#so she has not lived /Lived/ yet. but in act 2 where she’s pursuing her own freedom free from lolth’s dogma that’s when she’ll understand

[swordmaid]

shri’iia’s potential romances in act 1 is shadowheart, lae’zel and astarion, mainly going by the approvals she manages to rack up and those three are always shooting at the top. I never get a high enough approval with wyll so his romance is out of the question, gale disapproves a lot of her choices bc she is generally unkind, same for karlach much to my DISMAY!!!!!!!!!! I would’ve romanced karlach if it were up to me personally but I have to stick with whoever fits her character….

anyway. shadowheart because shri’iia relates to her shar worship and they’re both girlies who follow evil aligned goddesses 👯‍♀️ except that I strike shadowheart out because her romance scene in act 1 doesn’t fit with shri’iia’s story. no way will she be honest and tell someone about her past THAT early on, that’s act 2 stuff, so shadowheart is now out of the question. like if shadowheart had a sex scene first then her romance later I would’ve done her romance for shri’iia tbh

lae’zel is in a similar boat where they both follow evil aligned goddesses without question but she has a ruthlessness that shri’iia also shares. most of the time they see eye to eye in a sense they both agree that if someone is useful then they deserve respect but if they’re weak then they’re not worth the time. however, lae’zel doesn’t share the cruel streak shri’iia has, and her attitude with the destruction of the crèche vs shri’iia’s shows the biggest difference in their characters and morals. they’re similar, but also different in a way that matters…! but shri’iia will have a fling with her at the start but the aftermath of the crèche will lead to their romance fizzling out

then astarion, who is most similar to her to the point where they even have similar backgrounds (charlatan) lol. early act 1, shri’iia claims that she’s born in the surface when asked bc she doesn’t know if she can trust these people yet (she reveals her full backstory after oath breaking), so she has that facade going for her. and I think astarion catches on to her game quick but she also will catch on to his game so they’re just like 👀👀 waiting to see who will say something first. then he reveals that he’s a vampire so that’s more artillery for her to use against him if he ever decides to point out how her background seems false. but then they realise they’re kind of similar… they will extort anyone who’s foolish enough to believe them, tell their own lies so that it benefits them and avoid giving any help if they don’t get anything from it. out of everyone in the camp they’re both willing to use the tadpole too—astarion who wants the power from it, and shri’iia wants the advantage it’s offering so she can come out on the top of this whole thing. so it’s very game recognises game, cunt to cunt communication. and the whole fucking each other first then falling later fits with her story too…. the only thing I’m changing is that they’re just in a situationship until his graveyard scene

[emmitaaa4]

Azriel, you beautiful, complex man.

Anyone else ever lay awake at night thinking that it’s not that Azriel wants a mate, any mate: it’s that he believes only a mate—only someone who was meant to love him—could love him ?

Do you ever think about the fact that Azriel’s visceral response to Elain looking up at him with trust & hope, was to believe that there was no possible way she could ever look at him that way if she knew the things he’d done and been forced to do? If she knew that his scarred hands mirrored his marred soul? Yet we know Elain has never balked from him and has only ever seen beauty in his scars; in who he is.

Do you ever think about the way Azriel feels this need to prove himself useful—which is why he so clings to his titles and his job—for if he is needed, he cannot be abandoned?

Do you ever want to shout from the rooftops that Azriel is so much more than this « darkness » he cloaks himself in, and that he doesnt need someone to heal him & « handle his darkness ». Healing, for Az, does not mean fighting & ‘killing’ his demons, it means being at peace with himself & learning to live with them without needing to mask who he is. He needs to begin to believe that there is darkness and light in him to love.

Does your heart ever squeeze when you understand that allowing yourself to be loved, first means bearing yourself to another & willingly risking being hurt ? It requires an unparalleled level of emotional vulnerability from him. You ever realize that Az uses his shadows as an emotional crutch, that he so carefully masks his expressions, yet it takes but a look for Elain to read him? He, who finds his strength & perseverance in hope, found his match in her gentle, hopeful heart—and he physically has to keep himself apart from her, only allowing himself to act upon his feelings when she made the first move. Entitlement where?

Truly, how has the fandom decided that Azriel, who follows the sound of Elain’s laugh, who listened to her when no one else would & didnt let her be misunderstood, who trusted her with TT so she could protect herself & those she loves, who stayed up past 3am as she spoke of her passions, who made everyone wait for her to eat, who chooses to sun his wings next to her in peaceful, quiet company… is an entitled, flaky male that sees her as nothing but a sexual distraction?

Do people really not realize what it means for him to question the Cauldron, question the very core of his beliefs?

1) It is not his feelings he questions:

His mind is tortured by thoughts of Elain, so much so he can’t sleep;

They do not need words to communicate, indicating familiarity & understanding;

He IS showing more than “just lust”, it’s clear from their interactions since the first trilogy. There was something there before Nessian happened.

2) Not only does he believe himself unworthy of her, but that sentiment is reinforced by the fact that the Cauldron “broke the pattern”. I do not see the entitled man the fandom speaks of. What he is is a deeply traumatized man, who was abused as a boy by the people who were meant to love him & protect him.

The popular thought that Az would fold for a mate, regardless of who she (or he) is, is truthfully not attractive, not to mention that it implies he’d only risk love for a “guaranteed” happy ending.

=> “Az wants a mate therefore give him a mate” is counterproductive to his growth (tho to clarify, i am not saying he should not have a mate, just that there is a way the story should be told.)

We have seen him plan for snowball fights & tactical missions, yet never for his future: not with Elain—again, he never even actually allowed himself to consider pursuing her—but not in any other sense either:

Children? he tells Cass he doesnt know if he wants any—has he ever let himself imagine having a child? A house ? he has no place to himself. Remember that even after 500 years of existence, Az says he still does not know where he belongs?

Could you not imagine two people who make themselves what others need them to be, being brave enough to bare those hidden, repressed parts of themselves to the other. Can you not see the growth it would require from both of them should they give themselves a chance? To, on one hand, choose the other despite what is expected & the problems it would cause, and on the other, be vulnerable enough to receive that love & believe yourself worthy of it.

Love doesnt care for convenience. It could all go to hell but at least they’d know they had tried, and i do not see how that could ever make for a boring, 2 dimensional story.

[applesforthis]

Deadloch-specific ask if you’re keen to play! No worries if not.

1. Favourite episode?

2. Favourite scene?

3. Favourite quote?

4. Favourite joke or bit?

5. Favourite character?

💕💕💕

EEEEEEEEE I will gladly squeal about my show. Thanks for the ask! <3

Fave episode:

Hard question! In some ways Deadloch feels more like a movie to me than like a series, I forget where one episode ends and the next begins.

Probably E6. I loved how Abby acts while poisoned, and I loved her breaking up with James. I loved Eddie continuing to care about Dulcie: how protective Eddie gets, how concerned Eddie is when Dulcie is obviously really not okay (during/after the confrontation with Skye, and during their boat ride). I loved Dulcie acting...a bit more casual, with Abby; I loved their dialogue on the island ("James said I was out of my mind." "You are not, Abby, you are entirely in your mind"). I loved Holly Austin's performance as Skye, her anger and hurt when she's being questioned.

And I LOVED Cath and Dulcie's fight, and how it feels like we finally see both of them clearly, we finally understand why they each are the way they are at this point in their lives. We see how deeply miserable and frustrated Dulcie is in this town and in her marriage, and why she's been trying so hard to make it work anyway. We see how Cath has been in an anxious spiral for so long -- on some level, since the affair -- and we start to understand that this is how she got to this point, where she really is completely disconnected from the reality of Dulcie's job.

Also this is a bit weird but I actually loved the final scene in E6, when Dulcie finds the bobbing bodies in the lake, because the music was so beautiful and the way it was shot was weirdly so pretty and dreamlike. It's a scene about discovering corpses and it's...gorgeous? Oops?

I also just loved E8 so much because it gives us the payoff of Eddie, Dulcie and Abby truly working together, the way it always seemed they could. And because I SO DEEPLY LOVE the happy ending where Eddie and Dulcie and Cath end up together in Darwin, and I LOVE the subtext that they're in some kind of triad or throuple or vee or whatever else they might call it.

2. Fave scene:

I loved the end of E5, where we see Abby and Dulcie and Eddie each thinking alone about the murders and trying alone to solve the mystery: Abby with her arsine, Dulcie spotting the newspaper photo of Jimmy on the cross, Eddie noticing the speeding ticket Mike gave to Skye (and then the Doorbell bathroom stall graffiti). We see that each one of them is smart and is working on solving it, but that they're working separately still: Abby goes alone to the high school, to test her theory. Dulcie hasn't yet told Eddie that she suspects Skye, even though the clues are really piling up in her mind. The three of them aren't yet communicating well enough to really be a team.

I loved the way this was shown because it really had me rooting for them to realize that they'd be smarter together, that they needed to lean on each other more and communicate better and brainstorm together. This montage made me really invested in that arc, in them learning to work together.

I also loved Eddie confronting Dulcie about that, really taking her to task for it -- but then also having so much compassion and understanding about why this is hard for Dulcie, to consider one of her closest friends as a suspect. I love that Eddie really gets what a terrible situation Dulcie's in with this, and hates to see her in pain, even though Eddie's still committed to doing what's right and pursuing Skye as the most likely suspect.

3. Fave quote:

"Do you not know my name?"

4. Fave joke or bit:

How Eddie and Cath are both so nonchalant about mentioning sex, and how uncomfortable/flustered this makes Dulcie, and how Eddie immediately clocks this and leans into it harder. My favorite moment is when Cath texts Dulcie a pic of her boobs and Dulcie accidentally opens the image while at work and can't figure out how to close it again and is super flustered...and Eddie obviously sees the pic, is totally unperturbed and seems, if anything, mildly amused by Dulcie's reaction.

5. Fave character:

I can't choose between Dulcie and Eddie.

I'm most similar to Dulcie; I relate to her the most. I love her secretiveness, her shame. I love how ethical she is and I love how it shows up at work as a willingness to let minor/harmless crimes slide where possible. I love that she wants to be gentle with people, even when they're behaving badly. I love her shyness, her hesitation to be herself with people. I love the person we start to see emerging in the last few episodes and in the epilogue. I love her bravery and I love her fear.

I admire Eddie the most. Not as much during the first 3 episodes; I see them as someone who, at that time, was in too much pain to notice much else. But after that: I love their anger, how they're not too afraid to stick up for other people, and for themself. I love how loyal they are, and how protective of the people they care about. I love their rudeness and how selectively they deploy it; even though they don't seem to be taking much care with that, they really are. I love their frankness and I love how perceptive they are about people. I love their honesty and I love how ethical they are -- they break the rules sometimes but they really care about doing the right thing. And I love the way they look at Dulcie, particularly in episodes 6-8: it's so intimate. I see Eddie as someone who's extremely warm and loving, when they feel close to someone.

[dusty-daydreams]

Hi! Fic Anon again! I just love your take on Anthony and Eloise, before finding your blog I hardly thought of their dynamic but now that's all I think about lol. I like how alike yet different they are ☺

I am excited for the s2 part of your fic because it's Anthony's season so that will be interesting ☺ and Kate is one of my favourites.

I am sorry for saying it again and i know i might sound like a broken record but i am so tired of people saying Eloise is trying to be a pick me Or not like other girls. What if she just genuine isn't interested in those stuff? What if she has other interest and the reason she opposes it so violently is because she is scared and tired of people telling her that that's her duty? What if she is scared of having her autonomy stripped away? I am tired of people ignoring the nuances of it. I am on Eloise's side, always.

Have a nice day!

Hi Fic Anon!!

Sorry and You are Welcome for the Eloise & Anthony brain worms hahaha

If it helps I think another thing they have in common is their relationship to their mother.

Unlike Daphne and Colin, who are close to their mother (in part because they are all that they are supposed to be), and Francesca and Benedict who seem to have neutral positive relationships to their mother, probably by virtue of pursuing pastimes that are very suitable with a bit too much passion. Anthony and Eloise have semi-antagonistic relationships with their mother.

Violet seems to love them both, but is unable to truly connect to them, because they don’t behave in ways that they should (or rather in ways that make sense to her).

Eloise is hyper aware of the ways in which she rebels against society is a disappointment to her mother, and while that upsets her, she cannot bring herself to be a Daphne just to please her mother.

Violet is aware of how much she doesn’t connect to Eloise and how all her attempts to connect make it worse.

All that is left is an awkwardness and a sourness that the love cannot overcome.

Similarly Anthony and Violet have a love filled but deeply antagonistic relationship.

Anthony’s huge trauma is the way in which his mother’s depression left him a single father of seven at nineteen.

So Anthony likely feels a level of resentment towards his mother, justified or not.

Then we get season 1 where Violet is consistently on his case about not being a Lord correctly, and then season 2 where she is consistently trying to encourage (manipulate?) him into a love match because that is what she wants for each of her kids.

On Anthony’s side this won’t have helped his negative relationship with his mother who doesn’t listen to him or respect him in his position.

On Violet’s side Anthony, as a Lord, is not acting and living and marrying how he is supposed upsetting and discomforting her.

Im excited that you are excited for the Drive Slower sequel, I still don’t know when it will be ready to post, but hopefully by the end of the year at the latest!

Don’t worry about being an Eloise Stan in my inbox! That’s practically what my inbox is for (at least in terms of the Bridgerton fandom)

Frankly I think part of the problem is term slippage.

A Pick Me and A Not Like Other Girls are two different but similar types of women.

A Pick Me - at least if you use it in it’s terminology and not as a disparagement of any women that doesn’t correctly perform femininity and heterosexuality, is a woman that disparages other women in order to be the chosen woman to men. This can include “Not Like Other Girls” behaviours like disdaining activities and interests that have been designated girls and women’s interests.

A not like other girls is a woman who is proud of the way her interests (pretend or otherwise) are not traditional women’s interests, brags about and disparages other women because of it.

These terms have slipped into terms used to disparage women that don’t perform their femininity and female solidarity in the way that the woman insulting them approves of

(Here is a twisty thought - who is the real girls girl, the woman with ‘masculine’ interests who doesn’t disparage women, or the hyperfeminine woman who disparages other women as Pick Me’s)

Eloise doesn’t disparage women. Eloise loves other women, she just resents the fact society places such horrific limits on them and their interests until the only thing women talk about is men and marriage

[permanentlyexhaustedpigeon88]

The Wanderer * Halbrand (Sauron)/OC (part 2)

Summary: In spite of her mother's wishes, Tilda wanted to see the world beyond their village. She wanted to know its secrets, and to find her father as well. But when orcs attack, she will soon be swept off on an adventure far different than the one she imagined. And it will lead her not only to unanticipated discoveries about her heritage, but about her own heart, as well.

Warnings: original female character, multi-OC fic, angst, potential for toxic relationship, unrequited love

Other: Please let me know if you'd like to be added to a tag list!

Part One

The first of the orcs breaks into the clearing not long after, a serrated blade flying free of one of the creature's hands in the blink of an eye. And not long after, Tilda is turning back to Bain, her eyes blown wide in alarm as her mind seizes upon a single word.

"Run."

Crashing through the trees with Bain at her heels, Tilda has no time for catching her breath, or attempting to discern the wisdom of her decision altogether. There is no means for her to pause, with the sound of guttural cries growing ever louder at her back. In truth, she cannot know the wisdom or lack thereof inherent in leading the orcs that chase them back to the village she and Bain call home, though it is more than apparent they lack any other feasible option as yet.

She and Bain cannot face the enemy alone. Despite the practice both have earned with blade and bow, it does not change the reality of their number. That they are only two. But bringing that enemy back to the village poses even less favorable odds. The very idea of subjecting people they have known their entire lives to the violence they will likely find at the hand of the orcs is unthinkable, and yet, what else are they to do?

Anger wells inside of her at the thought, burning through her veins like some sort of unimaginable brand. And before she can fully come to terms with the act, Tilda is suddenly skidding to a stop. Regardless of how foolhardy the act may be, she spins to face the oncoming orcs while a shout of surprise and warning from Bain goes largely unheeded.

She looses an arrow at the first of the orcs that pursue them. Then another. And another, barely paying any heed to whether they strike true, or fly clear of their targets completely. Her anger fuels the movements, and enables her to stand fast, regardless of the futility of one woman standing against so many. In truth, she feels as though she could stand there forever. The need to do something to cut down this force that is so bent upon destroying her home remains at the forefront of her mind.

Determined as she is, it is simple for Tilda to ignore the reality of her current situation, at least for the moment. It is easy for her to push aside any instinct of self-preservation that might arise. But just as she settles upon the resolve to remain where she is, taking down as many orcs with her arrows as she can manage before she is overrun, Bain is seizing her wrist and dragging her off after him once more, the strength of his grip giving little to no choice but for Tilda to stumble along in his wake.

A task she takes on with only the barest hints of restraining the coiled venom of the anger that is still spilling through her veins.

Together, they continue running, ever aware of the harsh growls of the orcs trailing along behind them. Muscles burn with exertion, and sweat beads upon exposed skin. And when they finally break free of the trees and brush of the forest to look down upon the village below, they find the sight of still further horror ready to greet them.

A horror that is wreathed in flame and smoke.

Licking at thatched roofs with tongues of scorching heat, the smell of the destruction is near to choking. A twisted, insidious thing that winds its way around the heart, and threatens to squeeze out all life. It is a thing that rises into the air, along with the screams of villagers, mixing together until time seems to stop, but even that small respite hardly lasts for long. The realization that the orcs trailing them will not be putting the inhabitants of the village—people they have known for their entire lives—at greater risk than they appear to be at already paling when compared to the chaos spread out before them.

Glancing between the flames, dark figures can be seen moving in the streets, wreaking havoc and killing as they go. Some of the men are fighting these would-be invaders, while attempting to usher women and children to safety, but it is more than apparent that even their strength will be no match. That she and Bain will be no match, should they join in the fight. But even so, Tilda knows that they cannot simply stand aside.

For a moment, despite the knowledge of the orcs' pursuit at her back, Tilda remains where she stands, gripping her bow tightly, and taking a few steadying breaths to steel her resolve, and then she sets off again, running faster still. Fast enough that her feet seem to fly over leaves, twigs and grass alike. Only barely aware of how Bain is once again following her lead, she runs until her lungs feel as though they might burst, and her muscles continue to burn, the screams of her family—her friends—echoing in her ears and growing louder as she goes, and even still she does not stop. She cannot stop.

They need to find her mother. Amara as well. That the younger woman would be with the elder is something Tilda would stake her very life on, and if she and Bain are to have any sort of success in their search, they must retain the upper hand as best they can. They must continue moving, and avoid capture or injury at all costs.

In an effort to do exactly that, Tilda ignores the sweat that beads upon her brow the closer she gets to the heat that billows out from the growing inferno, instead choosing to focus upon the task of passing between two buildings at the outskirts of the village. Instinct allows her to ready her bow with an arrow as she presses her body against a nearby wall that is not engulfed in flame, and her muscles flex as she sinks into the familiar movement with ease. Nock. Draw. Loose…

The arrow strikes true. At its other end, an orc falls to the ground, dead. Satisfaction provokes a thin-lipped smile as Tilda readies another, dropping to one knee to take aim for a second time, and from the corner of her eye, she can see Bain disappearing around another building that rests a few steps ahead, blade in hand.

As Tilda prepares to fire another arrow, her mind scrambles to find any discernible reason for such creatures to be here. In her home, but she has little time to come to any conclusive answer, the dying squeal of the second orc that falls betraying her position to its comrades in little to no time at all. Now, instead of picking them off, one by one, she must face four to five at once.

And unlike Bain, she does not currently possess a blade of her own.

Desperately glancing about for something to use, but finding nothing, Tilda's breath snags in her throat. Her heart seems to stutter within her chest as she straightens to stand, another arrow flying free as she moves, but this time sailing far to the left of its intended target's approach.

Gritting her teeth, she bolts, then, weaving in and out of both falling debris and fleeing villagers, her body buffeted this way and that in the chaos that seems to have consumed the place in its entirety while she attempts to find either a better weapon, or higher ground. The orcs that had been at her back in the forest still follow, their progress slow for the self-same reason, and guilt tears through her chest as Tilda realizes that, unlike her, they are killing every moving thing in their wake.

Her conscience urges her to turn back, and so, she casts her eyes about once more in search of another weapon more suited to close quarters. She almost gives up hope, until her gaze lights upon an ax, half-lodged in a charred bit of wood. And though she hardly knows if it will aid her or hinder her, she stoops to curl her fingers around the handle. She sets her bow to the side, and turns to face the approaching orcs head-on.

Heart pounding, Tilda does what she can to prepare herself for the coming fight, her fingers tightening around her weapon until her knuckles go white from strain. But before she can move to strike, a shout catches her attention from behind. In spite of all her better judgment, she turns to check its source.

Once again, time seems to slow as she notices Bain's reappearance, rushing out from behind the half-collapsed wall of what had once been the tavern that rests a meager few feet ahead. Her heart leaps into her throat moments later when she discerns who he will be facing. Not an orc, or anyone she can say with a certainty that she recognizes, but a foe who is clearly all the more dangerous, in spite of it all.

Her own assailants momentarily forgotten, Tilda's brow furrows in concern, the cry that escapes her lips doing little to stall her friend's movements. In fact, he hardly seems to notice it at all, but the other man—an elf, she realizes—clearly does.

For a moment, the two of them lock eyes, and she is struck by something she cannot fully explain. A sense of familiarity that should not exist at all. But soon enough, Tilda's distraction proves to be her undoing as another unseen force moves in from the left to deliver a striking blow to the back of her head, the sensation causing her to cry out while the ax she holds slips from her fingers to fall to the ground.

Pain blooms between her temples, and she falls to her knees, the sudden impact causing her to bite down on her tongue until her mouth is awash with the taste of blood. She blinks, trying in vain to clear her vision, the inability to do so causing her heart to twist at the thought of oncoming death.

Tilda's thoughts soon flick to her friends—to Bain, and Amara, and her mother, and how she can now do nothing to help any of them. A vice fueled by bitter disappointment squeezes its way around her heart in response.

Almost as if in slow motion, Tilda feels herself beginning to slump backward, but try though she might, she cannot seem to stop it.

Not even when she feels the surprising sensation of a pair of strong arms catching her from behind, before her vision darkens, and she knows no more.

[jasperygrace]

An Immortal Laid to Rest - WIP Intro

Freedom is the death of self, The act of letting go one’s past And the pressures forced upon you. It is a concept only obtainable By leaving behind the wasteland You once called your home. This is a journey of two souls— the ordained archivist Vincent Helio, whose inexperience has doomed him to a stagnant life of discipline as he tries to live up to the title of “Regis Vicaria”. And the shapeshifter Orias, whose idle life is upended when the shadows of his past re-emerge after being buried for over a millennium. Vincent is offered a change of pace when he is asked to investigate a mysterious shrine that has appeared in the Trigala Desert. There he meets Orias while exploring the ruined depths, and the two of them find a chapel where a beast of oil and ink awaits them. Once awakened, it begins to hunt Vincent and will only stop once it has ripped into his body and stolen away a power locked deep within him. Unable to return home, he joins Orias on his travels, discovering the truth about the shrines scattered among the desert, about the beast hunting him, and about his new companion’s past which he has so desperately tried to forget.

Details:

Genre: Adult Fantasy Novella Setting: The Trigala Desert, a region located within a world called Asheva. Themes: Seeking freedom; Immortality; Past regrets and burdens; Transcendent Love Content Warnings: Body horror; Explicit violence (description and visual) Features: LGBT+ protagonists; spot illustrations every chapter; Alternating POVs

Status: Second Draft (2/3 complete) Projected Release: Late 2024/Early 2025

The Desert Wanderers:

● The Protagonists ●

Vincent Helio - The current Regis Vicaria, an archivist ordained by the Deities to record the history and status of the world. However, having stepped into the role at such a young age, he has had to spend the last several years training in the city of Trin. Yet despite all this, he still can’t seem to meet the expectations set before him.

Orias - A shapeshifter from a time long forgotten. He has been trapped within the Trigala Desert for over a millenium, yet he has found a quiet life for himself in the little town of Maramagia as the town’s medic. He would have been happy to spend the rest of his immortal experience here, but one thousand years is a long past, and that past has finally caught up with him.

● The Antagonist ●

Niv - A shapeshifter who was once a brilliant researcher and leader who now seeks a body that can stand up against the ones that took everything from him. After realizing the potential power lying within Vincent, he will stop at nothing to steal away the young Regis, even if it means crossing paths with a former brother-in-arms.

● The Supporting Cast ●

Briar Fulcanelli - A former apprentice and long time friend of Orias. She was a traveling doctor before eventually moving back to Maramagia to help her old teacher. A strong-willed woman, she is one of the few people that can coerce Orias out of his physical and mental isolation.

Reese Cypriene - The retainer and mentor of Vincent. He was close to the previous Regis, Vincent’s father, and studied under him as an apprentice. Now he teaches the new Regis all he knows, his strict tutelage being an excuse for his fear of losing another person he cherishes.

Navigation:

Wip Page and Directory: link Main Tag: #project : desert Project Updates: #mid month report

About the Writer:

Jasper Y. Grace is an artist and writer who has a special interest in the poetic and philosophic. They are currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science with a minor in creative writing.

[secrets-of-everwich]

02-1 A Link?

[Click]

{Callie}

Hello, this is Callie Hewitt and is it okay to say it’s spooky season yet? (Even though it started in July). This is the 1st October 2021, and I am excited for Halloween. Though, that isn’t relevant. At all. Oh well!

The Secret of Everwich I’m going to talk about today happened in the 60s, with two people called Adam Ives, and Jill Harris. I think there were more in the group, but the names are left without surnames. By this point, Manor Road would have been in construction. Oh – Manor Road is the road that leads up to Everwich Manor. It was built due to a lack of residential houses, and the owners of Everwich Manor not having enough money to keep the epic driveway depicted in photos from the 1800s. So, a lot of the land for the gardens of the Manor had been sold, and, to kill 2 birds with one stone, Manor Road sprung up!

It's still one of the more expensive roads in Everwich, but that’s probably more because of the Manor. The street isn’t as nice. Anyway, this all takes place on the other side of Everwich, on the other side of the High Street, near Lilacs Lane. That’s a road on the outskirts of Everwich, closer to the city. Quite a few medium sized houses, where nowadays a lot of older couples live. It’s a nice place to have a walk, I sometimes go there myself, and- I’m getting offtopic.

What I was wanting to talk about today is the interesting newspaper report from then, written by Michael Grenn in 1962. Please note, that this is not the Everwich Post, but a newspaper from the 60s which seems to report a lot of what nowadays we may call conspiracy theories. But, if you weren’t happy with those, I don’t think you’d be listening to this.

    ‘Latest Disappearance Close Call Suggests Serial Killer?’

    ‘For the past month, there has been a string of mysterious disappearances that have been sowing fear into the citizens of Everwich. Starting with Christopher Newell, a bus driver, who was known to be friendly and beloved by most of the community, this batch of disappearances may be linked.

    ‘Jill Harris, 22, was found bleeding in Lilacs Lane last night at 11pm. Sources suggest she was coming back from a meeting when attacked. Her friend, Adam Ives, who lives nearby, explained how he saw Jill lying on the floor, semi-conscious:

    ‘I had heard a commotion close to my house. I knew things weren’t right in this town, so went out to investigate. When I saw my friend lying there, I knew something was wrong. I thought I saw a pale child run away, but I didn’t recognise him.’

Well, I’m glad Adam was walking nearby. The article continues to explain that there’s a serial killer, and suggests a family as the source, but I don’t buy that theory. I’m sure this was the Everwich Ghost. Come on, a pale child running away from a dead body? What other creepy pale children do we know live in Everwich who nobody seems to know. It may seem like a stretch to you, but almost every sighting of the Everwich Ghost are accompanied by deaths, disappearances, or injuries. I think Jill Harris was about to become the next victim.

What I am interested in, however, is the quote: ‘I knew things weren’t right in this town’. Now, there’s not much else about Adam or Jill that makes me think they’re the sort to believe in conspiracy theories from publicity – Adam became a CEO of a fancy company, and so did his son, while Jill left Everwich to pursue acting. Both are retired now. So that quote is interesting. I’ll have to do some digging. One of my brother’s friends is Adam’s granddaughter, so perhaps I can ask her to get me in touch with him!

Anyway, Adam was right. Things aren’t right in this town. There’s a lot of people like Christopher Newell, mentioned in the paper, who have disappeared. I’m missing a piece, I’m sure of it, but I know it’s the Everwich Ghost. It’s just, I don’t know how a ghost could travel the entire length of the town, when my best theory suggests the Everwich Ghost’s primary base should be this manor. Oh, don’t get me wrong, there’s been a lot of sightings in the Manor, but most of the deaths occurred outside. People got to know that the Manor was haunted, so stopped going in.

[Pause]

I want to know if there was a pattern. A pattern between all the disappearances. Did they know something? Were they just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Is the Everwich Ghost targeting descendants of those who ridiculed them in life? There’s definitely a link between the Florences’ deaths and the near-death of Jill Harris. I just need to find it.

Until then, this has been Callie. Thanks for listening!

[Click]

[jq37]

Twice Upon a Time - Neverafter Mid-Season Questions

Hey Y'all! A LOT has happened in Never After since my last recap. School has had a stranglehold on me. But I wanted to pop in with some questions and observations before the next episode drops on Wednesday.

(1) I wonder if the PCs were supposed to leave the Lines Between so quickly? There was information implied to be there that they never got and they didn't really mean to leave so much as they started a chain of events that led to them being shunted back into their world.

(2) Speaking of, where are Scher and Muffet for that matter? Muffet was mentioned to have come with them to the Lines Between but they never asked about her so she never spoke. And they haven't asked about her since. And Scher is presumably still in the library, right? Wild that Tim hasn't tried to contact her yet.

(3) Even though we've gotten several lore dumps this season, there's still a lot we don't know about what's going on. Some of that info was prob in The Lines Between. Some of it is probably locked behind actions that the players just aren't pursuing (like those of them who have their books but haven't looked inside of them yet which is lowkey driving me crazy! Please play with the toy your DM gave you guys! Not backseating playing or anything, I just wanna know what's in there!) 

(4) I think the thing that probably gives me the most pause is the nature of the Times of Shadow. Because the "wrongness" in the stories of the PCs kind of fall into three distinct categories. You have Red and Roz, whose problems are that their stories did NOT go as planned. Red is supposed to be saved by the woodsman and that didn't happen. Roz is supposed to be saved by her prince, but he doesn't come. But then you have Ger and PIB, whose stories go exactly to plan. The problem isn't their stories. Their problem is what happens AFTER their stories. It's more an Into The Woods Act 2 situation with them. What happens after happily ever after. Consequences of their actions, you know?  You don't put work into your marriage? It frays. You put a miller's son on the throne with no expertise in statecraft and politicking? When trouble comes, he's useless. Their stories went off fine. It was outside forces (the war in both cases) that caused the problem. And then you Pinocchio and Tim who had their stories more or less--Tim doesn't really have a story--and then just kind of witnessed the darkness around them until their lives were made worse by outside entities--the stepmother and the Gander. So their lives were not all made worse in the same way, you know? It was different mechanics for all of them. So I'm wondering, is this all the same thing? Is ALL of this the Times of Shadow? Or are the T.O.S. and ill defined phenomenon caused by SEVERAL things going wrong that they haven't really parsed yet? Where do the authors fit in? To which degree CAN the characters have agency?

(5) OK, so the princesses. As characters, I am very pro princesses. I love Cindy, Snow's first appearance was great, and I'm excited to see everyone else, esp Elody (sidenote: I think it's a VERY good move that Elody is being brought over from the OG timeline so it's not gonna be Ger talking to AN Elody it will be HIS Elody). HOWEVER, these are rebellious and  zealous teen girls messing with cosmic forces without full knowledge of the situation. *I* remember being a zealous and rebellious teen girl without full knowledge of the situation. I had a LOT of bad takes. Free will is good obviously. But what is it that they actually WANT, you know? Do they want to get rid of magic so there's no more interference from the authors? We don't really know to what degree the characters are controlled by their narratives. Are they trying to prevent the Never After from being split apart like it was implied it was previously? And how are we defining "agency" and "story". Let me make this its own point. 

(7) Ok, so say you wake up and your house is on fire. And you can't get out. And a firefighter come in and saves you. Would you say your life is a story without agency? I wouldn't. I think it's perfectly valid to be saved from a threat that's beyond you. I don't think it's weak for a witch or a fairy to put a spell on you that requires another party to break. It doesn't mean your life didn't have agency as a whole. It means that you needed help one time. Everyone does sometimes. 

(8) And it feels kinda wild to have a small faction of people (some of them fully teenagers) being like yeah, let's make the world harder for EVERYONE because I don't like that I had a damsel moment one time. Which isn't necessarily what they want. We just haven't really gotten full details on what it is that they actually want yet. And there hasn't been a lot of asking of clarification questions. Closest was PIB last ep being like, "Hey can I vibe check Snow to see if she's on the level? It seems like she's REALLY hungry for this info." And they way Brennan plays the princesses makes me think he is aware of all of this. I'm just like, waiting for the other shoe to drop lowkey I guess? I would NOT be surprised if in a few episodes it's like, "Yeah you blindly followed this very flawed plan, here are the consequences of that." Just the fact that the stepmother and the princesses seem to have somewhat similar endgames from the little info we have would give me enough pause to make me want to dig deeper. 

(9) I'm not saying I'm team fairy either, for the record. I don't like that Turq was like, "We need to *fix* Elody." I'm just saying, this feels like a situation where everyone has a quarter of the info and there's a middle ground to be found. I would want more info before I went hard in on, "Let's burn the system" Like, I'm sure at least parts on the system do need to burn but you have to be so so careful before you set a fire in a BUILDING YOU'RE STANDING IN. 

OK, that’s where my head’s at right now! I’ve really been enjoying this season so far. I am just curious to see how the pieces of this puzzle fit together because there are a LOT of pieces and some of them are very meta. It’s a very ambitious story and I’m excited to see where it goes!

[lillie98]

Heartstopper 2 Ramble (SPOILERS)

I just finished Season 2 of Heartstopper and wow. I had high expectations after Season 1, but I was not prepared for this emotional rollercoaster. The entire cast and crew poured their heart and souls into this project, and I am eternally grateful. I fear I won’t survive Season 3.

First of all, Imogen absolutely killed me. I wasn’t sure about her Season 1, but she won me over. Her reaction to Nick Coming Out was precious and awkward and completely sincere. Her monologue with Ben had me cheering at my little tv, and I actually rooted for her. I’m glad Alice gave Imogen another shot. She deserved it.

I was really worried about Ben’s storyline and how he would play into everything, but I’m SO glad they didn’t make Charlie accept his fake-ass apology. It dripped with manipulation tactics and danger. Good on Charlie for recognizing them and standing up for himself. Him essentially saying that Ben Sexually Abused him was difficult to watch but also so empowering. I’m still not sure if Ben is gay or not, but it really doesn’t matter to me. As Charlie said, Ben permanently broke his brain and he will live with the consequences for the rest of his life. You don’t get your happy rainbow, Ben, because you almost took Charlie’s away. Also, the Paris dinner scene was incredible. Joe Locke did not utter ONE WORD and yet you knew exactly what was going through Charlie’s head.

Speaking of Joe’s incredible acting, the fainting scene was immaculate. I loved the pre-fainting on the stairs and how Charlie ignored it, not wanting to freak out Nick, but it caught up to him quickly. I literally saw the light leave his eyes and his body weight pull him down. The use of the white border, double vision, and audio distortion made it incredibly realistic along with the way Joe let himself fall completely limp in Kit’s arms. You truly believed he was unconscious. My only critique is I wish we had seen him wake up and Nick reassure him he’s safe. Talking about Charlie’s beautiful blue eyes.

Charlie’s ED was handled with gentleness and grace by everyone, but especially Joe and Alice. It was a slow build that made sense and felt realistic without hitting you over the head with it. It’s beautiful to see this misunderstood community represented in mainstream media, especially when it comes to boys’ Mental Health. I loved Nick’s mom picking up on it, even if she didn’t fully understand. Good moms always know.

Tao and Elle were adorable and I loved watching Tao read the WikiHow article and then ask Elle out. Thank God they cut his hair, it was hurting. A lot. I’m glad Elle decided to go to Art School and pursue her dreams, it’s what she deserves. A place where she feels at home and accepted for who she is, where she’s surrounded by like-minded people who love and accept her.

I know Alice has tried to make Jane Spring more likable, but it’s not working for me. Sorry. If you don’t accept your child’s partner, you don’t accept your child. Period. She reminds me of Darcy’s mother. Jane Spring, I am in your walls.

The final scene broke me. It set up Season 3 perfectly while wrapping up the events of this season. Charlie looked so broken and lost admitting what he’d done to himself and Nick had no idea how to help him. So he did what he could, hold Charlie close and remind him that he is loved. Fully and completely. Watching Charlie walk home in Nick’s sweatshirt was like watching Nick carry him home—protecting him from the monsters in his mind. Also, the song that plays (the one that broke my brain) is from Wasia Project, Will Gao’s (who plays Tao) band. So, in a way, Tao was watching over him, too. The stark contrast between the Season 1 ending and this one is startling, but in the best way. Go back and listen to the lyrics of the final song, it will break your heart. “You’re the only one left, so please don’t go.” Nick is terrified that Charlie won’t make it and doesn’t know how he’ll handle losing his entire world. I can’t wait to see the GA’s response (those who didn’t read the comics). This is not the Heartstopper they thought they were getting. But for us who did read, it was nothing short of perfect. Thank you, Alice Oseman and team, you created a masterpiece.

[number-1-kuaidul-fanboy]

Why I like Yuna (and believe season 2 actually improved her)

Yeah... I'll address the elephant in the room first: Everyone hates Yuna's crush on Yuga, despite the fact that she hardly acts on it and simply has feelings she can't control, but it's not something that's ever going to realistically happen. The way it's written, it really does feel like Yuna is in love with someone she could absolutely never have and... I just get that honestly.

You know me (probably), crushing on fictional characters is the status quo for me. It's all in good fun and is my form of escapism that I keep in check as to not lose sight of my reality. But... while I don't experience heartache over this, there is this part of me that wants the relationships I've pictured with these characters to be real, longs for it even, despite knowing they never could be.

(Full thoughts below as this ended up pretty long and a little personal)

Don't get me wrong, I hated Yuna's spacetime episode as much as anyone (not because of her I just can't stand babies sorry) but... I won't lie, if I suddenly ended up in a world where I was married to one of my fictional crushes like Yuna did, I'd indulge in it and ignore all indication it's not real too. It's selfish and foolish, I know, but I'm not going to lie it's very likely how I'd act. And yes, the Zaion spacetime episode explored an idea like this too and I adore that episode. However, Zaion's dreams were all things he COULD make real and resolved to make real by the end. That's something completely different from Yuna's dilemna.

Yuna's dream... cannot ever be real, at least not with this person. This person who burst into your life so suddenly, this person whose presence in your life passed by like a brief and fleeting comet yet despite that brevity, broke you completely and made you question everything you ever thought you knew and by the end of it, made you change some huge part of who you are...

Yeah... I don't think I've quite talked in full about this on Tumblr so... I promise this detour will be brief:

Kuaidul changed my spiritual beliefs. That post I made about his final scene resembling him achieving moksha? I legitimately believe that. Not just that he achieved it (if he doesn't come back that is) but that I eventually will too. It's what I strive for now.

Kuaidul had this life-changing effect on me and... I can't even thank him.

And in a way... is that not similar to how Yuga affected Yuna?

He showed up in Yuna's life, introduced this brand new way of duelling and this mindset of pursuing your own road that inspired Yuna to do the same, not for him but for herself? That's how I view it at least. Yuna does have a crush on Yuga but she did not ditch Rovian for him. She realised she wanted to live for herself, not just live her life for Rovian and I think this is proven by the fact that despite the "break up," Yuna still cares for her. She approached her to ask for her help and confided in her in episode 87 and while part of Yudias's deck, the two held hands to get through the pain of Kuaidul's attacks in episode 88:

She absolutely still cares for Rovian but has learned, thanks to Yuga's words, to not prioritize Rovian over herself like she did previously. Even before I connected that to something in my own life (because said thing hadn't happened yet), I still found that beautiful.

Yes, the writers could drop the ball and make this all about her wanting to be with Yuga but at the moment at least, they have not done that. The way I see it, Yuna simply has feelings she can't control for someone whose effect on her changed her life for the better and I can't help but relate to that.

[starandsims]

Just a quick announcement to say that according to my personal sim calendar, it is officially the year 1910 in the Carter Decades Challenge! And luckily it perfectly coincides with Harry becoming a young adult very soon! So we are officially switching over to Gen 2 with Harry as the heir! Don’t worry, we will still see plenty of the rest of the Carter Family and I’ll be keeping up with them every so often, but our main story is going to follow Harry off to university and we’ll see what happens from there!

(Keep reading for an update on the extended family - you can find pictures on the family tree link here!)

And now a quick look at the other extended family for the Carters. Here’s the state of our extended family in the year 1910!

Isabel Carter continues to raise her two younger children, the twins Anna and Norman. They both turn 16 this year and are in secondary school. Anna is a music lover like her mom and wants to pursue her education in the violin. She would love to play with a symphony one day. She is also loyal and would never do something to hurt someone she loves, she is torn between her wish to be a good wife one day and her desire to play the violin across the world. Norman is squeamish but romantic and prefers to stay indoors, he’ll probably grow up to be a businessman with a nice wife and 2 kids and never do anything extraordinary with his life. Meanwhile, the oldest, Eva, is already 19 years old, she’s ambitious and she is ready to move out but has not found a suitable husband yet, she has high standards. She is mean and a snob, so only the best of the best can provide for her. In the meantime she has reluctantly taken a job as a babysitter for some of her mother’s younger friends, she does not like it and has already resolved not to have children in her marriage if she can help it. Yet another reason that finding a husband has been going slowly.

Emily and Thomas still live just down the road from the Carters and visit often, their children are all friends. The oldest, Emmaline, is 26 and married to a man named Patrick Gallagher. Patrick is adventurous and spontaneous, as well as very charming and talkative. He took advantage of the government’s Homestead Act and bought land in the west to start his own farm and a new life for his new family. Emmaline moved with him to the very far away town of Chestnut Ridge. Although she stays in contact with her parents and siblings through letters and telegrams, they don’t hear from her nearly as often as they would like, and it’s nearly impossible to visit for how far away it is. Things are going well for them though, and they recently had a baby! Margaret Gallagher was born on October 31st, 1909.

Next is Willem, who is 24 and recently married. He married a young woman named Lila and moved to the coast, but not the same coast his aunt Isabel lived on, further south. It’s just far enough away from both his family and Lila’s that they feel they can be independent, while close enough that they can still visit for the big holidays. They also just recently had a daughter, a year older than Emmaline’s daughter. Her name is Katherine Wilson and she was born on May 17th, 1908.

Lucy, who was just an infant when this legacy began, is 22 and engaged to a man named Benjamin Turner, they’re perfect for each other. While Lucy is paranoid and creative, he is loyal but doesn’t want children, which suits Lucy just fine. Soon they’ll be married and move to Willow Creek, where they plan to live out their days indoors, just the two of them, Lucy painting and Benjamin writing, perfectly compatible lifestyles.

Meanwhile, back with the full Wilson family, Joan is just a few months older than Harry and will turn 18 this year. She is neat and romantic, she hopes to find the love of her life quickly so that she can spend all of her time with him and have many beautiful babies. For now, though, she’ll have to finish secondary school, which has not been easy on her with all of her daydreaming. The youngest Wilson child is Jacob, who is only three years old now and was clearly an unexpected pregnancy. He is a very sensitive infant.

The Davis family still lives in Windenburg up North, Clara and Davis’s oldest daughter, Theresa is almost 17 now and is doing well in school. She is an active tennis player and loves to be in the know about things, making friends with a lot of different people around school, she’s very popular. Melissa is freshly 13 and thriving in her teenagehood, she’s cheerful and a vegetarian after reading “A Fleshless Diet” by J.L. Buttner.

On the other side, Edwin is married to Glenda but they have no children due to some medical complications. Cordelia lives on her own in a rotation of houses, as she gets bored easily, and for similar reasons, has not married. She prefers to spend time with her cat, Agatha, and in her lady’s groups at the country club. Don’t worry, we’ll be seeing more of them soon…

And I think we are caught up! If you want to know more or see more of any of these family members I do play with them too! I just don’t post about them to keep the story more streamlined. So just let me know if you are interested in learning more about anyone!

[abigail-pent]

So I saw She Said last night; and I have some thoughts.

#1: Great film; well done; fairly white, though, but I think that reflects the reality of this particular story. The cast was amazing though, and there are a lot of great cinematography choices made.

#2: It was weird about The Jews. This is why I come to tumblr today.

So basically, there is an undercurrent running through the story that Jodi Kantor's Jewishness is important to getting this story done the way it was done. There are four specific parts of the movie where this is highlighted.

Part 1: Kantor is depicted celebrating Shabbat with her family. This scene is provided apparently solely for the purpose of highlighting her ethnoreligious background/identity. No other main character gets a similar treatment; Twohey gets a little bit of background in the sense that they show that she's just given birth and is struggling with postpartum depression. That's the parallel the film draws between the two of them: the thing propelling Twohey to do this work is that she thinks work will help ease her postpartum depression, and the thing propelling Kantor to do this work is that she's... Jewish. So, immediately, a bit odd, a bit unbalanced. An argument can certainly be made that the relevance of her Jewishness to the parallel is that she maybe has a strong sense of justice and is pursuing it. But this is extracurricular work that the viewer has to do, and which the viewer can only do if they have the background to know about why someone from modern, mainstream New York Jewish culture would feel strongly about a story like this.

Part 2: "Jew-to-Jew". There's a line in the film where Kantor says to Twohey that Lisa Bloom, who was acting as Weinstein's lawyer, approached Kantor and tried to connect with her "Jew-to-Jew" to try to persuade her not to write the story. This is the quote: "Jew-to-Jew". This is mentioned in kind of an offhand way, but it sat weird with me, because who talks like that? Specifically, who would say that phrase to their goyische coworker, and expect that their goyische coworker would immediately understand what that means? And what impression does that give the audience of us? To me, it was an immediate red flag, because the implication to an audience not familiar with Jews is likely to be something along the lines of: "They all know each other, they all expect one another to be loyal to the group, and this is well known by people who live and work in New York and who write about these powerful people." When you phrase it like that, it is likely to reinforce antisemitic beliefs about how members of our ethnoreligion interact with one another.

Now, according to this Jerusalem Post interview that Kantor gave, it seems like an interaction like this did happen in real life. She says:

“Weinstein put [Jewishness] on the table and seemed to expect that I was going to have some sort of tribal loyalty to him. . . . And that was just not going to be the case.”

So this is a real interaction, but the phrase "Jew-to-Jew" seems to be an invention of the screenwriter, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, who also wrote Ida and Disobedience. She certainly writes a lot of films which are Jewish or have significant Jewish content; and per her Wikipedia page, her stepfather is Jewish, and there's one article in the Advocate which identifies her as Jewish too; so while I hope that's accurate, this bit just really hit a wrong note with me. Also, important to note, these words are put in the mouth of a non-Jewish actress (Zoe Kazan), who plays Kantor. So we're looking at yet another movie where someone who isn't Jewish but does have a schnoz is cast as a Jew. Now, Kazan does a great job, but it still rankles a bit.

Part 3: In that same Jerusalem Post interview, Kantor says that part of Weinstein's manipulation of her was that he hired Black Cube to try to derail her specifically, and that a Black Cube (so, Israeli) agent tried to get her to speak at some women's conference for a large sum of money. This is mentioned in a very off-the-cuff way in the film, and it's not ever expanded upon or connected back to Weinstein. It feels really out of place, like a line that could have been cut. And since Kantor herself identifies it as part of the way Weinstein tried to use her Jewishness to neutralize the story, it feels extremely weird that the way this incident shows up in the movie is for her to check her phone and ask Twohey and Rebecca Corbett if they know the name of the person who called her, because they're trying to get her to speak at some conference. That's it. No further context is given. So at this point, from the Jerusalem Post article, it's clear that there is a big backstory in which Weinstein is trying to use Kantor's Jewishness to stop her writing; but from the audience's perspective, all we see is that there's a well-known understanding among Jews that we'll all have each other's backs. In reality, Weinstein is trying to use shared heritage in a nefarious way that Kantor is not okay with; in fact, he's using it to target her in a very malevolent way, meaning that she's actually experiencing harassment from Weinstein specifically because she is writing this story while Jewish; but we don't get nearly enough context in the movie to know that. Instead, we see vague references to an antisemitic conspiracy which the character version of Kantor just sort of accepts matter-of-factly. And this other extremely important aspect of her interaction with Weinstein is not connected back to Weinstein at all, or in fact back to... anything.

Part 4: There is a long scene in which Kantor appeals to shared heritage with Weinstein's accountant, Irwin Reiter, to try to get him to trust her. There is a lot of screentime given to the fact that they both grew up going to the Catskills every summer, and that they're both descendants of Holocaust survivors. There are several minutes devoted to this onscreen, with very sort of ... almost titillating? ... references to the numbers tattooed onto Kantor's grandmother's arms. It's a lot of screentime. And at the end, Reiter trusts her and develops a relationship with her and ends up giving her a bunch of evidence that was important to the story. So the implication is that the trust happened in large part because of their shared heritage. Which would seem to reinforce the idea of the antisemitic conspiracy theory; it kind of looks like Kantor is telling Reiter a password and this password unlocks more access than she otherwise would have gotten. When, in reality, this is New York in the 2010s, and it's very common to be Jewish; so just being Jewish and the descendant of survivors doesn't really get you anywhere on its own. So this also sounded a false note for me. Kantor talks about this in the Jerusalem Post interview, and her description of how this interaction went sounded extremely different from how it was portrayed:

"I quickly figured out that Irwin and I were from the same small world. He was the child of survivors and had also spent his summers at bungalow colonies in the Catskills just down the road from mine. I don’t bring up the Holocaust a lot. It’s a sacred matter for me, and I didn’t do it lightly. But once I discovered that we did have this really powerful connection in our backgrounds, I did gently sound it with him – I felt that was sincere and real. Because he was making such a critical decision: Weinstein’s accountant of 30 years is still working for the guy by day and he’s meeting with me at night. And I felt like I did need to go to that place with him, saying, 'Okay, Irwin, we both know that there are people who talk and there are people who don’t. And we both grew up around that mix of people and what do we think is the difference? And also if you know if you have the chance to act and intervene in a bad situation, are you going to take it?' We didn’t talk a lot about it, because I raised it and he didn’t want to fully engage. But I always felt like that was under the surface of our conversations, and he made a very brave decision to help us."

The depiction in the film is not emphasized as though it's a gentle, light-touch, short interaction. They do talk about it a lot. And that seems weird to me, that so much is made of it in such an overt way, when that really isn't how Kantor describes the tone of it at all. She did float their similarities to him in conversation, but this wasn't enough to unlock his trust. Because of course it wasn't!

So in summary... the ways in which Kantor's Jewishness shows up in the film She Said are a real fun-house mirror of the way they showed up in real life. Nothing seems fabricated, but there are ways in which Weinstein tried to use their common heritage against her which were really underemphasized, and ways in which Kantor appealed to common heritage with Reiter which were really overemphasized, and the overall effect makes it look like both types of appeals held the same moral value. Like it was equally reasonable and normal for Lisa Bloom to talk "Jew-to-Jew" with Kantor on Weinstein's behalf, and for Kantor to talk "Jew-to-Jew" with Reiter. The entire idea that there is such a thing as "talking Jew-to-Jew" with someone as part of a bid to influence the outcome of some professional endeavor is actually put forth by the film as a thesis. It's presented as though this is an activity Jews engage in with one another (specifically, in the fields of film, media, and accounting) with the expectation that they will be successful in getting a fellow Jew to do what they want. That is a pretty sneaky way of introducing and reaffirming an antisemitic conspiracy theory, and totally ironing out the background context there, as well as the vast differences in tone between the two interactions.

[tickldpnk8]

Season of Mists Reread Ch. 4

This post has taken me a lot longer to write because this story is just SO self-contained. It's a nice little ghost story of a diversion from the main plot of this arc. But as you all know, this reread of Sandman is focused on spotting things I didn't notice before, clues, and cosmology related to Dream's character growth and the overarching plot of the whole series. And this story...just doesn't have much on it.

So I cheated, and I listened to both the Endless and Hanging with the Dream King podcast episodes before I wrote this. (Usually, I write my posts before.) And then I sat with it some more and here's what I noticed.

First off, Death. What the heck is she up to?

In the last issue, we got this from her when Dream went to her for advice. And sure, maybe he wasn't being a good brother by considering that his sister might be a bit busy after Lucifer closed Hell. But what is she actually doing?? Because she clearly tells Charles that she's not here for Paine...she already took him. So presumably, she's not going around rounding up souls from Hell. This feels a bit like a plot hole to me, but who am I to question the anthropomorphic personification of the concept of death/life and what their priorities are in this moment?

And this is where I think At Death's Door actually did a really good job of filling in that plot hole. She can't take all these escaped souls anywhere, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have her work cut out for her. And let me just say that I love Death. But this one just feels a bit off for me. Still judging the sibling relationship.

Also, let's just take a moment to compare workout attire from 1990 and 2004:

Next up: Hell

So we know from Death (I forget which panel), that living things choose their afterlife. So if you feel like you deserve to go to Hell, then you go to Hell. We get this panel of Lucifer back in Chapter 2:

So once you've chosen to go to Hell, you also choose your own punishment. Now, in this issue we see a few of the folks who have ended up there. And I have questions...

First, the headmaster's mother who apparently has a strict mindset about sinful sex...yet also seems to have some questionable relations with her son. Fair enough. Sure. (Also which was worse in her mind: that she was forced into sex acts she was uncomfortable with, that she refused her husband sex, or that she was an accessory to her husband either commiting adultery or rape?)

And then there are these cases: suicide, drug overdose and murder. I think we can all agree on why these individuals might think they deserve Hell for their afterlife. Historically, belief systems have all sent these types of actions to the bad place.

But what about these souls? The matron lost two infants: one to SIDS as an infant and the other to a miscarriage.

I can’t honestly think that either of them would have chosen for themselves to go to Hell? Like wtf? And okay, some belief systems think that pregnancy out of wedlock is a sin. Did the mother send her unborn baby there?? Unbaptized babies don’t actually go to Hell in Catholicism, they go to limbo, so… I’m going to chalk these up to Gaiman wanting to up the creepy factor in his ghost story. Because these feel odd. I’ll be curious how they handle this one in season 2 of the show.

And then there’s Paine himself. Who never gives an indication of what he was like as a kid, but just mentions he was murdered.

But what we do get is his experience of the afterlife: 75 yrs of endless corridors being pursued by something out of sight. He even describes it as a type of nightmare. So we not only get confirmation that the experience of hell is personal. But we also get a blurred line between the dreaming and the afterlife. I think this just confirms for me how powerful Dream is, because his realm not only borders that of his siblings, but also some forms of the afterlife.

[horizon-verizon]

What is people’s obsession with infantilisation ? Seriously asking. A 23 year old grown ass woman who was fully aware of every decision that she made, including carrying 2 children and marrying someone 7years her senior. It’s not like a 50 years old teacher/boss having a relationship with his 20 years old employee. Acting like Joe forced her into marriage and having children as if Sophie is not her own person with her own wants and needs like this is a completely unheard of set up.

When we consider specific modern age gaps, the best way to look at them, in my opinion, is to:

remember when the couple met/what age they were when they met

the dating histories of the respective person in the current relationship: how old were their partners and is there a pattern or a few suspicious stories?

People have very different "base" abilities to self advocate or self sufficient/defense levels at 19 vs 26 in the U.S. or England.

remember that 18-20 yr olds are not always that mentally that far from under 16/17 yr olds. (Put aside the "brain is not totally formed until 25" thing, it's useful but not a damning piece of information on how to judge relationships bc what if there was a 25 yr old and a 23 yr old? And we, as a society in the U.S., allow 18 yr olds to go to war [there aren't any age limits to actual combat] but not to drink). And no, I still wouldn't like/recommend a 20 yr old meeting and then having a relationship with a 16-17 yr old to be on the safe side. A 20 yr old still has more experiences they could use against that 16 minor--the potential is larger. There's a line (the legal age of 18) for a necessary reason: to lower the likelihood/make punitive abusive behaviors made easier from a power imbalance. even if that line/"arbitrary" age of majority the law notes is itself needing of review (again, that war vs drinking alcohol deal)

So we look askance at age differences when one of the partners is in their teens, even legal teens. Joe made the decision to pursue her almost right after she GoT ended, and she worked most of her teens in that show, not really exploring the world and having kids pretty early in her life. Now there are many people who begin parenthood in the late teens and early 20s who love and care for their kids and still also have a strong sense of self, but some of those people also have the added stress of knwoignhow to develop that balance in their lives that they wouldn't have had to do if they hadn't had kids that early. Some people are just beginning or trying to maintain having a job to self sustain, and having a child at this moment is going to be another stressor and pressure. And some are living poor or under the poverty line. They all have to "answer"/find out how they can parent while still learning things about themselves and their own emotional limits.

Therefore, it's case by case basis when we're looking at age gaps when both are over 18, but one is a bit too close to 18 for comfort. Even with the other not hitting 30 yet.

Now that I pointed out why it's a case by case thing WHILE ALSO it merits the suspicion it invites, let's look at the case of Joe and Sophie. Joe, as an individual with a history of having pursued a 13 yr old while he himself was 19 (Gigi Hadid), has already shown himself not "weird" (the ages make this word an understatement) but actually predatory. Again, he made the conscious choice to pursue a girl who would be in her 1st yr of high school or final year of middle school. Could still be playing with dolls. He did some work for it. No one arranged them together as if this were a noble marriage of alliance between two families out of the married persons' control. We (some Westerners, those with governments having laws against such things, and societies where women and girls are allowed some sort of room to pursue education and careers and make an independent living) are not in a society(ied) where a 16 yr old being paired with 30 yr olds for property is considered practically necessary or morally correct. Because we come from critics and activists that came into the mind that said girl/child should not be so exposed to sex, parenthood, etc. AND again, our economic infrastructure/the stakes are less...female autonomy-denying. Or at least want to be, and has placed the focus on women and children's desires and needs when "before", these were subordinate.

You might counterargue, "Sophie was over 18 when they married, she was a legal adult, not 13 (or under 18) like Gigi". First this shows you did not listen to me when I already talked about teens above 17 yrs of age. Second, the second an adult (18+) consciously pursues any person below 18, they reveal that they prefer younger partners over those their own age or around that. As to why, it could be that they feel "younger" themselves, bc they find it thrilling in a "other coin side" of way of thrilling that the "desirable" partner finds then attractive in a economy and society that places such desirability on youth/undesirablity on age already...or it could be that they like idea that they could have more economic power over the younger partner. Which is why it invites suspicion and concern; onlookers simply do not know for sure until other details and a pattern come to light.

Now since Joe decided to have a 13 yr old was anyone's idea of a proper sexual/romantic partner, the suspicion should not/is not suspicion anymore, it is a certainty. A certainty that this guy wants a younger partner bc he feels he has more actual, substantive control over them and what they do in terms of very personal decisions they should be making with as little selfish "guidance" as possible. After all, wtf and htf is a 19 yr old supposed to have a true relationship with a 13 yr old? What life are they supposed to have together that any 13 yr old would be ready for? Joe wasn't and isn't such an idiot to not be aware of this being a problem for a 13 yr old, so why pursue at all?

That was his history, and it is important bc it reveals his character and the material to know he has a lot of misogyny for reasons I already stated. It provides context for how he and his PR team is spinning their narrative against Sophie. What reason he has used to say that she is the bad person/parent. Like I said about the maesters and Rhaenys/Visenya/Rhaenyra HERE and HERE, it's about public perception using already-debated and misogynist ideas of womanhood, and parenthood, esp motherhood. His history shows that his pursuing Sophie when she was a "new adult" and himself already well into adulthood shows he's not into younger girls for innocuous reasons.

Again, it's the dating history of Joe, Sophie's ability to live on her own by her own determination as an adult before she met Joe, and the ages Sophie/Joe met before marrying and having kids.

Now 24 yr olds with 30-40s, I don't particularly care unless the older person is like from a prominent family or exponentially wealthier. And by country, of course. Which further drives the "case by case" deal.

EDIT/ADDITION:

From Tiktok, I found out that joe would be making a smear campaign against Sophie no matter what he did or did not do, no matter custody battles, etc. because he and his entire family are evangelical Christians who do not believe in no-fault divorce. Apparently, the idea is that "they made a promise to God, they broke, there's a bad guy", so someone has to be blamed for the separation.

And so if there is no obvious villain, as in infidelity, abuse, things like that, there has to be someone who gave up earlier. There has to be someone less involved. And so all of these rumors about Sophie Turner partying and being in the UK and way from the kids, all of this slant that's happening against towards her is to make it look like she gave up and she quit on the marriage so that when he gives up and quits on the marriage it's not because he wanted to it's because she had no choice.

[vampiremourning]

hurt my own feelings with a katnines human(ish?) au

this is super loose and not at all fleshed out but just stay with me here--

instead of staying in new york, for whatever reason they keep going and eventually settle in LA. obviously not doing super great as european immigrants but yknow, they have each other, her dad gets a job probably near the docks because thats what he was more or less doing back home & things stabilize, his girls at least seem happier than they were? kat is fucking On It making sure her sisters are set and taken care of and also does what she can to bring some cash into the household, and she wouldn't say her own state of mind is necessarily happy, she just wants to make sure her family is okay.

something something time passes im doing this at like 2 in the morning its fine, & they eventually cross paths, probably while she's taking something to her dad that he forgot at home. they sort of? click right away? but he assumes that she's there for her own finncee/husband/whatever & he kind just lets it go, waves at her the next time she's in the area but doesn't get hopes up until he actually Sees her father and it's like. ah. okay. this also makes sense.

she's had a handful of short lived boyfriends but they've historically all been just a Bit better off than she has (she's still practical) & otherwise just not a good match. like she didn't even bother bringing them home, just vetted them after a few bad dates. this guy is different though. circumstantially neither of them are doing them best, but god. he also just treats her so unbelievably well. he looks forward to seeing her, remembers the stuff she says, doesn't act like she's an idiot & doesn't get uncomfortable if she lets her accent slip a bit. she's happy.

you know who else is happy?? her goddamned dad.

he knows she's been on dates before and also knows that they must have been assholes if she never even brought them home but THIS ONE she does and she is visibly nervous! she is never nervous in front of them Ever, that's like. the one time she's comfortable. and yet. she wants her family to like him! so fucking much dear god, she's never been this sure of anyone in her life ever & if push comes to shove she'll pursue the relationship if their response is a bad one but she also loves her family a lot & it's important that she get to keep them.

her sisters are a bit of a mix but no one is negative but most importantly her dad is like. Yes this is a Good Choice bc they might not be getting married with a ton of cash but he recognizes actual love & connection when he sees it and knows that kat has somehow managed to find someone who Will take care of her even though she's the type to insist on stretching herself thin. & so when marriage comes up he's like. mr rodriguez i will not grant you my approval because you don't Need it, i know damn well the type of woman my daughter is and if you weren't up to standard you wouldn't be here, but i will gladly welcome you into the family. it's a beautiful wedding if Small but most blood relations are present (outdoors! the sun is out the breeze is Perfect she wears a dress that her sister irida made & there is so much crying oh my god). it's so picturesque they get to be just gfghjj happy and uncomplicated. and alive.

she doesn't even have to stress abt impressing his mother either like she's fucking On It with her social perception & they end up chatting like they've known each other for yearsssssss within like 10 minutes of meeting gfhjh she is Slightly disappointed that her new daughter in law doesn't know more than like 8 words of spanish but that's a temporary affliction, kat would dedicate herself to learning it the moment she gets a whiff of said disappointment.

they get to have a little house somewhere,, she could actually pursue the shelved future of becoming a teacher,, god. the possibilities.

(now ofc this can take a turn where they end up tragically embraced and separated for years anyway but fdgfhgjhdhfjfg shhH theyre happy.)

[gacmediadaily]

More than two years after longtime Hallmark Channel star Jen Lilley left the network for an exclusive movie deal with Great American Family (GAF), the network launched by former Hallmark Media CEO Bill Abbott in 2021, Lilley has opened up about what’s next. The actress says she has lots of exciting plans ahead, which could include a return to Hallmark now that she’s no longer required to work exclusively with one network.

“I’d be happy to work with Hallmark again at any point,” Lilley told Heavy on September 16, 2024, noting that she’s still “very close with actors at both networks.”

Since Lilley did not renew her contract after its January 1 expiration, the former “Days of Our Lives” actress has spent this year carefully choosing where she wants to spend her energy and time moving forward.

She’s jumped into new opportunities, from producing and acting in upcoming projects to agreeing to headline her first cruise with fans in January 2025. But she’s also letting go of other commitments, she said, including the Christmas is Not Cancelled charity events she started in 2020.

“2024 has been a year of non-exclusivity and new adventures,” Lilley told Heavy. “You know, it’s been a real turning point for me in my life.”

Jen Lilley Says Big Changes Have Led to New Opportunities

GettyJen Lilley with Hallmark friends Erin Cahill and Jonathan Bennett at the 91st anniversary of the Hollywood Christmas Parade on November 26, 2023.

The changes in Lilley’s professional and philanthropic endeavors have opened the floodgates for new opportunities to come in, she told Heavy.

“I had to start a spreadsheet in order to keep track of all the projects that keep falling into my lap,” she marveled, admitting with a laugh that she tends to be a “workaholic.”

But Lilley also had to say no to what was no longer working for her, she said, leading to her working as a freelance actress and shuttering her Christmas is Not Canceled charity, which she said impacted almost 100,000 children in need.

Though neither decision was easy, she said she knew in her heart it was time to move on, explaining, “I think when you pursue something wholeheartedly, and you keep running into closed doors, and then you rally and try a different method, and you hit another wall, sometimes it’s best to just be like, ‘There must be a reason for this, because my heart’s in the right place, and I’m doing things the right way, taking the high road, doing things ethically, and things are not panning out.'”

“So sometimes that just means it’s had its season, and you should celebrate that season because it was incredible, and then see what else is in the next chapter,” she said, adding, “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Lilley told Heavy she’s excited to expand her experience as a producer, while continuing to act in some projects, too. She will still appear in GAF’s 2024 holiday lineup as part of the ensemble cast for “A Little Women’s Christmas.” But she’s also thrilled about another Christmas movie she filmed, “Operation Mistletoe” with co-star Nick Bateman, though she couldn’t yet divulge where it will air.

The mom of four will also add “author” to her list of titles, with two books in the works for 2025 publication, she said.

Jen Lilley Says She ‘Cannot Stress Enough’ How Excited She is to Connect With Fans on January Cruise

Heavy/Expedia/GettyJen Lilley will headline Expedia’s Cruising With Friends fan cruise with Jesse Hutch and Marcus Rosner, January 6-10, 2025.

One thing that hasn’t changed for Lilley is how much she loves connecting with her fans, which is the reason she agreed to go on her first-ever cruise, headlining Expedia’s third annual “Cruising With Friends” fan excursion to the Bahamas with fellow rom-com stars Marcus Rosner and Jesse Hutch, from January 6 – 10, 2025.

“I love, love, love, love — I cannot stress enough how much I just enjoy meeting people,” Lilley told Heavy, sharing that she’s excited to have sustained conversations and “create core memories” with fans on the cruise. Planned activities include nightly group dinners, a “silent” disco, Q&A panel, door decorating contest, and a formal photo session, but Lilley is most excited to just connect heart-to-heart with those on board.  

“I love encouraging people, and building people up, and making people realize that they are so loved, valued, created on purpose and with a purpose,” Lilley told Heavy, “and so I want them to take that away, you know? I want them to just walk away feeling really encouraged and empowered.”

Expedia Cruises rep Jennifer Baldock, who has planned similar cruises with Hallmark fan favorites Andrew Walker, Kristoffer Polaha, and Paul Greene, told Heavy that they keep the number of attendees much smaller than most fan events, including Hallmark’s sold-out holiday cruises, to ensure that people get to truly interact and connect with the stars. 

Fans interested in details on the cruise with Lilley, Rosner and Hutch can join Baldock’s private Facebook group dedicated to information and interaction about the cruise or email her at jbaldock@expediacruises.com.