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hisui-dreamer · 1 year ago

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Hi, congratulations on 1k followers! I love your writing a lot and I was hoping you could do Villainess AUs with Malleus? Like isekai manhwa style? Thank you!!

the gazelle's sweet briar

Pairing: Malleus Draconia x f!reader

Synopsis: your first objective was to avoid the main characters, but it's not easy when you only have the memories of your friend's ramblings to work off of

Tags: cliché isekai plot, reincarnation, fluff, arranged marriage, tw (mentioned): bad parenting, patriarchal society, death

Word count: 1.6k+

Notes: @coralinnii has an amazing series based on isekai villainesses, so i definitely recommend you check out her work too! im so in love with it (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

Masterlist

Once upon a time, there lived a villainess of exceptional allure, her visage as enchanting as a moonlit night. However, this bewitching beauty concealed a heart blackened by a singular obsession with appearances.

From the earliest days of her upbringing, her mother, a woman who had managed to step into aristocracy by charming a noble, had instilled in her a cruel belief: that those who were not blessed with physical perfection were destined for lives of relentless mockery and eternal solitude. This twisted ideology consumed the villainess' every thought, blinding her to the virtues of education and morality. She became nothing more than a porcelain doll, admired solely for her aesthetic charm.

The King arranged a marriage between her and Duke Draconia, the enigmatic descendant of the dragons who ruled the northern lands, believing that such a striking bride would surely please the reclusive Duke.

However, the King remained oblivious to the swirling rumours that pervaded the courtly circles. Whispers spoke of the Duke as a hideous man who had never once revealed his face, perpetually concealed behind a forbidding black mask. When the rumours reached the villainess' ears, she threw tantrum after tantrum, vehemently refusing to wed a man whose appearance couldn't possibly match her own.

Yet, a royal decree could not be denied. Reluctantly, the villainess embarked on her journey to the northern realm in bitter acceptance. It had rained the moment she arrived, the castle dark and uninviting, with thorns crawling onto the obsidian walls. The Duke, an oblivious and shy man, did not greet her at the grand entrance. Instead, she was met by the Duke's advisor, a man with a curiously boyish features.

Humiliation welled up within the villainess' heart, for she felt as if she were being played the fool by the entire duchy. On the eve of her arrival, anxiety gnawed at her like a relentless spectre.

As night descended, the Duke, mustering his courage, attempted to approach the vexed lady.

But when the villainess beheld his masked face, terror seized her like a vice. "Stay back! You hideous beast!" she cried out, her voice trembling with fear, and she recoiled, her steps faltering as she retreated from him.

The Duke, wounded by her cruel words, attempted to console her, his outstretched hand beseeching understanding. Yet, her irrational dread overcame her, and she continued her backward retreat until, with a heart-stopping scream, she slipped from an open window.

That was how the villainess' life ended.

you hadn't actually read the book, but it wasn't difficult identifying who you got reincarnated as

especially with how your best friend obsessed over this villainess because, and i quote, "if pretty, why evil, huh???"

you woke up a week before the villainess would depart for the North, but that week alone was enough to make you understand the way she acted

every day, you were fed portions fitting of a child, had your skin rubbed raw as you were bathed, and not a moment of your mother's nitpicking about a sudden imperfection she found in you

in truth, you were more than glad to leave for the North, even if that's where your life would be on the line

the survival plan was simple: maintain an amicable relationship with the duchy until the night the heroine stumbles in to ask for a night of shelter, to which the heroine would heal the emotional wounds of the Duke, and share with him the beauty of love, bringing warmth into his heart

and so, you arrived at the estate, the castle tall and intimidating with the clouds dark and foreboding

still, you stepped out of your carriage (with wobbly legs) and met the advisor (your friend's favourite character, in fact)

the advisor, lilia, though seemed young, was actually the very man who raised the duke in the absence of his parents

he welcomed you as the lady of the duchy, and led you to your quarters

by nightfall, you were quite comfortable with living in the estate

everyone was polite, the food was delicious (and properly sized), and you had no doubt you'd settle nicely here

as a precaution to the death sequence, you decided to take a stroll in the rose garden after dinner

if you were already on the ground floor, you couldn't fall to your death, right?

but unexpectedly, you encountered a lone figure in the centre of the garden

he was incredibly tall, dressed simply, his emerald eyes fixated on the estate

upon closer inspection, you noticed he had long horns as well, perhaps he was a gazelle beastman?

either way, you were curious about what it was that held his attention so strongly that he couldn't notice your presence

"Excuse me, sir? May I ask what is so interesting about the building?" you timidly break the silence of the night.

The man turns to you, his eyes widening in surprise. "... Do you not know who I am?"

You blinked in confusion at his words. His words filled you with a sense of foreboding. You wondered if this person matched any of the characters your friend had so fervently described, but all you could recall was the beautiful villainess and the enigmatic advisor to the Duke.

"My apologies, I'm afraid I do not... May I know your name, sir?"

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he considered your question. "No... If that is the case, you may call me whatever you wish."

Perplexed by his response, you tried to come up with a suitable name. "Then... May I call you Mr. Gazelle?"

Upon hearing your words, he burst out in laughter. "Hahaha! What an interesting choice. Very well, I accept the name," he said. "In response to your first question, I was observing the gargoyles of the building."

on that night, not only did you learn more about the fascinating functions gargoyles serve, you also made your first friend in this life

strangely enough, you didn't meet the duke at all unlike the novel, which though strange, you greatly welcomed

if you didn't have any ties with him, then it'd be so much easier to just divorce him, get the money, and live a comfortable luxurious life far away from the main characters

though as you say that, you find yourself wanting to spend more and more time with "Mr Gazelle"

despite his intimidating appearance, he turned out to be a very generous person, frequently gifting you little trinkets he's made or bouquets he's arranged

he's started calling you "Briar", after the roses in the garden where he met you

you greatly appreciated the nickname, it felt better to be called that than the name of the villainess, that you could just be yourself and not play the role of a villainess avoiding ruin

you also find that whatever musings you've mentioned to him, they somehow manifest themselves

oh? you wish you could learn about embroidery? the next day there's a basket full of the highest quality threads and fabrics, with a gentle tutor to help you learn

(you still remember how cute "Mr Gazelle" looked when you gave him your first finished product, a handkerchief with an embroidered gargoyle)

what's this? you'd like to try more desserts from the capital you were never allowed to try? say no more! the next day the chef presents you with 10 different choices!

so you assumed he was an advisor of sorts to the Duke, because how else could your requests be granted so easily?

but one day, around two months after you started living in the duchy, "Mr Gazelle" asked you questions about the duke, whether you were afraid of him, would you prefer to meet him, curious questions like that

though surprised by the topic, you answered honestly, saying you don't really believe in the rumours (because you know from your friend he's an ethereal beauty) and yes, you would like to meet your husband

and what do you know? lilia informs you the duke wants to share dinner with you. what a coincidence!! :)

Nervousness held you in its grasp as you stepped into the room. Your gaze remained fixed on the carpet beneath your feet, and your knees bent gracefully as you executed the perfect curtsey.

"Your Grace."

You could hear sounds of shuffling, and then a pair of black boots entered your field of vision. Familiar hands found yours, guiding you to rise and stand upright. "Rise, my Briar," he murmured gently.

With hesitant anticipation, you finally looked up, taking in the obsidian mask that concealed his face. That voice, that nickname, and those enchanting eyes—it was all too familiar.

"Mr Gazelle..." you whispered in disbelief.

His eyes narrowed in mirth as he chuckled. "Although I hold great fondness for that name, I do wish you could call your husband by his name," he said as he began to remove his mask.

"Malleus..." you breathed.

A tender smile graced his lips, and his eyes sparkled with affection as he delicately brushed a stray lock of hair from your face—a gesture he had done countless times before. "My sweet Briar, I implore you to forgive me for deceiving you. I wished nothing more but to know you," he pleaded.

Oh, with how loud your heart was pounding in your chest, you realized that you were irrevocably and hopelessly ensnared in a love story that had deviated far from the original story.

But you didn't feel a single ounce of regret.

Masterlist

if you liked this post, don't forget to reblog!

#bts of writing this #malleus fell so hard on the first night #he gave gifts as a form of courting #cuz dragon instincts #also lilia the whole time was like “young people and their love issues”#✧1k! another life✦#twstnexus #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst imagines #malleus draconia #malleus draconia x reader #twisted wonderland malleus

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yellowocaballero · 19 days ago

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what manhwa have you been reading? I've currently been on a very shitty romance isekai villainess kick lmao

I grasp your hands. Another pig in the trough of manwha. I'm not a huge villainess person, but obviously I have read a shitton of it. I read so much awful manwha, but the good is SO good. Everybody knows that SSS Class Suicide Hunter is perfection, but I feel like The Ember Knight is fucking incredible and not discussed as much! Everybody read The Ember Knight (if you like action)! It's incredible!

I just finished Concubine Walkthrough, which was AMAZING. So good! What a great usage of the premise! Chinese period piece concubine drama (a whole genre.) + 'player gets trapped in an MMORPG' flavor isekai + being ACTUALLY science fiction and extremely interested in the science fiction aspects of virtual reality. I refuse to read those gamer MMORPG manwhas because they're terrible, but Concubine Walkthrough is what you always wish those stories were like.

I also just read through My In-Laws Are Obsessed With Me, which sounds like it should be uninteresting but it is shockingly extremely good. Very good character work, extremely slow and realistic buildup of the importance of the FL in the family, great politics/character dynamics, and the slowburn romance is even really good. Just overall extremely good writing and it was an extremely good read.

I've also been reading Until The Tragic Male Lead Walks Again, which is incredibly fun and funny through virtue of himbo buff FL and sweet and sensitive ML. The ML is disabled as well, which is also always great to see, although it still has that strange character note that's identical to Touch My Brother and You're Dead and associates a man gaining a disability as losing masculinity and blah blah blah woke brain off. I also really enjoyed Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine, which does a difficult thing and makes the OP hero story actually very enjoyable. I also re-read/caught up on Lead Me Kidnap The Male Lead! which is VERY fun 100/10 recommend. Also like a lot of other stuff but those are the ones I would recommend.

Always taking manwha recs so if you got any I will definitely check them out :3.

#you know how you can lift up a rock and see an entire colony of bugs underneath?#me and my manwha thing.#reading list over the past month has been. house of leaves. zen buddhist philosophy. *insane quantity of manwha*.#ogres have layers i guess.#gonna be real halloween month was less reading and more like #every vincent price movie #like so many. like. the amount of vincent price ive seen now.#my asks

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valy-gc · 11 days ago

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Had some fun

I imagined for a moment already some OCs school.

Now I decided to see a little more in details.

I may make uniforms later, but you're free to use them in fics or anything, or make characters from them

Lilystar Academy (All-Girls, Pyroxene/Shaftland)

Inspired by Classic Disney Princesses

Location: In a serene, enchanted forest bordered by lakes and mountains, reminiscent of the environments associated with classic Disney princesses.

Equivalent to the Great Seven: Known as “The Graceful Five,” these figures include historical figures inspired by princesses who valued kindness, intelligence, bravery, beauty, and loyalty. These figures resemble Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Belle, and Rapunzel, each believed to embody a unique virtue.

Dorms:

Edelweiss (Snow White-inspired): A focus on resilience and kindness. Dorms are nestled in a secluded glade surrounded by flora and fauna, and members are trained in leadership and care for magical creatures.

Glassentia (Cinderella-inspired): Emphasizes determination and charm. Their dorm is located in an elegant manor and focuses on resourcefulness, personal development, and endurance.

Rosa (Aurora-inspired): Represents grace and poise. Dorm rooms are within a magical tower surrounded by roses, and members are known for their keen magical talent in healing and defensive spells.

Asteria (Belle-inspired): Focuses on intellect and courage. The dorm resembles an old library tower, and members excel in research, ancient languages, and magical history.

Starlight (Rapunzel-inspired): Encourages creativity and exploration. Students in Starlight study unconventional magic, including potion-making and alchemy.

Description: Lilystar Academy has high academic standards, though it values compassion and personal growth more than prestige. It's moderately prestigious but less widely renowned than NRC or RSA, attracting students who wish to hone their magical abilities alongside artistic and social skills.

The Abyssal Institute (All-Girls, Coral Sea)

Inspired by Disney Villainesses

Location: A sunken palace deep in the Coral Sea, designed to look like an underwater castle with spired towers, and illuminated by bioluminescent plants.

Equivalent to the Great Seven: “The Dark Coven,” modeled after notable female villains: Ursula, Maleficent, Queen Grimhilde (the Evil Queen), Cruella, and the Queen of Hearts. Each is revered for traits like ambition, cunning, and power.

Dorms:

Vortex (Ursula-inspired): Known for studies in potion-making and enchantments. The dorm is shaped like a spiraling grotto with tidal pools for experiments.

Thornhelm (Maleficent-inspired): Focuses on dark magic and transformations. Dorm rooms are nestled among eerie kelp forests.

Glassgaze (Grimhilde-inspired): Students specialize in divination and mirror magic. The dorm resembles a palace wing with ornate, reflective walls and focuses on personal power and allure.

Bloodspade (Queen of Hearts-inspired): Emphasizes strength and authority, with a fondness for magical games of strategy. The dorm is modeled after a coral fortress and encourages students to master illusion and strategic magic.

Roguecrest (Cruella-inspired): Focuses on creative magic, illusion, and spellcraft with high visual effects. This dorm takes after Cruella’s daring style and values students who push boundaries in visual and auditory illusions.

Description: The Abyssal Institute is highly exclusive and selective, drawing a wide range of skilled students from the Coral Sea region. It's known for producing powerful magic-users, and students here often clash with RSA and NRC graduates in international magical competitions.

Ironclad Academy (All-Boys, Pyroxene/Shaftland)

Inspired by Disney Heroes and Warriors

Location: A secluded mountain fortress in a northern, snow-capped region that resembles a medieval military training ground.

Equivalent to the Great Seven: Known as “The Noble Six,” inspired by valiant Disney heroes and warriors such as Hercules, Mulan, Aladdin, Tarzan, Maui, and Robin Hood. Each figure represents physical and mental attributes important to Ironclad's philosophy, such as strength, honor, resourcefulness, adaptability, resilience, and cunning.

Dorms:

Aegis (Hercules-inspired): Focuses on strength, courage, and heroism. Dorm rooms are fortified with magically reinforced materials, and members are encouraged to master spells for physical enhancement.

Fangblade (Mulan-inspired): A focus on tactical prowess and strategic magic. The dorm resembles a hall filled with weaponry and artifacts, and students train in combat techniques and tactical planning.

Daggerfall (Aladdin-inspired): Specializes in agility, resourcefulness, and charm-based magic. Dorm rooms are located within intricate desertic maze-like structures, teaching students evasion and trickery.

Wildclaw (Tarzan-inspired): Emphasizes survival skills and beast magic. Dorms are within a lush, magical forest attached to the academy, and members bond with various creatures.

Skyfury (Maui-inspired): Studies environmental magic and elemental control. Dorm is built atop a cliff with an open view of the sky, emphasizing storm and ocean magic.

Greenbow (Robin Hood-inspired): Focuses on stealth, precision, and speed. Dorm rooms are located in hidden alcoves, emphasizing agility and archery-based magic.

Description: Ironclad Academy is well-respected among other magical institutions, known for producing graduates who are both physically and magically powerful. While it’s not as academically esteemed as NRC or RSA, its students are highly regarded in security and guardianship roles.

The Gilded Institute (All-Girls, Sunset Savannah)

Inspired by Disney's Animal Kingdom Characters

Location: Located deep in a vibrant, mystical jungle teeming with magical flora and fauna. The institute takes after ancient jungle temples.

Equivalent to the Great Seven: Known as “The Wild Four,” representing figures similar to Disney's most iconic animals: Simba (leadership), Baloo (wisdom), Kaa (cunning), and Bambi (grace). These legendary creatures embody different aspects of primal power and the wisdom of the natural world.

Dorms:

Roarvale (Simba-inspired): Teaches leadership and courage. Dorm rooms are within an elevated area of the jungle, resembling ancient ruins, and students are encouraged to take on leadership roles.

Leafden (Baloo-inspired): Focuses on wisdom, patience, and knowledge of nature. This dorm is centered around a large treehouse, where students study medicinal herbs, druidic magic, and potions.

Fangshade (Kaa-inspired): Known for stealth, agility, and charisma. Dorm rooms are spread out along winding forest paths, hidden in the shadows. Students focus in illusions and mental enchantments.

Gladepaw (Bambi-inspired): Focuses on agility and empathy. Dorm rooms are on ground level, surrounded by streams and lush vegetation. Members are encouraged to study healing magic and natural spellcasting.

Description: The Gilded Institute is lesser-known than the prestigious schools but respected for its unique approach to magic through a connection with nature. Graduates often become conservationists, animal tamers, or rangers within the magical world.

Tidebreak College (All-Boys, Coral Sea)

Inspired by Pirate and Sea-Themed Characters

Location: A maritime fortress on a series of floating islands within the Coral Sea, accessible only by boat or through underwater passages.

Equivalent to the Great Seven: Known as “The Salty Five,” based on infamous sea-faring figures resembling Captain Hook, Davy Jones, Captain Jack Sparrow, Maui, and Ariel’s Father King Triton. The figures represent aspects like exploration, mystery, treasure-seeking, respect for the sea, and adventure.

Dorms:

Skullcrest (Captain Hook-inspired): Focuses on leadership and strategy. The dorm is located within a cave-like fortress, and students learn navigation, naval combat magic, and illusion spells.

Eelspire (Davy Jones-inspired): Centers on fear, respect, and power over the sea. This dorm, filled with eerie nautical relics, teaches binding spells and oceanic curses.

Tidesong (King Triton-inspired): Focuses on marine harmony and defensive magic. Dorms are adorned with coral, shells, and bioluminescent plants, and students study aquatic creature-taming and protective magic.

Mistrider (Jack Sparrow-inspired): Teaches charm, trickery, and quick thinking. Dorm rooms resemble rustic ship cabins, and students excel in persuasion and illusion.

Starcurrent (Maui-inspired): Focuses on environmental magic and water-based spells. Dorms resemble a series of small atolls where students connect with marine currents and weather.

Description: Tidebreak College is a unique school that teaches an unconventional style of magic, with an emphasis on teamwork, creativity, and navigation. It is well-regarded within maritime communities and recognized as a solid choice for aspiring seafarers.

Hearthstone Institute (All-Girls, Queendom of Rose)

Inspired by Disney’s Hearth and Home Characters

Location: A grand castle-like estate on the edge of a magical village, designed to feel warm, welcoming, and safe, with every hall adorned in rich, earthy colors and cozy fireplaces.

Equivalent to the Great Seven: Known as “The Matrons of Virtue,” inspired by Disney’s caring and wise figures like the Fairy Godmother, Mrs. Potts, The three fairies, and Mama Odie. They represent kindness, support, wisdom, resilience, and creativity.

System: Mentorship Halls Instead of Dorms

The Hall of Enchantment (Fairy Godmother-inspired): Specializes in charm-based spells and transformation magic, focusing on personal growth and confidence. Each student has a mentor in advanced charmwork.

The Hearth Hall (Mrs. Potts-inspired): Focuses on protection and enchantment of objects. Students here are trained in household charms, protective spells, and potion-brewing for the home.

The Luminous Hall (the three fairies-inspired): Studies light magic and healing. Students here are paired with healers and trained in physical and emotional healing spells.

The Mystic Hall (Mama Odie-inspired): Teaches voodoo-inspired magic, charms, and fortune-telling. Each student is paired with an elder who teaches intuitive and unconventional magic practices.

Description: Hearthstone Institute emphasizes nurturing relationships over dorm living. Each student is matched with a mentor from her hall, who oversees her magical development, often creating a family-like atmosphere. Hearthstone is well-respected for producing compassionate, community-focused mages.

Mirage University (All-girl, Scalding Sands)

Inspired by Adventure and Exploration Characters

Location: A desert oasis city with elements of ancient architecture, vast libraries, and archeological ruins, with a focus on adventure and magical research.

Equivalent to the Great Seven: Known as “The Compass Council,” inspired by legendary explorers like Sinbad, Indiana Jones, Moana, and Milo Thatch. These figures represent exploration, resourcefulness, curiosity, and bravery.

System: Wanderer’s Houses Instead of Dorms

The Sandstorm House (Sinbad-inspired): Specializes in desert survival magic and treasure-hunting spells. Members of Sandstorm House are trained in combat and desert traversal.

The Seeker’s House (Indiana Jones-inspired): Focuses on artifact discovery and ancient languages. Students learn ancient magic, glyphs, and restoration spells.

The Tidal House (Moana-inspired): Trains students in water manipulation and aquatic exploration. Members are often seafarers and focus on maritime spells and coastal survival skills.

The Horizon House (Milo Thatch-inspired): Specializes in academic and research magic, including archeological magic and knowledge preservation. Members work in grand archives and study ancient tomes.

Description: Mirage University encourages exploration over academics. Students are organized into “Wanderer’s Houses,” which function like guilds that focus on particular regions or types of exploration. Mirage is less prestigious but known for fostering daring researchers who often make historical discoveries.

Silverpine Conservatory (All-boy, Pyroxene/Shaftland)

Inspired by Disney’s Magical Animals and Forest Creatures

Location: Set in a magical woodland area with cabins, trails, and open glades. Students live among the trees in small communal spaces, fostering a strong bond with nature and animals.

Equivalent to the Great Seven: Known as “The Spirit Council,” inspired by legendary animal protectors that resemble figures like Bambi’s mother, Mufasa, Chief (The fox and the hound), and Baloo. These spirits represent harmony with nature, wisdom, protection, and kinship.

System: Communal Cabins Instead of Dorms

Pineclaw Cabin (Mufasa-inspired): Focuses on leadership, courage, and survival skills. Members learn protection spells and defensive animal bonding.

Moonlight Cabin (Bambi-inspired): Teaches empathy, gentleness, and nature harmony. Students excel in healing, camouflage, and weather spells.

Echo Ridge Cabin (Chief-inspired): Focuses on cunning and forest strategy. Students learn scouting, stealth, and tracking magic.

Bearpaw Cabin (Baloo-inspired): Studies resilience and self-sufficiency, teaching students to forage, fish, and survive in nature.

Description: Silverpine is a peaceful institution that emphasizes learning from nature, with students staying in small cabins within the forest. Each cabin is like a family, with seniors acting as guides for younger students, passing down spells that enhance nature and animal bonds.

#disney twisted wonderland #twst #twst wonderland #disney twst #twisted wonderland #twst other schools #oc school #twst oc #twst disney

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maydelmiro · 1 year ago

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Virtues of the Villainess / Ginger and the Cursed Prince / Las Virtudes del Villano / As Virtudes da Vilã

Capítulo 47

Virtues of the Villainess (2019-2022) - :)

I think we've all had that friend who is unashamedly thirsty. Who will point out a hot person over and over again and somehow maintain the same level of lascivious admiration for their target's form or voice or actions. I very much appreciated that friend in high school who brought me endless hours of entertainment from their creative thought patterns and inevitable hijinks as they tried to garner some of their target's attention in increasingly bizarre ways. If you also had that friend, or perhaps were that friend then I think you'll find a kindred soul in the heroine of this manhwa.

Ginger Torte is a little bit in love with love. She wants someone to love her, but somehow she's always coming in second to her rival Larazie Atlanta. When she happens on a romance novel that seemingly predicts the future, with her cast as the villainess, Ginger seizes the opportunity to try to change her fate. Meanwhile, our sad male protagonist Izana is a newly minted king with emotional walls a mile high after years of isolation. However, armed with knowledge from this weirdly prescient romance novel, Ginger starts her bumbling campaign to win Izana's heart before Larazie can capture his attention. If Ginger were more competent, this story wouldn't be half so entertaining. Nearly all of her schemes fail, but she throws herself into them with such gusto that they don't get old. For every silly failure, I was right there with Izana feeling oddly charmed.

The jokes that hit the best for me were the recurring ones: Ginger's cooking, how she's always the more physically forward one in her relationship with Izana, and her bullishness in the face of truly half cocked schemes. Ginger as a person seems like she would be delightful and entertaining to be around, and I doubly appreciate that the author told the story they wanted to tell and then didn't try to drag things out. What diminished the story for me was the epilogue, which did in fact feel rushed and a bit half baked, but the sum of the whole was still a great light romance. I think more people could use a bit of Ginger Torte in their lives.

#virtues of the villainess #ginger and the cursed prince #las virtudes del villano #as virtudes da vilã #mangá #mangalivre.net

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wonder-vixen · 6 months ago

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gawrkin · 8 months ago

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I normally don't like Tennyson's narrative around the female characters due to his framing of them being the source of all the faults in Camelot.

But there's a part of this story that often catches my attention and its Guinevere's rejection of Arthur:

Like, I can't help but dig idea that Guinevere rejects Arthur because of his virtue. As if his holy character actively irritates her.

If I was writing, I would take it further and outright imply Guinevere is some kind of demonic being. If Tennyson can get away with turning Arthur into a mysterious, divine entity that Merlin found instead of being born of Uther's misdeeds, then I don't see why I can't apply that to Gwen.

Welsh Myth already provides the idea of Guinevere as a Fae/Giantess so I would just present her as a "Reverse Persephone" -

Guinevere is actually a mysterious girl who came up from the "Kingdom beneath the Earth", "a daughter of a Colossus of Old" and is reared as ward of one of Arthur's vassals. Arthur, being taken by her beauty, took her as his wife. "And so, the Worthiest and Most Righteous King on Earth married a she-devil, the fairest of all her race, and made her his Queen."

The reason she finds Arthur repulsive is because she's a "primal spirit" who was born deep underground and can't stand the presence of someone so "Heavenly", so divorced from "the touch of the Earth". Camelot falls into "sinfulness" because Guinevere is in fact a physical avatar of all Materialism and Worldly Values, both good and bad.

And instead of Guinevere repenting of her actions, I would just take a cue from E.A. Robinson and have Gwen reject Arthur to the very end:

And if Arthur and Guinevere ever meet again, Guinevere could go as far as threaten to eat Arthur - "as is the habit of my kind, says the Queen" - especially if Arthur starts posturing about his (Victorian) morals and being chaste for her.

If there was a way to present Guinevere as a proper Anti-heroine or compelling villainess without the usual sexism/misogyny, this is how I would do it.

She's not so much an actively evil force as she is simply incompatible with the "Blameless" Arthur and indeed, the marriage's eventual failure was inevitable.

But for a time, while the marriage endured, Camelot was the place where the Spiritual and Material meet as fellows and prosperity ensued.

#queen guinevere #king arthur #idylls of the king #E.A. Robinson #arthuriana #arthurian legend #arthurian mythology #arthurian legends #my thoughts

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artist-issues · 10 months ago

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How many times do we have to say:

Create characters with strength of virtue, not strength of skills.

I just finished A Tale of Two Cities with the character Lucie Manette, who "does" nothing but love the people around her and extend compassion toward everyone within her sphere of influence. She makes no "choices" that contemporary audiences would award the stupid badge of "giving her agency" to. She doesn't make a speech that saves Charles Darnay's life. She doesn't lead the victims of the French Revolution into a counter-revolt. She doesn't fight off the soldiers that come to take her husband, or beat up Madame Defarge when she threatens her child, or even come up with the escape plan to flee Paris.

She makes none of those kinds of choices. (You know who does? Madame Defarge. But the compare-contrast between those two can wait till another day.)

But she makes these kinds of choices:

She'll give her honest testimony in a trial for a potential traitor to the crown, and demonstrate her compassion and grief for a near-stranger, wearing that vulnerability on her sleeve in front of a huge court of people clamoring for blood.

She'll be compassionate toward Sydney Carton, even though he's rude, careless, and brings a bad attitude into her happy home.

She'll spend the energy of her life making that home happy.

She'll stand for two hours in any weather on the bloody streets of the French Revolution so her husband might have a chance of glimpsing her and getting some comfort from the prison window.

She'll trust the older men in her life when they ask her to.

She'll allow an old woman to care for her and go everywhere she goes, and treat her like a child, as long as it makes the old woman in question happy.

And what, WHAT is the consequence of these kinds of decisions, choices, that some ignorant people call "passive?"

That old woman is allowed to love Lucie Manette so much that she defeats the villainess in the climax of the story, holding Madame Defarge back from getting revenge with sheer strength that comes directly from that love.

Her father is allowed to draw strength from the fact that Lucie believes she can depend on him--because she chooses to let her father take the lead and do the work of saving her husband, Dr. Manette is fully "recalled to life;" he doesn't have to identify as a traumatized, mentally unstable victim anymore, because Lucie is treating him like he can be the hero.

Her husband does see her in the street, and does draw strength from that--just that--instead of losing his mind the way her father, starved for a glimpse of his loved ones, did during his own imprisonment.

Lucie's home is so full of the love and kindness that she fills it with that not only does her father return to remembering who he is after his long imprisonment--but Mr. Lorry, a bachelor with no family, can feel at home with a full life, there. Miss Pross, whose family abandoned and bankrupt her, has a home with a full life, there. Charles Darnay, whose life of riches and pleasure as a Marquis was empty, has a home with a full life, there. In Lucie's home, because she spends her life making it the kind of home others can find rest in.

Sydney Carton, a man whose whole life has been characterized by a LACK of "care" for himself or anyone else, suddenly cares about Lucie. When he thought it was impossible to. And he doesn't care about her because she's pretty. Her beauty was just a source of bitterness for him--one more pleasure he could've had but can't. Until he "saw her with her father," and saw her strength of virtue, of pity, of compassion, of self-sacrificial love--then he felt that she "kindled me, a heap of ashes, into fire." He started caring about life again, where it was associated with her, because she brought to life every good thing. Just by being a woman of good virtue. And we know what that inspiration led him to.

Without Lucie's strength of virtue, and the decisions that naturally came from that, none of the "active" choices other characters made would have happened. Sydney would not have been redeemed. Darnay would not have been saved. Her father never would've been recalled to life. Miss Pross and Mr. Lorry would've had no light or love in their lives. Even Jerry would've had no occasion to learn from his mistakes and resolve to stop abusing his family.

A character like Dickens' Golden Thread, who does what a woman should do, inspires the choices other characters make. That makes her more powerful, in her own way, than the heroes and any decisions they make. Because she's the cause. She's the inspiration. She's the representation of everything good, right, precious, worth fighting for.

Lucie Manette's not the only character like this. Cinderella. The original Disney Jasmine. The original Disney Ariel. Lady Galadriel. Jane Eyre. Amy March.

"Behind every great man is a great woman," indeed! Absolutely! Bravo!

Hang on! Hang on to those kinds of characters. Those a real "strong female" characters. The muses, the inspirations, the reminders of The Greater Good. The people who make fighting the dragons worth it at all. Who cares about fighting the dragon? That's not so great, without her.

Don't forget those kinds of characters! Reading Dickens just makes me desperate for our generation to keep up the reminder: make characters that the next ten generations can learn from: strength of virtue is much more important than silly little strength of skill.

#Dickens #Charles dickens #writing #storytelling #behind every great man is a great woman #strong female characters #strong woman #Lucie Manette #a tale of two cities #classics #writing advice #feminism #feminism is poison #Christianity #Christian fiction #tropes #Sydney carton

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