#ermin smith

[nihaalart]

christmas part 2 ❄✨ | part one | patreon ☃

[aloysiavirgata]

Another little slice of your brilliant Baby Vera universe??? 🥹

Melissa believes in astrology, Emily realized at some point. Absolute honest to fucking god believed in it, even dead as a doornail, which she never saw coming in a star chart. Believed we are ruled by planets and hydrogen and old light. How had this tall, wifty thing and her mother emerged from the same gene pool? Perhaps they are like N. arizonaria, and seasonally dimorphic.

She sees Melissa the most, loves her the best. Melissa is the most communicative. Ahab seems to find death a bit embarrassing, speaks to her with the stilted sentiments of a Hallmark card. He and Missy are never together. There are many others, but they are the most not-together.

Auntie Sam is odd. A little girl so much older than her. Decades old, with a thin little chest and satiny plaits, because that’s how Dad remembers her. Big dark eyes and ribbons and a rime of New England salt; her father’s first muse.

“Asterism is- “ Missy begins.

“Shut the fuck up,” Emily snaps, little Vera on her chest. Vera smells like baby powder and sweet hay and puppy breath. Their mother’s milk. She cannot believe her mother, however youthful, has produced another baby. She cannot believe her father was allowed to name her Vera.

Honestly, Mulder.

“Missy?” William asks from the kitchen. He is slicing Granny Smiths like biopsy samples for his apple-rum cake. Emily smells vanilla and brown sugar and the luscious warmth of melting butter. William loves organic chemistry you can eat.

Emily kisses her tiny sister’s ermine head. “Of course,” she replies. “Keep going, Will.”

He sighs heavily. William has their mother’s elegant pallor and their father’s flair for the dramatic.

Vera hiccups loudly, then snuffles back to sleep. She is very nearly two months old.

“Perioral dermatitis,” Will says.

Emily nuzzles her sister’s fresh-bread scalp. “This baby is delicious.”

“She cries every night at 3,” William observes. “But she does smell nice. Perioral dermatitis.”

“Caused by Mercury in retrograde,” Emily asserts. “Cured by Boone’s Farm and shitty weed.”

Missy flicks her in the ear, but Samantha has a chuckle.

[anthropomorphics-archive]

1997 Ermine illustration, included in issue 17 of adult art anthology The Bunny Pages

See the full issue here!

[honey-minded-hivemind]

Sliding in for the sixth 🐉Wings of Fire aus' names lists are...

The ❄IceWings🦭!

The X-Men Members:

• Charles Xavier/Professor Xavier: Chill

• Ororo Munroe/Storm: Snowstorm

• Logan Howlett/Wolverine: Wolverine

• Scott Summers/Cyclops: Cirrus

• Jean Grey/Marvel Girl/Phoenix: Gray

• Hank McCoy/Beast: Hailstorm

• Anne-Marie/Rogue: Alabaster

• Remy LeBeau/Gambit: Lemming

• Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat: Periwinkle

• Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler: Walrus

• Jubilation Lee/Jubilee: Lynx

• Evan Daniels/Spyke: Everest

• Bobby Drake/Iceman: Boreal

• Piotr Rasputin/Colossus: Cumulus

• Illyana Rasputin/Magik: Icicle

• Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane: Reindeer

• Samuel "Sam" Guthrie/Cannonball: Gust

• Roberto da Costa/Sunspot: Caribou

• Danielle "Dani" Moonstar/Mirage: Moonstone

• Laura Kinney/Wolverine 2.0: Howlite

• Tabitha "Tabby" Smith/Boom-Boom: Ptarmigan

The Brotherhood:

• Erik Lehnsherr/Magnus/Magneto: Ermine

• Raven Darkholme/Mystique: Diamond

• Victor Creed/Sabretooth: Sable

• Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver: Silver

• Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch: Sleet

• Mortymer Tonybee/Todd Tolanksy/Toad: Tern

• Fred "Freddy" Dukes/Blob: Firn

• Lance Alvers/Avalanche: Altus

• St. John Allerdyce/Pyro: Permafrost

(Quite the chilling amount, eh? 😊Here's something to cool off with...)

• Reader/Bby: Wolf, Snow Leopard, Snowy Owl, Puffin, Beluga, Moose, Vole, Taiga, Quartz, Nacre, Blizzard, Flurry, Squall, Iceberg, Igloo, Floe, Frost, Freeze, Frigid, Polar, Stratus, Nimbus...

[lonepower]

OC + Random Associations

(tagged by @cannibalisticskittles, tyvm!!!!! you didn't specify which oc but I'm assuming you mean for bg3 so you're getting the murder angel (◡ ‿ ◡ ✿))

🗡 animal - definitely an ermine. (animal predation/death cw in linked image) just because they're small and adorable doesn't mean they're not close cousins of the wolverine.

🗡 colors - grey, silver, gold, white. some red, though I try to avoid too much of it in order to maintain a contrast with orin.

🗡 month - january or february. cold, quiet, the dead of winter.

🗡 songs - well of course it's obviously the dismemberment song. (runners up are i like the way you die and kill of the night.)

🗡 number - oh fuck i have no idea lmao. 7? that's the first thing that popped into my head, but there's a nonzero possibility that that's just because it sort of vaguely rhymes

🗡 plants - angel's trumpet. one of the many, many, many effects of this plant family (which also includes sacred datura) is photophobia/photosensitivity, which I didn't know until I went to get a picture of it, but that's too perfect.

🗡 scents - jasmine and lye - too clean. the dry, antiseptic smell of a doctor's hands. a faint undercurrent of rust.

🗡 gemstone - white opal.

🗡 time of day - the first glimmer of dawn.

🗡 season - winter.

🗡 places - culverts, caverns, buried ruins, the secret compounds of cults and nobles. anywhere underground.

🗡 food - i mean. [soos voice] i ate a man alive tonight- (she does also favor white eel sashimi. it's only a little bit poisonous. don't worry about it)

🗡 drink - some kind of white wine? (i don't know anything about wine. i want to say a sweet wine, but that's just because i won't drink anything less sweet than manischewitz, which is basically grenadine left out in the sun a little too long.)

🗡 element - earth, but the kind of earth that's jagged stone and falling stalactites and bottomless caverns, not the warm alive kind of earth.

🗡 seasoning - cardamom, black pepper, ginger, ghost pepper.

🗡 sky - the weird unlight of a really snowy night.

🗡 weather - that specific kind of featureless gray day where time doesn't seem to change at all because the light never shifts.

🗡 magical power - technically she's a warlock, but I've homebrewed her into a glass cannon melee fighter and the only spell I ever actually use is misty step lol.

🗡 weapons - a cleaver in her main hand and a bonesaw in her offhand. failing that, sharpened teeth and nails.

🗡 sweets - 100% cocoa dark chocolate.

🗡 method of travel - she strikes me as a berline kind of gal. she's small, delicate, and sun-sensitive - not really meant for the sort of traipsing-around-outdoors-in-daytime adventure that gets foisted onto her! (also, sidenote: where are all the horses? shadowheart lampshades us not having any, but seriously, why are the only domestic animals we see cows/rothe, dogs, cats, and one (1) chicken (before baby boy eats it lol)? where are the rest of the livestock? where are the beasts of burden? hello?? *hammering on adam smith's window with a stick* ANSWER ME LARIAN-)

🗡 art style - francisco goya, but specifically the early 19th century/Black Paintings era. my man was going Through it

🗡 fear - pointlessness/purposelessness. she has to be what she was made for, because if she's not, what is she?

🗡 mythological creature - the bann sidhe/banshee.

🗡 stationery item - this pen set.

🗡 3 emojis - well i had already picked 🗡 as my bullet point before getting here, so: 🪚🩸🫀 (<- i was today years old when i learned there's an anatomical heart emoji now?! we live in the future)

🗡 celestial body - neutron star

aaaand I will tag @diantha with Amara, @megparsec with Ellara, @curlyparmesan with Flit, and @ballofbitter with Eos (but of course no pressure!!!!) :D

[clove-pinks]

Of the same family as these Gents, are the fashionable loungers in pantomimes, who walk about with the distinguished females in the scanty visites of pink glazed calico, trimmed with ermine; and the lovers in the blue coats and white trowsers on the sixpenny valentines, who direct the attention of the adored one to the distant village church.

— Albert Smith, The Natural History of the Gent (1847), with original illustration.

[infjtarot]

Death. Golden Art Nouveau Tarot.

Rising and Falling “For God’s sake, let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings.” So says Shakespeare’s King Richard II, a king who is facing his own weakness and mortality, and who will himself be dead by the end of the play. The trump of Death recalls the movement of Fortune’s wheel, offering us a picture of change and loss and transformation, and like the Wheel, Death seems to hit kings the hardest. Among the four figures confronting death in the Waite-Smith imagery, it is the King who has fully succumbed, his body, ermine cloak, and crown all trampled under Death’s steed. The trump of Death is the stuff of great tragedies. Shakespeare’s plays are full of sad kings. But as we’ve already seen with the Wheel, we are all players in this great drama. This tragedy is ours. We’re all kings in the kingdom of our minds—and typically we imagine the aging process as the decline of our kingdom, our identity, until Death rides by and we decline into nothing. Traditionally Trump XIII has a number but no name, because Death’s scythe cuts away everything: all our memories, all our titles, all our props, all the accoutrements of our character. At its most basic, indeed, this card invites us to consider everything we know about ourselves—and to ask what it might mean to let those ideas go. Is it true that we will then be left with nothing? Or will such a death instead leave us on the broad, wide face of the Fool’s cliff, facing everything? With the sharp edge of his scythe, Death offers an opening and openness. Death brings us the not-knowing of beginner’s mind. Thus, in many of the early modern decks, where Death wields the iconic blade, below him the field is strewn with body parts—a head here, a foot there, some bones and a few hands. Among the severed human bits, leaves and sprouts spring up, and we are viscerally reminded of the agricultural metaphor at play. Death harvests life so that more life may grow. Letting go of our various identities, of these various parts of ourselves, we find growth. One sprig dies, another shoots upward. Death is about the loss of self, but it’s a loss without which the self withers. Without death, no flourishing or growth is possible.

And the card also invites an even broader perspective. It invites us to look out on the horizon. In the Waite-Smith imagery, we see a brilliant sun in the distance. It’s either rising or setting, impossible to tell which. Indeed, from the standpoint of the horizon, rising and falling are one. It’s all one brilliant world, an entire living wholeness of birthing and dying, of changing and growing, of letting go and grabbing on. It’s all abundance. It’s all the universe. If we keep an eye on this horizon, there’s a stillness that can arise—a waking up into sacredness and beauty and glory and life. Waking up into life as that which encompasses both birth and death, and is as old as the distant mountains and sea. This is why we practice, meditate, and explore the cards. We practice in order to take root in this abundance—this wholeness at the heart of everything. This abundance and wholeness is everything. Lisa Freinkel Tishman

[ao3feed-eremin]

Highschool is a pain (but so is dying)

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/drjbwtL

by rizuuxt

Mikasa and Armin looked over towards Eren, worry shown in their eyes. They looked exactly like his Mikasa and Armin but different at the same time, for starters they looked younger. Mikasa's hair was longer and was put up in two little ponytails. Her clothes were different to say the least, she was in a black lace dress with black stockings and boots, nothing like what the Mikasa he knew would wear. Armin's hair was longer just like in the year 845, but more messier and fluffier, he had glasses on that slowly fell from his face. He looked tired like he hadn't slept in days. Mikasa's makeup he presumed was messy, her mascara smeared all over her face. Most likely due to exhaustion. Had they been waiting for him to wake up this entire time?

"Eren." Mikasa's eyes lit up, tears threatening to fall from her face, "You're awake."

OR; Eren is given a second chance at having a happy life and basically wakes up as Eren from the highschool AU and he is determined to not fuck up this life and make amends with people he’s hurt even if they don’t know what he’s done

Words: 7232, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi

Characters: Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, Ymir of the 104th (Shingeki no Kyojin), Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss, Jean Kirstein, Marco Bott, Sasha Blouse, Connie Springer, Reiner Braun, Bertolt Hoover, Annie Leonhart, Hitch Dreyse, Marlo Sand | Marlowe Freudenberg, Erwin Smith, Levi Ackerman, Hange Zoë, Moblit Berner, Zeke Yeager, Floch Forster

Relationships: Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein, Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir of the 104th, Reiner Braun/Bertolt Hoover, Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman/Eren Yeager, Background Levi Ackerman/Erwin Smith - Relationship, Background Moblit Berner/Hange Zoe

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fix-It, Slice of Life, Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Teenage Drama, Jean Kirstein is in Denial, I can't decide between eremika or ermin so we'll have to see how the story goes, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Cheerleader Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss, Goth Mikasa Ackerman, Nerd Armin Arlert, Reiner Braun Has Issues, Jock Reiner Braun, Bertolt Hoover's Name Spelled as Bertholdt Hoover, Eren Yeager is Bad at Feelings, No Smut, Minor Levi Ackerman/Erwin Smith, Bad Flirting, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Eren Yeager Has Panic Attacks, Dirty Jokes, Good Sibling Zeke Yeager, No Plot/Plotless

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/drjbwtL

[benjaminbadger]

Favourite colour: ORANGE orange does so much for me

Last song: Come along With Me from Adventure Time (I just woke up and thought about it)

Currently reading: TOO MANY THINGS!!!!! Too many things at all times. As of now the priority list goes Hogfather by Terry Pratchett, Submechanophobia (Tales from the Pizzaplex), Last Night at the Telegram Club by Malinda Lo, Hell followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White and Hotel world by Ali smith. I just finished Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix (it went to hard insanely underrated) and I've also bought but need to start The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Currently watching: Every Jenny Nicholson and Funkyfrogbait video even tho I've alr seen them all

Currently craving: Breakfast 🛌

Tea or coffee: Both why would I pit two bad bitches against each other like that

@ermine-57047 @thevoiceofdesertbluffs @moomin279

Get To Know Me tag game

I'm startin a new round of reblogs since the post I got tagged in was getting pretty long but - thank u @mikealys-ael for tagging me!

Favorite color: big fan of gentle blues, greens and dark reds, as well as bright flowery purples

Last song : Ship in a Bottle - fin listening to one of my OC playlists last night

Currently reading : The Solstice Leading The Aurora by Crabas_Lordes! I'm waiting for the next chapter so calmly I swear (lie)

Currently watching : Dungeon Meshi!

Currently craving : miso soup with rice noodles. no egg, no tofu, just broth n noodles n seaweed

Coffee or Tea : tea all the way, specifically assam it's just so lovely

tagging: @justfangirlstuffs @cero-sleep @kibbits @scarredlove @trixxstrawberry @chaotikanvas @xxpinktatertotsxx

[istumpysk]

Operation Stumpy Re-Read

ASOS: Catelyn VI (Chapter 49)

They heard the Green Fork before they saw it, an endless susurrus, like the growl of some great beast. 

Beasts on the Trident!

+.+.+

The river was a boiling torrent, half again as wide as it had been last year, when Robb had divided his army here and vowed to take a Frey to bride as the price of his crossing.

Anytime something Frey-related is boiling, I'm going to highlight it.

+.+.+

Across the turbulent waters, Catelyn could see several thousand men encamped around the eastern castle, their banners hanging like so many drowned cats from the lances outside their tents. 

+.+.+

The rain made it impossible to distinguish colors and devices. Most were grey, it seemed to her, though beneath such skies the whole world seemed grey.

That's not ominous or anything.

The nervous whinny of horses and the clank of steel guided them back to Renly's camp. The long ranks of man and horse were armored in darkness, as black as if the Smith had hammered night itself into steel. There were banners to her right, banners to her left, and rank on rank of banners before her, but in the predawn gloom, neither colors nor sigils could be discerned. A grey army, Catelyn thought. Grey men on grey horses beneath grey banners. - Catelyn IV, ACOK

+.+.+

"Robb, listen to me. Once you have eaten of his bread and salt, you have the guest right, and the laws of hospitality protect you beneath his roof."

Robb looked more amused than afraid. 

+.+.+

When the Freyswere a half-dozen yards away Catelyn heard him growl, a deep rumble that seemed almost one with rush of the river. Robb looked startled. "Grey Wind, to me. To me!"

Instead the direwolf leapt forward, snarling.

[...]

There was more trouble at the gatehouse. Grey Wind balked in the middle of the drawbridge, shook the rain off, and howled at the portcullis. Robb whistled impatiently. "Grey Wind. What is it? Grey Wind, with me." But the direwolf only bared his teeth. He does not like this place, Catelyn thought. 

Does someone want to pay attention to this god damn wolf?

+.+.+

Gout and brittle bones had taken their toll of old Walder Frey. They found him propped up in his high seat with a cushion beneath him and an ermine robe across his lap. His chair was black oak, its back carved into the semblance of two stout towers joined by an arched bridge, so massive that its embrace turned the old man into a grotesque child. 

A child playing at lord of the crossing.

+.+.+

There was something of the vulture about Lord Walder, and rather more of the weasel. 

The Freys all looked like weasels - Catelyn IX, AGOT

x

"What did you die of?" one head asked. "Hot weasel soup," replied the second. - Arya IX, ACOK

x

Bronn grinned. "There's a pot shop I know in Flea Bottom makes a savory bowl of brown. All kinds of meat in it, I hear."

"Make certain I never eat there." Tyrion spurred to a trot. - Tyrion IV, ASOS

+.+.+

The eighth Lady Frey stood beside Lord Walder's high seat. At his feet sat a somewhat younger version of himself, a stooped thin man of fifty whose costly garb of blue wool and grey satin was strangely accented by a crown and collar ornamented with tiny brass bells. The likeness between him and his lord was striking, save for their eyes; Lord Frey's small, dim, and suspicious, the other's large, amiable, and vacant. Catelyn recalled that one of Lord Walder's brood had fathered a halfwit long years ago. During past visits, the Lord of the Crossing had always taken care to hide this one away. Did he always wear a fool's crown, or is that meant as mockery of Robb? It was a question she dare not ask. [...] "Sire," Lord Walder said, "forgive my Aegon the noise. He has less wits than a crannogman, and he's never met a king before. One of Stevron's boys. We call him Jinglebell."

Wait, this is funny.

A fool in a crown, ornamented with bells, with a Targaryen name. A younger version of the father. Bwah!

(And Catelyn slices him up!)

+.+.+

"Bronze and iron are stronger than gold and silver," Robb answered. "The old Kings of Winter wore such a sword-crown."

"Small good it did them when the dragons came. Heh."

Heh, true.

+.+.+

"And where's your bride, Your Grace? The fair Queen Jeyne. A Westerling of the Crag, I'm told, heh."

"I left her at Riverrun, my lord. She was too weary for more travel, as we told Ser Ryman."

"That makes me grievous sad. I wanted to behold her with mine own weak eyes. We all did, heh. Isn't that so, my lady?"

Yeah, he wanted to kill her. Jeyne was lucky, but House Westerling's heir, Raynald Westerling, didn't know the plan and accompanied Robb to the Twins.

The Westerlings played stupid games, and lost the first-born son.

And I don't think the author is done with Sybell Spicer.

+.+.+

Lord Walder named the names. 

[...]

That's a Cersei, but we call her Little Bee

Queen bee!

+.+.+

Go away, I wanted only Freys up here. The King in the North has no interest in base stock."

Jon Stark says otherwise.

+.+.+

"Good," the Lord of the Crossing said. "That was very good, Your Grace. 'No words can set it right,' heh. Well said, well said. 

+.+.+

Roslin was small for her years, her skin as white as if she had just risen from a milk bath. Her face was comely, with a small chin, delicate nose, and big brown eyes. Thick chestnut hair fell in loose waves to a waist so tiny that Edmure would be able to put his hands around it. Beneath the lacy bodice of her pale blue gown, her breasts looked small but shapely.

[...]

Roslin had a small gap between two of her front teeth that made her shy with her smiles, but the flaw was almost endearing. Pretty enough, Catelyn thought, but so small, and she comes of Rosby stock. The Rosbys had never been robust. She much preferred the frames of some of the older girls in the hall; daughters or granddaughters, she could not be sure. They had a Crakehall look about them, and Lord Walder's third wife had been of that House. Wide hips to bear children, big breasts to nurse them, strong arms to carry them. The Crakehalls have always been a big-boned family, and strong.

There's no getting around this, the story is what it is. When the author describes a young girl's body type, he means to convey whether or not they'd be perceived as fertile.

I think we're all on the same page here, so let's move on.

+.+.+

"My lady is beautiful." Edmure took her hand and drew her to her feet. "But why are you crying?"

"For joy," Roslin said. "I weep for joy, my lord."

"Enough," Lord Walder broke in. "You may weep and whisper after you're wed, heh. Benfrey, see your sister back to her chambers, she has a wedding to prepare for. And a bedding, heh, the sweetest part. For all, for all." His mouth moved in and out. "We'll have music, such sweet music, and wine, heh, the red will run, and we'll put some wrongs aright. 

+.+.+

"I need to see my men across the river, my lord," Robb said.

"They shan't get lost," Lord Walder complained. "They're crossed before, haven't they? When you came down from the north. You wanted crossing and I gave it to you, and you never said mayhaps, heh. But suit yourself. Lead each man across by the hand if you like, it's naught to me."

"My lord!" Catelyn had almost forgotten. "Some food would be most welcome. We have ridden many leagues in the rain."

Walder Frey's mouth moved in and out. "Food, heh. A loaf of bread, a bite of cheese, mayhaps a sausage."

+.+.+

Catelyn tasted the wine and nibbled at some bread, and felt much the better for it. Now we should be safe, she thought.

+.+.+

He looked perplexed. "Why would the old weasel refuse to let me choose unless he meant to foist off someone hideous?"

"Your fondness for a pretty face is well known," Catelyn reminded him. "Perhaps Lord Walder actually wants you to be happy with your bride." Or more like, he did not want you balking over a boil and upsetting all his plans.

Is that the reason? Because I also don't understand why he picked Roslin.

+.+.+

When she told him [Maester Brenett] of Edmure's concerns about Lady Roslin's fertility, he chuckled. "Your lord brother need have no fear, Lady Catelyn. She's small, I'll grant you, and narrow in the hips, but her mother was the same, and Lady Bethany gave Lord Walder a child every year."

"How many lived past infancy?" she asked bluntly.

"Five." He ticked them off on fingers plump as sausages. 

We're now using the mother to tell us how fertile the daughter is.

+.+.+

"Five." He ticked them off on fingers plump as sausages. "Ser Perwyn. Ser Benfrey. Maester Willamen, who took his vows last year and now serves Lord Hunter in the Vale. Olyvar, who squired for your son. And Lady Roslin, the youngest. Four boys to one girl. Lord Edmure will have more sons than he knows what to do with."

Oh, never mind, I thought I knew what the author was doing, but it doesn't work. Catelyn may have five children, but she doesn't have four sons.

She has three sons, and two traditionally feminine girls.

(The third son became a maester. I'll be holding on to that.)

+.+.+

"I am sure that will please him." So the girl was like to be fertile as well as fair of face. That should put Edmure's mind at ease. 

What does he care? He's a Tully, he could impregnate a mannequin.

+.+.+

Bolton's pale eyes met her own. "The ironmen burned both castle and winter town. Some of your people were taken back to the Dreadfort by my son, Ramsay."

The past two chapters he's the son, not the bastard. Coincidence, or clever tricks by the author?

"Your brothers were avenged," Grenn said. "Bolton's son killed all the ironmen, and it's said he's flaying Theon Greyjoy inch by inch for what he did." - Jon VI, ASOS

Regardless, you know what it made me realize? Jon and Ramsay are legitimized at almost the exact same point in the story.

"I am to wed Lord Bolton's son, Ramsay. He used to be a Snow, but His Grace has made him a Bolton. They say he's very brave. I am so happy." - Jaime IX, ASOS

+.+.+

Roose Bolton removed a ragged strip of leather from the pouch at his belt. "My son sent this with his letter."

Ser Wendel turned his fat face away. Robin Flint and Smalljon Umber exchanged a look, and the Greatjon snorted like a bull. "Is that . . . skin?" said Robb.

"The skin from the little finger of Theon Greyjoy's left hand. My son is cruel, I confess it. And yet . . . what is a little skin, against the lives of two young princes? You were their mother, my lady. May I offer you this . . . small token of revenge?"

Part of Catelyn wanted to clutch the grisly trophy to her heart, but she made herself resist. "Put it away. Please."

Oof, Catelyn... no, hun.

+.+.+

Catelyn turned back to Roose Bolton. "Ser Wendel said something of Lannisters on the Trident?"

[...]

Two-thirds of my strength was on the north side when the Lannisters attacked those still waiting to cross. Norrey, Locke, and Burley men chiefly, with Ser Wylis Manderly and his White Harbor knights as rear guard. I was on the wrong side of the Trident, powerless to help them. Ser Wylis rallied our men as best he could, but Gregor Clegane attacked with heavy horse and drove them into the river. As many drowned as were cut down. More fled, and the rest were taken captive."

[...]

"I left six hundred men at the ford. Spearmen from the rills, the mountains, and the White Knife, a hundred Hornwood longbows, some freeriders and hedge knights, and a strong force of Stout and Cerwyn men to stiffen them

[...]

"The last thing we need is the Mountain at our backs when we start up the causeway," said Robb. "You did well, my lord."

"Your Grace is too kind. I suffered grievous losses on the Green Fork, and Glover and Tallhart worse at Duskendale."

"Duskendale." Robb made the word a curse. "Robett Glover will answer for that when I see him, I promise you."

"A folly," Lord Bolton agreed

[...]

"How many men have you brought my son?" she asked Roose Bolton pointedly.

His queer colorless eyes studied her face a moment before he answered. "Some five hundred horse and three thousand foot, my lady. Dreadfort men, in chief, and some from Karhold. With the loyalty of the Karstarks so doubtful now, I thought it best to keep them close. I regret there are not more."

Explain to me why the fandom jerks off to Tywin Lannister, when Roose Bolton exists.

Meh, whatever, they'll both be killed by their sons. Probably.

+.+.+

"It should be enough," said Robb. "You will have command of my rear guard, Lord Bolton. I mean to start for the Neck as soon as my uncle has been wedded and bedded. We're going home."

Are you sure you want Roose Bolton watching your back?

Final thoughts:

If I skip ahead, are we really losing anything?

Fine.

-> return to menu <-

[vavuska]

CRUELLA, THE STORY OF A PUPPY SLAUGHTER (Part 2)

Here for part 1:

Part 1 - Summary:

In the previous part we saw how was originally described Cruella de Vil in Dodie Smith's 101 Dalmatians: a rich heiress, bossy, cruel toward animals, obsessed with fancy jewls, luxury and also fur coats. Cruella met Anita at school, they were in friendly terms, even if Anita described Cruella as a menacing student, expelled from school for drinking ink. Dodie Smith wrote that Cruella comes from a troublesome family: her ancestor was a serial killer, with the supernatural ability to summon storms and a tail (reference to Bram Stoker's Dracula and the devil). Cruella has strange eating habits (uses a lot of pepper, the Devil's spice) and is usually cold (as a corpse or a vampire). Cruella was so obsessed with fur to marry a furrier not for love but only for his job. Cruella's husband is weak and she is the dominant element in the couple, she also forced him to take her surname after their marriage.

We saw also the rapresentation of Cruella in 1961 cartoon version of 101 Dalmatians. Cruella is still a old friend of Anita. Her main colors are red (her loudy red car is the fist thing we see of Cruella) — expressing blood, anger, determination and passion — and green (she is always surrounded by nasty green smoke that comes from her cigarette) that rapresents envy, sickness and greed.

Her appearance is very particular, because she looks like a skeleton and her skin is very white - pale, very different from the healthy pink one of the other characters. She looks like a corpse, she looks sick in this 1961 version of 101 Dalmatians.

Her entrance is accompanied by a song, written by Roger, in which he anticipates the evil intention of Cruella and underlight the disturbing connotations of her surname (Count de Ville is one of Dracula's alias; Cruella de Vil is a pun name on “cruel devil”).

3 - Cruella in 1996

The 1996 live action of 101 Dalmatians the entrance of Cruella is anticipated by a sequence in which we heard a news London Zoo discovered the excoriated carcass of its prized 3-year-old female Siberian tiger, then the news reporter says that according to animal protection groups that monitor the international trade that a white Siberian tiger's fur is so rare that the offer of a pelt would surely draw the attention in contraband. And then the journalist ask “Who cold do something so horrible?”

Then enters Cruella. She wears veiled garment complete with Balenciaga-inspired extreme shoulders and floor-length black and white fur cape.

We saw this mysterious woman with veiled face and a long fur coat - we doesn't know she is Cruella yet - , exiting from her black and white 1974 Panther Deville, license plate “De Vil”. This version of the car is more closed to the book's one.

In Dodie Smith's book, Cruella's chauffeur-driven car is black-and-white striped, which Mr. Dearly describes as “a moving zebra crossing”, and Cruella boasts that it has the loudest horn in London, which she insists on sounding for the Dearly couple.

We saw Cruella shaking the ashes of her cigarette on the shiny and impeccable shoes of her vallet Alzonzo, while he tries to not look bothered by this lack of respect, and then we saw Cruella entering in a luxurious place called “House of De Vil”. Her red cigarette holder — switching from the turquoise the 1966 animated version favored — matched with her brilliant red lipstick, makes a great contrast to her black and white attire and also underlight the psychology of color typical of Disney villains: red is associated with malice, evil (hell and the devil), blood, danger, strength, power, determination and passion.

Now we have a sight of this long railway-like white hallway surrounded by exotic fur-clothes. Now we know she is a stylist and that she is maybe the one who cold be interested in the fur of the dead Siberian tiger.

A crowd of terrified / adoring employees hurry to greet the woman: “Good morning, Miss De Vil”.

Finally Cruella enters in her office and takes off her hat with veil, reveling her double-colored hair. She is Cruella De Vil in all her glory.

This sequence recalls openly the Devil Wears Prada.

This version of Cruella played by Glenn Close is much more human that the 1961 version. She is more charismatic too and also more fashionable. Her entrance is not as scary as the 1961 version, but shows her obsession for fur, her violation of the law and abuse on animals (also at those at risk of extinction) and her high level stylist house of fashion.

She isn't Anita's friend anymore, she is Anita's boss.

While walking to her office, Cruella meets Anita, played by Joely Richardson. She spots that Anita is working on a new model (no more white tiger stripes, but dalmatian's spots). Anita's design catches her eyes and interest, as well as Anita's dog, Perdi: they had a strange chat about Perdi's fur. That, knowing already the plot of the movie and the news details Roger and Pongo were hearing in the previous scene, well, this conversation sounds a lot disturbing.

Cruella: “Anita, darling.”

Anita: “Good morning, Cruella.”

Cruella: “What a charming dog.”

Anita: “Thank you.”

Cruella: “Spots?”

Anita: “Yes, she’s dalmatian.”

Cruella: “lnspiration?”

Anita: “Yes.”

Cruella: “Long hair or short?”

Anita: “Short.”

Cruella: “Coarse or fine?”

Anita: “l’m afraid it is a little coarse.”

Cruella: “Pity!”

Anita: “But it was very fine when she was a puppy.”

Cruella: “Redemption! We need to have a little girl talk. Come to my office. Bring the drawing.”

Ok. The next scene contains a very popular quote from this movie.

We are in Cruella's office: she has just invited Anita to talk about her design. Cruella wants a new coat and would love to wear the one that has just see at Anita's desk. Let's remeber she doesn't want to wear Anita's puppies already, for now is just an abstract idea about someone else's puppies, but they are still talking about Dalmatians' spots, compared with leopard ones and Anita seems to be perfectly fine. I don't think she knows already of Cruella's criminal way to obtain fur from animals at risk of extinction that her henchmen steal from Zoos, but Anita works for a woman who loves to wear REAL fur. I just can't imagine Cruella wearing any faux fur coat. This is not a crime, because it's legal wear fur coats made of mink, sable and ermine and such, but I found very weird that Anita is not having any suspect about Cruella's intention, because she is working on a model of striped tiger fur and Cruella lives for fur, worship fur. She just could not accept to wear faux fur.

However, Anita doesn't seem bothered at all by this strange talk about her dog's fur (yes, dog are not coats), but as a woman who works for fashion/fur industry and loves dogs she should know that in some parts of the world it is legal using cat and dogs to make clothes. I simply can't understand why she is not having any reaction at Cruella's strage interest about Perdi's fur.

Cruella and Anita talk about their work and Cruella makes lovely appreciation for Anita's drawings: she says she is talented and she doesn't want to risk to lose her pen.

That's now that Anita says she would not left Cruella's House for another job, she would left only if she decided to be a stay-at-home mother and wife. Well, no, she talks more genericly of "plans" with a hypothetical, for now, husband/boyfriend, and this could means everything, for example moving to another city, the assumption about marriage is an association made by Cruella that told us a lot of things about how producers would she looks, compared with the family-oriented Disney business plan. This is a very relevant issue we was also in her 1961 version: the losing comparison between Anita's family's oriented live choice and Cruella's — who is sigle, rich and indipendent — one. Cruella loves only her fur coats, while Anita have an husband, a simple house and also a lot of dogs. Cruella is alone, evil, ugly, wears a lot of make up, and not happy, while Anita is married, preatty but in a natural way and happy of her simple lifestyle with her husband and their dogs.

Cruella: “Now, darling, tell me more about these spots. l did leopard spots in the ‘80s. Well, dalmatian spots are a little different, aren’t they? Cozy. Classic.”

Anita: “Cuddly. Less trashy.”

Cruella: “Exactly! Do you like spots, Frederick?”

Frederick: “Oh, l don’t believe so, Madame. l thought we liked stripes this year.”

Cruella: “What kind of sycophant are you?”

Frederick: “Um, what kind of sycophant would you like me to be?”

Cruella: “Frederick… l’m beginning to see spots. What would it cost us to start again on next year’s line?”

Frederick: “Millions.”

Cruella: “Can we afford it?”

Frederick: “Well, yes--”

Cruella: “Pay it, darling. Now go away. l have to talk to Anita.”

(...)

Cruella: “Sit down, please. How long have you been working for me?”

Anita: “Uh, two years last August.”

Cruella: “And you’ve done wonderful work in that time.”

Anita: “Thank you.”

Cruella: “l don’t see you socially, do l?”

Anita: No.

Cruella: “And you’re not very well-known, despite your obvious talent.”

Anita: “Well, notoriety doesn’t mean very much to me.”

Cruella: “Your work is fresh and clean, unfettered, unpretentious. lt sells. And one of these days… my competitors are going to suss out who you are… and they’re going to try to steal you away.”

Anita: “Oh, no. lf l left, it wouldn’t be for another job.”

Cruella: “Oh, really?bWhat would it be for?”

Anita: “Well, l don’t know. Um, if l met someone, if working here didn’t fit in with our plans.”

Cruella: “Marriage.”

Anita: “Perhaps.”

Cruella: “More good women have been lost to marriage… than to war, famine, disease and disaster. You have talent, darling. Don’t squander it.”

Anita: “Well, l don’t think that it’s something we have to worry about. l don’t have any prospects.”

Cruella: “Thank God.”

Cruella makes a very cynical — but historically appropriate and also very sharable — critic about marriage. She was right, expecially because of what we saw about her 1960s version and how she is rooted in anti-feminism and in an open condamn of women's growing emancipation from the “traditional family role” imposed by media in the 1950s and 1960s, rapresented by 1961's Anita. However, Cruella is a cruel, evil villaness, so what she says to Anita is just a condamn made by Disney on women who choose career over family and love.

But, here, Cruella is not a friend of Anita who gives her a kind and appreciable life advice (if we ignore that Cruella is evil), Cruella is Anita's boss and doesn't want to lose a valuable and talented employee, so from this point of view her statement sounds a lot more controversial: women in the 50s lost their job if they got married, they were fired because most of the time bosses made them sign a contract with a marriage bar that allow employers to withdraw from the contract, so their contract would terminate on marriage, or said in a simple way: employers used to fire the soon-to-be wife, because it was clear for them that a wife should focus more on family and house care than on a career (that's because the soon-to-be wife is going to have an husband, the bread-giver of the family).

Nowdays, it's a bitter different, but women that want to have also a family are discriminated in workplaces: employers ask constantly in job interviews of they plan to have a family, if they have some relationships or if they are single. That's because employers would lose money paying for maternity leaves to their female employees that cannot work for some month. A young woman in fertile age with a stable relationship is a risk for a employer more than a young man in fertile age with a stable relationship. A newly mom is more closed to chose a lesser paid job or a part time one compatible to her family then a newly dad.

And also this quote, remember we are talking about the 90s, gives a clear flashback on women's unstable careers back then, but also puts in highlines some stereotypes about women who menage to balance both work and family: their quility of work is lower than before (this is said by Cruella to the new-mom Anita, we will see it below), they are not productive enough, they makes employers lose money, ecc. Nowadays, unlike in the 90s there is a constant svalutation of women who chose to put family first: they have no free time, they have no a social life (well, some shy single woman like Anita doesn't have a frizzy social life too), some kind of lifes are better than others (luxury and exotics vacation are better than reading books, dancing and going to bars with friends is better than playing sports or painting, ecc.) and if they dare to go out with their friends or take time for themselves and their hobbies, society is still ready to shame them for “not being good mothers”. That's not right: everyone should be able to live their life as they want, to have a frizzy social life or just enjoying a little time for themselves, without receiving criticism of any sort.

In the US the marriage bar, the practice of restricting the employment of married women was never explicitly eliminated by federal laws. Marriage bars were widely relaxed in wartime, during World War I and World War II due to an increase in the demand for labor in the assistance of war efforts (mostly because men were at the front).

Since the 1960s, the practice has widely been regarded as employment inequality and sexual discrimination, and has been either discontinued or outlawed by anti-discrimination laws. For example, in Italy marriage bar is declared illegal with law nr. 7 of 1963, that establishes the prohibition of dismissal of female workers for reasons of marriage (later extended also to male workers), and law nr. 1204 of 1971 prohibited dismissal of the working mother within the first year of the child's age (maternity bar).

The main reason of the bar is that married women were supported by their husbands, therefore they did not need jobs. However, marriage bars provided more opportunity for those whom proponents viewed as "actually" needing employment, such as single women or married men (needed to support the family).

Discrimination against married female teachers in the US was not terminated until 1964 with the passing of the Civil Rights Act.

Marriage bars generally affected educated, middle-class married women, particularly native-born white women. Their occupations were that of teaching and clerical work. Lower class women and women of color who took jobs in manufacturing, waitressing, and domestic servants were often unaffected by marriage bars.

However, some State law provides protection for people discriminated for their marital status. For example, in California, discrimination in employment based on marital status is against the law. Under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), it is illegal for an employer to discriminate based on an applicant’s marital status or perceived marital status.

Under the FEHA, it is an unlawful employment practice for an employer to treat an applicant or employee differently based on the employee’s marital status. This includes: Refusing to hire or employ, Refusing to select a person for a training program, Firing, bearing, or discharging an employee, Discriminating against a person in compensation or in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.

Marital status could refer to whether an individual is married or not, has been married, or plans to get married. This includes: Currently married, Divorced, Married to a same-sex partner or opposite-sex partner, Engaged to be married, Married but separated, Married but seeking a divorce, Widowed, Annulled marriage, Plans to get married someday, Plans to never get married, Other marital states.

Forty years ago, on October 31, 1978, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) was signed into law to prohibit discrimination in the workplace on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Since its passage, more women have been able to continue working while pregnant; they have also been able to work further into their pregnancies without being forced to leave their jobs.

Pregnancy discrimination involves treating a woman (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of pregnancy, childbirth or a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) forbids discrimination based on pregnancy when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, such as leave and health insurance and any other term or condition of employment. Pregnancy discrimination also includes perceived bias when expectant employees experience subtly hostile behaviors such as social isolation, negative stereotyping and negative or rude interpersonal treatment such as lower performance expectations, transferring the pregnant employee to less-desirable shifts or assignments or inappropriate jokes and intrusive comments.

Claims of pregnancy discrimination filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) increased sharply in the 1990s and 2000s, and pregnancy discrimination remains a widespread problem across all industries and regions of the United States. Yet statistics show that in the last 10 years, more than 50,000 pregnancy discrimination claims were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Fair Employment Practices Agencies in the United States.

So, yes. Disney here touched a lot of points in about two levels:

Family is more important than a career (successful, unmarried stylist Cruella is the evil one) and if you, a working woman, put career over family you are wrong. Nowday, we know that there isn't anything wrong about putting career first, but also we know that there isn't anything wrong also on putting family first or find a balance between the two. The important thing we should remember is that if we have not equality in working places, we should have not real free choices about our dream life;

It's perfectly fine excluding women in stable relationships or women with children from workplaces, because their work would not be at the level of a single woman, that can sacrifice her free time working late (employers exploitation logic deny free time);

Only child-free single women should be allowed to work, but only until they meet a soul mate (reminiscent of the old Disney penchant for old traditional gender roles).

However, returning at the plot, after that Anita reassures Cruella that she has no marriage prospects on the horizon, Cruella asked to Alonzo to bring Anita's drawings to her and the two women start to discuss about Anita's work, because Cruella want to add a long fur stole to Anita's original model: “I look wonderful in spots”, says Cruella,“we could do this in linen. It would be stunning in fur”. Then Anita remarks that would not be appropriate wearing fur in April, so Cruella give her famous lines: “But it’s my only true love, darling. l live for fur. l worship fur. After all, is there a woman in all this wretched world who doesn’t?” and then makes a joke that anticipates what she will plan to Anita's puppies more over in the movie: “lt is rather amusing, isn’t it? (...) If we make this coat... it would be as if l were wearing your dog.”

Then Anita and Perdi meet Roger (Jeff Daniels) and his dog Pongo, they fall in love and get married. Cruella doesn't like this. Obviously. We see a very enraged Cruella, wearing a black cellophane velvet with black and white coque feather trim, screaming against Anita's “betrayal”, when she read Anita and Roger's wedding publication on a newspaper.

Her anger toward Roger for stealing her best employee, maybe envy for Anita's love (well, it’s Disney), are promptly consoled, when her two henchmen bring her a little present from Mr. Skinner (Nomen omen, this surname fits perfectly creepy scared guy that work as furrier): it's the Siberian tiger found dead and excoriated in the London Zoo at the beginning of the movie. It was Cruella that wanted her fur and at the end she obtained it.

This Mr. Skinner (John Shrapnel) is a sadic taxidermist that enjoys killing and skinning animals alive, just like he did to the female white tiger at the London Zoo. He doesn't speak beacause when he was young, a dog attacked him by tearing open his throat and ripping out his vocal cords in the process, leaving him with a bad scar on his neck and is a little based on Mr. de Vil, Cruella's husband in Dodie Smith's book, but with the difference that Mr. Skinner has a more strong and menacing personality, while Mr. de Vil was weak and totally dependent by Cruella's desires.

Near the end of the movie, we will see in a crescendo of more explicit references to animal abuse, this charming version of Cruella de Vill ordering Cruella De Vil to Mr. Skinner to kill the dogs, because she fells that the police's suspicion are mounting against her: “poison them,” says Cruella “drown them, bash them on the head. Got any chloroform? I don't care how you kill the little beasts, just do it, and do it now!”

(See here for references: X and X)

In second relevant scene, Roger and Anita are out, walking the dogs, when Anita spots Cruella's car. In fact, as happen at the beginning the black and white 1974 Panther Deville is the first element we see in this scene and anticipate the entrance of Cruella. Recognizing the car, Anita runs to home and there she found Cruella. She welcomes in a very lovely way Anita in her own home, but she is very rude with Roger, who tries his best to be polite during the whole scene. Cruella then mocks Roger about his job (he is a videogame designer, a well paid job nowadays, but that in the 90s can just make snobbish people like Cruella turn up their noses, it's not the classical respectable professions “to make money”). Anita and Roger are just returned from their honeymoon and Creulla acts very nicely toward Anita, she says she missed her and their exchange of ideas, but she isn't happy when Roger announce they are going to have a baby, but Cruella remarks that “she has no use for children”, but she is very interested in Pongo and Perdi's puppies.

Unlike her cartoon version Cruella during the movie shows a lot of different, hiconic and fashionable outfits: at her visit at Anita and Roger's house, she wears a zebra coat dress with mink sleeves with matching Russian-inspired hat, red PVC boots that match with gloves in the same color and material (long fake red nails on each finger) and her red cigarette holder. Her dress also features a practical detail: a cigarette case paired with ammo cartridges as if they are military medals. The zebra stripes also give off the impression of bones or a rib cage for that extra goth vibe. Her lips are permanently stained the color of crimson, while her winged eyeliner adds to her high drama aesthetic.

Despite being set in contemporary London, everything about Cruella's closet defies a specific time period. It is as if she stepped in from the '60s of the original story combined with a century's worth of high fashion references. This is very logic: people have a lot of clothes and is natural for a very fashionable stylist to have and wear a lot of haute couture outfits.

Cruella: “And you must be Rufus.”

Roger: “No, it’s-- it’s Roger. And it’s a pleasure, Miss De Vil.”

Cruella: “What’s a pleasure?”

Roger: “Uh, making your acquaintance.”

Cruella: “Such a sweet thought. l wish l could reciprocate. Tell me, darling, you married him for his dog. Oh, darling, l’ve missed you so. l hate that you’ve taken leave.”

Anita: “But l’m still working. Um, you’ve been getting my sketches?”

Cruella: “Well, it’s not the same thing. l miss the interaction-- And what is it that you do… that allows you to support Anita in such… splendor?”

Roger: “l design video games.”

Cruella: “Video games? ls he having me on?”

Anita: “Oh, no, he’s very good at it. Um, and it’s a growing business.”

Cruella: “Those horrible noisy things that children play with on their televisions?Someone designs them? What a senseless thing to do with your life.”

Roger: “Oh, did Anita tell you the news? She’s going to have a baby.”

Cruella: “ls this true?”

Anita: “Yes.”

Cruella: “Oh, you poor thing! l’m so sorry.”

Anita: “We’re very excited about it, Cruella.”

Cruella: “You can’t be serious.”

Roger: “She is!”

Cruella: “Well, what can l say? Accidents will happen.”

Anita: “We’re having puppies, too!”

Cruella: “Puppies! You have been a busy boy. Well, l must say, that’s somewhat better news. l adore puppies! l’ll expect a decline in your work product.”

Anita: “Oh, l shouldn’t think so.”

Cruella: “Be sure to let me know when the blessed event occurs.”

Anita: “Oh, well, it won’t be for another eight months.”

Cruella: “The puppies, darling. l’ve no use for babies.”

Again here we have a remark of how horrible is Cruella as boss (she says to Anita she expect a decline in her work, and this would make her useless and less precious for Cruella's House) and as person: according to Disney people who doesn't like children are horrible and cruel, but there is a double meaning in Cruella's word: “Iʼve no use for babies” could mean both that she is not interested in maternity (that's perfectly legit, not all like children, are comfortable with them or just dream to have children someday) but also that she couldn't find any material use of babies, while for puppies we know she knows well how to use them: as material for a new fur coat.

The next scene is a classical recall to the original Disney cartoon of 1961: it's a stormy night and during the lightning flash for a few frames only, we see Cruella as a complete silhouette while few second after she opens the door and enters in Anita and Roger's house, with a big menacing smile on her face.

Pattern clashing will not only stand, but it is also encouraged, as the tiger cape with a leopard lining reveals. Paired with a leather skirt and tiger bodice featuring claw clasps

Again there is the recurring joke about Cruella misnaming Roger (Rufus, Rupert, Roland), if it's intentional (and this version of Cruella doesn't seem to left anything casual) it's a clear remark about how she dislikes Roger, the guy that stole her best designer, if it's not intentional, shows how Cruella find him irrelevant for her purpose at the point she doesn't even bother to rember his name to flatter him. Cruella is not polite or kind to Roger as she is with Anita. She doesn't need Roger, she need Anita and hates Roger for turning down Anita's value for her interests.

In this scene Cruella uses the same words she uses in the 1961 version (“How marvelous. How marvelous! How perfect... Oh, the devil take it! They’re mongrels! No spots! No spots at all! What horrible little white rats!”), but with something new that shows her uncaring nature (“All right, put them in a bag. l’ll take them with me now.”) and again mocks Roger for his “strange” and not prestigious job, when he firstly deny her offer for the puppies (“Oh? You’ve come into some money, have you? Did you design some silly game… that will drive the delinquent kiddies into frenzies of video delight?”).

However, compared to her 1961 alter ego, this Anita is more assertive and talks for herself, saying a determinated “no” to Cruella. Anita also starts to be a bit suspicious about Cruella's intentions (“But, Cruella, what would you do with 15 puppies?”). Roger and Anita this time seems to be equally determinated to refuse Cruella's business proposals.

Cruella crescent rage is underlight by the sounds effects of thunderclaps and it is Anita who says the final “no”.

“All right, keep the little beasts. Do what you like with them. Drown them, for all l care! You’re a fool, Anita! l’ve no use for fools. You’re fired! You’re finished! You’ll never work in fashion again! l’m through with all of you! l’ll get even! Just wait! You’ll be sorry, you fools! You idiots!”

When Roger and Anita refused to sell the puppies, Cruella's rage exploded as happened in the cartoon version (she screams and insults Roger and Anita, she tears the check into a thousand pieces and throws them in Roger's face), but let's remeber she is Anita's boss now: she uses her power and fired Anita's too, now that Anita and Roger refused to Cruella what she want, Anita become immediately useless. In fact Cruella has yet the design for her new outfit, from Anita needed only the puppies and if she cannot obtain them with good manner, well, as happened in the cartoon version, she will steal them.

In the previous part we saw how in the 101 Dalmatians of 1961, the car was the alter ego of Cruella, well, in this 1996 live action, her personality and her obsession is channeled into her outfits. Before it all goes to hell for the fashion maven, her rotation of zebra, leopard, and tiger print reveal she wasn't bluffing when she exclaimed of her fur obsession.

The costumes as designed by three-time Oscar winner Anthony Powell (co-designed with Rosemary Burrows) take Cruella's love of all things animal print to the extreme, delivering jaw-dropping results.

Cruella's entire life is a performance supported by her wardrobe, makeup, and hair. Cruella increases the level of red (it's the outburst of her bloody determination to obtain what se want, it's her mad passion for furs that determinated her end) during the climax with her fur coat of choice, which will soon be ruined by some farm animals. That smell is going to be hard to get rid of, and there aren’t any dry cleaners in prison.

As we saw in the previous part, Cruella's change of luck is well rapresented by her ruined clothes: she is going to jail, her life and career are over, her clothes aren't perfect and fancy anymore.

This happens also in the 102 Dalmatians live action of 2000: red clothing anticipates Cruella's criminal climax, while her ruined clothes are the sign of her defeat.

Nearly at the end of the movie, when her plans are finally reveled, Cruella wears a very unique red “flames” dress: the bodice is organza and silk satin beaded, sequined with a beaded net collar. The skirt is silk satin and nylon net beaded and sequined, lines in ostrich feathers. The headdress is tiered flames made of mirror, metal and painted glass. While her attire during her final metch with the Dalmatian is a black dress with large shoulders that recall Balenciaga, a black lather waist belt and a Gothic necklace with rubies, pearls and diamonds. The fur coat is floor-length black and red, while her headdress is a little hat with black and red feathers.

(See here for references: X and X)

4 - Cruella in Once Upon A Time

More recent version of Cruella can be founded in the ABC TV show Once Upon A Time. I will not make a summary of the themes of the TV because it has a very complex plot and that is not relevant for our comparison. So, let's say only that is a show who feature the adventure of Emma Swan, Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming (Josh Dallas)'s daughter, and her biological son Henry (who was adopted by Regina Mills, the Evil Queen, now mayor of Story Brook) to break the magic curse that turned Enchanted Forest to a modern day Maine town called Storybrook, in which live all the characters from the popular fairy tales we know from Disney adaptations, unaware of their true identities.

Cruella is introduced in Season 4. The evil Rumpelstinskin (Robert Carlyle) recruited her and some other evil lady to regain his Dark Lord magic powers and take his revenge on the people of Storybrook as well as his happy ending.

The first we saw Cruella is at her ungodly hour: she is divorcing from a guy called Mr. Feinberg, strongly in debt and FBI is repossessing her husband's belongings, including her fancy fur coats, her big mansion in Long Island, New York, and her other goods. (See here for references: X)

Cruella plays little importance in the plot, until the Author is released from the book; unable to kill him herself, she pretends to threaten Henry Mills's (Jared S. Gilmore) life to force Emma (Jennifer Morrison) and Regina/Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) to do so. However, Emma confronts her, not knowing the restriction the Author placed on Cruella, and magically blasts her off a cliff to her death.

The actress chosed to play Cruella de Vil is Victoria Smurfit and her appearance recalls more the 1961 version than Glenn Close. She wears a black night gown with paillettes or little pearls, long red PVC gloves and a white fur coat, but drives her black and white 1974 Panther Deville. However, during the show she is seen also wearing leather black pants, red boots matching with her gloves and several different types of fur coats. Cruella's phone case has dalmatian spot patterns.

Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold snarkily remarks that he recognized Cruella's scent as “desperation and gin”, somewhat suggesting or implying that Cruella is an alcoholic of sorts. Cruella later confirms this, having blamed her misfortunes on “bad judgment and gin”.

Unlike her other version, this Cruella has some a very limited magic powers, and has only been known to accomplish a few specific spells. Her most remarkable power is the ability to control any animal, whether it be a Dalmatian or a Dragon. The green smoke that comes out of Cruella's mouth when she uses persuasion magic on animals is designed to reflect Cruella's green and yellow cigarette smoke in Disney's 101 Dalmatians.

Her other main power is a very limited telekinesis: Cruella is able to enchant her car to drive itself around.

In the 5 Season, after her death, Cruella ends up in the Underworld, a purgatory run by the deity Hades (Gregory Germann). She makes a deal with Hades, who offer her to rule Underworld in his absence and help trap the heroes there. Delighted with the idea of getting to torment souls for eternity, Cruella agrees to the deal. This makes even more evident the similarities with the goddess Hela from Norse Mythology, as both ruled the underworld and have half-black half-white hair.

However, the most important episode about Cruella is “Sympathy for the Devil”, in which we learn about her true story.

"Sympathy for the De Vil" Season 04, Episode 18

In 1920s England, a young and blonde Cruella De Vil (played by Milli Wilkinson as child and Victoria Smurfit as adult) is being mistreated by her mother Madeline (Anna Galvin) as she instructs her Dalmatians to chase her daughter, and is locked in the attic in the same setting that resembles the 1979 Gothic novel Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews. The room where Cruella is locked up is filled with her mother's dog statuettes and dog show trophies. Fast forward to several years later, and that a reporter, who is revealed to be the Author (Patrick Fischler) but is using an alias by the name of Isaac Heller, is paying a visit to the home pretending to seek out a story after having seen Cruella from the attic, only to have Madeline warning him to stay away. Isaac returns and helps Cruella escape from the attic. He then takes Cruella out for a date that includes dinner and dancing. Cruella reveals to Isaac that the reason she was kept in the attic was that she witnessed her mother kill her father and her succeeding husbands; Isaac then reveals to Cruella that he was more than just a reporter and has the ability to use his pen and ink to create magical stories. Isaac proposes that they run away together, and uses his quill and ink to give Cruella her persuasion powers to control animals.

(See here for references: X, X, X and X)

However, for Isaac, his future with Cruella would later take a unique twist that will put his future in danger. When Madeline pays a visit to see him, she tells him that Cruella had lied to him about what actually happened to her husbands: as child Cruella killed her own father, Madeline's first husband, by putting a poisonous flower in his tea. Cruella was a troubled child and her parents had hoped she would grow out of her disturbing behavior. But after Cruella murders her father, her mother fears that Cruella's murderous tendencies will get worse and will become a full fledged serial killer. Not wanting anyone else to get hurt or killed by Cruella and not wanting her daughter to go to prison, Madeline had no choice but to lock her Cruella away from the outside world and keep her close to try to snap Cruella out of her disturbed mind. However Madeline's intentions were in vain as Cruella ended up poisoning her next two husbands. Terrified that Isaac will set her daughter free and start killing more people, Madeline warns Issac to stay away from her, because she is dangerous and can not be saved, while Isaac doesn't believe her, Madeline tells Isaac that Cruella takes everything someone loves and destroys it and tells him to stay away from her or he will suffer the same fate as her two husbands and lose all he holds dear.

(See here for references: X)

When Madeline returns home, Cruella was ready for her, and eventually kills her mother by controlling her Dalmatians and commanding them to attack her.

Afterwards, Isaac discovers that Cruella has stolen his pen, and goes back to her house to find out that Cruella used her ability to control animals to make her mother's pet Dalmatians turn against her and rip her to shreds, before Cruella herself slaughtered the Dalmatians and made a fur coat out of them.

«Some people struggle not to be drawn into the darkness. But ever since I was a little girl, I've said... "Why not splash in and have fun?"», says Cruella to an astonished Isaac.

Horrified, Isaac makes a dash for the pen to stop her, but during a struggle the magic ink is spilled onto Cruella. She accidentally ingests some and the ink shows her true colors. As Cruella is about to kill him, Issac uses his powers as the Author to make it so that Cruella can never kill anyone ever again by writing it down on a piece of paper "Cruella De Vil can no longer take away the life of another." As he leaves, Cruella tells him she's not done.

Cruella kept this secret, as intimidation would still work for her needs.

This episode have a lot of Disney reference to the old 1961 version of 101 Dalmatians:

Madeline's car is similar in design and color to Cruella's car from One Hundred and One Dalmatians.

The song that Cruella hears on the radio is a jazz instrumental version of the song "Cruella De Vil", from One Hundred and One Dalmatians.

Ink spills on Cruella, just like Cruella spilled ink on Roger Radcliffe and Pongo in the movie. (One Hundred and One Dalmatians, 1961)

When Cruella uses persuasion magic, the magic comes out of her mouth in the form of green smoke, which is designed to reflect the green and yellow cigarette smoke that Cruella puffs in the movie. (One Hundred and One Dalmatians, 1961)

This 1920s version of Cruella de Vil we see in Once Upon a Time is inspired by Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Interestingly, in "Sympathy for the De Vil", Isaac can be seen reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. While he is captive in Mr. Gold's cabin, Isaac reads F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. And largely recall what we already saw of Cruella's original version in the book by Dodie Smith: Cruella is a cruel serial killer. She is smart and manipulative, shows no empathy and emotions and uses people for her own needs. She uses Dalmatians as her own weapons to take her revenge on her mother: she turned her own dogs against her and finally removes the last obstacle to her own freedom. Is important to notice that Cruella slaughters and skins the Dalmatians to create a new dalmatian fur coat for her own, that wears victoriously under Isaac horrified eyes. The Dalmatian fur coat is her trophy. Killers like to take trophies and souvenirs from their victims. Keeping some memento — a lock of hair, jewelry, piece of clothing, newspaper clips of the crime — helps prolong, even nourish, their fantasy of the crime or to relive the crime over and over in their minds. Cruella at the end fully reveals herself as the serial killer she is.

When Cruella drinks accidentally Author's ink that transforms her hair black and white, is another reference to the novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith, in which is said that Cruella used to drink ink as a child. The dress Cruella is wearing at the jazz club is the dress Bérénice Bajo wears in the the famous 2011 comedy-drama film The Artist. Also the dancing scene between Cruella and Isaac recalls the one between Bérénice Bajo and Jean Dujardin, when play the role of actors Peppy Miller and George Valentin filming a ball scene for a mute movie.

Conclusion

As we saw, all the version of Cruella that were developed time by time, still share the characteristics of a sadic, cruel villaness.

Glenn Close version of Cruella doesn't care about animals' lifes, doesn't care about workers rights or other person's life projects. She uses creepy hanchmen to obtain what she wants, she steals and plot the death of even rare animals for their fur. She uses and manipulates people.

Victoria Smurfit's Cruella is a real serial killer. She is selfish, cunning, manipulative and the violence against animals is just a moment on her murderous revenge on her mother: she used Madeline's pretious dogs to kill her and then kept their skins as souvenir, as serial killers do.

There's no doubt that all those versions of Cruella are evil and Disney simply can not create any positive emotional connection with a woman who murders dogs. It's simply impossible to explain why Cruella hates dog in a way that can justify abuse toward animals. That is why this Cruella movie with Emma Stone is a huge mistake.

As conclusion, I will borrow again the words of composer Bill Lee from the 60s animated version of 101 Dalmatians to say what I think of trailer with Emma Stone as Cruella:

This vampire bat, this inhuman beast

The world was such a wholesome place until

She ought to be locked up and never released

Cruella, Cruella de Vil

[mask131]

Cruella’s fashion: 1, the original novel

Of course, we cannot begin our overview of Cruella's fashion without beginning with her origins.

The 1956 novel "101 Dalmatians" by Dodie Smith. Here you can see one of the illustrations of Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone for the original edition of the novel - the first incarnation of Cruella.

  It is quite interesting to see that in the original novel, Cruella's iconic outfit is not a fur coat as many would guess. It is actually an "absolutely simple" floor-length white mink cloak she wears all the time (of course the simple is ironic, the novel is very, very ironic). She usually wears this cloak with a tight-fitting satin dress and several ropes of gems around her neck. She wears several variations of this outfit: an emerald dress with ropes of rubies and ruby-red shoes when she first meets the Dearly couple, a ruby red dress with ropes of emeralds when she invites the Dearlys for an evening in her house, a black dress with ropes of pearls when she goes at the Dearlys house the night the dalmatians give birth... As you can see, always clashing or opposing colors, but all in a "devilish" tone (red, green, black...) It can be also quite useful to say that the original physical description of Cruella is quite different from the iconic look we all know. Sure, she was already a tall and thin woman with hair black on one side and white on the other (she wears it parted in the middle and it is apparently her natural hair color since she had it since childhood), but outside of that she was described with a "dark skin", a "very pointed nose" and "dark eyes with a tinge of red in them". (And another interesting fact - her car is not just black and white, but painted in stripes)

There is however one scene in the book where Cruella wears a fur coat. It is winter time, she comes to visit the puppies, and she is seen wearing a brown mink fur coat, alongside fur hat, fur gloves and fur-lined boots. AND with the white mink cloak on top.

    You see, in the original novel it was explained a huge part of Cruella's obsession with fur was the fact she is constantly cold. Average temperature for someone will be cold for her. She needs to wear fur outfits and to have blazing fires in her house to feel comfortable (in fact, she also has a deep obsession with fire, but that's another subject, we focus on fashion here).

  Cruella also has numerous other clothes made of fur : we get a description of them when the dalmatians invade her bedroom near the end of the story. Dozens of fur coats, alongside fur muffs and stoles. Made of "Chinchilla, Sable, Mink, Beaver, Nutria, Fox, Kolinsky and many humber skins". She even sleeps in sheets made of ermine. Though not all of these clothes actually belong to her - a great part is actually the stock of her husband, who is a furrier, but that she keeps in her house so as to be able to use it as if it was her own. (In a similar way, her beautiful gems are actually all fake - she couldn't have all the money to buy so many emeralds, rubies and pearls, so she uses imitations just to show off).

As for Cruella's plans for the dalmatian puppies, she explains it very clearly: she wants to use them for a spring fur coat, worn over a black suit. Something quite interesting is that many people pointed out, throughout the years, that Cruella doesn't need a hundred dalmatian puppies to make one fur coat - she could use much less, the number is greatly exaggerated. Well yes... but only because in later adaptations she wants ONE fur coat. In the original novel, it is clearly explained she intends to have several fur coats made out of the puppies (when the police takes too much interest in the missing puppies, she even plans on the coats to be reversible, Persian lamb on one side puppy fur on the other, and she would flip it over when crossing the country, as a way to still wear the coat despite the police investigation). Not just that - she also originally intended to create a true fur farm, her husband planning to sell the dalmatian fur coats as a the new fashionable item of the year. Hence why she needed a huge number of dogs for her operations.

    One last thing I forgot to mention - it is mentionned that, as the de Vils are driven around by their chauffeur, they wear a "sable rug" over their knees - another fur pieces that, while not a clothing item, deserves a mention.

[chrisgaffey]

On May 19, 1962, a fundraiser gala took place at Madison Square Garden, New York City, to celebrate the 45th birthday of President John F Kennedy.

Marilyn Monroe was accompanied to the event by her publicist Patricia Newcomb. Monroe's trip to New York caused irritation for studio executives of 20th Century Fox, who had wanted her to cancel it as her absenteeism from the Hollywood set of ‘Something’s Got To Give’ had already put the production in jeopardy.

During the evening, actor Peter Lawford, (brother-in-law of President Kennedy) made a play on Marilyn Monroe’s reputation for tardiness by giving her a number of introductions, after which she did not appear on stage. When Monroe finally appeared in a spotlight, Lawford introduced her as the "late Marilyn Monroe". Monroe peeled off her white ermine fur coat, to reveal a shimmering dress to the gasps of the audience and gave her famous, breathy sultry performance of  “Happy Birthday Mr President”.

Monroe's iconic dress was made of a sheer, flesh marquisette fabric, with 2,500 rhinestones sewn into it, made by designer Jean Louis at a cost $1,440.33. It was so tight-fitting that Monroe had difficulty putting it on. She was sown into the dress and wore nothing under it. In 2016 the dress sold at auction for $4.8 million.

The performance was to be one of her last major public appearances. Monroe and JFK were already intimately acquainted, having met at a party at Bing Crosby’s Palm Springs home in late March. 

In June just a few days after her 36th birthday, Monroe was fired and sued by Fox for “wilful violation of contract”. When co-star Dean Martin threatened to quit, the studio relented and with a renegotiated contract, and production was set to re-start in October. Filming never resumed. On August 5 1962, Monroe was found dead in her Brentwood home from a drug overdose. Fifteen months later, President Kennedy was shot.

After the gala there was a private reception. In the photos can be seen U.S. President John F Kennedy (back to the camera), U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy (left) and Steve Smith (brother-in-law of President John F. Kennedy).

[chic-a-gigot]

The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, Manufactures, Etc.

The Second Series

Volume 7, Number 37, January 1, 1819

Half-Mourning Evening Dress and Half-Mourning Walking Dress Composite of individual fashion plates.

Half-Mourning Evening Dress White crape round dress over a white sarsnet slip. Skirt ornamented with a full rouleau of white crape and trimming of jet beads. White crape apron, three-quarter length, finished with rich tassels and embroidered in black silk. Necklace, broach, ear-rings, armlets, and bracelets of jet. Head-dress, la toque de Ninon ornamented with a plume of ostrich feathers and jet butterfly. White leather shoes with jet clasps. White kid gloves.

Half-Mourning Walking Dress Round dress of figured silk, ground grey, with a small black leaf; body trimmed with a puffing of grey crape, ornamented between each puff with a jet bead. Short full sleeve in Spanish style with black satin slashes. Skirt trimmed with a deep flounce of black crape, embroidered in grey silk; surmounted by a plain band of black crape, embroidered in grey silk; finished by a broad band of bias black satin. Fichu of white crape, with a very full white crape ruff. Pelisse composed of either black or grey velvet, lined with white sarsnet; wraps across front with a falling white satin pelerine. Tight sleeves; shoulders finished by puffings of white satin; bottom of sleeves ornamented with full bands of white satin. Trimming consists of satin coquings interspersed with leaves. Gipsy hat, composed of white British Leghorn, ornamented with full plume of ostrich feathers. Black leather half-boots. White kid gloves. Ermine muff.

Both dresses credited to Mrs. Smith of 15, Old Burlington-street.

[books0977]

Abigail Smith Babcock (Mrs. Adam Babcock) (c.1774). John Singleton Copley (Anglo-American, 1738-1815). Oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art, New York.

In this portrait, one of Copley's most attractive, Mrs. Babcock wears a deep rose-colored dress with a gold belt trimmed with pearls. A blue cape with an ermine lining is draped over her shoulders, and pearls decorate the white muslin scarf in her dark hair. Seated on a blue sofa, she gazes off to the viewer's left, lost in thought. As she readies the gold clasp of a garnet bracelet, she weaves its delicate strands between her fingers.

[titwrench]

WATCH - Celebrating 13 years of music, art, magic, and community! TITWRENCH 2021 video promo by Kim Shively -- www.titwrenchcollective.org

Sunday, October 3rd, 2021 // 400-1000pm // Free, all ages event!

Featuring SUZI Q. SMITH

NACHA MENDEZ

THE MILK BLOSSOMS

MACHETE MOUTH

MY NAME IS HARRIET

T SOL VIDA WORLDWIDE

with WITCH COLLECTIVE artisan market

Food by KONJO Ethiopian and MAÍZ Mexican home cooking

Live printing by LITTLE DROP PRINT SHOP

Full details and free tix: https://www.titwrenchcollective.org Video edited and shot by Kim Shively https://www.kimshively.com ---

Bands in order of appearance:

Ebony & Ermine, 2017 @ Mercury Cafe

Wheelchair Sports Camp, 2015 @ Dryer Plug Studios

Weed Rat, 2016 @ GLOB

VIA, 2011 @ GLOB

Milch de La Máquina, 2016 @ GLOB

The Corner Girls, 2016 @ GLOB

R A R E B Y R D $, 2016 @ Mayday Experiment

Chicharra, 2017 @ GLOB

Bianca Mikahn, 2015 @ Dryer Plug Studios

Teaadora, 2015 @ Dryer Plug Studios

Fresh Flesh, 2011 @ Mercury Cafe

Elena Stonaker & Alicia Ordal performance art piece, 2009 @ GLOB