#Ophelia Delight

[heavy-nfld]

SHOW ALERT: Pride in the Park - Ophelia Delight and Crystal Queer, Aiden Gaebel, Amy Norman, Jacinda Beals Band, Wild Step, and The Flummies @ Kinsmen Park - Saturday, July 6th, 2024.

[soft-baby-punk]

i ended up making more saltburn x classic art pieces 🤷🏻‍♀️💕 i don’t think i’m done yet but we’ll see idk

i’m particularly proud of the venetia one 🥰🩸

[omens-for-ophelia]

YOUR INEFFABLE KISSES ARE SINGLE HANDEDLY KEEPING ME GOING. you're extremely talented and I can't wait what other lovely kisses you're going to unleash upon the world <3

asdfjfkfksh 🫣🫣🫣

thank you very much for being so sweet 🥹🩷

i am having so much fun with this series and im so incredibly happy and humbled that people are enjoying it as much as i am!

i have a looong prompts list to choose from so far and it's wonderful to have so much inspo!

thanku again 🫂🩷🩷🩷🩷

i've tagged & collected my ineffable kiss series here!

[banditleonne]

𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑵𝑷𝑪𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑩𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆

𝘖𝑝𝘩𝑒𝘭𝑖𝘢 𝘚𝑖𝘭𝑣𝘢 : one of his best friends. ex-FWB. one of the only girls he kept in his life after he cut most all the others out because they were friends first. she met him when he was in the orphanage and would take him home with her sometimes so he could get a shower and hot food.

𝐸𝘻𝑟𝘢 𝘉𝑎𝘳𝑙𝘰𝑤𝘦 : childhood friend and the one he started violent delights with. he was in a tragic car accident with his twin sister Luna that killed their parents. His hands were so badly broken he could never play guitar for any length of time again. he's now the guitar tech for the band.

𝐿𝘶𝑛𝘢 𝘉𝑎𝘳𝑙𝘰𝑤𝘦 : childhood friend and twin sister ( 5 minutes older ) of Ezra. Always tagged along with the boys and just enjoyed being included. After the accident with Ezra, she has severe PTSD. She runs the social media accounts for the band and is the one that takes the pictures.

[crushsung]

she's been in the industry this long, and still can't fathom small talk, especially in these claustrophobic settings. but she's seen their work, that's more than she can say about most people. more often than not, she's bullshitting when it comes to the rich and famous. "you do shakespeare well," she's only a little bit better at this than she used to be, "i always thought you'd make a good ophelia. hamlet is more my thing."

@stamour liked for a starter.

[shodansbabygirl]

I gave my wife's business bear a corsage; finally after all of his years in business he may relax.

[bearcina]

Working on a silly Valentine's day thing, been connecting a bunch of my loose scenes in my notebook and I'm working hard on connecting them well

[tsyvia48]

Author & Mensch: Reflections on the impact of @neil-gaiman on my life, in essay and doodle

As a woman of a certain age, I am a well-practiced overthinker. Nerd, geek, know-it-all, intellectual, the names have been biting or praise depending on who wielded them. They’re all true, and I embrace them. 

In the early days of adulthood, when I was a wee 20-something overthinking nerd, geek, know-it-all, intellectual (20+ years ago), I became deeply interested in image and text and text-as-image. While friends were watching and arguing over Survivor, I was obsessing over Peter Greenaway’s The Pillowbook and Prospero's Books and Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. (To this day my copies of the Sandman graphic novels and the English translation of The Pillowbook of Sei Shonagon are proudly displayed on the good bookshelves—you know, the ones I want people to peruse.)

Sandman isn't merely good storytelling and good art, it teases at some of the fundamental questions to which my religion-major heart was consistently and reliably drawn. It modeled a way of rendering the questions—and suggested answers—I would never have imagined on my own.

In those days, I created an artist's book: an altered gift edition of Hamlet. I explored Ophelia’s femininity and the inevitability of her break with her mental health, caught as she is between Hamlet and her father. I imagined her story if she’d had true agency. I investigated the way art (fan art?!) had shaped my understanding of the play and my relationship to it. I layered in my story—my resonance and dissonance with hers—and my art, along with images of famous and not-so-famous paintings of Ophelia. I proudly named Greenaway and Gaiman as influences. 

I imagined myself an artist. And, truthfully, I suppose I was one. 

I read Good Omens back then, too, delighting over the religious tropes and subversions, the humor, and the fundamental faith in humanity that shone through. 

In the two decades since then, below the din of “responsible” choices (that have mostly moved me away from imagining myself an artist) there has been a melody quietly bringing me comfort, shifting my perspective, and reminding me who I want to be. When I stop to listen for and name the music, I realize much of it generates from Neil Gaiman. 

The Graveyard Book gave me comfort and hope as a new parent. 

Ocean at the End of the Lane reminded me of the layers and the depths⏤the archetypes and metaphors⏤present in everything around me, if I am willing to seek them.

Neil’s anecdote about meeting Neil Armstrong has been a talisman against imposter syndrome. Or, more precisely, it has been a permission slip for forgiving myself when the imposter syndrome inevitably surfaces.

The episode of Dr Who he wrote (“the Doctor’s Wife”) changed the way I understand the entire Dr Who experience before and since. 

Lucifer (tv), which his work inspired, gave me joy, comfort and distraction through a tough time in my life. 

When, a few years ago, I realized he is Jewish, I had that swelling of pride and resonance that I always get when someone I admire shares that identity with me.

And now there’s the Good Omens tv series. It has opened something in me I didn’t realize was closed. Crowley and Aziraphale are helping me better understand myself, and love, and gender, and storytelling, and, believe it or not, Torah. I am writing again for the first time in ages. I'm drawing more often and with more joy than I’ve known maybe since childhood.

I’ve been getting back into my gratidoodle practice, drawing and writing what I’m grateful for. And when I decided to add Neil Gaiman’s face and some words about my appreciation for his work to my sketchbook, I realized he’s brought me full circle.

Text and image and text-as-image + Neil Gaiman + story is an old constellation for me. And once again, I find my thoughts dancing, shifting, blossoming to the quiet melody of (one of?) the greatest storyteller(s) of this generation. 

And now that I am actively engaging with other Gaiman fans, I see how responsive and kind and encouraging he is to those of us who love his work, and his name is permanently etched on my heart: a benefactor, a teacher, a role model.

How satisfying and fitting that such a powerful and resonant voice, miraculously, thankfully, beautifully, also seems to be a genuine mensch. 

B”H (thanks to God) that I am alive at the same time as such a one.

#I didn't realize I was going to write AND draw when I started this #but I felt I needed both #I wish I had a flatbed scanner #this photo doesn't do it justice #there's greater nuance in the color in person #Stories matter #Art matters #like, really matters #Neil Gaiman is a gift to this world #Good Omens #Crowley and Aziraphale #Ocean at the End of the Lane #The Graveyard Book #Neil Armstrong and imposter syndrome #The Doctor's Wife #So grateful for tumblr

[randomishnickname]

Must-read Destiel fics - my superduper Nov. 5th rec list

Three years ago, on the blessed day of November 5th, 2020, I had:

never seen an episode of SPN,

only had a vague inkling of what the two pale coconuts were on about,

and I hee-heed and ha-had with the rest of Tumblr about the love confession scene and the Internet errupting in an unparalleled craze

At first I thought, that's it.

Then ... I got curious. I watched some YouTube Destiel supercuts. I read some fic (I think @andhumanslovedstories beautiful Cas/OC fic was my entry point?). I read meta. I watched some more YouTube scene packs. I read even more fic. I watched some of S4, some of S1, some random fan fav episodes. And then Destiel lodged itself so deeply, thouroughly into my brain that it took over and hasn't relinquished control in the last two years. The most tenacious, pervasive brain worm to date.

This ship got it all, and this fandom got it all, and there's such delightful, powerful, batshit crazy, romantic, expertedly crafted fanfic out there, it's like being a starving child in the world's biggest candystore.

So without further ado, here's some of my very favorite fics from this infinite trove, with all my thanks to the wonderful writers who keep delighting and awing me with their dedication and craft. There'll of course be some recency bias at play but you can browse my bookmarks over here to chose from over 100 excellent and well-curated SPN stories.

💕CATEGORY: SWOONWORTHY💕

Wildly romantic fics that warm you up from the inside.

It Won't Be Perfect by someonetoanyone (10K words) Summary: Dean daydreams about what it'd be like to let himself love Cas freely.

Why I love it: the humor, the spot-on characterizations, and the quintessential late season Destiel-ness of being so deeply love with your best friend that it's too big to actually do anything about. Just. So warm.

Rock Lobster by Ginger Fail (13K) Summary: Cas decides that the lobsters Dean planned to cook need to get back home. Impromptu beach vacation ensues!

Why I love it: This road trip story is fresh and invigorating like a sea breeze! Fun, entertaining and full of deep, deep fondness.

Seek to Know You Better by ahurston (32K)

Summary: On a road trip, Dean and Cas play the 36 Questions That Lead To Love.

Why I love it: They’re so deliberatedly, carefully starting a relationship here. They try so hard to bridge the gaps and meet each other halfway. A very mature take on love that feels nourishing.

☢️CATEGORY: BRAINWORMS GALORE☢️

Fics that make you go BARK BARK BARK.

samson went back to bed by piesexuality (9k, @twoheadedcas) Summary: Cas strikes a deal with Chuck - keeping his family together comes at the price of their free will.

Why I love it: What if Cas got his revenge for the Mala'ak box? What if love came at the price of everything you've been fighting for? What if a story twisted the knife oh so sweetly? Each word of this one lands a punch. Made me insane in the best of ways (cue pinned fanart).

In sickness by @saintedcastiel (41K) Summary: S4 redux but Castiel has a fetish: giving Dean the sniffles.

Why I love it: This one is soooo. Can barely find words for it. It taps into Cas' early season alienness and psychosexual obsession with Dean, brilliantly demonstrates Casdean vs Samruby parallels, and each word is just. Perfect. ARGH!

so much smoke in a hall full of mirrors by AreYouReady (6K, @autisticandroids ) Summary: Godstiel is losing his heavenly war. Crowley provides a compliant Dean-doll for him to release his frustrations upon.

Why I love it: Urgh, this one is sooo dark. Taps into the scary, intimidating and alien aspects of Godstiel so well. Gore, consent and psychosexual issues galore. Delicious.

Special mention: In a Parked Car, Exhuming Ophelia by @an-android-in-a-tutu (17K). Still need to comment properly ;)

💣CATEGORY: EMOTIONAL WRECKING BALLS💣

Angsty fics that tear you to pieces to remake you better.

What Used To Be Mine by someonetoanyone (48K words) Summary: Dean never makes his apology prayer in Purgatory - Cas dies, Dean mourns.

Why I love it: Oh god, this is a heavy hitter. Just, straight up insurmontable grief, packaged in poetic, raw language to make you shed tears and tears. Loved it so much.

Ignite your bones By ilovehowyouletmefall (67K, @angelinthefire) Summary: Dean accepts Chuck's deal: killing Sam to save the world.

Why I love it: Cruuuuel cruel premise for a story that doesn’t pull its punches. It gets dark in Dean’s head and everyone around him suffers. Wonderfully written. The ending set my brain on fire.

Right Where you Left Me by outdean (93K, @armandgender)

Summary: Cas comes back from the Empty after 10 years to find Dean married to another man.

Why I love it: This one is a riiiide. When grief has become a part of you but your love comes back… When you return from the dead and have to carve a new space into the world for yourself... nothing is easy here, but the emotions are INTENSE. Also, autistic!Cas for the win.

Special mention: Who Ya Gonna Call? by saintedcastiel (50K) and Clear skies in spring by enochianprayer (WIP)

💥CATEGORY: EPIC RIDES💥

Expansive, wild adventures with lots of ups and downs

Spirit of the West by teen_dean (140K, @urne-buriall)

Summary: An 18y old Dean grew up on a horse farm – cue veterinarian Castiel. The summer of a lifetime ensues.

Why I love it: So this is one of my very favorite stories, ever ever, and I cannot recommand enough to immediatedly suscribe to the author’s Substack to be able to follow it in „real time“ next summer. It’s cinematic, rich, full of darkness and light, it’s everything a story can aspire to, I’m just. I just really love it.

Second Verse, Same as The First by LaLaCat1 (135K)

Summary: Endverse!Cas is sent back to the start of S1 and is determined to make things right this time round.

Why I love it: a desperate and badass Cas, unfridging everyone, a thrilling plot, moments of awesome for the entire cast, gripping action scenes, a romance for the ages… this is a genuinely amazing story.

back road, black road by eden22 (167K)

Summary: 18y old Sam gets kidnapped by Hell on his way to Stanford. Dean tries to deal.

Why I love it: So this one’s not Destiel-centric but does have wonderful Destiel moments. It’s also very heavy on the gore and the angst (NOT for the faint of stomach), but expertly crafted, fascinating and frankly it deserves more love. Held my breath for half the read and never knew where it’d take me.

Special mention: It's The End Of The World (As We Know It) by tiamatv (140K)

🤪CATEGORY: DESTIEL INSANITY🤪

Uproariously funny stories about the intricate rituals these two weirdos get up too.

Life Skills by ilovehowyouletmefall (26K)

Summary: Dean teaches a newly human Cas how to be „a real man“.

Why I love it: Dean coming to Big Self-Realizations while trying to have platonic threesomes with Cas is so perfect. Very endearing, tender and funny. Also, smoking hot sex.

the cheapest room in the house by biggaybenny (89K)

Summary: Dean downloads Grindr for Cas

Why I love it: Just. Late season Dean being deranged about Cas’ sexuality while everyone watches on in utter confusion. Equally hilarious and deeply moving

according to all known laws of life by @sobsicles (29k)

Summary: Cas comes back from the Empty to a Dean who won’t stop playing gay chicken.

Why I love it: They are both such petty, insane weirdos in this one. They said „can every situation be turned into a squabble“ and didn’t wait for an answer. So funny, so tender

Special mention: Wedding Vows and Negotiations by GingerFail (6K)

That's it, enjoy and leave your writers some much-deserved love!

[chthonic-cassandra]

hello my friend! currently rereading dracula, as you know, and wondered if you have any recs for where to start with criticism about the novel? 🖤

This question makes me so happy! <3

I am dreadfully out of date on this, but I can certainly give you places to start; these are not all necessarily recommendations for criticism I like (there's precious little of that), but more introductions to classic criticism in the field.

The classics

The Norton Critical Edition of Dracula (edited by Nina Auerbach and David J. Skal), alongside the Cambridge Companion to Dracula, are both good introductions which collect representative examples of some of the most popular scholarly strains of thought on the novel. When someone asks me to recommend an edition of Dracula to start with, I always suggest the Norton.

Leonard Wolf (who was not Virginia Woolf's husband, but who was one of Anne Rice's college professors) was one of the most important voices in the critical reevaluation of Dracula which started in the 1970's. I often disagree with him (so much so that I once wrote a fic about how much I disagree with him), but his annotated edition of Dracula was my first. His important works are A Dream of Dracula and Dracula: A Connoisseur's Guide. He (along with Radu Florescu and Raymond McNally) was an important early proponent of the "Dracula is Vlad Tepes" theory, which was hotly opposed by...

Elizabeth Miller, ornery grand dame of Dracula criticism. She is extremely invested in being the most reasonable and the least prone to flights of fancy of all the critics, which means she does often say useful things, but she's also a little boring. She's best known for Dracula: Sense and Nonsense, but it's more a litany of complaints than actually analysis. Her books in general have useful primary source stuff.

Once you get into analysis of Dracula reception and adaptions, then I can with a full heart recommend David J. Skal's Hollywood Gothic, full of delightful trivia, which was truly Skal's strength.

Recommendations I more stand by:

Donald Glover's Vampires, Mummies, and Liberals: Bram Stoker and the Politics of Popular Fiction is one of the very few works of Dracula criticism that I thought actually dealt in any kind of thoughtful way with the racial politics of the book.

Christy Desmet's essay on Ophelia, Ellen Terry, and Dracula, collected in Shakespearean Gothic, was excellent and I still think about it; the whole collection is very much worth reading.

Loved Ann-Louise Kibbie's Transfusion: Blood and Sympathy in the Nineteenth Century Literary Imagination, which isn't all about Dracula but obviously deals substantially with it.

As a teenager I had a lot of fun reading the uploaded issues of The Journal of Dracula Studies and sometimes fantasized about submitting something to them while concealing my age/lack of higher education to see what happened (I never did). I remember feeling very vindicated by Katharina Mewald's "The Emancipation of Mina?" but don't know how it would hold up now. I haven't kept up with the most recent issues (perhaps I will start!) but at a glance there seem to be some interesting things.

ETA forgot about Allison Case's Plotting Women: Gender and Narration in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Novel! Good Mina material, comparing her with Marian in Woman in White.

[soft-baby-punk]

i added my saltburn pieces to my INPRNT shop, idk if anyone would even want prints or stickers but anywayyyyy posting here anyway lol

[limesquares]

POINTS!! I SEE A TINY PUMPKIN IT IS TINY PUMPKIN SEASON (happy tiny pumpkin season Lime!!) Do you think we can put some pumpkins around Regan's enclosure (lab) for enrichment. Alternatively Ophelia's, I don't know her thoughts on tiny delightful pumpkins but she deserves them, (it's been awesome seeing everything you've been posting lately, as always!!)

EHEHE YES!!!! i have acquired a hat.

Funny you say that, because I've also been waiting for an excuse to draw.... THIS. BEHOLD, A BABY SQUASH.

[in1-nutshell]

With Ophelia now having an Idw version now can you give Lithia an idw version?

Can't wait to see who's going to be the next Buddy I have to make an IDW/MTMTE version!

Hope you enjoy!

IDW Lithia

SFW, Platonic, Familial, Angst, Mention of injury, Cybertronian reader

IDW/MTMTE

Meeting Lithia would always be one of Ratchet’s most treasured and surprising moments.

It was normal to see new parents suddenly becoming nervous about how they were going to raise their sparklings.

But it was new to see them THROW their sparkling.

Ratchet is talking with Orion Pax in the waiting room when there was a sudden loud set of pedes coming their way. Pharma was running to them fear and worry clear in his optics Pharma: “Ratchet! Catch her!” Orion sees a small metal object flying straight to them. Ratchet is faster as he jumps up and catches the object. Pax catches him before he can fall on his back. Both mechs are surprised to see a little sparkling in loose wrappings. Two bots hurriedly run out of the clinic. Both bots: “FREEDOM!” Pharma: “Those were the parents!” Orion: “I’ll get them.” Orion goes out the door to follow them, leaving a dumbfounded Ratchet staring confused at the sparkling who was just chirping and reaching for his face. Ratchet: “What just happened…?”

Orion never did find out where the parents went off to.

Ratchet offered to take care of the sparkling for the week until the sparkling unit was back online after the energy outage.

It was more than enough time for Ratchet to get attached to her.

He would never understand how her parents could even think on abandoning such a sweet little sparkling.

It was thanks to a little ‘battery incident’ that would give him the idea of her name.

Lithia, named after the 15 batteries, she tried to eat when he turned his back for 10 SECONDS!

Orion Pax is one of the first bots she meets after Ratchet thinks it’s a good idea to take her outside the normal routine.

The officer chuckled when he saw his friend with the sparkling from the clinic.

He had a feeling his friends soft spark would reach out for her.

Lithia takes an immediate liking to Orion.

Part of Ratchet is thankful that she takes a liking to him.

Ratchet: “Are you sure you can watch her? I know another bot who can gladly—” Orion: ���I have it under control Ratchet. You go cover your shift and I will take care of Lithia.” Lithia happily chirps as she starts playing with Pax’s digits. Ratchet sighs. Ratchet: “All right. You two have fun. Goodbye Lithia, watch Uncle Orion.” Orion huffs a bit as Ratchet pats her helm affectionately and leaves. Lithia chirps sadly as the medic leaves. She looks up at Orion. Orion: “Now, let’s go see some other friends.” Later in the gladiator’s quarters… Megatron: “Pax… what is on your helm?” Lithia is on his helm gently playing with his finals, chirping softly. Orion twitches them every so often making her squeal in delight. Orion: “This is Lithia, say hello Lithia.” Lithia chirps happily and waves at the gladiator. Megatron waves a bit at the sparkling.

It is when Lithia is a youngling she meets Drift.

Lithia was reviewing material for her entrance medical exams when Orion brought in a bot who was overdosing on boosters.

Ratchet took most care of the mech, Lithia made sure that the poor thing knew he was safe.

Drift wasn’t sure if he was hallucinating when he saw a youngling grabbing his servo whispering positive mantras in his audial.

As cheesy as some of them where… they helped calm him down so the doctor could do his work quicker.

By the end, Lithia smiles at Drift and gives him an energon goodie and a sticker while waving goodbye.

He was nice to her it was the least she could do.

Loves cleaning Ratchet’s tools.

Ratchet’s spark swells with pride when Lithia came running in telling him that she had passed with flying colors.

Ratchet waits until she is a bit older to tell her what actually happened to her bio parents.

Lithia stares at the ground with slightly wide optics. Ratchet is sitting down next to her. Its silent. Lithia: “…That was… unexpected…” Ratchet: “Yes, I think it was for everyone that day… I understand if you do want to try and contact them, they are your parents after all—” Lithia: “Woah! Woah! Woah! Who says I want to contact them?” Ratchet: “You don’t?” Lithia: “No! Why would I want to contact some poor excuses of parents who thought it was a good idea to throw their sparkling as a decoy to get out of the clinic.” Lithia huffs in bitterness. Ratchet: “I thought you’d be a bit more… sympathetic to this.” Lithia scoffs. Lithia: “… It’s their loss in the end. They’d probably be terrible parents anyways. Plus, I already have the greatest parent on Cyberton!” Lithia wraps her arms around Ratchet. Ratchet grumbles a bit at the sudden hug but pulls her in for a side hug. Relief slowly washing over him. Ratchet: “I wouldn’t say greatest…” Lithia: “Shh! You are!”

Ends up joining Ratchet and Orion to meet with Senator Shockwave, Chromedome and the Outliers.

She is just happy to be there.

Some of the bots are surprised to see such a sweet youngling have a grump of a parent like Ratchet.

It was in her final years of med school when the war started.

Goes with the Autobot faction as soon as Ratchet joins.

Ends up achieving Doctor status on accident after her squad’s doctor was shot by a stary blast making her the team doctor.

Lithia ended up getting everyone out of there.

She is referred to by doctor status even if she did not ‘officially’ pass the exams.

But it was not like there were many available during the war.

Lithia is trying to fix a random bots servo. Lithia: “Okay if you just place your servo here, we can get started.” The bot keeps their servo to their side. Random bot: “I thought the doctors did this part?” Lithia: “While I am not 100% certified on paper, I can assure you I am as much of a doctor as Ratchet and Pharma are.” Lithia gently reaches for the bots servo. SMACK! Lithia slowly reached for her face where the bot had slapped her. Random bot: “I only see REAL doctors. Not some useless nurse pretending—” SLAM! Lithia slams her servo on the worktable silencing the bot. Lithia smiles again, but her optics hold a barely controlled fury. Lithia: “Now you listen here… we do not have the luxury right now of having a full staff at the ready. If you need a reminder why, please take a right outside the room, another two lefts where you’ll see the battlefield currently at our doorstep!” Lithia huffs a bit as her servo curls around a wrench while looking at the bot dead in the optic. Lithia: “So, I’m going to give you two options. The first option is easy, you apologize for slapping me and I fix your servo up so you can be on your way out the door. Or you choose the second option where you try and slap me again, I don’t fix you, you have a wrench lodge deep in your tailpipe while most of the medical team and some of the higher officers come to see why a soldier physical harmed a doctor, who was just doing her job.” She is slightly satisfied seeing the bot slightly tremble. Lithia: “So… option one or option two?” Ratchet walks over. Ratchet: “Is there a problem here?” Random bot: “Finally! An actual doctor! This crazy nurse was threatened me!” Lithia’s grip on the wrench tightens as her optics narrow. Lithia: “I think you missed the part where you insulted my skills as a doctor and slapped me.” Ratchet’s optic twitched as he slowly looks at the random bot. The same fury that was in Lithia’s optics was burning brighter in his. Ratchet: “They did what!?” Every bot within a 10-mile radius feels Ratchet’s anger. After hours… Lithia is on the med slab letting Ratchet look at the are where she had been slapped. Lithia: “As much as I appreciate you coming in, I had it handled.” She goes to touch the region, but her servo was swatted by Ratchet’s. Ratchet: “Don’t touch it.” Lithia smiles a bit as Ratchet continued with his work.

After that incident Prowl, Ratchet and Ultra Magnus made sure that her record showed that Lithia was a certified doctor.

Tries her absolute best to keep a positive outlook on things and smile for the patients.

Someone had to during these times of war.

Many nights Ratchet finds her going back to his room, just wanting to be by his side and stay there.

He knows the feeling and gives her a side hug.

Its during one mission Lithia was separated from the group and cornered with an injured Wrecker.

No weapons, no way to communicate with the others, just a heavy med kit and a blaster low on cartilage.

Lithia was determined to make sure her patient made it out alive.

Lithia is cornered with her patient in a dead end. The shadow of the Con starts coming closer. She could see the glistening of the blaster in his servo. Stands protectively over the unconscious Wrecker. Lithia: “If you’re going to shoot do it but leave the Wrecker alone.” The Con looks strangely familiar. He looks at her with a hint of curiosity. A minute passes before the Con lowers his blaster. Lithia could almost feel her spark give out. He turns to leave. Lithia: “Thank you…” Deadlock: “Deadlock. Get out of here kid. The war is no place for heroes.”

Lithia manages to find a better hiding spot until the heat dead down.

Eventually she was found by Bumblebee and Hot Rod.

Ratchet is so relief that Lithia is back safe.

Eventually the young doctor would meet the bot again, of course under the new name Drift.

Timeskip to the Lost Light boarding…

Lithia had made up her mind to stay on Cybertron to help rebuild it.

Bumblebee and Prowl were going to need all the servos they could to rebuild a new Cybertron.

It was tough to say goodbye to her father, but they both agreed this was going to benefit them both.

Even if it hurt…

She remembered gripping on Bumblebee and screaming seeing the Lost Light explode.

Lithia was a hollow shell for a while, mourning for her friends and father.

She eventually got better with time.

Rebuilding Cybertron was certainly a challenge, even with help by her friends.

Even starting to make a life for herself.

One example was becoming Amica Endura with Bumblebee.

As much as she had her suspicions on Starscream becoming the leader of Cybertron, Lithia had to admit that he was the best leader the planet had in a long time.

The death of Bumblebee tore her apart feeling and hearing the news.

Lithia would forever be thankful for Optimus coming back and helping her through the loss.

Optimus is sitting in a communications room with Skyfire. Lithia enters looking a bit tired. Lithia: “You needed to see me?” Skyfire smiles at her. Skyfire: “There is someone who wants to speak to you.” Lithia raises an optic, a bit confused but walks over the console. Lithia: “Hello?” Ratchet: “Lithia?” Lithia gasps as her servo goes straight to her mouth. Lithia: “Dad?” Ratchet: “Finally this thing is working. Yes, Lithia, I’m right here. How are you?” Lithia: “You’re… you’re alive!?” Ratchet: “Yes? Last time I checked I was?” THUD! Lithia had passed out. Ratchet: “Lithia? Lithia are you there?” Optimus: “Ratchet we are going to call you back later.” Ratchet: “Why?” Optimus: “…She may have passed out…” Ratchet: “What? Why? This isn’t new?” Optimus: “Apparently no one told her that the crew was alive, including you.” Ratchet: “… Oh just those bots wait until I get there…”

[royaltysimblr]

Ophelia of Lausanne, Queen of Windenburg (1620-1673) - Part 1

Hey guys! So over the last three months I've been working on the life story of Ophelia of Lausanne, one of the Queen Consorts of Windenburg during the 1600s and I've made a LOT of renders of her so I just thought I should share about her life :)

read about her BELOW

Princess Ophelia Thérèse Marie Hélène Françoise of Lausanne was born on August 27th, 1620, to Louis Henri II, Prince of Lausanne, and Princess Marie Thérèse of Magnolia. Ophelia’s paternal grandparents were Charles Joseph, Prince of Lausanne, and Princess Isabella of Calabria. Her maternal grandparents were King Louis IX of Magnolia and Princess Elizabeth of Windenburg.

 Ophelia was born at Chateau de Angouleme, King Louis IX’s favorite country residence. At the time of Ophelia’s birth, her father had been overthrown as Prince of Lausanne and sought sanctuary at his father-in-law’s court. Ophelia’s mother, Princess Marie Thérèse, was King Louis' favorite daughter. The King was delighted with the birth of his granddaughter and organized several court entertainments in honor of her birth. Ophelia and her family initially lived with the King and traveled with the court between the King’s numerous residences. The Royal Governess, Marie Charlotte de Rohan, cared for Ophelia and her cousins during her infancy. 

Throughout the 1600s, religious conflicts had plagued the continent which resulted in Lausanne being occupied by Peteran Forces. In 1623 after the conclusion of the War of Religion, the Treaty of Emden restored Ophelia's father to his throne. Ophelia and her family returned to Lausanne later that year and resided at the Chateau Moren. Ophelia was joined by two younger siblings who survived to adulthood, Prince Henri, and Prince Maurice. Despite residing in Lausanne, Ophelia, and her family often visited her grandfather, the King of Magnolia. Princess Marie Thérèse appointed her close friend and childhood companion, the Marquise de Villars, as governess of her children. Ophelia had a simple education, very typical of princesses of the time. Ophelia learned multiple languages, was a skilled musician and dancer, and learned horseback riding. She had a strict Jacoban education, overseen by the Bishop of Lausanne. Ophelia had a close relationship with her brothers who she would correspond with for the rest of her life. Many letters survive between her and her grandfather, detailing their close relationship with one another. On her 13th birthday, her grandfather, the King of Magnolia, gifted her ten stallions and a golden state carriage which currently is in the Windenburg Royal Collection and is used during official events.

Ophelia was considered beautiful and intelligent. She was a skilled musician and singer, enjoyed reading, and spoke seven languages. She was an accomplished woman for her time period and was extremely athletic. As a granddaughter of the King of Magnolia, she was considered a desirable bride by the Jacoban monarchs of the continent.

[flowerandblood]

Girl with a Pearl Earring

[modern! photographer • Aemond x female]

[warnings: dirty talk, domination, sexual tension, fluff]

[description: Aemond is a photographer dealing with works referring to the painting of the old masters. His sister poses in class for a girl who catches his attention. He decides that she would be a perfect model for one of his photos. Lots of sexual tension and slowly built fascination.]

Part 2 - Magdalene with the Smoking Flame

Part 3 - Ophelia

Part 4 - Lady with an Ermine

Part 5 - Rokeby Venus (End)

* English is not my first language. Please, do not repost. Enjoy! *

_____

It's been a long time since there was such a beautiful model in a painting class as Helaena Targaryen. With her fair, almost white hair, slender, fair face, snub nose, and blue eyes, she looked like an angel. She was able to create an amazing hairstyle with her combed braids.

The students and the professor decided to dress her in a blue gown, borrowed from costume designers from a nearby theater, in the style of seventeenth-century French fashion. Behind her was a large yellow background falling into the shade of warm gold. Even as herself, sitting half-profile towards them, she looked like a painting.

She had a great connection with her right away and they talked a lot. She knew that Helaena was the daughter of the dean of the university, a famous furniture maker and sculptor. Their entire family was famous for their strong commitment to the arts. She knew that Helaena's brother, Aemond, was in the fifth year of photography.

She was in her second year of painting and knew most of the people in his major - they often traded lecture halls - but he was always completely withdrawn. She had never seen him talk to anyone, he was always the first to leave the classroom.

Several girls from her year tried to flirt with him and get his attention, but their attempts ended in total failure. Still, she felt it wasn't fair that they were talking about him behind his back after being rejected. She tried not to express an opinion about him, because she didn't know him.

Even though it was known how Helaena got this temporary job, no one held any grudges about it because she bravely endured hours of posing without flinching. She decided to paint her portrait in the style of the Italian masters, starting with a monochromatic underpainting, applying the color with glazes in delicate layers. She was just starting to apply color to her face, making the character's face seem to emerge from the sketch around it.

The professor called a break and everyone got up to stretch a bit. Helaena stepped down from the platform and approached her, wanting to see how she was doing, as usual. She was delighted to see that the work was slowly moving to an advanced stage.

"What you do is amazing. You have real talent!” She said with her hand over her heart, playing with the chain. She smiled warmly at her.

They were talking for a while about ways of painting and different types of portraits when suddenly Aemond entered their room. He was looking for his sister with his eye, and when he saw her he walked towards her, greeting only the professor on the way.

"Ah, Aemond, thank you." Helaena said as he handed her apparently her own phone. "I had completely forgotten about him. Come closer, do you want to see how beautiful my new friend paints?” Helaena asked happily and she looked down in embarrassment. She guessed he didn't want to, but out of politeness he came over and stood behind them.

He literally said nothing. She glanced at him uncertainly over her shoulder and met his intense gaze which almost scared her. She blinked and opened her mouth slightly, then closed it, wondering if she should say something. She turned her head away, swallowing softly.

"Beautiful, isn't it? It makes me look like a baroque countess." Helaena said happily, looking at her brother.

Aemond only grunted, nodded, and stepped around her easel as he left the room. She looked at Helaena slightly shocked, but she seemed completely unfazed by his behavior.

"Is he always like this?" She asked quietly, wondering what had just happened. Helena laughed.

"Yes, he is very economical with words."

***

She entered the painting room first. She liked to look at her paintings from a distance before going back to work. When she looked at it with fresh eyes, she suddenly noticed all the mistakes she hadn't seen the day before.

It immediately caught her eye that she had painted one of the eyes a little too close to the nose. She immediately grabbed the brush, mixing the paints properly, wanting to fix it without even waiting for the model to show up.

She heard someone enter the room and, thinking it was Helaena, greeted loudly. Surprised after a while that no one answered her, she leaned over the easel and realized surprised, that her brother was standing in front of her.

Aemond, as usual, was dressed all in black. His black turtleneck emphasized his slender, long face and long, blond hair partly pulled back. He looked at her expectantly, as if he wanted to say something. She blinked, wondering what he might be looking for here, and suddenly it dawned on her.

“Helaena hasn't arrived yet, she'll probably be here in a few minutes. Should I tell her something?" She asked softly and smiled warmly at him. She decided that she would not be guided by the opinion of others and would form her own opinion about him.

Aemond turned his head, staring out the window, his mouth tight. He tapped his fingers on the sill as if thinking hard. After a moment he looked at her suddenly.

"Pose for me." He said indifferently, looking at her with a stony face. She sucked in a breath, completely taken aback by his proposal. She blinked, putting down her brush, looking at him curiously. She's never stood on the other side, modeling for someone.

“I take photos stylized as copies of paintings by old masters. I'd like you to pose for me as a Vermeer Girl with a Pearl Earring." He explained, apparently wanting to make it clear that he didn't mean the act or anything else that might seem inappropriate to her. She smiled widely.

"Very willingly! That sounds great. Will I also have to prepare the appropriate costume for this?" She asked, clearly excited, stepping closer to him. Aemond stared at her, surprised by her energy.

"No, that won't be necessary. I'll get you something." He said looking at her face thoughtfully. She blinked.

“I can sew well, and a lot of photography is about making the fabric look real. I can take care of it, I used to sew some historical costumes as a hobby.” She said lightly, looking at him expectantly. Aemond stared at her, clearly amazed at her commitment. He didn't seem to know what to say to her for a moment, because he hadn't expected such a pleased reaction.

“Well … if you want, of course, you can sew something. I'll bring something too. I will book a photo studio for next friday. Will you make it by then?" He asked softly, clearly appeased by the way she was acting.

"Yes, I will."

***

She was incredibly excited about his proposal. They exchanged phone numbers in case the studio was busy that day or needed to contact each other for other details about the shoot.

She had no idea why he chose her or what he saw in her, but she was very pleased that he wanted her to pose for him. She always dreamed of being someone's model, and she knew he was a talented photographer.

His pictures were really miniatures put in huge frames, almost like paintings. His photos, although colorful, had a kind of noise and blur that made the photo look old. He probably used special plates and exposure methods for this, but she wasn't very familiar with it. However, she knew that he was great at capturing the moment, chiaroscuro and color. There was something painterly about his photographs.

She spent one afternoon wandering around second-hand clothing stores where fabrics could be found cheaply. She was pleased that she had found everything she needed.

When she got home, she turned on her sewing machine, sewing a brown blouse for herself, and what she couldn't sew on the machine she sewed by hand.

She looked at herself in the mirror, looking at the effect of her work and decided that everything looked great. The fabrics she chose were soft and draped smoothly without looking artificial. She suddenly realized that she was missing the most important thing - a pearl earring. The pictures were to be taken the very next day, so she texted him quickly, scared.

[Y]: "I completely forgot that I need an earring, and I can't buy anything at this hour!"

After a few minutes, she saw that she had received a reply.

[Aemond]: "I was able to find a virtually identical pair of earrings at one of the pawnshops. I also have some fabrics if needed."

She took a quick portrait photo of her reflection and sent it to him along with the message.

[Y]: "I don't think any additional materials will be necessary."

He didn't write back to her for a long time. She got scared that he didn't like what she had created and started to worry. She jumped as her display lit up and she got a new message.

[Aemond]: "Well done."

***

She entered the studio at the time stated, looking around. Aemond was already inside, apparently adjusting the lighting. He just glanced at her and went back to working on setting the lamp.

"Close the door." He said coldly. She dutifully did as he asked and placed her backpack on one of the chairs against the wall. She took out all the materials she had prepared. She looked at him uncertainly.

"Can I change somewhere?" She asked quietly. Aemond looked at her in surprise and cleared his throat.

"Yes, you have a small storage room on the other side." He said, pointing to the opposite side of the room. "The door is open."

She nodded and quickly walked into the small room. With resignation she found that there was no mirror in it. There was no problem with putting on the shirts, but she had some issues with tying the bonnet and scarf.

Resigned, she poked her head out of the door, searching for him. He was looking through the camera at the place where she was supposed to be sitting.

"I need your help. I can't see if I tied it properly." She said pointing to the fabric on her head. Aemond motioned for her to come closer.

"Sit down. Here, like this.” He said, turning her with his hand, so that her body sat in profile to him. When he touched her with his large, cool hand, she shivered.

She watched him from below as he busied himself with tidying up her headgear. He glanced once in a while at the printed reproduction of the painting on the floor in front of him to get it right.

After a while he seemed pleased with the result. He handed her a pearl earring, and she put it on, empathizing with the person she was about to be. Aemond pulled away, took the camera in his hands and looked through the lens.

"Turn your head slightly towards me. No, not that much. Oh, that's right. Open your mouth slightly." He said matter-of-factly and suddenly she heard the sound of the camera shutter. Aemond pursed his lips.

"Don't look at me with such terrified eyes. Relax." He said and she swallowed softly, squeezed her eyes shut and tried to pull herself together.

This time she tried to keep her gaze soft. Aemond took the picture again. He pulled back and looked at her thoughtfully. His gaze was intense and he seemed to be thinking about something.

"Lick your lips." He said suddenly. She shivered at his words and looked at him in surprise, thinking she had misheard.

"What?" She asked quietly. Aemond looked at her expectantly.

"Rub your lips with your tongue. So that they shine." He recommended.

She felt her heart pounding. She blushed, ashamed and pursed her mouth, not looking at him, her tongue running slowly over her lips. She looked at him and saw that he swallowed softly.

He walked over to her and lowered the material of her shirt so that it showed more of her neck. She felt his fingers brush over her bare skin and gasped, wondering if he had done it on purpose. She looked at him and saw a shadow pass over his face.

"Yes. Look at me like that." He said, looking quickly through the lens. She lowered her eyes, embarrassed, feeling the tension in her whole body.

"Don't look away. Look at me. That's how you're supposed to look at me." He said in a tone that conveyed some kind of arousal and desire that made her shiver. She looked at him, her eyes hazy and slightly dreamy.

"Open your mouth." He ordered in a low voice, and when she did, he immediately took a series of photos of her.

"God, yes. Just like that." He said with a delight that made her even more embarrassed.

She lowered her eyelids, feeling her cheeks burn, pressing her lips together. Aemond looked at her with a mixture of admiration and something she couldn't name.

"Pose for me more often. I will pay you." He said suddenly and she looked at him surprised. She swallowed loudly.

"I… you don't have to pay me." She spluttered, looking away from him, looking down at her hands. She didn't know what was happening to her. She could feel his intense gaze on her, her heart pounding like crazy.

"Is that all?" She asked suddenly without looking at him.

Silence answered her. She heard him swallow hard.

"…yes, that's all." He spoke low, with a note of unreasonable uncertainty in his voice. She nodded and got up without looking at him, heading to the room where her things were.

She took off her costume and only now felt her hands tremble. She wondered what had just happened between them. She felt as if something inexplicable, artistic, intense and sensual had developed between them.

She left the room as soon as she was done. Aemond looked at her, obviously tense, looking at her expectantly. They looked at each other in silence.

"When can I see the result of your work?" She asked softly and saw him flinch as if he was thinking of something completely different, and her question brought him back to earth.

"On exhibition in two weeks." He said calmly, looking away. There was silence between them for a moment.

"Shall I go now?" She asked quietly, not knowing if he needed her for anything else. He looked at her in surprise and hesitated for a moment.

"Yes…yes, thank you, you can go." He said low. She nodded, said goodbye and left, closing the door behind her.

***

Aemond and she hadn't spoken to each other since the photos were taken. She saw him stare at her as they passed, but neither of them dared to speak. She wondered if he felt what she felt then too. She thought resignedly that his proposal was probably already out of date, but she had no intention of pestering him.

Helaena encouraged her to go with her to the exhibition. She had lost her will, but what Helaena said shocked her.

"Are you kidding? Your photo is at the center of his part of this exhibition. In the middle of the wall, in a beautiful frame, spotlit, the rest of his works are on the walls on the sides. This is probably his most beautiful picture!”

She blushed at her words and bowed her head. Her words made her feel that despite her fears she had to see it live.

What he saw on the other side of the lens.

That evening, she and Helaena arranged to meet outside the hall. She didn't want to go there alone, knowing that few people she knew would be there. She was grateful that she wanted to keep her company.

They went inside together, there were a lot of guests inside, talking intensely about something. The exhibition consisted of a series of works by several artist photographers, including Aemond. She noted with interest that her painting professor was also among the crowd.

At the very beginning there was a speech by the patron who funded the exhibition. He talked a bit about the assumptions of the exhibition, their artists and the works themselves. After it was over, as people rushed to fetch glasses of wine dispersing to explore, she saw with a lump in her throat what Helaena was talking about.

On the other side of the room hung her portrait. She had to get very close to it becasue photography was small in size, about the size of a notebook page.

The photo was slightly hazy, but sharp at the same time as if you could feel the air that was filling the studio at the time. She was delighted to see that indeed, the colors of her outfit perfectly reflected the saturation of those in the original painting.

She felt both awe and shame as she looked at her face. Her glossy lips were gently parted as if she was exhaling softly. Her gaze was warm, hazy, full of some unspoken, intense feeling.

She gave the impression that she wanted to say something to the viewer, as if she was already opening her mouth to say the words. She thought it was indeed a great photo and barely recognized herself in it.

She swallowed hard as she saw that indeed, her gold-framed picture was the only one on the main wall, the rest of his work was more closely spaced on the side walls. He clearly made this work the focus of his exhibition.

She looked curiously at his other works, and saw that they too alluded to the works of the old masters. She flinched as she heard a low voice behind her.

"What do you think?" Aemond asked, standing literally inches from her. He was so close she could feel his hot breath. She looked at him over her shoulder, confused.

"It's beautiful." She said softly. Aemond looked down at her, his gaze dark. He took a sip of wine from his glass, looking at her searchingly.

“I agreed with my professor on the subject of my diploma thesis. I want you to pose for me for female portraits like this one." He spoke calmly and matter-of-factly. She opened her mouth in surprise and blinked rapidly.

"I… I'd be very happy if I could help you." She said softly and smiled warmly, trying to control her facial expressions and her trembling heart.

Aemond looked at her intently. He pursed his lips, apparently debating whether or not to say what he was thinking.

"Be my muse."

_____

I decided that I wanted to write something that would be a one-shot and I came up with this idea. I really like what came out of it and I'm curious about your opinion. Let me know if you'd like it to be a mini series with other paintings in the background. If you want to be tagged, leave a comment below. ♥

@zenka69 @melsunshine @opheliaas-stuff

[fandoms-in-law]

Cousin of a Cousin

Author's note: I'm still loving the Addams Family but since I've got Ophelia's son ongoing I can't fit Abigail in how I want to over there. This is my attempt to get some of that gone

Summary: Morticia and Gomez have callers come, who say they're looking for some decent relatives for one of them.

/\/\

Morticia wasn’t quite sure what to make of the pair that had come to call, but they’d gratefully accepted the henbane tea when it was offered and were very curious over the stories behind their decorations.

Gomez was quite enjoying entertaining the pair, having already asked Steve if he was interested in zen yogi and started showing him a few easy poses to relax in. He was loathe to disrupt such a peaceful afternoon but had to ask eventually, “So what brings you to call upon us, delighted though we are to meet you?”

“We’re trying to find out if Steve has any relatives that are decent people. It’s been quite difficult, but Nancy found out you’re the cousins of one of his cousins. I’m not sure if there’s any blood relation between you but good company for Steve was difficult to find for many years.” Eddie explained easily, head twisting as he spoke since both Gomez and Steve were in headstands at that moment. He’d fallen multiple times before giving up the attempt.

“Oh? Who were the cousins we share?” Morticia asked genially.

Steve’s face twisted, “I don’t think you get along with them. It was an Abigail Adams Nancy mentioned first. Very focused on appearances without much kindness or decency beyond that.”

“We know the woman. She’s forbidden from this house after trying to claim Gomez’s due.” Her voice had darkened with a condemning ring to it.

Eddie laughed, “We’d do the same, but I think Nance has some plans of some sort. She’s good at tripping people into their own downfall now.”

“We never do that, but you’re welcome to try given how much she’s plotted ours.” Gomez agreed cheerfully.

“Oh, guests? What don’t we do?” Fester came into the room, looking at Steve and Eddie curious.

Gomez flipped over, a hand coming to rest on Eddie’s shoulder while Steve also righted himself. “This is Eddie Munson and Cousin Steve who just located us through an unfortunate shared cousin of Abigail Adams. Apparently their friend Nancy is plotting Abigail’s downfall.”

“She’s gonna shoot her in the back? But I wanted to do that?” Fester huffed, going to pick the shotgun up as if Abigail was with them.

Steve shook his head. “Probably not, though she is a very good shot. Nancy currently prefers attacking through journalism. If the press are sharks, then she’s a great white.”

“She sounds wonderful.” Morticia proclaimed. “Next time you call she must come with you. Do you have many friends like her?”

Eddie immediately nodded, “All of them.”

“Most of us only through necessity.” Steve chided, “Have you heard of Hawkins before?”

“Heard of it? Why I’m working on building my investments in the town so I can visit for any more freak disasters.” Gomez declared, “It’s had an exciting time of it and we want to be there the next time something happens. Murderers and Shock Earthquakes and Mysterious chemical spills from labs. Oh it must be a splendid place to live, but there’s no decent architecture there for us to make a home of.”

Morticia clapped her hands smiling, “Is that where you live?”

Eddie and Steve were sharing bewildered looks but nodded slowly, “Yes, in fact we were involved with a lot of those events, at the mall burning down, if you didn’t hear about that.” Steve replied, pausing at their delighted gasps.

“I was even accused of the murders. Steve and his friends found me and sorted that out.” Eddie added, grinning in shock when the couple seemed delighted. “Though we were wondering about moving away from Hawkins now. Most of the group have done for schooling and Steve’s been pouting since Robin left.”

“No sir, a treasure like property in Hawkins must be cannot be abandoned merely for loneliness. I’ll see if some of our other cousins might join you to keep company.” Gomez insisted.

Morticia however was looking intently at Steve now, “And who is Robin? A fiance, perhaps?”

“No, no, we’re platonic soulmates but have both decided that we’ll avoid marriage until the law permits us to marry who we wish.” Steve shook his head, wondering if he’d said too much, even as Eddie reached out to hold the hand nearest him.

“Who you wish?” She repeated, watching, “And might that be Eddie? There is an energy between you, a je ne sais quoi that shows you’re closer than most friends.”

“Tish, that’s French!” Gomez exclaimed, grabbing her arm to kiss along it.

Steve bit his lip to avoid snorting at the display since it reminded him of how enthused Eddie could get if he mentioned anything about DnD correctly. “Yes, we are together. Would you prefer us to leave you for a while?”

“Much obliged. Come for bridge or tea or something later.” Gomez agreed, barely glancing up from ravishing Morticia’s arms.

Morticia reached out to ring the bell. “Lurch, please show Eddie and Steve out and let them know the time to come back for bridge.”

Eddie startled to see the towering butler behind them, “Nice meeting you, Morticia and Gomez. See you later.” He called, hurrying back.

Steve laughed after him but also led the way out when Lurch gestured for him to.