#but then bc her mother had her at 17 and shes been married herself for 16 years

[marsixm]

also kind fascinating sometimes how much age feels constructed. im 28 but feel like a baby bc i only moved out of my family home, had active relationships, and got a job and stuff within the last couple of years, meanwhile my work bestie is only 38 but bc hes been working since he was 16, married for 13 years and his oldest kid is 12 he feels ancient and i have to remind him hes not

[youremyheaven]

Momagers, Stage Mom's & Mama's Boys: The Dysfunctional Moon Child

Moon influenced people often come from households where they had a very dysfunctional relationship with their parents. Both parents are usually toxic but the Moon person forms a close, overly sympathetic and anxiously attached bond with one parent who they perceive as the victim or martyr in some way. (Dad's abusive or neglectful and mom's the one trying her best, for example).

WHY does this happen?

Moon is said to be the most Yin of the planets. It's passive, feminine and emotional.

Most of the time, these bonds are toxic because its overly protective, overly nurturing, controlling, overly caring as opposed to say Sun influence which will create bonds that are too independent and unattached (aka female friendships vs male friendships lol). Moon influenced parent-child bonds become toxic because there's TOO MUCH love, care and attachment and neither party can have a separate independent existence.

Moon influence is prominent in the charts of momagers/stage moms AND the kids who are under their control.

Priyanka Chopra, Rohini Moon

Pri and her mom are attached at the hip and they're literally ALWAYS together. She has managed Pri's career since she was a teenager. And since she's not a nepo kid, it's known that she's had affairs with several married men in the industry, especially when she was starting out, to secure work :((

And I think its fucked up to have a parent basically pimp you out to make money. Be it PC getting a nose job or her army doctor mother quitting her job to open a cosmetic surgery clinic or her family running a pub?? PC is the golden goose and her family has just been living off of her money and encouraging her to basically do anything to make it. I think its a bit fcked to be smoking with your mom and its not bc I'm Indian lol

Alia Bhatt, Shravana Rising

Now Alia's dad is a pretty well known asshole who is infamous for being abusive. And Alia had a pretty rough upbringing, so its no wonder that Alia is as attached to her mom as she is. Alia's own marriage is pretty fucked up and toxic.

Alia started her career when she was 17 and to this day, her mom manages her finances. She was recently in the news for being scammed out of 1 crore rupees (119,000 dollars) so like I guess her mom's not exactly brilliant at what she does lol

Katrina Kaif, Hasta Moon

Katrina Kaif who is British, came to India when she was 17 and met and started dating the violent, toxic abusive Salman Khan, who was 20 years older than her. He helped her establish herself as a huge star but she went through a lot including physical abuse.

Kat endured all that because she had 7 siblings to support and her mom was a single mom. She's extremely close to her mom but I still think its fcked up that a literal teenager had to become the breadwinner of a family of 8 and endure all kinds of abuse in a toxic industry and in a country where she knew nobody just to break even.

Bella Hadid, Hasta Moon

Yolanda is a toxic mom in general but she has a particularly toxic bond with Bella for sure

Britney Spears, Shravana Moon

She's probably the most notorious example of being controlled by her toxic , abusive family :(((

Brooke Shields, Rohini Sun/Jupiter/Rahu

Her mom made her pose naked for playboy when she was 10. That should say enough about how fcked up her momager was. She has spoken about how her mom was an alcoholic and she felt like she had to do everything she could do to keep her mom alive :((

Ranbir Kapoor, Shravana Moon

He grew up in a toxic home where his dad cheated on his mom and was an alcoholic. He's KNOWN to be a mama's boy and his mother lowkey influenced all his previous relationships until he finally tied the knot with someone his mom approved of ://

Today his wife dresses and emulates his mom lmao

Leonardo DiCaprio, Hasta Moon

He's another infamous mama's boy

It's interesting to me how in most of these cases, the fathers were either absent or neglectful. These people grew up under the sole care of their mothers and it created an overly possessive, toxic, codependent bond. All of these people have spoken about how hard their mom's lives were and how they're grateful for everything their mothers did for them. This tendency of the Moon to make its natives be entirely sheltered from Yang or male influence or in some ways find Yang influence repulsive is very telling.

Similar to how Sun influenced people find it difficult to relate to or connect with Yin themes (like being clingy, attached, being nurturing in a traditional way, being openly loving etc) Moon influenced people struggle the most with detachment, letting go, independence etc. The extremes of both these can be unhealthy. It's important to learn how to be balanced and not give in to the tendencies that can harm both us and the people in our lives.

That's all for this post<3

[raven-dor]

can you write a fem reader x James Potter where she like has an anxiety attackat like 3 am bc her parents say she isn't getting good enough grades and that they're gonna pull her out of Hogwarts and so he like calms her down?

drink some water and eat something <3

also can I be :3 anon?

stay with me

In which james potter comforts his best friends twin sister

PAIRING: james potter x sirius black's twin!reader

WARNINGS: anxiety attack, horrible parenting, mentions of abuse, self-esteem issues, fluff ending

WORD COUNT: 1.6k

🎶 : stay with me - sam smith

AN: loved writing this!! as someone who craves academic validation, this was kind of healing to put into the world <3

Her hands shook as she stared at the letter her parents had sent her. It had been the fifth one this month, not that she was counting. And they were all the same: vile insults of her knowledge and constant reminders that her brother was a better student than she would ever be. 

She laughed when they had said it the first time, telling them that “comparing anyone to Regulus, and he’s a better student.” Her mother had smacked her for that. 

This letter had been the worst of them. Her parents knew how to get a rise out of her, stating that if she did not better herself, she’d be pulled from Hogwarts before she could graduate. And even worse, if she was pulled, they would marry her off to Amycus Carrow, the insufferable twat. 

Her head of house had pulled her aside weeks ago, telling her that she was doing poorly in her classes, stating that he knew of multiple tutors who could help her fix them. She ignored his offer; after all, if she had wanted help, she would have asked Remus. 

It was late; curfew had passed hours ago, but she still stumbled through the halls, hyperventilating. She’d told herself she needed fresh air, but that hadn’t helped. Then she thought a walk would help; also useless. Now, she was just choking on her tears in the hall, hoping Filch didn’t find her. She was used to it, the constant belittling by her own mother and father. Even her cousins contributed. At first, it hadn’t bothered her; if her family had nothing better to do than insult her, they should feel free. 

Eventually, their insults warped her mind. She became a shell of her former self, no longer cracking jokes or teasing her brothers and friends. She sat in the corner of the library, reading the pages of her textbooks over and over until her mind felt numb. Sirius had tried to cheer her up constantly, one of his attempts resulting in a detention. 

A breeze pulled her down the dark corridor, the night sky visible at the end. Maybe sitting by the Black Lake or lying on the grassy hill would help her calm down. She sniffled, pulling her robe closer to herself. The Quidditch pitch was empty; she was sure of it. The grass there was well-kept, thanks to the gamekeeper. She pushed past the cloth, the great field standing before her. 

She ran to the middle, falling to the ground in a completely undignified manner. If her mother were here, she’d scold her. “That is no way for a lady to sit.” She could hear her, even hundreds of miles away. 

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the voices that attacked her. Her heart pumped harder, beating against her chest. She gasped, rubbing her hand in circular motions, grounding herself. “You are no daughter of mine.” That is what her mother had said in the letter, the last thing she said before she signed off with her perfect penmanship. “You are no daughter of mine.” 

Y/N laughed. She didn’t want to be her daughter anyway. Sadly, she did not have a choice in that matter; Walburga had pushed her out 17 years ago, and here she was. Sobbing violently in the middle of the night on the grass.

Most likely the best thing Y/N Black would ever do.

She couldn’t get her grades up, no matter how hard she tried; she couldn’t be the perfect daughter, and she couldn’t be normal. A normal person, she told herself, wouldn’t be sobbing over her horrible grades. “You are no normal person, Y/N.” Her father would say. “You are a Black.”  

She brought her hands to her face, shaking her head. She murmured to herself, hiccuping every so often. A hand touched her shoulder, and she jumped, ripping her hands from her face. “Y/N?”

James. 

He smiled lightly. “Are you alright, love?” 

She sat up, wiping away the tears that still flowed. “I’m fine, Jamie. Don’t worry about it.” She stood, smiling. “Have fun.” 

He stood in front of her, blocking her escape. “I wouldn’t say you’re fine. You’re crying.” 

She scoffed. “Well, I didn’t ask for your opinion.” She stepped around him, speaking over her shoulder. “Drop it.” 

His hand wrapped around her wrist, holding her in place. “Indulge me.” He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. “Sometimes I forget to breathe, and I do these exercises to help regulate myself.” He smiled. “Can you do it with me? It would really help me if you played along.” 

She knew he was tricking her, but she didn’t really care. “Sure, James.” 

He nodded. “Just breathe in for five, hold for two, exhale for five.” He smirked, nudging her shoulder. “Works wonders.” 

She tried not to roll her eyes, following along. God, she hated it when he was right. He often was, too; that was the horrible thing. James tried to play the dumb jock stereotype, but he was brilliant in Transfiguration, DADA, and Potions. It irked her to no end that James was not only a great quidditch player but an amazing student, friend, and person. 

They sat in silence for a moment before he spoke again. “Do you want to tell me what had you so worked up?” She shook her head. He sighed, holding her hands in his. “Can I guess then?” 

“Be my guest, Potter.” 

“Dear old mum and dad.” He raised his eyebrow, smiling lightly. “Am I right?” 

“Once again.” She nodded. “You know how they are.” 

He nodded back. “I do. But I’ve never seen you this upset over something they’ve done.” He whispered softly. “You don’t have to tell me, but you need to know I hate seeing you like this.” 

“Am I that hideous when I cry?” She laughed. “I’ll try to refrain from violently sobbing next time.” 

“Don’t do that.” He rubbed her cheek, smiling when a blush formed. “You’ve never been hideous a day in your life, Y/N. And you never will be.” 

She scoffed. “You flatter me too much, James.” 

“I only tell the truth.” Their hands swayed in between them. 

“They told me they were going to pull me out of school because my grades were so poor.” She murmured. “Don’t they know I’m trying?” 

“Your parents are unforgiving and cold. They disowned Sirius, for Merlin’s sake.” He pulled her closer, leaning down. “You know they have no logical thoughts.” 

“I know.” 

“I know you’re trying,” James smirked. “And honestly, that’s all that matters.” 

“How could I forget?” Y/N laughed. “The great James Potter, in all his infinite wisdom, strikes again.” 

“Is there…” He sighed. “Is there anything else?” 

“If they pull me out, they’ve already promised Amycus Carrow that we will be married.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “My worst nightmare come to life.” 

James gasped, visibly disgusted. “Merlin, I knew your mother was a horrible person, but to promise you to him-” He shivered. “She really has no love in her heart.” 

“She does.” Y/N corrected. “It’s reserved for Regulus.” 

“Ah.” He sighed. “You know you’re a good student, right?” 

She glared, trying to pull her hands out of her grip. “Don’t be mean.” 

“I’m not, I swear. You are an amazing student. Remember when you helped me with DADA? Last week? I would have completely failed if it wasn’t for you.” 

“Nonsense.” She blushed. “You would have been fine. DADA’s your best subject.” 

He laughed. “Maybe. But because of you, we’ll never know.” He giggled, wiggling his eyebrows. “You’re my hero, Y/N Black.” 

She shoved him away, rolling her eyes affectionately. “Shut it, you.” 

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, walking them out of the Quidditch Pitch. “I could use a hot cocoa. What about you?” 

“Cider sounds better.” 

He rolled his eyes. “Fine. Cider it is.” 

The kitchens were luckily not far from the pitch, and with one tickle of the pear, the door opened, not a single house elf in sight. Y/N settled into one of the two large leather seats, staring into the fire. “It’s my fault they don’t love me.” 

“What?” James scoffed, kneeling in front of her. “Why would you say that?” 

“I should have been a better daughter. If I had spent less time-” 

“Living? Y/N, listen to me. You are doing your best. And if they can’t see that, then that’s their problem. You, Sirius, and Regulus are better off without them.” 

“Sirius and Regulus, maybe.” She mumbled. “I don’t deserve it.” 

“It?” 

“Happiness.” 

James shook his head. “Never say that again. If you can’t do it for yourself, then do it for me. You- You deserve everything.” He brought his hands up to her cheeks. “Everything.”

She blushed. “James-” 

“Say it.” He looked at her rather dangerously; her stomach flipped. “Say you deserve everything.” 

“I don’t-” A hand tickled her side, and she gasped. “James!” 

He grinned, tickling her incessantly. “Say it, and I’ll stop!” 

“I- I deserve- I deserve everything!” She cackled, panting from the sudden attack. “I deserve everything.” 

He nodded, looking much too pleased with himself. “Good.” He stood up, grabbing her mug. “My lady.” 

She scoffed. “The least you could do after your violent attack.” 

“Please.” He smirked. “You know you love me.” 

“How exactly did you know I was on the Quidditch Pitch, hm?” She raised her eyebrow. “Were you following me on your little map?” 

He blushed, taking a sip of his cider. She smiled to herself. “That’s what I thought.” 

[izz-ler]

I've got some more stuff for the vocaloid family au: time for the parents!!!

Details under the cut! (Look at me learning how this cite works woo)

Alright lets start with Miku's parents!

First up, Dad-Miku

Dad-Miku is the middle child of three, bc of that he's become a bit of a people-pleaser from trying to keep the peace between a teenage sister(mom-luka) and a toddler brother(Kaito) when he was a kid. He works at a smaller company in the countryside. His parents(grand-mikus) decided to start a small farm when the kids grew up, and he decided to stay close so that he and his wife could keep an eye on his parents since they're not getting any younger.

Dad-Miku used to dream of becoming a mangaka as a teen, and would self publish small comics that never really got anywhere. He hasn't 100% given up on the idea, but he's not actively pursuing it anymore. He would also help Kaito out with his music since he has a good ear for it.

Miku gets her musical creativity from her dad.

Second is Mom-Miku

Mom-Miku grew up in the outskirts of the city closer to the country with her younger sister(mom-rin/len) she's a very blunt person and says what she thinks if anyone asks, however she knows when to keep it to herself and isn't an overly rude person. She enjoys doing home-DIY projects and helps out her inlaws on the farm whenever she can. She's a wiz in the kitchen, but can't bake for shit. She's not overly judgemental and encourages individuality in her kids and other family members, however she's very much a realist and will tell you when she thinks somethings a bad idea or not, tho she won't stop you.

She gives great advice, and is the one to tell the waiter that her husband asked for mashed potatoes and not fries when out to eat.

Miku takes after her mom in appearance and bluntness.

Third is Mom-Luka

Mom-Luka is a bit of an airhead. She's about 5 years older than Dad-Miku and 12 years older than Kaito, so he's her baby brother, tho they could 100% get into fights when they were younger. She lived at home until she got married, so she got to see both of her brothers grow up. She used to work for an international fashion company which is where she met her husband on a work trip to America. He's Chinese-American and grew up in the States, tho he was willing to move to Japan with Mom-Luka as he wasn't handling the long distance relationship very well. Mom-Luka was very much a stunner in her younger years and Luka has definitely inherited that, tho she's not as ditsy as her mom and takes after her dad more in personality.

Last up is Mom-Rin/Len

Mom-Rin/Len is actually about 10 years younger than her sister, Mom-Miku. She was a bit of a wild-child and party animal in her teens and due to some unfortunate decisions had Rin and Len when she was 17. She doesn't regret it though, because having them made her more responsible. She had to drop out of high-school because of the pregnancy, but managed to get a job at a beauty salon where she worked her way up and got her beauty diplomas so she could get a better pay. She now works and runs a somewhat successful salon and has managed to move her and the kids into the suburbs close to the city, which she's very proud of herself for, especially since she's been a single mother the entire time(she never told the father(bc she didn't know who it was)).

Because she herself was a bit of a rebel, she knows all the ins and outs of sneaky teens which means that Rin and Len can't get away with anything. She doesn't want them to have to deal with the same stuff she did, so she's a bit strict when it comes to school and discipline. But she's not an absolute demon and knows how to party when the time comes.

Mom-Luka likes to go to her salon to get her nails done and Mom-Rin/Len always does it personally, so they're somewhat close.

She likes it when her kids express themselves and encourages them to go crazy with their clothes and hair(hence why Len still has longer hair even though it's against the school dress code). Within reason ofc.

She's very sociable which Rin takes after, but Len's calmness and appearance is starting to remind her of someone as he gets older, tho she can't really put her finger on who.

[weanonme]

17 year old Ava Silva is used to not being wanted. The last 10 years of her life have consisted of moving from family to family and house to house and never finding a home. 6 months before her 18th birthday she gets moved to a new family in a small town after a particularly nasty incident caused Ava to be removed from her last family. Ava, who believes that no family will ever want her, has decided that she is going to do her best to keep her head down and just try to survive the last six months she has until she ages out of the system and eventually gets put on the street. Her plan to make no connections with anyone is quickly ruined when the people of this small town she’s been placed in, make her feel more at home than she’s ever felt since her mom died when she was seven.

A poorly written fanfic summary of an Avatrice found family fanfic I would write if I could actually write. If anyone would like to actually write it please go for it! The ideas I had for the story I’ll write below. You obviously don’t have to listen to them and can totally make the story your own but I figured I’d share what I thought of that made me make this post

Jillian and mother superion would be married and the foster parents of Ava. They would already have Michael. I toyed around with the idea of them also having adopted Lilith as a way to make a really nice sisterly bond between her and Ava that would start rocky and then become iron tight. And also as a reason why she would see Beatrice a lot.

Meets the gang at the highschool and gets seated with Beatrice in one of their classes

Really cute like small town vibes. Like everyone knows everyone but it’s only mildly annoying bc most everyone really cares about each other

Bea’s parents still suck tho like a lot so she stays at Lilith’s a lot. They don’t kick her out for being gay though they just are occasionally mean to her and ignore her existence for the most part and have some insane expectations for her

Mary and Shannon dating ofc

Lilith and Camila have some serious crushes on each other.

Beatrice being the one to crack through Ava’s walls first

They have like almost immediate crushes on each other but they’re both extremely guarded so there would be SOOOOOOO MUCH PINING

SLOW BURN

The reason I thought this much about this is because I had this idea of this super intense scene of Ava having this big ass breakdown bc her birthday is nearing and she’s fallen in love with this town and family she’s been put in and she’s had this big realization that she doesn’t want to leave and she gets scared and started pushing everyone away and I had this vision of Suzanne and Jillian and Ava in a living room and Ava was soaking wet bc it was storming and she was coming home way after curfew and they started arguing about her behavior lately and how they love her and they hate seeing her close herself off like she was when she first got there and she breaks down and screams WHY WONT YOU ADOPT ME THEN and immediately the room went quiet and Suzanne walks out of the room and came back with adoption papers and says to her that they did want to adopt her and they were going to ask her the week of her birthday and Jillian said the only reason that hadn’t asked already was they wanted to be sure that it was what Ava wanted too. And then Michael and Lilith appeared bc they were eavesdropping and it became this super sweet moment.

I thought that maybe Jillian could be the town doctor and that maybe Suzanne could work at the school or something

I’m personally kind of a fan of father Vincent and think it would be sick if he had some kind of role

I didn’t have a set Michael age in mind for this really just that Jillian had him before she married Suzanne and that he loves his stepmom so much

Oh Yasmine should definitely be part of the friend group !

That’s all I really had thought of. If someone writes this or just a version of this I think it would be really cool. I seriously wish I had the ability to do it really. If not that is fine too I just hope you guys like the idea!

[little-lovett]

sweeney todd backstory hc’s 🖤🥧🔪

- benjamin barker was a surprise child!!! his older sister and brother were already 11 and 13 years old when he was born. his father was distant and rarely home, and was far from thrilled about another baby, another mouth to feed, a boy to raise. so he just ran from his responsibilities for benjamin. ben always knew he had rejected him, yet still fought for his affection to no avail. picture a little cat bringing dead mice to his owner to please him, and only getting scolded. that was ben. always trying to be a good boy.

- soo he was a total mommy’s boy. and she adored him back, being the baby and an arguably perfect child. he was intelligent, compassionate, gentle, mature, and SO polite. his mother loved him dearly and doted on him until she passed away from illness when he was a teenager. he was devastated. it was his first experience with profound loss. AND DEFINITELY NOT HIS LAST (edit: him being a mommy’s boy and having a bad father is Very Important bc he loves women and hates men once he becomes sweeney)

- once he was grown and met lucy, she turned his whole world upside down in the best way. she was the first person to show him what love could be after his mother. they were dizzy for eachother, and once the initial high of infatuation had worn off, they had just begun settling into the comfortable domestic bond of marriage & parenthood. (then turpin ruined it Lol.)

- when lucy told ben she was pregnant, he internally vowed to be the father he always needed. to protect and love and be there. he hated himself beyond words for breaking his promise to his girl and believed he had failed in the most unforgivable way possible.

- tobias reminds sweeney of young benjamin barker. his innocence, his bright eyes, being glued to his mom’s hip. he always keeps his distance from toby because its just too distressing to remember what he used to be.

- nellie was 20 when she married albert, who was almost forty. they met through him butchering the meat for her pie shop, which she had been running since she was 17. he was not at all what she imagined for a husband, but he had the money and good standing in town for them to get by.

- she had to marry the first stable man she could find just to survive, with no family she knew of left. she loved him — kind of in the way you love an uncle. familiar and warm, but nowhere near the passionate relationship she longed for.

- she always felt like her young womanhood had been stolen from her by her bleak situation. she knew she was beautiful and charming, and she always wondered how marriage would’ve turned out if she hadn’t been so desperate.

- and then there was benjamin barker, her secret dream. he was a few years older than her, dark and handsome and kind, with strong features but the softest eyes she’d ever seen. though she was confined to her marriage, she never stopped herself from indulging in fantasies of the man.

- since he had moved his new barbershop into the space above her, they had been cordial. benjamin thought mrs. lovett generous, pretty, and friendly. that was about it. he was pretty clueless to her feelings about him. besides, she was a married woman.

- lucy came along, and the wedding, and the baby. nellie was terribly jealous and dissatisfied with her life as she watched another woman, a woman with the privilege of settling with a man who had practically nothing, live out her desires. she felt equally guilty for her dark envy of a happy little family who only treated her with kindness and respect.

- when benjamin barker was sent away she fell into pieces. that was when she realized just how terribly she loved him, how deep in over her head she was with her obsession. that impossible ember of hope that one day ben would be hers was the only thing motivating her.

- when turpin ruined lucy and stole johanna, mrs. lovett was not at all happy. it was a heartbreaking situation she tried to not get involved in for her own sake. yet, a rotten tendril of content would worm into her chest sometimes, reveling in what had happened as some sort of rotten justice for all the pleasures lucy had enjoyed in her life. especially the perfect husband she never knew she stole. nellie used to hate that evil, selfish part of herself.

- a couple years after ben was sent away, albert died. then it was just her and her pies and some loyal customers. gradually, even they stopped coming, and business came to a screeching halt. she had hit rock bottom— no money, friends, or family.

[horizon-verizon]

The way Cassandra Baratheon was the same kind of stepmother to Jaehaera that Alicent was to Rhaenyra, GRRM had no chill lmao.

“Lady Cassandra had been briefly bethrothed to King Aegon II [...] and bitterly resented having to care for the weepy, feeble-witted child queen whom she blamed for all her woes.”

Cassandra is a kind of precursor to another Alicent figure in that she probably didn't want to stay serving a girl who she at one point was going to become stepmother to/become a queen consort. And we're clued in on it by what the text says about her when her mother sent her & her sisters to KL for their mother's capitulation to Corlys' terms ("The Hour of the Wolf"):

It's also important to remember that Cassandra was:

around 15-17 here, since Aemond appears to marry a Baratheon girl in the events before the war and the note is that all the girls were not in their majority (16) yet AND the war lasted a little over a year

also sent to KL to be a hostage/representative of the Baratheons along with her sisters in response to Corlys' peace terms not long after Aegon was killed and not long after Cregan appeared (even with her grandfather, LAdy Elenda's father, there to supervise, how much supervising is this old man doing over Cassandra? Men aren't taksed with suepricing ladies and they will not notive/take preciutions where a septa or an older lady might Esp since she still ends up being seduced by Mervyn Flowers?)

also expected to be the heir to a large household, similar to Rhaenyra

had no hand in deciding any of such things above for herself as far as it's told in the OG telling

This girl was not "prepared" to become any sort of "mother figure" to a girl like Jaehaera without the trappings of actually becoming a stepmother to her, and a queen. Unlike Alicent & like Rhaenyra, she doesn't ever get to be a queen. Like Alicent, she shows resentment (or possible does so) to the more vulnerable party between the 2. It's an interesting reprisal of Alicent-Rhaenyra's states of social privilege GRRM does here. Still, there are also a few things about Cassandra that are reminiscent of how vulnerable girls/women are in such a patriarchal setting.

The quote you pull up says:

Disappointment had turned her sour, her detractors said; once her father’s heir at Storm’s End, she found herself of little account in King’s Landing, and bitterly resented having to care for the weepy, feeble-witted child queen whom she blamed for all her woes.

This moment is before the silent siege when Cassandra is revealed to be a participant in the plot to force Aegon to capitulate to (Unwin Peake) rebelling men's demands. The context of the quote is a discussion of who would have likely killed a severely mentally disabled 8-year-old. Nothing ever came forth as proof of Cassandra actually killing or willing to physically harm Jaehaera, even if it was just at a cost to herself and there had been no outside influence/goading. This was a possibility brought up bc such a motive couldn't be ignored--doesn't make it true with no strong suggestive proof of her actions that show willingness, again, to physically harm the princess. But it's still a possibility, not an undoubtable fact that she was willing to hurt Jaehaera this way.

While intriguing the likeliest suspect, to me, is Unwin Peake & I don't want to hang Cassandra by her thumbs more than any of those "detractors" who might simply want to get rid of her Baratheon presence from the court. Not totally without merit as the Baratheons has been the blacks enemies during the last war & Cassandra was about to become queen through Aegon's mother's killer, but:

Lady Elenda, Cassandra's mother, is the real agent with the power to seek out revenge. Not Cassandra. And all her mother's actions--PLUS how she clearly didn't/wouldn't want her infant son Olyver to be lost in any altercation for a revenge mission she actually seems to have no interest in taking--show that if any person were wanting Cassandra out of court for a claim of fear of her going out of her isolated self's way to hurt Aegon/Jaehaera and not expect fallback, it wouldn't be Elenda/the Baratheons; there actually was no real fear of such happening, which would bring up either a prejudice against the Baratheons from said "detractors" or them merely wanting to feel as if they were getting rid of future competition to their own influence over Aegon or recieving poltical favors from Aegon

motive =/= proof of the accused crime, nor does it always lead to inconvertible truth of a specific story told from it)

And (jic) while Cassandra is revealed to have been involved in the secret siege through her being used by Mervyn Flowers' manipulating her later on, we also don't really know if she had been "in" with Unwin Peake and his gang all the back then when Jaehaera was still alive nor whether her frustrations transferred into her despite Daenaera. It's possible that after Jaehaera died, she was less angry but still a little frustrated.

As for Daenaera and the silent siege, it's perhaps clear which had the most influence or gave her the most motivation to be part of that group: Mervyn Flower's manipulation or her own frustrations of losing out on being queen. Perhaps her frustrations made her more amenable to the attentions of a bastard, handsome knight like Flowers & then she slid into a situation that she couldn't feel her way out of, got too scared to really report those around her, was intimidated into silence, and in the end, broke down being questioned.

How much did Mervyn tell her and how did they get together? Did either go to the other with complaints abt how Daenaera didn't deserve her position/Aegon didn't and Mervyn vaguely offered her a way to "get back" at either Aegon/Daenarea/both? How much did she know she was getting into?

Was she actually "sour" enough for manslaughter/homicide like Lucinda Penrose was for her lost marriage prospects (her nose had been slit during the preparations of the Maiden's Ball)? Not being queen vs not having any good marriage prospects are two different things, and yes these are two different girls, but this is also worth considering. Seeing how we still do not have that much info about their unique histories, lives, & personalities. We don't know bc they didn't investigate that/we're not allowed in.

[wackymaci]

Maci Wiki Snips - the entire backstory - part one

(eta; part two!) (part three!)

bc who tf knows if I’ll ever really finish wiki and, well, this is all written sooo💓

akaaaa

Pre-canon events & backstories: This section contains information about Maci from before the canon Elysium’verse began - events that have taken place essentially “offscreen,” but are still canonical, and even crucial, to Maci’s history. Presented as a short biography... into narrative story.

copypasted<3 so, this is all very lawng. this is basically one half of an entire novel. so I am obv putting behind a cut and splitting into multiple parts (I think just two??) so, I’ve included some of this even verbatim in that one essay about Hades and Maci a few weeks ago but this is THE WHOLE SHEBANG….. or well. Up until age 17.

CW: everything ; Hades & Thanatos and all that that means in the early stages of your standard Maci background - emotional abuse/child abuse, physical abuse, grooming, etc,

so. ahemm. maci.

Early life & childhood, ages 0 to 10

Macaria is the only child of Hades and Persephone (“Seph”), King and Queen of the Underworld. Though initially reluctant to have a child, Hades conceded at Seph’s insistence, and Maci was born in the fall, about a century after they had first been married. Arrangements were made with Demeter to allow a temporary exception to the Pomegranate Agreement that dictated Seph’s seasonal location, permitting her to remain with baby Maci and Hades in the Underworld until Maci’s 5th birthday. For 5 years, the three of them were a close-knit family, and the little Princess was showered with unbridled love and attention from her parents and their subjects. She was a hyperactive and bubbly toddler fast accustomed to having everything she ever wanted, with everyone wrapped around her fingers all the time.

When Maci was 5 and this arrangement ended, she began to travel with her mother each spring-summer season to stay with her and Demeter during the traditional six-month span. Persephone and Demeter’s springtime cottage was very different than what Maci was used to – for one thing, each of the nymphs, led by the obnoxious crusade of Demeter herself, tried their hardest to convert Maci into the Olympian light. Already upset at having to leave her regular life and her father behind, Maci did not take kindly to this. This first spring-summer was a six-month battle between a loud and moody 5-year-old Underworld Princess and her intensely condescending Olympian-bred grandmother.

For the next five years, Maci continued to travel with her mother seasonally, and each season was spent in increasing hostility: Demeter’s typical nonsense coming up against Maci’s short-tempered predisposition. Armed with the rage of a spoiled princess and actual literal pyrokinetic superpowers, Maci reacted to her grandmother’s mistreatment and judgment of the Olympians around her by acting out a reign of terror: picking fights, fighting back, and setting things on fire. Meanwhile, autumn-winter back home was enjoyed as a life of luxury, doted upon by her reunited parents, and spending time with her closest and only friends, twins Hypnos and Thanatos. When Maci was 10 years old, Seph petitioned Demeter to allow Maci to make an active decision on whether she would prefer to continue traveling seasonally or stay fulltime in the Underworld. By then, Demeter had long since given up on ever taking her in as an Olympian, and was beyond relieved to be rid of the little brat when Maci obviously chose to remain home where her perfect Princess life and friends were.

Adolescence, ages 10 to 17

By the age of 10, Maci had never actually known her father without her mother at his side. The version of Hades who existed when Seph was home in the fall was Maci’s hero; though always stiff in nature, he held a soft spot for his little daughter next to the spot reserved for his wife. Hades had also, of course, never been responsible for taking care of Maci without Seph there with him. It was easy to bounce Maci’s high-maintenance hyperactivity against Persephone, who was usually mellow, cool, and unshakeable. The disposition of Hades - easily irritable and short-tempered himself - was less equipped to handle Maci’s whims and moods without Seph there.

During the first spring that she spent home, Maci was confused to suddenly discover that the springtime version of her father was shut down completely, and he had not chosen to invite her in. Rather than bonding to cope with the absence of Persephone together, Hades instead decided to ice Maci out, and retracted himself from her both emotionally and in presence. Daily, Maci found herself mostly alone within the halls of their palace, and her interactions with her father were short and cold. Reeling from this abandonment, Maci found comfort in the arms of Hypnos and Thanatos, who by this point had been her best friends for the past four years of her life...

✧*̥˚A brief interlude: Maci & the twins*̥˚✧

Hypnos and Thanatos, inseparable twin sons of Nyx and Erebus, had met Maci when she, age 6, had found them, age 11, bickering in the Fields of Asphodel. She had broken up their fight by physically forcing herself between them and exploding. Immediately fascinated by both (and enamored with Thanatos especially), Maci had clung to them afterwards, and they all had remained friends ever since.

Maci knew them the way everyone did: Hypnos, God of Sleep, a gentle, sweet kid prone to bouts of narcolepsy; and Thanatos, God of Gentle Death, very cool, suave, and charming even with a teenage sneer. But Maci, just like everyone, was oblivious to the truth of the twins’ dynamic: that beneath his carefully charming smile, Thanatos lacked empathy. His only goals were violence and power, and his darkest secrets were stained with blood and ichor even by this young age. Armed with a scythe and relentless cruelty since early in their childhood, Thanatos had already tamed Hypnos to cower behind him in fear, and for these past years while Maci fawned in what she thought was mutual friendship, he envisioned a future in which he could tear her down as well. Thanatos had quickly learned how to blend in by acting perfectly normal, even likeable, and Maci had no way of knowing who her best friend and childhood crush really was on the inside. And so...

✧*̥˚Anyway*̥˚✧

With Hades pulling away during this first year, Maci pushed closer to Thanatos and Hypnos, spending even more time than usual with them at the House of Nyx. Hades grumbled disapproval that Maci would interact even tangentially with Nyx’s ridiculous tangle of offspring – but he allowed her to do as she wished without any real interference, perhaps grateful to have her out of the way. His aloofness frustrated Maci to no end, and even more so when Seph returned that autumn like nothing was wrong. Unwilling to “ruin” the somewhat normalcy that had finally come back with her parents reunited, Maci didn’t mention the past six months.

When her mother left again the next year and Hades withdrew once more, Maci’s frustrations skyrocketed and turned into rage. She quickly realized that Hades noticed her again only when she was acting out, and Thanatos, who had been observing the fracture forming since last spring and sensed an opportunity to make it worse, encouraged Maci to continue picking fights with her father to get the attention she craved. Hades was temperamental to begin with and was growing more irritated with Maci's behavior... personality, and presence, day by day. He fell for the bait she laid each time when she instigated arguments, and by the age of 11, Maci had decided that the best and only way to interact with her father was by provoking him into yelling at her, for otherwise he refused to give her the time of day. Once again, when Persephone returned in the fall, the toxic environment Hades and Maci were constructing together snapped back to the illusion of peace. A silent decision was made to play nicely together in Seph's presence, but still Maci became a little louder, a little cockier, a little meaner, knowing that Hades would never engage while his wife was home. By the time Seph left again and Maci was 12, the situation continued to worsen. Maci made it a point to be as difficult as possible while interacting with her father, and Hades never questioned why, only bickered immaturely back.

In the background of Maci's life by this time, she was heartbroken to discover that Thanatos was formally dating his first girlfriend, a timid goddess called Amechania, “Amey.” Unbeknownst to Maci, their relationship behind the scenes was a nightmare, but Maci was oblivious, and only concerned with how her friendship with Thanatos would be affected. In between causing a ruckus in the palace with Hades, she vented constantly to a beleaguered Hypnos about her jealousy. Hypnos knew about Maci’s crush on Thanatos - he also knew what Thanatos was really like – and as well, he suspected that Thanatos and Amey’s relationship was not as perfect as it seemed. But Hypnos was a victim of Thanatos’ abuse behind his own scenes and was terrified to intervene beyond trying to gently nudge Maci away from him, a hint that she refused to pick up on. When Amey suddenly disappeared within the next year, Maci (now 13) was only relieved that perhaps Thanatos would notice her.

Thanatos, by now 18, was in fact noticing her, just not in the way that she was hoping. He was biding his time until she was older and taking the opportunity in the meantime to continue to groom and manipulate her over her head. Maci and Hades’ relationship continued to worsen. Thanatos and Maci (and Hypnos, third-wheeling in helpless rising horror, usually quietly nursing hidden scythe-wounds) spent more time together as Maci began to avoid being near Hades in the palace. Thanatos agreed wholeheartedly when she stressed that her parents did not care about her, and encouraged her to keep rebelling against them, reminding her that at the end of the day, her real family was found right here – in him, her best friend. While Maci was 13, Thanatos introduced her to his second girlfriend, another shy goddess named Sophrosyne, “Sophie,” who was actually one of Thanatos' own distant sisters from Nyx's endless brood. Maci, jealous of another potential wedge between her and Thanatos, made it a point not to get along with her. Maci was building quite a reputation for herself within the Underworld as a temperamental terror wielding all the power of a royal title, and Sophie mostly avoided her, cowering strangely at Thanatos’ side instead.

Months later, Maci was irritated to be privately pulled aside by Sophie. She was babbling insanity, something weird about being in danger, and Maci being in danger – nonsense about how Thanatos was not what he seemed, and that both of them needed to get away before it was too late. But Thanatos only seemed confused when Maci told him what Sophie had said, and she was smugly delighted when Thanatos agreed that his relationship with Sophie had probably run its course.

Maci never saw her again. He was dating another girl by the next year, Hesychia, “Hess,” the mute Goddess of Silence, and soon took residence with her in one of the cave constructed homes of Tartarus. Maci resumed anguishing jealously in the background, made all the harder by the fact that she was spending nearly every waking moment with Thanatos and Hypnos (and now Hess, always silent, looking more haunted by the day). Maci, now age 14, could not stand to be in the same room as Hades. The palace shared by just the two of them sat with uncomfortably tense silence, only ever broken by screaming arguments that usually ended in Hades throwing her out of the palace, or Maci storming out of her own accord, either way ending up with the twins in Nyx's house or at Thanatos’ cave.

She would slink back days later and repeat, even moodier from Thanatos’ continued relationship with Hess. The following year, with Maci now 15, Seph came home and for the first time, the simmering tension between her husband and daughter was too great to hide. She was overall disturbed and stunned by this shattered relationship coming out of “nowhere,” though she felt Maci’s outrageous attitude was blatant even to her (and in Seph’s eyes, Hades could do no wrong, despite clearly being in the wrong). Trying to mediate between both sides without picking a side, Seph orchestrated an offering of peace on hers and Hades’ behalf, authorizing construction on a palace of Maci’s own in the subsection of the Underworld that belonged to Maci herself, the Elysian Fields, land of the blessed dead. It had been long proven that giving Maci presents usually kept her satisfied.

The Elysium palace was completed by Maci’s 16th birthday and presented as a gift to her with Hades’ name on it. It stood tall in the depths of Elysium, a natural safe haven due to the magical barrier surrounding Elysium’s outskirts, installed by the Olympians long ago and eternally enchanted to keep out anything evil. But Thanatos (who could not cross the barrier and could not let anyone find this out) pointed out to Maci what a slap in the face this gift was, a clear message that her parents wanted her out of their sight. Maci was incensed. She refused to set foot in the palace, lashing out with accusations of the theories Thanatos had placed in her head. Instead of doing anything to reassure her, Hades was instead furious at this most egregious display of disrespect, a last straw among last straws. The fight that followed, and the cruel words that were exchanged, was their worst to date.

By now, something inside Maci was cracking, or it already had. She was living in active hostility with a father who despised her openly when he wasn't pretending she didn't exist, a mother who was somehow choosing to stay neutral between them – this life now was an echo of the turmoil her grandmother had put her through when she was a little kid. Part of her yearned to viciously lean into the perception of her created by her own family, and she did this when she traipsed the kingdom clutching her title of Princess like an obnoxious shield. But there was a part of her inside that was beginning to claw in desperation with a frantic, anxious need to be loved, really loved, and actually seen by someone, anyone. This feeling continued to simmer under her skin. She could not bring herself to enter the Elysium palace even once the dust settled from hers and Hades’ fight, as the thought of its halls suddenly felt too utterly empty for her to bear being alone inside it. Maci began to fear that Hypnos and Thanatos, particularly Thanatos, who she adored more than anyone, would only ever see her as a child tagging after them. When Thanatos and Hess broke up (a relationship longer than his normally were, though she too disappeared after their split) and Maci’s friendship with him only continued the same as ever, her anxieties increased.

She knew she was pretty, and noticed every time she was noticed - she had never dated anyone, but she suspected that the personality she put on within the Underworld was probably what caused most people to recoil from her. But Thanatos knew her like no one else did, and she had always tried to be her most true self around him. If even her true self was unlovable, what then? Hypnos tried to talk sense into her - she was too young, now only just shy of 17 years old, he reminded her, and besides, it was for the best that she stay as far away from Thanatos as possible. Maci only insisted that Thanatos certainly seemed to reciprocate her feelings - and there was no one else that seemed to like her, even platonically. Fueled by anxiety and almost 17 years of emotional betrayal, it dawned on her the circumstances that she felt she'd created for herself. The desperate, frantic feeling inside began to overwhelm her.

TO BE CONTINUED - AND IT ONLY GETS SO MUCH WORSE FROM HERE - part two! • &part three!

questions & comments are appreciated esp if u somehow made it all the way to the bottom 🙃 I’ll post the next part later tonight or tomorrow!!,

[litcest]

Semiramis and Ninyas

According to the Greek historian, Diodorus Siculus, Semiramis was the Queen of the Assyrian Empire. He writes about her in the second book of Bibliotheca historica (c. 60-30 BC), often quoting Ctesias' Persica from circa 5th century BC, a text which is now lost.

However, all indicates that Semiramis wasn't a real person, but a legendary ruler based on the real Queen Shammuramat of Assyria, who ruled besides her husband from 824 to 811 BC and then besides her son until her death in 798 BC.

In some versions of the legend of Semiramis, she has a incestuous relationship with her son, and he later murders her.

Histories, by Herodotus

The oldest preserved mention of Semiramis comes from Herodotus's work from c. 430 BC. In Histories, Semiramis is first mentioned in Book One as a rule of Babylon, who had built notable constructions on the city. In Book Three, it's stated that one of the city's gates was named in her honor. No further details about her are given.

Bibliotheca historica, by Diodorus Siculus

Semiramis was born in Syria as the daughter of the goddess Derceto (which is another name for the Phoenician Astarte) and a human man. When Derceto gave birth, embarrassed to gave laid with a mortal, she exposed the child and then killed herself. However, doves found the child and nursed her until she was found by a shepherd, who named her Semiramis and took her in as a daughter. When Semiramis reached the age to marry, officer Onnes fell in love with her and asked for her hand.

When King Ninus laid siege of Bactra, Onnes, who was the King's general, began to miss his wife, and so invited her to the battlefield. When she arrived, she notice some flaws in Bactra's defence and, along with some soldiers, managed to sneak in and capture the city.

Ninus became infatuated with Semiramis' beauty and brilliance and ordered Onnes surrendered Semiramis to him. Onnes refused at first, and, when threatened by the king, he killed himself. This allowed Ninus to freely marry Semiramis and make her his queen.

Ninus and Semiramis had a son named Ninyas, and shortly after this, Ninus died, leaving Semiramis as the queen. During her reign, she build many walls, bridges, temples and palaces, and made of Babylon one of the most influential and rich cities of the region. She refused to marry again, instead taking many lovers and then killing them.

On a visit to Egypt, Semiramis learned from the Oracle that Ninyas would conspire against her, causing he to disappear, from mortal realm but reach eternal fame. After being wounded in battle against India (which she was trying to conquer), Semiramis returned to capital, where Ninyas tried to take the throne from her. Instead of fighting against him, she passed him the crown and disappeared.

Nicolaus of Damascus

Nicolaus lived from c. 64 BC to somewhen after 4 AD. His works survive only in fragments and, in one of these fragments, we find an account of Semiramis' death.

Nicolaus writes that, according to Ctesias, an eunuch convinced Semiramis' sons with Onnes that, if Ninyas became king, the two of them would be killed and that the only way to prevent that would be for the duo to kill their mother and usurp the throne. However, as they plotted to push Semiramis off a cliff, a servant heard and told her. So Semiramis summoned her sons and the eunuch and dared them to strike against her in front of all of Assyrians.

The story cuts off at this point, but one can presume they didn't dare to kill her.

Narrations, by Conon

This text doesn't survive to us in it's entirety, but the gist of it's content has been preserved through one-paragraph summaries in Bibliotheca of Photius. It's dated between 36 BC and 17 AD.

According of Photius, Conan's ninth tale was about Semiramis, who Conan said to be the daughter (not wife) of Ninus and that:

"Semiramis, having slept with her son whether secretly and unaware or else knowingly, took him openly as her husband and from that, what was disgusting before, having sex with your mother, became good and legal for the Medes and Persians"

This is the oldest account I can find of Semiramis having committed incest. It's important to note that Photius wondered whether Conon had confused Semiramis with Atossa, a Persian queen that is sometimes referred as having married her brother, Cambyses II, and other times is given as the wife of Darius the Great and mother to Xerxes.

Fabulae, by Hyginus

The Fabulae by Hyginus is a collection of tales and lists written circa 1 AD. In his lists of "woman who killed their husbands", Hyginus cites Semiramis for killing Ninus, indicating that there must have been a version of the story that went this way. He also says that Semiramis killed herself in Babylon, by throwing herself into a pyre.

Moralia, by Plutarch

In Plutarch's writting (c. 1st Century) Semiramis is depicted as a concubine of one of Ninus' servants, until the king fell in love with her. She then manipulated Ninus into granting her the throne and then ordered the guards to kill him.

Historiae Philippicae, by Pompeius Trogus and Justinus

This one is a bit tricky to date, because while Historiae Philippicae was written by Pompeius Trogus circa 1st Century BC, the work has only been preserved through an summary written by Justinus in the late 2nd or early 3rd Century AD.

Pompeius' version must date from around the same time as Conan's writings, and it's interesting that, according to Justinus, Pompeius also mentions Semiramis incestuous desire for her son, however, in this version, the relationship wasn't consummated, as Ninyas kills her when he finds out she wants to sleep with him.

Also in this version, she takes the throne after Ninus' death, but does so disguised as a man, claiming to be Ninus' son (I guess no one questioned that the only son, Ninyas, was an infant when Ninus died). It was only after many "noble actions", having proven her right to rule, that she revealed herself a woman.

Chronicron, by Eusebius

In this work, written in the 4th Century, Eusebius cites the historian Cephalion, who lived in the 2th Century. According to Cephalion, Semiramis killed her own sons and then was killed by Ninyas.

The sons she killed are, presumably, the ones she had by Onnes.

Historiae Adversus Pagano, by Orosius

This massive history book from the 5th Century by Roman historian Orosius contains another variant of the Semiramis legend. In this account, she doesn't have a child with Ninus. Instead, she births a son from one of the many liaisons she had after becoming the solo queen.

This son is unnamed and it's not mentioned to have succeeded her on the throne like Ninyas usually does. In fact, nothing is said about Semiramis final days or what came after.

"She finally most shamelessly conceived a son, godlessly abandoned the child, later had incestuous relations with him, and then covered her private disgrace by a public crime. For she prescribed that between parents and children no reverence for nature in the conjugal act was to be observed, but that each should be free to do as he pleased."

Ecloga Chronographica, by George Syncellus

Writing from the 9th Century and referencing Ctesias', Syncellus says that Semiramis built many tombs, one for each of the lovers she buried alive.

De Mulieribus Claris, by Giovanni Boccaccio

Entering the Middle Ages, in this work composed between 1361–1362, Semiramis story gets even more 'sensational' additions: Boccaccio writes that, not only was Semiramis in love with her son, but she also created a chastity device, that was placed in every woman of the household, to prevent any other to have sex with Ninyas.

Boccaccio also adds that some belief that that Ninyas killed Semiramis out of jealousy of her having other lovers, or perhaps because he feared that a new child of hers could try to challenge him for the throne.

The Book of the City of Ladies, by Christine de Pizan

In The Book of the City of Ladies, from 1405, Semiramis is mentioned if have married Ninus, who died in battle after giving her one son. She then ruled over Assyria and waged war, adding new lands to her empire. She married her own son for she did not want another woman being crowned queen and because she believed only her son was worthy of being her husband.

de Pizan justifies Semiramis incestuous marriage by saying that, at the time there was no written law against it and that Semiramis wasn't a Christian and so shouldn't be judged by those morals (nice historical relativism of de Pizan's part).

References:

Archibald, Elizabeth. “Sex and Power in Thebes and Babylon: Oedipus and Semiramis in Classical and Medieval Texts.” The Journal of Medieval Latin, vol. 11, 2001, pp. 27–49.

Stronk, Jan. Semiramis’ Legacy: The History of Persia according to Diodorus of Sicily. Edinburgh University Press, 2017.

Worrall, Victoria Eileen. Representations of Semiramis from Antiquity to the Medieval Period. 2019.

[freedomcrows]

10 17 and 23! <3

ty for dropping by!!! <3

10. What does your Inquisitor do with their free time? Do they have any hobbies?

she prays! she is very devout, genuinely believes in the maker, so she spends a lot of her time in prayer. she also studies magic; she's a rift scholar and mage, so she does her own research into the rifts as someone who's had special access to the power of the rifts. to this day, she's the foremost living expert in thedas for rift magic.

as for hobbies, i think she enjoys reading - primarily non-fiction books - and just hanging out with her few friends. she enjoys learning about the non-mages, having been directed to only hang out with mages for most of her life, after she realizes they're not all out to get her. she likes getting dressed up, too; i think she spends a lot of time on her physical appearance, trying things out, doing makeup just for funsies.

17. How did your Inquisitor feel about becoming an Inquisition agent? How did they feel about getting promoted to Inquisitor?

inquisition agent: absolutely bewildered. it all happened in a blast, she had little to no say in anything and just went along hanging onto dear life. val quickly came to realize that this was her chance to make a life outside of the circle, though, to see the world a bit more, so she started enjoying herself on the jobs. on one excursion she probably invented thedas' first fridge with her ice magic.

inquisitor: by the time she becomes the inquisitor, val is 100% certain the maker meant for her to be there. she thinks she should be the inquisitor bc of the anchor. and she also sees this as a chance to work on progressing mage rights, which has been her life goal since she was in her teens, and few can deny her now that she's a maker-ordained holy figure who, for better or for worse, sets what's right and what's wrong.

23. What has your Inquisitor been up to between Trespasser and Veilguard?

recovering from the loss of her arm; but in a happier turn of events, she got an estate in kirkwall, she got married to bull (with leliana who officiated, leliana who is the divine in my 'verse, in a fully andrastian ceremony. she's the inquisitor still, as it's still around, and she's also looking for a way to reach solas before it's too late.

she's also working on getting more social progress for the mages, destroying circles, arranging magical schools for baby mages, doing a lot of mage politics in a way that she never quite got a chance to do before. she met anders. she's living her best life honestly. this is also a huge question mark but she may also be a mother! a half-qunari, half-human child with a potential for magic... what a kiddo

[ashleylauren]

Had the usual holiday struggle this year.

My family that lives 2500 miles away came to visit for a week. My mother had 2 kids in early 20s and then 18-19 years later decided to have more. I had already had my son, 2 of his uncles are younger than him bc of this.

Sometimes it feels like my mom thinks she failed as a parent so she started over and now has the perfect home life. She re-married her first husband, the one she was with before my father. They were married young and she had a miscarriage, otherwise he would've been my father. She had been married to 3 other men since him and then went back after 16-17 years or so. She was a working woman, we didn't go to church or make it a major part of our life, and my brother and I went to public school. Now she homeschools the kids and is a SAHM while my stepfather works in construction. They are also heavily into religion while I myself don't believe in it. I won't base my life around the idea that some invisible guy is controlling us all , that there's reasons for some to be starving while others are making way too much to do anything with... The world is fucked at this point and they think that's how its supposed to be.

We both parent our kids differently. But I sit back and stay silent bc while I may not agree, she's still my mother. I had asked a question about something last night , ider what it was, and it launched this huge disagreement about minimum wage and how her life as a young mom wasn't any different than mine.

She claims that they had the same struggles with money, but now people just have too much to spend it on and overspend. I do agree to a point with that. But I am working my highest paying job to date , 40 hrs a week, we rent for 800/mth, I have a $300 car payment/mth... We don't have exuberant subscriptions. I pay for one while the others are free (either through work or family). I pay for the internet, which they did also. I pay less than a dollar per day for my son and I to both have phones, they paid for landline. It's not a different cost, it's a different style of phone. Now you have the world in your pocket rather than being attached to the wall.

The world has not drastically changed in terms of consumerism and home life. It's the fact that prices on everything have risen exponentially, CEOs are being paid thousands per year to do barely anything while people who actually work can barely get by. The min wage was developed as a basis for people to afford life comfortably. They said it wasn't , but couldn't give me an answer on how the minimum wage was determined then if not for the COL back then.

Basically my mom shut down the conversation by saying I'd never see the truth and walked away. So I went out to my car and told my son we were leaving. Came back in after 10 min and he's sitting at the table , all the kids are crying , and my mom is like, good job you ruined Xmas. I asked a simple question and no one could give me an answer that I couldn't refute with common knowledge. So bc I had opposing information for their ideas, I was being argumentative. I told them goodbye and left. 2 hours later my mom messages that it was her fault, she's sorry, etc., but she's only doing it to make herself feel better and I haven't answered. I also deactivated my FB to take a break from it all.

I just don't understand how there's such a divide between my family and I. My brother sees it too. Him and I both live in other states while they have their own little family down there and it basically feels like we're the outcasts.

[lizzscore]

C-PTSD has had a hold of me for so long. I've allowed past traumas from not just my childhood, but things I've been through as an adult to dictate so much about me and prevent me from me my true authentic self. I don't know who I truly am. Some days I strive to find who I am but I have no clue where to start. I think back to when I was a child and I try to start there, but I'm not sure that even little Lizz herself ever knew who she was. 😔 I've always aimed to please others and molded myself to be this person that avoids conflict, can't take criticism without becoming overly emotional, has to be in control, and has a hard time allowing myself to be open to someone where I'm vulnerable. Growing up and still to this day, I become very enmeshed with tv shows and movies as a way to escape reality. My reality has never been that great. I'm trying to do better, but it's hard facing reality head on. I grew up with a young mother and father, they had me at 16 and 17, still in high school, so of course they were both immature and no where near ready for a child. My mom to this day will not admit any of her faults, but will quickly tell people about the time I peed up under a clothes rack in Rose's and how she pulled down my pants and "blistered my ass." Mind you I was only about 3 or 4. How she thinks this made her a great parent or makes her look good, I'll never know cuisine remember parties thrown at our apartment, drinking, probably drugs, I don't know i was little. My grandmother took her to court and got custody of me and my little brother when I was 5 and he was 1. We lived with her having visits with my mom on weekends and my dad opposite weekends. They got married when I was 3 or 4 and then divorced not even a year later. My mom got custody back when I was 9. After that, I remember her introducing me to man after man that she cheated on her husband with at the time, as if I was her friend. I was young, in elementary and middle school. Why did she think this was okay? No wonder I never understood what a healthy relationship was. No wonder I never want to get married. I'm so terrified of that committment bc of her. There's so much more, but who has the time to really listen to all my sad drama.

I'm fucked up! I accept that. I'm in therapy and I'm trying hard to work through my shit! That should count for something I suppose!

[oncetornasunder]

Regan Jelinsky-Addams

Name: Regan Jelinsky-Addams

Age: 17? (gotta look up how old everyone else is)

Species: Siren

Mother: Debbie Jelinsky-Addams

Father: Unknown (bio), Fester Addams (adoptive)

Important information: Is a fan of pastels, but dark makeup and personality

Bio: Born to the siren known as the Black Widow (one of many Black Widow killers), Regan never knew the real name of her mother due to how many identities she took while seducing men and marrying them for their money before killing them. Regan was an accident, and Debbie didn't know about her until it was too late and she'd popped her out. Well Debbie, being notoriously selfish and narcissistic, couldn't have another mouth to feed. She needed all the money for herself. So she gave the baby up.

Her attempt to murder Fester Addams for his fortune brought about the end of her, and once the Addams family found out Fester's beloved wife had a child she'd given up, he'd gone to find the child to adopt her as his own. Debbie may have been fucked up, but Fester loved her, and he loved that little girl like she was his own. Regan, named after one of Fester's favorite horror movies, was the lone blonde in a sea of black and bald, and always stood out with her pastels, but she had a kooky but spooky disposition like the rest of her family. She knows she's adopted, but it doesn't matter to her. Fester is her father, because he chose her, and she loves her father more than anything despite his silly shenanigans that cause trouble.

After Wednesday's absolutely crazy first year at Nevermore, Fester decided it would be best if Regan kept Wednesday company. She'd heard all about the deaths, the attempts on her cousin's life, the monster that went around killing people, everything, and it was all so intriguing. She wanted to know more.

-more TBA when I am back on the laptop bc metro typing is making me nauseous-

Face Claim: Sabrina Carpenter

[valleykarate]

quick facts about scarlett rosenthal:

sabrina carpe.nter fc, 17 years old at the end of s5. raging bisexual. full of rage.

scarlett rosenthal is a member of cob.ra kai. her mother had her at 16 years old & her bio father left his pregnant girlfriend.

she met tory when they were both in kindergarten & they became best & inseparable friends almost immediately. ( scarlett & tory have matching friendship bracelets, & have matching tattoos on their wrists )

scarlett calls herself an only child bc she is not at all close with her older sister ( 28 at the time of scarlett's birth ) & older brother ( 30 at the time of her birth ), who basically don't care that she exists. her mom died when she was 6, leaving her in the care of a neglectful stepfather & awful aunt. her stepfather only married her mother for the rosenthal's money, & her aunt is insanely jealous over this Literal 17 Year Old Girl for a multitude of reasons. tory is - & has been - the only constant in her life. if you try to hurt tory, scarlett will absolutely kick your ass.

after joining the cobra kai dojo in season 2, scarlett very much gets into the no mercy mindset very quickly. her speed & accuracy is something to be feared.

always carries / wears a black spiked bracelet. she got it with tory while shopping together when they were 13. tory picked out scarlett's, & scarlett picked out tory's.

[styxnbones]

For the Uncommon Ask Game: Cass: 43, B), C)? For the Couple Questions Casstrid: 1, 5, 17, 18?

43. If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so?  In her words "dyke, lesbian, whatever- girls are hot." She is also aromantic, but that's a term she found out applies to her much more recently, and isn't as much part of her Identity™ (she also wouldn't want to put that out there in case it hurt her chances with someone, since she doesn't see anything wrong with leading people on romantically if that's what it takes.)

B) What inspired you to create them? Originally, the core character concept for Cass was "Izaya from durarara but a girl" because I was going through an anime phase, and I based them out of LA since my only other exposure to vtm at the time came from Bloodlines.

C) Did you have trouble figuring out where they fit in their own story? Not so much in the game I originally played them in, since it was a ttrpg with, obviously, an ensemble cast and a pre-made plot- so it wasn't so much "Cass' Story" as it was "A Story With Cass In It" and the dynamic of the group fell into place pretty quickly. Now, though, with her as a free-floating character, I'm still making up my mind on where I might take her plot-wise from here and what kind of position she might have in that story. If I ever get around to running another vtm game, I'll probably put her in as an npc of some sort- but if that's as a quest-giver or an antagonist or just a general feature of the city's social landscape, who knows...

1.What do they think of each other's family? And how does the family feel? Well, for one thing, all of Astrid's family is wicked dead bc she's old as fuck. From what digging Cass has done, they seemed to be pretty ordinary people for their time, with pretty boring lives, aside from her mother who had a stint in an asylum near the end of her life (which would line up as being shortly before Astrid was turned). As for Cass's family, she dropped the "btw im gay and moving away w my girlfriend so byeeee" bombshell on her mom via text and then Astrid spent the next few years hanging up phone calls and deleting emails before Cass could get to them, until eventually they stopped coming. Which is why neither of them know that, though it took A While, Cass' mom did eventually come around to a place where she at least hoped that whoever her daughter was with was taking care of her.

5. How do they sleep? like the dead Prior to the whole "turned into a vampire" thing, it would always be Cass coming over to Astrid's place in the evenings and eventually staying the night. Astrid's room was on the inner side of the building, so no windows, and she's a bit of a late sleeper so it would often be a bit of a scramble to make sure her bed didn't look too recently slept in. When Cass got tired, she'd take that as her cue to feign the same, and they'd curl up together. Cass is secretly a massive cuddler (did NOT get enough hugs as a kid that's for sure) so being tangled up with them would generally be the rest of Astrid's night, but she didn't mind just laying there and holding them until the sun came up. After Cass' embrace, Astrid set them up to stay in her room and continue the same arrangement, but Cass wasn't having that. This was before the blood bond settled in at full strength, so in time she'd become more okay with it, but she didn't feel safe that close to Astrid after, you know, having been assaulted by her. It only took a few nights of waking up on the floor, having been kicked out of bed by Cass, who is able to wake up earlier, for her to get the message and eventually concede. So she set up the small office, the only other sealed room, as a makeshift bedroom for herself. (Though often, if she thought Cass "needed" it, she would mesmerize them into letting her stay in their bed.)

17. Do they believe in marriage? Astrid grew up in an era where the idea of getting married was pretty much a foregone conclusion- it was something that had always been expected of her as a young lady and while the idea of some guy as the other party involved was a more distant notion, the Event was something she had built up in her mind pretty significantly. It's supposed to be the happiest day of your life isn't? Hence: she has definitely caught her self fantasizing about Cass in a tux at the end of an aisle, but knows that's not really in the cards for them due to the state of their lives (and also public events are Scary and Dangerous and the paranoia spiral only continues from there if she thinks about it for too long). Cass thinks the whole institution is a sham, and its a terrible idea to tie yourself down to one person like that, plus they don't pay their taxes anyways so there's really no benefit.

18. Would they have kids together? Interesting question, since they're both vampires and in the eyes of kindred society technically Cass is Astrid's child(e). That said, I don't think Astrid would ever go as far as to pull a Lestat and embrace some poor kid to baby trap Cass, mostly because she knows that wouldn't work at all and also because dealing with Cass as a fledgling was stressful enough that she'd never willingly do that again. As for Cass, she'd tell you she doesn't really give a shit about children or childer and would never want to take care of one, but she sure is protective of Lila and Rowan so 🤨

[insertpoetryhere]

20 hcs for fuyumi ootori plsssss

SHE!!! Fuyumi Ootori, Queen of my heart ❤️

1.) Fuyumi is an Ootori through and through, and therefore believes strongly in working smarter, not harder. She applies this to her older brothers, who she grew up making do things for her. Yuichi is tall (and so can reach things) and gets her out of trouble, Akito was popular and knew a guy who could get weed. She loved them both outside of these uses, of course, but they also helped.

2.) On the other hand, she has spoiled Kyoya since he was four. He’s the baby of the family and she treats him accordingly (he hates it).

3.) Fuyumi was an uncontrollable child. She never did anything too crazy, but she did a lot of small things that made other people raise their eyebrows. If her hair got too long, she cut it. If she didn’t want to be at an event, she left. Yoshio frankly didn’t try to control her. He had other things to do.

4.) Fuyumi doesn’t feel any desire to inherit the company.

5.) Fuyumi was an average student, mostly out of a lack of effort. She didn’t ever fail a class, but she wasn’t very studious either.

6.) Fuyumi wants a large family because (despite her upbringing not being ideal) having Yuichi and Akito with her made her childhood happy. She can’t tell them that though, it will go to their heads.

7.) Fuyumi is the spokesperson of the siblings, being the one to talk to their father about their grievances. As said before, Yoshio has given up on trying to control Fuyumi.

8.) Fuyumi is an extrovert in a family of introverts.

9.) Fuyumi is patiently waiting for one of her brothers to have children so she can spoil them as payback for anything they tried to pull on her as kids.

10.) Fuyumi had the vocabulary and mannerisms of a 40 year old wine aunt by the age of 10.

11.) Fuyumi’s husband is the sweetest, most timid man you’ve ever met. He is so quiet and polite.

12.) Fuyumi met her husband at a gala that some other poor soul had been forced to accompany her to in an attempt to marry into the Ootori family. She was so endeared by his soft spoken mannerisms and polite attempts as flattery that she immediately marched herself over to Yoshio and made a comment about enjoying the young man’s company. Shocked that there was someone who existed that not only was willing to handle Fuyumi, but who she actually approved of, he went over and started finding some way to make the boys family business fit into the Ootori family’s pursuits. He was just… very glad to transfer responsibility of Fuyumi to someone else.

13.) Age and marriage have not calmed Fuyumi down in the slightest. She’s just as uncontrollable as ever and still only listens to a handful of people.

14.) Yoshio secretly wishes that Fuyumi had been a boy. She has all the traits he would desire in a successor, but is too concerned by what others might say if he skipped over three sons and handed the company to his daughter.

15.) Despite not being studious as a child, Fuyumi is fluent in four languages (Japanese, English, French, and Arabic).

16.) Fuyumi hates sweets. She prefers savory foods.

17.) Fuyumi would never say it out loud, busy she’s not really a fan of the host club as a concept. Something about it leaves a really bad taste in her mouth, but Kyoya is one of the few people who she holds back with since she knows he’s a lot more susceptible to criticism than her other brothers are. That’s the only reason she hasn’t said anything to him.

18.) Fuyumi has a theory that Kyoya is the son of one of her fathers hypothetical mistresses since she doesn’t really remember her mother ever being pregnant.

19.) Fuyumi is the sibling most distant from their mother. None of them are close with her, since she’s almost never at the house, but she and Fuyumi specifically have a very tense relationship.

20.) Fuyumi isn’t super into astrology, but she pretends to be because of how much it annoys Akito (she says it’s Bc he’s a male Pisces).