#she's unmarried- she wants to save the house she loves- she wants to save the young woman she cares for... she's a heroine!

[normasshearer]

CLASSIC HORROR HEROINES

RUTH HUSSEY as Pamela "Pam" Fitzgerald in THE UNINVITED (1944) dir. Lewis Allen

[angrydemonfawnbaby]

maybe one day i will be over bridgerton season three and my hatred for penelope but that day is not today

i understand that the books are different and that book polin and penelope are not what their show counterparts are but i need book polin and penelope fans to take a step back and examine the absolute psychological horror of what show polin is.

genuinely there is something so insidious about a girl who meets a guy, believes it's love at first sight, and then befriends his sister. in fact, her ONLY friend is his sister. she spends years pining, sitting and staring out of her window so often that everyone in her life knows this is a common occurrence for her. a habit. she loves him, she wants to be with him, she wants to be a part of his family, and that family treats her well, they treat her with kindness.

and she tears them down. secretly. she uses her friendship with the daughter, her closeness to them, to prop herself up. to write vitriolic things about them, to cast shame on them, to bring their reputation into question time and time again. there is something so irredeemably manipulative about a girl who takes the secrets of those who trusts her and reveals them publicly when it best suits her--when she does not want the boy she loves to marry a girl who has been kind to her, a girl who considers her a friend, who has shared her anxieties and heartbreak. it does not matter that this girl would be a good wife, or that the boy truly cares for her, because this girl is not her. and she could've told the boy herself, but that boy is kindhearted and sensitive and good and he might still marry this other girl. and that is what is truly unacceptable, that is what can't be allowed to happen. so she destroys it, thoroughly. it does not matter who is caught in the blast.

it did not matter how this embarrassment would effect the family she claimed to love as her own, the family she wanted to be a part of. it did not matter that it would ruin marina, the only other person to consider penelope a friend. it led to marina nearly dying, it led penelope's own family being shamed and shunned. it did not matter, because to penelope, the only thing that mattered was that colin remained unmarried so that he may one day love her the way she loves him.

it did not ever matter that colin already loved her as a friend, because to penelope that was not a love worth having. not from colin, or marina, or eloise.

she does not care who she hurts. again and again. with daphne, with anthony and the sharma sisters, with her own best friend. eloise confides in penelope things that not only could destroy her reputation and that of her family, but things that could get her in trouble with the queen--views that are dangerous. and despite what she says, she does it to save herself first and foremost, to keep eloise from discovering her secret.

and when she thinks that the boy she loves will never return her interest, when he returns from his time away different from the boy she has spent years obsessing over from afar, she writes about it once more. to make herself feel better, to make him feel bad. for not loving her, for daring to try and change, for daring to be something he is not--something different from the boy she supposedly loves.

penelope actions as whistledown have shown her to be a callous, selfish, manipulative person. she understands that being whistledown means having power, admits it, and she has constantly used that power to destroy other women--regardless of how kind they were to her (marina), how much they trusted her (eloise), or if she even knew them at all (kate and edwina, the queen and her infant grandchild). she is a vicious and mean person on paper, with no loyalties to anyone but herself. her actions as whistledown are undefendable and cruel. and she is whistledown, they are one and the same.

i cannot see how anyone can look at the two and see anything to romanticize. she knows eloise would not want her in bridgerton house, rightfully so, but she goes to be close to colin, and then she invades his privacy by reading his journals. she continuously lies and crosses boundaries, but her eyes well with tears immediately after and so all is miraculously forgiven--nevermind that she will go home to write something cruel by candlelight later.

even their first kiss feels like a manipulation. a coersion. she begs, cries, pleads, claims she could die never having been kissed and she knows colin is a soft, sensitive boy. he was going to marry marina after a short courtship, convinced of love, he might've went ahead married her if he'd found out about the pregnancy privately because he is a good and kind man. so of course he will kiss her.

and then he proposes, and before they can go about it properly, before he can rethink it or back out--she publishes it in whistledown. so that the whole ton knows that she has finally won. she has succeeded in becoming a bridgerton. and she continues to lie to them all. she continues to lie to colin. she smiles and plays the role of the innocent girl next door, when she has been their primary antagonist force behind the curtains for years now.

even her declaration of love is said to distract, to protect herself, when he has discovered her secret, her true identity, and she can no longer hide. she shouts it at him, like it is meant to make everything okay, to make all of the bad things she's done go away.

and in a well written story, with well written characters, it would not. it would be seen for what it is. desperate. manipulative. but this season of bridgerton is a let down in many ways, and all of them are rooted in how the narrative has catered to washing away how horrible of a person penelope has been, instead of acknowledging it and moving forward with a true redemption arc.

so instead, we get to watch a gossiping mean girl who has spent years stalking and preying on one family in particular, manipulating her way into her happy ending with said family. and everyone just has to be gaslit into believing this is okay when it's not.

[immortal-archives]

Every starting villager of Phoenix drop! Explanations and backstory ahead:

Brendan and Kiki are identical twins hailing from Tu’la. Their family moved to Ru’aun after discovering that Kiki had magicks. They became farmers near Brightport. Their canon backstory proceeded from there. Eventually, Brendan went across the channel to meet new people. Kiki followed him.

Kiki used to look more like Brendan, but eventually grew out her hair and dyed it to look more feminine. She always has a little something for her animals in her bag. Kiki doesn’t stay in the village full-time, as she likes acquiring new animals for her stand.

Molly is a middle-aged woman who lives in the maiden house. Her partner, Dale, lives in the guard tower with their son Brian. For various reasons, they aren’t married yet— mainly, because marriage is incredibly expensive and living together unmarried is very dangerous in Ru’aun. But the two of them make the best of it. They’ve been scrounging together money so that they can afford a priest from Brightport to bless their marriage. Brian loves his parents, and wants to be a guard like his dad. Dale hopes Brian gets stationed in a richer village, even if he’ll miss his son. He won’t leave though— Phoenix Drop is his home

Emmalyn was born in Phoenix Drop not all that long ago. In her 20’s, she’s the youngest resident after Brian and Zenix. Her parents died to the undead when she was just a baby. But she grew a love for knowledge, and decided to pursue being a researcher. She left for Scaleswind to go to university, staying with her aunt. Now, she runs the library where she collects all sorts of books. Her current specialty is in curses and the various magical creatures of Ru’aun; however, she has many more books in her collection. Perhaps, even some from the time of Irene…

Zenix was a boy found by Garroth at 13 years old. He was incredibly malnourished and scared all the time. He often used to attack Garroth out of fear. But eventually, he realized he was safe in the village. Garroth says he doesn’t have to do anything at all, but Zenix decided to become a guard to pay him back for his kindness. His eyes turned permanently red at a certain point, but he seemed to have better control over his emotions. Garroth was glad to see he was getting better. He had no idea what Zenix actually did

Garroth is the mystery guard of Phoenix Drop that we all know and love. His cover story is that he grew up in Brightport with Azura— if anyone asks her, that’s what she says. He doesn’t like saying that himself as he feels bad lying— but will if directly asked. His number one priority has always been the safety of the village and its people. He’s never asked anyone to work, instead believing that what needs to get done will because it must happen. So far, the village is scraping by. But as every day passes, more money hemorrhages from the village’s savings and more people jump ship for a village that isn’t dying. In desperation, he turns to a hired contractor… to hire her for the unaskable task of running the village.

Most days, you’ll find Stephanie spinning wool into yarn. It was a good way to pass the time, and earn a little extra change for her eventual wedding. She’d been born in Brightport alongside her sister Merida— but she went across the channel after being charmed by Corey. Corey was from Scaleswind, and came to Phoenix Drop many years ago to look for emerald mines. Eventually, the meager ore deposits dried up. But he didn’t return home— he was charmed by the young woman from Brightport that he met. So he stayed, and became the village’s carpenter. Now he creates furniture, fencing, and whatever other strange thing the new lord needs

Lydia was born more inland. She was an orphan, kept in the orphanage. Her passion was for singing, and she had a beautiful preforming voice. However, there was no way for her to pursue this; singing was not considered real work, and she could not support herself. When she turned ten, as all orphans do, she was kicked onto the street. The only maiden houses in the village were brothels, or houses where the family of the woman pays for her stay. Because of this, she turned and left. It’s a miracle she survived all those years of traveling. But eventually, she came across Phoenix Drop; a village that asked nothing of her, and she asked nothing of it but a home. She’s now fiercely protective of the village and of other women in her situation; she will befriend women and direct them into their village to get them out of their circumstances. Garroth is happy to accommodate them.

[maspers]

I think it'd be funny if there was a novel written in the style of Jane Austen with all the classic tropes and character archetypes and all the characters behave as you would stereotypically expect, but with one exception: the protagonist is male instead of female, and is extremely baffled why rich gentlemen are trying to court him and why people have labeled him as the third hottest of his seven sisters. He just wants to hide in his room and read books. 

I'd like to clarify that this is a comedy, not a romance or coming of age story. While the plotlines of "all the unmarried men in the story are gay and trying to marry the one son in the family in defiance of social stigma" and "the one son is trying to get people to understand that he is a son despite being assigned as a daughter at birth and thus should not be considered as a possible wife" are totally options and you're free to write them as you wish, I was going for the sheer humor of the protagonist being a straight cis male that everyone treats as if he has the social role of one of the daughters. Like, they all know and understand he's a guy, but the parents are still "oh no we have no heirs with which to save the family fortune" and he's like "I'm right here hello" and their like "good we can marry you and sisters into rich houses so even though the family name will die the bloodline will live on" and he'd be fine with that but they keep trying to introduce him to handsome gentlemen when he'd much rather be introduced to a gentlewoman who despite being female nonetheless ticks all the boxes of "stereotypical Jane Austen male love interest". There will be extremely hilarious conflict between the gentlewoman and the gentleman who WOULD be the stereotypical love interest if the protagonist were female, they compete for the son's love and he's just like "dude you keep telling me to wear dresses and corsets I know how much my sisters hate corsets I'm not touching one if my life depended on it" 

And then the gentlewoman reveals she also wanted to see him in a flouncy ballgown and corset and he just sits down and sighs.

[ladywillowwc-blog]

Dr Cha - who’s watching?

I have been enjoying the Kdrama, Dr Cha, starring Uhm Jung-Hwa as a woman, Cha Jeong Suk, in her late 40s who, after a health scare, returns to her residency to become a fully certified doctor in South Korea. 

As a (much) older viewer, who has also had to reinvent myself more than once from wife/mother into various professional roles, I find the plot line (while obviously over-the-top for comic effect) pretty realistic. I have to wonder when I read reactions that say she should “just” 

divorce her no-good husband 

start an affair with the second lead

‘throw hands’ at another woman 

make any move that doesn’t fit with her personality, upbringing, or culture 

Who is watching this show? 

Clearly the people I am seeing reactions from are young. They don’t understand how much a woman can become identified with her roles as a wife and a mother. Some of that is personal - some of us lean into that role more than others. Some of it is cultural - why do you think so many of the women in Cha Jeog Suk’s life counsel her to stay in her marriage at first? Because they know how little an unmarried, divorced woman is valued in society. At least her unmarried friend, Baek Mi Hee, has money and therefore status. She is also lonely and wants what Jeong Suk has, even if it isn’t perfect.

In a divorce, Cha Jeong Suk is not guaranteed “95%” of the family finances, as I saw one reviewer proclaim. I don’t know what the divorce laws are like for family or community property in Korea, but I can guarantee you Dr Cha will be worse off financially if she divorces. Even in North America, most women lose financially. Yes, I’m sure you know of someone who “had to give everything to his bitch of a wife in a divorce.” Statistically, that is unusual, no matter what Men’s Rights Groups want you to believe.

Seo In Ho, the husband, has all the power in the family - he inherited money, his mother controls the money, he makes more money. Until after her surgery, Dr Cha had never used his credit card. What does that tell you? Once she goes back to work as a resident she would make some money, yes. I can guarantee it would not be enough to retain the house her husband would still own, or live the life she had been living. If it were, she wouldn’t have moved in the hospital residence.

Divorce is a difficult, complicated issue. It represents a complete failure of her whole adult life. She was young - early 20s - when she had Jung Min and got married. She stayed in medical school in spite of having a baby until Jung Min and her mother were in a car accident - perhaps when he was about 7? Then she had another child the same year her husband was in a program in the US, met his 1st love, had an affair, got her pregnant and came back to Korea. Irang and Eun Seo were born the same year - they are now 16 or 17. She stayed home for 20 years making a home and bringing up her children to be good people, which, in spite of some childish behaviour on the part of the literal children, they have become.

So asking for and planning for a divorce should take some time, don’t you think? It means rejecting her whole life - admitting that EVERYTHING she has worked for was a lie.

Having an affair with Dr. Roy Kim? He is a good person (which is why he is careful about how he deals with her) and she is a little overwhelmed with shit right now. He saved her life (and is very good-looking, and pays attention to her when her husband doesn’t) - she must wonder if any feelings she has are real. She constantly rejects Mi Hee’s hints that he is into her. She ‘builds rapport’ by being there for him when his personal journey goes badly - and she must feel so grateful to be able to repay him a tiny bit for everything he has done for her - but she doesn’t have the space or the time to work out how she’s feeling about him, and anything she decides now could be a disaster down the road. And I’m not sure she is that interested in sex at the moment either - she’s been 10 years without, and she probably thinks she’s over that stage of her life. (It happens. Our sex drive fluctuates through life. A lot.)

Getting into a physical altercation with another woman? Does that seem like Jeong Suk? She is angry throughout most of this show (14 of 16 episodes down), and so far has only thrown a coffee pot and a bracelet. Besides, whether she wants to or not, she feels for Choi Seung Hi, the other woman in this story. She thought her husband was worth giving things up for too, for a long time. She rightly puts most of the blame on him, although she would still like Dr Choi to leave the hospital!  

Finally, it amazes me that people watch shows deeply rooted in a different culture, with different philosophical roots and ways of seeing the world, and demand that the plot conform to their own narrow understanding. North American/white Protestant values are not the norm worldwide. Watching Korean dramas (and I am quite new to this) shows how often Confucian or Buddhist thinking underpins everything, even when the characters themselves are neither. The cultures are steeped in a way of seeing, a way of moving through the world. It’s important to step back and try to see that. Isn’t learning more about the way other people experience life the point of all fiction?

TL/DR - I just had to say all of this. I may have written some of this plot differently, but I am not mad about how it is unfolding. So far, it holds together for me. If Dr Cha decides not to go through with the divorce, for example, I will feel sad for her, but not angry at the writers. I know lots of women who would make the same choice. And choosing to be alone if she does divorce Seo In Ho also would make sense to me. As my grandmother said when she was widowed, “Why would I want to wash someone else’s socks again?” Being alone is not punishment. It can be freedom.

[wlwanakin]

eristine for the ship meme…

it’s so fun doing these for fandoms i don’t post about lol. phantom of the opera my beloved <3 i’m talking both book and musical here since the leroux novel is my favorite but the musical is the big popular version and they exist in a sort of soup in my brain

when i started shipping it: aged 14 fresh off finishing the musical…i was a sicko then and i am a sicko now

my thoughts: endlessly complicated. no i don’t think christine wanted erik like that all the way. yes i think they’re soulmates and no one could ever understand them like they understood each other. yes i think christine made the right choice leaving. no i don’t view it as a love triangle because erik was never a real viable option for christine. yes i think they are star crossed and i need them to make out sloppy style

what makes me happy about them: gothic romance <3 i love when love is awful and i love when broken people come together. also her compassion being his saving grace ohhh that shit goes crazy

what makes me sad about them: their inability to actually Be Anything!! christine’s genuine caring for erik is always getting overshadowed by erik doing atrocities and there are several points where he does something they simply cannot come back from. to me the tragedy isn’t that she didn’t/couldn’t love him it’s that his actions never gave her the chance to. and it’s sooo tragic because he is so lonely and so much of him is informed by everything he endured that he did not deserve and you want him to be happy and even christine wants him to be happy but she can’t make him happy. she can’t be with him. they can’t be anything!!!

things done in fanfic that annoys me: when people forget that erik is pathetic and sexless and his specific kind of creepy is more about desperation than like perviness. he’s not a perv he’s just desperately lonely. reductionist christine characterization. fix-its that downplay the severity of what erik pulled and frame christine as in the wrong for leaving. raoul demonization (it’s more interesting for christine to pick erik if raoul is Actually the better option objectively. u guys are boring)

things i look for in fanfic: CHRISTINE-CENTRIC!!! i love christine pov i love when she maintains agency and has flaws and when writers allow her feelings about erik to be realistically multifaceted. also leroux-based characterization bc the book is simply better

who i’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: the daroga for erik and raoul for christine (who she does end up with, which is essential to the narrative so i am not mad about it)

my happily ever after for them: unmarried life partners in some cute little house. they are creative partners and he writes her operas :3

who is the big spoon/little spoon: erik little spoon christine big spoon #truther

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: quite famously it is music

[themindarchive]

How to Accidentally Pull a Dragon.

An Original story idea that has been bouncing around in my head for a while after i noticed there aren't many romance stories where it's the woman who is the more "Dominent/pursur/knight in shining armor" of the relationship.

So, using an old pathfinder character as inspiration I came up with this.

6'5" muscle mommy monster hunter with a dark past but with the help of a loving and supportive family has healed form majority of her trauma meets 5'4" ex noble turned cleric/healer that escaped to another country with his younger sister, giving up their citizenship to his home country in order to avoid arranged marriages to the unmarried members of a very toxic and abuse noble house blackmailing his family.

Mutual Pining, Dragon Shifter FMC as part of an influential and long lived Supernatural The Adams style family, FMC is blatantly flirting while the MMC doesn't believe she would ever want him. Found Family helps Birth Family. Progressive Noble family stuck in a Conservative Kingdom. Woman in stereotypical male role. Man in stereotypical female role. Man who has a weakness for a woman who can crush his skull between her thighs. Woman who has a weakness for men who gets genuinely excited about something they love and go on a hyper fixated rant about it. "Royal Family" that only pretends to act like royalty/nobilty one specific event of the year so they often forget about it. WIP. World Lore Pending.

More in depth under the cut.

Male MC: Percy Lockheart formerly known as Percival Delacroix is the chief healer and occasional secretary of his biological mother's hunting guild. He and his sister are the product of a secret polyamourous relationship between his father and his "legal" mother who still live in Citrine, his patriarchal home kingdom to the south, and his bio mother a citizen of Andromeda, a country to the north "ruled" by three separate "Families" known as the Great Houses, one of which she was a part of.

At about the age of 15 his families "scandalous secret" had been uncovered by the *insert pretentious and vaguely threatening noble family name here* and used it to blackmail his family into agreeing to marry off Percy and his younger sister to the two older, abusive, manipulative, spoiled and as of yet unmarried members of the family due to the previous.

Upon finding out, Percy's bio mom offers to do the one thing that could at least keep Percy and his sister from being forced to marry these two very abusive and manipulative older nobles.

Taking them over the border with her and making them full citizens of Andromeda through being blood related to her.

His more progressive family, wanting to at least make sure his two youngest could be saved from horrifically abusive marraiges, agrees.

Even though Percy and his sister have a much better life than they would have had back there, he could never completely shake the guilt of leaving his family at the mercy of those who blackmailed them. A guilt that still stuck with him, making him into a man who has a hard time believing he deserves the good things that are happening to him.

Female MC: Valient Bloodstone "The Grey Warden" is a famous monster hunter that spends majority of her time on the road, hunting monsters either to save lives or for coin depending on the situation.

At the age of ten, in order to protect her younger and ailing sister after their mother was cut down in front of her, she allowed herself to be taken by one of her father's old enemies, a vampire lord and was used as a child gladiator.

At the age of 15, a group of monster hunters showed up to the vampire lord's lair, eradicating her abuser and freeing her. With no other idea's on how to live her life, she studied under the hunters who rescued her, taking something that was once a skill set only for killing innocents, to saving them instead.

She ended up making quite the name for herself, so much so that the family she had been taken from were able to track her down and reunite with her, giving her the love and support she needed to heal from her past.

Now, as her body begins to show signs of slowing and the damage she has been inflicted with beginning to catch up, she is on the verge of retiring, using the more simple and "safer" hunts to save up for the next chapter in her life.

A school for monster hunters and rangers like herself.

The day the two of them met was like any other day.

Valiant or V as most knew her had come in to the guild to turn in her most recent bounty. Riding in on her construct horse, she prepared for a much needed rest, having spent the last year helping her father deal with some trouble on the Citrine/ANdromeda border that ran along the deg of his lands.

Using the money her father had given her for the help and the money that she would soon get for her bounties, she planned on taking a good two weeks off for some self care and much needed repairs.

She had earned it.

Percy was working as the record keeper and bounty receiver in place of the regular one who was on maternity leave. Upon hearing the The Grey Warden themselves were there(A figure he looked up to in his youth) volunteers to meet with them personally to settle the bounties they brought in.

He goes down to meet them only to find out that V, whom most assumed was a man due to their size, build, and the flattening effect of most armor, was in fact a very muscular woman.

And Percy had a weakness for large muscular women who could throw him over their shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

So of course, he folded like a god damn arm chair.

V on the other hand, though often attracted to smaller men with soft gentle eyes like Percy had, wasn't drawn to Percy beyond a professional or platonic relationship until the day she got him talking about *Insert Hyper fixation here*.

For she had a deep and profound weakness for men who got genuinely excited about talking about something they loved that they went on whole rants about it.

She had always loved the way their eyes lit up and the wide happy smiles on their faces.

It was what made her mother fall for her father and she did not fall far from that tree.

Unfortunately, due to the immense survival's guilt and the low self esteem that it caused in Percy, all V's attempts at flirting, both subtle and blatant, fell on deaf ears despite how desperate he wanted to believe them.

It was something that V recognized in herself all to well before her family had found her. The recognition set her anger a blaze for whomever hurt him, and her heart to breaking for what he thought of himself, despite being a folk hero level healer in his own right.

Fortunately for V but Unfortunately for Percy, his obsessive "betrothed" was not familiar with the concept of "No." and shows up to try and threaten/blackmail/manipulate him into fulfilling his duty to his family by forcing him to announce their engagement at an upcoming gathering he would be attending due to his status as the first born son of the Matriarch of The House of Wyld.

V see's the first interaction between them as she returns from a hunt and afterwards gets the whole story from him.

As soon as she is able to resupply, she bee lines it back to her families land and tells them about what's going on. They make a plan to help him and his family make at the upcoming peace gathering, a festival/ball that happens once a year during Citrine's "Season", as an effort to keep the peace between the two countries.

Both him and his younger sister who married the soon to be patriarch of the The House of Arcanis, prepare for the ball, fearing for what their "betrothed's" families would do if they refused their request.

They feared sparking a war between the two countries, something they didn't put past them to do over this.

But they both knew how exactly that war would end.

The Dead fields on the far west Citrine/Andromeda border where the undead and tortured souls of soldiers still walked, was perfect proof of that.

Unbeknownst to Percy however, he had been traveling, flirting with and pining over the First Born child the house the Noble's did recognize.

The House of Night.

The House of Night was a prestigious house, even to those in Citrine, because it was home to nearly all of the most influential and powerful heroes/leaders of the country. The house also often operated as the the countries "face", equivalent to Citrine's royal family, that pretends to go along with the games the nobles of the Citrine play, often beating them at it.

At the ball, Percy and his sister are among the first to arrive, their new titles and names being announced to the ball room with many whispers and shocked gasps.

But when the House of Night shows up it is Percy's turn to gasp in shock as the announcer reports "The Grey Warden" as one of it's member's.

Shocked, confused, and afraid he leaves the ballroom to try and process what he just saw, only for V to find him in the midst of a panic attack.

A calm explanation followed by a passionate confession ends with Percy being picked up and slammed against a nearby wall as V practically devours him in the dimly lit hallway.

However, much to Percy's dismay, V breaks away from him as soon as it is announced that his betrothed and family have arrived.

After a little bit of help from V's father and sister to get them back presentable again, they explain to Percy "the plan".

The Plan being, V and Percy return to the Ball from the same and separate exits they used and keep separate until it is clear that his betrothed is going for him.

At that moment, V will walk over and ask him for a dance and while they are on the floor, the two Patriarchs of the family, her father and his husband, will make a subtle show of going over to Percy's family and speaking with them in a clear, we are negotiating some terms, type of conversation.

And since everyone in attendance knows how high up the social ladder her family is, just getting the families direct attention is enough to elevate Percy's family beyond where his betrothed's family could touch them.

After the ball, the two families have lunch where instead of negotiating something that was already going to happen at this point, (V malewifing percy up) also find a way for Percy's family to either act as ambassador's and thus have diplomatic immunity or straight up move to Citrine like Percy did, with V's family as their sponsors.

It is pretty much straight to the happy ending after that with an obligatory "You begged him to kiss you, He begged me to fuck him, we are not the same" style scene for a final confrontation with Percy's former "Betrothed."

[anniewatscn]

Welcome to Aurora Bay, [ANNABETH “ANNIE” WATSON]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [WILLA FITZGERALD]. You must be the [THIRTY-ONE] year old [DETECTIVE]. Word is you’re [AMBITIOUS] but can also be a bit [HARDHEADED] and your favorite song is [EDGE OF SEVENTEEN BY STEVIE NICKS]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [OCEAN CREST APARTMENTS]. I’m sure you’ll love it! @aurorabayaesthetic

basics.

full name; annabeth evangeline watson nicknames; known as annie to pretty much everybody birthday; tba sexuality; bisexual religion; agnostic, leaning towards atheist education level; bachelor's in criminal psychology occupation; detective (newly promoted from officer) for the aurora bay p.d. hobbies; lots of netflix and podcasts when she has the time, reading non-fiction books, going on runs & to the park with her dog.

stats.

alignment; neutral good astrology; capricorn more tba

full history.

tw: death, crime, murder, drug mention, pregnancy mention

Annie was born an Aurora Bay native as a surprise to two unmarried, very young parents who had a complicated relationship to begin with with each other, let alone bringing a child into it. They tried their best to make it work, eloping with the support of their parents, but after a few years of struggling to pay bills and arguing over everything from finances and family to the temperature of the air conditioning, they finally separated — right before Annie's mother found out she was yet again pregnant. This happened not only once, but twice — the parents would decide they were ready to call it quits, and then try to make things work again with each other for the new babies only to find out the same issues that were there to begin with still plagued them. Throughout this time, her father graduated from the police academy while her mother tried to make ends meet working for the local church nursery. But while there was a lot of love in their family, it just was never quite enough. Their final separation ended in divorce when Annie was fourteen years old.

She often tried to shield her siblings from the dysfunction whenever she could, feeling naturally very protective over them while also trying to make things easier for her parents by helping out with her siblings. And while it didn't ultimately save her parents' marriage, it did result in a very close relationship with her two younger siblings. Annie would act as a second mother to them for the rest of the time she lived with them — even going as far as to delay moving out of the house as an adult so she could continue to help take care of them.

After the dust settled, her mother continued to seek new relationships, while her dad, who, at the end of the marriage still wanted to make things work, remained single. One of her mother's new boyfriends had a past he hadn't been entirely forthcoming with, however, and when her father dug into his background he discovered the man was formerly (possibly still?) involved with drug trafficking. When he went to have a conversation with Annie's mother about this, however, he instead discovered the unthinkable. Annie and the kids were at school, and their mother, his ex wife, was gone. Vanished, without a trace. They discovered her body one week later, with apparent evidence of foul play, but the boyfriend had a seemingly airtight alibi, as did Annie's father, and with no other immediate suspects, the case went cold. It has remained unsolved to this day.

Her dad spiraled, becoming almost obsessive over the case. He was always a well respected cop in his department, but has since entered into early retirement, as suggested by his boss. Annie, on the other hand, made a promise to herself not to make the same mistakes. She wanted to protect and serve not only for herself, or for her mother, or her siblings, but for everyone. She wanted to be the good that she herself so desperately needed, the justice that she never got. But now the only question that remains is if she'll end up just like her father, chasing ghosts and nursing bottles in the memory of trauma that never truly heals.

significant relationships.

parents; divorced. dad still lives in aurora bay on the outskirts of fisher's cove. mother has been deceased since 2012. siblings; two younger siblings pets; a seriously protective german shepherd she affectionately named Bucky that helps her sleep at night after the work she often takes home with her.

connection ideas.

work related — good cop bad cop; the actual dynamic of this connection could vary, but basically this would be (ideally) her assigned partner or another coworker. Annie is very much so the "rookie" trying to prove herself, she's been on the force for a while but only just recently got promoted to detective so they could either be less than excited about working with her, or maybe they're happy to have a fresh pair of eyes with them. the unofficial partner; lucifer x chloe vibes. basically someone she leans on for support in her work life, who isn't actually a cop. maybe they're a criminal posing as a friend to her to try and keep her in the dark, or maybe they're a genuine friend who just has a penchant and an interest for crime solving but who doesn't have any official clearance. fancy seeing you here; someone she has caught doing something illegal on numerous occasions, but for some reason despite this person being a habitual offender she can't bring herself to hold any real ire for them. doesn't necessarily have to be serious crimes, either, could be something as simple as multiple parking tickets she assigned to this person in her beat cop days. you again?; this, on the other hand, would be more of a clear-cut enemy connection. when she first started out she was particularly zealous about things like parking tickets and jaywalking, all the way up to things like minor drug possession that other cops might've let slide. in annie's eyes she was just doing her job, but, to this person they would see her as an annoyance at best and the bane of their existence at worst. looking the other way; someone she knows is doing wrong but, due to their circumstances (being down on their luck, or recently gone through a tragedy, maybe even someone she's close to, etc.) she hasn't taken any action about it, despite the ramifications it could have for her with her job. platonic — you're my person; platonic soulmates, basically best friends that have always been close. we can decide the specifics, but this would be someone she probably met young and they've been together all the way from sleepovers and barbie dreamhouses to their first loves and toughest losses. big sister you never had; someone she either met through her tutoring job she had in school/college, or maybe a friend's younger sibling she feels protective over. whatever the case, these two are fairly close and annie might not show it, but, she needs them as much as they need her. you're all grown up now; childhood friends that grew apart but still think of each other fondly. maybe one moved away, or their friendship circles changed, or it was just the natural progression of time, but they'll always have making sandcastles in the backyard together. misery loves company; they bond over their mutual hatred or disdain for something, or over a number of things. two people that love to gripe but usually can't share their negativity with other people. couch potato aficionado; her time isn't often very free to relax but when she is able to, she'll veg out with true crime documentaries or trashy reality tv shows, plus the occasional scripted shows and movies. this would be someone (maybe even a neighbor) who comes over or she comes over to their house and they break open a bottle of wine together and hang out. familial — cut from the same cloth; a cousin that feels more like a sibling, the two of them always ended up off to the side together at family reunions and similar functions, gossiping about their aunt carol's new boyfriend and trading secrets they wouldn't tell anyone else. willing to plot this out as them still being close or maybe they've drifted apart in adulthood for whatever reason.

romantic — better off as friends; these two probably started as friends and tried dating, but, as good as they are as friends, it just felt off and didn't work out. now they just tease each other about their love lives and fill each other in on all their good and bad dates. maybe there's still lingering feelings, maybe not, but either way, they're always there for each other. girl in red; the first girl annie dated, who helped her realize and navigate her sexuality. this could've been when they were younger, all the way up to college or even more recently, I'm open to specifics! I imagine they're probably still friends and ended things on good terms, but we could discuss that too. fire and water; an ex that was her opposite in many ways, they had a lot of passion but they argued a lot. they did genuinely care about each other and probably still do, but mostly keep their distance now. the one that got away; an ex that probably still doesn't know the real reason things ended. Annie would've made up an excuse, but, the truth was that she was developing real feelings she wasn't prepared for, got scared, and ran. antagonistic — high school never ends; (bully mention tw) annie was kind of a nerd in school, very into her grades, a bit of a goody two shoes, etc. this person may have been a bit of a bully or had a "frenemy" type relationship with her, and probably thinks they were actually friends and all the teasing was just friendly. i could see this as going either way; could just be a genuine misunderstanding or a full-on bully situation and they've changed since school - or maybe not.

other/general — friends, coworkers, neighbors, exes, enemies/rivals, one night stands/fwbs/flirtationships/will-they-won't-they, etc

all of these connection ideas are mostly jumping off points, so don't be shy to suggest something similar in plotting or to work around the ideas suggested!

[semper-legens]

106. The Foundling, by Stacey Halls

Owned: No, library Page count: 370 My summary: Bess Bright left her illegitimate daughter at a foundling hospital, which promises to take in and raise unwanted babies. She leaves a token of half a whalebone heart with the baby, swearing she will one day return. Six years later, she’s finally saved up enough money to take her child back...only to find that she already had, one day after she dropped her off. But who was the woman that gave her name and took her child? And will Bess ever be reunited with her baby? My rating: 3/5 My commentary:

Stacey Halls is the kind of author whose books should be exactly my kind of thing. This one as much as the last one I read, The Familiars - it’s set in Georgian London! I love this time period! And it’s about women’s lives! But in reality, like The Familiars, I just wasn’t that connected to it. I wound up having a better time with the book than I did The Familiars, possibly because this novel is not based on a true story and as such there were far fewer inaccurate or (to my mind) misinterpreted events. But still. It was not all that it should be, and that’s so frustrating.

The story is told between two POV characters. One is Bess, the child’s natural mother who is trying to find her and bring her home. The other is Alexandra, the child’s adoptive mother who wants to keep her as close and safe as possible. I will admit, both of them were interesting enough in their way. Bess was a very earnest, very wholesome protagonist, and Alexandra’s mental health issues and trauma seen through the lens of the Georgian attitude to health is engaging enough. Alexandra is ambiguously autistic, and traumatised by her parents having been killed in front of her when she was a child. So she keeps Charlotte (the child) close, and doesn’t let her go outside most of the time. Healthy? Hell no, but that’s the best way she can keep control of her situation. I’ll give Halls this, she managed to write this character without imposing too much of a 21st century attitude over her. People obviously think she’s ‘mad’, but she’s wealthy enough and independent enough that she manages to get away with it. Bess, meanwhile, is just ignored by society at large. She’s an unmarried working woman, they’re a dime a dozen. I also have to give Halls kudos for showing some of the diversity of Georgian London - Bess’ best friend is a free black woman, and she and her family are a natural part of London’s scene. She lives in an area highly populated by Jewish people, black people, immigrants of all stripes. It’s not something you always see in historical fiction, so it’s nice to see here!

My biggest problem with the narrative here is that everything seems to happen when the plot needs it to happen. We get all this setup with Bess being mystified as to who took her child out of the foundling hospital, and then a few scenes later she’s bumping into her at a chapel, entirely coincidentally. Alexandra is supposedly this paranoid agoraphobic wreck, but she lets Bess into her house anyway on a vague justification, and later doesn’t fire her despite wanting to deeply. As soon as Alexandra is introduced as Charlotte’s father’s widow, most of the mystery is gone. Obviously, she was the one who took Charlotte back. How she knew Bess’ name and what token was left for her isn’t so much of a mystery, and is neatly explained in a kind of handwavey way at the end. The story then becomes a push and pull between Bess’ poverty but deep affection for Charlotte, versus Alexandra’s wealth and luxury but more hands-off and protective approach to motherhood. Which isn’t quite as interesting, mostly because Charlotte herself isn’t much of a character. She just kind of reacts to things, and her opinion doesn’t really matter much to the story, which I thought was kind of a letdown. Both Bess and Alexandra had the potential to be much more interesting than this narrative made them, with Bess’ poverty and working-class lifestyle and Alexandra’s trauma at a time when that wasn’t a recognised condition. All of that is just...background to the fight over Charlotte, never really developed so much. I get it, I get what Halls was going for. But I’m not sure she managed to pull it off, sad to say.

Next up, a young girl finds herself far, far away from home.

[cmbrosia]

[ rose williams , 22 , cis woman , she/her ] have you seen , MARIGOLD AMBROSE the WITCH has entered court? said to be INTELLIGENT + ELOQUENT , we can only hope their good qualities outshine that they are also SELF-DESTRUCTIVE + OBSESSIVE . when asked about them , people are always reminded of: smeared scribbles written in black ink on yellowed pages, moving shadows in a moonlit room, an ornate golden mirror and the unnerving sound of a pounding heartbeat. they are THE LADY OF HOUSE AMBROSE. they believe in THEMSELVES. may their wand guide them to absolution. 

FACTS

full name: marigold henrietta ambrose. nicknames: mari, goldie. title: lady marigold ambrose, daughter of duchess ambrose. age: twenty-two. sexuality: bisexual.  relationship status: unmarried, not engaged. languages: english (with a mild french accent), french. looks: dark hair, brown eyes. wizarding school: beauxbatons (had she attended hogwarts, she would have been in ravenclaw).  patronus: blackbird. wand: ash, dragon heartstring, 12″, stiff.  

STORY

marigold grew up in france and only recently returned to england with her mother, the duchess ambrose. despite having an english mother, she had a classic french upbringing and attended  beauxbatons instead of hogwarts. all she has ever known is france. despite living a privileged life with glamour and riches, marigold grew up extremely lonely in a big empty house. there were no children around, only her. it always felt like she lived with a stranger instead of a mother, she has never once felt loved by the duchess ambrose. due to not being around children growing up, the young witch mainly entertained herself with books — and later she began writing poetry. her poems were dark and reeking of melancholy, so marigold never showed them to anyone, and she knew her mother would only laugh at her words. the duchess had given her a bright name, a golden name, but she always felt unable to live up to it. she was not sunshine personified, she was midnight rain.

school became her saving grace and marigold discovered new sides to herself at beauxbatons. the biggest one was that she actually learned how to make true friends. she was a master at small talk, of being polite and charming as she had been taught, but she never made a real human connection before starting school. the moment she said goodbye to her mother, something inside her changed, a weight was lifted from her shoulders. marigold had always thought herself incapable of making friends, she had thought that she needed no one but herself. her years at school were her happiest by far. she wrote fewer poems but she filled her hours alongside her little group of friends. the young lady was finally content. when she graduated from beauxbatons marigold truly believed that everything would change, but almost immediately she found herself falling back into the same pattern, her mother made sure of that. the house was still empty, filled with beautiful things and balls hosted every month, but her mother still felt like a stranger. countless poems were written, all filled with gloom and despair, a wish for a different life. she wanted her old life with her friends back, she did not want to meet french noblemen and women whose vainess rivaled that of her mother. but then one day the duchess suddenly announced they would return to england. mari decided then and there this was her chance to finally escape the numbness, to finally feel something again, even if her mother has proven to be more set on finding a suitable husband for her daughter than to help marigold grow into her own person.

the day after returning to london marigold ventured out to the shops, her object of desire being a new hat and after introducing herself to the shopkeeper, she overheard two women nearby whispering about her mother, how they had no idea that the duchess had a child. at first marigold did not think anything of it, but somehow the thought planted itself in her subconscious and it is currently haunting her. mari knows that she was born in england, surely the ladies must just be remembering wrong. she knows it makes no sense. why would the duchess raise another’s child... but what if there is a reason why the duchess has never loved her — one other than her not living up to her mother’s expectations?  

PERSONALITY 

marigold is an introvert that has been molded into an extrovert. it saps a lot of her energy, but she can smile, small talk and entertain with the best of them. some part of her enjoys knowing that she can put an act on so well. she is fiercely intelligent, scoring high marks in all her classes in school, and she actually enjoys learning and spends a lot of time with her nose in books. she is most skilled at charms which makes her a dangerous duelist, she is also very creative with her choice of spells. she is generally pleasant to be around, marigold takes no enjoyment in other people’s suffering, but neither does she go to great lengths to make others happy.

due to her unhappy childhood, she can get caught up in her sadness. it can take such a deep hold that she becomes self-destructive. there is also a deep rooted rage inside her. it rarely bubbles to the surface but when it does, mari has no control of herself. none of her poems before she started school has survived, she burned them all in a fit of rage years ago. marigold has a tendency to be obsessive, she finds it hard to stop or let go when something has managed to capture her interest. this has led to countless sleepless nights spent thinking, reading or writing about the same subject over and over again. 

she is in the process of figuring out who she truly is without the influence of her friends, of her mother or her old life in france. 

[anankc]

Charlotte Li - An Introduction

Name: Born as Li Xiulan, but took the name Charlotte Li in her earliest ventures out of Chinatown, and has rarely used her birth name at all since leaving New York.

Title(s): Miss

Referred to as: Miss, Miss Li

Nickname(s): Char to those closest to her, Lottie to acquaintances in the world of entertainment, though she's not especially fond of the nickname.

Age: Thirty

Gender: Cis woman

Sexual orientation: Bisexual

Occupation: Lady's Maid to Lady Faye Manderley

Nationality: American

Religion: Chinese folk religion, only practiced in small, private ways

Class: Working

Place of birth: Chinatown, New York City, USA

Hometown: As above

Faceclaim: Jing Tian

Physical description

Height: 5'5"

Weight: 112lbs

Build: Slender, with soft curves, and strong calves and forearms

Distinguishing marks: Scars, moles, and the like.

Hair colour: Jet black

Hair style: Typically worn pinned away from her face, in gentle curls. Despite the fashion of the times, Charlotte has never been able to bring herself to cut it shorter than mid-back.

Eye colour: Deep brown, dark enough to appear black in certain light.

Clothing: While not especially stylish, Charlotte keeps up with the fashion of the times when not in uniform. She prefers clean, simple styles, mostly in neutrals and muted hues. She is loathe to throw anything away, and though she's far from an expert seamstress, is practiced at keeping older clothing looking smart.

Scents: Freshly washed linen, cut flowers, and a light spray of rosewater

Accent: Neutral American, and although she has worked hide it, her natural Chinese accent sometimes slips through when her guard is down.

Personality

Summary: Fitting of her assumed role as lady's maid, Charlotte, at least at a glance, may seem to slip into the background. With a timid nature and a sensitive spirit, in another life Charlotte may have scarcely left her native New York, let alone America. But oh, she is so desperately glad she did. Her travels have not made her bold and brash, and she has never possessed much in the way of charisma, but she has learned to hold her own in matters of business, if not in matters of the heart. Still, while she loves so dearly, there is a lonely, jealous streak in her that only seems to grow deeper with each passing season. Charlotte wishes she could rid herself of it, but, put simply, she never has been able to help her heart.

Virtues: Diligent, loyal, gentle, romantic, mild-mannered

Vices: Avoidant, critical, sensitive, indecisive, prone to holding grudges over even petty matters

Moral alignment: Neutral Good

Natal chart: Pisces in the Western Zodiac, born in the year of the Snake in the Chinese Zodiac

Habits: Humming while she works, mumbling to herself in Mandarin, saving scraps, rising early, daydreaming, lip biting, smoothing non-existent creases in her clothes

Character tropes: Elinor Dashwood (Sense & Sensibility), Sook-hee (The Handmaiden), Amélie Poulain (Amélie)

Family ties

Parent(s): Li Shufen (mother, deceased), Li Jianhong (father, estranged)

Sibling(s): None

Spouse: Unmarried

Child/ren: None

Miscellaneous headcanons:

Coming soon

Wanted plots

Crush. Charlotte can't quite help herself, her affections develop so easily. She rarely ever acts on them, but recently longing has become a more constant companion, and thus she might be a little less subtle with her warm glances, shy smiles, and pink cheeks. How the other muse feels about her affections, or if they've even noticed, is entirely up for discussion. Open to upstairs or downstairs, any gender.

Guide. Someone (probably downstairs?) willing to help Charlotte, who is not always in tune with the nuances of service and the workings of Manor Houses, navigate life at Montmere. Could be out of the goodness of their heart, or perhaps because there's something that they want from Charlotte or her employer.

Animosity. They've picked up on the fact that Charlotte simply does not have the formal training typically expected of someone in her position, and thus find her an unwelcome presence at Montmere. Could be quiet resentment, open disdain, or even actively trying to remove her from the estate. Open to upstairs or downstairs.

Unexpected Reunion. Friends, acquaintances or business associates met during Faye's European tours. Could be someone Charlotte quietly longed after, a short but meaningful friendship, someone she clashed with in financial matters, or anything else really.

[ifideliadaworld-blog]

Dragon Hunters: GLACIER OF MADNESS

(PART 1)

Main characters & setting by: © Arthur Qwak, Valérie Hadida, Guillaume Ivernel © Futurikon Screenplay and artwork: Fideliada

Part1--Part2--Part3--Part4--Part5--Part6--Part7--Part8--Part9(end)

(The sound of a raging night rainstorm)

(The creak of an art brush, barely audible over the rustle of water in the leaves.)

(Gwizdo) I've got the whole house on fire… Does anyone care about my immunity here?! By the way, no one has yet concocted a cold vaccine!

(Gwizdo) I wish my book lessons would be useful to her: for sure, she should read it from the bridge!

(Pitiful creaking of the front door, which has somehow obeyed)

(Lian-Chu) Zoria was in such a hurry that she didn't even take her favorite scarf… (Gwizdo's voice from the doorway) That's it, I've finished the sign that says "Young and beautiful unmarried dragon hunters are strictly required to enter"... the paint is moisture-resistant! I hope you'll let me sleep now?!

(Gwizdo's soft footsteps go up the stairs, barefooted.)

(Jeanneline) This is terrible! What kept her from sitting with us a little longer? (Gwizdo's voice from the second floor) Your fantasies about your step-grandkids: you know, a dragon-slaying young lady who isn't vaccinated against cholera can easily go crazy, even in a loving family. (Jeanneline) Even though my little Zoe is adopted, you can't fool a mother's heart, we won't be waiting for her like this!

(Muddy puddles squelch underfoot)

(Lian-Chu) Jeanneline is right: we can't go with the flow, we have to act!

(The grumble of a morning thunderstorm)

(Hector overcomes drowsiness and disgust) Urrr! SQUELCH! SNORT! (The plaintive wheeze of Gwizdo) SERIOUSLY?! Buddy, you expect to find her on foot in such darkness and all alone?! Brrr, you'll get wet again!

(The sound of rain and the roar of plasma clots among the clouds)

(Lian-Chu) Do you remember any hints about where Zoria wanted to go? Did she say anything to you in your literacy class while she was quarantined? We can't let her repeat the fate of her real parents...

(Sounds of a heavy rainstorm and Hector's half-asleep efforts)

(Gwizdo) What makes you think she likes to share secrets with me? Well, yes, in the heat, she complained that she was tired of fan letters and wanted to see the polar lands. But we're done with Neglur in the North...

(Thunderclaps)

(Gwizdo) Boy, oh boy! THE SOUTH POLE! IT'S HALF A WEEK AWAY!

(It's been a little less than the promised half of the week - the one who doesn't fuss has more time!)

(Gwizdo) The stop didn't disappoint. Now we know: the junk dealer in the repair booth complains that a girl in a coat had ruined him for canvas, bath cloths and some kind of rusty pedal-operated screw. We've just flew thousands of miles from women's tears, but we already foresee new ones…

(Finally, everyone allowed the big hostess to cry her big heart out)

(Jeanneline) My brave and silly babygirl, it's ALL MY FAULT! How could I forget that your heart still hasn't healed after the pirate ship?! And now the boys have disappeared after you!

(Gwizdo) Hmm, I was lucky to have saved up something by delivering Jeanneline's concoction to the palaces. At least Noble Kayo's cholera vaccine wasn't sold out because of our hunger strike.

(Lian-Chu) The crowns are green: it looks like that valley is warming up from inside of the mount! Shall we go down?"

(Gwizdo) It's useless. I see that the warm parts of the pole don't attract our "princess Solarhead".

(Gwizdo) You know, I'd like to change the archipelago. These mountains stress me out!

(Dense multi-year snow crunches pleasantly at every step)

(Lian-Chu) Pleasant frosty air. Zoria didn't like to sunbathe, so I chose a cool time every morning when I taught her to float. Hey, judging by the paintings from that tavern at the South Pole, there are auroras, such a dancing light in the night sky... I'd like to see it!

(Gwizdo) Well, well! It's in our best interests to not test the immune system! Let this impudent girl continue to wander, warming herself and eating in her own way, until we provide her with an anti-cholera vaccine and wrap her in a carpet to deliver her back to her mom for drinking borback goulash! I won't let my plans plans to open a private school to be ruined because of someone's stupidity!

(Snowdrifts wheezing under Lian-Chu's nimble feet)

(Lian-Chu's excited cry) Great idea, Gwizdo!

(Lian-Chu) We can't stay here for long, so put your telescope away AND RUN FOR COVER!!!

(Gwizdo) Stop breaking your voice, Lian-Chu, this is an uninhabited flying iceberg! 

(Gwizdo, instantly falling into a stupor from what he saw) Well then, what is... THIS?

(Gwizdo) Trepangs in rice breading! Lactating lizards! We just should...

(Artificial blizzard rings)

(Lian-Chu) Follow me! (Gwizdo) RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIVES!!! (Hector) Achacha-Chu!!!

(Gwizdo wheezing through the blizzard) Kha-kha!.. We need to sit down lower, otherwise we'll freeze up!.. (Lian-Chu, weakly shouting over the blizzard) I'll try it now!

(Screams of terror and the sound of bodies hitting — well, trained ones! — on the rocks of the long ice tunnel...)

(Gwizdo) WHY DIDN'T YOU TAKE THE ROPE?!!

(Three splashes on the entire cavity of the stone-ice cliff as a result of a rapid one-and-a-half-minute ride down the stone-ice hill)

(Gwizdo didn't finish speaking at the time of the dive) OH DEALLL!..

(Hysterical clapping of hands on water)

(Gwizdo, who didn't have time to spit) Chu, save me, there's warm water everywhere!!!

TO BE CONTINUED...

Part1--Part2--Part3--Part4--Part5--Part6--Part7--Part8--Part9(end)

[paranormals-of-ilvermorny]

Professor Holly-Oaks

Name: Stella Holly-Oaks

Title: Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts & Horned Serpents Head of House

Age: 63

Faceclaim:

Born to her parents, Basilio Oaks and Ileana Holly close to midnight on November 3rd, 1934. When she first opened her eyes, her parents were taken aback with how bright and beautiful her eyes were, mimicking the stars shining above them, and aptly named her Stella. At the age of four she started to show signs of her magical lineage, both parents coming from wizarding families known around Cuba. In one instance, her mother walked in on her daughter playing with her toy dog, only for the toy to transform into a croaking toad. At the age of five her mother gave birth to twin boys, Luis and Alestro, who Stella was immediately in love with and vowed to protect. The family moved from Cuba to the United States when Stella was ten years old because her father got a job on a herbalist’s farm. Stella has many fond memories of that first spring and summer where she, along with her parents and brothers, would harvest and maintain various herbs and plants that would then be sold to a local potion shop. The family was paid good money for their hard work, the farm owner even letting them live in a little cottage on his property, somewhere she used to spend the cold winters reading every book she could find that had to do with good guys always saving others. To this day Stella finds the smell of wet dirt, lemon balm, and firewood brings her a feeling of nostalgia and calm.

Stella received her letter on her eleventh birthday when an American kestrel flew into the open cottage window where the family was enjoying a birthday dinner of Lechon asado, with pork that her father spent hours slowly roasting. Her first steps through the Ilvermorny castle is a memory she never wishes to forget, remembering the dazzling lights of the dining hall that seem to glow brighter every fall she returns to the school. During her years of studying as a Horned Serpent, Stella found she had a talent for transfiguration, but her real passion was protection. More specifically, how to keep those she loves and cares about safe from the many dangers of the magical world. It was this drive to help those around her, even if they didn’t want or need it, that gave her the energy to spend countless nights studying everything there was to know about evil magic and the dark arts.

Following this burning drive to help led Stella to become an Auror, specifically one that tracked down wizards and witches allegedly up to no good. Through her years of service she made quite the name for herself, even being honored with the Coin of Achievement Through Courage and Honor, otherwise known as C.A.T.C.H. It was during an investigation at a seedy shack where a group was suspected to have a list of No-Maj names they planned on attacking, that Stella sustained a minor injury to her shoulder. Although the pain was mild a scar was left from a failed killing curse, which prompted her to rethink this career path. Stella knew she couldn’t protect the ones she loves if she wasn’t alive, so she shifted gears and instead took on the position of Defense Against The Dark Arts professor at her beloved school, feeling hopeful that she could help every new generation of witches and wizards by teaching them the skills they need to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Becoming a professor and deputy headmistress has been one of the most fulfilling things she has ever accomplished, feeling a surge of joy every time a seventh year student tells her they are applying to the Magical Congress as an Auror. Besides teaching, the other thing she is most proud of is creating a heritage week where students and teachers get to eat foods that their fellow peers consider a taste of home, the idea sparking from the many times she would write to her mom to send Ropa Vieja. Although unmarried with no children, something she felt compelled to do after choosing a career with devious criminals, Stella still spends every holiday with her brothers and their families, and feels complete with the knowledge that every student she teaches acts as a surrogate child to her.

Professor Holly-Oaks has beautiful almond shaped brown eyes that dance in the sunlight, freckles from years spent in the summer sun harvesting herbs, and a smile that warms the soul that only a mother can give. Due to age, her once deep brown hair is now gray with streaks of white that she usually keeps down in waves of silver. Her tanned skin compliments her slight Cuban accent like lemon on chicken, one of her favorite dishes, and her burgundy robes make her fuller figure feel like a motherly figure is always watching out for you.

Although she feels the need to protect most everyone who she encounters, Professor Holly-Oaks has a tendency to forget herself and how important it is to keep her body healthy by getting enough rest and food. As a teacher she is strict but fair, always telling her students who don’t pay attention the severity of what can happen as a result. She doesn’t sugar coat anything, always telling the honest truth, but that is not to say she can’t hold back information or emotions when necessary. Professor Holly-Oaks is beloved by many students due to her honest words, past service, and warm approachability, usually the first they go to with a question or recommendation for the school.

When she really lets her guard down she loves to cook for her family while singing and dancing to Spanish music, not caring if her rhythm is on point or not. She is also an avid reader of any true crime novel, real or fiction.

Her wand is made from alder wood with a rougarou hair core and measures 12 inches exactly.

[androgynous-barbie]

Bridgerton S3 thoughts thus far

spoilers under the cut i guess. but i dont have like anyone to talk about this show with so

Reasons I do ship Polin

i want Penelope to be happy and being with Colin would make her happy

it's gonna happen anyway

his growth/development is making me like him a little bit

maybe if he grows to accept the Whistledown thing, he can also help Eloise realize that Pen exposed her to save her from the queen cuz god why are we not getting this Eloise ur supposed to be the smart one ffs

gets her the FUCK out of that house (like she wants). her mom's bad but god her sisters just SUUUUUCK

Reasons I don't

he literally does not deserve her (or really, so far, anyone in my mind) after years of her just being a thought in his head and then espesh the bs in the s2 finale - then again really idrc much for any of the bridgerton men thus far.... i know the show's named after them but (as is a pattern with me in life) i really care about the female characters so much more. s1 was daphnes story. s2 was kates story. s3 is penelope's. i know im supposed to see it the other way round in the latter 2 cases but.... (i dunno. maybe make the men cooler than 'he was a rake/slept around alot and didnt know what to do in the world til he found love in her' ? although to be fair they DID make Anthony a compelling character in his season. they just have yet to do that with Colin)

she deserves someone who didn't HAVE to grow to love her after writing her off or suddenly realize she's always been beautiful

the Whistledown plotline.... like... is he just gonna shut up and accept it? is she gonna have to convince him its okay? is he gonna become a co-Whistledown the way Dan and Jenny were BOTH Gossip Girl? this gripe gets its own point later on

Rest of the season thoughts

i wish it was explicitly stated if the match Edwina made overseas was Prince Friedrich cuz my god my girl deserves to be a princess omg

why are we still supposed to care about the Mondrich plots? its leading to NOTHING. this is just as bad as the con artist plot from s2 that i literally just started fast forwarding thru until the finale. - and even THEN all it did was give Penelope more reason to fawn over Colin so really it led to NOTHING

LOVING Cressida Cowper being in her character development era.

Lord Debling is so gorgeous

Lord Debling is so adorable

Lord Debling is so sweet....... and I wish he had said 'yes i do believe love CAN grow' or at least 'fondness/deep fondness' rather than his (truthful) 'i don't know'. cuz damn that was a cute courtship but again we all know this is gonna be Polin season (no pun intended)

solely because of her shit ass parents, i hope Cressida becomes Lady Debling. They COULD be cute but it seems like asking for romantic chemistry is asking alot so if they approach this like a contract ('you receive a wife and eventually a son we hope and i receive a title and money and my parents off my neck') then it could work to everyone's happiness or at least contentment (s2 Marina flashback omg)

i hope at SOME point we get some redeeming qualities from Penelope's sisters. They're so two-note (stupid and mean) and I really think if they're going to insist on putting this bitches in our faces they should at least be bearable

I hope we get some redeeming qualities from Lady Featherington too. It does seem like she cares for Pen but for some reason can't find a way to say it. I hope we find out WHY and then undo that

like i seriously hoped that when she said 'a life unmarried doesn't have to be miserable' (paraphrased or whatever) that pen wouldve been like 'i can do unmarried i can't do unLOVED' and then her mom wouldve said she DOES love her or something

AND i was hoping Pen calling her out wouldve led to something but of COURRRSSSSSSE the moment had to be interrupted

so i'm hoping I just have to wait a little more

The Whistledown identity plot. GAWWWD.

so i havent read the books but from what i heard about them the queen isnt a character in them and so i think the whole 'who's the gossiper' isnt a plot in the books too

and so i wish that this and gossip girl 1 had just been like 'she's here she exists we tolerate it lets go' cuz it's causing ANOTHER plot line to be added into this very loaded season

and it's TEDIOUS especially because we KNOW this wont end with Pen on trial for treason or her and Colin shunned by society cuz this isnt THAT DEEP of a show so WHAT are we doing here?

Benedict gets his own story soon doesnt he? so why are we getting another him + random woman plot?

that being said, i love this season's random Benedict-girl. gorgeous and has some bite. wonder how thatll pan out tho since she doesnt bare the name of the girl he gets with in his book so..

speaking of gorgeous: FRANCESCAAAAA!!!!!!!

she looks like a mix of Phoebe Dynevor and Lily James

I was gonna say 'where has she been hiding' but i found out the actress has been in 2 things ive seen before omg

but ughhhh i was so happy for her and Lord Samadani until the 'i want 8 kids thing'

espesh cuz this'll lead to the queen lashing out cuz she feels like a bad matchmaker and that'll be bad for the bridgertons or whistledown or both and like ughhh

i was SO on francesca's side about being fine and being paired with whoever

but now that she's finding love or fondness with the earl omg im loving that for her too

the giggliness at the piano, their comfort sharing silence its SO CUTE

but knowing just the plot of the books i wonder if this means that [redacted] is gonna end up with her and then she'll still be widowed and [redacted] will end up pursuing her.

maybe THATS why theyre giving her a plot this season. to lead to that

i miss daphne a little. i get it tho

i DEF miss Kate. and Kate and Anthony but i get it tho

come to think of it. i think i'd actually just be happier if Pen's mom and sisters just died tbh (that could change tho. please give them positive qualities QUICK)

[luvsjimmyreed]

Jimmy Reed: Texting Drama Over A Mother's Neglect

Cynthia: Sarah, Mom is going out today - so I won't be home. You go ahead and figure something out for dinner yourself, okay?

Sarah: What?! Hang on, what are you going?

Cynthia: I'm going to LA real quick. I have something that came up and I gotta go take care of it.

Sarah: What about Dad, though?

Cynthia: Look, Sarah... Why do you think I'm able to go out at all? It's because your father is out with his company parties having dinner with them, obviously. Otherwise, there's no way I would be able to leave to go out at night lol.

Sarah: Um, about today, though. It's my birthday... did you forget?

Cynthia: Why would you think I forgot lol? But if Dad isn't here, what's the point in having a party at all - right? Why don't we just pretend this year's birthday never happened at all? Actually, why would you wanna even celebrate your birthday at your age?

Sarah: Huh?

Cynthia: You're literally in high school already, right? Are you seriously happy because it's your birthday, lol? You need to grow up. It's literally the world's most useless celebration, lol. Why would I want to have a party for it?

Sarah: Dude, that's kind of messed up to say to your daughter. To me, it's a special day. I thought I could hang out at home and celebrate with my family, so I even turned down invitations to celebrate with my friends...

Cynthia: Well then, it's your fault for being stupid - isn't it? But, hey, if your birthday is so important to you - then why don't you just go to the convenience store and ask for one of the clerks to blow you up a balloon? I think they still do that. It's only three block away from our house. Surely, you can walk that far.

Sarah: That's not the point, Mom!

Cynthia: Then what is the point? Look here. A good woman, at the bare minimum, doesn't reveal or mind her age! You especially don't have much to work with in the face department. So, if you have spare time to celebrate some dumb birthday, you should study. If you're not even smart, no one will ever marry you when you are older.

Sarah: What the bloody hell? Why are you telling me this ON my birthday? I seriously do not understand what is going on right now. You're being such a witch!

Cynthia: I'm telling you everything you NEED to hear! I'm looking out for you, you understand? Who wants to be single and unmarried past 30, lmao?

Sarah: I'm beginning to think you don't even LOVE me, Mom!

Cynthia: I have to go now, dear. Bye!

*a couple hours later*

Sarah: Mom, where are you right now? Help me, please! I just got hit by a car and they just drove away! I can't move at all right now. There's so much blood coming out of my leg. Someone just helped me and called an ambulance for me. Mom, where are you? This hurts so much, Mom. Please help. Please come save me. Mom... Please...

Sarah: This is all that I sent to Mom, Dad - but she isn't answering! I'm beginning to think she doesn't even care for me... or love me.

Jimmy Reed: Sweetheart, what's going on? Did something happen? Is everything okay?

Sarah: Dad, I'm really sorry to bother you while you're working. I was just involved in a hit and run. I'm in an ambulance right now.

Jimmy Reed: Good heavens!! *call time: 0:07 sec* Why are you not answering me, honey?! Are you okay?! Please talk to me!!

Sarah: I'm okay... Sorry, I could answer but apparently my phone broke when I was hit by the car - so I can't hear anything.

Jimmy Reed: Are you injured?!

Sarah: I'm bleeding a lot from both of my knees... Also... my left elbow won't move at all... no matter how hard I try...

Jimmy Reed: There are people around you right now, right?

Sarah: There are the EMT people around me right now, yeah.

Jimmy Reed: Where is Mom? Is she with you? Are you absolutely sure she wasn't answering when you tried messaging her? Did you accidentally call the wrong number, perhaps?

Sarah: I know for a fact that it was her number, Dad. She's just ignoring me... She won't answer her phone... I really don't want to believe it, Dad... but I'm beginning to think she doesn't even LOVE me!

Jimmy Reed: I thought she was supposed to stay at home, tonight? That's weird. Whatever, okay. I understand how you feel, sweetie. I'll head over right now. Tell me what hospital you're going to.

Sarah: I'm so sorry, Dad... I know you're still working...

Jimmy Reed: Sarah, you don't need to worry about that at all - okay? Just tell me which hospital you're headed to!

Sarah: I'm heading to Central General, I think.

Jimmy Reed: Okay, sweetheart! I'm heading over RIGHT now!

*a few hours later*

Cynthia: Sorry, Sarah! I didn't check my text messages at all LOL. You were in an accident? You're just messing with me, right? LOLOLOL You're seriously so SLOW hahaha Where are you right now?

Sarah: I'm at the hospital, already! Dad is here with me, too!

Cynthia: What?! Dad is supposed to be at work, right? Why is he there?

Sarah: You didn't answer the phone, so he came for me instead of you.

Cynthia: You're telling me that Dad is literally with you, right now? Are you serious, right now? I was actually taking care of work, to be honest with you. I'm sooo sorry! I'll head over right now, okay? You hang tight.

Sarah: You really don't have to come. Anyway, why didn't you come by to save me? I texted and call you so much...

Cynthia: I told you. Sweetie, I was at work! I was too busy so I couldn't let it go!

Sarah: Yeah, you were ignoring my SOS to go to your stupid beauty salon - right? Be honest with me. I have photos of you at the beauty salon, too - you know. My friend's sister just sent them to me.

Cynthia: Huh?

Sarah: "Your Mom just finished her therapy at our salon, Sarah!" "I wasn't the person working on her - so I couldn't really say anything to her, though." "So what is this about you being involved in an accident?!" "Are you okay?!" That's what I got from her. You didn't know that Kristen's sister worked at that salon - did you? LOL

Cynthia: Kristen's sister...?

Sarah: I just talked to her on the phone. She was surprised because she didn't realize that I had such a bad accident and was badly injured. You were apparently laughing at my text messages, too! She thought I had just tripped and fell or something. You knew about what I was saying and what happened to me! You knew that I was in a hit and run. You knew - and, yet, you still didn't come... right? Am I right?

Cynthia: I didn't know! Those people must be lying, dear! I wasn't even looking at my phone, I promise! I didn't know, so how could I possibly go to save you?

Sarah: You realize that we can find out if you had your phone or not just by asking the sister to look at the surveillance footage - right?

Cynthia: You don't have to do THAT much - do you, dear? You don't trust what your own mother is telling you?

Sarah: Why would I possibly be able to trust you? You ignored your own daughter who was involved in a terrible accident so that you could sit there with cucumber slice on your eyes and enjoy life to the fullest! Why would I trust a parent like that? To be honest with you, I can't see you as a parent. You don't even love me, do you? When I said that to you BEFORE the accident, you didn't even try to reassure me that you love me! You just brushed me off and left!

Cynthia: Why are you sooo obsessed with me loving you, LMAO? If you don't like it - I'll apologize, okay? Just please, don't tell Dad that I was at a beauty salon. Okayyy?

Sarah: He already knows about everything! He's looking at these text messages right now, too.

Cynthia: Huh?

Sarah: You two can go ahead and talk to each other on your own!

*switch to Jimmy Reed's perspective *

Jimmy Reed: Sarah showed me everything up until this point. All the messages that you ignored. I didn't realize that you behaved that way towards your OWN daughter. I had no idea! I have lost all hope in you as a human. You done crossed a line! Multitudes of lines, in fact!

Cynthia: No, it's not what it looks like! I have my reasons, I promise!

Jimmy Reed: You left your own daughter's birthday to go play. She showed me all the text messages where you completely degraded her. You had the audacity to suggest that a bloody BALLOON from the convenience store could possibly replace a mother's love. Shame on you, Cynthia! And, on top of that, you didn't even go save your own daughter when she needed you the most. Seriously, do you take immense pleasure in giving your daughter the birthday blues?

Cynthia: So what? Who cares? You also forgot about the birthday, too - right? I didn't say anything. But sometimes people forget things. It can't be helped. That just means she doesn't really have any kind of presence in my life.

Jimmy Reed: You are absolutely not the woman who I thought I married, Cynthia! And, for the record, I didn't forget about her birthday.

Cynthia: Huh? But you said that there would be a party with your coworkers...

Jimmy Reed: I didn't say that I would be attending at all. I even specifically said that I would try to figure out a way to get home and not go.

Cynthia: What? Wait, you were actually being serious about that?

Jimmy Reed: Of course I was being serious, Cynthia! Why would a workplace party be more important to me than my own daughter's birthday? Do you really think I'm that dedicated to my job that I would neglect my own daughter? I'm not like you, Cynthia! I love my Sarah! I even bought a present for her, and I was headed home when Sarah called and messaged me.

Cynthia: Wow, Sarah! She's seriously the ABSOLUTE worst!

Jimmy Reed: Excuse me?

Cynthia: She has NO idea what it means to be a man of your stature at all! I mean, just think about it for a second! Work is just a tool for a man to increase his own self-worth. Duh! And then this quote-unquote "daughter" decides to get in your way. Unbelievable! No, that's totally unacceptable!

Jimmy Reed: That is literally what daughters are supposed to do, Cynthia! Daughters are supposed to reach out to their parents in a time of need! And that is what decent loving parents would WANT for them to do. Exactly what kind of a father do you take me for? I am a family man! Family comes first! Children come first!

Cynthia: I knew that was how you felt about everything! I always had a suspicion, now I know for sure.

Jimmy Reed: I beg your pardon?

Cynthia: You look at Sarah as a woman, don't you? Someone you're attracted to?

Jimmy Reed: You have got to be kidding me! What the bloody hell are you talking about?!

Cynthia: You're attracted to her because she's pretty and young, right? I knew it. That's disgusting, LMAO!! I always had a sneaking suspicion between you two... I'll be honest, you're the one that's acting disgusting!

Jimmy Reed: So you seriously are incapable of comprehending a father's love for a daughter?! That you have to twist it to something as revolting as incest?! You are unbelievable!

Cynthia: I knew about this from a looong time ago! That's why I ignored this accident, too - on purpose.

Jimmy Reed: Do you even hear yourself, Cynthia! I can't believe I ever thought that you were someone worth marrying! The only reason why I wouldn't go back in time and undo it all if I had the opportunity is because then Sarah wouldn't be born.

Cynthia: I figured if Sarah just scratched up her face real good - then maybe, just maybe... you'd wake up from your stupid dream with her! Because, even if she's young... if she's ugly - then she's completely worthless as a woman, right? LOL I, on the other hand, may be a little older recently. But, as you can see, I'm maintaining my beauty from my younger days! If anything, I've really been able to polish and work out all of the problems.

Jimmy Reed: Okay, where do I even begin? The fact of the business is, you are a very vain and selfish woman! I don't know how you managed to trick me all these years into thinking you were a decent human being. But the way you speak of Sarah... and the love I have for her as a father... and the way you twist a healthy parent-child bond out to be... ugh, I think I'm gonna vomit! Sarah is magnitudes better of a human being than you can ever even hope to be. So, no, you will never be as good as Sarah! Never!

Cynthia: What? Why the hell not?

Jimmy Reed: That's because she doesn't judge people based on their titles or their looks. She's also a capable human to be able to genuinely care about the well-being of others and to put aside her own self-interest. That alone puts her MILES above what you are as a human being!

Cynthia: What the hell are you even talking about? The value of a human being is basically all about looks, lol. There's no way Sarah would EVER be worth anything like me.

Jimmy Reed: Everything you are spouting off about, Cynthia, is baloney! Pure unadulterated baloney! But, seeing as how looks are obviously the only thing you care about, I've got news for you! She's above you in THAT department, too! She was even scouted by a big time modelling agency! She turned it down, since she was never too interested in something like that!

Cynthia: What? What is this about? I didn't hear about that! Sarah getting scouted? You're pulling my leg, right?

Jimmy Reed: Furthermore, it was not a one-time affair. It's been a repeat occurrence. She was totally used to handling the situation, lol. Also, why would she tell you anything? It's not something she cares about. She has her own dreams and desires that she wishes to pursue, and the very last thing she wanted was for you to pressure her into a lifetime of modelling. That would've been such a nightmare for her, working with you as a stage mother!

Cynthia: What? Anyway, who cares if she was scouted? Big deal. I used to be a model back in my day, too. And why would I be a stage mother to Sarah when I can focus on living my own life of dreams?

Jimmy Reed: Yeah, you always say that - but I'll be honest with you. Being on the local paper once because your relatives had some connections doesn't make you a model.

Cynthia: What? How do you know that?

Jimmy Reed: You realize that ALL of our relatives know about that, right? Sarah has talked about that with your mom... her grandma... a number of times. When Sarah couldn't get love and support from you, she turned to her grandma for moral support. Your mom has always been very regretful by how you turned out. As an aside, we sent HER all of your text messages with Sarah from today - and she is driving home early from vacation as we speak. Methinks she's not happy with you, right now. Yet, you're still bragging about that one-time incident. Everyone always talks about you behind your back, as that's all you brag about.

Cynthia: What? You're just lying to me, right? Did you tell them off for me?

Jimmy Reed: Well, I do always try to be a nice person. I generally don't condone trash talking or gossiping about other people. But they aren't exactly wrong, are they? At any rate, I'm going to talk to my lawyer - and we can talk about what's going to happen next.

Cynthia: Huh? What do you mean what's going to happen next? Are you talking about... breaking up?

Jimmy Reed: Yeah, why wouldn't I divorce you? Sarah doesn't need anymore of your emotional abuse, and she started crying the moment you laughed at her for expressing that she doesn't feel that you love her? "Why are you sooo obsessed with me loving you, lmao?" Those are your precise words to her! Shame on you! Your callous treatment of your very own daughter... on the day of her birthday... even after she got into a serious accident... is deplorable! BTW, your mom just arrived at the hospital. She might be YOUR mom, but I've a feeling she's got my back... and Sarah's back.

Cynthia: Please, no! Please, I need you to rethink this!

Jimmy Reed: My mind is made up, Cynthia! You have no right to consider yourself her "mother"! Especially not after the deplorable way you treated her today! Your mom just entered the hospital room, now - and SHE also agrees that you don't have that right!

Cynthia: I don't need a right to be her mother, anymore! I didn't even want to have a daughter! I wanted a son!

Jimmy Reed: You... you are seriously so rotten to the core! I've never been so livid with another person in my life before as I am currently livid with you! Not even the big boss man that mistreated me when I was fourteen years old! He's practically a SAINT compared to you!! That's how deplorable you are!!

Cynthia: Come on, I'm already 47 years old! If you dump me, I can't continue on with my life!

Jimmy Reed: And that is not my problem! Honestly, I don't care what happens to you from this day forward! You are not my problem, anymore! And you will not be Sarah's problem, either!

Cynthia: But I need you to take care of me till my deathbed since we got married!

Jimmy Reed: Like hell I will! I would sooner not see your face ever again! You know, I never spoke this way to another person before in my life... but, honestly, you are not even a person! You are the devil wearing a person's face! By the way, Sarah has a few things to say to you! She apparently wants to give you some advice!

Cynthia: Huh?

Jimmy Reed: "A good woman, at the bare minimum, doesn't reveal or mind her age!" "If you're not even smart, no one will ever marry you when you are older. lol" "You're almost in your 50s!" That's what she said to me now, lol.

*Afterwards*

Sarah: My angry mother tried to come into the hospital where I was staying, but... We kept where I was a secret and refused to tell her where I was. Dad and Grandma decided to go see Mom when I left the hospital, but... Apparently, she was wearing... red high heels and a short skirt... as if to show off what a "great" women she was. She was trying to get him to fold by seducing him. Of course... Dad, Grandma, and everyone around them... were aghast by the sight, lol. As soon as she figured out that he was not going to change his mind about the divorce, she started crying in public and begging him not to leave her. It was hell on earth, to be honest. I'm currently living at Grandma's house, but... if these two are divorced, I'm going to live out here with Dad and Grandma. Oh, and by the way, Grandma disowned Mom. Grandma's heart ached with such disappointment over how her own daughter turned out. She often asks where she went wrong as both a parent and a person. Dad and I tell her not to be so hard on herself, though. She did the best job she could do, and she supported her granddaughter during the times when her daughter didn't. I really love Grandma. I prefer the life out here over the city life, so I'm actually very excited for what's to come. Oh, and I decided to dedicate a song for Mom on my social media account. It's by my favourite rock band, Five Finger Death Punch - and the song is called 100 Ways to Hate. The song's chorus sums up how I feel about Mom to a T.

[jennamacaroni]

“Oh my god you never told me you could cook cut hair”

A lil somethin' from aloto, perhaps?

Carson Shaw has never met anyone like Greta Gill.

She’s never known an unmarried woman who’s been to New York and Paris and Houston and everywhere in between.  Someone who is so confident and sure of herself and her place in the world.  Like everything was just there to be charmed and then taken.

She’s never met a woman so free.

Greta doesn’t have to make a shitty pie for the next church wives meet-up.  She doesn’t have to have dinner on the table by seven each night, or brainstorm excuses while doing housework to continue putting off having children.  She doesn’t need her husband’s permission to make a withdrawal of her own savings from the bank.  Hell, she and Jo landed in Chicago for tryouts with no money and no plan other than to play baseball.  They didn’t have anyone back home to tell them no.  They didn’t have strings.

To Carson, Greta and Jo seemed larger than life.  Certainly larger than what Carson even imagined life could be for a woman their age.

Shit, she’s never even left the midwest.  This is the first time she’s even been in a city bigger than Boise.

Aside from baseball, she and Greta Gill are worlds apart.

But there’s something addictive about how it feels when a person like that gives you attention.  And when Greta offers to cut Carson’s hair, well, the yes comes out before Carson can overthink it.

She learns quickly the impossibility of saying no to Greta Gill.  Not even when she hacks off three inches of a thick lock of hair, right in the front.

Really, it should bother her that Greta opens the leather-bound notebook without her permission.  That she latches onto the sloppy cursive Carson had written and poked at the bruise that is her marriage.

Dear Charlie,

There’s something wrong with me and you deserve better.

It’s not that she thought Charlie would say no to her trying out, exactly.  They’d played together back when they were kids, before Carson hit puberty and she could still pass as a boy and play on the local team, long hair always tucked carefully up into her cap.  Before he was sent overseas Charlie would still have a catch with her on those endless muggy summer nights when the sun didn’t set until late.  It would be just the two of them out in the backyard, the only sound louder than the crickets hidden among the grass was the smack of the ball hitting leather.

She was lucky, really.  He was a kind and caring man who loved her.

But Carson had gotten used to the freedom that came with her husband away.  It left room for her to breathe, a pause in what was a constant undercurrent of anxiety stemming from Charlie wanting to start their family.

Carson thought they already were a family.

But that’s what people like them do.  They fall in love, get married, and have children.  Raise them in the house with the picket fence and the warm slices of apple pie.

That was supposed to be Carson’s dream.  But the truth is, it never was.  And she never could tell Charlie that truth.

So when the letter came and he was finally coming home, Carson saw her future going two ways:  live out an impossible dream of being a professional baseball player, free from her responsibilities and playing the game she’s loved her whole life, or stay and welcome home her husband from war, and always wonder what could have been if she’d gone.

So here she was, in a woman’s boarding house in a strange city, with Greta Gill’s long fingers raking through her hair and cutting it away.  She wishes Greta would take those scissors and cut Carson free from her own life, but for now, she’ll settle for the shivers running down her spine at Greta’s touch, and the feel of a weight being lifted as the dead ends feather down to the floor.

Maybe Greta was right, and she was running towards her destiny.  And it started that very morning, chasing after that train.

The door is thrown open just as Greta is holding up the handheld mirror and Carson is catching the first glimpse of herself.  Maybelle has Jo by the forearm and is dragging her to the nearest bed as Jo upends the flask, chasing every last drop of whiskey.

“This one is three sheets to the wind,” Maybelle explains, shoving Jo enough that she falls to a seat on the mattress.  “What have you ladies–”

Carson runs a hand through her much shorter hair, grasping where the strands suddenly end and feeling for what’s now littering the floor at their feet.

“How does she look?” Greta asks, nodding to Carson and holding up the scissors, snipping them open and shut.

“Oh my god,” Maybelle shrieks, running across the room to pet Carson’s head.  “You never told me you could cut hair!”