#Marie Posts about Mara

[eschergirls]

November 2024 Escher Girls Updates & Patreon Thank You!

Hi everybody!  It's November, so it's time for a monthly update and to thank all our wonderful Patreon subscribers!

For a quick update about Tumblr, if you've been following the blog you probably noticed that in late September/early October, the Escher Girls Tumblr ran into the infamous "shadowban" bug, which is not actually a shadowban but just a bug that happens to random blogs on Tumblr (more info here). After bugging Tumblr about it a few times, they finally fixed it, which means everything is back to normal and I can send and receive DMs and messages as normal on Tumblr (just in time for the Caption Contest which was handy for giving out prizes to the winners!)

I appreciate everybody who helped me figure it out and especially @haveievermentioned who messaged me to let me know that they weren't getting updates from the EG Tumblr! In the future if you run into any issues with Tumblr or the main site, please don't hesitate to let me know!

Also, if you missed it last month, I've been fixing up the main site and I updated the submission guidelines and also the submission form which now lets you choose a name to submit with and also let me know if it's okay for me to reply to your email address if I need more info about your submission. The new and improved form can be found here: https://eschergirls.com/form/submit-content

And, all new posts on EscherGirls.com now link to the corresponding Tumblr post so site users can easily navigate to the Tumblr cross-post and see what Tumblr users are saying. And when I fix up old posts, I'm now fixing up the Tumblr version as well and adding a cross-post link. It's twice the work but given that many people still view the site on Tumblr, I figure it's worth it to everybody. :3 There are some posts without a Tumblr cross-post link because the Tumblr post has been deleted/hidden because of Tumblr's mercurial algorithmic flagging which can't tell the difference between stuff like a coloured body suit and nudity.

As usual I've spent a lot of time this month working on fixing up old posts, restoring broken images or finding higher res versions of old images, and fixing broken links, etc, also fixing all the formatting of older posts and finding sources.

Here are some of the posts I fixed up this month (for any that want to check them out, the links to the Tumblr versions are included in every post):

This "How To Draw" book depicting women's waists as a ball joint (which explains a lot about why artists think women can just swivel around like rotor blades), and an associated post with that infamous Jennifer Blood cover

The infamous "muscleboobs" how to draw page depicting women's breasts as muscles 

Two different Soul Calibur posts: one with Talim in a boobs and butt pose (and a redraw fix of it), and another with Xianghua, Talim and Ivy in various states of rubberization

Black Canary described by my friend as a miracle of modern plumbing

War Goddess giving up War Goddess-ing and instead going into the butt-selling business

The infamous Glory/Avengelyne cover (the first time I posted Liefeld on this blog after the first 800 posts without him to prove a point that it wasn't just him putting out the insectoid women art) and an associated post

And a caption contest with Avengelyne and Ravyn in pretty hilarious poses and also the winners of that contest

And now I want to give a big thank you to Escher Girls' Patreon subscribers for October!

Thank you so so much to:

Anne Adler Cat Mara Chris McKenzie Em Bardon First Time Trek Greg Sepelak Ken Trosaurus Kevin Carson Kim Wincen Kristoffer Illern  Holmén Leak  Manuel Dalton Mary Kuhner Max Schwarz Michael Mazur Miriam Pody Morgan McEvoy randomisedmongoose Rebecca Breu Ringoko  Ryan Gerber Sam Mikes Sean Sea SpecialRandomCast  Thomas 

And a very very special thank you to JohnnyBob8 for buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi!!!

Thank you so much for helping to keep the site running! The Tumblr technical issues and algorithmic flagging are reasons why Escher Girls has a dedicated self-hosted site, and why I appreciate the support on Patreon and Ko-Fi so much as it helps me pay for hosting, domain costs, and site upgrades and keep the site running.

And thank you to just everybody, all of you interacting with the blog on both Tumblr and on the main site, and who participate in caption contests, and submit things to me, or just generally send me kind words. Thank you all! You make running the site so worth it. :)

Ami

PS: As a reminder, we added a button that links to the Escher Girls Tumblr and to our RSS feed for those who want to follow that way. (For newbies, RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and is basically a feed you can read using an RSS reader. Simply copy and paste https://eschergirls.com/rss.xml into an RSS reader and it will keep you up to date on Escher Girls!)

Make sure it is eschergirls.com and not eschergirls.tumblr.com, as that is Tumblr, and not the self-hosted site.

If you have any issues with the site or suggestions to improve it, please do not hesitate to contact me and let me know!

If you wish to support Escher Girls, you can subscribe to our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/ami_angelwings or donate through Ko-Fi at: https://ko-fi.com/amiangelwings.

[marabarl-and-marlbara]

hi, mara,

I just wanted to tell you that I'm grateful to you. Reading your posts, getting some idea of how you think, has been helping me clarify my own thinking. I often find what I say, often enough to myself, to be very empty. I hope that I can make myself better. that isn't really the whole of it, but anything else is difficult for me to articulate just now, or seems unnecessary. anyway, thank you. take care.

good morning anonymous;

never really too happy to hear from someone how empty they see themselves--sometimes i think people expect me to respond that way from a religious perspective wherein i speak about vessels, but it makes me think of authors and writing; when i was younger, i had absolutely nothing to say (it seemed) so i just became a little simulacrum-output device for all of my inspirations: i did not make art or write from a place of "having something to say," but from a place of "merely wanting to have something to say," which recently makes me think of comparing Mister Stephen King's Carrie to Nat Cassidy's Mary. In the introduction to Carrie you hear King telling about the origin behind him writing Carrie, how it all centered around these two girls he knew growing up, both I think ended up killing themselves (it's been awhile since I've heard the introduction). One of the girls was hyper religious and had been bullied for it, and I think the other only ever wore one pair of clothes every day, and the one day she wore a nice dress she got bullied for it. In the introduction to Mary, you just hear Nat Cassidy telling us about how much he loved Carrie and how he wondered what Carrie would be like if she survived to her 40s, and then builds this safety-catch foundation for himself and the reader to clarify that a) this is NOT a lame little continuation of Carrie story or a retelling, and b) that he consulted the relevant groups--crazy people and women, I'd guess--to make sure his story was appropriately sensitive to the groups involved. In my head, Mary is just this hokey little tin-and-wire simulacrum of a "something to say" said by King and then dressed down in foil-and-glitz to resemble a Nat Cassidy.

--mostly, all of that is to say that for here and Existence and feeling of Emptiness: that emptiness is as temporary and fleeting as a persons likes or dislikes, as often it is filled purely by existing and continuing to exist: life will pour into you depressions and ecstasies both that will perfectly contort themselves to you and your vessel like coffee into a mug; for me: I don't think I necessarily had "a voice of mine" (may-be in terms of purpose or drive, and may-be also in terms of creativity) till I went on a self-destructive spiral--and that pursuit of self-destruction became my voice; then: it became religion.

Surely enough, with time, life will fill you up with something; hopefully something more positive than self-destruction, and hopefully something less stupid than faith. Whatever you are filled up with will just as surely be temporary and just as surely change its shape, colors, and scents as it continues to age and fill till it all dries out and goes empty--truly empty (dead).

thanks for the kind words, anonymous, take care.

[aylacavebear]

She Thought She was Normal

Story Summary: Maria really thought she was normal, for most of her life. It was normal for people to have natural talent, she would tell herself the older she got. Many things came easy for her, and that was probably how their rivalry began when she was five and he was seven and she met the Winchesters. Little did either of them know that it wouldn't stay like that forever, both having a far larger destiny than they could imagine

Word Count: 3582

Please don't take my work. I'll post warnings for each chapter. Will eventually be 18+!

Warnings: none that I noticed, perhaps some angst

----------------------------------------- Chapter 12

“I still don’t understand Maria,” Jess told her from the passenger seat, two hours into the drive back to Lebanon.

“I know and I’m not sure I’m the one that should give you the details either,” she answered.

“Sam called. He told me not to go with you,” Jess said.

“I figured he would, and I really appreciate that you didn’t listen to him,” Maria said, relieved.

“Can you give me anything?” Jess asked her.

“All I know is that the last time I felt like this, I lost my dad. How about we get to where we’re going and I’ll answer any questions you have?” Mara asked as she glanced over at her for a moment.

Jess thought about it for a moment, “Well, I’ve got no reason not to trust you,” she chuckled a little.

Maria hadn’t slept since before she’d slept on the drive to her Uncles almost two days ago now, perhaps a little longer, running on adrenaline, caffeine, and that uneasy feeling she still couldn’t shake. Jess was great though, even with little to no information as to where they were going or barely a reason why. She helped Maria keep her eyes open and focused on the road every time she noticed her looking as though she might doze off driving. She’d even offered to drive for a bit, but Maria had told her no. She knew she wouldn’t be able to rest until Jess was inside the bunker, hoping that would at least calm that uneasy feeling.

Just outside of town, she really felt like she couldn’t drive more, exhausted, but again, Jess kept her awake with conversation. Maria pulled her truck into the bunker’s garage and parked before the two got out. Jess looked around, amazed.

“If you think this is cool, wait till you see the rest of the place,” Maria chuckled, feeling a little more at ease, and oddly enough, a little more awake.

She gave Jess a small tour before she nearly fell from exhaustion, that uneasy feeling had mostly diminished, as they got back to the library, “That’s it, you’re lying down and getting some sleep,” Jess told her fairly sternly.

“Fine. I’m in room one, just down the hall there,” Maria chuckled, pointing to their right.

The two were almost the same height, but Jess was fairly petite and had a little trouble supporting Maria’s weight. Luckily it wasn’t a far walk. The moment Maria’s head hit the pillow, she was dead asleep and would be for the next ten hours, having pushed herself far further than she ever had before.

Jess wandered around the bunker, looking at the books more than anything else, and even found a couple that she read some of. Maria hadn’t even had a chance to answer any of her questions. She got food when she was hungry and even called Sam but didn’t say much to him, at Maria’s request during the drive. The one thing Jess noticed about the books was that they all had to do with what she figured were just myths and legends about monsters and gods.

Maria stumbled out of her room sometime Sunday evening, late, finding Jess sitting in the library, reading a book. She hadn’t had any nightmares and felt most of the uneasiness to be gone at this point.

“Hey sleepihead,” Jess said with a smile as she looked up at her.

“How long did I sleep?” Maria asked grogily.

“At least ten hours. How long had you been awake for?” she asked, closing the book.

“Probably too long,” she chuckled as she sat across from her.

Before Jess had time to ask her any questions, Maria's cell rang, which was still in her pocket, “Hello?” she asked, still sleepy.

“Alright sis, where the hell are you, we’re in Lebanon,” Sam told her, and she heard the frustration in his tone.

Maria mouthed the words, ‘it’s Sam’, to Jess before she answered him, “I’ll meet you at the diner. Give me fifteen or so minutes.”

She didn’t give him a chance to argue, hanging up the phone. Maria told Jess to stay inside before she got in her truck and drove to the diner. The Impala was parked in the parking lot, the boys leaning against the side of it. Sam looked pissed as she parked a spot over from them. She got out and closed her door before she felt a hand on her shoulder, that quickly spun her around and pushed her against the door, hard, pinning her there.

“What the hell is going on Maria!?” Sam demanded as Dean stood there, not sure if he should pull his brother off of her or watch things play out.

Maria knew he only used her name when he was mad, “It’s hard to explain, okay? Just know that Jess is safe and if you’ll let me go, you can follow me and I’ll explain everything. I promise,” she told him as she looked up at him.

Sam was still pissed but he knew how stubborn she could be. He pushed against her shoulder one more time before he got in the passenger seat of the Impala, not saying a word. Dean wasn’t sure what to even say. He’d never seen her not fight back, but with Sam, she’d just stood there, even if she could have easily gotten out of the hold Sam had on her.

She moved her shoulder a bit while rubbing it, making a slightly pained face at how hard Sam had held her before she looked over at Dean, “Just��� follow me,” she sighed before she got back in her truck.

Dean had no idea what to say, so stayed silent as he got back in the Impala, then followed Maria through the small town and down that single-lane paved road, then, into the bunker’s garage. Dean had given Sam a piece of his mind on the short drive. That weird feeling had come back, from when he saw her when she was seventeen, when her father had been killed. Seeing the way his brother had treated her had brought on a feeling that he wanted to protect her, even from his younger brother, but it was deeper than that. He just didn’t know it yet, not fully.

Maria parked her truck and got out, as Dean did the same, Sam quickly got out of the Impala and closed the distance between the two of them. Dean barely saw it in time to get between the two.

“Sam, don’t,” Dean said firmly, causing Maria to tilt her head a bit in slight confusion at Dean’s action.

“Dean, get out of my way,” Sam almost growled lowly.

“She said she’d explain everything. Just let her,” Dean told him, standing his ground.

“What is going on in here?” Jess’s voice came from the garage door that led into the war room.

Sam looked up, relief and fear mixed in his expression before he went over to her and pulled her close to him. 

“Umm… thanks…” Maria told Dean quietly before she headed out of the garage, past Sam and Jess, and into the library, not giving him a chance to respond.

The three eventually joined her, although now she was sipping a beer, mulling over what she was going to say and how she was going to explain things to the three of them. Dean was like a kid as he made his way to the library where he leaned his back against the wall near the archway. Sam and Jess sat across from her.

“Alright Sis, spill,” Sam told her, anger and fear still mixed in his tone.

She took a deep breath before she looked up at Sam, “She was in danger, Sam. I had no choice. All I know is that it had something to do with fire,” Maria began explaining, but the look of fear on Sam’s face made her question him, “You know something, don’t you?” she questioned, suspiciously.

Sam looked nervous and had to look away from her, “I’ve… I’ve had nightmares… for the last couple of weeks… of her dying… like… like mom did,” Sam finally confessed.

That got Dean’s attention, causing him to push off the wall a bit. All Jess could do was look between Maria and Sam, still having no clue what was going on or what either of them was talking about. Sam had kept everything from her.

“Sam, she has to be told, for her own safety,” Maria told him.

Sam looked at the ceiling and rubbed his face with his hand before he let out a deep sigh and looked down at the table, “I didn’t want her to be a part of any of this,” he said quietly.

Over the next several hours Sam told Jess everything; hunting, monsters, how their mother died, the family business, and why their dad was currently missing, as well as why he’d gone with his brother over the weekend. It was a lot for Jess to take in, and at first, she didn’t believe him. Had it not been for being in the bunker and the books she’d come across, she probably never would have.

“So, you hunt monsters,” she stated, almost needing to say it out loud, trying to convince herself.

“Yeah, that’s the basics of it,” Sam told her, afraid she was gonna completely freak out.

She nodded her head a bit as she looked up at him, “That’s one I haven’t heard before, but I’m okay with that.”

“Wait? What?” Sam asked, completely confused.

“Sam, I feel like this is the first time you’ve been one hundred percent honest with me about your life. I love you. A little confession isn’t enough to scare me away that easily,” she told him with a playful smile, “Now if you had told me you were some serial killer, I might have had a little problem,” she chuckled.

He couldn’t hide the happiness that washed over him and wrapped her up in a very close and intimate embrace. Dean smirked from where he was standing and glanced at Maria, who was looking down at the table again, slowly sipping her beer. The smirk on his lips slowly faded when he noticed the sadness in those dark blue eyes of hers and no matter how much he wanted to comfort her, he refused to move. So instead, he looked over at Sam and Jess again, coughing to clear his throat and get their attention, making the two laugh a little.

“Alright Sis, your turn. What is this place?” Sam asked her, still smiling with his arm over Jess’s shoulders.

She took a deep breath before she looked up at him, glancing at Dean briefly before looking back at Sam, “Okay. It’s a lot,” she began before she shared most of what her father had told her in the letter he had left for her.

Maria had deliberately left out the parts about her, the book, Zamariel, and even the mention of her powers. She still hadn’t had time to look into that or come to terms within herself about it. She explained to them that Bobby knew and was in the process of packing up what was important and what he needed before he moved in.

“The offer, to move in, extends to all three of you as well, plus your dad, when we find him. There’s plenty of space,” she finished.

“What about school?” Jess asked, looking from Sam to Maria.

“For now, it’s really not safe for either of you to go back to school. Especially with Sam’s nightmares and my uneasy feeling. Maybe they have an online program?” Maria explained to her, hoping she’d understand.

Sam turned and looked down at Jess, gently caressing her cheek, “Jess, for now, please, stay here until we can figure out what it all means and why whatever this thing is, is after you now too,” he was practically begging her, no matter how soft his voice was.

Maria looked over at her before finishing her beer and looking down at the table while Jess thought about what they had shared with her in the span of four hours or so, “Alright. For now, I’ll stay here, but no more secrets. You three keep me in the loop, on everything or I’m leaving.”

“Promise,” Maria and Sam said together, not having to think twice about it.

Dean on the other hand stayed quiet. Normally he would have had some sort of snarky thing to add, but this entire situation had him on edge. The three looked over at him, but Jess gave him a look, like a mom demanding an answer, “Geez, I promise. Don’t look at me like that,” he said quickly, yet annoyed before he went to the kitchen for a beer.

Maria chuckled at the interaction, “You guys can pick whatever room you want, there’s plenty to choose from and the kitchen has food if you’re hungry. I think I’m gonna call it a night though. I’m exhausted.”

She headed into the war room and stopped before she turned toward the hallway, going to the kitchen instead, finding Dean leaning against the center island, sipping a beer, “I’m heading to bed. You can pick any room you want.”

He glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow, “Any room?” he asked with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes, “Room one is mine, and you can’t pick whatever one Sam and Jess pick, since I have to spell it out for you,” she told him, slightly annoyed.

“What’s it been, seven years and I can still get under your skin and on your nerves,” Dean asked, rhetorically, chuckling with a smirk as he shook his head a bit.

Maria crossed her arms and glared at him a bit, “Will you ever not act like a jerk,” she said rhetorically, and sarcastically before she walked away and to her room, closing the door behind her.

Sam had noticed her behavior as she walked through the war room, as did Jess, “Looks like not much has changed between those two,” he sighed.

“What do you mean?” Jess asked curiously.

He told her about the challenges the two had from the time they were five, and about Maria having natural talent, letting her win all of them. Jess chuckled at the stories of the rock, then the throwing knives, target practice, and even the little wrestling match. Dean stayed in the kitchen, alone, and had a second beer. Jess and Sam picked out one of the rooms and headed to bed not too long after Maria had.

But Maria hadn’t gone straight to sleep. She was lying awake in her bed. Everything felt so strange to her. She’d gone from living out of her truck and motel rooms to now living in a bunker that was packed with information she could have only dreamed of. There was the time she’d just spent with Sam and Jess, but that had been their home and even if she was family, she still felt like a guest there. Then there were the times she had spent at her Uncles, which had felt more like home than anywhere she’d stayed. She wanted to sleep, needed it really, but she just couldn’t bring herself to relax. One of the biggest issues was that there were no windows and she was underground, even if the place was massive.

She got out of bed and headed to the war room on her way to the library, but stopped, seeing Dean sitting alone at one of the tables with a beer. She turned and headed into the garage instead, deciding to attempt to settle in. As she was grabbing her things out of the back seat of her truck it felt as though she was being watched. Maria slowly, yet discretely pulled her gun from her bag, and cocked it before turning quickly, holding it so that it was aimed at the head of the person that had been behind her. 

Dean held his hands up in surrender, although was worried she might actually shoot him for a moment, his beer in one of his hands. Maria rolled her eyes as she uncocked the gun and slipped it back into her bag.

“What Dean?” she asked, her exhaustion coming out in her tone.

“I thought you went to bed,” he said as he watched her.

“I couldn’t sleep but that still doesn’t answer my question,” she replied as she flung the strap of her bag over her shoulder and closed the door, now looking at him.

“I was just curious what you were up to, that’s all,” he said nonchalantly before he took a sip of his beer.

She opened the door to the front seat of her truck, pulling the box out from under the seat. For a moment, she didn’t move, remembering the letter her father had left her on the bed, “You good?” he asked her, pulling her from her thoughts.

Maria took a deep breath, closed her truck door, and turned to him, smiling a little, “Yeah, I’m good. You find yourself a room yet?” she asked as she headed back into the war room.

He turned to watch her, biting his bottom lip for a moment with how her hips swayed before he moved to catch up with her, “Nope. Figured I’d test them all out first before picking my favorite.”

So many different retorts went through her mind, “Just stay out of my room,” she told him, not looking back at him.

“Which one is yours again?” he asked, chuckling.

“Room one,” she said in a low, serious tone as she reached the couple of steps that led into the hallway.

“I think I can remember that. What’s in the box?” he asked, wanting to talk to her more, but having no idea how. He was trying to play it cool though.

“Nonya,” she replied plainly.

He stopped, looking confused, “Huh?”

She rolled her eyes before she turned around and looked at him, “Nonya. It means, none of your business,” she explained, furrowing her brows a bit.

Damn, the girl had gotten mouthy, Dean thought to himself, which only made him want to talk to her more, see if he could get past that outer shell she had put up, “Awe, come on. It’s me,” he told her with a shit-eating grin.

“That’s exactly why it’s none of your business. It’s you,” she told him and then turned around.

Dean watched her walk away. He hated to see her go, but the view was something he figured he would never get tired of watching. He couldn’t help but lick his lips one last time before he took his beer and began exploring the bunker. 

Maria locked her door behind her before she set her bag down on the floor, somewhat annoyed. She had hoped that Dean had gone to bed, as had Sam and Jess. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with Dean and his mouth, not today. Too much had happened in too short a time and she’d barely had time to fully process it or slow down. Plus, her Uncle was due to show up in a few days with at least some of his stuff. She sighed and unpacked her bag, putting the dress Jess had gotten her in the closet with the shoes, wondering if she’d ever wear it again. The box though, she slipped it into the top drawer of her dresser, leaving the book inside it, for now. She vaguely remembered what had happened the last time she’d read that book, and with everything she’d just gone through, she wanted as peaceful a night's sleep as she could get. Her gun was tucked under her pillow with her silver knife.

The room still looked empty since she didn’t own decorations or things like that. Another sigh left her lips as she placed a couple of books on the shelf above the headboard. The letter her father had left her was placed in the top drawer of her dresser, under the box. Had this been before her stay with Sam and Jess, she would have been halfway through a bottle of whiskey, if not on her second one by now. She wondered if she could get used to having a home, let alone living with Dean.

She ventured out of her room slowly, always looking around the corners for Dean, still wanting to avoid him. When she didn’t see him in the war room, she slipped into the garage and grabbed the last of her things but left her weapons in the lockbox. As she was making her way back to her room through, she didn’t see Dean watching her from the hallway across the war room. He wasn’t smirking, just watching her. That teenage crush that had started when he was sixteen had only grown and he had no idea how to even approach her now that it was ten years later.

Most of what she had grabbed were things she didn’t really get into, so just packed them in the top of the closet, the rest in her dresser. She realized just how little she owned. She climbed into her bed, under the covers, and clicked off the light on her nightstand. Her mind wandered for about an hour before she finally drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

----------------------------------------- Chapter 13 - Ground Rules

Tag List: @deans-spinster-witch @kazsrm67

Link to the master list for this story.

[thishadoscarbuzz]

317 - Chappaquiddick (Patreon Selects)

This week's episode comes selected by one of our sponsor tier patrons over at our Patreon! The 2017 festival season brought us Chappaquiddick, director John Curran's recounting of the titular incident where Senator Ted Kennedy was responsible in the accidental death of party secretary Mary Jo Kopechne. With Jason Clarke as Kennedy and Kate Mara as Kopechne, the film earned solid festival reviews (with even stronger notices for Clarke) but a planned qualifying release before the end of the year never came to be.

This episode, we talk about the short life of Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures and the 2017 qualifying release for the film that was canceled. We also talk about Clarke's career in grunt roles, the film's frustrating post-script in relation to Ted Kennedy's career, and Bill Crystal's Oscar hosting duties.

Topics also include vague movie titles, TIFF Galas, and Frederica Kimmel's friend.

The 2017 Academy Awards

The 2018 Academy Awards

Vulture's Movies Fantasy League

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[fashinistagirlunit4]

diversity on the catwalk

fashion creatives are embracing inclusivity and body positivity, exploring themes such as size, gender, age, race, and disability.

Precious Lee, Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser

The fashion industry is constantly improving and evolving, we are starting to see more culture and diversity through ought each season.

In July 2020, Gucci launched its new genderless shopping category on its website called ‘Gucci MX’ using only gender neutral models to showcase the pieces.

Brands such as Simone Rocha, Rachel Comey and Vivienna Westwood are starting to include many more older models to showcase their work this is making the fashion world more diverse and as the seasons go on their seems to be more inclusivity each time.

AlexandraKutas

Hailing from Ukraine, Alexandra Kutas claimed the title of the world’s first runway model in a wheelchair as well as Ukraine’s first fashion model with a disability. Alexandra modelled on the runway during Ukraine Fashion Week in 2015 and a couple of months later unveiled a photography exhibition called “Break Your Chains” alongside photographer Andrei Sarymsakov in an effort to break down society’s stereotypes and negative perceptions of people with disabilities.

Kelly Knox for Grazia 2018

Greater diversity within the fashion community opened up a space to celebrate all beauty and gave a platform for people with disabilities to be more visible. As a result we are seeing more people with disabilities making appearances on runways, on the cover of magazines, in fashion ads and beauty campaigns.

Jean Paul Gaultier haute couture spring/summer 1998

among the roster of major designers Jean Paul Gaultier is notable for his concerted adoption and celebration of queer aesthetics from placing men in skirts in 1985 to repeatedly drawing on the homoerotic motif of the Genet-esque muscly. Over the years he has had many collaborations and with friend and muse Tanel Bedrossiantz to various striking ends. In his spring summer 1998 Age of Enlightenment influenced couture show, Bedrossiantz apps rated in a tightly corseted ruffled gown over a white shirt and tie an image so iconic it was included in the catalogue for vogues 2019 camp.

Somali-American model, Halima Aden 2017

Halim Aden was the first Muslim woman to wear a hijab on the international high fashion catwalk at the Max Mara show held in Milan on 23rd February 2017.

Madeline Stuart is a 20-year-old model with Down syndrome from Brisbane, Australia. Madeline has walked in Art Hearts Fashion Week, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week China, Style Fashion Week, Melange Fashion Week, Runway Dubai, Sunshine Coast Fashion Festival, and Birmingham Fashion Week. She has appeared in Vogue, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, Women’s Weekly, Elle, New York Times, People, Marie Claire, Huffington Post, and many more. She was also named Model of the Year in 2016.

Nina Marker famous model with autism

Nina Marker was scouted at a McDonald’s in 2014 and was quickly snatched up by Elite Model Management. She has walked the runway for Chanel, Dior, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Valentino, Givenchy, Fendi, and Versace, among many others. Nina is an advocate for the Autistic community, as she herself has Asperger’s. She has talked openly about being treated differently when she was young and the depression she experienced following that; she is passionate about creating awareness for Autism and wants to show people that Autistic people can do anything they want to do.

Harvard Referencing:

Shutterstock (2020). Unforgettable Photographic Moments: 2020’s ‘Big Four’ Fashion Weeks. [online] The Shutterstock Blog. Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/big-four-fashion-weeks [Accessed 28 May 2023].

Mcloughlin, L. (2017). Ashley Graham shows off curvy figure in clinging latex mini dress. [online] Mail Online. Available at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4871728/Ashley-Graham-shows-curvy-figure-latex-mini-dress.html [Accessed 28 May 2023].

Brain, E. (2020). Gucci Mx Line Explores Gender Fluidity Within Fashion. [online] HYPEBEAST. Available at: https://hypebeast.com/2020/7/gucci-mx-non-binary-gender-fluid-collection-fall-winter-2020-jackie-1961-bag-lookbook.

Tsui, D. (2019). Finally, Some Age Diversity on the Runway. [online] The Cut. Available at: https://www.thecut.com/2019/02/older-models-of-all-ages-were-on-the-runway-at-fashion-week.html.

Managment, M. (2018). | MiLK Model Management. [online] www.milkmanagement.co.uk. Available at: https://www.milkmanagement.co.uk/women/women/1152-kelly-knox/ [Accessed 28 May 2023].

The Photo Studio. (2018). 20 Disabled Models And How They Got Their Starts. [online] Available at: https://thephotostudio.com.au/all/modelling/20-disabled-models-and-how-they-got-their-starts/. [Accessed 7th June 2023]

Stuart , M. (2015). Madeline Stuart NYFW 1st catwalk appearance with my Jellyfish men. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://youtu.be/n9PMB9y9xAc [Accessed 7 Jun. 2023].

‌

[untowonder]

perhaps I might be taking my disco blahblah about ptn!Mary Ann and making a post about it. like, some religious references alluding to Mara and the Whore of Babylon and Tiamat and figures like that. youll see, youll see when I get my thoughts in order

[shrimp-apocalypse-now]

this shits hhaaard why do I have to think about the character I only want to think about the character

@scrimshawed @thegreatbaerri @pepsithot @dykemarcille @tarantula-hawk-wasp if you wanna

5 Favourite Characters Poll (Tag Game)

I was tag by: @star-mum

Rules: make a poll with five of your all time favourite characters and then tag five people to do the same. See which character is everyone's favourite.

Thanks you so much for the tag

Tags <3: @meeks-beas @practically-an-x-man @outer-space-face @trashworldblog @mydearlybeloathed

[ultimate-redheads-championship]

Okay so this is the Ultimate Redheads Championship! First up we are having character submissions :)

I'll edit this post as submissions come in (via askbox) and once we reach ??? or deadline ??? the championship will start! inspired by a bunch of different ones

If you want to co-host this just send in an ask and we can chat.

sincerely,

your local redheaded mod xD

~~~

How this will work

Once submissions are closed, the first round will commence, the family elimination round. I'll tag it #family elimination. Depending on the traction/interest this has received I'll either set the polls for a day or a week, and will be to eliminate family or closely connected characters from competing against each other. The only two families I know of currently in this round are the Blythes (Anne of Green Gables) and the Weasleys (Harry Potter). If you're submitting characters where there are multiple redheads in the family, please make a note of this in the submission. I may also eliminate multiples in the same fandom depending on how many submissions we have, also in this round. (e.g. there are two DC characters currently listed).

After that, I'll set up the brackets and whatnot and the ultimate redhead will, by process of elimination, be chosen!

After it's over, there will also be a redheaded OCs round (can be fandom OCs or from original stories). Feel free to submit your interest at any time and I'll keep the ask in my inbox until we get to handling the OC round with a proper template for information about them. If you submit OCs to the main bracket without clarification they will be deleted or put in the main bracket.

~~~

Character list under the cut! The [] indicates this character and their related family members will participate in the family elimination round.

| Book/comic characters |

Sophie Hatter Howl's Moving Castle

[Anne] Shirley Anne of Green Gables

[Ron] Weasley Harry Potter

Aerin The Hero and the Crown

Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl/Oracle DC

StarFire DC

Wally West DC

Roy Harper DC

Quill Kipps Lockwood & Co

Maedhros The Silmarillion

Mary Jane Watson Marvel

Mrs Frizzle The Magic School Bus

Pippi Longstocking Pippi Longstocking

| Film/TV/anime characters |

Nausicaä Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Stoick How To Train Your Dragon

Dana Scully The X Files

Mara Jade Star Wars EU

Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Wars

Bo Katan Star Wars

Lydia Martin Teen Wolf

Kim Possible Kim Possible

Kyo Sohma Fruits Basket

Ichigo Kurosaki Bleach

Phineas Phineas and Ferb

Merida Brave

Ariel The Little Mermaid

Poison Ivy DC

Black Widow Marvel

Daphne Scooby-Doo

Sansa Game of Thrones

Anastasia Anastasia

Anna Frozen

Jessica Rabbit Jessica Rabbit (?)

Fiona Shrek

Annie Annie

Giselle Enchanted

Jessie Toy Story

| Unknown |

(please provide clarification if you know)

none right now

[zoomzooomfast]

My South Park Oc and some other facts about her and Post Covid things about her because I am cringe but I am free

-Marieana chose her name Because she was really into a Canadian Tv show (Similar to Boy meets world) and the two love interest we’re called Marie and Ana so she combined the two

-she lived in Canada till she was 10 because her dad was an American Spy on Canada

-Marieana goes by Mara at this point

-Her Parents are divorced with her Dad moving to San Diego well her Mom wanted to live in South Park and her dad didn’t want custody

-Made it on Varsity Softball Freshman year

-Because Team Captain Senior year being co-Caption With Bebe

-in a relationship with Bebe junior year after she and Clyde realized there both gay

-But Mara has had a crush on Bebe for like 8 years and was like the definition of “I can be a better boyfriend than him”

-went to College on a Softball Scholarship and Majored in Pre-Law then went to Law School in New York

-She moved back to South Park after law school because her mom needed help with her siblings after her step-dad died where she reconnected with Bebe(who at this point is a waitress)

-Mara also becomes a secretary for Gerald Broflovski (She never cared for the Broflovskis but it’s the closest thing she’s going to get to being a lawyer)

-unfortunately Kyle has been forced to be his father Secretary as well and she has to work with him well he’s going through a divorce

-Mara dose help Ike learn Canadian well he’s getting ready to take a test to become a Canadian Ambassador

-Mara and Ike are Best Friends

-Mara and Bebe get Married

-Bebe become a weather reporter

-Mara later starts her own law firm and is a divorce attorney

-They have 3 kids(all 3 are girls)

-And there Happy because all the kids become Stable Adults who started doing things for the better of the community

[mariegreythepoet]

Mara’s Regret

Dearest Anne,

I have failed you. I failed you once and I have failed you again and now I can only sit here and think on how horrible I feel for abandoning you in our prior lives. You have no reason to forgive me. I know this too. But dear sister, I will try my very best to make it up to you. I swear it. I may never again have love, for there is no one left who loves me. But I will for damn sure make certain that you are loved.

Your Old Friend,

Mary

I was very conflicted on whether or not to start wiring about Mara again. I suppose I will, if only to give amazing artists more things to work with when creating Sixtended verse stuff.

[blackgirlcinephiles]

Warning: Long post

Regarding Keke Palmer and the colorism conversation…

I feel like people are never entirely honest with themselves about how colorism functions not just in Hollywood, but in all facets of life in the US.

Keke Palmer has had an objectively successful career with a VERY impressive resume to her name.

And Zendaya is an objectively talented actress who is deserving of all of her accolades.

But to me, the conversation around colorism, like with racism, has never been about capability or achievement. It’s about opportunity. Which individuals among us are given the opportunity, the visibility, the push that will send them to bigger heights, regardless of talent?

It’s about how skin color and other physical features shape the type of treatment we receive in society. Everything from length of prison sentences to experiences in the dating market are shaped by colorism. There are several studies that prove this and provide deeper context, just look it up.

And I don’t say this to make anyone feel bad or push a cynical narrative about the possibilities available for darker skinned people, but I seriously want us to be real and honest about the society we live in and how shit plays out.

There’s a reason Viola Davis was called “less classically beautiful” while Halle Berry was once named People’s Most Beautiful Woman.

Again, these are both gorgeous, talented Black women who have given us so much in their careers. Who have both had to face obstacles due the fact of their Blackness. But let’s be honest, colorism & featurism have also had a hand in shaping the trajectories of their careers and the type of opportunities/roles they received.

Viola Davis has spoken at length in several interviews about how transformative an opportunity like HTGAWM was for her. And mind you, it was an opportunity created by another Black woman, our beloved Ms. Shonda Rhimes.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen Keke Palmer’s popularity and recognition grow beyond the Black community due to the wonderful memes and pop culture moments she has given us, often during her personal interviews and hosting gigs.

And Nope, is her first big, mainstream, feature role in her adulthood. An opportunity created for her by another beloved Black creative, Jordan Peele.

The reason I’m emphasizing opportunity and the creation of opportunity is because I already know of three other Black creatives at the decision making level who have said they had to fight for the presence of their dark skinned characters.

Mara Brock Akil did a panel where she said she had to fight for Jill Marie Jones’ place on Girlfriends.

Gina Prince Blythewood said she had to call out her producers after several attempts to diminish Kiki Layne’s character in The Old Guard.

Chris Rock said he had to fight for Tichina Arnold to play his mother on Everybody Hates Chris. A role, which I might add, made her wildly famous in Brazil for being one of the few positive representations of dark skinned Black women in Brazilian television.

In all of these examples, it is Black creatives in decision making roles making opportunities for their dark-skinned talent specifically.

It’s not about Jill Marie Jones, Tichina Arnold, or Kiki Layne being less talented, or less accomplished, or less personally satisfied with their career trajectories. It’s about fewer opportunities being there because mainstream Hollywood still has a paper bag test for Black women.

It’s because the Black actresses often deemed palatable enough to sell to/pull in mainstream audiences often look like Halle Berry or, in this conversation, Zendaya. Who is both fair skinned and modelesque in stature. Zendaya herself has commented on being Hollywood’s “acceptable Black girl.”

It’s not a coincidence, as someone on twitter pointed out, that Zendaya has 149 million followers while Keke has just reached 11 million. That’s the difference in their mainstream popularity. That is what is influencing the opportunities that come to them.

Because let’s also get into how casting directors are also checking the social media stats of their actors nowadays. Bigger engagement on social media means bigger potential interest from audiences. And we should already know by now how colorism and featurism works for Black people on social media. We should all know that, right?

Acknowledging these things and having these conversations, does nothing to take away from the talents or achievements of any of these actors. Yet people always seem to act like it does, which is why people get defensive, and colorism conversation never actually goes anywhere.

Two things can be true at once. Zendaya is an objectively talented actress who has an incredibly promising career ahead of her. And she has also likely benefitted from colorism and featurism in her career trajectory.

Keke Palmer is an incredibly talented entertainer with a LONG and enviable resume. And #Nope is her breakout leading role in a mainstream blockbuster as an adult, and colorism/anti-Blackness may be a reason why this opportunity came to her later in her career by comparison.

If we can’t be honest about colorism and how it works, then we can’t call it out when we see it happen, we can’t hold folks accountable and nothing will ever change.

Colorism, like racism, like all -isms, is always happening, so there will never be a time where we shouldn’t talk about it. Where it isn’t at least a possible factor at play. And these discussions don’t have to mean that we’re putting anyone down or pitting anyone against each other.

It’s about knowing better so that we can do better.

[marabarl-and-marlbara]

hi mara,

i was wondering what your favorite books are, anything you've derived inspiration from. or any books you'd recommend to others!

take care

hi anonymous, good morning;

soft promotion but i usually write a little about what i:m currently reading in my end-of-month internet-sin paywall posts on substack -- but i:d also probably just tell you if asked;

any-ways, when i was really young i:d try to read a book-a-day both because 1) i had absolutely nothing to do 2) i thought that by reading as many classic/erudite texts as i could, that i:d become super smart; but i burnt out on reading because of these two things! and because of being burnt out, i have a huuuuuuuge amount of gratitude to the book version of "howl:s moving castle," because i think i picked it up on a whim (before the movie was out, even, i think), and read it, and it just made me fall in love with reading -- and the idea of reading for pleasure, instead of trying to make myself smart and cultured. was just so enamored with that book; read it through every period in HS and in that huge dullness i:d have afterschool (i slept out in a car from 2~7 typically; no friends and no where to go)--just couldn:t put it down, felt so real. zero idea if it holds up, and i refuse to re-read it, but i /loved/ that book and it:s always what comes to mind when someone asks me my favorite book (side-note: i thought the movie was trash; i don:t like ghibli stuff though).

inspirational stuff, though, i:ll use more recent examples! (mostly because it:s easier to remember this stuff); i really adore flannery o'connor and her short-story "the lame shall enter first" largely helped me deal with some of my obsessiveness at adhering to my behavioral etiquette 'perfectly' -- there are these two characters: an older atheist who is doing his very best to behave perfectly and empathetically and understandingly; & a crippled thieving rude christian boy that has fallen into the care of the prior character; any-who, the christian boy admits he has not been saved and that his soul belongs to satan, and tells the adult that he won:t bother being saved till he is ready to live whole-heartedly clean -- and that there is no point in attempting to act perfect (as the adult were trying) as no-one is perfect except christ; the story illustrates the lesson better, but it just made me loosen up on some of my behavioral rules and etiquette in regards to bacterial will and religious law. plus, flannery is a /beautiful/ writer.

then more briefly, i:d toss in cormac and shirley jackson -- cormac:s "outer dark" just really impressed me with how excellent he describes environments and just how /real/ he wrote "the three figures" towards the later half of that story, i love the outer dark so much; shirley jackson, too, just this month i read "we have always lived in the castle" and the maturity of her writers voice just struck me with how concisely bitter it were, and i just thought: wow, this is like the prototypical femcel hiki blueprint, and wow: this story is like the deconstructed magical girl genre before it ever existed, and as it could only exist in the mind of a shut-in agoraphobic american woman in her sixties (i think she was that old at the time of writing, i forget). i:m reading "the secret history" atm and also really loving that, because donna tartt is ace at pacing a story & capturing the feeling of "being left at a dorm for winter alone," and just scene/moments in general -- just super enjoying it :-)). then for more religious stuff that:d make people groan: i like LRH, and mary eddy baker, and ellen g white, and like reading all of them, and usually am left with a sparkling feeling after reading any.

and that:s it! i don:t want to name too many books because it:d water stuff down in meaning. take care, anonymous :-))

[ladytemeraire]

Anyway the term “Mary Sue” needs to die in a goddamn fire, especially since people apparently can’t stop using it as a catch-all term for:

“female character that is more capable/skilled at A Thing than at least one (1) male character”

“female character that is capable/skilled at more than one Thing”

“female character that isn’t a love interest”

“female character that is a love interest”

“female character that isn’t written perfectly”

“female character that is well written but isn’t pandering to me [especially when ‘me’ refers to a male reader/viewer]”

“female character I just don’t like Because Reasons”

[sillyrabbit81]

I absolutely love all your writing! It has honestly brought me so much joy, so thank you

I saw in one of your posts, you mentioned consensual non-con… how do you think Henry and his characters would feel about doing that with their SO? Xx

Did I? There I go revealing my kinks again…

Here you go Anon. I don’t know how good this is, I’m on almost no sleep, Sorry...

Warnings: Obviously discussion of consensual non-consent.

Masterlist

Consensual Non-Consent (CNC) Headcanon

Below the cut

Henry

Henry wouldn’t suggest playing around with CNC, however, he would give it a go if you wanted to. It would tickle his creative side and he would bring all his acting talents in the scene. He would create a character, figure out his back story, discover his motivations and would plan out a tailor-made scenario to ensure your fantasy lived up to expectations. He would want to ensure you had clear boundaries, a safe word and what gain an idea of what kind of aftercare you would expect. He would also want to talk about what happened after to make sure you were ok with how it went.

Captain Syverson

Sy is game to try almost anything in the bedroom if you’re into it. He is the consent King in my opinion so if he is clear that you are into it, he will do it. Much like Henry, he will want to establish clear boundaries and preparations to ensure you are safe. He will treat it like any other mission, preparation is the key. He will create a clear plan of what he will do and have contingencies in place in case something goes wrong. He would surprise attack you; you wouldn’t know when it was going to happen. While he may be a bit hesitant to go all the way, but once he feels you struggle beneath him, something ignites the primal urges in his brain and he loves it so much that next time you do it, it will be at his suggestion.

August Walker

Of course, August would be up for it. August loves hearing his sweet girl telling him her fantasies, however this one does puzzle him a little. He can’t quite work out how it would be any different to any other time he manhandles you into doing exactly what he wants. He supposes he can wear a mask if that will help.

Walter Marshall

Walter would take some convincing. Not because he isn’t into the idea, he absolutely is… possibly a little too much. Walter has a dark side that he keeps under wraps as much as he can when he is at home, that dark side is for work and work alone. He would be worried about losing control and going too far, pushing to a place that too dark, a place he won’t come back from. Eventually he agrees, but he is adamant that not only do you need to use your safe word if things go too far, but that he has a safe word too, a way to step back if he feels like he is going to get lost. He trusts you to be honest and protect yourself and him.

Geralt of Rivia

There isn’t much that happens in a bedroom Geralt hasn’t tried, he is decades older than you after all. When you suggest it to Geralt he agrees readily, and a small smile pulls at his lips. For a moment you are jealous, thinking of the woman he must have done it with before. But you quickly realise that’s not why he’s smiling as he says, “Are you going to start running, little rabbit, or shall I just take you here?” You run.

Mike

Sigh. Mike is into it, really into it. The problem is you just can’t take him seriously. He tries to attack you, jumping out from behind the door with such a playful “Boo!” that you can’t help but laugh. You eventually give up, loving your sweet puppy for his playfulness and forget about your fantasy.

Tag List 1

@henryobsessed @omgkatinka @legendarywizarddetective @posiemax @nostalgicb-txh @moonlacebeam @anitababi @agniavateira @blakerogue @shadesofarrogance @mansaaay @stxlemate @wheretheriversrunintothesea @amberangel112 @madbaddic7ed @eldarwen333 @wolvesandhoundshowltogether @summersong69 @littlefreya @littlebirdofrivia @luclittlepond @myloveforhenrycavill @mary-ann84 @tellingyouastory @beck07990 @zealoushound @sofiebstar @sweetlybigdragonn @bloodyinspiredfuck @marantha @diegos-butt @greensleeves888 @endofalldays01 @justaboringadult @ysmmsy @offroadinjandals @littlewrenofrivia @pussyverson @foxyjwls007 @kebabgirl67

[lokorum]

I saw your post about the Vigilant mod and taking prompts for it so could you do something of Healer Mary, the healer who was burned at a stake as a witch by the Alessian Order and said to be Mara's daughter (so like a feminine Jesus figure almost?) I was enamoured with her story and was sad we didn't get a flashback of her!

hey, thank you so much for the request!! i really enjoyed seeing her in the game both as the boss and as the memory and as a statue as well :')

that one moment when she is in the cell silently listening to the pepe angry speech were just ughghghgh super cool!!

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

TBR Buster Challenge

I wasn’t gonna make a post about this, I was just gonna quietly participate but I thought it’d be better to make a lil announcement so that I can hold myself accountable 😅

I’ll probably be reading a lot from my backlog TBR this year but the ones I’m including in the challenge are these ones, that have been on my TBR since 2019 or before:

Emergency Contact by Mary HK Choi

Permanent Record by Mary HK Choi

Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo

City of Spells by Alexandra Christo

A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos

The Missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos

Meat Market by Juno Dawson

The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale

The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

Meet Me In Outer Space by Melinda Grace

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning

We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra

Brave Face by Shaun David Hutchinson

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller

Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz

Meg and Linus by Hanna Nowinski

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

Far From You by Tess Sharpe

Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Windfall by Jennifer E Smith

Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E Smith 

Smoke and Key by Kelsey Sutton

And I Darken by Kiersten White

Now I Rise by Kiersten White

Bright We Burn by Kiersten White

The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

fingers crossed I can cross most of those off, even if I don’t read them all. here’s to busting those TBRs! (and thank you to @bookbandit for hosting 😊)