#aunt cornelia

[samantha-and-nellie]

i know turn-of-the-century ideas about adulthood are vastly different than ours, but do you ever think about how young cornelia is?

like, it's her first christmas with her boyfriend's family. the girl that is going to be her niece is the age as her younger sisters. she's grown up with sisters who are sam's age, and yet she's somehow crossed into womanhood and they're still getting to enjoy their girlhood.

and you can see that it the christmas book! you can see this confusion (longing? nostalgia?) in cornelia as she experiences this last christmas as an unmarried young woman. she can't spend it with her sisters, but she can gosh darn spend it with another girl their age, and so these moments of cornelia's girlhood peek through as she's trying to bond with samantha.

she gets sam to make gingerbread with her like cornelia would usually be doing with her sisters. she goes sledding with her and gard, and cornelia has this moment where she gets so caught up in the joy of it all that even sam can see how young she is.

and then they're downtown, and cornelia spots a beautiful doll in a shop window and, just for one moment, she forgets that's she's too old to want a doll. except that “just a moment” lasts for days, so she ends up going back to buy the doll for samantha because that’s the next best thing to buying it for herself.

sam gets her doll, and cornelia gets a ring.

and i know that cornelia growing up and getting married is not a tragedy, but for some moments it feels like it is because it means that sam is next. and the womanhood that cornelia experiences seems joyful and privileged and purposeful, but it's still not girlhood. cornelia's not putting can telephones through the lilac hedge, or threatening the annoying neighborhood boy. cornelia's not starting schools in the tower room, befriending the servant girl next door, bedgrudingly practicing piano for an hour a day and then going to get gingerbread from the cook.

and, if all goes well, eventually neither will sam

[stellaluna33]

So many historical costumers have made cosplay versions of their favorite American Girl dolls, and I get that! This is how so many of us got started! But... as a grown-up Samantha girl, I have never had any desire to cosplay Samantha. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one whose goal has been to cosplay Aunt Cornelia. 😆

[thighguys]

Phan Fic Recs!!

here's a bunch of my absolute favorites for anyone who needs a distraction from the election <3 i will make a second post with shorter ones as well, this post will just be fics that are over 10k

Inheriting Love by Fictropes (22k)- Dan is a lawyer who executes wills in a small town in the English countryside, and Phil's aunt leaves him a house. One of the cutest fics I've read recently tbh, lots of banter and cows<3

Silver Arrows to the Heart by @evermorepeyton (137k, WIP)- How could i POSSIBLY make a rec list without including this masterpiece??? Dan and Phil are Formula 1 drivers, chaos ensues<3 sooooo much fun (and there are some really beautiful cool women in there too, just as a treat)

dancing on the blades (you set my heart on fire) by kishere (123k)- Dan is an amateur figure skater who scores a spot at the famous Lester training gym, where he meets the legendary Phil Lester and of course they fall in love... this one has sooo many cute fetus moments and wonderful cameos from Kath<3 absolutely love it

Like a Bowl of Oranges by cloej88 (@bitchslapblastoids) (47k)- Phil is a filmmaker looking to amplify queer stories in the media, Dan is a ghostwriter who's been writing a memoir on the side, you can guess what happens next. very VERY fun fic, lots of drama and lovely reflection, as well as the softest scenes between them. love this one (and the author :3)

The Odd Uneven Time by @yikesola (20k)- A 2009 fic from Phil's perspective, falling in love with a boy over the Internet. Absolutely WONDERFUL vibes, so so so cute (and it probably happened in real life ahaha)

Live Incidentally by yikesola (37k)- Phil makes novelty t-shirts and Dan buys them :) really funny, also some great Lester family moments

The Pianist Everyone Is Talking About... Is My Husband by @natigail (25k)- Dan is a famous pianist, Phil plays his songs on the radio, but nobody knows that they're actually married. Lots of chaos ensues, crazy fangirls can feel super represented, and Dan laughs at Phil about it all<3 this fic is so funny lol, highly HIGHLY recommend

Kick Me While I'm Down by jerserker (14k)- Dan and Phil join an adult kickball league! Phil just wants to make friends, and Dan... kicks everyone's asses <3 Really funny competitive Dan, fun times honestly :)

missing the obvious by Fictropes (14k)- Dan plays videogames in an anonymous Discord server at night, and during the day he goes to his boring office job and hooks up with his coworker Phil in bathroom stalls... I wonder how these two things could possibly be connected...

Our House by sierradeux (50k)- Dan is a real estate agent, Phil is a Youtube house flipper, they team up to cohost an HGTV renovation special and fall in love. With the house, obviously. But also with each other <3 this is one of my favorites guys I think it should be required reading for everyone on phannie tumblr

maybe this christmas by blackbirddan (13k)- it's November, im allowed to rec christmas fics now, right??? anyway, this one is HUGE for fans of the Lester and Howell families, just so so so soft and sweet and awesome<3

Strictly Come Dancing but make it GAY by natigail (176k)- i mean this one has a pretty self explanatory title... read for super hot dancer Phil, awkward celebrity Dan, and so so so many beautiful outfit and dance descriptions :3 seriously, I wish I could watch this season irl :( this is for sure in my top 3 fics of all time to be so honest

they grew up so nicely, didn't they? by natigail (15k)- Cornelia pov on meeting the boy Phil brought home, and then throughout the years. SO CUTE!!!!! really big for fans of outsider pov (me)

okie dokie<3 i will be making an under 10k rec list as well, so be on the lookout for that one!

[hes-a-rat-whisperer]

Picnic Party Distractions!!

Little Prince! Au with my baby @hes-a-rat-whisperer

“Come on Gossy!!” Mattie yelped as she tried to run after her puppy shaped bestie, which was not such an easy task while wearing a dress AND carrying the picnic basket, through the wooded area of the king’s gardens. Of course, her aunt and nanny, Cornelia, and uncle Felly, was close behind the two. Even better was the fact that her brand new little brother, Aslan, was gonna be joining the children today! Although her auntie had to hold him, since he was still too little to run around like his bigger siblings. Yes! Today was gonna be the BEST day!!

———

“We have everything set up, sire.” A guard said while bowed at Alistair’s feet. That morning, after having the children sent off to the far side and of the royal gardens, there was something far darker scheduled that the little ones did not need to witness at such an age.

Gosgo squealed with laughter, jumping and tumbling as he ran over the grass.

Cornelia couldn't help but giggle as well. seeing her two precious little ones having such a fun time already made her heart swell.

she nuzzled aslan as she gave sir Felonious a nudge. "isn't this wonderful, felly?" she said. "it's a wonderful day, the flowers are blooming and the kids are happily chasing around"

the lady's giggles turned into gleeful laughter as she shifted aslan around in her arms, giving him a better view of his surroundings.

-----

"marvellous.."

the king's voice was laced with eerie anticipation and even more chilling was the sinister smirk on his face.

after having everything cleared away with the mandatory trial and letting the kingdom's inhabitants know what happened with a few flavorful exaggerations thrown in here and there, it was finally time to deal with the menace that had been allowed to roam the castle for far too long..

[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

Tiffany Aching by Terry Pratchett

Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany Aching, a young witch-to-be, is all that stands between the monsters of Fairyland and the warm, green Chalk country that is her home. Forced into Fairyland to seek her kidnapped brother, Tiffany allies herself with the Chalk's local Nac Mac Feegle - aka the Wee Free Men - a clan of sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men who are as fierce as they are funny. Together they battle through an eerie and ever-shifting landscape, fighting brutal flying fairies, dream-spinning dromes, and grimhounds - black dogs with eyes of fire and teeth of razors - before ultimately confronting the Queen of the Elves, absolute ruler of a world in which reality intertwines with nightmare. And in the final showdown, Tiffany must face her cruel power alone...

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Miranda is an ordinary sixth grader, until she starts receiving mysterious messages from somebody who knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late.

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

Swept off course by a raging storm, a Swiss pastor, his wife, and their four young sons are shipwrecked on an uncharted tropical island. Thus begins the classic story of survival and adventure that has fired the imaginations of readers since it first appeared in 1812. With optimism and boundless enthusiasm, the Robinson family undertakes the extraordinary task of constructing a home for themselves and exploring the primitive island filled with strange and beautiful creatures and exotic fruits and plants. Rich in action and suspense, The Swiss Family Robinson  is an exhilarating novel takes us to a faraway place of danger and beauty, where the courageous Robinson family embarks on a thrilling new life of adventure and discovery.

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

At first, Omri is unimpressed with the plastic Indian toy he is given for his birthday. But when he puts it in his old cupboard and turns the key, something extraordinary happens that will change Omri's life for ever.

For Little Bear, the Iroquois Indian brave, comes to life...

The Belgariad by David Eddings

Myths tell of the ancient wars of Gods and men, and a powerful object - the Orb - that ended the bloodshed. As long as it was held by the line of Riva, it would assure the peace.

But a dark force has stolen the Orb, and the prophecies tell of war.

Young farm boy Garion knows nothing of myth or fate. But then the mysterious Old Storyteller visits his aunt, and they embark on a sudden journey. Pursued by evil forces, with only a small band of companions they can trust, Garion begins to doubt all he thought he knew...

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Through six turbulent months of 1934, 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain keeps a journal, filling three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries about her home, a ruined Suffolk castle, and her eccentric and penniless family. By the time the last diary shuts, there have been great changes in the Mortmain household, not the least of which is that Cassandra is deeply, hopelessly, in love.

The Borrowers by Mary Norton

Beneath the kitchen floor is the world of the Borrowers -- Pod and Homily Clock and their daughter, Arrietty. In their tiny home, matchboxes double as roomy dressers and postage stamps hang on the walls like paintings. Whatever the Clocks need they simply "borrow" from the "human beans" who live above them. It's a comfortable life, but boring if you're a kid. Only Pod is allowed to venture into the house above, because the danger of being seen by a human is too great. Borrowers who are seen by humans are never seen again. Yet Arrietty won't listen. There is a human boy up there, and Arrietty is desperate for a friend.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico--she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances--Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

Two orphaned children are on the run, hiding among the crumbling canals and misty alleyways of the city of Venice.

Befriended by a gang of street children and their mysterious leader, the Thief Lord, they shelter in an old, disused cinema. On their trail is a bungling detective, obsessed with disguises and the health of his pet tortoises. But a greater threat to the boys' new-found freedom is something from a forgotten past – a beautiful magical treasure with the power to spin time itself.

Dork Diaries by Renee Russel

Nikki Maxwell is not popular, in fact Nikki Maxwell is the opposite of popular; she's a total dork! But Nikki's hoping that by moving to a new school she might just stand a chance of making some friends and leaving her old lame-ways in the past. But life is never that simple... Follow Nikki's life through sketches, doodles and diary entries as she starts her new school, battles with her mum for an iPhone and meets her arch-nemisis, the school's queen bee, Mackenzie.

[ancientcharm]

The controversial young emperor Elagabalus

'The roses of Elagabalus' (detail) by Lawrence Alma-Tadema ,1888

Sextus Varius Avitus Bassianus was born in Rome in the year 203.

As emperor he had the name Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus but was better known as Elagabalus. Originary from Syria he was by hereditary right, the high priest of El-Gabal from which his name Elagabalus comes. El-Gabal was the tutelary god of the city of Emesa, in Syria. His grandfather and ancestors were also priests.

The Romans mistook El-Gabal for a Syrian sun god because they heard "Heliogabal" and thought of Helios. But El-Gabal means god of the mountain.

He became emperor of Rome on May 16, 218 at age 14, thanks to his maternal grandmother Julia Maesa, Caracalla's aunt, who after the assassination of the emperor organized a revolt against the usurper Macrinus.

He received the Salutatio imperatoria (imperial salute) only once, at the time of the assumption of imperial power. His reign was brief as his life, and his death more tragic than the previous assassinated emperors, not so much because of the way he died but because of what the murderers did with his body.

'The roses of Elagabalus' by Lawrence Alma-Tadema ,1888

In order to become high priest of El-Gabal, Elagabalus had himself circumcised.

Care must be taken not to take for granted certain stories that were clearly invented and exaggerated due to the hatred that this young man caused in Rome. He was so hated that Roman historians contemporary with Elagabalus call him "the Assyrian emperor", thus denying any relationship of Rome with him. Cassius Dion also refers to this emperor as "the false Antoninus."

One of the most implausible stories that have been written about him is that he killed people at banquets by drowning them with rose petals.

Also the Roman clichés when writing about a hated emperor, such as the palace being a brothel, that he himself was a prostitute, that he involved wild animals in orgies and other actions that were despicables for the Romans. The story of "he wanted to be castrated" may come from the fact that he had wanted to be circumcised, in fact he was the only Roman emperor to be circumcised, something the Romans considered inappropriate, to put it mildly.

The true scandals

Bust of Elagabalus. Musei Capitolini, Rome © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro.

In 219 he married a young aristocratic woman named Giulia Cornelia Paula but in early 220 he divorced, claiming that she had "physical defects." However, the real reason for the divorce soon became known. Elagabalus, who was high priest could only marry a priestess. And thus began his first scandal when he take as his wife a Vestal Virgin Aquilia Severa.

Belonging to a family of priests of an oriental deity, it was probably not the whim of a megalomaniac teenager but rather he was convinced that, as Roman emperor, he had the duty to marry a Roman priestess.

But for the Romans a vestal virgin could not marry until she had completed 30 years of service to the goddess Vesta (the most ancient Roman goddess) and if she broke her vows of chastity she was punished with the death penalty. Elagabalus undoubtedly broke a sacred rule.

In 221, perhaps to calm everyone down, he divorced and married Annia Faustina, descendant to the beloved emperor Marcus Aurelius, but he soon divorced her to remarry former vestal virgin Aquilla. Historians account that Elagabalus claimed married the priestess because he wanted to have "divine children".

According to Cassius Dio, Elagabalus also had a lover "a blonde boy from Caria named Hierocles." Unlike other extravagant stories, this one does not implausible.

In another attack on the sacred traditions of Rome, Elagabalus introduced the cult of El-Gabal as a state religion in the city of Rome and throughout the empire. Jupiter was the supreme state god, but the religious edicts of Elagabalus left the Roman religion with all its gods relegated to the background. The Roman gods were assigned a subordinate function to the Syrian god El-Gabal, this deity until then had only been worshiped in Emesa. The emperor ordered the sacred stone from Emesa to be brought to Rome.

During the summer solstice festival he placed the conical black meteorite that represents El-Gabal, in a chariot decorated with gold and jewels, which toured the city in parade.

A team of six horses carried the divinity, the enormous and immaculately white horses, with expensive gold harnesses and rich decorations. No one was holding the reins nor was anyone on board the chariot; The vehicle was escorted as if the god himself were the charioteer. Elagabalus walked backwards in front of the chariot, facing the god and holding the reins of the horses. He made the whole journey in this reverse manner, looking his god in the face. - Herodian.

As if all this were not enough to enrage the entire Roman society, Elagabalus made her mother participate in the Senate.

Empress Julia Soaemias, mother of Elagabalus- 3nd century AD, Found in 1968 at the Monumental Nymphaeum of Septimius Severus. Photo: Dosseman

Julia Maesa, grandmother of Emperor, seeing how the Senate, the Praetorian Guard and the people stopped supporting him and his mother, decided that both should be replaced by her daughter, Julia Mamaea, and her other grandson, Alexander, 13 years old.

First she convinced Heliogabalus to name his cousin Caesar and heir and share the Consulate with him. He accepted but then seeing that the Praetorian Guard preferred his cousin, Elagabalus changed his decision.

Historians account that following he deprived his cousin of his titles, and revoked the consulship, circulated the news that Alexander was about to die; A mutiny broke out and the guard demanded to see Elagabalus and Alexander in the Praetorian camp.

On March 11, 222 Heliogabalus appeared there with his mother Julia Soemia and Alexander. Upon his arrival, the soldiers greeted Alexander as emperor. Elagabalus ordered the arrest and execution of every soldier who intervened in this revolt, but in response, the Praetorians attacked him and his mother.

So he tried to flee, and could have reached somewhere hidden in a chest, but he was discovered and killed at the age of 18. His mother, who embraced him closely, perished with him; They cut off their heads and his bodies, after having stripped them, first they dragged them throughout the city, and then the mother's body was left somewhere, while his was thrown into the river. — Cassius Dio

Hierocles, the charioteer and, according to Cassius Dio, also the lover, of Elagabalus, as well as several of his court, were executed that same day. His religious edicts were revoked, and the god El-Gabal returned to Emesa.

On March 13, 222, Alexander Severus ascended the throne. His grandmother, Julia Maesa, one of the most powerful women in Roman empire history died four years later.

After 13 years of reign Alexander was also assassinated, at the age of 26, although for very different reasons than his cousin Elagabalus: Alexander was assassinated just by the ambition of a group of soldiers and, upon the death of his successor, was deified by the Senate. He died without issue and was the last of the Severan dynasty.

Bust of Elagabalus. 220- 221. Musei Capitolini, Rome. © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro

[carolinanadeau]

looking over all the old American Girl stuff and remembering my intense childhood fixation on Samantha Parkington's Aunt Cornelia... another piece of the puzzle falls into place

[catilinas]

also didn’t cornelia sulla end up w marius’ sexy coastal villa via potentially nefarious means

or fausta. fausta was cool. also cornelia sulla didn’t she have an epic legal battle with i literally cannot remember who. edit: the epic legal battle was with her own son

[zoeysdamn]

Bloodied petals - Xavier Thorpe x reader | Epilogue

A/N: /!\ Hold up! did you read Part.8?? Also, bonus aesthetic to celebrate the last part of this fic!

[Masterlist] [Part.1] [Part.2] [Part.3] [Part.4] [Part.5] [Part.6] [Part.7] [Part.8]

Three weeks later

Nevermore closed its doors sooner than usual. After the passing of Principal Weems, the semester had to be cut short, which meant a longer spring break for the students. Most of them were secretly glad of it, and to be fair Xavier was among them. The reason for this elongated holiday was dreadful, but a break from school could do him some good. Standing in the passageway of the first floor above the quad, he gazed at the crowd of students getting ready to go home. He made a mental note to bid Ajax goodbye before his friend left. 

 “Hello Xavier,” greeted a voice beside him. 

He turned his head to the side to be greeted by the sight of a woman cladded in a very sophisticated black outfit, dramatic black hat and sunglasses. She looked intimidating, but he knew better. “Hello Miss Cordelia,” he greeted your aunt. “I didn’t know you were picking up Y/N.”

“I’m not,” she said flatly, “but I wanted to make sure of a few things.”

 Approaching the ledge she followed Xavier’s eyes fixated on you, currently hugging Enid goodbye, no doubt promising to text her during the holiday break. 

 “Does she remember anything?” asked your aunt in a surprising soft tone. 

“Of the disease? Most of it. About me, she remembers more and more every day,” said Xavier, not tearing his gaze away from you. 

Aunt Cordelia hummed pensively, in appreciation. A long moment of silence followed, before Xavier spoke up again. 

“How is that even possible?” he asked your aunt, “I thought removing the flower with a surgical operation would make her forget about me completely.” 

Your aunt sighed, indicating how little she knew about this too, “I don’t know. That’s why I wanted to come here, the doc had said that during the surgery, the flowers’ roots were already not clutched around the lungs and heart anymore.”

Xavier frowned, not getting where she was getting at, “Why does it matter?”

“It’s the forceful removal of the roots that triggers the memory loss,” explained the elder witch. “Or we think it’s the source of it. But given that he hadn’t to tear it out…I’m wondering if that’s why she still has some memories of you.” 

At her words, Xavier’s eyes widened slightly, “You think she can actually remember everything one day?”

“It’s possible,” shrugged Cornelia, “after all, you said it yourself, her memory is recovering day by day.” 

 His heart thumped in excitement at the prospect. Xavier had dared to imagine this possibility but…hearing someone else confirming his theory was something else entirely. 

 Fixing her sunglasses on her nose, your aunt continued, “I’ve spoken to a certain Miss Bianca Barclay, I assume you’re familiar with her?”. At Xavier’s nod she continued, “She told me what she had done for Y/N with her siren’s song; it’s most likely that’s what caused the flowers and their roots to retreat from around her heart.”

“You mean that Bianca might actually have saved Y/N?” said Xavier in surprise. 

Aunt Cordelia eyed him from head to toe and let out a small laugh, “Well, her, you, Miss Sinclair and that new roommate of hers. So thank you, Xavier.” 

 His eyebrows rose up in surprise. For as long as he had known your aunt, Xavier couldn’t remember the last time she had actually thanked someone. Witches’ pride or something like that. 

 “I must go,” she said sharply before Xavier could add anything. “Take care of my niece Xavier.”

“I will,” he assured. 

She offered him a thin smile before rummaging in her hand bag, “Oh one second, here,” she said, handing him a small vial, “as a thanks.”

“What is this?” he frowned. 

“It’ll help to get the last petals out,” she explained and let out a small snort at Xavier’s expression painted in surprise. “You must be in the end of the healing process now, according to the petals you cough.”

“How did you…?”

“Oh honey, you’re not half subtle as you think you are,” she said with a sweet voice, before turning serious again, “At least I can content myself at the thought you had a taste of what she went through for you.” Xavier’s wince made her brush away her last bitter comment with a vague gesture of her hand. “But you’re healing; the more she remembers how much she loves you, the more you heal. Knowing her,” she said, casting one last fond look at your figure downstairs, “it won’t be long.” 

 With that, she disappeared to a nearby corridor. For a few seconds Xavier stood on his spot in astonishment, but then chuckled at your aunt’s antics. Grabbing his backpack he walked down the stairs, where he saw you talking with Wednesday from afar. He couldn’t hear what you were saying but you both seemed cordial to each other. You even handed her a wrapped box, giving her a phone. Wednesday didn’t hug you, but a tiny smile definitely crept on her face before she turned and walked away sharply. Taking this as his cue, Xavier strolled next to you, sliding an arm around your waist and dropping a kiss on your forehead when he came by your side. 

 “Hey,” he said softly, “you’re good?”

Smiling at him you nodded, “Yep. I think that Wednesday and I needed to bury the war hatchet.”

“Did it work?” 

“She did try to kill Crackstone to save us,” you admitted. “And she apologized, the counts are even. And maybe I’ll miss my creepy roommate after all,” you added with a playful nudge on his side. 

 Xavier let out a laugh, and the two of you made your way to the school’s gates. While you packed your bags in the trunk of the car Xavier’s dad had sent for the two of you, you stopped for an instant and looked back at the school. It had become your house over the years, but more importantly it had brought you a sense of normality even among werewolves, sirens and vampires. It has brought you friends, and so much more. 

 You felt Xavier’s hand sliding into yours. 

 “You okay?” he asked softly. 

 Looking up at him, you gazed deeply into his brown eyes. This, this place, this moment, was what made everything click altogether, and all the things that have seemed fuzzy fall into place. 

 “I love you,” you breathed out. 

 The grin on Xavier’s face was everything. 

 “I love you too sweetheart,” he said before kissing you softly. 

 The annoyed honk from the car made you pull away a few seconds later, giggling like kids and you tugged on Xavier’s hand to the vehicle. In your newfound euphoria, you missed the faint cough coming from him, but it didn’t matter. As the car led the both of you away from the school, the last petal Xavier would ever cough laid on the cobblestone of Nevermore.

A/N: Aaaand there it is! The last part of the fic finally out! :DD I hope you enjoyed it and that the ending didn’t disappointed you too much! 

I really want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you, finishing a fic is always like a sort of sad goodbye and I swear I’m crying a little by writting those words. 

I loved writting every parts, but more than that I loved exchanging and talking with you about it, whether for crack thoughts, or theories! You were incredible and the kindest readers I could ever ask for, so thanks a billion time for your support and you kindness! (especially your tolerance for my crappy English, it’s the first time I’m cristing something this long in such a short time, in a language which isn’t my mother tongue!)

Thank you for the laughs, the cry, the crazy demands to be tagged (we have 119 tagged people!! This is insane for me!!), and if you ever want to rant or talk about the fic, or anything in general, I’m always here! 

Hope you’re all doing okay, take care of you ♥

-Zoey

Taglist: (no need to ask at every chapter, you're added once, and you're added for the whole fic :D)

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[samantha-and-nellie]

wait, wait, wait, is samantha’s dog (well, uncle gard and aunt cornelia’s dog) (can we tell i’m trying to avoid that godawful name) never mentioned again after the birthday book?!?

[jomiddlemarch]

A letter always seemed to me like immortality

Everyone Diana wanted to write to was dead.

Walter, what seemed like a dozen lifetimes ago, at Courcelette if his last letter to Rilla was to be believed; Diana had often wondered whether he had already considered himself a dead man walking before the day of the last battle, the boy he’d been destroyed beyond repair or rebirth.

Aunt Leslie, whom she’d found it easier to talk to than her own mother, perhaps because she’d also had a brother she adored. Perhaps because she’d left Glen St. Mary and never missed it. 

Perhaps because Leslie liked whiskey better than tea, newspapers better than poetry. 

Una, who’d been too pale since she barely survived nursing her father and stepmother through the Spanish flu, who’d been someone everyone underestimated or decided to treat as a martyr, who would not have judged Di the way her own sisters would. 

Rosalind Foyle, whom she’d had to ask about as discreetly as she could, counting on her general reception as a cheerful and polite Canadian, not much like a bossy Yank, to yield her the few details she’d squirreled away. An artist, a mother. A beauty. Better-bred than her husband, well-liked, she’d had elegant hands and never forgot to wear gloves.

Diana only wore gloves to operate and if an actual gale was blowing in a blizzard.

Who had thought all she wanted was to go to France, to make something of her life that would last her the rest of it. That might make the rest of it of a duration she could bear, an end her family could cope with or justify why she’d never return to PEI.

Dear Una, You’re the best one to write to, I think. The one who’d mind the least, like it the most. The least awkward for me to imagine reading this, the least likely to tell me something I don’t want to know. I leave for France in a few weeks and now I don’t want to go. Or rather, I do and then I don’t. There’s something holding me in England now, something to do with Walter, a mystery. Men, who’ve died. A man who’s alive, very much so.

A man I want to know. His name is Foyle. Christopher. He knew Walter, said Walter knew him as Kit. Everyone calls him Foyle or sir or Superintendent. Christopher. Oh Una, I thought this was behind me. That it was something I’d never have to deal with, some sort of consolation of being a woman in a world missing a generation of men. I thought I wouldn’t know this and that was a relief, watching you and Rilla and Nan. Faith. Mary. I thought it was fair, that I’d never know heartbreak like this. And now there’s Christopher. A half-dozen dead men. Walter’s poem. And France, waiting for me. I have to go, I know that, but how do I go wanting to stay here, a place I can’t call home. Wanting to come back.

Christopher. I like writing his name because I oughtn’t say it often. That’s what a young girl does, lovesick, dull, embarrassing herself, making everyone around her smile behind their hands unless it’s Miss Cornelia, scolding you for making a fool of yourself and for what, a man? What’s a man worth, I ask you—can’t you hear her say it, tart, ready to wash her hands of us— I don’t care what a man’s worth, Una. Just Christopher. And I can’t answer the question, not to satisfy Miss Cornelia or you or myself.

You’d write me back something comforting, if you could. If you hadn’t died before your time, twice over, after the telegram, after the epidemic. I should have insisted you leave before me or with me. I should have told your father you were worth more than all the rest of them put together or made Dad send you away to convalesce, somewhere warm, where you might have lolled about, turning brown in the sun. I’ve said I’ll go to France and sew up the men who need sewing up. Cut off the parts that need cutting off. I’ve said that’s my life, my vocation, as important as Mother’s poetry, as Walter’s, as the babies Jem delivers and the columns Ken Ford writes, and it must be but now there’s murder and Christopher to contend with, a dozen mysteries at the heart of me. For it seems I’ve a heart after all, Una. It beats and beats and leaps when it oughtn’t. It will break, I know it shall.

Christopher. I’ll take a dream in lieu of a letter. A flower, out of place, in lieu of a word. Answer me if you can, Una. You can’t and I know that, but I’ll still hope, silly Di Blythe.

She put the letter in an envelope but left it unsealed and unaddressed.

Left the envelope in an otherwise empty drawer of the desk in her flat. If she didn’t return from France, well, that didn’t bear thinking about too closely. If her papers were sent back to Canada, her father would likely burn the letter rather than let her mother see it unless if gave it to Nan, thinking her twin would derive some comfort and, happily married to Jerry, the bonny wife and mother Di had not made of herself, could weather any pang it gave her.

If somehow it ended up with Christopher, he’d know how she’d once felt.

She could make that happen, writing his name across the white field of the envelope, but that was too much like a dare, and for all she was her father’s daughter, she still had her mother’s wise fear of the fey.

She’d written his name enough. She’d hope she’d come back to say it.

[in-pleasant-company]

A lot of people have questioned how likely it would have been for a wealthy couple like Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia to adopt three orphan girls who weren't family members.

What's really fascinating is that in 1907, The Delineator, a popular fashion magazine in the 1900s, published an article on orphans in New York city, who grew up without the attention and love of family due to being raised in institutions, putting them on the path to become immoral adults.

The article had a response that the editors were not expecting - readers wanted to adopt the children! The attitudes towards orphans were different too - the women who wrote to the magazine were hoping to raise these children as their own children, not use them as labor in their homes. The idea of motherhood was also changing - women who had never given birth asked that they be equally respected as mothers as those who had. From then on, as part of the Child-Rescue Campaign, the magazine published brief biographies of orphaned children who could be adopted.

More than two thousand children were adopted through the Child-Rescue Campaign, which lasted from late 1907 to early 1911.

This campaign is a little more complex than I can explain here, so if you're interested, I encourage you to read the essay I sourced the information from. It's available to read for free on HathiTrust.

(Information adapted from Rescue a Child and Save the Nation The Social Construction of Adoption in the Delineator, 1907-1911 by Julie Berebitsky, printed in Adoption in America: Historical Perspectives edited by E. Wayne Carp)

[azelfandquilava]

Your honour, I believe Ms Edelgard von Hresvelg deserves a cuddle from her surrogate aunt, Ms Cornelia Arnim. As a treat.

(Commission by @platinumamiii)

[desertdollranch]

How on earth did Samantha tell her Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia that she was keeping Nellie and Bridget and Jenny without shedding a single tear? I definitely couldn't have done that, even as part of the Samantha Hivemind.

Also. I've been neck deep in the Samantha Parkington content of my childhood. Her movie, and her keepsake treasury my grandpa used to read to me before bed when I visited. (I reread Samantha Saves the day, which was my favorite as a kid)

I can guess how she didn't cry. 10 year old me would be trying not to laugh because of the delicious feeling of "I know something you don't know!"

Samantha Saves the day was the second American Girl book I ever read, after Samantha's Surprise. I think I have them both memorized. And when I read the books and imagine the narrative, the images I see are the same that I imagined when I was 6 years old.

[emilybennettstan]

Update on the Unfortunate Name of Aunt Cornelia’s Dog

I think he must have been named after the dog of the same name in “David Copperfield”. Why Cornelia “Women Must Vote” Pitt Edwards would name her dog after the dog of the most helpless female character in Dickens, I do not know, but I think that is what she did. This does not erase the previous facts about the name being a racial slur and that being not okay, I just thought some added context might be interesting.

[book--brackets]

Young Wizards by Diana Duane (1983-2016)

Nita Callahan is at the end of her rope because of the bullies who've been hounding her at school... until she discovers a mysterious library book that promises her the chance to become a wizard. But she has no idea of the difference that taking the Wizard's Oath is going to make in her life. Shortly, in company with fellow beginner-wizard Kit Rodriguez, Nita's catapulted into what will be the adventure of a lifetime—if she and Kit can both live through it. For every wizard's career starts with an Ordeal in which he or she must challenge the one power in the universe that hates wizardry more than anything else: the Lone Power that invented death and turned it loose in the worlds. Plunged into a dark and deadly alternate New York full of the Lone One's creatures, Kit and Nita must venture into the very heart of darkness to find the stolen, legendary Book of Night with Moon. Only with the dangerous power of the wizardly Book do they have a chance to save not just their own lives, but their world...

Valdemar: The Last Herald-Mage by Mercedes Lackey (1989-1990)

Though Vanyel has been born with near-legendary abilities to work both Herald and Mage magic, he wasn't no part in such things. Nor does he seek a warrior's path, wishing instead to become a Bard.

Yet such talent as his, if left untrained, may prove a menace not only to Vanyel but to others as well. So he is sent to be fostered with his aunt, Savil, one of the fame Herald-Mages of Valdemar.

But, strong-willed and self-centered, Vanyel is a challenge which even Savil cannot master alone. For soon he will become the focus of frightening forces, lending his raw magic to a spell that unleashes terrifying wyr-hunters on the land.

And by the time Savil seeks the assistance of a Shin'a'in Adept, Vanyel's wild talent may have already grown beyond anyone's ability to contain, placing Vanyel, Savil, and Valdemar itself in desperate peril.

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi (2016-2018)

Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you're only seventeen?

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father's kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran's queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar's wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire...

But Akaran has its own secrets -- thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most... including herself.

The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson (2008-2014)

Janner Igiby, his brother, Tink, and their disabled sister, Leeli, are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that they love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang, who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice. The Igibys hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera.

Myth Adventures by Robert Lyn Asprin (1978-2002)

Skeeve was a magician's apprentice--until an assassin struck and his master was killed. Now, with a purple-tongued demon named Aahz as a companion, he's on a quest to get even.

The Land of Elyon by Patrick Carman (2003-2008)

Alexa is curious about what lies beyond the massive ramparts that surround the city and the walled roads that link Bridewell to nearby towns; soon after town leader Thomas Warvold passes away, Alexa finds herself outside the walls, acquires a stone with remarkable powers, and discovers that she's meant to stop a potential war from occurring.

The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy (1974-2018)

Mildred Hubble is a trainee witch at Miss Cackle's Academy, and she's making an awful mess of it. She's always getting her spells wrong and she can't even ride a broomstick without crashing it. Will she ever make a real witch?

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix (2020-2023)

In a slightly alternate London in 1983, Susan Arkshaw is looking for her father, a man she has never met. Crime boss Frank Thringley might be able to help her, but Susan doesn't get time to ask Frank any questions before he is turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin.

Merlin is a young left-handed bookseller (one of the fighting ones), who with the right-handed booksellers (the intellectual ones), are an extended family of magical beings who police the mythic and legendary Old World when it intrudes on the modern world, in addition to running several bookshops.

Susan's search for her father begins with her mother's possibly misremembered or misspelt surnames, a reading room ticket, and a silver cigarette case engraved with something that might be a coat of arms.

Merlin has a quest of his own, to find the Old World entity who used ordinary criminals to kill his mother. As he and his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, tread in the path of a botched or covered-up police investigation from years past, they find this quest strangely overlaps with Susan's. Who or what was her father? Susan, Merlin, and Vivien must find out, as the Old World erupts dangerously into the New.

The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke (2021)

When single mother Liv is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, it’s an opportunity to start over with her three daughters–Luna, Sapphire, and Clover. When two of her daughters go missing, she’s frantic. She learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for women accused of witchcraft. The locals warn her about wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children, created by witches for revenge. Liv is told wildlings are dangerous and must be killed.

Twenty-two years later, Luna has been searching for her missing sisters and mother. When she receives a call about her youngest sister, Clover, she’s initially ecstatic. Clover is the sister she remembers–except she’s still seven years old, the age she was when she vanished. Luna is worried Clover is a wildling. Luna has few memories of her time on the island, but she’ll have to return to find the truth of what happened to her family. But she doesn’t realize just how much the truth will change her.

Reckless by Cornelia Funke (2010-2020)

Jacob has uncovered the doorway to another world, hidden behind a mirror. It is a place of dark magic and enchanted objects, scheming dwarves and fearsome ogres, fairies born from water and men born from stone.Here, he hunts for treasure and seeks adventure in the company of Fox - a beautiful, shape-shifting girl, who guides and guards him.But now Jacob's younger brother has followed him into the mirrored world, and all that was freedom has turned to fear. Because a deadly curse has been spoken; and Jacob must risk his life to reverse it, before his brother is turned to stone forever...