#but like he was still a good villain at least and just went zodiac girl taken to the extreme

[thetimelordbatgirl]

Because villains who are completely crazy and happy being evil and just having the time of their life's doing so are fun, next question.

[imthepunchlord]

I’ma be completely honest right now and say that I don’t think anyone (who follows you and knows/shares your feelings on the specials at least) would mind if you were straight up like “yeah sorry guys the New York and Shanghai specials are non-canon for Off to Italy because I really don’t like the way they handled diversity, worldbuilding, or relationships, and the future Rio and Africa ones are non-canon as well for the same reasons” from the get-go. Like those are such valid reasons to cut something out of a story, and it doesn’t seem too different from cutting out certain episodes or starting from a specific season like a lot of ML fanfics do, especially since the specials feel even more removed from the main canon to begin with because of how the writers decided to handle the ML continuity, AND this frees up a bunch of the kwami animal choices used, which would make things exponentially easier for you like you said in both animal choice and character design by having a visual base to already work off of for the ones you pick.

I also don’t think a majority would take issue with me cutting those out either. Because the things they bring in, lore wise, I don’t see anyone talking about. 

No one is talking about the NA Order, and its existence brings in so many questions. 

So I’m going to put this under cut cause I want to go off. I technically don’t have a right to as I didn’t watch either, but I listened to those who did to get an idea and somethings bother me. 

But first, I think the only thing I saw being talked about was LS stuff in the NY special and HM getting pink Thanosed in Shanghai and that’s it. That’s the only stuff I’ve seen between the two specials. And that’s not good if those are the most iconic things to be brought up. 

Anyway, onto my salt. 

Was the NA Order around when Fu made Feast? Why didn’t he work his way to them to pass the Miracle Box to them? Or did he know they exist? Is the NA Order aware that something happened to the Chinese Order? Presuming that they communicate, did they not reach out with how quiet the Chinese Order was and look into it or try to gather lost miraculouses if they did? 

And then there’s the wonder of the historical context. You can’t just casually reveal there’s an NA Order and Native American miraculouses that brings up a lot of questions as the Native people have experienced a lot of wrongs and sufferings in our history and still are facing issues. What does having confirmed Native miraculous mean for America’s bloody history with Native people? 

And then there’s the Shanghai special, bringing in the Renlings and that’s another can of worms. 

Not only are they another magical set from China, cause you know how magical China exclusively is since all magical stuff comes from them, but these are established coming in before miraculouses and were put away because they were “dangerous”. So, what are kwami views on the renlings and vice versa? And from what I’ve seen and heard, I don’t get how they’re dangerous? And then there’s the issue of their power set up, turning the user into an animal, and you got Fei, a Chinese girl, using it. This adds onto character of color being/becoming inhuman, and this is the 2nd special to do so (with Aeon, our official 2nd black girl to appear, being a robot). And this adds onto poc becoming an animal. 

And there’s Mei Shi, who design wise, as a “kwami” I really I like, but, what is Mei Shi? Is Mei Shi a unique kwami? A renling? Or is Mei Shi a 2nd sort of cousin to kwamis to reveal later? I also hear Mei Shi is a guardian but didn’t really do anything as a guardian. I will say, I wish now there was an in between the kwami and renling designs, for sometimes the kwamis are weird and some of the renlings look off or are creepy, and so far, Mei Shi is like the best take for that ideal mixture of both. 

While this is not lore wise related and more nitpicky, I am also bothered with Fei, not really the character herself but more the choices the creators made with her set up. Between her design and her backstory, she is essentially the older concept of Marinette that we didn’t get. 

Visually she’s had tweaks, but you can see that they took big inspirations from Marinette’s old look. How Marinette was going to originally look before they decided to make her more white. 

And then there’s Fei’s backstory: her father being mysteriously murdered. That was Marinette’s first backstory, back in the day of Mini Menace Ladybug, coming home to find her dad mysteriously murdered. 

And adding to this, there are implications that Gabriel might’ve played a role in the murder of Fei’s father, and I’m incredibly salty about that. Fei has more tie in and connection to ML’s plot than Marinette. 

And what frustrates me is that, by set up, they actually could’ve still given this to Marinette. You can cut out Tom and Sabine and very little changes in ML, and you can add more depth to Marinette, who is a bubbly and nice girl who wears her heart on her sleeve and will go over the moon for you if you need her to, but she has a dark thorn in her heart as her parents were mysteriously murdered and she doesn’t know why. 

Keeping in that Gabriel (and potentially Emily) played a role in their death and took something from her parents that they had, this would give Marinette that emotional stake in the plot and direct tie in to Gabriel. You could even set up that her parents had the Butterfly, Peafowl, and/or the book, and at least one or two of those items technically belong to Marinette as they belonged to one of her parents. Peafowl would probably make the most sense as we don’t when they got it or how it even got broken. All we have is that Butterfly and book were found together a year prior to the events of ML. But that comes down to how long ago the murders should be. 

And narratively, this set up would work. 

Marinette’s parents are incredibly removed from her life and are hardly ever seen; it’s also to a point she doesn’t even go to them for advise or help for anything, only Tikki. And they themselves are hardly characters of their own. At the start of the show, which we know know has her being 13 yo, she’s incredibly independent which can back the impression of absent parents. This also really backs her knowing next to nothing about Sabine or the Cheng side of her family, not even knowing the name Sabine used to go by. 

This set up also could’ve set Fu up as a closer mentor and really add to the grandfather-granddaughter theme they were going for, especially if he steps up to act as a guardian for her and secretly trained her to be ready for a miraculous, adding to how he has such faith and trust in this 13 yo to save the city. 

So that is my biggest gripe with Fei, not so much her herself, but the factor that the creators took Marinette’s most interesting and original set up (and design) and gave it to a random character who we are probably never going to see again or even get mentioned again, and is largely here for diversity brownie points and give us half hearted lore that won’t be elaborated on; and Marinette could’ve had this back story and set up instead and actually have a tie in and stake to the plot. 

it was very frustrating to hear. 

So yeah, I am more inclined to cut out the NY and Shanghai special and not count any other specials that come as lore wise, they don’t do anything or what they add is just too much and doesn’t answer much. I think the biggest shame is that there were some big appeals to them. NY and Shanghai actually should’ve been more Adrien and Marinette having their own exclusive adventures, or at least just have them be Marinett’s own adventures. 

I would’ve loved it if the NY Special was instead Marinette having her own adventure with Sparrow and Aeon and have her face a different villain who is not HM. 

And that the Shanghai special was instead giving us a look at Marinette’s Cheng side of the family, and her going to see the ruins of the Chinese Order, facing something supernatural, and potentially this is where she finds the Chinese Zodiac miraculous and brings them back to Fu. If you want to work off the canon Shanghai a bit, perhaps instead of introducing “kwami cousins”, Mei Shi/Meeshi/idk is a lion kwami who distanced himself from his miraculous, went to the ruins, and made himself a Guardian Lion to watch over what remains. They work together and he approves of Marientte taking the Zodiac, and he travels back to somewhere in Africa hinting at the special that will have Lady Lion. 

This also nicely sets up why Fu didn’t release any of the Zodiac to help LB, as what he had of the 5, Cat would’ve been the best partner to work with LB and it was worth risking the very two HM is after. Revealing that he has the Zodiac from the start didn’t work in their favor. 

[miraculouscontent]

What do you think would be if Agreste family was Childless (read: What if Adrien don't exist)?

I can’t get into too much detail because no Adrien means no Chat Noir and that’s dicey-er territory. Still, I’ll give it a go.

Obvious stuff first:

- Gabriel wouldn’t have as many on-screen moments of “sympathy” since no Adrien hug and no scene with them watching Emilie’s starring role together.

- We’re going to presume that there’s a new cat who is at least competent enough to follow Ladybug’s orders and get the job done.

- No Adrien means no book which means no potions at the very least; we will however presume that Marinette gets a Lucky Charm in “Sapotis” that leads her to Fu, even if the Lucky Charm confuses her so she has to ask Tikki about it (which then leads to Tikki taking her to Fu), so temporary heroes will still be a thing (otherwise this’ll be boring with me shrugging at a bunch of temporary holder episodes).

Anyway, episodes that would be significantly different without Adrien are bolded, episodes that are uncertain (i.e: ones that involve potions) are marked with a *, and episodes that are bolded and italicized outright/possibly would not happen at all:

Season 1

Stormy Weather (no visit to the park, possibly no Alya since Alya’s purpose in coming was to tell Marinette about Adrien; if Alya does show up, possibly just Marinette and Alya being gay moms to Manon)

Evillustrator

Lady Wifi

Princess Fragrance (new cat possibly doesn’t get hit by Princess Fragrance’s perfume, as it was Chat’s idea to open the windows in the first place, which let Princess Fragrance spray her perfume in)

Dark Cupid (new cat possibly not getting shot since they wouldn’t be distracted by confessing to Ladybug)

Mr. Pigeon (new cat likely not allergic to feathers; Marinette would probably still compete in the hat contest though)

Pixelator (new cat may not get shot by Pixelator as Adrien got shot protecting Chloe which... who would protect Chloe?)

Copycat (um... yeah)

The Bubbler (Adrien doesn’t exist, therefore no one for Nino to get akumatized over)

Simon Says

Rogercop (this one’s debatable, but Plagg might not see the bracelet from his vantage point, so he might not cause the whole incident that leads to Roger being fired)

Gamer (no Adrien means that Max and Marinette would be teaming up, so unless Max gets akumatized just out of being beaten by a girl, we’re good)

Animan (no Adrien to set up Nino’s date with Marinette, meaning Alya and Nino aren’t at the zoo, don’t get trapped in the cage, and thus don’t get together)

Darkblade (this one wouldn’t really be different exactly, but this showcases Adrien’s fencing ability while he’s fighting against Darkblade as Chat; it’s not significant but more like a fun fact)

The Pharaoh

Timebreaker (new cat might protect Ladybug differently rather than taking the time to hug AND shield her; possibly no time travel back and Marinette might drop the watch herself since there’s no Adrien to grab it first, though that’s really insignificant since the watch had to be run over by Alix for it to break)

Horrificator (Inspector Jones is different so no Chloe insisting on being the other role, though Mylene would still be chased away; hm, I wonder who Inspector Jones would be if not Adrien?)

The Puppeteer (possibly no Rogercop, so it’d be a different akuma)

The Mime

Guitar Villain

Reflekta (no Adrien, so unless the photographer still puts Juleka in the middle and Chloe insists on being there, which she didn’t in the original as it was only being next to Adrien that she cared about, Juleka wouldn’t be sent to the bathroom)

Ladybug & Chat Noir (Origins - Part 1) (This one is REALLY subjective and debatable so don’t take it too seriously, but it’s possible that the new cat would’ve listened to Plagg’s full instructions and Plagg might’ve talked about Ladybug’s purification; therefore, the new cat might’ve been like, “Hey, are you supposed to purify that or--” “Oh! Right!” meaning no second Stoneheart)

Stoneheart (Origins - Part 2) (Again, only relevant if you assume that Part 1 would have the new cat reminding Ladybug of purification)

Antibug

Kung Food (no Adrien to help Marinette with Chinese; honestly I feel like this is better because the writers would probably have to have her know Chinese instead of being taught terms by a white boy)

Volpina (no Adrien, no book, no Marinette getting upset at Lila dissing Ladybug and thus - in addition to no Adrien for Lila to flirt with - no Ladybug calling Lila out unless she does it differently) (either way, no Volpina in general because there’s no fox hero for her to base herself on, so it’d just be a generic illusion maker if anything)

Season 2

The Collector (no “Volpina” means no “The Collector”)

Prime Queen (depends on whether Ladybug and the new cat are ship-tastic enough for Nadja to do a story on and if the new cat would stand up enough for Ladybug that Ladybug wouldn’t feel the need to barge out)

Glaciator (no Adrien means no disappointed Marinette means no Andre the ice cream man being upset)

Despair Bear (no Adrien to tell Chloe to start being nice means Chloe shall make no attempt to)

Troublemaker (no Adrien pictures means Marinette isn’t as panicked so Penny wouldn’t have to kick everyone out so readily)

Gigantitan (no Adrien, no Gorilla to try to akumatize, so no butterfly to akumatize August)

Riposte (Adrien is apparently Armand D'Argencourt’s best student; thus, no Adrien means that Kagami would just get into the fencing class)

Befana

Frightningale (this one is a BIIIIIG “if”; Chloe would have to care enough to want to be Ladybug without Adrien as the cat, and then Marinette would have to be peeved enough at the idea of Chloe being Ladybug to interrupt, which she technically implies in the original by saying, “Chloé playing Ladybug? No way! Not gonna happen!”)

Gorizilla (no Adrien for Gorilla to lose)

Robostus

Sapotis (again, we’re presuming that Ladybug gets a Lucky Charm that either leads her to Fu or Marinette asks Tikki about the Lucky Charm and Tikki leads her to Fu)

Dark Owl

Syren* (no aqua powers; possible zodiac usage, like Dragon for water powers)

Zombizou

Captain Hardrock (no Adrien for Marinette to get depressed over but she’d obviously still meet Luka, whether on deck or in his room)

Frozer* (no Adrien for Marinette to third wheel for alongside Luka, but Philippe’s ice rink is still in jeopardy so he’ll still be akumatized; also, no ice powers)

Style Queen (new cat very well might not be turned to glitter, meaning no need to go to Fu anyway because the bee actually wasn’t needed to beat the akuma: Plagg/the cat was)

Queen Wasp* (no bee miraculous to lose, no Queen Bee, Audrey may or may not get close to Chloe because Marinette has less reason to help)

Reverser (new cat would get reversed into something else at the very least?)

Anansi (we’re assuming that this would be an episode where Nino gets his miraculous even if he’s not dating Alya; it just wouldn’t involve Alya)

Malediktator (no Queen Bee, no video to get into a huff over)

Sandboy (new cat’s civilian and hero nightmares would be different)

Catalyst (Heroes Day - Part 1) (if Volpina doesn’t happen, Hawk Moth doesn’t have his illusion maker, but that one was more debatable so we’ll presume he gets around it enough or Volpina did happen but very differently) (the subplot about Marinette preparing sweets is likely averted; in the original, Marinette went back on admitting that she lied because of Adrien being a sad boy which made her feel guilty) (bonus that Alya can’t use any “you’re jealous because Lila hit on Adrien” excuse with Marinette because Adrien doesn’t exist)

Mayura (Heroes Day - Part 2) (no Queen Bee so no Queen Wasp, and it’s debatable if Alya and Nino would’ve been close enough to care if/when the other got hit by Dark Cupid’s arrows)

Santa Claws (no Adrien means no final straw for Santa)

Season 3

Chameleon (no Adrien means no akumatization motive for Lila; also, no Adrien means that Marinette isn’t holding back from calling out Lila’s lying and Alya still can’t use the “you’re jealous because aDriEn” excuse, so we’ll presume that Alya trusts Marinette - an insane concept, I know - and looks into Lila’s lies)

Animaestro (no Adrien, no macaron, no last straw for Astruc and Marinette likely wouldn’t even show up for the premiere)

Bakerix

Backwarder (no Adrien love letter to accidentally give to Marianne, though it’d be hilarious to see Marianne’s reaction to being given the prescription; still )

Reflekdoll (no Adrien, no Alya intrusion, no Juleka blaming Marinette for no reason)

Weredad (based on if the love square is even still a thing, this could go any number of ways, but likely wouldn’t happen in the exact same way at least; also, I doubt the new cat would be curious about Marinette being on her own damn balcony)

Silencer

Oni-Chan (no Adrien means no picture for Kagami to get salty over)

Miraculer (no Queen Bee)

Oblivio (new cat might not be lounging around and calling them and Ladybug a couple; even if this episode still did happen, obviously it’d be very different)

Desperada (no Adrien means no guitar scene and no Aspik)

Christmaster (no Adrien gifts means no lie)

Startrain (depending on who the cat is, Ladybug might have to either go it alone or teleport away from the train to get them)

Kwami Buster (if the cat is someone who doesn’t go to Marinette’s school, possibly no Ms. Mendeleiev trying to catch the kwami)

Feast

Gamer 2.0 (this would technically be the first Gamer since “Gamer” very likely didn’t happen; ambiguous how the new cat will handle stressed out Ladybug or if they’re good at games in the first place)

Stormy Weather 2 (no subplot about Marinette delivering Adrien’s homework)

Ikari Gozen (no Adrien for Marinette to worry over so no phone-peeking and no sad Kagami)

Timetagger (new cat may no Cataclysm Bunnyx’s miraculous, which is what caused Bunnyx to be trapped in the past in the first place, unable to return)

Party Crasher (no Adrien, no party)

Puppeteer 2 (no Adrien means no museum means and no DJWifi dating for them to flirt and completely abandon the child they were supposed to watch)

Chat Blanc (no Adrien crush means no gift which means no Chat Noir figuring out Ladybug’s identity)

Felix (no Adrien means no video for Felix to sabotage)

Ladybug (Lila may’ve been called out by “Chameleon,” and even if Marinette was expelled, Alya still doesn’t have the “Adrien” excuse to pull, making it look even worse for her if she refuses to see Lila as a suspect)

Heart Hunter (Battle of the Miraculous - Part 1) (no Adrien means no sad Marinette which means Ladybug would be alert enough to go de-transform first or realize that Hawk Moth is following her) (also, Audrey possibly isn’t in Paris because she was planning on leaving before Chloe and her made up)

Miracle Queen (Battle of the Miraculous - Part 2) (Queen Bee never happened)

[elencelebrindal]

If you could rewrite Saint Seiya, what would you change about it? (In general. But if you want to talk about specific changes in each work, feel free.)

PS: You're an amazing writer and I love your drawings :)

Awww, thank you! You’ll make me cry T_T

Mh... what would I change about Saint Seiya... this is mostly classic + Hades, plus some other references. 

I’d definitely make it more mythology accurate when it comes to the gods. As much as I love this work, the fact that Athena is portrayed as this perfectly kind and always gentle deity with no huge flaws is awful in my book. It’s fine when you look at her from an anime point of view, because she is with the good guys so she has to be good, but if you’re like me and have a sweet spot for mythology... yeah, it doesn’t sound right. Athena has done some pretty messed up stuff, and I would have loved to see how the Saint Seiya version would tackle the issue.  Same goes for the “villains”. No matter what god it is, they’re always evil, even when they’re not supposed to be. And they always have the same story, just modified a bit. Come on, if you want to put so many villains, at least give them motives and stories that are deeply different. Not just the same soup.  So yeah, this is something I would change 100%.

Another thing I would change is the excessive amount of recognition Seiya receives when he’s around. Protagonist or not, it’s annoying to see that he gets full credit for something he barely helped doing, and this happens way too much.  The work might be called Saint Seiya, but the protagonists are five. Not one. Seiya is not the only one that does stuff, in fact, his friends to the same and even more. This probably is also the reason why I like more the title “Knights of the Zodiac” in all its languages. It’s ridiculous to have different people that achieve the same stuff, but still wanting to have a single protagonist that gets all the credit.  So yeah, that would change to give everyone a fair amount of recognition. 

Something else that pissed me off, and that I would immediately change, is how the story handled the Silver Saints and some fights against the Gold Saints. I get that you need the plot to go on, but if you introduce these warriors as tremendously more powerful than simple Bronze Saints, you don’t just kill them off like they’re nothing.  I’d give the Bronzes more time to figure out ways to win, instead of bullshitting their way through them thanks to plot armor. Most of the Silvers’ deaths were absurd, either too quick or blatantly wanted by the plot.  Get the Bronze injured more, don’t make it seem like the fights are easy, and make them use their brains instead of just their fists, since they’re going against stronger opponents. And, for the Golds... definitely take out Seiya breaking the horn. It’s ridiculous, and it doesn’t have an explanation. It’s literally just plot armor and nothing else. Also, I would rethink the way Shaka acts, for one simple reason: he was there when Pope Ares started mind controlling Aiolia. No way he saw that and thought “oh, this is perfectly normal, a Gold Saint mind controlled by the Pope it’s no big deal, let’s keep trusting him and his judgment”.  I might be going a bit too logical here, but... come on. Shaka is not an idiot. No one would see that and think it’s fine. 

Generally speaking, I would love to see less “everyone but us Saints is inherently evil” and more “everyone is not inherently evil unless proven otherwise”, because seriously.  The majority of the Saints’ enemies are not actually evil. Some are, but the majority of them really just follows orders, and I’m not going to sit here and put the blame on people who are faithful to their leader. It’s the leader’s fault, in most cases, not the warrior. And this has been proven many times, since there’s more than one example of warriors actually understanding the situation and refusing to fight or choosing to die to amend their mistakes.  Reducing that to “everyone but the Saints will never be good” is a trend I’m tired of seeing.  There’s literally Saints that went berserk, but of course you get redemption. All the Saints get redemption, but not anyone else! They’re not Saint! Ok, I’m really salty at that, sorry. I know it’s not always the case. 

Now, some minor details. I hate seeing how useless and skimpy are the Cloths worn by female Saints. It’s armor, is supposed to be a protection, not a sexy outfit. It doesn’t need to cover the entire body, male Saints don’t have that luxury (save for Golds), but my god just give them a normal armor with some normal pants and boots!  It’s warriors we’re talking about, dammit.  Not even Lost Canvas spared me this frustration, with Yuzuriha wearing close to no armor at all, and wearing very impractical clothes for fighting. Same with Saintia Sho, although this time with their clothes. Why do they need skirts? Yeah, they’re all girls, but why skirts????? I feel like a warrior that tries to fight like that, jumping and zooming all around, would not want to wear a skirt. This is not normal fighting, dammit. If it was, I wouldn’t have had problems with it, after all pants were not widely used in the past! But then again I hate how much “skirt targeted” is the world of girl warriors, so I’m definitely biased. Just give them some pants already!

Another detail I would change, now that I think about it, is how female Saints and female character in general are portrayed. In one way or another, they always end up weak, even if they’re strong as hell at first. I can count on one hand the times this downgrade didn’t happen.  One minute they’re strong, the other they’re not anymore, because the plot doesn’t need them to be anymore.  Shaina is a good example of this, going from a fierce warrior to... that, just because she fell in love.  Repeat after me: love is not a sign of weakness, and women who love should not be portrayed as weak.  Same for June, she appeared so badass at first, and the boom! useless. Marin as well, strong at the beginning, forgotten at the end, even though she had a better fate.  Saintia Sho actually is a good example of how female Saints should be, compared to male Saints of the same rank. As much as people can dislike it, Saintia Sho did a better job at portraying female Saints than any other media. And they’re literally trying to sell us more women by genderbending the men of Saint Seiya, just so they don’t have to re-write the ones they already have.  It’s not a difficult change, really. 

This is all I can think about for now. I’m sure I have more things I’d change, but for now this is it. I’m way too tired for my brain to work.  

[victoirebisset]

[ VICTOIRE ELISE BISSET. 28. CISFEMALE. SHE/HER] is here! They’ve lived in Silver Lake for [ SIX MONTHS ] and are originally from [ WELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS  ]. They are a [ PUBLICIST ] and in their downtime love [ CATCHING A MOVIE AT CINEMA PARADISO ] and [ ENJOYING A NICE BOTTLE OF RED WINE ]. They look a lot like [ ELIZABETH OLSEN ] and live [ ON SILVERWOOD TERRACE ]. 

the basics

full name: victoire elise bisset.

nicknames: v or vic. never, and i do mean never, vicky.

birthplace: wellesley, massachusetts.

birthdate: january 9th, 1992.

zodiac sign: capricorn. 

alignment: chaotic good.

personality type:  estj.

personality traits: dogmatic, loquacious, reliable, patient, rancorous, affable, critical & forthright.

gender: cisfemale.

sexual / romantic orientation: heterosexual / heteroromantic. 

the biography

-

the daughter to a (now) disgraced politician coming from old money and a disgruntled, yet loyal to a fault, housewife, there was never a time victoire didn’t know luxury  — or chaos. 

as a matter of fact, her entrance to the world was an example of both. the first  — and what would ultimately be only — child to gabriel and nicolette bisset, there was no expense spared as they prepared for her arrival; hundreds of designer onesies she’d grow out of within weeks were purchased, an italian artist flown in and commissioned to hand paint a mural in her nursery and her mother only received the finest of prenatal care. for most, it was an ostentatious display that was NOT needed. but that has always been the bisset way. flamboyant and shameless flaunting of their wealth was the norm as it was, so of course they’d go all out when expecting a baby.

at the same time, there was a certain level of disappointment. as far as her father went, at least. he had been hoping for a son to follow in his footsteps. but, he’d tell his wife in an attempt to convince them both, a little girl wasn’t so bad  — he’d love, cherish and spoil her regardless. and he did do at least two of those three things. but that son he’d been hoping for never came. once victoire was born, his wife refused to let him touch her. he assumed it was “baby hormones” but really it was because hours before her baby shower, nicolette had received a call from one of his mistresses confessing the affair because she felt “bad” knowing she was pregnant. nicolette never confronted her husband but their relationship was never the same.

growing up in the lapse of luxury, most would assume vic had nothing to complain about. while her material needs were always met, the emotional ones were often neglected. her mother, bless her heart, tried. but it wasn’t easy for her. nicolette was responsible for raising their child and presenting the bissets as the picture perfect family all while knowing her husband was fucking around on her. who wouldn’t become resentful dealing with that? snide comments were thrown across the dinner table, there were times she’d disappear in her room with a bottle of wine. she’d try to be there for her daughter as much as she could but she struggled. and her father, on the other hand, focused more on his career than his family. a lawyer turned politician, he campaigned, had frequent business meetings and a long list of secret lovers to split his time between. hard to be present with a schedule like that. 

gabriel’s career choice was confusing for young victoire. there were those that publicly villainized him and thought he was the devil. there were those that put him on a pedestal. it was overwhelming... and alluring. her father was the mayor of wellesley her entire life and was even campaigning for senate when the “scandal” happened. it was always a part of her life and politics intrigued her. she’d dreamed of being the first woman president. 

her father vowed to help her get into politics and the first step of that was hiring her to be his publicist as soon as she graduated from college. it was a blatant act of nepotism but at least she was really freakin’ good at her job. she gets word accusations of bribery would be hitting the local news and that same day there’s a press conference so shots of him shaking hands, kissing babies and making grand promises distracts from the news. his morality is called into question and he’s front and center campaigning for every local charity for six months. it was a bit grimey witnessing fully the seedy underbelly of politics and her idealistic view of it changed drastically. she no longer wanted to be president or a senator or anything else like that. she did, though, learn she really did like pr and enjoyed the role she had. at least until she was expected to pay off her father’s pregnant mistress who was threatening to spill the beans about their illicit affair.

while her mother had known about his infidelities for years, vic had no clue. she always assumed her father was working. that was why he couldn’t come to her recitals or presentations in school. that was why he was late to every single one of her birthday parties. she had convinced herself that her father wasn’t a scumbag but a highly ambitious politician and anyone else in his position would do the same.

to an extent, she had idolized her father  — glorifying the parent who was never really there and whose approval she would have died to get. the version of him she had created was destroyed. she was furious, heartbroken and confused. she quit that very day and a week later, the news broke. that one woman speaking out opened the floodgates and years of affairs and other naughty behavior was broadcasted across the state. her mother would have made tammy wynette proud with how she stood by her man but victoire did not follow suit. she worked in public relations so she never outright spoke against him because no one would hire her after publicly blasting a former client in the press. even if it was her father. but she knew how to expertly throw shade. and she did. quite a few times, actually. 

after she quit, victoire ended up in new york where she worked with a pr firm for a couple of years before getting a job with a more prestigious one in los angeles which prompted her move to silver lake. it’s been surprisingly difficult for her to adjust to life on the west coast. she’s a new england girl through and through and there’s just something about palm trees and sunshine that feels wrong. she also just really misses her family. well, just her mother really. they make do by facetiming twice a week and they’re even in the middle of discussing flying her out for the holidays. unfortunately, though, it’s unlikely to happen as her mother is insistent on bringing gabriel. victoire hasn’t seen or spoken to her father since the day she told him to go fuck himself and stormed out of his office. not because of any guilt from “abandoning” her father. — she’d add ‘essentially ruined my father’s political career’ to her resume if she thought it’d help her —  but because she is still so damn angry. the closest thing to contact they have is him wiring her money every month. this “allowance” isn’t really needed, victoire makes a very good living without needing any of what she calls bisset blood money. but she allows it to continue because she considers it restitution for decades of lackluster parenting and lies.

where victoire really shines is her career. she’s relatively new to the scene  — at least compared to most publicists in hollywood  — with only seven years of experience under her belt but don’t confuse quantity with quality. if you are a public figure, you want vic on your team. she’s tenacious and, while some may view her methods as underhanded, there is no story she can’t get ahead of. and if she can’t distract from it entirely, she can turn it into a positive or at least paint her client as the victim. duis, public disagreements with significant others, leaked sex tapes. she’s seen it all. she’d dedicated to the cause and makes up her own rules, but also has a strict moral code so she won’t do something or work with someone that goes against that.

victoire thrives in social situations and really loves to hear herself talk. she also tends to assume she’s the smartest person in the room and just expects everyone to go along with what she says. and she doesn’t really handle it well when that doesn’t happen. some may say she’s stubborn, she says she’s a leader who likes to take charge and handle things. she’s a very honest and straightforward person who is clear about her intentions in a relationship whether it’s professional, platonic or romantic. she doesn’t play games, she’s not wishy-washy and she has a tendency to see the world in black and white. 

coming from a long line of elitists, vic is proud to say that is at least one pattern she broke. she just isn’t one to parade around her wealth. yes, she has a nice house and she does tend to favor designer brands when it comes to clothing, but there really isn’t anything pretentious about her. the closest you’ll get is her having dinner at a five star restaurant or buying a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine. but that’s only because she likes good food and even better wine. she’s not one to show off and is just as likely to be seen at a fancy hollywood party mingling with clients as she is laying on her couch, wrapped up in blankets and watching golden girls reruns. she’s a combination of dorothy and blanche, by the way. 

-

anyways, i think this is long enough so i’ll wrap it up and just say i am excited to be here and that i look forward to writing with you all. i’ll be reaching out to everyone regarding plots at some point (i say some point because i’m a slow typer with a small attention span who is currently working 60 hours a week so i’m easily distracted AND tired) but you can expedite the process by sending me a message or liking this and i’ll put you at the top of my list. in the meantime, though, feel free to just assume connections. we can go with the flow and i don’t require connections before interacting anyway. aaaand now i’m really stopping! 

[cercareilgrandeforse]

1538.

Eat sushi every day for a month or eat onion rings every day for a month?  -eat onion rings...I’m not a sushi fan. 

Print off your own pictures or have them done at a store? -print from a store. I don't have a photo printer. Cook for a bunch of vegetarians or cook for a bunch of truck drivers? -truck drivers? Date the drummer of your favourite band or the lead singer? -lead singer...omg  Not have any access to music or not have any access to the internet? -no access to the internet. I have so much music on my library I’d be fine.  Listen to Tom Delonge’s voice or Mark Hoppus’ voice? -hahaha mark. Know what career you’ll have in twenty years or know who you’re going to be with in twenty years? -I’d like to know what career I’ll have? Attend an arena concert or an outdoor music festival? -outdoor festival. way more fun. Drink coffee without sugar or drink herbal tea? -herbal tea, cause I love that anyway. Can’t have coffee w/o sugaaa.

Swim in the Atlantic Ocean or Lake Ontario? -I’ve already swam in the Atlantic so Lake Ontario. Waste time on video games or computer games? -video games.

Change the colour of your eyes or the colour of your skin? -color of my eyes. Watch a truly terrifying horror movie that keeps you up all night or Twilight? -horror movie.... Be too thin or be a little overweight? -I don’t really care. I’m a little overweight now and I’m happy so. Learn how to dance from Justin Timberlake or Michael Jackson (when he was alive, of course)? -MJ Only shop at PacSun or Hot Topic? -hot topic. band tees for days. Spend money on new headphones or a new shirt? -new shirt. Have your wedding indoors or outdoors? -indoors. Play frisbee or touch football? -football. Drink beer with the guys or go shoe shopping with the girls? -beer with the guys. more fun.  Grow a flower garden or a vegetable garden? -vegetable!  Stand in line all day to see the cast of Harry Potter or the Jonas Brothers? -oh god....don’t make me choose. Receive money or a gift card? -either one.  Be the superhero or the villain? -villan... Play guitar for Metallica or AC/DC? -both Direct a big screen movie or direct a music video? -music video. Have Stephenie Meyer or J.K. Rowling write your life story? -J.K. Rowling...twilight sucked.  Watch a girl-on-girl sex scene or a boy-on-boy sex scene? -girl on girl.  Buy clothes online or have your mother buy your clothes? -online shopping is my life.  Watch a nature show about sharks or snakes? -SHARKS! Listen to hours of your least favourite band or spend hours trapped in a closet? -hours of least favorite band..it’s still a fav so it’s not that bad.. Meet online friends in real life or meet a famous celebrity? -online friends irl Eat fries with ketchup or without? -with Have a Twitter account or a Tumblr account? -twitter actually. Spend an evening with Billie Joe Armstrong or Joel Madden? -oh god....billie Joe.

Never be able to see your dad again or never be able to see your best friend again? -never be able to see my dad..I barely see him anyway.  Dye your hair blue or pink? -blue..I have dark hair so a dark blue is fine.. Wear a shirt with sexual innuendo on it or wear pants with JUICY across the butt? -sexual innuendo tee

1539.

Do you ever turn your phone off because you don’t want to talk? -yup Do you wear a lot of jewelry? not a lot, I just always have a few rings on, and a necklace. Do you like McDonald’s sweet tea? it’s alright...

Do you like rap? yeah but a lot of the older rap.. like 90′s-early 2000′s

Do you ever lay down and look at the stars? yeah...especially when it was warm out. 

Do you ever wear pink? yeah sometimes. Do you drink? yes Smoke? no Do you say “I love you” to your best friends? always.  Do you ever feel like you’re wasting your time? sometimes.  Is your room a mess? I actually just cleaned my entire house.  Are you on a laptop? yes. What’s your favorite perfume? j’adore by dior.

What is one song that you know every word to? I know every word to a lot of songs.. Tommy’s song by grayscale is my current cry song.  Don’t you hate when songs remind you of the person you’re trying to forget? yup...the worst Do you like when it rains? only if i get to stay home. Whose bed were you last in besides your own? I can’t even remember..I always stay In my own.  Are you really open, or are you embarrassed to talk about personal stuff? nah super open... Who’s the last person you kissed? my bf. What’s your relationship with that person? he’s my boyfriend. Do you know how many people you’ve kissed? I don’t have a specific number but I bet I could count it out.. Do you burn easily in the sun? no. I'm Italian so I get nice and dark. Any big plans for this weekend? Friendsgiving! What color is your bedroom? dark blue. Have you ever snuck out? many times. easier now that I live on my own..is that still sneaking out? Are you a good influence? I'd like to think so. Have you changed a lot in the past year? yeah. definitely.  Have you ever blacked out? yeah. What’s your favorite childhood memory? going to camp with my dad. I was little and my brother was younger. So my mom lied to my brother saying my dad and I were going to the store and we drove up to our camp, about an hour away and we listened to KISS and AC/DC and other good ones on the way up with the windows down. And the next morning we went to this place called Suzie’s in the mountains for breakfast..just us. That was right before my dad left. and everything went to shit.  Who do you hang out with the most? my boyfriend. Are you positive or negative? mostly positive. Do you smile easily, or do people have to earn your smiles? i smile easily. How tall are you? 5′5″. Do you regret anything you’ve done in the past 2 weeks? no. What is your zodiac sign? aries.

[lfthinkerwrites]

High School Teacher AU: Fraternization Policy

Superintendent al Ghul does not care for Ellen’s comic and Edward and Penelope finally get on the same page.

It had taken the better part of four hours holding Jonathan under a shower in the boy's locker room for the man to, somewhat, sober up. Edward and Jervis had deposited him in the nurse's office and went their separate ways when the lunch bell rang, Jervis off to the teacher's lounge, Edward to the guidance counselor's offices. Or rather, to one guidance counselor's office in particular. He passed Harley on her way out and she gave him a wink and a thumbs up. This made him even more nervous. Yes, nervous. Anyone might have thought he'd consider a private meeting with Penelope Young his due, but the truth was, Ellen's existence notwithstanding, he'd never really had an easy time talking with women. So for a long moment, he stood outside of Penelope's door and hesitated. What could she have to say to him? She'd been cold to him since they'd met at best, outright antagonistic to him at worst. It had only been in the past week that she'd shown any sign that she liked him. He took a deep breath, then knocked three times on her door.

"Yes?"

Edward steeled himself. Here went nothing. “It’s me,” he said.

There was a brief pause before Penelope responded. “Come in, Edward.”

Edward reached down to straighten his tie before he entered the office. Penelope sat behind her desk, pen in hand. Edward could see a notebook in front of her, which she closed as he approached. "You said you wanted to talk," Edward said. "Well, here I am. What did you want to talk about?"

He watched as Penelope brushed her fingers through her bangs. A nervous habit, he'd noticed. One of the many things he'd noticed about her. "Harley and Pamela told me something at the poker game last night," she said at last. She looked up at him then and Edward noticed that she looked almost...hopeful? Must be a trick of the light. "They told me that you're in love with me."

Edward's world stopped turning at that precise moment and a chill went down his spine. "T-they-did they now?" Goddamn them both. This wasn't how he wanted her to find out.

Penelope cocked her head slightly, her expression as blank as usual. "Are you?"

Edward could deny it, but he'd never been a good liar. "Yes."

Penelope looked almost taken aback. "You-you are?" Then the professional mask slipped back into place. "How long?"

Edward began to pick at the sleeve of his dress shirt. "Since I met you."

Penelope looked less than convinced by that. "Seriously?"

"Alright," Edward admitted. "I've been attracted to you since I met you. I knew I was in love with you the moment I saw you take Valentin down with your taser."

Penelope's mask fell again and she gaped at him for a long moment. "You-I-" then her face flushed and she looked almost angry at him. "Why didn't you ever say anything!?"

"What, was I supposed to come marching up to you and start slobbering over you like that cretin Bolton?" Edward said defensively. "I was slowly wooing you using my intellectual charms-"

"You were playing games because you were afraid of being rejected," Penelope finished, getting up from behind her desk. "I can't believe you! All this time, I thought you tolerated me at best, when we could have been-" she cut off, covering her mouth.

"'Could have been' what exactly?" Edward asked. Wait. Wait a minute. "You mean to tell me that you-how long have you-"

"I didn't fall for you at first sight or anything like that," she said quickly. "But...I'd be lying if I said I wasn't...attracted to you too, when you're not being an ass at least."

Edward felt his own jaw drop. She was attracted to him? That explained why she seemed to have his schedule memorized, how even though she was frequently irritated by him, she didn't shy away from being in his company. Then his own elation turned to irritation. "Why didn't you ever say anything!?"

"Becuase until a week ago, I didn't know if you even liked me!" Penelope shouted, walking up to him. "You seemed to delight in finding new ways to be obnoxious-"

"I'm like that with everyone!" he shouted back. "That's just who I am! Believe me, if I didn't like you, you'd know it!"

"That still didn't mean you couldn't have been honest with me!"

"Likewise!"

Penelope was about an inch away from him, fuming. "You are," she said in a low tone. "The most impossible person I've ever met, Edward Nashton." She grabbed a hold of his tie and yanked him down. "And I need you to kiss me."

Edward blinked once. He had heard that, hadn't he? "What?"

Penelope made an exasperated noise. "I don't want to waste any more time. We might not get another chance. Please."

Edward had both of his arms around her in a moment. "Alright." Then he leaned in.

"Well, I have to say, this morning could have gone worse," Gordon said with a confidence he didn't feel.

"Well, it certainly could have gone better," al Ghul said. "I thought you said that Dent had completed anger management!"

"He did," Bruce defended.

"Then why did he call that boy in his class a son of a bitch, a pipsqueak and a mad dog!?"

Gordon bit his lip. "In his defense, Machin has been a disciplinary problem since he was a freshman-"

"That doesn't excuse Dent using that language," al Ghul said with a finality that no one dared to speak against.

"Anyway," Vreeland said, clapping her hands together. "It's lunchtime. Let's go out in the quad."

The group moved through the still vacant cafeteria and into the outdoor quad, where most of the students chose to eat, given that the food trucks were still there. One crowded table caught their attention. As they moved closer, Bruce recognized Dick, Tim, Cas, and Barbara. "Hey kids," he said in greeting.

The group looked up as one and Bruce noticed that Harvey's daughter Duela and Nashton's daughter were at the center of the table. Nashton's daughter was scribbling away at something. "Hi, Bruce!" Tim waved. The other children gave polite greetings.

al Ghul nodded slightly at Nashton's daughter. "You're Edward Nashton's daughter, aren't you? The resemblance is striking."

The girl nodded. "Yeah. My name's Ellen."

"What are you drawing, Ellen?" Gordon asked.

"Nothing," she said a bit too quickly.

al Ghul frowned a bit. "It's not obscene, is it?"

"No!" Ellen shouted before remembering exactly who she was talking to. "It's for a comic Duela and I are making."

"The girls are very creative," Gordon explained. "Why don't you go ahead and show us?" Ellen and Duela exchanged a long look with each other before Duela shrugged. Ellen slid the paper over to Gordon. He took one look and his eyes nearly bugged out. "Oh my."

Bruce looked over his shoulder at the drawing and read the captions out loud. "Beautiful Captain Zodiac Sparkles and the Perils of the Perverted, Perfidious Professor Pyg?" The drawing was of a girl in fishnet stockings, steel-toed boots and a tight-fighting top doing battle with a grotesque figure holding a meat cleaver and wearing a pig mask. "This is based on Valentin, I take it?"

"Dad said we couldn't use Coach Bolton as the villain anymore," Duela explained. "So we had to make a new villain."

"And just why do you think it's appropriate to draw comics casting members of the faculty as villains?" al Ghul asked.

"Because one of them chased me with a meat cleaver, that's why!" Ellen argued. The other kids at the table said nothing, but Bruce caught Tim nodding in agreement.

al Ghul glared at Strange. "Is that true?"

"The situation has already been handled," Strange said. "I don't think this comic is appropriate, girls."

Duela rolled her eyes. "First we couldn't use Toxic Masculinity, now we can't use Professor Pyg? Lonnie was right, you guys are all a bunch of fascists!"

"'Toxic Masculinity'?" al Ghul repeated. "You drew Coach Bolton in your comic and named him 'Toxic Masculinity?"

"It's what he is," Ellen said. "Ms. Isley said so."

al Ghul took the comic from Bruce. "And your fathers know that you've been creating this?"

"Yeah," Ellen said. "My Dad says as long as he doesn't get sued for libel, he doesn't care."

"He would say that," al Ghul muttered. "Well, we'll just see what your guidance counselor has to say about this, young lady!" al Ghul turned on his heel and stormed back towards the school's interior, the principals and the school board scurrying behind him. It wasn't until the group had entered the cafeteria that it occurred to Bruce that Jason was absent from the table.

"Dr. Young's office is just down here," Gordon said, taking the lead as they walked down the hall that led to the guidance counselor's offices.

"What kind of counselor is she?" al Ghul asked.

"Oh, she's terrific. Very professional. Never had a complaint about her," Gordon said.

"So in other words, she's the opposite of Dr. Quinzel. Good," al Ghul said. The group had just arrived outside of her door when they heard a thump come from inside.

"What was that?" Falcone asked. A muffled groan came from inside the office and Gordon felt sick. He opened the door wide anyway. "Oh, good Lord!"

As soon as the door opened, they were greeted by the sight of Dr. Young perched in the lap of a shirtless Edward Nashton who was sitting on top of her desk. Both looked flushed and their hair was loose. Vreeland made a scandalized noise and left the room, along with Falcone. Strange and al Ghul looked like they were about to have an aneurysm. Nashton, for his part, kept his arms tight around Dr. Young's waist and gave the group a look of bored irritation. "Do you mind? We're on our lunch break."

This quip seemed to bring al Ghul to life. "What is the explanation for this!?"

Nashton shrugged. "Does paradise need an explanation, Superintendent?"

al Ghul's face turned dark red from anger, but Strange saw an opportunity. Nashton had given him the perfect excuse to send the irritant packing. "You do realize," he said in a slow tone, "That this is in violation of our fraternization policy? Faculty and staff are forbidden from having relations with each other."

Dr. Young looked like she was about to say something when Nashton interrupted once again. "We're well aware." He then turned his gaze to Bruce and let out a smirk. "Fraternization between members of the faculty and the school board is forbidden too, right Bruce?"

Bruce felt his face burn. That son of a bitch. al Ghul turned and gave Bruce a sharp look. "You and that gym teacher! I knew it! You whoremonger!" Then he did something unexpected. He backhanded Bruce.

"Superintendent!" Gordon cried out. Bruce took a deep breath to keep himself from retaliating. All the while, Nashton looked on smug, while Dr. Young looked somewhat scandalized. al Ghul stormed out of the office, Elliott, Fox, and Queen following. Bruce then glared at Nashton. If nothing else, at least one of the teachers would finally be removed-

"Edward! It's been forever! Nice to see you're doing well!"

Cobblepot stepped forward and Nashton let out a grin. "Ozzie!"

'Ozzie?' Bruce and Gordon exchanged a long-suffering look when they realized what this meant. Cobblepot and Nashton were friends. Nashton, and by extension, Young, Crane, and Tetch, probably, were untouchable.

"Well, let's not take up too much more of your time," Oswald chuckled. "Do feel free to bring your lady to the Iceberg Lounge. Drinks are on me!" Oswald let out another laugh. "You incorrigible young rascal!"

"See you soon, you old crook," Edward laughed. Oswald walked out, leaving the principals and Wayne no choice but to follow him. Wayne shot him one final glare before he slammed the office door shut behind him. Edward shook his head. "Well, that was amusing."

"If you say so," Penelope sighed. "You never told me you knew Oswald Cobblepot."

"Oh, Ozzie and I go way back. He got me my first programming job. And in my defense darling, you never asked."

Penelope raised an eyebrow. "Darling?"

Edward felt a bit flustered. "Well, I'm assuming that you want more than just a single furtive groping session in your office. Right?"

In response, Penelope got off of his lap and walked towards her office door. Edward's heart sank. Then he watched her lock it. She turned back towards him with a heated look in her eyes. "We still have fifteen minutes left for lunch break, you don't have computer lab until 1:30 and I cleared my calendar for the rest of the afternoon." She then slowly began to unbutton her blouse and Edward's brain shut down. "I'd say we're going to go a bit past a single session, Eddie."

Where had she been all his life?

[darkershining]

Just watched the second episode of Star Twinkle Pretty Cure.

After the events of the last episode, we see that Lala and the others were able to land the ship safely, but due to the damage to the ship, it might take a while before it can fly again. Prunce points out that on the bright side, they found a Pretty Cure, and Hikaru asks just what a Pretty Cure is. Prunce explains how they are a legend known throughout the Galaxy, said to give light to dimmed stars and protecting the Twinkle Book.

Hikaru is excited, but Lala has her doubts. Fuwa goes to sleep inside the book, and Prunce offers to hold on to the book for safe-keeping, but Hikaru protests, pointing out that the book belonged to her, and promises to keep it and Fuwa safe. Needing a place to stay for the night, Hikaru invites the aliens over to her house. However, due to galactic laws, the aliens must try to keep themselves hidden from inhabitants of planets without the same level of space travel.

Hikaru shows them her room, explaining how it used to be her dad’s study. Lala shows some interest in Hikaru’s books as a way of gathering information. Hikaru’s grandfather shows up and comments that Hikaru didn’t greet him when she returned and about the state of her room. Hikaru goes to join her family for dinner, and later brings some rice balls for her alien friends. However, Lala has left, and Prunce informs her that she went to work on repairing the ship.

Working on repairing the ship, Lala asks the ship what her chances of becoming a Cure are, and the ship informs her that the chance is low. Lala is disappointed, and asks what Hikaru’s chances were. She is surprised when the ship informs her that Hikaru had the exact same odds of becoming a Cure before it happened. Hikaru shows up to offer Lala some food. Lala is initially skeptical, and shows that she already has some food she brought with her. Seeing Hikaru’s interest, she offers to let her try one. Hikaru likes it, and in return offers Lala a rice ball, telling her to at least give it a chance. Lala finally accepts it and nervously gives it a try, finding it good.

The two girls talk some more, with Hikaru showing her admiration of Lala’s ability to work on repairing the ship. Lala says it’s because she’s an adult, and Hikaru asks how old she is. Lala says that in Earth time, she’s about thirteen years old, which Hikaru points out is the same age as her. Lala reveals that by the standards of her planet, she is considered an adult.

Meanwhile, Kappard reports to a female superior, letting her know a Pretty Cure has been found.

Lala continues working on the ship the next morning, with Hikaru showing up to greet her. Lala explains that on her planet, people greet each other by touching sensors, with Prunce adding that Lala’s antenna can emit electricity. Hikaru asks if the three aliens were always together, but Lala explains that she only met Prunce and Fuwa recently. Prunce reveals that he worked for the twelve Zodiac Princesses, before their homeworld was attacked by the Notrayders and fell into darkness. The princesses sent them to seek help, before using their power to try to stop the Notrayders. Because they exhausted their powers, the princesses were scattered, and Prunce hopes Hikaru will be able to help find them. Lala still has her doubts, though.

Hikaru later brings the aliens over to the hill near the observatory place to take a break and look at the view of the area, where Mr. Ryuu comes across Lala, who realizes only Hikaru can understand her. Hikaru nearly blurts out that Lala came from space, before backtracking and saying she’s a friend of hers. Ryuu tells the two to have fun and leaves. Lala wonders why Hikaru became a Pretty Cure, since she only just met them and Lala had been with Fuwa longer. Catching on to Lala’s feelings, Hikaru asks if Lala wants to become a Pretty Cure too.

Hikaru suggests that Lala give it a try, but Lala believes it can’t possibly be that easy, and explains what the ship’s data told her. Hikaru points out that while the ship’s A.I. may be able to make the guess based on past events, it can’t predict actually predict the future. While the two are discussing it, Kappard and his mooks show up to try to take Fuwa again. Hikaru transforms, and tries to fight them off while Lala tries to get Fuwa to safety, but Kappard and his minions keep catching up to her. Prunce tries to get Lala to higher ground while Cure Star deals with the bad guys. Cure Star tells Lala to become a Cure, but Lala still insists it can’t be that simple, with Kappard agreeing the same miracle won’t happen twice.

Cure Star keeps insisting that Lala can do it if she wants, telling her to envision who she wants to be and just believe in herself. Finding the resolve, Lala declares that she’ll protect Fuwa and become a Cure. In response, Fuwa grants Lala’s wish, giving her her own set of transformation items. Lala becomes Cure Milky, and helps Cure Star drive the villains off by making use of her powered-up antenna. Kappard is surprised that the same miracle happened twice, but Cure Milky corrects him, saying what happened before was Hikaru’s miracle, while this is the miracle she created.

After driving off the bad guys, Hikaru is happy for Lala, having believed she’d be able to do it. Lala tells Hikaru that she’s fairly certain the reason she managed to do it was because Hikaru was able to. As the episode ends, Hikaru’s pendant begins to glow.

That was a good episode! We got to know Lala a bit better, who is more of the logical type. We also learned a bit about where the aliens came from, and got some insight into what their planets are like. And I’m also curious about Hikaru’s father now, since we found out her room used to be his study. We haven’t seen him around, so... is he dead? Or is there a different reason he doesn’t seem to be around? I guess we’ll find out eventually.

And it looks like the Cures will indeed all sing during their transformation sequences, which has me looking forward to seeing if we’ll see all four singing in unison during group transformations. I really liked Cure Milky’s transformation sequence! The animation was really cool! I liked how she was sort of surfing at the start of it. I also noticed that they fixed the little animation error with Cure Star’s sequence, in which her one stocking was visible after her shoes appeared before it had actually appeared.

Anyways, looks like the next episode will have our two Cures’ different viewpoints lead to a bit of a clash. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what happens next!

[grs-the-neighborhood]

Lauren Lee

  Age: 13

  Gender: Female

  Sexuality: Demi-sexual

  Birthday(Zodiac): September 12; Virgo

  Species: Human

  Ethnicity: ½ African, ½ Japanese

  Alignment: Civilian

  Powers/Abilities:

                Has strong knowledge of:

    Zoology and Astronomy

                Skateboarding

  Relatives: Sheldon Lee (father), Trixie Carter (mother),

Benji Crust (paternal half brother)

  Background:

            Thanks to the birth of Benji, Sheldon finally got over his womanizing ways and was able to settle down with Lauren’s mom, Trixie became a one of the world’s most renown surgeons. Even though most people would never have thought the two would be together, but when they met for a science convention the two just clicked. Sheldon loved hearing the stories that Trixie would “come up with” about mythical creatures and Trixie was fascinated by what Sheldon was able to create—and the fact that he was a big hot shot inventor made her even more interested in him. The two started dating and Trixie became pregnant with Lauren.

                Both Trixie and Sheldon loved their baby girl and always hoped that she would follow in either or their footsteps and wound up being surprised when Lauren showed more interest in astronomy and zoology more than robotics or human medicine.

  Personality Type: Logistician_Assertive (ISTJ-A)

Personality:

                Lauren has a personality like her mother, while she has the geekiness of her father. She has that sassy and tomboyish persona that leads guys to think of her as “one of the boys” which tends to annoy her—especially if the guy happens to be the person she has a crush on.

                She is labeled as a “nerd” in her school because of her obsession to get good grades and study. This has led her to be isolated and excluded from some teen activities. This in turn has led to her having moments where she is either ignorant or awkward during social situations. To people that don’t know her, she comes off as “cold” or “indifferent” because in all honesty—she is. The only people that she opens up to is her family and those rare people that she calls “friend”.

                When she is hanging out with Erin she acts like a goofball and shares new discoveries that she has found while researching zoology and astronomy. It is because Erin is her best friend that she lets out the secret side of her that she keeps hidden from everyone else.

                One of the things that she is most prideful about is being blasian, she finds it as something that makes her different and unique from everybody else she knows. 

  Appearance: She has wavy black hair, eyes like her fathers, her mother’s nose, and likes to wear clothes that are less fashionable and more comfortable.

  Relationships:

                She loves both of her parents, but she doesn’t get a lot of time with either of them because of their busy jobs. Though she may get frustrated with their absences, she enjoys the quiet she gets at home while they are away. It is during that time that she studies for her classes, does her homework, and researches her two favorite sciences. Sheldon, whenever he is around Lauren and her friends, embarrasses her with his goofy personality. Trixie, of course, is the “cool parent” where Lauren gets most of her personality… though she feels like she’s closer to her father than her mother.

Benji: The two get along as any brother and sister would. They do argue when it comes to sense of fashion; Lauren doesn’t care about what she wears and gets angry when Benji lectures about how she needs to care about her appearance.

                Lauren’s best friend is Erin. With all the craziness in the world with robots, mythological creatures, villains, and heroes… Lauren appreciates that she has a friend who doesn’t want to be involved with any of it! Erin is the girl Lauren always goes to when she wants peace and quiet or to have someone normal to hang out with.  Her creator, @shorty-tori, update Lauren her relationship with Erin would change to her developing feelings for her best friend) Benji helps consult her on her feelings for her friend, and gives her tips on how she can ask her out.

                Everybody knows that even though Sheldon had grown out of his crush on Jenny and is now in love with Trixie, he still has a weird fetish for robotic women. And one day he met another robotic inventor who had similar fetishes, and their daughters became acquaintances. That’s right, even though Chloe and Lauren have very little in common, they like to complain to each other how weird their fathers are. Also, Chloe likes to show off her outfits to her poorer and least stylish friend, to try to bug her about why she doesn’t dress up like a girl.

                  Trivia:

    ·         Lauren’s creator wishes for people not to judge the way she drew her fist… she is REALLY bad at drawing hands and dreads every moment when she has to do so

    ·         Character’s name is similar to creator’s middle name

    ·         Her personality is based off a lot of the creator

    ·         Favorite colors: Beige, blue, and violet

    ·         Knows about mythological creatures, just doesn’t have time to go on adventures

    ·         Straight A student—school is what she focuses on most of the time

    ·         No relation to Suzie Lee     *        Father is from My Teenage Robot Life and mother is from Jake Long: American Dragon

  Quotes:

--

Not caring or worrying about what her father could possibly be doing, Lauren walked into his study. There she caught him with magazines of robotic women on his desk while he skyped his same-obsessed friend Jack Spicer. “Don’t tell me you two are talking about sex robots again!” she yelled as she glared at her father. He stammered as he picked up the magazines and hid them in a drawer. Walking out of the room, pulling at her hair she yelled to herself, “Why do you have to be so weird!”

--

“Yeah girl, I caught them at it again! There has to be something seriously wrong with those two,” Lauren was on the phone with Chloe, complaining about their father’s having their ‘usual’ talks. Though for the two girls’ talks it went how it usually went; going from talking about their fathers to Chloe talking about Lauren’s fashion sense. “No, Chloe, I do like wearing pink. I don’t even have anything pink!... nah, I don’t need a pink dress…” even though Lauren loved the relief of getting her stress off her shoulders about her dad, she could do less with the long fashion rants over the phone.

--

  Story: You Are My Normal

      “EERRRIIIINNN!” Lauren yelled out as she ran towards her best friend, “did you hear about that battle between those heroes and villains groups? I heard it got MESSY!” Erin just nodded, being her quiet, usual self. “I remember that the hero group is called ‘Vanguard League’, because it sounds so fancy, but I forget what the villain group is called… ‘The Young Blood Gang’? Is that it?”

                “It’s ‘Young Blood Alliance’, remember ‘YBA’ as the acronym,” Erin answered in a quiet voice.

                “That’s right! Nice idea Erin,” the girl hiding her eyes blushed, “I’ll be sure to remember that. You’re so smart!” Lauren was always happier when she spent time with Erin before school started. It gave her time to let go and just be herself. Before her shields come up while she is in class and will only focus on what the teacher is instructing.

                “Didn’t you say you know someone in the Youn—” Before Erin could finish asking her question, Lauren covered her mouth.

                “Shhhhhh! What are ya doin’? You can’t be asking that out loud! I don’t want someone hearing that I do,” she held her hands over her bestie’s mouth, making sure that no noise could come out that could let those around know that she knew Chloe Spicer, member of the Young Blood Alliance.

                Well, she covered her mouth until Erin bit her hand. Yelping in pain Lauren jumped back and shook her hand, as if to shake off the pain. “Have I told you recently how awkward you are?” Erin turned around and began walking towards the building, “And why? Why me? Why did you decide to chose me above everyone else in this entire school?”

                For a moment Lauren stopped and thought that herself, why Erin? With everyone in the entire school she became friends with Erin and had clung to her since. “Hey, crazy! You going to quicken up your space and walk with me?” Erin blushed as she pouted at her friend, having stopped to wait for her.

                That was all the reminder that Lauren needed. Erin was the best friend anyone could ask for. She may be quiet, and she may find a lot of things annoying. But she’s loyal, and smart, and funny. She was the right person to be friends with. She was the only person who made her feel… normal.

Belong to @shorty-tori 

[theunderdogwrites]

Ghislaine Maxwell: Co-Conspirator or Victim?

There are a few things in this world that gross me out to my very core:

-          Children eating ice cream. Just no. More gets on their face than in their mouths and it activates my gag reflex and I must look away in horror. And someone get the hose because I am not touching any of it come clean up time.

-          Feet.  There are no words

-          Bestial older men who terrorize young women and under-age girls with sex and those who help them engage in lascivious behavior. Should this not be something that disgusts everyone?

My zodiac sign pegs me as more of a leader than a follower. I find this laughable, but some around me might argue that I am capable of taking the reigns, but not always the best at adhering to authority exerted by others. If I am challenging you for your position, it’s because you’re either a bully or a fucking senseless shitbag and I don’t want those around you subjected to your vast lack of insight. Because in reality, I am super happy to follow intelligent, respectful human beings and even behave myself. It means I can just smile and nod and day dream – my favorite pastime.

If you are not familiar with the name Ghislaine Maxwell, I still hope you cringe at the name Jeffery Epstein. Convicted sex offender and all-around sack of malevolent slime. Also, a coward. Also, unfortunately dead (either by his own hand *I don’t believe it* or snuffed out by some frightened people of great power *I believe this*) before he was able to be made someone’s bitch in prison. Such a tragedy when sex offenders / sex traffickers don’t live long enough in prison to be passed around and used like a cum dumpster. Sometimes the punishment SHOULD fit the crime.

There is plenty of information out there about Ghislaine Maxwell. Here are a few key points on her:

-          Her father was Robert Maxwell. He was a British media proprietor, a former member of Parliament (MP), a suspected spy, and a fraudster (having misappropriated the pension funds of his employees). Just to give you a good idea of who Robert Maxwell was: he was the inspiration for the villainous media baron Elliot Carver in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. I. Am. Jealous!

 -          Her father died in November 1991. He had boarded his 190-foot yacht, aptly name, Lady Ghislaine and found the next morning naked, spread-eagled and afloat in the Atlantic. Two autopsies could not conclusively prove a cause of death, but most say suicide because he was set to answer questions surrounding his corporation’s billion-pound debt load that was distributed among at least nine different international banks and investment firms, and the massive hole in its pension reserves. In simpler terms – he was fucked

 -          Robert Maxwell left his family in ruins. Ghislaine, his favorite child whom he groomed in his image from a young age, was understandably crushed

  -          Ghislaine is best known for being a socialite with immense connections among the international elite. It’s been stated that she was quite personable, a little bit quirky and therefore often a standout at parties; with many people being drawn to her. (Side note: I recently watched the HBO documentary on her titled, ‘Epstein’s Shadow’ and the tagline under ALL of the people they interviewed who knew her on a social level read, “former friend of Ghislaine Maxwell”. This just made me laugh. I’ve tried to envision the conversation where these people demanded that FORMER be included. Yes, quickly distance yourself from the stink less they think you too might smell bad)

  -          Depending on who you listen to, Ghislaine met Epstein in either the late 1980’s when her father introduced them (how apropos) or in the late 1990’s at a party in New York following a difficult breakup with a Count. I wonder what breaking up with a Count looks like, feels like. A Count is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, generally of average rank in the hierarchy of nobility. So basically, he’s not THAT special. But probably feels he is because, well, he has a title. Just imagine the insult you could hurl at him during the break-up: “Count von Count has a bigger penis than you!” *If you do not know who that is – just leave now because you’re shameful*.

 -          Epstein and Maxwell started out as a couple, but that morphed into more of a companionship / friendship / let’s rape young girls together type situation. You know, how most connections organically evolve.

 -          Ghislaine Maxwell has been accused of befriending minors and attempting to build a relationship with them, then later delivering them to Jeffrey Epstein to abuse. Maxwell would allegedly lure the young girls to Epstein’s residence under the guise of paid massage work. She’d target disadvantaged minors who she thought wouldn’t be able to refuse the money. Maxwell & Epstein allegedly lured slightly older women into their gross lives with the promise to assist in their careers.

 -          Additionally, Maxwell and Epstein have been accused of trafficking some of these girls out to their friends and associates among their extremely elite circle. Most notably, is Prince Andrew. Investigators have identified as many as 36 girls that were victims of Epstein and Maxwell’s sex trafficking ring. Some of them - as young as 14. It’s believed there are many more victims yet to be identified.

 -          Following Epstein’s arrest in July 2019, the FBI started looking for Ghislaine. She went into hiding. Eleven months after Epstein’s “suicide” in prison on August 10, 2019, Maxwell was located. She was arrested in New Hampshire, where she was living a life of seclusion on a sprawling ranch.

 -          Ghislaine Maxwell faces federal charges including transporting a minor for the purposes of criminal sexual activity, and conspiring to entice minors to travel and engage in illegal sex acts. She is awaiting trial in a Manhattan jail. A trial that was to begin July 12, 2021 but has been delayed till the fall at the request of Maxwell.

 You now know all you need to know about Ghislaine Maxwell for the purposes of finishing this piece.

The HBO documentary poised a question and instead of answering it, they’ve pretty much left this viewer with repetitive thoughts and disrupted sleep while trying to answer that very question… ‘Ghislaine Maxwell, Co-Conspirator or Victim?’.

Victim: a person who suffers from a destructive or injurious action or agency / a person who is deceived or cheated, as by his or her own emotions or ignorance, by the dishonesty of others, or by some impersonal agency

My first thought when this question came up: “Wow HBO, if I was a victim of Epstein’s depravity, I’d be so pissed at you right now. Daring to group in the woman accused (several times over) of basically being a fancy pimp and securing playthings for her rich, giant-faced brute and his pals, with the young women whose lives and brain chemistry (yes, I said that: see TRAUMA) have been forever altered by Epstein’s fuckery… BOLD”.

But that thought took me to this thought: “Ghislaine was a Daddy’s girl. And as we know, her dad was a fiend. It is repeated many times in print, that Robert Maxwell conditioned his daughter and corrupted her character. In some twisted way, there might be a case in which she is in fact, a victim. A victim of a severe patriarchal environment that started at a young age and was instrumental in forming her concepts of success, decency and love (given and received)”.

My mind then went straight to this:

 She was raised by a plump, rotten human being and most likely, wanted to please her dad… as most daughters often do, and perhaps never thought to question anything. How many of us are guilty of that?

Robert Maxwell passes (Ghislaine has maintained that he was murdered, but with no evidence to support her claims) and the now lost, without a compass Ghislaine, finds her way to Jeffery Epstein.

I think there is something to be said for what and who we attract into our lives. And for what and who we allow to stay in our lives. I’m just going to assume that the majority of people in this world do not willingly desire to attract destructive, soul sucking wankers into their lives, but have had to expunge a number of them from their existence. Full vision doesn’t always mean you are not blind. Love can be murky and really fuck up those rose-coloured glasses.

Co-Conspirator: A co-conspirator is a fellow conspirator - someone engaged in a secret plan by multiple people to do something evil or illegal

By this definition, Ghislaine Maxwell should be spending a great deal of the rest of her life in prison.

She saw bad stuff. She blinded herself to bad stuff. She facilitated bad stuff. She became the bad stuff.

If I was the prosecuting attorney, I might end with those four sentences. But make it all dramatic… throw in a brief pause after each one… maybe do the Bill Clinton “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” thumb gesture:

 On second thought, considering how intertwined he could be in all of this… I’d most likely just use the classier karate chop into the open palm to bring my points home:

 (Side Note: if you really hate your life, try a deep dive on active hand gestures and how they often provide social leverage)

 So, to finally answer HBO’s question: ‘Ghislaine Maxwell, Co-Conspirator or Victim?’…

As I was told numerous times in counselling… “You are not at fault for the things that happened to you when you were young and had no control. But as an adult, you can’t let those past experiences define you and your actions. If you do, then you are responsible for the things you do now”.

Fault is past tense. Responsibility is present tense.

Ghislaine is not at fault for how she was raised or groomed, but if she lured just ONE girl/woman into Epstein’s clutches to be raped and trafficked, then she is absolutely responsible and should be held fully accountable.

She was a victim who turned into not just a co-conspirator but also a lying coward.

I believe ALL the women.

[survivormetaverse]

Rites of Passage

Elle: I never met you, here's a joke!Never trust a pirate duck.They have the power to unleash the quackin'.🦆🏴‍☠️

Amy: I wish I got to meet you! You seem so wonderful.

Jodi: Hey Bri, we never got to play together but you destroyed my guy Jared’s perfect game in the first tribal council and I thought that was pretty funny. Cheers!

Elle: I was SO sad when you were voted out 🥲 because I figured we'd swap into the same tribe or make merge and we could work together and talk about Stardew Valley, I also started listening to the Penumbra podcast (which I know you listen to The Magnus Archives, but there's a lot of overlap between the fandoms so I thought maybeeee you had listened to it too) Anyway! It doesn't really matter I just was really sad when you were voted out ❤️Here's a joke ^_^: I asked a French speaking man if he played video games.He answered, "wii".

Amy: I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet you. I loved your intro video and I had heard of you from past games. You seem so cool.

Jodi: Also never got to play with you, but Brayden told me you’re cool so hopefully I’ll meet you some time in a game!

Elle: I just know you from Kyoshi where you voted me out and we didn't really talk that much… so 😅 I hope you had fun in Metaverse?Here's a dad joke: My grandma started walking 5 miles a day when she was 65She’s 91 now! But we have NO idea where she is 🤷🏽‍♀️

Amy: I was so hoping to chat with you again because we barely got the chance in HB. You are wonderful and I hope to one day actually play on the same tribe as you!

Jodi: I heard you were my guy’s ride or die until you weren’t, you won the very first comp of the season so good job, hope to see you around in the community!

Elle: A truly unanimous vote, I never met you, but you dropped this, king 👑✨A joke: There once was a king who was exactly 12 inches tall!Terrible king, but he made a great ruler!📏🤴✨

Amy: The legend! All I know about you is you have some chaotic energy and I love that! 

Jodi: The truly unanimous vote of the season....we really wanted to give you your first W but you literally just did not show up even for your vote out. I still wonder to this day if you’ve found out you got voted out yet. Nevertheless, nice saying hi to you a couple times!

Elle: You were super nice and I'm sad that you were voted out as soon as you were 💔 we should've talked more when we were on the same tribe.You know every time I see a Jennifer Aniston movie, it seems like she's playing the same person.I guess she's a victim of Rachel profiling.

Amy: Girl I wish I got to know you better because once you came back online after the tribe swap you were so sweet. I really enjoyed your presence and I think the game could have been very different had we worked together. Wishing you all the best.

Jodi: I’m glad I got your vengeance :) Sorry you didn’t last longer in the game! Bye mittens

Elle: I don't know you, but here's a dad joke:Yesterday I spotted an albino dalmatian.It was the least I could do for him🖌

Amy: Oh Danny how I wish it would have worked out with us two! You were so fun and I loved working with you but I’ll never forget sitting on call for an hour when you ghosted our challenge. I’m sorry it ended like that, but I hope we get to play again together because I adore your vibe!

Jodi: All my Fools paragraphs are going to involve Jared since that’s the only relation I have with you all, but Danny I heard you’re my guy’s other ride or die and he told you about his idol. I grilled him when he told me about it at the merge because damn you were connected. You would’ve told everyone (but everybody knew already lol) hope to see you around!

Elle: Ginnyyyyy 💔 I'm sorry I didn't really want to vote you out but I wasn't trying to ruffle any feathers that early into merge, I truly did believe you when you said you were done being chaotic. Your lipsync TikToks are very fun🎶A joke for you: What do you call a singing computer?A Dell! 🎤🎶

Amy: I’m so sorry girl. I didn’t want to see you go, but it was decided. I enjoyed playing this game together through all of premerge and making it through the cursed Fools tribe with you and sitting in that hour challenge call just vibing. I hope we can chat more in the future. I am wishing you all the best because you deserve great things.

Jodi: Girl, you were my first comp partner and I wish we got closer and could play together more. I really thought you were super connected with other Stings players and that’s why I had to boot you before the Jury phase, because I wasn’t sure I could get close enough with you to work together. Regardless, you were fun to have on Phantom and I hope we can cross paths again!

Elle: My Libra rising sibling ♎️✨ I wish we got to work together more in this game, without that ‘no items’ twist round you definitely would've made it far. Thank you for talking astrology with me, giving Colin your items which ended up helping my game too, and just the existence of Neptune 🥰 big Brookyln 99 "I've only known [Neptune] for a day but if anything happened to him I would kill everyone in this room and then myself" vibes.Le joke: My partner just broke up with me. They're sick and tired of my constant zodiac puns.It Taurus apart, I'm in Pisces writing this.(a second one): Why did the nurse carry a red pen?In case she needed to draw blood!💉

Amy: Dennis 😭😭😭!!! I am so so sorry you were voted out that way. There were whispers the previous round too and I was able to squash that, but for your round it was decided before I could act and I saw Colin being villainized for sticking up for you. I am so, so sorry for how things went. I so wish we would have stayed closer in this game because we could have done great things together! I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for our conversations before you went because without them I would not have flipped to protect Colin. You were our guardian angel. Thank you for giving Colin your gifts and still trusting me to confide in me. I hope we can play in another game together because I wanted to work with you from Day 1! You are incredible and I wish you all the good vibes in the world!

Jodi: Dennis, you truly were the one to watch this season, because your reads and intuition were amazing. That’s why I aligned with you, because I like working with other thinkers. I’m really sorry that I voted you out that round, because I knew that if I were to strike, I could not miss with you. I rightfully knew that you had something really good, in not just 1, but 2 idols. After going for 15.5 hours on that Hunt, I knew that the only person that could’ve beaten me was you. You pushed me to be a better player and you definitely made it a very tough hill for me to climb to get to this point. I’m not sure if you gave me your vote this time, and I understand if you didn’t, but I adore your love for the game and I hope that next time we can align and blaze through some games. I give you props for figuring out my game so early on and you were the one that kept me on my toes and pushed me to play harder. I have lots of respect for you as a person and a player of this game, I hope we can be friends after this. 

Elle: From our first real interaction I knew you should be someone I'd work with. Unfortunately, I didn't end up reaching out really until it was a bit too late 😅 And we kinda ended up on opposing ends… whoops!I still think we could get along really well! ☺️ We're both creative and funny (though my humor is more an… acquired taste 😂 dad jokes aren't for everyone, I suppose) and have a lot of the same pop culture references from that one challenge lol.I hope your first ORG experience was still a good one, though 💖. Maybe I'll get to ally with you in the future?Un joke: Whenever my artistic partner is sad, I let them draw on my body,It's always good to have a shoulder to crayon.🖍✨

Amy: Babs! I don’t know how many times I wrote to other contestants and my host chat “I just want to be friends with Babs!” I wish we could have chatted more because I absolutely adore your energy. I had the best times on call listening to you. And like you said, great minds think alike. Our double tie was so fun! Hope to chat more soon!

Jodi: Babs, I truly adore you and you were the light of the tribe. I understand that your vote out seemed like a big betrayal, but I truly did not want you to go there. Colin and Elle both played things and everyone else was immune. I had to pick between you and Jared and I just could not vote out Jared due to our relationship. I hope you can forgive me on a personal level after this and we can talk because a lot of my joy in this game came from you. 

Elle: Well, this turned out better than Kyoshi did between us 😅 so at least there's that. It was fun being allies for a sec, and here's hoping neither of us gets swap screwed in the future 😂.Your joke: I have a friend who writes songs about sewing machines.He's a Singer songwriter, or sew it seams.

Amy: Brayden! Omg Brayden first I am so sorry I gave you that fake idol. I didn’t know it was going to you; I only knew it was going to second place. When Raffy told me it was you I was like omfg I accidentally gave a fake idol to one of my closest allies 🤦‍♀️. I want to see your creative challenge submission bc I think you probably deserved the win over me. Brayden, you were incredible in this game and I kept trying to see if you wanted to flip with me with some hints haha but you were closer with Jodi. Congratulations on graduating and on being Anastasia’s best friend! I loved getting to know you and working with you. I’m so sorry it ended the way it did. Hopefully I’ll see you in another game or mini! You’ll do great things!

Jodi: Brayden, I severely underestimated you in this game, even though I knew that you were going to be incredible since you’ve played before. When we met up at the merge, I was so grateful to have you be somebody I could bounce ideas off of. Anastasia and I said this later in the game, but you two and me and Jared should’ve come and done a 4-person alliance and rip through the late game. You were such a loyal ally and I really hope we get to play again some time. 

Elle: You have a very rational and sort of quietly analyzing mind that I noticed almost immediately and knew that I'd want you on my side, not only because I'd love to be allies with someone like that, but because I knew as an enemy you could easily be a death sentence.I appreciated your love for Survivor and lived in fear of a super idol since the first moment you mentioned their existence 😂. I really wish corn tribe could've made it to FTC 🌽💔, Ohioans for life! (I'm kidding I'm getting out of this state as soon as possible, but it was fun to bond over Ohio with you!)An edited! joke (see that was a slight joke right there… okay I'll see myself out): Did you hear about the guy trying out for editor for the sums series of Math Magazine?It was an addition edition audition.

Amy: JAY! My Disney buddy!!! So I didn’t know Raffy and Jay Bee were going to expose me in that all or nothing tribal for being at Disney lol I was trying to keep it on the DL. Otherwise I would have freaked out more with you over WDW and your trip and my upcoming trip the next week haha!!! We have to catch up after this! I adore you and our chats. I hope you don’t have to sleep on any more chairs and you are having a great summer at work! Love your positive energy. You are on your way to big things!

Jodi: Jay, I have so much to say to you both about the game and about you as a person. As an ally, you were so loyal to me even when people were not nice to you about it, and you stood up for me and always had my back. You played your role in the game to perfection and people are mad about it just because you were never actually on the bottom. I’m sorry I had to vote you out because they made me force my hand. I love you to death and I am so glad we got to play this game together. Having this opportunity showed us that we can absolutely do this again and I will be your goat next time we play together. I promise. 

Elle: Colin 🥺🥺🥺💗 When I say I literally almost gave up on this game when you left (Amy can testify). We were a little devious team and it was so much funnn, Amy was the double agent super spy, you were the person on comms with all the connections and gadgets, and I was the nerd in the van planning out the heist routes and typing really fast until I look up really dramatically and say, "I'm in".Also here's the list of book reccs you asked for✨:

The Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson, it’s a mysteryyyy and it's a lot of fun! A fun little cast of characters to get attached to ^_^

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, I mentioned this one before, it's a classic but you can read it in one sitting And it's funny. We love to see it💕 Plus it's pride month and we love Victorian era gay poet/playwright/authors.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, Look. This book is amazing, it is queer🏳️‍🌈 (mlm protag relationship but also way more queer characters), it is well written, it's romantic as hell, it's spicy, I don't know how to describe how good it is I'm getting emo thinking about it read ittttttt 💖 (Casey McQuiston also has a new book out with a wlw relationship and we also love to see thattt✨)

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. Okay soooo this isn't a mystery, but I feel like people into mystery novels would enjoy the way the plot unravels. Also I love this book. That is all ^_^ Also it is queer as well🏳️‍🌈, mlm relationship.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Haven't read it, but from what I know about it and what books you said you were into and it's acclaim/reputation, I think you'd be into it.

Generally speaking, I am more in the YA/romance/fantasy side of things but I tried to tailor the list to things I genuinely think you'd enjoy ❤️A joke ^_^: Everyone tried so hard to figure out why Mr. Edwards changed his name to Mr. EvansBut after all these years, it's still a Mr. E

Amy: 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭!!!! I won’t even lie here before writing this I spent 20 minutes crying thinking about seeing you at FTC because I am just so sorry. I wanted to sit next to you as you won and I feel like I let you down. I am so sorry for how that round went. I was MAD mad after. When you said you, me, Elle F3 I was all in and when I lost you I made it my mission to get both Elle and myself to the end in your honor. I also regret not grabbing drinks with you in KC because that would have been absolutely hilarious even if our planned tribe fight didn’t pan out hahaha. I loved every second of working with you in this wild game. Your social game is incredible and I am so thankful to you for doing everything you did. I’ll never forget sitting on a 20 minute call with Brayden and Jodi about voting you out, hanging up, and immediately calling you to plan how to keep you safe. Sorry I didn’t tell you about the tricks up my sleeve, too. Thank you for making this game so fun to play that I ignored my family in Disney World. All my love ❤️

Jodi: Colin, I wasn’t quite sure what direction to go with this, but I’ll just be open and honest. I really did want to play this game with you, but after realizing the true threat of you having all of Dennis’ stuff (which was correct), I had to get rid of you not because I didn’t want to play, but just because I wanted my game in my own hands, and with 3 immune advantages, you were able to cruise from F7 to F4 with no risk. Sort of like James in China, you have to blindside them before they cruise to F4. That’s one less guaranteed spot for everybody, and I didn’t want to rely on whether you liked me enough to keep me around. For the same reasons that you were upset with Jared and Jay, I too, did not want to play somebody else’s game. I wanted to put my game in my own hands and that’s what I did. You were not supposed to go at F7, we were just trying to get rid of your idol. I was hoping you’d appreciate the gameplay that I was not willing to rely on riding coattails and be in someone else’s good graces to keep me around. Hopefully I’ve explained this well enough during FTC as well. I had no ill will, just wanted to play my own game, not somebody else’s. For the record, if I didn’t make it back into the game or got voted out again with you at the end, I was going to vote for you to win. You pushed me to play harder and be a better player because I knew you would not be easy to outwit and outplay. I’ve told many people this and I can respect and appreciate being outplayed. 

Elle: Joshhhh, my buddy 💔 I'm really sorry you got rocked out, Amy and I were willing to take the risk of being rocked out but we didn't tell you because you had voted for Colin the round previous. To be clear we were still willing to work with you, but the wound was kind of fresh and it seemed silly to give you sensitive information at the time. You did get past F8 this time! But I am sorry about going to rocks, didn't mean to lose you, king.A bit of humor: What does a panda use to make pancakes?A pan...duhI had multiple cooking themed onessss:A student baked a loaf of bread for home economics class.At the end of the class, his teacher returned the loaf and told him that he had gotten an A.The student said: “Thanks, that’s just what I kneaded.”

Amy: Josh I am so sorry you went out on rocks. I know that is the last way you wanted to go. You probably won’t forgive me but I really didn’t want you to go there. I was aiming for Jodi or Jared, but had already mentally prepared for rocks before the twist was announced. I truly hope you get to play again and not be victim to a twist or rocks. You are an absolutely incredible player which made me cautious and frustrated at times haha! Love your energy and I am manifesting that you get a new job that you absolutely love because you deserve it!

Jodi: We had such an incredible story arc to our games. We weren’t close on Phantom, got in touch on SEES, then grew apart again before my vote out, pulled off a beautiful move at F7, and continued to work together until you got rocked out at 6. You were the surprise blessing to my game. When you approached me at F7, I found light in my game again. You had the same agenda as I did, with the same intentions and same concerns. You gave me a real chance to reintegrate into this game and I’m so happy and grateful that you decided to trust me. On top of that, your energy and personality was super fun and I’m glad we got to have fun writing each other’s names down a couple times. I treasured your trust in me a lot and I really wanted to play to the end with you. I think you’d win the game if you were in my spot today. I hope we continue to be friends and good luck with your new game.

Elle: Thank you for remembering my birthday before Raffy reminded everyone 💛 that was very sweet and in my introduction I literally said if anyone remembered it I'd love them forever and then I proceeded to be on opposing sides with you… oops!

Granted, it wasn't really on purpose, I just happened to not be in that alliance of six people and that happened to kind of decide how lines were drawn for the rest of the game in a way.

Impressed with your sudoku skills, being on a tribal call during graduation (congrats again!), and with your coolheadness, if I had an idol while that chaos one was played you bet I'd be playing it 😂 you had a really good game and I hope you think so too ^_^

A fitting joke: If you keep trying the same sudoku puzzle, you willl eventually solve it.

It's just a numbers game, really.

Amy: Jared! You unintentionally became one of my biggest rivals because you are so good at this game! I envy your way to lie in such a believable way that I had to spend so much time convincing Colin you were lying even though I was copy/pasting your exact plan haha! You are great at challenges and frustrated me to no end when you would ONLY tell me lies. You are so smart and I can’t wait to see what you do next. For the cards that were dealt to you, you had an incredible game. Congratulations on graduating! I hope to see you in another game and actually get to work with you.

Jodi: Dear my beloved idol holder, thank you for being my in-game simp. Thank you for having your idol on deck at all times to use on me at my request :) Jared, by now I would’ve shared with everyone at FTC about our 10 year love affair, but I want you to know just how much playing this game has meant to me. After drifting apart for a good 7 years, I’m glad that Survivor brought us close again last year and that you signed up to do this. I couldn’t have played the game that I ended up playing without you despite you WANTING ME OUT AT F4. I’m glad we did this game before signing up for the show together. I cannot wait to do Blood Vs. Water 3 with you. Basing off of our track record this time, we’re going to kill it :)

Elle: Anastasiaaaaaaaaaa💔 I'm not sure how much left I have to say to you 😅 (I am writing this kinda right after tribal so I was talking to you like an hour ago). Congrats on graduating again!! And congrats on this game kinda jealous of your streak so far 😂 you've literally never done worse than F4 do you know how many people can say that? Not many!! Definitely not me lol.

Here's a dad joke!: How do you handle a redhead's temper?

Gingerly!

Amy: Anastasia you are absolutely incredible and I am so thankful Ginny put us in an alliance together on new Fools because I loved playing this game with you. We went back and forth on working together but every time I was glad we were both still together making it farther in the game. I truly meant when I said I would force fire for you, but I respect your decision. I am so sorry I had to keep things from you so much since you were closer with Brayden and Jodi. I hope to play another game with you because you make it so fun and you are such a great player and your social game is so good! I was so excited when you wanted to flip but I am sorry I couldn’t say yet that I already had. Congratulations on graduating and being absolutely incredible!

Jodi: Anastasia, you are the reason I got to the end, and I owe so much to you. In this game, I’ve had to play so dangerously, and my game heavily relied on having ride or dies have my back. When I came back in, we talked immediately about me throwing out your name and you writing my name down, but we got together instantly and made magic happen. You had my back and I had yours. We pulled the most iconic move in this game at the final 7 together (by now you’ll all have heard me talk about it, my plan to create immunity for 3 people) and I truly had you as my ride or die to the end. Thank you so much for playing with me, believing in me and recognizing the game that I played. I love you and can’t wait to be best friends with you and Brayden 

[gwendolyn-rowle]

About Gwendolyn Rowle.

Yeah, I'm always stained and it's never coming out. Yeah, I'm always stained it's a match that's been burned down.

BASIC INFORMATION

Full name: Gwendolyn Ramona Rowle Nickname(s) or Alias: She only goes by Gwen and absolutely hates it when people call her Gwendolyn. Unless it’s her boss or superior. Gender: Cisgender female Species: Pureblood witch Age: 27 Birthday: February 10th Zodiac Sign: Aquarius sun, Aries moon, Libra rising Sexuality: Bisexual Nationality: British Religion: Atheist City or town of birth: Yorkshire, England Currently lives: Brighton, England Languages spoken: English Native language: English Relationship Status: Single

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Height: 5′8 Hair color: Dark brown  Hairstyle: She’ll either wear her hair down or in a ponytail, she doesn’t really do much with her hair. Eye color: Hazel Tattoos: The dark mark on her left forearm Piercings: Two holes in each ear and her belly button Scars/distinguishing marks: A deep vertical scar over her dark mark that’s still raised, it never healed properly. A few small scars on her chest and upper arms from getting into fights. Preferred style of clothing: Gwendolyn wears a lot of dark clothing and always keeps things business casual. It’s most common to see her in a pantsuit and a pair of heels. The only time she be in anything casual if she’s in her house for an entire day which is very rare. Frequently worn jewelry/accessories: She wears earrings all the time, usually a hoop and stud in each ear.

HEALTH

Smoker?: N/A Drinker?: Socially Recreational Drug User? Which?: N/A Addictions: N/A Allergies: Pollen and dog hair Neurological conditions: N/A Sleeping habits: It takes Gwendolyn a long time to fall asleep, she’ll usually toss and turn for hours until she eventually drifts off. She doesn’t sleep a lot only about four hours a night, five on a good night. She has almost near permanent dark circles under her eyes. If she gets a day off, which is rare, she’ll sleep pretty much all day. Eating habits: She’s a healthy eater and always sticks to her diet, it keeps her mind sharp and her body in peak condition. No excess sugar, dairy, and definitely nothing fried. However, if she’s feeling stressed out she’ll break her diet. The first thing she’ll go for  Exercise habits: Gwendolyn makes time to exercise five days a week, it doesn’t matter how busy she is. She’ll usually go for a run first thing in the morning; she also makes it a habit to lift weights at least once a week. Emotional stability: Gwendolyn is extremely emotionally stable, she never lets any kind of emotion stand in the way of a decision. She actively pushes them down and away. The only emotion Gwendolyn will usually answer to is anger. Sociability: She’s not extremely social, that’s just a fact. She will talk to people but the conversation generally doesn’t last long. She doesn’t get along with most people and has a lot of difficulty even getting on an acquaintance level with most. Body Temperature: She runs warm

PERSONALITY

Label: The Reticent (not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily) Positive traits: Logical, dedicated, meticulous, reliable Negative traits: Abrasive, calculating, venomous, cold Character Alignment: Neutral Evil (A neutral evil villain does whatever she can get away with. She is out for herself, pure and simple. She sheds no tears for those she kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. She has no love of order and holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make her any better or more noble. On the other hand, she doesn't have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has.) Goals/Desires: To have the Death Eaters be the most powerful and influential group in the wizarding world. Likes: Getting things done early, having people rely on her, winning a fight (physical or verbal), getting a chance to relax, snakes Dislikes: Losing, feeling like she’s disappointed a superior, being touched too frequently, any kind of emotional talk Fears/phobias: Gwendolyn’s biggest fear is ending up in Azkaban, even more than receiving the Dementor’s Kiss. She doesn’t want to end up in a cell where her father was then she’ll fail her purpose and she does not fail. Favorite color: Grey Hobbies: Running, pottery, and playing poker Habits: She has a habit of mumbling under her breath, a lot. Especially when she’s at work or at a Death Eater meeting. It’s almost like hearing someone monologue. Taste in Music: She likes almost exclusively women artists and girl bands, that’s pretty much her only criteria for music. Her favorite’s recently have been Hole, The Runaways, GRLwood, Grimes, and Poppy.

EATING HABITS

Omnivore/Carnivore/Herbivore (Vegetarian): Omnivore Favourite food(s): Anything spicy, Thai shrimp salad, ramen, and steak tacos Favourite drink(s): Red wine, champagne, water, and cranberry juice Disliked food(s): Anything overly sugary, blueberries, and squash Disliked drink(s): White wine, tequila, and soda

CAREER

Level of education: Hogwarts level education and trained in Obliviating Qualifications: Hogwarts diploma  Current job title and description: Obliviator (A witch or wizard specially trained in the use of mental charms and employed by a wizarding governing body to help ensure that the Wizarding World is safely concealed from the non-magical community.) Name of employer: The Ministry of Magic

COMBAT

Peaceful or aggressive attitude?: Gwendolyn is definitely more aggressive but only when the time calls for it. She doesn’t go around causing fights when they’re not necessary but she definitely knows how to finish them once they’re started. Fighting skills/techniques: She’s a gifted dueler and could hold her own in a physical fight but she’d definitely prefer a duel. Her favorite spells are the kind that bring down buildings or cause fires. Special skills/magical powers/etc: She’s proficient with the dark arts and nonverbal spells.  Weapon of choice (if any): Her wand Weaknesses in combat: If it came to a physical fight, she could be over powered. She wouldn’t go down easily but it’d happen eventually. Strengths in combat: Her nonverbal spells are definitely her strength that’s what she’s spent the longest time perfecting.

FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FOES

Parents names: Thorfinn Rowle and Allegra Chadwick Are parents alive or dead?: They’re alive Is the character still in contact with their parents?: Gwendolyn hasn’t heard from her father since she was sixteen since he’s been in Azkaban, she does wish she could speak to him and thinks of him fondly. She hasn’t spoken to her mother since she moved out of her house and doesn’t plan on doing so anytime soon. Siblings? Relationship with siblings?: N/A Other Important Relatives: N/A Partner/Spouse: N/A Exes: Children: None Best Friend: Other Important Friends: Acquaintances: Pets: A ball python named Montgomery, a boa constrictor named Penelope, and a Burmese python named Walter Enemies? Why are they enemies?:

BACKSTORY

Describe their childhood (newborn - age 10): Gwendolyn Rowle's, then Chadwick, childhood was filled with a lot of confusion. Her and her mother, Allegra, frequently moved from house to house but they never owned one of their own. They were always staying with “friends” or “friends of friends”. They never stayed anywhere for more than two-three months at a time, they practically lived out of their bags. Gwendolyn spent a majority of this time alone, playing with the few toys she had while her mother was out doing, Merlin knows what. All she wanted at this time in her life was her father; she never met the man or even heard anything about him but she just knew in her heart that if he was here things would be better. The first time Gwendolyn asked Allegra about her father when she was four years old; her mother gripped her so hard on the shoulders it left bruises and told her to never ask about that man again. Of course, she respected what her mother had requested of her but she couldn't help her mind from imagining a world where her father would come take her away.

When Gwendolyn was nine years old, her and her mother finally had their own permanent residence. It wasn't anything grand or special but it was a place that she could call home. Even at this time, she spent her time alone her mother was out at all hours of the day. She figured she was just working but she couldn't help but wonder what kept her out ten hours a day and why sometimes it felt like Allegra couldn't look her own daughter in the eye. Gwendolyn didn't make any friends when she was younger she just didn't know how to interact with other kids her age. Any conversation she had with one of them would usually end with the other kid crying to their parents that “Gwen was too mean” then she wouldn't be invited over for play dates anymore. Allegra just didn't understand where this mean streak would come from in her daughter it was as if she couldn't even help herself. Her mother would tell her over and over that she just couldn't talk and treat the other kids the way but it never stuck in her brain. When her letter for Hogwarts came to their door, they both viewed it as a blessing.

Describe their  teenage years (11 - 19) TW: blood and parent fighting: Gwendolyn ended up being sorted into Gryffindor, she didn't really mind being sorted into that house even though she wasn't sure why she was. But she did have trouble relating to her fellow house mates. It felt like there was just a disconnect between them not that she really minded but it would've been nice to have at least someone to lean on during her time there. Although the fact that she was alone didn't exactly hinder her Hogwarts experience. Gwendolyn excelled in almost all of her classes (she never really got Herbology) and even though her mother always wrote to her about how excited she was that she was doing well and how much she missed her. She never went home for holidays, she just felt more serene at Hogwarts and just being on her own. 

  That was until, she made the decision to go home for Christmas break during her fifth year. Gwendolyn knew she made a mistake as soon as she reached the front door and all she could hear was screaming. She, of course, concerned for her mother's safety barged into the house without a second thought. She was expecting some sort of robbery with the way her mother was screaming but it wasn't ...it was just one man standing there who looked exceptionally calm. As soon as Gwendolyn walked into the house, Allegra, practically sprinted over to her and tried to push her back out of the door. She kept telling her that it wasn't safe and that she had to leave but there was something about the man that felt familiar as if she already knew him. It was when the man smiled, Gwendolyn could see resemblances that she never saw in her mother. That was her father.

Thorfinn Rowle, her father the man she'd been thinking about her entire life was standing there right in front her. Her mother's yelling about how he was dangerous just quieted down into white noise at that point because she genuinely couldn't believe her eyes; there was no way this man could be dangerous he was her father. Allegra, however, kept screaming and threatening she didn't want him anywhere near her daughter or her for that matter. Gwendolyn knew she wouldn't be able to talk or get answers from her father with her mother throwing this tantrum and apparently so did he. He told Allegra that he wouldn't be coming back but before he left gave Gwendolyn a tightly folded note the only thing on it was a messily written address.

After their first “meeting”, Gwendolyn began spending every break with her father. Except for summer since then Allegra would begin getting suspicious. She found out that the reason she hadn't met him until she was fifteen was because he had been in Azkaban for participating in the second Wizarding War and being a Death Eater. He told her that it was her duty and sole purpose to follow in his footsteps since he was currently on the run and it was only a matter of time before he was caught again. After Thorfinn had unloaded all of this on Gwendolyn, she couldn't help but be angry. Angry at her mother for never telling her any of this, angry at the muggleborns and blood traitors that made it impossible for her to see her father for fifteen years. Gwen swore to him that she'd follow his path and never sway. She could see how happy this made her father and he vowed to teach her everything he knew. 

  Two years later and multiple safe houses later for her father, Gwendolyn was in her last year of Hogwarts. She had spent every waking minute practicing her magic, she knew she couldn't let her father down because when she was finally done at Hogwarts she was going to get the mark. She was itching to get out into the real world to fulfill her purpose and not be stuck with blood traitors and mudbloods. On her final day, Gwendolyn felt as if everything had passed by in a flurry one second she was packing up her room at Hogwarts and the next she was being branded as a Death Eater. After she got her mark, she knew she had to leave her mother's house Allegra wouldn't approve of any of the things she was doing and would probably try to bind her to the house if she could. So, she marched home with her sore arm to pack up her things to stay at one of her father's old safe houses. 

  Gwendolyn's moving out didn't go to plan, it was actually a catastrophe. Although now if she tries to think about what happens it just comes in bits and pieces. She remembers the screaming, the anger, the pain, and the blood...lots of blood. Gwendolyn and Allegra had gotten into a horrible fight, her mother knew that Gwendolyn was going to be following the dark path that Thorfinn had laid ahead for her and she couldn't bear it. The fact that her only child was going to be swept up into this life of darkness and despair and when Allegra saw the fresh Dark Mark on Gwendolyn's forearm she simply lost it. She grabbed Gwendolyn's arm and the closest sharp object she could find and tried to cut the mark off of her arm, Gwendolyn could barely stand the pain it was unbearable. She pushed Allegra back with as much force as she could muster and casted the Cruciatus curse before she could even think twice about it. Gwendolyn stared down at her mother, curled in the fetal position screaming and felt ...nothing and that was where she left her.

Describe their adult years (20+): She stayed in the safe house for three years, trying to get her bearings together and get enough money to get a real place of her own. She did any mission big, small, or downright ridiculous that the Death Eaters had given her without a second thought. Gwendolyn wanted to prove that she was serious about being part of this group and that she was one to be trusted with serious responsibilities. They still saw her as just a kid and thought she'd try to run out as soon as things got tough but she wasn't going to be going anywhere.

When Gwendolyn was twenty-two that was she got her job as an Obliviator for The Ministry, she finally felt as if she was on the right path. She had gotten a place of her own and was being given missions that suited her best interest more. That being said, most of those missions involved torture, murder, and mutilation...she was one of the best for the job because of her almost complete lack of sympathy and empathy. Gwendolyn just got the job done and didn't give any unnecessary complaints. As she got older, she slowly moved up the ranks until she was able to reach a high rank. She's serious and driven, she's not giving up on her purpose and doesn't care who she has to step on to get there.