's strange and unusual, and she doesn't mind things that are strange and unusual. She doesn't mind ugly and scary things; where others would turn away in disgust, Lydia would look with curiosity and without judgement. And she's sweet and innocent, despite her dark, gothic looks.

She had just the heart to take him in and allow him to experience that love he's craved for so long.

As an adult, Lydia is demure and sensible--perhaps a little too much, which makes Betelgeuse want to show up in her life and protect her (example, protecting her from Rory and scaring the living shits out of him for being the pos he was to her).

Lydia is also brave and willing to put up a fight. In fact she was willing to protest him during their first wedding attempt. Perhaps in hundreds of years he wasn't faced with someone who was willing to fight him back or to look upon him without fear or disgust. Lydia didn't flinch at seeing him, when she first saw him in the model; she just asked him if he was a ghost, too. She didn't turn her face away with disgust or run away scared at the sight of him. I imagine he would have done things differently back in '88, if he'd have seen things more clearly.

Just being herself endeared Lydia to Betelgeuse.

And then, watching her for over 30 years, he saw her as a mom, displaying all those qualities he was always so fond of, but amplified in the love and care for her daughter 🥹. And he saw how the men in her life didn't appreciate her, too. His heart must have been breaking as he was desperate to make contact again. He couldn't manifest in the world of the living freely or appear in front of her without being summoned, so he tried and tried to get her to see him so he could make contact and maybe make her say his name. I imagine he must have wanted to break into her life and scoop her away from the undeserving men who instead of valuing her, either took her for granted or took advantage of her. He knows how special she is. He knows how her heart and her mind works. He simply loves everything about her.

Anyway I am lowkey starting to write a fanfic here, so I'll stop 😆. But these are some reasons why I think he loves her. 💚

[fernhelm]

opinions on the black sister relationships? i love your character posts sm!

i’m blowing you a kiss!

i love thinking about them…sorry this took so long, i was busy lounging and watching killing eve. i might type up something about the dynamic between the three of them, but i broke them down into pairs here.

bella & cissa ♛

i made a webweave here that basically sums up my thoughts on bellacissa. i do think cissa thinks she’s a fanatic and completely bonkers, but she’d defend her anyway. narcissa appreciates that in their patriarchal fucked up family, bella is carving her own path—she isn’t docile or ladylike at all. so cissa takes some vicious pleasure in how unleashed bella is. conversely, bellatrix has a deep-seeded jealousy FOR narcissa, who is at least able to play the part of the perfect pure blood woman in a way bellatrix never could. my vision is that druella has contempt for bella but pays a lot of attention to narcissa. once druella is dead, bella sees narcissa as both her baby and her mother in a way, and she resents both. but i won’t get into bella here she deserves her own post.

bella & andy ♞

the hardest relationship for me is bella and andy. my belief is that these two are one year apart in age, like irish twins. we know from dh that they’re basically identical. I think they were pitted against each other a lot. they both end up teaching each other how conditional someone caring for you can be. it’s obvious that andy leaving really wounds bella (as evidenced by the ferocity with which she wants to kill ted and tonks), so there is a degree of power andy hold over her emotionally. bella is both the terrorist and the protector in the home. she goes after both her sisters, but it’s with the ultimate goal of making them strong enough to face anything that’s thrown at them…andy doesn’t want to change her or save her—she knows all the dark, evil parts of her and grapples with all the times bella showed her tenderness or turned her rage against someone else for her sake. i think they can read each other’s body language perfectly, but don’t understand each other’s minds at all. once they’re older they fight all the time, verbally if not with magic, and it would start with bella making some pointed jabs to get her attention and andy curating a biting response without looking up from her magazine and just like that they’re dueling. but once it’s over and they’re panting on the floor, bella would kick her leg and they’d smirk at each other a bit. or one of them would storm out. i do think that andy did bella’s hair for every event they attended between the ages of 8 and 16. huh, i guess i have more to say about them than i thought i did.

andy & cissa ♝

narcissa spends years stepping in the footprints andy has left behind. before she figures out who she is, she’s just a ghost of andy. she learns all her best defenses from her. i don’t think andy feels very bad about leaving her behind. i don’t think she’d try to convince narcissa to go with her either. she would miss her so much, but she’d grieve her like she’s dead. i don’t see her as a person who holds on to a lot of regrets. and she’s in love! she wants to run away and forget every bad thing that ever happened to her! is that a crime? narcissa thinks it is. growing up andy was her strongest ally, and she takes it as the ultimate betrayal when she leaves. similarly to regulus, she looks down on andy and maligns her whenever her name comes up, but it’s a cover up for how hurt she is. andy knows all the reasons that narcissa thinks she’s trapped in the life she leads, but she still thinks ‘if you want out, get out.’

daughters 1, 2, 3 ♙

fairy tales often follow a 1 2 3 format because it’s easy to remember a moral lesson tied up with a bow when it comes in a set of three (three billy goats, beauty and the beast, the peverell brothers). it goes bad bad good. so it’s super interesting that the ostensibly “good” one, andy, is the middle child. she is bookended by two death eater sisters. which raises the question: what went wrong (or right) with her? and for the others too—narcissa in canon is primarily draco’s mother, but giving her andromeda AND bellatrix as sisters raises all kinds of questions about her upbringing and interpersonal relationships. bellatrix chases and scolds narcissa at the beginning of half-blood prince, and she’s not particularly scary at all. the terrifying evil bitch who killed sirius calls her sister cissy? three sisters who mean vastly different things to harry, but we never get the three of them in a room, so so much is left to the imagination. lots to play with. good things come in threes!

[acupofqueercoffee]

“Cinnamon Cookie”

Lady Lesso x Pregnant Reader

Request by @anonymous

hi, i love your style of writing 🫶🏻 can you write a one shot with lesso and preg reader, you know some fluff and maybe some smut if you want bc i have i think for stuff like this 🫠 thank u have a nice day 🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️

awww thank you so much buddy!i’ve been writing quite a lot of smutty fics lately, so i took a purely fluffy route with this one (づ ๑˃̵　ᴗ　˂̵) づ

Request by @chaoticeruditefansie

hiii! please can we have some more content about lady lesso + her daughter? the fluff is so comforting <3

the only daughter whom i’ve had lesso parent thus far as far as i’m aware is her fur baby cookie, so i hope that’s who you’re talking about. this isn’t much but i hope you’ll still find it agreeable o(>ω<)o

━━━━━━━ ▼・ᴥ・▼ ━━━━━━━

Her babies have grown.

Cookie, but a fluffy little thing the size of her palms then, though equally fluffy, is presently not only big enough to intimidate, but has also earned the title of big sister.

Cinnamon, Cookie’s little sibling, too, is thriving in their own way, as evidenced by the round of your belly that gets plumper and plumper with every soft press of Lesso’s lips.

To think that in the beginning she has been baffled by the swelling of your stomach which has stood at the mere size of a coconut. Oh, how she has matured as a mother. Now, gingerly caressing your belly that is pleasantly reminiscent of a watermelon, she is flooded with delight and awe. It is the indication, after all, that the little life inside of you is actively flourishing.

As lips make a delicate descent onto your stomach, tracing constellations amongst clusters of opal lines with unconditional reverence, a pair of enchanting green eyes map your features, equally as reverential. But of course, in the end, Lesso is the one to be bewitched by you, oh beautiful, beautiful you who only continue to look the more radiant, the riper the pregnancy becomes.

“I wish they’d have your eyes.” Your voice comes with a sweet kiss to one corner of her eyebrow.

“And your smiles.” Hers, with a kiss to the corner of your mouth, fingertips softly outlining the arch of succulent flesh. “Your lips.”

“Your wit.” The soft touch of your finger on the tip of her nose is followed by the press of silky smooth lips. Your murmur tickles her ear. “And your eloquence.”

She brushes a thumb along the bone of your cheek. “Your diligence.”

And then, you are smiling oh so mesmerisingly, simultaneously bringing her hand to your belly.

“Ah! Do you feel it?”

How can she not?

Although this will not be the first time the baby has made themselves known, the experience of feeling their energetic little kicks beneath the palm of her hand never falls short of miraculous.

“Cookie, here, come feel your baby sibling.”

On the arch of your belly, two hands and a big, fluffy paw silently wait with bated breath for the new member of your little family to give a greeting from the other side.

“There it is again!”

You beam happily while Lesso, with a blossoming smile on her lips, frantically nods.

“Cookie, did you feel it?”

Seemingly sharing her mothers’ giddy excitement, Cookie the fur baby, does a jolly little circle, trotting on her four legs, before climbing into Lesso’s lap. Her nose boops your protruding belly, and despite the ridiculousness of the notion, Lesso can only see it as the bonding of her two beloved children.

Cinnamon and Cookie; together, they make Cinnamon Cookie.

Although admittedly, Cinnamon may sound unusual for a child name, there lies a deeper meaning behind it.

On a particularly fine day when the sun’s golden rays have been bathing your home in a wonderful glow, a craving for sweetmeats has unusually struck you. Lesso, being the doting wife and the enthusiastic mother that she is, has taken it upon herself to quench your needs. Her impeccably-baked goods that has warm cinnamon oozing in your mouth has earned you a kick from the inside. Such has been the very first greeting from the little fella who is residing in your womb.

“Cinnamon! Let’s call them Cinnamon.” Your suggestion has been made with a dazzle in your eyes, a blossom on your lips, and who is she to deny you of such innocent glee?

Lesso’s little bundle of joy has cultivated a delightful habit of knocking on your belly. Every day, it is how they greet you as if telling their family to eagerly await their arrival, and oh how they do; building furnitures and decorating a room for them as well as whispering sweet nothings and lullabying them to sleep. Lesso wants nothing more than to welcome her little darling into the world where alongside you and Cookie, she will cherish them to the moon and back.

━━━━━━━ ▼・ᴥ・▼ ━━━━━━━

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dean Obeidallah at The Dean's Report:

A mother and her two young children playing in a pool on a hot day in a suburb of Dallas should be a time for fun and merriment. And it was, that is until 42-year-old Elizabeth Wolf, a white woman from the area, saw that the mother was wearing a hijab and the children were Brown. At that point, Wolf questioned the mother about where she was from and made statements about her not being American, as well as “other racial statements.”

A visibly angry Wolf then grabbed the 6-year-old boy, causing a scratch on his finger as he pulled away. At that point—as the police reported--“The mother began helping her son when Wolf grabbed her 3-year-old daughter and forced her underwater.”  The mother “was able to pull her daughter from the water. Her daughter had been yelling for help and was coughing up water.”  That is when “Wolf also snatched the mother’s headscarf off and beat her with it,” as the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported. A witness, Emma Aziz, who was at the pool that same day with her 7-year-old was interviewed by local Fox affiliate said she heard the mother screaming as she watched Wolf plunge the 3 year-old child’s head underwater. Aziz recalled the mother saying, “Help me! She’s killing my baby, she’s killing my baby!'” The attack ended--as the mother identified only as Mrs. H explained--when an African American man helped rescue her daughter from the attacker and more people gathered. The attacker reportedly shouted to a bystander who was calming the mother down, “Tell her I will kill her, and I will kill her whole family.”

In a statement shared by CAIR, the mother “Mrs. H” said, “We are American citizens, originally from Palestine, and I don’t know where to go to feel safe with my kids,” adding that amid Israel’s war in Gaza, she and her family were “facing that hate here.” This is what a hate crime looks like. People attacked simply because of their race, religion or ethnicity.  If the family in the pool were white, this doesn’t happen. Period. The Euless Police Department –where the attack took place—did promptly arrest Wolf that day but for public intoxication. Four days later, though, on May 23, the Tarrant County criminal district attorney’s did file charges of attempted capital murder and injury to a child against Wolf.

However, despite Wolf’s actions clearly being fueled by bigotry—as evidenced from her comments-- she was not formally charged with a hate crime. That is why this past Saturday, the Dallas chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) held a press conference demanding the DA also charge with hate crimes. CAIR leaders also called for Wolf’s bail—that was set at only $40,000—to be raised given the seriousness of the crimes.

[...] The attack by Wolf on the Palestinian mother and her children reminds us of the barbaric incident last October in the suburbs of Chicago. That is when 6-year-old Muslim American child Wadea Al-Fayoume was killed by an older white man who had spewed anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate before stabbing the child to death—and stabbing his mother as well. As the killer’s wife told the police after the arrest, he "listens to conservative talk radio on a regular basis" and became obsessed with the war between Hamas and Israel. The killer was charged with hate crimes in addition to murder and attempted murder.

And in November, three Palestinian-American college students were walking on the streets of Vermont while wearing keffiyehs and speaking Arabic when Jason Eaton, 48, came down the porch of a home, pulled out a pistol and shot them.  Eaton said nothing before shooting the three. While Eaton was charged with three counts of attempted murder, despite demands by the community, he was not charged with hate crimes. Obviously, Eaton—like Wolf—targeted these three because of who they were. In the case of Wolf’s attack on the Palestinian children and mother, the public pressure appears to be having the impact demanded.  In other cases, though, the public pressure may not always result in the desired outcome but at least it still raises awareness about the issues.

Elizabeth Wolf drowned a mother and her two kids in an Euless, Texas public pool based on the fact they were Palestinian Muslims.

This hate crime being perpetrated is part of a long line of American anti-Palestinian/anti-Muslim bigotry.

See Also:

Let's Address This: A Woman Is Out On Bail After Attempted Murder Of A Palestinian American Child

[madisonmontgomeryimagines]

First Installment of Werewolf!Reader

Unsurprisingly, Madison and Zoe were the last to show up to breakfast. The television had already been on when you came downstairs, before anyone settled at the table, and you watched the news with dread, unease circling your mind as you waited for the inevitable coverage.

"Now that everyone is here," Fiona's voice was a neutral drawl as she rose from her chair to refill her mug, "I'd like to make you all aware of a new change. I know that until this point, you've only known this academy to have two staff members. Seeing as the threats against our kind are growing and ever-present-"

"You mean that girl they burned." Zoe cut in, seeming to ground herself enough to focus on the new information.

"Just the most recent tragedy, and it won't stop. Since Cordelia is dragging her feet teaching you girls how to protect yourselves," a pointed look was fixed on the woman in question, but Fiona didn't pick the fight, "it's become my responsibility to install security until you've fully realized your power."

Her gaze shifted to you, as did every other. Your hand rose, giving a weak two-finger salute.

"No offense, but what's another witch gonna do that none of us here can?" Queenie pointed out, and you were kind of inclined to agree with her. You also already knew the answer, though.

"There's safety in numbers, and I never said she was a witch." Fiona looked amused as she pulled a cigarette from her pack. "No, when you want a guard dog, you call in a werewolf."

The silence that followed allowed the newscaster's voice to filter through, every word from his lips making your flesh feel like it was on fire.

"...leaving five members of the fraternity Kappa Lambda Gamma to be fatally attacked last night. Police say that the extensive injuries point to a larger predator and advise following standard curfew until the animal is located. Locals are speculating that the extensive mutilation of the bodies may be why authorities will not confirm the identities of the deceased."

"That was you." Nan's focus was on you in an instant. It didn't sound like an accusation, it sounded like she was stating a simple fact. If the files Fiona went through with you were right, she was probably aware of every thought you'd had throughout breakfast.

"Why on Earth would you hunt humans so irresponsibly and so openly?!" Cordelia spoke for the first time, and you slowly rose from your chair.

"Ma'am, I was hired to protect the occupants of this house. I was doing my job as security detail and found those boys assaulting someone. Given how close the frat is to this establishment, it was my call to make, and I only put down the dangerous ones." The ones that had been in the room.

"None of our girls?" Cordelia asked immediately, the stern lines of her expression giving way to worry and something else you couldn't discern.

From the corner of your eye, you could see Zoe inhaling to speak, only for Madison to sharply elbow her.

"No one I've met today." It wasn't technically a lie; you met at the party. Besides, it wasn't your story to tell.

Your answer seemed to pacify Cordelia, but you could still feel eyes on you. "I do not intend to make a habit of leaving behind casualties, but I was hired to protect these girls and yourself at any cost."

"While I deeply appreciate the sentiment, I really don't think-"

Fiona cut her daughter off without even looking at her. "As the one who hired her, I'll decide when to call her off. The world is becoming a more dangerous place every day, we need allies." Her word was final, as evidenced by her turning to the girls and moving right onto the next matter of business. A small mercy was that everyone seemed as thrown off as you felt.