#the reference is from 1899 btw

[saym0-0]

more sfth spg crossover content i fear 🙏 featuring (left to right) angelina mcallister (the off season) mrs xavier (the leftenmost window) delilah moreau and delilah’s werewolf wife who i dont think has a name (spg lore) becaausee. theoretically. angelina could have been raised in san diego, california. i dont remember if she ever mentioned the state she lived in before she moved in with her father but its california now! and. perhaps she met mrs xavier through the english courts/nobility social circles idk lol. do you think she knows all her friends are in some way magical? anyways reference/background and little doodle of what john jacob and samantha are doing in the meanwhile under the cut :3

[creative-girl]

No Longer You from Epic: The Musical Underworld Saga reminds me so of Albus Dumbledore

Before I start, I would like to give some context. Epic: The Musical is a concept Album that is created by Jorge Rivera-Herrans and is based on the Odyssey. It is released by chapters or sagas, today the seventh of nine sagas was released. Now I have a vague idea of what happens in the poem but in the Musical Odysseus is sent to the Underworld by Circe to find this prophet, Tiresias, who she claims will help him get home. And I relistened to this song during the live and I couldn't help but think of Albus Dumbledore.

I see a song of past romance

This can be about his tragic romance with Gellert Grindelwald during infamous Summer of 1899.

I see the sacrifice of man

Dumbledore has sacrificed his happiness and peace and stability for the magical world. I don't think he was ever truly at peace after the infamous summer.

I see portrayals of betrayal And a brother's final stand

Notice how "portrayals" is in plural? It is talking about more than one betrayal so it can be Albus being betrayed by Geller, or Aberforth feeling betrayed by Albus and Gellert feeling betrayed by Albus The Brother's Final Stand can refer to Aberforth standing up against Gellert.

I see you on the brink of death

He is the greatest wizard in the whole world, surely, there would have been moments where he nearly died. I feel like he would have seen these moments had Fantastic Beasts continued, and then again, he is on the brink of death for the entirety of Half-Blood Prince.

I see you draw your final breath

Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince

I see a man who gets to make it home alive But it's no longer you

This can be him returning to Hogwarts after the duel of 1945 and realizing that he is not the same man. Or this could be him returning home, with a broken nose courtesy Aberforth, realizing he has changed.

So yeah 😃 that's it, I can't think of anything to add. Thank you for coming to be Ted Talk.

BTW the Wisdom Saga, just might be my favourite Saga yet 😭

[lafiametta]

Hi!! I love your prompts about Olek and Ling Yi so much!!! They are so cute and you write them so well. 😭💗 I keep thinking of those two and they have been stuck in my head ever since I watched 1899. I am surviving off crumbs from the show (sob I need more scenes of them together in S2) I was wondering what you think they would do on a Saturday where they both don’t have work? (Referring to a modern AU) I was also wondering if you’d think Olek or Ling Yi would get tattoos? and if so, what tattoos would they be? Also how do you think Olek would react if he saw Ling Yi in a pretty outfit? Or vice versa!

I am so sorry if I asked too many questions I just get so excited when talking about these two 😭😭 (You don’t have to answer btw!!! And again, I love your writing!!)

Thank you, Anon — that's very sweet of you to say! And your questions are great — I'll do my best to answer them!

If you're wondering what Olek and Ling Yi would do on their day off in 1899 New York, then I have some slightly sad news for you: it would be Sunday, not Saturday, because the weekend (as we know it) didn't exist in the United States until the early 20th century. When Olek and Ling Yi first showed up in Brooklyn, Olek got some pressure from his brother to go to church on Sunday, but once they moved back to lower Manhattan, Olek stopped going. (I mean, can we blame him? Early morning mass in Latin versus the prospect of sleeping in next to a very pretty girl? Not a hard call to make.) But after the sleeping in, I can see them making the most of the day by exploring the city, maybe catching a streetcar and walking through Central Park, and then heading down to the Bowery for a cheap dinner and a vaudeville show.

In modern-day New York, Saturdays are Olek's time to catch up on household chores (like laundry... he's got to keep those jackets clean) and Ling Yi wakes up early to talk to her mom in Hong Kong (just a small time difference of thirteen hours!). They normally stay over at Olek's apartment on Saturday night and sleep in the next morning (they do seem to enjoy that part, no matter the scenario), then go out for a late brunch on Sunday, or else stay in while Olek makes Polish apple pancakes.

As for tattoos, it's hard for me to see Olek getting one, but Ling Yi got a small one on her birthday a few years earlier (before she met Olek). Growing up, she had the nickname of "little bird," which she didn't like at all, but it inspired her to get a tattoo on her left shoulder blade: a bird in flight, escaping a cage. When Olek first saw it, he asked her what it meant, and her answer really stuck with him. It reminds him of the kind of man he wants to be around her: one who won't try to confine her or keep her in a box, but who will let her be free and true to herself.

How would Olek react when he saw Ling Yi in a pretty outfit? Probably the same way he reacts when he sees her in any outfit! (Oversized sweatshirt and leggings? He still thinks she looks amazing.) But it's true, when she really goes all out — bodycon dress and heels, eyeliner and red lipstick — he just about loses his damn mind. Ling Yi also can't get over how good Olek looks in a suit; he cleans up very well, let's just leave it at that.

[nifflersgelt]

If you’d like to write the Goldsteins as Jewish (since they are!) but aren’t sure how to do that, I’ve compiled a list of fiction books about early-twentieth-century American Jewish life! I figured that nonfiction can be hard to access or get through, and info sites like MyJewishLearning are hard to contextualize both into actual experiences and into the historical setting. Plus, fiction gives you a feel for things rather than just tossing information at you. And it’s enjoyable! These books can help you learn about what Tina and Queenie’s upbringing and lifestyle might have been like, and they go into topics like food, tenement life, Jewish neighborhoods, school, social/love lives, religious and cultural life, and how Jews adjusted from being new immigrants to being more integrated into general society. They’re from slightly different time periods, and all but one take place in New York City.

The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant

Era: 1915-1930

Coming of age story of a young woman named Addie, featuring her friendships, family struggles, love life, and career misadventures. Addie was born around 1901, so she’s a good reference for Tina. It’s a useful book for this since it spans such a large range of time. It goes into details about things like language, culture, tenement life, settlement houses, employment, religion, food, weddings, and other life cycle rituals. It does take place in Boston, rather than NY, but I imagine there were a lot of similarities.

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Era: 1899/1900

A really lovely fantasy book about a golem (a creature from Jewish folklore) and a Jinni who find themselves in New York City and strike up a frienship. The Golem, Chava, lives in the Jewish area of the city and follows Jewish customs. This is a little before Tina and Queenie’s time, but it could be a good reference for their parents and for understanding the environment they may have come from. It goes into local flavor, different types of Jews (religious vs. secular), and how the community works. It also goes into Jewish magic stuff!

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

Era: 1930s/40s

Joe Kavalier is a talented artist from Prague who escapes pre-Holocaust Europe in a box, and Sammy Clay, his cousin, is an American Jew who knows how to turn dreams into entrepreneurship. Together, they use their creativity and ingenuity to break into the emerging comics industry based in NYC. It also gives insights into what secular Jewishness would have looked like and how it was still undeniably Jewish, in a much better way than I can describe in tumblr posts (it helps that the author is a secular Jew himself, whereas I’m religious).

Middle-grade books - I’m including these even though they’re for kids because they’ve got good information, and they’re good if you’re looking for a faster read. Also, if English isn’t your first language and you want something easier, these are a good choice.

All-of-a-Kind-Family by Sydney Taylor

Era: 1910s

This is a set of five books about five sisters growing up on the Lowest East Side of NYC. It goes into tenement life, the Jewish community, religious life, corner stores, chores, social lives, school, Shabbat, etc. It could be a good reference for Tina and Queenie’s childhoods. The author herself was actually born in 1904, and the stories are based on her own upbringing, not just research.

Rebecca: The Sound of Applause

Era: 1914

This is an American Girl book about a ten-year-old girl named Rebecca. It goes into school life, religious life, the fabric of the neighborhood, the differences between new and recent immigrants, and dealing with Christmas. Also a good reference for Tina and Queenie’s childhoods.

Dave at Night by Gail Carson Levine

Era: 1926

Dave is eleven when his father dies and he’s sent to live at a Jewish boys’ orphanage. But he starts sneaking out at night, and an old man takes him under his wing and starts bringing him to parties. He lives a dull orphanage life by day and an exciting Harlem Renaissance life by night. Dave is younger than the Goldstein girls, but since it takes place in 1926 I thought I’d include it anyway. It goes into Jewish mourning practices, Jewish communal life, and some of the ways Jews interacted with other communities.

Hope these are useful! I recommend them all just as books to read for pleasure, btw, in addition to references.