#bc it was the stepmothers idea

[doublestandardlove]

okay okay okay i'm kind of taking it back bc the horror of ella's stepsisters wearing her friends' skin is just diabolical

watching cinderella's castle rn and it's just as i feared ...

i need the stepmother to do what she does best, be mother and step on me

[this-is-now-just-a-star-wars-acc]

is there any fic about crosshair as Cinderella(something like that) or am I gonna have to write that shit?

[lovevalley45]

so. i read this book called ‘motherthing’ by ainslie hogarth and like. one. v good i really liked it lol but two the cannibalism themes were. v strong. and i think it is kinda funny bc in that book that kinda consumption was love and in neverafter there’s this element that it’s about power

but also thinking abt it re: the stepmother n the first things she ate being her own daughters. that that act of consumption of the people she travelled so far to find aid, only to learn the nature of who she was. i don’t remember the line exactly but there’s a line abt eating smth being the final form of love bc it’s then it’s gone forever

this isn’t very cohesive bc i’m about to go to bed but i had to get out my thoughts on the matter, tldr; the motif of cannibalism that mean very different things but somehow converging in this idea of the stepmother n her sacrifice to become what she is now

[scoopstomyahoy]

when ppl r like. steve would see joyce and hopper as parental figures but they wouldn’t see him as a son im like. why would you do that

[onceuponastory]

last stroke of midnight - bucky barnes x reader

Plot: When a stroke of luck and a little bit of magic allows her to attend Prince James' royal ball, Y/N soon realises that they’ve met before. Pairing: Prince!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader Warnings: Mentions of Y/N’s stepfamily belittling and degrading her, her parents dying, and her doubting herself. Classic Cinderella story stuff. Also, a little bit of angst bc it’s me. As always, if I miss any triggers, please let me know! Notes: My final entry for @buckybarnesevents Into an Alternate June-iverse Connect Four event! My final square was Fairytale, and I realised I haven’t written a Cinderella inspired story before, so here we are! This can also tie into the Royalty square I had, but I’ve used that already.

Not beta’d, so any mistakes are my own.

Slowly, Y/N makes her way down the hallway, the sound of her heels against the tiles reverberating around the room. Various elaborate portraits and other pieces of artwork stare down at her. Unsurprisingly, the royal palace is ornately decorated, ready for the hundreds of guests attending tonight. Y/N has never seen somewhere so beautifully decorated in all her life. When she reaches the end of the hallway, two heavy oak doors stand before her, the muffled sound of music and laughter from the ball seeping through. That’s how her life seems to be nowadays. On the outside, looking in. It’s still a wonder that she was invited to this ball in the first place. But Prince James ordered every maiden in the kingdom to be present, and who was she to deny a Prince’s wish?

Of course, if her stepfamily had it their way, she’d still be at home, finishing her chores. Honestly, she thought her dream of attending the ball was as ruined as the dress they tore up to force her to stay home. It was only then that Y/N learnt she had a fairy godmother of her own, who gave her a gorgeous new dress, a pumpkin carriage and a pair of glass slippers, making her look like a true princess. And now, Y/N is standing in the royal palace, surrounded by various noblemen and women, and royalty from all over the world.

And she’s never felt so out of place. She’s still waiting to wake up, for this happy dream to be over in the blink of an eye. Even now, she can hear her stepfamily screaming in her ears, forcing her to do all the household chores, as they have done every day since her father died. Treating her like a servant, rather than a human being. For so long, Y/N thought that was what the rest of her life was destined to be. Living as Cinderella, their idea of a nickname for her, rather than Y/N. Since her stepsisters took over her bedroom, Y/N has nowhere else to sleep at night other than on the cold tiles by the dying light of the fire. And each day, she wakes up covered in soot, which inspired the name.

Their voices and laughter still echo in her mind, even now. Belittling her and labelling her a mere servant with no potential. Especially for even thinking that she could attend a royal ball, Prince’s invitation or not. But here she is, at the royal ball. Wearing a gorgeous ball gown that shimmers like the stars whenever she walks, and a pair of glass slippers that somehow perfectly fit her feet.

Finally, she has a chance to do something else, to be someone else, even if it's just for a night… and she’s terrified to take it. What if they see right through her? Realise that she doesn’t belong here, that she never did? Warily, Y/N holds her hand out, her fingers tracing along the ornate, carved detailing on the door. But she’s made it this far. Surely that must mean something.

Suddenly, the doors burst open, and Y/N gasps. “I apologise, I wasn’t-” Apologising for everything is simply second nature to her now. At least, it is when you live with people like her stepmother and stepsisters.

“Ma’am.” The guard bows to her, gesturing for her to enter the ballroom. She steps back for a moment, taking a breath for courage as her heart pounds through her chest. Yet, her feet start moving without a second thought, leading her into the ballroom. She glides through the room, past everyone’s watchful eyes. Y/N can hear them whispering, wondering who she is, and she has to tune them out before she becomes too panicked and flees.

Until suddenly, the crowd parts like the sea, and Prince James steps forward, right towards her. The second she looks into his silvery blue eyes, she recognises him right away. “Hello again.” He chuckles. “I’m thrilled to see you made it.”

Of course, Y/N could never know that she was the entire reason he suggested inviting everyone in the kingdom to this ball. Since he first saw her, Prince James couldn't get her out of his mind and yearned to see her again. And the ball his parents insisted he throw to find a suitable wife seemed like the perfect opportunity to find her again. The sparkles on her dress twinkle in the light, and he can’t stop smiling the more he looks at her. She looks beautiful.

And yet, Prince James could never know that the main reason Y/N is attending this ball is for the hopes of seeing him again. Although, she had no idea he was the Prince in question.

The two first met when Y/N was at the market with her stepsisters, being bossed around once again. Thankfully, they soon stopped bothering her and went to visit the local dressmaker, granting Y/N some precious alone time. Once they left, she took some time to walk around the stalls and take in everything on offer. Just taking some time to do nothing. As the sun warmed her skin and the cool breeze blew through her hair, Y/N finally felt at peace again. She wasn’t Cinderella, at the constant beck and call of her stepfamily. For a few blissful moments, she was Y/N again.

Soon, she found a stall selling fresh fruits and vegetables, and her stomach began to rumble. That morning, like most others, she was preoccupied completing the other chores and making sure her stepfamily were fed. And that meant she hadn’t thought about feeding herself. All the food on offer looked so enticing, and she just couldn’t resist. She rifled around in her pockets to find the few coins that she had managed to hide away, hoping it would be enough for something to eat. As she did so, a voice cut in.

“No, please. Allow me.” She had turned to see a face with a pair of gorgeous silvery blue eyes smiling back at her. Before she could protest, he paid for some apples and handed them to her.

“T-Thank you, sir.” She smiled, gazing over at him. It had been so long since someone treated her with kindness that Y/N swore she could’ve broken down into tears right then.

“Please, don’t worry about it. I couldn’t leave a lady like yourself in distress.” Y/N giggled at that, her cheeks burning slightly. As they started walking together, Y/N glanced over at the kind stranger, her gaze tracing over every inch of his face. As she did, a feeling of warmth settled in her stomach. Of course, a large part of that was because of his kind gesture, but Y/N found herself attracted to him from that very moment. With the way his eyes sparkled whenever he laughed, and the way he smiled at her… falling in love with him was very easy to do.

They spoke for a while, as close as friends, despite only meeting a few minutes ago. “Forgive me if this sounds rude, sir, but I haven’t seen you at the market before.” The man laughed, adjusting the hood of his cloak.

“Is it that obvious?”

“A little.”

“Well, I thought it would be a pleasant change from my normal life. Getting out in the fresh air, meeting new people.” He explained. “And….” He looked over at her, smiling softly. “I’m glad I came.” Her cheeks burned, and her heart felt like it was doing backflips in her chest.

“I’m glad you did too.” She smiled. But before they could talk for much longer, the voices of her stepsisters filled the air, calling her and pulling her out of her brief moment of happiness. Sighing, her body slumped in disappointment. The handsome stranger raised a brow, concerned by her sudden change in emotion.

“Is everything alright?” He had asked, instinctively placing a reassuring hand on her forearm. For a moment, she considered telling him the truth about her life. But as her stepsisters got even louder, she realised she couldn’t possibly drag him into this, or let him hear the things they say about her. It’s bad enough that she gets to hear it day in, day out.

“I’m sorry. I better go.” She sighed. When she saw the man’s face fall, she regretted her choice even more. But she didn’t have a choice. “Hopefully, I’ll see you again, sir. Thank you again for the apples.”

And here he is once more, standing in front of her in all his royal finery, looking like a completely different person. He’s still just as handsome as he was that day, his eyes still sparkling. And of course, she’s sure that she looks a lot more different than she did that day, too.

“You’re a Prince?” She gasps. “The Prince?” Embarrassment flows through her veins, and her heartbeat rises. How could she have been so stupid, so naïve to not realise that she was speaking to the Crown Prince? The bitter venom of her stepmother’s words flows through her veins once more.

“You foolish child! To think the Prince would even want you, a servant girl, at his ball-”

“It’s quite alright. Please, do not worry.” He reassures her, placing a soft hand on her forearm and pulling her out of her spiralling thoughts. Just like he did that day at the market. As he does so, Y/N feels herself beginning to calm down once more. And a familiar warm feeling settles in her stomach. “I’m sorry. I should have been honest.”

Even after the complete bombshell that's just been dumped on her, she is glad to be reunited with him, too. She and Prince James stare into each other's eyes for a little while longer, each feeling their hearts beat faster and faster. For a moment, the crowds fade away, leaving just the two of them together. Despite all her anxieties from earlier that night, Y/N feels so at ease around the Prince. For the first time in a long while, she even finds herself smiling. It isn’t until the music starts playing again that they remember where they are. And the crowd is still watching them. Clearing his throat, he stands up straighter. “May I have this dance?” And once more, Y/N’s feet move forward without even thinking about it.

“Of course.” Nodding, she slips her hand into his, whilst he rests his on the small of her back. As his fingers brush along her spine, she gasps. Being in his arms feels so right, so comfortable. Every time his touch brushes against her, it feels like a spark of electricity throughout her entire body. She’s never felt so alive.

Despite how long it’s been since Y/N danced, being with Prince James makes her feel so at ease that she easily matches his steps. As they dance together, moving gracefully throughout the room, Prince James twirls her under his arms, spinning her around the room. Y/N honestly feels like she’s floating. For a moment, she forgets all her worries, and it’s as if she and the Prince are the only people in the room once more. In fact, it feels like they’re the only people in the universe right now. The fact that her stepmother and stepsisters are here, and are no doubt watching her with the Prince doesn’t even cross her mind. She could stay here for the rest of her life, in his arms.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After spending most of the night dancing together, Prince James soon invites Y/N out into the palace gardens for some peace, and to relax after dancing for so long. The cool night air hits her skin, and Y/N takes a breath. All thoughts of the time limit on her night, and her fairy godmother’s warnings seem to have slipped her mind.

“I must say, you are a wonderful dancer.” Y/N chuckles.

“Thank you very much, Prince James. Although, I did have wonderful company.” Prince James grins, blushing furiously.

“Please allow me to introduce myself. Properly, this time. My full, official name is Prince James Buchanan Barnes. Personally, I think it’s too fancy of a name, so my close friends and family call me Bucky.” Immediately, she drops into a curtsey. “Please, don’t feel the need to do that. It’s alright.” He chuckles. She’s still amazed by his refusal to treat her like she’s any different to him, or a different class, like she’s been used to people doing most of her life. In fact, he looks at her like she’s the most important person in the world. And it’s making her even more smitten.

“I just can’t believe I didn’t realise you were a Prince when we first met, Your Highness.”

“Please, call me Bucky.” He smiles. Y/N chuckles, and her cheeks burn even more. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth when we first met. The truth is, I enjoy going out into the kingdom and meeting the people. It’s surprising how easy it is to be undetected when you wear a cloak.” He laughs. Oh, she knows that very well. “And besides, I’m sure you understand. Wanting to get away from it all.” His words confuse her for a moment… until the penny drops.

He thinks she’s the same as him. A royal, disguising herself in order to escape her life. Of course, she looks the part right now, but it’s all fake, just pretend for the night. Her head swirls, her smile dropping. Is that why he wanted to speak to her alone? Because he thought she was something different, something special? If he knew the truth, who she really was, he’d never want to see her again. Embarrassment rushes through her, chilling her veins as her stomach churns.

“Is something the matter? Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“No. I’m alright.” She lies. Her mind screams at her to tell him the truth, that compared to him, she’s a nobody, just a simple servant girl. He’s been so compassionate towards her already tonight, surely he’d understand. But she can’t bring herself to tell him. This night has been so wonderful already, and she can’t ruin it now. She just wants one good night with the man she’s falling in love with. At least after tonight, she’ll never see him again. He won’t know anything else about her.

And that hurts deep in her soul, more than anything in the world. The universe seems to be set on constantly taking away every ounce of happiness in her life. First it took her parents, and then her freedom. And now, it’s taking Prince Bucky. But like she said, this is how it has to be. She couldn’t bear him seeing the truth, or seeing him letting her go.

“These gardens really are beautiful.” She says, hoping to steer the conversation away from anything to do with her.

“Well, that’s my mother’s pride and joy.” He chuckles.

“My mother loved flowers too.” She nods, thinking back to the flowers that used to adorn their garden, vibrant hues of pinks and purples. The bees and butterflies that filled the air, flying past as Y/N played with her parents. Life was so much simpler back then, so happy. She’d give anything to return to that time, when she had no worries or stepfamily. Although, being with Bucky is making her feel just as happy as she did back then.

“Well, she must have been a wonderful woman then.” 

“She was. She really was.” 

“And you’re right, they are beautiful. In fact… there’s a lot of beautiful things here tonight.” He smiles, and Y/N’s cheeks burn even deeper this time.

“Thank you.” She murmurs, a small smile tugging at her lips. “This has truly been such a wonderful night. And I never want it to end.”

“Then stay with me. Just a little longer” Bucky smiles, stepping closer. Y/N gasps, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I wish I could, but I can’t.” When he sees the tears shining in her eyes, Bucky’s brow furrows, noticing how panicked the woman is becoming. He sighs, not meaning to come across as so forceful, or to scare her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You didn’t. Not at all. You’ve been nothing but wonderfully kind to me all night.” She sighs. “It’s just… a lot to explain, Your Highness.” When he hears her call him by his official title again, it registers a feeling deep within in his gut. At the market, when her face fell as soon as she heard people calling for her, he wondered what was wrong. And now, seeing her so distressed, things are starting to make sense. Whoever this woman is, she seems to be hiding from someone. Or something.

“If anything is wrong, I can help you with whatever it is you need.” Y/N chuckles, sniffling slightly.

“I wish you could.” She’s worried enough about the possibility of her stepmother finding out she went to the ball in the first place, let alone her knowing she spent the whole night with the Prince. But if she did, Y/N would take full blame for it. It would break her heart if Bucky was hurt by her actions. Y/N steps closer to him, gently taking his hands. “But the fact you even offered means more to me than you could ever know.” Bucky looks into her eyes once more, gently cupping her cheek. Even though he only met this woman recently, he already feels like he knows her better than anyone else in the entire kingdom, even his closest advisors. He’s falling more and more in love with her with every waking moment. And he wants to make sure she’s alright. He has to.

Suddenly, a sound pierces through the air. The sound of clock chimes. Immediately, Y/N’s blood runs cold.

“What time is it?”

“It’s midnight.” Everything hits her all at once, like a bucket of cold water has been dumped over her, chilling every part of her. Her fairy godmother’s warnings ring out in her mind once more.

“At the last stroke of midnight, everything will be as it once was.”

“I’m so sorry, but I have to go. Thank you for a lovely evening!” She gasps, breaking free from Bucky’s grasp and rushing back towards the palace, to her carriage before the chimes finish. As she runs through the gardens, dodging people left and right, she can hear Bucky calling after her, trying to get her to stop. And every fibre of her being wants to turn back and tell him the truth. She knows he could protect her if she needed, that he would in a heartbeat.

But she can’t take that risk.

When she reaches the steps leading up towards the palace, Y/N runs down them, adrenaline rushing through her veins. In her haste, she can feel her shoes slipping off, but she has no time to stop them. When the first slipper falls off, Y/N doesn’t go back for it, too worried about Bucky seeing the truth to care about a shoe of all things. She slips the other one off, clasping it in her hands as she finishes her descent of the stairs and climbs back into her carriage.

As it sets off, whisking her back to her ordinary life, Y/N glances out of the window. Bucky stands on the stairs, watching her go. And Y/N feels her stomach twisting, and regret fills her veins.

“I’m sorry Bucky.” She whispers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The carriage only makes it a few miles away from the palace before collapsing completely, turned back into a pumpkin. And so, Y/N begins the long walk home, still clutching her remaining glass slipper. The waltz she and Bucky danced to replays in her head, and she hums along to the tune, moving through the steps in her head.

“It was wonderful.” She sighs to herself. “Better than I could’ve ever dreamt it.”

When she’s only a few yards away from home, the sound of hooves approaches, and Y/N ducks out of the way behind a wall. Peeking out, she glimpses them as they pass. Almost immediately, she notices the royal crest on the saddle. The feeling of hope builds in her gut once more, and she smiles. Bucky’s looking for her. He wants to find her again.

But just as soon as the hope rises, her anxieties sink in once more.

He’s not looking for her, some poor orphaned servant girl with no dowry to her name. He’s looking for the girl he thought she was. The princess, the wonderful dance partner. The girl who doesn’t exist. Sighing sadly, Y/N glances down at her remaining glass slipper, still glinting in the moonlight. A permanent reminder of the wonderful night she had…and what she lost.

But like she said, it’s better this way.

Isn’t it?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Your Highness.” The Captain of the Royal Guard pants, rushing into the room. “We looked everywhere, but there’s no sign of the mystery maiden. It appears she’s disappeared out of sight.”

Bucky sighs, nodding. “Thank you for trying, Captain.” He murmurs. He can still see the look on her face as she ran, the fear that something would happen if she didn’t leave immediately. It still makes his heart sink, even now. Nervously, he begins to tap his foot. Something is wrong with this woman, something in her life must be causing her great pain. He wants to find her again and to help her more than anything. The slipper sits atop his desk, sparkling in the candlelight. He picks it up once more, his fingers tracing around the heel. “A shoe made of glass.” He chuckles. “What a wonderfully strange woman.”

“Your Highness?” The Captain asks.

“Tomorrow morning, we commence a kingdom wide search for the maiden who fits this glass slipper.” He states. “No stone will be left unturned. Do you understand?” The Captain nods. “Good. Ready your men for the morning.” As the man departs, Bucky holds the slipper close to his chest, as if he was holding her that closely. “I will make this right.” He whispers. “I promise.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

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[aberfaeth]

i do wanna say wrt “the difference btwn good and evil is just aesthetics” the stepmother is doing apocalypses bc she got double dog dare reverse psychologied into being evil the princesses are doing apocalypses bc they can’t reconcile the idea of a good world with the trauma baked into their existences. doing apocalypses bad but They Are Not The Same

[crossnamara]

hi. :) uh very self indulgent cc sexuality hcs

ella - aroace lesbian

tadius - gay. probably arospec

the prince - bi. the biest of sexual. could be pan idk i like bi bc i like projecting. arospec but not fully

putrice - also bi. or a lesbian with comphet

rancilda - aro bisexual. once again. i am projecting<3

stepmother - shes. honestly idk i feel like zazz would have a better idea than me. but the vibes i am getting are lesbian using men to do her bidding

the narrator is also a slut bisexual

[moonmoonthecrabking]

oh my gosh step on your grave is so good. that second pre-chorus where ella gets on the table is so fun and makes her feel very realistic, like she's doing these tasks she hates so she's fantasising and moving around. and it gives ella the personality of (very justified) anger towards her stepfamily, particularly the stepmother, and sets up the idea that she thinks it's not reasonable to want that, which is why she asks for world peace or whatever when she first talks to the fairy queen. and, it's a bop. i'd love more expansion on the whole "i was raised to be appraised... a princess bride to be" and i think it could've been used in her conversation with tadius where he brings up how the prince's wife will have to rule, but that's probably another post. in conclusion step on your grave is a bop and also obviously bryce sounds fucking fantastic in it like i heard her and wow very wow ofc this is the same woman who sang hatchettown/axe man bc again wow

[noodles-doodles01]

Women and HOTD Pt 1: Alicent

All the women in the series are very passive, and not in a good way. Everything in the show just happens to them and they have no autonomy no matter what. I will admit that yes, Westeros is not kind to women, however within every confine there is some space. Rhaenyra is a princess and soon to be heir to the throne, Alicent is Queen consort. They hold some semblance of power whether it be between themselves or toward other male characters. The show seems to take on this false idea that women would never go to war because they're not hot headed like the men around them, but they place this idea in the most inopportune moments where it makes them seem stupid.

Going into specifics, let's start with Alicent: In FnB, she is more of an evil stepmother rather than an ex best friend. I did not mind this change because the opportunities were there: Alicent was treated as an equal by Rhaenyra when they were friends, so despite Rhaenyra's class above Alicent in society, she did not feel it. Then, post marriage to the king, Alicent is alone, and forced to pump out babies for a man the age of her father and cannot complain about it. Moreover, Rhaenyra seems to take out her anger and frustration on her, not seeing the pressures she endures frm her own father. That kind of reaction shows the first aspect of Rhaenyra's privilege: She can tell her father off about being married away. In Alicent's eyes, Rhaenyra's living her best life, and the lack of understanding would rub anyone the wrong way.

Like Alicent dealing with Rhaenyra's anger would hold so much of the following:

I did not choose to marry your father

Do you truly think if this was what I wanted that I wouldn't tell you?

You act as though producing heirs is your greatest fear and a burden you pity women for, yet here I sit before you and all you give me is contempt

Add that to the religious trauma she's inducing but clings to it anyway bc its how she copes (as we know from Alicent explaining how praying is the closest she can get to her own mother).

So right then, the shift of perceived equality is there. Alicent is Queen Consort but a child bride, who watches as the princess waltzes around huffing and puffing as she actively lives out being a baby factory.

But Alicent is someone driven by principle, hence her clutching to religion. She is doing this for duty. For the sake of her father. She is being rewarded for her perserverance, and would be punished for sinning.

Until Rhaenyra sleeps with Daemon and Cole.

I don't think it's entirely the fact that Rhaenyra did it unmarried, but rather the fact that she is able to do it without any sense of consequence. Add this to the fact that she lies to Alicent's face, swearing upon her mother (as though that isn't a soft spot for Alicent), and it results in getting Otto taken away.

Where is the justice Alicent sticks by in that?

Rhaenyra sinned, she lied to her face, and instead of dealing with any consequence, she is stranded amongst people she doesn't know, whilst Rhaenyra gets hush hush tea.

The shift grows wider.

Alicent, realizing she is all alone and is unsupported on all sides, decides to wear the green dress. Which is iconic in itself; she realizes that in her marriage to Viserys, the man who is meant to protect her in this context, is leaving her out to dry whilst tending for his daughter. This act of the dress is the first form of wiggle room Alicent gets in her cage; she has tried being nice and forgiving and she ended up alone for it.

By the end of the wedding, Criston Cole as her protector is added to her confinement. Another bit of growth, and the shift grows wider.

I do wish the show depicted how Alicent tormented Rhaenyra more, because that would display how Rhaenyra had grown more tension with Alicent, showing how both sides are at fault to some degree for their falling out. Nonetheless, the years pass and Rhaenyra has bastard sons, and its obvious (ideally for me they would follow some semblance of similarity to the books but we do with what we got), and Viserys does.not.care.

At this point, I feel like Alicent's resentment for Rhaenyra would not be solely from comparing their lives, but also because of how much Viserys ignores Alicent, removing any sense of power she may hold, for the sake of catering to Rhaenyra. We see this in his ignorance to the bastards, we see this in his lack of care for his children with Alicent, and his overall cheery attitude no matter what happens for the sake of "family". In Alicent's eyes, Rhaenyra is still the spoiled child from back when they were children.

Wouldn't that fill her with utter rage? The concept that Alicent is QUEEN, yet is constantly upstaged by the princess and her sinful whims whilst Alicent's children suffer for it? Wouldn't Otto's words echo in her mind that her children would not be safe should Rhaenyra be queen?

And, being the religious woman she is, she would spread those complaints to her children. She would spread her ideas of Rhaenyra and her children to Aemond, Aegon and even Helaena. She tells them out of fear, that they need to know that Rhaenyra acts kind but will hurt others to protect herself. Those ideas will stick in her kids brains because of course it does. I will go into more detail about Alicent's kids in a separate post.

This all comes to a peak when Aemond loses his eye, which is a personal fave episode of mine because I had thought we would get some glimpse of book Alicent after this. Aemond is fatally injured, especially considering the time they live in. Westeros is not kind to those who are visibly different, and it was the resul of a children's spat. Of COURSE Alicent would assume that the boys attacked her own son; it's a projection of sorts, she spreads this hatred against Rhaenyra's kids to her own children, she would assume Rhaenyra does the same. And her son has paid the price for it.

Yet Viserys gives Rhaenyra a slap on the wrist, and instead berates Aegon and Aemond about a comment made, completely ignoring the fact that Aemond is MISSING AN EYE. Alicent is given full proof here and now that Rhaenyra will always get what she wants no matter the cost, and her "Thank you father" acts as a way to rub it in. So of course, she grabs the knife and attacks Rhaenyra, where is duty? Where is sacrifice?

THIS is when she show decides "lol and then she forgot all about that"

Because afterwards, Alicent becomes passive; the usurpation is based on a stupid misunderstanding, when it could have simply been Alicent pushing for Aegon to protect her children, because she can control her own action, she cannot control Rhaenyra's.

In S2, they shift even further with this idea of Alicent being someone who has things happen to them, not even done to them. BnC should have had Alicent present, because it is her first view of consequence she gets from the Dance. It is a foretelling of tragedy and she only suffers more for it. Instead, she is with Criston Cole.

I will always hate the pairing, because I would never believe that Alicent, who has suffered SA at the hands of men, would simply turn to another man once Viserys is dead, when that man is CRISTON COLE. Alicent is canonically weirded out by Cole's interest in Rhaenyra in the books, and it makes perfect sense for that to translate in the show with Alicent being younger. Why on earth would she get with him?

Worst of all, they have Alicent almost depending on the men in her life for protection? As though she wouldn't already know that they're useless from her experiences with Viserys and her father?

And the worst part of it is that the writers STILL could have gotten the "woe is me im a victim of the patriarchy" idea of Alicent in S2, because that is when Aegon and Aemond do take the wheel. Aemond murdered a child, and in return Jahaerys was taken. She could have been depicted having little to no control over the actions after, and how her family suffers for it, because it is literally canon that later in the story, when she loses everything in the war, she regrets ever wearing the green dress.

So could you imagine, Alicent, a woman who has pushed past her position given the small amount of room she had in power, slowly being taken out of the picture because the situation soon snowballs into a tragedy she can no longer control? And how at the end of it all, she loses everything she fought tooth and nail to protect.

Instead, we get a wishy washy character, who could have been executed PERFECTLY by Olivia Cooke if done right, wandering around the castle because the writers don't know what to do with her anymore.

[midnightmah07]

In relation to the post you just reposted:

💛 Daisy + Ruggie and/or ❤️ Leona + Isabelle

I’m such a sucker for these to ships if I hadn’t made that evident yet😭😭🩷🩷🩷

GAHH IM HAPPY YOU LIKE THEM 😭😭😭 I have a very clear bias towards these two ships as well mainly bc like. Ruggie is my favorite character and Leona is my second favorite (but I love him almost as much as I love Ruggie- ALMOST)... ANYWAYS🥲

💛 reunion kiss / relief (this is an au where Daisy goes back to her world, but canonically she stays in twisted wonderland)

It has been a few months ever since Daisy has been back from Twisted Wonderland. She was fully back to her life as a servant, and back to sleeping in the attic. It could be worst, she thought, at least she had a place to stay – the attic was very big, her sisters didn't bother her there either – and she saw her mice friends again... But...

She couldn't help but miss NRC.

She missed Grim and his constant talk of being a great mage, she missed Ace and Deuce fighting over the most trivial things, she missed Trein giving her special lessions, Kalim inviting her to parties, Leona ruffling her hair...

She missed Ruggie.

The universe was so cruel to her, it even deprived her of her dreams with her boyfriend– well... Ex-boyfriend, she supposed. Before NRC she always had dreams about a guy, and she realized after a while that it was Ruggie, but now... Now that she needed those dreams to comfort her the most...

She couldn't have them. No matter how hard she tried.

She tried getting herself preoccupied, doing more than necessary, to the point her stepmother commented on her doing way too much. But she needed to do something to take her mind off of him.

So she went to buy groceries this afternoon, hoping that a change of scenery would take her back to reality. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't help but smile upon seeing donuts, thinking to gift them to Ruggie only to remember she couldn't see him; she stumbled across a store selling TVs, and on one of them there was a documentary about hyenas; she felt the groceries a bit too heavy for her, only to remember Ruggie wasn't there to help her carry them.

She stopped walking in the middle of the street, her eyes seemingly unfocused as memories of him flooded her brain.

His smile, his laugh, his fluffy hair, his gentle way of touching her, his way of teasing her... She wanted all of it. She wanted all of it back.

She wanted him back.

"Daisy."

The blonde blinked, her head looking straight ahead, staring at the person who called her fake name, the name no one in this world knew of.

Daisy met grayish blue eyes, a beanie on the familiar locks of dirty blonde hair, and a face filled with freckles, that changed into a smile the moment her eyes met his.

"Ruggie?" She mumbled, almost to herself, not believing what she was seeing. Running to his arms, she let him hug her tightly, not carrying about the groceries falling on the ground. He was here! She had no idea how, but he was! "How–"

Before she could finish asking, he gave her a gentle kiss, her heart beating a mile per second as her eyes began to sting.

She thought she'd never kiss him again.

"I'll explain later, I promise." He said, going back again for another kiss, missing her way too much to speak.

❤️ first kiss / realization

"Wake up." Isabelle's eyes opened slowly at the call, rubbing her eyes as she felt her back and neck sore from the position she fell asleep in. "And you call me lazy."

"I'm not being lazy..." She contained a yawn, making Leona laugh. "I couldn't sleep well last night, give me a break."

The beastman shifted his attention to the wall across from them, changing the position of his legs as he cleared his throat. "You ok?"

Isabelle lifted an eyebrow at that, but felt an odd satisfaction by the question. She pushed it aside though, she had no reason to be happy about him asking if she was ok, he was simply being decent.

"Yeah, just a bit tired."

"Why couldn't you sleep? Had a nightmare or something?" He asked in a teasing manner, and Isabelle rolled her eyes at that.

"No. I'm not a child."

"Never said you were." He continued, the smirk still prevalent on his face, making Isabelle look at him and scowl in annoyance. "Though I guess you could be mistaken by one if looking from afar... You do have the height of one."

Isabelle clicked her tongue, crossing her arms and looking elsewhere. She wasn't in the mood for their usual bickering, not after what happened last night before she fell asleep.

When she realized she had harbored feelings for him.

Even now, it was hard to act normal around Leona. She felt her heard beating faster, she was anxious, and couldn't help but feel a sense of nervousness around him. She couldn't even deny it any longer, and that, she supposed, was what irritated her. That she was actually in love with him, of all people.

Leona realized she didn't answer, using his hand to poke her cheek, getting her attention. "You seem strange. You sure you're ok?" He asked, tilting his head, genuine worry in his voice even when he tried to mask it. "I could call a doctor."

"No, I'm– I'm alright, just a bit tired, like I said." Isabelle explained, moving her head to his direction in order to look him in the eyes and explain the situation.

She didn't realize just how close he was to her though.

His face was merely centimeters close to hers, she could feel his breath on her face. Suddenly she froze, not sure of what to do in that moment as she kept opening her mouth to try and say something, but she quickly closed it in fear of stuttering and giving out just how nervous she was by something so stupid as their proximity.

Why was she freaking out anyway? It wasn't like anything would happen, he'd just– you know, distance himself and go back to being silent, letting her sleep again. Surely.

Then why was he getting closer?

Isabelle instinctively closed her eyes, her nose crinkling a bit and she heard Leona chuckle. His hand moved to her face, and before she knew it he was kissing her. Isabelle's body was stiff, she didn't even do anything, she just stood there in awe. It wasn't like she wasn't enjoying it, quite the opposite actually but– she didn't know what to do.

The kiss was simple, it wasn't deep, their mouths were close throughout the whole process, it felt more like a long peck than an actual kiss, but it drove her absolutely insane.

When they finally parted, he rested his forehead on hers, his eyes averting her gaze. He moved away, crossing his arms again and going back to the same position he was a few seconds ago. Isabelle blinked in confusion. That was it? She cleared her throat in embarrassment as her heart sinked a little by his lack of reaction.

"You can use my shoulder. To rest, I mean. Better than straining your neck." She noticed his leg going up and down as he looked at the ground. She smiled, maybe he was just as embarrassed as her.

"Thank you." With that, she rested her head on his shoulder, melting because of his touch, a happy sigh escaping her.

Fine, maybe being in love with him wasn't all that bad.

[necrotic-nephilim]

For the ask game! 3 and 21 please ✨

for the choose violence ask game!

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

i won't screenshot bc i'm not thinking of one post specifically but a couple i've seen- the idea that Tim should be from Crime Alley, not Bristol. which firstly: i need people to understand Tim isn't Bristol rich. Tim is a millionaire and not nearly as high a tax bracket as Bruce is. his family goes *bankrupt* at one point and it's his stepmother supporting them with a job as a physical therapist. like he's not as rich as some ppl thing he is. but that said, he *is* still upper middle class and it's very important to who he is and how his history as Robin is shaped. it shapes how he interactions with other characters. you just... can't make him from Crime Alley? like why would you want to when we *have* a Crime Alley Robin. it changes so much about Tim that he's no longer then same character. and the idea he could just lie about being from an affluent family with a seven-figure company is? i do not get it. like the entire mess of "Tim pretends to be a Drake" is a headcanon that is so bad to me and just tries too hard to make Tim' backstory more interesting to make him the main character. the entire point of Tim Drake was for him to be a *normal kid* becoming Robin. and all that is ruined when you add all these weird things to him. i'm begging fanon to just enjoy Janet and Jack Drake. please <3

21. part of canon you think is overhyped

oooh, i already talked about Joker: Last Laugh and Deat In The Family. is it... bad if i say the entirety of Wayne Family Adventures?

i think i'll be nice and narrow it down actually: the Wayne Family Adventures episode where Jason has a panic attack because a noise reminds him of the crowbar and he runs and hides until Bruce finds him. that episode... oh it haunts me. i think it really fucked up how most of this fandom understands Jason's relationship to his trauma. and the fact that it's *so* popular makes it even worse bc it can often be the only "canon" content some fans have consumed about him. it makes Jason feel incompetent and it misunderstands what his trauma around his death actually is. it paints him as afraid of the Joker and not full of such a violent rage. i just. oh i can usually understand the merits to WFA even if it's not For Me, but that episode i just... don't get it. i don't get how someone can honestly enjoy Jason's character and still think that episode does him favors and is in character. i'm baffled and angry and rolling my eyes all at once.

[hrrystylesbookclub]

for funsies i like to imagine that fleabag and good omens take place in the same universe, specifically matchmaker crowley tempting the hot priest into falling in love with with fleabag. and aziraphale knows and is like “crowley no!!” but then he sees them together and is like “… continue, i’ll put in a word upstairs and get them to not be so mad” and crowley gets soooooo upset when the priest eventually chooses God over fleabag and has to spend the night in azi’s bookshop where he watches pride and prejudice 2005 (recommended by aziraphale) to cheer him up

i also like to imagine aziraphale frequenting Hilary’s Cafe bc he thinks the guinea pig theme is charming, and drags crowley along, which is where crowley gets the idea to play matchmaker. AND OH MY GOD oh my god aziraphale would love the idea of chatty tuesdays but he would get so nervous when he actually would have to speak to people.

and he would invite fleabag to come to the whickber street shopkeepers and street traders association but she DESPERATELY tries to avoid it but eventually feels bad because she’s so attached to this eccentric man and his hot partner so she goes and drags claire along and somehow her stepmother also comes along and invites crowley to her upcoming new and improved sexhibition who is TOTALLY down

[rahleeyah]

Is it worth pointing out that even the score last night evoked an atmosphere more reminiscent of a horror movie than an NBC procedural like Liv is haunted haunted which brings me to

I am obsessed with the idea that after all these years, after all these things that she has seen, endured, borne witness to, battered with her own hands, that Liv possesses an almost psychic understanding of the crimes; Liv knows that Sydney is not ok, when Sydney's stepmother initially believed that she was fine; Liv understands the criminals' motivations, when Rosie's parents can't grasp it; Liv scents the traces of the girls on the boat like a goddamn bloodhound; townhouse incident townhouse incident; Liv knows exactly what to say to talk that boy around, she knows what he is, she knows how to reach him; she's seen it all before. Who else could do what she does? No one. And maybe that's good for everybody else bc no one should know the things she knows for the reasons that she knows them

[franzkafkagf]

im obsessed with the idea of aegon and rhaenyra being the to focal points of HOTD, how do you think that xould work out?

(hot take maybe) evil Stepmother Alicent just was NOT working for me, sorry! I think show Alicent is superior in almost every regard. I love Alicent, but I also think the writers kinda fucked up in making Alicent Rhaenyra‘s narrative foil and not Aegon. Their thing was cute up until episode 8.

Think abt it, Alicents relevance from now on stems from her trying to make the men around her make decisions that benefit her. She doesn‘t really have a place in the story anymore to have a direct conflict with Rhaenyra, but rather within her own faction. But the writers can‘t have that, so they‘ll shoehorn in scenes to somehow explain why these two need to talk it out AGAIN etc etc. Screentime that could be used to actually develop characters n relationships (by god give me one scene with aegon and his children before blood and cheese).

I don‘t wanna sound like a hater but this dynamic is just sooo obviously there. And its lot only bc of Rhaegon, they are obvious foils for each other if you just think about it for one second. Both are the respective leaders of their fractions, both have lost a son at the start of the war, their dragons are even similar. The climax of the story literally involves just the two of them (+Egg3). It‘s soo weird how theyre just completely ignoring this. And it‘s actually actively making the show worse. atp I could actually believe that they‘ll have Alicent chill on dragonstone too in the end

[anamenooneowns]

Healed

A/N: hi! i've started watching the OBX and i wanted to just write something platonic for rafe bc i feel like a lot could have been prevented if this kid just had love in his life, lmao. uh, so previously this was with the reader as him mother but i'm changing it to just be a woman who is his stepmother and black. anyone can read this though.

Warnings: light talking of animal abuse, talk of therapy, she/her pronouns.

This is entirely platonic.

IN WHICH: Rafe is Loved.

-Coming into Rafe’s life when he was starting to go through his issues at ten. He wasn’t stupid, he could see that his father was focusing more and more on Sarah and less on him

-So what did a young kid who wanted his father’s attention do? He tried harder. He tried harder because trying harder must have meant he just wasn’t doing enough in the first place. He stopped playing video games, studied 24/7, read books in his free time, took care of four year old Wheezie and of seven year old Sarah

-His stepmother saw how desperate he was for approval. Waiting for even just a splinter of a bone, like a dog, to take away and nurture secretly from everyone else’s eyes

-She also realized that when he saw good things weren’t getting his father’s attention, he turned to bad things… really bad things

-Starting fights, locking Sarah in places like the basement or closet if she got on his nerves, telling Wheezie scary stories that made her too afraid to leave her bed and gave her nightmares she couldn’t sleep from, catching him outside one day torturing a poor stray cat that was always near the house by pulling its tail until she found him

-Rafe was still wary of her: the stepmother. Maybe not as wary as he was filled with pre-conceived notions. She had to think he was just a nuisance, an annoying boy who got into shit and was just acting out and being a spoiled brat. Rafe saw nothing meaningful in being a child because the adults around him were always staring at him like some big disappointment, whispering condolences to Ward as if he had died as a kid. That it was just a phase and when he was older it would stop

-That was where Rafe’s desire to become a man had blossomed, until she stepped in and squashed that bullshit right in the bud.

-She opened her heart to Rafe in a way that scared him. This had to be a trap. What did she gain from being so nice and sweet? Brownie points with his father because she was a good step-mom? A good reputation among the other parents for stepping up for these motherless kids?

-He responded the only way a wounded dog could. By biting.

-He was nasty and rude and mean in a specific way branded to her. Hitting where he felt it would hurt the most, wanting–needing–to drive her away because he knew if he didn’t then he’d have to face the most painful truth of all

-That someone loved him

-And she did love this precious boy. This ten year old boy who was a maelstrom of pain and hurt and anger and confusion and a bone-aching loneliness that she swallowed for him with every smile, every defense of his actions, every meal, every ruffle of his hair, and every unsaid ‘I love you’

-The early grieved childhood of Rafe Cameron turned around with the help of one woman who made being a kid have value again.

-She was incredibly patient. Soon, very early mornings became ones of meditation for her and Rafe, silence befriending both as them as they sat outside on specific, comfy pillows to start the day. Incense in the air from fragrances like lavender and vanilla to frankincense

-Rafe never thought himself to be the creative type, but he shyly found himself really enjoying pottery with her. Painting too

-He liked the idea of being able to make whatever he wanted and give it new life and redo it if he made a mistake

-He loves listening to old-school R&B and Hip-Hop with her while doing it. He has one of those reversable plushies so if it’s smiling then he wants the session to be a talking one, if it isn’t then he doesn’t want to talk but it can change mid-session too

-Rafe also never says anything about it, but he adores her curly hair and she only knows because she caught him trying to peek discreetly at her while she was doing the last braid of the row she was on

-He’s so sweet and shy too, telling her that he likes the products she uses because they smell really good and just quietly watching her do the rest

-As Rafe grows older, it’s clear he’s changed a lot but she actually forced Ward to do something about this disconnect that she sees he still has. Rafe isn’t a bad kid but he still doesn’t see that when he does certain things, they hurt people’s feelings, and his empathy isn’t fully there 

-Rafe initially resists it because his thought process is ‘they think I’m crazy’ until he actually attends with her–for support–and really enjoys it

-Rafe is kinder to his sisters and is more like a big brother now, bothering them by going into their room for no reason, messing something up, then leaving

-Rafe is always in the kitchen when she is, watching her cook and helping too at her gentle instruction

-Rafe’s best friends have been Topper and Kelce his whole life but with her intervention, he finds himself not caring at all about ‘Kooks vs. Pogues’ similarly to Sarah and I see him not choosing to be friends with them anymore because he doesn't want to become the same rotten apple. You know what they say-one (two) rotten apples spoils the whole barrel.

-Healed Rafe is completely about protecting his peace. This kid meditates, drinks tea, has been learning to not react impulsively, and is super responsible

-Rafe actually going to college and not just fucking around with Ward's money and doing drugs, all because someone saw him and helped him instead of just watching him drown

-Rafe chooses to head to college outside of the OBX and North Carolina in general to just get away from it all and on the last day, all moved into his dorms in NYC, he hugs her tightly and for the first time in the decade she's been in his family he says, “Thank you, mom, for–for everything, okay? … I love you. Sorry I didn’t say it sooner.”

-There’s a lump in her throat as she hugged her son, her baby, and just held onto him a little tighter

“Don’t apologize, baby. I already knew.”

[castlechroniclesart]

Okay so my beautiful partner had two ideas about Neverafter that are incredibly interesting to me.

1) The Stepmother is so powerful because she is an ARCHETYPE. She’s not just one story, she’s many. Like the Fairies, like the Big Bad Wolf. Fun idea!

2) Big one. The Neverafter and the Times of Shadow are simply this; the Grimm Brothers recording their stories. That’s why all these tales are suddenly so dark and morbid, stories that are orally wondrous and innocent are now being written and canonized as much more gory tales because they’re being written and published by The Authors. Not just any Authors, the Grimm Brothers themselves. That’s why Aesop’s world and the other worlds aren’t as violent or dismal as the Neverafter. Because The Grimm Brothers didn’t write those stories!!!!!

Please let us know what you think bc this is a super cool theory in my opinion!!!