#a family consisting of a dead son and a now-dead husband. a family that she clung to even when it stopped existing years ago.

[localvoidcat]

i really need to talk more about salvador and isa because i do have an unholy amount of thoughts about the both of them

[the-daily-dreamer]

So like a critical component of understanding team green and Alicent’s motivation for pushing their claim is completely lost on this fandom because of the fact that it’s so irrelevant nowadays that we wouldn’t even consider it.

But like…for most of human history marriages, especially aristocratic marriages, were binding social contracts that were meant to provide benefits and incentives to both parties. The woman would perform her wifely duties of bearing heirs (sons), child rearing, emotional (and physical - sometimes against her will unfortunately) support, and generally running the household in domestic affairs. And in exchange for these labors and quite frankly difficult and at times harmful tasks the woman was provided with safety from the outside world, all her needs being taken care of, and her children being the heirs. And a woman’s son being the heir means consistent protection into her old age when her often much older husband eventually died.

There was a purpose to marriage outside of love and ambition. But because we are privileged enough to live in a more modern society where marriage is a personal contract for which the technicalities can be selected by both individuals to ensure security and happiness, we cannot really even consider that once upon a time in the not so distant past there was a clear purpose. The man got sons/heirs and the woman got sons/protectors to care for her in her old age.

So when Alicent pushes for her son she has a plethora of reasons: believing in tradition, protecting the lives of her children who have competing claims, consolidation of suffering, etc. But she has one very clear and very reasonable reason that nobody acknowledges. She delivered on her part of the bargain and contract and she wants to collect what she is owed. She produced the sons, she gave the emotional and physical support (against her genuine will), she reared the children, she ran the household domestically and the entire kingdom. She did “everything expected of her forever upholding the kingdom, the family, and the law”. And now it’s time for her to collect her dues now that her much, much older husband is dead. To have her son be king and to be taken care of into her old age.

That is the contract she agreed to. That is the contract almost every woman in history agreed to. I give you a son and I get comfort and security when you (the husband) die and my son becomes the heir.

So I can go on and on about the personal, psychological reasoning that Alicent has that are all perfectly valid. But I don’t have to because at the end of the day she did her part of this marital obligation and contract and she deserves to receive her rewards.

[foressfaction]

Warning: mentions of s*icide and other topics that could be triggering

��My trust in you is like a dog with a broken leg”

Time to yap

Can we just talk about how I think if Toby ever got caught and arrested by the police that he would straight up just let them. His life is so shit and aside from maybe in AUs where he lives with his work partners (Tim and Brian) or with Jack, that he is practically homeless and has been barely scrapping by. Lets just say even in one of those AUs he’d surrender due to pure panic cause being held at gun point would probably freak bro the fuck out and he’d have no possible choice. Now of course he’d put up a good chase but maybe in a situation the authorities just run into him. He’d just let it happen.

I’d feel the police would know who he is even after the years. I don’t think he’d look much different other than the changes that are inevitable. I feel they’d be gentle. Though yes. He killed people, has weapons. But by then they learned the story, I just think they’d be gentle. He would have a look of pure fear for once other than what goes on in his head. All he knows is fear, anger, guilt. I think that would be very prominent in his arrest.

He doesn’t know his rights, he doesn’t know how to comply, just lets his body be escorted and almost dragged away into what ever vehicle they would transport him.

In court his mom who still lived would face him for the first time in years after thinking both of her kids were dead. What she saw of her brutally murdered ex husbands body still haunted her. And probably wouldn’t leave her mind upon first glance at her son. She sees him as a killer, but certainly not a monster. Tears would stream but her face would stay blank. Her black mascara running down her pale skin.

Her hair has grown longer and put up in a neat bun, some loose strands from the family’s genetic frizzy hair.

She’d lay eyes on her son that had gone missing all those years ago after such a traumatic event. She knew him better than anyone.

But Toby… he wouldn’t even know who she is. He would have this gut wrenching feeling something was off, everytime he would look at her, like he was supose to know something, feel something. But nothing.

I feel like the court would consist of questions, ones that would only be answered by the sweet sound of silence and head tilt downwards. Obviously he didn’t remember his past. But they would ask so much about it. About Lyra, about the fire, his home life. They probably would mention that his mom is in the room, and ask what she thinks.

She wouldn’t respond sometimes, still in complete numbness and shock that her son was not only alive, but had been homeless and taking more lives of the innocent. At first it was a case of escaping abuse, but there was something far more sinister going on as well.

He looks so much older than what she remembers. So worn out looking and exhausted. His eyes were so dark. She’d recall. So lifeless. Deep down she loved him dearly and wanted nothing bad to happen to him. But that was not up to her. He was a murderer.

I feel there would be a moment where they’d touch hands. He would be shaken up, just like when he was little. But he was so different at the same time. To him this was just some ordinary woman. She also looked so different. He wouldn’t even be able to form words, as that feeling of belonging forced itself to so badly be seen.

Connie would watch her son die. Not by body, but by soul. As he would be sentenced to life in a phych ward. Where there he would be treated like a dog at a pound, a prisoner of multiple first degree murder charges. Including the one of his father.

And in that cell block, behind those bars. He would slowly but surely lose his mind and become inhuman, unresponsive. A living life sized dog that would snap at any hand.

There however, he considered himself free. Even if the torture of the facility progressed, the Operator couldn’t reach him here. A feeling he longed for. But was it really worth it.

Toby dies in this place at the age of 31 due to starving himself as a form of s*uicide. His grief practically killed him and the staff let it happen.

It was all rumored to have been on purpose but it’s still a mystery on what happened to him those years ago. The answer would be unbelievable to most. Which is why he ended up here in the first place. He is so unbelievably ill.

[arc-misadventures]

Fathers Day Letter

Beacon Academy lunchroom, and everyone is looking over the mail they have each recently received.

Ruby: Ohh! Dad sent me something!

Yang: Me too, wonder what he sent me.

Weiss: Oh? My sister sent me a package, I wonder what’s in it.

Pyrrha: My mom sent me a care package~!

Ren: I got a parcel in the mail: I hope it’s those tea leaves I ordered.

Nora: My magazine is in! YES!!!

Blake: Yes! The latest book in the, ‘Ninja’s of Lust’ series!

Ruby: COOKIES!!! He sent me cookies! Yayyyyy! (Nom,nom,nom,nom!)

Yang: Save some for later, Rubes. Now lets see��� Awesome! He sent me the bike polish I use for, Bumblebee! I forgot it, when we left! I’m gonna have some fun spreading you on tonight~!

Weiss: Oh? ‘Dear sister, I lost a gentlemen’s wager, and they requested several signed copies of your latest album. Since I assume this would be no problem, would you kindly sign these copies, and send them back to me. Love, Winter.’ This is rather… unexpected.

Yang: Are you going to refuse her request?

Weiss: No, this should only take an hour to do. What did you get, Pyrrha.

Pyrrha: Cookies, chocolate, and some beauty products from home, nothing much really. Did you get your tea, Ren?

Ren: Yep; I’m looking forward to having these later.

Yang: What magazine did you order, Nora.

Nora: ‘Pancakes Illustrated’

Weiss: Excuse me?

Yang: That’s not what I think it is, is it?

Ren: Well…

Nora: Ohh yeah~! Let that butter run off you, you naughty girl~!

Yang: UHHHH?!

Pyrrha: Don’t ask.

Yang: Okay…?

Blake: And, you say I’m the depraved one…

Ruby: Isthat… (Gulp!) Is that a father’s day card, Jaune?

Yang: Wait, what?

Weiss: Excuse me?

Pyrrha: You’reafather?!

Nora: I’m an aunt?!

Jaune: Oh, yeah. It’s just a little joke card really. My sisters see me as the father figure they never had, so they send me this as family joke.

Pyrrha: Oh thank gods…

Yang: Oh, so what’s the joke, I bet it’s pretty funny!

Jaune: Well… It’s kinda funny… in the shear ridiculousness of it.

Blake: How ridiculous is this?

Jaune: Well, lets start at the beginning: My family consists of me, my older sisters, Saphron, and Thiriana. My mother, Juniper, my grandfather, Álkimos, and lastly my father, Evinder, or simply, Evin.

Pyrrha: I thought you said you were an only child?

Jaune: I’m the only son, I have lots of sisters though.

Pyrrha: Oh okay. Please continue.

Jaune: So when I was three years old, my father disappeared while out travelling. We had no idea what happened, my mother was so distraught that she begged my grandfather to go find him. So, my grandfather who is a, Huntsman, who also loves his daughter very much, went out to find him.

Ruby: Did he find him?

Jaune: No. He spent two years trying to find him, but he found no trace of him. However, a year later, when I had turned five, my grandfather was in another town a ways away from where I lived. Then town was attacked by some, Grimm. Luckily there was only one casualty. That one casualty was where things got interesting!

Weiss: What happened?

Jaune: Well, my grandfather went to the woman, her name is, Isleen, a snake faunas with beautiful blue, and gold tipped scales. And, she had three daughters: Luna, and a pair of twins named, Angela, and Janette, ages two, and one. And, she told him that her husband was missing, my grandfather asked what his name was, and she said his name was, Gregory. She then showed him a photo of him, and my father was left gobsmacked! He had a new hair cut, and a beard, but he knew very well what the face of his ‘deceased’ son-in-law looked like.

Yang: Wait, what?!

Weiss: He wasn’t dead?!

Blake: And, he abandon your mother?!

Ren: Along with you, and your sisters?!

Pyrrha: And, started a new family with another woman?!

Jaune: Yep. He wasn’t happy to say the least. Then, my grandfather showed, Isleen a photo of my mother, me, and my sisters, and my recently ‘deceased’ father, Evinder. She did not take it well that her husband was not who he said he was, and seeming abandoned her, like he had done with my mother really, really hurt her. So, my grandfather decided to take her, and her kids back home. To live with me, and the rest of my family.

Blake: Was your mom okay with that?

Jaune: Eventually. She didn’t like that her father brought some random woman, and her kids home with him. But, she understood why grandfather invited them to stay with us. I mean, learning that their husband was living under false identities, and had married two separate woman, and had kids with them, and abandoned both of them. They had plenty of things in common together to bound with one another.

Yang: I’ll bet they did.

Jaune: Shortly after that, my grandfather was called to deal with a missing person report in another town. So he went there, and this woman asked if he could find her missing husband…

Weiss: Don’t tell me. He looked like your father?

Jaune: Same hair cut, and beard, just with thick rimmed glasses.

Blake: Given years apart you’d think he’d come up with a better disguise.

Jaune: Yeah… about that… The wife, a silver fox faunas who’s name is, Evenora, had two daughters with, ‘Stavon,’ their names were, Luna, and Carol.

Weiss: Hold old were they?

Jaune: One, and two years old. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but you need to understand this… Isleen, and her family lived about two weeks away from, Evenora, and her family.

Yang: I don’t get it.

Blake: So he didn’t go far this time when he faked his death again.

Ren: Wait, they lived two weeks of travel apart? Oh gods…

Pyrrha: What is it, Ren?

Ren: He was married to both of them at the same time… He was double timing them wasn’t he?

Jaune: Bingo bango bongo! You are right on the money, Ren!

Ruby: Wait, what?!

Weiss: You’re kidding me right?!

Jaune: Nope: He was double timing the two of them by being the cheating bastard that he was. He was a travelling sales men, so he two two weeks to travel between the two villages, stay for a month with one wife, then when back, and lived with his other wife for a month. And, he did that for over two years

Yang: You’re fucking kidding me?!

Jaune: Oh gods I wish.

Nora: What happened next?

Jaune: Well, my grandfather showed her photos of the two other families he abandoned. Needless to say she was absolutely devastated by this news. Now, my grandfather would have stay with her, and consoled her through this, but he was only missing for about three days. He needed to find him before the trail turned cold. So he hunted him. Now you gotta understand my grandfather is a vindictive monster; he was absolutely pissed when he learned he abandoned my mother, and, Isleen, he was fucking furious when he learned learned he did it a third time to, Evenora. So, he was after him like a bloodhound.

Weiss: Please, pleassssse tell me he found the cheating bastard, and made him payyyyyyy!

Blake: You’re really getting into this.

Weiss: This fucker makes all the emotional abuse my dad put me, and my family through feel like school yard bullying.

Yang: Same. My mom may have abandoned me at birth, but this. This is fucked up!

Nora: I can relate with them…

Ruby: You can?

Nora: My mom abandoned me. So, know how it feels when a loved one abandons you…

Pyrrha: She what?!

Jaune: It’s okay, Nora, we’re here with you know, and we’re not going anywhere.

Nora: Thanks, Jaune.

Jaune: My pleasure. Anyway, my grandfather did find him, or more precisely what was left of him.

Blake: Did a, Grimm get him?

Weiss: Fuck yeah!

Yang: That sounded so wrong coming from you.

Jaune: Well, yes he was dead. But, I’m not sure if a, Grimm did him in.

Ren: What makes you say that?

Jaune: My grandfather is an extremely experienced huntsman. He’s seen plenty of peoples corpses that are the result of a, Grimm attack.

Weiss: So you think he killed him, and made it look like a, Grimm attack?

Jaune: That, or my grandmother got to him. She is really protective of her family, and can really, really, really hold a grudge. She’s still upset with her ex… Anywho, after he, ‘found’ his corpse he took, Evenora, and her kids with him back to our home.

Ruby: Where they live as a happy family all together!

Jaune: Eventually.

Weiss: Let me guess, they had some difficulties getting along together?

Jaune: Mom was upset as it was that he left her, and three kids all alone, but even more so that he did that to two other woman, and their five kids too. She was absolutely angry from all of this. Sadly she took out her anger, indirectly mind you, on them which was making them angry in turn at each other even more so.

Pyrrha: And, what about you, how did you handle all of this.

Jaune: Well, I never really understood what my dad did until I was older. But, I was happy. I wasn’t the youngest child, and I now had five younger sisters! i was the older brother I always wanted to be. My, Mom thanked me for being the older brother that I was, loving each of them unconditionally as I did. Because I did this, it showed my mother that she was being petty, and mean to the other woman for things they did not do. So, she managed to fix, and even improve her relationship with the other mothers. They used to sleep in three different rooms, then after me, and my older sisters found the three of them in the same bed, all cuddling against one another they started sleeping like that ever since. Now I’m a brother with two older sisters, and five younger sisters, a loving grandfather, and grandmother, with three loving mothers, and I couldn’t be happier.

Blake: That sounds beautiful.

Pyrrha: I’m glad this had a happy ending b

Yang: That sounds lovely, but how does this relate to you getting a fathers day card?

Jaune: Oh, because I was the ‘man of the house’ I tended to look over, and protect my younger siblings. So I became the ‘father figure’ they never had.

Ruby: Awww~! That so sweet!

Pyrrha: You are a really nice brother, Jaune.

Jaune: Thanks. But, sadly this resulted in all of my younger siblings in developing father/brother complexes with me, just like it did with, Nora…

Yang: Pfft! Hahahaha! You’re right, Jaune; in the shear ridiculousness of it all, that is quite funny.

Ruby: Your family is quite something, Jaune.

Blake: I could make so many stories with this as a basis…

Yang: Settle down, Bla…? Wait, Nora? Do you have a brother/father complex with, Jaune too?

Weiss: You’re kidding me, right?

Nora: Y-Yeah… I do…

Pyrrha: What?! How did that happen?!

Nora: I couldn’t help it! He runs his fingers through my hair to comfort me when I have nightmares, and he gives me goodnight kisses on my forehead before I go to sleep. It’s really nice.

Yang: Do you seriously do that?

Ren: Yeah, he does that almost every night, it’s really nice to see.

Pyrrha: How come I’ve never seen this before?

Ren: You’ve been asleep whenever he does it.

Pyrrha: But… I… Jaune! I want goodnight kisses too!

Jaune: Okay.

Pyrrha: Yes!

Jaune: So, anything else you guys wanna ask about my families.

Blake: Yeah, so, Jaune, if you’re in the mood, do you want to pretend to be my daddy, and give me a good spanking because I’ve been a bad girl?

RWYJNPR: …

Jaune: No.

Blake: Naww…

Weiss: How about me instead?

Jaune: Excuse me what?

[queenvhagar]

It's interesting that Rhaenyra is consistently framed as being "not like other girls" in such an extreme attempt at feminism that it veers way over to other side in that all the other girls in the story, especially those who act differently than she would or who act in opposition to her wishes, are somehow not as good as her or even evil.

As the show loves to show us, Rhaenyra's not like other girls. She loves being a bit of a rebel. She defies the rules of the world and doesn't care what anyone's opinion of her is. She embraces her sexuality. She's bold and says what's on her mind. Now, these are fine things for her as a character, for sure. The problem comes when looking at how the other girls are depicted and how the show expects you to feel about them vs Rhaenyra.

Alicent accepts her position in life as the daughter of a second son and marries for her family against her wishes. But it goes against what Rhaenyra wants, so she's evil. She should have just been more like Rhaenyra! Defied her father, said no to Viserys, went against the patriarchy... except Alicent does not have the privilege that Rhaenyra has as a dragon riding Targaryen princess, the king's beloved daughter and heir to the throne. What power did she have to resist the wishes of her lord father and the king? She acted like any girl of her time would, given the circumstances of her powerlessness, and yet somehow the show wants you to believe that's a character flaw.

Laena is second to Rhaenyra, something the show made painfully obvious when depicting her marriage with Daemon (which sucks especially because there was no indication that this was the case in the books; rather, her and Daemon were happily married and both were extremely close to Rhaenyra the entire time). Her death is changed from its original and unique tragedy to prop up Rhaenyra's eventual fate and its "epic" quality, so when it eventually happens we can view it as a true "dragonrider's death." Then, on the night of her funeral, her husbands finally gets with his first choice Rhaenyra. Laena who? She is made to look less in comparison to Rhaenyra.

Baela and Rhaena, despite having huge roles in the Dance and the aftermath, are largely sidelined by the writers. Baela's a fierce dragonrider like her mother... yet the only scene allowing her to show any aspect of that is left on the cutting room floor. Rhaena wants a dragon and is the only one of her family who isn't a dragonrider... yet the writers have yet to give her any personality beyond that or explore this aspect of her character with any depth. The twins' adult versions barely have any screen time or lines. Even when they are betrothed, seemingly without their prior knowledge, they can only smile by the side.

Helaena is a dragonrider, a dragon dreamer, a mother, a daughter. Forced to use her Targaryen royal womb to make heirs. But the writers aren't interested in exploring any aspect of her character in depth or showing her relationships with her family.

One woman is the exception, as she does share some qualities with Rhaenyra in that she's also not like other girls and the audience should root for her too... it's Rhaenys! She's got a dragon! She'll put it in the Greens' faces (never mind hundreds of innocents killed - so cool!). She'll call someone out for toiling their life in the service of men (even though she's done no differently with her own life!). And because girls support girls no matter what, of course she's Team Black all the way (even though her daughter died a continent away because of Daemon and her son was clearly killed because of Rhaenyra). Rhaenys will hitch onto the Black train despite everything that's happened, and in supporting Rhaenyra she'll take away Baela's claim to Driftmark and instead link both her granddaughters to the people who are the reason both of her children are dead...

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

What would Erik do if he found out the love of his life got married and had a kid when he went MIA for a few years while on a military mission? Would he track her down at her job and be waiting in the car for her? Would he walk in her office and lock the door? Would he give a fuck about that other plan b nigga?

Destiny had just dropped her twin boys off to her mom’s who agreed to watch them over night so that her and her husband could have some much needed alone time. The kids would be turning two years old soon and Destiny had a lot of party planning to do. She’s s stay at home mom and her husband has a six figure job and pays all the bills. A day for Destiny consists of waking up to get the toddlers together, make her husband breakfast, do her morning Pilates while her son’s played with their toys, take a shower during their scheduled nap time, and then run errands. Errands that includes Home Goods, Starbucks, a pedicure, and a shopping spree, all with her husband’s money.

Destiny didn’t always live like this. Before her husband came into the picture, she was madly in love with a man who she couldn’t keep up with if she tried. Erik Stevens. He was a man full of secrets and living a double life that she knew nothing about because it was for her own safety. Destiny grew tired of lying to her family and friends about Erik, waiting around to start a family and become a wife, watching him pack his bags the next day after he hadn’t been home for 24 hrs. The nerve of him to show up unannounced in the dead of night and thrust ten inches of fat dick up in her with her knees by her ears after being gone with no explanation.

This time around, he’d been gone for two years. Destiny had enough. She blocked him from everything and packed up and moved to Beverly Hills where she got a job as a teacher. There she met her husband who already had a child of his own and they were married within the next year. It’s year three that Erik hadn’t showed up and it’s not like he would be able to find her…right?

Destiny entered her luxury home and went to take a shower and get herself dressed. What Destiny hadn’t noticed is a man dressed in all black waiting for her in her husband’s office. She could see the door was ajar and not thinking anything of it, she walked up to the door only to find the lamp light on. Destiny had an uneasy feeling in her gut. Her husband never left the lamp light on or his office door opened. Destiny pushed it open further and boot covered feet caught her eyes first. The more the door swung back, the more this intruder came to be. Black fitted long sleeve top, black cargos, black boots, shoulder length locs with a temp fade.

“Hi, princess.”

That husky voice could only be from one person.

“Erik.”

She stood paralyzed in that doorway. He slipped his legs from the desk and leaned in, using his finger tips to push the lamp so that it could ignite his face more. When that light appeared across his face Destiny’s eyes went wide. He’s still just as fine as he was three years ago only this time he was bigger; more intimidating.

“Erik—how did you—”

“It was easy. Took me some time to get to you because I’ve been so busy but I’ve been keeping an eye on you. You’re married now?”

Erik picked up a framed family photo from her husband’s desk. Erik reclined back in the chair, fingers stroking his mouth as he studied the photo. It was eerily silent. Destiny watched him with terrified eyes.

“Twins?” Erik questioned.

“Y—Yes.”

“You have the life you always wanted.”

Erik sat the photo down gently. His eyes looked up at Destiny.

“You know, I always thought you’d be waiting for me. Silly of me, right? To think you would want this life with me and only me.”

Destiny looked everywhere but at him.

“You never wanted this, Erik. If you did, you wouldn’t have pushed me away. I was down for whatever back then. Things have changed.”

Hmm,” Erik pushed himself up from his seat behind the desk, “Are you happy?”

“I am. I have beautiful children. I’m a happy wife. I don’t have to wake up wondering if my husband will disappear for months—”

“Your husband ain’t shit, ma.”

Destiny blinked at Erik.

“Excuse me?”

Erik walked around the desk and picked up a folder. He handed it to Destiny. She took it from his grasp and opened it. When she did, the pictures before her eyes shocked her. With a hand to her mouth, tears began to fall from her eyes.

“He’s having an affair. She works for him. It’s been going on since you two have been married.”

“H—I don’t understand.”

Erik started taking steps towards her but Destiny created space between them again.

“Is this who you want to spend the rest of your life with?” Erik questioned.

Destiny looked up at Erik. She still couldn’t believe he was there. All of her old feelings seemed to come back. All the emotions and physical reactions towards him that she kept hidden away. It was overwhelming how one unexpected visit could make that big of an impact. Despite being furious with him, she was happy to see that he was alive and well.

“I had this man’s babies. He proposed to me. So all I am is the mother of his children who takes care of the house while he goes out and does his dirt?”

Destiny’s hands trembled with rage. She thought she would break down and cry but she was more angry with herself than anything. How could she be so stupid? This woman that her husband is messing around with has been around her children. Their busy taking vacations together, her husband purchased her a home, and their welcoming a child.

“Say the word and I’ll kill him.”

Destiny’s eyes snapped up to stare at Erik. She always knew he had a sinister side to him. She always guessed that he was a killer. He didn’t outright admit to it, but there were too many signs hinting towards it. Random stashes of guns, unexplainable bruises and injuries, military-like reflexes. It was just all too telling.

“I mean it. I’ll end his fuckin’ life.”

“You can’t just show up again and think by giving me this everything is good! You left me for two years! What makes you think that I want anything to do with you!”

Erik gave her a sly smirk.

“You never got over me. You only used this nigga as a bandaid. You thought you were in love. Yeah, you had two kids, but that doesn’t mean you truly love him. Probably been a minute since you had that, right? It was a fairytale in the beginning and then reality set in. After the kids he didn’t touch you? After he made you his wife you were to stay home and take care of things? You’re better than that, baby.”

Destiny tried to turn away from Erik but he grabbed her chin to look at him. She didn’t bother to fight him. She knew his words were true.

“I hate that you had kids with that bitch ass motherfucker.”

Erik glanced down at her lips before walking away towards a closet in the office. There, he opened the closet door and Destiny’s hands flew up to cover her mouth. There, bound and gagged was her cheating husband. He was bloodied and beaten.

“He doesn’t deserve you. He never deserved you.”

[facelessoldgargoyle]

Amy Dallon as the Minotaur

The Metatextual Monster: how reading Amy Dallon on multiple levels is necessary to understanding her.

I'm gonna be real, this started out as a daydream about drawing Taylor as Icarus, but I care way more about the Minotaur, and Taylor isn't the Minotaur. Possibly some art about this to follow, but I type faster than I draw. ~700 words.

How many of you have read House of Leaves? Wikipedia. The most important thing to know is that House of Leaves is three stories, which occur nested within each other. The story at the heart is a documentary about a house in which a closet door suddenly appears, which eventually grows into a hallway and then a labyrinth. The next layer is a blind professor's commentary on this documentary, which was discovered scattered around his apartment after his death. The top layer is the chronicle of a tattoo artist trying to reconstruct the commentary. All this to say: it is a book about meta-commentary, which makes describing its themes difficult.

In House of Leaves, the professor has tried to remove all references to the Minotaur by burning the pages of his notes about him. The tattoo artist writes down everything that failed to burn, and indicates that it was burned using red, struck through text. The Minotaur is a character which does not exist, but he haunts the book.

On the top level, he represents the constant editing, rewriting, and destruction of the book itself. Down a level, he is a monster who is stalking the characters in their minds. A claw mark is found next to the professors dead body. Down a level, he's the guilt and shame growing within each author which they project into the house. The labyrinth in the house is a black hole, it signifies nothing, but the human mind impresses its own ideas and image into it.

I'm now realizing that I've written three paragraphs without mentioning Amy once. Shit. Ok. The good stuff.

On the level closest to the text, Amy the character is the malformed, rejected child. When her malformation makes itself known, she is permanently rejected and confined in an inescapable prison. Like the Minotaur in House of Leaves, her ghost haunts the people who fear her and obsess over her. They can't stop thinking about her (Victoria) despite how that obsession only hurts them. When Amy's status as monster can be instrumentalized, it is, like how the Minotaur of myth was used as a method of execution for the youth of Athens. She's set free and used once again.

On another level, Amy Dallon haunts Worm. Her arc is fully fleshed out, and it is tragedy. Like the Minotaur, on one level she must been seen as symbolic. She represents the self-destruction of the nuclear family. In one version of the myth, the Minotaur is the bastard son of Minos. The king did not sacrifice a bull sent to him by Poseidon, and so the queen was cursed to fall in love with the bull. Here, the Minotaur represents the ultimate perversion of the natural order. The king did not honor the god, and so the wife did not honor her husband, and so the child did not honor his mother. Amy represent the same overturning of the natural order. Carol hated the daughter, and so the daughter destroyed her sister. These stories suggest that the so-called natural order actually has something deeply wrong with it!

On the top level, Amy is a scapegoat for the audience. Like the Minotaur in House of Leaves, the reader projects their own hatred on her; they treat her with the same lesbophobia as the text does, if you read her a layer below the symbolic critique of the family, if you read her as a character. People consistently write about her as having an incest kink, or other deviant, highly stigmatized fetish. People post about her being dirty, or ill-intentioned. This reading accepts her as ontologically evil, rather than a product of an oppressive structure. The exact form of the Minotaur (deviant, dirty, ill-intentioned) varies from person to person. He acts as a Rorschach, illuminating what the observer finds offensive.

Like the Minotaur in House of Leaves, Amy must be read on multiple levels. She is a character, she is a metaphor, she is a mirror. Isolate any of these levels from the other, and they fail to make sense. Separating the symbolic from the personal is often what leads people to falling into the trap of projecting lesbophobic narratives onto her!

The Minotaur is out to get you, and Amy is too.

[townsenddecades]

Recap 1320 – 1329

And that’s another decade done! It was certainly an interesting one. There was no deadly famine this time, but with the number of sims to manage increasing, the individual days have started taking longer to play through. Which explains why completing this decade has taken me almost four months.

Historically speaking, the 1320s were an…interesting time in English politics, to say the least. I touched on it in some posts, but the tensions between King Edward II, his nobility and Queen Isabella came to a head, first in the Despenser War, and finally in Isabella’s coup against her husband to oust him from power and instead place their son, Edward III, on the throne. In addition to these domestic troubles, there was also continuous war with the Scots (culminating in Edward III recognizing Scottish independence in 1328) and trouble with the English fiefdoms in France, a prelude to the Hundred Years War that will begin in the coming decade, and which ironically enough gave Queen Isabella the springboard from which to launch her coup.

Another prelude to the Hundred Years War was the death of King Charles IV of France, after which Queen Isabella put Edward III forward as a candidate for the throne. Unsurprisingly, the French weren’t too keen on having an English King, but we all know that that wasn’t the end of the matter.

When I started this challenge, I actually intended to incorporate the Scottish wars into my story, but in playing I shied away from the research I would have needed to put in to think up rolls for that. Maybe with the next one, because we also all know that this wasn’t the end of the border clashes between England and Scotland.

Because of this, my sims may have had a lot of heartache because of marital troubles and dead children this decade, but at least in terms of big historical events, they’ve had it rather easy. Which doesn’t mean I was bored, far from it!

Which is a perfect cue to stop waffling and finally get into the recap for the individual households. Of which there are far more than a decade ago. This will be a long post (hence the read more), but I hope the division into individual entries helps to read it if you need multiple sessions.

I have also decided to write posts with more in-depth descriptions of the deaths and weddings of this decade, and to intersperse some polls between posting these.

The Townsend Family (Tovar, Main Household)

Current members: 7

In 1320, the Tovar branch of the Townsend family consists of Benedict Townsend, his oldest son Benjamin and youngest son Gregory, Benjamin’s wife Malika and Benjamin and Malika’s two surviving sets of twins: Malcolm and Amye, who are seven, and Frank and Adeline, who are only infants.

Like most people of their community, the Townsends begin the decade by trying to rebuild after the devastating famine of the last few years, which means working on the field and buying new animals for the farm, among them a kitten named Mouser whose task will be, as the name suggests, keeping out mice. Amye, who loves animals, is especially happy about this. Sadly, even now that their fields aren’t waterlogged anymore, their crops are growing badly, so the harvest they bring in in early 1321 is small.

In that year, Gregory, who wishes to be a painter, asks his sister Anna, whose family moves in more well-heeled circles in Praaven, for help in securing an apprenticeship. He has always had an artistic bend, but it isn’t unlikely that the hardships of being a peasant have added fuel to the fire of wanting to escape life on a farm. Through some effort, Anna does manage to secure an apprenticeship with a painter in Praaven for him, although it doesn’t come for free. Before he leaves, Gregory travels to the Abbey of St. Wright to propose marriage to his childhood friend Agnes, who promises to wait for him.

Also in 1321, the younger set of twins ages up into toddlers. And to add to the joyous news, at the end of the year, Malika discovers that she is with child again.

In 1322, Malika gives birth to a son named Edwin. This year, the harvest is adequate, although they delay harvesting some plants that still haven’t grown as well as they would like. Fuelled by this, Malika starts thinking about ways to secure her family economically. Farming obviously comes with too many risks, and losing children, friends and family has left its marks on her. Independent of her thoughts, Benjamin has already started putting more emphasis on cultivating grapes for nectar, to be used by the local Guild of Nectar Makers. She proposes making nectar themselves, but Benjamin dismisses this as too risky.

Later in the year, Benjamin takes his older children to meet Sir Robert Chevalier, his recently married half-brother whom he hasn’t seen in years and whose new home is nearby. Malcolm is very impressed by having a knight for an uncle. Meeting Robert and seeing his spacious – by peasant standards - home gives him his first idea of wanting more in life than farmwork.

While this visit is happening, Clement Dudley, brother to the local earl, visits the Townsend's farm looking for party of riders. Instead of his quarry, he finds Malika, whom he had a brief flirtation with before her marriage. As she is still a beautiful woman, he is very interested but meets with rejection when he tries to charm her. Naturally, he is offended by this reaction and leaves in a huff.

Not to be deterred by a pesky thing like this he returns a few months later, in 1323. Malika, who has been considering gaining his support to push her idea of becoming nectar makers, reciprocates his advances this time and allows him to kiss her. They are nearly caught by Benjamin in this compromising position but manage to play it off. It is only after Dudley leaves that Malika confesses her plan to him, much to his horror and disgust. A few months later, he gives his reluctant consent and Malika and Clement become lovers, but Malika’s and Benjamin’s relationship suffers noticeably under this. Undeterred, Malika makes a first attempt to talk to Clement about the ways he could support her family, but he is clearly uninterested. For him, their relationship is a pleasant diversion, nothing more.

Ever the determinator, Malika keeps trying, which in 1324 begins to put Clement off. Only then does she admit to herself that he likely won’t help her. After he stops visiting her, she starts feeling ill, which is soon revealed to be the first signs of another pregnancy. This discovery (and the fact that neither can tell who the father of the child is) strains her relationship with Benjamin further, especially when she reveals that her plan failed.

In 1325, while heavily pregnant, Malika has a talk with Amye about marriage and childbearing. Amye is nearly a young woman now, which means that these matters, and the danger associated with childbirth, are starting to become more pressing for her. Despite her mother’s reassurances that many women survive multiple births without issues, Amye isn’t convinced. Later in the year, Malika gives birth to a daughter, Cecily, who strongly takes after her, which makes it impossible to tell who her father might be. During the birth, Benjamin realizes how much he still loves his wife by how scared he is to lose her. After this, their relationship very slowly begins to mend.

Some months after the birth Malika is visited by one of the earl’s men-at-arms. Sir Robert, informed about what has been going on via village gossip, has asked the earl to intercede, but as Clement’s paternity can’t be proven, nothing comes of it.

At the end of the year Amye and Malcolm age up into teens, Frank and Adeline age up into children and Benedict ages up into an elder.

In 1326, the four older children begin take on new duties. For Amye, this mostly means helping in the household, like caring for her little siblings Edwin and Cecily and taking over some of the cooking, cleaning and whatever else needs to be done. She likes the work, but still doesn’t think she wants to do this for a husband. Then, tragedy strikes: baby Cecily dies of a fever. Despite his uncertainty about the child and his feelings on the entire affair, Benjamin comforts his wife, who feels that Cecily's death may be divine punishment.

In 1327, Benjamin stuns his wife by announcing that he intends to apply to the Guild of Nectar Makers, as he has had all winter to ponder the merits of her idea and decided that they are worth the risk. He does just that, and after the requisite entrance fee is paid, they buy the necessary equipment, build a shed to house it and dig a cellar to store and age the nectar they produce. Their first attempt at mead-making fails, but Benjamin is undeterred, and later attempts to make cider and wine are graced with more success.

Amye turns out not to be the only Townsend child to ponder her future. Malika and Benjamin notice that Malcolm doesn’t seem to be quite sure what he wants out of life – which is a luxury problem for a peasant, truth be told – but reassure themselves by saying that he is still young and will find his footing sooner or later.

That same year, the Townsend children sans toddler Edwin attend the Mahlsberg Spring Fair, where Amye meets a young man named Alexandre de Bellefaye (grandson of the local baron) and Adeline meets a boy named Bertrand Pelham (also related to the baron, but more distantly).

In 1328, while making a delivery to his uncle Sir Robert, Malcolm meets the Chevaliers' new maid, the pretty and spirited Hawise Barton, whom he instantly takes a shine to. He also meets his newest cousin, little Jehanne, but because Malcolm isn’t overly fond of children, that part of the visit is far less pleasant for him. Hawise, though initially wary because she is home alone with the children and doesn’t know Malcolm, seems equally interested in him.

In the same year, Edwin ages up into a child.

Continuing their growing pains, the older twins are still thinking about the future. The years have helped Amye realize that she truly is content with living with her family, and glad that her parents don’t pressure her to find a husband. At around the same time, Malcolm has a talk with his mother about the future – he knows that she has ambitions for their family, and she admits that she would wish to see them rise in the world, but tells him that ultimately, it is his decision. That doesn’t really help Malcolm decide what he wants to do with his life and where his attraction to Hawise fits into his reluctance to settle down with a family like his own father has done.

Later in the year, Hawise visits the farm to carry over a message regarding Annette Crawley’s marriage and makes the acquaintance of Malika. On his mother’s prompting, Malcolm walks her home, and the two admit that they like each other, and share their first kiss.

1329 begins with the news that the family has to pay a tallage of nearly 13,000 simoleons. That is more money than they have at the time, but through hard work and a successful wheat harvest, they succeed in paying it off on time.

Since their kiss in the previous year, Malcolm and Hawise have been meeting often, which has deepened their attachment. After the harvest, Malcolm makes Hawise very bumbling, accidental proposal of marriage, which she accepts gleefully. His parents are equally content with his choice, and as the Chevaliers raise no objection either, the marriage is loosely planned for the following year, before winter sets in.

Everything seems to be going swimmingly for the Townsends – they have a budding nectar making business, at least one of their children is ready to start his own life, their farm is going well and they are content. So of course, tragedy has to strike them again. And so, the decade comes to a sorrowful conclusion as Edwin falls ill with some kind of stomach disease, which, through malnutrition and dehydration, claims his life. He is laid to rest near his grandmother and aunts in the Tovar churchyard, which means that the Townsends end the decade with the same number of children as they had at the start.

The Townsend Family (Lüghaven)

Current members: 5

Simon Townsend begins the decade as an apprentice to the witch Elea Ellesmere, which he has been for some years. Besides his teacher, he shares his home deep in Lüghaven woods with Elea’s daughter Mariora, who, unlike him and her mother, does not possess the gift of magic. 

Right at the beginning of the decade, in 1320, Elea gives birth to twin girls, both witches. Mariora, saddened by what she views as her mother now having the gifted children she always wanted instead of an ordinary daughter like her, feels superfluous and wishes to use this chance to to escape her isolation and start a new life. What holds her back is Simon confessing his love for her, feelings which she reciprocates despite herself. They agree to move a little closer to civilization into the half-destroyed village of Lüghaven, where they will live as husband and wife, even without a proper ceremony.

They make a home there, with her continuing her study of alchemy and him growing some plants and doing odd jobs in the nearby villages, which leaves them reasonably happy and comfortable. In 1321, they are already expecting a first child, which is born at the end of the year. They name the little boy Irving.  Sadly, he dies of a lung defect early in 1322, for which they both blame themselves.

In 1323, Mariora gives birth to a second son, Nicolas. They don’t see Mariora’s mother much, which Mariora views as confirmation of her fears that her mother doesn’t need either of them anymore – Simon was only ever a stopgap for her because she never had any gifted children to pass her arcane knowledge onto, and maybe as a means to have gifted grandchildren, should he and Mariora fall in love, as she thought likely. Surprisingly, Mariora doesn’t feel saddened by this. She feels free.

In 1324, Nicolas ages up into a toddler while Mariora is already pregnant with her third child, which turns out to be her and Simon’s first daughter. They name her Misty.

1326 brings with it both tragedy and joy. Mariora gives birth to another healthy son, Christopher, but they lose Misty due to illness a few months after his birth.  

Luckily, Christopher doesn’t follow his sister’s fate, and ages up into a toddler in 1327. Around the same time, Mariora starts musing about finally leaving Lüghaven woods, because their only link to the outside world is Simon venturing out to do his odd jobs and sell some of Mariora’s elixirs at market. She isn’t unhappy with her life – in fact, she is happier than she could have imagined when she accepted Simon’s offer of marriage – but she doesn’t want to spend her whole life hiding.

In 1328, Mariora gives birth to her fifth child, a boy named Joseph.

In 1329, Nicolas ages up into a child. The peaceful birthday party turns heart-pounding when a fire breaks out due to Christopher’s magic becoming uncontrollable in his frustration at being ignored, but thankfully, no one is harmed. The experience leaves a sour taste in Nicolas’ mouth, however.

Later in the year, Joseph ages up into a toddler (without a birthday cake, this time) while Mariora is pregnant with yet another child. Their year ends with troubling news: while at market, Simon was beseeched by a terrified father to help his daughter, who was dying of an infected wound. As a father himself, Simon couldn’t look away and helped the girl heal. While noble, both he and Mariora know that publicly using his magic like that could have dire consequences if his deeds reach the ears of the wrong people.

The Townsend Family (Praaven)

Current members: 3

The Praaven branch of the Townsend family (not to be confused with the Tovar branch and the Lüghaven branch) is established in 1321, when Gregory Townsend moves to town to undergo an apprenticeship to become a painter with a member of the painters’ guild named Jeremiah Browne. Because his father and brother had to pay a fee to give him this chance and his ability to marry his childhood love, Agnes, depends on his success, he is determined not to squander it.

And he doesn’t. Over the next few years, he acquits himself well, so that in 1325, he is made a partner by Master Browne. Browne also encourages him to marry Agnes and have her move in with them to keep house.

Following that encouragement, Gregory and Agnes are married in a joyous celebration with all of Gregory’s extensive family and many friends in attendance in 1326. While Agnes is a little intimated to be marrying into such a large clan, she is welcomed with open arms by most of them.

In the following year, 1327, Agnes gives birth to their first son, Colbert. Sadly, the boy seems to be born with some sort of birth defect that prevents him from gaining strength, despite his mother’s efforts to nurse and care for him. He dies only a few weeks old.

Luckily, in 1329, Agnes gives birth to a second son, Wymark, who doesn’t face the same issues. By the end of the year, she is already expecting her and Gregory’s third child.

The Crawley Family

Current members: 3

At the beginning of the decade, the Crawley family consists of George and Anna Crawley and their two daughters, Annette and Theodora. Of these two, only Annette is their biological child; Theodora is the bastard of George’s younger sister Caroline, which they are playing off as Anna’s child by George. Their attempts to conceive another child – ideally a male heir to the Crawley name – have so far been unsuccessful.

In 1321, Theodora ages up into a child.

Excitement is raised in the Crawley household when Anna finally falls pregnant again. Sadly, the child she gives birth to in 1322 is not only a girl, but also stillborn.

To compound Anna’s misery, in Illness marches through the Crawley household in 1324 and almost claims her and George’s lives, while the girls, Mary and Matthew recover comparatively quickly. Luckily, both of them pull through, although it seems like a small miracle to most.

In 1325, Annette ages up into a teenager, which makes it imperative to find a good marriage for her. While Anna and George may yet have a son – they are only in their early thirties – the current lack of one makes Annette and Theodora eligible heiresses, and thus prizes on the marriage market which the Crawley elders, especially Mary, intend to see well settled. While Anna, George and Matthew would be content with her marrying a wealthy merchant or gentleman, Mary aims higher and intends to snare the young Baron Elbenhawke, her aunt Caroline’s stepson, for her. Annette is initially repulsed by being decided over like this, but her Crawley ambition asserts itself enough for her to go along with the plan.

She uses a family visit to Elbenhawke Hall in 1327 try to charm the baron, with questionable success. But regardless of the young lord’s own feelings, his guardians settle on another marriage for him, which puts and end to the Crawleys’ plans in that direction.

A year later, in 1328, Theodora ages up into a teenager. By then, George, Anna and George’s parents have identified a new potential husband for Annette: Alexandre de Bellefaye, the baron’s cousin and scion of a minor branch of an aristocratic French family. After meeting him and thinking through the possibilities such a marriage could mean for her, Annette – or rather, her father, who nonetheless consults her – agrees to it. 

The marriage takes place in 1329, after which Annette leaves her home. This means that only Theodora remains to be married of – but while her parents and grandparents are already looking for an equally profitable match for her, Theodora has her own ideas about where to seek love.

The de Bellefaye Family

Current members: 2

The most recently established household of the sprawling Townsend bloodline, it comes into being in 1329, right at the end of the decade, when Monsieur Alexandre de Bellefaye, youngest of the three sons of Henri and Joan (née Pelham) de Bellefaye marries Annette Crawley. The wedding is held in great state in Praaven Cathedral. It is all the more joyous for them because while they expected a marriage of convenience – with her gaining status and him gaining her sizable dowry – they become quite fond of each other over the course of their engagement and are looking forward to their married life. With the wealth Annette brings into the marriage and Alexandre’s connections as nephew of the countess and cousin of the baron, they are certainly a couple to take note of.

 By the end of the year, Annette starts feeling nauseous, which she hopes is the first sign of pregnancy.

The Watmore Family

Current members: 1

Even at the beginning of the decade, the family isn’t big, consisting only of orphaned serf siblings Elsie and Wilfred Watmore. Because children that young can’t live on their own, they are being raised by their paternal uncles, Alaric and Noah. Neither of these men is pleased at having to take care of them, and are sometimes rather harsh with their niece and nephew.

In 1322, Wilfred ages up into a child. Sadly for him, that only means that he is old enough to take over duties on the fields.

In the following years, but especially 1325, the Watmore family gets into repeated arguments with a neighbouring serf family, the Bransons, about whose parcel of land ends where, which eventually leads to a brawl between Alaric and Freddy Branson. Because Sibyl Branson, Freddy’s mother, is tired of the constant conflict, she goes to the earl with her complaints, and the Watmores are threatened with a fine. This overshadows even the joyous occasion of Elsie aging up into a teenager.

Because the Watmores don’t have the money to pay the fine and to resolve the legal quarrel, the earl decrees in 1326 that Elsie is to marry Freddy Branson, with the disputed piece of land as her dowry. Her uncles are not pleased with this arrangement but have no leverage to refuse.

Accordingly, Elsie leaves the household after her marriage in 1328, at the age of fifteen.

In the following year, 1329, Wilfred ages up into a teenager. This means that he needs to soon start thinking about his own marriage prospects, but he isn’t too fond of the idea of settling down with a wife, especially after watching his sister’s none-too-happy marriage. Time will tell whether an intrepid young woman can win his heart and make him change that stance.

The Branson Family

Current members: 3

This household is established in 1328 upon the marriage of Elsie Watmore to Frederick “Freddy” Branson, the son of Sibyl Branson (formerly Crawley, the sister of Elsie’s aunt’s mother-in-law Mary) and Sibyl’s late husband Tom.

While the marriage itself was prearranged, Elsie has grown up socializing with the Branson children. Before her parents’ deaths, she had sometimes played with them, and since returning to the village after the famine, she has met them at church and during many gatherings at the village green. Despite the animosity over the piece of land, Elsie has always gotten along well with Freddy and while not overjoyed about the marriage, she has been able to bear it with equanimity. Until the moment that Freddy forces her to hasten it by consummating it early against her wishes. This breach of trust not only cools her relationship with her new husband, but also leaves her feeling unprepared for being a wife. Her only consolation is that his family, especially his mother, is very kind to her.

Other than Freddy and Sibyl, the family consists of Sibyl’s new husband, their son Michael, and Freddy’s older sister Corinne, who is pregnant out of wedlock, but refuses to name the father.

Soon after her marriage, Elsie does indeed soon find out that she is pregnant, which at least gives her the comfort of having acted wisely. Her grandfather Benedict visits her during her pregnancy and is worried at her tired look, but can only tell her to keep her chin up and make the best out of her situation.

In 1329, Elsie gives birth to her and Freddy’s first son, Elton. Despite having lived with the Bransons for more than half a year, she is still struggling with finding her footing in the family and to acclimate to motherhood. Sibyl remains to be her biggest supporter and does what she can to comfort her.

The Chevalier Family

Current members: 4

At the beginning of the decade, Robert is still Robert Townsend, a squire to his half-brother, the earl of Petersmarch, and betrothed to Mademoiselle Elisaria de Bellefaye, to be married once he receives his knighthood. Even before then, he and Elisaria are close to Lord and Lady Petersmarch, a status they will continue to enjoy.

Robert is finally knighted in 1322 and weds Elisaria only months later. They change their surname to ‘Chevalier’, as a nod to her heritage and his profession, and are given the use of a small estate outside of Praaven by the earl as a wedding gift. Robert is still thinking about Katheryn, whom he shared a romance with in the previous decade, but determined to treat his wife well. This sense of duty soon blossoms into real love.

They have their first son in the following year, 1323, but sadly, the boy is stillborn. They name him Roman anyway and lay him to rest nearby.

In 1324, Elisaria gives birth to their second child, a healthy daughter named Marguerite. Unfortunately, their third child (and second son), Elijah, is born early in a tavern while they are en route home from a visit to another noble in 1325. The boy dies of a fever after they arrive home, much to their distress.

Some good news comes in 1326, when Marguerite ages up into a toddler. They celebrate this milestone in Praaven, since the earl and countess have invited them to put their daughter in the castle nursery, but Elisaria, who suffers from depression after the death of her second son, finds it hard to find joy in it.

Her spirits brighten a little when she gives birth to another healthy daughter, Jehanne, in 1327.

Around that time, they notice that their maid, Hawise, has started to develop an attachment to Robert’s nephew, Malcolm, who becomes a regular visitor in the Chevalier home. So, in 1328, Jehanne not only ages up into a toddler, but Robert and Elisaria also reveal to Hawise that they are in favour of her interest in Malcolm, provided he conducts himself properly.

In 1329, Elisaria gives birth to her third son (and fifth child), Landon, who actually survives his birth. Relieved by this, she and Robert begin to plan their girl’s education, now that they finally have a son and heir. But their joy doesn’t last long; they find Landon dead in his cradle a few months after his birth, which utterly devastates them and launches Elisaria into a crisis of faith, because she can’t understand why the Watcher would take all of her sons away from her.

The Dudley Family

Current members: 8 (Dudley branches), 4 (Penrith branch)

At the beginning of the decade, the aristocratic Dudley family consists of Ralph and Mary Dudley, the Earl and Countess of Petersmarch, their daughter and heiress Lady Maud, Lord Petersmarch’s sister Lady Gwendolen, brother Clement and Clement’s wife Lady Katheryn, as well as the siblings’ mother, the Dowager Countess Elizabeth.

For the Dudleys, 1320 begins with a joyous event: Lady Gwendolen marries Arnulf Penrith, the earl of Windermere, thus becoming a countess, as arranged for her by her brother. They hold the marriage in great state, before she leaves to live with her husband at his seat, which is only a few days’ travel away. The other joyous occasion of the year is Lady Maud aging up into a toddler.

Over the following years, the new Lady Windermere (Gwendolen) gives birth to several children: a son and heir, Vincent, in 1321, and a daughter, Lady Viviane, in 1322. In that same year, Vincent ages up into a toddler.

But there is some trouble in that year as well. Near the end of it, Lady Katheryn discovers that she is expecting her second child and tries to flee to her father’s estate. Her marriage with Clement has never been easy, and she especially doesn’t want his influence on any child of hers, least of all on a son. She makes a halt at Amrhein Hall, where the Dowager Countess resides and where Lady Windermere happens to be a guest, and tells them about what has happened. The Dowager Countess disapproves but promises not to detain her. Unfortunately for her, this promise becomes meaningless when her husband catches up to her before she can continue her travels, and forces her to return to Praaven with him. This worsens their already contentious marriage further.

Regardless of this, in the following year, 1323, she gives birth to her child, a son named Ralph III after Clement's late father. Lady Windermere gives birth to another daughter, Lady Margaret. Sadly, the girl doesn’t survive birth long, but as if to make up for that, Lady Viviane successfully ages up into a toddler.

Much to Clement’s chagrin, the countess falls pregnant again and gives birth to another son in 1324, hopefully averting the looming succession crisis. Her and the earl have had several sons before, but all of them died young during the famine of the previous decade. They name this new son and heir Robin. In the same year, Lady Maud ages up into a child.

In 1325, Ralph III, Clement and Katheryn’s son, ages up into a toddler, followed by his younger cousin Robin in 1326. Both of them continue to be in good health. This is followed by Lord and Lady Windermere’s surviving children, Vincent and Viviane, aging up into children in 1327 and 1328 respectively. The last birthday of the decade is Ralph III aging up into a child in 1329.

The Pelham Family

Current members: 5

At the beginning of the decade, the Pelham family consists of Peter Pelham (the aging Baron Elbenhawke), his widowed daughter-in-law Caroline, née Crawley, his grandson and heir Richard and Caroline’s young children, David and Josephine. And while for the Dudleys, the year begins with a wedding, for the Pelhams, it begins with sorrow.

Because in 1320, Baron Elbenhawke, who has been such a support for Caorline after the death of her husband has left her position uncertain, dies in his sleep, thus making his grandson Richard the new Lord Elbenhawke at only six years old. The running of the estate is swiftly taken over by regents, who will care for the land until young Richard is old enough to manage them himself. Luckily, Caroline is allowed to stay, to order the household and care for the children.

After that, life goes on. In 1322, David ages up into a child, followed by his sister Josephine in 1323. Already regular guests for feasts at the Hall, Anna and her daughters travel out from Praaven to attend the birthday celebration. And as always, Caroline is wistful that she can’t tell Theodora that she is really her mother.

Some peaceful years pass, and in 1326, Richard, the young Lord Elbenhawke, ages up into a teen, ready to take over the running of his lands and to look for a bride of his own, to ensure the continuation of the family line. If he notices that his Crawley relations would like for Annette to fill the role as his baroness, he never breathes a word of this knowledge to them or his stepmother.

In 1327, Caroline causes furore in Anna Crawley’s life once again by admitting to her that she has fallen pregnant out of wedlock with the child of a lover; apparently, she has been “seeing” her steward for a while now, a rare glimpse of happiness in her otherwise rather melancholy life. While happy for her friend, Anna can only really shake her head at her. Luckily, this time around, the father-to-be knows of the child and has rectified the situation by offering her marriage, which Caorline accepts.

In the same year, Richard is betrothed to a young noblewoman named Lady Lettice Adair.

In 1328, Caroline gives birth to a daughter, Isabel, attended by Anna. The birth almost claims her life, but the Grim Reaper decides to spare her.

And finally, in 1329, David ages up into a teen, which means that he, too, will soon need to go on the hunt for a suitable bride.

And that is it, at least for this decade. That was quite a lot to get through (and took a while to put together), but I hope some of you find this helpful. If anyone has actually read this far, that is, in which case: thank you!

I’m actually very much looking forward to what comes next for my sims. Not so much because of big historical events, although there is the Hundred Years War coming in the next decade, but mostly because of the stories I have planned. I am really excited to see what becomes of the Townsends’ nectar business, how Malcolm’s and Hawise’s relationship will develop once it becomes clear that he has no interest in spending time with their kids, where Amye’s path might lead her, and how the story I have planned for one of the side households pans out…

Which doesn’t mean that the social upheavals that will follow in the next few decades aren't interesting. That will be fun, too. The beginning years of the Hundred Years war aren’t too exciting, to be honest, but…well…

The clock’s ticking down to the Black Death in 18 years. Let’s enjoy the last decade without that hanging over our sims’ heads.

See you first to a few other posts and polls and then in 1330!

Previous: 1329 Statistic | 1310 - 1319 Recap <--> Next: 1320 - 1329 Deaths | 1330 - 1339 Recap

[wessexroyalfamily]

{ Location: Winchester City, WNN Studios }

Jon Skylark: Welcome back to the Jon Skylark Show. I am joined tonight by Jean Tatum, actress in the upcoming Speed and Serious film and Walter Fitzherbert, Royal Naval Advisor.

Jon Skylark: The royals have recently been in the news. Crown Princess Margaret is reportedly extending her maternity leave and refusing to attend many of her fall engagements.

Jean Tatum: It makes us look foolish as a nation. No one wanted this marriage to happen, and now Margaret is refusing her royal duties.

Walter Fitzherbert: She's been on maternity leave. I don't think it is fair for us to judge. She's not abandoning the country.

Jon Skylark: To be fair, When my wife had our son, she was back at work within 3 months. So the public is supposed to foot the bill of some glorified housewife?

(audience laughs)

Walter Fitzherbert: What I don't think the public should do is ridicule a mother wanting to spend more time with her family.

Jean Tatum: She's been on a private leave for almost the better part of a year. Her husband William must be sick of pulling dead weight around.

Jon Skylark: Do you think this is the biggest problem facing the royals this fall?

Jean Tatum: I think a bigger issue Jon, is the lack of fucking talent within the royal family that we have to worry about.

Jon Skylark: Alright Jean, keep it civil I'm trying to stay on the air.

(audience laughs)

Jean Tatum: (chuckles) I'm serious. We have a Queen that is rarely seen in public, her husband is more concerned with what's happening everywhere else on the continent than here in our own country. Their younger son, George, is frankly...a buffoon, and there's a whole host of useless minor royals who'd rather cling to outdated traditions than to start modernizing.

Walter Fitzherbert: I don't fully agree. I think the Queen has been dealt a hand, and she is playing it the best that she can.

Jean Tatum: She's a Queen, she's The Queen. (laughs) I can guarantee her hand is much better than ours.

Walter Fitzherbert: She has led this country through one of our biggest military conflicts, since the Third Dane War and continues to guide our nation's leaders in an ever sifting geo-political climate. All the while being the head of large family...

Jean Tatum: You'd have to be a fool to think the Queen is involved in politics. We all know it's Lord Hyannis pulling the apron strings.

Jon Skylark: Speaking of apron strings, with the Prince George's wife, The Duchess of Chelsea, now pregnant there has been talk about changing the rules of succession to absolute primogeniture.

Jean Tatum: Yes! How the hell are we still saying that a boy should be prioritized over his sisters. The Queen herself would have been displaced if her parents were to have a younger son. The whole thing is outdated.

Walter Fitzherbert: It's tradition.

Jean Tatum: It's archaic.

Walter Fitzherbert: The royals are the keepers of our national traditions. There are some things, we as citizens, should expect from them. Continuity and consistency being two. Remaking themselves for the sake of popular opinion is not one.

Jean Tatum: Well admiral, it's simple we are either going to watch the royals die trying to modernize or we'll end up watching them...well just die.

Previous | Next | Beginning

[birlwrites]

Could you tell us a bit about Barty's mother?

YES I ABSOLUTELY CAN

so i named her harriet because i totally forgot that might be a little confusing in a series called harry potter, which just goes to show how much i think about the golden trio era

i was thinking a lot about magical art when i created her character, so she's heavily influenced by me going 'ok but they MUST have their own artistic schools and culture right????' - so harriet is an art historian by training (post-hogwarts), a former arts & culture columnist for the daily prophet (part-time), and now that she's not so busy with raising a child she's delved back into her REAL interest which is early enchanted portraiture and if you ask harriet it is CRIMINALLY understudied because IT'S LIKE NOBODY CARES HOW THEY FIGURED OUT HOW TO MAKE LIFELIKE PORTRAITS OF DEAD PEOPLE????? THAT PROCESS MUST HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY FASCINATING AND YET THERE AREN'T ENTIRE LIBRARIES DEVOTED TO CHRONICLING IT????????

she's a ravenclaw of the 'hole herself up in the library for 3 days and forget to sleep' variety, she and crouch sr Definitely met in the hogwarts library

harriet knows both her husband and her son Very well and she knows they are both incredibly stubborn and she has been telling her husband for YEARS that barty needs more breathing room but she also cannot deny that barty needs more realistic life plans than 'hang out with regulus forever' and she has no idea how to convince *him* of that because, again, stubborn, so her efforts at peacemaking mostly tend towards private conversations with each of them to try to nudge them towards a compromise

right now she spends her days diving headfirst into piles of research on renaissance paintings. someday, somehow, she is positive that a book will just magically spring fully formed out of her head. SHE'S GONNA WRITE IT. eventually. once she's done with her research. which will be never because she has infinite new rabbit holes to go down and no deadlines.

she wouldn't *kill* someone for a month of access to the portrait gallery at black manor (THEY HAVE CENTURIES OF FAMILY PORTRAITS, THEY *MUST* HAVE SOME FROM THE EARLIEST DAYS OF ENCHANTED PORTRAITS, SHE MUST INTERVIEW THEM), but she would be tempted. one of her dreams is that someday barty will be able to wrangle such an occurrence, no murder necessary

her office at home consistently looks like it was just hit by a tornado. crouch sr can only make his peace with this because he knows there actually IS an organizational system, it just depends on having absolutely everything close to hand at all times, so boxes and drawers are a no

and apparently swivel chairs were invented or at least conceived of in the early 16th century, which means magical britain definitely has them, which means harriet ABSOLUTELY has one. it has wheels on the bottom but it can also float so she can move around her office three-dimensionally. it's her favorite possession in the world

[horizon-verizon]

I actually find it absolutely adorable how Green stans made a whole scenario in which Daenaera doesn’t exist and the Blackfyres come from the Greens’ line to usurp Rhaenyra’s line again lmao we all need that kind of coping in our lives sometimes. That and the House Whent one.

I mean, I know none of them read ASOIAF and F&B but do they know that BOTH Daeron II and Daemon Blackfyre are Daemyra’s great grandsons ??? That Daemon Blackfyre was named after Rhaenyra’s husband, the man who hired Blood & Cheese to murder one of the brothers of Jaehaera, meaning that it’s impossible for Jaehaera to be Daena’s mother ?

I don't think I'm understanding what you say some fans are doing.

The new "Daemon Blackfyre" would still have Rhaenyra's blood in him if Jaehaera were the one to birth him?!

The point of Jaehaera marrying Aegon was to COMBINE the two lines, Rhaenyra's & Aegon II's?!!!

Wouldn't the new "Daemon Blackfyre" just be usurping his trueborn cousin/brother?!

Why?

Let's say that these people are considering their options and realize that even Daena herself maybe gets her name from "Daemon"--Aegon III's father--if not from Daenaera, thus maybe removing Daemon's legacy in their fanfic. I'm guessing that they have renamed her to something else closer to Jaehaera. (This would have to happen for Daena to be Jaehaera's daughter and not Daenaera.) Or who knows, maybe they haven't. Unwisely.

For there to be a separate "Jaehaera's line" from Aegon's for the new "Blackfyres", she'd have to not marry Aegon at all, bc the Blackfyres came from a bastard! Daemon Blackfyre's actions and how it goes down b/t him & Daeron II is bc he is a bastard. And if Jaehaera does have this new "Daemon Blackfyre" through marriage to Aegon III, the above large-font sentences will still apply.

But back to the new-Daemon B. still being a bastard in their fanfics. Wouldn't this new Daemon Blackfyre's existence still require Aegon III to have new-Daena marry Aegon IV or Aemond the Dragonkight (Viserys' sons) so she could birth a "trueborn" Daemon Blackfyre (thus he's no longer a "Blackfyre" at all but a "Targaryen" so that storyline is now ruined & the meaning concerning gender, pseudo-absolute monarchy in the hands of abusive people, might vs right etc. that it brought to the canon ASoIaF universe is also lost)...

It's okay to create fanfics out of the canon with what you wish had happened or what you would have changed to make it coherent or more engaging, I think. But once you start making claims that the thematic reason for the story/characters ending up the way they do is "stupid" or "amoral" when really you want the villains to be the good guys when they never were and you refused to accept that from the jump, then there are issues of bad faith. You don't like the story for what it is and that is why you think GRRM is making amoral plot decisions when he isn't.

You just reveal yourself to not agree with the core principles--cosmic or ethical or whatever--that GRRM is basing his entire series on. Even this, in a fanfic context, also could have been fine if you hadn't just been prejudiced in your opposition by imagining a world where the women actually have less agency than they actually do in GRRM's original story! And as long as you consistently acknowledge the canon as separate from your own fanons and fanfics.

Because believing that Jaehaera should have continued to be Queen for her sake--birth heirs, and live with the same people who either hated or were indifferent enough to her dead family to take advantage of her is good for her mental well-being--is to lie. Even if she hadn't been mentally disabled already. Not to mention I'm sure Daena is not her fierce independent self in these fanfics, to make way for the males to shine. And it's presented as righteous or "necessary" unironically & uncritically.

[god-mouths]

I NEED TO HEAR EVERYTHING YOU CAN TELL ME ABT THE LAFAUX FAMILY

Will do! this one got long

First off I want to start with the name. LaFaux —> La Faux, which literally translates to “the faker/the false” in French. This of course applies to Casper more than anyone else for a myriad of reasons, but still overall. The whole family.

I’ll go in chronological order— first, the patriarch of the family, micheal lafaux. (Died age 70) He built this business from the ground up! World’s worst eccentric businessman.

Here he is. Fun fact! Every aspect of his personality and character design corresponds to each of his four children— except for Casper. Anyways I have been figuring out his character and boy has it been a genuine fucking delight. He’s such an asshole. He does coke but like. It doesn’t *do* anything to him he just likes putting stuff up his nose. He is always honest (ironic and a direct contrast to his last name)— but he is not kind. He has endless, boundless energy, at least in the prime of his life. The minute he hits fifty it all goes downhill. He loses his energy and his spark.

But, in the 60s or the 70s or whichever, he was a force to be reckoned with. He’s good at macguyvering inventions using random crap, which was how he built and maintained his business. Also he’s sort of a bigot, but not like actively it’s just a side effect of being an important guy in the 60s

A personal rule I have for drawing this thing is that his pupils shouldn’t touch the outlines of his eyes. Adds to that crack-addled look of his that he’s so keen on maintaining. Fun fact about micheal, he cannot wait to die. Not in a bad way, he just genuinely thinks he has it in him to kick the devil’s ass and rule hell. He thinks he’d have fun down there.

Next, Delphina LaFaux (neé Alta-L’Estandares. That’s “high standards” in Spanish. I think I’m funny.) aged ~68 or so at death

She is an assassin who is trying to kill micheal for his money and instead ends up in the world’s most miserable marriage as the man just won’t die. She is absolutely trapped in a hell of her own making.

To put it nicely, she needs micheal like an alcoholic needs a drink. She ends up taking care of the children, because lord knows micheal isn’t doing that. “The prodigal wife, the woman with so much hatred in her body that she's turned it into a living. She faces a challenge in her husband, him being the one person she can't kill. She'd switch gears and try something new, but....something deep in her mind begs her to stay here. Maybe it's destiny, or fate, or....just a prison of her own design. She's doomed. She knows she is. She's procrastinating getting out of the way of the moving train. she's not even tied to the tracks -- she's just standing there.

What's it like to be the dead wife before she dies?”

^ blurb I wrote for an are pee

Now onto them kids those rascals.

This is the firstborn, Peter. (38) He grew up when his father was still in his prime, so he knows the most about how the man actually thinks and talks. When his father dies Peter gets the house. He has no idea how to take care of the huge mansion, and sort of lets it fall into disrepair. He’s a bit frazzled and hides himself from the public eye, because he grew up in the eye of the camera due to being the son of a multi billionaire. He really just wants to live his life alone in peace. Definetly the most chill out of the lafaux family. He got that eyepatch because when he was a kid he looked directly into a bottle rocket just as it went off.

Old ass comic he really is just a fun guy

Onto Vivian, the second oldest. (35) She emulates her father the most, and caught the end of her father’s prime growing up. She is the favorite, and if she were a boy, micheal would have stopped having children literally right then and there. However, micheal wanted a man to inherit all his money. And since the inheritance goes to the youngest we simply can’t have that. The story of LEM is the story of a spy op consisting of criminals. VIVIAN is the one who creates this spy op in the first place, to rival her brother Casper. I haven’t draw. Much of her at all . This is the best image I have of her

I think this is like…2020? Art?? 2019? Still. She’s cunning. A fun gal.

Onto Casper. We all know Casper hi Casper (he’s like 26)

When his father dies, he is 16, putting him in charge of the estate as his sister at the time was too young to do so (13.)

His sister does not make it past age 13. He murders her—supposedly— for the inheritance, and blames it on a faked home intrusion. The rest of the living lafaux siblings are completely silent on this. They’re aware it happened, but have no way of proving it. Peter becomes more of a recluse as a result, and Vivian launches her spy op offensive.

Anyways, Casper renames the company business from “LaFaux Corporate” to “Blue Fox (Faux)”, merging all of the companies his father had dominion over into one giant conglomerate.

The lafaux last name applies to him the most. All he does is lie. His whole personality is a farce to a hidden maliciousness underneath. He is trying to emulate his father, and in doing so has made a suit out of a dead man’s skin. Don’t be mistaken, however. Casper doesn’t live in his father’s shadow- Casper is more famous than his father ever was. What Casper is doing here is making himself a grave in the shape of his father’s corpse. He’s much calmer, though.

Lastly, Beatrice LaFaux. 13, died. Sucks to suck.

[soraeia]

Charidynn's Children pt.2

Avelan

The fourth born son and the eldest of the twin children Charidynn had with Third Consort Saya Miyahara. He is husband to Greenhaven's soldier prince, Cecil (@fatestouch). Together they had four legitimate children: Lydia, Cari, Mercury, and Kairede. Avelan is a well-trusted advisor on the handling of Vanystéa's natural resources and is well on his way to becoming part of the Grande Imperial Council. His reputation thus far is spotless. And, thanks to his marriage with Cecil, it is through him that Vanystéa keeps its alliance with Greenhaven in good graces.

Allisae

The second born daughter and the younger of Charidynn's twins with consort Saya. Allisae is formerly known as queen of Namodia thanks to her late husband King Aiden au Namodia, with whom she had two legitimate children, Yukaine and Liliana. Once referred to as "Charidynn's favourite daughter", she is now known as the disgrace of the imperial family for having an affair while married to King Aiden and thus leaving Vanystéa's alliance with Namodia in tatters. The execution of the Vanystéan noble, with whom she had the affair that produced her bastard son Wrenn, was pinned to her name. She also later failed to secure a marriage with Tahariel Elohim (@soulsxng) , an Ahnian noble, presumably due to all the scandal. She is often called the "Whore of Vanystéa." Allisae has not made in an official public appearance in over two decades, confined to the palace by her father's orders.

Nero

Charidynn's fifth son born son from another unknown woman assumed to be from West Vanystéa. He is of marriage age, though has no interest in being married off. Nero instead prefers to write books and plays for his theater, The Empyrean. Most of them consist of dead or dying heroines.

Riliane

Charidynn's third daughter, born to Fourth Consort Gwynndolyn Kingsley de Faetum. She is unmarried with no children, and currently in search for a match to benefit her family. Quiet, reserved, and dubbed "deadly" by those at court because....well...she has scared off most of her potential matches---she has yet to find any of them worthy. She is the court seer, often helping her father look into political happenings in the future.

[queenvhagar]

The way characters act in HOTD is SO counter to how humans act that it is actually uncanny. The nonsensical reasonings and the lack of emotional attachment people have to their children take me aback. The way this show makes mothers have so little connection to their children and presents it in the casual way that it does is what bothers me.

Alicent literally agreed to let Rhaenyra behead her son for all to see (which will also cause the death of more of her family). This is absolutely insane and monstrous. She persuaded Aegon (who NEVER wanted to be king) as a teenager that he should take the throne or his life will be forfeit and she put him on the throne recently. What changed between now and the coronation ?

The prophecy ? So she’s willing to kill her child just because it turned out that what she thought was not what Viserys wanted ??? That’s completely demented. In episode 3, she refused to change her mind despite learning that she misinterpreted Viserys’ last words about Aegon the Conqueror’s dream, rightly claiming “it’s too late”.

No matter which way you slice it, Alicent’s willingness to do this is dreadful, unforgivable and obscene on so many levels. Her choosing a former best friend she had been on opposing sides for decades (who claim Alicent never sacrificed anything and whose husband had her grandson beheaded) over her own children shows such a warping in priorities.

Not to mention Rhaenyra just gets over Lucerys' and her daughter's death in one episode and never mentions them again. And Rhaenys and Corlys uncritically and fully support Rhaenyra and Daemon and forget that both their children are dead because of them. A consistent problem is the show fails to demonstrate the emotional and relational connections between the characters so much so that it barely feels like a story about a fractured family fighting a war against each other. Nobody's barely a family in this show. It's rare we see any affection displayed or relationships explored.

[welivezombiecarnival]

The Complete Survivor's Guide To We Live!

"Everyone you’ve ever loved may be dead, but radio isn’t."

We Live! Is a fun and one-of-a-kind new podcast. Only it’s not a podcast. It’s a radio show. And here’s everything you need to know to understand the deadliest new program available today.

The Backstory!

We are all living during a zombie apocalypse. You, me, and everyone else. The governments of the world urge the public to remain calm and to practice social distancing. From an isolated lighthouse in the Pacific Northwest, vlogger Regina hosted the We Live - Life After Reanimation podcast to help those afflicted with the psychological stressors of killing their infected family members better cope with a post-apocalyptic planet.

Life was serene until Joe Deez, a renegade pariah and former 1990’s radio DJ from New Orleans, stumbled upon her sanctuary and high-quality studio. While squatting, Deez slowly encroached on the show’s format. Incorporating many outdated Gen X tropes such as conversations about recreational drug use and sex, Joe used his background in shock jock radio to inadvertently offend Regina’s listeners.

The Zombie Carnival!

An overnight sensation, the We Live Zombie Carnival Morning Show catapulted the two to fame in the modern dystopia. Now, Queen Regina and Joe Deez are a pair of odd couple podcast hosts living on an island in the Pacific Northwest who have nothing better to do during their isolation than reach out to the outside world and entertain themselves. They’ve recreated the shock jock-style radio show concept now that the FCC has abandoned all regulations. And they air their show from the safety of their shoreline lighthouse.

Understanding the Format!

We Live isn’t your average podcast. The show follows the old-school morning show format that was popular back in the day. Broken up into four segments, each show consists of current events, call-in guests (who end up always dying live on the air), and the best underground music on the planet. Literally.

Starting at 6 o’clock in the morning, Gina and Joe begin every Friday with a top story. It could be anything from a zombie outbreak at the NBA Finals to their station manager faxing over new formatting procedures. But whatever the story is, it will carry through the rest of the show until the final, unforgettable moment.

Killer Music!

Each segment of We Live ends with an unbelievable song you’ve probably never heard before. Unfortunately, Joe usually plays it to fill the “dead air” after a guest has been attacked and eaten by a horde of zombies over the phone. Although a tragic ending, these untimely deaths provide a great opportunity to hear some of the best music out there today.

The amazing music gives listeners a college radio station vibe. And artists who have graced the show with their presence include Five Fingers of Funk, Bobby Edge, Immune, Lauryl Sulfate, and The Allergies. You can find these great artists and download their music at the Joe Deez Bandcamp page.

The Characters!

Queen Regina lived peacefully on an isolated island off the coast of Washington state in a picturesque lighthouse hosting a self-care podcast until former shock jock, Gen X DJ Joe Deez shows up and weasels his way into becoming her co-host.

Joe Deez has no filter and he’s the chaotic ringleader of the We Live Zombie Carnival! After convincing Gina to turn her podcast into a wacky morning show, he usually shows up to the show late and up to no good.

Red hosts the lighthouse’s afternoon drive-time show On the Road with Red. She travels the country in her El Camino and keeps listeners informed on everything happening out there in the post-apocalyptic world.

Susan Gunderson became the show’s main advertiser when her dead husband set up an endowment to air commercials for her Post-Apocalyptic Trading Post before he was eaten by the zombies. Susan is dead. Or is she?

Neil is the lighthouse station manager who never shows up. He usually blames his absence on taking care of his son JORDY but Gina and Joe think he’s too afraid of the horde to make it into work. He’s known for being the bearer of bad news.

Dr. Ricci is the head of the CDC and he keeps listeners informed on his experimental cures for the Zed Head disease. Unfortunately for him however, call-in guests get him confused for a relationship advice doctor.

How To Listen!

New episodes of We Live premiere every Friday morning at 12 a.m. EST. You can find episodes on Spotify and iTunes. Click here for a link to the show. Make sure to follow We Live on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube!

[illwilledomen]

The Wormwood Family

The Wormwoods are an immensely wealthy illager family in my world. A few of my illager OCs belong to the bloodline, including Percy. They own a sprawling estate and what is essentially a personal militia, and are the closest thing to royalty you can get with the way illager society works.

Illager factions are usually run by, to put it simply, extremely wealthy and extremely powerful gangs, typically lead by the head of a family and named after the family’s surname. The lord or lady who is the head of the gang will live in the woodland mansion and as will their next of kin (children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, etc).

The Wormwood manor is owned by Giovanni Wormwood, an old and powerful Evoker who is 109 years old. His old age does not show - physically he is in his mid sixties.

He is kept alive by magic and while he is sharp witted and cruel as ever, his health is slowly deteriorating from the effects of his dark magic.

He runs the house with an iron fist, and is a sour and arrogant man - the house is also run by his second in command, Lady Andrea. She is his wife, and is around 103 (once again, kept younger by her magic) and often runs the place when he is unable to. She is even colder than her husband, and is not afraid to eliminate anyone who stands in her way, including her own family. She had her first born son murdered (attempted murder, he may or may not have survived and got into the art of …..illusion..) because he could not succeed in his magic studies, and often dangles this looming threat over her other children. Rumour in the mansion has it that she might be behind Gio’s health failures, some whispering in hushed tones that she has put some kind of curse on him to ensure her side of the family takes over, but for now, that’s all it is - just rumours.

Next in the line are Gio, Andrea and their siblings (all of which are dead) children. They are part of the highest league of Evokers. The council, as they call themselves, consist of the lord and lady, the high mages, and also a top vindicator general, Hemlock, who often joins meetings, being close friends with the lord and lady and is highly respected in the mansion despite not being of the bloodline.

Gio and Andrea’s eldest son is Mervyn, an exuberant socialite with a loud and pompous personality. He loves expensive gifts and booze, is extremely gullible and is a bit of a fool. He often boasts about his magical prowess and charm (none of which are anything special, he often relies on magical party tricks to get people to tolerate him) and has a habit of getting extremely drunk and running his mouth about things he shouldn’t. He gets scammed a lot. He has two body guard vindicators, who are silent, imposing and are also twins.

Ursula is the second eldest child, she is not of the bloodline but is the wife of Mervyn and so that makes her a step-child. She gossips a lot and loves to spread rumours. She spoils her eldest daughter Yolanda and her youngest son Charleston rotten, and also spoils her vex, despite being advised not to waste her magic by summoning the, when she shouldn’t. If you dare criticize her sweetie-poppet-darling-angel-Charlie-bear Charleston you will probably get thrown into the ocean with weights attached to your ankles.

Then we have Eugene, the middle child. He’s a complete loser and gets 0 bitches. He is constantly complaining and grumbling about something, and due to this, Ursula takes great pleasure in making him be the target of her passive aggressive warfare. He works as a scrollkeeper and has an extensive knowledge on many things - if you can get past his complete lack of charisma, permanent expression of disgust and nasally drone of a voice, he contains an ocean of knowledge.

The second youngest son, Marrow. Marrow is a Casanova, always trying to woo any illager who catches sight of his award winning smile and chiseled jawline. He plays into peoples egos, praising them and watching them intently, making them feel important to put them under his spell to do his bidding, like a siren. Behind his facade of romance and charm hides a cunning and sadistic character, who takes pleasure in watching things suffer. He shows this in his Vex, who often take the form of the illager’s inner personality. His vex are absolutely vile and go out of their way to upset, hurt or frighten people physically, emotionally or verbally whenever he summons them. Due to this, he only takes them out on the battlefield or when he wants to torment his employees, nieces or nephews. He is an immensely cruel man and is not to be toyed with.

Marrow had a wife, however she’s out of the picture. No one really knows what happened to her.

The youngest son is a recluse. His name is Ferguson and he stays away from his siblings. Like Marrow, he is a twisted individual, however he is more obviously so than his brother. He has a disturbing fascination with anatomy and mutation, and dreams of making a biologically ‘perfect’ creature. His studies and experiments have helped refine the… ‘model’… for the Ravager, and when he is around people he is often can seen staring them down in an immensely creepy and violating way, particularly if they’re a human or a villager, or taking notes frantically with his notebook that he carries. He is a pasty little beast with gaunt features, even for illager standards, and he giggles like a complete maniac. No one really knows what he does in the dank, dark corners of the mansion laboratories, but it can’t be good. Stay on your guard around this peculiar character.

Luckily, he’s a coward, so if you look tough enough you probably won’t get mysteriously knocked out cold with a slowness potion at night and wake up on a dissection table.

Finally we have the youngest of the bloodline, all ranging from teens to their late twenties.

The eldest child of Marrow is Persis, of whom prefers the name Percy. She’s 28 and she’s a vindicator. She is tall and broad, and her personality alone could fill up a room. She’s loud, raucous and both extremely unlikeable and charismatic in her own kind of way. She has a short temper, and also flirts a lot but never actually bothers to be courteous or respectful to her love interests - she’s the kind of person who will leave without so much as a good morning after sleeping with someone. She is an adept warrior, and is extremely strong. Given she has pure direct Wormwood blood she would have become an Evoker, but she was extremely burly and violent from the start so it was decided she’d get dibs on a higher up position in vindicator training. She likes to bully anyone who’s smaller than her in size, with the exception of her cousin Charleston, who’s her boss.

The second child, and youngest of Marrow’s children, sister of Percy, we have Ivy, a female evoker who is exceptionally gifted. She is stoic and cold, and Percy cannot recall ever seeing the girl smile, cry or even so much as express more than the occasional scowl or grimace in disgust. She is very powerful for her age (being 18) and due to this she is often seen as the favorite child. However she is constantly pressured by her elders and is put through the painful and abusive training that comes with learning the dark arts, hence her numbness. She speaks very little, and when she does, she usually puts that effort into bruising someone’s ego. Her vex are aggressive and unstable in nature, often wailing and shrieking. Due to this she uses fangs the majority of the time.

Percy and Ivy don’t get along. Percy thinks she’s a ‘prissy little cow’ and Ivy thinks Percy is a ‘lumbering moron’.

Then, we have the children of Ursula and Mervyn.

Yolanda is the oldest daughter of the two, being 24. She loves jewelry and expensive things, is spoiled rotten by her mother and father, and like her mother, she’s always in on the gossip. Out of all the illagers here, however, she’s probably the nicest. She isn’t as mean spirited as the rest of her family, is quite emotional and while she isn’t the brightest she usually means well. Because of her softness and naivety, she’s subject to cruelty from her peers and often looked down upon in a condescending way, even by her own parents. It doesn’t help that she’s not a very good mage, either.

Youngest, we have Charleston, whos 21. Charlie is your classic spoiled rich pretty boy. He’s entitled and boasts a lot, and has a Napoleon complex (he’s quite small - not Arch-illager levels of manlet, but enough to make him a target for cruel jokes). Percy works for him as his body guard, and it’s a good thing he’s a cousin and pays well because Percy can’t stand him and would love nothing more than to punt the little bastard. Charles is terrified of his uncle Marrow and Fergie. He also hates ravagers. Probably because they remind him of Fergie’s ‘projects’. It’s very clear that Charlie is Ursula’s favourite child, and due to this, Yolanda gets jealous and often picks on the boy.

Okay, that’s all I have for now. Thanks for reading!