#rather than contracting it from 'esmeralda'

[shredsandpatches]

So this was a "God is holding me against the ropes and the devil is punching me in the stomach and all the angels and demons are cheering" moment for me. I used to wonder, during my worst episodes of mental illness and isolation, if maybe I'd actually already died and gone to hell and it was indistinguishable from my normal life.

One thing I found really striking about this chapter is that Adrian's "deal with the devil" isn't framed as a conscious choice but rather as a consequence of his nature and personality--indeed, at the end of the dialogue, when the devil asks him to shake on it, he doesn't answer and just passes out. It's presented as a fait accompli--the devil just shows up all "hey, all that stuff you did and the degenerative disease you have? That counts as a deal with me, kthx!" It's very Marlovian/Calvinist: "Never too late, if Faustus can repent / Ay, but Faustus never shall repent" (emphases mine; the first line is the A-text version, where the B-text has the less predestined "if Faustus will repent"). But of course this novel is very engaged with the old-school Faust legend more overtly than with Goethe.

(How self-aware is Adrian? Way more so than Serenus but that bar is pretty much in hell. Still, I kinda want to tell him "honey, you're just ace/aro and also kinda gay, that's not evil" but of course they haven't really worked that out in 1912 or so.)

[ofgrenvde]

Name: Imani Esmeralda Reyes

Age: 44

Pronouns: she/her

Face Claim: Zoe Saldana

Occupation: Independent contract killer/problem solver

Neighborhood: Cedarline Terrace

2 Positive Traits: Exceptional ability to read people and situations. Unwavering loyalty to those she chooses to protect

2 Negative Traits: Self-destructive independence that prevents meaningful connections. Obsessive need to prove herself even after years of success

TL;DR

Bronx-raised contract killer with a complex about working alone. She started young after killing her mom's abusive pimp, building her repputation on being clean and professional. Now she's caught between Devil Junction's old guard and the Onyx Circuit while running a side project helping sex workers. She keeps her distance from everyone but can't shake her mother's unsolved murder. Deadly with a gun, decent with a mixing bowl, and doesn't play well with cartels or authority.

Biography

Imani Reyes learned early that survival meant staying three steps ahead. Growing up in the Bronx with an escort mother taught her to read rooms before entering them and people before they opened their mouths. Her childhood wasn't all hard edges though—she still keeps her mother's gold jewelry close, a reminder of the woman who taught her both ballet and how to spot an undercover cop at fifty paces. At seventeen, Imani killed for the first time. Her mother's pimp made the mistake of leaving marks. The police called it a robbery gone wrong. Imani called it practice. She started small after that—surveillance jobs for local crews, learning the trade from her mother's old client who taught her to shoot. Each job built her reputation: clean, careful, professional. These days, Imani operates from a modern apartment in Cedarline Terrace, taking contracts from anyone except cartels. She maintains a careful distance from Devil Junction's major players while earning their respect through precision and discretion. Her work methodology is methodical, but her personal life is another story—stress baking in the early mornings, collecting vintage perfume bottles, and chain-smoking when jobs go sideways. Between contracts, she searches for answers about her mother's murder, a cold case that drives her more than she'd admit. She's building a network of safe houses for sex workers, turning her mother's legacy into something protective rather than tragic. She's starting to feel the pressure of her solitary lifestyle, but old habits die hard. She still practices ballet to stay sharp, keeps multiple go-bags ready, and never sleeps more than four hours at a time. The current tension between the families and the Onyx Circuit has her on edge. She knows staying neutral might not be an option much longer, but independence is a hard habit to break when it's kept you alive this long.

Connections

It's Complicated: Simone Zephyr

The rest TBA when I'm not on period brain

[queenshelby]

The Policeman’s Daughter – Part Two

Pairing: Thomas Shelby x Reader

Warning: Mention of Assault, Murder, Fluff, Mild Smut

Words: 2,345

Birmingham, 12 September 1924

It was Saturday night and seven days have passed since your encounter with Thomas Shelby and you have not heard from him. Perhaps he had changed his mind, you thought. You could understand if he did. He was probably still grieving the death of his wife or perhaps you simply weren’t a match for him.

Over the past seven days, you had learned that Thomas Shelby and his family owned most of the factories and industrial buildings in Small Heath as well as several streets of back-to-back housing.

He must have been a wealthy man with no interest in a common woman like you.

That same night, your father was away for work, investigating two recent murders in Small Heath in a pub called the Garrison and he had left you with two men who were employed by the Crown as security guards.

You felt safe with the men around the house and certainly didn’t expect an intrusion to occur on that night. But you were wrong. You weren’t safe at all. At least so it seemed as, at around 8 o’clock, you heard a knock on one of the windows behind where you were sitting, inside the reading room which was facing the forest.

Your heart began to pound as you turned around and peeked through the curtain only to find that it was Thomas.

Surprised and shocked all at the same time, you quickly opened the window while covering up your skin with a large satin robe.

‘What are you doing here?’ you asked with slight anger.

‘I said I would find you’ Tommy smirked, whispering as he did. ‘Get your coat’ he then instructed, not really giving you a choice to say no.

‘I am not leaving the house with an armed man who I barely know’ you said reluctantly and Tommy raised his eyebrows for a short moment before giving you a smile.

‘Fair enough’ Tommy said, reaching beneath his coat, taking the gun out of his holster and handing it to you.

‘Now you are an armed woman leaving with an unarmed man’ he then smirked and you couldn’t help but chuckle.

You quickly got your coat and boots from the next room, not bothered by the fact that, beneath all this, you would be wearing only a thin nightgown.

Tommy then held the window open and helped you to climb outside while ensuring that you wouldn’t slip on the wet grass.

‘So where are we going?’ you asked quietly, knowing very well that you shouldn’t be going anywhere with this stranger. You didn’t know why, but for some reason, you trusted him. His deep blue eyes appeared honest and comforting in a way and your attraction towards him clearly had gotten the better of you.

‘Just follow me, eh’ Tommy said somewhat reassuringly before taking your hand.

‘My father is a policeman and will get very angry if something was to happen to me’ you said nervously, wanting to ensure your own safety.

‘A copper, eh?’ Tommy said somewhat unbothered, thinking that your father is probably one of Moss’s men and therefore on his payroll.

You simply nodded and then followed Tommy into the woods, nervously and excited all at the same time.

After about fifteen minutes, you reached a small camp near the river and Tommy was quick to introduce you to some of the men, women and children who were there.

‘I thought you might like to be with kin for a change’ Tommy said after he introduced to the Lee family.

‘Your mother used to travel with us when she was young’ a woman named Esmeralda said to you and it was obvious to you that Tommy had told her your name. It was also clear that Tommy had done his research on you before visiting you that night.

You immediately felt comfortable around the Lee Family and spent several hours at the camp, talking, drinking and eating.

Whilst you appreciated Tommy’s gesture, introducing you to the Lees after what you had told him about your life when you met at the orphanage, you also desperately wanted to be alone with him and get to know him better. He seemed to know so much about you while you knew so little about him.

Eventually, Tommy noticed that you were cold, clearly not dressed for the occasion and he finally suggested that you sit down by the fire with him.

‘Go on Tommy Boy’ Johnny Dogs shouted after you as followed Tommy to the fireplace near the river bank.

In response, Tommy swore using gypsy tongue, before telling you to ignore Johnny Dogs. According to Tommy, he hadn’t been accompanied by a woman since his wife Grace had passed away and, therefore, your presence took Johnny Dogs by surprise.

As you finally reached the fireplace and you sat down on of the blankets scattered around it, Tommy took off his coat and placed it over you in order to keep you warm.

‘Thank you’ you said shyly as his blue eyes locked with yours. ‘Now tell me Tommy, how did you know where I live?’ you asked curiously, knowing that you had never told him your address.

‘I simply asked your employer’ Tommy winked and it was when you realised that you just asked him a completely silly question. Of course, he knew your address. The charitable organisation of which he was the founder and chairman had signed your employment contract.

‘You never told me what brought you to Birmingham’ Tommy then went on to say before asking you to hand him the cigarettes from the pocket of his coat.

But, as you reached into the pocket on the right to retrieve his cigarettes, smokes weren’t all you found. In fact, the first thing you inadvertently took out was a small case containing a blue bottle of cocaine and a brown bottle of opium which, without questions, you quickly put back into their place.

‘My father’s work is what brought us here’ you eventually said as you handed Tommy his cigarettes.

‘You said he is a copper, right?’ Tommy observed before lighting himself a cigarette and you nodded before Tommy continued on.

‘What is a copper from London doing in Birmingham? It doesn’t seem like a good career move to me’ Tommy chuckled and you simply told him that he wanted a change of scenery for the both of you and an easier life.

‘Well, I am not sure if he came to the right place then, eh’ Tommy laughed.

‘Why, is there a lot of crime here?’ you then went on to ask and Tommy shook his head.

‘Just the usual brawls you can expect in a town full of working men’ Tommy chuckled before quickly changing the topic.

You then talked for at least an hour about your respective upbringings and gypsy roots and Tommy appeared genuine and kind. It was obvious to you that he felt attracted towards you and, over the hour, you moved closer and closer towards each other, sharing one cigarette after another as you talked for what felt like an eternity.

You sat so close to him that you could smell the scent of his aftershave, a hint of musk and sweetness and it was at this point that Tommy made an admission to you.

‘I have to be honest Y/N. I didn’t just bring you out here to introduce you to the Lee Family’ Tommy said, just as the moment was right.

‘So, what are your alternate motives then Mr Shelby?’ you asked shyly but with a smile.

‘This’ Tommy responded quietly while caressing your face with one of his hands before drawing your face towards his with ease and pressing his lips onto yours.

You gave into the kiss, parting your lips slightly as you did and allowing his tongue to explore your mouth.

His lips were soft and warm and you ran your hands through his hair gently as you deepened the kiss.

Tommy’s hands then moved from your face over your chest and beneath his warm coat, brushing your breasts in the process.

It was at this point you abruptly pulled away and began to breathe heavily. His hands were too close to the scar which carried all your bad memories.

‘Don’t. I am sorry’ you said, your hands shaking as you broke out in tears.

‘Hey, look at me Y/N’ Tommy said calmly, unsure why you reacted the way you did but wanting to calm you down and comfort you.

‘Whatever it is, its alight, eh’ Tommy said, his both cupping your face, making you look at him and nod.

‘I am so sorry. I just���’ you said, looking down at the fire, unable to finish your sentence as tears built up in the corners of your eyes again.

Tommy sat there patiently, telling you to breathe before wiping your tears away with his thumbs.

‘I am ashamed of my body Tommy. I just am not ready for this’ you went on to say and Tommy looked at you, his eyes full of questions.

‘Then we won’t’ Tommy said calmly, his thumb running over your cheek as he smiled at you. ‘Although, you really have no reason to be ashamed. You are beautiful’ Tommy then whispered reassuringly before giving you another quick kiss, intending to leave at this for the night.

‘Yeah, well, you say this now but that might change when you see the hideous scar covering my stomach’ you said rather upset and it was at this point that Tommy stood up, took off his suit jacket and began to unbutton his shirt.

You weren’t quite sure what he was doing and you were slightly concerned about his actions when he suddenly pulled you up and reached for your hand.

‘Count them’ Tommy said as he guided your hand over his bare chest before telling you to reach behind him and run your hand over his back.

‘Six’ you said, swallowing harshly, realising that he had just a few more scars than you which evidentially all came from bullets and stabbings.

‘Seven actually’ Tommy chuckled as your hand left his chest and you took Tommy’s hand and guided it beneath your nightgown and right over your scar.

Your scar was large, covering the right side of your abdomen. But Tommy didn’t seem bothered and simply kissed you again, as passionately as he could and you would allow him.  

‘Who did this to you?’ Tommy then asked as your lips drifted apart and it was at this point that you broke down, confiding him about what had happened to you.

You never confided in anyone before and the truth was, you didn’t know why you told Tommy that night. But you felt that it was the right thing to do.

Shortly thereafter, Tommy walked you back home and, just as you reached the house and sneaked past the security guards which, quite evidentially didn’t do their job, Tommy kissed you again, gently but yet passionately.

‘Can I see you again?’ he then asked and you nodded shyly.

‘I didn’t think you would want to after tonight’ you said somewhat embarrassed about how things had ended.

‘You have no idea, do you?’ Tommy chuckled just as one of the security guards came walking around the house.

Without his coat and gun, Tommy kissed you goodbye in a rush before disappearing into the night, ensuring that he wouldn’t get caught.

‘Everything alright Miss?’ one of the guards asked, curious as to what the noises were which he had heard.

‘Yes, just two rabbits out and about. So cute’ you said as you stuffed Tommy’s coat and gun beneath the blanket on the sofa while looking out of the window.

‘Rabbits?’ the guard asked.

‘Yes, the small animals with the big ears and the fluffy tail’ you said.

Birmingham, 17 September 1924

Following your evening at the river with Tommy, you hadn’t heard from him for days and thought again that, perhaps, he had changed his mind.

But he didn’t and, on the morning of the 17th of September, you received a telegram, delivered to your house along with the daily newspaper your father had ordered.

With a cup of coffee, you sat down in the reading room, opening the telegram.

****

‘Y/N,

I ensured that this telegram would only reach you in your father’s absence.

Meet me tonight, at 8 o’clock. Your father will be busy and security will be taken care of. I will be waiting for you outside the gate of your property’

Tommy’

****

After you read the telegram, you couldn’t help but smile while a feeling of warmth and butterflies rushed through your body.

Nonetheless, you were surprised by his influence. How did he know that your father would be busy and how would he take care of security, you wondered?

But those thoughts soon left your mind when you opened the newspaper and read the headlines.

****

Judge dead in house explosion

Judge Kent has died along with his 24-year-old son in what appeared to have been a house explosion caused by two hand grenades.

Mysteriously, their death occurred just an hour before two killings in a London Nightclub in which another two men had been shot. This also appeared to be a targeted attack.

The two men identified as Jonathan Cohen and Lucas Cohen, friends and acquaintances of the Judge’s Kent’s son who, several years ago, escaped charges for assault.

Whether the murders are linked is yet to be determined and no arrests were made.

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[weirdthoughtsandideas]

How I would rewrite Violetta

TL;DR: Less lies, still a lot of drama. Also everyone is bisexual, because I say so.

~Season 1~

Okay the biggest thing here is that Germán knows she goes to the studio already from the beginning

He also knows Angie is her aunt - however, Violetta doesn’t know.

When Angie appears, Germán recognizes her. Of course he does, he should’ve known his dead wife’s family?

Angie BEGS him not to take Vilu away from her again. Germán agrees, but tells her not to tell Vilu about it. Instead, she should just be her governess until Violetta “is ready” (or, really when Germán is ready)

Angie says she still works at the studio and so when Vilu hears about it, she really wants to apply. Germán is hesitant, but he also wants her to be happy. His one condition though, is for her to not participate in any large events (oop)

Not much changes for Jade and Matias - except that they desperately try to find out whatever Angie is hiding (Ramallo and Olga tries to find out, too)

Okay, now for the love!! 

Honestly? The love triangle with Leon and Tomas stays mostly the same. I’ll deal a bit more with the love stuff in further seasons

Also, it’s the first season, too. If they are acting a little immature and don’t trust each other, they’ll just grow and learn.

Ok I recently rewatched the episode where Violetta like... writes “amiga” in her diary as she looks dreamingly at Francesca? Like girl did you get a crush on her?? I know you wrote “friend” but your look says more.

Ok probably not but IT’S MY REWRITE and now I decide Vilu and Fran have a small crush on each other. It doesn’t lead to anything (yet), but it’s there and the only one who really seems to notice is Camila

Or, well. She knows her friends have crushes on others but she’s also like “Heh, i’m gonna go, you two can continue to talk if you like”

The big DRAMA is of course, when Violetta joins the youmix competition

Her dad already had a grudge for her singing in the theatre, but now she just has to really hide this

Which is harder when she like. Shares a house with Federico, who’s getting a lot of fans that wants to follow him home. So when they see her, they be like “OH MY GOD THEY ARE ROOMATES” and so Vilu’s fans are there too and she panicks because her dad cannot know

Vilu’s biggest comfort object is her diary, she carries it everywhere in canon (like, even in later seasons when she’s famous she always has it around). In my rewrite, not much changes, except for the fact that Ludmila constantly tries to steal it to destroy her. So anyway, Violetta decides to get a lock with a number combination to open it (as she figures if she has a key she can lose it). Her combination changes a lot. It’s most often two or three letters of a person she likes. Examples are 12-22 (LV, Leon Vargas), or 6-18-1 (FRA, Francesca). One time she even put 12-21 (LU, Ludmila) just to trick Ludmila, as Ludmi never would think Vilu would put her name there.

Violetta finds out Angie is her aunt by overhearing a conversation between her and Pablo. Though, they solve it rather quickly and then get even closer, just like in canon.

In the end, they don’t move away, but Germán does not let her participate in the final show as she’s kind of grounded after he found out she was in youmix and all that

But then he lets her. All is good. Tomas goes to Spain, Violetta is like “I don’t wanna date anyone”

BUT as Tomas goes to Spain she gives Leon a little smirk as if to say “we’ll see what I say about that though, after the break ;)”

The last thing I wanna say about season 1 is that we all know Andrés is canonically a disaster bisexual (come on, think about it) and I just want to embrace that more

~Season 2~

PEOPLE RIGHT AWAY COMMENT ABOUT VILU’S HAIR BECAUSE WE JUST CAN’T LET IT GO UNNOTICED

I know how it’s gonna go for Fran and Diego, so i’ll let them have some little nice scenes in a buildup for s3 (as most of their scenes this season was just “I don’t trust you, Diego”, “Francesca, let me explain”, “No fuck you”)

Honestly I want Ludmila to be a LITTLE nicer this season so she has no pact with Diego

Instead, Ludmila just talks shit about Violetta to him and he’s like “but she’s cute?”

So Diego literally flirts with Vilu to show Ludmila she’s not bad and Ludmila is like “wtf why are you embarrasing yourself”

There’s not a lot of that “Leon you have to trust me” bullshit that Leonetta has. They DO trust each other and honestly they just bond over their shared annoyance with Diego

(But secretly, BOTH of them kinda feel attracted to him)

(Very fun fact one of the first edits I ever saw was one where they shipped Diego and Leon and 12yo me was like “oh wow this kinda makes sense??” and rewatching the show I realised the TENSION™ they had)

Ok. 2x20. The scene I think y’all know i’m reffering to actually caused a series of events to happen later in the season in canon. If Diego had not kissed Violetta, she and Leon wouldn’t have broken up (atleast not that time), German wouldn’t have started to spy on Violetta after feeling like he had to protect her, which would’ve caused Angie to find out and feeling like she couldn’t take it any longer and move to Paris and Violetta and German to start arguing for like 15 episodes because of lies. ALL THAT HAPPENED, originally because of Diego kissing Violetta. I’m not saying it was entirely his fault, but. I’m just- hdsoksyhufshua okay I think it’s just my inner 11yo still bitter about what happened

BUT THIS IS MY REWRITE AND WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS IF DIEGO DIDN’T KISS HER AGAINST HER WILL IN 2x20

The show goes as planned. They fake kiss as they planned to. Everyone is happy for a while. Though, on cameras it looks like a real kiss, so the fans are like. Asking if Violetta and Diego are dating. Diego does not deny this.

Leon and Violetta do break up, because we need drama. Though, it’s more like a mutual agreement rather than an argument. It just became too much for them to handle when Violetta got a contract with youmix, Leon and his motorcross and Diego hovering over them all the time. They needed a break.

Diego and Violetta do get together, but they kinda do like in canon: She is annoyed with him until she finally just gives up and accepts his love.

Germán does not spy on Violetta, but he does consider reading her diary (he doesn’t)

Jade and Matias are no longer relevant. They do make cameos sometimes, but Esmeralda doesn’t know them. Even the viewer believes she’s nice. We only get some small hints of something being off - like Ambar saying “be nice to them” and Esmeralda sometimes giving people strange looks. But then comes the wedding day - that’s when SUDDENLY, the cops arrive! They explain everything - they have been after her for a long time and they recently found out she was gonna marry German for his money and then take it all and flee the country. Drama on top and it’ll be a real classic soap opera betrayal

Angie leaves to France as she just... got an opportunity to work there and she says yes

Camila spends this season dating a bunch of different boys, right? I think this is the perfect place to be a little inclusive and let her be the bi flower queen she is and let her date some girls too. Like switch Seba’s gender or something, not much will change.

THE MADRID STORYLINE. I LOVED THE DYNAMICS IN CANON BUT IN THIS IT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER AND MORE DRAMATIC.

Fran and Vilu already had something going on after the whole ”Francesca almost going back to Italy” storyline and they get even closer as they get lost in Madrid. They were already close, but as they argue for being lost, something just... happens.

Actually the same thing happens with Leon and Diego.

What exactly happens? They almost kiss. They do not kiss, but it’s like it almost happens. They just... get very close and stare at each other before realising. They react differently to this

Francesca and Violetta at first get awkward. They are like “oh- okay.” and then become silent for the rest of the day. It’s not until they are alone in their hotel room that Vilu is like “...what happened today?” and Francesca is like “What are you talking about? I don’t know? Goodnight!!”

Leon and Diego refuse to mention it. They are annoyed as it is. But they do think about it

Yes, I did get this idea after I rewatched ep75 and Leon was like “we were late because this dude didn’t stop fixing his hair” and I was like “DRHSKEHJYU I’M-”

The most heartfelt scene in canon is when Violetta finds out about Diego and Ludmila’s pact, goes out on stage crying and Leon saves her. Like, Leonetta wasn’t the most stable couple but him saving her when she was so distressed... that’s love, dammit!! And I would love to include it somehow.

But: I can’t really find a reason for her to be so upset she can’t sing. So she does sing, that goes well. But as she does, Diego, Fran and Leon argue. Leon is convinced Diego isn’t actually in love with Vilu, Diego is just out for fights and Francesca is like “i’m on Leons side but stop arguing also I think I like Vilu too but that’s beside the point right now I guess?”

She sings “Te Creo” as she was going to, and they like. Do the opposite of what she sings. Or, the complete right thing to what she sings. It’s unclear.

Anyways as she finishes, all of them has to go out on stage to thank the audience and Violetta is like “dafuq is wrong with all of you”

As she tries to help them, Diego says something out of anger that hurts her. Maybe a “I don’t think I really love you” or something maybe a little more hurtful than that. She gets teared up, breaks up with him and run away

Francesca says “You know, I was actually beginning to like you, and now this”, which makes him feel oddly hurt. He doesn’t really know why, yet.

Fran and Leon run after Vilu. There’s the leonetta comfort hug scene ™ there, but also a comfort scene with Fran when they are in their room and she just takes Vilu’s hand while they stare at each other.

Marco is here. Uh. Tbh I don’t know what to do with him?? Because he like. Vanishes to London in s3 canon so Fran can be with Diego so idk man. 

He doesn’t send her like a million flowers in Madrid or visits, but he does call and miss her. Marco was a sweet boyfriend for her, really. Though, he kinda was just. Nice. Nothing more. Their relationship didn’t evolve a lot? 

Though after the random almost-kissing Vilu incident that Francesca doesn’t want to talk about, she kinda grows closer to Marco again.

Back in Buenos Aires, Violetta doesn’t really have an argument with German as he didn’t spy on her in this, so she simply has trouble writing Soy mi mejor momento until German is like “Violetta that’s your mothers poem-” and they have a little father-daughter bonding over finishing it

She is however not really ready to just go back to Leon after recently breaking up with Diego and so she has that “why does no one ask me what I want” scene like she did in ep76.

But then Leon sings Nuestro Camino and she’s like “I DREAMED THAT WE SANG THAT TOGETHER WTF” and he’s like “OMG SAME??” and they bond over the fact that they are soulmates who share dreams or smth, and so they get back together

Diego and Leon do not speak of Madrid, but they do this very manly but also tension filled handshake as if they “accept” each other.

Francesca and Vilu also doesn’t really speak of the fact that they had a little moment in Madrid either, but they do share some smiles and Camila is like “did something happen??”

Leonetta is a couple again. The New Years show is a hit and that means youmix will let them do a world tour (I literally realised NOW, that the reason they are on tour in season 3 is because of the last show in s2, they mentioned in some passing scene some episodes before about it being a world tour)

Oh also Ludmila and Federico have basically the same kind of romance they had in canon, same with Naty and Maxi (Naty and Maxi’s kiss where Maxi had to switch his cap around was so cute uWu)

Oh and also Gregorio and Diego? Same as canon. That shit was emotional.

Lara, I forgot about Lara... uuuh. She’s just a mechanic. She disappears after s2 anyway so

 ~Season 3~

Honestly s3 was kind of a fanfiction already when you think about it??? So in this rewrite I guess I could just GO OFF with everything :D

Hmmm yeah Priscilla is still a fucking psychopath but she will suffer even more god I hate that woman HOW CAN YOU PUSH A CHILD DOWN SOME STAIRS AND FORCE YOUR DAUGHTER TO HURT PEOPLE-

Everything is well with all couples but being on tour and hanging out so much all the time, they get a little... cramped. So they easily get grumpy and yell at each other

Leon and Violetta knows this, and so they don’t get mad at each other when the other one is upset. They understand. So as Violetta gets her birthday wish, she doesn’t really complain at all. Sure, she does get a little scared when they fly off, but she’s honestly just happy to spend some ✨alone time ✨with her soulmate and lowkey wishes no one would find them 

All the couples break up and Leonetta is like “nah it will not happen to us UwU” and then it just. Gets to them too. They just simply have to be apart before they hate each other. Their breakup happens around the same time as canon.

It felt kind of ooc for Violetta to dress up as another person to spy on Leon but it was still kinda funny. So Roxy will stay, we’ll just change it a bit

She doesn’t create Roxy to spy on Leon, but because of Francesca. Fran is getting confused with Marco leaving and now she’s starting to get feelings for Diego... a part of her just wants to disappear and think about something else. So Violetta is like “What if we dress up and go out” and they do, and fool everyone

And so... when boys they know start to flirt with them, they just panic and say they’re not single. But they can’t make up fake boyfriends so they say they are dating each other.

Which makes Andrés interested - he’s like “wow two girls can date that’s cool”. Camila is also interested, she’s like “WOW ALL MY FRIENDS ARE STRAIGHT I CAN BOND WITH YOU OVER BEING NOT STRAIGHT”

Anyway it’s hard to keep it together when Camila is talking about Vilu and Fran - to Vilu and Fran, in disguise.

Hmmmm ok I literally almost forgot about Gery and Clement lol?? Tbh, of all the “lover rivals” they are the weakest this far. Leon and Vilu didn’t even feel that attracted to them anyway. 

Gery is not straight in the slightest? Like girl that haircut and the HALF SHAVED EYEBROW like please. She’s pansexual, i’ve decided. She has a crush on both Leon and Violetta, but she does not really know how to handle that. So she never does. She talks about it with Clement, though and the two of them bond over being nervous messes who can’t talk to their crushes

There’s no Alex, tbh. Clement is just Clement. His dad lets him attend the studio but he’s also like “ugh I wanna support your dreams but you could take economy classes on the side??”

They are not out for breaking Leonetta apart because I for once just want ONE season when there’s no one else Leonetta wants to be with. They just want to be with each other and the whole season is them just kinda... figuring stuff out before getting back together.

Also Fran and Vilu have this thing going on now when they pretend to be a couple as they are dressed up as other people and they have to handle that

The plan was for them to only really dress up once but now their friends wants to get to know Roxy and Fausta and they just have to continue it

Camila is the first one to find out and her reaction is “I always knew you two had a thing for each other but this is just strange, why can’t you date as yourselves?”

To which Vilu and Fran as a response just shut down, not knowing at all how they feel about anything anymore.

Camila notices they seem to not wanting to talk about it, so she decides to make up a plan to make them talk. Though, it solves itself when Vilu and Fran get locked inside a closet at the studio (because of course they do)

In there they talk about what happened in Madrid last year, when they almost kissed. They are unsure what that meant. They admit that it was thrilling to pretend to be a couple, when they were Roxy and Fausta. But the thought of dating as Vilu and Fran... it feels strange. Especially because of all the stuff with Diego and Leon.

But they do decide to try to kiss, just to see - and as soon as their lips touch, someone opens the closet. It’s Diego and Leon. They are kinda shocked.

The girls explain the situation and Leon is like “You know what we almost kissed in Madrid too wtf”

They also reveal they are Roxy and Fausta and Leon is kinda embarrased because he got a crush on Roxy

The girls discussed how it was kissing - they liked it, but... they don’t know. Because they also feel kind of a strong connection to Diego and Leon respectively

So they like... make a promise. If it doesn’t work out with the boys, they’ll date each other.

But they end up with the boys... atleast for now, heh.

The whole “Leonetta will only be friends” plot is still here just because I love it so damn much they are such dorks they literally think they can stay friends lol

So yeah Gery and Clement start dating and they are basically as cute as Naxi. Honestly since I removed the whole “ruin leonetta” plot they have little purpose - so that’s why I made them crush on Leonetta on a distance and never do anything. We need some people to relate to, some people just never confesses and just go around crushing on people without telling lol

German proposes to Angie and Leon kinda plans to propose to Violetta. Not yet, since they’re like 19 (they aren’t finchel lol), but he has plans. 

“Ok thanks future father in law” was a top 10 iconic Leon moment and I just wanted to include it

It ends kind of like canon.

Ok! I just wrote most of this spontaneously. Maybe it wouldn’t be that good, really i’m just brainstorming. This show was everything to me when I was a preteen even though I realise it was probably not good (I lost a bit of interest in season 3, idk that season was a little more off to me)

I probably forgot a lot, since there were like a million plots, but this was just for fun so yeah don’t take it super seriously. Also thank you if you made it this far. 

[logicalstansadvice]

Vamp - anon, I'd like a clarification on what you mean by PR? I find that this fandom has hijacked the term and is now using it interchangeably to mean completely different things.

//// Diff anon here but lemme help you out.

So, for this fucked up fandom, PR means Sebastian is a male prostitute pimped out by CAA to rich foreign socialites.

Nevermind the fact that the socialite in question has NOTHING to do with CAA and everything to do with his friends (Jon, Esmeralda). So the whole CAA pimping can be seen as bs by a 2 year old. But nevermind reason, logic and common sense.

They choose to believe that he is being forced and held at gun point, that everything is fake and that even if they have sex, it's because of the "contract".

There was a blog, celeb as fuck, who claimed to be HW PR and who convinced them of this. They even stated number of intercourses required per week can be mentioned in the said contract. So you can imagine what is in their minds now.

Anon 2: // That is because of CAF, the neverending PR blog, who claimed their rel is PR (as in she rented him from CAA). As stupid as it may sound, they prefer believing that rather than facing the fact that he has a gf.

Anon 3: They usually use "PR" as "fake". So their point is: "AO is too stupid to attract such man as our precious little intellectual, therefore the only reason for them to have been in rs for 1+ year is to make AO famous via Seb". Oh wait, I forgot, there wasn't any rs, they only met up for photos! Moreover, these people now claim her birthday video is "just a bunch of pics from the same 4-5 events", the level of delusion is kinda concerning at this point...

Somebody says that a stated number of sexual encounters can be mentioned in a "PR contract" and people are actually believing without any proof?

💄

[tomboyjessie13-artblog]

Requested by @purplemermaidprincess7

Name: Lady Amethyst Sapphira Japanese: アメジスト サッピラ Romaji: Amejisuto Sappira

Social Status: Upper Class; Lady Ethnicity: British

Family: Earl Seolfor (Father; Deceased) Lady Rubina (Mother; Deceased) Earl Aureole (Brother; ?)

Family Occupation(s)/Profession(s): Sapphira Family Jewelers (fictional); The Largest Jewelry Producers in the World Sapphira Opera Hall (fictional); Famous Opera House and Theater

Family Nickname: The Queen's Lyrebird; able to gather information and perform acts that police cannot, then provide given information to the queen.

Age: 16

Preferred Hand: Left

Character Songs: Monster; Look What You Made Me Do; Carry Me (her singing performance); Disturbing Nursery Rhymes: [1], [2], [3], [4] (she likes to sing these to herself and comment on their morbid nature)

Appearance: Her amethyst-purple hair reaches her midsection, with her bangs cut short above her eye brows. She has very pale skin and almond round sapphire-blue eyes. Her demon contract pentagram is engraved just above her breast, right on top of her heart, so it is hidden by her clothing.

History: Amethyst was born exactly July 7th, 1887, at 7:07 am. Due to all of these circumstances, Amethyst was nicknamed the "Perfect Child". Her parents threw a huge celebration, though this left Aureole, her older brother, within her shadow.

Growing up, Amethyst was a child prodigy; on many occasions she proved to be smarter than her own parents in: cognitive processing, problem solving, and mental adaption. She spent most of her free time in the family library. But during her childhood, she made very few friends because she complained about how slow they were compared to her intellect. She hated going to balls and social gatherings. But her parents were still happy with her and cherished her.

She was physically abused by Aureole, mostly when he was angry or when she did something better than him.

But on her 10th birthday, she was at a dinner party with her parents. Her brother told her to give two glasses of wine to their parents, and reluctantly agreed to avoid his wrath. After her parents fainted and were later declared dead, Aureole blamed Amethyst for poisoning their parents. His lackeys backed him up, by claiming that they witnessed the girl putting something in the drinks that she gave them. Unable to convince anyone of her innocence, she was committed to the Bedlam Mental Institution for "schizophrenic behaviors and homicidal tendencies". And we all know what went on in those hell-houses before logic was invented.

For 3 years, Amethyst was beaten, physically chained to her bed, starved for days on end, and was raped repeatedly by the mentally ill patients and sadistic bastards that ran the hellhole.

Amethyst "escaped" the asylum by pretending to be "cured". She treated every faculty member, no matter how idiotic and/or cruel, with kindness. Eventually, the doctors declared that she was ready to be a perfect citizen and was allowed to return home. But Amethyst was only pretending to be the obedient and quiet woman that society expected of her, while plotting for revenge on her brother and the others that turned against her.

During her absence, Aureole was named successor to the family heritage and was foolishly using the family power and fortune to his own means. He didn't consider his sister to be a threat anymore, believing her to be broken, and continued to abuse her any time he wanted to. He also continued to waste money on alcohol and prostitutes.

In secret, Amethyst was doing research on demonology and was plotting to summon a demon to do her bidding. In the basement of her mansion, she summoned "Esmeralda" (along with Lapis and Lazuli, the twins demon servants) and made a pact to help Amethyst gain revenge on those who betrayed her. Aureole had somehow learned of his sister's contract with a demoness and fled the manor. During that night, every servant who was loyal to her brother was slaughtered; save for two: Gretel, who was Amethyst's nursemaid and proved her loyalty by providing the heiress with the intel of how to summon Esmeralda, and Garnet, the head butler who guarded the basement door during the ritual.

With Aureole's disappearance, Amethyst was named the Lady of the Manor and heir to the Sapphira Estate and fortune. Amethyst rebuilt her family's fortune, with the help of Esmeralda, and successfully runs the underworld's intel-center (gaining and providing information that the police cannot). She also began to learn forbidden magic from Esmeralda, learning spells to help her in her conquest.

Personality: Amethyst is a ruthless young woman, eventually consumed by her wrath and desire for vengeance against her brother and everyone else who betrayed her. Her quest for vengeance also made her extremely ambitious; likewise, the heiress's ruthlessness was tempered by her guile and she was willing to tolerate talented and, more importantly, useful individuals, even if she hated them. She also honored her deals with others when they were to her advantage.

She usually maintains her calm and low-key demeanor, often making her difficult to read for others. And because of the mental torture and abuse when in Bedlam, she appeared outwardly emotionless and seeming somewhat shy. She commonly had awkward pauses or imperfections in her speech as well, especially when speaking with strangers (however, this is just for show when around law enforcement). She also lacked any social awareness or courtesy in most social situations, sometimes oblivious to sarcasm.

She tends to have random breakdowns, a result of the abuse and trauma she suffered in Bedlam. These could be quite helpful at times, but she hates having them, especially when in social gatherings and public areas.

She always governed her thoughts and her family business with her intellect; and she never liked fairy-tales as a child, believing them to be "lies from a silver spoon". However, she was not stubborn about her preconceptions, readily accepting the existence of demons and magic after meeting "Esmeralda" and learning forbidden magic from her.

When she was younger, she believed she was her father's favorite child, and usually ignored proper conduct and social etiquette with family, though still taking a formal manner in meetings with strangers. She also has an interest in the unique and exotic, and even the supernatural, researching it endlessly as a child, despite her parents' protests and concerns. But because of her disdain for socializing, she hated sharing and didn't tolerate anyone tampering with her things, not even the maids, as she was very territorial about her room.

Whenever Amethyst heard her parents tell her "I love you", she always believed that it was faked. She noticed that so many people said this, and that they must say it because they are taught to say it. And if one were to say it for no reason whatsoever, it would mean it was null. She also saw how only the "beautiful people" would say it to each other.

When the opposite sex attempts to flirt with her, Amethyst finds it quite irritating that they believe that she would fall for idiots. And her interest in intercourse is limited only to wanting children of her own, but she would rather be married to a loyal man first. Though she had since lost her virginity at Bedlam, she had now been having intercourse in secret with her servant, Jasper, to keep him in-line. Though her levels of seduction are there if she needs them.

As proven by her history, Amethyst values loyalty above all else, and wouldn't hesitate to have any perceived traitors extinguished. Defiance was looked upon as a nuisance and, once considered useless to her, would have any suspected rebels purged from her "kingdom". She also took joy in "punishing" her offenders.

Amethyst also has a desire for power and dominance, as she often states that she wants to be feared. She enjoys demonstrating the power she has by imposing others under herself. However, she does seem to exhibit fear and hesitance when she knows she's outmatched, fleeing if her opponent proves to be as such.

She is observant by nature and keeps herself updated on current affairs and events. Due to her self-serving nature, Amethyst is not above spiting others she dislikes and enjoys getting back at her enemies when able; such as when she adopted a cat for her "mental wellbeing", only it was to spite Ciel for his cat allergies.

Likewise, she would never back down from a challenge, no matter the danger, if the cause was a worthy one, and refused to be swayed by the pessimistic opinions of adults or her peers.

When Amethyst uses the twins, after learning of their assassination skills, she intends for them to be just instruments in her plans for revenge. But she ultimately becomes attached to them. She begins to act like a mother to them, deciding that she feels a certain "affection" towards them, though unable to describe it.

As her personal servants, she trusts in them to manage her territory and protect the estate when she is off on her travels with Esmeralda.

Skills and Abilities: Having a keen intuition, Amethyst has a talent of telling individuals what they are hoping to hear and giving them appropriate advice. Additionally, her experience with "traitors" gives her a stronger intuition concerning the intentions and actions of others. Aside from being well educated and attractive as befitting her noble status, her creative nature showed a degree of craftiness at a young age, able to sneak out at night, alone and undetected, in order to descend to the manor's basement to perform the summoning ritual.

Because of her birthright, Amethyst also has many resources at her disposal, including her loyal servants, whom also act as her bodyguards. The heiress is also well-versed in politics and excels in the field of her position as a Lady. Because of this power and influence as the Queen's Lyrebird, she could warrant anyone's arrest under the pretense of investigating a crime and confiscate evidence as she saw fit. This power even extends to forging evidence.

Thanks to the forbidden knowledge and teachings from Esmeralda, within a month, Amethyst is able to predict the weather and propagate flowers and became skilled with a variety of plant and water spells. Esmeralda states that though most mortals cannot use even the most basic of magic spells, she is surprised that Lady Amethyst is able to do so.

Her intellect also stretches farther than the normal standard than her gender was expected to have during the Victorian era, though this gave her an advantage in seduction and interrogation.

Amethyst is also trained in swordsmanship and fencing. With her advanced intellect and tutelage, she can take advantage of an enemy's habits in combat to turn against them, as well as able to dodge and defend against even the quickest attacks.

As a member of a family that associates with theater and opera, Amethyst is a talented prodigy in singing, with a voice beautiful enough to soothe an irate crowd. Despite her youth, she is particularly skilled in opera and is able to project her voice over a wide audience. Her skills in acting allow her to utilize them outside the theater, as she appears calm, fragile, and weak-willed in public; she is, in truth, conniving and manipulative and knows how to act around specific people. Having been raised with an upper-class lifestyle, she has been taught to conduct herself with a certain elegance, even when exhausted.

[shirlleycoyle]

Worker-Owned Apps Are Trying to Fix the Gig Economy’s Exploitation

The billionaires who own the app-based gig economy have an insatiable appetite for precarious labor. Meanwhile, the millions of workers who power these platforms are hungry for food and basic necessities. They rely on gig work for survival, assuming major risks for little pay and scarcely any benefits.

Instacart unilaterally cut workers’ pay by halving the default tip to 5 percent per order, provoking a three-day strike from November 3-5. Two days after the strike, the company responded by cancelling “quality bonuses” that can represent up to 40 percent of workers’ earnings. Instacart’s open hostility towards its own workforce is the most recent case for adding a dose of economic democracy to the private sector.

What would happen if low-wage workers came together to cut out the middleman and build their own platforms? This isn’t just a thought experiment. Worker-owned apps are already providing real alternatives to dismal working conditions in the global gig economy.

Up & Go is a home cleaning app owned by workers in New York City. “On other apps, the owners set your wages, but we set our own wages,” said worker-owner Esmeralda Flores.

Up & Go cleaners earn $25 per hour, more than double what workers typically earned independently, according to Project Manager Sylvia Morse. While apps generally take a cut of 20 percent or more, Up & Go only takes 5 percent, which it then reinvests in the platform.

The cleaners, primarily immigrant women from Latin America, cooperatively own the Up & Go code and brand, launched publicly in May 2017. They meet monthly to make decisions on topics like cancellation policies and pricing.

“If you look at other platforms, it’s clear they artificially lower prices by subsidizing first-time users and paying as little as possible to their workers. Our value proposition is that our prices our transparent, workers earn a fair wage, and clients receive professional-quality cleaning,” said Maru Bautista.

Bautista directs the Cooperative Development Program of the Center for Family Life in Brooklyn. Over the past 13 years, the Center has formed 20 worker-owned co-ops that have generated more than $13 million in revenue.

The development of Up & Go was guided by three immigrant-led cleaning co-ops over a year-long process of co-design and testing, made possible in part by funding from the anti-poverty Robin Hood Foundation.

Moving from extractive to cooperative platforms

Up & Go is one example of the emerging “platform cooperativism” movement. These new projects, sometimes called “platform cooperatives,” are tech enterprises owned and democratically controlled by their workers.

Danny Spitzberg, a user experience researcher who helped develop Up & Go, told Motherboard that “to get a project like this off the ground, it helps to see platforms as digital equipment rather than things with a life of their own.” In the case of Up & Go, the platform built on an existing cooperative organizing model and many years of building relationships.

Spitzberg says that the movement is essentially about “workers figuring out how to streamline workflows and keep the benefits themselves.” Before Up & Go existed, the cleaners spent one to two days every week advertising their services to secure new clients. As more cleaning jobs shifted online, Up & Go provided cleaners with a platform to thrive in the online economy while also developing new skills as owners.

“Look at how Instacart’s recent pay cuts has hundreds of customers boycotting, shoppers striking, and others going on Twitter to demand improvements from the CEO, who is remaining silent so far. If the investors feel the pressure or have the foresight, they could meet the demands for better pay and see the collective action as an opportunity to build a better, member-owned business,” said Spitzberg, who advises for a shared ownership accelerator program called Start.coop.

Professor Trebor Scholz of the New School estimates that there are currently 400 projects under the platform cooperativism banner. A recent conference he helped organize in New York City brought together 150 speakers from 30 different countries.

Their shared goal is to create “concrete alternatives” for workers “who are not protected, and actually assaulted by deteriorating labour rights that were hardly there in the first place,” said Scholz.

Oriol Alfambra and Nuria Soto, two former Deliveroo food couriers from Barcelona, attended the conference to share Mensakas, a worker-owned delivery app. Alfambra and Soto started Mensakas in 2018 with other couriers who were fired during a union organizing campaign. They launched their app with the support of a crowd-funding campaign and government grant.

“Companies try to sell precarious work like it’s something cool,” said Soto in her presentation, referring to Deliveroo’s “be your own boss” hiring pitch. Now, she and her fellow gig workers are trying to one-up Deliveroo by making the slogan a reality: Mensakas is self-managed by its workers, who have employment contracts rather than being misclassified as independent contractors.

Mensakas is also allied with CoopCycle, a European federation of bike delivery co-ops in 16 cities, who are pooling their resources to develop shared software and coordinate advocacy efforts. Alexandre Segura, a self-taught web developer, created CoopCycle in 2016 after connecting with French couriers who lost their jobs when Belgium-based start-up Take Eat Easy declared bankruptcy.

“I’m not a rider myself, I hardly know how to ride a bicycle. But we as developers have a kind of responsibility in the world today. Platforms affect the lives of so many people,” said Segura. “Most of our cooperatives are still small, but we’re providing consumers with a credible alternative.”

Barriers to building a digital economy we own

Eva launched in May in Montreal with financial support from Desjardins, Canada’s largest credit union. It’s like Uber, but aimed at people who want to support a local business. The platform has 500 active drivers, with 500 more in the process of joining, and a growing base of 17,000 users, according to co-founder Dardan Isufi.

Isufi spoke to Motherboard while preparing for the co-op’s upcoming annual general meeting. “We have to send out 18,000 invitations. Of course, we don’t expect them all to physically show up, but they’re our members.”

Under Eva’s governing rules, both drivers and riders have voting rights, and receive a share of profits, though turning a profit is still unheard of in the ride-sharing business, including for heavyweights Uber and Lyft.

“I like that we can vote on how much of our fares go to the head office,” said Eva driver Imran Karmali, who will be attending his first meeting. Drivers currently contribute 15 percent of their fares towards the fledgling company’s marketing and operating costs, while Uber takes 25 percent.

Isufi began working on Eva two years ago with fellow university student Raphael Gaudreault. He remembers asking Gauldreault, “How hard could it be to start a better ride-sharing platform?” In practice, there’s been no shortage of challenges, like a period of sleepless days and nights rooting out fraudulent activity and creating new protocols.

Mike Calomoris started driving for Uber in 2018 to supplement his income as a wedding photographer. He joined Eva when they launched and now drives exclusively for the app. Like with Uber, Eva drivers are classified as independent contractors, meaning that they are not entitled to employment standards like minimum wage.

However, Calomoris is part of a test group of 15 Eva drivers who receive a base wage of $13-15 per hour (minimum wage in the province is $12.50) in exchange for working a set number of hours in high-demand areas. If drivers make less in fares than the guarantee, Eva pays the difference. If drivers make more, they keep the full amount.

In October, Eva started a pilot project with the Montreal airport and saw its ridership increase by 40 percent. “We had a big parking space for Eva drivers, our own doors, and an information booth inside,” said Isufi.

According to Isufi, airport management gave Eva staff the impression that they were happy with the partnership as well. But 24 hours before the renewal date, the airport informed Eva that they could no longer advertise inside, citing a new exclusivity agreement with a larger company, according to Isufi.

Isufi is disappointed that Eva was not given an opportunity to stay. “As a local and social alternative in the start-up phase, losing our presence inside the airport has a very heavy impact on our development.”

“I’ll be honest, we’re not a multi-billion dollar company,” said Isufi. “But in 2019, why would you work so hard to build equity for someone else, especially a large multinational corporation?”

In line with their cooperative business model, the code for the app is being made available to other local co-ops around the world. The first “social franchise” to register is a drivers’ cooperative in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Designing apps with workers in mind

Members and supporters of cooperative platforms want to create software and businesses that are fundamentally different from the apps like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash that currently dominate the market.

“We don’t want to create a poor copy of extractive platforms,” said Jutta Treviranus, Director of the Inclusive Design Research Centre at OCAD University in Toronto. “First of all, we don’t have the money they do. Our measure of success is how far we explore the difficult terrain that extractive platforms ignore.”

Treviranus and her team received a grant from Google.org to co-design open source tools with platform co-ops that will grow the cooperative digital economy. “If you plan only for the majority, your system becomes quite brittle and reaches end of life quickly, because there’s so much you haven’t anticipated,” she explained.

What would an app look like that centers women’s safety instead of making it an afterthought? Members of the Self-Employed Women’s Association in India are exploring various solutions to this challenge for beauty workers who make home visits such as panic buttons, an anonymous tip line, and doing away with individual worker profiles.

Salonie Hiriyur, Senior Associate with SEWA's 300,000 member Cooperative Federation, stressed that the co-op model itself adds a layer of safety. "There is an awareness that the worker is backed by a collective. This awareness protects the worker against harassment."

In New York City, Up & Go decided against including individual worker profiles on their app. According to Project Manager Sylvia Morse, the worker-owners were firm that “We’re selling our services, not ourselves.”

“The reason for these profiles is a proxy for trust-building on huge anonymous platforms. But co-ops have a competitive advantage because they are the owners,” Morse told Motherboard. “When someone comes to your home, it’s not a gig for them, it’s an investment in their business.”

Worker-Owned Apps Are Trying to Fix the Gig Economy’s Exploitation syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[zaruba-needslove]

I find this very cute lol. Like I barely remembered what was Zaruba’s reaction when he went with Alfonso last time... and he really did seem to get back to Leon pretty fast the moment Leon become a proper knight, and my first thought to this scene was... 

“Awww... Did you miss Leon dreadfully? You worried about his wellbeing now aww ❤❤❤❤❤”

I mean, as much as Zaruba rarely able to talk much early in the series cos of the gags... you can tell that in the few scene when he did talk to Leon Zaruba barely sounded friendly towards him and somewhat can be mocking at times. (Like you may compare his attitude to him with Ryuga in the early Yami Mono arcs) And with Alfonso, as much as Zaruba behaved more sensible with him... it didn’t appear like Zaruba he was fond of the prince any more than Leon.

Yet in this scene, I really can’t help feeling that Zaruba’s tone towards Leon in this scene was much more affectionate (by Zaruba’s standards) compared to before...

Or maybe cos there’s a close-up to his face 😂😂😂 cos yes, Zaruba looked WAY too happy there. Like long time since he’s back to serving Leon~

But then, I guess my memories of this series was not really bad. Since Germán also noticed this change...

But then, of course, considering that Zaruba was contracted to Leon rather than Alfonso... so Zaruba SHOULD have been happy to get back to Leon, eh? (Made me wonder if during the short stint as Garo, was Alfonso ever contracted to Zaruba? Or maybe not. I mean, even Ryuga at first did not seal a contract with Zaruba until later on when Zaruba acknowledged him as Garo. So for Alfonso to be Garo without making a contract with Zaruba would’ve been possible.)

But yeah... at odd times, I still DO wonder what Zaruba thought about León and Alfonso, to be honest. Like something I’ve kept wondering about Alfonso during his run as Garo. Like aside from official Makai business, did Zaruba talk a lot with him? (He’s been ungagged, after all. And recently I kept feeling that the gag was actually given to him after he was broken. Since German did ask Gael in the past to add an extra feature to Zaruba to also deal with Leon’s flames.)

And to be honest, aside from a few scenes where it’s job-related, Zaruba was rarely shown to be talking to Alfonso as much. Which made me wonder if it’s cause Zaruba didn’t make a contract with Alfonso like he did Leon - in which at some point I have wondered if Alfonso ever asked for it - as in if during the short stint as Garo if the prince actually wanna make a proper contract with Zaruba. Or did he... after Esmeralda’s death, stopped feeling that he was much more entitled to be Garo compared to Leon, thus considered his stint as Garo to be temporary until Leon comes back to reclaim it?

Like, it’s mostly brushed aside... like there was this shift in attitude from Alfonso (as well) like the time he chastised Leon for going Lost Beast Mode... and later on during the time Leon came to reclaim Garo, but the anime doesn’t really expand on it. And you’d think Alfonso would have had his issues covered... since he used to have this strong opinion about what a Garo knight should have behaved (and it was such an idealistic image that he used to have... due to Valiante’s Golden Knight legend) but suddenly, later on, he doesn’t really have that extreme view anymore (and willingly surrendered Zaruba and Garo to the rightful heir-- despite he’s also one of those heirs.). 

*shrugs*

But just look at this Zaruba being tsun~

...yeah, and you missed him too. Rrrrrrriiiiight?

[mysteryfanfictheatre3000]

Back to the Frollo, Chapter 8

Warning: Infuriating racism and ignorance of basic history.

What would have been just another routine Saturday became a weekend to remember. Claude Frollo and I spent the day exploring my favorite northside haunts; in fact, he insisted we do things my way. I took him to antique shops, book stores, and other out-of-the-ordinary places in Broad Ripple Village, a popular northside neighborood known for its quirky, funky ambience. I treated Claude to a nice lunch at Renée's, one of my favorite Ripple eateries, a cozy little place known for its unique, French country decor and scrumptious homemade desserts.

This matters to the plot why?

Afterwards, we took a walk along the Monon Trail, which winded through Ripple and across the canal. "This used to be a... 'railroad'?", asked Claude, as we strolled leisurely. "Yes. It used to go from downtown to Muncie. In my old neighborhood, down by the fairgrounds, my house was just a few blocks away from the tracks. But the trains stopped running and they took up the tracks. Now it's a walking trail. I walk here a lot; I think it's neat."

Frollo knows what railroads and trains are? How?!

I put my arm around his slender waist as we continued our walk. Claude seemed truly fascinated by my little history lesson. "It's amazing", he began, "how much we remember special places and things..." Claude's voice trailed off as if he was lost in thought. Suddenly he asked, "Have you heard from her lately?" I knew he was referring to Fern. "Now, Claude, you know we're still friends. We talk, visit, do all kinds of things together. Fern may a little richer, but she's still my buddy."

He would not understand 20th century slang like “buddy.”

Claude Frollo stopped and looked at me intently. "It's just that I never properly thanked her for bringing you to Paris." I looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Say what? Honey, if Fern had stayed when "the unfortunate incident" happened, you would've showed both of us the way out of town. And I don't think we would've been upright." Claude burst into laughter. "Darling Nisha, our first few meetings weren't THAT unpleasant. In fact, those initial encounters were rather...surprisingly smouldering. "

Oh god, no. I don’t want to hear about their smoldering relationship. NO THANKS.

"Oh really? Well baby, let me refresh your memory." As we continued our walk, Claude and I recalled that first encounter.

* * * * * * * Fern finally had to explain the "device" that whisked us to medieval Paris. Apparently, it was the invention of one of Fern's former students, Jacki Darcey, a math and science whiz who I always said would come up with something fabulous. Jacki was always working out formulas and sketching plans for fantasical inventions. It all paid off as Jacki, as a gift to Fern, restored the '59 Chevy and installed that time-warp device.

I love how they’re using this extraordinary device exclusively for having sex with old guys from the middle ages. Why stop Hitler, save hundreds of lives, hell, even just observe history from a distance to gain a better understanding of it, when you could be courting pereverted rapist creeps?

But I was too flabbergasted to think about inventons and breakthroughs. I was in 1480's Paris and I couldn't even send a postcard home! Fern had a house in town but stashed the car near some old chateau on the outskirts of Paris. And she made sure my stay would be unforgettable as we explored every inch of this fantastic city. All the historical and literary landmarks that I only read about in school were right outside our front door.

… as they would be if you just went to normal modern Paris. You can still see Notre Dame, and with the added bonus of not having to worry about contracting bubonic plague.

Of course, we made friends in the neighborhood, although I wasn't sure at first how folks would take to an oversized, frizzy red-blond haired Hoosier with a hillbilly twang and a smartmouthed, bronze-skinned woman who came along for the ride. As Fern said, I am a true American child, with English, Irish, Cherokee, and African running through my veins. The good folks of Paris had a tough time trying to figure me out. Well, gee folks. If you can't figure out what I am...just keep trying!

Red hair would get you shunned, as people assumed it was, you guessed it, witchcraft. So would dark skin, probably, because people suck.  People were not accepting in the 1400s. This is the main source of conflict in the movie.

But anyway, we made a few friends and I became popular with the kids in the neighborhood. I'd often play games with them, and taught them what I played when I was a kid. I would gather the youngsters in the square near the Palace of Justice and we'd enjoy hours and hours of fun. It was during one of those playtimes that I met HIM.

I know she’s talking about Frollo, but I’m imagining that cross-dressing demon guy from The Powerpuff Girls.

We were just wrapping up an intense game of Red Rover, and, after the kids went home, I decided to take a walk across the square toward the Palace. I'd never seen it close up and decided to check it out. Now I was unaware that my hips swayed as I walked, that I had an old Al Green song playing in my head, and that the slit in my dress blew open in the breeze. I sat down on a stoop just within eyeshot of the Palace's colonnade and studied the building, admiring the stained-glass windows, tall spires, and colonnade. I had just crossed my legs and unwrapped my hair when I spotted a figure upon the colonnade. Even from ground level, I could make out most of his face and form. He was tall and slender, very regal and aristocratic-looking. I could see his triangular hat, the long red veil flowing in the breeze. Grey-haired, fair-faced, from where I stood he looked rather handsome. Then I realized that the person I was staring at was none other than Claude Frollo, the Minister of Justice. I had heard rumors about him from our neighbors, that he was cruel and cold.

“See here the innocent blood you have spilled on the steps of Notre Dame.”- The archdeacon to Frollo while cradling the bleeding corpse of a dead woman Frollo just murdered.

Come on, he's a judge in charge of keeping the streets safe. He's just trying to do his job, and, just as long as I stay out of trouble, he's the least of my worries. But something inside me stirred as I continued to stare up at him. I offered him a bright smile and friendly wave. What's this? He's smiling back and nodding as if he acknowledged my presence. Is he staring at my legs? I knew I shouldn't have worn this dress...

Friendly reminder that the relatively modest dress Esmeralda danced in was considered skanky, and it’s less revealing than most of my peer’s prom dresses. Danisha would have probably been mistaken for a prostitute.

I hastily retied my hair and adjusted the straps on my high-heeled sandals. I had taken them off during the games, but put them on just before my walk. I glanced up at the colonnade but he was gone! My heart sank a bit at the realization that I might never encounter him again. I got up and began to walk back to the house when a soldier tapped me on the shoulder. "Excuse me, madame", he began. What have I done? Is it a crime to walk, sit, or play near the Palace of Justice? I can't even look at Judge Frollo? All these thoughts raced through my mind as the soldier continued, "You are not in trouble, madame. I'm not arresting you. It's just that Minister Frollo wishes to meet you. This way, madame."

And so, the tale of how this immensely stupid couple came to be begins.

Frollo wants to meet me? Why? Oh no! What if he found out about Fern and the car! We'd be branded as lunatics for sure...or even worse. Witches. My heart pounded as I followed the soldier up the steps and through the grand entry hall. My French had passed with the kids outside; now it had to stand up to a conversation with the most powerful man in France next to the King himself.

She’s awfully worried about being accused of witchcraft, yet has taken no steps to blend in at all with the general population.

As I entered my eyes were dazzled by high-vaulted ceilings, soft-colored walls, gorgeous tapestries, and marble floors. The soldier led me to a room and told me to wait. It looked like a study with shelves full of books, piles of papers on the table, paintings and tapestries on the walls. I was admiring one of these textile marvels, studying the stitches and feeling the softness of the fabric, when I heard a deep voice behind me. "I hope I didn't frighten you by sending that soldier, but it was the only way I could finally meet you." He extended his hand. "I am Claude Frollo. And what is your name?" I reached for his hand and told him my name. "I'm Danisha Wood...My family and friends call me Nisha." He smiled broadly and softly replied, "Lovely. I've watched you for several days now. You were in the square with the children, playing games..."

'Cause we all know Frollo loves kids!

“This is an unholy demon. I’m sending it back to hell where it belongs.” -Frollo, dangling an infant over a well, about to murder it

"Keeping them off the streets and out of trouble." I finished. Claude Frollo smiled again and narrowed his eyes as if he were assessing me. "I like the way you carry yourself. Very self-assured, no nonsense. And, while I don't exactly show it, I marvel at your way with the children." I returned the smile, saying, "Just doing what is necessary. To tell you the truth, I can't go anywhere without some kid latching onto me." At once, Judge Frollo burst into hearty laughter. "My dear, my instincts about you were right! You intrigue me. I liked you the moment I laid eyes on you." He put his hand on my shoulder and gazed into my eyes. I felt a shockwave of emotion run through my body when he touched me. Nothing or no-one had ever before affected me in such a way. "Minister Frollo, I'm flattered that you're interested in me...as a friend...but I'm only going to be in Paris for a few weeks. Then I'm going home in August." His Honor asked, "And where is home?" "I'm an American. From the Midwest." He looked blank. Then I remembered that the American continent had only just been discovered for him, and probably not even named yet! Oops! "I mean, I'm from the New World", I corrected myself hastily. "Columbus? The Spanish sailor, Christoforo Colombo?"

He was not Spanish. I also just looked it up, and the musical adaptation at least takes place in the 1480s, meaning Columbus has not yet sailed the ocean blue in 1492. The author claims she is a history teacher. I think she is lying.

He nodded, then raised an eyebrow. "The New World... That explains your accent. Your French is fluent enough, but rather harsh on Parisian ears. So... you are not a gypsy then... but do all New-Worlders have such coloring? That beautiful brown skin, I thought..." "Wait a minute!", I interrupted him, "You thought I was a gypsy? What's next? Are you going accuse me of practicing black magic?"

Yay for racism, I guess? That’s incredibly offensive to Roma.

By now I was getting really ticked. I wanted to be friends but I didn't feel I had to pass a test or something, not in my French, my looks or anything else! I really let him know how I felt and went off on him. I became a dissed sister, a raised voice full of fire and spit. I don't think he knew what hit him.

A dissed sister?

"Why'd you invite me up here then? You wanted to find out if I'm 'illegal'? Well, I am not a gypsy and I am not a witch. Now I know a few folks who dabble in voodoo, but that doesn't mean I'm into the same thing. I really thought you wanted to be friends. You're just wasting my time. May I go now?" After he'd got over my outburst, Claude Frollo suddenly changed from charming host to angered official. "How DARE you talk to me in that tone! Count yourself fortunate that I don't have you arrested on the spot!" He headed for the door and motioned to a nearby soldier. "My lieutenant shall show you out", he said as he seated himself at his desk. "I must say, Mlle. Wood, I am highly disappointed. You seemed so charming.... well, no matter."

He would have probably arrested her if he was in character at all, just saying.

As I walked out the door, I heard him say to me, "Just a word of warning, my dear mademoiselle. Make one more false move, and you're mine!" Once outside, I shuddered at the thought of what could happen once in the clutches of Judge Claude Frollo. Then I thought, who cares? I'll be long gone soon enough. Come September, I'll be home and he'll still be here; we'll never cross paths again.

I wish, lady.

As I walked away from the Palace of Justice, I looked back and saw his tall form in the window. He was looking down at me, not exactly frowning, but not smiling either. He looked rather like a little boy who didn't get his way. Now I wish I hadn't sassed him. For some reason I could hardly figure out, I really wanted to be his friend.

Because you’re an idiot?