#helena george wells

[jawlinenthusiast]

MORALLY GRAY BRUNETTE SAVE ME MORALLY GRAY BRUNETTE SAVE ME

[morally-grey-girlbosses]

Propaganda under the cut.

Dr. Olivia "Liv" Octavius AKA Doc Ock:

Supervillain scientist lady that commits legal and moral crimes in the name of science

Helena George Wells:

she’s bisexual, she tried to end the world as a way of avenging her daughter who was murdered over a century prior, and then didn’t because she realised she’d have to kill her female lover in order to do it. She then later sacrifices herself to protect an innocent woman she’d never met, and sacrifices herself AGAIN a little while later to save her co-workers/enemies, one of whom includes the aforementioned female lover. She is super good at science, she’s a catty bitch, she has a GRAPPLING HOOK THAT SHE JUST CASUALLY WHIPS OUT. I love her. She’s an absolute girlboss.

[hermetiqa]

When will you meet your future spouse?

Reminder: it doesn't matter if you saw this reading a day or a week or a month or a year after posting this. My readings are timeless. You'll see this when you're meant to see this and receive your message.

Close your eyes and take a deep breath before picking a pile. If you feel drawn to more than one pile, it's alright, you may take the piles that you're drawn to. What's important is to take it how it resonates and leave what doesn't.

PAID READINGS | TIP JAR | FEEDBACK

MASTERLIST | PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN

NOTE: Please feel free to give me a feedback on my asks about the reading! I would highly appreciate it and it'll be a huge help for me to improve as a reader.

Pile 1

Hello, Pile 1! I feel like you'll meet your future spouse when you prefer to be alone and be away from all the people you already know. You might think of going to some camp alone and when you're getting together in the camp, you might have come up with the idea of using a different name when you introduce yourself because you intend not to share who you truly are. You might think of the names Ella, Lily, Alisha, Cindy, Helena. The spelling of the names doesn't matter, any alternative spellings or name variations could be in your mind too. You might even use an odd name, like a name known to be masculine such as Alex and George. There's a TikToker who keeps popping in my head right now, the one who has a Chloe Paddington bags and named her bags. You might have had this camp and name idea from her. I can see that your future spouse might be the one who would approach you first and start the conversation, and they really have a strong masculine energy here while you're the feminine one. I'm also getting an intuitive energy from you and you might have a feeling that you feel like you've known each other for a long time, even if it was really your first time meeting each other. You might be a fire sign and they could be a water sign, but you're quite compatible. It seems like you could have each other's sun in one's moon and/or ascendant.

Signs: dark/black hair, curly hair, brown eyes, dark/light academia fashion style, white loose button-down shirt, latino/a looks, speaks spanish and italian, campfire, marshmallows, trees, beach, seashore, lowtide, collecting seashells

Pile 2

Hello, Pile 2! As for you, I'm seeing a picnic that involves books and paintings. 01:01 on the clock right now. You might think of reading a book or doing a painting, specifically watercolor or oil painting, in the afternoon. You might do this alone in a park or somewhere that has a pond. To be more detailed, I'm getting that you might read a book in a park and would prefer to paint some place that has a pond with koi fish or water lilies so you can paint them. I'm getting the seasons spring and summer too. You could be an introvert and you often go to your comfort places to breathe and rewind. And your future spouse would notice you visiting the same place oftentimes. They could observe you for a while before approaching you as well. And I feel like they might ask you if they could join you to read a book or paint something. You might even exchange books and paintings. You might annotate each other's books and paint each other's paintings (you know the thing where you both paint something on your canvas and you exchange each other's unfinished paintings and add something, and so on).

Signs: dark/brunette hair, curly hair, blue eyes, strong jawline, downtown/retro fashion, long white skirts, baggy shirts, leather bag, doc martens, the secret history, if we were villains, ophelia, the lumineers, (curtain) bangs, wavy hair, booktok

Pile 3

Hello, Pile 3! I feel like you'll meet yours when you're doing some charity event or donating something. It could be related to dogs and/or cats, so you could be pet lovers. This might be an all-of-a-sudden decision because the charity/donation wasn't planned that much but I'm getting that you might meet there. You might organize the charity or help them organize and they'll help too, and you might do most of the work together. I'm also getting that this is when you're trying to become a better person and finally end your toxic habits. I feel like you have feminine energy but to other people, you show your masculine energy. You might think of getting something to eat together at lunch when you work together after a charity event, and this is when you'll start to know each other. You'll be interested in each other's interests and might think that you're compatible, and might suit each other. You'll be really fond of each other for a while which will lead you to some dates and hanging out a lot. I feel like you'll both reciprocate each other's wants and needs in this connection, especially with all the adjustments at first, but you'll be close friends even while you're dating, you might be comfortable to be around each other as if you're best friends.

Signs: blonde, blue/green eyes, wavy hair, daisies/flowers on hair, blue shorts, white and blue shirt, band shirts, casual fashion, flexible, gymnastics and ballet (during childhood), waffles, hotdogs, pizzas, medium hair length, straight hair, brown hair highlights, summer

[supernotnatural2005]

I Cross My Heart

Paring: Beau Arlen x Reader

Summary: A quiet night in with your favourite Sheriff.

Word Count: 2.6k

Warnings: Mostly sickening fluff and feels.

Prompt: Cowboy Hat - Music CD - Plush Octopus

AN: Hey guys! Here is another submission for my @jacklesversebingo 24 card. This prompt was a little tricky 😅 but I feel it worked best with our favourite Sheriff! Also this is my first time dabbling into the Big Sky universe and writing for Beau, so let me know what y'all think. 👀

Main Masterlist

Bingo Masterlist

The warm summer sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, painting the city of Helena’s sky in hues of pink and gold. Beau leaned against his truck, his cowboy hat tilted low, the silhouette of his broad frame outlined by the fading light. His rugged features were softened by the day's exhaustion, but his eyes sparkled with the same quiet intensity you had come to know and love.

You smiled from where you stood on the porch, watching him. He was a man of few words, but when he did speak, you listened. The steady presence he exuded was something you had never expected but found yourself desperately drawn to. You had learned that, despite the rough nature of his job, Beau had a gentle way about him. His calm demeanour always seemed to pull everyone back from the edge, even in the chaos of the sheriff’s office.

You still remembered the first time you met him—it was almost a year ago when you had started working as a dispatcher at Lewis and Clark's County sheriff department. You’d walked into the station, green and nervous, only to be met with Beau’s easy smile and steady reassurance. He’d taken you under his wing, showing you the ropes while keeping the atmosphere light with his humour. Over time, what began as a professional relationship bloomed into something more personal, something deeper.

And now, after a long shift, Beau was standing outside your house, looking like he’d just walked off the set of a western movie. He was a sheriff, yes, but more than that, he was your sheriff.

You leaned against the doorframe, raising an eyebrow as you called out, “You planning on staying out here all evening, or you gonna come inside?”

Beau’s lips curled into a playful smile, his gaze never leaving yours. “Depends,” he drawled, his voice warm, “You got any reason for me to come inside?”

You grinned, holding up the small music CD you had found earlier. “Maybe. I found this in the back of the truck earlier—thought you might like it.”

Beau’s eyes widened slightly as he stepped closer, clearly excited. “Is that…? Wait, is that George Strait’s ‘Pure Country’ album?” His hands reached out eagerly. “I haven’t heard this in years. Where’d you find it?”

You shrugged, walking toward him. “Just digging around. Thought it looked like something you’d enjoy.”

Beau grinned from ear to ear as he took the CD from your hands. “You’ve got a good eye, darlin’.” He turned toward the door. “You sure you don’t mind if I play it inside?”

“Not at all,” you said, a playful glint in your eyes. “I think I can handle the noise if it’s you.”

Inside, the soft light of the evening filled your living room, giving it a more cozy-vibe. Beau walked over to the stereo, placing the CD into the player, smiling in familiraity as the first few chords of "I Cross My Heart" filled the air, instantly setting a more romantic mood.

You moved into the kitchen, finishing off the dinner you'd been in the middle of preparing before Beau texted you he was coming over. Thankfully it wasn't long before the two of you sat down to a quiet, simple meal. The conversation flowed easily, the kind of relaxed chatter that comes from knowing each other so well, and you felt a warmth in your chest at how easily it all fit together.

As you finished up dinner, the song “Carried Away” started playing in the background, and Beau paused, a soft smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Man, this takes me back,” he said, almost wistfully. “Used to play this over and over in my truck back when I was just starting out. Felt like I had all the time in the world back then.”

You smiled at him, picking up on the quiet nostalgia in his tone. “What’s the song remind you of?”

He shrugged, leaning back slightly in his chair as the soft guitar strums filled the space between you. “When I was younger, I used to drive around, just thinking about all the things I wanted to do. The people I wanted to be. But now…” His voice softened, and he met your gaze, his eyes full of meaning. “Now, I just want to be here. With you.”

Your heart swelled as you reached for his hand across the table. “Beau…” you whispered, the words almost catching in your throat.

He squeezed your hand, his expression softening as the song continued to play, weaving its way into the quiet moment between the two of you, until Beau sat back in his seat, his hands finding the edge of the table as he looked at you with a playful glint in his eye. 

“You know,” he said, “I think this calls for a little something extra.”

You raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? And what might that be?”

Beau held out his hand to you, his grin widening. “A dance. It’s been a while since we’ve had one of those.”

Your heart skipped a beat at the suggestion. A pleasant reminder of your first date with him. There was something about Beau, even back then—his quiet confidence, the way he always knew how to make ordinary moments feel extraordinary—that made it feel perfect.

You took his hand without hesitation, letting him pull you to your feet and guide you to the centre of the room. George Strait's voice filled the space around you as Beau’s hand settled gently on your waist. You rested your head on his chest, the steady beat of his heart matching the rhythm of the song.

For a moment, there was only the sound of the music and the soft shuffle of your feet on the hardwood floor. Beau’s other hand gently cupped your face, his thumb brushing over your cheek. He didn’t need to say anything; the tenderness in his touch spoke volumes.

“You know,” he murmured, his voice low and intimate, “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this at peace in a long time.”

You smiled up at him, feeling your own heart swell. “Me either.” You whispered honestly.

Beau’s eyes softened, and for a brief moment, everything else seemed to disappear. It was just the two of you in this quiet space, swaying together to the music as if nothing else mattered.

As the song wound down, Beau leaned in, his lips brushing against your forehead before he pulled back, his gaze intense. “I’ve been wanting this for a while now. Just you and me. A quiet night. Nothing else.”

Your pulse quickened as you looked up at him, the weight of his words sinking in. Though things had been going well for you for a while now, you and Beau had yet to share a night together. He was (frustratingly) ever the gentleman. You stepped a little closer, your lips barely touching as you whispered, “Then take it. I’m right here.”

The air between you grew thicker, charged with the unspoken desire that had always been there, lingering just beneath the surface. Beau’s hands slid to your back, pulling you close as he kissed you deeply, his mouth moving over yours with a slow intensity. The kiss deepened, and before you knew it, you were lost in the heat of it, the softness of his lips and the warmth of his touch sending sparks through you.

After a few moments, the two of you pulled away, breathing heavily. The tension that had been building between you finally released, and you stood there for a second, catching your breath. That was when your eyes fell on the little plush octopus that had been tucked into the corner of the couch, a gift from you that Beau had carried inside earlier.

With a small laugh, you pulled away from Beau slightly and reached over to grab the little stuffed creature. You held it up in front of him, making a teasing face. "And what’s this little guy doing here?" you asked with a grin.

Beau raised an eyebrow, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he saw what you were holding. “What can I say, I get easily attached.” He teased, though there was a warmth to his voice.

Beau inspected the little stuffed creature with mock seriousness. “You know, I never would’ve pegged you for the type to pick up something like this, but… I kinda like it.”

You shrugged with a grin. “I just thought he was cute, reminded me of someone I know.” You teased and Beau raised a brow at you before he eyed goofy little purple octopus, looking at it like it was the most precious thing in the world.

“Well, I gotta admit, it’s a little weird,” he said with a grin, “but... I like weird.” He turned to you with a smirk. “Maybe I’ll bring it to the station. Let Jenny and the others know I’m not just all hard edges and big guns.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. "You’re really going to bring it to the station?"

“Oh yeah,” he said with mock seriousness. “I’m plannin’ to make this little guy the station mascot. Let them all see what’s really going on behind the sheriff’s desk.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “I think it suits you,” you said fondly, your heart swelling at the sight of Beau holding the little octopus with such a goofy, genuine look on his face.

Beau smiled, but it faded just a little as his fingers lingered on the plush creature, his thumb running absently over the fabric. He set the octopus down beside him, but there was a slight shift in his posture, a subtle change in the air. The lightheartedness from before seemed to evaporate, replaced by something quieter, more deliberate.

For a moment, the two of you simply stood there, in that comfortable silence, the faint hum of George Strait’s “Last in Love” in the background. You could feel the weight of it—the easy tension between you two, the kind that comes when something is about to change, something unspoken that’s been building for weeks.

Beau’s eyes met yours again, and you could see the same thing you’d seen all night—the warmth, the care, the admiration. But there was something else there too now, something that told you he was thinking about this night, about you, in a way he hadn’t before. There was a deeper longing behind those eyes, a hunger for more, but also a quiet hesitation.

“It's been a hell of a week,” he said softly, his voice deep and steady, but there was a slight roughness to it, like it had been tested in the last few days. He was a man of few words, but you’d learned that when he spoke, it meant something.

“I imagine so,” you replied, a teasing smile tugging at your lips, but it was softer now, less playful. The weight of the moment was sinking in, and you both felt it.

“I’ve been thinkin’ about this,” Beau murmured, taking a step closer, the space between you two closing slowly, his voice low but full of intent. “Thinkin’ about you.” He reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair from your face, his touch lingering a fraction longer than necessary.

You didn’t pull away. Instead, you met his gaze, understanding the gravity of what he was saying. It wasn’t just about tonight. It wasn’t just about the chemistry that had been there since the moment you met. This was about something deeper—something that had been growing between you since you’d made it official just a month ago.

Beau had been patient, a gentleman through and through, letting the relationship unfold at its own pace. He’d never rushed things, always careful to ensure that both of you felt comfortable. You knew he wanted to take it slow. But even now, with that same careful approach, the tension was unmistakable. It was in the way his hand hovered just above your skin, in the way his eyes traced your every feature as if memorising you.

“I don’t want to rush things, but…” His voice trailed off, like he wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear. He didn’t need to explain further. You both knew what he meant.

“I know,” you whispered. “We’ve waited this long.”

Beau nodded slowly, his lips pressing together in a tight line as if struggling to find the right words. He wasn’t one to talk about his feelings often, but when he did, it carried a weight that made your chest tighten. You could feel the desire in his gaze, in the way he was looking at you, but there was also a deep respect there—he was giving you space, giving you control over the moment, over what came next.

“I’ve thought about it," he said quietly, stepping closer still, until the warmth of his body was almost unbearable. "Thought about it non-stop. But I wanted to take this slow, make sure we’re both ready for it.”

His words wrapped around your heart like a blanket, and you couldn’t help but smile softly. Beau had always been this way—steady, thoughtful, and more than willing to go at your pace. But hearing him admit how much he’d been thinking about this, about you, stirred something deep inside you. It wasn’t just about tonight; it was about the future, the promise of what was to come.

You took a step closer, closing the small gap between you. His presence was like a steady flame, warm and reliable, and you found yourself leaning into it without hesitation. Your fingers found their way to his chest, just lightly touching the fabric of his shirt, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart beneath your touch.

“I think I’m ready, Beau,” you whispered, your voice soft but firm. “And I want this, with you.”

A deep breath escaped Beau’s lips, and you saw the tension in his shoulders ease just slightly, but he didn’t rush. He never did. He met your gaze with that quiet strength you’d come to admire, and in that moment, you both knew something had changed. Something had shifted, and there was no going back.

“I want this with you too,” he said, his voice thick with emotion now. “But I need you to know, this isn’t just about tonight. It’s about everything that comes after. About us, together. Whatever that looks like.”

You smiled, a tender, knowing smile, your heart swelling with affection. “I know,” you whispered again, your thumb lightly brushing the side of his jaw, tracing the faint lines of stubble there. “And I want that too. I want you.”

The air between you thickened again, but this time, there was no more hesitation. No more waiting. Just the quiet understanding that when the moment came, it would be right. It would be something to treasure, something that would hold both of you in the days, weeks, months, hopefully years to come.

You closed the final gap between you, Beau’s hand gently cupping your face as he leaned down, pressing his lips to yours more purposefully this time. It was the kiss of someone who had waited, who had earned this moment. It was slow and deliberate, soft yet passionate. A promise of what was to come without any words.

And for a moment, everything else melted away. There was no rush, no urgency. Just the quiet warmth of Beau’s embrace, the sound of your combined breaths, and the certainty that you were both ready—ready to take that step forward, together.

AN: And there we have it folks. My first ever Beau Arlen fic 😄 Let me know what you guys think, and if I've done our sheriff justice 🥲💕

[nancynancydrewdrewdrew]

The Olympic Sports I Think Nancy Drew Characters Would Play Based on Vibes

Ned: swimming. Oh man he has big swimmer energy. I will not elaborate. Daryl does too.

Kiri: rugby. In fact she was on the women’s NZ rugby team that just won gold. If you didn’t see her you weren’t watching hard enough not my problem

Jane Penvellyn (in a few years): DRESSAGE. Oh my god. All the Penvellyns are dressage. It’s a linage of dressage. That whole family is so dressage coded. Except for Alan, he did modern pentathlon.

Katie AND Jenna: they both do canoe and kayak slaloms and they are big rivals and lovers. Also Holt does sailing.

Tex: I know you think I’m going to say an equestrian sport but that’s WRONG he does shooting. Try to tell me that man has ever missed a rifle shot I dare you! (Ollie has though lol)

Mary: you may think I’m going to say an equestrian sport and you are RIGHT. She does cross country with her horsie :)

Isis: she is a wolf so unfortunately she can’t compete. But long jump.

Connie: Judo duh

Pua: surfing duh

Hulk: he’s actually not in the Olympics. They have rules against steroids sorry Hulk

Rick Arlen: he’s not in the Olympics either but he bought beach volleyball tickets and the cameras keep cutting to him in the stands before going to commercial

Jacques: he’s not in this Olympics. Check back in two years

Yanni: him too. You know if I had a nickel for each time a Nancy Drew game had an asshole Olympic skier as a character…

Jim Archer: fencing. He wins gold. I know you think I’m joking but look up the president of the IOC who won gold in fencing like fifty years ago and you will see that they are the same man.

Frank: mountain biking. He just gives me that vibe and this is based on vibes so there you go.

George: heptathlon!! She’s ripped and also good at cardio!

Henrik: he was a pole vaulter in the 60s. Look at how tall and skinny he is. If this was real life they’d be calling it the Van der Hune flop not the Fosbury flop.

Harlan: wrestling. Search your heart, you know it to be true!

Minette: she switched martial arts to Judo but she loses her first match and gets kicked out of the tournament because she announces every move she’s about to do.

Niko Jovic: unfortunately he is dead so he’s not gonna be participating.

Brenda Carlton: rhythmic gymnastics. The US does not perform well in that sport and she’s going to do nothing to change it.

Helena: triathlon. Imagine it. She can swim and bike and run, I’m sure of it.

Niobe: did you know that up until the 1940s they had art categories in the Olympics? Unfortunately that was like 80 years ago so sorry Niobe it isn’t happening for you.

Elka: she seems short. Gymnastics. She’s not coming anywhere near team USA though.

Anja: oh my god shot put. The lady is made to be a shot putter.

Leela: actually she’s not going to the Olympics because she spends all her time playing air hockey instead of training. Bummer. Kim and Rachel are synchro divers though.

[beyonsatan]

Hi!! I’ve been taking a break from social media! I’m back to share more astrology wiz with everyone.

But before I even get into anything, I’m gonna add some books and resources that have shaped my philosophy as an astrologer (and hopefully I can pin this to the top of my page because I’ve been getting so many messages in my absence about where I’ve learned my doctrine)

1. Hellenistic astrology: The study of fate and fortune” by chris Brennan. This book will take you on a historical dive within astrology. You will learn some very useful and yet obscure ancient astrology techniques that kinda temporarily got shoved into oblivion by pop astrology.

2. On the heavenly spheres by Helena Avalar. Reading this book is what really convinced me to throw modern astrology out the window and helped me to see how “not helpful” it was. You will see how much pop astrology kind of alleviates the truth. Only get this book if you’re interested in why I have such a distain for some very questionable mainstream modern astrology information.

3. Astrology and the authentic self by Demetria George. I wanna say that this book was the very first one I read and it doesn’t prioritize the meanings of the signs. When you first get into traditional astrology you’re gonna think it’s so boring because you quickly realize that the signs get their meanings from the planets and not just from themselves. You’ll read things like “Aquarius: enemy of the sun, preferred domicile of saturn” etc. Something to take into consideration is also the amount of daylight and nighttime and that goes on during that signs time of the year, Hellenistic astrologers as I know now take meanings from that as well.

4. Ancient astrology in Theory and Practice: a manual l of traditional techniques. This book is volume one and 2.

5. The house, temples of the sky by Deborah houlding. I wanna say that this woman is my TEACHER and I LOVE this book because this book will introduce you to an ancient perspective of the houses, the very first interpretation of the houses. This book does NOT associate any of the signs with the houses as none of the ancient astrologers did and especially not the valens.

6. The astrology podcast. Go to to YouTube and search up “the astrology podcast planets” and just start writing things down. You can also type in “3 misconceptions of (insert any sign)” and Adam elenbaas will pop up, he is a certified Hellenistic astrology so prepare to learn things about your sign you never knew.

6. The most expensive resource would be to go to astrology school which is 1300$ dollars at nightlightastrology.com and is a whole course. After you get the certificate you can call yourself a “certified Hellenistic astrologer.” if this is your passion and something you wanna be doing in the long term I highly recommend.

I wanna close this post out by saying that Hellenistic astrology is the oldest form of horoscopic astrology, it is the source, the OG and it is where everything we know about astrology today came from. Anything that was taken and misconstrued LITERALLY came from Hellenistic astrology.

Hope this helps xx

[henry-the-queer-artist]

rewatched Les mis (2012) and

I was thinking I would make a video where I just point out the little bits that I like.

As in, instead of just pointing out random things, I point out the bits that I like or thought were cute or funny (which is basically the entire movie so it would be like an hour long)

Because I have loved this movie since I was a kid and even now I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. Like, I was re-watching it last night and thinking ''Why did everybody hate this movie? This is great!''

(all of this is my opinion and if I get any ppl disagreeing with me.... let's just agree to disagree :3)

Because lets just count the many, many blessings the 2012 movie gave us:

-Suddenly and Suddenly (reprise)

-Hugh Jackman's beautiful falsetto

-Samantha Barks, the queen of all queens, amazing singer, the list goes on

-Russell Crowe's brilliant acting and ACCURATE voice for the character.

-Aaron Tveit, beautiful singer, the most book-accurate Enjolras I can think of.

-Eddie Redmayne's accurate depiction of Marius's character, and also I don't care what anybody says because his singing may sound a bit like a muppet but his singing is epic

-That one time there was a cow in the background

-Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter's existence

-Amanda Seyfried, a real-life Disney Princess and awesome singer as well.

-Fra Fee and Killian Donelly's existence and also beautiful singing.

-and did I even mention the SETS and the COSTUMES my goodness they are amazing.

-Hadley Fraser

-Enjolras's hair

-George Blagden, beautiful singer and enjoltaire shipping legend <3

-The cinematography in the battle scenes MY GOODNESS IT WAS AWESOME

-The featurettes and behind the scenes thingies

-Literally I could go on for HOURS which I why I was thinking of making the video, so I will stop now, but only for now.

-Daniel Huttlestone being the awesomest and cutest gavroche ever

[stargazing-sapphire2]

Beth Ashford

Full Name: Elizabeth Marie Ashford

Date of Birth: January 7th, 1999. Camp Pendleton, California.

Nationality: American

Occupation: United States Army / Task Force STALKER

Rank: Lieutenant

Age: 28 years old (2027), 31 years old (2030)

Family / Relatives:

-Henry Ashford - Father (Alive)

-Helena Rorke - Mother (Deceased, KIA)

Evangeline Ashford - Twin sister (Alive)

Gabriel Rorke - Uncle (Alive)

David "Hesh" Walker - Love interest (Alive)

Elias Walker II - Son (Alive)

Julianne Foster - Paternal grandmother (Deceased)

George Ashford - Paternal grandfather (Deceased)

Marie Henrikson - Maternal grandmother (Deceased)

Samuel Rorke - Maternal grandfather (Deceased)

Appearance:

*Hair color: Blonde; cut short into a bob

*Eye color: Blue

*Height: 5'9 / 175 cm

*Scars / Blemishes / Beauty marks: A jagged, faded red scar sliced across the bridge of her nose

*Faceclaim: Annabelle Wallis

Affiliation(s):

-Elias "Scarecrow" Walker

-Henry Ashford

-David "Hesh" Walker

-Logan Walker (Unknown, MIA)

-Thomas A. Merrick

-Keegan P. Russ

-Alex "Ajax" Johnson (KIA)

-Eva Ashford

-Kick

-Riley (the goodest of all good boys)

-Jemíma Ámbar del Mar Hernández (@thatonesillyducko )

-Juliana “J.J” Jiménez Rojas ( @deeptrashwitch )

Personality:

A sharp contrast to her more soft-spoken, feminine sister, Beth is every bit a loud, rough and tumble tomboy. Initially, her brash and blunt attitude can often scare people off and prevent her from making friends, but beneath the rough exterior, Beth is caring and compassionate, and will watch the backs of her teammates in a firefight, so she is someone you want watching your six.

Beth's biggest flaw is her arrogance and tendency to get in over her head about her skills. Although this is stemmed from her own insecurities about wanting to be seen as relevant and a good soldier, so she tends to overcompensate and with a constant need to prove herself. Although it can be an admirable trait to be seen as hardworking, she often tends to get carried away with it and will find herself in sticky situations, although she has been able to pull herself out of it. This attitude lessened with time and as she got older, although she can still be a bit cocky.

Background:

Beth was born on January 7th, 1999 on the Camp Pendleton base in California, to Henry Ashford and Helena Rorke, and 10 minutes older than her sister, Eva.

Growing up, Beth was disinterested in girly things, such as dresses, makeup, and whatever was considered traditionally feminine; starting with her cutting her hair short in order to distinguish herself from Eva (being identical twins), and thus she was much more athletic, choosing to sign up for most sports in school. Although there were times Beth was jealous of Eva for being seen as the prettier and smarter one of the two, but this fizzled out as they both became adults, as well as Beth's original disdain for feminity, and she became more open to exploring it.

In 2011, Helena was killed in action while deployed. Beth and Eva had been 12 years old at the time of their mother's death, leaving Henry to look after both his daughters alongside the help of their uncle, Gabriel Rorke. Being so close to her mother and viewing her as her biggest role model, Helena's death crushed Beth, and she had slow morphed from a happy, go-lucky little girl, to a reckless, angry teenager who had no respect for authority and got into trouble at school. While Beth struggled to make friends, her one companion was Elias Walker's eldest son, David Walker, who she developed a crush on and carried it well into adulthood.

In 2017, the ODIN strikes occurred, and the Ashford residence was one of many places destroyed that day. The small family of three lost everything, from their pets to their sentimental belongings. This was a day that served as a wake up call to Beth that the world had changed, and she would to change herself and adapt in order to survive.

Shortly after the ODIN strikes and after her 18th birthday, Beth would eventually enlist into the military, although much to her own chagrin and reluctance due to pressure from her father.

[phoebosacerales]

Are there any other astrology books besides the ones you mention in your master list that you would recommend to read?

Oh, I should make a list, thank you for asking. I'll first give you these few ones that I use the most, but I'll try to update it regularly, I have many more recommendations than this. If anyone thinks it's hard to find a good version of any of these you can talk to me through chat and I can send you a link ;)

Beginner's books:

On the heavenly spheres/Tratado das Esferas by Helena Avelar and Luis Ribeiro is the ultimate beginner book, that's used as main bibliography in my school, Saturnália. It covers a bit of everything, except predictive techniques. The authors are also historians who have great academic research on astrology. You should definitely take a look at the Astra Project website and follow their youtube channel. In fact, I met Luis Ribeiro two weeks ago at a conference at my university (coincidentally my university is the only one in Brazil that has a research group that brings together researchers in astrology, called Academia Celeste), where he gave a mini-course and I was impressed above all by his rare way of valuing astrology as an object of academic research, emphasizing the history of its techniques as well, and the ease with which he can teach about its epistemological debates and fundamentals etc.

Deborah Houlding's Houses: Temples of the sky is the best book on the subject of houses. I believe you have to go to a book that's specific about houses, because the topic really deserves the depth and it's probably the most important thing to understand in astrology.

Demetra George's Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice volumes I and II.

Predictive techniques:

The Seven Stars Astrology blog was actually my first source on this subject, it's easy but very well researched and it was very important for me to find. The articles do a pretty good job at gathering the hellenistic sources and explaining what's important to understand about them, it's the best to have someone to hold your hand through things before you dive into the primary sources.

Astrología Hermética by Eduardo Gramaglia. I'm not sure if there's an english translation of this one, it's one of the best introductory books too, complete and concise.

Astrologia Gallica book 23 by Jean-Baptiste Morin, which is about Revolutions. I always go back to chapter 18 as recommended by my teachers, where he gives universal rules for solar returns that you can adopt.

Ancient sources (from I to IV AD):

Marcus Manilius' Astronomica is just beautiful on a lot of points, you should go to it for the poetry, just to have the delight. And his poetry also gives the best and concise insights on the fixed stars and the signs.

Dorotheus of Sidon's Carmen Astrologicum is probably the first most technical book of the ancients that you should go to. It's the most influential and easiest to find. Dorotheus was a contemporary of Manilius, but the versions we have of his book are influenced by later Arabic translations.

Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos. Even though astrologers are right to be ingrates to daddy Ptolemy we should still read him.

Vettius Valens' Anthologies is everybody's favorite hellenistic source.

Firmicus Maternus' Mathesis is a bummer of a book, his delineations are super dramatic, but it's great to read from the beginning to understand Firmicus' logic and you'll be able to get how he thinks and predict what he's going to say next, and this is a testament to how good of a teacher he probably was.

On Mundane Astrology:

The Meio do Céu newsletter is my first and main source. The writer Ísis is one of my teachers. I participate in her workshops, where we contribute collectively to the predictions and learn a lot. It's in portuguese, but it's pretty understandable with the translation option on your browser. It's free with special editions for paying subscribers. I recommend starting with the edition 72 and then edition 101 on the Solar Eclipse in Aries.

Bonatti on Mundane Astrology, by Benjamin Dykes. This is one of our sources with Ísis on the workshops, I've been trying to read it and I'm far enough to say it's a great read.

Tetrabiblos book 2, Ptolemy.

On philosophy, history, important topics etc:

The Daimon in Hellenistic Astrology: Origins and Influence, by Dorian Greenbaum. This is one of my favorites and I can't recommend it enough, because very few astrologers take much time to understand before talking about the daimon. And it's impossible for you to avoid the daimon in your practice, because it is crucial and predominant in everything in Hellenistic astrology.

On Horary:

William Lilly's Christian Astrology. There's a reason we all go back to him, it's the fact that is such a didactical book, you can always use it as an instruction manual basically. He gives instructions on how to approach any kind of question and gives so many examples, it's a hit.

On the fixed stars:

The Constellations of Words website is still the easiest source for learning about fixed stars, but here are their most cited books:

Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos book I chapter 9-11, of course, because he's the earliest source and it's important to see the difference between how the hellenistics called and understood the fixed stars and how things changed after the arabics.

Vivian E. Robson's The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology (XX AD) is a must have. It's another one that's strictly astrological and plus gives a method on how to interpret fixed stars, though you don't need to follow it necessarily.

Marcus Manilius' Astronomica book 5. I always make sure to read attentively Manilius' poetry about the constellation I'm researching. It's always incredibly useful, never disappointing.

William Tyler Olcott's Star Lore: Myths, Legends and Facts (XIX AD). This is a great one to get a lot of the different stories and histories of the stars. It really helps you to understand the constellations in depth.

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

alright nerds, i’m an indecisive girlie through and through, so…

(calling in particular all my @socialshakespeare pals love you also this may or may not have some bearing on my “i love this bard” nominations <3)

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck by Kylie Scott

4.25/5. Releases 2/6/2024.

Vibes: fated mates but make it contemporary, bucket lists, royal romance with a twist, and "what are friends for?" *eyebrows*

Heat Index: 7/10

After saving the life of a random psychic, Lilah is offered several predictions: 1) her boyfriend is indeed cheating 2) she'll get passed over for that promotion 3) the winning lotto numbers 4) she'll meet her soulmate, Alistair George 5) she's going to die in eight days. After she finds out her boyfriend is indeed cheating, loses out on her promotion, meets the King's illegitimate son Alistair George (among other names, because aristo), and wins the lottery... She's getting worried. Fortunately, though he thinks it's bullshit, Alistair is ready to help her cross items off her bucket list. But as sparks fly between perky Lilah and surly Alistair, she has to wonder: has she met her one true love just when her time is running out?

I love Kylie Scott; she's easily one of my favorite contemporary romance authors--her books never fail to make me laugh, while offering some swoonworthy moments, great voice, and... hot sex scenes. Her recent pivot to books with a touch of magic has added an extra bit of whimsy to her romances, and I like it a lot. This book would make a great movie or miniseries, to be honest. It's fun, adventurous, and has that tension hanging overhead. (Though, obviously, there's an HEA.) The kind of romcom I can get behind!

Quick Takes:

--The thing is... the magic in these Kylie books never takes away from the fact that she's writing a strong contemporary romance. It's more of a plot device that gets the ball rolling than a plot dominator. Here, I'd say the setup comes into play a bit more than it did in End of Story (which I also enjoyed) but it would, wouldn't it? And ultimately, we are really reading about Lilah learning how to live life to the fullest and fall in true, deep love. I'm always good with that.

--I think the recent Windsor-related events have obviously spurred more authors on to write about rebellious royals in love, and I'm never mad at that. However, I really loved the twist Kylie put into it with Alistair's backstory. Like, everyone in the world knows he's the king's firstborn. He's globally famous (and we certainly see the fallout of that when he's spotted out and about with Lilah). But his father has never acknowledged him.

Not only does that add some great emotional tension to the story--it also makes Alistair seem like a lot less of an inherent dick, and I totally read it as Kylie capturing the prince mystique while also being like "let us be real, this is a Kylie Scott hero, he is not getting a manicure, he's gruff and snarky and ready to carry a wacky girl around and put. it. DOWN." A great compromise. Yes, he's still massively privileged, but he's also like... a royal pariah. And Scottish! And he DOES say "och", praise Jesus.

--Great supporting characters, as per usual for Kylie. Alistair basically has this floaty, whimsical mother (in a lot of ways, she read to me like a Princess Diana type if she was in the role of Camilla and cared more about the glam and jetsetting than... activism, but with a kind of very loving, well-intentioned, a bit unconventional mothering). And his mom's gardener/handy-man/Longtime Friend with Tension Dougal is great, too.

Often, supporting characters in contemporaries feel like they're just there to go "you go, girl!" Kylie is too good a writer to settle for that. I loved Lady Helena and Dougal, and I loved that sort of off-the-page heavily implied secondary romance going on.

--Now. Alistair and Lilah. YES. It is a grumpy/sunshine deal, though, per Kylie, Lilah is a bit on the snarky side of sunshiney. He's not even up for being friends with her at first, and he's definitely not on board with this soulmate thing. But you can tell he just can't get this woman out of his mind, and he keeps coming back for more, and then, slowly but surely, HE'S the one wilding out and being like "THIS ONE. I WANT THIS ONE".

I really liked the way that Alistair gradually went from "this prophecy shit is so stupid Lilah" to "I don't want to believe it but what if I lose this woman" anxiety. It touched my heart.

--Just as a sidebar, love how Kylie writes curvy heroines. There's mention of Lilah's body, but like. It's just her body. She mentions cellulite and insecurities, but they never seem like mind-dominating insecurities. And uh. Alistair is ABOUT IT.

The Sex:

Speaking of! Um! I love the sex scenes in Kylie's books as a rule, especially when it's this like, borderline utilitarian "help a girl out" vibe which everyone inevitably gets SUPER into, escalating into intense passion. One of the things on Lilah's bucket list is to have truly great sex, and at some point Alistair, her new good buddy, naturally goes "fine, I can get that done for you".

And. Boy. Does. He. As usual with her books, there's an amazing description of cunnilingus (with a liiiiittle bit of butt stuff), some hot groping in a semi-public setting, an elevator scene that will live in my mind for a long time, and some great "are you okay with doing this very intimate thing we didn't plan on doing but oh my god we're so wrapped up in each other we just gotta". Alistair is a deliverer of the praise kink.

But perhaps! More! Excitingly! ... Alistair is into delivering some light choking? I, ah. Did not expect that. I don't think Lilah did either. And it's SUPER hot. I did some bookmarking. I did some "oh my"-ing. It was great.

This book is such a whimsical, fun, palate cleaner with a good mix of adventure, romance, family drama, and bangin'. If you've never tried a Kylie book, I would definitely recommend this. And if you're a fan of hers already, you're gonna love it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Graydon House for providing me with acopy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Preorder:

Amazon

B&N

Bookshop.org

[fyeahcompetentwomen]

Submissions so far!

Have a new mosaic header, with the women who were submitted so far, and a list, grouped by show/movie etc., under the readmore!

Don't worry; if your champion isn't in here, you can still submit them via this form, until April 30th!

I chose these pictures based on the following ranked criteria:

included/linked in the submission OR

actual still from the movie/show/whatever, rather than a promo shot or fan art etc. AND

showing them in a characteristic and/or competent situation

for the characters Deanna Troi, Dr. Beverly Crusher and Seven of Nine, I decided to go with their most recent appearances in ST:PIC

If by any chance I chose NOT a still/screenshot, but your manip of the same, please let me know if you'd like me to take it down/replace it, or keep it and credit you!

Ally McBeal (TV show): Ally McBeal

Better Call Saul (TV show): Kim Wexler

CSI (TV show): Catherine Willows

DC (franchise): Alex Danvers DC (franchise): Sara Lance DC (franchise): Zari Tarazi

Doctor Who (TV show): River Song Doctor Who (TV show): Sarah Jane Smith

Drawtectives (Youtube show): Jancy True

The Expanse (TV show): Camina Drummer The Expanse (TV show): Chrisjen Avasarala

Greys Anatomy (TV show): Dr. Addison Montgomery

Harry Potter (franchise): Fleur Delacour

Holby City (TV show): Dr. Bernie Wolfe

House of the Dragon (TV show): Rhaenys Targaryen

Jane Doe books (book series): Jane Doe

Leverage (TV show): Parker Leverage (TV show): Sophie Devereaux Leverage: Redemption (TV show): Breanna Casey

The Librarians (TV show): Eve Baird

Little Witch Academia (TV show): Amanda O'Neill

Lupin III (TV show): Fujiko Mine

Marvel (franchise): Melinda May

Once Upon a Time (TV show): Regina Mills

The Owl House (TV show): Eda Clawthorne

Person of Interest (TV show): Sameen Shaw

Pokémon (franchise): Cynthia Pokémon (franchise): Iris Pokémon (franchise): Nemona

Rizzoli and Isles (TV show): Dr. Maura Isles

Sanctuary (TV show): Dr. Helen Magnus

The Sandman (TV & Comics): Death of the Endless

Sonic the Hedgehog (franchise): Amy Rose

Star Trek (franchise): B'Elanna Torres Star Trek (franchise): Deanna Troi Star Trek (franchise): Dr. Beverly Crusher Star Trek (franchise): Erica Ortegas Star Trek (franchise): Jadzia Dax Star Trek (franchise): Kathryn Janeway Star Trek (franchise): Seven of Nine

Star Wars (franchise): Ahsoka Tano

Stargate (franchise): Samantha "Sam" Carter

Tomb Raider (franchise): Lara Croft

Warehouse 13 (TV show): Claudia Donovan Warehouse 13 (TV show): Helena George Wells Warehouse 13 (TV show): Myka Bering

The X-Files (TV show): Dana Scully

Xena Warrior Princess (TV show): Xena

(please stay civil in the notes: no bashing anyone, no matter who, or where they're from!)

[morally-grey-girlbosses]

Propaganda under the cut.

Helena George Wells:

she’s bisexual, she tried to end the world as a way of avenging her daughter who was murdered over a century prior, and then didn’t because she realised she’d have to kill her female lover in order to do it. She then later sacrifices herself to protect an innocent woman she’d never met, and sacrifices herself AGAIN a little while later to save her co-workers/enemies, one of whom includes the aforementioned female lover. She is super good at science, she’s a catty bitch, she has a GRAPPLING HOOK THAT SHE JUST CASUALLY WHIPS OUT. I love her. She’s an absolute girlboss.

The Shapeshifter was submitted without propaganda.

[edwardseymour]

How is the relationship between Katherine Howard and her family? Does she have any close friends?

✨ terfs/zionists fuck off ✨

we unfortunately don’t know who katherine was close to. that’s not to say she had no friends, but we don’t have enough surviving information to identify any.

possibly she was close with jane rochford — it is interesting how little the notion of a genuine friendship is considered when examining their relationship. you could make a similar (probably stronger) argument for katherine tilney.

charlotte merton in her chapter ‘women, friendship, & memory’ has pointed to katherine howard as a small case study for the social culture for female friendships: “the women who were to play a crucial role in katherine howard’s fall — alice wilkes, joan ackworth, katherine tilney, and margaret morton — had all been outplaced in the old duchess of norfolk’s household at the same time […] rank trumped kinship, and friendship trumped both. […] once outplaced in the company of other girls, nearness and shared self-interest might lead to friendship, much like the ‘two artificial gods’ helena and hermia, ‘a union in partition’, but equally there might have been fertile ground for abiding hatred”.

i think it’s also reasonable to categorise thomas culpeper here, as a friend — if nothing else.

as for family, well, that’s also difficult to trace. wilkinson points out individuals in katherine’s household who she may have had a positive relationship with: “some of [her household] were family or friends, such as sir edward baynon, vice-chamberlain, and his second wife, her half-sister, isabel; her cousin mary howard, duchess of richmond, daughter of the duke of norfolk; and margaret, lady howard, the wife of lord william howard and katherine’s aunt”. but it’s not actually clear if she had much of a relationship with all these relatives — there’s a good chance she only got to know some of them once at court, and “life in this splendid maze brought katherine into more regular contact with other members of her family” (russell).

we could speculate that her siblings rewarded at the point of her marriage were suggested by katherine, and not exclusively henry — but this could only be speculation. for example, on the eve of katherine’s wedding, her brother charles received five properties in london, and her half-sister isabel got a manor house in wiltshire and all the lands formerly belonging to malmesbury abbey. perhaps katherine assented to this, if not nominating them to henry entirely of her own accord… but no evidence survives to tell us this, and it’s worth remembering that overall katherine’s siblings did not profit hugely from her marriage: “katherine did not possess the influence necessary to promote them into government. a few years later, courtiers agreed that katherine parr’s brother had done better out of his sister’s marriage to the king than the howard brothers had in 1540” (russell). her brothers charles and george obtained positions at court, but her brother henry did not: “henry howard, the brother katherine had spent most of her time with when they had both been attached to the household of the dowager duchess, does not seem to have joined their other brothers at court […] for reasons which are unknown” (russell).

we know that her sister (wilkinson claims mary, taffe claims margaret) originally held the position then taken by jane rochford: “lady jane, however, had not been the first choice for the post of lady of queen katherine’s privy chamber: the position had originally been held by one of katherine’s sisters” (wilkinson). we also know she had a poor relationship with her uncle norfolk — she complained to her ladies about him, he told courtiers he wished she would be burned alive. we can also surmise a lack of closeness with her half-sister, isabel, who waited upon katherine while she languished in syon. this is notable as, while katherine was allowed to select the women she took with her, isabel was the only one imposed upon her at henry’s insistence — she also seems to have been rewarded for this service, receiving a land grant from the king. as russell supposes (and i am inclined to agree): “sir edward’s willingness to assist the council in their investigations of queen anne boleyn in 1536 and his antipathy towards the household he served made him a reliable gaoler and a trustworthy informant. baynton was the one who told cranmer how katherine behaved when the archbishop left her rooms in the first few days of her disgrace. […] henry’s men did not doubt isabel baynton’s innocence, but that he gifted isabella with land in the same month as her half sister was incarcerated and their brother charles was banished from court leads to a conclusion that she had done far more than clear herself of complicity. edward baynton’s appointment to syon and the grant to isabel suggest that they sent the privy council reports on katherine’s behaviour”.

then of course we have her relations from the dowager duchess’ household…

[hbcsource]

HELENA BONHAM CARTER IN CONVERSATION WITH SIMON CALLOW | THE LONDON LIBRARY MAGAZINE | APRIL 2023 Helena Bonham Carter was joined by the writer and fellow actor Simon Callow at home this spring to discuss her new role: Library President. The two are longtime members and met filming the 1985 EM Forster adaptation A Room With a View. Bonham Carter was 19. It was the first of many Merchant Ivory productions for her, including Maurice and Howards End, before Hollywood called, with a role as the suicidal love interest in David Fincher's Fight Club. Work with her former husband, Tim Burton, came next, as well as a contribution to the Harry Potter franchise and more. Callow's acting career includes stage roles in Shakespeare, Beckett, pantomime and contemporary theatre and beloved British films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral. He is a biographer of Oscar Wilde and Orson Welles and a renowned Dickens expert. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. HELENA BONHAM CARTER: Simon, it's very nice to see you here. Welcome to my Presidential home! I'm not having a clever day - do you find that, or are you always clever? SIMON CALLOW: Always. But I think I might be daunted by being the President of The London Library. Such a wonderful title, such a wonderful entity. HELENA: I love the title. The older I get, the more I like having conversations with dead people - for instance my dad, who made me a member when I was 21. For the Library to then ask me to be President... SIMON: Fantastic. HELENA : I used the Library a lot then, which was also when I first met you. I was sort of roaming and feeling lost, having a great time filming but feeling out of my depth everywhere. My peer group had gone to uni, and I was suddenly just on my own path and really unequipped to deal with it. I had a massive chip on my shoulder. So The London Library was my college. I felt legitimate, and I thought I could wander in and dress up like Virginia Woolf. SIMON: It's like going right back to the source, isn't it? There it all is, and there they were. HELENA: There they were! It's not only a conversation with my dead dad, but a conversation with EM Forster. If it was not for him, we wouldn't be here. SIMON: A Room With A View is my favourite film of all the films I've been in, and I'm still astonished by its freshness. HELENA: It still works. SIMON: It really does. It was my second film and I was incredibly relieved - I'd been in Amadeus and detested every second. When I got the script [for A Room With A View] Ismail [Merchant, the producer] said to me: "We want you to play the leading part!" So I thought, "This is great, he sees me as George. I'll go on a diet immediately." Then my agent discovered I was in fact playing the Reverend Beebe. And I thought, "No, outright no." I was terribly hurt. HELENA: And totally miscast. SIMON: Beebe's the fat old parson; I can't possibly play him. Finally I gave in to discover that suddenly I was with the aristocracy of British film and theatre: Maggie [Smith], Judi [Dench] and Fabia Drake, no less. And you. Who was completely new. HELENA: I was a foetus. SIMON: What I remember about you then was the incredible speed with which you spoke. HELENA: Oh, seriously? That's like my daughter. SIMON: You would change tack in the middle of a sentence and contradict yourself. HELENA: I don't think that's changed. I'm interested that I spoke at all. I remember myself as a mute, a total mouse, and so in awe of everyone. I was aware that you were a writer and talking about Mozart a lot, so I thought, "He's the Renaissance man that I have to become." Also, without being too indiscreet, you were one of the kinder adults. SIMON: Fabia was an absolute holy terror. What was great was to be working on a script drawn from such a wonderful novel. Ruth [Prawer Jhabvala, who adapted the original novel for the film] incomparably excelled at weaving the words from the novel into a real script, so that these were really people talking to each other. My favourite scene in any movie I've acted in is our scene at the piano. HELENA: It was the most important scene. You, as Mr Beebe, caught Lucy [Honeychurch, my character] playing in private. He's so tender and I love that. "If only you knew how to live as you play." SIMON: Beebe, certainly as written by Ruth - less so by Forster actually - is essentially benevolent. I remember the first read through, in London somewhere? HELENA: I was terrified. Maybe it was the first time I read with Maggie and Judi. SIMON: Maggie terrified me by saying, "Why are you calling him 'Beebe'? It has to be 'Bee-be'. Beebe sounds as if we're at the Beeb!" Were you always a great reader of novels? HELENA: Quite a good reader, though I was slow. I was taught at English A Level by Penelope Fitzgerald. SIMON: I knew and loved her. Was she a good teacher? HELENA: Extraordinary. Did you ever read Offshore? I love that. But I thought it would be good to look as if I read, because then every heroine in every book or film was a reader or writer. I wanted to be Judy Davis in My Brilliant Career. It was probably quite healthy, instead of fixating on a physique, which is what most people do these days because of Instagram. I wasn't very sexual for a long time. SIMON: You were wearing lots of clothes. HELENA: So many clothes. SIMON: One couldn't even begin to guess what the woman beneath would be. HELENA: No, there wasn't a body. SIMON: It was extraordinary, you were a sort of Oxfam shop on two legs. HELENA: I don't know where that came from. I think I had a real complex. Maybe because I was in such a male world. I went to Westminster [School], which was all boys, so before I even walked into period movies, I was dressed as a Victorian. It was always about pretending to be in the past. I over romanticised or felt I belonged in the past, actually. SIMON: The biggest relationships in my young life were with my grandmothers. I asked one to make me an 18th-century costume for a Christmas present. HELENA: Oh, I love that. So you dressed up as Mozart? SIMON: In effect. I loved the fabrics, the shimmer of it all. HELENA: On Maurice [1987] I did hair and makeup for all the men, which was rather a good way of dating people. It was Tinder then. In terms of influence, how important were your parents? SIMON: The only one of my family that read novels was my grandmother, though she never talked about them. A book can be just for you. You have a relationship with the characters and have somehow subsumed them into your psyche. HELENA: I always feel like you want to share the wonder. SIMON: Your family are very literary, aren't they? HELENA: Well, my grandmother Violet definitely was, on my dad's side. She was [Prime Minister H H] Asquith's daughter [and president of the Liberal Party from 1945-47]. My maternal grandmother was a special character, but found it difficult to read. I think she would have been diagnosed as dyslexic now, but she wrote beautifully. My mum, her whole life has never been without several books. My dad developed cortical blindness, which meant he couldn't see faces, but could read, so he read his way through the last 24 years of his life. We had half of The London Library in our home because they'd send him books. SIMON: Oh, fantastic. HELENA: Violet was formidable and wrote a lot of letters. I came back from filming with Woody Allen in a monastery in Taormina, and Dad was editing them. There was a postcard to her husband in 1940 saying: "Have just finished Morgan's latest Howards End." She knew Edward Morgan Forster. When I came to film Howards End with you, I read Violet's [unfinished] autobiography and thought, "Oh god, she was basically like the Helen Schlegel character, a sort of radical bohemian, a bluestocking..." And would have been the same age. So maybe she was a bit of a model for Helen. SIMON: Forster wasn't a recluse until later at King's College Cambridge, I think. HELENA: Did you ever get a sense of what he was like? SIMON: Everything in his life was the opposite of what he espoused: the passion, the connecting. This gives his work its force, because it didn't come easily to him. He had to struggle to make it happen. HELENA: He did have relationships though, didn't he? SIMON: Famously with a married policeman, Bob Buckingham. But also earlier, in Alexandria, and later, with a Bulgarian art collector, 45 years his junior. All very discreet. As a young gay man, I was impatient with him. Instead of thinking how extraordinary it was for its time, I just thought, "Come on, we've gone beyond all of this". It felt a bit spinsterly. Now I think it's passionate and unbelievably brave and exquisitely written. Then, I was more taken by DH Lawrence, which was all oceanic... My entire ambition was to be a writer. Do you write? HELENA: I've been asked to, and I've written the odd article. My attention span is troubling, but I do enjoy it when I apply myself. SIMON: I have to work very hard at it, and do terrifically long days. I can be at the laptop by seven. HELENA: In the morning? Jeez. OK, so you've got Morning Brain. SIMON: I've got a night brain, too. But no afternoon brain. HELENA: The afternoon is not really good for much. SIMON: Yes. I have difficulty in the theatre, rehearsing in the afternoon. HELENA: I have to have a snooze, no matter what. The snooze has been a pillar of my living. Do you ever write in books when you're reading them, or is that sacrilegious? SIMON: I do when I'm reviewing, but that's with proofs, so I can scrawl all over them. HELENA: I've got a thing about having a relationship with a book, so I will, unfortunately, write sentences in them. Also in the hope that somehow it's going to stick in the brain. SIMON: Let's talk about the Library - its location, for instance. St James's Square is enchanting. HELENA: Yes, and I do think that places work magic on us and influence what we think. It is very creative. Also, just silence. To go and sit with others with no danger of conversation, but you've got the company of other people concentrating. If you're going to seriously write, it could be very lonely. You have to go to battle with yourself, but it's alleviated at the Library because you're with other people who are going into battle with themselves. SIMON: Libraries generally have a very curious combination of this quietness and focus, coupled with a very sexy feeling. It's the silence. HELENA: I was going to raise that, but you start. SIMON: I wonder why that is exactly. It's just because everybody's in their own space and in their own world somehow, and you know that as you drift into that sort of semi hypnotic state, sex is going to be in there somewhere. HELENA: Yeah, it's always there. SIMON: So it's the subconscious. It's sort of milling around the Library. I think I said this before, it's like a book bordello. You just go up and take whatever you want to. HELENA: Have your pleasure. I like that. SIMON: The Library's postal service is also miraculous. And everyone's so sympathetic. Years ago, my dog acquired a passion for 17th-century literature; it turns out it was the fish glue used to bind the spines. One day I came home and there was a priceless volume in pieces all over the place. I offered to replace it somehow but the Librarian said: "I have dogs; I understand." HELENA: How do you use the Library? SIMON: Not for writing or reading. Just to borrow books. The collection of arcana is vast. Writing about Orson Welles, I needed to know what it was like to be a tourist in Morocco in 1930. The Library had six - six! - guides from the period. I don't know anywhere else I could have found that. I love clambering up the metal stairs and finding things that nobody's taken out for 100 years. HELENA: You think George Eliot is going to actually appear. SIMON: It still is enchanting to me to do that. HELENA: As a writer, do you have a ritual? SIMON: Procrastinate as long as possible. I was so relieved to discover that Ibsen could spend four hours rearranging his desk before starting to write. Unlike Dickens. HELENA: He just sat down? SIMON: He was always writing at least two things at once, sometimes more - he wrote the last of The Pickwick Papers and the first chapters of Nicholas Nickleby simultaneously. He worked it all out, I'm sure, on his long walks. HELENA: Have you seen his original manuscripts? SIMON: Almost illegible; you feel the heat of his creative energy. He talks about the characters dancing down the pen. HELENA: I love that - when somebody takes possession. SIMON: As with acting: when it's good, it's not you playing the character, it's the character playing you.

[queenalexandraofdenmark]

Is it true that Alix called Princess Helen a sniper because of her long nose?

Alix has long nose too That was mean of her 😞

Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein was known by her family as "Thora" and sometimes "Snipe" in reference to her sharp facial features & long nose.

The Princess of Wales(Alexandra), still unforgiving on the Schelwig-Holstein affair, wrote about this to her son, Prince George: "So the Christians have been following you about with their lovely Snipe!"

Considered as a potential bride for the future George V, son of the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, Thora was easily shrugged off because Alexandra did not approve of the possible union. She had grown to detest the Augustenbergs because of the wars between Denmark and Prussia over Schleswig-Holstein, where Alexandra’s homeland lost the battles. Poor Thora ended up enduring her vile remarks.

“Well, it would be a pleasure to welcome that ‘beauty’ as your bride.” the then-Princess of Wales mockingly said of Helena Victoria in a letter she wrote to her son. Thora, in the end, stood as one of the bridesmaids at the wedding of George and Mary of Teck in July of 1893.

My thoughts on this:

I do think that it was mean of Alix to call her "snipe" because she & Helena Victoria both had long noses & sharp facial features!

I also do think that it was very rude of Alix to be rude towards Helena Victoria because she had nothing to do with the Schleswig-Holstein affair because she wasn't even alive when it had happened.

I mean I really really love you Alix... But that was very mean! 😞💔 I can also understand that she didn't want Georgie to have someone that she didn't like marry into the family, but those words she said were very foul! :(