#Mercedes Marten

[alpha00zero]

Daughter of Hearthstone

[orinthered]

the 8k slowburn aelinore/mercedes fanfic in my mind

[tastytofusoup]

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (2013) ↠ The Encampment

[ladymissfit133]

Been thinking about Dragon's dogma and its reoccuring stories about women navigating a patriarchal society and how individual action will never succeed against systemic oppression. How even women of noble birth are stuck following the whims of the men in their lives. How Aelinore's romance is all about her grabbing on to the little bit of agency she has and holding on to it with all of her power, to get but a taste of freedom, only for her ultimately go from the oppression of her husband and back to that of her father. she's probably never been as happy as she was in those sewers, not having to think of how she appeared, who saw her or what she was doing. it was just her and the person she herself chose to love. as someone who's never been able to make her own decisions, just dealing with the consequences of the one decision she made for herself must've felt incredibly liberating. And in the end the system still takes her back. she can't truly escape, to fight against something so much stronger than herself.

And Mercedes. Naive and foolish Mercedes, who wanted nothing more than to be seen as a knight. A position she as a woman is simply not allowed to have. Her individual wishes goes against what the system could ever accomodate but she does not understand this. She does not know that she will never have what her brothers have. She thinks that the system will give her what she seeks should she work hard enough. but that is not how systemic oppression works. It will never bend for an individuals hard work. She is merely deluding herself thinking the men around her see her as an equal. But she never will be. They will never give her that chance, hell, even when she insists on taking a job the man overseeing her sends you to make sure she is unharmed. And in the end the system wins and the best she can hope for is the respect of two people to allow her an uninterrupted duel. But she's still a woman. And the system will not allow her that same respect. And then there's Madeleine. Flirtations and pragmatic Madeleine, wanting nothing more than her own shop, yet obtaining such a feat as a poor peddler is difficult and she is forced to resort to illegal means in order to reach it. Means her male peers likely would not need to. And despite her craftiness she is still found out and forced to leave her hard-earned successes behind.

time and time again Dragon's dogma gives us stories about how individualism can not win against systemic oppression, but together we can do something. None of these women can escape their situation - they simply do not have the means to do so on their own. These are the kinds of narratives that games seldom tackle, and yet Dragon's Dogma does it in a very honest and brutal way: an individual is powerless against the wider structures. on your own you are powerless. It's a game that should be talked about more for its feminist themes i think, because they are there and they are strong. and then there's Dragon's Dogma 2. DD2 takes the more gender-blind approach to its own world. Where gender doesn't really matter at all. I can understand this approach, and a lot of times i think it is a good approach: unless you have something to say you should just let people feel like they belong in your world. Women are plentiful in DD2, they hold positions of power and make up half its instututions. this should be the default approach. But it also means DD2 can not say anything important about the struggles of groups, only about individuals. Because no one is truly oppressed based on their identity anymore. And i think that is a genuine shame because the first game had a lot to say about it. (and yes, i know about the beastren, but they're a fantasy race and thus do not count)

[bootdork]

Watching a friend play Dragon's Dogma 2... did they really replace angry short queen Mercedes Marten with just some fucking guy? Just some dude named Gregor?

[yes-we-exist]

So was anyone going to tell me We Suffer is just Mercedes from dragons dogma or was I just supposed to listen to the audiobook and discover it on my own

[eternalwakestone]

Mercedes Judging Ilyana's taste in men.

[cuartoretorno]

Softcult’s “music for mall goths” is the feminist grunge we need | Live Performance

La “música para góticos de los centros comerciales” de Softcult es el grunge feminista que necesitamos | Actuación en vivo

On this week's episode of The Intro, we're featuring grungy shoegaze twin-sister duo Softcult, who talks with host Jess Huddleston and performs "Another Bish," "Spit it Out" and "Gaslight"

En el episodio de esta semana de The Intro, presentamos al dúo de hermanas gemelas grungy shoegaze Softcult, quienes hablan con el presentador Jess Huddleston e interpretan "Another Bish", "Spit it Out" y "Gaslight".

[redbullcateringfiction]

Chapter 8 -

Cantata

Arabella is the executive assistant for Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff. 10 years into her career, it looks like the tide is changing, and she's beginning to question her relationship with him. Is it something more, or nothing but an idea lingering in her head?

F/M, Fluff, Boss/Employee Relationship, Romance, Pining, Love, Slow Burn

Eight chapter below the cut or click here for AO3

Click here for the previous chapter on Tumblr, and click here for a list of all chapters

(Total: 34872 words thus far)

Where I wander: An opinion by the ‘bitch’

Thursday, March 12th, 2021 6:20 GMT

Author: Arabella Lazaar

Edited by: Jeffrey Martens and Shane Coughlan 

Editor’s note, March 12th, 2021: Arabella Lazaar is the former partner of Irish rock band Four Odd Bottles singer Cathal Lynch. Their 3 year relationship was not public knowledge until October 13th, 2019. 

If I were to recall every moment during our relationship, I would not question where I went wrong. 

Formula 1 is filled with huge personalities and names. There’s no doubt many fans could tell you how they imagine their favorite drivers’ to be, and I can assure you they would be 90% correct. Being in Formula 1 requires being surrounded by glass walls at all times. Your most intimate self is constantly on display. This was something I never enjoyed. Afterall, I suffer from agoraphobia. Seeing into the distance, and seeing the crowds of people is terrifying. I have forced myself to be in these situations. In God’s name, why?

I’ve always loved formula racing, but I never thought I could be an integral part of it. I never had the skills nor talent to be a driver or engineer. I, however, think I have quite the head on my shoulders. Micromanaging people and information became second nature to me. It’s a natural skill that one develops when their anxiety tells them to avoid everyone and everything. So, I saw an opportunity in Formula 1, and put my effort into joining a team. I set aside every fear I have to put my brilliance on the table instead. 

During that process, I learned that if I am constantly moving (as it is a job requirement), and hiding behind those big personalities, those glass walls become a comfort. I could be entirely isolated while surrounded by people, because no one cared about me, really. I could also be socializing with some of my favorite people. Above all else, I serve as an important cog in the well-oiled machine that is Mercedes-AMG. It was the dream I sought out. 

In 2016, I came upon Cathal Lynch, and our romance began to bud. Nothing new. Just another person to hide behind so I could continue to value my loneliness. This is the moment where I went wrong. Cathal had been correct from the beginning: There was no way to keep our relationship secret forever. We had two incredibly different opinions on this. I believed it could be managed for a long time. Until a wedding, at least. Cathal waited just days before asking if he could reveal me to the public. This became a constant item of discussion. In the meantime, every song Cathal released was a reflection of our relationship. The trips to Morocco to visit my extended family, our house in Brackley covered with his white cat’s hair, and of course, my career. Every time a song was written, and released, I would panic. It was all pieces of information that would lead people to me. The glass walls started to show their cracks. 

Then, in 2019, they finally crumbled. I was now a microcelebrity. Yes, I had spoken to a few Formula 1 magazines, but my Instagram had never been on television. This was an entirely new world for me. Cathal did not help me navigate this new world. The strain on our relationship was too large, and Cathal moved out of my home in Brackley just a week before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. This was 2 years ago now. With the collapse of the life I knew, I tried to embrace the disaster. Maybe I’m being dramatic, but when I looked around, all I saw was the shambles. 

Wherever I turned though, Cathal was there. 

And so I wonder, where can I wander? Cathal follows me everywhere. My job is micromanagement, and Cathal’s seems to be micromanaging me. Every song seems to center around some sort of belief I was using him. I will not apologize for something I did not do though. 1 break up album is understandable. 2 break up albums is uncomfortable. 2 albums and 5 singles is a deliberate assault on a person’s life. I don’t know how he walked away from this so hurt, and I would like to apologize. I would also like to never see him again. 

Perhaps, that is what makes me a bitch to him. I am a bitch (as it is a job requirement). I will accept that. I have developed a hardened exterior in no small part due to the previously described situations. I will not accept the assertion that I was nothing more than a woman seeking out fame. I easily could’ve found it in my own job. I chose not to. 

I cannot continue to maintain my isolation though, that much is clear. Cathal hasn’t left me alone for 2 years. An essay won’t stop gossip and an army of fans to spread it. This latest incident is proof by itself. Even had the song not been clearly targeted at me, enough speculation would have led people to believe it was. So, I believe I should address at least one other item:

I choose to own the label of bitch, but no woman should have to make that decision because a man decided to label her as one. In the interest of fairness however, I believe Cathal Lynch should accept the label of ‘misogynist.’ 

As written through correspondence with Arabella Lazaar and Jeffrey Martens. Arabella Lazaar is currently the personal assistant to Mercedes-AMG team principal Torger “Toto” Wolff. Jeffrey Martens is her legal counsel and acquaintance. 

Comments on this piece are unavailable.

~

“Black screens are going up,” I heard over the headset, and immediately took it off. Nothing was going to be happening for a moment.

“Fucking hell,” Toto sighed. “Gearbox issue, we’re not even on the road.” He looked over at me, and I saw a smile creep over his face.

“Let me show you what Bono sent me,” He smirked, raising his eyebrows. He handed over his phone and I saw a tweet.

PopCrave 

Cathal Lynch temporarily banned from Formula 1 races after releasing “Bitch,” and showing up to his ex-girlfriend’s job. Video below.

I looked at the video thumbnail. There he was in his stupid Red Bull shirt, but his hair looked different. He had clearly cut it, and his eyes looked tired. He no longer had the shaggy, boyish look he had when we broke up. Instead, he looked like a real celebrity. I clicked on the video and listened closely.

Cathal was leaving the paddock, and a bunch of media had already surrounded him. “Cathal, Cathal. Why are you leaving the paddock today?” One called out. He stopped and spoke into the camera, as I knew he couldn’t resist. 

“I was apparently ‘banned’ due to some violation. I don’t know what. My team is on it. It’s absurd. I bought my ticket. The song was planned to be released months ago. I apologize though to all the fans who might’ve expected to see me here,” He groaned out an obviously prepared reply. He knew why he had been banned. No way he couldn’t. 

“Cathal, did you see Ariana Lazaar’s response?” Another reporter called out.

“Huh?” He asked walking towards them.

“Did you see Ariana Lazaar’s response?” 

“Arabella? You mean Arabella? And no, what response? She hasn’t said anything,” Cathal answered.

“10 minutes ago on the Guardian,” The reporter explained.

“What? What’d she say?” Cathal asked.

“She called you a misogynist,” He responded. I could see the gears in Cathal’s head turn. “Mr. Lynch, do you have a response? Cathal, do you have a response?”

“That bitch.”

I could hear a collective ‘whoa’ come from the crowd of reporters as Cathal flipped his sunglasses down. The reporters chased him down as he climbed into his car and drove off. I looked up at Toto, and immediately laughed when I saw his huge smirk on his face. 

“Nice response, by the way. PR is absolutely in love,” Toto explained. 

“I…I appreciate that,” I smiled.

“I’m so very serious. I think he just ruined his own career, and you get to keep that pretty smile on your face,” Toto said, before suddenly looking around. “Where’s Netflix?”

“Not here,” I shrugged. 

“They’re not going to put this in, right? No point, right?” He asked. “It’d be weird.”

“If they do, they’re not interviewing me,” I nodded. 

“Where’s Susie? Do you know?” 

“Uh…not sure actually.”

“Let me text her. Keep your ears open on the headset, will you?” Toto asked, stepping away from the computers.

“Will do,” I nodded, putting the headset back on. It was a series of chaotic conversations between engineers as everyone desperately tried to understand the electrical failure occurring in one of the cars. Less time on the road is less time to practice, and suddenly everyone was moving, calling, chatting, arguing, and complaining. If I took the headset off though, I would find it to be entirely silent. Maybe a door would creak open every now and then followed by pounding footsteps, but otherwise, it could be eerie during a time like this. The only time you’d find this room silent otherwise would be the delayed breaths as we all sat waiting to hear a driver was okay after a crash. 

This was not silent out of fear though, it was silent because a good chunk of the engineers had run off to settle things on the car directly. The others were too busy staring at analytics on their computers. I recall one time when an assistant from Red Bull learned that I sit in the paddock and listen to things on the headset. I told him quite simply that when Toto isn’t here, I’m his boots on the ground for all things administrative. When Toto is here, I’m still his boots on the ground as he literally flies around taking care of everything else. He should have to worry the least about resource management and being sure he’s kept up on everything. I can handle the rest.

Suddenly, I felt a tiny tap on my leg, and looked over to my left and saw Jack.

“Oh, hey, Jack!” I smiled. I saw Susie was standing right behind me, as Toto ran off to handle something. “And Susie.”

“He saw you from across the room and went straight to practically begging to see you,” Susie grinned.

“Yeah? You missed me?” I asked, picking him up and putting him on my lap. “Here, let’s get you a headset. You might be able to hear your dad.”

I grabbed a pair that was too big and nearly falling off his ears. I held it with my hand as he grabbed on to either ear so he could hear.

“Y’know, Toto’s pissed about the car. I think he needed to see Jack to remind himself he can’t break any necks,” Susie nearly whispered. 

“An electrical failure this soon is not exactly a ringing endorsement for the season,” I complained. 

“Yeah and Red Bull is on our ass.”

“Gotta focus on our car first,” I shrugged.

“Hey, I was thinking. It’s been so long since we caught up. Did you want to grab a tea or something when you get a break from the action?” Susie offered. 

“Uh…yeah, yeah. Of course,” I smiled. In a bit of a sad way, one of my only female friends is my boss’s ex-wife. At least they’re best friends, and at least she is just lovely. To be clear, I would choose to have more female friends. It just happens that I work in a female dominated field in a boys’ club. All of my colleagues who I find myself trying to impress and work against, are women. All of my colleagues who I have to work with and build a strong relationship with happen to be men. Except, really, Susie. Maybe a few others here and there, but our relationships just don’t mesh. 

“Too busy?” She asked.

“No, no. I’ll make time. I’ll text you,” I explained. Jack gently pulled the headset off his ears. 

“Bored,” He shrugged.

“That was quick,” I smiled at him. “Well what do you want to do?” 

He shrugged again. 

“Do you wanna watch me mess with…my calendar?” I asked. He nodded, much to my surprise.

“Oh! Alright then,” I responded, and went to my calendar on the computer in front of me. Susie chuckled and sat in the chair next to us. I kept one ear on the headset, the other on Jack and Susie, my eyes on the calendar, one arm around Jack’s back with my cellphone in my hand as I shot off text messages, and the other hand on the computer mouse. This type of multitasking is something they try to train into you during your training. I had been lucky enough to become particularly well versed in it at a young age, helping my parents manage the hotel. Little things here and there. Grabbing the phone while they showed someone around, or playing concierge for the guests. Then, when I came back while getting my training, I actually got the title. The idea of a tiny hotel in Ameland having a concierge was cute enough to bring guests. I mean, the island doesn’t have much, so all I really did was help them manage a little bit of travel to and fro, and tell them where to catch the best views. People still appreciated it…I think.

~

“Isn’t it nice to have the family back together?” My father asked. 

“Yeah, pay no mind to the fact that Chadi has ran off to the nearest bar,” Nour laughed.

“Why is Chadi even here?” Farah asked. “He never shows up. Of course, Arabella offers a ticket to Formula 1 and he decides to show up.”

“I mean, at least he’s here,” I groaned.

“Thank you, Arabella,” My mother nodded.

“Besides, I give you guys tickets all the time. It’s not like this was the only time and Chadi used me or something.”

“Yeah, because Chadi would never do that,” Farah laughed.

“What are you talking about, Farah? Do you suddenly know him better than the rest of us?” Nour asked, leaning in. 

“No, but I know our parents better than the rest of you.”

“Oh, listen to the favorite babble on,” Chadi slurred, suddenly appearing at the table. He pulled out the chair directly next to Farah, and smirked.

“Sorry, I tried to tell him to go back to his hotel since he’s drunk but he wouldn’t have it,” Mehdi spoke from the doorway. As the newest addition to the family, why did anyone allow him to play bouncer? 

“Why are you still here?” Chadi asked. 

“Well, I am married to Nour. I know you missed the wedding, but what? Are you such a drunk you can’t remember that?”

“Shut the fuck up, with all due respect, Mehdi,” Nour groaned. “It’s not your job to keep anyone in or out of the family despite what Farah may have told you.”

“Everyone, shut up!” My father shouted. “Chadi, we love you. but you can’t show up drunk and argue with your sister.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did everyone miss what she said about me?”

“No we heard it,” I complained, rubbing my temple. 

“Then you should say to your favorite daughter to keep her mouth shut sometimes!” Chadi shouted at our parents.

“Favorites? We don’t play favorites,” Our mom spoke, softly. 

“Raise your hand if you went to boarding school,” Chadi smirked. Nour and I raised our hands with Chadi.

“The favorite child gets the stellar education of Burgemeester Waldaschool? Meanwhile, the only one of us who is rich went to Saint-Denis and played squash because she was anxious.”

“Only one of us? I’m sorry, are you in my pocketbook, Farah?” Nour asked. “Your husband is a brain surgeon, fuckhead.”

“Watch your mouth,” My father warned.

“Stop fucking critiquing us and get on this one,” Nour answered, pointing at Farah.

“Farah, be nice,” My mother sighed.

“Be nice? That’s it?” Nour asked. “C’mon, you’ve got something better than that in there/”

“Leave mom alone, Nour,” Farah argued. “She hasn’t done anything.”

“Actually, our parents have done everything,” Chadi slurred. “When you think about it.”

“What the fuck are you even talking about, you fucking drunk?” Farah interrogated.

“I think what Chadi is saying-” Nour began.

“I can speak for myself, fuckhead,” Chadi interrupted. “They chose you to be the favorite, me to be the prodigal son that has yet to return, and Nour to be the envious older brother. And Arabella to be the anxious one who sits there twisting her fucking hair and not saying shit.”

I slowly took my hands out of my hair. I mean, yeah, he was right.

“Why are you mad at Arabella? She is literally just sitting there,” Nour asked.

“Because she’s literally just sitting there. She’s not saying anything of value and just watching this thing go down,” Farah groaned. Farah turned to me, eyebrow raised, and hair falling out of her bun. Chadi turned to me, with his body clearly wanting to slump over. Then Nour, the most cleancut one at the table, turned to me with a slightly crazed look in his eyes, like he smelled blood and was ready to go after it. Then my parents. My mother and father both turned to me, instead of speaking up and trying to solve this problem. 

“Listen, everyone needs to shut up. I brought you all here. You didn’t have to come, any of you. You chose to. Farah, just accept the fact that you’re the favorite. Our parents can barely admit it because it’s true. I’m sure you went through shit too though, I guess. Chadi, you’re drunk. Go back to the hotel, and just fucking sleep it off. And Nour, stop just fueling drama because you want to see the family blow up. And mom, and dad. At least realize that Farah is your favorite. Maybe if you admitted it, all of us would calm down or something. And I will keep playing negotiator since that’s all you guys want from me. But everyone, otherwise, shut the fuck up. Actually, y’know what. I don’t care. I’m leaving,” I complained. I stood up and left the table. No one came after me. Why would they? They were probably too self-absorbed to have even heard what I said.

~

“We’ve had Bottas on the road for 5 or so laps right now. We don’t have a lot of time left in the morning session,” Someone called from the radio. 

“How many laps can we get in?” Toto asked.

“Maybe 10? 15 total?” A response rang out.

“We’ll take it. It’s day one, he needs to be on the road,” Toto groaned. Toto turned to me and rolled his eyes. “Well, at least he’ll have those. He’s going to absolutely have my ass later.”

“He’ll learn to live with it,” I shrugged. 

“It would be better for him to learn to live with Max and Charles.”

“Speaking of Charles,” I gestured towards the screens. “Car’s down.”

“Well…and there it goes. Red flag. Alright…6 laps from Bottas?” Toto shrugged. “Pfft. This is just uber good, yeah?”

“I’m going for lunch in a few,” I sighed, taking off the headset.

“You’re going to be in the garage for the afternoon session then?” Toto asked, tapping my shoulder so I could turn around to face him. 

“Nope, my weekend is in the motorhome.”

Toto raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, I’ll be back, but I’m talking shit with Bono when I get back,” I sighed. Bono looked up from his place to the left of Toto and raised an eyebrow.

“Who are we talking shit about?” He asked, putting down his papers. 

“Toto,” I whispered.

“Alright, you two,” Toto chuckled. “But before you go, Arabella. Give me something to distract myself for a moment. What do you want for your anniversary?”

“A pen would actually be nice,” I sighed, taking out my phone and scrolling. 

“Still on about a pen. Anything else?” Toto groaned.

“There are good pens, Toto,” Bono nodded. I suddenly realized I had way too many notifications for me to continue comfortably looking at my phone. Even if just to make myself look busy.

“A fountain pen?” Toto asked.

“Oh, I would never use a fountain pen,” I sighed.

Toto threw his hands up. “Then what good of a gift is it?”

“I mean, she writes a lot,” Bono shrugged.

“She writes a lot. No worries, Arabella. I’ll make sure you get a pen. It will be the best gift you’ve ever gotten," he winked. For a moment, for that moment, everything was about what he had just said. Of course, our relationship is professional. At best, friendly. However, it would be irresponsible for me not to admit though that a part of my cold exterior could be melted away by the simple gesture of someone wanting to do something nice for me. Was that just part of my seemingly growing crush on him? I don’t think it matters. What it really says though is how desperate I am for someone to care about me. 

“You see how her eyes just lit up? I think she really does want a pen,” Bono laughed. 

“Maybe,” I cringed at myself. I could just imagine my doe eyed look for a few seconds. Toto just smirked though, implying that at the least, he didn’t notice the ‘desperate’ part of my expression. 

~

“Yeah, uh…do you have a recommendation?” The security guard sighed, looking me up and down. 

“Yeah, uh…Lewis Hamilton?” I mocked.

“The attitude is not cute on you,” He responded, looking through the list. “Well, just because you’re on the list, doesn’t mean you get to come in.”

“Then what’s the point of your list?” I groaned. 

“Do you think you’re Grace Kelly?”

“Do you think you’re the secret service?”

“I am,” He sighed, quickly flashing his ID. Oh…

“Alright, Schatzi,” I heard from behind me, as an arm wrapped around my shoulders. “I thought you’d already be on this boat, huh?”

“Yeah, I did too, Toto,” I sighed, looking at him. First kiss, second kiss. Just a brief touch on each cheek. The security guard looked at me in the eyes, and then back at Toto, before stepping aside to let us in. Toto let go of me, slipping into the crowd, as I began to follow him. Right before I did though, the security guard grabbed my arm.

“Now I have to know…who are you?” He asked.

“His assistant,” I shrugged. The security guard watched as I slipped into the crowd, but not quite disappearing before I blew a raspberry at him. I’m childish…but who cares at this particular moment. I’m on a billionaire’s super yacht, at the request of the best F1 driver in the world and another billionaire, and within my sight right now is Prince Albert. I took my fingers through my hair. I straightened it for the first time in a very long time. I stepped further into the party. It's hard to feel comfortable when surrounded by people like this, but nevertheless, I couldn’t help but savor the moment a little bit.

My anxiety was creeping up though. I could feel it. I quickly moved towards one of the servers and grabbed a glass of champagne, and chugged it. I grabbed another before they even moved away. I refuse to not enjoy myself, no matter how much alcohol it takes. The good thing about being unrecognizable is that no one is really desperate to talk to me. So, I can float through the party like a ghost…wait…why did I come then?

“Hey, Arabella!” I heard from deep in the crowd in front of me. The British accent and ability to remain soft spoken while yelling was impossible not to recognize. I pushed through the crowd, following the hand waving to me.

“Oh, hey!” I smiled. Lewis gave me a nod, and smiled. 

“I swore to God, I saw your boyfriend floating around here,” Lewis said, looking around.

“Are you sure it wasn’t Lewis Capaldi?” I asked.

“Oh, you know…it might’ve been. They do look alike, don’t they?” He sighed. “Is Cathal here?”

“In Monaco? Yeah. Here at the party? Likely not. We try to split up our engagements. Avoiding speculation and all that.”

“Ah, yeah. Not fun dating celebrities, is it?”.

“I mean…it’s great,” I smiled.

“You don’t have to lie,” Lewis laughed. “But, I’m glad you could come. Sometimes these parties feel a little…weird. It’s like 20 year olds and 50 year olds. Nothing in between. Except us, I guess.”

“Yeah, it's definitely interesting. But this isn’t my first party in Monaco…maybe the most elite one I’ve been to though,” I cringed, looking around.

“Oh, one thing I did want to mention. I am having a less elitist party tomorrow. Less princes, more fun. Bring your swimsuit, bring Cathal, it’ll be great. Less intense at least. I’ll text you the details.”

“Cathal? I don’t know…I…”

“Don’t worry. We know discretion. Despite what it may seem like, there are ways to keep things quiet. Promise,” Lewis winked.

“Thanks,” I smiled. I took a deep breath and looked around the party from my position. “I’m…going to go mingle. I’ll catch up with you when I see you.”

“Got it. See you tomorrow,” Lewis smiled.

I stepped in the direction of the exit. I appreciated Lewis’s offer, and maybe I would go tomorrow. Today though, I just am not sure if this is the environment for me. I can’t say I find this to be particularly comfortable. I’m not famous, and I don’t want to be. I barely got let in the door. I shouldn’t be here. I just shouldn’t-

“Are you leaving already, Arabella?” I heard Toto behind me. 

“Oh…yeah,” I answered, turning around.

“Well, before you go, at least let me introduce you to some people. I was just telling everyone about my amazing assistant, and they were just saying how they have to put a face to the name.”

I walked directly to the right of Toto, and waved to the group of men he was talking to. 2 hours later, I was still on the boat. Sure, I didn’t belong with the celebrities, but maybe that’s not my niche in places like this. But I can definitely play assistant in places like this. And I kind of love it. Sharing stories of messy conversations and quadruple bookings, all while showcasing how damn good I am at managing it? It gets no better.

Tag list: @daddyslittlevillain, @littleheaven

[jkage-94]

Mercedes Marten fan-art

Drawn by me in Krita.

[fonzo-wolfram]

Mercedes Marten (Dragon’s Dogma)

[daughter-of-melpomene]

Cute character questions for the og Ivy!

AHHHHH IT’S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I TALKED ABOUT MY GIRL, THANK YOU GRACE!! And I’m also gonna tag @dancingsunflowers-ocs since she also asked for this with Ivy, and @ginger-grimm since she’s one of Ivy’s godparents. <3

the basics:

name: ivy kipi kekoa. age: fifteen years old (as of season one). zodiac sign: aquarius. one good trait: her strong sense of loyalty to the people she cares about. one bad trait: her competitiveness.

habits:

one bad habit: biting her nails. one good habit: always checking if a bin is for garbage or recycling before she puts something in it. one habit they can’t break: picking at the skin on the inside of her wrist when she’s nervous (even if she wears a bracelet, she just winds up picking at that instead). one they’ve broken: ripping apart bread as she eats it. what they’re afraid of: not being good enough to achieve the things she wants.

family:

their parents’ names: john kekoa (father), maile kekoa (mother). their siblings names: n/a. favorite childhood memory: all the times her mother sang her back to sleep after a bad dream. favorite childhood toy: a plastic toy radio that only played certain cds full of children’s songs. embarrassing story: the story of when ivy was six years old and swore at her grandparents in hawaiian because she was repeating a word she’d heard her mother say before she knew what it meant. favorite family member: her grandmother, who first introduced her to musical theatre. a story about that family member: after her grandmother died, ivy’s mom gave her a letter that the woman had written addressed to her, detailing exactly how proud she was of her and how she just knew ivy would achieve her dreams of making it onto broadway. ivy wept the whole night after reading the letter, and she still keeps it tucked safely in a drawer as one of her most prized possessions.

what they prefer:

coffee or tea?: coffee. showering in the day or night?: night. taking baths or taking showers?: showers. tv or movies?: movies. writing or reading?: writing, especially if it’s songwriting. platonic or romantic love?: romantic. iced tea or lemonade?: iced tea. ice cream or smoothies?: smoothies. cupcakes or cake?: cupcakes. beach or mountains?: beach.

favorites:

song: “all that jazz” from the musical chicago. band: paramore. outfit: her favorite purple cardigan, paired with a comfortable long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and her doc martens. place: the auditorium at school, singing on the stage with her fellow new directions members. memory: dancing around her grandparents’ kitchen to the chicago soundtrack with her grandmother. person: mercedes, her absolute best friend in the world. movie: chicago. show: smash.

send me an oc!!

[orinthered]

but i suppose it isn't you who's different. ... it's everything else, and you who changed it.

MERCEDES MARTEN in DRAGONS DOGMA: DARK ARISEN.

[thatapostateboy]

for OCs, ships, prompts and askbox prompts, see below!

My inbox is always open, feel free to ask questions, send prompts, or just pester me about any of these! You can find my shared writing prompts here or I accept random requests.

You can find more info over on Carrds here

I also basically run a 'Everyone Exists' AU for all of my stuff - for example, all of the Dragon Age characters exist in Thedas together, so I also accept requests for their interactions together!

Baldur’s Gate 3:

Nel’Tavia Lienthel 'Nell' (Tav)/Wyll Ravengard/Astarion Ancunin

Malakai (Durge)/Shadowheart/Halsin

Malakai (Durge)/Gale Dekarios (this exists in the same canon as Kai’s relationship with Shad and Halsin, but Gale’s not part of the throuple)

Malakai (Durge)/Gortash (past)

Dragon Age: Origins:

Rowena 'Tab' Tabris/Alistair Theirin

Jennifer 'Jenni' Cousland/Zevran Arainai/Nathaniel Howe

Aedan Cousland/Leliana

Callum 'Cal' Surana/Morrigan

Brianna Amell/Bann Teagan

Lyna Mahariel/Tamlen

Thrina Aeuducan/Gorim Saelac

Dragon Age II:

Marie Hawke/Anders

Garrett Hawke/Isabela

Dragon Age: Inquisition:

Brenna Lavellan/Solas

Freya Trevelyan/Cullen Rutherford

Moss Lavellan/Dorian Pavus

Summer Lavellan/Blackwall

Dragon Age: The Veilguard:

Evanura 'Eva' (Rook)/Davrin

Dragon Age AU:

Alistair Theirin /Rowena Tabris/Jenni Cousland/Zevran Arainai

Rowena Tabris/Jenni Cousland

Rowena Tabris/Anders

Marie Hawke/Varric Tethras

Garrett Hawke/Sebastian Vael

Brenna Lavellan/Krem Aclassi

Greedfall:

Genevieve de Sardet/Kurt

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen:

Alicia ‘Ace’ (Arisen)/Mercedes Marten

Liam (Pawn)/Julien

Dragon’s Dogma II:

Ceridwen ‘Saber’ (Arisen)/Glyndwr

Sebastian (Pawn)/Captain Brant

Mass Effect:

Nora Shepard/Kaidan Alenko

Sam Ryder/Vetra Nyx

Scott Ryder/Gil Brodie

Anthony Ryder/Reyes Vidal

Mass Effect AU

Nora Shepard/Sam Ryder

Fallout:

Cora (Courier)/Benny

Natalie Powell (Sole Survivor)/Paladin Danse

Stardew Valley:

Farmer Jack/Penny

Farmer Daniel/Alex

Fable:

Princess Sophia (Hero of Brightwall)/Elliott

Skyrim:

Narah (Dragonborn)/Kaiden

Rowena (OC)/Vilkas

Choices: Stories You Play

(For the Choices deep dive, check out my secondary page https://indescribablechoices.tumblr.com/post/184653680920/mc-masterlist)

[ladymissfit133]

I sometimes wonder what Aelinore and Mercedes think of each other. On the one hand we have Mercedes, a noblewoman daring to stand against the expectations and demands put on her as a noblewoman. The pressure to become a wife and babymaker seemingly failing to have an impact. And on the other hand Aelinore, the very thing Mercedes is rejecting.

It's curious to me that they never seem to have interacted. If they had, Aelinore no doubt would've reacted the way she does with the arisen. Possibly more intensly. I can only surmise that Mercedes avoided her.

I wonder if Aelinore makes Mercedes uncomfortable. She's like the ideal noblewoman, the very thing Mercedes seems to want to avoid becoming. She sees her own failures in Aelinore. Aelinore is her should she fail to be a proper knight, something she's ultimately proven unable to become.

[thepringlesofblood]

We really let michael bublé get away too easy from covering 'Santa Baby' and changing all the lyrics to no-homo versions.

i will be documenting each lyric change under the cut with commentary, but my personal favorite is that he changed "light blue" to "steel blue" - is light blue too girly for you????? aw no cant have a pastel in here nononono gotta have STEEL BLUE for a MAN

enjoy

original Eartha Kitt lyrics/changed bublé lyrics

slip a sable under the tree/slip a Rolex under the tree - this at least makes a small amount of sense, most people don't know what a sable is nowadays (it's a kind of marten - a small fluffy creature prized for its soft fur. she's talking about a fancy fur coat made with sable fur)

Been an awful good girl/I've been an awful good guy -he adds a whole verb. too sultry for the famously sultry song to leave out one contraction?

Santa, baby/Santa, buddy - the first of the unforgivable substitutions. he replaces baby with buddy 5 times. death.

a '54 convertible too, light blue/a '65 convertible too, steel blue -not only is 'light blue' just too sexy, but it's a slightly more recent car for seemingly no reason

I'll wait up for you, dear/I'll wait up for you, dude - aha no homo Dude just....waitin up for ya

Think of all the fellows that I haven't kissed/Think of all the hotties that I've never kissed - im just glad its not 'broads' or 'chicks' or something at this point. at least 'hotties', mediocre as it is, is gender-neutral. the 'never' is hilarious to me though, why you promising you've NEVER kissed anyone if this is a 100% no homo platonic song like you're tryin so hard to make it be.

Santa, baby/Santa, pally - THAT'S NOT A WORD, MICHAEL. THATS NOT A WORD PEOPLE USE. even if it is in some subculture i am not privy to, the aggressive FRIENDJUSTAFRIEND vibes are killing me.

Been an angel all year/I've been a sweetie all year - ill keep it real, michael, this one did not give the platonic santa vibe you were going for i think. still added the verb in though lol, mike can NOT have an incomplete sentence.

one little thing I really need, the deed, to a platinum mine/one thing that I really do need, the deed, to a platinum mine - this is a baffling inclusion. this lyric is maybe the most anachronistic and if bublé's goal was actually to 'update' the song i can't imagine he would leave this in. but no. he just moves a few words around and leaves in the platinum mine but oh no light blue has to go!

fill my stocking with a Duplex and checks, sign your x on the line/fill my stocking with Canucks tips for kicks, throw me on the first line how the duplex is weirder than the platinum mine i do not know but apparently that's what got cut

with some decorations bought at Tiffany/with some decorations bought at the Mercedes - you putting a car on the tree, mike?

Santa, baby/Santa, poppy - believe it or not, this is less offensive to me as a replacement than 'pally'. at least it kind of acknowledges the sugar daddy vibe of it all.

forgot to mention one little thing, a ring, I don't mean on the phone/forget to mention one little thing, cha-ching, No, I don't mean as a loan - .....i am speechless. christ.